ALL Christianor [...] cor­pora Christi mem­bra, Dei templa. Tertul. de resurr. carn. Christian mens bo­dies are 1 Cor. 6. 15. Members of Christs Body, 1 Cor. 6. 19. and Tem­ples of Gods Spirit; and are therefore in decent and comely manner to be laid vp in their [...], Dor­mitoria. Vide Du­rant. de ritib. lib. 1. cap. 23. slee­ping chambers or their [...] Cubilia. Esai. 57. 2. resting places, as the Prophet Esay termeth them. A decent and comely Sepulture then is due to all Christian corps. But more then so, with some solemnitie may this office well bee performed to those, in whom the Holy Ghost manifested a more speciall residence by 1 Cor. 12. 4, 6, 11. a more plentifull measure of spirituall endowments, and more powerfull opera­tions [Page] flowing from the same, while they liued; and whom, hauing obtained 2 Cor. 12, 27. 30. a more eminent place in Christs body, God hath made instruments of more than ordinary good to his portion and people here. 1 Sam. 25. 1. Samuel dyed (saith the Storie) [...] Sam. 3. 20. a Prophet of God, 1 Sam. 7. 15, 16. and Ruler of Gods people, and all Israel assembled to his buriall, and mourned for him.

This being apparant, good ground there is for this solemne Assemblie, which the decease of our right worthy, and deseruedly beloued, and much respected Christian Brother, M. RICHARD STOCK, a graue and reuerend Father in this our Church, a faithfull Minister and seruant of Iesus Christ, and the vigilant Pastor of a neighbouring Congregati­on, for the performance of this last Christian office to the [...]. Resi­quiae. Hinc I [...]l. Scaligeri epit [...]ph. Scaligeri quod reli­quum esi. remainders of him with vs, hath occasio­ned at this present.

Concerning whom & his deportments, howsoe­uer very much might iustly be spoken, and be spo­ken iustly by my selfe, not frō others reports, but of mine own knowledge, hauing bin Test [...]s oculatus: qu [...] auritis d [...]m praefer Plaut. Tru­cul. 2. 6. quos sccun­dae notae testes ap­pellat. Sen. quaest. n [...]t. l. 4. c. 3. Nam & serur [...] & sia­ [...]er [...]us visa solent, quam audita nar­rari, & in tertium nas transf [...]sa faci­lius coaces [...]unt. Gof­f [...]id. vit Be [...]n. l. 1. prae [...]t. contra quam Apuleius: cui Flo­rid. 1. Pluris est. au­ [...]us t [...]s [...]is uni [...], quam ocula [...] de [...]e. an eye witnesse of them, as hauing beene familiarly and inwardly ac­quainted with him ever since the fourth yeere of his abode in the Schooles of the Prophets, and shortly af­ter the time of my first accesse thither; (for there was no more distance betweene our two stand­ings) yet neither will the streights of time permit it, nor will it be very needfull so to doe; his life, and courses, and constant labour in the worke of the Word, being so well knowne, not in this, or the neighbour places onely, but thorow-out the whole City, wherein he constantly continued the worke [Page 3] of his Ministery by the space of well neere thirty yeeres. I will endeuour therefore to contract (what I well may) that which I shall speake of him, and hasten to those things that more neerely concerne our selues.

And to beginne with the times of my first notice of him. As in his first beginnings he was of eminent note in the Colledge he liued in, both for his vnwea­riable industry, and his singular proficiency in those studies of humanitie, that are as Theologiae anc [...]l­lari. handmaids to Di­uinity, and helpe to lay a good ground for any fu­ture profession; So his care was so Pietatem huma­ [...]ita [...]i intercalarem facere. to entertwine pletie and humanitie the one with the other, that Tanquam subte­men & stamen. as web and woofe they ranne on euer along toge­ther through the whole course of his studies. Nor was he carefull onely of this practise himselfe, but (according to that of the Apostle, Hebr. 10. 24. Obserue one another, [...]. Quod ex Prou. 27. 17. tractum vi­d [...]tur. to whe [...] on to godlinesse and well-doing;) hee was no lesse forward to incite others thereunto; and not to incite them onely thereunto, but to as­sist them therein, and to afford what helps he could (which well also he could doe) unto any that were either desirous, yea, or willing, but to imbrace them. In which kinde I cannot without iust note of in­gratitude but acknowledge my selfe much indeb­ted vnto him; and haue cause (with many others, beside my selfe, much my betters) to blesse God that euer we came acquainted there with him. In a word, while he staied in the Colledge (which his desire was to haue done longer then he did, if op­portunity had serued) [...]. Greg. Naz. in B [...] ­sil. he gaue before hand, ere he came to it, euident signes of one likely to proue [Page] [...]. a skilfull Master-builder in Gods worke, and [...]uk [...] 16 a win­ner of many soules to God.

Nor was he one of those [...]. rathe-ripe wits, that promise faire in the blossome, but faile in the fruit; that like Comets, blaze brighter than the fixed starres for a time, but after a while vanish and come to nought, the matter of them being wholly either spent or disperst. But his proceedings in pub­like were correspondent to his beginnings in priuate. When it pleased God [...]. to call him out and set him apart to that imploiment that he had ordained him to before, he proued a painfull, a faithfull Minister of Christ, a skilfull, a powerfull dispenser of Gods Word. If any demand proofe hereof: not to insist vpon his constant and incessant imploiments, with generall approbation and applause both of religious and iu­dicious, continued for so many yeeres (as was be­fore said) together, not a Sabbath intermitted, wherein (if health serued) he preached not twise, either in his owne charge (where he was frequen­test) or elsewhere abroad; besides his catechisings of the younger sort at certaine times in the weeke dayes, and other such offices as to the pastor all functi­on are necessarily annexed, and are priuately to bee performed; wherein also he was no lesse diligent than in the execution of his publike Ministery. Not to insist (I say) upon this; (which yet were suffici­ent proofe of it:) As the Apostle saith to the Corin­thians, [...] Cor. [...]. 1, 2. You are [...]. the seale of my Apostleship, and [...] Co [...]. 9. [...], my [...] letters testimoniall. So may I well say of this our reuerend Brother: So many Christian soules pro­fessing themselues to haue had their first effectuall [Page] calling and conuersion from him, (in which kinde, I suppose, not many in this City may compare with him) besides the multitudes of those that acknow­ledge themselues to haue been edified, built up, and bettred by him, are the seale of his calling, and of 2 Cor. 13. 3. Christ speaking in him, and not verball or vocall, but reall letters testimoniall of the efficacy of his ministe­ry, through 1 Cor. 3. 6, 7. Gods blessing thereupon.

An Iacob. de Vorag. in A [...]dr. s [...]rm 4. obscure Author saith, that the Apostles were like Fishermen, the succeeding Ministers like Huntsmen: Pis [...]atores praedicatores primitiu [...], Matth. 4. 19. qu [...] vno [...] [...] multitud [...] capi­unt, [...]uc. 5. 6. Ioan. 21. 6. Act. 2. 41. & 4. 4. the Apostles like fishermen that catch many at one draught; Praedicatores mo­derni vt venatores, Ier 9. 16. qui cu [...] clamo [...]ibus & labo­ribus multis vix v­nam feram capi [...] the succeeding. Ministers like Huntsmen, that with much toile and clamour, running up and downe all day, scarce take one Deere or Hare ere night. And such indeed is the hard condition of many of Gods seruants, that not­withstanding their faithfull and painfull discharge of their duty, they are enforced to complaine with the Prophet, Es [...]. 53. 1. who beleeueth our report? and, Es [...]i. 49 4 I haue laboured in vaine; scarce able to produce or instance in any one, of whom they can with some good ground of assurance presume, that they haue gained him at least to God. But well might this our Brother, through Gods blessing vp­on his labours, stand out and say, not of one or two, but of troupes, in the words of the same Pro­phet, Esai. 8. 18. Behold I and the Children, that God hath giuen me; and with the Apostle, [...] Cor. 4. 15. These haue I begotten to God by the Gospell of Christ Iesus.

Yea more than that; well assured I am, that di­uers now famous lights in Gods Church, and faith­full Ministers of his Word, doe professe to haue ligh­ted [Page] their candles at his lampe, yea some of them to haue receiued their first beginnings not of light on­ly, but of spirituall life and grace, (without which all light be it neuer so great, is no light, but meere darknes) from his Ministery. It is no small honour for a man to winne, and it were but, any one soule: (Iam. [...] [...]0. He hath saued a soule, saith S^t. Iames; as a matter worthy the glorying in.) For Matth. 16. 26. to win a soule is to win more than the whole world againe is worth. But what an honour is it then to be, not the winner of a soule, but the winner of such as proue winners of soules, and so [...] Plut. de [...]. [...]ct. cum princip. by winning of some one immediatly, to be a mediate meanes of winning many others by him? Dan 12. 3. They shall shine (saith he) as the Heauens, [...] [...] Iun. that in­struct; and they [...] iustifi [...]. Ian. ad [...] cōuer­tentes. Geneu. & Reg. Bibl. Angl. that conuert others, as the stars. And how gloriously then (suppose we) doth this our [...]. blessed Brother Matth. 13. 43. shine now in the Kingdome of God, that was an instructer of those that were in­structers of others; that was a conuerter of those that were conuerters of others themselues?

Many then (as [...]. 1. 16. the Holy Ghost saith of Iohn the Baptist) did this our Brother winne to the Lord. Many (I say) he wonne; though all he could not: that was more then [...] 18. 6. [...]. 19. the Apostle himselfe was able to doe. But many yet he wonne, and his desire [...] Thess. 3. 2. and endeuour (with Rom 10. 1. 1 Cor. 9. 19. 22. & 10. 33. the same Apostle) was to win all; his own especially, of whom he vsed to protest, that it was more comfort to him to winne one of them, than to winne twenty other. But some refractary spi­rits (as Psal. 58. 3, 4, 5. [...]. [...]. Ier. 6. 16, 17, [...]8. [...]9. 30. who almost doth not?) he met withall, that would not be reclaimed; that by their crosse carriage were as Quod de Cana­naeis, Iosh. 23 13. thornes in his eyes, and as goad [...]s [Page 7] in his sides, and Quod de Sodo­mitis, 2 Pet. 2. 7, 8. De Hebraeis, Psal 106. 33. a vexation of heart to this faith­full seruant of Christ: Whom, if any of them bee yet liuing, the Lord vouchsafe mercy, and better mindes to, and Act. 7. 60. 2 Tim. 4. 16. lay not this sinne of theirs to their charge. And if there be any of those that liued any long time under so painfull and powerfull a Mini­stery as his was, that remaine still vnconuerted, vn­reclaimed, vnreformed, let them feare and beware of that dreadfull censure of the Apostle, 2 Cor. 4. 4. If our Gospell be yet hid, &c. And let such know, that not Mat. 10. 14 Luk. 9. 5. & 10. 11. Act. 13. 51. the dust of his feet, but the sweat of his browes, and the teares of his eyes, and his Esai. 49. 4. strength wasted with them, and his spirits spent vpon them, shall one day rise vp in iudgement against [...]hem to make their doome Matth. 10 15. the heauier, if by timely repentance it be not preuented.

But because a man may winne others, and yet lose himselfe; Non salutis esse dispensatorem, hoc est salutis etiam esse participem, Aug. epist. 140. he may saue others, and yet not saue himselfe: (Animam faci­unt, etiam qui non habant. Contra quē Sen. Non faciunt animum, quia nec habent. they may beget life in others, that haue none in themselues.) The Word may worke by a man, and yet not worke on him: He may be Per lapideum canalem transit a­qua ad arcolas, in canali lapideo nihil generans, sed tamē hortis plurimii fru­ctum affert. Aug. in Ioan. [...]r. 5. like a treene or a stonegutter (saith Augustine) that con­ueigheth water into a garden, but receiueth no benefit thereby it selfe; or like Hermae, siue Sta­tuae Mercuriales. Ier. 31. 21. the hand on the high way that pointeth others the way, which yet it neuer wal­keth it selfe; or [...] Diogenis dictum. Stob. c. 23. Quod & de Peripateticis Cleanthes [...]sur [...]auit. Laert. like an Harpe (saith the Heathen man) that maketh others melody, or Antisthenem Diogenes [...] dixit, [...]. Din Prus. orat. 8. a Trumpet, that soundeth loud, but heareth nothing it selfe; or Aqua baptismatis baptizatos ad regnum caeleste mitt [...]t, & ipsapostea in clea­cam descendit. Gregor. in Euang hom. 17. like [Page 8] to the baptisme water (saith Gregory) that helpes men to Heauen ward, and goeth after downe to the sincke it selfe: He may^q preach to others, and not preach to himselfe; he may conuert others, and yet [...] prooue a [...] castaway himselfe. (And yet it is [...] seldome seene, that much good is done, where a due [...]. Method. apud Epishan. haeres. 64. concent is not betweene tongue and hand, betweene lip and life.) This our Brother therefore was none of those Qui dicunt & non faciunt. M [...]tih. 23. 3. that say and doe not: but [...]. Basil. in Psalm. 63. Quod iussit & gassit. Bern. epist. 42. & in Cant. 20. Non verbis solum praeduans, sed exemplis. Idem de temp. 51. [...] de Origen [...] Euseb. hist. lib. 6. cap. 3. [...] as he taught, he [...]. Isider. Pelus. lib. 2. [...]st. 251. & [...]st. 271. [...]. Itaque Menander. [...]. Suadet loquentis vita, non oratio. Plutare. de leg. poet. & praecept. pol t. Et Gregor. Nazian. [...]. Qui docent tan­tum [...] faciunt, ipsi praeceptis suis detrahunt pondus. Bonum quidem est recta & ho­nesta praecip [...]re: sed nisi & facias, mendacium est. Lactant. instit. lib. 3. cap. 16. Nisi & [...] que praecipit, soluta praecepta sunt. Qui praecipiunt, nec saciunt, abest ab cis si­des. Praeceptus [...] suis fidem de [...]abit, qui quod verbis astr [...]re conatur, r [...]psa resoluit. Ibid. lib. 4. cap. 23. wrought: His [...]. I­sid. [...] l [...]b. 2. epist. 275. doctrine and his practise concurred, and went hand in hand together: His actions were, though [...]. Gregor. Nazian. in Easil. silent, yet reall and effectuall Sermons of that he preached in the Pulpit: The course of his [...]. Pluta [...]e. de Stoic. repugn. [...]. Si­ [...]cat. epist. 37. Concordet sermo cu [...] vita. S [...]nec. epist. 75. Ad legem suam quisque vi [...]at, [...] vita d [...]ss [...]ntiat. Idem epist. 20. life was consonant to the tenour of his teaching. And [...]. Isid. Pel. lib. 3. ep. 3 [...]. both ioyning and conspiring in one, were a [Page 9] meanes to draw on many, who [...]. Ibid. Qu [...] e­rimobten p [...]ret, [...]. 235. [...]. Aristot. Ethic. lib. 10. cap. 1. [...]. by the one alone paraduenture had not easily beene wonne. In a word; for his teaching, I doubt not but that they will giue him the best testimony that heard him oftest; and for his life they that knew him best. For he was not a flash; one of those that shew all in a Ser­mon, or that spend all vpon some one curious good worke, that they minde to make their Master-piece. But both in his life and teaching he held on such a tenor, that the more men, Vt enim de pictore, scalptore, fictore nisi artifex iudicare; ita nisi sapiens non potst perspicere sapientem. Plin. l. 1. epist. 10. wise and iudicious at least, were acquainted with either, Miror magis, quô magis intelligo. Idem de Euphrate ibid. the more they reuerenced and admired him for either.

There are two things (saith one) that make a compleat man. [...]. Isid. l. 2. ep. 131. [...]. Ibid. ep. 175. ex. Mat. 10. 16. [...]ntegritie and Iudgement: the one whereof [...] but [...]. Idē ibid. Nō est vera simplic [...]as, nisi animiocul [...], et plus sit, qui fallere nolit, et cantus sit, quo falli non possit. Bern. de praecept. & dispens. lame and maimed without the [...]; and in many oft they doe not meet. But an happy coniunction of them both was there in this our Brother. For the proofe whereof I may well referre my selfe to the iudgement, both of those that so frequently desired to make vse of him, for the ouersight of their last wils, and for his assistance by way of direction, in the disposing of their estates: (and we know all, how cautious men are wont to be in that kinde:) As also of those reuerend Bre­thren, of the Ministerie as well as other, who, ei­ther [Page 10] by letters or otherwise, out of all parts of this [...]. Vt animi scasa ele­qut, & apte possi, & li [...] err a [...]deat. [...]. T [...]. 3. 2. [...] 2 Tim. 2. 2. Tit 1. 6 [...] G [...]eg. N [...]k. in Ba [...]il. & I­s [...]. Peld. 2. [...]. 302. [...]. Mat. 5. 19. Isid. ib [...]. cp. 235. [...] Greg. Naz. ib d. Realme (I speake what I know) did vsually seeke to him, as to one more then ordinarily able to giue them satisfaction, for the resolution of their doubts.

These two then (as he saith) make a compleat man indeed. But there is somewhat more required to make a compleat Minister, to wit, ⁱ that he can ^k speak his mind fitly, (for what vse of [...]. Schol. A [...]siaph. Plut. Muti siquidem [...] est? Esai. 56. 10. Innocens & abs (que) sermine conuersatio, quantū exemplo prodest, [...] no [...] [...] Hier [...]ad Ocean. a mute Messenger?) and that he Ier. 1. 17. Act. 4. 29. Ephes. 6. 19. Tit. 2. 15. dare doe it freely. (For Quis tibi [...] Dei non audebit? Ambr. ep. 29. Ita (que) Greg. Naz. ad Eunō 5. Oij [...]. N [...]si sid [...]liter dixcrim, vobis erit [...] sum, mibip [...]o, [...]. Tuneo ita (que) damnum vestrum, timeo damnationem m [...]am, fi tacuero. [...]. 99. of whom is courage and freedome of speech required more then of Gods Messengers?) Nor was this our worthy Brother defect [...]e in either.

