the Table seest before thee many and sundry sorts of Meats a Friend of thine secretly admonisheth thee that among so many dainty Dishes there is one Poysoned what in this Case wouldst thou do which of them darest thou touch or taste of wouldst thou not suspect them all I think though thou wert extremely hungry thou wouldst refrain from all for fear of that one where the Poyson is It is made manifest unto thee already that in one of thy seventy Years thy Death lieth hidden from thee and thou art utterly Ignorant which year that shall be how then can it be but that thou must suspect them all and fear them all O that we understood the shortness of our Life how great Profit and Commodity should we then receive by the Meditation thereof Thirdly and lastly the vanity and nullity of our Life after Death intimated in these words And afterward vanisheth away The whole Course of Mans Life is but a flying Shadow a little spot of time between two Eternities which will quickly disappear the same Earth which we now so negligently tread upon may suddainly receive us into her cold Imbraces Well may Life then be said to be vanishing away Though now we are in perfect Health yet before to morrow some dear Friend or other may passionately follow our Hearse to the Grave Our time past is like a Bird fled from the Hand of the owner out of sight and our present time is vanishing away and on Earth we have no abiding But here consider if Life be so vanishing and uncertain a thing then 1. This reproveth those that Squander away their precious time as if their abode on Earth would be too long to prepare for Eternity if they did not mispend it half but it is time for us to cry out The time past is more than enough to have wrought the Will of the Flesh 1. Pet. 4. 3. or as it is Rom. 13 14. 'T is high time to awake out of Sleep 2. If Life be thus vanishing then be not over solicitous as to future Events but willingly submit to a Divine Providence be not so much concerned for to Morrow do not cumber your selves with too much Provision for a short Voyage 3. If Life be thus short and vanishing then do much work in a little time shall we loose any of that time which is so fleeting and so uncertain And thus I have briefly shown you the frailty of the Life of Man and the profitable use we might make of this Consideration That our Life is but a Vapour which appeareth for a little time and afterward Vanisheth away 4. If Life be so short and uncertain then look upon every day as your last so did the Apostle Paul who said I die daily as there is nothing more certain than Death so there is nothing more uncertain than the time of Death We are all Tenants at Will and therefore the great Landlord of Heaven and Earth may turn us out of our Clay Houses when he pleaseth It was a worthy Custom of a Roman Emperor that would have his Man come every morning to his Bed-side and pronounce these Words Remember thou art a dying Man certainly such are justly to be reproved who look upon Death as at a great distance from them It is a common saying of some that they thought no more of such a thing than of their dying day surely it argues a very wicked frame of Heart to be so forgetful of Death when 't is that we are to expect every minute and know not but each day that comes may be our last THE EJACULATION GOOD Lord what is the Life of Man is it not like unto a Vapour which appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away Is it not like unto a Bubble which quickly swelleth to a considerable bigness and as quickly sinketh again Is it not like unto the Grass which groweth up and flourisheth in the Morning but is cut down before the Evening come Oh Lord though Life be sweet yet common experience shews that it is short and as our Life is shoâ—…t in it self though we should live to the very outside of the strength of Naeture so will it seem much shorter if it be compared with Eternity it self And yet as short and as uncertain as our Life is we have a long work to dispatch before we go away from hence and be seen no more we have a great way to go by a setting Sun a great Race to run by a short Breath and if Life be but as a Vapour how little reason have we then to squander away precious time Yea how great reason have we to redeem the time that is past and to improve every â—…nch of the present time Let us remember that we have no continuing City here and therefore it will be necessary for us to seek one that is to come Good Lord therefore do thou make us to know our end and the measure of our days what it is that so we may be throughly convinced how frail we are Dying Christian. SERMON X. Being the last Sermon this Author Preacht at Grafham in Huntingdonshire Beloved Brethren THE Lord hath set it home upon my Heart ever since I came amongst you earnestly to desire and to pray for the Salvation of your Souls it hath been no small Encouragement to me to lay forth my weak endeavours in the Ministry when I consider that he which converteth a Sinner from the Errour of his way shall save a Soul from Death and hide a multitude of Sin James 5. 20. To save a Soul from Death is so glorious an Imployment that herein I cannot chuse but rejoice with the Apostle when I see the word of the Kingdom working effectually in any Soul I bless God every day without ceasing that he hath given me a full proof of my Ministry in the Hearts and Consciences of some even in this place since I came among you so that I may say with Paul 1 Cor. 9. 2. and they indeed are and shall be unto me and I unto them a Crown of rejoicing at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and on their behalf I pray that their Faith may grow exceedingly and that their Love unto Jesus Christ and unto all Saints may every day more and more abound and I commend them unto God who is able to keep them from falling and to present them faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding Joy As for others I am jealous over them with a Godly Jealousie as the Apostle speaketh continually praying that they may not be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ but that they may hold fast the mystery of Faith in a pure Conscience Some indeed there are that cause me secretly to groan in my Spirit and my Heart I even bleed over them and I do pity them in the Bowels of Jesus Christ fearing least they should like the five foolish Virgins fall asleep and hereafter endeavour to enter into
grows a Worm which afterwards comes to be a Bird of the same Nature Aâ—… plain Symbolum of the Resurrection Mirmeius the Roman Orator a great Antagonist of the Christians see saith he how for our comfort all nature points out our Resurrection The Sun sets and rises the Stars fall and return Flowers decay and reflourish the withered Trees recover their Vendure Seeds return their several species Thus the Body deceased like Trees in Winter cover their Vigour with a feigned dryness We are also to expect the Spring of the Body I know that my Redeemer Lives and that I shall rise again at the last day Sect. 29. The hope of Heaven WHat wouldst thou What desirest thou Wouldst thou live And wouldst thou not die So live then that thou mayst once live happy For to live and not to live happily is a kind of death or the way to death In Heaven thou shalt live never to die Therefore thou shalt live happily for thou neither shalt nor canst suffer pain because there is none there There thou shalt enjoy thy Wishes nor canst thou 〈◊〉 be put out of possession Eat O ye Cant. 5. 1. Friends drink and be merry O ye beloved This Banquet has no end St. Austin cries out O sempiternal Life and tempiternally blessed where joy without sorrow rest without labour dignity without fear health without sickness life without death happiness without calamity where all good things perfect in charity The Gates of Jerusalem shall be built of Saphyrs and Smarayds and of precious Stones the whole Circuit of her Walls The Streets of the City shall be pure Gold transparent as Glass and through her Villages shall Allelujahs be sung Therefore blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be alwaies praising thee I believe verily to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living Sect. 30. Sighs to Heaven Exod. 35. SHew me thy Glory Shew me all thy vers 18. Good Isa. 61. 3. When wilt thou give unto them that mourn beauty in stead of ashes joyful Ointment for sighing pleasant rayment for a heavy mind Job 6. 8 9. 10. O that I might have my desire and that God would grant me the thing that I long for O that God would begin to smite me That he would let his hand go and take me clean away Then should I have some comfort yea I would defie him in my pain that he would not spare for I will not deny the words of the Holy One. Job 7. 2. For as a bond-servant desireth the shadow and as the hireling would fain have the reward of his work Psalm 15. 1. Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle who shall rest in thy holy place Psalm 27. 45. One thing have I desired of the â—…ord which I will perform even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the fair beauty of the Lord and to visit his Temple Psalm 42. 1 2. Like as the Hart desireth the Water-brooks so longeth my Soul after thee O God My Soul is a thirst for God yea even for the living God When shall I come to appear before the presence of God Now when I think thereupon I pour out my heart by my self I went by with the multitude and brought them forth to the house of God Psalm 55. 6. O that I had wings like a Dove for then would I fly away and be at rest Psalm 60. 9. Who will lead me into the strong City Ps. 65. 4. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and receivest unto thee he shall dwell in thy Court. Ps. 73. 1. Truly God is loving unto Israel even to such as are of a clean heart Vers. 24. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee Vers. 25. My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Psalm 84. 1. O how amiable are thy dwellings thou Lord of Hosts Vers. 2. My Soul hath a desire and longing to erter into the Courts of the Lord V. 10. For one day in thy Courts is better than a thousand years Psalm 116. 9. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living Psalm 120. 5. My Soul hath long dwelt among them that be Enemies to peace Psalm 122. 1. I was glad when they said unto me we will go into the house of the Lord. Psalm 138. 1. By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept when we remembred thee O Sion Ver. 4. How shall we sing the Lord's Song in a strange Land If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my right hand finger forget her cunning Ps. 142. 9. Bring my Soul out of prison that I may give thanks unto thy Name Which thing if thou wilt grant me then shall the righteous resort unto my company I desire to be dissolved and be with Christ. Sect. 31. An Abstract of the Comforts against Death FIrst Death kills our familiar Enemy the Body There is no mischief more pestilential than a Bosom-Enemy The Flesh lusteth contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit contrary to the Flesh Gal. 5. 17. These are contrary one to another 2ly Death breaks the Door of the Prison wherein we are lockt up But as old Prisoners many times long acquaintance with the place detains us not unwilling in the midst of our Fetters and Sufffferings But the best of Kings desired to be delivered out of Custody 3ly Death eases us of a vast Burthen for why a corruptible Body is heavy to the Soul and the Earthy Mansion keepeth down that Understanding that museth upon many things No man can swim with this Burthen 4ly Death puts an end to our Pilgrimage What is Mortal Life saith St. Gregory but a way Consider my Friends what it is to be aweary upon the way Our present Life is full of pain a perpetual strugling and yet we cannot forsake it without Tears 5ly Death brings us out of all Danger The most Fortunate Man that lives is subject to many Dangers and Danger is hardly avoided without danger He has only escaped all Dangers who is out of this Life 6ly The necessity of Death Nobly said the wise Roman There is no greater comfort in Death than Death it self He would not live that would not die Death carries with it an impartial and unvanquishable Necessity For the first part of Impartiality is Equality 7ly The Death of Christ. To the Contemplation of this St. Paul exhorts us Let us saith he run with patience unto the Battel that is set before us Looking unto Jesus the Captain and Finisher of our Faith who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Cross. To the Members of this Head this is the greatest Consolation For that the Members should not fear Death the Head endured the utmost violence of Death The Author of Life by dying set open the Gates of Heaven Why do we fear to die
shalt be pleased to command that Breath again out of Mans Body then will he presently become a dead Carkass and so short is the Life of Man that many times he doth but cry and Die yea sometimes his Mothers Womb doth prove his Tomb so that he doth not once cry to tell the World that he did once Live Neither is the Thread of Mans Life at any time spun so strong but at one word of thy Mouth it is soon snapt in two Seeing therefore we do but Live to Die we beseech thee Oh blessed God let us Die to Live let us live well that so we may die well let Death never surprize us unlooked for or unprepared nor let it ever seize upon us in an unconverted unregenerate State Good Lord let us not so live as to be ashamed to live any longer or to be afraid to look grim Death in the Face when it comes to separate our Souls from our Bodies and to summon them to make their appearance before the great Judge of the Quick and Dead Let us with thy Servant Job Wait all our appointed time untill our Change doth come Seeing it will be our greatest Wisdom to wait for Death which always waits for us and to expect that at all times which will come at some time and may come at any time Let us Pray and Preach and Hear and so spend our time as those who know and consider that all they do they do it for Eterninity and we shall never have but one Cast for Eternity Heaven and Glory is here to be won or lost for ever Blessed God thou hast taught us in thy Word that it is better to go to the House of Weeping than to the House of Feasting for that is the end of all men and thou hast said That the Living will lay it to heart Oh Lord we are this day come to the House of Mourning and Weeping and we have seen the end of one yea of many of our Friends and Acquaintance within a short space of time and in the Death of our Friends we may read our own Death and yet shall not we who are leâ—…t behind them in the Land of the Living lay these awakening instances of Mortality to heart shall we hear and see daily our nearest and dearest Relations giving up the Ghost and departing out of this into another World and yet shall we once think that we shall ever live to enjoy the Pleasures of this present evil World But seeing Lord this World is a dying World and all its glory is a dying Glory let our Minds and Hearts therefore be set upon the Glory of Heaven which is a never fading Glory Oh! did we believe and consider how much better a Believers future Estate will be than his present State is then should we think that Time is too long before we do and that Eternity will be too short when we shall enjoy our gracious Redeemer upon his Throne of Glory Let us ever live as those that have one Foot in the Grave already Thousands and Millions yea innumerable Millions of Thousands are gone to their Graves before us and do we think that we that are but enlivened Dust animated Shadows dying Lumps of Clay can keep our Bodies from being a Feast for Worms or our Souls from seeking new Lodgings in another World Oh! let us therefore every day be looking into our Graves and familiarize Death unto our Thoughts before it comes let us consider how many signal Admonitions thou dost daily give us of our approaching end Is not every Distemper and Sickness of Body as it were a little Death and a fair Warning to put us in mind of our last Change The Grey Hairs which are here and there upon our Heads the deep wrinkles which are engraven upon our Foreheads the loss of Teeth the Dimness of Sight our Deafness in Hearing our Palsie-hands our feeble trembling Limbs and the frequent Sight of seeing Friends laid out in their Winding Sheets for Dead and carried to their Houses of Clay the silent Grave are Circumstances and Symptoms serving to remind us that the time draws near wherein we must die and that our departure is at hand Let us therefore live as dying Men and let us die as Living Christians let us set our House and our Heart in order remembring the Text It is appointed for all Men once to Die but after this the Judgment The Mourners being all come first sing the following Psalms and after that Read part of 1 Cor. Chap. 15. to bring your minds into a serious frame Psalm 39. I Said I will look to my ways for fear I should go wrong I will take heed all times that I offend not with my Tongue verse 2 As with a bit I will keep fast my mouth with force and might Not once to whisper all the while the wicked are in sight verse 3 I held my Tongue and spake no word but kept me close and still Yea from good talk I did refrain but sore against my will verse 4 My Heart waxt hot within my breast with musing thought and doubt Which did increase and stir the fire at last these Words burst out verse 5 Lord number out my Life and days which yet I have not past So that I may be certify'd how long my Life shall last verse 6 Lord thou hast pointed out my Life in length much like a Span Mine age is nothing unto thee so vain is every Man verse 7 Man walketh like a shade and doth in vain himself annoy In getting goods and cannot tell who shall the same enjoy verse 8 Now Lord sith things this wise do frame what help do I desire Of truth my help doth hang on thee I nothing else require The Second Part. verse 9 From all the sins that I have done Lord quit me out of hand And make me not a scorn to Fools that nothing understand verse 10 I was as dumb and to complain no trouble might me move Because I knew it was thy work my patience for to prove verse 11 Lord take from me thy scourge and plague I can them not withstand I faint and pine away for fear of thy most heavy hand verse 12 When thou for sin dost Man Rebuke he waxeth wo and wan As doth a Cloth that Moths have fret so vain a thing is Man verse 13 Lord hear my suit and give good heed regard my Tears that fall I sojourn like a stranger here as did my Fathers all verse 14 O spare a little give me space my strength for to restore Before I go away from hence and shall be seen no more Psalm 90. Ver. 3 4 5 6 10 11. THou grindest Man through grief and Pain to dust or clay and then And then thou say'st again Return again ye sons of Men. verse 4 The lasting of a thousand years what is it in thy sight As yesterday it doth appear or as a watch by night verse 5 So soon as thou dost scatter them then
vicissitudes God hath interwoven my life with adversity and prosperity When I first took me to a Gown I put on this thought I desire a Fortune like my Gown not long but fit fit for my condition finding by others that a contented kind of obscurity keeps a Man free from Envy Although any kind of Superiority be a mark of envy yet Not to be so high as to provoke an ill eye nor so low as to be trodden on was the height of my Ambition But I must confess I have since had a greater portion of the World's favour than I looked for Nevertheless I never gave trust to fortune although she seemed to be at peace with me To check repining at those above me I always looked at those below me nor did any preferments so delight me or abuse me as to make me neglect preparing for my dying day And now I thank God I can say O Lord my heart is ready This I have considered that Life flows away by Hours and days as it were by drops Careful Martha was full busie about many things but was well advised by Christ There was only one thing necessary One thing have I desired of the Lord that I may dwell in his House for ever This was David's unum his one thing and God willing shall be mine Amidst these thoughts I had these things in contemplation 1. What Death was and the kinds of Death 2. Secondly What fears or joys death brings 3. Thirdly When Death is to be prepared for and How 4. Fourthly Death approaching what our last thoughts should be Of these things I thus believed That Death was but a fall which came by a Fall Our first-framed Father Adam falling in him we all fell It was not the Man but mankind Body and Soul parting BUt Oh how bitter at that time will be the parting of Soul and Body We see old acquaintance cannot part without tears What shall such intimate familiar friends do as the Soul and Body are which have lived together from the Womb with so much delight In that hour every man will make Balaam's suit O that I might die the death of the Righteous We all desire to shut up our last scene of Life with In manus tuas Domine Into thy hands O Lord I commend my Spirit At this Hour What would a man give to secure his Soul Quid dabis pro animâ tuâ tunc qui nunc pro nihiâ—…o das illam What wilt thou give then for thy Soul to save it who dost so prodigally throw it away now for nothing This thou canst not leave behind thee that will tell thee whether thou goest and what thou shalt look for Tunc quasi loquentia tua Opera dicent Tu nos egisti Tua opera sumus Tâ—… non deseremus sed tecum iâ—…imus ad Judicium Then shall thy doings even speaking aloud say unto thee Thou hast done us we are thy works we will not leave thee but will go with thee to judgment In that day shall come into mens minds by the Divine Power in the twinkling of an Eye all their past good or evil Works Memory the Magazine of the Soul will then recount all that thou hast done said or thought all thy life long For there needs no other Art of memory for sin but misery Man is a great flatterer of himself but Conscience is always just and will never chide thee wrongfully it always takes part with God against a man's self It is a domestick Magistrate that will tell what you do at home It is well termed the pulse of the Soul therefore if you would know the true state of vour Body or Soul feel how this beats that will tell you Yet take heed you make not an Idol of your Conscience neither think as some do that it is a crime to make a Conscience of our Actions At point of death if a man will take his aim by the best men that ever lived or died that of David Ezekias yea and of Christ himself as he was man is able to amaze any man when as our Saviour Christ not many hours before he suffered said My soul is troubled and what shall I say and at the very point of Death said Father if it be thy will let this Cup pass from me When David said Save Lord for thy mercies sake For in Death there is no remembrance of thee And Ezekias wept sore when he was bid Put thy house in order for thou must die If the Patriarchs if the Prophets if the Apostles if the Martyrs if Christ himself was thus troubled at the hour of Death Wretched man that I am what shall I do We were all to seek but that Christ bids us Be of good chear for I have overcome Death Caesar Borgias being sick to death said When I lived I provided for every thing but death now I must die and am unprovided to die Previous preparation becomes a wise man But we are all deceived with this Error 〈◊〉 we think none but old men approaâ—…h to death neither experience nor age can work upon us so death that it may more easily sâ—…rprise us shrowds it self under the very name of life He that sâ—…es the Basilisk before he be seen of it avoids the poyson See Death before it comes you shall not feel it when it comes We pray daily Lord Give us this day our daily Bread whilst it is called to day We should remember Life is but a day 't is bâ—…t a day not an age Wherefore saith Solomon Talk not of to morrow for thou knowest not what to morrow will bring forth A man saith Luther lives forty years before he knows himself to be a fool and by that time he sees his folly his Life is finished So men die before they begin to live To die well is too busie a work to be done well on a sudden Deferring as well as presuming makes many men implicite Atheists It was a sweet Speech and might well have become an Elder Body which a young innocent Child of my own used in extremity of sickness Mother what shall I do I shall die before I know what death is I beseech you tell me what is Death and how I should die Now of the way to die well HE that would end his days well must spend them well 'T is no great matter to live all do as much but few die well But Death faâ—…s sad and heavy upon such Are little known at home abroad too much Man is ready to die before he lives but therefore he liveth a time in the world that he may die betime to the world His Years come to an end as a Tale that is â—…old His days deceive him for they pass as a shadow by moon-shine then appearing longest when they draw nearest to an end Job saith My days are swister than a Post they flee away and see no good The art of dying well is better learnt by Practice than by Precept Unto
