Death's alarum: or, Security's vvarning-piece. A sermon preached in S. Dionis Back-Church, at the funerall of Mrs. Mary Smith (daughter of Mr. Isaac Colfe, formerly minister of Gods Word at Chadwell in Essex, and late wife of Mr. Richard Smith of London, draper) who dyed the 9th. day of Novemb. 1653. and was buried the 16th of the same moneth. By Nath: Hardy, Mr. of Arts, and preacher to that parish. Hardy, Nathaniel, 1618-1670. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A87089 of text R206763 in the English Short Title Catalog (Thomason E725_4). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 82 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 19 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A87089 Wing H714 Thomason E725_4 ESTC R206763 99865869 99865869 118120 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A87089) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 118120) Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 112:E725[4]) Death's alarum: or, Security's vvarning-piece. A sermon preached in S. Dionis Back-Church, at the funerall of Mrs. Mary Smith (daughter of Mr. Isaac Colfe, formerly minister of Gods Word at Chadwell in Essex, and late wife of Mr. Richard Smith of London, draper) who dyed the 9th. day of Novemb. 1653. and was buried the 16th of the same moneth. By Nath: Hardy, Mr. of Arts, and preacher to that parish. Hardy, Nathaniel, 1618-1670. [4], 32 p. Printed by J.G. for Nath: Web, and Will: Grantham at the sign of the Bear in S. Paul's Church-yard neere the little North Doore., London, : 1653. Annotation on Thomason copy: "December. 21.". Reproduction of the original in the British Library. eng Smith, Mary, d. 1653 -- Death and burial. Bible. -- N.T. -- Mathew XXIV, 44 -- Sermons. Funeral sermons -- 17th century. Death -- Early works to 1800. Sermons, English -- 17th century. A87089 R206763 (Thomason E725_4). civilwar no Death's alarum: or, Security's vvarning-piece.: A sermon preached in S. Dionis Back-Church, at the funerall of Mrs. Mary Smith (daughter of Hardy, Nathaniel 1653 12784 115 65 0 0 0 0 141 F The rate of 141 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the F category of texts with 100 or more defects per 10,000 words. 2007-05 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2007-06 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-04 Elspeth Healey Sampled and proofread 2008-04 Elspeth Healey Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-09 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion DEATH'S ALARUM : OR , SECVRITY'S WARNING-PIECE . A Sermon preached in S. Dionis Back-Church , at the Funerall of Mrs. Mary Smith ( Daughter of Mr. Isaac Colfe , formerly Minister of Gods Word at Chadwell in Essex , and late Wife of Mr. Richard Smith of London , Draper ) who dyed the 9th . day of Novemb. 1653. and was buried the 16th . of the same MONETH . By NATH : HARDY , Mr. of Arts , and Preacher to that PARISH . Revelat. 16. 15. Behold I come as a Thief , Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments , lest be walk naked , and they see his shame . Greg. Mag. Hom. 13. in Evang. Horam ultimam dominus noster idcirco voluit nobis esse incognitam , ut semper possit esse suspecta , ut dum illam praevidere non possumus , ad illam sinc intermissione praeparemur . LONDON , Printed by J. G. for Nath : Web , and Will : Grantham at the sign of the Bear in S. Paul's Church-yard neere the little North Doore . 1654. ERRATA . PAge 7. line 22. read from , p. 8. l. 14. blot out the fig. 5. l. 25. for foremarning r. forearming , in marg. bl . out est . p. 12. l. 30. for soules r. skulls , p. 14. l. 2. for so r. to , l. 14. for {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} r. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , p. 15. l. 16. after readiness adde consisteth , p. 24. l. 11. before sense r. high , l. 12. blot out high . To the Reverend Mr. Abraham Colfe , Minister of Lewisham in Kent : After the numbring of many yeares on EARTH , yeares without number in HEAVEN . Worthy SIR , UPon your first motion of publishing this Sermon , I took it into a serious review , and finding the notions very common , and the expressions home-spun , I adjudged it unworthy to survive ( except in the memories of the Auditors ) that houre wherein it was preached : But being loath to deny your desire , I resolved to deny my owne judgement , and withall , hoping it may prove usefull ( though not to informe the judgement , yet ) to awaken the conscience of the Reader , I am willing to hazard my owne reputation , if I may advance the edification of others . That which ( Reverend Sir ) I conceive to be a subordinate end in your intention , is to testifie your abundant ( yet deserved ) respects to your deceased Neece , in taking care that whilest her body rots her name might live ; and surely , since the memory of the just is blessed , an endeavour to perpetuate it is pious . Praise-worthy then is your regard of her memory , but much more commendable is that course which you have taken for preserving your owne , by an eminent and lasting * act of charity , for which the generations to come shall call you blessed . Indeed by this worthy work you have honoured the Parish whereof you have been , and are a carefull watchman ; the Church of England , to which you have been an obedient Son ; the Gospel , of which you have beene a laborious Preacher ; and Protestant Religion , of which ( I trust ) you are a sincere Professor . And truly , both the present and future ages will be very ingratefull , if they shall not highly honour so munificent a Benefactor . However ( I hope ) you have so learned Christ , as not to make mens applause the scope at which you aime , or marke whereat you shoot , well knowing that vaine-glory sullyeth the splendour , and evacatueth the reward of our best actions , turning Christian charity into pharisaicall hypocrisie . To Gods mercifull acceptation ▪ and gracious remuneration ( I doubt not , good Sir ) but you commend your pious and charitable designe , who ( though men should ) will not be unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love . To his powerfull protection and most wise direction , I commend both you and your endeavours , who will not forsake you now you are aged , but preserve you to his heavenly Kingdome . To whom be glory for ever and ever . AMEN . I subscribe my self ( Sir ) A cordiall honourer of your Vertues , NATH : HARDY . MATH : 24. 44. Therefore be ye also ready , for in such an houre as you think not , the Sonne of Man cometh . THis Chapter is a Sermon , The Preacher whereof was no other than the Lord of Preachers and great Prophet of his Church : The Theame whereabout it is conversant is his coming , and that in a way of Judgement . And those two genuine parts of a Sermon , Explication and Application divide the Chapter : The former describeth the signes and manner of his advent , from the first verse to the 42. The latter prescribeth an expectation of , and preparation for it , from the 42. to the end . The Text I am now to handle lyeth within the compasse of the latter and most practicall part of the Sermon : in which , ( the designe of our blessed Saviour being to urge a watchfull readinesse for his coming ) he pursueth a double Metaphor ( couching logicall reasons under rhetoricall allusions ) the one in the following verses , the other in the foregoing . The subsequent similitude is borrowed from a servants behaviour in reference to the coming of his Lord . No Topicks more prevailing , especially with vulgar judgements , than those which are drawne à commodo & incommodo , from the danger or benefit , detriment or emolument that accrueth by the neglect or performance of that to which we perswade , upon which account it was that Catiline said to his Souldiers , Quem neque gloria neque pericula movent , nequicquam hortere , That man is unperswadable who can neither be affrighted nor allured : both these arguments Christ is here pleased to make use of , at once representing the comfortable felicity of a vigilant , and the dolefull , nay dismall misery of a secure servant , when their Lord shall come . The precedent resemblance is seemingly very harsh , and yet really very fit , wherein you find mention made of an Housholder and a Thief , yea ( which is the Riddle ) Christ compared to the Thief , and his Disciples to the Housholders . That those who are ( most justly ) afterwards called servants , should here be termed Housholders , is somewhat strange , and yet this in some respect is very congruous ; since every mans body is an house wherein he dwelleth , his thoughts , words , and actions , are as his family , which he must governe , and his soule , more worth than a world , the treasure which he is to take care of . But though this part of the comparison may admit of a favourable construction , yet the other seemes altogether incompatible . Methinks when I read Christ resembling himself to a Thief , I am ready to say , as once S. Peter in another case , Be it far from thee , Lord , this shall not be unto thee . Blessed Jesus , thou thinkest it no robbery to be equall with God , and dost thou here , as it were , equalize thy selfe to a robber ? thou callest thy self , and not without good reason , a little after this , Lord , and can the Lord of the house become a Thief , the Owner a Robber ? Thou didst tax the Multitude for coming against thee as a Thief , and doest thou here speake of thy selfe 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 so injurious to thy self , as to cloath thy self under the appellation of a Thief ? Rather ( to allude to S. Paul's expression ) Let Christ be true , and every Man a thief . Indeed , well may the thief lye at our doores ; our first Parents were robbers in eating the forbidden fruit , and wee , their unhappy Progeny , are no lesse guilty , not onely in their loynes , but in our owne persons , by uncharitablenesse , by sacriledge , by idlenesse , and prophanenesse : but as for the innocent Messiah , what hath he done that may deserve the title of a Thief ? To all this the answer is easie , if we consider that it is not a charge or accusation , but onely an allusion or comparison . Christ doth not make himselfe the same with , because he likens himselfe to a thief , nor indeed , is it himselfe ▪ but rather his advent , which is here compared to the coming of a Thief . But it will still be objected , how can this be verified ? We elsewhere finde Christ plainely opposing his to a thiefe's coming , The thief cometh not but to kill and steale , and destroy , but I come , saith Christ , that they may have life . True , but that is spoken of his first coming , which was in mercy . It may be replyed , this cannot be asserted of his coming in displeasure , since the coming of a thief is to take from men their owne , to doe wrong , to injure the innocent ; whereas the coming of Christ is , like that of a Iudge , to give every man his owne , to doe right , to punish the nocent ; and these two are so far from being like , that they are directly contrary . To unfold this riddle , therefore , you must know , that this expression is parabolicall ; and parables , like knives , cut onely in the edge , to wit , the scope : now his aime in likening this advent●o that of a thief is onely to take in the consideration of the time . Excellent to this purpose is that of Simon de Cass●a , Similitudo Christi ad furem non est personae ad personam , nec negotii ad negotium , sed temporis ad tempus , The parallel here holdeth not between person and person , or businesse and businesse , but betweene time and time ; and therefore the Apostles , Paul and Peter , though ( after Christs example ) they are bold to use this allusion , yet with an explicatory addition , where they say , The Lord cometh as a thief in the night ; and thus it fitly agreeth , since as the coming of a thief in the night is unexpected , because the good-man of the house is then asleep , & thinketh not of it ; so is oft times , especially to wicked men , the coming of Christ ; and that this is the meaning of the Protasis in the former , appeareth by the Apodosis , or reddition of the similitude in this verse which requireth our constant preparednesse , because of his sodaine coming , Be you therefore ready , for in an houre , &c. The words ( if taken in their fullest latitude ) present us with foure considerables : Here is , 1. An Advent supposed in the last word Come , and what coming of Christ is here intended would be a little enquired into : To cleare which we must distinguish of those severall comings which are attributed to him in Scripture , nor can they ( in my weak capacity ) be more clearly differenced , than by considering a salvificall and a judiciall advent of Christ , and each of these as both visible and invisible . Christs coming to save is either in the flesh , or in the spirit ; his first coming into the world , and his daily coming into our hearts , are in their prime intention salvfiicall ; his visible coming was to be the Sonne of Man , that in our nature he might purchase salvation for us ; his invisible is by his spirit , to make us the Sonnes of God , and thereby apply this salvation to us ; but neither of these can be here meant , since his coming in the flesh was already past , whereas he speaketh of a future advent ; nor can wee make our selves ready against his coming in the spirit , but it is the coming of the spirit which must inable us to make our selves ready . Passe we on therefore to his judiciall coming , which is either generall or speciall , personall or virtuall , and so visible or invisible . There shall be at the end of the world , a glorious coming of Christ in person , to execute a manifest and righteous judgement upon all mankinde , rewarding every man according to his works ; in the meane time , Christ cometh in his power by secondary instruments to every particular man , and sometimes to whole nations : in which respect , when by plague , famine , and warre , Kingdomes are destroyed , and when by casualties , or sicknesse , persons are cut off , Christ is said judicially to come to them : Now all these , after a sort , and in some sense , may be here understood , That coming of Christ , which is literally and most properly meant , is , doubtlesse , his coming by Titus Vespasian against Jerusalem , to overthrow it , and thereby bring vengeance on the Iewes , for their most unjust and ungratefull murther of him . But though this be the literall and primary sense , yet it will not ( I conceive ) be denyed by any , but that many of the things mentioned in this Chapter are , or at least , may be applyed to that last coming of Christ , since we may look upon that destruction of Ierusalem as an Emblem of the worlds judgement ; and yet ( to draw nearer this present occasion ) the latter part of this chapter , and so this verse may morally be accomodated to the particular coming of Christ , by death , to every person : in reference to which , the counsels here given are very pregnant and apposite . 2. Next to the advent supposed , is observable , the person characterised , by this appellation , the Son of Man , a title which our blessed Saviour very often giveth to him selfe , thereby setting us a pattern of humility , in having low conceits , and using mean expressions concerning our selves . But that which would here be considered , is upon what account he calleth himselfe by so mean a title , when he speaketh of so glorious a coming . If you cast your eyes on the 42. verse , you shall there finde him using the magnificent title of a Lord , a terme , as most truly agreeing to him , so best fitting his advent , wherein he manifested himselfe as a Lord punishing his Rebels ; but yet it is not without a reason , that having called himselfe Lord , before , he stileth himselfe , the Sonne of Man ; here , namely , to prevent the scandall which might be taken at the meannesse of his present condition : likely it is that the tenuity of his externall aspect rendered his prediction contemptible . What need we regard the words , or feare the threats of this Carpenters Sonne ? might the Iewes say , at least within themselves . To prevent which , Christ is pleased to call him selfe the Son of Man , as if he would say , in answer to such an 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 self upon my enemies . 