their prolonged life and cursing their societie who happely haue bene with him companions in iniquitie To forgoe his wealth it will be a death and to remember how that he hath damned his soule for scraping it together it will be a hell to him Now doth death lay siege to the castell of the bodie and dischargeth an hundred Canons of calamities vpon the same conuulsions feauers aches and infinite paines which disquiet the bodie distract the minde vexe the patient and grieue the beholders making the one to burst foorth many times into blasphemies causing the other in compassion to shed plentie of teares and at last it dischargeth a volley of pangs which euen breake the heart strings and separate those old friends the Soule and the Bodie Then comes in the conscience with her book of accompts and she shewes many old reckonings and arrerages she will tell the sicke man of his sinnes which he hath committed of the commandements which he hath contemned of the time that he hath vainely consumed of the dishonors done to God the wrongs to men and iniuries to himselfe the frailty of his youth the folly of his riper yeares and the iniquitie of his whole life then would hee keepe the commaundements of God but it is not permitted then would he redeeme the time mis-spent but hee cannot be suffered then would he faine deferre the time of his accounts but it will not bee graunted Iob. 13.26 Thou writest bitter things against me saith Iob and makest me possâ—sse the sinnes of my youth The Lord by his chastisements will shew that he remembreth sinne and by inflicting the same will bring mens sinnes to their cogitations and make the remembraunce thereof more bitter vnto them then gall and wormewood their sinnes which were their companions to play with them will now be an enemie to plague theÌ„ that which was a foxe to deceiue them will become a wolfe to deuoure them that which was like an angell to tempt them will now be as a diuell to torment them Now to aggrauate these calamities doth Sathan set in foote for when death layeth siege to the bodie then doth he most eagerly assault the soule and his manner is to bestirre himselfe exceedingly Reu. 12.12 when hee sees that he hath but a short time He will make heauie sinne seem light that so he may bring men to presumption or the light sinnes heauie that soe hee may driue them to desperation In the middest of all these dolours and distractions the distressed soule thinkes vpon the nearenesse of his accompt to be made Greg. mor. lib. 24. c. 17 and by how much nearer the iudgement approcheth by so much the more is it feared because a man shall then finde within a short time that which he cannot forgo throughout all eternitie Miserable man that thou art whose condition this is whither wilt thou flie for comfort in the middest of this distresse If thou looke vpon thy wealth it will be a corasiue to thy soule if thou behold thy friendes they stand weeping about thee if thou haue recourse to thy conscience it is tormenting within thee life that thou louedst so well biddes thee farewel and death that thou hatedst most extreamely salutes thee yea hell it selfe gapeth for thee and the diuels are readie to torment thee The onely refuge to a poore soule in this distresse is the recourse to Gods mercie but what hope can the wicked haue therein at the day of their death Rom. 2.4 who haue despised the riches of his bountifulnesse and patience and long suffering in the time of their life Now thinkes the dying man Oh if I might liue still how would I bestirre my selfe in working forward my saluation What cost what paines and care would I bestow and take to escape this horror of soul But all these good motions come too late Cum vult improbus c. Aug. For the wicked when he would he cannot because that when he might he would not Now is it too late to crie Oh that I might dye the death of the righteous Num. 23. when a man hath neglected to liue the life of the righteous This is the true president of a wicked mans will and testament consisting of three principall points his goods he bequeathes to his Executors because he cannot carie them with him his bodie and bones he leaues to the wormes and rottennesse and they will consume them his soule goes to the diuell and he will torment it This indeed he would not haue so but it is his will against his will Behold here then we see a maine difference between the godly and the wicked in that the day of death is a comicall Catastrophe to the one but a tragicall conclusion to the other In this life there is the same condition to the godly the wicked Eccles 9.2 yea happely worse to the godly then the wicked but at their death it fareth with them as it doth with the dogge and the dere For as the dogge which in his life time is cherrished at his death is cast to the crowes but the dere which is chased and pursued in the time of his life when he dyeth is carefully brought home and dressed so the wicked which liue pleasantly in their life are at their death cast foorth into the place of darkenesse but the godly who are pursued and persecuted in their life are caried at the day of their death by the blessed Angels into Abrahams bofome Luk. 16.22 This being the fruite of sinne it should be a reason to restraine vs from the same It is straunge to see how preposterous our courses are the most presume of Gods mercie in their life time that they may sinne the more securely and in death they feare his iustice lest they be condemned but they should feare his iudgements in the time of their life and then may they reioyce in his mercie at the day of their death To conclude then the conclusion of mans life let all the wicked that celebrate their birth dayes with mirth and festiuitie celebrate the day of their death with feare and sorrow for a wo belongs to them that haue had their consolation in this world Luk. 6. And if it happen also that there be no bands in their death neither in the paines of the bodie nor the vexatioÌ„ of soule their case is yet the more lamentable because there remaines the more punishment hereafter But let the wicked forsake his waies Esa 55.8 and the vngodly his owne imaginations and turne to the Lord in true and heartie repentance and let all those that would haue comfort in the day of their death be carefull to leade a sanctified life alwaies remeÌ„bring that commonly such a life such a death Qualis vita finis ita Aug ad Dioscor and as death leaues a man so the last iudgement shall find him CHAP. 2. SECT I. The first steppe of the wicked into hell at the day
Tirpsi initio who at the birth of any child vsed to sit downe and weepe recounting the calamities that were by it to be encountred but when any one dyed they sported and reioyced rehearsing the miseries from which he was deliuered But what is this to the spirituall calamitie and miserie of sin which is increased by old age and the debts of our transgressions which are augmented by long life It is a worthie question of Ierome Hieron ad Heliador What difference is there betweene him that hath liued ten yeares and him that hath liued a thousand years sauing that when death comes hee that is the oldest goeth to the graue loaden with the greatest burthen of sinnes If a man grow dayly in debt and behind hand we say he hath a good turne when God hath taken him soorth of the world how much more should we thinke him happie who is by death deliuered from running further into the debts of sin Rom. 3.19 whereby he is brought into the Lords danger These euils are great which long life bringeth vpon vs but besides it keepeth good things from vs and vs from good things For we know that whilest we are at home in the body 2. Cor. 5.6 we are absent from the Lord. The desire of long life makes vs forget eternall life and the hope thereof causeth the neglect of our preparation to death for whilest euery one thinks he may liue yet a little longer hee perswades himselfe that hee hath time enough to repent Is not he a foolish souldier that would haue the warres rather prolonged then ended that he may haue the trophees of victorie Now our life being a warfare and the day of our death the day of honour and triumph is there not iust cause that they which haue receiued the first fruite