The Last things, Sermon 2
Deaths. Arreſt.
LUKE 12.20.
This night thy ſoul ſhall be required of thee.
MAns Bodie (we ſay) is cloſed up within the Elements, his Bloud in his Bodie, his Spirits in his Bloud, his Soul in his Spirits and God or Sathan in his Soul. Who holds the poſſeſſion we may gueſſe in life, but then is it moſt apparent when we come to death: The tree may bend Eaſt, or Weſt, or North, or South; but as it falleth ſo it lieth: Our affections may look up or down, towards heaven or hel; but as we die we receive our doom, and then whoſe we are ſhall be fully made manifeſt to all the world. There is a parable of poor Lazarus, Luke 16.whoſe life was nothing but a catalogue of miſeries, his body full of ſores, his mind full of ſorrows; what ſpectacle could we think more pitifull, whoſe beſt dainties were but broken crumbs, and his warmeſt lodging but the rich mans gates? Here is a parable of a certain rich man, who enjoyes (or at leaſt purpoſeth) a delicious fare, he hath lands verſ. 16.Verſ. 16. fruits, verſ. 17.17. buildings, verſ. 18.18. and if this be the Inventorie, what is the ſumme? ſee it collected in the verſe ſucceeding, Soul, 19.thou haſt much goods laid up for many years; now live at eaſe, Eat, drink, and take thy paſtime. Theſe two eſtates thus different, how ſhould they be but of divers tenures?Matth. 6.24. No man can ſerve God and Mammon. See Lazarus dying, and the Angels carry him in-Abrahams boſome. See this rich man dying, and they (that is, devils) require his ſoul. God receives one, and his ſoul is in heaven; Sathan takes the other, and drags down his ſoul to hel; he is comforted that received pains, and thou art tormented that waſt full of eaſe: this is the doom, and that he may undergo this, death now gives the ſummons, This night thy ſoul ſhall be required of thee.
The Text we may chriſten Deaths Arreſt, it is we that offend his Majeſtie of heaven, and his precepts are given unto Death to attach our ſouls. See here a preſident, a rich man taken on a ſudden, who muſt inſtantly appear before the Judge of heaven: when? this night.] What? thy ſoul.] Why? it is required.] Of whom? of thee.]
Or if this will not find the offender, ſee yet a more narrow ſearch, every word is like ſome dark cloſet, therefore we will open the windovvs that you may have full light. This Text is Deaths Arreſt, vvhichwhich as it muſt be executed, ſo it admits of no other time but This] This what? this day, whileſt the Sun gives light to the vvorld, and the light gives pleaſure to the eie? this vvere ſome comfort: no, but then ſuddenly vvhilſt all ſleep ſecurely, not This day but This night.] And vvhat, this night? Is it to attach the bodie of ſome great perſonage, vvhoſe looks might affrighten Officers had they come by day? No, let his bodie rot in duſt, vvhileſt the Soul muſt anſvver his defaults: it is not thy body; 'tis thy ſoul.] And what, of his ſoul? Is this a ſubject liable to arreſts? rather can they beg it at his hands, or vvill he yield it at their fair intreaties? no, it is neither begg'd nor intreated; but by vertue of Gods Writ, it is required.] And hovv required? of his ſureties bound for his good appearing? he hath many friends, and all, either have or vvould have entred bonds: no, he muſt go vvithout bail or main-prize, it is not required of his ſureties, but himſelf; not of others, but of thee] is thy ſoul this night required.
You hear the Texts harmonie, of each ſtring vve vvill give a touch, and firſt note the time, this night.
This.]
Doctrine. NO other but This? were it a fortnight, a ſeven-night, any but This] night, and his griefs were leſſened; the news is more heartleſſe in that it comes more ſudden. You may obſerve, Then are the greateſt loſſes when they come on us by heaps, and without fear or ſuſpicion of any ſuch matter. Here was a man ſwimming in his fulneſſe, and a ſudden death robs him of all his treaſures. To give you a full view, ſee his poſſeſſions, and how great was the loſſe, becauſe of the ſuddenneſſe: This] night.
Firſt, thoſe goods, whereof he boaſted, are now confiſcate; not a peny, not a dram, not a mite ſhall be left him, ſave onelyonly a token of remembrance (I mean his winding-ſheet) which he carries along with him to his grave.
Secondly, his goods and grounds both were took from him at his death; he that commanded ſo much of earth muſt now have no more earth to pleaſure him but a grave; what a change was this? his grounds were fertile,Verſ. 16. and they brought forth plenteouſly, but a blaſt of death hath ſtruck both the fruit and ground; and nothing is now left him but a barren Tombe.
Thirdly, his lands and houſes both went together. You may gueſſe that great demeans muſt have ſtately Halls: we read of his building, and eſpecially of his Barns; when theſe were too little for his ſtore, he tells us, he will pull them down, and he will build greater. He never thinks of any little room in the bowels of the poor. Was his harveſt ſo great that his barns would not hold it? Whence came the bleſſing but from God? How is it then he forgets God that beſtowed this bleſſing? It is written, When ye reap the harvest of the Land, ye ſhall not reap every corn of your field, neither ſhalt thou gather the gleanings of the harveſt. How? not reap it? not gather it? what then? why, Thou ſhalt leave them for the poor, and for the ſtranger: I am the Lord your God, Levit. 19.9.Lev. 19.9, 10. When Ruth came to glean in the fields of Boaz, that good Maſter commands his ſervants,Ruth 2.15. Let her gather among the ſheaves, and do not rebuke her. Had this Worldling been ſo pitifull to the poor, his barns might have ſtood, himſelf might have lived, his ſoul have been ſaved. But now what a ſtrange lot happens on him? his Halls, Houſes, Barns, Buildings, all runne round in a dance of Death before his eyes.
Fourthly, his houſe and friends both left him when death came: The Parable is common:Ex Damaſceno A man hath three friends, two whereof he loved moſt entirely, the third he made no account of: this man being ſent for to come before his King, he deſires his firſt friend to go with him, but he could not, onelyonly he would give him ſomething for his journey: He deſires his ſecond friend to go with him, but he would not, onelyonly he would bring him a little piece of his way: When both theſe forſook him, he goes to the laſt, which before he eſteemed leaſt, and this friend was the party that went with him to the King, and anſwered for him in all his cauſes: This is the caſe of every man dying; the King our Judge ſends death his Serjeant to ſummon you to your judgement. Come to your firſt friends, (I mean your riches) alas! they cannot go with you, but give you a ſheet as neceſſary for your journey: Come to your ſecond friends (I mean your acquaintance) alas! they wil not go with you, but bring you to your graves, and there leave you to your ſelves: Come to your laſt friends, which you now leaſt think of (I mean your Conſciences) and you ſhall find that is the trueſt friend that will go with you to the Judge, anſwer for you to the King, and either acquit you, or condemn you; bring you to the gates of heaven, or deliver you to the goal of hell. Have a care of your Conſciences, if you mean to ſpeed well at this day: how bleſſed a man had this Worldling been, if onelyonly a good conſcience had accompanied him to the Judge of heaven? but now when death ſummons him, there is no friend to ſolicite, no Advocate to plead no man to ſpeak one word in his ſouls behalf: it is his bad conſcience keeps him company, and though all others leave him, he can deviſe no means to ſhake this from him.
Fifthly, there is a jewell irrevocable, of which this ſudden death robs him, I mean his time, and what a loſſe was this? all his goods, grounds, barns, buildings, were they more worth then the world it ſelf, yet were they not able to reſtore one minute of his time: if this could be purchaſed, what a rate would he give for a little reſpite? nothing is now ſo precious as a piece of time, which before by moneths and years he laviſhly miſ-ſpent: they that paſſe away time with mirth and paſtime, ſhall one day ſee to their grief what a loſſe they have; now we revell it out, dally it away, uſe all means and occaſions to make it ſhort enough; but when this golden ſhowre is gone, and thoſe opportunities of ſalvation loſt by negligence, then we may wiſh, and wiſh again, Oh had we a little time, a little ſpace to repent! Imagine that this worldling (whom now you muſt ſuppoſe to lie frying in hel flames) were diſpenced with for a little time, to live here again on earth amongſt us; would but the Lord vouchſafe him one hour of a new triall, a minute ſeaſon of a gracious viſitation, oh how highly would he prize, how eagerly would he apprehend, with what infinite watching, praying, faſting, would he improve that ſhort time, that he might repent him? I know not how effectually this may work an your hearts, but I am fully perſwaded, if any damned creature had but the happineſſe to hear this Sermon, you ſhould ſee how his very heart would bleed vvithin him; bleed ſaid I? nay, break and fall aſunder in his breaſt like drops of vvater. Oh vvith vvhat inflamed attention vvould he hear and liſten? vvith vvhat inſatiable graſping vvould he lay hold on Chriſt? vvith vvhat ſtreaming tears vvould he vvater his cheeks, as if he vvould melt himſelf, like Niobe, into a fountain? Bleſſed God! hovv fond are fooliſh men that never think of this till their time be loſt? vve that are alive have onelyonly this benefit of opportunity, and if vve neglect it, a day vvill come (vve knovv not hovv ſoon) that vve ſhall be paſt it, and cannot recover it, no not one houre, if vve vvould give a thouſand, ten thouſand, vvorlds for it. What can I ſay? reflect on your ſelves, you that have ſouls to ſave; you have yet a little time (and the time preſent is that time) vvhat then, but ſo uſe it novv, as vvhen you are gone, you need not vvith grief vviſh you here again?
Sixthly, yet more loſſe, and that is the loſſe of loſſes, the loſſe of his ſoul; his riches, lands, houſes, friends, time, and all were nothing to his ſoul. This is that Paragon, Peere, Roſe, and Spouſe of our well-beloved Chriſt. How many a teare ſhed he to ſave it? what grones cryes, prayers, teares, and bloud, poured he before God, that he might redeem it from the jawes of Satan? and is this loſt notwithſtanding all this labour? O ſweet Jeſu! what a loſſe is this? thou waſt born, lived, died, and that a ſhamefull death, (the death of the croſs) and all this ſuffering was to ſave poor ſouls: yet ſee a ſoul here loſt, and the bloud of God, though able, not effectuall to redeem it. Whoſe heart would not melt into bloud, that but knew this miſery? Suppoſe you could ſee the ſoul of this wretched worldling, no ſooner had it left the body, but immediately was it ſeized on by infernall fiends, now lies it on a bed of fire, tortured, tormented ſcourged, and ſcorched in thoſe furious flames; there his conſcience ſtings him, his ſorrow gripes him, his pain ſo handles him, that he cryes, and roares, Woe, woe, and alas evermore. Who now for ſhadows of ſhort pleaſures, would incur theſe ſorrows of eternall pains? In this world we can weep and wail for a loſſe of trifles: an houſe, a field, an Oxe took from us, is enough to cruciate us; but how ſhall we bewail the loſſe of a ſoul, which no ſooner plunged into that pit of horrour, but it ſhall feel a puniſhment without pity, miſery without mercy, ſorrow without ſuccour, crying without comfort, torment without eaſe, a world of miſchiefe, without all meaſure or redreſs? Such is the loſſe of this mans ſilly ſoul, whileſt he was cheering it with an home-bred ſolace; Soul, thou haſt much goods layd up for many years: God whiſpers in his eares, and tells him other newes: What? of his ſoul: how? it is required: when? this night: a fearfull ſound unlookt-for meſſage, ſpeedy diſpatch, no more delays, nor days, onelyonly this night, for then muſt his ſoul be taken from him.
You ſee all his loſſes; and now to contract them, there is one griefe more then all, that all is loſt on a ſudden. Loſſes that come by ſucceſſion are better born with, but all on a ſudden is the worſt of all; yet ſuch is the miſery of man, when he goes, all goes with him, and he and all paſs away on a ſudden: As in the days of Noah, they ate, and drunk, married, and gave in marriage, and knew nothing tell the floud came, and took them all away; ſo is the coming of the Son of man, Matth. 24.38.Mat. 24.38. How many have been thus took tripping in their wickedneſs? Belſhazzar in his mirth, Herod in his pride, the Philiſtims in their banquetting, the men of Ziklag in their feaſting, Jobs children in their drunkenneſs, the Sodomites in their filthineſs, the Steward in his ſecurity, this Churle in his plenty: miſerable end, when men end in their ſin. Call to mind this (O my ſoul) and tremble: ſleep not in ſin, leſt the ſleep of death ſurprize thee: The hour is certain, in nothing but uncertainties; for ſure thou muſt dye, yet thou knoweſt not on what day, nor in what place,Certa mors, incerta hora. nor how thou ſhalt be diſpoſed when death muſt be entertained. Do you not ſee moſt dye, whiles they are moſt buſie how to live? he that once thought but to begin to take his eaſe, was fain that very night (whether he would or no) to make his end: would you have thought this?Pſal. 37.35, 39 he but now flouriſhed like a green bay tree, his thoughts full of mirth, his ſoul of eaſe, but I paſſed by, and loe he was gone: gone, whether? his body to the grave, his ſoul to hell, in the middeſt of his jollity, God threats deſtruction, Devils execution, death expedition, and thus like a Swan he ſings his funerals. There is that ſaith, I have found reſt, and now will I eat continually of my goods, and yet he knoweth not what time ſhall come upon him, and that he muſt leave thoſe things to others, and dye, Ecclus 11.19.Eccleſ. 11.19. The higher our Babel-tower of joy is raiſed, the nearer it is to ruine and confuſion. Sodome, in the heat of their ſins, had that ſhowr of fire poured on their heads: Nebuchadnezzar, in the height of his pride, became ſuddenly a beaſt, that ruled before as a King: once for all, here was a man ſolacing, ſinging warbling out pleaſant ſongs of eaſe and paſtime; but (O the miſery) in the middeſt of his note here is a ſuddain ſtop; he dreames of longs and larges, he hears of briefes and ſemi-briefes, no longer a day, but this very night, and then ſhall thy ſoul be taken from thee.
