THE WISE-VIEILLARD, OR OLD MAN. TRANSLATED OUT OF French into English by an obscure Englishman, a friend and favourer of all wise Old-Men.  ECCLUS. 25. 4. 5. O how pleasant a thing is it when gray-headed men minister judgement, and when the Elders can give good counsel, O how comely a thing is Wisdom unto aged men, etc. PRO. 16. 31. Age is a crown of glory, when it is found in the way of righteousness.  depiction of enthroned woman with young children. 
LONDON Printed by john Dawson. 1621.   

TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL, WORTHY, REVEREND, AND LEARNED DIVINE Mr JOSEPH HALL., Doctor of Divinity and Dean of Worcester, the Author doth Dedicate this Translation as the first fruit and essay of his FRENCH Studies.  
WORTHY SIR,  
This translation of the sage Vieillard, being the fruit of certain vacant, and divorced hours, I purposed to dedicate in a singular respect to a worshipful Gentleman your good friend and neighbour, Mr Henry Archer, late of Thaydon Garnon in Essex, who was well versed in the French language But his death disappointed me of my purpose, made my pen fall out of my hand, lie still and stir no further, having then more than half finished the Book. The second year after whose death, well weighing with myself, that it was a Work might yield some profit to my Country men of England, I took up my Pen again, and at starts and times finished it. And then withal considering with myself that a good Book in these days had need of a good man to Patronise it, I called to mind that your worthy self having been in France and other foreign parts, might be a fit Maecenas to support my weak labours therein, and so boldly adventured to Dedicate the Patronage thereof to your good Worship. And I was the rather emboldened thereunto, upon hope that for your deceased good friend and neighbour's sake, to whom it should have been Dedicated, you would not refuse it, at least for the works sake, being a mixed Subject of moral and divine documents and instructions. And further, I hope that it will not be accounted presumption to dedicate a good Book to the learned and virtuous. Howsoever, it is my duty to crave pardon for presuming to dedicate it to your worship; myself being a man of an obscure and humble condition. And therefore I do further crave your pardon, that I may not make myself otherwise known unto your worship, then by the two Alphabetical letters of my name here-under printed. Yet have I always been since I first knew you, and still do rest a man which doth unfeignedly reverence you.  
T. W.   

¶ To the Reader.  
I AM loath to woce thee, by styling thee courteous, kind, gentle Reader, but rather desire, that the subject matter of the Book might allure thee to read it. The French Author thereof, hath entitled it, TheWise Old Man: by which title, he seems to imply, that all are not wise that are old, which if it be so, he than seems to glance at our English Proverb: No fool to the old fool. Howsoever he lessons both young and old what they should be. As for my part, I think it not fitting to preface the wholesome documents and instructions contained in it, which as good Viands are offered to thy taste, lest I should take away thine appetite to read it, and make thee to surfeit before thou hast fed. All that I have to do, and less I cannot do, is to crave thy favourable construction of that I have done. For I modestly confess, I have been too overweening and bold, to take upon me to translate so worthy a Work, of the worthy French Author thereof, Monsieur Simon Goulart, myself being no higher a graduate in learning, than a common Grammarian, and no better skilled in the French language, than what mine own practice and study hath enabled me to be. But upon the first reading of him, I was so delighted, that my fingers did even itch to set pen to paper, and to unclasp so good a Work, which was shut up from thy use and benefit under a strange tongue. Make much I pray thee of him now, because he speaks to thee in English, and if he speak it not well, I crave thy pardon, for I am in fault, that have taken upon me, to make him speak our language, before I well understand his. Yet I hope I have hit of his meaning, though I vary from his words, as all Translators must do. And now I am a suitor for pardon, I do woo thee by these Epithets of courteous, kind, gentle Reader, charitably to censure me, for taking upon me, to put into English so worthy a Work, with so weak a hand: which favour I hope I shall the rather obtain at thy hands, for that I have done it, out of a good will to thee, and not out of any skill in me, which I do disclaim, and therefore I desire to hide me from thee, and not otherwise to be known unto thee, than I am to the worthy Gentleman, to whom I have been hold to commend the patronage of this Worke. And so I leave thee (courteous Reader) to God, and wish thee to be with God, when thy time is to go to him, and will still be thy well wisher in all good things.  
T. W.   

THE CONTENTS OF THE twenty Chapters of this Book.  

Chapter. 1. OF long life, and the desire men have to live long in the world. Page. 1.  
Chapter. 2. Of such persons as have lived long, namely the patriarchs before the Flood. Page. 11.  
Chapter. 3. Of the Tree of Life, and of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. Page. 16.  
Chapter. 4. What old age is, and how many Species and kinds of old age there be. Page. 22.  
Chapter. 5. The Springhead of old age, and the causes and occasions of it. Page. 28.  
Chapter. 6. Of the Climacterical Years. Page. 41.  
Chapter. 7. The complaints of the miseries of old age advisedly discussed. Page. 44  
Chapter. 8. Four causes propounded by Cicero, of the miseries of old age, reduced to two, to wit, the miseries of the body and of the mind. Page. 48.  
Chapter. 9 A more special Catalogue, or numbering up, of some miseries in old men in regard of their bodies. Page. 53.  
Chapter. 10. The miseries of old men in regard of their minds. Page. 63.  
Chapter. 11. Of the causes that old age is burdensome and tedious to old men. Page. 82.  
Chapter. 12. Of the benefit or good of old age. Page. 86.  
Chapter. 13. Of the profit which wise old men may reap, from the doctrine contained in the Writings of Philosophers and Heathen Authors. Page. 96.  
Chapter. 14. Assured consolations, against all infirmities of body and mind. Page. 107.  
Chapter. 15. An advice to wise old men, containing the summary and substance of their duty until their last gasp. Page. 126.  
Chapter. 16. Worthy meditations for all persons, especially the wise Vieillard, of what quality or condition soever he be. Page. 136  
Chapter. 17. Consolations against death, and how it ought to be feared or not feared. Page. 145.  
Chapter. 18. The sequel of the points propounded in the former Section, concerning the resolutions and consolations against death. Page. 160.  
Chapter. 19 Of the resurrection of the bodies, and of the immortality of men's souls. Page. 180.  
Chapter. 20. The conclusion of the Work, with a serious exhortation to old and young: Also two Prayers for wise old men. Page. 196.    

Ay me! I lack but life to make my will.  
If thou hadst life it would be unmade still.  


Il y a esperance on un bien faict,  
Le plustost est le meilleur.    depiction of old man writing at a desk.  
He that to do, nor good, nor harm, hath no devotion,  
Differs not from a Picture but in motion.  Dum Scribo, Morior.  

THE WISE VIEILLARD OR OLD MAN.  

