CHAP. I.

THAT, which I intend in this Trea­tise, is to shew, how a godly man might order The drift of the whole Treatise. himselfe against the feare of death; or, what course hee should take to liue so, [Page 2] as not to be afraid to die. This is a maine point, and exceeding necessary: Life is throughly sweet, when The profit of follow­ing these directions death is not feared: a mans heart is then like Mount Zion, that cannot be moued. Hee can feare no enemy, that doth not feare death. As death is the last enemy, so it works the longest and last feares; and to die happily, is to die willingly. The maine worke of Preparation is effected, when our hearts are perswaded to bee wil­ling to die.

Now in the explication The parts of the Treatise. of this point, I would [Page 3] distinctly handle three things.

First, I will proue, that to liue without feare of 1 death, is a thing may bee obtained; one may be de­liuered from it as certain­ly, as a sick man may bee cured of an ordinary dis­ease.

Secondly, I will shew, how vncomely a thing it 2 is for a Christian to bee afraid of death: that so we may bee stirred vp the more to seeke the cure for this disease.

Thirdly, I will shew by what meanes we may bee 3 deliuered from the feare [Page 4] of death, if we vse them. Of the two first more briefly: and of the last at large.

CHAP. II.

FOR the first: that the feare of death may be remoued; and that we may Eight Ar­guments to proue we may be helped a­gainst the feare of death. attaine to that resolution to be willing to die, with­out lothnesse, is apparant diuers waies.

First, it is euident: Christ died to deliuer vs, not onely from the hurt of death, and from the de­uill, [Page 5] as the executioner: but also from the feare of death too. Now Christ may attaine to the end of his death, vnlesse we will deny the vertue of Christ, and his death, and think that notwithstanding it cannot be obtained, Heb. 2. 14, 15. And the more apparant is this, be­cause in that place hee shewes, that there is ver­tue in the death of Christ, to cure this feare of death in any of the Elect, if they will vse the meanes: For as our sinnes will not bee mortified, though there be power in the death of [Page 6] Christ to kill them; vnlesse wee vse the meanes to ex­tract this vertue out of the death of Christ: so is it true, that the feare of death may be in some of Gods Elect: but it is not because Christ cannot de­liuer them; but because they are sluggish, and will not take the course to bee rid of those feares. The Physician is able to cure them, and vsually doth cure the same disease; but they will not take his Re­ceipts.

2. The Apostle intrea­ting of the desire of death, saith, That God hath [Page 7] wrought vs vnto the selfe­same thing, 2. Cor. 5. 5. We are againe created of God, that wee might in our selues aspire vnto im­mortality; and are set in such an estate, as if we an­swered the end of his workemanship, we should neuer be well, till wee be possessed of the happi­nesse in another world: which hee shewes in those words of being absent from the body, and present with the Lord, ver. 8.

3. The Prophesies haue run on this point. For it was long since fore-told, that Christians knowing [Page 8] the victory of Christ ouer death, should be so farre from fearing death, that they should treade vpon him, and insult ouer him: O Death, Where is thy sting? &c. Isay 25. 8. Hos. 13. 14. 2. Cor. 15. 54, 55.

4. It is a condition, that Christ puts in, when he first admits Disciples, that they must deny their owneliues: and not one­ly be content to take vp their crosse in other things, but their liues must not bee deare vnto them, when hee cals for it, Luk. 14. 26.

5. Wee are taught in [Page 9] the Lords Prayer, to pray That Gods Kingdome may come: And by his King­dom he meanes the King­dom of Glory, as well as the Kingdome of Grace: Now in that wee are taught to pray for the Kingdome, it shewes wee should desire it, and that by prayer wee should bee more and more heated in our desires.

6. Wee are borne a­gaine to a liuely hope of our inheritance: Now if wee bee afraid of the time of our translation thither, how do we hope for it af­ter a liuely manner? A de­sire [Page 10] of going to heauen is a part of that seed cast in­to our hearts in our rege­neration, 1. Pet. 1. 3, 4.

7. Wee haue the ex­ample of diuers men in particular, who haue de­sired to die, and were out of feare in that respect: Gen. 49. 18. Iacob wayted for Gods saluation: and Paul resolues, that to die, and to be with Christ, is best of all for him: Phil. 1. 21. Yea, in Rom. 7. 23. hee is vehe­ment; O wretched man that I am, who shall deliuer mee from this body of death? Simeon praies God to let him die, Luk. 2. 29. And [Page 11] the Prophet in the name of the godly, said long be­fore Christ: O that the sal­uation of Israel were come out of Syon, Psal. 14. 7. And we haue the example of the Martyrs in all Ages, that accounted it a singu­lar glory to die: And in 2. Cor. 5. 2, 7. the godly are said to sigh for it, that they might bee absent from the body, and present with the Lord; and so do the first fruites of the Holy Ghost, those eminent Christians mentioned, Rom. 8. 21.

Lastly: not onely some particular godly men haue attained to this; but [Page 12] the whole Church is brought in, in the 22. Ch. of the Reu. praying for the comming of Iesus Christ, and desiring too, that hee would come quickly: And 2. Tim. 4. 8. The loue of the appearing of Christ, is the Periphrasis of the childe of God.

CHAP. III.

FOR the second, how vncomely a thing it is in Christians to feare [Page 13] death, may appeare many waies.

1. By the feare of death wee shame our Religion; while we professe it in our words, wee deny it in our workes: Let Papists trem­ble at death, who are Fifteeene Reasons why it is an vn­comely thing to be afraid to die. taught, that no man ordi­narily can be sure he shall go to heauen when he dies. But for vs; that pro­fesse the knowledge of saluation, to be astonished at the passage to it, shews (at least) a great weaknesse of faith, and doth out­wardly giue occasion of disgrace to our Religion.

2 By that, which went [Page 14] before, we may see how vncomely it is to bee a­fraid of death: For there­by we disable the death of Christ: wee frustrate the end of Gods workeman­ship: we stop the execu­tion of the Prophesies: we renounce our first agree­ment with Christ: wee mocke God in praying that his Kingdome may come: we obscure the euidence of our owne re­generation; and we trans­gresse against the exam­ple of the godly in all ages.

3 Many of the Pagans greatly setled their hearts [Page 15] against the feare of death by this very reason: Be­cause there was no being after death; and there­fore they could no more feele misery then, then before they were borne: And shall we Christians, that heare euery day of the glorious saluation we haue by Christ, be more fearefull then they were? Let them feare death, that know not a better life.

Shall we be like wicked men? Their death is com­pelled▪ Shall ours bee so too? They by their good wils, would not lose their bodies in this life, nor [Page 16] haue their bodies in the next life: But since God hath made vs vnlike them in the issues of death; Shal we make our selues like them in the lothnesse to die? Let Foelix tremble at the doctrine of death and iudgement: Act. 24. 25. But let all the godly hold vp their heads, be­cause the day of their re­demption draweth nigh, Math. 24, &c.

5. Shall wee bee afraid of a shadow? The separa­tion of the soule from God, that is death, if wee speake exactly: but the se­paration of the soule from [Page 17] the body, is but the shadow of death. VVhen see wee men trembling for feare of spirituall death? which is called the First Death; and yet this is farre more wofull then that wee call the bodily death. But as if the death of the body were nothing, the Scrip­ture cals Damnation, The second death, neuer put­ting the other into the number.

6. This feare is called a bondage here in this text: And shall wee voluntarily make our selues Vassailes? Or shall we be like slaues, that dare not come in [Page 18] our Masters sight?

7. If we loue long life: VVhy are wee not much more in loue with eter­nall life, where the du­ration is longer, and the estate happier? Are not wee extremely infatua­ted, that when God will do better for vs, then wee desire, yet we wil be afraid of him?

8. Shall we bee worse then children, or mad­men? neither of them feare death; And shall sim­plicity, or Ideotisme, doe more with them, then rea­son or Religion can doe with vs?

[Page 19] 9. Do not all that reade the Story of the Israelites (in their passion desiring to be againe in Egypt, and violently murmuring at the promise of going in­to the Land of Canaan) condemne them of vile ingratitude to God, and folly in respect of them­selues? For what was it for them to liue in Egypt, but to serue cruell Taske­masters about bricke and clay? And was not Canaan the place of their rest, and a Land that flowed with milke and hony? Euen such is the condition of all those, that wish Life, and [Page 20] are afraid to Die. What is this world but Egypt, and what is it to Liue in this world, but to serue about bricke and clay? Yea, the Church, that is separate from the world, can finde it no better then a Barren Wildernesse. And what is Heauen, but a Spirituall Canaan? And what can Death be more, then to passe ouer Iordan; and victoriously ouercōming all enemies, to bee posses­sed of a place of match­lesse rest; of more plea­sures then Milk or Hony, can shadow out?

10. Adam might haue [Page 21] had more reason to feare Death, that neuer saw a man die an ordinary Death; but for vs to bee afrighted with Death, that see thousands die at our right hand, and ten thou­sand at our left, and that daily, is an inexcusable di­stemper. The gate of Death is cōtinually open, and wee see a prease of people, that daily throng into it.

11. When Moses had cast downe his Rod, it tur­ned into a Serpent; and the Text, noting Moses weak­nesse, saith, Hee fled from it: But the Lord comman­ded [Page 22] him to take it by the Taile; and behold, it became a Rod againe: Euen so Death at the first sight is terrible, like a new-made Serpent, and the godly themselues, through in­consideration, flye from it: But if at Gods com­mandment, without feare, they would lay hold vpon this seeming Serpent, it will be turned into a Rod againe; yea, into a golden Scepter in our hands, made much better by the change: Neither do wee reade, that euer at any after, Moses had any feare of this Serpent, when hee [Page 23] had once knowne the ex­perience of it: And haue wee often, by the eyes of faith, seene the experience of this great worke of God, and shall we still be running away?

12. It is said, Rom. 8. 20. that all creatures groane, waiting for the liberty of the sonnes of God. And shall wee bee worse then bruite beasts? Doth the whole frame of nature, as it were, call for this time of change; and shall man bee so stupide, or carried with such senselesse feares, as to shunne his owne felicity?

[Page 24] 13. Consider whether it bee more commodious for vs, that Death come to vs, or that wee goe to Death: For one thing is certaine; It is in vaine to shun that, which cannot bee auoided. For it is ap­pointed vnto all men once to die, Heb. 9. 24. What man is he, that liueth, and shall not see death? Psal. 89. Death is the way of all flesh, Iosh. 24. Now this being gran­ted, let vs consider of it, Death is like an armed man, with whom we must once fight. Now if we be aduised & wil go to death, wee may get on our ar­mour [Page 25] beforehand, and so the encounter wil be with­out danger to vs, because the weapons of our warfare are mighty through God, & wee are assured of victorie through Iesus Christ. Now on the other side, to tar­ry till Death come vnto vs, is as if a man that knowes he must fight with a sore Aduersary, would through slothfulness, goe vp and downe vnarmed, till hee fall into the hands of his enemy: & must thou fight with him at such dis­aduantage?

