vs vvise to saluation Besides this Meditation which wee make a part of preparation to the attaining of this peaceable departure other duties are to be adioyned some whereof are to be performed in health some in sicknesse some in the immediate summons of Death it selfe of all which briefely in these subsequent directions First let him that will die in peace The life of Faith brings peace in Death liue by Faith Hab. 2.2 let him not content himselfe with an Historicall Faith such as the Diuels haue Iames 2.14 noâ— with a Ciuill Faith such as morrall men haue and as the Heathens haue nor with an Implicite Generall Faith See D. Mosse his Sermon of the Faith of Diuels which the Papists haue euen the Coblers Faith to beleeue as the Romish Church beleeues for alas all these kindes of Faith bring no more peace and comfort to the soule in any extremitie then cold water to a man that is in a sowne And therefore many men are deceiued which thinke they shew themselues exquisite Christians and haue enough to saluation if to their Pastor or others in their sicknesse they can repeate and render their Faith according to Gods Word and the Articles of the Creede with a renunciation of all points of Poperie of Heresies and Superstitions for alas this generall illumination this knowing Faith which onely swimmes in the braine without a particular applying Iustifying Faith which workes by Loue and brings forth the fruits of Prayer Repentance godly Sorrow for sinne Zeale Sanctification new Obedience c. neuer heates the heart nor comforts the conscience nor hath the answere of any sound peace from God Oh therefore labour for a Iustifying sauing Faith for a speciall and an applying Faith such as Paul preacht to the conuert Iaylor Acts 16.31 Phillip to the baptized Eunuch Acts 8.37 such a Faith as is commended in the auncient Patriarkes and Primitiue Worthies Hebrewes the eleauenth Chapter such as CHRIST commended in the Centurion Mat. 8.10 and the Canaanitish woman Mat. 15.28 such as Thomas had after his incredulitie calling Christ his Lord and his God Iohn 20.28 such as Paul had when hee profest that he liued euen by Faith in Iesus Christ Gal. 2.20 such as Simeon here had Oh get Christ into thy heart by Faith as this good old man had him in his Armes and in his heart and thy death shall be peaceable like his Repentance the meanes of peace with God Secondly if thou wilst die in peace repent speedily of thy fore-past and present sinnes for sinne hinders all true peace There is no peace to the wicked saith my God twise for surenesse in expresse words Esay 48. verse 22. so Chap. 57.21 Iniquitie makes a diuision and seperation from God Esay 59.2 euen in life much more in death for then the soules of the wicked goe to Hell Psal 9.16 much more in Iudgement Mat. 7.23 Where there is plaine and palpable whoredome discouered there can be no peace betwixt man and wife all sinne is whoredome and sinners are called Adulterers and Adultresses Iames 4. verse 4. they are spiritually and corporally polluted by the Flesh the World the Diuell for which cause rebellious Israel and Iudah are compared to Whores and Harlots Ier. 3. v. 8.9 c. Now if any wicked soule should aske with a desire of resolution as the two Messengers of Ieboram and as Iehoram himselfe asked Iehu Is it peace Is it peace 2 King 9.18.19 Is there peace or shall there be peace betwixt God and my soule I resolue him roughly from God as Iehu did Iehoram verse 22. What peace What hast thou to doe with peace since thou wantest Grace the inseparable companion of Peace 2 Tim. 1.2 What hast thou to doe with peace whilst the whoredomes of thy Mother Iezabel and her witchcrafts are great in number whilst the pollutions of that whorish Iezabel thy vncleane soule are daily increased whilst thy Treasons and Rebellions against thy God which as Samuel tels Saul are like the sinne of witchcraft 1 Sam. 15.23 are with an obdurate and obstinate heart continued Was there any peace to Absolon though a Sonne when hee was a Traytor against his Father Can there be any to thee not a Sonne of God but a slaue of Sathan rebelling against the Father of Spirits Had Zimri peace saith Iezabel to Iehu that