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<DATE>2008-04-14</DATE>
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<NAME>Elspeth Healey</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
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<P><HI>DEATH</HI>'S ALARUM: OR, <HI>SEC&V;RITY</HI>'S WARNING-PIECE.</P>
<P>A Sermon preached in S. <HI>Dionis Back-Church,</HI> at the Funerall of M^r^s. <HI>Mary Smith</HI> (Daughter of Mr. <HI>I&s;aac Colfe,</HI> formerly Mini&s;ter of Gods Word at <HI>Chadwell</HI> in <HI>E&s;&s;ex,</HI> and late Wife of Mr. <HI>Richard Smith</HI> of <HI>London,</HI> Draper) who dyed the 9^t^h. day of <HI>Novemb.</HI> 1653. and was buried the 16^t^h. of the &s;ame MONETH.</P>
<P>By NATH: HARDY, Mr. of Arts, and Preacher to that PARISH.</P>
<Q><BIBL>Revelat. 16. 15.</BIBL>
Behold I come as a Thief, Ble&s;&s;ed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, le&s;t be walk naked, and they &s;ee his &s;hame.</Q>
<Q><BIBL>Greg. Mag. Hom. 13. in Evang.</BIBL>
Horam ultimam dominus no&s;ter idcirco voluit nobis e&s;&s;e incognitam, ut &s;emper po&s;sit e&s;&s;e &s;u&s;pecta, ut dum illam praevidere non po&s;&s;umus, ad illam &s;inc intermi&s;sione prae|paremur.</Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>J. G.</HI> for <HI>Nath: Web,</HI> and <HI>Will: Grantham</HI> at the &s;ign of the Bear in S. <HI>Paul</HI>'s Church-yard neere the little North Doore. 1654.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="errata">
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<HEAD>ERRATA.</HEAD>
<P>PAge 7. line 22. read <HI>from,</HI> p. 8. l. 14. blot out the fig. 5. l. 25. for <HI>foremar|ning</HI> r. <HI>forearming,</HI> in marg. bl. out <HI>e&s;t.</HI> p. 12. l. 30. for <HI>&s;oules</HI> r. <HI>skulls,</HI> p. 14. l. 2. for <HI>&s;o</HI> r. <HI>to,</HI> l. 14. for <GAP DESC="foreign"> r. <GAP DESC="foreign">, p. 15. l. 16. after <HI>readine&s;s</HI> adde <HI>con&s;i&s;teth,</HI> p. 24. l. 11. before <HI>&s;en&s;e</HI> r. <HI>high,</HI> l. 12. blot out <HI>high.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
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<HEAD>To the Reverend Mr. <HI>Abraham Colfe,</HI> Mini&s;ter of <HI>Lewi&s;ham</HI> in <HI>Kent:</HI> After the <HI>numbring</HI> of <HI>many yeares</HI> on <HI>EARTH,</HI> yeares <HI>without number</HI> in <HI>HEAVEN.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Worthy SIR,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P><HI>_UPon your</HI> fir&s;t <HI>motion of publi&s;hing this Ser|mon, I took it into a &s;erious</HI> review, <HI>and finding the</HI> notions <HI>very</HI> common, <HI>and the</HI> expre&s;&s;ions home-&s;pun, <HI>I adjudged it</HI> unworthy <HI>to</HI> &s;urvive (<HI>except in the</HI> me|mories <HI>of the</HI> Auditors) <HI>that</HI> houre <HI>wherein it was</HI> prea|ched: <HI>But being</HI> loath <HI>to deny your</HI> de&s;ire, <HI>I re&s;olved to deny my owne</HI> judgement, <HI>and withall, hoping it may prove</HI> u&s;efull (<HI>though not to</HI> informe <HI>the</HI> judgement, <HI>yet) to</HI> awaken <HI>the</HI> con&s;cience <HI>of the</HI> Reader, <HI>I am willing to</HI> hazard <HI>my owne</HI> reputation, <HI>if I may advance the</HI> edifi|cation <HI>of others.</HI></P>
<P><HI>That which</HI> (Reverend <HI>Sir) I conceive to be a &s;ubor|dinate</HI> end <HI>in your</HI> intention, <HI>is to testifie your abundant (yet de&s;erved)</HI> re&s;pects <HI>to your decea&s;ed</HI> Neece, <HI>in taking care that while&s;t her</HI> body rots <HI>her</HI> name <HI>might</HI> live; <HI>and &s;urely, &s;ince</HI> the memory of the ju&s;t is ble&s;&s;ed, <HI>an</HI> en|deavour<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 10&punc; 7.</NOTE> <HI>to</HI> perpetuate <HI>it is</HI> pious. Prai&s;e-worthy <HI>then is your</HI> regard <HI>of her</HI> memory, <HI>but much more</HI> commen|dable <HI>is that</HI> cour&s;e <HI>which you have taken for</HI> pre&s;erving
<PB REF="3">
<HI>your</HI> owne, <HI>by an eminent and la&s;ting</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">The building and endowing a free Gram|mer School by, and Writing-School in the Town of <HI>Le|wi&s;ham,</HI> toge|ther with an annuall Main|tenance for 7. Schollars to be &s;ent from thence to the Univer&s;ity.</NOTE> <HI>act of</HI> charity, for which the generations to come &s;hall call you ble&s;&s;ed.</P>
<P><HI>Indeed by this</HI> worthy work <HI>you have honoured the</HI> Pa|ri&s;h <HI>whereof you have been, and are a carefull</HI> watch|man; <HI>the</HI> Church of England, <HI>to which you have been an obedient</HI> Son; <HI>the</HI> Go&s;pel, <HI>of which you have beene a laborious</HI> Preacher; <HI>and</HI> Prote&s;tant Religion, <HI>of which (I tru&s;t) you are a &s;incere</HI> Profe&s;&s;or. <HI>And truly, both the</HI> pre&s;ent <HI>and</HI> future <HI>ages will be very</HI> ingratefull, <HI>if they &s;hall not highly</HI> honour <HI>&s;o munificent a</HI> Benefactor.</P>
<P><HI>However (I</HI> hope) <HI>you have</HI> &s;o learned Chri&s;t, <HI>as not to make</HI> mens applau&s;e <HI>the</HI> &s;cope <HI>at which you aime, or</HI> marke <HI>whereat you &s;hoot, well knowing that</HI> vaine-glory <HI>&s;ullyeth the</HI> &s;plendour, <HI>and evacatueth the</HI> reward <HI>of our</HI> be&s;t <HI>actions, turning Chri&s;tian</HI> charity <HI>into phari&s;aicall</HI> hypocri&s;ie.</P>
<P><HI>To</HI> Gods <HI>mercifull</HI> acceptation&punc; <HI>and gracious</HI> remu|neration <HI>(I doubt not,</HI> good <HI>Sir) but you</HI> commend <HI>your pious and charitable</HI> de&s;igne, <HI>who (though men &s;hould)</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Hebr. 6. 10.</NOTE> <HI>will not be</HI> unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love. <HI>To his powerfull</HI> protection <HI>and most wi&s;e</HI> di|rection, <HI>I</HI> commend <HI>both</HI> you <HI>and your endeavours, who will not</HI> for&s;ake <HI>you now you are</HI> aged, <HI>but</HI> pre&s;erve<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 4. 18.</NOTE> you to his heavenly Kingdome. To whom be glory for ever and ever.</P>
<CLOSER>AMEN.</CLOSER>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>I &s;ub&s;cribe my &s;elf (Sir) A cordiall honourer of your Vertues,
NATH: HARDY.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
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<DIV1 TYPE="sermon">
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<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>MATH: 24. 44.</BIBL>
<Q>Therefore be ye al&s;o ready, for in &s;uch an houre as you think not, the Sonne of Man cometh.</Q>
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<P>_THis <HI>Chapter</HI> is a <HI>Sermon,</HI> The <HI>Preacher</HI> whereof was no other than rhe <HI>Lord</HI> of Preachers and great <HI>Prophet</HI> of his <HI>Church:</HI> The <HI>Theame</HI> whereabout it is conver&s;ant is his <HI>coming,</HI> and that in a way of <HI>Judge|ment.</HI> And tho&s;e <HI>two</HI> genuine <HI>parts</HI> of a <HI>Sermon, Ex|plication</HI> and <HI>Application</HI> divide the <HI>Chapter:</HI> The <HI>former de&s;cribeth</HI> the &s;ignes and manner of his advent, from the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> ver&s;e to the 42. The <HI>latter pre&s;cribeth</HI> an expectation of, and preparation for it, from the 42. to the <HI>end.</HI> The <HI>Text</HI> I am now to handle lyeth within the compa&s;&s;e of the <HI>latter</HI> and mo&s;t practicall <HI>part</HI> of the <HI>Sermon:</HI> in which, (the <HI>de&s;igne</HI> of our <HI>ble&s;&s;ed Savi|our</HI> being to urge a <HI>watchfull readine&s;&s;e</HI> for <HI>his coming</HI>) he pur&s;ueth a double <HI>Metaphor</HI> (couching <HI>logicall</HI> rea|&s;ons under <HI>rhetoricall</HI> allu&s;ions) the <HI>one</HI> in the <HI>following</HI> ver&s;es, the <HI>other</HI> in the <HI>foregoing.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>&s;ub&s;equent</HI> &s;imilitude is borrowed from a <HI>&s;er|vants</HI>
<PB N="2" REF="4">
behaviour in reference to the <HI>coming</HI> of his <HI>Lord.</HI> No <HI>Topicks</HI> more prevailing, e&s;pecially with <HI>vulgar</HI> judgements, than tho&s;e which are drawne <HI>&agrave; commodo &amp;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Salu&s;t. Bell. Catilin.</NOTE> <HI>incommodo,</HI> from the <HI>danger</HI> or <HI>benefit,</HI> detriment or emolument that accrueth by the <HI>neglect</HI> or <HI>perfor|mance</HI> of that to which we per&s;wade, upon which ac|count it was that <HI>Catiline</HI> &s;aid to his <HI>Souldiers, Quem neque gloria neque pericula movent, nequicquam hortere,</HI> That man is unper&s;wadable who can neither be af|frighted nor allured: <HI>both</HI> the&s;e arguments <HI>Christ</HI> is here plea&s;ed to make u&s;e of, at once repre&s;enting the comfortable <HI>felicity</HI> of a <HI>vigilant,</HI> and the dolefull, nay di&s;mall <HI>mi&s;ery</HI> of a <HI>&s;ecure</HI> &s;ervant, when their <HI>Lord &s;hall come.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>precedent</HI> re&s;emblance is &s;eemingly very <HI>har&s;h,</HI> and yet really very <HI>fit,</HI> wherein you find mention made of an <HI>Hou&s;holder and a Thief,</HI> yea (which is the <HI>Riddle) Chri&s;t</HI> compared to the <HI>Thief,</HI> and his <HI>Di&s;ciples</HI> to the <HI>Hou&s;holders.</HI> That <HI>tho&s;e</HI> who are (mo&s;t ju&s;tly) after|wards called <HI>&s;ervants,</HI> &s;hould here be termed <HI>Hou&s;hol|ders,</HI> is &s;omewhat <HI>&s;trange,</HI> and yet this in &s;ome re&s;pect is very <HI>congruous;</HI> &s;ince every mans <HI>body</HI> is an <HI>hou&s;e</HI> wherein he dwelleth, his <HI>thoughts, words,</HI> and <HI>actions,</HI> are as his <HI>family,</HI> which he mu&s;t governe, and his <HI>&s;oule,</HI> more worth than a world, the <HI>trea&s;ure</HI> which he is to take care of.</P>
<P>But though <HI>this</HI> part of the compari&s;on may admit of a favourable con&s;truction, yet the <HI>other</HI> &s;eemes alto|gether incompatible. Methinks when I read <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> re|&s;embling him&s;elf to a <HI>Thief,</HI> I am ready to &s;ay, as once<NOTE PLACE="marg">Math. 16. 22.</NOTE> S. <HI>Peter</HI> in another ca&s;e, <HI>Be it far from thee, Lord, this</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 2. 6.</NOTE> <HI>&s;hall not be unto thee. Ble&s;&s;ed Je&s;us, thou thinkest it no</HI>
<PB N="3" REF="4">
<HI>robbery to be equall with God, and do&s;t thou here, as it were, equalize thy &s;elfe to a robber? thou calle&s;t thy &s;elf,</HI> and not without good rea&s;on, a little after this, <HI>Lord, and can the Lord of the hou&s;e become a Thief, the Owner a Robber? Thou did&s;t tax the Multitude for coming again&s;t thee as a Thief, and doe&s;t thou here &s;peake of thy &s;elfe</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 26. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">. 27. 38.</NOTE> <HI>as if thou wert a Thief? It was an high affront, when the Jewes numbred thee with Thieves, nay preferred a Thief before thee, and art thou &s;o injurious to thy &s;elf, as to cloath thy &s;elf under the appellation of a Thief?</HI> Ra|ther<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 3. 4.</NOTE> (to allude to S. <HI>Paul</HI>'s expre&s;&s;ion) <HI>Let Christ be true, and every Man a thief.</HI> Indeed, well may the <HI>thief</HI> lye at <HI>our doores;</HI> our <HI>fir&s;t</HI> Parents were <HI>robbers</HI> in eating the forbidden fruit, and wee, their <HI>unhappy Progeny,</HI> are no le&s;&s;e <HI>guilty,</HI> not onely in their loynes, but in our owne per&s;ons, by <HI>uncharitablene&s;&s;e,</HI> by <HI>&s;acri|ledge,</HI> by <HI>idlene&s;&s;e,</HI> and <HI>prophanene&s;&s;e:</HI> but as for the in|nocent <HI>Me&s;siah, what hath he done</HI> that may de&s;erve the title of a <HI>Thief?</HI></P>