of the spirit Rom. 8. should sigh for their ful and final redemption But this being the vanitie of long life all those world-louers are iustly taxed who like the Israelites would make a Canaan of Aegypt and heauenly mansions of this earthly habitation being loth to forsake it though they be subiect to a thousand inconueniences in it But as those that are much giuen to wine will not stick to drinke the lees so those that loue this world and life too well will rather embrace old age with all the preiudices thereof then leaue it What is there in this life to be desired and if there were any thing yet what is that to the life to come To say the most for long life say that the Lord offereth vs two iewels the one base and temporall the other excellent and eternall is it not extreame folly to preferre the temporall before the eternall And such is the folly of those which preferre long life in this world before eternall life in the world to come But what is it not lawfull to desire long life surely yes with that condition implyed in Dauids prayer Psal 30.9 Shall the dust giue thanks vnto thee If thou desire to glorifie God by liuing long then mayest thou desire it and so doing mayest haue great hope to obtaine it CHAP. 3. SEC 1. A view of those externall vanities which are called the goods of Fortune and first of Nobilitie WHen Dalilah would betray Sampson into the hands of the Philistims Iudg. 16.6 shee intreateth him to tell her wherein his great strength lay knowing that if once the same were weakened hee might easily be vanquished Euery souldier that can approch to the standard or come neare the Generall will preasse hard and aduenture with daunger to encounter them considering that the one being the eye the other the voyce of the armie in their victorie consisteth the glorie of the conquest The like course haue I thought good to take in this spiritual warfare for being to encounter the combined forces of the minde the bodie and of Fortune I first assayed to set vpon the ornaments of the minde afterwards assaulted the armado of the bodie which being like the lockes of Sampson and the Captaine and standard-bearer of the armie thou shalt finde foyled and slaine except thy heart yeeld balme to cure them and their fires quenched vnlesse thy affections send foorth oyle to kindle them And now by Gods grace I will encounter the stragling and vnranged forces of Fortune And first I wil beginne with Nobilitie a meere externall good which happeneth vnto men in their birth onely through their auncestors worthinesse Those that are stict in the decyphering and blazing of gentrie account none noble but such as are remoued a third degree froÌ„ ignobilitie Nam genus proauos quae non fecâ—mus ipsi Viâ—ea nostra voco Ouâ—â— Met. lib. 13. holding absurdly that the auncestors can giue that they haue not and decking fondly the naked and new borne babe with the plumes of his progenitors If descents make nobilitie how cometh it to passe then that many of most ancient families haue lost their generositie by antiquitie whilest wealth the nurse of Nobilitie hath fayled But thus indeed they make Nobilitie like the shippe that brought home the youth of Greece which was peeced with sundrie plankes that at last it had nothing of that matter whereof it was made I haue read a pleasant storie of a great Prince who standing much vpon these vanities was perswaded by one which knew how to fit his humor that his noble pedegree might be deduced from Noahs arke wherewith when he being much affected did wholly addict himselfe to the searching foorth of that his ieaster told him that his endeuour therein would be nothing honourable to him for if you fetch your pedegree from Noahs ark quoth he my selfe and other such simple fellowes as I am who now reuerence you as a god shall prooue your poore kinsmen a worthy reproofe of a proud conceit and a fond enterprise If there be any that stand vpon these tearmes it will not be hard to fetch his originall sixteene hundred yeares beyond the time of the floud euen from Adam but with like inglorious successe for in him through a trecherous rebellion against his God hee shall finde his bloud so stained that all the men and Angels in heauen and earth are not able to restore it If vertue were deriued by propagation as vice is and if parents could as well impart vnto their children their prowesse as their pollution Nobility were an ornament of most honourable respect but seeing that as the deadly hemlocke groweth in the fertile ground and rich ore is digged foorth of the barren soyle so vertuous and honourable children many times proceed from meane parentage and base and ignoble descend from honorable progenitors And seeing that vertue the onely foundation of true Nobilitie is an acquisit and diuinely instilled habit Nobilitas sola est atque vnica virtus there is no reason that noblenesse of birth should be so priced as it is It is not the descent in birth but the liuing vertuously
thy soule with the diamond of a deepe meditation and let it not passe thence till it haue wrought and perfected the worke of true repentance in mortifying thy corrupt affections and rectifying thy profane conuersation Otherwise assure thy selfe that if thou wilt not breake off thine iniquities by repentance and make an end of sinning thou shalt surely meet with a correspondent recompence for there shall be no end of thy torments The third part Of the ioyes of Heauen in generall WHEN Cyrus sought to win the hearts of the Persians to him Iustin lib. 1. he caused them to be assembled and to toyle and take great paines in cutting downe a wood and the next day after he feasted them and then demaunded whether they had rather liue as they did that day or the day before and when they all chose as no maruell to liue in mirth and feasting he told them that if they would follow Astyages their life should be as the day of toyling but promised that if they would sticke to him and be his followers it should be like the day of feasting The like is here propounded to thee my Christian brother in these Meditations If thou wilt follow the world and Satan the god of the world behold thou seest there is nothing to be got thereby but infinite toyle in this life and eternall torments in the life to come but if thou wilt take vp our Sauiours crosse and follow him Mat. 19.28 thou shalt surely haue the reward of euerlasting happinesse So that I may say to thee as Moses said to the Israelites Deu. 30.15 Behold I haue set before thee this day Life and good death and euill Onely in this I differ Ioh. 2.10 that as our Sauiour aâ— Cana in Galile reserued the best wine last so haue I first set before thee death and euill and now am to offer thee life and good that if it may be through the view of hels torments the kingdome of heauen may suffer violence Mat. 11. The eye of man is not able to behold the brightnesse of the heauens in a foggie mist neither can the eyes of our vnderstanding pierce thorough the mists of earthly vanities to that exceeding glory which shineth in the heauens If thou belong to the kingdome of God thou shalt in the Treatise following meet with the riches of that inheritance which doth belong to thee so that thou mayest reade it to thy exceeding comfort being the mappe and modell of that heauenly possession and habitation which Christ Iesus hath purchased for thee And if the same affect thee with ioy know this for thy further comfort that all this is infinitely lesse then that celestiall blisse whereof thou shalt one day be partaker CHAP. 1. SECT 1. The first steppe of the godly into heauen before the day of iudgement namely Sanctimonie of life WHilest the children of Israel were yet trauelling in the wildernes the Lord appointed Moses the man of God Deut. 34.1 to goe to the toppe of mount Nebo from whence he shewed him the spacious region of the pleasant laÌ„d of Canaan which afterwards the Israelites shold possesse so deales Almightie God with his seruants euen whilest they are trauelling in the wildernesse of this troublesome world he doth from the high tower of a sanctified speculation shew them an excellent prospect of the celestiall Canaan the kingdome of heauen the fruition and fee-simple whereof he will