weakenesse and we beginne to shrinke from it but hauing confidence in God who hath willed vs not to feare we finde it a meane to â—iuide the waters of many tribulations to make vs a passage from the wildernesse of this world vnto a better land of rest T is strange we should make so nice of our selues as to count it a death to meditate of Death Nay to esteeme the very remembrance thereof as Ahab did the presents of the Prophet Elias to be troublesome vnto vs. Whereas Death is so farre from hurting them who put their trust in God as they shall rather finde it a gentle guide to bring them home to their owne Cittie where they would be to remaine for euer That which wee call life is a kinde of death because it makes vs to die but that which we count death is in the sequcle a very life for that indeede it makes vs to liue There is a death which some call mortall sinne and this is the death of the Soule which death wee should all feare There is also a moderate feare of the other death which is profitable to withdraw vs from the allurements of euill But so to feare it as if it were the vtter ruine and ouerthrow of all our beeing we neede not wee ought not When the Apostle S. Paule spake of the vnconquâ—rarable faith which was his stay and the stay of all them whose hope was in Christ Wee saith the Apostle know that if this earthly house of our Tabernacle be destroyed we haue a building not made with handes but giuen of God eternall in the Heauens As if he would tell the persecutors of his time that miseries for a moment could not disâ—â—ay them the perishing of the outward man could not daunt them nor present death could discourage them for they knew their habitation was in â—eauen and themselues incorporated Cittizens into that Ierusalem which is aboue A heathen man could say Degeneres animos timor arguit this â—biect feare is farre dissident from a generous ofspring Salomon saith The iust is as a Lion of whome the Naturalist writeth that hee is of such courage as beeing fiercely pursued he will neuer once alter his gate though he die for it With what constancy aunswered the second of those seauen brethren who all yeelded vp manfully themselues to torment for the mainetenance of the Law of God Thou O King takest these our liues from vs but the King of Heauen shall raise vs vp in the resurrection of euerlasting life The Philosopher might say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of thinges terrible none more then Death But it is otherwise with Christians Tertullian told the persecutors of his time that their cruelty did but open a doore to Gods distressed people whereby they might enter the sooner into a state of glory and therefore death was very acceptable to them Why should I feare saith the Prophet in the euil day As if Dauid saw no cause of dreading death howsoeuer nature may begin to tremble at the mention thereof Hilaâ—ion could not but wonder his soule should be so loath to depart after hee had serued God and God him so many yeares Consider death as in it selfe and so naturally we seare it Consider death as a meane to bring vs vnto Christ willingly we may embrace it When Iacob saw the chariots of Egipt and thereby perceiued his sonne Ioseph was aliue his fainting spirites reuiued saying I will goe see him before I die When faith dooth bring vs many testimonies our Ioseph liueth the Christian soule may recomfort her selfe in her panges and say Moriâ—r vt vidoâ—â— In the name of God to see him let me die Now for these corruptible bodies they take no dammage at all by death T is no harme to the seede though it hath for the time a little earth raked ouer it it shall spring againe and flourish and bring foorth fruite in due season No hurt is it to these our bodies to be cast into the grounde beeing sowen in wealienesse they shall rise againe in power being sowen naturall bodies they rise againe bodies spirituall being sowne in dishonor they rise againe in glory The keeping greene of Noahs Oliue troo vnder the floud The budding againe of Aarons rod The deliuerance of Ionas from the depth of the Sea The voice that calleth come againe ye children of men The hope of Iob that he should see God with no other but with the selfe same eyes The Prophesie of Ezechiell vnto the dry bones that should come os ad os bone to bone may stirre in vs a ioyfull hope and cheere vs vp against all the feare and terror of death But the resurrection of our Sauiour Christ that is the comfort of all coinforts Vox Christi vox Christianorum The voice of Christ is by Christ the doyce of Christians saith S. Austen Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory As he was the cause efficient so was he also a figure of the Resurrection Hee risinge wee all arise Of a more powerfull cause there is a more powerfull effect If the sinne of Adam who was a liuing soule was the cause that death raigned ouer all much more the resurrection of Christ who was a quickening spirite shal be of power to raise vp all that beleeue to the hope of euerlasting life What greater ioy then to be able to know him as the Apostle speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the power of this resurrection Christ as in dying shewed what we should suffer so in risinge from death what we should hope To wit that all the bones in Golgatha shall rise and those that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall heare the voice of Lazarus come foorth Wherefore though Death doe swallow vs vp as the Whale did Ionas bind vs as the Philistines did Sampson yet wee shall come foorth and breake the bendes as the birde out of the snare The snare is broken and we are deliuered They may well feare death saith S. Cyprian that haue no saith in Christ but for those who are members of that head who vanquished the power of Hell and Death Death is to them aduantage and a gentle guide that bringes them home to euerlasting rest Hence is it that dying they are said since Christes resurrection to fall asleepe They that sleepe in Iesus saith the Apostle they lay them downe and take their rest and God it is that makes them dwell in euerlasting safety We should not then feare to fall a sleepe for sleepe is a refreshinge after wearysome labours The painefull labouring man after his dayes worke ended sleepes often more quietly then Diueâ— in his marble pallace on his bed of Iuory where hee tosseth and tumbleth hee sleepes not quietly either in life or death and of such is that verified O mors quam amara O death how bitter is thy remembrance Hauing wearied
anger O Lord neither rebuke me in thine indignation heale me for my bones are vexed be not farre from me for trouble is hard at hand there is none to deliuer me remember thy louing mercies which haue beene euer of old cast me not away when my strength faileth mee I acknowledge my faultes and my sinne is euer against mee wash me and I shall be cleane Lord heare me hide not thy face from me for trouble is harde at hand O let my crie enter into thy presence To this or the like penitent complaint that ioyfull reply is not farre off Quoniam sperauit in me liberabo â—um Because he hath put his trust in mee I will deliuer him I will set him vp because he hath known my name Cum ipso sum in tribulatione I am with him in his tribulation The select prayers to bee vsed in the visitation of the sicke should bee obserued with many of the Psalmes of Dauid which when the afflicted reade them instruct the conscience and in times of sicknesse are wont more then ordinarie to moue the minde For these diuine hymnes saith Saint Basill they are a parte of holy Scripture High in misterie profounde in sence comfortable in doctrine and haue in times of affliction a special and peculiar grace to instruct the soule Amongst these the thirtie eight Psalm Domine ne arguas me Put me not to rebuke O Lord. The fiftie one Miserere mei Deus Haue mercie vpon me O Lord. The seuentie Psalme Deus in adiutorium Haste thee to deliuer me O God The seuentie one In te Domine spâ—raui In thee O Lord haue I trusted The seuentie seuen Voce mea ad Dominum I will crie vnto the Lord with my voice The hundred and thirtie Psalme De profundis clamaui ad te domine Domine exaudi vocem meam Out of the deepes haue I called vnto thee O Lord Lord heare my voice with many other like Psalmes proper and peculiar for the sicke Herevnto may bee added a silent meditation wherein the soule doth enter a solitarie talke with God which is verie conuenient in this ease When the ioyes of heauen haue leasure to present themselues to our religious thoughts the pleasures of our sinfull life and this worldes vanities are then seene to be of small valew as they are indeede then may we call to minde the vnspeakable loue of God towardes man in generall and our selues in particular How this 〈◊〉 sâ—ept foorth in thine of need before execution of iustice to 〈◊〉 man That it was a worke 〈◊〉 comfort when God said Fiâ— Lux let there bee light made But that it was a worke of counsell and all comfort when hee said in the great worke of mans redemption Fiat Chriâ—tus Let ther be a Christ borne which shall saue my people from their sinnes And now haue wee fit opportunitie to meditate vpon the sufferinges of the Sonne of God his passion his descention into hel his resurrection the third day his ascention and glorious sitting at the right hand of God so that at the name of Iesus the sorrowfull sinner may say with Thomas Dominus meus Deus meus My Lord and my God We cannot in the world better imploy our thoughts then in calling to mind how God hath kept vs from our youth vp from how many daungers we haue beene deliuered into which we haue seene not a few fall before our eyes and our selues by his onely mercie vnto this day freed from the same Can we but with all thankfulnesse call to minde the goodnesse of God towards vs for the time past and put our whole trust and confidence in him euen in these greatest extremities yea both in life and death for the time to come seeing the Lorde is nigh to them that call vpon him yea to all such as call vpon him faithfully The fourteenth Chapter How the sicke when sicknes more more increaseth may be moued to coÌ„stancie perseuerance WHen sickenesse more and more encreaseth wee are more and more put in minde of our mortalitie and gently mooued to renounce by little and little all the repose wee haue or can haue in this tranâ—â—torie life to arme our selues to stand with constanâ—y vnto the end remembring euermore as we had a time to be borne so haue wee a time to die And our way to enter into life is first to passe the pinching griefs of a momentarie death To raise vp our spirits in times of greatest triall we may recouÌ„t with our selues that Christ himselfe went not vp to glorie but first hee suffered paine When Vriah was willed by Dauid himselfe to take his peace at home Shall I see quoth hee my Lord Ioab and the Arke of God lie abroad in the field and shall I goe take my rest and â—ase No I will not Shall we see the Sonne of GOD himselfe all in gore bloud suffering for the sinnes of the whole world and shall we refuse all suffering taking our case in Sion and our rest vppon the mountaines of Samaria as loath to endure any crosse or calamitie at all Is that Souldiour worthie to triumph with his Captaine that woulde neuer strike stroke to fight the battaile Againe whatsoeueâ— wee suffer Christ suffered more for vs. But that which principally is to bee remembred this our striuing is not beating the ayre for after wee haue fought a good fight there is laid vp for vs a crown of glorie God is saith Tertullian Agonothetes both he that purposeth the prize and rewardeth the champion Consider the olde generations of men and marke them well Was there euer any confounded that put his trust in the Lord who hath continued in his feare and was forsaken Or whome did hee euer despise that called vpon him Wherefore let the languishing person take vnto him comfort in Gods mercie Was euer the righteous forsaken God told Iosias that hee should bee gathered vnto his Fathers in peace and yet Iosias died in warre God gaue him a constant mind whereby hee died peaceably The Lord told Ieremie he should not bee vanquished Ieremie was stoned but not vanquished God gaue him an inuincible faith The Angell to the Church of Smyrna saith Esto fidelis vsque dabo tibi coronam vitae Bee thou faithfull vnto death and I will giue thee a crowne of life To raise vp himself in this liuelie faith the sicke may make a heartie confession of his christian beliefe saying O holie Trinitie I commend my selfe vnto thee the father the sonne and the holie ghost which in vnitie of nature art one and the selâ—e same God I commend me vnto thee O omnipotent father which hast created me yea heauen earth with all things visible and inuisible I commend me vnto thee O Lorde Iesus Christ who for mee and the saluation of mankind wert sent into the world conceiued by the power of the holy Ghost borne man of the
all others most louingly keepe and tender it There is none knowes the loue of a mother but a mother There is none knowes the loue of God but God who is loue Wherefore wee are verie vnnaturall to our selues if we should giue testimonie of discontentment when our soules should be deliuered into his handes who is the best preseruer of all Where is our desire with S. Paule To bee dissolued and to bee with Christ. Where is our complayning with the Prophete Dauid That we are not yet come to appeare in the presence of God Where is the longing of Saint Austen to see that head which was crowned those handes which were pearsed for our sins Had wee the loue and faith which these good men had we should rather wiâ—h for the houre of our rest then shewe any vnwillingnesse to departe when God is about to call vs hence Shall naturall inclination ouer-rule the force of Christian hope Can wee forget the prayer of Christ in the garden Father not my will but thine be fulfilled The starres by their proper motion are carried from the West to the East and yet by the motion of obedience to the first Mouer they passe along from the east vnto the west The waters by their naturall course follow the center of the earth yet yeelding vnto the higher body which is the Moone are subiect to her motions The motion of obedience to the will of God who is the first mouer the higher bodie should drawe vs and al our desires how contrary soeuer in nature for hereunto all should yeelde themselues and obediently follow Those who by Alchemie will turne worser mettall into a more pure must first dissolue the worse so if we will change our wils into the will of God wee must cleane dissolue them that his will onely may take place When Christ in the Apocalips saith I come quickly the Saints replie Euen so Amen come Lord Iesus To shew whatsoeuer doeth please Christ coulde not displease them much lesse his comming which is most ioyful to all that feare and loue his name And here we may consider by this meanes of yeelding our selues meekely vnto God wee haue occasion offered to shewe our subiection to his diuine pleasure as Abraham had when God commanded him to offer vp Isaack his sonne nay Isaack his only son and Isaack whom he loued and Isaack in whome rested all the hope of his blessed posteritie Here was a conflict wherein God would see which was strongest in Abraham eyther faith or fatherly affection But Abraham who is called the father of the faithfull and so one that leaues his children an example for the tune to come in this straight resigned his will to the wil of God stood not weighing so high a precept in the light scales or ballance of humane reason but with hope contrarie vnto hope proceeded to the accomplishment thereof The Apostles of our Sauior Christ being willed to launch forth and to passe vnto the other side of the lake stoode not casting timerous doubtes as thus this Genazereth is a danâ—gerous passage yâ— euening draweth on we our selues plaine fishermen none of the skilfullest Pilots but when Christ coÌ„manded them without more ado away they go Now Christ bids vs to put off froÌ„ the shore of our earthly estate what should wee but obediently set â—orward at the other side is heauen the hauen of our hope Againe seeing we must needes away Si aliquando cur noÌ„ nunc If wee must away why not now if not now when There is a time to bee borne saith the Wiseman there is a time to die we came into this world vpon condition to leaue it yeeld vp our liues we must with Codrus that valiant Athenian and that before the field be wonne With the Thebane Captaine let vs not care to change life with death so the victorie may bee ours to say the verie truth we haue no great cause to couet long life in this stony hearted world we see some miseries wise men foresee more the righteous is taken away from the euill to come as God took Iosias because he shold not see the calamitie of the sinfull people For our own estate in particular when deâ—repite age coÌ„meth which we so much wish for before and those fourscore years which is yâ— furthest hope of our strength are wee not theÌ„ combersome to others irksome to our selues In the meane time so many snares and engins are laid by the professed enemie of man to entrap mens soules as wee may with reuerence and loue wonder at the mercy of God in our deliuerie for the time past and peaceablie accept our passage into a place of true securitie now consequently to ensue Last of all a remembrance of the place whither we are going should take vs away as the Angels tooke Lot from Sodome It is vnto a cittie of all continuance Euen that citie where our soules shall liue Let vs send our faith in beleeuing our hope in expecting as losua sent messengers before to view that countrie which God will gâ—ue vs. These messengers will bring vs word that eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor the hart of man conceiued the high excellencie thereof which me thinks shold moue men to giue this world a willing farewell To conclude with S. Cyprian let Pagans and infidels feare death who neuer feared God in their life But let Christians go as trauellers vnto their nature home as children vnto their louing father willingly ioyfully One thing saith the Prophet haue I desired of the Lord that I may dwel in the house of my God all the daies of my life The sixteenth Chapter How they may bee induced to depart meekely that seeme loath to leaue worldly goodes wife children friends or such like WHile wee set our affections vpon earthly thinges onely we much affect them and are loath to depart from them but once taking a taste of heauenly we begin to grow out of liking with the basenesse of our former desires and bend all our affections to an earnest expectation of farre better If wee do respect riches Christ hath greater riches in another worlde then all the empire of Alexander can yeelde If honour he hath greater honor then all the thrones of earthly Potentates can afforde For one day in his house is better then a thousand If friends heauen hath the glorious companie of Saintes and Angels who reioyce at our entrance into their common ioy what more â—cceptable then good company together ioyful company The company is good where the righteous liue for euer ioyfull where is nothing but a cheerefull singing of Alleluâ—ah For worldly possessions here we found them here we leaue them The time of our enioying of theÌ„ is vncertaine because we see them ebbing flowing like the sea and we do not possesse them as we ought vnlesse wee are readie at times best beseeming vnto God to leaue them But