slew his Master 2 Kings 9.31 Zimri was a Traytor and slew Elab as hee was drinking till hee was drunke in the house of Arza his Steward an vsuall end for drunkards 1 Kings 16.9.10 Iezabel argues well Can Traitors haue peace looke to it Iehu thou art a Traytor against Ahab sure Traytors seldome or neuer dye in peace Witnesse Absolon Sheba Adoniah our English Traytors Romanized Semenaries treacherous Conspirators Lopus Squire Tâ—â—chburne Babington Parry c. our late Powder-plotting Pioners the French Rauillack millions moe which being like Ioab men of bloud haue come to their ends as is said of Tyrants cum caede sanguine with bloud and slaughter Oh then how canst thou a worme of the earth a wretched man because a vvicked man liuing in treasonable sinnes with a heart as hard as the neather-Milstone rebelling against so great so glorious so potent so powerfull a God once hope that euer thy gray haires shall come to the graue in peace or that thy soule after her flitting shall rest in Abrahams bosome the place of peace Can a man haue peace in Rome and be opposed against the Pope the vsurping Herod that supposed earthly God as his flattering Parasites call him oh then canst thou dust and ashes be opposed on earth against the mightie Iehouah the God of heauen Christ that opened the eyes of the blinde open thine eyes to see and thy heart to beleeue as hee did Lydia's Acts 16.14 and giue thee at last a resolution to breake off thy sinnes by repentance Dan. 4.84 the enemies of thy peace least God breake thee like a Potters vessell and teare thee in pieces whilst there is none to deliuer thee Psal 50.22 Oh sue for pardon for thy sinnes seeke for peace to him which is the Prince of peace Esay 9.6 seeke for peace by him and his merits which was ordained to be thy peace and to worke thy reconciliation Col. 1.20 so thou shalt shut vp the last period of thy life vvith inward peace and goe to keepe an eternall Sabbath with him that is the God of peace Thirdly that thou maist die peaceably invre thy selfe to dye daily and that after this manner First euery day mortifie some sinne nip some Serpent in the head crucifie euery day some corruption set vpon thy lesser sinnes and so get ground of thy greater sinnes Three wayes how to dye daily as in particular leaue thy dangerous and damnable custome of swearing and blaspheming by these degrees first breake off thy Ciuill Oathes First dye to sinne as in swearing by thy Faith Troth Christendome c. Secondly then set vpon thy
refreshing can come from our earthly beds and naturall sleepe here Wherefore with ioy let vs welcome the houre of death and blesse God for it tenne thousand times following the foot-steps of worthy Fathers and Saints in the Church whose feeling of this point God hath directed them to leaue behinde them in their writings O tu vita quam praeparauit Deus ijs qui diligunt eum vita vitalis vita beata vita secura vita tranquilla c. O thou life saith Augustine prepared of God for them that loue him thou liuing life thou blessed life thou secure life thou quiet life thou beautifull life thou life that knowest no death thou life that knowest no sadnesse thou life without blot without sorrow without care without corruption without perturbation without any varietie or change Would God that laying aside this burthen of my flesh I might enter into thy ioyes O quam fortunatus ero si audiuero c. O how happy shall I be if I might heare those sweet Songs of thy Citizens and those honey sweet verses but O more happy if I my selfe may finde grace and fauour to sing a song vnto the Lord Iesus Christ of the sweet Songs of Sion O verè foelices qui de Pilago c. O truely happy they that come out of the Sea of the World to the Hauen of Heauen out of Banishment to their owne Country and out of a soule Prison to a glorious Palace O Coelestis domus luminosa ad te suspirat c. O Heauenly House full of glorious light to thee tendeth my pilgrimage that he may possesse mee in thee that made both mee and thee Inter Brachia Seruatoris mei viuere volo mori cupio In the Armes of my Sauiour I wish to liue and desire to dye Many such feeling speeches I could repeate from the auncient militant