calling or in omitting good duties first eyther of Pietie to God in stretching out thy hands in Prayer secondly or of charitie to man in closing them towards the poore Now keepe thy hands from doing euill and consecrate them vnto the Lord in doing good so thou shalt be blessed Esay 56.2 Exod. 32.29 If iniquitie be in thine hand put it farre away Iob 11.14 If thou hast stolne steale no more but worke with thine owne hands Ephes 4.28 Keepe them innocent and pure Psal 24.41 Shake thine hands from taking any gifts Esay 33.15 Let no blot or stain cleaue vnto them Iâ—b 31.7 Strengthen them to doe good workes Nehem. 2.18 Open thy hand to thy brother to the poore to the needy Deut. 15.11 Stretch thy hand out of the increase that God giues thee Prou. 31. And stretch out thy hands also to the Lord. Psal 143. yea in euery place lift vp thy heart with the hand to God in heauen 1 Tim. 2. Lament 3.4 So shall thy hands serue God For thy Feete if they haue declined and made haste to deceit Iob 23.11 if they carryed thee with lewd company out of the way of Gods Commandements to vanities or to vices to filthinesse or to follies to Playes or to Brothell-houses now remoue thy foote from euill Prou. 4.26 Make straight steps to thy feete Heb. 12. Refraine thy feete from the pathes of the wicked Prou. 1.15 And keepe the way of the righteous Prou. 2.20 So shalt thou serue God and keepe thy soule Prou. 16.17 Walke not in vanities Iob 31.5 nor in the counsell of the wicked Psal 1.1 but run the wayes of Gods Commandements Imploy them to carry thee to the house of God to the holy Exercises of Religion where God is serued Delight to stand in the gates of Ierusalem Psal 122.2 looking narrowly to thy foote when thou enterest into the house of God Eccles 4.17 Thus did those two good Anna's in Samuel and Luke a mother and a widdow as also good Dauid and here old Simeon rightly and religiously vse their feete in Gods seruice in visiting so frequently so constantly so zealously the house of Prayer where they met with God with Christ and with a blessing vpon their seeking and seruing God And so must thou if thou set thy selfe with thy heart and soule and strength and spirit and minde and body to serue the Lord as they did consecrating these and the rest of thy members parts and powers externall and internall to Gods seruice which that thou maist more willingly performe let these Motiues for conclusion of this Vse adde Spurres vnto thee to runne along with old Simeon to the seruice of this best Master to whom I recommend thee First thou wast created for Gods seruice as the Apostle instanceth in one sinne so I may in all the body was not made for fornication nor vncleannesse nor adultery nor drunkennesse nor for any other workes of the flesh which are recited Gal. 5.19 but for the Lord 1 Cor. 6.23 and the Lord for the body Therefore Dauid makes this an argument that wee should fall downe and worship the Lord because wee are the Sheepe of his pasture and the worke of his hands hee hath made vs not we our selues Doth any man keepe sheepe but hee will eate of the milke of the flocke and be cloathed with the wooll Doth any man build a Palace a Castle or a sumptuous house for his enemie to dwell in Did the Lord thinkest thou oh vaine man that seruest thy lusts thy pleasures the World the Diuell forme and frame this excellent Fabricke and composure of thy body more sumptuous artificiall magnificent then the Aegyptian Pyramides then Salomons Temple then all splendent and glorious buildings vnder the Sunne that are made of Lime Stone Lead Wood Glasse Mettals and the like and did infuse as it were inward proportionable furniture such an vnderstanding spirit an immortall soule into this externall structure and building of the body for the Diuell his mortall enemie to dwell in to take possession and keepe habitation by his eldest Sonne Sinne Will any earthly Monarch suffer a Traitor a Tyrant an Vsurper to intrude vpon his Territories to dwell in his fortified Cities to possesse his Crowne and vsurpe his Throne I trow not And will the King of Kings suffer it Can a meane man indure another man which means to abuse him to inioy his Table his Bed his Wife chiefely that shee to whom hee is betroathed and wedded should prostitute her selfe to his enemie And will the Lord that is as a zealous so a iealous God suffer thy spirituall whoredomes and fornications with the triple enemies of thy soule the deceiuing Flesh deluding World and destroying Diuell Will he endure his Sanctuary to be polluted his Temple abused the holy Vessels profaned Thy body is the Temple of the holy Ghost thy members called Vessels now if thou suffer this great Temple-spoyler this Dionisius the Diuell to abuse thy vessels by offering them to him by vncleannesse to pollute this Temple this body of thine by sinne he that thus destroyes the Temple of God him will God destroy as hee threatneth seuerally twise together Take heede therefore that thou suffer not any sinnes to take vp the best roomes in this earthly Tabernacle and Temple least by hardening thy heart corrupting thy conscience deprauing thy will blinding thy minde ecclipsing thy reason dulling thy memory disordering thy affections spoyling and defiling thy whole man giuing ouer that body of thine which God made for himselfe to be sinnes Brothell-house and the Diuels Play-house wherein all sinnes are acted least the Lord burne thee downe sticke and slower eyther with fire from heauen as hee did Sodome or with fire in hell as hee did Diues Prepare thy body and soule therefore betimes dresse it and sweepe and garnish it as a Chamber for Christ to keepe his Passe-ouer in that the destroying Angell may passe ouer thee vvhen hee comes in Iudgement I might adde secondly how fitly by Creation thou art made in euery part as an Organ and Instrument to Gods seruice with a body vpwards to heauen whereas all other Creatures looke low and groueling vpon the earth with eyes to looke vp to the Hils and to the heauens from whence commeth thy helpe and downe vpon the fragrant and verdant earth fit to behold how euery creature Celestiall and Sublunarie in their kinde as it were in a dumbe Oratorie tels thee there is a God and a God to be serued beginning and continuing the Quire vnto thee to sing and ring forth his prayses thy tongue fitted to speake Magnalia Dei the wonderfull workes of God and to confesse to Gods glory as Ioshuah tels Achan Iosh 7. those numerous and haynous sinnes of thine wherewith thou hast offended God more then all the vnreasonable creatures how euer the ill Angell eyther strikes thee dumbe as the good did Zachary or if thou speakest Sathan oyles the Clocke of thy tongue
away that was a suror to him Witnesse thou Salomon when thou didst pray for Wisedome thou Paul when for strength against Sathans buffets thou Ezekias and Dauid when you called for deliuerance from enemies you Israelites when you cryed in bondage thou Moses for preseruation at a dead lift thou Prodigo thou Publican thou penitent Theefe thou Manasses thou mourning Mary when you prayed and sued with teares for mercy thou Anna thou Isaack thou Zachary with thy Wife Elizabeth intreating for Children nay lastly let the experience of all Gods Seruants for this fiue thousand yeeres speake and speake thou mine owne Soule in thy young yet true experience what thou hast found and felt and declared in the great congregation if euer petition were put vp from a sorrowful soule a beleeuing and a touched heart a zealous spirit that receiued not a gracious answere in euery request concerning body or soule that concerned eyther Gods glory to giue or his seruants good to receiue For thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous thou wilt shine vpon him with the light of thy countenance and with fauour wilt crowne and compasse him as with a shield Psal 6.12 For Mirth the Lords Seruants shall reioyce and sing for ioy of heart Esay 65.14 they shall reioyce vvith ioy vnspeakeable 1 Pet. 1.8 and their ioy shall no man take from them Iohn 16.22 For Pleasures though they be not fatted with the carrion of the world like the Diuels Crowes nor taste not of this bitter Ratsbanes sweet-sower poyson of Sinne which at last stings like a Cockatrice yet they haue pure and perfect pleasures such as the worlds swine neuer tasted they are fed with hidden Manna they keepe a constant Iubilie and a perpetuall Christmas feasting Christ as feasted by him in that communion they haue with him in the Word the Sacraments Prayer c. In vvhich they are satisfied with the fatnesse of Gods House and drinke abundantly out of the riuers of his pleasures Psal 36.9 These wages with many moe are as the earnest penny and the Hirelings entring penny with vs called the Gods penny which God giues as assurance and part of greater and better payment hereafter being but a little portion and pittance of that which they shall haue hereafter but as the Prologue to the Comedie as a Beauer to a Banquet as a Mite to a mountaine of Gold as the Candle light to the Sunne For hereafter indeede is the great reward Mat. 5.12 so great so shining that as it hath dazeled the Aegles eyes of the dearest of Gods Seruants when they haue set themselues to behold it as of Augustine and others so I can but shew it you a-farre off as Moses was shewed Canaan a type of Heauen Then for the comfort of those that haue imployed their bodies and their soules in Gods seruice here to prouoke others now to sacrifice their bodies to God as is most reason as the Apostle cals it a reasonable seruice Rom. 12.1 let them know these bodies shall then be like the Angels in heauen Mat. 22.30 they shall shine as Starres Dan. 12.3 yea at the Sunne in the Kingdome of the Father Mat. 13.46 For their Soules they shall be glorious without spot or wrinckle Ephes 5.17 they shall behold the face of God in righteousnesse and haue fulnesse of ioy in Gods presence Psal 16.11 For their estate they shall be Kings and raigne with God and Priests to sing Haleluiahs vnto him Reu. 1.6 for as they haue serued Christ on earth so they shall serue him in glory Reu. 22.3 yea and they shall be Iudges to to sit vpon thrones and iudge the twelue Tribes of Israell Mat. 19.28 I could tell you further of their ioyes out of the Scripture in their eminencie excellencie fulnesse glorious greatnesse and perpetuitie Psal 36.8 Mat. 25.11 Esay 21.11 1 Cor. 2.20 how incorruptible the Crowne is how stedfast the Kingdome how constant the ioy how euerlasting the feast how secure the rest how endlesse and infinite the pleasure is which is prouided for Gods seruants after their departure out of this vaile of misery 1 Pet. 5.4 Reu. 21.6 2 Thes 3.7 Iohn 16.22 Heb. 12.28 c. with all the accruments and additions and amplifications incident to this poynt eyther in respect of the place the highest heauens or the company innumerable Angels the congregation of the first borne God the Iudge Christ the Râ—deemer Heb. 12.22 c. but I contract my sailes and leaue the rest to your search and meditation and to the spirit to make application onely desiring euery soule that is as yet a slaue to his vsurping sinnes to consider as Hell that hee gaines so the gaine that hee looseth that is Heauen thinke of it seriously and betimes least thou thinke of thy gaining losse thou getst by sinne when thou must for euer stand to the bargaine as the rich Diues did in Hell when he saw Lazarus in Abrahams bosome Luke 1.6 when his bad and base choise was repented but not redressed Lastly if these blessings here and hereafter moue thee not yet lend mee thy patience a while to peruse and ponder the curses and plagues and euils that thou shalt auoid by being Gods Seruant Many a man thou knowest is exempted from many common calamities by the countenance of some great man to whom he retaines as from being a common Souldiour in the time of warre and the like so in any common plague or iudgement the Lord knowes how to deliuer his yea though thousands fall on their right hand And surely this is a wondrous priuiledge that the Saints haue first that as God blesseth oft the wicked for their sakes as hee did Laban for Iacobs cause and Potiphar and Pharaoh for Iosephs cause his blessings being not onely vpon the houses and families but vpon whole Nations Countries and Cities for the cause of his Seruants euen as heathenish Empyres amongst the Babilonians prospered for Daniels cause and so Cyrus Artaxerxes and Darius for the cause of Ezra Nehemias and other captiue Iewes that serued the true God and the Heathenish Romanes for the persecuted Christians causes as Histories manifest and as it is a further priuiledge that God oft not onely preserues from dangers but saues from destruction sinfull Sodomitish and profane places and persons for their cause to as hee did those in the indangered ship for Pauls cause and Noahs kindred for Noahs cause and would haue spared Sodome for Abrahams and the righteous sake if they could haue beene found so it is a wonderfull prerogative to that when the Lord by the prouocation of the vnrighteous is minded to bring destruction vpon a Land or Country hee first deliuers his Seruants 1. eyther by death as hee did Iosias and good Augustine before the sacking of Hippo by the Vandales 2. Or by conueying them to some other place as he did Lot when Sodome was burned 3. Or by providing some meanes for their escape as the Arke for Noah
