manner how the beginning of sickenesse cause originall continuation and end that euery fit in thy sickenesse nay the very pangs of death are particulerly set downe in the counsell of God Did God so as hee did Dauid when thou wast an Embrio without forme in thy mothers wombe when thou wast made in a secret place and fashioned beneath in the earth Psal 139.15.16 and doth he not now thinkest thou behold thy trouble Will he not strengthen thee in the bed of languishing and make all thy bed in thy sickenesse Psal 41.2.3 In the 56. Psalme v. 8. Dauid prayes that the Lord would put his teares into his bottle Now consider with thy selfe hath God a bottle for the teares of his Seruants much more hath hee bottles for their bloud and much more doth he respect their paines and miseries with all the circumstances of sickenesse and death How did this comfort the Church of Ierusalem in the death of Christ in that nothing came to passe in it but that which the fore-knowledge and eternall counsell of GOD had appoynted Acts 4.28 Thirdly the Meditation of this point must teach thee to possesse thy soule in patience to kisse Gods Rod to subiect thy selfe like an obedient childe to his correcting hand to couch downe like Issacar vnder thy burthen what miserie soeuer in life what manner of mortalitie in death doth befall thee because it is the Lords doings it is a message from thy King an errand from thy Father a summons from thy Iudge a Loue-token from thy Bridegrome a warning from thy Generall therefore to be receiued with all loue and loyaltie submission and subiection without muttering and murmuring belching and barking against God as the manner of some is Oh consider the practise of Dauid Psal 39.10 I held my tongue saith hee and said nothing Why so because thou Lord aidst it The same consideration sealed vp the lips of Aaron when two of his owne Sonnes were consumed with fire Leuit. 10.3 So Eli when hee considered it was the Lord that threatned him and his house was content that he should doe what seemed him good 1 Sam 3.18 Ioseph thus reuiues his brethren when their harts failed them in a great perplexitie Gen. 43. Feare not saith hee for it was the Lord that sent mee before you Oh obserue how the very meditation of Gods permissiue prouidence armes him and his against griefe impatience and discontent open thou the boxe and apply thou these Cordials and Mithridate to thy owne particular I warrant you who euer had a window into Simeons Soule had seene no small Iubilie of ioy in his inward man arising euen from these very thoughts that it was the Lord that let him depart in peace after hee had imbraced the Prince of peace to whom that thou maist conforme thy selfe let this one motiue moue thee besides many moe Namely the greatnesse of this sinne of impatience a sinne not onely condemned in the Word Prou. 14 29. 19. vers 19. if it be but against man much more if against God as that of Iobs was Iob 3.1.2.3 c. but also punished most seuerely in the Lords owne people as yee may see at leasure in euery Chapter almost of Exâ—dus and Numbers it neuer scaping scot-free but bringing a greater iudgement with it then that which did occasion it As doe the people murmure for Quailes for Water c. against God against Moses and against Aaron they shall be plagued vvith Pestilence and Serpents and Death and Murraine and mortalitie Oh then if thou wilt be angry be angry with thine owne sins the occasion of all crosses and of all curses the causer of Terâ—ours and Consumptions and Burning Agues and Biles and Botches and Plague-sores yea of Death it selfe Leuit. 26.16 22. Wherefore is the liuing man sorrowfull Man suffereth for his sinnes Lament 3. Sinne was the cause of Ezekias botch of Gehesies and Miriams Leprosie of the Philistines Emerods of the Aegyptian plagues and therefore Christ bids the blinde man sinne no more least a worse thing befall him Iohn 5.14 For Death by Sinne entered into the world Rom. 5.12 which Sinne still continueth Deaths sting wee carrying that sting in our bosomes that vvill kill vs oh then plucke this sting out drowne Sin in the salt Sea of repentant sorrow as the Marriners cast Ionas into the Sea and the cause being remoued the effect will cease The tempest shall turne to calme when thou turnest to Christ though thou hast outward paine thou shalt haue inward peace and shalt depart in peace Secondly in that God limits and lets and permits our departure it teacheth vs that the dayes of man are so determined as that no man no meanes can protract them or detract from them beyond and besides their limits for God which hath appoynted the seasons and times for euery thing Acts 1.7 ch 17. hath determined also the dayes of euery mans life as hee did Iobs Iob 14.5 which life as it is like a weauers Lombe Esay 38.10 so it must last till the last thread thereof be wouen like an Houre-glasse running till the last minute of time be expired before which time this thread cannot be cut by the power of men and Angels this Glasse cannot be broken all externall created power cannot cause the Lord to alter what hee hath written in the numbring of our dayes no more then Pilate would change what hee had vvritten vpon Christs Crosse Obiect 1. But here a scruple may arise concerning Ezekias who was told from God that hee should presently dye Esay 38.1 yet after there were fifteene yeeres added to his dayes 2 Kin. 20.1 Answ First Gods will is alwayes one in it selfe like God himselfe how euer in respect of vs it may seeme contrary or contradictory as it is secret and reuealed Secondly there was no change of will or decree in God but in Ezekias himselfe who receiued the sentence of death like the Niniuites conditionally as the Theefe may receiue the sentence of death from the Iudge vnlesse hee carry himselfe after more carefully or get the Kings Pardon presently For all Legall Threats as also Euangelicall Promises haue their relation and reference vnto the condition of Faith or Infidelitie of Repentance or Impenitencie by the performance or not performance vvhereof wee auoid or incurre the curses denounced or are capable of or not capable of the promises propounded therefore when God staid the execution and as it were repriued this good King hee did nothing but what hee determined for hee decreed by this threatning to bring him to the sight of his sinnes and so to repentance that hee might liue Obiect 2 Obiect 2. Iob complaines that his breath is corrupt that his dayes are extinct and that the graue is ready for him Iob 17.1 So Dauid complained that the Lord had weakened his strength in the way that he had shortened his dayes yea hee feared that God would take him away in the midst of
away that was a suror to him Witnesse thou Salomon when thou didst pray for Wisedome thou Paul when for strength against Sathans buffets thou Ezekias and Dauid when you called for deliuerance from enemies you Israelites when you cryed in bondage thou Moses for preseruation at a dead lift thou Prodigo thou Publican thou penitent Theefe thou Manasses thou mourning Mary when you prayed and sued with teares for mercy thou Anna thou Isaack thou Zachary with thy Wife Elizabeth intreating for Children nay lastly let the experience of all Gods Seruants for this fiue thousand yeeres speake and speake thou mine owne Soule in thy young yet true experience what thou hast found and felt and declared in the great congregation if euer petition were put vp from a sorrowful soule a beleeuing and a touched heart a zealous spirit that receiued not a gracious answere in euery request concerning body or soule that concerned eyther Gods glory to giue or his seruants good to receiue For thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous thou wilt shine vpon him with the light of thy countenance and with fauour wilt crowne and compasse him as with a shield Psal 6.12 For Mirth the Lords Seruants shall reioyce and sing for ioy of heart Esay 65.14 they shall reioyce vvith ioy vnspeakeable 1 Pet. 1.8 and their ioy shall no man take from them Iohn 16.22 For Pleasures though they be not fatted with the carrion of the world like the Diuels Crowes nor taste not of this bitter Ratsbanes sweet-sower poyson of Sinne which at last stings like a Cockatrice yet they haue pure and perfect pleasures such as the worlds swine neuer tasted they are fed with hidden Manna they keepe a constant Iubilie and a perpetuall Christmas feasting Christ as feasted by him in that communion they haue with him in the Word the Sacraments Prayer c. In vvhich they are satisfied with the fatnesse of Gods House and drinke abundantly out of the riuers of his pleasures Psal 36.9 These wages with many moe are as the earnest penny and the Hirelings entring penny with vs called the Gods penny which God giues as assurance and part of greater and better payment hereafter being but a little portion and pittance of that which they shall haue hereafter but as the Prologue to the Comedie as a Beauer to a Banquet as a Mite to a mountaine of Gold as the Candle light to the Sunne For hereafter indeede is the great reward Mat. 5.12 so great so shining that as it hath dazeled the Aegles eyes of the dearest of Gods Seruants when they haue set themselues to behold it as of Augustine and others so I can but shew it you a-farre off as Moses was shewed Canaan a type of Heauen Then for the comfort of those that haue imployed their bodies and their soules in Gods seruice here to prouoke others now to sacrifice their bodies to God as is most reason as the Apostle cals it a reasonable seruice Rom. 12.1 let them know these bodies shall then be like the Angels in heauen Mat. 22.30 they shall shine as Starres Dan. 12.3 yea at the Sunne in the Kingdome of the Father Mat. 13.46 For their Soules they shall be glorious without spot or wrinckle Ephes 5.17 they shall behold the face of God in righteousnesse and haue fulnesse of ioy in Gods presence Psal 16.11 For their estate they shall be Kings and raigne with God and Priests to sing Haleluiahs vnto him Reu. 1.6 for as they haue serued Christ on earth so they shall serue him in glory Reu. 22.3 yea and they shall be Iudges to to sit vpon thrones and iudge the twelue Tribes of Israell Mat. 19.28 I could tell you further of their ioyes out of the Scripture in their eminencie excellencie fulnesse glorious greatnesse and perpetuitie Psal 36.8 Mat. 25.11 Esay 21.11 1 Cor. 2.20 how incorruptible the Crowne is how stedfast the Kingdome how constant the ioy how euerlasting the feast how secure the rest how endlesse and infinite the pleasure is which is prouided for Gods seruants after their departure out of this vaile of misery 1 Pet. 5.4 Reu. 21.6 2 Thes 3.7 Iohn 16.22 Heb. 12.28 c. with all the accruments and additions and amplifications incident to this poynt eyther in respect of the place the highest heauens or the company innumerable Angels the congregation of the first borne God the Iudge Christ the Râ—deemer Heb. 12.22 c. but I contract my sailes and leaue the rest to your search and meditation and to the spirit to make application onely desiring euery soule that is as yet a slaue to his vsurping sinnes to consider as Hell that hee gaines so the gaine that hee looseth that is Heauen thinke of it seriously and betimes least thou thinke of thy gaining losse thou getst by sinne when thou must for euer stand to the bargaine as the rich Diues did in Hell when he saw Lazarus in Abrahams bosome Luke 1.6 when his bad and base choise was repented but not redressed Lastly if these blessings here and hereafter moue thee not yet lend mee thy patience a while to peruse and ponder the curses and plagues and euils that thou shalt auoid by being Gods Seruant Many a man thou knowest is exempted from many common calamities by the countenance of some great man to whom he retaines as from being a common Souldiour in the time of warre and the like so in any common plague or iudgement the Lord knowes how to deliuer his yea though thousands fall on their right hand And surely this is a wondrous priuiledge that the Saints haue first that as God blesseth oft the wicked for their sakes as hee did Laban for Iacobs cause and Potiphar and Pharaoh for Iosephs cause his blessings being not onely vpon the houses and families but vpon whole Nations Countries and Cities for the cause of his Seruants euen as heathenish Empyres amongst the Babilonians prospered for Daniels cause and so Cyrus Artaxerxes and Darius for the cause of Ezra Nehemias and other captiue Iewes that serued the true God and the Heathenish Romanes for the persecuted Christians causes as Histories manifest and as it is a further priuiledge that God oft not onely preserues from dangers but saues from destruction sinfull Sodomitish and profane places and persons for their cause to as hee did those in the indangered ship for Pauls cause and Noahs kindred for Noahs cause and would haue spared Sodome for Abrahams and the righteous sake if they could haue beene found so it is a wonderfull prerogative to that when the Lord by the prouocation of the vnrighteous is minded to bring destruction vpon a Land or Country hee first deliuers his Seruants 1. eyther by death as hee did Iosias and good Augustine before the sacking of Hippo by the Vandales 2. Or by conueying them to some other place as he did Lot when Sodome was burned 3. Or by providing some meanes for their escape as the Arke for Noah
1 Kings 16.9.10 Iezabel argues well Can Traitors haue peace looke to it Iehu thou art a Traytor against Ahab sure Traytors seldome or neuer dye in peace Witnesse Absolon Sheba Adoniah our English Traytors Romanized Semenaries treacherous Conspirators Lopus Squire Titchburne Babington Parry c. our late Powder-plotting Pioners the French Rauillack millions moe which being like Ioab men of bloud haue come to their ends as is said of Tyrants cum caede sanguine with bloud and slaughter Oh then how canst thou a worme of the earth a wretched man because a vvicked man liuing in treasonable sinnes with a heart as hard as the neather-Milstone rebelling against so great so glorious so potent so powerfull a God once hope that euer thy gray haires shall come to the graue in peace or that thy soule after her flitting shall rest in Abrahams bosome the place of peace Can a man haue peace in Rome and be opposed against the Pope the vsurping Herod that supposed earthly God as his flattering Parasites call him oh then canst thou dust and ashes be opposed on earth against the mightie Iehouah the God of heauen Christ that opened the eyes of the blinde open thine eyes to see and thy heart to beleeue as hee did Lydia's Acts 16.14 and giue thee at last a resolution to breake off thy sinnes by repentance Dan. 4.84 the enemies of thy peace least God breake thee like a Potters vessell and teare thee in pieces whilst there is none to deliuer thee Psal 50.22 Oh sue for pardon for thy sinnes seeke for peace to him which is the Prince of peace Esay 9.6 seeke for peace by him and his merits which was ordained to be thy peace and to worke thy reconciliation Câ—l 1.20 so thou shalt shut vp the last period of thy life vvith inward peace and goe to keepe an eternall Sabbath with him that is the God of peace Thirdly that thou maist die peaceably invre thy selfe to dye daily and that after this manner First euery day mortifie some sinne nip some Serpent in the head crucifie euery day some corruption set vpon thy lesser sinnes and so get ground of thy greater sinnes as in particular leaue thy dangerous and damnable custome of swearing and blaspheming by these degrees first breake off thy Ciuill Oathes as in swearing by thy Faith Troth Christendome c. Secondly then set vpon thy Ridiculous and Childish Oathes as by Fay Fakins Trokins Bodikins Slid Sounds Cocke and Pye with the like whereby thou seekest to mocke and deceiue God who will not be mocked Gal. 6. Thirdly then invre thy selfe to leaue thy Superstitious Oathes as by the Masse Rood Crosse by our Lady and by Popish Saints c. Fourthly so proceede against thy Heathenish and Idolatrous Oathes in swearing by the Creatures as Laban and Iezabel by their Idols Gen. 31.53 1 Kings 19 verse 2. as by men by S. Peter and by S. Iohn c. by the Heauens the Earth by Fire Sunne the Light Meate Drinke Money c. or by the parts of thy body as Hands or the like or by thy Soule all condemned Mat. 5. ver 34. Iames 5.12 And so with a courage set vpon thy impious horrible fearefull damnable blasphemous Oathes as by the Lord by God the eternall God by Christ by Iesus and such like or by the parts and adiuncts of Christ by tearing his Humanitie as the Iewes did his body by diuiding him as the Souldiers did his garments Mat. 27.35 in blasphemie by his Death Passion Life Soule Bloud Flesh Heart Wounds Bones Sides Guts Armes Foote Nayles c. of all which I tremble and quake to thinke write and speake though thou makest no more scruple of such Hell-bred Oathes then of thy ordinary words so deale with all other sinnes of which thy soule is as full as a Serpent is full of venome and a Toade of poyson Crucifie them by degrees and dye to them daily else thou dyest for euer if thou dye 〈◊〉 in them By this course thou shalt take away the sting of Death which is Sinne for the strength of Death is Sinne 1 Cor. 15. euen as the strength of Sampson laid in his hayre Iudg. 16.17 which sinne when it is subdued Death it selfe is as easily conquered as weakened Sampson was by the Philistines verse 21. yea it can doe thee no more harme then a Dragon Viper or angry Waspe which haue lost their stings Secondly dye daily to the world loue it not nor the things of it that so thou maist more happily dye out of the world and more hopefully entertaine thoughts of a better world And in this case doe as Runners vse who oft runne ouer the Race before they runne for the Wager that so they may be better invred and acquainted when they come to try their abilitie or as is said of Belney the Martyr that being to suffer by fire many dayes before he would hold his hand a pretty while in the flame so to prepare himselfe to sustaine the paines of Martyrdome which he was to vnder-goe Thirdly dye daily by invring thy selfe to take Crosses and Afflictions patiently as sickenesses in body troubles in minde losse of goods of friends and of good name c. which indeede are little deaths euen pettie deaths not onely Prologues of death but Preparatiues to death for which cause GOD sends them to his children more then to the wicked euen to weane them from the world and prepare them for death as the Nurse weanes the Childe from the Teate by doing bitter Aloes vpon it and sure he that beares Crosses most patiently is well prepared to dye peaceably as appeares by S. Paul 1 Cor. 15.31 who by making good vse of afflictions dyed daily it holding commonly that Mors post crucem minor est Death is lesse dolorous after the crosse Fourthly pray seriously for a peaceable departure it is confirmed by examples of all ages and experience of all Gods Seruants that hee that prayes well speedes well Iacob and Abrahams Seruant had Gods blessings vpon their Iourneyes as an effect of their Prayers Gen. 24. Gen. 27. Thou shalt finde Gods presence euen in that houre of the last iourneying of thy soule from her earthly Mansion to her heauenly Country if thou pray for this grace particularly and effectually therefore as thou oughtest to pray continually for other things so euen in health and prosperitie pray frequently and feruently 1. That God would make this backeward repugnant and nilling nature of thine willing to her dissolution 2. Prepare thy vnprepared soule 3. Subdue thy corruptions 4. Purge out the drosse of thy sinnes 5. Giue the patience to kisse his correcting Rod when hee whips by sicknesse or diseases 6. Succour thee in thy last and greatest conflict 7. Support thy weaknes 8. Aide thee against Sathans force and fraud 9. Strengthen thy Faith 10. Renew thy decayed graces 11. Giue thee the power and comfort of his owne Spirit 12. Not
godly haue a taste of Heauen here enioyed hereafter 253 God blesseth the wicked oft for his seruants sakes 255 God deliuers his seruants from generall iudgements sixe wayes 257 God and Sathan cannot be serued together 258 The case of Sathans captiues opened 259 Seauen Reasons why the godly must dye as well as the wicked 263 Tenne sins that haue prouoked the Lord to sweepe away the wicked 268 That all must dye exemplified and amplified by many instances 269 The deaths of the worlds Worthies of all sorts epitomized 274 Fiue naturall causes of death 282 Death is as inexorable as vnresistible with his Trophies ouer all 283 We must not too much loue this life which we must shortly leaue 287 Those that loue life must hate Sinne the cause of death 289 Death onely makes the Prince and the poore man equall 291 Deaths effect in equalizing all illustrated by fit similies 296 Sixe Reasons further shewing the necessitie of dying 299 How euen in liuing wee dye and are dead in part 301 By how many meanes we dye 304 Diuers examples of seuerall sorts of deaths violent and naturall 305 Some cut off in the midst of their lawlesse lusts 309 Our dayes abbreuiated in respect of the long liues of the Patriarkes 316 Foure causes of the long continuation of things 318 Because our life is short we must spend it well 319 Our many sinnes to be mourned for and why 320 The practise of Epicures and profane men reproued and threatned 321 How wee must sow in teares in this short seed-time 323 Further vse to be made of our short time 325 Our life is laborious and miserable euery calling hauing his crosse 328 No place priuiledged from foure things 1. Sathan tempting 2. The hearts wandring 3. Ill tongues biting 4. The world crossing 330 Examples of humane calamities 331 Twelue meanes to get that peace with God which the world wants 334 The vanitie of life with all the things in life truely discouered 336 The world truly described by eleauen similies 340 How Christ in his practise crossed all the worlds proceedings 342 The benefits of death to a Christian vnder the Crosse 343 God oft cats away the best soonest 345 How death is fearefull and not fearefull 347 Death is onely a departure out of life not a finall destroyer 348 Eight Arguments prouing the Resurrection of our bodies 351 Illustrations from Nature that our bodies shall rise 352 Foure Reasons besides from the Word 354 The Christians comfort in the consideration of our Resurrection 355.356 That wee may rise ioyfully we must liue holily in tenne particulars 359 Tenne Arguments to proue the soules immortality 362 Seauen moe from the Word 364 Death vnmasked what it is to the godly 365 Reproofe of those that respect the body more then the soule 367 The seruants of God alwayes dye in peace 369 The godly oft haue their desires at before and in their deaths 372 The very last words recorded which the Saints vttered in their death beds 374 How great men haue liued and dyed good men 377 Reasons why the godly depart in peace 379 Nine Obiections answered that seeme to contradict the peaceable departure of the Saints 380 Nine Reasons that his death may be good that dyes of the Plague 384 How selfe-murther doth not alwayes imply a wretched death 387 Hee that would dye well must liue well 389 The fearefull ends of wicked persecutors in euery age 391 An ill life the vsuall Prologue to a Tragicall death 395 None can repent when he will 397 The Word layes downe a way to a blessed death 402 Death is certaine yet vncertaine 403 The paines of Hell without remission or redemption 405 Repentance is not to be deferred till death 406 The danger of deferring discouered 408 The Theefes Repentance vpon the Crosse examined 412 Sixe effects of Deaths meditation 417 The life of Faith brings dying Peace 429 Repentance the meanes of peace with God 430 How to dye daily three wayes 433 How to leaue the damnable custome of Swearing 434 Eighteene things to be prayed for that death may be prosperous 437 A good conscience in life brings peace in death 442 Sixe causes of sickenesse besides sinne 445 With fiue duties to be done in sickenesse 446 The sicke man must send for a Minister before the Physitian and carnall friends 451 The necessitie and lawfull vse of Physicke proued and vrged 455 Rules obseruable in the vse of Physicke 457 Against seeking to Witches and Charmers in sickenesse 459 Reconciliation and Restitution vrged 461 Fiue Reasons why a sicke man must make his Will 465 Foure Rules in making all Wills 466 A Christian carriage prescribed in the houre of death 468 Twenty seuerall Comforts in the death of friends 1 Because God takes them away 470 2 The Saints haue beene patient spectators of the deaths of their deare friends 471 3 If he dyed in the faith of Christ he is translated from this life to a better 472 4 He is blessed being dead in the Lord. ibid. 5 Hee is returned home to his Fathers house ibid. 6 He is inseperably vnited vnto God the chiefest good 473 7 He is marryed vnto his Bridegroome Christ ibid. 8 His warfare is now at an end ibid. 9 Being here a pilgrime hee is returned into his owne Country 474 10 Thou hast not lost but left him ibid. 11 He shall be restored vnto thee againe at the Resurrection ibid. 12 Ere long thou shalt goe vnto him 475 13 His better part is yet liuing ibid. 14 His estate is bettered by death ibid. 15 Thou sorrowest for that could not be preuented 476 16 Thou hast many companions in thy sorrow ibid. 17 Thy impatient sorrow hurts thy selfe 477 18 Thy extreame sorrow is as fruitles as faithlesse ibid. 19 The Lord thy best friend is still liuing ibid. 20 They are insensible of thy sorrow 479 Twenty Cordials against the crosse of sicknes 482 And Meditations how to beare the intollerable burthen thereof 499 Eight seuerall Consolations against the vnkindnes of mercilesse Friends 500 1 Thy case is not singular but ordinary ibid. 2 The Saints haue had the same measure 501 3 Christ himselfe was maliced of his owne brethren ibid. 4 There hath beene hatred amongst the nearest friends by nature ibid. 5 Though thy friends forsake thee yet God careth for thee 502 6 As thy friends are vnkinde to thee so thou hast beene vnthankefull to God ibid. 7 God hath elected thee though man reiect thee 503 8 Though thou canst not see thy friends here with comfort yet ere long thou shalt see God as hee is ibid. Thirteene Preparatiues against Pouertie 504 1 It is the prouidence of God that thou shouldest be poore 504 2 Thy crosse is not singular 505 3 Pouertie is no token of Gods displeasure ibid. 4 A little with the feare of God is better then great riches of the vngodly 507 5 As well Pouertie as Riches fals out to the best to them that feare God ibid. 6 The Lord
