devilish fear because they feared God as a judge and they hoped in him as a Saviour they feared him and so they sued for him appealing from the tribunall of his justice to the throne of his mercie ab irato Caesare ad placatum from an offended God in the height of his justice to a pacified God in the depth of his mercies And I would have the simple ignorant people to know here that outward disturbances in fits of heavie exasperate inveterate sicknesse are not evident and infallible tokens of a totall or finall desertion for the godly patients may have inward joy glorious and unspeakable which the standers by see not And by the contrarie some who have led a lewd life without any remorse of conscience or compunction or contrition of heart may seeme to have a peaceable death and say that they are ready for their God when in the meane time their heart giveth their mouth the lie Others desire to die because of great povertie or intolerable paines or losse of goods good name friends c. But God make us not to fear death because we are assured of his favour in the pardon of our huge and manifold transgressions and imputation of Christs righteousnesse for that is only the thing which justifieth us before God Use of encouragement Then why should we fear death Agathias calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mother of tranquilitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the stayer of sicknesse Euripides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the greatest remedie of evills Aeschylus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the medicine of incurable diseases Anacreon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a deliverie from travels which after trouble giveth us rest healeth our sicknes taketh away our povertie endeth our greatest feares and cares It is the way of all flesh and it is common to kings and beggars as well to die as to be borne And one of the seven sages Thales saith that they are both indifferent But to Christians they are both profitable for Christ in life and death is advantage Philip. 1. 21. If it please the Lord we live let us employ our life well for it is a talent given to us for the use of our Master if to die what need we to fear for all these who are gone before us cry out Come come after us there is no danger in death all the hazard we incurre and jeopardie wee run into is in our lives Is not this life a continuall miserie a perpetuall tempest a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a common hostage and receptacle of all calamities and our death is an issue of these miseries the harbrie mouth leading us to the most sure haven the heaven of heavens the bridegroomes chamber 1 Object Death is most dangerous and so most fearfull because it is the way to hell from the which there is no regresse Answer To the wicked indeed it is such but to the godly it is the gate to heaven and hither you must make your progresse 2 Object It takes away my life which is so near and dear unto me Answer Upon a condition to give a better which shall never bee taken from thee 3. Object But my losses are great Answer Let me never hear that of thee againe that it is a great losse of such a mans life or that thou losest any thing in death that is an idle querimony to the which Socrates answereth O dii boni quantum lucri est emori O what great gaine is it to die for ye may leave an earthly possession for an heavenly patrimonie uncertaine goods for a certaine treasure the company of the wicked for Saints and Angels earth for heaven basenesse for glory unsufficiencie for alsufficiencie 4. Object But there are paines in death Answer There is nothing without paines and the better the thing be the greater paines but to speak properly it is the remnant of thy life that tormenteth thee and not thy death for what is it but a not being in this world for when we are death is not and when death is wee are not Now a not being hath no dolour for as when wee were not at all wee found no dolour so when we shall not bee wee shall finde none Wherefore then fearest thou the day of death for every day of thy life is a preparation to it and that last period of dayes is not properly thy death allenarly for every day contributeth to it And as the last drop emptieth not nor filleth the bottle and the last path wearieth not nor the last stroake cutteth downe all the trunke of the tree but every one helpeth another so every day we go to death and the last wee arrive at it So that it boats with us it rideth behinde us and leaveth us no more then the shadow of our bodies till at last it cut the thred of our desires and lives and take us from the world and from our selves So that we die at all houres and all moments and if we desire to live long we enjoy a languishing death victorious in many assaults So that Epictetus answered well to Hadrian demanding this question Which is the best life he answered The shortest And Solomon saith That the day of our death is better then the day of our nativitie for this is the beginning of our dolours and that is the end and our accesse to supreme happinesse for then this body shall returne to the dust and the spirit to God the giver with whom we shall enjoy a full life and our passions shall be buried and our reason enlarged and the