It is sufficient â—aith S. Peter That wee haue seene the time past after the lustes of the Gentiles As if he should haue said for the time past that is gone and cannot be recalled Now for God his sake bee carefull for the time to come That we are not borne Angelles wee knowe and experience dooth shew we are all mortall Liue well and Die well If wee take heede in time wee may Liue and not to Die wee cannot Neither are we to regard how long wee liue but how well we liue To take then a Religious remembrance of our end as a potion next the heart in this miserable world that begins apace to wâ—xe sickly in the doctrine of the Resuâ—rection and goes forward so coldly in the exercises of Christian pietie will with God his help be a warme and speciall preseruatiue to the soule To Learne to Die is a lesson worthy our best and best disposed attention being a speciall preparatiue vnto a happy ende wherein consisteth the welfare of all our beeing Dauid who was for his learning a Prophet for his acceptation saith the Scripture A man after Gods owne heart was theÌ„ very studious in this learning who after watching and fasting hee besought God to be instructed coÌ„cerning the nomber of his dayes and the time hee had yet to liue Like the carefull scholler that breakes his sleepe forsakes his meate is often in meditation when he â—eates vpon some seriouâ— subiect Now therefore this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all lessons or learninges this learning to Die what more waighty what more diuine where is the Scribe where is the Disputer what is it to haue the force of Demosthenes the peâ—swasiue arte of Tully so great an Orator What is it by Arithmeticall accompte to deuide the least fractions and with the man of God neuer to think of nombring the time we haue yet to liue what is it by Geometrie to take the longitude of the most spatious prospectes and not to measure that which the Prophete calleth onely a span long what is it to set the Triapason in a musicall concent and for want of good gouernement to lead a life all out of tune what is it with the Astronomer to obserue the motion of the Heauens and to haue his harte buried in the earth With the Naturalist to search out the cause of many effectes and let passe a consideration of his owne â—railty With the Historian to knowe what others haue doone and to neglect the true knowledge of himselfe With the Lawyer to prescribe many lawes in particular and not to rememâ—er the common Law of Nature that all must Die which is a Law generall In a woord what is it for the deepest worldlings to be able by reaching pollicy to compasse plots of high enterprise as Doctors in that faculty and die God knowes like simple men Surely all is nothing worth If thou art wise bee wise then vnto thine owne soule As the rich man saith Fulgentius spoken of in the sixteenth of Luke was poore in all his pompe mourning in all his mirth so are those who Liue and neuer Learne to Die ignorant in all their knowledge For why the greatest Rabbines in these professions may come with Nicodemus to be catechised in this learning wherein either as babes they haue not receiued the first rudiments or as very trewantes haue a little by roate and so soone forget all Well the perfection of our knowledge is to know God and our selues our selues wee best knowe when wee acknowledge our mortall being As men we die naturally as Christians wee die religiously In the schoole of Christ first by mortifying the old man wee endeuour to die to the world and then by a vertuous disposing of our selues for the day of our departure we learne to die in the worlde By our dying to the world Christ is saide to come and Liue in vs and by our dying in the world wee are saide to goe to Liue with Christ. Now therfore seeing to die is so necessary and to Die wel is so Christian-like let euery one apply himselfe sovâ—rly to this learninge as the greatest part of true wisedome How many in the world beat their braines about friuolous matters some beeing more busie to knowe where Hellis sayth S. Chrisostome then how to auoid the paines thereof others pleasing themselues in pelting and needelesse questions to seeme singular amongst men When they come to departe this world then they perceiue they haue spunne a faire thred and wearied themselues in vaine then they consider howe they shoulde rather haue applyed themselues as they ought Wherefore to grow more and more out of loue and liking with these transitory delights to breake off by little and little from this wearysome world to his home-warde disposing himselfe for the day of his departure is a course most beseeming euery wise Christian. Let the vaine glorious who with the Camelion liue by the ayre and therefore is said to be euer found gaping who haue with the Moone but a borrowed light in the world not lighte in themselues therefore are still waxing and wayninge follow shewes and shadows all which shal perish in the twinckling of an eye but let the wise ChristiaÌ„ man Learne to die the death of the righteous that so hee may liue ioyfully heere hereafter That which foolish menne are willing to do in the end wise men do in the beginning Wisedome it is with Noah to build an Arke while the season is calme with Ioseph to laye vp store in the dayes of plenty while yâ— weather is faire to bethinke our selues of a tempest in a word wheÌ„ oportunity doth serue to follow a thriuing husbandry sowing the seed of godly actioâ—s in the field of a repeÌ„taÌ„t hart that so at yâ— Antumne or end of our age we may reap the fruites of euerlasting comfort We are for the most part euen out of the world before euer we consider out condition in the same and we then begin to direct our course aright wheÌ„ the time is come rather to make an ende Would to God we would remember that worthy sayinge of one when hee was now drawing towards the period of his time quando iuuenis curaui bene viuere quando senex bene mori WheÌ„ I was a yong man my care was how to liue well since age came on my care hath beene hâ—w to die wel And of an other who brake out into these words Nihil suauius in hac vita quaÌ„ vt quietus fiat exitus ex â—adem In this life now nothing more sweete vnto me then to prepare for a peaceable passage from the same With Martha we are combred about many things Mary that sate musing chose the good parte Vnum est necessariuÌ„ One thing is necessary Learne O learne to Die The enemy that is often loked for dooth least hurte when hee makes his assault If this Basiliske Death first see vs before
bended shoulders shal be a burden when the wheele shall be broken at the Cisterne that is the hart whence the head draweth the powers of life in a word when dust shall turne to dust againe the ioyntes stiffed the senses benâ—mmed the countenaunce pale the bloud colde the eyes closed the browes hardened the whole body all in fainte sweate wearied Heare O earth earth sayth the Prophet Almighty God clothed our first parentes with the shinnes of dead beasts that when they saw what was about theÌ„ they should remember by reason of sinne what shoulde become of them When Christ shewed at his transfiguration vpon the mount Peter and Iames a part of his glory he shewed them withall Moyses and Elyas two dead men are deâ—acted from men which might bee withall a remembraunce of their mortality When the Prophet Dauid spake of mans vncertaine condition and certayne enâ—e in the 49. Psalme because it is so long before the most glorious amongest men in the eye of the world will remember theÌ„selues to be but men First heâ— speaketh vnto all Heare all yee people And least any shoulde thinke themselues exempted theÌ„ vnto all of all estates High and Low Rich and Poore one with an other and because he would haue it knowne to be a matter of importaunce in deede hee sayth My mouth shall speake of wisedome my hart shall talke of vnderstanding vtter inge the selfe-same twise ouer as if wee might wonder what the Prophet had to say which is indeede his own wondering Seeinge that wise men die as well as fooles that death groweth vpon them that their beauty shall consume in the Sepulchre that they shall carry nothing away with them that all their pompe shall leaue them when they go and follow the generation of their Fathers yet for all this they thinke that they shall continue for euer and their dwelling places endure from one generation to another callinge their landes after their owne names this is their foolishnesse saith he And surely as in many other thinges the wisedome of man is foolishnesse with God so is it in this Ioseph of Aramathea a rich maÌ„ as we read in the Gospel had a Sepulcher in his garden Surely in places where we take felicity wee should not but haue a mention by some good thought at least of our mortal beeing In all other affaires wee are often vigilant but in this so remisse as if all wer but a game Did we watch death which in times of our chiefest delighted most watcheth vs and often taketh vs too then would we not liue as we liue and sinne as we sinne but giue a thousande dalliances a bill of diuorce as if for their baggage dealing we would haue no more to doe with them But so long as wee liue wee spend our dayes as if we had an estate of Feesimple or Patent at large to continue as we lift to commit sinne as easily as beasts drinke watâ—r without remorse without feare One of the greatest euils in the life of man is a carelesse neglecte of Gods woorship One of the greatest causes of this neglect is the forgetfullnesse of his ende Therfore saith Gregory doe so many cast off all care of Christian piecy beecause they neuer care at all to minde their present condition of humane frailty When the Prophet Ieremy woulde shewe the state of Ierusalem to haue become altogether irreligious without mentioning many causes hee expresseth the maine cause in briefe as thus Non est recordata finis She remembred not her end So by this wee see Sathan hath no more daungerous deuise to draw men from GOD like Absolom who stole away the hartes of the people when they were goyng downe to doe homage to Dauid their king then by stealing from their hartes this remembrance of their ende The Panther as is written of him knowinge howe beastes flie from him by reason of his oughly head which frayes theÌ„ thrusts onely his head in some secrete corner whilest they gazing on his goodly spotted hide nothinge suspectinge their approaching ende suddenly he breaketh out and prayeth vpon them So this foule headed Panther Sathan perceiuing well how much delight men take in worldly pleasures hideth his deformed head settinge out his fine coulored skinne that is the glory and vanitie of pleasaunt but daungerous delightes whilest in the meane time they neglecting their enemy their ende hee suddenly seeketh to entrappe and deuoure them Wherefore men had neede be prepared and vigilant in thys respect that they may bee euer prouided against his so subtle deceites and Remember their end before it end them that is beefore it be said as vnto Ahaziah Thou shalt not come downe from the bed vnto the which thou art gone vp And that which is chiefest of all beefore the soule by a consumption of sinne pyne to death Blessed Lord who were he not carelesse in the superlatiue degree would not sometimes retire himselfe from this combersome world and remember that which almost hee cannot forgett That he must one day die Why did God leaue saith S. Austen our last day of our life vnknowne to vs was it not because euery day should be prepared of vs which preparing wee may not neglecte vpon paine and perill of losse foreuer Wherefore let them take heede in time who passe ouer their dayes Pharao-like Atheist like sayinge who is the Lorde Wee haue sinned and what euill is happened vnto vs be they well assured that Death like a Sargeant sent from aboue vppon an action of Debt at the suite of Nature her selfe will sooner or later attache and arrest them all and make them aunsweare this high contempt where God himselfe is a party at the Courte of Heauen Let them know that all must yeelde bee they as strong as Sampson as glorious as Herode as mighty as Alexander this tyrant Time will sweepe them all away Moyses vpon the mount Abarim Aaron vpon the mount Hor Methusalath after so many yeares The holiest the healthiest where or when we know not all must downe when death commeth Wee dayly see it and will not sticke sometymes our selues to say as much and yet remember nothinge lesse as if it were onely some arbitrable matter and so wee bring our yeares to an ende as it were a tale that is tolde Of all other we cannot sufficiently maruelle that olde men when as now drooping nature putteth them in minde that their continuance is not long when bended backe makes them looke downe whether they will or no and biddes them thinke of their hearse or graue to see these either addicted to the insatiable desire of gaine or giuen vnto the lightest behauiour of youth shewes them to be far from this religious remembraunce of their ende Sophocles a heathen man would blush for shame to see the most vnseemely matches marriages of our time wherein age and youth are yoaked together a thing so contrary in nature so
vnseemely in reason as nothing more and the inexcusable folly of age to bee so farre from a consideration of that which is seemely both before God and man Tully could say longe agoe of ciuill gouernemente amongest men Aptissima arma senum exercitationes virtutum Olde mens weapons what shoulde they els bee but exercises of vertue In Christianity more fitter wer it a great deale for them to be at their deuotions then to do often as they doe Isaack thoughte it tyme at these dayes to commune of blessing and of his ende My sonne let me blesse thee I am olde and know not the day of my departure They doe as much labour in effect and more that sit at the sterne and gouern as those that toyle and tosse otherwise but to mooue age to this consideration the very beholding of others that goe before them is in reason sufficient When the thirde gouernor ouer Fifty of whome mention is made in the seconde booke of Kings saw but his two fellow Captaines ouer Fifty deuoured before him it went so nere his hart that he came forth fell downe and besought the man of God that his life mighte bee pretious in his sight How many Fifties in late yeares of mortalitie and warre haue we seene or heard to haue beene deuoured by death How many of our fellow Souldiers in this spirituall conflict in which wee all fight haue wee seene die in the fielde How many of our deerest frends haue taken their leaue and gone before and yet for all this there is no comming to make humble supplication I say not to the man of God but to God himselfe that our liues and deathes may be pretious in his sight As is saith Dauid the death of hys saintes The Publicans but hearing the Axe to bee laide to the roote of the tree and that euery tree which did not bringe foorth fruit should be hewen down and cast into the fire it made them come to Iohn the Baptist wyth their Quid faciemus O what shall we doe to avoide these thinges The men of Niniueh hearing but once of their imininent ende it wrought such so great remorse in them as they all out of hand fasted put on sackecloth and sorrowed for their sinnes Often hath God knocked at the doore of our hartes to aduertise vs of our mortalitie For whe is there that hath not sometime experienced in himselfe by feeling the infirmity of his declining nature by auoidinge the perils of apparant daunger beesides the sondry warninges to this effecte whether we must And here wee may all wonder at the mercy and patience of God whoÌ„ by these motiues dooth admonish vs of our approaching ende But yet for all this how little humblinge of our selues is ther before him whose dominion reacheth vnto the endes of the earth whose power is aboue all powers from generation to generation worlde without ende who bringeth to the graue and rayseth vp agayne What a daungerous course is it neuer to awake Christ though the shippe leake and bee often in perrill of drowninge neuer to thinke of God vntill wee stand in neede of him neuer to begin to liue vntill wee are ready to die neuer to call to minde that Time of Times vntill we heare the Trumpe soundinge vntill we see the graues openinge the earth flaming the heauens melting the iudgement hastening the Iudge with all his Angels comming in the cloudes to denounce the last doome vppon all flesh which will bee vnto some wo wo when they shall crye vnto the mountaines to couer them and for shame of their sinnes hide themselues if it were possible in Hell fiâ—e If we haue any feare this shoulde mooue feare If any remembrance this shoulde cause a carefull remembrance of our ende O consider saith the Prophet you that forget God Least he take you away and there be none to deliuer you Saluation is a matter of great earnest Our Sauiour Christ by those parables of the Wise Virgins and Watchfull seruauntes what els doth he teach his Disciples vs all but in so weighty a cause to be carefull in deede Wee haue as much neede as any that euer liued vnder the cope of heauen considering these sinnefull dayes When God saide the wickednesse of men is great vppon earth it was time for Noah to prepare for an Arke to saue himselfe When once the crye of Sodome was ascended to Heauen it was time for Lot to thinke of his departure vnto the Hill countries When this world now after many strong fittes of great contentions beginnes to trifle idlely with euery fancy we may partlye gather by these sickly signes which may it is drawing and say God of Heauen helpe this worlde for it is a weake worlde indeede These bee no dayes to liue securely in but rather time and high time is it for euery one to amend one that God may haue mercy vppon vs all Haue wee not example by them that sleepe vntill the Bridegroomes comminge that euerye knocke will not bee sufficiente warrant to enter By him that wepte for a blessinge when it was too late that euery sigh will not be a satisfaction for our sins T is most sure and we had neede looke to it in time Where the tree falleth there it lyeth And as the last day saith S. Austen of our life leaueth vs so shall the day of Doome finde vs. To let all alone vntill it be too late was their folly who long since were drowned in the floud To cast onely for wealth and ease was his worldly wisedâ—m that made a suddaine farewell from both when that night his soule was taken from him and not yeelded of him To deferre all vnto the last push neuer entringe into a Religious remembraunce of our ende is an effete of that ill spirit called sensuall security which kinde of Spirite is not cast out but by Fasting and Prayer The Third Chapter How behoouefull it is for euery Christian man soberly to meditate of his ende IN the whole Tenure of a Christian life no parte more heauenly then that wee spende in Religious meditation for this Religious meditation no subiect more neerely concerneth the state of man then often to beate vpon a Remembrance of his ende wherin consisteth the Center of al his desireâ— the haruest of all his labours his sâ—re and most happy repose for euer How behoouefull then is it for euery one to sequester himselfe sometimes froÌ„ incombrances of this worlde vacare Deo to bee at leasure for God to call his best thoughts to counsel to this businesse of his soule the manyfold effectes of so good and practise will easily shewe and approoue as much For who is there that with Ezechias will not fall to set his householde his life his soule and all in order when once that of the Prophet mooues his very hart Ezechias moriere Ezechias now God bee