Angels Arch-angels Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and all the holy company of Heauen our fathers our mothers our sisters and brothers our friends and deare ones that are gone before vs O glorious sight O inestimable comfort worthy to make vs cry with the Apostle I desire to be loosed and to be there Come Lord Iesus come quickely Death is an end of all misery and the beginning of all blisse an eternall dwelling with God againe and an aduantage as the Apostle nameth it a sweet sleepe a comfortable rest Vitae via the way of life saith Ambrose Nomen tantum fidelibus death is onely a bare name and no death indeed to the faithfull saith Chrisostome Nemo timet mortem nisi qui non sperat viuere post mortem No man feareth death but hee that hopeth not to liue after death the Lord gaue and the Lord taketh away life as well as goods and shall not wee say with Iob Blessed be the Name of the Lord. If wee hold for tearmes of yeeres or at the will of the Lord must not we be content to relinquish it when our tearme is expired Wee our selues doe looke for it at the hands of our Tenants and would be much offended if they should be disobedient shall wee not performe to God what wee looke for at men Grudge not at the losse but be thankfull for the Ioane wee are Gods Tenants and we ought to giue him his owne when it is due to him Would you keepe a pledge from the true owner that committed it to you for a time Our life is Gods pledge hee hath left it with vs now so long he euer entended to call for it againe and will you not restore it gladly and willingly without murmuring and repining thinke how you would like that at mans hands to keepe your pledge Heathens haue beene strong and shall Christians be weake The Swan is said to sing most sweetly when shee must die and shall Gods Children weepe Blessed blessed are the dead that die in the Lord saith the holy Ghost Reu. 14.13 and will we not beleeue him O ignaros malorum suoruÌ„ c. O ignorant men of the miseries of this life that doe not esteeme and prayse death as the best inuention of nature yea let vs say rather it is the great mercy and goodnesse of God towards man for first it expelleth calamitie secondly it includeth felicâ—tie thirdly it preuenteth the perils of youth fourthly it finisheth the toyles of age Omnibus finis multis remedium nonnullis votum to all an end to many a remedie to some a wish deseruing better of none then of them to whom hee commeth before hee be called for As children feare their friends when they are disguised but when their vizards are plucked off are glad of them so of death Ignorance makes feare and Knowledge ioy Cleambrotus saith Cicero after hee had read Platoes Booke of the happy estate of the dead cast himselfe head-long off from a wall into the Sea that hee might come to that happinesse the same Author speaketh of another Philosopher that so disputed of the contempt of death that many willingly killed themselues whereupon Ptolomy the King forbad him any more to speake of that matter in his Schoole Now alacke what comparisons be betwixt Philosophicall Comforts and Diuine out of the Treasure of Gods owne Wisdome taken from his written Word Shall wee then with our light feare that which they in their darknesse so little regarded God forbid The day of our birth wee neuer feare and The day of death saith God that is euer true is better then the day that one is borne Eccles 7.3 That resemblance of death to sleepe in Scriptures 1 Cor. 15.51 is most fit if you marke it and full of pleasure for 1 As no man can euer wake but of necessitie must sometimes sleepe so no man can euer liue but must needes haue a time to die 2 Be a man neuer so strong sleepe will tame him and so will death as it did Goliah Sampson Milo and others 3 As sleepe maketh vs put off our cloaths and Iewels and that willingly that we may take our rest so dealeth death with vs it taketh away all our pompe and port and layeth vs downe in our beds till the waking time to arise 4 As sleepe commeth of eating so came death also to our first Parents by intemperancie in eating the forbidden fruit Gen. 2.17 5 As our dayes doings be our nights troubles by the working of the phantasie so are our lifes sinnes our deaths griefes by the gnawing of the Conscience as appeareth in Iudas Antiochus and Francis Spira 6 Sleepers haue no stormes nor dead men know the worlds woes for Abraham is ignorant of and Israel knowes not the Iewes woes the first things being past c. Reu. 21.4 7 Some fall sodainely or quickely into sleepe and some are long according to the moistnesse or drynesse of their braines euen so some dye sooner as young Iosias and some later as olde Methusalem according to the temper of their radicall moysture as it pleaseth God 8 Some sleepe in their owne houses and some in other mens as did Sisera in Iaels some in the fields some at Sea some here some there in sundry places so doe wee dye some at home and some abroad some by land and some by Sea as God appointeth 9 No man can tell the very time that hee falleth asleepe but onely feeleth it comming and his body disposed to it so no man can tell the very moment of his death but onely feeleth his body faint and his spirits drawing to an end 10 Suanius dormiunt qui relinquunt c. They sleepe much better saith one that leaue all their cares in their shooes which they put off and goe to rest with a quiet minde euen so doe they dye better that haue disposed of all their worldly matters by Will or otherwise whereby they are not troubled or distracted by them 11 They sleepe well againe that haue laboured and taken paines all the day time and so they die well that in their vocation haue not beene idle but imployed both body and minde to doe good 12 As Assuerus when he could not sleepe called for the Chronicles of his kingdom to be read vnto him so assuredly whilst wee wake in this world and the sleepe of death commeth not vpon vs it shall be a most profitable thing to reade or cause to be read vnto vs the chronicle of GOD the sacred and holy Scriptures the treasures of all Comfort and good instructions 13 When the body sleepeth the soule sleepeth not no more dyeth the soule when the body dyeth 14 No man goeth to bed to sleepe but with a certaine hope and purpose to wake and rise againe so must wee dye in assurance of that great and generall Resurrection 15 And as our voyce and calling vpon men awake them so shall that sounding Trumpet doe in that day Our Bed saith another is the Image of
death is most welcome that changeth his Mâ—ra to Naomi his bitternesse into beauty which deliuers him from dangers and dolours as the Angell did Lot from the fire and the three Children from the flames and Daniel from the Lions death like Zerobabel deliuers the Lords Israel out of Babilon Zach. 4.6 therefore death must needs be welcomed like a day of deliuerance a yeere of Iubilie which brings Ioseph out of Prison Iacob out of seruitude and Iob from the dung-hill Mors enim malâ—râ—m remedium portus humanis tempestaâ—ibus Plutarch de consol ad Apol. Fourthly in respect of their sinnes which cleaue so fast on which they cannot shake off Sinne with which they are at opposition and deadly feud dogs them at the heeles like a Serieant waytes on them like a Catchpole insinuates into them like a claw-backe creepes into their bosomes as a Serpent stings them at the heart like an Adder followes them as their shadow stickes close to them like their shirt vpon their skinne their skinne vpon their flesh and their flesh vpon their bones insomuch that it burnes and frets them as Dianiraes poysoned shirt did Hercules and as the Ticke vexeth the Oxe which makes them crye out in the anguish of their soules vvith Paul and the faithfull Rom. 7. Oâ— miserable man that I am who shall deliuer mee from this body of sinne They complaine of the strife of the Flesh and the Spirit as Rebeccah of the strugling betwixt Iacob and Esau Now death comes and rescues and makes thy baile and playes the Mid-wife and ends the broyle therefore welcome to the well disposed Fiftly they are here Pilgrimes and strangers 1 Pet. 2.11 as was Dauid and the rest in their ages they are here exuls and banished men as Children put forth to nurse from their Mothers as Schollers and Pupils sent to forraine Schooles and to farre Vniuersities and therefore their returning home to their owne Country their restitution to their prouided Kingdome their fetching home to their Father and friends their retyring to their Fathers house though it be through the shadow of death must needes be acceptable Sixtly they know that the day of their death is better then the day of life Eccles 7.3 because they dye prepared their soules purged their hearts by Faith purified As they haue entered into the first degree of eternall life in this life when they beleeued and receiued the gifts of the Spirit the earnest of their Saluation so they enter into the second degree in death when their soules are carryed into heauen and they dye in assurance of the third degree when body and soule shall be re-vnited to participate of happinesse as they haue liued together in holinesse Seauenthly they dye as with a desire so in an expectation to see and behold the face of Christ of which with Steuen they haue some glimmering in their deaths and therefore death to the godly so farre as regeneration rules is no more burthensome then the stripping off the cloathes vnto a louing Spouse to goe into the Marriage-bed of her contracted Bridegrome Hos 2.19 Eightly they haue kept a good Conscience with God and man like Paul Acts 24. And therefore they feare not iudgement no more then a true man feares to looke the Iudge in the face Ninthly wherein they haue offended God they haue their sinnes remitted and therefore feare not to hold vp their hand at the barre since they are quit before by Proclamation of all the promises in the Gospell and haue the Kings Pardon sealed them in the Sacraments Tenthly they haue oft in life invred themselues to thinke speake record and meditate of death euen as did Christ their head and his Seruants Iacob Moses and Paul as appeares in the Word and therefore Deaths dart foreseene wounds them lesse being fore-warned of it they are fore-armed for it Euen as the Souldier that hath beene long trayned and in many skirmishes is more couragious in the maine Battell and as hee that hath long exercised himselfe in foyles is more hardy to fight with sharpe so the petty conflicts that the godly haue had in their owne breasts vvith Deaths feare make them more hardy to encounter Deaths force Eleuenthly they entertaine it as a reward for their worke as a rest from their labour as willingly as the hired labourer receiues his hire and reposeth his wearied limbes Dan 12. Esay 57.2 Twelfthly they are perswaded and haue their Faith grounded in an happy and blessed change they expect a Metamorphosis and an alteration a comfortable transmutation of Earth for Heauen of the Sea for the Hauen of Griefe for Glory of the outward Court for the Sanctum Sanctorum of a Mortall for an Immortall body of Enon for Salem Sodome for Segor Aegypt for Canaan the Wildernesse of Sin for the Land of Promise of a House of day terrestriall for a House celestiall aboue the Clouds 2 Cor. 5.1 And therefore they are as willing to make this exchange as a poore begger would be to exchange his poore rags for some Princes robes or some poore man to leaue his smoaky rainy Cottage for a pompous Pauilion and decked Chamber in the Court. To reape the Vintage of this discourse the vse to vs is first of examination in that it is an argument of a good man to be willing to dye as here was Simeon Lay thou thy hand on thine heart and search in thy soule what propensitie and disposition thou findest in thy selfe to dye Many arguments there are in the Word and tryals both of a holy and a happy man both affirmatiue in shewing what hee doth and negatiue in shewing what he auoids Dauid points at him in the first Psalme as also in the 32. Psalme verse 1.2 as also in the 15. Psalme So doth our Sauiour Christ in the first eight Verses of the fift of Mathew So the Apostle Paul in the 2. of Cor. ch 7. ver 11. with other such places as namely delighting in the Word meeknesse mourning for sinne hunger after righteousnesse c. care to please God Feare Zâ—ale Indignation against sinne not letting Mony to Vsury and the like yet sure there is no greater euidence of an honest and holy heart then so to walke vprightly with God in life as alwayes to be willing to imbrace the strictest Summons of death to be as ready to depart out of this world as the Israelites were to depart out of Aegypt Againe it is most vsually a note of a soule eyther altogether soyled in corruption or indued with a smaller measure of Sanctification to be violently possessed with a continuated feare of death and therefore in this particular finde out thy selfe and trye in what case thou standest for the more vnwilling thou art to dye commonly the more Nature rules in thee the more earthly fleshly and carnall thou art the more willing commonly the more Grace raignes the more thou art holy heauenly and spirituall in
that God who by our prouoking sinnes may iustly deale with vs as he hath done with them in giuing vs ouer to Sathan and our selues But aboue all things let vs feare to commit sinnes or liue in sinnes against conscience for the rage of conscience the effect of witting willing vnconscionable and customarie sinnes is the blatrant beast that kils so many in selfe-murthers The spirit of a man may beare his infirmitie but a wounded conscience who can indure saith hee that was once no doubt touched in conscience for the sinnes with which his soule was soiled Lastly let vs take heede of Cainâ— sinne despayre of mercy least it worke that effect in vs that it did in him and Iudas both who offended GOD more in this sinne chiefely the last in effusing his owne bloud then in shedding the bloud of Abel or of Christ himselfe Apply the promises to thy soule by faith fons vincit sitientem there is a fountaine of Grace and a Well of the water of life alwayes open to the thirsty sinner which Fountaine is greater then the puddle of sinne and hath a stronger mundifying vertue and abstersiue power to cleanse the soule then Iordan to purge and purifie Naamans Leprous body I might prosecute another vse against those who by a continuated custome of sinne are indirectly and effectiuely though not intentionally for euery man in sinne commits it sub specie boni vnder the shew of some deluding good as our first Parents did a truth which euen Philosophers saw but I say in respect of the effect selfe-murtherers for there is no sinne wherein a man practically and actually liues but as it is damnable to the soule so it is preiudiciall and dangerous to the body the death of both and that if wee consider it in his causes and effects whether naturall or supernaturall Naturall instance in some doth not fond lust cause dry bones doth it not consume the moysture dry vp that radicall humour which is the nurse and fountaine of life doth it not inflame the bloud cause burning Feauers c. To speake no worse in bringing such diseases that euen modestie suffers me not to name as that French or Neopolitan disease that Anthonies fire vvhich burnes to the consumption of the body and confusion of the soule Doth not Drunkennesse cause Dropsies doth not strong drinkes ouer-heate the bloud For to whom is woe to whom is sorrow to whom is strife to whom is murmuring to whom are wounds and to whom is the rednesse of eyes Euen to them that tarry long at the Wine to them that seeke mixt Wine which Wine though it be pleasant both in the colour and the taste yet at last it bites like a Serpent and hurts like a Cockatrice Pro. 23. v. 29.30.31.32 The like may be said of all other intemperancies in meates by the immoderate excessiue abuse whereof many haue laid their stall-fed pampered carkasses vntimely in the dust Insomuch that Physitians considering the innumerable diseases that flow from that vncleane sincke of Epicurisme and gluttonizing haue set it downe at an Axiome Plures gula quam gladio that the insatiable belly hath slaine moe then the Blade What should I speake of Auarice and Couetousnesse which wastes and consumes the spirits by a mad and eager pursuit after the world euery crosse and losse whereof goes to the hart of the wretched worldling like a dart or a dagger Of Enuy which frets the heart as the Moath the Garment and eates into it as the rust into the Iron with the destroying and deadly effects of other such sinnes I might be large in the causes supernaturall in confirming that Diuinitie which not onely Protestants commenting but Papists alledging that place in the Apocalypse chap. 3. vers 3. If thou watch not I will come on thee as a theefe c. haue taught and affirmed that GOD accustometh for the punishment of carelesse and negligent sinners to cut off time from them and to shorten their liues for their misimploying and mispending the same in omitting all good duties and committing outragious sinnes God taking from them that which they haue or at least seeme to haue which is Time a Iewell so precious that as zealous Bernardine de sena oft acknowledgeth if the traffique and marchandize of it might be carryed to hell to be sold for one onely halfe houre there would be giuen a thousand worlds if the damned had them Hence it is that wee see many murtherers riotous persons malefactors swearers swash-bucklers cut off by the Sword of the Magistrate or of the enemie in warre or priuate quarrels or by Gods sword the deuouring Plague or such meanes euen in their youth and strength when by the course of Nature they might haue liued longer according to the threat of the Psalmist that bloudy and deceitfull men shall not liue out halfe their dayes Psal 55.23 And that Propheticall threat of Iob that the sinfull man shall die ere hee accomplish his dayes and that his hand shall be cut off like a Vine in the bud euen when hee is young and tender in the blade ere hee come to any ripenesse or maturitie To which God himselfe hath reference in the fift Commandement which at it annexeth the promises of long life to children that are obedient to their Parents how euer some are taken away soone as was Iosias whose short life on earth is rewarded with life eternall in heauen so it intimates the curse of abbreuiating and shortening the life of those that are immorigerous and refractory to their Parents and Fathers vvhether naturall ciuill spirituall or heauenly illustrated in that vvhether fiction or true Historie vvhich the Papists relate of a young man in the Village of Catalunna neare Valentia who being disobedient to his Parents and withall a theefe being deseruedly hanged about the yeeres of eighteene a prettie while after his death hee hanging on the Gallowes his beard beganne to sprout his browes vvaxed wrinckled his hayres gray like a man of nintie yeeres at which all being astonished it was reuealed to the Bishop of the place how that same young man after the course of Nature might haue vndoubtedly liued nintie yeeres and so should haue done but for his disobedience and other sinnes the LORD by a violent death cut off from his life so many yeeres as are from eighteene to nintie Whereupon Saint Ierome well obserues that as shortnesse of life is a punishment and iudgement against sinners so from the beginning of the vvorld a sinne hath increased in seuerall ages God hath shortened the yeeres of sinners more and more Which is plaine if wee compare our dayes with former times Hence it is that as Haimo and others note if God had called Ezekias then vvhen hee threatned him it had beene Sinnes desert not Natures course and vvhen at his teares and prayers fifteene yeeres were added to his dayes then his sinne vvas pardoned and hee permitted to
when the World was drowned 4. Or by sauing them by his immediate Power and Mercy as hee did Moses and the Israelites vvhen the wicked were drowned euen Pharaoh and all the Aegyptians 5. Or when his owne Seruants are by men appointed to the sword hee rescues them with their enemies whom he sets in their stead as he rescued Ester Mordechai the Iewes Daniel and the three Children when wicked Haman and others their accusers in their roomes satisfied the Gallowes the flaming fire the mouthes of the Lyons c. sauing the Corne and burning the Tares 6. Or if his Seruants fall into the same temporall punishments with others as Ionathan that was slaine with Saul and good Zwinglius that dyed in battell which is vsuall yet euen thereby the righteous are brought nearer heauen and the more violent their death is the sooner they are in ioy vvhen the godlesse shall be throwne downe to Hell euen as with the same Flaâ—le is beaten chaffe to be burnt and pure Corne to be preserued I could draw out these Motiues ad infinitum and from the Estates and Excellencies and Priuiledges of Gods Seruants in these and other peculiars in which thou hast no part nor portion so I might if the point were not too tedious and burthensome to thy memory presse thee as much on the left side from the consideration of thy fearefull estate in the case wherein thou standest being as thine owne heart tels thee the seruant to many a reigning and ruling sinne and so consequently no seruant of God vnlesse like the wicked Seruant the false Steward and traiterous Iudas thy deserts being a Halter and Hell For as Christ said it of Couetousnesse so I say from Christs ground Mat. 6.24 thou canst not serue God and Mammon God and the World God and the Diuell God and thy Belly God and thy Bagges with the Vsurer God and Herodias God and Rimmon God and Baal Christ and Antichrist God and Babels beast God and the Pope no more then one man can serue two Masters no more then one Riuer by one streame can runne two wayes at once no more then one man can moue vpwards and downewards at one time no more then one woman can loue lawfully the bed of her Husband and the bosome of a stranger or one man his owne Wife and the body of an Harlot For God and Sinne are opposed ex diametro and will no more mixe then oyle and water nay then fire and water then Heauen and Hell Now then being a Seruant to sinne thou consequently art none of Gods Seruant for his seruant thou art to whom thou obeyest yea if it be of sinne vnto death Rom. 6.16 and so by an immediate dependance and relation thou art the slaue of him that is the basest slaue in the world that is the Diuell for hee that commits sinne is his 1 Iohn 3. vvho was the first and still continues the author of sinne of lyes murthers blasphemies and the like Now then see thy danger as hee causeth thee to lye as hee did Ananias and Saphira Acts 5. and to sweare as hee did Senacharib and to commit Adultery as hee did Herod with other sinnes as he did Dauid and Peter when hee sifted tempted and rose vp against them So so long as thou liuest in sinne hee is entered into thee as into Iudas Iohn 13.27 and doth possesse thee thou art in his power Acts 28.18 He rules thee as the Horse-man doth the Horse hee hath thee as a Beare by the snout as a Dogge in a chaine thou mouest after his motion oh thy fearefull subieiection Thou art vnder the most deceitfull Master the most deluding Laban in the world who for delight that hee pretends thee will pay thee damnation that bee intends thee as hee hath done to Laban himselfe Caine Esau Iudas and all that haue serued him Besides thou art vnder the most massecrating mercilesse tyrant in the world Phalaris Busiris Nero Dionisius Pharaoh with all their buls and their burnings and their burthens of his inuention as our Papists Powder-plot was were mercifull men in respect of him for he layes the heauiest burthen in the world vpon thee euen that which prest himselfe out of Heauen into Hell pusht Adam out of Paradise and prest Christ himselfe vpon the Crosse and that is Sinne. And after thou hast laid downe this bruitish body of thine in the dust hee hath prepared intollerable and eternall burnings for thee in his owne Territories whose fires the burthen of thy sinnes must kindle and maintaine and the Riuer of Gods wrath increase and make more violent Oh therefore betimes cast off this more then Aegyptian yoke forsake the seruice of thy old sophisticating Master Sathan and serue thy new and liuing Master Christ Iesus so shalt thou not onely auoid those plagues temporall and externall which are threatned to those that disobey God Exod. 23.33 Deut. 7.4 Deut. 28. Deut. 29.45.46.47 c. Esay 1. Psal 7. c. which I pray thee ponder at leasure as also those eternall hereafter But thou shall be partaker of all those blessings and bounties which God hath reuealed and prepared for those that serue him I thought to haue added another vse namely as the matter so to haue prescribed the manner and forme of Gods seruice with the parts of it vvith those seuerall carriages that those must vse for their actions their affections their speech and words at home and abroad what vse to make of all their time with their seuerall stints and taskes in the performance of seuerall and successiue sacrifices and seruices But I will not dull the Reader by this prolixe point I referre thee vnto some of my Brethren that haue writ well and worthily of it as Mr. Rogers his Christian Directorie Mr. D. Hill in his Tract how to liue well by way of Questions and Answeres Mr. Cooper his Christian Sacrifice which I wish not onely in the hands but vvrit in the hearts of all that intend Gods seruice and their owne saluation His desired Dismission In this word Depart THE fift part according to our Texts first diuision now comes into our examination and that is Simeons Departure or Dismission the Latine compriseth this and that which wee called the Diuine Permission in one word Nunc dimittis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nunc est tempus vt dimittas c. è vinculis corporis as Piscator renders it Lord now it is time that thou vnloose mee from the bonds of the body from which reading which I thinke warrantable and naturall these Poynts arise First that euen the Lords Simeons godly men and so consequently all men must dye for the matter of death Secondly that death is onely to man a dissolution for the nature and manner of death Thirdly that this life is but a short life out of which wee are euery day ready to depart like him that is about to take his leaue of his visited friends Fourthly that this life is but a
off as Hercules did the heads of Hydra which are the onely weakeners of our Faith wounders of our soules workers of our vvoes and disturbers of our dying peace Therefore saith the Wise-man Remember thy end and thou shalt neuer doe amisse For as the Bird directs her selfe by her taile flying and the ship it directed by her stearne sayling to auoid the Rockes so is a Christian conformed and confirmed in an happy course preserued from the Soule-splitting Rockes of sinne by the thought of death First it mortifies from the world hee easily contemnes all that thinkes hee must dye saith an olde Hermite for what cares a condemned malefactor that fits himselfe for his euery houres expected execution for thousands of Gold and Siluer Secondly it curbes the pompe and glory of the world for what cares old Berzillas for all the pleasures of Dauids Court when the keepers of his house his hands tremble his legs these strong men bowe themselues when his eyes the windowes of his body waxe darke when his eares the daughters of Musicke are abated when the Grashoppers or bended shoulders are a burthen and his teeth the Grinders cease hee thinkes rather of returning to Gilead and dying in his owne Country then of Ierusalems Court 2 Sam. 19. Thirdly it curbes pride Quid superbis puluis cinis saith Bernard Oh how can dust and ashes be proud meditatio mortis c. the meditation of death is the nayle of the flesh which fixeth all the proud lusts thereof to the wood of the Crosse What Peacocke can be proud when hee lookes at his blacke feete the earth from whence he is and whither hee tends Therefore euen amongst the Heathens saith Caelius Rodiginus when their Emperours were crowned as a counter-poyson against pride they were carryed vnto the Sepulchers of dead men and there it was demanded of them what one should be made for them So Climachus reports of that good Basil that the very day wherein with great ioy and applause he was propounded Doctor and Pastor to the people as an Antidote against pride hee made one to tell him thus Pater sepulchrum tuum nondum est perfectum Father thy sepulcher is not yet finished The like thoughts amongst others Augustine vsed when hee found himselfe tickled with secret pride with the applauses of the people for his exquisite Sermons Fourthly it is a meanes of temperancie and a restrainer of intemperancie and a curber of Carnalitie and Epicurisme Hence it was that the auncient Aegyptians as Heroditus reports in their Gemalia and Feasts of great and Noble-men there was the portraiture of a dead man in wood which was round like a Globe had to euery guest to behold with this Motto writ on it In hanc intuens pota oblectate talis post mortem futurus Beholding this vse merry glee For as this is so thou shalt bee Hence it is that Augustine as hee would haue a man alwayes to thinke vpon these quatuor nouissima foure last things Death Iudgement Heauen Hell so chiefely in their Festiuals and meetings wherein Sathan chiefely beguiles men as hee did Adam and Eue by eating And sure amongst other things this made that Cinicke Philosopher so abstinent because hee was continually amongst tombes and Sepulchers but sure the meditation of their Tombes and Sepulchers caused Paulâ—s Symplex Macariu Pambo and other Hermites in Hospinian to be so abstenuous euen to a maruell if not to a miracle I wish the Tricongij Biberij and Heliogabuli I meane the Epicures and Belly-gods that eate and drinke till there be as little Grace in their Soules and Wit in their Pates as their be Wines in their Pots that they would drinke out of an earthen vessell with Agathocles or looking vpon a Deaths-head as is the fashion in some Countryes or that a dead mans skull were presented vnto them the first dish at their Table as it is in the Court of Prester-Iohn or at least that if the picture of Death which I haue seene in the bottome of some cups will not yet that the sight of the dead creatures before them might call vnto them as Phillips Boy to Phillip Memento te esse mortalem Oh Epicurish Glutton remember thou art mortall or that they would ponder the voyce which S. Ierome alwayes imagined euen when hee was eating and drinking Arise you dead and come to Iudgement Perhaps these thoughts vvould make them put their kniues to their throates as Salomon speakes and damme vp the gulph of their inordinate appetites Fiftly this thought would worke in vs contentation in euery estate as it did in Iob who in the midst of his afflictions comforts himselfe with this consideration Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne The thought of this that wee shall carrie nought away with vs but a Coffin or a winding sheete should keepe vs within compasse of too eager pursuite in purchasing or impatiencie in parting with this vnrighteous Mammon Sixtly this thought of death is a notable meanes and spurre to further our Repentance it will cause vs if any thing not onely with Ezekias and Achitophel to set our houses in order but our hearts to for what so hastned the repentance of Niniuie as the beliefe and thought of Ionas his Sermon it was time for them to bestirre themselues when they had but forty dayes to liue So when Elias tels Ahab that the Dogges shall eate him and Iezabel hee makes some superficiall shew of repentance So the third Companie of fiftie with their Captaine that came by violence to fetch Elias when they saw the two other Captaines with their fifties consumed with fire they seeme to relent and deale with the Prophet by intreatie If then meditation of death haue such force both in the godly and wicked both in Christians and Pagans to incite to vertue restraine vice curbe couetousnesse cure pride bridle lust moderate murmuring keepe in intemperancie procure repentance cause mortification and doe euery way so correct a vicious life and so direct a happy death since of all other Meditations this strengthens the minde as of all other meates bread strengthens the body since it is as needfull to a good life as wings for Birds sailes for Marriners tailes for Fishes to swimme wheeles for Coaches to runne as Climachus makes the comparisons since you see the holy Patriarkes Abraham Iacob Ioseph Iob Moses Dauid nay I may adde our Sauiour CHRIST who was most frequent in discourse with his Disciples of his death his Passion his houre his crucifying nay euen then when hee was transfigured in glory hauing two dead men with him Moses and Elias and talking of his death when hee came from the Mount as appeares in the Euangelists did so oft thinke of death since the Saints after Christs death Augustine Ierome Basil Bernard the deuout Hermites nay euen Ethnicke Kings and Philosophers made such good vse of this Meditation as we haue proued then let the thought
