their latter end continually before their eyes thereby f As labour toyle in the day so sleep rest from labour in the night season is also a necessary help to preserve this mortall life This sleep is a lively image of death For in sleep men ly downe as dead men without sense and motion ceassing from their workes and taking no knowledge of the things that are done by others and therefore the holy Ghost often describeth death by the name of sleep or lying downe to sleepe Genes 47.30 Deuter. 31.16 1. King 2.10 Iob. 3.13 and ch 14.12 Psalm 76.5 Matt. 27.52 Iohn 11.11 Actes 7.60 1. Corinth 11.30 1. Thessal 4.13 By this marvellous work of God in breaking off the course of life and making Sleepe like an Half-death to invade us continually to come upon us like an unresistable Giant every day and to throw us downe and then by his manner of speech in calling death a Sleepe he calleth us by consideration of our sleepe to consider our death by the sight of our bed to remember our grave to looke upon it as a Tombe or Sepulchre every night before we goe into it to labour for reconciliation with God at the end of the day to seeke new sense of his love in Christ as we would doe at the end of our life that so we may lie downe sleep safely Had any man some speciall disease as of the falling sicknes Apoplexie Palsie Lethargie or the like terrible passion whereby at a certaine time of the day he should duely fall downe like a dead man and ly snorting at the gates of death for an houre or two untill the malignant humour were discussed and the force of the fit were over would we not thinke that man warned of God thereby to remember his end 7.8.9 but with the faythfull there is another remembrance of death by occasion of sinnes as comfortable to them as the former is terrible to the wicked For in sight of sinnes that greeve them they call to minde what shall quite free them from those sins and what is that but death Thereupon they set death before their eyes and are taught of God so to doe longing for their redemption and desiring to remoove out of the body which is by death Rom. 8.23 2. Cor. 5.8 And how many wayes then is death propounded unto us which way can we looke on the right hand or on the left before us or behinde us but every way the memorialles of death are before us Transgressions past sins present feares of the wicked desires of the godly all lead to the thought of death and to the remembrance of our latter end h Againe the afflictions sicknesses dangers wherein death is threatned unto men are likewise meanes of death and by them also we are called of God to remember our latter end It pleaseth God for the warning of secure men to bring men to the gates of death before they enter Psal 19.13 and though he bring them back againe yet is this done of God for a memoriall of death God brings men into such extremity that they make full account to die they receive the sentence of death in themselves despaire of life 2. Cor. 1.8.9 and are free among the dead in their owne and others judgement Psal 88.4.5 and this many times they are in deaths often 2. Corint 11.23 and such things God worketh oftentimes that men might renounce the world Iob. 33 22-29 and set their house in order their heart in order to die that being delivered they might then remember what thoughts desires what prayers purposes they had in their soules and recall them often for their preparation against the time of their finall departure out of this world Esa 38.1.15 c. As Iehosaphat having cryed out in the danger of death 2. Chron. 18.31 was bound to remember that very cry and disposition of his heart afterward so forasmuch as there is almost no man which hath not seene the face of Death and his dart shaken against him in being pale withered and wrinckled the shadow of death sitting upon their eye-lids and some in divers degrees betwixt both and especially in the sight of friends long absent and changed in that time we are called to thinke how the fashion of this world passeth away As the face so the stature of man growing up as a plant according to the divers measures and degrees of his growth appointed of God Psalm 144. 12. Luk. 1.80 and 2.52 is another testimony of his changeable estate even from the childe of a span long unto those that have their full growth Lam. 2.20 Though some be of low stature as Zaccheus Luke 19.3 and some againe higher then the common sort by the head as was Saul 1. Sam. 10.23.24 yet even in these compared with themselves the proportion of their growth is an evidence of their age to such as know them Though men being come to their full stature stand at a stay and loose not their stature by such degrees as they attained unto it in their youth yet many times we see in experience that crooked old age bowing downe their heads more more to the earthward they doe hereby after a sort loose their stature by degrees grow into the ground againe And thus the wheele of mans age visibly sensibly turning about according to the variation of his stature is another admonition to remember the latter end approching k Beside the face stature the Lord hath set sundry other markes upon the bodies of young and old for memorials of their time passing away at the changes of their age The younger people have the time of love described of God by divers markes and tokens thereof Ezech. 