CHAP. 1. Of long life, and the desire men have to live long in the world.  
WE labour and essay in this Discourse, that the aged person may have his thoughts and affections somewhat more stayed and settled, than those of younger years, to the end to make him truly wise, by expecting and longing until he may be perfectly & everlastingly wise in heaven. By the wisdom which we wish unto him, no other thing is meant, then that he should meditate and exercise himself in piety, justice or upright dealing, charity or brotherly love, duties beseeming and requirable in the ancienter sort of persons in every thing they do, so long as they sojourn and make their abode here on earth. It is a thing very usual and common unto us all our life long, which is but short, to cast & imagine continually with ourselves, the many difficulties and dangers are in it, and it is a wonder to see, how ingenious and witty we are to vex and afflict ourselves for trifles and things of no value.  
There is nothing somuch doth trouble us, and makes old age terrible unto us, as the fear to depart hence, and to leave this withering and transitory life, whereof old age is the Catastrophe and last concluding act, making an end of us speedily, and may be called the sun set of our days. Consider the ancienter sort of persons, and you shall observe almost no one humour so much predominant and reigning in them, as a fervent desire to avoid all surfeitings and excess, and to keep a good diet, to the end to maintain a little strength, and to hold our life, be it but for an hour, and to persuade themselves they may live one year longer at the least. Would you gladly please or flatter them; do but make them younger in years than they are, by telling them they are not so old as they reckon and take themselves to be, and that there is no cause or likelihood but they may live many a year longer than others, and forget not in words to extol their experience, sufficiency, prudence, and wisdom to contrive and wade through great matters; you are by and by their only man, who but you, none more made on.  
It is a point of undoubted truth that God created Adam and Eve, not only to enjoy a life for some hundred of years, but to live for ever; whereupon there was fixed and imprinted in their heartt a fervent desire to live; and not to see death. For although that mass and lump of dust, whereof the first man's body was form and made, did invest him with mortality, yet in regard of the likeness and similitude which he had with God, death had never seized on him, but Adam & all his posterity had subsisted and continued long upon earth, in a large and pleasant plot of ground, purposely ordained for them to dwell in (the whole world, before sin entered, being wonderfully beautiful) until such time as he and all his posterity, without feeling grief of mind or pain of body, had been by God translated into heaven, if they had remained in the first estate wherein they were created. But Adam and Eve having wilfully suffered Satan to efface and deface the image of God in them, they both, and all their natural offspring long of them, were made subject unto death, became strangers to the life of God, and were called Flesh; an appellation and name very fit for them. Howsoever this be so, yet by the special blessing of the Father of heaven, through the means and favour of his beloved Son, who was ordained to be the Saviour of all mankind, this present life (how miserable soever it be by reason of sin) is no small Donation or petty Legacy, but a most excellent gift of God unto his children. I speak of long life promised to them which shall bear and behave themselves, as they ought to do, toward God and toward their neighbours, as is recorded in the second and fifth commandment of the moral law, where the promises are set down, whereunto that which is further added in the end of the 91. Psalm, is referred and hath relation; That he which unfeignedly loveth the Lord shall be satisfied with long life. But this longitude and length of life must not cause us to forget, especial in all our troubles and trials, 
The benefit of death.  that by death we have rest and case from our toilings and labours, and that this life of ours is a painful pilgrimage, a Sea full of danger and peril, 
The miserable condition of life.  a merciless war, sparing none, making havoc of all, deserving (by reason of the evils that we suffer and endure in it) to be termed rather a death then a life. Upon the consideration whereof, a certain grave ancient Father cried out; O death, how welcome and pleasing is thy doom and sentence to him that is in want, to the man whose strength faileth him, to him that is waxen very old, and is afflicted on all sides, having no part of him free from pain, to the man that is at defiance and out of love with himself, and to him that hath cast off patience and is grown desperate! What thing is there that may be more desired, then speedily to shake off, and rid us of these chains, to get out of the prison, and dark and fearful dungeons and deserts, wherein we are confined, fast tied and bound; that so we may recover the precious liberty to go to our home, to dwell in the house of the Lord, and in his Palace of glory to triumph and rejoice? What doth long life bring with it, but a Chaos and infinite number of evils? It hath been said many years ago, 
This grievous penalty upon old men is set,  
All the day long at home to grieve and to fret.  
With sorrows and woes they are compassed about,  
Still one pain or other they are never without.  
They consume and wear old, as they go mourning in black,  
And so at last with griefs heavy load, away hence do pack.   
But he that hath lived well, although he die when he is but twenty years old, aught to have his tomb erected and placed with the oldest and wisest, and with great joy and applause to have this for his Epitaph.  
I have lived long enough, and am content here to lie,  
Because nature is pleased I should so soon dye.  
But that man knows well what it is to live, whose care is not altogether for himself, but how he may live to please God, and to benefit and do good to his neighbours, in whom jesus Christ liveth, who hath not so great a care of any one part of his life, as he hath for his whole man, and for every part thereof. Verity it is a strange thing, and not much to be approved or commended, that we are so many ways careful for this present life, and to prank up and maintain ourselves in this world, and make so small account of our better part, which so much concerns us, to wit, our soul, the welfare and good health thereof. Whereof David seemeth to make high account, as is evident in the 34. Psalm, when he asketh this question, Who is he that desireth long life, and loveth long days to see good? Keep (saith he) thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from lying talk and equivocation; turn aside from that which is evil, and do the thing that is good, seek peace and pursue it. And when he speaketh of life, he useth a word, which according to the Idiom and propriety of the language wherein he spoke, may be translated lives; to put us in mind, that we should not rest upon, and content ourselves, with that life, which is common with us and the Plants and beasts of the field, but that our thoughts should be elevated higher to that other life, which is guided by reason, and is indeed worthy to be called life, without which we should be more wretched & miserable than the beasts. Verily the sensual servile and brutish life is nothing worth, and not greatly to be regarded. What glory can it be to us, or how should we place our felicity in such a life, wherein the beasts & every Idiot and Lourdaut may brave it aswel as we, and have as great privilege and commodity and much more. Let us carefully look to, and set our affections upon that life, by which our better part, the soul, having as it were sequestered and estranged herself from all transsitory things is lifted up unto God, cleaveth fast unto him, and by his Spirit is nourished, comforted, and fed unto the hope of eternal life. This is the life that the Prophet willeth us to be in love withal, and enamoured of, to the possession and fruition whereof, we are regenerated by the incorruptible seed of his word, who hath abolished death, and by the Gospel brought into the world life and immortality. For the case being thus decreed, that all men must once die, and every one of us having daily before our eyes four assured witnesses, that bear record of our mortality, and that die we must; our own natural frailty, diverse accidents and mischances that may happen to us, many surfeitings and distemperatures, and old age at last; how can we sufficiently aggravate and display the misery and vanity of man, who doth not raise himself higher than these earthly things, and mindeth, and thinketh upon nothing so much as upon this dying life, or rather a living death. That which me heathen Philosophers and Naturalists write of long life, and the means to prolong it, will help us little or nothing at all, and at no time can assure & comfort the conscience.  
Some of them think that men may live longer in hot countries then in cold; others are of opinion, that the Northern and colder climates are best to maintain health and long life, and Galen is persuaded that the air of Asia Minor in the East parts is a more temperate country to live in then any other. But these wise men do further observe, that besides a good air, many other things are requisite, as to keep a good diet, to use rest and exercise at due hours, to purge sometimes and to cuacuate the excrements and gross humours of the body, and sometimes to forbear it, to have the mind merrily disposed and free from pertubations and passions. But admit all these helps should concur, which seldom happens, what man is so simple and unadvised, be he never so young, to assure himself in the morning when he riseth, to live to go to his bed at night? What man is there by keeping a good diet, and living temperately, and by following the rules and prescriptions of Physicians, is able to make himself continue and last so long as a Date or Cypress tree, or to live so long as a Raven, a Stagg, or a base creeping worm?  
Many have composed and set forth books, wherein they treat how a man may preserve health, and Galen reporteth of one Antiochus a Physician, who contenting himself to eat sparingly three times a day, a piece of bread spread with honey, lived in wonderful health and strength of body many years. Pliny in his 22. Book. Chap. 24. maketh mention of one Pollio, who lived more than a hundred years, and being demanded by the Emperor Augustus, how and by what means he preserved so long the good health of his body and vigour of mind, made him this answer, That he used to supple his joints with oil, and to drink the best wine he could get. In his 7. Book and 50. Chap. he propoundeth for an example (thinking the like not to be found) of one Xenophilus a Musician, who lived a hundred and five years, and was never in all that time sick, nor felt any ache or pain in his body. Cicero also in his Dialogue of old age, maketh mention of Arganthonius King of Gades, who reigned fourscore years, and lived a hundred and twenty. But seeing all the time of our life, which is not employed in well doing and virtuous actions, is to be accounted lost, and that the greatest part of this present life, vanisheth away in miseries, which we are forced to see and suffer. Good God, how are they to be lamented, and pitied, that have nothing where of they can boast, nor whereon to rest and place their assurance, but upon a number of years, and who commonly die, when as yet they have not beto take order to live, or when they have no sooner begun to be wise, but they are as soon dead?  
I pray you do we call that long, which hath an end, yea such an end as every minute we expect and look for? Every man is desirous and willing to live long, and striveth with might and main, using his uttermost power study and care to live long, although the time he runs and moylingly trots up and down, be it never so long, compared to eternity, is but as a drop of water to the main sea. To be brief, long life in this world is nothing else, but a painful progress, which makes it shorter and shorter, and at last makes an end of it. Let every man then (as Cicero counselleth) hold himself contented with the time is appointed unto him, by him, who hath the hour glass of our life in his hand, who hath stinted our days how long they shall run, and hath set down this for his will, that they should be short and miseerable, which he hath done to this end, that we should with good Abraham having our fill, full load and back burden of days, pack away and remove from this life, not as from a house of ease and delight, but as from a base beggarly Inn, making all the speed we can to go hence, to enjoy that life which is free from all fear of death, from sorrow, error, and false dealing, and is everlasting. O how blessed are they to whom God hath vouchsafed to reveal the way of life, who by and through jesus Christ have obtained the fullness of joy, and those everlasting pleasures which are in God's right hand. For although it be elsewhere promised, that such persons being planted in the household and family of the Lord, shall bring forth fruit abundantly in their white old age, shall be in good case, always flourishing, that their youth shall be renewed as the Eagles, yet is to be understood rather of their spiritual vigour & strength, then of the strength of the body, in which respect Lions, Elephants, & Eagles do far surpass us. Whereupon the saying of the Prophet doth consent and agree, that those which are the Lords followers, and do attend and wait upon him, do renew their strength, their wings do spread and enlarge as the wings of an Eagle, they run and shall not be wearied, they travel and walk up and down, and shall not be tired nor faint, Isaiah 40. 31. The might and power of God doth so support and uphold them, that they overcome difficulties and hard usage, they can pass over and undergo all troubles whatsoever by the means of jesus Christ, who doth assist and strengthen them, and do at last happily end their days. Nevertheless, we grant and acknowledge, that God doth sometimes set forth unto us notable examples of hardy old men; who for their strength of body, and courage of mind may be wondered at. Such a one was Moses, of whom it is said, Deut. 34. 7. that dying when he was a hundred and twenty years old, his sight was not dim, neither was his strength of body decayed. Caleb also, that valiant chanpion and faithful servant of God, who being fourscore and five years old, said to joshua Chap. 14. I am as strong of body as I was, when Moses sent me for a Commander (being more than forty years since) and I am as able to do service in the wars, and to march and traverse my ground as I was then. Saint Jerome writeth thus to Paul of Concorda; Behold this is the hundred year complete of thy life, and yet thy sight is good thou marchest stoutly, thou art quick of hearing, thy teeth are sound, thou hast a shrill and eloquent voice, thy body is strong and lustily, thy face ruddy and well coloured, whereat thy white hairs seem to envy, and thy strength is such that thou art taken to be younger than thou art, thy blood which freezeth and is cooled, doth not hebetate and dull thy ready and quick wit, nor the wrinkles of thy forehead make thee look strene and ghastly. We have seen in our time many venerable old men, & there are to be found many worthy Divines, that are threescore and ten, and fourscore years old, whose age hath no whit diminished their strength of mind or sharpness of wit, but that they are still to this day, by their grave counsels, godly communications, and learned writings, very helpful to their Friends, and do good service to the Church, to their Prince and Common weal, and like Appius surnamed the blind, see more apparently what is good and behooveful for their country, than those that sit near the helm and government of the State. I affirm confidently of them, that they are trees surely rooted and well grounded: And that those verses of Virgil the Poet are wisely invented, where he saith; 
The life of man at the best, is as a vanishing dream,  
Old age doth furrow his forehead with sorrows extreme;  
And after many diseases, and sore travel without rest,  
Death comes at last, and locks him up in a chest.   
Those that curiously search into the nature of things, have from time to time observed, that we are no sooner borne but a certain heat doth preserve our natural and radical moisture, which at last, especially in old age, by extreme cold his contrary is cooled and quenched, so as man hath not a jot of time left him to cherish his vital powers, or to maintain the good temperature of his body, wherein those of Pythagoras' sect did hold life to consist. But to conclude with experience, and the saying of a wise man; Although the Physician use as much art as he can to keep us alive, by purging our bodies of peccant humours and diseases, yet at last he that is to day a King shall die to morrow. Plato doth judge, 
That Commonweal miserable and not the best,  
Where Physicians are sought to, and are in request.   
By whose account there is little regard to be made of the chiefest towns and cities in Europe. 
Physician's masters of their strength and wealth.  But let it be our duty in all good manner to honour and adore the sovereign Physician, who pardoneth all our iniquities, the fountains and causes of all our miseries and evils, who healeth all our diseases, who by the hope of a blessed resurrection doth secure our life from death, who doth compass us with loving mercies and compassions. Let us pray unto him to give us the true Aqua coelectis. All those that have their hope in him, need not to complain of the shortness or miseries of this present life, seeing that such is the will of our Father in heaven, that whosoever believeth in this sovereign Physician hath everlasting life, doth rise again at the last day, and aswell in body as in soul liveth and enjoyeth eternal happiness in the paradise of God.   

