546 Deaths Preroarztive. Thirdly, after the ufing of much art in order to his deign, he vvill build the body many (forks high in perfumed Sedreloths. Lafliy, he vvill depofite it in fome dry place, perchance vvherc no earth lhall touch it, left as ill company often folicite good naturesto badncfs,thecorps may be tempted by contiguity to theearth,thefoonerto return toduff. Novv vvhenallthisis done, all in effc& is (till undone,as to the thing undertaken I deny not but that a corps may thus be prefervcd force hundreds; 9r perhaps for Come thoufandr of years. And yet give me leave to fay of fuch a body, minima eftpro, faiipfrus, there it the lea]? of/It/h andbody, in that flefhorbody, the matter thereof infenfibly refolving into duft,and that dull vanithing intonotning,thatdoth appear; fo that the molt ofvvhat retnaineth is the fubl±ance offpicc and fled), and that at Taft paffeth to duff as its general matter. Yea fuck prodigiouscolt of Embalming beftovved on bodies, bath accidentally occafioned their fpeedier corruption. Many a poor mans body bath fiept quietly in his grave vvithout any difturbance, vvhilft the corps of force Egypiian Princes might jultly complain vvith [Teeming some/ to Saul, 1 Sam. 28.15. onhy haft than difgitieted me, to bring me ,.p, their Fingers, and Hands, and Armes, Toes, Feet, and Legs, and 7highs, and all their body, tug'd and torn out oftheir tombs, tumbled and tolledmany hundredmiles by Sea and Land, bought and brought by Drngifts for Mummy, and buried in the bellies ofother men, they it Items being Canibals, vvho feed on mansflelh forfood, though notforPhylick ; all vvhich may feem a jufi judgment of God, on the immoderate colt and curiofìty in their em- balming, as if endeavouring thereby to defeat and fruftrate Gods fentence, and to confute the truth in my Text. Duftchotoart, andunto daft thou /halt return. Ina word, as a loving thild, vvhich is violently kept fromhis tenderMother, vvill vvait and swatch his fistand belt opportunity to return to his Mother again: So e- very mans body is a child of the Mother Earth; and though the vigilant eye, and. povverful hand ofart, endeavourethits utmola todetain this child from the armsof its Mother; maugre all obltru/ion, it will make its vvayuntoher; for dun thou art, and unto draft thou(halt return. Firth Ufe, this teacheth us vvhat to thinkofPopi/h Relicjues, theirPrielt pretend- ing many of their Saints bodies to remain in their lhrines at this day uncorrupted; thus theyfabulouflyreport, that thehand ofSaint King o fwald 1Vullo vermeperii, nulls putredine tobet, Dextra viri, &e. That no vvorm orputrifa&ion tainted his right hand, which had been (`o abun- dantly bountiful to the poor, if fo, he had far better fuccefs, than he vvho vvas a better King and Saint, even Davidhimfelf, 411.13.36. ribo after he hadferved his Generation, was laid to hisfathers,andfam corruption. Butmole ofthefe Popilh for- geries vvere difcovered at the defolution, and fuch bodies found as rotten as their fuperftition vvho adored them. Second Ufe, Seeing it is imponible topreferve our bodiesfrom returning to duff, let us labour to keepourfouls frombeing turnedto damnation. Ecclef. 12.7. Then /hall the daft return to the earth, as it was, and the spirit /hall return to God that gave it. Whereinobferve all Spirits both good and bad, after death return to, as to the Father ofSpirits, to do their homage unto him ; 1 fay, they all inftantly return unto him, from him alone to receive new orders, and in- ftru&ions how, and where he will have them for the futuredifpofed of, in an eter- nity of weal, and woe. Cod grant that our fouls may fo return to God, as never to return from him ; but abide with him in endlefs happinefs. C) confider the worth of your fouls, and value them accordingly. St. e*latthew faith, 16. 26. What is a man profited ifhe float! gain the whole World, and lofe his own Soul? But St. Lufe, Chap. 9. as. bath it, ifhegain the whole world, and lofe him /elf. His bodsis without him, only an appendant, and that feparable, but his Soul is his veryfelt, loft that lofe all. There lived lately in the City ofEseter,aparfonwell known , generally remitted by
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