dottage that in other things are politique Gallio's and plotting Iezabel's yet in this are witty fooles in preferring the Purse before the Gold the Caske before the Wine the Hiue before the Hony the Body before the Soule How many spend yeeres and moneths nay all their precious time in hawking hunting whoring carding dicing c. in scraping and gathering yealow dust together in doing workes morrall or sinfull their owne workes or the Diuels how many in doing nothing or doing euill or as good as nothing How many women spend many dayes and houres in tricking and trimming the painted sepulchers of their soules I meane their bodies in a Glasse who neuer considering how the glasse of their time runnes spend not a moneth in a yeere a weeke in a moneth a day in a weeke an houre in a day in the publique or priuate worship of GOD in looking into the Glasse of Gods word prayer meditation c. How many Citizens and Countrimen of all sorts spend the vvhole sixe dayes in catering and purueying for the body who grudge God his Sabbaths for the prouision of their soules such men eyther they thinke they haue no soules or that their soules shal die with their bodies like the beasts liuing like Libertines and Epicures as their faith is like the Saduces which denied any Spirit or Resurrection or soules immortalitie as Iosephus testifies of them Iosephus antiq lib. 8. c. 2. de bello Iud. lib. 2. c. 7. Oh we had need cry to such deluded franticke men and tell them that they haue soules and soules immortall to raigne with GOD or to be plagued with the Diuels after their departing out of the body His hoped Pacification In these words In peace NOW followes the last part of this holy Hymne Simeons Quietus est or his Pacification God suffering him to depart in peace Caluin and Bucer renders Simeons minde thus Nunc libenter sedato quieto animi moriar Lord now I depart willingly with an appeased heart and a setled soule since I haue seene thy Christ From whence I gather Doctrine that a good man that liues piously alwayes dyes peaceably It appeares here in Simeon so in the rest of the Saints as in Abraham to whom it was promised Gen. 15.15 that hee should goe vnto his Fathers in peace Godly men alwayes die in peace and should be buryed in a good age which promise was plentiously performed to Abraham for he yeelded the spirit dyed in a good age an old man and of great yeeres Gen. 25.8 So Isaack the Sonne of Promise gaue vp the ghost and dyed peaceably being old and full of daies Gen. 35.29 Neither was the death of good Iacob that preuailing Israel discrepant to his holy life for he dyed quietly making an end of his charge vnto his Sonnes hee pluckt vp his feete into his bed and gaue vp the ghost Gen. 49.33 After the like manner was the death of chaste and mercifull Ioseph Gen. 50.26 of penitent and patient Iob after hee had seene his sonnes and his sonnes sonnes euen foure generations Iob 42.16 Of zealous and sincere Dauid 1 Kings 2. after hee had counselled and charged his Sonne Salomon to walke in the wayes and Statutes of the Almightie Deut. 34. Of Moses the faithfull Seruant of the Lord who dyed when his eye was not dimme nor his naturall force abated though he were an hundred and twentie yeeres old God himselfe being present at his death and buriall So Iosuah that couragious Leader of Israel Iosh 24.29 Aaron the Lords Priest who dyed before the Lord in the Mount Hor Numb 20.28 Eleazar Aarons Sonne Iosh 24.33 Samuel the Lords Prophet 1 Sam. 25.1 with all the rest of Gods Children Patriarkes Prophets Iudges Kings Martyres Confessors the learned Lights of the Church such as Ambrose Augustine c. as they haue liued holily they haue dyed happily of which in their seuerall Histories they haue giuen demonstrations most of them if not all in these three particulars First Three things demonstrate that the godly dye in peace that they were gathered to their Fathers in a mature and full age full of yeeres reaped like a Ricke of ripe Corne into the Lords Barne taken like mellow Apples from the Tree of life in which full age Abraham Isaack Iacob Ioshuah Iob with the rest before mentioned as also the Patriarkes before the Floud which out-liued them with others of the faithfull did blessedly yeeld their spirits and quietly slept in the Lord which blessing of long life being the promise annexed to that fift Commandement of Obedience is peculiarly incident to the godly rather then the wicked whose sinnes as the Iuie kils the Oake ordinarily abbreuiate their dayes or if any of the faithfull dye young or in their middle age before they haue attained to the yeeres of their Fathers eyther by a naturall dissolution as Iosias or by a violent death as the auncient and moderne Martyres eyther they are taken away from the euill to come as Augustine was immediately before the siege of Hippo by the Gothes and Vandals or else because they are ripened