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A08812 Meditations of death wherein a Christian is taught how to remember and prepare for his latter end: by the late able & faithfull minister of the Gospel, Iohn Paget. Paget, John, d. 1640.; Paget, Robert. 1639 (1639) STC 19099; ESTC S113906 110,470 273

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him drink of the river of his pleasures To him be praise for evermore CHAP. II. Of the sure onely way to the Well of life No way to life but onely by Christ In the knowledge of Christ we are to consider a His calling unto the whole work of Redemptiō the gifts wherewith he was abundantly furnished for this calling b The offices laid upon him for this work when he became our Prophet to teach instruct both in his owne person by his ministers c Our Priest in his sufferings obedience on earth intercession for us in heaven d Our King to bring us unto the possession of life subduing all his our enimies e The visible signes seales of his grace Baptisme the Supper of the Lord f The dignity of his person being both very God true man requisite unto the discharge of each of his three offices g The comforts arising from these considerations specially when men thirst after life are carefull to have in store a select number of the promises of salvation h A direction how to apply the promises unto ourselves by the due consideration of Christ his natures offices I Am the way the trueth the life no man commeth unto the Father but by me saith Christ Ioh. 14.6 He is the Lambe that leades unto the living fountaines Rev. 7.17 the good shepheard that gathers the lambes with his arme carries was called thereunto of his Father Christ is the signet of his Fathers right hand him hath God the Father sealed by designing appointing him to be the Mediatour Ioh. 6.27 He is the elect of God Esa 42.1 fore ordained before the foundation of the world 1. Pet. 1.20 and againe manifestly called in time chiefely at his Baptisme Transfiguration when that glorious voyce came from heaven This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him Matt. 3.17 17.5 This calling of Christ is especially noted in the Gospell of Iohn more thē fourty times in exact number under the phrase of sending him Ioh. 5.23.24.30 ●6 37.38 c. yet fourty times againe in other equivalent phrases of being sealed given comming downe from heaven come in the Fathers name the like Our Saviour himselfe doth ever anon repeat this calling rejoyce in it teach others to comfort themselves in it therefore the afflicted conscience that seekes to be strengthened in faith should often remember this calling of Christ yea fourty fourty times to runne unto it after the example of Christ never to have done with it that so the meditation thereof may lead them to the well of life Christ being thus called of his Father is thereupon also furnished with all gifts meet for his calling anoynted with the oyle of joy gladnes above his fellowes H●b 1.9 with the spirit above measure Ioh. 3.34 that of his fullnes we all might receive even grace for grace or grace over against grace grace renewed in us according to his image grace according to our need of grace according to his abundance able to supply all our wants Ioh. 1.16 All his garmēts smel of myrrhe aloes cassia out of his yvory palaces whereby they have made him glad whereby he hath made us glad giving the oyle of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heavinesse Psa 45.8 Esa 61.3 His name is an oyntment powred out therefore the virgines love him Sol. song 1.3 and they sing lovesongs of him and their heart boyleth out his praise Psal 45. title vers 1. Being thus anointed called of his Father he comes promptly at his call Lo I come to doe thy will O God Heb. 10.7 with Psa 40.7.8 he is as willing as he is able to be a ver have found the well of life for there is none that understandeth Psa 53.1.2 but he is the light of them that sit in darkenes in the shadow of death he maketh the eyes of the blinde to see out of obscurity darknes Esa 29.18 In his breast is that Vrim Thummim by which the counsell of God was made knowne unto men Exod. 28.30 Num. 27.21 for he is the substance of the shadowes that went before Coll. 2.17 As from the Oracle debir 1. Kin. 6.19.20 the inmost place of the Sanctuary God was wont to speak of old to send forth a voyce Exo. 25.22 Num. 7.8.9 so now hath he spoken unto us in his Sonne that is in his bosome Heb. 1.1 Ioh. 1.18 There is no labyrinth of errour but he gives a threed of direction to come out of it There is no perplexity or difficult case of conscience but he resolveth it God hath given him the tongue of the learned to know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary Esa 50.4 He leades the simple in a way that the fooles shall not erre therein Esa 35.8 Many complaine of the many religions and opinions in the world that they know not which to take but such are not acquainted with this Prophet who teacheth the humble revealeth his secret to them that feare him Psal 25.9.14 Christ is not like a sterne austere master of whom the poore schollers dare not aske a question but he is gentle loving calles them to learne of him perswades them to come to him because he is meek lowly shewes them how to finde rest unto their soules in all their doubts difficulties Matt. 11.29 And further as in the dayes of his flesh he was a minister of the circumcision Rom. 15.8 going about all Galilee teaching in their Synagogues preaching the Gospell of the kingdome Matt. 4.23 so now by his ministers servants Eph. 4.11.12 the maidens of his wisedome Prov. 9.3.4 he calles all nations to the knowledge fellowship of his grace Mat. 28.19 As of old he preached to the spirits now in prison by Noah a preacher of righteousnes 1. Pet. 3.19 so still at this day he preacheth peace to thē that are afarre of Eph. 2.17 Hereby his voyce is as the sound of many waters Rev. 1.15 a souud that is gone out into all the earth unto the ends of the world Rom. 10.18 And thus the spirit even in the waters of the great deep Exod. 14. Esa 51.10 so there being a burning lake a red sea of wrath prepared for sinners our holy high Priest hath made a way for us he wading first through the same the waters therof entring into his soule and overwhelming him that we might be delivered Psal 69.1 2. His suffering satisfaction is become a strong bridge of translation to carry us out of the state of wrath and condemnation into the state of grace and salvation and to transport us safely over this gulfe of destruction and curse in which for our sinnes we had deserved to have bene plunged drowned for ever Gal. 3.13 Col. 1.13.14 To
thereunto The ordinary Sacraments of the old Testamēt were Circumcision the Passeover In circumcision there was a painefull cutting off of the foreskinne a marke for the mortification of the flesh printed in the body of man for a perpetuall memoriall of this duety so that the Holy Ghost under the phrase of circumcision doth oft describe our mortification unto us as Deu. 30.6 Ier. 4.3.4 Rom. 2.28.29 Col. 2.11 Godly sorrow is a knife of mortification to circumcise the heart to cut off the foreskin superfluities of sinfull lusts In the passeover the separation of the lambe from the tenth day unto the fourteenth day the killing of it sprinkling of the blood the rosting of it eating it with sowre herbes unleavened bread Exod. 12.4.6.7.8 c. did represent the deadlines of sin purged in such manner even by the blood of Christ the undefiled lambe slaine for us to be applyed unto us sprinkled upon us to be eatē with sowre herbs of godly sorrow for sin a purging out of the old leaven of maliciousnes putting off the old man his workes that we might be a new lump 1. Cor. 5.7.8 That which the Sacraments represented unto them was in like manner signifyed by the Sacrifices of the old Testament by laying handes upon the head of the beast that was slaine burnt for sacrifice Lev. 1.4.5 c. and these of many kindes in great number every day upon divers occasions and especially upon their feast dayes when many thousands were sometimes sprinkled him with water to make him cleane Num. 19.14.21.22 but a dead beast did not defile all that came into the tent or stable where it was IV. Not the carcasses of all beasts but onely of those that were uncleane beasts did defile men not the carcasses of sheep oxen goates doves harts hindes roes c. but the carcasses of swine camels vultures c. Lev. 11. but for men the carcasses of all men whosoever cleane or uncleane good or bad did defile all that touched them Num. 19.11 V. The bodies of uncleane beasts did not defile but onely when they were dead otherwise it was lawfull to ride upon horses mules camels and asses as Christ did according to the prophesy Zech. 9.9 with Matt. 21 2-7 but the bodies of uncleane men while they were living did defile other men many wayes as we see in the lepers and such as were defiled with other naturall uncleannesses Levit. 13.46 15.5 c. 2. Cor. 6.17 To have touched a venomous toad had lesse defiled then the touch of a most glorious king or the touch of the fairest woman though but the hemme of their garments without the least motiō or lust of evill when they were but ceremonially polluted VI. He that was defiled with the carcasse of an uncleane beast was not required to wash more then his clothes but he that was defiled with the carcasse of a dead man or some other uncleane persons was required to bathe himselfe in water also Num. 19.19 Lev. 15.13 VII Those that touched the carcasses of uncleane beasts were purged with common water Lev. 11.25.28 those that were defiled by touching of the dead were not to be purged but by water and blood to wit by a speciall water of purification made with the ashes of a red heifer Num. 19 2-9.17 By all this it appeares how marvellous great the pollution of mans sinne is which God would have him so many wayes to be put in minde of to avoyd the tent and company of wicked men that by so many exercises of mortification he might learne to touch no uncleane thing As David in detestation of himselfe sayd unto the Lord I vvas as a beast before thee Psal 73.22 so we are here taught to consider and confesse that we are worse then beasts as it is also elswhere noted for our mortification Esa 1.3 Ier. 8.7 Prov. 6.6 c. f Moreover whereas it is a speciall very sight of the creation which way soever we turne us might serve to abase and humble men before the Creatour To this end are they propounded by the Spirit of God unto us the height of the heavens the depth of hell the length of the earth bredth of the sea Iob 11.8.9 The terrour evē of some creatures is such that man is ready to die and perish at the sight of them The sight of an Angel made the watchmen and keepers of the grave to quake and become as dead men Mat. 28.4 When the Disciples thought they saw a spirit they were troubled and cryed out for feare Matt. 14.26 At the sight of the Leviathan men are cast downe when he rayseth up himselfe the mighty are afraid because of breakings and terrours beginne to purify themselves to confesse their sinnes to pray for the pardon of them and to seek reconciliation with God Iob 41.9.10.25 This hath God ordained for the mortificatiō of sinners that hereby they might conceive how unable they are to stand before him Whē the Lord would make Iob to be vile in his owne sight and to abhorre himself in dust ashes he sets before him the glory of the creation and his majesty shining therein and leads him along in the spirit to behold the cheef of them ranked in order before him Iob 38. 39. 40. 41. ch with ch 41.4 42.6 And even unto this day God doth sometimes speak unto us as it were out of the whirlewind and by the sight of the heavens the earth the seas doth call us unto mortification The Lord sometime giveth dayes of darknes and gloominesse of cloudes and thick darknesse Zeph. 1.15 he clothes the heavens with blacknes and makes sackcloth their covering Esa 50.3 in their mournefull countenance they call us to thinke what cause of mourning we have Yea in them the wrathfull countenance of God is as it were pourtrayed before us a smoak is sayd to come out of his nostrils and devouring fire out of his mouth when he thunders from heaven sendeth forth his lightnings for the terrour of sinners and for the mortification of their corrupt and wicked lusts Psal 18 8-14 29.1 c. 97.2.3.4 1. Sam. 12.16.17.18 By the sight of the raging roaring sea bounded within the sands the Lord cals mē to feare before him to trēble at his presence Ier. 5.22 And whereto serve the storms upon the sea if not for the mortification contrition of heard-hearted serve to humble them and call to their minde their owne unworthines which then especialy by comparison of Gods free love with their contrary deserts doth more appeare unto them So it was with David humbling himselfe before God in the consideration of his mercies 2. Sam. 7.18.19 even as Mephibosheth had done to him in another case 2. Sam. 9.7.8 so did Elizabeth Luk. 1.43 If Abigail might say of her marriage with David Let thine handmaid be a servant to vvash the feet of
