A CHRISTIAN CAVEAT FOR AL ESTATES OR A Sermon preached by that Religious seruant of GOD Master GEORGE HOCKIN Bachelor of Diuinitie Fellow of Excester Colledge and Preacher to the Towne of Totnes in Deuon PSAL. 105.5 Remember yee his maruellous workes that he hath done his wonders and the iudgements of his mouth LONDON Printed by William Stansby 1622. TO The vertuous and truely religious Mistris P. I. encrease of all spirituall grace and true comfort here with assurance of eternall glorie and happinesse hereafter THese holy and heauenly Meditations were by the Author of them at first conceiued vpon the occasion of the decease of a religious Gentleman with whom hee was much conuersant Good Wine needeth no Garland it will praise it selfe so I perswade my selfe will this ensuing Sermon which a learned holy and faithfull Seruant of God formerly Viua voce in publique sounded in your eares and in the eares of many others which it furnisht with the best and rarest things which Canaan Greece and Rome doth yeeld There is scarce in the Booke of God a Mine that is more rich and abundant in exhorting men to remember their Creator then the Text handled in this Sermon This Treatise will affoord good helpe to those that will deigne diligently to peruse the same For herein the learned shall meete with some things not common perhaps not to encrease yet to renew his secret knowledge and whet his iudgement and also the godly Christian shall not want wherewith to feed his deuoutest Meditations and enkindle his best affections toward God But lest I doe seeme like some deceitfull Broker Laudat venales qui vult extrudere merces Horat. to set worth on worthlesse Wares by goodly words I will leaue the proofe hereof to the judicious and not fastidious Readers I lighting vpon this Sermon of that both learned and godly Diuine Master George Hockin of whose gracious abilitie in preaching Gods Word and of whose conscionable care in performing his Ministeriall office many can witnesse as a poore Orphan Babe of a deceased Friend for the memorie of its Author haue aduentured to shew my selfe so farre on this Theater as to set it forth to publique view and to make it common for the benefit of others I presume good men will both accept my good meaning and conne me thanks who haue set vp for them such a faire and cleere light to light them on-ward in the way that will leade them to eternall blisse The Lord grant that it may haue that successe in such as are religiously affected which he that gaue first life vnto it in studying and brought it forth by preaching intended and I in consenting and causing to haue it Printed desire so shall young and old the feeble weake and doubting Christian be taken by the hand and we all shall be of the number of them which follow Faith to the conseruation of our soules which the Lord for Iesus Christ his sake grant Amen Yours in his best desires I. C. A CHRISTIAN CAVEAT FOR ALL ESTATES ECCLESIASTES 12.1 And remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth before the euill dayes come and the yeeres approch of which thou wilt say I haue no pleasure in them SOLOMON was Sonne vnto the worthiest King that euer swayed Scepter vpon Earth he was the Sonne of a King a King himselfe and the Father of a King and Predecessor in the royall Line vnto the Sonne of GOD and for Nobilitie matchlesse He was King of Ierusalem which was the Citie of GOD the Lady of the World the holy Citie the perfection of Beautie and the ioy of the whole Earth In speculatiue knowledge he excelled the wisedome of all the Children of the East and all the wisedome of Egypt He was able to discourse from the Cedar tree that is in Lebanon euen vnto the Hyssope that springeth out of the wall He was the most fit and absolute man that euer liued both for abilitie and vnderstanding abundance of riches and sufficiency of all Creatures This King exhorteth young men to remember GOD in their youth The flower of youth will vanish away therefore Remember thy Creator in youth it is the best way and the onely way to turne away anger and euill alwaies to remember the power goodnes and iustice of GOD the Creator The dependance these words haue on the former is in this sort Solomon hauing exhorted Youth in their youth and prime-time to remember their Maker He said before take away griefe out of thy heart that is all those things which prouoke the anger of GOD cause euill to depart from thy flesh that is all punishment which comes from GODS anger And remember thy Creator This Text contayneth two things First An exhortation to godlinesse in youth And remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth Secondly A reason taken from the manifold infirmities of old age Whiles the euill dayes come not nor the yeeres approch wherein thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them The summe and sense is this Solomon a man experienced willed young men to remember GOD that made them and that in their youth