For, as for the former, how well able he was, not to expresse only, but to v [...]sse to, nor to confirme alone, but to commend also, that that he deliuered, with cleere method, sound proopes, [...]je words, fit phrase, pregnant similitudes, plentifull illu­strations, pithy perswasions, sweet insinuations, power­full enforcements, allegations of antiquitie, and variety of good literature; that both the learnedst might re­ceiue satisfaction from him, and the very meanest and dullest also might reape benefit by him: and so as might well D [...]. [...]. Plin. See. l. 1. cp. 20. & [...] relinqu [...]bat. Val. Max l. 8. c 9. leaue an impression in the hearts and mindes of his hearers; they cannot bee ignorant, [Page 11] that for any space of time heard him. In a word, in this kinde he was such an one Quem imitari plurimi concupis­cant, poucissimi pus­sint. Plin. de [...]n­ton. l. 5. cp. 10. as many stroue to imitate, not many of them matched.

Againe, because it is in vaine to be able to speake to good purpose, if a man dare not vse his tongue; if, as he said sometime of the Eretrians, he be [...]. Themislod [...] apud Plut. in Them. & in a [...] ophth. like the Sword-fish, that Nam & gladio lingua consern so­let. Diogenes de spur [...]a di [...]i [...]ne à pulchro pros [...]cta, [...]. L [...]rt. Et A­pul. florid. 3. vt gla­dius vsu splendes­cit, situ rubiginat. ita vox in vagina silentij condita diu­tino torpore hebtta­tur. Sed & s [...]r [...]o diuinus glad [...]us di­citur, Esai 49. 2, Ephes. 6. 17. hath a sword, but hath no heart; or like some cowardly companion, that carri­eth a weapon about him for a shew, but dare not draw it, or make vse of it, though iust occasion thereof bee offered: For his freedome of speech therefore in reprouing of sinne, and that euen to the faces of the gr [...]est, both in publike and priuate, when occ [...]on required it, I doubt not but there are many here that are well able to testifie, and some accidents made it to bee more publikely knowne, then his desire was that it should haue beene.

Much hath beene spoken, and much more then I entended; and more time taken vp then I made account of. And yet much more might be added, then hath beene spoken, if time and strength would permit. Many things I haue touched, and rather pointed at then insisted on. And yet many things (I know) many among you will misse, that might as iustly haue beene spoken of, and that (it may bee) some of you will deeme should not haue beene omitted. One, his Zealous and earnest pursuit of re­formation of some prophanations of the Sabbath; wherein he preuailed also for alteration of some things in that kinde offensiue, as well For their mee­tings on S^t. The­mas day. with the maine body of the City, as For their Moon­day feasts. with some particular so­cieties: [Page 12] An other his discreet carriage in the catechi­zing [...]. [...]. [...] [...]. [...] [...]. [...]. dep [...]u­p [...]t. Id [...] (que) in A­ [...]al. [...]. Quibus gemina sunt Philostrati illa cp. 2. [...] &c. Itaque quod Plin. l. 6 cp 27. Facilis [...]; nonfacilis electio. est enim ex [...]s eius l [...]rga materia. of the younger sort; the males apart one day, and the females another; the riper and forwarder first in the presence of the ruder and rawer, and the ruder and rawer apart by themselues after the de­parture of the former, that they might both reape what fruit might bee by hearing them, and yet re­ceiue no discouragement by being heard of them: A third his pious care and diligence in the religious in­struction and education of those that were vnder his priuate charge, children and others: Some one thing, some another. And I co [...]sse, with Nazi­anzene in somewhat the like case, [...]at it is herein with me, ^t as with one in a field or a [...], reple­nisht with faire flowers of all sorts, who w [...] casteth his eye on one, another offereth it selfe to him, and while he is catching at that, another commeth in his way, and while that pleaseth his eye, another withdraweth it to it selfe: And [...]. Greg. Naz. in Patrem. as the rings or circles that rise on the surface of the water, when a stone is cast into a standing poole, they come so thick one vpon the neck of another, that, as if they stroue for place, they iustle out ei­ther other: so such variety of passages presenteth it selfe to me, that while I looke after one, I lose and let slip another, and when I would fetch that [Page 13] vp againe, another choppeth in, as contending for roome with it: And if I should pursue and insist vpon euery particular, that either others might ex­pect, or that might iustly challenge a place here time and speech would faile mee before matter to speake of.

To draw toward an end therefore together with his end; the end of his labours, but the begin­ning of his resi, the end of his worke, but the receipt of his reward: In these and the like imploiments publike and priuate, hee spent his time, he spent his strength, Sicut l [...]erna se consumit in seru [...] ­um al [...]orum. Iac. de Vorag. de Ioan Bapt. 6. like a torch or taper, wasting and consu­ming himself, for the behoofe and benefit of others, Esai. [...]9 [...]. ha [...]g his worke with God then, and his reward for it from God now. And for these emploiments principally it was that he desired recouery of health and strength; vnto the performance whereof also (though therein iniurious to himselfe, and con­trary to his owne desires) he oft strained himselfe, and that in the middest of his infirmitie and weak­nesse, not to the vncertaine hazard onely, but to the euident impeachment and impairing of either. Esai. 38. 2 [...]. What is the Signe, said Ezekias, when he was pro­mised recouery, that I shall goe vp to the house of the Lord? as desiring continuance of life and recouery of health for no one end more then that. And therfore also was this our Brother so desirous of recouery, that he might repaire to Gods house againe, that he might returne to Gods worke againe. To which purpose the very last Lords day before his decease, hauing after many relapses recouered a little strength, he made shift to get out to a neighbour [Page 14] Congregation, there to ioine with Gods people in pub­like performance of such solemne seruice of God as that day is vsually spent and emploied in. And ha­uing held out to the end with them in both parts of the day, he reioiced much therein, that he was able so to doe; the rather because thereby he concei­ued some good hope, that hee should be strong e­nough ere long, to returne to his wonted worke and employment againe. But the Lord saw it better (for Psal. 135. 6. Ephes. 1. 11. his will appeareth by his worke) to put an end to his incessant labours here, and to translate him to the place of his endlesse rest else where. The gaine is his; the losse ours, min [...] [...]wne (among others) not the least. The Lord sanctifie it vnto vs, and to those whom any way it concernet [...]; and vouchsafe in mercy to repaire it, by raising vp ma­ny alike qualified and endowed in his roome. With whom now leaue we him, and returning home to our selues, afford we a reuerent and religi­ous care to those instructions, that for the fitting and preparing of vs vnto the way that he is gone before vs, shall out of Gods Word be deliuered vn­to vs.

BEfore was a long dis­course Abrahams Death. of Abrahams life: here is a report in few words of his death.

Wherein (to come to Of it foure Particulars. them directly without further preface, because much time is already spent) wee may consi­der these particulars:

Quis, Who. Who died;

Quando, When. How he died;

Q [...]omodo, How. When he died; and

Quô, Whither. Whither he went when he died.

[Page] First, who died; Abraham. Particular [...]. Quis Person, Who. Point 1.

Whence we may obserue, that

No state or condition here freeth men from death.

For who might sooner or better haue expected to haue beene freed from it then Abraham? Abra­ham (I say) Gen. 20. 7. a Prophet of God; Gen. 23. 6. a Prince of God; I [...]m 2. 23. 2 Chron. 20. 7. Esai. 41. 8. a speciall friend of God; Rom. 4. 16. the Father of the faith­full, &c. And yet of this Abraham, a Prince, a Pro­phet, Gods friend, his fauourite, the father of the faith­full, is it here said, that he died; and by the Iewes to our Sauiour, Iohn 8. 54. Abraham is dead. So Iohn 11. [...], 36. Lazarus Christs friend; and yet, Iohn 11. 11. This our Friend (saith Christ) slee­peth; that is (as afterward he there e [...]eth himselfe) fohn 11. 14. hee is dead. The Luke 12. 4. Iohn 12. 14, 15. Apostles likew [...] Christs friends; and yet they are Matth. 20. 23. Luke 21. 16. Iohn 2 [...]. 19. Act. 12. 2, & 20. 29. all dead: (For it was no true Iohn 21. 23. Word that went among the Disciples concerning Iohn, from the words of our Sauiour either Sic eum volo ma­nere, &c. Vulg. per­peram. Quod se­qu [...]tur tamen Am­bros. in Psal. 45. &. 118. Aug. in Ioan. 124. & de temp. 149. B [...]da, Lyra, Rupert. &c. Pro­pugnat Georg. Tra­pez. oppugnat Card. Bessarion. Graeci co­dices resellunt. mistaken or misinterpreted, that that Disci­ple should not die.) Dauid 1 Sam 13. 13. a man after Gods owne Iohn 21. 22. heart: and yet 1 King. 2. 1. he goeth the way of: all flesh. Zech. 1. 5. Your Fathers (saith the Prophet Zachary) where are they? or doe the Prophets liue for euer? And the Iewes an­swer him in the negatiue, No; Iohn 8. 52. the Prophets are dead. In a word; as the Psalmist saith, that Psal. 49. 10. wise men die as well as fooles: so Ezek. 21. 4. good men die as well as bad: yea, the good goe oft before the bad. Esai. 57. 1. The righteous (saith he) are taken away from the euill to come. And of Ieroboams young Sonne it is said; u [...]. Menand. Plut. ad Apollon. God taketh the [...] soonest, whom hee loueth best. Mo [...]ce t [...] epitaph. sui. [Page 17] 1 King. 14. 12, 13. Reason. He shall die, because there is some goodnesse in him.

Now the reason why the godly die as well as the wicked, is,

First, if we regard naturall causes, Natural. 1.

1. Because they are made of the same mould and mettall that others are: 2 Cor. 4. 7. We haue this treasure (saith the Apostle) in [...]. Testacea vasa. Hier. de virgin. fictilia. Greg. Mor. l. 3. c. 6. Natural. 2. earthen vessels: they are but Esai 64. 8. ear­then p [...]ts as well as Ier. 18 6. [...]. Prov. Graec.—Vul­gus fictilis, Qu [...] si­mul offendit ad for­tunam, frangitur. Phaedr. fab. 72. Spirituall 1. others.

2. Because they are subiect to the same casualties that others are. For, Eccles. 9. 2. Cui­uis potest accidere, quod cuiquam po­test. P. Syr. Spirituall 2. All things come alike to all: The same [...] casus. chance betideth the good and the bad; the cleane and the vncleane; Malac. 3. 18. the sacrificer and him that sacrificeth not; Zech. 5. 3, 4. Spirituall 3. the swearer, and him that Iuramentum re­uerenti. Iun. timen­ti. Pisc. Spirituall 4. feareth to sweare, that maketh conscience of an oath.

Secondly, if we regard spirituall respects.

1. The godly die also that they may rest from their labours: For, Apoc. 14. 13. They rest from their labours that are deceased in Christ.

2. They die that they may receiue their reward; to wit, 2 Tim. 4. 7, 8. the Crowne of righteousnesse; which they must 2 Tim. 2. 5. Iam. 1. 12. not expect, till they haue [...]. Plutarc. contr. Epic. finished their race.

3. They die, that they may be rid of sinne: Rom. 8. 10. they die for sinne, saith the Apostle: yet not to pay for it, as the wicked doe, but to be Rom. 7. 24. freed from it: For, Rom. 6. 7. He that is dead, is freed from sinne.

4. They die, that they may be [...]. Antiphan. Moriar? desinam alligari posse, desinam aegrotareposse, desinam posse mori. Sen. epist. 24. freed from death it selfe: 2 Cor. 5. 4. that mortalitie (saith the same Apostle) may be swallowed vp of life.

[Page] 5. They die, that they may ^t goe to God: For, 2 C [...]r. 5. 6. While we bide here in the body, wee are absent from Spirituall. 5. [...]. Gre Naz. in Basil, Spirituall 6. the Lord: and 2 [...] 58. [...]. Gr [...]g. Naz. in Patr. We desire therefore to remoue hence, that we may goe home to him.

6. They die, that they may be with Christ: Philip. [...] 23. Obiect. I. I desire (saith he) [...] vti Ho­mer. Ody [...]. [...]. Solu [...]re, v [...]l [...] ­ram soluere: vt Fab. instit. l. 1. P [...]rm t [...]a­mus vela ventis, et oram soluentibus bene pre, emu [...]. Et l. 4 Solu [...]mus oram, prosecti sumi [...]s. Vtà nau [...]gatur [...]s tract [...] sit Uid. P [...]sc. in Luc. 12. 36. Hinc [...]. 2 Tim. 4. 6. to loose, or to be loosed, and to bee with Christ.

But against the truth of this point, may some ob­iection be made.

For first, if no state or condition free men from death, how (may some say) it is said of Enoch, that Hebr. 1 [...]. 5. he neuer saw death; and of Elias, that 2 King. 2. 11. he was ta­ken Answ. vp aliue into heauen?

To this I answer, that Pr [...]a siagu­laria regulam non fa iunt, regulam nō i [...]f [...]ingunt. Priuil [...] ­gis sing [...]orum le­ [...]me mmunem [...]o s [...]t. H [...]on. in [...] 1 Bed. n Act. singular and extraordinary priuiledges neither make a rule, nor marre a rule. It followeth not, because some one or two of this or that estate or condition haue by speciall fauour beene some time exempted from this generall sentence, that therefore the estate or condition it selfe exempteth any, or that all of the same estate are exempt and freed therefore therefrom. Esai. 38. 3. Ezekias walketh with God as well as Gen. 5. 24. Enoch, and yet 2 King. 20. 21. he died, when his lease of 2 King. 20. 6. fifteene yeeres expired. Eliseus was 2 King. [...]. 7. a Pro­phet of God as well as Elias; and 2 King. 2. 15. the Spirit of E­lias (it is said) rested vpon Eliseus: and yet 2 King. 13. 20. he died, and was buried; as appeareth by the 2 King 13. 21. miracle, that God wrought by his corps sometime after his de­cease. These were personall priuiledges: and Pers [...]nasi [...] ▪ [...]ctio moritur cum I [...] [...]. [...]. [...]uris sunt pr [...]legia. N [...]n sunt amplianda priuil [...]gia. Ibid. per­sonall prerogatiues passe no further than the persons d Heb [...] 9 26. [Page 19] of those, whom they are conferred on.

But secondly, if euen Apo. 2. 10. 13. the faithfull die also, (for Obiection 2. how should the faithfull looke to escape death, when Rom 4 16. the Father of the faithfull, as wee see here, himselfe dieth?) how (may some say) are the words of our Sauiour made good where he saith; I [...]bn 8. 51. If any man keepe my sayings, he shall neuer Mortem videre. i mori. Psal. 49. 9. & 98. 48. [...]eb [...]. 11. 6. Sicut vid [...]re vi [...]am [...]i. viuere, I [...]bn 3. 36. Ineptum est e­nim quod C [...]rysost. nom. nescio quis in Marc 10. distinguit inter mortem gu­stare & videre. Answ. see death; And, Iubn 11. 26. He that liueth and beleeueth in me, shall [...]. neuer die?

To this I answer, that there is as 1 [...]or. 15 45. a twofold life, so Luke 9 60. a twofold death: A twofold life; to wit, G [...]n. 2. 7. a na­turall life issuing from the coniunction of the soule to the body; and Rom 8. 10. a spirituall life arising from the con­iunction of God to the soule. And a twofold death; to wit, Ia [...]. 2 26. a naturall death arising from the disiuncti­on of the soule from the body; and Ep [...]s 2. 1, 12 & 4 18. a spirituall death arising from the disiunction of God from the soule. For looke [...] G [...]eg. N [...]z. a [...]g. Q [...]od an [...]a [...]oc Deus est an [...]mae. Bern. s [...]rm. Par [...] 3. what the soule is to the body, the same is God to the soule. [...]a 73 26. [...]. Isia. P [...] 3. ep. 252. Sicut anim [...] v [...]a est co [...]poris [...]ita Deus vita est an [...]mae. Ber. ser part 3 V [...]nis an ma est, vita animae Deus est Aug. deci [...]it. l. 19. c. 6. & de v [...]rb. Apost. [...]8. & [...] Sanci. 16 A [...]esse debet, vt viuat corpus, anima, vt viuat anima, D [...]us. Ibid. As the soule is the life of the body, so is God the life of the soule. And Psal. 73 27. [...]. Isid. ibid. Moritur corpus cum re [...]edit anima: mo [...]tur anima, si re­ [...]da Deus. Aug. de verb. Apost. 28. Corpus mortu [...]m est sine anima; anima m [...] sine Deo. I­dem de Sanct. 13. Mors co poris a spiritu deser [...]; mors spirit' à Deo. Idem de C [...]ui. l. 19. c. 26. as the na­turall death ensueth, when the soule departeth from the body; so the spirituall death followeth, when God with-draweth himselfe from the soule. The faithfull then may dye the naturall death: but they neuer dye the spirituall death. Eccle 12. 7. Death may seuer their soules from their bodies: but Rom. 8. 38, 39. death [Page 20] cannot cut off either soule or body with them from Christ. The Faithfull may die; and yet our Saui­ours words true. For [...]. Callimach epigr. 14. Qu [...]p [...] virtutem [...], ba [...]d [...]s interit. Plaut. Capt. 3. 5. they die not, euen when they die. [...]. Chrysost. in Phi­lip. hom. 3. Quod a Iudaeo [...]um doctori­bus tractum docet 10. Capnio in Cabal. lib. 1. pag 755. Wicked men (saith Chrysostome) are [...]. 1 Tim. 5. 6. dead euen while they liue: good and godly men Viuunt. omnes Deo, Luke 10. 38. liue euen when they be dead. The life of the one is nothing but Per vitam ad mortē [...] est. a passage to death: the death of the other is nothing but Per mortem ad vitam reditus est. Ambr. de bon. mort. an entrance into life. For it is Non est vita sed mors dicenda, quae viuentem à Christo separat. no life but death, that seuereth a man from Christ while he liueth: It is Non est m. sed v. dic. quae morientem Christo sociat. Idem de Abel. l. 2. c. 9. no death but life, that bring­eth a man home to Christ when he dieth.

And thus much briefly for answer to these two Obiections.

Now for the vse of the Point.