impietie The Cocke saith one fearing the Eagle and the Hauk hath one eye fixed on his meate and the other often directed in the ayre So a prouident godly man prouiding before-hand thinges necessary hath respect vnto the Eagle or Christes comming in the ayre to iudgement as also vnto the Hauke which is Death therefore called Rapax because it suddainely seizeth and prayeth vpon all A generall restrainte from euill saith Cassianus an auncient writer is a mindfullnesse of Death which the Egiptians perceiuing thought a bare resemblance thereof al trembling and shaking brought in at their solemne Feastes to bee a speciall â—neane to mooue the beholders vnto Sobrietie The Centurion in the Gospell who otherwise was farre off from acknowledging the Sauior of the world when hee saw the vale rent the earth mooue the stones cleaue a sonder the Heauens mourne in blacke and after all the graues themselues to open and yeeld vp the dead bodies of the Sainteâ— a spectacle of death amidst all mooued him to giue this testimony Surely this was the Sonne of God Seeing then that hencâ—â—rise so forcâ—able motiues vnto a godly and carefull direction of our wayes did wee but sometimes behold that pale horse and he that sits thereon whose name is Death in our musing dispositions it would make vs trample vnderfoote many alluring occasions and cause vs to steppe backe in the pursuite of some sinnefull vanities The Holy Ghost resembling the state of maÌ„ To the grasse to a shadow the smoke a vpour a flower things of so small continuaunce what els would hee intimate vnto vs but a consideration of our vnconstant and variable estate The Apostle S. Peter vnto the dispersed Iewes and conuerted Christians to draw them from carnal desires vsed this as an argaâ—â—eÌ„t of effect Obsecro vos tanquam advenas peregrinas I beseech you saith hee as Pilgrimes and straungers as if he should haue said seeing you are in this world but as wayfaring men stay not your selues vpon carnall desires 〈◊〉 bayâ—es of Sathan and very bane of your soules abstaine from them flie them It is the manner of straungers not to intermeddle with many much lesse daungerous attemptes but no wise and circumspect men to remember they are only in the way to a farther home of more continuance wher they are to make their abode Wherefore saith S. Austen Nihil aliud in hac vita peregrinationis nostrae meditemur nisi quia hic non semper crimus ibi locum bene viuendo praeparabimus vnde nunquam migrabimus Let vs meditate in this life of nothing more then of our pilgrimage that heere woe shall not alwayes bee preparing our selues rather to that place wheÌ„ce we shall neuer depart but haue a sure stay for euer And S. Ierome Qui quotidie recordatur se esse moriturum contemnit praesentia ad futura festinat He that doth remember that die he must little regarding thinges present euer hasteth towards things to come which the olde enemy of man perceiuing seeketh nothing more then to draw vs froÌ„ this frequeÌ„t meditation of Death chiefly by the pleasurable allurementes of intising vanities The Hunter when he seeketh to take the Tygers young which is onely one is said to set vp looking glasses where the Tyger should passe a longe in seekinge this younge which shee doth sometimes by straying abroad loose finding in the glasse a resemblance of herselfe leaues the pursuite and looseth her younge This olde hunter perceiuing mans industry in the conseruation of that which is one and onely one his deere Soule would by many goodly shewes make vs neglect this religious care and stay our selues vppon euery triuolous delighte so longe that wee cleane forget whereabout wee goe and so hazarde that which the Prophet calleth most precious euen the Redemption of our Soules But the prouident Christian man knowing how daungerous it must needes bee for the bird to take delight amidst the ginnes and snares of the Fouler makes no stay vppon these intising euils soares aloft and taking the winges of contemplation thinkes of the ioyes of Heauen the paines of Hell his owne Death and the Death of the Sonne of God for the saluation of vs all with Daniel strawes ashes or thoughtes of his earthly beeing to descry the steps of Death who stealeth along and eateth to the continuance of our dayes or like a skillfull Pilot who often sits at the Sterne lookes vnto the Stars and Planets beares off from the shelues of many daungerous occasions that so by the prosperous gale of God his holy Spirite hee may put into the port of euerlasting rest No seruants more orderly vse their maisters Talents then those who euer feare their maisters sodayne returne No Householder more safe then hee who at euery wateh suspecteth the Theeues entring When that of the Prophet Esay cals vs aside from the world and tels vs softly Moriâ—re thou shalt Die it makes vs penitent for the time past and respectiue for the time to come causing the feare of God to haue a predominate force in this our naturall and otherwise weakely constitution To meditate therefore of our ende at our lying downe which doth resâ—â—uble the graue and our rising vp which may minde vs of a ioyfull resurrection to make this Remembrance the key to open the day and shut in the night is a behoouefull practise and we shall soone perceiue it by the manifold effectes which doe then consequeÌ„tly ensue Isaack vpon Sarahs Death went forth to meditate hauing lost Sarah he met Rebeckah Wee sometime loose earthly comfort but going foorth religiously to meditate vppon God his excellency and our own â—railty wee meete with Rebeckah better comfort that is to say heauenly The Fourth Chapter Wherein is shewed that the state and condition of the life present may iustly mooue vs to this conâ—sideration AMongst the manifolde reasons which may induce vs to this religious remeÌ„braunce of our ende none more effectuall then a due consideration of our estate present For what is our life but a Ionas growen sodainely sprung vp and by and by withered againe and gone But a Iacob pilgrimage the dayes whereof are in nomber â—â—oo and in condition euill Is not all our glory but as the visions which Esdras saw goodly to looke vpon anâ— vanished in a moment Or as Nabuchadnezzars Image that had a head of golde brest and armes of siluer and yet one dash with a stone out of the rocke brought all to ruine May it not be said of the goodly pompe and most glorious shewes which we so much admire amongst men as Christ said of the buildinges of the Temple See you not these thinges verely there shall not be lefte a stone vpon a stone As if little or no meÌ„tion at al should be lefte As for popular applause is it not much like smoke which the higher it mounteth the sooner it vanisheth away And for
themselues sayth the Wiseman in the way of wickednesse they shall cry out what hath pride profited vs or the pompe of riches brought vs. Surely this barren and light laÌ„d after all our drudgery yeeldes no other but a crop of cares trouble feare and vexation of mind When those that haue laboured in the vineyard and haue beene often in watching in fasting often these rest from their labours and fal asleepe to rise againe wyth their bodies when the Sonne of righteousnesse shall appeare in euerlasting glory Of these the Apostle saith I would not haue you sorrow as men without hope for those that are a sleepe How acceptable therefore may death bee when in dying we sleepe and in sleeping we rest from all the trauels of a toile some life Againe where as death is a tribute wee must all pay homage Fiâ—t voluntarium quod futurum est necessarium offeramus Deo pro munere quod pro debito tenemur reddere Let vs make that voluntary which is necessary and yeeld it to God as a gifte which we stand bound to pay as a due debt Had we no farther hope then onely to attaine a state temporall wee might feare indeede because when we die all our happinesse shall deceiue vs but when God made man of the dust of the ground God breathed into him the breath of life and man was made a liuing soule therefore not a dying soule Cesar writeth that the bare opinion of the Druides who taught that the soules had a continuance after their separation from their bodies it made many of their followers hardy in great attemptes and abated in most the feare of death Cyrus himselfe could say vnto his children when hee was ready to die Thinke not deere children that I shal be no where or nothing If a baresupposall of a future beeing could so much auaile against the feare of death what doth faith effect that doth warrant vs by good euidence of the blessed assurance of the resurrection If Abraham the faithfull Patriarke left his owne country and kindred at the commaundement of almighty God and went into a strange land how willingly should wee leaue this country wherein we are only strangers and goe where wee haue our owne home and abode for euer This was the resolution of S. Ambrose who neither loathed life nor feared to die because saith hee wee haue a good Lord. This was the faith of Simeon who hauing seene Christ prayed to depart in peace This was S. Paules gaine when he said To die is to me aduantage because this passage was a dissolution and this dissolution was to bee from the body and this his being from the body was to bee with Christ. Seeing therefore that death it selfe being duely considered should nothing at all dismay vs then much lesse the meditation thereof The more we meditate of death the lesse wee feare it the lesse wee feare it the more faith haue wee What shall seperate vs from the loue of God that is in Christ shall tribulation or anguish shall life or death Blessed be God saith S. Peter who hath begotten vs to a liuely hope of the resurrection The Seauenth Chapter That the afflictions of minde which are incident in the life of man may mocue him to a Meditation of his ende SAlomon whome GOD for wisedome chose as it were to be a forman of a great Enquest to make enquiry of the state of the world to come foorth to speake for all and his conscience of all hauing heard and seene the nature of thinges vnder the Sunne yeeldes vp his verdite of all as thus All is vanitie and vexation of minde This is in briefe the condition of all in generall The rich discontented in honors the poore languishing in griefe the learned full of restlesse labours all of what estate soeuer subiect vnto troubles and vexation of mind As if Salomon should haue said you may looke for no other all is vexation Small cause had the Israelites to care for their continuance amongest the Taske-masters of Egipt and as small cause haue any to desire to liue in this wildernesse amongst many wolues Wee know Christ our Sauiour hath told vs that beeing in the world we are not of the world here we may not looke for perfect rest of body or all contentment of minde and therefore to meditate of deliuerance may bee some refreshing to the distressed soule who may powre out her complaintes saying Would to God that day might once shine when I shall see my Redeemer When I shall come where is peace within and without when I shall appeere before the presence of God with ioy and bee no more oppressed with griefes disturbed with cares molested with thoughtes but liue and rest for euer What comfort can a man reape or what quiet should hee take where want is miserable plenty full of peril which way soeuer wee cast our eyes wee finde cause of complainte that we may well count Laughter error and subscribe to that of the Prophet Lord thy terrors haue I suffered from my youth vpward with a troubled minde Hauing then so little cause to ioy in this life where there is so small a cause to make vs reioyce where the minde is so inuested with cares and molested with griefes wee may recount with our selues the happinesse of them who after the stormes of this troublesome sea haue cast anker in their safest roade Noah had much molestation in the old world hee had the waters swelling vnder him the heauens darke gloomy ouer him At last the Arke stayed vpon the mountaines of Arâ—â—at and then was Noah a glad man Lot was grieued amongst the sinfull Sodomites at last God sent his Aungels to take him cleane away Elias mourned for a time sate vnder the Iuniper tree sent vp his sighes to heauen at last came the charriot and then there was no more Iesabell to persecute him no more false Prophets to band themselues against him The Saintes vnder the Altar may for a time cry How long Lord Iesus after a little more sufferinge their disgrace shall be turned into glory their mournefull teares into gladsome triumph Why art thou so vexed O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within me O put thy trust in God In the multitude of my sorrowes saith the same Prophet that were in my hart thy comforts Lord haue refreshed my soule Thereby shewing that as the world had a multitude of sorrowes to assault his hart so God had a multitude of comfortes to refresh his soule amongest them all For as our sufferinges in Christ doe abound so our consolations also in Christ do abound tâ—o sâ—th S. Paule Our Sauiour knowing that his Apostles should haue many and great discomfortes in the world promiseth to send them after his Ascention vp into heauen an other comforter for his presence was their comâ—ort and afterward in their deepest
good or euill my aunsweare is Looke vnto the condition of the life present which if it be passed ouer in vertue O well is thee and happy shalt thou be if otherwise the case is altered Mors peccatorum pessima the death of sinners is worst of all For why they passe ouer their dayes saith Iob in great iollity and suddainely fall into a sea of miseries Because wee know not the day wee should watch euery day because wee know not the hower wee should watch euery hower We see that in matters of waight foresight and deliberation is wont to bring them better to passe The husbandman will take his season the Souldier will watch his fittest time euery one will cast the best way to compasse the businesse hee hath in hande and shall the Christian man be altogether carelesse and negligent in preparing himselfe for his departure God forbid It is the Wise mans wise counsell Ante languorem adhibe medicinam ante iudicium interroga teipsum Before thy languishing griefe consult of the medicine before iudgement examine thy selfe The Prophet Dauid expressing the prouident care and carefull prouidence of an holy man saith Orabit ad te in tempore oportuno Hee shall pray vnto thee in a time conuenient or remember thee O Lorde in a time when thou maist bee found The seruants that saide in their hartes the master dooth deferre his comming the master of those seruantes shall come in a time they thincke not of and giue them their portion where shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth But happy are those seruantes who attend his returne these are those that make all cleane and handsomeâ— these are those that sometimes looke foorth sit as Abraham at the entrance of the Tabernacle these are those who haue their loynes girt their lampes burning their oyle ready and waite with the wise virgins for the Bridegromes coming these are those whome their Lord shall finde sic facientes so dooing and therefore make them rulers ouer much take them by the handes and bring them to the participation of euerlasting ioy That menne would well prepare themselues in time while they are their owne men they shall one day finde the benefite of this carefulnesse To him that passeth through darke places one light carried before him will doe him more good then many that are brought after For him that vndertaketh a long iourney abuise beforehaÌ„d wil stand him in stead Of this spirituall voyage the vowe of the Prophet should be the vow and resolution of euery particular man by the assistance of Gods grace Dixi custodiam vias meas I said I will take heede vnto my wayes I religious preparation in time woulde doe men more good then they are aware Christ wepte for the men of Ierusalem whiche would not weepe for themselues and all was because they knew not the thinges that did belonge vnto their peace Antiochus after his many iniuries â—ffered vnto the people of the Iewes and vnto the temple of God it selfe taking sacriligiously froÌ„ thence the ornamentes appointed for Gods seruice when the Lord called him to aunsweare the cause at his owne consistory he could then wish hee had neuer medled with sacred goods onely consecrated ad pios vsus to Church to godly vses When Pharao saw the Sea ready to swallow him hee could then no doubt be sorry that euer hee had wronged poore innocents and oppressed Gods owne portion When sleepe is gone from their eyes and rest from their tossed beds then many may wish that they had vsed lesse oppression then they haue that they had fasted often with the Apostle prayed with Daniell wept with Mary Magdalen liued in meane estate and so haue feared God rather then to haue inioyed the pleasures of sinne for a season which they find to be ful of bitternesse at the last These thinges should be considered in time and here is the time They shall seeke me saith Wisedome speaking of negligent sinners but they shall not finde mee and why because they seeke when it is too late The foolish virgins may call Lord Lord but when the Bridegroome is past and that mild countenance of Christ turnd away the woefull plight of these virgins shal be such as it were inough to breake their hearts with sorrow and such sorrow which shall neuer cease to wound their very distressed soules Had wee not need then in a case of such importance to stande euermore ready by a serious preparation for our ende to hold vs fast in the feare of God and to waxe olde therein as Syrach counselleth vs. Moreouer our coÌ„tinuance here beeing onely certaine in vncertainety and therefore saith one Nobis certam solicitudinem imponat incerta conditio In any case let our vncertaine condition put into vs a certaine carefulnesse of our estate to come If in any thinge that care of the Prophet is to bee remembred who would not suffer his eyes to sleepe nor the temples of his head to take any rest it should surely in this of all other be â—emembred Who would pasâ—e a day in sinnefull security Whâ— would lay him downe in that 〈◊〉 of life wherein hee would 〈◊〉 loath to depart this Tabernacle Doe not many meere with death and are often surprised at places of greatest triumph where men are wonte to thinck of nothinge lesse Now merry within short time mourned for A boane in the meate a 〈◊〉 in the cup. The laying wait of an enemy hath made many a stout champion after manifest peâ—ls escaped in the middest of hatefull enemies to yeeld by so weake a meanes whether they would or no. Many good friendes oftentimes in the worlde shake handes at partinge and wee see their nexte meeting is at heauen Wherefore when wee keepe our solemne assemblies we had neede keepe them religiously minded for we know not whether wee shall euer keepe them any more When wee make our humble repentance to God wee had neede doe it sincerely in deede Sathan hee is busie because his time is short and therefore his wrath is the fiercer But wee remembring the continuance of time should vse all diligence and therefore our care should be the greater to preuent the subtile Serpent The Church doth pray and that in most Christian manner too that the faithfull may be deliuered from suddaine death And surely great cause hath the sober Christians man to desire rather leysurely to yeelde himselfe to God then to bee taken in a moment from the society of men To haue a good departure out of the worlde may bee a good mans prayer and to close vp the course of life with a treatable dissolution is that faire Christian ende wee may all beg at the handes of God Notwithstandinge when the minde is well prepared and euery day resigned to his will who knoweth better then our selues how best to bring vs to his kingdome Though the Christian end the dayes of his transitory life by