not that they should forget him in their old age but they should begin betime to know GOD and so continue whiles they continue on earth there is good cause so to doe for he made them brought them into the world and bought them too and they should remember him here that hee might remember them hereafter before old age weake age and dote-age come before weaknes sicknes sorrowfulnes and other infirmities happen which accompanie old age Or Solomon puts the dissolute young man in minde of iudgement there hee shewes him how to escape it by auoiding the anger of GOD namely to remember Iehouah Thus you haue seene Solomons meaning now to speake of some such profitable instructions as these words shall afford And remember Text. The true and serious remembrance of GOD is an especiall remedie against sinne and the forgetting of GOD a cause of sinne GOD himselfe commandeth it in the Scripture saying Remember Iehouah thy God for it is he which giueth the power to get substance Deut. 8.18 Dauid from GOD willed the people not to forget GODS Works but to keepe his Commandements Psalm 78.7 Here wee may see plainly that the remembrance of GOD keepeth vs from sinning as the wicked doe GOD commandeth Ioshuah to remember him continually that hee might liue well and prosper saying The booke of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that so thou maiest obserue to doe all things therein and then thou shalt make thy wayes prosperous and haue good successe Iosh 1.8 Remember that those are commonly the best opportunities of mercy and pardon which are most early offered and these are hardly recouered when through wilfull contempt or slight negligence carnall and foolish ease they haue beene long contemned Let all remember their Creator in their youth Doct. That the onely
For hee that forgetteth the Word of God will soone forget God and he that remembreth the Word will remember God the author of the Word Secondly wee haue the Sacraments which are tokens of Gods loue which should cause vs to remember God Thirdly the creatures should put vs in minde of God euery one representing either the power goodnesse or mercy of God euery tree and euery leafe euery flower and euery grasse euery stone nay euery sand doth set forth his goodnesse The greater is our sinne if we forget him hauing so many meanes to remember him Should a Sonne forget is Father who hath left him many tokens to remember him by If a Husband departing from home should leaue many Memorials with his Wife on euery Doore Wall and Poste a remembrance that shee can goe no where but shee must needes remember him yea if shee haue his Signet on her finger that so as often as shee lookes on her finger she may remember him how great were her fault to forget him or how were it possible not to remember him The Almighty God hath thus dealt with vs in the world which is his House hee hath left euery where remembrances If a Woman remember her Husband seeing his Ring she should remember God seeing her finger which his Finger made and her hands the worke of his Hands When I beheld the Heauens euen the workes of thy Fingers the Moone and the Starres which thou hast ordained Psal 8.3 Great benefits should cause vs remember God Reas 4 What maketh vs so to sinne but the forgetting of God therefore it is often said of the Israelites they forgate God and serued Baalim as if he should say they neuer would haue committed Idolatry if they had not forgotten God They haue peruerted their way and forgotten the Lord their God Ier. 3.21 The latter is the cause of the former and so forgetters of God are put for wicked men Now as forgetfulnesse of God causeth sinne witnesse Adulterers Drunkards and such like which will confesse they forgate God so the remembrance of God is the cause of obedience for hee that remembreth God will feare to offend him and endeauour to please him The vse of this point is for our instruction that Vse 1 wee should bee the more carefull to remember the Lord. First God commandeth it and Gods Commandements must be obeyed If he consent and obey he shall eate the good things of the Land Esay 1.19 Whatsoeuer we aske we receiue of him because we keep his Commandements and doe those things which are pleasing in his sight 1. Iohn 3.22 If wee reade the Scriptures heare the Word blessed shall wee bee if we keepe it Blessed is hee that readeth and they that heare the words of the Prophecie and keepe those things which are written therein Reuel 1.3 Our Goods Cattell Corne and all things belonging to vs shall be blessed of God if we obey his voyce and doe as hee would haue vs yea our children shall bee blessed after vs Blessed is the vpright man and blessed shall his seede be after him Pro. 20.7 Yea as Dauid speaketh Blessed is the man that meditates in the Law of God day and night For he shall be like a Tree planted by the Riuers of Waters Psal 1 2 3. No good thing will the Lord withhold from them that liue vprightly Psal 84.11 On the contrary euen those things which in their owne nature are the good blessings of God shall be accursed of God And the Lord will in his wrath and in his hot anger curse our blessings This Commandement is for you If yee will heare and if yee will not lay it to heart to giue glory to my Name saith the Lord of Hostes. I will euen send a curse vpon you and I will curse your blessings yea I haue cursed them already because yee doe not consider it in heart Malach. 