<P>To all this the <HI>an&s;wer</HI> is <HI>ea&s;ie,</HI> if we con&s;ider that it is not a <HI>charge</HI> or accu&s;ation, but onely an <HI>allu&s;ion</HI> or compari&s;on. <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> doth not make him&s;elfe the <HI>&s;ame</HI> with, becau&s;e he <HI>likens</HI> him&s;elfe to a <HI>thief,</HI> nor indeed, is it <HI>him&s;elfe&punc;</HI> but rather his <HI>advent,</HI> which is here com|pared to the <HI>coming</HI> of a <HI>Thief.</HI></P>
<P>But it will &s;till be <HI>objected,</HI> how can this be <HI>verified?</HI> We el&s;ewhere finde <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> plainely <HI>oppo&s;ing his</HI> to a <HI>thiefe</HI>'s coming, <HI>The thief cometh not but to kill and</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">John 10. 10.</NOTE> <HI>&s;teale, and de&s;troy, but I come,</HI> &s;aith Chri&s;t, <HI>that they may have life.</HI> True, but that is &s;poken of his <HI>fir&s;t</HI> co|ming, which was in <HI>mercy.</HI> It may be replyed, this cannot be a&s;&s;erted of his <HI>coming</HI> in <HI>di&s;plea&s;ure,</HI> &s;ince
<PB N="4" REF="5">
the <HI>coming</HI> of a <HI>thief</HI> is to <HI>take</HI> from men their <HI>owne,</HI> to doe <HI>wrong,</HI> to <HI>injure</HI> the <HI>innocent;</HI> whereas the <HI>coming</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is, like that of a <HI>Iudge,</HI> to <HI>give</HI> every man his <HI>owne,</HI> to doe <HI>right,</HI> to <HI>puni&s;h</HI> the <HI>nocent;</HI> and the&s;e two are &s;o far from being <HI>like,</HI> that they are directly <HI>con|trary.</HI></P>
<P>To unfold this <HI>riddle,</HI> therefore, you mu&s;t know, that this <HI>expre&s;sion</HI> is <HI>parabolicall;</HI> and <HI>parables,</HI> like <HI>knives,</HI> cut onely in the <HI>edge,</HI> to wit, the <HI>&s;cope:</HI> now his <HI>aime</HI> in likening this <HI>advent</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">o that of a <HI>thief</HI> is one|ly to take in the con&s;ideration of the <HI>time.</HI> Excellent to this purpo&s;e is that of <HI>Simon de Ca&s;s<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a, Similitudo Chri|&s;ti</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ca&s;&s; l. 6. c. 28.</NOTE> <HI>ad furem non e&s;t per&s;onae ad per&s;onam, nec negotii ad negotium, &s;ed temporis ad tempus,</HI> The <HI>parallel</HI> here hol|deth not between <HI>per&s;on</HI> and <HI>per&s;on,</HI> or <HI>bu&s;ine&s;&s;e</HI> and <HI>bu&s;ine&s;&s;e,</HI> but betweene <HI>time</HI> and <HI>time;</HI> and therefore the <HI>Apo&s;tles, Paul</HI> and <HI>Peter,</HI> though (after <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 The&s;. 52. 2. Pet. 3. 10.</NOTE> example) they are <HI>bold</HI> to u&s;e this <HI>allu&s;ion,</HI> yet with an explicatory <HI>addition,</HI> where they &s;ay, <HI>The Lord cometh as a thief in the night;</HI> and thus it fitly <HI>agreeth,</HI> &s;ince as the coming of a <HI>thief</HI> in the <HI>night</HI> is <HI>unexpected,</HI> be|cau&s;e the <HI>good-man of the hou&s;e is then a&s;leep,</HI> &amp; thinketh not of it; &s;o is oft times, e&s;pecially to <HI>wicked</HI> men, the <HI>coming</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> and that this is the meaning of the <HI>Prota&s;is</HI> in the <HI>former,</HI> appeareth by the <HI>Apodo&s;is,</HI> or red|dition of the &s;imilitude in <HI>this</HI> ver&s;e which requireth our con&s;tant <HI>preparedne&s;&s;e,</HI> becau&s;e of his <HI>&s;odaine</HI> co|ming, <HI>Be you therefore ready, for in an houre,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>The <HI>words</HI> (if taken in their fulle&s;t <HI>latitude</HI>) pre&s;ent us with <HI>foure</HI> con&s;iderables: Here is,</P>
<P>1. <HI>An Advent &s;uppo&s;ed</HI> in the la&s;t word <HI>Come,</HI> and what <HI>coming</HI> of Chri&s;t is here <HI>intended</HI> would be a little
<PB N="5" REF="5">
<HI>enquired</HI> into: To <HI>cleare</HI> which we mu&s;t di&s;tingui&s;h of tho&s;e <HI>&s;everall</HI> comings which are attributed to him in <HI>Scripture,</HI> nor can they (in my weak capacity) be more clearly differenced, than by con&s;idering a <HI>&s;alvifi|call</HI> and a <HI>judiciall</HI> advent of Chri&s;t, and each of the&s;e as both <HI>vi&s;ible</HI> and <HI>invi&s;ible.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> coming to <HI>&s;ave</HI> is either in the <HI>fle&s;h,</HI> or in the <HI>&s;pirit;</HI> his <HI>fir&s;t</HI> coming into the <HI>world,</HI> and his <HI>daily</HI> coming into our <HI>hearts,</HI> are in their prime intention <HI>&s;alvfiicall;</HI> his <HI>vi&s;ible</HI> coming was to be the <HI>Sonne of Man,</HI> that in our nature he might purcha&s;e &s;alvation for us; his <HI>invi&s;ible</HI> is by his <HI>&s;pirit,</HI> to make us the <HI>Sonnes of God,</HI> and thereby apply this &s;alvation to us; but neither of the&s;e can be <HI>here</HI> meant, &s;ince his co|ming in the <HI>fle&s;h</HI> was already <HI>pa&s;t,</HI> whereas he &s;peaketh of a <HI>future</HI> advent; nor can <HI>wee</HI> make our &s;elves <HI>ready</HI> again&s;t his coming in the <HI>&s;pirit,</HI> but it is the coming of the <HI>&s;pirit</HI> which mu&s;t <HI>inable</HI> us to make our &s;elves <HI>ready.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Pa&s;&s;e</HI> we on therefore to his <HI>judiciall</HI> coming, which is either <HI>generall</HI> or <HI>&s;peciall, per&s;onall</HI> or <HI>virtuall,</HI> and &s;o <HI>vi&s;ible</HI> or <HI>invi&s;ible.</HI> There &s;hall be at the <HI>end</HI> of the world, a <HI>glorious</HI> coming of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> in <HI>per&s;on,</HI> to exe|cute a manife&s;t and righteous <HI>judgement</HI> upon all man|kinde, <HI>rewarding every man according to his works;</HI> in the meane time, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> cometh in his <HI>power</HI> by &s;econ|dary in&s;truments to every particular man, and &s;ome|times to whole <HI>nations:</HI> in which re&s;pect, when by plague, famine, and warre, <HI>Kingdomes</HI> are de&s;troyed, and when by ca&s;ualties, or &s;ickne&s;&s;e, <HI>per&s;ons</HI> are cut off, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is &s;aid <HI>judicially</HI> to <HI>come</HI> to them: Now all the&s;e, after a &s;ort, and in &s;ome &s;en&s;e, may be here un|der&s;tood,
<PB N="6" REF="6">
That <HI>coming</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> which is literally and mo&s;t properly meant, is, doubtle&s;&s;e, his <HI>coming</HI> by <HI>Titus Ve&s;pa&s;ian</HI> again&s;t <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> to overthrow it, and thereby bring <HI>vengeance</HI> on the <HI>Iewes,</HI> for their mo&s;t unju&s;t and ungratefull <HI>murther</HI> of him. But though this be the literall and primary &s;en&s;e, yet it will not (I conceive) be denyed by any, but that <HI>many</HI> of the things mentioned in this Chapter are, or at lea&s;t, may be <HI>applyed</HI> to that <HI>la&s;t</HI> coming of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> &s;ince we may look upon that <HI>destruction</HI> of <HI>Ieru&s;alem</HI> as an <HI>Emblem</HI> of the <HI>worlds judgement;</HI> and yet (to draw nearer this pre&s;ent <HI>occa&s;ion</HI>) the <HI>latter</HI> part of this <HI>chapter,</HI> and &s;o <HI>this ver&s;e</HI> may <HI>morally</HI> be <HI>accomodated</HI> to the <HI>particular</HI> coming of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> by <HI>death,</HI> to every per&s;on: in refe|rence to which, the <HI>coun&s;els</HI> here given are very pre|gnant and <HI>appo&s;ite.</HI></P>
<P>2. Next to the advent &s;uppo&s;ed, is ob&s;ervable, the <HI>per&s;on characteri&s;ed,</HI> by this appellation, the <HI>Son of Man,</HI> a <HI>title</HI> which our <HI>ble&s;&s;ed Saviour</HI> very often giveth to him &s;elfe, thereby &s;etting us a pattern of <HI>humility,</HI> in having low conceits, and u&s;ing mean expre&s;&s;ions con|cerning our &s;elves. But that which would here be con&s;idered, is upon what account he calleth him&s;elfe by &s;o <HI>mean</HI> a title, when he &s;peaketh of &s;o <HI>glorious</HI> a coming. If you ca&s;t your eyes on the 42. ver&s;e, you &s;hall there finde him u&s;ing the magnificent title of a <HI>Lord,</HI> a terme, as mo&s;t truly <HI>agreeing</HI> to <HI>him,</HI> &s;o be&s;t <HI>fitting</HI> his <HI>advent,</HI> wherein he manife&s;ted him&s;elfe as a <HI>Lord</HI> puni&s;hing his <HI>Rebels;</HI> but yet it is not without a rea&s;on, that having called him&s;elfe <HI>Lord,</HI> before, he &s;tileth him&s;elfe, the <HI>Sonne of Man;</HI> here, namely, to <HI>prevent</HI> the <HI>&s;candall</HI> which might be taken at the <HI>mean|ne&s;&s;e</HI>
<PB N="7" REF="6">
of his pre&s;ent condition: likely it is that the tenuity of his externall <HI>a&s;pect</HI> rendered his <HI>prediction contemptible. What need we regard the words, or feare the threats of this Carpenters Sonne?</HI> might the <HI>Iewes</HI> &s;ay, at lea&s;t within them&s;elves. To prevent which, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is plea&s;ed to call him &s;elfe the <HI>Son of Man,</HI> as if he would &s;ay, in <HI>an&s;wer</HI> to &s;uch an <HI>objection. However, I am a poore weak man, yet the day is at hand when I will come in might and power, to avenge my &s;elf upon my ene|mies.</HI></P>
<P>3. The third ob&s;ervable is the <HI>time</HI> of this per&s;ons ad|vent <HI>&s;pecified,</HI> and that to be both <HI>&s;peedy,</HI> and <HI>&s;odaine, in an houre when you think not; &s;peedy,</HI> becau&s;e <HI>in an houre,</HI> one of the <HI>&s;horte&s;t</HI> dimen&s;ions of time; it may be <HI>long</HI> before <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> come, but when he cometh he will not be <HI>long</HI> about it, and therefore he &s;aith, not in a <HI>yeare,</HI> or a <HI>moneth,</HI> or a <HI>day,</HI> but an <HI>houre;</HI> nor is it onely <HI>&s;peedy,</HI> but <HI>&s;odaine,</HI> becau&s;e <HI>in an houre men think not of,</HI> and by <HI>this,</HI> an addition is made to the pre|ceding <HI>expre&s;sion,</HI> in that parallel ver&s;e, there it is, <HI>you know not in what houre,</HI> and that lets us &s;ee how <HI>&s;ecret</HI> death is from, and therefore how <HI>uncertaine</HI> it is to <HI>all</HI> men; here it is <HI>in an houre you thinke not,</HI> which lets us &s;ee how <HI>&s;odaine,</HI> and therefore <HI>unexpected</HI> it is to <HI>many</HI> men.</P>
<P>4. The <HI>la&s;t</HI> particular (according to this <HI>Retrograde,</HI> yet Logicall order) con&s;iderable is, the <HI>inference de|duced,</HI> what conclu&s;ions mu&s;t be drawne from the&s;e premi&s;&s;es, what effect the&s;e con&s;iderations of the <HI>thing, per&s;on,</HI> and <HI>time,</HI> ought to work upon us, and that is in the&s;e words, <HI>be ye therefore ready, namely, to have all things fitted</HI> before <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> cometh, that we may
<PB N="8" REF="7">
