Passion 5. The temptations of thy calling 7 Profanenesse How wee must carry our selues in aâ—…liction 8. Things to be auoided 1 Dissembling 2. Shame 3. Impatience 4 Discouragement 5 Trust not in carnall friends 6 Perplexed cares 7. Sudden feares 8. Carelesnesse of thy wates 5 Thiâ—…gs to be done in the time of affliction The drift of the whole Treatise The prâ—… followinâ—… these dirâ—… ctions The parts of the treatise Eight arguments to prooue we may be helped against the feare of death Christ died to this end 2. It was intended in our regeneration 3 This cure hath bin foretold 4 We were bound to it when we were admitted to be Christs Disciples 5 It is taught in the Lords Prayer Liuely hope doth include it Examples of such as haue attained to it 8. The whole Church taught to seeke Fâ—…ene Râ—…asons why it is an vncomely thing to be afraid to dye 1 Wee shame our religion 3. We are worse then some Pagans 4 Wicked men dye vnwillingly 5 Death is but a shadow 6. It is a bondage to feare 7. If wee loue this life why not eternal life 8. Are wee worse then children mad men 9. Wee make our selues like the Israelites or rather more absurd then they 10. Is not death ordinary 11. The example of Moses 12 The example of al creatures 13. It is better we goe to death then that death shuld come to vs 1â—… It is vncomely to feare that which is common ceâ—…taine 15. Shal we be afraid of an enemy that hath bin soossen vanquished An exhortaâ—…ion to attend vpon the meanâ—…s of cure 2. Wayes of curing the feare of Death 1. By contemplation 2 By practice Thâ—… wayes of curing this feare by contemplation The happines of a Christian 〈◊〉 death shewed 17. waies 1. Death iâ—… the hauen 2 It is but a sleepe Iob 14. 12. 3. It is the day of receiuing wages 4 Then the seruant is free and the heire at full age 5 Then the banished returne 6. It is our birth-day 7. It is the funerall of our vices c. The dissolution of the body is the absolution of the soule 8. Then the soule is deliuered out of prison 9. Shewed by another similitude 10. It is but to put off our old clothes 11. it is but to remoue out of an old house 12. The seed cast into the ground is not spoiled 13. Then we shall be in Christ. 14 It is but to come to the â—…nd of the Race and receiue the prize 15. It is our Iubilee 16 Iâ—… is the day of our Coronation 17. Consider the glory to come Eâ—…l 71. The miseries of life two wayes considered The miseries of a naturall life shewed thrâ—…e waves Three dreadfull considerations about sin 1. Thou art guilty of Adams sin 2. Thou wast conceiued in sin which is like a Leprosie hard to cure Spread ouer thy whole soule or in thy minde Anâ—… in thy Conscience And in thy Affections 3 Innumerable Actuall sins The punishments inflicted vpon wicked men 1. They are banished from Paradise 2. The earth cursed 3. Their soules in wofull distresse 4 And so theâ—…r bodies 5. And so their estates in foure respects 1. CommoÌ„ plagues 2. Particulaâ—… crosses 3. Neglected of God 4 Their blessings cursed Fearefull things that may befall them A goâ—…ly man hath great cause to be weary of life if he consider 1. What he wants 2. What he cannot auoid 6. Thingâ—… euery goâ—…ly man wants while hee liues hâ—…re in thâ—…s 〈◊〉 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…f God 2 Fellowship with his best friends 3 The perfection of his nature 4. Liberty 5. Contentment 6. Thâ—… Crowne Life bitter in râ—…spect of God diâ—…ers wayes Eight aggrauations of the miseries of liâ—…e in respect oâ—… the coâ—…ctions of God 1. The world full of diuels 2. Our conflict with diuels 3. Their subtilty cruelty 9 Apparent miseries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this world 1. Like a wildern 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like Egypt 3. Like Sodom 4. Like a Pâ—…st-house 5. Like a very Golgotha In this world the dead bury the dead 6 It hates VI 7 It wil not helpe vs if wee be in miserie 8 Euery Christian hath some speciall miserie What thâ—… seeming feliâ—…ties of the world are Fifteene arguments to proue the vanity of the best worldly things 1 All full of labour 2. A small portion that is attained 3. Men cannot agree about the good â—…hat iâ—… iâ—… them which should be best 4. Nothing 1. The desire after these things will not last 6 Their â—…re is vaâ—…e 7. Thâ—… amâ—…y of the world is â—…he enmâ—…ty with God 8. All subâ—…ect to vanâ—…ty or violence Ma. 6. 19 1â—… They may be lost at tâ—…e very seate of iâ—…â—…gement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…6 1â—… 4 1 2 9 Tâ—…y wâ—…â—…ot helpe vâ—…â—…n the 〈◊〉 day 10. The loue of them is â—…amnable 11. One condition to all 12 God wiâ—… dispose 13. A man may want an heart to vse them 14. The euils of life euer â—…ingled with them 15. Thou art mortall Our mor tality aggrauated by 4 considerations 1 All â—…hou haâ—…t 〈◊〉 but the prouision of a Pilgrim 2 Thy death is vncertaine 3. When thou diest all will bee forgotten 4 Thy case in death whether thou die with or without issue The causes in our selues why we should not be in loue with life as 1. The remainders of corruption of nature Which is the more grieuous 1 Because it is spred all ouer vs. 2 Because in vs vâ—…curable 3. 4 Effects of 〈◊〉 of nature in vs. 1. Ciuil war within vs. 2. Insufficiencie for our calling 〈◊〉 A stirring kinde of madnesse 4. Swarms of euill thoughts and actions 2. In respect of the remainders of the pu nishment of sinne 3 If wee respect the condition of our bodies Ob. 1. Sol. Teareasons to shew the folly of men in pretending the feare of the paine of death 4. 5. 9. 10. 1. 2. 3. Ob. 2. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Ob. 3. Nine argu ments to shew the vanâ—…y of men in desiring to liue long 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Ob. 4. Six reasons against their pretence that would liue long to do good as they â—…ay 2. 3. Ob. 5. 1. 2. Against selfe murder Ob. 6 4. 6 Reasons about parting with our friends in death 5. 6. Ob. 7. Sol. 1. Ob. 8. Sol. Fiue arguments against the 〈◊〉 of life 1. 2. 3. 4. Ob. 9. Sol. 1. Fiue obseruations aboâ—… the honours of this world 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Ob. 10. Sol. 1. 1. Seuen moâ—…ues to leaue the loue of riches 2. 3. 4. 5. 6 7 Ob. 11. Sol. 1. 2. 7 Things thaâ—… cuâ—…e the feare of death in practice 〈◊〉 The contempt of the Word How the contempt of the world may â—…ee wrought in vs. 2. The mortification of beloued sins How wee may know when sin is mortified 3. Assurance 4 The setting of our houses in order 5 To make friâ—…nds with riches 6. A frequent meditation of death 7. Heartie prayer for this thing
age or absence in a place so far remote for my earnest trust is that God will adde yet many yeres to your happy life on earth and besides I haue had heretofore occasion to know how little you were afraid to dye when the Lord did seeme to summon you by sicknes That GOD which hath ennobled your heart with heauenly gifts and so made you an instrument of so much good and contentment vnto that most excellent Princesse with whom you now liue and towards whom you haue shewed so much faithfull obseruance and dearenesse of affection and carefulnesse of attendance euen the Father of mercie and God of all consolations encrease in you all spirituall blessings and multiply the ioy of your heart and make you still to grow in acceptation and all well-doing Humbly crauing pardon for my boldnesse herein I commit your Honor to God and to the Word of his Grace which will build you vp to eternall life resting Your Honors in all humble obseruance N. BIFIELD Isleworth July 14. 1618. The chiefe Contents of this Booke THE drift is to shew how wee may be freed from the feare of Death pag. 6. 35 First it is prooued by eight apparent Arguments that it may be attained to pag. 655. to 660 Secondly it is shewed by fifteene Considerations how shamefull and vncomely a thing it is for a Christian to be afraid to die pag. 660. to 670. Thirdly the way how this feare may be remooued is shewed where may be noted An exhortation to regard the directions p. 670 671 Two wayes of Cure the one by Meditation the other by Practice p. 671. 