already in grace and come to that maturitie which GOD in his fore-seeing wisedome knowes they would or could attaine to and so are fitted for glory or else they testifie the truth here to others confirmation Gods glory and their owne consolation Secondly the Elect vsually haue their wishes The godly oft haue their desires before at and in their deaths and the fruition of their desires ere their departure to the great satisfaction of their soules the contentation of their hearts the corroberation of their faith and the scaling pledge of Gods speciall loue vnto them thus Simeon ere his death had CHRIST in his armes which was the desire and longing of his heart So Abraham saw Christs day before his death in the spirit and reioyced what did old Israel so long after in the whole world except the sight of Shiloh the Messias in the flesh as to see his darling Ioseph which longing of his the Lord satisfied at the full ere his death for his dying eyes did not onely see Iosephs face but his seede Ephraim and Manasses Gen. 48.11 What did Moses desire more then the fruition of Canaan the promised Land Now euen before the Lord shut his dying eyes the Lord tooke him vp into a mount and as a rellish and a taste of his fauour gaue him a sight of Canaan Deut. 34 ver 1.4 In what could Dauids heart be more setled then to see his Throne setled in Salomon his Sonne which his desire was accordingly accomplished for his eyes did see what his heart desired for which hee blessed God 1 Kings 1.48 And the like ordinarily fals out as many aged Christians at this very day can bring in their experienced probatum est as many that are fallen a-sleepe before them could haue testified how the Lord hath heard their requests and granted the desires of their soules in
did the soule of Lazarus Luke 16.22 of Stephen Acts 7.69 of the penitent Theefe Luke 23.43 yea of CHRIST himselfe verse 46. where it remaines in ioy Mat. 25. v. 21. 23. so the body shall be re-vnited to it againe participating with it in glory h 1 Cor. 2.9 vnspeakeable and i Mat. 25.46 Iohn 3.16.36 1 Thes 4.17 2 Tim. 2.10 2 Cor. 4.17 euerlasting Therefore mourne not excessiuely for him like the Gentiles the Epicures and Sadduces that haue no hope of the Resurrection 12 Though hee cannot come to thee as the dead Diues desired Luk 16.24 yet ere long thou shalt goe to him as Dauid said of his deceased k 2 Sam. 12 23 Childe yea thou shalt in all probabilitie know him againe in thy Glorification as Adam knew Eue in the Creation l Gen. 2.23 and as Peter knew Moses and Elias m Mat. 17.4 in Christs Transfiguration Therefore haue patience for his absence till you meete againe to your more mutuall comfort as n Gen. 46.29.30 Mors non interitus sed introitus non obitus sed abitus Iacob met with Ioseph in a better place 13 His better part is yet liuing his soule is immortall Iohn 11.25.26 onely the Cage of the body is broken and the soule like a Bird hath taken vvings and is at rest 14 His estate is now bettered and farre more blessed then it was of a Bond-man being made a Free-man Freed by Death First from Sinne Rom. 6.7 to which here hee was solde o Rom. 7.14 as Ioseph p Gen. 37.28 was solde to the Ishmaelites Secondly hee is freed from the miseries of this life the punishments of Sinne q Rom. 6 23 as from a prison by this Goale-deliuery Death his paines r Gen. 3.16.17.18.19 in this life s Lu. 16.25 concluding in the pleasures of the next Thirdly hee is free from the Gunne-shot of the world and from those euils which are fore-told in the last times Mat. 24. Luke 21.25.26 1 Tim. 4.1.2 2 Tim. 3.1 ad 9. Chap. 4. ver 3.4 2 Pet. 2.1.2.3 Fourthly from the vanitie vnder which all the Creatures groane Rom. 8.20.21.22 Fiftly besides hee is with Tryumph and honour recalled from exile and banishment as was once Themistocles amongst the Athenians Iudg. 1.7.8.9 and Iphtah amongst the Israelites to receiue dignities in his owne Country from whence his soule came Now are any Parents sorie when their Children of Bond-men are infranchized of Prentises are made Free-men Is any man grieued that his distressed and disgraced friend is recalled home from Banishment and that by the King himselfe Now this is thy case if thou take paines to apply it 15 In thy exceeding sorrow thou laments what could not be preuented for hee vvas one of the Sonnes of Adam t Gen. 3.19 Heb. 9. vlt. therefore borne to dye u Pro. 26.6 Quod generatur corrumpitur Quod oritur moritur Serius aut citius metam properamus ad vnam hee could not escape the stroke as the Swallow by flying For the God of Nature now confirmes the Principles of Nature that whatsoeuer hath motion by generation must haue a cessation from motion by corruption 16 Thy case is not alone but thou hast millions and thousands both in the Christian and Heathenish world sayling at this instant all along with thee in the Sea of sorrow driuen with the windes of their owne sighes and sobs for the like or greater crosses then thine bewayling publike and priuate calamities Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris Therefore if companions in griefe as the phrase is mitigate griefe then let societie asswage thy Sorrow 17 Thy impatient sorrow 1. hurts thy selfe 2. preiudiceth thy health 3. consumes thy moysture 4. occasionedly shortens thy life 5. Discontents thy friends 6. 