warriours in this mortalitie whom we call Fathers when they went to the Father of Spirits shewing how farre they were from any vnwillingnesse to die which if wee make vse of as wee ought assuredly they will vvorke in vs through the blessing of God the same effect To shut vp this the godly cry come Lord Iesus come quickely Now they are in the world then they shall come to their owne now they are in the skirmish then shall they be in their victory now in the tempestuous Sea then in the quiet Hauen now in the heate of the day then in rest and coole euening now in place absent from Christ then with him following wheresoeuer hee goeth Now their life is hid with Christ but then shall they appeare with him in glory and that glory for euer and euer without change or end 1 Iohn 4.2 Comforts against the feare of Death by which the Christian Soule may be made willing to her Dissolution CHAP. V. THE feare of death is not one of the least temptations to a weake Christian for Death is not onely fearefull to a naturall man whose hope is in this world being in it owne nature the most terrible of all terribles as Heathen men haue tearmed it for which cause wicked men are agast at the apprehension of it as appeares in the example of Baltazar of Hamon and others being as vnwilling to dye as the Beare vnto the Stake and the Swine vnto the Shambles but euen the godly themselues haue some combats and conflicts in this kinde as had our Sauiour Christ himselfe Ezekias and Dauid c. by reason that Nature abhorres her owne abolishion and feares the dissolution of the soule and body which are naturally as vnwilling to be seuered and sundered as two friends that haue beene borne and bred and brought vp together are loath to depart and to take their long leaue eyther of other therefore to make that easie and facile vnto thee which of it selfe is harsh and difficult that thou maist submit thy selfe willingly to that which all flesh haue vndergone and must vndergoe of necessitie Arme Grace against Nature and the Spirit against the Flesh with these comfortable considerations 1 God cals for they soule 1 Consider that by corporall death God onely cals againe for that soule which at the first hee created and infused into the body to informe and animate it and that this Soule of thine flits not out of her terrestriall tabernacle by chance or hap-hazard or casualtie or fortune or by the Climactericall yeere the reuolution of seauens and nines or by the position of the Heauens or course of the Starres or by thy disease or sicknesse occasioned by bad dyet superfluities of meates or drinkes ouer-great heates or taking of cold or the like accidents which are but meere instruments of thy mortalitie but looke at the superiour Agent GOD himselfe who hath now determined and disposed thy death Hab. 9.27 who hath numbred thy dayes and appointed thy limits who turnes thy dust into his dust Gen. 3.19 thou being a Sonne of Adam and cals for thy Spirit to returne to him that gaue it Psal 90.3 Eccles 12.7 And therefore seeing it is the Lord that cals be thou as willing to sleepe with thy Fathers as Samuel was to awake out of his naturall sleepe at Gods call 1 Sam. 3.10 Thinke that thy Soule is giuen vnto thee as a precious pledge to be safely kept and therefore grudge not to returne thy holy pawne to God the chiefe owner when hee requires it but commit it to him as into the hands of a faithfull Creator and louing Redeemer Why should the Tenant at will stand out with his Land-lord for an old rotten Cottage when he would remoue him to a better Mansion why should the Souldier be refractorie to leaue his station and place to be otherwaies disposed of by his Generall and Commander Now thou art here but a Tenant at will thou hast no fee-simple of thy life thou art a war-faring Souldier professed in Baptisme therefore like the Centurions Souldiers be willing to goe when thy Captaine bids thee goe Mat. 8.9 2 Let this comfort thee that thy sinnes 2 The sting of death is taken away the cause of thy death is taken away by the Messias Christ in whom thou beleeuest by whom thy sinnes being pardoned thou art blessed Psal 32.1 his death being the death of Sin and the conquest of Hell Hos 13. 