A spiritual spicerie containing sundrie sweet tractates of devotion and piety. By Ri. Brathwait, Esq.

His Death.

MEMORIALL X.

WElcome, thou un∣welcommest to man, because I have in part pu•• off man, through his grace by whom I am; and who for mee became man, to free mee from the curse of the Law, due to man. O Death, how terrible hadst thou been unto mee, if hee who dyed for mee, had not conquer'd thee! And yet many things present themselves before

mee, which highly perplex mee. Sinnes, nothing but sinnes muster themselves be∣fore mee, to affright mee. Yea, sinnes which I never thought of till now, appeare foule and ugly unto mee. But I know my Redeemer li∣veth, and that with these eyes I shall see him. Though the Furies of Sinne and Satan en∣ter their pleas against mee; though my secret Sinnes tell mee that I am the child of disobedience, that I have justly incurred Gods heavie wrath and displeasure; and that my strange sinnes have deservedly made me a Stran∣ger and Alien to the house of my Father. Though my whole course hath beene a continued curse, by trans∣gressing

his Law, who satis∣fied the Law for me: Though I have made every Creature mine Enemie, by offending that heavenly Maker, who made them and me: Though I finde no good thing in mee; not one Witnesse within mee, to speake for mee; Not one day, nay not one houre of my life without Sinne to accuse mee; Not one poore worke of Charitie so pure, and without Vain-glory, as to plead for mee; Not one Friend, amongst all those many, who profest themselves mine, to appeare for mee. Yet have I One, who h'as vanquished Death, Sinne, and Satan. One, who will Cure my Wounds, because I have opened them; and Cover my Sinnes, because I have

discovered them. One, who will bring mee home to my Fathers house, bring forth his best roabe to adorne me, put a ring on mine hand to inrich me, and bring me to his Great marriage Feast, which shall for ever refresh me. One, who wil turne his Curse into a Bles∣sing; and with the sight of his Dearest Selfe satisfie my longing. One, who as hee made his Angels, Ministers for mee on Earth; will make them my Companions in Hea∣ven. One, who though hee could see no good thing in me, will of his owne free good∣nesse supply mee. One, who will send his holy Spirit to witnesse for mee: and will shew to his Father those Prints of his Love, those Skars

of his Wounds to speake for mee. One, who will evince the testimony of Sinne, so as though it accuse mee, it shall never impeach me. One, who is all charity, and with the eyes of mercy will looke on my misery; and in this houre of my necessity will plead for mee. One, who when all my friends shall leave mee, will cleave neare mee: and at the houre of my death will so defend mee, that mine Enemie may have no power over mee.

Yet for all this; old Ac∣quaintance cannot be so easi∣ly parted; I feele a trembling in my flesh: it is death to her to be divided from her Soule. Therefore shee desires still to bee a Cottage, (though a

crazie one) for the enter∣tainment of such a Guest. And though every pusse, every blast threaten her fall; yet hopes shee with a little repairing to hold out still. Foolish flesh! if thou lov'st that Guest, as thou profes∣sest, why doest thou lodge her under such rotten tar∣rases? For whilest thou keep'st her in that crazie Cot∣tage, thou hold'st her from a princely Palace. 'Las! shee came to thee, not to bee a Dweller, but a Sojourner. Give her leave then to goe home againe: for in a strange Land is shee, while shee lodges with thee. O; but I heare thee answer:

This Stran∣ger (if you please to style him so) is as loth to part

with mee, as I with her.

Is it so, poore Soule, hast thou wallowed so long in mire; or encamped so long in these shades or shrouds of clay; as thou beginnest to bee en∣amoured of them, and never remove from them? Is it so, that thou hast beene such a long stranger in thy owne Countrey, as thou hast quite forgot it, or car••st not much if thou never see it? H'as the life of a Souldier so taken thee; or the straying libertie of a Pilgrim so seaz'd upon thee, as thou preferrest a wandring life, before a set∣led being in thy Countrey? Woe is mee for thee! But, 'pray thee tell mee, what is it that hath so woo'd and wonne thee from thy first

Love? O I heare thee; or that false Idumite which holds thee, cry out:

O; must I leave my Friends, Honours, Pleasures and Possessions?

