The assertion, It is appointed, &c.

Generall doctrine. All men must die. NOw I come to the doctrines. The first is generall, and it is the pillar whereupon I prop the rest, viz. The de­monstration of the invincible truth of this Reason 1. Whatso­ever hath naturall originall tendeth to disso­lution.assertion, It is appointed for men, &c. by these strong and forcible reasons.

The first reason is taken from the mo­ther of all things, and especiall hand-maid [Page] of God, Nature: for it hath appointed that all flowers, from the stinking weed to the fair lilie; that all trees, from the Hyssope upon the wall, to the Cedar in the forrest; that all herbs, from the green grasse, to semperviva; that all mine­rals, from the iron to the gold; from the rough stone to the precious pearle; that all the fishes, from the greatest Levia­than, to the least minime; that all fowles, from the Eagle to the midge; that all the creeping creatures from the Elephant or Crocodile to the basest wormes, have their owne beginnings, progresses, ends. Because the very foure elements whereof they are made, are naturallie subject to their combined transmutations, the earth being subtilized to the water, the water unto the aire, the aire unto the fire, and these unto their prima materia, their cha­os, and it unto nothing. And this nature is so pregnant, sedulous, and wise, that it keepeth its own appointed time, as the wise man saith, Ecles. 3. There is an ap­pointed time for every thing under heaven. If time, then there must bee a prius and a posterius, a last as well as a first. As for ex­ample, the crane, the swallow, the stork, [Page] the woodcock, the cuckow with her tit­ling, know the seasons of the year, accor­ding to the course of sun and moone, from which proceedeth the beautie of the spring, the heat of summer, the fruitful­nesse of the harvest, and the cold of win­ter, one following after another; and as one cometh, so the other goeth, by an al­ternative vicissitude of time, which at the last (seeing now it consumeth all things) must be consumed by it self, when it shall finde nothing to feed upon. For now wee may say, Where are those ancient works made of brick and stone; yea, of flint, brasse, adamant, by the most cunning arti­ficers? are they not redacted unto their originall informe, disforme dust? Where is the tower of proud Babel, the church of Ephesian Diana, and that glorious one of Solomon? Where is the Capitoll of Rome, and the invincible Byrsa of Car­thage? where Thebes, with her hundred ports, spacious Nineve, and beautifull Je­rusalem? Hath not time devoured all, and much more, with their builders, indwel­lers, upholders? And shall not London, Paris, Rome, Constantinople, Cairo, Quin­say go that same way? Yes assuredly: for [Page] things artificiall, as well as naturall have their owne periods, which they cannot outreach, otherwise they were infinite; a propertie, which cannot be attributed to any thing created properly.

The second reason is taken from expe­rience, Reason 2 Experi­ence dai­ly teach­eth us the necessity we have to die.the schoolemistresse of fools: for it is the surest that ever man got; and it ap­pointeth and teacheth, that our life is a dying life; and that the first step to it, is the first step to our death; and that the longer we live, the nearer we are to death, and our being here is equally di­vided between life and death.

So that the continuall worke of our life, is a building of death in us: for we die daily; and if we live but one day, we see all; so all dayes are alike, it is that same day and night, that same sun and moone, these same elements and heaven which our forebears have seen before us, and there is no new thing under heaven. But to re­peat things from the beginning; doth not experience teach us, that where there is one come to fiftie years, there are ten not [Page] come; but to see a man passe his climacte­rick, and then 80. years, it is rara avis in terris. Never man yet lived a 1000 years, which are but one day in the sight of God; for one age is the death of another: child­hood the death of infancy; youthhood the death of both; manhood the death of these three; old age the death of these foure; death the death of all: even so one gene­ration is the death of another. To the He­brews succeeded Babylonians, Chaldeans, Assyrians, Medes, Persians, Egyptians, Sy­cionians, Greeks, Romanes, and to them wee who live in this deficient and vici­ous age: and as they have transferred the lamps of their lives to us; so we by con­tinuall succession of time must lay down the same without any contradiction to our posteritie. That sun which ye see set­ting over your heads, the ebbing and flowing of the sea, which environeth us, that earth whereupon we walk, lately re­newed, now growing old; and to come nearer, these graves whereupon yee trode in your entrie, this Church-yard, these through stones, that dead bell, that beir, that dolefull convoy, these two corps, and that wide opened sepulchre, [Page] telleth us, that we must die. And as Ca­tullus saith,

Death is painted with the net of a fowler: and with this ditto, Devoro omnes, I de­voure all. All things above us, beneath us, about us, within us, and without us, tell us that we must die. Doe not all the creatures summon one another to it? the least is swallowed up by the most; the weakest by the strongest. And such is the gluttonie and insatiable appetite of man, that he hath not spared one of them, but from the tame to the wilde beasts, from the fowle of the aire, to the fish of the sea, his wombe is become the tombe, or rather filthie retract of them. So that see­ing he is nourished with perishingthings, he cannot according to the maximes of Philosophy but perish himself too, being corruptible in his conception, of frothing sperme; corruptible in his mothers belly, of excrementitious bloud; corruptible on her breast, of vaporous milk; corruptible in his whole life, of earthly food; but most of all corruptible in his death, from the which he is called in Greek [...], in latine mortalis, that is, subject to death: [Page] and this is so experimented by man, that one premonisheth another, our forebears our fathers, and they us, and we our po­steritie, to our journeys, pilgrimages, war­fares end, Death.

Reason 3 What God de­creeth, nothing can disa­null. The third reason is taken from GOD, whom the Egyptians call Theut; the Per­sians, Syro; the Arabians, Alla; the Ma­gicians, Orsi; the Latines, Deus; the greek, [...]; the Hebrews, Jehovah, Elohim, Ado­nai, all in foure letters, to let you see that he is the God of all nations, the God of gods, who appointed all things to come to passe according to his good wil & plea­sure; whose appointment is the Cardi­nal, supreme, architectonick cause of these two former subordinat appointments; for it is the cause of causes; and without damnable curiositie, we ought not to go further; it is a precipice, and wee must not cast our selves headlong off it; it is a great gulfe, too deep for our shallow wits; let us admire, adore it. But to leave the infinite names which Lullists, Rab­bines, Caballists, Paganes, Divines give to God, he is tearmed [...], the best deviser; [...], goodnesse it self; [...], of most free will; [...], him ve­ry [Page] self: and so his appointment must bee holy, righteous, perfect, irresistible, whose appointment is [...] for whatsoever God ex volunta­te beneplaciti, hath first concluded with­in himself, or acted in the parliament, or secret counsell of himself before all time, that ex voluntate signi must bee execute by nature, and taught by experience in time; seeing these two are his loyall and faithfull servants, who must not, nor can­not, nor will not controll their masters uncontrollable will, who even trystes with them for the reall and effectuall accomplishment of all actions. There­fore because it is ratified from all e­ternitie in that supernall throne of Gods justice, that for sinne all men must once die, then for the execution and exhibiti­on of the same on earth, nature must play its part, and experience its part; for of necessitie, the severe sentence of a sove­raigne and inappellable judge must be re­verently obeyed. But so it is, Job 14. 5. All the dayes of man are determined, and the number of his moneths is with God, and he hath set him bounds that he cannot passe. And 7. 1. There is an appointed time to [Page]man upon earth. The poet saith well, Stat sua cui (que) dies. Hence it is that Deut. 30. 20. God is called by Moses, the length of the peoples dayes: and David, Ps. 31. 15. saith, that his time is in Gods hands; who as he hath begun to spin the thredof mans life, so he is onely able to spend it. And this is it which the fabulous Poets forge of their three fatall sisters, Clotho, Lache­sis, Atropos, the spinster, twister, and cut­ter of the small thred of mans life. We acknowledge no Chaldaick fates, no poe­tick sisters, no blind fortune, no coactive necessitie of destinie: but the wise, just, good, Almightie providence of God, which not only extends it selfe ad vermi­culos in coeno, but also, angelos in coelo, and man who was made a little inferiour to the Angels; and alas now by his default hee is lower then the wormes. Indeed Naturalists may know, that there is a God in nature, forming, reforming, per­forming, confirming, perfecting all things; without the which they could not stand one moment: & this is only a Theoretick knowledge, and it may be without san­ctification. But we who are enlightned with the light of grace, and the sunshine [Page] of the Gospel, and taught and inspired by Gods Spirit, have a practique and sa­ving knowledge: whereby we not only admire his power in the creation, his wisedome in the administration, his constancie in the conservation, his beau­tie in the decoration, his bountie in the augmentation of all things; but also are particularly informed, and fully perswa­ded, Deum esse vitae necis (que) arbitrum. Ʋ ­tram (que) vero (saith Tertullian) disponendo praescivit, & praesciendo disposuit, that God is the commander of life and death, who in disposing foreknew, and in foreknow­ing, hath disposed of them both. The Lord saith, Deut. 32. 39. I kill and make alive. God is not carelesse of us, as the Epicures have dreamed, but by his speci­all providence he hath such an extreame fatherly regard to us, that one hair can­not fall out of our head, one cubit cannot be added to our stature, with it; with­out the which a little sparrow cannot fall to the ground. So that ye may evi­dently perceive, that nature, experience, and God himself prove the truth of this assertion, It is appointed, &c.

The uses of this generall doctrine are especially these two.

Use 1 of instructi­on. When God de­creeth, man ought not to repine. The first use is of instruction, It is ap­pointed, &c.