2.2 Secondly the promises which God hath made to such as remember him should be a meanes to stirre vs vp to remember him he hath promised to bee with his to the end of the world Matth. 28.20 Neuer to faile them nor forsake them Heb. 13.5 Hee promised to giue his Sonne the first begotten and the onely begotten Iohn 3.16 Luke 2.7 And in him what rare matter can we wish for which is not in him to be found Would wee haue Wisedome hee is the essentiall Wisedome of the Father the obiect of all true Wisedome which tendeth to saluation in him is our Wisedome not onely while wee walke by faith at home in this body but also when wee shall walke by sight with the Lord seeing him as he is All the treasure of Wisedome and Vnderstanding are hid in him Col. 2.3 Would we haue Righteousnesse he is essentially righteous as God in our name habitually and actually Righteous He is Iehouah our Righteousnesse Ier. 23.6 The Sunne of Righteousnesse that person which hath brought with him euerlasting Righteousnesse Would wee haue Redemption with him is great redemption Psal 130.7 Through him haue we redemption that is Forgiuenesse of our sinnes Col. 1.14 By him wee doe waite for the Redemption of our bodies Rom. 8.23 Christ was powerfull in the eternall prouidence of God before creation for our election powerfull in time appointed for our Vocation Iustification Sanctification powerfull for our perseuerance and finall consummation He is God what seeke wee Hee is God what desire wee This Sonne was promised and this Sonne is come God first promised protection from hurt in his seruice hee vndertakes to keepe damage from his while they are occupied in his seruice When all the Males should goe vp to Ierusalem thrice in the yeere and none but weake women and children left at home yet God doth vndertake that no enemie should haue the heart to breake in on them Exod. 34.24 Secondly God promiseth to bestow on vs euery thing that is good nay all good Thirdly God promiseth to his a cheerfull vse of all the good benefits vouchsafed them Did not Iosiah eate and drinke and prosper while hee executed iudgement and iustice Iere. 22.15 Godlinesse hath not onely the promises of this life but of the life to come 1. Tim. 4.8 He that giues the head giues haire also God giueth vs his Kingdome and Righteousnesse which are principall how should he not adde these inferiour things also which are but accessarie to the other God will not stand for small matters with them to whom he will giue heauen This God who is so gracious this God who is so glorious this God who is so mercifull and liberall must be remembred Thirdly the dangers which follow the forgetfulnesse of God should incite vs to remember God Such as forget God shall be punished Forgetfulnesse is a cause of first Spirituall punishment secondly of Corporall thirdly of Eternall It is a cause of spirituall punishment in the soule of corporall punishments in the body and of eternall both in body and soule at the day of Iudgement Vse 2 Secondly
a countenance neuer waite on him Many that eate his meate that neuer acknowledge the Giuer Many protected by him see it not Many afflicted yet seeke him not diligently Hos 5.15 Hee strikes them but they sorrow not hee consumes them but they refuse his correction Iere. 5.3 He giues to such as are vnthankfull clotheth such as are proud helpeth such as are vnworthy and prouideth for such as are wicked He that giueth all good things hath little or nought giuen him againe Where hee should bee loued hee is hated and of whom hee should bee honoured he is dishonoured Gods loue towards vs hath beene from all eternitie Some as wine doth receiue the greater praise by the age of it old wine is the best and ancient loue is the most approued How much doe wee esteeme of such a friend as hath borne vs good wil for some twentie or fortie yeeres together The more reckoning wee should make of Gods loue which hath beene eternall Before Christ wee were enemies to God there was nothing to be seene in vs but sinne and miserie nor any thing to draw Gods affection toward vs but his owne free and good pleasure now that loue wee haue deserued wee the lesse esteeme but such loue as is freely conferred on vs we doe make more store of Vse 2 The second Vse not onely the Creation bindeth Man to remember God but all other his benefits wherewith Man is compassed about Many are the works of mercy which God hath bestowed on Man besides the Creation all of them binding Man to remember God First Mans Redemption by