have <HI>nothing</HI> to doe when he cometh, but to <HI>meet</HI> him.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cum inferre de be<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">et vi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ilare <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ontim &ograve; id omi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">it ne intolerabile quid praecipere videretur &s;ed e&s;tote parati, ad &s;ignificandum continuam vi|gilantiam e&s;&s;e paratam. Avendan: in <HI>Math.</HI> Quod &s;uperius dix<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">rat <GAP DESC="foreign"> illud jam expo|nit per <GAP DESC="foreign"> ille enim vere vigilat qui &s;emper paratus e&s;t. <HI>Gerard&punc; Contin.</HI></NOTE> That which he calleth for in the forementioned ver&s;e, is <HI>watching,</HI> that which he requireth here is <HI>readine&s;&s;e;</HI> two <HI>phra&s;es,</HI> one whereof explaines the other. On the one hand, le&s;t the command of <HI>watching</HI> alwayes might &s;eeme <HI>impo&s;sible, Chri&s;t</HI> &s;heweth, that the con|tinuall <HI>watching</HI> he expects, is onely &s;o farre as to put our &s;elves in a <HI>ready</HI> po&s;ture, that we may not have <HI>grace</HI> to <HI>get</HI> when we &s;hould <HI>&s;pend</HI> it. On the <HI>other,</HI> le&s;t we &s;hould think it <HI>enough</HI> to <HI>watch,</HI> that is, <HI>think</HI> of his coming; he calleth upon us not onely to <HI>watch,</HI> but to be <HI>ready,</HI> injoyning &s;uch an <HI>expectation</HI> of, as leads us to <HI>preparation</HI> for his <HI>coming.</HI></P>
<P>5. <HI>Time</HI> will not give me leave to <HI>in&s;i&s;t</HI> on <HI>each</HI> of the&s;e particulars, and therefore I &s;hall contract the <HI>foure</HI> to <HI>two,</HI> and dichotomizing the <HI>Text,</HI> here is ob|&s;ervable in it,</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>Praedictio eventus,</HI> A Prediction of &s;omething to come to pa&s;&s;e, <HI>In an houre you think not,</HI> &amp;c.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Prae&s;criptio operis,</HI> A Pre&s;cription of &s;omething to be done, <HI>Be you therefore ready:</HI> Or, if you will, here is</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>Praemonitio periculi,</HI> A Danger forewarned, <HI>In an houre you think not,</HI> &amp;c.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Admonitio officii,</HI> A Forewarning advi&s;ed, <HI>Be you therefore ready:</HI> Yet once more,</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>The <HI>two</HI> important <HI>truths</HI> of this <HI>Scripture,</HI> are,</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Inopinatus Chri&s;ti adventus,</HI> The &s;odainne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;ts coming, <HI>In an hour you think not,</HI> &amp;c.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Nece&s;&s;arius Chri&s;tiani apparatus,</HI> The nece&s;&s;ity of the Chri&s;tians preparing, <HI>Be you therefore ready.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P><PB N="9" REF="7">Between the&s;e <HI>two</HI> I &s;hall divide the following di|&s;cour&s;e, <HI>be&s;eeching</HI> this <HI>Son of man</HI> that he would <HI>in this houre,</HI> by his <HI>&s;pirit, come</HI> into our <HI>hearts,</HI> that every one of us may be <HI>&s;wift to heare,</HI> and <HI>ready</HI> to receive the&s;e divine <HI>Le&s;&s;ons:</HI> And &s;o I begin with the</P>
<P><HI>Sodaine&s;&s;e of Chri&s;ts coming, in an houre which you</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1^&s;^t. <HI>Gen.</HI></NOTE> <HI>think not the Sonne of Man will come:</HI> This is that <HI>truth</HI> which S. <HI>Paul</HI> excellently exemplifieth, <HI>When they</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 The&s;. 5. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>&s;hall &s;ay peace and &s;afety, then &s;odaine destruction cometh upon them, as Travell upon a Woman with Childe; when men &s;ay peace and &s;afety,</HI> they little dreame of <HI>warre</HI> and ruine, <HI>paine</HI> cometh oft-times upon the <HI>woman</HI> in the <HI>&s;treet,</HI> at the <HI>table,</HI> in an <HI>houre</HI> when &s;he lea&s;t <HI>thinketh</HI> on<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Je<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 19. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">.</HI> Significatur in|extectata &amp; im provi&s;a Chald<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">|orum in Jeru&s;a|lem irrup<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">io <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">&punc; pot<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> qui n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> per portas, in quibu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;unt vigiles, fed per <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">urorum foene&s;tras clan&punc; culum in&s;tar furis irrumpant <HI>Lapid in H<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">er. Luke 21. 35.</HI></NOTE> it. Such is <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> coming, e&s;pecially to carele&s;&s;e and <HI>&s;ecure</HI> &s;inners: That expre&s;&s;ion of the Prophet <HI>Jeremy</HI> may not unfitly be made u&s;e of to this purpo&s;e, by way of <HI>illu&s;tration,</HI> when he &s;aith, <HI>death is come up into our windows;</HI> the <HI>true</HI> man cometh in at the <HI>doore,</HI> but the <HI>thief</HI> at the <HI>window;</HI> coming in at the <HI>doore</HI> is <HI>u&s;uall,</HI> but coming in at the <HI>window</HI> is <HI>unexpected;</HI> So is <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> coming to men by death in &s;uch a <HI>way,</HI> at &s;uch a <HI>time</HI> as is unlooked for; This <HI>truth</HI> is that which our <HI>Lord</HI> him&s;elfe el&s;ewhere illu&s;trateth by the metaphor of a <HI>&s;nare,</HI> and that <HI>day</HI> is &s;aid &s;o to <HI>come,</HI> for its <HI>&s;ecrecy</HI> and<NOTE PLACE="marg">Tanqua~ laqu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">us <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">cil. propter non apparenti|am &amp; impraeme|ditationem. <HI>Eu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">h. in Ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">h.</HI></NOTE> <HI>unexpectedne&s;&s;e; Agag</HI> flattereth him&s;elfe, that <HI>the bit|terne&s;&s;e of death is pa&s;t,</HI> and then <HI>Samuel</HI> giveth order to <HI>hew him in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal:</HI> and u&s;ual|ly, when men <HI>think</HI> death the <HI>farthest</HI> off, it is the <HI>nea|rest</HI> to them.</P>
<P>To <HI>inlarge</HI> this more particularly, be plea&s;ed to take notice, that there is a <HI>foure-fold hour</HI> wherein men u&s;u|ally make no account of <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> coming by death, and
<PB N="10" REF="8">
yet in which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> frequently cometh to men, to wit, <HI>hora carnalis voluptatis, mundanae pro&s;peritatis, corpora|lis &s;anitatis &amp; juvenilis aetatis,</HI> the <HI>houre</HI> of <HI>carnall plea|&s;ure,</HI> of <HI>worldly pro&s;perity, bodily health,</HI> and <HI>youthfull age.</HI></P>
<P>1. <HI>The houre of carnall plea&s;ure</HI> is a <HI>time</HI> wherein <HI>death</HI> is &s;carce at all thought upon. While the ambitious <HI>Sta|tist</HI> is climbing <HI>high,</HI> he dreameth not of falling <HI>low</HI> into a grave; whil&s;t covetous <HI>Mammoni&s;ts</HI> are heaping up <HI>thick clay,</HI> they think not of being them&s;elves made an <HI>heap</HI> of <HI>du&s;t;</HI> and while&s;t voluptuous <HI>Epicures</HI> are <HI>fee|ding</HI> on <HI>dainties,</HI> and <HI>dallying</HI> with <HI>Dallilah</HI>'s, they &s;el|dome make account of <HI>conver&s;ing</HI> with, and being <HI>fed</HI> upon by <HI>Wormes;</HI> in this re&s;pect, no doubt it is, that our <HI>Saviour</HI> warneth his <HI>Di&s;ciples, Take heede to your</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 21. 34.</NOTE> <HI>&s;elves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with &s;urfeiting and drunkenne&s;&s;e, and cares of this life, and &s;o that day come upon you unawares,</HI> thereby intimating that this <HI>day</HI> cometh <HI>unawares</HI> upon them, who are <HI>plunged</HI> into the cares and delights of this life, and yet even in this <HI>houre</HI> the <HI>Sonne of Man</HI> is plea&s;ed to <HI>come</HI> and arre&s;t pre&s;umptuous &s;inners. <HI>Bel&s;hazzar</HI> is quaf|fing<NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 6. 5.</NOTE> in his Cups, carou&s;ing with his Companions, when as in that <HI>&s;elfe-&s;ame hour came forth the fingers of a man writing upon the wall</HI> the de&s;truction of him and his Kingdomes. <HI>Herod</HI> is glutting his a&s;piring humour with popular applau&s;e (forgetting in the pride of his heart, both God and him&s;elfe) when as by a &s;trange<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 12. 23.</NOTE> judgement he is immediately <HI>devoured by worms alive,</HI> and giveth up the Gho&s;t. Finally, worldly men <HI>&s;pend</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 21. 13.</NOTE> <HI>their dayes in getting wealth, and in a moment they goe downe to the grave.</HI> The coming of the <HI>Floud</HI> upon the
<PB N="11" REF="8">
<HI>old World</HI> is a litttle before made an <HI>Emblem</HI> by <HI>Christ</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 38.</NOTE> of his <HI>coming,</HI> and (that as the amplification demon|&s;trateth) in this very particular, as the <HI>Floud</HI> came up|on the <HI>old World,</HI> when they were &s;o farre from fearing <HI>ruine,</HI> that they were <HI>eating, and drinking, and giving in marriage:</HI> So doth <HI>Christ</HI> &s;eize upon &s;inners in the <HI>midst</HI> of their <HI>delights,</HI> whil&s;t they are indulging to their lu&s;ts.</P>
<P>2. <HI>The houre of worldly pro&s;perity</HI> is a <HI>time</HI> wherein men are very regardle&s;&s;e of <HI>Christs</HI> coming: in <HI>afflicti|on</HI> and mi&s;ery many <HI>wi&s;h</HI> for death, but in enjoy|ments and <HI>pro&s;perity</HI> they &s;carce <HI>think</HI> of it; when the <HI>Sun</HI> &s;hone &s;o bright upon <HI>Sodome</HI> in the <HI>Morning,</HI> they <HI>little</HI> expected to be con&s;um'd by a di&s;mal <HI>fire from hea|ven</HI> before <HI>Evening:</HI> when the world is <HI>flowing in</HI> upon a man, it is very hard to intertaine thoughts of <HI>going out</HI> of the world. If the <HI>Mountaine be &s;trong,</HI> even<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 30. 6.</NOTE> <HI>David</HI> is ready to &s;ay, <HI>I &s;hall never be moved:</HI> no mer|vail if pre&s;umptuous <HI>Babylon</HI> being in her <HI>chaire</HI> of<NOTE PLACE="marg">Revel. 18. 21.</NOTE> &s;tate, &s;ay, <HI>I &s;it a Queene and am no Widdow, and &s;hall &s;ee no &s;orrow.</HI> But yet very frequently, this is the <HI>houre</HI> wherein <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> cometh; &s;o the <HI>threatning</HI> runneth a|gain&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 47. 7, 8, 9.</NOTE> both <HI>literall</HI> and <HI>mi&s;ticall Babylon, Evill &s;hall come upon her in a moment, in one day:</HI> and &s;o it was <HI>verified</HI> in the <HI>rich Fool,</HI> who bidding his &s;oul to <HI>take its</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Revel. 18. 9.</NOTE> <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a&s;e,</HI> by rea&s;on of his worldly abundance, had that<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 12&punc; 19&punc; 20.</NOTE> very <HI>night his &s;oule required of him,</HI> and carryed to <HI>tor|ment.</HI></P>
<P>3. <HI>The houre of bodily health and &s;trength</HI> is a <HI>time</HI> in which men ca&s;t the thought of death behind them, whil&s;t they have <HI>colour</HI> in their <HI>faces, agility</HI> in their <HI>joynts, appetite</HI> in their <HI>stomacks, health</HI> in their <HI>bodies,</HI>