14. It is most vncom­ly to feare that, which is [Page 26] both common and cer­taine: death, of all afflicti­ons is most common. For from other afflictions it is possible some might bee free: but from Death can no man be deliuered, and GOD of purpose hath made that most common which is most grieuous, that thereby hee might a­bate of the vigor, and ter­ror of it. It is monstrous foolishnesse to striue in vaine to auoid that which neuer man could scape. And to teach men their vnauoidable mortalitie, the Lord clothed our first Parents with the skinnes [Page 27] of dead beastes, and feeds vs with dead flesh: that as often as wee eate of slaine beasts, we might remem­ber our owne end: & shall we be euer learning, and neuer come to the know­ledge of this truth? Is this such a lesson as cannot be learned? shall wee bee so stupide, as daily to passe by the graues of the dead, and heare their knells, and yet bee vntaught and vn­armed?

15. Lastly, shall we be afraid of such an enemy as hath been ouercome hand to hand, & beaten by Christ, and thousands [Page 28] of the Saints? especially if we consider the assurance wee haue of victory. In this combate euery Chri­stian may triumph before the victory, 1. Cor. 15. 55.

And thus much of the two first points.

CHAP. IIII.

NOW I come to the third point, which is the maine thing to bee at­tended; and that is the meanes how wee may be cured of the feare of [Page 29] Death: and in this we had neede all to attend vvith great carefulnesse. The disease is stubborne, and An exhor­tation to attend vp­on the meanes of cure. men are sluggish, and ex­tremely loth to bee at the trouble of the cure, and Sathan by all meanes would keepe vs from re­membring our later end; and the world affoordes daily distractions to pluck vs away from the schoole of Christ herein, and our owne hearts are deceitful, and our natures apt to bee wearie of the doctrine, be­fore we put in practice a­ny of the directions; and wee are apt to a thousand [Page 30] conceits, that it is either vnpossible, or vnnecessary to attend this doctrine, or the like. Yea, it may be, it will fare with many of vs, as it doth with those that are troubled with the ra­ging paine of the teeth, their paine wil cease, when the Barber comes to pull out the tooth: so it may be you may finde this deceit in your owne hearts, that you wil not feele the feare of Death, till the discourse of the medicine be ouer, and so let it bee as water spilt on the ground. But let vs all awake, and in the power and strength of [Page 31] Christ, that died to deli­uer vs from the feare of death, let vs al lay the plai­sters close to the sore, and keepe them at it, till they be throughly whole.

There bee tvvo vvaies Two waies of curing the feare of death. then of curing this feare of Death: 1. The one is by contemplation: 2. The other is by practice. There be some things if we did chuse them out soundly to thinke of them, would heale vs wonderfully.

There bee some things also to be done by vs, to make the cure perfect. If contemplation bee not a­uailable, then practice will [Page 32] without faile finish the cure.

The cōtemplations are of two sorts: 1. For either The wayes of curing this feare by contē ­plation. they are such meditati­ons, as breede desire of Death by way of motiue: 2. Or they are such, as re­mooue the obiections, which cause in mans mind the feare of Death. For the first, there bee tvvo things, which if they bee soundly thought on, will worke a strange alteration in our harts. 1. The one is the happinesse wee haue by Death. 2. The other, is the miseries wee are in by Life.

[Page 33] Can any man be afraid to be happy? If our heads & hearts were filled with arguments, that shew vs our happinesse by Death, we would not be so sence­lesse as to tremble at the thought of dying.

Our happines in Death may bee set out in many particulars, & illustrated by many similitudes, full of life and vertue, to heale this disease of feare.

1. Death makes an end of all the tempests & con­tinual The hap­pines of a Christian in death shewed 17. wayes. stormes, with which our life is tossed. It is the Hauen and Port of rest: and are wee so mad, as to [Page 34] desire the continuance of such dangerous tempests, rather then to bee in the hauen whither our iour­ney tends?

2. Death is a sleep. For so the dead are said to be asleep, 1. Thes. 4. 14. Look what a bed of rest & sleep is to the weary labourer, such is Death to the dili­gent Christian. In death they rest in their beds from the hard labours of this life, Esay 37. 2. Reu. 14. 13. And was euer the weary labou­rer afraid of the time, whē hee must lye downe, and take his rest?

3. The day of Death, [Page 35] is the day of receiuing wages, wherin God paies to euery godly man his penny. And doth not the hireling long for the time, wherein hee shall receiue wages for his work? Iob. 7. 2. And the rather should we long for this time, be­cause we shall receiue wa­ges infinitely aboue our worke, such wages as was neuer giuen by man, nor can bee, if all this visible world were giuen vs.

4. In death the seruant comes to his freedome, & the heire is at his full age and it is such a liberty as i [...] glorious: neuer such a free­dome [Page 36] in the world, Rom. 8. 21. Shall the heire desire to be still vnder age, and so still vnder Tutors and Gouernors? or shall the seruant feare the day of his freedome?

5. In death, the banished returne, and the Pilgrims enter into their Fathers house. In this life wee are exiled men, banished frō Paradise, and Pilgrims & Strangers in a far Coun­trey, absent from God & heauen. In death wee are receiued to Paradise, and settled at home in those euerlasting habitations in our Fathers house, Luke [Page 37] 17. Iohn 14. 2. Heb. 13. 11. And can we bee so sence­less as to be afraid of this?

6. Death is our birth­day; we say falsely, when we call Death the last day. For it is indeed the begin­ning of an euerlasting day: and is there any gree­uance in that?

7. Death is the fune­rall of our vices, and the resurrection of our gra­ces. Death was the daugh­ter of Sinne, and in death shall that be fulfilled: The daughter shall destroy the mother. Wee shall neuer more be infected with sin, nor troubled with ill na­tures, [Page 38] nor be terrified for offending. Death shall The disso­lution of the body, is the ab­solution of the soule. deliuer vs perfectly whole of all our diseases, that were impossible to be cu­red in this life, and so shal there be at that day a glo­rious resurrection of gra­ces: Our gifts shall shine, as the Starres in the Fir­mament; And can we be so sottish as stil to be afraid of Death?

8. In death the soule is deliuered out of prison: For the body in this life is but a loathsome, and darke prison of restraint. I say, the soule is restrai­ned, as it were, in a prison, [Page 39] while it is in the body, be­cause it cannot be free to the exercise of it selfe, ei­ther in naturall, or super­naturall things: For the body so rules by senses, and is so fiercely carried by appetites, that the soule is compelled to giue way to the satisfying of the bo­dy, and cannot freely fol­low the light either of Nature or Religion: The truth, as the Apostle saith, is with-held, or shut vp, through vnrighteousnesse, Rom. 1. 18. I say, it is a loathsome prison, because the soule is annoied with so many loathsome smels [Page 40] of sinne, and filthinesse, which by the body are committed. And it is a darke prison; For the soule looking through the bo­dy, can see but by little holes, or small casements. The body shuts vp the light of the soule, as a dark Cloude doth hide the light of the Sunne; or as the interposition of the earth doth make it night: Now death doth nothing, but as it were a strong wind dissolue this Cloud, that the Sunne may shine cleerely, and puls downe the walles of the prison, that the soule may come [Page 41] into the open light.

9. The liberty of the soule in death may be set out by another similitude. The world is the Sea: our liues are like so many Gal­lies at Sea, tost with con­tinuall Tides, or Stormes: our bodies are Gally-slaues, put to hard seruice by the great Turke the de­uill, who tyrannically, and by vsurpation, doth forci­bly cōmand hard things. Now the soule within, like the heart of some ingenu­ous Gally-slaue, may bee free, so as to loathe that seruitude, and inwardly detest that tyrant; but yet [Page 42] so long as it is tyed to the body, it cannot get away. Now death comes like an vnresistable Gyant, and carries the Gallies to the shore, and dissolues them, and lets the prisoners free: And shall this glorious li­berty of the soule bee a matter of terrour vnto vs? Had we rather be in cap­tiuity still?

10. In this life wee are cloathed with rotten, rag­ged, foule garments: Now the Apostle shewes, that death doth nothing else but pull off those ragged garments, and cloath vs with the glorious robes of [Page 43] saluation; more rich then the robes of the greatest Monarch, 2. Cor. Chap. 5. Vers. 2, 3. It is true, that the godly haue some kinde of desire to be cloathed vpon: They would haue those new garments, without pulling off their old; But that is not decent: for a Prince to weare (without) gorgeous attire, and (vn­derneath) base ragges. To desire to goe to heauen, and not to die, is to desire to put on our new cloaths without putting off our old: and is it any grie­uance to shift vs by laying aside our old cloathes, to [Page 44] put on such rich gar­ments? We are iust like such slothfull persons, that loue well to haue good cloaths, and cleane lin­nen: but they are so slug­gish, they are loth to put off their old cloathes, or foule linnen.

11. In the same place the Apostle cōpares our bodies to an old mud­walled house, and to a rot­ten Tent: and our estate in heauen to a most glori­ous and Princely Palace, made by the most curious Workman that euer was; and it is such a building too, as wil neuer be out of [Page 45] repaire. Now for a godly man to die, is but to re­moue from a rotten old house, ready to fall on his head, to a sumptuous Pa­lace, 2. Cor. 5. 1. Doth that Land-lord do his Tenant wrong, or offer him hard measure, that will haue him out of his base Cot­tage, & bestow vpon him his owne Mansion house? No other thing doth God to vs, when by Death he remoues vs out of this earthly Tabernacle of our bodies, to settle vs in those euerlasting habitations, euen into that building made without hands, in [Page 46] heauen, Ioh. 14. 2. Luk. 17.

12. A man, that had neuer seene the experi­ence of it, perhaps would haue thought, that the seed cast into the ground had beene spoyled, be­cause it would rot there: but Nature hauing shew­ed the returne of that graine with aduantage, a man can easily bee cu­red of that folly: The Husbandman is neuer so simple, as to pitty him­selfe, or his seed; he sayes not, Alas, is it not pitty to throw away and marre this good seed? Why bre­thren; what are our bo­dies, [Page 47] but like the best graine? The bodies of the Saints are Gods choisest corne. And what doth Death more vnto Gods Graine, then cast it into the earth? Do we not be­leeue, our bodies shall rise like the graine, better then euer they were sowed? and are we still afraid?

Paul saith, he would be dissolued, that hee might be with Christ, Phil. 1. 21. In which words hee imports two things in death. First, that there is a dissolution of the soule from the bo­dy: and secondly, that there is a coniunction of [Page 48] the soule with Christ. Now which is better for vs, to haue the body, or to haue Christ? The same Apostle saith else-where, that they are confident in this, they had rather be ab­sent from the body, and so to be present with the Lord: then to bee present with the body, and absent from the Lord: 2. Cor. 5. 7, 8.