so the body shall be re-vnited to it againe participating with it in glory vnspeakeable and euerlasting Therefore mourne not excessiuely for him like the Gentiles the Epicures and Sadduces that haue no hope of the Resurrection 12 Though hee cannot come to thee as the dead Diues desired Luk 16.24 yet ere long thou shalt goe to him as Dauid said of his deceased Childe yea thou shalt in all probabilitie know him againe in thy Glorification as Adam knew Eue in the Creation and as Peter knew Moses and Elias in Christs Transfiguration Therefore haue patience for his absence till you meete againe to your more mutuall comfort as Iacob met with Ioseph in a better place 13 His better part is yet liuing his soule is immortall Iohn 11.25.26 onely the Cage of the body is broken and the soule like a Bird hath taken vvings and is at rest 14 His estate is now bettered and farre more blessed then it was of a Bond-man being made a Free-man Freed by Death First from Sinne Rom. 6.7 to which here hee was solde as Ioseph was solde to the Ishmaelites Secondly hee is freed from the miseries of this life the punishments of Sinne as from a prison by this Goale-deliuery Death his paines in this life concluding in the pleasures of the next Thirdly hee is free from the Gunne-shot of the world and from those euils which are fore-told in the last times Mat. 24. Luke 21.25.26 1 Tim. 4.1.2 2 Tim. 3.1 ad 9. Chap. 4. ver 3.4 2 Pet. 2.1.2.3 Fourthly from the vanitie vnder which all the Creatures groane Rom. 8.20.21.22 Fiftly besides hee is with Tryumph and honour recalled from exile and banishment as was once Themistocles amongst the Athenians and Iphtah amongst the Israelites to receiue dignities in his owne Country from whence his soule came Now are any Parents sorie when their Children of Bond men are infranchized of Prentises are made Freemen Is any man grieued that his distressed and disgraced friend is recalled home from Banishment and that by the King himselfe Now this is thy case if thou take paines to apply it 15 In thy exceeding sorrow thou laments what could not be preuented for hee vvas one of the Sonnes of Adam therefore borne to dye hee could not escape the stroke as the Swallow by flying For the God of Nature now confirmes the Principles of Nature that whatsoeuer hath motion by generation must haue a cessation from motion by corruption 16 Thy case is not alone but thou hast millions and thousands both in the Christian and Heathenish world sayling at this instant all along with thee in the Sea of sorrow driuen with the windes of their owne sighes and sobs for the like or greater crosses then thine bewayling publike and priuate calamities Therefore if companions in griefe as the phrase is mitigate griefe then let societie asswage thy Sorrow 17 Thy impatient sorrow 1. hurts thy selfe 2. preiudiceth thy health 3. consumes thy moysture 4. occasionedly shortens thy life 5. Discontents thy friends 6. displeaseth thy God therefore eyther moderate it or leaue it off or which is best of all turne the streame of it from a naturall to a spirituall from a carnall to a Christian sorrow for thy speciall sinnes which is that godly sorrow commanded of God practised by the Saints causing repentance vnto saluation neuer to be repented of Thy extreame sorrow for the dead is as fruitlesse as faithlesse as vnprofitable to the dead or to the liuing to others and thy selfe as vnpleasant therefore let Dauids considerations when his Childe was dead be thy directions 2 Sam. 12.22.23 The Lord is still liuing who is thy Head thy Husband thy Father thy Mother thy brother thy sister all in all vnto thee if thou hearest him belieuest in him and obeyest him therefore as Dauid in another extreamitie comfort thy selfe in the Lord thy God happy is hee that is ready to leaue all for Christs sake that can say with one of the Auncients My God and all things my God my Guide my Rocke my Defence my Saluation therefore that loue which thou diddest beare to them that are gone sequestrate it from the dead and reflexe it vpon God there is danger in our earthly loue whether naturall to our Childe coniugall to our marriage Mate or morrall to our Friend in which vvee may soone offend in the defect of too little or in excesse of too much For which cause God being a Iealous God and not enduring that our hearts should be set on any thing in louing it too much ouer or aboue or besides or equall with himselfe oft depriues vs of our loued Idols Therefore hee hath crost the loues of his dearest Saints in this kinde of two Wiues Iacobâ— Rachell dyes which hee loued aboue Leah of twelue Sonnes Iacobs Ioseph is solde his dearling more then the rest of many Children Dauids Absâ—lon and Adoniah whom hee most pampered soonest perish of all Dauids Friends hee soonest sorrowes for his best Friend his halfe-soule Ionathan Thus perhaps it is with thee thine owne Sheepe from thine owne bosome thy Turtle-doue thy louing Hinde thy Wife the fayrest male-Lambe in thy Folds thy Heyre and eldest Sonne thy strength thy Reuben or thy Friend thy second selfe is taken from thee perhaps thy heart was more vpon them then vpon God therefore God hath taken away the occasion of thy Idolatry Then there is danger in earthly loue but there is no danger in louing ouer-louing our louing God The speech was as seasoned as the heart was sanctified which I once heard of a young Gentlewoman Lord thou hast depriued mee quoth shee of my deare Husband of mine onely Sonne whom I loued too dearely I see now thou wouldest haue my whole loue thy selfe Lord take it all thou shalt haue it thou art worthy of it it is too little for thee 20 Lastly thinke with thy selfe that if those whom thou bewaylest were sensible and capable of thy immoderatenes in this kinde as they are not they would say vnto thee as God said to Rachell and Christ to Iairus and to the Widdow of Nain lamenting their Children Weepe not nay as hee said to the bewaylers of his Passion Weepe not for mee but weepe for your selues I am well your case is worse I haue conquered you are still fighting I am in the Hauen you are fluctuate on the Sea and therefore as it would be a meanes to restraine the Papists Idolatrie in praying to Saints and Angels if they had but eyes to see how they inforce vpon them this Idolatrous worship which themselues haue prohibited and directed vnto God so leaue thy sorrowing till thou consider how little notice they take of it how little they desire it or delight in it for whom thou sorrowest being to no more purpose then to pray
age Euseb lib. 7. cap 20. Theod. lib. 1. c. 14. Sabellicus lib. 5. c. 4. Euagrius lib. 1. c. 7. Anno 1553. Euseb lib. 10. c. 8. Eus lib. 3. c. 13. Oros lib. 7 c. 11. Eus lib. 9. Vide Zonaram annalium lib 2. Eus lib. 8. Cent. 1. c. 12. Hist Eccles Vse 2. Of Redargution Numb 22. Gal. 6.6 An ill life is the vsuall Prologue to a Tragicall death The vaine hopes of vvicked men It is hard to leaue the custome of sinne None can repent when hee will Aug. Doctrine There is a way laid downe in the word to a blessed death * Mr. Perkins Mr. Sutton in his Booke Learne to Dye Death is certaine yet vncertaine * Lampridrus Seneca Heb. 9.27 The pains of hell are without remission or redemption Esay 30. Numb 22. Psal 32.1 Repentance is not to be deferd till sicknesse or death â— Kings 21. Plurimis intensis minor ad singula senâ—us The danger of deferring discouered Reu. 3.18 Gregorie The theefes repentance vpon the Crosse examined Exhortat Meditation of death is a principall part of preparation to die in peace Psal 90.12 Effects of deaths meditation Eccl. 12.3 â— Augustine Lib. 3. De orig Monich Mat. 17. Exhortat â—nuaâ—unâ— vrbem somtio vinoque sepultum Et risum impedit mortem Expostulation Monumentum quasi monens mentem Ad Mart. Lib. de gratia noui Test De paup amand Greg. in Mor. The life of Faith brings peace in Death See D. Mosse his Sermon of the Faith of Diuels Repentance the meanes of peace with God Three wayes how to dye daily First dye to sinne How to leaue the damnable custome of Swearing Secondly dye to the world Thirdly Beare crosses patiently Fourthly Prayer oft preuailes for a peaceable departure a Lu. 18. 1. Eph. 6.18.18 Things to be prayed for that death may be prosperous A good conscience in life brings peace in death a Seruus in Mustell b Lib. de moribus c Hugo lib. 2 de anima cap. 9. d Lib. 2. de officijs e Bern. in Serm. f Cicero lib. 1. Tuscul quaest Sixe causes of sickenes besides our sinnes Fiue duties to be done in sicknes What Scriptures are fittest to be read of a sicke man D. Maxeys Sermon on the Agonie of Christ Laboraui in gemitu meo Short furnitures against the feeling of sickenesse and feare of death b Super Iohan. c Super Mat. 11. 4. Reasons why the sicke man should set his soule in order d 1 King 17 17 e 2 Kin. 4.31 f Act. 20.10 g Ioh. 11.14 10. Reasons why the sicke must send for his Minister The small comfort that a sicke man gets from carnall visitors The Minister is to be sent for before the Physitian Vbi deâ—iniâ— Theologus ibi incipiâ— Medicus Galen lib. 1. de arte curat c. 6. The lawfull vse of Physicke plainely proued h Forrest de vrin Indicijs lib. 3. Lang. lib. 2 Epist 41. i See Heidon against Iud. â—sâ—ro Sâ— Hâ—iâ— is preserâ—atiue against the poyson oâ—â—pâ—osed prophesies What to doe in taking Physicke 5. Rules obseruable in the vse of physick Earnest inuectiues against such as in extremities seek to Witches and Charmers with disswasiues from such Idolatry Against seeking to Witches Charmers in sicknes k Galen lib. 6. 10 de simpl Medic. Reconciliation with enemies restitution in wrongs in sicknesse to be practised Deut. 31.1 Iosh 25. 1 King 2. Magistrates Ministers and Masters must prouide for the good of their charges euen after their death l De moderatione in disputat serâ—anda m Gen. 17. n Gen 27. o Luke 23.46.52 Ioh. 19.27 Luke 23.43.34 5 Reasons why a sick man must make his Will Rom. 16 1â— 4. Maine rules in making all Wils p Lib. 2. de rep polit q Lib 2 c. 8 A christian carriage prescribed euen in the houre of death * Ier. 31.16 a Crimina doluit non exitis filiorum Amb. b Stanâ—em lego stentem non lego Ambr. in orat suneb Gen. 5. Luk 12 3â— Augustine Prosper c Heb. 11.9 10. Cha. 13.14 d Gen 47 9. e Psal 39.14 * Amici mortui non amissi sed praemissi Bern. f Iohn 11.11 g Verse 2â— h 1 Cor. 2.9 i Mat. 25.46 Iohn 3.16.36 1 Thes 4.17 2 Tim. 2.10 2 Cor 4.17 k 2 Sam. 12 23 l Gen. 2.23 m Mat. 17.4 n Gen. 46.29.30 Mors non interitus sed introitus non obitus sed abitus o Rom. 7.14 p Gen. 37.28 q Rom. 6 23 r Gen. 3.16.17.18.19 s Lu. 16.25 Iudg. 1.7.8.9 t Gen 3.19 Heb. 9. vlt. u Pro. 26.6 Quod generatur corrumpitur Quod oritur moritur Seriuâ— aut citius metam properamus ad vnam Solamen misoris socios habuisse doloris 1 Cor. 7.16 x Ioel 2.12 13. v. 17. y 1 Sam 7.6 Esay 38.3 Mark 9 24 Mat. 26.75 Luke 7. z 2 Cor. 7.10.11 a Luke 8.21 b 1 Sam. 30 6. c Mat. 10 37.38.39 d Deus meus omnia e Psal 18.1 f Exod. 20. g Pro. 4.23 h Gen. 29.30 Ch. 35. v. 18 i Gen. 37.4 v. 23.24 Ch. 39. k 1 Kin. 1.6 l 2 Sam. 12.3 m Ier. 31.16 n Luke 8.59 o Luke 7.13 p Luke 23.28 q Acts 14. v. 12.13.14.15 Apoc 19.10 Reu. 14.7 Acts 10.25.26 r Gen 50. v 3. v. 10. s Gen. 23.2 t Deut. 34.8 u Numb 20 29. x 2 Chron. 35.24 y 1 Sam. 25 1. z 2 Sam. â—8 33 a 2 Sam. 1.11.12 b Numb 16 33. c Acts 1.25 d 2 Sam. 18 33. a Exod. 7. Exod. 8. b 1 Sam 5.9 c Esay 38. Eph. 2.4 Exod. 34.6 Ioel 2.13 Ionas 4.2 Heb. 12.7 1 Cor. 10. d Ioh. 5.14 c Psal 30.6 f Numb 16 49 g Numb 24 3.12 h Exod. ch 8 Ch. 9. Ch. 10 Ch. 12 14 i 1 Sam. 5.9 k 2 Chron. 26.19 l 2 Kin. 5.27 m 1 Sam. 6 19. n 1 Cor. 11.36 o 2 Chr. 16.10.11.12 p Sueton. q Spart lib. 2. c. 12 r Euseb lib. 7. cap. 3. s Ruffinus Niceph. c. t 2 Sam. 24. u Numb 23 21. x Ps 32.1.2 y 2 Sam. 12.10.11 z Iosh 7.24 a Ion 1.15 b Zeph. 2 1. c Mat. 26. d Esay 38.3 e Iohn 14.2.3 f Mum. 21. Iohn 3.14.15 g Esa 38.21 22. Luk. 8.43.44 Luke 13.11.12.13 Iohn 5.5.6.7.8 Acts 3.2 v. 6. Acts 14. v. 8. Iohn 9. v. 6.7 Mat. 9. â— 29. Psal 22. Esay 53. Non debent sub spinoso capite membrae esse mollia * Gen 3.18.19 Quod medicina corpori hoc morbus animae a Heb. 12. b Luke 15. c Ier. 5.8 d Prou. 7.7 e Verse 22. f Verse 27. g Ezek. 16. h Pro. 23.29 i Esay 5.11 k Mat. 26.15 l Pro. 21.17 Iohn 9.3 m Esay 38.9.10 c. n 2 Kings 5.15 Iohn 9.17 Mat. 8. Luk. 17.16 Mat. 22. a Iob 5.13.14.15.16.17.26.27 See Psal 22.6.7.8.12.13.14 Psal 69.21.22 applyed to Christ b Luke 22.57.58 c Gen. 9.22 2 Sam. 6.20 g Psal 9.10 Psal 51.17 h Iâ—sh 1.5 Heb. 13.6 i Luke 22.43.46 k Mat. 4.11 l Iohn 18.5 m Act. 1.16 v. 25. n Psal 41.9 Ioh. 13.18 o Gen. 40.23 a Gen. 47.27 b Mat. 25.33.34 Psal 37.3 v. 18.19 Ponder well Psal 49.6.7.8.9.11.12.13.14 19.20 reade it all and apply it so Iob chap. 5. Esay 1.4 Vide Chrisost hom de Diuite Lazaro 4 hom 13. in 2 Cor. a Psal 37.17 b Rom. 8.28 Mat. 25. c Esay 1.13 14 Ier 7.10.11 Prou. 28.9 Psal 51.16 vor 7. d Gen. 4.5 f Eâ—od 17.3.4.5.6 g Iudg. 15.18.19 h Psal 8.6.7.8 i Reuel 3.17.18 k Iohn 6.48 58 l Iohn 4.14 m Luke 12.32 n Rom. 8.17 o Iam. 2.6 Animus est qui bene imperat matrimonio virginitate Chrys p Osea 13.6 Prou. 30.8 q 1 Kin. 2 1. r Eph. 5.5 Col. 3.5 1 Tim. 6.17 s Lu. 7 8.14 t 1 Tim. 6.9 v Mat. 19.23.24 x Ioh. 12.8 y Eccl. 11.1 Luke 14.12 z Mat. 19.21.22 a Mat. 4.20 21.22.23.24 b Mat. 25.14 c. 29.30 Luk. 19.12 13. c. Prou. 10.3 c Ps 113.7 d Gen. 41.14 e Gen. 43.1 Chap. 47.11 f Psal 105 16 17.18 g Ver. 39.40 h Marke 6.35.42 i Iohn 21.9 k Ioh. 13.26 l Exod. 16 15 m Exod. 17 6. n Iudg. 15.19 o 1 King 17 6. Ch. 19.5.6 Deut. 8.3 p Marke 6. Luke 9.13 q 1 King 17 14. Dan. 1.12.13 r Iudg. 7.5.6 s 1 Sam. 14 13 14. t 1 Sam. 17 50 u Iudg. 15.15 x Heb. 1.1 y Verse 2. z Psal 2.8 a Psa 50 10 Heb. 10 34 1 Sam. 21.3.4 b Luk. 2.24
SEAVEN Helpes to Heauen Shewing 1. How to auoid the Curse 2. How to beare the Crosse 3. How to build the Consciencè 4. How with Moses to see Canaan 5. Simeons dying Song directing to liue holily and dye happily 6. Comforts for Christians against distresses in Life and feare of Death 7. Feruent Prayers to beare sicknesse patiently and dye preparedly The second EDITION much enlarged by Steuen Ierome late Preacher at S. Brides Seene and allowed IOB 14.14 All the dayes of my appointed time will I waite till my change come Nascentes morimur finisque ab origine pendet LONDON Printed for Roger Iackson and are to be solde at his Shop neare to the Conduit in Fleetsheete 1614. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE MY HONOVrable good Lord RALPHE Lord Eure Baron of Malton and Wytton and Lord President of his Maiesties Honourable Councell within the Principalitie of Wales and the Marches of the same all Blessings be multiplyed temporall and Graces spirituall MY Honourable good Lord it was once an Axiome in the Ethnicke Schooles that the whole life of a wise man should be a continuall meditation of Death which as it was a Principle amongst them so it was the practise not onely of the Saints and Seruants of GOD the auncient Patriarkes Primitiue Christians retyred Hermites mortified Anchorites and zealous professors of Religion but euen of the wisest and worthiest of the Heathens themselues The euidence of which will easily appeare to those that are studious in the Word diuine or conuersant in Authors Ecclesiasticall or humane Let vs reflect vpon Adam the first man as his name signifying Red earth the Command giuen him mixt with the curse of tilling the earth his Sinne the cause of the dissolution of that part which was earth his Garments made of the skins of dead Beasts cloathing his members which were like the rest of the Creatures nought but earth his Sickenesse and Distempers the fruits of his sinne and preambles of his death Gods Statute-Law that he should returne to his earth tolde him truely contrary to the Sâ—rpent and the Woman that he was a sinfull man and therefore mortall so it seemes these remembrancers not onely occasioned but caused his meditation of his death For though he called his eldest Sonne Caine or Possession yet he called his younger Sonne Abel or Vanitie as being now experienced and schooled in that misery in life and mortalitie in death which was incident to him and all his originally and actually sinning seede In this Meditation to omit Noah the worlds restorer Sem or Methushaâ—em that Prince of peace Enoch that walked with GOD with the rest Abraham the Father of faithfull men imitated Adam the Father of men who in his suite for Sodome confessed himselfe to be but dust and ashes Isaack who after the death of his Mother Sarah went out to meditate no doubt as of her death so of his owne Iacob that in his greatest crosse humiliation thinkes how his gray head should be brought to his graue and in the height of his earthly ioy and contentation speakes from the abundance of his heart of the few and euill dayes of his Pilgrimage Ioseph thaâ— amongst all his honours in Aegypt thinkes and tels of the carrying his dead bones into Canaan so the rest had their thoughts mortified from the world and fixed on their mortalitie which appeares as by other proofes so by two demonstrations in their Buildings in their Buyings The first being not seiled houses or gorgeous Pallaces like Nabuchadnezzars Babell Nimâ—ods Tower or Cyrus his House but silly Tents like Shepheards Cottages or Boothes in a Faire or Lodges in the Campes such as the Zwitzards vse ready euery instant for remouall The second being onely limited in a burying place for their dead for that is the greatest purchase that euer wee reade any of the Patriarkes made and the possessions which they most frequently mention What should I mention these Fathers that liued vnder the Law Ioshuah the sonne of Nun the Seruant of the LORD faithfull Caleb Aaron the Lords high Priest or Moses himselfe the greatest of Legall Prophets who mindefull of his mortalitie euen before the Lord tolde him as hee did Ezekias that hee should dye made that Prayer which the Fathers say the people of GOD vsed daily as a forme of Prayer pathetically inserting this Petition that God would so teach them to number their dayes that they might apply their hearts to wisedome the rest succeeding sympathizing in the like thoughts Iob wayting till his changing should come Dauid making no more reckoning of himselfe then of a Pilgrime and stranger here amongst men summoning others also to the consideration of their vncertaine condition and certaine end I might extend the line of this vnlimited practise from the Patriarkes to the Prophets from the Prophets to the Apostles Paul as oft desires as hee deliberates of his dissolution Peter counts his continuance here but as an abode in a Tabernacle Reflect backe to Christs Disciples hee no sooner speakes of the death of Lazarus but their thoughts worke vpon dying with him nay CHRIST himselfe as most frequently hee talkes and discourseth of his death in the Gospell so in that Transfiguration of his the reflection and Idea of his Glorification to strengthen his Disciples in their dying meditations hee not onely tels of his owne death when he comes from the Mount but euen in the Mount there appeares two dead men with him Moses and Elias And with the rest here old Simeon the subiect which in all obsequious dutie submisly I present to your Honour as desiring your Honourable patronizing and deseruing your holy practise euen when hee had in his armes the Lord of Life seeing Canaan with Moses and the Heauens open with Steuen to receiue his flitting soule as Abrahams bosome did Lazarus thinking of his death and dissolution to his dust hee sings that truely Cygnean and Swan-like song recorded Luke 2.29 Which Song I haue diuided into his parts and according to those talents and parts which Grace and Nature hath lent mee haue descanted vpon by Illustration Explication and Application to our secure sensuall and sinfull times wherein I haue reuealed to the world what GOD hath reuealed vnto mee by all meanes vsed speculatiue and practicall from Reading Study Meditation Conference with the Learned and Reference of the Labours of approued Authors both testimonially and exemplarily to the sacred Cannon of the Orthodoxe Truth but principally from that young yet true experience which GOD hath taught mee by obseruing as a Physitian his Patients the seuerall carriages and conditions of diuers men in their healths sicknesses liues and deaths occasioned by those frequent visitations of the sicke which by reason of my place I vsed these last yeeres in a great and populous Parish in which particulars the searcher of the heart and reynes and the intelligencer of all Spirits euen the Father of Spirits knowes that I haue not aymed at any base seruile or sinister
ends as gaine profit prayse neyther am fed with any such ayerie and froathy conceits being so conscious to mine owne imperfections that I haue been by the importunities of others rather passiue then actiue in this kinde as is well knowne to some who are acquainted with my more then Fabritius-like lingring euen to the preiudice of the Printer who expected and prepared the Presse for mee much sooner but my onely end and ayme is Gods glory his Churches good conuiction of the World of Sinne conuersion of the Wicked from sinne confirmation of the Weake in grace discharge of my Dutie in my generall and speciall Calling furthering mine owne Account in my particular and generall Iudgement desiring and with all the powers and parts of soule and body endeuouring as I purposed and proposed betwixt GOD and my owne soule in my first ingresse into this sacred Function to imploy my Talents to my Masters best aduantage painfully and gainefully as I could so farre as a wearyed if not weakened body would hold any proportion with a willing soule Further good further gaine then these in these I desire not I require not besides satisfaction to mine owne soule and comfort in my conscience in deliuering in this Tractate the very Image and Idea of mine owne thoughts which as constantly as vehemently worke vpon this sad and sable subiect of Death euery day more and more occasioned by the preparatiues to it and summons of it the crosses of life chiefely from the discouragements and discomforts of an vngratefull and vngratious world in that part of my life which is eyther Morrall or Ministeriall concerning my Person or Profession 2. In respect of others from the obligation of loue I desire to lend the best light that is in mee being originally fetcht from the word to lead them thorow the darke wildernesse of the world euen in the very shadow of death to their Canaan shewing all along in this Passage and Pilgrimage to the weake and willing Christian the Amalekites and the Amorites c. the World with her warres weapons horrours terrours breuitie miserie vanitie fitting them to fight and incouraging them to their desired rest by meditating of death and preparation for death Which points and parts with their seuerall adiuncts as they are penned and published for the behoofe and benefit of all in generall so more specially as in my first designes and desires I did both pretend and intend in all dutious and deuoted affection I humbly recommend them vnto your Lordships perusall protection and practise and that for sundry and weighty Motiues First in respect of the subiect here intreated of which is not light and triuiall such as Virgils Gnat Erasmus his Moriâ— or commendation of Folly Sir Thomas Moores Eutopia or the generous Sidney's Arcadia or such as Lucians Flie Apuleius his Golden Asse Plutarkes Gryllus c. nor such friuolous and licentious stuffe as our Poets and Poetasters Comedians and Pamphleters staine so much Paper withall and adulterate and defile the minds of so many but the subiect is graue sad waighty ponderous euen that which is the suburbs eyther of heauen or hell the Prologue to euerlasting sollace or sorrow as it is good or euill euen Death worthy your Honours Grauitie Graces Yeeres Place and Iudgement beseeming your most retyred Meditations sincerest Thoughts greatest Priuacies and deuoutest Soliloquies yea euen in the confluence of these earthly Honours and Blessings which you haue receiued from your King your Country your late happy Espousals c. euen as Ioseph of Arimathia made his Sepulcher in his Garden as the Heathen Emperours were wont to be crowned amongst the sepulchers of the dead as the Nobles of Aegypt were wont to banquet beholding the Anatomie of Death as King Agathocles was wont to drinke wine out of a Cruize of earth as Philip of Macedons eares were euery morning saluted that hee was mortall as S. Ieromes thoughts were euery houre possest with that imaginary sound Arise you dead and come to Iudgement that so with these thinking of Death amidst your earthly Honours you should so moderate or mortifie all earthly desires and delights that liuing holily dying happily you shall be rightly Noble in life and death with God and man Secondly in respect of the sympathie and proportion betwixt your Honour and those Heroes Moses and old Simeon the one a Magistrate the other a Minister both Prophets both great both good both truely Noble like those Beraeans x in the best and new birth the one walking with God and comming in as neare priuacie and familiaritie with GOD as euer did meere mortall man the second a man venerable amongst the Iewes called Simeon the righteous fearing God replenished with the Spirit of God fellow-Disciple with that great Ionathan to that famous Hillel of whom euen their owne Rabbies haue writ and they belieued that the Disciples of Hillel should neuer faile till Christ were come in which Simeon the spirit of the great Synagogue vtterly failing and ceasing as is vrged against them it is an euident signe both that our and their Messias is come which they deny as also that God doth vtterly abhorre that Synagogue and Sanctuary which they condole Now both these holy parallels as propounded and in some measure expounded in their persons in their practise I by these Presents propose as Patternes worthy your Lordships Imitation and vertuous Aemulation liuing and dying as your Honour is a shining President to others euen of your place of Wisedome Iustice Clemencie Sinceritie Moderation Affabilitie and other Vertues both Morrall and Christian Thirdly this poore Orphan of my Intellectuall powers and first mentall Childe as it were of my Vnderstanding part wrapt in these shedules and sheetes which Trauell and Time as the Mother and the Midwife haue brought to light in a dumbe and silent Oratorie seemes to call your Lordship Patrone both in Dutie and Desire of Right and of Necessitie for hauing as its inchoation in the Citie so continuation and perfection in that place of the Country where I my selfe had my first breathing beginning production and education euen within the confines of your owne territories to whom doth it owe as due his first dutie of Homage and Fealtie but to your Lordship Besides it being strayed from mee whither and to whom GOD knowes being as Wafe and Straife to whom belongs it but to the Lord of the soile Neyther doth it lesse incline to your Honour in necessitie least it be abased and abused of the iniurious world in the nonage and minoritie least it be torne and rent with Doegs or Dogs like Euripides least it be poysoned and enuenomed with the black and Theonine teeth of Enuie Ignorance Aemulation or their Daughter Detraction Monsters that I haue alwayes fought withall in humane shapes as Paul did with Beasts at Ephesus therefore least some Flyes buzze some Snakes sting some Crittiques carpe and Cynickes scoffe least it finde his Hieronomastix as Homer found his Homerâ—mastix and Virgil his