<PB N="12" REF="9">
How <HI>rare</HI> are their <HI>Meditations</HI> on <HI>Death? Go preach your Lectures of Mortality</HI> (&s;ay they) <HI>to the weake, and the lame, and the &s;ick; as for us, wee have no rea&s;on to trouble our &s;elves with &s;uch melancholly thoughts: What do you tell us of dying and rotting in the grave? whilest our bones are moy&s;tned with marrow? We feel no infirmi|ty, and therefore feare not mortality:</HI> And yet how of|ten doth <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> come by death in &s;uch an <HI>houre? one dyeth</HI> (&s;aith Job) <HI>in his full &s;trength, being wholly at <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a&s;e</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ob 21. 23, 24.</NOTE> <HI>and quiet, his breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moy&s;tned with marrow:</HI> How many valiant and <HI>&s;tout</HI> men hath <HI>death</HI> laid upon their <HI>backs,</HI> on a &s;odaine <HI>trip|ping</HI> up their <HI>heeles?</HI> Have you not &s;ometimes &s;eene a &s;turdy <HI>Oak</HI> quickly <HI>blown</HI> downe by a violent <HI>winde?</HI> a &s;trong and tall <HI>Ve&s;&s;ell</HI> pre&s;ently <HI>&s;unke</HI> by a <HI>leake?</HI> So are oft-times men <HI>&s;natched</HI> away in the <HI>&s;trength</HI> and vigour of their <HI>body,</HI> by <HI>death.</HI></P>
<P>4. <HI>The houre of Youthfull age</HI> is a <HI>time</HI> wherein few<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;. 12. 3, 4.</NOTE> make account of dying; <HI>It is &s;oone enough</HI> (&s;ay <HI>young men) to thinke of our death in the day when de&s;ire &s;hall faile, to look for a grave, when they that looke out at the windowes are darkned, and to feare the approach of both when the keepers of the hou&s;e &s;hall tremble: the&s;e grave|cloths are too &s;ad for the fre&s;hne&s;s of our life, we are young, and may &s;ee many a fair yeare pa&s;&s;e over our heads before death cometh, and therefore think not that like the mad man in the Go&s;pel we will &s;pend our life among the tombs.</HI> But alas! how frequently, even in <HI>this houre,</HI> doth the <HI>Sonne of Man come: In Golgotha</HI> (&s;aith the <HI>Hebrew</HI> Proverb) <HI>there are &s;oules of all &s;izes,</HI> and our <HI>weekely bills,</HI> for the mo&s;t part, afford a greater numbers of dead <HI>Children</HI> than aged men. The <HI>Poets</HI> have a <HI>fable,</HI>
<PB N="13" REF="9">
that <HI>Death</HI> and <HI>Cupid</HI> lodging together at an Inne, ex|changed their <HI>arrowes,</HI> whereby it hath &s;ince come to<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sic mo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">itur ju|venis &s;ic mori|bundus ama<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> pa&s;&s;e, that many times <HI>Old men dote,</HI> and <HI>Young men dye.</HI> The truth is, <HI>death</HI> doth not &s;ummon us accor|ding to our <HI>yeares,</HI> even the <HI>blo&s;&s;ome</HI> is &s;ubject to <HI>nip|ping</HI> as well as the <HI>flower</HI> to <HI>withering.</HI> That <HI>threat</HI> which Almighty <HI>God</HI> denounceth by the Prophet <HI>Amos,</HI> is very often in this morall &s;en&s;e made good,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Dices <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">u qui <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> juvenis kondu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ui, noki ergo decip<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, non d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="4 letters">itur mors ce<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">to tempore aetatis, neque <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">t co<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> qui &s;unt in ip&s;o fine <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">tatis. <HI>G<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">g Ny&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ad<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&punc; e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s qui ciff. Bapt. orat.</HI></NOTE> <HI>I will cau&s;e the Sun to goe downe at noone;</HI> nay, not one|ly &s;o, but even in the <HI>morning</HI> of youth doth the <HI>Sunne</HI> of many a mans life goe down.</P>
<P><HI>To apply this,</HI> let it then be the care of every one of us that <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> coming may not be to us <HI>in an houre wee think not of,</HI> and to that end, let no <HI>houre,</HI> at lea&s;t, <HI>day</HI> of our life pa&s;&s;e without a &s;erious thought of the <HI>day</HI> and <HI>houre</HI> of our death; <HI>Larkes</HI> in <HI>Theocritus</HI> are called <GAP DESC="foreign"> becau&s;e they carry the <HI>forme</HI> of a <HI>Sepul|chre</HI> upon their <HI>heads.</HI> Such &s;hould all <HI>Chri&s;tians</HI> be, having permanent <HI>impre&s;sions</HI> of <HI>death,</HI> not on but in their <HI>heads</HI> and <HI>hearts.</HI> The Indian <HI>Gymno&s;ophi&s;ts</HI> were &s;o much in love with the&s;e thoughts, that they cau&s;ed their <HI>graves</HI> to be made before their <HI>gates,</HI> &s;o as both at their going out and coming in they might be put in minde of their death: and truly, however the <HI>mo&s;t</HI> men in the days of their vanity, account a <HI>life</HI> &s;pent in <HI>medi|tation</HI> of <HI>death</HI> to be a <HI>mi&s;erable</HI> life, a <HI>death</HI> rather than a <HI>life;</HI> yet when the time of their death approache<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">h, they will <HI>change</HI> their note, and &s;ay as dying <HI>Theophilus</HI> did of devout <HI>Ar&s;enius, Beatus es Abba Ar&s;eni, qui &s;em|per hanc horam ante oculoshabui&s;ti,</HI> <Q>They are happy men who &s;et death daily before their eys.</Q> Indeed, by<NOTE PLACE="marg">Bibl. patr. T. 9&punc; Ap<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">g<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> this meanes the coming of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> as it will not be alto|gether
<PB N="14" REF="10">
<HI>&s;odaine,</HI> &s;o neither <HI>terrible</HI> to us, nor can any man<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nec dignus e&s;t in morte acc<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|re &s;olatium qui &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> non cogitavit e&s;&s;e moriturum. <HI>Cypr. Ep. 5 2.</HI></NOTE> (&s;o u&s;e S. <HI>Cyprians</HI> words) receive <HI>comfort</HI> at his <HI>death,</HI> who did not <HI>before</HI> make <HI>account</HI> of dying. A late <HI>wri|ter</HI> hath, in this re&s;pect, piou&s;ly fancyed, that <HI>Clocks</HI> were invented to minde us not &s;o much of the <HI>Sunne</HI>'s <HI>motion</HI> in the <HI>Heavens,</HI> as the <HI>pa&s;sing</HI> of our <HI>life</HI> here on<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chrefol. My|&s;tagog.</NOTE> <HI>Earth:</HI> Since the &s;ounding of the clock telleth us that the <HI>pa&s;t houre</HI> is as it were <HI>dead</HI> and buried, which at &s;ome time, or <HI>hour</HI> of &s;ome <HI>day</HI> or other, mu&s;t be our <HI>lot.</HI></P>
<P>Oh then, what ever our <HI>pre&s;ent</HI> condition is, let us &s;till entertaine thoughts of our <HI>latter</HI> end: Art thou in <HI>health</HI> and &s;trength, remember, a wi&s;e and <HI>good</HI> man, even <HI>then</HI> (as <HI>Gregory Nazian.</HI> &s;aith) <GAP DESC="foreign"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Greg. Naz. Orat. 28.</NOTE> will <HI>looke</HI> both <HI>upwards</HI> to <HI>heaven,</HI> and <HI>downewards</HI> to his <HI>grave.</HI> Doe&s;t thou enjoy the <HI>plea&s;ures</HI> of life? learn of <HI>Jo&s;eph of Arimathea</HI> to make a <HI>tombe</HI> in thy <HI>garden,</HI> and &s;ea&s;on thy delights with thoughts of thy di&s;&s;olution. Finally, art thou advanced to an <HI>high</HI> e&s;tate in this world? forget not how <HI>low</HI> thy <HI>highne&s;&s;e</HI> mu&s;t come ere long, and what one was ap|poynted to have in his <HI>hands</HI> at the inauguration of the <HI>Graecian</HI> Emperours, namely, in the one a burning <HI>fire|brand</HI> pre&s;ently con&s;umed, and in the other a <HI>ve&s;&s;ell</HI> full of <HI>a&s;hes,</HI> and dead mens bones, <HI>have</HI> thou in thy <HI>heart</HI> by renewed meditations of thy morta|lity.</P>
<P>To clo&s;e up this part, It is reported concerning the <HI>Maids</HI> in the <HI>I&s;le of Man,</HI> that the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> thing they <HI>&s;pin</HI> is their <HI>winding-&s;heete,</HI> which they weare about them as a <HI>girdle</HI> at their <HI>fea&s;ts:</HI> well were it, if <HI>we</HI> would in the <HI>mid&s;t</HI> of all our <HI>enjoyments,</HI> gird our &s;elves about with our <HI>winding-&s;heets,</HI> fixing our thoughts
<PB N="15" REF="10">
upon our end, that &s;o by this meanes we may not have cau&s;e at la&s;t to &s;igh forth the <HI>foole</HI>'s words, <HI>Non puta|ram, I did not think my death had been &s;o neare:</HI> Ble&s;&s;ed is that man, whom <HI>Christ,</HI> when he cometh by death, &s;hall finde, not as <HI>Jaell</HI> did <HI>Si&s;erah,</HI> a&s;leep, but as <HI>Jona|than</HI>'s arrow came to <HI>David</HI> &s;tanding in the field, and looking for it, yea, &s;o <HI>looking,</HI> as to bee <HI>fitting</HI> him&s;elf, which leads to the</P>
<P><HI>Preparedne&s;&s;e</HI> required in every Chri&s;tian for this co|ming,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2^d. <HI>Gen.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Be you therefore ready.</HI> For the better and clearer di&s;patch of this, I &s;hall endeavour both to unfold the <HI>nature,</HI> and pre&s;s the <HI>practi&s;e</HI> of this duty.</P>
<P>1. To illu&s;trate the <HI>nature</HI> of this preparation, be plea&s;ed to ob&s;erve both the <HI>intent</HI> of the <HI>thing,</HI> and the <HI>extent</HI> of the <HI>time;</HI> by the former we &s;hall &s;ee <HI>wherein</HI> this <HI>readine&s;&s;e,</HI> and by the latter <HI>when</HI> it ought to bee performed.</P>
<P>1. The duty it &s;elf being of very weighty importance, It &s;hould be a little inquired into, <HI>what</HI> things are re|qui&s;ite to denominate a man <HI>ready</HI> for <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> co|ming.</P>
<P>The &s;everall <HI>metaphors</HI> of a <HI>Bridegroome,</HI> of a <HI>Lord,</HI> and of a <HI>Thiefe,</HI> under which the coming of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is repre&s;ented to us, may very fitly be made <HI>u&s;e</HI> of to this <HI>end</HI> and purpo&s;e.</P>
<P>1. They are <HI>ready</HI> for the coming of the <HI>Bridegroom,</HI> who have on their <HI>wedding garment.</HI> And this is no other in a &s;pirituall &s;en&s;e than that <HI>white rayment,</HI> to wit, of <HI>Christs righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e,</HI> apprehended by faith, which our ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Lord</HI> advi&s;eth the Church to <HI>buy</HI> of<NOTE PLACE="marg">Revel. 3. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> him: indeed, when <HI>death&punc;</HI> cometh it will &s;trip us of all other induments; <HI>Job</HI> &s;aith of him&s;elfe (and it is no
<PB N="16" REF="11">
more than what every man &s;hall finde true) <HI>Naked</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">J<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">b 1. 21.</NOTE> <HI>came I forth of my Mothers womb, and naked &s;hall I re|turne thither,</HI> onely of this garment it cannot bereave us; and he alone, who is thus clothed, may, with com|fort, look death in the face.</P>