1. The Contemplations either serue to make vs to like Death or else to bee lesse in loue with life pag. 672. Seuenteene Priuiledges of a Christian in death pag. 670. to 685. The contemplations that shew vs the misery of life are of two sorts for either they shew vs the miseries of the life of nature or else the miseries that doe vnauoidably accompanie the very life of grace p. 685. c. The miseries of the life of nature from p. 8â—… to 693. The miâ—…eries of a godly mans life are two-fold which appeares both in the things he wants and in the things hee hath while he lives pag. 693. c. Sixe things which euery godly man wants while he liues p. 694. to 698. What should make a godly man wearie of life in respect of God pag. 698. to 704. And what in respect of euill angels p. 704. c. And what in respect of the World p. 706. c. And what in respect of himselfe p. 721. c. Eight aggrauations of Gods corrections in this life p. 702. Eight apparent miseries from the world p. 706. c. Fifteene manifest defects and blemishes in the greatest seeming felicities of the world p. 712. to 721. Many aggrauations of our miserie in respect of corruption of nature in this life p. 721. c. The remainders of the first punishments yet vpon vs. p. 725. The remoouall of the Obiections men make about death from whence their feare ariseth and these Obiections are answered p. 7â—…7 1. About the paine of dying where are ten answers p. 721. c. 2. About the condition of the body in death p. 733. 3. About the desire to liue longer yet p. 736. 4. About the pretence of desire to liue long to doe good p. 740. 5. About casting away of ones selfe p. 472. 6. About parting with friends p. 745. c. 7. About parting with wife and children p. 747. 8. About leauing the pleasures of life p. 748. 9. About leauing their honours of life p. 750. 10. About leauing their riches p. 753. c. 11. About the kind of death p. 756. The second way of curing the feare of death is by practice where seuen directions are giuen from p. 757. to the end THE CVRE OF THE FEARE OF DEATH CHAP. I. Shewing the Scope and parts of this Treatise THat which I intend in this Treatise is to shew how a godly man might order himselfe against the feare of Death or what course hee should take to liue so as not to be afraid to die This is a maine point and exceeding necessary Life is throughly sweet when death is not feared A mans heart is then like Mount Sion that cannot be moued He can feare no enemie that doth not feare death As death is the last enemy so it workes the longest and last feares and to dye happily is to dye willingly The maine worke of preparation is effected when our hearts are perswaded to be willing to dye Now in the explication of this point I would distinctly handle three things First I will proue that to liue without feare of death is a thing may bee obtained one may be deliuered from it as certainly as a sicke man may be cured of an ordinary disease Sâ—…condly I will shew how vncomely a thing it is for a Christian to be afraid of death that so wee may be stirred vp the more to seeke the cure for this disease Thirdly I will shew by what mâ—…anes wee may bee deliuered from the feare of death if we vse them Of the two first more briefly and of the last at large CHAP. II. Prouing that we may be cured of the feare of Death FOr the first That the feare of death may be remoued and that we may attaine to that resolution to be willing to dye without lothnesse is apparent diuers wayes First it is euident Christ dyed to deliuer vs not onely from the hurt of death and from the diuell as the executioner but also from the feare of death too Now Christ may attaine to the end of his death vnlesse we will deny the vertue of Christ and his death and thinke that notwithstanding it cannot be obtained Heb. 2. 14 15. And the more apparent in this because in that place he shews that there is vertue in the death of Christ to cure this feare of death in any of the Elect if they wil vse the meanes For as our sins will not be mortified though there be power in the death of Christ to kill them vnlesse we vse the meanes to extract this vertue out of the death of Christ so is it true that the feare of death may be in some of Gods elect but it is not because Christ cannot deliuer them but because they are sluggish and will not take the course to bee rid of those feares The Physician is able to cure them and vsually doth cure the same disease but they will not take his Receipts Secondly the Apostle intreating of the desire of death saith That God hath wrought vs vnto the selfe same thing 2 Cor. 5. 5. We are againe created of God that we might in our selues aspire vnto immortality and are set in such an estate as if we answered the end of his workmanship we should neuer be well till we be possessed of the happinesse in another world which hee
shewes in those words of being absent from the body and present with the Lord verse 8. Thirdly the prophesies haue runne on this point For it was long since fore-told that Christians knowing the victory of Christ ouer death should bee so farre from fearing death that they should tread vpon him and insult ouer him O death where is thy sting c. Esay 25. 8. Hosea 13. 14. 2 Corinthians 15. 54 55. Fourthly it is a condition that Christ puts in when he first admits Disciples that they must deny their owne liues and not only be content to take vp their crosse in other things but their liues must not bee deare vnto them when he calls for it Luke 14. 26. Fifthly We are taught in the Lords Prayer to pray That Gods kingdome may come And by this kingdome he meanes the kingdome of Glory as well as the kingdome of Grace Now in that wee are taught to pray for the kingdome it shewes wee should desire it and that by praier we should be more and more heated in our desires Sixtly wee are borne againe to a liuely hope of our inheritance Now if we be afraid of the time of our translation thither how doe we hope for it after a liuely manner A desire of going to heauen is a part of that Seed cast into our hearts in our regeneration 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. Seuenthly we haue the example of diuers men in particular who haue desired to die were out of feare in that respect Gen. 49. 18. Iacob waited for Gods saluation and Paul resolues that to dy and to be with Christ is best of all for him Phil. 1. 21 23. yea in Romans 7. 24. hee is vehement O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from this body of Death Sim◅on prayes God to let him dye Luke 2 29. And the Prophet in the name of the godly said long before Christ O that the saluation of Israel were come out of Sion Psalme 14. 7. And we haue the example of the Martyrs in all ages that accounted it a singular glory to die And in 2. Corinth 5. 2 7. the godly are said to fight for it that they might be absent from his body and present with the Lord and so doe the first fruits of the holy Ghost those eminent Christians mentioned Rom. 8. 23. Lastly not onely some particular godly men haue attained to this but the whole Church is brought in in the 12. Chapter of Reuelation praying for the comming of Christ and desiring too that hee would come quickely And 2. Timothy 4. 