SEAVEN Helpes to Heauen Shewing 1. How to auoid the Curse 2. How to beare the Crosse 3. How to build the Consciencè 4. How with Moses to see Canaan 5. Simeons dying Song directing to liue holily and dye happily 6. Comforts for Christians against distresses in Life and feare of Death 7. Feruent Prayers to beare sicknesse patiently and dye preparedly The second EDITION much enlarged by Steuen Ierome late Preacher at S. Brides Seene and allowed IOB 14.14 All the dayes of my appointed time will I waite till my change come Nascentes morimur finisque ab origine pendet LONDON Printed for Roger Iackson and are to be solde at his Shop neare to the Conduit in Fleetsheete 1614. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE MY HONOVrable good Lord RALPHE Lord Eure Baron of Malton and Wytton and Lord President of his Maiesties Honourable Councell within the Principalitie of Wales and the Marches of the same all Blessings be multiplyed temporall and Graces spirituall MY Honourable good Lord it was once an Axiome in the Ethnicke Schooles that the whole life of a wise man should be a continuall meditation of Death which as it was a Principle amongst them so it was the practise not onely of the Saints and Seruants of GOD the auncient Patriarkes Primitiue Christians retyred Hermites mortified Anchorites and zealous professors of Religion but euen of the wisest and worthiest of the Heathens themselues The euidence of which will easily appeare to those that are studious in the Word diuine or conuersant in Authors Ecclesiasticall or humane Let vs reflect vpon Adam the first man as his name signifying Red earth the Command giuen him mixt with the curse of tilling the earth his Sinne the cause of the dissolution of that part which was earth his Garments made of the skins of dead Beasts cloathing his members which were like the rest of the Creatures nought but earth his Sickenesse and Distempers the fruits of his sinne and preambles of his death Gods Statute-Law that he should returne to his earth tolde him truely contrary to the Sâ—rpent and the Woman that he was a sinfull man and therefore mortall so it seemes these remembrancers not onely occasioned but caused his meditation of his death For though he called his eldest Sonne Caine or Possession yet he called his younger Sonne Abel or Vanitie as being now experienced and schooled in that misery in life and mortalitie in death which was incident to him and all his originally and actually sinning seede In this Meditation to omit Noah the worlds restorer Sem or Methushaâ—em that Prince of peace Enoch that walked with GOD with the rest Abraham the Father of faithfull men imitated Adam the Father of men who in his suite for Sodome confessed himselfe to be but dust and ashes Isaack who after the death of his Mother Sarah went out to meditate no doubt as of her death so of his owne Iacob that in his greatest crosse humiliation thinkes how his gray head should be brought to his graue and in the height of his earthly ioy and contentation speakes from the abundance of his heart of the few and euill dayes of his Pilgrimage Ioseph thaâ— amongst all his honours in Aegypt thinkes and tels of the carrying his dead bones into Canaan so the rest had their thoughts mortified from the world and fixed on their mortalitie which appeares as by other proofes so by two demonstrations in their Buildings in their Buyings The first being not seiled houses or gorgeous Pallaces like Nabuchadnezzars Babell Nimâ—ods Tower or Cyrus his House but silly Tents like Shepheards Cottages or Boothes in a Faire or Lodges in the Campes such as the Zwitzards vse ready euery instant for remouall The second being onely limited in a burying place for their dead for that is the greatest purchase that euer wee reade any of the Patriarkes made and the possessions which they most frequently mention What should I mention these Fathers that liued vnder the Law Ioshuah the sonne of Nun the Seruant of the LORD faithfull Caleb Aaron the Lords high Priest or Moses himselfe the greatest of Legall Prophets who mindefull of his mortalitie euen before the Lord tolde him as hee did Ezekias that hee should dye made that Prayer which the Fathers say the people of GOD vsed daily as a forme of Prayer pathetically inserting this Petition that God would so teach them to number their dayes that they might apply their hearts to wisedome the rest succeeding sympathizing in the like thoughts Iob wayting till his changing should come Dauid making no more reckoning of himselfe then of a Pilgrime and stranger here amongst men summoning others also to the consideration of their vncertaine condition and certaine end I might extend the line of this vnlimited practise from the Patriarkes to the Prophets from the Prophets to the Apostles Paul as oft desires as hee deliberates of his dissolution Peter counts his continuance here but as an abode in a Tabernacle Reflect backe to Christs Disciples hee no sooner speakes of the death of Lazarus but their thoughts worke vpon dying with him nay CHRIST himselfe as most frequently hee talkes and discourseth of his death in the Gospell so in that Transfiguration of his the reflection and Idea of his Glorification to strengthen his Disciples in their dying meditations hee not onely tels of his owne death when he comes from the Mount but euen in the Mount there appeares two dead men with him Moses and Elias And with the rest here old Simeon the subiect which in all obsequious dutie submisly I present to your Honour as desiring your Honourable patronizing and deseruing your holy practise euen when hee had in his armes the Lord of Life seeing Canaan with Moses and the Heauens open with Steuen to receiue his flitting soule as Abrahams bosome did Lazarus thinking of his death and dissolution to his dust hee sings that truely Cygnean and Swan-like song recorded Luke 2.29 Which Song I haue diuided into his parts and according to those talents and parts which Grace and Nature hath lent mee haue descanted vpon by Illustration Explication and Application to our secure sensuall and sinfull times wherein I haue reuealed to the world what GOD hath reuealed vnto mee by all meanes vsed speculatiue and practicall from Reading Study Meditation Conference with the Learned and Reference of the Labours of approued Authors both testimonially and exemplarily to the sacred Cannon of the Orthodoxe Truth but principally from that young yet true experience which GOD hath taught mee by obseruing as a Physitian his Patients the seuerall carriages and conditions of diuers men in their healths sicknesses liues and deaths occasioned by those frequent visitations of the sicke which by reason of my place I vsed these last yeeres in a great and populous Parish in which particulars the searcher of the heart and reynes and the intelligencer of all Spirits euen the Father of Spirits knowes that I haue not aymed at any base seruile or sinister
Iesus Christ Mors Christs mors mortis meae The death of Christ is the death of my death saith Bernard O Death I will be thy Death saith hee by the Prophet And Hierome vpon it Illius morte tâ— mortua es c. By his death thou art dead by his death wee liue thou hast deuoured and art deuoured thy selfe oh Death Death maketh dust returne to the earth as it was and the Spirit to returne to God that gaue it saith the word of God and shall not wee be glad of this Shall it grieue vs to returne to God to haue the Spirit goe from whence it came to walke with God to enter into life to goe to the Marriage of the Lambe Is the brute Oxe grieued to be vnyoaked Were Abraham Isacc and Iacob holy men or holy women euer vnwilling Wherefore if men desire naturall sleepe in regard of the good that commeth by it so doe you death and cherefully from your heart say with olde Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy Seruant depart in peace according to thy Word c. Luke 2.29 Sect. 4. The fourth Consideration Note 4 A Fourth cause making men willing without feare to sleepe naturally is that assured hope which they haue to awake and arise againe and shall not you arise from the sleepe of death why then should we shrinke more at the one then at the other wee shall rise againe for Christ our Head is risen and the Members must follow If the dead be not raised then is Christ not risen c. as you read in that singular Chapter 1 Cor. 15.20 The Sunne riseth and setteth againe the Moone waineth groweth againe Of the ashes of the olde Phoenix commeth another the leafe falleth and the sappe descendeth yet both sappe and leafe returne againe Sarahs wombe though dead yet beareth a Sonne when the Lord will so shall the resurrection be of dead bodies The hand of the Lord was vpon mee saith the Prophet and carried mee out in the Spirit of the Lord and set mee downe in the midst of the field which was full of bones And hee led me round about by them and behold there were very many in the open field and loe they were very dry And hee said vnto mee Sonne of man can these bones liue And I answered O Lord God thou knowest Againe hee said vnto mee Prophesie vpon these bones and say vnto them O yee dry bones heare the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God vnto these bones behold I will cause breath to enter into you and yee shall liue And I will lay sinewes vpon you and make flesh grow vpon you and couer you with skinne and put breath into you that yee may liue and ye shall know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded and as I prophesied there was a noyse and behold there was a shaking and the bones came together bone to his bone And when I beheld loe the sinewes and the flesh grew vpon them and aboue the skinne couered them but there was no breath in them Then said hee vnto mee Prophesie vnto the wind prophesie sonne of man and say to the winde Thus saith the Lord God Come from the foure windes O breath and breathe vpon these slaine that they may liue