The Fading of the Flesh and Flourishing of Faith, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Three Motives more. A Dying Hour, will he a Trying Hour: The miſery of the unprepared: The felicity of the prepared.
FOurthly,Fourthly, Doſt thou not know that thy Dying Hour will be a Trying hour? When Grapes come to the Preſs they come to the Proof. The Marriners skill is ſeen in a ſtorm. The Souldiers courage is known when he comes to the Combat, while he lyeth in Garriſon he may boaſt much, but then he fighteth onelyonly with his words, but in a Battel twil appear how he can handle his Sword; Many flouriſh with their colours when they know their enemies to be far enough off, woh change their countenances when they meet them in the field; In thy life time thou art walled in, and lyeſt warm, in the confluence of creature-comforts, no viſible Enemy appeareth againſt thee, but when this Champion ſheweth himſelf bidding thee defiance, and offering to fight with theef or thy ſoul, and Saviour, and Heaven, and happineſs, (at the ſight of whom the hearts of Kings and Captains have melted like greaſe before the Sun) then, then thou wilt perceive what mettle thou art made of? whither thou haſt the faith and ſpirit of a David, and canſt encounter him in the Lord, or no. Now thou art a Veſſel in the Harbour, and ſo art kept above Water, though ſeveral things are wanting, but when thou launcheſt into the Ocean, the boyſterous Waves, and tempeſtuous Winds will ſoon diſcover thy leaks and tell thee what is lacking.
Its like enough thou haſt ſome armour with which thou hopeſt to defend thy ſelf againſt the ſtroaks of death, but know for a truth that Death will ſtab thee through all thy Paper Shields of profeſſion, priviledges, and performances, ſince thou art a ſtranger to Chriſt and the power of godlineſs.
Thy life is like the letting down a Fiſhermans net; thy death as the drawing up of this Net, while the Net is down a man cannot tell certainly what he ſhall catch, for the Nets may break, & the Fiſh may eſcape; whilſt thou liveſt its not ſo evident what thine aim is, or what thine end ſhall be, but at thy Death, when the Net ſhall be drawn up, then thou wilt ſee what draught thou haſt made. Though godly men at their Deaths may look up to the Lord of life, and ſay, At thy word we have let down our Nets and caught abundantly; we fiſhed for holineſs, and have caught happineſs, fiſhed for grace, and have caught glory, and honour, and immortality, and eternal life; yet when the Net of thy life cometh to be drawn up, thou mayſt ſay with Peter, Lord I have fiſhed all Night (all my life time) and have caught nothing; I fiſhed for honours, and pleaſures, and riches, and I have caught nothing but the Weeds of wrath and damnation: I bleſſed my ſelf many a time, like the vain confident Husbandman, in the goodly ſhew which my Corn made on the ground; but now the threſhing time is come, I find nothing but Straw and Chaff, vanity and vexation.
It muſt needs be a trying hour upon this twofold account.
1. Becauſe all thy temporal mercies will then leave thee. When the hand of death ſhakes the tree of life, all thoſe fair bloſſoms will fall off. We brought nothing into the World, and it is certain that we ſhall carry nothing out of this World, 1 Tim. 6.7. The Hedghog gets to a pile of Apples, and gathers as many as ſhe can up upon her prickles, but when ſhe comes to her reſting place, her Hole, ſhe throweth them all down, and carryeth not one in with her. Thus men walk in a vain ſhadow, and diſquiet themſelves in vain, heaping up riches which die with them; naked they come into the World, and naked they go out of the World. Plutarch wiſely compareth great men to Counters, which one hour ſtand for thouſands, and the next hour for nothing. Hermocrates being unwilling that any man ſhould enjoy his eſtate after his death, made himſelf in his Will, his own heir. Athenaeus reports of a covetous Wretch, that on his Death-bed ſwallowed many peices of Gold, and ſowed up others in his coat, commanding that they ſhould be buried with him; but who doth not laugh at ſuch folly?