See here the many loſſes of one man, his goods, his grounds, his houſes, his friends, his time, his ſoul, and all on a ſudden, whileſt the word is ſpoken, this] night.
Ʋſe. 1 Our neighbours fire, cannot but give warning of approaching flames. Remember his judgment, thine alſo may be likewiſe: Ecclus 38.22.unto me yeſter-day, and unto thee to day. Whoſe turn is next God onelyonly knows, who knows all. Is not madneſs in the hearts of men whiles they live? Eccleſ. 9.3.In the leaſt ſuſpition of looſing worldly riches, all watch and break their ſleep; you ſhall ſee men work, and toyl, and fear, and care, and all too little to prevent a loſſe; but for all theſe loſſes which are linked together, our riches, lands, houſes, friends, time, and ſoul, and all we have, there is few or none regards them: O that men are ſo carefull in trifles, and ſo negligent in matters of a great importance! It is ſtoried of Archimedes, that when Syracuſe was taken, he onelyonly was ſitting ſecure at home, and drawing circles with his compaſs in the duſt. Thus ſome we have, that when the eternall ſalvation of their ſouls is in queſtion, they are handling their duſt, nothing but ſuites or mony-matters are their daily objects: but (alas) what will your goods or grounds, or houſes, or friends avail you, when death comes? Where did ever that man dwell, that was comforted by any of theſe, in that laſt and ſoreſt conflict? Give me a man amongſt you, that ſpends the ſpan of his tranſitory life in graſping gold, gathering wealth, growing great, inriching his poſterity, without any endeavour, or care to treaſure up grace againſt that fatall hour; and I dare certainly tell him, whenſoever he comes to his deaths bed, he ſhall find nothing but an horrible confuſion, extremeſt horrour and heavineſs of heart; nay, his ſoul ſhall preſently down into the kingdome of darkneſs, and there lye and fry in everlaſting fires. Nor ſpeak I only to the covetous (though my text ſeem more directly to point at them) but whoſoever thou art that goeſt on daily in a courſe of ſin, in the fear of God unbethink thee of mortality: ſome of you may think I ſpeake not to you, and others, I ſpeake not to you; the truth is I ſpeake to you all, but to you more eſpecially that to this day have ſinned with delight, but never as yet felt the ſmart for ſin upon your ſouls or conſciences: O beloved! this is it I call for, and muſt call for till you feel a change, a thorow-change in you: would but ſome of you at this preſent examine you conſciences, and ſay, whether have I not been inordinate in drunkenneſs, or wantonneſs, or coveteouſneſs? whether have I not ſworn an oath, or told a lye, or diſſembled in my heart, when I have ſpoken? O who can ſay amongſt you, I am clean, I am clean? and aſſure your ſelves if you are guilty, you muſt either feel hearts grief, or you can never be provided for deaths diſmall arreſt. If you were but ſenſible of ſin, if you felt but the weight and horrour of Gods wrath for ſin, I am verily perſwaded you would not take a quiet ſleep in your beds for fear, and horrour, and heavineſs of heart: what is it but madneſs of a man to lye down in eaſe upon a feather bed, and to lodge in his boſome that deadly enemy, ſin?
But (horrour of horrours!) what if this night, whileſt you ſleep in your ſin, death ſhould arreſt you on your beds? This I tell you is no wonder, are not ſudden deaths common and ordinary among the ſons of men? How many have we heard that went to bed well over night, for ought any man could tell, and yet were found dead in the morning? I will not ſay carried away out of their beds, and caſt into hell fire; whether it be ſo or no, the Lord our God knows: but howſoever it is with them, if we for our parts commit ſin, and repent not thereof by crying, and ſobbing, and ſorrowing for ſin; it may be this night, (and that is not long to) you may ſleep your laſt in this world, and then ſhall your ſouls be hurried by Devils to that infernall lake, whence there is no redemption. O beloved! O wretch, whoſoever thou art! Canſt thou poſſibly ſleep in ſuch a caſe as this? Canſt thou go to bed with a conſcience laden with ſin? Canſt thou take any ſleep (which is the brother of death) when thou lyeſt now in danger of eternall death? Conſider, I pray, what ſpace, what diſtance, how far off is thy ſoul from death, from hell, from eternity? no more but a breath, one breath and no more; no more but a ſtep, one ſtep and more: O beloved! were not this lamentable, that ſome one of us that now are ſtanding, or ſitting, ſhould this night ſleep his laſt, and to morrow have his body brought to be buried; yea, and before to morrow morning have his ſoul (which the Lord forbid) caſt from his bed of feathers, to a bed of fire? and yet alas! alas! if any of us this night dye in his ſin, or in a ſtate unregenerate, thus will it be with him whoſoever he be; to morrow may his body lye could under earth, and his ſoul lodg in hell with this miſerable rich man.
Ʋſe. 2 But let me ſpeake to you, of whom I hope better things; it is good counſell for you all to exſpect death every day, and by this means, death fore-ſeen cannot poſſibly be ſudden; no, it is he onelyonly dyes ſuddenly, that dyes unpreparedly, Watch therefore, ſaith our Saviour, be ever in a readineſs: and finally, that this rich man may be your warning, you that tender your ſouls, learn that leſſen of our Saviour; Lay not up for your ſelves treaſure upon earth, where moth and ruſt doth corrupt, and where thieves break thorow and ſteal: but lay up for your ſelves treaſures in Heaven, where neither moth nor ruſt doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break thorow, nor ſteal: Mat. 6.19, 20.Mat. 6.19, 20. You will ſay, What treaſures are thoſe? I anſwer: Theſe treaſures are thoſe ſtocks of grace that will laſt for ever, it is that circumſpect walking, Epheſ. 5.15.Epheſ. 5.15. that fervency of ſpirit, Rom. 12.11.Rom 12.11. that zeal of good works, Tit. 2, 14.Tit. 2.14. that purity, which St. Iohn makes a property of every true hearted profeſſour, 1 Joh. 3.3.1 Joh. 3.3. In a word, it is the work, the life, the power of that prayer, that the reſt of our life hereafter may be pure and holy; theſe are heavenly hoords indeed, O that we would treaſure up ſuch proviſion againſt the day of calamity! If while it is called to day, we would make our peace with his heavenly Highneſs, by an humble continued exerciſe of repentance, if in this time of grace we would purchaſe Gods favour, and thoſe rareſt jewells of faith and a good conſcience, if now before we appear at the dreadfull Tribunall, we would make God and his Angels our friends in the Court of Heaven, O then how bleſſed would out deaths be to us? came it never ſo ſuddenly, ſtill ſhould death find us ready, and if ready, no matter how ſuddenly, yea though it were this] this night.
I have broke ope the writ, and you ſee when it muſt be ſerved this] night; but in this Quando there is both ſuddenneſs, and ſadneſs, it is not this day, but this night] Let this] end this dayes diſcourſe, and the next day we will lay open the nights dark ſadneſs: it is a diſmall time, and God give us grace ſo to provide, that we may be ready with oyle in our lamps, and enter with our Saviour into his bleſſed Kingdome.
Night.]
HE ſins all day, and dyes at night, and why at night? This you know is frequent, and there is reaſon, moſt are begot, and born, and therefore dye at night: but we muſt further then the liſts of nature, this night was more then ordinary, as being the fitteſt time to aggravate his griefe: weigh but the circumſtances.
Firſt, It was a night of darkneſs, and this may encreaſe the horrour of his judgment: think but what a fear ſeized on the Aegyptians,Wiſd. 17.5. when no power of the fire muſt give them light, nor might the clear flames of the ſtars lighten the horrible night that fell upon them. The Husband-men, the Shepherds, the work-men,Exod. 10.23. all were bound with one chain of darkneſs, No man ſaw another, neither roſe up from the place where he was for three days, Exod. 10.23. Was not this fearfull darkneſs? you may gueſſe it by the effects, they were troubled, and terrified, and ſwooned, as though their own ſouls ſhould betray them.Wiſd. 17.18, 19. Whether it were an hiſſing wind, or a ſweet noyſe of birds, among the ſpreading branches, or a pleaſing fall of waters running violently, or a terrible ſound of ſtones, or the running of skipping beaſts, or the noyſe of cruell beaſts, or the eccho that anſwereth again in the hollow mountains, theſe fearfull things made them to ſwoon for fear: And if thus the Egyptians, how was it with this Worldling? a darkneſſe ſeized on him that engendred a thouſand times more intolerable torments.Wiſd. 17.21. This was the image of that darkneſs which ſhould afterward receive him, and yet was he unto himſelf more grievous then the darkneſſe. It was not an outward, but an utter darkneſſe, not onelyonly to be not ſeen, but to be felt and feared. Imagine then what viſions, what ſounds, what ſights, what ſudden fires appeared unto him? Unhappy Worldling, look round about thee; although it be dark, here is ſomething to be ſeen: above is the angry Judge, beneath is the burning lake, before is gloomy darkneſſe, behind is infallibe death, on thy right and left hand a legion of evil angels, exſpecting every moment to receive the prey. Here is a ſight indeed, able to break the very heart-ſtrings of each ſeer. If ſome have loſt their wits, by means of ſome dreadfull ſight; yea, if the very ſuſpicion of Devils have cauſed many men to tremble, and the hairs of their heads to ſtand ſtaring upright; what then was the fear and terrour of this man, when ſo many dreadfull, horrible helliſh monſters ſtood round about him, now readie to receive him? O ye ſonnes of men, ſtand in aw and ſinne not, Pſal. 4.4.commune with your own heart, and in your chamber, and be ſtill: Will not this fear you from your ſinnes? Suppoſe then you lay on your beds of death, were the Judge in his throne, your ſouls at the Barre, ths accuſer at your elbows, and hell ready open to ſhut her mouth upon you: O then, how would you curſe your ſelves, and bewail your ſins? What horrible viſions would appear to you in the dark? horrible indeed? In ſo much (ſaith*Cyril. de vitae beati Hieron. ad fin. Epiſt. one) that were there no other puniſhment then the appearing of Devils, you would rather burn to aſhes, then endure their ſights. Good God, that any Chriſtian ſhould live in this danger, and yet never heed it till he ſees its terrour! How many have gone thus fearfully out of this miſerable world? I know not what you have ſeen, but there is very few which have not heard of many, too many, in this caſe: What were Judas thoughts, when he ſtrangled himſelf that his bowels guſhed out again? What were Cains viſions, when he ran like a vagabond roaring and crying,Gen. 4.14. Whoſoever findeth me ſhall ſlay me? What are all their affrights that cry when they are a dying, they ſee spirits and Devils flying about them, coming for them, roaring againſt them, as if an hell entred into them, before themſelves could enter it? I dare inſtance in no other but this wretched miſer: What a night was that to him, when on a ſudden a darkneſſe ſeized on him, that never after left him? Thus many go to bed, that never riſe again, till they be wakened by the fearfull ſound of the laſt Trumpet: and was not this a terrour? whoſe heart doth not quake? whoſe fleſh doth not tremble? whoſe ſenſes are not aſtoniſhed whileſt vve do but think on it? And then vvhat vvere the ſufferings of himſelf in his perſon? He might cry, and roar, and vvail, and vveep, yet there is none to help him; his heart-ſtrings break, the bleſſed Angels leave him, Devils ſtill exſpect him, and novv the Judge hath pronounced his ſentence, This night, in the dark, they muſt ſeiz upon him.