8. The loue of the appearing of Christ is the Periphrasis of the childe of God Thus of the first point CHAP. III. Shewing how vncomely it is to feare Death FOr the second how vncomely a thing it is in Christians to feare death may appeare many waies 1. By the feare of death we shame our Religion while we professe it in our words we deny it in our workes Let Papists tremble at death who are taught that no man ordinarily can be sure he shall go to heauen when he dies But for vs that professe the knowledge of saluation to bee astonished at the passage to it shewes at least a great weakenesse of faith and doth outwardly giue occasion of disgrace to our Religion 2. By that which went before we may see how vncomely it is to be afraid of death For thereby we disable the death of Christ wee frustrate the end of Gods workemanship we stop the execution of the Prophesies we renounce our first agreement with Christ we mocke God in praying that his kingdome may come we obscure the euidence of our owne regeneration and wee transgresse against the example of the godly in all ages 3. Many of the Pagans greatly settled their hearts against the feare of death by this very reason because there was no being after death and therefore they could no more feele misery then then before they were borne And shall wee Christians that heare euery day of the glorious saluation we haue by Christ be more fearefull then they were Let them feare death that know not a better life Shall we be like wicked men Their death is compelled shall ours be so too They by their good wils would not lose their bodies in this life nor haue their bodies in the next life but since God hath made vs vnlike them in the issues of death shall wee make our selues like them in the lothnesse to dye Let Felix tremble at the doctrine of death and iudgement Acts 24. 25. but let all the godly hold vp their heads because the day of their redemption draweth nigh Mathew 24. c. 5. Shall we be afraid of a shadow The separation of the soule frō God that is death if we speake exactly but the separation of the soule from the body is but the shaddow of death When see we men trembling for feare of spirituall death which is called the First Death and yet this is farre more woefull then that we call the bodily death But as if the death of the body were nothing the Scripture cals damnation The second death neuer putting the other into the number 6. This feare is called a bondage here in this text And shall wee voluntarily make our selues vassals Or shall we be like slaues that dare not come in our Masters sight 7. If we loue long life why are wee not much more in loue with eternall life where the duration is longer and the estate happier Are wee not extremely insatuated that when God will doe better for vs then wee desire yet wee will be afraid of him 8. Shall wee bee worse then children or mad men Neither of them feare death and shall simplicity or Ideotisme doe more with them then reason or Religion can doe with vs 9. Do not all that reade the storie of the Israelites in their passion desiring to bee againe in Egypt and violently murmuring at the promise of going into the Land of Canaan condemne them of vile ingratitude to God and folly in respect of themselues For what was it for them to liue in Egypt but to serue cruell Taske-masters about bricke and clay And was not Canaan the place of their rest and a Land that floweth with milke and hony Euen such is the condition of all that wish life and are afraid to dye What is this world but Aegypt and what is to liue in this world but to serue about bricke and clay Yea the Church that is separate from the world can find it no better then a barren wildernesse And what is Heauen but a spirituall Canaan And what can death bee more then to passe ouer Iordan and victoriously ouercomming all enemies to bee possessed of a place of matchlesse rest of more pleasures then Milke or Hony can shadow out 10. Adam might haue had more reason to feare Death that neuer saw a man die an
dissolued that hee might bee with Christ Philip. 1. 2◅ In which words he imports two things in death First that there is a dissolution of the soule from the body and secondly that there is a coniunction of the soule with Christ. Now which is better for vs to haue the body or to haue Christ The same Apostle saith else-where that they are confident in this they had rather be absent from the body and so to bee present with the Lord then to bee present with the body and absent from the Lord 2. Cor. 5. 7 8. Now the true reason why men feare death is because they looke vpon the dissolution onely and not vpon the ◅oniunction with Christ. 14. In the 1. Cor. 9. 24. our life is compared to a race and eternall life to a rich prize not a corruptible but an incorruptible Crowne Now death is the end of the race and to dye is but to come to the goale or race end Was euer Runner so foolish as to be sorrie that with victorie he was neere the end of the race And are we afraid of death that shall end the toyle and sweate and danger of the running and giue vs with endlesse applause so glorious a recompence of reward 15. In the Ceremoniall Law there was a yeere they called the yeere of Iubilee and this was accounted an acceptable yeere because euery man that had lost or sold his lands vpon the blowing of a trumpet returned and had possession of all againe and so was recouered out of the extremitie in ◅hich hee liued before In this life we are like the poore men of Israel that haue lost our inheritance and liue in a manner and condition euery way straitned now death is our Iubilee and when the trumpet of death blowes we all that die returne and enioy a better estate then euer we sold or lost Shall the Iubilee be called an acceptable time and shall not our Iubilee be acceptable to vs Esay 61. 2. 16. Death is the day of our Coronation we are Heires apparent to the Crowne in this life yea we are Kings elect but cannot bee crowned till death 2. Tim. 4. 8. And shall not that make vs loue the appearing of Christ Is a King afraid of the day of his Coronation 17. To conclude this first part of Contemplation If we did seriously set before our eyes the glory to come could our eyes be so dazeled as not to see and admire and haste to it Aske Paul that was in Heauen what hee saw and he will tell you Things that cannot be vttered Happinesse beyond all language of mortall man If there were as much faith on Earth as there is glorie in Heauen Oh how would our hearts bee on fire with feruent desire after it But euen this faith is extremely wanting it is our vnbeleefe that vndoes vs and fils vs with these seruile and sottish feares And thus of the Meditations taken from the happinesse wee enioy by death which should make vs conclude with Salomon That the day of Death is better then the day when one is borne CHAP. V. Shewing the miserie of life in wicked men NOw it followes that I should breake open the miseries of life the consideration whereof should abate in vs this wretched loue of life The miseries of life may bee two waies considered for they are of two sorts either such miseries as load the life of Nature or such miseries as doe molest the very life of Grace The miseries that accompany the naturall life of man while he remaines in the state of Nature onely who can recount I will giue but a briefe touch of some heads of them First thinke of thy sinnes and so three dreadfull things may amaze thy thoughts For first thou art guilty of Adams sinne for by that man sinne came in vpon all men euen the guilt of his sin Rom. 5. 12. Secondly thy nature is altogether vile and abominable from thy birth thou wast conceiued in sinne Psal. 51. 5. And this staine and leprosie hangs on fast vpon thy nature and cannot be cured but by the blood of Christ only Heb. 12. 1. And this is seated in all the faculties of thy soule For in thy Minde there is Ignorance and Impotency to receiue knowledge and a naturall approouing of euill and errour rather than the truth and sound doctrine Those wayes seeme good in thine eyes which tend vnto death 1. Cor. 2. 14. Rom. 8. 7. 2. Cor. 3. 5. Pro. 14. 12. And this thou maiest perceiue by this that thou art not able to thinke a good thought but canst goe free for dayes and weekes without any holy cogitation and besides thy minde is infinitely prone to swarmes of euill thoughts Gen. 6. 5. Againe if thou behold thy Conscience it is impure polluted without light or life or glory in thee shut vp in a dungeon excusing thee in many faults and accusing thee for things are not faults but in thy conceit and when it doth accuse thee for sin it rageth and falleth mad with vnbridled fury and terrors keeping no bounds of Hope or Mercie Further if thou obserue thy Affections they are altogeth◅r impotent in that which is good there is no lust in thee after that which is good and yet they are all out of order and prone to cōtinuall rebellion against God ready to be fired by all the enticements of the World or the Diuell Gal. 5. 