a more short riddance from these bodily inâ—rnâ—ities the suddainenesse with Gods helpe is no preâ—â—dice vnto his future good that liues euer prepared for the day of his departure and they are not ouertaken with death how suddainâ—ly soeuer they are gone that dayly mind the tune of their dissolution Wee may remember that if wee respecte our estate and condiâ—ion of life we are all at one and the selfe same stay Considera saith S. Bernard non qualis sis sed qualis fueris consider not so much what thou art as what thou shalt be What is become of all Adams posterity for these many hundred yeares passed excepting a remnant that must shortly follow after are they not all gone Moyses mentioning the age of those who liued before the floud when as yet the dayes of man were of more continuance then they are saith All the dayes of Seth were nine hundreth and twelue yeares and hee died All the dayes of Iered were nine hundreth sixty and two yeares and he died All the dayes of Methushelah were nine hundreth sixty and nine yeares and hee died that same mortuus est and he died will yere long bee the clause appliable to vs all In the meane season we reade the Epitaphes of others follow the Funeralles of some deere friends we see many as those on whom the Tower in Siloa fell gone in a moment warninges sufficient if warninges will serue to make vs liue prepared for our ende Carelesse men saith one are not vnlike dissolute seruitors in princes courts who hauing their allowance of lights spend them out in riot and so at last are faine to go to bed darkling prouident Christians haue a foresight to thinke of the time to come consider this transitorie estate will haue an end and therefore prepare for an other world where they may haue a stay or perpetuity of rest Now then to bee euer in a readinesse for the giuing vp our accâ—unt to God to liue prepared for the day of death the vncertaintie of life the waightinesse of the charge may iustly moue vs all to bee carefull indeed Howe much therfore it concerneth vs in time of health to prouide for another world euery one doth see we haue not two souls that wee may hazard one God willed his people vpon their passage out of Egypt to haue their loines girt their staues in their handes their shooes on their feete that there might be no let when the time of their deliuery should come wee know not how soone God will sende vs from this Egypt Iesus Christ graunt we may keepe our Pasouers with soules prepared to bee gone Who so feareth the Lord saith the Wise man it shall go well with him at the last and hee shall find fauour in the day of his death The Tenth Chapter Wherein is shewed the maner of preparing or the state and condition of life wherein the christian man should stand prepared for death THe meane then to die the death of yâ— righteous is firll to liue the life of the righteous The meane to sit with Abraham is here to walke with Abraham for God hath appointed a vertuous life to go in order before the great reward of eternall life not as the cause but as the consequent of our blessed righteousnesse in Christ our Sauiour What remameth but to frame the premises as we would fine the conclusion To sow as we would one day reape for those that will lie soft must make their bed thereafter and to liue the life wee hope to liue is in a generalitie here to liue religiously The old Christians made the worlde to reade in their liues that they did beleeue in their hearts and Heathen men to say this is a good God whose seruants are so good Therefore then this godly and holy conuersation of life what better state for a Christian man to stand in euer prepared sor his end Was not that a memorable protestation of Samuel when before his death in the presence of all the people he declared as thus his integritie of life Behold here I am beare recorde of me before the Lord and his anointed As if he should haue said giue me my quiâ—tâ—s est at parting whose oxe hâ—u I taken to whom haue I done wrong The peoples replie in effect was now God be with thee good Samuel to whoÌ„ thou art going and so with mournfull heartes they gaue him this testimonie at parting That of Saint Paul when hee tooke his farewell of the men of Ephesus who wept abundantly for the words he spake being chiefly sorie they should see his face no more I take you to recorde this day I am pure from the blood of al men I haue couered no mans siluer or gold After so good a life was not this a good farewell That of Simeon a iust man one that â—eared God and waited for the consolation of Israel who imbracing Christ prayed to depart in peace O good life saieth an ancient father what a ioy art thou in time of distres It made the some father neither ashamed to liue any longer because hee had liued honestly nor afraid to die because he had a good Lord. Plutarch writeth of Pericles that he neuer caused man to weare sorrowfull attire he was so harmlesse And of Lysander that hee was more honoured after his death then euer he had beene in all his life hee was so vertuous But the Wise man speaking of the seruants of God who passed through the darkenesse of this world with lamps in their liues which did both light themselues and others The righteous saith he are had in a perpetuall remembrance their bodies are buried in peace but their name liueth for euermore For such is the power of vertue as it makes men not onely honoured when they are aliue but also when they are dead and it is wont to take them out of their graues and cause them to liue in the mention of long posteritie hauing their names registred and inrolled with the Saints of heauen These stood euermore vpon their departure hauing that heauenly treasure of a good conscience hauing peace and tranquilitie of mind When the euill are tossed saith the Prophet Esai as the raging waxes of the sea their name perisheth saith the Wise man as if they neuer had beene Thus the innocent life like the watchfull seruant openeth the doore gladly when his maister knocketh but the riotous seeketh corners being ashamed to be seene the one is quit by a ioyfull proclamation the other found guiltie at the barre of his own conscience He that will say with the Apostle Mors mihi lucrum Death is to mee aduauntage must liue with the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Omni bona conscientia with all good conscience Thus much ingenerall of preparing our selues for the time of our dissolution in particular to come nearer home the applying of himselfe to Faith Hope and Charitie is that
Disce Mori Learne to Die A Religious discourse moouing euery Christian man to enter into a serious remembrance of his ende Wherin also is contained the meane and manner of disposing himselfe to God before and at the time of his departure In the whole somewhat happily may be obserued necessary to be thought vpon while we are aliue and when we are dying to aduise our selues and others Put thy house in order for thou shalt not liue but die Esay 38. 1. LONDON Printed by Iohn Wolse. 1600. To the Honourable and vertuous his very good Lady the Lady Elizabeth Southwell one of the Ladies of the Queenes Maiesties most honourable priuy Chamber LAtely entring Right vertuous Lady into some more then ordinary consideration of the gracelesse attempts and desperate enterprises which many in these dayes the more the more pittie by a cowardly yeelding to euill motions commit euen against their owne selues yea their owne safetie I thought to discharge my duetie vnto Almightie God and plaine meaning to men by setting downe onely some shorte aduertisement for discontented and distressed mindes But after waying with my selfe how much it concerneth euery man to be careful of his end whereupon dependes so great a charge as his eternall welfare is worth I then began to draw that particular aduertisement appertayning vnto some to a more general discourse appliable vnto all and euerye one in this forme DISCE MORI Learne to Die For it seemed to me a thinge most necessarie for euery sober Christian to be mooued to enter into a serious remembraunce of his ende to know the meane and manner of disposinge himselfe to GOD before and at the time of his departure that so by the assistance of Gods good grace hee might liue and die the life and death of the righteous and that it may bee saide of him which S. Ambrose sometimes spake of Abraham Mortuus est in bona senectute eo quód in bonitate propositi permansit Abraham dyed in a good old age for why Abraham perseuered in his good resolutions in his old age yea euen vnto the ende Madam I beseech the God of Abraham to graunt you Abrahams good successiue course both in the way and at the ende of the way Your more then vsuall fauor and long continued acceptance hath bounde me vnto you whome otherwise I truely reuerence for that I am fully perswaded you truely reuerence God and serue him whome to serue is blessed libertie yea as I shall in the discourse following shew is the most honourable estate of all To make issue of my duetifull regard this small occasion is offered Were I a meere straunger I could not for protection sake seeke any better patronesse of a religious discourse theÌ„ from a religious disposition but your particular respect towardes me many waies is such as I shall liue and die vngratefull I could haue wished to haue made testimonie of my willing intention by some other meanes theÌ„ by publishinge vnder your Ladyships name these small labours to the view of the world for I must needes confesse I wâ—s very loath respectinge my owne weakenesse to make that knowne vnto others which is best knowne vnto my selfe vntill at last being ouer entreated by some speciall friendes from the vniuersitie of Oxford whose sober iudicious very learned aduise I knewe not howe to gainesay I was induced to let this presente tracte goe forwarde in the name of GOD. Wherein I seeke not praise where none is deserued but onely desire the Christian Reader where ought is amisse to attribute that vnto my selfe and beseech your Ladyship that if there bee any thing obserued which may mooue so much as a good thought that it woulde please you to giue the glory only vnto God to whose heauenly protection commeÌ„ding you euer in my prayers I cease for this time to holde you any longer from the matter it self which followeth Your Ladyships in humble duetie Christoph. Sutton As death sâ—aueth thee so shall Iudgment find thee The Preface to the godly Reader THat Religion is somewhat out of ioynt when Christian conuersation goes not euen as it ought with Christian profession it is so apparant it caÌ„not be denied such and so sensible a defect as that thereby the whole bodie is not a little blemished Those whose hearts desire is that Israel may be saued and whose true charity is woont to beseech God for the good of all haue not onely lifted vp humble handes to heauen but also endeuoured by painfull labors to seeke as much as in them lieth and so farre-forth as the times may permit and suffer the best redresse in this case they could some by substantiall answering and soberly asswaging the turbulent humors of those men whose priuate fancies haue much hindred higher proceedings in matters of faith Refuted they may be and are quieted they will not bee others by deuout and learned exhortations in seeking to make a stay of those euils which Atheisme and want of the fear of God would in great likehoode bring vpon this declining world both labouring for their times to keepe some remembraunce of Iesus Christ in the minds of men before all be too farre out of square or come to vnrecouerable ruine But here may wee not demaunde of the diligent obseruers of our imperfections abroad whose maner is so much to strike vpon this one string and by this defect take occasion to call in question nay to bring in open oblequie our Christian cause are none fallen at home from the ancient sinceritie and harmlesse deuotion of former and better ages of the Church Some state medling actions these vncharitable censures in cleane shutting out from the housholde of faith and hope of life those who haue poore soules to saue as well as others and beare as true a loue to Christ crucified as themselues may put them in minde that wee may all beare a part togither in that song of mercy Asper gas nos Domine Cleanse vs O Lord. May we not all bâ— thinke our selues on both sides whether these bee not the dayes whereof our Sauiour Christ spake Wherin iniquitie shoulde abound Was euer that old complaint of Hilary more trulie verified Dum in verbis pugnaest dum in nouitatibus quaestio est dum in ambiguis occasio est dum in consensu difficultas est iam nemo Christi est While there is strife in wordes while there is question in innouations while there is occasion in doubts while there is a waywardnesse in consent none is of Christ. This nipping and galling one of and at another this eger pursuit of the liuing and troubling the verie ashes of the dead who can not answer for themselues is farre from that charitie that hopeth all thinges and the counsell of that spirit that biddes vs pray one for another To see what wit and learning is wont to doe in tossing the testimonies of auncient record to and fro nay which is more in wresting the verie text of holie
necessary it is for euerie one to enter into a serious remembraÌ„ce of his ende The manifolde reasons that should mooue him to this remembrance amongst these reasons specially the meditation of his state and manifold afflictions incident vnto the life present should mooue him herevnto Correction causeth the scholler more painfullie to applie himself vnto hâ—s lesson and so the manie chasticements in this world cause vs the rather to â—ee more industrâ—ous in this learning the meanes that call vs away from so good a labour are mentioned and the maner how to auoid these meanes is with all expressed To make an entrance into this so solemne a subiect I was sometime since occasioned by the treatable visitation and most Christian ende of that verie woorshipfull knight sir Robert Southwell whose approued seruice in this Commonwelth and good reputation in his Countrie is well knowne vnto manie but of whose true heart to God-warde both in the time of his life at the time of his death my selfe can truly relate before others If there be as without doubt there is a dutie which wee owe vnto the faithfull departed and a good remembrance to bee had of those happie soules then might I not omit a reuerende mention of him whose portion I trust assuredly is with God Looke what a mournefull minde during the time of this his so Christian visitation could at times consider of and obserue in priuate I haue beene since by speciall motiues drawn on to make that poore labour publike as a discourse proper vnto the time For although a consideration of our departure from this world bee a subiect not vnfitting all ages yet seeing we are fallen into those dayes wherein manye liue as if they should neuer die and die as if with death al were done and when they come to depart this world they are so farre to seeke in a right disposing themselues to God as if they seldome or neuer entrod into any earnest consideration of the same Necessarie are those manie treatises which tend to the amendment of life but because vpon our last conflict dependeth our eternall victorie against the professed enemie of our soules the well behauing our selues in this combate must needes of all other be most necessarie To guide the ship along the seas it is no doubt a good skill but at the verie entrance into the hauen then to auoide the daungerous rockes and to cast anchor in a safe roade is the chiefest skil of all To run the race in good order is the part of a stout champion but so to run towards the end of his race that hee may obtaine the crowne is the verie perfection of all his paines Then a good life what more Christian like but after that passed to die in the faith and feare of God what more diuine To order aright the vpshot of our owne time and farewell from this world what more behouefull if we respect our selues but in these occasions to bee also helpfull vnto others what more charitable in respect of the communion of Saints and that common ioy we receyue in the good of all Wee are charged to let men liue loselie and most vnchristianlie to depart this worlde to leade their liues and to goe out of their liues without order what men doe is one thing what wee wish were done is another God knowes and many can witnesse how often howe earnestlie wee call vpon this carelesse world to remember that high and weighty businesse of the soule men haue in hande Though there bee not in vse vnguentes eum oleo which we finde rather appropriate vnto the former times of the Church and neerest vnto the Apostles themselues Yet we say with Saint Iames Infirmaturquis inducat presbyte ros orent super eum and to this ende is our Church forme set downe An order for the visitation of the sicke so intituled We wish as hearâ—ilie as anie Christians can that once the holy exercises of fasting and prayer were more deuoutly put in practise then we see and sorie to see theâ— are We reuerence antiquitie wherin without all question God was more carefullie worshipped memorable deedes of deuotion and hospitalitie to hâ—s glory glorie more chearefullie performed what is consonant to faith and good maners wee allowe and commend euen in those who seeme otherwise in the opinion of manie so farre different from vs and wee heartily wish that men might see our good workes And so glorifie our father which is in heauen It is said of Aristides who perceiuing the open scandal likelie to arise by reason of the contention sprung vp betwixt him and Themistocles to haue besought Themistocles mildly after this manner Sir wee both are no meane men in this commonwelth our dissention will prooâ—e no smal offence vnto many good Themistocles let vs be at one and if we will needes striue let vs striue who shall excell each other in vertue and loue The Elements though in qualities diuerse yet doe they all accord for the constitution of the bodie naturall what should Christians but acaccord for the conseruation of the Church that they be not a shame to Israel which Church is a bodie mysticall we are all sheepe of that folde whereof Christ is the sheepheard we are all stones of that building whereof he was the corner We are all braunches of that Vine whereof hee was the stocke We haue but one God for our father that created vs all one Christ Iesus to our Sauiour that redeemed vs all one holie Ghost to our sanctifier that doth adorne vs all We are but pilgrimes and straungers and wee shall one day find that a peaceable christian life with a good departure from this worlde shal stand vs more in stead then all the world besides when after bearing our braines in matters of contradiction we shall perceiue that this charitable Christian life is worth all And therefore beseech we God the authour of all good giftes that Mercie and truth may meete togither that righteousnesse and peace may kisse each other And his glorie dwell in our land vntil wee come to dwell in the land of glorie As thou art I once was As I am thou shalt be A Copie of a letter sent from Oxford to the Authour of this booke and thought good in his absence to be set down by those to whome the publique allowance heereof did appertaine MAster Sutton I haue perused your copie which seemeth to mee in my simple opinion very deuout diuine learned The subiect of your booke I greatly approoue for to teache to die well is the forciblest perswasiue to liue well which alas are in these wicked times both little thought on for in deede men liue as though they neuer made accompt to die and they die as if they neuer thought on another life Your seuerall treatises are very Christian most necessary in this dying age to all goodnesse your phrase and vaine of penninge sweete and patheticall your allusions diuine comfortable