whole man placed in his owne element the heaven his countrey from the which hee was banished Furthermore did not Cicero Seneca and before them Theophrastus Crantor Xenocrates leave rare monuments and documents against immoderate dolour in death as also against the fear thereof but thou art better taught then those that death is the very entry to that eternall day nunc stans feast Sabaoth with the Ancient of dayes and that the separation of the soule from this body is nothing but an union and communion with God And shall naughtie souldiers under their temporarie captaine hazard their mispent life at the mouth of the canon in a furious skirmish for the pennie-pay and thou not lay down this tedious life for the kingdome of heaven whereunto thou hast undoubted right by thy triumphing generall the captaine of thy salvation the Lord Jesus the Lord of Hosts 5. Object But the pangs of death are insupportable who can abide these cruell and deadly wounds Answer That same Jesus by his glorious and meritorious death hath sweetned seasoned sanctified them to thee in such fashion that they shall be unto thee like the launcet of a Chirurgion which pricketh and healeth together like worme-wood or the potion of a skilfull mediciner which is sowre but wholesome 6. Object But the feare of judgement after death maketh me afraid Answer That same Lord Jesus judge of judges thy eldest brother shall be thy
To be plaine what are we but clay in the great potters hand GOD make us pitchers of mercie and not of wrath vessels of honour and not of dishonour What are we not idle spectators but reall actors in the scene of this world and God is the great playmaster and ring-leader what ever habite or person he commandeth us to take that wee must play well Let us enact a comedie and not a tragedie for this hath a joyfull beginning but a wofull end Lord make us wise actors and not formalists temporizers verbalists hypocrites that in the last act of our lives which either is the most joyfull or the most dolefull wee may prove good solid and persevering Christians that so wee may receive the crowne of life The seconduse is of consolation Is it Gods appointment to take from us by death these whom we love in their life as our other selves such as a dutifull wife an obedient childe a kinde friend then let us say with Job chap. 1. v. 21. The Lord hath given the Lord hath taken blessed bee the name of the Lord. Let us not burst out into womanish complaints O dear father where art thou O sweet son where art thou O loving husband where art thou shall I see you no more Nor unto heathenish and comfortlesse exclamations in cursing the elements or in blaspheming their false gods thirtie thousand in number nor unto the excessive or immoderate lamentations of some Paganes as these of China who burie themselves quick with their dead nor unto the barbarous savage custome of Scythia who burie their dead in their stomacks by eating thē nor unto the vaine super fluities of Indian or Egyptiack lustrations or denicall festivities viscerations funerall playes and banquets called Silicernia invented by the old Romanes nor unto the sottish and blockish stupiditie apathie or indolence of the Stoicks who had no more sense then if they were stocks or stones and defined man to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est well wrought clay who with Epictetus thought no more of the death of their trustie and best friend then of a pitcher fallen broken upon the ground but wee ought to keepe a laudable sobriety golden mediocrity having warrant of God instinct of nature practise of Christ examples of the Saints 1. Warrant of God who commands us mourne with those that mourn for we shall be comforted Mat. 5. 4. And if he be moved in the very bowels of his compassion for the sinnes of his people how should wee bee moved for our owne sinnes which procure our death and the death of our best beloved for the Christian heart should not be a marble but a melting not a stony but a fleshie not a hardened but a contrite heart and godly sorrow is one of the passions thereof 2. Instinct of nature not only the tender hearted Pelican but the irony hearted Ostrich wil love her young ones the cruell Lyonesse the fierce Tigre the fierie Dragon the venemous Serpent Viper Basilisk will bring up and nourish their wicked broode and shall a reasonable mother forget her childe or when it is dead before her not let a tear fall or can the son here present see his loving father and compassionate mother lye cold and stiffe and not sigh sob groane weep to testifie his inward howbeit inutterable grief in such case where the eyes are dry the heart must be of stone flint adamant 3. Practice of Christ who wept over dead Lazarus he might have quickened him at the first instant yet to expresse his naturall affection hee wept but we seeing we cannot restore these two unto life let us mourne for them for fear the God of nature thinke us unnaturall who if wee shed moderate teares hee will seal them up in the bottel of mercies till at length he wipe all tears from our eyes that we may see clearly these quos praemittimus non amittimus quos non absumptura mors sed aeternitas receptura est that is whom we lose not but send before us whom death will not consume but eternitie resume as saith Ambrose So that we ought to glory in this that in them as arrha's and pledges and forerunners one part of us is already glorified 4 Examples of the Saints as of Abraham Gen. 23. 