Nothing Óaineastomake long the fourth Sunday inLent. Jer.z9; ( 9.91 likecourfedoth theDeuil nowtake with vs.HeBothnot go aboutto perfuade vs (as he did ourLather Adam) that we are immortal! : But in two things he goes beyond vs,and is toocunning for vs. The one,That ourdeath !hall be delayed : God faith, Mersnon tardai, Death lingers not. The Deuil!Cayes, Tardat,Itlingerr.c3Ytoramfaciet,Uléyteric/myLord will delay his comming , ( faid theferuant in the Gofpell.) But this feined fuppo- fitionwas his certaineperdition. Ezechieldidprophecie the ruineofIerufalem, .. and thedeath and deftruâion of her Citilens telling them their defolation wasneere at hand, There !hallnone ofmywordesbeprolonged, but the word which Ea6,ta. I haue fpoken !hallbe done, faiththe Lord God. But theDeuill did otherwife perfuadewith them,making them tofay, The vifton that heefeeth is formanydayes to come, And heepropheciethof the times that are fàrre off. Thewanton wo- man in the Prouerbes,which inuited theYong man to her bedand boord,fought to intice himbythis meanes,Thegoed»nan knot home, beeis gone it longjourney ; Yreu.7, Thereforelet vs take our fill ofloue, &c. From this vaine hopeoflife,arifeth, that our greedineffe and couetoufnelfe to inioyand poffeffethe goodsof this life. Anda little , beeing more than e- nough for him, yet itfeemeth vntoman,muchcannot fuf ice him. And it is an euillthought in man,andmuch to be pittied,that a man fhould aftlie't himfelfe for thatwhich neitherhee himfelfe nor all his poiteride !ballline to enioy. O foolifh man,dooftthouthinke thou (haltreturne to hueagaine 'in thofe goodly houfes that thouhaft buih,and toreinioy thofepleafantgardens , and orchards thatthou haftplanted t No,Butmay ft rather fayto thy felfe, Thefe my eyes !hall neuer feethemmore. Why then fo much carkeandcare, forthree dayes, orthereabouts? TheRomans would not build atemple toDeath,nortopouer- tie,nof Hunger ; Iudging them to bee inexorable gods ; But more inexorable is Death,formanneuerreturns againefromDeath toLife . And therefore the Antients painted Death with the Tallonsof a Griffin. Saint Luke painting foorth the vigilesof the day of Iudgement, and theanguifh and agonie of the World,he faith, that many shallwaxe fearefull , and trouble their headsto fee and thinke on thofethings,Which(hallbefallthewholeWorld. Pondering in that place, thatthey !hall not bee fencibleof their owne proper danger, nor thead- uentur ewherin they (land oftheir faluation,orcondemnation;& yet ceafe notto afflict themfelues with the lolfe c fthe World,andthat theworld (hall beconfu medandbenomore. But ôthou foolìfhman, ifthoumull dye & return thither nomore,what is the world to thee r when thou artat anend,theWorld is ended with thee. And if thoubeeft notto inioy it anymore,what is it to thee , if God doe vtterlydeftroy it Andall thefe euils arifefrom the forgetfulnelfeof Death. Flee lines fecure we tttoulá (bí from Danger, that thinkesvpon the preuenting of Danger. Saint Chryfoflome it alwaics be- expounding that placeof Saint Luke, He that willfollow memull takevp his Crolli fore our eyes. daily, and fit come after mee Signifying that what our Sauiour pretended,was, That we (hould aiwayes haue ordeath beforeoureycs. I dyedayly (faith the ,. Cdr. ,s, bleflèdApoftle Saint Paul) My imaginationworkes thatdayly vpon mewhich (whenmy timeis come) Death fhall eflè&. There is no difficultie that is runne through at the first dafh,and there is not any difficultie fo hardto paffethroughas Death. A Shooe-maker that hemay not looktheleaft peece ofhis leather or makeany waft ofit,cafts about how he may beltcut it out toprofit,& triesit first by force paper pattern, &c.. Plutarch reporteth of lalins Cafar, that hebeeing demaunded whichwasthe beltkindof Death c Anfwered, That which isfud- detf
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