lands for my name sake Matt. 19.29 hee shall receiue an hundreth fold more and shall inherite euerlasting life And thence it may bee collected that whosoeuer shall make more account of houses or lands than of the name of Christ hee shall here loose of that hee hath and in the ende misse of eternall life too And then what shall they gette By this Iudge you now which haue heard me all this while whether it is good that a man that must die should be vnwilling to die because of his fine house from which Death when she comes doth take him Q. If you make mee Iudge I must iudge as you haue perswaded mee to iudge vz. that it is not good For as you say by his being vnwilling he looses more than euer he can get because he looses his houses on earth and his house from heauen and by his being willing hee gets more than he can lose because hee gets an house eternall in the heauens for the leauing of an house temporall on earth and that I thinke the better R. In so thinking you thinke well for as Dauid saith Psal â—4 10 A day in Gods courtes is better than a thousand other where and immediately I had rather be a doorekeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tabernacles of wickednesse such as are many braue houses in the world And before Blessed are they that dwell in thine house they will euer praise thee And after againe The Lord God is the Sunne and shielde vnto vs the Lord will giue grace and glory and no good thing will hee withhold from them that walke vprightly Q. But what would you haue me to thinke of the rest that makes some vnwilling to die as well as this R. No otherwise then of this vnles they be other both greater and better than any you haue yet named Q. Why would it not grieue a man thinke you to be spoyled of all his honour and glory hee hath had in this worlde in the space of an houre or lesse R. Not a whit so long as he is to goe to better and greater Q. But that he is vnsure of R. No more than hee was of holding that he had nor so much neither if he be righteous iust and holy for the honour of such is farre greater after this life than euer it was or could haue bene in this life Then .1 Mat. 13.43 When the wicked are condemned and punished the iust shall shine as the Sunne in the kingdome of their father And they that be wise shall shine as the brightnes of the firmament Dan. 12.3 and they that turne many to righteousnes shall shine as the starres for euer and euer Wisd 3.7 8. In the time of their vision they shall shine and runne through as the sparks among the stubble thy shall iudge the nations and haue dominion ouer the people As the Psalmist sayth Such honour haue all his Saints or this honour shall be to all his Saints If this honour be not better than all the honor the most honourable in this world hath You may see the honour of the Saints after this life specified in more particular maner and thereafter after iudge First they shall bee the friendes of the great king Ioh. 15.15 Henceforth call I you not seruants but I haue called you friendes Secondly they shall be of the house and family of the almighty God Ephes 2.10 Now yee are no more strangers and farreiners but citizens with the Saints of the houshold of God Thirdly they shall bee of the counsell of God 1. Cor. 6.17 Hee that is ioyned vnto the Lord is one spirit Fourthly they shall be admitted to the table of God Luk. 22.29 I appoint vnto you a kingdome as my Father hath appointed vnto me that yee may eate and drinke at my table in my kingdome and sit on seates and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel 1. Cor. 6.3.2 Doe yee not knowe sayth Paul that the Saints shal iudge the world know yee not that wee shall iudge the Angels Fiftly they shal be manifested to be the sonnes of God Ioh. 3.2 Now are we the sonnes of God but yet it doth not appeare what we shall be and we know that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 6. They shall be heires of the heauenly inheritance Rom. 8.17 If we be children we are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ. 7. They shall be all kings to euery one of them shall be giuen a kingdome Luk. 12.32 Feare not little flocke for it is your fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome and to the righteous it shall be said Mat. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my father inherite yee the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world A kingdome that fadeth not but a kingdome that endureth a kingdome that continueth and abideth for euer for they that come into this kingdome shall raigne for euermore they shal neither soone nor suddainly be put therefro as many other kings are from their kingdome but they shall raigne for euermore Apoc. 22.5 Is not the last and least part of all this honour greater and better than all the best and chiefest honour of and in all this world Q. Yes there is none that may or can deny it but yet you see the inheritance is the childrens and the kingdome is theirs that are blessed of the father and it may be he is neither a friend nor a childe nor blessed R. He must hope well if he will haue well he must not condemne himselfe before God doth condemne him a friend he is if he doth whatsoeuer Christ commaunds him Ioh. 15.14 1. Ioh. 3.10 A childe he is if he loues the brethren In this that is in loue are the children of God knowne and the children of the diuell for Augustine expounding that place saith August super eundem locum 1. Ioh. 3.10 Onely loue discerneth betweene the children of God and the children of the diuell All men signe themselues with the signe of the crosse all men answere Amen all men sing Alleluiah all men are baptized goe to church c. yet are not the children of God discerned from the children of the diuell but by loue they which haue loue are borne of God they which haue not loue are not of God and if not of God then of the diuell for there is no meane betweene God and the diuell Christ himselfe also saith By this shall all men know that yee are my Disciples Ioh. 13.35 if yee haue loue one to another Lastly blessed he is if his sinnes bee forgiuen him For Blessed is hee saith Dauid whose wickednes is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie Psal 32.1.2 and in whose spirite there is no guile Q. It may bee these ifs will make him more and more vnwilling to