In that ſtorm of death all thy glory and riches which thou haſt taken ſuch pains, and wrought ſo hard for, muſt be thrown overboard. As the Great Sultan hath an officer to ſearch all perſons that come into his preſence, and take away all their Weapons; ſo the great God by his Meſſenger Death, will ſearch thee, and take away all thy wealth. In that day the Crowns of Princes, and Shackles of Priſoners, the Ruſſet of Beggers, and Scarlet of Courtiers, the Honours and Offices of the Higheſt, the Meat and Drink, and Sleep, and Mirth of the Loweſt, muſt be laid by.
As it was ſaid of Sarah, It ceaſed to be with her after the former manner, ſo the time will come, that it may be ſaid of thee; It ceaſeth to be with him after the former manner. Now thou canſt reliſh thy food, and delight in thy friends, raviſh thine Ears with melodious ſounds, and thine eyes with curious ſights, rejoyce in things of naught, and be Titled with vanity and nothing, but when Death comes, twill ceaſe to be with thee after the former manner. Now thou pleaſeſt thy ſelf in thy lovely Relations, and prideſt thy ſelf in thy ſtately poſſeſſions, theſe weak props preſerve thy ſpirit from ſinking at preſent; but, Ah what will become of thee, when they ſhall all be taken away from thee, when thou ſhalt bid thy Wife, and Children, and Friends, Farewell for ever? and ſay to thy Houſe and Lands, and Credit, and Sports, and Paſtimes, Adieu to Eternity? or as dying Pope Adrian did; O my ſoul, the loving Companion of my body, thou art going into a ſolitary place, where thou ſhal never, never more take pleaſure. At the hour of Death thy moſt coſtly jewels, and moſt pleaſing delights will be as the Pearl in an Oyſter, not thy priviledge or perfections, but thy diſeaſe and deſtruction.
When thoſe carnal comforts are gone, thy ſpiritual comforts (if thou haſt any) will be known. When the hand which held thee up by the Chin, and kept thee above Water is taken away, thy own skil in ſwimming will be diſcovered. When the vertue of thoſe Cordials which ſupported thy ſpirits for a time is ſpent, twill appear whither Nature hath any ſtrength or no.
2. Becauſe thy ſpiritual enemies will then aſſail thee. Thoſe Adverſaries which before were hid, and lay lurking as it were under the Hedge, will then appear openly, and wound thee to the very heart.
Thy ſins will then aſſault thee. When the Priſoner appeareth before the Judge, then the Evidence is produced, and the Witneſſes which were never before thought of ſhew themſelves. When thou goeſt to ſtand before the Judge of the whole Earth, thy ſins will bear thee company. In the Night of Death thoſe frightful Ghoſts will Walk. Thy Luſts which are now Lyons Dormant, will then be Rampant. Thou mayſt ſay to Death, as the Woman to the Prophet. Art thou come to call my ſins to remembrance, and to ſlay my Son? Art thou come to call my ſins to remembrance, and to ſlay my ſoul?
While the Hedgehog walketh on the land ſhe ſeemeth not ſo uncomly, but when ſhe ſprawleth in the waters her deformity appeareth. Whilſt men walk up and down they uſually look in falſe glaſſes, and judge themſelves fair, becauſe ſome may be found who are more foul; but Death will pluck off their masks, preſent them with a true glaſs, in which all the ſpots, and dirt, and wrincles in the faces of their hearts and lives will be viſible. Men flatter them often, but Death never flattered any.
It is obſervable, that Haman the day that he died was called and named according to his deſert; the Adverſary and Enemy is this wicked Haman, Heſt. 7.6. Haman probably had many a Title given him before; Some had ſtiled him, Haman the Great, Haman the Magnificent, Haman the Prince, Haman the Vertuous, all before nick-named him; but when he comes to dye, tis Haman the Enemy, tis wicked Haman, then he is called by his proper name: Since he was born he never heard his right name till now, The Enemy and Adverſary is this wicked Haman. So it may be in thy life time, thou art ſtiled Great or Gracious, becauſe in place higher then others; but when Death comes thoſe gaudy colours will be waſht off, and thou ſhalt hear; Not the King of Heavens Favourite but his Fool; when thou art nigh thy execution (as he was) it will be not the Worſhipful, but the Wicked Haman.