Glory when the Door is shut But now dearly beloved being come to Preach my last Sermon amongst you I request you all both good and bad to attend with double diligence to what shall be spoken unto you from that sweet portion of Scripture which you find recorded PHILIPIANS I. XXIII For I am in a straight between two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better IN these Words are these two Parts First a Declaration of St. Pauls desire For I am in a streight between two having a desire to depart Secondly an Inclination of the ground of it which was this because he might be with Christ the word signifies solvere Anchoram to loosen the Anchor or to cut the Cable that the Ship may sail after While St. Pauls Spirit was tied up by the Flesh he desired it should be loosened by Death that it might Sail after into Glory Spiritual Desires they are always quickest and strongest whensoever they are nearest the perfect enjoyment of their desired Object Christ. As the motion of every natural Body is quickest and strongest the nearer it comes to the Center so the nearer fulness of Glory the more fervent the Soul is in its desires after Christ. Sirs my Text is usually the dying Expression of a living Saint for when a believer draws near to his End he sings most sweetly like the Swan and earnestly cries out Make haste my beloved he having a desire to depart to be with Christ evermore upon a dying Bed a Christians Pulse beats strongest Heaven-ward We groan as being in a great straight knowing to depart is far better much more better as if he should have said Oh! there is no comparison between the enjoyment of God in the State of Grace and the enjoyment of God in a State of Glory And here methinks I hear the dying Christian joyfully breathing out his earnest and longing desires for a Dissolution in the very words of a late Grave and Serious Poet who in an Heavenly Rapture and sweet Extasie of Spirit spake in the following manner viz. VVhy lingrest thou bright Lamp of Heaven why Do thy Steeds tread so slowly on must I Be forc'd to live when I desire to die Lash thou those Lazie Jades drive with full speed And end my slow-paced days that I may feed VVith Joy on Him for whom my heart doth bleed Post blessed Jesus come Lord flee away And turn this Night into the brightest Day By thine approach come Lord and do not stay Take thou Doves-Wings or give Doves Wings to me That I may leave this World and come to thee And even in thy glorious presence be I like not this vile VVorld it is meer dross Thou only art pure Gold then sure 't is loss To be without a Throne t' enjoy a Cross. VVhat though I must pass through the Gates of Death It is to come to thee that gav'st me Breath And thou art better Lord than Dung-hill-Earth VVhen shall I come Lord tell me tell me when VVhat must I tarry Threescore years and Ten My Thirsty Soul cannot hold out 'till then Come dearest Saviour come unlock this Cage Of sinful Flesh lovingly stop the Rage Of my Desires end thou my Pilgrimage Give me a Place on High to Sit and Sing Anthems of Praise to thee mine only King Whose ratling Sounds may make the Heavens Ring But here I know the timerous Soul will object against this truth and say Oh how can the Christian so earnestly-desire to be with Christ in the fulness of Glory were it indeed but a short step into Glory or were the way strewed with Roses and Flowers and with all thè Spices of the Merchant it might be so but there is a Lion in the way as Solomon speaks in another case there is Death the King of Fears that stands frowning upon the Soul at the last cast when the Soul is upon its very Entrance into Christ his prepared Mansions of eternal Glory and therefore it were more desirable to dwell safely upon the Earth in a sensible Heaven made up of the greatest worldly profits and the most delightful creature Comfort rather than to venture over the terrible mountain of Death the very Epitomy of all Discouragements into the doubtful possession of those invissible Depths of spiritual Glory which the Scripture tells us is only attainable after this Life I answer that by nature of this Objection you may presently know the name of the Objector It comes from off a carnal heart and fully speaks the temper an Epicurean Will that is against leaving its carnal interest in the Earth for uncertain interest in Heaven But Death though it be an intervening Cloud which seems to darken or cast a mist upon the Lustre and Comfort of a believers spiritual injoyment in God yet it doth but seem to do so and indeed it doth not at all extinguish the earnest desires of a serious lively Christian after Christ in the fulness of Glory and that especially when the believing Soul looks upon Death under these Considerations First that to die is no worse a thing than to tread in the very steps of Jesus Christ we might indeed have been afraid to die if Jesus Christ had not first stept into the cold grave before us but if we will shew our selves true Soldiers unto Christ our Captain we must not fear to venture where he hath broken the way before us Now Christ hath died that he might by his Death procure the Death of Death and that he might free Believers from the fear of Death the sting being taken out of it Secondly Death is only ordained to refine and not to ruine Nature Death ends our sins and miseries and not our life as it may be made out unto you by this following Illustration those Trees which seem dead in the Winter yet they revive in the Spring because the Body and the Arms of the Tree they are joyned to the Root where the Sap lies all the Winter and by means of this conjunction the Root it conveys life unto all the parts of the Tree And the Bodies of Believers they have the Winter to when as they are turned into the Dust but their Life it is hid with Christ at last they are revived and raised up into Glory Now here you may observe the great difference of Tempters according to the various Complexions of Mens Spirits the Atheist he dares not die for fear of being put out of his being and the profane Person he dares not die for fear of exchanging his present bad being for a worse but the Believer he earnestly desires to die that besides this present temporal being he might enjoy a future eternal well-being Indeed to a wicked Man the best had been not to have been and this next best were to live long it was ill with him that ever he was born and wors that he must die A Carnal Mans continual cry is this Dum Spiro Spero I love to live for
Whitaker FAlling Sick of a Fever a Friend asking him how he did he replyed O 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have not taken so sweet a sleep since my disease seized upon me But being in a cold Sweat his Friend told him That Symptoms of Death appeared on him to whom he answered Life or Death is welcome to me which God pleaseth for Death shall be an advantage to me for I desire not to live but only so far as I may do God and his Church Service He dyed Anno 1595. Aged 47. The Death of Robert Rollock HE said I bless God I have all my Senses entire but my Heart is in Heaven and Lord Jesus Why should'st thou not have it It hath been my Care all my life long to dedicate in to thee I pray thee take it that it may live with thee for ever Falling into a Slumber and awaking he desired to be dissolved saying Come Lord Jesus 〈◊〉 an end to this miserable life haste Lord and â—…arry not Then some bewailing their loss of him to them he said I have gone through all the degrees of this Life and now am come to my end why should I go back again O Lord help me that I may go through this last degree with thy assistance lead me to that Glory which I have seen as through a Glass O that I were with thee Some saying the next day was the Sabbath he said Thy Sabbath O Lord shall begin any Eternal Sabbath Then he breathed out Haste Lord and do not tarry I am weary both of nights and daies Come Lord Jesus that I may come to thee Break these Eye-strings and give me others I desire to be dissolved and to be with thee Haste Lord Jesus and defer no â—…nger Go forth my weak Life and let a better succeed One standing by said Sir Let nothing trouble you for now your Lord makes haste to which he said O Welcome Message would to God my Funeral might be to morrow Thus he continued servent in Prayer till he resigned up his Spirit unto God Anno 1598. Aged 43. The Death of Nicholas Hemingius BEfore his Death he grew Blind and much diseased desiring then to be dissolved and to be with Christ. Some time before his Death he Expounded the 103 Psalm to the admiration of all his Auditors He dyed Anno 1600. Aged 87. The Death of Daniel Tossanus DAniel Tossanus falling sick he Comforted himself with these Texts of Scripture I have fought the good fight of Faith c. Be thou faithful unto the Death and I will give unto thee a Crown of Life We have a City rot made with hands Eternal in the Heavens many other places he recited He dyed Anno 160â—… Aged 61. The Death of William Perkins HE was Born at Marston in Warwickshire and was Educated at Christ's College in Cambridge He wrote many rare Treatises which for their Excellency were Translated into most Languages All he wrote was with his Left Hand with which he stabbed the Romish Cause as one well exprest Though Nature thee of thy Right Hand bereft Right well thou Writest with thy Hand that 's Left In his last Fit a Friend standing by prayed for a mitigation of his Pains to whom he said Pray not for an ease of my Torments but for an encrease of my Patience He dyed Anno 1602. Aged 44. He was Buried at the Charge of Christ's-College with great Solemnity Dr. Mountague preached his Funeral Sermon upon this Text Moses my Servant is dead His Works are Printed in Three Volumes in Folio The Death of Francis Junius BUT being at Lions he escaped an Imminent Death which made him acknowledge God's Providence in his Miraculous Deliverance and to confirm his Belief he earnestly desired to read over the New Testament of which he gives this Account when I opened the New Testament I first met with St. John's first Chapter In the beginning was the Word c. I read part of it and was presently convinced that the Divinity and Authority of the Author did excel all Humane Writings My Body trembled my Mind was astonished and I was so affected all that day that I knew not what I was Thou wast mindful of me O my God according to the multitude of thy Mercies and called'st home thy lost Sheep into thy Fold And from that day he wholly bent himself to Pions Practices He dyed Anno 1602. Aged 57. The Death of Thomas Holland BEing Ancient he employed his Time in Prayer and Meditation and often used to sigh forth Come O come Lord Jesus thou Morning Star Come Lord Jesus I desire to be dissolved and to be with thee He dyed Anno 1612. Aged 73. The Death of James Granaeus IN the midst of his Pains he used to say As Death's sweet so to rise is sweet much more Christ as in Life so he in Death is Store On Earth are Troubles sweet Rest in the Grave I' th' last Day we the lasting'st Joys shall have He dyed Anno 1617. Aged 77. The Death of Robert Abbat ABbat drawing near his End he desired to make a Confession of his Faith but being faint and weak he referred his Friends to his Writings saying That Faith which I have published and defended in my Writings is the Truth of God and therein I die and so departed Anno 1618. Aged 58. The Death of John Whitgift THE Queen had a great Esteem for him and was pleased to be so familiar as to call him Her Black Husband at her Death he was present and administred to her what Comfort she desired when King James came to the Crown he much reverenced the Archbishop and when he fell sick King James visited him and laboured to chear him up but he had laid the Death of Queen Elizabeth so much to heart that in a few days he departed in the Lord Atno 1603. Aged 73. The Death of Theodore Beza HE often used the Apostles saying We are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good Works And that of St. Augustine I have lived long I have sinned long blessed be the Name of the Lord. Also Lord perfect that which thou hast begun that I suffer not Shipwrack in the Haven And that of Bernard Lord we follow thee by thee to thee we follow thee because thou art the Truth by thee because thou art the Way to thee because thou art the Life He dyed upon a Sabbath day when rising in the Morning he prayed with his Family and finding himself weak he desired to go to Bed again but sitting down on the Bed-side he departed without the least Sigh or Groan Anno 1605. Aged 86. The Death of William Cowper FAlling Sick he used to say My Soul is alwaies ready in my Hand ready to be offered to my God Where or what kind of death God hath prepared for me I know not but sure I am there can no evil death befall him that lives in Christ nor sudden death to a Christian Pilgrim who with Job waits every Hour for his
But yet for me I am a younger brother too to this man who dyed now and to every man whom I see or hear to die before me and all they are ushers to me in this School of death I take therefore that which thy servant Davids Wife said to him to be said to me If thou save not thy life to night to morrow thou shalt be slain 1 Sam. 16. 11. If the death of this man work not upon me now I shall die worse than if thou hadst not afforded me this help For thou hast sent him in this Bell to me as thou didst send to the Angel of Sardis with Commission to strengthen the things that remain and that are ready to die Apoc. 3. 2. That in this weakness of body I might receive spiritual strength by these occasions If I mistake thy Voice herein if I over-run thy pace and prevent thy Hand and imagin Death more instant upon me than thou hast bid him be yet the Voice belongs to me I am dead I was born dead and from the first laying of these mud-walls in my conception they have moldred away and the whole Course of Life is but an active death Whether this voice instruct me that I am a dead Man now or remember me that I have been a dead Man all this while I humbly thank thee O Lord for speaking in this Voice to my Soul When Invited to the House of Weeping Reflect and say DUty obliging me to perform the last Office of Love to my Friend I will surely follow his Corps to the Grave that in such a Spectacle as in a Glass I may behold my own Mortality for tho I always carry about me the Symptoms of Mortality and the marks of Death yet have I hitherto lived as if I should never die In small Villages where Instances of Mortality are very rare there the inward thoughts of their Hearts seem to be that they and their Houses shall continue for ever and their dwelling places to all Generations In Populous Towns and Cities there the commonness takes away the sense of Mortality And oh how sad is it to behold the unsuitable Carriage of the generality of Christians at Funerals those opportunities are usually spent in unprofitable Chat in Mirth in Eating and Drinking and that sometimes to Excess and thus the House of Mourning is turned into the House of Mirth and Feasting But Lord grant that this may not be my practice when I come to the House of Mourning where my Friend now lyes dead Let my Eyes affect my Heart that I may seriously mind the present instance of Mortality and be affected with such Meditations as these Lord this Tragedy that is now acting on my deceased friend must ere long God knows how soon be acted on me my Breath is ready to perish the Earth is gaping for me yet a little while and I shall be carried down into the Chambers of Death Lord teach me so to number my days that I may apply my Heart unto true Wisdom As thou art walking along to the House oâ—… Weeping seriously meditate on Ruth 1. Ver. 17. WHere thou dyest will I dye and there I will be buried the Lord do so to me and more also if ought but Death part thee and me Where thou dyest will I dye Here Ruth supposeth two things 1. That she and her Mother in Law should both dye It is appointed once to dye 2dly That Naomi as the eldest should die first For according to the Ordinary custom of Nature it is the most probable and likely that those that are most stricken in years should first depart this life Yet I know not whether the Rule or Exceptions be more general and therefore let both Young and Old prepare for Death the first may die soon but the second cannot live long And there will I be buried Where she supposed two things more first That those that survived her would do her that favour to bury her which is a common courtesie not to be denyed to any It was an Epitaph written upon the Grave of a Begger Nudus eram vivus mortuus ecce tegor 2dly She supposeth they would bury her according to her instructions near to her Mother Naomi Observation As it is good to enjoy the company of the Godly while they are living so it is not amiss if it will stand with convenience to be buried with them after death The old prophets bones escaped a burning by being buried with the other Prophets and the Man who was tumbled into the grave of Elisha was revived by the virtue of his Bones And we read in the Acts and Monuments That the body of Peter Martyr's wife was was buried in a dunghil but afterwards being taken up in the Reign of Q. Elizabeth it was honourably buried in Oxford in the grave of one Frideswick a Popish-she-Saint to this end that if Popery which God forbid should over-spread our Kingdom again and if the Papists should go about to untomb Peter Martyrs Wifes Bones they should be puzzled to distinguish betwixt the Womans body and the Reliques of that their Saint so good it is sometimes to be buried with those whom some do account pious though perchance in very deed they be not so The Lord do so to me and more also To ascertain Naomi of the seriousness of her intentions herein Ruth backs what formerly she had said with an Oath lined with an execration If ought but Death See here the large extent of a Saints love it lasts till Death and no wonder for it is not founded upon Honour Beauty wealth or any other finister respect in the party beloved which is subject to Age or Mutability but only on the Grace and Piety in him which Foundation because it always lasteth the love which is built upon it is also perpetual Part thee and me Death is that which parteth one Friend from another Then the dear Father must part with his dutiful Child then the dutiful Child must forget his Dear Father then the kind Husband must leave his constant Wife then the constant Wife most lose her kind Husband then the careful Master must be sundred from his industrious Servant then the industrious Servant must be sundred from his careful Master Yet this may be some comfort to those whose Friends death hath taken away that as our Disciples Yet a little while and you shall not see me and yet a little while and you shall see me again So yet a little while and we shall not see our Friends and yet a little while and we shall see them again in the Kingdom of Heaven for not mittuntur sed 〈◊〉 we do not forego them but they go before us When thou art enter'd into the House of Weeping fall down on thy knees and say OH Lord our God in thee and by thee we live move and have our Being As thou didst at the first breath into Man the Breath of Life and he became a living Soul so when thou