or full Points or seeming defect in not alwayes quoting the Chapter and Verse to which I haue reference testimonially or exemplarily which perhaps would haue stuft the Booke too full or in any such circumstances which my farre absence from the Presse might occasion I pray you let your loues make the best construction if any thing be amisse that is mine owne if ought here be good that is the Lords and his Grace in mee to which good Grace commending you and these my poore labours for you I rest as now so euer Yours in the best bond STEVEN IEROME MOSES His sight of Canaan With SIMEON his Dying-Song Directing How to liue holily and dye happily BY Steuen Jerome late Preacher at St. BRIDES Seene and allowed Nascentes morimur finisque ab origine pendet LONDON Printed for Roger Iackson and are to be solde at his Shop neare to the Conduit in Fleetstreete 1614. The chiefe Contents of the two subsequent TREATISES In Moses his sight of Sion these things are obseruable 1 THE Case of the Inheritance of Daughters propounded page 1 2 How Cases are wisely to be carryed before the Magistrate pag. 3 3 The true Rule of iudging Cases Consultation with God pag. 4 4 The Case adiudged and spiritually applyed pag. 6 5 Moses is forewarned to dye and how God forewarnes vs. pag. 9 6 All must dye 13 7 God prepares his Children to dye as hee did Moses by shewing them Canaan 14 8 Moses his obedience to Gods summons a patterne to vs. 15 9 Fifteene Resemblances of Death to Sleepe 16 10 Fiue Considerations to imbrace Death as willingly as we sleepe naturally 23 11 Sixteene Comforts against the feare of Death in these ensuing particulars 35 1 GOD who infused the Soule cals for it againe 36 2 Sinne the sting of Death is taken away by Christs death 37 3 God as a Father is present at the death of his Children 39 4 Death is no death but a dissolution to the godly 41 5 The Saints shall know and enioy their friends in glory 43 6 Death frees the soule from her spirituall enemies 44 7 It deliuers from euils present and to come 47 8 It ends Sinnes Conflicts with Heauens Tryumphs 48 9 It frees vs from conuersing with the wicked 51 10 It secures vs from corrupting by the wicked 55 11 It secures from the malice of the mighty 56 12 Our good name is cleared in Death which calumny ecclypsed in life 57 13 Death tryes and declares the sinceritie and measure of grace 63 14 It is the inheritance of the Saints as it is the terrour of the wicked 64 15 The Christian should in death desire Christ who by death desired him 71 16 Death is the common Inne of all flesh where the Saints are refreshed 75 In Simeons dying Song these are the chiefe Notes both from the Doctrines and the Vses THE force of Examples eyther for imitation of Vertue or detestation of Vice 77 The vaine Songs and Sonnets of our age iustly reproued 79 Our singing as corrected so directed 80 The ground of all our reioycing must be in and for Christ 81 The sensuall and sinnefull ioyes of worldlings iustly taxed 83.84 c. Wee must be truely thankefull for Christ 8â— Tenne Reasons to incite vs to the duty of gratulation with the vses 88.89 The great mistery and greater mercy of Christ incarnate 92.93 c. Wee must be borne againe to CHRIST and and hee borne in vs as hee was borne for vs 95 The glorious Name of the Lord must not be vsed vpon euery triuiall occasion 97 How bootlesse it is for the wicked in death to cry Lord Lord. 99 The godly haue diuers raptures and secret ioyes in life and death 101 These Ioyes demonstrated in sixe particulars 103 Three Reasons of these extraordinarie Rauishments 105 Worldlings farre wide that thinke Christians Melancholicques and comfortlesse 106 Foure Comforts of the Christian which the world neyther knowes nor feeles 107 All the Patriarkes and Prophets since the promise haue expected the Messias 110 Wee see Christ more clearely then the primitiue Saints 111 How Christ came to them how to vs. 112 How wee should entertaine Christ with Redargution and Commination of the Iewes and our ingratitude 113 Our desire of long life must be simply to glorifie God 116 Reproofe of the worlds practise in Ministers Magistrates Masters and all sorts ayming at themselues not God 120 The better Christian the more willing to dye 126 Twelue Reasons which cause this willingnesse 127 The point applyed by examination 133 Christ most willing to dye of all the Sonnes of men 135 Seauen Reasons why Death is vnwelcome to the wicked 136 Wicked men may die willingly for sinister respects as Heretiques haue done 143 Fiue meanes to be vsed to make vs willing to our dissolution 144 God manifests his presence at the death of his three wayes 148 How God workes in sinne permissiuely disposingly c. but neuer workes sinne 151 Euery death for Time Place Matter Manner is determined by God 153 Iust inuectiues against Heathenish Fortune 157 The rash censures of men concerning diuers deaths condemned 160 Comforts in that God sees the cause and effect of euery mans maladie 161 Patience perswaded in that it is Gods rod which strikes 162 No meanes can protract or detract from our dayes besides their limits 164 Foure maine Obiections answered 165 Meanes must be vsed both for life temporall and spirituall notwithstanding Gods decree 168 Vnlawfull for any priuate man to take away life from himselfe or others 170 Twelue disswasiue arguments against Selfe-murther 171 The sinne reproued and the frequencie of it deplored 174 Twelue things from experience and Heathenish examples occasioning selfe-killing 179 How to preuent this sinne 188 Euery obstinate sinner from causes naturall and supernaturall accused of selfe-murther 189 * The chiefe delight and desire of euery man must be to be Gods Seruant with foure reasons why 196 Multitudes that liue vnder the meanes are ignorant how God should be serued 201 Multitudes reproued that haue as little will as skill to serue God 202 How few ayme at Gods seruice in all their wayes expostulated in particulars 210 Ciuill honest men most enemies to Gods true Seruants and sincere seruice 216 Many in the rancke of Christians serue the Diuell and their owne lusts 218 All the members that haue serued sinne directed to serue God 221 Sixe Motiues perswading to serue God 1 From the end of our Creation 227 2 From our Preseruation 231 3 From our Vocation 233 4 From our Redemption 235 5 From our Profession 237 6 From the Reward ibid. First Reward of Gods seruice Wealth and Riches 238 Second Honour and Dignitie 239 Sinne brings shame and all other iudgements 240 Gods hand vpon his enemies in many iudgements 243 Holinesse is the way to Honour 245 God is most liberall of all Masters 246 Gods seruants best rewarded and regarded in eight particulars 248 God grants the suites of his seruants 252 The
his Inheritance vnto his next Kinsman of his Family and hee shall possesse it and this shall be vnto the Children of Israel a Law of Iudgement or an Ordinance to iudge by as the Lord hath commanded MOSES In which gracious Answere these things may serue for our vse Note 5 First we may note that God reiected not these women from hauing a place in his earthly Canaan because so earnestly they sought and desired it and thereby wee may gather comfort assured and infallible that out of his Heauenly Canaan hee neuer reiecteth any that are desirous to haue a place in it for Hee that commeth to me saith hee I cast not away God would not the death of a sinner but rather that hee would turne from his sinne and be saued God would haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of his truth And in this God is no excepter of persons but in euery Nation hee that feareth him and worketh righteously is accepted of him There is neither Iew nor Grecian bond nor free male nor female in this but wee are all one in Christ Iesus Exclude not then your selues out of Canaan and the Lord of mercy and goodnesse will not exclude you Note 6 Againe wee may note how harsh this disinheriting of Daughters is because wee desire to continue the name If God be pleased to continue the Land or Inheritance in our name blessed be his will if hee be against it and to that end giue no Sonne but Daughters wee fight against one that is too strong for vs in seeking by-wayes contrary to his rule and how can it please him God raiseth vp houses and putteth downe at his pleasure for the Earth is his and all that is in it with his owne to doe his will who will controule and checke him Now if he doe this by a woman why may hee not May hee raise a name by women inheritors and may hee not change the name againe when hee seeth good by giuing a daughter and no Sonne Let vs often thinke of the Psalme in a religious feeling and humbly desire to receiue instruction from the Lord They thinke their houses and their habitations shall continue for euer euen from generation to generation and call their lands by their names but man shall not continue in honour hee is like the beasts that dye This their way vttereth their foolishnesse yet their posteritie delight in their talke c. Here wee may note how grossely and grieuously they erre that condemne the gouernment of Women when Crowne and Kingdomes by lawfull descent in the all-guiding prouidence of God fall vnto them for be they not within this Law of God that he saith should be a Law of Iudgement that is a Law to iudge by of this matter for euer If a man haue no Sonne his Inheritance shall descend vnto his Daughter CHAP. II. Moses is fore-warned to die and how God fore-warnes vs. Sect. 1. THE second part of this Chapter now followeth in the 12. Verse to wit the shewing of the Land of Promise to Moses and the telling him of his death in these words Againe the Lord said vnto Moses goe vp into this Mount of Abarim and behold the Land which I haue giuen to the Children of Israel And when thou hast seene it thou shalt be gathered vnto thy people as Aaron thy Brother was gathered c. These points that are naturall from this place will come againe to be spoken of in the last Chapter of Deutronomie to which I referre you Let vs therefore I pray you euen seriously and zealously pitch our mindes vpon these points Note 1 First that Moses is not here taken away sodainely but is premonished before that he must away and a time giuen him to prepare himselfe for it a great and sweet mercy of God to his Children Wherefore Dauid prayeth heartily Lord let mee know my end and the measure of my dayes Let me know how long I haue to liue And againe in another Psalme Teach mee to number my dayes that I may apply my heart vnto Wisedome The Lord doth not this by expresse words as here to Moses but first by increasing weaknesse and infirmities vpon vs secondly by many yeeres thirdly by Examples of others daily before our eyes and fourthly many times by a secret instinct in our hearts with arguments and circumstances fitting to confirme vnto vs that wee must dye so that if wee be vnprepared it is our fault that wee carry no better an eye to the Lords dealings with vs no better a watch ouer our selues for state of body and minde nor make better vse and application of things as that often repeated counsell in Scriptures willeth vs saying Watch watch for you know not at what houre the Bridegroome will come c. Sweet is the Lord and most gracious is his course Let vs not be wanting in ours and all shall be well the time neuer sodaine the thing neuer fearefull but as welcome as quiet sleepe to a wearied and ouer-wearied body A sodaine death to any one prepared is no hurt for the word of God is firme and immutable hee that beleeueth shall be saued No man taketh my Sheepe out of my hands There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus which walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit Againe Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perils or sword No no for I am perswaded that neyther death nor life no not sodaine death nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Now if none of these certainly not sodaine death as I said before and therefore well saith the Booke of Wisedome concerning the godly that though he be preuented by death yet shall hee be in rest hee was taken away least wickednesse should alter his vnderstanding or deceit beguile his minde though he was soone dead yet fulfilled hee much time for his soule pleased God therefore hasted hee to take him away from wickednesse c. It is said that S. Iohn dyed of an Apoplexie and Policarpuâ— wished hee might doe the like yet wee vsually pray against sodaine death first in regard of the rash iudgement of the world secondly many mens negligence in preparing themselues for all houres the want of which hath made the godly sometimes timerous as wee see in Dauid Psal 39.15 thirdly as their soules are not alwayes set in order so neyther their houses as in Ezekia 2 Kings 20.1 But I say againe to one that hath laid his ground-worke well it is no hurt blessed be God and for the iudgement of men in taking Gods office vpon them in iudging weakly or wickedly of their Brethren Mat. 7.1.2 it is too rash
our Graue the cloaths that couer vs of the dust and earth cast vpon vs the little Flea that biteth of the Wormes that shall consume vs the Cocke that croweth of the last Trumpet and as saith hee I rise vp lustily when sluggish sleepe is past so hope I to rise vp ioyfully to Iudgement at the last How fitly then Death and Sleepe be resembled together you see CHAP. IIII. Considerations to moue vs to embrace death as willingly as we goe to sleepe in our beds naturally BVT you may happily wish to know what may make you dye willingly and gladly when Gods time commeth flesh being fraile and an enemy still to the Spirit till God subdue it your desire herein is good and hearken a little to these things if death be a sleepe as you heare the Scriptures still call it for our Comfort then looke what maketh men goe to sleepe gladly without any feare and the same shall helpe vs greatly to dye contentedly and chearefully Note 1 the first thing is wearinesse or paine of body for in this case you know how willingly wee goe to rest and how heartily wee wish wee were asleepe for the sleepe of him that trauelleth is sweet Eccless 5.11 Apply it to death if you eyther be weary of the toyles and troubles of this wretched life of the dishonest courses that are in it and of the infinite trickes sinfull and vile before God and good men or if you be in any paine of the whole or any part of the body not to be cased and helped by the Art of man how in such a case is death welcome and of right so should be much more then sleepe For first sleepe easeth but for a time but death for euer both these causes secondly sleepe taketh not away the Maladie but the feeling Death taketh both away and as I say for euer The diseases of the body how many how strange how fearefull who can number them when daily happen new that the Physitian knoweth not sweet Death is a Supersedeas for all curing what we haue and preuenting what we might haue should God so be pleased to lay them vpon vs. Thinke therefore seriously of this one meanes to make death welcome and assuredly you shall be the better Sect. 3. The second Consideration Note 2 A Second thing that maketh vs willing to to goe to our naturall sleepe is griefe and anguish of minde sorrow and woe of hart and will not this also make vs dye willingly Surely so much more then the former by how much griefe of minde exceedeth any griefe of body The crosses by Foes the crosses by Friends the disobedience of Children the vnfaithfulnesse of Seruants publike woes and priuate wrongs in goods in name and many other wayes they are more bitter then Gall and Wormewood more burning and biting then tongue can expresse now scalding now cooling the oppressed heart groaning and sighing panting and pincing away in the view and sight of all beholders the number is so great that no man can comprehend them euery day begetting new griefes of minde as well as new paines and diseases of body Thinke with your selues whether euer you escaped day in your life without some discontent greater or lesser that according to his measure hath not bit you and grieued you It is Vallis Lachrimarum the Vale of misery that we liue in and from one misery or other we shall neuer be free while wee liue in it S. Augustine said vpon some feeling Diù viuere est diù torqueri Long to liue is long to be vexed and tormented The holy Prophet Elias went a dayes iourney in the Wildernesse and sate downe vnder a Iuniper tree desiring that hee might dye and saying It is enough O Lord take my Soule for I am no better then my Fathers See how griefe of minde made this holy man willing to dye and most welcome should that good will of God haue beene to him if so it had pleased the giuer and taker away of life to doe with him adde vnto these words the like words of Tobiah Deale with me O Lord as seemeth best vnto thee and command my spirit to be taken from mee that I may be dissolued and become earth for it is better for mee to die then to liue because I haue heard false reproches and am sorrowfull command therefore that I may be dissolued out of this distresse and goe into the euerlasting place turne not away thy face from mee See the effect of sorrow and griefe of minde in this good man againe it maketh him most willing and desirous to dye It is written of Babylis Bishop of Antioch slaine by Decius that persecuting Emperour that going to his death he said the words in the Psalme Returne vnto thy rest O my Soule for the Lord hath beene beneficiall vnto thee an excellent place for such a time as if he should haue said Now my griefes farewell and all my woes and wrongs in this wicked world and now my Soule be chearefull and glad for now commeth thy rest thy sure rest thy sweet rest thy neuer failing rest but eternall for euer therefore returne vnto it O weary soule and giue thankes and praise to God for hee hath beene beneficiall vnto thee in this most gracious change and happy release Conclude with the words of wise Sirach and remember them often O Death how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liueth at rest in his possessions vnto the man that hath nothing to vexe him and that hath prosperitie in all things c. But againe O Death how acceptable is thy iudgement vnto the needfull and vnto him whose strength faileth and that is now in the last age and is vexed with all things c. Feare not the Iudgement of death remember them that haue beene before thee and that come after thee it is the ordinance of the Lord ouer all flesh and why wouldest thou be against the pleasure of the most Highest whether it be tenne or an hundred or a thousand yeeres there is no defence for life against the graue Sect. 3. The third consideration Note 3 A Third reason that maketh a man willing to sleepe naturally is the good that commeth both to body and minde by such sleepe it cheareth and refresheth gladdeth and comforteth both let the same reason also make thee willing to dye for Death will minister much more comfort chearing and refreshing and that for euer as shall be said The Brazen Serpent cured the beholders and had no sting so doth death and hath no sting neyther That it cureth and helpeth all euils you know because it is Finis omnium malorum the end of all euils and it hath no sting as you are taught when you reade those words O Death where is thy sting O Graue where is thy victories the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victory through our Lord
of death and blesse God for it tenne thousand times following the foot-steps of worthy Fathers and Saints in the Church whose feeling of this point God hath directed them to leaue behinde them in their writings O tu vita quam praeparauit Dexs ijs qui diligunt eum vita vitalis vita beata vita secura vita tranquilla c. O thou life saith Augustine prepared of God for them that loue him thou liuing life thou blessed life thou secure life thou quiet life thou beautifull life thou life that knowest no death thou life that knowest no sadnesse thou life without blot without sorrow without care without corruption without perturbation without any varietie or change Would God that laying aside this burthen of my flesh I might enter into thy ioyes O quam fortunatus ero si audiuero c. O how happy shall I be if I might heare those sweet Songs of thy Citizens and those honey sweet verses but O more happy if I my selfe may finde grace and fauour to sing a song vnto the Lord Iesus Christ of the sweet Songs of Sion O verè foelices qui de Pilago c. O truely happy they that come out of the Sea of the World to the Hauen of Heauen out of Banishment to their owne Country and out of a foule Prison to a glorious Palace O Coelestis domus luminosa ad te suspirat c. O Heauenly House full of glorious light to thee tendeth my pilgrimage that he may possesse mee in thee that made both mee and thee Inter Brachia Seruatoris mei viuere volo mori cupio In the Armes of my Sauiour I wish to liue and desire to dye Many such feeling speeches I could repeate from the auncient militant warriours in this mortalitie whom we call Fathers when they went to the Father of Spirits shewing how farre they were from any vnwillingnesse to die which if wee make vse of as wee ought assuredly they will vvorke in vs through the blessing of God the same effect To shut vp this the godly cry come Lord Iesus come quickely Now they are in the world then they shall come to their owne now they are in the skirmish then shall they be in their victory now in the tempestuous Sea then in the quiet Hauen now in the heate of the day then in rest and coole euening now in place absent from Christ then with him following wheresoeuer hee goeth Now their life is hid with Christ but then shall they appeare with him in glory and that glory for euer and euer without change or end 1 Iohn 4.2 Comforts against the feare of Death by which the Christian Soule may be made willing to her Dissâ—lution CHAP. V. THE feare of death is not one of the least temptations to a weake Christian for Death is not onely fearefull to a naturall man whose hope is in this world being in it owne nature the most terrible of all terribles as Heathen men haue tearmed it for which cause wicked men are agast at the apprehension of it as appeares in the example of Bâ—ltazar of Hamon and others being as vnwilling to dye as the Beare vnto the Stake and the Swine vnto the Shambles but euen the godly themselues haue some combats and conflicts in this kinde as had our Sauiour Christ himselfe Ezekias and Dauid c. by reason that Nature abhorres her owne abolishion and feares the dissolution of the soule and body which are naturally as vnwilling to be seuered and sundered as two friends that haue beene borne and bred and brought vp together are loath to depart and to take their long leaue eyther of other therefore to make that easie and facile vnto thee which of it selfe is harsh and difficult that thou maist submit thy selfe willingly to that which all flesh haue vndergone and must vndergoe of necessitie Arme Grace against Nature and the Spirit against the Flesh with these comfortable considerations 1 Consider that by corporall death God onely cals againe for that soule which at the first hee created and infused into the body to informe and animate it and that this Soule of thine flits not out of her terrestriall tabernacle by chance or hap-hazard or casualtie or fortune or by the Climactericall yeere the reuolution of seauens and nines or by the position of the Heauens or course of the Starres or by thy disease or sicknesse occasioned by bad dyet superfluities of meates or drinkes ouer-great heates or taking of cold or the like accidents which are but meere instruments of thy mortalitie but looke at the superiour Agent GOD himselfe who hath now determined and disposed thy death Hab. 9.27 who hath numbred thy dayes and appointed thy limits who turnes thy dust into his dust Gen. 3.19 thou being a Sonne of Adam and cals for thy Spirit to returne to him that gaue it Psal 90.3 Eccles 12.7 And therefore seeing it is the Lord that cals be thou as willing to sleepe with thy Fathers as Samuel was to awake out of his naturall sleepe at Gods call 1 Sam. 3.10 Thinke that thy Soule is giuen vnto thee as a precious pledge to be safely kept and therefore grudge not to returne thy holy pawne to God the chiefe owner when hee requires it but commit it to him as into the hands of a faithfull Creator and louing Redeemer Why should the Tenant at will stand out with his Land-lord for an old rotten Cottage when he would remoue him to a better Mansion why should the Souldier be refractorie to leaue his station and place to be otherwaies disposed of by his Generall and Commander Now thou art here but a Tenant at will thou hast no fee-simple of thy life thou art a war-faring Souldier professed in Baptisme therefore like the Centurions Souldiers be willing to goe when thy Captaine bids thee goe Mat. 8.9 2 Let this comfort thee that thy sinnes the cause of thy death is taken away by the Messias Christ in whom thou beleeuest by whom thy sinnes being pardoned thou art blessed Psal 32.1 his death being the death of Sin and the conquest of Hell Hos 13. 1 Cor. 15. And therefore comfort thy selfe with Dauids holy Meditations encouraging thy soule to returne vnto her rest because the Lord hath beene bountifull vnto thee since he hath deliuered thy Soule from death euen the second death thine eyes from teares and thy feete from falling and since thou shalt walke before the Lord euen with the foure and twentie Elders in long white roabes in the Land of the liuing Psal 116.7.8.9 For all thy bitter griefe in corporall death which yet is sweetened to the Elect the Lord will deliuer thy soule from the pit of corruption for hee hath cast all thy sinnes behinde his backe as hee did Ezekiahs Esay 38.17 And therefore as there is no danger in handling an Adder or Viper or any other Serpent when her sting is taken away so there is no perill in Death since Sinne which is
the sting of Death is to thee not imputed but in the mercies of God pardoned and in the merits of Christ couered 1 Cor. 15. Rom. 8.1 Remember that God is the same God vnto thee in thy death that hee was in life good gracious propitious mercifull and mindefull of thee in thy last and greatest exigent Enoch found it so who walking vvith God in his life vvas taken away by the same God in his death that he was no more seene Gen. 5.24 Therefore it was Iobs dying comfort that his Redeemer liued whom as hee desired so hee hoped to see with the eyes of his body as he had beheld him with the rest of the Patriarkes with the eyes of Faith Iob 19.25 This consideration made him confident in the midst of his combats that though the Lord should kill him yet hee would trust in him Iob 13. This made prophecying Iacob ioyfull in his last farewell out of the few and euill expired dayes of his Pilgrimage in the inioying that Shilo the blessed Messias and his saluation which so long hee had waited for Gen. 49.18.33 This made old Simeon so comfortably caroll out his Swan-like song a little before his death euery particular of vvhich dittie expresseth his delight to dye and his desire to depart when hee had the worlds Sauiour in his armes and his Spirit in his heart Luke 2.25.26.27 28.29 And sure if thou haue the same grace and feele God in so many particulars now gracious vnto thee in thy life as did Enoch Iob Iacob and Simeon thou oughtest vpon the same grounds to seâ—tle thy heart in the sweet assurance of Gods speciall presence in thy last dissolution that hee will make thy bed in thy sickenesse and send thee that very Comforter his owne Spirit which according to his promise he sent his Disciples euen when all externall comforts faile if thou now worship him in spirit and in truth Iohn 4.24 For Salomon the wisest of men from the wisdome of God taught what Dauid his Father blessedly felt 1 Kings ch 1. v. 48. ch 2. v. 1.2.3 v. 10.11 that the righteous hath hope in death euen then when the wicked is cast off by reason of his malice as was Antiochus Epiphanes Herod and others And therefore you of the Israel of God you the Seede of Abraham the friends of God feare not for the Lord is vvith his Seruants with those whom hee hath chosen and he will be with you and not cast you away but vvill strengthen help and sustaine you yea againe I say Feare not thou worme Iacob and yee men of Israel I will helpe thee saith the Lord and thy Redeemer the holy One of Israel Esay 41. v. 8.9.10 v. 14. If the Lord be thy friend as hee vvas a friend to Abraham to Lazarus and to his Disciples and is still to all that seeke him and his grace then sure hee will play a sure friends part hee will sticke fast to thee in thy last conflict in this thy vvarrefare remembring thee euen in death as hee did his friend Lazarus Iohn 11.11 Therefore apply Dauids meditation as balme to thine owne sore in thy feares and say to thy soule Why art thou sad oh my Soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee still trust in God and giue him thankes for the comfortable helpe of his presence Though I walke through the shadow of death yet will I feare none euill for thou art with mee thy Rod and thy Staffe shall comfort mee Psal 23.4 God is my God euen the God of whom commeth my saluation God is the Lord by whom I escape death by whom indeede death is no death Psal 68.20 4 Remember what death is properly to the godly not a dying but a departing Luke 2.29 not an abolishion but a dissolution Phil. 1. a loosing out of Prison a Goale-deliuery to the soule not a curse but a blessing a freedome and a libertie out of captiuitie not pernitious but precious in the sight of God is the death of his Saints Psal 116. A walking with God Gen. 5. A going to our Fathers in peace A gathering to our people and A yeeldding of the spirit Gen. 25.8 Gen. 49.33 A sweet sleepe Deut. 31. A rest of our flesh in hope Psal 16. 116. A resting from our labours Reu. 14. with diuers such Epithites that the Scripture giues speaking of the death of Abraham Iacob Moses Dauid Iosias c. and the rest of the Saints of God Oh then why shouldest thou feare thy freedome Doth any Iewish Turkish Romish or Athenian Bond-man take it ill to be infranchized Doth any Apprentise distaste to be made a Free-man Is any Prisoner daunted vvith the newes of his deliuery out of colde Irons Is any Captiue discomforted when hee perceiues the meanes of his ransome oh then why shouldest thou be daunted with that messenger that is sent from the King of heauen to deliuer thee from all the maladies and miseries of this life from all the distresses crosses and cares that are incident to this mortalitie in bonds sickenesse diseases paines of body burthen of minde incurable sores with an hundred such like afflictions which make life to be loathedly vnpleasant and vnprofitable besides Is any man afraid of his bed is not rest comfortable to a iournying foot-man to a trauelling pilgrime or a drudging labourer Oh how glad is hee to repose his wearyed limbes in his wished couch Oh how acceptable is sleepe to refocillaite and recouer the ouer-spent spirits and to reuiue the decayed powers Now thy death is but a sleepe as the Word testifies there being such a proportion betwixt death and sleepe that the Heathen could tearme sleepe the Image of Death and the elder Brother of Death and our graues are our beds in which our bodies resting and sleeping the holy Ghost vvhose liuing Temples they were vvatching ouer them vvhen they are dead shall rouze them vp at the last day in beautie glory and splendor like the Sunne refreshed like a Gyant ready to runne his Race 5 Further to inlarge and diffuse this meditation a little further doth any man dislike to accept of these opportunities where hee shall not onely see and visite but inioy the company and conference of his friends his longed for his louing and beloued absent friends their sight is gracious the communion and conuersation with them is more gracious now by death we come to enioy and to ioy in the presence of our friends vvho haue broke the Ice before vs and haue led the way to this common Inne of death we shall see the face of CHRIST wee shall looke vpon him whom our sinnes haue pierced behold his wounds in his glorified body as the Angels now behold them wee shall inseperably be vnited vnto him and so ioy in him that our ioy shall be full in those blessed mansions which hee hath gone before to prepare wee shall liue and conuerse with Abraham Isaack and Iacob