Satan will then play hardeſt upon thee with his biggeſt g…ns; when his time is but little, his rage is greateſt. This is his hour, and the power of darkneſs. As the Turkiſh Emperour, when he hath blunted the edge of his Enemies weapons, and wearied their arms with thouſands of his ordinary Souldiers, then falls on with his Janizaries, the pride and power of his Kingdom: When thou through pain of body, and perplexity of mind, art leaſt able to reſiſt, then the Devil cometh with his fierceſt aſſaults. If on thy death-bed thou ſhouldſt think of turning to God, he hath a thouſand ways to turn thee off from ſuch thoughts. When there is but one battel for a Kingdom, what wounds and work? what fighting and ſtriving is there? When the Devil (who knoweth thee to be his own already) hath but a few hours to wait on thee, and then thou art his for ever, be aſſured he will watch by thy ſick bed night and day, and if all the power and policy of hell can prevent it, neither cordial ſhall benefit thy body, nor counſel thy ſoul.
Will not this be a trying hour to thee, when the cloath ſhall be drawn, and thy bodily comforts all taken off the Table? will not death ſearch thee to the quick, when thoſe Theives in their frightful vizards, all thy ſins in that Night will break in upon thee? As the Elders of Samaria ſaid of Jehu, when he ſent to them to prepare and provide to fight with him; Two Kings ſtood not before him, and how ſhall we? Adam and Angels could not ſtand before ſin (it laid them both low) and how wilt thou? Beleive it, thoſe that have been Lions in peace, have carried themſelves like Harts in this War. Brutus whoſe blood ſeemed as warm, and to riſe to as great a degree of courage as any, ſince the Roman Conſuls, yet when Furius came to cut his Throat, he cryed out like a Child. Heathen, who ſaw nothing almoſt in Death, ſave rottenneſs and corruption accompanying the body, who lookt no farther then the Grave, have eſteemed Death the King of Terrors; The Terrible of Terribles, and have been frighted into a Feavor upon the ſight of its forerunner. But Death is not half ſo terrible to a moral Heathen, as twill be to thee, O wicked Chriſtian; thou knoweſt that thy Deaths-day is thy Dooms-day; that the Ax of Death will cut the down as fuel for the unquenchable fire; that as ſoon as thou art carried from the Earth, thou art caſt into Hell. Thou preſumeſt that thou ſhalt behave thy ſelf like a man, in the onſet with this Enemy; but I dare be the Prophet to foretel, that thy courage will be leſs then a Womans in the iſſue, for man, man doſt thou not know, as Pilate ſaid to Chriſt, that Death hath power to kill thee, as well as to releaſe thee, it can ſend thy body to the grave, and thy ſoul to the place of endleſs miſery and deſperation.
Fifthly, The miſery of the unprepared.Fifthly, Doſt thou not know the miſery of every carnal man at death. In thy life time thou doeſt the Devils work, and when Death cometh he will pay thee thy wages; ſin at preſent is a Bee with honey in its mouth, but then the ſting in its Tail will appear and be felt; now thou haſt thy ſavoury Meat and ſugered draughts, but then cometh the reckoning. Some tell us that ſweet meats though pleaſant to the taſte, are very heavy in the ſtomach. Sure I am the ſweet morſels of ſin, which now thou feedeſt ſo merrily on, will then lye heavier then Lead on thy heart, and be more bitter then Gall and Wormwood; Thou mayſt ſee now and then in this World through the floodgates, ſome drops of wrath leaking in upon thy ſoul, but when Death cometh, the Flood-gates will be all puld up, and then, O then what a torrent of wrath will come pouring down upon thee. Here thou ſippeſt of the Cup of the Lords fury, but then thou ſhalt drink the dregs thereof. The pains which thou ſuffereſt here, are onelyonly an earneſt penny of thy eternal puniſhment. It was a cruel mercy which Tamberlane ſhewed to three hundred Lepers in killing them to rid them out of their miſery; but Death will be altogether mercileſs and cruel to thee, for it onelyonly freeth thee from the Goal, to carry thee to the Gallows; twil deliver thee from Whips, but ſcourge the with Scorpions; its little finger will be infinitely heavier then the loyns of this miſerable life. When God ſaith to Death concerning thee, as Judas to the Jews concerning Chriſt, take him and lead him away ſafely; who can tell the mockings, buffetings, piercings, ſcourgings, the curſed, painful, and ſhameful, eternal death which will enſue?