of the Sabbath Psa 92. title wherein the exercises of the Sabbath are described there God calleth teacheth his people to remēber the latter ends both the end of all the workers of iniquity who though they spring as grasse flourish for a season shall yet in the end be destroyed perish for ever ibid. vers 7.9 and againe the latter end of the godly whose horne though it be abased to the dust for a while yet in the end shall be exalted like the horne of an unicorne their heads anoynted with fresh oyle c. vers 10. c. On the Sabbath therefore are we called of God to sit downe consider talke sing of our latter end and mutually to exhort and comfort ourselves with the remembrance of it e Now for the place where we live this whole world and every part thereof doth fitly represent unto us our transitory estate for the fashion of this world passeth away 1. Cor. 7.31 and we passe away with it The mooveable heavens that are above us are tossed and swong round about the world every day both the firmament of the fixed starres the spheres of the sevē planets one under another are rolled about with their manifold variety of motions The Sunne in the middest of them goeth forth as a giant to runne his race from one end of heaven to an other Psa 19.5.6 Eccl. 1.5 the circle of the earth which he dayly compasseth f And as the heavens so all under the heavens runnes on wheeles also The comets fiery meteores in the highest regiōs of the ayre are caryed about the earth according to the motion of the Sunne The wind whirleth about continually returneth according to his circuits Eccl. 1.6 The waters of sea rivers run their courses as in a circle from land to sea from sea to their springs againe vers 7. the sea in it self is tossed up downe ebbing flowing according to the course of the Moone or violence of the windes The earth though it remaine in her station change not her place yet is it changed in estate more then the rest insomuch that God hath made the sundry rankes of the creatures therein to be so many mappes of mortality pictures of our vanity similitudes of our transitory estate that by the sight of ech of them he might call us to remēber our latter end And which way so ever we turne us the monuments of our vanity are presented unto us of God g Stay we in the house sit by the fire side the sparkes that fly up are presently extinct Iob 18 5. 2. Sam. 14 7. the smoke that goes out of the chimney suddenly vanisheth Hos 13.3 the ashes that remaine are streightway cast out on the dunghill Iob. 13.12 Gen. 18.27 are ech of them appoynted of God to shew us what we are how soone we come to our end while he hath compared our lives to ech of these The candle that is set upon the table to give light unto them that are in the house is also ordained of God to represent our life that shines for a time untill it have cōsumed our native moysture and then goeth out of it selfe Iob 18.6 And as we see the oyle of this lamp decaying the more are we to seek that oyle of grace that will not decay before the comming of the Bridegroome Matt. 25.4 The earthen pots wherein our meat is sod prepared at the fire the earthē pots dishes out of which we eat drink at the table for preservation of our life are noted by the holy Ghost to be types and similitudes of our brittle fraile life Ier 19.1.11 Lam. 4.2 that so oft as we use them eat drink out of thē we might remember our end The shelfs or benches wheron women for ornament of their kitchin do set up these pots dishes are like faire pourtraiturs of humane fragility the whole houshold it self all the persons Esa 37.27 hath thereby bound them as in a bundle for a wholesome posie or nosegay that from thence we might learne to smell our mortality Go we forth againe from the garden into the corne-fields looke upon the corne every part of it by the roote that comes of seede which is not quickened except it dye God teacheth us to thinke of death to looke for death before true life be found 1. Cor. 15.36 Ioh 12.14 By the top of the eares of corne cut downe with sickles the Lord calles us to consider of Death by whose sickle we are all cut downe in like manner Iob 24.24 Rev. 14.15 By the stubble which is the middle of the stalke betwixt the roote the eare of corne as being a most vaine thing easily scattered by the winde Ier. 13.24 Esa 40.24 and devoured by fire whereunto it is reserved Ioel. 2.5 Esa 5.24 the vanity of man perishing as stubble is often described unto us And above the rest when the Lord calles sinners to thinke of their end he takes the light chaffe upon the graines of corne in the eare shewes that unto thē affirming that they also are but as chaffe before the whirlewind or the fire Psa 1.4 Iob 21.18 Esa 17.13 yea the multitude of them their princes as the chaffe of the summer threshing-floores where it most aboūdeth Da. 2.35 i From the lesser plants let us go to the greater from herbes to trees The trees of the orchyard those in speciall that were in election above others to reigne as kings over the rest Iudg. 9.8 c. are called of God to call us to think of our latter end In them by them the Lord teacheth us how we passe away as the vine shakes of his unripe grape as the olive casts of his flower Iob 15.33 as the figtree casteth her untimely figs being shaken of a mighty winde Rev. 6 13. as the bramble or thornes in the hedge of the orchyard greene or dry are taken away by force Psa 58.9 as the crackling of thornes under the pot a flash and presently out Eccl. 7.6 Psa 118.12 so is the life and glory of sinners suddenly at an end and these plants are memorialles thereof unto us From the trees of the orchyard proceed we on to the trees of the forrest and by the way consider the mists and morning cloudes above our heads and the morning dew under our feet both suddenly vanishing away Hose 13.3 by them the swift when she hasteth to the prey serves by the counsell of God herein to represēt the swiftnes of our dayes how we hast to our end to be a prey for the grave Iob 9.26 The Moth as little weake as the Eagle is great strong serves yet to teach us the same lesson as well as the king of birds Though the moth be so fraile that by touching it is cōsumed the substāce left behinde upon the fingers yet mortall mē are crushed before
doth trouble disturbe the minde and disables it that it cannot orderly quietly dispose it selfe unto godly comfortable meditations but being overcome with impatiēce frets murmures is tossed up downe without fruit Therefore are these extremities of anguish compared to a cup of intoxicating wine making men as it were drunken with greefe Esa 51.17 21.22 Lam 4.21 and even mad with woe sorrow that they know not what to doe Deut. 28.34 Ier. 25.16 Eccles 7.7 And what folly is it then for men to be unprepared through forgetfulnes of their latter end to remaine drunken with security all their life till they be drowned in a gulfe of misery Perplexity extreme anguish may justly come as a snare upon them that abuse their present peace ease promising themselves liberty power to dispatch all that is needfull for their salvation in one moment of their last distresse g And commonly when death approcheth our adversary the devill that prince of darknes that hath gone about as a roaring lyon watching to devoure us at all opportunities before doth thē especially rage knowing that his time is short Rev. 12. 12. and withall seekes to take advantage by the present infirmitie of the sick persons insinuating himselfe into each of the former troubles adding fearfull dreames to their slumbers strong fancies to their distraction aggravating their paines with divers terrours Experience shewes what great temptatiōs many have undergone upon their death-bed And therfore the consideratiō of this last great combat should warne every one betimes to arme thēselves to gather strēgth every day against the last day to furnish thēselves with grace to seek truth righteousnes faith patience store of comfortable promises out of the word of God layd up in their hearts kept in readines to nourish themselves in hope to watch pray uncessantly that having concluded this last combat obtained the victory they may then be translated from a state militant to a state triumphant for ever h THese forewarnings are such as serve chiefly for the instruction of those that feele them on whose persons they are inflicted but beside these forewarnings the dead leave unto the living many after-warnings of their mortality which admonish the succeeding generation that they must follow their praedecessours And here first of all observe how it is ordered by divine providence that in death the soule body be separated one from the other In this separation the Soule is carried away invisibly no man knoweth how nor whither No humane sense cā discerne the spirit of man ascending Ecc. 3.21 The Lord in his unsearchable counsell would have the opening of the gates of the second world to be kept secret close from us If godly parents should see the soules of their children carried away to destruction in the clawes of an hellish dragon crying unto them with a lamentable and desperate voyce what horrour woe would this be unto them to make their dayes more uncomfortable so lōg as they should live on earth God in great mercy conceales it from them If wicked ungodly men should see their children or companions soules haled away by evill spirits after they were separated frō their bodies withall should heare thē shrike cry curse their cōpany what a stroke of terrour might this be unto them but God in justice hides these things from thē will not satisfy the curiosity of profane men that despise his Gospell and the means of life revealed therein This secret manner of translating the separated soules in carrying some close prisoners to Hell and transporting others in covered wagons invisible chariots unto Glory serves to warne and admonish us by the very forme thereof so much the more to remember the other evident monuments of our frailety When secret things are restrayned to the Lord the things revealed are immediately thereupon the more enforced upon us to observe the same Deut. 29.29 When the Spirit recordes how some persons men or angels have vanished out of the sight of those they had spoken withall we are to observe how they were occasioned thereby to thinke the more of that which they had seene heard from such and not to prye into that which was withdrawne from them Luke 24.31.32 Act. 8.39 Iudg. 6.21.22 c. Yea the Lord appointed that they should not be suffered to live which went about to talke with the dead soule or to rayse the spirits Levit. 