1 Cor. 15. And therefore comfort thy selfe with Dauids holy Meditations encouraging thy soule to returne vnto her rest because the Lord hath beene bountifull vnto thee since he hath deliuered thy Soule from death euen the second death thine eyes from teares and thy feete from falling and since thou shalt walke before the Lord euen with the foure and twentie Elders in long white roabes in the Land of the liuing Psal 116.7.8.9 For all thy bitter griefe in corporall death which yet is sweetened to the Elect the Lord will deliuer thy soule from the pit of corruption for hee hath cast all thy sinnes behinde his backe as hee did Ezekiahs Esay 38.17 And
as Tranquillus writes because hee was interdicted Caesars house because he was too tongue-sawcy saith Ouid that makes it his blemish Se linguam nimio non tenuisse mero 7 Others to preuent that shame and further blame which their misdemeanours or the preuailing of their enemies had brought them too thus Cleopatra when Anthony was ouercome least shee should be carryed captiue applyed Serpents to her breasts Lib. 1. car which Plutarch and Horace say shee kept for that purpose whom her Maides Neaera and Charmiâ— accompanyed in the like death So Dioclesian the Emperour fearing an ignominious death from the threates of Licinus and Constantine dranke poyson saith Aurelius So Oppia a vestall Virgin defloured kils her selfe for feare of further punishment The like did Fanius Cepio when he was apprehended in a Conspiracie against Augustus The like is related of Cardinall Wolsey to haue poysoned himselfe in the High-way betwixt Cawwood and London when hee was sent for to answere such Articles as were against him neyther was Achitophels wittie folly awanting in this kinde who thought by hanging himselfe to be rid both of present shame his counsell being despised and future blame from the fore-seene preuailing part of Dauid 1 Sam. 31.4 and Saul pretends this as his best argument to kill himselfe least the vncircumcised Philistines should fall vpon him and mocke him and Abimelech will be guilty of his owne death rather then it be said that a woman slew him 8 Others out of vaine-glory and desire of fame as Empedocles the Scicilian Poet vvho to be accounted immortall threw himselfe into Aetna Deus immortalis haberi Hor. in arte Poaetica dum cupit Empedocles c. 9 These that haue desired the immortalitie of the soule after death haue vpon false grounds vsed this vnequall meanes of killing themselues as did Cleanthos Crysippus Zeno and others besides Empedocles as did Cleombrotus also after hee had read Platoes Phedo the Booke which Cato read also before his death all whom Lactantius for that cause of making away themselues in his third Booke of False Wisedome Cap. 8. recites and refutes 10 Some haue beene deceiued by the Diuels Delphicke Oracles as Codrus amongst the Athenians to preserue their Countries by their owne voluntarie deaths 11 Others haue beene so ouer-whelmed in the flouds of Passions and so transported from themselues in the eager pursuit of their desires that they haue sacrificed themselues to their beloued and adored Idols suppose these be fictions 1. of Didoes killing her selfe for the loue of Aentas 2. Sappho for the loue of Phao 3. Phaedra for Hippolitus 4. Phillis for Demophoon 5. Hemon for Antigone though they be all testified by Authors The first instanced by a In Aeneid Virgil b Lib. 3. fast Ouid c Lib. 2. Lib. 8. Siluis d In Manto Politian and all that haue followed Virgil the second by e Lib. 5. Siluarum Statius the third by Ausonius the fourth by f Lib. 3. de stellis Pontanus the fift by g Lib. 7. Propertius to say nothing of those that haue cast themselues into flouds and riuers and so drowned at the command of their Mistresses as Pontanus instanceth in Galeatius Caelius in Timagoras we haue too many pittifull presidents euen in our times of no small number of foolish Flies and deluded doters who are profuse of their bloud which inconsiderately they expose to effusion in single combats or madly they let out with their owne hands eyther when their supposed lawfull loue or lawlesse lust is crossed by their corriuals or