3. The third observable is the time of this persons advent specified , and that to be both speedy , and sodaine , in an houre when you think not ; speedy , because in an houre , one of the shortest dimensions of time ; it may be long before Christ come , but when he cometh he will not be long about it , and therefore he saith , not in a yeare , or a moneth , or a day , but an houre ; nor is it onely speedy , but sodaine , because in an houre men think not of , and by this , an addition is made to the preceding expression , in that parallel verse , there it is , you know not in what houre , and that lets us see how secret death is from , and therefore how uncertaine it is to all men ; here it is in an houre you thinke not , which lets us see how sodaine , and therefore unexpected it is to many men . 4. The last particular ( according to this Retrograde , yet Logicall order ) considerable is , the inference deduced , what conclusions must be drawne from these premisses , what effect these considerations of the thing , person , and time , ought to work upon us , and that is in these words , be ye therefore ready , namely , to have all things fitted before Christ cometh , that we may have nothing to doe when he cometh , but to meet him . That which he calleth for in the forementioned verse , is watching , that which he requireth here is readinesse ; two phrases , one whereof explaines the other . On the one hand , lest the command of watching alwayes might seeme impossible , Christ sheweth , that the continuall watching he expects , is onely so farre as to put our selves in a ready posture , that we may not have grace to get when we should spend it . On the other , lest we should think it enough to watch , that is , think of his coming ; he calleth upon us not onely to watch , but to be ready , injoyning such an expectation of , as leads us to preparation for his coming . 5. Time will not give me leave to insist on each of these particulars , and therefore I shall contract the foure to two , and dichotomizing the Text , here is observable in it , Praedictio eventus , A Prediction of something to come to passe , In an houre you think not , &c. Praescriptio operis , A Prescription of something to be done , Be you therefore ready : Or , if you will , here is Praemonitio periculi , A Danger forewarned , In an houre you think not , &c. Admonitio officii , A Forewarning advised , Be you therefore ready : Yet once more , The two important truths of this Scripture , are , Inopinatus Christi adventus , The sodainnesse of Christs coming , In an hour you think not , &c. Necessarius Christiani apparatus , The necessity of the Christians preparing , Be you therefore ready . Between these two I shall divide the following discourse , beseeching this Son of man that he would in this houre , by his spirit , come into our hearts , that every one of us may be swift to heare , and ready to receive these divine Lessons : And so I begin with the Sodainesse of Christs coming , in an houre which you think not the Sonne of Man will come : This is that truth which S. Paul excellently exemplifieth , When they shall say peace and safety , then sodaine destruction cometh upon them , as Travell upon a Woman with Childe ; when men say peace and safety , they little dreame of warre and ruine , paine cometh oft-times upon the woman in the street , at the table , in an houre when she least thinketh on it . Such is Christs coming , especially to carelesse and secure sinners : That expression of the Prophet Jeremy may not unfitly be made use of to this purpose , by way of illustration , when he saith , death is come up into our windows ; the true man cometh in at the doore , but the thief at the window ; coming in at the doore is usuall , but coming in at the window is unexpected ; So is Christs coming to men by death in such a way , at such a time as is unlooked for ; This truth is that which our Lord himselfe elsewhere illustrateth by the metaphor of a snare , and that day is said so to come , for its secrecy and unexpectednesse ; Agag flattereth himselfe , that the bitternesse of death is past , and then Samuel giveth order to hew him in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal : and usually , when men think death the farthest off , it is the nearest to them . To inlarge this more particularly , be pleased to take notice , that there is a foure-fold hour wherein men usually make no account of Christs coming by death , and yet in which Christ frequently cometh to men , to wit , hora carnalis voluptatis , mundanae prosperitatis , corporalis sanitatis & juvenilis aetatis , the houre of carnall pleasure , of worldly prosperity , bodily health , and youthfull age . 1. The houre of carnall pleasure is a time wherein death is scarce at all thought upon . While the ambitious Statist is climbing high , he dreameth not of falling low into a grave ; whilst covetous Mammonists are heaping up thick clay , they think not of being themselves made an heap of dust ; and whilest voluptuous Epicures are feeding on dainties , and dallying with Dallilah's , they seldome make account of conversing with , and being fed upon by Wormes ; in this respect , no doubt it is , that our Saviour warneth his Disciples , Take heede to your selves , lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkennesse , and cares of this life , and so that day come upon you unawares , thereby intimating that this day cometh unawares upon them , who are plunged into the cares and delights of this life , and yet even in this houre the Sonne of Man is pleased to come and arrest presumptuous sinners . Belshazzar is quaffing in his Cups , carousing with his Companions , when as in that selfe-same hour came forth the fingers of a man writing upon the wall the destruction of him and his Kingdomes . Herod is glutting his aspiring humour with popular applause ( forgetting in the pride of his heart , both God and himselfe ) when as by a strange judgement he is immediately devoured by worms alive , and giveth up the Ghost . Finally , worldly men spend their dayes in getting wealth , and in a moment they goe downe to the grave . The coming of the Floud upon the old World is a litttle before made an Emblem by Christ of his coming , and ( that as the amplification demonstrateth ) in this very particular , as the Floud came upon the old World , when they were so farre from fearing ruine , that they were eating , and drinking , and giving in marriage : So doth Christ seize upon sinners in the midst of their delights , whilst they are indulging to their lusts . 2. The houre of worldly prosperity is a time wherein men are very regardlesse of Christs coming : in affliction and misery many wish for death , but in enjoyments and prosperity they scarce think of it ; when the Sun shone so bright upon Sodome in the Morning , they little expected to be consum'd by a dismal fire from heaven before Evening : when the world is flowing in upon a man , it is very hard to intertaine thoughts of going out of the world . If the Mountaine be strong , even David is ready to say , I shall never be moved : no mervail if presumptuous Babylon being in her chaire of state , say , I sit a Queene and am no Widdow , and shall see no sorrow . But yet very frequently , this is the houre wherein Christ cometh ; so the threatning runneth against both literall and misticall Babylon , Evill shall come upon her in a moment , in one day : and so it was verified in the rich Fool , who bidding his soul to take its ●ase , by reason of his worldly abundance , had that very night his soule required of him , and carryed to torment . 