20.27 1. Sam. 28.8 9. c. But by all this we are so much the more led to observe the common visible memorials of mortality shewed unto us in them that die before us i It is further to be observed that when the spirit is carried away presently to God that gave it yet the body remains behinde returnes to dust from whence it came Eccles 12.7 If God by death had taken away both the soule the body together at the same time if it had pleased God to take away all men as Henoch Elias were Heb. 11.5 Gen. 5.24 2. Kin. 2.11.17 or to bury all men so as Moses was Deut. 34.6 namely so that their bodies should be seene no more among men yet even then there were cause enough to remember that wonderfull great finall translation but now seing every man departing this life leaves a peece of himselfe among his friends on earth yea the one halfe of his person and that halfe which is the visible part even the body that was best knowne among men the Lord by this fragment of man that is left gives us occasion to thinke what is done with the rest and to keepe in memory the death past to prepare us for death to come As Elias ascending to heaven let his mantle fall for a remembrance so much care for our bodies as we doe for the soules according to this example of God who shewes more love respect to the soules taking them first into his heavenly Kingdome glory when as he suffers the body so long a time after to lodge in dishonour to remaine in the pit of corruption 1. Cor. 15.43 l The sequestration of the body from the place where the soule is and the corruption of it being separate are memorialles wrought immediately by Gods owne hand beside these there are other after-warnings of death effected by the providence of God mediately by the services of men that seeke the honour of the dead comfort of the living For honour of the dead holy men of old have shewed great care to provide sepulchers tombes monuments for them Such were the cave of Machpelah purchased by Abraham Gen. 40.30.31 and 23. the pillar on Rachels grave that Iaakob set up Gen. 35.20 that continued so many generations to Samuels time 1. Sam. 10.2 the title on the sepulcher of the man of God that prophesied of Iosias 2. Kin. 23.17.18 the sepulcher of David that continued twise fourteene generations from David to
the Apostles time Act. 2.29 having bene preserved in the time of the Babylonian captivity even then when both city temple were destroyed with many the like These monuments are in Scripture called Memorialles Mnemeia Matth. 23.29 Iohn 11.38 and 19.41 and 20 1. by which whatsoever others intended the godly are taught to remember their latter end The garnished tombes and the sumptuous sepulchers are but so many scaffolds stages theaters of humane frailety and so many pulpits out of which our mortality is preached and all the common graves of the people are the coffers of death the sight whereof should teach us to lay up our treasure in heaven And thus though the touch of a grave defiled the body with a ceremoniall pollution in the time of the Law Numb 19.16 yet the sight of a grave may serve to cleanse the soule by a spirituall consideration of our end even as the sight of the Leviathan raised up did bring men to purify themselves fearing lest the whale might be their grave Iob. 41.25 with Iob 3.8 m The grave being prepared for the dead corps then men proceed with their may obtaine n Having bene at the grave performed the last duety to the person of the dead we then returne come from the dead to the living to the friends of the dead to mourne with them to comfort them and as the kinred speciall friends of old used to eat drink with them give them the cup of consolation Rom. 12.15 Ier. 16.7.8 Gen. 37.35 1. Chro. 7.22 Ioh. 11.19 and in this action we have an other call to remember our end While we minister consolation to others we are to take an exhortation to our selves The house of mourning is the schoole of mortification and therefore better to enter into it then into the house of feasting for there is the end of all men which the living will lay unto his heart so be made better in his heart by the consideration of the dead by the sadnes of the countenances waiting on that consideration Eccles 7.2.3.4 o When the comforters of them that mourne are departed from the mourning house gone every one to his owne yet still the friends of the dead even while they live on earth so often as they misse their friends departed want the help benefit which they were wont to enjoy from them so often are they called to remember death that makes such separatiōs La. 4 18-20 The widowes orphanes desolate parents oppressed subjects scattered sheep that are deprived of their loving husbands parents children rulers pastours or any friend neighbour that misseth the company of an other are by this want called to remember both that death past which took away their friends that death to come which shall againe restore them bring them together 1. Thess 4.13.14 2. Sam. 12.23 And in this remembrance they are withal warned to make themselves ready for death not to be glewed unto this world from whence their comforts are taken away When the shepheard takes up the young lamb the ewe followes him of her selfe and needs no more calling or driving when the great shepheard of the sheep takes away the soules of young old of dearest friends from one another it is to make them runne after the Lord to long after his presence in whom they shall finde all more then all that ever they lost in this world So often as we thinke of a mother a father or other intire serve to make a deeper impressiō into the soule and to keep the memory of it self in the minde more then a thousand other memorials beside A strange thing it were if a man that were to be judged the next day of life death and to receive sentence eitheir of a most cruell shamefull death or of a rich honourable estate during his life if this man could not keep in minde the judgment approching untill the next morrow without tying stringes about his fingers for remembrance or writing some caveats upon the posts of the prison or procuring some watchmen to come every houre whispering in his eare to tell him of the danger imminent of life or death And as strange or more is it that these great maine matters of Eternall Salvation or Eternall Condemnation should not by their owne greatnes presse the heart of man with the weight thereof unto a continuall remembrance of them without other warnings when as we know not whether we shall have one dayes respite before they come a The last end of the godly is eternall life This life consists especially in fellowship with God the Saints By fellowship with God men come to see God Matt. 5.8 even to see him as he is 1. Ioh. 3.2 to see his face which living man was never able to see on earth Exo. 33.20 to see him before whom the glorious Seraphims doe cover their faces with their wings Esa 6.2 to see the holy Trinity the blessed Father Sonne H. Ghost clothed with the sacred robes of their severall beauty and majesty shining distinctly as the pure Iasper the carnation Sardine the greene Emerald Rev. 4.3 Then the Sonne will shew himselfe unto his elect Ioh. 14.21 and they shall see his glory Ioh. 17.24 and the Father shall be seene in him Ioh. 14.9.10 and with them both the seven Spirits which are before the throne even that one and the same Spirit enlightning with his sevenfold graces and gifts that bright sevenfold lamp of his Church Rev. 1.4 with 4.5 1. Cor. 12.11 With this vision shall the soule be satisfyed whē they awake Psal 17.15 The pleasure of this surmounts the joy of all pleasant things seene by any eye If all the pleasure that all the most ardent lovers receyved at any or at all times from all the most beauteous amiable countenances of their dearest spouses fairest loves in the like promises Therefore is that end ever to be remēbred longed after Thē especially shal it appeare how the elect remaine as lambs in the bosome of the Lord their shepheard Esa 40.11 Thē will it be further revealed how God dwelleth in thē they in him 1. Ioh. 4.15.16 therefore need not feare being kept far off as mē on earth that were kept from the bodily presence of Christ being in the house because of the thrōg at the doore Mar. 2.2.4 The incomprehensible Lord filling heaven earth Ier. 23.24 is himself a house where they shall dwel and they a mansiō wherein he will make his abode Ioh. 14.23 By this heavenly conjunction cohabitation with God shall the elect be one even as the Father the Sonne are one Christ in them and the Father in him that they may be perfect in one Ioh. 17.22.23 This thrise blessed most glorious union is that greene bed of Christ his Spouse Sol. song 1.16 an eternall paradise of comfort and garden of pure delights Oh
had he reteyned the image of God every imagination of the thoughts of his heart should have bene onely good and gracious continually without any inclination to evill or the least looking awry to any thing that might have bene displeasant in the sight of God And this image of God had bene such a beauty as the eye of man never saw in this corrupt world such a perfect beauty such a symmetry harmony of grace as that Gods owne judicious eye should have found no fault or dislike in it b And yet even this perfect beauty given at the first creation was farre inferiour and not to be compared with the glory of the world to come even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of that which excelleth 2. Cor. 3.10 The first man is of the earth earthly though made perfect yet in a lower degree of perfection the second man is the Lord from heaven As is the earthly such are they that be earthly and as is the heavenly such are they that be heavenly As we have borne the image of the earthly we shall also beare the image of the heavenly 1. Cor. 15.47.48.49 and shall be made conforme to the image of the Sonne of God Rom. 8.29 and that pleasant image of Christ is the highest degree of perfection the sweetest mirrour of beauty in heaven or earth stayning the glory of the former image The innocency of Adam was a white robe a glorious ornament unto him but the righteousnes of God in Christ is a white robe more pure precious of a finer threed of a brighter white of a more divine fashion to adorne the soule and by that righteousnes put on the Lord himselfe becomes a diademe of beauty unto his people Esa 28.5 62.3 Kings use to give gifts according to the state of kings great royall Esth 2.18 and so did the heavenly King at the first creation but the have bene no distemperature of the ayre as is felt now adayes no afflicting stormes or tempests no excesse of cold or heat but that the naked body unclothed without any paine or trouble might well have endured the same Now both the shame paine of nakednes is very great Esa 20.4 2. Sam. 10.4.5 Reu. 3.18 16.15 1. Cor. 4.11 2. Cor. 11.27 and such that men strive to cover the whole body so farre as necessity will permit the hands face being therefore excepted the face left uncovered lest the eyes should be blindfold the breath stopt the hands lest the manifold works of man in his divers callings should be hindered and yet even they also so muffled sometimes with maskes muffes mittens that with great cumber trouble they are often in the day covered uncovered covered againe to avoyd the injury of the weather A great freedome it was to have bene without care what to put on when as they needed no such exhortations as are since given to us thereabout Matth. 