reiected of their beloued ones Lastly and most ordinarily to omit him that killed himselfe by the instinct of Gods Spirit who also killed his enemies that Typicall Sampson whose fact was particular and inimitable most make away themselues out of impatiencie vnder the Crosse ioyned with Infidelitie and Atheisme neyther greatly beleeuing or regarding any future estate after death And therefore as the crosses and miseries incident to this our mortalitie are diuers and manifold so many snares hath Sathan not onely for the soules but the bodies of vnbeleeuers Some in the extremities of warre haue warred with themselues and let out their owne bloud with their owne hands ere they would fall into the hands of their enemies vvhich was Sauls case when the Philistines pressed sore vpon him So Cassius and Brutus Se gladio fodit Brutus Cato fodit ille quem timuit Caesar Pamphilius Saxus the murtherers of Caesar murthered themselues sath Plutarch with the same weapons vvith which they stabbed Caesar being ouercome by Anthony and Augustus at Philippos for which Iouianus and others blame them The like parts in the like Tragedies acted Cato when Pompey was ouercome of Caesar who of the Citie Vtica where he dispatched himselfe was called Vticensis saith Pliny and Geltius So Dolobella one of Caesars fauourites when hee was vanquished by Cassius in his Sirian warres So vsurping Fla. Fimbria in his conflicts with Sylla as also Gnorban Lib. 5. when hee was banished by the same Sylla So Norbanus Lib. 13. when hee was ouercome by Scipio So Otho the Emperour after one battell lost in his warres vvith Vitellius So Petreius Autore Liuio one of Pompeis Captaines foyled by Caesar Labio by Octauius with many moe As Portia Martial Lib. 6. Catoes Daughters destroying dyet was hot coales after the death of her Husband Brutus Plutarch and as Aria accompanied her Husband Petoes proscription with her owne death so diuers other Wiues haue voluntarily accompanied the dead ashes of their Husbands as also Husbands of their Wiues as Plantius of his Wife Erestilla Valer. de amore coniugali so Marke Anthony when hee heard but a false rumour of the death of Cleopatra Eutropius Lib. 7. aggrauating his troubles with Augustus saith Orosius killed himselfe Some haue taken to heart the crosses of their Children as Boetus that killed himselfe at the Tombes of his daughters Hippo and Miletia Lâ—b 26. Silâ—is lib. 2 who being defloured by some Spartan young men were cast into a pit so old Gordianus is by Marcellinus reported to haue hanged himselfe when hee heard his Sonne was slaine in the warres so Mopsus threw himselfe downe from a tower when hee saw his sonnes dead before him Statius lib. 11. Theb. so Iocasta the Mother affrighted with the horrible spectacle of her two Sonnes Eteocles and Polinices that had slaine one another would liue no longer So Children haue followed their Parents Funerals as Erigone that hanged her selfe when her Father Icarus dyed Sic Lib. 5. Sylu. So Brothers and Sisters haue sympathized in sorrowes and in Selfe-murthers one with and one for another as Iâ—tâ—râ—a Daunus his Daughter that drowned her selfe after her Brother Turnus was ouer-turned by Aeâ—as Paulus sed Diaconus Others in a despayring repentance for killing others out of the horrour of conscience and Gods remunerating vengeance haue killed themselues
the liberall allowance of Gods Seruants stirre thee vp at last to sing this best part of Simeons Song with heart and voyce that thou wilt be Gods Seruant It is a blasphemous scandall that the Iewish Atheists cast vpon God that it is a vaine thing to serue God and they had got no profit in keeping his Commandements Mal. 3.14 For sure there is a reward for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that iudgeth the earth Psal 58.10 A reward euen in this life euen before the Sonnes of men Psal 31.19 Euen as Dauid was annoynted long before hee was crowned 1 Sam. 16.13 2 Sam. 2.4 So here the Lord annoynts vs with the oyle of Gladnesse in the Church militant though wee haue not the Crowne till Christs appearing tryumphant 2 Tim. 4.8 Yea euen here the Lord is a Sunne and a Shield to his Seruants he giues grace