and not in another Gal. 6.4 Mat. 7.8 Ioh 16.23.14.13 Whosoeuer asketh receiueth he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the father in my name he will giue it you Whatsoeuer ye aske in my name that will I doe that the father may be glorified in the sonne And againe Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued The prayer of faith shall saue the sicke Rom. 10.13 Iam. 5.15 and the Lord shall rayse him vp and if he haue committed sinne it shall be forgiuen him For the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent And last of all thus He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper Pro. 28.13 but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercy If we acknowledge our sinnes 1. Ioh. 1.9 he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnes And thus I haue produced some parte of that you wished Now if you thinke your question aunswered my speech to the sicke mans second dutie shall bee conuerted Q. So let it For as my question is answered so my minde is satisfied R. I am nothing sory therefore Q. Nor I any thing grieued thereat Now then what may bee the dutie that lyeth vpon the sicke in regarde of himselfe R. You might rather haue sayd what be the duties for they are many For man consisteth it is well knowen of two parts a soule and a body And according to these seuerall parts there lyes vpon him seuerall dutyes But for so much as his soule is his principall part his principall care must be for that Q. And concerning that what must he principally care for R. Two things ouer and aboue that which hath been said touching his reconcilement vnto God Q. What be those R. The first this that he munites it against the paines of his sickenes least they prouoke him to impatiencie The second this that he armes and fences it against all immoderate and inordinate feare of death least that incites him to despaire and so he comes to misse what he should most aime at Q What is that R. A good and happie death Because that after that there followes a most happie and blessed life For they which dye well dye not to dye but to liue eternally Q But how shall a man that is sicke munite and fence his soule against the paines of his sickenes R. By considering sixe or seuen things both then and other when worthie much and good consideratiō but especially in his paynes and vpon his paynes Q. What may those things be R. These which heere follow The first this that his sickenes and disease is sent vnto him of God which is rich in mercy and plenteous in goodnes and truth and also loueth him in Christ The second this that the payne which he suffreth is nothing to that which the Lord could lay vpon him The third this that the payne which he suffers heere vpon earth in his mortall bodie is nothing to that which he hath merited to suffer The fourth this that there is not any almost of all the Saints of God which hath not been subiect to the like paynes sickenesses diseases The fifth this that the payne which he suffereth how great soeuer it be is nothing to the ioy which he expecteth if so in Christ Iesus he beleeueth The sixt this that Christ himselfe suffred as many and as great paynes as he doth or may and more and greater ere euer he entred into glory The seauenth and last though not the least this that Christ his captaine now in glory seeth and beholdeth all his seruants which are in miserie Q. All very good things I assure you But what will each and euery of those doe asmuch as you pro-duce and propound them for R. You neede neuer make question of that to what other end haue I either produced or propounded them Q. Many things are frustrated of their end and so may these things be R. If it be so the fault is not in the things themselues but in those that peruert and abuse the things Q. Where the fault is I well know not but oft times so it is R. I deny not that but when that is it is through the ignorance of the things or through the mis-applying them Q. Why thinke you these things propounded so good that effect according they will take if both they be knowen and well applyed R. Yea that I doe and good reason I haue so to thinke Q. Shew that for each of them and I so will euer after the more thinke of them and the better esteeme them R. Vpon that condition I will For well I would haue you to thinke of them and worthily I wish you may esteeme of them Q. Begin then R. And I will What should the creature resist the creator the clay the potter the worke the worke-master when God himselfe the creatour of man inflictes sicknes vpon man the creature what should man grudgingly vnwillingly and impatiently take either it or the paynes thereof Pro. 27.6 The woundes of a louer saith Salomon are faithfull Much more should the stripes of the almightie be counted friendly sith he himselfe is wondrous louing And what should a man striue and storme against him that beates him in loue for loue from thence he should rather gather first that God correcteth him of loue as a father and punisheth him not of hatred as a iudge For whome the Lord loueth he chasteneth Heb. 12.6 and he scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth If ye endure chastening God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes for what sonne is it whome the father chasteneth not Secondly that God will lay no more vpon him than he will make him able to beare for saith Paul God is faithfull 1. Cor. 10.13 which will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you be able to beare Thirdly that God wil giue good euent in his time Ibidem For God will giue the issue with the temptation that ye may be able to beare it And these things considered what shuld he impatiently beare what necessarily must be borne when that which is layd is nothing to that which might be layed and that by him that layeth what is laid what should it vnwillingly bee borne with him that is sicke the case is so For what doth one member paine him God could cause all to torment him Doth his heart grieue him God could enlarge his heart and therein augment his paine Is he troubled in soule God could cast him into desperation Is he afflicted both in body and soule God could cast both body and soule into hell Esa 38.18 And out of hell there is no redemption They which are there once must bee there euer Hence he may thus reason doth my head ake my heart ake my backe ake c. Yet is not my case like Iobs Iob. 2.7