I say at once and I thinke Omnia in illo libro spiritum dininum olent Wherfore my counsell vnto you is that you woulde make this your booke liue by printing which may make many liue froÌ„ sinning Gods good spirite hath not moued you to take this good paines now to bury the fruite so soone as it is borne and none profited but that it shoulde be presented vnto the worlde to liue when you are dead Foelix formosa proles est be not then so vnnatural now to stifle it in the cradle or cast it with Moyses to drowning it is worthy the nurcing and bringing vp of a Princes daughter and your honourable patronesse The Church looketh to haue good seruice of it the Vniuâ—rsitie your Colledge your mother your frendes expect credite commendation by it your selfe the father of it will no doubt haue great ioy of it Goe forwarde then on Gods name and christen it to the world And so I leaue with my hartiest commendations longing to see that faire printed which is now so neere written I could sâ—aâ—ce reade it From L. Col. the 6. of August 1600. Your assured louing frend R. K. The Contents of the Chapters I. An exhortation moouinge euery one to apply himselfe to learne to die II. Wherein is shewed the cause why men so seldomâ— in these dayes enter into a serious remembrance of their end III. How behoouefull it is for euery Christian man soberly to meditate of his end IIII. Wherein is shewed that the estate and condition of the life present may instely mooue vs to this consideration V. That a meditation of the liâ—e to come may also mooue vs to the same remembrance of our ende VI. That we need not feare Death much lesse to meditate thereof VII That the afflictions of minde which are incident in the life of man may mooue him to meditate of his ende VIII That the griefes of body may also mooue him to this serious meditation IX How it concerneth euery one in time of health to prepare himselfe for the day of his dissolution X. Wherein is shewed the manner of this preparing or the estate and condition of life wherin the Christian shoulde euer staÌ„d prepared for Death XI How the Christian man should demeane himself when sicknesse beginneth to grow vppon him XII How he shold dispose of worldly goods and possessions XIII How necessary it is for the sick leauing worldly thoughtes to apply his mind to prayer and some godly meditation XIIII How the sicke when sickenesse more and more encreaseth may be moued to constancy and perseuerance XV. How they may bee aduertised who seeme vnwilling to die XVI How they may bee induced to depart meekly that seeme loath to leaue v orldly goods wife children frends or such like XVII How the impatient may be perswaded to endure the paines of sickenesse and death peaceably XVIII How they are to be comforted who seeme to bee troubled in mind with a remeÌ„brance of their sinnes and feare of iudgement to come XIX How the sicke in the agonye of death may bee prepared towards his end XX. In what maner the sicke should bee directed by those to whome this waightye businesse doth properly pertaine XXI Wherein is laide downe the manner of commending the sicke into the hands of God at the hower of Death XXII An exhoâ—tation to comforte those who lament 〈◊〉 for the departure of others XXIII How those that vndertake any daungerous attempte either by sea or land wherein they are in perill of Death shoulde deuoutly before make themselues ready for God XXIIII A briefe direction for such as are suddenly called to departe the world XXV A Consolatory Admonition for those who are often ouermuch grieued at the crosses of this world XXVI An admonition to all while they haue time to make speede in applying them to this lesson of learning to die XXVII The great folly of men in neglecting this oportunity or time offered to learne to die XXVIII Wherin is shewed that this learning to die may iustly mooue vs to leade a Christian life in holy conuersation and godlynesse XXIX Wherein is shewed in the last place that a consideration of Christ his second comming to iudgemente ought to mooue euery one to liue religiously also to apply himselfe to this lesson of learning to die XXX A short Dialogue between faith and the natural man concerning mans estate in the worlde and his departure from the worlde XXXI A Dialogue between Discontentment and Hope XXXII A Dialogue betweene Presumption and Feaâ—e XXXIII A short discourse wherin is shewed the great commendation of a peaceable course of life vnto which wee are moued by a consideration of our ende DISCE MORI Learne to Die The First Chapter An exhortation moouing euery one to apply himselfe to this lesson of learning to Die TRue it is that our abode heere in this world is an ordinaunce established of God and may also be very acceptable to man To procure the continuaunce of life by meanes ordained is allowable To auoide thinges hurtfull to the preseruation thereof is behoouefull Wilfully to hinder our owne health is not onely against the coursâ— of nature but a way to tempt the very God of nature To wish eyther to bee gonne sooner or to stay longer in this earthly station then it shal seeme good vnto him by whose appointment wee all stand is a part saith one of great ingratitude The time therefore allotâ—ed vs to walke in we may accept vntill God cal vs away with thankefull hearts vsing that space to serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse To desire with the Prophete that God who hath taught vs froÌ„ our youth by would not leaue vs in age when wee are gray-headed vntill wee haue shewed his power vnto them who are yet to come With Ezechias to do God yet a little more seruice in the world With S. Paule to be content to stay our dissolution to be helpefull vnto others In which respectes we may accept of and wish yet some farther continuaunce of our selues and others The true Israelites in desiring so hartely the life and preseruation of Dauid their king because when he should be taken from them the light of Israel wold bee quenched and many a good Israelite shoulde as Iacob saide bring his gray heires with sorrow vnto the graue did herein sheâ— no lesse dutifull then godly affection Notwithstanding seeing that man hath here onely a course to finish which beeing finished he must away seeing that life is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true as the saying hath a debt to Death who hath absolute authority ouer all then as the Prophet Daniell said Heare acceptable counsell Nay heare O maÌ„ counsell by yâ— wisest amongst men from the God of Heauen Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth or at the least before the dayes come wherin thou shalt saye I haue no pleasure in them That is to wit thy approaching end
we it there is some daunger but if wee first discrie the Basiliske then the Serpent dieth wee neede not feare The tempest before expected dooth lesse annoy when the storme shall arise He that leaueth the worlde before the worlde leaues hym thinketh of the day of his dissolution as the Sicke man hearkeneth to the clocke shall giue Death the hand like a welcome messenger and with Simeon pray to depart in peace Yet the weather is faire wee may frame an Arke to saue vs from the floud Yet Ionas calls in the streete of Niniuie Yet Wisedome crieth to all that passe by vsque quo O how long will you loue vanitie Yet the Angels are at the gates of Sodome Yet the Prophet woos O Iuda how shall I entreate thee Yet the Apostle beseecheth for Christes sake that we would bee reconciled vnto God To conclude yet the Bridegroome tarries and stayes the virgins leysure to haue them enter with him vnto the marriage solemnitie Lord that they would make speede and cast off many meere vanities seeing the ioyes of heauen carry for them The pleasures of this worlde are pleasures in shew but the pleasures that Christ hath layd vp for them that are his are pleasures in deede God almighty increase in our hartes a desire of this learning that so wee may liue in his feare die in his loue to liue for euer The Second Chapter Wherein is shewed the cause why men so seldome enter into a serious remembrance of their end CAn wee sufficiently woonder that the regenerate manne whome God hath made by grace â— contemplatiue creature and by glory equalled vnto the state of Aungels should bee so delighted in the affaires of thys vncomfortable worlde so enchaunted with the harlot-like allurements of sinne so carried away from himself by the way of sensuall securitie as vtterly to cast away all remeÌ„brance of his ende and to become worse then an Idoll of Canaan which had eyes saw not that is to haue a Reasonable Soule and vnderstand not to induce the sonnes of men lightly and loosely to passe ouer a religious remembrance of this their ende Is his sleight whose businesse was and is at and since the fall of Adam to slay soules Nequaquam moriemini Tush you shall not dye at all As if he would haue the remembrance of death but a melancholy conceite and least it should make in mans hart too deepe an Impression of the feare of God he will haue the Forbidden tree to delght the eye fayre woordes to please the eare and driue all away Eritis vt Dii Why you shall be as Gods when his drift was to haue had them Diuels By this we see whose practise it is to make the worlde runne at randome as it doth and so many graceles Libertines by a carelesse course to passe ouer their dayes in vanity their yeares in folly so long vntill they be taken by the euill day when they thinke not of it as birdes in the snare and fishes in the nett sayth the wise man and so become vtterly vndone for euer To muse of our Ende is none of our thoghts to heare S. Paule speake of iudgement to come is too chilling a doctrine for our delightful dispositions and makes vs cold at the hart We cannot abide to stay vppon such austerities with Felix wee are not at leysure for this â—arring musicke which soundes not a right in the consort of our worldly pleasures and therefore will heare it another tyme happely not at all To thinke of death it is Acheldoma a fielde of bloud but to let the time slide wastfully and our sinnes increasâ— daungerously to promise vnto our selues many dayes to heare placentia and to be told of Peace Peace though sodeine destruction bee neuer so neere is our pleasing ditty vntill the soul bee rocke a sleepe in sinne and sleepe as Sisera which God forbid he slept but neuer waked againe Mercyfull Lorde what will become of this at the last If nothing els yet the dayly instances of death before vs doe euidently shew what shall in like maner shortely betide our selues The enterlude is the same weâ— are but now Actors vppon the stage of this world They which are gon haue played their parts and wee which remayne are yet acting ours onely our Epilogue is for to ende It is a maruaile aboue maruailes that in a battaile where so manye goe to the grounde our remisse hartes can take no warning to enter into some remeÌ„brance of our state The neighbours fire cannot but giue warninge of approachinge flames Mihi heri tibi hodie yesterday to mee to day to thee Whose turne is next God onely knowes who knoweth all Hee that once thought but to beginne to take his ease was faine that very night whether he would or no to make his ende If nothinge els yet so manye so apparant precedentes should mooue vs toshake off this strange forgetfulnesse vnlesse that complainte of Cyprian be also verified Nolumus agnoscere quod ignoraâ—e non possumus Wee will not knowe that which we caÌ„not but know Good Lord into what a daungerous Lethargie of the soule are wee fallen when so many obiectes before our eyes which are so often sounding in our dullest eares can nothing moue or at least so little as sodeinely all is gone Our mouing is with Agrippa in modico tantum but onely somewhat which by and by is forgot againe Our consultations are Volumus nolumus we will and we will not and so with the sluggarde nothinge is done What long discourse haue we in our greatest meetings but dead men are partly if not chiefly the subiect of the same How often heare wee the solemne â—nell when our selues can say well some body is gon Do we not passe by the graues of manye who for age and strength might haue rather seene vs lead the way and yet for all this to dreame as if there were no death at all Goe too sayth Salomon to the slothfull sleepe on Let fooles as they do make but a sporte of sinne and say with the olde Epicures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why what haue we to do with death They shall one day finde that death will haue to dâ—e with theÌ„ when he shall strip them into a shrowdinge sheete â—inde them hand and foote and make their last bed to be the hard and stony graue Of which sorte of men that moane of Moyses may iustly be renewed O that this people were wise and would remember the latter thinges That they would cast to minde the dayes will come and God knoweth how soone too When the kepers of the house shall tremble which are the handes when the stronge men shall bow themselues to wit the legges when they shall waxe darke that looke out of the windowes that is to say the eyes When the eares or daughters of musicke shal be abased when grashoppers on
mercifull vnto thee thou art no longer a man of this world dispatche to bee gone thou must shortly die Who is there that will not set downe and cast ouer his bils of account before he run too farre in Arrerages that thinkes throughly he shall beefore long bee heare his masters voice to warne him out of office Iam non poteris villicare Thou shalt bee no longer Steward In a generality how this or the like remembrance causeth a carefull direction of all our life wheÌ„ any temptation doth come that of the Wise maÌ„ doth briefly expresse My sonne remember thy ende in whatsoeuer thou shalt take in hand and thou shalt neuer doe amisse This remembrance if it did sincke into the hart whereas often like a peece of musicke it soundeth in the eare then would it woorke better effectes in the world then commoÌ„ly it is wont If coueteous menne who seeme possessed with a spirit of hauing who like Moales and Antes are alwayes turning in the earth If the proude who like Gyants with contempte disdayne the meaner sorte of menne who are made of the same mould as well as they did deepely consider that one of these dayes they shall become a clod of earth when like a State-searcher Death will see they carry away nothinge wyth them when these loftye lookes shall bee layde full lowe and all their glorye bee Eclipsed some good thoughte to this effecte would make them say with Naaman the Sirian God be mercifull vnto vs in this one thinge that wee thincke not oftener of our ende Would any Ammon committe that freely in the sighte of God which he shameth to coÌ„mit in the sighte of the meanest of all Gods creatures â— Would any Ahab oppresse wroÌ„g poore Naboaths did himself remember hee were but a Soiourner as wer his Forefathers that after an euill course he must shortly goe to answeare for all when the hart shall feele for wrong offered many a colde pull and the sinnes lye vpon the soule as heauy as lead Our Sauiour Christ saide to fore-warne Reuolters Remember Lots wife So may it bee sayd to aduise all oppressors Remember poore Naboths vineyard To call to minde that this world and the glory thereof so soone passeth away that we are heere to day and gone tomorrow If nothinge els yet with men of reasonable capacitie this were inough were it considered to contayne them within the listes and limites of a Christian conscionable course But because this is not considered so many liue as if they had no soules to saue Such is the calamitie of our time Non sic erat a principio but it was not so from the beginning The godly Patriarkes in purchasing onely a place to bury in what doth it els but manifestly shew vnto succeeding posteritie howe mindefull they were of theyr state mortal That song of Moyses which the auncient Fathers say the people of God vsed in forme of a dayly prayer to witt the 90. Psalme wherein both manâ— frailtie is acknowledged is also this petition pathetically inserted Lord teach vs to nomber our dayes doth it not shew vnto vs with what deuotion they â—aily entred into a Remembrance of their ende Where is that mindfullnesse of Abraham so great a Patriarke who confessed himselfe to bee but dust and ashes Of Iob who dayly wayted till his chaunginge shoulde come Of king Dauid who made no other reckoning of himselfe but to bee onelye a straunger amongst men Of the Apostle S. Peter who counted his contynuance here but an abode in a Tabernacle which hee shoulde shortlye laye off Tabernacles were only for men in warrefare Pilgrimes to shew while we are in these bodies wee are no other but men ready to remooue How farre these were from setting their repose heere in earth we may hence easily perceiue Amongst heathen men the Emperours when they were crowned the Sepulchers of dead men were shewed vnto them and they asked what one should bee made for them thereby putting them in remembrance that they must looke for no other but themselues shortly to haue the like For the old Saintes and seruauntes of God who liued in a continuall farewell from the world like wise marchantes alwayes thinking of their returne endeuoured to take vp treasures by billes of receite where they should stay and make their abode for euer Iacob was carefull in his iourney to Haram Iacob slept the same night God shewed him a ladder the top wherof reached to Heauen Iacob that as the iourney thou and al Pilgrims should be carefull of indeede The Philosophers who saw no farther then the cloudes of humane reason perceyuinge the declining course of humane nature could say the life of wise men what should it els bee but a continuall meditation of death If any to exercise himselfe in this speculatiue remembrance of hys state would keepe a Catalogue to this ende and often recite by name how many reuerend Prelates how many graue Counsellors how many worthy men of Armes gallants of the world how many of his nerest familiars he had knowne within these few yeares to haue flourished wyth their troupes and trames after them saying Good Lord Are tâ—ey not deade and rotten are they not all gone almost as if they neuer had bene Why should menne make so much accompt of this world that is so transitory Againe what more effectuall meane to make vs shake off the allurements of this life as Paul did the viper into the fire then this or the like religious Meditation of our ende Almighty God would shew the Prophet Ieremy in no other place then a house of clay the state and condition of the despisers of his word to signify that wee are best lessoned where our fraile estate may bee best considered The Wise man could not but woonder Why any shoulde bee puffed vpp with pride considering what he was Quid â—uperbis terra O earth saith he why art thou proud As if all our pompe and our selues too were no better then the ground we treade vpon A strange case to see the meanesse of our estate and yet to exalt our selues to consider vpon how weake a foundation we stand and to thinke of nothing lesse If we will needs be high minded would to God we would set our mindes on heauenly thinges or things on high For consideration necessary is it to thinke of that which must necessarily beefall Were it but onely for that which stands lyke the Law of the Medes and Persians Constitutum est omnibus semel mori It is enacted that all must die this were inough to cast a cloud ouer all mens fairest delightes But that same post autem iudicium ther is somewhat more behinde and that is called the time of iudgemente This once possesing the harte there neede not so manye penall Lawes to deterre them and their affections which are often so far out of square from extreame