2. who mourned for his wife Sarah Of Jacob Gen. 37. 33. who mourned exceedingly for Joseph whom hee thought a wilde beast had rent in pieces Of Joseph againe Gen. 50. 1. who fell upon Jacob his fathers face and wept upon him and kissed him Of David 2 Sam. 1. who lamented with his lamentation over Saul and Jonathan Of Judah and Jerusalem with Jeremie and the singers who mourned greatly in the death of their good king Josiah which is called the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon Zech. 12. 11. Object But yee will say What may we not weep exceedingly at funerals being grounded upon that same publick example of the Israelites 2. Chron. 35. 24 I answer Indeed all occasions are not alike by reason of the divers qualities of the defunct who being all one to God to man are not so Therefore if at any time great lamentation should have place and if the nobilitie ministery commonaltie should utter their inward grief with outward gesture-of cloathes or speeches then it should be especially at the death of good godly and vertuous pr inces who because they are Gods lieutenants deputies and vicegerents and vive representations on earth God himself calleth them gods and will have them to die like men Now as in their lives and reignes we ought them for conscience sake worldly respect and civill honour so in their death we should be affected towards their happie memories as it becometh Christians because oftentimes by the sinnes of the people many princes reigne for our sins alas our sinnes they remove the light of Gods favourable countenance with the best men in church and policie who because we are not worthy of them such as Heroick kings well-affected nobles wise counsellers great officers of state inferiour judges religious prelates zealous preachers who are as so many lamping lights and beautiful stars in the right hand of Christ fixed by God in the firmament of his militant Church are often taken from us in judgement and if they be once eclipsed like the sun they breed darknes upon the horizon of this inferior world Did ye not deeply consider when that God from the heavens did frown upon us in taking away the only Solomon of our time our gracious Soveraigne King JAMES of thrice happy memory two of our speciall pieres two props of our common-wealth with two great divines two pillars of our church followed a little thereafter and yet we had greater occasion to mourn for our sinnes then for them for they were taken away that they might not see the judgements to come But not to digresse overmuch upon this discourse receive these two wholesome instructions The first is out
judge in that great day of retribution and remuneration and hee cannot but looke upon thee with compassionate eyes seeing he is flesh of thy flesh and bone of thy bones and thy cause is his cause for he is thy advocate and intercessour daily 7. Object But the paines of hell which are unspeakable universall eternall are very fearfull and much affright me Answ That same Jesus thy redeemer as he made the grave his bed so hee keeps the keyes of hell and the gates thereof cannot prevail against thee To conclude then let us all resolve couragiously to attend death laying aside all fear ever hoping that the Lord shall be with us to the end and in the end Blessed shall we be if we die in him for so we shall rest from our labours and in death celebrate three solemnities First our birth day for wee shall revive Secondly our mariage day which shall be accomplished with Christ Thirdly our triumph day for through Christ we shall triumph over the world our own flesh sinne death the grave hell the devill principalities and powers whatsoever and receive that crowne of glory So that through Christ we are more then conquerours who saith I will redeem them from death O death I will be thy death O grave I will be thy destruction Hosea chap. 13. 14. Are wee gods in Christ let us not fear death Lethum non omnia finit Propertius Death puts not a period to all things I say more death maketh us endlesse Cicero affirmeth that after death hee shall bee immortall Horace that the best part of him shall live Ovid that the best part of him shall be carried above the starres The Egyptians Brachmanes Indians Thracians Persians Macedonians Arabians Americanes and all polished nations have consented to the immortalitie of the soule But here wee surpasse them that after death and resurrection our bodies shall live for ever This is an essentiall and fundamentall point of our belief THE SUBIECT Men once to die NOw let me speak of the subject of this assertion Man once to die It is not said in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all men but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to men because indefinite propositions in matters necessary are universall The meaning is All men and women must once die Ovid Tendimus huc omnes we tend all to death and that once Horace saith very well Omnes eodem cogimur Omnes manet una nox calcanda semel via lethi This is a passage common to all and let it be so wee should live again wee must runne over the same race Catullus and Epictetus