afterwards bestow vpon them And therefore one saith well Bern. Serm. super Ver. 10. cap. â—0 Sap. The kingdome of heauen is graunted promised shewed and receiued it is graunted in Predestination promised in Vocation shewed in Iustification and receiued in Glorification When Adam was in his innocencie hee had his habitation in the terrestriall Paradise so when the sonnes of Adam are in some measure restored by regeneration to that holinesse which they lost by their fathers fal they do enter into the celestiall Paradise Whereby those visions are fulfilled Reu. 3.12 that New Ierusalem is come downe out of heauen The tabernacle of God is with men and he is their God 21.3 and they are his people and God himselfe is their God with them This will be euident if we consider the heauenly priuiledges wherewith the Saints and seruants of God are indowed euen in this life To let passe the PatriciaÌ„ robes of the blessed Sacraments 1. They obtaine pardon and remission of their sinnes Psa 32.1 Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered saith the Prophet Dauid Lo this blessednesse do the children of God obtaine in the remission of their sinnes And to this forgiuing of sin being the foundation of felicitie there is added the giuing of grace for the reformation of their liues for where sinne is pardoned there it is purged so that they are no more strangers from the life of God Eph. 2. but it is their meate and drinke to do the will of their heauenly father their thoughts and meditations are lifted aboue earthly cogitations their words are gracious as becommeth the heauenly citizens and their conuersation holy while they are clothed with the white robes of righteousnesse like the companie of our Sauiours blessed attendants in the kingdome of heauen Reu. 7.9 Thus are they by grace vnited vnto Almightie God obtaine his gracious protection Ioh. 17.22 according to our Sauiours heauenly petition as the Psalmist saith Psal 5.12 For the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Crowne implyeth more then a simple protection as Psal 84.11 1. Pet. 4.14 For thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous and with fauour wilt crowne and compasse him as with a shield So that the Lord doth euen in this life crowne his childreÌ„ with grace and glorie they may boldly come in the presence of God and talke with him in their prayers and they haue the benefite of his Angels attendance Psal 91. 2 Againe as they are vnited vnto God by grace so are they ingrafted into Christ who is the fountain of all heauenly happinesse and can say with the Apostle Gal. 2.20 I liue not any more but Christ liueth in me And a man thus established by faith in Christ may truly bee said to be in heauen as Saint Iohn saith Iohn 5.24 He hath euerlasting life and is alreadie passed from death to life There are many wretches which scorn the godly count their pietie folly Psal 4.2 and turne their glory into shame esteeming â—hem for the most base abiects of the world whereas their condition is most happie for though they be vnder the persecution of wicked Esau yet are they euen then with Iacob in Bethel Gen. 28.17 the house of God and the gate of heauen 3 Hereunto wee may adde the communion of Saints and fellowship with the elect Angels whereof the Apostle speaketh when he saith Phil. 3.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are free
by day and by night at home and abroad in life and in death yea it will not onely guide thee as Moses did the children of Israel to the celestiall Canaan but as Iosua did will there take vp her habitation with thee for euer And as the starre led the Wise men till they came to Christ Mat. â— and then stood still so shall this light of ioy leade thee to the kingdome of heauen and there stand still in the firmament of thy soule world without end SECT 3. The third steppe to Heauen before the day of iudgement namely Ioy comfort at the day of death THe traueller that hath a long iourney to take though happely hee meete with many delights by the way yet is glad when he cometh within the kenne of his countrie but reioyceth exceedingly when hee hath attained the end of his iourney Behold the waies of righteousnesse are the steps we take in our trauaile the peace of conscience setteth before vs the ioy of the heauenly mansions but the day of death giueth vs fruition thereof and is therefore to be desired of all those that are trauelling the right way to the kingdome of heauen The heauenly bodies are best seene in the euening when the Sunne is set and the heauenly ioyes are most enioyed at the euening of our dayes when the Sunne of our life is set by reason that the soule is then deliuered from a masse of corruptions and both soule and bodie from a mixture of infinite miseries The godly may now especially be said to set foote into heauen in a twofold respect First because they are freed from the calamities of this life the bitternesse whereof doth greatly allay the sweetnesse of the heauenly ioyes Secondly Eccles 12 7 because their soules returning to God do actually possesse those eternall ioyes which the kingdome of heauen doth yeeld 1 Concerning this life what is it but a vale of miserie and what is the fruite thereof Psal 90.10 but labour and sorrow therefore doth the Oracle of heauen rightly pronounce Reu. 14 13. Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord because they cease from their labours The sea-faring man is glad when he meets with a pleasant gale of winde that will bring him to the hauen where he would bee Lo this world is the sea the bodie the shippe the soule the mariner and death the pleasant gale of wind that brings vs into the hauen of eternal blisse This the Apostle insinuates in an elegant Metaphor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2.23 when he saith I long to be dissâ—lued and to bee with Christ. When Noah had bin tossed vp and downe in the floud almost a whole yeare was he not glad thinke you of mount Ararat whereupon he rested the Arke So the children of God hauing bene tossed vp and downe the waters of this wicked world peraduenture for many yeares haue they not reason to be glad of the day of death the mount Ararat that giues rest to the beaten barke of their turmoyled soules bodies Is the soule kept in the bodie as it were in a prison Seneca Tully c. and is not the day of death therefore to be desired as the day of deliuerance from imprisonment Surely yes and that makes Simeon to say Lord Luk 2.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou loosest now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word The dayes of man saith Iob are as the dayes of an hireling Iob. 7.2 And as the seruant longeth for the shadow and an hireling looketh for the end of his worke so do the godly looke and long for the euening Sun-set of their age because then the time of labour is past and the day of paiment comes in which causeth theÌ„ to pray Euen so Reu. 22.20 come Lord Iesus 2 As the faithfull are by death deliuered from the miseries of this life which hindred their felicitie so are they by it as it were by a gate led and let into the ioyes of heauen For the soules of the iust when by death they pay the old debt do receiue a new reward of ioy which they shall neuer repay Salomon saith comfortably Pro. 14.32 The righteous hath hope in his death but the Apostle more comfortably We know 2. Cor. 5.1 that if our earthly house of this tabernacle bee destroyed we haue a building giuen of God euen an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens If the godly dyed doubtfully and with a staggering confidence there were some reason they should suffer a wonderfull conflict and reluctation in death but seeing they commit their soules into the hands of a faithfull Creator 1. Pet. 4.19 and their bodies to the ground with an assured confidence that at the last day they shall with the same eyes behold their Redeemer Iob. 19. who will send his Angels to fetch them and hath promised to glorifie them seeing that being dissolued they shall be with Christ Phil. 1.23 haue the reward of their workes following them to heauen Reu. 14.13 where their time shall bee spent in singing the hymnes of prayses to the harpe of glorie Reu. 5.8.9 