First, it may serue to hearten and encourage vs a­gainst the feare and dread of death. For doe all, Vse 1. euen the godly and faithfull die? Why should wee be loath to come to that, that so many Saints of God haue come to before? As Phocion said to one that was to die with him; [...]; Plut. in apophth. & de laud. sui. Isid. Pel. l. 3 [...]. 154. Art thou not glad to fare as Phocion doth? So, why should any be loath to doe as Abraham doth? Or why should we be afraid to goe that way, that all the holy men of God haue gone before vs? It is true indeed, there might be some colourable cause of feare, if wee were to goe some [...]. Oppian. venat. lib 1. Auia—peragro loca, nullius ante Trita solo. Lucret. lib. 1. & 4. vncouth and vntrod way, such as none euer went before vs; as Qui cum Horat. lib. 1. ep. 19. dicere poterat; Libera per vacuum posui vestigia princeps: Non [...] meo press [...] pede. Abel did when he died. Or if none but the wicked had gone this way before vs, [Page] we might iustly feare, that it were indeed the high way to hell. But now when the blessed Saints and the best beloued of God haue, either all or the most of them at least, gone this way before vs; yea when he was no wicked but Matth. 23. 35. Iustitiae princeps: cui Christus iustitiae primatum tribuit. Aug. nom. de mi [...]ab. SSae. l. 1. c. 3. a iust man, that [...]. Chrysost in Gen. 21. went first of all this way: we may well and boldly follow him and them in it without feare, as being Hac iter ad su­peros, magnique ad tecta Tonantis. O­uid. Met. l. 1 Ianua vitae, portagloriae. Bern. de temp. 48. the high way to Heauen too; nor neede we dread or suspect any Si quid incom­modi aut motus in hoc negotio est, [...]o­rientis vitium est. Bassus apud Senec. epist. 30. e­uill in that, that Quomodo malū, quod a Deo pro bo­no maximo datum est? Cic. Tuscul l. 1. God, who loued them so deerely, would neuer haue suffered to befall them, if it should haue beene any way preiudiciall vnto them.

Secondly, doe euen such also die. This should teach vs 1 Thess. 4. 14. Non est lugendus qui antecedit, sed de­siderandus, &c. Cur enim immoderate feras abisse, quem mox consequeris? Tertul. de patient. Quod latius Cypr. de mortal. Non sunt lugendi fratres nostri accersione don inica de seculo liberati, cum sciamus eos non ami [...]i sed praemitti, recedentes praecedere; ut pro [...]es & [...] de­siderari eos debere, non plangi. not to mourne or bee grieued for the faithfull deceased, as if any euill had befallen them. For if they Apoc. 14. 13. died in the Lord, if they Hebr. 11. 13. deceased in the faith; they are but gone the same way that Gods best Vse 2. beloued went before them that liued in former times. They are rather Ab [...]erunt non ob [...]runt. Ambr. in Theodos. departed, than deceased; Praecesserunt, non decess [...]runt. Aug. de diuers. 43. Pro [...]ecti, non omissi. [...]i [...]ron. ad Saluin. sent before vs, whither 2 Sam. 12. 23. we must follow, Dimissi, praem ssi, non amissi. Cypr. sup. Aug. cp. 6. & [...]20. Sen. ep. 63. & 99. & ad Marc. c. 19 leaft onely, not lost. Their death is rather Abitus, Luke 2. 29. [...]. Plato apolog [...]. Simocat. ep. 25. [...]. Chrysost. tom. 6. ser. 43. Profectio est, quam mortem putamus. Tertul. de patient. a departing, or Exitus. Luke 9. 31. 2 Pet. 1. 15. Excessus de corpore. Tertul de resur. de mundo digredi. Ammian. l. 29. Mors migratio est. Cic. Tuscul. l. 1. migrare magis quam mori. Vell [...]iusl 1. non emori, sed emigrare. Hieron. in Nepot. a going out of this world, or Transitus, Iohn 13. [...]. [...]. Chrysost. & Theophil. Morstransitus est. Sen. ep. 65. Non est [...] sed transitus. Cypr. de mortal. a passage to heauen, [Page 22] or Reditus. Eccles. 12 7. [...]p [...]triasse erit b [...]c. Bern de consid. [...]. 5 [...] Epcharm [...]. Ar [...]. E­pict [...] R [...]uer­ti, vnde vene [...]s, quid graue est? S [...] tranq. c. 11. Itaque Pl [...]us ex­p [...]sans, [...]. S [...]s. epist. 139. a returne to God, then a Obitus. Non obi­it. Ambr. de Th [...]od. deceasing, or Int [...]ritus. I [...]teri­tus non est. Ambr. de bon. mort. [...]. 8. & Cic. Tus [...]. l. 1. Mors non interimit. Lu­cret. l. 2. H [...]ud is in­ [...]rit. Plaut. sup. surcea­sing, or Intermissio. Mors intermi [...]it vi [...]am, non erip [...]t. Sen. ep. 36. nee illud qu [...]e. intermission, or Intercisio. intercision, yea, or Diminutio. di­minution, either of l [...]fe, or of their good or happy estate. There is no cause therefore to mourne for those that die in Christ; there is cause rather to mourne for those that liue out of Christ. For the one liueth still though he die: the other is dead, though he yet liue, and shall one day die eternally, if he con­tinue as he now is. Luges corpus, i quo recessit anima? luge animā, à qua recessit D [...]us. Aug. de Sanct. 13. Doest thou mourne (saith Au­gustine) ouer the body that the soule hath leaft: mourne rather ouer the soule that God hath forsa­ken; as 1 Sam. 15 35. Samuel did for Saul; and as 2 Co [...]. 12 21. the Apostle saith, he should doe for such as had liued in lewd and loose courses, and not repented yet of them. [...]. Chryso [...]. in Philip. [...]om. 3. [...]. Isid. Pel. l. 1. cp. 334. Such there is cause therefore indeede to mourne for: But no cause in the world to mourne for those that are in no worse case, than Abraham and Isaak, and all the faithfull are, that liued in former times, Vse 3. or than others of the same ranke shall be hereafter to the worlds ends.

Thirdly, are 2 Sam. 14 14. Rom. 4 12. Heb. 9. 26. Mors per o [...]nes it. Sen. epist. 95. Mors omnes aequè vocat. Ir [...]tis d [...]js propi [...]jisque mori [...]dum est. Idem quaest. nat. l. 2. c. 59. all of all sorts subiect to death, as well good as bad, Prophets as priuate men, &c? This then should admonish vs to make the best vse we can of our religious friends, neighbours, ac­quaintance, husbands, parents, pastors especially, while they are with vs, (Io [...] 12 35. Walke, yea and Iohn 9. 4. worke too, by the light, while you haue it with you, saith our [Page 23] Sauiour) since that Nostros omnes sic habeamus, tan­quam nihil nobis de p [...]rpetuitate, imò nihil de diuturnita­te eorum promissum sit. Tanquam v [...]es­suris, imò iam re­cedē ibus fruamur. Tanquam extem­plò abituros posside­amꝰ. Sen. ad Marc. cap. 10. we know not how soone they may be taken away from vs. It is that wherein most men are generally faulty, that as he saith of rarities and strange sights, Ad quae noscenda iter ingredi, trans­mittere maria sole­mus, ea sub oculis posita negligimus: [...] quia ita compa­ratum est, ut proxi­morū incuriosi lon­ginqua sectemur, sed quod omnium rerum cupido lan­guescit, cum facilis occasio est; seu quod differimus, tanquā saepe v [...]suri, quod datur videre, quo­ties v [...]lis cernere. Plin. sec. l. 8. ep. 20. when they are neere at hand with vs, we regard not so much to see them, as we would, if they were further off, and wee should come occasionally where they were, or as strangers are wont to be, that come out of other parts, whi­ther they are after a while to returne againe; be­cause hauing them at hand, we thinke we may see them when wee will, whereas the strangers, vnlesse hee see them now, while hee is here, thinketh hee shall neuer haue the like opportunity againe: So we Si [...]nter eos quos nunquam vidimus, floruisset, non solum libros eius, verum euam imagines cō ­quireremus, ciusdē nunc honor praesen­tis & gratia, quasi sati [...]tate. langue­scit. Idem lib. 1. epist. 16. neglect oft to make that good vse that wee might, of the meanes and the ministery that God hath setled among vs, and of our religious friends that he hath setled vs with, in hope that wee may long enioy them, and hauing them at hand with vs, we may make vse of them when wee will. By meanes whereof it commeth many times to passe, that meere strangers, that visit them but by starts, profit more by them, than the most of those doe, that constantly liue and abide with them, and that [...]. Sophocl. A [...]ac. when it is too late now, we come to see and consi­der to our griefe, what opportunitie we haue ouer­slipped of our owne good. It is with vs in these c [...]ses as it is with vs for our bookes. A booke of good vse borrowed, which we know not how soone the owner of it may call for, wee are carefull to make present vse of, whereas it might chance to haue li­en long by vs, ere we looked on it, if it had beene [Page 24] our owne. Well it were therefore for vs, if wee could seriously consider, that Rerum natura ti­bi illum non man­cipi [...] dedit, sed com­modavit Sen. ad Polyb. [...]. 19. Homo commodatus vitae, non donatus est. P. Syr. our religious friends and Pastors, (as Non tam data, quàm commodata. Pri [...]as. in 1 Cor. Fortuna vsu dat multa, mancipio ni­hil. P. Syr. Nihil horum dono d [...]tur: collat [...]ijs & ad do­minos redituris in­strumetis scena ad­ornatur: mutuò ac­cipimus in incertum diem; [...]sus fructus tantiem noster est. Sen. ad Marc. c. 10. Exposition 2. [...]. Eurip. Phoeniss. all other things of this life, yea, and Vita data est vtenda; data est sine foenore nobis Mutua, nec c [...]rto persolüenda die. Pedo ad Liu. vsuram vitae natura dedit, [...]nquam pecuniae, nulla pr [...] ­stituta die. Cic. Tusc. l. 1. Vita (que) mancipio nulli datur, omnibus vsu. Lucret. l. 3. Vsu & fructu no­bis est vita, non mancipio tradita. Arnob. l. 2. life too it selfe) are not so much giuen vs of God, as lent vs to vse, and that Cuius tempus ille ar [...]er muneris tui temperat. Sen. ad Marc. c. 10. for no longer than he shall see good; and therefore labour to make the best vse we can of them, while we haue them; as we would doe of some toole or vtensile, that be­ing lent vs, we know not how long wee shall haue the vse of. Particular 2. Quomodò. Manner How. Exposition 1.

And thus much for the first particular, the Person that died, Abraham.

The second followeth, and that is the manner how he died, noted in that it is said, [...] expirauit. He breathed out, or, He gaue vp the Ghost.

That which some expound of Aequo ani [...]o. Caluin. a willing end, of a willingnesse to depart: as it is said of our Saui­our, that Iohn 19. 30. hee bowed his head downe, when all was finished, and [...]. gaue vp his Spirit. And true it is, that as the Heathen man saith, Sapientis est [...]xire, non & e [...]ci. Sen. ep. 70. it is the part of a wise man, rather willingly to goe out, than to bee thrust out against his will, so it is the Luke 2. 29. Act. 7. 59. 2 Sam. 15. 26. 1 Pet. 4. 19. vsuall practise of Gods children willingly to resigne and giue their soules vp to God, when he pleaseth to call for them.

Others vnderstand it De l [...]ui & leni morte, D. Kimchi & Aben-ezra. of a quiet end, or an easie end, of dying without difficultie: as it is said of [Page] Iacob, that Gen. 49. 33. when he had done blessing his sonnes, he plucked vp his feet, and so gaue vp the ghost. And it is true also that [...]. Pl [...]t [...] Ti. Exception. maeo. [...]. S [...] ­pbocl. Hinc Themist. Exposition 3. de anima. [...] Point 2. [...]. Senectu [...] leniter emittit, non repente auulsum vi­tae, sed minutatim subduct [...]m. Sen. ep. 30. Animam seni­lem mollis exoluit Sopor. Sen. O [...]dip. 4. 2. Proofe 1. old men vsually die with much ease; Adolescent [...]s m [...] ­ri sic mi [...] vi [...], vt cum aquae mul­titudine vis flam­ [...] opprimitur: se­ [...]es autem, sicun cum sua sp [...]nte nulla adhibita vi consumptus ignis extinguitur. Et quasi poma ex arboribus, si crudasunt, vi auelluntur, si matura & cocta, decidunt; sic vitam adolescentibus vis aufert, senibu [...] matu [...]itas. Cic. de se [...]ect. like an apple that being come to full maturi­ [...]y, doeth without force or stresse vsed to it, drop downe of it selfe; or like a lampe, that Ignis qui alimentis deficitur, sua sponte subfidit. Sen. epist. 30. of it selfe goeth out, when the matter that fed it faileth.

But because I finde the word vsed Gen. 6. 17. & 7. 21. Numb. 17. 12, 13. & 20. 3. generally and indefinitely, as well of Iob 3. 11. & 10. 18. young as of old, as well of such as die Iosh. 22. 20. Psal. 88. 15. Z [...]ch. 13. 8. strong and violent, as that die vo­luntary or easie deaths: I take it rather, that there is in this phrase of speech an intimation of mans frail­tie, and of the frailtie of mans life. Expiraui [...]. Hee puffed out, or, Spiritum efflauit. Hee breathed out; that is, Spiritus defe­cit. His breath failed, or, Spiritus ab [...]js. His breath went away, and he died.

So that the Point that hence I would obserue then is this, that

The life of Man is but a breath, but a blast:

And so consequently the frailty and the vanitie of mans life. That which may the better appeare vn­to vs, if we shall consider,

• 1 What it is compared vnto; and
• 2 What it may be taken away with.

First (I say) what it is compared vnto. [...]. Pindar. Pyth. 8. Plutarc. ad Apollon. What is man? saith the Heathen man. Why? hee is euen the dreame of a shadow. What hath lesse [...]. P [...]u [...] [...]. truth in it than a dreame? What lesse substance than a sha­dow? [Page 26] What either vanisheth away more sudden­ly, than the one; or is dispelled sooner than the other? Nor came another of them much short of him, who compared mans state, as the former did his life, not to the dreame of a shadow, but to the [...] Aes­ [...]hyl Stob. cap. 96. shadow of a smoake. They seemed (it seemeth) to them to haue said little or nothing to speake of, that compared it, either to [...] Greg. Naz. ad Iu­lian. a dreame, or to Vt calidus fu­ [...] abignibus Va­nescit per spatium brcue sord dus: Sic bic quo [...]egimur, spiritus [...]ff [...]uit. Sen. Troad. 2. a smoake, or to [...]. So­ph [...]l. Aiac. a shadow alone, when yet to minish the weight and adde to the vanitie of it, ioyning two of them together, they make it, not a smoake onely, but the shadow of a smoake, that is farre lesse; nor a dreame barely, but [...]. Plut. ad Apollon. the dreame, not of some substance, which yet were a thing of nothing, but of a shadow. And, What is man saith one of the ancient Fathers. Why? he is [...]. Greg. Naz. ex Gen. 2. 7. Soule and Soile; or Breath and Body: Psal. 78. 39. Esai. 2. 22. [...] & venti flatum & spiritū hominis designat. Eccles. 1. 6. & 12. 7. [...] item vtrum (que) denotat. Ioan. 3. 8. & 4. 24. sed & ani­ma & animus quasi [...] dictus, Cassiod Canin. alij. & pro vento etiam vsurpatur. Seru. in Aen. [...]1. apuffe of wind the one, and Gen. 3. 19. & 18. 21. [...], dust and ashes. a pile of dust the other: no soliditie in either, if you consider them apart; and most vnlikely to impart any such thing either to other, if you con­sider them in themselues. I might adde what they say, that compare men to the Sirac. 14. 18. & Aug. in Psal. 101. [...]. Musaeus. Clem. strom. l. 6. Et ab ills Homer. [...] &c. Et [...], &c. Quod laudat Zeno. Laert. citant Clem. strom. l. 6. Plut. ad Apoll [...]n. & Lucian Episcop. [...]. Plut. de tard. vindict. & de vit. Epicur. Sed & M mueru [...]ss, [...]. &c. Stob. c. 96. Et Ari­stoph. auib. [...]. Clem. airom. l. 5. leaues of trees that [Page 27] soone shed; to [...]. &c. Luc [...]. Episc [...]p. H [...]mo bulla. Varr [...]. rust. l. 1. c. 1. bubbles on the water, that fall as fast as they rise; to [...]. Epi­charm. Clem. strom. lib. 5. bladders puffed vp of wind, that may be let out with the pricke of a pinne, and the like.

But because these may peraduenture seeme vn­to some to haue spoken somewhat [...]. Plutar [...]. sup. hyperbolically or excessiuely in the point: let vs heare the Spirit of God, that speaketh no otherwise of things than as they are indeede, speake. If we demand then of the mouth of God himselfe, What Man is; he ma­keth vs answer euen in effect as they did: to wit, that [...] Adam Abei [...] com­par est. Ps. 144. 3, 4. Adam is as Abel, or Abels Mate: (for to the Names of those two Patriarches there is an allusion in the Originall:) that is, Man (as it is translated) is as Geneu. & Reg. Bibl. vanitie, or, Vet. Bibl. Angl. a thing of nought: his daies passe away like Iob 8. 9. Psalm. 102. 11. [...]. Aristoph. a­uib. Clem. strom. l. 5. a shadow. He is Psal. 73. 20. & 90. 5. Iob 20. 8. as a dreame that vani­sheth when one awaketh: as Iob 7. 7. a wind, Psal. 78. 39. [...]. Soph [...]cl. Aia [...]. that goeth away and commeth not againe. Esai. 2. 22. Quod de senibus Sen. ep. 30. Anim [...] senilu cum in primis fit labijs, haud magna vià corpore distrahitur. His breath is in his nostrils; ready euer and anon to puffe out: And Psal. 146. 4. when that breath of his is once gone, Eccles. 12. 7. hee returneth instantly to his dust; to that dust, Gen. 2. 7. & 3. 19. of which he was formed at first. His life is Iob 7. 9. Vt [...]ubes, grauidas quas m [...]do vidimus, Arctoi Borgae dissipat impetus. So [...]. Tr [...]ad. 2. as a cloud, that is soone disperst with the wind; or Iam. 4. 14. as a vapour, that appea­reth for a while, and then vanisheth away. In a word: [...] Omnis Adam totus Abel. Psal. 39. [...], 12. All Man is all Abel; and that euen then, when he is at the very best; that is, euery Man, [...] fundatus, constitutus. be he neuer so well vnderlaid, neuer so surely and soundly set­led, he is nothing but vanitie, that hath no soliditie at [Page 28] all in it; or (as he saith elsewhere) but ^e alye, that hath no truth at all in it; or ^f as nothing [...] yea, [...] Psal. 62. 9. ligh­ter [...] Psal. 62. 9. [...] Esai 40. 17. [...]. Sophocl. [...]. Iambl. hortat. c 8. Proofe 2. (if ought may so be) than vanitie it selfe; and (if more than so may be yet) euen [...] Esai. 40. 17. lesse than nothing. Which speeches (I suppose) come not an ace short of those other.