Now the true reason why men feare death, is, because they looke vpon the dissolution onely, and not vpon the coniunction with Christ.

14. In the 1. Cor. 9. 24. our life is compared to a [Page 49] race, and eternall life to a rich prize not corrupti­ble, but an incorruptible Crowne: Now death is the end of the race, and to die is but to come to the goale, or race end. Was euer runner so foolish, as to bee sorry, that with vi­ctory hee was neere the end of the race? And are we afraid of death, that shall end the toile, and sweate, and danger of the running; and giue vs with endlesse applause so glori­ous a recompence of re­ward?

15. In the Ceremoni­all Law, there was a yeare [Page 50] they called the yeere of Iubilee; and this was ac­counted an acceptable yeare, because euery man that had lost, or sold his Lands, vpon the blowing of a Trumpet returned, and had possession of all againe; and so was reco­uered out of the extremi­ties in which he liued be­fore. In this life wee are like the poore men of Israel, that haue lost our inheritance, and liue in a manner and condition e­uery way straightned: now Death is our Iubilee, and when the Trumpet of death blowes, we all, that [Page 51] die, returne, and enioy a better estate, then euer we sold, or lost: Shall the Iu­bilee be called an accepta­ble time? And shall not our Iubilee bee acceptable to vs? Esay 61. 2.

16. Death is the day of our Coronation; wee are heires apparant to the Crowne in this life: yea, wee are Kings Elect, but cannot bee crowned, till death, 2. Tim. 4. 8. And shall not that make vs loue the appearing of Christ? Is a King afraid of the day of his Coronation?

To conclude this first part of Contemplation: [Page 52] If we did seriously set be­fore our eyes the glory to come; could our eyes be so dazeled, as not to see, and admire, and haste to it? Aske Paul, that was in heauen, what he saw; and hee will tell you, Things that cannot hee vttered: Happinesse beyond all language of mortall man. If there were as much faith on earth, as there is glory in heauen: oh! how would our hearts bee on fire with feruent desires af­ter it! But euen this faith is extremely wanting: It is our vnbeleefe that vn­does vs, and filles vs with [Page 53] these seruile and sottish feares.

And thus of the medi­tations, taken from the happinesse wee enioy by death: which should make vs conclude with Salomon, Eccles. 7 1 That the day of Death is better, then the day when one is borne.

CHAP. V.

NOW it followes, that I should breake open the miseries of life; the consideration whereof [Page 54] should abate in vs this wretched loue of life.

The miseries of life The mise­ries of life two waies conside­red. may bee two waies consi­dered; for they are of two sorts: First, either such miseries, as loade the life of Nature: secondly, or such miseries, as do molest the very life of Grace.

The miseries, that ac­company The mise­ries of a naturall life shew­ed three waies. the naturall life of man, while hee re­maines in the state of Na­ture onely, who can re­count? I will giue but a briefe touch of some heads of them.

First, thinke of thy sins: [Page 55] and so three dreadfull Three dreadfull considera­tions a­bout sin. things may amaze thy thoughts: For first, thou art guilty of Adams sinne; For by that man sinne came in vpon all men, euen the guilt of his sinne: Rom. 5. 12. Secondly, thy nature is altogether vile, and abo­minable from thy birth, thou wast conceiued in sinne, Psal. 51. 4. And this staine and leprosie hangs on fast vpon thy nature, and can­not bee cured, but by the bloud of Christ onely, Heb. 12. 1. And this is sea­ted in all the faculties of thy soule: For in thy mind there is ignorance, and [Page 56] impotency to receiue knowledge; and a naturall approuing of euill and er­rour, rather then the truth and sound doctrine. Those waies seeme good in thine eyes, which tend vnto death: 1. Cor. 2. 14. Rom. 8. 7. 2. Cor. 3. 5. Prou. 14. 12. And this thou maist perceiue by this, that thou art not able to thinke a good thought, but canst go free for daies and weekes, without any holy cogitation; and be­sides, thy minde is infi­nitely prone to swarmes of euill thoughts: Gen. 6. 5.

Againe, if thou behold [Page 57] thy conscience, it is im­pure, polluted, without light, or life, or glory in thee, shut vp in a dunge­on, excusing thee in many faultes, and accusing thee for things are not faultes, but in thy conceit: and when it doth accuse thee for sinne, it rageth & fal­leth mad with vnbrideled fury and terrors, keeping no boundes of hope or mercy.

Further, if thou obserue thy affections, they are al­together impotent in that which is good, there is no lust in thee after that which is good, & yet they [Page 58] are all out of order, and prone to continuall rebel­lion against God, ready to be fiered by all the intice­ments of the world, or the Deuill: Phil. 2. 13. Gala. 5. 24. Thirdly, vnto these, adde thy innumerable ac­tuall sins, which are more then the haires of thy head, multiplied daily in thought, affection, word, & deed, the least of them deseruing hel fire for euer, thy sins of Infancy, youth, old-age, sinnes of omission and commission: sinnes in prosperitie and aduersity; sinnes at home & abroad; sinnes of infirmity & pre­sumption. [Page 59] If Dauid loo­king vpon his sins, could say, They haue so compassed mee, and taken such hold of me, that I am not able to looke vp? Oh then, if thou had­dest sight, and sence! how might'st thou much more cry out of the intolerable burthen of them; and the rather, if thou obserue, that many of thy corrupti­ons raigne tyrannically, & haue subdued thy life to their vassalage, so as thou art in continuall slauery to them.

Thus is thy life infested with these vnspeakable in­ordinations: and thus of [Page 60] the first part of thy infelici­ty in life.

Secondly, if thou ob­serue, but how God hath auenged himselfe vpon them, & what yet remai­neth vnto thee, how can thy heart sustaine it selfe? For,

1. Thou art a banished man, exiled frō Paradise, and made to liue without hope to returne thither: The best part of the earth thou shalt neuer enioy.

2. The earth is cursed to thee, and it may bee a wofull spectacle to see all the creatures subiect to vanity, and smitten vvith [Page 61] the strokes of God for thy sinne, and groning daily round about thee.

3. Look vpon thy most miserable soule; for there thy mind and conscience liue shut vp with darknes and horror. The Diuels haue within thee strong holds, and liue entrenched in thy thoughts, Eph. 4. 17. 2. Cor. 10. 5. Thy heart is spiritually dead, and like a stone within thee, Eph. 2. 1. Ezech. 36. 27.

4. Thy body is wret­ched through deformi­ties, and infirmities, di­uersly noisome to thee with paines that greeue [Page 62] thee, either in respect of labour, or diseases, vnto which thou art so prone; & there is no part or ioynt of thee, but is liable to many kindes of diseases, Deut. 28. 21, 22. Gen. 3. 19. And of the labours of thy life, which is but the least part of thy bodily mise­ries, Salomon saith, All things are full of labour, who can vtter it? And for that reason, life is but a vanity and vexation, Eccl. 1. 18.

5. If thou looke vpon thy outward estate in the world, with what feare­full frights may thy heart [Page 63] be griped? If thou consi­der

1. The cōmon, or ge­nerall, or publike plagues with which God fights a­gainst the world, as wars, famines, earthquakes, pe­stilence, and yeerely disea­ses, inundations of waters, and infinite such like.

2. The particular cros­ses, with which hee vexeth thee in particular, either with losses of thy estate, or the troubles of thy family, Deut. 28. 15, 16, &c.

3. The praeterition of God, restraining many good things frō thee, so as thou wantest many of those [Page 64] blessings of all sorts, which yet God doth bestow vp­on others, Esa. 59. 1, 2. Iere. 5. 25.

4. The cursing of thy blessings, whē God blasts the gifts of thy mind, that thou canst not vse them for any contentment of thy life, or makes thy pro­sperity to be the occasion of thy ruine, Mala. 2. 3. Eccles. 5. 13. This is a sore euill.

Lastly, consider yet fur­ther what may fall vpon thee, in respect of which thou art in daily danger. There are seas of vvrath, which hang ouer thy [Page 65] head, Iohn 3. 36. and God may plague thee with the terrors of conscience, like Cain, Gene. 4. 14. Or with a reprobate sense, or the spirit of slumber, Ioh. 12. 4. Rom. 11. 8. strong illusions, 2 Thes. 2. 11. or such other like dreadfull spirituall iudgements: Besides ma­ny other fearefull iudge­ments, which thy heart is not able to conceiue of, as painefull diseases in the body, or an vtter ruine in thy estate, or good name: but aboue al other things, the remembrance of the fearefull iudgement of Christ, & the euerlasting [Page 66] paines of Hell, with a mi­serable death, should cō ­pel thee to cry out, O men, and brethren! what shall I doe to be saued, and get out of this estate?

But because it is my purpose heere chiefely to perswade with godly mē, & not with naturall men, and because death it selfe is no ease vnto such men, that liue in their sins with­out repentance, who haue reason to loath life, and yet no cause to loue death, I passe frō them, & come to the life of godly men, and say, they haue great [Page 67] reason to loath life, & de­sire the day of death.

CHAP. VI.

NOW the miseries of the godly mans life are of two sorts: first, for either he may consider what hee wants: secondly, or what he hath in life, for which he should be wea­ry of it.

I will giue but a touch of the first. Consider of it: in this life there are sixe things, among the rest, we [Page 68] want, and can neuer at­taine, while we liue here.

The first, is the glorious presence of God, while Six things euery godly mā wants, while hee liues here in this world. the body is present, the Lord is absent, 2. Cor. 5. 8. And is not this enough to make vs loath life? Shal we more esteeme this wret­ched Carkasse, then our glorious God: whose one­ly presence in glory shall fill vs with eternall de­light? O the Vision of God! If we had but once seene God face to face, we would abhorre that ab­sence that should hinder the fruition of such vn­speakeable beauties, as [Page 69] would enamour the most secure heart to an vn­quenchable loue.

The second thing we want in life, is the sweet fellowship with our best friends: A fellowship matchlesse; if we either consider the perfection of the creatures, whose com­munion we shall enioy; or the perfect manner of en­ioying it: Who would be with-held from the Con­gregation of the first-borne, from the society with innu­merable Angels, and the Spirits of iust men? Alas! the most of vs haue not so much, as one intire and [Page 70] perfect friend in all the world, and yet we make such friends, as we haue, the ground of a great part of the contentment of our liues: Who could liue here, if he were not belo­ued? Oh! what can an earthly friendship be vn­to that in heauen: when so many thousand Angels, and Saints shall be glad of vs, and entertaine vs with vnwearied delight? If we had but the eies of faith to consider of this, we would thinke euery houre a yeare, till wee were with them?