CHAP. II. Of such persons as have lived long, namely the patriarchs before the flood.  
IT is the saying of an ancient man, that it is a thing indifferent and not against reason, for a right good man to wish death, or to desire to enjoy the life present in this world, which to some is prolonged for their condemnation, and to others as a special favour of God: so as we be always ready according as it shall please God to yield up our life, or to keep it still. Life is to be desired not so much for itself, as for that we do thereby attain to the wisdom and knowledge of many and sundry things, especially of things Divine, for the attainment whereof, God, who is Almighty and good, bestowed upon the first patriarchs the gift of long life. The times before the universal flood had herein a great privilege in regard of the offsprings and progeny of Seth. For though they were entangled and cumbered with many miseries (as from the name Henoch is collected, which signifies a man of misery, and from the name of Noah, whose father Lamech gave him that name, upon the hope he had of some comfort, after many sorrows and afflictions) yet may it be said, that the world was then in his prime and best days: At which time these good patriarchs were not book learned, but all the knowledge they had in natural Philosophy, or in the course of the Stars they got it by long observation and experience, which from the grandfathers and fathers were delivered over and taught to their children, and to their children's children, as josephus witnesseth in his first book of Antiquities, and third Chapter. Many wondering heereat, have moved this question, whether it be likely or probable, that the Patriarched lived so long as nine hundred years and upwards, as our first father Adam, Methusula, and Noah did? Some curious wits, whose manner is to measure every thing by the meat-wand, and rule of their own overweening pride, who because they could not persuade themselves that the years of the patriarchs were composed of twelve months, or of three hundred threescore & five days, every day having four and twenty hours, and every hour his ordinary minutes, have imagined (as Saint Augustine reports in his 15. Book De civitate Dei, chap 10. & 12.) that the years of the first world were not reckoned according to our present computation and style, but that one of our years now, is as much in the balance of account, as ten year then, and they held their opinion for currant and to be approved, for that the people of the old world do still to this day differ about the calculation of the year. For the Egyptians, had their year of four months, the Acarnans of six, and the Lauinians of thirteen months. Pliny the second, having written that the Histories make mention of two, whereof one lived one hundred fifty and two years, and the other lived two hundred years, and of many that lived till they were eight hundred years old, addeth, that the ignorance of the times gave credit to such tales and reports, because there were of the ancienter men of those times, that did shut up and enclose the year within the seaesons thereof, some of them reckoning the year by the summer season, others did put the summer and winter season together, and made two years of them both, and some of them did reckon the interval and space from the change of the Moon, to the last day of the wain for a whole year. But besides that the history of the Deluge, being heedfully looked into and examined, according to his months and days, doth confute this error: Saint Augustine declareth, that such conjectures can have no force or authority in this dispute, and driveth these curious disputers into a manifest absurdity. For if seventy year's then, were but seven of our years now, Kenan when he was seven years old begot his son Mahalaleel, and Mahalaleel, being only five years old and a half, should have had Iered, as Henoch also at the same age, should have begot his son Methusula. But not to stand and rely upon the vain disputes of profane people, who being ignorant in the Art of Astronomy, and Celestial motions, have invented years after their own fancy, and have intricated themselves in infinite errors, which time by the help and skill of learned Astronomers hath reform and corrected. Most sure and certain it is, that after the Deluge, the whole earth, by that fearful punishment of the inundation of waters, failed to yield his foison and strength as before, and men being more luxurious and dissolute of life, lived not so long as they did before, as appeareth by the Genealogy of the sons of Sem, in the 11. Chapter of Genesis. Presently the years of the holy patriarchs did ebb and abate of their number, and in process of time, men in their manners grew worse and worse, so that at last in the time of jacob, the age of man did shrink away and decay very much, and afterward much more in the time of Moses, whereof we may have an instance and proof in the ninety Psalm, although the years there mentioned seem to be abriged, and cut off for an extraordinary rod of correction to them in the Desert. Caius the lawyer giveth his judgement, that the hourglass of man's life (even of those that are of the ablest bodies and minds) cannot run much longer than a hundred years. In the books of Heathen Authors, there are found notable and rare examples, and perhaps fabulous, of men that have lived very old. The years of Nestor are become a proveeb, by reason that Homer gave it out that he lived thee hundred years. The Tragedian Poets broach it for a truth that one Tiresias lived six hundred years, and Pliny in his 7. Book Chap. 48. hath set down a Catalogue of old men that lived to a very great age. Sabellicus in his AEneades reporteth that in Arabia, men live till they be four hundred years full out. Our French Historiographers do celebrate the memory of one john des temps, who had an Esquires place under Charlemain, about the year 800. and lived until the year 1124. under the Emperor Conrade the third. In our days there have been found in the East and West Indies old men, that have out lived two hundred years, and in diverse parts of Europe chiefly in the temperate Climates, but especially in the mountain countries, there be found men above a hundred years old, that are very voluble and fluent in talk and discourse. But whether this be so or no, all wise men agree in this, that although God, by his special blessing, for certain great reasons, hath drawn out the days of some of his children to a very great length, and that oftentimes it falleth out that the wicked suddenly perish, and have their life taken away for their rebellion against him, as the whole race of Cain was swallowed up of the flood, and not a man of them left alive: Yet this earth that bears us up, and whereupon we tread, is not the Land of the living, as Basil declareth in his exposition upon the 44. Psal. For here before the soul goes out of the body, we are often and long a dying, feel many assaults of death, who gives us many a sore blow, & deadly wound before he kill us outright: first our infancy dies in us, next our childhood, afterwards our youth or age of twenty or one and twenty years' growth, consequently our manly and middle age which is followed with old age, which changeth both us, and our affections, making us to live after another manner. We shall then be in the land of the living, when we shall be the same men we seem to be, unchangeable, without grief of mind, or sickness of body, not subject to any corruptions, or defilements, nor frowardly living in strife and debate. While we live in this tabernacle of the body (as Saint Paul saith, 2. Cor. 5. 4.) We sigh and mourn, being heavily burdened, not that we desire to be stripped or unclothed, but to be clothed again, that that which is mortal in us may be swallowed up of life. In heaven, which indeed is the land of the living, we shall be stripped of all that is vile, contemptible, mortal, frail, and corruptible in us and shall be clothed with a robe of glory and blessed immortality. In which country, as Saint Augustine in some place saith, we shall find true and faithful dealing, and from whence all impostures, error, and falsehood is banished; as there our joy shallbe a true joy, so there our life also shall be a true life. Now although the damned doerise again, yet to speak properly they shall not live, for their life shall be in perpetual torments, and therefore are they still kept alive, that their tortures should never have end, that their gnawing worm die not, and that their fire of torment go not out. That life only is to be accounted a life, which is both everlasting and happy. God having no purpose therefore, that his elect children should mew up, or confine their felicity within the little narrow compass of a brittle and perishing life, but should seek out and look for another country, where they may live at more liberty and for ever, hath been contented to give them a most assured testimony thereof, before the law, and before the flood, in the person of the Patriarch Henoch, then under the law in the middle age of the world, in the person of his Prophet Eliah, and in the last age of the world in the person of jesus Christ. Which three persons are now gone into heaven: The first two as young scholars and disciples, purposely trained up and chosen to be heirs of eternal life, that they might be to all others worthy witnesses of everlasting happiness, and that the men of their times might evidently see and be assured, by that which fell out in the lives of these two great persons, (whom Tertullian in his Book of the resurrection of the flesh surnameth, The white robed Saints of eternity) that there is another land of the living, where we shall one day meet together as well in body as in soul. And as for Christ jesus our Saviour, he as head of the Church, and as a triumphing conqueror of death and hell, is ascended into heaven to prepare a place in his kingdom, for those that be his & to draw unto him at the appointed time, all the members of his mystical body. Then shall be fulfilled all the words of the Prophet, mentioned in the end of the hundred and second Psalm. Thou hast afore all times laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands, they shall perish, but thou shalt endure; they shall wax old as a garment: thou shalt alter and change them as a garment, and they shall be altered and changed. But thou art always the same, thy years shall be at a stay and never fail: the children of thy servants shall dwell in thy presence, and their seed shall remain, and be established in thy sight.   