6.25.31 Againe the speciall forme of mans body erect upright with his face upward whereas other creatures are made with their heads hanging downward with their faces prone to the earth doth shew that man is called to fellowship with the Lord dwelling on high As the Lord when he still exhorts us to lift up our eyes looke up toward God doth in that phrase call us to communion with him to trust in him to love him to aspire unto him Psal 123.2 Esa 17.7 45.22 so when he made Adam in such a forme with his head and eyes lift up even in that manner of work the Lord called him to looke to his Creatour and to embrace him the author of all his good Besides this what are all the senses of the body but so many instruments of our communion with God or so many doores of the soule by which both the Lord enters in to shew himselfe and the soule goes out to behold him By them his praise is heard his glory is seene his goodnes gifts are tasted his sweetnes smelled yea groaped or handled of us Actes 17.27 By them both faith love feare of God is learned As by the senses of the body God communicated his goodnes with Adam so by the members of his body he was to communicate his heart with God to serve the Lord to render thanks unto him to glorify him at first could not without a change have inherited the kingdome of God 1. Cor. 15.50.51 His eyes had never seene nor could have seene that face of God which is in the light unapproachable 1. Tim. 6.16 with Exo. 33.20 If the eyes of holy men have fayled in waiting for the comforts and deliverances promised in this life Psa 119.82.123 how much more should our eyes wait our flesh long for that end where even in our flesh we shall see God so as Adam in paradise could not doe Iob. 19.26.27 Oh that the remembrance of this end were printed deeply in our hearts that it might ever be retained as the words that are written or plowed and the furrowes engraven with an yron pen filled with lead in stead of inke in the stony rocke in stead of paper all firme to endure so as Iob wished that his hope of this same glorious end might be recorded Iob. 19.23.24 c. e Looke we back againe into the old world behold how God further communicated his image with the whole person of man in that dominion lordship which he gave unto man over the earth all the creatures in it Gen. 1.28 Thereby Adam was crowned with honour and dignity set over the works of Gods hand all things being put under his feet sheepe oxen beasts of the field fowles of the aire fish of the sea Psal 8.5.6.7.8 God brought them all before Adam as it were to doe homage unto him as unto their king in signe of subjection to receive their names from him Gen. 2.19.20 Even after the fall since the rebellion of the creatures thereupon the service which they yet performe unto man is very great The oxe knowes his owner and the asse his masters crib Esa 1.3 The husbandman hath taught the strong horse to be obedient unto him to draw his plow his cart if he say goe he goeth if he say come he cometh at one word the horse goeth right forward at another he stands still and stirrs not at one word he turnes to the right hand at another he turnes to the left hand The silly sheepe are taught to know the voyce of their owne shepheard to follow him to distinguish betwixt his voyce the voyce of a stranger which they will not follow Iohn 10.3.4.5 Experience shewes how the doves are taught to carry letters for men The birds great small are tamed taught to come at the call of man evē the ravenous hawkes at the voyce and call of the faulconer The dogs are taught many
make a prey of our soules 1. Pet. 5.8 Wheresoever the Devill his angels be there is an Hell they being still at our right hand Hell is in a manner alwayes about us Zacch 3.1 So long as mē converse walke in this aire so long doe they remaine in that park or chase where the Devill with his hell-hounds is continually hunting of soules to bring them to a miserable end for ever which end therfore is dayly to be thought on that they may prevent the enimy escape the snares of the hunter by putting on the whole armour of God praying incessantly Eph. 6.13 1. Pet. 5.8 The Watry Element Sea is another gulfe of destruction wherein multitudes have bene are dayly drowned swallowed up The dragons of the deep and the manifold uncouth monsters of the sea doe well declare what hell is there the great Leviathan according to that strange description of him Iob 41. may well appeare as Beelzebub the prince of the devils in that hell And if Ionas being swallowed up of one of them did account himselfe in the belly of hell Ion. 2.2 then must there be many hells in one sea Yea the very torments of Hell which our Saviour endured for us are represented by the deep whereinto he was plunged by the waters that entred into his soule Psa 69.1.2.15 further the Abysse or bottomlesse pit whereby Hell is named Rev. 9.1 20.1 is the same word whereby the deep sea is commonly expressed And thus is Hell resembled set before the eyes of men both in the name nature of this destroying element of the water The Earth also being the common grave of all mankinde while they are dayly resolved turned unto dust becomes another insatiable gulfe to represent Hell As in Corahs time the earth opened her mouth swallowed many at once Num. 16.31.32.33 so doth it still every day the difference is onely in the manner that there it opened of it selfe here it is opened by the grave-maker Yea further the deep pits of mire clay in the earth are likewise chosen by the holy Ghost to expresse the descending of our Redeemer into Hell the sorrowes of the second death that he endured therein Psa 40.2 69.2 insomuch that many doe contēd that the proper place of Hell is within the earth which though we neither affirme nor deny but reprove their presumption which without warrant will peremptorily maintaine the same yet in the pits of this earth we have an hell resembled unto us even by the Spirit of God in the Scriptures And thus in every one of the elements there is a mouth of Hell gaping upon sinners to make them remember consider what shal be the latter end of the wicked b After the materiall parts of the world we are now to consider of the divers places thereof in respect of their different situation estate And here againe the memorials of Hell of the latter end of the ungodly are either such as be more peculiar for some particular nations among whom he hath set his signes and wonders as in Egypt in Israel in divers others Ier. 32.20 or such as be more common to the world to many nations therein Among other particular nations countries above them all as the head crowne of the earth let us in the first place looke upon Eden the paradise therein from whence man was banished for his sinne The Lord as he had at first even in the state of innocency planted a tree of forbidden fruit within the garden as a memoriall of death evē of the second death consequently of an Hell provided for transgressours Gen. 2.9.17 so after the fall without the gardē in the border thereof he placed there on the East side a flaming sword which turned every way to keepe the way of the tree of life Gen. 3.24 This flame of destruction was like another visible Hell in the eyes of Adam his posterity by the dayly sight whereof they were warned not to presume against the commandement of God as they had done This present fire was unto them a monument of that eternall fire which should consume the transgressours As David was afraid when he saw the Angel of the Lord stand betweene the earth and the heaven having a drawne sword in his hand stretched out over Ierusalem 1. Chron. 21.16.30 so the children of Adam here seing the fiery chariot of the Cherubims Ezek. 1.13.14 and the flaming sword brandished and shaken about the garden were taught to feare remember the latter end threatned to the presumptuous offendours over all whose heads there hangeth continually a sword of vengeance ready to fall upon them Iob 19.29 Ezek. 21.9.10 c From the country of Eden let us come to the land of Canaan another Eden the pleasant land Dan. 8.9 where God planted another paradise set the second Adam to dresse the same for his Church is the garden of God Cant. 4.12.16 And here in like manner God gave speciall warnings to Israel set his markes in the holy land more then in others both round about in the borders thereof within the land also In the borders on the East side along the coast of the tribe of Iudah God placed as it were a visible on sinners whose latter end was set before their eyes for a warning to avoyd the sinnes that kindle such wrath From the East border come we to the South which was the border of Edom. Iosh 15.1 Num. 34.3 this land of Edom or Idumea is propounded by the H. Ghost as another Hell visible to the eye of faith being considered in the curse which God denounced against the same that the rivers therof should be turned into pitch not to be quenched night nor day the smoak ascending for ever that it should be an habitation of dragons Satyres scritch-owles Zijm Jijm c. Esa 34.5.9.10.13.14 c. In that South coast was also the wildernes of Zin Maaleh-hacrabbim or the ascent of the Scorpions Kadesh-barnéa Ios 15.1.3 Num. 34.3.4 by the sight of which places they were called to the remembrance of Gods judgments both by the fiery serpents scorpions in the great terrible wildernes Deut. 8.15 by their turning back from Kadesh when they were ready to have entred into the land Numb 14.25 Deut. 2.1 Their Westerne border was the great Sea the store-house of Gods judgements compared unto the great deep Psal 36.6 Their North coast was Lebanon Hermon Iosh 1.4 with 11.17 12.7 13.5.6 there were the dens of the lyons the mountaines of the Leopards Sol. song 4.8 which creatures the Lord useth as instruments of his wrath Ier. 5.6 with Dan. 7.3.4.6 by them the Lord describeth his owne anger against sinners Hos 13.7 so from every coast roared upon them by a flaming sword on every side called them to remēber his judgmēts d From
the outward borders of the holy land teturne we to the inward parts these on both sides of the river Iordan On this side above many other places Ierusalem the city of the great king offers it selfe to our consideration which though it were a type of heavē Gal. 4.26 Heb. 12.22 yet round about it there were signes set of the fearfull judgmēts of God of the last end of the wicked And first of all by the entry of the East-gate they had the vallie of Hinnom the high places of Tophet therein as it were a visible Hell Ier. 19.2 with Iosh 15.8 They there burned their children in the fire unto Baal Moloch with great impiety against God and cruelty to hornes their hoofes their haire well might that lake be this same pit As by the descent of an Angel into the poole of Bethesda those that first entred after the stirring of the waters were made whole of what disease soever they had Ioh. 5.4 so no wonder if after the stirring of these waters in Gadara by a legion of uncleane spirits together they were made unwholesome caused disease to those that drank thereof So often as men beheld or thought upon this devilish lake they had a spectacle of Hell before them they tooke the name of God in vaine if they did not learne hereby to watch fight against the wicked spirits to seeke the helpe of Christ that conquers them not to love their swine more then Christ nor to become as swine by wallowing in the mire of sinne 2. Pet. 2.22 left they also by the Devils should be carryed headlong into the lake of brimstone prepared for those that hearkē not unto the call of God e These were the markes tokens given to the Iewes but the Iewes themselves are given for signes warnings unto us for whē these many other memorials of the latter end were givē unto the Iewes despised of them then at last they themselves by the righteous judgment of God were made as signes and wonders unto the beleeving Gentiles called into their place to this day they remaine as memorials of Hell under the power of darknes their hearts being hardened their eyes darkened and covered with the spirit of slumber Rom. 11.7.8.10 Their state of rejection wherein they presently are is described in such phrase as the estate of those in Hell they are now in utter darknes while they are without Christ if they knew the misery of their estate then should they weep gnash their teeth Matt. 8.12 In this hell of utter darknes have they continued now these sixteen hundred yeares are scattered abroad among all nations for a warning unto them So often as we meet these obdurate Iewes in our streets consider how they are broken off from their olive the kingdome of God being taken from them given to others Matt. 21.43 so often are we to be mooved with compassion to thē as if they did weep howle before us as we are to pray for the day of their visitation so are we to worke the whole earth turning round about it continually even as the first flaming sword was about the garden of God in Eden This middle Zone though in comparison of Tophet it be an heaven yet in respect of other temperate Zones inhabited by us it is in many things like unto