haue they not reason to long for death to search for it more then for treasures and to reioyce when they finde it Dauid saith that the death of the Saints is precious in the sight of the Lord. Psa 116.15 And our Sauiour makes the day of death the Saints seede time for that happie haruest wherein the Angels shall be reapers to gather the good corne into the Lords barne the kingdome of heauen For except the wheate corne fall into the ground and dye Ioh. 12.24 it bideth alone but if it dye it bringeth foorth much fruite Seeing now that death is of such singular vse to the godly wee see that to bee a most false position of the Philosopher and an erroneous opinion of many Christians That death is the worst and most terrible thing that can happen to man For albeit that to the wicked it be so yet to the godly it is not to whome if either you respect their freedome from temporall miseries or the fruition of eternall felicitie The day of death is better Eccles 7.3 then the day that they are borne If the house wherein thou dwellest were rotten Cypr. de mortal sect 17. and readie to fall on thy head if the shippe wherein thou art carried leaked very daungerously and like to drowne thee wouldest thou not leaue thy house and desire the shore that might yeeld thee safetie Then maruell not that the godly desire to be freed from the crazed houses and leaking shippes of their mortall bodies and long for the houses hauens of euerlasting securitie What though death be a serpent and sting the wicked griping them at the heart yet to the elect Christ hath vanquished this serpent and plucked out his sting yea deaths sting being sinne
As bodies that haue fewest bad humors are least shaken with agues so those that are freest from sinne though death assault them bitterly are least annoyed by the pains and terror of death Our Sauiour saith Ioh. 16.33 Be of good cheare I haue ouercome the world and I may say Bee of good cheare 2 Cor. 15.16 for Christ hath ouercome death 2 This may be an occasion to mitigate that extreme sorrow which many take vppon the death of their godly friends seeing their death yeeldeth rather cause of coÌ„fort then of sorrow of mirth then of mourning and of reioycing rather then of weeping and lamenting If you loued me you would reioyce saith our Sauiour to his disciples because I said Ioh. 14.28 I goe to the Father so those that loue their friends indeed haue cause to reioyce rather then to mourne for their death because they go to be glorified with their heauenly Father The little child that sees the mother cutting and bruising the sweet and pleasant hearbes and flowers is sorie because hee thinkes they are spoiled but the mother hath a purpose to preserue theÌ„ whereby they are made much better A simple bodie that should see the Gold-smith melting the pure mettals would bee discontent imagining that all were marred whereas the skilfull workeman hath a purpose to cast some excellent peece of plate thereof So wee silly men when the Lord cuts off some of our friends by death like the flower and lets others wither like the greene hearbe and when he melteth them in the fornace of the graue are ouercome with sorrowfull conceipts as though some euill thing were befallen our friendes whereas we should remember that the Lord hath a purpose by this meanes to preserue them and to transforme them into that glorious estate which the Angels enioy in heauen And this reason is first intimated and after plainely expressed by Saint Paule in his dehortation to the Thessalonians I would not brethren haue you ignorant concerning them which are asleepe 1. Thes 4.13 that you sorrow not as others which haue no hope Who would be sorrie to see his friend fall asleepe seeing that thereby he is made lightsome fresh and lustie Now death is to the godly nothing but a sleepe whereby they are refined and refreshed why should we then be offended therewith If thy friend which dieth bee wicked then hast thou iust cause of mourning but if thou knewest him to liue and die in the feare of God howsoeuer nature or affection may haue force to wring teares from thine eyes or sighes from thy heart yet hast thou reason to reioyce and be glad for his happie change as Augustine his example may teach Aug confe lib. 9. v. who bridled the infirmitie of Nature and suppressed his teares at his mothers death though he honoured and loued her dearely thinking it an vnfit thing to celebrate her funerals with weeping and wailing because she had liued religiously and died vertuously 3 To conclude this point me thinkes if there were no farther reason to perswade yet euen this meditation might mooue any one to the practise of godlinesse in that it yeeldeth this heauenly peace of conscience in the time of our life and eternall consolation at the day of our death Oh what a sweete comfort will it be to thee my Christian brother when friends honour wealth dignities and all other comfortes in the world become vaine and faile thee to haue the ioyfull peace of conscience to rest with thee When thou shalt bee able recounting thy sincere care in Gods seruice to pray with good Nehemiah Neh. 13.22 Remember me ô my God concerning this to say with godly Hezechiah vpon his death bed 2. King 20.3 I beseech thee ô Lord remember now how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect hart and haue done that which is good in thy sight and with our blessed Sauiour before his passion Ioh. 17.4 Father I haue glorified thee on earth I haue finished the worke which thou gauest me to doe For then shall the vprght câ—nscience eccho a comfort to thy humble soule and either the Lord wil enlarge the lease of thy life with Hâ—zechiah or glorifie thee in the heauens with his beloued Sonne CHAP. 2. SECT 1. The first steppe into heauen at the day of iudgement namely A blessed Resurrection IF the godly in this life and at the day of their death haue a tast of those heauenly ioyes which cannot be expressed how much more shall they haue in the resurrection when body and soule shall both be reunited and indued with a blessed condition Therefore do the Scriptures describe the excellencie of the resurrection by sundry comfortable metaphors Ioh. 12. 1. Cor 15. Saint Paule compares it to the husbandmans haruest when reaping and receiuing the fruites of his labours his heart reioyceth and so shall it be to the godly for they which sowe in teares at the day of death shall reape in ioy at their resurrection Pro. 19.17 2. Salomon saith hee which hath pittie on the poore lendeth to the Lord and looke what he layeth out it shall bee payed him againe Now men that haue great debts desire earnestly the day of payment and behold our Sauiour calleth the day of resurrection Luk. 14.14 The day of payment because then hee hauing his reward with him Reu. 22.12 will come foorth of euerie ones debt and reward their goodâ—esse with glorie 3. Those that labor must needes haue a time to rest in that so they may be refreshed Our life is nothing but labour our death a sleepe and therefore the Apostle fitly calles the resurâ—ection Act. 3.19 Thâ— time of refreshing being as the gladsome morning to a siâ—ke man Psal 49.14 15. which hath tossed and turned vp and downe wearily all the night long The bird that hath bene kept a great while in a cage will chaunt it merrily when shee commeth foorth into the open aire the prisoner that hath lyen loÌ„g in the duÌ„geon reâ—oyceth exceedingly when he hath obtained libertie so shall the resurrection be ioyfull and comfortable to the godly when they are deliuered from the cage and prison of the graue and restored into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God Rom. 8.21 There is nothing that doth better râ—semble set foorth the excellencie of the Resurrection then the spring time for as we flourish in our childhood bring foorth fruite in our youth waxe ripe in our old age and wither at our death so wee spring fresh againe at our resurrection The trees in winter being despoiled of their leaues the garden of the flowers and the fields of the grasse do seeme vtterly to perish but when the Spring time comes they all waxe as fresh and flourishing as euer they were so the body which during the winter of many ages is depriued of her beautie and turned to rottennesse doth at the Spring time of the resurrection