16.7.8 but especially old age hath the tokens of neere-approching death imprinted upon them whereby they are warned of God to prepare for it The decay of strength the decay of sense the decay of health are all forerunners of death and summon them to their end Through decay of strength the armes and hands the keepers of the house beginne to tremble Ecclesi 12.3 and the legges that are as pillars thereof do bow themselves and the help of a staffe as a third legge to rest on is sought of the aged person Zach. 8.4 and with that woodden legge at every step he goes he strikes upon the earth raps at the gate of the grave untill it be opened unto him By this weaknes death comes puts his manicles upon their hands his shackels upon their legges for remembrance of their end This weaknes is further signifyed by the ceassing of the grinders in the mill Eccles 12.3 both the upper the nether milstone which are called the life of man Deut. 24.6 These teeth fayling life begins to fayle From this weaknes the doores of the lips are shut without the sound of the grinding is low the voyce hoarse and so whether the old persons worke with
pa. 413 Meditations of Death THE FIRST PART Of the remembrance of Death CHAP. I. How God calleth men to remember Death How God is sayd to wish the efficacy of this wish a Three Songs of Moses the arguments of them to reach men their end b in Paradise man called to remember death before in after the fall c The dayes of man shortened by halves at foure severall times d Why since Moses his time they continue at a stay e The multitude of violent untimely deaths in the old world the middle world this last age of the world O That they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Deu. 32.29 O what love and tender mercies doth the blessed God declare in this affectionate speech concerning miserable man Though to speake properly God be without affections passions for whatsorver he willes in heaven or in earth that he doth that he hath Psal 115.3 1. Chro. 29. 11. he needs not wish for any thing he wants yet to shew us what we most waÌ„t what we should chiefly wish for what most pleaseth him in us he speakes as men according to their sense capacity He useth a passionate phrase of longing wishing which in propriety of speech agrees not with the Deity to shew there is an unspeakable matter in it which proper words cannot expresse to our understanding and therefore stooping downe unto us and as it were putting on our humanity speakes after the manner of men propoundes his wish to shew thereby what is principally to be wished for and what men would desire if they had the minde of God Looke what respect God shewes for the keeping of all his Commandements by wishing men had a heart to observe them alwayes Deut. 5.29 such respect he sheweth by the like wish expresseth for the remembrance of their latter end as being the way meanes to bring them to a more diligent observation of them all He sayth not simply Oh that they would thinke on their end but withall he sheweth their wisedome happines if they hearken by wishing that they vvere wise to doe it And by such an argument of comming to be accounted wise in the sight of God men he labours to draw his people even unto all obedience Deut. 4.6.7.8 Neither is the Lord content to speake once but doubling trebling his words with a loud voyce he calles them to be wise to understand to consider as if he had sayd be wise be wise be wise remember remember remember your latter end As the sheet was thrise let downe from heaven to shew the vision more plainly to imprint it more deeply in the minde of Peter Act. 10 16. so is the call of God inculcate upon Israel in this place Neither is the act onely but the object of this consideration is likewise repeated and poynted at by the finger of God with a double demonstrative even this their latter end a Three speciall Songs were written by Moses the man of God The maine argument of each of them is a remembrance of the latter end The first at the red sea entring into the wildernes shewes the latter end of their enemies both from whence they came Pharaoh the Egyptians perishing in the waters to whome they went the Canaanites others melting away for feare with the latter end of Jsrael to be planted in the mountaine of Gods inheritance Exod. 15. 