Christ Of all the works of mercy this chiefly ought to be remembred for it is the chiefest worke the freedome of Sinners both from the guilt and power of sinne By whom wee haue Redemption through his Bloud euen the forgiuenesse of sinnes Ephes 1.7 To haue sinne forgiuen is to bee redeemed or set free from all euill That which Paul calleth in the former words Redemption is afterward called Remission of sinne What is forgiuenesse of sinne but an act of Grace acquitting vs from all the guilt and the whole punishment of all our sinne and as men speake of Redemption so they may speake of Remission Secondly the worke of Preseruation is another great benefit of God which is a keeping men free and safe from dangers and from hurt by enemies Preserue me O Lord for I trust in thee Psal 16.1 What shall I doe vnto thee O thou Keeper of men Iob 7.20 Hee preserueth both Man and Beast Psal 36.6 Thou preseruedst them all Nehe. 9.6 Thirdly the worke of Sustentation bindeth Man to remember God for God vp-holdeth his Children that they take not a fall by sinne and calamitie or that they take no hurt by such fals The Lord sustayned me Psal 3.5 Hee maketh mee to rest in greene pastures and leadeth me by the still waters Hee restoreth my soule and leadeth mee in the pathes of Righteousnes for his Names sake Ps 23.2 3. Many other benefits are men compassed withall to binde them to remember God In the dayes of thy youth It is good for children to learne to know God euen in youth Text. whiles they are young for so much Solomon teacheth here saying In the dayes of thy youth Doct. That because youth is most prone to forget God it is needfull they should be exhorted to remember God Youth is most prone to forget God for they are in the flower of their age in the roofe of pride and in the heate of lust hauing by nature corrupt hearts and carnall desires liuing in pleasures passing their time in mirth all which makes them forget God Though young men doe not alwaies breake out into notorious wickednesse yet they are subiect to youthfull wantonnesse and vnstaiednesse of affection which if it breake not out yet it makes them forgetfull of God and lesse carefull of good things This loosenesse is the way to lewdnesse this weaknesse is the high way to wickednes this Gods children being regenerate see which before they saw not Hence is it that Dauid prayeth Lord remember not the sinnes of my youth Psal 25.7 Of all mans life Youth cōmonly is most vaine The imaginations of mans heart is euill from his youth Ier. 8.21 We are all transgressors from the wombe Esa 48.8 In sinne hath my Mother conceiued me Psal 51.5 Euen from the Belly haue they erred Ps 58.3 For the sinnes of youth God often punisheth men in their age so making them to inherit the iniquities of their youth Iob 13.26 The Prophet saith We and our Father haue sinned from our youth Ier. 3.25 Shal we thinke they in their youth committed grosse sins as Adulterie Drunkennesse Murther and such like which were so holy men as Iob and Ieremie surely no but they confessed the sinnes of their youth their wantonnesse and forgetfulnesse of God their too much loue of pleasure their youthfulnesse Solomon saith Foolishnesse is bound in the heart of a child Pro. 22.15 therefore child-hood and youth are vanitie not in themselues but because they are often spent in vanitie Suruey those which are more then ordinarie young men which haue the best wits and are thought to bee of the best disposition and their youth will hardly be found without vanitie nay not onely those young men that are best in ciuill gifts but in spirituall graces as Timothy find child-hood and youth to be vanitie Eccl. 11.10 Timothy did tame his body and bring it into subiection so that Paul was faine to bid him to drinke wine 1. Tim. 5.23 yet he had this memento giuen him flie the lusts of youth 2. Tim. 2.22 Young men see not vanitie when they are yong but they may perceiue it when they are old for now their consciences are like water in a bason if the water be troubled the face cannot be seene but when it is setled it may so all is troubled in youth but when maturitie of yeeres come then it will stand still and they may see their faces Dauid being old praied against sinnes of youth Because it is so hard for a young man to remember God and to be holy Dauid breaketh off his meditation abruptly into this wherewithall shall a young man cleanse his waies Psal 119.9 And Dauid vsing the word cleansing compareth the young man to a glasse which though it be very cleane yet will gather filth in the Sunne beames As a ricke of Hay put vp wet set it selfe on fire so haue the hearts of young men enough in them to inflame them Young men should remember their Creator in Reas 1 their youth lest accustoming to forget God in youth they doe not remember him in old age Customes is another nature and can hardly be altered Can the Black-More change his skinne or the Leopard his spots then may yee also doe good that are accustomed to doe euill Ier. 13.23 This young men get by continuing in sinne they cannot leaue it many cannot leaue swearing lying stealing when they