So I prophesied as hee had commanded mee and the breath came into them and they liued and stood vp vpon their feet an exceeding great armie Such another excellent place is that in the Apocalypse And I saw a great white throne and one that sate on it from whose face fled away both the earth and the heauen and their place was no more found And I saw the dead both great and small stand before God and the Bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the Booke of life and the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the Bookes according to their workes And the Sea gaue vp her dead which were in her and Death and Hell deliuered vp the dead which were in them and they were iudged euery man according to their workes Thus you see that as from our naturall sleepe so from death wee shall awake againe and therefore no cause to feare the one more then the other Resurrectio mortuorum spes Christianorum The Resurrection of the dead is the hope of the Christians Faith So Tertullian meaning their ioyfull hope that wipeth away all teares and vnwillingnesse to dye Credo Resurrectionem carnis I beleeue the resurrection of the body and life euerlasting Therefore care away Though I dye yet I dye not but onely sleepe in my Graue as in my Chamber till my GOD send his Angels to awake me with his Trumpet that I may enter into ioy that nâ—uer shall haue an end till which time I rest free from all sorrow and paine not troubled with any of the worlds woes but as a man in his bed fast asleepe most free from all offences and vexations Yea euen the selfe same body shall arise to our vnspeakable comforts teach the Scriptures Iob 19.25 Iohn 5.29 1 Cor. 15.42.43 and many other places euen as Christs body arose the same that it was before the same eyes mouth feet hands c. Dixeâ—â—nt tactis corproibus c. They said saith Tertullian of auncient Christians touching or laying their hands vpon the bodies wee beleeue the resurrection of this body this body that I touch and lay my hands vpon for the goodnesse of God will giue glory to that body that hath giuen glory to him the selfe-same eye the selfe-same mouth the selfe-same eare feet hands c. What an encouragement is this to doe well if you marke it and what an argument to make vs willing to dye being assured of this as weare Sect. 5. The last Consideration The bodyes freedome and the soules Glorification Note 5 THE fift and last cause that maketh vs willing to goe to our naturall rest without feare muttering or any discontent is the chearefulnesse and liuelinesse of body and minde that vseth to follow after sleepe both to body and minde being refreshed thereby so greatly let the same cause make vs willing to dye for there is no comparison betweene the comfort and refreshing that naturall sleepe worketh and that which followeth after death when Christ shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body according to the working whereby hee is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe when this corruptible hath put on incorruption and this mortall hath put on immortalitie If that small glimpse which the Disciples saw made them wish for three Tabernacles and an eternall being there Mat. 17.4 O how shall the whole glory of heauen and heauens blisse rauish vs and make vs glad that wee haue attained to it O no such refreshing can come from our earthly beds and naturall sleepe here Wherefore with ioy let vs welcome the houre
of death and blesse God for it tenne thousand times following the foot-steps of worthy Fathers and Saints in the Church whose feeling of this point God hath directed them to leaue behinde them in their writings O tu vita quam praeparauit Dexs ijs qui diligunt eum vita vitalis vita beata vita secura vita tranquilla c. O thou life saith Augustine prepared of God for them that loue him thou liuing life thou blessed life thou secure life thou quiet life thou beautifull life thou life that knowest no death thou life that knowest no sadnesse thou life without blot without sorrow without care without corruption without perturbation without any varietie or change Would God that laying aside this burthen of my flesh I might enter into thy ioyes O quam fortunatus ero si audiuero c. O how happy shall I be if I might heare those sweet Songs of thy Citizens and those honey sweet verses but O more happy if I my selfe may finde grace and fauour to sing a song vnto the Lord Iesus Christ of the sweet Songs of Sion O verè foelices qui de Pilago c. O truely happy they that come out of the Sea of the World to the Hauen of Heauen out of Banishment to their owne Country and out of a foule Prison to a glorious Palace O Coelestis domus luminosa ad te suspirat c. O Heauenly House full of glorious light to thee tendeth my pilgrimage that he may possesse mee in thee that made both mee and thee Inter Brachia Seruatoris mei viuere volo mori cupio In the Armes of my Sauiour I wish to liue and desire to dye Many such feeling speeches I could repeate from the auncient militant warriours in this mortalitie whom we call Fathers when they went to the Father of Spirits shewing how farre they were from any vnwillingnesse to die which if wee make vse of as wee ought assuredly they will vvorke in vs through the blessing of God the same effect To shut vp this the godly cry come Lord Iesus come quickely Now they are in the world then they shall come to their owne now they are in the skirmish then shall they be in their victory now in the tempestuous Sea then in the quiet Hauen now in the heate of the day then in rest and coole euening now in place absent from Christ then with him following wheresoeuer hee goeth Now their life is hid with Christ but then shall they appeare with him in glory and that glory for euer and euer without change or end 1 Iohn 4.2 Comforts against the feare of Death by which the Christian Soule may be made willing to her Dissâ—lution CHAP. V. THE feare of death is not one of the least temptations to a weake Christian for Death is not onely fearefull to a naturall man whose hope is in this world being in it owne nature the most terrible of all terribles as Heathen men haue tearmed it for which cause wicked men are agast at the apprehension of it as appeares in the example of Bâ—ltazar of Hamon and others being as vnwilling to dye as the Beare vnto the Stake and the Swine vnto the Shambles but euen the godly themselues haue some combats and conflicts in this kinde as had our Sauiour Christ himselfe Ezekias and Dauid c. by reason that Nature abhorres her owne abolishion and feares the dissolution of the soule and body which are naturally as vnwilling to be seuered and sundered as two friends that haue beene borne and bred and brought vp together are loath to depart and to take their long leaue eyther of other therefore to make that easie and facile vnto thee which of it selfe is harsh and difficult that thou maist submit thy selfe willingly to that which all flesh haue vndergone and must vndergoe of necessitie Arme Grace against Nature and the Spirit against the Flesh with these comfortable considerations 1 Consider that by corporall death God onely cals againe for that soule which at the first hee created and infused into the body to informe and animate it and that this Soule of thine flits not out of her terrestriall tabernacle by chance or hap-hazard or casualtie or fortune or by the Climactericall yeere the reuolution of seauens and nines or by the position of the Heauens or course of the Starres or by thy disease or sicknesse occasioned by bad dyet superfluities of meates or drinkes ouer-great heates or taking of cold or the like accidents which are but meere instruments of thy mortalitie but looke at the superiour Agent GOD himselfe who hath now determined and disposed thy death Hab. 9.27 who hath numbred thy dayes and appointed thy limits who turnes thy dust into his dust Gen. 3.19 thou being a Sonne of Adam and cals for thy Spirit to returne to him that gaue it Psal 90.3 Eccles 12.7 And therefore seeing it is the Lord that cals be thou as willing to sleepe with thy Fathers as Samuel was to awake out of his naturall sleepe at Gods call 1 Sam. 3.10 Thinke that thy Soule is giuen vnto thee as a precious pledge to be safely kept and therefore grudge not to returne thy holy pawne to God the chiefe owner when hee requires it but commit it to him as into the hands of a faithfull Creator and louing Redeemer Why should the Tenant at will stand out with his Land-lord for an old rotten Cottage when he would remoue him to a better Mansion why should the Souldier be refractorie to leaue his station and place to be otherwaies disposed of by his Generall and Commander Now thou art here but a Tenant at will thou hast no fee-simple of thy life thou art a war-faring Souldier professed in Baptisme therefore like the Centurions Souldiers be willing to goe when thy Captaine bids thee goe Mat. 8.9 2 Let this comfort thee that thy sinnes the cause of thy death is taken away by the Messias Christ in whom thou beleeuest by whom thy sinnes being pardoned thou art blessed Psal 32.1 his death being the death of Sin and the conquest of Hell Hos 13. 1 Cor. 15. And therefore comfort thy selfe with Dauids holy Meditations encouraging thy soule to returne vnto her rest because the Lord hath beene bountifull vnto thee since he hath deliuered thy Soule from death euen the second death thine eyes from teares and thy feete from falling and since thou shalt walke before the Lord euen with the foure and twentie Elders in long white roabes in the Land of the liuing Psal 116.7.8.9 For all thy bitter griefe in corporall death which yet is sweetened to the Elect the Lord will deliuer thy soule from the pit of corruption for hee hath cast all thy sinnes behinde his backe as hee did Ezekiahs Esay 38.17 And therefore as there is no danger in handling an Adder or Viper or any other Serpent when her sting is taken away so there is no perill in Death since Sinne which is