1 Cor. 7.16 displeaseth thy God therefore eyther moderate it or leaue it off or which is best of all turne the streame of it from a naturall to a spirituall from a carnall to a Christian sorrow for thy speciall sinnes which is that godly sorrow x Ioel 2.12 13. v. 17. commanded of God y 1 Sam 7.6 Esay 38.3 Mark 9 24 Mat. 26.75 Luke 7. practised by the Saints z 2 Cor. 7.10.11 causing repentance vnto saluation neuer to be repented of Thy extreame sorrow for the dead is as fruitlesse as faithlesse as vnprofitable to the dead or to the liuing to others and thy selfe as vnpleasant therefore let Dauids considerations when his Childe was dead be thy directions 2 Sam. 12.22.23 The Lord is still liuing who is thy Head thy Husband thy Father thy Mother thy brother thy sister all in all vnto thee if thou hearest him belieuest in him and obeyest a Luke 8.21 him therefore as Dauid in another extreamitie comfort thy selfe in the Lord b 1 Sam. 30 6. thy God happy is hee that is ready to leaue all for Christs sake c Mat. 10 37.38.39 that can say with one of the Auncients d Deus meus omnia My God and all things my God my Guide my Rocke my Defence my Saluation e Psal 18.1 therefore that loue which thou diddest beare to them that are gone sequestrate it from the dead and reflexe it vpon God there is danger in our earthly loue whether naturall to our Childe coniugall to our marriage Mate or morrall to our Friend in which vvee may soone offend in the defect of too little or in excesse of too much For which cause God being a f Exod. 20. Iealous God and not enduring that our hearts g Pro. 4.23 should be set on any thing in louing it too much ouer or aboue or besides or equall with himselfe oft depriues vs of our loued Idols Therefore hee hath crost the loues of his dearest Saints in this kinde of two Wiues Iacobs Rachell dyes which hee loued aboue Leah h Gen. 29.30 Ch. 35. v. 18 of twelue Sonnes Iacobs Ioseph is solde his dearling more then the rest i Gen. 37.4 v. 23.24 Ch. 39. of many Children Dauids Absolon and Adoniah k 1 Kin. 1.6 whom hee most pampered soonest perish of all Dauids Friends hee soonest sorrowes for his best Friend his halfe-soule Ionathan Thus perhaps it is with thee thine owne l 2 Sam. 12.3 Sheepe from thine owne bosome thy Turtle-doue thy louing Hinde thy Wife the fayrest male-Lambe in thy Folds thy Heyre and eldest Sonne thy strength thy Reuben or thy Friend thy second selfe is taken from thee perhaps thy heart was more vpon them then vpon God therefore God hath taken away the occasion of thy Idolatry Then there is danger in earthly loue but there is no danger in louing ouer-louing our louing God The speech was as seasoned as the heart was sanctified which I once heard of a young Gentlewoman Lord thou hast depriued mee quoth shee of my deare Husband of mine onely Sonne whom I loued too dearely I see now thou
Fooles and Fidlers vnprofitable Moathes of the earth which liue eyther in no calling or in a sinfull calling 3. heard receiued applauded approued laughed at by all the licentious Prodigals loose gull-Gallants Epicures and Carnalists ordinarily in euery Ordinary Inne Tauerne Ale-houses and the like Oh therefore whose heart smites him in this kinde let him reforme this sinne whether actiue or passiue in delighting or desiring to say sing or heare these Organs of Sathan and those Bellowes of sinne and vncleannesse Turne now the streame another way let Iordan runne backe-ward If thou beest afflicted pray take out this rule so did Moses Manasses Dauid the Israelites and all Gods Saints Art thou merrily affected Iames 5.13 sing but what Psalmes Psal 119. Hymnes and Songs and spirituall Psalmes making melody to the Lord in your hearts therefore as I would propound Dauid and Ezekias as true patternes for all mourners so Simeon and Zachary as spectacles to all singers As in Instrumentall Musicke the strings that are out of tune must be set vp to those that are in tune so when thou singest vanitie thy heart and tongue which are distracted distempered and out of tune must be set in the right Key as was Simeons then thou shalt sing at thy departure out of this worlds Prison as a Acts. 16.21 Paul and Silas did in Prison Thou shalt sing Hosanna's in Heauen when thy Friends sing thy Funerall Neniae on earth The ground of this Song is Christ the Messias Sauiour and saluation of Israel the Redeemer of his people as the Word cals him b Luke 2.69 as the Angell christens him from c Mat. 