to the bodie this whether an hedge or a wall doth vphold it it little skils Know yee this men are as well couered with gale as with golde Contemne ye the rest which superfluous labour makes as an ornament remember yee that there is nothing merueilous but the soule to which being great there is nothing great 2. There are fiue or sixe things which may or should draw the founders of them and dwellers in them frō so much loue vnto them as should make thee vnwilling to depart from them 2. The curse that is denounced against those that loue them Esa 5.8 and Iere. 22.13 2. The hatred that God beareth against the houses that are so loued Amos 6.8 The Lord God hath sworne by himselfe saith the Lord God of hostes I abhor the excellencie of Iacob and hate his palaces 3. The examples of sundry good ones whose steps we should follow who neither much loued them nor any thing esteemed them In his birth our Sauiour Christ for his house had but an Inne Luk. 2.7 and at his death a tombe Matth. 27.60 all his life he had not where to rest his head Matth. 8.20 For Abraham the father of the faithfull Rom. 4.11 the Apostle saith Heb. 11.9 By faith he abode in the land of promise as in a strange countrey as one that dwelt in the tents with Isaac and Iacob heires with him of the same promise for he looked for a citie hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God For others he saith Heb. 11.37 38. They wandred vp and downe in sheepes skins and in goates skins being destitute afflicted and tormented whom the world was not worthy of they wandred in wildernesses and mountaines and dens and caues of the earth great faire costly and sumptuous buildings strong stout and stately habitations huge high and honourable houses for some one other amongst many It is reported of him that he had his house in the maner of his sepulchre And when the Emperour that then was asked him why he fitted his house to his body hee answered him this is sufficient for a man that must dye and thereto he added It is better leapt into heauen out of a cottage than out of a pallace 4. The iniurie that is offered others in the making of them For there often the builders lay which at will they should haue giuen to the poore and therefore Paul of whom Hierome writes would not lay out his money vpon such stones as should perish with the world but vpon liuing stones which are tumbled vpon the ground and of which the citie of the great king is builded 5. The accusation that the stones often in such houses make vnto God against those that there layde them and being layde too to much loued and esteemed them for as the Prophet Habakuk saith Hab. 2.11 The stone shall crie out of the wall and the beame out of the timber shall answer it 12. Woe vnto him that buildeth a towne with blood and erecteth a citie by iniquitie 6. The follie that is shewed in building of fine houses and committed in louing them when they are builded For first mens liues are shorter now than euer they were and yet now they must haue brauer houses than euer they had and what wise man thinkes not that a follie Secondly mens soules are as pretious now as euer they were yet now they will haue better houses for their bodies than for them and what religious man knowes not that a follie The care for the soule should not be lesse than the care for the bodie he that saith for the bodie Care not for the bodie saith for the soule Keepe thy soule diligently Matth. 6.25 Deut. 4.9 and he that will be worshipped in Spirit because he is a spirit wil be glorified with the body because the spirit remaines in the bodie as the Apostle therefore saith in one place 1. Cor. 6.13 The bodie is not for fornication but for the Lord and the Lord for the bodie So againe hee saith in another Therefore glorifie God in your bodie and in your spirit for they are Gods And betweene both Knowe yee not that your bodies are the members of Christ Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot God forbid and againe Know ye not that your bodie is the temple of the holy Ghost which is in you whom ye haue of God And ye are not your owne Thirdly the Apostle saith Col. 3.2 Set your affections on things which are aboue and not on things which are on the earth yet now they haue such loue to their houses as for their houses they are loath to goe to God loath to yeelde to nature vnwilling to goe the way of all earth and what good man deemes not this a folly Howsoeuer men loue their houses here yet for loue of them they should not bee careles of the houses they should seeke otherwhere 2. Cor. 5.2 We sigh saith the Apostle desiring to be cloathed with our house which is from heauen and they sigh because they must forgoe their house which they haue on earth and yet the Apostle by his speech sheweth what house their loue should bee most to their house from heauen their house eternall in the heauens How much soeuer they loue their houses yet will not their houses here continue neither shall they euer get any thing by the loue they beare them Fourthly their houses shall and will decay the temple of Ierusalem was a fine house a finer house I guesse than the finest they haue yet as fine as it was Matt. 24.2 Iesus said of it when his Disciples shewed him the building of it there shall not be left a stone vpon a stone which shall not bee cast downe If that might not stand which was built at Gods appoyntment and for his seruice they may well thinke theirs shall not which are built at their owne assignement and for their owne pleasure and delight theirs haue no such priuiledges as that had What the Lord spake against the houses of Iaakob Amos 3. they may well thinke spoken against theirs Amos. 3 1◠Surely in the day that I shall visite the transgressions of Israel vpon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel and the horne of the altar shall be broken off and fall to the ground And I will smite the winter house with the sommer house and the houses of iuorie shall perish and the great houses shall bee consumed saith the Lord. And thereupon conclude that what betided them will also in time betide theirs for among the signes which shall goe before the day of iudgement Hierome recites this as one that all buildings shall fall and therfore theirs too because els al shal not for none is exempted where all are expressed Secondly though they should or could stand yet they should get nothing by their loue towardes them For our Sauiour Christ sayth Whosoeeuer shall forsake houses or