Then let not us be so foolish as to fret against nature; so stubborne as to grudge against experience; so profane, as to dis­pute against God: Why hast thou made us thus? for Esay 45. 9. Wo unto him that striveth with his Maker? shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? That threefold appointment is [...], the bottomelesse deep of the un­searchable waies of God. It is a labyrinth, we may well finde the entry, but never get the outgate of it; it is a steep rock, we may well climbe up, but the downfall is great; it is an Ocean, and our boat is too light and shallow for it; not unlike the head of that great river Nilus, which could never be found out. So that seeing our dayes are short, let us say with Mo­ses, Psal. 90. Lord teach us so to number our dayes, that we may apply our hearts unto wisedome. And with that notable patterne of patience, that excellent doctor upon this point, Job 14. 14. All the dayes of [Page]my appointed time will I wait til my change come: alwayes in much humiliation and reverence, prostrating our souls before the sacred and dreadfull Majestie of our God, who rideth upon the hea­vens, and dwelleth in that inaccessible light, cloathed with ravishing glory, ar­med with innumerable legions of angels, crowned with unspeakable blessednesse; at whose presence the Cedars of Lebanon are throwne down, the forrests denuded, the earth trembleth, the sea roareth, the mountaines melte like waxe; and all the inhabitants of the earth are as stubble be­fore the fire; the sun and moone obscured, the stars darkned, the powers of heaven weakened, the Cherubims and Seraphims cover their faces, not able to behold the brightnesse of him, whom the angels a­dore, the thrones worship, the devils fear. So that wee must confesse, whether wee lie or stand, wee run or walk, we sleep or awake, or whatsoever we do, we can nei­ther by force, subtiltie or request recall his irrevocable decree, by whose un­searchable wisedome, and unchangeable providence, and almighty power, all befalleth us, that doth befall us. Is it then [Page] Gods ordinance to day to deprive our king of a valiant subject, the nobles of a peere, the countrey▪ of a baron, the house of a head, the obedient son of a dear father, and our selves of a welbeloved and worthie friend? Let us be taught, that the rarest and highest spirits live shortest, and have the swiftest course, and that these whom God tendereth most, are earliest taken to himself: and let us not be so ignorant as to lay the blame upon second causes, such as the influence of hea­ven, the aire, the dyet, the complexion, untimely disease, the company, the medi­ciner; but let us look higher to the cause of causes, GOD; who is as the first wheele of the horologe, which leadeth the rest: as the primum mobile, which draweth a­bout with it all the inferiour sphears. To be plaine, what are we but clay in the great potters hand? GOD make us pitch­ers of mercie, and not of wrath; ves­sels of honour, and not of dishonour: What are we? not idle spectators, but reall actors in the scene of this world; and God is the great playmaster and ring-leader: what ever habite or person he commandeth us to take, that wee must [Page] play well. Let us enact a comedie, and not a tragedie: for this hath a joyfull be­ginning, but a wofull end: Lord make us wise actors, and not formalists, tempo­rizers, verbalists, hypocrites, that in the last act of our lives (which either is the most joyfull, or the most dolefull) wee may prove good, solid, and persevering Christians, that so wee may receive the crowne of life.

The seconduse is of consolation.

Use 2 of consola­tion. Death of friends to be enter­tained with pati­ence. Is it Gods appointment to take from us by death these whom we love in their life, as our other selves; such as a duti­full wife, an obedient childe, a kinde friend: then let us say with Job, chap. 1. v. 21. The Lord hath given, the Lord hath taken, blessed bee the name of the Lord. Let us not burst out into womanish complaints, O dear father where art thou! O sweet son where art thou! O loving husband where art thou! shall I see you no more! Nor unto heathenish and comfortlesse exclamations in cursing the elements, or in blaspheming their false gods, thirtie thousand in number: nor unto the excessive, or immoderate [Page] lamentations of some Paganes, as these of China, who burie themselves quick with their dead: nor unto the barbarous, & sa­vage custome of Scythia, who burie their dead in their stomacks by eating thē; nor unto the vaine super fluities of Indian or Egyptiack lustrations, or denicall festivi­ties, viscerations, funerall playes, and banquets called Silicernia, invented by the old Romanes: nor unto the sottish and blockish stupiditie, apathie, or in­dolence of the Stoicks, who had no more sense then if they were stocks or stones, and defined man to bee [...], id est, well wrought clay, who with Epictetus thought no more of the death of their trustie and best friend then of a pitcher, fallen & broken upon the ground: but wee ought to keepe a laudable so­briety, & golden mediocrity, having war­rant of God, instinct of nature, practise of Christ, examples of the Saints. 1. Warrant of God, who commands us, mourne with those that mourn, for we shall be com­forted, Mat. 5. 4. And if he be moved in the very bowels of his compassion for the sinnes of his people, how should wee bee moved for our owne sinnes, which pro­cure [Page] our death, and the death of our best beloved? for the Christian heart should not be a marble, but a melting; not a stony, but a fleshie; not a hardened, but a con­trite heart; and godly sorrow is one of the passions thereof. 2. Instinct of nature: not only the tender hearted Pelican, but the irony hearted Ostrich wil love her young ones: the cruell Lyonesse, the fierce Tigre, the fierie Dragon, the venemous Serpent, Viper, Basilisk will bring up, and nourish their wicked broode; and shall a reason­able mother forget her childe, or when it is dead before her, not let a tear fall? or can the son here present, see his loving fa­ther, and compassionate mother lye cold and stiffe, and not sigh, sob, groane, weep, to testifie his inward, howbeit inutterable grief? in such case where the eyes are dry, the heart must be of stone, flint, adamant. 3. Practice of Christ, who wept over dead Lazarus; he might have quickened him at the first instant, yet to expresse his naturall affection hee wept: but we, seeing we cannot restore these two unto life, let us mourne for them, for fear the God of nature thinke us unnaturall, who if wee shed moderate teares, hee will seal [Page] them up in the bottel of mercies, till at length he wipe all tears from our eyes, that we may see clearly these quos praemit­timus, non amittimus; quos non absumptura mors, sed aeternitas receptura est: that is, whom we lose not, but send before us; whom death will not consume, but eter­nitie resume, as saith Ambrose. So that we ought to glory in this, that in them as arrha's and pledges, and forerunners, one part of us is already glorified. 4 Ex­amples of the Saints, as of Abraham, Gen. 23. 2. who mourned for his wife Sarah. Of Jacob, Gen. 37. 33. who mour­ned exceedingly for Joseph, whom hee thought a wilde beast had rent in pieces. Of Joseph againe, Gen. 50. 1. who fell upon Jacob his fathers face, and wept upon him, and kissed him. Of David, 2 Sam. 1. who lamented with his lamen­tation over Saul and Jonathan. Of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jeremie and the sing­ers, who mourned greatly in the death of their good king Josiah, which is called the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. Zech. 12. 11. Object. But yee will say, What? may we not weep exceedingly at funerals, being grounded [Page] upon that same publick example of the Israelites, 2. Chron. 35. 24? I answer. In­deed all occasions are not alike, by reason of the divers qualities of the defunct, who being all one to God, to man are not so. Therefore if at any time great lamen­tation should have place, and if the nobi­litie, ministery, commonaltie, should utter their inward grief, with outward ge­sture-of cloathes or speeches; then it should be especially at the death of good, godly, and vertuous pr inces, who because they are Gods lieutenants, deputies, and vicegerents, and vive representations on earth, God himself calleth them gods, and will have them to die like men. Now as in their lives and reignes we ought them for conscience sake, worldly re­spect, and civill honour: so in their death we should be affected towards their hap­pie memories as it becometh Christians; because oftentimes by the sinnes of the people many princes reigne: for our sins, alas, our sinnes they remove the light of Gods favourable countenance with the best men in church and policie; who be­cause we are not worthy of them, such as Heroick kings, well-affected nobles, wise [Page] counsellers, great officers of state, inferiour judges, religious prelates, & zealous preach­ers, who are as so many lamping lights and beautiful stars in the right hand of Christ, fixed by God in the firmament of his mili­tant Church, are often taken from us in judgement; and if they be once eclipsed, like the sun, they breed darknes upon the horizon of this inferior world. Did ye not deeply consider, when that God from the heavens did frown upon us, in taking away the only Solomon of our time, our gracious Soveraigne King JAMES of thrice hap­py memory, two of our speciall pieres, two props of our common-wealth; with two great divines, two pillars of our church, followed a little thereafter, and yet we had greater occasion to mourn for our sinnes then for them? for they were taken away, that they might not see the judgements to come. But not to digresse overmuch upon this discourse, receive these two wholesome instructions. The first is out of Ecclesiasticus, a wise, though not a canonick book, chap. 38. Let tears follow the dead, and cover his body accor­ding to the custome, and neglect not his bu­riall, and then comfort your selves for your [Page]heavines, for it cannot do him good, but hurt you. I remember of the Epitaph of one of the kings of Assyria, [...]: Looking upon me, learn to lead a holy and gody life. And if the dead would speak, they would teach us this, Videte quod su­mus, eritis quod sumus, fuimus quod estis; See what we are, ye shal be as we are, we were as ye are. To this effect have two eies in buriall, one cast upon the dead, and so there will be none of us so unnaturall, but he will be touched as he who feeleth not the losse, but the absence; not the cap­tivitie, but the libertie; not the death, but the change of his friend to a better estate. And if we do so, our cariage cannot but be decent, modest, circumspect, wise, chari­table; in a word, Christiā, another eie fix­ed upon God, who is al eye, and not only beholds the things of this great universe, but also the very inward reines, and most latent corners of the hearts of men. And if we do so, there wil be none of us but wil bridle his natural affections & secret pas­sions in such fashion, that they carry him not beyond the bounds of right, reason, moderation, religion. The second is out of S^t. Paul, 1 Thess. 4. 13, 14. I would not [Page]have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not e­ven as others which have no hope: for if we beleeve that Jesus died, & rose again, even so also them who sleep in Jesus, wil God bring with him, that we may all meet where our last randevous, heaven, is; and there be united to God, who is the cen­ter of all, yea all in all. And thus farre of that generall doctrine with the uses thereof. Now let me come to some spe­ciall doctrines which are as so many ne­cessary consequences of it.