Yet this was not all the horrour, it was a night both of darkneſs and drowſineſs, or ſecurity in ſinne. He that reads the life of this man, may well wonder at the fearfull end of ſo fair beginnings: walk into his fields, and there his cattel proſper; come nearer to his houſe, and there his barns ſwell with corn; enter into his gates, and there every table ſtands richly furniſhed; ſtep yet into his chambers, and you may imagine doun-beds curtain'd with gold hangings: nay, yet come nearer, we will draw the curtains, and you ſhall view the perſon; he had toiled all day, and now ſee how ſecurely he takes his reſt, this night, he dreams golden dreams, of eaſe, of mirth, of paſtime, (as all our worldly pleaſures are but waking dreams) but ſtay a while and ſee the iſſue: juſt like a man who ſtarting out of ſleep, ſees his houſe on fire, his goods ranſacked, his family murthered, himſelf near loſt, and not one to pitie him, when the very thruſting in of an arm might deliver him: this, and no other, was the caſe of this dying miſer: at that night while his ſenſes were moſt drowſie, moſt ſecure, death comes in the dark, and arreſts him on his bed: Awake, rich Cormorant! what charms have lulled thee thus aſleep? Canſt thou ſlumber whileſt death breaks down this houſe thy bodie, to rob thee of that jewell thy ſoul? What a deep, dull, drowſie, dead ſleep is this? O fool! this night is thy ſoul aſſaulted, ſee death approaching, Devils hovering, Gods juſtice threatning, canſt thou yet ſleep? and are thine eyes yet heavie? Behold, the hour is at hand, and thy ſoul muſt be delivered into the hands of thine enemies: heavie eies! he ſleeps ſtill, his care all day had caſt him into ſo dead a ſleep this night, that nothing can warn him untill death awake him, That thief is moſt dangerous that comes at night, ſuch a thief is death, a thief that ſteals men, Latro hominis.which then is moſt buſie whileſt we are moſt drowſie, moſt ſecure in ſinne; Heark the ſluggard that lulls himſelf in his ſinnes, Yet a little more ſleep, a little more ſlumber, is not his deſtruction ſudden, and poverty coming on him like an armed man? Prov. 6.11.Prov. 6.11. Watch (ſaith our Saviour) for you know not when the maſter of the houſe cometh, at even, or at midnight, at the cock-crow, or in the morning, leſt coming ſuddenly he ſhould find you ſleeping Mark 13.35.Mark 13.35, 36. Was not this the wretchedneſſe of the fooliſh virgins? how ſweetly could they ſlumber? how ſoundly could they ſleep untill mid-night? they never wake, nor ſo much as dream to buy oyl for their lamps: imagine then how fearfull were thoſe ſummons to theſe ſouls, Behold the Bridegroom, go ye out to meet him. Matth. 25.26.Sudden fears of all others are moſt dangerous: was it not a fearfull waking to this rich man, when no ſooner that he opened his eyes, but he ſaw deaths uglineſſe afore his face? what a ſight was this? at his door enters the King of fear, accompanied with all his abhorred horrours, and ſtinging dread: on his curtains he may read his ſinns, arrayed and armed in their griſlieſt forms, and with their fierieſt ſtings; about his bed are the powers of darkneſſe, now preſenting to his view his damnable ſtate, his deplorable miſerie: what can he do that is thus beſet with ſuch a world of wofull work, and helliſh rage? his tongue faulters, his breath ſhortens, his throat rattles, he would not watch, and now cannot reſiſt; the crie is made, the mid-night come, God ſounds deſtruction, and thus runs the proclamation, This night ſo drowſie, thy ſoul muſt be taken from thee.
And yet more horrour; it was a night of drowſineſſe and ſadneſſe. How is he but ſad, when he ſees the night coming, and his laſt day decaying? Read but the copy of this rich mans Will, and ſee how he deals all he hath about him; he bequeaths his garments to the moth, his gold to ruſt, his body to the grave, his ſoul to hell, his goods and lands he knows not to whom, Whoſe ſhall theſe things be? Here is the man that made ſuch mirth all day, and now is he forced to leave all he hath this night. It is the fruit of merry lives to give ſad farwels. You that ſport your ſelves, and ſpoyl others; that rob God in his members, and treaſure up your own damnations, will not death make ſorrie hearts for your merry nights? a night wil come as ſad as ſadneſſe in her ſterneſt looks, and then what a lot will befall you? O that men are ſuch cruell Caitiffs to their own ſouls! Is this a life (think ye) fit for the ſervants of our God, revelling, ſwearing, drinking, railing? what other did this miſer? he would eat, and drink, and revell, and ſing, and then came fear as deſolation; and his deſtruction on a ſudden as a whirl-wind: If this be our life, how ſhould we eſcape his death? Alas for the ſilly mirth that now we pleaſure in! you may be ſure a night will come that muſt pay for all, and then ſhall your pleaſures vaniſh, your griefs begin, and your numberleſſe ſins (like ſo many envenomed ſtings) run into your damned ſouls, and pierce them through with everlaſting ſorrow: away with this fond,Prov. 14.13. fooliſh, ſottiſh vanitie, The end of mirth is heavineſſe ſaith Solomon, Prov. 14.13. What will the ſonnes and daughters of pleaſure do then? all thoſe ſweet delights ſhall be as ſcourges and Scorpions for your naked ſouls, Then (though too late) will you lamentably cry out,Wiſd. 5.8.9. What hath pride profited us? or what profit hath the pomp of riches brought us? all thoſe things are paſſed away as a ſhadow, or as a Poſte that paſſeth by: Look on this man as he lies on his bed of death, here is neither ſmile nor dimple, All the daughters of muſick are brought low. Eccles. 12.4.His voice is hoarſe, his lips pale, his cheeks wan, his noſtrills run out, his eyes ſink into his head, and all the parts and members of his body now loſe their office to aſſiſt him: Is this the merrie man that made ſuch paſtime? Sweet God! what a change is this?Eſa. 3.24. In ſtead of ſweet ſmell there is a ſtench, in ſtead of a girdle a rent, in ſtead of well-ſet hair baldneſs, in ſtead of beauty burning; in ſtead of mirth mourning and lamentation, weeping, and wailing, and gnaſhing of teeth. Muſt not ſadneſſe ſeize on that ſoul which incurs this doom? Here is a malefactour ſtands at bar, indited by the name of Fool, charged with the guilt of treaſon, condemned by the Judge of heaven, and this night (the ſaddest that ever he ſaw) is that fearfull execution, that his ſoul is taken.
And yet more horrour: It was a night of ſinne, and this doth encreaſe the ſorrow.Pſal. 116.13. How dear in the ſight of the Lord is the death of his Saints? and we may ſay on the contrary, How abominable in the ſight of the Lord is the death of the wicked? Was not this a grief to be took thus tripping in his wickedneſs? even now whileſt he was buſily plotting his eaſe and paſtime, death ſtands at his door, and over-hears all his plots and projects. It was a death to his ſoul to be took in his ſinne: hear how he roars and cries, O that I had lived ſo virtuouſly as I ſhould; had I embraced the often inſpirations of Gods bleſſed Spirit; had I followed his Laws, obeyed his Commands, attended to his will how ſweet and pleaſant would they now be unto me? We and alas that I had not fore-ſeen this day, what have I done, but for a little pleaſure, a fleeting vanity, loſt a Kingdome, purchaſed damnation? O beloved! what think ye of your ſelves, whileſt you hear this voice? you ſit here as ſenſeleſs of this judgement, as the ſeats, the pillars, the walls, the duſt nay, as the dead bodies themſelves on which you tread: but ſuppoſe (and it were a bleſſed meditation) you that are ſo freſh and frolick at this day, that ſpend it merrily, uſe it profanely ſwearing, revelling, ſinging, dancing; what if this night, while you are in your ſin, the hand of death ſhould arreſt you? Could I ſpeak with you on your death-beds, I am ſure I ſhould find you in another caſe: how? but ſorrowing, grieving, roaring, that your time were loſt; and theſe words not heeded, whiles the time well ſerved? how would you tear your hair, gnaſh your teeth, bite your nails, ſeek all means poſsibly to annihilate your ſelves? and can nothing warn you before death ſeize on you? take heed, if you go on in ſinne, the next ſtep is damnation. It was the Apoſtles advice,Rom. 13.11. Now it is high time to wake out of ſleep, for now is our ſalvation nearer, then when we believed, Rom. 13.11. If this wretched man had obſerved the preſent time, how happy had he been this hour of his departure? But as Officers take malefactours, drinking or drabbing; ſo is he neareſt danger, when deepeſt in the mire of pleaſure. Look at all thoſe that are gone before us, and which of them thought their end ſo near, while they lived ſo merrie? I muſt needs tell you, there is a fire, a worm, a ſting, a darkneſs, an hell provided for all wicked wretches, and there moſt certainly muſt you be this night, if you die this day in your naturall ſtate of ſinne. Lord! that men ſhould be ſo ſtrangely bewitched by the Prince of the air, as for the momentarie enjoyment of ſome glorious miſeries, bitter-ſweet pleaſures, heart-vexing riches, deſperately and wilfully to abandon God, and to caſt themſelves headlong into the jaws of Satan. Such a prodigious madneſſe ſeized on this Worldling, he ſings, he revels, he dallies,Plin. l. 7. c. 23. then dies. Thus greateſt euils ariſe out of greateſt joyes, as the ears vvith vehement ſounds, and the eyes vvith brighter objects, ſo many by felicity have loſt both their ſenſe and being. Gallus dies in the act of pleaſure,2 Sam. 4.7. Num. 11.33. Iſhboſheth dies in the middeſt of ſleep, the Iſraelites die in their day of luſt, this Worldling dies in that night of ſinne, even then on a ſudden his ſoul is taken.
And yet more horrour, it vvas a night of death, and this vvas the vvorſt of all: the darkneſs, drowſineſs, ſadneſs, ſin, all vvere nothing to this, all nothing in themſelves, if death had not follovved:Ariſtot. lib. 3. mor. cap. 6. this is that moſt terrible of all terribles, all fears, griefs, ſuſpicions, pains, as ſo many ſmall brooks, are ſvvallovved up, and drovvned in this Ocean of miſery. Novv rich man! vvhat ſaieſt thou to thy barns, buildings, riches, lands? Do theſe pleaſure thee in this thy extreme and dying agonie? Thou lieſt this night on thy departing bed, burthened vvith the heavie load of thy former treſpaſſes, the pangs come ſore and ſharp upon thee, thy breſt pants, thy pulſe beats ſhort, thy breath it ſelf ſmels of earth and rottenneſſe: vvhither vvilt thou go for a little eaſe or ſuccour? vvhat help canſt thou have in thy heaps of gold, or hoord of vvealth?Diſcip. de temp ſerm. 118. ex Hum. in tract. de ſeptuplici timore. ſhould vve bring them to thy bed, (as vve read of one dying, commanded that his golden veſſels and ſilver plate ſhould be ſet before him, which looking on, he promiſed to his ſoul, it ſhould have them all, on condition of his ſtay with him, but the remedie being ſilly, at laſt moſt deſperately he commends it to the Devil, ſeeing it would not ſtay in his body, and ſo gave up the ghoſt.) Alas, theſe trifling treaſures can no more deliver thee from the arreſt of that inexorable Serjeant, then can an handfull of duſt. Wretched men! vvhat ſhall be your thoughts, vvhen you come to this miſerable caſe? full ſad and heavie thoughts (Lord thou knovveſt): you may lie upon your beds, like vvild buls in a net, full of the furie of the Lord: In the morning thou ſhalt ſay, would God it were evening; and at even thou ſhalt ſay, would God it were morning: for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou ſhalt fear, and for the ſight of thine eyes which thou ſhalt ſee, Deut. 28.67.Deut. 28.67. Here is the terrour of that night of death, vvhen you may vviſh vvith all your hearts, that you had never been born; if the Lord once let looſe the cords of your conſcience, vvhat account vvill you make of crovvns, of poſſeſſions? all theſe will be ſo far from healing the wound, that they will turn rather into fiery Scorpions, for your further torments. Now, now, now is the diſmall time of death, what will you do? whither will you go? to whom will you pray? the Angels are offended, and they will not guard you; God is diſhonoured, and he will not hear you; onelyonly the Devil had your ſervice, and onelyonly hell muſt be your wages. Conſider this, ye that forget God, Pſal. 50.22.leſt ye be torn in pieces, and there be none to deliver you: It is cruel for your ſouls thus to ſuffer, to be torn, and torn in pieces, and ſo torn in pieces that none may deliver you. Better this Worldling had been a worm, a toad, an adder, any venomous creature, then ſo to live, and thus to have died; yet hither it is come, his ſickneſs is remedileſs, his riches comfortleſs, his torments eaſeleſs, ſtill he muſt ſuffer, and there is none to deliver, he is torn, torn in pieces, and none may deliver him. What need you more, now we are come to this period? his glaſſe is run, his Sunne is ſet, his day is finiſhed, and now this night, the verie night of Death, his ſoul is required, and received of him.
Lo here the diſmall, dreadfull, terrible time of this mans departure, it was in the night, a night of darkneſs, drowſineſs, ſadneſs ſinne, death, and deſtruction.
Ʋſe. 1 Who will not provide each day againſt this fearfull night? howſoever we paſſe away our time in ſinne, we muſt of neceſſitie, ere it be long, lie gaſping for breath upon our dying beds, there ſhall we grapple hand to hand with the utmoſt powers of death and darkneſſe: what ſhould we do then, but ſow our ſeed while the ſeed-time laſteth? we have yet a day, and how ſhort this day is, God onelyonly knows: be ſure the night cometh wherein none can work, Joh. 9.4.and then what a fearfull time will come upon us? I know there be ſome that dream of doing good in another world, or at leaſt will deferre it longer, till ſome time hereafter, ſuch vain hopes of future performances hath undone many a ſoul: I muſt work the work of him that ſent me, Joh. 9.4.while it is day, ſaith our Saviour. The way-faring man travels not in darkneſſe, but while the day ſhines on him, then he knows he is under the protection of the Laws, the light of the Sunne, the bleſſing of heaven;Joh. 11.9. Are there not twelve hours in the day? if any man walk in the day, he ſtumbleth not, becauſe he ſeeth the light of this world; but if a man walk in the night, he ſtumbleth, becauſe there is no light in him.] Do good then, and lay hold of every ſeaſon which may get you to heaven. Let the whole courſe of your life be a conſcionable preparative againſt death. Suppoſe every day your laſt, as if at night you ſhould be called to account before that high and great tribunall: in a word, whatſoever you think, or ſpeak, or do, ſay thus with your ſelf, Would I do thus and thus, if I knew this night to be my laſt? Who is it would ſinne, if he thought at that inſtant he muſt go to judgement?
