The Last Battle of the Soul, Religious tract 5 – Dedication 3
Another discourse of the same sort.
O How hard a thing is it for the liuing to remember that wee are but weedes of a day fading and flying vanities.
*Note.Wee are all heere like poore Trauellers who hauehave farre to goe and little to spend: In our most constant estate below we are like Ionahs Iona▪ 4. 6.gourd that sprang vp into a night, & withered into another, euen a …oish vanitie.
This life, said a Father, is miserarable: August. Consol. lib. 6. cap. 11.Our death is vncertaine: If it surprise vsus vnawares, whither shall wee goe? & where shal we learne that which wee hauehave neglected heere? Men for the most part wallowing in their sins, while they looke most for life, are by their expectation surprised of Death: But, Oh then, whether shall they goe? Alas, that we cannot consider while we hauehave time and breath: *NoteMan naturallie is so dull and dumpish that hee cannot imagine that he is possest with a melting mortalitie: *NoteThe best of vsus in spirituall matters are pure blind: Wee cannot see farre off, no, that which is neere, euen this mortalitie among vsus, yea, within vsus: *NoteThat which hath breath can hardlie thinke of buriall: *NoteA morning mementomori is not able to waken vsus, so fast are wee lulled asleepe in carnall securitie, euen while the dead Bell soundeth wee forget o… niortalitie: *NoteThe House of mourning is become an house of drinking, of snuffing and of sneuelling with Tobacca: Though wee bee warned, wee are not wiser.
In Solomons dayes, the liuing in such places laid such thinges to their heart: But, alas, euen while in theEccles. 7. 2. thoughts of the gastlie visage of death we are carrying others to ye graue our hearts are not molten and liquified for sinne the cause of our mortalitie: *NoteWhile wee put our hand to the Beire wee may get some light sudden flashes of deuotion, but anone we forget that within a short time as wee doe to others, so shall bee done to vsus: Euen while wee walke with the dead to the Graue, wee dreame of immortalitie; forgetting our borrowed dayes: *NoteIf there bee any heate of zeale in our hearts how soone is it cooled: Mans heart is like water which as the Learned obserue, becommeth more cold after the heating Arist. meteor. 1▪ 12.than it was before: Such heate because it is not naturall and kindlie, but forced by fire, it cannot continue, but must bee foorth-with extinguished: *NoteMan is like an Horse that naturallie …rots, though by industrie hee bee broken and made to …mble for a space, yet euer and anone hee preaseth to goe out of his amble for to enter into his trot: While we are at the Beire and the dead corp… in sight, an ambling sorrow for a space may make the bowels of our bellie to wamble: But hauehave wee once turned our backe vponupon the Graue, and wee anone to the olde trot of our former folies.
While wee should learne to die, wee plant our selues in the face and glorie of the world: *NoteWee are so troubled with Marthas many things that wee forget Maries best par…: *NoteMany come to their death-bed before that they had euer earnestlie thought of their life: They die euen then whē they thought to begin to amend their life: Thus as ye see they die deceiued in their delayes: they die before they know wherfore they liued▪ Their Sunne setteth while they are entering on the journey. The euening of their life is the morning of their task: By by & base respects their mind… are caried on the by: *NoteFoolish fancie… creepe in by stealth & slilie insinuate and winde in themselues into their heartes wherein beeing once fast cogged, they keepe the minde musing on vanitie till the Sunne of their life bee set.
While their time is thus spent, they can doe nothing but lament the losse of that which they cannot recouer.
Vitae summa brevis, spem
Nos vetat in choare longam.
*NoteA short life is not for long and large projects.
*NotePoore man is sent vntounto this world for a great businesse to bee done in a short time: Hee must first of all glorifie his God, and in that doing hee must worke out the great worke of his Saluation: All the time alloted to this businesse is but threescore and ten yeares or foure score at the most: But, alas, most men sleepe both the morning and noone of their life: And yet which is worse, euen while they see their Sunne going downe, and posting to the west, they hauehave no care to redeeme the time: At the comming of death, their assigned businesse is scarchlie well begunne: *NoteMost men are so miserablie muffled that they cannot see the sand of their houre glasse in a continuall course: Oh that we were wise to bee forearmed for death whereof wee are forewarned: As the Cananitish woman picked comfort out of the reproachful name of Dogge, so out of all thinges should wee without daintie nicenesse bee storing vp comforts for to vphold vsus in our last and most heauie houre: But Oh, where is the man who in time is carefull to redeeme his euill & idly spent houres? O foolish man, fye vponupon thee, shall the sickle follie of an houre cost thee the lose of that glorious immortalitie? Wilt thou not thinke in time that grimme Death shall come at last like an armed man for to bereaue thee of thy Soule, thou neither can tell how, when, nor where: *NoteHappie is that man whose journey, time, businesse and breath, are finished together: Happie shall that t…yst be when these foure shall finish in immortalitie.