thou wilt not direct thy will after Gods will but wilt bend Gods will to thy will that is right but thou crookest it thy wil is to be corrected by that but that is not to be buckled to thine and thou shalt haue an vpright heart Without the conforming of mans will to Gods will mans will is but a peruerse will Q. That 's sure but what may moue him to reforme that which is peruerse and to conforme it to that from which it is auerse R. The first and last meditations I haue yet spoken of Q. I pray God that all you are to speake off may effect what you and I do affect R. So pray I also there is no fault in them if they do not they are all as fruitfull as faithfull so they be faithfull that are to vse them Q. Manifest both in all as you haue done in one R. So will I in time Q Out of time you cannot doe it R. That 's so because nothing is done which is not done in time but yet there is a difference of time there is a due time and an vndue time Q. And this is now a due time for the second to succeed the first and each one to followe another R. You say well if you thinke your selfe satisfied for the first Q. I did amisse else to mooue you to the second for I am vnwilling to remaine vnsatisfied in any thing whereof I may be satisfied by you Being therfore satisfied touching the first what say you to the truth of the second hath it a promise of blessing annexed vnto it R. Hath it If I haue said it you need not to make any doubt of it I woulde not say what I cannot iustifie neither often vse I to doe it but to put you out of all doubt touching that whereof you seeme to bee in doubt consider what is written in the Reuelation of the Euangelist Iohn and then I thinke not but soone you will cause to doubt Q. Why what is it that is there writtten R. Apoc. 14.13 That Blessed are they which dye in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them Q. And doth it thereupon followe that Death ioyned with and following after a reformed life hath the promise of blessednes annexed vnto it R. What else for first there is none die in the Lord but they which haue liued in the Lord for liuing sometime in the Lord must goe before dying any time in the Lord for as Augustine saith He hardly dies wel which alwaies liued ill SecoÌ„dly they which so dy are said to be blessed blessed are they which dy in the Lord. Thirdly that blessing then beginneth when as this life endeth For it is said therefore they are blessed which die in the Lord because they rest from their labours their workes follow them In which words there is both an expressing of the time wherein they are blessed and also of the cause wherefore they are blessed The time is the time of their death for it is said blessed are they which die in the Lord. The cause is their resting from their labour For blessed are they which die in the Lord for they rest from their labours c. In both the Euangelist speakes in the present tense hauing an eie in the last to the preterperfect For first he saith they are blessed he saith not that either they were blessed in the time past or they shall be blessed in the time to come but they are blessed in the time present as though they were in blisse euen in their death Secondly he saith they doe rest he saith not that they haue rested or that they shall rest but that they doe rest as though their death were a rest and not a distresse Thirdly he saith from their labours as though death present were a rest from labours past Q. Though the Euangelist saith so yet it followeth not but that they which dy in the Lord both were blessed and did rest before their death and shall be blessed and rest better after their death R. Neither did I yet say that any such thing will thereupon follow For the most of those that at their death are blessed in their life also were in some sorte blessed and all those that are blessed in their death shall for euer after be blessed after death Eternall life is heere in this life begunne and that sometime long before death and sometime in death but it is neuer finished or perfected till the life to come and after death There is perfection heere is but incoation there life is perfected heere it is but incepted He which heere hath it not at any time there enioyes it not On the contrarie part he which heere is entred into it shall there fully be possessed of it To conclude therfore they which are blessed in their death were also blessed in their life and shall be blessed after death with life lasting euer and enduring world without end Q. This being as you say no meruaile though the meditation of that promise be a shield of succour against deaths terrour For of my selfe I can heere collect that too much death is not to bee feared hauing so sweete a promise of rest thereto annexed R. In so doing you doe what euery christian ought to do For what should he ouer much feare death that hath herein a promise made to him of life what should he ouer much feare that which frees him from labour and brings him to rest who would not leaue an house of clay for a building giuen of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens life rest and a building giuen of God are three things which mitigates in any the immoderat dread of death For the loue of these death should rather be loued than loathed wished than shunned craued than feared Q. You say well if euery death had the promise of these things made vnto it R. Neuer if at the matter for there is no good death which hath them not all promised vnto it Q. There is much difference betweene a good death and any death R. I denie not that But I spake not of any death but only of a good death Neither could I for that place of scripture which I produced for proofe of what I propounded saith not that all are blessed which die but that they onely are blessed which die in the Lord. Q. That a man might come to that what should he doe R. Liue well so neere as he can For as the prouerbe is Such as the life is such will the death be And as Augustine saith as you heard ere while He cannot die ill which hath liued well and hardly doth he die well which hath liued ill Q. August de doctrina chrâ—stiana That should not seeme to be very necessarie First because there are but few that regards it For how euer euery man desires to die well yet not many desire to liue well Balaam
