according to thy great Mercy Spare a Sinner O Infinite God through the Passion and Blood of thy dear Son But I have also offended you both in Word and Deed Pardon me you find me both Consessing and Sorry and deny me not this Provision for my Journey the pardon of all my Transgressions Let not your Vertue decrease by my Example which was always bad You have before your Eyes the Lives of the Saints to which yours must conform Enable their Patience Submission and Obedience to the utmost of your power I also return you thanks for your Pains for your Assistance for your Advice and for your Love God the inexhaustible Fountain of Goodness and the Immense Ocean of Love recompence your Affection God is certainly most Liberal to those that Commit themselves to his most holy Providence Obedience is a most Noble Vertue Patience is absolutely necessary Submission is a most excellent Vertue and Contempt of our selves Poverty is a Vertue belov'd of Christ Charity is the Queen of Vertue Yet above all the Vertues Faith in God seems to me to have something singular and most excellent and a Plenary Resignation of a Man's self to Divine Providence which the holy Scripture so commends and which is continually in the Mouth of the Kingly Prophet and which Christ endeavours to inculcate into us by so many Arguments drawn from Flowers c. little Birds The Vertues of this Faith and the Tranquility that attends it he only knows and finds who in every thing as well small as great most perfectly trusts in God and confines himself to rely upon his Providence and Will Neither do I believe there is any man who had this Hope and Trust in God but that strange and hidden Mysteries befell him Therefore let us trust in God and commit our selves wholly to his Will and Protection I whom ye here see am cited to the Tribunal of God to give an Account of Sixty Years All my Deeds Words and Thoughts are open to this Judge Nothing is concealed from him All my Lifes Actions shall receive their definitive Sentence How I tremble for it is a terrible thing to stand in Judgment before God But in this Extremity there is that which comforts me Therefore though I am a wicked Servant my Lord is Gracious and Infinitely Good who will acknowledge his Servant though he have been bad And now God be with you all that Survive Farewel all you that are to follow me in your order Sect. 24. The last Admonitions of Dying People AS the Sun towards his Setting shines often forth more pleasantly So Man the nearer he is to Death the wiser he is Hence those Admonitions of dying People which Wisdom has so much applauded Cyrus being about to die My Son said he when I am dead close up my Body neither in Silver nor in any other Mettal but return its own Earth to the Earth again His last Words were Be grateful to your Friends and you will never want the Power to punish your Enemies Farewel my dear Son and tell these my Words to your Mother also Wisely saith Theophrastus upon his Death Bed Many fine and pleasant things doth Life impose upon us under the pretence of Glory then the Love of which there is nothing more vain Hither may be referred the saying of Severus the Emperor I was all things but nothing avails Constantius Father of Constantine the Great upon his Death-Bed as he was resigning his Empire to his Son with a wonderful Chearfulness Now said he do I almost esteem Death above Immortality I leave a Son Emperor Here is the Man that after 270 years has wiped away the Tears of the Christians and avenged the Cruelty of Tyrants Christ was truly in Arms with Constantius Lewis King of France gave these his last Admonitions to his Son Beware my Son that thou never commit any deadly Sin rather suffer all manner of Torments First chose such about thee as will not be afraid to tell thee what thou art to do and what to beware To thy Parents give all Obedience Love and Reverence Ferdinand the Great King of Castile falling sick of his last Sickness caused himself to be carried to the great Church in all his Royal Robes where putting off all his Royal Ornaments and as it were restoring God his own he put on a Hair Cloth and casting himself upon the Ground with Tears in his Eyes Lord said he the Kingdom which thou gavest me I return to thee again seat me I beseech thee in Eternal Light Charles King of Sicily spoke these Words Oh the Vain Thoughts of Men Miserable Creatures we are delighted with Honour heap up Treasure and neglect Heaven O the happy Fate of the poor who content with little Sleep in Tranquility What does now my Kingdom what do all my Guards avail me I might have been Miserable without all this Pomp. Where is now the power and strength of my Empire The same necessity involves me as hampers the meanest Begger Of so many Thousands of Clyents Servants and Flatterers there is not one that will or can accompany to the Tribunal of God Go Mortals go and swell your Breasts with great Thoughts to Day or â—â—â—orrow ye must die Farewel Earth would I could say welcom Heaven Nor must we forget the most Holy and Opulent of Kings the Son of the Hebrew Nation David who being near Death I saith he am going the way of all the Earth and then turning to his Son But thou my Son Solomon said he keep thou the watch of the Lord thy God that thou walk in his Ways and keep his Statutes and Precepts If thou seek the Lord thou shalt find him but if thou forsakest him he shall cast thee off to Eternity A terrible Exhortation and enough to have pierced a Heart of Adamant Thus Death devours all cuts off Kings lays Nations wast and swallows the People up deaf to Prayers Riches Tears noâ— to be overcome by any humane force Only the wise-Man dies contented the Fool murmurs at his departure Sect. 25. Christ is invited ABide with me O Lord for it draweth toward Night and the day is far passed The day of my Life hastens towards Night and there is no Joshua to stay the Sun or prolong the Day But as the Sun is daily buried under ground yet every Morning revives so I and all that live shall go to the Earth but we shall return from the Earth clearer than the Sun it self Therefore O Christ O my most Gracious Saviour abide with me behold it draweth towards Night My Eyes my Ears all my Senses fail me but do thou I beseech thee not fail me O most loving Jesu and all the rest I most willingly abandon Begon all other things I dismiss and give ye leave My Creator is with me it is enough It is well with me But that thou may'st tarry with me till Night even till Death still I cry abide with me O Lord for it draweth towards Night
and take me amongst thy Câ—osen howbeit not my VVill but thy VVill be done Lord I commit my Soul to thee O Lord thou knowest how happy it were for me to be with thee yet for thy Chosen sake send me Life and Health that I may truly serve thee O my Lord God bless thy People and save thine Inheritance O Lord God save thy Chosen People of England O my Lord God defend this Realm from Papistry and maintain thy true Religion that I and my People may praise thy Holy Name for thy Son Jesus Christ's sake Then turning his Face and seeing some by he said Are you so nigh I thought you had been further off Many servent Prayers he made but his last Words were these I am faint Lord have Mercy upon me and take my Spirit and so committed his Pious Soul into the hands of his Heavenly Father He died July 6. 1553. in the Seventeenth Year of his Age. He Reigned Six Years Five Months and Eight Days he was the one and Fortieth Sole Monarch of England and was Buried at VVestminster The Death of Queen Mary HER Husbands absence and the disappointment of proving with Child brought her into a Sickness whereof she died November 17. 1558. having Reigneâ—â— 5 Years and 4 Months Cardinal Pool dying the day before but sometime before she declared to him That if when she were dead they would look into her Heart rhey would find Callis her great Distemper In her Reign there suffered 5 Bishops 21 Divines and in all 277 Persons The Death of Queen Elizabeth Lopez a Jew Physitian to the Queen was Executed for attempting to Poyson her In 1600. the Earl of Essex having incurr'd the Queens Displeasure in Ireland and more by scandalous Speeches and a kind of open Rebellion at his House in London being condemned by his Peers is Beheaded On the 24th of March 1602. died Queen Elizabeth having Reigned above 44 Years in as Troublesome times as any yet full of Honour and most happy in the Love of her People She was Interred in Henry the Seventh's Chappel at VVestminister The Death of King James the First THis King was Interred at VVestminster with great Solemnity his Queen was Ann Daughter of Frederick the Second King of Denmark by whom he had two Sons Henry and Charles and three Daughters Elizabeth Mary and Sophia the two last dyed young The Death of King Charles the First HE was led through the Park to the Scaffold before VVhite-Hall where having declared that he died a Martyr for the Laws and Liberties of his People he made a Confession of his Faith asserting that he died a true Son of the Church of England then he betook himself to his private Devotions and so patiently submitted his Royal Head to Martyrdom from the hand of a disguised Executioner His Body was put into a Black Velvet Coffin and afterwards wrapt in Lead was on the 7th of Feb. following Interred at St. George's Chappel at VVindsor in the same Vault with King Henry the 8th in presence of the Duke of Richmond Dr. Juxon and others but the manner appointed in the Liturgy could not be obtained to be used nor had he any Epitaph affixed but only on the Sheet of Lead on a thin Plate fastned on the Breast this plain Inscription King Chaâ—les 1648. The Death of King Charles the Second ON Monday Feb. 2. 1684. the King was seiz'd with a violent Fit of an Apoplexy which deprived him of his Senses but upon speedy Application of Remedies he returned to such a Condition as gave some Symptoms of his Recovery till VVednesday Night and then the Disease was so violent that he lay in a languishing Condition until Friday Feb. 6. and then expired He had Reigned Thirty six Years and Seven Days and was in the 55th Year of his Age. He was Interred in Henry the Seventh's Chappel being the Forty-sixth Sole Monarch of England The Death of Old Mr. Eliot of New-England WHILE he was making his Retreat ouâ— of this evil World his Discourses from time to time ran upon The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ It was the Theme which he still had Recourse unto and we were sure to have something of this whatever other Subject he were upon On this he talk'd of this he pray'd for this he long'd and especially when any bad News arriv'd his usual Reflection thereupon would be Behold some of the Clouds in which we must look for the coming of the Son of Man At last his Lord sor whom he had been long wishing Lord come I have been a great while ready for thy coming At last I say his Lord came and fetched him away into the Joy of his Lord. He fell into some Languishments attended with a Fever which in a few days brought him into the Pangs may I say or Joys of Death And while he lay in these Mr. Walter coming to him he said unto him Brother Thou art welcome to my very Soul Pray retire to my Study for me and give me leave to be gone meaning thar he should not by Petitions to Heaven for his Life detain him here It was in these Languishments that speaking about the work of the Gospel among the Indians he did after this Heavenly manner express himself There is a Cloud said he a dark Cloud upon the Work of the Gospel among the poor Indians The Lord revive and prosper that Work and grant it may live when I am dead It is a work which I have been Doing much and long about But what was the word I spoke last I recal that word My Doings Alas they have been poor and small and lean Doings and I 'll be the Man that shall throw the first Stone at them all It has been observed that they who have spoke many considerable things in their Lives usually speak few at their Deaths But it was otherwise with our Eliot who after much Speech of and for God in his Life-time uttered some things little short of Oracles on his Death-bed which 't is a thousand pities they were not more exactly regarded and recorded Those Authors that have taken the pains to Collect Apophthegmata Morentium have not therein been unserviceable to the Living but the Apophthegms of a Dying Eliot must have had in them a Grace and a Strain truly extraordinary and indeed the vulgar Error of the signal sweetness in the Song of a Dying Swan was a very Truth in our expiring Eliot his last Breath smelt strong of Heaven and was Articled into none but very gracious Notes one of the last whereof was Welcome Joy And at last it went away calling upon the standers by to Pray pray pray which was the thing in which so vast a portion of it had been before Employ'd This was the peace in the end of this Perfect and Vpright Man thus was there anoâ—her Star ferched away to be placed among the rest that the third Heaven is now enriched with He had once I think a pleasant Fear that
to reform the Churches into which many Errors had crept especially in Bulgaria so that continuing a Faithful Pastor for about three years he then yielded up the Ghost and exchanged for a better Life He was a Man of great Patience Mild and Meek in all his Actions exceeding most of his time in Learning He used to say That comes forward in the World goes back in Grace his Estate is miserable that goes Laughing to Destruction as a Fool to the Stocks of Correction The Death of ANSELM HE used to say That if he should see the shame of Sin on the one hand and the pains of Hell on the other and must of necessity chuse one he would rather be thrust into Hell without Sin than go into Heaven with Sin A while after his return to England he dyed in the Ninth Year of King Henry the 1. Anno 1109. Aged 76. The Last Sayings of NICEPHORUS HE was one of great Learning and Judgment He wrote an Ecclesiastical History in Greek and Dedicated it to Andronicus He used to say Christ asked Peter three times if he loved him not for his own Information but that by his threefold Profession he might help and heal his threefold denial of him He lived under Andronicus Senior 1110. The Death of BERNARD HE lived with great applause till the 63 year of his Age when retiring to his Monastery he fell sick and calling all his Disciples about him when he perceived them weep he comforted them saying My Fatherly love moves me to pity you my Children so as to desire to remain here but on the other side my desire to be with Christ draws me to long to depart hence therefore be of good comfort for I submit to the will of our Heavenly Father to whose protection I leave you And thereupon he resigned his Spirit into the Hands of his Redeemer dying Anno Christi 1153 and in the Sixty third year of his Age. Upon entring the Church at the Door he usually said Stay here all my Worldly Thoughts and all Vanity that I may entertain Heavenly Meditations The Death of PETER LOMBARD HIS usual Sayings were these There is in us evil concupiscence and vain desires which are the Devils Weapons bent against our Souls whereby when God forsakes us he overthrows us with deadly Wounds Let none glory in the Gifts of Preachers in that they edifie more by them For they are not Authors of Grace but Ministers The Instruction of words is not so powerful as the Exhortation of works for if they that teach well neglect to do well they shall hardly profit their Audience He dyed on the 13th of August 1164. and lyes Buried at Paris and has this Inscription upon his Tomb Here lyeth Peter Lombard B. D. of Paris who composed the Book of Sentences and the Glosses of the Psalms and Epistles The Death of Alexander Hales HE was Born at Hales in Gloucestershire carefully Educated of an Excellent Wit and very Industrious His Sayings were of Patience A Soul patient when wrongs are offered is like a Man with a Sword in one hand and a Salve in the other who could wound but will heal Of Faith What the Eye is to the Body Faith is to the Soul it 's good for Direction if it be kept well And as Flies hurt the Eye so little Sins and ill Thoughts torment the Soul Of Humility An humble Man is like a good Tree the more full of Fruits the Branches are the lower they bend themselves He dyed Anno 1245. The Life of Bonaventure TO keep himself imployed he wrote the Bible over with his own Hand and so well used it that he could readily Cite all the material Texts by heart After this he was made Doctor of Divinity in which he continued for a considerable time doing all the deeds of Charity that lay in his power to perform likewise perswaded others to do the like So that at last spent with tedious Studies Nature decayed in him and he falling sick gave up the Ghost dying Anno Christi 1274 Aged 53 and was Buried in a Stately Sepulchre in the Cathedral The Death of Thomas Aquinas VVHen any one offered him promotion he was wont to say I had rather have Chrysostom's Commentary upon the Gospel of St. Matthew In all his Sermons he framed his Speech to the Peoples Capacities and hated Vice in any though he loved their Persons never so well He dyed as he was going to the Council Summoned at Lyons Anno Christi 1274. His usual Sayings were these of Spending our Time Make much of time especially in that weighty matter of Salvation O how much would he that now lyes frying in Hell rejoice if he might have but the least moment of time wherein he might get God's favour Of Death The young Man haâ—h Death at his Back the old Man before his Eyes aud that 's the most dangerous Enemy that pursues thee than that which marches up towards thy Fâ—ce Of Repentance Remember that though God promises forgiveness to repentant Sinners yet he doth not promise that they shall have to morrow to repent in The Death of John Wicklif HE was an English Man by Birth descended of godly Pâ—rents who sent him to Morton College in Oxford where he profited in Learning and in a short time was Divinity Reader in the University which he so well performed that he obtained a general Applause from all his Auditors he was a Man of great Piety often bewailing the vicious Lives of the Clergy After all the Persecution and Malice of his Enemies he dyed in peace Anno Christi 1384. But after his Death many of his Famous Writings were burned by the Popish Clergy The Death of John Huss IN Degrading him they were so cruel as to cut the Skin from off the Crown of his Head with Shears and to disannul the Emperors Letters of safe Conduct they made a Decree That no Faith should be kept with Hereticks After which they prepared for his Execution and put a Cap upon his Head painted with Devils the which he joyfully put on saying That since his Lord and Master wâ—re for his sake a Crown of Thorns he would not disdain for his sake to wear that Cap When he had put it upon his Head a Bishop standing by said Now we commit thy Soul to the Devil but Huss lifting up his Hands and Eyes to Heaven said Into thy Hands Lord Jesus I commend my Spirit which thou hast redeemed with thy most precious Blood Then they Burnt his Books at which he with a joyful Countenance said to the People Think not good People that I die for any Heresie or Errour but through the hatred and malice of mine Adversaries As he lifted up his Face in Prayer the Cap fell off whereupon a Souldier put it on again saying He should burn with his Masters the Devils whom he had served Then rising up said Lord Jesus assist and help me that with a constant and patient mind by thy most gracious