Hell As Hell is described by the burning heat that is therein Esa 30.33 Matt. 25.41 so in this Torrid Zone men are grievously afflicted tormented with heat men dwelling there under the Aequinoctiall line the climates on each side neere the same the Sunne burnes them by day and the beames thereof beating directly upon their heads doe strike them with a vehement heat round about the world even from the East unto the Westerne India in Aethiopia betwixt them both insomuch that some of them curse the Sunne every morning that it riseth As Hell is described by the blaknes of darknes that is there reserved for reprobates 2. Pet. 2.17 black being the colour of sorrow feare Psa 38.6 in the orig which make all faces to gather blacknes Ioel. 2.6 so under the hote Zone there dwell the black Moores the Aethiopians or burnt-faces as the word which the holy Ghost useth for them doth signify Act. 8.27 Their bodies visages are blacker then a coale some have bene frighted at the fight of them as if they had come out of Hell As in Hell men are under the vexation of the Devill that is called the prince of darknes Eph. 6.12 hath the power of death Heb. 2.14 so it is generally testifyed that the Indians both East West the Guineans betweene both in this hote Zone doe both worship the Devill that often appeares personally unto them are often beaten tormented by the immediate hand of the Devill in those visible apparitions with many other vexations to their unspeakable misery therefore in this regard there is not so much a shadow of Hell as a very Hell it selfe a kingdome of darknes As the state of those in Hell is described by a worme that torments them never dyeth Esa 66.24 Mark 9.44.46.48 so those that live in this Torrid Zone in Guinea have often ordinarily a worme of strange incredible length that breedeth in their flesh as those that travell thither have both seene and felt and in their flesh have brought home apparitions are imagined to ascend up out of the earth 1. Sam. 28.13 even so a man that should see these all-black naked impes come swarming up out of their holes from under ground each of them both at mouth nostrils breathing out the smoake of that Indian herb which is a part of their ordinary dyet it were no wonder if he thought the picture of Hell to be before him In fine as many for Māmon or riches doe sell themselves and loose their soules goe downe to Hell for ever 1. Kin. 21.20 even so many for the love of that treasure that is to be found in this hote Zone are content to adventure their lives in travelling thither in this journey there be multitudes that from time to time doe loose their mortall temporary lives and so in this regard also there is some consimilitude betwixt these two places And now if we doe well observe this strange work of God we shall therein perceive how unsearchable his judgements are his wayes past finding out in permitting this forlorne people that are so black in their bodies more black in their soules through their worship of the Devill to lye so long enthralled under the dominion of Satan that for so great a compasse round about the whole earth under the Aequinoctiall circle Seing the Lord hath made this visible Hell like a broad black belt or girdle to environ the very heart middle of the world how ought this to warne all the inhabitants
raigned raged in those times In this last age of the world violēt bloody deathes seeme to have abounded more then ever before both on Iew Gētile Pagā Christiā What destruction massacre from the beginning of the world unto that time might be cōpared with that of the Iewes by the Romanes for the contempt of Christ his Gospell Mat. 24.21 How many rivers of Christiā blood have bene shed by Romane authority of Heathenish Emperours Antichristian Popes The Harlot drunkē with the blood of the Saints is still blood-thirsty Rev. 17.6 The Kings of the earth drunkē with the wine of her fornication do give their strength power unto her even to this day and are become her butchers to kill slay for her Rev. 17.2.13 Whereas there are foure beasts mentioned in Dan. 7.4.7 a lyon beare leopard monster with ten hornes the beast Rev. 13.1.2 is compounded of all foure so devoureth as many as all the former what should we speake of Turkes Tartares other Barbarous nations among whome by whome death reignes so strōgly Rev. 9.17 18. This all is well knowne but not well regarded In all this we have a cal frō God to remember our latter end But we have eyes see not eares yet heare not his call resist sinners by threatning death by executing death on malefactours Gen. 3.24 with Rom. 13.4 The Princes Iudges of the earth are as Angels of God set to keepe the garden watch the city of God to cut off the workers of wickednes Psal 101.8 and so become the messengers of death unto wicked men Prov. 16.14 Every Iudgmēt Hall is the Tabernacle of death there Death dwelles there he oft shewes his terrible countenance from thence utters his voyce roares as a Lyon There be the monuments of death in many already dead in others threatned Every such place is a pillar of remembrance whereon Deaths name is engraven And if in time of peace the house of Iustice be such a monument of Death much more is the Campe in time of War as Hazarmaveth the Court of Death There Death displayes his banner the sound of Drumme Trumpet are the proclamations of death the Mounts Bulwarkes Batteries are the scaffolds where Death actes his part the Trenches Approches Galleries Mines are the vallies of the shadow of death and all the weapons warlike Engines are so many darts of death whereby the dead are multiplyed And seing by divine providence besides the many armies marching abroad in other countries the Camp is now presētly so neere unto us in our borders by s' Hertogen-Bosch our duety is to observe this Alarum of death from thēce to hearken unto the speciall calling of God for remembrance of our latter end The Lords voyce cryes unto the City Heare the Rod who hath appointed it Mic. 6.9 and not onely to the City beseeged that it may shake off the yoke of Antichrist but unto us our cities that are within the soūd that we may walke more worthy of Christ his Gospell which we professe He that regards not this call of God shall beare his iniquity b In the calling of Ministers we have an other Memoriall of death that many wayes Ministers are called of God to call others to remember their latter end And this is noted as a maine worke of their calling Esa 40.6.7.8 A voyce sayd Cry And he sayd what shall I cry All flesh is grasse all the goodlines thereof is as the flovver of the field The grasse withereth the flovver fadeth because the spirit of the Lord blovveth upon it surely drawing out shaking that sword against the breast of sinners by making life or death to be evermore the foot or burden of their song and the effect of all is they are the savour of life or the savour of death to all that heare them 2. Cor. 2.16 c And this which hitherto we have heard of Angels Magistrates Ministers is spoken of the good come we now to speake of the evill The Lord calles us as lowd by them to remember our end that we may gather good out of evill Evill angels what are they els but professed murderers murderers from the beginning going about as roaring lyons seeking whome they may devoure Ioh. 8.44 1. Pet. 5.8 They have power of death Heb. 2.14 dayly bring thousands to death of body soule for ever Wicked Magistrates persecuting rulers that compell men to Idolatry false religion force men to take the marke of the beast as also the false teachers blinde guides that bring in damnable errours even both these are like the servāts that dance on the threshold fill their masters house with spoyle prey Zeph. 1 9. Both these are the blood-hounds of the Divell by which he hunteth soules Hos 5.1 Both these are as ranging beares ravenous woolves that wory yong old drive them into the slaughterhouse of Satan Prov. 28.15 Mat. 7.15 These help him dayly to thrust sinfull men into the ditch into the bottomles pit of Hell All these therefore are the Grand-champions standard-bearers of death have Death written in their foreheads The sight of these or the mention of them their enterprises should cause men with horrour to thinke of death And seing the world is full of these how many are the calles warnings that God by them gives us to thinke of death to stand upon our watch d As for the times severall also are the warnings which are thereby given us to remember our end sometimes by the red horse marching in our borders trotting galloping rushing into battell sometimes the pale horse ambling up downe in our streets Rev. 6.4.8 both warre pestilence bringing massacre upon massacre calamity upon calamity Ier. 9.21 Ezek. 7.25.26 are as so many proclamations of death in our eares sounding at some times more louder then other according as these judgments are more grievous universall Who doth not see the axe layd unto the root of the tree in these dayes both the bloody axe of warre black axe of pestilence in some times places continued in others threatned Besides time it selfe is a sythe an axe Night day are two axes at the root of our life when one is up the other is downe without rest every day a chip flyes away and every night a chip and so our bones ly scattered at the graves mouth as when one cutteth or heweth wood on the earth Psalm 141.7 Though every day giving us so manifold examples of death do thereby serve to put us in minde thereof yet in a speciall manner is the Sabbath-day set apart by the ordinance of God that on it we should consider the latter end of man That is the time especially when the voyce cryeth in the Congregation All flesh is grasse c. And therefore in the Psalme that is entitled
the moth Iob 4.19 even their beauty consumes away like the moth Psa 39.11 the moth of consumptiō eates them up Esa 50.9 51.8 Hos 5.12 As the Lord rides upō the Cherubims flyes abroad upō the wings of the winde so upon the wings of the moth used for his service made his Embassadour to deliver unto man a message of his mortality that he might remember his end l Thus doe all kinde of creatures made for man serve to warne him of his vanity And it is not simply the mere volubility of the heavens instability of the earth that give us this warning but this whole globe of heaven earth is created givē unto us of God for a Watch or Clock whereby we might learne to number our times our passing away in them The severall lights of the firmament are ordained of God for signes for seasons for dayes for yeares Gen. 1.14 The Sunne by his height motion doth plainely declare the time of the day being looked on to that end by the variation of his shadow in the degrees of the diall as in that of Ahaz Esa 38.8 doth more exactly distinguish determine the houres unto us Yea the window in every mans house stāding against the Sunne serves for a diall to shew the houre of the day more or lesse and to them that are abroad in the streets or field in the sunne-shine evē the shadow of their owne persons the stature of their owne body serving for the gnomon of a diall doth shew the difference of houres according to the variety of the shadow stretched out declining in divers degrees Ier. 6.4 Men that have bene a while intent unto their work eftsoones looke up see the declining of the shadow the sight of this declination is as the sound of a voyce unto them saying The Time passeth The end draweth on Man walketh in a shadow sleeth away as a shadow Iob 14.2 Psa 109.23 and so giveth him occasion to try himselfe his wayes what good he hath bene doing that while And as plainely doe the starres also by sundry wayes declare the houre of the night unto us and teach us the same lessons Neither doe the lights of heaven declare unto us the houres of the day night onely in regard of their diurnall motions but the planets by an other oblique motion entring into the signes of the Zodiak successively finishing that course some in a moneth some in a yeare of the superiour planets the highest in thirty yeares the next in twelve the next in two yeares do