Doct. 1. Deaths stroak is inevi­table.The first doctrine by way of consequence is this, [It is appointed] Then there is no­thing in this world able to save a man frō the piercing stroak of death; beauty can­not keep Absalom, nor strength Sampson, nor valour Josua, nor wisedome Solomon, nor policy Achitophel, nor court Haman, nor the crown Saul, nor an hundreth and twenty seven provinces Ahasuerus, nor the palace Nebuchadnezzar, nor nine hun­dred sixty and nine years Methusalem: What? the best things could not keep the godliest from the same. Righteousnesse could not keep Noah, nor faithfulnesse A­braham, nor meeknesse Moses, nor inte­gritie Samuel, nor patience Job, nor a [Page] blamelesse life Zacharias, nor the heart of God David. The bark defendeth the tree, the feather the fowle, the scale the fish, the feet the Hynde and the Hare, and ar­mour one man against another. And as saith Epicurus, against all other things we may arme our selves, but against death there is no armour, for it consumeth ar­mour it selfe: in which sense Alexander the great said to the Gymnosophists, hee could not give them immortalitie. And the wise man affirmeth this, Prov. 30. 16. The grave, the barren wombe, the earth, and the fire, they never say, Enough. As the barren womb cannot be filled with seed, nor the earth with waters, nor the fire with fewell, so the grave is never satisfied with the dead. Death is rigorous, in­flexible, inexorable, irrevocable, irre­parable. This is verified in the worthie Patriarchs, or Genearchs, before and af­ter the floud; in the religious judges and kings of Israel, in the divine Prophets, Evangelists, Apostles, in the reverend fa­thers, doctours and preachers of the pri­mit [...] and reformed churches, in all the Martyrs, with the rest of Gods elect, two being extraordinarily excepted. Yea, it behoved Christ Jesus, God and man in [Page] one person, hypostatically united, albeit he was the prince of life, to lay down his precious life for man, dead in sinnes and trespasses, and so take away the guilt of sinne, and the sting of death. So that un­happie is that man who seeks and sues by all meanes to flee from death; for where­soever he go it wil meet him, either soone or late, or whosoever places his chief felicitie here, where there is nothing but miserie, or thinkes of a brittle and transitory cottage, to make a sure and per­manent citie: for as long as we are in the flesh, we are absent from the Lord, de­barred and sequestrate from our eldest brother, who even now is preparing a place for us, that shal never be taken from us. And by the contrary, happie is hee that prepareth himselfe timously, that when deaths doome is execute upon him, he may be found ready for those heaven­ly mansions, so glorious by creation, so beautifull in situation, so rich in possessi­on, so commodious for habitation; Where the king is Christ; the law, love; the life, eternitie; life without death, light with­out darknes, mirth without sadnes, health without sicknesse, wealth without po­verty, [Page] credit without disgrace, beauty without blemish, bountie without mea­sure, felicitie without any mixture of mi­sery. O Lord take us from our selves to thy self there, where thou shalt be life to our souls, health to our bodies, sight to our eyes, musick to our ears, honey to our mouthes, perfume to our nostrils, meat to our bellies, truth to our wits, good to our wills, peace to our consciences, de­light to our affections: in a word, as saith Bernard, where thou shalt be the soule of our soules. We say with Augustine, Fe­cistinos, domine, ad te: inquietum erit cor nostrum donec requiescat in te. Thou art the center of our soules, we cannot be at rest till that once we see thee, that in see­ing thee, we may know thee; in knowing thee, we may possesse thee; in possessing thee, love thee; in loving thee, live with thee and in thee; in living with thee, and by thee become one with thee, receive that palme of victory, the garland of triumph, that crowne of immortalitie from thee. Oh fain would we be at thee! but our sins cloy and clog us, and pull us downe by the neck and shoulders. O Jesus who art our valiant and unconque­rable [Page] captaine, take thy al-piercing sword from thy thigh, and cut the fetters of sin, & the bands of Satan, that our souls, like so many soaring Eagles, may flee out of these base and corruptible prisons of our bodies, to those royall palaces of that free, new, supernall Jerusalem, the mother of us all.

Use of admoni­tion. This life should be a pre­paration to the o­ther. Use of admonition: Is death inevitable, and the stroak thereof irreparable? then let us in time thinke upon it. This is the day of salvation, if this sun-shine of grace once set, it will never rise again; and we are either won or lost here; and there is no repentance, no preaching, no conver­sion, no church in hell. In the mean time, this our naturall life is but a broken reed, a cob-web to lean unto, which because of the inconstancie, uncertainty, short­nesse, naughtinesse of it, is justly compa­red by profane and divine writers, to a passenger, to a walking, to a pilgrimage, to a race, to a post, to a chariot, to a whir­legig, to a warfare, to a tabernacle, to the flitting of a tabernacle, to a turning wheel, to a stage-play, to a table-play, to dice, to counters, to a tale, to a tennice-court, to a weavers shutle, to the dayes of a hire­ling, to the moneths of vanitie, to the [Page] wing of an eagle, to an eagle in the aire, to a span, or hand-breadth, to a smoak, to a blast, to a breath, to winde, to a passing cloud, to a vanishing vapour, to a bell, to a space, to a tyde, to an ocean of waters, to a ship sayling through the sea, to a gowne soon put off or on, to a sleep, to a night watch, to grasse, to hay, to a fading flower, to a leaf, to a thought, to a dream, to a shadow, to the dream of a shadow, to vanity, to vanity of vanities, to no­thing, to lesse then nothing. This Epichar­mus alludeth unto, while he calleth man [...], a blowne bagge. Aristo­phanes, and Plutarch [...], like the flies of Aristotle at the river Hipanis, which appear in the morning, are in their full strength at noone, and die at night; like Jonah his gourd which sprung in one night, and withered in another; wee are like a blast, and away with us as ye say in your trivial proverb. And this we shall see more clearly if we look more nar­rowlie to our life; Euripedes [...]. This Au­gustine expoundeth, I know not whether to call this a mortall life, or a vitall death: [...], saith one, is [...], our life is a violence [Page] or trouble, [...] is [...], our body, a sepul­chre: [...] is [...], our beauty and co­lour, a carion: [...] is [...], our frame and shape, a band: [...], our generation is a casting of us unto earth; & another, funus est fumus, our buriall a rieke. So that this is [...], a life not a life. And this shall be more manifest if wee take a view of our ages. First, our infancie is full of infirmitie and tears; when we are in our mothers bellies, the least fall of her may crush us into pieces, the smoak of a candle may smother us, and she is so ashamed of our birth, that no honest matron desireth to be delivered of us in publick; And are we once come to light, we creep in our own filth when other creatures take them to their feet or wings to feed themselves. Secondly, our child-hood is full of wan­tonnesse and foolishnesse, we hunt after toyes and trifles, not able to govern our selves; wearisome of the instruction of our parents and masters; and when they have much troubled themselves with us, we are not worthie perhaps the paines taking on. Thirdly, our youth-hood is full of vaine, idle, and rash pleasures, lea­ding [Page] us to debauchery, lulling us asleep in their bosome for to cut our throat, like so many pillules of gold, which under their outward beauty, keep an inward sowrenesse; like so many Dalila's to be­tray us to our enemies; or like so many Syrens to devour us; or like so many Ju­dases to kill us with a kisse. Fourthly, our man-hood is full of pride, emulation, ambition, with thousands of carking, irk­ing, and pricking cares: so that in this life we walke upon briars, and he who hath the crowne on his head, his heart is full of thornes, and neither his purple, nor his precious stones, nor the magnificence of his fare, or his court, can keep him from traitours, flatterers, and assasinates. So that some princes have thus spoken of their purple, O cloath more glorious then happy! Fifthly, our old age is full of sicknesse, complaints, miseries; for when a man hath done what he can to make himself honourable, rich, learned, wise, then it cometh to the which few winne; many wish to come to it, but they are no sooner arrived, but they would bee far from it: for with it are catarrhs, colick, gravell, gout, fever, &c. till that death [Page] give the stroak; so that we begin in tears, and end in miseries. Astrologers, such as Proclus, Ptolemee, and Aliben, have more subtilly then solidly compared our ages (looking to the perfection of the seventh number) to the seven planets, in this man­ner: First, our infancy, humide, move­able, to the moone, in the which ha­ving none, or very little use of reason, we live and grow like plants: and in this only we differ from them (as Philo Ju­daeus saith) that other plants have their roote on earth, but ours is in the heaven. Secondly, our child-hood to Mercurie, wherein wee are taught and instructed. Thirdly, our youth-hood to Venus, the dayes of love, dalliance, and pleasure. Fourthly, the Zeni of our youth, the prime of our beauty, to the sun in his goodly array. Fifthly, our ripe and full man-hood to Mars, when we bend our desires, intentions, determinations to­wards preferment, honour and glory. Sixthly, our raw old age, to Iupiter, when we begin to number our dayes and to ap­ply our hearts unto wisedome. Seventhly, our rotten and decrepit age to Saturne, when we are overclouded with sorrow, [Page] tending to the doore of death, which ly­eth wide open at all times to all persons, when the tyde of our dayes shall have a perpetuall ebbe, without a full plemmura, & our leaf once fallen, shal never spring up againe, till that the world be no more. So that ye see, howbeit the spaces of our short time be compared to the heavens above, yet they make us not immortall. For as they have their owne courses, which be­ginne and end according to their proper motions: even so wee are wavering and wandring planets, till that our first mover God settle us with eternall rest. In the mean time, we may say with Job, ch. 14. 1 Man that is borne of a woman is of few dayes and full of trouble. And with Jacob, Few and evil are the dayes of my pilgri­mage. Therefore let us live as sojourners, aiming at our journeys end; as runners, looking for the prize; as fighters, swea­ting for the crowne: for this is a strange land, and this world is a banishment, and heaven is our countrey, and paradise our native soile, and GOD our Father, and Christ our Brother, and the Spirit our comforter, and the spirits justified our kindred, and the holy angels our compa­nions. [Page] Why doe we not long for them? But alas, poore miserable wretches that we are, wee fix not the eyes of our soules upon that life which is hid in Jesus, o­therwise wee would bee willing to lay downe this transitorie, uncertain calami­tous life, for to regain that permanent, se­cure, and glorious life. Oh, if wee could see with the eyes of faith the things that are not seen by the eyes of a naturall man, and which wait for us! then ten thou­sand worlds would not hold us back from them; for if there were so many, they would not bee able to content our illimi­ted desires, and infinite appetites. What is then able to fill them? I answer; the so­veraigne good, the great GOD, with the superabundant treasures of his free grace, and undeserved favour, and bottomlesse ocean of the multitude of his medicinall compassions. O Lord, drowne us therein, that the deep of our uncurable miseries may be swallowed up, by the deep of thy restaurative, and preservative mercies: for this is the life of thee our everloving, everliving God in Christ Jesus. Sweet hearts, pray that ye may bee once inspired by this; and surely heaven shall bee your [Page] home; God your portion, strength, sal­vation, with whom if once ye dwel there, yee shall lacke nothing. What would yee have? Is there a better then eternall life? it is there. Would yee have a crowne? Is there a bettter then an incorruptible crowne of uncomprehensible glorie? it is there. Would yee have a kingdome? Is there a better then that which cannot be shaken? it is there. Would yee have an inheritance? Is there a better then an im­mortall, undefiled, that fadeth not away? it is there. And where? where the poorest begger of you shall bee richer then all the kings of this earth; for putting a way his clouts, he shall put on the glorious robe of Christs righteousnesse, and receive that crowne of justice, weightier then the whole masse of this earthly globe, because it is the eternall weight of glorie, and so is more precious then all the diadem's and scepters of Alexander, Caesar; with the mightiest princes, who now are turned into muddy dust, filthie stinke, dreadfull horrour, perpetuall oblivion: for death is able to make us know our selves one day. It will tell to the proud, that he is abject; to the rich, that hee is a beggar; to the [Page] beautifull, that hee is evill favoured; to the ambitious, whom now territories, and dominions will not content, then se­ven foot of ground shall cover him, with these two short words, hic jacet; here he lyeth; & quem terra non cepit, urna capit: Hee whom the universe could not containe, his ashes lye in a little pitcher.