now proceed to Application And first it affords matter of information as First if it be a Christ-like Frame to Weep over the Death of such as are truly pious it informs us how unlike to Christ such are who though they plead for Christian Burial yet do attend Funeral Solemnities with a vain wicked ungodly Spirit and Carriage making the house of Weeping a House of Laughter and filling themselves with Wine wherein is excess until they become more like beasts than men which is a practice too common at Funerals You may soon judge how fit such persons are to attend upon a Funeral Sermon but indeed I am apt to think Funeral Sermons have generally been rather for Ostentation and Vain Glory than for Profit Hereby is likewise condemned that heathenish practice of Ringing of Bells so soon as ever Funeral Solemnities are performed How unsuitable is it that so soon as ever the Husband or Wife or a godly Friend is laid in the Earth to set the Bells a Ringing which imports matter of joy rather than of sorrow 2. If it be a Christ-like-Frame of Spirit to weep over the Deaths of good men it informs us how unlike to Christ that Spirit is whereby men do censure and reproach good men when taken away by Death And I do the rather mention this because some have taken the boldness to judge and censure this Eminent Servant of Christ now in Glory and to speak very unworthily concerning him since his Death How unlike to Christ is this Spirit Thou that shouldst be judging and condemning thy self for Non-improvement of so great a mercy art judging this Eminent servant of Christ now dead The Liturgy of the Church of England will teach thee better for let persons be never so vile in their lives yet when they come to be laid in the Grave then they are dear Brethren and Sisters Therefore away with this Spirit to Hell with it for from thence it came Let it suffice That this glorified Saint suffered much in this kind while he was living I am apt to think the Heats and Passions and rash Censures of Professors hath made him oft go home with a sad Heart and cost him many a Tear in private Suffer him to be quiet in his Grave let this his suffering suffice let not his name suffer now he is dead suffer him to be quiet in his Grave leave his judgment to the Lord and let it be your Work to improve those many Sermons that he hath in the fear of his God preach'd unto you 2. Who made thee Lord over thy Brothers Conscience Must all professors be condemned by thee because they cannot see with thy eyes and tread in thy steps By what authority doest thou impose thy particular light and perswasion upon thy brother that so as almost to un-saint him This imposing spirit is an Antichristian spirit evermore The next use may be of Exhortation Is it so that it is a Christ-like Frame of Spirit to be deeply affected with and to weep over the death of such as are truly pious Then it concerns us seriously to consider the Providences of God this way and that more generally and more particularly First more generally God hath lately made sad breaches upon many of the Families of his precious Servants many a flourishing Family hath mouldred away in a little time And God hath lately taken away many very famous Instruments both Ministers and others so that we have cause to cry out with the Psalmist Psal. 12 1. Help Lord for the Godly Man ceaseth for the faithful fail from among the Children of Men. But Secondly and more particularly I would beg you of this Congregation to consider the present stroke of God upon you in taking away your worthy Pastor his Death justly calls for weeping and Tears if you consider First That he was one that had love for all Saints he had room in his heart for every soul that he did judge to be received into the heart of Christ he held communion with the Saints not upon the account of this or that form or name but upon the account of union with the Lord Jesus he loved no man upon the account of opinion but upon the account of union with Christ and this he hath declared many a time in this Congregation There was hardly a member that he did in the name of Christ and the Church give the right hand of fellowship unto but he did acquaint them with this his principle told them that Union with Christ was the ground of Communion among the Saints and the reason of their admission was not their being of this or that opinion but for that they were judged persons interested in Christ and such who by virtue of Christs purchase were heirs of that glory above that must receive all Saints not as Church of England men Presbyterians Independants or Anabaptists c. but as Saints into its everlasting habitations Secondly His Death justly calls for your Weeping and Tears for that you have lost a Pastor who had great light in the Covenant of Grace he preacht that Doctrine with the greatest alacrity and raisedness of spirit imaginable In the handling of other subjects he was more streightned and discomposed but when he came to speak of the unsearchable riches of the Grace of Christ he was as an Angel of God lifted up above himself he had a flood of words and yet seemed to want words to express what he did know and what he did enjoy of divine grace and favour This being true must needs be great To lose a pure Gospel Preacher is a great loss Eternity depends upon a right understanding of the great Doctrine of Justification by Christ. Eternity depends not upon being baptized once or twice upon this or the other Form we may be guilty of mistakes about the circumstances of worship and yet be happy but if we mistake about the great matter of our Justification by Christ we are lost for ever Thirdly His Death justly calls for Weeping for as much as we have all lost the Conversation of one who was an Experimental Christian one that had much communion with God and much experience of his goodness as you have heard him often express Many a Preacher dishes out largely to others of that which he tastes but little himself I am apt to think many a faithful Minister of Christ lives but low in comparison to what this blessed Saint enjoyed By this his Experience he was enabled to speak a word in due season to the weary Soul He walked close with God in his Family he was not a Saint abroad and a Devil at home but made it appear that he was really good by this that he was relatively good good in his Relations a good Husband a good Father c. He sate loose from this World he made not gain his godliness he did not design to make Merchandize of Christ and the Gospel His discourse was mostly heavenly and Spiritual If other
Misery is then a Sea of tribulation and scarce a drop of consolation when a Man is oppressed many ways and relieved by no means Thirdly In the Life of the Beggar we noted what he desired in this life Crumbs desired to be refreshed with the Crumbs that fell from the rich man's Table By these words our Lord Jesus doth shew us the frame of a Christians heart and also the heart and carriage of worldly men towards the Saints of the Lord. The Christian's heart is held forth by this that any thing will content him while he is on this side Glory And he desired to be fed with the Crumbs the Dogs meat any thing I say a Christian will be content with any thing if he have but to keep life and soul together as we use to say he is content he is satisfied he hath learned if he hath learned to be a Christian to be content with any thing as Paul saith I have learned in whatsoevir state I am therewith to be content He learns in all conditions to study to love God to walk with God to give up himself to God and if the Crumbs that fall from the Rich mans Table will but satisfie nature and give him bodily strength that thereby he may be the more able to walk in the way of God he is contented and he desired to be fed with the Crumbs that fell from the Rich man's Table But mark he had them not you do not find that he had so much as a Crumb or scrap allowed unto him No then the Dogs will be beguiled that must be preserved for the Dogs From whence observe that the ungodly world do love their Dogs better than the Children of God you 'll say that is strange It is so indeed yet it is true as will be clearly manifested as for instance how many pounds do some men spend a year on their Dogs when in the mean while the poor Saints of God may starve for hunger they will build Houses for their Dogs when the Saints must be glad to wander and lodge in Dens and Caves of the Earth Heb. 11. 38. and if they be in any of their Houses for the hire thereof they will warn them out or Eject them or pull down the House over their heads rather than not rid themselves of such Tenants Again some men cannot go half a mile from home but they must have Dogs at their heels but they can very willingly go half a score miles without the society of a Christian. Nay if when they are busie with their Dogs they should chance to meet a Christian they would willingly shift him if they could they will go on the other side the Hedge or the way rather than they will have any society with him and if at any time a Child of God should come into a House where there are but two or three ungodly wretches they do commonly wish either themselves or the Saints out of doors and why so because they cannot down with the society of a Christian though if there come in at the same time a Dog or a Drunken swearing wretch which is worse than a Dog they will make him welcom he shall sit down with them and partake of their Dainties And now tell me you that love your sins and your pleasures had you not rather keep company with a Drunkard a Swearer a Strumpet a Thief nay a Dog than with an honest-hearted Christian If you say no what means your four carriage to the People of God Why do you look on them as if you would eat them up yet at the very same time if you can but meet with your Dog or a drunken companion you can fawn upon them take acquaintance with them if it be two or three times in a Week But if the Saints of God meet together pray together and labour to Edify one another you will stay till Doomsday before you will look into the House where they are Ahâ—… Friends when all comes to all you will be found to love Drunkards Strumpets Dogs any thing nay to serve the Devil rather than to have loving and friendly Society with the Saints of God The Dogs came and licked his sores The Rich Man's Dogs by licking Lazarus taught their Master to have mercy on him but he would not therefore he had worse than a doggish Nature and cruel Heart But here first we note God's Providence toward his Children he will have them comforted and fed though by dumb and only sensible Creatures so the Dogs here came and licked Lazarus's sores So Elias was fed by Ravens to save his life 1 Kings 19. 4. And thou shalt drink of the River and I have commanded the Ravens to feed thee there But again Secondly In that Dogs came and licked Lazarus 's Sores when the Rich Man himself forsook him we observe that sensible dumb Creatures of the Earth are in their kinds better than many men Therefore it is that God complaineth by the mouth of the Prophet The Ox knoweth his owner and the Ass his Masters Crib but my People will not know me saith the Lord. So the Dogs here knew Lazarus to be pained but the Rich man would not vouchsafe to know him Therefore his own Dogs condemned him of merciless Cruelty Here Beloved you may see not only the afflicted state of the Saints of God in this World but also that even Dogs themselves according to their kind are more favourable to the Saints than the sinful World though the ungodly will have no mercy on the Saints yet it is ordered so that these Creatures Dogs Lions c. will Though the Rich Man would not entertain him into his House yet his Dogs will come and do him the best good they can even to lick his running Sores It was thus with Daniel when the World was against him and would have thrown him to the Lions to be devoured the Lions shut their mouths at him so that there was not that hurt befel to him as was desired by the Adversaries Dan. 6. But now let us consider the Third Part which is the Death of the Beggar It was so that the Beggar died Here is the adage fulfilled Mors optima rapit deterrima relinquit Now must I speak of Tragical matters of Funerals and Obsequies of Dissolution and Death This Beggar died that represents the Godly and the Rich Man died that represents the Ungodly From whence Observe neither Godly nor Ungodly must live always without a change either by Death or Judgment The good man died and the bad man died that Scripture doth also back this Truth that good and bad must die marvellous well where it is said And it is appointed to men once to die and after that the Judgment Heb. 9. 27. Now when it is said the Beggar died and the Rich man died part of the meaning is they ceased to be any more in this World I say partly the meaning is so but not altogether though it be
lived 967 years and he died O the longest day hath its night and in the end man must die The Princes of the Nations pass sentence of death upon others Well it is not long but their turn will come Semel mori once to die Many of us live where our parents lived and live of the same lands which they lived of It is not long and our Children shall do as much for us For we must go hence and be seen no more Some ride Post some Hackney pace at serius citius sooner later all arrive at the Common Inn the grave and die Some have the Palsie some the Apoplexy some a Feaver some an Ague some a Consumption some none of them yet the sick the sound they all meet in the end at the same Rendezvouz at the House of Death The Scholar thinks to delude Death with hiâ—…s Fallacies The Lawyer puts in his Demur the Prince his plea is State affairs at â—…quo pulsat pede Death knocks at all doors alike and when he comes they all go hence from their houses to their graves Joseph the Jew in his best health made his Stone Coffin be cut out in his Garden to put him in mind of his Ego abeo I go hence The Persians they buried their dead in their houses to put the whole houshold in mind of the same lot Semel mori once to die Simonides when commanded to give the most wholsom rule to live well willed the Lacedemonian Prince ever to bear in mind Se tempore brevi moriturum ere long and he must die I have read of a sort of people that used dead mens bones for money and the more they have they are counted the more rich Herein consists my richest treasure to bear that about me will make me all my life remember my end Great Sultan Saladan Lord of many Nations and Languages commanded upon his death-bed that one shall carry upon a Spears point through all his Camp the Flag of Death and to proclaim for all his wealth Saladan hath nought left but this winding-sheet An ensured Ensign of Death triumphing over all the Sons of Adam I uncloath my self every night I put off all but what may put me in mind of my winding-sheet Anaxagoras having word brought him his onely son was dead his answer was Scio me genuisse mortalem I know he was born to die Philip of Macedon gave a Boy a pension every morning to say to him Philippe memento te hominem esse Philip remember thou art a man and therefore must die We read of Philostrates how he lived seven years in his Tomb that he might be acquainted with it against the time he came to be put into it Oh an Apprentiship of years is time little enough to make us perfect in the Mystery of Mortality Divine Meditations arising from the Contemplation of these sad and serious Sentences 1. Med. IS it not high time to make fit to die considering thy Winding Sheet lies ready for thee and the Bell tolls thee away Say with thy self My want is great my time is almost run If I make not market to day I am not sure to do it to morrow O the uncertainty of Life shall be the Alarum-Bell to give me now notice to work out my Salvation with fear and trembling O I am never so nigh my God as when I think of my end FRIEND let Death be in thy thoughts and God will be in thy heart 2. Med. Meditate since man must die Lord what danger in dying unprepared this is Maxima miseria A misery of miseries and St. Augustine gives the reason For that look how a man goeth to that prison the Grave so he goeth to the Judgment-hall to be tryed But oh Death thou Common Butcherer of human Nature after thy great stroak be struck I am not dead but asleep Blessed be thou my God who hast made my grave my bed in which after I have taken some silent rest the noise of the Archangel with his Trumpet shall awake and raise me from a Death for sin to a life of glory Death is the way we must all walk to Life Some ancient Fathers and some late Writers says the Lord Manchester have fixed upon the Love of God Some upon the Passion of Christ Some upon the Joys of Heaven Some upon Contempt of the World several others upon divers other subjects All opening that some one is to be chosen For whoso will live to himself must be at leisure for God And a wise man saith Wisdom is to be written in time of leisure Whoever is lessen'd by work he cannot tend it I being in my accustomed retiredness disengaged from publick affairs which was but seldom found it useful fruitful and delightful To bestow my thoughts upon my latter end There be four last things say the Fathers Heaven Hell Death and Judgment All subjects large enough But considering I had passed so much Employment so many Offices so long Practice in several professions I now thought it time to seize on Death before it seiz'd on me Lord teach me to number my days that I may apply my Heart to Wisdom After long meditation this I found that when Meditation had begotten Devotion then it applyed it self to Contemplation which required a settlement upon some Divine Object And what more heavenly than the thought of Immortality What so necessary as the thought of Death Herein therefore I complyed with my own desires and did so as it were weave my own windingsheet by making choice of Death for the Subject of my Contemplation We should not diffuse our thoughts into variety of Considerations but recollect them into one by Contemplation Herewith a man's soul being once affected hardly shall be obtain leave of his thoughts to return again to employments And lest I busied about many things should remain unknown unto my self for the old word is a true one Neither things read or understood profit him at all who does not both read and know himself I there applyed my self Ad meum novissimum to my last thing what man liveth and shall not see death And if after death The Righteous shall scarcely be saved we may well be fearful and had need be careful that we be not taken unprepared When I was a young Man saith Seneca my care was to live well I then practised the art of well living When age came upon me I then studied the art of dying well how to die well It is true The journey of Life appears not to busie men until the end Yet when I was most busie of all I delighted my self with this comfort that a time would come wherein I might live to my self hoping to have sweet leisure to enjoy my self at last And this I am now come to by disposing not by changing my self Lord let me be found in this posture when I come to die In the courses of my Life I have had interchanges The World it self stands upon
the manner of dying AMongst Men it is a matter of chief mark the manner of a man's death The chief good of Man is his good departure out of this life Before you die set your house in order He that hath not a house yet hath a soul no soul can want affairs to set in order for this final dissolution The chief grace of the Theatre is the last Scene It is the Evening that Crowns the day and we think it no good sign of a fair Morrow when the Sun sets in a Cloud The end Crowns every Work Most men wish a short Death because death is always accompanied with pain We die groaning To lie but an hour under Death is tedious but to be dying a whole day we think beyond the strength of humane patience He that desires to be dissolved and be with Christ dies not only patiently but delightfully Happy is he that after due preparation dies ere he be aware so likewise is he happy that by long sickness sees death afar off for the one dies like Elias the other like Elisha both blessedly The best posture to be found in when Death comes is in the exercise of our calling Press saith St. Paul towards the mark for the prize of the high calling Phil. 3. A good Man by his good will would die praying and do as the Pilgrim doth go on his way singing and so adds the pains of singing to that of going Who yet by this surplus of pain unwearies himself of pain But some wretches think God rather curious than they faulty if a few sighs with a Lord have mercy upon us be not enough at the last gasp But commonly good Men are best at last even when they are dying It was a Speech worthy the commendation and frequent remembrance of so divine a Bishop as Augustine which is reported of an aged Father in his time who when his Friends comforted him on his sick bed and told him they hoped he should recover answered If I shall not die at all well but if ever why not now Surely it is folly what we must do to do unwillingly I will never think my Soul in a good case so long as I am loth to think of dying There is no Spectacle in the World so profitable or more terrible than to behold a dying man to stand by and see a man dismanned Curiously didst thou make me in the lowest part of the Earth saith David but to see those Elements which compounded made the Body To see them divided and the man dissolved is a ruful sight Every dying man carries Heaven and Earth wrapped up in his bosom and at this time each part returns homeward Certainly death hath great dependency on the course of man's life and life it self is as frail as the Body which it animates Augustus Caesar accounted that to be the best death which is quick and unexpected and which beats not at our doors by any painful sickness So often as he heard of a man that had a quick passage with little sense of pain he wished for himself that Euthanaâ—…ie While he lived he used to set himself between his two friends Groans and Tears When he died he called for his Looking-glass commanded to have his Hair and Beard kembed his reviled cheeks smoothed up Then asking his Friends if he acted his part well when they answered Yes why then says he do you not all clap your hands for me Despair in dying may as well arise from weakness of Nature as from trouble of Mind But by neither of these can he be prejudiced that hath lived well Raving and other strange Passions are many times rather the effect of the Disease than coming from the mind For upon Death's approaches choler â—…uming to the Brain will cause distempers in the most patient Soul In these cases the fairest and truest judgment to be made is that sins of sickness occasioned by violence of Disease in a patient man are but sins of infirmity and not to be taken as ill signs or presages A Son of so many Tears cannot but be saved I will not despair in respect of that man's impatient dying whom the Worm of Conscience had not devoured living Seldom any enter into Glory with ease yet the Jews say of Moses His soul was sucked out of his mouth with a kiss David in this case the better to make his way prayed and cried Lord spare me a little O spare me that I may recover my strength before I go hence and be no more Indeed to Ezekias some Years of Days were lent But we are not worthy of that favour we must not expect that God will bring back the shadow of degrees â—…hen 〈◊〉 it is gone down in the Dial of Aâ—…az we must time it as we may and be content to live and die at uncertainties Therefore as a sick man 〈◊〉 to the Clock so let us waâ—…h Death For sudden coming of Death finding a weak soul unprepared makes it desperate and leaves it miserable Death approaching what our last Thoughts should be SEneca saith the last day judgeth all the precedent The last is the best dying words are weightiest and make deepest imressions Our last thoughts are readiest to spend themselves upon somewhat that we loved best while we lived The soul it self when it is entring into glory breaths Divine things At this time a good man's tongue is in his breast not in his mouth his words are then so pithy and so pectoral that he cries O Lord Jesus take thine own into thy own custody Anatomists say there are strings in a man's tongue which go to his heart when these break Man speaks his heart Oh that they were wise said Moses and would understand and fore-see their latter end When he was dying Christs last words in the Bible are Surely I come quickly Our answer is Amen Even so come Lord Jesus c. I have but small acquaintance with the future State but this I 'm sure there will be no change that will be so surprizing to me as that By Death It is a thing of which I know but little and noâ—…e of the millions of Souls that have past into the invisible World have come again to tell me how it is I. It must be done my Soul but 't is a strange A dismal and Mysterious change Norris When thou shalt leave this Tenement of Clay And to an unknown somewhere wing away When Time shall be Eternity and thou not how Shalt be thou know'st not what and live thou know'st II. Amazing State no wonder that we dread To think of Death or view the Dead Thou' rt all wrapt up in the Clouds as if to thee Our very knowledge had Antipathy Death could not a more sad retinue find Sickness and pain before and darkness aâ—… behind III. Some courteous Ghost tell this great Secrecy What 't is you are and we must be You warn us of approaching Death and why May we not know from you what 't is to