and but â—peck of Rubbidge so much Bone If he who â— this Bell tells me is gone now were some â—xcellent Artificer who comes to him for a â—â—ak or for a Garment now or for Counsel â— he were a Lawyer if a Magistrate â—or Juâ—ce O my God thou dost certainly allow that â— should do Offices of Piety to the dead and that â— should draw instructions to Piety from the dead â— not this O my God a holy kind of raiâ—g up seed to my dead brother If I by the meâ—ation of his death produce a better life in â— self It is the blessing upon Reuben Let Reuâ— live and not dye and let not his men be few â—ut 33. 6. Let him propagate many And it is â— malediction That that dyeth let it dye Zechar. â—9 Let it do no good in dying for Trees â—out fruit thou by thy Apostle callest Twice â— Jud. 12. It is a second death if none live the better by me after my death by the manner of my death Therefore may I justly think that thou madest that a way to convey to the Egyptians a fear of thee and a fear of death that there was not a house where there was not one dead Ex. 12. 30. For thereupon the Egyptians said We are all dead men The death of others should catechise us to death Thy Son Christ Jesus is the first begotten of the dead Apoc. 1. 5. He rises first the eldest Brother and he is my Master in this science of death But yet for me I am a younger brother too to this man who dyed now and to every man whom I see or hear to die before me and all they are ushers to me in this School of death I take therefore that which thy servant Davids Wife said to him to be said to me If thou save not thy life to night to morrow thou shalt be slain â— Sam. 16. 11. If the death of this man work not upon me now I shall die worse than if thou hadst not afforded me this help For thou hast sent him in this Bell to me as thou didst send to the Angel of Sardis with Commission to strengthen the things that remain and that are ready to die Apoc. 3. 2. That in this weakness of body I might receive spiritual strength by these occasions If I mistake thy Voice herein if I over-run thy pace and prevent thy Hand and imagin Death more instant upon me than thou hast bid him be ye the Voice belongs to me I am dead I was bâ—â— dead and from the first laying of these mud-wâ—â—â— in my conception they have moldred away and thâ— whole Course of Life is but an active death Whether this voice instruct me that I am a deâ— Man now or remember me that I have been dead Man all this while I humbly thank thâ— O Lord for speaking in this Voice to my Soâ— When Invited to the House of Weeping Reflect and say DUty obliging me to perform the last Office of Love to my Friend I will surely â—â—llow his Corps to the Grave that in such a Spectacle as in a Glass I may behold my own Mortality or tho I always carry about me the Symptoms â—f Mortality and the marks of Death yet have hitherto lived as if I should never die In â—mall Villages where Instances of Mortality are â—ery rare there the inward thoughts of their â—earts seem to be that they and their Houses â—â—all continue for ever and their dwelling plaâ—s to all Generations In Populous Towns and â—â—ies there the commonness takes away the â—â—se of Mortality And oh how sad is it to beâ—old the unsuitable Carriage of the generality of â—hristians at Funerals those opportunities are sually spent in unprofitable Chat in Mirth in â—ating and Drinking and that sometimes to â—xcess and thus the House of Mourning is turned to the House of Mirth and Feasting But Lord â—ant that this may not be my practice when I â—me to the House of Mourning where my Friend â—w lyes dead Let my Eyes affect my Heart â—at I may seriously mind the present instance of Mortality and be affected with such Meditatiâ—s as these Lord this Tragedy that is now acting on my deâ—sed friend must ere long God knows how soon â— acted on me my Breath is ready to perish â—e Earth is gaping for me yet a little while â—d I shall be carried down into the Chambers Death Lord teach me so to number my days that I 〈…〉 Heart unto true Wisdom As thou art walking along to the House of Weeping seriously meditate on Ruth 1. Ver. 17. WHere thou dyest will I dye and there I will be buried the Lord do so to me and more also if ought but Death part thee and me Where thou dyest will I dye Here Ruth supposeth two things 1. That she and her Mother in Law should both dye It is appointed once to dye 2dly That Naomi as the eldest should die first For according to the Ordinary custom of Nature it is the most probable and likely that those that are most stricken in years should first depart this life Yet I know not whether the Rule or Exceptions be more general and therefore let both Young and Old prepare for Death the first may die soon but the second cannot live long And there will I be buried Where she supposed two things more first That those that survived her would do her that favour to bury her which is a common courtesie not to be denyed to any It was an Epitaph written upon the Grave of a Begger Nâ—dâ—s eram vivus mortuus ecce tegor 2dly She supposeth they would bury her according to her instructions near to her Mother Naomi Observation As it is good to enjoy the company of the Godly while they are living so it is not amiss if it will stand with convenience to be buried with them after death The old prophets bones escaped a burning by being buried with the other Prophets and the Man who was tumbled into the grave of Elishâ— was revived by the virtue of his Bones And we â—ead in the Acts and Monuments That the body of Peter Martyr's wife was was buried in a dunghil but afterwards being taken up in the Reign of Q. Elizabeth it was honourably buried in Oxford in the grave of one Frideswick a Popish-she-Saint to this end that if Popery which God forbid should over-spread our Kingdom again and if the Papists should go about to untomb Peter Martyrs Wifes Bones they should be puzzled to distinguish betwixt the Womans body and the Reliques of that their Saint so good it is sometimes to be buried with those whom some do account pious though perchance in very deed they be not so The Lord do so to me and more also To ascertain Naomi of the seriousness of her intentions herein Ruth backs what formerly she had said with an Oath lined with an execration If ought but Death See here the large extent of a Saints love it lasts till Death
was saved for Noahs sake Gen. 7. Prosane wretches are ready to wish the people of God all out of the world but alas what would then these wretches do they are beholding to the saints for their very beings and for the continuance of all their mercies When God hath but once gathered in his elect and done his work in Zion he will soon pull the world about these mens ears If the righteous be taken away he is taken away from the evill to come Isa 57. 1. Wo to Sodom if Lot depart and so I may say Wo to England if the righteous should be taken away Wo to Graffham whenever thou ceasest to be a refuge to the saints whenever thy gates shall be shut against the ministers and people of the Lord Jesus The Children of Israel though they slighted and despised the Prophets would in time of distress come to them for Prayer 1 Sam. 7. 8 9. and 12 19. Yea Pharaoh as proud and as high as he was yet when the Plague was upon him Moses he must be sent for and be entreated to pray for him and his people And thus much for the Reasons of the Doctrine shewing why the People of God must needs be affected with and Weep over the Death of Religious Persons We shall now proceed to Application And first it affords matter of information as First if it be a Christ-like Frame to Weep over the Death of such as are tâ—… informs us how unlike to Christ suâ—… though they plead for Christian Burâ—… attend Funeral Solemnities with a vain 〈…〉 ungodly Spirit and Carriage making tâ—… of Weeping a House of Laughter and filling 〈…〉 selves with Wine wherein is eâ—câ—ss until 〈…〉 become more like beasts than mâ—n which is a practice too common at Funerals You may soon judge how sit such persons are to attend upon a Funeral Sermon but indeed I am apt to think Funeral Sermons have generally been rather for Ostentation and Vain Glory than for Profit Hereby is likewise condemned that heathenish practice of Ringing of Bells so soon as ever Funeral Solemnities are performed How unsuitable is it that so soon as ever the Husband or Wife or a godly Friend is laid in the Earth to set the Bells a Ringing which imports matter of joy rather than of sorrow 2. If it be a Christ-like-Frame of Spirit to weep over the Deaths of good men it informs us how unlike to Christ that Spirit is whereby men do censure and reproach good men when taken away by Death And I do the rather mention this because some have taken the boldness to judge and censure this Eminent Servant of Christ now in Glory and to speak very unworthily concerning him since his Death How unlike to Christ is this Spirit Thou that shouldst be judging and condemning thy self for Non-improvement of so great a mercy art judging this Eminent servant of Christ now dead The Liturgy of the Church of England will teach thee better for let persons be never so vile â—…s yet when they come to be laid â—…ave then they are dear Brethren and 〈…〉 â—…ore away with this Spirit to Hell with 〈…〉 from thence it came Let it suffice 〈…〉 this glorified Saint suffered much in this â—nd while he was living I am apt to think the Heats and Passions and rash Censures of Professors hath made him â—ft go home with a sad Heart and cost him many a Tear in private Suffer him to be quiet in his Crave let this his suffering suffice let not his name suffer now he is dead suffer him to be quiet in his Grave leave his judgment to the Lord and let it be your Work to improve those many Sermons that he hath in the fear of his God preach`d unto you 2. Who made thee Lord over thy Brothers Conscience Must all professors be condemned by thee because they cannot see with thy eyes and tread in thy steps By what authority doest thou impose thy particular light and perswasion upon thy brother that so as almost to un-saint him This imposing spirit is an Antichristian spirit evermore The next use may be of Exhortation Is it so that it is a Christ-like Frame of Spirit to be deeply affected with and to weep over the death of such as are truly pious Then it concerns us seriously to consider the Providences of God this way and that more generally and more particularly First more generally God hath lately made sad breaches upon many of the Families of his precious Servants many a flourishing Family hath mouldred away in a little time And God hath lately taken away many very famous Instruments both Ministers and others so that we have cause to cry out with the Psalmist Psal 12 1. Help Lord for the Godly Man ceaseth for the faithful fail from among the Children of Men. But Secondly and more particularly I would beg you of this Congregation to consider the present stroke of God upon you in taking away your worthy Pastor his Death justly calls for weeping and Tears if you consider First That he was one that had love for all Saints he had room in his heart for every soul that he did judge to be received into the heart of Christ he held communion with the Saints not upon the account of this or that form or name but upon the account of union with the Lord Jesus he loved no man upon the account of opinion but upon the account of union with Christ and this he hath declared many a time in this Congregation There was hardly a member that he did in the name of Christ and the Church give the right hand of fellowship unto but he did acquaint them with this his principle told them that Vnion with Christ was the ground of Communion among the Saints and the reason of their admission was not their being of this or that opinion but for that they were judged persons interested in Christ and such who by virtue of Christs purchase were heirs of that glory above that must receive all Saints not as Church of England men Presbyterians Independants or Anabaptists c. but as Saints into its everlasting habitations Secondly His Death justly calls for your Weeping and Tears for that you have lost a Pastor who had great light in the Covenant of Grace he preacht that Doctrine with the greatest alacrity and raisedness of spirit imaginable In the handling of other subjects he was more streightned and discomposed but when he came to speak of the unsearchable riches of the Grace of Christ he was as an Angel of God lifted up above himself he had a flood of words and yet seemed to want words to express what he did know and what he did enjoy of divine grace and favour This being true must needs be great To lose a pure Gospel Preacher is a great loss Eternity depends upon a right understanding of the great Doctrine of Justification by Christ. Eternity depends not upon being baptized once or twice upon this or
serious thoughts while I live How I must die these do so make me run that I may obtain a Crown of glory The sound of the Passing Bell assures me there is some to day likely to die it is so â—igh Night it is high time then to work out my Salvation lest the Night of death put in and none can work I have a task set will take up all my time viz. to die well while I live then I will learn to die lest being found unprepared it be said Thou fool this night thy Soul shall be required of â—hee Maximilian the Emperor made his Coffin always to be carried along with him to this â—nd that his high Dignity might not make â—im forget his Mortality What was long since decreed in Heaven God hath sent Warrants to execute on Earth â—â—mel mori for us once to die Kings Xerxes standing on a Mountain and â—aving many hundred thousand of his Souldiers standing in the plain fell a weeping to think â—pon it how in a few years and all those galâ—ant valiant men must die Adam he lived 930 years and he died Enoch he lived 96â— years and he died Methusalem lived 967 years and he died O the longest 〈…〉 hath its night and in the â—nd â—man must die The Princes of the Nations pass sentence of death upon others Well it is not long but â—heir turn will come Semel mori once to die Many of us live where our parents lived and live of the same lands which they lived of It is not long and our Children shall do as much for us For we must go hence and be seen no more Some ride Post some Hackney pace at serius citius sooner later all arrive at the Common Inn the grave and die Some have the Palsie some the Apoplexy some a Feaver some an Ague some a Consumption some none of them yet the sick the sound they all meet in the end at the same Rendezvouz at the House of Death The Scholar thinks to delude Death with hiâ—s Fallacies The Lawyer puts in his Demur the Prince his plea is State affairs at aquo pulsat pede Death knocks at all doors alike and when he comes they all go hence from their houses to their graves Joseph the Jew in his best health made his Stone-Coffin be cut out in his Garden to put him in mind of his Ego abeo I go hence The Persians they buried their dead in their houses to put the whole houshold in mind of the same lot Semel mori once to die Simonides when commanded to give the most wholsom rule to live well willed the Laâ—edemonian Prince ever to bear in mind Se tempore brevi moriturum ere long and he must die I have read of a sort of people that used dead mens bones for money and the more they have they are counted the more rich Herein consists my richest treasure to bear that about me will make me all my lifâ—â—ember my end Great Sultan Saladan Loâ—â— of many Nations and Languages commanded upon his death-bed that one shall carry upon a Spears point through all his Camp the Flag of Death and to proclaim for all his wealth Saladan hath nought left but this winding-sheet An ensured Ensign of Death triumphing over all the Sons of Adam I uncloath my self every night I put off all but what may put me in mind of my winding-sheet Anaxagoras having word brought him his onely son was dead his answer was Scio me genuisse mortalem I know he was born to die Philip of Macedon gave a Boy a pension every morning to say to him Philippe memento â—e hominem esse Philip remember thou art a man and therefore must die We read of Philostrates how he lived seven years in his Tomb that he might be acquainted with it against the time he came to be put into it Oh an Apprentiship of years is time little enough to make us perfect in the Mystery of Mortality Divine Meditations arising from the Contemplation of these sad and serious Sentences 1. Med. IS it not high time to make fit to die considering thy Winding Sheet lies ready for thee and the Bell tolls thee away Say with thy self My want is great my time is almost run If I make not market to day I am not sure to do it to morrow O the uncertainty of Life shall be the Alarum-Bell to give me now notice to work out my Salvation with fear and trembling O I am never so nigh my God as when I think of my end FRIEND let Death be in thy thoughts and God will be in thy heart 2. Med. Meditate since man must die Lord what danger in dying unprepared this is Maxima miseria A misery of miseries and St. Augustine gives the reason For that look how a man goeth to that prison the Grave so he goeth to the Judgment-hall to be tryed But oh Death thou Common Butcherer of human Nature after thy great stroak be struck I am not dead but asleep Blessed be thou my God who hast made my grave my bed in which after I have taken some silent rest the noise of the Archangel with his Trumpet shall awake and raise me from a Death for sin to a life of glory Death is the way we must all walk to Life Some ancient Fathers and some late Writers says the Lord Manchester have fixed upon the Love of God Some upon the Passion of Christ Some upon the Joys of Heaven Some upon Contempt of the World several others upon divers other subjects All opening that some one is to be chosen For whoso will live to himself must be at leisure for God And a wise man saith Wisdom is to be written in time of leisure Whoever is lessen'd by work he cannot tend it I being in my accustomed retiredness disengaged from publick affairs which was but seldom found it useful fruitful and delightful To bestow my thoughts upon my latter end There be four last things say the Fathers Heaven Hell Death and Judgment All Subjects large enough But considering I had passed so much Employment so many Offices so long Practice in several professions I now thought it time to seize on Death before it seiz`d on me Lord teach me to number my days that I may apply my Heart to Wisdom After long meditation this I found that when Meditation had begotten Devotion then it applyed it self to Contemplation which required a settlement upon some Divine Object And what more heavenly than the thought of Immortality What so necessary as the thought of Death Herein therefore I complyed with my own desires and did so as it were weave my own windingsheet by making choice of Death for the Subject of my Contemplation We should not diffuse our thoughts into variety of Considerations but recollect them into one by Contemplation Herewith a man's soul being once affected hardly shall he obtain leave of his thoughts to return again to employments And lest I busied about many things