1 The clearest wine by standing comes in time to haue lees and dregges and tartnesse so the purest part of our age doth in time gather the dregs of lothsome old age and becomes tart and sowre to our selues and full of morositie and frowardnesse to others And as it is in wines so it is often in our liues the purest part of our dayes seeme to runne away swiftly but the dregs of tedious olâ— age stick long by vs. Fâ—r euery one is caried in Times chariot which is drawne with the two restlesse steedes Motion and Mutation which neuer standeth still till she be by death discharged of her passengers Doth it not often come to passe that as forward springs are nipped by sharpe frosts and kindly slips broken off when they are tender so the brauest gallant is cut off in the flower of his age and being arrested by death in the prime of his youth is caried violently to the graue But suppose the fatall dart be a while escaped yet as the apple falleth from the tree by ripenesse and the fire goeth out of it selfe though it be not quenched so man if by no fatall accident yet by the course of nature turnes at last to earth from whence he was taken Sensun sine sensu Cic. de senceÌ„t The shadow of the dyall paceth it so slowly that the motion thereof is not to be discerned yet we see that in a dayes space it will go from the East to the West so the life of mâ—n passeth away very slily yet is he quickly at the West and declining of his dayes before he be aware Euen whilest thou art reading this whosoeuer thou art albeit thou doest not consider it the threed of thy life is wearing the oyle of thy lampe wasting and time is carying thee to the habitation of darknesse Sen epi. 71. initio The mariners first lose the sight of their friends then of the cities and at last of the shores and bankes so is euery man by degrees depriued first of his youth then of his middle age and lastly of his hoarie dayes if haply he be not preuented by vntimely death For indeed there is nothing more certaine then death yet nothing more vncertain then the times and kindes of death as antiquities together with dayly experience can testifie Fabian pars 7. cap. 225. William Rufus a king of England was slaine with an arrow shotte at a Hart by a knight as Basilius Macedo the Romaine Emperour was with the stroke of a Hart in hunting Carus and F. Valerius Anastasius the Emperours perished by lightning Ioh. Bap. Ignatius Rom. princip libris 1 2 Sucton in vita Claud. Caesar c. 27. Young Drusus Pompey the son of the Emperor Claudius was choked with a peare which he cast vp and caught in his mouth in sport Gaguin de gestis Fran. lib. 9. in vit Caroli sexti Charles a king of Nauarre had a straunge death for being sewed in a sheete by night that hee might be bathed in it hee that sewed it by burning off the threed with a candle set fire vpon the sheete wherewith the king being pitifully burned died within three daies after Eurypides the Poet was torne with dogs Anacreon as Plinie writeth was choked with the stone of a raisin Plin hist natu li. 7 7 cap. 7. and Marius with a haue in a messe of milke yea Plinie himselfe perished by the strange fire of mount Vesevus Munster Cosmogr in descrip Ital. whilest he was seeking to know the reason and nature of it But why go I about to particularize those things that are infinite yea when some haue ended their liues by laughing Valer. Maâ— lib. 9. Aul Gel. noct Aâ— Seneca Ep. 71. For the eternall Law hath giuen vs one kind of entrance into life but diuerse yea innumerable passages forth of it and albeit the Sunne knoweth his going downe Psal 104.19 yet the sonnes of men know not the setting of their dayes and the Vesper of their life 2 As youth is fraile and fading Temeritas est adolescentiae Cic. de senâ—ct so is it enuironed with many follies It is rash inconsiderate in enterprises as might be instanced in such as Terentius Varro who succeeding warie Fabius in the Dictatorship Plutarc in vita Fab. lost in one battell through his rashnesse 64000. souldiers But that wofull renting of the kingdomes of Israel and Iuda caused by the rash and indiscreete aduice of Rehoboams young counsellors 2. Kin. 12.8 may sufficiently demonstrate this True it is that young men many times haue sharpe wits Hieron ad Nepot ferè initio but as the fire in greene wood is suffocated by moist vapors that it cannot shine brightly so wisedome in youth is hindred and smoothered by temptations and concupiscence that it cannot shine and shew foorth her brightnesse Againe youth is full of arrogancie rancor and reuenge so that humilitie and mildnesse is verie rare amongst young men And therefore Saint Chrysostom compareth youth to the surging sea Serm. cum Presbyter esset designatus full of rough windes and raging waters and old age to the hauen of the mindes tranquillitie But why do I endeuor to reckon vp the enormities of youth which is prone to all manner of sinne carying in his bosome the fire and fuell of iniquitie For now the vngodly hauing strength and other oportunities answering his disposition Iob 20.11.12 Fils his bones with sinne and wickednesse is sweet in his mouth Pro. 7.6 It was a young man that Salomon saw intrapped in the wily snares of the strange woman and that makes him thus to taxe by an ironicall reproofe this licentious age Reioyce ô young man in thy youth Ecclâ—s 11.9 and let thy heart cheare thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes What would the Preacher perswade youth to dissolutenesse nothing lesse but hee doth onely expresse the dissolutenesse of young men which set open the windowes of their eyes enlarge the closet of their hearts and make speedie the feete of their affections to act and accomplish that which is euill This Dauid did acknowledge Psal 25.7 when he desired pardon for the sinnes of his youth Jâ—r 31.19 and Ieremy when being conuerted by repentance he was ashamed yea euen confounded because he did beare the sinnes of his youth In regard of all which I may iustly conclude in Salomons words Eccle. 11.10 Childhood and youth are vanitie Forasmuch then as flourishing youth hath such following inconueniences as siâ—knesse old age and death with such preiudiciall companions as indiscretion rashnesse pride and prophanenesse why is it hâ—d in such admiration as we see it is Yea forasmuch as it is a flaming fire and a surging sea of sinne haue we not rather cause to desire that this fire were quenched this water calmed and our selues arriued at the quiet hauens
grace and eclipses of godlinesse but when prosperitie hath filled and furnished them with the abundance of temporal blessings De verb Domini Ser. 13 in fine So that Augustines saying is true It is a point of great valour to contend with felicitie and great happinesse not to be ouercome of prosperitie Now if prosperitie worke not this preiudice yet will she be flâ—tting and flying away before a man can imagine and is therefore fitly compared to the sea which euen now is calme but by and by rough and tempestuous with mighty waues and billowes Ionas when hee is flying from the Lord and flinching in his businesse goeth downe to Iapho finds a shippe readie to go to Tharshish payeth the fare and goeth downe into the shippe hitherto Ionas had prosperous successe and all things fell out to his mind But it was not long before the Lords Pursiuant a mightie wind arrested him and caused him to be arraigned and condemned by the Lords verdite in the silent lots and to be cast into the sea by his owne sentence so fareth it with many which for a while haue good successe in their affaires and sayle pleasantly in the voyage of this life but ere long aduersitie layeth hold vpon them and casteth them into the surging seas of infinite calamities The corne that is too ranke is soone lodged the boughes of a tree being ouerloden are quickly broken and the ship ouerballanced is quickly drowned so the prosperous estate is very much subiect to ruine and subuersion When Dauid saw the prosperitie of the wicked hee wondered at it Psal 73 1â— 18. but at last hee learnes in the Lords sanctuarie that they are set in slippery places they stand as it were vpon ice which yeeldeth no sure