dye But you having shot the Gulph delight to see Succeeding Souls plunge in with like uncertainty IV. When Life 's close knot by writ from Destiny Disease shall cut or age unty When after some delays so me dying strife The Soul stands shivering on the ridge of Life With what a dreadful Curiosity Does she launch out into the Sea of vast Eternity V. So when the spacious Globe was delug'd o're And lower holds could save no more On th' utmost Bough th' astonish'd Sinners stood And view'd th' Advances of th' encroaching Flood O're topp'd at length by th' Elements encrease With horror they resigâ—…'d to the untry'd Abyss It is very desirable to know in what condition our Souls will be when they leave the Body and what is the Natâ—…re of that abode into which we must go but which we never saw into and through what Regions we must then take our flight and after what manner this will be done 'T is certain my Soul will then preserve the faculties that are natural to it viz. to understand to will to remember as 't is represented to us under the Parable of Dives and Lazarus But alas we little know how the People of the disembodied Societies act and will and understand and communicate their thoughts to one another and therefore I long to know it What conception can I have of a separated Soul says a late Writer but that 't is all Thought I firmly think when a mans body is taken from him hy Death he is turned into all Thought and Spirit How great will be his Thought when it is without any hinderance from these material Organs that now obstruct its Operations In that Eternity as one expresses it the whole power of the Soul runs together one and the same way In Eternity the Soul is united in its Motions which way one faculty goes all go and the Thoughts are all concentred as in one whole Thought of Joy or Torment These things have occasioned great variety of Thoughts in me and my Soul when it looks towards the other World and thinks it self near it can no more cease to be inquisitive about it than it can cease to be a Soul Tears FOR A Dead Husband WHen Mary came where Jesus was and saw him she fell down at his feet saying unto him Lord if thou hadst been here my Brother had not died Jo. 11. 32. She wept indeed yet it was but for 〈◊〉 Brother and the Jews also wept vers 33. yet it was but for a common Friend But what was all that to the death of a Husband O my Husband my Husband That very name of Husband methinks would flatter me with comfort as if I might imagin that he could hear me But oh he is dead he is dead He cannot hear me he cannot behold me he cannot answer me His Ears are locked up his Eyes are closed his mouth is sealed his Soul is gone O what shall I do for my head my guide my heart my Husband Were my Saviour upon Earth again I could send one to him as Mary did who should say Lord behold he whom thou lovest is dead Dead say I 〈◊〉 O dead dead he is gone he is departed and can never be recalled But why Why can he not be called back again Did not my Jesus cause Lazarus to arise when he had been four days dead ver 39. Yes he did But what then I neither love my Saviour so well as Mary did nor I fear doth he love me so well as he did Mary or if both were so yet since Miracles are ceased I cannot so much as hope that he will call back the Spirit of my Lord my Husband Oh could he be wooed by the Tears of a sinful Woman never did any mourn so much as I would But nothing will perswade I seek but the disturbance of him whom I mourn for if I desire to call him from his eternal rest When Sarah died in Kirjath-Arba Abraham stood up from before his deceased Wife and spake unto the Sons of Heth saying I am a stranger and a Sojourner with you Give me a Possession and a burying place with you that I may bury my dead out of my sight Gen. 23. 3 4. Though he so tenderly affected her whilst she was living yet he would not look too long on her when she was dead It is a duty as full of humanity to interr with decency the Bodies of the dead as it is of Religion to love the Persons when they are alive Yet vain is man in this affection if he fixeth his love only on the beauty of the body This flesh which is so tender this skin which I strive to preserve both smooth and white must one day be a banquet for the loathed Worms No greater priviledge belongeth to me than did to my Husband for the time will come when I shall follow him to the Earth Had I loved only his outward form my love should now either be quite forgotten or else I should fondly desire to deny it interment But it was his body enlivened with a rich and excellent Soul which drew mine affection and commanded my desires Had that Soul and body continued their Society I had been freed from my laments but they have bid farewell till the general Resurrection and hence am I enforced to utter my complaints I weep for my loss because we are divorced But oh what conflicts then can I imagin that he had when he was not only to part from his indeared Wife but likewise his Soul was to leave this chillowed Earth Oh for him for him for my loss of him do I pay the tribute of these watering Eyes Yet these tears must not flow in too great abundance lest by them I should seem to envy his happiness Even when his body shall be layed to sleep in the grave if I mourn too much it will be justly suspected that too much I loved the worst of my Husband His Soul which was his best is now in perfection and may not be lamented his Body which is the worst and grosser part of him is now to be committed to the Earth whence it came Thither it must go to that place I must commend it otherwise my former love may be turned into loathing and that which I esteemed when it was alive I shall be forced to abhor if I keep it from the Grave O it grieveth me each minute that I think of my dearest it troubleth and perplexeth me with disturbed thoughts when I consider how frequently I loved him yet cannot enliven him But these are only the fond conceptions of an erring phantasie and tell me that I loved him more than I should or else now I would not grieve so much as I do If my love to God be so great as I pretend I shall thankfully acknowledg his Love to the departed O let it never be said that my Love was Idolatry in affecting him too much who is but dust and ashes But why sit
dilated into so Many millions seeing our Souls are Immortal nature cannot nor will Almighty God destroy wherefore David that Princely Prophet and good King knowing this and being fully perswaded that his Child was gone to Heaven and that he should follow left off his Doleful mourning rised from his law and lamentable lodging chang'd his cloaths washed his hands went to prayer and brake his long fast ever cheering up himself knowing that he should quickly follow as you may see here by his own words read unto you But now he is dead wherefore should I fast can I bring him back again I shall go to him but he shall not return to me The EJACULATION GOod Loâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so 〈◊〉 â—…re is no returning from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assist us by thy divine Grace to improve every 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Time before we go down 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 aâ—…d â—…e seen no more Is it true thaâ—… our Dear and Piâ—…s Relations that are dead and goâ—… wiâ—… never return to us again Then let us prepare to folloâ—… them to an happy Eternity Good Lord now seeing all this is reaâ—…ytrue let us live as men and women thâ—…t have already one fooâ—… in the Grave Oh let the death of others shew the 〈◊〉 of our own Bodies and the many Grey-hairs that are here and there upon our head put us in mind of our winding-sheet and of the day of judgment which is approaching very swiftly towards every one of us Let the daily instances of our dying Relations take such a living Impression upon our hearts as may deaden them towards all objects on this side Heaven Good Lord let us all be all for Heaven let all our thoughts be Heavenly thoughts let all our speeches be Heavenly speeches and let all our Actions be Heavenly Actions and let all thine ordinances prove Heavenly ordinances to us ever drawing up our Hearts from Earth to Heaven seeing we must quickly return to Dust Good Lord ' it is a vain Imagination for any Man to think that he can be happy without God who is the Author of all happiness or to think that finite and sensual objects can satisfie infinite and spirtual desires or to think that Temporal uncertainties are more valuable and more desirable than an interest in Jesus Christ and Eternal Glory What Joy what inexpressible Joy will a good Conscience afford us when we come to be arrested by the cold hands of Death when we come to make our beds in the silent Grave We must needs confess it is contrary to Reason and much more inconsistent with Grace that we should prefer Earth before Heaven Yea there is as little Reason for it that we should endeavour to grasp so much of the Creature into our handâ—… when as one Death-Gripe will soon cause us to let go our fastest hold of Created Injoyments Oh! therefore why should we go about to build a nest for our selves among the Stars when we have seen so many of our dearest Aâ—…quaintance and nearest Relations carried to the Grave before us and there made a Feast for the Worms to feed upon Good Lord therefore do thou make us to know our End and the measure of our Days what it is that so we may be throughly convinced how frail we are let us remember that we have no continuing City here and therefore it will be necessary for us to seek one that is to come Let us not spend our flying Daies in meer Impertinences but let us look after that Eternal Inheritance which will never fade away O! let us all improve our Time and Talents for God that when our Bodies return to the Grave from whence there is no coming back our Souls may go to God that gave them Bury my Dead out of my sight SERMON V. GEN. xxiij 4. Give me a possession of a Burying place with you that I may bury my Dead out of my sight THis is the conclusion of all Flesh they were never so dear before but they come to be as loathsom and intollerable now When once the Lines and Picture of Death is drawn over the Fabrick of Man or Woman's Body as it is said here of Sarah all their Glory ceaseth all their good Respect vanisheth away their best Friends would be fainest rid of them even Sarah that was so goodly and amiable in Abraham's sight must now out of his sight he must bury his dead out of his sight But Abraham as the Father of faithful men and a Pattern to all loving Husbands in all Ages ensuing doth not this till such time as the dead Sarah groweth noysom to all that look upon her As long as he could by his Mourning and Lamentation prosecute her without offence to his Eyes and danger to his Health he did it but now the time is come when Earth must be put to Earth and Dust must return to Dust. There is no place for the fairest Beauty above Ground when once God hath taken Life and Breath from it it must go to its own Elements and to the Rock and Pit from whence it was hewen thither it must return After he had performed this perhaps he mourned three or four Days for his Wife he knew this Mourning must have an end he knew that he must commit her to the Ground Therefore when he had thus moderated himself as first to shew by his Sorrow that he was a loving Husband and then to shew in the ceasing of his Sorrow that he was a wise man and a faithful Christian He cometh to desire a possession of burial Give me What A possession of burial First A possession He would have it so conveyed as no man might make claim of it but that it should be for him and his for ever Therefore it was as it were a Church-yard that he begged such a one as was capable and had sufficient scope and room for his whole Posterity in the time to come Give me a possession a burying-place Here is the end why he would have this Possession A strange kind of Possession Behold Abraham see how he beginneth to possess the World by no Land Pasture or carable Lordship The first thing is a Grave So every Christian must make his Resolution The first Houshold-stuff that ever Seleucus bought in Babylon was a Sepulchre-stone a Stone to lay upon him when he was dead that he kept in his Garden Give me a Burying Place to Bury my Dead Behold he calleth here Sarah his Dead he calleth her not Wife though it is said after in the Text that Abraham buried Sarah his Wife yet that is in repesct of the time of her life when they lived together and in respect of the former Society and Converse they had but now he speaks to the point she is no more his Wife but his Dead My Dead Yet notwithstanding though she was not Abraham's Wife yet she was Abraham's Dead This must teach a Man after he is freed by remaining for the Dead A Man is bound to lament and sorrow for
with all alacrity and chearfulness of Heart you may endure all things for Christs sake Fourthly you must get your selves furnished with Humility Virtue which when the Lord of Heaven beholds it in you which caused him to sink into your Hearts Fifthly you must get your selves furnished with Hope of Everlasting Faith and Salvation And then sixthly and lastly with Faith which is an evidence of things not seen thus you must get your selves set in order c. And thus far of the matter of this Admonition and earnest Exhortation Now I should come to the Reason which is twofold affirmative and negative Affirmative thou shalt die and Negative and not live Set thy House in order for thou shalt die and not live Now of these severally and first of the reason affirmative thou shalt die Now there are three kinds of Death First the Death of the Body which is a natural Death Secondly the Death of the Soul which is a Spiritual Death And then thirdly and lastly the Death both of Body and Soul which is Eternal Death But that which good King Hezekiah was warned of was but only the Death of the Body which according to the Statute Law Decreed in that High Court of Parliament of Heaven all Men shall once taste of no Man can escape it for so saith St. Paul it is appointed unto all Men that they shall once die to all once to many twsce for there is a second Death and that is truly a Death because it is Mors Vitae the Death of Life the other rather a Life because it is Mors Mortis the Death of the Death after which there shall be no more Death Now as Job saith Mans time is appointed his Month determined and his day numbered yea and as Christ Jesus the Worlds Saviour saith his very last hour is limited he was made of the Mould of the Earth he shall return again to the Earth And as all have one Entrance into Life the like going out shall they have to Death Nothing we brought in nothing we shall carry out Naked come I out of my Mothers Womb and naked shall I return A Change then shall come which of the wicked is to be feared of the godly to be desired and of all people to be daily and hourly expected Remember them that have been before you and that shall come after you that this is the Judgment of the Lord over all Flesh to taste of Death All Men shall once die for as much as all have sinned and been disobedient unto the Laws of God This Death of the Body is not a dying but a departing a transmigration and Exodus of our Earthly Pilgrimage unto our Heavenly Home yea a passage from the Valley of Death unto the Land of the Living Although our Souls and Bodies are separated for a while yet shall they meet again in the receptacle of Blessed Saints and Angels with much joy and receive an incorruptible Crown The Body is a Prison to the Soul and Death a Goal-delivery that frees the poor harmless Soul of those Grievances which formerly it did endure Length of days is nothing unto us but much grief and Age the duance of long Imprisonment wherefore if that you would but seriously consider this you might find Death to be rather a Friend than an Enemy and by consequence rather to be desited than shun'd as Simeon did as it is evident Luke 2. 29. saying Now Lord lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy Word which by some is used thus Now Lord I hope that thou wilt suffer me to depart in peace and keep my poor Immortal Soul no longer within the small circumference of this Mortal Body The Thief upon the Cross laid down his Life most joyfully because he saw Christ and did stedfastly believe that he should pass from a place of pain and misery unto a Paradise of Pleasure and so did St. Stephen Acts 7. 56. The Royal Preacher King Solomon lest that his Son should be deprived of such Happiness doth by an Emphatical Irony disswade his Son from those youthful Lusts and sensual Pleasures whereunto he feared that he should naturally be addicted and that by the consideration of that dreadful account he was to give unto God at the great and terrible day of the Lord desiring him most earnestly not to let his House stand out of order but ever to remember his Creator in the days of his youth for old Age will come saith he and then thou shalt not be so fit by reason of much weakness and infirmities Or else Death may seize upon thee For Dust shall return unto the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it Eccles. 12. 7. In a moment yea at the twinkling of an Eye when once this Tyrant Death comes it will sweep us all away It is the Custom among us here to let Leases one two or three Lives but God lets none for more than one and this once expired there is no hopes of getting the Lease renewed he suffers Man sometimes to dwell in his Tenement threescore Years and ten Psal. 90. 10. Sometimes to fourscore but secures none far from home and that for several Reasons First to bridle our curiosity left that we should search after things too high for quae supranos nihil ad nos those things that are above us are nothing to us Secondly to try out patience whether that we will put our whole trust and confidence in him although we know not the time of our departure and dissolution and then thirdly to keep us in continual watchfulness for if that we should know when Death would come with a Habeas Corpus to remove us it would make many more careless than they are though indeed the best of us are careless enough Here Men do know the date of their Leases and the expiration of the Years but Man is meerly a Tenant at will is put out of Possession at less than an Hours warning Wherefore now while it is said to day set your Houses in order seeing that you must die and not live It is not sufficient at the last Hour of Death to say Lord have mercy on me or Lord into thy hands I commend my Soul But even in all our Life-time yea and especially in our youth we must strive ever to set our Houses in order for we shall die and not live Samson was very strong Solomon very wise and Methusalem lived many years yet at last they with many more were brought to Mother Earth If it seem pleasant unto you at the present to let your rotten and ruinous Houses stand out of order yet with all remember what the Prophet saith The day of Destruction is at hand and the times of perdition make haste to come on Art thou a young Man in the April of thine Age and hast thou thy Breasts full of Milk and doth thy Bones run full of Marrow as Job speaks and thereupon dost