repentance Dan. 4.24 Turne to the Lord with all thine heart in fasting weeping and mourning Ioel 2.12 Turne from the wickednesse thou hast committed with the Niniuites Ionah 3.7.8 Wash thee and make thee cleane Esay 1.16 Cleanse thy heart from euill thoughts Ier. 4.14 Leaue thy formalitie in Religion and worship the Lord in truth and spirit Iohn 4.24 Get faith and learne to liue by faith Hab. 2.4 and to dye by faith Be a Nathaniel in thy dealings with men let thy heart be vpright as thy hand Ioh. 1.47 Remember the poore and needy then the Lord will remember thee in the day of thy sicknesse Christ will visite thee as hee did Iairus Daughter and Peters wiues Mother he shall be thy Physitian when the simples of Nature and the arme of Flesh faile his Angels shall pitch their tents about thee and carry thy flitting soule as they did Lazarus his into the seates of the blessed Make vse of this and the LORD giue thee vnderstanding in all things 16 As the examples of the Saints of God that hauing liued conscionably and dyed comfortably must comfort thee in this houre so their willingnesse to dye must encourage thee willingly to drinke of that cup which the Lord offers thee without resisting or relucting Looke vpon old Simeon singing that Swan-like song prophecying his death Lord now leâ—tâ—st thou thy Seruant depart in peace Luke 2.29 But especially of Saint Paul vveary of this mortalitie desirouâ— to be disburdened of the burthen of his corruptions to be deliuered from the body of sinne Rom. 7. to be present with the Lord to be dissolued and to be with CHRIST 2 Cor. 5. Phil. 1. But the best president that wee haue in life and death as the best comfort is the practise of Christ who although hee feared death as man desiring conditionally the passing of that bitter cup yet neuerthelesse wee shall see in him a great alacritie chearefulnesse propensitie and willingnesse to dye for besides his often conference with his Disciples about his death the frequent nomination of it vpon all occasions which shewes how vehemently hee was affected towards it the tongue speaking from the hearts abundance all his words and acts declare it for to shew his desire to dye hee counts it but a Baptisme or as it were a sprinkling of cooling water Mat. 20.22 nay it is meate and drinke to him to doe his Fathers will which was that hee should dye hee counts it a Iourney to goe which hee was willing to vnder-goe nay hee was euen payned vntill it was past when it came to the push that his houre was come hee seekes death as it seekes him hee goes forth to meete and welcome it as his friend as Abraham and Lot to meete and entertaine the Angels hee offers himselfe to the instruments of his death his backe to the smiters and finally his soule is not taken from him compulsorie but as hee commended it so hee resigned and gaue it vp to his Father willingly hee gaue vp the ghost hauing power to lay downe his life sending out his spirit as Noah did the Doue out of the Arke which after three dayes returned againe to quicken the body from heauen from whence also Lazarus his soule returned after foure dayes Now apply this to thine owne particular art not thou a Christian so denominated of CHRIST then euery one of Christs actions ought to be thy instruction chiefely in his death all whose dying gestures are worthy to be writ in thy heart in letters of Gold Did hee then vnder-goe such an extraordinary vnnaturall painefull shamefull cursed death the worst that euer was for therefore Christ dyed the worst death that euer was both for the ignominie of it and the exquisite tortures in it that a Christian should not feare any death since euery death is sanctified vnto him in the death of Christ Did Christ not onely indure his pangs and paines in death so patiently as a Lambe before the shearer but was euen desirous of this bitter pill for the ioy that was set before him and the loue hee bore to redeeme thy enthralled soule and art thou scrupulous and timerous of a naturall and an ordinary passage from life to life through this dead Sea Wilt thou mutter and murmure and shew thy selfe refractory to come to the Kings Court when thou art so gently summoned by such a sweet messenger as a lingring sickenesse Hast thou so little longing to goe to him by the rupture of a weake thread of life who was so desirous to come to thee from heauen to earth from the earth to the Crosse from the Crosse to the Graue euen through a red Sea of blood thorow Pikes and Speares and nayles and thornes being dieted in this his bloody march with the bread of affliction and the water of teares with gall vinegar oh hast thou so little delight in him so little desire towards him so small liking of him so little loue to him that thou list not step ouer the narrow bridge of this life to meete him to greete him and to inioy him Expostulate with thy soule how it comes to be so dull so dead so lumpish so leaden how it is that thou professest thy selfe to be a Spouse of Christ a member of Christ a branch of Christ which thou must beleeue and professe if thou hast any part in him and yet hast no desire to put off the outward mantle of this bodies couering to be inseparably imbraced in the armes of this Bridegroome not to leane with Iohn but for euer to rest in his bosome to be ioyned to thy Head to be fixed in this vnion But if Christs loue and desire to dye and to dye for thee be too high a pitch for thee to soare to which yet ought to be aymed at yet imitate the desires and the patience of the Saints in this kinde so farre as the Apostle speakes of himselfe as they imitate Christ for as the examples of the wicked are recorded for our detestation 1 Cor. 6.10 so the examples of the godly are written for our comfort and consolation Rom. 15.4 You haue heard saith Iames of the patience of Iob and what end God made with him You haue heard of the desires of Paul and Simeon of the graces that appeared in Dauid Iacob Steuen c. Ambrose Augustine c. Caluin Luther c. and vvhat ends they made vvith God Then thou vsing the same meanes that they did euen Faith and Repentance why shouldest thou demurre or be vnwilling to goe that Iourney vvhich they haue gone 17 Yet if examples and presidents of others as of Christ and Christians set not an edge on thy desires to dye yet let the mutabilitie breuitie and vncertaintie of life with the certaintie of death cause thee to make a vertue of necessitie as Esay said from God to Ezâ—kias thou must dye and as God to Moses thou
death is most welcome that changeth his Mâ—ra to Naomi his bitternesse into beauty which deliuers him from dangers and dolours as the Angell did Lot from the fire and the three Children from the flames and Daniel from the Lions death like Zerobabel deliuers the Lords Israel out of Babilon Zach. 4.6 therefore death must needs be welcomed like a day of deliuerance a yeere of Iubilie which brings Ioseph out of Prison Iacob out of seruitude and Iob from the dung-hill Mors enim malâ—râ—m remedium portus humanis tempestaâ—ibus Plutarch de consol ad Apol. Fourthly in respect of their sinnes which cleaue so fast on which they cannot shake off Sinne with which they are at opposition and deadly feud dogs them at the heeles like a Serieant waytes on them like a Catchpole insinuates into them like a claw-backe creepes into their bosomes as a Serpent stings them at the heart like an Adder followes them as their shadow stickes close to them like their shirt vpon their skinne their skinne vpon their flesh and their flesh vpon their bones insomuch that it burnes and frets them as Dianiraes poysoned shirt did Hercules and as the Ticke vexeth the Oxe which makes them crye out in the anguish of their soules vvith Paul and the faithfull Rom. 7. Oâ— miserable man that I am who shall deliuer mee from this body of sinne They complaine of the strife of the Flesh and the Spirit as Rebeccah of the strugling betwixt Iacob and Esau Now death comes and rescues and makes thy baile and playes the Mid-wife and ends the broyle therefore welcome to the well disposed Fiftly they are here Pilgrimes and strangers 1 Pet. 2.11 as was Dauid and the rest in their ages they are here exuls and banished men as Children put forth to nurse from their Mothers as Schollers and Pupils sent to forraine Schooles and to farre Vniuersities and therefore their returning home to their owne Country their restitution to their prouided Kingdome their fetching home to their Father and friends their retyring to their Fathers house though it be through the shadow of death must needes be acceptable Sixtly they know that the day of their death is better then the day of life Eccles 7.3 because they dye prepared their soules purged their hearts by Faith purified As they haue entered into the first degree of eternall life in this life when they beleeued and receiued the gifts of the Spirit the earnest of their Saluation so they enter into the second degree in death when their soules are carryed into heauen and they dye in assurance of the third degree when body and soule shall be re-vnited to participate of happinesse as they haue liued together in holinesse Seauenthly they dye as with a desire so in an expectation to see and behold the face of Christ of which with Steuen they haue some glimmering in their deaths and therefore death to the godly so farre as regeneration rules is no more burthensome then the stripping off the cloathes vnto a louing Spouse to goe into the Marriage-bed of her contracted Bridegrome Hos 2.19 Eightly they haue kept a good Conscience with God and man like Paul Acts 24. And therefore they feare not iudgement no more then a true man feares to looke the Iudge in the face Ninthly wherein they haue offended God they haue their sinnes remitted and therefore feare not to hold vp their hand at the barre since they are quit before by Proclamation of all the promises in the Gospell and haue the Kings Pardon sealed them in the Sacraments Tenthly they haue oft in life invred themselues to thinke speake record and meditate of death euen as did Christ their head and his Seruants Iacob Moses and Paul as appeares in the Word and therefore Deaths dart foreseene wounds them lesse being fore-warned of it they are fore-armed for it Euen as the Souldier that hath beene long trayned and in many skirmishes is more couragious in the maine Battell and as hee that hath long exercised himselfe in foyles is more hardy to fight with sharpe so the petty conflicts that the godly haue had in their owne breasts vvith Deaths feare make them more hardy to encounter Deaths force Eleuenthly they entertaine it as a reward for their worke as a rest from their labour as willingly as the hired labourer receiues his hire and reposeth his wearied limbes Dan 12. Esay 57.2 Twelfthly they are perswaded and haue their Faith grounded in an happy and blessed change they expect a Metamorphosis and an alteration a comfortable transmutation of Earth for Heauen of the Sea for the Hauen of Griefe for Glory of the outward Court for the Sanctum Sanctorum of a Mortall for an Immortall body of Enon for Salem Sodome for Segor Aegypt for Canaan the Wildernesse of Sin for the Land of Promise of a House of day terrestriall for a House celestiall aboue the Clouds 2 Cor. 5.1 And therefore they are as willing to make this exchange as a poore begger would be to exchange his poore rags for some Princes robes or some poore man to leaue his smoaky rainy Cottage for a pompous Pauilion and decked Chamber in the Court. To reape the Vintage of this discourse the vse to vs is first of examination in that it is an argument of a good man to be willing to dye as here was Simeon Lay thou thy hand on thine heart and search in thy soule what propensitie and disposition thou findest in thy selfe to dye Many arguments there are in the Word and tryals both of a holy and a happy man both affirmatiue in shewing what hee doth and negatiue in shewing what he auoids Dauid points at him in the first Psalme as also in the 32. Psalme verse 1.2 as also in the 15. Psalme So doth our Sauiour Christ in the first eight Verses of the fift of Mathew So the Apostle Paul in the 2. of Cor. ch 7. ver 11. with other such places as namely delighting in the Word meeknesse mourning for sinne hunger after righteousnesse c. care to please God Feare Zâ—ale Indignation against sinne not letting Mony to Vsury and the like yet sure there is no greater euidence of an honest and holy heart then so to walke vprightly with God in life as alwayes to be willing to imbrace the strictest Summons of death to be as ready to depart out of this world as the Israelites were to depart out of Aegypt Againe it is most vsually a note of a soule eyther altogether soyled in corruption or indued with a smaller measure of Sanctification to be violently possessed with a continuated feare of death and therefore in this particular finde out thy selfe and trye in what case thou standest for the more vnwilling thou art to dye commonly the more Nature rules in thee the more earthly fleshly and carnall thou art the more willing commonly the more Grace raignes the more thou art holy heauenly and spirituall in
