The life of faith in death· Exemplified in the liuing speeches of dying Christians. By Samuel VVard preacher of Ipswich.

THE LIFE OF FAITH IN DEATH.

THat which hath bin already spoken of the Life of Faith, is to the naturall man aboue all Faith. And yet if that bee all it can doe, then is all little better then no∣thing. Say it could fill the minde of man with all content, satiate

his life with all delight, and swee∣ten the bitternesse of all afflicti∣ons, yet if for all this, there lurke in his breast a secret and slauish feare of Death, the least peece of this leauen but in a corner of the pecke, is enough to sowre the whole lumpe of his ioyes: the least dram of this Coloquintida will marre the relish of all his sweetes: and make him crie out, There is death in the pot. And, Oh Death, how bitter is thy mention and memory?

Aske Nature, and call to Philo∣sophy, and see if they can affoord any ayd▪ must they not confesse themselues heere quite posed and plunged? hath not death set & foy∣led their whole army: for pouer∣tie, shame; and sicknesse, and other such pettie Crosses, some poore cures, and lame shifts haue they found out: but when death comes

all their courage hath fayled, and all their rules haue left them in darke and desperate vncertainties. It is possible for Pharaoh with much a do to stand out the stormes of Haile, the swarme of Flies and Lice: but when once the crie of Death is in the houses, then is there no way but yeelding: his Enchaunters and Mountebancks could abide the crie of Frogs and other such vermine; but this Basi∣liske affrights them. Onely Faith takes it by the tayle, handles it, and turnes it into an harmlesse wand, yea into a rod budding with glory and immortalitie.

Quartane agues are not so much the shame of Phisicke, as Death is of all naturall skill and valour. Death is Faiths euill. Faith onely professeth this Cure, vndertaketh and performeth it with the least touch of Christs hand: and that

as familiarly as the richest Balme doth the least cut of the finger. Faith turneth feares into hopes, sighings and groanings, into wish∣ings and longings, shaking and trembling into leaping and clap∣ping of hands.

Alas, all troubles are but as Pig∣myes to this Gyant, who defies all the hoste of Infidels: holds them in bondage all the dayes of their liues: and makes their whole life no better then a liuing Death and dying life. Only Faith encounters this Gyant, singles him out for her chiefe prize, and grapples with him not as a match, but as with a vanquished vnderling: insulting ouer him as much as he doth ouer the sonnes of vnbeliefe: sets her foot vpon the necke of this King of feares, and so easily becomes Conquerour and Emperour of all pettie feares, which are therefore

onely fearefull, because they rend to Death; the last, the worst, the end and summe of all feared euils. Here, and here onely is the incom∣parable crowne of Faith: here on∣ly doth she euidently and eminent∣ly honour her followers, and diffe∣rence them from all others with a noble liuery of true magnanimitie and alacritie.

It is true, if wee had windowes into the breasts of men, a diffe∣rence one might see in the inward bearing of aduersitie: but for the face and outside, both may seeme alike hardy, both may seeme alike resolute: But when it comes to the poynt of Death, then the speech, the behauiour, the coun∣tenance, palpably distinguish the dull patience perforce of the worldling from the cheerfull wel∣come of the Christian. Let Death put on her mildest vizards, come

in the habit of the greatest sicknes, to the stoutest Champion on his owne Downe bed, yet shall his heart tremble and his countenance waxe pale. Let her dresse her selfe like the cruellest Fury: Come with all her rackes, fires, strappadoes, wilde beasts, all her exquisite tor∣tures: Faith will set a woman, or a childe to make sport with her, to dare and to tyre her, and her tor∣mentors.

Alas what doe they tell vs of their Socrates, their Cato, their Se∣neca, and a few such thinne exam∣ples which a breath will rehearse, a fewe lines containe their poore ragged handfull, to our Legions, whose names or number one may as soone reckon as the sand of the Sea shore: theirs a fewe choyce men of heroycall spirits trayned vp either in arts or armes: Our of the weakest sexes and sorts, onely

strong in the Faith: theirs either out of windy vaine-glory childish∣ly reckoning of a short death and a long fame, or out of blockish ig∣norance venturing vpon Death as Children and mad men vpon dan∣gers without feare or wit: Ours out of mature deliberation and firme beliefe in Christ: who hath drunke out of Deaths bitter Cup an eternall health to all mankind, taken the gall and poyson out of it, and made it a wholesome po∣tion of immortalitie. Faith heere proclaimes her challenge and bids nature or arte out of all their Soul∣diers or Schollers produce any one, who hauing free option to liue or die, and that vpon equall tearmes haue embraced Death: Whereas infinite of hers haue bin offered life with promotions, and yet would not bee deliuered expe∣cting a better resurrection.

If any shall challenge these for Thrasonicall flourishes, or Carpet vaunts, I appeale and call to wit∣nesse not the Cloud now, but the whole skye of witnesses, such I meane as haue dyed either in the Lord, or for the Lord, who in the very poynt and Article of Death haue liued, and expressed liuely testimonies of this their life, partly in their incredible sufferings, part∣ly in their admirable sayings. For their Acts and Monuments if they had all been penned, all the world would not haue conteined their Histories: the very summes would swell to large Volumes. The va∣lour of the Patients, the sauage∣nesse of the Persecutours, striuing together, till both exceeding na∣ture and beleefe, bred wonder and astonishment in beholders and Readers. Christians haue shewed as glorious power in the faith of

Martyrdome as in the faith of My∣racles. As for their last Speaches, and Apothegmes, pitie it is no better marke hath been taken, and memory preserued of them. The choyce and the prime I haue cul∣led out of ancient Stories, and lat∣ter Martyrologies, English, Dutch, and French. The profite and plea∣sure hath paid me for the labour of collecting, and the like gaine (I hope) shall quit the cost of thy rea∣ding. Sweetly & briefly they com∣prise and couch in them the foun∣dation, the marrow of large & ma∣nifold precepts, prescribed by the learned Diuines for preparation against Death. The Art of dying well is easier learned by examples then by directions. These chalk the way more plainely, these encou∣rage more heartily, these perswade more powerfully, these chide vn∣beleefe with more authoritie: if

some worke not, others may: some will affect some, some ano∣ther. Read them ouer to a sicke or to a dying Christian, if they quic∣ken not, if they comfort not, it is because there is no life of Faith in them: if there be the least sparke, these will kindle it, cherish and maintaine it in the doore, in the valley, in the thought, in the act of Death.

Notes

• Dr. Tayler. Tho. Hawkes.
• Beza. Perbins. Hall. Byfield.