1 2â— God which Sauiour as he was promised to d Gen 3.15 Adam the promise renued to e Gen. 15.5.17.6 Gen 12.3 Gal. 3.8 Abraham prefigured in the Leuiticall Law and those Malachie Types and Ceremonies Aarons Rod the Pot of Manna the watry Rocke the scape-Goat the brazen Serpent the blood of sacrificed Beasts and Bullockes and the like prophesied of by all Prophets f Act. 3.24 great and lesser from Moses g Deut. 1.15 and 7.37 to Malachie so being now reuealed and exhibited is the ground of Simeons Song and the matter of his inward mirth breaking forth like a fire long kept in into these outward Modulations His practise is our precept Vse all our ioy must be in Christ and for Christ In Christ reioyced the Patriarkes when they did but see Christs day a farre off thorow the cloud and the vayle as did h Iohn 6 56 Heb 11.13 Abraham In Christ reioyced the Prophets i Esay 53. ch 54. ch 55. Esay k Ier. 24.5 Ierem Ezekiel c. in the heate of their persecutions being refreshed with the vision of that incarnate Babe l Esay 9.6 Prince of peace branch of Iesse eternall Counsellor which they did preach and of whom they did prophesie In Christ reioyced the Apostles Peter Iames and Iohn yea Paul a 1 Cor. 15. himselfe in the midst of stripes whips and imprisonment Ch. 5.41 In Christ reioyced the ancient Martyres Policarpus Ignatius Cyprian euen like the three Children in the middest of the fire c Dan. 3.23 In Christ reioyced the ancient Fathers Augustine Ierome Bernard c. witnesse their words works and writings amongst the rest of him that could say Deus meus omnia my Christ and all things Wife Childe Friend Father ioy sufficient efficient in life and death Nay lastly as with Christ so in Christ and for Christ reioyced the d Luke 2.14 Angels in earth and in heauen e Reu. 5.11.12 be glad then oh yee righteous and reioyce ye that feare the Lord as the Angels f Luke 2.10 to the Shepheards as Esay to the Church g Esay 9.6 For vnto vs a childe is borne and a Sonne is giuen For to vs is borne a Sauiour in the Citie of Dauid which shall deliuer all his Israel from their sinnes Matth. 1.21 Luke 19.10 Redargution Many and manifold are the ioyes of the sonnes of men as dangerous as diuers few with those sonnes of God by Creation and Adoption Angels and Saints reioyce in or for Christ but sinners according to the diuersities of their darling sinnes solace their soules in such contents as I may call meerely Anti-christian and against Christ and the Lords annoynted in which they please themselues and displease him content their flesh but crucifie CHRIST and grieue his Spirit Nabal h 1 Sam. 15 and Baltazar i Daniel 5. the Epicure and Drunkard hath ioy enough in his feasts and festiuals the colour of the wine delights his sight the relish his deuouring sense like a base Bagge-pipe hee makes such Musicke as the Diuell daunceth at when hee is full The Vsurer Sibilat me populus c Horace the worldling and the miserable able miser hath his heart rauished when his eye reflexeth vpon his glittering Idoll and golden God the Calfe that this beast bowes too The impure Onan k Gen. 38. filthy Fornicator and inexcusable Adulterer which like to Salomons foole l Pro. 7.7 goes into the harlots house and like Ieremies neighing horse m Ier. 5.8 without vnderstanding n Pro. 6.32 runnes after his neighbours wife like the Oxe to the slaughter o Pro. 7.22 to his owne destruction p Pro. 6.32 delights himselfe as the Swine in the mire as the Toade in the puddle as the Panther with excrements q Gesner Plinie as the Scarabean Flye with ordure and filth as the Diuell his Father r Ioh. 8.44 amongst filthy Hogs s Lu. 15.16 with his vncleane courses and discourses feeding his appetite with strange flesh t Pro. 23.27 as the lusting Israelites with loued and loathed Quayles v as the Italian Pselli and Mersi feede on poyson his chiefe ioy is to touch and taste Sodomes Apples and the forbidden fruit his onely Paradise the ioying in and inioying here which hee dreames of hereafter a Turkish Heauen a Mahumetaine portion of Wine and Women as for Christ hee hauing no heart at all Hosea 4.11 can haue no heart to him neyther in delighting in him or desiring him no more then the very Diuels themselues who quaked and trembled and made out cryes and exclamations at the very sight of him Luke 8.28.29 so all other Libertines amongst vs haue some v Mar. 6.17 Herodias or other some one beloued sinne which they more loue and like and ioy in then in the worlds Sauiour As some in their carnall companions and vvicked associates vvith whose dispositions and conuersations as they receiue as much infection in their soule as their bodyes from a Pest-house so they haue their refections as u Dan. 5.1.2 Baltazzar and Sardanapalus had with their Queenes and Concubines and so in the rest Well these carnall and common Christians which haue as much zeale to Christ and loue for Christ as common women plainely