Thirdly, in this world we [Page 71] want the perfection of our owne Natures: we are but maimed and deformed creatures heere; we shall neuer haue the sound vn­derstanding of men in vs, till we be in heauen: our holinesse of nature and gifts wil neuer be consum­mate, till we be dead.

Fourthly, in this world we want liberty: Our glori­ous liberty will not be had here: A thing, which the Spirits of the best men haue, with much sighing, longed after: Rom. 8. 21. 22. O who would liue in a prison, a dungeon, rather then a Palace of royall [Page 72] freedome? It hath beene implyedly shewed before, that we are many waies in bondage here.

Fiftly, we shal euer want heere fulnesse of content­ment. If a man liue many yeeres, so that the dayes of his yeeres bee many, if his soule be not filled with good, Salomon saith, an vntime­ly birth is better then hee. And it is certain, if a man liue a thousand yeers twise told, hee shall neuer see sollid good to fill his hart, his appetite will neuer be filled, Eccles. 6. 3, 6, 7. There is nothing in this life can giue a man sollid, and du­rable [Page 73] contentment: but a man finds by experience, vanity, and vexation of spirit, in what hee admires orloues most: and shall we be so sottish as to for­get those riuers of pleasures that are at Gods right hand? Psal. 6. vlt.

6. The sixt thing vvee want in this world, is our crowne, and the immor­tall and incorruptible in­heritance, bought for vs with the bloud of Christ: and shall not our hearts burn within vs in longing after possession? Can we desire still to liue in wants, & to be vnder age? What [Page 74] shall mooue vs, if such an incomparable crown can­not moue vs? Wee that sweat with so much sore labour for the possession of some small portion of the earth: shall wee, I say, bee so sluggish, as not to desire, that this kingdom, which our Father hath gi­uen vs, might come quick­ly vpon vs? or are wee so transported with spirituall madnes, as to be afraid to passe through the gate of death, to attain such a life? What Prince would liue vncrowned, if hee could helpe it, and might possess it without wrong or dan­ger? [Page 75] and what great heire would bee grieued at the tidings, that all his Lands were falne vnto him?

CHAP. VII.

THus, of what he wants in this life. Secondly, he ought to bee as much troubled to think what he hath, and cannot auoide while hee liues: and thus his life is distressed, and made vnlouely, either if [Page 76] he respect God, or the e­uill Angels, or the world, or himselfe.

For first, if hee respect God, there are two things Life bitter in respect of God di­uers waies. should marre the taste of life, and make it out of liking. The first is the dan­ger of displeasing of God: who would liue to offend God? or grieue his Spirit? or any way to make him angry? Though this rea­son will moue little in the hearts of wicked men; Yet it is of singular force in the heart of an humble Christian, who as hee accounts Gods louing kindnesse better then life: [Page 77] so finds nothing more bit­ter, then that he should displease God: that God (I say) who is so great in Maiesty, and hath shewed himselfe so aboundant in mercy to him. It would lye as a heauy load vpon our hearts, to think of the dis­pleasing of our best friend; specially if he were a great person, or a Prince. How much more should we de­sire to be rid of that con­dition, wherein we may displease our good God; and to be there, where we are sure neuer to anger him more? The second thing, that should make vs [Page 78] looke with lesse affection vpon life, is, that God doth continually crosse vs in the things of this life: The Lord doth of pur­pose watch vs, that when hee sees vs settle any con­tentment in life, hee drops in some thing, that makes all extremely bitter: And those corrections of God should bee the more no­ted, if we consider but di­uers aggrauations about them, as Eight ag­grauati­ons of the miseries of life, in respect of the corre­ctions of God.

1. That God will cor­rect euery sonne, whom hee loueth, none can es­cape, Heb. 12. 4.

2. That a man is vsu­ally [Page 79] most opposed & cros­sed in that hee loues best.

3. That a man shall e­uer want, what he wisheth, euen in such things, as o­ther men do not want. There is a secret vexation cleaues vnto mans estate, that their hearts run vpon such things which cannot be had, but in the Callings of other men: The Coun­triman prayseth the Citi­zens life; and the Citizen is full of the praises of the Country: And so is there in all men a liking of the Callings of other men, with a dislike of their own, Eccles. 6.

[Page 80] 4. That there is no dis­charge in that warre, but that a man must euery day looke for crosses. Euery day hath his griefe, Eccles. 8. 8. Luk. 9. 24. Math. 6. vlt.

5. That God will not let vs know the times of our corrections, but exe­cuteth them according to the vnchangeable purpose of his owne counsell: so as they come vpon vs, as a snare vpon a Bird. For this reason Salomon saith: That the misery of man is great vpon him, because there is a time for euery purpose, which cannot bee a­uoided, nor can man know [Page 81] beforehand that, which shall be; for who can tell him, when it shall be? Eccl. 8. 6, 7, 8. & 9. 12.

6. That no man know­eth either loue, or hatred, by all that is before him: A godly man can haue no such blessings outwardly, but a wicked man may haue them in as great a­boundance, as hee: nor doth there any misery fall vpon the wicked in out­ward crosses, but the like may befall the godly. All things come alike to all: there is one euent to the righteous and to the vvicked: to the cleane, and vncleane, to him [Page 82] that sweareth, & to him that feareth an oath, as is the good, so is the sinner. This, saith Salomon, is an euill a­mong all things, that are done vnder the Sunne, that there is one euent vnto all, Eccle. 9. 1, 2, 3.

7. This bitternesse is increased, because GOD will not dispose of things according to the meanes, or likelihoods of mans e­state. The race is not to the swift, nor the battell to the strong, nor yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of vnderstanding, nor yet fauour to men of skill, but time and chance hapneth to [Page 83] them all, Eccles. 9. 11.

8. That besides the pre­sent miseries, there are many miseries to come, so as it is an argument to proue the happines of the dead, that they are taken a­way from the miseries to come, Esay 57. 1, 2. vvhich should likewise mooue vs to loue life the lesse, be­cause we know not, what fearefull alterations may come, either in our out­ward estate, or in matters of Religion. What case were wee in, if war should come vpon vs, with all the desolations & terrors that accompany it? What if [Page 84] the Pestilence should come againe, or we be left in the hands of the vio­lent? or God fight against our estates by fire, or inun­dations, or the like? Who can tell what fearful alte­rations may be in Religi­on? And is it not best to be in heauen, and then are we safe? Besides, the mi­series may fall vpon our own bodies, or our chil­dren, or friends, &c. And these things should abate the loue of life, as wee re­spect God.

CHAP. VIII.

NOW secondly, let vs turne our eyes to the euill Angels, & then these things may affright vs.

First, that they are euery The world full of di­uels. where vp and downe the world, in the Earth, Aire, Seas; no place free. Those fiery Serpents are euerie where in the wildernes of the world. Wee leade our liues here in the midst of innumerable dragons, yea [Page 86] they are in the most heauē ­ly places in this life: The Church is not free from them. A man can stand no where before the Lord, but one Diuell or other is at his right hand, Ephe. 2. 2. & 6. 13. Zach. 3. 1. Iob 1.

And sure, it should make vs like the place the worse where such foule spirits are: the earth is a kind of Hell in that very respect.

2. Secondly, it should Our con­flict with diuels. more trouble vs, that wee must of necessity enter in­to the conflict with these Diuels, and their tempta­tions, and to bee buffeted and gored by them.

[Page 87] A man that knew hee must goe into the field to answere a challenge, will be at no great rest in him­selfe. But alas! it is more easie a thousand fold to wrastle with flesh and bloud, then with these Principali­ties and Powers, and Spiri­tuall wickednesses, & great Rulers of the world, Ephe. 6. 13.

3. Besides, it adds vnto the distresse of life, to con­sider of the subtilty, and cruelty of these Diuels, who are therefore like the crooked Serpent, and Leut­athan, and Dragons, and roring Lions, seeking whom [Page 88] they may deuoure. Though these things wil litle moue the hearts of wicked men, yet vnto the godly minde, the temptations of life are a greeuous burthen. Thus much of euill Angels.

CHAP. IX.

3. THirdly, cōsider but vvhat the World is, in which thou liuest; and that either in the apparant miseries of this world, or in the vexa­tions, [Page 89] that accompany the best things the world hath to offer or giue thee. First, for the apparant miseries;

1. It is exquisitely like a wildernes, no man but 9. Appa­rant mise­ries of life in this vvorld. for innumerable vvants, liues as in a Desart here.

2. It is a true Egypt to the godly, it continually imposeth hard tasks, and seruile conditions. Life can neuer be free frō gree­uous burthens, and inex­orable molestations.

3. This world is verily like Sodome, full of gene­rall and vnspeakable fil­thinesse: all the world lyeth in wickednesse, scarce one [Page 90] Lot to be found in a whole Citie, or Parish. If God would seeke but fiue righ­teous men, that are truly or absolutely godly, they are not to be found in the most assemblies in the world, nay in the Church too.

4. Yet more; this world is a very Pesthouse, spiritu­ally cōsidered. Euery man that a godly man comes neere, hath a mischieuous plague-sore running vpon him; yea the godly them­selues are not without the disease: so as there is a ne­cessity as it were, to infect, or bee infected still in all [Page 91] places, or companies. Oh! who would loue to liue in a Pesthouse, that may dwell in a place for euer free from all infection?

5. Yet more, this world, why, it is a very Golgotha, a place of dead men, we liue amongst the graues: Al­most all we see, or haue to deale with, are but men truly dead. Alas! vvhat should wee reckon of the life of mens carkases, whē In this world the dead bury the dead. their soules are dead? and both soule and body sen­tenced to eternall death? Almost all that wee meete with, are malefactors, vn­der sentence, ready to be [Page 92] carried to execution, the wrath of God hanging o­uer their heads, and vn­quenchable fire kindled a­gainst them; & shall we be so besotted, as to loue the dead more thē the liuing? or the societie of vile and miserable malefactors in a prison, rather then the fel­lowship of the glorious Princes of God, in their Palace of endlesse and matchlesse blisse?

6. Sixtly, why should we loue the world that ha­teth vs, and casts vs off, as men dead out of minde? Are wee not crucified to the world? Gala. 6. 14. and [Page 93] doe not wicked men hate vs, and enuy vs, and speak all manner of euil sayings of vs, because wee follow good? The World loues her owne, but vs it cannot loue, because we are not of this world. Can darknesse loue light? or the sonnes of Belial oare for the sons of God? In this world we shall haue trouble; and if wee found not peace in Christ, we were of al men most miserable, Ioh. 15. 19. Ecclos. 4. 4. Ioh. 17. 14. 2. Cor. 6. 17. Ioh. 16. 33. And if they hate vs for well-dooing, how will they triumph if our foote doe but slippe? [Page 94] We should desire death, euen to be deliuered from the feare of giuing occasi­on to the World to tri­umph, or blaspheme in re­spect of vs. Yea, so ex­treme is the hatred of the World, that a iust man may perish in his righte­ousnesse, when a vvicked man prolongs his daies in his wickednes, Eccl. 17. 16. and 8. 14.