when the World was drowned 4. Or by sauing them by his immediate Power and Mercy as hee did Moses and the Israelites vvhen the wicked were drowned euen Pharaoh and all the Aegyptians 5. Or when his owne Seruants are by men appointed to the sword hee rescues them with their enemies whom he sets in their stead as he rescued Ester Mordechai the Iewes Daniel and the three Children when wicked Haman and others their accusers in their roomes satisfied the Gallowes the flaming fire the mouthes of the Lyons c. sauing the Corne and burning the Tares 6. Or if his Seruants fall into the same temporall punishments with others as Ionathan that was slaine with Saul and good Zwinglius that dyed in battell which is vsuall yet euen thereby the righteous are brought nearer heauen and the more violent their death is the sooner they are in ioy vvhen the godlesse shall be throwne downe to Hell euen as with the same Flaâ—le is beaten chaffe to be burnt and pure Corne to be preserued I could draw out these Motiues ad infinitum and from the Estates and Excellencies and Priuiledges of Gods Seruants in these and other peculiars in which thou hast no part nor portion so I might if the point were not too tedious and burthensome to thy memory presse thee as much on the left side from the consideration of thy fearefull estate in the case wherein thou standest being as thine owne heart tels thee the seruant to many a reigning and ruling sinne and so consequently no seruant of God vnlesse like the wicked Seruant the false Steward and traiterous Iudas thy deserts being a Halter and Hell For as Christ said it of Couetousnesse so I say from Christs ground Mat. 6.24 thou canst not serue God and Mammon God and the World God and the Diuell God and thy Belly God and thy Bagges with the Vsurer God and Herodias God and Rimmon God and Baal Christ and Antichrist God and Babels beast God and the Pope no more then one man can serue two Masters no more then one Riuer by one streame can runne two wayes at once no more then one man can moue vpwards and downewards at one time no more then one woman can loue lawfully the bed of her Husband and the bosome of a stranger or one man his owne Wife and the body of an Harlot For God and Sinne are opposed ex diametro and will no more mixe then oyle and water nay then fire and water then Heauen and Hell Now then being a Seruant to sinne thou consequently art none of Gods Seruant for his seruant thou art to whom thou obeyest yea if it be of sinne vnto death Rom. 6.16 and so by an immediate dependance and relation thou art the slaue of him that is the basest slaue in the world that is the Diuell for hee that commits sinne is his 1 Iohn 3. vvho was the first and still continues the author of sinne of lyes murthers blasphemies and the like Now then see thy danger as hee causeth thee to lye as hee did Ananias and Saphira Acts 5. and to sweare as hee did Senacharib and to commit Adultery as hee did Herod with other sinnes as he did Dauid and Peter when hee sifted tempted and rose vp against them So so long as thou liuest in sinne hee is entered into thee as into Iudas Iohn 13.27 and doth possesse thee thou art in his power Acts 28.18 He rules thee as the Horse-man doth the Horse hee hath thee as a Beare by the snout as a Dogge in a chaine thou mouest after his motion oh thy fearefull subieiection Thou art vnder the most deceitfull Master the most deluding Laban in the world who for delight that hee pretends thee will pay thee damnation that bee intends thee as hee hath done to Laban himselfe Caine Esau Iudas and all that haue serued him Besides thou art vnder the most massecrating mercilesse tyrant in the world Phalaris Busiris Nero Dionisius Pharaoh with all their buls and their burnings and their burthens of his inuention as our Papists Powder-plot was were mercifull men in respect of him for he layes the heauiest burthen in the world vpon thee euen that which prest himselfe out of Heauen into Hell pusht Adam out of Paradise and prest Christ himselfe vpon the Crosse and that is Sinne. And after thou hast laid downe this bruitish body of thine in the dust hee hath prepared intollerable and eternall burnings for thee in his owne Territories whose fires the burthen of thy sinnes must kindle and maintaine and the Riuer of Gods wrath increase and make more violent Oh therefore betimes cast off this more then Aegyptian yoke forsake the seruice of thy old sophisticating Master Sathan and serue thy new and liuing Master Christ Iesus so shalt thou not onely auoid those plagues temporall and externall which are threatned to those that disobey God Exod. 23.33 Deut. 7.4 Deut. 28. Deut. 29.45.46.47 c. Esay 1. Psal 7. c. which I pray thee ponder at leasure as also those eternall hereafter But thou shall be partaker of all those blessings and bounties which God hath reuealed and prepared for those that serue him I thought to haue added another vse namely as the matter so to haue prescribed the manner and forme of Gods seruice with the parts of it vvith those seuerall carriages that those must vse for their actions their affections their speech and words at home and abroad what vse to make of all their time with their seuerall stints and taskes in the performance of seuerall and successiue sacrifices and seruices But I will not dull the Reader by this prolixe point I referre thee vnto some of my Brethren that haue writ well and worthily of it as Mr. Rogers his Christian Directorie Mr. D. Hill in his Tract how to liue well by way of Questions and Answeres Mr. Cooper his Christian Sacrifice which I wish not onely in the hands but vvrit in the hearts of all that intend Gods seruice and their owne saluation His desired Dismission In this word Depart THE fift part according to our Texts first diuision now comes into our examination and that is Simeons Departure or Dismission the Latine compriseth this and that which wee called the Diuine Permission in one word Nunc dimittis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nunc est tempus vt dimittas c. è vinculis corporis as Piscator renders it Lord now it is time that thou vnloose mee from the bonds of the body from which reading which I thinke warrantable and naturall these Poynts arise First that euen the Lords Simeons godly men and so consequently all men must dye for the matter of death Secondly that death is onely to man a dissolution for the nature and manner of death Thirdly that this life is but a short life out of which wee are euery day ready to depart like him that is about to take his leaue of his visited friends Fourthly that this life is but a
deliuer others from death could they free themselues Besides where are now more then two hundrâ—d of Romaine Bishops and triple Mitred Popes some of whose roaring Buls made once all Christendome quake and shake Where are now the twelue Gregories the nine Bonifaces eight nocently Innocents the seauen Clements the sixe Alexanders sixe Vrbans sixe Adrians twelue Benidicts the fiue Celestines the fiue Nicholasses the foure Sixtusses the foure Sergij the foure Anastaâ—ij the foure Foelixes the foure Eugenij the three Siluesters the three Victors the three Lucij the three Iulij's with the rest Doe they not all know now that which some of them Atheistically in words in writings and in life haue denyed that their bodies were mortall their soules immortall that there is a Heauen for the godly a Hell for the vvicked but no Purgatory passage to eyther the one place or other for eyther sort Besides where shall wee seâ—ke but amongst the dead for all the Romane Caesars the Aegyptian Ptolomies the Latine Murrhanes the Albane Siluies the Syrian Antiochusses the Arabian Arabarcques the Argiue Abantiades the Persian Achaminedes the Theban Labdacides the Lybian Lybiarcques and all the rest of those renowned Kings which had such diuers denominations from their worthy Predecessors and from those Countries ouer which they ruled Nay to come nearer home where are all our English Kings that haue awfully swayed the Brittaine Scepter since the Conquest Where are the two Conquering couragious Williams our three Richards our sixe Edwards our eight Henries Hath not Death made a Conquest of them Haue we any remnants of them sauing their Westminster Monuments their Ensignes their Vertues Could their Scepters Crownes Coulours Honours Miters Power or pompe of these Potentates resist Deaths all-subduing all-subiecting rod which brings vnder moe then Mercuries charming wand in the Poet No verily Non ducis imperium non regia Mitra coronae Pontificis summi c. Both conquering Dukes and Princely Crownes The mitred Popes proud Cardinals Imperiall Scepters Prelates Gownes Death vassalizeth and inthrals So if wee should continue in this Quere and demand what is become of all those worthy Generals Ioshuah Gideon c. Achilles Hector Aiax Melciades the Gracchies Camillies Fabians Asdrubal Hannibal c. Or those tryumphing Conquerours Cyrus Alexander Scylla Marius Cassius Scipio Metellius Valerius Pompey Caesars Antonie Octauian Claudian Aurelius Death hath carryed them in tryumph as they others Abstulit c. For speedy Death stopt stout Achilles breath So where are those huge and vast Gyants the Sonnes of Anack the Nimrods of the world Tipheus Anteus Enceladus Titius Polypheme Atlas Hercules Cacus Orestes c. as terrible in their times as Goliah was to the Israelites Now it is a wonder no terrour to see their ashes and their bones now fearefull Hares leape ouer dead Lyons as the Grecians scoft at dead Hector So if wee should reflexe vpon these learned Lights and Lampes in Diuinitie or Humane Learning the Fathers of the Greeke and Latine Church graue Tertullian learned Origen wittie Bernard eloquent Chrysostome zealous Augustine iudicious Ierome and the rest Or vpon these wise Heathens deepe Philosophers Aristippus Empedocles Democles Zenocrates Anaxagoras Pithagoras Diogenes Socrates Plato Aristotle the seauen Grecian Sages c. Or vpon these famous Orators Pericles Isocrates Alcibiades Gorgias Pollio Lucius Crassus Zenophon Hortensius Demosthenes Cato Cicero Quintillian Or vpon these Laureate Poets Eschilus Pindar Euripides Aristarchus Hesiod Menander Simonides Sophocles Anacraeon Eunius Statius Persius Claudian Varro Plautus Lucan Homer Terence Ouid Virgil c. Or vpon these famous Legifers and Law-giuers Mercurie amongst the Aegyptians Licurgus amongst the Lacedemonians Solon amongst the Athenians Numa amongst the Romanes as also vpon Androdamus Philolaus Beceorus Carneades c. Or vpon these profound and famous Lawyers Vlpian Iason Drusus Bartolus Baldus Iustinian Dâ—cius Or vpon these expert Physitians Hermogenes Disippus Celsus Nicomachus Eschulapius Hippocrates Auicen Galen c. Skilfull Astronomers Astrologers and deepe Mathematicians Thales Manethes Promethius Eudosius Protagoras Berosus Archites Zoroaster Ptolomie Anaximander c. Or subtill Geometricians Polemon Pausanius Marinus Theodorus Diâ—aearchus Nicephorus Euclides Or these accurate and faithfull Historiographers Thucidides Iosephus Herodotus Diodorus Egisippus Isodore Eutropius Liuie Salust Plutarch Appian Plinie Suetonius â—'ossiâ—onius Orosius Eusebius Tacitus Iustin c. Or these exquisite Musitians Zenophocles Himenaeus Amphion Chiron Arion Linus Philades Orpheus c. Or these famous Painters and Caruers Timantes Aristarchus Timagoras Pirasius Zeuxis Apelles Phidias our English Michael and Raphael with infinite moe of worthy spirits eyther inuenters or perfecters of Arts and Sciences whether Liberall or Mechanicall such as haue beene Eupaters well-willers and Benefactors to humane Societies which Antiquitie hath dignified liuing as more then men accounting them as Heroes and Semidians and Deified as Gods are they not all dead like men Haue they not gone the way of all flesh as Dauid saith of himselfe 2 King 2. Yea though some of them were Metaphoricall and terrestiall