CHAP. III. Of the tree of Life, and of the tree of Knowledge of good and evil.  
MOst happy was the state and condition of our father Adam before his fall in that excellent Garden, where his Creator had placed him. Where so long as he would do that which God commanded him, he lived at pleasure and hearts ease, was in favour with God, who created him good, he wanted neither meat nor drink convenient, nor any good thing. The tree of Life was a strong guard to his person, to defend him against the assaults of old age, that it durst not come near to approach or seize on him, he needed not to fear sickness, or any outward thing to hurt or annoy him, he had there perfect health of body and tranquillity of mind. This Saint Augustine affirms of him in his 14. Book, De Civitate Des, chap. 16. Let us add that which Damascene writes of him in the eleventh Chapter of Orthodoxal faith, in these words; That Gods will and purpose, being to create man after his own image, and to make him the prime Monarch over all the world, he prepared and built him a most stately and sumptuous Palace, where he might lead his life in all happiness. And this was the Garden of Eden, a store house of all sorts of spices, and of all things else which might give him content and delight, a place very temperate, radiant and shining, with a most clear, wholesome, pure and fresh air, strewed all over with green herbs, and with most fragrant and sweet smelling flowers; In the midst was planted the tree of Life, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil, to no other end but to prove and exercise his obedience, and that he might see that Gods will was not, that he should be distracted with diverse and wand'ring imaginations, and that his chiefest business should be to praise and bless his Creator, and to make it his solace and delight, to six his thoughts and affections on him. These testimonies of Saint Augustine, and Damascene, do explain the words of Moses, who said that the earthly Paradise (for so is the Garden of Eden commonly called) was not an allegorical and imaginary Garden, or some Orchard hanging in the air, and not really in nature, but it was the sight of a goodly country, surveyed by measure, had his bounds and abuttments upon a certain angle of the world towards the East, where Eve was framed and carved out of the side of Adam, and where trees and fruits did naturally grow, and was the food by which they did live: And this Garden of Eden was not the whole continent of the earth, for Adam and Eve after their fall were banished and driven out of it, to go to seek there dwelling elsewhere. All Divines do affirm, that in the History of Adam's creation, as things are penned and set down by Moses, in the three first Chapters of Genesis, there were many mysteries contained. But it follows not, as Saint Augustine in his eight Book upon Genesis, according to the literal text, learnedly clears the point, that in the said History of Adam's first estate, there was nothing contained but Allegories, Idenes, and things mystical: As it must not be inferred under the colour and pretext, that the pillar which followed the people in the Desert, was Christ; that there was not a material and natural rock, out of which gushed out waters, which did naturally quench the people's thirst in the Desert. If then a mystical and typical sense be the matter in question, Saint Ambrose in his fourth Volume and Tractat, Saint Augustine in his second Book upon Genesis, urging the words of the text literally against the Manichees, and Damascene in the place before alleged, do also say that the Garden of Eden was a figure of the Paradise and felicity of the Church, in the midst whereof was planted Christ, the true tree and bread of life, out of which followeth rivers of heavenly and everlasting life: As also that it signified and made a representation of the Kingdom of heaven, and to this latter signification our Lord seems to refer, when to the Thief upon the Cross, who repented, acknowledged his Saviour, and made so excellent a confession of his faith, as no Christian can make a better, he said, This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise, Luke 23. 43.  
Concerning the tree of Life, Saint Augustine in his 26. Chapter of the fourth Book, De civitate Dei, and other ancient an modern Divines, do think that the tree of Life, was so called, not because the fruit of it sustained man in life, as other fruits do, but that (by a special blessing) the fruit of it did maintain Adam and Eve in life and strength of body, that they were not troubled with any disease. They gather their exposition on from this, that Adam after his fall was by the commandment of God banished with his wife out of the garden of Eden, & to this end that he should not stretch forth his hand to gather and eat of the fruit of this tree, whereby he might live for ever. And from the Cherubins, which with a waving and flourishing sharp edged sword, were placed towards the East part of the garden, to keep him from coming that way to the tree of life, Gen. 3. 22. 24. Some Divines said that after Adam's revolt, the passage way to the tree of life was barricadoed and shut up, not that God feared that Adam after he had received his doom and judgement to return to the dust of the earth, from whence he was taken, could by eating of the fruit of the tree of life recover immortality, but that he having made himself a mortal creature, and lost his dignity, should have his scutcheon of honour taken from him and trampled under feet, and all the ornaments, badges, and marks of the favour of God and immortality. For otherwise, to speak properly, God alone is the head spring of life, Psal. 36. 10. Nay he is our life and the length of days, Deut. 30. 20. And not any tree, nor the fruit of a tree. And wittily doth Aristotle scoff at Hesiodus, and his other fellow Poets, who took upon them to make a material bread and drink for the living gods, which they called Nectar and Ambrosia. S. Augustine in his eight book upon Genesis, seemeth out of the words of the text very fitly to resolve this point of doctrine, when he saith, that all the fruits of other trees were given to man for the nourishment and food of his body, but the tree of life, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil, were given him in the nature and quality of a Sacrament. Other Divines, whose opinion I reject not, do hold that the tree of life was a figure of the Gospel, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil, was a figure of the Law; that Adam and Eve by eating of the fruit of this latter tree might now come to know good and bad, virtue and vice, right and wrong, justice or injustice, or by their disobedience to God in doing that which he had forbidden them, might learn to their own confusion, from what an excellent state they were fallen, and into what an abyss and bottomless gulf of confusion they had plunged themselves. Many ancient learned men do write, that the tree of life did signify wisdom planted in the midst of the garden, that is ingraffed or infused into the heart of man, which is in the midst of his body; And for proof hereof, they allege the place in the third chapter of the Proverbes, where it is said, That wisdom is a tree of life to those that lay hold of it. We think no less, but that Solomon in that sentence doth allude to the tree of life in the garden of Eden, which was to our first Parents a Sacrament of the life which they had received of God, and which had been perpetuated to them, if they had not rebelled against him; And that he doth also admonish us, that the means to recover that happy life, & to enjoy God's favour again, is to apply ourselves to that study of wisdom, which is taught us chiefly in the Gospel, of which S. Paul saith, We speak not the wisdom of the world, but the wisdom of God in a mystery, which is a hid wisdom. 1. Cor. 2. 6, 7. And the same jesus Christ, which by God was made wisdom for us, is our resurrection and life.  
Concerning the tree of knowledge of good & evil, many do wonder that it was planted in the terrestrial and earthly Paradise, seeing it was the occasion and material cause of the death of Adam and Eue. But Divines, and namely S. Basil and S. Augustine, do wisely make answer; That God planted no tree that was evil, neither made he death, neither did he set or plant any such tree in the garden, to be the occasion of man's ruin and destruction; but to prove his obedience, and to beget in him an habit of abstinence, and to wean him to sobriety; so that although this tree was pleasant to behold, yet was it not meet that Adam and Eve should climb it to satisfy their greedy appetites, but should abstain and forbear so to do, because God had for bidden them to gather and eat of the fruit thereof. To conclude with S. Augustine, The Lords will was that the reasonable creature should see, that he was not to be at his own carving and appointment, but as a creature to yield all obedience to his Creator; and in yielding obedience, should find it to be best for his health and welfare. Thus, than Adam's estate was excellent, and above all things to be desired, wherein he abounded in all joy, integrity, justice, and holiness, if he had continued in this happy estate wherein God created him. But after he had eaten of the forbidden fruit, of a man just, happy, and immortal, he became a sinner, miserable and mortal. These things being so, we the miserable posterity of Adam, who have tasted of the forbidden fruit, transgressed in the thing forbidden, and by our disobedience brought upon us the first and second death, separated and estranged ourselves from God the author of our life, and of our good being and welfare, are exhorted and put in mind to have our recourse in true faith unto that Mediator, who by his death and resurrection hath opened unto us the celestial Paradise, who giveth us to eat of the tree of life planted in the Paradise of God, Apocal. 2. 7. not of a figurative and typical tree, but that we might have a right and interest in jesus Christ the true tree of life, and in the heavenly jerusalem, which is everlasting life, Apocal. 22. 14. For in our Saviour is the truth, and the accomplishment of all types and figures, and whosoever believeth in him, shall not come to condemnation, but shall go from death to life. Upon this sentence S. Paul in the first Chapter of his Epistle to the Romans 17. Verse, doth ground this principle: The just shall live by faith.   