Againe, the frailtie and vanitie of mans life may appeare, if we shall consider what it may be taken away with. And it is strange to think, Ti [...]. Greg. Naz. de baptism. how small a matter may put an end to mans life. When a great man sometime threatned a Philosopher with death, [...]. Dio­genes Perdiccae. La­ert. Et Theodorus Lysimacho; Enim­uerò magnifi [...]a res tibi contigit, quia [...]antharidis vim as­secutus es. Cic. Tusc. l. 1. & Val. Max. l. 6. c. 2. What is that more (quoth he) than à Spanish Flie may doe? and he might well haue added, not to me onely, but to thy selfe. Yea, to passe by that of Cleopatra, who when to preuent publike disgrace, she had made her selfe away with the helpe of an Aspe, yet had nothing to be seene on her, saue [...]. Plut. Anton. two small pricks, that could hardly be seene, made with the wormes tooth on the one of her armes; which yet were enough (it seemeth) to make an end of her, and Tu qui te Deum credis, successu ali­quo elatus, quantu­lo serpētis dente pe­rire potes? Plin. l. 7. c. 7. might as well haue done of any other. To let that passe, I say, not a Spanish, but Conrad. Visperg. Na [...]cler. ex Ioan. Cremon. & Io. Bal. in Adrian. Pp 4 qu [...] a [...] Papatum Nicholas Breake-speare dicebatur. an ordi­nary Flie or a grat, flying casually into his mouth, is said to haue stifled that proud Pope, that made the highest State then in the Christian world stoope euen to the holding of his stirrop. And indeed, Nihil tam exiguum est, quod non in [...]r [...]iem generis humani satis val at. Sen. nat. quaest. l. 6. c. 2. what is there so small, that may not bee a mans bane? The V [...]gi [...]uli nos, & ne to­ti [...]s quidem dolor, sed aliqua [...] latere eius s [...]issura conficit. Ibid. paring of a toe, the cutting of a corne, the scratch of a naile, the pricke of a pin, haue beene [Page 29] sometime, and Quicquid enim fieri potuit vnquā, & potest. Idem. may againe be, the meanes of a mans end. A Tarquinius Pris­cus piscis spina in­ter coenandum sus­focatus es [...]. Guide Bitur. fish-bone, a Anacr contem V­uae passae succo exi­les virium reliquias fouentē vnicus gra­nipertinacior in a­ridis faucibus hu­mor absumpsit. Val. Max. l. 9 c. 12 & Plin. l 7. c. 7. Quod de Sophocle etiam Sotades. Stob. c. 96. grape-kernel, some Fabius Senator poto in lactis haustis vno pilo strangula­tus est. Plin. ibid. one haire, a Est quos potio strangulauerit malè lapsa per fouces: stil­licidio perire potes. Sen. q. nat. l. 6. c. 2. Vse 1. drop of water, Saliua crassior suff [...]cat. Ibid. his owne spittle, let down vnwarily, may choake him. Abortus causa sit odor a lucer [...]rum extinctu. Plin. l. 7. c. 7. Nunquid vt homo concidatres magni molimenti est? odor illisoporque, &c. mortisera sunt. Sen. ad Marc. c. 11. Animal aquarum nouitatibus, flatu (que) non familiaris aquae, & tenuissimis causis atque off [...]nsionibus morbidum, putre, cassum. Ibid. Iouinianus Imp. foetore prunarum & nidore parietum recens cal­ceillitorum extinctus est. Hieron. in Nepot. Ammian. l. 25. & Aur. Victor. Fato gemino & Q. Ca­tulus ob [...]jt. Vell [...]us l. 2. bad or vnwonted aire, an euill smell, a little smoake may soone stifle him. Man is as the grasse, or as a flower (saith the Psal. 40. 6, 7. Pro­phet and the Psal 103. 15, 16. Psalmist) which if the wind blow but on it, it is by and by gone: and his life is as a candle, or a taper, a weake light, that euery light, not gust, but puffe of winde is ready to blow out. Yea not some malignant blast, or some euill breath onely, but euen the want of breath; nor the aire, if it bee infected, onely, but the very Suppresso tantum spiritu esse desierunt Licinius Macer, Zeno Cittieus, Metrocles Cynicus, Com [...]latro. Val. Max. l. 9 c. [...]2 [...]. [...]l. Suid. Hinc & Plin. l 31. c. 1. Nubes obtentu vital [...]m spiritum strangulant. want of it to breathe with, will soone make man cease to be, and put a period to his life. Psal. 104 29. If thou withdrawest (saith hee) from them their breath, they die, and returne againe to their dust.

And what may this frailtie and vanitie of mans life then teach vs?

Surely; first, not to Ier. 17. 5. make flesh our arme; not to relie vpon so Vti Laco de Athenis, quas [...] Pindarus dixit, [...]. feeble, so fraile, so fickle a stay, as the life euen of the greatest, or what euer he be, Esai. 2. 22. Cease from man (saith the Prophet) whose breath is in his nostrils: for what excellency is there in him? And, Psal. 146. 3. Trust not in Princes (saith the Psalmist) nor in any [Page 30] Sonne of Man: for there is Psal. 60. 11. no certainty of helpe by them. For their life is but Psal. 78. 39. ablast, and Psal. 146. 4. whe [...] their breath goeth they die, and returne to their dust, euen Psal. 82. 7. Ve­rum nos homunculi Sali [...] [...] animae, qui cum extempso ami­simus, Aequo men­dicus a [...] (que) ille opu­lentissimus Censetur censu ad Acheron­tem mortuus. Plaut. Trinum. 2. 4. [...]. Lu­ [...]ian. Impares nas­ [...]r, pares mori­ [...]ur: aequat omn [...] cinis. Sen. epist. 91. [...]rs exaequat [...]m­ [...]ia. Idem ad Marc. c. 10. Quis discer­ [...]at species mortuo­rum? redoperiter­ram, & diuites, si potes, depre [...]e. Ambr. de Nabuth. c. 1. Hinc illud an­tholog. lib. 3. cap. 13. [...]. as others doe; and then all their proiects pe­rish with them. Men thinke themselues safe com­monly, if they can get into fauour with some great man, or if they can by any meanes procure but the protection of such an one. But, not to presse that which some yet well obserue, that these proue oft but Sunt infirma (in­fida) quaedamrefu­gia; ad quae cum quis fugerit, magis infirmatur, quam confirmatur. Aug. in Psal. 45. vntoward shelters, but v [...]safe sa [...]egards; like the tree to the passenger, that flieth to it for succour in a storme, Multi c [...] ­dentibus eis ad qu [...]s confugerant, & ipsi quae siti sunt, quos nemoquaereret, si non ad eos confugis­sint. Aug. ibid. Quid ego de Regum familiaribus dicam, quos quidem regia saepe incolumis, saepe [...]u [...]ē lapsa prosternit. [...]eth. consol. l. 3. c. 5. that either braineth or [...]ai [...]eth him with the fall of a bough, who might haue beene safe enough, had he not shrouded himselfe vnder it: Yea that Esai. 30. 3. & 31. 1, 3. [...]. Plut. de amic. many are ruined together with them by their fall, as the vnder-woods by the Oke or the Ce­dar when it is felled, who neuer got by them while they stood. What surety of helpe or safety canst thou haue from those, who haue no suretie, Ad omnia patienda pares sumus: nemo alter [...] f [...]agilior est: nemo in crastinū sui certior. Sen. ep. 91. Vt caetorū hominū, ita principū illorum omniū, qui Dij sibi videntur, aeuum omne & br [...]ue & fragile est. P [...]n. Paneg. Psal. 82. 6, 7. no more than thou hast, of themselues? Or what sure­tie or certainty can they haue of themselues, whose life dependeth vpon so fickle a stay, as is a puffe of wind, or a blast of breath onely? Psal. 62. 8. & 84. 12, 13. & 146. 5. Ier. 17. 7, 8. Make God thy stay, therefore, who is Esai. 26. 4. & 54. 10. a rocke of eternitie, or an euerlasting rocke: not man, who is Quid est [...]? Vas fragile, quas­sum, ia [...]atu, non tempestate magna, vt d [...]ssipetur, est opus: vbicun (que) arietauerit, soluitur. S [...]m. ad Mar [...]. [...]. 11. so fraile, [Page 31] so feeble a fabricke, as being supported and held toge­ther but with Salillum animae. Plau [...]. sup. a little breath, may with Anxiae, solicitae (que) tutelae, precarij spi­ritus, & malè in­horentis, quem pa­uor repentinus, aut ex improuiso sonus auribus grauis ex-Vse 2. cutit. Sen. ibid. Cu­ius caduca possessio tam leu [...]afflatu c [...] ­cussadilabitur. Val. Max. l. 9. c. 12. as small a matter againe bee throwne downe and dissolued. And Esa [...]. 8. 12, 13, 14. & 51. 6, 7, 8, 12, 14. Matth. 10. 28. & 16. 25. take heed how for the procuring of the fa­uour of the one, thou either watue the fauour, or in­curre the dispeasure of the other.

Secondly, the consideration hereof should ad­monish vs with Iob 14. 14. Iob, to liue in continuall expectati­on of our end, in continuall preparation for the time of our decease; since that Gen. 27. 2. Eccles 9. 1 [...]. we know not how soone or how sodainly, we may be smitten; and wee know withall, how small a matter is enough to make an end of vs. It was no euill counsell therefore, that besides Sic quotidiè vi­namus, quasi die il­la iudi [...]andi simus. H [...]eron. in Matth. 23. Dies omnis pr [...] v [...]im [...] habeatur. Martin. Du [...]iens. de morib. Respect 1. Christian Diuines, euen some Omnem creded [...]ē tibi diluxisse supre­mum. Horat. l. 1. ep. 4. Sic ordinandꝰ est dies omnis, tanquā cogat agmen, & cō ­summet atque ex­pleat vitam. Sen ep. 11. Qui omnes dies tanquam vltimum ordinat, nec optat crastinum, nec time [...]. Id [...] de breu. vit. c. 7. Sic diem omnem aspi [...], tanquam esse vel vltimus possit. Paratus exire sum. Idem [...] 61. Heathen haue giuen, that a man should doe well to

Make euery day his dying day.

Which yet is not so simply to be vnderstood, that a man should euery day doe the same duties, or be imployed in the same workes, that hee either would or should, if he knew it to be the last day of his life: But that in some other speciall respects he should make each day to be so (to wit, as his dying day) to him.

1. In the dispeeding of his repentance and Sirac. 5. 8. not de­laying it a day longer. Be as carefull to D [...]. 4. 27. breake off thy sins this day and euery day, as if it were to be thy dying day. Make euery day thy dying day, by Rom. 6. 2, 11. dying vnto sinne euery day. It is an Heathen mans counsell; and it is good and wholsome counsell; Hoc citra diem [...]mortis praesta: morian [...]r ante te vitia tu [...]. Sen. ep. 27. Let thy [Page 32] sinnes die in thee before thou diest. Let them dye be­fore thee; for Ier. 6. 29. 30. Vl­ [...]sne est criminum modus? & non pri­us est vt de vitâ hamines quam de iniquitate d [...]scedāt? Quis enim non cū suis iniquitatibus moritur? & [...] ipsis ad [...]odum a [...] (que) in ipsis sceteribꝰ [...] ­pelitur? Sal. de prou. l. 5. c. 8. Non cessant vitia ciuiū vs (que) ad excidia ciuitatum. Pr [...] est interire qu [...] co [...]r [...]gi: Prius ipsos, quam in ipsis vitia, non esse. ib. l. 6. c. 12. if they stay till death with thee, if Iohn 8. 22, 24. thou diest before they die, thou art sure to die eter­nally. And how knowest thou but that thou maist die before they die, if they die not in thee this day; when [...], Eurip. Al­cest. Qu [...]s enimest tam adolesc [...]ns, cui fit exploratum se ad vesperū esse victu­rum? Cic. de sen. Quis s [...]it an adijci­ant hodiern [...] tem­pora vitae Crastina Dijsuperi? Horat. carm. 4. 7. Nemo tā Respect 2. diuos habuit fauen­tes, Crastinum vt possit sibi polliceri. Sen. Thyest. 3. Nihil dehodierna die promittitur, ni [...]il de hac [...]or [...]. Sen. ad Mar [...]. c. 10. thou hast no certainty of thy liues continuance till the next day? And it is the aduice of a Iewish Rabbine, and might well haue come from any Chri­stian; Vn [...] die ante mortem agas poenitentiam. R. Eleazar. Drus. apopht [...]. l. 1. Repent thee a day before thou diest. Not meaning thereby, that a man should deferre and put off his repentance, till he lay, as hee thought, now a dying, or not like to liue aboue a day longer: But that Hodiè resipiscendum, ne forte cras moriamur. Ibid. he should this present day repent, and Quomodo enim de die in diem dis­ferendo peccas, [...]um extremum diem tuum nescids? Aug. ep. 145. not put it off till the next day; because before the next day, for ought he knoweth, he may die; Prou. 27. 1. Iam. 4. 13. [...]; Anacrcon. [...]. Pindar. Isth 8.—aetas quid [...]rastinavoluat scire nefas homini. Stat Th [...]b. l. 3. Ney [...]is quid serus vesper vehat. Varro. Liu. l. 45. Gell. l. 1. [...]. 22. hee knoweth not what or where he shall be to morrow. As Solomon therefore aduiseth him, that hath in­tangled himselfe by suretiship, so doe thou much more; (for the matter more concerneth thee) Prou. 6. 4, 5. Giue no sleepe to thine eyes, nor flumber to thine eye­lids, before thou hast 2 Tim. 2. 25, 26. by sincere and serious repen­tance wound thy selfe and thy soule againe out of those snares of Satan, Prou. 5. 22. & 29. 6. which by the practise of sinne thou hast entangled thy selfe in.

2 In the shunning and auoiding of all euill. Be as carefull to shunne sinne e [...]ery day, as thou wouldest [Page 33] be, if it were to be thy dying day, Vt quotidiè pri­diè caueat, ne faci­at, quod se pigent postridiè. Plaut. Sti [...]h. 1. 2. Doe not that (saith he) to day, that thou maist repent thee of to morrow. Yea, doe not that, (say I) to day, that it may be too late to repent of tomorrow. There is hardly any man to be found so desperate, if he beleeue at least that he hath a soule to saue, that [...]. Zaleuc. legum prooem. Nu­per me amicicuius­dam langu [...]r admo­nuit, optimos esse nos, dum infirmi sumus. Quem enim infirmum auaritia aut libido solicitat? non am [...]ribus ser­uit, non adpetit ho­nores, opes negligit, nemini inuidet, ne­minem desp [...]cit; a [...] ne sermoni [...]us qui­dem malignis aut attendit aut alitur. Innoxiam in posterum, si contingat euadere, vitam destin [...]t. Plin. Sec. l. 7. ep. 25. [...]. Tyr. Max. dissert. 41. would wilfully abandon himselfe to any euill act, if he thought but that he should or might die instantly vpon the deed done. When thou shalt therefore be incited to the doing of ought, that thy conscience enformeth thee to bee euill, doe but thinke thus seriously with thy selfe; Would I doe this, if I were to die to day, or if I were to die as soone as it is done? And yet how knowest thou, but that thou maist die in the doing of it, but that this puffe of thy life may puffe out, ere it be done? Thou maist be taken with Dan. 5 6. Bal [...]a­sar, 2 Sam. 13. 26, 29. Ammo [...], and 1 King. 16. 9, 10. Ela, besides Ita Archias cae­tèr [...]qu [...] tyranui Thebanioppressi sunt, cum is vino plenus, literas coniurationis indices puluino sub­i [...]cisset. Plut. de Socrat. gen. & sympos. l. 1. c. 3. & in Pelopid. others, amids thy cups, or vpon thine ale-bench: Thou maist with Numb. 25. 8. Zimri and Cozbi (and the like hath befallen o­thers too) be smitten Ita periere Spousippus Philos [...]phus. Tertul. apolog. Rodaldus Long [...]bard. Rex. Paul. Diac. lib. 4. cap. 17. Ioan. 12. Pp. Luitprand. lib. 6. cap. 11. in thine vncleane bed, yea in the Quosdam concubitus extinxit. Sen. epist. 66. Inter vsum Veneris absumptisunt. Corn. Gallus Praetorius, & T. Haterius Eques Rom. Plin. lib. 7. cap. 53. & Val. Max. lib. 9. cap. 12. Bellrandus Ferrerius Hispan. Pontan. de obed. lib. 1. cap. 10. Et Gia­chet. Salucianus vna cu [...]scortosu [...]. Fulg. lib 9. cap. 12. sed & [...]. Philetaer. in Venatr. Athen. lib. 13. act of thine vncleannesse: Thou maist with Num. 16. 32, 35. Core and his complices, be swept away, in thy re­bellious courses against Minister or Magistrate; or amids thy friuolous suites, and malicious pursuits of [Page 34] thy brethren. Thy lie, or thy vaine oath may bee thy Dan. 434. last word; thy drunken health thy Accadion [...]. Sed & Erasi [...]us sari fato [...]. Ath [...]nd. 10. A [...]gi­nascil. vi [...], vt F [...]stus, q ā [...] Erasm. Ch [...]. 4. ce [...]. 8. adag. 2. L. Valla m [...]d [...]c [...], dumm [...]sip [...]o [...]em haurit; Ap. S [...] ­seius, c [...] hausisset. P [...]. 7. [...]. 53. last draught; thy fraud, or thine oppression thy last deed. In Dum resp [...]s, quod aiunt, v [...]sa▪ Respect 3. musque nos, iam murtal [...] aderit. Sen. de [...]ra. lib. 3. cap. 43. the twinckling of an eye, in the turning of an hand, while thou art but Psal. 66. 18. looking after some sinne, as Gen. 19. 26. Ius. 17. 32. Lots wife looking to Sodome ward, (Dr. Wilkinson Sermon. She turned her but, and she was turned) maist thou sodainly be snatched away, with thy [...]. Eurip. O­rest. Impura m [...]n [...]e, pura manu. Apul. ap [...]log. minde defiled, though thy hand yet vnsoiled. And certainly Nulla res magis proderit, quam c [...]gitatio mort [...]litatis. S [...]n. de [...]ra. l. 3. c. 42. Nih [...]l [...]què profuerit ad temperantiam [...] [...]erum, quam srequens cog [...]tat [...]o breais au [...], & huius inc [...]rti. Idem ep. 114. no meanes would be more effectuall to keepe vs continually within compasse, than the serious consideration of the frailtie and the vncertaintie of our life, how soone and how sodainly it may Excisa sestine auolat. Psal. 90. 12. Anima a [...]orpore segre­gata, vento si niles auolamus. Hieron. ep. de Psal 90. flit away from vs.