and glory and no good thing will hee with-hold from them that liue vprightly Psal 84.11 For what good thing doth mans heart desire which God doth not promise and performe to his league Subiects 1 For their Wealth he giues them wealthy wages an hundred-fold Marke 10.30 Hee builds the Hebrew Mid-wiues houses Exod. 2. and giues his Seruant Dauid a great portion for he loueth the prosperitie of his Seruants 2 For Health the Lord will make their bed in their sicknesse Psal 41.3 Yea the voyce of ioy and health is in the habitations of the righteous Psal 110.1 3 For Strength the Lord himselfe is their strength Psal 27.8 and they shall be strong in the power of his might Esay 6.10 4 For Fame their memoriall shall be blessed Prou. 10.7 yea their righteousnesse shall shine as the light and their iudgement as the noone-day Psal 37 6. euen as Salomons did to the furthest South 5 Yea their Enemies that haue traduced them shall will they nill they acquit them and iustifie them euen as Saul twise iustified Dauids integritie 1 Sam. 18. and Chap. 26. and Pilate Pilates Wife the Centurion nay euen Iudas himselfe together with the Sunne the Earth and the Stones acquitted CHRIST who is tearmed Gods righteous Seruant in Esay and proclaimed his innocencie 6 Nay rather then they should want their deserued commendations God himselfe will prayse them liuing and dead as hee did in Moses funerall Sermon Iohn 1. 7 Nay iustifying them euen against the accusations of the old accuser Sathan as hee did Iob Iob 1. Hence wee haue these Encomiums of Dauid Ezekias Asa Iosias Moses himselfe with others in the old Testament to be men after Gods owne heart men of vpright perfect and relenting hearts and of meeke spirits Hence also Christ himselfe so famouseth the Centurion the Canaanitish woman the good Seruant Nathaniel Mary Magdalene c. Hence Paul so commends Mâ—ason Gaius Philemon Appia c. Luke in the Acts Steuen Dorcas the noble Baraeans Bernabas vvith others for their Faith their Sinceritie Zeale Almes deedes Liberalitie Hospitalitie Loue to the Word searching the Scriptures Holinesse with other Graces so much doth God delight in the flourishing same of his Church and Children For Peace True Peace where righteousnesse flourisheth there is abundance of peace Peace keepes her Throne amongst Gods Seruants for though they be at warre with the black Prince of Hell and his blacke Guard the wicked and with the World and chiefely with their owne corruptions yet they haue peace with GOD with Christ with the Angels with the Church with her Children with their Brethren vvith the Creatures with their owne Soules and Consciences such as none knowes saue those that inioy it For Fauour GOD grants the suites of his Seruants they are in wonderfull grace with their Masters they haue freedome of accesse to the throne of Grace vpon all occasions the golden Scepter is alwayes stretcht out vnto them they may haue easier accesse to the God of heauen and more gratious welcome with obtayning of their Suites and Petitions and Prayers then any Courtier with a temporall Prince it being as truely verified of God towards his Seruants as it is recorded of Augustus Caesar and Traian these morrally good Emperours that hee neuer sent any discontented or empty away that was a sutor to him Witnesse thou Salomon when thou didst pray for Wisedome thou Paul when for strength against Sathans buffets thou Ezekias and Dauid when you called for deliuerance from enemies you Israelites when you cryed in bondage thou Moses for preseruation at a dead lift thou Prodigo thou Publican thou penitent Theefe thou Manasses thou mourning Mary when you prayed and sued with teares for mercy thou Anna thou Isaack thou Zachary with thy Wife Elizabeth intreating for Children nay lastly let the experience of all Gods Seruants for this fiue thousand yeeres speake and speake thou mine owne Soule in thy young yet true experience what thou hast found and felt and declared in the great congregation if euer petition were put vp from a sorrowful soule a beleeuing and a touched heart a zealous spirit that receiued not a gracious answere in euery request concerning body or soule that concerned eyther