24. Thirdly vnto these adde thy innumerable Actuall sinnes which are more then the haires of thy head multiplyed daily in thought affection word and deed the least of them deseruing hell fire for euer thy sinnes of Infancie Youth Old age sinnes of O◅ission and Commission sinnes in Prosperitie and Aduersitie sinnes at Home and Abroad sinnes of Infirmitie and Presumption If Dauid looking vpon his sins could say They haue so compassed me and taken such hold on mee that I am not able to looke vp Oh then if thou haddest sight and sense how might'st thou much more cry out of the intolerable burthen of them and the rather if thou obserue that many of thy corruptions reigne tyrannically and haue subdued thy life to their vassalage so as thou art in continuall slauerie to them Thus is thy life infested with these vnspeakeable inordinations and thus of the first part of thy infelicitie in life Secondly if thou obserue but how God hath auenged himselfe vpon them and what yet remaineth vnto thee how can thy heart sustaine it selfe For 1. Thou art a banished man exiled from Paradise and made to liue without hope to returne thither The best part of the earth thou shalt neuer enioy 2. The earth is cursed to thee and it may bee a wofull spectacle to see all the creatures subiect to vanitie and smitten with the strokes of God for thy sinne and groaning daily round about thee 3. Looke vpon thy most miserable soule for there thy
IX The misery of life in respect of the world THirdly consider but what the world is in which thou liuest and that either in the apparent miseries of this world or in the vexations that accompanie the best things the world hath to offer to giue thee First for the apparent miseries 1. It is exquisitely like a wildernesse no man but for innumerable wants liues as in a desart here 2. It is a true Aegypt to the godly it continually imposeth hard taskes and seruile conditions Life can neuer bee free from grieuous burthens and inexorable molestation 3. This world is verily like Sodom full of generall and vnspeakeable filthinesse All the world lyeth in wickednesse scarce one Lot to be found in a whole Citie or Parish If God would seeke but fiue righteous men that are truly or absolutely godly they are not to bee found in the most assemblies in the world nay in the Church too 4. Yet more this world is a very Pâ—…st-house spiritually considered Euery man that a godly man comes neere hath a mischieuous plague-sore running vpon him yea the godly themselues are not without this disease so as there iâ—… a necessity as it were to infect or be infected still in all places or companies Oh who would loue to liue in a Pest-house that may dwell in a place for euer free from all infection 5. Yet more this World why it is a very Golgotha a place of dead men we liue amongst the Graues almost all we see or haue to deale with are but men truely dead Alas what should wee reckon of the life of mens carkasses when their soules are dead and both soule and body sentenced to eternall death Almost all that we meete with are malefactors vnder sentence ready to bee carried to execution the wrath of God hanging ouer their heads and vnquenchable fire kindled against them and shall wee bee so besotted as to loue the dead more then the liuing or the society of vile and miserable malefactors in a prison rather then the fellowship of the glorious Princes of God in their Palace of endlesse and matchlesse blisse 6. Why should wee loue the World that hateth vs and casts vs off as men dead out of minde Are we not crucified to the world Galat. 6. 14. and doe not wicked men hate vs and enuy vs and speake all manner of euill sayings of vs because we follow good The World loues her own but vs it cannot loue because we are not of this world Can darknesse loue light or the sonnes of Belial care for the sonnes of God In this world we shall haue trouble and if wee found not peace in Christ wee were of all men most miserable Ioh. 15. 19. Eccles. 4. 4. Ioh. 17. 14. 2 Cor. 6. 17. Ioh. 16. 33. And if they hate vs for well-doing how will they triumph if our seet do but slippe Wee should desire death euen to bee deliuered from the feare of giuing occasion to the world to triumph or blaspheme in respect of vs. Yea so extreme is the hatred of the World that a iust man may perish in his righteousnesse when a wicked man prolongs his dayes in his wickednesse Eccles. 7. 17. 8. 4. 7. Do we fall into any speciall miserie in this world why behold the teares of the oppressed and there is none to comfort them We are either not pittied or not regarded or the compassion of the world is like the morning dew it is gone as a tale that is told our mistery will last but there will soone bee none to comfort vs. Miserable comforters are the most that can bee had in the world and for this reason Salomon praised the dead that are already dead aboue the liuing that are yet aliue Eccles. 4. 1 2. 8. There is vsually no Christian but in thiâ—… woâ—…ld hee hath some speciall miserie vpâ—…n him either pouerty oâ—… debâ—… 〈◊〉 disease in his body or the 〈◊〉 c. 9. We daily â—…ffet thâ—…â—…se of our friends that were the companions of our life and the causes of contentment to vs. Now who would tarry behind them or esteeme of this world when they are gone from vs And thus much of the apparent miseries of this world CHAP. X. The vanities of the seeming felicities of the world NOw it followeth that I should intreat of the vanities that cleaue to the seeming felicities of the world and proue that there is no reason to bee in loue with life for any respect of them The best thing the world can make shew of are Honours Credit Lands Houses Riches Pleasures Birth Beauty Friends Wit Children Acquaintance and the like Now there be manythings which apparently proue thâ—…re can be no sound contentment or felicity in these For 1. All things bee full of labour who can vtter it Ecclesiasticus 18. Men must gaine the blessings of the earth with the sweate of their browes there is seldome any outward blessing but it is attained with much difficultie paines or danger or care or grieuance some way 2. How small a portion in these things can the most men attaine If the whole world were possessed it should not make a man happy much lesse those small parcels of the world which the most men can attaine Eccles. 1. 3. 3. It is manifest men cannot agree about the chiefe good in these things Life is therefore apparently vaine in respect of these things because there are almost infinite proiects and variety of opinions and in all these successions of ages no experience can make men agree to resolue which of these things haue felicity in them Who knows what is good for a man in this life all the daies of his vaine life which he spendeth as a shadow Eccles. 6. 12. 4. In all these things here is nothing now but it hath beene the same or the like to it Now things that are common are out of request Eccles. 1. 9 10. and 3. 15. 5. The world passeth away and the lusts thereof the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the care with hearing If a man liue many dayes his soule is not filled with good the desire after these things will vanish men cannot loue them still Our life is spent in wishing for the future and bewailing of the past a loathing of what wee haue tasted and a longing for what wee haue not tasted which were it had would neuer more satisfie vs then that wee haue had Hence it is that men wearying themselues in seeking of variety of earthly things and yet cannot be contented The vexation that cleaues vnto them still breeds loathing We are like men that are Sea-sicke that shift from roome to roome and from place to place thinking to find ease neuer considering that so long as the same Seas swell and winds blow and humors are stirred alteration of place will not profit So it is with vs so long as wee carry with vs a nature so