<P>2. Againe, he is <HI>ready</HI> for the coming of his <HI>Lord,</HI> who hath <HI>di&s;charged</HI> the <HI>tru&s;t</HI> repo&s;ed in, and <HI>impro|ved</HI> the <HI>&s;tock left</HI> with him by his <HI>Lord.</HI> Indeed, thus to <HI>doe</HI> in reference to God exactly, is <HI>impo&s;sible,</HI> but yet this to <HI>endeavour</HI> is <HI>nece&s;&s;ary:</HI> and he onely is fit for death, who hath beene carefull in life to employ his talents for Gods glory, and to keep a good con&s;ci|ence in all things. When the <HI>Lord</HI> cometh he expects an <HI>account</HI> of the <HI>Servants</HI> receipts, and disbur&s;ments, and how unfit will the <HI>idle</HI> or <HI>wa&s;tfull</HI> &s;ervant bee to make up his account? That <HI>life</HI> mu&s;t needs render a man unprepared for death, which is &s;pent in doing <HI>nothing,</HI> or that which is <HI>wor&s;e</HI> than nothing, in abu|&s;ing the mercies we receive, to the di&s;honour of him, who hath be&s;towed them on us.</P>
<P>Finally, he is <HI>ready</HI> for the coming of a <HI>Thief,</HI> who keepeth him&s;elfe and his family <HI>waking,</HI> hath his <HI>doore</HI> locked, bolted, and barred, and is furni&s;hed with <HI>wea|pons</HI> both of defence and re&s;i&s;tance; So mu&s;t we pre|pare our &s;elves for <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> coming, by <HI>awaking</HI> our &s;oules out of carnall and &s;en&s;uall <HI>&s;ecurity,</HI> by <HI>keeping our hearts with all diligence,</HI> and by <HI>putting on the whole armour of God;</HI> the condition of that man will be very &s;ad, whom death findes a&s;leep in &s;inne, without a &s;piri|tuall guard, and de&s;titute of tho&s;e graces, which &s;hould arm him again&s;t its venomous &s;ting.</P>
<P>If you de&s;ire a more di&s;tinct explication of this pre|paration,
<PB N="17" REF="11">
let <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> be his owne <HI>expo&s;itor</HI> in that elegant <HI>Scripture,</HI> where he advi&s;eth his Di&s;ciples to have <HI>their Loynes girt, and their Lamps burning;</HI> The worke of<NOTE PLACE="marg">Per primum prae<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">pium ju|bemur c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">hibere nos &agrave; malo &amp; impedimenta re|movere: per &s;c|cundum excita|mur ad bene operandum. <HI>Tole<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> in Luc.</HI> Quid e&s;t lumbos ac incto<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">? declina a malo: quid lu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">rnas ardentes habere, hoc e&s;t &amp; fac bonum. <HI>Aug. Serm. 39. de verb. dom.</HI></NOTE> <HI>preparation</HI> for death is both <HI>privative</HI> and <HI>po&s;itive,</HI> in removing what may hinder us, and procuring what may enable us to meet <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> at our death, with comfort. Both the&s;e we are taught under tho&s;e meta|phoricall allu&s;ions, the former in the <HI>girding of our Loynes,</HI> the latter in the <HI>burning of our Lamps.</HI></P>
<P>1. To be <HI>ready,</HI> is to have <HI>our Loynes girt&punc;</HI> where by <HI>Loynes</HI> we may very well under&s;tand, our <HI>affections</HI> and <HI>lu&s;ts,</HI> which are to be girt, by <HI>repentance</HI> and mortifi|cation. <HI>The &s;ting of death,</HI> &s;aith S. <HI>Paul,</HI> is <HI>&s;inne,</HI> &s;o that we are never <HI>fit</HI> to dye till we have taken out the <HI>&s;ting</HI> by &s;ubduing &s;inne; he that liveth in any lu&s;t is &s;o farre from being <HI>armed for death,</HI> that he <HI>armeth</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Succ<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">gere de|bemus lumbos id e&s;t expediti e&s;&s;e ab impedimentis la&s;civio&s;ae vi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ae &amp; implicitae. <HI>Tertul. contr. Marc. l. 4. 29.</HI></NOTE> <HI>death</HI> again&s;t him&s;elfe; death is a <HI>journey,</HI> called there|fore <HI>a going to our long home;</HI> but how &s;hall he be fit to go this journey, who hath not laid a&s;ide the <HI>weight of &s;inne,</HI> and <HI>girded</HI> up his <HI>loynes,</HI> which will be a &s;ore <HI>impediment</HI> to him? More e&s;pecially, this <HI>girding of Loynes</HI> may referre to the expelling of <HI>worldly love</HI> out<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ut divinum illud moriendi exemplum nos admonere<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, hu|manarum rerum contemptum &amp; amaritudinem morti praeire debere ut con|&s;umma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i ad mor|tem obeundam e&s;&s;e videamur. <HI>Vela&s;q. in Phil. c. 1. v. 21. Annot. 3<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. Sen. Epi&s;t. 26.</HI></NOTE> of our hearts. To this purpo&s;e, both that <HI>action</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;ts drinking Vinegar,</HI> and tho&s;e <HI>words</HI> of his, <HI>It is fini&s;hed,</HI> immediately before his death, are not unfitly moraliz'd, to teach us that by de&s;pi&s;ing the world as vaine and <HI>bitter,</HI> we are more prepared for the <HI>fini|&s;hing</HI> of our life. Oh how unwilling is he to <HI>goe out</HI> of the <HI>world,</HI> who&s;e heart is <HI>glued</HI> to it? And therefore let it be our wi&s;dome to hang loo&s;e in our affections from all earthly relations, that as <HI>Seneca</HI> divinely, if we be called to it; <HI>Nihil nos detineat, nec impediat quo</HI>
<PB N="18" REF="12">
<HI>minus parati &s;imus, quod quand<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">que faciendum, &s;tatim fa|cere,</HI> no worldly thing may <HI>hinder</HI> us from being <HI>rea|dy</HI> to do that <HI>pre&s;ently,</HI> which mu&s;t be done at <HI>&s;ome time.</HI></P>
<P>2. To be <HI>ready,</HI> is to have our <HI>Lamps burning,</HI> to wit, the <HI>Lamp</HI> of our <HI>Soule,</HI> burning with the <HI>graces</HI> of Gods &s;pirit; the <HI>Lamp</HI> of our <HI>Life,</HI> burning in the<NOTE PLACE="marg">Lucernas arden|tes habere, id est mentes a fide accen&s;as &amp; ope|ribu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> veri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">atis relucentes. <HI>Tertul. contr. Marc. l. 4. c. 29.</HI></NOTE> exerci&s;e of <HI>good works</HI> towards God and man. Cer|tainly he is very <HI>unfit</HI> to <HI>dye,</HI> who hath not yet <HI>begun</HI> to <HI>live;</HI> thy condition mu&s;t needes be <HI>de&s;perate,</HI> if the <HI>lamp</HI> of thy <HI>life</HI> be <HI>put out</HI> before the <HI>lamp</HI> of <HI>grace</HI> be <HI>kindled:</HI> S. <HI>John</HI> &s;aith of them who <HI>dye in the Lord,</HI> their <HI>works follow them,</HI> to wit, tho&s;e <HI>good works</HI> which have <HI>gone before</HI> their death in the cour&s;e of their lives;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 14. 13.</NOTE> he onely is fit to meet <HI>Christ</HI> in death, who can &s;ay to him in <HI>Hezekiah</HI>'s words, <HI>Remember, Lord, how I have</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;aiah 38. 3.</NOTE> <HI>walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart:</HI> a <HI>renewed</HI> nature, and a <HI>reformed</HI> life are the be&s;t <HI>pre|paratives</HI> to a <HI>comfortable</HI> and happy death.</P>
<P>2. You &s;ee the <HI>duty</HI> it &s;elfe: The next thing to be con|&s;idered is, the <HI>time</HI> when we &s;hould make our &s;elves thus <HI>ready;</HI> it is that which mu&s;t by no meanes be left out, &s;ince though we all <HI>agree</HI> about the <HI>thing,</HI> yet we <HI>differ</HI> about the <HI>time,</HI> we mu&s;t be <HI>ready</HI> for <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> co|ming, that is <HI>acknowledged,</HI> but <HI>when</HI> we &s;hould goe about it, is not &s;o ea&s;ily <HI>determined.</HI> The <HI>an&s;wer</HI> to this is not expre&s;ly given in the <HI>text,</HI> but yet manife&s;t|ly implyed in the <HI>context,</HI> &s;ince the <HI>hou&s;holder</HI> no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> knowing when the <HI>thief</HI> will come, &amp; knowing he will come, is <HI>alwayes</HI> expecting and providing for him: and indeed this we &s;hall finde in the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">parallel <HI>Scripture</HI> expre&s;ly &s;upplyed, where our <HI>Saviour</HI> bids his <HI>Di&s;ciples</HI>
<PB N="19" REF="12">
to <HI>watch and pray <GAP DESC="foreign"> alwayes.</HI> It is that then<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 21. 36.</NOTE> which ought to be the wi&s;dome of every Chri&s;tian, <HI>alway</HI> to be in a readine&s;&s;e for the coming of <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> &s;uitable to this is that re&s;olve of holy <HI>Job,</HI> when hee &s;aith, <HI>All the dayes of my appointed time I will wait till</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 14. 14.</NOTE> <HI>my change come;</HI> not onely <HI>one,</HI> or a <HI>few,</HI> or <HI>&s;ome,</HI> but <HI>all</HI> his dayes were dayes of watching for the approach of his change, according to which is that coun&s;ell of S. <HI>Ba&s;il,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ba&s;. hom. 2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> we mu&s;t every day of our life be in a po&s;ture <HI>ready</HI> to goe out of this life, if our <HI>Lord</HI> re|quire us.</P>
<P>To cleare this more fully in two particulars:</P>
<P>1. We mu&s;t <HI>begin betimes</HI> to make our &s;elves <HI>ready.</HI> It is an undoubted maxime, <HI>in re nece&s;&s;aria non d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">u de|liberandum,</HI> where the matter is clearly <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> to di|&s;pute much, or <HI>deliberate</HI> long about it, is both <HI>needle&s;&s;e</HI> and dangerous; nothing of more <HI>needfull</HI> concernment or greater importance to every one of us, than the be|ing <HI>ready</HI> for <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> coming: &s;urely then, ju&s;t it is we &s;hould &s;et about it <HI>pre&s;ently,</HI> and make it our <HI>fir&s;t</HI> bu|&s;ine&s;&s;e. Almighty <HI>God</HI> in his &s;ublime &s;peech to <HI>Job,</HI> &s;aith, concerning the warlike <HI>hor&s;e,</HI> that he <HI>&s;melleth the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 39. 25.</NOTE> <HI>battell afarre off;</HI> what <HI>nature</HI> teacheth him, let <HI>grace</HI> us, to <HI>&s;mell</HI> that encounter we mu&s;t have with <HI>death</HI> afarre off long before (at lea&s;t in probability) it will come, and that is, in the dayes of our <HI>youth.</HI> The <HI>life</HI> of man is not without good rea&s;on compared to a <HI>night:</HI> Now among the <HI>Jewes</HI> there were <HI>foure watches</HI> in the night, the fir&s;t was called <HI>Conticinium,</HI> when all things are &s;ilent; the &s;econd <HI>Intempe&s;tum,</HI> the un|&s;ea&s;onable time of midnight; the third <HI>Gallicinium,</HI>
<PB N="20" REF="13">