7. Doe wee fall into a­ny speciall misery in this world? Why, behold the teares of the oppressed, & there is none to comfort them. We are either not pitied, or not regarded: or [Page 95] the compassion of the world is like the morning deaw, it is gone as a tale that is told, our misery wil last, but there wil soone be none to comfort vs. Mise­rable comforters are the most that can bee had in this vvorld; and for this reason Salomon praised the dead, that are already dead, aboue the liuing, that are yet aliue, Eccles. 4. 1, 2.

8. There is vsually no Christian, but in this world he hath some speci­all miserie vpon him, ei­ther pouertie, or debt, or disease in his body, or the [Page 96] like, &c.

9. We daily suffer the losse of our friends, that were the companions of our life, and the causes of contentment to vs. Now who would tarry behinde them, or esteeme of this world, when they are gone from vs?

And thus much of the apparant miseries of this world.

CHAP. X.

NOW it followeth, that I should entreat of the vanities, that cleaue to the seeming felicities of the world: and proue, that there is no reason to be in loue with life for any respect of them.

The best things the world can make shew of, What the seeming felicities of the world are. are Honours, Credit, Lands, Houses, Riches, Pleasures, Birth, Beauty, Friends, Wit, Children, Acquaintance, [Page 98] and the like. Now there be many things, which ap­parantly proue, there can bee no sound content­ment, or felicity in these: For,

1. All things be full of labour, who can vtter it? Fifteene Argumēts to proue the vanity of the best worldly things. Ecclesiastic. 18. Men must gaine the blessings of the earth with the sweare of their browes; there is sel­dome any outward bles­sing, but it is attained with much difficulty, paines, or danger, or care, or grieuance some way.

2. How small a porti­on in these things can the most men attaine? If the [Page 99] whole world were posses sed, it would not make a man happy; much lesse those small parcels of the world, which the most men can attaine: Eccl. 1. 3.

3. It is manifest, men cannot agree about the chiefe good in these things. Life is therefore apparantly vaine in respect of these things, because there are almost infinite proiects, and variety of opinions: And in all these successions of ages, no ex­perience can make men a­gree to resolue: Which of these things haue feli­city in them? Who knows [Page 100] what is good for a man in this life, all the daies of his vaine life, which he spen­deth as a shadow, Eccle. 6. 12.

4. In all these things here is nothing new, but it hath beene the same, or the like to it. Now things that are common, are out of request, Eccl. 1. 9. 10. & 3. 15.

5. The world passeth away, and the lusts there­of: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the eare with hearing. If a man liue many daies, his soule is not filled with good; the desire after these things [Page 101] will vanish; men cannot loue them still: Our life is spent in wishing for the future, and bewailing of the past; a loathing of what wee haue tasted; and a longing for that we haue not tasted: which, were it had▪ would neuer more satisfie vs, then that which wee haue had. Hence it is, that men wea­ry themselues in seeking variety of earthly things, and yet cannot bee con­tented. The vexation, that cleaues vnto them still, breeds lothing; We are like men, that are Sea▪ sick, that shift from roome [Page 102] to roome, and from place to place, thinking to finde ease; neuer considering, that so long as the same Seas swell, and Windes blow, and Humors are stirred, alteration of place will not profite: So it is with vs; so long as we car­ry with vs a nature so full of ill Humours, and that the pleasures of the world haue so much vanity in them, no change of place, or delights can satisfie vs: Seeing there are many things that encrease vanity, what is man the better? Eccl. 6. 13.

6. How can these [Page 103] earthly things satisfie, whē the nature of thē is so vile and vaine? They are but blasts; a very shadow, which is some thing in ap­pearance, but offer to lay hold vpon it, thou graspest nothing. Man walketh in a vaine shadow, and disqui­eteth himselfe in vaine. He that loueth siluer, shall not be satisfied with siluer, Eccl. [...]. 9. Psal. 39.

7. Besides: There is a The amity of the world, is the enmi­ty with God. snare in all these earthly things, they are like pitch to defile a man; there is euer one temptation or other lodged vnder them: and the fruition of them, [Page 104] and desire after the, breeds many no isome lusts in the soule, 1. Tim. 6. 9.

8. These outward things are also all vncertaine, and transitory: Riches haue wings, and will suddenly All subiect to vanity or vio­lence, Mat. 6. 19, 20. They may be lost at the very seate of iudgemēt, Eccl. 3. 16, 18. & 4. 1, 2 flye away; and Fame is but a blast: and the glory of man is but as the flower of the field, which is to day, and to mor­row withereth: The fashion of this world passeth away: And at the last day, they shal all be burnt and consumed in the fire: I meane these senselesse things, we now set our hearts vpon, Esay 40. 6. 1. Cor. 7. 31.

9. There is no support [Page 105] in these things; in the euill day they cannot helpe vs, when the houre of temp­tation comes vpon vs.

10. A man may damne his own soule by too much liking of these things, the abuse of them may witnes against men in the day of Christ: Iam. 5. 1. & Philip. 3. 18.

11. In these things there is one condition to all; as it falleth to the wise man, so doth it to the foole, Eccl. 2. 14.

12. All things are sub­iect to Gods vnauoida­ble disposing: Let man get what he can, yet God [Page 106] will haue the disposing of it; and whatsoeuer God shall do, it shall abide: To it can no man adde, and from it can no man dimi­nish, Eccl. 3. 1.

13. A man may haue all aboundance of these things, and yet not haue a heart to vse them: Euill is so set in the hearts of the sonnes of men, and such madnesse cleaues vnto them here, that they can­not take the contentment of the things they haue; and so they be worse then an vntimely fruite, Eccl. 6. 1, 7. & 9. 3.

14. Euery day hath his [Page 107] euill; and afflictions are so mingled with these out­ward things, that their taste is daily marred with bitternesse, which is cast into them; no day without his griefe: and vsually the crosses of life are more, then the pleasures of li­uing; so as they that re­ioyce, ought to bee as though they reioyced not.

15. Lastly, If all these considerations may not suffice, then remember, that thou art mortall; thy life is short, it passeth as a dreame, it is but as a span long thy daies are few and euill; all these things are [Page 108] ged with a necessity of dy­ing: Life was giuen thee with a condition of dying, Gen. 47. 9. Iob. 14. 1. thy life passeth like the winde: Iob 7. 7. Yea, our daies con­sume like smoake, Psalm. 102. 3. All flesh is grasse, Esay 40. 6. And hence a­rise Our mor­tality ag­grauated by 4. consi­derations. many considerations deduced from this head of our mortality: For

1. All these things are but the necessaries of thy Inne: Thou art a stranger, and a pilgrime, and canst enioy them, but as a pas­senger, thou canst carry nothing out of this world, but in all points, as thou [Page 109] cam'st into the world, so must thou go hence, Eccl. 5. 13, 14, 15.

2. The time, place, and manner of thy death is vn­certaine, there is no time nor place, but man may die in it; the Court, the Church, the Campe: yea the very wombe is not ex­cepted. There is but one way to come into the world, but there are a thousand waies to go out; and therefore the possessi­on of all things is wonder­full vncertaine.

3. When thou diest, all will be forgotten, there is no more remembrance [Page 110] of former things, nor shall there be any remēbrance of things which are to come, with those that shall come after, Eccl. 1. 11. That which was, in the daies to come, shall be forgotten, 1. Chr. 2. 16. Yea, a man shall be forgotten in the City where he hath done right, Eccles. 8. 10. For this very reason, Salomon hated life, Eccles. 2. 17.

4. When thou diest, thou shalt die either with­out issue, or leaue children behind thee. If thou dye without issue, how hast thou beene infatuated in seeking these outvvard [Page 111] things with so much care and toile, and couldest ne­uer say to thine own soule, For whom do I trauell, & defraud my selfe of plea­sure? Thou gatherest these things, and knowest not who shall enioy them, Eccles. 4. 8. If thou die and leaue issue, thou maist be frighted and amazed with one of these things. For either thou maist bee de­spised while thou liuest, of those for whom thou en­durest sore trauaile, so as they that shall come after thee, doe not reioyce in thee, Eccles. 4. 15, 16. Or else thou maist leaue the [Page 112] fruite of thy labours to a foole, or a wicked wretch. For who knoweth, whe­ther he that shall rule ouer thy labours, shal be a wise man, or a foole? This very consideration made Salo­mon hate all his labour, which he had taken vnder the Sunne; and he went a­bout to make his heart de­spaire of all his labours, that hee should vse all his wisedome and knowledge for attaining of great things, and yet might be in danger to leaue all for a portion to him, that hath not laboured in wisedom: and all this is vexation of [Page 113] spirit, Eccles. a. 18. to 24.

Or else, thou maist be­get children, & thy riches perish before thy death, & then there is nothing in thine hand to leaue them, Eccles. 5. 14.

CHAP. XI.

THus haue we cause to be weary of life in re­spect of GOD, the euill Angels, and the World. Now, if there were none of these to molest vs, yet [Page 114] man hath enough in him­selfe to marre the liking of this present life. For

1 The remainders of corruption of nature still The cau­ses in our selues why wee should not be in loue with life. lye like a poyson, a lepro­sie, a pestilence in thee, thou art vnder cure in­deed, but thou art not sound from thy sore: thou art Lazarus still. This very consideration made Paul weary of his life, when he cried out, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliuer me from this body of death! Rom. 7. And if in this re­spect wee bee not of Pauls minde, it is because wee want of Pauls goodnes & [Page 115] grace. And this corrupti­on of nature is the more greeuous, if wee consider either the generality of the spreading the infecti­on, or the incurablenes of it, or the ill effects of it.

1. For the first, this is a Leprosy that spreads all o­uer. There is no soūd part in vs, our mindes, our me­mories, our wills, and af­fections; yea, our very cō ­sciences are still impure within vs, there is no good nature in vs in any one fa­culty of our soules, but there is a miserable mix­ture of vile infection.

2. Secondly, this is the [Page 116] worse, because this is in­curable. There lyeth vpon vs a very necessity of sin­ning, wee cannot but of­fend. Of the flesh it vvas wel said, I can neither liue with thee, nor without thee. The flesh is an inse­parable ill companion of our liues, we can goe no whether to auoide it, &c.

Thirdly, if we consider but some of the effects of this corruption in vs, as

1. The ciuill warre it 4. Effects of corrup­tion of na­ture in vs. causeth in our soules, there is no businesse can be dis­patched, that concernes our happinesse, without a mutiny in our own hearts. [Page 117] The flesh is a domesticall Rebel, that daily lusts a­gainst the Spirit, as the Spirit hath reason to lust against the flesh, Gal. 5. 17.