Ʋſe. 2 But if we neglect the day, be ſure the night will come to our condemnation: where be thoſe wonders that ſo dazled our eies, while the day ſhone on them? Where is Abſaloms beautie, Jezabels paint, Sauls perſonage; nay, where is this wretched Worldling? he had a day to work out his own ſalvation, and that being loſt, at laſt came night, before he had gone two ſteps toward heaven.Joh. 12.35. O beloved! walk while yee have light, that ye may be children of the light. You may be ſure the meaneſt ſoul that hath the work of grace upon it, death is to him no night, but the day-break of eternall brightneſſe. This may make us in love with the ſincerity of religion, this may make us to labour, and never ceaſe labouring till we have gotten out of the ſtate of nature, into the ſtate of grace. O that I could ſay of every one of you, as Paul of the Epheſians, Ye were once darkneſs, but now are ye light in the Lord. Ye were once carnall, but now are ye ſpirituall: ye were once unregenerate,Epheſ. 5.8. but now are ye a firſt-fruits dedicated to God. If it were thus with you, then (to your comfort) upon your dying beds you ſhould meet with a glorious troop of bleſſed Angels, you ſhould feel the glorious preſence of the ſweeteſt comforter, you ſhould ſee the glorious light of Gods ſhining countenance, you ſhould have a night (if it were night) turn'd all into a mid-day. Now the Lord give you ſuch a day, whenſoever you dye, through Chriſt our Lord.
You have heard the time of Deaths arreſt,] This night.] Now for the party wee'll make a privy ſearch, and if we ſtir one word, we ſhall finde him at next doore, it is thy ſoul.]
Thy Soul.]
THe party under arreſt is the rich mans Soul,] no warranty could prevail, no riches ſatisfie, no ſtrength reſcue, death now demands it, and there's none can redeem it, therefore This night they will have his ſoul.]
Every man hath a jewell better worth then a world, Obſerv.and the loſs of this is ſo much more dear, by how much it is more precious. What profits it a man to gain a world, and to loſe his ſoul? (ſaid our Lord and Saviour) Mat. 16.26.Mat. 16.26. Nay, what are a thouſand worlds when the ſoul is valued? Give me leave to ope the cabinet, and you ſhall ſee the jewell that is arreſted; it is the Soul]
The Soul; what's that?Subſtantia creata, inviſibilis, incorporea, immortalis, Deo ſimilima, imaginem habens creatoris ſui. Aug. in lib. de definitione animae. Dicearchus. it is (ſaith Auſtin) a ſubſtance that is created, inviſible, incorporeall, immortall, moſt like to God, as bearing the image of its Creator. Pleaſe you that we illuſtrate this deſcription, and you ſhall ſee how every word ſhews forth ſome excellencies (as the glorious luſtres) of this glorious pearle the Soul.]
Firſt, if you ask what is the Soul, 'tis a ſubſtance.] How fond were the opinions of ſome Philoſophers? one would have it to be nothing, [vox, & praeterea nihil,] and how many of us are of this opinion? Doe not we live as if we had no ſouls at all? The epicure is for his belly, the ambitious for his body, but who is he that provides for his ſoul? Sure we imagine it to be nothing valuable, or how ſhould our eſtimation of it be ſo groſſe and vile, to prefer the body, to neglect the ſoul?] There were other Philoſophers vvent a pace yet further, and they gave it a being,Galen. but vvhat? no better then an accident, that might live or dye vvithout death of the ſubject; this they call foreign humorum, a certain temper compoſed of the elements, or nothing but the harmony of thoſe humours in the body. Is this the ſoul? then of all creatures are men (ſay vve),1 Cor. 15.19. of all men are we (ſaith the Apoſtle) moſt miſerable, moſt unhappy. Look at beaſts, and in this reſpect we and they are even as one condition, Eccleſ. 3.19.Eccleſ. 3.19. Eccleſ. 11.3. Mat. 27.51. Look at trees, and in their corruption you may ſee, the like conſtitution both of us and them. Look at ſtones, and by their diſſolution we may argue this temper of compoſition in them alſo: if then our ſoul were nothing but this foreign, not onelyonly men, but beaſts, and plants, and ſtones, and metalls have a ſoul: far be this from your thoughts, whoſe ſouls are prized to be of more worth then a world, there being nothing in the world that may give a recompence for our ſouls, Matth. 16.26.Mat. 16.26. Others have gone a little further,Antiqui Philoſophir. and they ſuppoſe it to be a ſubſtance: but how? onelyonly bodily, and not ſpirituall; ſuch groſſe conceits have many idolaters of the Deity, as if this our image were of Gods own ſubſtance, and this ſubſtance nothing elſe but a bodily being. A ſpirit (ſaith our Saviour) hath not fleſh and bones, Luk. 24.39.as you ſee me have. It is the body is the fleſh, but the ſoul is the ſpirit: the body you may ſee and handle, but the ſoul is not ſeen, not handled: as the Diſciples then did erre in ſuppoſing a ſpirit when they ſaw his body, no leſſe is their errour, in ſuppoſing a body where is onelyonly a ſpirit.Anima peſſima melior optimo corpore. Aug. de verb. Dom. Quid tibi cum carne? Bern. in meditat. Plurimi Patres The worſt ſoul is better then the beſt of bodies. O precious ſoul (ſaith Bernard) eſpouſed to thy God, indowed with his ſpirit, redeemed by his Son, what art thou to the fleſh, whoſe being is from heaven. Others again have paſſed this opinion, and they call it a form: but what? onelyonly materiall, not ſubſtantiall, and ſuch as are the ſouls of beaſts that dye with their bodies, as being deduced from the matter of ſome bodies pre-exiſtent. It is not ſo with the ſouls of men, which though for a while they are knit and united to this houſe of clay, yet may they be ſeparated from it, and ſubſiſt without it: this is that goodneſs of God, that as our ſouls are intellectuall, ſo their being is perpetuall,Dionyſ. c. 4. de divin. nom. aliquantulum à principio. 1 Cor. 4.7. not but that our ſouls might dye (ſeeing every thing that is of nothing may return into the ſame nothing whence it ſprung) but that God ſo ſuſtains them by his glorious goodneſs, that as he gave the firſt being, ſo he would continue that he gave. What have we, that we have not received? Or to ſpeake of the ſoul, what are we that God, and God onelyonly hath not beſtowed upon us? our parents begot our bodies, God onelyonly gave our ſouls: our bodies are buried again in the wombe of our common mother, but our ſouls return to God, as to their chiefeſt good. So immateriall is the ſoul, that neither will nor underſtanding depends on the dying organ. What then is the ſoul? a nothing, an accident, a body, a form onelyonly materiall: no, but on the contrary, an ens, a ſubſtance, a ſpirit, a form, a ſubſtantiall being of it ſelf ſubſiſting.
But wee'll aſcend a little higher, it is a ſubſtance created,] not traduced, (as ſome would have it.) I muſt confeſs the opinion was not a little ſtrong, that as our bodies, ſo our ſouls were both propagated from our parents. Tertullian, In epiſt. ad Marcellin.and the Fathers of the Weſt (as Ierome witneſſeth) were moſt on that ſide: the reaſon of this opinion was becauſe of originall ſin, which defileth the ſoul, as well as the body of each man ſprung from Adam, they could ſee no means how both were corrupted, except withall the ſoul were propagated. But are not our ſouls as the Angells? and therefore if our ſouls, then may the Angels beget one another; nay if this were true, what ſoul were generated, but another were corrupted: for the rule is infallible, There can be no generation without a tranſmutation, and ſo would every ſoul be ſubject to corruption. Concerning that objection of originall ſin (if the ſoul were not traduced from the loyns of Adam, Magis credi debet quam quaeri, & quaeri facilius quam intelligi, & melius intelligitur quam explicatur. Whitak. l. 1. de peccat origin. c. 8. Fallacia diviſionis.how then ſhould that ſin be imputed to our ſouls?) I muſt confeſs the queſtion is intricate, we ſhould rather believe it, then enquire of it, and we may better enquire of it then underſtand it, and yet more eaſily underſtand it, then expreſſe it. But ſo well as we can, we ſhall untie the knot. Firſt then, we ſay 'tis a fallacy to divide ſoul and body, for not the ſoul without the body, nor the body without the ſoul, but the whole man ſinn'd in Adam, as the whole man is begot of Adam; ſo ſoon therefore as the ſoul is conjoyn'd to the body, and of the ſoul and body is conſtituted whole man, that man being now made a member of Adam, is ſaid to ſin with him, and to derive that ſin from him. But for a further ſatisfaction, although the ſoul depend on God according to its ſubſtance, yet is it created in that body which is produced of the parents: thus in ſome ſort we may ſay that the ſoul is begotten, (non quoad eſſentiam, ſed quoad foreign,) God onelyonly gives the eſſence, but to exiſt comes from the parents.Ariſt. de anima 2. l. c. 1. What is the ſoul but a form of the body? and of what body, but of that which is organicall, as being apt for the ſoul? This aptneſs then whereby it is prepared for the form, being received from the parents, we may ſay of the ſoul, that thus it is generated, as not beginning to ſubſiſt before the body is prepared. This is true in ſome ſort, though not properly. Conſider then the excellency of mans ſoul, which is not born, but created,] and howſoever now it is beſpotted with ſin, yet was it then pure and undefiled, as the untouched virgin: how is it but pure, which the hands of God hath made? it was the devill that cauſed ſin, but all that God made was good, and very good, Gen. 1.31.Gen. 1.31. and ſuch a ſoul hath every man.Sedibus aethereis ſpiritus ille venit. It is created by God, infuſed by his Spirit, of nothing made ſomething, and what ſomething, but an excellent work, befitting ſuch an excellent workman?
And yet there be more ſtaires to aſcend: it is thirdly inviſible.] Hath any man ſeen God? or hath any man ſeen Gods image (which is the ſoul) and lived? Subſtances that are more pure are leſs viſible. We ſee but darkly through a glaſſe, nay, the beſt eye upon earth looks but through a lattice, a window, an obſcuring impediment, mortall eyes cannot behold immortall things; how then ſhould this corruptible ſight, ſee a ſpirituall ſoul? the object is too clear for our weak eyes, our eyes are but earthly, the ſoul of an heavenly nature. O divine being! not onelyonly heavenly, but heaven it ſelf: as God and man met both in Chriſt, ſo heaven and earth met both in man: would you ſee this earth? that is the body, Out of it wast thou taken, and into it muſt thou return, Gen. 4.19.Gen. 4.19. would you ſee this heaven? that is the ſoul, the God of heaven gave it, and to the God of heaven returns it, Eccleſ. 12.7.Eccleſ. 12.7. The body is but a lump, but the ſoul is that breath of life: of earth came the body, of God was the ſoul: thus earth and heaven met in the creation, and the man was made a living ſoul, Gen. 2.7.Gen. 2.7. the ſanctified ſoul is an heaven upon earth, Eſt coelum ſancta anima, habens ſolem intellectum, lunam fidem, aſtra virtutet. Bern ſuper Cantic.where the ſun is underſtanding, the moon is faith, and the ſtars gracious affections: what heaven is in that body, which lives and moves by ſuch a ſoul? yet ſo wonderfull is Gods mercy to mankinde, that as reaſon doth poſſeſſe the ſoul, ſo the ſoul muſt poſſeſſe this body. Here is that union of things viſible, and inviſible: as the light is ſpirituall, incorruptible, indiviſible, and ſo united to the air, that of theſe two is made one, without confuſion of either; in like manner is the ſoul united to this body, one together, diſtinguiſhed aſunder: onelyonly here's the difference, the light is moſt viſible, the ſoul is inviſible, ſhe is the breath of God, the beauty of man, the wonder of Angels, the envie of devils, that immortall ſplendor which never eye hath ſeen, never eye muſt ſee.
And yet we muſt up another ſtep, it is fourthly incorporeall.] as not ſeen with a mortall eye ſo neither clogg'd with a bodily ſhape: I ſay not but the ſoul hath a body for his organ, to which it is ſo knit and tyed, that they cannot be ſevered without much ſorrow or ſtrugling: yet is it not a body, but a ſpirit dwelling in it: the body is an houſe, and the ſoul the inhabitant: every one knows the houſe is not the inhabitant, and yet (O wonder!) there is no roome in the houſe where the inhabitant lives not: would you pleaſe to ſee the roomes? the eye is her window, the head is her tower, the heart is her cloſet, the mouth is her hall, the lungs her preſence chamber, the ſenſes her cinque-ports, the common-ſenſe her cuſtome-houſe, the phantaſie her mint, the memory her treaſury, the lips are her two leav'd doores, that ſhut and open, and all theſe, and all the reſt, (as the motions in a Watch,) are acted and mooved by this ſpring, the Soul. See here a compoſition without confuſion, the ſoul is in the body, yet it is not bodily: as in the greateſt world the earth is more ſolid, the water leſs, the ayr yet leſſer, the fire leaſt of all; ſo in this little world of man, the meaner parts are of groſſer ſubſtance, and the ſoul by how much more excellent, by ſo much more ſpirituall, and wholly with-drawn from all bodily being.