which began at the Cock crowing; the la&s;t <HI>Anteluca|num,</HI> about break of day: by the&s;e foure <HI>watches</HI> of the night are morally re&s;embled, the foure <HI>ages</HI> of mans life, <HI>Child-hood, Youth, Man-hood&punc; Old age,</HI> and it is worth our ob&s;ervation, that when <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;peaketh of our being <HI>ready</HI> for his coming, he mentioneth one|ly the <HI>&s;econd</HI> and the <HI>third</HI> watch: <HI>Thophilact</HI>'s rea&s;on,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">, &amp;c. Theoph. in Luc.</NOTE> I confe&s;&s;e, is mo&s;t probable, becau&s;e the <HI>&s;econd</HI> and <HI>third</HI> watches are, as it were; the <HI>dead</HI> time of night, when mo&s;t men are in their &s;ounde&s;t &s;leep, &s;o that he that is <HI>wakefull</HI> in <HI>tho&s;e</HI> watches, may be pre&s;umed <HI>not to &s;leep</HI> in the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> and <HI>fourth,</HI> and &s;o to be ready in the <HI>&s;econd</HI> and <HI>third,</HI> is as much as to be <HI>alwayes ready;</HI> but there may be another apt allu&s;ion to our particular purpo&s;e; as for the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> watch he mentioneth it not, be|cau&s;e <HI>Child hood</HI> is in no <HI>capacity</HI> of performing this duty (though even then it concerneth <HI>Parents</HI> to make their <HI>Children</HI> ready, by bringing them to the Holy Sacrament of <HI>Bapti&s;me:</HI>) and as for the <HI>fourth</HI> watch of <HI>Old age,</HI> he &s;pecifieth not that neither, becau&s;e <HI>Rari&s;|&s;imi &s;unt qui ad extremum vitae differentes bene operari,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Tolet ibid.</NOTE> <HI>inveniuntur ita facientes,</HI> They are very rare who are found <HI>ready</HI> at <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> coming, and yet have not be|gun before the <HI>fourth</HI> watch: Let it then be our care to <HI>begin</HI> at the <HI>third</HI> watch of <HI>Man hood,</HI> nay, &s;ooner&punc; at the <HI>&s;econd</HI> watch of <HI>Youth,</HI> to prepare and provide for <HI>Christs</HI> coming. Happy is that man who <HI>fitteth</HI> him&s;elf for <HI>dying,</HI> &s;o &s;oon as he cometh to <HI>know</HI> that he <HI>liveth,</HI> and con&s;ecrateth the <HI>beginning</HI> of his ratio|nall life to a religious <HI>Meditation</HI> of his mortall <HI>end.</HI></P>
<P>2. We mu&s;t <HI>hold out</HI> to the end of our dayes in this
<PB N="21" REF="13">
<HI>ready</HI> po&s;ture, daily endeavouring greater mea&s;ure&punc; of preparation. Tho&s;e <HI>two</HI> excu&s;es will be found alike <HI>in|valid</HI> when&s;oever <HI>Christ</HI> cometh, <HI>Fui&s;&s;e &amp; futurum e&s;|&s;e, I re&s;olved to be ready hereafter, and I was ready heretofore;</HI> &s;ince it is neither what thou <HI>would&s;t</HI> be, nor what thou <HI>ha&s;t</HI> beene, but what thou <HI>art;</HI> when <HI>death</HI> cometh <HI>Unbend</HI> not then the <HI>bow</HI> of thy <HI>pious</HI> endevor, till the <HI>&s;tring</HI> of thy <HI>life break;</HI> cea&s;e not <HI>running</HI> the <HI>race</HI> of <HI>piety</HI> till thou art put out of <HI>breath;</HI> be alwaies preparing to <HI>meet Chri&s;t</HI> till he <HI>come</HI> to thee. It is to this purpo&s;e well ob&s;erved, what a <HI>difference</HI> there is between the <HI>other</HI> life and <HI>this;</HI> as to that life, it will be<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> diff<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">rt vita|prae&s;ens ab illa quam expecta|mus, quo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> totum bonum futurae vitae con|&s;i&s;tit in hoc quod e&s;t recte illam incipe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e prae&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n|tis vitae bonum: &egrave; contra con&s;i&s;ti<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> in rect<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> finiendo illam, <HI>&amp;c. Avend. in Mat. cap. 24. Greg. Mag.</HI></NOTE> &s;ufficient, <HI>bene incipere,</HI> to <HI>begin well;</HI> if we can but <HI>enter into that joy of our Lord,</HI> it is <HI>enough;</HI> he that is once entred into a po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of that bli&s;&s;e, &s;hall <HI>goe no more out,</HI> but as to this pre&s;ent life, the great care is <HI>bene finire,</HI> to <HI>end well,</HI> &s;ince <HI>inca&s;&s;um bonum a|gitur &s;i ante vitae terminum de&s;eratur,</HI> That work is be|gun to no purpo&s;e, which is left off before it is fini&s;hed; no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> can this work of preparation be fini&s;hed, till life be ended.</P>
<P>But it may, perhaps, and not improbably, be <HI>obje|cted,</HI> even by good Chri&s;tians: Alas, the <HI>practi&s;e</HI> of this duty in this extent, is <HI>impo&s;sible;</HI> who is there that can at all times &s;o <HI>order</HI> his conver&s;ation, as to be <HI>rea|dy</HI> for his di&s;&s;olution? We meet with many <HI>remora</HI>'s to &s;top us in, many <HI>avocations</HI> to turne us a&s;ide from this work, the labour of our <HI>callings,</HI> the care of our <HI>families,</HI> lawfull <HI>recreations,</HI> many worldly <HI>bu&s;ine&s;&s;es</HI> take up our time, &s;o that we cannot alwayes be at lei&s;ure to thinke of, and &s;o provide for <HI>Chri&s;t</HI>'s co|ming.</P>
<P><PB N="22" REF="14">To <HI>re&s;olve</HI> which doubt, be plea&s;ed to take notice of a <HI>double</HI> preparation for the coming of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> to wit, <HI>habituall</HI> and <HI>actuall.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Actuall</HI> readine&s;&s;e con&s;i&s;ts in the <HI>exerci&s;e</HI> of tho&s;e &s;piritual <HI>graces,</HI> and <HI>practi&s;e,</HI> of tho&s;e religious <HI>duties,</HI> which are fit for us to be conver&s;ant in at the <HI>time</HI> of our <HI>death,</HI> &s;uch as are &s;elfe <HI>examination,</HI> penitent <HI>humi|liation,</HI> believing <HI>invocation,</HI> charitable <HI>condonation,</HI> and the like; and truly thus to be alwayes <HI>ready,</HI> is not <HI>po&s;sible,</HI> nor <HI>requi&s;ite:</HI> It is not <HI>po&s;sible,</HI> for our natures, which at be&s;t are but in <HI>part</HI> renewed, to be <HI>wholly</HI> ta|ken up with divine performances; nor indeed is it <HI>re|qui&s;ite,</HI> &s;ince <HI>God</HI> hath given us <HI>time</HI> for <HI>&s;ecular</HI> as well as <HI>&s;pirituall</HI> bu&s;ine&s;&s;es, yea, for <HI>recreation</HI> as well as <HI>de|votion;</HI> and if <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;hall come by death to us when about our civill <HI>callings,</HI> or lawfull <HI>refre&s;hings,</HI> our <HI>condition</HI> were not therefore to be adjudged <HI>de&s;perate.</HI> Indeed, on the <HI>one</HI> hand, becau&s;e <HI>death</HI> may come at <HI>&s;uch</HI> times, it &s;hould be our endeavour, as much as may be, to carry about us <HI>heavenly</HI> hearts in our <HI>earthly</HI> employments; and on the <HI>other</HI> hand, becau&s;e the <HI>be&s;t</HI> of us are too <HI>deficient</HI> in this kinde, we may, nay ought to <HI>beg</HI> of <HI>God</HI> (if it be his <HI>will</HI>) that death <HI>may</HI> rather <HI>finde</HI> us <HI>praying,</HI> than <HI>playing;</HI> in our <HI>chambers,</HI> than in our <HI>&s;hops;</HI> about <HI>devout</HI> exerci&s;es, than <HI>worldly</HI> bu&s;ine&s;|&s;es. In this re&s;pect, that <HI>prayer</HI> of the <HI>Church (From &s;odaine death good Lord deliver us)</HI> which by our arro|gant <HI>noveli&s;ts,</HI> among other pa&s;&s;ages of the <HI>lyturgie,</HI> is cau&s;ele&s;ly denyed, is fit to be made, not onely by the <HI>wor&s;t,</HI> but by the <HI>be&s;t</HI> of men, to whom <HI>death</HI> may be, and many times is &s;o <HI>&s;odaine,</HI> that they cannot be in an actuall <HI>readine&s;&s;e</HI> for it, and therefore if it be (as doubt|le&s;&s;e
<PB N="23" REF="14">
it is) a very <HI>de&s;irable</HI> thing to have &s;pace before our death of <HI>renewing</HI> our <HI>faith, repentance,</HI> and <HI>chari|ty,</HI> yea, and of <HI>expre&s;sing</HI> all <HI>the&s;e</HI> for the comfort and benefit of others that belong to us, it mu&s;t needes be a fit <HI>reque&s;t</HI> for all <HI>Chri&s;tians</HI> to put up, that they may be delivered from <HI>&s;odaine</HI> death.</P>
<P>But be&s;ides this <HI>actuall,</HI> there is an <HI>habituall</HI> readine&s;s, which referres not to the <HI>action</HI> but the <HI>di&s;po&s;ition;</HI> the <HI>exerci&s;e,</HI> but the <HI>&s;tate</HI> of the per&s;on; &s;o that he, who is by faith engrafted into <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and by the &s;pirit <HI>rege|nerated</HI> to a lively hope, and &s;o in a <HI>&s;tate</HI> of <HI>grace,</HI> is <HI>habitually</HI> ready for the coming of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> according to this &s;en&s;e <HI>Brugen&s;is</HI> with others giveth the interpreta|tion of this text, <HI>Paratus e&s;t qui &s;emper eo &s;tatu con&s;i&s;tit,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Brugen&s;. in loc.</NOTE> <HI>quem dominus requirit, qui &s;emper eum vitae tenet &s;tatum qui deo gratus,</HI> He is <HI>ready,</HI> who is in that <HI>e&s;tate</HI> which is <HI>required</HI> by, and will be <HI>acceptable</HI> to <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> when he cometh to call him. And thus it is our <HI>duty</HI> to be <HI>alwayes</HI> ready, not daring to <HI>live</HI> in a &s;tate of <HI>impeni|tency,</HI> yea, to give <HI>God</HI> and our <HI>&s;elves</HI> no <HI>re&s;t,</HI> till we have in &s;ome mea&s;ure made our <HI>peace</HI> with him, through <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> Looke as when we are enjoyned to <HI>pray continually,</HI> the meaning is, not that we &s;hould be <HI>alwayes</HI> upon our <HI>knees</HI> in the continued exerci&s;e of that duty, but that we &s;hould be <HI>frequent</HI> in<NOTE PLACE="marg">Qui rogat &s;em|per roge<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, et&s;i non &s;emper precatu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, paratum &s;emper habeat precantis affectum. <HI>Ambr. in P&s;. 118. Serm. 19.</HI></NOTE> the work, and have a minde <HI>di&s;po&s;ed</HI> to <HI>pray</HI> upon all <HI>occa&s;ions;</HI> &s;o when we are enjoyned to be <HI>alwayes ready</HI> for death, it is not that we &s;hould be continually in the <HI>practi&s;e</HI> of tho&s;e <HI>duties,</HI> which are proper for a <HI>dying</HI> man, but that we &s;hould <HI>every</HI> day &s;et <HI>&s;ome time</HI> apart for tho&s;e exerci&s;es, and alwayes be in a regenerate <HI>con|dition,</HI> having the graces of <HI>faith</HI> and <HI>repentance</HI> really wrought in our &s;ouls.</P>
<P><PB N="24" REF="15">By this time, I <HI>hope,</HI> you &s;ee what the <HI>duty</HI> is, which here our ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Lord</HI> calleth upon his <HI>Di&s;ciples</HI> to per|form, what remaineth, but that I now, after <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> example, endeavour to <HI>pre&s;&s;e</HI> the <HI>practi&s;e</HI> of it upon you: And indeed, &s;o much the rather, becau&s;e it is that wherein I feare the mo&s;t of us are mi&s;erably <HI>defici|ent.</HI></P>
