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Serious Directions, and Instructions concerning Death.

Withall shewing who are unwilling to die, and why.

As also, who are willing, and upon what conditions.

Concluding with heavenly Ejaculations.

Lift up your heads, for the day of your Redemption draweth nigh. Luk. 21. 28.

For me to live is Christ, and to die is gaine. Philip. 1. 21.

The Dead in Christ shall rise first. 1 Thes. 4. 16.


1

Though death be sentenc'd, yet he still,
Remaines, and will his freedome have;
While times doe last; he'l ever kill
Mankinde, and throw all in the grave:
That foe that shall be last destroy'd,
Is Death; he makes all men afraid.

2

When men looke on, and see his face,
So pale, and ghastly, downe they sinke,
Then dreadfull darknesse takes its place,
And waites mans comming at pitts brinke.
Keepe company with wormes he must,
Till God doe raise him from the dust.

3

This thing to Nature terror brings,
When man must leave his house, though clay,
The comfort of all earthly things,
Forsake he must, his score then pay,
Then he that did not live to die,
Then dying, dies eternally.

4

The man that's wicked, dies before,
Death comes; with horrour for his sinne,
That worme doth gnaw him very sore,
That lives in hell, the soule within.
Death never comes, but brings ill newes,
To all that love ill; good refuse.

5

Those that in honour, wealth, or ease,
Doe live, they loth are to depart,
The thoughts of death doe not them please,
But death it selfe quite killes the heart,
A kinde of heaven they have here,
They would not change, for worse they feare.

6

He that is ignorant of good,
And lives by sense so like a bruit,
He's never taken in that mood,
So fit for death, to bring forth fruit,
This world he knowes, no other he
Knowes: thinking death brings miserie.

7

The man that's weake in grace would stay,
A while to see the cloud of wrath.
Blow ore, to see a glorious day,
That he of truth may see the path:
Though such are slighted in the land,
They are still on the mending hand.

8

One that's strong yet falles by sinne,
He would not die in that same case,
Vntill true peace he finde within:
By grace to live he begges a space,
Such cannot sinne so cheape, nor sweet,
As fooles doe, for they thinke it meet.

9

For civill ends some would revive,
To gather and to give estates,
To children, and to see them thrive,
And see him turne, that counsell hates;
When they are dead alive may be:
Men live in their posteritie.

10

Some higher ends have in their eyes,
They'd see in Sion peace, and rest,
Out live they would those fearfvll cries,
That thence are heard, such ends are best:
To see the fall of Babels pride,
Then they would die; the cause is tri'd.

11

My generall advice is this,
Remember death must seaze on all,
Thinke and prepare (O doe not misse)
Thy selfe: against, when death doth call
In expectation daily die;
And willing be in dust to lye.

12

In doubtfull things men use to feare,
On certaine things men doe resolve,
What doth more plaine than this appeare,
That death must all ere long dissolve;
Why should a man whose time is short,
Jest at mens death with sinfull sport?

13

Repent of sinne the sting of death,
There's no such thing as many deeme,
In't: though that he do stop thy breath,
Thou maist be great in Gods esteeme;
Hold in with Christ then sweetly sing,
O cruell death where is thy sting.

14

Death to the best a gaine indeed,
Is, they doe change this place of strife,
Though in the grave wormes on them feed,
Yet they shall have eternall life:
They doe but mellow in the dust,
Till God new mould, and make them just.

15

Have still thy heart on heaven set,
And keepe Gods love fresh in thy heart,
(Though Death doe catch thee in his net)
'Twill not be fired out by art.
Love stronger doth than death appeare,
Such love will free thee from deaths feare.

16

Let wicked men so tremble still,
At thoughts of death, that they may leave,
Their sinnes, let sorrow their hearts fill,
Ere death doth them of life bereave:
That they may learne to hate their sin,
And may a new life once begin.

17

It's best for those that live at full,
To set the worst before their eyes,
And rouse themselves (for such are dull)
And have regard to poore mens cries:
You'd best give bread, while here you dwell,
Lest you your water beg in hell.

18

Learne to know want in midst of wealth,
And die to riches while you live,
And thinke of sicknesse in your health,
Doe not content to humours give;
Life will not be so strange to these,
If thou from earth dyest by degrees.

19

The foolish must know (though 'tis bad)
That death will take them all away,
Then are not such men worse than mad,
That drive off all untill that day,
Till they doe see needs they must die,
And they despairing quaking lie?

20

Beat downe conceit, and thinke thou art,
A foole indeed; then thou maist learne
To know the turnings of thy heart,
And maist true wisedome then discerne:
That thou maist then receive at last,
Eternall life when this is past.

21

Let tender hearted men beleeve,
Their grace is true, though 'tis not strong,
Let not the thoughts of death them greeve,
They shall be freed ere it be long.
Gods strength is thine, which will prevaile,
Against all feares that thee assaile.

22

Those that be strong, yet be falne downe,
And feares of death oppresse them so,
That they have lost their great renowne,
And God himselfe seemes like a foe,
Strengthen your hearts and feeble hands,
Rescue your selves from feare and bands.