Brother 1 Kings 13. 29 30. The Children of Israel wept for Moses in the Plain of Moab thirty days Deut. 34. 8. Though Samuel took his leave and departed from Saul and came no more to see him until the day of his death nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul 1 Sam. 15. 35. Though Jephthah's Daughter had been dead and buried long before yet it was a custom in Israel that the Daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the Daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year Jud. 11. 39 40. When Stephen was stoned devout Men carried him to his burial and made great lamentation over him Acts 8. 2. When Hezekiah slept with his Fathers he was buried in the chiefest of the Sepulchres of the Sons of David and all Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honour at his Death 2 Chr. 32. 33. When Mary Magdalen stood weeping at the feet of my Saviour and did wash his Feet with Tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head and brought an Alabaster Box of Ointment and anointed him with the Ointment Luke 7. 37 38. He was so far from disliking it in her that he checked his Disciples who had indignation at the Act and therefore said To what purpose is this waste Yea he reproved them and said unto them Why trouble ye the Woman For she hath wrought a good work upon me For in that she hath poured this Ointment on my Body she did it for my Burial Mat. 26. 8 10 12. She hath done what she could she is come aforehand to anoint my Body to the burying Mar. 14. 8. Here I find was Ointment to embalm him and here were also Tears at his Funeral And yet so far was Christ from blaming her for her Tears that he not only decreed the publishing of this Act through the World where the Gospel should be preached and that for a Memorial of her Mat. 26. 13. but he likewise upbraided Simon with the tears of the sinner and said unto him I entred into thine house and thou gavest me no water for my feet but she hath washed my feet with Tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head c. Wherefore her sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much Luke 7. 44 47. Weep then I may upon this sad occasion yea and weep may my Friends too Tears are as proper at a Funeral as Smiles at a Wedding We have two Marriages the first whereof is to living Dust the last to the cold and silent Earth At the former we rejoyce for it was an institution of God before Man had sinned Gen. 2. 24. At the latter we weep for it is the effect of sin We cloath our selves in delightful Colours when we celebrate the former But our Blacks at the latter are our Wedding Garments The Rosemary is served about at each The Gloves and the Favours attend at each The Wine and the other accustomed Entertainments are given at each We go to the Church for the consummation of each Only here is the difference that at the one we rejoice but at the other we mourn Every Guest that is willing to comply with the present occasion must as well be sad at this as be merry at the other Weep we may and weep we must especially my self who have lost my self But yet let me take heed that I offend not in my Tears lest that which is my Duty be turned into a Crime I must especially take heed that I err not in the cause of these Laments for if I grieve at the happiness of him that is departed I discover an Envy rather than Affection If I grieve for the loss which my self sustaineth I must take heed that I wrong not my confidence in God I may not offend in the number of my Tears for if I weep too much I may forfeit my hope or at least I may occasion those that behold me to think that I doubt of the salvation of the Dead Weep I may and weep I must but for fear lest I offend in these my Tears in my earnest Prayers I will beg that they may be sanctified To my God will I go for his Direction and Assistance And in this storm of my Tears I will shelter my self under his Protection The Dying Knell Or Tears for the Death of a beloved Brother and may likewise serve at the Decease of any other faithful Friend A Friend saith King Solomon loveth at all times and a Brother is born for adversity Prov. 17. 17. Friendship which is begotten by the outward form or any other sinister and by-respect liveth no longer than that ground of affection but nature is stronger than our election can be and Religion obligeth far more than both O how great then is my loss of my dearest Brother in whom both excellency of Feature nearness of blood and a gracious conversation conspired together to render him matchless To me he was a Friend but now to the Grave and what loss can be greater than the loss of a Friend To me he was a Brother but now to the Worms And what loss can be more deplorable than the loss of a Brother But to me he was yet more he was a Friend in his Love and courtesies a Brother by his blood yea and an instructer a teacher of Religion and goodness And yet nor love nor blood nor Religion could preserve him mine O what Sorrows do accompany all things transitory His love could not die but his body could And so I am deprived of the Society of my Brother because my Brother was subject to Corruption But is this the adversity for which he was born according to King Solomon Did the Wise Man intend that a Brother is born to bring Adversity Or rather to comfort us in the time of Adversity Had he been a cause of my least disturbance while he was living he would have eased my grief by grieving himself He would have comforted me in the time of trouble had he lived to see my grievous mourning But now alas I am left to lament alone and so much the more for the want of his comfort I now must grieve for him who was my joy and my laments and my griefs increase the higher because for his sake they arise who cannot allay them Had we lived in hatred his death peradventure might have been my Comfort Had we loved but slightly a tear or two I might have thought enough to pay at his Funeral But our Love was firm it was strong yea strong as death and who then can blame me if my sorrows in some measure keep pace with my love O what tie can be so great as that of affection What love so great as of a Brother and Sister And yet so vain is Man so frail are Mortals that either our affection or our persons must have a divorce Had my deceased Brother forgotten the tie and bond of nature and in his life had he turned his love into hatred yet his
fault ought not to have lessened my Love to which both Nature and Religion did strongly oblige me Had he loved me but coldly and faintly as divers do yet I ought to have warmed his affection with the fervency of mine But oh he dearly loved he cordially affected me and yet his love and his affection could not prolong his life Had my Brother and I been Idolaters together I might have believed that that sin had slain my Brother But as our Love was constant so our Religion was undefiled yea the strength of our Love was founded on the purity of our Religion and yet he hath payed his debt to Nature The Lord did threaten to set the Egyptians against the Egyptians and that they should fight every one against his Brother Is 19. 2. Those Egyptians were heathens and Enemies to the Church but my Brother and I were united both in the Profession and the Love of Christianity and yet through our sins I fear that even we destroy each other My sins are partly punished in his death and his death hath given me so deep a wound that peradventure I shall not long survive him Our love was so entire that methink's I could willingly sleep with him in his Grave for while I live my breast is but his walking monument Such love as ours did not always possess the hearts of some as nearly allyed which maketh me sigh to think that ever there were any which had layen successively in the self same womb and yet did not joyn in the unity of affection Methinks the complaint of the Church may be part of an Elegy upon my deceased brother for with her I may cry out and that justly too The good man is perished out of the earth But neither can I say that he was a Jew in supplanting or an enemy to the Church lying in wait for blood What secret Devil did guide both the tongue and the hand of Joab when under the colour of friendship he asked Amasa Art thou in health my brother And took him by the beard with the right hand to kiss him 2. Sam. 20. 9. and yet even at that time smote him with his sword in the fifth ribb and shed out his bowels to the ground that he died v. 10. What cursed fiend did guide the tongue of that wicked miscreant whom the Psalmist chargeth thus and saith Thou sittest and speaketh against thy brother thou slanderest thine own mothers son Psal 50. 20. Had my brother either supplanted me or hunted me with a net or sought to slay me or slandered me with his tongue then I might peradventure have saved this great expence of my Tears But he was always so good a Brother that I could never justly charge him with the least discourtesie O no we took sweet Counsel together and walked unto the House of God in company Psal 55. 14. I may say of him as Nehemiah spake of Hanani the Ruler of the Pallace He was a faithful man and feared God above many Neh. 7. 2. His blood was near to me but his Soul was nearer His person I loved as I was prompted to it by Nature But his inner man I more zealously affected to which I was allured by his gracious endowments yet neither his Counsel nor his society nor his fidelity nor his Religion could preserve him from the sentence of a temporal death O what would I not do to call him back again What would I not give to have him restored to life again But all that I can either do or give cannot perswade his Soul to return back to its Prison Well then seeing that I cannot fetch him from the Grave I will yet send up my sighs towards the place where he is blessed This I may do without any check either of reason or religion It was a curse which God did inflict upon Jehojakim for his sins That they should not lament for him saying Aâ— my Brother Jer. 22. 17 18. But on the contrary when Deborah though she was but Rebekah's Nurse was buried beneath Bethel under an Oak the name of it was called Allon-Bachuth the Oak of weeping Gen. 35. 8. When the enemies of David were visited by sickness he behaved himself as though they had been his Friends or his Brethren Yea he bowed down heavily as one that mourneth for his Mother Ps 35. 14. But he who now is dead was not my enemy but my friend yea and no common friend but a Brother yea and not a Brother in the flesh so much as in affection even as dear as a Mother Why then should I not sorrow for the loss of such a Brother I will grieve I will lament when I remember the Love and the courtesies which he shewed unto me and I will speak in the language of the Church to Christ and say O thou that wert my Brother that sucked the breasts of my Mother when I should find thee without I would kiss thee yet I should not be despised Cant. 8. 1. I will lament him as David did Saul and Jonathan and say the Beauty of Israel is dead 2 Sam. 1 19. he was lovely and pleasant in his life ver 23. I am distressed for thee my Brother very pleasant hast thou been unto me thy love to me was wonderful passing the love of Women v. 26. But what advantage to the dead are the tears of the living Can my sighs inspire life into his bosom Can a draught of my tears fetch him back again to life O no 't is this 't is this therefore that doth heighten and increase my sorrows even that my tears cannot recover him whom I lament But cease fond woman cease thy sobbs and cryes of discontent By the extremity of thy passion thou mayest hasten to his Grave yet if thou murderest thy self with excessive sorrow thy soul may be deprived of the society of his 'T is true indeed 't is most true Little can I expect to come to heaven if I violently force my self from the earth Why then do I take on as if I either suspected his happiness or doubted of following him What comfort can it bring to his body of earth to have it cabined in the Grave with his dispersing ashes The dust of both of us may mix in the vault and yet no joy arise to our sensless ashes If his earth was that which drew mine affection I see my fondness in the corruption of that Earth but if his gracious soul was the object of my love I must strive to come where that surviveth To heaven he 's gone and to heaven I 'll hasten and because I will go the surest way I will walk in those paths which faith and patience shall direct me in I will no more disturb the peace of my mind since that cannot help me to the company of him Weep indeed I do I am enforced unto it 't is the law of nature 't is an act of necessity I cannot avoid it Yet though I weep I will labour for content
a body separated from the soul and yet not his soul separated from God nor himself from Christ Who shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Neither life nor death nor principalities nor powers c. Rom. 8 38. This point also is of use to us in the death of others First to moderate the mourning of Christians for the Death of others Why It is the end of all men it is that that is the common condition of all men it should not be too grievous nor too doleful to any man We would not have our friends to be in another condition in their birth than others we would not have them have more fingers or more members than a man and would we have them have more days Let this serve as a brief touch upon that Secondly it teacheth us to make good use of our fellowship while we are together Not only we may die but those that are useful to us may die also let us make good use of one another while we live therefore It did smite the heart of those Ephesians that they should see the face of Paul no more specially above the rest it grieved them that they should see him no more how would it have grieved them think you if they had always hardned themselves against his ministry before Think with your selves seriously here is such a Minister such a Christian friend that husband and wife that parent and child a time of â—arting will come let us make it easie now â—y making good use of one another while we â—e that when friends are took away we may â—â—ve cause to thank God that we have had comâ—nion and comfort of their fellowship and â—â—ciety the benefit of their graces the fruit of â—â—eir lives and not sorrow for the want of them â— death Death separates a Man from his Friends For alas Death doth not only part a mans body and soul a mans self and his wealth but it parteth a man from his friends from all his worldly acquaintance from all those that he took delight in upon earth Death makes a separation between husband and wife see it in Abraham and Sarah though Abraham loved Sarah dearly yet Death parted them Let me have a place to bury my Dead out of my sight Gen. 23. It parteth Father and Child how unwilling soever they be see it in David and Absolom Oh Absolom my son would God I had died for thee and Rachel mourned for her Children and would not be comforted because they were not It parteth the Minister and the people see it in the case of the people of Israels lamenting the death of Samuel in the case of the Ephesians at the parting of S. Paul sorrowing especially when they heard they should see his face no more It parteth those friends who were so united together in love as if they had but one soul in two bodies see it in the separation that was made by death between David and Jonathan that were so knit together in their love that he bewaileth him Woe is me for my brother Jonathan 2 Sam. 1. 9. This is necessary consideration for us that live that we may learn to know how to carry our selve towards our worldly friends and how to moderate our selves in our enjoyment of these worldlâ— comforts Look upon every worldly thing as mortal as a dying comfort Look upon Childreâ— and friends as dying comforts Look upon yoâ— estates as that that hath wings and will be gone Look upon your bodies that now you make so much of as a thing that must be parted from the soul by death and that ere long See what advice the Apostle giveth 1 Cor. 7. 19. the time is short saith he therefore let those that marry be as if they married not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they pâ—ssessed not and they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away When thou accompaniest another to the grave dost thou conclude thus with thy self the very next time that any death is spoken of it may be mine or as Saint Peter speaks to Saphira after the death of Ananias The feet of those that have buried thy husband are at the door and shall carry thee out also Again this Doctrine serves to reprove that sinful laying to heart of the death of others that is too frequent and common in the world That is first when men with too much fondness and with too great excess and distemper of affection look upon their dead friends as if God could never repair the loss nor make amends for that he hath done in taking of them away Rachel mourneth and will not be comforted David mourneth and will scarce be comforted Oh Absolom my son my son would God I had and for thee What is all this but to look on friends â—ather as Gods than men as if all sufficiency â—ere included in them only Men look on their â—riends as Micah did upon his Idol when â—hey had bereaved him of it they took away â—ll his comfort and quiet You have taken away â—y Gods saith he and what have I more Judg. 8. â—4 This now is an ill taking to heart the death â—f friends to mourn as men without hope Secondly there is taking to heart and considering of the death of men but it is an unrighteous considering and unrighteous judging of the death of others If men see one die it may be a violent death then they conclude certainly there is some appearent token of Gods judgment on such a one If they see another die with some extremity of torment and vehement pains certainly there is some apparent evidence of Gods wrath upon this man If they see another in some great and violent tentation strugling against many tentations they conclude presently certainly such are in a worser case than others I may say to all these as Christ said once to those that told him of the eighteen men upon whom the Tower in Siloe fell think you that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Hierusalem Luke 13. 4. Or rather as Solomon saith All things come alike unto all there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked Eccles 9. 2. Learn to judge righteous judgment to judge wisely of the death of others take heed of condemning the generation of the just But rather in the last place Make this use of the death of every one Doth such a maâ— die by an ordinary sickness having his understanding and memory continued to the end Doth such a man die in inward peace anâ— comfort with clear and evident apprehension of Gods love so that he can with Simeon say Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace Luke 2. 29. What use shouldest thou that liveâ—â— make of this now Certainly let the sweetneâ— of their death make thee in love with the goodness of their lives That is the only way to a