could not shunne his darts neyther can any for it is like that Ramme which Daniel saw in his Vision that shakes his hornes against the East and the West the North and the South and the beasts are not able to resist him It is like a Haruester that with his Sickle cuts downe all Corne and Tares good and bad Mors resecat mors omne necat nullumque veretur What ere it meetes with vp it sheares For none it fauours none it feares Mors à mordendo Vel à morsu vetiti pomi It is a mad Dog that bites all as it hath his name like the Vsurer of biting so Mors mordet omnes c. It bites all yea euen the biting Vsurers and grindes those that grinde the faces of the poore It is a fire vnsatiable burning the greene Iuie and the cragged Oake young and old It is a Tyrant ouer Tyrants Iuuenal Sat. 10. bringing them to their graues cum eaede vulnere as it did Nero and Domitian with bloudy heads It is like the Sea terrible not to be dramd not to be turned out of his channell carrying all away with it by as many wayes as there be wayes to the Sea all waters runne to the Sea and all men tend to their earth Me vestigia terrent omnia te aduersum spectantia nulla retrorsum Prou. 7. It is like the Lyon in the Fable to whose denne many Beasts went but none returned It accepts as many as comes like the Harlot in the Prouerbs but none returnes since like those Oxe-like beastly fooles that goe in to a whore they goe into the chamber of death like a couetous Niggard it receiues all but parts with none Spaires none neque moribus nec aetati Nay saith a Papist nec Matri vitae nec vitae neyther the Virgin Mary which they say is the Mother of life nor CHRIST the life it selfe then much lesse will it spare vs for Pallidamors aquo pulsat pede c. With aequall foote it knockes the gate Both of the rich and poore estate And that so indifferently that as one saith if hee should make choyse of a Iudge in the whole world he would chuse Death it is not corrupted like a corrupt Officer but is as vnpartiall as imperiall Thus much for the necessitie of dying Now it is time by Vse and Application to bring home vvhat hath beene said Vse vnto the heart of euery Reader First therefore from the necessitie of death let it teach vs not too much to be in loue with life or with any thing in this life What a folly is it for a man to set his heart vpon a strange woman in a strange Country whose face it is likely hee shall neuer see more If Sampson had knowne how soone he should haue beene taken from his Dalilah hee would neuer haue so doated on her if Sichem had knowne how speedily his lusting loue to Dinah would haue occasioned his destruction hee would rather haue loathed her before his folly with her as Ammon did Thamar after then haue loued her If wee did but ponder how soone vvee are to leaue these perishing pleasures and profits which will be our ruine and irreuocable destruction wee would cast them from vs as a menstruous cloath wee would hate them as wee doe a Toade detest them as wee doe the Diuell and flye from them as Moses from his rod when it turned into a Serpent Oh the thought of death may moderate euen lawfull affections and curbe them in their idolatrous exorbitancie from being immeasurable least by a violencie of desires they be carryed away after any outward thing that wee doe inioy and may cause vs as it did the holy Patriarks Prophets Apostles primitiue Christians ancient and moderne Martyres to leaue father and mother wife and childe house and land portion and pence for Christs cause voluntarily as Moses did the pleasures of Pharaohs Court since as Horace hath it Linquenda tellus c. Wee must leaue them will we nill wee Necessarily and sure if vvee ought to leaue in affection the good things that vvee liue by much more vvee ought to leaue both in Affection and Action the sinnes that vvee perish by ere vvee leaue the vvorld least wee dye as vvicked men haue dyed before vs as wretchedly as vvickedly Secondly since wee must all dye 2. Vse of Instruction and that as wee haue heard because vvee haue sinned then if wee loue life as all doe naturally let vs hate sinne that depriues vs of life Those that loue life must hate sinne the cause of death A man that loues his Wife dearely cannot loue him that would make a breach betwixt them or deuorce him from her hee that loues his life me thinkes should not loue the intentiue murtherer that plots and contriues his death This disturber this destroyer is Sinne It is a right Faux a plotter of thy perdition a right Cateline a conspirator of thy calamitie it watcheth opportunities as the Foxe doth the Hare as the Lyon doth the Dogge as Iael did Sesera as Iudith did Holofernes and as Delilah did Sampson when to deceiue thee when to destroy thee yea euen when it fawnes vpon thee and flatters thee and playes with thee then like the Cats play with the Mouse it purposeth to prey