but good Father restore the voice of joy and gladnesse to mee again Comfort mee now after the time that thou hast afflicted mee and for the yeeres wherein I have suffered adversity Turn thy face away from my sins and blot cut all mine offences according to thy great mercies Cast me not away from thy presence nor deal with me after my iniquities but help mee ô thou that art the helper of all that cry to thee for relief deliver mee for the glory of thy name Grant in mercy that I may dwell in thy house al the days of my life to sing prayses to thee in Heaven with all thy glorious Saints and Servants for evermore Amen The second Prayer to Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world O Sweet comfâ—rtable Iesus the fountaine anâ— wâ—lspâ—ing of mercy and tender compassion shew and extend to me thy poore servant and weak creature the riches of thy infinite mercies help and succour mee in this my great need and necessity my great Creatour and loving Redeemer Iesu Christ put thy Passion Cross and precious death betwixt thy judgment and my sicke soule I wholly give up my selfe to thy favour Cast me not away good Saviour in thy furie I willingly come to thee for hâ—lp ô reject not ô despise not ô refuse not to admit thy humble Petitioner into thy grace and favourable protection Now now ô Lord according to thy good pleasu e and will deal with me in mercie and receive my soule into thy hands in peace and love thou hast redeemed mee ô Lord thou God of truth O let the sound of those comfortable words enter into â—y soule sweet Saviour This day thou shalt be with me in Parad se O Iesus who was crucified for me receive me into thy armes of love and mercie into those armes which were stretch'd so wide to embrace poore grieved sinners unto those armes which I with the eye of faith see opened wide for transgressors Draw my soul after thee comfort it ô thou Lambe of God with thy al saving favour receive mee in thy savour and let my soule ever live in thy glorious courts in the highest Heavens Amen The third Prayer of thanksgiving in any sicknesse GLory be to thee ô Lord Iesus Christ the Authour and giver of life who hast vouchsafed to call me to the knowledge of true faith in thee Glorie be to thee who hâ—st always beene so full of plenteous redemption and mercie towards mee so grievously laden with all sorts of sins which through all my life hast heaped blessings and kindnesses upon me I give thanks to thee n y most loving God that according to thy good will and wisdome I am called out of this miserable and wretched life to appeare before thee How ô how willing am I to tread thy Courts and to behold the light of thy countenance I doe wholly commit my selfe to thy divine shelterage and blesse thy glorious name for giving me such a readie mind to depart I do ô most loving Lord in all humility beg and desire thee to binde up my soule in the bundle of peace and embrace my soule in thy everlasting favour and mercy tâ—ke my soule into thy protection hence-forth and for ever to thee to thee onely doe I commend my spirit which art the God of spirits I intreat thee the everliving God to give me an inheritance among those that be sanctified Count mee in the number of thy Saints and let my name ô heavenly Father be registred in the book of life Free me and deliver me fâ—om all the power of my enemies Deliver mee from all my trouble and adve sity because thou onely art the God which canst help those that are in misery and griefe thou hast said it ô bâ—essed Lord God that we should call upon thee in the time of trouble and thou hast graciously promised to hear and deliver us and taught us in thy wisdome to give glory to thy name To thee therefore be duly given all praise and glorie world without end The fourth prayer to be sâ—id of those about the sick party O Iesus Christ who didst die upon the Crosse for our Redemption in the depth of thy infinite love even of that gracious love which made thee lay downe thy life who wast the life of all that they might be restored to life Wee doe heartily dâ—sire and humbly crave of thee that thou wouldst passe by and blot out all the sins and transgressions which this thy sicke servant our Brother N. hath committed and that by thy most holy life and merits of thy most bitter Crosse and Passion thou wouldst be pleased to help all his infirmities and to make his bed in the time of his sicknesse and make him to feele and rellish thy infinite love and boundlesse mercies and let him apply them to hâ—s sâ—ule and disspose graciously of us all and especially of this thy weake creature whom thou art calling out of this miserable life that thou wouldst prepare his soule quietly and peaceably to seeke thee and that hee may give up his soul into thy hands with all patience and contentednesse in a full assurance of the pardon of all his sins being grounded in