Gods glory to giue or his seruants good to receiue For thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous thou wilt shine vpon him with the light of thy countenance and with fauour wilt crowne and compasse him as with a shield Psal 6.12 For Mirth the Lords Seruants shall reioyce and sing for ioy of heart Esay 65.14 they shall reioyce vvith ioy vnspeakeable 1 Pet. 1.8 and their ioy shall no man take from them Iohn 16.22 For Pleasures The godly haue a tast of heauen here though they be not fatted with the carrion of the world like the Diuels Crowes nor taste not of this bitter Ratsbanes sweet-sower poyson of Sinne which at last stings like a Cockatrice yet they haue pure and perfect pleasures such as the worlds swine neuer tasted they are fed with hidden Manna they keepe a constant Iubilie and a perpetuall Christmas feasting Christ as feasted by him in that communion they haue with him in the Word the Sacraments Prayer c. In vvhich they are satisfied with the fatnesse of Gods House and drinke abundantly out of the riuers of his pleasures Psal 36.9 These wages with many moe are as the earnest penny and the Hirelings entring penny with vs called the Gods penny which God giues as assurance and part of greater and better payment hereafter being but a little portion and pittance of that which they shall haue hereafter but as the Prologue to the Comedie as a Beauer to a Banquet as a Mite to a mountaine of Gold as the Candle light to the Sunne For hereafter indeede is the great reward Mat. 5.12 so great so shining that as it hath dazeled the Aegles eyes of the dearest of Gods Seruants when they haue set themselues to behold it Tom. 10. ser 1. lib. Medit. c. 18 Dicere quaÌ„tâ—m vâ—lo non vâ—leâ— as of Augustine and others so I can but shew it
Ridiculous and Childish Oathes as by Fay How to leaue the damnable custome of Swearing Fakins Trokins Bodikins Slid Sounds Cocke and Pye with the like whereby thou seekest to mocke and deceiue God who will not be mocked Gal. 6. Thirdly then invre thy selfe to leaue thy Superstitious Oathes as by the Masse Rood Crosse by our Lady and by Popish Saints c. Fourthly so proceede against thy Heathenish and Idolatrous Oathes in swearing by the Creatures as Laban and Iezabel by their Idols Gen. 31 53. 1 Kings 19. verse 2. as by men by S. Peter and by S. Iohn c. by the Heauens the Earth by Fire Sunne the Light Meate Drinke Money c. or by the parts of thy body as Hands or the like or by thy Soule all condemned Mat. 5. ver 34. Iames 5.12 And so with a courage set vpon thy impious horrible fearefull damnable blasphemous Oathes as by the Lord by God the eternall God by Christ by Iesus and such like or by the parts and adiuncts of Christ by tearing his Humanitie as the Iewes did his body by diuiding him as the Souldiers did his garments Mat. 27.35 in blasphemie by his Death Passion Life Soule Bloud Flesh Heart Wounds Bones Sides Guts Armes Foote Nayles c. of all which I tremble and quake to thinke write and speak◠though thou makest no more scruple of such Hell-bred Oathes then of thy ordinary words so deale with all other sinnes of which thy soule is as full as a Serpent is full of venome and a Toade of poyson Crucifie them by degrees and dye to them daily else thou dyest for euer if thou dye 〈◊〉 in them By this course thou shalt take away the sting of Death which is Sinne for the strength of Death is Sinne 1 Cor. 15. euen as the strength of Sampson laid in his hayre Iudg. 16.17 which sinne when it is subdued Death it selfe is as easily conquered as weakened Sampson was by the Philistines verse 21. yea it can doe thee no more harme then a Dragon Viper or angry Waspe which haue lost their stings Secondly dye daily to the world Secondly dye to the world loue it not nor the things of it that so thou maist more happily dye out of the world and more hopefully entertaine thoughts of a better world And in this case doe as Runners vse who oft runne ouer the Race before they runne for the Wager that so they may be better invred and acquainted when they come to try their abilitie or as is said of Belney the Martyr that being to suffer by fire many dayes before he would hold his hand a