hereby very plainly distinguish both the moneths of the yeare the yeares of longer periods of time for which we have no proper names As the Greeks of old had their Olympiads with other reckonings and as the Prophets described their stories not onely from the raigne of their Kings after one reckoning but from many different poynts termes of time in respect of Gods judgments or mercies or mens defection or repentance Exod. 12.41.1 Kin. 6.1 Ier. 25.1 Ezek. 1.1 4.5 Amos. 1.1 Hag. 2.18.19 so the Lord in his unsearchable wisedome hath given unto us many heavenly dialles instruments of numbring our dayes all of them witnesses how our time passeth and God calleth us by so many that if one or two signes would not prevaile with us yet more might Exo. 4.9 one comming into our sight after another teaching us to examine our selves our estate both for shorter longer times to be prepared for the worke of God as the Angels for an houre a day a yeare Rev. 9.15 But that which is yet more wonderfull these coelestial bodies doe not onely declare signe out the times unto us but they alter change the times make the seasons to differ one from another As the cartwheeles on the earth where they goe leave a track or furrow behinde thē so the wheeles of these planets stars in their conversions make a deep impression upon the earth according to the diversity of their motions and some of them bring the spring some the summer some autumne some duely draw on winter as with bands cords Iob. 38.31.32 9.9 This their operation is manifested in great variety in such manner that thereby they produce many new reall dialles upon the earth And from hence in divers flowers we have a plaine distinction of the houres in the day while some still turne their face unto the Sunne from the rising to the setting as Heliotropium or Turnsol some declare the approch of the evening by shutting their flowers before as the Daysies Marigold Dandelion others some are so strangely affected that they shew it to be high noone by closing up themselves just at that time as we see dayly in the flower that is called Goates-beard or the starre of Ierusalem Others againe distinguish the moneths of the yeare some springing flourishing in one moneth some in others successively in order as we see in the Primerose Violet Rose Gilloflower others which follow even unto the winter moneths Thus the plāts of the earth together with the planets of heaven become monitors of the time passing away Neither is this to be observed in the plants onely but in the sensitive creatures also the fowles fishes fourefooted beasts the birds shew us the time of the day some sing at a certaine houre of the night before day Mar 13.35 some little birds at the day-break Eccl. 12.4 some at noone some nightbirds in the evening They distinguish also the times of the yeare sometimes revived sometimes drooping and decaying againe in great variety They know the times of their comming and going some in one moneth and some in another as the Stork the Turtle the Crane and the Swallow Iere. 8.7 and the fishes likewise have their appointed seasons as is dayly observed by the fishmongers All these shall rise up in judgement against them that know not the acceptable time nor learn to redeeme it though the Lord call them so many wayes and shew them the time passing by so many devises CHAP. III. Monitors of Death in about a mans ovvne selfe His Breath a Pulse b Dayly food the necessity preparation of it in the earth c by the death of the creatures d Apparell the originall matter necessity of it e Labour in generall sundry vocations in particular f Sleep a lively image of death g Sinne the cause of death feared of some desired of others h Extreme dangers threatning death i Age the changes thereof manifested by the face stature k Old age described by the decay of strength l of sense m and of health HItherto we have heard the call of God sounded out unto us in and by other creatures by heaven and earth and the things therein that were made for man now we are to consider how God comes neerer unto man and from the
are we called of God to remember same offences of striking or cursing committed against others were not so though some childrē might happily have as much wisedome as their father mother yet their authority alone being despised brought such woe Now the authority of God the heavenly father over his creature being infinitely greater then the authority of any earthly father over his children the contempt thereof doth accordingly procure an infinite woe unto those that disobey God that reject his Law make their owne lust their law prefer the doing of their owne vile wills before the obedience of his holy heavenly will So in like manner the infinite evill of sinne appeareth distinctly in this that it is committed against the infinite goodnes mercy of God There are in creatures manifold degrees of love kindnes the love of one doth an hundred times exceed the love of some other both in tendernes of affection in multitude of benefits And in such case the treachery of such as deale falsely wickedly against their cheefest friends becomes an hundredfold greater evill then the sin of some others Now the Lord is love it selfe 1. Ioh. 4.8.16 herein is love not that we love God but that he loved us vers 10. his grace the gifts of his eternall free grace doe infinitely exceed all other love he gave himselfe to be our God portion his Sonne to be our ransome And therefore to sin against this high immeasurable grace to contēne this love to love that which is vanitie of vanities more then God doth make the sin of such to be out of measure sinfull deserveth an infinite hatred misery to ensue thereupon And thus the greevousnes of sinne is to be considered conceived in respect of the other divine attributes whereby we may see as it were ten infinites in one behold many windowes of contemplation opened before us through which we may have a huge vast prospect of the endles unsearchable woe of sinne that is to be felt in the second death Though there be many other aggravations of sinne yet this so farre exceeds the rest as if they all were nothing in comparison of this therefore doth the Spirit often urge this consideration upon men saying to the sinners Ye have lyed not unto men but unto God Act. 5.4 he that despiseth despiseth not man but God vvho hath also given us his holy Spirit 1. Thes and it containes more then a world of bookes can expresse c This fierce wrath of God is often in Scripture compared unto burning devouring fire Deut. 32.22 Ier. 15.14 17.4 Ezek. 21.31 22.21 36.5 Zeph. 1.18 accordingly is the tormēt in hell described unto us by the name of hellfire Matt. 5.22 18.9 The smarting paine caused by fire is well knowne by the common use thereof among us And yet above the nature of common fire which is made for the comfort of man to cheere him to make him laugh Esa 44.16 this dolefull fire of hell is propounded unto us of God by many strange descriptions It is a fire not like unto ours that may be quenched but an unquenchable fire Esa 66.24 Mark 9.44 Rev. 14.11 an everlasting fire Matt. 18.8 25.41 which so burnes the wicked as that it doth not consume them but keeps them alive in death that they may burne for ever and ever It is a fire that will not onely burne stones melt yron brasse but a subtile piercing fire that burnes even the spirits soules of men being a fire prepared for the devill his angels which are spirits Matt. 25.41 Rev. 20.10 and therefore farre more terrible then our fire by which tyrants burne the bodies of martyrs but cannot burne their soules Mat. 10.28 For the greatnes of it it is a bottomlesse pit Rev. 9.1.2 deep large Esa 30.33 a lake or sea of fire Rev. 20.14.15 for the names of lake or sea are sometimes in Scripture indifferently put one for another Matt. 8.24 with Luk. 8.23 and this burning sea is withall called a lake of brimstone Rev. 19.20 20.10 which makes the fire to burne more cruelly to choake strangle such as are plunged into this lake And for the forme of it it is sometimes compared to an oven or furnace of fire Mal. 4.1 Mat. 13.42.50 in which the fire being kept close strait may be made seven times more hote fierce then it was before Dan. 3.19 To make this fire yet more abhominable it is compared unto Tophet Esa 30.33 where children were burnt in horrible lothsome manner being sacrificed unto devils Ier. 7.31 with Psa 106.37 so more horrible would it be to see the soules sacrificed in Hell-fire Were there now but a witch to be burned at a stake how many thousands would flock together to behold the sight how many would loose a dayes work be content to misse their dinners rather then to misse the sight of it But if it were to see a King or an Emperour burnt to see a Pope or a Cardinall which having burnt many martyrs should at length have their owne flesh burnt with fire how many farre and neere would run and ride and spare no cost or labour to become spectatours of such a judgment how long how often how earnestly would men talke of it afterwards And yet this fire of the second death is for such by faith we see it faith makes us spectatours thereof if we beleeve the Scriptures which shew us how Tophet is prepared for kings Esa 30.33 how the beast and the false prophet the Popes are to be cast alive into the lake of fire and brimstone Rev. 19.20 20.10 and with them the multitude of their idolaters and other abhominable persons Rev. 21.8 And how are men bewitched that they forget this latter end of sinners that they more regard the light and momentany judgments of men then the eternall and severe judgments of the everlasting God This lake of fire is so forgotten and contemned of many which stand dayly at the brink of the pit ready to sinke downe into it for their sinnes as if that fire were already quenched yea the very common knowledge and confession thereof by all sorts hath quenched the thought of it and extinguished the memory and mencion of it with many as if it were so well knowne that it needed no more to be spoken of And for this cause are many tumbled into it overwhelmed in the depth of it before they be aware of it d The power of Gods wrath in kindling this fire may further be perceived if we behold the great variety of strange fires which God in his works of creation providence hath already kindled and set before us to shew what he is able to doe In the bowels of the earth below the Lord hath as it were sowne the seeds of fire in the divers minerals thereof as in the