hope rooted in charity in a perfect state of mind so that for ever thou mayst hold him in the armes of thy never fading love and favour O Lord Iesus Christ wee beseech thee take not thy helping hand and saving assistance from this our sick brother who is now in the depth of sicknesse and even at the point of death who by weaknesse and defect of spirit is not able to lift up his voice unto thee Think upon him o Lord in thy love and mercy and give him ô give the spirit of comâ—ort and consolation Deliver him from all evill and grant hough hee doth at this time depart yet let it be in peace and sure confidence of thy love defend him from the danger of the Enemy at the time of his yielding up his spirit into thy hand give him sure confidence in thee and keep him iâ— perpetuall peace and safety and lead hâ—m into the land of everlastâ—ng rest and quietnesse Amen The fifth Prayer contayning the Acts of Faith Hope and Chariâ—y daily to be used O Lord Iesus Christ I believe that thou art my God and my Redeemer I doe bâ—lieve that for my salvation thou wast born of the Virgin Mary and was crucified I doe believe what the holy Catholick Church doth enjoyne me and I protest that I will lâ—ve and am willing to die in that faith Lord Iesus I doe heartily grieve that I have so grievously offendâ—d thy goodnâ—sse and I am sorâ—y that I can be no more sorry so those great and many offences which I have committed against thee my Crâ—atour and Redeemer I do humbly â—ray thee that thou wouldst by thy precious bloudshedding pardon and forgive all my sins and I doe purpose if thou shalt enlarge my life to abstaine from them â—ll and to
and suffer it Seest thou what thy sister endures and wilt thou connive at it wilt not thou defend her wilt not thou vindicate her wrong Behold here ô sick man Thy Saviour sends to thee two Handkerchiefs all be-dyed with bloud one he garnished in the Mount of Olives most liberally with his bloud in the other from Golgotha thou mayst behold how his face with sweat with spit with bloud teares and blows was abused by sinfull men both these Jesus sends to thee all be-purpled with his precious bloud and may speak these words to thy soul Your sins ô mortals have caused this sweat these stripes this bloud Can yee behold these and can you but leave of your wicked lives ô would wee were true Childeberts and that wee would take an holy speedy revenge upon our selves Certainly there is no man doth more truly grieve at the sufferings of Christ then hee which begins to hate those things for which Jesus suffered §. 19. The sickmans Bed THe sickmans Bed torments him though it be as soft as that of Sardanapalus though it be as that of Smindyrides upon Roses the base and effeminatish Sybarite a young man given up to all wantonnesse and luxury Who when hee had tryed how easily hee could lie upon the softest feathers complained that they made his sides sore and so made him a Bed of Rosie leaves but this perfumed Gallant also complain'd of them as too hard for his tender flesh Although the sick person have a bed all of Hares Wooll or down of Partridges yet he will judge it uneasie Well he must be excused it is his anguish that forceth these complaints yet wee can shew you harder lodgings then these Saint Lawrence had a Grid-iron red fire hot to lie on so Vincentius the Martyr and many others have been laid in smart lodgings and yet the love they bore to their Lord and the care they had of salvation made them to repute them easie and honourable The Persians in times past exercised a cruell kind of torment upon Christians which was called Scaphismus because the poore Christians which were to be thus tortured were laid betweene two boats as in an hollow and long streight chest with their faces upwards their head their hands and feet were left out onely for their food it was mingled with honey which was poured into their mouth against their wils onely to prolong their life and augment their torments For at certaine times they were expos'd to the heat of the Sunne and had their eyes shut down their head hands and feet were all anointed with milke and honey so by this meanes whole swarms of Flies and Gnats did cover these parts so that they seemed as a blacke cloath and the drink liquour poured into their mouthes preserved life and because it did easily run from their entrails it caused a noysome putrifaction in the lower boat and Wormes were ingendred so that the men that were thus laid were stung without with Hornets Wasps and Flyes and eaten within with infinite companies of Wormes Hence when their bodies came to be opened they were found most miserably gnawn with these Wormes and this unheard off and most cruell torment would let the parties live to fifteen or seventeen days and some more Consider my sicke friend this bed this miserable lodging so full of torture invented for the Christians Oh how favourable are thy sufferings to these how soft is thy Bed to this thy disease is not to be reckoned any thing compared with these tortures Be silent therefore and be patient without murmuring who partakes of the Crosse shall inherit the Kingdome and Salvian spoke well it seems to me a kinde of health Epist. 