it and holde it if they will I am weary of talking of it there is so small comfort in it R. It was your selfe that gaue the occasion otherwise I had not spoken of it But sith we haue said thus much of it know thus much more touching it First though there be no comfort in it to the wicked that shal haue part in it because there is no peace to the wicked Isay 48.22 yet there is comfort by it to the godly because they know the wicked shall be plagued in it and all things worke togither vnto the best for them Secōdly Rom. 8.28 that the wicked shal to it whether they will or no. For in Mathew the seuenth they reason to and for the contrary Lord Lord Matth. 7.22 haue we not by thy name prophecyed and by thy name cast out diuels and by thy name done many great workes But there Christ saith then will I professe to them I neuer k ew you depart from me ye that worke iniquitie Now seeing you are weary of talking about this talke of what you will Q The libertie you giue me is more than I wish and greater than now I can vse You haue tied me to a course and I will not runne much out of course Now therefore when the sicke hath taken his prescribed phisicke after your described sort hath hee done touching himselfe or is there any thing else he is to regard in regard of his bodie R. I thinke not but I may say he hath done For whatsoeuer else is to be done is most what comprehended in the things alreadie named or else will be mentioned hereafter where other things are pursued Q. As we haue seene then what he is to doe concerning God and himselfe so if you please let vs see what he is to do concerning his neighbour For as I beare away hee was the third person you say the sicke person was to thinke of R. You say true and what pleased you shall not displease me for it aunswers the course before propounded and hitherto followed The first thing the sicke man is to doe concerning his neighbour is to seeke reconciliation with him for if he must doe nothing out of charitie he must not die out of charitie for the greatest worke that man hath to doe in this world is to die But the Apostle affirmeth that nothing must be done out of charitie 1. Cor. 16.14 for he saith Let all your things be done in loue and therefore die a man must not out of charitie For one of his things it is to die and as euen now you heard one of his greatest Moreouer if in the olde testament a man was to doe what I say when he was to offer but a beast in sacrifice vnto God much more is he to do it at Death when he is to offer himselfe his soule and bodie a sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauour vnto God For that which was an hinderance to the acceptation of a beast to be offred in sacrifice will much more be an hindrance to the acceptation of a man to be offered in sacrifice for the sacrifice of a man is greater than the sacrifice of a beast but then he was to doe it For then it was said If thou bring thy gift to the altar Matth. 5.23 and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thine offring and go thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift for without reconciliation of his sacrifice there was no acceptation When you shall stretch out your hands Esa 1.15 I will hide mine eyes from you saith the Lord and though yee make many prayers I will not heare for your hands are full of blood Now therefore also he is to doe it for now it is said When ye shall stand and pray forgiue Mark 11.25 if yee haue any thing against any man that your father also which is in heauen may forgiue you your trespasses For if you will not forgiue your father which is in heauen will not pardon you your trespasses And no meruaile for without peace betweene man and man there is no peace betweene man and God Without loue all is nothing Saith Paul Though I speake with the tongues of men and Angels 1. Cor. 13.1 and haue not loue I am as sounding brasse or a tinkling cymball And though I haue the gift of prophecie and knew all secrets and all knowledge yea if I haue all faith so that I could remoue mountaines and had not loue I were nothing And though I feede the poore with all my goods and though I giue my bodie that I be burned and haue not loue it profiteth me nothing And saith Iohn If any man say I loue God 1. Ioh. 4.20 and hate his brother he is a lier for how can he that loueth not his brother whom he hath seene loue God whom he hath not seene Q. I make no question of the dutie but of the sence For euery man vnderstands you not To seeke reconciliation is as farre from their vnderstanding as their practizing R. That may bee yet I hope you are not so senceles but you knowe the sence thereof Q. Though I be not yet I would haue you so speake as not I alone but that all others may vnderstand you R. I speake not in such parables but they may But I will speake plainely and as plainely as may be that the plainest of all may plainely vnderstand me To seeke reconciliation is freely to forgiue all men that haue offended and earnestly to desire all men to forgiue that are offended so that when I doe say it is the sicke mans part to seeke reconciliation with his neighbour it is as much as if I should say he is freely to forgiue all men that haue offended him as he himselfe would be forgiuen of God whome he himselfe hath many waies offended and also earnestly to desire all men whome he any waies hath offended to forgiue him as willingly as hee doth forgiue others The first part of this reconciliation is enioyned Marc. 11.25 And the second Mat. 5.23 what is said in either you haue already heard and it is needeles heere againe to repeate I thinke now that I haue spoken thus plainely you do not any longer stand in doubt Q. Not of the dutie as I haue said R. Not yet of the sence as you did say Q. Of neither but of the accomplishment of the dutie according to your sence R. That is more then you need if as I haue said the sicke doth proceed Q. How is that R. That is if he doth simply forgiue and sincerely desire to be forgiuen Q. What if a man cannot come to the speech of them to whom he should forgiue nor of them of whom he would be forgiuen or if he doe what if they will neither forgiue nor be forgiuen R. Nothing but well the will of the sicke God will heere accept for the deed