Suppoſe for thy ſouls ſake, in earneſt (as Turannius did in jeſt,Componi ſe in lecto & velut examinem, a circum ſtante familia plaugi juſſit, Senec. de Brevit, vitae cap. ult. who would needs be laid in his bed as one who had breathed out his laſt, and cauſed his whole family to bewayl his death) that thou wert aſcending up to thy Chamber (whence thou ſhouldſt never come down, till carried on mens Shoulders) betaking thy ſelf to thy dying bed. Thou lookeſt on thy body and beholdeſt deaths Harbinger, Sickneſs, preparing his way before him. O how thy colour comes and goes, at the ſight of this Ax which the hand of death hath laid at the root of thy tree of life. Like the Locuſt, thou art ready before hand to dye at the ſight of this Polypus. Now thou art laid down on that bed whence thou ſhalt never riſe more. Thy next work is to ſeek for ſome ſhelter againſt this approaching ſtorm, thou lookeſt upward and ſeeſt that God full of fury, whom thou didſt many a time dare to his very face, and reſolved ſince thou wouldſt live without his counſels, thou ſhalt dye without his comforts; thou lookeſt downward and ſeeſt Satan who formerly was thy flatterer and ſeeming friend, now thy tormentor and deſperate Foe, waiting like the Jaylor to drag thee to his own Den; Thou lookeſt inward, and conſcience preſents thee with a black Catalogue of thy bloody crimes, and in the name of God (whoſe Officer it is) arreſteth thee for them, and chargeth thee to anſwer them at his dreadful Tribunal, to which thou art even now going; Thou lookeſt without thee among thy Friends and Relations, and earthly comforts, and ſeekeſt the living among the dead (as the Angel ſaid to the Woman) living comforts amongſt dead creatures; but alas tis not there, thy Wife, and Children, and Neighbours may weep with thee, but cannot eaſe thee of one tear; they may give thee occaſion to call to mind thy ſins, but not abate the leaſt of thy ſorrows. Miſerable comforts are they all, Phyſitians of no value. I have read of one in Holland, that being condemned for killing her Baſtard, when the Meſſenger was dragging her away to Execution, looks pitifully on her Father (a Perſon of quality then preſent) and caſts a doleful eye on her Mother; Will ye not help me? Where are your bowels? Can ye find in your hearts to let your own Child be thus cruelly dealt with; But alas they might not, they could not help her. Such truely is thy caſe, thou lookeſt on thy right and left hand, on thy Father or Mother, or Husband, or Houſe or Land, and doſt as it were call for help, but alaſs they cannot give thee any comfort in this groaning Hour, in this thy dreadful conflict; they may be about thy body, as Ravens about a carkaſs, to devour it, to get ſomething from thee, but they cannot defend it.