5. not to be alwayes in health § 20. The hope of a better life asswageth our misery I Demand of thee ô my sicke friend with Seneca why Wondrest thou at thy miseries Thou art born to this to losses to crosses to perishings to hopes to feares to disquietings to fear yet to desire death and what is worse not to know thy own condition never to be in a durable state Ingenuous spirits strike off delays they desire earnestly to bee gone and break prison They accustome their thoughts to sublime objects and so easily despise these baser subjects Therfore Plato cryes out A wise man always sets death before him this he wils this he meditates on this takes up his thoughts how wel is that saying of Plato concerning a better life I saith he esteem him a wise man whose study is to die in hope and confidence being filled with certainty of hope that hee shall be enriched with great rewards when he is dead This the Ancients saw in the dark and can'st thou choose but see them in the Sun-shine Why therefore ô my sick friend doe these terrene things molest thee When as shortly Heaven shall be thy Mansion let thy thoughts be there fixed and what ever thy misery is thou wilt lesse feel it § 21. The true hope of a most blessed Life I Trouble thee not here with Poets or Philosophers the businesse is serious I will draw most pure waters out of the fountaine of holy Writ let therefore sorrow be gone and confidently say it with the Doctor of the Gentiles I know whom I have believed 2 Tim 12 and I am sure that he will keep and is able to keepe that for mee untill that day What fearest thou ô man of short hope Heare what Syrach's sonne saith also Hee which feareth the Lord shall not need to be daunted Ecclus 34 16. usque ad 21. because the Lord is his hope The soule of him that feareth the Lord is blessed For the Lord is his hope and his strength The eyes of the Lord are upon them that feare him hee is their mighty protection and strong stay a defence from heat and a cover from the Sunne at noon a preservation from stumbling and a helpe from fallâ—ng he raiseth up the soule lightneth the eyes he giveth healâ—h life and blessing The Kingly Prophet even then when he saw his own death how valiantly and resolutely did hee expresse himselfe Psal 4 9. I will lie downe saith he and take my rest for it is Thou Lord onely that makest mee dwell in safety now what that was he speaks elswhere saying for thou hast beene my hope and a strong towre against the enemy Psal 61.3 4. I will dwell in thy Tabernacle for ever and my trust shall be under the shadow of thy wings but thou wilt reply my impatience makes me distrust take then with King David another remedy Psal 71.5 For Thou art mine ô Lord God even my trust from my youth up Neither did King David use this as a medicine for himself but exhorts others to apply it to themselves Psal 62.8 Trust in him alway all yee people poure out your hearts before him for God is our hope Why canst not thou follow Him who hath so often
desire ô God I desire to worke in thy Vineyard to indure cold heat wearinesse vexation the Crosse I desire to suffer hunger oâ— thirst or any molestation any heavines or misery for thy sake I have learnt this by the Example of an holy man who when he was visited with more sorrow and sicknes then was usuall he was admonished by another friend of his to entâ—eat God to deale more favourably with him to whom he answered as it were in anger but that I perceive your simplicitie I should have put you from my company for saying such words And pâ—esently hee cast himselfe upon the Earth I give thee thanks ô God for these things which thou hast sent mee to suffer Enlarge my sorrows multiply my pains send mee an hundred diseases I know for certaine thou wilt with all these gâ—ve mee patience What can I say but this thing onely It is too litâ—le that I suffer ô God adde if it be thy good pleasure more and more to them I have deserved farre more bitter stripes then thou ô mercifull God hast yet inflicted Here ô Lord spare me not burn me cut me teare me in pieces onely save me hereafter If I had an hundred bodies I would adorne so many crosses wiâ—h them for thy sake that I may please thee ô kinde Father that I may be but numbred with thy Saints in Glory Everlasting I weigh not what paines and miseries I here undergo and suffer a thousand without any exception so I may gain thee Let thy will ô God be fully done For I know that thy service is perfect freedome to whom both the will and the deed are acceptable and how often dost accept the