3. The houre of bodily health and strength is a time in which men cast the thought of death behind them , whilst they have colour in their faces , agility in their joynts , appetite in their stomacks , health in their bodies , How rare are their Meditations on Death ? Go preach your Lectures of Mortality ( say they ) to the weake , and the lame , and the sick ; as for us , wee have no reason to trouble our selves with such melancholly thoughts : What do you tell us of dying and rotting in the grave ? whilest our bones are moystned with marrow ? We feel no infirmity , and therefore feare not mortality : And yet how often doth Christ come by death in such an houre ? one dyeth ( saith Job ) in his full strength , being wholly at ●ase and quiet , his breasts are full of milk , and his bones are moystned with marrow : How many valiant and stout men hath death laid upon their backs , on a sodaine tripping up their heeles ? Have you not sometimes seene a sturdy Oak quickly blown downe by a violent winde ? a strong and tall Vessell presently sunke by a leake ? So are oft-times men snatched away in the strength and vigour of their body , by death . 4. The houre of Youthfull age is a time wherein few make account of dying ; It is soone enough ( say young men ) to thinke of our death in the day when desire shall 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 house shall tremble : these gravecloths are too sad for the freshness of our life , we are young , and may see many a fair yeare passe over our heads before death cometh , and therefore think not that like the mad man in the Gospel we will spend our life among the tombs . But alas ! how frequently , even in this houre , doth the Sonne of Man come : In Golgotha ( saith the Hebrew Proverb ) there are soules of all sizes , and our weekely bills , for the most part , afford a greater numbers of dead Children than aged men . The Poets have a fable , that Death and Cupid lodging together at an Inne , exchanged their arrowes , whereby it hath since come to passe , that many times Old men dote , and Young men dye . The truth is , death doth not summon us according to our yeares , even the blossome is subject to nipping as well as the flower to withering . That threat which Almighty God denounceth by the Prophet Amos , is very often in this morall sense made good , I will cause the Sun to goe downe at noone ; nay , not onely so , but even in the morning of youth doth the Sunne of many a mans life goe down . To apply this , let it then be the care of every one of us that Christs coming may not be to us in an houre wee think not of , and to that end , let no houre , at least , day of our life passe without a serious thought of the day and houre of our death ; Larkes in Theocritus are called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} because they carry the forme of a Sepulchre upon their heads . Such should all Christians be , having permanent impressions of death , not on but in their heads and hearts . The Indian Gymnosophists were so much in love with these thoughts , that they caused their graves to be made before their gates , so as both at their going out and coming in they might be put in minde of their death : and truly , however the most men in the days of their vanity , account a life spent in meditation of death to be a miserable life , a death rather than a life ; yet when the time of their death approacheth , they will change their note , and say as dying Theophilus did of devout Arsenius , Beatus es Abba Arseni , qui semper hanc horam ante oculoshabuisti , They are happy men who set death daily before their eys . Indeed , by this meanes the coming of Christ , as it will not be altogether sodaine , so neither terrible to us , nor can any man ( so use S. Cyprians words ) receive comfort at his death , who did not before make account of dying . A late writer hath , in this respect , piously fancyed , that Clocks were invented to minde us not so much of the Sunne 's motion in the Heavens , as the passing of our life here on Earth : Since the sounding of the clock telleth us that the past houre is as it were dead and buried , which at some time , or hour of some day or other , must be our lot . Oh then , what ever our present condition is , let us still entertaine thoughts of our latter end : Art thou in health and strength , remember , a wise and good man , even then ( as Gregory Nazian. saith ) {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} will looke both upwards to heaven , and downewards to his grave . Doest thou enjoy the pleasures of life ? learn of Joseph of Arimathea to make a tombe in thy garden , and season thy delights with thoughts of thy dissolution . Finally , art thou advanced to an high estate in this world ? forget not how low thy highnesse must come ere long , and what one was appoynted to have in his hands at the inauguration of the Graecian Emperours , namely , in the one a burning firebrand presently consumed , and in the other a vessell full of ashes , and dead mens bones , have thou in thy heart by renewed meditations of thy mortality . To close up this part , It is reported concerning the Maids in the Isle of Man , that the first thing they spin is their winding-sheete , which they weare about them as a girdle at their feasts : well were it , if we would in the midst of all our enjoyments , gird our selves about with our winding-sheets , fixing our thoughts upon our end , that so by this meanes we may not have cause at last to sigh forth the foole's words , Non putaram , I did not think my death had been so neare : Blessed is that man , whom Christ , when he cometh by death , shall finde , not as Jaell did Siserah , asleep , but as Jonathan's arrow came to David standing in the field , and looking for it , yea , so looking , as to bee fitting himself , which leads to the Preparednesse required in every Christian for this coming , Be you therefore ready . For the better and clearer dispatch of this , I shall endeavour both to unfold the nature , and press the practise of this duty . 1. To illustrate the nature of this preparation , be pleased to observe both the intent of the thing , and the extent of the time ; by the former we shall see wherein this readinesse , and by the latter when it ought to bee performed . 1. The duty it self being of very weighty importance , It should be a little inquired into , what things are requisite to denominate a man ready for Christs coming . The severall metaphors of a Bridegroome , of a Lord , and of a Thiefe , under which the coming of Christ is represented to us , may very fitly be made use of to this end and purpose . 1. They are ready for the coming of the Bridegroom , who have on their wedding garment . And this is no other in a spirituall sense than that white rayment , to wit , of Christs righteousnesse , apprehended by faith , which our blessed Lord adviseth the Church to buy of him : indeed , when death ▪ cometh it will strip us of all other induments ; Job saith of himselfe ( and it is no more than what every man shall finde true ) Naked came I forth of my Mothers womb , and naked shall I returne thither , onely of this garment it cannot bereave us ; and he alone , who is thus clothed , may , with comfort , look death in the face . 2. Againe , he is ready for the coming of his Lord , who hath discharged the trust reposed in , and improved the stock left with him by his Lord . Indeed , thus to doe in reference to God exactly , is impossible , but yet this to endeavour is necessary : 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 conscience in all things . When the Lord cometh he expects an account of the Servants receipts , and disbursments , and how unfit will the idle or wastfull servant bee to make up his account ? That life must needs render a man unprepared for death , which is spent in doing nothing , or that which is worse than nothing , in abusing the mercies we receive , to the dishonour of him , who hath bestowed them on us . Finally , he is ready for the coming of a Thief , who keepeth himselfe and his family waking , hath his doore locked , bolted , and barred , and is furnished with weapons both of defence and resistance ; So must we prepare our selves for Christs coming , by awaking our soules out of carnall and sensuall security , by keeping our hearts with all diligence , and by putting on the whole armour of God ; the condition of that man will be very sad , whom death findes asleep in sinne , without a spirituall guard , and destitute of those graces , which should arm him against its venomous sting . If you desire a more distinct explication of this preparation , let Christ be his owne expositor in that elegant Scripture , where he adviseth his Disciples to have their Loynes girt , and their Lamps burning ; The worke of preparation for death is both privative and positive , in removing what may hinder us , and procuring what may enable us to meet Christ at our death , with comfort . Both these we are taught under those metaphoricall allusions , the former in the girding of our Loynes , the latter in the burning of our Lamps . 