Well now the Screech-owl of Death, which all this while clawd about thy Windows, is entered thy Chamber, flyeth towards thy bed ſide, the Meſſenger by this time is come to thee, and ſheweth thee the Warrant for thy ſpeedy and immediate execution. Now, Now is the beginning of thy ſorrows. Live thou canſt not, and dye thou dareſt not; fain wouldſt thou be rid of thy pain, but fearful leaſt thou ſhouldſt go to a worſe place; Thou diſlikeſt thy dirty naſty dungeon, but doſt not like to exchange it for a Gibbet. Thou chooſeſt to ſtay, but Death will not be denyed, thou muſt go. Thou ſayſt, thou art not at leiſure, thou haſt ſuch worldly affairs of concernment to finiſh, thou art not prepared, thou haſt the buſineſs of thy ſoul, a work of infinite weight to begin, as they for their farms, ſo thou, I pray thee have me excuſed; thou begeſt on Week, one Day, nay one Hour, Death will not wait one moment; Death pulls thee (as Benaiah did Job) towards the place of thy eternal puniſhment; thy ſoul clings about thy body (as he about the Altar) and ſtill ſings loath to depart; Death (like Solomons Officer) renteth thee in peices by force, and ſlayeth thee there. Now thy ſoul ſtandſt quivering upon thy pale lips, ready to take its flight to its everlaſting home, thou ſeeſt Divels looking and longing, like ſo many ravening and roaring Lyons for thee their prey, thy paſt ſins trouble thee, O how thou curſeſt thy paſtimes and pleaſures, thy Companions and poſſeſſions which ſtole away thy time and affections, and hindred thy preparation for ſuch a dreadful hour, thy future fufferings terrifie thee! and Ah thinkeſt thou, Whither am I going? Where muſt my ſoul lodge this Night? In what place, with what perſons muſt I dwell for ever? Oh that I had provided for this before hand, how many a time did God wiſh me, Miniſters perſwade me, Chriſt beſeech me, and Conſcience warn me? but fool that I was, I rejected the intreaties of Chriſt, ſtifled the convictions of conſcience, ſcorned the counſels of men, ſet at nought the commands of God, trample on Sabbaths, and Sermons, and ſeaſons of grace, as things of no worth; and now my day is paſt, my ſoul is loſt, Heavens Gate is ſhut, and Wo and Alaſs its too late. The Bleſſed God (in whoſe favour is life) to whom I wicked wretch ſaid, Depart from me, hath now fixt my doom, to depart from him for ever. O what unconceivable evil is there in the loſs of ſo great a good, ten thouſand hells are included in my baniſhment from that Heaven. The frightful and cruel Divels, whom I defied in my words, but deified in my heart and works, whoſe luſt were my laws, and whoſe Wills were my warrant, ſhall be my Maſters Tyrants and Tormentors to all eternity. My own ſpirit (O that I could flee from my ſelf) is infinitely more greivous and painful, then ever Sword was to any fleſh; what Wolf in the Breaſt, what pangs of the Stone, what pain of the Teeth, what Cancer in the Bowels, ever cauſed the thouſandth part of that torture, which the Worm in my conſcience cauſeth! but it is as impoſſible for me to avoid it, as for the Wounded Deer to run from the Arrow that ſticks in his ſide. The fire burns me, yet conſumes me not, gives heat to ſcorch me, but no light to refreſh me. Here is blackneſs of darkneſs, yet I can ſee the heart cutting frowns of an angry God, and can ſee my ſelf to be infinitely miſerable. I enjoy a long night, but no reſt; I muſt always complain, but have no releif; here is crying without compaſſion; all pain without the leaſt pity; ſorrow without the ſmalleſt dram of ſolace, or the leaſt drop of ſuccour; If my miſery were ever to end, though after ſo many millions of Ages as all the men in the World could number, my heart would have ſome hope; but alas, alas, as it is intollerable, ſo it is unchangeable; as long as God is God, I muſt fry in theſe flames, all my tears ſhall not quench the leaſt ſpark of this fire, though I muſt weep for ever; all this fire will not dry up the leaſt tear, though it will burn for ever. O that I had never been, O that I might never be. What muſt I ever live, and yet never live! muſt I ever dye, and yet never dye! Conſider this all ye that paſs by, is there any ſorrow like unto our ſorrows wherewith the Lord afflicteth us in the day of his fierce wrath, for who can dwell in ſuch everlaſting burnings? and who can abide ſuch devouring flames? O that the Mountains would fall on us, and the Hills cover us, from the preſence of him that ſits upon the Throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, becauſe the day of his wrath is come and who can ſtand! O what a dreadful Sunſet of life will it be, which brings ſuch a diſmal Night of eternal death!