will for the deed and rewardest it equally I am now by thy appointment ô Lord call'd to rest my night comes in which I cannot worke Yet although this my disease takes away from mee the power of working yet it deprives mee not of the will I will ô Lord I will and while breath or life continue for thy love I am ready and willing to doe or suffer as the holy Martyrs and pious Christians have done and suffered before me Say onely ô Lord what wilt thou me have doe What must I suffer for I offer a whole World full of good desires to thee I will goe to the utmost parts of the Earth nay with readâ—nesse and willingnesse to the Indies the tops of Mountains shall not let mee the great Valleys shall not deterre mee I will climbe these travell through those the vast heaps of snow shal not stop me nor the lofty waves I will passe through both Nor rocks nor fire scornings reproaches disgraces shame accusations all these none of these shall be able to deterre my course for suffering in thy cause nor will I for thy love ô Eternall Wisdom think much to be counted a fool I will glory in the title it is not blows nor death which I will decline for thy sake Nothing shall be too hard nothing too bitter nothing unpleasant nothing impossible where the cords of thy love doe draw my soule I shall goe through with all incumbrances with all oppositions by thy aid and assistance and what I cannot doe by strength I will performe in desires wherein my hands or feet shall faile thither will I goe in desire in affection But all these wishes and willings if â—hey be brought to action will they unlock and open Heaven gates If I shall bring forth all these specious fruits shall I then be worthy to be in the presence of God Ah! ô my Lord God! though I suffer and doe whatsoeuer thy holy Saints have done and suffered or what they would have done or suffered yet shal I not be worthy to abide in thy sight one moment how much lesse then when as I doe but offer up to thee these small and emptie desires By what means then shall I make my way ready for heaven ôh infinite Goodnesse if thou shalt not have mercy upon mee I am undone for ever I shall never be admitted into Heaven if thy mercy excludes me There is therfore this one sanctuary and this one refuge remayning to mee to save me from thy anger and just indignation Thy mercy ô Lord is that vast Ocean and immense Sea into this I will throw my self whensoever death shall cast me from the little Hillock of this world and also while I do possesse this little Tabernacle I will freely and wholly cast my selfe into that bottomlesse Sea of thy infinite mercies beiâ—g fully assured that herein I shall be safe from all the flames and flashes of Hell fire I cry out therefore with King David Have mercy upon me O God after thy great goodnesse according to the multiude of thy tender mercies blot out all mine offâ—nces Wash mee throughly from my wickednesse and cleanse mee from my sinne So also in my greatest extremitie in my last and uttermost houre of my life when my soule must goe forth from her old decayed house with all my ardentest and earnestenst desires I will and wish that one thing yea while I live and am wel in health deliberately and affectionately I thirst after those pleasant Rivers of waters yea at my gaspe I desire thaâ— my sigh may signifie so much to men anâ— Angels that I onely cry and sigh for this one favour al â—hy hands Have mercy upon me ô GOD after thine own goodnesse according to the multitude of thy tender compassions c. § 31. The sick mans sure and true confidence in God IT is a serious businesse and no childish art to die and well may the sicke man bee asked wilt thou wholly commit thy selfe to the hazard of Eternitie thou entrest into an unknowne way and whither wilt thou come to whâ—ch the sick may answer 〈◊〉 not to mutter as those wretches who say I am compeld I must but rather in an upright course let him say I doe willingly and wholly give my soule so I commit my selfe to Eternity so I depart hence joyfully So even so let healthy men say and think but especially such as are ready to die both these may truly say hitherto I have begun to die onely now I doe so Now I begin my journey to Eternity and because Gods mercy knows no end and exceeds all measure I goe on without dread In thee ô Lord have I put my trust let mee never be put to confusion I hope never never ô Lord and though there be a thousand witnesses out of the sacred Writt to confirme my hope in this point yet let mee not despise the excellent Councell which that Roman wise man affords That we should think of Death and the returne from Death Thus the Ancients have delivered their minds When that day shall come which shall separate my soule from my body I shall leave this body where I found it but I my selfe shall be restored to God Neither am I now without him onely I am detained by this heavy earthy body of