vpon thee Thus it fawned and flattered vpon Adam and Eue and offered them as Witches and poysoners offer Children an Apple to play withall but by this Apple it killed them so hath it done all mankinde besides and wilt thou fauour it Zealous was his spirit that once expostulated with one as I now with thee Peccatum omnes maiores tuos occidit tu fouis Sin saith one hath slaine all thy Predecessors and Ancestors and wilt thou make much of it Wouldest thou desire to looke vpon and gloriously to sheathe that Sword or Knife that killed thy good Father thy kinde Mother thy speciall Friend thine onely Childe This Sinne hath done or will doe Couldst thou finde in thy heart to bid those Varlets welcome that did kill the Kings of France Now canst thou finde in thy heart to entertaine and retaine that sin in thy soule which hath killed all the Kings in Christendome then perish thou by it with the rest if thou wilt not be warmed be harmed But sure to loue that sinne that not onely hath killed thy Progenitors but that labours to imbrew his hands in thy bloud to that sweetens his temptations to poyson thee that spreads his ginnes daily to trap thee that bends his bow still ready to strike thee that lyes in ambush still to surprize thee and yet to trust it and follow the lusts and commands of it to obey it is great folly but to make it thy bosome-friend to lodge it in thine owne bed to set it at Table with thee as Dauid did his treacherous Companion to carry it about with thee to suffer it to haue free accesse euery day to the Castle
poysoned or the theefe condemned is said to be but a dead man though the one be yet wrastling for life and the other vnexecuted because the one is potentially the other ciuilly dead in Law euen so wee are dead in Law as Adam and Eue were because wee haue sinned like them but vve are for the greatest part euen actually dead For let vs take the life of man as it is diuided into seauen parts Infancie Childe-hood Adolescencie Youth Man-hood Old age and the Decrepit olde age Now in these successiue ages what is the latter alwayes saue the death of the former De 4. Nouissimis pag. 90. as both Inchinus and Seneca haue wittily noted What is Childe-hood but the abolition and death of Infancie what Adolescencie but the death of Childe-hood How in liuing wee dye Nay are dead in part Youth of Adolescencie Man-hood of Youth Old age of Man-hood and Decrepit age of Old age and of Decrepit age Death it selfe is the Death Which truth though our eyes be blinde to see and our hearts dead to ponder yet our tongues like Caiaphas his prophecying against our wils confesse it For I pray you when an old man or a man of middle yeeres findes an vnaptnesse and vnablenesse in himselfe to performe that which in his youth he did and delighted to doe what is his phrase Oh saith he that whorld is past with me intimating that he is dead and departed from the world in respect of that age Oh then how had euen the very Childe neede to prepare for his finall departure since one part of his life is dead already his Infancie how the youthfull Ephebus that hath two parts dead and but fiue at furthest to liue how the youth that hath three parts dead in him and but foure to liue how the lusty man that hath foure parts of time spent certainely and hath but three parts to liue and those vncertaine how the old man chiefely that hath acted fiue parts of his life already and hath but two to act vncertaine by reason of his faultring tongue and dryed braine whether hee can act these or no before Death strike him non plus But chiefely the Decrepit gray-headed man who is dead sixe times and now hath but one age vpon his weake and wearyed backe about to rest him in his graue How should these premeditations excite our preparations that as we are compared to fruit in the Scripture being called the fruit of the â—ombe the fruit of the loynes c. so betimes to bring forth fruit worthy of repentance ere we fall like mellow fruit from the tree of life If wee haue past some ages wee are dead to those euen as in fruit the flower is the death of the bud and the fruit is the death of the flower Therefore let vs be fruitfull in doing good ere vvee be pluckt away and be no more Oh how soone fruit perisheth How soone doth it ripen how soone rot How doe the Wormes that breede of it and in it consume it The North and East winde blasts it the Mill-dew infects it Caterpillers spoyle it now by violence it is pluckt from the tree now rotten-ripe it fals and so festers So it is with all the seede of man the fruit of woman wee haue all one manner of grafting and of growing but a thousand different wayes of decreasing and decaying Omnibus est eadem laethi via non tamen vnus Est vitae cunctis exitijque modus All haue one way to life one way to death Yet many wayes doth stint our vitall breath Moe wayes lead to the Sepulcher then to any Princely Palace