1. To be ready , is to have our Loynes girt ▪ where by Loynes we may very well understand , our affections and lusts , which are to be girt , by repentance and mortification . The sting of death , saith S. Paul , is sinne , so that we are never fit to dye till we have taken out the sting by subduing sinne ; he that liveth in any lust is so farre from being armed for death , that he armeth death against himselfe ; death is a journey , called therefore a going to our long home ; but how shall he be fit to go this journey , who hath not laid aside the weight of sinne , and girded up his loynes , which will be a sore impediment to him ? More especially , this girding of Loynes may referre to the expelling of worldly love out of our hearts . To this purpose , both that action of Christs drinking Vinegar , and those words of his , It is finished , immediately before his death , are not unfitly moraliz'd , to teach us that by despising the world as vaine and bitter , we are more prepared for the finishing of our life . Oh how unwilling is he to goe out of the world , whose heart is glued to it ? And therefore let it be our wisdome to hang loose in our affections from all earthly relations , that as Seneca divinely , if we be called to it ; Nihil nos detineat , nec impediat quo minus parati simus , quod quand●que faciendum , statim facere , no worldly thing may hinder us from being ready to do that presently , which must be done at some time . 2. To be ready , is to have our Lamps burning , to wit , the Lamp of our Soule , burning with the graces of Gods spirit ; the Lamp of our Life , burning in the exercise of good works towards God and man . Certainly he is very unfit to dye , who hath not yet begun to live ; thy condition must needes be desperate , if the lamp of thy life be put out before the lamp of grace be kindled : S. John saith of them who dye in the Lord , their works follow them , to wit , those good works which have gone before their death in the course of their lives ; he onely is fit to meet Christ in death , who can say to him in Hezekiah's words , Remember , Lord , how I have walked before thee in truth , and with a perfect heart : a renewed nature , and a reformed life are the best preparatives to a comfortable and happy death . 2. You see the duty it selfe : The next thing to be considered is , the time when we should make our selves thus ready ; it is that which must by no meanes be left out , since though we all agree about the thing , yet we differ about the time , we must be ready for Christs coming , that is acknowledged , but when we should goe about it , is not so easily determined . The answer to this is not expresly given in the text , but yet manifestly implyed in the context , since the housholder no● knowing when the thief will come , & knowing he will come , is alwayes expecting and providing for him : and indeed this we shall finde in the ●parallel Scripture expresly supplyed , where our Saviour bids his Disciples to watch and pray {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} alwayes . It is that then which ought to be the wisdome of every Christian , alway to be in a readinesse for the coming of Christ : suitable to this is that resolve of holy Job , when hee saith , All the dayes of my appointed time I will wait till my change come ; not onely one , or a few , or some , but all his dayes were dayes of watching for the approach of his change , according to which is that counsell of S. Basil , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , we must every day of our life be in a posture ready to goe out of this life , if our Lord require us . To cleare this more fully in two particulars : 1. We must begin betimes to make our selves ready . It is an undoubted maxime , in re necessaria non d●u deliberandum , where the matter is clearly necessary to dispute much , or deliberate long about it , is both needlesse and dangerous ; nothing of more needfull concernment or greater importance to every one of us , than the being ready for Christs coming : surely then , just it is we should set about it presently , and make it our first businesse . Almighty God in his sublime speech to Job , saith , concerning the warlike horse , that he smelleth the battell afarre off ; what nature teacheth him , let grace us , to smell that encounter we must have with death afarre off long before ( at least in probability ) it will come , and that is , in the dayes of our youth . The life of man is not without good reason compared to a night : Now among the Jewes there were foure watches in the night , the first was called Conticinium , when all things are silent ; the second Intempestum , the unseasonable time of midnight ; the third Gallicinium , which began at the Cock crowing ; the last Antelucanum , about break of day : by these foure watches of the night are morally resembled , the foure ages of mans life , Child-hood , Youth , Man-hood ▪ Old age , and it is worth our observation , that when Christ speaketh of our being ready for his coming , he mentioneth onely the second and the third watch : Thophilact's reason , I confesse , is most probable , because the second and third watches are , as it were ; the dead time of night , when most men are in their soundest sleep , so that he that is wakefull in those watches , may be presumed not to sleep in the first and fourth , and so to be ready in the second and third , is as much as to be alwayes ready ; but there may be another apt allusion to our particular purpose ; as for the first watch he mentioneth it not , because Child hood is in no capacity of performing this duty ( though even then it concerneth Parents to make their Children ready , by bringing them to the Holy Sacrament of Baptisme : ) and as for the fourth watch of Old age , he specifieth not that neither , because Rarissimi sunt qui ad extremum vitae differentes bene operari , inveniuntur ita facientes , They are very rare who are found ready at Christs coming , and yet have not begun before the fourth watch : Let it then be our care to begin at the third watch of Man hood , nay , sooner ▪ at the second watch of Youth , to prepare and provide for Christs coming . Happy is that man who fitteth himself for dying , so soon as he cometh to know that he liveth , and consecrateth the beginning of his rationall life to a religious Meditation of his mortall end . 