<P>It was <HI>Tertullian</HI>'s Character of the <HI>Chri&s;tians</HI> in his time, that they were <HI>expeditum morti genus,</HI> a &s;ort of<NOTE PLACE="marg">Tertul <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">de &s;pectac. cap. 1.</NOTE> people prepared for death, and that not onely naturall, but violent, and &s;o in that &s;en&s;e which S. <HI>Paul</HI> &s;peaks of <HI>high</HI> concerning <HI>him&s;elfe,</HI> when he tells his di&s;con&s;olate friends that he was <HI>ready, not onely to be bound, but to die for the name of Je&s;us, Act.</HI> 21. 13. But alas, of how few <HI>Chri&s;tians</HI> in our dayes can this be truly &s;aid, and that in the <HI>lowe&s;t</HI> &s;en&s;e, the mo&s;t being &s;o farre from a readine&s;&s;e to <HI>lay down their lives</HI> in &s;uffering for <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> that they are not in a readine&s;&s;e to meet <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> if he &s;hould come in an ordinary way to <HI>take away their lives. Alexander</HI> ca&s;hiered that <HI>&s;ouldier,</HI> who had his <HI>weapons</HI> to <HI>&s;harpen</HI> when he was to goe to <HI>fight:</HI> But <HI>Lord,</HI> how many <HI>Chri&s;tians</HI> (in <HI>name</HI>) have the <HI>worke</HI> of preparation to <HI>begin,</HI> when their <HI>lives</HI> are almo&s;t at an <HI>end,</HI> never <HI>thinking</HI> of <HI>doing</HI> good, till the <HI>opportunity</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Impii runquam didicerunt bona facere, ni&s;i c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">m jam non e&s;t tempus faciendi. <HI>O&punc; ca&s;t.</HI></NOTE> of <HI>doing</HI> it be <HI>pa&s;t.</HI> Suppo&s;e, beloved, our <HI>Lord Chri&s;t</HI> &s;hould now come again&s;t this <HI>City,</HI> as he did once a|gain&s;t <HI>Hieru&s;alem,</HI> to take vengeance on it and de&s;troy it, in what an <HI>unprepared</HI> condition &s;hould he finde the greate&s;t part of the <HI>inhabitants?</HI> &s;ome <HI>&s;porting</HI> with their wantons, others <HI>burying</HI> them&s;elves in their che&s;ts of gold, &s;ome <HI>quaffing</HI> in their riotous bowles, others <HI>belching</HI> out bla&s;phemous oathes, the mo&s;t <HI>wallowing</HI>
<PB N="25" REF="15">
in &s;ome wickedne&s;&s;e or other? Nay, to come nearer, &s;uppo&s;e <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;hould come by death to any of us here pre&s;ent, this <HI>night,</HI> this <HI>evening,</HI> this <HI>houre,</HI> are we <HI>rea|dy</HI> for him? could we give up our accounts with <HI>joy,</HI> and look him in the face with <HI>comfort?</HI> I feare the mo&s;t of our <HI>Con&s;ciences</HI> tell us we &s;hould not be able to doe it.</P>
<P>Receive then (I be&s;eech you) a &s;ea&s;onable <HI>word</HI> of <HI>ad|vice,</HI> and think (for &s;o indeed it is) that what <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> here &s;aith to his <HI>Di&s;ciples,</HI> he &s;aith to <HI>all, Bee you ready,</HI> And (which &s;hould render this duty &s;o much the more acceptable to us) it wants not a <HI>therefore</HI> to enforce it, indeed there are many and tho&s;e weighty <HI>motives,</HI> which may very well <HI>inferre</HI> the performance of this <HI>duty,</HI> as not onely <HI>u&s;efull,</HI> but <HI>needfull</HI> to be done, and that at <HI>all times.</HI> For, con&s;ider</P>
<P>1. <HI>The Son of Man will certainly come at &s;ome houre or other; Bee you therefore ready.</HI> In other matters we provide for tho&s;e things whereof we have at mo&s;t but a <HI>probability,</HI> no certainty. The <HI>Husbandman</HI> plough|eth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Multi domos aedifican<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, cum tamen n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ciant an per unicum diem ea debeans colere, ad incer|tam vitam pa|rantur, certam mortem non cu|rantes. <HI>Stella in Lu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&punc;</HI></NOTE> and tilleth, and <HI>&s;oweth</HI> his ground again&s;t the <HI>next</HI> yeare, when yet he is not <HI>&s;ure</HI> to <HI>reap</HI> the fruit of his labour; <HI>Parents</HI> lay up Riches, purcha&s;e Lands, <HI>build</HI> Hou&s;es for their <HI>Children,</HI> though they are not <HI>&s;ure</HI> they &s;hall <HI>enjoy</HI> them; &s;hall we <HI>provide</HI> for what onely <HI>may</HI> be, or at <HI>mo&s;t,</HI> is but <HI>likely</HI> to be, and take no care to prepare for what <HI>&s;hall</HI> certainly be? That <HI>rich</HI> man in the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> might well be called a <HI>foole,</HI> when as he took &s;o much care to build large <HI>Barnes,</HI> and lay up <HI>Goods</HI> in tho&s;e barns as a <HI>provi&s;ion</HI> for the <HI>uncertaine years</HI> of his <HI>life,</HI> but regarded not to make <HI>ready</HI> for his <HI>grave,</HI> which he knew to be <HI>certain,</HI> and proved to be &s;o <HI>near.</HI>
<PB N="26" REF="16">
Oh let not us incur this <HI>brand</HI> of folly by the <HI>like</HI> inco|gitancy.</P>
<P>2. <HI>At what houre the Son of Man will come, you can|not certainely know; Bee you therefore ready;</HI> nay, <HI>al|wayes ready.</HI> It is true, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> will come; nay, he hath <HI>told</HI> us he <HI>will</HI> come (no doubt for this rea&s;on) that being <HI>praemoniti</HI> we may be <HI>praemuniti,</HI> having notice of, we may provide for it; but <HI>when</HI> he will come he hath <HI>concealed</HI> from us (and doubtle&s;&s;e for this cau&s;e) that we might <HI>alwayes</HI> &s;tand upon our guard, and be <HI>ready</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Si inimicus tuus fic tibi minare|tur in tali bor&aacute; te expecto, &s;uffi|ceret tibi u&s;que ad illam horam quie&s;cer<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">: tamen &s;i &s;ic dixi&s;&s;et ob|&s;erva me, nam ubicunque te in|v<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ro te totis viribus invadam <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">am tunc nul|lum tibi qui<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">tis dabatur tempus <HI>Avend. in Math.</HI></NOTE> for him. If thy <HI>enemy</HI> &s;hall &s;ay to thee, <HI>at &s;uch a time, in &s;uch a place, I will meet you;</HI> it were <HI>enough</HI> to be <HI>ready</HI> at that time; but if he &s;ay, <HI>where, or when&s;oever I meet you, I will &s;et upon you,</HI> it concerneth to be <HI>al|wayes</HI> armed for him: Such indeed is both the <HI>wi&s;dome</HI> and <HI>goodne&s;&s;e</HI> of our ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Lord,</HI> that he hath <HI>forewar|ned</HI> us of the <HI>thing,</HI> not of the <HI>time,</HI> that <HI>knowing</HI> he <HI>will</HI> come, and <HI>not knowing when,</HI> we may be <HI>continu|ally</HI> prepared. It was the policy of <HI>Julius Cae&s;ar,</HI> ne|ver to acquaint his Army before-hand with the time of their march, <HI>Ut paratum, momentis omnibus, qu&ograve; vel|let, &s;ubito educeret,</HI> that they might be ready to march upon all occa&s;ions: Such is the wi&s;e dealing of <HI>Christ</HI> with us, and that for our good, not revealing to us the time of our death, that we may never be &s;ecure. And therefore (to u&s;e <HI>Aulus Gellius</HI> his compari&s;on) as a <HI>fen|cer</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Aul. Gell l. 13. c. 26.</NOTE> not knowing at what <HI>part</HI> of his body the <HI>Antago|ni&s;t</HI> will aime, <HI>compo&s;eth</HI> his <HI>body</HI> and <HI>holdeth</HI> his <HI>wea|pon,</HI> &s;o as he may readily defend <HI>any part;</HI> &s;o mu&s;t we, not knowing in <HI>what day</HI> of our life Chri&s;t will come, &s;o order our wayes, that we may be fitted <HI>when&s;oever</HI> he &s;hall come unto us.</P>
<P><PB N="27" REF="16">3. <HI>There is no houre of your life wherein you can a&s;&s;ure your &s;elves that the Son of Man will not come:</HI> Indeed, as no <HI>place</HI> can exempt from death's approach, it may come to thee in the <HI>Church,</HI> in the <HI>Street,</HI> in the <HI>Shop;</HI> in the <HI>Field,</HI> as well as in the <HI>Bed;</HI> &s;o no <HI>time</HI> can privi|ledge from death's arre&s;t, in the <HI>night</HI> as well as in the <HI>day,</HI> in <HI>youth</HI> and <HI>manhood,</HI> as well as <HI>old age, Chri&s;t</HI> may &s;end it to <HI>&s;eize</HI> upon thee: Ha&s;t thou not <HI>need</HI> then to be <HI>every where,</HI> and at <HI>all times</HI> prepared? Con|&s;ider this (oh <HI>vain</HI> man, whoever thou art) that <HI>putte&s;t</HI> off thy preparation in hope that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> will <HI>delay</HI> his vi&s;itation; thou <HI>purpo&s;est</HI> to be <HI>ready</HI> when thou art <HI>old;</HI> I, but what if <HI>Chri&s;t come</HI> while&s;t yet thou art <HI>young?</HI> Thou <HI>promi&s;e&s;t</HI> to <HI>prepare</HI> thy &s;elf to <HI>morrow;</HI> but what if thou <HI>die&s;t</HI> to <HI>day?</HI> Oh beware that thy <HI>promi&s;es</HI> beare not a <HI>date</HI> far longer than thy <HI>life.</HI> It is &s;toried<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. Ba&s;. hom. 13.</NOTE> of ambitious <HI>Archyas,</HI> that having by <HI>fraudulent</HI> and unju&s;t cour&s;es, at length compa&s;&s;ed the <HI>government</HI> of <HI>Thebes;</HI> he with his <HI>complices</HI> kept a riotous <HI>fea&s;t,</HI> in the mid&s;t of his intemperance a <HI>me&s;&s;enger</HI> cometh to him with a <HI>letter</HI> from a friend, importuning him &s;peedily to peru&s;e it, but he <HI>&s;lighting</HI> the admonition, and put|ting<NOTE PLACE="marg">Plurarch. in Pelopid.</NOTE> it under his <HI>pillow,</HI> &s;aid, <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>&s;e|rious things to morrow,</HI> when as the <HI>thing,</HI> which the letter concerned&punc; was effected that <HI>night,</HI> to wit, <HI>de|privation</HI> at once, both of his <HI>life</HI> and <HI>dignity,</HI> by a combination of the <HI>Citizens.</HI> This, this (my <HI>Brethren</HI>) is, I feare, the dolefull ca&s;e of too <HI>many</HI> who purpo&s;ing to be &s;erious and pious <HI>hereafter,</HI> are &s;natched away <HI>before</HI> that hereafter come. Could&s;t thou, oh man, <HI>a&s;&s;ure</HI> thy &s;elfe&punc; the <HI>continuance</HI> of thy life for a <HI>day,</HI> a <HI>moneth,</HI> a <HI>yeare,</HI> thou mighte&s;t with more pretence
<PB N="28" REF="17">
of rea&s;on defer thy preparation &s;o long; but <HI>Cui &s;it ex|ploratum</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ci<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. de S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nect</NOTE> <HI>&s;e ad ve&s;perum e&s;&s;e victurum,</HI> &s;aith the heathen <HI>Orator</HI> truly, who can <HI>a&s;&s;ure</HI> him&s;elfe he &s;hall live till <HI>evening?</HI> nay, who can ju&s;tly <HI>promi&s;e</HI> to him&s;elfe the next <HI>moment?</HI> Be not then &s;o <HI>fooli&s;h,</HI> nay <HI>mad,</HI> nay<NOTE PLACE="marg">Stultum in tali <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ta<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">u vivere in quo quis non aud<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> mori. <HI>Aug</HI></NOTE> <HI>bruiti&s;h,</HI> as <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">o <HI>live</HI> an <HI>hour,</HI> a <HI>moment</HI> in the <HI>e&s;tate</HI> where|in thou would&s;t be <HI>loath</HI> to <HI>dye.</HI></P>
<P>4. <HI>That hour, in which men make lea&s;t account, is common|ly the time of the Son of Man</HI>'s <HI>coming, Be ye therefore rea|dy.</HI> While&s;t the <HI>Croc<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">dil</HI> being a&s;leep openeth his mouth the <HI>Indian Rat</HI> getteth in and cateth up his bowells; while&s;t the <HI>Theban Centinel</HI> was nodding, <HI>Epaminondas</HI> came and thru&s;t him thorow; when men are <HI>&s;ecure</HI> in their &s;ins, <HI>death &s;tealeth</HI> upon them unawares. At what <HI>gate</HI> there is the <HI>lea&s;t</HI> guard, &s;malle&s;t &s;trength, the <HI>be&s;ie|ger</HI> maketh his <HI>on&s;et,</HI> and endeavoureth entrance: Oh feare, le&s;t in that day <HI>death approach</HI> to thee, wherein thou art mo&s;t <HI>regardle&s;&s;e</HI> of death.</P>
