Meditations touchingVeath. 651 and agreeing the friendsas fouleand body, Ifpeal.eofthemnaturally (the partingofwhom, is like the fiisdringofa!cuingcouple, whohaueliucd toge- rl-crin afwect and amiable league for diuersyeeres; ) the lying inthe graue, there toembrace corruption, and there tobecome a prey to frenchand rotten- neff=,whocanbat abhorre toremember thefe things? Whobutwill beelothto come to it ? Whobut would beeready to pray withDautdwhen heebeholds Death approacbing,Ohflay mea little '? Whobut would hnwerlikeLot when uPfa1,;a,r3. héwas to beegonefrom Sodome f : and likeamalefaaor goingto execution,JGerr,ry, i6, gaine as muchtime as he could ? Butnow thispoint rightly digefled,banilheth thisfeare, and cuenbreaketh 'thenerkeofit,as the Arkeoflehoxah did the Vagora ofthePhiliflims . For fee í now what death is wherereligionis; even asthe aduancemcntoflafrpb, from the flateofaprifoner,to be thePrince ofthe people ". 6Gcn.gr.3 q' Thedaythereof fhall be to themthat feare God like the day ofefcape to thelevees from Haman,afeall anda good day inwhich they lhallhaue beauty i after247. for alhes,and the oylcof gladncf e forthe fpirit ofheauinefiék; then (hall they kEGy feeGod as he is, and knowhmu,as thty are knowoc of him ltloh3,s, Cors3.13 and :`1Q Chap. V I. Theday ofieatb is a time afdifcharge onely to thofe, which hauebeenfin fibleofthe bandage andburdeneftbeir atone curryprion, Anywho haueno rightat all to thiscomfort, areaptto layhold Diremos thereon and they which haue moll: interefl into it, are moll how ro apply y? doubtful! inapplying it. This therefore mull beknowne; that trighr rho g= the dayofa mans death, fhall betohim a dayofinlargement, a £rmcr `"n- ,ft ^' -''- day oflinall difcharge from all,both followingandformer mife -fair, Ties; onely opon this condition, ifinthe timeofhis lifehere, hisbeingfabie& to corruption and finne, bath feemed to himto haue been the greateft bon= dage. Heewhichbath groned, and n:ournedorder his owne naturali corrupe tions; asthe Ifraelitesruder their Epyptian Task-mailers; to him,tohim on- fhall lyt edayofdeathbeadayoffreedome. lfliunebenot nowaburden to thee, ifthou doeft not many timeslament and grienein foule, to thinkehow thonart parried captiueunto rail ; ifthoudoefl not with forrowofheart ferle how thouart clogged with corruption, and hinderedby it from doing that goodwhich thou wouiddftand fhouldefl, certenlydeath will be thebeginning ofthy thraldome, thou haft had thygreateft happineffe in this life: after this life, thou fbaltbe aperpetual! bond_faue vino Satan, inthekingdome ofeter- nall darkneffe. Aneceflsry confideration this is,for thofe who takedelight in euill,to whom it:s turnapaume todot wickedly', who feeke rather how tofarisfie, then nProuao.a3, how to fnppreffe their ownecorruttpptions,and reputeit a kinde ofhappineffe to corn amoll mifcable and owne ndieflè captiuity vnder Satan fhall himetheyhate fet- tledinthe tuftsof finnewhile they lined; his vaffals fhall theybewithout hope ofrelcafinent,world withoutend. I may not then adventure topromife my felfe any difcharge from mifery bydeath,, when myheart cannot tculiflewitii mer inthe fight ofGod, that I ferle finne andcorruption to bee fuchaburthentomee, thatin myfincereft thoughts, I account my fehle an happy man, ifI might oncebee freed. Iffinne be ontome now noencombrance,death í6a!1 hereafter be onto nice no releafe, Nnnq Chap.
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