there is terrour in parting Eightly consider yet more the humours of the most men Men will suffer infinite paines for a small liuing or preferment here in this world yea we see souldiers for a small price will put themselues into vnspeakeable dangers and that many times at the pleasure of others that command them without certaine hope of aduantage to themselues Will men kill themselues for things of no value and yet be afraid of a little paine to be endured when such a glorious estate is immediately to be enioyed in heauen Ninthly let not man pretend the paines of death that is but a â—…igge-leafe to couer their little faith For they will languish of the Gout or Stone a long time rather then die one sweet death with easiest conditions possible Tenthly if none of these will perswade yet attend I wil shew 〈◊〉 a mystery Feare not the paines of death for first death is terrible when it is inflicted by the Law but it is easie when it is inflicted by the Gospel the Curse is taken off from thee thou art not vnder the Law but vnder Grace And besides for this cause did Christ die a terrible anâ—… 〈◊〉 cursed death that euery death might be blessed to vs. And further God that hath greatly loued thee in life will not neglect thee in death Precious in the fight of the Lord is the death of his Saints What shall I say against the terror of death but this Text of the Apostle Thanks be to God that hath giuen vs victory through Iesus Christ. Hee hath pulled the sting out of Death O Death where is thy sting 1 Cor. 15. 55. Lastly thou hast the Spirit of Christ in thee which wil succour and strengthen ease thee and abide with thee all the time of the combate Why should wee doubt of it but that the godly dye more easily then the wicked Neither may we guesse at their paine but the pangs vpon the body for the body may bee in grieuous pangs when the man feeles nothing and the soule is at sweete ease in preparing it selfe to come immediately to the sight of God CHAP. XIII Comfort against the losse of the body in death OH but in death a man is destroyed hee loseth his body and it must bee rotted in the earth Sol. 1. It hath bin shewed before that the separation of the soule from God is properly Death but the separation of the soule from the body is but the shadow of Death and we haue no reason to be afraid of a shadow 2. The body is not the man the man remaines still though hee be without the body Abraham Isaac and Iacob are proued to be liuing still by our Sauiour Christ though their bodies were consumed in the earth and God was their God still It is true Death seizeth on thy body but a Christian at the most suffers but aliquid mortis a little of death Death is like a Serpent the Serpent must eaâ—…e dust now death therefore can feed vpon no more but our dust which is the body it cannot touch the soule whereas wicked men suffer the whole power of death because it seizeth both vpon body and soule too and in their case onely it is true that death destroyes a man 3. Grant that we lose the body in death yet that ought not to be terrible for what the body is it hath beene before shewed It is but a Prison to the Soule an old rotten House or a ragged Garment it is but as the Barke of a Tree or the Shell or such like now what great losse can there be in any of these 4. This separation is but for a time neither we doe not for euâ—…r lose the body we shâ—… haue our bodies againe they are kept safe for vs till the day of Christ. Our graues are Gods Chest 's and he makes a precious account of the bodies of â—…is Saints they shall be raised vp againe at the last day God will giue a charge to the earth to bring forth her dead and make a true account to him Reuel 〈◊〉 And God hath giuen the assurance of this not onely in his Word by promising it but in his Sonne whom hee hath raised from the dead If any say What is that to vs that Christs body is raised I answer it is a full assurance of the safety and of the resurrection of our bodies for Christ is our Head Now cast a man into a Riuer though all the body be vnder water yet the man is safe if the head be aboue water for the head will bring out all the body after it So it is in the body of Christ though all we sâ—…nke in the riuer of death yet our Head is â—…isen and is aboue water and therefore the whole body is safe 5. It should yet more satisfie vs if we throughly consider that we shall haue our bodies againe much better then now they are Those vile bodies we lay downe in death shall be restored againe vnto vs glorious bodies like the body of Christ now glorified Philippians 3. 21. And therefore death loseth by taking away our bodies we haue a great victory ouer death The graue is but a furnace to refine them they shall come out againe immortall and incorruptible CHAP. XIIII The desire of long life confuted OH but if I might liue long I would desire no more If I might not dye till I were fiftie or threescore yeeres old I should bee contented to dye then Sol. There are many things may shew the vanity and folly of men in this desire of long life For 1. If thou art willing to die at any time why not now Death will be the same to thee then it is now 2. Is any man angry and grieued when hee is at the Sea in a Tempest because hee shall be so quickly carried into the Hauen Is he displeased with the Wind that will soone set him safe in the Harbour If thou beleeue that death will end all thy miseries why art thou carefull to deferre the time 3. Till thy debt be paid time will not ease thee thy care will continue and therfore thou wert as good pay at the first if thou be sure it must be paid at all 4. In this world there is neither young nor old When thou hast liued to that age thou desirest thy time past will be as nothing Thou wilt still expect that which is to come thou wilt bee as ready to demand longer respit then as now 5. What wouldst thou tarry here so long for There will be nothing new but what thou hast tasted and often drinking will not quench thy thirst thou hast an incurable dropsie in thy hart and these earthly things haue no ability to fill thy heart with good or satisfie thee 6. Wouldst thou not â—…dge him a sot that mournes because he was not aliue an hundred yeeres agoe And thou art no better thou
thou forgotten the consolation that saith God will bee a father to the fatherlesse and a Iudge and a Protector of the widowes cause Hee will releeue both the fatherlesse and the widow as many Scriptures doe assure vs Psal. 146. 9. and 68. 6. Proâ—… 15. 25. 2. Thou leauest them but for a time God wil restore them to thee againe in a better world 3. Thou gainest the presence of God and his eternall coniunction who will be more to thee then many thousand wiues or children could be He can be hurt by the losse of no company that findeth God in Heauen CHAP. XVIII Why we should not be sorry to leaue the pleasures of life BVt might some other say My heart is sorely vexed because in death I must part with the pleasures of life There are many things might quiet mens mindes in respect of this obiection For thy pleasures are either sinfull pleasures or 〈◊〉 pleasures if they bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…west thy hatred of God by louing them and heapest vp wrath vpon thinâ—… owne soule by liuing in them But say thy pleasures be lawfull in themselues yet consider First that the paines of thy life are and will be greater both for number and continuance then thy pleasures can be No pleasure at once euer lasted so long as the fit of an Ague 2. Thou forgettest what end they may haue For thy pleasures may goe out with gall For either shame or losse or euill sicknesse may fall vpon thee or if not yet thine owne heart will loath them as they are vanity so they will proue vexation of spirit Thou will bee extremely tyred with them 3. Thou art far from giuing thy life for Christ that wilt not forgoe the superfluity of life for him 4. That in thy delights thou shewest the greatest weakenesse so as thou maist say of Laughter Thou art mad Eccles. 