O Friend, think of this now, how wilt thou do to dye? If thou ſhouldſt leave this life, in the ſervice of thy luſts, thou art thus irrecoverably loſt. Thou art miſerable beyond all expreſſions, beyond all conceptions; If Job becauſe of ſome temporal calamity curſed the day wherein he was born, and the Meſſenger that brought tidings of his birth, and deſired to dye rather then to endure it, whom wilt thou curſe, or rather, whom wilt thou not curſe, when under the ſenſe of eternal miſery? ſurely thou wilt ſeek for death, but not find it, dig for it, but twill flee from thee. Though Judas could make himſelf away, out of the Hell he had on earth, yet he cannot out of the Hell he hath in Hell, When thou dieſt, thou art ſtated by God himſelf, and there is no appeal from this Judge, nor reverſing of his judgement. It is the obſervation of the School-men, that what befel the Angels when they ſinned, that befals every wicked man at Death; the Angels upon the firſt act of ſin, were preſently by God himſelf ſtated in an irrecoverable condition of miſery; ſo wicked men, upon the laſt act of their lives, are fixt as to their eternal woful eſtates; It is appointed for all men once to dye, and after Death the judgement.
Sixthly, The felicity of the prepared.Sixthly, Doſt thou know the felicity which upon thy death thou ſhouldſt enter into, if thou wert prepared for it. As the Good Houſe-wife looketh for Winter but feareth it not, being prepared for it with double cloathing; ſo thou mighteſt expect Death but not fear it, being prepared for it with Armour of proof. Syrens (ſome write) ſcreech horribly when they dye, but Swans ſing then moſt ſweetly. Though ſinners roar bitterly when they behold that Sea of ſcalding Lead in which they muſt Swim naked for ever, yet thou ſhouldſt like the Apoſtle deſire to depart, wiſh for that hour wherein thou ſhould loſe Anchor and ſail to Chriſt, Phil. 1.23. foreign, Solvere Anchorum, A Metaphor from a Ship at Anchor, importing a ſailing from this preſent life, to another Port, So the Syriack, Chryſoſtom, Beza, Eraſmus, and others take it.as the word ſignifieth; Thy dying day, would be thy Wedding day (as the Martyrs called theirs) wherein the faireſt of ten thouſand, and thy ſoul (now contracted) ſhould be ſolemnly eſpouſed together. As frightful a Lyon as Death is to others (that their ſouls are fain to be torn from their bodies) thou mighteſt like a weary Child call to be lay'd to bed, knowing that twil ſend thee to thine everlaſting happy reſt.Bene mori eſt libenter mori Seuec. Epiſt. 61. If it be an happy Death to dye willingly (as the Moraliſt affirmeth) thou ſhouldſt give up the Ghoſt, and be a Voluntier in that War. Nature teacheth that Death is the end of miſery; but grace would teach thee, that Death would be the beginning of thy felicity; it could not hurt thee. Death among Saints drives but a poor Trade, it may deſtroy the body, and when that is done, it hath done all its feats, like a fierce Maſtiff, whoſe Teeth are broken out, it may bark and tear thy tottered coat, but cannot bite to the bone. This Bee faſtened her ſting in Chriſts bleſſed body, and is ever ſince a drone to his Members. Though the wicked are gathered at Death (as the Rabbins ſenſe that place, Gather not my ſoul with ſinners, let me not dye their deaths, Pſa. 26.9.) as ſticks that lye on the ground for the fire, or as Grapes for the winepreſs of Gods fury, yet thou ſhouldſt be gathered (according to the Hebrew, Iſa. 57.2. as Women do cordial flowers, to candy and preſerve them.