And yet a little higher, it is fiftly immortall.] It was the errour of many Fathers,Scaliger. notae in nov. Teſt. That bodies and ſouls muſt both die till doomeſ-day, and then the bodies being raiſed, the ſouls muſt be revived. Were that true, why then cryes Stephen, Lord Ieſu receive my ſpirit? or why ſhould Paul be diſſolved, that he might be with Chriſt? Act. 7.59. Philip. 1.23.Bleſſed men are but men, and therefore no wonder if ſubject to ſome errour. Others more abſolutely deny the ſouls immortality, We are born (ſay they) at all adventures, and we ſhall be hereafter, as though we had never been; (Why ſo?) for the breath is a ſmoke in our noſtrils, and the words as a ſpark raiſed out of our hearts, Wiſd. 2.2, 3.which being extinguiſhed, the body is turned into aſhes, and the ſpirit vaniſheth as ſoft ayre. What, is the ſoul a ſmoak? and the ſpirit no better then the ſoft vaniſhing ayre;Matth. 22.32. wretched men! Have you not read what is ſpoken of God, ſaying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Iſaac, and the God of Iacob? now God (ſaith Chriſt) is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Abraham, Iſaac, Iacob, they are not dead then in (the better part) their ſouls, but paſſed indeed from the valley of death, unto the land of the living. Whoſoever liveth and believeth in mee (ſaith our Saviour) ſhall never die, Iohn 11.26.John 11.26. Not die,] againſt ſome, never die] againſt others: what can we more? onelyonly live and believe in him that redeemed us, and be ſure his promiſes ſhall never fail us; our ſouls muſt live, live for ever. Sweet ſoul, bleſſed with the felicity of eternall life! here's a joy unſpeakable, that this ſoul now clogged with cares, vexations, griefs, paſſions, ſhall one day enjoy thoſe joyes immortall, not for a day, or two,Nullus erit defectus, nullus terminus. (though this were more then we can imagine) but through all eternity; There ſhall be no defect, nor end: after millions of ages the ſoul muſt ſtill live in her happineſs, it is not of a periſhing, but an everlaſting ſubſtance.
And yet the perfection of the ſoul goes higher; it is moſt like to God,] ſo far it tranſcends all earthly happineſs: I cannot ſay, but in ſome ſort all creatures have this likeneſs; every effect hath at leaſt ſome ſimilitude with its cauſe, but with a difference; ſome onelyonly have a being, as ſtones; others, being and life, as plants; but man above all hath a being, life, and reaſon, and therefore of all other the moſt like unto his Creatour.
Can we any more? yes, one ſtep higher, and we are at the top of Jacobs ladder: The ſoul is not onelyonly like God, but the image of God. I cannot denie, but there is ſome apparance of it in the outward man and therefore the bodie in ſome meaſure partakes of this image of the Deity, it was man, and whole man that was corrupted by ſin, and (by the law of contraries) it was man, and whole man, that was beautified with this image. Pleaſe you to look at the body, is it not a little world, wherein every thing that God made was good? as therefore all goodneſs comes from him, ſo was he the pattern of all goodneſs; that being in him perfectly, which onelyonly is in us partly. This is that Idaea, whereby God is ſaid to be the exemplar of the world: man then in his body being as the worlds map, what is he but that image, in which the builder of the world is manifeſt? but if you look at the parts of his body, how often are they attributed (though in a metaphor, yet in reſemblance) to his Maker? our eyes are the image of his wiſdome, our hands are the image of his power, our heart is the image of his knowledge, and our tongue the lively image of his revealed will: God therefore, before he made the body, ſaid, Let us make man in our own image: Gen. 1.26.and what was the meaning, but that ſoul and body ſhould both bear the image of his Majeſtie? Be aſtoniſhed then, ye men of the earth! If this duſt, this clay, this bodie of ours be ſo glorious, what think ye of the ſoul, whoſe ſubſtance, faculties, qualities, dignities, every way repreſents Gods omnipotent Eſſence? Look on this glaſs, and firſt for ſubſtance, is the ſoul inviſible? why ſo is God: No man hath ſeen him at any time, Joh. 1.18.John 1.18. Is the ſoul incorporeall? why ſo is God: We ought not to think him like unto gold, or ſilver, or ſtone graven with art, Acts 17.29.Acts 17.29. Is the ſoul immortall? why ſo is God: He is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, who onelyonly hath immortality, 1. Tim. 6.16.1. Tim. 6.16. Is the ſoul ſpirituall? why ſo is God: God is a ſpirit, and they that worſhip him, muſt worſhip him in ſpirit, John 4.24.John 4.24. Is the ſoul one eſſence? why ſo is God: There is one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all, Epheſ. 4.6.Epheſ. 4.6. See here the lively image of God in every ſoul of man. But there is another character imprinted in every faculty, ſo that not onelyonly the ſubſtance, but the powers of the ſoul bear this image in them: As there is one God and three perſons, ſo there is one ſoul and three faculties: the Father, Son, and holy Ghoſt are but one God; the Ʋnderstanding, Will, and Memory are but one ſoul: the Father is not the Son, nor the Son the holy Ghoſt; ſo the Ʋnderſtanding is not the Will, nor the Will the Memory: and yet the Father is God, the Son is God, and the holy Ghoſt is God; ſo the Ʋnderſtanding is the ſoul, the VVill is the ſoul, and the Memory is the ſoul. I dare not ſay, but there is ſome difference.Trinitatem in nobis videmus potius quàm credimus, Deum verò eſſe Trinitatem credimus potiùs quàm videmus. Aug. de Trin. l. 15. c. 6. Pſal. 45.13. Ecclus 17.6. This trinity in us we rather ſee it then believe it; but that Trinity of Perſons, we more believe it then ſee it: Howſoever then our ſoul is no proof of the Godhead, yet is it a true ſign of that image of God in the ſoul. Nay, yet (as if this ſtamp were of a deeper impreſſion) ſee the dowrie of Gods Spouſe, and who wonders not at the qualities & conditions with which the ſoul is arrayed? The Kings daughter is all glorious within, her clothing is of broydered gold. What ſay you to that heavenly knowledge inſpired into us? God that created man, filled him with knowledge of underſtanding, and ſhewed them good and evil, Ecclus 17.6. What ſay you to thoſe heavenly impreſsions that are ſtampt upon us?Epheſ. 4.24. ſuch are the new mans marks, which after God is created in righteouſneſſe and true holineſſe, Epheſ. 4.24. Theſe make the ſoul like God, and God loving to the ſoul; is it not clad with righteouſneſs, as with a garment? witneſſe the integrity of Adam, in that ſweet ſubjection, his ſoul to the Lord, his affections to the ſoul, his body to the affections, the whole man to God, as to the chiefeſt good: and as truth and mercy meet together, ſo righteouſneſſe and holineſſe kiſſe each other: this righteouſneſs to God is it that makes us righteous afore God, and this is that holineſs wherein we are created. O bleſſed image! how nearly doſt thou reſemble thy Creatour? he is the pattern of perfection, and we bear the image of that pattern. Be ye holy, for I am holy, 1. Pet. 1.15.1. Pet. 1.15. And yet again, as if this picture were of deeper die, how like is the ſoul to its Creatour in her full dominion over all the creatures?Cant. 6.3. Thou art bountifull, O my ſoul, as Tirzah, comely as Jeruſalem, terrible as an army with banners. What is it will not ſtoop to this Gods Vice-gerent? Beaſts, and birds, and ſerpents, and things of the ſea are tamed, and have been tamed of the nature of man, Jam. 3.7.Jam. 3.7. What a thing is this ſoul? ſhe can came the wild, command the proud, pull down the loftie, do what ſhe will, by compounding, comparing, contemplating, commanding. O excellent nature! that ſitteſt on earth, canſt reach to heaven, mayeſt dive to hell, nothing being able to reſiſt thy power, ſo long as thou art ſubject to that power of God.Pſal. 8.6. Is this the ſoul? Lo, what is man that thou art mindfull of him? thou haſt made him to have dominion in the works of thy hands, thou haſt put all things in ſubjection under his feet, Pſal. 8.6.
O my ſoul, my ſoul! what can we ſay of ſuch a creature? to ſumme up all, ſhe is in nature a ſubſtance, created by God, inviſible of men, incorporeall with Angels, immortall through grace, moſt like to God in a way of nearneſs, and bearing his image in the glorious ſtamp of her created likeneſs.
Is this the darling of our Lord? where then is the rich man that hath loſt this pearl? he that could tell his ſoul, Soul, Verſ. 19.thou haſt much goods laid up for many years, live at eaſe, eat, drink and take thy paſtime. Now on a ſudden his ſoul is taken, and whoſe ſhall thoſe things be which he hath provided? The loſs of all loſſes is the loſs of a ſoul, without which, had we never ſo much, we could truly enjoy nothing; what truſt then in your earthly treaſures? what ſtay in ſuch broken ſtaves of reed? one day you ſhall finde them moſt deceitfull, leaving your naked ſouls to the open rage of wind and weather, to the ſcourges and ſcorpions of guiltineſs and fear: Could you purchaſe a monopoly of all the world, had you the gold of the Weſt, the treaſures of the Eaſt, the ſpices of the South, the pearles of the North, all is nothing to (this incarnate Angell) this invaluable ſoul. O wretched worldling! what haſt thou done then to undoe thy ſoul? was it a wedge of gold, an heap of ſilver, an hoord of pearl, to which thou truſteſt? ſee, they are gone, and thy ſoul is required.] Alas, poor ſoul! whither muſt it go? to heaven? to its Creator? to God that gave it? no, there is another way for wandring ſinners; Go yee into everlaſting fire, Mat. 25.41.prepared for the Devill and his Angels: thither muſt it go with heavineſs of heart, into a kingdome of darkneſs, a lake of burning, a priſon of horrible confuſion of terrible tortures: O poor ſoul! what a miſery is this? darkneſs, burning, confuſion, torments, are theſe the welcomes of his ſoul to hell? what meant the rich man in his unhappy fore-caſt? he propounded to his ſoul a world of eaſe, of pleaſure, of paſtime; it proves far otherwiſe: this other world is a world of torments, which (like infinite rivers of Brimſtone) feed upon his ſoul without eaſe or end. What avails now his pompous pride at his dolefull funerals? the news is ſounded [hee is dead] friends muſt lament him, paſsing-peales ring for him, an hearſe-cloth wrap him, a tombe-ſtone lye over him, all muſt have mourning ſuites, and (may be) rejoycing hearts; but all this while his ſoul his going to judgment, without one friend, or the leaſt acquaintance to ſpeak in his cauſe: O that his ſoul were mortall, and body and ſoul to be buried both together in one grave! muſt his body die, and his ſoul live? in what world, or nation? in what place or region? it is another world, another nation, where Devils are companions, brimſtone the fire, horrour the language, and eternall death the ſouls eternall life; never to be cured,Bernard. in Medit. and never muſt be ended. O my ſoul (ſaith Bernard) what a terrible day ſhall that be, when thou ſhalt leave this Manſion, and enter into an unknown region? who will deliver thee from theſe ramping Lyons? who can defend thee from thoſe helliſh monſters? God is incenſed, hell prepared, juſtice threatned, onelyonly mercy muſt prevent, or the ſoul is damned. View this rich man on his deaths-bed, the pain ſhouts through his head, and at laſt comes to his heart, anon death appeares in his face, and ſuddenly falls on to arreſt his ſoul; Is it death? what is it he demands? can his goods ſatisfie? no, the world claims them: muſt his body goe? no, the worms claim that: what debt is this, which neither goods, nor body can diſcharge? [Habeas animam ejus coram nobis] Gods warrant bids fetch the ſoul: O miſerable news! the ſoul committed ſin, ſin morgaged it to death, death now demands it; and what if he gain the world, he muſt loſe his ſoul: This night [thy ſoul] ſhall be required of thee.
Ʋſe. 1 Animula vagula, blandula, ſaid the heathen Emperour; Pretty, Adrian.little, wandring ſoul, whither goeſt thou from me? wilt thou leave me alone, that cannot live without thee? O what conflicts ſuffers the poor ſoul, when this time is come, muſt the ſoul be gone? help friends, phyſick, pleaſure, riches, nay, take a world to reprive a ſoul; ſo different are the thoughts of men dying, from them living: now, are they for their pleaſure, or profit, the body, or the world; but then, nothing is eſteemed but the ſoul. what can we ſay? but if you mean your ſouls muſt be ſaved, O then let theſe precious, dear, everlaſting things breathed into your bodies for a ſhort abode, ſcorn to feed on earth, or any earthly things: it is matter of a more heavenly metall, treaſures of an higher temper, riches of a nobler nature, that muſt help your ſouls. Do you think that ever any glorified ſoul, that now looks God Almighty in the face, and tramples under foot the Sun and Moon, is ſo bewitcht as was Achan with a wedge of gold? no, it is onelyonly the Communion of Saints, the ſociety of Angels, the fruition of the Deity,Ioſh. 7.21. the depth of eternity, which can onelyonly feed and fill the ſoul. So live then, as that when you die, your ſouls may receive this bliſſe, and the Lord Ieſus our Saviour receive all your ſouls.
