Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n
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A07790
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A short treatise of death in sixe chapters Together with the ænigmatick description of old age and death written Ecclesiastes 12 chap. exponed and paraphrased in English meetre. Written by Mr. William Morray minister of Gods word.
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Morray, William.
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1631
(1631)
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STC 18167; ESTC S121485
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18,101
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56
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the right hand of the Throne of GOD. Therefore those Ethnicks who commonly are accounted magnanimus that for miscontentment slew themselues as Dido Lucrotia Cato and others are truely to bee accounted verie cowards that left their station not keeping their place vntill hee that had placed them there had called them from it Albeit Seneca giveth too great way to a man to kill himselfe yet hee was better advised when hee said I esteeme most of them who come to death without hatred of life and admitteth death when it commeth but draweth it not vpon them Now that wee may die peacablie and well First let vs often meditate vpon death following the counsell of Seneca In epist Thinke ever of death so shall thou not bee affrayed of it the Poet giveth a reason heereof saying Nam levius laedit quicquid praevidimus ante That is to say The lesse is everie sore that we haue seene before And Gregorie said well Death when it commeth is overcome if before it come it bee feared And Seneca In epist No man receiveth death gladly but he who hath prepared himselfe a long time before it And in an other place The entrie of the doore of death is troublesome if wee make it troublesome with torment of minde and a troubled spirit with fleeting thoughts comming to it without resolution by the contrare if we come with a calme spirit death is most like to a sleepe when wee feare not Next that wee may die peaceablie and well follow the counsell of Salomon Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth Eccles 12.1 before the dayes of olde age and death come Thirdly that thou may die peaceably and well stryue to walke with GOD while thou art living follow the example of Enoch Noah Abraham so death when it commeth shall doe no harme but thereby shalt thou bee gathered to thy Father in peace Striue to bee godly and righteous and follow the example of Simeon and the LORD shall let thee depart in peace Bee not like Balaam who wished to die the death of the righteous but would not liue the life of the righteous for hee received not his wish But lay thy account that thou liuest now that thou may die and art content to die when GOD pleaseth that thou may liue happily for ever liue now the life of the righteous and keepe a good conscience so farre as thou can and thou shall die in the LORD bee blessed rest from thy labours Rev. 14.13 thy good workes shall follow thee Now if thou sinne as no man living sinnes not and bee sensible of thy sinnes and manyfold infirmities and imperfections then be instant in prayer to GOD in the name of his Sonne IESUS CHRIST that hee would forgiue thee thy sinnes which thou hast committed supplie that which thou hast omitted restore what thou hast lost heale what is sicke in thee cleanse what is vncleane in thee inlighten what is darke in thee asswage that which swelleth in thee inflame that which is quenched in thee repare that which is broken in thee recover what is neglected by thee amend what is gone astray in thee make plaine which is rugged in thee restraine that which is curious in thee call home againe that which wandereth place aright all which is out of order sanctifie that which is whole by his holy Spirit vntill hee crowne grace in thee with glorie heereafter To conclude this point one sayeth truely Kemps imitation of CHRIST he who hateth the world perfitely and followeth godlinesse zealouslie and will bee admonnished willingly and indevoureth to mend his lyfe seriouslie and can obey his Superiours gladly and deny himselfe throughlie and take affliction for CHRIST IESUS sake patiently giveth notable tokens he will die a good man Finallie that thou mayest die both peaceablie and well In the midst of the agonie of death Psal 51.5 say with that Princelie Prophet DAVID Into thine hands O LORD 1 commend my Spirit Luke 23 46 and with our Saviour IESUS CHRIST Father in thine hands 1 commend my Spirit Act. 7.59 and with STEVEN LORD IESVS receaue my Spirit If at that tyme Sathan or thine owne conscience trouble thee in respect of thy guiltienesse of sinnes and of GODS justice close thine eares at these cryes in the agony of death and answere nothing but commend thy cause vnto GOD Close lykewayes thine eyes in the houre of death and CHRIST shall send his Angels to convoy thy soule This is the counsell of Mr. Luther If thou feele great paine in thy bodie before thy dissolution then say with the Prophet DAVID I will hold my tongue O LORD Psal 36.9 because thou hast done it This was Mr. Calvins practise when hee was dying GOD grant we may so liue that in the houre of death we may rejoice through CHRIST IESUS our LORD AMEN An Aenigmaticke description of old age and death taken out of ECCLESIASTES 