I burn for the sake of Christ. Oecolampadius lying upon his Death Bed and a certain Friend coming to him Oecolampadius asked him what news unto whom his Friend answered I know none but says he I can tell you some good news nam ego subito cum Christo regnabor I shall suddainly be with Christ upon his Throne Melanchton a little before his Death he would often say capio ex hac vita migrare propter duas causas primum ut frurar desiderato conspectu filii Dei deinde ut liberer ab immunibus Theologerum odiis I desire to die to injoy a sight of Jesus Christ c. But what need I tell you of the resolute and undaunted Carriage of Christians in former ages we need look no further than upon the carriage of Christians in latter Ages Casper Obevian the famous Lawyer lying upon his Death Bed he would often say O Lord let not my journey be long deferred ere I be with thee I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ he had rather depart this Life and take but one Feast in Glory than take many fees and still live in this miserable World Strigelius the learned Suetzer falling sick he would often say Seperare se finem vitae suae ad esse He hoped this Sinful Life was now at an end that he might injoy God perfectly Grinaus the learned Helvetian died with these words in his mouth O praeclarum illum diem cum ad illud animarum concilium Caelumque profiscar Oh fairest day when I shall make a journey to Heaven that convocation of Souls should I but relate the dying Speeches of Mr. Rollock the learned and devout Scotch-man they would melt any Heart that shall hear them he breathed out these words with his Life I Bless God says he I have all perfect Sences but my Heart is in Heaven And Lord Jesus why shouldst thou not have it it hath been my Care all my Life time to devout it unto thee I pray thee therefore take it that it may live with thee for ever Come Lord Jesus put an end to this sinful miserable life haste Lord tarry not come Lord Jesus and give me that life for which thou hast redeemed me Nay further that I might Christians leave your Spirits in this sweet temper of contemning Death and desiring to be with Christ in Glory where I should much rejoice and indeed earnestly pray that I might meet you all I shall yet mind you of some remarkable instances in this kind even in our own Nation Mr. Cooper that famous Champion for the Truth when he was brought to be burnt at the Stake in Queen Mary's days and there having a box set before him with a pardon in it as soon as he perceived so much he cried out If you love my Soul away with it if you love my Soul away with it Dr. Taylor when he was brought to Hadly in Suffolk to suffer Martyrdom for his Profession of Christ the History says he was as merry in his going from London as though he had been a going to some Banquet or Bridal And when he was brought unto the place of Execution he kissed the Stake uttering these Words Now I am even at home Lord Jesus receive my Soul into thy Hands Before Mr. Bradford was Martyr'd his dear Wife came running into his Chamber and said Mr. Bradford I bring you heavy news for to morrow you must be burned your Chain it is now a buying but when Mr. Bradford had heard these Words he lifted up his Eyes to Heaven and said I thank God for it I have looked for this a long time this news comes not to me suddainly but as a thing that I waited for every day and hour the Lord make me worthy of it And when he was brought into Smithfield to be burnt where there was another young Man to suffer with him he turned himself to the young Man and said Be of good Comfort Brother for we shall have a merry Supper with the Lord Jesus Christ this Night Bishop Jewell lying upon his Death-bed he would often say Now Lord let thy Servant depart in Peace break off all delays Let me this day quickly see the Lord Jesus And observe further one standing by him and praying with Tears that the Lord would be pleased to restore this Godly Bishop unto his former Health he over-hearing of him seemed to be very much offended and replied thus I have not lived so that I am ashamed to live any longer neither do I fear to Die because I have a merciful Father And now truly Friends out of the tender Affection which I bear unto all your Souls I could heartily wish that this might be the dying Language of you all that you might every one be able to say from a good and clear Conscience at last I have not lived not so that I am ashamed to live longer neither do I fear to die because I have a merciful Father And further I do protest in the presence of God with Saint Paul in the 4th to the Phillip at the first Verse That it is my greatest joy and richest Crown if that ever since I came among you I have spoken any thing leading to mutual Love and Peace And if all my pains and endeavours among you in much weakness have taken any effect upon any of your Spirits to win you unto a love of Christ that so you may be holy here and happy hereafter I shall sincerely rejoice But I shall say no more at this time but only conclude with the words of Saint Paul Phill. 4. I pray mark the words for they will be the last I shall speak among you Verse 1. My Brethren dearly beloved and longed for my joy and crown so stand fast in the Lord my dearly beloved Verse 4. Rejoice in the Lord alway and again I sâ—… Rejoice Verse 5. Let your moderation be known unto all men The Lord is at hand Verse 6. Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God Verse 7. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus Verse 8. Finally Brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any Virtue and if there be any praise think on these things Verse 9. Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do so I have received them from Christ those things do and follow And the God of Peace shall be with you THE EJACULATION GOOD Lord let our Souls be filled with breathings and pantings after Grace and Glory Let us be ever willing with St. Paul to depart and to be with Christ. Let us dayly look and long to be in Heaven where we shall sit down in the same Throne with our
blessed and glorious Redeemer where there will be no more sinning nor sighing nor more weeping for dead and dying Friends Let us long long to be there where time will be no more but all will be swallowed up in an endless Eternity of joy and delight Lord let us often ponder upon the blessed state above for certainly one deep and serious consideration of the never fading Glory of the other world is enough to wing our hearts with earnest desires as we have heard it did thy Holy Saints and Martyrs to depart and leave this vain world to be with Christ. And good Lord let us when we leave a weeping House and the many instances of our dearest Friends going so often to the Grave before us shew that we must quickly follow be received into that Celestial Mantion above which will prove an eternal House of Joy The Eye that hath seen him shall see him no more SERMON XI Upon ACTS 20. 38. Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake That they should see his Face no more IN the latter part of this Chapter you have the Declaration of two things First You have declared the Carriage of the Apostle Paul that was he Preach'd while he was at the Church of Ephesus Secondly You have declared the Character of the Church of Ephesus when they were parting with this Blessed Preacher in the words that I have read and the verse before or the two last verses and it was full of Love and manifested in three things 1. They fell upon his Neck and kissed him that 's the close of the 37. verse 2. They accompanied him unto the Ship when he was to launch into the Ocean They went with him as far as they could as some of them it may be will to the very edge of Eternity 3. They shew'd to him their Love by their â—…ping and Sorrowing at parting They cannot part with dry Eyes They sorrowed most of all especially for this that they should see his Face no more It was not so much that Paul was to go from them but that they should see his Face no more From this practice of this Church I would lay down this Doctrine That it is the property and practice of the Saints and People of God to be sorrowful and affected at the final parting with their Pastors and Teachers This was that that most of all cut their Hearts That they should see his Face no more That Patriarch Jacob that wrestled and prevailed when he came to die as you read in Gen 49. and the last verse That he pull'd up his Feet into the Bed and he 's goone Now see what a Mourning there was for him in Gen. 50. 1. Joseph fell upon his Fathers Face and kissed him and verse 3. And the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days here was a mourning for Jacob and verse 10. They came to the Threshing floor of Atad which is beyond Jordan and there they Mourned with a great and very sore Lamentation And made a Mourning for his Father seven daies The young Prophet in the 1 Kings 13. who without doubt in the main was Faithful to God though seduced out of his way and out of his Life by an old Prophet whereby a Lion was appointed by God to destroy him but see now how the old Prophet was affected with it as soon as he hears it causeth the Ass to be Sadled and goes and brings the Carcase home to the City to Mourn and to Bury him and laid him in his own Grave in the 30. versâ—… and brings all to Mourn over him and charges his Sons that when he was dead that they Bury him in the same Sepulchre where the Man of God was and lay his Bones besides his Bones I shall now instance in the New Testament it was so with them of Ephesus when they parted with Paul They should see his Face no more He had been such a Preacher that they could not part with him without Tears or with dry Eyes Devout Men also carried Stephen to his Burial and made great Lamentation over him When Christ was carrying to be put to Death there followed him a great multitude of People and Women which also bewailed and lamented him There was great lamentation Oh they could not part with Jesus Christ without lamenting That they should see his Face no more But it will be here obiected in the next verse that Jesus Christ in Luke 23. 28. turn'd to those Women that wailed and wept and said Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me but for your selves That therefore there ought not to be weeping or lamenting for the departure of any Eminent Saint seeing he forbids it for himself it argues indeed we should not weep for them but for the want of them which is ours Why should those that are Hearers be deeply affected at the final departure of Holy Ministers I answer This arises from the love that is between them There is a mutual Love between a Faithful Preacher and a Sincere Hearer Where there is Love there is Mourning in the absence of it It 's said that Israel loved Joseph more than all his Children and therefore when News came to Jacob that Joseph was not Oh! saith Jacob ver 35. I will go down into the Grave unto my Son mourning So David lamented for Absolon Ob Absolon my Son my Son Absolon and David lamented exceedingly for Jonathan in that 1 Kings I am distressed for thee my Brother Jonathan if you love your Preachers so as it s said of them that could pull out their Eyes for them while living you will even weep out your Eyes for them now dead I could tell you of a thing that I have lookt upon as a Piece of Prophesie it was Printed and Writ Ten Years before the Fire of London and it was this London look to it what Heaven 's a doing Thy Flames are coming when thy Lots are going When I consider who is gone and who are going I dread What became of Prague when Jerom was dead What became of Germany when Luther was dead And what will become of England when such as these are dead Let me call upon this Congregation this Evening that we would be in the Ephesians Practice they Mourned when Paul was going and they should see his Face no more Your Preacher is gone And you shall see his Face no more I would I could raise you to their height of Mourning He begat you in Christ Jesus though none of his own but Christs and you may get one to succeed him but not to exceed him but I desire that Man to tell me where The Good Mans Epitaph SERMON XII REV. 14. 13. And I heard a Voice from Heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the Dead which die in the Lord from henceforth so saith the Spirit that they may rest from their Labours and their Works do follow them THE Scripture will afford us many Texts for Funerals Methinks there is none
suffering Christ than he who begins to hate those things for which Christ suffered Sect. 24. The Sick man's Bed THE Sick-mans Bed burns though upon Sardanapalus's Down or the Roses of Smyndyrides is may be soft Smyndirides a young man famous for his Effeminacy finding that the tender Feathers hurt his Skin would needs try whether he could lie any softer upon a Bed of Roses and yet that fragrant and soft Lodging was too hard for his delicate and tender Sides because the Feathers had wheal'd his Skin the Night before A Sick-man though he lay upon Hare's-wool or Partridge Feathers would think he lay hard But he is to be pardon'd his Pains cause him to complain But we can shew you Beds much more uneasie Laurence the Martyr had a beginning Gridiron for his Bed After him Vincentius the Martyr and many others This was a hard and uneasie Bed indeed yet Love made it soft and easie The Persians formerly inflicted a most severe Punishment upon the Persians which was called Scaphismus for the Christian that was to be tormented was layd upon his Back between two hollow pieces of Wood with his Head Hands and Feet out For his Food he had Honey and Milk poured into his Mouth against his will Thus in the Day-time he was exposed to the heat of the Sun with his Eye-lids distended upward and downward His Head Hands and Feet were also at the same time anointed with Honey which brought infinite swarms of Flies and Wasps to feed upon his bare Flesh so that the Corruption extending to the enclosed parts engendred Worms which together with the Flies and Wasps made a tedious Banquet upon his miserable Carcase And this Torment was the Martyr forced to endure sometimes fifteen sometimes seventeen and sometimes more Days together Consider this Bed O Sick man this miserable and tormenting Lodging of a suffering Martyr How gentle are thy Pains to his How soft is thy Bed to this How is thy Disease a matter of nothing to these Torments Be silent therefore and preserve thy Patience He that is a Companion of the Cross shall be a Companion of Paradise It was an excellent Saying of the blessed Salvianus To me it seems to be a kind of health for a man to be only sometimes in health Sect. 25. The Garden of Christ is the delight of a Sick-man WHen Jesus had spoken these words he went forth with his Disciples over the Brook Kedron where was a Garden into which he entred and his Disciples John 18. v. 1. Enter this Garden O Sick-man all the Saints invite thee Here shalt thou hear things to be admir'd and see things more wonderful In this Garden Joy it self began to grow sad My Soul is exceeding heavy even to death tarry ye here and watch I beseech thee let these words concern thee O sick Man Tarry here a while and watch with thy Lord. The Spirit is ready but the Flesh is frail O Father if thou wilt remove this Cup from me nevertheless not my will but thine be done Yet the third time he reiterates this Prayer Father if this Cup cannot pass from me unless I drink it thy will be done In these streights O Christ there is no Man living that can mitigate the least of thy pains None that can supply thy place that can give the least word of Consolation to thy Sorrows Thy chiefest Friends forsake thy Disciples more forward in their Tongues than Hearts renounce thee a little before prepar'd to be bound and die with thee anon seeking which way to save themselves by flight Only thou alone O Christ watchest prayest thou dost both labour and sweat O happy Garden be purpled by thy Lord and studded as it were with the starry drops of his Blood Thou heardst those groans and sobs those sighs intermix'd with Tears those Prayers interrupted with deadly Moans privy to the Sorrows that overwhelmed Christ to the Sleep that seized his Disciples Others talk of the Gardens of Adonis and Alcinous they were Trifles wild Fields overgrown with Brambles compared to thee The Elysian Fields are nothing in respect of thy Dignity Nor should I err to say thou wert a Paradise more happy than the first O happy Earth that drankest the Blood of thy Lord on which before ne're fell so precious a Dew But Oh Earth didst not thou blush to be prest with so Sacred a weight to be sprinkled with so noble a Liquor Yes certainly thou didst begin to blush be-scarleted with that most precious Vermillion when the new Gardener had watered thee with his Distilling Purple From this Gardener let the sick Man learn to pray In this Garden to gather Posies is to join together several Acts of Patience Sect. 26. Christ's Bed among the Olives THere is no more effectual Comfort to a sick Man than that Bed of Christ in the Shades of Olivet But Oh! 't is very hard and full of pain Behold and attend No sooner was Christ entered into the Garden but he began to fear look pale be troubled groan display his sadness confess his heaviness betray his Anguish in his Countenance to desire Companions in his watching and his prayers often to go and return to and fro from his Company yet no comfort or quiet could he find And then behold again how he falls upon his Knees how he intreats the wrathful Father how he interrupts his words with sighs and begs that the Cup may be removed yet not desiring his own but the will of the Father to be done How he wiped off the trickling Sweat from his bloody Cheeks In this Fatal Bed of Earth O Spectacle to be bewailed of Men Even to be lamented by the Angels themselves And his Sweat was like drops of Blood trickling down to the ground Thus Christ wept and lamented with his whole Body the Tears and those bloody ones burst forth every where Such haste did the Divine Love make to our Salvation that by Bands seemed to him to be delayed the Scourge and Pillâ—…r to be tardy and the Thorns and Nails to tarry too long the very Cross it self seemed to be deferred So God loved the World O immense Love for the fulfilling whereof one Death was not enough which before Death caused Life it self to die so that the most Loving Jesus was constrained to perish Limb by Limb to consume Drop by Drop and by the slow distilling of his Blood to breath out his Soul several ways And yet he loved more than he suffered and more he desired to endure than Humane Nature was able to bear Death seemed to him the slightest of his Punishments nor was it enough for him to die once in Golgotha unless he had died before in Gethseman It had been a small thing for him to have expired between Thieves had he not reaked before with bloody Sweat to shew how he had been Scourged O Christ As yet the Roman Executioner does not appear the hooked Wyre does not yet tear thy Flesh. The great Nails are
not yet driven through thy Hands and Feet and yet already such plentiful Fountains of Blood flow from thee What will become of thee to Morrow when thy whole Body shall be but one Pool one continued Wound To day only Rivers to Morrow Seas of Blood will flow and this little Bed among the Olives will seem soft in respect of that cruel and severe Lodging upon the Cross. In either of these O my sick Friend lay thy self down and thou wilt presently feel ease from all thy pains Thou wilt easily bear thy own when thou considerest the Torments of thy Lord. Sect. 27. The Consent and Harmony of Humane with Divine Will AS there is nothing more easie for the healthy for the sick or for dying persons to do so there is nothing more profitable than to will what God will This is to be practised Day and Night Morning Noon and Evening perpetually constantly by Sick and Healthy and by all Men. Epictetus was a most wise Doctor in this by the baâ—…e Instructions of Nature I think that better saith he what God will have done than what I my self I wait upon him as a Servant I desire what he desires I wish for what he wishes Whatever his will is that is mine And that he may shew the manner how in all Humane Affairs the will of God is to be followed adding this Moreover Always saith he I chuse to will that which is done For whatever is done sin excepted is done by the will of God For which reason this most wise Philosopher admonishing every Man never require that those things which are done should be done according to thy Disposal But if thou art wise be content that things are done as they are He that accommodates himself to necessity is wise and is privy to the Humane Mysteries Epictetus discoursing more affirmatively of conforming the will of Man to the Divine Will I should desire saith he to be seized by death employed in no other business than in curing my will that being free from trouble and impediment I might say to God Have I ever violated thy Precepts Have I misapplied the parts which thou gavest me Have I ever accused thee Have I ever found fault with thy Government I fell sick because it was thy will Others fell sick but I willingly It was thy will I should be poor I was content I never was in command because it was thy Will I never for that reason covered or sought after Honour Didst thou ever see me the sadder for this Did I ever approach thee with a Countenance chearful Prepared to obey whatever thou commandest Wouldest thou have me abandon the Gaiety of Masks I am gon And I return thee most hearty thanks that thou wilt be pleased to admit me to thy Enterludes to behold thy Works and understand thy manner and order of Government Let such a Death as this seize upon me either Thinking VVriting or Reading O Heavens How like a Christian how like a Wise Man how like a Divine Person What do we do O Christians What shame possesses us if we blush not at these things We are Brute Beasts yea Stones and Rocks if our Sences return not to us upon this bright and resplendent Information of Nature But let the Rebels to Divine Will hearken let them hear and answer to Epictetus requiring from them nothing but what is iust Shew me saith he any one who is sick and happy in danger and happy that dies and is blessed Shew me saith he a Mind that is of Gods Mind one that never accuses God nor Men finds fault with nothing that befalls him who is in wrath with no Man who envies no Man then shew me the person who of a Man desires to become a God Certainly it may be done by this Conjunction of wills Therefore let not the sick person refuse to be wise with the same Epictetus And set him say Carry me O God and thy Divine Will whither I am by thee appointed For I will follow cheerfully For if I obstinately and wickedly hang back I shall be compelled to follow Therefore if it be the will of God let it be done Therfore let us in all things in Sickness in Death submit to the Will of God or let us confess our Antipathy and Aversion against all that is good and right He desires to be wicked who for the nonce refused to be good Sect. 28. Dèspair to be prevented THere is nothing more dangerous than despair nor can the Enemy of Salvation find out any thing worse for Man For all other things are mitigated by their own Cures This is the chiefest and the last of Mischiefs so that when it oppresses the Departing Soul there is no room for any remedy Therefore is it always especially in the end more vehemently to be withstood because it then presses on with greater force and there is no delaying such Councils as are fit to be taken for thy Salvation The neglect of the last Hour is altogether irreparable He shall never rise again whose fall is deadly there Therefore at length awake O sick Man 't is better never wake till the Evening What is ill delayed is worse omitted Lift up thy Eyes to Heaven the Breast of thy Crucified Lord is always open his Embraces always expanded his Wounds always prepared to health Neither is there any necessity of long Prayers Repent that thou hast been in an Error and thy desire possibly is granted Say from thy Heart I have sinned Thou maist hope God is propitious to thee Promise amendment and thou maist obtain pardon There is no sin of Man so great but the Mercy of God is above it Hope for this Hope maketh not ashâ—…med The Lord is loving unto evert Man and his Mercy is over all his Works Here the Lord himself Is my hand shortened that it might not help or have I not power to deliver But we are for the most part altogether deceived Fervent in sin after sin committed cold We exult in sin despair when we remember our sins Many sin out of hopes of pardon Both bad but this latter far worse Therefore cast away that fatal burthen of sin There is one who being sought to will take it from thy Shoulders who has taken greater burthens from others to whom there is nothing hard or difficult Only do thou make no delay And though there be no excuse for a slothful delay yet a late amendment is not without commendation It is better to repent late than never Therefore take to thy self Courage and Breath a few Tears will extinguish the Flames of Hell An humble and a contrite Heart God will not despise Sect. 29. The hope of better Life mitigates our Miseries VVIth Seneca I demand of thee O my sick Friend why dost thou wonder at thy Miseries Thou art Born therefore that thou shouldst lose that thou shouldst perish that thou shouldst hope that thou shouldst fear that thou shouldst disquiet others and thy self too that thou