happy death to a comfortable end indeed the leading of a fruitful and profitable life The main business that a man hath to do is to make sure of himself in this life It was the question that Saint Austin made to those that told him of a violent death that seized upon one But how did he live saith he He made no matter how he went out but how he carried himself in the world And truly this is the great Question that every man should put to his soul I must out of the world how have I lived when I was in the world had GOD any glory by me had men any good by me have I furthered my account against the day reckoning that I may give it up with joy But now he is Dead wherefore should I Fast Sermon IV. 2 SAM xii 23. But now he is dead wherefore should I fast can I bring him back again I shall go to him but he shall not return to me HEre you have a large Description of that incomparable Love which our princely Prophet David that good King of Israel did bear towards his Son who was no sooner visited with sickness but that his most loving tender and indulgent Father made earnest supplication and Prayer unto Almighty God the only Physician both of Soul and Body to restore him to his wonted Health again which when he saw how that it could not be gained like one in a trance presently fell down upon the ground where he so long as his innocent Child could move 〈…〉 lye both night and day ever fastinâ—â—…ng and crying out most lamentably as it is evident ver 16. saying O who who shall deliver this poor Soul from the cruel jaws of all-devouring Death Wherefore so soon as the Elders did behold him being moved to pity they came like good loving Neighbours unto him with wet-shot Eyes and desired him by all means possible to rise up from the ground and not to take it so much to heart But for all that they could not prevail he would not leave his low and lamentable Lodging so long as his poor sick Child was alive Niobe-like he wept still and would not be comforted He had as St. Bernard makes mention a Week of Sorrows When he saw his sweet Child that poor Infant still panting and striving for Death unto which he was so soon sentenced he could not refrain from Tears and leave off sorrowing as you may see by this his mournful Elegy But as soon as the Child was dead when it had paid that debt which we must all and we know not how soon being only certain in uncertainty then he could rise from the ground change his Cloaths wash his Hands and break his long Fast Whereupon his Servants as soon as it did arrive unto their knowledge ver 21. began to expostulate and say unto him What thing is this that thou dost Thou didst fast and weep for the sick Child so long as it was alive but now it being dead thou canst leave off all doleful Lamentations and rise and eat 'T is true saith he I could not do so before seeing it did strive so for death but now I can and this is my reason For now he is dead In these words as they distribute themselves you have these three following Circumstances regardable First A serious Consideration But now he is dead Secondly An acknowledgment of his own Imbecillity and weakness Can I bring him back again And then Thirdly and lastly His Confidence I shall go to him c. But now he is dead c. Now of these in their order severally And First of that serious Consideration which King David took when that his sweet Child was dead which every one ought to do and that was Why shall I fast any longer Why shall I weep and cry thus mournfully both day and night seeing he is dead and gone No I will not do it for if I should it would not bring him again it would not revive but still add more grief unto my sable thoughts which are too grievoâ—s and sorrowful for me a forlorn creature to endure But now for the better adavancement of your knowledge and the better managing of my discourse you may with me consider these four following particulars which as it is most requisite and necessary are to be treated of severally First The person fasting and mourning Secondly The person mourned for Thirdly The manner of his Mourning And then Fourthly and lastly The Reason which he gives why he doth not continue after the death of his dear Child any longer in that doleful condition Now the very first in this Tragical Chorus is King David that sweet Singer of Israel who was so loving and tender hearted that he could not forbear to sympathize condole and â—o have a natural compassion on all as his own words give warrant Psal 35. 13. For saith he â—here As soon as I perceived that my neighbours grew sick I could not refrain my self from mournâ—ng but cloathed my self with Sackcloath and humbled my soul with fasting which are the Ensigns of Sorrow or as some say the Weapons of Repentance To mourn for the Sick is both natural commendable and profitable and therefore says the Poet. Est quaedam flere Voluptas That there is much pleasure in Mourning â—t still disburdens the heart by opening its â—luces and dischargeth Conâ—hâ—s in canales Ciâ—terns into Conduit-pipes which run like Rivers of water Psal 119. 136. And therefore â—ays holy David Mine eyes gush out with rivers â—f water It was an usual custom in this good King to fast pray and mourn continually for â—ll persons under affliction whether of Mind Body or estate And therefore think you was â—t possible that his merciful eyes should not be eclipsed with tears when he took his Farewell of his sweet Babe which his eyes could â—ever behold again until that he himself did â—ass into the low Chambers of death Seven days like Job in his troubles he turned and â—ossed himself upon the ground still crying but most mournfully as one utterly undone â—or his Son expecting always that God almighty would be favourable and gracious unto him and grant his Son a longer life but when he saw that he would not be treated to prolong his days upon earth resolved fully with himself to leave off his sorrowing and to say with patient Job The Lord giveth and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord Job 1. 21. The Lord gave me my Child and now hath he taken him away from me again therefore why should I any longer fast and mourn why should I weep and sigh thus bitterly yea and why should I even I feeble Creature whose Life is but a vapour a very moment lay it thus to heart and take on thus sadly Can I bring him back again No I shall go to him but he shall not return to me Job I say in all his cruel troubles could not be more patient than this
Body and the Arms of the Tree they are joyned to the Root where the Sap lies all the Winter and by means of this conjunction the Root it conveys life unto all the parts of the Tree And the Bodies of Believers they have the Winter to when as they are turned into the Dust but their Life it is hid with Christ at last they are revived and raised up into Glory Now here you may observe the great difference of Tempters according to the various Complexions of Mens Spirits the Atheist he dares not die for fear of being put out of his being and the prosane Person he dares not die for fear of exchanging his present bad being for a worse â—ut the Believer he earnestly desires to die that besides this present temporal being he might enjoy a future eternal well-being Indeed to a wicked Man the best had been not â—o have been and this next best were to live long â— was ill with him that ever he was born and worse A Carnal Mans continual cry is this Dum Spiro Spero I love to live for my present hope is my only help for indeed such an one hath only help in this Life but a Christians common Expression is this Dum Exspiro Spero Expiration is my Expectation for such an one hath hope in the Life to come when a wicked Man dies he thinks he shall live worse but a Christian when he dies he knows he shall live better he cries with the holy Apostle for one to live is Christ and to die is gain Job 19. 25. I know that my Redeemer liveth and he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth and though after my Skin Worms destroy this Body yet in my flesh shall I see God Thirdly Death was never intended to be as a privation of good but as a priviledge for good to the Believer and it is attended with these several Priviledges First Corporal and Temporal Death it serves to set out the Beauty and Excellency of eternal Life It is Gods usual method to set out one contrary by another Contraria juxta se posita magis elucescurt In War God commends Peace to us In Adversity Prosperity in Sickness Health and in Death he commends eternal Life to us As the Limner lays the Foundation of a curioâ— Picture in a Dark Ground-work so God doth ofte times lay the foundation of our sweetest Mercies iâ— the greatest miseries and this he doth that â—â— Mercies may appear more lovely in our eyes aâ— thus he sets off the joys of Heaven by the troublâ— we meet with on the Earth It is said of Zeno thâ— he was wont to eat bitter things that he might tâ—â— better taste sweet and he would say sweet thinâ— were nothing worth if they were not so commenâ—ed to us And so bitter Death it is but an Eâ—gine devised by infinite Wisdom and for â—â— set out the Unspeakable sweetness of Everlasting Joys God could as easily have received all his redeemed ones into the immediate imbraces of Divine Love and Glory without letting them know what it was to be tempted to be afflicted or to die but only for the better sweetning and endearing fulness of Glory to them Secondly Deaths mortal Wound it is but preparatory to an immortal weight of Glory Death it is the midnight of all troubles and sorrows which is in Travel with a morning of everlasting Joy and Comfort Death it is the Saturday or last day of our Weekly labours which ushers in a Sabbath of eternal rest Rev. 14. 13. And I heard a Voice from Heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the Dead which die in the Lord for they rest from their Labours and their VVorks follow after them Here the Believer hath labour without rest but in Heaven he shall have rest without Labour Death tends indeed to a Believers perfect everlasting reign and rest The Believer Afflictions upon Earth they are fore-runners of Deliverances they are as throws to the Birth of future Comforts The Whale which swallowed up Jonah God appointed as the means of bringing himself to the Shore And so the trouble which we often times think may swallow us up it brings us to our harbour Death it lands us safely upon Glory One excellency sets out the state of a dying Christian in these Words Per Augusta ad Augusta per Spinas ad rosas per Procellas ad Portum per Mortem ad Vitam migramus Lastly Death it is as a Bridge that all Saints must walk over to the everlasting Hill of endless Peace to the perfection of Grace to the participation oâ— Glory to the full possession of Christ 1. Death it leads us to the perfection of Grace the believer would live that he might be more perfect but when he dies he is perfect indeed a dying life that is a dying to sin it frees us from a living Death well doing fits us for dying Holiness frames us for Happiness 2. Death it leads us to a participation of Glory the consummation of Grace is the incoation of Glory Grace that puts the Soul into a capacity of enjoying glimps of God as in a Glass darkly but glory brings the Soul ad visionem beaâ—ificam into an immediate converse with God face to face 1 Cor. 13. 12. For now we see through a Glass darkly but then face to face now I know in part but then I shall know even as I am known 3. Death it leads us into a full possession of Christ Luke 23 43 This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise so saith Paul Then shall we be ever with the Lord comfort comfort ye one another with these words to be always with Christ will be very comfortable indeed Death that deprives us of commerce with men yet it delivers us up into an immediate communion with God and Christ and the blessed Angels Saints in Heaven shall be as the Angels nay saith John now are we the Soâ—s of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be we know that when he shall appear we shall â—e like him for we shall see him as he is Death speaks the sad disjunction of the Soul from the Body and the sure and sweet Conjunction of the Soul with Christ and therefore saith Paul and every Christian when he is in a right temper I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is best of all And thus I have endeavoured to lay open before you those Soul supporting and Soul encouraging Arguments the consideration of which makes the believing Soul so willingly and so boldly to look Death in the Face to invade Death in its own Quarters which is indeed but as a Passage or Bridg whereby the Soul is carried over unto the Mountains of Mirrh and unto the Hill of Frankincense where it shall lie down with Christ on his Green Bed of Love which is perfumed all over with the fulness of increated Glory And thus having shewed you many Arguments the Consideration of
unto all men The Lord is at hand Verse 6. Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God Verse 7. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus Verse 8. Finally Brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any Virtue and if there be any praise think on these things Verse 9. Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do so I have received them from Christ those things do and follow And the God of Peace shall be with you THE EJACULATION GOOD Lord let our Souls be filled with breathings and pantings after Grace and Glory Let us be ever willing with St. Paul to depart and to be with Christ Let us dayly look and long to be in Heaven where we shall sit down in the same Throne with our blessed and glorious Redeemer where there will be no more sinning nor sighing nor more weeping for dead and dying Friends Let us long long to be there where time will be no more but all will be swallowed up in an endless Eternity of joy and delight Lord let us often ponder upon the blessed state above for certainly one deep and serious consideration of the never fading Glory of the other world is enough to wing our hearts with earnest desires as we have heard it did thy Holy Saints and Martyrs to depart and leave this vain world to be with Christ And good Lord let us when we leave a weeping House and the many instances of our dearest Friends going so often to the Grave before us shew that we must quickly follow be received into that Celestial Mantion above which will prove an eternal House of Joy The Eye that hath seen him shall see him no more SERMON XI Upon ACTS 20. 38. Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake That they should see his Face no more IN the latter part of this Chapter you have the Declaration of two things First You have declared the Carriage of the Apostle Paul that was he Preach'd while he was at the Church of Ephesus Secondly You have declared the Character of the Church of Ephesus when they were parting with this Blessed Preacher in the words that I have read and the verse before or the two last verses and it was full of Love and manifested in three things 1. They fell upon his Neck and kissed him that 's the close of the 3â— verse 2. They accompanied him unto the Ship when he was to launch into the Ocean They went with him as far as they could as some of them it may be will to the very edge of Eternity 3. They shew'd to him their Love by their Weeping and Sorrowing at parting They cannot part with dry Eyes They sorrowed most of all especially for this that they should see his Face no more It was not so much that Paul was to go from them but that they should see his Face no more From this practice of this Church I would lay down this Doctrine That it is the property and practice of the Saints and People of God to be sorrowful and affected at the final parting with their Pastors and Teachers This was that that most of all cut their Hearts That they should see his Face no more That Patriarch Jacob that wrestled and prevailed when he came to die as you read in Gen 49. and the last verse That he pull'd up his Feet into the Bed and he 's goone Now see what a Mourning there was for him in Gen. 50. 1. Joseph fell upon his Fathers Face and kissed him and verse 3. And the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days here was a mourning for Jacob and verse 10. They came to the Threshing floor of Atad which is beyond Jordan and there they Mourned with a great and very sore Lamentation And made a Mourning for his Father seven daies The young Prophet in the 1 Kings 13. who without doubt in the main was Faithful to God though seduced out of his way and out of his Life by an old Prophet whereby a Lion was appointed by God to destroy him but see now how the old Prophet was affected with it as soon as he hears it causeth the Ass to be Sadled and goes and brings the Carcase home to the City to Mourn and to Bury him and laid him in his own Grave in the 30. verse and brings all to Mourn over him and charges his Sons that when â—e was dead that they Bury him in the same Sepulchre where the Man of God was and lay his Bones besides his Bones I shall now instance in the New Testament it was so with them of Ephesas when they parted with Paul They should see his Face no more He had been such a Preacher that they could not part with him without Tears or with dry Eyes Devout Men also carried Stephen to his Burial and made great Lamentation over him When Christ was carrying to be put to Death there followed him a great multitude of People and Women which also bewailed and lamented him There was great lamentation Oh they could not part with Jesus Christ without lamenting That they should see his Face no more But it will be here objected in the next verse that Jesus Christ in Luke 23. 28. turn'd to those Women that wailed and wept and said Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me but for your selves That therefore there ought not to be weeping or lamenting for the departure of any Eminent Saint seeing he forbids it for himself it argues indeed we should not weep for them but for the want of them which is ours Why should those that are Hearers be deeply affected at the final departure of Holy Ministers I answer This arises from the love that is between them There is a mutual Love between a Faithful Preacher and a Sincere Hearer Where there is Love there is Mourning in the absence of it It 's said that Israel loved Joseph more than all his Children and therefore when News came to Jacob that Joseph was not Oh! saith Jacob ver â—5 I will go down into the Grave unto my Son mourning So David lamented for Absolon Oh Absolon my Son my Son Absolon and David lamented exceedingly for Jonathan in that 1 Kings I am distressed for thee my Brother Jonathan if you love your Preachers so as it s said of them that could pull out their Eyes for them while living you will even weep out your Eyes for them now dead I could tell you of a thing that I have lookt upon as a Piece of Prophesie it was Printed and Writ Ten Years before the Fire of London and it was this London look to it what Heaven 's a doing Thy Flames are coming
Bosom from this Vail of Tears to the Kingdom of Glory Moreover as Death helps us to our Rest so it is our Rest Why should we fear it The Scripture terms it but a taking away of the Soul to Peace a sweet Sleep of the Body Our friend Lazarus sleepeth and the Patriarchs are fallen asleep St. Stephen fell asleep Our Burying-places are but Dormitories Sleeping-places The Righteous is taken away from the Evil to come and he shall enter into Peace they shall rest in their Beds Such a Blessed Rest have the Righteous in Death as our Saviour wept because his Friend Lazarus was to be deprived of it it is both the Observation of an Ancient Father and the Resolution of an Ancient Council concerning Christs weeping over Lazarus John 11. 35. Doluit Lazarum non dormientem sed resurgentem Christ did not weep because Lazaras was dead and taken out of the World but because he was to return from the Grave into a Troublesome World after he was gone to his Rest It may be for the same Reason the Thracians of old used to lament at the Birth of their Children but rejoice at their Funeral The time will come that we must part with our Isaac's our Benjamin's nearest Friends and dearest Comforts Then remember my Text if they die in the Lord take no care for them they are Blessed they are at their Rest But some will say Shall we meet with our Friends again departed in the Faith Yes without peradventure if we walk in ways of Obedience to the end It was David's Comfort upon the death of his Child While the Child was living he fasted and wept and laâ— upon the Ground but when it was dead he arose and anointed himself aad eat Bread His Reason is very strong and convincing 1. An impossibility of Recovery He shall not come to me 2. An assured Hope of meeting again in Heaven But I shall go to him He shall not come to me that would be for his loss to part with his Rest in Heaven for a restless condition on Earth but I shall go to him I have not lost him for ever we shall meet again as comfortably as Jacob and Joseph met in Egypt meet again in Heaven and never part Now you know it never troubles us to see the Sun set because we know it will rise again in the Morning it never troubles us to part with a Friend when he goes to Bed because we hope to see him again in the Morning Beloved the Death of a Friend is but like the setting of the Sun or the uncloathing of a Man when he goes to Red there will be a glorious appearing in the Morning of the Resurrection and therefore St. Paul condemns immoderate sorrow for the dead I would not have you sorrow as those that have no hope Nature will be sorrowful but let Grace moderate the sorrow and keep it within the bounds of hope and the ground of hope is set down If ye believe that Jesus died and is risen again even so also them that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him 'T is true the Scripture mention some that shall not die as they that shall be found alive at the Coming of Christ to Judgment St. Paul tells us in plain terms we shall not all sleep but we shall be changed The meaning is they shall not so sleep as to continue in the state of the dead but be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an Eye yet such a change as they shall have a dissolution and in the same moment a redintegration a real Death and a real Resurrection though no sleeping in the Grave of Corruption You see one Generation passing and another Generation coming one Friend and Neighbour drops into the Grave after another and when your turn shall be you know not This you may be assured of Death will come certainly and it may be speedily it may be suddenly What Man is he that liveth and shall not see Death Psal 89. 48. Now I beseech you embrace and improve these few directions in order to a Pious Life and a Peaceable Death First if you would live to the Lord and die in the Lord labour for exemplary purity of Life Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom but he that doth the Will of the Father Secondly If you would live to the Lord and die in the Lord give the World a Bill of Divorcement otherwise it will clip your Wings and clog your Souls and hinder your pursuit of Heaven there is nothing in all the World that is worthy of your Affections nothing but what is transitory and unsatisfactory and therefore look on it and pass away Gregory Nazianzen speaks of a Land which had abundance of Curious Flowers in it but no Corn for Bread to satisfie the Peoples Hunger the World is very like that Land here are many Flowers which may please our Sences and our Phantasies but here is no Corn for Bread no substantial satisfying Comforts As Death should be the Subject of your Meditation so Heaven the Center of your Affections Richard the First sometimes King of England gave charge that his Bowels should be Buried at Charron but his Heart at Roan the Faithful City the City of his Love Truely the World deserves but our waste parts we may Bury our Bowels in the Earth but our Hearts should be laid up in Heaven the Royal City the New Jerusalem That so after a troublesome Life we may have a peaceable Death and after Death a glorious Reward of Everlasting Rest in Heaven according to this voice from Heaven in the Text. Blessed are the Dead which die in the Lord for they rest from their Labâ—urs and their Works follow them I have now done with the Text and now come to address my self unto that sad occasion which hath given my present Discourse this Mourning Suit The occasion of our present meeting is to Solemnize the Funeral of our deceased Neighbour and Friend to do our last office to her Body by affording it the benefit of a Christian and Comely Burial Concerning whom I might upon very good and warrantable Grounds enlarge my Discourse in the description of the blessedness both of her Life and Death but as the Orator said Quid opus est verbis What need is there of words when her deeds are so manifest She died the death of Moses he died leisurely God gave him notice of his Journey before-hand for his better preparation Go up to the Mount and die So departed she from the World not before she expected Death not before she provided for Death God was pleased in Mercy to give her warning before she flitted to ring her Passing-bell in her Soul many days before she died and whereas many are flattered with hopes of Life till the very Hour of Death yet she was upon a meditation of Death from the first beginning of her sickness Death was not sudden to her either in