3. In embracing of all good occasions. Be [...]. Lucian. in Nigrin. Sed propera, nec te venturas differ in horas. Qu [...] non est ho [...]iè, cras minus ap [...]us erit. Ouid. remed. l. 1. as carefull euery day to entertaine any occasion of wel-doing, as thou wouldest be, if it were to bee thy dying day. Gal. 6. 10. Let vs doe good (saith the Apostle) while wee haue [...]. Tempus vt noris, iubet. Sed [...] iste tempestiuum tempus est. Auson. ex P [...]i sent. time, and opportunitie so to doe: considering that if we neglect it now, when it is offered, wee know not whether it will euer be offered vs againe. Prou. 3. 28. Praeceptum de [...]icordiae operibus non differendis. Aug. de verb. Dom. 59. Cum potes henefa­ [...]re, noli differre. Polyc [...]rpi nom, ep. ad Philip. Say not (saith Solomon) to thy neighbour, Goe and come againe to morrow, if thou hast that by thee wherewith Psal. 50 22. thou maist helpe him. And, Eccles. 9. 10. Quicquid agis, agas pr [...] virlbus [...] [...]. des [...]. whatsoeuer thou doest (saith he) doe it, as with all diligence; for there is no [Page 35] worke, nor wisdome in the graue that thou goest to: so without delay; because Eccles. 11. 2. thou knowest not what euill may come, that may cut off all future opportunitie of wel-doing, either by taking thee from the meanes, or the meanes from thee. And as Eccles. 11. 4. In­cipe: virendi rect [...] qui prorogat ho [...], Rusticus expectat dum defluat anmis: at ille Labitur, & labetur in omne vo­lubilis aeuum. Ho­rat. l. 1. cp. 2. he that obserueth the wind shall neuer sow; so hee that regardeth the clouds shall neuer reape. But especially ^d neglect not the meanes of that maine worke, (Psal. 95. 7, 8. Hebr. 3. 7, 8, 11. & 4. 7. To day, saith he, if you heare his voice, harden not your hearts, but Psal. 81. 8, 13. hearken: And, 2 Cor. 6. 1, 2. Now while the acceptable time is, while it is the day of saluation, we beseech you, receiue not the grace of God offered you in vaine.) of 1 Tim 6. 19. laying a good foundation for the obtaining of life eternall; and the [...]. 1 Tim. 6. 12. laying hold of all opportunities that may tend thereunto. For this, if it bee not first done, dismall and desperate will thine estate be, if death so­dainly surprise thee. Whereas if it be once well and substantially done, Rom. 8. 38, 39. death shall neuer be able to raze or to rip vp thy worke, come it neuer so soone after, or so suddenly vpon thee. It is with vs in this case, as it is for our wills. A man that hath not his Will made before hand, if hee bee sodainly taken with dead Palsie or lethargie, is Quia in eo qui testatur, cius tem­poris quo testamen­tum facit, integri­tas mentis exigitur. Digest. l. 28. tit. 1. l. 2 Et Cod. Iust. l. 6. tit. 22. l. 9. Sancimus tale testamen [...]ū ho­minis, qui in ipso actu testandi ad­uersa vasetudine t [...]us est, pro nihi­lo esse. thereby vtterly disabled to doe ought therein, or to settle his estate. Whereas if a man haue before time made and fini­shed his will, though he haue no time or abilitie, being so taken, now to recognize it, yet Surdus & mu­tus testamentū fa­ [...]ere non potest: sed si qu [...]s post testamē ­tum factum, vale­tudine aut quolibet alio casu talu esse ceperit, ratum nihilominus permanet testamentum Digest. [...], 28. [...]t. 1. l 6. Q [...]od ment [...] sana factum est, stat testamentum, etiam si furor mox sec [...]tus fu [...]rit. Cod. Iust. l. 6. tit. 22. l. 9. his will standeth firme and good still for all that, and shall as well take effect as if he had seriously now againe considered of it, and signed and sealed it the second [Page 36] time. In like manner, those that neglect now the meanes of their saluation, in hope of hauing them, and making vse of them time enough hereafter, if either death, or some M [...]rhus [...] [...]a­bilis, qui [...] of­ficiat, mentem con­ [...]utiat. Se [...]. cp. 58. such disease, soduinly smite them, as is wont to depriue of, or disturbe the vse of vnderstanding and reason, they are thereby vt­terly disabled to do ought therein. Whereas those that are now carefull to make a good vse of them, and neglect not the grace and mercy of God therein now vouchsafed them, hauing Rom. 5. 1, 2. reconciled them­selues to God once, and made their peace with him; though death should take them so suddenly, that they haue not time so much as to thinke on it, yet their Esai, 54. 10. peace with God shall stand firme and sure; nor shall the want of opportunitie or abilitie to doe ought then, any whit impeach or impaire their euer­lasting wel-doing.

4. In the manner of doing all that we doe. Bee carefull to doe, whatsoeuer it is that thou doest, [...] Respect 4. [...]. Zaleuc. leg. prooem. St [...]b. tom. 2. c. 42. Ita Se [...] ep 61. Hoc [...]nimo tibi hanc epi­stolam scribe, tan­quam cum maximè scribentem m [...]rs e­u [...]atura fit. as sincerely, as vprightly, as thou wouldest doe it, if thou wert to doe it, when thou art a dying; or as thou wouldest doe it, if thou thoughtest thou shouldest die as soone as it were done, that present­ly after the doing of it, thou shouldest depart this world, and goe to giue an account of the doing of it to God. So doe, I say: for Dic tibi dormitu­r [...]; Potes non ex­pergis [...]i. Dic exper­recto; Potes non dormire amplius. D [...]c exeunti; Petes non reuerti. Dic re­uertenti; Pates non exire. Se [...]. cp. 49. so (for ought thou knowest) thou maist doe. And therefore, not on­ly, when thou hearest now, so heare, as if this were the last Sermon thou should heare, as with Act. 20. 9. Eutychus it had like to haue beene; so pray, when thou prai­est, as if that might proue the last prayer thou shouldest make; (for the manner of preferring and [Page 37] commencing of it, I meane, though not for the matter of the suit commenced) but so 1 Cor. 10 31. eat and drinke too, as if that might bee thy Ob [...]jt repente [...]. Manlius Torqua­tus, cum in coena plac [...]ntam appete­ret; P. Quint us Scapula, cum apud Aqu lium Gallum coenare [...]; D [...]s Sauf [...]ius cum domi s [...]ae pranderet P [...]n. lib. 7. cap. 53. Ier [...]m. 41. 1, 2. last meale; so buy and sell too, as if euery bargaine thou makest, might be the last that euer thou shouldest make: yea, so follow not thy serious affaires onely, but thy lawfull disports and delights too, as one that maist Nullis evidenti­bus causis ob [...]e [...]e, dū calceantur matuti­no, duo Caesares; &c. omnes vsque ndeò sani at (que) tem­pestiui, vt de pro­gr [...]d [...]endo cogita­rent. Pl [...]. ibid. Particular 3. Quando. Time When. Branch 1. Exposition 1. in an instant as well be taken away, (thy life lying in thy breath, and thy breath being but a blast) as others not a few before thee haue beene, either Cn. Bcbius, cum à puero hor [...]e quae­sisset; C. Serui [...]us, cum in soro ad tabernam flaret in fratrem innixus; Bcbi [...]s Iud [...]x dum vnd [...]monium differri iub [...]t, M. Terentius dum in soro tabellas s [...]rihi [...]; C. Iulius Medicus, dum inungit, specillum per oculos [...]rabens. Pliu. ibid. in the one, or Risu exanimatus est Philemon Co [...]ius. Val. Max. lib. 9. cap 12. Terpander ficu per lusum in esingesta. Trypho. antholog. lib. 1. cap. 37. Drus [...]us Claud [...]j Imp. sil [...]us pyro. Sueton. Claud. cap. 27. M^r. H. Mor [...]s in the Tennis-court with the racket in his hand. in the other.

And thus much also for the second Particular here considerable, the manner how hee died, and the frailtie of mans life in the phrase here im­plyed.

The third Particular followeth; and that is the time when he dyed.

He dyed, (saith my Text).

1. In bona canitie. Gen. 15. 15. in a good old age, or with a good hoary head; for that the [...] quod à [...] distinguitur Iob 15. 10. 1 Sam 12. 2. Word properly and primarily sound­eth; and it is accounted [...] plus est quam [...] & [...] quam [...]. D. Ki [...]hi. Vide D [...]us. obs [...]r [...] l. 6. c. 13. Sencctus l [...]ssae aetatis, non f [...]actae nomen est. Sen. ep. 26. a further degree than the former.

Good (I say) not (as some) morally; as Dis [...]dens in grat [...]a. [...] in Gen. 15. quo etiam abire vid [...]tur C [...]rysest. b [...]m. 37. & Philo, Sed & Hugo. Boni in [...]p ent [...] [...] bonis o [...]eribus; & implentur m [...]ritis operum suorum. well spent, well employed, replenisht with deeds and em­ploiments [Page 38] spiritually good: (albeit, no doubt, Abra­hams old age also, as well as his younger time so was:)

But good rather naturally; that is,

Either Multa, prouecta. Pet. Martyr. Lon­g [...], diuturna. O [...]. Iun. Exposition 2. great: for in length and greatnesse in part consisteth the goodnesse of age; and Sicus dicimus, Bona pars homini [...], [...]magnap [...]s Mart. Quinqua sci e [...]p [...]st [...] Zeno, [...] Laert. Sed & Demosthe­nes. Stob tom. 2. [...] 4. goodnesse in that sense goeth sometime for greatnesse:

Or Placida, tranquil­la. Par. Prospera ac [...]. [...]. Mus [...]ul. quiet, happy, and prosperous; as it is said elsewhere, Gen. 15. 15. in peace and prosperitie:

Or Integra. Oleast. commoda. Pisc, fa­cili, bona valetudi­ne. Mart. Branch [...]. Exposition 1. Exposition 2. haile and healthy, as wee say; Morlis, doloribꝰ, [...]uris vacua. Par. Point. Generall 3. free for the most part from such Vide Obseru. 3 rat. 2. & Spec. 2. rat. 1. annoiances and troublesome infirmities, as that age is wont to be infested with­all: though not, it may be, so fresh and vigorous as Deut. 34 7. Moses, or so able and actiue as I [...]sh. 14 11. Ta­lis & Cyrus. Xe­noph. P [...]d. l. 8. & Metellus. Cic. de sen. Caleb, are neere their ends said to haue beene:

Or Ol [...]ast. Par. &c. all these; for the word may well include them all.

2. Senex, satur. Old and full; not Plenus plenitudine eius de quo Ioan. 1. 16. Procop. vide Hugon. sup. of grace and goodnesse, as some: (that is most true indeed also of Abra­ham, but seemeth not here intended:)

But of daies, or of yeeres; as it is expressed Gen. 35. 29. 1 Chron. 23. 1. else­where: hauing liued euen as long as Vt non appeteret vitae pr [...]rogationem. Oleast. [...]lu. M [...]rt. &c. himselfe desired, or so long (as we say) as heart could wish.

Whence the Point, that in the Generall wee may obserue, is this, that euen

The longest liuers die at last. Psal. 90. 10. The daies of mans life are seuenty yeeres; saith the Psalmist. But A­braham had liued a whole 175. Vers. 7. hundred to that, and yet at length, you see, he dieth. Yea that is the con­clusion [Page 39] still (Enoch. Gen. 5. 24. one onely excepted) with all those Ancients that liued so long before the floud, (not three or foure times, as they say of [...] Ho­mer. Odyss. [...]. Nestor and some Vide pl [...]n. h [...]st. n [...]t. lib. 7. c. 48. & L [...]cian. de M [...]rob. other, but nine or ten times as long as the longest ordinary liuers liue now adaies) Et mortuus est. Gen. 5. 5, 8, 27, &c. Reason 1. And hee died.

Nor is it any maruell, that they so doe.

For first, we are of Vitrei sumus. August. de verb. Dom. 1. a glassie matter, of a very brittle mettall: [...]. Qui si­mul ossndit ad for­tunam frangitur. Pbaedr. fab. 72. vbi­cun pue a [...]ietaueri [...], solu [...]tur. Sen. [...]. ad Marc. cap. 11. ready with euery light dash to cracke asunder, to fl [...]e in pieces. And * wee walke a­mids many casualties; ready euer anon to seize on vs; and any one alone enough to make an end of vs. And Hydria tandé ad font [...]m srangitur. Eccles. 12. 6. the pot (as the Prouerbe is) goeth so of [...] to the well, that at length it commeth home broken; or rather, that it neuer commeth home againe. Mors obique [...]e exp [...]: [...], si sapis, eam vbique expectabis. August. nom. despir. & anim. c. 51. Bern. m [...]d [...]t. c 3. & O [...]. mor. c. 7. Se [...]ibus in i [...]is, ad descent bus in msidij [...] est. Bern. de [...]. 14. Death lieth euery where, in euery corner, in waite for vs; euen E [...]a qui­b [...]s hic [...] administratur, a [...]ua, terra, spiri [...], omnia tam causae viuend [...] sunt qua [...] [...] [...]or­tis. Sen. ep. 117. Non [...]ibus nobis, non hamor, non vigilia, non somnus sine mensura quadam [...] sunt. Idem quaest, nat. l. 6. [...]. 2. O [...]or, sapor, humor, c [...]bus, & sine quibus viu [...]re non po [...]es [...], sunt [...] ­mini morlifera. Idem ad Marc. c. 11. in those things themselues that are Inter v [...]rios ca­sus am [...]ꝰ. Au­g [...]st. ibid. & [...]. 28. Sub [...] casibus quotid [...] [...] ambulamus. the meanes to maintaine life. Not [...]. Greg. Naz. d [...] bapt. a crum of that bread we eat, nor Potio [...]is stilla ma [...]e lapsa strangulat. Sen. quaest nat. l. 6 c. 2. a drop of that we drinke, but, if it goe but an haires bredth awry, it may be our bane. There is not Passus inter me & m [...]rtem. 1 Sam. 20. 3. a bare step, or a pace only betweene death and vs, as David speaketh; or an [...]. Anath [...] [...] morteremotus Quatuo [...], &c. Iuuen 14 [...]. Arat. [...]. D [...]o Prus. orat. 74. E [...] prope tam letum quam prape cernu aquam. O [...]d. Pont. l. 2. Inter v [...]ae mortisquevias N [...] gracililim [...]e ducto. Sen. Med 2. hand­bredth, some few inches, as it is said of those that be [Page 40] at sea: but euen scarce a nailes bredth, yea or an haires bredth betweene vs and it, if not [...]ras si in n [...]ui­gat [...]one tantum ex­istimas minimum esse quo mortevita diducit [...]r. In [...]mni loco aeque tenue in­teruallum est. Non v [...]que se mors tam prope ost [...]ndit, nbique tam prope est. S [...]nec. epist. 50. A morte semp [...]r [...]a­tundem absumus. Quod enim tempus morti exemp [...] est? a quo prope non est, parata omnibus lo­cis, omnibus mo­m [...]ntis? Id [...]m epist. 30. at all times, yet at many times more at least, than wee are vsually aware of. And it is no maruell there­fore if Quem saepe ca­sus transit, aliqua­do inuenit. P. Syr. Circuit fatum; & si quem diu praete­rijt, rep [...]rit. Sen [...]c. quaest. nat. l. 6. c. 1. Mors propter in­certos casus quoti­diè imminet; prop­ter breuitatem vi­tae nunquam pot [...]st longè abesse. [...]c. Tuscul. l. 1. Nemo p [...]riculo proximus, iutus diu. Cyp. nom. de singul. cler. death meet with vs, or light vpon vs at length: it is maruell rather that it misseth of vs so long.

Besides that, Stygias vltrò quaerimus vndas. Senec. Herc. fur. 1. Plures dentibus suis, quam alient ensibus perierunt. Vide Iun. P [...]ov. 23. 2. wee our selues also helpe oft to hasten our owne end, while wee betray our selues to him, who lieth thus in wait for vs, by wilfull distemper, by disorder, by misdiet. As not one apple therefore of an hundred hangeth on the tree to full maturitie, or so long, till it drop downe with ripenesse alone and its owne weight, but either it is pluckt off with the hand, or blowne downe with the wind, or preuented of its maturitie by some one meanes or other: not one glasse, or earthen pot of an hundred, that lasteth so long as it might, but by some mischance or other it commeth to its bane: So Pauci ad Senectutem p [...]rue [...]s­unt. Cic. de sen. Quota pars moritur tempore fati? Senec. Her [...]. O [...]t. 2. 2. not one man among an hundred (what and I should say a thousand?) that Implet dies suos. Esni. 65. 20. fulfilleth his naturall course, that liueth so long as in course of na­ture he well might, but hath his life shortned, and his end bastned Multas natura mortis vias aperuit: multis itineribus fata decurrunt. Uno modo nascimur: multis morimur. Cestius. Senec. controu. 16. Vnum natura nobis introi­tum ad vitam dedit, exitus mul [...]os. Senec. epist. 70. Mille modis leti miseros mors vn [...] fa­ [...]igat. Sil. Theb. lib. 9. by sword, by stresse, by sorrow, by sadnesse, by surfet, by sicknesse, by some one such casualty or other.