1-20 And this triumphant Song was heard againe from heaven sung by them that had got the victory of the beast whereunto the remembrance of our end may bring us also to rejoyce among theÌ„ that have the harpes of God Rev. 15.1.2.3 The second Song shewes the vaine estate of all the shortnes of this present life how they hasten to their end that all might number their dayes apply their hearts to wisedome Psal 90. This is probably supposed to have bene written when Israel being come to the borders of Canaan for their murmuring were turned back againe into the wildernes till their carcasses were fallen their dayes consumed by the wrath of God Numb 13. 14. This third last was Moses Swan-song spoken written that selfe same day that he was commanded to goe up dye in the mount Nebo for his farewell when he had one foot in the wildernes an other in heaven Deu. 32.48.49 â—0 and is by many arguments commended unto us both before it was set downe Deut. 31 14-30 and in the preface Chap. 32.1.2 and after at the conclusion of it vers 46.47 And yet above all the sentences of this Song this streyne especially that calles us to the remembrance of our latter end is commeÌ„ded unto us by the most earnest wish of God himself And therefore if either the wish of God and such a wish as is made for keeping all the commandemeÌ„ts together or if the finding of true wisedome or if so many repetitions like so many knockes of the Lord upon our breast be of any regard in our eyes let us hereby conceive our owne blindenes negligence in this poynt let us awaken at this loud call and double treble our care in the remembrance of our latter end to finde that comfort which the Lord sees is to be gotten thereby b If we had no other call such a divine wish might suffice to make us remember our end And what godly heart would not answer to this call say Lord it is enough I will never ceasse to thinke of my end Yet the Lord sees it is not enough and therefore besides this his wish he calles againe an hundred wayes by his word his workes his ordinances proclaimes this lesson Remember your latter end And first of all Man was called of God even in paradise to remember his end before the fall Death was set before his eyes in the Tree of Death as well as life in the Tree of life Gen. 2.17 The first day he was called to thinke on the last day So soone as sinne was forbidden death was shewed before it was to keepe from sinne the tree of death was a visible frontlet hung before the eyes of man to preserve him in the feare of God Jf in the state of innocency a law of mortality was made and a memoriall of death was needfull before it came how much more in the state of corruption when death is come into the world walkes on every side have we need now to remember it to watch In the fall while Evah yet stood she resisted the temptation by remembring of the death that was threatned Gen. 3.3 but when the serpent insisted removed the remeÌ„braÌ„ce of death out of her minde then she fell The voyce of the serpent was Ye shall not surely dye vers 4. they remembred not their latter end came downe wonderfully So the very fall it selfe being on this manner serves for an other Call to
had he reteyned the image of God every imagination of the thoughts of his heart should have bene onely good and gracious continually without any inclination to evill or the least looking awry to any thing that might have bene displeasant in the sight of God And this image of God had bene such a beauty as the eye of man never saw in this corrupt world such a perfect beauty such a symmetry harmony of grace as that Gods owne judicious eye should have found no fault or dislike in it b And yet even this perfect beauty given at the first creation was farre inferiour and not to be compared with the glory of the world to come even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of that which excelleth 2. Cor. 3.10 The first man is of the earth earthly though made perfect yet in a lower degree of perfection the second man is the Lord from heaven As is the earthly such are they that be earthly and as is the heavenly such are they that be heavenly As we have borne the image of the earthly we shall also beare the image of the heavenly 1. Cor. 15.47.48.49 and shall be made conforme to the image of the Sonne of God Rom. 8.29 and that pleasant image of Christ is the highest degree of perfection the sweetest mirrour of beauty in heaven or earth stayning the glory of the former image The innocency of Adam was a white robe a glorious ornament unto him but the righteousnes of God in Christ is a white robe more pure precious of a finer threed of a brighter white of a more divine fashion to adorne the soule