are old because they practised them when they were young If I should be demanded why there are so few good old men I answer because there were so many naughtie young men for youth spent in vanitie commonly ends old age in prophanenesse The Prophet calleth some sinnes Crimson sinnes sinnes of a double die Esay 1.18 If it be right Purple it is dyed both in the Wooll and in the Thread and then it is deepe So if Satan die vs in our Wooll in our youth before we be men before we be made cloth it is likely to sticke by vs. It is in a man as in other things in breaking of Horses luring of Hawkes trayning of Dogges which must be done while they are young so must man in his youth be trained vp in the feare of the Lord. The Diseases of the Spring are more curable then those of Autumne So the sinnes of youth are more curable then those of age but when a man is soaked in them hee is past cure If Satan can make our youth vnprofitable there cannot any good be looked for of the after ages without the great mercy of Almightie God Hence commeth those speeches of sinnes which a man hath continued in I would faine but I cannot leaue them whereby it comes to passe that where one doth recouer fortie rot away If the Deuill nip the Blossome what hope is there of Fruit. When a man hath long had a trustie Seruant he is loth to forgoe him he will rather increase his wages So the Deuill will be loth to forgoe him in his age who serued him in his youth The sinnes of youth sticke fast by a man hee can hardly leaue them youth being like a new Morter wherein if you stampe Garlicke it will a long time smell of it and though they repent and come home yet they carry the smell of the Garlicke Morter wheresoeuer they goe The vessell will rellish of the first liquour What iniurie doe men to themselues by liuing prophanely in youth when they bee old they dare not reprehend so sharply as others nor punish so seuerely as they should because the sinnes of their youth are so in their foreheads that all men see them God will haue the first fruites and the first borne are due to him The Autumne cannot see the fruit of those trees whose blossomes the Spring-time neuer saw If men begin not to loue vertue in youth it will bee a harsh thing for them for to wooe her in old age when the threed of life shall be tentred and drawne euen to the vtmost length Because the Deuill hath a speciall affection to this Reas 2 age knowing that if hee get youth hee hath oftentimes mans age too Sathan doth not easily forsake his hold nor surrender his possession though he be not an Angell of light 2. Cor. 11.14 yet he would be like one Though he seldome speake truth yet he is more beleeued then God the Authour of truth Though he damned many Soules yet hee is serued by youth and followed by them in troupes Hee hath such varieties of pleasures which he presenteth to them that they are bewitched by them hee is an vnreasonable insatiable vsurping tyrant yet youth will not hearken to Gods word who saith resist the deuill Iam. 4.7 It is lamentable that no age doth so much despise the Word as youth which must stand in neede of it It is now a rare thing to find among yong men a Ioseph or a Samuel where they should liue as Nazarites consecrated to the Lord Amos 2.11 they are rather like men who haue vowed and dedicated themselues vnto Sathan As the sonnes of Eli despised the rebuke of their father So yong men now for the most part are impatient of of the rebukes of the Word contemning the medicine The prodigall sonne had foure prouocations First his portion Secondly his fathers indulgence Thirdly ill companie Fourthly youth these the Deuill vseth as so many baites to take young men withall these hurt yong men much Till the portion was spent the prodigall thought not vpon returning home The prodigall man while he spendeth is magnified when hee is spent is pitied and that is all his recompence for his lauishing The indulgence of the father to conniue winke at the faults of their Children doth breede in their Children a forgetfulnesse of their Creator Ill companie hurt youth for such are they for the most part as they are with whom familiarly they liue and with whom for the most part they spend their time All waters in temperature in colour and in taste agree with the nature and the disposition of those grounds and of that earth through which they make their secret passages and their wayes In like manner men practise those things which by frequent custome they haue deriued to themselues from those with whom they haue conuersed Youth is so wanton and wild so rude and vnruly so lose and lewde that vnlesse God saue the Deuill will destroy vnlesse God draw them the Deuill will keepe them Reas 3 Young men should remember their Creator in youth considering their naturall corruption they are corrupt