[Page 41] 2. Casus nostros. no­biscum in hac carne por [...]amus. Aug. hem. 28. Innumerabilia pericula in ipso sunt. sinu. Sen. quaest, uat. l. 6. c. 2. We carry euery one of vs our owne bane Reason 2. about vs. Euery one (say some Chymicks) hath his owne balsome within him: but [...]. Me­trodor. Stob. [...]. 16. euery one of vs (sure I am) hath within him his own bane; and that that will be sure at length to make an end of him, though no such casualtie, as before wee spake of, should befall him. Vitrei sum [...]. Aug. sup. We are of a glassie matter; (saith he) nay, Si vitrei esse­mus, casus [...] timere [...]s. Fragi­liores sumus quam si vitrei essemus. I­demibid. were it so onely, we were better and safer th [...]n now we are. For Quid fragilius vase vitre [...]? & ta­men seruatur & durat per secula; & inuenis calices ab auis & proauis re­liotos, in quibus bi­bunt nepot [...]s & pronepotes. Etsi e­nim casus vitreo vafi timentur, se­ [...]ectus ei & feb [...]is non timotur. Ibid. a Venice glasse, as brit­tle as it is, yet if it be charily kept, if it be carefully set vp, if it stand shut vp vnder locke and key, out of vse, out of harmes way, it may hold out many ages, it might last peraduenture euen as long as the world it selfe is like to last. But [...]. Demost. Clem Strom. l. 6. Ipse situ & otio in tabem iturus est. Sen. ad Marc. c. 11. shut you vp man neuer so charily, keepe him neuer so carefully, hee may, nay he will drop away for all that, he hath poi­son within him, that will at length make an end of him. He was bred and borne with a dangerous, with a desperate disease on him, and such as by no care or art of man he can be cured of or recouered. [...]. Apollodor. Donat. ad illud Ter. Phorm. 4. 1. Senectus ipsa morbus est. Old age (said he sometime) is it selfe a disease; and Senectus insanabilis morbus est. Sen. ep. 10 [...]. Senectus m [...]rbus m­gens. Nullis arcerive potest, pellive medelis. Erasm. desen. a disease that cannot he cured. But Ista vita morbus est. this life it selfe (saith an ancient Father) is a disease; and such a disease as we must all of vs needes one day dye of. Morieris, non quia aegrotas, sed quia viuis. Sen. ep. 78. Thou art sure to die (saith he) not because thou art sicke, but because thou liuest. For Medici, cum aegrotos inuisunt, phthisicus est, inquiunt, aut bydrop [...]cus, moriatur necesse est: deinde moritur tamen. Aug. ibid. sicke a man may k Morbus hic necesse est vt ad m [...]rtem perducat. Aug. de temp. 74. [Page 40] [...] [Page 41] [...] [Page 42] be, and yet not die of it: (not to adde, that Mu [...] mor­te [...] m [...]bus d [...] ­lit. S [...]. ib: l. a dis­ease hath sometime delaid death.) But Psal 89. 48. what man liueth, and shall Vt Psal. 49. [...]. not see death? that is, who liueth, and shall not die? Totus ist us vitae [...]rsus n [...]l aliud quam ad mortem de [...]ursus est. Aug. Ciuit. l. 13 c 10. [...]o­la vita ad mor [...]m iter est. Sen. ad Po­lyb. c. 30. The whole course of our life is nothing else but a passage to death: the seuerall [...]. Plut. de EI Delph. Agunt opus suum sata: nobis sensum nostrae necis auferunt. Quoque facilius obrepat mors, subipso vi [...]ae nomine lat [...]t. Infantiam ins [...] pue­ritia conuertit, pu [...]ritia [...] pub [...]rtas, [...]ntututem senectus abstulit. S [...]n. M [...] c. c. 10. ages of our life so many seuerall degrees of death: Quotid è morimur: qu [...]t commutamur. Hieron. Nepot. Quot. mor. quotidit d [...]mi [...]ur a [...]qua pars vitae. Seu. ep. 24. we are dying daily Ad mortem dies e [...]tre [...]us p [...]ruenit, a [...]ced [...]t omnis, [...]arpit nos ii, non corripit. Non repen­ [...] nos in mortem incid [...], sed minutatim procedi [...]us minutatim subducimur. Sen. ep. 24. & 30. & 120. by degrees. No sooner are we (I say not, Nasce [...]tes mo [...]w; finis (que) borigine peudet. Manil. l. 4 exquo primu [...] lucem vidit, [...]r mortis ingressus est. Sen. M [...]rc. cap. 20. borne, but euen) [...], &c. Plut. de EI. bred, but wee are dying and decaying. Euery Momentis singulis moximur. August. nom. [...]dit. cap. 24. Qu [...]d [...] aliud singulis momentis agitur, donec ea cons [...]mata mors quae agebatur im­pleatur, &c. August. Ci [...]it. lib. 13. cap. 10. minute and moment that seemeth added to our life, I [...] ipsa, si bene comsutes, damna sunt. Et illi ipsi qui addebantur adol [...]s [...]entiae anni, vitae detrahcbantur. Sen. Marc. cap. 20. Cum cres­sunt puers, quasi accedunt illis dies, cum reuerá decedant. Quicquid enim vixit, de summa minu­it. Qua [...]do prodi. citur [...] non aug [...]tur, nec addendo crescit, quia veniendo recedit. August. de verb. Dom. 1. & 17. [...]o [...]. 1. [...] de temp. 113. Ipsa suis augmentis vita ad detrimenta impellitur; & inde deficit, vnde proficere creditur. Greg. Mor. l. 13. c. 27. Illa eadem vitam quae inchoat, bora [...]apit. Camil. epitaph. Et [...]psit bora vitam prima quae dedit. Sen. Her [...]. fur. 3. 3. taketh from it. For our life it is as a taper, that being once lighted, neuer linneth spending, till it be wasted all at last: as the houre-glasse, that being once turned and set a running, neuer staieth, till the sand be all out.

So that considering as well the varietie of casu­alties, that we are all subiect vnto, as our owne frailty and mortalitie, that we are brod and bor [...]e Quemad­modum Clepsydram non extremum stillicidium exbaur. [...], sed quicquid ante destuxit: sic vllima h [...] ­ra, qua esse des [...]nus, non sola mortem facit, sed sola confummat. Sen. ep. 2 [...]. [Page 43] with, it is no maruell if the longest liuers of vs die at last, it is maruell rather that any of vs liue so long.

Now this may first teach vs, not to please our Vse 1. selues with a conceit of long life, Why may not wee liue as long as such and such? To omit, that it is a thing altogether [...]. Isocr. ad De­mon. [...]. Plut. in Epicur. vncertaine. For Eccles 3. 22. who can tell a man what shall be? Certaine it is, that [...]. Ar­chin. Clem. Strom. l. 6. Omnes [...]odem cogimur: omni [...]m Versatur vrná se­rius [...]cyus Sors exi­tura, &c. Horat. carm. 2. 3. Vse 2. first or last, 2 Sam. 14. 14. [...]. Antho­log. Debemur m [...]rti nos nostra (que): Ho­rat. art. [...]. E [...] ­rip. Alcest. [...]. Ibid. die we must, liue wee neuer so long. As no­thing more vncertaine than how long we shall liue: so Morte nihil [...]ertius. Be [...]n. epist. 10. & medit. c 3. nothing more certaine than that once Hebr. 9. 27. wee shall die. Incerta omnia: sola mors certa est. August. in Psalm. 38. & de verb. Dom. 21. As sure as death: we say. And Quid diu est, vbi finis est? Aug. d [...] verb. Dem 42. Quicquid finitur parum est. Greg. Moral. lib. 7. c. 20. Nulla longa mora est eius, quod aliquando e [...]ict. T [...]tull. Mihi ne [...]turnuni quidem qu [...]c­quam videtur, in quo est aliquid extremum. Cic. de s [...]n. & Aug. ciui [...]. l. 12. c. 11. it ne­uer stayeth long, that commeth at last. Stay death ne­uer so long, before it come, it will seeme to come ouer-soone when it commeth, to those that desire it not, and at last come it will. And Si nongentos vitae excede [...] [...] annos, vt ante dil [...]ium viu [...]b [...]t [...]r, & Math [...] sal [...]m nobis tempora donarentur, tamen nihil esset praeterita longitudo, quae esse desisset. Et [...] inter eu [...] qui de [...]em vixit annos & eum qui mille, post quamid [...]m vitae sinis aduenerit, &c. tra [...]sactum omne tantundem est. Hier. in Nepot. last life neuer s [...] [...]ng, it will seeme but short, when it is once ouer. Psal. 90. 4. When it is gone, (saith the Psalmist) it is but as Quarta pars nectis. a watch in the night.

Secondly, it should admonish vs to take heed how we grow too farre in loue, either with this life it selfe, or with the things of this life. Since that, though we enioy them neuer so long, yet wee must leaue them at last. For 1 Tim. 6. 7. Iob. 1. 21. E [...]cl [...]s. 5. 14. Nihil intulis [...]i, ni [...]il hinc auferes. Aug. de verb. Dom. 5. & 41. E [...] red [...]untem natura, sicut intrantem. Non licet plus inferre quam intuleris. Sen. ep. 102. we brought them not with [Page 42] [...] [Page 43] [...] [Page 44] vs into this world; and it is certaine that Psal. 49. 17. Ce­des co [...]mptis salt [...] ­bus, & do [...], Vil­lique; & extruct­in al [...]um D [...] poti [...]. Lin­quenda [...]llus, & d [...]mus, & placeus vxor: [...]eq harum, qu [...]s, a borum te pr [...]ter [...] cup [...]ss [...]s vlla bre­uem d [...] se­q [...]tur. Horat. car. 23 & 14 we cannot carry them out of the world with vs. If they leaue not vs while we liue here, P [...]ou. 23. 6 [...] Ch [...]yso [...]. [...]. 5. ser. 18. [...]. Ibid. 19. which oft also they doe; yet [...]. Lucian. anthol. lib. 1. c. p. 13. Finem sunt habitura, aut tuum, aut suum. Bern. de bon. de­ser. Et Sen. quaest. nat. l. 3. Aut p [...]ssi [...]ent [...]m des [...]ru [...], aut à possidente d [...]seruntur. Al [...]uin. in Ec­cles. praef. we cannot but leaue them when we goe hence. For all the things of this life must needs leaue vs, when our life it selfe leaueth vs, whereupon they depend. Let vs so hold, and vse these things there­fore, that we Ps [...]l. 62. 10. Sap [...]ns d [...]uitias non in animum, sed in domum recipiet. Sen. de b [...]at. c. 21. set not our hearts on them; that we suffer not our Coloss. 3 2. affections to be glewed to them. Let them Omniaista nobis acceda [...]t, non adhaereant; vt si abducantur, sine vlla nostra [...]acerationed d [...]s [...]edant. Sen ep. 74. hang loose about vs, that when wee shall come to be stript of them, they may, as our gar­ments, goe off with ease. Otherwise if they [...]. cleaue and sticke fast to our soules, as cloathes are wont to doe to an vlcerous body, the parting one day, with them, which we can by no meanes auoid, will be [...]. Basil. Caes. hom. 7. as painfull vnto vs, as if our skin were pulled from our flesh, or [...]. Antipho. S [...]b. c. 10. Quibu [...] [...] p [...] sua obhaesit, sine sensu au [...]lli non potest. Sen. de tranq. cap. 8. our flesh [...]orne from our bones, or ra­ther [...]. Hesiod. [...]. as if some peece of our soule were reaft a­way together with them.

Yea for life it selfe, if we loue it, (as [...]. Aesop. fab. Quis vitam non vult? Aug. hom. 4. who loueth not life?) let vs loue that life, that is 1 Tim. 6. 19. [...]. Aeterna vita, veravita. Aug. de pec. mer. l. 1. c. 11. vera vita quae animam de morte eruit. Idem ep. 121. c. 2. Uita si diligitur, ibi acquiratur, [...] nulla morte f [...]r. Idem ep. 45. life indeed, and deserueth well that name. For this life that we [Page 45] liue here, is in a manner [...]; Eu­rip. Hanc esse mor­sem quā [...]s vita [...] du [...]imus, vitam il-Vse 3. lam quam pro mor­te nos f [...]rmidamus. Lactant. instit. l. 3. 6. 18. [...]. Eu­rip. Ista v [...]que quae tantum amatur vi­ta, quamlibet iucū ­da as (que) prodicta sit, nec vita d [...]cēda est. Aug. ep. 121. Vita falsa est. Idem de verb. Dom. 5. hom. 13. et de temp 212. no life; it is Quod de arc [...] Herac [...]t. [...]. Eustath. ad I [...]ad. [...]. Plut. ad Apollen. life in name, but in deed and truth Mors est potius d [...]cenda quam [...]a, vel mortis quaedam pro [...]xitas. Gr [...]g. in Euang. 36. Hae [...] vi­ta qu [...] v [...]ꝰ, ma­gis mors est, &c. Bern. in Psal. 90. ser. 17. death. It is no true life that cannot ouercome death; that yeeldeth to, that [...]endeth to, that endeth in death.

Thirdly, the consideration hereof should cause vs to Luk. 12. 15, 22. surcease and cast off this our immoderate care for the things of this life. As it hath beene said by way of reproofe of some people, that they vsed to De Acragan [...]is Empedo [...]s; [...]. Lac [...]t. l. 8. De Rhodijs Stratonicus, [...]. Plut. de auar. Ide (que) ferè de Megarensibꝰ Diogenes. Tertul apolog. build as if they looked to liue for euer: so it may well be said of many among vs, that they Esai. 5. 8. pur­chase, and Jer. 22. 14, 15. build, and Ec­cles. 4. 8. gather goods together, as if they made full account to Psal. 49. 11. liue euer to enioy them. Whereas neither are these things able to lengthen their liues: for Luk. 12. 15. haue a man neuer so much of them, his life dependeth not thereupon: nor to keepe them from death: for Psal. 49 7, 8, 9. no price can procure any im­munitie from it: nor to saue them in death; for Prou. 11. 4. Ezck 7. 19. ri­ches auaile not in the day of wrath: nor to auaile them after death; for there will then be no vse of them. And for men therefore Eccles. 5. 17. to beat their braines so much with thought and care for these things, and Eccles. 4. 8. to take such paines, as so many doe, for the com­passing of them, is but Psal. 39. 6. to t [...]ile and moile about that, that they must leaue to others at length, and to inherite Psal. 49. 17. Eccles. 5. 15. nothing but Ier. 17. 11. Luk. 12. 20. folly and L [...]s. 5. 16. & 6. 2, 4. vanitie themselues, when others, Psal. 39. 6. Eccl. 6. 2. they know not who, Eccl. 2. 18, 19. inherit the fruit of their labours.

[Page 46] Lastly, this might teach vs not to feare death. S [...]ultum est ti­mere, quod vitari non potest. P. Syr. [...]. Ar­rian. 1. Epict. l. 1. c. 27. It is a fond thing (saith he) to feare that, that cannot be Vse 4. auoided. A folly it is to trouble & turmoile our selues with feare and care about that, that by no thought or forecast wee can shunne or shift off. But such is death. Differri potest, auserri non potest. Aug. de diuers. 36. Mortem differunt ista, non au [...]runt. Idem de verb. A­post. [...]8. Delayed it may be, but auoided it cannot be. And Sed etsi tardius quis moritur, nun­quid ideò non mo­ritur? Idē de temp. 74. be it nouer so long put off, yet Quid autem ad rem pertinet, qua­diu vites, quod eui­tare non possis? Sen. epist. 93. it will come at last. As an ancient Father therefore well and wisely aduiseth; Noli timere, quod velis, [...]olis, e [...]: id time, quod, si nelue­ris, non erit. Aug. de diuers. 36. Feare not that, which whether thou wilt or no, will be; feare that rather, which if thou thy selfe wilt not, shall neuer be. That is, feare not this temporall death, the death of thy body, which of it selfe cannot hurt thee, and by no meanes or care of thine can be preuented: but feare that eternall death, the death of thy soule, De hoc verè dici potest, [...]. A­ristot. Ethic. l. 3. c. 6. [...]. Ep [...]. La [...]rt. Ti­mor [...]m maximus leti metus. Lucan. [...]b. 1. the greatest of all euils that can possibly befall thee, which by mature care and diligence now vsed, may be preuented. But we are (as another well obserueth) herein, the most of vs, [...], &c. Chrysost. tom. 6. serm. 43. like children, that are Persona [...] deformis [...] [...]um facit. Sen. de constant. sap. cap 4. Laruam timent, lucernam non timent. afraid of a visour, but feare not the fire; shreeke and start at the one, but thrust their fingers into the other. [...]. Arrian. Epict. d [...]t. l. b. 1. cap. 5. Wee feare the bodily death, but not the spirituall death, the death of the soule, the death in sinne, and dying in sinne, with­out which the other cānot hurt. The feare of death troubleth and distracteth much our minds: but the feare of future matters, that are truly fearfull indeed, and but for w^ch death needednot at al to be feared, doth no more trouble or affect the most, than as if [Page 47] no such thing were at all, or they were Esse aliquos ma­nes, &c. Nec pueri credunt, nisi qui nondum [...]relauan­tur. Iu [...]enal. Sat. 2. Nemo tam p [...]e [...] e [...], vt ista [...]meat. Sen. epist. 24. babes on­ly that beleeued them.

And thus much for the Generall, that from this third Branch we obserue:

Some Particulars follow; which I will point at rather than insist on.

More specially therefore we may hence further obserue;

First, that in some cases Point. Speciall 1.

To liue long is a blessing.