his most great and ample reward wherein there is no ende of his goodnesse no number of his mercies no measure of his wisedome no depth of his bounty So Goâ— doth deale like God himselfe Si tanta in terris moraretur fides quantâ— merces expectatur in coelis if there were so great â—aith in earth as there is reward looked for in heauen saith Tertullian mercifull Lord what loue should wee haue to the life to come Pharao was content at last the people should goe to doe sacrifice but they must leaue their heades of cattell behinde No Moyseâ— will leaue a house in Egipt all our desires must goe with vs in beleeuing that high rewarde of blessednesse so farre aboue all humane desert that is or may be Seneca writeth that Alexander the great giuing a poore man two talentes the man was so astonished with the greatnesse of the gifte as he aunsweared the â—ing Most Princely Sir I am not woorthy to receiue so much to whome Alexander replied I doe not respect good man what thou art meete to receaue but what beseemes me so great a Potentate for to giue God doth not so much regard what we most vnâ—â—oorthy creatures are worthy to receiue as what becommeth him the God of all mercy and magnificence to bestow and giue Herod promised much when hee promised halfe his kingdome but Christ when he giues we finde him giuing an whole kingdome Venite benedicti patris mei accipitote regnum Come yee bessed of my father receiue the kingdome Men are sometimes liberall in promising but more niggardly in performing with God it is not so Againe amongst men the elder or one onely doeth inherite but with God all sonnes are heires all heires inherite and the inheritance too is a heauenly kingdome to raigne to reioyce euer The meditation of this happy ende of man if man did knowe his owne happinesse were inough to make him little respect a thousand worldes nay to say with the Prophet Like as the Hart desireth the water streames so is my soule a thirst for God Oh. when shall I enter those courts of ioy Demetrius Phalerius hearing the Philosophers dispute about the immortality of the soule wretched man that I am quoth he who haue so long liued in the perishing delightes of this crrruptible body â— Wee know not what we loose wheÌ„ we loose opportunity of seeking and buying that pretious pearle for which the prouident husband man should sell all that he hath When the people as wee reade in the two and thirtieth of the booke of Nombers were come to their entrance into the land of promise the children of Ruben and Gad regarding not the promise so often promised desired Moyses that they might stay on the hether 〈◊〉 of Iordan beecause it was a place meete for their droues of cattell which they more respected then their passage into the holy land Are there not some in the worlde not farre vnlike these children of Ruben and Gad. who desire to make their stay heere and would gâ—e no farther for that they esteeme the pleasures and profites of a life temporall more then they doe the incomprehensible ioyes in that life eternall but for the true Israelites all is wearynesse vntill they come vnto the land of rest whereas in other thinges saith Cyprian wee are wont to blame it yet in the expectation of so great a good wee may commend impaciency Woe is me saith Dauid That my pilgrimage is prolonged In thinges that are ordained vnto an ende the rule and measure of all actions is taken from the same which ende is first in the intention and last in the execution Now if blessednesse be mans ende then is it the marke we all shoote at and the scope of all our exâ—erprises whatsoeuer Euery thinge is required for blessednesse and onely blessednesse for it selfe Iacobs seauen yeares seruice seemed but light in regard of Rachell for whome he serued The labour and trauell not of seauen yeares but of all the yeares of our life is nothing in respect of Rachell the fairer the happier state to come And this doth aunsweare the prophane Atheist and meete with the obiection of Iobs frends What good hath thâ— righteousnesse brought thee Or as some would not blush to say in the time of the Prophet Malachy What profite is there by seruing God That most happy reward in the life to come doth strike theÌ„ all dumme that very assistance in the life present may make them amazed Doe but trie me saith the Lord if I will not powre out a blessing vpon you This blessing say the Auncient Fathers is both viae and patriae that is of the way and of the country That which God giueth in the way is spoken of by the Prophet Dauid in the first Psalme where mentioning the state of him that walketh not in the counsell of the vngodlâ— he shal be blessed saith the Prophet and how Looke whatsoeuer he doth it shall prosper So saith he of the man that feareth God hee shal be blessed and wherein For hee shall see his childrens children and peace vpon Israell The worlds manner is the Iewes manner who were wont to bring the best wine first Christ he obserues his olde manner and keepes the best vntill the last It is said of Isidot who being at a great banquet and there beholding a great signe of Gods bounty towardes the sonnes of men suddainely he brake out into aboundance of teares and being demaunded the cause why For that quoth he I heere feede on earthly creatures that am created to liue with Aungels as if the remembrance of the time to come did draw his affections as it should do the affections of vs all to a comfortable expectation of the same Our bodiâ—s walke on earth but our soules should bee in heauen by our heauenly desires and wee should frame our affections in forme of a ship thaâ— is close downeward but open vpward in a harty desire of a superâ—our condition The remembrance whereof is like the message of the Angell Gabriell which brought tydines of great ioy which may make the faithfull aunsweare with Ezechias and say The worde of God is good let there be peace and that to peace eternall In the meane tune saith S. Austen Let my minde muse of it let my tounge mention it let my hart loue it and my whole soule neuer ceasâ— to hunger and thirst after iâ— O Lord God of hostes blessed is the man that putteth his trust in thee The Sixt Chapter That wee neede not feare Death much lesse to meditate thereof WHen Moses saw his rod turned into a Serpent it did at first somewhat affright him for hee began to step from it but when once God commanded him to take hold thereof hee found afterward by many effects it did him and the people of God much good At first sight Death doth fray our naturall
after that deede of mercy in burying the deade was accepted of God the next tydinges we heare of Toby is the holy man Toby is striken blinde To suffer some chastisementes wee may bee contente for respectinge our sinnes God by these afflictions doth lay but a soft hand vpon vs. It was an auncient Fathers praier Dominâ— hic vre hic seca vt in posterum sanes Lord here seare cut me that thou maist heale me in the time to come Better to suffer here then hereafter Non respicias saith Chrisostome quod via est aspera sed quo ducit Respect not so much that the way is painefull as that the â—nde thereof is pleasant When S. Iohn asked the Aungell what they were that appeared in long white garmentes with Palmes in their handes the Aungell aunsweared These are those that came out of many tribulations in the world To shew after the stormes of a troublesome life they weare Palmes crownes in token of euerlasting triumph There is a threefolde consideration that may mooue in vs matter of meditation to this effecte The first Quid fuimus what we once were The seconde Quid â—umus what we now are The third Quid eâ—â—mus what after a short space we shal be What we once were is shewed by that of Esdras O Adam saith he what hast thou done When Adam fell wee all fell If the estate of man had beene without sinne mans estate had beene as the Aungels in heauen Salomon in his princely seate was clothed in greate royalty and yet Salomon in all his royalty was not clothed like the Lillies of the Fielde But neither Salomon in all his royalty nor the Lillies of the Field was euer so clothed as was Adam beefore hee lost the clothing of innocency O happy Adam if Adam had well considered so much Wherefore as the people in the time of the Prophet Aggee beholdinge the forme of the Temple how farre inferior it was vnto the former glory thereof might in effect sorrow when they saw the one and remembred the other In like manner when wee call to minde the state of innocency wherein GOD made all thinges for man and man for himselfe in that wonderfull excellency placed him in Paradise a Garden of all delightes subiect neither to griefe of body or vexation of minde Wee cannot but with some sorrow for sinne bethinke our selues of that former felicity and in the first place Quid â—uimus what wee once were For the second consideration Quid sumus what wee now are euen soiourners in this vale of teares exiles from our natiue home where troubles come like Iobs messengers no sooner one hath tolde his tale but another steps in to say as much where men are beset with crosses and calamities round about the feeling wherof may mooue vs to breake foorth into that desire of the Apostle Who shall deliuer vs from these bodies of death Cato the wise a Heathen man could tell his Schollers that were he offered to be young againe he would in no case accept of such an offer so wearysome is the condition of our estate present For that future state Quid crimus what we shal be when these drossie bodies shal be chaunged and made like the glorious body of the Sonne of God to which bodies God in mercy saith as sometimes vnto Abraham For Ismaell I will blesse him also so of these bodies in their resurrection though as Ismaell they are not so free borne as Isaacke the Soule yet shall they haue a blessing too A Christian remembrance hereof doth make vs desire wyth longing aperfection els where Hope saith SalomoÌ„ that is deferred doth afflict the minde In the meane season considering that God is at the last the rewarder of patience and death the finisher of paine it may make vs the more cheerâ—fully to passe ouer the gretest griefes of body and afflictions of minde whatsoeuer which afflictions in this life are testimonies of Gods loue but in the life to come signes of his iustice It is the wont of Fathers to holde in their owne children when they suffer the children of bondmen to goe loosely as they list God that keepes an inheritance for his after his rod in correcting hee hath a staffe of stay and comfort Wherefore wee may reckon these trials as harbingers to warne vs before hand of deathes comming as testimonies of Gods care ouer vs as schoolemoisters towardes our ende to teach vs this lesson of learning to Die If God saith S. Ierom had promised vs all peace and quiet both in this world in the world to come then our troubles here might amaze vs and make vs doubt of our future rest but finding by proofe the manifolde tribulations of the life present we may expect with comfort the promise of the time to come If a Heathen man could say when he saw a suddaine shipwrack of all his worldly wealth all lost in a momeÌ„t Wel Fortune I see thy intent thou wouldest haue me bee a Philosopher how much more may the Christian man say after the many and manifold afflictions in minde and body well I see that God would haue me euen to become religious and to enter into a meditation of the life that is freed of all The Ninth Chapter How much it concerneth euery one in time of health to prepare himselfe for the day of his dissolution SEing that our good or bad estate in the life to come depeÌ„ds much vpon the qualitie or condition of the life present for where the tree falleth there it lieth and our passage in order is from the life of grace vnto the life of glory they see but little that perceiue not how greatly it concerneth euery Christian in time of best health while hee hath yet day before him to set forward in a prouident course that so in the coole of the euening he may arriue at the porte of euerlasting rest The dayes of man are but short his time vncertaine that little moment wee haue to prouide for a state of all continuance is runne ouer before wee are aware Gods mercy in giuing vs time and grace passeth a long as a pleasaunt riuer if wee stoppe the course thereof by our continuance in sinne it will arise high and turne into iustice and beare them downe by force ouerthrow our securest repose in this worlde That which once and neuer but once is done should bee aduisedly begun carefully prosecuted and most seriously laboured with all industry vnto the end It is the counsell of the holy Ghost Do good while ye haue time The place of making attonement with our aduersary is while wee are in the way No preparing oyle in our Lampes no entringe with the Bridegroome no running no crowning For a sure rule is it with God Do well and haue well Liue the life of the righteous and die the death of the righteous If any aske saith Lactantius whether death bee
noble Captaine Martha and Marâ—â— for Lazarus their brother the women of Iewrie for their tender children those young infants the twelue Putriarks for Iacob their aged father Dauid for Ionathan his trustie and faithfull friende Nay Christ himselfe saith Saint Iâ—rome went not to his sepulcher without weeping eyed Neither hath this mourning beene a light passion onely Great was the lamentation that Iacob made at the supposed death of his sonne Ioseph when hee said I will goe vnto the graue to my sonne sorrowing Great was the lamentation that Dauid made when newes was brought him of Absalon his eude O Absalon Absalon my sonne Absalon I woulde to God I had dyed for thee Great was the lamentation which the widdowes made for Dorcas so good a woman full of good workes and almes when they considered her bountie towardes them And thus wee see the laudable custome and practise in mourning for the dead When the Apostle forbad the Thessalomans to sorrow he did not absolutely forbid all sorrowing but onely after the manner of the Gentiles Noa culpamus affectum saith S. Barnard sed excessum We blame not the affection it selfe but the excesse or want of moderation We may not onely vse moderate sorrow in the departure of others but euen in the departure of the godly and well disposed themselues for as good men often are and in regarde of their great misse in the world where they had beene many waies helpfull vnto others may be mourned for of many which is a testimonie of their neede who haue left but fewe such behinde So is it a signe of some ill dealing amongst men when the poore and distressed let them go away without any lamentation at all It was saide by the Prophet Ieremie to Iehoiakin So long as thy father did helpe the oppressed did hee not prosper And after hee addeth this as a great punishment to bee laid vpon him well thou shalt die in griefe of mind and there shall bee none to make lamentation for thee The Apostle confesseth in plaine wordes that God had mercie on him in sparing Epaphroditus lest hee should haue had sorrow vpon sorrow to shew that hee was not so vnnaturall but himselfâ— should haue had feeling in such a case My sonne saith the wiseman powre forth thy teares ouer the deade and neglect not his buriall whence mee may gather that funerall rytes decent interring exequies and seemely mourning is not vnsitting the practise of those amongst whome all thinges should bee done in order The Israelites in burying so honourablie their Fathers and Gouernours did shewe themselues a people of good and orderly disposition My sonne saith Tobie when I am dead bury me honestly The new sepulcher the cleane linnen cloathes the sweete ointmentes the assemblie of men of reputation shewed how our Sauiour was respectiuely regarded and entombed with some solemnitie and sure these bodies which haue beene the temples of the holy Ghost and shall bee chaunged at the day of doome into a condition of glorie should haue that decencie performed as to agreeable both to practise and conneniencie Wherefore not to yeeld the dead after a Cynick manner comely burials or Christian mourning with moderation is most inhumane is a concept to say truth very barbarous Notwithstanding this Christian sorrow yet to sorrow as men without hope is farre distant from the rule of faith which tels vs that the death of the Saintes is precious in Gods sight They are at peace and that their hope is full of immortalitic He that said my sonne Powre forth thy teares ouer the dead said also comfort thy self And surely for Christians of all others who beleeue the resurrection vnto a better life shold raise vp themselues by faith froÌ„ too too deleful passions For as in all other things so in this a moderation should be had Haue we lost a good father friend husband wife or children we may say with Iob. Dominus dedit Dominus abstulit The Lord hath giueÌ„ yâ— Lord hath takeÌ„ away neither are they yet clean taken froÌ„ vs but gone a little before the way wherein wee must all follow Wee shall one daye meete againe at which meeting sayeth Cyprian there will bee no meane ioy when friendes come to reioyce together Our knowledge is now but in parte then shall wee knowe as wee are knowne where Peter shall bee Peter and Paule shall bee Paule and many long since departed shall as some of the auncient Fathers say bee knowne of vs that haue liued long after But of all other meanes of comfort that happie hope of the resurrection should raise vs vp from ouer pensiue thoughts Christ our Sauiour before his passion when hee saw the disciples sorrowfull for his departure which was so shortly to ensue saith vnto them Let not your hearts bee troubled I go vnto the father So it may bee said to those that mourne for the misse of others let not your minds be too much plunged in sorrow those for whom you thus lament are gone vnto their mercifull redeemer It is saide of Enoch because his soule pleased God God tooke him away It was spoken as a blessing to Iosias that hee should bee gathered vnto his fathers before the captiuitie of the people came Saint Ierome of sinful times saith Foelix Nepotianus qui haec non videt Nepotian is a happie man that liues not to see this wicked world When God ships his Noahs it is signe there is a floud not farre behind When God sends Angels to fetch his Lots out of Sodome it is signe there is a punishmeÌ„t for the sinfull Cities shortly to ensue When God takes Lâ—zarus to Abrahams bosom there is then no more penurie to endure Wherefore seeing we are all to passe downe the streame of mortalitie we may not thinke it so straunge to haue experience thereof If we complaine of the death of friends we complaâ—ne in effect that they were borne mortall Death is as the liues drawne from the Câ—nter vnto the Circumference euen on euerie part or as the vpright magistrate equall to all which may the rather moue vs to bee content The good meaning borrower the sooner his debt is discharged the sooner is hee aâ— quiet He that makes but a short voyage and is the soonest at the hauen of rest is the sooner also from daunger of shipwracke We may not forget to conforme our wils to the will of God as we daily pray Fiat voluntas tua Thy wil be done The Wiseman praised the dead aboue the liuing And S. Iohn pronounceth theÌ„ blessed which die in yâ— Lord because they now rest froÌ„ their 〈◊〉 And therefore thir good estate now obtained should the rather moue vs to remember their good At our entraunce into the worlde wee brought with vs a subiection vnto death Againe al sinned therefore death goeth ouer all and returne we