there is no Patience if Constancy be wanting But one will say it is not two three four or five Weeks that I have layn thus Another will say this is the sixth the tenth the fixteenth Month that I have layn in this miserable Condition Others will cry they have been visited ten thirteen or more Years Persevere I beseech ye persevere and reserve your selves for a Celestial amendment The patient Man continues though he has been afflicted for many more years It is but a point of time saith he that this Sickness has held me when I consider Eternity Happy was that Servant who has the Great Gregory for his Applauder who from his Childhood to his Infancy being afflicted with the Palsie so that he could not list his Hand to his Mouth yet by hearing could remember all the Bible by Heart and while he lay all that time a dying continually had in his Mouth that one Sentence Thanks be to God To him all the Calamitous Days of his Sickness seemed nothing to Eternity The blessed Lydwick a Virgin of Schiedam lay sick eight and thirty Years contesting with a strange variety of all sorts of Maladies In those eight and thirty Years she scarce eat so much Bread as would suffice a strong Man for three Days and hardly took the rest of three Nights Yet in this croud of Miseries her continual Prayer was O kind Jesu have mercy vpon me Coleta another Virgin had sustained an incredible burthen of Pain and Misery for above fifty Years she hardly slept one Hour in eight Days Upon Festivals and Sundays her Pains augmented and sometimes she laboured under Distempers of Mind as well as Sickness of Body Yet in the midst of all she would still cry out I desire to be a Theatre and Stage for all sorts of Diseases to play their parts that so I may become a grateful Spectacle to God and Angels She might have said with St. Bernard My Labour is but the labour of one Hour in respect of Eternity yet if more I value it not through my extream love Therefore my sick Friend if thou numberest the Days and Years of thy Sickness call them a Moment If thy Patience and Constancy out-vye them hope for the Eternity of the blessed The Labour is small the Pain short the Recompence eternal Sect. 52. THat as well the Healthy as the Sick may put in practice and bring forth what they have determined in their Minds we have added the following Prayers 1. Prayer To be said by the Healthy the Sick and them that lie a dying OH my sweetest Lord Jesu Christ in the Union of that Charity whereby thou didst offer thy self to the Father to die I offer thee my Heart that thy good Will and Pleasure may be satisfied upon me and by me Sweet Jesu I make choice of and desire thy good Pleasure though Adversity Sickness and Death press hard upon me and commit my self entirely to thy most faithful Providence and thy most holy Will For I hope and beseech thee that thou wilt direct me and what-ever belongs to me to thy Glory and the Salvation of my Soul 2. Prayer For the preservation of Conformity with the Divine Will LOrd Jesu Christ who for thy Glory and our Salvation dost intermix Joy and Sadness and permittest for our profits Prosperity and Adversity I return thanks to thy Goodness that thou wert mindful of me and hast visited thy unprofitable Servant with this small Affliction I implore thy Favour that I may reap the Fruit and Advantage of this Visitation of thine and that I may not be hindred by my Impatience or Ingratitude What thou art able to do I humbly beg of thee to remove this present bitter and troublesom Cup from me as thou didst listen to the Tears of King Hezechia and didst miraculously raise him from his Bed of Sickness Yet not my will but thine which is just and holy be done In thy Hands is all the Authority of Judging and Determining concerning thy Children Neither is there any one that better knows than thee what Physick is most convenient for the cure of our Diseases O my most loving Father Reprehend Chastise and Afflict me here that thou mayst spare me hereafter I know thy Rod doth profit many when thou dost Chastise thy beloved Children and that then dost purge and try thy Elect before thou dost Crown them My Heart is prepared O God my Heart is prepared when and how thou pleasest to submit to thy Paternal Rod and that my Patience should be tried by Affliction In thee have I put my trust O Lord let me never be confounded I submit and commit my self entirely to thy most holy Will Though thou slayest me yet will I not cease to hope in thee thou Fountain of Life My desire is in thy hands 3. Prayer For Patience MOst Omnipotent God thou knowest how vile and frail this work of thy Hands is how it is shaken by the least blast of Wind and vanishes again into dust so that there is nothing wherein I can trust to my own strength who in the Contest of the Flesh against the Spirit feel so many Commotions of Anger Impatience Pusillanimity Diffidence and Mistrust upon the slightest Assault of Sickness Therefore I implore thy Help most Heavenly Physician thy Divine Physick which is Patience For Patience is the chief of Consolation in the most bitter of Sicknesses Grant me I beseech thee O Lord with a present and contented Mind I may be able to endure Joy and Sorrow sweet and sowre as proceeding only from thy Paternal Providence because thou directest all things for the tryal and profit of thy Children Let thy Spirit I beseech thee teach me through whose Comfort and Assistance there is nothing too hard for us to perform that I may know how to possess my Soul in Patience till Death Thou art a God who considerest the stings of Affliction under which we labour Yet I though I have not yet resisted to the shedding of my Blood yet against my will I have had the Experience of the weakness of the Flesh and force of contending Nature Therefore Lord help my imperfection so much the more that both my strength may be perfected in Infirmity and that I may be able sincerely to testifie that thy Rod and thy Staff they have Comforted me 4. Prayer Containing a Resignation of a Mans Self to the Will of God O Love ineffable O most sweet Jesu my God and Christ shouldst promise me the best of worldly favours or what I my self would desire I would beg of thee the utmost of what I now suffer This I beg a thousand times over that thy will may be fulfilled and satisfied upon me and by me in all things 5. Prayer After Receiving of the Sacrament GLory be to thee O Christ who out of thy goodness hast been pleased to visit and refresh my sick Soul Now let thy Servant O Lord depart in peace according to thy Word Now I hold thee O
whom I am chief 1 Tim. 1. 15 But he that shall endure to the end the same shall be saved Mat. 24. 13. Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a Crown of Life Rev. 2. 10. These Fountains refresh and cool the hot Baths of death he shall happily swim therein who plunges himself over Head and Ears in these Rivolets Sect. 39. The Sighs and Prayers to God proper for a Dying Person ENlighten my Eyes O most merciful Jesu that I sleep not in death Left my Enemies say I have prevailed against him Psal. 13. 3 c. Lord Jesu Christ Son of the Living God Lay thy Passion Cross and Death between thy Judgment and my Soul O Lord Jesu Christ remember not our old Sins but have mercy upon us and that soon for we are come to great misery Psal. 79. 8. Sweet Lord Jesu Christ for thy glories sake and for the Effectual Vertues sake of thy Sufferings cause me to be written down among the number of thy Elect. Enter not into judgment with thy Servant O Lord for there is no Man righteous in thy sight I worship thee O Christ I bless thee because thou hast redeemed the World by thy Sufferings Saviour of the World save me who by thy Cross and Blood hast redeemed me O most merciful Jesu I beseech thee that with thy precious Blood which thou didst shed for Sinners that thou wouldst wash away all my iniquities O Blood of Christ purifie me let the Body of Christ save me let the Water from Christs side wash me let the Passion of Christ comfort me O kind Jesu hear me hide me between thy Wounds Permit me not O merciful Jesu to be separated from thee in this my Hour of death call me command me to come to thee that I together with thy Saints may praise thee to all Eternity Cast me not from thy Countenance nor take thy Holy Spirit from me Sect. 40. At the Moment of Death NOW Lord according to thy good pleasure deal mercifully by me and command my Spirit to be received in peace Sound into the Ears of my Mind those sweet words this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Now let thy Servant depart in peace because mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation O Jesu Jesu Jesu permit me to enter into the number of thy Elect. O Jesu Son of David have mercy upon me O Lord Jesu make haste to help me O Lord Jesu receive my Soul Sect. 41. The true Confidence of a Dying Person in God HEre I confidently aver with St. Bernard Let another pretend to Merit let him boast of enduring the heat and burthen of the day my desire is to adhere to God and to put my hope in the Lord. And though I am conscious to my self that such was the naughtiness of my pass'd Life that I deserve to be forsaken of God yet will I not cease to relye upon his Immense Goodness and to hope that as hitherto his most Holy Grace has afforded me strength to endure all things so the same will still uphold me and enable me to finish my course Therefore this one thing I beg of thee O God that thou wilt never suffer me to distrust of thy Goodness though I know my self to be weak and miserable Yea though I should perceive my self in that Terror and Consternation ready to fail like St. Peter upon one blast of Wind let me remember him let me call upon Christ Lord make me whole Then O then shalt thou stretch forâ—…h thy Hand and save me from sinking But if thou sufferest me to go farther yet with Peter to run headlong into denial then such is my hope that thou wâ—…t look upon me with an Eye of Mercy and Compastion as thou lookest upon Peter and grant me a now Confirmation of Eternity This I am certain of that unless the fault be mine the Lord will not forsake me I acknowledge that saying of St. Austin God may save some without good works because he is Good but he condemns none but for their evil works because he is Just. And therefore I commit my self to him with a full hope and confidence in him If he suffer me to perish for my Sins yet his Justice shall be magnified in me Yet I hope and most certainly hope that his most merciful Goodness will most faithfully preserve my Soul so that his Mercy rather than his Justice shall be praised in me Nothing can happen to me against the will of God Whatever he pleases to whom ever it seem ill is still the best to me VVhatever pleases thee that will I that will I O God Sect. 42. The Last Words of Dying Persons AUgustus the Emperor dy'd with these words in his Mouth Live mindful of our Nuptial Knot and so farewel How much more holily would these Christians do that direct their last words to the Beginning and Creator of all things Dyonisius the Areopagite being condemned to lose his Head with a Christian Generosity contemning the Reproaches of the Spectators Let the last words of my Lord upon the Cross said he be mine in this World Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit Basil the Great lying at the last period of Life after he had piously instructed his own Friends breathed out his Soul with these last words Lord into thy Hands I commend my Spirit St. Bernard upon his Death-bed Oh Christian said he despair not of this Infirmity Christ has taught thee what thou oughtest to say in all the dangers of death whom to fly to whom to invoke in whom to hope Therefore do thou so behave thy self that at the hour of death thou maist be able to say In thee Lord have I trusted let me not be confounded to Eternity Therefore let the last words of a dying Person be directed to God All his Prayers Wishes Desires and last Hopes must ever tend to him Let the dying Person say from the bottom of his Heart To thee Lord I turn my face to thee I direct my Eyes Sect. 46. Let the dying Person imitate the Penitent Thief in Golgotha LOrd remenber me when thou comest into thy Kingdom Happy Thief who in the School of Christ had learnt more in three Hours than the Unhappy Iscariot in three years Lord God! How great is the Abyss of thy Judgments Thy Friends and Kindred are silent thy Disciples forsake thee the Angels appear not Where are those thousands fed by this Crucified Lord Who of all that multitude speaks one word for so great a Benefactor Yet the Thief against his Companion pleads the Cause of Christ and justifies his Innocency take off all Scandals from him and convicts the Multitude of Murther Nor was the Son of God asham'd of such an Advocate but rather applauded him Nor was the happy Rhetorician wanting in his Cause But we truly said he are righteously punished for we receive according to our deeds but this Man hath done nothing amiss Oh how truely may I say the same of
Son and Holy Spirit O Sacred Trinity which art without beginning and in whom there is no division receive the Soul of thy Servant in peace who is put to death for thy Cause and Gospel After which he submitted his Head to the stroaks of the Executioner Suffering Anno Christi 96 and of his Age 110. The Death of JUSTIN Martyr AFter his having painfully preached the Gospel in many Countreys he came to Rome where he had many Contests with the Philosophers and Sages and was at last by the procurement of one Crescens Condemned and accordingly Beheaded Anno Christi 139. and as Epiphanius has it under the Reign of Adrian some time before he Prognosticated his death So fell this Faithful Labourer in Christ's Vineyard He used to say Thaet which the Soul is in the Body that are Christians in the World For as the Soul is in and not of the Body so Christians are in but no part of the World And also It is best of all not to sin and next to that to amend upon the Punishment Furthermore Tâ—…t it is the greatest slavery in the VVorld to be subject to ones Passions The Death of IRENAEUS THis Holy Man being taken with several of his chief Friends they were led to the top of a Hill on which were placed Crosses on one Hand and Idols on the other and they put to their Choice either to embrace the Idols and Live or be Crucified Upon which they joyfully chose the latter suffering Martyrdom Anno Christi 182. and of Irenaeus his Age 60 or as some will have it 90. He compared the Hereticks and Schismaticks to Aesop's Dog that lost the Substance of Religion whilst they gaped too earnestly after the Shadow Concerning the Vanity of Earthly things he said VVhat profit is there in that Honour which is so short-lived as that perchance it was not Yesterday neither will be to Morrow And such Men as labour so much for it are but like Froth which though it be uppermost yet it is unprofitablest The death of TERTULLIAN HE died Anno Christi 202. and of his Age 63. He used to say of Repentance If thou beest backward in thoughts of Repentance be forwards in thoughts of Hell the burning flames whereof only the tears of a penitent Eye can extinguish Of Satans Power If the Devils without Christs leave had no power over the Gadarens Swine much less have they power over Gods own Sheep Of Faith We should not try Mens Faith by their Persons but their Persons by their Faith Of forgiving Offences It 's in vain to come to the God of peace without peace or to pray for the remission of our Sins without forgiving others We must not come to make an Atonement with God at his Altar before we have made an Atonement with our Brother in our Hearts The Last Sayings of CLEMENS ALEXANDRINUS AFter the death of Pontenus Clemens succeeded him in that Office from whence he received the Name of Alexandrinus He was Famous for all manner of Learning and was ordained Presbyter in Alexandria where he propagated the Christian Faith His Sayings were these Such as adorn themselves with Gold and think themselves bettered thereby are worse than Gold and not Lords of it as all that have it ought to be Out of the depth and bowels of the Earth hath God discovered and shewed Gold unto Men and they have made it the occasion of all Mischief and Wickedness Gold to many Men is much dearer than their Faith and Honesty And the love of it makes Man so Covetous as if they were to live here for ever The Death of ORIGEN HE died in the Reigns of Galluâ—… and Volusianus Anno Christi 220. â—…nd of his Age 69. Concerning Gods Providence he used to say That Gods Providence hath ordained all things for some end and purpose He made not Malice and though he can restrain it yet he will not for if Malice were not Vertue would not have a Contrary and so could not shine so clear For the Malice of Joseph's Brethren was the Means whereby God brought about many admirable works of his Providence The death of St. CYPRIAN CYprian said to his Exocutioner Do whatever 〈◊〉 shall be in thy power and thereupon he putting 〈◊〉 his Cloaths delivering them to his Deacons â—…idding them give his Executioner five Twentyâ—…ces of Gold for the kindness he was to do him â—…express he freely forgave him Then pulling a â—…il over his Eyes he kneeled down and had his â—…d sâ—…itten off with a Sword suffering Martyrâ—…m for the Testimony of his Lord and Master â—…o 259. and in the 70 year of his Age as some â—…e it He used to say of Charity Let not that sleep â—…n thy Treasury that may be profitable to the Poor â—…of the Heart and Tongue Two things never wax old in Man The Heart ever imagining new Cogitations the Tongue ever uttering the vain Conceptions of the Heart Of Resignation That which a Man must necessarily part with it 's Wisdom for a Man to distribute it so that God may Everlastingly reward him Of Pride Women that Pride themselves in putting on Silk and Purple cannot lightly put on the Lord Jesus Christ. â—…gain They which Colour their Locks with Yellow and Red begin betimes to Prognosticate of what Colour their Hair shall be in Hell Again They which love to paint themselves in this World otherwise than God Created them may justly fear that at the Resurrection their Creator will know them Of Alms-deeds He that gives an Alms to the Poor offers a sweet-smelling Sacrifice unto God Of Injuries All Injury of Evils present is to be neglected for the hope of good things to come Twelve Attributes he said was in the Life of Man viz. A Wise Man without good works an Old Man without Religion a Young Man without Obedience a Rich Man without Alms a Woman without shamefac'dness a Guide without Vertue a Contentious Christian a Poor Man that is Proud a King that is Unjust a Bishop that is Negligent People without Discipline Subjects without Law The Last Sayings of ARNOBIUS HE was a Famous Professor of Rhetorick in Sicca a City in Africa after his Conversion he applied himself to some Bishops with great earnestness to be Baptized and admitted into the Church When he was Master to Lactantius he used this Expression That Persecution brings Death in one hand and Life in the other for while it Kills the Body it Crowns the Soul He lived under Dioclesian between 300 and 330. The Death of EUSEBIUS HE lived to a good old Age. for the most part in Peace and Tranquility Dying Anno Christi 340. He used to say That Moses wrote the Old Law in dead Tables of Stone But Christ writ the perfect Documents of the New Testament in Living Souls The Death of LACTANTIUS HE was a Man of great Parts both Morally and Divinely Wise he was always Liberal for â—…hatsoever he received he again distributed it to â—…ch as were in want
