490 Themcditatiòn ofdeath is theperte Lionof life. Vpon the Thurfdayafter the thought thereofin ourbreafts,that at euery ftepwe forget it. There is not that man aline, whichdoth not feele and experiment death in himfelfe,comply- ingwiththat fèntence ofGod, Morte morierta,Thon(halt dye thedeath. Man is no fooner borne into the world, butdeaths proceffe is out againíthim, which is not long in executing. As the wecke wafteththe candle, the worme the wood, and =Ref t4 the moath thecloath ,fo (as thedifcreete womanof Tekoa faid to Dauid) wee muffdeeds die, andareas waterfpilt on thegroundwhichcannot begathered vpagain. The riuers haue recourfe to the Sea, andarefwallowed vpin the deepe, and this istheendof them; fo is it with our hues, they bend from their verybirth to the bed ofdeath, wileape fromour fwathlingcloathesinto our winding fheete. This is the endof all flefh. Seneca compares this our life to anhoure-glaffe, and as the fand runnesout, fo runnesaway thehonre ;fo as time runnes on , our life runs away; andas it was duff, fo to daftit returnes. When twoShips fayle each byother, it feemeth to them, That theone flyes like anarrowout ofabow, and cuts thewanes with afwift wing, and that the other is a flugge, and fayles very P,oa.3e, (lowly. And therefore oftheway ofa Ship inthe fea, and ofayoungman run- ning on in a wanton courte; whereunto may be added the vncertaintieof the dayofourdeath; Salomon faith, That theywere things too wonderfullfor him) andpaft his findingout. The remem- bräceofdeath affnords two benefits. 2. Red2. Wh v there ward of the bodie is defer red nll theday ofindgement. Nut/1.13. Efferebatur, Hewas carryed out. The wordEfferebatur isworthyour confideration,. itbeing a plot and deuife ofthediuell to carry the dead out of their Cities tobee buried , forto blot the memoryof the dead out ofthe minds of the lining. In the remembrance of deatb,the Saints of God found theft two great benefits. Theone Amendment of life. Theother,Happineffe indeath. Touching the former, it is by one common confent agreed vpon by theFa- thers, That the perfeéìionofour lifedoth confift inthe continuall meditationof death. Plato calledPhilofophie, (Mortismeditationem, Ameditation of death;af- firming, That thewhole leffon ofour life, was tolearn todye. The like faith Gregory Nazianzene, Many Saints and Dotîorshaue deniurr'd vpon thispoint, In that God flioulddeferre till the dayof iudgenrenrthe rewardofthebody, this may feemean inequalitie toTome, but there is noneat all init. For theduff and a(hes ofthebody, doe perfwadeand preach vnto vs the contemptofthe world. Afhel beefing flame by tIbner, lying deadon theground, as manyas came to the place where Afabel fell anddyed,floodRill as menamafed; This is that va- liant Captaine,this thatvndoubted Souldier. There is nothing that doth fo quel the courage ofMan,and daunt his fpirits,as death : it is natures terrour. Thofe Spies that were feat out todifcuuerthe Land of Promife, wereKrucken into a great feare andamafementat the fightof thofehuge andmonftrous Gyants, In comparifonofwhom(laid they) wefeemedas Grafhoppert : Dreading,that they were able todeuoure them aline, and to fwallow them downewhole ; And therefore made this fallerelationat their return,The landthroughwhich wehauegone tofearch it, is landthateatethvp,theInhabitants thereof ; but the people that railed this euill reporr,diedby aPlague. More truly mayit bePaid ofDeath, That bee de- uoureth the Inhabitants ofthe earth, this is he that tameth the fierceft Gyants. ThatdrearneofNebucadonezars, which might haue beene powerfull (recei- ving it byreuelation) tomake him abate his pride, and lay afide his arrogancie ; theDeuill prefenrlyblotted thefe good thoughtsoutofhis remembrance. The like
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