footing What madnesse then is it for any man to waxe insolent because the world laughes vpon him considering that shee is readie so quickly to turne her countenance and to change her fauours into frownes When thou seest a man running speedily vpon an high and daungerous rocke doest thou not rather pittie him then thinke him happie Such furely is the case of that man whom prosperitie hath aduanced exceeding daungerous If therefore it hath pleased the Almightie to prosper thy wayes be not high minded but feare The warie mariner that saileth safely in calme windes will haue all things ready against a tempest so should the discreete Christian in the time of prosperitie prepare the shield of patience against the day of aduersitie and remember Greg. Mor. lib. 5. cap. 1. initio that holy men as one saith when they flourish and prosper are touched with a godly iealousie lest they should receiue all the fruites of their labours here in this world Almost euery man will pray hard in the day of aduersitie but thou hadst neede to double thy prayers in the time of prosperitie for by it do most men fall But happie is that man whose prosperitie is a spurre to pietie SECT 3. Of riches ALthough the earth which denieth not to men things needefull Sen. de Benefic lib. 7. cap. 10. hath hidden from them riches because they are hurtful and though Nature hath so subiected gold and siluer that man should trample them vnder his feete and hath giuen him a countenance erected to heauen that hee should not cast his eies vpon these base things but lift them vp to better yet such is the corrupt condition of mankind that he moiles and toyles in digging and deluing this hurtfull gold and siluer and peruerting the course both of nature and grace fixeth his eyes and his heart vpon riches and trampleth vnder the feete of a base estimation those celestiall things which hee should hold most deare and precious Are there not some like the Emperor Caligula Sueton. in vita Calig cap. 42. who was so delighted to touch and handle money that laying great heapes of gold in a spacious place he would tread on it barefooted and sometimes tumble himselfe in it Sure I am if none imitate him in that ridiculous practise that there are many that thirst after it as greedily scrape it together as eagerly and locke it vp as carefully as may be But if a man would behold the vncertaintie the insufficiencie or the miserie depending vpon riches hee could not chuse being not extreamely besotted with them but contemne and condemne the same as meere vanities 1 Wilt thou cast thine eyes vpon that which is nothing saith Salomon Prou. 23.5 for riches betaketh her selfe to her wings like an Eagle which flyeth away very strongly and therfore the forme of money agreeth well with the condition of it Aug. in Psa 83. for it is stamped round because it is so apt to runne from a man How many thousand examples may histories and experience affoord of men exceeding rich brought to extreame pouertie yea and that fometimes very speedily And therefore might the Apostle very fitly call them vncertaine riches â— Tim. 6.17 For as in a wheele the spoke that now is vpward Chrys Ser. de curahab prox is by and by downward so commeth it to passe that he which is now rich doth shortly become poore Fire theeues warres and infinite causes there are of consuming riches and impouerishing their possessors though they had euen millions mountaines of gold But suppose that contrarie to their nature they stay by a man yet cannot he stay by them but must leaue them in spite of his teeth as the Psalmist saith Psal 49.17 The rich man shall take away nothing when he dyeth neither shall his pompe follow after him Thus death makes a violent diuorce betweene the rich man and his goods when it is said vnto him Thou foole Luk. 12.20 this night shal they take away thy soule The rich man sleepes saith Iob very elegantly and when he openeth his eyes there is nothing Iob. 27.19 It fares with a rich man at his death as it doth with a sleeping man when hee wakes out of his dreame A man that dreames of the finding or fruition of some rich bootie is wonderfull glad yet when hee awaketh hee findeth nothing but seeth it was onely a dreame and he is sorie so the rich man seemed in the time of his life to haue somewhat but at the day of his death all vanisheth like the Idea of a dream and it vexeth him Eccles 5.15 This is an euill sicknesse saith Salomon that a man must returne naked as he came and it is an ordinarie sicknesse not to be cured by all the physicke in the world When the Preacher hath shewed the vanitie of riches because they vanish thus he offereth this point to our consideration And what profite hath the rich man that he hath laboured for the wind Would you not thinke him a foole or a mad man that should go about to hold the wind and such doth Salomon note to be the folly and madnesse of him which labours and indeuors to hold his wealth 2
good shall all the goods in the world do thee Mat. 1 6. if thou lose thy soule Thinke with thy selfe what if it should be said to thee as it was to the churle Thou foole Luk. 22.40 this night shall they take away thy soule whose then shall those things be which thou hast prouided Little knowest thou who shall gather those riches which thou hast heaped vp it may be thine enemie for this euent I haue obserued in the world or peraduenture such a one as will scatter them as fast as euer thou rakedst them together for this often commeth to passe But admit thou hast children who will be as frugall as thy selfe wilt thou purchase hell to thy selfe to purchase lands for thy children Oh what a lamentable thing is this that the father should frie in euerlasting torments for leauing of his sonne these transitory and temporarie aduancements But wouldest thou keepe thy money safe then lay it vp in heauen where theeues cannot digge through and steale Mat. 6.20 Wouldst thou put it to the best and most gainfull vse then be bountifull in giuing to the poore the money so bestowed is layd vp in heauen Luk 12.33 Thou art here but a pilgrime and heauen is thy countrey Fac traiectitiū saith S. Augustin will it not be good to haue these temporall commodities returned there in things eternall Doest thou not commend the Merchant that changeth an ounce of lead for a pound of gold beleeue me the heauenly gaines doe far exceed such an exchange Doth not the husbandman cast his seed into that ground which is most fertile Let heauen be thy soyle where euen a cuppe of cold water Mat. 25.35 yeelds an Epha of glorie But thou hast children and must prouide for them God forbid else yet remember also that thou hast a brother in heauen Aug. in Psa 48. conc 1. who lookes to be relieued and who will assuredly recompence thy cost and kindnesse for clothing him he will decke thee with glorie for feeding him he will replenish thy heart with ioy and gladnesse and for entertaining him into thy house he will receiue thee into his euerlasting habitations when as wealthie Diues that would not heare poore Lazarus crying at his doore nor relieue him with the crummes of his table shall crie and howle in torments and shall not get so much as a droppe of cold water to coole his tongue Luk. 16.24 To conclude if thou wilt be rich in this life then remember that Godlinesse is great gaine which if thou haue 1. Tim. 6.6 thou possessest all things Be rich in faith 2. Cor. 6.10 Iam. 2.5 so shalt thou be heire to the kingdome of heauen and bee rich in good workes so shalt thou lay vp in store for thy selfe a good foundation for the time to come 1. Tim. 6.17 18. that thou maist obtaine eternall life SECT 4. Of daintie Fare NEcessitie for the maintenance of health and preseruation of life is the especiall end by Gods ordinance of eating and drinking to the which through mans weaknesse dangerous delight ioyneth her selfe as a handmaid so that men becomming daintie and curious haue augmented the vanitie And surely I cannot sufficiently admire the folly of man in this behalfe that being the Lord of all the creatures vpon earth hee should make himselfe a slaue euen to his appetite yea that he should not sticke for the satisfying of a small part of his throate to send headlong both soule body into hell