mines of coales in the veines of vitrioll of salt-peter of lime and divers other things whereby from under the earth is turned up as it were fire Iob. 28.5 and to shew a most wofull burning it is sayd The people shall be as the burnings of lime Esa 33.12 Above upon the face of the earth the Lord hath planted divers growing fires in sundry hote herbes some burning blistering the skinne outwardly by the very touch thereof as the nettle with some other kinde of thistles venomous thornes whose innumerable prickes shew the infinite power of God to curse the wicked some other herbs being taken inwardly as Hellebore Coloquintida or the wild gourd that brought death into the pot 2. Kin. 4.39.40 Euphorbium the like doe cast the body into miserable paine distresse burning exulcerating gnawing grating tearing the intrals tossing and tormenting the body with vomits purges with swooning fainting with violent convulsions fearfull symptomes In the sensitive creatures God hath kindled many kindes of living going fire walking to fro in the earth in the divers poysons of sundry serpēts some creeping under our feet some flying over our heads as in the hornet the snake adder aspe cockatrice those fiery flying serpents that sting burne men to the death Num. 21.6 Esa 14.29 To come neerer ourselves in the body of man God kindleth many strange fires in the sundry diseases thereof both by painefull inflammations of particular parts both outward inward especially by that universall fire of the burning fevers flaming out of the heart into the whole body Deut. 28.22 this in great variety some inflaming the spirits onely some the blood also some consuming the very substance of the solid parts also some burning with a simple excesse of heat others consisting in rotten corrupt humours doe burne the body more cruelly of these againe some burning continually night day without intermission as the fire in glasse houses the furnaces where yron is melted others by fitts comming at appoynted seasons after certain periods of time either every day or each second or third day like fire raked under ashes kindled againe upon occasion some others againe consisting of a malignant poysonous fire as in the pestilentiall fevers that burne more cruelly deadly then the rest these are like going or running fires through their contagion spreading abroad walking in darknesse destroying at noone flying as poysoned arrowes by their infection breaking out in boyles carbuncles like so many fiery furnaces or ovens comming up in the flesh Psa 91.3.6 Esa 38 21. And by these with their compounds the Lord kindleth a burning lake within the body maketh the veines which containe the inflamed blood humours to be like so many rivers of pitch brimstone and so causeth an unquenchable thirst an intollerable paine that followes it In the aire clouds above our heads God kindleth terrible fires by thūder lightnings divideth the flames shooteth abroad his fiery darts to consume his enimies Psa 18.12.13.14 Above the clouds in the firmament God kindleth another fire by the Sunne some other starres and smites the earth her inhabitants with the beames thereof so that they are scorched with heate faint in themselves Psal 121.6 with Rev. 7.16 16.8.9 Ion. 4.8 To goe higher into the third heavens God hath there also kindled many fires he maketh his Angels to be flames of fire Heb 1.7 to be horses charets of fire 2. Kin. 6.17 2.11 to be burning Seraphims Esa 6.2 expressed by the same name that is before given to the fiery serpents Numb 21.6 he maketh his Cherubims like coales of fire as the appearance of lampes as the flashes of lightning from them are scattered coales of fire over countries cities for their punishment Ezek. 1.13.14 with cha 10.2.7 e But above all these the Lord himselfe is a consuming fire Deut. 4.24 9.3 Heb. 12.29 an everlasting burning Esa 33.14 when he riseth up to judge the world to plead with secure sinners how can they stand before his angry face His throne is a fiery flame his wheeles as burning fire a fiery streame issueth commeth forth from before him consumeth round about Dan. 7.9.10 Psa 97.3 his face is burning Esa 30.27 his eyes flaming Rev. 1.14 his nostrils smoaking Psa 18.8 his tongue a devouring fire his breath an overflowing streame as a river of brimstone to kindle Tophet Esa 30.27.28.33 from his loynes upward from his loynes downeward all as the appearance of fire Ezek. 1.27 when he shall be revealed from heaven he is to come in flaming fire with his mighty angels round about him all of them like so many shining beames of his glory pointed with indignation sparkling with wrath against the sinners that are frozen in their dreggs 2. Thes 1.7.8 Iude. 14. And yet further to shew the greatnes of this wrath we are to remember that each person in the H. Trinity burneth with a distinct flame of wrath against the wicked The Lord from the Lord raines fire and brimstone Gen. 19.24 The Son comes in the glory of his Father Matt. 16.27 The holy Spirit is a spirit of judgment a spirit of burning Esa 4 4. as the Spirit mooved upon the waters in the beginning of the world Gen. 1.2 so shall it moove upon the fire of Gods judgments in the end of the world for the consuming of sinners All other fires in the creature are but sparkles lesse then nothing in respect of this infinite wrath of God This is the latter end of wicked men never to be forgotten When the Lord warned the Iewes of their destruction of their end that was comming it is wonderfull to consider how earnestly he cryes unto them how many repetitions he useth worthy to be numbred counted exactly of every one whiles he calles upō them An end an end is come the end is come An evill an onely evill behold it is come An end is come the end is come it vvatcheth for thee behold it is come The morning is come unto thee the time is come the day of trouble is neere not the eccho of the mountaines c. Behold the day behold it is come the morning is gone forth the rod hath blossomed pride hath budded c. The time is come the day dravveth neere c. Ezek. 7.2.3.5.6.7.10.12 Thus doth the Lord spread out his hands unto sinners to warne them of their end they are worthy to feele the smart of that eternall fire that neither by the terrour of his wrath propounded nor by the carefull love of God in admonishing thereof will be drawne to looke in this burning glasse to thinke upon this last end Were we wise we should run oftner to warme our soules with this fire by the meditation of it then we bring our bodies to any other fire to heate
doe the Gobbelines resort the schrich-owles the night-ravēs night-walkers together make a cage of uncleane birds When men passe by such houses they are to looke upon them as the very Types of Hell the dennes of destruction where many are dayly overthrowne They are as deep pits that swallow up soule body goods good name of their bewitched guests both health of body wealth of estate credit of name salvation of soule doe there consume perish together And therefore with many pluckes doth the Lord seeke to divert men from such places Enter not into the path of the vvicked goe not in the way of evill men Avoyd it passe not by it turne from it passe away Prov. 4.14.15 l From private houses come we to private particular persons to see how many Helles may be found among them If we looke upon Gods judgments for sinne we see some possessed with Devils persons that procure these judgements of God in them also there are many Hells to be seene Their thoughts their words their deeds practises doe represent the same unto us The large heart of man his capacious thoughts are like unto a huge vessel wide deep greater thē the whole Globe of the earth which cānot fill the same The eye is not satisfyed with seeing nor the eare filled with hearing Eccles 1.8 Though a moate in the eye doe trouble it yet the world cannot fill it The reason is because the minde of man is an immeasurable gulfe the outward senses are but tunnels or conduits leading into it Immoderate desire whether it be the lust of the eyes the lust of the flesh or the pride of life is an insatiable whirlpoole that is still gaping devouring but never satisfyed Eccles 5.9.10 Hab. 2.5 Esa 56.11 The ignorance that is in the minde makes it to be as darke a dungeon as it is deep Eph 4.18 Matt. 6.23 wherein the thoughts doe blindely range roame up downe with pernicious wandrings The violence fervency of inordinate lust inflames the heart makes it to burne Rom. 1.27 like the bakers oven that is overheated till it burne as a flaming fire Hos 7.6.7 And to shew that the wicked heart is a more compleat Hell it is sayd that Satan enters into it Ioh. 13.27 filles the heart Act. 5.3 dwelles in it Matt. 12.45 reignes in it as a prince over his subjects Ioh. 14.30 or as a God over his people 2. Cor. 4.4 The mouth of a wicked man is like the mouth of Hell whiles the envy hatred lust that is kindled in the heart doth breake out in the words as it were flame out at the mouth The slanderous evill tongue is a fire is set on fire of Hell setteth on fire the whole course of nature Iam. 3.6 The body the whole person of wicked men is as it were the shop work-house of Satan wherein the uncleane spirits doe worke in the children of disobedience Eph. 2.2 all their members are the instruments tooles of the devils to worke all manner of sin unrighteousnes therewith Rom. 6.13.19 And now seeing the Lord hath set so many visions of Hell before us in this life whereby he calles men to remember the latter end let him that hath an eare to heare hearken to the call of God let him that hath an eye to see come open his 〈…〉 the godly would sometimes have him to be more severe He is more desirous of the salvation of them that are saved then they themselves AS God calles us many wayes to remember our latter end so the due remembrance of our end calles us to remember God the thought of death serves to urge admonish us of seeking the way of life True life is to be found with God alone He is the living God Iosh 3.10 Ier. 10.10 Hos 1.10 He giveth unto all life breath all things Act. 17.25 With him is the well of life Psa 36.9 From this well doe flow a thousand rivers of life of life naturall of life spirituall of life eternall in the heavens a With him is the fountaine of naturall vegetation the rivers of vegetative life are all propagated from him In every plāt in every least seed of tree or herb God hath planted a vitall juyce digged a welspring of life from which spring life floweth out flourisheth is spread abroad Gen. 1.11.12 Psa 104.14 the living things are multiplied according to their kinde in such unspeakable abundance that the increase thereof throughout the world might in few yeares serve to replenish an hundred worlds The seeds that one garden in one yeare affordeth are so many as might in short time serve to fill an hundred garden-plots while some one herb oft yeeldeth more then a thousand seedes at once So a thousand akehornes that fall from one Oake might serve to plant a whole grove of oakes The apples of some one tree yeeld more then a thousand kirnels therfore the kirnels together with the rootes graffes or shootes that one orchard affordeth in one yeare might well serve to be the seminary of an hūdred more Thus have we yearely the matter of many worlds layd before us though more new worlds be not dayly formed yet the living God shewes us hereby how easily he could doe it The glory of this well of life is to be considered not onely in the abundance of life which gusheth out floweth from it but likewise in the excellency thereof while the living things the herbs fruits that are thence produced doe not onely live themselves but serve to sustaine uphold the life of other creatures both man beast both in the maine dayly Gen. 1.22.28 as by a seed of seeds hath multiplyed life as from a well of life hath made the streames of naturall life to flow forth with a continuall current of succession to runne freshly from the beginning of the world unto this day Hereby we see how the Lord powres life out of his treasure at his word life swimmes in the waters flyes in the aire walkes on the earth scralles in the dust turned into living creatures at his command Exo. ● 16.17 A cleare vision of this power of life that is in God is shewed unto us even in the least sort of creatures in the Bees the Flyes and in speciall in the manifold swarmes of innumerable Gnattes in summer-time suddainly produced in some countries as if they were so many drops of life flying abroad round about us as if the whole aire were dissolved into living creatures not onely living but all endued with a most lively life all nimble active mounting above our heads and every one of them carrying with them a Trumpet wherewith they humme aloud sound an Alarum to us to awaken us unto the praise of their Creatour the living God And because we are so