Yes; thou must leave and lose all: Thy Friends and Honours may, per∣chance, accompany thee to ••hy Grave; but there they will leave thee: and for thy Pleasures and Possessions, they will not doe thee that gra••e, to attend thee to thy grave, ••••r before thou come there, ••hey have vow'd to leave thee. These are strong stayes ••o depend on! faire props to rely on! firme foundations to build on! I see then, (Lan∣guishing Soule) what it is that holds thee. Thou ei∣ther griev'st to lose what

thou here lovest: or feares to feele there what thou for thy sinne deservest. O my Soule, by this may any one gather, that thou hast beene a constant worldling! For if thou hadst possessed the things of this life without loving of them; thou wouldst easily lose them without grieving for them: Seeing, whatsoever without love we enjoy, without griefe we forgoe. But stay a little! stay a very little! and with pati••nce heare mee. Be not, O bee not so fast glued to Earth, that thy thoughts be∣come loosened from Heaven! I know well, it is thy Flesh, which thus disquiets thee. It is shee who suggesteth these things to thee. Wrastle

then with her, and give her the foile; it is better that shee faile, than thou fall. Tell her; oh tell her: For this will charme her. Those worldly Friends, on whom shee so much relyes; can nei∣ther deliver themselves nor her from Death. They may professe much; and vow to intercede for her to any Prince or Potentate brea∣thing, while shee is living flesh: but dying, they will leave her for a prey to her Brothers and Sisters. And all their friendly teares will be then dried up. Sorrow takes quickly a Surfet in the Fu∣nerall of her dearest Friend. His poore corps is with earth no sooner covered, than their Time-love becomes

discovered. These be the shadowes, wherewith our Flesh-flyes are deluded. They may remember us sometimes while wee live on earth, but they soone forget us when wee are laid in earth. Aske her then; will shee be stayd by these friends, of which Time makes shadowes, or in∣jury profest foes? Secondly, if Friends have not in them such firme dependence, as to pro∣mise any assurance: hopes shee from Honours to receive any sure footing or conti∣nuance? No; tell her, these are of all temporary blessings most various and dangerous. Various, in respect of the Object from whence shee re∣ceives them, being man: and consequently, apt enough

upon the least occasion, to change his minde. And dan∣gerous, in respect of those corrivals and privie under∣miners, whose highest taske it is to bring these Favou∣rites into disgrace. O how happie had many beene, had they never knowne what Honour meant! For as it in∣cumber'd them living, so it distracted them dying: ex∣posing them to many dan∣gers both living and dying. Aske her then; will shee bee staid by these Honours, which can neither privilege her from death, nor comfort her at the houre of death, nor se∣cure her after death? Third∣ly, if shee bee thus forsaken of all her Honours, what can she expect from Pleasures? La••!

These long since left her, when Age seaz'd on her: and thrice happy shee, had shee left them, before they left her. If there bee pleasure in cramps and aches: her weake decrepit limbes retaine stil•• a memory of them. These she h'as constantly to attend her; nor vow they to leave her, till the cold Earth re∣ceive her. For now those Ivory-beds, Carpets and Laces, are but as so many racks and tortures to her, when shee remembers them. All these have left her in paine: and if shee taste pleasure in that, may she long enjoy it. But thou••h those more active pleasures have wholly left her: shee sees her Buildings, and to leave them, and to whom

shee knowes not, it deepely grieves her. Those pleasant walkes, which with the helpes both of Art and Na∣ture shee so carefully contri∣ved; those shadie delightfull Arbours, wherein shee so re∣tiredly and contentedly re∣posed; Those silent Groves, christall Springs, dainty Re∣fectories, wherein shee so delightfully sported, bathed & banquetted: must she lose all these; and for a cover of mouldred earth, wherein all her beautie lyes buried? It must bee so; there is no re∣medie; the cold earth must receive her perished beautie. Nor should the losse of all these grieve her; seeing these were so confined to time, as they could promise no con∣stancie