2. Secondly, the insuf­ficiency it breeds in vs for our callings. The greatest Apostle must in this re­spect cryout, Who is suf­ficient for these things? Though Gods worke bee all faire worke, yet we see, that euery mā is extream­ly burthened with the de­fects, and mistakings, and insufficiencies, which be­fall him in his course of life.

3. It workes a perpetu­all [Page 118] madnesse in the heart of a man, in some respects worse then that of some lunatickes: For they are mad at some times of the yeare, onely, or chiefly; but man is seldome, or neuer free from this inward madnesse of heart. Salo­mon saith, The heart of the sonnes of men is full of euil, and madnesse is in their hearts while they liue, and after that, they goe to the dead. Now this madnesse appeares in this, that men can neuer bring their harts to a settled content­ment in the things they inioy, but Death comes [Page 119] vpon them, before they know how to improue the ioy of their hearts in the blessings they enioy, whe­ther Temporall or Spiri­tuall. This vile corruption of nature diffuseth gall in­to althat a man possesseth; so as it marreth the taste of euery thing.

4. It fils our hearts and liues with innumerable e­uils; it ingenders, & breeds infinitely, swarmes of euill thoughts, and desires, and aboundance of sinnes in mens liues and conuersa­tions, so as godly Dauid cries out; Innumerable e­uils hauc compassed mee a­bout, [Page 120] and I am not able to looke vp. They were more then the haires of his head, therefore his heart failed him, Ps. 40. 12.

5. It is continually mad to betray vs to Sathan and the world, in all the occasions of our life.

6. It will play the Ty­rant, if it get any head, and leade vs [...], and giue wretched Lawes to the members: yea, euery sinne, which is the brat bred of this corruption, is like a fury to fright and a­maze vs: there is a very race of deu [...]s br [...] in vs, when Sathan and the [Page 121] Flesh ingender together in vs.

2. And as we are thus miserable in respect of the remainders of corrupti­on, so are we in respect of the remainders of the pu­nishment of sinne vpon our spirits: Our hearts were neuer fully free, since the first transgression, our minds are yet full of dark­nesse; that euen godly men do seriously cry out, They are but as beasts; they haue not the vnderstanding of men in them: And in ma­ny passages of life they carry thēselues like beasts, Prou. 3. 3. Ps. 139. Eccl. 3. 18. [Page 122] The ioyes of Gods pre­sence are for the greatest part kept from vs: our consciences are still but in a kinde of prison: when they go to the seat of iudgement to giue sen­tence in any cause, they come forth with fetters vpon their legs, as priso­ners themselues; besides the many personall scour­ges light vpon our soules in this life.

3. Lastly, the very con­dition of our bodies should not be ouer-plea­sing to vs: our deformi­ties, and infirmities, and the danger of further [Page 123] diseases, should tire vs out, and make vs account it no louely thing to be present in the body, while we are absent from the LORD. And thus of the miseries of our liues also. Now it remaines, that I should proceed to the second sort of contemplations, that is, those that are remo­uals: namely such medita­tions, as take off the ob­iections, which are in the hearts of men.

CHAP. XII.

THere are in the minds of all men certaine Obiections, which if they could be remoued, this feare of Death would be stocked vp by the very rootes. I will instance in some of the chiefe of thē; and set downe the answers to them

1. Ob. Some men say they should not be afraid of death, considering the [Page 125] gaine of it, & the happines after death, but that they are afraid of the paine of dying: It is the difficulty of the passage troubles them.

Sol. For answere heere­unto diuers things would be considered of, to shew men the folly of this feare.

First, thou lik'st not Ten rea­sons to shew the folly of mē in pre tending the feare of the pain of death. death, because of the paine of it. Why, there is paine in the curing of a wound, yet men will en­dure it. And shall death do so great a cure, as to make thee whole of all thy wounds and diseases, and art thou so loth to come [Page 126] to the cure.

Secondly, There is dif­ficulty in getting into a Hauen. Hadst thou rather be in the Tempest stil, then put into the Hauen?

Thirdly, thou likest not Death, thou saiest, for the paine of it: Why then likest thou life, which puts thee to worse paine? Men obiect not at the paines of life, which they endure without death. There is almost no man, but hee hath endured worse pains in life, then he can endure in death, and yet we are content to loue life still: Yea, such is our folly, that [Page 127] whereas in some paines of life wee call for death to come to our succours: yet when we are well againe, wee loue life, and loath Death.

Fourthly, we are mani­festly mistaken concerning death: For the last gaspe is not death. To liue, is to die: For how much wee liue, so much we die; eue­ry step of life is a step of death. He that hath liued halfe his daies, is dead the halfe of himselfe: Death gets first our infancie, then our youth, and so for­wards: All that thou hast liued, is dead.

[Page 128] Fifthly, it is further eui­dent, that in death there is no paine; it is our life, that goeth out with paine: We deale herein, as if a man after sicknesse, should accuse his health of the last pains. What is it to be dead, but not to be in the world? and is it any paine to be out of the world? Were we in any paine be­fore we were borne? Why then accuse we death, for the paines our life giues vs at the parting? Is not sleepe a resemblance of Death?

Sixthly, if our com­ming into the world bee [Page 129] with teares: Is it any won­der, if our going out be so too?

Seuenthly: Besides, it is euident that wee make the passage more difficult, by bringing vnto death a troubled and irresolute minde: It is long of our selues there is terrour in parting.

Eighthly, Consider yet more, the Humors of the most men! Men will suffer infinite paines for a small liuing, or preferment here in this world: Yea, we see souldiers for a small price will put themselues into vnspeakeable dangers, and [Page 130] that many times at the pleasures of others that command them, without certaine hope of aduan­tage to themselnes. Will men kill themselues for things of no valew; and yet be afraid of a litle pain to be endured, when such a glorious estate is imme­diately to be enioyed in heauen?

Ninthly, Let not men pretend the paines of death, that is but a figge leafe to couer their little faith: For they will lan­guish of the Gowte, or Stone, a long time, rather then die one sweet death [Page 131] with the easiest conditions possible.

Tenthly, if none of these will perswade, yet attend, I will shew thee a Mysterie: Feare not the paines of death: For first, Death is terrible, when it is inflicted by the Law; but it is easie, when it is infli­cted by the Gospell: The curse is taken off frō thee, thou art not vnder the Law, but vnder Grace: And besides, for this cause did Christ die a terrible and a cursed death, that euery death might be bles­sed to vs. And further: God that hath greatly lo­ued [Page 132] thee in life, will not neglect thee in death. Pre­cious in the sight of the LORD, is the death of his Saints. What shall I say against the terrour of death, but this Text of the Apostle? Thankes be to God that hath giuen vs victory through Iesus Christ. Hee hath pul'd the sting out of death: O Death, where is thy sting? 1. Cor. 15. 55.

Lastly, thou hast the Spirit of Christ in thee, which will succour and strengthen, and ease thee, and abide with thee all the time of the combate. Why should we doubt of [Page 133] it, but that the godly die more easily then the wic­ked? Neither may wee gesse at their paine, but the pangs vpon the body: for the body may bee in grieuous panges, when the man feeles nothing, and the soule is at sweete ease in preparing it selfe to come immediately to the sight of God.

CHAP. XIII.

2. Ob. OH! but in death a man is de­stroied, [Page 134] he loseth his bo­dy, and it must bee rotted in the earth.

Sol. 1. It hath bin shew­ed before, that the separa­tion of the soule frō God, is properly death, but the separation of the soule frō the body, is but the sha­dow of death, & wee haue no reason to be afraid of a shadow.

2. The body is not the man, the man remaines still, though he be without the body. Abraham, Isaac, and Iacab, are prooued to be liuing still by our Saui­our Christ, though their bodies were consumed in [Page 135] the earth, and GOD was their God still. It is true, Death seazeth on the bo­dy, but a Christian, at the most, suffers, but aliquid mortis, a little of death.

Death is like a Serpent; the Serpent must eat dust: now death therefore can feede vpon no more, but our dust, which is the bo­dy, it cannot touch the soule: wheras wicked men suffer the whole power of death, because it seazeth both vpon body and soule too, and in their case one­ly it is true, that death de­stroyes a man.

3. Grant that wee lose [Page 136] the body in death, yet that ought not to be terrible: for what the body is, it hath been before shewed. It is but a prison to the soule, an old rotten house, or a ragged garment. It is but as the barke of a tree, or the shell, or such like; now what great losse can there be in any of these?

4. This separation is but for a time neither; we doe not for euer lose the body, wee shall haue our bodies again, they are kept safe for vs till the day of Christ. Our graues are Gods chests, & hee makes a precious account of the [Page 137] bodies of his Saints, they shall bee raised vp againe at the last day: GOD will giue a charge to the earth to bring forth her dead, & make a true account to him, Reue. 20. And God hath giuē vs the assurance of this, not onely in his Word by promising it, but in his Sonne, whom hee hath raised from the dead. If any say, What is that to vs, that Christs bo­dy is raised? I answere, It is a full assurance of the safety, and of the resurrec­tion of our bodies. For Christ is our head. Now cast a man into a Riuer, [Page 138] though all the body bee vnder water, yet the man is safe, if the head bee a­boue water. For the head will bring out all the body after it. So it is in the body of Christ, though all wee sinke in the riuer of death, yet our Head is risen, and is aboue water, and there­fore the whole body is safe.

5. It should yet more satisfie vs, if we throughly cōsider, that we shall haue our bodies againe much better then now they are. Those vile bodies wee lay down in death, shall be re­stored againe vnto vs glo­rious [Page 139] bodies, like the body of Christ now glorified, Phil. 3. 21. And therefore death loseth by taking a­way our bodies; we haue a great victory ouer death. The graueis but a Furnace to refine them, they shall come out againe immor­tall and incorruptible.

CHAP. XIIII.

3. Ob. OH! but if I might liue lōg, I would desire no more, if [Page 140] I might not dye till I were fifty, or threescore yeeres old, I should bee conten­ted to dye then.

Sol. There are many things may shew the vani­tie & folly of men, in this desire of long life: For

1. If thou art willing to 9. Argu­ments to shew the vanity of men, in de­siring to liue long. dye at any time, why not now? Death will bee the same to thee then, it is now.

2. Is any man angry & greeued when he is at sea in a tempest, because hee shall be so quickly carried into the Hauen? Is he dis­pleased with the wind, that wil soon set him safe in the [Page 141] harbour? If thou beleeue, that death will end all thy miseries, why art thou carefull to defer the time?

3. Till thy debt be paid time wil not ease thee, thy care will continue, and therefore thou wert as good pay at the first, if thou bee sure it must bee paid at all.