Children Esa 1.4 They know nothing but how to corrupt themselues their wayes their liues their actions their neighbours by euill councel and euill examples themselues by euill exercises This naturall corruption is most deformed a monster both vgly and fearefull If naturall corruption will haue yong men eate till they surfeite and drinke till they bee drunke you shall finde multitudes of them that will doe it though they consume goods body estate and damme the Soule If naturall corruption will haue yong men bee wantons there will bee some that will fit and addresse themselues for it by lurking here and there in corners frequenting dishonest places vsing idle and immodest Exercises corrupt and rotten communication stuffed with vaine vnfruitfull Iestes and prophane passages It is a thing most lamentable and neuer enough to bee bewailed to see many young persons whose dayly practise and trade of life is to corrupt their flesh in lying deceiuing seeking vnlawfull and vngodly gaines slaundring and backbiting their neighbours spending their time wantonly and wickedly for which one day they must giue account to GOD. The first vse serueth for our instruction seeing Vse 1 yong men are hardest to bee reformed they should learne to bee Godly in their youth It is good for a man to beare the yoke in his youth Lament 3.17 It is good for a man to remember his Creator in his youth Some will say shall youth spend no time in pleasure What not halfe a mans youth Not a day now and then not an houre Surely GOD will not allow a minute of time to bee spent in vaine Yong men will say wee will become good and liue Grauely hereafter and behaue our selues soberly we will amend when we are old This is to make a couenant with the Deuill thou wilt be Gods but not yet As Foelix said to Paul Goe thy way
to see good dayes let him refraine his tongue from euill 1. Pet. 3.10 What Man is he that desireth life and loueth long dayes for to see good Psal 34.12 And there are euill dayes not that dayes are euill in themselues but accidentally Doct. That old age is called euill because of the many euils it brings with it Dayes are called euill nor effectiuely making men euill nor essentially as if a day in its owne nature were euill but accidentally in regard of the euill actions and euents which happen to men in that day Euill dayes are times full of Sinnes and troubles or troublesome sinfull times The Apostle saith Redeeme the time for the dayes are euill Ephe. 5.16 Iacob said to Pharaoh few and euill haue the dayes of my life beene Gene. 47 9. Euill because they were full of troubles full of afflictions full of dangers Our Sauiour saith Sufficient for the day is the euill thereof Mat. 6.34 That is the day brings with it affliction griefe and hurts Many discommodities enuiron old men Old age is a continuall weaknesse and a daily disease Moses the man of God saith The dayes of our yeeres are seuentie yeeres and if by reason of strength they bee eightie yeeres yet is the strength then labour and sorrow for it is soone cut off and we flie away Psal 90.10 If the longest period of dayes that men ordinarily liue be so short a time and the longest time flieth so fast then well might the Prophet say that our daies passe away as a tale that is told Psal 90.9 The more labours men vndergoe in their youth the more matter of sorrow in old age The stronger a man hath beene and the more labours he hath endured the fuller of aches and paines will old age be Old age is but a death and Death comes flying In old age there is weaknesse of body and of mind for a man is twise a child and then commonly they are as children againe mewed vp and their children are either Parents or Lords ouer them vsing them as Innocents Old men are deafe of hearing and cannot heare good admonitions dim-sighted and cannot see to reade nor to goe to the House of Praier they haue feeble Knees so that they cannot goe weake Loines and faint Armes the Heart is afflicted the Head smitten the Spirits waxing faint the Breath smelling ill the Face wrinckled the Stature crooked the Eyes darke the Ioynts weake the Nose running the Haires falling the Teeth rotting and the Eares waxing deafe insomuch that old age may be called Euill dayes In old age the Memorie failes old men waxe dull deafe senselesse and speechlesse Reas 1 It brings many troubles sorrowes and grieues with it then men cannot helpe themselues nor guide themselues nor feed themselues they cannot reade to comfort themselues nor repent many of them to solace themselues they lie on their beds as on the Racke from morning to night crying out some of one griefe some of another then they feare to die and some wish for Death for whom they are not prouided Many aged people are inwardly vexed and perplexed in conscience so that they seeke Death as a present ease not considering how they leape out of the Smoake into the Flame out of the Flame into the Fire out of a cureable Disturbance into an irrecouerable