It is good that in time wee set all the powers of our Soule vponupon Christ, that out of his Sacred person wee may suck the influence of his goodnesse, whereby wee may bee saued from the traines & treasons of the Deuill: *NoteHe is euer readie to strik fyre with his frezell and his flint, if wee will find him tinder: Oh, that our hearts continuallie could minde things that are Col. 3. 1.aboue: All things below are vnconstant, as water they sl…d away, but Gods fauour is more fixed than Mount Syon.
What an heart-scald should this bee vntounto vsus, that wee hauehave so long neglected this best part, not remembering our latter end? Let vsus now therefore consider in time that wee are all into this world but Tenants at will: Prince, people, great and small, all must leaue this Cottage of clay, at the first warning: Pale Death at its first approach will anone change the copie of their countenance.
Stat sua cuique dies.
Euerie mans day is set: None can transgresse his appointed houre: God absolutelie at Death must bee obeyed: None by force or fauour may sit his summonds: Wee by the death of others are all lawfullie forewarned to flit & remoue: All things aboue vsus, beneath vsus, about vsus, cry vntounto vsus, that wee must shortly leaue this world for to goe sleepe in slime: No contentment of man below can out-last the date of foure score year…s: O Lord, open our eyes, that we may see how the sickle figure of this world passeth away.
*NoteHappie and thrise happie is hee who after the bitter and bloodie Battell of this life is with olde Simeon Luk, 2. 29.departed in peace: As the life of the godlie is gracious, so is their death precious: This wee learne in Scripture: Precious to the Lord is the death Psal. 116. 15of his Sainctes: *NoteBut as for all the wicked who while they liued did justle out of their hearts all feare of God, they shall be so wrapped in his wrath that their hearts shall bee slitted with sorrow: *NoteWhile the godlie with Elias shall bee princelie carried into Gods royall Coach vntounto heauen, the wicked Ahab shall be sent into a bloodie Charet vntounto hell, depriued of all these comforts which they on earth did most eagerlie desire: All their princelie pleasures shall be followed with pinching paines: *NoteSuch will boast boldlie before death come, but at the slight and light touch of a Feuer or Fluxe they quickelie plucke in their snailes hornes like Ahab lowring in sacke-cloth: When sicknesse beginneth to lay siege to their noble parts, they weakly waile & womanly lament: Then know they but too late that mans life is but a winde in a worme.
* O happie is that man in whose heart Christ hath grauen deepe the shape of himselfe in this world: when Death shall come then shall he know what blessed treasures of contentment, God hath stored vp for his beloued: When the Soules of the faithfull which on earth hauehave beene endued with a matchlesse concurrence of diuine graces, shall come out of their bodies, Christ the Father of mercies shall cast the armes of his cōpassions about their necks: At their first entrie into Heauen, hee shall giuegive them the comfortable kisses of peace.
Lord, soften our stonie hearts, &A prayer enlighten our mistie minds, that all our joye may bee in enjoying thee in whom is fulnesse without dislike: O satisfie vsus yearely with thy merciemercy thePsa 90. 14 fairest flower of the Garland of thy Majestie.
While wee remember the death of others, make vsus carefullie to studie vntounto newnesse of life, that in this life wee dying vntounto sinne, may after death liue vntounto Thee, and with Thee vntounto the vtmost bound of the Gen. 49. 26,euerlasting Hills,
AMEN.
FINIS.
A. H.
THE LAST BATTELL OF THE SOVLE IN DEATH,
2. Volume.
Carefullie digested for the comfort of the Sicke: By Mr. ZACHARIE BOYD, Preacher of Gods Word at Glasgow.
Bernard in Serm.
Novissima sunt quatuor, MORS, IVDICIVM, GEHENNA, GLORIA: Quid horribilius morte? Quid terribilius judicio? Quid intolerabilius gehenna? Et quid incundius gloria?
Idem.
Senibus mors est in ianuis, Iuvenibus vero in insidijs.
Printed at Edinburgh, by the Heires of ANDRO HART. 1629.
TEMPVS
TO THE MOST EXCELLENT PRINCESSE ELIZABETH Queene of Bohemia, &c.
MADAME,
IN corporall troubles let vsus seeke for spirituall Comfortes: Dayes of sorrow are dayes of drousinesse: For the remeede of such sorrowes heere followeth a Discourse of heauens Happinesse, with diuerse other Christian comforts which I must humblie and heartilie dedicate to your Majestie.
If MADAME I were more able to present your Majestie with some matter… of greater worth, my will should not bee deficient to mine Abilitie.
Thus presuming out of your Royall bountie that this little Offer from One of SCOTLAND your Majesties natiue Soyle shall bee graciouslie accepted, I most humblie present it to your Majestie for to bee receiued and shrouded vnderunder your Royall safe-gard and louing protection.
After manie feruent and vnfained prayers made to God for the esta blishment of the Crowne vponupon your Majesties Royall Heads, and also for spirituall Graces to bee aboundantlie powred vponupon you, and vponupon the rest of these Royall
Plants, which by the great merciemercy of God hauehave branched from You both, I humblie take my leaue.
Your Majesties most humble and most obedient Oratour and Seruant: M. ZACHARIE BOYD Preacher of GODS word at Glasgow. From Glasgow the 12. day of Februrie 1629.