CHAP. FOUR What old age is, and how many species and kinds of old age there be.  
THE disloyalty and fearfulness of Adam and Eve, was the violent downfall of themselves and their posterity unto death, and unto all the forerunners of death, as consumption, diseases, and won, and pale old age, which is the respectacle, centre, and sink of all man's miseries. To speak properly, God only is incorruptible, immortal, immutable, always the same, and whose years alter not. And although it be said that the soul of man is immortal (as Saint Augustine affirmeth in his first book, De Trinitate) yet the true immortality is a perfect immutability and unchangeableness which no creature hath. In God only there is no variableness nor shadow of change, as saith Saint james, Chap. 1. 17. Verse. chose, our lives are variable and subject to sudden revolutions, changes, and chances, and our fair outside and feature of body turns to be as a moth eaten garment: Our days (as the Patriarch jacob said to the king of Egypt) are few and evil or wearisome upon earth. Galen knowing well that old age a natural infirmity, which could not be avoided, did justly reprove a certain Philosopher who braggingly gave it out, that he had a receipt would preserve a man from growing old; Although, saith he old age be natural and inevitable, and withal further addeth, that this Philosopher being grown to the age of fourscore years died of a hectic fever. At that time when Saint Cyprian lived, the whole world was judged to be very much weatherbeaten, to be grown old, and that all her former good days were gone and passed. Behold, what this courageous Martyr of jesus Christ saith of the world in his tractate of death. If the old walls of your house should stand totteringly, if the battlement and roof should shake, if the main building should lean awry, and the rafters, posts, groundsels, and principal timbers should be weak and rotten, all of them giving you warning of the peril ye are in, if ye tarry in it, would ye stand to delay and pause on the matter, and not get ye gone in all haste? The whole frame of the world doth totter and reel, and being old and near her end, she cries out that she stands upon her last legs, and is quite down, and you defer to serve God, to seek your own safety and good, by preventing those evils which with her crimes are ready to fall upon you, and may be escaped if you timely give over the world.  
Many learned Astronomers have proved by firm and sure demonstrations, that the celestial Planets have altered their course and motions, and that the Sun is come nearer to the earth, that by his warm neighbourhood (such is the special providence and will of God) the Elements, which are become weak in their influences might be the better relieved. Most certain it is that the world is grown old, that Kingdoms, Commonweals, and Cities, have their flourishing times, and times of decay; kindreds also and whole families are rooted out, and not a man of them to be seen above ground, and all the creatures which serve to our use, and are subject to vanity, do after their manner groaningly desire and look for an end, as the Apostle saith, Rom. 8. 20.  
But to return to our Vieillard or old man, who is the subject of this discourse, what other thing is old age then the road way to death? For seeing that death is a suffocating and quenching of the natural heat of the body, old age makes way to him to enter and seize upon the body the sooner. The older men are, the more weak and feeble they are in every thing they do and take in hand, and this weakness of old age can in no sort be holpen and redressed, though we strive to do it, by keeping the hear from faintings and failings, and in continual motion. For life and action end both at once; it being impossible that the living creature should die, so long as the heart receives motion by the body's action. Moreover, old men, who are of a dry and cold constitution, are less fit to undertake many actions, exploits, or employments. They are not quick enough of apprehension, their senses failing them by little and little, the sinews, lineaments, and all the members of their body do shrink, languish and decay, their sight and hearing fails them, they are chapfallen, and their teeth deny to champ and grind the bread they must eat. And as God hath appointed every man's race of life how long it shall be, and the stages he must pass before he come to the end of it, whereof old age is the last stage of all; it is not every man's destiny to go so far; some wax old sooner than others, some bear their age very well, some look old and are not: So that old age must not be judged by the wrinkles in the forehead, by the white hairs, by the unwieldiness or witheredness of the body; there being on the contrary some very old, that have a ruddy face and well coloured, a sleeked and smooth skin, and their hair of a coal-black or nutt-browne colour: But it is fit rather to refer ourselves to the words of the Psalmist in the nineteenth Psalm, where mention is made of the years of man's life, and of those things which often happen therein, and of the many and manifold troubles and discommodities, wherewith old men are besieged and compassed about.  
Moreover, the Naturalists and Philosophers, have used to divide old age as it were into certain spaces, paces, or progresses. The first pace and progress, is from fifty to threescore years, at which age a man is yet lusty, strong, and youthful, especially those men who have been wise to live abstinently and continently, flying gluttony, drunkenness, whoredom, effeminacies, excessive pains taking, and labours more hurtful than necessary for the welfare and strength of the body, overmuch carking and caring, and over violent passions of the mind, which overwhelm the soul, not suffering it to rest in quiet, or making it to go gadding and madding here and there to and fro, as it happeneth to the licentious, ambitious, covetous, revengeful, ireful, froward, fearful, and such like persons, who being tempested with disordered thoughts, and unruly passions, are carried with the rage and fury of them, so far out of the way of reason and besides themselves, that they can hardly hit the right way again to the house and city of God. And though that after fifty years the strength of nature doth wane, and by little and little doth abate and grow weak, yet we see that men at that age and after, untilll they be threescore and five years old and upwardly, are fit persons to be employed in public places of charge and command, as well for their counsel and wisdom to direct, as for their ability and valour to execute and perform, whereof we have infinite examples in our own Chronicles and modern Histories. At threescore and five years, until fourscore, or much about that age old men may be fit to be counsellors of estate, and directours and governors of families. After this age until their dying day old men are fit for nothing but to sit in a chair in their chamber, to have their friends, servants, and those of their house to visit them with reverend and courteous salutations, to have their children and grandchildren leaping about them, making them pastime and sport, to be entertained with talk and discourse fitting to their weak capacities; And their part and duty is to return them their blessing and well wishing, and to offer up daily prayers for them and all others, wherein they must be brief and short, expecting and looking every minute, when death will be so kind as to take them out of the world.  
There is a kind of old age overhastened, overmuch worn and broken with sore labour, overmuch pains taking, watchings and surfeitings in times past. Those that by this means are become old, shall yet at times for the most part, have perfect senses and understanding, and shall have their blood moderately hot, the lukewarm heat whereof they shall know by skill and cunning to cherish and maintain: But yet their surfeited bodies shallbe tormented with sharp diseases, and aches in their bones, which by fits at times, shall put them to such griping pains and pangs in their body, that they shall be able no whit at all to help themselves, and their neighbours, for whose good and comfort they ought the more carefully to preserve, and the better to see to, and to order their life, that so they may in peace of conscience yield the better account to God. Briefly, our life may be compared to the light of a Lamp, which by little and little goes out, as the oil that maintains it doth waste and consume; or to the Moon, which as it oftentimes shines forth and shows itself, so is it as often eclipsed and under a cloud. But we commonly see the most part of men sweated to death with hot burning fevers: pestilences, famines, wars, common diseases, and diverse mischances sweep them out of the world, before they come near by many a day's journey to the door of old age. What man would desire to see the fortieth part of his age, if when he is come to be able to speak, and to be of some capacity and understanding, he should be showed in a book all the accidents and mischances, which from and after his infancy is, or may happen unto him, whereof (as Cicero recounteth in his second book De divinatione) Dicaearchus in times past wrote a large Volume; But I suppose he had great leisure, and that all the world could not contain all that might be imagined to fall out in some men's lives in fifty years' space. If a man fearing God will seriously examine, what things have passed in his own life, and make a journal or day book of them, whereby he may be brought to repent him of his follies and faults, to amend his life, to lay hold on the benefits of jesus Christ, to renounce the world, and unfeignedly to meditate and think upon a better life, he shall do a worthy work; And I would gladly counsel all wise old men to stay themselves upon such meditations, while some young foppish, and old doting persons spend their time in ridiculous and shameful sports and delights, or which do by fowl crimes and misdeeds deadly wound their woeful consciences. It is recorded by Lactantius in his second book of Christian Institutions, that the old Poets did circle and enclose the life of man within three terminations or periods, over which they appointed three fatal Ladies, Atropos, Lachesis, Clocho, the daughter of jupiter and Themis, to spin at the thread of man's life; under which feigned names, was covertly veiled and shadowed diverse considerations of our condition in this world, in the first, middle, and last age of our life, whereof we purpose not here to moralise or declare the meaning. Aristotle in his book of the world maketh mention, that by these three daughters of jupiter, the ancient people of those times would represent time past, time present, and to come; All things by them being tied to a fatal necessity, which God hath decreed to be; against which the oldest, strongest, and youngest cannot resist or gainsay.  
The name of Senators is derived from the Latin word senes, which signifies old men, who are so styled in honour of their experience, prudence, and wisdom, inseparable companions of such old men, who are appointed to have the superintendency and government over others. In the government of all Churches, there is an Ecclesiastical Senate, or convocation of Elders, who being assisted with the ministers of the word, have their eyes still prying into the manners of men, to reform and reclaim them from evil to good, and if they be good, to make them better. These old men above all others, ought to take heed that they do not incur the ancient reproach and scandal of, bis pueri senes, which is verified in those who are old in years, and in their manners and actions show themselves children. But as it is a rare thing to see a young man so well stayed, as an old, or to do things so well and wisely as an ancienter body, so is it a lamentable thing to see old men to mock & make moes one at an other, and to make a laughing stock of those who are as old as themselves, or to do the uttermost they can to disgrace them, only to please and curry-favour with young men: Common faults in these days, which the Ancient of days, will redress when it pleaseth him. Let us close up this Section with a sentence of a Roman Stoic, who saith, That as he maketh not a long voyage, who is tossed to and fro at sea, with stormy and tempestuous winds, and doth not proceed; so ought we not to account that man to have lived long, who hath not ordered his life to make a happy end.   