Ʋſe. 2 I muſt end, but gladly would I win a ſoul: If the reward be ſo great (as you know it) to recover a ſick body, Si magnae mercedis eſt a morte eripere carnem, quanti eſt meriti à morte liberare animam. Ambroſ. Offic. 1. Quid eſt quod velis habere malum? nihil omnino: Aug. in quod. ſerm.which for all that muſt die, of what reward is that cure to ſave a ſoul, which muſt ever, ever live? O ſweet Jeſu▪ why ſheddeſt thou the moſt precious and warmeſt bloud of thy heart, but onelyonly to ſave ſouls? thou waſt ſcourged, buffetted, judged, condemned, hanged; was all this for us? and ſhall we do nothing for our ſelves? What is it thou wouldeſt have bad, if thou couldeſt wiſh it good? not thy houſe, nor thy wife, nor thy children, nor thy good, nor thy cloaths, but no matter for thy ſoul; I beſeech you, value not you ſouls at a leſs price then your ſhooes; you can pleaſe the fleſh with delicates, which is naught but worms meat; but the ſoul pines for want, which is a creature inviſible, incorporeall, immortall, moſt like to God: are we thus carefull of pelf, and ſo careleſs of this pearl? certainly, I cannot chooſe but wonder, when ſeeing the ſtreets peopled with men that follow ſuits, run to Courts, attend and wait on their Councellors for this caſe, and that caſe, this houſe, or that land, that not one of theſe, no nor one of all us will ride, or run or creep, or go to have counſell for his ſoul: I muſt confeſs, I have ſometimes dwelt on this meditation: and (Beloved, let me ſpeak homely to you) be our Counſellors in this Town, every week ſolicited by their Clients? and have we no Clients in ſoul-caſes? not one that will come to us with their caſes of conſcience? ſure you are either careleſs of your ſouls, or belike you have no need of particular inſtructions: O let us not be ſo forward for the world, and ſo backward for the ſoul! yet I pray miſtake not; I invite you not for fees, as noble Terentius, when he had petitioned for the Chriſtians, and ſaw it torn in pieces before his face, gathered up the pieces, and ſaid, I have my reward; I have not ſued for gold, ſilver, honour, or pleaſure, but a Church: ſo ſay I, in middeſt of your neglect; I have not ſued for your good, or ſilver, for your houſes, or lands, but for your ſouls, your precious ſouls: and if I cannot, or ſhall not woe them to come to Chriſt, God raiſe up ſome child of the Bride-chamber which may do it better; if neither I, nor any other can prevail, O then fear that ſpeech of Elies ſons, they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, becauſe the Lord would ſlay them: 1 Sam. 2.25.
In ſuch a caſe, O that my head were full of water, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for your ſins! O that I could waſh your ſouls with my tears from that filth of ſin, wherewith they are beſmeared and defiled! O that for the ſalvation of your ſouls, I might be made a ſacrifie unto death! But the Lord be praiſed, for your ſouls and my ſoul Chriſt Jeſus hath died; and if now we but repent us of our ſins, and believe in our Saviour, if now we will but deny our ſelves, and take up his croſs and follow him; if now we will but turn unto him, that he may turn his loving countenance unto us, if now we will but become new creatures, and ever-hereafter walk in the holy path, the narrow way which leads unto heaven, why then may our ſouls be ſaved. This is that we had need to care for,Cur carnem adornas, & animam, non adornas. Hugo de clauſtro animae. not ſo much for the body, as for the ſouls good: to this purpoſe ſaith Hugo, Why cloath we the body in ſilks, which muſt rot in the grave, and adorn not the ſoul with faith and good works, which one day muſt appear before God and his Angels. O think of this day, this night, this hour of death, for then muſt your Souls be taken from you.
Thus far you ſee the rich mans arreſt: God injoyns it, death ſerves it, the time was this night, and the party is, his Soul.] God give us grace to provide our ſouls, that when death arreſts we may be ready, and then, O God, have thou mercy on our Souls.
Shall be required]
THe originall is foreign, They ſhall require it: wherein you have, the
Sergeants,
Arreſt.
The Sergeants, They,] and the arreſt it ſelf, They require] his ſoul.
Wee'll firſt take a view of the Sergeants.
They: who? not God, he knows not ſinners, what ſhould he do with a drunken, profane, covetous, ſenſuall ſoul, he that never ſo much as thought on God in this life, will God accept of the commending of his ſoul to him at his death? no, the Lord of heaven will none of it: he that forſook God, is juſtly forſaken of God: See the true weight of this balance, he would not receive Gods grace into his ſoul, and God will not receive his graceleſs ſoul into heaven. But who then? will the Angels take it? no, they have nothing to do with the ſoul of a dying ſinner, the Angels are onelyonly porters for the ſouls of the juſt: Poor Lazarus that could neither go, nor ſit, nor ſtand for ſores, it is he muſt be carried on the wings of Angels, but for this rich man, not the loweſt Angell will do him pooreſt ſervice. Who then? will the Saints receive it? no, they have no ſuch commiſſion to receive a ſoul: that blind opinion (which every one may bluſh at) that Saint Peter ſhould be heavens porter, and that none may go in, but to whom he will open: if it be true, why may not a Saint help a departing ſoul? Away with this dreaming folly! not Peter, nor Paul, nor all the Saints of heaven have any ſuch priviledg; if God will not hear us, what will our prayers do to Saints? Heaven is too far off, they cannot hear, or were it nearer they will not, cannot help: it is God muſt ſave us, or we periſh ever. Who then are the Sergeants? not God, nor Saints, nor Angels: no, there is another crew, Death and Devils ſtand in a readineſs, and they are the parties that arreſt this priſoner.
Stay, what would death have? the ſoul cannot die, and for the body, no matter who receives it. O yes! there is a death of the ſoul, as well as of the body: I mean not ſuch a death whereby it may be annihilated, but a ſecond death that ſhall ever accompany it: this is a death of the ſoul, that will always keep it in deaths pangs. But not to ſpeak of this death, there is another death temperall, that ſhall ſever the ſoul and body each from other: theſe two twins that have lived together ſince their firſt eſpouſall, theſe two lovely ones that were made, and met, and married by the hands of God theſe two made one, till death them depart, and make them two again, now is their rufull time of divorce: when death comes he gives over the body to the grave, and arreſts the ſoul, to appear in preſence before Gods high Tribunall. Such a Bayliffe hath now laid hands on this rich mans ſoul, when he leaſt thought on't, death comes on a ſudden, and arreſts his perſon. O wretched worldling! who is this behinde thee? call we this Gods Sergeant? What grim, ugly, monſtrous viſage is this we ſee? have ever any of you ſeen the griſly picture of death before you? how was it but with hollow eyes, open skull, grinning teeth, naked ribs, a few bones knit together with dry ſtrings, as preſenting to your eyes the moſt deformed image of a man in moldes? But what's that in his hands? an hour-glaſs, and a dart: the one expreſſing the decreaſings of our life, and the other deaths ſtroke, that he gives us in our death. Such emblemes are moſt fit to expreſs mortality: and imagine ſuch a thing to arreſt this rich man, would it not terrifie him, whileſt looking back, death ſuddenly claps him on his ſhoulder, away he muſt with this meſſenger, all the gold and pearl of Eaſt and Weſt cannot ſtay him one hour: now rich man, what avails all thy worldly pleaſure? Hadſt thou in thy hands the reigns of all earthly kingdomes, wert thou exalted as the Eagle, Obad. 1.4.and thy neſt ſet among the ſtarrs, yet all this, and whatſoever elſe thou canſt imagine, is not worth a button: where did that man dwell, or of what cloth was his garment, that was ever comforted by his goods, or greatneſs, in this laſt and ſoreſt conflict? See worldling, death requires thy ſoul, no bribe will be taken, no entreatie will prevail, no riches reſcue, nothing at all redeem, death, death is impartiall.
But (O horrour!) death is not all, ſee yet more Sergeants, Devils, and Dragons are about thy bed, and theſe are they that will hurrie away thy ſoul to hell. How? Devils; O worldling ſtay thy ſoul, and never yield it! better to die a thouſand deaths, then to leave it in their hands; but alas, thou canſt not chooſe, thy laſt hour is come, and here is neither hope, nor help, nor place of any longer terrying. See but the miſery of a miſerable ſoul! what ſhall it do? whither ſhall it fly from theſe damned Furies? would they take it, and teare it into nothing, it were ſomewhat tollerable: but to teare it in pieces, and never to make end of tearing, to give it torments without all patience or reſiſtance; this is that load which it cannot bear. and yet (O extremity!) it ever, ever muſt be born. Think on this, O my ſoul! and whileſt thou haſt a minutes ſtay in this body, call upon God to prevent this arreſt of Devils: was it not (think yee) a terrour to this rich man, when ſo many hell hounds waited for his ſoul? we read of one man, Hartmundus Schedel. in vit. Pap.who being took away with a Devill through the air, was ſaid ſo to roar and yell, that many miles diſtant his noiſe was heard, to many a mans trembling. And if a ſoul had but the organs of a ſound, what a ſhreek would it make, being ſeized on by a Devil? witneſs the cries of many deſperate ſouls, when as yet they are ſafe in their beds, how do they roar and rage? how do they call and cry, Help, help us, ſave us, deliver us from theſe fiends about us! theſe are thoſe evening wolves enraged with helliſh hunger, theſe are thoſe ramping Lyons ever ready to devour our ſouls, theſe are thoſe walkers up and down the earth, which are now come and entred into this rich mans lodging.Matth. 24.28. Whereſoever the dead carkaſſe is, thither (ſaith our Saviour) will the Eagles reſort: and whereſoever a damned ſoul is, thither with a lacrity will theſe ſpirits come: O how they fly and flutter round about him, what fires do they breathe to enkindle them on his ſoul? what clawes do they open, to receive her at the parting? and what aſtoniſhment is that poor ſoul in, that perceives theſe Sergeants even ready to claſp their in her burning armes? See (O Coſmopolite) what thy ſin hath cauſed! luſt hath tranſported thine eyes, blaſphemy thy tongue, pride thy foot, oppreſſion thy hand, covetouſneſs thy heart, and now Death and Devils, they are the Sergeants that require thy ſoul.
Ʋſe. Reflect theſe thoughts on your own ſouls, and conſider with your ſelves, what may be your caſes; it may be as yet thou ſtandeſt upright without any changes, hitherto thou haſt ſeen no days of ſorrow, but even waſhed thy ſteps with butter, and the rock hath poured thee out rivers of oyle. Deut. 32.13, 14.Alas! was not this the caſe of this wretched worldling? yet for all this, you ſee a night came that paid for all: and ſo may it be with thee; a day, an hour,Caſaub. Dies, hora, momentum, &c. a moment, is enough to overturn the things that ſeem to have been founded, and rooted in Adamant; who can tell whether this night, this ſtorm may fall upon thee? art thou not ſtrangely nailed and glued unto ſence? art thou not ſtupidly ſenceleſs in ſpirituall things, that for pelf, vanity, dung, nothing, wilt run headlong and willfully into eaſeleſſe, endleſſe, and remediles torments? Yet ſuch is thy doing, (if thou beeſt a worldling) to get riches to thy body, and let death and devils have thy ſoul. O beloved, conſider in time, and ſeeing you have ſuch a terrible example ſet before you, let this worldling be your warning.
We have done with the Sergeants, but what's their office? to beg? to ſue? No, but to force, to require, thy ſoul is required.