Mille patent aditus c. Meanders Labyrinth had not so many windings as Death hath wayes Hos Bella hos aequora pescunt c. Warres waters fancies frenzies loue mad lust Besides diseases doe dissolue our dust By how many meanes we dye As Seneca and Silius once sung as pithily as Poetically Histories of all times places and persons Sacred and Humane consort and confirme this experienced truth The old World wee know was drowned so was Pharaoh with his Aegyptians Sodome and Gomorrah Ziglah the two Captaines and Companies of fifties that came against Elias Nadab and Abihu Achan and his familie burned Herod eaten with wormes Daniels accusers deuoured with Lyons the mocking children vvith shee Beares the Philistines smit with Emerods the Israelites cut off many thousands in the dayes of Moses and Dauid by Plague and Pestilence Bethlems Children and the Sichemites butchered by the Sword Ierusalem and Samaria by the sword and Famine Er and Onan killed by the Diuine power Ananias and Saphira throwne downe dead by an Apostolicall Spirit Simon Magus his necke broke by Peters Prayers Iulian killed with a Dart by the Prayers of the Church If wee would wade into Heathenish Stories vvee might adde to the Catalogue vvithout number such as haue perished by vvater as Hylas in his Colchos voyage Orontes Lucaspis Palinurus Icarus Laeander Sappho Menander c. whom Virgil and Ouid so oft mention by fire as Sardanapalus Empedocles in Aetna Phaeton Dido in the Poet. Some destroyed by wilde beasts as many Martyres in the Primitiue persecution as Saturdinus by a Bull Ignatius Policarpus by a Lyon Felicitas by Leopards Milo the wrastler by a Wolfe Basilius slaine by a Hart Hatto the Bishop of Mentz eaten with Mice louely Adonis cunning Dedalus prophecying Idmon torne in pieces by Bores Some by Dogs as Euripides the Poet dogged Diogenes weeping Heraclitus Philosophers apostate Lucian c. How many haue beene strangled vpon the Crosse not onely Martyres as Andrew Peter Diuers examples of seuerall sorts of deaths Gorgonius Simeon the Son of Cleophas Peter Aulanus c. following their head Christ but euen many Kings as Policrates the Spartan Leonides Sindualdus Arnulphus Hanno of Carthage c. Besides Malefactors such as Helen the Graecian Whore Daphitas the Grammarian c. and such as haue hanged themselues as Iudas Achitophell Phillis Erigane Biblis Some haue beene stoned to death by others or shot with arrowes as Achillis by Paris Procris by Cephalus Acron by Romulus Hyrent by Sisinnius yea a stone from a wall as vpon Abemelech out of a sling as Dauids against Goliah or throwne with the hand as that which Patroclus threw vpon Cobrion in the Troyan warre besides the fall of wals such as that of the Tower of Shilo hath beene the death of many I cannot reckon all the meanes of our mortalitie Hoc opus hic labor So many Creatures as I contemplate nay so many things inanimate as I see me thinkes I see so many Actors in the Tragicke fall of man The Thunder in the heauens hath slaine many in earth if that which Virgil writes in the first third and sixt of his Aeneidos of Enceladus and other Gyants slaine by Iupiter Aiax by Pallas Ouid of Typheus Propertius of Semele be a fiction yet the report receiued of the death of Anastatius the Emperour
wouldest haue my whole loue thy selfe Lord take it all thou shalt haue it thou art worthy of it it is too little for thee 20 Lastly thinke with thy selfe that if those whom thou bewaylest were sensible and capable of thy immoderatenes in this kinde as they are not they would say vnto thee as God said to m Ier. 31.16 Rachell and Christ to n Luke 8.59 Iairus and to the o Luke 7.13 Widdow of Nain lamenting their Children Weepe not nay as hee said to the bewaylers of his Passion p Luke 23.28 Weepe not for mee but weepe for your selues I am well your case is worse I haue conquered you are still fighting I am in the Hauen you are fluctuate on the Sea and therefore as it would be a meanes to restraine the Papists Idolatrie in praying to Saints and Angels if they had but eyes to see how they inforce vpon them this Idolatrous worship which themselues haue q Acts 14. v. 12.13.14.15 Apoc. 19.10 Reu. 14.7 Acts 10.25.26 prohibited and directed vnto God so leaue thy sorrowing till thou consider how little notice they take of it how little they desire it or delight in it for whom thou sorrowest being to no more purpose then to pray to the dead or for the dead which is grosse Superstition This made euen Ennius the Heathen Poet forbid that any should weepe for him after his death which Solon and others ambitiously haue desired Other Motiues might be vrged to moue thee to moderation in this point yet I would not so reforme this abuse in the excesse as though I condemned the meane in mourning this were to runne from one extreame to another let this therefore conclusiuely determine for thy iudgement and direct thy practise that it is lawfull to deplore the departure of the dead as the r Gen. 50. v. 3. v. 10. Aegyptians lamented Iacob seauentie dayes and his Children seauen dayes as s Gen. 23.2 Abraham mourned for Sarah the t Deut. 34 8 Israelites for Moses for u Numb 20.29 Aaron for x 2 Chron. 