say That as our life is but one day so our death is but one night The doctrine upon the subject is this As there is nothing more certain then death so there is nothing more uncertain then the time place and manner thereof This doctrine hath two points I prove the first that there is nothing more certaine then death leaving the former reasons First from the word fatum which expresseth the nature of death so called a fando because the Lord hath spoken it his word is his work And seeing he hath uttered this sentence That all men must once die it cannot but come to passe So that there is a fatall infallible inexpugnable necessitant necessitie laid upon man once to die Man is tearmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the end of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nature perfected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a visible God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a compend of this great world and as the heavens and earth wax old and perish so he the resemblance of both must follow the patterne I confesse with Zoroaster and Trismegistus that he is an admirable piece of nature because both natures superior and inferior uncreated and created do meet in him And if these visible creatures bee as so many scales to climbe to that invisible Creator man must be one of the most curious steps of that ladder If we look within the intrals of the earth we may see there rich mines of silver gold and precious stones If we behold the face of it we shall finde there such a varietie of herbs flowers fruits trees creatures which may breed admiration in the dullest spirits And is the sea lesse admirable by reason of the flux and reflux thereof the quantitie of fishes and monsters therein nourished And is the aire any thing inferior to these two full of fowles clouds raines snow haile lightnings thunder and innumerable meteors But when wee lift up our eyes to the astonishing vault of heaven whose curtaines are spread over these enlightned with the sunne and moone and twinkling stars with their towres retowres aspects effects influences we cannot but be ravished with a more singular and divine contemplation Yet here is a greater wonder that all these things are abridged in thee O man of seven foot-length And as the world is a book in the which God may be read in capitall letters so both the world and God may by the most ignorant easilie be read in thee as in a written table seene in thee as in a clear glasse Thy flesh represents the dust thy bones the rockes thy liver the sea thy veines rivers thy breath the aire thy naturall heat the fire thy head the heavens thy eyes the stars thy joynts moving so actively sinnews stirring so nimbly senses working so quickly like the secret resorts of nature But I pray thee enter within thy inward parts so excellent thy spirit so supernatuall thy reason so divine thy appetite so infinite thy soule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the engraven image of God thou maist justly say that thou art ultimus naturae foetus the last essay and effort of nature and the theater whereupon God may be seene with mortall eyes representing the foure corners of the world thy face the east thy back the west thy right side the south thy left the north And whereas other creatures have their countenance downward towards their naturall mother the earth thine are upward toward thy spirituall father God that thou mayest raise thy self from all earthly vanitie to a serious contemplation of the divinitie wherein are placed thy unchangeable comfort thy unspeakable contentment thy unconceivable felicitie Whence I inferre this Whatsoever of us is like to the creature must die but that which hath received the indeleble character of God is perpetuall So that our souls are immortall our bodies are vassals and slaves of death in which respect wee are all said to die And that this doctrine may bee the more clear I shall prove it in the second place by way of induction Look to the vertues the stout as well as the rash or the coward the temperate as well as the untemperate or stupid the liberall as well as the prodigall or avaricious the magnificent as well as the niggard or vainglorious the magnanimous as well as the proud or pusilanimous the modest as well as the ambitious or base
pleasures for evermore How shall we then conclude but with a hopefull and eternall farewel till it please God that wee all meet together on that great day on Sion hill and go into these everlasting tabernacles of the temple of the most High in the holy citie supernall Jerusalem amongst the Hierarchies of that innumerable companie of Angels the generall assemblie and church of the first borne written in heaven by the finger of God and the bloud of the Lambe When and where they with us and we with them and the whole multitude of the militant and triumphant Church reunited under Christ the head shall bee fully and finally glorified O fooles that we are wee long with a vehement desire to see our earthly princes coronation in this earthly kingdome I pray you let us wish with an holy impatience redoubled sighes unfained groanes to be dissolved and to bee with Christ that wee may see our owne glorious coronations in that kingdome of glory For O what solemnities O what