Woe How blockish is the manner of dying of many a Nabal who strucken with the feare of Death and Hell become as insensate as stocks and stones Aged men feare Death but not Hell following Death they feare the Thunder cracke not the Bolt the report of the Peece and not the Bullet the Serjeants arrest and not the Gaolers imprisonment so labouring to escape Death which they cannot not Hell which they might Reas 2 If men learne to remember God in youth they will bee willing to die old age will bee a Crowne and comfort to them for after death they shall rest from their labours Reuel 14.13 They that laboured valiantly are at rest Iob 3.17 They learne in youth to know God they know that if they be once old they shall shortly die and then they can sinne no more Death to the godly is an entrance into ioy Michaela Caignoela a noble Matron seeing her Iudges looke out of the windowes said to her fellow Martyrs These stay to suffer the torment of their consciences and are reserued to iudgement but we are going to glorie and happinesse And two certaine poore women weeping and crying Oh Madame we shall neuer now haue more Almes yes hold you saith shee yet once more and plucked off her Slippers and such other of her apparell as shee could with modestie spare from the fire Death is to men as he comes attended to the rich Man he came followed with Deuills to carry his soule to hell Luk. 16.22 to Lazarus with troupes of Angels to conuey him to Abrahams bosome Death is the Atheists feare and the Christians desire Death is the irreligious rich mans Enemie but the religious poore mans Friend It shewes the strange folly of many men who Vse 1 spend most of their time in prophanenesse in pleasure in vanities and vices Insomuch that if the Lord shew not more then ordinarie mercy they will be no more fit in their old age to honour their Creator then so many dead men What madnesse is it then especially in those that haue passed the greatest time they can expect to haue no care of the houre of death and of the account they shall then make when their whole time is but short as a Tale that is told Men should so profit by the meanes of saluation affoorded them that in age they should giue good example to such as are young The elder men grow the better they should be Commonly Horses trauell best homeward or when they are almost come home Hounds follow the game fastest when they are neerest vnto it finding the sent hot they know the game is almost at an end They that runne in a Race striue most not at the beginning but at the end In naturall motions euery thing mooueth fastest when it is neerest his owne place The Swan singeth sweetest a little before her death so should it bee with old men they should then bee most holy bearning the best fruits doing the best works they should with old Simeon take Christ in their armes Luk. 2.28 and with Anna serue God with fastings and praiers night and day Luk. 2.87 It were to bee wished that old men could say as sometime Polycarpus did the Proconsull vrging him to denie Christ I haue serued him eightie sixe yeeres and hee hath not once hurt mee and shall I now denie him And with Hilarion Soule get thee out thou hast seuentie yeeres serued Christ and art thou now loth to die or afraid of death This is a generall and solemne Decree published throughout the World and pronounced by Nature her selfe that whatsoeuer hath a beginning so that it consist of Matter must also haue an end
there is nothing vnder the Cope of Heauen except the Soule of man which is not subiect to change and corruption Man cannot alwaies continue in one state but man groweth old It is dangerous to waxe old in sinne for the sinner that is an hundred yeeres old shall be accursed Esa 65.20 It shall not be well to the wicked Eccl. 8.13 Old age hath sufficient deformities of it selfe therefore they should not adde such as proceed from Vice As the labours of old men diminish so the exercises of the soule should increase Seeing no man knoweth what shall bee let men Vse 2 vse wel the present time whether it be youth or age If thou bee religious in thy youth old age will bee welcome to thee and the daies will not be euill the troubles weaknesses will seeme as nothing which accompanie old age Thou wilt be willing to die for Death will not carry thee to prison but to the Saincts feast Reuel 19.9 To the participation and fellowship with Christ in his heauenly ioyes and blisse when the Church his Spouse shall be fully blessed Death wil come to carry old religious men to Paradise a place full of pleasures As a man riding takes vp one behind him and carries him to this or that banquet so Death takes vp the religious old man behind him vpon the pale Horse and carries him to heauen Reuel 6.8 Worke therefore while it is day the night commeth when no man can worke Ioh. 9 4. All that thy hand shall find to doe doe it with all thy power for there is neither work nor inuention nor knowledge nor wisedome in the