The safegard of the soule Declaring sundry soueraigne salues tending to the comfort and saluation of the same: very necessarie to bee learned and obserued of all men, and at all times, but chiefely in the extremitie of sicknes, and grieuous pangs of death. Composed by Lawrence Bankes, preacher of the word of God: and parson of Staunton, in the county of Glocester.

A Preparatiue for the Sicke.

BEfore I search the sinewes of the soules safe∣tie, or enter in

to the Bowels of this Booke; I haue thought good in stead of a Preface, to set down a Preparatiue or premeditation to the minde of Man, to mooue him to be carefull and vi∣gilant for the safety of his soule, euen then when hee feeleth himselfe at rest, in health, & perfect remem∣brance, before the weight of Christ Crosse bee laid vpon him, and before hee bee visited either in bodie or minde.

First, it is meet for euery man, be he neuer so bigge, and look he neuer so high, to perswade himselfe, that

he hath two dayly Serui∣tors or Secretaries attend∣ing vpon him, from which he can neuer be freed, du∣ring the date of his dayes, vntil his life be ended, and his doome take place.

The one is without thee, [unspec 1] and is named Death, the ender of thy life, and fini∣sher of worldly care: This Seruitor is alwayes atten∣ding, behinde thee at thy backe, and followeth thee at the heeles, euen as the shadow doth follow the body.

The other is within [unspec 2] thee, and is called Consci∣ence, the very key that o∣peneth

and vnfoldeth the secrets of thy soule, and in∣wardly bewrayeth all thy thoughts, words, and workes.

These two are destinate to all men, and cannot be auoided.

First, Death cannot bee escaped, for he is alwayes at thine elbow; yea, per∣aduenture he is then nee∣rest thee in thy bosome, hacking at thy heart, when thou thinkest least of him: for, in the middest of life, we be in death. We are no sooner borne, but, Mors est in limine, Death is at the threshold. And yet many

one thinketh himselfe to be in health and safety, e∣uen then when he beareth Death in his heart, and hell in his Conscience.

It is good therefore for euery man to bee in a rea∣dinesse euery moment, lest Death cite him on the sodaine, and so hee be ta∣ken tardie in his sinnes: For this Messenger hath not any respect either of person, people, or place: Hee regardeth no more the Princes Palace, then the poore mans Cotage: a blunt Messenger, and therefore goeth bluntly and boldly to worke with

vs; his condition is, come he earely, come he late, he will giue neither day, nor houre, but speedily and readily he wil dispatch his errant, and serue such a Sub poena vpon vs, that hee wil haue our personall ap∣pearance, before the eter∣nall Iudge, without surety, bayle, or mayne-prize.

He will not be bribed of the Rich; he will not be in∣treated of the Poore; hee weigheth not friendship; he careth not for rewards; he will pardon no person, be he neuer so mighty; he feareth no mans face, look he neuer so lofty; there is

but a word and a blowe with him; he killeth downe right where he hitteth.

Let vs therefore keepe our selues continually in that estate wherein we de∣sire to die: for although this Messenger come, and tell vs not when hee will fetch vs, whether in our nonage, middle age, olde age, or dotage; yet not∣withstanding, our merci∣full and good God by di∣uers meanes doth warne and summon vs before, by other Messengers.

Gods sum∣moners before Death, are foure.

• First, his preach∣ers exhort vs.
• Secondly, his plagues doe threaten vs.
• Thirdly, old age admonisheth vs.
• Fourthly, Sick∣nes calleth vs.

Finally, death arresteth vs, and taketh vs with him. And then the earth wher∣of we are made, deuoureth vs, Magots breed vpon vs, corruption rotteth vs, and the Wormes eate vs. This is the life and end of all flesh good and bad. The body then putrifyeth

and consumeth to dust: But the Spirit returneth to the Lord which gaue it.

Now when Death is a∣bout to doe his office, which is, to separate the Soule and the Body of Man: Then our second [unspec 2] Seruitor or Secretarie, al∣though it haue been mute all our life time, and as it were a clasped Booke that is alwaies shut and too sel∣dome opened; yet towards our end, it speaketh, and cryeth, yea it both barketh and biteth; for after death hath warned and summo∣ned vs by sharpe taste of Sicknes, to set our house in

order, and to prepare our selues to appeare before the celestiall Iudge: Then our Conscience (which is a continuall beholder of all our thoughts, words and workes) as a cleere light or Lanthorne be∣wrayeth all our former life and conuersation: it is the very Register of God, and booke 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Record, which discloseth all our counsels, and reuealeth the inward secrets of our hearts: for there is nothing hid, that shal not be opened: neither is there a secret, but that it shal come to light. Can there be any thing hid from the

Highest? Do nor his eyes pierce our hearts? Is not he the searcher of Secrets, and Discerner of spirits? Yes verily, he that will not now beleeue it, must one day both finde it, and feele it.