23

If you be cowards, you will shame,
The cause, your selves, and others will,
Be fearfull, when they heare the name,
Of death: such frailties shew the ill,
Vse well the gifts that God doth give,
That though death comes, your joy may live.

24

And ever after have a care
Of falling from your stedfastnesse,
You need not then to feare the snare,
Of death, but heavens happinesse,
Will tend on you, and you shall see,
The glorie of eternitie.

25

Those that would leave a happie seed,
Behinde them when death throwes his dart,
Must pray, and labour still indeed,
That God with grace may fill the heart.
That they may live to God below,
When they above Gods praises shew.

26

And they that long to see the peace,
Of Sion, ere they'd leave their life,
Let them not grutch their lives to cease,
For death will free them from all strife:
In heaven they at last shall see,
Their freedome with felicity.

27

Some willing are to die, when they
Are vext, or want their wils in things,
They thinke they have no score to pay,
Though death them endlesse torment brings.
They ignorant of death remaine,
Till second death bring such their gaine.

28

Some desperate persons that doe kill
Themselves; they seeke for't, which they finde,
The curse of God their soules shall fill,
The effect will not please well the minde.
The first fruits of hell may suffice,
To reape the crop such fooles devise.

29

Some of a better making doe,
Sometimes in passion wish to die,
Such in distresse are foolish too,
And fret disdaining miserie:
But when God chides them, quickly they
Were sorry, that they went astray.

30

Those that are Gods, the truth so grace,
Confesse they will unto the death,
They willing are to give the place,
To tyrants, and to lose their breath.
Before they will deny Gods name,
They'l give themselves, to burning flame.

31

Such that have peace with God above,
Do draw from earth their hearts content,
And with their sins are out of love.
And to all good their hearts are bent,
Their blessed'st life doth then begin,
When death doth set them free from sinne.

32

But yet if God would have them stay,
A while on earth they willing are,
To doe his will, their soules each day
Confirme: how ere the bodie fare.
When the body growes towards earth,
The soule brings forth immortall birth.

33

The wicked still are in extreames,
They would not die if God should call,
They of this world have then such dreames,
Of joy: which they'l not part withall.
They'r so bewitcht to pleasure here,
There's nothing else but death they feare.

34

And others that God bids to save,
The lives of others, and their owne,
They'r brought untimely to their grave,
And by themselves are overthrowne:
Such feare not death, but downe to hell,
They headlong rush, and there doe dwell.

35

I cannot chuse but I must chide
Those that in sullen fits would die,
The worlds disgrace cannot abide,
For trouble that upon them lie:
They must of this with teares repent,
Or else of God they shall be shent.

36

Can any suffering be too much,
For God his cause or glory? when
They shall have a reward with such,
In heaven? these are blessed men,
That never share in troubles more,
They now rejoyce though sad before.

37

Such as are willing for to yeeld,
Their lives to death, for Christ his sake,
By Death they conquer in the field,
In losing life a better take:
They leave a dread upon all those,
That unto God and them are foes.

38

Who would not willing be to part,
With earth for heaven? when they have,
Got peace with God, by gratious art,
And knowing God their soules will save?
For heaven let all those be prest,
That fitted are thus for their rest.

39

Yet let not any grudge to stay,
Till they have done the worke that he
Hath set them to, spending their day,
In good, while they here present be
Returning still their pay: therefore,
Worke now; then thou need'st work no more.

40

The more men do, or suffer here,
For truth; their crown they doe augment,
Their glory shall the more appeare,
Though death do close them in his tent;
God shewes his face here most to such,
That liv'd long, wrought, and did not grudge.

41

It's best for bad to die betime,
For living long, their sins increase:
And sinfull acts grow to their prime,
Their sinnes live still, though life do cease,
Though they are rotten in the dust,
Their sins are fresh, they meet them must.

42

They'd best to tremble in such sort,
At thoughts of death that they may know,
And heare the dreadfull ill report,
Of sinne, while here they live below:
Death puts an end to vaine delights,
Then doth begin, hell, horror, frights.

43

But to the just, their sorrow ends;
They joy (though 'twas begun before)
With full increase, which makes amends
For trouble much, their joyes are more:
Of this the blessed Saints can tell,
As damned can relate of hell.

44

What though the soule and body parts,
Which loving friends have been so long?
The thoughts of this may glad their hearts,
That they shall meet both sweet and strong,
Refin'd: and with each other joy,
In heaven still without annoy.

45

Death is no death; it doth but ope,
A doore, the soule away may flie,
And so possesse that blessed hope,
It hath of true felicitie
To leave fraile life, who'd thinke it strange,
To have eternall in exchange?

46

Death's but a blast, that soone blowes ore,
And never more shall looke on thee,
The hurt is nothing, feare is more,
Though dreadfull it do seeme to be.
God will it sweeten from above,
And thou shalt finde his constant love.

47

Ile feare it not, for why should I?
For life and death together goes,
By every crosse Ile learne to die,
They'r both my friends, but they are foes:
Life doth consent with Death each day,
To take part of my life away.

48

Lord I will serve thee while I here,
Remaine: what need I much to care,
For death: when thou freest me from feare?
I will thy goodnesse still declare.
My life shall ever speake thy praise,
When death comes, I shall live alwayes.
FINIS.
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