Gods as Dauid prophesieth of all Princes they are dead like men their honour is laid in the dust an Epitaph writ vpon a marble stone a Monument or Statue erected to them or for them an Enchomiasticque Verse in the numericall lines of some Poet or a narration vvhat they haue beene or what they haue done good or euill in the workes of some Historian is all which is left of them euen as a linnen shirt was that remained of that victorious Saladine yea these whom wee haue deseruedly called worthy spirits as Alexander Tamberlaine Iulius Caesar Prince Arthur in former times as also the rest of those nine Worthies amongst the Heathens and those other nine amongst Christians in former times as also that Noble Sidney that ingenious Picus Mirandula that subtill Scaliger in our times haue now their earthly tabernacles the lodges and organs of such purified spirits and heauenly inspired soules dissolued their bodies descending as their better part ascending and so it shall be with vs and with all of vs. Tendimus huc omnes â—etam properamus ad vnam c. Th' Earth is our common Hauen thither saile we Deaths bonds to breake alas how small preuaile we That which was said to Adam is said to euery one of vs Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne Gen. 3.19 Michael Glyeas amplifies it thus as hee is alledged by Bramamiâ—lerus the Germane Puluis es ex puluere es c. Dust thou art of dust thou art and into dust thou shalt returne As if one should say of the congealed Ice Aqua es ex aqua es in aquam redibâ— water thou art of water thou art and into water thou shalt be resolued for the Ice is an excellent embleme of our bodies which are more brittle then Ice Neyther is it any otherwayes vvith our terrestriall bodies in some proportion then with the celestiall For as all the Starres how euer glistering and glorious
prayed for peace and righteousnesse all his dayes so there may be peace to thy soule after thy dayes Oh make vse of that precious time that is allotted thee take it by the fore-top it is bald behinde Goe to the Pismire thou sluggard learne of the Beasts the Ant sees it will not alway be Summer the Crane and Storke thinke it will be another season the Birds take the Spring prime to build their nests store thou vp faith with her fruits chiefely Repentance from dead workes Now beginne Ars longa vita breuis Life is short but the Art of well liuing and well dying which is the Art of Arts euen that vvhich the best Master taught in the best Chaire Christ vpon the Crosse that is long therefore Nulla dies sine linea Euery day learne some line take out some lesson in this Art sing not out thy time here with the foolish Grashopper loyter not with the idle men of Belial least thou incurre Christs checke play not the fat bellyed Monke and Epicurish Abbey-lubber least thou smart for it as the Cloysterers once did in this Land in the day of the Lords visitation Learne to liue the life of grace that thy death may be gracious and precious in the sight of GOD as one of his Saints that so thou maist dye not onely naturally like a man as thou must but Christianly like a Christian man as thou oughtest which that thou maist the better doe as in other things thou contriuest how to doe well that which thou purposest to doe as thou forecasts thy building ere thou build thy iourney ere thou trauell So oft remember how thou maist dye well since thou must die and that is by liuing well whilest thou here runnest the short race of thy life A good man like a good Tree brings forth fruit tempore suo in his due time and season this Life time is tempus tuum thy time Death is tempus suum Gods time therefore begin to mend the ship of thy soule in the hauen in thy health not in the tempest of sickenesse not in the Sea of death I end my counsell as I begun this life is as short as sinfull therefore spend it well Point 2 Secondly in that Simeon here desires his departing the nature of the word signifying a loosing or an vnyoaking being a Metaphor taken from Oxen loosed out of the yoke after labour or from Prisoners set at libertie may well and warrantably administer vnto vs the consideration of the nature of that life which wee leade to be as miserable as mortall as laborious to the body as dolorous to the minde as also it may open our eyes to see something more clearely into the nature of death vvith his bounties and benefits in that it is not onely a curber of Sinne but a curer of Crosses an vnlooser from labours For the first that whether you call it a curse or a command which was imposed on the first man that in the sweate of his browes hee should eate his bread till hee returned to his earth from whence hee came Gen. 3.19 all mans seede since in their seuerall generations haue beene exposed to Doe wee not feele yet the smart of the forbidden fruit Are not our teeth set on edge by it Are not all things vnder the Sunne full of labour Are not the workes of Grace the workes of Nature painefull the actions of the body the actions of the minde the operations of the soule and spirit laborious Is it not a paine to pray a paine to repent a paine to study to contemplate to discusse to discourse to number to diuide Is it not painefull to write to indite to preach to counsell to exhort to perswade disswade vrge moue Let euery knowing man and experienced spirit speake Are not workes manuall and mechanicall painefull euen as the Arts liberall are Is it not paine to plow delue digge sow mow to work in Goale works Mettall-mines in brick and clay is an Aegyptian bondage Nay is there not onus as well as honoâ— a labour as well as an honour in euery Calling Are not Princes and superiour Magistrates Gouernours in houses Colledges and Corporations like the heauenly Bodies as much in motion and labour as in veneration Vertues vices pleasures profits riches pouertie vvanton youth couetous old age all haue their burthens What callings without their crosses from the Scepter to the Sheepe-hooke what sexe without his sorrow Whither shall a man flye 1. from Sathan tempting 2. from the vanitie of his owne heart 3. from the bitings of venemous tongues 4. and from the crosses of the world I haue oft thought if there were any place in the foure parts of the world to auoid these foure thither to flye but there it no Asilum or Sanctuarie from them or any of them vnder the Cope of Heauen These alwayes follow as the shadow the body and like proud Tâ—rquin in Rome challenge a perpetuall Dictatorship in the whole life of man What day sets ouer our head without his euill eyther of Sinne or Punishment Adam must eate his bread in his browes sweate Cunctis diebus all his dayes in heat and sweat toyling and moyling man must wearie his body and weaken his spirits till hee keepe his eternall Sabbath in Heauen Bring me the man that hath not yet drunke of the common cup of humane calamities incident to life and I shall more admire him then the Graecians did Achilles that could not be wounded I neuer read of any but Policrates who was thought to be without the Gunshotte of Fortune by the deluded Heathens yet his death was as dolorous as his life prosperous I am sure mitred Popes crowned Kings inuested Emperours tryumphant Conquerours haue seene the turning of Sesostris wheele and haue experienced so many miseries that they haue cryed out some of them Miserum est fuisse foelicem it is a miserie to haue beene happy others solus viues Vacia that the priuate life of Vacia the Romane was farre safer then their publique guilded guilefull pompe others with Cyrus and Augustus haue thought the Regall Crowne not vvorth stooping for others haue left voluntarily their Courts and Palaces for secure and penitent Cels. If wee had no moe examples of the miseries of greatnesse eyther by birth bloud command or desart then in Nabuchadnezzers deiection amongst Beasts being one of the greatest of men in Manasses his imprisonment in Sampsons grinding in the Mill in Agag hewed in peices in Adonizebecks eating crummes like a Dogge vnder his enemies Table in Alexander poysoned and left vnburied in Caesar stabbed by his pretended friends in Bellizarius a blinde Beggar after his Conquests in Baiazets Iron Cage in Socrates and Seneca's poysoning in Cleopatra's Iezabel's Agrippina's and other infamously famous Queenes and Queanes perishing to omit all the rest in this kinde it might verifie the Paradoxe that Humana vita non est vita sed calamitas Mans life is no life Vita vix
therefore the soules of Abraham Isaack and Iacob are liuing stil though they be dead themselues Secondly was not Enoch translated that he should not see death Gen. 5.24 Heb. 11.17 then Enochs soule still liues Thirdly had not Daniels prayer beene an ignorant and friuolous wish as some note praying for Nabuchadnezzar Oh King liue for euer Dan. 2.4 If the life of his soule had not beene the obiect of his wish Fourthly doth not Elias pray that the soule of his Hostesse Childe may returne againe into him therefore it was not dead and extinct it is no matter where it was it is as absurd to say that it was in Limbo puerorum as Papists doe as that the soule of Lazarus and Iairus Daughter was in Purgatorie suppose it were in heauen it was liuing where euer it was euen as the soules of Moses and Elias were liuing and gaue motion to their bodies being vpon the Mount with Christ Fiftly Christ promiseth Paradise to the penitent Theefe Luke 23. the very day of his dissolution of which hee had liuery and seasure and present possession in his liuing soule for his dead body hung all that day vpon the Crosse Sixtly Lazarus dying was carryed into Abrahams bosome what was carryed his Soule Luke 16.22 as the wicked Angels fetcht the soule of the secure Churle to Hell Luke 12. verse 20. Seauenthly Iohn saw the soules of those vnder the Altar that were killed for the Word of Christ Reu. 5.6.9 All which with infinite moe being so many Arrowes shot against Atheisme doe euince that the soule is immortall and that the spirits of the iust here with old Simeons after their departure from the body returne to God that gaue them Eccles 12.7 A truth that the very Heathen saw by the light of Nature as appeares by their Writings by Antiochus his Epistle to Lisius wherein hee thinkes his dead Father translated to the Gods 2 Mach. 11. ver 23. Plato in his Timeo Tully in his Diuinations and in his Booke of the sleepe of Saeipio Pithagoras and the Pithagoreans Thales Milesius Hermes Euripides in his Tragedies Plutarch in his Consolatory Epistles Seneca in his Booke of immature death yea the Poets in their fictions of the Elizean fields and the like ayme all at this more like Christians at least Christian Philosophers and Poets that the Heauens are aeterna animaruÌ„ domicilia the eternall mansions of good soules departed Let vs beleeue this by the light of the Word which they saw by the poore sparke of Nature and let the thought of it still encourage thee which is the Naile that I driue at in all this discourse to looke Death boldly in the face since to the godly it is but Titulus sine re a bare title without any subsisting a bare name a blancke without a Seale good saith Bernard to the good in regard of rest better in regard of securitie best of all as the way to life and immortalitie being as Ambrose cals it alledged by Pontanus the birth day of thy eternitie the repayrer of thy lifes ruines not abolishing but establishing thy best being Therefore Summum nec mâ—tâ—â—as diem c. Feare not thy last fate rather desire it with Paul because it is but thy dissolution be thankfull for it with Simeon because it is but thy departure waite for it with Iob because it is thy changing then feare it or fret at it with