2. 2. 5. That death doth not spoile thee of pleasures for it bringeth thee to the pleasures that are at Gods right hand for euermore Psa. 16. vlt. CHAP. XIX Why wee should not be loth to leaue the honours of the world 9. IF any other obiect the lothnesse to leaue his honours or high place in the world I may answer diuers things 1. Why shouldest thou bee so in loue with the honours of this world if thou but consider how small the preferment is or can be â—…e whole earth is but as â—…e 〈◊〉 point and â—…nter in comparison with the circumference of the whole world besides 1. Now in true iudgement it is almost impossible to discern how a man should rise higher in a Center If thou hadst all the earth thou wert no more exalted then to the possession of a full point a little spot in comparison therfore how extremely vaine is thy nature to be affected with the possession of lesse then the thousand thousandth part of a little spot or point 2. Consider seriously the thraldome which thy preferment brings thee vnto Thou canst not liue free but still thou art fettered with the cares and feares and griefes that attend thy greatnesse There is little difference betweene thee and a prisoner saue that the prisoner hath his fetters of Iron and thine are of Gold and that his fetters binde his body and thine thy minde He weares his fetters on his legs and thou thine on thine head and in this thou art one way lesse contented then some prisoners for they can sing for ioy of heart when thou art deiected with the cares and griefes of thy minde If thou hadst a Crowne it were but a Crowne of thornes in respect of the cares it would put thee to c. 3. Say thou shouldst get neuer so high thou canst not protect thy selfe from the miseries of thy condition nor preserue thy selfe in any certainty from the losse of all â—…hou enioyest If thou wert as high as the top of the Alpes thou canst not gâ—…t such a place but the clouds winds stormes and terrible lightnings may find thâ—…e out so as thou wouldest account the lower ground to bee the safer place Thou standest as a man on the top of a pinacle thou canst not know how soone thou maiest tumble downe and that fearefully 4. If thou shouldest be sure to enioy the greatnesse of place in the world yet thou art not sure to preserue thine honour for either it may bee blemished with vniust aspersions or else some fault of thine owne may marre all thy prayses For as a dead Flye may marre a whole Boxe of Oyntment so may one sinne thy glory Eccl. 10. 1. 5. Thou losest no honour by dying for there are Crownes of Glory in Heauen such as shall neuer wither nor bee corrupted such as can neuer bee held with care or enuy nor lost with infamie CHAP. XX. Why it should not trouble vs to part with riches 10. IF thou bee infected with the loue of riches and that thou art loth to dye because thou wouldest not be taken from thy estate and outward possessions then attend vnto these considerations 1. Thou camest naked into the world and why should it grieue thee to goe naked out of the world 2. Thou art but a Steward of what thou possessest and therefore why should it grieue thee to leaue what thou hast employed to the disposing of thy master 3. Thou hast tried by experience found hitherto that contentment of heart is not found or had by abundance of outward things If thou hadst all the pearls of the East and wert master of all the mines of the West yet will not thy heart bee filled with good by heaping vp of riches thou dost but heape vp vnquietnesse 4. Riches haue wings thou maist liue to lose all by fire or water or theeues or suretiship or iniustice or vnthrifty children or the like 5. They are riches of iniquitie There is a snare in riches nets in possessions thy gold and siluer is limed vp or poysoned It is wonderfull hard and in respect of men impossible for thee to be a rich man but thou wilt be a sinfull man especially if thy heart be growne to loue money and haste to be rich 6. Thou must leaue them onâ—… therefore why not now Thou canst not enioy them euer and therefore why shouldest thou trouble thy heart about them 7. By death thou makest exchange of them for better riches and shalt be possessed of a more euduring substance Thou shalt enioy the vnsearchable riches of Christ thou canst neuer be fully rich till thou get to heauen Might some one say I should not 〈◊〉 dâ—…ath were it not that I know not what kinde of death I shall dye I may dye suddenly or by the hands of the violent or without the presence or assistance of my friends or the like 1. Sith wee must dye it is the lesser matter what kind of death wee dye wee should not so much
ordinary death but for vs to bee affrighted with death that see thousands die at our right hand and ten thousand at our left and that daily is an inexcusable distemper The gate of Death is continually open and wee see a prease of people that daily throng into it 11. When Moses had cast downe his Rod it turned into a Serpent and the Text noting Moses weakenesse saith He fled from it But the Lord commanded him to take it by the Taile and behold it became a Rod againe Euen so death at the first sight is terrible like a new-made Serpent and the godly themselues through inconsideration flye from it but if at Gods commandement without feare they would lay hold vpon this seeming Serpent it will be turned into a Rod againe yea into a golden Scepter in our hands made much better by the change Neither doe we reade that euer at any time after Moses had any feare of this Serpent when he had once known the experience of it And haue we offen by the eyes of faith seene the experience of this great work of God and shall we still be running away 12. It is said Rom. 8. 12. that all creatures groane wayting for the libertie of the sonnes of God and shall wee bee worse then bruit beasts Doth the whole frame of nature as it were call for this time of change and shall man be so stupid or carried with such senslesse feares as to shun his owne felicity 13. Consider whether it bee more commodious for vs that Death come to vs or that we go to Death For one thing is certaine it is vaine to shunne that which cannot bee auoided For it is appointed vnto all men once to die Heb. 9. 27. What man is hee that liueth and shall not see death Psal. 89. 48. Death is the way of all flesh Iosh. 24. Now this being granted let vs consider of it Death is like an armed man with whom we must once fight Now if we be aduised and will goe to Death we must get on our armour beforehand and so the encounter will be without danger to vs because the weapons of our warfare are mighty through God we are assured of victory through Iesus Christ. On the other side to tarry till Death come vnto vs is as if a man that knowes he must fight with a sore aduersary would through slothfulnesse goe vp and downe vnarmed till he fall into the hands of his enemy and must then fight with him at such disaduantage 14. It is most vncomely to feare that which is both common and certaine Death of all afflictions is most common For from other afflictions it is possible some might bee free but from death can no man be deliuered and God of purpose hath made that most common which is most grieuous that thereby he might abate the terrour of it It is monstrous foolishnes to striue in vaine to auoid that which neuer man could escape And to teach men their vnauoydable mortality the Lord clothed our first Parents with the skinnes of dead beasts and feeds vs with dead flesh that as often as wee eate of slaine beasts we might remember our owne end and shall we be euer learning and neuer come to the knowledge of this truth Is this such a lesson as cannot be learned Shall we be so stupid as daily to passe by the graues of the dead and heare their knels and yet be vntaught and vnarmed 15. Lastly shall we be afraid of such an enemie as hath beene ouercome hand to hand and beaten by Christ and thousands of the Saints especially if wee consider the assurance wee haue of victory In this combate euery Christian may triumph before the victory 〈◊〉 Corinth 15. 