conuerse or commerse with such more then with bruit Beasts and wicked Spirits that commit such sinnes as Intemperance and Luxurie and Drunkennesse which beasts and Diuels commit not Now ponder well Deaths lenitie in this corasiue Death stops thine eares from hearing the Blasphemies of the multitude wherewith they blaspheme Death hoodwinckes thine eyes from beholding such vaine and filthy obiects as made the Heathen Democritus plucke out his eyes that hee might not behold Death chaines thy tongue from talking with or talking of such obsceane subiects Death Gods Messenger pluckes thee away as the Angell did Lot out of the Sodome of this world and carries thee to Zoar a Citie of refuge the new and true Ierusalem from whence thou shalt come againe with thy Sauiour in the clouds to see these wicked ones cast into burnings Mat. 25.41 but neuer to heare them more blaspheming from vvhich Iudgement thy soule shall returne to heauen againe with her old companion the body now awakened out of the dust and glorified where thou shalt alwayes after to eternitie heare the Quires and Melodies of Angels and heauenly Spirits carrolling out their new Songs and Haleluiahs to the glory of the Lambe Apoc. 5.9 10 As Death frees thee from the conuersation so from the corruptions of wicked men which as it is not the least safetie so it should not be the least ioy and tranquillitie to a Christian and the rather because the danger of infection by them is here so imminent as fearefull If any thinke himselfe safe and sound and on a sure ground in this kinde as too many are too bold let him know that it is as safe for sound Apples to lye amongst the rotten for sound Sheepe to feede amongst the scabbed for cleare eyes to looke earnestly on those that haue sore eyes for a healthfull body to conuerse with the infected in the Pest-house as for thee to liue and conuerse with the wicked and not to learne wickednesse with the froward without frowardnesse nay it is as easie to touch pitch and not be defiled the experience of Gods Saints leaue it recorded that when the Saints are amongst sinners first eyther by Imitation of them secondly or compulsion by them thirdly being brought into straites by their wiles fourthly by their temptations and seductions fiftly in extremities amongst them sixtly by the ouer-swaying of their owne humane passions or by some such meanes they are infected with them these things occasioned Ioseph to sweare by the life of Pharaoh amongst the Aegyptians Abraham twise to vse simulation dissimulation or aequiuocation in two prophane Courts Dauid to faine madnesse in the Court of Achish 1 Sam. 21.13 Peter to deny his Master amongst the high Priests Seruants Mat. 26.74 the true Prophet to eate bread with the false Prophet 1 Kings 13.15.16 the Children of Israel to commit Adultery and Idolatry with the Daughters of Moab Numb 25. All these haue failed or fallen for company as one breach brings downe another amongst wicked men which is thy case now and hath beene Now Death deliuers thee from euer conuersing much more from corrupting by wicked men 11 Let another of Deaths commodities comfort thee in that it very much doth priuiledge thee from the madnesse and malice of the maleuolent Monsters of the vvorld thou art now secure from the pushing hornes of the Buls of Bashan from the sword of iniustice from the arme of tyranny Though mad Saul send for deuout Dauid to kill him in his sickenesse 1 Sam. 14.15 yet none can harme the body of a dead man first it may by kept vnburied for a time as great Alexanders was secondly arrested for debt into which a good Christian may fall in life 2 Kin. 4.1 thirdly be wounded and mangled as Hectors was by the Grecians liuing Hares may leape ouer a dead Lyon fourthly digged vp againe as Pope Formosus body was by Stephanus his successor and as Bucers was by the Papists an act more befitting Swine then men yet it cannot be hurt or harmed because it is insensible of paine and therefore neede not feare Phalaris his Bull nor the Persecutors wilde beasts nor the Papists fire and Fagot and burning chamber nor the most exquisite tortures of the greatest Tyrants for thy spirit it returnes to the Father of spirits thy soule to God that gaue it euen as the beames of the Sunne reflect vpward againe towards the Sunne from whence they came 12 Besides thy good name that especially is cleared by death for wee oftentimes see that by the aemulation of aequals the enuy of inferiours the hatred of superiours and the wickednesse that is in the hearts of all good men in their life time by Gods permission for causes best knowne some secret some reuealed haue beene vvondrously abased and abused censured calumniated and scorched by the malicious and maleuolent tongues of such as haue beene set on fire by Hell oftentimes to the very eclipsing of their good name for a time being poysoned and besmeared with their Aspish venome vvhose good names it pleaseth God to restore againe vnto them at or after the houre of death making the lustre and splendor of their graces then to breake out like the light at the noone-day dispersing all the clouds of scandall which haue in their vapours ascended from the foggie and filthy Quagmires and Marrish of ignorance and Malice Who eyther denies or doubts of this may see it in the Glasse of the Word and obserue it in the experience of other ages and our owne What oppositions had Moses the meekest man on earth the faithfull Seruant of GOD in his life time in the place of his Magistracy amongst a rebellious people though hee discharged the greatest function that euer was committed to any meere man the best that euer any did that was but flesh and bloud yet how was hee vpbrayded scandalized and slandered his Commission from God contradicted hee vvas thought to take too much vpon him accused as a destroyer or at least a deluder of the Lords people concerning the promised Canaan yet the same Moses had beene worshipped as a God of these ancient Idolaters after his death if the Diuell could haue had his purpose in exposing his dead body vnto them being resisted by the Angell Iude 1. v. 9. So was Dauid not a little disgraced by the mockings of his wife Michol 2 Sam. 6.20 the raylings of Shemei 2 Sam. 16.5 the calumnies of his tyrannous enemies by whom hee was esteemed as a foole reuiled as a murtherer verse 6. accounted as an Hypocrite and vile man ver 7. yea euen the drunkards made songs of him in his life time now Dauid is esteemed as the sweet Singer of Israel as the man after Gods owne heart after his death So in our times what broyles and turmoyles had that worthy Caluin zealous Luther reuerent Beza iudicious Zanchy moderate Melancthon learned Peter Martyr Oecolampadius and others in forraine Countries
which case you shall obserue that the desire to liue or not to liue to dye and not to dye hath oftentimes ebbed and flowed according to the measure of grace or corruption of sinne or of sanctification Euery man may finde this in his owne heart vsually vpon the search Hence it was that our Sauiour Christ hauing the greatest measure of grace was most willing to dye amongst all the sonnes of mortall men as appeares in the Gospell by his often speaking of his death as desiring it Mat. 10. â—8 So 16.21.17.22.23 by his hastning Iudas the actor in it Iohn 13. in calling Peter Sathan that disswaded him from it Mat. 13.23 yea in accounting it his Baptisme Luke 20.50 yea his meate that he was to eate Iohn 4 32. yea his exaltation ver 28. yea a thing that hee desired Luke 22. And when hee came to act the bitter part in this dying Tragedy how voluntarily did he send out his soule Hee gaue vp the Ghost saith the Euangelist the spirit was not taken from him for no power could doe that but hee gaue vp his Spirit into the hands of GOD his Father Emisit non amisit Spiritum hee sent out his Spirit as Noah sent the Doue out of the Arke willingly it was not taken from him compulsorily Now that which holds in the Head Christ in some proportion holds in the Saints his Members who are conformed into the similitude both of his life and death the nearer they come vnto Christ by the vnion of Faith the more they participate of the Spirit of Christ in life the more willing they are to goe to Christ and to haue a further communion with him in and after death Note 2 It is not so with the wicked for the further they runne from God in life the lesse ioy they haue to be fetcht before him by death the lesse grace the more griefe to dye the more vile sensuall and sinfull their dayes the more they desire to prolong them being as vnwilling to dye as the Beare to the stake or the Bull to the ring The reasons are these First because they haue their pleasures in this world to which they are wedded and with which they are intoxicated and bewitched as Vlisses and Diomedes companions with Circes charmes and Calipsoes Cups till they be turned into beasts Now what delight hath the beast but in fayre feeding and carnall companying according to his kinde neyther they being as loath to leaue these pleasures as the childe his bable or the foole his folly Secondly Death depriues them of their worldly promotions it throwes Herod from his seate and Baltazar from his Throne it expulleth Monarchs from their Countryes and with as great a sway as that Antichristian man of Rome kickes off their Crownes deposing Kings disposing Kingdomes laying their honours in the dust And therefore no maruell that the proud Impes of Lucifer feare it as hautie Hammon did the Gallowes Thirdly it pluckes them from their profits it takes Nabal from his Sheepe Ahab from his vsurped Vineyard and Midas from his Gold which worldlings are as vvilling to leaue as the dogge the Flesh-pot as the hungry Kite the sauory carrion to liue in the earth alwayes it is their desire as much as the water is desired of the fish and the Ayre of the Bird and the earth of the Moale they are as content to build tabernacles here as Peter was vpon the Mount Mat. 17. but to goe into the earth that is dâ—rus sermo a harsh vvord they are as willing to leaue the world as the Bird the Beast and the Fish are to forsake their nourishing Elements as the starued childe is to part with the desired dugge Oh Death how bitter art thou to a man whose portion is in the world saith the Wise-man Ob mors mordens bitter indeede as gall and wormewood Fourthly Death depriues the wicked not onely of their goods but of their Gods what euer they make their Idols and giue their hearts vnto whicâ— Idols they as vnwillingly leaue as Mâ—â—hay did his and as the Papists their Idolatrous Masse as Rachel did her Fathers Idols vvhich shee concealed and couered Fiftly Death takes them away from their pleasing companions which they are as loath to part fro as Elisha was to leaue Elias as Ruth to leaue Naomi but most vnwilling to exchange them for the company of Diuels and Hell-hounds Sixtly they are vnfitted and vnprepared for Death they haue not made their accounts straight they haue not Oyle in their Lampes they haue abused their Talents of gifts externall and internall and therefore they quake to be brought by Death to render an account of their Stewardship with the wicked Steward to meete the Bridegrome with the foolish Virgins to be called in eoram before their great Master with the wicked Seruant that smote his fellow-seruants and with the other vnprofitable Seruant Seauenthly they haue no hope in death except a vaine and wanne hope such as perisheth like the vntimely fruit of a woman Death like Michay to Ahab neuer prophesieth any good to a wicked man and therefore he is as vnwilling to dye as a Theefe and Malefactor to be brought before the Iudge as a bad debtor before his creditor as a Swine to the slaughter for as the Swine by a naturall instinct knowes that hee is good for nothing but the Shambles so the wicked by the rage of his owne conscience which is like the flash before hell fire and by an Historicall Faith whereby hee beleeues there is a hell and euerlasting fire for such as hee is Fornicators whoremongers drunkards wantons theeues couetous impenitent vnbeleeuers and all other workers of iniquitie hee knowes that hee is good for nothing but to be burned and to be stubble and fuell for that flame And therefore as the Swine shewes his dislike of the Shambles and his slaughterer by whining and crying and repining so the hoggish Epicurish carnall man shewes his discontent and disobedience vnto God and to his summons by death by muttering murmuring barking against heauen and blaspheming If wee apply this poynt by vse vnto our times wee shall finde infinite millions and multitudes of carnall and wicked men swarming like the Aegyptian Locusts and Grashoppers amongst vs for alas how many are there which beare vp their heads high and set vp their crests exalt their hornes and prancke vp their Peacockes plumes lifting vp themselues aboue others in the pride of their harts boasting like Braggadochies of their birth valour learning wit wealth parts and prowesse shewing much drunken and swaggering and irefull and reuengefull valour in their base and bruitish passions and yet the same at the imagination and apprehension of death shew themselues as arrand cowards as the Arcadians Clineas or Dametas altogether daunted and dismayed like Gorgon at the sight of Medusaes head they quiuer and quake like an Aspen-leafe shake and tremble like the Aguish sicke man at the
come out of the earth but onely that they loue the earth too well being desirous euer to liue vpon the earth but neuer to lye in the earth Why list not worldlings returne to their dust but onely that as true children of the old Serpent the curse of the Serpent is vpon them to licke the dust minding earthly things here their end being damnation hereafter Phil. 3.17 Secondly when this is performed in breaking off thy desires from the world which is Terminus à quo the place which thou leauest then fixe thy eye vpon another world Terminus ad quam the place whither thou goest Looke not too much at the grisly face of Death which will agast thee but at the end of it where thou shalt see as many comforts as Elishaes Seruant saw to encourage thee Euen as hee that is to passe ouer some great and deepe Riuer must not looke downe-ward to the water but must cast his eye to the bancke on the further side so looke ouer the waues of death and fixe the eye of thy faith vpon eternall life Looke not at Death in the glasse of the Law in which it is set out as a curse and the downe-fall to the gulph of destruction but in the Christall Glasse of the Gospell as it is changed and altered so by the death of CHRIST that it is a sweet sleepe and resting coole harbour First therefore consider how there is a blessing accompanies and attends thy death pronounced by the Spirit it selfe Reu. 14 13. which is alone sufficient to stay the rage of thy affections in the ordinary feare of death for who feares blessings since euen profane Esau sues for a blessing and euen the very Heathens so much desired that blessednesse which their Philosophers of all sorts so much disputed but neuer so soundly determined as God doth here Secondly the same Spirit cals it A resting from thy labour Now euen the Oxe Horse and Asse desire resting from labour to be vntyed from their taskes vnloden from their Burthens all the creatures and the Elements which groane vnder vanitie desire cessation from motion euery thing aymes at his quiet and rest and dost not thou Now death I pray thee what is it but a buster of bonds a destruction of toyle an arriuing at the Hauen a Iourney finished thy coâ—summatum est thy qâ—ietus est thy laying away of an heauy burthen euen sin it selfe which as Erasmus wittily is heauier then Gold Siluer Lead and Iron in that the weight of it weighed and pressed downe the Angels of light into the pit of hell and payned Christ our Sauiour our substitute on the Crosse What I say is this death but the shaking off of gyues and an end of banishment a period of griefe an escape of dangers a destroyer of all euils Natures due Countryes ioy Heauens blisse Woes Hauen the Key to ope the dore to Christians as it did to CHRIST Luke 24 26 of blessednes rest and immortalitie dignifying nay almost Deifying whom God hath elected and called in grace and called to the graue this is the right partition of it into his parts and passages as Antiquitie hath christned it and our age hath called it and the godly haue found it Oh then why shouldest thou boggle at it since there is as little hurt in death to the good as there is little good in life to the bad as we shall further proue in some particulars hereafter Thirdly let this cogitation animate thee to sing Simeons Song in being at least willing if not desirous to depart because God takes thy part in thy departing if thou beest his thou hast as the Promise so the Performance of his comfortable presence It hath beene the Lords constant and continuated custome to be with his Children like a friend at neede in their distresse whose exigents and extremities haue beene his opportunities Thus hee was present with Noah in the Floud Gen. 7. with Lot in Sodomes flames Gen. 19. with Iacob in his flight from Esau Gen. 33. with Ioseph in Dodons pit and Putiphars prison vvith Moses when hee went to Pharaoh when he was with Pharaoh and sled from Pharaoh with Israel in the Red Sea Exod. 14. vvith Dauid in Sauls pursuite 1 Sam. 19. with Eliah in the Desart 1 Kings 19. with Elisha vvhen the Syrians came against him 2 Kings 6. with Hezekiah in his sicke-bed Esay 38. with the three Children in the fire Dan. 3. with Daniel in the denne of Lyons Dan. 6. with Ioseph and Mary and the wise Magi flying from Herod Mat. 2. with Christ in his combat with Sathan Mat. 4. and hee will be vvith thee in thy last conflict and tryall for this is his Promise which he keepes more inuiolably then the Decrees of the Medes and Persians to be with thee when thou passest through the waters and through the riuers through the fire that thou shalt neyther be ouerflowne nor ouerblowne in any temptation Esay 43.2.3.4 5.6 c. Now God will manifest his presence with thee these three wayes eyther in moderating or mitigating thy paines as the words of that Propheticall promise doe import making death no more dolorous to thee then many ordinary crosses and afflictions which haue befallen thee in life as some of the Saints haue tryed it Or by the inward and ineffable comfort of the Spirit which occasioned Paul to reioyce in tribulation since euen then the loue of God was shed abroad in his heart by the holy Ghost Rom. 5.35 yea euen in his grieuous sickenesse it seemes when hee had receiued the sentence of death as the suffrings of Christ did abound in him so his consolations did abound through Christ 2 Cor. 1.5 God is the chiefe Physitian and chiefe visitor when any of his Patients are afflicted in his owne person ministring vnto them staying them with flagons comforting them with apples vvith his right hand holding vp their heads and vvith his left imbracing them Cant. 2.9 Thirdly he sends a victorious Host a guard of Angels to be keepâ—rs and Nurses vnto his Seruants to hold them vp and beare them in their armes as Nurses doe young Children and to be their champions and guards against the Diuell and his Angels Psal 30. All these comforts with many moe going along vvith thee like the Cloud and the fiery Pillar with the Israelites should cause thee to march valiantly euen through the Pikes â—f death to thy appointed Possession And so wee passe in this passage of Simeon to the third Point His acknowledgement of the Diuine Permission In these words Lettest thou IN which phrase obserue that what euer comes to passe is by the letting and permission of God whether in life or death for there is nothing done in the world but that which the Almightie will haue done eyther by permitting it to be done or by doing it himselfe Or as the same Augustine All things are eyther done by Gods helpe or suffered to be done by his permitting Domino
his dayes Psal 102. vers 23.24 So Salomon tels vs that the feare of the Lord prolongeth dayes but the yeeres of the wicked shall be shortened Prou. 10.27 then it seemes a man may dye before his limited time Answ There are two ages or times of man the one a ripe age suppose seauenty or eighty yeeres the other vnripe and greene Now all men naturally aspire and desire the first which if they attaine not to in some measure and proportion they are thought to dye before their time but yet neuerthelesse they accomplish their decreed date And therefore though Iob and Dauid complayned of the shortning of their dayes yet they deceiued themselues for the one liued after that an hundred and forty yeeres and saw his sonnes sonnes euen foure generations Iob 42.16 the other dyed old and well stricken in yeeres 1 Kings 1.1 but both of them not seeing the Sunne of Gods fauour through the cloud of the Crosse remembred not that Gods power is seene in infirmitie 2 Cor. 12.9 Obiect 3. Yet it is said that bloud thirsty men shall not liue out halfe their dayes Psal 55.23 Answ First that is which they desire to liue Secondly or which in nature they might liue to so Basil Thirdly God hastens iudgements vpon crying sinnes such as that of Murther and Sodomie and vncleannesse as hee did on Sodome Onan and Ioab For when sinne once cryes like Cains sinne or is ripe like the sinnes of the Amorites God is prouoked and cuts off the workers of it sometimes sodainely sometimes secretly neuer vniustly Fourthly good men as they participate of Gods blessing long life Exod. 20. ver 12. or else of life eternall if they be taken away with Iosias in youth which is better so wicked men fearing death as a iudgement which they feare it shall fall vpon them for whatsoeuer a wicked man feares in a slauish and seruile feare that shall come vpon him saith Salomon Prou. 10.24 A proud man feares disgrace he shall be disgraced yea proud Herod shall be eaten with Wormes and that Ester and Mordocheus and those Iewes which Ammon feared shall bring him to the Gallowes If Achitophel feare that his counsell shall be reiected it shall be reiected If the Theefe and the Seminarie feares Tyburne they shall be topt there The couetous man feares pouertie it shall betide him or his hee shall vomit vp his sweet morsels his substance which he hath deuoured Iob 20.15 some part of his ill gotten goods like the coale in the Eagles nest shall set all the rest on fire If Ieroboam feare death as Abijah threatneth him the Lord will strike him that hee die 2 Chron. 1 2. ver 12. ver 20. and so all other vvicked men Obiect 4. But if our death be determined may carnall reason obiect then we neede vse no meanes to prolong our life as Physicke recreation c. Answ If God haue ordained thee to liue long hee ordayned the meanes also to prolong thy life as hee sent Ioseph before to prouide the Land of Aegypt for old Iacob and his Sonnes to liue and to trade in when the Famine was in Aegypt for their preseruation Gâ—n 34.10 and as hee prouided a Whale to receiue Ionas that hee drowne not so he hath ordayned meanes as meates drinkes cloathes dyet Physicke Musicke exercise carefull circumspection in the vse of thy body and the like that thou perish not to which meanes if thou beest not subordinate thou art guilty of thine owne death because thou with-drawes thy selfe from without those limits and bounds that God hath appointed thee to vvalke in and so art found eyther a fighter against or at least a tempter of God Deut. 6.16 It is worthy considering that though God had told Paul Acts 27.24 that all that were in the ship with him in that Cretian tempest should be safe yet neuerthelesse when some would haue leapt out of the ship hee tels the Centurion v. 31. that except they abide in the Ship they could not be saued they must stay still and bestirre themselues validis incumbendo renijs if they will be safe yea they must eate meate to for their healths sake vers 34. so what God hath decreed eyther concerning thy body or soule thy temporall or spirituall estate in life or death thou must vse meanes for the well being and preseruation of both Wee may out of this boxe thus opened draw out this Triacle namely to goe on constantly and couragiously in our callings and Christian courses in the performance of good duties belonging to the first and second Table to God or man commanded in the word commended in the practise of the Saints notwithstanding all not onely oppositions and calumniations by the scoffing tongues of Ismaels but euen piercing persecutions of the worlds Nimrods and the bloody Buls of Basan what though they menace thy massacring determine thy death as those cursed crew of Ruffians did Pauls Acts 23.14 yet they cannot hurt a hayre of thy head without Gods permission no more then the Iewes could doe ought against Christ but what God had before determined Thirdly in that Simeon here appeales vnto Gods permission in respect of his departure it is plaine that hee tooke not leaue of himselfe to depart hee askes leaue you see as a Souldier of his Generall to depart out of the Campe as a Scholler of his Master to goe home as an Attendant to be dismissed of the Court. From whose particular we may extract this generall obseruance that it is vnlawfull for any man to let out his owne life or the life of another man vnlesse the Sword of Magistracie be put in his hand no man must lay violent hands vpon himselfe or vpon another Deus vitae necisque arbiter God is onely the disposer of life and death And therefore for the first how euer the world pretend reasons and excuses for to make this bastard-brat of selfe-murther which comes from Sathan and our corruption legitimate as proceeding from magnanimitie greatnesse of courage or the like or at least would extenuate it or make it tollerable if not approueble and laudable when it is a curer of all other crosses as Cato Vticensis held it or a preuenter of sinne as in Rasis in the Apocripha and Lucrece in Histories c. yet neuerthelesse the practise is detestable the sinne damnable and therefore both in Reason and Religion auoidable First because it is against a double commandement Legall and Euangelicall it breaketh the sixt Commandement for if a man must not murther others hee must not murther himselfe euen as if a man must not steale from another hee must not steale from him selfe his wife his children which I would haue all Carders Dicers Drunkards c. and selfe consumers of their substance to consider if hee must not doe the lesser sinne he must not doe the greater Secondly the Apostle saith A man must not destroy his owne body but nourish and cherish it Ephes 5. Thirdly it is