to her. Yea; they deserved rather to bee loa∣thed than loved; seeing the Sight of them too often estranged her thoughts from Him that made them. Aske her then, where bee all those who sometimes en∣joyed these pleasures to the full! Where those Objects, wherein they delighted? Looke! Reade! Their Me∣mories are as Letters written in dust. Their glorious Buil∣dings have lost the Names of their founders. They sleepe in their earth: but that Ac∣count sleepeth not, which they mnst render for their vanities on earth.

Fourthly, seeing her fore∣past pleasures have wholly left her; but the bitter remem∣brance

of the abuse of them stayes with her: the sweet∣nesse of the one being spent: but the bitternesse of the o∣ther left: what content may shee finde in her Possessions; the Worldlings Minions? 'Las, nothing! these are tane from her, and bestowed on another. Shee is now to goes to her long home; and another is to possesse her dwellings. Though here, shee held passing of time a meere pastime; and a large pos∣session the Sole Solace of a Worldling; now she findes enough of Earth in a very smal portion of it. No matter now whether her Granars be enlarged; her Revenues in∣creased; her Treasures slo∣red. These be none of hers;

The very Wind h'as as great a share in them as shee h'as. Nor did they deserve so much loving, when they were in their very height of enjoying. Being such as were got with Care, kept with Feare, and lost with Griefe: proper things to dote on! The fulnesse of them could not stay, one poore Fit of an Ague: nor get a reprive at Deaths hand for a minute. Besides, that long unwil∣ling Adieu of the unhappie possessour at his heavie depar∣ture: O Death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liveth at rest in his possessions!

Seeing then, no outward thing should so much de∣light man, as to withdraw

his thoughts from the Ma∣ker of man: Or so trouble him in his passage or transla∣tion from Earth, as to divert his affections from heaven in his remove from Earth. Seeing, all things are not onely vanity, but affliction: where such as are highliest possest of them, are most en∣snared and deluded by them: Seeing, the beauty, riches, pleasures, and contentments of earth, are no sooner ap∣pearing than vanishing: no sooner found than lost. Why doest thou tremble, O my flesh! why are thou so trou∣bled, O my Soule, and why art thou so disquieted within mee! put thy trust in the Lord, and hee will deliver thee. Yea, but I heare thee,

in a silent secrecy, framing this reply! These worldly respects are not the things that make Death appeare so terrible unto mee. Noe; I can freely bid farewell to the world; there is nothing in it, that makes mee ena∣mour'd of it. I see nought at all in it, but sinne, or occasions of sinne: Nei∣ther did I ever possesse ought, which did not af∣flict mee more in the for∣going, than it delighted mee in the enjoying. Tell me then (poore fearfull soule) what is it that so much troubles thee in this thy passage? What is it that makes thee so shake and shudder in this thy dissolu∣tion? O my sinnes! my

sinnes! it is the remem∣brance of my sinnes, which makes mee unwilling to de∣part from this place where I committed them: or to fix mine eyes on that place, which is so pure as it can∣not abide them. I cannot thinke of that place where∣in I have not sinned; nor of that houre wherein I have not highly transgressed. And can one minutes repen∣tance discharge such long arrerages? O my perplexed soule, remember to thy comfort that divine Cordi∣all: At what time soever a Sin∣ner repenteth, &c. As I live, I would not the death of a sin∣ner, &c. My mercie I will not take from him: There is mer∣cie with the Lord, and there∣fore

is hee feared. Hee shall call upon mee, and I will de∣deliver him in the time of his necessitie. Draw yet nearer, and thinke of the saying of that sweet Father:

O humble teare, thine is the Kingdome, thine is the Power: thou art not affraid to enter in and appeare before the pre∣sence of the Judge: thou, though thou enter a∣lone, shalt never returne alone: whatsoever thou askest, thou shalt have; thou overcommest the invincible, and bindest the Omnipotent.