hast the power of judging and â—iscerning and thou knowest best the medicines to cure our diseases Oh my most loving Saviour reprove correct and chastize me burn me cut me in pieces onely save me everlastingly Let not the flames of hell lay hold upon me I know thy rod comforts as well as thy staffe thou doest I know chastize thy beloved sons and by chastizements doest purge exercise and provest them before thou puttest upon them the crowne of glory My heart my heart ô Lord is ready how and when thou wilt be pleased to prove my patience and subject mee under the rod. My trust is in thee let me not be confounded for ever I submit my selfe and wholly resigne my self to thy heavenly will and pleasure though thou kill yet wil I trust in thee My lot is in thy hands to dispose let it fall to me in a good ground Amen 3 A Prayer to obtaine patience O Almighty GOD Thou knâ—wâ—st what a weake frail and vile piece of earth I am yet the worke of thy hands who was framed of â—he dust who am blown and withered by every blast of winde and shall at last again returne to dust there is nothing that I have wherein I can trust for I have within mee the spirit striving against the flesh and about me the flesh against the spirit I find motions of Anger Impatience Fearfulnes Dissidence and divers other perturbatiâ—ns to rise within mee if thou onely doest but touch me with thy hand I desire therefore thy helpe ô heavenly Physician and that heavenly medicine of thine called Patience to be communicated to me ô Patience it is the easement of all diseases Give mee ô Lord in all estates to carry my selfe orderly submissively and to beare prosperity without pride adversitie without repining whither thou sendest health or sicknes I may entertain them as proceeding from thy fatherly hands and so being assured they are good because they come from thee thou makest all things worke for the best to them that feare thee Amen Let thy holy Spirit teach and instruct me And so much the rather O Lord help because there is none fighteth for mee but onely thou ô God and thaâ— thy strength may be perfected in my weaknesse So that I may truly say Thy rod and thy staffe have comforted me and thy good grace assisting me I may look upon thy Son and my Saviour Jesus with comfort which shewed himselfe a pattern of all patience to all patient men grant this I beseech for tâ—y mercy sake in Jesus Christ Amen 4 A Prayer for the increase of Patience OUr life ô Lord is a pilgrimage from Exile and Baâ—ishment to our Countrey and lest the pleasantnesse of the way should detaine or keepe us back from comming speedily and comfâ—rtably to thee ô God thou stirrest us up by Goads and hast ns us by pricks in our sides that so we may the more eagerly desire rest and to bee at our journeys end therefore diseases griefs teares mournings sorrows are as so many spurs to hasteÌ„ our dull natures and to encourage them to make speed to their quiet repose Cauâ—e us ô Lord to forget the tediousnesse of the way and to remember our Countrey and if thou pleasest to lay on load upon our shoulders lay on strength lâ—kewise and patience to carry it quietly and cheerfully having all our intentions and hopes fixed upon thee but seeing all things are at thy disposing Make all things ô Lord worke together in thy unsearchable wisdome that I may never prove an enemy to thee Amen 5 A Prayer containing a full resignment of the sickman into Gods hand and will O Most comfortable and sweet Lord God be mindfull I prâ—y thee and mercifully consider mee thy poore creature but thou Lord art my creatour behold ô Lord I doe wholly give and resigne my self unto thy disposing and ordering I am ready and prepared ô Lord to endure what thy fatherly hand shall lay upon mee Deal with mee as thou pleasest in time and for Eternity Whatsoever thou ô heavenly Father hast determined upon me and of me with all Humilitie I am resolved to beare I will take all things well at thy hands whither Good or Evill sweet or sowre joy or heavinesse and will for all give thanks unto thee Keepe me ô Lord from all sin and so I will neither feare death nor hell Because thou wilt not destroy the work of thine owne hands nor blot me out of the booke of life no tribulation shall be grievous unto mee be present ô sweet Jesus with me at all times in all places and let mee comfort my selfe in this that thou only art my comfort and consolation and if at any time thou shalt be pleased to withdraw thy comfortable presence from me yet then I will be comforted in thy tryall of me because it is for my good Thy holy Name be now and ever above all things ô Saviour magnified and blessed Amen 6 Another shâ—rt Prayer to the same purpose O Love ineffable ô sweet Jesu my God if thou wouldest give me my desire and wouldest promise to give what I should request I would not desire any