Doct. 2▪ What must be oncedone necessari­ly, should be done coura­giously.The second doctrine by way of conse­quence is this; (Is it appointed, &c?) Then man should prepare himself not onely for the end of this decrepit world that is come upon us, but also for his own end, with a generous and masculous courage, saluting and inviting that which he can­not shunne. The thing that makes us so negligent is our not preparation at all: for the day of our dissolution is assuredly at hand; death is at the doore, where it knocks it must enter, no iron or brasen gates are able to resist it; it will take the man whom God hath pointed out with his finger; with its flooked arrow it wounds him to the heart, and like a rigo­rous sergeant layeth hold upon him, and imprisoneth him, till that his life, which is our debt for sinne, be payed. This is the King of kings great taxation, from which [Page] there is no redemption, exception, ex­emption, from Caesar to the cotter. For how thinke ye death will reason with all and every one of us? whatsoever part of argument we hold it will overcome us, for our obligation is personall or indivi­duall, & none can sit the summons. Come O king from thy throne! come O counsel­lor from thy counselhouse! come O cour­tier from thine attendance! come Oswag­gerer from thy cloaths of silver and gold! come O nobles from your pastimes! come O prelats & preachers from your chayres! come O husbands from your wives! come O merchants from your shops! come O craftsmen from your trades! come O beggars from your brats! come Caesar, come cotter, sleep all in the dust! And howsoever ye differ in ranks, qualities, sexes, conditions, there is no di­stinction of persons; king and subject, rich and poore, noble and ignoble, young and old, all are equal here. Juvenal saith, Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat, Death equalls the mace with the mattock. And Horatius, Pallida mors aequo pede pulsat pauperum tabernas Regum (que) turres,—Pale death le­velleth the countrey cabine and the kingly [Page] palace both alike. Ambrose more clearly, Nulla distinctio est inter corpora mortuorū, nisi forte, quia gravius foetent divitum cor­pora luxuriâ distenta; There is no diffe­rence betwixt dead corps, but that rich menscorps stink worse then others. Chry­sostome more pathetically, Proficiscamur ad sepulchra; ostende mihi patrem, ostende ux­orem tuam; ubi est qui purpuram induebat? nihil video nisi putrida ossa & vermes, dif­ferentiam nullam video: Let us go to the sepulchres; shew thy father, shew thy wife; where is he who was cloathed in purple? I see nothing but rotten bones, and wormes; no difference can I perceive. Therefore laying all worldly considerati­ons aside; the king his scepter, the coun­celler his robe of justice, the courtier and swaggerer their roaring shewes, the nobles their sword, the scholar his pen, the labourer his spade, the merchant his purse, the tradesman his instruments, the beggar his bagge: Every one of them pro­miscuously and indifferently must con­clude thus, O rottennesse thou art my fa­ther, O worme thou art my mother, and my sister. Beleeve me saith Augustine, in opened sepulchres have been found in [Page] dead mens sculs, earth-toades; in their nerves, serpents; in their bowels, worms. This is a grave meditation, and profi­table contemplation to thee, O man; and I pray thee consider it deeply with mee. I am assured to die ere it be long, but thou art hewen out of that same rock, thy mothers bellie with mee; and art made of that same stuffe, dust and ashes with mee. I am conceived in sin, so art thou; I am born in sin, so art thou; I am foste­red in sin, so art thou; I am in the prime of my years, but alas, in the strength of sin; I know not if thou be in the first, I know well thou art in the last and worst estate. God immortall pitie us mortall men, and prepare us in time to redeeme our mispent time, and to number our dayes one by one, for feare, when the de­cretorie day of death is come, we have not oyle in our lamps, and our loyns gir­ded towards our Masters coming. And againe we beseech thee, O gracious Fa­ther, who delightest not in the death of sinners, prepare us, of all sinners the most: for endlesse and unspeakable are the tor­ments of an unprepared man before, at, and after death▪ O dissolute and desperate [Page] sinner, then make no more delay, and let thy conscience be troubled at this, let thy spirit tremble at it, let thy heart smart for it, and let all the faculties of thy soul be afraid of it, that when it is come, ye need not to fear at all.

Use of exhorta­tion. Timely prepara­tion su­rest pro­vision. Use of exhortation. Therefore let us not be so foolish and sluggish, as those who onely learn to die upon their death­bed, as if it were an easie and momenta­nie lesson. Augustine, Sero parantur re­media, cum mortis imminent pericula. It is no time to prepare remedies, against imminent death. Foreseen dangers, harme least. But let us studie it in the mor­ning, that the evening of our dayes may bee calme and peaceable. Yea, let us ga­ther our selves together before the su­preme decree of death passe out against us at unawares, that so wee may meet it with as much readinesse of minde, as it is willing with greedines to receive us, who should not be drifters off of repentance, like Salomons sluggard; or any more su­persede, flatter or foster our selves with vaine and deceitfull conceits of the im­mortalitie of this melting mortalitie, or admire this dying carcasse, which the [Page] wormes must feed upon ere it be long, or be ravished with the astonishing fabrick of our bodies which are but clay taber­nacles, and death at our flitting will dis­solve the pinnes thereof. Therefore O young man, remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth. O strong man, go not a whooring from the living God! O old man, who hast one foot in the grave al­ready, let death be set before thy eyes! And thinke not, O beastly drunkard, O devouring glutton, but as thou insultest over thy companions in the excesse of meat and drinke, so thy liver will faile thee, and the powers of death, and of the grave shall triumph over thee ere it be long! O leacherous man, who sowest where thou darest not reap, deflowring virgines, defiling the honourable bed of marriage; the fierie heat of thy concu­piscence shall be quenched in the flouds of oblivion ere it be long! O avaricious extortioner! O ambitious worldling, howbeit now thou canst pledge whole monopolies, devoure widows houses, eat up the poore, rob the altar, yet thou shalt get one morsell that thou canst not digest ere it be long! O generous man, howbeit [Page] thy heart now erected in thy breast inthe forme of a restlesse piramide be the foun­taine of thy life, it shall be dryed up like a summer strype, ere it be long! And as it was primum vivens, so it shall bee ulti­mum moriens, ere it be long. O brave man, thy noble and straight face, which now contemplates the heavens, shall bee de­faced in the slimie valley ere it be long! O wise man, who knowest the estates of kingdomes, the secrets of princes, the mysteries of nature, and hast made up a store-house within thee of all commend­able vertues; thou and they shall perish together ere it be long! O eloquent man (whom of all men I thinke to be most compleat) thy tongue which now flow­eth like milk and honey, and powreth Nectar, and Ambrosia upon the famished and thirstie souls of thy hearers, and drowneth as it were the soyle of their hearts with a soft-silver running river, shall lick the dust ere it be long! O thou comely Rachel, beautifull Bethsheba, al­luring Dalilah, thy pampered and well covered skinne, in the grave shall be like that of a drudge, or vile kitchin-maid ere it belong! O young gallant, who art en­amoured [Page] with thy beautie, thinking thy self another Adonis, Nereus, Narcissus, thou shall be like Aesope, or Thersites ere it bee long! And whatsoever thou be, O man, hear what I say, Thy force once must languish, thy sense faile, thy body droup, thine eyes turne in thine head, thy veines break, thy heart rent, and thy whole frame like an old rotten oak shall fall to the ground, or like a leaking ship, shall sinke into the harbour of thy grave. The wise man compares thee to a ruinous house, which decayeth piece and piece; but that comparison is familiar to those who are acquainted with scripture. The certaintie whereof should weane and spean our affections from the base things of this earth, and should worke in us an ardour of minde, a vehemencie of spirit, a serious and sedulous endeavour to bee delivered from the prison of this body, the Red sea of the miseries of this life, the captivitie of sinne, the thraldome of our corruption, the tyrannie of Satan. Yee know, if a couragious man be many years in a stinking, solitarie, and dark pri­son, he would be glad to change his infa­mous life, with a glorious death: But if [Page] the judge command the jailour to bring him forth to bee set at libertie, I pray you, when he seeth the brightsome light of the sunne, and tasteth of his wonted joyes in meat, drink, apparell, companie, is he not ravished within himself? Even so it is with us, while we are in Mesech, in the Egypt of sinne, under our spirituall Pharaoh the devil, being compassed about with robbers on the land, pirates on the sea, hereticks in the church, few or no godly men, we cannot but be plunged in a deep dungeon of grief and sorrow. But when it will please that unappealable judge, that high possessour of heaven and earth, to command the jaylour, Death, to loose us from the prison of this body, then we shall behold the glorious face of the Sonne of righteousnesse, and eat and drink of him, who is the bread and fountain of life, and be clad with the robe of his justice, and enjoy the blessed companie of Saints and Angels in the highest de­gree of happinesse. This heavenly medi­tation so possest many godly ones of old, that long before-hand, not hating their naturall, but longing after a supernaturall life, welcomed and invited death. This [Page] made Moses to preferre the reproach of Christ before the court of Pharaoh. This made Elias to cry out, It is enough, O Lord, take my soul, for I am no better then my fathers. This made David to say, Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit, because thou hast redeemed my soul. This made Polycarpus to say, Receive me Lord, and make me partner with thy Saints of the resurrection. This made Ignatius, Pauls disciple, Bishop of An­tioch to say, I care not for things visible or invisible, so that I may winne Christ. And in another place, fire, gallows, beasts, breaking of my bones, quartering of my members, crucifying of my body, all the torments of the devil together, let them come upon me, so that I may enjoy my Lord Jesus, and his kingdome. This made Hilarion to say, Depart my soule, why fearest thou? why tremblest thou? thou hast served CHRIST now almost seventy yeares, and art thou afraid to depart? This made Jerome to say, Let us embrace that day (viz. of death) which shall assigne every one of us to his house, which shal free us of the snares of this age, and restore us to paradise [Page] and the kingdome of heaven. Which made Gregory Nazianzen to say, That that day shall make us partakers of that frui­tion and contemplation of the soveraigne good, and place us in the bosome of A­braham, and shall unite us to the as­semblie of Saints and congregation of the just: where, saith Epiphanius, [...], viz. The garners are sealed, and the time fulfilled, and the combate en­ded, and the field empty, and the crownes are given. This made Au­gustine to say, I desire to die, that I may see Christ, and I refuse to live, that I may live with Christ. This made Ambrose to say, I am not afraid to die, because I have a good master. This made the Apostle S^t. Paul to say, I desire to be dissolved, & to be with Christ, for that is the best of al: and, That al otherthings are but drosse and dung in respect of the excel­lencie of the knowledge of Christ. God worke this desire in us, for while wee are at home in these bodies, we are absent from the Lord, and ground it upon the assu­rance of the remission of our sinnes, and [Page] our perfect union, and plenary reconcilia­tion with our God in Christ Jesus. The Lord give us grace to be perswaded with the Apostle, that if the earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved, we have a buil­ding of God, an house not made with hands, eternall in the heavens, 2 Cor. 5. But a­las, here is our miserie, that every one of our bodies is a remora to hinder the ship of our soules to stretch sail within the saving harborie of Gods crowning mer­cies. God fasten the anchors of our faith and hope therein, that after the tempest of this life we may enjoy peace, and ever­lasting happinesse.