the naturall and morrall men of the world For why should that eyther feare thee or fret thee that cannot hurt the best the greatest part of thee If the gold be saued who regards the losse of a rotten purse If the Pearles within be preserued who cares for the breaking of an old chest If the costly Marchandize and loading of the ship be safe what Marchant respects the ruines of a rotten Barge If the liuing soules be not indangered nor the best of the stuffe endammaged wee care not so much for the burning of an old house wee respect not the losse of the Cradle if the childe be safe the mangling of the cloaths if the body be vnwounded Now that which the Gold is to the Purse the Pearles to the Châ—st the Wares to the Ship the good Wines to the Caske the Honie to the Hiue the Housholder to the House the Childe to the Cradle the Body to the Garments that is the Soule to the Body as much more eminent and excellent as the thing contained exceedes the continent If death doe fetter the Body and free the Soule where is the losse what is the crosse Secondly is the Soule immortall and the Body mortall then execrable is the folly of the multitude and lamentable is the dotage of all sorts from the highest to the lowest that spend misspend their yeeres dayes strength vvit vvealth and all their Tallents in pleasing contenting satisfying and fulfilling the desires of the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof in decking adorning feeding and pampering this sluggish Asse this rotten Carrion the body which perhaps shall take vp his Inne in the earth to morrow and be meate for wormes in the meane space neglecting and not regarding the soule which is to liue for euer Oh how many millions of men and women to euen amongst common Christians may be arraigned accused and conuicted of this folly and dottage that in other things are politique Galliâ—'s and plotting Iezabel's yet in this are witty fooles in preferring the Purse before the Gold the Caske before the Wine the Hiue before the Hony the Body before the Soule How many spend yeeres and moneths nay all their precious time in hawking hunting whoring carding dicing c. in scraping and gathering yealow dust together in doing workes morrall or sinfull their owne workes or the Diuels how many in doing nothing or doing euill or as good as nothing How many women spend many dayes and houres in tricking and trimming the painted sepulchers of their soules I meane their bodies in a Glasse who neuer considering how the glasse of their time runnes spend not a moneth in a yeere a weeke in a moneth a day in a weeke an houre in a day in the publique or priuate worship of GOD in looking into the Glasse of Gods word prayer meditation c. How many Citizens and Countrimen of all sorts spend the vvhole sixe dayes in catering and purueying for the body who grudge God his Sabbaths for the prouision of their soules such men eyther they thinke they haue no soules or that their soules shal die with their bodies like the beasts liuing like Libertines and Epicures as their faith is like the Saduces which denied any Spirit or Resurrection or soules immortalitie as Iosephus testifies of them Oh we had need cry to such deluded franticke men and tell them that they haue soules and soules immortall to raigne with GOD or to be plagued with the Diuels after their departing out of the body His hoped Pacification In these words In peace
Persecutors Lord lay not this sinne to their charge Acts 7.60 Last words reuealed of the Theefe on the Crosse that bonus Latro good Theefe that so happily stole Paradise were Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy Kingdome Luke 23. The seauen last words that Christ spoke vpon the Crosse to the Daughters of Ierusalem to his virgin-Mother to his beloued Disciple Iohn to God his Father to the penitent Theefe as recorded by the Euangelists explained by Ferus Nahumius and Gueuarra these and all these of holy men in the sacred Cannon and of Christ himselfe as one speakes of Cyprians Epistles referunt pectus ardore plenum shew their deaths were full of peace as their liues were full of grace If I should instance in all the rest of this kinde and set downe at large the gracious words like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Siluer that haue proceeded out of the mouthes of Saints euen when they lay vpon their sicke couches drawing their last breath testifying their faith in Christ their hope of Heauen their zeale for Gods glory their sorrow for sinne their sealed pardon Or when they were to be martyred and sacrificed by fire as they are collected and recorded by Ecclesiasticall Authors Eusebius Nicephorus the tripartite History the Centuries Mr. Foxe his Martyrologie Grineus Mr. Perkins and others to whom I referre you It would easily appeare that where the Premisses are Grace in Life the Conclusion will be Peace in Death Let vs chew the cudde in the Meditation of some particulars The last words of Peter in his crucifying death were thus to his wife O Coniux memento Domini Oh Wife remember the Lord Iesus Of Polycarpus were prayses and prayers Of Cyprian Salus mea virtus mea Christus Dominus Christ the Lord is my strength and my saluation Of Ambrose Nec pudet viuere nec piget mori c. I neyther am ashamed to liue nor grudge to dye because I haue a good Iesus both in life and death Of Augustine It is no great matter that wood and stones fall and ruine or that mortall men dye vsing that sentence of Dauids Psalmes which also Mauritius the Emperour vsed when hee was slaine by Phocas his Centurion Iust is the Lord and righteous is his iudgement Zwinglius thus when hee was wounded in the wars mortally Well goe to they may kill my body my soule they cannot Erasmus dying in the house of Ierome Strobenius breathed out his soule crying thus Chare Deus c. Deare God oh God my mercy deliuer me make an end oh Christ and saue mee Peter Martyr saith Simler and Bullinger that were present at his departure confessed his faith acknowledged Christ his Sauiour expounded and applyed Scriptures exhorted his Brethren and in his death was wholy diuine So was Oecolampadius that burning Lampe in Gods house who supplyed with the oyle of grace gaue a wondrous light euen in his death as appeares by Grineus his Epistles to Fabritius Capito and others Luthers death resounds ioyfull prayses for Gods reuelation of the truth vnto him and victory ouer the Romish Antichrist Caluin as Beza reports that heard him with Dauids heart dyes not speaking but sighing out Dauids Psalmes Ridley Latimer Hooper Saunders with many moe constant Professors dyed desirous of the fire saluting the Stake professing their Faith confirming their Brethren and calling vpon God If I should ascend a little higher and looke into the sicke Couches of Emperours Kings Queenes Dukes Earles Nobles which like those Bereans Acts 17. were truely noble indeed I should occasion you to magnifie Gods mercies in calling some great ones vvho by their workes and words as liuing so dying testified that their Graces did equalize their Greatnesse I might instance in Charles the fift in Theodosius the great in Maximilian the second in Stephen King of Poland in Fredericke the third Prince Elector in Ferdinand in Queene Anne Bullen in Ioahn Gray the Duke of Suffolks Daughter with diuers others To omit the last words of Chrysostome dying in his exile of deuout Bernard of Ignatius the Martyr of these Belgicke Lights Phillip Melancthon Tremellius Musculus c. with mamy moe some whereof thankefully recording the benefits they had receiued from God in life spirituall and temporall some powring out their soules for the good of the Church which they haue bequeathed vnto Christ some discoursing of the vanities of this life of the fruits of sinne of the miseries of man some reioycing in the Spirit for the mitigation of their paines the consolations vvhich they felt from the Spirit their vnion vvith Christ their happy passage into Paradise their transmigration vnto their Sauiour exulting at the ioyes of Heauen which then they haue seene as Moses saw Canaan and in part tasted nay some as it were by a Propheticall Spirit illuminating them as it did Iacob and Ioseph fore seeing and fore-telling what should happen after their deaths as Iohn Husse and Ierome of Praige did concerning the Papacie haue all of them here with Simeon departed in peace And though some amongst the Heathens as Cyrus Caesar Augustus Titus Tratan Seuerus Adrian Pompey as also some of their Philosophers and Poets as Aratus Socrates Aristotle Anacharsis Antisthenes Theophrastus with others haue spoke to admiration concerning the necessitie of dying the miseries of life the exprobration of Tyranny the soules immortalitie the true God which they called The thing of things to whom they haue called and committed their Children as their Apothegmes and speeches are recorded by Plutarch Zenophon Laertius and others yet they haue come so farre short of Christians eyther in their ciuill acts and morrall workes liuing or their words dying that it is as easie to discerne betwixt them the strength of Nature and the fruits of the Spirit as betwixt conduit water and Aqua vitae by the taste Now the Reasons why the godly depart in peace are these First the Promise of God which must needes be acccomplished that Peace shall come that they shall rest in their beds euery one that walketh before the Lord Esay 57.2 which promise as it was verified in Enoch and Elias that vvalked vvith GOD so it shall be in all the faithfull Secondly they haue peace with God with whom they are reconciled by Christ which is their peace and therefore they must needes haue peace in God going out of the world to God who haue had peace with God in the world from whom they haue beene absent in the body Thirdly they haue that peace of God in their owne conscience which passeth all vnderstanding Phil. 4. which setteth them in an assured perswasion of the loue of God to them in his Christ the Lord shining in their hearts with the beames of his Spirit and the memory of all their well done deedes then reflexing vpon their vpright consciences fill them euen full of hidden ioy and inward peace These Reasons might be amplified