Bishop standing by said Now we commit thy Soul to the Devil but Huss lifting up his Hands and Eyes to Heaven said Into thy Hands Lord Jesus I commend my Spirit which thou hast redeemed with thy most precious Blood Then they Burnt his Books at which he with a joyful Countenance said to the People Think not good People that I die for any Heresie or Errour but through the hatred and malice of mine Adversaries As he lifted up his Face in Prayer the Cap fell off whereupon a Souldier put it on again saying He should burn with his Masters the Devils whom he had served Then rising up said Lord Jesus assist and help me that with a constant and patient mind by thy most gracious help I may bear and suffer this Ignominious Death whereunto I am Condemned for the preaching thy most Holy Gospel As they were binding him to the Stake with a Chain he said with a merry Countenance That he would embrace that Chain for Christ's sake who for his sake had been bound with a far worse When the Fire was kindled he began to sing with a loud Voice Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God have mercy upon me The which after he had repeated three times the flame stopped his Breath his Heart being afterwards found they roasted it upon a Stake and gathering up his Ashes they cast them into the Rhine He suffered Martyrdom Anno Christi 1415. The Death of Hierom of Prague HIS Enemies passed Sentence upon him after which they put a Paper about him painted with red Devils to make him odious to the People as likewise a Paper Mitre on his Head which he took very patiently saying Our Lord Jesus Christ when he suffered Death for me did wear a Crown of Thorns upon his Head and for his sake I will wear this Cap. As he went to the place of Execution he sung Psalms and coming to the place where John Huss was Burned he upon his Knees put up his Prayers to Heaven after a while they bound him to the Image of John Huss Carved in Wood which they had set up instead of a Stake and there with admirable patience he sustained the sury of the Flames when at the giving up the Ghost he with an Audible Voice said This Soul of mine in flames of Fire set free O! Christ my Saviour now I offer thee The Death of Martin Luther FAlling Sick he soon grew exceeding weak yet putting his trust in God he supported himself to Comfort his Friends beyond measure Insomuch that the day before his Death he dined and supped with Melancthone and the rest of his Accomplices But after Supper his Pain increasing he retired to pray and then went to Bed and slept till Midnight but being awakened by the Pain and perceiving his Life near at an end he called his Friends about him and said I pray God to preserve the Doctrine of the Gospel amongst us for the Pope and the Council of Trent have grievous things in hand After which he prayed and earnestly desired of God that he would defend his Church against the Pope and all his Adherents When he was about to die Justus Jonas and Caelius bid him be constant and persevere in the Faith he had taught and held to the last To which he answered Yea and soon after gave up the Ghost dying Anno Christi 1546. He was a Man of great Temperance and Abstenence oftentimes had the Papists hired Ruffians to kill him but they had never the power to do it the Devil one time appeared to him as he was walking in his Garden in the shape of a huge Boar but he so flouted him that he soon vanished He was wont to say God would give Peace to Germany during his Life but woe to them that should live after him The Death of Zuinglius ZUinglius being the foutâ—…h time run in with a Spear he fell down upon his Knees and said Well they can kill the Body but cannot kill the Soul When the Soldiers came to strip the slain Zuinglius was found alive lying upon his Back with his Eyes up to Heaven whereupon they asked him if he would have a Priest to Confess him to which he answered No they then bid him call upon the Virgin Mary which he refusing they thrust him in with a Sword and so expired without fetching a Groan as soon as they knew it to be him they cut his Body in four pieces and burnt it the next day his Heart was found unperished by the Fire tho' the rest of his Body was consumed Before this Battel a Comet appeared which he said Prognosticated his Death and declared it openly in his Sermons Fourteen days before he fell in Battel He was slain in the year 153â—… The Death of Oecolampadius AN Ulcer broke cut in his Oâ—… Sacrum that he was forced to keep his Bed and though all means was used for his Cure he told 'em his Disease was Mortal and said I shall be presently with the Lord. Then putting his hand to his heart said Here is abundance of Light Next Morning he repeated the 51 Psalm and presently after said O Christ save me and so fell asleep in the Lord Anno 1531. aged 51. The Death of John Frith HE was condemned to be burnt as an Heretick When he came into Smithfield he with an undaunted Courage went to the Stake no sooner fastened but the fire was kindled He continued till the last with such Constancy and Patience that many were converted and began to pray to God to receive his Soul but Dr. Cook forbidding them saying They ought to pray for him no more than they would for a Dog which uncharitable Expression made many blame him He suffered Martyrdom Aano Christi 1531. He wrote many Treatises some were burnt during the Reigns of King Henry the Eighth and Queen Mary and some were saved by Providence for on Mid-summer Eve Anno 1626. A Cod-Fish being brought into Cambridge Market when it was cut up these Writings of John Frith were found in its Belly wrapt in Canvas which were afterwards Printed to the rejoicing of all good Christians viz. A Preparation for Death A Preparation to the Cross. The Treasure of Knowledge A Mirror to know your self A Brief Instruction to teach one willingly to die and not to fear Death Which Treatises preserved by such a special Providence have no doubt prov'd very useful The Death of Thomas Bilney HE Preached the Gospel till the Bishop of Norwich imprisoned him who would have persuaded him from his stedfastness but upon refusal he received â—…entence of Condemnation The day before his Execution eating heartily he said I imitate those who have a ruinous House to dwell in yet bestow cost as long as they may to hold it up Then discoursing about Fire he put his Finger in the Candle and said I find by Experience that Fire is hot yet I believe though the Stubble of my Body be wasted my Soul will be purged At his
Death who Conquers all Conquered him for having made his Will he received the Sacrament and earnestly prayed for the Churches He on the Seventh of May Anno Christi 1562. yielded up his Spirit into the hands of his Maker dying in the 55 Year of his Age. His Funeral Solemnities were performed at the Charge of the Senate almost all the City being present He being Buried as himself desired in the Church-Yard where a stately Tomb was erected to his Memory The Death of William Farellus WHere ever he came Romish Malice attended him being so powerful in Prayer and Preaching that he gained thereby no small Congregations When he heard of Calvin's Sickness he could not satisfie himself though he was seventy years old but he must go to Geneva to visit him He surviv'd Calvin one year and odd months and died aged 76 years Anno 1553. The Death of Vergerius THE Devil stirred up many Adversaries against him especially the Friers who accused him to the Inquisitors but to avoid their Rage he went to Padua where he was a Spectator of rhe miserable Estate of Francis Spira which so wrought upon him that he resolved to go into Exile and accordingly he went into Rhetia where he preached the Gospel of Christ sincerely till he was called from thence to Tubing where he ended his days Anno 1565. his Brother being dead before him not without the suspition of Poyson The Death of Strigelius AFter his going through many Troubles he fell sick and said He hoped his Life was at an end whereby he should be delivered from the Frauds and Miseries of this evil World and enjoy the blessed Presence of God and his Saints to all Eternity He died Anno 1569 aged 44. The Death of John Brentius FAlling sick of a Fever he was endued with Patience saying That he longed for a better even an eternal Life He died Anno 1570. aged 71. was buried with much honour and had this Epitaph With Voice Stile Piety Faith and Candor grac'd In outward Shape John Brentius was thus fac'd The Death of Peter Viretus HE went to several places and carried on the Work of Reformation with Vigour and Success but Popish Malice lurked in Corners insomuch that they attempted to poyson him and laid wait for his Life He was very learned eloquent and of a sweet Disposition He died Anno 1571. aged 60. The Death of John Jewel IN his Sickness going to Preach he was desired by a Gentleman to return home the Gentleman alledging that one Sermon was better lost than by Impairng his Health to lose so good a Pastor But his reply was That it best became a Bishop to die preaching in a Pulpit That his great Master the Lord Jesus's Words might be fulfilled who says Happy art thou my Servant if when I come I find thee so doing And thus continued this good Man till his Sickness encreasing and Nature visibly decaying in him he was obliged to take his Bed and so far was he from fearing Death that he rather desired as longing to enter his Masters Joy often repearing the Words of old Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in Peace for mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation One standing by prayed for his Recovery which he hearing said I have not so lived that I am ashamed to live longer neither do I fear to die because we have a merciful Lord a Crown of Righteousnes is laid up for me Christ is my Righteousness Father let thy Will be done thy VVill I say and not mine which is depraved and imperfect this day let me quickly see the Lord Jesus And so in a certain and assured hope of everlasting Happiness he resigned his Spirit into the Hands of his Redeemer dying Anno Christi 1571. and of his Age Fifty The Death of Zegedine HE was driven by Popish Cruelty from several Places but where ever he went he took so much delight in breeding up Youth in Religion and Learning that he called it his Recreation Many hardships he endured in his Travel for being taken Prisoner by the Turks he was made an Object of their Fury for refusing to abjure the Christian Religion yet God delivered him out of all his Trouble and he died in Peace Anno 1572. aged 67. The Death of John Knox. FAlling Sick he gave order for his Coffin and being asked whether his pains were great he answered That he did not esteem that a pain which would be to him the end of all Troubles and the beginning of Eternal Joys Often after some deep Meditation he used to say Oh serve the Lord in fear and Death shall not be troublesome to you Blessed is the Death of those that have part in the Death of Jesus One praying by his Bed-side asked him if he heard the Prayer Yea said he and would to God that all present had heard it with such an Ear and Heart as I have done adding Lord Jesus receive my Spirit He ended this Life 1572. Aged 62. The Death of Peter Ramus HIS Fame grew so great that he was chose Dean of the University and Studied the Mathematicks wherein he grew exquisite The Civil Wars now breaking out he left Paris and fled to Fountain-bleau but not being safe there he went to the Camp of the Prince of Conde and from thence into Germany When the Civil Wars was ended he returned to Paris and remained the King's Professor in Logick till that horrible Massacre happened on St. Bartholomew's day wherein Thousands were slain by the bloody Papists He was then Lock'd in his own House till those furious Villains brake open his Doors and in his Study ran him thorow and being half dead threw him out of the Window so that his Bowels issued out on the Stones then they cut off his Head and dragged his Body about the Streets in the Channels at last they threw it into the River Sein Anno 1572. Aged 57. The Death of Henry Bullinger MR. Bullinger fell Sick and his Disease encreasing many Godly Ministers came to Visit him but some Months after he recovered and preached as formerly but soon Relapsed when finding his Vital Spirits wasted and Nature much decayed in him he concluded his Death was at hand and thereupon said as followeth If the Lord will make any farther use of me and my Ministry in his Church I will willingly obey him but if he pleases as I much desire to take me out of this miserable Life I shall exceedingly rejoice that he will be so pleased to take me out of this miserable and corrupt Age to go to my Saviour Christ. Socrates said he was glad when his Death approached because he thought he should go to Hesiod Homer and other Learned Menâ—…de ceased and whom he expected to meet in the other World then how much more do I joy who am sure that I shall see my Saviour Christ the Saints Patriarchs Prophets Apostles and all Holy Men which have lived from the beginning of the World These I say I
he should be drawn through the Streets of London to the Gallows in St. Giles in the Fields and there hanged and afterwards burnt upon the Gallows as he hung The Death of Thomas Cromwell Earl of Essex HIS Enemies durst not bring him to a Tryal but procured an Act of Attainder whereby he was Condemned before he was Heard yet the King after his death repented this Haste and wished he had his Cromwell alive again Being mounted the Scaffold he made an humble Confession and begged the Prayers of all those which were present then in a pious Prayer he recommended himself into the Hands of the Almighty and at one Blow his Head was severed from his Body Anno 1541. The Death of the Lady Jane Grey THE Morning before her Exit from this World her Husband the Lord Guilford Dudley was conveyed to a Scaffold on Tower-Hill where he penitently ended his Life his Head and Body being laid in a Cart all bloody was brought to the Chappel and exposed to the Sight of this sorrowful Lady a Spectacle more dismal than the kneenest Axe of her Death And now her own part is to be acted upon a Scaffold erected upon the Green within the Tower where being mounted with a chearful Countenance she looked upon the People and with great Constancy directed her self after this manner That she was come thither to die for an Offence which was committed by a Device not of her own seeking then wringing her Hands and protesting her Innocency she desired them to take notice that she died a good Christian and requested their Prayers Then kneeling down she repeated in English the 51 Psalm after which her Gentlewoman helped her off with her Gown and the Hangman on his Knees asked her forgiveness which she forgave him freely and prayed him to dispatch her quickly Looking upon the Block and kneeling she said Will you take it off before I lay it down No Madam replied the Executioner then she tied a Handkerchief before her Eyes and feeling for the Block said What shall I do Where is it Where is it Being guided she laid her Head upon the Block and giving the Sign she said Lord into thy Hands I commend my Spirit Then receiving the Fatal Blow she ended this Life Anno 1554. Aged 16. Her Death was much lamented but did not go unpunished for the Judge which passed her Sentence shortly after fell distracted crying out continually Take away the Lady Jane from me The Lady Jane Grey had a curious Vein in Poetry In her Troubles she composed these Lines Think nothing strange which Man cannot decline My Lot's to Day to Morrow it may be thine If God protect me Malice cannot end me If not all I can do will not defend me After dark Night I hope for Light This Epitaph was also made on her My Race was Royal sad was my short Raign Now in a better Kingdom I remain The Death of Sir Philip Sidney SIR Philip lay for the space of 25 Days enduring his Pains with admirable Patience and at length resign'd up his Spirit into the hands of his Redeemer October 16. Anno 1586. Upon him was made this Epitaph Apollo made him wise Mars made him stout Death made him leave the World Before his Youth was out The Death of Galeacius Carracciolus SIckness the Harbinger of Death seizing upon him which proceeded from abundance of Rheum this was produced by his long and wearisome Journeys which he had formerly taken by Land and Sea for his Conscience sake His Physicians despairing of his Cure he wholly sequestred himself from all Worldly Cogitations and taking his Farewell of his Wife and Friends saving He would lead them the way to Heaven Then he desired God to receive him and acknowledge him for his own and so quieâ—…ly departed 1592. Aged 74. The Death of Katherine Bretterg ONce she took the Bible in her hand and joyfully kissing it said O Lord 't is good for me to be afflicted that I may learn thy Statutes The law of thy mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and sâ—…ver Then she desired her Husband to be ware of Popery and to let her little Girl be brought up in the Fear of God saying So shall I meet her in Heaven whom I must now leave behind me on Earth Once she was very dull in Prayer and when she came to Lead us not into Temptation she said I may not pray I may not pray for Satan interrupts me yet her Friends left her not till she had gained the Conquest She repeated often We have not received the Spirit of Bondage to fear again but the Spirit of Adâ—…tion whereby we cry Abba Father The Verse of Psalm 13. ult she often repeated chearfully Many Pious Meditations she used but the last was this My Flesh and my Heart faileth but God is the Strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever He that preserveth Jacob and defendeth his Israel he is my God and will guide me unto Death Then she departed this life without any motion of Body May ult Anno 1601. Aged 22. The Death of John Lord Harrington Baron of Exton FRom the First-Day of his last Sickness he apprehended the approach of Death and so readily prepared himself for it he made Confession of his Sins and oft confessed his Faith and undoubted hope of Salvation in Christ and when Death approached he breathed out O my God when shall I be with thee And in the midst of these longing Desires he departed Anno 1613. Aged 22. The Death of Phillip de Mornay Lord of Plessis Marley BEing displaced from his Government of Samur he betook himself to a Private Life and made his Will for the peace and good of his Family being seiz'd upon by a continual Fever and no hopes of Recovery he would often say I fly I fly to Heaven and the Angels are carrying me into the bosome of my Saviour then would he repeat the words of Job I know that my Redeemer liveth I shall see him with mine eyes and I feel I fell what I now speak He dyed in the 74th Year of his Age. The Death of John Bruen of Bruen-Stapleford in the County of Chester Esquire FAlling Sick the morning before his Death divers Friends took their leaves of him and hearing some make motion of Blacks he said I will have no Blacks I love no Proud nor Pompous Funeral neither is there any cause of Mourning but of rejâ—…icing rather in my particular Immediately before his Death lifting up his hands he said The Lord is my portion my help and my trust his blessed Son Jesus Christ is my Saviour and Redeemer Amen Even so saith the Spirit unto my Spirit therefore come Lord Jesus and kiss me with the kisses of thy mouth and embrace me with the Arms of thy Love into thy hands do I commend my Spirit O come now and take me to thy own self O come Lord Jesus come quickly O come O come O come So his