CHAP. V. The springhead of old age, and the cause or occasions of it.  
MAny of the Heathen people have showed themselves rash, unadvised, and arrogantly minded, who have taken upon them boldly to accuse nature, calling her an envious and spiteful stepmother, which hath been willing and given her consent, that man who is worthy of very long life, should remain so short a time in the world, and which is more, that he should be compassed about and pressed to death with millions of evils. Others have imagined that man was purposely placed in the world to be punished for his sins. There were many of them that maintained that life was a scourge and plague to man, and made great complaints against nature, that she had cast him into the midst of a raging and stormy sea, overslowing with miseries. These, and the like discoursers have resembled those, who think the worse of good wines, because of the lees in the bottom of the cask, or those who beholding the eclipse would maintain the Sun to be always dark. But the holy Scripture speaketh otherwise of these things, as also the wiser heathen people to wit, that instead of taxing and finding fault with our life, because of some discommodities and troubles are in it; we are on the contrary to acknowledge the excellent benefits, which by it are bountifully communicated and bestowed upon us, by our Creator and heavenly Father; who thereby putteth us in mind that the glory of man doth not consist so much in the strength, fair outside, and feature of the body; as in the endowments and gifts of the mind; As also that nature is not to be blamed, nor found fault with, nor under her name the true God, who created her, and is the author of her essence and being: seeing that (as Chrysostome declareth in an excellent Homily of his) No man takes harm, but by and long of himself; And it is agreeable to nature, that as the Ivy by winding itself about trees doth drink up their sap, and makes them to die so old age kills all those whom she doth lovingly embrace in her arms. So Ovid saith; 
Old age eats the iron, and makes it decay,  
And Marble pillars to moulder away.  
And Horace upon the same theme addeth;  
Of the dismal day, that doth threaten with death,  
Things vital feel the smart, and things without breath.   
It is a wonder, saith Cicero also, if old men be troubled with infirmities, seeing young men cannot privilege themselves from them, but are often enough feeble and weak. The Sun that riseth in the morning doth set at night; there is not any thing that doth increase and flourish, but it doth decrease, whither, and wax old. But to come nearer to our purpose, let us first discover and lay open the remote causes of old age, than those that are nearer and more inherent and natural, and let us show that they are not all of a piece, and of one sort.  
Those we call the remote causes of old age, which are supernatural, and which proceed from the disobedience of Adam and Eve, and from the sentence pronounced against them by the Lord God. For, so long as God was man's friend, the sky, air, and earth, were so beautiful to behold, that a fairer prospect could not be desired, and man himself known and perceived how proportionably his bones and joints were set together, and how exquisitely and perfectly he was fashioned, framed, and made as well in body, as in soul. But man taking upon him boldly to transgress God's commandment, and to revolt from his obedience, had this punishment for his boldness and rebellion inflicted upon him, that within doors, or touching his inward man, he was not so well fortified with the spirit of God, as he was before, and abroad without doors, or touching his outward man, all his former blessings became curses, as appears by that which is contained, in the sentence pronounced against him presently after his fall. For where before he had liberty, he was made a bondslave, all the pains he was put to in that pleasant garden of Eden, whereof he was owner, was only to trim it and keep it handsome, which was an easy work to the hard labour he was put to afterward; his sleep and rest was disquieted with wearisomeness, and discontentments, the Elements, and all other creatures, and things ordained for the necessity of this life, and which before willingly offered and did their service unto him, were after his fall subject to vanity and corruption, and began to be enemies, and to proclaim open wars against this wretched Apostata man; For the sky was troubled with tempests and storms, the air was infected with noisome vapours, the earth brought forth thorns, thistles, hurtful and venomous herbs, and the tame and wild beasts stood with their several weapons ready drawn, to encounter and make head against him. Man being then environed with the dreadful wrath of God, cumbered with so many evils and miseries, and having so many ambushes and trains laid for him, which he was to pass and make a lane through, it was impossible, but that he should by little and little waste his vital spirits, and consume his strength, grow old, and speedily come to his death, if God, of his mere good will to him, had not eased his sorrows and troubles, and mitigated his afflictions, prolonging the date of his years, and letting some live so long as it seemeth good unto him. David lamenting this miserable condition of his, saith in the extreme anguish of all his heaviness and troubles; There is no health in my flesh, because of thine indignation; My bones never leave ask, because I have offended thee, O Lord, Psal. 38. 4. And in another place he saith, My days are as a shadow which vanisheth away, and I am as a withered leaf, ashes have been my bread, and I have mingled my drink with tears, because of thine anger and heavy displeasure, and because having advanced me to great honour, thou hast cast me down as low as the dust: Psal. 102. 10. 11. 12. Many years before David, job complains, That his days were like the days of a hireling, months of vanity were given him for his portion, painful nights were appointed unto him, his flesh was clothed with worms, his skin was chapt, and shrunk away, and his days passed away as swiftly as a Weaver's shuttle, job 7. 1. etc. Briefly, as Saint Cyprian saith, in his Treatise of the virtue of patience, this obligatory decree, Thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return, doth bind us under hatches, and keeps us chained in hold until death be abolished, and we made partakers of a better life. Thus much touching the remote causes of old age.  
Now follows the natural and inherent causes of old age. As young men die unwillingly, so on the contrary, old men fall of themselves into their graves, like fruits that are ripe, and according to the course of nature, all things that are old, do by little and little decline and give way to death. Which caused some Divines to be of opinion, that our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, among other reasons, would not die of any disease, or of old age, that he might not seem to be driven, and turned out of the world perforce, by this natural infirmity, which doth threaten all the children of Adam. As for that which is extraordinary, peculiar, and not so much according to nature, we may read examples thereof in Isaiah 40. Chap. 30. 31. The young men are weary and faint, yea the lustiest young men do stumble, and fall flat to the ground; but those that wait and depend upon the Lord, do renew their strength, their wings do spread, as the wings of an Eagle; they shall run, and not be weary, they shall walk, and not be feeble and faint. And the same Prophet foretelleth in the 65. Chapter, concerning the restauration of the Church, which is spiritually to be understood; That hereafter there shall be in jerusalem no more a child of years, nor an old man, which shall not accomplish and fill up his years, for he that shall be a hundred years old, shall be a young man. By which manner of speech, the Prophet would give us to understand, that all the children of God, shall come to that age and stature, where of Saint Paul maketh mention, in the fourth Chapter of his Epistle to the Ephesians, in such sort, that they shall be exempt from all infirmities, wherewith children and old men are cumbered, that is, they shall not be children in understanding, nor poor silly dotards and sots, as those are that know not jesus Christ, but live in perpetual ignorance, Idolatry, and beastly impiety. On the contrary, life prolonged unto the profane, shall be but a presage and forerunner of their everlasting accursed condition.  
But to proceed, the inherent and natural causes of old age, are not all of one sort and kind. For some of them are merely natural, and sleep in our bosoms, and some of them be accidental and foreign, and further of from us. Those we call merely natural, and which sleep with us, which the Naturalists & Physicians speak of, to wit, our coldness and dryness of body; because the more our radical moisture dries up, and our blood cools, the nearer is our sensitive and natural life to an end; which hath been the cause to move some men to think, that old men were called Senes, which is as much to say as Semineces, men half dead, because old men, especially those that are decrepit, & very much worn with age, have cold and dry bodies. For although, they abound with excrements, and by this accident seem to have moist bodies, for that their natural heat, being too much cooled, and not able to cherish and warm them within, the humour purgeth itself at the nose or mouth: Yet this age is found indeed and in truth, to be cold and dry. And as death is a total suffocation of the natural heat, so old age doth by little and little cool and abate it; whereupon it also follows, that all cold and dry bodies are quickly worn out and grow old. On the contrary, young men are of hot and moist constitutions. But even as it is to be found in wines, that some keep colour long, and drink brisk and neat, and some by and by loose colour, and drink eager and flat: So we see some men wax old, and were out sooner than others. And notwithstanding, that man wheel about from this place to that, shifting airs, and using all the ways and means he can, to cherish nature for a while, yet his natural heat and strength doth by little and little leave him; whereupon doth ensue to aged persons white hairs, looseness of teeth, deafness of hearing, weakness and decay of sight, the shaking palsy in their hands and legs, and the chilling and shrinking up of all the whole body.  
This natural weaknenesse and dryness, which by succession of time doth invade all bodies made of earth, or other matter; beside, is seconded in many men with diverse diseases, and with old age coming on, which with greater pain doth hasten it forward, and further it the more. All these evils may be reduced to two heads, which we call the labours and toils of the body distinctly, or both together; and intemperance. Concerning labour, it is expressly set down in that sentence, immediately after the sin of Adam and Eve, which Moses doth propound in these words: The earth shall be accursed because of thee, in sorrow shalt thou eat of the fruits thereof all the days of thy life, in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, etc. Gen. 2. 17, 19 And in the ninetith Psalm it is said, That we flourish and wither away all at once; Because, as the Prophet saith, there is no part of our life, how strong and lusty soever it be, which is privileged and free from sorrow and labour. These two are the parents of old age, as every man knows, and there hath been in our time young men, which being oppressed with extreme grief, have become old in a night; the toils of the wars have made some grey headed, in the prime and flower of their years, and it comes by kind to the men and women of some kindreds and families, to be soon grey and old. Pliny in his seventh book, and seventh chapter writeth, That in Albania, some have all the hair of their heads white from their infancy. I myself have seen in diverse places where I have traveled, five or six young men, whereof the last I saw was in Dauphiné, who had all the hair of their heads, as white as a man of threescore and ten years old.  
Touching intemperance, whereof there be diverse kinds, a vice to common in young men destitute of the fear of God, and very unseemly in old men, being the harbinger of death, and the Physician's best friend. It hath been an old complaint, seeing this present life is so short, frail, and transitory, that men do so naturally desire to live, and to be so careful to recover and preserve their health, and to that end spare for no cost, nor make any bones or difficulties, to turn their tender stomaches into an Apothecary's shop of bitter and unsavoury drudges: how almost all men by their outrageous riots, and surfeitings, do bring upon themselves an irksome old age, do before hand as much as in them lies, with sharp and violent diseases hasten their death, are not wise till it be too late, and never condemn, or find fault with their shameful luxuries and riots, till the gout is in their knees, or the dropsy doth painfully shingle them round, or the stone doth torment them, and till the excesses and disorders by them committed, to the fearful abuse of God's patience, have delivered up their rotten and crazed bodies, into the hands of a miserable old age. They should before hand remember, and bethink themselves, of the old excellent Proverb, If thou wilt be a very old man, be old betime. Which doth warn us to be careful of our health in our youth, flying all shameful and unruly passions, and seeking by the wise government of ourselves, to obtain such an old age, as may be long, strong, and healthful. Verily, it is a licentiousness not to be borne withal, or tolerated, that a man should give his youth, as a present to the unclean spirit, by abandoning it to impudent dissoluteness, pollutions, and ribald impurities, promising to himself, that all shall go well with him at last, and conceiting to himself rude and wild peccavies, which deceive and mislead him. It is a further evil, and utterly abominable in old men, to see them so far to have abandoned God, their honour, their respect of others, all remembrance of their wretched condition, and of death which hangs over their heads; that they would still weave a web of new years for Coverlets, to hide the foul deeds they commit in horrible hypocrisy, which at last doth transform them into profane persons, and desperate Atheists. If the exhortation was necessary, which the wise man hath given to every young man, in the twelfth Chapter and third Verse of Ecclesiastes, To remember his Creator in the days of his youth, before the evil days do approach; what is to be said to old men, upon whom those days and painful to pass and undergo, because of the miseries that do accompany them, are already come, more than half gone and passed, and almost at an end? What a shame were it to old men to be reproached, and justly, that they play at leap frog, use fond court, and make foolish toys and bravadoes, and gad up and down, whethersoever their affections lead them, and the lusts of their eyes? It were well done to proclaim, and cry out with a loud voice, Know that for all thy evil ways God will bring thee to judgement. O hypocrite, where art thou? canst thou hide thee from others, from thyself, from God thy Sovereign? thou hast one foot in the grave, and thou wilt fetch gambols and frisks, and caper aloft, that the world may see thou art still one of her minions, and a favourite of her vanities.  
But, let us consider the disorder and licentiousness of youth, which soon enough procure a miserable old age, which besmear and rudely handle the sinner and lewd liver. The first disorder and licentiousness, as Philosophers, Physicians, and Divines say, is found in whoredom, adultery, and such like abominable sins of the flesh. Aristotle, in his Tractate of the length and shortness of life, saith, That the males of all creatures, which bill often with the females, are quickly old, and do waste and consume their bodily strength. Galen said, that Venus which doth cool the blood too much, and weaken the body, is the capital enemy of old men, and of hot complexions. Long before him the holy Ghost hath given a good and wholesome caveate, and precept thereof, by the instruction of Bethsaba to King Solomon her son, for whom she made so many vows, Give not thy strength to women, following the way which is the destruction of Kings. If such infamous disorders and licentiousness be insupportable and perilous in young men, how much more in old men, who are obliged and bound to remember the holy statutes, and ordinances of their Sovereign? who in his inviolable law ratified, under great pains and penalties, cries out; Thou shalt not be a fornicator; Thou shalt not commit adultery; God will judge whoremongers and adulterers, and such persons shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven. Wise old men tremble at the words of their great Prince, who tells them in plain terms, That whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matth. 5. 28. They mourn and lament, when this interrogatory is ministered unto them by the Apostle; Know ye not that our bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, to make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. Also he saith, Fly fornication, for every sin which a man committeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body: Know ye not, that your body is the temple of the holy Ghost, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own men? 1. Cor. 6. 15. etc. The reason which he gives doth overthrow and cut off all pretexts, that young and old men which despise the truth, can allege or take hold of, to excuse themselves, in accusing themselves. You have, saith he, been bought with a price, glorify then God in your body and in your soul. Let us without producing further allegations and proofs in this case, end it with the words of the same Advocate of holiness and truth. This is, saith he, the will of God, and your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication, and that every one of you should know, how to possess his vessel in holiness and honour, and not in the lust of concupiscence, as the Gentiles do which know not God. 1. Thessal. 4. 3. etc.  
The Proverb is, That when the belly is full, the bones desire rest, or we are apt for wanton delights. Delicious fare, gluttony, drunkenness, cause young men and old to live so dissolutely and licentiously, as before is mentioned. And, whereas the heathen people sought to find verity in wine, the Apostle saith to the Ephesians. That in wine there is found vanity, dissoluteness, disorder, and all misgovernment and misrule. Bacchus, and Ceres, as a heathen man said, are the fuellers and fier-makers to Venus. Wine and belly cheer dull the understanding, and bereave a man of his senses; And it is the only time for old men, to remember the notable sayings of Solomon to this purpose, when they are at their great feasts and iunketting banquets. I will content myself with repetition of those sentences, which are contained in the end of the three and twentieth Chapter of the Proverbes; where both the vices are set down together close one by another. My son (saith the wise man) give me thine heart, and let thine eyes be watchful, and look to my ways. For a whore is a deep ditch, and the strange woman is a narrow pit; Also, she lieth in wait as for a prey, and will make the treacherous, rebellious, and transgressors among men to be many in number. To whom is woe is me? to whom is sorrow and alas? to whom are uproars? to whom are murmurings? to whom are strifes and quarrels without cause? to whom are red eyes? To those that sit long at the wine, and which go to seek mixed wine: Look not upon the wine when it is red, when it shows his colour in the cup, and goes down pleasant; It biteth in the end like a serpent, and stingeth like a cockatrice. Then thine eyes will look upon strange women, and thine heart will speak lewd things: Thou shalt be as one that sleepeth in the midst of the sea, and as he that sleepeth in the top mast of a ship. They have buffeted me, thou wilt say, and have given me many cruel blows, but I was so past sense, I felt not when I did awake: I will yet go seek after new wine.  
To these elegant sayings here described, I will add the precept of our Saviour, who saith, Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be oppressed with gluttony, drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and the last day come upon you unawares, Luke 21. 34. Saint Peter saith, Be sober and watch, because your adversary the devil goes about you like a roaring Lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1. Peter 5. 8. And lastly Saint Paul hath this sentence, That fornicators, adulterers, effeminate wantoness, drunkards, and other wicked persons, who are dead asleep, and hardened in their sins, shall not inherit the kingdom of God, 1. Cor. 6. 10. I forbear to speak of the diseases, which proceed of the disorders, and licentiousness formerly specified, or of the extraordinary plagues, wherewith the judge of the world can danton, and keep under the mighty and mean persons, who never have care of their consciences: It sufficeth me that they themselves are sensible witness of them, or if they remain for a time stupid and senseless, that the Almighty hath sharp rods of fearful vengeance in store, wherewith he doth whip them at last, though he spareth them a while.  
Let us speak a word of choler, or anger, which like a thunderbolt kills millions of young and old men with the sword, or with suddained seizes. Histories declare, that in former times Valentiaian the Emperor, and of late in our time, Mathias King of Hungary, giving way, and suffering themselves to be overcome with choler and anger, died both of an Apoplexy. It hath been seen that many old men, furiously transported with choler and anger, have fallen into soundings, convulsions of the sinews, and other incurable diseases. Women of ripe age, who are too much given to anger and fretting, are commonly seen (as a reward of their indiscretion) punished with the suffocation of the mother, the falling sickness, and other such fearful scourges. Covetousness, ambition, and the love of the world, make many men so hide bound with anguish and grief, that it is impossible to cure or comfort them, when they have most need of help. Soft handed sloth, and idleness, chose, excessive labours, and violent exercises, and countries that are too cold, marish and moist, do all give an helping hand to make up an unseasonable old age. But I have not taken upon me to score up all the accidents and occasions to further old age. Happy is he, that in his youth giveth not the bridle, to the furious bounding, and rising of his unlawful desires, and in his general and particular calling amuseth and applieth himself to all laudable exercises, and sincere holy duties, doing all good offices and service with a frank and free heart to God, and to his neighbours, and having a care to keep himself temperate and unspotted, from the impure and rude manners of the world.   