graue whither thou goest Eccl. 9.10 Paul saith Whiles we haue time we must doe good to all specially to those which are of the house-hold of Faith Gal. 6.10 Wee may not assigne the Lord in what place state condition or in what companie we would liue but as Strangers waite on him euen as the hand-maid on her Mistris for whatsoeuer he will allow vs we are readie most commonly to bee called away by death before we be fit or haue learned how to liue Looke what care conscience zeale loue and reuerent estimation of good things thou haddest when first thou embracedst the Gospel the same at last retaine and be sure thou keepest still afterwards The more knowledge that thou hast take heed thou be not more secure Wee shall not enioy the grace which we had at the first except we be as carefull now to keep it as we were then to come by it All our life ought to bee a prouiding for a good death and a keeping away of woe which cōmeth by sinne We cannot promise to our selues one day for Time is Gods and Times and Seasons he hath put in his owne power Act. 1.7 therefore euery day wee ought to prepare our hearts to seeke the Lord and keepe them fit and willing thereto Take heed Brethren lest at any time there be any of you an euill heart and vnfaithfull to depart away from the liuing God Heb. 3.12 Oh! that there were in them an heart to feare me and to keepe all my Commandements alway Deut. 5.29 Our Sauiour saith Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart Matth. 22.37 Euery day our thanks must be continued for benefits receiued they are renewed euery morning Lam. 3.23 Euery day we ought to watch and pray for stedfastnesse and constancie Euery day we must hold and keepe our peace with God and lie downe therein Psal 4.8 Text. And the yeeres approach of which thou wilt say I haue no pleasure in them Solomon meaneth before thou waxe old Old age of it selfe is a disease if no other disease beside happen What pleasure can old men take when strength faileth them when they are not able to helpe themselues Their life in this life is nothing else but a returning backe againe vnto death for whiles they are here they walke to the house of their graue Their dayes passe away in such a manner as if a man being a child should suddenly be made a man and after that should presently goe backe againe and bee a child The more men grow in strength and yeeres the neerer they draw to the place from whence they came Moses saith The strength of old men is labour and sorrow Psal 90.10 Their dayes are dayes of sorrow and their strength brings nothing vnto them but matter of labour and paine Doct. That the many discommodities and miseries of old age plainly testifie that there is no pleasure in it Such as are full of dayes as Iob was Iob 42.17 are full of miseries Man that is borne of woman is full of miserie or full of vexation Iob 14.1 The description of the last age is admirable and hath need of a good Anatomist to helpe the true vnderstanding of the same Then the Sunne is darke and the Light and the Moone and the Starres And the Clowdes returne after the Raine Eccl. 12.2 The Keepers of the house tremble the Strong men bow themselues the Grinders cease because they are few and they waxe darke that looke out by the windowes Eccl. 12.3 And the doores shall bee shut by the street with the base sound of the grinding and a Man shall stand vp at the voyce of the Bird and all the Daughters of Musick shall be brought low Eccl. 12.4 And men will dread euery high place and feare will be in the way and the Almond tree will flourish and the Grasse-hopper will bee a burthen to it selfe and all lust will be dissolued and a man goeth to his long home and Mourners goe about in the street Eccl. 12.5 The siluer Cord is loosed and the golden Ewer broken and the Pitcher burst at the Well and the Wheele broken at the Cisterne Eccl. 12.6 And dust returne to the Earth as it was and the Spirit returne to God that gaue it Eccl. 12.7 By the Sunne and Starres darkned is meant the dayes losing their light so that all things seeme darke vnto them euen the Sun it selfe And the Clowdes returne after the Raine that is after they haue wept a long time there passe before their eyes as it were clowdes being nothing else but grosse vapours which grow thicke and foggie The keepers of the House tremble that is the ribs and breast which keepe the inward parts and compasseth them about The strong men shall bow that is the knees and legges shall lose their strength which are the Pillars vpon the which the whole building is set The grinders shall cease they are few that is the Teeth the mouth being as a Mill old mens teeth are few in number and those that are weake and so the grinding ceaseth And they waxe darke that looke out by the Windowes that is the eye in the head like Windowes in a House like two louers which giue light in order And the doores shut without by the base sound of the grinding that is the Lips shall be shut because the