like the barren Fig-tree and throwne into Hell fire yea as they are called dead coales Psal 17. and God a consuming fire Deut. 9. Hebrewes the last c. so they are as sure to burne vnlesse quenched by repentance as they are fit to burne Neyther doth the Lord take such avvay ordinarily by a naturall and peaceable death as hee did Simeon here but oft-times in the whirlewinde of his wrath by some vnnaturall and violent and sodaine death as the fruit of their prouoking sinnes 1. Sometimes for their abuse of his worship as hee did Nadab and Abihu so Iudas that came from the Communion and hanged himselfe as also the Corinthians who dyed for their vnworthy receiuing the Sacrament 2. Sometimes for rebellion against Magistrates as Corah Dathan and Abiram Numb 16. 3. Sometimes for abusing the Seruants Prophets and Ministers of God as the two and fortie Children whom the two shee Beeres slew the two Captaines with their fifties that came to lay hands on Elias 4. So for murthering the Saints as Achab and Iezabel So the tenne persecutors infamously famous for the abundance of Christian bloud which they shed came all to fearefull ends according to the curse threatned Psal 56. Psal 139. Math. 26. that Bloudy men shall not liue out halfe their dayes and They that smite with the Sword shall perish by the Sword 5. For gurmundizing gluttonie and drunkennesse as Iobs Children Iob 2. Baltazar Dan. 5. and the Israelites slaine whilst the Quailes were in their mouthes Numb 11. 6. For couetousnesse as Ananias and Saphira Acts 5. 7. For Lust and Luxury as Cosâ—ee and Zimri and the vncleane Israelites Numb 25. 8. For Tyrannie and oppression as Pharaoh and his Hoast Exod. 14. 9. For Pride against God as Herod Acts 12. 10. For the effect of pride and malice Blasphemie against heauen as Senacharib and his pestilent Parasite Rabsekah 2 Kings 19. as also for other sinnes But now wee are to hoist vp sailes into a Sea of matter which flowes eyther necessarily from the Text or by consequence of this last proued point and by argument from the greater to the lesser from the better to the worse that if Simeon and the Saints must dye then vnsanctified sinners and so from the specials and by inductions from all particulars the generall may be concluded that all must dye So much the Text giues vs leaue to touch for if we be here as Tully intimates Tanquam in diuerserio as guests lodged in an Inne or as those that come to a Mart a Market or a Faire or as those that come to visite their friends not to inhabite long here but to depart as Simeon here imports Then hoc commune malum this departure is the designed lot to all the worlds passengers Wee here giue no reasons of the point omitting or pretermitting them till we come to distill some comforts against death onely for explanation or further satisfaction Ponder the premises that since the godly which haue no sinne I meane with Dauid and the Augustane Confession out of Augustine no imputed sinne must die since children that haue no actuall sinne doe dye because the staine of the roote is propagated to the branches as Augustine Anselme and Ambrose haue in moe phrases explained if Adam himselfe did dye not so much as hee was a created man but as hee was a corrupted sinner Then sure as life was the fruit of his obedience if he had stood à Deo donante from Gods free giuing so death is inflicted vpon his fall à Deo vindicante from God punishing And as now it is Gods Statute-Law enacted that all Adams Sonnes partaking of Adams sinnes must die so it must be executed nay wee see it is executed Philosophers and Poets and the learned Heathens who themselues since their workes and writings haue felt the smart of deaths stroke haue acknowledged it Christians haue confessed it Experience hath ratified it in the consumption and consummation of all ages all sects all sorts persons and professions that all must dye omnia peribunt c. I thou hee they and euery man besides that are were shall be this way slides Wee haue Gods statutum est for it that as in Heauen all liue and none must or can dye in Hell all dye an eternall death and none must or can liue so in earth all must dye and none can for euer liue This is an ineuitable yoke imposed on all flesh Nam rigidum ius est c. the Law is strict vnalterable to striue against the streame vnauaileable Lanificas nulli tres exorare Puellas Contigit c. The vnpartiall Fates to whom we all are vnder With rule imperiall cut lifes thread asunder Many meanes haue Galenists and Physitians vsed for the preseruation of life many Workes and elaborate Bookes are extant of the conseruation of health but neuer none writ or disputed of the exemption from death because it were in vaine If any Physitian could administer such a simple that vvould perpetually prolong life if any Lawyer could plead the case with Death not to enter violently vpon their bodie which is his tennant-right and preuaile If any Diuine did preach that sinners should not dye and performe it the first should haue moe Patients the second more Clyents the third moe Auditors then euer had any of their fellowes in their functions But to teach or plead or practise this point which the Diuell guld our first Parents with in Paradise You shall not die were to be a Lyar like him it were to build Castles in the Ayre to sow the winde and reape the whirlewinde for Omnes vna maâ—et nox c. Deaths tract wee all must tread our life 's faire light Must be obscur'd and set in Deaths darke night How many glorious Lights in the vvorld Kings Kefars Emperours Popes Potentaâ—es Dukes Earles Lords Barons c. Learned wise prudent potent c. haue already perished and vanished like Comets and blazing Starres leauing no more tract behinde them then a Serpent that goes ouer a stone of whom wee retaine nothing but the Images corporeall of their bodies or mentall of their mindes by the help of some Painters or their owne or others pens that haue onely shewed to posteritie that such men there once were but now are not What haue wee sauing the Images of moe then an hundred famous Emperours of the East and West Christian and Heathen Amongst the rest vvhere are the seauen Henries the sixe Constantines the fiue Ottoes the fiue Charleses the fiue Lodouicques the foure Leo's the three Theodosij the three Fredericques the three Tiburiusses the two Clandij the two Alberts the two Anastasij the two Martians the two Rodulphs the two famous Caesars for warre and peace Iulius and Augustus with the rest Is not the lampe of their life extinct Those whose voyces commanded the Nations are they now able to speake as it was said of Alexander those that vvere able once to
deliuer others from death could they free themselues Besides where are now more then two hundrâ—d of Romaine Bishops and triple Mitred Popes some of whose roaring Buls made once all Christendome quake and shake Where are now the twelue Gregories the nine Bonifaces eight nocently Innocents the seauen Clements the sixe Alexanders sixe Vrbans sixe Adrians twelue Benidicts the fiue Celestines the fiue Nicholasses the foure Sixtusses the foure Sergij the foure Anastaâ—ij the foure Foelixes the foure Eugenij the three Siluesters the three Victors the three Lucij the three Iulij's with the rest Doe they not all know now that which some of them Atheistically in words in writings and in life haue denyed that their bodies were mortall their soules immortall that there is a Heauen for the godly a Hell for the vvicked but no Purgatory passage to eyther the one place or other for eyther sort Besides where shall wee seâ—ke but amongst the dead for all the Romane Caesars the Aegyptian Ptolomies the Latine Murrhanes the Albane Siluies the Syrian Antiochusses the Arabian Arabarcques the Argiue Abantiades the Persian Achaminedes the Theban Labdacides the Lybian Lybiarcques and all the rest of those renowned Kings which had such diuers denominations from their worthy Predecessors and from those Countries ouer which they ruled Nay to come nearer home where are all our English Kings that haue awfully swayed the Brittaine Scepter since the Conquest Where are the two Conquering couragious Williams our three Richards our sixe Edwards our eight Henries Hath not Death made a Conquest of them Haue we any remnants of them sauing their Westminster Monuments their Ensignes their Vertues Could their Scepters Crownes Coulours Honours Miters Power or pompe of these Potentates resist Deaths all-subduing all-subiecting rod which brings vnder moe then Mercuries charming wand in the Poet No verily Non ducis imperium non regia Mitra coronae Pontificis summi c. Both conquering Dukes and Princely Crownes The mitred Popes proud Cardinals Imperiall Scepters Prelates Gownes Death vassalizeth and inthrals So if wee should continue in this Quere and demand what is become of all those worthy Generals Ioshuah Gideon c. Achilles Hector Aiax Melciades the Gracchies Camillies Fabians Asdrubal Hannibal c. Or those tryumphing Conquerours Cyrus Alexander Scylla Marius Cassius Scipio Metellius Valerius Pompey Caesars Antonie Octauian Claudian Aurelius Death hath carryed them in tryumph as they others Abstulit c. For speedy Death stopt stout Achilles breath So where are those huge and vast Gyants the Sonnes of Anack the Nimrods of the world Tipheus Anteus Enceladus Titius Polypheme Atlas Hercules Cacus Orestes c. as terrible in their times as Goliah was to the Israelites Now it is a wonder no terrour to see their ashes and their bones now fearefull Hares leape ouer dead Lyons as the Grecians scoft at dead Hector So if wee should reflexe vpon these learned Lights and Lampes in Diuinitie or Humane Learning the Fathers of the Greeke and Latine Church graue Tertullian learned Origen wittie Bernard eloquent Chrysostome zealous Augustine iudicious Ierome and the rest Or vpon these wise Heathens deepe Philosophers Aristippus Empedocles Democles Zenocrates Anaxagoras Pithagoras Diogenes Socrates Plato Aristotle the seauen Grecian Sages c. Or vpon these famous Orators Pericles Isocrates Alcibiades Gorgias Pollio Lucius Crassus Zenophon Hortensius Demosthenes Cato Cicero Quintillian Or vpon these Laureate Poets Eschilus Pindar Euripides Aristarchus Hesiod Menander Simonides Sophocles Anacraeon Eunius Statius Persius Claudian Varro Plautus Lucan Homer Terence Ouid Virgil c. Or vpon these famous Legifers and Law-giuers Mercurie amongst the Aegyptians Licurgus amongst the Lacedemonians Solon amongst the Athenians Numa amongst the Romanes as also vpon Androdamus Philolaus Beceorus Carneades c. Or vpon these profound and famous Lawyers Vlpian Iason Drusus Bartolus Baldus Iustinian Dâ—cius Or vpon these expert Physitians Hermogenes Disippus Celsus Nicomachus Eschulapius Hippocrates Auicen Galen c. Skilfull Astronomers Astrologers and deepe Mathematicians Thales Manethes Promethius Eudosius Protagoras Berosus Archites Zoroaster Ptolomie Anaximander c. Or subtill Geometricians Polemon Pausanius Marinus Theodorus Diâ—aearchus Nicephorus Euclides Or these accurate and faithfull Historiographers Thucidides Iosephus Herodotus Diodorus Egisippus Isodore Eutropius Liuie Salust Plutarch Appian Plinie Suetonius â—'ossiâ—onius Orosius Eusebius Tacitus Iustin c. Or these exquisite Musitians Zenophocles Himenaeus Amphion Chiron Arion Linus Philades Orpheus c. Or these famous Painters and Caruers Timantes Aristarchus Timagoras Pirasius Zeuxis Apelles Phidias our English Michael and Raphael with infinite moe of worthy spirits eyther inuenters or perfecters of Arts and Sciences whether Liberall or Mechanicall such as haue beene Eupaters well-willers and Benefactors to humane Societies which Antiquitie hath dignified liuing as more then men accounting them as Heroes and Semidians and Deified as Gods are they not all dead like men Haue they not gone the way of all flesh as Dauid saith of himselfe 2 King 2. Yea though some of them were Metaphoricall and terrestiall Gods as Dauid prophesieth of all Princes they are dead like men their honour is laid in the dust an Epitaph writ vpon a marble stone a Monument or Statue erected to them or for them an Enchomiasticque Verse in the numericall lines of some Poet or a narration vvhat they haue beene or what they haue done good or euill in the workes of some Historian is all which is left of them euen as a linnen shirt was that remained of that victorious Saladine yea these whom wee haue deseruedly called worthy spirits as Alexander Tamberlaine Iulius Caesar Prince Arthur in former times as also the rest of those nine Worthies amongst the Heathens and those other nine amongst Christians in former times as also that Noble Sidney that ingenious Picus Mirandula that subtill Scaliger in our times haue now their earthly tabernacles the lodges and organs of such purified spirits and heauenly inspired soules dissolued their bodies descending as their better part ascending and so it shall be with vs and with all of vs. Tendimus huc omnes â—etam properamus ad vnam c. Th' Earth is our common Hauen thither saile we Deaths bonds to breake alas how small preuaile we That which was said to Adam is said to euery one of vs Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne Gen. 3.19 Michael Glyeas amplifies it thus as hee is alledged by Bramamiâ—lerus the Germane Puluis es ex puluere es c. Dust thou art of dust thou art and into dust thou shalt returne As if one should say of the congealed Ice Aqua es ex aqua es in aquam redibâ— water thou art of water thou art and into water thou shalt be resolued for the Ice is an excellent embleme of our bodies which are more brittle then Ice Neyther is it any otherwayes vvith our terrestriall bodies in some proportion then with the celestiall For as all the Starres how euer glistering and glorious
arising in the East moue to the West some in a faster some in a slower motion so wee moue to our earth as naturally downeward as stones and those heauy things for Omne graue deorsum the earth is our proper center to which wee moue and decline some sooner some later And as the Planets Saturne Iupiter Mars Mercury Sol Venus Luna moue in their proper motions some quickly within a short space some slowly circkling the Heauens as the Moone within a Moneth the Sunne in twelue Moneths c. which their courses being finished they returne againe to the place from whence they had their first beginning of motion so wee being fixt in our places and stations in this life in our speciall callings when wee haue finished our course and done our taske wee moue directly into that place from whence we came euen into the bowels of the earth some in a quicker some in a slower motion some in their youth some in their age but all of vs now or then Serius aut citius metam properamus ad vnam Wee all doe tend one way and soone or late We clapse our earth in lifes expired date With Brutus wee kisse our mother vvee goe to lodge in this common Inne our generall mother the earth receiues vs into her bowels againe as the Fish Scylopendra swallowes her little frye and some Bird her yong ones in some common danger vvhich they safely cast forth againe as the Whale did Ionas vvith the little Silke-worme vvhen our vveb is spunne vvee dye vvhich death vvee can no more auoid then the tall Cedar or greene Popler can auoid the Axe of the husbandman or the sayling ship the blustering vvinde or cloud threatning waues for of all things in the world it is most certaine we shall dye all other things are exposed as much vnto vncertaintie as to vanitie A man knowes not how prosperous his iourney shall be by Sea or by Land if hee make a bargaine it is casuall and vncertaine whether it will be thriuing and sauing or no. If a man marry a wife it is vncertaine whether hee catch a Fish or a Frog a Shrew or a Sheepe a Rebeccha or a Zantippe If a man beget a childe it is vncertaine whether hee proue a wise man or a foole rich or poore and so in all other humane things in this life there is casualitie and incertainetie onely that we shall end this life and dye we are most certaine Euery thing in the world preacheth and proclaimeth this vnto vs. The Sunne that riseth and setteth daily ouer our heads tels vs our lifes Sunne shall set the cloaths vpon our backes that weare and waste are memorials to vs of the wearing and wasting of our bodies the graues vnder our feete tell vs that others must tread vpon vs as wee tread vpon others the dust that blowes in our eyes tels vs that we are but dust yea the bodies of Beasts Birds and Fishes that we eate for meates in our dishes tels vs that our bodies shall be meate for Wormes Intentant omnia mâ—rtem All tell vs death is as certaine as the houre is vncertaine The naturall causes of death besides these causes that Diuinitie giues proue our death First the Elements striuing and wrastling within our bodies in their discord setting out of tune the Harpe of our Health tels vs that some malignant humour predominating will ere long breake a-sunder the strings of life Secondly this Messalina this vnchaste and vnsatiable woman called Materia prima the first matter alwayes burning with lustfull appetites and desires of new formes still plots the corruption of her old subiect Thirdly the radicall humour consumes after it be come to his height of augmentation like the Sea that recoyles and ebbes when shee is at full which moysture though it be restored againe by dyet or Physicke for the quantitie yet it is not so pure as the spent for qualitie saith Fernellius Fourthly the bloud as it growes old beginnes by little and little to condensate and waxe thicke and so corrupts Fiftly the Spirits waste by vse and labour which vveares euen Iron and hardest mettals the body and the minde by corporeall and mentall exercises like two vnthriftie Heyres spending them faster then the father and fosterer of them the Heart can digest and gather them all these say dye wee must nay that dye all must Rich Diues as well as poore Lazarus Salomon as well as Naball the vvise as well as the foole fayre Absolon as well as foule Thirsites Musicall Nero as well as harsh Menius tall Saul as well at little Zacheus godly Ionathan as well as his vngodly Father high and low rich and poore one with another participate of the common condition of humane nature once to dye Yea the Princes of the earth cannot with-draw their neckes from this yoke euen those that are Gods on earth shall dye like men though mighty Potentates like Nabuchadnezzars Image be high and tall in birth and bloud though their heads be of Gold in wearing golden Crownes though their breasts and armes of siluer though they were as rich as Cressus or Crassus and had siluer with Salomon like the Seas sand though their bellies were of brasse made as it were a caldron wherein the stomackes heat boyles so many meates which the mouth as Caterer prouides and the pallate as Sewer tastes though their thighes be of Iron in respect of potencie and power yet their feete that props all this are of clay their end is earth the stone from the mountaine the corner stone crusheth them sends some meanes or others of their mortalitie which crushing cannot be preuented there is no writ of priuiledge to exempt any from it no persons no place no perswasions can procure an immunitie from not dying Death is as inflexible as vnresistable inflexible for eloquence which charmed Argus will not charme Death Tullies tongue could not saue Tullies life vvhen Antonie sends for head and tongue and all no more then Iohns zeale could stop Herâ—dias malice to saue his head Achitophels policie Aesops wit Mithridates his being a good Linguist Aristotles Philosophie Philo Iudaeus his learning Demosthenes Oratorie Arions Harpe could not moue inexorable Death for an houres sparing when their glasse was run Nay beautie vvhich is the best perswader though a dumbe and silent Orator can finde no more fauour with Death then Lais did with cold Anaxagoras For sure Rebeccha Bathsheba Ester Helena Irene Absolon Ioseph with others moe men and women were goodly Creatures yet if a man could now see their Sepulchers hee should see that like that faire Ladie which was found lying besides Prince Arthur in Glastenburie vvhom Mr. Speede mentions all beautie is but dust and as inexorable so vnresistable Noblenesse and Royaltie are vnable to encounter it Alexander Iulius Caesar and most victorious Princes haue vailed their Bonnets and done homage to it yea it hath preyed vpon Agamemnon and Nabuchadnezzar as a Theefe and Pirate vpon
make much of it Wouldest thou desire to looke vpon and gloriously to sheathe that Sword or Knife that killed thy good Father thy kinde Mother thy speciall Friend thine onely Childe This Sinne hath done or will doe Couldst thou finde in thy heart to bid those Varlets welcome that did kill the Kings of France Now canst thou finde in thy heart to entertaine and retaine that sin in thy soule which hath killed all the Kings in Christendome then perish thou by it with the rest if thou wilt not be warmed be harmed But sure to loue that sinne that not onely hath killed thy Progenitors but that labours to imbrew his hands in thy bloud to that sweetens his temptations to poyson thee that spreads his ginnes daily to trap thee that bends his bow still ready to strike thee that lyes in ambush still to surprize thee and yet to trust it and follow the lusts and commands of it to obey it is great folly but to make it thy bosome-friend to lodge it in thine owne bed to set it at Table with thee as Dauid did his treacherous Companion to carry it about with thee to suffer it to haue free accesse euery day to the Castle and best Chamber of thine heart through the dores of thy eares and the vvindowes of thy eyes and the entrance of thy mouth to acquaint it vvith all thy secrets I say it is extreame madnesse For the pleasing of sinne thou dost preiudice thine owne life temporall spirituall and eternall and displeasest GOD and wilt prouoke him to cut thee off for vvhereas other Kings destroy onely the forraine Castles and Cities of their enemies to establish their owne Crownes so GOD for sinne destroyes the Citie and Castle which himselfe hath built and made the body and soule of sinfull man Thirdly this consideration of Deaths commaund ouer euery created nature consisting of body and soule whereby all humane flesh is designed to the graue serue notably to comfort and erect the poore deiected and reiected vvormes of the world and to deiect and cast downe the high lookes and eleuated thoughts of the proud and potent for if both the one and the other consider well that as they had both one originall and beginning from the earth their foundation being from the dust and clay and that both of them ere long shall be paraleld and equalized in the graue where they shall see corruption Neyther shall the meane man too much distaste his owne estate and emulate the mighty neyther shall the proud Potentate exalt his Crest and insult ouer the poorest Peasant Alphonsus in one word resolues what it is that equalizeth the poore man with the Prince the Mechanicall with the Monarch and that is the graue some say sleepe in vvhich the poore man participates halfe his life time with the rich nay oft-times in the better share the poore Labourer soundly sleeping when Agamemnon and Assuerus are vvatching when Ieroboam and Nabuchadnezzar are troubled in their thoughts about golden Calfes and such things as they dreame and doate vpon which made Caesar vvilling to buy the bed of the indebted poore man of Rome who slept better then hee but vvhether that Deaths yonger brother Sleepe vvorke alwayes this effect or no it is as little materiall as it is vncertaine I am sure Death the elder Brother brings all states and conditions to this paritie Hence the vvitty Painters pictured it like Loues Cupid blinde and vvithout eyes hitting and hurting at randome Kings Princes Popes Prelates Lords Lownes c. vvithout difference and distinction of degrees Crownes Diadems Scepters Miters Pals Roabes Rotchets Ragges Purples and Leathren Pelts being all Ensignes of his Trophies Subtua Purpurei veniunt vestigia Reges Deposito luxu turba cum paupere mixâ—â— The rabbling rout and purpled Kings Are all alike Deaths vnderlings Yea Mors Sceptra Ligonibus aequat There Scepters and the sheep-hookes sympathize The Carter doth the Courtier aequalize This thought much possest Augustine and Bernard in their Meditations and therefore they send vs to the graues and sepulchers of the deceased to see if wee can finde any difference in their bones and munmiamized earth saue onely in the externall pompe and superficiall vernish of their Monuments nay sure there is no difference at all vnlesse as once it was said wittilie that the corrupted bones and putrified bodies of the rich being more crammed and fatted with surfetting and drunkennesse doe smell and sauour more strongly then the withered karkasse of the frugall and abstenious poore man This Consideration caused the wittie Cynicke when hee was vpbraided by Alexander what hee could finde him to doe amongst the sepulchers of the dead for indeede there was his choyse study Oh quoth hee I am here searching for the bones of thy Father Phillip of Macedon and I cannot discerne them from others An answere as sound as Satyricall as Dogmaticall as it was dogged for Victor ad Herculeas c. For though a man could conquer more then eyther Philip or Alexander in their times and could extend his conquest beyond Hercules his Pillars yet his portion of earth shall be but a few feete no greater then the meanest of his vassals when he shall mete it out with his owne dead body as Alexander himselfe was forced to confesse when by an occasioned fall hee was constrayned to imprint his body in the dust And sure if Alexander had rightly applyed to himselfe eyther Diogenes his girds at his ambition or his inclining dying condition he would neyther haue so soared ouer all the world besides liuing neyther should he haue subiected himselfe to the quipping censures of the wisest in the world dying for as it is recorded after hee was dead and his bones were put in a vessell of Gold diuers Philosophers meeting to see this dead and vnexpected dumbe show One quipt at him thus Yesterday hee that treasured vp Gold now Gold him Another thus Yesterday the world would not content him now a Sepulcher of sixe feete must containe him Another thus Yesterday hee pressed the earth now the earth presseth him Another thus Yesterday hee ruled the world now Death ouer-rules him Another thus Yesterday all the liuing followed him now hee followes all the dead and euery one had the like diuersitie of Descant the last knits vp all their censures thus Heri multos habebat subditos c. Yesterday he had many subiects now all are his equals Thus did these liuing Hares insult ouer this dead Lyon so will the meanest insult ouer thee in the like case though thy loftie lookes now ouer-toppe thine equals though thy pride trample vpon thine inferiours as Pope Alexander did on the necke of Fredericke and dare contest and contend with thy superiours therefore leaue thy hautinesse and learne humilitie doe not magnifie thy selfe against those that are mightier or aboue those that are meaner then thy selfe scorne not to sit at table with him that must lye in the same