4. In this world there is neither young, nor old: When thou hast liued to that age thou desirest, thy time past will bee as no­thing. Thou wilt still ex­pect that, which is to come, thou wilt be as rea­dy to demaund longer re­spite [Page 142] then, as now.

5. What wouldest thou tarry heere so long for? There will bee nothing new, but what thou hast tasted: and often drinking will not quench thy thirst, thou hast an incurable Dropsie in thy heart, and those earthly things haue no abilitie to fill thy heart with good, or satisfy thee.

6. Wouldest not thou iudge him a Sot, that mournes because hee was not aliue a hundred yeres agoe? And thou art no better: thou mournest, be­cause thou canst not liue a hundred yeeres here.

[Page 143] 7. Thou hast no power of the morrow, to make it happy to thee. If thou dye young, thou art like one that hath lost a Dye, with which hee might as well haue lost, as wonne.

8. Consider the pro­portion of time thou desi­rest to thy selfe, reckon what will be spent in sleep, care, disgrace, sickenesse, trouble, wearinesse, emp­tinesse, feare; and vnto all this adde sinne: and then thinke, how small a por­tion is left of this time, & how small good it will do thee. What can that ad­uantage thee with such [Page 144] mixtures of euill? It is cer­taine, to liue long, is but to be long troubled, and to die quickly, is quickly to be at rest.

9. Lastly, if there were nothing else to be said, yet this may suffice, that there is no comparison between time and eternity. What is that space of time to eternity? If thou loue life, why dost thou not loue e­ternall life? as was said be­fore.

CHAP. XV.

4. Ob. BVT I would liue long to do good, and benefite others, and to do God seruice, & to benefite others by mine example.

Sol. 1. Search thine Sixe rea­sons a­gainst their pre­tence that would liue long to do good, as they say. owne heart: it may be, this pretence of doing good to others, is pleaded one­ly, because thou wouldst further thine owne good: Thou wouldst not seek the publicke, but to finde [Page 146] thine owne particular.

2. God, that set you to do his worke, knowes, how long it is fit for thee to bee at the same: hee knowes, how to make vse of the labours of his worke-men. Hee will not call thee from thy worke, till he be prouided to dis­patch his businesse with­out thee.

3. It may be, if thou be long at thy worke, thou wouldest marre all; thy last workes would not be so good as thy first; it is best to giue ouer, while thou dost well, &c.

4. If God will pay thee [Page 147] as much for halfe a day, as for the whole: art thou not so much the more to praise him?

5. It is true, that the best comfort of our life here, is in a religious con­uersation: but thy Religi­on is not hindred by go­ing to heauen, but per­fected: There is no compa­rison betweene thy good­nesse on earth, and that in heauen: For though thou maist do much good here; yet it is certaine, thou dost much euill here too.

6. Whereas thou per­swadest thy selfe, that by [Page 148] example thou maist mend others, thou art much mis­taken: A thousand men may sooner catch the plague in an infected Towne, then one be hea­led. It is but to tempt God to desire continuāce [...] in this infectious world, longer then our time; for the best way is to get farre from the contagion. If diuers fresh waters fall in­to the Sea; what doth that to take away the saltnesse of the Sea? No more can two or three Lots reforme a world of Sodomites.

CHAP. XVI.

5. Ob. BVT then it seems by this, that it were a mans best course to cast away life, seeing so much euill is in life, and so much good to be had in death.

Sol. 1. I thinke the most of vs may bee trusted for that danger. For though the soule aspire to the good to come, yet the bo­dy [Page 150] tends vnto the earth, & like a heauy clog weighes men downewards.

2. That is not the course, Against selfe mur­ther. wee must cast the world out of our hearts, not cast our selues out of the world. It is both vnseem­ly, and extremely vnlaw­full. It is vnseemly; for it is true, we ought willingly to depart out of this world, but it is monstrous base, like cowards to runne away out of the battaile▪ Thou art Gods souldier, and appointed to thy stan­ding, and it is a miserable shame to runne out of thy place. When Christ, the [Page 151] great Captaine sounds a retreat, then is it honoura­ble for thee to giue place. Besides, thou art Gods te­nant, and dost hold thy life as a Tenant at will: the Landlord may take it frō thee, but thou canst not without disgrace surren­der at thy pleasure; and it is extreme slothfulnes to hate life, onely for the toiles that are in it. 2. And as it is vnseemely, so it is vnlawfull, yea damnable. It is vnlawful: for the soul­dier that runnes away frō his Captain, offends high­ly: so doth the Christian that makes away himselfe: [Page 152] and therefore, the cōman­demēt is not onely, Thou shalt not kill other men, but generally, Thou shalt not kill, meaning, neither thy selfe, nor other men. Besides, wee haue no ex­ample in Scripture of any that did so, but such as were notorious vvicked men, as Saul, Achitophel, Iu­das, and the like. Yea, it is damnable: for he that lea­ueth his work before God calls him, loseth it, & be­sides, incurres eternall death. As the souldier that runneth away, dieth for it when he is taken: so the Christian that murdereth [Page 153] himselfe, perisheth; I say, that murdereth himselfe, being himselfe.

CHAP. XVII.

6. Ob. MIght some o­ther say, I could more willingly dye, but me thinks it is gree­uous vnto me to part with friends, & acquaintance, I cannot willingly goe frō my kindred, and my fami­liars, life is sweet in re­spect of their presence, [Page 154] and loue, and societie.

Sol. It is true, that vnto some minds this is the greatest contentment of life of any thing, but yet many things must be con­sidered: For

First, amongst a hun­dred men, scarce one can 6. Reasons about par­ting with our friēds in death. by good reason plead that, I meane, cannot say, that hee hath so much as one sound friend in the whole world, worthy to be reckned, as the stay of his life.

2. Those, that can plead felicitie in their friends; yet what is it? one plea­sing dreame hath more in [Page 155] it, then a months content­mēt which can be reaped from thy friends. Alas! it is not the thousand part of thy life, which is satisfied with delight from them.

3. Thou seest thy friends drop away from thee frō day to day; for either they die, or they are so farre re­mooued from thee, that they are as it were dead to thee; & sith they are gone, who would not long to go after them?

4. The friends that are left, are not sure to thee: men are mutable, as well as mortall; they may turne to bee thy foes, that now [Page 156] are dearest vnto thee: or if they fall not into tearms of flat enmity, they may grow full, and wearie of thee, and so, carelesse of thee.

5. If none of these would satisfie thee, yet what are thy friends on earth, to thy friends thou shalt find in heauen? This is an answere beyond all exception.

6. Lastly, by death thou doost not lose thy friends neither, for thou shalt find them, and enioy them in another world to all eter­nitie; and therefore thou hast no reason for thy [Page 157] friends sake to bee loth to dye.

7. Ob. But might some one say, All my griefe is to part with my wife & chil­dren, and to leaue them, especially in an vnsettled estate.

Sol. 1. Hast thou forgot­ten the consolation that saith, God will be a father to the fatherlesse, and a Iudge, and a Protector of the widowes cause? Hee will relieue both the fa­therless and the widow, as many Scriptures doe as­sure vs, Psal. 146. 9. & 68. 6. Prou. 15. 25.

2. Thou leauest them [Page 158] but for a time; God will restore thē to thee againe in a better world.

3. Thou gainst the pre­sence of God, and his e­ternall coniunction, who will be more to thee, then many thousand wiues, or children could be. He can be hurt by the losse of no company, that findeth God in heauen.

CHAP. XVIII.

8. Ob. BVT might some other say, My [Page 159] heart is sorely vexed, be­cause in death I must part with the pleasures of life.

Sol. There are many things might quiet mens mindes in respect of this obiection: For thy plea­sures are either sinfull plea­sures, Fiue Ar­guments against the pleasures of life. or lawfull pleasures: If they bee sinfull, thou shewest thy hatred of God by louing them, and hea­pest vp wrath vpon thine own soule, by liuing in them. But say, thy plea­sures be lawfull in them­selues: yet consider,

1. That the paines of thy life are, and will bee greater both for number [Page 160] and continuance, then thy pleasures can be: No plea­sure at once, euer lasted so long, as the fit of an Ague.

2. Thou forgettest, what end they may haue: For thy pleasures may go out with gall. For either shame, or losse, or euill sicknesse may fall vpon thee: or if not, yet thine owne heart will loath thē; as they are vanity, so they will proue vexation of spi­rit: Thou wilt be extreme­ly tired with them.

3. Thou art farre from giuing thy life for Christ, [Page 161] that wilt not forgoe the superfluity of life for him.

4. That in thy delights thou shewest the greatest weakenes, so as thou maist say of Laughter, Thou art mad, Eccl. 2. 2.

5. That death doth not spoile thee of plea­sures: For it bringeth thee to the pleasures, that are at Gods right hand for euer­more, Psal. 16. vlt.

CHAP. XIX.

9. Ob. IF any other ob­iect, the lothnes to leaue his honours, or high place in the world: I may answer diuers things.

Sol. 1. Why shouldest thou be so in loue with the honours of this world, if thou but consider how small thy preferment is, or can be? The whole earth Fiue ob­seruations about the honors of this world. is, but as the full point or center, in comparison [Page 163] with the circumference of the whole world besides. Now in true iudgement, it is almost impossible to discerne, how a mā should rise higher in a Center. If thou hadst all the earth, thou wert no more exal­ted, then to the possession of a full point: a little spot in comparison, and there­fore how extremely vaine is thy nature, to be affe­cted with the possession of lesse, then the thousand thousand part of a little spot or point?

2. Consider seriously the thraldome, which thy preferment brings thee [Page 164] vnto: Thou canst not liue free, but still thou art fet­tered with the cares, and feares, and griefes, that at­tend thy greatnesse. There is little difference between thee and a prisoner; saue that the prisoner hath his fetters of iron, and thine are of gold; and that his fetters binde his body, and thine thy mind: He weares his fetters on his legs, and thou thine on thine head; and in this thou art one way lesse contented, then some prisoners: for they can sing for ioy of heart, when thou art deiected with the cares and griefes [Page 165] of thy minde. If thou hast a Crowne, it were but a Crowne of thornes, in re­spect of the cares it would put thee to, &c.

3. Say thou shouldest get neuer so high, thou canst not protect thy selfe from the miseries of thy condition, nor preserue thy selfe in any certainety from the losse of all thou enioyest. If thou wert as high as the toppe of the Alpes, thou canst not get such a place, but the clouds, winds, stormes, & terrible lightnings may finde thee out, so as thou wouldst account the lower [Page 166] ground to bee the safer place. Thou standest as a man on the top of a pina­cle, thou canst not know, how soone thou maist tumble downe, and that fearefully.

4. If thou shouldst be sure to enioy thy greatnes of place in the world: yet thou art not sure to pre­serue thine honour: For either it may be blemished with vniust aspersions, or else some fault of thy own may marre all thy praises: For as a dead flye may mat a whole box of ointment: so may one sinne, thy glo­ry, Eccl. 10. 1.