2. We must hold out to the end of our dayes in this ready posture , daily endeavouring greater measure ▪ of preparation . Those two excuses will be found alike invalid whensoever Christ cometh , Fuisse & futurum esse , I resolved to be ready hereafter , and I was ready heretofore ; since it is neither what thou wouldst be , nor what thou hast beene , but what thou art ; when death cometh Unbend not then the bow of thy pious endevor , till the string of thy life break ; cease not running the race of piety till thou art put out of breath ; be alwaies preparing to meet Christ till he come to thee . It is to this purpose well observed , what a difference there is between the other life and this ; as to that life , it will be sufficient , bene incipere , to begin well ; if we can but enter into that joy of our Lord , it is enough ; he that is once entred into a possession of that blisse , shall goe no more out , but as to this present life , the great care is bene finire , to end well , since incassum bonum agitur si ante vitae terminum deseratur , That work is begun to no purpose , which is left off before it is finished ; no● can this work of preparation be finished , till life be ended . But it may , perhaps , and not improbably , be objected , even by good Christians : Alas , the practise of this duty in this extent , is impossible ; who is there that can at all times so order his conversation , as to be ready for his dissolution ? We meet with many remora's to stop us in , many avocations to turne us aside from this work , the labour of our callings , the care of our families , lawfull recreations , many worldly businesses take up our time , so that we cannot alwayes be at leisure to thinke of , and so provide for Christ's coming . To resolve which doubt , be pleased to take notice of a double preparation for the coming of Christ , to wit , habituall and actuall . Actuall readinesse consists in the exercise of those spiritual graces , and practise , of those religious duties , which are fit for us to be conversant in at the time of our death , such as are selfe examination , penitent humiliation , believing invocation , charitable condonation , and the like ; and truly thus to be alwayes ready , is not possible , nor requisite : It is not possible , for our natures , which at best are but in part renewed , to be wholly taken up with divine performances ; nor indeed is it requisite , since God hath given us time for secular as well as spirituall businesses , yea , for recreation as well as devotion ; and if Christ shall come by death to us when about our civill callings , or lawfull refreshings , our condition were not therefore to be adjudged desperate . Indeed , on the one hand , because death may come at such times , it should be our endeavour , as much as may be , to carry about us heavenly hearts in our earthly employments ; and on the other hand , because the best of us are too deficient in this kinde , we may , nay ought to beg of God ( if it be his will ) that death may rather finde us praying , than playing ; in our chambers , than in our shops ; about devout exercises , than worldly businesses . In this respect , that prayer of the Church ( From sodaine death good Lord deliver us ) which by our arrogant novelists , among other passages of the lyturgie , is causelesly denyed , is fit to be made , not onely by the worst , but by the best of men , to whom death may be , and many times is so sodaine , that they cannot be in an actuall readinesse for it , and therefore if it be ( as doubtlesse it is ) a very desirable thing to have space before our death of renewing our faith , repentance , and charity , yea , and of expressing all these for the comfort and benefit of others that belong to us , it must needes be a fit request for all Christians to put up , that they may be delivered from sodaine death . But besides this actuall , there is an habituall readiness , which referres not to the action but the disposition ; the exercise , but the state of the person ; so that he , who is by faith engrafted into Christ , and by the spirit regenerated to a lively hope , and so in a state of grace , is habitually ready for the coming of Christ , according to this sense Brugensis with others giveth the interpretation of this text , Paratus est qui semper eo statu consistit , quem dominus requirit , qui semper eum vitae tenet statum qui deo gratus , He is ready , who is in that estate which is required by , and will be acceptable to Christ when he cometh to call him . And thus it is our duty to be alwayes ready , not daring to live in a state of impenitency , yea , to give God and our selves no rest , till we have in some measure made our peace with him , through Christ : Looke as when we are enjoyned to pray continually , the meaning is , not that we should be alwayes upon our knees in the continued exercise of that duty , but that we should be frequent in the work , and have a minde disposed to pray upon all occasions ; so when we are enjoyned to be alwayes ready for death , it is not that we should be continually in the practise of those duties , which are proper for a dying man , but that we should every day set some time apart for those exercises , and alwayes be in a regenerate condition , having the graces of faith and repentance really wrought in our souls . By this time , I hope , you see what the duty is , which here our blessed Lord calleth upon his Disciples to perform , what remaineth , but that I now , after Christs example , endeavour to presse the practise of it upon you : And indeed , so much the rather , because it is that wherein I feare the most of us are miserably deficient . It was Tertullian's Character of the Christians in his time , that they were expeditum morti genus , a sort of people prepared for death , and that not onely naturall , but violent , and so in that sense which S. Paul speaks of high concerning himselfe , when he tells his disconsolate friends that he was ready , not onely to be bound , but to die for the name of Jesus , Act. 21. 13. But alas , of how few Christians in our dayes can this be truly said , and that in the lowest sense , the most being so farre from a readinesse to lay down their lives in suffering for Christ , that they are not in a readinesse to meet Christ , if he should come in an ordinary way to take away their lives . Alexander cashiered that souldier , who had his weapons to sharpen when he was to goe to fight : But Lord , how many Christians ( in name ) have the worke of preparation to begin , when their lives are almost at an end , never thinking of doing good , till the opportunity of doing it be past . Suppose , beloved , our Lord Christ should now come against this City , as he did once against Hierusalem , to take vengeance on it and destroy it , in what an unprepared condition should he finde the greatest part of the inhabitants ? some sporting with their wantons , others burying themselves in their chests of gold , some quaffing in their riotous bowles , others belching out blasphemous oathes , the most wallowing in some wickednesse or other ? Nay , to come nearer , suppose Christ should come by death to any of us here present , this night , this evening , this houre , are we ready for him ? could we give up our accounts with joy , and look him in the face with comfort ? I feare the most of our Consciences tell us we should not be able to doe it . Receive then ( I beseech you ) a seasonable word of advice , and think ( for so indeed it is ) that what Christ here saith to his Disciples , he saith to all , Bee you ready , And ( which should render this duty so much the more acceptable to us ) it wants not a therefore to enforce it , indeed there are many and those weighty motives , which may very well inferre the performance of this duty , as not onely usefull , but needfull to be done , and that at all times . For , consider 1. The Son of Man will certainly come at some houre or other ; Bee you therefore ready . In other matters we provide for those things whereof we have at most but a probability , no certainty . The Husbandman plougheth , and tilleth , and soweth his ground against the next yeare , when yet he is not sure to reap the fruit of his labour ; Parents lay up Riches , purchase Lands , build Houses for their Children , though they are not sure they shall enjoy them ; shall we provide for what onely may be , or at most , is but likely to be , and take no care to prepare for what shall certainly be ? That rich man in the Gospel might well be called a foole , when as he took so much care to build large Barnes , and lay up Goods in those barns as a provision for the uncertaine years of his life , but regarded not to make ready for his grave , which he knew to be certain , and proved to be so near . Oh let not us incur this brand of folly by the like incogitancy . 