Who is able to reckon vp the infinite dangers and inconueniences that do arise from pampering the bodie 1 It dulleth the wits and taketh away the edge of the vnderstanding For as the cloudes obscure the heauens so doth repletion darken the light of the minde and as birds filled ouer-full cannot flie high so the body being pampered will not suffer the mind to mount vp with the wings of contemplatiō to view excellent obiects This Nebuchadnetzar knew well who purposing to traine vp the yong Princes of Iudah for his counsellors appointed them a portion of meate for their diet as it were by waight For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 portion commeth of a verbe that signifieth to number or to waigh And it is a thing to be obserued that fooles are commonly great eaters so that much eating is either a cause Dan. 1.5 or at least an adiunct of their folly and therefore befits not them that would be reputed wise 2 As it makes a dull and emptie braine so it yeelds as light a purse For he that loueth wine and oyle shall not be rich Prou. 21.17 So that couetousnes and gluttonie do sometime fight together in a carnall man but the appetite preuailing the throat becomes an opē sepulcher deuours all that the hands can prouide 3 It is the mother of sloth and idlenesse according to the Prouerbe When the belly is full the bones would be at rest And that made the Poet to taxe his countrimen for sloth as a fruite of their gluttonie Tit. 1.12 saying The Cretians are alwaies euill beasts slow bellies And it is noted in the Israelites that they sate downe to eate and drinke and rose vp to play Exod. 32.6 as being fit for nothing but play when they had filled their bellies Thus many in their appetites are like beasts but in the fruit effect thereof they are worse then beasts for the beasts hauing filled themselues are therby fitted to their worke but men by eating and drinking are made vnfit for any thing that is good 4 It breedeth sicknesse and sundrie diseases and is to many the cause of their vntimely death Some by ouermuch eating and others by drinking many healths to others leaue themselues no health Thus the glutton and drunkard a thing to be lamented and detested of euerie good man do murder them selues Where are gowts dropsies and the like diseases but where daintie fare and extreame drinking haue their habitation The dayes of our forefathers far from our licentious superfluitie in diet were longer and their bodies more healthfull For Qui viuit medi cè viuit miserè and so themselues lesse miserable There was little need of the Physitian when men were of Calisthenes mind who would not pledge Alexander to haue need of Aesculapius not pledge the King to haue need of the Physitian but now most are like those foolish mariners which needlesly let the water come into their shippe and then are faine to labour hard to pumpe it foorth for they bring vpon themselues diseases by such superfluous disdiet and then are glad to seeke helpe by painfull physicke 5 It makes a man vnmindfull and forgetfull of good things For as too great a burthen drownes the ship so that neither the calmnesse of the sea the skilfulnesse of the pilot the abundance of furniture nor the fit time for nauigation can helpe it so when the bodie is ouerloden with meate it is
13.14 put on the Lord Iesus Christ Thus when thou art decked with these externall and internall robes of grace and with the inherent and imputed righteousnesse of Christ the same shal be as the cloake of Elias 2. Kin. 2.14 deuiding the waters of the Iordan of this troublesome world that thou mayst passe ouer to the beautifull Iericho of eternall ioy And as when Isaac smelled the sauour of Iacobs garments Gen. 27.27 he blessed him so when the Lord smelleth the sweet aire of these garments of grace he will assuredly blesse thee with the white robes of eternall glorie in his euerlasting kingdome Reu. 6.11 SECT 6. Of stately buildings and sumptuous furniture HE that will see the vanitie of stately buildings with the complemeÌ„ts thereunto belonging let him take a view of Salomons house 1. King 7.1 which was thirteene yeares in building vnder the hands of so many thousand workmen and heare him also what he saith of it Eccle. 2.4.5 I haue built me houses I haue planted me vineyards I haue made me gardens and orchards and planted in them trees of all fruite c. Whatsoeuer cost or art could do or deuise Salomon had it to beautifie his workes but marke his censure as well as his description Vers 11. I looked on all the workes that my hands had wrought and behold All is vanitie and vexation of the spirit What is the vsuall foundation of stately buildings but pride and ambition Did not this humor set the builders of the towers of Babylon on worke Gen. 11.4 For they will build them a citie and a tower whose top may reach vnto the heauen that they may get them a name And this is also euident in the arrogant brag of that loftie king many hundred yeares after Dan. 4.27 Is not this great Babel that I haue built for the house of the kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my maiestie Marke how the conceipt of the greatnesse makes him arrogant and in false assuming the honour of the worke he is very impudent But if the matter be well waighed there is no great reason that any one should be proud of his buildings for euery one hauing his due the honour of the worke rather belongs to the builder then to the owner nay many may haue cause to be ashamed of their stately houses being void of habitation and nothing but meere mock-beggers 2 As pride layeth the foundation so crueltie and oppression doe oft times finish the worke Are there not many to whom the Prophets commination doth iustly belong Ier. 22.13 Wo vnto him that buildeth his house by vnrighteousnesse and his chambers without equitie and this circumstance makes it more odious that such cost is bestowed and employed with neglect of the Lords house The Prophet Aggeus taxeth and taunteth the Iewes after their returne from the captiuitie in these words Is it time for your selues to dwell in your seeled houses Agge 1.4 and this house lie waste Doubtlesse there was neuer any age more culpable in this kinde then ours for euery one that hath enough for his owne house hath nothing to bestow in repayring the Church Yea there are manie wretched cormorants who doe not onely let the Lords house lie waste but doe their vttermost euen vtterly to ruinate it Yea some with the spoyles of the Church do purchase lands and build them goodly houses and yet these sacrilegious wretches would bee counted faithfull Christians Saint Iames willeth them to shew him their faith by their workes Iames 2.18 If their stately houses the fruite of their fraud and couetousnesse and the monuments of their pride and arrogancie may be demonstrations of faith the world shall witnesse with them that they are very good Christians but thus many do make their buildings worse then the buildings of Iericho Iosua 6.26 not laying the foundation thereof in the bloud of their bodies but in the bane of their soules And let such know that the curse of God is vpon their glorious houses and that the stones of the wall shall crie out for vengeance Hab. 2.11 and the beame out of the timber shall answer it with an eccho and say Amen 3 What becommeth of all these are the buildings perpetuall or permanent yea doth not time with sundry accidents as fire thunder lightening tempests earthquakes and the like consume them Câ—â—er Epist sa n. lib. 4. Ep. 5. The carkasâ—s of mighty townes and cities such as Aegina and Corinth are scarce to be seen Where is that goodly building of Ierusalem that rauished our Sauiours disciples with admiration and are not those Egyptian Pyramides which were reckoned amongst the wonders of the world exceedingly defaced and decayed Chrys in Ep. ad Coloss Hom. 2. medio Therfore doth Chrysostome verie well compare mens buildings to swallowes neasts which in winter do fall downe of themselues and wherein as he saith do we differ from litle children which in their sports doe build them houses saue that their building is with play and pleasure ours with labour and paine The like may be sayd of domesticall ornaments which hath bene said