and by that righteousnes put on the Lord himselfe becomes a diademe of beauty unto his people Esa 28.5 62.3 Kings use to give gifts according to the state of kings great royall Esth 2.18 and so did the heavenly King at the first creation but the have bene no distemperature of the ayre as is felt now adayes no afflicting stormes or tempests no excesse of cold or heat but that the naked body unclothed without any paine or trouble might well have endured the same Now both the shame paine of nakednes is very great Esa 20.4 2. Sam. 10.4.5 Reu. 3.18 16.15 1. Cor. 4.11 2. Cor. 11.27 and such that men strive to cover the whole body so farre as necessity will permit the hands face being therefore excepted the face left uncovered lest the eyes should be blindfold the breath stopt the hands lest the manifold works of man in his divers callings should be hindered and yet even they also so muffled sometimes with maskes muffes mittens that with great cumber trouble they are often in the day covered uncovered covered againe to avoyd the injury of the weather A great freedome it was to have bene without care what to put on when as they needed no such exhortations as are since given to us thereabout Matth. 6.25.31 Againe the speciall forme of mans body erect upright with his face upward whereas other creatures are made with their heads hanging downward with their faces prone to the earth doth shew that man is called to fellowship with the Lord dwelling on high As the Lord when he still exhorts us to lift up our eyes looke up toward God doth in that phrase call us to communion with him to trust in him to love him to aspire unto him Psal 123.2 Esa 17.7 45.22 so when he made Adam in such a forme with his head and eyes lift up even in that manner of work the Lord called him to looke to his Creatour and to embrace him the author of all his good Besides this what are all the senses of the body but so many instruments of our communion with God or so many doores of the soule by which both the Lord enters in to shew himselfe and the soule goes out to behold him By them his praise is heard his glory is seene his goodnes gifts are tasted his sweetnes smelled yea groaped or handled of us Actes 17.27 By them both faith love feare of God is learned As by the senses of the body God communicated his goodnes with Adam so by the members of his body he was to communicate his heart with God to serve the Lord to render thanks unto him to glorify him at first could not without a change have inherited the kingdome of God 1. Cor. 15.50.51 His eyes had never seene nor could have seene that face of God which is in the light unapproachable 1. Tim. 6.16 with Exo. 33.20 If the eyes of holy men have fayled in waiting for the comforts and deliverances promised in this life Psa 119.82.123 how much more should our eyes wait our flesh long for that end where even in our flesh we shall see God so as Adam in paradise could not doe Iob. 19.26.27 Oh that the remembrance of this end were printed deeply in our hearts that it might ever be retained as the words that are written or plowed and the furrowes engraven with an yron pen filled with lead in stead of inke in the stony rocke in stead of paper all firme to endure so as Iob wished that his hope of this same glorious end might be recorded Iob. 19.23.24 c. e Looke we back againe into the old world behold how God further communicated his image with the whole person of man in that dominion lordship which he gave unto man over the earth all the creatures in it Gen. 1.28 Thereby Adam was crowned with honour and dignity set over the works of Gods hand all things being put under his feet sheepe oxen beasts of the field fowles of the aire fish of the sea Psal 8.5.6.7.8 God brought them all before Adam as it were to doe homage unto him as unto their king in signe of subjection to receive their names from him Gen. 2.19.20 Even after the fall since the rebellion of the creatures thereupon the service which they yet performe unto man is very great The oxe knowes his owner and the asse his masters crib Esa 1.3 The husbandman hath taught the strong horse to be obedient unto him to draw his plow his cart if he say goe he goeth if he say come he cometh at one word the horse goeth right forward at another he stands still and stirrs not at one word he turnes to the right hand at another he turnes to the left hand The silly sheepe are taught to know the voyce of their owne shepheard to follow him to distinguish betwixt his voyce the voyce of a stranger which they will not follow Iohn 10.3.4.5 Experience shewes how the doves are taught to carry letters for men The birds great small are tamed taught to come at the call of man evē the ravenous hawkes at the voyce and call of the faulconer The dogs are taught many