Doct. 3. It is bootlesse to feare what wee cannot avoid. The third doctrine by way of conse­quence, is this, It is appointed. Then let no man fear death: for it is inevitable, and whether we flie from it, or goe to it, it ever followeth us at the heels; it hang­eth over our heads, as the rock doth Tantalus his head, which cannot bee re­moved. There are, who desire not to hear tell of it at all, and if the preacher urge this point, hee becommeth odious. To the old Latines this word was so omi­nous, that they periphrased it by ano­ther▪ for when they should have said in [Page] plaine termes, Mortuus est, He is dead; they said, Vixit, He lived: Abiit ad plu­res, He went to moe: for there are moe dead then living. As for the vulgar sort, they are so besotted with a bruitall stu­piditie, that they thinke not on death at all. But a generous heart should make it its object, its butt, acquainting it selfe with it at all times, representing it be­fore its eyes; even in the least occurren­ces it may seize upon us. A king of France died of a small skelfe of a speare in the midst of his pastime; An Emperour, of the scratching of a pinne; Anacreon, of one graine of a raisin; Aeschylus, of the shel of a snaile, which fell from the clawes of an Eagle in the aire; Milon, with both his hands in the clift of an oak; Charles of Navarre, of the fire of a candle in aqua­vitae; Philemon, and Philistion, of laugh­ter; Dionyse Tyran. Diagoras and others, of joy. O what a feeble creature is man, that the very least vermine, spider, gnat, doth kill him, and yet feareth death, which the Hart, the Elephant, Phoenix, and longest living creatures must yeeld to, without any grudging or reluctance. Certainly there is no passion more vio­lent [Page] in man then feare, and produces more strange effects; but of all feares the fear of death is the most foolish, mad and desperate, for it may wel hasten & aggra­vate, but never stay or diminish the dint thereof, Multi ad fatum venere suum dum fata timent, Many precipitate their end in fearing it. Seneca in O Edip. Optanda mors est sine metu mortis mori: the most desir­able death is to dy without fear of death, Idem. Aristotle the chief of Philosophers, calleth it [...], most fearfull, because as it cannot be eschewed, so it killeth the man. Yet this is a maxime, that no sound naturalists will goe from, that good and valiant citizens (such as Pericles praised in his funerall oration) should undergoe it, for the defence of their wives, chil­dren, friends, citie, countrey, gods. And the Stoicks themselves defend their Philosophie to bee a continuall medita­tion upon death, because the motion of the soule being ravished out of the body by contemplation, is a prentiship or re­semblance of death. And they deemed him to be the best Philosopher, who gave the surest precepts against the feare of death. So in my opinion, he is the best [Page] divine, who teacheth himselfe and o­thers to doe well, to die well. Would we die well, let us first doe well. Qua­lis vita, finis ita: such life, such death. August. Non potest male mori, qui bene vix­erit; he cannot die ill, who lived well; for a godly life hath a happie death. The very Paganes of old, the Romanes, Greeks, Egyptians, who howbeit they became vaine in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkned, Rom. 1. 21. and ignored the resurrection of the dead, yet they might have taught many of us now adayes, by a spotlesse life before the world to die well, because they e­steemed, an easie death should follow af­ter a reproachlesse life. But alas, men live now, as if there were no death to follow, no hell to swallow, no count to render, no judgement to be executed, no soul to keepe, no God to fear, no devill to tor­ment: or else they lull themselves asleepe on the devils pillow, the cradle of car­nall securitie: And with the Epicure, Sardanapalus, and the rich glutton, they never thinke upon death till it surprise them, and they either care not, because they conclude, there is no pleasure after [Page] this life, or else they despaire, casting themselves headlong into horrible ago­nies, and inextricable perplexities. In the mean time ye may wonder, that Py­thagoras, Socrates, Anaxarchus, Codrus, Cleombrotus, Curtius, Seneca, Cato, Cleo­patra, died resolvedly, and yet they knew not where they were going. Why then are we pultrons and cowards, see­ing we are assured to go upon the wings of angels to the bosome of Abraham. Their naturall courage made them to dis­daine it, Mors non metuenda viris, Man­hood is not daunted with death, Luca­nus. Shall not then our spirituall know­ledge perswade us that our death is no­thing but a passage to life, a passe-port to immortalitie, a doore to paradise, a sea­sure of heaven, a chartre upon glory; or, as saith Bernard, a passage from labour to rest, from hope to reward, from the com­bate to the crowne, from death to life, from faith to knowledge, from pilgri­mage to our long home, from the world to our father. And as another saith, It is a change of the crosse, unto the crown; of the prison, to the palace; of captivity, unto liberty. Scripture is more pithie, it [Page] calleth it, A sleep, a rest of our flesh in hope, a going to our fathers, a gathering to our people, a recommending of our spirit to God, a rendring up of the ghost, a walking with God and the Lambe. Object. But some may say here; Why should we not fear, seeing worthie per­sons, yea reverend church-men who led a godly life, and exhorted sundrie not to fear, were mightily troubled at their death, and when they should have had most peace, they were most disquieted? I answer. Their fear was a diligent, not a diffident; a holy, not a hellish; a filial, not a servile; a godly, not a devilish fear; because they feared God as a judge, and they hoped in him as a Saviour; they fea­red him, and so they sued for him, ap­pealing from the tribunall of his justice, to the throne of his mercie; ab irato Cae­sare ad placatum, from an offended God in the height of his justice, to a pacified God in the depth of his mercies. And I would have the simple ignorant people to▪ know here, that outward disturban­ces in fits, of heavie, exasperate, invete­rate sicknesse, are not evident and infalli­ble tokens of a totall or finall desertion: [Page] for the godly patients may have inward joy, glorious and unspeakable, which the standers by see not. And by the con­trarie, some who have led a lewd life, without any remorse of conscience, or compunction, or contrition of heart, may seeme to have a peaceable death, and say that they are ready for their God, when in the meane time their heart gi­veth their mouth the lie. Others desire to die, because of great povertie, or in­tolerable paines, or losse of goods, good name, friends, &c. But God make us not to fear death; because we are assured of his favour in the pardon of our huge, and manifold transgressions, and impu­tation of Christs righteousnesse, for that is only the thing which justifieth us be­fore God.