like Also he doth thereby cut off much hatred and contention which otherwise might or would arise For the making of a will is the staying of many suits in lawes By it many a question is decided some doubts are resolued all hatred is preuented except more fault be in those that remaine aliue than in him that is departed and gone Moreouer he doth thereby procure himselfe the more quiet in minde the greater libertie to attend vpon God and his pleasure the best oportunitie that may be to frame himselfe to another world Still and still therefore I commend the making of will before a man dies but euer and euer I condemne the leauing of all at sixe and seauen when hee dies For thereupon comes much strife and debate great questions and braulings at the law immortal hatred and disdaine and that among those which in former times liued in great peace and good loue Oftimes also all these proue so extreme as euery man besides that hath any sparke of wit or loue to peace saith It is great pitie that such a man died without a will that the least things as he did that he did not set all things at a stay You will not beleeue what ado heere is thereupon in the countrie No peace among his children no loue betweene his freinds no quiet to any of his neighbours c. Q. But one thing heare you ere you goe further doe you condemne this leauing off all at sixe and seauen as you said in all cases R. Yea surely vnles others are imagined than are alreadie by some pretended Q. Why what doe some pretend for their not making of a will R. First the hiding of their substance Secondly the concealement of their decayed estate Thirdly the hastning of their owne deaths Fourthly the quieting of their kinsefolkes mindes Q. And are none of these sufficient stoppes to stay a man from making of a will R. Truly no. Q. It may be your simple word will not be taken of euery one for a sure warrant R. I can then shew reason of my assertion Q. So do then and the better they may credit you R. That I will to whether any will credit me the more therefore yea or no. The first thing then pretended is no sufficient stoppe to stay a man from making of a will because it argues small thankefulnes to God for his blessings For what should a man be ashamed of the good gifts of God giuen vnto him It is his part rather to manifest them that so God may be the more glorified for giuing them than to conceale them 1. Cor. 4.7 For what hath he which hee hath not receiued and if hee hath not what hee receiued not why doth hee conceale them as if hee receiued them not It is the receiuers duty to acknowledge the giuers bountie No more is the second because it argues too much pride And what should dust and ashes be then proud when he is to returne to dust and ashes It is his duty rather to acknowledge the dealing of the Lord with him that others may take heed by him how they abuse the good gifts of GOD bestowed on them than to conceale it As it is God that maketh rich so it is God that maketh poore for he setteth vp one and pulleth downe another and what should vaine man desire to appeare better than God himselfe will haue him to be he that will obtayne mercy must not conceale his owne miserie Neither yet is the third because it argues too great loue of life too much feare of death And what shuld a mā too much loue that which once hee must lay down or too greatly feare that which one day he must vndergo It is his duty rather to submit himselfe vnder the mighty hand a God according to his prayer thy kingdome come thy wil be done c than otherwise The dayes of man are numbred his time appointed which he cannot ouer-passe though therefore he makes a thousand willes if it were possible for one man to make so many yet shall he die neuer the sooner God prolongs not the dayes of a man for the want of a will For they die aswel which neuer makes any as they which make many neither doth he shorten them because he hath made any for some haue made many and yet liue at this d y. But to let this passe of as little force is the fourth as the first or as any that yet haue followed And the reason is because it argues too fond a liking of kinsefolkes aboue the duty that is owing vnto God And what should a man so foolishly loue his kinred as for loue of them hee will omit the performance of the dutie which hee oweth vnto God It is his part rather to doe that which may please God than that which may please his friends Gal. 1.10 Saith Paul If I should yet please men I were not the seruant of Christ And saith Christ himselfe Mar. 10.37 He that loueth father or mother more than mee is not worthie of me and hee that loueth sonne or daughter more then me is not worthie of mee How they will bee worthie of Christ that are so foolishly affected to their kinred as for affection to them they will not doe what God hath enioyned them they had best to looke least for neglect thereof they in the end speed otherwise than they will like While they are a looking to that I will looke to that they say And me thinke without further looking I may well say that their pretence of not making a will is meerely false For the making of a will is the quieting of their kinsfolkes mindes for when their kinsfolkes see and know that there is a will made their mindes are quieted and all strife that might for want thereof after rise betweene them is wholy staid and precided So that still it is good for the sicke for the procuring of order in his house after his death to take care for the making of a will in his life and not to stay himselfe therefro for any of these vaine pretences named they all being alreadie sufficiently proued insufficient Q. Seeing you stand so stiffely for the making of a will making it rather a matter of necessitie than indifference what rules touching the making of his will would you wish the sicke to obserue R. These which the lawiers say testatours should obserue Q. What are those R. Aske the lawiers Q I am not with them nor amongst them except you be one R. Why you know I am none Q. It may bee notwithstanding you haue hearde what they say R. In some sorte I may not that denie Q. What then haue you hearde R. First that he which is to make a will must looke to him selfe whether hee be testable or not that is such an one as may make a will Secondly that hee must looke to the things which he will demise whether they be such as he may demise yea or no.