must to yâ— place froÌ„ whence we came this world being our banishmeÌ„t for a time from which these blessed soules now freed would tell vs were they to return into these earthly regions which without controuersie they do not that they with Mary haue chosen the better part We here with Martha are carefull about many things They haue yâ— one thing which is necessarie that shall neuer be taken froÌ„ them How to accept of and take in good part as we may the losse as we count it or rather misse for a time of friends departed The behauior of Dâ—uid in this case may be considered who when the childe was sicke fasteth prayeth prosâ—rateth himself vpon the earth but hearing that Gods will was accomplished in the death of the childe Dauid rose vp eate bread receiued comfort as it seemed after all his sorrow being demaunded the cause of this diuersitie of behauiour answered While the child was yet aliue I fasted and wept for I said who can tell whether God will haue mercie on mee that the childe may liue but being dead wherefore should I now fast can I bring him againe any more I shall go vnto him but hee shall not returne vnto me In the like case Saint Barnard being not a little mooued for the death of one I turned mee saith hee to praier and weeping at last I considered that God had done what seemed best in his diuine prouidence what should more sorrowing auaile Lord thou hast taken thine none of mine teares forbad mee to speake further And so the good father resolued to rest content with the will of God The three and twentieth Chapter Howe those that vndertake any daungerous attempts either by sea or land wherein they are in perill of death should specially before hand make themselues readie for God IF those men who liue in times and places of moste safetie should respecting the vncertaintie of humane condition thinke euery day of their last day which by little and little will come vpon them then howe much more ought those who enter into place of apparant perill vndertake attempts of greatest daunger stand vpon their guard and be well prouided for to bee readie for God Heathen men coulde tell Ionas that in this case there was no other refuge but to flie vnto the assistaunce of some superiour power Pharaoh himselfe coulde intreate Moyses to pray for him how much more then shoulde those whose hope reacheth further then the sauing or preseruation of a life mortall entring into any attempt wherein they are in hazard with Iudith who first worshipped God with all deuotion and their went forth for yâ— deliueraÌ„ce of Bethulia Faith and trust in God doeth not make men towards but rather addeth spirite and comfort in greatest assaults of enemies By faith saieth the Apostle Gedâ—on Barac Samson Iephte and also Dauid of weake were made strong waxed valiant in battell turned to slight the armies of aliants who came against Gods people with great force and multitudes While they were arming themselues with sword and shield the maner of God his people was to arme them with deuotion and a religious commending themselues either in life or death to Gods protection When Balaac saw the people of Israel to prosper more by their praying theÌ„ he could by his strogest forces he would needs haue Balaam to curse them Moses saith S. Ierome fought as well as Iosua against Amelech for while Moses held vp his handes Israel preuailed Rufinus and Socrates write that Theodosius the Christian Emperour in a great battell agaynst Eugenius when hee sawe the huge multitude that was comming agaynst him and so in the sight of man there was apparant ouerthrow at hand he gets him vp into a place eminent or in the sight of all the armie falles downe prostrate vpon the earth beseecheth God if euer hee would looke vpon a sinfull creature to helpe him at this time of greatest neede suddenly there rose a mightie winde which blew the darts of the enemies backe vpon themselues in such wonderfull maner as Eugenius with all his host was cleane discomfited who saw that the power of Christ fought for his people and therefore cried in effect as the Egyptians did O God is in the cloude or God fighteth for them Thus with faith and constancie haue the seruants of God gone foorth against their enemies with all deuotion and a through preparing of themselues either for life or death as it should best stande with the good pleasure of God For those therefore that vndertake any attempt either by sea or land wherein life more then ordinarie is endaungered let them in the name of God goe forth with soules prepared for in so doing they remember themselues to haue a further expectation then either the gaining or loosing of a life temporal Paratos inueniat saith Eusebius Emisenus extrema necessitas quae saepe opprimit imparatos Let extreame necessitie find them readie which is wont to oppresse men vnprepared In worldly affaires wee oftentimes forget heauenly therefore good reasâ—â— that in heauenly we should also go aside from al earthly cogitations and presenting our selues before God commende in solemne manner our soules into his handes which done with Hester wee may say If we perish we perish now the will of God bee fulfilled So therefore of preparing themselues before anie attempt of daunger it may bee said as S. Iohn saith Hic est sapientia here is wisdome The foure and twentieth Chapter A briefe direction for such as are suddenly called to depart this world COncerning praies for the deliuerance frâ—â— sodain death some what hath beene before mentioned and their hard censure who are euer hastie in this cause to iudge others in part answered Nowe for him who vpon short warning is willing to die this briefe direction may suffice First let not the suddainnesse dismay him for that vnto a well disposed man it is no suddainnesse at all howe soone soeuer hee departe Secondarilie that God hath his pennie for those that come at the eleuenth hower and an acceptance for the seruauntes that are found stirring at the second or third watch He hath Paradise for him that will call in his dying fittes Lord remember mee in thy heauenly Kingdome With Marie Magdalene to giue God at once the sacriâ—ice of a sorrowfull spirit shall with Abell his offering goe vpwarde and be acceptable vnto God Wee must let this little threede of life twine out vntill our clewe bee all ended When the Shippe is couered with waues Then helpe Maister When a good remembraunce of Iesus Christ shall not returne voyd Abraham had but an intention in his minde concerning Isaac to offer him and yet the Apostle to the Hebrues saith By faith Abraham of fred vp Isaac as if yâ— deed had bin done when his intention was good to doe it Whereby we see that God doth accept a good meaning heart which is all we
in Sodom she looked backward but she neuer looked forward againe When with the spider wee haue exhausted our verie bowels to make a slender web one puffe of winde carries all away when we haue endeuoured to the vttermost to mount aloft suddenly death doth clippe the winges of our soaring endeuours and downe we fall Did we looke backe and consider howe many are vnder vs as wee are ouer readie to prie how many are aboue vs we should soone see our estate lesse greeâ—ous thâ—n the state of manie who are as deare to Christ as our selues But ease and pleasure is acceptable to flesh bloud which the world is woont to promise Nahuchadnezzar to drawe the people from Gods seruice to foule Idolatrie caused the noyse of instruments to sound that so delighting themselues they might forget their obedience to God But is it possible that any â—elights should draw him from God for whoÌ„ the whâ—le frame of the world was made should base desires make man vnfaith ful vnto him from whom commeth all his good Ioseph saide behold my master hath coÌ„mitted al into my hands how then can I do this As if he could not find in his heart to commit euil agaynst him that had dealâ— so liberally as his master had done For these worldes vanities wee may let them passe what soeuer they promise their pleasure is not permanent WheÌ„ Iacob was hasting into his own country Laban followed him said why didst thou not tell me of thy departure that I might haue let thee go with mirth and melody WheÌ„ his meaning was to haue kept him still in longer serunitude But as Iacob did wel seeing Labans countenance once set agaynst him to make readieto depart into his owne country so when we shall finde the world to frowne vpon vs to make speede and prepare our selues to be gone Notwithstanding the people in the wildernesse did drinke of the bitter waters of Marah yet in that God appointed his angel to direct them in their way it was a testimony he would bring theÌ„ into a better land God haâ—h giueÌ„ vs his spirit more then an angel for our guide which may beare witnes to our spirits we were not created for this fraile and momentarie state but looke for better things to come in the meane time no calamities of life should make vs hate life the course wherof we may not slack or hasten at our owne pleasure If it did so much reuiue the harts of distressed people that one that in vision only should seeme to see Onias who had been high Priest a vertuous and a good man reuerent of behauior of a sober conuersation wel spoken one that had beene exâ—reâ—sed in points of vertue of a childe holding vp his hands to heauen and praying for them then to see Iesus Christ himselfe at the right hand of God there to stand for vs mercifull Lord how can it not but raise vp our penâ—â—uâ— hâ—rts Elkanah said vnto Hanna when she was sore greeued at the hard vsage of the world Quamobrem affligitur cortuum nunquid non ego tibâ— melior quam decem filii Why is thy heart greeued am not I better vnto thee then tensons This was a speach of comfort to her troubled mind But vnto the distressed man whose ioy is in Christ crucified may it not be said Is not his loue and mercie better vnto vs all then ten thousand pleasures of a sinfull â—ife Who hath saide to all feare and loue his name In the world you shall haue affliction but be of good comfort I haue oxcrcome the world The sixe and twentieth Chapter An admonition to all while they haue day and time before theÌ„ to make speed to apply themselues to this lesson of learning to die SEeing that all flesh is grasse and the glorie of man but as the glorie of the field the grasse withereth and this flower fadeâ—h away How behouefull then it is for all to apply themselues to this lesson of learning to die the Apostle sheweth when he exhorteth all to walke wisely because the daies are euill our spring is fading our lampe is wasting and the tide of our life is drawing by little and little vnto a low ebbe whatsoeuer we do our wheele whirles about apace and in a word wee die dayly Hence may we consider that health is the mart where the prouident marchant may lay for his store strength is the seede time wherein the diligent husband â—an may prouâ—â—â— for haruest Hee that will neuer put on sackâ—loth vntill with Ahab he see Gods iustice at hand to require punishment for his sâ—â—â—es He that wil neuer begin to liue vntill he bee readie to die may wish one day hee had beene better aduised when all the world cannot recal oportunitie pastâ— It is the generall practise of Sathan to promise carelesse sinners time enough as racking vsurers are wont to giue day to yong heires from time to time vntil at last they wind their inheritance from them Wee know not how dangerous it is to deferre all vnto the last cast As I will not promise so I dare not presume saith S. Austen of euening repenters To make all our of doubt the best course is to repent betâ—â—es The holy Ghost saith Dum bodie appellatur while it is called to day The world thought it selfe neuer more secure then wheÌ„ they were eating and drinking wheÌ„ they were planting building yet sodenly came the sloud and ouerwhelmed all The morning was faire when Lot went out of Sodome yet before night were the Sodomites destroyed Nabuchadnezzer thought himself neuer more sâ—re then when he had builded gâ—â—at Babeâ—and yet while the word was in his mouth God pulled him downe vpon his knees The rich man thought himselfe neuer more likely to haue liued then when he had vieÌ„wed his barnes set downe in his counting house told ouer his bags but yet before twilight his soule was taken from him We all know what we haue beene we know not what we shall bee or how suddenly we shall be taken froÌ„ all Wherefore our Sauior exhorteth vs to agree with our aduersarie quickly to walke while we haâ—e light And the Prophete Esay to seeke God while he may be found In hac vita saith Theodoret locus est gratiae misericordiae in illa tantum iustitiae In this life there is place of grace and mercie but in that other life of iustice onely which being so had we not need to seeke the Lord earely as Iob speaketh Our Sauiour in the Gospell saith Adolescens tibi dico â—urge Yong man I say vnto thee arise As there is resurrectio ad vitam gloriâ—e a resurrection vnto the the life of glorie So is there also resurrectio ad vitam gratiae a resurrection to the life of grace Sinne is a fall The righteous falleth â—aith the wiseman amendment of life is a resurrection
earthquake after yâ— earthquake there came a fire but yâ— Lord was not in the fire after the fire there came a still soft voice and the Lorde came with the voice Where a calme and quiet life is there God is These tossing and troblesome dispositions these fierie scorching humors are they from that wisedome that is pure peaceable gentle easie to bee intreated full of mercie and good fruites without iudging and without hypocrisâ—e as S. Iames speaketh it seemeth not if we may as we may saith he iudge the fountaine by the water or that men would once frame themselues to liue religiously to liue peaceablie Christ saith Pacem relinquo vobis Peace I leaue with you my peace I giue vnto you In the trial of the holy man Iob Sathan saith of him hast thou not hedged him in as of these droues of Camelles and heardes of cattell and children Iob is so blessed as if Iob should not blesse God Iob were worse then a stocke or stone Wee see amongst men the Master requireth seruice the Captaine fight Hee that said Da Caesari quae sunt Caesaris said also Date Deo quae sunt Dei Giue vnto God that which is Gods which is the reuerence and worship of his holy name The principall effectes therefore that this remembrance of our ende ought to worke in vs is puritie and sinceritie of life which doth not consist in some talkatiue shew of a mortified profession but must bee done in tâ—uth and veritie The Prophete Esay exhorting to the true fruits of conâ—râ—tion doth not say Discite bene loqui learne to speake well but Discite bene facere learne to do well apply your selues to equitie deliuer the oppressed helpe the fatherlesse to his right let the widdowes complaint come before you it was our Sauiors owne rule The works that I doe testifie of mee In like manner the workes that proceede from vs doe beare witnesse of vs. Wee must not haue the voice of Iacob and the hands of Esau. We must not doe as boat-men are wont who row one way but looke another talke this way but liue the contrarie nor as foolish Marchants who make a little shew outward but haue bare storehouses beneath but our religious actions are they that must shortly stand by vs the pennie is readie for the end of the day which is drawing on apace the sunne is long since past the Meridian line we know death will not be answered with a Habe nos excusatos we had need bestirre our selues the time is not longe we may remember whither we are going Foolish virgines thinke their oyle will neuer be spent Christ sayes the children of this world are wiser in their generation Are we so carefull for the time to come as commonly we are for the time present I wold to God we were Last of all our continuance in this world being onely a passage vnto that to come should mooue vs to meditate of the ende wherefore God sent vs hither And the condition we expect when wee are departed hence which departure should dayly put vs in minde to eschew euill and doe good to feare God and keepâ— his commaundements The nine and twentieth Chapter VVherein is shewed in the last place that a consideration of Christ his second comming to iudgement ought to moue euerie one to liue religiously and also to applie himselfe to this lesson of learning to Die THe manifolde reasons before alledged may induce the carefuâ—l Christian to liue reliâ—giouslie to learn to die the ineuitable necessitie of death is in it selfe sufficient For what Esculapius or phisition how skilfull soeuer can make mortaliâ—ie immortall The radicall moysture by little and little will flash so long with the wasting Lampe vntill at last the light goeth out the lampe is spent and so an ende God himselfe doth teach vs a consideration of our mortalâ— estate both by testimonies of his sacred word as also by many spectacles before our eyes so that wee doe not onely heare with our eares but also behold often with our eies both what we are and what we shall bee Many are the euents which we may reade to haue befallen others the sudden end of Ananias and Saphira of Anastasius whom the Church stories doe mention may moue tâ—e most retchlesse to remember themselues The Prophet Dauid mentioning the sudden destruction of those which murmured against God in the wildernes sayth While the meate was yet in their mouthes the wrath of God came vpoÌ„ them Of which very instance the Apostle saith These things came vpon them for our example and are written to admonish vs vpon whom the ends of the world are come If all this be not sufficient yet a consideration of Christ his second comming to iudgement should at last moue euerie man vnto a moste serious remembrance of the time to come That which the holy Ghost doth set downe so often and is in scripture forceablie expressed and that in too many places so euidently laide before vs the holy Ghost doth thereby shew how diligently the same subiect should bee considered of by vs. Now what more forceablie expressed in the sacred volume then is the second comming of Christ vnto iudgement which is called a great day and such a day as neuer was from the beginning of the world when the Sunne shall be darkened the Moone shall not giue her light when the Stars shall fall from heauen when the voice of the trumpet shall sound when all the kindreds of the earth shal mourne when they shall see the sonne of man come in the clouds of heauen with power and great glorie when the Sepulchres shall open when the sea and the earth shall giue vp their dead when all the worlde Kinges princes and potentates of the earth shall appeare before the tribunal seate of Christ. Blessed Lord what a time shall this bee I knowe not sayth Saint Chrysostome what others doe thinke of it for my selfe it makes mee often tremble to consider it Doe wee not beholde from yeare to yeare the Sunne to yeeld lesse heat whereby the fruites of the earth doe lesse kindly ripen O that we had hearts to meditate of this great comming of Christ to iudgement then woulde wee soone for a sinfull life past bee auenged vpon our eyes and wish with Ieremie that our heads were a fountane of waâ—ter then woulde wee say with Demosthenes yea euerie one would soone answere the first prouocatioÌ„ to euil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will not buie repentaunce so deare To flatter our selues with hope of deferring of this time is all in vaine Talem â—te inueniet dies Domini qualem â—e reli quit extremus virae dies Looke howe the laste day of thy life doeth leaue thee so shall the day of iudgement finde thee Who woulde not but accept of the fatherlie forewarning of Christ our Sauiour by those