her Life in wanton Ayres and Charms of Lust the treacherous Inticements to Destruction but when she dies she breathes out her Soul in Howlings Sighs and Sobs in Pangs and Horror The Swan who spends her days in Innocence as white as her Livery in pensive Notes of Sadness mournful and black as her Feet when she dies she expires in joyful Anthems the voice of joy and gladness So when Death calls the Aged Swan from Streams She dying sings her own glad Requiems Good People had you the Reversion of a Rich Living or Office would you weep because it is faln into your Possession Invidi non amantis 't were more of Envy than Love to bewail an Earthly Happiness I close as Jesus to the Daughters of Jerusalem Weep not for me â—ut weep for your selves not for me that am dying but for your selves that are living for your selves that have refused my Doctrine despised your Saviour condemned your Innocent and Righteous Prince For the Sins and Sufferings of the Living I confess there is weeping work enough for him who hath Jeremy's wish His Head a Fountain of Tears to weep day and night But for the dead that die in the Lord weep not Weep not she is not dead but sleepeth The Application Since the Faâ—e of Rest in the state of Separation and Happiness at meeting again of Soul and Body depends upon the Holiness at parting Let us be composed in both that neither the disorder of the Body nor multitude of Business either ill done or undone may disturb the quiet of the Soul Before Men go to Bed they put off their Cloaths or else they sleep both unhandsomely and uneasily So let your Souls divest those Habits which Sin and Custom hath too long made fashionable Lastly Good Men before they go to Bed they always pray St. Paul adviseth Pray always though not with the Lip yet with the Life When Survivors see a Soul that hath lived long in this Region of Holy Duty to ascend to Heaven as the Angel Judg. 13. 20. In the Flames of the Altar their Charity and Hopes are sufficiently instructed to say Nolite flere Weep not she is not dead but sleepeth The Character I have done with the Text that I brought hither to you and now apply my self and discourse to that Text that brought you hither to me from that I presented to your Ears to that presented to your Eyes I close the Book of Life and now open the Book of Death So St. Ambrose Interr'd Theodosius Nazianzen the Immortal Athanasius and St. Hierome the excellent Lady Marcella Nay St. John hath taken short Notes of a Sermon made by Christ at the Funeral of Lazarus John 11. 12 13 c. wherein are Discourses of Faith Resurrection and Glory raised from the Dead and applyed to the Living I need no other because I can follow no better precedent Therefore hear me or rather hear her speak for the Dead can speak Heb. 11. 4. Our dead Sister speaks first in the dignity of her Extraction fairly proclaim'd to you by the Herauldry of her Hearse but fairer far in the suitable Character of her Life the worthiness of her Birth had no other influence on her but to engage her to worthiness of Action which she so nobly improved that the Vertue of her Life dignified the Honour of her Descent so the Glory she received from her Father on Earth by the Acts of Humility and Charity she enhansed to the glorifying her Father which is in Heaven Her Beauty which was a depository from Heaven she beautified with so much Piety and adorned with so much Religion as if she had been intrusted to preserve both the Lustre and the Vertues of the Celestial Bodies in her Epiâ—ome But the Beauty of her Soul was a Sun to this Taper from whence her starry Actions received a mighty Splendor When she spake Wisdom dictated and Wit delivered she hung her Language at your Ears as Jewels much of worth in a small bulk and as Jewels her Speech was Rich both in Lustre and in Medicine the Conceits of her Mirth would raise a Smile but the Gravity of her Conveyance commanded Reverence Her Reproofs like Lightning quick but short such as would melt the Blade yet not singe the Scabbard kill the Sin but preserve the Sinner Her Promises were made in her Head but bept in her Hand as a Nail fastned in a sure place driven by Understanding and clenched by Affection Her Attire neither fordid nor curious nor too early in nor too late out of Fashion not like those Mushroom Gentry who declare their late rise from Peasantry and Poverty by the Herauldry of the Dirt and Rags on their Back Her Table was both wholesome and handsome enough to satisfie the Stomach of the hungry and well enough to fancy the Palate of the Curious yea when the Sword had Carved her Meat to the fifth part her good Chear was as much as ever Her Visits were like the Sun 's beneficial where-e're she came and treading in her Saviours steps She went up and down doing good Her Access was free but not loose her Door as her Heart was open to all Friends so that without much shifting the Scene she would easily make her House a Court an Almes-house a School and an Hospital all in a day She had Treatments for the Greatest who came as Agrippa and Bernice with great Pomp. She had Relief for the Poorest who as Lazarus lay at the Gateâ— Instructions for the Ignorant and Charitable Remedies for the Sick Christian Applications for all feeding the Hungry cooling the Thirsty cloathing the Naked visiting the Sick and harbouring the Traveller what God requires in acts of Neighbourhood here and Reward hereafter the whole Voyzenage can witness with me and for her that she was a great parallel to Dorcas Acts 9. 36. This Woman was full of good Works and Almes-deeds which she did Finally Brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report she did them therefore if there be any vertue or any praise let her have it Her Relation as a Wife shews her without disparagement a rare example and standard to her Sex Society is the most precious Comfort in Nature the richest Jewel in her Cabinet Adam not in perfect Paradise not happy without it of all Societies with Man that of a Wife is nearest being made of his own Rib and dearest lying in his own Bosom Her Affection was great as Jonathan's wonderful and passing the love of Women 2 Sam. 2. 26. Marriage made her Husband and her one Flesh but Love made them one Soul She Married not only his Person but his Interests and Concernments loved his Loves wished his Desire as inseparable as Ruth and her Mother-in-law Ruth 1. 16 17. not to be parted but by Death She owed him an Affection equal to her Life being often ready to lay
it down for his Preservation as appears by her Swouning at any News might threaten ill to him as if her Soul conceived it but Duty to be Bail for her Husband The Head of the Woman is the Man 1 Cor. 11. 3. so her Husband wore the principality she received influence from him and gave conformity to him But a Vertuous Woman is a Crown to that Head Prov. 12. 14. so she gave safety plenty and honour to her head as Crown may signifie The Heart of her Husband did fasely trust in her she did do him good and not ill all the days of her life Longer she is not obliged Till death us depart was their agreement Death ends her natural Relation and enters her into a Divine which she began here by her Religion Her Religion was not as her Sex Female that is all Face and Tongue but pure and solid not despising the Form but delighting in the Power of Godliness She attired not her Devotion as the Lacedemonians did their Gods according to the several Fashions of each City so to gain Reputation from Man but she persevered in the constant substantials of Religion so to gain Grace and Favour from God To whom with the Father and Holy Ghost be Glory and Honour now and for ever Good Night NOW art thou drawing near thy home Heaven is within sight and its Melody almost within hearing thy Lord hath the Curtain in his hand ready to draw it to shew thee all that glory that hitherto he hath been but telling thee of and give thee a Possession of all that which hitherto thou hast enjoyed only in Hopes and Title What dost thou fear and shrug and tremble at Oh my Soul thou peevish froward Creature Shall his Angels stand waiting to convey thy departed Soul home with Songs of Triumph And shall nothing of all this abate thy Fears silence thy Complaints and bring thee to a Chearful Submission Fear not then my Soul but â—oldly throw thy self into his Arms who will certainly keep that safe which thou committest to him But what if I was willing to bid adieu to my Fathers House and leave this World and all its Enjoyments behind me as being sufficiently tired with the Frustrations of a pursued Happiness therein Yet methinks the change I shall pass at Death will be so very great and amazing I fear I shall not bear it To go hence from them I know to a Place and Company I never knew or saw in all my Life to leave my Friends Relations Neighbours with whom I have a long time lived and with whom I have familiarly conversed to go into a Country where I may not meet with one face I know how strangely shall we look on one another What little content do I take in any company on Earth where I meet with shâ—â—ess Will it not be so in Heaven Answ Art thou truly Godly said the pious Wadsworth in his Answer to the Fear of Death and dost thou say thou knowest none in Heaven that is strange Who is he whom you call Father every time you pray what are you born of God united to God by faith and love and hold communion with him and yet not know him Well sayst thou but if I know him it is bâ— very little I never saw him in all my Life 〈…〉 what if thou hast not seen him with thy 〈…〉 eyes yet hast thou not believed in him whom thou hast not seen and rejoiced with joy unspeakable and full of glory Though thou hast not known him after the Flesh yet thou hast after the Spirit But comfort thy self though thou hast known him but little and that through a vail darkly yet he knoweth thee most perfectly He knows thee by name and separated thee to himself from the Womb and effectually called and justified thee he knows thee by thy name and knows thy dwelling and visiteth thee every morning and is with thee living and will not leave thee dying and when he hath taken thee to himself in the Heavens thou shalt know him as he knows thee that is intimately perfectly But sayst thou if I know in some measure God and his Son the Lord of that City I know no more There are ten thousands of Angels there and I know not one of them and as many Spirits of just men some little acquaintance I had with some of the latter on earth but since arrived thither they are so transfigured so wonderfully changed I shall not know one of them when I see them What if thou knowest not one Angel in all the Heavens is it not enough that many of them may know thee But how do I know that How thou hast been their special Charge ever since thou wast born to Jesus Christ Are they not all ministring Spirits to them that are Heirs of Glory How kindly did an Angel comfort Mary Magdalene and the other Mary when they early came to visit the holy Sepulchre of our Lord How well did he know their Persons and their Business when he said Mat. 28. 5. Fear not I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified he is not here for he is risen as he said Come see the place where the Lord lay and go quickly and tell his Disciples that he is risen from the Dead and behold he goeth before you into Galilee â—here shall ye see him so as I have told you What Discourse could be more kind friendly and famiâ—iar than this But that thou shouldst think thy self an utter stranger to all the Spirits of the Just is more strange when there may be some of thy near Relations â—here and many of those that thou hast had for many years such sweet Eellowship in the Ordinanâ—es of the Gospel If I shall sit down with Abraâ—am Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom surely I â—hall know them to be such Besides their Natures in Heaven are all perfectâ—y gracious and holy and I shall be like them and â—e shall all know each other to be so and what â—iness can there possible be among such who are â—â—tisfied in each others sincere love and affection â—hou mayst be acquainted with a thousand Saints â— Angels in an hours time as if thou hadst known â—â—em a thousand years And if this be so be not poor Soul amazed at this great change of Company at Death For it is but as dying Doctor Preston said I shall change my Place but not my Company Return therefore to thy Rest Oh my Soul for God will assuredly deal bountifully with thee So that Death will bring a Good-Night to thee here and a good Morrow hereafter The End of The House of Weeping The House of Weeping SERMON I. The certainty of a Dying Hour HEB. 9. v. 27. It is appointed unto Men once to Dye but after this the Judgment Dearly Beloved I Am now about to speak of that which will shortly render me unable to speak and you are now about to hear of that which will also shortly make you uncapable
sleep well relish my Meat and Drink well Fool that thou art Death minds none of these things We are in the way see where the Gibbet threatens thee But a little while and thou shalt expire and with thee all thy Pomp and Luxury dies All our Life is the way to Death Sect. 41. A most Compendious and the best Permeditation upon Death Happy to be in Death first learn to live That thou mayst happy live to dye first strive THis is the Sum of all this is the Art of Arts. To live well we must learn as long as we live and which some perhaps may more admire all our life long we must learn to dye So many great Men leaving all their lumber behind when they had renounced their Riches their Pleasures and their Offices have employed themselves in this one thing to the last that they might know how to live But many of these confessing they had not learnt their Lesson have departed this Life But how shall they know this that never endeavouted to learn Most Mortals care not for living well but for living long Some then begin to live when they are ready to leave the World Hence it is that we are empty of all those Comforts which we desire at the end of our Lives fearful of death and ignorant of living VVhoever then desires to learn the Art of living let him first learn the Art of dying Perhaps some may think that needless to be learnt which is but once to be made use of Therefore it is that we are with all diligence to apply our selves to this Study For that is always to be learnt of which whither we know it or no we can never make the Experiment The great matter is not to live the great matter is to dye Sect. 42. To day for me to morrow for thee FRancis the First King of France being tak'n by Charles the Fifth when he had read at Madrid Charles's Impress upon the Wall Plus ultra Farther yet added thereto To day for me to morrow for thee The Victor took it not ill but to shew that he understood it wrote underneath I am a Man there is no humane accident but may befal me Elegantly Gregory Nazianzene The Head quoth he grows gray the Summer of Life is at Hand The Sickle is sharpn'd against us and I fear least while we are asleep and lull'd in hopes the terrible Reaper come But thou wilt say old Men fear I am young Be not deceived Death is not perfixed to any Age. The same Bier to day carries an old Man to morrow beautiful Youth to day a strong lusty Man to morrow a Virgin or an old Woman Seneca speaks to the purpose Death saith he ought to be â—et before the Eyes of young as well as old Men For we are not summoned by the Censers Books wherein the Ages of every one are set down Such a Partial Citation might serve for War but not for Death The last Farewel and Admonishment of all dying Men is this To day I to morrow Thou But the Dead alter the Sentence and they crie I yesterday Thou to day Be mindful of Death be mindful of Eternity which I yesterday thou to day or to morrow shalt begin never to end with either Sect. 43. Therefore Live while thou hast NOT for thy Wit not for thy Body not for thy Pleasure not for thy Vertues sake but for Heaven and for Gods sake Live and Act as well suffering for God as acting and labouring For thou knowest not how long thou shalt subsist nor how soon thy maker will take thee away Most wisely admonishes the wisest of Preachers Whatever thou takest in Hand to do that do with all thy power for in the Grave that thou goest unto there iâ— neither Work Counsel Knowledg nor Wisdom Therefore as the Apostles exhorts us Let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not While we have therefore time let us do good unto all Men. Thou hast begun to Labour prosecute thy labour begun with a continual Industry Never cease nor intermit that Labour which may bring to Heaven For there is no moment of thy Life wherein thou mayst not gain and increase thy Heavenly Treasure In this manner therefore labour without ceasing The time of rest shall come which no labour shall ever interrupt The Life of Man is a Warfare upon Earth and like the days of a Bond-Servant are his Days A Hireling saith St. Gregory asswages the Pains of his Labour with the thoughts of his wages A Hireling is sollicitous least any day should pass him without work for he knows that the Night is for rest and that the Day is appointed for Labour Do thou therefore Labour while it is day while thou hast an opportunity to Work The Night cometh says the voice of Truth when no Man can work Therefore work while the Sun favours thee There is one that will pay thee for thy Labour Thou hast a perpetual and most accurate Overseer of thy work who is God who keeps the number of the Haires of thy Head so doth he keep an account of thy least Failings and of the smallest of thy Actions done in Honour of Him Never question it he numbers all thy steps With one leap yea with one step thou hast finished thy whole Journey to Eternity but take heed that thou fixest thy Feet right For such shalt thou be to Eternity as thou weâ—t at thy Death Sect. 43. If to Morrow why not to Day THere is but one and that a most ponderous Chain that holds us fast the Love of Life which as it is not always to be contemned so there is an allay to be allowed it so that nothing may hinder us but that we may be always prepared to do that presently which is at some time to be done Life is not imperfect so it be upright VVhere-ever thy end happen if thy Life be good thy end is safe St. Austin Bishop of Hippo went to visit another Bishop of his Familiar Acquaintance lying in Extremity to whom as he was lifting up his Hands to Heaven to signifie his Departure St. Austin replyed That he was a great support of the Church and worthy of a longer Life to whom the sick Person made this answer If never 't were another thing but if at any time why not now Death calls upon all Men alike Thither we must all come sooner or later of that we are certain we doubt not of that thing but of the time VVhat then Does not he seem to be the most fearful and imprudent Creature of all who with so much earnestness desires the delay of Death Would not he be the Laughing-stock of others who being Condemned among many should beg to be the last Executed Yet this is the Folly we are guilty of We think it a great happiness to die last The Capital Punishment is destined to all and by a most just determination Now