55. And thus much of the two first points CHAP. IIII. Shewing that a Christian is many wayes happy in death NOw I come to the third point which is the maine thing here intended and that is the meanes how we may be cured of the feare of Death and in this we had need all to attend with great carefulnesse The disease is stubburne and men are sluggish and extremely loth to be at the trouble of the cure and Satan by all meanes would keepe vs from remembring our latter end the world affoords daily distractions to plucke vs away from the schoole of Christ herein and our owne hearts are deceitfull and our natures apt to be weary of the doctrine before wee put in practice any of the directions and we are apt to a thousand conceits that it is either vnpossible or vnnecessary to attend this doctrine or the like Yea it may be it will fare with many of vs as it doth with those that are troubled with the raging paine of the teeth their paine will cease when the Barber comes to pull out the tooth so it may be you may finde this deceit in your hearts that you will not feel the feare of death till the discourse of the medicine be ouer and so let it be as water spilt on the ground But let vs all awake and in the power and strength of Christ that died to deliuer vs from the feare of death let vs lay all the plaisters close to the sore and keepe them at it till it bee throughly whole There be two wayes then of curing this feare of Death The one is by contemplation The other is by practiâ—… There be some things if we did chuse them out soundly to thinke of them would heale vs wonderfully There be some things also to bee done by vs to make the câ—…re perfect If contemplation be not auaileable then practice will without faile finish the cure The contemplations are of two sorts For either they are such meditations as breed desire of Death by way of motiue or they are such as remoue the obiections which cause in mans mind the feare of Death For the first there bee two things which if they be soundly thought on will worke a strange alteration in our hearts The one is the happinesse wee haue by death The other is the miseries we are in by life Can any man be afraid to bee happy If our heads and hearts were filled with arguments that shew vs our happines by death we would not be so senslesse as to tremble at the thought of dying Our happinesse in death may bee set out in many particulars and illustrated by many similitudes full of life and vertue to heale this disease of feare 1. Death makes an end of all the tempests and continuall stormes with which our life is tossed it is the Hauen and Port of rest and are we so mad as to desire the continuance of such dangerous tempests rather then to be in the Hauen whither our iourney tends 2. Death is a sleepe For so the dead are said to to be asleepe 1 Thess. 4. 14. Looke what a bed of rest and sleepe is to the weary labourer such is Death to
mournest because thou canst not liue an hundred yeeres hence 7. Thou hast no power of the morrow to make it happy to thee If thou die young thou art like one that hath lost a Die with which he might as well haue lost as wonne 8. Consider the proportion of time thou desirest to thy selfe reckon what will bee spent in sleepe care disgrace sickenesse trouble wearinesse emptinesse feare and vnto all this adde sinne and then thinke how smal a portion is left of this time and how small good it will doe thee What can that aduantage thee with such mixtures of euill It is certaine to liue long is but to be long troubled and to die quickly is quickly to be at rest 9. Lastly if there were nothing else to be said yet this may suffice that there is no comparison betweene time and eternity What is that space of time to eternity If thou loue life why doest thou not loue eternall life as was said before CHAP. XV. Of them that would liue to doe good BVt I would liue long to doe good and to doe God seruice and to benefit others by mine example Sol. First search thine owne heart it may be this pretence of doing good to others is pleaded onely because thou wouldest further thine owne good Thou wouldst not seeke the publike but to finde thine owne particular 2. God that set thee to do his worke knowes how long it is fit for thee to be at the same hee knowes how to make vse of the labors of his workmen He will not call thee from thy work till it bee prouided to dispatch his businesse without thee 3. It may be if thou be long at thy worke thou wouldst marre all thy last workes would not bee so good as thy first it is best to giue ouer while thou doest wâ—…ll c. 4. If God will pay thee as much for halfe a day as for the whole art thou not so much the more to praise him 5. It is true that the best comfort of our life here is a religious conuersation but thy Religion is not hindered by going to heauen but perfected There is no comparison betweene thy goodnesse on earth and that in heauen For though thou mayest doe much good here yet it is certaine thou doest much euill heere too 6. Whereas thou perswadest thy selfe that by example thou maiest mend others thou art much mistaken A thousand men may sooner catch the plague in an infected Towne then one be healed It is but to tempt God to desire continuance in this infectious world longer then our time for the best way is to get farre from the contagion Iâ—… diuers fresh waters fal into the sea what doth that to take away the saltnesse of the sea No more can two or three Lots reforme a world of Sodomites CHAP. XVI Why men may not make away themselues to be rid of the miseries of life Ob. 5. BVt then it seemes by this that it were a mans best course to take away life seeing so much euill is in life and so much good to bee had in death Sol. 1. I thinke the most of vs may bee trusted of that danger For though the soule aspire to the good to come yet the body tends vnto the earth and like an heauie clog weighs men downewards 2. That is not the course we must cast the world out of our hearts not cast our selues out of the world It is both vnseemely and extremely vnlawfull It is vnseemely for it is true we ought willingly to depart out of this world but it is monstrous base like cowards to runne away out of the battell Thou art Gods souldier and appointed to thy standing and it is a miserable shame to runne out of thy place When Christ the great Captaine sounds a retrait then it is honorable for thee to giue place Besides thou art Gods tenant and doest hold thy selfe as a tenant at will the Landlord may take it from thee but thou canst not without disgrace surrender at thy pleasure and it is extreâ—…me slothfulnesse to hate life onely for the toyles that are in it Secondly and as it is vnseemely so it is vnlawfull yea damnable It is vnlawfull for the souldier that runnes away from his Captaine offends highly so doth the Christian that makes away himselfe and therefore the commandement is not onely Thou shalt not kill other men but generally Thou shalt not kill meaning neither thy selfe nor other men Besides wee haue no example in Scripture of any that did so but such as were notorious wicked men as Saâ—…l Achitophel Iudas and the like Yea it is damnable for hee that leaueth his worke before God calls him loseth it and besides incurres eternall death As the souldier that runneth away dyeth for it when he is taken so the Christian that murdereth himselfe perisheth I say that murdereth himselfe being himselfe CHAP. XVII Why we should not bee troubled to part with our friends MIght some other say I could more willingly dye but mee thinkes it is grieuous vnto mee to part with friends and acquaintance I cannot willingly goe from my kindâ—…ed and my familiars life is sweete in respect of their presence and loue and societie Sol. It is true that vnto some mindes this is the greatest contentment of life