<P>5. <HI>All the time alotted you before Christs coming, is little enough for this great work; Be you therefore al|wayes</HI> endeavouring to make your &s;elves <HI>ready. Tota vita di&s;cendum e&s;t vivere,</HI> &s;aid the <HI>Philo&s;opher,</HI> we &s;carce learne to live well in the whole &s;pace of our lives; nay, <HI>Tot&acirc; vit&acirc; di&s;cendum e&s;t mori,</HI> &s;aith the <HI>Divine,</HI> our whole life is &s;carce &s;ufficient to learne the art of dying well. Were a <HI>&s;hort prayer,</HI> or a <HI>&s;ingle &s;igh,</HI> a <HI>God for|give me,</HI> or <HI>Lord have mercy upon me,</HI> a <HI>valid</HI> prepa|ration for <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> coming, the work were <HI>ea&s;ie,</HI> and a little time might di&s;patch it; but <HI>be not deceived, God is not mocked.</HI> This great work is not &s;o <HI>facile</HI> a taske. Doe but <HI>ask</HI> the <HI>&s;ervants</HI> of <HI>God,</HI> who have taken much <HI>paines,</HI> and &s;pent many <HI>yeares</HI> in this work, and you
<PB N="29" REF="17">
&s;hall hear them complain, that to <HI>this day,</HI> notwith&s;tan|ding all their <HI>prayers, teares, fastings, watchings,</HI> and <HI>&s;truglings,</HI> they finde them&s;elves very <HI>unready</HI> for death; and is it not a wretched <HI>pre&s;umption</HI> in any man, to think he can <HI>fit</HI> him&s;elfe for <HI>death,</HI> as it were at an <HI>houres warning?</HI></P>
<P>6. <HI>When the Son of man cometh, there will bo no oppor|tunity for the doing of this work: Be you therefore ready.</HI> Likely it is, at the approach of death, many men w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ll be earne&s;t &s;uiters, in <HI>Davids</HI> words, <HI>Oh &s;pare me a little,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 39. 13.</NOTE> one <HI>moneth,</HI> one <HI>weeke</HI> longer; but in vaine; their <HI>re|que&s;t</HI> cannot be <HI>granted,</HI> nor the <HI>time delayd.</HI> Very apt to this purpo&s;e is the &s;tory of S. <HI>Gregory</HI> concerning<NOTE PLACE="marg">Greg Dialog. l. 4. c. 38.</NOTE> ond <HI>Chry&s;orius,</HI> a man as full of &s;in as he was of wealth, who on his dying bed, in a bitter agony of &s;pirit, cryed out, <HI>Inducias vel u&s;&abque; mane, inducias vel u&s;&abque; mane, Truce but till the morning, &s;tay but till to morrow;</HI> but with the&s;e very words he breathed his la&s;t. <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> may &s;ome|times <HI>stay</HI> long <HI>before</HI> he cometh, but <HI>when</HI> he comes he will not <HI>&s;tay</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">&mdash;&s;aith S. <HI>Ba&s;il</HI> excellently, learne to be <HI>wi&s;e</HI> by the <HI>fooli&s;h Vir|gins</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ba&s;. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">om. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">3.</NOTE> example, for whom the <HI>Bridegroome</HI> being come, would not <HI>&s;tay</HI> a moment, and onely <HI>they that were rea|dy went in with him to the Marriage.</HI></P>
<P>7. <HI>Your preparation for, will be no acceleration of Chri&s;ts</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Math. 25. 10.</NOTE> <HI>coming;</HI> and <HI>therefore be you ready.</HI> It is the fond <HI>con|ceit</HI> of many, that if they <HI>think</HI> of, and <HI>prepare</HI> for death, <HI>death</HI> will <HI>pre&s;ently</HI> come to them; upon which ground it is, that they put off the <HI>&s;etting</HI> both their <HI>hou&s;e</HI> and <HI>&s;oule in order;</HI> but let not vain feares beguile thee, thy <HI>death</HI> is not the <HI>nearer,</HI> but onely it will be the <HI>&s;weeter, graemeditati mali mollis ictus,</HI> the <HI>blow</HI> will not come the <HI>&s;ooner,</HI>
<PB N="30" REF="18">
but it will be the <HI>ea&s;ier;</HI> nay, indeed, by being <HI>ready</HI> to <HI>die,</HI> thou art the <HI>fitter</HI> to <HI>live,</HI> and both thy <HI>life</HI> and thy <HI>death</HI> will be the more <HI>comfortable.</HI></P>
<P>8. <HI>Finally, the Sonne of Man's coming will be mo&s;t di&s;|mall and exitiall to all unprepared per&s;ons; Be you there|fore ready.</HI> S. <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tom,</HI> upon the&s;e words conceiveth,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. Chry&s;. in loc. Math. 25. 7. 22. 13.</NOTE> that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> repre&s;enting his <HI>coming</HI> under the re&s;em|blance of a <HI>thief,</HI> checketh our <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">luggi&s;hne&s;s,</HI> who are <HI>le&s;s</HI> carefull to be <HI>ready</HI> again&s;t <HI>Chri&s;ts,</HI> than the <HI>Hou&s;holders</HI> is again&s;t the <HI>Thiefe</HI>'s coming, whereas the <HI>Hou&s;holder</HI>'s danger is onely the <HI>lo&s;s</HI> of his <HI>goods,</HI> or <HI>mo|ney,</HI> or <HI>jewels,</HI> but <HI>ours</HI> of our precious <HI>&s;ouls:</HI> Oh, my Brethren, if <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> when he cometh by death, finde us <HI>unprepared, wo</HI> to us that we were <HI>born,</HI> our ca&s;e will be like that of the <HI>fooli&s;h Virgins,</HI> again&s;t whom the <HI>doore</HI> of <HI>Heaven</HI> was <HI>&s;hut,</HI> and no intreaty could prevaile for the opening of them; nay, like that of the <HI>man,</HI> whom when the <HI>King came in,</HI> he found at the <HI>fea&s;t without a wedding garment,</HI> who was <HI>bound hand and foot, and ca&s;t into utter darkne&s;&s;e;</HI> yea, like that of the <HI>evill &s;er|vant</HI> in the <HI>end</HI> of this <HI>chapter,</HI> when his <HI>Lord</HI> coming, <HI>cut a&s;under, and appointed him his portion with the hypo|crites,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver. 15.</NOTE> <HI>there &s;hall be weeping and gna&s;hing of teeth.</HI></P>
<P>And oh that <HI>any,</HI> or <HI>all</HI> of the&s;e con&s;iderations, might <HI>awaken</HI> our &s;ecurity, and <HI>quicken</HI> our indu&s;try. This <HI>Son of Man</HI> hath been plea&s;ed to <HI>call</HI> upon us <HI>often</HI> for the performance of this <HI>duty:</HI> perhaps he will <HI>come</HI> to &s;ome of us before the <HI>next call:</HI> Oh then, delay no longer, but be we <HI>ready</HI> while&s;t it is called <HI>to day,</HI> and while&s;t <HI>this day</HI> he vouch&s;afeth to <HI>call</HI> upon us. It was an excel|lent &s;aying of an <HI>ancient,</HI> when his corrupt heart <HI>tem|pted</HI> him to <HI>procra&s;tination, I will make u&s;e of the day to</HI>
<PB N="31" REF="18">
<HI>repent in, and leave the morrow to God,</HI> &s;o do thou &s;ay,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Hodie poeniten|tiam ago, craft<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">|num Deo re|linquo. <HI>Apothegm. in Bibl. pat.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Chri&s;t may come to morrow, I will be ready for him to day.</HI> Thus let the <HI>remainder</HI> of out <HI>mortall life</HI> be a <HI>prepara|tion</HI> for <HI>death,</HI> and then our <HI>death</HI> &s;hall be a <HI>preparation</HI> of us for an <HI>immortall life.</HI></P>
<P>To clo&s;e up all, with <HI>reference</HI> to this <HI>dolefull occa&s;i|on,</HI> the <HI>interring</HI> of our di&s;ea&s;ed <HI>Si&s;ters Corps.</HI></P>
<P>In re&s;pect of her <HI>deare friends,</HI> I may very well take up the <HI>latter</HI> part of this <HI>ver&s;e, in an houre when they thought not, the Son of Man came to her;</HI> yea, even then, when they &s;eem'd to <HI>hope</HI> and &s;ay, <HI>the bitterne&s;s of death is pa&s;t,</HI> the <HI>danger</HI> of her <HI>child-bearing</HI> is <HI>over, death</HI> &s;ei|zed upon <HI>her:</HI> But though her <HI>di&s;&s;olution</HI> was at this time <HI>unthought</HI> of by <HI>them,</HI> yet I have good <HI>rea&s;on</HI> to <HI>believe</HI> it was neither <HI>unlooked</HI> nor <HI>unprepared</HI> for by <HI>her,</HI> partly <HI>becau&s;e</HI> as &s;hee, many moneths <HI>before,</HI> knew what an <HI>hazardous</HI> condition &s;he was to <HI>pa&s;s</HI> thorow; &s;o <HI>charity</HI> bids me <HI>hope</HI> that &s;he made <HI>u&s;e</HI> of that <HI>time</HI> to <HI>provide</HI> for the wor&s;t, chiefly <HI>becau&s;e</HI> her <HI>foregoing life,</HI> as to the general <HI>tenure</HI> of it was <HI>unblameable</HI> &amp; <HI>vertu|ous, Et illi mors improvi&s;a, cujus vita f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">it provida,</HI> even <HI>&s;odaine death</HI> cannot be a <HI>&s;ad con&s;equent,</HI> when a <HI>good life</HI> was the <HI>antecedent:</HI> Her <HI>education,</HI> no doubt, was <HI>religious,</HI> being the Daughter of a <HI>reverend Mini&s;ter,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>M.</HI> I&s;aac Col<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">e.</NOTE> now with <HI>God,</HI> and her <HI>conver&s;ation</HI> every way <HI>corre|&s;ponding</HI> to that <HI>education:</HI> Much of her <HI>time</HI> &s;he <HI>em|ployed</HI> in the pious &s;ervices of <HI>reading, meditation,</HI> and <HI>prayer,</HI> not neglecting the <HI>publique</HI> Ordinances, tho&s;e <HI>duties</HI> which belong'd to the <HI>relations</HI> in which <HI>God</HI> had &s;et her, of a <HI>Daughter,</HI> a <HI>Wife,</HI> a <HI>Mother,</HI> a <HI>Mi&s;tre&s;s, Si&s;ter, Neighbour, Friend,</HI> &s;he did not more intelligently <HI>know,</HI> than con&s;cienciou&s;ly <HI>performe.</HI> In a word, like good
<PB N="32" REF="19">
<HI>Mary,</HI> &s;he <HI>cho&s;e that good part,</HI> while&s;t her <HI>adorning</HI> was<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 10. 4<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> Pet. 3. 3, 4.</NOTE> not that <HI>outward adorning of plaiting the hair, wearing of gold, putting on of apparrell,</HI> (in which &s;he onely re|garded <HI>decency,</HI> not affecting <HI>curio&s;ity:</HI>) but to u&s;e <HI>Ter|tullian</HI>'s allu&s;ions, <HI>Sericum pietatis, by&s;sinum &s;auctiatis, purpura pudicitiae, The fine linnen</HI> of <HI>purity,</HI> the <HI>&s;ilke</HI> of <HI>&s;anctity,</HI> the <HI>purple</HI> of <HI>mode&s;ty;</HI> or to follow S. <HI>Peter</HI>'s expre&s;&s;ions, <HI>The hidden man of the heart, and the orna|ment of a meek and quiet &s;pirit, which as in the &s;ight of God is of great price;</HI> &s;o it was the <HI>grace</HI> wherein &s;he <HI>&s;ur|pa&s;&s;ed mo&s;t</HI> of her <HI>&s;ex.</HI></P>
<P>Thus &s;he both <HI>lived</HI> and <HI>dyed like a lamb,</HI> lived <HI>meek|ly,</HI> and dyed <HI>quietly,</HI> lived <HI>obediently</HI> (in &s;ome mea&s;ure) to <HI>Gods commands,</HI> and <HI>dyed &s;ubmi&s;sively</HI> to <HI>Gods de|cree.</HI> Let not then her affectionate <HI>con&s;ort,</HI> and loving <HI>allyes,</HI> mourn over her grave inordinately: She dyed <HI>young</HI> indeed, but yet not <HI>before her time,</HI> becau&s;e not <HI>before</HI> &s;he was <HI>ready</HI> for death; &s;he was <HI>cut down betimes,</HI> but yet <HI>not before &s;he was ripe</HI> for the harve&s;t. Rather then do <HI>you,</HI> nay let all of <HI>us</HI> here pre&s;ent, thinke with our &s;elves (to imitate S. <HI>Peters</HI> words to <HI>Sapphira</HI>) that the <HI>feet of them which has brought her to her long home,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 5. 9.</NOTE> <HI>are at the doore of our hou&s;es, to carry us out al&s;o,</HI> and therefore <HI>every</HI> one &s;o to <HI>lead</HI> our <HI>lives,</HI> and <HI>order</HI> our <HI>conver&s;ations aright,</HI> that at <HI>what time &s;oever Christ</HI> &s;hall by <HI>death approach</HI> unto us, his <HI>coming</HI> may not be <HI>unexpected</HI> to <HI>us,</HI> nor <HI>we unprepared</HI> for <HI>his coming. Amen.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