1 Kings 16.9.10 Iezabel argues well Can Traitors haue peace looke to it Iehu thou art a Traytor against Ahab sure Traytors seldome or neuer dye in peace Witnesse Absolon Sheba Adoniah our English Traytors Romanized Semenaries treacherous Conspirators Lopus Squire Titchburne Babington Parry c. our late Powder-plotting Pioners the French Rauillack millions moe which being like Ioab men of bloud haue come to their ends as is said of Tyrants cum caede sanguine with bloud and slaughter Oh then how canst thou a worme of the earth a wretched man because a vvicked man liuing in treasonable sinnes with a heart as hard as the neather-Milstone rebelling against so great so glorious so potent so powerfull a God once hope that euer thy gray haires shall come to the graue in peace or that thy soule after her flitting shall rest in Abrahams bosome the place of peace Can a man haue peace in Rome and be opposed against the Pope the vsurping Herod that supposed earthly God as his flattering Parasites call him oh then canst thou dust and ashes be opposed on earth against the mightie Iehouah the God of heauen Christ that opened the eyes of the blinde open thine eyes to see and thy heart to beleeue as hee did Lydia's Acts 16.14 and giue thee at last a resolution to breake off thy sinnes by repentance Dan. 4.84 the enemies of thy peace least God breake thee like a Potters vessell and teare thee in pieces whilst there is none to deliuer thee Psal 50.22 Oh sue for pardon for thy sinnes seeke for peace to him which is the Prince of peace Esay 9.6 seeke for peace by him and his merits which was ordained to be thy peace and to worke thy reconciliation Câ—l 1.20 so thou shalt shut vp the last period of thy life vvith inward peace and goe to keepe an eternall Sabbath with him that is the God of peace Thirdly that thou maist die peaceably invre thy selfe to dye daily and that after this manner First euery day mortifie some sinne nip some Serpent in the head crucifie euery day some corruption set vpon thy lesser sinnes and so get ground of thy greater sinnes as in particular leaue thy dangerous and damnable custome of swearing and blaspheming by these degrees first breake off thy Ciuill Oathes as in swearing by thy Faith Troth Christendome c. Secondly then set vpon thy Ridiculous and Childish Oathes as by Fay Fakins Trokins Bodikins Slid Sounds Cocke and Pye with the like whereby thou seekest to mocke and deceiue God who will not be mocked Gal. 6. Thirdly then invre thy selfe to leaue thy Superstitious Oathes as by the Masse Rood Crosse by our Lady and by Popish Saints c. Fourthly so proceede against thy Heathenish and Idolatrous Oathes in swearing by the Creatures as Laban and Iezabel by their Idols Gen. 31.53 1 Kings 19 verse 2. as by men by S. Peter and by S. Iohn c. by the Heauens the Earth by Fire Sunne the Light Meate Drinke Money c. or by the parts of thy body as Hands or the like or by thy Soule all condemned Mat. 5. ver 34. Iames 5.12 And so with a courage set vpon thy impious horrible fearefull damnable blasphemous Oathes as by the Lord by God the eternall God by Christ by Iesus and such like or by the parts and adiuncts of Christ by tearing his Humanitie as the Iewes did his body by diuiding him as the Souldiers did his garments Mat. 27.35 in blasphemie by his Death Passion Life Soule Bloud Flesh Heart Wounds Bones Sides Guts Armes Foote Nayles c. of all which I tremble and quake to thinke write and speake though thou makest no more scruple of such Hell-bred Oathes then of thy ordinary words so deale with all other sinnes of which thy soule is as full as a Serpent is full of venome and a Toade of poyson Crucifie them by degrees and dye to them daily else thou dyest for euer if thou dye 〈◊〉 in them By this course thou shalt take away the sting of Death which is Sinne for the strength of Death is Sinne 1 Cor. 15. euen as the strength of Sampson laid in his hayre Iudg. 16.17 which sinne when it is subdued Death it selfe is as easily conquered as weakened Sampson was by the Philistines verse 21. yea it can doe thee no more harme then a Dragon Viper or angry Waspe which haue lost their stings Secondly dye daily to the world loue it not nor the things of it that so thou maist more happily dye out of the world and more hopefully entertaine thoughts of a better world And in this case doe as Runners vse who oft runne ouer the Race before they runne for the Wager that so they may be better invred and acquainted when they come to try their abilitie or as is said of Belney the Martyr that being to suffer by fire many dayes before he would hold his hand a pretty while in the flame so to prepare himselfe to sustaine the paines of Martyrdome which he was to vnder-goe Thirdly dye daily by invring thy selfe to take Crosses and Afflictions patiently as sickenesses in body troubles in minde losse of goods of friends and of good name c. which indeede are little deaths euen pettie deaths not onely Prologues of death but Preparatiues to death for which cause GOD sends them to his children more then to the wicked euen to weane them from the world and prepare them for death as the Nurse weanes the Childe from the Teate by doing bitter Aloes vpon it and sure he that beares Crosses most patiently is well prepared to dye peaceably as appeares by S. Paul 1 Cor. 15.31 who by making good vse of afflictions dyed daily it holding commonly that Mors post crucem minor est Death is lesse dolorous after the crosse Fourthly pray seriously for a peaceable departure it is confirmed by examples of all ages and experience of all Gods Seruants that hee that prayes well speedes well Iacob and Abrahams Seruant had Gods blessings vpon their Iourneyes as an effect of their Prayers Gen. 24. Gen. 27. Thou shalt finde Gods presence euen in that houre of the last iourneying of thy soule from her earthly Mansion to her heauenly Country if thou pray for this grace particularly and effectually therefore as thou oughtest to pray continually for other things so euen in health and prosperitie pray frequently and feruently 1. That God would make this backeward repugnant and nilling nature of thine willing to her dissolution 2. Prepare thy vnprepared soule 3. Subdue thy corruptions 4. Purge out the drosse of thy sinnes 5. Giue the patience to kisse his correcting Rod when hee whips by sicknesse or diseases 6. Succour thee in thy last and greatest conflict 7. Support thy weaknes 8. Aide thee against Sathans force and fraud 9. Strengthen thy Faith 10. Renew thy decayed graces 11. Giue thee the power and comfort of his owne Spirit 12. Not
marryed couple in turning their water into wine Iohn 2.6.7.8 The like care the Lord hath ouer euery poore marryed couple that haue small meanes great charge for The eyes of the Lord are vpon them that feare him and that put their trust in hit mercy to deliuer their soules from death and to feede them in the time of dearth Psal 33.17.18 Thus hee fed Iacob and his Children when there was a dearth in Canaan hee sent Ioseph before into Aegypt in his speciall prouidence to prouide for them So God fed his Israell like Sheepe in the wildernesse with Angels food and water from the Rocke Thus Christ fed his fainting auditors in the Desart with bread and Fishes as he did his Disciples vpon the shore with the same dyet Yea hee still feedes all his hee feedes euen the wicked hee giues a soppe to Iudas nay hee feedes the Eagles Crowes and Rauens Birds and Beasts Nay hee clothes the Lillies and will hee not feede and clothes thee and thine oh thou of little faith Ponder well Christs seauen arguments in the sixt of Mathew against thy diffidence if thou couldest but rest in him and relie vpon him by faith though the Lyons should want and suffer hunger though the Lyons and and Buls of Basan the great ones of the world should be famished as were some in the siege of Samaria and Ierusalem yet thou shouldest want nothing that is good If thou hast faith but as a graine of Mustard-seede in truth and sinceritie which extends to thy body as well as thy soule ere thou shouldest perish the very Heauens should raine Manna as it did on the Israelites the Rocke should giue her water yea the law-bones of Beasts should afford thee moysture as to Sampson the very Rauens nay the Angels should feede thee as they did Elias the very Fishes of the Sea should afford thee siluer as they did Peter Mat. 17.27 12 Mans life doth not consist in abundance of earthly things Luke 12.15 Man liues not by bread onely Mat. 4. God can blesse a small pittance and portion vnto thee hee can multiply a few Loaues and Fishes to the feeding of thousands hee can increase the little Oyle in the Cruize and the Meale in the Barrell to the poore widdowes to the sustentation of their families and the paying of their Creditors to whom they are indebted 2 Kings 4.2.3 Hee can make Daniel and his three Companions prosper looke and like as vvell with pease and pulse to eate and water to drinke nay to be fayrer and better liking for three yeeres together then those Children that eate meate of the Kings portion and dranke of the Kings Wine Dan. 1.12.13 â—4 15 As it is all one for the Lord to saue with many or with few 1 Sam. 14.6 to ouerthrow whole Armies with a few Water-lappers with a Warriour and his Armour-bearer by a Boy or a Shepheard yea to slay a thousand with the law of an Asse in the hand of a strong man so it is all one vvith him to feede and to foster thee with this portion or that with course meates or cates to sustaine and maintaine thee and thine vvith great meanes weake meanes small meanes no meanes or contrarie to all meanes how many if we beleeue Histories and experience both in sieges of Cities by land and in stormes and extremities by Sea haue beene preserued for a long time euen with such meates as nice and daintie stomackes would lothe and detest vnlesse hunger were the Cooke as the flesh of Horses milke of Mares Frogs Mice Rats nay greene Hearbes Plants Grasse and Leather of shooes What small portion of bread hath glewed and holden the life and spirit together for many dayes together yea euen Tobacco it selfe that much vsed abused Plant I haue wondered to heare Marriners relate It were much that a Daughter should nourish her Father by opportunities to visit him in prison such a time by yeelding her onely breasts to be suckt by him that the expectations of all those that commanded hee should be famished to death were frustrate if the Authors may be credited vnlesse that Gods helpe were able to blesse small meanes aboue humane hopes Euen the crummes will suffice Lazarus neyther doe I thinke that hee dyed of famine but eyther naturally or by the violence of his diseases I am perswaded God prouided both crummes and crusts for him else-where if there were such a Lazarus historically as the most thinke and not Parabolically as Salmeron and others discusse so will the Lord prouide for thee 13 The best of Gods Children haue beene as poore as thou now art euen Christ the Son of God by nature heyre of the earth and of the nations whose al things are was here on earth poore So was Iob Iob 1.15.16 so Elias 1 Kin. 17.11 begging a piece of bread the Apostle Paul and Peter and the rest of the Disciples poore Fishermen wanting siluer and gold Acts 3.6 So were there in euery place poore Saints as in Macedonia in Ierusaâ—em and else-where in the Apostles Ministerie 1 Cor. 4.11 So from time to time the most excellent of the Saints such as waâ—ted for the comming of Christ that they might receiue a better resurrection vvere without house and harbour meanes and munition Tossed to and fro wandring vp and downe in sheepe skins and gâ—ate skins being destitute afflicted tormented Heb. 10.24 Heb. 11 35.36.37 To which besides these before and in the Apostles times wee might adde those and many millions recorded by Eusebius the Tripartite Historie and the Centuries of such that were in the same case in the persecution eyther of heathenish or hereticall Emperours chiefely by Arâ—ians amongst whom were Athaenasius and Chrysostome in their time as also those that were spoyled by the Gothes and Vandals What neede I mention Dauid that was almost famished till hee ate the Shew-bread so the stocke of Dauid Ioseph and Mary the mother of Christ whose offerings of Turtle-Doues for want of better sacrifices shewed they were not rich yet the Lord supplied their wants to carry Christ into Aegypt by sending the Wise-men of the East with gold vnto them Mat. 2. euen as the Lord will supply thy wants vpon the like occasions for his glory and thy good or if thou liue poorely or dye in debt as many of the Lords seruants haue done yet if thou haue Christ and the riches of his mercies by faith thou art rich enough liuing and dying Obiect But this perhaps troubles thee that thou hast beene in a good estate and art now declining and at the lowest ebbe Ans Since this is a burthen it is a miserie to haue beene happy yet euen the very Philosophers as Seneca and others besides Petrarcke haue prescribed comforts in this crosse but the word hath balme plenty for this sore the Saints haue tryed the like as did Iob whose