Use of encouragement. Then why Use of encou­ragment. Death is an en­large­ment from thral­dome, a delivery from troubles.should we fear death? Agathias calleth it [...], the mother of tranquili­tie, [...], the stayer of sicknesse: Euripides, [...]: the great­est remedie of evills: Aeschylus, [...], the medicine of incurable diseases: Anacreon, [...], a de­liverie from travels; which after trouble, [Page] giveth us rest, healeth our sicknes, taketh away our povertie, endeth our great­est feares and cares. It is the way of all flesh, and it is common to kings and beg­gars, as well to die, as to be borne. And one of the seven sages, Thales, saith, that they are both indifferent. But to Christi­ans they are both profitable, for Christ in life and death is advantage: Philip. 1. 21. If it please the Lord we live, let us em­ploy our life well, for it is a talent given to us for the use of our Master; if to die, what need we to fear? for all these who are gone before us cry out, Come, come after us; there is no danger in death; all the hazard we incurre, and jeopardie wee run into, is in our lives. Is not this life a continuall miserie, a perpetuall tempest, a [...], a common host­age, and receptacle of all calamities, and our death is an issue of these miseries, the harbrie mouth, leading us to the most sure haven, the heaven of heavens, the bridegroomes chamber? 1 Object. Death is most dangerous, and so most fearfull, because it is the way to hell, from the which there is no regresse. Answer. To the wicked indeed it is such, but to the [Page] godly it is the gate to heaven, and hither you must make your progresse. 2 Object. It takes away my life, which is so near and dear unto me. Answer. Upon a condition to give a better which shall never bee taken from thee. 3. Object. But my los­ses are great. Answer. Let me never hear that of thee againe, that it is a great losse of such a mans life, or that thou losest any thing in death; that is an idle querimony, to the which Socrates answereth, O dii boni, quantum lucri est emori! O what great gaine is it to die! for ye may leave an earthly possession, for an heavenly patri­monie; uncertaine goods, for a certaine treasure; the company of the wicked, for Saints and Angels; earth, for heaven; basenesse, for glory; unsufficiencie, for al­sufficiencie. 4. Object. But there are paines in death. Answer. There is no­thing without paines, and the better the thing be, the greater paines: but to speak properly, it is the remnant of thy life that tormenteth thee, and not thy death: for what is it but a not being in this world? for when we are, death is not: and when death is, wee are not. Now a not being hath no dolour: for [Page] as when wee were not at all, wee found no dolour, so when we shall not bee, wee shall finde none. Wherefore then fearest thou the day of death? for every day of thy life is a preparation to it; and that last period of dayes is not properly thy death allenarly, for every day contributeth to it. And as the last drop emptieth not, nor filleth the bottle, and the last path wearieth not, nor the last stroake cutteth downe all the trunke of the tree, but every one help­eth another: so every day we go to death, and the last, wee arrive at it. So that it boats with us, it rideth behinde us, and leaveth us no more then the shadow of our bodies, till at last it cut the thred of our desires and lives, and take us from the world, and from our selves. So that we die at all houres, and all moments, and if we desire to live long, we enjoy a languishing death victo­rious in many assaults. So that Epictetus answered well to Hadrian, demanding this question, Which is the best life? he answered, The shortest. And Solomon saith, That the day of our death is better then the day of our nativitie: for this is [Page] the beginning of our dolours, and that is the end, and our accesse to supreme hap­pinesse: for then this body shall returne to the dust, and the spirit to God the giver, with whom we shall enjoy a full life, and our passions shall be buried, and our reason enlarged, and the whole man placed in his owne element, the heaven his countrey, from the which hee was banished.

Furthermore, did not Cicero, Seneca, and before them Theophrastus, Crantor, Xenocrates, leave rare monuments and documents, against immoderate dolour in death, as also against the fear thereof? but thou art better taught then those, that death is the very entry to that eternall day, nunc stans feast, Sabaoth, with the Ancient of dayes, and that the separation of the soule from this body, is nothing but an union and communion with God. And shall naughtie souldiers under their temporarie captaine, hazard their mis­pent life at the mouth of the canon in a furious skirmish for the pennie-pay, and thou not lay down this tedious life for the kingdome of heaven, whereunto thou hast undoubted right, by thy triumph­ing [Page] generall, the captaine of thy salvati­on, the Lord Jesus, the Lord of Hosts? 5. Object. But the pangs of death are in­supportable, who can abide these cruell and deadly wounds? Answer. That same Jesus by his glorious and meritorious death, hath sweetned, seasoned, sancti­fied them to thee in such fashion, that they shall be unto thee like the launcet of a Chirurgion, which pricketh and heal­eth together like worme-wood; or the potion of a skilfull mediciner, which is sowre, but wholesome. 6. Object. But the feare of judgement after death, ma­keth me afraid. Answer. That same Lord Jesus, judge of judges, thy eldest brother shall be thy judge, in that great day of retribution, and remuneration, and hee cannot but looke upon thee with com­passionate eyes, seeing he is flesh of thy flesh, and bone of thy bones, and thy cause is his cause, for he is thy advocate, and intercessour daily. 7. Object. But the paines of hell, which are unspeakable, universall, eternall, are very fearfull, and much affright me. Answ. That same Jesus thy redeemer, as he made the grave his bed, so hee keeps the keyes of hell, and [Page] the gates thereof cannot prevail against thee. To conclude then, let us all re­solve couragiously to attend death, lay­ing aside all fear, ever hoping that the Lord shall be with us, to the end and in the end.

Blessed shall we be if we die in him, for so we shall rest from our labours, and in death celebrate three solemnities. First, our birth day: for wee shall revive. Secondly, our mariage day, which shall be accomplished with Christ. Thirdly, our triumph day: for through Christ we shall triumph over the world, our own flesh, sinne, death, the grave, hell, the devill, principalities and powers what­soever, and receive that crowne of glo­ry. So that through Christ we are more then conquerours, who saith, I will re­deem them from death: O death, I will be thy death: O grave I will be thy destructi­on, Hosea chap. 13. 14. Are wee gods in Christ? let us not fear death. Lethum non omnia finit, Propertius: Death puts not a period to all things. I say more, death maketh us endlesse. Cicero affirmeth, that after death hee shall bee immortall. Horace, that the best part of him shall [Page] live. Ovid, that the best part of him shall be carried above the starres. The E­gyptians, Brachmanes, Indians, Thra­cians, Persians, Macedonians, Arabians, Americanes, and all polished nations have consented to the immortalitie of the soule. But here wee surpasse them, that after death and resurrection, our bo­dies shall live for ever. This is an essen­tiall and fundamentall point of our be­lief.

THE SUBIECT.
Men once to die.

NOw let me speak of the subject of this assertion, Man once to die. It is not said in the originall [...], to all men; but [...], to men; because in­definite propositions in matters necessary are universall. The meaning is, All men and women must once die. Ovid, Tendi­mus huc omnes: we tend all to death, and that once. Horace saith very well, Om­nes eodem cogimur: Omnes manet una nox, & calcanda semel via lethi. This is a pas­sage common to all; and let it be so, wee should live again, wee must runne over [Page] the same race. Catullus, and Epictetus say, That as our life is but one day: so our death is but one night.

Doct. Death is certain in uncer­taintie. The doctrine upon the subject is this: As there is nothing more certain then death, so there is nothing more uncer­tain then the time, place, and manner thereof. This doctrine hath two points.

I prove the first, that there is nothing more certaine then death, leaving the former reasons. First, from the word fatum, which expresseth the nature of death; so called, a fando, because the Lord hath spoken it; his word is his work. And seeing he hath uttered this sentence, That all men must once die, it cannot but come to passe. So that there is a fatall, infallible, inexpugnable, neces­sitant necessitie laid upon man, once to die. Man is tearmed [...], the end of all, [...], nature per­fected, [...], a visible God, [...], a compend of this great world; and as the heavens and earth wax old and perish, so he, the resemblance of both, must follow the patterne. I confesse with Zoroaster and Trismegistus, that he is an admirable piece of nature, because [Page] both natures, superior and inferior, un­created and created do meet in him. And if these visible creatures bee as so many scales, to climbe to that invisible Creator, man must be one of the most curious steps of that ladder. If we look within the in­trals of the earth, we may see there rich mines of silver, gold, and precious stones. If we behold the face of it, we shall finde there such a varietie of herbs, flowers, fruits, trees, creatures, which may breed admiration in the dullest spirits. And is the sea lesse admirable, by reason of the flux and reflux thereof, the quantitie of fishes and monsters therein nourished? And is the aire any thing inferior to these two: full of fowles, clouds, raines, snow, haile, lightnings, thunder, and innume­rable meteors? But when wee lift up our eyes to the astonishing vault of heaven, whose curtaines are spread over these, enlightned with the sunne and moone, and twinkling stars, with their towres, retowres, aspects, effects, influences, we cannot but be ravished with a more sin­gular and divine contemplation. Yet here is a greater wonder, that all these things are abridged in thee, O man, of [Page] seven foot-length? And as the world is a book in the which God may be read in capitall letters: so both the world and God, may by the most ignorant, easilie be read in thee as in a written table, seene in thee, as in a clear glasse. Thy flesh re­presents the dust; thy bones, the rockes; thy liver, the sea; thy veines, rivers; thy breath, the aire; thy naturall heat, the fire; thy head, the heavens; thy eyes, the stars; thy joynts, moving so active­ly, sinnews stirring so nimbly, senses working so quickly, like the secret re­sorts of nature, But I pray thee enter within thy inward parts so excellent; thy spirit so supernatuall, thy reason so divine, thy appetite so infinite, thy soule [...], the engraven image of God: thou maist justly say, that thou art ultimus na­turae foetus, the last essay and effort of na­ture, and the theater whereupon God may be seene with mortall eyes, repre­senting the foure corners of the world: thy face, the east; thy back, the west; thy right side, the south; thy left, the north. And whereas other creatures have their countenance downward towards their naturall mother the earth, thine are up­ward, [Page] toward thy spirituall father, God; that thou mayest raise thy self from all earthly vanitie, to a serious contempla­tion of the divinitie, wherein are placed thy unchangeable comfort, thy unspeak­able contentment, thy unconceivable feli­citie. Whence I inferre this; Whatso­ever of us is like to the creature, must die; but that which hath received the indeleble character of God, is perpetuall. So that our souls are immortall, our bo­dies are vassals and slaves of death, in which respect wee are all said to die.