pretty while in the flame so to prepare himselfe to sustaine the paines of Martyrdome which he was to vnder-goe Thirdly Beare crosses patiently Thirdly dye daily by invting thy selfe to take Crosses and Afflictions patiently as sickenesses in body troubles in minde losse of goods of friends and of good name c. which indeede are little deaths euen pettie deaths not onely Prologues of death but Preparatiues to death for which cause GOD sends them to his children more then to the wicked euen to weane them from the world and prepare them for death as the Nurse weanes the Childe from the Teate by doing bitter Aloes vpon it and sure he that beares Crosses most patiently is well prepared to dye peaceably as appeares by S. Paul 1 Cor. 15.31 who by making good vse of afflictions dyed daily it holding commonly that Mors post crucem minor est Death is lesse dolorous after the crosse Fourthly Prayer oft preuailes for a peaceable departure Fourthly pray seriously for a peaceable departure it is confirmed by examples of all ages and experience of all Gods Seruants that hee that prayes well speedes well Iacob and Abrahams Seruant had Gods blessings vpon their Iourneyes as an effect of their Prayers Gen. 24. Gen. 27. Thou shalt finde Gods presence euen in that houre of the last iourneying of thy soule from her earthly Mansion to her heauenly Country if thou pray for this grace particularly and effectually therefore as thou oughtest to pray continually for other a Lu. 18.1 Eph. 6.18 things 18 Things to be prayed for that death may be prosperous so euen in health and prosperitie pray frequently and feruently 1. That God would make this backeward repugnant and nilling nature of thine willing to her dissolution 2. Prepare thy vnprepared soule 3. Subdue thy corruptions 4. Purge out the drosse of thy sinnes 5. Giue the patience to kisse his correcting Rod when hee whips by sicknesse or diseases 6. Succour thee in thy last and greatest conflict 7. Support thy weaknes 8. Aide thee against Sathans force and fraud 9. Strengthen thy Faith 10. Renew thy decayed graces 11. Giue thee the power and comfort of his owne Spirit 12. Not to visit thy sinnes in Iustice but in Mercy 13. To preserue thy soule from the Hunter and thy darling from the Lyon 14. To giue his Angels charge ouer thee in thy extremitie 15. To keepe thee from 1. Impatiencie 2. Frenzie 3. Distraction 4. Idle fancies 5. Rauing 6. Raging 7. Blaspheming c. least thy death be scandalous 16. To touch thy tongue with a coale from the Altar that thou maist speake 1. to Gods glory 2. and to Edification 17. To dye the death of the righteous 18. Lastly to receiue thy soule into that new Ierusalem which is aboue Such Prayers we haue vpon record in holy Writ as of Dauid Psal 39. and Moses Psal 90. true patternes of our Prayers in this kinde And sure who euer approacheth oft to the throne of Grace and supplicates to a pittifull God from faith and feeling in these and the like petitions he shall be sure to finde an answere from God euen when hee lyes vpon his sicke-bed as the fruit of his former desires Besides that his former acquaintance with God in speaking to him and talking as it were with him oft-times in life by Prayer will increase in the sicke Patient euen a holy boldnesse in a filiall feare to come to that God as one friend to another in extremitie with whom he hath so oft conuersed and conferred with by the Word and Prayer in health and prosperitie Fiftly that thou maist depart in peace make sure to thy soule the inheritance of life eternall euen here in this thy life naturall for as worldlings are something at quiet vvhen they haue made sure such houses lands leases and purchases as they haue long gaped after so assurance of life eternall is the onely pacification to the spirituall man this is the lot the portion and inheritance that his soule longs after the estate that hee preferres before all the flesh-pots of Aegypt or the Iewels of Aegypt Now for the purchase of a fixed place in the heauenly Canaan thou must prouide these treasures 1. sauing Knowledge 2. Faith 3. Sanctification of more price vvith God then Gold Pearle and precious Stones with men For the first