How? requried? is any ſo bold to approach his gates, and make a forcible entry? Yes, God hath his ſpeciall Bailiffs that will fear no colours, riches cannot ranſome, caſtles cannot keep, hollows cannot hide, hills nor their forts protect: Sits Herod on his Throne? there's a Writ of Remove, and the worms are his Bayliffs: is Dives at his Table? Death brings the Mittimus, and Devils are his Jaylours: ſits Lazarus at his gates? the King greets him well, (we may ſay) and Angels are his keepers: poor, rich, good, bad, all muſt be ſerved at the Kings ſuit, no place can priviledge, no power ſecure, no valour reſcue, no libertie exempt: with a non omittas propter aliquam libertatem, runs this Warrant:2. Sam. 22.5. O rich man? what wilt thou now do? The ſorrows of death compaſſe thee, and the flouds of Belial make thee afraid. What? no friends to help? no power to reſcue, is there no other way but yield and die for it? O miſerie! enough to break an heart of braſſe again: Imagine that a Prince a while poſſeſſed ſome royall City, where (if you walk the ſtreets) you may ſee peace flouriſhing, wealth abounding, pleaſure waiting, all his neighbours offering their ſervice, and promiſing to aſſiſt him in all his needs and affairs: if on a ſudden this city were beſieged by ſome deadly enemie, who coming (like a violent ſtream) takes one hold after another, one wall after another, one caſtle after another, and at laſt drives this Prince onelyonly to a little Tower, and there ſets on him; what fear, anguiſh, and miſery would this Prince be in? If he looks about, his holds are taken, his men are ſlain, his friends and neighbours now ſtand aloof off, and they begin to abandon him; were not this a wofull plight trow you? even ſo it fares with a poor ſoul at the hour of her departure: the body wherein ſhe reigned like a jolly Princeſſe, then droops and languiſhes; the keepers tremble, Eccleſ. 12.3.the ſtrong men bow, the grinders ceaſe, and they wax dark that look out at the windows▪ no wonder, if fear be in the way, when the arms the legs, the teeth, the eyes (as ſo many walls wherein the ſoul was invironed) are now ſurprized and beaten to the ground: her laſt refuge is the heart, and this is the little Tower whither at laſt ſhe is driven: But what, is ſhe there ſecure? no, but moſt fiercely aſſailed with a thouſand enemies, her deareſt friends (youth, and Phyſick, and other helps) which ſoothed her in proſperity do now abandon her, what will ſhe do? the enemy will grant no truce, will make no league, but night and day aſſayls the heart, which now (like a Turret ſtruck with thunder) begins all to ſhiver? here is the wofull ſtate of a wicked ſoul, God is her enemy, the Devil her foe, Angels hate her, the earth groans under her, hel gapes for her: the reaſon of all, ſin ſtruck the alarm, and death gives the battel: it is but this night (a minute longer) and then will the raging enemie enter on her. Death is no beggar to entreat, no ſuiter to wo, no petitioner to ask, no ſoliciter to crouch and crave a favour: ſhe runs raging, Quaque ruit furibunda ruitruling, charging, requiring: hark this rich mans arreſt, thy ſoul ſhall be required] It ſhall? yes, the word is peremptory; what? be required? yes, it comes with authority. Here's a fatall requiring, when the ſoul ſhall be forced by an unwilling neceſſitie, and devils by force hurrie her to her endleſs furie. Adieu poor ſoul! the Writ is ſerved, the Goal prepared, the judgement paſt, and Death (the Executioner) will delay no longer; This night thy ſoul ſhalt be required of thee.
Ʋſe. 1 But to whom ſpeak I? Think of it you miſerably covetous, that joyn houſe to houſe and call the lands after your own names: You may truſt in your wealth, and boaſt your ſelves in the multitude of your riches, but none of you call by any means redeem his brother, no nor himſelf, Pſal. 49.6.Pſal. 49.6.7. When Death comes, (I pray) what compoſition with the Lord of heaven? could ever any buy out his damnation with his coyn? howſoever you live, mirrily, deliciouſly, go richly, yet Death will at laſt knock at your doors, and (notwithſtanding all your wealth, honours, tears, and groans of your deareſt friends) will take you away as his priſoners, to his darkeſt dungeon. Your caſe is as with a man who lying faſt aſleep upon the edge of ſome ſteep high rock, dreams merrily of Crowns, Kingdoms, Poſſeſſions; but upon the ſudden, ſtarting for joy, he breaks his neck, and tumbles into the bottome of ſome violent ſea: Thus is your danger every hour, Sathan makes you a bed, lulls you aſleep, charms you into golden dreams, and you conceive you are wallowing in the Sea of all wordly happineſs; at laſt death comes (againſt which there is no reſiſtance) and then are you ſuddenly ſwallowed up of deſpair, and drowned in that pit of eternall death and perdition,
I have read of ſome, whom (in ſome ſort) we might parallel with this rich man concerning their fearful horrid departure out of this miſerable world: yea, I ſuppoſe the Books are ſo working, that any man whoſoever he is, that would but read them, and ponder them in a ſerious way, they would certainly work in him much matter of humiliation, and make him to flie ſin, as the very ſting of a ſcorpion.
William Rogers. The Young mans warning-piece, by Rob. Abbot.One of them I mean to ſpeak of was an Engliſhman: Abbot. that relates the ſtory, tells indeed of two in one year that died thus uncomfortably; the one ſo many wayes looking homewards, that he died miſerably rich: the other ſo laſhing outward that he died miſerably poor, both of different wayes of life, yet both of uncomfortable paſſages out of the world. The one coming to his deaths-bed, the Authour reports of him, that firſt the Devil preſented himſelf unto him to be his Phyſician, and after Chriſt appeared to him ſitting on the Throne, condemning his unprofitable life, and bidding him ſhift for himſelf, for he would have nothing to do with him: The other (of whom I mean to ſpeak) as if he would prevent Chriſt, condemned himſelf to hell for ever and ever: O (ſaid he) that I might burn along time in that fire, ſo I might not burn in hell. — I have had (ſaid he) a little pleaſure, and now I muſt go to the torments of hell for ever. Then praying to God (as he was preſſed by others) to forgive him his ſins, and to have mercy upon him, he would adde, but I know God will not do it, I muſt go to hell for evermore. Whatſoever came between whiles, this was the cloſe, I muſt be burned in Hel, I muſt to the furnace of Hel, millions and millions of ages. The Authour of this ſtory (who was Miniſter of the place where he lived) went to him, offered him the comforts of the Goſpel, opened to him the promiſes of the largeſt ſize, ſhewed him that God was delighted to ſave ſouls, and not to deſtroy them, and that his ſweet promiſes were without exception of time place, perſon, or ſinne, except that againſt the holy Ghoſt, which he aſſured him too, was not committed by him: and what was the iſſue? all this could not faſten on him, but ſtill he would anſwer, Alas, it is too late, I muſt be burned in hell. That man of God (the Shepheard of his ſoul) ſeeing his ſoul in this danger, came to him again and again, and at laſt ſecluding the company, he preſſes him with tears in his eyes, not to caſt away that ſoul for for which Chriſt died; he told him, that Chriſt rejected none that did not reject him: but for all this he could have no other anſwer, but that he had cast off Chriſt, and therefore muſt go to hell. The Miniſter replies, Yet pray with me (ſaith he) that Chriſt would come again, there is yet an hour in the day, and if Chriſt come, he can and will aſſiſt you, to do a great deal of work on a ſudden: no, he would not hear of that: former counſels and prayers might have done me good, ſaid he, but now it is too late.
O horrour, that ever any ſoul ſhould ſuffer theſe conflicts for ſinne! But what ſinnes were they? He was (ſaith the Authour) no Swearer, no VVhoormonger, no Thief, no ſcoffer at Religion, no perjured wretch, no wilfull lyar at all, onelyonly Drunkenneſſe and neglect of mens bodies (for he was an Apothecarie) neglect of Prayer, Gods Word, and his Sacraments, ſo awakt his trembling Conſcience, that he was forced to paſſe this fearfull doom upon his ſoul, I muſt be burned in the furnace of hell, millions of millions of ages: and at laſt (the Lord knows) in idleneſs of thoughts, and talk, he ended his miſerable-miſerable life.
The other I mean to ſpeak of was an Italian, A relation of the fearfull eſtate of Fr. Spira. 1548.under the Juriſdiction of Venice, called Francis Spira, who being exceſſively covetous of money, and for fear of the world having renounced the truth, which before he profeſſed, he thought at laſt he heard a direfull voice ſpeaking to him; Thou wicked wretch, thou haſt denied me, thou haſt broken thy vow; hence Apoſtate, and bear with thee the ſentence of thy eternall damnation: at this voice he trembling and quaking fell down in a ſwoon; and after recovering himſelf, he profeſſed that he was captivated under the revenging hand of the great God of heaven, and that he heard continually that fearfull ſentence of Chriſt, now paſt on his own ſoul: his friends to comfort him propounded many of Gods promiſes, recorded in Scripture; Oh but my ſinne (ſaid he) is greater then the mercy of God: nay, anſwered they, the mercy of God is above all ſinne; God would have all men to be ſaved: it is true (ſaid he) he would have all men that he hath elected to be ſaved; but he would not have Reprobates to be ſaved; and I am one of that number: after this roaring out in the bitterneſs of his ſpirit, he ſaid, It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Theſe troubles of mind brought him to a diſtemper of body, which the Phyſicians perceiving, they wiſht him to ſeek ſome ſpirituall comfort: thoſe comforters come, and obſerving the diſtemper to ariſe from the ſence and horrour of hell pains; they ask him, Whether he thought there were any worſe pains then what he endured? he ſaid, He knew there were farre worſe pains; yet do I deſire nothing more, ſaid he, then that I may come to that place, where I may be ſure to feel the worſt, and to be freed from fear of worſe to come.
As on this manner he was ſpeaking he obſerved (ſaith my Authour) divers flies that came about him, and ſome lighted on him; whereat, preſently remembring how Belzeebub ſignifies the God of Flies; Behold, ſaid he, now alſo Belzeebub comes to his Banquet, you ſhall ſhortly ſee my end, and in me an example to many of the juſtice and judgement of God. Then he began to reckon up what fearfull dreams and viſions he was continually troubled withall, That he ſaw the Devils come flocking into his chamber, and about his bed terrifying him with ſtrange noyſes; and that theſe were not fancies, but that he ſaw them as really as the ſtanders by: and that beſides theſe outward terrours, he felt continually a racking torture of his mind, and a continuall butchery of his conſcience, being the very proper pangs of the damned wights in hel.
But of all the reſt, moſt deſperate was that laſt ſpeech of his, when ſnatching a knife (as intending to miſchief himſelf, but ſtopped by his friends) he roared with indignation, I would I were above God, for I know he will have no mercy on me; and thus living a while, he appeared at length a very perfect anatomie, expreſſing to the view nothing but ſinews, and bones, vehemently raging for drink; ever pining, yet fearfull to live long; dreadfull of hel, yet coveting death; in a continuall torment, yet his own tormentour; conſuming himſelf with grief and horrour, impatience and deſpair, till at laſt he ended his miſerable-miſerable life.
And now (beloved) if ſuch be the departure of a ſinnfull ſoul, O who would live in ſinne to come to ſuch a departure! For my part, I dare not ſay theſe parties, thus miſerable in their own apprehenſions, are now among Devils in hell: I find the Authours themſelves to incline to the right hand; beſides, what am I, that I ſhould ſit in Gods Chair? onelyonly this I ſay, that their miſerable deaths may verie well give warning to us all; nor need you think much at me for uttering theſe (terribilia) terrible ſtories: for if ſometimes you did not hear of Gods judgements againſt ſinne; a day might come, that you would moſt of all crie out on the Preacher: To this purpoſe, we have a ſtory of a certain rich man, who lying on his death-bed, My ſoul (ſaid he) I bequeath to the Devil, who owns it; my wife to the Devil, who drew me to my ungodly life, and my Chaplain to the Devil who flattered me in it. I pray God I never hear of ſuch a Legacy from any of you: ſure I had better to tell you aforehand to prevent it, then not telling you to feel it. And let this be for my Apologie in relating theſe ſtories.
Ʋſe. 2 But for a ſecond Uſe, give me leave, I pray you, to ſeparate the precious from the vile. Now then to ſweeten the thoughts of all true penitents, the ſouls of Saints are not required, but received. Rejoyce then ye righteous that mourn in Sion; what though a while ye ſuffer? death is a Goal-delivery to your ſouls, not bringing in, but freeing out of thraldome. Here the good man finds ſharpeſt miſery, the evil man ſweeteſt felicity; therefore it is juſt, that there ſhould be a time of changing turnes; The rich mans Table ſtood full of delicates, Lazarus lacks crums, but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. Luke 16.25.Wo unto you that laugh, for you ſhall mourn, Luke 6.25.Luke 6.25. Bleſſed are you that mourn, for you ſhall rejoyce, Matth. 5.4.Matth. 5.4. Happy Lazarus! who from thy beggary and loathſome ſores wert carried by Angels into Abrahams boſome: happy Thief, who upon thy true repentance, and unfeigned prayer, wert received from the Croſſe to the Paradiſe of thy Saviour: happy are all they that ſuffer tribulation, Death ſhall loſe their ſouls from bonds and fetters, and in ſtead of a Bayliff to arreſt them, ſhall be a Porter to conduct them to the gates of heaven: There ſhalt thou tread on Serpents, trample on thine enemies, ſing ſweet Trophies: were not this enough? thy Conqueſts ſhall be crowned by the hands of Seraphims, triumphed with the ſound of Angels, warbled by the Quire of Spirits, confirmed by the King of Kings, and Lord of Hoſts. Happy Soul! that art not required by Devils, but received by Angels: and when we die, Lord Jeſus ſend thine Angels to receive our Souls.
You ſee now Deaths Arreſt, and what remains further, ſave to accept of ſome Bail? But what Bail, where you have the Kings Commandment from his own mouth? this requiring is not of any other, but himſelf; of no ſuretie, but of thee (ſaith God) muſt thy Soul be required.
Of thee]
ONce more (you ſee) I have brought this rich man on the ſtage, his doom is now at hand, and Death (Gods meſſenger) ſummons him to appear by Requiring of his ſoul] but of whom is it Required? had he any Sureties to put in? or was any Bail ſufficient to be taken for him? no, he muſt go himſelf, without all help or remedie, it was he that ſinned, and it is he muſt pay for it; Of thee] it is required.