Promethius his Vultur bringing death as the Apostle also saith 2 Cor. 7.10 But if these things be able to ouercome this Microcosme this little world of Man if Fire and Water and Famine and Fulnes and Thunder and Stones be able to sunder vs from halfe our selues our bodies as the furnace can the Mettals if all the Creatures the Lyons paw Bores tuske Buls horne nay the least of the Lords hoast the Gnat the Flye the Louse the Mouse be armed against vs as against Pharaoh and Hatto be able to giue vs our parting-blow to set vs packing hence nay if our owne affections be sufficient to infect vs how much more are wee indammaged and indangered by diseases and sicknesses to which as man is more subiected then any other Creature as Galen and Hipocrates haue obserued because hee hath sinned more then they which sinne of his is the cause of all maladies in the outward man Leuit. 26. Deut. 28. Iohn 5.14 So there is not the least sicknesse or disease but it hath conquered where it hath assailed How many hath the Feuer extinguished men of fame Emperours and Kings as Antonius Autipater Vespasian Leo Goâ—fred Tacitus c. Antonie and Columbanus Monkes were forced by it the one sort to leaue their Crownes the other their Cels. As others by other diseases some by the Fluxe as innumerable common Souldiers in seuerall Campes yea Traian the Emperour saith Platina some by the Gout as Septimius Seuerus and Iustin the yonger c. Some by vnknowne diseases running betwixt the flesh and the skin as Heraclius Michael Paphlago c. Some by Apoplexies as Paul the second Pope Valentinian the Emperour saith Diaconus Lucius Ami. us verus saith Aurelius as also Francis Petrarke Some by aches in their bones and sides as Crassus the Orator Boniface the ninth as Gregorie the cleauenth by a paine in the belly nay vvhat member is there in man wherein Death rules not by the helpe of diseases in the head by Apoplexies in the eares by Wormes in the eyes by Inflamations in the nose by Fluxe of bloud in the mouth by Cankers and Putrifaction in the tongue by Vlcers and Tumours in the braine by Frenzies in the temples by Contusions in the brest by Stoppings and Impostumes in the hands and feete by the Gout in the legs by Swellings in the belly by Collickes in the reynes by stony and grauelly matter in the armes by dolour of the Arteries nay in the heart it selfe by Feares Palpitations Convulsions Dilatations and Contractions by varietie of Passions What shall I say more Mille modis lethimiseros mors vna fatigat This Tyrant Death by many a fatall dart Doth wound and wreake each liuing mortall part A Flye is able to choake vs as it did Pope Adrian a Pinne or a Needle or a pricke with a Knife to destroy vâ— the fall from an horse to crush vs as it did Selenchus the Syrian Lego the French-man Earle Fulke Nipheus Leucagus Remulus Thymetes Amicus in Virgil Aeneid 10. Agenor in Ouid. The sting of a Serpent is sufficient to kill vs as it did Laocoon the Troyan mad Orestes desperate Cleopatra Demetrius Ptolomies Librarie keeper vvith others Yea as our life is but a breath and a vapour so the very smoake and vapour is sufficient to choake vs as it did Minos of Creet Luctatius the Orator Zoe the wife of Nicostratus yea Thurinus that sold smoake saith Erasmus in his Adage perished by smoake If I should recite all the casualties incident vnto this dying life of ours and amplifie out of Histories how one hath beene killed vvith the fall of a stone vpon his pate out of the clawes of an Eagle as Eschilus the Poet some by the fall of the house others by the fall of their beds as Eupolis the Poet some by dust blowne into their throates as Iohanna vvife to Andrew Brother to the Sicilian King and the like accidents If I should but recite the multitudes that Gods hath swept away by the deuouring Plague and destroying Pestilence which I thinke since the beginning of the world hath killed moe then there be now in the world or relate the late devastations that it hath made in Belgia Italie France England and other places Or if I should set downe how many haue dyed sodainely euen in their seeming health as Fabius Maximus Volcacius the Senator Alaricus the Emperour some in their iourney as Alphonsus of Spaine some doing the worke of nature as Arrius the Heretique and Carbo the Romane some in their superstitious Orizons and Deuotions as A. Pompey and M. Iunencius vvhen they were sacrificing some in sacking the Temples as Gaudericus the Vandall some in writing Letters as Cardinall Orescence from the Councell of Trent and Terentius Corax some in the first day of their inuesting to Honour as Caninius the Consull some in their mirths some in their meates as Manlius Torquatus and Osilius the Actor others in their Bathes as Sauseius the Scribe besides these that daily experience addes in this kinde it would make the securest Soule meditate of his ineuitable dying and prepare his soule for her speedy departing especially considering that Quid cuiquam contigit id câ—iuis that which happens to any one may happen to euery one All these recited examples of abbreuiated life and approching death being glasses for vs now suruiuing wherein to see the face of our mortalitie euery mans graue shewing vs this Motto Hodie mihi craâ— tibi To day to mee to morrow to thee Death being pictured on euery Tombe to be seene with an vnderstanding eye in forme of an Archer now shooting ouer vs at our enemies now short of vs at our acquaintance now on the right hand at our friends and bloud now on the left hand on our Seruants and attendants with his bow bent and his arrowes drawne and his ayme taken at our owne hearts onely staying till GOD bid him shoote which how soone it will be GOD knowes Quis scit an adijciant c. Who of vs all the sonnes of sorrow Knowes that his life shall last to morrow Nonne fragiliores sumus quam si vâ—trei essemâ—s Are wee not more brittle then glasse saith Seneca nay Vitrum etsi fragile tamen seruatum diu durat Epist â—3 Glasse if it be safely kept continues long but all the dyet and keeping in the world though wee should eate Pearles with Cleopatra bathe daily in new milke with Poppea fare daily deliciously with the rich Churle consult with a Physitian in euery act wee did yet wee could not long continue All the meanes wee can vse will hardly draw out our life to that length that Birds and Beasts liue for Ousels Eagles Harts c. that fulfill their hundreds occasioned Theophrastus to complaine of Nature as a step-dam to man whose limits as Dauid notes are threescore yeeres and tenne for the rest of his life is eyther a death or disease in his decrepit dayes The Patriarkes liued their nine hundreds and
vitalis an imaginarie life and a reall calamitie in which annâ— paues aeruâ—â—nae multae the yeeres are few the griefes many yea so many so manifold so constant so continuated by successiue crosses which follow one another like the waues of the sea like the Messengers that came one after another to Iob and Dauid to bring ill newes of the death of their Children euery day hauing suam malitiam militiam his wrath and his warre-fare that euen the very childe entring the lists into this militarie world as soone as it comes from the mother cryes and weeps the first note it sings is Lachrymae taught onely by prouident Nature The Males saith a wittie Popish Postiller from Adam cry a and the Females from Eue cry e e which put together make a Note of sorrow Nondum loquitur at tamen prophetat Augustine Before it speakes it prophesies as though at the birth it had that prognosticating spirit which Carden saith some men haue at their death as though it did see some euill present fore-see and feare moe to come I might goe along with Innocentius in this subiect and shew the seuerall maladies and miseries incident to euery seuerall age from Infancie to Decrepit old age how like seuerall Beasts wee carry our selues till Death bring vs to the Shambles how pittifully Childe-hood wallowes like a little Pigge in dirtie places and like Duckes and Geese swattles and dabbles in wet and filth How Youth is a lasciuious Goat Adolescencie an vntaimed Heiffer Man-hood a sterne Lyon Old age a sluggish Asse that onely beares a more precious thing then Isis euen that which beares it an immortall soule I might anatomize man further in all his parts and weakened powers shewing the seuerall diseases that cease vpon euery member where they challenge their seates and thrones I might inlarge the crosses incident to euery Function and Vocation but referring you to the Fathers chiefely Bernard and Fulgentius and to zealous Papists chiefly Innocentius and Stella besides him that in English hath vvrit the miseries of mans life leauing you to their vintage I onely rest with the taste of these Clusters vvhich we now further presse forth by vse Is it so that this life which wee liue is so laborious as the world wherein wee liue is wicked then the lesse good that wee finde in the life naturall wee must labour to counterpoyse it by purchasing the life spirituall the more discontent wee finde in the life of Nature the more comfort and content wee must seeke and search for in the life of Grace which like Elishaes salt cast into Iordan seasons all the maladies of life Now if thou wouldest liue the life of Grace and haue peace and ioy euen by a drie passage as it were in the red Sea of this World then doe those things that concerne thy peace First abstaine from sinne for where it raignes there is no life of Grace Sin quencheth Grace as water fire Sinne vvill kindle a fire vvithin thy soule to burne vvith secret flames for the wicked are like the raging Sea Secondly as one of Christs true Disciples subiect thy will and soule to Christ it is his promise thou shalt haue peace in him and he will send thee the Comforter Thirdly frequently confesse thy sinnes to God more balme of inward ioy thou shalt haue from the chiefe Physitian the more thou dost lay open the vlcers of thy sicke and wounded soule Fourthly vse frequent and feruent prayer shut thy Chamber-dore play not the Pharisaicall hypocrite and Christ shall enter in and say Peace be to thee as hee did to the Disciples Fiftly keepe the Lords day strictly neyther doing thine owne works and will nor Sathans nor speaking thine owne wordes nor his but Gods word and will in publique and priuate duties this brings much familiaritie vvith God and hath the answere of many hidden ioyes from his Spirit It is a spirituall rest to euery Christian as it was promised a rest to the Israelites Sixtly reade and meditate in â—he Word of GOD They shall haue much peace that delight in thy Law saith the Psalmist Seauenthly suffer iniuries patiently sustaine and abstaine and thou shalt feele within thine owne heart God taking thy part for Qui patitur est victor c. He that suffers ouercomes himselfe the world his enemies and is Christs friend Eightly contemne earthly vanities they deuide and distract the heart Ninthly be imployed in a Calling the idle are tossed with a multitude of foolish fancies and fond desires Tenthly be meeke so shalt thou enioy the earth with ioy Mat. 5. Eleauenthly get an humbled and a contrite heart that is the seate of Grace and throne of God Esay 57.15 Twelfthly doe righteousnesse the fruit whereof is peace and ioy These things belong to thy peace which if thou practise thy light shall shine to the darke world and thou shalt haue a lightsome Goshen in the life of Grace euen in the darkesome Aegypt of this wretched world Secondly is life so laborious are our dayes so dolorous Then these come within the compasse of a iust Redargution that are so drenched and drowned in the things of this life so besotted and bewitched with the painted beauties of this earthly Iezabel the World that they can neyther spirare nor spâ—nare coelestia that they haue as small hopes as they vse small helps for Heauen in a better life but setting vp here their rests stinting their aimes at earth they desire as Peter vpon the Mount to build tabernacles here in this vaile below neuer caring for that building not made with hands eternall in the Heauens 2 Cor. 5.1 Alas let such know that in their aerie hopes they feede but on the winde with the Camelion they imbrace but a cloud with Ixion in stead of Iuno they touch Sodomes Apples and are deluded vvith beautifull-dust they imbrace shadowes for substances and place their desires vpon such obiectsâ— as are vnworthy of an immortall soule and a heauenly inspired spirit For I pray you what is life it selfe yea long life which they so doate vpon and long after but a most irkesome and tedious pilgrimage enuironed with infinite perils and vpon most light occasions lost or what is any thing in life worthy our liking and affections What is the body it selfe which we so pamper but coagulated dust guilded ouer in the out couering with colours and set vp with the props of proportion the slaue of the minde and prison of the soule sperma fetidum cibus vermium mans excrement wormes nutriment What is the Beautie of the body but a well coloured skinne farre inferiour to the beauties of the Sunne and Moone these heauenly bodies Besides if we could see within we should see a filthy Golgotha and rotten dung-hill What is Strength when Sampson is bound by a woman since the greatest things and most worthy of a man are effected by the sinewes of wit not by the strength of sinewes are
Phoenix which by her selfe-burning preserues the indiuiduum of her kinde the Sea-Vrchin that rejoynes after her rending in pieces after she tastes the salt water Serpents that are renued by casting their old skinnes the Sea-Lobsters by casting their old shels the Eagle by casting her old bill Mechanicall men that renue many things that are old Image-makers that make againe their brassie pictures by marring them Bell founders that mend their mettall-worke by melting the Silke-worme that liues in the preseruation of her kinde by inclosing her selfe in her Clue and dying nay man himselfe that in his generation receiues life into his flesh bones sinewes and vitall powers from a little liquid seede that in his preseruation oft liues againe out of sownes and â—â—ances seemingly depriued of breath and life that in his augmentation eating and by naturall heate concocting and digesting the dead flesh of Goates Sheepe and Bullockes makes them his owne liuing flesh All these speake vnto my vnderstanding and confirme my Faith that though Death swallow vs that are now liuing as the Whale did Ionas binde vs as the Philistines did Sampson lay vs in our sepulchers and roule a great stone vpon vs as the Iewes did vpon Christ yet we shall come to shore againe breake these bonds as the bird the snare and we shall be deliuered vve shall flourish like Noahs Oliue tree after wee haue beene vnder the water yea these bodyes of ours subiect to diseases crushed crazed bruized distempered payned the head with Megrim the lungs with suffocations the ioynts with Gouts the stronger parts themselues with shrinking in of the sinewes these bodyes which haue borne the burthen of the day shall once with the Angels sing Haleluiah these bodies of ours I say shall rise besides these mentioned wee haue many grounds of it as first the will of God that will haue it so Iohn 6.39.40 Secondly the oath of God that it must needes be so Heb. 6.13 Thirdly we haue double Hostage for it 1 the soules of the Saints lodgers vnder the Altar Reu. 6.9.10.11 2. Their bodies lodgers in the graues as our pledges till all things be restored when they and wee shall be perfected together Heb 11.40 Fourthly the pawne of the Spirit within vs Rom. 8.11 All vvhich are so many nayles in the Sanctuary to fasten our hope Neyther shall wee onely rise but rise the same bodies for substance though altered for qualitie to our further perfection Wee shall come againe I say the same bodies in which wee haue departed hence the same bones bloud arteries skinne flesh veynes sinewes parts members Iob 19.25 Howeuer I cannot say in the same age for there shall be neyther childe nor old man saith the Prophet that is neyther weakenesse of youth nor infirmitie of age but all shall be flourishing and perfect like Adam and Eue in their Creation some say from Ephes 4 13. The consideration of our returne after our departure and of our resuscitation at the generall Resurrection for before that time none are or shall be glorified in their bodyes neyther the Virgin Mary whose Assumption is but a fiction nor Enoch nor Elias nor the body of Lazarus nor of those that rose vvith CHRIST Mat. 27.52 as Mr. Leigh proues pithily against all Papists It is a matter of singular comfort it is the Anchor of our hope the life of our Religion vvherein it differs from Paganisme and Turcisme the hand that holds vp our drooping soules in the Agonies of death Fiducia Christianoâ—um resurrectio mortuorum saith Tertullian This made the auncient Martyres goe to the stake and burning place as wee goe to our beds this is that redemption of our bodies vvhich Paul mentions Rom. 8.23 the time of our refreshing which Peter magnifies Acts 3.19 the time of our Iubilie and reioycing vyhich Esay fore-sees in the Spirit and exulteth Esay 26.19 vvhen the hungry shall be satisfied Mat. 5.6 when mourners shall be comforted Mat. 5.4 when there shall be no more griefe nor sorrow nor paine when there shall be a yeere of Iubilie an end of our iourney an accomplishing of our warrefare a cessation from labour a wiping away of teares Reu. 17. verse 17. Chap. 21.4 a putting off this mortall and a putting on of this immortall 1 Cor. 15.42 A change of our vile bodies that they may be like his glorious body Phil. 3.22 Oh be glad of this yee Saints reioyce and sing euen as the little Birds are glad when Winter casts off her rugged mantle and Summer brings his flowrie Spring as Beggars vvould be glad to put off their ragges and be clad with Regall Robes Let these comfort themselues in hope of this change and renouation whose bodies are subiected to infirmities weaknesses and maladies for then it shall cast away neuer to resume all infirmities impurities deformities tardities saith Augustine Asa shall not be gouty nor Moses stammer nor Mephibosheth lame c. let Cripples Lazars Beggars Bedlams lame Souldiers Hospitall men Spitlers and all other impotent distressed diseased persons apprehend this comfort being conuerted Christians and beleeuers Let all weake and wearyed wights vse this Meditation of the Resurrection as Iacobs staffe to rest and relye on in their passage ouer this worlds Iordan as the clifts of the rockes to the Doues and the stonie rockes to the Conies to shelter them from the feare of death the hunting Nimrod of the world for here is Medicamenâ—um vulneris c. a precious Cordiall in all thy crosses whether publique or priuate of body or minde nay Aqua vitae to reuiue thee when thou art dead sicke or sicke to death to know that the minute or the moment of thy afflictions here shall be succeeded nay exceeded with an eternall waight of glory hereafter at the resurrection of the iust 2 Cor. 4.17.18 Thus the godly Dauid Iob nay Christ himselfe the afflicted Primitiue Christians that vnder Antiochus were racked and tormented sollaced their soules in the midst of their anxeties with this melodious Meditation of the Resurrection Psal 16.9 Iob 19.25 Acts 2.26 Heb. 11.35 Which onely apprehension puls off the vizard from Death pluckes off his Lyon skinne exposeth him as an Hobgoblin or meere scarre-Crow to the godlies dirisiou Let Atheists and Epicures feare him that haue their portion in this life let Infidels and vnbeleeuers feare him vvhose hopes of any better estate are languishing and faint and perish with their soules let his name be as terrible to carelesse impenitent worldlings as the name of Tamberlaine and Zisca once to Cowards which like guiltie fellons feare the face of the Iudge but let those that haue learned Christ better and know in whom they haue beleeued entertaine it as Cornelius did Peter as the Galathians did Paul as Peter did the Angell that brought him out of Prison as that which makes the happiest exchange of a Mansion terrestiall for a Citie coelestiall a vaile of teares for mount Sion a region of death
NOW followes the last part of this holy Hymne Simeons Quletâ—s est or his Pacification God suffering him to depart in peace Caluin and Bucer renders Simeons minde thus Nunc libenter sedato quieto animo moriar Lord now I depart willingly with an appeased heart and a setled soule since I haue seene thy Christ From whence I gather that a good man that liues piously alwayes dyes peaceably It appeares here in Simeon so in the rest of the Saints as in Abraham to whom it was promised Gen. 15.15 that hee should goe vnto his Fathers in peace and should be buryed in a good age which promise was plentiously performed to Abraham for he yeelded the spirit dyed in a good age an old man and of great yeeres Gen. 25.8 So Isaack the Sonne of Promise gaue vp the ghost and dyed peaceably being old and full of daies Gen. 35.29 Neither was the death of good Iacob that preuailing Israel discrepant to his holy life for he dyed quietly making an end of his charge vnto his Sonnes hee pluckt vp his feete into his bed and gaue vp the ghost Gen. 49.33 After the like manner was the death of chaste and mercifull Ioseph Gen. 50.26 of penitent and patient Iob after hee had seene his sonnes and his sonnes sonnes euen foure generations Iob 42.16 Of zealous and sincere Dauid 1 Kings 2. after hee had counselled and charged his Sonne Salomon to walke in the wayes and Statutes of the Almightie Of Moses the faithfull Seruant of the Lord who dyed when his eye was not dimme nor his naturall force abated though he were an hundred and twentie yeeres old God himselfe being present at his death and buriall So Ioshuah that couragious Leader of Israel Iosh 24.29 Aaron the Lords Priest who dyed before the Lord in the Mount Hor Numb 20.28 Eleazar Aarons Sonne Iosh 24.33 Samuel the Lords Prophet 1 Sam. 25.1 with all the rest of Gods Children Patriarkes Prophets Iudges Kings Martyres Confessors the learned Lights of the Church such as Ambrose Augustine c. as they haue liued holily they haue dyed happily of which in their seuerall Histories they haue giuen demonstrations most of them if not all in these three particulars First that they were gathered to their Fathers in a mature and full age full of yeeres reaped like a Ricke of ripe Corne into the Lords Barne taken like mellow Apples from the Tree of life in which full age Abraham Isaack Iacob Ioshuah Iob with the rest before mentioned as also the Patriarkes before the Floud which out-liued them with others of the faithfull did blessedly yeeld their spirits and quietly slept in the Lord which blessing of long life being the promise annexed to that fift Commandement of Obedience is peculiarly incident to the godly rather then the wicked whose sinnes as the Iuie kils the Oake ordinarily abbreuiate their dayes or if any of the faithfull dye young or in their middle age before they haue attained to the yeeres of their Fathers eyther by a naturall dissolution as Iosias or by a violent death as the auncient and moderne Martyres eyther they are taken away from the euill to come as Augustine was immediately before the siege of Hippo by the Gothes and Vandals or else because they are ripened already in grace and come to that maturitie which GOD in his fore-seeing wisedome knowes they would or could attaine to and so are fitted for glory or else they testifie the truth here to others confirmation Gods glory and their owne consolation Secondly the Elect vsually haue their wishes and the fruition of their desires ere their departure to the great satisfaction of their soules the contentation of their hearts the corroberation of their faith and the sealing pledge of Gods speciall loue vnto them thus Simeon ere his death had CHRIST in his armes which was the desire and longing of his heart So Abraham saw Christs day before his death in the spirit and reioyced what did old Israel so long after in the whole world except the sight of Shiloh the Messias in the flesh as to see his darling Ioseph which longing of his the Lord satisfied at the full ere his death for his dying eyes did not onely see Iosephs face but his seede Ephraim and Manasses Gen. 48.11 What did Moses desire more then the fruition of Canaan the promised Land Now euen before the Lord shut his dying eyes the Lord tooke him vp into a mount and as a rellish and a taste of his fauour gaue him a sight of Canaan Deut. 34. ver 1.4 In what could Dauids heart be more setled then to see his Throne setled in Salomon his Sonne which his desire was accordingly accomplished for his eyes did see what his heart desired for which hee blessed God 1 Kings 1.48 And the like ordinarily fals out as many aged Christians at this very day can bring in their experienced probatum est as many that are fallen a-sleepe before them could haue testified how the Lord hath heard their requests and granted the desires of their soules in these and these particulars before their deaths Thirdly the godly expresse the hidden ioy and inward peace which they finde within their soules by their seasoned and sanctified words of grace which they breathe out as a sweet Perfume from holy hearts to the refreshing of others vpon their sicke beds with which they vsually winde vp the thread of their life words so good so gracious that they are worthy to be writ in Letters of Gold and for euer to be remembred as they are recorded in the sacred Cannon and collected by holy men from the Saints of latter times For example vvhat a sweet gratulatory speech is this of Simeons in his farewell to the world Lord now lettest thou thy Seruant depart in peace c. Euery word hauing his waight and Emphasis Ponder the last Sermons that Moses and Ioshuah and Samuel these faithfull Seruants of the Lord made immediately before their deaths vnto the Israelites Gods chosen people how zealously they perswade to the seruice of the true God disswade from Idolatrie and false Gods enumerate Gods speciall mercies exhort to obedience dehort from rebellion against God and their Superiours proclaime the promises to the obedient pronounce mercies to allure denounce iudgements to terrifie the disobedient blessing GOD by gratulatory Songs for his benefits and blessing the people in their Tribes Deut. 32. ch 33. Iosh 12. 1 Sam. 12. and a man shall see the peace they had in their hearts by the grace of their lips The last words of Iacob were blessings and prophecies Of Ioseph were admonitions and cautions the one to his Sonnes the other to his Brethren Gen. 49. Gen. 50. The last words of Dauid were his charge to Salomon his Son concerning Gods worship and the gouernement of his Kingdome 1 Kings 2. vers 3.4.5.6 c. The last words of Steuen the first Martyr after CHRIST were prayers for his
betwixt Christ and their soules their sinnes being washt away in the bloud of the Lambe the Lord at that day may freely accept them and seeing no iniquitie in Iacob nor transgression in Israel may couer their offences and not impute their sinnes to their deserued condemnation In omitting or pretermitting of which dutie wee may iustly blame and exclaime against wicked and secure worldlings that neuer thinke of this waightie worke till by sicknesse they be summoned to their dissolution then with the vnrighteous Steward they beginne to shuffle and bussle a little to make all straight in some superficiall and hypocriticall Repentance like Ahab Which preparation of theirs for their Passe-ouer out of this world is at that time very preposterous because then all the senses and powers of the body are occupyed about the paines and troubles of the disease Besides Physitians to be consulted with Friends to be conferred with Houshold affayres to be set in order a Will to be made order taken how debts must be eyther paid or receiued neighbours comming to visit oh how doe they diuide how distract the sicke party Is that a fit time of this preparation When so many Irons are in the fire it is likely this great one will coole much lesse is it conuenient to deferre it till the houre of death as is the practise of carnall and carelesse men imagining that if they haue but time to say God forgiue me Lord haue mercy on mee with the Publican but especially to runne ouer the Lords Prayer and the Creede which they vse in ignorance and superstition as Popish Charmes without any faith feruencie and feeling they holde themselues cocke-sure of saluation though their preparation be not so good as the Iewes for their Passeouer as a Christians is or ought to be for his ordinary hearing the Word and receiuing the Sacrament Doe not these men presumptuously thinke like blinde Bayards that they haue God and his Grace and his Mercie at commaund that they can repent when they list the contrary experience whereof improues their folly discouers their delusions and shewes that they build on the sand and rest on a broken staffe for was there not a time when Esau sought the blessing with teares and found it not Would not Iudas faine haue repented as appeares by his hypocriticall confession Mat. 27.3.4.5 and yet a Halter was all the comfort he got Would not Antiâ—chus Epiphanes had mercy when notwithstanding his expired life ended in miserie Would not the foolish Virgins haue entered the Bridegroomes Chamber when it was past time but were excluded And doth not the Lord threaten that many shall seeke to enter in at the straite gate but shall not be able Why so Because they seeke too looke when the time of grace is past And indeede it is iust with God to reiect them in aduersitie that haue reiected him in prosperitie not to heare when they call though they howle on their beds like Wolues that would not heare when hee called by his Word and the motions of his Spirit to forget them in death that would not remember him in life to harden those that would not be softned Consider with thy selfe what reason there is to the contrary is it reason that God should accept the Winter of thy life thy barren and frozen soule when thou hast offered vp the Spring Summer and Autumne of thy yeeres to Sathan that he should receiue the euening Sacrifice when Mammon or Lust hath had the morning that he should be pleased with thy lees and dregs when thou hast giuen the best wine of thy bloud to the Diuell will hee pledge Sathan in such a cup will he take the refuse and offals and leauings of Sinne It is possible hee may I doe not limit the vnbounded Ocean of his mercy but it is not probable hee will Make it thine owne case wouldest thou entertaine an old decrepit Seruant that is able to doe thee little or no seruice and giue him great wages that hath spent his youth and strength in the seruice of thine enemie I trow not Will any Generall admit of a lame Souldier past seruice that hath serued all his life against him in his enemies Campe will God admit thee into his seruice entertaine thee into his Campe receiue thee into his House reward thee in his Kingdome when thou hast spent the prime of thy yeeres in the seruice nay in the seruitude and slauery of Sathan I say as Augustine said to such a deferrer as thou Non dico saluabitur non dico damnabitur I will not say thou shalt be saued I dare not determine thou shalt be damned I leaue thee in the hands of God that hath thee as the Potter hath the Clay as the Smith his Iron as the Carpenter his Wood as the Creator his Creature to harden or soften thee to make thee a vessell of honour or dishonour to glorifie himselfe in his Mercy in thy conuersion or in his Iustice in thy confusion But thy heart tels thee and Sathan tels thy heart that thou maist repent at thy last houre Thou maist indeed if God will but to driue thee from this false holde it is not likely thou shalt repent truly and sincerely It is said Iudas repented in his death so the Word is Mat. 27. verse 3. hee had a Legall sorrow in him yet hee is called a reprobate for all that it is too true that Poenitentia sera raro vera late Repentance is seldome true Repentance It is commonly as sicke and weake as is the partie it is not voluntarie and free as that is which brings saluation 2 Cor. 7.10 but vsually constrained and extorted by the feare of hell and other Iudgements of God for crosses and afflictions and sicknesse will cause the grossest Hypocrite that euer was to stoope and buckle vnder the hand of God as did Pharaoh twise and to dissemble Faith and Repentance and euery other Grace of God as did Ahab as though they had Gods graces as fully as any of Gods Seruants whereas they are altogether destitute of them naked and blinde like the Laodiceans And that such repenters commonly counterfeite it appeares by this demonstration True Repentance is a turning to God so the Word cals it Ioel 2.12 an auersion from sinne which is his Terminus à quo a conuersion to God Terminus ad quem so most Diuines hold it Now where is the turning from sinne in such repenters They forsake not sinne but sinne forsakes them they leaue their euill wayes because they must leaue the world they leaue sinne in action but hugge it still in affection if they had a new Lease of their liues they would beginne new sinnes Nay Si nunquam morirentur nunquam peccare desinerent If they should neuer dye they would neuer desist from sinne as appeares in the practise of these pretended repenters for if God doe recouer them from their sicke-beds and take his hand off them doe