of any thing but yet many things must bee considered For First amongst an 100. men scarce one can by good reason pleade that I meane cannot say that hee hath so much as one sound friend in the whole world worthy to be reckoned as the stay of his life Secondly those that can plead felicitie in their friends yet what is it one pleasing dreame hath more in it then a moneths contentment which can bee reaped from thy friends Alas it is not the thousandth part of thy life which is satisfied with delight from them 3. Thou sâ—…st thy friendâ—… drop away from thee from day to day for either they dye or they are so farre remooâ—…d from thee that they are as it wâ—…e dead to thee and sith they are gone who would not long to go after them 4. The friends that are left are not sure to thee men are mutable as well as mortall they may turne tâ—… be thy foes that now are dearest vnto thee or if they fall not into tearmes of flat enmitie they 〈◊〉 grow full and weaâ—…e of thee and so carelesse of thee 5. If none of these would satisfie thee yet what are thy friends on earth to thy friends thou shalt finde in heauen This is an answer beyond all exception 6. Lastly by death thou doest not lose thy friends neither for thou shalt finde them and enioy them in another world to all eternity and therefore thou hast no reason forthy friends sake to be loth to dye 7. But might some one say All my griefe is to part with my wife and children and to leaue them especially in an vnsettled estate 1. Hast
looke how wee dye as whither wee shall goe when we are dead 2. Christ dyed a cursed desth that so euery death might bee blessed to vs For hee that liues holily cannot dye miserably Hee is blessed that dyeth in the Lord what kind of death soeuer it be CHAP. XXI Shewing the cure of this feare of death by practice HItherto of the way of curing this feeare of death by meditation It remaines now that I proceed to shew how the cure is to be finished perfected by practice for there are diuers things to be heeded by vs in our daily conuersation which serue exceedingly for the extinguishing of this feare without which the cure will hardly euer bee soundly wrought for continuance The first thing we must frame our liues to for this purpose is the contempt of the VVorld wee must striue earnestly with our owne hearts to forgoe the loue of worldly things It is an 〈◊〉 thing â—…o be willing to dye when our hearts are cleansed of the loue of this world Wee must leaue the world before the world leaue vs and learne that lesson heartily To vse the world as if wee vsed it not Neither ought this to seeme too hard a precept for they that striue for masterie abstaine from all things when it is but to obtaine a corruptible crowne how much more should we be willing to deny the delights of this world and striue with our natures herein seeing it is to obtaine an incorruptible crowne 1. Cor. 9 24 25. VVe must learne of Moses who brought himselfe to it willingly to â—…orsake the pleasures of Egypt and to choose rather to suffer affliction with Gods people then to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter Heb. 11. 26. And to this end we should first restraine all needlesse cares and businesse of this world and study so to be quieâ—… as to meddle with our owne busines and to aâ—…idge thâ—…m into as narrow a scantling as our callings will permit Secondly we should auoid as much as may be the societie with the fauorites and minions of the World I meane such persons as admire nothing but worldly things and know no other happinesse then in this life that speake onely of this World and commend nothing but what tends to the praise of worldly things and so to the enticing of our hearts after the World And withall wee should sort our selues with such Christians as practise this contempt of the World as well as praise it and can by their discourse make vs more in loue with heauen Thirdly we should daily obserue to what things in the world our hearts must run and striue with God by prayer to get downe the too much liking and desire after those things Fourthly we should daily be pondering on these meditations that shew vs the vanitie of the world and the vilenesse of the things thereof Thus of the first medicine Secondly we must in our practice soundly mortifie our beloued sins our sins must dye before we dye or else it will not be well with vs. The sting of death is sin and when we haue pull'd out the sting we need not feare to entertaine the Serpent into our bosome It is the loue of some sin and delight in it that makes a man afraid to dye or it is the remembrance of some foule euill past which accuseth the hearts of men and therefore men must make sure their repentance and iudge themselues for their sins and then they neede not feare Gods condemning of them If any aske me how they may know when they haue attained to this rule I answer VVhen they haue so long confessed their sinnes in secret to God that now they can truely say there is no sinne they know by themselues but they are as desirous to haue God giue them strength to leaue it as they would haue God to shew them grace to forgiue it Hee hath soundly repented of all sin that desires from his heart to liue in no sin And vnto this rule I must adde the care of an vpright and vnrebukeable conuersation It is a maruellous encouragement to dye with peace when a man can liue without offence and can iustly plead his integrity of conuersation as Samuel did 1 Sam. 12. 3. and Paul Acts 20. 26 27. and 2 Cor. 1. 12. Thirdly Assurance is an admirable medicine to kill this feare And to speake distinctly wee should get the assurance first of Gods fauour and our owne calling and election for hereby an entrance will bee ministred into the Heauenly Kingdome And therefore haue I handled this doctrine of the Christians assurance before I meddled with this point of the Feare of Death Simeon can dye willingly when his eyes haue seene the saluation Feare of death is alwayes ioyned with a weake faith and the full assurance of faith doth maruellously establish the heart against these feares and breeds a certaine desire of the comming of Christ. Paul can be confident when he is able to say I know whom I haue beleeued and that hee is able to keepe that which I haue committed to him 2. Tim. 12. Besides wee should labour to get a particular knowledge and assurance of our happinesse in death and of our saluation Wee would study to this end the Arguments that shew our felicitie in death And to this purpose it is of excellent vse to receiue the Sacrament often For Christ by his Will beqâ—…eathed heauen to vs Ioh. 17. and by the death of the Testator this Will is of force and is further daily sealed vnto vs as internally by the Spirit so externally by the Sacraments Now if wee get our Charter sealed and confirmed to vs how can we be afraid of the time of possession He is fearelesse of death that can say with the Apostle Whether I liue or dye I am the Lords Rom. 14. 8. 4. That charge giuen to Hezekiah concerning the setting of his house in order Esay 38. is of singular vse for this cure Men should with sound aduice settle their outward estates and dispose of their worldly affaires and according to their meanes prouide for their wife and children A great part of the feare and trouble of mens hearts is ouer when their Wills are discreetly made but men are loth to dye so long as their outward estates are vnsettled and vndisposed It is a most preposterous course for men to leaue the making of their Wils to their sicknesse for besides their disabilities of memory or vnderstanding which may befall them the trouble of it breedes vnrest to their mindes and besides they liue all the time in neglect of their duty of preparation for death 5. Wee may much helpe our selues by making vs friends with the riches of iniquity we should learne that of the vniust Steward as our Sauiour Christ sheweth Since wee shall be put out of the Stewardship we should so dispose of them while wee haue them that when wee dye they may