12. The Text. THe Sunne the Moone the Starres darkned The Clowds returne after the raine The Keepers of the house tremble The strong Men bow themselues The Grinders cease because they are few They that looke out at the window are darkned The doores are shut in the streets The sound of the grinding is low Hee shall ryse vp at the voice of the Bird. All the daughters of musicke are brought low They feare that which is high feare in the way The Almond tree shall floorish The Grashopper shall be a burden and desire 〈◊〉 fall Man goeth to his long home The mourners goe about the streets The silver cord is loosed The golden bowle is broken The Pitcher is broken at the fountaine The Wheele is broken at the cisterne Dust returneth to the earth as it was and the Spirit to GOD who gaue it The Exposition OVR sight faile Diseases follow one after another forrunners of death The hands become feeble The legs bow vnder the body The teeth faile lowsing consumng or falling out The opticke veine faile ere the eye strings breake The speach faileth The teeth serue not for chawing of meate Host least din the crowing of a cock wakens him The voyce is hoarse the breath weake They can not goe and feare at everie step to fall White haires cover the head Appetite or vse of lust faile Man goeth to the graue His friends and neighbours attend the bringing out of his corps All the sinnews of the bodie streatched out Both head and heart haue no function Vena cava which receaued blood from the liver hath no vse The head draweth no exhalations from stomacke or liver The body made of dust after death returnes to dust The soule inspired by GOD returneth to GOD. The paraphrase of this Text and exposition thereof in Meater DEath when it comes it so benummes and overcomes Our bodie and their members everie one That the Sunne bright Moone and Starres light doe from our sight Obscure themselues and darkned are anone The Clowds returne againe Though raine runne out Vpon vs meakle paine Is powred out And then our hands with all their bands That did before our Tabernacle keepe Tremble and shake and wee doe quaike For feare of comming of so long a sleepe Our limmes that bure our body sure cannot endure But then bow downe themselues though strong before Our teeth which were as Milstones faire gin then to spaire As broken loose and in part lost their 〈◊〉 Also our Opticke vaines That looked throw Our eyes broken with paines Leaue their window Then faile our speach whereby wee teach Our hearers for to vnderstand our minde That doore is close where throw came voice And wee of dumbe men made another kynd The grinding din our mouth within doth then beginne to bee so low that none can heare it when we seeme to eate For why the crew of teach to chew are then so few That little they can serue to breake our meate Then doth a little host Or pituite Or voice of birds bost Our sleepe so sweete And then our voice which made sweete noyse And instruments of musicke everie one Doe holde their peace and haue no grace So weake and hoarse they are and all vndone Hee who would gang doth feare the wrang the least pang Of stone of stocke or blocke is in his way Hee is so weake the smallest straike makes him to quaike Least hee should fall even in the middle day Then buds the Almond tree With floorish faire Mans head then may wee see Full of whyte haire And even iust as the Locust Is shaken off for weaknesse and downe fall So filly dust hath lost all lust No more desire nor pleasure for it call Man goeth home vnto his tombe the dead among Where hee must bide for many dayes and yeares His Kinsfolke deare and Neighbours neare do then appeare To carie foorth his corps and then it beares The silver cord is broken The bodys band The sinnews all are stroken Hee cannot stand The bowle for gold would not beene sold The head or heart I meane is broken quite The liver vaine at his fountaine Like broken pitchers skaile the blood perfite And that round Wheele which once did reele as we now feel Is broken downe even right aboue the Well I meane the head when wee are dead stands in no stead To draw vp foode from livers stell Earth doth then to earth returne Even man to dust His Spirit to GOD is borne Who is most iust Remember man thy Maker then When thou art young and strong before these dayes For thou wilt wearie and cannot tarry To serue thy God and sorrow for thy sinnes alwayes FINIS VICISSITVDINI OMNIA SVBIACENT SOLA VIRTVS CADERE NON POTEST
is thy sting O graue 2 Cor. 15.55 where is thy vistorie Seneca also comforteth vs against the feare of death by this same argument taken from the resurrection saying The day shall come againe which shall repone vs in light and the Apostle Paul saying IESVS CHRIST shall change our vile bodies Philip. 