expectes the comming thereof it shall passe along by him and neuer hurt him The iuste shall stande saith the Wiseman with great constancie and they shall lift vp their heades for their redemption draweth nigh There is no better counsell to bee giuen to the worlde then the counsell of him who came to redeeme the worlde Watch and pray continually that you may be counted worthie to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that yee may stande before the Sonne of man go vpon his right hand and heare that ioyfull voyce Come ye blessed of my father receyue the kingdome prepared for you from the feundations of the worlde vnto which kingdome Iesus Christ bring vs all for his infinite mercies sake Amen A shorte Dialogue betweene Faith and the Naturall man concerning mans estate in the world and his departure from the world Faith IS thy beleefe rightlye grounded Natur. I professe the name of Christ. Fa Neuer tell me of profession Dost thou thinke of no other estate but a bare continuance in this world onely Natur. Yes I thinke of an other worlde to come and also of my departure from the life present Faith I would to God thou diddest in heart in truth and veritie for I feare thou doest deceiue thy self Nat. As hoâ—o I pray you Faith Because this is but a superficiall conceit Natur. How know you that Faith Marie thy life is ledde in such securitie as if thou mindedst nothing lesse then yâ— time to come Natur. But may I not take part in the pleasures of this world and vse them when they are offred Faith Thou maist for honest recreation but vse the worlde as if thou vsedst it not Nat. I am of great birth and parentage Faith True honour is not of others but of our selues Nat. But my house is ancient Faith Then began it by vertue by vertue shouldest thou continue it Nat. But my progenitors haue flourished Faith Trâ—e but are they not gone the way of al yâ— world and thou also must follow Nat. But I am in the flower of youth Faith Yet remember thy end youth is but a flower that may soone sade Nat. But there is nothing more distant froÌ„ the end then the beginning Faith In the state of man it is not so wherein often we begin and end togither Nat. But I haue strength Faith Boast not of strength some litle touch of sicknesse will make thee soone stoupe Nat. But I am healthfull Faith Health is a blessing and therefore vse it well Natur. But I liue in great abundance Faith Then liuest thou in great care Nat. But I liue amidst many delightes Faith Theâ— liuest thou amidst manie temptations and therefore take heede of them Natur. But I am in high place Faith Then art thou in a sâ—ipperie place Natur. But I haue the gouernment of manie Faith Then art thou also seruant vnto manie Natur. But I haue friendes Faith Trust not in princes trust not in any child of man trust in God Nat. But I haue riches Faith If riches encrease set not thy heart vpon them Nat. But I haue honors Fai. Then hast thou enuie also Nat. But I am glorious in the world Fa. Desire to be hid vnto the worlde and knowne vnto God Nat. But me thinks I am wel Faâ— How can that be liuing as thou liuest in a vale of tears Natur. But I hope for peace of mind Faith Then must thou be a coÌ„queror of thine own affections Na. But I haue much laid vp for many yeares Faith So saide hee whose soule was suddenly taken from him Nat. Is our staâ—e then in this world so vncertaine Faith It is Nat. Then will I hope for the life to come Faith In so doing thou dost wel Nat. But what shall I doe in the meane space Faith Loue God with all thy hart with all thy soule with all thy strength and thy neighbor as thy selfe Natur. Seeing this world is so variable then I bid all trust in earthly vanities fare well Faith Lift vp thy mind to God in him onely is thy eternall welfare A Dialogue betwixt Discontent and Hope Discontent I Am more miserable then anie Hope Others are miserable to wee all liue in a worlde of miserie Discont But I more miserable then any Hope Leaue to complaine deliuerance is of God who will not faile them that call vpon him Disc. I am in bondagâ— Hope Remember there will come a time of freedome Disc. But I am poore helples Ho. So was Lazarus who doth reioice in Abrahams bosome Discont But I am afflicted in body Ho. So was Iob Whom God loued Discon But I am reproached in the world and I feare infamie Ho. Feare God If the reproach be true craue mercy for thy fault at his handes If false let thy owne conscience comfort thee Disc. But I haue lost the time Hope Indeed a great losse but it is neuer too late so that at last thou do well Disc. But I am destitute of friends Hope God is thy friend if thy relie be vpon him Disc. But I am wearie of this toylesome world Hop Heauen is the hauen of rest Disc. But I would bee gone from it I care not how Hop Fâ—e Discontent suffer rather a world of torments then to be so faithles Disc. But I haue no other remedie Hope Call for grace cast off this abiect feare with vaine thoughts away with them hearken not to the shamefull intisements of Sathan Disc. But I am full of troubles Hope So was he in the worlde that is in glorie Disc. But death is verie grieâ— Ho. It is not so but an end of grief In sorrow thou shalt eat thy bread vntill thou turne to earth as if thâ—n sorrow should end Dis. But I am sorrowful Hope Sorrow may endure for a night but ioy commith in the morning Disc. But I eate the bread of carefullnesse Hop So haue all the seruants of God done Disc. But I haue often called and see no deliuerâ—â—ce Hop God will send deliuerance assure thy selfe at the last Di. But I haue not the possessions yâ— others haue Ho. A competent measure of wealth to retaine honest reputation in the world is sufficient Dis But I waxe in age Hop Then doth the time of thy deliuerance draw on Dis But I am olde and crooked Hope Then make an end with the world Discon But I am pained with sicknes Ho. The health of the soule is most to be desired Discont But I feare death Hope Thou needst not for it shall not hurt thee but make thy happie entrance into life Discont But I am loath to leaue the world Hope Why shouldst thou so be seeing thou art going to liue with Christ. Discont But I liue not in that pleasure I see others liue Hope Be content remember to whom it was said Sonne thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasure Disconâ—â— But I am euer vnder the crosse Hope So must all bee who will follow Christ. Disc. But
griefe is present Hope But the reward is yet to come Disc. But I often want mirth in this world Hope God doth humble vs a litle by want of worldly mirth but blessed are they who nowe weepe for they shall reioyce we thinke them happie that here laugh but Christ saith Blessed are they that mourne Discon Well Hope seeing the case is such and so full of comfort in times of distresse whatsoeuer befall me I will put my trust in God Hope Then assuredly thou shalt neuer faile eyther in life or death in this world or in the world to come A Dialogue between Presumption and Feare PResump I am more holy then others Feare So saide they who were most vnholy Presum But I am not so prophane as I see many men Feare What art thou that iudgest Pres. But may I not glorie in my vertues Fear Glorie in God Pres. But I haue more graces then others Fea. Dispise no man thou knowest what thou hast beene thou knowest not what thou shalt bee Pres. But I haue better gifts theÌ„ a number besides Feare Take heede thou knowest not howe long thou shalt enioy them Presu But I am sure all is saâ—e Fe. So saide they who counted themselues children of Abraham and are fallen Pres. But I am wise Fear So wert thou if thou didst not say so Presump But I am happie Fear S. Paul saith let him that standeth take heede least he fall Pr. But I haue many daies to liue Fear No thou hast no warrant for the least continuance Presump But I am strong and healthie Fear So haue many beene and yet taken away in a moment Pre. Me thinks I should not passe away so soone Feare Why not thou hast here no continuing Citie Pres. Wel I wil make lesse reckoning of the world then I haue done Fea. Then shalt thou doe well here hereafter Pre. Now I see my follie in being so confident Fe. Be carefull bee carefull too much selfe loue and boldnesse hath vndone many Presump Well I will not from henceforth glory in my selfe Feare Let him that glorieth onely glorie in God and know this that by how much the higher thou art by so much shouldst thou be the more humble Pre. Nowe I consider my owne frailtie Feare This consideration will make thee poore in spirite and blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heauen A short Discourse wherein is shewed the great commendations of a peaceable course of life vnto which course of life we are moued by a consideration of our departure hence TO passe ouer the daies of this our pilgrimage in peaceable maner is and ought to bee our Christian honest care The holy Ghost commanding vs to seeke peace and to ensue it It was Christs owne farewell from his disciples My peace I leaue vnto you And one of S. Paules last exhortations vnto the Corinthes Brethrâ—n be at peace and the God of peace shall be with you Amongst other great differences whereby Gods children are discerned from the children of the world this is not the least that they are the children of peace Saul that had an euill spirit had an vnquiet and troublesome spirit but Dauid that had a good spirit had a spirite of peace Amongst the punishmentes of Egypt that of the flies was not the least which would not suffer the Egiptians to rest In like manner amidst this worlds felicity these combersome thoughtes are wont much to molest yâ— worlds followers The graces yâ— flow from Gods spirit are resembled often vnto riuers and pleasant waters These riuers abide not on the higher mountaines but haue their course through the lowest vallies It is want of humilitie that makes men so far from a peaceable state and condition of life Our Sauior Christ exhorteth vs to learne of him to be humble and mâ—â—ke that so wee may find rest vnto our soules Was it not follie in the Israelites to desire rather to liue in the troubles of Aegypt then in the lande of promise where they might haue quiet and time to doe their sacrifices vnto God The same is the follie of many who choose rather to bee moâ—ling in the worlde about ambitious and contentious practises seeking reuenge and glorie rather then to retire a little to a peaceable state of life wherein they might applie themselues to deuotion Stories make mention of Arseniuâ— who of a glorious Senator becaâ—â—e a great louer of Christ and contemner of the worlde who was also said to haue by a diuine oracle this aduertisement Fuge tace quiâ—sce Arsenius flie bresilent giue thy selfe to quiet or peace The more we estrange ourselues from the loue of this world the neerer we draw to God if we draw neere vnto God saith S. Iames God will draw neere vnto vs. The most honourable state of life is to serue him all our inferior eyther pleasures or profits for a time like some small cloudes passe to and fro and are at last dissolued into nothing So we haue as much water as will carrie the ship or with Iacob food raiment for this iourney let God be our God and let his benefits bind vs vnto him An vnquiet or troublesome life is their life who haue not knowne the way of peace may also fear a time of trouble to come To liue religiously and peaceablie before God and man is their Christian conuersation whose praier is with the Prophete One thing haue we desired of yâ— Lord that we may dwell in the house of our God all the daies of our lines If Christ did call worldly men to labors and anguish of minde they might answer as those in the Gospell Lord haue vs excused but calling them to vndertake a sweet yoake and promiâ—ing rest vnto their souls peace internall in yâ— state of grace and peace eternall in the state of glorie how can they but fâ—nd in their hearts to come being so louingly called and to passe their time in that peaceable course which true deuotion is wont to afforde the well disposed for their euerlasting good The bird who for necessity is faine sometimes to staire vpon the earth is notwithstanding for the most part soaring in the aire where she tunes many a quiet and pleasant dittie In like manner for necessities sake onely our cogitations are sometimes on thinges here beneath but our chiefe delight should be higher where is quiet and peace of conscience where no distracting thoughts which are wont to disturbe the louers of this world do not come neere them they are risen with Christ and therefore seeke the things that are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God The deuout mans life therefore is angelicall whose bodie walketh on earth but his desire as hath beene before shewed are aboue in heauen It is a wondrous case to see how apt men are to debates and quarrels at the least offences sometimes rather taken then giuen their stomacks are
aloft they swel in malice their heartes are so big nothing will qualifie them it is a disgrace they thinke to beare a little or put vp the least iniurie the inâ—â—nite needles actions and sutes of law which for some vile vnconscionable gaine find some fit patrons abroad in the world doe much nourish this vnchristian trouble and troublesome life of Christian men who should affect nothing lesse they follow on their course from tearme to tearme till at last Actio moritur cum persona the action dieth with the partie they can account a lease of one and twentie yeares as good in a maner as a state of three liues and they see time weares out the Councellour his client the assurance and all but no amendment at al is seen were this wel remembred it woulde soone make men of another disposition then for the most part they are more patient more peaceable sesse contentious Is there not a wise man to iudge betweene brethren Wee haue God knowes but little time to spend in the worlde what should wee desire more then to spend that little well deuoutly towardes God peaceablie amongst men It was Iosephes counsell to his brethren when they were returning to their owne country Fall not out by the way go along together to your fathers house quietly as trauellers louingly as brethreÌ„ Let onely loue of the life to come moue vs to serâ—e God â— bee at peace with our neighbors that so we may turne our good purposes to good practises our practises to custome our custome to delight our delight to perseuerance our perseuerance to liue to God and to die to God For the better performancâ— hereof wee should euerie day more and more waxe out of loue with this combersome world There is such a noise in the catching desire of riches that we cannot heare the soft voice which cals vs to deuotion There is such a noyse in mens deuises for maintenance of pride as they cannot heare the softe voice which cals them to humilitie There is such a noise in yâ— multitude of earthie affairs that we cannot heare the soft voice which cals vs to think of heauenly we may be compared vnto those men who liuing neere the riuer Nylus are said to become verie dull of hearing we are so neere in affection to these transitorie delights as the prophetes trumpet-like voice will scarce hee heard to moue vs to contrition for our sâ—nnes wee feele the troubles of the world and yet for all that wee make the world our paradise Wee maruell at the rude and ignorant Indians who for glasses and trifles are saide to depart from the purest gold But we neuer thinke of our owne follie which is farre greater who forgo the treasures of heauen for very bables things of smal or no continuance nay which is more with toyle we follow this meane traffique as the spider that exhausteth her bowels to make a slender web which is dissolued againe with euerie puffe of winde it is enough to astonish any indifferent man to see the worldes blindnesse in this when men might bee more at peace they neuer leaue climing vntill they take a fall they looke vnto pleasures as they are comming to them not as they are going from them when they are woont to leaue trouble behind It were to be wished that men would once withdrawe themselues from vnnecessary cares desires in seeking too vehementlie the vaine riches and pleasures of this worlde which are so much in request as they are In so doing might they not passe ouer the dayes of their pilgrimage more peaceablie more religiouslie They might young men from the childehoode in fearing God old men now departing the worlde by giuing good examples vnto others all considering the state and condition of life it selfe which is but as a flower First it buddeth then comes the blooming and flowrishing a little after it withereth and is gone Wherefore man saith one may bee well greeted with a threefolde salutation From childehoode to thirtie the greeting is you are welcome From thirtie to fiftie the greeting is you are in a good day From that time afterwarde Then God giue you a good departure Nowe therefore gentlie to accomplish this iourney to passe from childehoode to youth from youth to strength from strength to olde age from olde age to death as certaine riuers who are saide by a still soft course to runne through a part of the maine Ocean is a verie Christian and commendable condition of life vnto which wee are mooued by a consideration of the vncertaintie of life it selfe Unto him that is able to direct vs in this course of life to keepe vs that wee fall not and to present vs faultlesse in the life to come in the presence of his glorie with ioy that is to God onelie wise with Iesus Christ our Sauiour and the holie Ghost three persons but one eternall and euerlasting God be all honour and glorie and power and dominion both now and for euermore Laus Deo The Table A ABraham tempted that when we are tried to teach vs what to doe 2â—9 Adam happy had hee knowne his owne happinesse 140 Adam sinning we sinned 119 Almes deeds commended 181 182. c. Athanasius falsly accused 93 Auncient fathers mindefull of their mortalitie 73 An aduertisement for those who are moued to commit gracelesse attemptes against themselues 289 Aduertisement for those who vndertake dangerous attempts by sea or land 281 B Blessednesse the center of our desires 110 Benefits receiued of God make vs worship God Bodily griefes inflicted for sin 89. 90 Burials amongst Christians decent 274 C Care in youth to liue well in old age to die well 48 Charitie the fruite of Faith 167 168. c. Christes resurrection our resurrection 118. 119 Christ our Ioseph 227 Christs second comming ioyful to them that feare him 209 Commending of our soules into the hands of God a good dutie 198 Conscience quieted how Curious scanning the time of Christes second comming to iudgement vnnecessary 333 D Death hath absolute authoritie ouer all 62 Death of the righteous a steepe 120. 1â—1 Death not to be feared 113 Dispaire farre from Christians 238 Discontentment of mind to bee shaken off 346 E End of man his comming into the worlde 51 End to be remembred 60. 61 Euerie day must bee prepared because the last day of our end is vncertaine 61 Examples should mooue 66. 67 Examples of the godly in suffering 136. 137. c. Excesse of worldly cares hinders a godly course of life bringeth much disquietnesse of mind 320. 321 F Faith described 164. 165 c. Faith the staffe of the afflicted 117. 164. Feare of God necessary 312 Feare to die none ought 115 G Glory of this world fleeteth 85 God stayeth til we repent 49. 50 Good life hath a peaceable death Good rule to â—oresee and to take oportunity in things spirituall 47 H Health of body to be continued Helpe onely of God Hope described 167 Houre