[Page 167] 5. Thou losest not ho­nour by dying: for there are Crownes of glory in heauen, such as shall ne­uer wither, nor be corrup­ted; such as can neuer be held with care, or enuy, nor lost with infamy.

CHAP. XX.

10. Ob. IF thou be infe­cted with the loue of riches, and that thou art loth to die, be­cause thou wouldst not be taken from thy estate, and [Page 168] outward possessions; then attend vnto these conside­rations.

Sol. 1. Thou camest naked into the world; and Seuen mo [...]ue to leaue the loue of ri­ches. why should it grieue thee to goe naked out of the world?

2. Thou art but a steward of what thou pos­sessest: and therefore why should it grieue thee to leaue, what thou hast im­ployed, to the disposing of thy master?

3. Thou hast tried by experience, and found hi­therto, that contentment of heart is not found, or had by aboundance of [Page 169] outward things. If thou hadst all the Pearles of the East, and wert Master of all the Mines of the West, yet will not thy heart bee filled with good: by hea­ping vp of riches, thou dost but heap vp vnquiet­nesse.

4. Riches haue wings, thou maist liue to lose all by fire, or water, or thieues, or suretiship, or iniustice, or vnthrifty chil­dren, or the like.

5. They are riches of iniquity. There is a snare in riches, and nets in pos­sessions, thy gold and sil­uer is limed, or poisoned. [Page 170] It is wonderfull hard, and in respect of men, impos­sible for thee to bee a rich man, but thou wilt bee a sinful man, especially if thy heart bee growne to loue money, and to haste to be rich.

6. Thou must leaue thē once, and therefore why not now? Thou canst not enioy them euer, & there­fore why shouldest thou trouble thy heart about them?

7. By death thou makest exchange of them for bet­ter riches, & shalt be pos­sessed of a more enduring substance. Thou shalt en­ioy [Page 171] the vnsearchable ri­ches of Christ, thou canst neuer be fully rich, til thou get to heauen.

11. Ob. Might some one say, I should not feare death, were it not, that I knowe not, what kind of death I shall dye: I may dye suddenly, or by the hands of the violent, or without the presence, or assistance of my friends, or the like.

Sol. Sith we must dye, it is the lesse matter vvhat kind of death we dye; we should not so much looke how wee dye, as whither wee shall goe when wee [Page 172] are dead.

2. Christ died a cursed death, that so euery death might be blessed to vs. For hee that liues holily, can­not dye miserably. Hee is blessed that dieth in the Lord, what kind of death soeuer it be.

CHAP. XXI.

HItherto of the way of curing this feare of death by meditation. It remaines now, that I pro­ceed [Page 173] to shew how the cure is to bee finished, and per­fected 7. Things that cure the feare of death in practice. by practise. For there are diuerse things to bee heeded by vs in our daily conuersation, which serue exceedingly for the extinguishing of this fear, without which the cure wil hardly euer be soundly wrought for continuance.

1. The first thing wee must frame our liues to for this purpose, is the contempt of the world: wee must striue earnestlie with our owne hearts, to forgoe the loue of world­ly things. It is an easie thing to be willing to dye, [Page 174] when our hearts are clen­sed of the loue of this world. We must leaue the world, before the vvorld leaue vs, and learne that lesson heartily, To vse the world, as if we vsed it not. Neither ought this to seeme too hard a precept. For they that striue for mastery, abstaine from all things, when it is but to obtaine a corruptible crowne: how much more should wee be willing to deny the delights of this world, and striue with our natures herein, seeing it is to obtaine an incorrupti­ble crowne? 1. Cor. 9. 24.

[Page 175] We must learne of Mo­ses, who brought himselfe to it willingly, to for­sake the pleasures of E­gypt, and to chuse rather to suffer affliction with Gods people, then to be called the sonne of Phara­ohs daughter, Heb. 11. 26.

And to this end wee should first restraine all needlesse cares, & busines of this world, and study so to be quiet, as to meddle with our own businesse, & to abbridge them into as narrow a scantling, as our callings will permit. Se­condly, wee should auoid, as much as may bee, the [Page 176] societie with the fauou­rites and minions of the world, I meane such per­sons, as admire nothing but worldly things, and know no other happinesse thē in this life: That speak onely of this world, and commend nothing, but what tends to the praise of worldly things, and so to the intising of our hearts after the world. And with­all, wee should sort our selues with such Christi­ans, as practise this con­tempt of the world as well as praise it, and can by their discourse, make vs more in loue with heauen. [Page 177] 3. Thirdly, we should dai­ly obserue, to what things in the world our hearts most run, and striue with GOD by prayer, to get downe the too much li­king, and desire after these things. 4. Fourthly, vvee should daily be pondring on these meditations, that shew vs the vanitie of the world, and the vilenesse of the things thereof. Thus of the first medicine.

2. Secondly, we must in our practise, soundly mortifie our beloued sins: our sinnes must dye, be­fore we dye, or else it will not be well with vs. The [Page 178] sting of death is sinne, and whē we haue puld out the sting, we need not feare to entertaine the Serpent in­to our bosome. It is the loue of some sin, & delight in it, that makes a man a­fraid to dye, or it is the re­membrance of some foule euill past, which accuseth the hearts of men: and therefore men must make sure their repentance, and iudge themselues for their sinnes, and then they need not feare Gods condem­ning of them. If any aske me, how they may knowe when they haue attained to this rule, I answer, Whē [Page 179] they haue so long confes­sed their sinnes in secret to God, that now they can truly say, there is no sinne they know by themselues, but they are as desirous to haue GOD giue them strength to leaue it, as they would haue God to shew them grace to forgiue it. He hath soundly repented of all sin, that desires from his heart to liue in no sin. And vnto this rule I must adde the care of an vp­right & vnrebukeable cō ­uersation. It is a marue­lous encouragement to dye with peace, when a man can liue without of­fence, [Page 180] and can iustly plead his integrity of conuersa­tion, as Samuel did, 1. Sam. 12. 3. and Paul, Act. 26. 26, 27. and 2. Cor. 1. 12.

3. Thirdly, assurance is an admirable medicine to kill this feare; & to speake distinctly, wee should get the assurance first of Gods fauour, and our owne cal­ling and election. For hereby an entrance will be ministred into the heauē ­ly kingdome, and there­fore haue I handled this doctrine of the Christians assurance, before I med­led with this point of the feare of death. Simeon can [Page 181] dye willingly, whē his eyes haue seene his saluation. Feare of death is alwaies ioyned with a weake faith, and the full assurance of faith, doth maruelously e­stablish the heart against these feares, and breeds a certain desire of the com­ming of Christ. Paul can be confident when he is a­ble to say, I knowe whom I haue belieued, and that hee is able to keepe that which I haue committed to him, 2. Tim. 1. 12.

Besides, we should la­bour to get a particular knowledge and assurance of our happines in death, [Page 182] and of our saluation. We should study to this end, the Arguments that shews our felicity in death: And to this purpose it is of ex­cellent vse to receiue the Sacraments often: For Christ by his Will be­queathed Heauen to vs, Ioh. 17. and by the death of the Testator this Will is of force, and is further daily sealed vnto vs, as in­ternally by the Spirit, so externally by the Sacra­ments.

Now if we get our Charter sealed and confir­med to vs, how can we be afraid of the time of pos­session? [Page 183] Hee is fearelesse of death, that can say with the Apostle; Whether I liue or die, I am the Lords, Rom. 14. 8.

4. That charge giuen to Hezekiah, concerning the setting of his house in order, Esay 38. is of sin­gular vse for this Cure: Men should with sound aduice settle their outward estates, and dispose of their worldly affaires, and according to their meanes prouide for their wife, and children. A great part of the feare and trouble of mens hearts is ouer., when their Wils are dis­creetely [Page 184] made: but men are loth to die, so long as their outward estates are vnsettled, and vndisposed. It is a most preposterous course for men to leaue the making of their Wils to their sicknesse; For be­sides their disabilities of memories or vnderstan­ding, which may befall them, the trouble of it breeds vnrest to their minds, and besides, they liue all the time in neglect of their duty of prepara­tion for death.

5. We may much help our selues by making vs friends with the riches of [Page 185] iniquity: we should learne that of the vniust Steward, as our Sauiour Christ sheweth, since we shall be put out of the Steward­ship, we should so dispose of them while wee haue them, that when wee die, they may receiue vs into euerlasting habitations, Luke 16. An vnprofitable life is attended with a ser­uile feare of death.

6. It would master this feare, but to force our selues to a frequent medi­tation of death: To learne to die daily, will lessen, yea, remoue the feare of dy­ing: Oh this remembring [Page 186] of our latter end, and lear­ning to number our daies is an admirable rule of practices: It is the forget­fulnesse of death, that makes life sinfull, & death terrible, Deut. 32. 19. Psal. 90. 12. Lam. 1. 9. And wee should beginne this exer­cise of meditation be­times; Remember thy Crea­tor in the daies of thy youth, Eccl. 12. 1. This is that is called for, when our Saui­our Christ requires vs, and all men, so to watch: and heerein lay the praise of the fiue wise Virgines, Math. 25. 3. Thus Iob will waite, till the time of his [Page 187] change come, Iob 10. 14. And of purpose hath the Lord left the last day vn­certain, that we might eue­ry day prepare. It were an admirable methode, if we could make euery day a life to beginne and end, as the day begins, and ends.

7. Lastly, because yet wee may finde this feare combersome, and our na­tures extremely deceitfull: there is one thing left, which can neuer faile to preuaile as far as is fit for vs; and that is hearty pray­er to God for this very thing. Thus Dauid praies, Psal. 39. 4. and Moses, Psal. [Page 188] 90. 12. and Simeon, Luk. 2. 32. And in as much as Christ died for this end, to deliuer vs from this feare, we may sue out the priuiledge, and by prayer striue with God to get it framed in vs: It is a suite God will not deny them, that aske in the name of Christ, because it is a thing that Christ especial­ly aimed at in his owne death.

To conclude then: wee haue proued, that it is pos­sible to be had, and most vncomely to want it; and likewise the way hath beene shewed, how both [Page 189] by meditation & practise, this Cure may bee effec­ted: If then it bee not wrought in any of vs; we may heere finde out the cause in our selues: For if wee would hereby bee soundly aduised and ruled, we might attaine to it all the daies of our life, to sing with the Saints that triumphant song, mentio­ned both in the Old and New Testament: Oh death, where is thy sting? Oh hell, where is thy victory? Death is swallowed vp into victo­ry: so as we are now the con­querours through him that loued vs, and gaue himselfe [Page 190] to death for vs: euen Iesus Christ the righteous: To whom with the Father, and the Holy Ghost bee all praise in the Churches, throughout all a­ges for euer.

Amen.