of the houses For what are they but baites for theeues care for seruants worke for rust foode for moaths and mice and other base creatures The garden may instruct vs rather then delight vs by shewing vs what we are euen a flower and it is a good place to set our sepulcher in with Ioseph of Arimathea that in the middest of our delights we may remeÌ„ber our death As for orchyards they may preach humiliation vnto vs by remembring vs of our common calamitie through the tasting of the forbidden fruite This being the due estimation of these momentanie vanities it may serue to abate the arrogancie of those who waxe proud and stately because of their stately buildings and rich furniture Such may remember that a little womb contained them at their birth and a small graue will serue them at their death and why then should they seeke for such pompous habitations in the time of their life Let vs rather imitate Noah Gene 8.20 who after the flood built an altar then Caine Genes 4.17 who after the Lords threatning built a citie Let vs seeke better habitations then those that may perish by sundrie meanes in the time of our life and must needs be forsaken at our death Heb. 11.10 Abraham being called of God was easily perswaded to forsake his house and his owne countrey because hee locked for a citie whose builder and maker is God so the children of God should remember that they haue a building giuen of God 1. Cor. 5.1 that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens The remembrance whereof should make these earthly tabernacles vile in their eyes As for the wicked who are so besotted with the loue of this world that they endeuour to erect perpetuall habitations in this
proude and ambitious as though their husbands were much bound to them for it Doe not many wiues proue Michals and so are snares to their husbands and many husbaÌ„ds Nabals euen fooles and churles to their wiues And where two such euils are combined it were better for a man to haue his habitatioÌ„ with the wild beasts then to conuerse with such Pro. 21.19 The world yeelds enow such as Iobs wife was who will either say blasphemously to the dishonour of God Curse God and die or else foolishly to their husbands griefe as she did Iob. 2.9 Blesse God and dye adding affliction to his affliction but few Sarahs Rebeccaes there are which are faithfull kind and obedient to their husbands I meane not hereby to condemne all women for I know diuers of that sexe wise modest and verie vertuous nor to iustifie all men for experience sheweth many of them to be very vitious I haue onely said which is the generall current in coniugall affaires Plu. in vita P. Aemy l. in Praecept coniug Plutarch hath a pleasant tale of a Romane with whom because he had put away his wife her friends did thus expostulate the matter What fault can there be found in her is she not an honest woman of her bodie is she not faire and doth she not bring thee sweet children But he putting foorth his foot and shewing them his shoe answered thus Is not this a faire shoe is it not neately made and is it not a newe one yet none of you knoweth where it pincheth me meaning that there were many secret iars happening betweene the maried which others knew not 2. Besides these inconueniences of mariage there is in it some incumbrance in diuine actions excercises as may appeare not onely by the Lords commandement to the Israelites of absence Exo. 19.15 and abstinence from their wiues at the deliuerie of the law vpon mount Sinay but also by the Apostles toleration of a temporarie separation 1. Cor. 7.5 for the more zealous and deuout acting of the religious exercises of fasting and prayer and this is his disswasorie reason 1. Cor. 7.32 I would haue you without carefulnesse the vnmaried careth for the things of the Lord how he may please the Lord but he that is married careth for the things of the world how he may please his wife And experience resoundeth the truth of the Apostles words for he that shall enter into this course of life must haue care of a familie a prouident regard of children and that which is of most difficultie and therefore singled out by S. Paule he must be carefull to please his wife Ruth 4.5 And as Naomies kinsman could not redeeme Elimelechs land except he tooke Ruth to wife so can a man hardly yoke himselfe in the bonds of wedlocke but he shall also marrie himself to sundrie worldly cares and incumbrances which will hinder him in the course of Christianitie 3 This also addeth much to these preiudices of the married that they are knit in an indissoluble knot The Gentiles made a question whether it were good to marie although they allowed of diuorce vpon euery trifling occasion how much more would they haue done so had they knowne that onely death and adulterie are the swords that must cut this Gordius knot When the Pharisies demaunded of our Sauior whether it were lawfull for a man to put away his wife for euery trifling occasion as the manner was then among the Iewes he answered That the man and wife were by mariage made one flesh and so except in the case of adulterie which disunites the maried and makes an vnion betweene the adulterers could no more be separated then a man can be deuided froÌ„ himselfe 1. Cor. 6.16 which the disciples hearing said to him Mat. 19.10 If the matter be so betweene man and wife it is not good to marrie And indeede it is a hard thing were it not the diuine ordinance of Almightie God to encounter so many inconuenieÌ„ces as many times mariage yeelds with this iâ—ksome coÌ„dition of inseparablenesse Neither is this bond without bondage whilest neither the man nor the woman haue power ouer their owne bodies nor may make any separation 1. Cor. 7.4.5 no not for a time and though it be for diuine respects but with mutuall consent These being the inconueniences of mariage the vse thereof may be the Apostles exhortation 1. Cor. 7.27 Art thou loosed from a wife seeke not a wife Act. 26.29 Saint Paule once wished that all his hearers were like himselfe except his bands 1. Cor. 7.7 but elsewhere hee wisheth all were like himselfe that is free from Mariage bands Let those that haue wiues be as though they had none that is 1. Cor. 7.29 let them not be hindered in diuine things or incumbered with humane by reason of their mariage The spirituall mariage of Christ to the soule is that which euery one ought principally to regard Behold how Christ wooeth thee saying Open to mee my loue my doue my vndefiled Cant. 5.2 Now is it thy part to set open the doore of thy heart and to say as Laban said to Abrahams seruant Gen. 24.31 Come in thou blessed of the Lord. For loe he being thy soules husband hath discharged the debts of thy sinnes and will giue thee a rich ioynter of grace in this life and the precious dowrie of eternall glorie in the life to come SECT 13. Of Children AS Nature hath engrafted in euery thing liuing on the face of the earth a desire of procreation for the preseruation of the Species so grace requireth at the hands of those to whom she hath not giuen the dispensation of continencie an ofspring for the enlargement of Gods Church Yea children are the inheritance of the Lord Psal 127.3 and the fâ—uite of the wombe his reward yet is this of the number and nature of those blessings which in themselues are but vanities because that a man in the abundance of children may be miserable and worse then an vntimely birth Eccles 6.3 Hath it not falne out to many mothers most desirous of children that in the midst of their throbs before and at the time of their childbirth they haue bene readie to say with Rebecca Gen. 25.22 Why am I thus euen sorie that euer they were with child And doth it not oft come to passe that their children prooue Ben-onies the sons of their sorrow yea sometimes the sonnes and daughters of their death as Beniamin was to Rachel Gen. 35.18 So soone as the children are borne there are brought foorth many mutuall miseries and troubles to the parents when they are in their infancie if they be nursed at home how irksome is their crying and bawling or if by reasoÌ„ of some weighty impediment the mother cannot or of a foolish and vnnaturall nicenesse she will not nurse her owne child yet how doth their feare sleepe and