35.24 Iosias for y 1 Sam. 25 1. Samuel z 2 Sam. 18.33 Dauid for Absolon for a 2 Sam. 1.11.12 Ionathan for Abner the faithfull for Steuen the women for Dorcas c. yea the very cruell Scythians Hircamans Sabeans the sauage Indians Lothopagians c. howsoeuer they be not so curious in burying their dead as we some casting them on dunghils some vnto Dogges some into the Sea some into the fire c. yet they shew some motion and mourning for them Then if Iewes and Pagans mourne why not Christians And indeede as it is a curse to the vvicked as it was to Ieconiah that none shall say alas for them when they are dead Ier. 22.18 so the godly ought to be lamented First because they did much good in their places Acts 9.39 Secondly because the world was bettered and blessed by them Prou. 11.11 Thirdly wee may feare some Iudgements after their departure Esay 58.2 Fourthly because the wicked will be more ready to sinne and there are fewer left to pray for the vvicked and to stand in the gap as did Abraham Moses and Phinees Fiftly because they vvere worthy lights and ornaments in the Church or common-wealth where they liued Lam. 4.20 as was Iosias for which cause we may euen weare mourning apparrell to expresse our sorrow So the wicked to may be bewailed because for ought wee know they are gone downe into the bottomlesse pit of perdition the place for wicked men Psal 9.17 the place whither b Numb 16 33. Corah and Dathan and c Acts 1.25 Iudas and d 2 Sam. 18 33. Absolon went vnto for ought that is to the contrary yet wee must mourne in that meane First that wee discouer not our owne selfe-loue because we haue lost some good by them Secondly nor hypocrisie in seeming to mourne Thirdly nor distrust as though there were no resurrection 1 Thes 4. Fourthly nor excesse knowing that they are but gone a iourney and wee shall quickely ouer-take them not for euer sent away from vs but for a time sent before vs. Comforts against the Crosse of sickenesse and diseases howeuer intollerable and incurable BEcause Sickenesse and Diseases which distresse and distemper euery part and power of the whole man are very burthensome to the flesh as besides their present paines being the Heraulds and fore-runners of Death tending to the dissolution of Nature let these Considerations be so many Cordials and spirituall lenitiues to mitigate and asswage the extremities or permanencie of thy dolours in eyther kinde For misery commeth not out of the dust neyther doth affliction spring from the Earth Iob 5.6 1 Consider that this visitation is the message of the Almightie God it comes not by chance or Fortune colds surfettings sweatings c. are but the meanes Gods hand throwes this stone at thee for it was hee that smit a Exod. 7. Exod. 8. Pharaoh and the Aegyptians and the b 1 Sam 5.9 Philistines c. and cast c Esay 38. Ezekias vpon his sicke couch Therefore storme not murmure not hee hath sent it and who hath resisted his will Rom. 9.19 2 Consider the nature of this God Eph. 2.4 Exod. 34.6 Ioel 2.13 Ionas 4.2 Heb. 12.7 1 Cor. 10. vnder whose hand thou groanest that hee is rich in mercy of tender compassion abundant in goodnesse and truth and loueth thee in his CHRIST correcting thee of loue as a Father not punishing thee as a Iudge for though these sufferings be plagues to the wicked as were the plagues of Aegypt of Sodome and of Moab yet to thee and all the Elect in Christ they are but fatherly chastisements 3 Consider Gods gracious ends and purposes in these thy visitations First to draw thee to the sight and sense of thy d Ioh. 5.14 sinnes the cause of this effect that so repenting of them thy soules sicknesse may be cured Secondly thou art iudged in this kinde and chastened of the Lord that thou shouldest not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11.32 Thirdly to breake and pull downe the pride of thy heart a sinne which the Lord abhorres and detests both in the wicked as hee did in Herod Acts 12. and in his owne children as in Ezekias 2 Chron. 32.25 for which cause he brings downe thy heart through this heauinesse because thou hast rebelled against the word of the Lord Psal 107. v. 11.12 Fourthly to trie thy Faith and Patience whether thou wilt kisse his rod and cleaue to him in aduersitie as thou promisest in prosperitie for God delights to try his like gold in the fire as a Master tryes the fidelitie of his Seruant and a Father the obedience of his Childe and therefore according to the sinceritie and measure of our graces in this life as wee see in Gods proceedings with Abraham Iob Dauid yea CHRIST himselfe shall our tryals and our afflictions be both