This Angelicall Wine will bring thee to the societie of the Angels. Doubt not; stag∣ger not. Raise and rouse

up thy selfe with the wings of faith. Whence comes it, that the Soule dyeth? be∣cause Faith is not in it. Whence that the bodie dy∣eth? Because a Soule is not in it. Therefore the Soule of thy Soule is Faith. No evill then can befall thee, so thy faith doe not faile thee. Where watry eyes make faith their Anchor, they promise a calme Sea, and a safe arri∣vall to the Christian passen∣ger. And though late re∣pentance be seldome true, yet true repentance never comes too late. That devout and well-prepared Father, when hee was readie to die; with much sweet assurance, and Christian confidence, spake thus to Stillico and

others about his bed;

I have not lived so among you, that I am ashamed to live longer to please God: and yet againe, I am not affraid to dye, be∣cause wee have a good LORD.

Though thou canst not in thine owne ap∣provement so truly say this; crowne thy passage with a devout wish; Desire to bee dissolved, and to bee with Christ; Present him with a pious devotion to thy in∣ward'st thoughts: Imagining him even now bowing his precious head to kisse thee; spreading his gracious armes to imbrace thee: his An∣gels comming forth to meet thee; the whole Hoast of Heaven to conduct thee to

the Palace of Eternitie, af∣ter this thy approaching dissolution from this vale of misery. Let nothing divide thee from that love which is in thee to Christ Iesus. One Houre in his Courts is better than a thousand in the Courts of Princes. Hum∣bly commend thy selfe to his protection who made thee; to his affection, who redeemed thee; to his di∣rection, who sanctifi'd thee. Feare it not, timorous soule, but thy Fathers power will defend thee; his Sonnes Wisedome will enrich thee; the Holy Spirits goodnesse will comfort thee: even in these pangs of death which assaile thee.

Oh how sweet is the re∣membrance

of these things to mee! There is nothing now that may divide mee from Him, to whom I am spiritually espoused. There is no Friend so deare to mee, as Hee who gave his life for mee. No Honour so highly valued of mee, as his, who became a reproach for mee, that by his owne dishonour hee might honour mee. No pleasure so de∣lightfull as his presence, whose sight shall ever cheere mee. No possession like his fruition, who is my portion in the Land of the Living; to whom to bee joyned shall ever joy mee. Every minute then seemes grievous, eve∣ry moment tedious, till I bee dissolved; that I may see

him after whom I have so longed; to whom to bee united, I have so thirsted; in whose sweet presence to remaine, in whose Courts to abide, I have so desi∣red. These pangs I feele, are to mee cheerefull; these Messengers of my approa∣ching dissolution, to mee gratefull; these humane wrastlings, which I now en∣dure, to mee delightfull. I know well, I am such metall as I must bee tried before I bee fined. O! as I draw by little and little nearer my end; so may I in true love draw nearer to thee. To thee, my Re∣deemer, in whom my trust is placed; my confidence plan∣ted; my hopes crowned;

my Pilgrim-dayes happily closed; my heritage, after these dayes of my Pilgri∣mage possessed. I feele now my longing Soule fleeting from this darke Cell, this noysome shell of corrup∣tion; every gaspe now pro∣miseth a dissolution. My breath is corrupt: my dayes are cut off, and the Grave is readie for mee. I enter'd this world with a Shrique, and I leave it with a Sigh. Nor doe I sigh for that I love it, or am unwilling to leave it; but for that I have beene too long divided by living in it, from Him, in whom my desires are here fixed, there filled: The houre is come, and it is welcome; the houre

of my translation to glory. Come LORD JESUS, come quickely. Amen.

FINIS.

Notes

• S. Bern.
• S. Ambrose.