what matters it whether we go out first or last out of this Life as Men go out of a Theater We must depart iâ— then at any time why not now To day perhaps Death spares us That 's nothing to Morrow he will be with thee The Sword will seize thee a Stone waits for thee a Fever lyes in Ambush Thou art never nor in no place safe There 's a necessity of going If then to Morrow why not to Day If at any time why not now Sect. 44. Why Death is Terrible DEath is the same to all Men but the Wages by which it happens are various One expires while he is feeding another slumbering falls into an Eternal Sleep another in the act of Impiety extinguishes Here one drops by the Sword another Drowns in Water another Fires consumes Some by the sâ—ing of Serpents die while others are Buried in the sudden fall of Ruins Others by the Contraction of their Nerves are tortured to Death Others are cut off in their Youth others in their Cradles Sometimes an Infant comes into the World to take its farewel of Life The Exit of some is milder of others harsher But how mild and gentle Death may seem to be however it brings something of Horrour with it and that for this reason because it seems to deprive us of many Happinesses and to take us from that plenty to which we are accustomed This love of our selves and desire of self-preservation is the Chain that clogs us There is also a natural fear of darkness to which Death is thought to be our Conductor which has engaged the Wits of many to augment the Terrours of Death But that which most augments the fear of Death is this that present things we know whither we are to go we know not and therefore are afraid Therefore is the Mind to be enured by much Exercise that it may not be afraid of that Eternity into which we are to enter Eternity is that we are to think upon day and night as they that would bring themselves to endure hunger must enure themselves to fasting by little and little So the Soul that is to be translated from this inconstant World to a stable Kingdom must accustom it self to endure Eternity Let it every day salute the Gate of Eternity every Moment believe that it waits there Whatever it acts let it act for Eternities sake and only observe this one form of action I read I write I paint I meditate I watch I speak and all for the sake of Eternity Whoever aspires to Eternal Triumphs let him learn to Combat Eternity Sect. 45. Death is sudden but beautiful CHaeremon as Palladius Bishop of Helenopolis witnesses while he sits while he works while he acts as a healthy person dies So sitting so working he was found but dead Vertue can beautifie any sort of Death Philemon a Comedian contested with Menander perhaps not his Equal yet his Emulator This Person recited upon the Stage a play that he had newly made But when he was moving the more sprightly Affections in his third Act a sudden shower scattered the Auditory Thereupon he promised the rest the next day The next day a vast multitude met together in so much that the Theater was thronged but no Philomon came Some blam'd the slowness of the Poet others excused him But at last tyred with expectation and sending to seek him the Messengers found him dead in his Bed His Book was in his Hand and his Eyes fix'd upon his Book So that the Messengers stood a while astonished at so suddâ—n an Accident and the Miracle of so lovely a Death Returning to the people they related that they expected Philemon had finished his last act at Home leaving the World to give him their last farewel and plaudite to his Friends a sad occasion of Mourning and Lamentation For that now a Noble Poet having put off the Mask of Life his Bones and not his Verses where to be read If we look at this present Life the most wish'd for death is to die not fearing death But much more desireable is it to die in action and to be busie at our work that death it self may not prove idle It was the wish of Cyprian the Martyr to be slain for the sake of God while he was discoursing of God It is a high Encomium for any Man that not only the Devil but neither Death himself should find him idle Sect. 46. VVe must watch and pray BEcause ye know not at what Hour the Son of Man will come The Romans watched in their Arms yet sometimes without their Shields that they might have nothing to lean upon to invite them to slâ—ep It is thy duty to watch O Man and to watch armed Ardent Prayers to God are the true Arms of Christians The shield that encourages sleep is the vain hope of a longer Life The frequent Cries of the Roman Souldiers in their Watches were Wake wake Mars wake Thus they encouraged one another to constancy in watching The Heaven it self day and night waking and incessantly toyling admonishes thee to watch Dost thou grow deaf or art thou falling asleep Hear the voice of Christ watch and pray According to the relation of St. Mark Christ made a Sermon in the Conclusion whereof he thrice repeats these words first Take ye heed watch and pray Secondly Watch ye therefore for ye know not when the Master of the House cometh at even or at midnight whether at the Cock-crowing or at the dawning lest if he come suddenly he find ye asleep Lastly And that I say unto you I say unto ye all watch With the same Admonitions and by the Mouth of St. Matthew he cries to us Watch ye therefore for ye know not what hour the Lord doth come And again Watch ye therefore because ye know neither the day nor the hour The same he repeats upon Mount Olivet Watch and pray lest ye enter into Temptation Upon the same Text he preaches in St. Luke Watch ye therefore at all times praying The same watch ye how often doth St. Paul reiterate These claps Thunder upon us to shake off all sleepiness and drowsmess from us We are deaf yea dead indeed if these loud Exhortations will not wake us Whoever thou art that sleepest in Vice awake Thou knowest the Fate of the Egyptians The slaying Angel enter'd Egypt and made a vast slaughter Remember the Lot of the Ten Virgins There was a Call in the middle of the Night and they that were prepared were admitted to the Nuptials but the drowsie Sleepers were excluded Dost thou remember the Folly of the Gluttonous Servant His Lord came unlookt for and at an Hour when he least thought of him Hast thou considered the good Father of his Family He wakes at all Hours that at no time the House-breaker may get in Dost thou remember thy Saviour He was Born at Midnight And probable it is that he will come at Midnight to the last Judgment of
Morrow not to be or else to be elsewhere To Sickness Must I then now be sick The time is come for me to try my self The couragious Man does not shew himself either in Battel or at Sea There is a Courage also in the Bed of Sickness Shall I leave a Feaver or that me We cannot always continue together Hitherto I enjoyed Health now my business is with Sickness Sickness I know is the first Messenger of Death I believe St. Gregory for that who truly and piously The Lord knocks saith he when by the anguish of Sickness he declares the approach of Death to whom we presently open if we receive him with Affection The very Fables teach me to receive this first Messenger of Death with a contented Mind They relate how that an old Man lay sick and when Death was ready to snatch him away the sick-man desired that he would defer the fatal blow awhile till he made his Will and prepared such other things as were necessary for so long a Journey To whom Death Fâ—nd Banquet for the Grave said he couldst thou not prepare in so many Years that hast had so many warnings from me already To whom the old Man I take thy Truth to witness I never had any warning from thee To whom Death reply'd Now I find old men will lye A hundred nay a thousand times I have admonished thee when I took away not only thy equal in years but also young Men Children Infants while thou lookst and wepst But I appeal to this Truth forgetful old man did I not forewarn thee when thy Eyes grew dim thy Hair waxed grey thy Ears grew deaf all thy proud Senses defective and thy whole Body wasted These were my Messengers these knockt at thy Doors but thou wouldst not be spoken with thou wert often and daily warn'd I can stay no longer come and go along with me He ill prepares himself for Death who prepares so late To the beginning of a mortal Distemper When I consider my Life the multitude of my Sins the small number of my Deeds good God! I am pinn'd up and in streights on every side But it is better for me to fall into the hands of the Lord for his mercies are manifold than to live and multiply my years and my sins What I should be thou Lord knowest full well Perhaps I should fall from thy Graee should I live longer Death thou art at hand take me away so that I may preserve the Favour of my God or rather so that the Favour of God may preserve me which is the only thing O Christ Jesu which I beg of thee and through thee To Death Why with a slow Consumption cruel Death Dost thou dâ—prive me slowly of my Breath Such preparation needs not for my end Strike quickly then for I will ne're contend Why shouldst thou spend thy Quiver on my head When one poor single blast will blow me dead For what is man A batter'd and leaking Ship that will split with one dash without the force of a Tempest the Body of man consisting of infirm and fluid parts comely in the outward Lineaments not able to endure Cold Heat or Labour that consumes and wastes of it self fearing its own nourishment the plenty or want whereof is frequently the ruine of it to himself only a profitable and vitious nourishment nicely to be looked after and preserved A life enjoyed at pleasure liable to a thousand Diseases and without Diseases devour'd by it self Do we admire at this once dying wherein thou mayst find private and concealed Deaâ—hs His smell his taste his weariness his watching the humours of his Body his meat and drink to man are deadly To Christ I would not die but live he seeks to live That in thy love O Christ to die doth strive I do not stand in fear of those things which thou O God dost appoint for me I follow thee O merciful Father I follow thee And wherefore should I refuse when thou callest me nearer to thee 'T is much better for me to be dissolved and be with Christ This is that which I desire For Christ is life to me and Death is gain Sect. 3. An Antidote against Grief WHerefore art thou troubled wherefore art thou perplexed Thou art in the hand of God and he takes care of thee But thou art afflicted and sick What evil can that be which proceeds from the Fountain of Goodnsss God would have thee to be his own and therefore shuts thee up and retains thee within the Lattices of Sicknesâ— least thou shouldst go astray from Heaven A little Bird weary of the Cage desires liberty but while it is in the Cage is both lov'd and fed by its Master While she is at liberty who can believe her free from the Fowler or from the Snare Thus believe me it is a great thing to be the Captive of the Lord thy God it is to be lookt upon as a great Favour to be bound a little while to be cut and wounded by â—â—m that will spare thee to Eternity Sect. 4. Not always Draughts of Sweetness GOD sometimes O sick Man gives the Cups of bitterness thou drankst the sweet Liquor while thou wert in health VVhy dost thou make Faces why dost thou refuse the Cup Think upon that of Job Shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil Ingrateful Mortals we know not the Benefits we receive but by losing them Thou wilt be a good Valuer of lost Health for the future Thou mayst remember also that when thou wert in health thou didst often recreate thy self beyond the bounds of Sobriety Now therefore let me perswade thee chearfully to take this bitter Cup and bear this punishment imposed upon thee for thy former Ryots Formerly at at the Latin Festivals when the Chariot-Drivers strove for Victory they that overcame drank Wormwood Do thou now drink that thou mayst overcome He undeservedly Metheglin sips That to the bitter will not lay his lips Sect. 5. The contempt of Death is a Christian Generosity NO Man ever govern'd his Life well but he that contemned it VVe are not so silly but that we understand we must one day die yet when Death approaches we hang back we tremble we lament But would not he appear to thee a very Fool that should weep because he had not lived a thousand years before These things are well coupled thou neither wert nor will be thou art ordain'd for that point of time wherein thou liv'st with that thou mayst extend how far wouldst thou prolong Why weepest thou what is it thou wouldst have thou losest thy labour Thou shalt go thither whither all things created go What is there that thou canst call a Novelty Thou wert born under this Law This hapned to thy Father to thy Ancestors to all before thee and will happen to all that come after thee It is established and decreed Death seizes upon all we are born to die Consider in thy
most Evils of Life This is the general choice of most Men rather to suffer quickly what we ought than to continue long in fear and pain There is little difference saith the second Pliny between suffering and expecting Misfortunes Only that there is a Measure of Fear and not of Grief For thou mayst bewail and grieve for what thou knowest has happened thou fearest what may happen Therefore come Death I am thy Debtor I will pay what I owe when ever God requires me Therefore freely willingly Will I the number of my days compleat And straight surrender up my soul to fate Hoping to ascend from the dark Grave to everlasting Light Death is not an Evil but Punishment after Death is an Evil. Sect. 8. They fear Death who foresee it not MOST certain it is that nothing terrifies somuch as an unexpected necessity of dying Behold how they who are subject to the power of another being commanded a long Journey pack up their things in haste sollicitous and sad how they murmur because they had no longer warning As they are upon their departure they often look back pretending this and t'other Obstacle Now there is no longer Journey than to Die no way more crabbed more dark more hard to find none more suspitious and infested with Robbers Besides there is no return again Therefore we must the more heedfully take care that we leave nothing behind There is a necessity of going thither fellow Souldiers said the Roman Captain from whence there is no necessity of returning There is only one remedy to answer being called and to obey being commanded Alas How improvident are they who never take care to provide for thy Journey They take care to fare well the rest they commit to Fortune Smyndirides that debauched young Man was wont to brag that in Twenty Years he had not seen the Sun rising or setting being contiaually either a Bed or at his Rioâ— I fear one of you may find many like him among the Christians who make Gluttony Playing and Drinking their greatest Business To these will happen that which Cicero in his Epistles foretold to Brutus Believe me saith he you will be ruined unless you provide well Thus it will happen to all unwary People that want fore-sight Foresight is necessary in all things especially in those things that are never to be done but once where one mistake draws a thousand along with it This is the Condition of Death one Error causes a thousand Mistakes To err once there is to perish eternally O blind Mortals it will happen to you as it happens to them that shut their Eyes against their Enemies Swords in a Battle as if they were not to feel the danger which they see not Ye shall be smitten ye shall die ye shall be sensible and feel the stroke but whether blind or seeing that is at your choice You refuse to think upon Death which you must shortly think upon and seel The sufferance would soon follow when the Consideration precedes Sect. 9. They fear Death who are negligent of Life NEither is there any Question to be made of this They chiefly fear to die who know not how to live who believe no other Happiness but that of the Body Who only know how to eat well drink well and sleep well and place all their Heaven in pleasure persons certainly most obedient but to their Bellies not to the Divine Will Of whom St. Gregory truly said They know not what the Celestial Souls desire who set their Hearts upon Earthly Delights A prudent Christian that takes no more care of the Body than of a mean and abject Slave looks upon Death no otherwise than a Morning departure out of a dark unpleasant and incommodious Inn. Whoever thou art thou canst not fear thy Exit as of this Life if thou hopest to enter into the other Thy fear arises from hence For though there are many causes vulgarly given of this fear yet they all vanish upon the hopes of a more blessed Life He who seriously aspires to Heaven fears not these Baubles To such a Man Labour Sadness Grief Contempt Ignominy Loss Servitude Poverty Old Age are nothing else but the School of Experience the Time of Patience and the Honour of Victory Sect. 10. Three Things hardly supportable in Sickness IN almost all Sickness three things are hardly supportable Fear of Death Pain of the Body Discontinuance from Pleasure But as hot Diseases are Cur'd by cold cold by hot Medicines so are they Cur'd by their own Antidotes Therefore the fear of Death is to be Cur'd by Love but by Divine Love a little Dose of Divine Love will dispel the fumes of vain fear He that loves Christ will the less love Life and shall perceive the love of Christ to him By words alone this is not prov'd Love Marcus love if thou wouldst be belov'd Pain of the Body is to be asswag'd by tranquility of Conscience A guiltless Mind is a wonderful Consolation to the Sick And indeed a pure Conscience is a potent remedy against all Torments That also asswages pain as St. Gregory intimates in these words More easily will the Sick Person endure pain if he bear but this in his mind The most Just God will have me suffer this But Discontinuance from Pleasure will nothing at all afflict him who thinks upon Eternal Joys Those which leave are vain short and filthy and before they are forsaken frequently leave their admirers those which we promise our selves Immense Stable and Eternal He easily contemns Fading Delights who sincerely hopes for Eternal Sect. 11. Sickness the Sport of Vertue THou art well smitten if thy Conscience be smitten Sickness is the School of Vertue it is also called a kind of Slaughter-house of Vice whoever is sick is a Scholar in this School On the other side Sickness is the Slaughter-house of Vertue to some and the School of Vice while they are well they are mad While they are well they have a hundred Businesses the Business of God is their last care How many are Chaste while they are Sick when they recover they return to their former filthy Lusts Such people would do better Sick to whom health is so dangerous These therefore God tyes them to the Bed of Sickness that they may be at leisure to themselves and may mind their Salvation Forsake Vanity and look after Heaven Sickness intangles the Body in a thousand Miseries but frees the Soul from as many 'T is the saying of St. Paul Though our outward Man perish yet the inward Man is renewed day by day Hence though Sickness seem evil nay the worst of Sufferings it then becomes the best when it renders the Sick Person more holy Many when they feel the pain correct the crime A sick Soul seldom inhabits but in a healthy Body Sect. 12. The Sickness of the Body is the Salvation of the Soul SIckness exhorts to Parcimony disswades from Lust and is the Mistress of Modesty Do thou lay