CHAP. VI Of the Climacterical years.  
SOmetimes, as men meet together, they fall in talk of the Climacterical years, especially when occasion is offered to speak of men's ages, and the days of their death. Pliny, in the seventh book of his History of Nature, 49. Chap. And Censorinus, in his book of Nativities, do treat of them at large. These two (namely Censorinus) do observe, that every seventh year, notable changes have fallen out in some men's lives; and Physicians do hold the seventh year to be Climacterical and fatal. Those that do calculate men's Nativities, do hold that year forty nine, which is compounded of seven times seven; and the year sixty three, compounded of nine times seven, is more perilous than any other, and they have showed, that at the periods and ends of these years, many worthy and great persons have died. Plato, judged the year eighty one, which is compounded of nine times nine, to be the Climacterical year, which was most to be feared, which he calleth the square number. Censorinus, doth not think the year sixty three so dangerous, and maketh mention of some men, who have died at the year of their age eighty one, as also of others who have lived longer, whereof we have many examples in our days. The judiciary Astrologers, are full of uncertainty and vanity in their Art and profession; beside, considering the great and infinite deversity of humane chances and casualties, of men's constitutions, of the judgements of God, they are to presumptuous to limit the life of man, to certain periods and numbers of days, which they call Climacterical. The members of the body, have not efficacy or ability of themselves: there is necessarily required a symmetry and proportion between the agent and the patient, as between the body and the disease, between the disease and the cure. The number of seven, is otherwise judged of in the holy Scriptures; then in the College of the Physicians, who have their critical or judiciary days: And yet there are learned Physicians who differ in opinion about them, by reason of the diverse costitutions of men's bodies, of diseases, whereof some are more, some less violent; of the different airs of countries, according to which men that live in them are to govern themselves; of the skill of Physicians, wherein some have better judgement, and better success than others, and other reasons whereby, at this day is discovered, that there are other days beside the seventh day, which appear to be critical. The observations of Divines upon the seventh day, being grounded upon the texts of Moses, are mystical, and not natural, nor Astrological. For according to the observation of Basil, and S. Augustine, the number of seven, which is very often found in the books of the holy Prophets and Apostles, sometimes indefinitely, sometimes definitely, doth in his definite sense, whether we take the number of seven days, or seven years simply, or multiplied, signify completeness or perfection, liberty or rest. The Lord rested the seventh day. The jews had their feasts which lasted seven days. In the seventh year the ground was lay and unploughed, and bond slaves were set at liberty. The Climacterical years of jubilee, compounded of seven times seven, were a figure of the perfect rest, which the Church shall enjoy in heaven, after her so many revolutions and alterations upon earth. But that which we have hitherto treated of old age, doth teach wise old men to call to mind their days past, and to think upon the loving mercy of their Creator, who hath so many ways upholden them; to pray unto him that the shortness of their days, may cause them to conceive and consider so much the more his loving patience toward them, and to take occasion thereby to walk with greater reverence, and fear before his face, and leaning upon the staff of repentance, done in true faith, to say unto him in all humility: O Lord my God, let my mouth be filled every day with thy praise and glory; cast me not off in the time of mine old age, forsake me not when my strength falleth me, for mine enemies have spoken of me, and those that lay wait for my soul, take counsel together against me, saying, God hath forsaken him, pursue and take him, for their is none to deliver him: O God, go not far from me, O my God, hast thee to help me: Let them be confounded and consumed, that are against my soul, let them be covered with reproach and shame that seek my hurt. But I will wait continually, and will praise thee more and more: My mouth doth rehearse daily thy righteousness, and the deliverance thou givest to those that are thine, although I know not the number of them: I will march forward in the strength of the Lord, who is everlasting; I will make mention of thy righteousness only. O God, thou hast taught me from my youth, and hitherto I have declared thy wondrous works, and yet, O God, even to mine old age, and grey head forsake me not, until I have declared thine arm unto this generation, and thy power to all those which shall come hereafter. These are the words of David, contained in the seventy one Psalm. Moreover, when the wise old man casteth the eye of his thought, upon the long life of the patriarchs, he thinketh not his condition the worse, though he live not threescore years, or threescore and ten years; but thanketh the Ancient of days, who in good time will crown him with the gifts of a better life in his celestial Palace. He beholdeth, standing in the middle Court of the heavenly City; and on both sides of the pleasant river which there runneth, the tree of life, bearing and yielding his fruit every month in the year, whereof he gathereth with the hands of a constant and charitable faith for his soul's health, and marcheth in the strength of the nourishment thereof, until he have obtained to the full and perfect fruition of it. As for old age, and the causes and degrees thereof, he knows well that God holds the Sundial of his life in his hand, that he is his strength and the length of his days, that all the years, weeks, & hours of his life are Climacterical: he contenteth himself & rejoiceth, to march forward under the safe conduct, favour, and blessing of his Saviour: And being near to death, he lifteth up his voice, saying aloud, I know in whom I have believed, & put my trust, and I am persuaded, that he is able to keep even to the last day, whatsoever I have given him to lay up for me, and committed to his trust; That he will deliver me from every evil work, and will be my salvation in his heavenly Kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever, Amen.   