Nay Death would exceedingly help thee. Plutarch ſaith, that ſtrong bodies can eat and concoct Serpents. Thou mayſt like Samſon fetch meat out of this Eater, and out of this ſtrong Lyon ſweetneſs. Death ever ſince it walked to Mount Calvary is turned (to beleivers) into the gate of life. Nihi non à diis im nortalibus vita erepta eſt, ſed mors donata eſt. Cicer. lib. 3. de Orat.An Heathen could ſay, Life is not taken away from me by the immortal Gods, but Death is given to me; meaning as an act of grace and favour. Much more may a Chriſtian eſteem Death (which puts an end to his trials and ſins and troubles) a priviledge rather then a puniſhment. Bleſſed are they that dye in the Lord, they reſt from their labours, Rev. 14.13.
When ſickneſs firſt gives thee notice that death is at hand, thou mighteſt make the ſervant welcome, for bringing thee the good news of his approaching Maſter. Thy heart may leap to think, that though thou art like Peter, now bound in the fetters of ſin, and Impriſoned amongſt ſinners, yet the Angel is coming, who will with one blow on thy ſide, cauſe thy ſhackles to fall off, open the Priſon Doors, and ſet thy ſoul into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God: When this Samuel is come to thy gate, thou needeſt not as the Elders of Bethlehem, tremble at his comming, for if thou askeſt the Queſtion, Comeſt thou Peaceably? He will Anſwer, Yea, Peaceably I am come to offer thee up a ſacrifice of a ſweet ſmelling ſavour, acceptable to God in Jeſus Chriſt; the pale face of death would pleaſe thee better then the greateſt beauty on Earth. When thou lyeſt on thy dying bed, and Phyſitians had given over thy body, Chriſt would viſit and give thy ſoul ſuch a Cordial, that thou mighteſt walk in the valley of the ſhadow of Death and fear none ill; How willingly mayſt thou part with the militant Members of Chriſt for the Triumphant Saints? How chearfully mayſt thou leave thy neareſt Relations, for thy deareſt Father, and Elder Brother? how comfortably mayſt thou take thy leave of all the riches, honours, and pleaſures of this life, knowing that though Death cometh to others with a Voider to take away all their fleſhly comforts, and carnal contentments, nay all their hopes and Happineſs and Heaven, and hereby when they break at death, they are quite bankrupts for ever, yet it is to thee onelyonly a ſervant to remove the firſt courſe, of more groſs fare, of which thou haſt had thy fill, and to make way for the ſecond, which conſiſteth of all ſorts of dainties and delicates?
When thy ſoul was ready to bid thy body good night, till the morning of the reſurrection, thou mightſt joyfully commit thy body to the grave, as a bed of ſpices, and ſhouldſt ſee glorious Angels waiting on thy ſoul, and carrying it as Eliah in a Triumphant Chariot into Heavens bleſſed Court. There thou ſhouldſt be ſaluted by the noble Hoſt, and celeſtial quire of Saints and Angels, welcomed by the Holy Jeſus, and gracious God, in the fruition of whom thou ſhouldſt be perfectly happy for ever and ever. If there were ſo much joy in Heaven at thy repentance, when thou wert but ſet into the way, what joy will there be, when through ſo many hazards and hard-ſhips thou art come to thy journeys end? Thus friend, wert thou but prepared, Death would be to thee a change, from a priſon to a Pallace, from ſorrows to ſolace, from pain to pleaſure, from heavineſs to happineſs. Thy Winding-ſheet would wipe off all tears from thine eyes, all thy ſins and ſorrows ſhould be buried in thy Grave, and the Veſſel of thy ſoul, which in this life is weaterbeaten, toſt up and down with the boyſterous billows of temptations, and the high winds of the Worlds wrath, and the Devils rage, would there arrive at a bleſſed and everlaſting harbour. Death would ſound a retreat, and call thee out of the field, where the Bullets flye thick and threefold in thy Combate with the fleſh, world, and wicked one, to receive a crown of life. Hence that ancient cuſtome of placing a Laurel Crown at the head of the dead mans Coffin, in token of Victory and Triumph.