Liberty 6. From how many Evils art thou freed by Death To die is to shut up the Shop of all Miseries Excellently well said Pliny That is the condition of Life that Death becomes the Haven for the best of Man and the chief benefit of Nature And therefore let every one provide himself of this as one of the principal Cures for his Mind that of all the Benefit which Nature affords Men there is none better than a seasonable Death Caesar in Salust affirmâ— Death to be a Cessation from Misery to the afflicted and no Torment Therefore the Wise Man always considers what manner of Life he led and not how long For Nature provided us a place to Lodge and Sojourn in but not to inhabit lends us the use of Life like that of Money are not payable at a certain day Why then dost thou complain if she call it in when she pleases since she lent it upon that condition 7. The Prison Doors are set open by Death and dost thou fear to go forth Rather rejoice Hitherto thou wert a Captive now thou shalt be free How foolish a thing it is to depend upon Hope or Happiness and be afraid to go at large to that which always remains and to change for a moment of dying a perpetual Immortality The Prison is open haste thee to a better place 8. Death is the way yea it is the Gate that leads us into our Countrey to Eternal Life to Immortal Joy For Death is not so much the end of Life as the beginning of Life Learnedly said St. Bernard The Just Man dies but securely whose death as it is the Exit out of this present Life is the Entry into a better But thou wilt say To live long how pleasant a thing it is but how uncertain is it whether Divine Grace will not forsake thee before thy Sin And who is there that has not often reason to be afraid for his perseverance which no holiness of Life can merit 'T is a Gift and given gratis Therefore he that desires this Gift let him reconcile himself to the Giver 9. But the Reason of Reasons is the Will of God whose Eternal pleasure it was that thou shouldst yield to Nature at this time in this place and through this Disease What wouldst thou more It was Gods will it so seem pleasing to God This is that will that can will no evil Therefore the Son of Syrack gives this advice Humble thy self afore thou beest sick and while thou maist sin shew thy Conversation But all these Reasons I do shortly sum up thus 1. The Death of Christ 2. The Grace of God 3. The Invitation of the Saints 4. Examples of those that were before us 5. The Things to be feared 6. The end of all Evils 7. Enlargement out of Prison 8. Entrance into Paradice 9. The will of God Sect. 3. Therefore Death is not to be fear'd THerefore do willingly O Christian which otherwise thou wouldst be forc'd to do unwillingly VVhat is done by a willing Mind becomes light and ceases to be necessity where the will takes place The wise Man is so instructed as to consent to what he cannot withstand Therefore I am secure and fear nothing Nature a most kind Parent never made any thing terrible 'T is only the Error of Men that makes Death formidable VVe are afraid of Death not because it is evil but because it is not known to Men. If thou art revolving any thing sublime in thy Mind if thou art rearing any high or lofty structure despise those low and poor mistakes of the Vulgar and admire those Precepts whose imitation leads thee the true way to Glory VVe have innumerable Examples of those that die happily and cheerfully Rather imitate him among the Ancients that made this Dialogue between himself and the Minister of Death Thou shalt die Since the Fall 't is the Nature noâ— so much the punishment of Man Thou shalt die Upon this condition I came into the VVorld Thou shalt die 'T is the Law of Nations to repay what has been borrow'd Thou shalt die Life is a Pilgrimage when thou hast travell'd as far as thou hast design'd thou must return home again Thou shalt die I thought thou wouldst have told me some News I came for this purpose As soon as I was Born Nature set me my Bounds VVhy should I be offended Thou shalt die 'T is a vain thing to fear what I cannot avoid He that stays the longest cannot fly it Thou shalt die I am not the first nor the last many went before and many shall follow Thou shalt die VVhat wise Man ever took it amiss to be set at Liberty VVhatever begins must end Thou shalt die It is not grievous because but once to be suffered They are Eternal Pains that torment Now is Death less to be fear'd than formerly For then the Gate of Heaven being not so open all Men bewail'd for this Noctes atque Dies c. Both day and night stands ope th' Infernal Gate Of swarthy Dis But now we can Sing Both day and night to Zealous Faith and Hope The splendid Gate of highest Heav'n stands ope So that it matters not how terrible and threatning Death appears 'T is the most inconsiderable what he desires of us He never thought of Death that liv'd well nor loses any thing who gains all things Sect. 4. How the Holy Men do desire yet fear Death LET us behold Paul saith Gregory how he loves what he seeks to avoid How he avoids what he loves He desires to die and yet sears to be spoil'd of his Flesh Why so because though the Eternal Victory over-joy him yet the present pain disturbs him And though the Love of the Recompence overcome him yet he cannot be unsensible of the twitches and pangs of Torment For as a Couragious Souldier just before the Battel palpitates trembles looks pale yet is still instigated by his Anger So a Holy Man seeing the approach of his Suffering is shaken by the weakness of his Nature fears the approach of Death and yet rejoices to die And because there is no passage but through Death therefore trusting he doubts and doubting trust rejoicing he fears and fearing rejoices Because he knows he shall not attain the Garden of Repose unless he get over the Hill that lyes between David shew'd his fear of Death when he cry'd out Lord take me not away in the midst of my Age. Neither was Abraham Jacob noâ— Elias free from that fear though it were but moderate Arsenius a Man of a Hundred and Twenty years of Age after he had served God Five and Fifty years being ready to depart the World began to be afraid and to shed Tears which his Friends admiring And dost thou Father cry'd they fear death To whom he Verily said he ever since I have taken upon me Religious Orders I have always been afraid of this Hour To which purpose Seneca spake very perspicuously Therefore saith he the stoutest Man
none or very few Signs of Safety or Security What do all these things Admonish us but only this Remember O man that thou art a man think upon Eternity to which thou art hastening Go to prepare thy self thou art called to that Tribunal of God as thou didst live shalt thou be judged Sect. â—o What Answer is to be given to the Messenger of Death SAint Ambrose having received the News of his Death when his Friends bewailed him and begg'd of God to grant him a longer space of Life I have not lived as to be ashamed to lieve among you neither do I fâ—â—r to die because we have a graciâ—us God Saint Austin nothing troubled at the News of his Death He never shall be great saith he who thinks it strange that Stones and Wood fall and that Mortals die Saint Chrysostom a little before his Death in Exile wrote to Innocentius We have been these three Years in Banishment exposed to Peâ—â—ilence Famine continual Iucursions unspeakable Solitude and continual Death But when he was ready to give up the ghost He cryed out aloud Glory be to thee â—O God â—or all things Let a dying Christian imitate these most holy Persons and repeat these Sayings often to himself Thanks be to God Glory be to thee O God for all things I have watcht long enough among thornâ— Labour'd long enough in Storms Now because I see the end of my Watching and my Labour Thanks be to God Glory be to God for all things For Life is tedious Death a certain gain Sect. 21. Death is better than a sorrowful Life IT is better once to Die than to be always Dying We daily Die we have lost â—â—â— Childhood our Youth is gone All our Time even to Yesterday is slid away These things Gregory Nazianzene comprehending in a few words There is no good among men with which there is not something of evil mixt Riches are a Snare Poverty a Fetter Honour a meer Dream Empire dangerous Subjection troublesom Youth is the Summer of Life Grey hairs the Sun-set of Life Matrimony a Bond Children the growing Crop of Care Fulness breeds Petulance Want begets Impatience Whatever we behold in this World is like the World in a perpetual motion Whatever seemed stable is now doubtful 〈…〉 with the perpetual volubility of Day-night 〈…〉 Diseases Sorrows Pleasures and Calamities Death is most certain Elegantly St. Austin Death saith he is only certain all things else uncertain A Child once Conceived perhaps is born perhaps not but perishes in Abortion If he be born perhaps he grows up perhaps not perhaps he grows old perhaps not Peradventure he shall be Rich peradventure Poor perhaps he shall attain to Honour peradventure live Contemned perhaps he shall have Children it may be not perhaps he shall die in his Bed it may be slain in the Field But who can say perhaps he shall die perhaps not The first Book of Maccabees thus describes the Death of Alexander Then he fell sick and when he perceived that he should die Alexander had wished for several Worlds in hopes of Victory and thought with himself that he had performed Atchievements that deserved Eternal Annals Nevertheless after so many and such great Victories overcome at length he fell not only into his Bed but into his Tomb contented with a small Coffin Peter Alfonsus reports That several Philosophers flockt together and variously descaâ—ted upon the King â— Death One there was that said Behold now four Yards of Ground is enough for him whom the spacious Earth could not comprehend before Another added Yesterday could Alexander save whom he pleas'd from Death to Day he cannot free himself Another viewing the Golden Coffin of the Deceased Yesterday said he Alexander heaped up a Treasure of Gold now Gold makes a Treasure of Alexander This was their Learned Contention yet all ended in this Then he fell sick and died Thus forgetful of our selves what Mountains do we raise to our selves in Thought We revolve in our Minds Immortal I wish they were Heavenly Things whilst Death surprizes us in the midst of our vast Undertakings and that which we call Old Age is but the Circuit of a few Years Wherefore do we trust to Death Behold through what slight Occasions we lose our Lives Our Food our Moisture our Watchings our Sleep are unwholesome to us without their due measure A small hurt of a Toe a light pain of the Ear a Worm in the Tooth make way for Death The little Body of Man is weak frail subject to Diseases this Air these Winds those Waters offend him therefore let us believe the Son of Syras Death is better than â— bitter Life and Eternal Rest better than continual Sickness So that it is much better to be an Inhabitant on Earth than a Pilgrim in Heaven Sect. 22. The Happiness of Death BLessed are the dead that die in the Lord even so saith the Spirit that they may rest from their â—â—bours and their works follow them To die in the â—â—rd is the same thing as to die a Servant of the â—â—rd as the Scripture speaks concerning Moses Moses my Servant is dead As if God had said saith Cajetan Though he were once a Sinner and was not then my Servant nevertheless he died my Servant He so died that whatever he was or whatever he did was mine for a Servant wholly belongs to the Master And let such a Servant of the Lord sing that Song of Simeon at his death Lord now let thy Servant depart in peace according to thy word Altogether in peace and that Eternal in the beginning whereof all the Warfare of good men is at an end never more to be rekindl'd For such Servants of God die in the Lord who dying rest in the Besom of God and so resting sweetly sleep in death Thus Stephen among so many Showers of Stones in such in the midst of the Tumult and Dinn of the Enraged Multitude slept in the Lord. Thus Moses the Servant of the Lord died by the command of God Thrice happy and blessed are such that never more shall be miserable The death of the Just faith St. Bernard is good because of its Rest better because of its Novelty best of all by reason of its Security Blessed and again thrice blessed are such for their Works follow them They follow them as Children follow their Parents as Servants follow their Masters as Scholars follow their Teacher and Souldiers their Captain They follow them to the Tribunal of God to the Court of Heaven as Peers follow their Prince whither these Noble Servants are only admitted Sect. 23. The Farewel of a dying Person to the living which are to go the same way THere are many things of which it behoves me to Repent of Vertue often neglected and Time ill spent How much did it become me to have been more patient more submissive more studious of daily Death How small a Spark of Divine Love did glow in me Pity me O God pity me
Sect. 26. The dying Man is encouraged WHen thou hast not the convenience of reading much behold a few Verses not a little useful to ease thy Troubles and confirm thy mind Consider that St. Cyprian whispers these Words into thy Ears When we die we pass to Immortality Nor can we attain to eternal Life unless we depart from hence Neither is this an Exit but a Passage and a flight to Eternity after the short Conclusion of a Temperate Race How preposterous how perverse a thing it is when we desire that the Will of God should be done when he calls us forth of this World that we should not streight be obedient to his Will We strive we struggle and like head-strong Servants we are haled into the presence of God with Sadness and Sorrow forc'd rather by Necessity than won by the tie of our Obedience and is it reasonable we should be honoured by him with Celestial rewards to whom we go unwillingly Wherefore do we desire and pray that the Heavenly Kingdom may come when our Earthly Captivity so much delighteth us Wherefore do we so earnestly wish for the fulfilling of Christs Kingdom when we had rather serve the Devil here then raign with Christ there Then shall the Servants of God injoy Peace and a calm and quiet Rest when freed from the troubles of this World when having vanquished Death we come to immortality When to see Christ it shall be our joy when we can have no joy but by seeing Christ What blindness of mind what madness is it to be in love with the Oppressions Pains and Tears of this World and not rather to make haste to that joy which can never be â—ak'n from us Death is therefore the Hav'n of all Mortals O happy Shore O secure Port wherein none but the obstinate can Shipwrack Sect. 27. Faith in the Resurrection THis Flesh of ours now lives though shortly to return to its Clay to its mouldring Dust to be the Food of Fish Locusts Ants and poysonous Vermin And yet after all this the same Flesh shall rise and the Butcheries of Executioners and the Coats of Martyrs shall be crown'd Neither â—â— thou dream of any Flesh than the former unless thou canst imagine God unjust to give the reward to any other than that which has won the Prize or that he should receive another to his Heavenly Rest than that which won the Prize The same Soul in all things which in this Flesh fought the good fight stood stedfast learnt God put on Christ sowed the hope of Salvation the same shall reap The same Flesh that with the Soul ran through the whole Order of Life endured bled with the same Soul its Companion shall reap the reward Lazarus was the same after he had been four days in the Sepulchre as before The same the Son after the Mothers Tears were tried up as before The same was Christ after his being entombed as before Neither does any aid of Sepulture deprive God of his Omnipotency or put a stop to his Goodness The sâ—me was the Tongue of the Rich Man that was fed with Banquets and that which was scorched in the Infernal Flames and begg'd to be relieved by the Finger of the more happy Begger the same Flesh shall be rewarded or punished according to its Merits Is not God able to enliv'n the Clay with the same breathing of his Spirit as formerly He that formed the Muscles the Bones the Nerves the Veins the Marrow out of the same Clay Can he not form the same out of the same again Is there a necessity that what perishes once should always Perish By what Law Behold that I may not stumble thee with any higher Philosophy behold thy Universal returning Order of all things that is a testimony and argument of returning Man Summers and Winters revolve Springs and Autums have their turns The light of Sun and Stars return with the morning Splendor or the natural Darkness had obscured Thou wouldst think the 〈…〉 dead and the Branches only fit for the Fiâ—e yet we see them revive again and thicker clad than before and what the cold Kills the heat of Summer restores more Beautiful as if decay it self paid use Not that these things in all things prove the Reparation of Human Life but lead us to it Wouldst thou have more signal Arguments We have a pledge in Christ in whom we Usurp Heaven and the Kingdom of God Wouldst thou have it in Man The mortified and putrified Flesh of Lazarus wise Flesh Moses and Elias made known to the Apostles demonstrated that the same Habit and Condition of Body is still preserv'd in Glory And the departed Souls delivered out of the Prisons of this Flesh and returned to their own pure Light and Substance yet desire nothing more than to be clad with this refin'd Clay and in the former Matrimonial Society to continue a Life with the same Flesh never to be dissolved that they which endured together may injoy the same equality of Glory like Christ their Captain who ascended Flesh and Bone into Heaven a Pledge and Argument of our future Purity Therefore let us not be sad When the old House falls a fairer will rise in the stead He not only believed without a Cause but lived for no Cause that thought himself born to Perish Sect. 28. The hope of Resurrection our greatest Comfort JOB almost buried in the Grave of innumerable Calamities yet with a vast alacrity of Mind I know saith he that my Redeemer Lives and that I shall rise out of the Earth at the latter day and shall be covered again with my Skin and shall see God in my Flesh when I my self shall see and mine Eyes shall behold and none other for me This my hope is laid up in my Bosome Christ also as it were returning an Answer to Job I am the Resurrection and Life saith he whoever believeth in me though he be dead shall live There will most certainly come a day that will restore us to Light and therefore ought to depart contentedly 'T is reported that there is a Bird in the East Indies called Semenda which being sensible of her approaching Death fetches Wood into her Nest sings sweetly and by the clapping of her Wings sets it a Fire where being consumed out of the Ashes grows a Worm which afterwards comes to be a Bird of the same Nature A plain Symbolum of the Resurrection Mirmeius the Roman Orator a great Antagonist of the Christians see saith he how for our comfort all nature points out our Resurrection The Sun sets and rises the Stars fall and return Flowers decay and refluorish the withered Trees recover their Vendure Seeds return their several species Thus the Body deceased like Trees in Winter cover their Vigour with a feigned dryness We are also to expect the Spring of the Body I know that my Redeemer Lives and that I shall rise again at the last day Sect. 29. The hope of Heaven WHat wouldst thou What