And that this doctrine may bee the more clear, I shall prove it in the second place by way of induction. Look to the vertues; the stout as well as the rash, or the coward; the temperate, as well as the untemperate or stupid; the liberall, as well as the prodigall or avaricious; the magnificent, as well as the niggard or vainglorious; the magnanimous, as well as the proud or pusilanimous; the modest; as well as the ambitious or base minded; the meek as well as the angrie, or anger­lesse; the courteous, as well as the flatte­rer, or churlish; the sincere, as well as the dissembler, or bragger; the civilized [Page] man, as well as the rustick, or the scog­gen, or the officious pleasant; the just as well as the unjust, must all once die. The stout man may fight against death; the temperate man keep a sober dyet to pro­long his life; the liberall propine it; the magnificent make expences; the magna­nimous disdain it; the modest smile at it; the meek embrace it; the courteous che­rish it; the civilized welcome it; the just man execute judgements upon others; but none of them can overcome death. Look to the superiour faculties. The religious divine in foro poli; the curious lawyer, in foro soli; the skilfull mediciner in his shop, must all once die. The first of these may teach of it; the second may make a testament after it; the third may pre­scribe a recipe against it, but none of them can cast off its yoke. Look to the arts and sciences; the experimented Gram­marian may finde out sundrie significa­tions of the word Death in divers lan­guages; the dainty Poet may make an E­pitaph or Epicede; the flowing oratour, a funerall Sermon; the subtile Logician may dispute pro, & contra; the ingenu­ous moralist may discourse trimly upon [Page] it; but what can these do, but what mor­tall men can do, after all that they can do, die! Therefore let not the beaten war­riour thinke, that all his stratagems can defend him, or the polished polititian dreame that all the maximes of Matchia­vel, or the counsell of Achitophel can preserve him. Let not the Geometer bee so busie, as to search out the place; or the Arithmetician, number the day; or the A­strologue, tell the manner of his death: let not the profound naturalist wade into the deep thereof; nor the transcendent Metaphysician flee from it: for there is no art nor science under heaven which will learn a man not to die. Looke to the ages; the embrion in its mothers bel­lie, the babe on its mothers breast, the wanton child, the rash young man, the strong man, the wittie man, the old man, the decrepit man; all must once die. Look to the conditions of men: Prince, pastor, and people, all must once die. And to compendize that which I thought to enlarge, both elect and re­probate, all must once die; they for the abolition of their miseries, and position of their happinesse: these for the position [Page] of their miseries, and remotion of all happinesse. They to be glorified in soule and body: these to bee damned in both. So that the godly die, that they may live to God, and with God in heaven; the un­godly die, that they may live to the de­vill, and with the devill in hell. God preserve us from hell, and reserve us to heaven.

I prove the second point of this do­ctrine, which is this; There is nothing more uncertain, then the time, place, and manner of death, as a poet saith, Nemo novit mortis tempusve, locumve, modumve: The time, whether in the spring, summer, harvest, winter of the year, or of mans years; whether at the point of the day, morning, mid-day, evening, night, mid­night, it is uncertain. He that dieth ear­ly in the morning, is the babe; he that dy­eth at the third houre, is the young man; he that dieth at the sixt houre, is the strong man; he that dieth at the ninth houre, is the old man; and he that dieth at the eleventh houre, is the decrepit man. And therefore the Greek poet compareth man to an apple, which is either pulled off before the time, or else in time falleth [Page] off on the ground. And Epictetus to a candle, which is exposed to winde; it may shine a little, and then goeth out. The place, whether in thy house, or in the temple; in thy bed, or at the table▪ in the mountain, or in the valley; in the wildernesse, or in the fields; on sea, or by land; in or out of thy countrey, it is un­certain. The manner, whether by sword, famine, pestilence, sicknesse, heat, cold, hunger, thirst, racke, rope, by peace, or warre, by a naturall or violent death, it is uncertain. Of all these I might bring both exotick and domestick examples, but I leave them to your daily reading, and hearing of divine and profane histo­ries. Onely I inferre these uses upon the precedent doctrine, by way of direction from the dead, and consequently from these two dead corps lying before us.

Three directi­ons touching the cer­tainty of death. Direct. 1. In life remem­ber death. Receive first then three directions up­on the first point, viz. The certainty of death.

The first direction is, Vive memor lethi, fugit hora, Persius. In thy life remember of thy death, for thy houre slippeth. Time is precious, but short; and this is a hard lesson, Memento mori. This was accusto­med [Page] to be said to the Emperours in that great triumph at Rome, Memento mori, homo es, mortalem te esse memineris, Re­member to die, man thou art, and re­member that thou art mortall. All these did follow Philip, Alexander the greats father, who commanded his chamber­lain thrice every day to round the same sentence in his eares. To this effect, when the Egyptians did solemnize their natall dayes, they had a dead scull upon their table, to put them in minde of their mor­talitie. One Church-yard in Paris, I re­marked, hath moe sculls, then there are living heads in Scotland. S^t. Jerome was wont to have in his studie before him, a dead mans scull with a running glasse. But alas, such is our follie, that scarcely can wee remember of death, when wee see the same painted upon the mort­cloath: wee may lose a legge to day, an arme to morrow, an eye the third day, and these will not teach us to prepare our selves towards it. Consumption in the lights, a stone in the bladder, the gout in our feet, the palsie in our hands, 2000 known sicknesses in our bodies, (to omit unknown, for every member of our [Page] bodie is subject to diverse diseases) will not advertise us. Our house is ruinous, but we cannot flit out of it. Chance tel­leth us, that death is latent; infirmitie, that it is patent; old age, that it is pre­sent, as saith Hugo. What? for all this we cannot be enough admonished. And this is it that Jerome findeth fault with, Quo­tidie morimur, quotidie commutamur, & tamen aeternos esse credimus: We die day­lie, we are changed daily, yet we think our selves eternall. In the mean time, in our most lively life we may perceive the verie print and footstep of death. For we do see continually, and hear the cryes of mothers for their children; of spou­ses, for their husbands; of servants, for their masters; visitation of sick, medici­ners, preachers, in our houses, at our bed­heads, all warning us, that we are be­sieged by death.

Direct 2. So live as thou wert pre­s [...]ntly dying. The second direction is, Fac hodie, quod moriturus agas: so lead thy life as if thou wert even now dying. Every day that we live (complaineth Anselmus) wee come from our countrey to our banishment; from the sight of God, to darknesse; from the pleasure of immortalitie, to the cor­ruption [Page] of death. Petrarcha affirmeth, that he had not a morrow to look to; and that to day he was prepared to die. Se­neca, a divine Philosopher to this pur­pose: Dic dormitanti, potes non expergi­sci; dic experrecto, potes non dormire ampli­ùs; dic exeunti, potes non reverti; dic rede­unti, potes non exire: id est, Tell to him that sleepeth, it may bee that he awake not; and to him that is wakened, that per­haps he shall sleep no more; and to him that goeth forth, that he shall not return; and to him that returneth, that perhaps he shall not go back.

Both did borrow it from Euripides, [...]: It is too late to morrow, live to daie. Hap­pie is the man whose way, journey, time, businesse, breath goeth together, walking before GOD as Abraham, with God as Enoch, in God as Paul. Happie is the man, who is ever ready, like a ship to loose with a faire winde; like a horse for the bell, not standing still [Page] as Joshuas sunne, or returning back as Eze­kias sunne, but running its race as Da­vids sunne. Provident is he who maketh this testament aforehand, and calculats this year to be his climacterick year; this day, this houre, this moment, this breath to be his last.

Imagine every day to be thy last day; for this life is a lead, and not a proper­tie; a farme, and not an heritage; an host­age, and not an abode; if God warne thee to remove, thou canst not suspend his summons.

Direct 3▪ Look al­wayes to thy end. The third direction is, Respice finem: Remember thy end (saith the wise man) and whatsoever thou takest in hand shall prosper: thou mayst well propone, God dispones. Thou mayst entitle thy self with Alexander the conquerour, the sonne of Jupiter Hammon; and with Sapor king of Persia, brother to the sunne or moone, copartner with the stars, king of kings: and exalt thy self with the titles of the king of Spaine, Prester John, the Turke, the king of China; thou mayst saile over the mountaines with Antiochus, dry up the rivers with Sennacherib, and bridle [Page] the seas, as the Monarchs in their pride have attempted; who with Edom have lift up themselves above the clouds, as the eagle, and builded their nest amongst the starres. But if thou have not buil­ded upon the rock of Sion, thou hast e­rected but a Babel, a masse of confusion, and death shall crosse, crush, and cut all thy designes, and harbour thee in the place of silence, where thou shalt neither see, nor be seene any more. Thou shouldst then meditate on these three: 1. Respi­ce, Look back to that which thou wast, Earth: 2. Aspice, Behold what thou art, Earth. and 3 prospice, Consider what thou must be, Earth. There thy beginning, continuance, end. Lord teach us to beginne well, to continue better, to end best of all: for the end crowneth the work.

3 Dire­ctions touching the un­certainty of death. These are the three directions upon the certainty of death: receive also three other directions, upon the uncertainty of the time, place, manner.

Direct. 1 Thinke everyday thy last day. The first direction is upon the Time. Howbeit it bee certain to God, yet to man it is uncertain: yea to Christ as hee is the sonne of man, who cometh as a [Page] thief in the night. Therefore let us have oyl in our lamps, and our loynes girded toward our masters coming: let us watch and pray, not knowing the day nor the houre. The preterit time is gone, the present is a moment; and the future is un­certaine. The day is short, the worke is great, our Master is at hand, there­fore let us be busie, saith Rabbi Simeon. And if Apelles the painter, thought e­very day lost wherein he drew not a line: So we Christians, with Bernard, should think every moment of time lost, which we have not consecrated to God. Seneca affirmeth that a great part of our life slideth away with evil doing, the most part by nothing doing, the whole by doing that which we should not do; and in the meane time death commeth upon a suddentie. Doth not one com­plaine that he hath left his house halfe builded; the other that his victory is not crowned; another, that his meditations are not printed; another, that he hath not married his daughter; another, that hee hath not payed his debts? And why? be­cause we are improvident, and have not in time thought upon our last time, [Page] which God in his wisedome hath not re­vealed unto us, for fear wee be holden in continuall inquietude. Augustine saith well, Ʋnus dies ignoratur, ut multi ob­serventur: which Gregory expoundeth, The last houre is uncertain, that we may suspect it, and hasten to it. Davids child died an infant, Eutychus a youth, Samp­son a strong man, David an old man, Methusalem a decrepit man. God teach us to be ready at all times, for death is a fixed point which we must touch.