wherewith to restore R. What then yet he may haue as willing a minde to restore as Zacheus had Q. I deny not that but I doubt of the acceptation of his will R. You may aswell doubt of the sunnes being in heauen or your owne liuing on earth What reason is there that God should not accept aswell of him that would restore and cannot because he is not able as of him that could and did not though he were able for ought we reade if a good will thereto was good in him that was rich and able to haue restored though he did not it cannot but be also good in him that is poore and vnable to restore no doubt but he that came to saue the poore aswell as the rich will accept of a good will in the poore aswell as in the rich In his life time he made so great reckoning of the poore as he not onely came of the poore but also conuersed with the poore preached to the poore made choyce of the poore spake much in the behalfe of the poore gaue gifts to the poore yea and did many things for the poore And now being dead risen againe and ascended into heauen shall wee thinke him lesse mindfull of the poore or lesse mercifull to the poore no no. As his power is thereby increased so his mercie is therefore nothing abated Now his eies are vpon the poore his eares are open to the cry of the poore his heart considereth the deepe sighing of the poore much he regardeth the companie of the poore and well be prouideth for the congregation of the poore Saith the Apostle Iames Iam. 2.5 God hath chosen the poore of this world that they should be rich in faith and heires of the kingdome which he promised to them that loue him Hauing chosen them may we thinke he will not accept a good will in them they wanting power to worke what they will surely no. First Paul saith Rom. 11.2 God hath not cast away his people which he knew before Secondly againe the same Paul saith Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen Thirdly Christ himselfe saith They shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hand Ioh. 10.28 No doubt then but if they will well where they can worke but little God will accept of them according to their will It was but a little that the poore widow cast into the treasurie Mark 12.42 She threw in two mites which make a quadrin which was about halfe a farding yet Christ himselfe said that she cast in more then all they which cast in besides her Yet they cast in much The people saith marke cast money into the treasurie and many rich men cast in much And by that we may gather that Christ esteemeth our giftes by our affections and readie willes Q. I our giftes but not our debtes R. Yes debtes aswell as giftes For giftes if you looke well about you are none other but debts First God commaundes the giuing of gifts aswell as the paying of debts And as I take it it is a debt to obey the commaundement of God in respect therefore of his commaundement the giuing of gifts is a debte aswell as the paying of debts Secondly the cause of gifts is none other than a debt and as I guesse the effect is not vnlike the cause in respect of the cause of gifts gifts are debts For loue is the cause of gifts For therefore men giue because they loue and to them commonly they doe most giue whome affectionatly they doe best loue And that loue is a debt the Apostle proueth plainely when he saieth Rom. 13.8 Owe nothing to any man but to loue one another Gifts themselues therefore are none other than debts for as the logicians say Such as the cause is such also the effect is Q. I grant that gifts may be debts in regard of God that cōmands thē but I doubt whether they be so in regard of men that are to receiue them R. And I thinke there needes no great doubte be made of that neither for they that are bound to giue are bound to giue to some body for he that commaunds men to giue shewes men also to whom they shal giue Giue saith Syrach vnto such as feare God Syr. 12. 4 5. and receiue not a sinner Do wel vnto him that is lowly but giue not to the vngodly hold backe thy bread and giue it not vnto him least he ouercome thee thereby els thou shalt receiue twise so much euill for all the good that thou doest vnto him Giue vnto the good and receiue not the sinner And giue saith Tobit to his son Tobias of thy bread to the hungry Tobit 4.16 17. of thy garments to them that are naked and of all thine abundance giue almes be liberall to the first euen to their death but giue nothing to the wicked And saith Paul Giue to all men their duety Rom. 13.7 tribute to whom ye owe tribute custome to whome custome feare to whom feare honour to whome yee owe hnour And saith Christ Giue to him that asketh Matt. 5.42.22.21 and from him that would borow of thee turne not away Giue to Cesar the things which are Cesars and giue vnto God those things which are Gods Rom. 6.13 And againe saith Paul Giue not your members as weapons of vnrighteousnes vnto sinne but giue your selues vnto God as they that are aliue from the dead and giue your members as weapons of righteousnes vnto God As therefore you graunt them debts in regard of him that commaunds them to be giuen so I also take them in regarde of those to whom they are commaunded to be giuen Q. In a generality so you may if any way you may but not in a speciality For he that shewes to whom we shall giue doth not say to this man ye shall giue R. Looke backe to the places forenamed and there you shall finde what you say fully aunswered For they shew both to whome we are to giue and to whome we are not to giue If therefore our gifts be debts in respect of vs that are to giue them because God hath commaunded vs to giue they are so also in respect of those that are to receiue them because God also hath shewed vs to whom we are to giue them Q. It is requisit then that they be such in deede as those to whom God hath commaunded vs to giue R. That is right so Otherwise they are but vsurpers and we ill disposers They vsurpers be cause they take that which they haue no right to receiue we ill disposers because we giue to those to whom we are not bound to giue Q. But ere we goe further for feare of going to farre whereto tends all this our talke about gifts and debts R. To the proouing of Gods well accepting of a good will to restore in him that hath no abilitie to restore Q. In deede that 's the