How? of thee? Sure Death miſtakes; we can find thouſands more fit, none more fearfull; there ſtands a Saul, near him his armour-bearer; behold a Judas, ſuch will outface deaths fury; nay, rather then if fail in its office, they will not much queſtion to be their own Deaths-men: but this Of thee (who art at league with hell, in love with earth, at peace with all) is moſt terribly fearfull.
Stay Death! there ſtands a poor Lazarus at the gates, like Job on his dung-hil, his eyes blind, his ears deaf, his feet lame, his bodie ſtruck with Boyls,Job 7.15. and his Soul chooſing rather to be ſtrangled and die, then to be in his bones: were not this a fit object for deaths crueltie? would he ſpare the rich, he ſhould be welcome to the poor: but Death is inexorable, he muſt not live, nor ſhall the Beggar beg his own death for another: Of thee] it is required.
But (Death!) yet ſtay thy hand, here's a better ſurety; what needs death a preſſe, when he may have volunteers? there ſtands an old man as ready for the grave, as the grave for him; his face is furrowed, his hairs hoary, his back bowing, his hammes bending, and therefore no ſong is fitter then old Simeons, Luke 2.29.Lord now letteſt thou thy ſervant depart in peace: Youth is loath, but Age is merry to depart from miſery; let Death then take him that ſtandeth neareſt deaths-door: No, the old muſt die, but the young may; he muſt die ſoon, yet be ſure thou ſhalt not live long, Of thee] it is required.
Cannot this ſerve? let death yet ſtay his hand, there ſtands a ſervant waiting at this rich mans beck, as if he would ſpend his own life to ſave his Maſters; he can make a Pageant of Cringes, act a whole ſpeech of flatteries, every part owes him ſervice, feet to run, hands to work, head to crouch, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of a Miſtris, ſo the eyes of his ſervants look unto the hands of their Maſter: but where be theſe attendants when death comes? was ever any Maſter better then Chriſt? were ever any ſervants truer then his Apoſtles? yet ſee their fidelitie, muſt their Saviour die? one betrayes him another forſwears him all run from him, and leave him alone in midſt of all his enemies: what then is the truſt of ſervants? the rich man may command and go without, if death ſhould require them, they would not, or if they ſhould deſire death, hee will not; his arreſt concerns not the ſervants, it is for the Maſter himſelf he that command others, now death commands him: Of thee] it is required.
Will not all do? Let death but ſtay this once: there ſtands a friend, that will looſe his own, to ſave his life: Greater love then this hath no man (ſaith our Saviour) when any man beſtoweth his life for his friends, John 15.13.John 15.13. Riches may perhaps procure ſuch love, and get ſome friend to anſwer deaths quarrel which he ows this man: Jonathan loves David, David Abſolon; and ſure it was a love indeed, when Jonathan preſerves the life of David, and David wiſheth a death to himſelf in the ſtead of Abſolon: O my ſonne Abſolon, 2. Sam. 18.33.would God I had died for thee: O Abſolon, my ſonne, my ſonne. But where be any friends ſo reſpective of this Worldling? He wants a Ionathan, a David; upon a ſtrict enquirie we find no friend, no father, no ſonne, neither heirs nor aſſignes to whom he may beſtow his lands. But what if he had friends as near to himſelf as himſelf? no man can die or another:Pſal. 49.7, 8. or as the Pſalmiſt, No man may deliver his brother, nor make agreement unto God for him: for it coſt more to redeem their ſouls, ſo that he muſt let that alone for ever. Should the poor man beg, the old man pray, his ſervants kneel, his friends lie at deaths feet, and all theſe offer up all their lives for this rich mans recovery, all were but vain▪ it is thy Soul is arreſted, and it is thy ſelf that muſt yield it: Of thee] it is required.
You ſee there is no way but one with him: to conclude then, wee'l bid him his farewel (this is the laſt friendſhip we can do this rich man) and ſo wee'l leave him.
The hour is come, and the dawning of that dreadfull day appeareth; now he begins to wiſh that he had ſome ſpace, ſome piece of time to repent him; and if he might obtain it, O what would he do! or what would he not do? Releive the weak, viſit the ſick feed the hungry, lodge the ſtronger, cloath the naked, give half his goods to the poor, and if he had done any wrong reſtore it him again ſeven-fold; but alas! all is too late, the candle that but follows him cannot light him to heaven; a ſudden death denies his ſuit, and the increaſing of his ſickneſs will give him no leaſure to fulfill thoſe duties: what cold ſweats are thoſe that ſeiz upon him? his ſenſes fail, his ſpeech falters, his eyes ſink, his breaſt ſwels, his feet die, his heart faints ſuch are the outward pangs: what then are the inward griefs? if the body thus ſuffers, what cares and conflicts endures the ſoul? had he the riches of Croeſus, the Empires of Alexander, the robes of Solomon, the fare of that rich man who lived deliciouſly every day, what could they do in the extremity of theſe pangs. O rich man, thou couldſt tell us of pulling down barns, and building greater; but now imagine the vast cope of heaven thy Barn, (and that were large enough) and all the riches of the world thy grain (and that were crop enough) yet all theſe cannot buy a minute of eaſe, now that death will have thy body hell thy ſoul. O dark dungeon of impriſoned men! whoſe help wilt thou crave? whoſe aid wilt thou ask? what releaſe canſt thou exſpect from ſuch a priſon? the diſeaſe is paſt cure, the ſickneſs wants remedie: alas! what may recover now the heart ſtrings break aſunder? thy date exſpires, thy laſt breath goes, and now is thy Soul and Body required of thee.
I have hitherto with Nathan beat ſinfull David on a ſtrangers coat. You muſt give me leave to take off the mask, and ſhew you your own faces in this glaſs.
Believe thou (O man) who readeſt this, that ſhortly there will be two holes where thine eyes now ſtand, and then others may take up thy skull, and ſpeak of thee dead, as I have done to thee living: how ſoon I know not, but this I am ſure of, Thy time is appointed thy moneths are determined, Job 14.14. Job 14.5. Pſal. 90.12. John 11.9.thy dayes are numbred, thy very laſt hour is limited. And what follows, but that thy bodie lie cold at the root of the rocks, at the foot of the mountains? Go then to the graves of thoſe that are gone before us, and there ſee; are not their eyes waſted, their mouths corrupted, their bones ſcattered? where be thoſe ruddy lips, lovely cheeks, ſparkling eyes, comely noſe, hairy locks? are not all gone as a dream in the night, or as a ſhadow in the morning? alas! that we neglect theſe thoughts and ſet our minds wholly upon the world and its vanity! we are carefull, fearfull, and immoderately painfull to get tranſitorie riches, like children following Butter-flies; we run, and toyl, and perhaps miſſe our purpoſe: but if we catch them, what is it but a flie to beſmear our hands? Riches are but empty, and yet be they what they will be all at laſt will be nothing. Saladine that great Turk, after all his conqueſts, gets his ſhirt faſtened to his ſpear in manner of an Enſigne, this done, a Prieſt makes Proclamation,Knolls Turkiſh Hiſtory, pag. 73. This is all that Saladine carryes away with him, of all the riches he hath gotten. Shall a Turk ſay thus, and do Chriſtians forget their duties? Remember your ſelves, ye ſons of earth, of Adam; what is this earth you dote on? be ſure you ſhall have enough of it, when your mouths muſt be filled and crammed with it, and (as your ſouls deſire it, ſo) at that day ſhall your bodies turn to it. O that men are thus given to gaſping greedineſs! there is a generation, and they are too common amongſt us, that we may preach and preach (as they ſay) our hearts out, yet will not they ſtirre a foot further from the world, or an inch nearer unto God, but could we ſpeak with them on their death-bed, when their conſciences are awaked, then ſhould we hear them yell out thoſe complaints, What hath pride profited us? or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought us? Wiſd. 5.8.Aſſure your ſelves this day, or this night will come, and imagine (I pray) that the ten, twentie, thirty, fourty years, or moneths, or dayes, or hours, which you have yet to live, were at an end; were you at this preſent ſtretched on your beds, wearied with ſtruggling againſt your wearied pangs, were your friends weeping your Phyſicians parting, your children crying, your wives houling, and your ſelves lying mute and dumb in a moſt pitifull agony.
Beloved Chriſtian! (whoſoever thou art) ſtay a while (I pray thee) and practiſe this meditation: Suppoſe thou now feeledſt the cramp of death wreſting thy heart-ſtrings, and ready to make that rufull divorce betwixt thy body and thy ſoul; ſuppoſe thou lyeſt now panting for breath, ſwimming in a cold fatall ſweat; ſuppoſe thy words were fled, thy tongue ſtruck dumb, thy ſoul amazed, thy ſenſes frighted; ſuppoſe thy feet beginning even to die, thy knees to wax cold and ſtiff, thy noſtrils to run out, thine eyes to ſink into thy head, and all the parts of thy body to loſe their office to aſſiſt thee; upon this ſuppoſall lift up thy ſoul, and look about thee, (O I can tell thee, if thou liveſt and dieſt in ſinne) there would be no where any comfort, but a world of terrour and perplexity: look upwards, there ſhouldſt thou ſee the terrible ſword of Gods juſtice threatning; look downwards, there ſhouldſt thou ſee the grave in exſpectation ready gaping; look within thee, there ſhouldſt thou feel the worm of conſcience bitter gnawing; look without thee, there ſhouldſt thou ſee good and evill Angels on both ſides, waiting whether of them ſhould have the prey: now alas! (then wouldſt thou ſay) The ſoul to depart from the body were a thing intollerable, to continue ſtill therein were a thing impoſſible, and to deferre this departure any longer (ſuppoſing this hour thy laſt hour) no Phyſick could prevail it were a thing unavoydable: what then would thy poor ſoul do, thus invironed with ſo many ſtraights? O fond fools of Adams ſinne, that neglect the time till this terrible paſſage! how much wouldſt thou give (if thus it were) for an hours repentance? at what rate wouldſt thou value a dayes contrition? worlds are worthleſſe in reſpect of a little reſpite, a ſhort truce would ſeem more precious then the Treaſures of Empires, nothing would then be ſo much eſteemed as a trice of time, which before by moneths and years thou laviſhly miſ-ſpent, Think on thy ſinns, nay, thou couldſt not chooſe but think, Satan would write them on the curtains of thy bed, and thy agaſhed eyes would be forced to look upon them, there wouldſt thou ſee thouſands committed, not one confeſſed, or throughly repented, then too late thou wouldſt begin to wiſh, O had I lead a better life, and were it to begin again, O then how would I faſt and pray, how repent, how live! Certainly, certainly, if thou goeſt on in ſinne, thus would be thy departure, thy carkaſs lying cold among the ſtones of the pit, and thy ſoul, by the weight of ſinne, irrecoverably ſinking into the bottome of that bottomleſs burning lake.
Ʋſe 2 But to prevent this evil, take this uſe of advice for thy farwell: whileſt yet thy life laſteth, whileſt yet the Lord gives thee a gracious day of viſitation, ply, ply all thoſe bleſſed means of ſalvation, as prayer, and conference, and meditation, and Sermons, and Sacraments, and faſtings, and watchings, and patience, and faith, and a good conſcience; in a word, ſo live, that when this day or night of death comes, thou mayeſt then ſtand firm and ſure: as yet thou art in the way of a tranſitory life, as yet thou art not entred into the confines of Eternitie: if now therefore thou wilt walk in the holy path, if now thou wilt ſtand out againſt any ſin whatſoever, if now thou wilt take on thee the yoke of our Saviour Chriſt, if now thou wilt aſſociate thy ſelf to that ſect and brotherhood, that is every where ſpoken againſt; if now thou wilt direct thy words to the glorifying of God, and to give grace unto the hearers; if now thou wilt delight in the word, the wayes, the Saints, the ſervices of God; if now thou wilt never turn again unto folly, or to thy trade of ſin, though Satan ſet upon thee with his baits and allurements, to detain thee in his bondage, but by one darling delight,Pſal. 116.15. one minion-ſin, then I dare aſſure thee, dear, right dear would be thy death in the ſight of the Lord: with joy and triumph wouldſt thou paſſe through all the terrours of death, with ſinging and rejoycing would thy ſoul be received into thoſe ſacred manſions above. O happy ſoul, if this be thy caſe! O happy night or day, vvhenſoever the nevvs comes, that then muſt thy ſoul be taken from thee!
You may think it now high time, that we bid this far-wel-funerall Text adieu. then for concluſion let every word be thy warning. Leſt this] be thy time provide for this and everie time;1. Theſſ. 5.6. leſt the night] be dreadfull, Do not ſleep as do other, but watch and be ſober; leſt thy ſoul] ſhould ſuffer, deſire the ſufferings of thy God to ſatisfie, leſt death require] it of thee by foree, offer it up to God with a cheerfull devotion; and leſt this of thee] be fearfull, who haſt lived in ſin, correct theſe courſes, amend your wayes, and the bleſſing of God be with thee all thy life, at the hour of death, now, henceforth, and for ever.
AMEN.
FINIS.