thing but what I suffer This this I would desire and request a thousand time that thy most gracious will according to thy good pleasure may be always done in me of me by me for evermore Amen A Prayer for conformity of our wils to the divine will O Sweet Jesu I neither desire Life nor Death but onely thy will be done I wait upon thee If it be thy good pleasure sweet Jesu that I shall die I doe humbly intreat thee to receive my spirit and though I come in at Evening one of the last amongst the Workmen grant yet that I may be with thee and receive everlasting rest in and through thee but if thou so pleasest ô sweet Jesu that my life shall be prolonged I purpose then and resolve and for this I do intreat thy suffrage and the assistance of thy grace that the residue of my life may be amended be offered up to thee wholly as a pleasing sacrifice to thy glory and according to thy good will Amen Another Prayer to obtain the same thing as onely necessary O Lord Jesus Christ I beseech thee by thy love whiâ—h invited thee so willingly to take all our burdens upon thee that thou wouldest make me to take my visitation patiently and thankfully as comming by thy Fatherly providence and according to thy good will and proceeding out of thy love and affection towards me give me assistance to take it quietly to beare it patiently to resigne my selfe to thy goodnesse and well liking and give mee that strengh and growth in grace that I may not offend thee in the least nor ever depart from or dislike thy godly will and ô Saviour unite my will with thy most holy Bâ—neplacite that what I wish may please thee Amen A Prayer to obtain Patience O Lord my God I confesse I
in their eyes So ô Father even so c. There is no feare of that mans perishing who so effectually can reconcile himselfe with the Judge § 2. How to recover time ill spent and lost WHosoever desires earnestly to redeem lost time let him turn away himselfe from all vanities and seriously meditate upon Eternity in which he shall see God and in Him all things are to be fâ—und and recovered that are lost here let him fix his thoughts and expresse himselfe to God in these or the like terms O my eternall God! I do heartily wish that from the day of my birth to the day of my dea h I had lived before thee in purenâ—sse obedience and holinesse ô would to God! I had lived as all those men did who by following the practice of grace and vertue did please God in all their trials and troubles ô that I could for thy love weep my self into teares and be always helpful to the poore and needy ô that I could afford comfort to the comfortlesse and love thee with that ardencie that all thy blessed Saints and Angels doe for it is fit and due that all prayses should be given to thee And now ô my God have mercy upon mee according to thy infinite wisdome and good pleasure Of such the Psalmist hath pronounced that they shal die ful of days now as Gregory saith They die in a full age who doe that worke in this passing and fleeting time which will never fade or passe away Hee hath recovered and repaired time that was lost who hath truly sorrowed that he hath lost it § 3. How a short life is to be made long A Well minded man must look not how long he can live but how long he ought to live the Wise man saiâ—h Wisd 4.13 Hee being made perfect in a short time fulfilled a long time Well may hee say hee hath liv'd long which comprehends all perfection for he hath finished his course which passeth to Eternity he lives long who hath lived religiously wee are not to reckon long life by the number of yeers but by the number of vertues he may worthily be said to have finished his time which at no time would lose or leave his piety his goodnesse therefore an unwearied care and study of profiting and going on in goodn sse and a daily indeavour to perfection is reputed and esteemed perfection it self § 4. There is an end of all things buâ— Eterniâ—y is endlesse WHy may wee not be cheerfull and sing some Elegies to or before a sick man especially if it be the custome of the place Iacoponus an holy man of life wriâ— certain merry Verses in which very pleasantly he hath described the vanities of the world and the precipices of Death and I have here Englished them 1 Cur Mundus militat sub vana gloriâ— Cujus prosperitas est transiâ—oria Tam citò labitur ejus potentia Quam vâ—sa figuli quae sunt fragilia Englished Why wars and strives the World for such vain glory Whose great prosperity is transitorie So soone and sooner doth her power decay Then Potters vessels or frail things of clay 2 Dic ubi Salomon olìm tà m nobilis Vel ubi Sampson dux invincibilis Vel pulcher Absalon vultu mirabilis Vel dulcis Jonathan multùm amabilis Englished Tell me where 's Solomon that King so wise Or where now that stout Champion Sampson lies Or where is Absalon so faire to th' sight Or where is