possesse vs that are now liuing of our ineuitable dying that it may worke in vs the same effects that it did in them Oh let vs thinke of it in our prosperitie in our pleasures let vs meditate of it in our Orchards in our Gardens as did Ioseph of Aramathia who Iohn 19.41 had his Sepulcher in his Garden euen the place of his recreations let vs thinke of it in our beds those Embleames of our graues in our Closets in our Cloisters in our Walkes and Galleries that so remembring it in euery place expecting it at euery houre it may not come vpon vs vnprouided as the storme vpon the Marriner as the enemie vpon the drowsie Centinel as Dauids Companie vpon the drunken Amalekites as the politique Graecians vpon the secure Troyans Death is like the Basiliske it hurts not if it be spyed betimes if Death spye vs first it kils vs as the Basiliske doth the Traueller if wee spye it first wee kill it as the Traueller doth the Basiliske as Ambrose makes the Application and therefore as Aristotle writes of two Fountaines the one whereof if a man drinke it makes him laugh so much till he dye if of the other it both hinders laughter and preuents death these two fountaines are the Remembrance and the Obliuion of death the last is like poysoned water to kill vs the first like strong distillatorie waters to reuiue vs. Yet alas for all this who thinkes of death there is such a generall crust of Securitie growne ouer this Land that it is to be feared wee are exposed to the same dangers that Ierusalem was the cause of all whose plagues was shee knew not her visitation she remembred not her end Lament 1.9 Oh how few number their dayes that they may apply their hearts vnto wisedome How few thinke of their ends till sicknesse end them till Death say to them as GOD to Ezekias Thou must dye and as the Prophet to Ahaziah Thou shalt not come downe from thy bed to which thou art gone vp 2 Kings 1.4 How few looke into hell ere they leape into it How many Arithmeticians are in the world that number all things but their dayes their corne cattle sheepe stocke money wares and the like that are as wise Serpents in euery thing excepting in fore-seeing their death How many like carelesse debters still runne into the debts and arrerages of former sinnes with GOD their patient Creditor neuer thinking of the day of account the strictnesse of the Iudge the closenesse of the Prison the Serieant at their backes Death ready to arrest them How many sleepe out their time like Salomons sluggard How many cry Soule take thine ease eate drinke and be merry singing to the Tabret and the Harpe stretching themselues vpon their Iuory Couches saying like these Epicures which Tertullian blames in his Bookes of the Soule Oh Death what haue we to doe with thee trouble not thou vs and wee shall not trouble thee yea though wee haue so many Monitors euery day in all the things of Nature the Sunne setting ouer vs the graues vnder vs though wee see many Tombes euen in our Churches and Monuments as the word signifies to admonish vs Crosses and Sicknesses Deaths summons that tell vs Death is approching vellicat haec aures atque ait en venio yet neuerthelesse as the sight of one obiect or colour takes away the eye from beholding another the thought of the world and the lusts thereof takes away the thought of death And as Absolon carryed on his Mule whilest hee hung by the haire of the head was thrust through three times by Ioab so our soules being carryed here vpon our flesh vvhich Augustine Hugo and Luther call the Asse of the soule whilst our thoughts are climing and fixt vpon the high Tree of Honour Pleasure Preferment Death like Ioab comes and kils vs with a triple Dart that wee see not Time past present and to come neuer thinking of these darts till wee feele them no more then the fish of the hooke till it hold her yea though wee see daily wiser wealthier holier healthfuller and younger then our selues goe to their graues yet this thought still raignes in vs that we shall not dye till we be old as Seneca notes Non patemus ad mortem c. yea euen such as thinke they shall be happy after death thinke little of the day of death Tantum vim habet carnis animae dulce consortium saith Augustine such force hath that sweet consort betwixt the soule and the flesh But it is more which Tully notes that there is no man so old but hee thinkes hee may liue one yeere longer though hee vse his third foote when one of his other feete is in the graue already and this makes euen old so encline in their thoughts and desires vnto the Marriage-bed who in the course of Nature haue but a few steps into their graues yea to associate themselues with such young yoake-fellowes that if Sophocles were liuing hee would blush once againe for shame to see them and Cato should haue more matter to laugh at then to see an Asse eate Thistles in which we verifie Christs prophesie that as in the dayes of Noah wee marry and are marryed neuer thinking of death till the Floud come This makes such an invndation of sinne as delights Sathan who takes as great delight to steale away our hearts from the thought of Death as Absolon did to steale away the hearts of the people from his Father Dauid for he knowes full well that if wee should thinke of Death wee should not practise sinne hee knowes that as the Serpent when shee stops the one eare with her taile the other with the earth shee will not harken to the voice of the Charmer so the Lords Doues that are as wise as Serpents laying their eares to the earth remembring their mortalitie will not be deluded with the charmes of his temptations he knowes that his hooke bayted with riches will not be bit vpon if a man remember himselfe breuis incertique huius iteniris of this his short and vncertaine iourney hee knowes hee will not sinne that knowes after death hee shall inherit Serpents and Wormes For which cause when hee would haue vs to sinne hee hides the griesly head of Death casting the scumme and mist of some deceiuing pleasure before our eyes as they say Iuglers doe in their trickes shewing vs onely sinnes pleasure as the Panther shewes his pleasing spots to the Beasts to deceiue hiding his head that hee may deuoure vs. Therefore to conclude this Part as our Sauiour Christ said Remember Lots Wife as Nazianzen saith to oppressors Remember Naboths Vineyard so I bid those that are terrigenae Brutigini the sonnes of the earth Remember their earth nay God wâ—isheth thee to remember thy earth Oh that they were wise saith God of Israell and woul'd remember the latter things Deut. 32.29 Oh that wee
were wise euen in this particular oh how should vvee auoid many snares of Sathan that preuailes ouer vs euen by our securitie in this kinde And therefore Quos viu â—ntes blanditijs decipit c. whom hee deceiâ—es by fraud liuing hee deuoures by force dying Oh how should wee be prepared for the second comming of CHRIST if wee had but an eye to the pale Horse and him that sits thereon Apoc. 6.8 Oh that wee had but the wisedome of the Cocke that eating his meate hath euer an eye vpwards to looke at the Eagle or the Hawke Oh that wee as wee looke downewards with the eye of Reason to the things of this life would with the eye of Faith looke vp for the comming of Christ who as hee rose like a Lion is ascended like an Eagle and will descend againe to iudge vs then should wee be fitted with the good Seruant come when he will come to entertaine our Master with ioy Mat. 24.23 But alas woe be to the secure world vvee neither thinke of Iudgement generall nor speciall after death or in death sometimes indeede deede wee can say wee are all mortall but ex vsu magis quam sensu as some pray it is a word rather of custome then feeling wee seeme to be a little more moued when wee follow a Funerall then wee weepe and waile and cry out This is the end of all flesh but as soone as wee are at home the most we doe is a carnall fruitlesse mourning for the dead wee make no spirituall vse of it to dye to any sinne in which as some compares vs wee are like to Swine who when some one in the Heard is bit with a Dogge all flocke about and gruntle but presently it is forgot they fall againe to wallowing and rooting or like little Turkies and Chickens who if the Kite or Buzzard swap and catch one all the rest with their dammes are in an vprore but instantly they fall againe to feeding so when Death that deuouring Dog that rauening Kite that preyes vpon all flesh snatcheth away any of our Friends and Neighbours wee complaine and exclaime of lifes breuitie the worlds vanitie wee mourne and pretend mortification vvee lament and seeme to repent but within few dayes all is drowned in the Leth of Obliuion wee forget Death as Nabuchadnezzar forgot his Dreame wee fall againe to our former sinfull securitie and so wee continue till vvee dye excaecati insoporati impraeparati excecated insoporated vnprepared God reforme this and teach vs as Dauid prayes Psal 38. the number of our dayes and make vs vvise to saluation Besides this Meditation which wee make a part of preparation to the attaining of this peaceable departure other duties are to be adioyned some whereof are to be performed in health some in sicknesse some in the immediate summons of Death it selfe of all which briefely in these subsequent directions First let him that will die in peace liue by Faith Hab. 2.2 let him not content himselfe with an Historicall Faith such as the Diuels haue Iames 2.14 nor with a Ciuill Faith such as mortall men haue and as the Heathens haue nor with an Implicite Generall Faith which the Papists haue euen the Coblers Faith to beleeue as the Romish Church beleeues for alas all these kindes of Faith bring no more peace and comfort to the soule in any extremitie then cold water to a man that is in a sowne And therefore many men are deceiued which thinke they shew themselues exquisite Christians and haue enough to saluation if to their Pastor or others in their sicknesse they can repeate and render their Faith according to Gods Word and the Articles of the Creede with a renunciation of all points of Poperie of Heresies and Superstitions for alas this generall illumination this knowing Faith which onely swimmes in the braine without a particular applying Iustifying Faith which workes by Loue and brings forth the fruits of Prayer Repentance godly Sorrow for sinne Zeale Sanctification new Obedience c. neuer heates the heart nor comforts the conscience nor hath the answere of any sound peace from God Oh therefore labour for a Iustifying sauing Faith for a speciall and an applying Faith such as Paul preacht to the conuert Iaylor Acts 16.31 Phillip to the baptized Eunuch Acts 8.37 such a Faith as is commended in the auncient Patriarkes and Primitiue Worthies Hebrewes the eleauenth Chapter such as CHRIST commended in the Centurion Mat. 8.10 and the Canaanitish woman Mat. 15.28 such as Thomas had after his incredulitie calling Christ his Lord and his God Iohn 20.28 such as Paul had when hee profest that he liued euen by Faith in Iesus is Christ Gal. 2.20 such as Simeon here had Oh get Christ into thy heart by Faith as this good old man had him in his Armes and in his heart and thy death shall be peaceable like his Secondly if thou wilst die in peace repent speedily of thy fore-past and present sinnes for sinne hinders all true peace There is no peace to the wicked saith my God twise for surenesse in expresse words Esay 48. verse 22. so Chap. 57.21 Iniquitie makes a diuision and seperation from God Esay 59.2 euen in life much more in death for then the soules of the wicked goe to Hell Psal 9.16 much more in Iudgement Mat. 7 23. Where there it plaine and palpable whoredome discouered there can be no peace betwixt man and wife all sinne is whoredome and sinners are called Adulterers and Adultresses Iames 4. verse 4. they are spiritually and corporally polluted by the Flesh the World the Diuell for which cause rebellious Israel and Iudah are compared to Whores and Harlots Ier. 3. v. 8.9 c. Now if any wicked soule should aske with a desire of resolution as the two Messengers of Iehoram and as Iehoram himselfe asked Iehu Is it peace Is it peace 2 King 9.18.19 Is there peace or shall there be peace betwixt God and my soule I resolue him roughly from God as Iehu did Iehoram verse 22. What peace What hast thou to doe with peace since thou wantest Grace the inseparable companion of Peace 2 Tim. 1.2 What hast thou to doe with peace whilst the whoredomes of thy Mother Iezabel and her witchcrafts are great in number whilst the pollutions of that whorish Iezabel thy vncleane soule are daily increased whilst thy Treasons and Rebellions against thy God which as Samuel tels Saul are like the sinne of witchcraft 1 Sam. 15.23 are with an obdurate and obstinate heart continued Was there any peace to Absolon though a Sonne when hee was a Traytor against his Father Can there be any to thee not a Sonne of God but a slaue of Sathan rebelling against the Father of Spirits Had Zimri peace saith Iezabel to Iehu that slew his Master 2 Kings 9.31 Zimri was a Traytor and slew Elah as hee was drinking till hee was drunke in the house of Arza his Steward an vsuall end for drunkards
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.
Seruants 4 Part of this Vse of Redargution Many that liue amongst Christians are the deuils seruants Phil. 3.17 The Iewes Ier. 18.12 â—i tu nolis iste rogitat Vse of Exhortation Rom. 12.1 Sinnes of the eyes How all the members that haue serued sinne must and may serue God Twelue Sinnes of the tongue Sinnes of the eares Sinnes of the hands Sinnes of the feete Motiues perswading to Gods seruice 1. From the end of our creation 2 Cor. 3.16 Ch. 6. v. 19. 2 Cor. 6.16 Or homini sublime dedit c. Et refert quaelibet herba Deum 2. Motiue from out Preseruation 3. Motiue from our Vocation 4. From our Redemption 5. From our profession 6. From the reward of Gods seruice First reward vvealth and riches Secondly Honour· Quoscunque qualescunque vbicunque Lex Talionis Sin brings shame and other iudgements Nimrodians Nabuchadnezzar Erostratus Rebellions and Treasons 1 Kings 20.28 Dan. 3.15 2 Kings 19. Gods hand shall be vpon his enemies in many iudgements Theod. lib. 3 c. 11. Euseb lib. 7. c. 20. Lib. 7.14 Holinesse is the way to Honor. God is most â—â—herall of all Masters Gods Seruants best regarded and rewarded True Peace GOD grants the suites of his Seruants The godly haue a tast of heauen here Tom. 10. ser 1. lib. Medit. c. 18 Dicere quaÌ„tum volo non valeo God blesseth the wicked oft for his Seruants cause These ruling sinnes are damnable without repentance The case of Sathans captiues opened Why the godly dye Simile Mare â—â—â—tuum Miserum est fuisse foelicem Vse of Consolation Aug lib. 3. de ciu Dei Qua die me deserueritis per inobedientiam ego vos deseram per iustitiam c. 2. Vse of Commination Phil. 3.17 Câ—m coâ—ritur Cedruâ— Paradisi quid faciet Virga Desâ—rti Doctrine All must dye Psal 32.1.2 Non vt non sit sed vt non imputetur De praed c. 2. lib. cont â—ortunatum cap. 2. In Lucam Moriendum est omnibus Tullie Tus 9. lib. 1. Hom. lib. 2 od 3. sic od 12. od 28. c. * As Alexander 6. Iohn 11. Ioh. 22. c. The deaths of the worlds Worthies of al kinds epitomized Hor. lib. 2. cap. 16. Ouid ad Liuiam A true deâ—cant of death Naturall causes of death Psal 82.6 Silius lib. 3 de Argant Ouid. lib. 14 de Syb. Propertius lib. 2. de Nestore Sic Iuuen. Sat. 10. Seneca in Her sur Hor. carm lib. 1. od 28 Hor. carm lib. 3. od 11 Iudg. 15. Enceladus Iaculator audax Hor. lib. 3. od 4. Dan. 8. Mors à mordendo Vel à morsu vetiti pomi Iunenal Sat. 10. Me vestigia torrent omnia te aduersum spectantia nulla reâ—rorsum Prou. 7. Vse 2. Vse of Instruction Those that loue life must hate sinne the cause of death 3. Vse of Mitigation Death onely makes the Prince the Peasant equall Aspice diuitum tumulos c. Diogenes Seneca in Agamemnon Similes illustrating Deaths effect in aequalizing all Seneca in Agam. 3. Vse of Direction Homo est animal rationale mortale Sen. Epist 24. De 4. Nouissimis pag. 90. How inliuing wee dye Nay are dead in part By how many meanes we dye Diuers examples of seuerall sorts of deaths Plinie Iosephus lib. S. ant Lib. 23. c. 3 Ipse senectuâ— morbus The long liues of the Patriackes The shortnes of our present dayes demonstrated In Lucam Aristot de hist animalium Homo Ephimeron Foure causes of the long continuation of things Vse 4. Of Instruction Our many sins are to be mourned for and why Vse 5. Of Redargution The profane mans practise Exhortat Hovv vvee must sovve in teares in this short seede-â—â—me of life What vse we are to make of our short time * When the Abbies were visited in king Henrie the 8. time Life is laborious Miserable No place is priuiledged from foure things Examples of humane calamities De conditione vitae humanae De contemptu mundi Vse 1. Of Instruction Twelue meanes of true peace Vse 2. Of Redargution The vanitie of life with all the things in life truly discouered Maelum culpae malum pâ—nâ— Vnicuique sua cupiditas est tempestas The world anatomized by sundry Similies 3 Vse Rom. 8. The benefits of death to a Christian vnder the crosse Aug. Mortui iâ— est emeriti quia rude donaâ—t absoluti à militia De conâ—o ad Apol. Lib. de Cain Abel * By Mr. Stephens in his World of wonders Aug. de ciu Dei lib. 14. c. 25 Exhortat Hom. de Diuite Lazaro Death is onely a departure out of life not a finall destroyer Hom. 36. in Genes Hom. de Martyrio Compar aquae â—gnis Epist 10â— Mâ—rs bona bonis malâ— malis The body departing shall returne againe at the Resurrection a Psal 17.16 Psal 49 15. b Dan. 12.2 c Ezek. 37.10 d Esa 26.19 e Iob 19.25.26 f Act. 24.15 Acts 17.32 g Iohn 11. Arguments to proue the Resurrection of the body Semi de Passione Illustrations from nature that our bodies shall rise 1 Cor. 15.36 37.38 Pompon Mela de situ orbis lib. 3. c. 9. See the Book vvrit of the Silke worme Origen periarct lib. 3. Esa 65.20 Vse Of Consolalation In his Sermon called The Christians Watch. The Christians comfort in the Resurrection De ciu dei lib. 22. c. 20 Vse 2. Of Direction Let vs liue holily to rise ioyfully The immortall soule dyes not but departs SómaÌ„ i. Sémá. Reasons prouing the soules immortalitie D. Willet his Hexapla in Daâ—iâ—lem Mat. 17. Vse 5. Of Consolation Chris What death is to the godly lib. 2. de morte Vse 3. Of Redargution Iosephus antiq lib. 8 c. 2. de bello Iud. lib. 2. c. 7. Doctrine Godly men alwayes die in peace Deut. 34. Three things demonstrate that the godly dye in peace The godly oft haue their desires before at and in their deaths The last words of holy men are holy See 1 Sam. 22. 23.1 Gregorie De Passione Mons Calâ—â—riae What speeches the Saints haue vttered in their deaths Apotheg morientium How to dye well Euseb lib. 3. cap. 30. Idem lib 4 c. 15. Paulin. in eius vita Possidon in eius vita Oswaldus Mâ—conius de Zwingliâ— anno 153â— Obijt anno Christi 1564. * See a little Book from the Martirologie gathered called The deaths of holy Martyres How great men haue liued and dyed good men Reasons why the godly depart in peace Cauils remoued that blemish the deaths of the Saints Mat. 26.39 Heb. 11.17 Quest ad Dulc. c. 24. Numb 25. 2 Sam. 24. Vide pag. 30.38.45.54.92.36 Hinningi Grosij Lib. de Mortalitate Vide Polani Synt. de inter Scrip. Lelius de expresso dei verbâ— Adams sin in Paradise Vse 1. Of Instruction Hee that would die well must liue well Gen. 4. Gen. 7. Gen. 4.24 Gen. 38.8 â—0 Those that haue liued wickedly died wretchedly Examples Amos 6.2 Esay 13.19 The fearefull ends of Heretiques and Persecuters in euery
sling as Dauids against Goliah or throwne with the hand as that which Patroclus threw vpon Câ—brion in the Troyan warre besides the fall of wals such as that of the Tower of Shilo hath beene the death of many I cannot reckon all the meanes of our mortalitie Hoc opus hic labor So many Creatures as I contemplate nay so many things inanimate as I see me thinkes I see so many Actors in the Tragicke fall of man The Thunder in the heauens hath slaine many in earth if that which Virgil writes in the first third and sixt of his Aeneidos of Enceladus and other Gyants slaine by Iupiter Aiax by Pallas Ouid of Typheus Propertius of Semele be a fiction yet the report receiued of the death of Anastatius the Emperour Zoroastres the Magitian Tullius Hostilius by Thunder and that which wee haue heard and seene in this kinde is Authenticke What heapes and hauocke the Sword hath made in warre let these millions speake that haue perished not onely in the vvarres betwixt the Kings of Israell and Iudah in which in one battell there sell fiftie thousand betwixt Ahas and Ieroboam saith Iosephus as also betwixt the Iudges and Kings of Israell vvith their enemies when Achab slew an hundred thousand Syrians Gideon an hundred and twentie thousand Midianites But euen in thâ—se amongst Christians when Charles Martill in one battell slew three hundred and fiftie thousand Gothes In those amongst Pagans Caesar bragging of an eleauen hundred and nintie thousand that had fallen vnder his conduct besides those in ciuill warres betwixt him and Pompey Scylla and Marius c. besides those that fell in Tamberlaines Trophies ouer the Medes Albanes Mesapotamians Persians Parthians Armenians Turkes c. In Sicinius Conquests in fortie fiue set battels of Hannibals ouer Cornelius Scipio Sempronius Flamminius Aemillius and Terentius where there were slaine at once fortie Senators of Alexander ouer Darius slaughtering an eleauen hundred of Crassus killing twelue hundred of Spartacus Armie Lucullus two thousand of Mithridates Troupes Ptolomie fiftie thousand of Demetrius hoast Others moe in many maine battels recorded by Sabellicus Liuie Plutarch Volateran testifie how much humane bloud the sword hath effused how many Tragedies poyson hath acted not onely the sodaine and frequent fals of so many Mitred Popes out of Peters supposed vsurped Seate doth declare but the dismall deaths of famous Emperours and Kings as of Constantine the Sonne of Heraclius Zimisces after one yeeres raigne of Carolus Caluns of Henry of Lucelburge Lothar of France Lodouicus Balbus Dioclesian of Dalmatia Lucullus of whom Pliny nay of Alexander himselfe with infinite others who were as certainly poysoned as Socrates and Pope Victor Nay so easily is the thread of our life cut so soone our web vntwisted like Penelope's or rather swept away with the Spiders that euen in our meates and drinkes wee may suspect that Mors in â—lla Death is in the pot haue we not the testimonie of Sextus Aurelius that ingurgitation of meate and too much repletion not being concocted in the stomacke occasioned the deaths of Septimius Seâ—erus and Valentinian Emperours Doth not Ignatius ascribe the fall of Iouinian to the same cause as also Gâ—egory Turonensis imputes the sodaine death of Childericus the Saxon being found dead in his bed to the same crudities and suffocations by intemperancie The like censure giues Eusebius of Domitius Apher that ouercome of his meate dyed at Supper Neyther doth Hermippus indite any thing for the death of Archisilaus but his excessiue ingurgitating of Wine As I my selfe once in Cambridge saw a drunken dogge in forme of a man vent out his soule with disgorging his exonerated stomacke Neyther are wee onely subiected to our dissolution by too much repletion occasion of so many diseases yea of death it selfe that plures gula quam gladio the panch destroyes moe then the sword but the defect of meate and drinke hath contracted the liues of many in all parts and those no lesse mighty Millions haue tryed wofully the massacres of famine in the siege of Ierusalem and Samaria Narriners by Sea Cities in siege Souldiers in the Campe and the poore in dearth yea this hath beene the cruellest death that Tyranny and Ielousie could inuent Thus was Richard the second dispatcht of his Countrimen thus was Boniface the eight plagued by Phillip Boniface the sixt by one Cincius a Romane Citizen Aristo the Poet by the Athenians Earle Vgoline by his vngratefull Countrimen thus were Orator Fortunatus Foelix and Silinus Martyres pinched at Alexandria and perished Nay so soone wee are and are not that God doth not onely sometimes with his owne stroke immediately from himselfe cut vs short sometimes mediately by man for and in the midst of our lawlesse lusts as Cosbie and Zimbri were slaine of Phinees Arcibiadeâ— of Lysander saith Plutarch Iohn the twelfth by the Husband of a Whore in the midst of their filth as it is reported by Tertullian that Spensippus the Platonist by Pontanus that Beltrand Herrerius by Paulus Diaconus that Rodoald King of the Longobards by Cornelius Tacitus that Tigillinus the Ruler of the Watch by Celius that fayre Phaon by Pliny lib. 7. that Cornelius Gallus and Heterius Romane Gentlemen and by other Authors that others haue perished in their pollutions in the very venerious act but we perish sometimes euen in and by our lawfull affections euen the ouermuch opening and dilating of the heart in ouer-ioying and the too much contracting of the same againe by ouer-sorrowing hath brought thousands to their graues without gray hayres How many Authors haue we to testifie that which seemes more incredible that an ouer-ioying may presently depriue vs for euer after inioying any of the ioyes of life What vvas the reason that Sophocles and Dionisius both of them being victorious in the censure of the Critticques for their exquisite Tragedies dyed sodainely saith Plinie lib. 7. c. 37. euen of an ouer-ioy as Valerius and Volateran also think how euer Lucian and Sotades alledged by Crinitus thinke contrary The like is reported of Chilo imbracing his Sonne crowned at the Olympicke games of a Romane woman at the safe returne of her son which she thought was slaine in the wars at Canna of Philippides when his Laureat Poems were preferd of Diagoras of Rhodes when his three sonnes saith Gellius lib. 3. nott at or his two sons saith Tullie lib. 1. Tusc were victorious in the publicke Wrastlings of Philemon when hee saw an Asse eate Figges prepared for the table all who tell vs that euen this affection of Ioy with a sweet tickling like that stinging of the Serpent Dipsas may kill much more may sorrow as Iacob confesseth and Iudah intimateth in Genesis hasten our heads to the graue ere our haires be very gray Griefe being to the heart vnlesse it be godly griefe for sinne which neuer hurts but heales 2 Cor. 7.10 that the Moath is to the garment the Catterpiller to the fruit eating the heart like