Direct 2 What we expect some­where, let us wait for every where. The second direction is upon the place. Because wee know not in what place death will seize upon us, let us wait up­on it in all places; for there is no corner in nature, but death reignes in it, subdu­ing all things under it self, as an implaca­ble tyrant. The babes in Bethlehem died in their swadling clouts, Jacob in his bed, Eglon in his summer house, Saul in the field, Sennacherib in the temple, Joab at the hornes of the altar, a Marquesse of Mantua, Speusippus a Philosopher, and one of the Popes of Rome, in the armes of whores. Let us send short and pithie ejaculations to God in all places, that he who is omnipresent, may bee power­fully [Page] present with us, where death en­countereth us, and in what estate wee meet it, in that same we shall compear in judgement.

Direct 3. An un­certain death re­quires a prepa­red life. The third direction is upon the man­ner. This is a saying repeated by many, ad vitam unus est exitus, ad mortem paenè infiniti: There is one passage to life, viz. our mothers bellie, but to death, are al­most infinite. Raman hanged Jobs sons, smothered the mothers of Jerusalem, with their younglings starved to death; Herod worm-eaten, those of Sodom burnt with fire and brimstone, those of the old world drowned with an uncomparable deluge of waters. Diverse are the kinds of the Saints death; Esay was cut through the middle with a saw; Peter, James, Paul and John, beheaded; Steven, Philip of Bethsaida, and Matthias stoned; Bartholo­mew his skin pulled off him; Thomas thrust through with a spear; Luke hanged; Andrew, Simons brother, and Christ himself crucified: of the Christi­ans under the Emperours of Rome, some pricked, some rosted to death, some de­voured by cruell lyons, some by rave­nous wolves, some by fierce tigres, some [Page] with one or other exquisite torment pained to death. Our lesson is, who are here present, to lead a sanctified, and re­newed life, serving God without feare, in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life, that wee may obtaine a pleasant, easie, and pre­cious death in the eyes of the Lord; [...]; an happie death is immortalitie to soul and body: for every manner of death, how execrable soever, shall be sanctified on the tree, whereon Christ was crucified. And thus farre of all the points of my text.

The con­clusion. Now my Noble, Honourable, Re­verent, and well beloved Auditors, least I should omit any circumstance of this action looked for by you, I come to these two dead corps lying at the lippe of the grave, from which yee have recei­ved six directions, and if they could speak any more, they would make up the se­venth, which is the most perfect num­ber, that is to say, Learne of us to die, for ye must follow after us; and we can­not come backe unto you. So their mouthes are stopped, and we need not to speak unto them any more, for they will [Page] not hear us, therefore wee must speake something of them. To pray God for them, we should not, for it will not a­vaile them; to praise them (howbeit praise worthie) I am assured that criticks and censurers would take to themselves larger matter, then perhaps were given them, all consenting with one voice and minde, that I a friend were driven by the violent streame of affection, and the tem­pestuous storme of passion, either upon the Scylla of ostentation, or the Charibdis of assentation. But I hope the saile of my sinceritie shall carry the ship of my minde from these two rocks, to the safe harbour of your favourable audience, and sparing censures; and that my mouth shall utter nothing, but that which the carper himself, a framed friend, an impartiall judge, a charitable christian ought to say, to wit, That this rare spectacle of one husband and spouse which cannot be se­vered in death, would seeme in the eyes of a naturall man pitifull and deplorable, but to us who see with spirituall eyes, joyfull and comfortable: for they are with God. And this is remarkable, Their joy was one, their grief one, their love [Page] one, their life one, their death one, their buriall one, their tombe one, their grave one, their glory one. And great is our u­nion with them, howbeit we be separate for a while: for charitie biddeth us say, That our baptisme is one, our faith one, our hope one, our love one, our re­ward one, our pilgrimage one, our race one, our warfare one, our countrey one, our common-wealth one, our citie one, our religion one, our church one, our spirit one, our Christ one, our God one, the father of us all, above us all, in us all, all in all.

These are strait bands betwixt them and us, for that same golden chaine of mercie which hath pulled them unto heaven is fastned to our souls, that we al­so in our own time may be drawne hi­ther. In the meane time we are banished and strangers, they gone home and citi­zens; we in Sodom, they in Zoar; wee in O Enon, they in Salem; wee in a ter­restriall cottage, they in a celestiall pa­radise; we in clayie tabernacles, they in glorious pavilions; we are on this border of the sea, they on the other; wee drow­ned in the sea, they in the ark; wee in the [Page] desert, they upon the top of mount Pis­gah; we in Egypt, they in Canaan; we tost to and fro, they in the harbour mouth. Againe, we in a labyrinth, they in the fortunate Isles and Elisian fields; wee hunt after shadows, they enjoy the substance; wee amongst Bears and Wolves, they with the Lambe; we figh­ting, they triumphing. And what more? we sick, they whole; we blinde, they enlightned with that inaccessible light; we see through a glasse, they face to face; wee know in part, they fully; we poore, they rich; wee naked, they cloathed; wee weare clouts and rags, they bear crownes and scepters; we hungrie, they satisfied; we feed upon the fruits of the earth, they upon that quickning Manna, the bread of Angels; we imprisoned, they set at libertie; and that which the igno­rant would thinke a wonder, wee dead, and they living. Why go wee then with mourning apparell, seeing they have white robes? Why weep we any more, seeing all teares are wiped from their eyes? Why do wee lament, seeing they sing songs of triumph upon golden harps and viols, with the melodious, har­monious [Page] sweet-singing-chorestrie of An­gels? Surely if it were possible that glo­rified souls were subject to grief, they have greater occasion to mourn for us, then wefor them, whose bands amongst themselves are so unseparable, that death cannot break them; and greater love wee read not of any two then of these: for it is stronger then death. O happie couple above the eloquence of man and angel! Many a loyall husband and chaste spouse would be glad of such an end. And what an end? Let the envious Momus, and in­jurious backbiter hold their peace, and let me who stand in the presence of God, and in the face of his people, and in the chaire of veritie, tell the truth: to wit, That honourable Baron whose corps ly­eth there in the flower of his yeares, in the strength of his youth, in the prime of his designes, even when young men use to take up themselves, is fallen, and mowne downe from amongst us, like a may flower in a green meadow.

His vertuous Lady who having lan­guished a little after him, howbeit ten­der in body, yet strong in minde, and full of courage, took her dear husbands death [Page] in so good part, that shee did not give the least token of hopelesse and helplesse sorrow. Yet wearying to stay after her love, she posted after him, and slept peaceably in the Lord, as her husband before her.

This, Noblemen, Gentlemen, and men of account amongst us have assured mee. So then, as neither the husbands ancient house, nor his honourable birth, nor his noble allye, nor his able and strong bo­dy, nor his kinde, stout, liberall minde, nor the rest of the ornaments which were in him alive, and which recommend brave gentlemen to the view of this ga­zing world, could keepe him from a preceding death. So neither the spouses noble race of generous and religious pro­genitours, nor a wise carriage in a well led life, nor the rest of her womanish perfections, could free her from a subse­quent death, both due to them and us for our sins. God hath forgiven theirs; God forgive ours also. They have done in few, all that can be done in many yeares; They have died well: God give us the like grace. In the mean time, their re­liques and exuvies, terrae depositum, shall [Page] lye there amongst other dead corps, of their forebears and aftercommers, all at­tending a generall resurrection: And their souls the best part of them, coeli de­positum, have surpassed the bounds of this inferior world, and are carried upon the wings of Cherubims and Seraphins, to the bosome of Abraham, for to change servitude with libertie, earth with hea­ven, miserie with felicitie, and to bee made partakers of that beatifick vision, reall union, actuall fruition of our God, in whose presence is fulnesse of joy, and at whose right hand are pleasures for e­vermore. How shall we then conclude, but with a hopefull and eternall farewel, till it please God, that wee all meet to­gether on that great day, on Sion hill, and go into these everlasting tabernacles of the temple of the most High, in the holy citie, supernall Jerusalem, amongst the Hierarchies of that innumerable com­panie of Angels, the generall assemblie and church of the first borne, written in heaven by the finger of God, and the bloud of the Lambe? When and where they with us, and we with them, and the whole multitude of the militant and tri­umphant [Page] Church, reunited under Christ the head, shall bee fully and finally glo­rified.

O fooles that we are, wee long with a vehement desire, to see our earthly princes coronation in this earthly king­dome: I pray you let us wish with an ho­ly impatience, redoubled sighes, unfained groanes to be dissolved, and to bee with Christ, that wee may see our owne glo­rious coronations in that kingdome of glory? For, O what solemnities! O what festivities! O what exultations! O what exclamations! O what triumphs shall be there! when the heavens and earth shall clap their hands for joy. Why do these base minds of ours creep any more like wormes on earth, and soare not with the wings of heavenly contemplation, that our conversation may be in heaven? Why do we not flie with the golden feathers of faith & hope, to embrace in the armes of our souls our gracious redeemer, who is at hand, & stretcheth forth his power­full hand unto us? O let us lift up our heads, & open the everlasting gates of our souls, that the king of glory may enter in, and finde roome therein, howbeit the [Page] heaven of heavens is not able to containe him; who is the joy of the heavens, the hope of the earth, the light and life of the world, the ease of the oppressed, the comfort of the afflicted, the advocate of sinners, the reward of the just, our only Saviour. O let us set our affections up­on him, and behold him, whose love shed abundantly in our hearts, should swallow all other love, who is the wisedome of God, and ours be­fore the world, set as a rose of starres upon our head, when others shall bee confounded.

Therefore bow downe the knees of your hearts, with your voices, your hands and eyes unto heaven, saying, O come thou (whom our soules both love and long for) Lord Jesus, yea come quickly, and tye us unto thy selfe by the band of perfection, the coards of thy unspeakable loue. Wee die, wee divine after thee, O sweet life, O dear love! Tarrie not while we are ready, but take us to thy selfe, and cover us with the banner of thy love, and present us holy, harmelesse, acceptable before thine heavenly father, that wee may dwell with thee, and in [Page] thee eternally, and through thee possesse the things which neither eye hath seen, nor ear hath heard, nor the heart of man was ever able to conceive.

Now to this Jesus our redeemer, to the Father our Creator, to the holy Ghost our comforter, one GOD in three persons, let us render from the bottome of our soules, all Honour, all Praise, all Glory, for ever and ever, AMEN.

AMEN.