Ionathan so lovely bright 3 Quo Caesar abâ—it Celsus Imperio Vel Dives Epulo totus in prandio Dic ubi Tullius claus elâ—quio Vel Aristoteles summus ingenio Englished Where is that lofty royall Caesar gone Or where that purpled rich high fed Glutton Where 's Tully who in Eloquence did abound Or Aristotle for his wit renown'd 4 Tot clari Proceres tot rerum spatia Tot ora Praesulum tot Regna fortia Tot mundi Principes tanta potentia In ictu oculi clauduntur omnia Englished So many high born Nobles so greaâ— things So many Clergiemen so many Kings So many Princes so great Powers so high Are all shut up in th'twinckling of an eye 5 Quà m breve festum est haec mundi gloria Vt umbra hominis sunt ejus gaudia Quae semper subtrahunt aeterna praemia In ictu oculi clauduntur omnia Englished How short's the Feast of worldly glory found Our joys are but as shadows on the ground They doe substract from our reward on high And are shut up in th' twinkling of an eye All these are true and most true is that that they are all so soone concluded and shut up It is the saying of Saint Gregory All the length of the time of this present life is but a point being it is terminated with an end And hee confirmes it again saying Whatsoever hath a period is but little and short For that cannot seem to us to be long that goes on with the course of time till it be not which while it goes on by minutes is driven on by them to its end and may be decern'd from whence it may be hâ—ld but is driven thither where it cannot be held Saint Augustine most cleerly All the time I speak not of this present unto the end of the World but even of that from Adam to the end of the World is but as a little drop compared to Eternity All things have an Ex t but Eternity hath none none aâ— all In the World there is no hâ—ng whose end is not neere Banquets and Dances end all sports and laughters end but never Eternity In a moment Vessels and Ships where they were but even now becalm'd and safe at Anchor presently after are sunke and perish The swarming Theatres for pastimes doe suddenly fall In a trice all pleasures have their vanishings In a minute all things shall have a grave Why doe wee therefore follow and pursue such short vanities That cannot delight a noble spirit which is not durable all things are concluded in the twinkling of an eye Whatsoever had beginning shall have end Onely Eteâ—niâ—y is void of a period § 5. The consideration of a dying Man JOb that Mâ—ster of patience saith The waters wear the stones Iob â—4 19 â—0 and as the earth is washed away by the flouds so shalt thou destroy man Thou strengthenest him by little and little and so hee passeth away for ever Thou changest his beauty and sendest him away What a few Ceremonies doth God use when he sends men out of this World into another He doth but change his beauty and so hee is commanded to be gone elswhere Then certainly when Death cals the beauty is wholly chang'd and as Hippocrates in his book of Prenotations observes Man is alter'd as it were cleane contrary to what hee was his Nose is sharpe his Eyes are hollow and sunke into his Head his Temples are falne his Eares are drawne together the ends of them turn'd backwards the skin
thus there described and after all these things he fell downe on his bed and knew that hee should die Oh what force and energie is there in the words post haec After all these things and in this decidt he fell specially in those morreâ—tur that he should die Alexander had in hopes conquered a World already nay worlds He thought he had done things worthy of everlasting Annals and yet after all these so many so great Trophies hee fell downe not onely into his bed but to his grave he must be content with a small Coffin Petius Alphonsus relates iâ— that Alexander being dead Many Philosophers met to speake some thing to be engraven on his Monument One hee utterd this En modo quatuor ulnarum spacium ei satis est cui spatiosissimus terrarum orbis non suffecerat i.e. behold now foure cubits is room enough for h m whoâ— while ere the whole World would not suffice ano her added yesterday Alexander could have freed any from death now noâ— himself One beholding his golden Châ—st spoke thus Yesterday saiâ— he Alexander of Gold made treasure now change turns and gold makes treasure of Alexander Seâ— the wise men exprest themselves but they all concluded with that of the Machabees Afterward he fell down into his bed and dyed Juvenal sings thus of him Vnus pellaeo Iuveni non sufficit orbis ... i.e. The whole World though 't be was Will not content Philips great son But marke the largnesse of our thoughts while wee prove forgetfull of our own condition oh did we meditate on heavenly immortall things while wee vainly dispose these transitory ones to our Nephews and Kinred Alas all this this while we are extending our thoughts death oppresseth us