It was foretold Abraham, as a fauour, that hee should Gen. 15. 15. die an old man: and it is here recorded that so he did. And it was foretold Eli, as an hea­uie iudgement that should betide his posterity, that there should 1 Sam. 2. 32. neuer be any old man in his house. Long life, as in the Exod. 20. 12. E­phes. 62. Deut. 4. 1, 40. & 6 2. Law it is promised oft as a bles­sing: and God where he describeth by the Prophet the flourishing estate of his people, saith, Esai. 65. 20. There shall no more be, Potest & verti, ex eis, vt ad vtrū ­que tam infantulū quam senem, r [...]e­ratur illud, Qui n [...] impleat dies suos, quod & Piscatori placet; [...]iue, cuius dies Deus non im­pleat, vt Iun. from them, or goe thence, an infant of daies; that is, none of them shall die young or in infants estate; nor any old man that hath not fulfilled his daies; that is, Viuendi sinis est optimus, cum inte­gra mente caeter. s (que) sensibus op [...]. [...]sa suum eadem, [...] coagmentau [...], [...] ­tura d [...]ssoluit. [...] de sen. liued so long as in course of nature he well might: but the childe shall die an hun­dred yeares old; that is, he that is now a childe shall liue till he be so many yeares old: (which place the rather I recite & open at large, in regard of some friuolous Vise [...]is Hieron. in Esai. 65. Greg. Mor. l. 1 [...]. c. 24. Hug. Card. & Piscat. in Esai. &c. Hinc emanauit Prouerbium, Puer centum annorum. Quod mirum est Drusium non aduert [...]sse a [...] hoc loco, sed perpera [...] accept [...], mutuatum. crotchets that not a few haue fisht out of it, cleane beside as well the meaning as the drift of Gods Spirit:) So the shortning of mans life is [Page 48] threatned oft as a curse. Iob 15. 32, 33. Hee shall die Die non s [...]o, i. quem per naturam attinger [...] pote [...]at. I­ta Firm. l. 8. c. 19. [...]rit longaeuus, in se­necta soelix, & qui sua [...]or [...]e moria­tur. Et de C [...]s [...]r [...]s percussoribus Sue­ton. Nemo sua mor. Reason 1. [...]d functus est. Et Sen. [...]p. 69. Alioqui certū est quod ibid. Sen. Nemo nisi suo d [...]e moritur. before his time, as the greene grape is nipt off the Vine, and the O­liue blossome shake off the tree; saith Eliphaz of the wicked. And, Psal. 55. 23. Hee shall not liue out halfe his daies; that is, In medio dierum suorum tolletur, vt Psal. [...]02. 24. halfe the time that he might in the course of nature haue attained to; saith the Psalmist of deceitfull and bloudie men.

And well may it be so deemed.

For first, Leuit. 19. 32. [...] Reason 2. [...]. Phocylid. Old age is honourable. Yea, as the A­postle saith of Hebr. 13. 4. Mariage, It is honourable [...]. Plato leg. l 9. Apud antiquissimos Romanorum, ne (que) generi, ne (que) pecuniae praestan­ [...]or honos trib [...] quam aetati solitus: maiores (que) natu à minoribus colebantur ad deum prope & paren­tum vicem; at (que) in omni loco, in (que) omni spec [...] honoris potiores prioresque habiti. Gell. l 2. c. 15. Se­nect [...] [...]uentus ita cumulatum & circumspectum honorem reddebat, tanquam maiores nat [...] ado­lescentium communes [...]atres essent. Val. Max. l. 2. c. 1. Magna [...]uit quondam capitis reuerentia cani. Quid fast. l. 5. Credehant tunc grandenesas, & morte pian [...]um, Si v [...]tul [...] Iuuenis non assurrexerat. Iuuen. sat. 13. among all men. It is [...], &c. Clem. Paedag. l. 3 [...]. 3. a resemblance of Gods antiquitie, who is called Dan. 7. 13. the Ancient of daies. Prou. 20. 29. The glory of young men is their strength: (saith Solomon) and the beauty of old men is the gray-head. And, Prou. 16. 31. Old age, or the gray-head, is a crowne of glory, that is, [...]. Plut. de sen. polit. a glorious crowne, where it is found in the way of righteous­nesse.

Secondly, It is a blessing to liue to see posteritie, especially to liue to see withall Gods blessing vpon it. Psal. 128. 1. Blessed is the man that feareth God (saith the Psalmist) Psal. 128. 6. For (among other things, though it [Page 49] come last, yet not the least) he shall liue to see his childrens children, (that which is recorded also, as a part of Iob 42. 16. Reason 3. Iobs happinesse) and peace upon Israel.

Thirdly, it is a matter of griefe to men [...]. Eurip. Alcest. more than ordinary, when friends are taken away from them by In [...]tatis flore morientur. [...] Sam. 2. 23. Hinc illa qu [...] ­Reason 4. rela, Immaturu [...] [...]bij [...]. Senec. ad Marc. c. 20. Dol [...] illū immatura mor­te indignissimè rap­tum Pl [...]. l. 6. ep. 6. immature death: when the ordina­ry course of nature is inuerted, and they Nullum non a­cerbum funus est, quod parens sequi­tur. Sen. ibid. c. 17. Quod decuit natū patri praestar [...] se­pulto; Hoc contra nato praestitit ipse paren [...]. Epitaph. O­lim parentū defunctorum liberi laudes dicebant. En rerum in nobis ordo mutatus est; & in calami­tatem nostrā perdidit sua iura natura. Quod exhibere senibus i [...]uenis debuit, hoc iuueni exhibemu [...] senes. Hieron. ad Nepot. burie, those by whom they ought rather to haue beene buried.

Fourthly, it is a great grace to a godly man, that he may doe God any good seruice. Such account it their greatest honour, as Act. 5. 41. [...]. Elegantissimum oxymorum. Ca­saub. S [...] [...]. Phil. 1. 29. [...]. Ignat. ep. 12. [...]. Idem ep. 11. Est & confusionis gloria, & confusio gloriosa. Ambr. in Psal. 43 Hac tempestate (D [...]o [...]l [...]tiano [...] ­uiente) certat [...] in glo [...]sa certamina ruebatur, multo (que) auidius martyria gloriosis mortibus quaere­bantur, quam [...]unc Epis [...]opatus [...]auis ambi [...]ionibus appetuntur. Seuer. hist. l. 2. Rom. 5. 5. Intribula­tionibus glorian [...]r, contum [...] gloriam reputantes, opprobrium gaudium, d [...]spectionem exalta­tionem. Bern. de temp. 71. to suffer in Gods cause, so to be employed in Gods worke. But the longer a man liueth, the more glory may he bring to God, the more seruice may hee doe to the Church and Children of God, be he a publike person, or a priuate; not in re­gard of occasions and opportunities onely, but in re­gard also of aptnesse and abilitie thereunto: Since that continua [...]ce of yeeres bring [...]th [...]. Clem. p [...]d. l 3. c. 3. [...]. Ibid. [...]. Eurip. P [...]. O [...] [...]. I [...] Beller. [...]. Soph. O [...]dip. [...]. P [...]. paedag. [...]. Idem de sen. polit. Non omnia grandi [...]r aetas Quae fugiam [...] habe [...]: seris venit vsus abannis. Quid. Met. l. 6. Quisquis adsapientiam peruenit, annis peruenit. Sen. ep. 69. [...]. Eurip. Hippolyt. wisdome and experience; and antiquitie carrying a kinde of [Page 50] Iob 32. 4, 6, 7. Philē. 9. Apex se [...]e­ctutis est aut [...]ritas. Cic. de sea. [...] Plut desen. Senatus ergo à se­nib [...] Hin [...] A [...] ­stus, Aud [...]te iuue­nes sen [...]m, quem au­diuere iu [...]en [...]m s [...] ­nes. Ibid. Point. Sp [...]ciall 2. authority with it, procureth reuerence and respect: The former whereof fitteth men for the doing of the more good to others, the latter others for the receiuing of the more good from them.

Long life in these respects therefore may well be deemed a blessing.

Secondly, we may hence obserue, that it is

A great mercy of God to haue a good old age.

It is a mercy more than ordinary for men at those yeeres to be kept free in some good measure, though not from such weaknesse as the decay of na­ture necessarily importeth, yet from such aches, and paines, and grieuances, and diseases, and annoi­ances, as that age is wont commonly to be annoied and pestered with.

For first, [...] Reason I. [...]. Sclcrias S [...]ob. cap. 101. Scolio [...] hoc citat & Pl [...]o in Gorg. & A [...]ot. Rhet. l. 2. c. 22 Sed & Plat. leg. l. 1. [...]. E [...] ibid. l. 2. idem ferè babet. Quin & [...] Deliacamcitat Aristot. Ethi [...]. Nicom. l [...]. c. 8. & Eadem l. 1. c. 1. quá [...] dicitur. Senar. Grae. [...]. i. mens sana in corpore sano. Iuuen. sat. 10. [...]; Plato Gorg. Health and the enioyment of it, is at all times a great mercy; ( [...] ▪ Plut. de sanit. & de tranq. [...]. Ifidor. Pel: l: 3. ep. 192. [...]. Ariphron. Athen. lib vlt. no outward thing being comfortable or delightfull without it) that which nothing sheweth so well as [...]. Hera [...] [...]. Basil. Caes, hom. [...]. Quid boni hav [...]at sanitas, languor ostendit. Hier. n. consol. Pa [...]. the want of it at some times, and the inconueniences that ensue thereupon. And if to enioy it at any time then be no small bene­fit, euen at such times wherein others are wont vsu­ally to enioy it: how much more is it a great mer­cie [Page] to haue it at that age, wherein most men are wont to finde a much more than vsuall want of it? The more infectious the times and places are that we liue and abide in, the greater goodnesse of God it is to vs, if we keepe free from infection: So the [...]ore Eccles. 12. 1. [...]8. [...]. Reason 2. [...]. Antiph. [...]. I [...]. [...]. Bion. I [...]ert. [...]. Eurip. O [...]nom. [...]. Eurip. Glauc. Objicit innumeris c [...]rp [...]s lacerabile morbis. Auson. idyl. 15. circumsilit agmi [...] sacto Morborum omne genus. Iuuen. sat. 10. old age is subiect to diseases and disasters, the grea­ter mercy it is for old men to be kept free then from either.

Againe, it is not so much the bare decay of na­ture or ab [...]tement of bodily strength, as either ma­keth old age so [...]: Onus Aetna grauius. Cic. de sen. [...]; Eurip. Bacch. [...]; Phe­recrat. cumbersome & burdensome to men, and depriueth them of all alacrity and cheereful­nesse of spirit; (you shall see old men, though so weake and feeble, that they can scarce stir from the place where they are set, yet as Plena [...]st voluptatis senectus, fi illa scias vti. Sen. ep. 12. His mihi rebus le [...]is est s [...]ne­ctus; nec solum non mol [...]sta, sed etiam iucunda. Cato. Q [...]d est enim iu [...]undius senectute stipata stud [...]tis? [...]ic. de sen. cheerefull and fro­licke, as we say, and as heartie, yea much more light­some many times, than many farre younger than themselues) or that disableth them to doing good, and to the performance of good offices for the be­hoofe and benefit of others: (For such albeit their bodily strength be most past, yet their [...] Eurip. Peleo. [...]. Plu [...]. de sen. pol. [...]. Menand. [...]. Eurip. Ione. Non sentio in animo [...]is iniuriani, cum sentiam in corpore. Vigetanimus: illius flos senectus. Sen. ep. 26.—nec tarda senectus Debilitat vires animi, mentis [...]ue vigorem. Virg. Aen. lib. 9. wits may [Page] be still fresh: and though they cannot afford much helpe of the hand, yet [...]. Plu [...]. de sen. pol. [...]. Eurip. Melamp [...]. B [...]o [...]. La [...]r. [...]. Sophocl. Thyest. [...]. Antiphan. Philoct. by sage counsell and graue aduice, they may further affaires more either publike or priuate, [...]. Eu­rip. A [...]tiop. Polyb. lib. 1. Plut. de sen. Pol. Galen. de art. Stob. [...]. 52. [...]. Oppian. pisc. l. 5. [...]. Agatho. [...]. Menand. [...]. Gabr. Fab. Hinc Agamemnon decem Nestores potius quam Aiaces optat. Iliad. [...]. Cic. de sen. Plut. de sen. pol. than many younger and stronger are a­ble [...]doe with their hands: [...]. Aristoph. vesp. a few gray haires, saith on [...]; may be more worth, than many young lockes; and a few gray beards doe more than many greene heads. It is not that decay of nature or bodily strength so much, I say, as such [...]. Pl [...]t. ibid. Non proprium senectutis est vit [...]um, sed commune valetudinis. Cic. de [...]en. paines and diseases as vsu­ally accompany old age, that are wont to make it to be either so tedious to them themselues, that they grow Iob 7. 15, 20. Nunc quia longa mihi grauis est & inutilis aetas, viuere cum nequeam, sit mihi posse mori. Maxim. eleg, 1. weary oft euen of their liues, or that ma­ [...]eth them so unprofitable to others, yea and oft so [...]. Menand. Tum equidem in se­necta hoc depuso miserrimum, Sentire ea aetate esse odi [...]sum alteri. Caecil. Vsque adeo grauis vx [...]ri, natisque, sibique, Vt captatori moueat fastidia Cosso. Iuuen. 10. burdensome too, that they grow as weary of them, as they are themselues of their liues. Which to be freed therefore from, either for the most part, or in some good measure, in that age, must needs bee counted no small merey.

Thirdly, obserue wee hence, that there is a kinde of

Satietie and fulnesse of life:

not so much, I say, an Quosdam subit eadem viden­di saciendique sati [...]tas, & vitae non odium, sed fastidium. Sen. ep. 24. irkesomnesse, and tedious­nesse, [...]; Eurip. Menalip. [...]. Soph. S [...]yr. [Page] as Habet enim na­tura, vt aliarum omnium rerum, sic viuendi modū. Cic. de sen. a satietie and fulnesse; when a man, though not weary of a thing, yet he hath his Vixi quantum sa­tis er at: mortem plenus expecto. Sen. epist. 62. fill, so much as he desireth, of it; to the godly especially; for I finde not the phrase vsed in the word but of them onely; as of Abraham here, of Gen. 35. 29. Isaak, of Iob 42. 17. Iob, of 2 Chron. 24. 15. Iehoiada, of 1 Chron. 23. 1. Dauid, of whom it is said also, that he died 1 Chron. 29. 28. Reason 1. with a good gray head, full of daies and riches, and honour.

Now this satietie and fulnesse of life commonly befalleth such;

First, when some speciall promises of God haue beene made good to them, or some speciall Omnino rerū om­nium satietas vitae facit satietatem. Vi­tae autem satietas tempus maturum mortis assert. Cic. de sen. bles­sings of God enioyed by them, correspondent to their owne desires. So Simeon, when he had liued so long (Luke 2. 26. which it was foretold him he should doe) as to see our Sauiour in the flesh, he hath euen enough of this life, he desireth not now to liue an houre longer. Luke 2. 29, 30. Lord (saith he) now lettest thou thy ser­uant depart in peace; since that mine eyes haue once seene thy saluation, my Sauiour, and the Sauiour of all mankind. So Iacob, when he saw his sonne Io­seph againe, whom he had Gen. 37. 33, 35. & 42 36, 38. giuen vp for dead and gone long agoe, not aliue only, but in honour, and not him alone, but his issue too; Gen. 46. 30. Let me now die; (saith he) I haue liued long enough; I desire life now no longer; since I haue seene thy face, and that thou art yet aliue. For Gen. 48. 11. I made full account neuer to haue seene thy face; and behold God hath made me see thy seed.

Secondly, where their Sunt pueritiae certa stud [...]a; sunt & ineuntis adol [...]s­centiae; sunt & cō ­stantis aetatis; sunt & extremae sene-Reason 2. ctutis: istaergò [...] occidunt, fit vitae sa [...], [...]. desen. employments here are at a full point, at a period; when they haue done their taske that God had assigned them, and there [Page] Non acerbum iam iudicant viuere, sed supersluum. Senec. epist. 24. seemeth to be now here no further work for them. Act 13. 36. Dauid (saith he) when he had serued his set time by God assigned him, slept. And the Apostle Paul, as Philip. 1. 24, 25. Ita Martinus de­cumbens; Domine, si adhuc populo tuo sum necessarius, nō recuso laborem, &c. Seuer. epist. 3. & B [...]rn. ser. de Mart. he was content to stay longer in the flesh for the good of the Philippians, and the furtherance of their faith, then he desired otherwise to doe: so hee saith on the other side, that Act. 20. 24. his life was not deare to him, he cared not how soone he laid it downe, if so be that he had fulfilled but the course of his ministery, and that his worke it were once at an end.

The Vse of which seuerall Points in a word, may be,

First of the two former, to admonish old men, and such more specially as through the goodnesse of Vse 1. God enioy a commodious and comfortable time of it, free from many such griefes as they heare others of their yeares oft complaine of, to acknowledge Gods great mercy and goodnesse to them therein; as Psal. 91. 16. in lengthening out their life, and satisfying them with a greater number of daies then others ordina­rily attaine vnto, by means whereof they may liue to see those brought vp vnder them, and bestowed by them, that are of their charge, and whom God hath here blessed them with: so Psal. 103. 5. in freeing of them from such annoiances, as are vsually attendants of that age, and which might make their continuance here the more tedious and vncomfortable to them: And [...]. Plut. desen. polit. & de vit. Epicur. Sene­ctus non modò lan­guida & iners non sit, verum etiam sit operosa, & semper pro eis, qua [...] habet viribus, agens ali­quid & moliens. Cic. d [...] sen. to apply themselues therefore to such holy and religious Employments, so farre forth as their present estate and condition shall permit, whereby they may bring glory to God, and doe some seruice to him, who is so good and gratious to them aboue [Page] many others in that kinde: Remembring withall, that howsoeuer Cognatasunt [...], v [...] [...]. Eu­stath. Il [...]. E [...]y­molo [...]. [...]. Pythag. l. acrt. Vse 2. old age of it selfe be an honour; yet it is nothing lesse, if it be not Prou. 16. 31 Ve­nerabilis senectus; verum virtutum, non anno [...]ū nume­ro computata. Guil. de Theodor. de a­mor. Dei. c 9. Alio­qui nihil turpius quam grandis natu senex, qui nih. l ha­bit, quo se prob [...]t diu vixisse p [...]aeter aetatē. Sen. de t [...]āq. c. 3. Non enim cani rugae que, sed hone­ste acta aeta [...], auto­ritatē afferunt. Ci [...]. d [...]sen. [...]. Philo antholog. l 1. c. 16. found in the way of righteousnesse, as the wise man speaketh, if it be not religiously imployed: And that, how­soeuer to the godly long life may be a blessing, yet Es [...]i. 65. 2 [...]. the wicked man, (saith the Prophet) though he liue an hundred yeeres, shall be but an accursed wretch.