2. At what houre the Son of Man will come , you cannot certainely know ; Bee you therefore ready ; nay , alwayes ready . It is true , Christ will come ; nay , he hath told us he will come ( no doubt for this reason ) that being praemoniti we may be praemuniti , having notice of , we may provide for it ; but when he will come he hath concealed from us ( and doubtlesse for this cause ) that we might alwayes stand upon our guard , and be ready for him . If thy enemy shall say to thee , at such a time , in such a place , I will meet you ; it were enough to be ready at that time ; but if he say , where , or whensoever I meet you , I will set upon you , it concerneth to be alwayes armed for him : Such indeed is both the wisdome and goodnesse of our blessed Lord , that he hath forewarned us of the thing , not of the time , that knowing he will come , and not knowing when , we may be continually prepared . It was the policy of Julius Caesar , never to acquaint his Army before-hand with the time of their march , Ut paratum , momentis omnibus , quò vellet , subito educeret , that they might be ready to march upon all occasions : Such is the wise dealing of Christ with us , and that for our good , not revealing to us the time of our death , that we may never be secure . And therefore ( to use Aulus Gellius his comparison ) as a fencer not knowing at what part of his body the Antagonist will aime , composeth his body and holdeth his weapon , so as he may readily defend any part ; so must we , not knowing in what day of our life Christ will come , so order our wayes , that we may be fitted whensoever he shall come unto us . 3. There is no houre of your life wherein you can assure your selves that the Son of Man will not come : Indeed , as no place can exempt from death's approach , it may come to thee in the Church , in the Street , in the Shop ; in the Field , as well as in the Bed ; so no time can priviledge from death's arrest , in the night as well as in the day , in youth and manhood , as well as old age , Christ may send it to seize upon thee : Hast thou not need then to be every where , and at all times prepared ? Consider this ( oh vain man , whoever thou art ) that puttest off thy preparation in hope that Christ will delay his visitation ; thou purposest to be ready when thou art old ; I , but what if Christ come whilest yet thou art young ? Thou promisest to prepare thy self to morrow ; but what if thou diest to day ? Oh beware that thy promises beare not a date far longer than thy life . It is storied of ambitious Archyas , that having by fraudulent and unjust courses , at length compassed the government of Thebes ; he with his complices kept a riotous feast , in the midst of his intemperance a messenger cometh to him with a letter from a friend , importuning him speedily to peruse it , but he slighting the admonition , and putting it under his pillow , said , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} serious things to morrow , when as the thing , which the letter concerned ▪ was effected that night , to wit , deprivation at once , both of his life and dignity , by a combination of the Citizens . This , this ( my Brethren ) is , I feare , the dolefull case of too many who purposing to be serious and pious hereafter , are snatched away before that hereafter come . Couldst thou , oh man , assure thy selfe ▪ the continuance of thy life for a day , a moneth , a yeare , thou mightest with more pretence of reason defer thy preparation so long ; but Cui sit exploratum se ad vesperum esse victurum , saith the heathen Orator truly , who can assure himselfe he shall live till evening ? nay , who can justly promise to himselfe the next moment ? Be not then so foolish , nay mad , nay bruitish , as ●o live an hour , a moment in the estate wherein thou wouldst be loath to dye . 4. That hour , in which men make least account , is commonly the time of the Son of Man's coming , Be ye therefore ready . Whilest the Croc●dil being asleep openeth his mouth the Indian Rat getteth in and cateth up his bowells ; whilest the Theban Centinel was nodding , Epaminondas came and thrust him thorow ; when men are secure in their sins , death stealeth upon them unawares . At what gate there is the least guard , smallest strength , the besieger maketh his onset , and endeavoureth entrance : Oh feare , lest in that day death approach to thee , wherein thou art most regardlesse of death . 5. All the time alotted you before Christs coming , is little enough for this great work ; Be you therefore alwayes endeavouring to make your selves ready . Tota vita discendum est vivere , said the Philosopher , we scarce learne to live well in the whole space of our lives ; nay , Totâ vitâ discendum est mori , saith the Divine , our whole life is scarce sufficient to learne the art of dying well . Were a short prayer , or a single sigh , a God forgive me , or Lord have mercy upon me , a valid preparation for Christs coming , the work were easie , and a little time might dispatch it ; but be not deceived , God is not mocked . This great work is not so facile a taske . Doe but ask the servants of God , who have taken much paines , and spent many yeares in this work , and you shall hear them complain , that to this day , notwithstanding all their prayers , teares , fastings , watchings , and struglings , they finde themselves very unready for death ; and is it not a wretched presumption in any man , to think he can fit himselfe for death , as it were at an houres warning ? 6. When the Son of man cometh , there will bo no opportunity for the doing of this work : Be you therefore ready . Likely it is , at the approach of death , many men w●ll be earnest suiters , in Davids words , Oh spare me a little , one moneth , one weeke longer ; but in vaine ; their request cannot be granted , nor the time delayd . Very apt to this purpose is the story of S. Gregory concerning ond Chrysorius , a man as full of sin as he was of wealth , who on his dying bed , in a bitter agony of spirit , cryed out , Inducias vel usque mane , inducias vel usque mane , Truce but till the morning , stay but till to morrow ; but with these very words he breathed his last . Christ may sometimes stay long before he cometh , but when he comes he will not stay {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} — saith S. Basil excellently , learne to be wise by the foolish Virgins example , for whom the Bridegroome being come , would not stay a moment , and onely they that were ready went in with him to the Marriage . 7. Your preparation for , will be no acceleration of Christs coming ; and therefore be you ready . It is the fond conceit of many , that if they think of , and prepare for death , death will presently come to them ; upon which ground it is , that they put off the setting both their house and soule in order ; but let not vain feares beguile thee , thy death is not the nearer , but onely it will be the sweeter , graemeditati mali mollis ictus , the blow will not come the sooner , but it will be the easier ; nay , indeed , by being ready to die , thou art the fitter to live , and both thy life and thy death will be the more comfortable . 