and this thing which is called old age is but a short circuit of a few yâ—ers Why should wee therefore trust death Consider but for what small matters wee lose our lives It is not our meat nor drink nor watching nor sleep used intemperately but prove deadly our foot hurt a little the griefe of the eares a rotten tooth meat offending the stomach a drop of an ill Humour any of these may open the gate to death Is it a matter of any great consequence or profit whither we live or die Ill sents savours tastings wearinesse nay nourishment it selfe without which we cannot live may bring in and usher in death The body of man is weak fluid rotten diseased wheresoever it moves it is conscious of it's own infirmity It endures not every Climate the Sea alters it the change of ayre infects it the least cause hurts it Let us believe him therefore who said Therefore ô men death is better then a bitter life and eternall rest then continued travell Therefore I say It is better to dwell in heaven then to travell on earth § 22. Death's Blessednesse WRite Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord even so saith the Spirit that they rest from their labours and their works follow them to die in the Lord is to die the servant of the Lord as the holy Scriptures speake of Moses Moses my servant is dead as if the Lord should say although hee sinned sometime and by sin made himself not my servant yet hee died my servant He died in my service Whatsoever hee was whatsoever he did it was mine for all the servants work is the Lords and such a joyfull Verse in that Song waâ— that of old Symeon Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy Word In peace altogether at whose entrance all the wars of the righteous men are ended never for all eternity to be begun again Such servants of God do all die in the Lord which dying do as it were rest in his bosome and so resting sweetly are said to sleep in death So blessed Stephen in the midst of that storm and showre of stones in such a great tumult and fury of those that stoned him slept in the Lord. Acts 7.60 Ioh 11.11 So our Lord spoke of Lazarus that h e did but sleep So Moses the servant of the Lord died when God bade him or as some expound it at the Lords speech as if the Lord had kissed him in this sence as a Mother takes her Infant in her Arms and kisseth him being a sleep and so lays him into bed smilingly no otherwise did God with Moses but by sweet embraces and smiles did lay him being falne asleepe into Abrahams bosome Where hâ—e shall give his children peace saith the Psalmist Blessed yea for ever blessed are all they that so die because they shall never be miserable as Saint Bernard saith The death of the righteous is good for the rest Secondly for the newnesse of it Thirdly for the security of it Blessed yea thrice blessed are all such for their works follow them they shal follow them as servants their Lord as sonnes their father as Schollers their Master as Souldiers their Generall as Nobles do their Sovereigne They shall follow us to Gods Tribunall They shall be brought into the highest Courts of the Great King and there shall be admitted for noble Courtiers And as every one which is able for wealth and Nobility is known by the number and adornment of his followers so who desires to appeare before the King of Glory let him be wel and richly furnished with such servants And let him set them before him and look that they be many and richly apparelled and though our good works go before us in some kinde yet they follow us in reward The labour which we spend on them and in them goes before The reward which we have from them follows He never can want comfort that is well stored with such followers § 23. A Dying mans farewell to the living who must follow him the same way MAny are the things for which I am sorry Especially the neglect of grace and the time that I have ill spent Oh how should I how ought I to have beene more patient more submisse more mindfull of my death ô how few and small sparkles of divine love have had irradiations in my soul Have mercy upon me ô God have mercy upon me according to the multitude of thy great mercies ô infinite goodnesse by the precious bloud of thy deare Son be mercifull to mee a sinner and ô you whomsoever I have offended in words or deeds Forgive and pardon mee You have mee now heartily confessing my selfe guilty and sorrowfull and deny not to mee before I goe hence this viaticum even the free forgivenesse of all my offences towards you Doe not I pray you let your courage fall in the time of sicknesse by my example because I am weak Set your eyes upon the actions of holier men and conform your selves to them Emulate with ardency their patience humility obedience And I cannot but give you hearty thanks for all the good offices you have performed towards â—ee either by your hand and work care