blinde dull to discerne acknowledge the living God the author of this life therefore they approach neere unto us bite us though it cost them their life for it they will have us by the face or hands sleeping or waking night day they will tast of our blood this by divine providence that by these little monitors we might be rowsed up out of our senseles behaviour to looke unto that welspring of life from whence they come Though these creatures be small contemptible in the eyes of many yet doe these small things carry in them the glorious evidences of the living God and as effectuall for our instruction as are to be found in the great Oxe Elephant or Leviathan Psa 104.25 Exo. 8.18.19 He that rayseth these living soules out of the ditches rotten ground sometimes maketh many of these lives to spring from one dead carcasse how easily can he rayse our dead bodies out of the grave restore one life to one body yea quickē the soule from the mire of sinne He that longeth after life let him looke to this fountaine c Besides this ordinary flood of life flowing from that generall word com mall spirits with them the faculty both of sense motion over all To preserve our being he hath made the liver a fountaine of blood from thence drawne the veines dispersed them over the whole body to carry abroad the blood the naturall spirits therein to the nourishment of every part With these living threeds more precious then any golden wires thē fine twined linnen blue purple scarlet the ornaments of the Tabernacle hath God beautifyed the body of man which is also compared to a Tabernacle 2. Cor. 5.1.4 2. Pet. 1.13.14 With these feeling mooving nourishing strings hath the Lord covered embroydered curiously wrought the vaile of our flesh Psal 139.15 Iob 10.11 And each of these life-strings doth the living God still hold in his hand maintaining their faculties inspiring life quickening vertue into them And besides this in the very tunicles or coates of each of these hollow strings hath the Lord wrought a curious network woven together another sort of subtile threeds thousands of them more fine small then haires some of them drawne right along of an attractive power some round circular crossing the other with right angles of an expulsive vertue others drawne athwart both the other with oblique angles of a retentive faculty all for the service of life in great variety some draw some hold some drive out superfluities of nature all these held and upheld in their severall functions by the finger of God extending his quickening power unto every one of thē Neither are these particular streames and waves of the river of life flowing from God to be neglected of us the workes of God are to be sought out of all them that have pleasure therein Psal 111.2 Distinct knowledge and consideration hereof brings clearer comfort and it is great sinne unthankfulnes and contempt of Gods glorious wisedome to looke cōfusedly over those things that God propounds distinctly in many severall formes and particular acts To proceed therefore from these faculties and functions of life sensitive common to the brute creatures with man we are to behold another well of life in that reasonable soule which God hath placed in men when as he formed the spirit of man within him Zacch 12.1 The stirrings motions and acts of life flowing with vers 30. the Lord even then offered unto him to have opened his well of life as wide for him to have made of him a greater mightier nation then Israel was Num. 14.12 Oh how great are the treasures of life which God hath in store for them that love him even worlds of life to give to every one of them Well might the Psalmist say of this God With him is the vvell of life and in his light we shall see light Psa 36.9 In which words David pointeth at two glorious workes gifts of God specially noted in the six dayes of the creation In three dayes God beautifyed the world with light the first day he created light the second day he created a pure transparent firmament or an expansion through which the beames of the heavenly light being diffused spread forth might so come to us without such a meane or middle passage our sight the light could not have met together the fourth day God created heavenly lights the Sunne Moone starres gathering abundance of light into them by their motion distributed that light unto the divers parts of the world successively for the greater benefit thereof Gen. 1.3.6 c. In three other dayes God created life in the divers degrees thereof the third day God opened a box of life powred out that vegetative life which appeareth in the growing plants herbes trees the fift day God opened another box powred out a streame of sensitive life such as appeared in the foules fishes the sixt day God opened againe another box beside the sensitive life in the beasts cattell powred out the treasure of an intellectuall life which appeared in the reasonable soule of man which he then created Gen. 1.11.12.20 c. And from that first week unto this day both the beames of light the streames of life have flowed out incessantly to his praise the comfort of man f And yet all this is but the little finger of God in respect of his mighty arme all this is but the power of life naturall vouchsafed even to his enimies to the reprobats There is a new life a more high precious life to be found in God even a well of spirituall life opened by him immediately after the fall Then was made the promise of this life of victory over death by breaking the serpents head Gen. 3.15 that word was the Gospell of Salvation preached instantly to Adam upon the kindes of life natural are made to serve as shadowes of the life spirituall which God giveth to his elect See it in the plants that doe live a vegetative life As the earth bringeth forth her bud as the garden causeth the things that are sowne therein to spring forth so the Lord God will cause righteousnes praise to spring forth before all the nations Esa 61.11 The Lord doth as easily make men to be trees of righteousnes as he maketh thorns or briers to grow Esa 61.3 with ch 55.13 Yea the plants that exceed others in growth the tall cedars the flourishing palme Psa 92.12 the greene olive the fruitfull lillies Hos 14.5 6. the willowes by the water-courses Esa 44.4 the flovving spices Sol. song 4.16 the trees that bring forth new fruit according to their moneths Ezek. 47.12 are all but shadowes of this grace of life flowing from the Lord. See it in the creatures that live a sensitive life The sheep that are
state of mans owne person calling and condition calles him by the sight of himselfe to remember his latter end And first the Lord having made man of the dust of the earth Gen. 2.7 and thereupon after his fall shewed him his readines to return to dust Gen. 3.19 Eccl. 12.7 doth yet further call us to consider our frailety by ordaining that this house of clay is to be held upright by a puffe of the ayre continually breathed in and out and that this being stopt the house must presently fall downe Hereby our life hangs as it were loose before us going in and out every moment therefore is it called the breath of life Gen. 2.7 7.15.22 our life being carried in out upon the breath depending upon it And as God tyed life to our body by such a slender weake thread so he calles us oft to mark it think on it to remember our mortall estate by the breath of our nostrils so easily departing Esa 2.22 Psa 146.4 104.29 a An other fraile band of life like unto our breathing is the pulse which ariseth from the heart the arteries or beating veines this by a double motion of contraction dilatation whereby they are drawne in out both for the expelling of noxious fumes through the insensible pores of the flesh for the drawing in of coole ayre to refresh the heart to feed the vitall spirits From the variety of the pulse are taken many signes of health sicknes life death it is the character of our strength or weaknes are we provoked to watchfulnes And as in the necessity of food so in the quality thereof is our corruptible estate made evident unto us Our food before it come into the body is diversly prepared and the principall fruits for nourishment of man comfort of his life as corne wine figges the like are ripened made to grow more abundantly by the dung and excrements of beasts cast upon them Luke 13.8 from the juyce of the dung is the fatnes and sweetnes of the fruits increased And from hence is the strength of our corruptible life hence we may say to corruption Thou art my father As once the meat of the miserable Iewes in their distresse was prepared with dung Ezek. 4.12 13.15 so is our food dayly in the growth of it as it were seasoned baked and concocted with dung The earth accursed for our sinne is brought to this base condition that the fattest increase thereof is from excrements and it yeeldeth fruit unto the mouth of mā from the tayle of the beasts After it is in the body a great part of it by the alteration there is turned into corruption and receyved into divers lothsome sinkes and channels within the body till it be againe expelled By this perishing food Ioh. 6.27 God doth admonish us of our perishing estate shewes unto us that meats are for the belly and the belly for meats that he wlll destroy both it them 1. Cor. 6.13 Thus the staffe of our strength the very pillars of our life do carry in them the remembrance of destruction corruption for our warning c But this is not all Our food is not onely of corruption but we feed even of death it selfe that by the allowance of God Gen. 9.3 in taking away the life of other creatures to maintaine our owne especially in these last times when he hath said unto us of them all Rise kill eat Act. 10.13 Whatsoever is sold in the shābles that eat asking no questiō for conscience sake 1 Cor. 10.25 herein we see death dayly presēted to us set before us on our tables This is seriously to be thought upō as a wonderfull work of God by the death of other creatures our life is preserved our living bodies are sustaind by their dead carcasses in their blood swimmes our life and from their pangs of death spring the pleasures of our life our feasts ordinary food As the savage Cāniballes eat the flesh of men so we eat the flesh of beasts that that which any creature may serve to be a witnesse of for convincing of sinners that doth the Lord declare to be their cry a denunciation of woe from them Habac. 2.11 Iob. 31.38 Iam. 5.2.3 and in like manner that misery which the creature enthralled by sinne doth endure for man that doth the Apostle expressely call their groaning and travelling together in paine vvith us c. Rom. 8.22 These groanes cryes are then especially to sound in our eares while we are eating of them as the Hare newly taken cries in the mouth of the greyhound so should we be affected as if the same cry were made when we eat thereof have their flesh betwixt our teeth The Gentleman that sits at his table above in his dining chamber and was not present in the kitchin or butchery to see the execution the convulsions of death the sprinting gasping of the slaughtered creatures is yet by remembrance to represent the same and to make it present againe in his eating for eating burying of them in our bellies is more then killing of them a further meanes to strike the heart with thought of death procured for the eater Our stupidity blockishnes must needs be very great if we consider not this fearfull wonderfull providence of God and we shall be worse then the beasts themselves if we hearken not unto the call which God by them gives us to awaken us out of our security to make us remember our fraile condition d An other helpe to preserve our fraile bodies is our rayment and apparell which God hath given to cover and defend the body without as food within And from hence we have a double or treble memoriall of Death considering that our apparell was then first given unto us when by our sinne we first came into the state of death not before Gen. 2.25 with c. 3.7 And then when God first gave our garments unto us he tooke them out of Deaths wardrobe they being made with the death of the creatures from whence they were taken God made coates of skinnes for Adam his wife his posterity Gen. 3.21 Heb. 11.37 The skins of the poore creatures were pluckt over their eares torne from their backes to cover the shame of our skinnes to hide the nakednes of our hydes And what was sayd of Ioab in another case are swifter then a post Iob. 9.25 that we ride post as on dromedaries that runne by the way in all hast to their journeyes end And the travell that men have by sea in the most swift ships is mentioned of God to represent the swiftnes of our time that carries us night and day sleeping or waking to the haven of death Iob 9.26 And according to this wisedome of God and his example should men make right use of other trades and their labours therein to set