8. Finally , the Sonne of Man's coming will be most dismall and exitiall to all unprepared persons ; Be you therefore ready . S. Chrysostom , upon these words conceiveth , that Christ representing his coming under the resemblance of a thief , checketh our ●luggishness , who are less carefull to be ready against Christs , than the Housholders is against the Thiefe's coming , whereas the Housholder's danger is onely the loss of his goods , or money , or jewels , but ours of our precious souls : Oh , my Brethren , if Christ , when he cometh by death , finde us unprepared , wo to us that we were born , our case will be like that of the foolish Virgins , against whom the doore of Heaven was shut , and no intreaty could prevaile for the opening of them ; nay , like that of the man , whom when the King came in , he found at the feast without a wedding garment , who was bound hand and foot , and cast into utter darknesse ; yea , like that of the evill servant in the end of this chapter , when his Lord coming , cut asunder , and appointed him his portion with the hypocrites , there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth . And oh that any , or all of these considerations , might awaken our security , and quicken our industry . This Son of Man hath been pleased to call upon us often for the performance of this duty : perhaps he will come to some of us before the next call : Oh then , delay no longer , but be we ready whilest it is called to day , and whilest this day he vouchsafeth to call upon us . It was an excellent saying of an ancient , when his corrupt heart tempted him to procrastination , I will make use of the day to repent in , and leave the morrow to God , so do thou say , Christ may come to morrow , I will be ready for him to day . Thus let the remainder of out mortall life be a preparation for death , and then our death shall be a preparation of us for an immortall life . To close up all , with reference to this dolefull occasion , the interring of our diseased Sisters Corps . In respect of her deare friends , I may very well take up the latter part of this verse , in an houre when they thought not , the Son of Man came to her ; yea , even then , when they seem'd to hope and say , the bitterness of death is past , the danger of her child-bearing is over , death seized upon her : But though her dissolution was at this time unthought of by them , yet I have good reason to believe it was neither unlooked nor unprepared for by her , partly because as shee , many moneths before , knew what an hazardous condition she was to pass thorow ; so charity bids me hope that she made use of that time to provide for the worst , chiefly because her foregoing life , as to the general tenure of it was unblameable & vertuous , Et illi mors improvisa , cujus vita f●it provida , even sodaine death cannot be a sad consequent , when a good life was the antecedent : Her education , no doubt , was religious , being the Daughter of a reverend Minister , now with God , and her conversation every way corresponding to that education : Much of her time she employed in the pious services of reading , meditation , and prayer , not neglecting the publique Ordinances , those duties which belong'd to the relations in which God had set her , of a Daughter , a Wife , a Mother , a Mistress , Sister , Neighbour , Friend , she did not more intelligently know , than conscienciously performe . In a word , like good Mary , she chose that good part , whilest her adorning was not that outward adorning of plaiting the hair , wearing of gold , putting on of apparrell , ( in which she onely regarded decency , not affecting curiosity : ) but to use Tertullian's allusions , Sericum pietatis , byssinum sauctiatis , purpura pudicitiae , The fine linnen of purity , the silke of sanctity , the purple of modesty ; or to follow S. Peter's expressions , The hidden man of the heart , and the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit , which as in the sight of God is of great price ; so it was the grace wherein she surpassed most of her sex . Thus she both lived and dyed like a lamb , lived meekly , and dyed quietly , lived obediently ( in some measure ) to Gods commands , and dyed submissively to Gods decree . Let not then her affectionate consort , and loving allyes , mourn over her grave inordinately : She dyed young indeed , but yet not before her time , because not before she was ready for death ; she was cut down betimes , but yet not before she was ripe for the harvest . Rather then do you , nay let all of us here present , thinke with our selves ( to imitate S. Peters words to Sapphira ) that the feet of them which has brought her to her long home , are at the doore of our houses , to carry us out also , and therefore every one so to lead our lives , and order our conversations aright , that at what time soever Christ shall by death approach unto us , his coming may not be unexpected to us , nor we unprepared for his coming . Amen . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A87089e-480 Prov. 10 ▪ 7. * The building and endowing a free Grammer School by , and Writing-School in the Town of Lewisham , together with an annuall Maintenance for 7. Schollars to be sent from thence to the University . Hebr. 6. 10. 2 Tim. 4. 18. Notes for div A87089e-1580 Salust . Bell. Catilin . Math. 16. 22. Phil. 2. 6. Mat. 26. ● . 27. 38. Rom. 3. 4. John 10. 10. Cass l. 6. c. 28. 1 Thes. 52. 2. Pet. 3. 10. Cum inferre de be●et vi●ilare ●ontim ò id omi●it ne intolerabile quid praecipere videretur sed estote parati , ad significandum continuam vigilantiam esse paratam . Avendan : in Math. Quod superius dix●rat {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} illud jam exponit per {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ille enim vere vigilat qui semper paratus est . Gerard ▪ Contin . 1st . Gen. 1 Thes. 5. ● . Je● . 19. ●● . Significatur inextectata & improvisa Chald●●orum in Jerusalem irrup●io ●● ▪ pot● qui n●● per portas , in quibu● sunt vigiles , fed per ●urorum foenestras clan ▪ culum instar furis irrumpant Lapid in H●er . Luke 21. 35. Tanquā laqu●us ●cil . propter non apparentiam & impraemeditationem . Eu●h . in Ma●h. Luke 21. 34. Dan. 6. 5. Acts 12. 23. Job 21. 13. Verse 38. Psal. 30. 6. Revel. 18. 21. Isa. 47. 7 , 8 , 9. Revel. 18. 9. Luk. 12 ▪ 19 ▪ 20. ●ob 21. 23 , 24. Eccles. 12. 3 , 4. Sic mo●itur juvenis sic moribundus ama● . Dices ●u qui ●● juvenis kondu●●●n●c●ui , noki ergo decip● , non d●●●●itur mors ce●to tempore aetatis , neque ●i●●t co● qui sunt in ipso fine ●tatis . G●●g Nys●ad● ▪ e●s qui ciff . Bapt. orat . Bibl. patr. T. 9 ▪ Ap●th●g● . Nec dignus est in morte acc●p●re solatium qui s● non cogitavit esse moriturum . Cypr. Ep. 5 2. Chrefol . Mystagog . Greg. Naz. Orat. 28. 2d . Gen. Revel. 3. 1● . J●b 1. 21. Per primum prae●●pium jubemur c●hibere nos à malo & impedimenta removere : per sccundum excitamur ad bene operandum . Tole● in Luc. Quid est lumbos ac incto● ? declina a malo : quid lu●●rnas ardentes habere , hoc est & fac bonum . Aug. Serm. 39. de verb . dom . Succ●●gere debemus lumbos id est expediti esse ab impedimentis lasciviosae vi●ae & implicitae . Tertul. contr. Marc. l. 4. 29. Ut divinum illud moriendi exemplum nos admonere● , humanarum rerum contemptum & amaritudinem morti praeire debere ut consumma●i ad mortem obeundam esse videamur . Velasq. in Phil. c. 1. v. 21. Annot. 3● . Sen. Epist. 26. Lucernas ardentes habere , id est mentes a fide accensas & operibu● veri●atis relucentes . Tertul. contr. Marc. l. 4. c. 29. Rev. 14. 13. Isaiah 38. 3. Luke 21. 36. Job 14. 14. Bas. hom 2● . Job 39. 25. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , &c. Theoph. in Luc. Tolet ibid. Ho● diff●rt vitapraesens ab illa quam expectamus , quo●a● totum bonum futurae vitae consistit in hoc quod est recte illam incipe●e praes●ntis vitae bonum : è contra consisti● in rect● finiendo illam , &c. Avend . in Mat. cap. 24. Greg. Mag. Brugens . in loc. Qui rogat semper roge● , etsi non semper precatu● , paratum semper habeat precantis affectum . Ambr. in Ps. 118. Serm. 19. Tertul ●●de spectac . cap. 1. Impii runquam didicerunt bona facere , nisi c●m jam non est tempus faciendi . O ▪ cast . Multi domos aedifican● , cum tamen n●sciant an per unicum diem ea debeans colere , ad incertam vitam parantur , certam mortem non curantes . Stella in Lu● ▪ Si inimicus tuus fic tibi minaretur in tali borá te expecto , sufficeret tibi usque ad illam horam quiescer● : tamen si sic dixisset observa me , nam ubicunque te inv●n●ro te totis viribus invadam ●am tunc nullum tibi qui●tis dabatur tempus Avend . in Math. Aul. Gell l. 13. c. 26. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . Bas. hom 13. Plurarch . in Pelopid . Ci● . de S●nect Stultum in tali ●ta●u vivere in quo quis non aud●● mori . Aug Psal. 39. 13. Greg Dialog. l. 4. c. 38. Bas. ●om . ●3 . Math. 25. 10. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . Chrys. in loc. Math. 25. 7. 22. 13. Ver. 15. Hodie poenitentiam ago , craft●num Deo relinquo . Apothegm . in Bibl. pat . M. Isaac Col●e . Luke 10. 4● . ● Pet. 3. 3 , 4. Acts 5. 9.