Secondly, the vse of the last of these points may be to shew a difference betweene godly and worldly men. The godly haue oft euen a satietie of life: [...]. Bion. Stob. c 1. Rarus qui exacto con en [...]us tempore vitae, Cedat, vti con [...]a satur. Hor. sat 1. Cur non vt plenus vitae c [...]nuiuareced s Lucret. l. 3. As willing they are to leaue the world, as men are wont to be to rise from the bord, when they haue eaten their fill, or so much as they desire. But with worldly men for the most part it is farre otherwise: they haue neuer enough, as of Prou 30. 13, 14. Hab. 2 5. [...]. Solon. Arist. polit. l. 1. c. 5. Plut. de auar. Basil. hom. 24 Stob. c. 10. Nemo est, cui foelicita [...] sua, etiamsi cursu veniat, satisfaciat. Seu. ep. 115. Non potest cupjditatibus, etiamsi expleatur diui [...]. Ambr. de bon. mort. c. 1. Auarus an mus nullo satiatur lu [...]ro. P. Sjr. Seu. ep. 49. Fortuna multis dat nimis, nulli satis. Martial. l. 12. ep. 10. the wealth of this world, so of Deinde animi ingrati natu­ram p s [...]ere semper, At (que) explere bonis rebus, satiareque numquam; Qued faciunt nobis annorum temp [...]ra, circum Cum redeunt, foetusque serunt, variosque lepores, Nec tamen explemar vita [...] sru­ct. bus [...]nquam. Lucret. l. 3. this present life: by their good will they would neuer die. It is true indeed, that some­time, either crosses and calamities, extraordina­rie disasters, or sore torturing paines and long lin­gring diseases, out of a kinde of impatiencie, may make them Hae res vitae me, soror, saturant: Hae m [...]hidiuidiae & s [...]osunt. Plaut. Stich. 1. 1. weary of their liues and Taedio vitae ad [...]ortem curritur. Epicur. Sen. ep. 24. mo [...]bi. Plin. Sec. l. 3. ep. 3. Liboris. Cu [...]t. l 5. desirous of [Page] death, which but for those grieua [...]ces and a [...]oia [...]ces they would else be farre from: Whereas the god­ly, with Abraham & Dauid, euen then also, [...]. Mu­son. Stob. c. 1. Ill [...] lauda & imitare, quem non piget ino­r [...] cum iuuat v [...]ue­re Sen. ep. 54. cum v [...]uere aceroum nō si [...]. Idem ep 24. when they haue a good and a comfortable continuance of life, accompanied and attended as well with health of body, as with 1 Chron. 29. 28. honour and wealth, yet haue their fill of it, and are as well willing to leaue it, as the other are some dish of meat that they haue eaten their fill of. Yea [...]. Plutarc. d [...] tranquil. [...]. Idem de clar. foem. [...]. Epi [...]tet. S [...]b. c. 120. Inter mortis metum & vitae tormenta miseri fluctuant: & viuere no­ [...]unt, & mori nes [...]iunt. Sen. ep. 4. Pati non vultis, exire timetis: quid faciam vobis? Cypr. de mortal. so fondly are worldly men here­in oft affected, and their hearts so possessed with the loue of this life, that though they know not how to liue, yet they are not willing to die; though their life be so irkesome and painfull unto them, that they seeme to be De [...]redico Plato [...]. Plut. de tard. vind. Quid buius viuere est? d [...]u mori. Sen, ep. 101. Mortis habet vices, Lentè cum trahitur vita dolentibus. Sen. Herc. O [...]t. 1. 2. long a dying rather than to liue long, and Morsque minus p [...]nae quam mor [...] mortis habet. Onid. ep. 10. the delay of death farre worse with them, than death it selfe could be to them, yet they desire [...]. Homer. Odys. [...]. Eurip. Aulid. Debilem facito manu, Deb. lempede, coxa: Tuber adstrue gibberum; Lubricos qua­te dentes. Vita dum superest, bene est, Me [...]aenas. Quod miserrimum erat, si incidisset, optatur, & tanquam vitapetitur, supplicij mora. Inuenitur qui malit inter supplicia tabescere, & perir [...] [...]mbratim; & t [...]ties per stillicidia [...]mittere animam, quam semel exhalare? Inuenitur, qui velit trahere [...] [...]o [...] tormenta tracturam? Est tanti habere animam, ut agam? Sen. epist. 101. to endure rather any extremitie of griefe and torture with life, than to haue an end put to their paines and torments by death.

But let vs rather herein striue to be affected as Gods Saints are, especially when it hathpleased God [Page 57] to blesse vs with long life, with many yeeres more, than the greater number of folke are wont to at­taine to; Id agendum est, vt satis vixerimus. Sen. epist. 23. Vt sa­tis vixerimus, nec anni, nec d [...]es faci­ent, sed animus. I­dem epist. 62. labour to finde and feele in our selues this satiety and fulnesse of life; and be willing and content to leaue it, when God shall please to call for it, though no speciall affliction or paine enforce thereunto, not Fastidio illis esse cepit vita. Sen. de tranq. [...]. 2. Est etia [...] vitae ipsius nausea quaedam. Idē ep. 24. Et de Abr. in hunc locum Paraeus, Per­taesus vitae aerum­nosae. Quod minus buc quadr [...]t. Particular 4. Quo. Place, Whither. as a meat loathed, (which the na­turall man oft doth) but as [...] dish, though well li­ked, that we haue fed our fill of.

And hitherto also of the third Particular, to wit, time when he died.

The fourth and last followeth, and that is whither hee went when hee died; whereof the Text saith here, that

He was gathered to his people; and in another place of him, that

Cap. 15. 15. He went to his Fathers.

And there is nothing more frequent and com­mon in Scripture than these and the like phrases v­sed of persons deceassing, that 1 King. 2. 10. & 11 43. & 14. 30. & 15. 8, 24. they sleepe with, Gen. 15. 15. they goe to, Gen. 35. 29. & 49. 33. Num. 20. 24, 26. & 27. 13. & 31. 2. Deut. 32. 50. they are gathered vnto, either their people, that is, their countrimen, or their ancestors, for that is, Act. 13. 36. Point. Generall 4. their Fathers. So that,

Men, when they die, they goe to their people, to their [...] Fathers.

That which may well be vnderstood two waies; and the Holy Ghost might well therin aime at both, because both goe vnder one generall, and the phrase as it may fit either, so Statum mortuo­rum in genere. Vn­de dieu [...]t Hebr. Qui moritur, ambulat per viam, per quam ambularunt patres cius. Oleast. it may well include both.

[Page 58] First in regard of the body: because Gen. 3. 19. Eccl. 12. 7. [...]. Epicha [...]m. Ced [...] enim re [...]rò, de terra quod fuit an­ [...]e, In terras: & quod missum est ex aethor [...]s oris, Id r [...] ­sum coeli rellatum templa rec [...]ptant. Lu [...]ret. l. 2. it retur­neth to the earth, the common Sic hominū terra, vt [...]oelum De [...]; quae nos nas [...]entes exci­pit, natos abt, se­mel (que), editos sust [...]net s [...]mper, nou [...]ssime [...]o [...]plexa gremto j [...] a reliqua natura abdicates, tū maxi­me, vt mater, operi­ens. Plin. l. 2. c. 63. T [...]rra quae dedit, ipsa capit, n [...] (que) d [...]spendi facit hilum. Haec enim gentes omnes pepe [...]t, & r [...]sum [...]t denuo. Ennius Epithar. Varro deling. Lat. l. 4. capit omnia tellus Quae g [...]nuit. [...]can. l. 7. receptacle of all. As Reason I. it is said of Dauid, that Act. 13. 36. he was laid vnto, or laid vp, with his Fathers. For howsoeuer of Abraham it Paraeus. seeme to some, that it cannot be so meant, be­cause Gen. 25. 9, 6. his corpes was enterred in the Land of Ca­naan, (Psal. 105. 11. so generally termed) in a strange coun­trey, where his countrey-men in likelihood none of them lay: yet it followeth not thence, that it may not euen in that sense also be said of him too: since that the graue in generall, See the wor­thie Primate of Armaugh Answer to Iesuites Challenge, pag. 291 &c. not the artificiall one, but the Omnibus na­tura s [...]pulturam dedit. Nausragos idem fluctus, qu [...] expul [...], s [...]peht: sussixorum corpora [...]bus in sepulturam suam d [...]stuunt: e [...]s, qui v [...] vr [...]n [...]ur, poena sunerat. Sen. controu. 4. l. 8. sepelit natura relictos, Me [...] apud Sen. epist. 92. naturall, (which [...] & [...] the Hebrewes al­so well distinguish) is (as Iob fitly termeth it) [...] Iob 30. 23. [...]. Greg. Naz. ad Av [...]an. Omniparens, eadem re [...]um commune sepulcrum. Lucret. l. 5. Sic Ca­ [...]. ad Madl. Tro [...]as, commune sepul rum Asiae Europaeque. the Congregation house of all liuing, that is, the place wherein they all meet together after decease, be the places of their sepulture neuer so farre asunder; yea whether they haue any sepulture or no, as Iacob sup­posed that Ioseph had not, whom hee yet saith, hee would die, and Gen [...]s. 37. 37. V [...]se Drus. obs [...]ru. lib. 4. cap. 23. In luctu permanebo donec me terra suscipiat, vt filium meum sepulcrum [...] sus [...]. Al [...]um. S [...]pul [...]ra enim in Scripturae locu mul [...]is intelliguntur, non ea solum quae ad d [...]nem humanorum corporum videntur esse constructa, vel in saxis excisa, aut in terra d [...]s [...]ssa; sed om [...]s lo [...]us in quo [...]umque vel integrum [...]pus humanum, vel ex par [...]e aliqua iacet, eti­a [...]si [...] d [...]t vt vnum corpus per loca [...]lta a [...]sp rsum sit. Origen. in Esai. lib. 8. Euseb. apolog. [...] Plin. lib. 7. cap. 54. Sepultus d [...]citur qu [...]quo modo conditus; humatus, humo con­ [...]. goe downe to, to the graue. And [Page 59] as well might Abraham, for his body also, be said, to be gathered to his people, though hee were buried in some other place then the most of them were, as Jacob might be said to goe to Ioseph, because Gen. 50. 13. he was to be laid in the ground when he died, Ioseph being, as he supposed, And [...]. Caes. in A­po [...] 16 à cambus de [...]oratos, conum vent [...]es viua stpul-Reason 2. Generall. cra sortitos. Qued [...] Diogenes di [...]it. Stob. c. 123. A [...]t cadauer alites, alit fera [...]vivum sepul­crum mortuo sic ob­tigit. Et A [...]us A­treo; Natis sepui­crum est [...]pse pa [...]es. Cic. offic. l. 1. buried in the bowels of some beast: since that, as Solomon saith, Eccles 3. 10. all goe to one common place; all returne againe to their dust.

Secondly, in regard of the Soule.

First De commun [...] gene­ris humani (quoad vitam futuram) so­cietate. Calu [...]. in Generall: because it departeth hence indefinitely into another world, not proper and pecu­liar, as he said [...]. Plut. de superst [...]. Speciall. each one did when hee slept, but [...]. An bo [...]. lib. 3. cap. 6. common and generall: it goeth hence to the [...]. Anár. in Apoc. c. 63. Dicunt animas corpore liberatas [...] pe­tere. i. licum qui non videtur. Ambr. de bon. mort. c. 10. Vide Platon. in Phaedone. vn­seene world, as the Heathens termed it, or to the [...] Qued Christian [...] seculum futurum, Iudaei s [...]c [...]uum animarum d [...]cunt. Brought. in Symbol. & S [...]indler. lexic. Pentaglot. world of Soules, as the Hebrew Doctors call it; to that other world, (including both Heauen and Hell) in generall, that is the Congregation House of Soules, as the Graue is of Corpses: As Augelum tuiis simu­lans se Satanas, non Samuel. Aug. ad Simplic. l. 2 q. 3. & de wirab. l. 2. 6. 11. the supposed Sa­muel told Saul, (though he meant not, nor inten­ded it so to be taken, that Saul should be in the same speciall state or place that Samuel was then in, when he died) I Sam. 28. 19. To morrow shalt thou be with me; that is, in the other world, wherein both thou and I, and all other good and bad are after decease.

Secondly, more specially; the Soules of Gods Saints and seruants may well be said to go to their peo­ple S [...]v definit [...]. Greg. Nyss. in Macrin. [...] Theo­phyl. in Luc. 16. [Page 60] and their Fathers, when they die; Ex Hebraeorum sententia Pet. Mar. tyr, & Paraeus. because they goe to that peculiar place, where all their godly Coun­try-men and Ancestors are; to the [...]. Heb. 12. 23. Q [...]m [...] Doctores [...] [...]. Che [...]adam. alphab. mystic. c. 1. Congregation house (as the Apostle termes it) of the First-borne, and of the Spirits of the Iust. Nor doth it hinder, but that of Abraham it may so also be vnderstood, albeit that both his Country-mē, the most, it may be of them, and his Ancestours also, many of them, might be idolaters, as Iosh. 24 2. himselfe also at first was; since that many yet no doubt of both those rankes, both were pious, while they liued, and went to God, when they died: Besides that, wel also may they all be termed and stiled Ruth. 1. 16. his people, or country-men, though little of kinne to him otherwise, that were the people, while they liued, of the same God that he serued: Yea as well might Eorum filij diei­mur, quorum fidem & mores [...]mitamur. Orig [...] Ezik. hom. 4. & 6. Omnes hi matorcs tui sunt, si te illis dignum ges. seris. Sen. epist. 44. all the faithfull that went before him, be termed his Fathers, whether he were lineally and carnally descended of them or no, as Mat. 3. 6. Rom. 4. 16, 18. Gal. 3. 29. all the faithfull that came after him, are termed his sonnes.

But to hasten to an end:

First, this may serue to strengthen vs against the feare of death, or of what shall become of vs when we are dead: Since that, as Ambulat per vi­am, per quam am­bulauerunt pa [...]res c [...]us. Hebr. ex Psal. 49. 19. O [...]st. sup. Vse 1. we goe not any strange way when we die, such as none haue gone before vs, but a beaten path, that [...] Iosh. 23. 14. 1 King 2. 2. all, euen good, haue gone; so we goe not to any strange place, where either none are already, or none that we haue any acquaintance withall; but we goe to our Christian friends, to our religious Fore-fathers, [...]. Antiphan. St [...]b. cap. 124. to a place, where we shall [Page 61] meet againe with all those, that wee Consecuturi prae misimus. Senec. ad Marc. c. 19 Eô cito peruenturi, qu [...] illi peruenerint. Idem ep. 63. 2 Sam. 11. 23. sent from hence before vs, hauing deceased in the faith. It is that indeed that much troubleth men and women many times, when they are enforced to trauell in­to strange countries, and to change the places of their wonted and ancient abode; to fore-thinke, what an vncouth thing it wil be, to come among a strange people, where they know none, and none know them. It would haue troubled Iacob not a lit­tle to haue remoued into Aegypt, had he not beene Gen. 45. 58. & 46. 3, 4. sure to finde Ioseph there. But the godly need not be troubled with any such thoughts, when they are to remoue hence: For they shall goe to their owne people, their Friends, their Fathers: they shall be sure to Mutamus ami­cos, non r [...]linqu [...]m [...]. Hieron. in Nepot. finde country-men, kindred, acquain­tance enough in heauen, that will be Praestolatur n [...]s Ecclesia primitiuo­rum: de siderant no [...] sancti; expectant nos iusti. Desidere­mus ergò de sideran­tes nos: pr [...]p [...]remu [...] ad praestolātes nos: expectantes nos vo­tis prae [...]upemus. Bern. de temp. 98. Vse 2. readie to re­ceiue them, to welcome them thither, to giue them the best entertainment that can be there. Yea this should make vs the rather desirous to die and to go hence, Equidem efferor studio patres ve­stros, quos colu [...] & dilex [...], vid ndi. Ne (que) verò eos solum con­u [...]nire aueo, quos ip­se cognoui, sed illos etiam de quibus au­diut & legi. Cie. de. sen. that we may goe to, and be with those worthies, whom either hauing knowne here our selues, or hauing read of, or heard report of from others, we haue admired, and desired either to see, or to liue with, while they liued here.

And lastly, if we desire to goe to them when we die, let vs be sure to follow them while we liue. Psal. 119. 63. Adioine thy selfe to them, associate thy selfe with them, while thou liuest here, if thou desirest to be with them, and to partake with them, when thou departest hence. Rom. 4. 12. Walke thou must in the steps of faithfull Abraham, while thou liuest, if thou lookest to haue a place Luke. 16. 22. in Abrahams bosome, when thou [Page 62] diest, and Matth. 8. 11. sit downe with him, after this life, in the kingdome of heauen. Oh (it may be that some of you will s [...]y of this our blessed Brother now de­ceased) that my soule were where his is: that I might be sure to die as he did, and to goe whither he is gone, when I die. Heare what the Apostle saith; he poin­teth thee the way, he telleth thee how it may so be, how thou maist haue thy desire. Hebr. 13. 7. Think vpon those (saith he) that haue had the ouersight of you, and that haue declared the word of God vnto you; and follow their faith, considering what the end of their life hath beene. Be not like Balaam, N [...]m 23. 10. that wished to come where the godly were, but Imp [...]s & foe­lix si [...] simul esse cu­ [...]t, V [...], ius es­se, velit tamen ess [...] bea [...]us: Quod ni­tura negat, [...] ra­tio patitur. De Ma­eria. apud Iul. Ca­pitol. [...]. Isidor. Pel. l. [...]. epist. 168. Bonum quaeris; malum fa­cis; in contrarium curris: quando per­nenis? Aug. nom. de Stoic. & Epic. c. 3. had no minde to goe the way that they went. But Hebr. 13. 17. follow the rules that he taught thee, Philip. 2. 17, 20. goe the way that he led thee, by life as well as by lesson, while he liued; and then shalt thou be sure to go to him when thou diest, and to enioy there with him and other the faithfull gone before thee, those ioyes and that blisse, that with God and Christ they are there fully possessed of al­readie.