3 that it may bee fashioned lyke vnto his glorious bodie The fifth Chapter Remedies and comforts against the feare of death proceeding from ignorance infidelity or despaire ADrian the Emperour of whom I spake in the second Chapter was affrayed of death because he knew not what should become of his soule after death Clement the seventh of that name when hee was dying said In speculo Pontifie Hee should shortly try that which all his lyfetime he doubted off whether there were any life after this doubtlesse this doubting was joyned with feare proceeding from ignorance if not from worse Salomon speaking in the person of the Atheist according to the judgement of a naturall man said Who hath marked the Spirit of man which hath ascended vp and the Spirit of the beast Eccles 3.21 which hath descended beneath the earth And a little before hee sayeth As the one dyeth so dyeth the other This ignorance in a man dying must bee joyned with feare the remedies of this feare is the certaine persuasion of that which is revealed to vs in holy Scripture namely that the soule of man is immortall and eternall and that the soules of good men goe to Heaven that is so namely first that the soule is immortall these holy places of Scripture testifie Genes 1.27 So GOD created man in his owne image in the image of GOD created he him which words put a difference betweene mankynd and all living creatures mentioned created before as more excellent than they because of this immortall soule in their comelie bodyes which even the Ethnick Poet acknowledgeth when that hee sayeth Sanctius his animal mentisque capacius altae Deerat adhuc quod dominari in caetera posset That is to say A creature living more holy than the rest More capable also of a higher mynd Was wanting yet even one to rule the rest And againe hee sayeth Pronaque cum spectent animantia caetera terram Os homini sublime dedit Coelumque tueri Iussit erectos ad sidera tollere vultus That is to say While other living hang downe their head to dust To man hee gaue high countenance and said Looke vp to Heaven where once abide thou must Behold the Starres aboue which I haue made And GOD said to Abraham Thou shalt goe to thy fathers in peace Gen. 15.15 that is to say Thy Spirit shall goe to the company of the Spirits of the faithfull thy forbears when it departs from thy body by death In that same booke it is said after And Abraham gaue vp the ghost Gen. 25.8 and died and was gathered to his people this must bee vnderstood of his soule for his body was not buried among his forbears but in the buriall place which he bought in the land of Canaan and so this speach in holy Scripture spoken of godly men that when they died they were gathered to their fathers is to be vnderstood David sayeth Psal 16.10 Psal 26.9 Thou wilt not leaue my soule in the graue And in an other place Gather not my soule with sinners And in an other place Psal 31.6 Into thy hands I commit my spirit And in an other Psal 49 15 GOD will redeeme my soule from the power of the graue for hee shall receiue mee Salomon speaking of death Eccles 12.7 sayeth Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne to God who gaue it Mat. 10.28 CHRIST sayeth Feare not them who kill the bodie but are not able to kill the soule And in an other place citing this place of Scripture I am the God of Abraham of Isaac Math. 22.32 and of Iacob subjoyneth these words GOD is not the God of the dead but of the living which words import that although the bodies of these Patriarchs were dead buried yet their soules were living And it is said Lazarus soule when hee dyed Luke 16 was caried by Angels to Abrahams bosome And CHRIST said to the penitent Thiefe crucified with him Luke 23 33 To day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise And a little after hee Himselfe dying said Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit Stephen dying said Act 5.59 Philip. 1.23 LORD IESVS receaue my spirit And Paul said I desire to bee dissolved and bee with CHRIST And it is said Heb. 12 33 Yee are come to the spirits of just men and perfect these Scriptures and others proue the soules of men and women to bee immortall The immortalitie of the soule verie Ethnicks did acknowledge Numb 23 10. with Balaam when hee said Let my soule die the death of the righteous and my latter end bee as his Socrates being condemned to die Vita Socra before his death disputed much and well of the immortalitie of the soule amongst his speaches this was one to his friends My children GOD will care for who gaue them to me when I shall goe hence I shall finde friends before mee like vnto you or better When Crito his friend asked him after hee had drunk his poison if hee desired to bee buried Hee answered Alas what labour haue I lost that could not persuade Crito that I shall flee away from hence all whole Plato wrote a booke of the immortality of the soule And hee believed that after this world ended mens soules should returne to their owne bodies The Stoickes said this should bee after the consummation of the world by fire Cleombrotus when he had read over Plato his booke of the immortalitie of the soule Cicero Tusculan quaest lib. 1 precipitated himselfe into the sea being filled with the desire of that better life after this Plut. in vita Catonis which Plato described Cato being resolved to slay himselfe red all the day night before that same booke of Plato Epist 103 Seneca in one of his Epistles hath many notable speaches concerning the immortalitie of the soule amongst the which the feare I shall leaue the body where I found it I shall deliver my selfe to GOD A great and generous thing to the soule of man it can suffer no bounds to bee prescribed to it but with GOD. When Socrates had drunke the poyson forced vpon him and had delivered his garment to his servant as readie to die jesting with cry to his friend said I pray thee remember to sacrifice a cocke to Aesculapius which was then vsuall when a man had drunke a wholesome drinke thereby there was in him no feare of death Christians then should bee ashamed to feare death through ignorance What shall become of the soule after death seing death is inevitable the feare