him insomuch that he was eaten up with Lice Death of Bertholdus Halerus HE was born in Helvetia 1502. and from his Child-hood much addicted to Learning Several Disputations he held with the Helvetians especially with Eccius the Pope's Champion In his time Popery was extinguished in many places and shâ—rly after he died with an immature Death Anno 1536. aged 44. The Death of Urbanus Regis ON Sunday in the Evening he complained of a pain his Head yet was chearful and went to Bed early in the morning rising out of his Bed he â—â—ll upon the Floor and seeing his Wife and Friends mourning he comforted them and commended himself to his Maker and within three hours he died May 23. Anno 1541. He often desired God he might die an easie and sudden Death wherein God answered his Desires He wrote several Treatisss which his Son Ernest digested together and Printed at Norenburg The Death of Caralostadius HE underwent great Afflictions by Printing some of his Books concerning the Lord's Supper the Senate of Zurick forbidding their People to read them but Zuinglius exhorted them first to read and then to pass judgment on them saying Caralostadius knew the Truth but had not well expressed it He went to Basil where he taught ten years and there died of the Plague Anno 1541. The Death of Capito HE went to several places as Strâ—â—burg where he met with Bucer whose Fame spread so far that the Queen of Navarre sent for 'em so that France oweth the beginning of her Reformation to Capito and Bucer He was prudent eloquent and â—…dious of Peace the better part of his time he employed in Preaching and giving wholsome Advice to the Churches at length returning home in a general Infection he dyed of the Plague Anno 1541. aged 63. The Death of Leo Judae HE Translated part of the Old Testament out of the Hebrew but the work being so Laborious and being Aged he dyed before he had finished it Anno. 1542. aged 60. Four days before his Death sending for the Pastors of Zurick he made a Confession of his Faith concerning God the Scriptures the Person and Offices of Christ concluding To this my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ my hope and my salvation I wholly offer up my Soul and Body I cast my self wholly upon his mercy and grace c. And so recommended to God the Senate and People of Zurick The Death of George Spaladius HE was born at Noricum and brought up in Learning especially in the knowledge of Humane Atrs wherein he profited so much that the Elector of Saxony made him one of his Privy Council He continned in his Office till the time of his Death which fell out Anno. 1545. aged 63. He wrote many Treatises but especially a Chronicle from the beginning of the World to his time The Death of Myconius IN several Countries he preached the Gospel sincerely and purely though to the hazard of his Life at last he fell into a Consumption and wrote to Lutber That he was sick not to Death but to Life He dyed Anno 1546. aged 55. The Death of John Diazius FInding he could not pervert his Brother Diazius from the Truth he acted the Hypocrite and told him he was in love with his Doctrine then he would have persuaded him to go into Italy Spain Rome and Naples and there privately spread his Doctrine but John Diazius refusing his Brother then took leave of him in order to his Journey but privately he and the Cut. Throat stayed at a Village and purchased a Hatchet of a Carpenter then going disguised the Villain pretended to bring Letters from his Brother which whilst John was reading the Executioner struck the Hatchet into his Temples upon whicb he died immediately The Murtherers were afterwards apprehended but by the practice of Papists who highly applauded the Fact and to hinder the current of Justice they pretended the Emperor would have the hearing of the Cause himself Six years â—fter Alphonsus hanged himself about the Neck of â—is own Mule a fair reward for so foul a Fratriâ—ide The Death of Gasper Cruciger HE was a Man of great Learning very Religious and delighted much in Luther's Books and Doâ—…rine He often contemplated the Foot-steps of God in â—ature saying with St. Paul That God was so near â—…to us that he might almost be felt with our Hands â—onsidering the Vicissitude of Earthly Things he â—…ten repeated this Verse Besides God's love nothing is sure And that forever doth endure In his sickness he caused his young Daughters to repeat their Prayers before him and then himself prayed fervently for the Church and those his Orphans concluding I call upon thee with a weak yet with a true Faith I believe thy Promises which thou hast sealed to me with thy Blood and Resurrection c. He spent the few days which remained in prayer and Repentance and so quietly ended his days November the 16th Anno 1548. aged 45. The Death of Matthias Zellius HE was not only famous for Learning but for other Christian Vertues especially Modesty Temperance and Charity having a special care of the Poor for being invited to Supper by one of his Colleagues and seeing much Plate was offended and went his way without eating but afterward so far prevailed with him that he sold his Plate and was more open-handed to the poor he dyed 1548. aged 71. The Death of Vitus Theodorus HE often disputed with his Papistical Adversaries and overthrew all their Arguments at lengâ—â— he was called to be a Pastor at Norimberg his owâ— Country where he preached the Gospel with greaâ— Zeal and Eloquence to the great Advantage of hâ—â— Auditors he dyed Anno. 1549. The Death of Paul Fagius FAgius died of a burning Feaver or as some say was poysoned by the Papists so that Anno 1550. he was intombed at Cambridge from whence in the Reign of Q. Mary the Papists having condemned him for a Heretick took his Bones and burnt them The Death of Martin Bucer IN his Sickness Learned Men came to visit him especially Doctor Bradford who one day taking leave of him to go preach told him he would remember him in his Prayers whereupon Bucer with tears in his eyes said Cast me not off O Lord now in my old Age when strength faileth me A while after he said He bath afflicted me sore but he will never never cast me off Being desired to arm himself with faith and a stedfast hope in God's Mercies against the Temptations of Satan He said I am wholly Christ's and the Devil has nothing to do with me and God forbid that I should not now have experience of the sweet Consolation in Christ Then with a smiling Countenance gave up the Ghost and was interred nobly by the King's Commandment But in Q. Mary's time his Bowels being taken up â—hey were burnt with Fagius's He died Anno Chriâ—…i 1550. The Death of Gasper Hedio HE preached vigorously against Masses Indulgences and Auricular Confession
and no wonder for it is not founded upon Honour Beauty wealth or any other sinister respect in the party beloved which is subject to Age or Mutability but only on the Grace and Piety in him which Foundation because it always lasteth the love which is built upon it is also perpetual Part thee and me Death is that which parteth one Friend from another Then the dear Father must part with his dutiful Child then the dutiful Child must forget his Dear Father then the kind Husband must leave his constant Wife then the constant Wife most lose her kind Husband then the careful Master must be sundred from his industrious Servant then the industrious Servant must be sundred from his careful Master Yet this may be some comfort to those whose Friends death hath taken away that as our Disciples Yet a little while and you shall not see me and yet a little while and you shall see me again So yet a little while and we shall not see our Friends and yet a little while and we shall see them again in the Kingdom of Heaven for not mittuntur sed praemittuntur we do not forego them but they go before us When thou art enter'd into the House of Weeping fall down on thy knees and say OH Lord our God in thee and by thee we live move and have our Being As thou didst at the first breath into Man the Breath of Life and he became a living Soul so when thou shalt be pleased to command that Breath again out of Mans Body then will he presently become a dead Carkass and so short is the Life of Man that many times he doth but cry and Die yea sometimes his Mothers Womb doth prove his Tomb so that he doth not once cry to tell the World that he did once Live Neither is the Thread of Mans Life at any time spun so strong but at one word of thy Mouth it is soon snapt in two Seeing therefore we do but Live to Die we beseech thee Oh blessed God let us Die to Live let us live well that so we may die well let Death never surprize us unlooked for or unprepared nor let it ever seize upon us in an unconverted unregenerate State Good Lord let us not so live as to be ashamed to live any longer or to be afraid to look grim Death in the Face when it comes to separate our Souls from our Bodies and to summon them to make their appearance before the great Judge of the Quick and Dead Let us with thy Servant Job wait all our appointed time untill our Change doth come Seeing it will be our greatest Wisdom to wait for Death which always waits for us and to expect that at all times which will come at some time and may come at any time Let us Pray and Preach and Hear and so spend our time as those who know and consider that all they do they do it for Eterninity and we shall never have but one Cast for Eternity Heaven and Glory is here to be won or lost for ever Blessed God thou hast taught us in thy Word that it is better to go to the House of Weeping than to the House of â—easting for that is the end of all men and thou hast said That the Living will lay it to heart Oh Lord we are this day come to the House of Mourning and Weeping and we have seen the end of one yea of many of our Friends and Acquaintance within a short space of time and in the Death of our Friends we may read our own Death and yet shall not we who are lest behind them in the Land of the Living lay these awakening instances of Mortality to heart shall we hear and see daily our nearest and dearest Relations giving up the Ghost and departing out of this into another World and yet shall we once think that we shall ever live to enjoy the Pleasures of this present evil World But seeing Lord this World is a dying World and all its glory is a dying Glory let our Minds and Hearts therefore be set upon the Glory of Heaven which is a never fading Glory Oh! did we believe and consider how much better â— Believers future Estate will be than his present State is then should we think that Timâ— is too long before we do and that Eternâ—â— will be too short when we shall enjoy our gracious Redeemer upon his Throne of Glory Let us ever live as those that have one Foot in thâ— Grave already Thousands and Millions yea innumerable Millions of Thousands are gone to their Graves before us and do we think thaâ— we that are but enlivened Dust animated Shadows dying Lumps of Clay can keep our Bodies from being a Feast for Worms or ouâ— Souls from seeking new Lodgings in another World Oh! let us therefore every day â—â— looking into our Graves and familiarize Death unto our Thoughts before it comes let us consider how many signal Admonitions thoâ— dost daily give us of our approaching end Iâ— not every Distemper and Sickness of Body as it were a little Death and a fair Warning to put us in mind of our last Change The Grey Hairs which are here and there upon our Heads the deep wrinkles which are engraven upon our Foreheads the loss of Teeth the Dimness oâ— Sight our Deafness in Hearing our Palsie hands our feeble trembling Limbs and the frequenâ— Sight of seeing Friends laid out in their Winding Sheets for Dead and carried to their Houses oâ— Clay the silent Grave are Circumstances anâ— Symptoms serving to remind us that the time draws near wherein we must die and that our departure is at hand Let us therefore live as dying Men and let us die as Living Christians let us set our House and our Heart in order remembring the Text It is appointed for all Men once to Die but after this the Judgment The Mourners being all come first sing the following Psalms and after that Read part of 1 Cor. Chap. 15. to bring your minds into a serious frame Psalm 39. I Said I will look to my ways for fear I should go wrong will take heed all times that I offend not with my Tongue As with a bit I will keep fast my mouth with fource and might Not once to whisper all the while the wicked are in â—ight I held my Tongue and spake no word but kept me close and still Yea from good talk I did refrain but sore against my will My Heart waxt hot within my breast with musing thought and doubt Which did increase and stir the fire at last these Words burst out Lord number out my Life and days which yet I have not past So that I may be certify'd how long my Life shall last Lord thou hast pointed out my Liâ—e in length much like a Span Mine age is nothing unto thee so vain is every Man Man walketh like a shade and doth in vain himself annoy In getting goods and cannot tell who shall
and since my God as I undoubtedly believe hath been pleased to crown my brother with glory I will beseech him to comfort me here with his grace I will not immoderately weep lest I injure my self I will not weep without hope lest I offend my Maker but that I may weep as I should and hope as I ought and live as I am required I will humble my self at the feet of him to whom my brother is gone Put on Mourning Apparel Sermon III. ECCLES 7. 2. It is better to go to the House of Mourning then to the House of feasting for that is the end of all Men and the living will lay it to his heart IT is evident that in this Verse that I have now read to you the Wise man speaks of such a mourning as is occasioned by the Death of friends And he saith of that Mourning that it is better than to be in the House of Feasting That he speaks of such a mourning appears by that which followeth First he saith that this is the end of all men he speaks therefore of such a mourning as is upon the end of men upon the departure of men out of this World And Secondly he saith the living will lay it to his heart He speaks of such an end of Men as is opposite to the life of Men. In a word By the House of mourning he meaneth a house wherein some one is dead which giveth occasion to the parties that dwell there of sorrow and mourning for their departed friend It is better to go to such a house By the House of feasting he meaneth not only such a house wherein there is feasting but also all manner of abundance As commonly Men shew their wealth in Feasting By the end of all men he meaneth such an end of a man as that he ceaseth to be as he was upon earth and ceaseth to do as he did upon Earth By laying to heart he meaneth such a serious considering and pondering and discussing of every thing as they may bring it to some use may draw some Fruit and benefit out of it to themselves So that the sum and substance of the words is thus much It is a better thing for a Man to be conversant about the thoughts of death and to take hold of all occasions that may bring the serious consideration thereof into his heart than to delight himself in those worldly pleasures and sensual delights wherein for the most part men spend their lives The words consist of a Proposition And a proof or confirmation of that Proposition The Proposition It is better to go to the House of Mourning than to go to the house of Feasting The Confirmation or proof of it is double First Because this is the end of all Men Secondly Because the living will lay it to his heart In the former he calleth the House wherein any one dies the House of Mourning It is better to go to the House of Mourning Where you see That the Death of Men with 〈…〉 live is a just occasion of Mourning to 〈…〉 〈…〉 holy Ghost would not have described 〈…〉 â—ouse wherein a man dies in this manner 〈…〉 were not some equity and justice in mâ—…ing upon such an occasion For he speaks nâ—â— here as I conceive â—nly with reference and â—espect to the common Custom of natural and worldly Men but with respect to the natural disposition and affection that is in the heart of man and the equity of the thing There should be visible signs of Mourning and there is in it a just occasion when men are taken away by death When Sarah died the text saith that Abraham came to Mourn for Sarah and to weep for her Gen. 23. 2. And Esau when he speaks of the death of his Father Isaac he calleth the time of his death the time of Mourning the days of Mourning for my Father are at hand Gen. 27. 41. So Joseph when his Father was dead it is said that he mourned for his Father seven days Gen. 50. 10. When Samuel was dead all the Israelites were gathered together and lamented him 2 Sam. 25. 1. When Iosiah was dead there was such a great lamentation for him that it became a pattern of excessive mourning In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadriâ—â—on in the Valley of Megiddon Zach. 12. 10 Our Saviour Christ when he looked upon Lazarus he wept because he was dead And those Ephesians this was it that broke their hearts they sorrowed most of all for the words which St. Pâ—â—l spake that they should see his face no more Acts 20 38 We come now to the proof of the point why going to the House of Mourning taking these occasions to affect our hearts is better than to go to the House of Feasting than to take occasions of delighting our selves in outward things What 's the reason It is double First This is the end of all men What is the end of all men The House of Mourning That which he meaneth by the House of Mourning here is that which he calleth the end of all men that which putteth an end to all men and to their actions upon earth and that is Death So that the main point that in this place the wise man intendeth is but thus much I will deliver it in the very words of the Text we need not vary from them at all Death is the end of all Men. But here it will be objected We find some men that did not die It is said of Enoch that he was translated that he should not see death Heb. 11. 5. And of Elijah that he went up by a whirl-wind into heaven in a chariot of fire 2 King 2. 11. These men did not die To this I answer briefly Particular and extraordinary examples do not frustrate general rules God may sometimes dispense with some particular men and yet the rule remain firm I say it may be so But secondly we answer They had that that was in stead of Death to them some change though they did not die after the manner of other men So at the end of the world it is said that those that are alive shall be caught up and changed in the twinkling of an eye there shall be a sudden and almost undiscernable unperceivable change which shall be to them in stead of death But it will be objected further There is a promise made in Joh. 11. That those that believe shall never die To this I answer with that common distinction There is a twofold death which the Scripture calleth the first and the second death The first death is the death of the body that ariseth from a disjunction and separation of the body from the soul And there is a second death that ariseth from the dis-junction and separation of the soul from God The first death is no death properly the second Death is that which is truly Death And so they shall not die A man may have