The thickest Trees in Paradise could not hide our first Parents Adam and Eue from the presence of God. They both appeare at the first call, euen naked as they were; their Figge∣leaues will not serue their turne; their vaine excuses will doe them no good; the more they goe about to cloke their sinne, the

more liuely it appeareth; yea, their owne Consci∣ence accuseth them, and causeth them to make con∣fession of their fact, will they, nill they.

Wee cannot then hide our sinnes, because which way soeuer wee goe, our conscience accompanieth vs; it is our Porter, carr∣ing with it whatsoeuer we haue done, be it good or bad; it iudgeth all our words and workes, and pronounceth inward sen∣tence of vs all: it is a Worme alwayes byting, and neuer dying: it is a fire alwayes burning, and

neuer quenching: for im∣mediately after the com∣mitting of sinne, the Con∣science of the sinner is his Accuser, his Witnes, his Iudge, and his Hangman.

Therefore when thine owne Conscience be∣wrayeth thee, and prouo∣keth a feeling of sinne: thinke then with thy selfe, God speaketh vnto thee: for that inward feeling of thy sinne, is as it were the peculiar and prerogatiue Court of God, whereby he exerciseth his iurisdicti∣on: Beware therefore lest thou beeing guilty, doest harden thy heart; for that

is all one, as to kick against God, and resist the motion of his holy Spirit, when we reiect such cogitations as are prouocations and summoners vnto Repen∣tance: when God there∣fore by his holy Spirit knocketh at the doore of thine heart, and moueth any such motion, either to embrace this Vertue, or a∣uoid that Vice, thou hadst best open vnto him at first call, and let him in: for if hee call thee now, thou canst not tell whether hee will call againe or no: and if he open thee the gate of his Grace to day, and will

thee friendly to enter in, thou canst not tell whe∣ther euer hee will open it againe, or neuer. Thy contempt and vnthankful∣nesse may mooue him in his wrath to shut the doore vpon thee for euer: and then thou wilt repent, but all too late.

Remember Christs words: When the good man of the house is risen, and hath shut to the doore, and yee be∣ginne to stand without, and to knocke at the doore, saying, Lord, Lord, open to vs, and he shall answere and say vn∣to you, I know you not whence yee are: Depart from me, all

yee workers of iniquitie. There shall bee weeping and [unspec 28] gnashing of teeth, when yee shall see Abraham, and I∣saac, and Iacob, and all the Prophets in the Kingdome of God, and your selues thrust out at doores.

These are words of weight, and able to pierce a stony heart, most fearfull to impenitent sinners, whē they shal behold a farre off with the rich surfetting Glutton the happy estate of the godly in Heauen in Abrahams bosome, and themselues to bee thrust out into vtter darknes, and so to take their leaue and

last farewell of God, his Angels, and all the ioyes of Heauen for euer, neuer to meet againe, nor once to behold the faire beauty of the Lord, or of his Saints: the deepe conside∣ration hereof, is able to shake the Conscience, to burst the heart of a sinner, and end his dayes, if any feeling of Gods Spirit bee in him.

It is good therefore to haue the testimonie of a cleere Conscience accom∣panying thee euen to thy graue: that when thou shalt appeare before Christ his Throne of iust iudge∣ment,

it may be a witnesse with thee of thy wealth, and not to thy woe; a de∣fender of thy purity, and not an Accuser of thine iniquitie: a iustifier of thy Righteousnes, and not a condemner of thy Wic∣kednes.

Pray to God betime, that it may be thy Helper, as it was to Paul, and not thy Hangman, as it was to Iudas.

It is not to bee spoken what a sure and singular Treasure a good Consci∣ence will be at that day; it shall stand stedfast by thy side as thy dearest friend,

when all the world shall be set on a flaming fire, aboue thee, beneath thee, and on euery side thee: when the elements shall melt with heate: when the vngodly shall bee at their wits end: when mens hearts shall faile them: when the Sea and waters shal rore: when heauen and earth shall pe∣rish: when all thy goods and gold shal be turned to drosse and Copper: when all thy Lands and riches forsake thee; yea when all thy friends and kinsfolke faile thee, as they did Iob in his greatest extremitie.

Therefore let this present

Preparatiue be a sufficient caueat for thee, to be care∣full and circumspect for the comfort of thy Con∣science, and safety of thy soule. And so I will pro∣ceede to the visitation of the Sicke: Wherein

First, we must note, that commonly God doth vi∣sit before man, and so by Gods Visitation, occasion is giuen to man, brotherly and charitably o visit one another for their comfort.

Notes

• Eccl. 12. 7.
• Mar. 4. 22.
• Luk. 13. 25
• 27,
• 2. Cor. 1. 12.