dye than otherwise for it may be and most likelie it is he neither doth what hee ought nor loue as hee ought neither is he assured of the forgiuenes of his sinnes as he would R. What then Yet let him be neuer the more dismayed for all these may bees If he be assured of the forgiuenes of his sinnes as hee should though not as he would it is enough though he neither doth all that he ought nor loue any as he ought for both these latter are salued by that former Q. But without those latter hee cannot bee assured of that former R. That is very true Yet must it not bee looked for that either hee can doe what hee is commaunded to doe as hee is commaunded to doe it or loue whom he is commaunded to loue as he is enioyned to loue him Q. Neither did I yet vrge that for as I take it where action cannot be it is good if affection be R. So in deede saith the prouerbe In things aboue our reach it is enough to will well To the like effect also saith the scripture If there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath 2 Cor. 8.18 and not according to that hee hath not Not vnlike either saith Hierome Hie. om ad Demetr With God to whom all things are knowne before they be done a perfect will of doing is taken for the doing of the deede it selfe August super Psal 51. And to shut vp all saith Augustine Whatsoeuer thou will bee and eanst not that God accounts as done and this may be a great comfort against that which ere while you obiected vz. that so much the more a man that is dying should be vnwilling to dye because of the honour hee is to loose by how much the more he is vnable to doe what he is commanded and to loue whom he is enioyned both which are meanes to the honour hee is to seeke for if his good affection bee taken for right due action he neede not be vnwilling to dye in regarde of his honour present because through that hee is assured of better honour yet to come Q. If that were as you say it were both somewhat and somewhat worth R. It being so lately put out of doubt you neede not thereof make any doubt Let him liue in feare and dye in faith and there is no feare but he shall come to honour enough You heard ere while of the honour of the saints Psal 149.9 such honour saith Dauid haue all his saints such honour therefore shall he haue being one of his saints Q. But it may be he shall want of the pleasure he had here R. That is most true but hee shall meete with better otherwhere and ioy in them and of them more than in and of any here he euer might or once could for all pleasure here is mingled with paine all ioy here is mixt with sadnes all delight here is intermedled with griefe but the ioye pleasure and delight hee shall goe to shall be full safe and pure full without defect safe without perill pure without mixture such as can neuer bee wasted neuer lost neuer corrupted It is infinite and so it cannot bee diminished August in soliloq saith Augustine There the ioy neuer decreaseth It is euery where and euery whence and so it cannot be lost Anselm There shall be ioy saith Anselmus within and without ioy aboue and beneath about and aboue and euery where full ioy It is simple and pure and so it cannot be corrupted Apoc. 21.4 God shal wipe away all teares from their eyes that shall be there whither hee is hoping and bounding to goe and there shall be no more death neither sorrow neither crying neither shall there bee any more paine for the first things are passed God shall wipe all teares from their eyes the teares of compunction saith Bernard because there there shall be no sinne the teares of compassion because there there shall be no miserie the teares of deuotion because there there shall not be vado venio ad vos I goe away and come againe vnto you Lastly it shall bee eternall and so it shall neuer bee ended Esa 35.10 The redeemed of the Lorde shall returne and come to Zion with praise and euerlasting ioy shall be vpon their heads they shall obtaine ioye and gladnesse and sorrow and mourning shall flee away and what should it grieue him to forgoe those ioyes and pleasures that here hee hath had to goe to those that there he shall haue Or why should he be more vnwilling to goe hence in regarde of those he hath had than he is willing to depart in respect of those he is to haue If you compare the one with the other the first with the last the least with the greatest the best with the worst you shall finde as much ods betweene the one and the other as betweene a little drop of water and the great sea the light of a small candle and the bright sun a slender pebble and the whole earth As Barnard saith Bernard in quodam Sermone In truth that is the true and onely ioy which is conceiued not of the creature but of the creator which when thou shalt possesse no man shall take it from thee to which all ioy otherwhence compared is but griefe all pleasure but paine all sweete but sowre all faire but filthie last of all all that may delight but dolorous for the goodnes of God doth infinitely exceede all created goodnes The delight therefore which shall be in the immediate perception of that goodnes shall infinitely be better then all perception of any created goodnes surely if it were possible for one man to see the ioyes of that goodnes hee would streight waies despise all the ioyes of this life this appeares plaine in blessed Paul who after he had beene rapt vp into the third heauen presently said Philip 3.8 I haue counted all things losse doe iudge them to be dung that I might winne Christ. For as Augustine saith Augustinus lib. 4. de lib. arbitr so great is the beautie of righteousnes so great the pleasure of the eternall light that if it were lawfull for a man to stay there but a day he would for this alone contemne all the yeares of this life though they were both innumerable and full of pleasure and abundance of temporal goods for neither with a small nor a false affection is it sayd One day in thy courts is better than a thousand other where What ioy soeuer a man hath or can haue in this life it is nothing to the ioy that there is to be found Here he may haue ioy from himselfe from his friends from his goods but this ioy is but short impure and obnoxious It is short Iob. 20.5 Iob. 20.5 The reioycing of the wicked is short and the ioy of hypocrites is but a moment The ioy of the world