entire that methink's I could willingly sleep with him in his Grave for while I live my breast is but his walking monument Such love as ours did not always possess the hearts of some as nearly allyed which maketh me sigh to think that ever there were any which had layen successively in the self same womb and yet did not joyn in the unity of affection Methinks the complaint of the Church may be part of an Elegy upon my deceased brother for with her I may cry out and that justly too The good man is perished out of the earth But neither can I say that he was a Jew in supplanting or an enemy to the Church lying in wait for blood What secret Devil did guide both the tongue and the hand of Joab when under the colour of friendship he asked Amasa Art thou in health my brother And took him by the beard with the right hand to kiss him 2. Sam. 20. 9. and yet even at that time smote him with his sword in the fifth ribb and shed out his bowels to the ground that he died v. 10. What cursed fiend did guide the tongue of that wicked miscreant whom the Psalmist chargeth thus and saith Thou siâ—…test and speaketh against thy brother thou slanderest thine own mothers son Psal. 50. 20. Had my brother either supplanted me or hunted me with a net or sought to slay me or slandered me with his tongue then I might peradventure have saved this great expence of my Tears But he was always so good a Brother that I could never justly charge him with the least discourtesie O no we took sweet Counsel together and walked unto the House of God in company Psal. 55. 14. I may say of him as Nehemiah spake of Hanani the Ruler of the Pallace He was a faithful man and feared God above many Neh. 7. 2. His blood was near to me but his Soul was nearer His person I loved as I was prompted to it by Nature But his inner man I more zealously affected to which I was allured by his gracious endowments yet neither his Counsel nor his society nor his fidelity nor his Religion could preserve him from the sentence of a temporal death O what would I not do to call him back again What would I not give to have him restored to life again But all that I can either do or give cannot perswade his Soul to return back to its Prison Well then seeing that I cannot fetch him from the Grave I will yet send up my sighs towards the place where he is blessed This I may do without any check either of reason or religion It was a curse which God did inflict upon Jehojakim for his sins That they should not lament for him saying Ah my Brother Jer. 22. 17 18. But on the contrary when Deborah though she was but Rebekah's Nurse was buried beneath Bethel under an Oak the name of it was called Allon-Bachuth the Oak of weeping Gen. 35. 8. When the enemies of David were visited by sickness he behaved himself as though they had been his Friends or his Brethren Yea he bowed down heavily as one that moâ—…rneth for his Mother Ps. 35. 14. But he who now is dead was not my enemy but my friend yea and no common friend but a Brother yea and not a Brother in the flesh so much as in affection even as dear as a Mother Why then should I not sorrow for the loss of such a Brother I will grieve I will lament when I remember the Love and the coâ—…tesies which he shewed unto me and I will speak in the language of the Church to Christ and say O thou that wert my Brother that sucked the breasts of my Mother when I should find thee without I would kiss thee yet I should not be despised Cant. 8. 1. I will lament him as David did Saul and Jonathan and say the Beauty of Israel is dead 2 Sam. 1 19. he was lovely and pleasant in his life ver 23. I am distressed for thee my Brother very pleasant hast thou been unto me thy love to me was wonderful passing the love of Women v. 26. But what advantage to the dead are the tears of the living Can my sighs inspire life into his bosom Can a draught of my tears fetch him back again to life O no 't is this 't is this therefore that doth heighten and increase my sorrows even that my tears cannot recover him whom I lament But cease sond woman cease thy sobbs and cryes of discontent By the extremity of thy passion thou mayest hasten to his Grave yet if thou murderest thy self with excessive sorrow thy soul may be deprived of the society of his 'T is true indeed 't is most true Little can I expect to come to heaven if I violently force my self from the earth Why then do I take on as if I either suspected his happiness or doubted of following him What comfort can it bring to his body of earth to have it cabined in the Grave with his dispersing ashes The dust of both of us may mix in the vault and yet no joy arise to our sensless ashes If his earth was that which drew mine affection I see my fondness in the corruption of that Earth but if his gracious soul was the object of my love I must strive to come where that surviveth To heaven he 's gone and to heaven I 'll hasten and because I will go the surest way I will walk in those paths which faith and patience shall direct me in I will no more disturb the peace of my mind since that cannot help me to the company of him Weep indeed I do I am enforced unto it 't is the law of nature 't is an act of necessity I cannot avoid it Yet though I weep I will labour for content and since my God as I undoubtedly believe hath been pleased to crown my brother with glory I will beseech him to comfort me here with his grace I will not immoderately weep lest I injure my self I will not weep without hope lest I offend my Maker but that I may weep as I should and hope as I ought and live as I am required I will humble my self at the feet of him to whom my brother is gone Put on Mourning Apparel Sermon III. ECCLES 7. 2. It is better to go to the House of Mourning then to the House of feasting for that is the end of all Men and the living will lay it to his heart IT is evident that in this Verse that I have now read to you the Wise man speaks of such a mourning as is occasioned by the Death of friends And he saith of that Mourning that it is better than to be in the House of Feasting That he speaks of such a mourning appears by that which followeth First he saith that this is the end of all men he speaks therefore of such a mourning as is upon the end of men upon the departure of men out
of this World And Secondly he saith the living will lay it to his heart He speaks of such an end of Men as is opposite to the life of Men. In a word By the House of mourning he meaneth a house wherein some one is dead which giveth occasion to the parties that dwell there of sorrow and mourning for their departed friend It is better to go to such a house By the House of feasting he meaneth not only such a house wherein there is feasting but also all manner of abundance As commonly Men shew their wealth in Feasting By the end of all men he meaneth such an end of a man as that he ceaseth to be as he was upon earth and ceaseth to do as he did upon Earth By laying to heart he meaneth such a serious considering and pondering and discussing of every thing as they may bring it to some use may draw some Fruit and benefit out of it to themselves So that the sum and substance of the words is thus much It is a better thing for a Man to be conversant about the thoughts of death and to take hold of all occasions that may bring the serious consideration thereof into his heart than to delight himself in those worldly pleasures and sensual delights wherein for the most part men spend their lives The words consist of a Proposition And a proof or confirmation of that Proposition The Proposition It is better to go to the House of Mourning than to go to the house of Feasting The Confirmation or proof of it is double First Because this is the end of all Men Secondly Because the living will lay it to his heart In the former he calleth the House wherein any one dies the House of Mourning It is better to go to the House of Mourning Where you see That the Death of Men with whom we live is a just occasion of Mourning to some The holy Ghost would not have described the House wherein a man dies in this manner if there were not some equity and justice in mourning upon such an occasion For he speaks not here as I conceive only with reference and respect to the common Custom of natural and worldly Men but with respect to the natural disposition and affection that is in the heart of man and the equity of the thing There should be visible signs of Mourning and there is in it a just occasion when men are taken away by death When Sarah died the text saith that Abraham came to Mourn for Sarah and to weep for her Gen. 23. 2. And Esau when he speaks of the death of his Father Isaac he calleth the time of his death the time of Mourning the days of Mourning for my Father are at hand Gen. 27. 41. So Joseph when his Father was dead it is said that he mourned for his Father seven days Gen. 50. 10. When Samuel was dead all the Israelites were gathered together and lamented him 2 Sam. 25. 1. When Josiah was dead there was such a great lamentation for him that it became a pattern of excessive mourning In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddon zach 12. 10. Our Saviour Christ when he looked upon Lazarus he wept because he was dead And those Ephesians this was it that broke their hearts they sorrowed most of all for the words which St. Paul Spake that they should see his face no more Acts 20. 38. We come now to the proof of the point why going to the House of Mourning taking these occasions to affect our hearts is better than to go to the House of Feasting than to take occasions of delighting our selves in outward things What 's the reason It is double First This is the end of all men What is the end of all men The House of Mourning That which he meaneth by the House of Mourning here is thâ—…â—…ch he calleth the end of all men that which putteâ—…h an end to all men and to their actions upon earth and that is Death So that the main point that in this place the wise man intendeth is but thus much I will deliver it in the very words of the Text we need not vary from them at all Death is the end of all Men. But here it will be objected We find some men that did not die It is said of Enoch that he was translated that he should not see death Heb. 11. 5. And of Elijah that he went up by a whirl-wind into heaven in a chariot of fire 2 King 2. 11. These men did not die To this I answer briefly Particular and extraordinary examples do not frustrate general rules God may sometimes dispense with some particular men and yet the rule remain firm I say it may be so But secondly we answer They had that that was in stead of Death to them some change though they did not die after the manner of other men So at the end of the world it is said that those that are alive shall be caught up and changed in the twinkling of an eye there shall be a sudden and almost undiscernable unperceivable change which shall be to them in stead of death But it will be objected further There is a promise made in Joh. 11. That those that believe shall never die To this I answer with that common distinction There is a twofold death which the Scripture calleth the first and the second death The first death is the death of the body that ariseth from a disjunction and separation of the body from the soul And there is a second death that ariseth from the dis-junction and separation of the soul from God The first death is no death properly the second Death is that which is truly Death And so they shall not die A man may have a body separated from the soul and yet not his soul separated from God nor himself from Christ. Who shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Neither life nor death nor principalities nor powers c. Rom. 8 38. This point also is of use to us in the death of others First to moderate the mourning of Christians for the Death of others Why It is the end of all men it is that that is the common condition of all men it should not be too grievous nor too doleful to any man We would not have our friends to be in another condition in their birth than others we would not have them have more fingers or more members than a man and would we have them have more days Let this serve as a brief touch upon that Secondly it teacheth us to make good use of our fellowship while we are together Not only we may die but those that are useful to us may die also let us make good use of one another while we live therefore It did sinite the heart of those Ephesians that they should see the face of Paul no more specially above the
thus Buried by himself he gave up the Ghost These things may be admired but not imitated unless the Holy St. Paul intimates You are dead saith he and your Life is hidden with Christ in God Most Excellent is that Admonition of the Philosophers Live as it were lying hid For he lives well that absconds himself well Such a one is honestly buried by himself and to his great Advantage Who too much known to all men dyes unknown to himself He dies most quietly who ever buries himself alive in that manner Sect. 14. Considerations upon the Sepulchre The next third Season within Plithia's Walls Will bring me to my longed for Funerals THus Socrates foretold his own Death and truly here the City Plithia signifies no other than the Coffin and the Sepulcher whither whatever Treaties makes a hasty speed The Old Poet sang of Alexander the Great But having enter'd once that mighty Town Whose Sun bak'd Walls were of such high Renown Contented in a Coffin then he lay Thus Death alone makes the most true display What little things Mens Bodies are There is no House or Habitation so certainly ouâ—… own as the Grave This the blessed Jacoponus a Person as Religious as Facetious most aptly taught A Citizen of Tudertum had bought a pair of Cock Chickens and spying Jacoponus in the Market desired him to do him the Favour to carry them home for him desiring him withal that he would not fail To whom Jacoponus be certain said he that I will not fail to carry them home and so went directly to the Church of St. Fortunatus where that Citizens Monument was and hid the Chickens as well as he could The Citizen returning home in the first place enquired for his Chickens All the Servants denied they saw any such thing thereupon the Citizen returning back and finding Jacoponus I thought said he thou wouldst deceive me as thou usest to do But where are the Chickens said he To whom Jacoponus I carried them home as you ordered me Thereupon the Citizen denying any such thing to be done come along with me said Jacoponus and believe thy own Eyes and so saying carried the Citizen to his Monument and listing up the Stone Friend said he Is not this thy House Which the Citizen acknowledged to be true and there received his Chickens again Therefore most truly saith Job I know because thou wilt deliver me to Death where the House is appointed for all living Creatures Sect. 15. Nine Wills VEry truly said Pliny the younger the common Opinion is false that the Wills of Men are the mirrour of Manners 1. Zilka bequeathed his Skin to make a Drum and his Flesh to the Fowls of the Air and Wild Beasts and commanded his Souldiers to spare neither Churches nor Monuments He died of the Sickness in the year 1424. 2. There was a Woman that left her Cat by Will five Hundred Crowns for her Cats Food as long as she lived O the ridiculous Fosteries of Humane Thoughts Augustus said of Herod I had rather be his Hog than his Son A Man might as well have said I had rather have been this Womans Cat than her Servant 3. A Famous Usurer being at the point of Death sending for the Publick Notary and Respesses caused his Will to be written in these VVords Let my Body be returned to the Earth from whence it was taken but my Soul be given to the Devils His Friends astonished at his words advised rebuked him but he again and again persisted saying Let my Soul be given to the Devils for I have unjustly scraped together the most of my Estate To them belongs the Soul of my Wife and the Souls of my Children who that they might have wherewithal to spend upon Cloaths Feasting and Luxury put me upon the wicked Trade of Usury To them also belongs the Soul of my Confessor who encouraged my wickedness by his silence And so saying he breathed his last 4. St. Jerome rebukes the Covetousness of Heirs with this Fable A little Pig bewailed the Death of its Dam. with a most bitter gruntling but hearing the Will read and that there were a heap of Acorns and some Bushels of Pease left him he held his Peace and being asked wherefore he ceased his Lamentation so suddainly Oh saith he the Acorns and the Pease have stopped my Mouth This is the Humour of most Heirs now adays They gape after the Legacies make Inventories of the Goods and tell the Money let what will become of the Soul of the Testator let him rest as he has deserved But let us view another sort of Wills 5. The Holy Martyr Hierom the fourth day before he was carried to Execution left his Estate to his Mother and Sister but to Rusticius who was chief in Authority in the Commonwealth of Aneyra his Hand already cut off 6. The Holy Hilarion at Fourscore years of Age made Hesychius his Heir in these Words All my Wealth that is to say the Gospel and one Hair Vest my Coat and little Cloak I leave to my most loving Friend Hesychius And this was all the Inventory of his Goods 7. Antonius the Great made his Will in these Words As for the Place of my Burial let no man know but your own Love My Felt and old Cloak give it to Athanasius the Bishop which he gave me when it was new Let Serapion the Bishop take the other which is somewhat better Do you take my Hair Garment And so farewel My Bowels for Antony is going He had no sooner ended these Words but extending his Legs he gave admittance to Death 8. The Patriarch of Alexandria John of Almes wrote his Will thus I give thee thanks O God that at my Death of all my Revenues it hath pleased thee to let me have remaining but one third part of a pound When Alexandria first made me their Patriarch I found Fourscore Hundred pieces of Gold to this the Friends of Christ added an unspeakable quantity of Money all which that I might give to God that which was Gods I expended upon the Poor wherefore what remains I also give to them 9. To this may be added the Will of a certain Christian changing only the Name the Year and the Day I Achathius Victor have been running to Eternity from the year 1581. upon the 15th of August and have Eternity in my mind Now I commend my Spirit to God and because I cannot deny the Earth what belongs to it I bequeath my Body to the Earth and to the Worms Of my Goods there is nothing now mine but good will which I carry with me to the Tribunal of God the rest I thus dispose 1. I forgive all my Enemies from the bottom of my Heart 2. I am sincerely sorry for all my Sins 3. I believe in Christ Jesus my most loving Redeemer And in this Faith I desire the Sacrament of the Church 4. I hope for Eternal Life through the goodness of God 5. I love my God with all my Heart
above all things and resign my self up fully to his holy will Most absolute prepared to be well to be sick to live or die when it shall please the Lord. The will of God be done Unless every Christian so order his Life and his last Actions he is to be thought to have lived ill and to have died worse The last Hour consumates Death but is not the cause of it which was preceded by a good Death For nothing makes Death ill but what follows Death Good Seed brings a good Harvest The Highway to a good Death is a good Life I may not unfitly compare Life and Death to a Syllogisine The end of a Syllogisme is the Conclusion the Conclusion of Life Death But the Conclusion is either true or false according to the Nature of the Antecedents so is Death good or bad as the Life before was good or bad Thus St. Paul severely prononnces saying Whose end shall be according to their VVorks 2 Cor. 11. 15. Memorable is the Death of that Holy Martyr Felix who being led to Execution rejoicing to himself with a loud Voice I have said he preserved my Virginity I have kept the Gospels I have preached the Truth and now I bow my Head a Victim to God There is a Relation of one who died suddenly in his Study and was found with his Finger pointing to that Verse in the Book of VVisdom ch 4. v. 7. which says Though the Righteous be overta ken with Death yet he shall find rest pretions in the sight of the Lord is the Death of his Saints whether slow or suddain The Copious St. Bernard being near his end Because saith he I cannot leave you great Examples of Religion yet I commend Three things to your Observation which I remember observed by my self 1. I less believed my own than the Judgment of another 2. Being injured I never sought Revenge 3. I never would offend any Person Gerard the Brother of St. Bernard upon his Death-Bed broke out into that Davidean Rapture Praise the Lord in Heaven Praise him in the Highest Where is thy Victory O Death Where is thy Sâ—…ing O Grave Gerard through the midst of thy very Jaws passes not only securely but joyfully and triumphantly to his Country He cannot die ill who has lived well Sect. 16. As we Live so shall we Die The weary Huntsman in his rest all Night Dreams of new Sports and of his past Delight IN the same manner those things that pleased us in our Health we are delighted with at our Deaths Antiochus miserably afflicted the Jews and Maximinâ—… the Emperour had designed the utter Exterpation of the Christians At length they both fell into a most lamentable Disease and when they saw no other way the one besought the Jews the other the Christians to pray to their God for their Recovery Like Esops Crew which being taken desperately sick cautioned his Mother as she sate by him not to weep for him but rather pray â—…o the Gods for his Recovery To whom she replied O my Son which of the Gods dost thou think will be propitious to thee that has robbed the Altars of every one of them Therefore as we live so we die so are we reprieved and condemed so destined to Heaven or to Hell Sect. 17. A good Death to be desired I Pray God my Soul may die the Death of the Righteous and that my last end may be like his cried the Prophet Balaam How much more rightly had he wished Let my Soul live the Life of the Just that it may also die the Death of the Just. 'T is a Ridiculous thing to desire a good Death and flie a good Life 'T is a Labour to live well but a Happiness to die well he that refuses to pass the Red Sea must not think to â—…at Manna He that loves the Egyptian Servitude shall never reach the Land of Canaan Piously and Elegantly St. Bernard Oh that I may fall saith he frequently by this Death that I may escape the Snares of Death that I may not feel the deadly Allurements of a Luxurious Life that I may not besot my self in sensual Just in Covetousnes Impatience Care and Trouble for worldly Affairs This is that Death which every one ought to wish for who designs a Life that shall never know Death Before Death to die to Sin and Vicâ—… is the best Death of all Sect. 18. Sleep the Brother of Death PAusanias relates that he saw a Statue of Night in the shape of a Woman holding in her right Hand a little white Boy sleeping in her left a little black Boy like one that were a sleep The one was called Somâ—…us Sleep and the other Lethum Death but both the Sons of Night Hence it is that Virgil calls Sleep the Kinsman of Death Gorgias Leontinus being very old was taken ill In his Sickness he was visited by a Friend who finding him fall'n asleep when he waked asked how he did To whom Gorgias made answer Now Sleep is about to deliver me to his Brother Whoever thou art O Christan before thou layst thy self to Sleep examine thy Conscience and wipe away the stains and spots that defile it There are many who have begun to sleep and die both together and ended their Lives before they had slept out of their Sleep The Brother of Death is to be feared and not only cautiously but chastly to be fallen into He that sleeps not chastly shall hardly wake chastly Sect. 19. The fore-runners of Death THE fore-runners of Eternity is Death the fore-runners of Death are Pains and deadly Symptoms One deadly Symptome if we believe Pliny in the height of Madness is Laughter in other Diseases an unequal Pulse But the Eyes and the Ears shew most undoubted Prognosticks of Death Experience teacheth us that when sick People talk of going Journeys and endeavoured to escape out of their Beds when they pull and pick the Blankets they are near Death Augustus the Emperor a little before he expired suddainly terrified complained that he was carried away by Forty young Men. Which saith Suetonius was rather a Presage than a sign of any Delirium for so many Pretorian Souldiers when he was dead carried him to his Funeral Pile When Alexander went by Water to Babylon a sudden Wind rising blew off the Regal Ornament of his Head and the Diadem fixt to it This was lookt upon as a Presage of Alexander's Death which happened soon after In the Year of Christ 1185. the last and most fatal end of Andronicus Commenus being at hand the Statue of St. Paul which the Emperour had caused to be set up in the great Church of Constantinople abundantly wept Nor were these Tears in vain which the Emperour washt off with his own Blood Barbara Princess of Bavaria having shut her self up in a Nunnery among other things allowed her for her peculiar Recreation she had a Marjoram-Tree of an extraordinary bigness a small Aviary and a Gold Chain which she wore