festivities O what exultations O what exclamations O what triumphs shall be there when the heavens and earth shall clap their hands for joy Why do these base minds of ours creep any more like wormes on earth and soare not with the wings of heavenly contemplation that our conversation may be in heaven Why do we not flie with the golden feathers of faith hope to embrace in the armes of our souls our gracious redeemer who is at hand stretcheth forth his powerfull hand unto us O let us lift up our heads open the everlasting gates of our souls that the king of glory may enter in and finde roome therein howbeit the heaven of heavens is not able to containe him who is the joy of the heavens the hope of the earth the light and life of the world the ease of the oppressed the comfort of the afflicted the advocate of sinners the reward of the just our only Saviour O let us set our affections upon him and behold him whose love shed abundantly in our hearts should swallow all other love who is the wisedome of God and ours before the world set as a rose of starres upon our head when others shall bee confounded Therefore bow downe the knees of your hearts with your voices your hands and eyes unto heaven saying O come thou whom our soules both love and long for Lord Jesus yea come quickly and tye us unto thy selfe by the band of perfection the coards of thy unspeakable loue Wee die wee divine after thee O sweet life O dear love Tarrie not while we are ready but take us to thy selfe and cover us with the banner of thy love and present us holy harmelesse acceptable before thine heavenly father that wee may dwell with thee and in thee eternally and through thee possesse the things which neither eye hath seen nor ear hath heard nor the heart of man was ever able to conceive Now to this Jesus our redeemer to the Father our Creator to the holy Ghost our comforter one GOD in three persons let us render from the bottome of our soules all Honour all Praise all Glory for ever and ever AMEN AMEN VIRI NOBILIS JOANNIS CRAFORD II D. KILBVRNII aeternae memoriae sacravit hoc epicedium Ninianus Campbellus SIccine Kilburni florentis stamina vitae Ante diem rupit Parca severa tuae Attamen exultas quoniam mens inscia fati Praepetibus pennis caelica templa subit Haurit ubi puros latices Nectaris uvas Caeleftis diâ vivit Ambrosiâ Ponite luctificos gestamina tristia cultus Ponite funereas vos pia turba faces Vivit quem fletis votum super omne vigetque Despectans oculis inferiora suis Non est mortalis quantum mutatur ab illo Qui colit aetherei culmina celsa poli Atque Dei vitam degit felicibus ausis Humano major nomine voce vice Idem hoc nati patris matris qui uno eodemque mense obierant Epitaphium POst natum Genitor post hunc dulcissima Mater Hoc gaudent tumulo corpora trina simul Natus praecessit Genitorem funera Mater Tertia subsequitur Mensis unus erat Felices animae quibus his excedere terris Sic datur vitâ jam potiore frui VIRI CONSULTISSIMI SCAEVOLAE SAMMARTHANI Galli memoriae sacravit hoc carmen NINIANUS CAMPBELLUS VMbrosas Heliconis inter oras Pimplaei nemoris sacros recessus Me jam Pierio calore raptum Cerno dum me ditor polire carmen Cultum nobile molle delicatum Indictum ore alio beatiori Venâ progenitum sinuque Phoebi Quo te prosequar omnibus canendum Seclis magne senex tuique dotes Vrbani genii facetioris Docti judicii politioris Aequem Sceptrigeri polo Tonantis Si fas sit numeris phaleuciorum Te laudare virum disertiorem Phoebo Mercurioque gratiisque Quem circumvolitat novena turba Longaeva Themis severa Pallas Testes aetherii tui caloris Cujus fama vigens virûm per ora Doctorum advolat aureis quadrigis Ast nobis cadis ah tuis ademptum Lumen proh dolor orbi universo Extinctum jubar aurei nitoris Ni jam stellifero polo micares Despectans humiles soli jacentis Tractus ut simul omnibus renatus Es lux fulgidior priore luce Quâ nostros oculos rapis sequaces Et totos animos sereniori Perfundis radio tui decoris Fulgens clarior hespero recenti Multò pulchrior imminente lunâ Vt diam nequeam videre lucem Quam praebes tremulis meis ocellis Et toti patriae tuae decorae Ex quâ nasceris alma fax futuri Secli gloria orbis universi Cui tu perpetuum diem reducis Aut mentis faculâ benigniori Dicatae sophiâ secretiori Sermone aut nitidam indicante mentem Cui cedunt veneres Catullianae Et limphâ liquidâ suaviores Melliti latices Terentiani Cum vis vincier aspero Cothurno Et cedunt lyrici canora plectra Et grandes numeri Maroniani Et fervens genius Lucretianus Quicquid Gallia parturit decori Quicquid Graecia protulit venusti Et quicquid Latium dedit politi Id vincis Licet invidae Caemaenae Certent ambiguam facis coronam Cunctis vatibus stupente Phoebo Cingis tempora Laureâ perenni Vt corpus jaceat licet sepultum Fatali tumulo O beate vivas Auctor maxime carminis tenelli Limati sapidi aurei politi O quantum tibi nominis paratur Dum cantaberis orbe note toto Nullis Scaevola conticende linguis Sed quò tendimus alta musa Siste Gressum Quove rapis novâ tumentem Laude aut insolito furore plenum Sustollis modo vitreo daturum Ponto nomina caetibusque centum Misces Mercurialium virorum Quos mens ardua vexit ad bicornis Montis culmina Pegasique celsos Pennis vestiit Ast apis sagacis Jnstar libo rosas amoeniores Et gratas violas Thymumque dutce Propter