CHAP. VII. The complaints of the miseries of old age advisedly discussed.  
WE are now to speak of the inconveniences and miseries, wherewith old age is reproached, and of the privileges and advantages old men have and enjoy. Cicero saith. That many men wondered to see Cato so strong and lusty in his old age, and that he could so easily bear the burden of it, which is esteemed more heavy than huge high mountains. Not to meddle with the complaints made by profane Authors, against the miseries of our life, all men agree in this point, that old age is miserable, being as it were the very sink of all extreme miseries, where they settle. Horace writeth, That old men are unwilling to touch or handle things, for fear to break them or let them fall. Aristotle noteth in his second book of Politques, Chap. 2. That the people of Sparta, with whom old age was honourably esteemed, and in great account; held opinion, that old men were not to continue long in any public office & charge, because their strength of mind and judgement did decay; Besides, their sight did fail, which sense of all other is requisite in men that have the administration of estates, which requires a nimble quick eye, to see into all occurrences and persons. There is alleged to this purpose, the example of T. Manlius Torquatus, out of Titus Likins, in the second book of the wars of Africa. This man being chosen Consul, refused the charge because of his weakness of sight, saying, It was a shame and dishonour to the General, or Captain of an Army, to desire to have infinite men's lives and estates committed to his trust, and not be able to see how to manage them, but by the spectacles of other men's directions: And although the first Band of Soldiers, which had given their voices, would not alter what they had done, yet Manlius procuring another cohort of ancienter Soldiers to sit in counsel about it, was discharged of his Consulship. The saying of that wise Cynic Diogenes is notable, who being demanded what was most miserable in the world, stood still, and before he stirred his foot, made this answer: And old man that is in great need and penury. The ancient Romans had a very rude Proverb, to this effect, That men of threescore years old, were to be cast down headlong, from the top of a bridge to the bottom, because they were dotards, and men past labour and use, and fit for nothing; or because in times past, the young men of Rome (as Ovid thinketh, in scorn) would justle old men as they met them upon narrow bridges, that so by drowning them, they might not stand in their way, to cross and oppose them, or give their advice in their doings and counsels. Some men think, that if old age be to be borne withal, and had in regard, it is of such persons as are rich, in great place of honour, and have plenty of all things in the world, and in great abundance. But if we reckon right, as we ought, we shall find old age to be charged with many inconveniences and faults, which are rather to be imputed to our corrupt manners and nature. Foolish persons, accuse old age of crimes they are guilty of themselves, and where they should condemn and repress their own peevishness, distrust, impatience, folly, and avarice, vices wherewith young men, and men of middle age are tainted and besmeared; they blame old men, saying, Old men look scowling, and are sullen, suspicious, froward, childish, covetous, and have forgotten that there is no part of our life, but is blemished with some bad humour, and with one ill quality or other; as we see roses are not without thorns, that there is nothing good, but hath evil for a checkmate; and the rich man's revenues are served in with bitter sops and sobs to. But a man that knows in great patience, to use the traffics and commodities of this life, sees great gains to grow by it, and excellent ornaments of virtue; when he considers that the miseries of this present life, unto the children of God, are but exercises of patience, humility, charity, temperance, faith, hope.  
Commonly diseases in young men, are more painful and dangerous then in old, and we see by daily experience, that for an old man, there dies ten children and young men. All the histories of former times do point out unto us, that ambition, envy, despair, do disquiet and spurgall young men as well as old. Young men (for the most part) spend their time badly, and it is a rare sight to see wisdom and youth married together. Young counsels have battered down the walls of great Monarchies and estates, and laid them level with the ground, witness that of Rehoboam, and very many great kingdoms and estates since. It is evident in the history of the Gospel, that jesus Christ healed more young than old persons, whereof many instances might be alleged; but the Centurion's servant, the widow's son of Naim, the child possessed with the devil, the daughter of jairus, and the Canaanitish woman are sufficient testimonies. Who will dare to deny, but that more young and lusty men do die, and are slain in the wars then old. The plague interres and lays in the grave more children, and men of five and twenty, and thirty years old, than those that be older, and young men are commonly sooner infected then old. Let us then give over unwisely to object unto old men, and to upbraid them with their calamities and miseries, seeing that the youngest men feel more, which do put them to more pain and torment. Whereas, old men are reproached, that they have given over Tennys-play, revel, dancing, dallying, courting, leaping, vaulting, and hoiting and galloping up and down, as the wise Barzillay saith, when he requested King David to give him leave to leave the court, and to live quietly at home by himself. 2. Sam. 19 So it is, that old men are distasted and weary of such sports and delights; and on the contrary are glad, and greatly rejoice, that they are free from the desires and lusts of young men, which do tyrannize over them, and it is a great joy of heart unto them, that being altogether unapt to exercise the vanities, and sensual delights and pleasures of the world, they have the more leisure and vacant time to employ themselves, to mortify their carnal lusts and affections, and to meditate upon the life to come. Good God, what a wrong do we do to ourselves, to insert and put into the catalogue and bedroll of our evils and afflictions, things which do bring health unto us, and are very necessary documents and instructions unto us? There are no people more miserable, than those, who foolishly boast, They know not what sorrow and misery means, nor never had any. The evils of the world are evils, because men think them so, but indeed and in truth they are not evils. As for example, our bodily infirmity; men that are truly wise and religious, make a good and profitable use of it. We will take for our second example, the approach and coming of death, which the nearer it comes to us, the nearer we shall be to our Port, and the sooner we shall be within the kenning and discovery of our true country. Thirdly, death itself is the end of our life, and the beginning of our happiness, which all good men wish for. Let us then abandon the company of those idiots, who when old age is far off from them, wish and desire it, and when it is come near, and almost at them, revile and condemn it.   

CHAP. VIII. Four causes propounded by Cicero of the miseries of old age, reduced to two; to wit, the miseries of the body, and of the mind.  
THere is no day, hour, minute, or moment of our life, which doth not put us in mind that we are mortal, and it is a brutish stupidity and sencelessenes, both in young and old men, to promise to themselves to morrow. But why do we refuse to live according to the conditions agreed upon, when we came into the world, to wit, to leave life in youth, or in age, when death calls us, and bids us to take our leave of it? And whence is it, that we bear so impatiently, that which cannot be shunned, or avoided? What moves us to look for knots in Bulrushes, and to make doubts and difficulties in so plain a case? We do but perversely blame and accuse the judge of the world, when we speak of old age, saying, it is miserable, in regard it makes us unserviceable men, and unfit to manage and meddle with worldly affairs, enfeebles our bodies, puts us beside, and bars us almost of all pleasures, being moreover the next neighbour to death. Cicero in his Dialogue of Old-age putteth such like cases, and answering them, denies that wise old men are idle bodies, and as for those which make it their recreation and take pleasure to be ignorant, and to sit still, and do nothing, they are unworthy the worthy name of Old men, and deserve rather to be called Idols, and Statues, which artificially are moved by vises & gynnes. Great and important affairs are not effected by the strength, nimbleness, and agility of the body, but by counsel, authority, judgement, and example: And as Sallust saith in jugurth, the mind is the guide, chief Captain, and conductor of men's actions and lives. But seeing that Old men have always been esteemed to be endued with sound counsel & wisdom, grounded upon long experience, by reason whereof all those that have eminent places of charge in the Church, and Commonweal are wont to be called Senators and Elders. Why shall we think them lither idle persons, who direct and prescribe unto others, what is to be done, and how, and in what order and manner things are to be done, and though they sit still themselves, yet the whole burden of the business lies upon them? Even as we see Pilots of Ships, who without much troubling themselves, or stirring from their places, sit quietly at the stern, and holding the Rudder, in despite of boisterous winds and waves, do con and carry their Ships laden with men and merchandise safely to their unlading port.  
And this is the cause why in every well governed Common weal, old men are had in great reverence and honour, which they justly deserve, and young men frequent their company, and are conversant with them, to benefit themselves by their counsels and instructions. On the contrary, wise old men are no gibing and jesting Buffoons, who with their arms a cross take pleasure to trifle out the time, and to idle it at home in their houses; but they meditate, imagine, and contrive, and are always doing one good deed or other, teaching good lessons as they grow old, and growing old as fast as they teach them, not that they would seem men of knowledge themselves, but that others by reaping the fruits of their labours, might feelingly perceive that true piety and virtue are the guides of their actions. Concerning the weakness of their bodies; as young men content themselves, with a proportiall and competent strength, and affect not to be so strong as Bulls, Camels, or Elephants; so old men for their part are content with that condition, which it pleaseth God to lay upon them, and fancy not to be so strong as they were in their youth. It is very decent and fit, that a man observe and give way to his own nature, attempting nothing above his own strength, but to do as much as he can and no more. Therefore Milo of Cretona made himself a ridiculous spectacle, who being grown old, and beholding his withered arms, wept dolefully, complaining that they were stark dead. Whereupon Cicero useth these words; Doth the virtue and honour of a man lie in his arms? It is not rather a mature wisdom which makes him renowned to his dying day? Old age doth not by and by so weaken a man, but that by diverse exercises, wherewith he may invre his body and mind, and by ordering himself well in his drinking, eating, sleeping, by giving himself ease, vacancy and rest, and not tiring himself, and spending his spirits with much labour and study, he may keep himself from bending in the hams, and stooping in the shoulders, and be still an able and practised man. And that this is true, Cicero gives us some examples: Neither the King's counsel Table (saith he) nor his Court of Common-pleas, nor my Clients for whom I plead at the bar, nor my friends nor strangers can complain that they lack me or my help. Zenophon reports, that Cyrus in a Discourse which he made a little before his death, maintained, that he never felt himself to have a less able body in his age, than he had when he was young. Cicero saith further, that when he was a child he saw L. Metellus a very aged man so strong of body, that he cared not to be young. Masinissa king of Numidia could not be persuaded to go covered with a Hat on his head, when he was fourscore and ten years old, but in rain, hail, frost, and snow, went bare headed. Appius when he was very old & blind governed a great family; had a spirit, like a bow, always bend, prepared, and resolved to dare, defy, and wrestle with old age, in such sort, that he bore all the sway of Command in his house, and kept all his family in so good awe and order, that he was reverenced of his children, and beloved of his neighbours. Some do accuse old age in men that it makes them heavy headed and dull, to have no mirth nor music in them, and to abandon and cast of all pleasures. But if they account the follies, fond jollities and gambols of youth for true pleasures, their accusation is false, and they speak injuriously of Old age, which procures great good unto us, blotting out quite, whatsoever is most vicious and bad in young men, to wit, carnal pleasure, a capital enemies to us all, which headlong plungeth all those that are vassals and slaves unto her, into gulfs of eternal perdition, is the mother of gluttony, drunkenness, whoredom, adultery, of all dissoluteness, and debauched villainies, and in fine is the cause of the ruins of Common weals and families. Old men which are free from the coulp and guilt of these and the like vices and abominations, have less torture and torment of mind, and have the more reverence and authority given them, which is the Crown of their age. The approaches of death seem to strike a terror and astonishment into many old men. But wretched is the man, who all the time of his life hath not learned to make light account of death, which he ought before hand to enure and frame himself to wish for and expect, seeing death is his guide and convoy to heaven, and bringeth with him a dedimus potestatem to put him in possession of his everlasting inheritance, which the Son of God hath adjudged unto him, which judgement is entered in despite of Satan, who continually in this world brings cavilling suits and actions against us to molest and interrupt us in our just claim thereunto. More occasions and causes therebe of diseases in young men, by reason they are put to all hard labours, and journeys, whereby for the most part they do untimely end their lives, so that death doth as ordinarily seize upon them, as upon old men. Some do reply that such young men have a hope to live long, but it is a foolish persuasion, by reason that they take that which is doubtful for sure and certain, and that which is false for true. As the time of Autumn succeeds the spring time and Summer, so there is nothing more natural to old men then to die. The death of young men resembles a great flaming fire, which is not quenched but with much water; but old men are like a dry chipp of wood, or a small gloing fire, which dies and goes out of itself. Why should we mourn and lament for him, who when he dies finds immortality, and whose practice and study hath been from his tender youth to contemn death, that his soul might be at rest in a place convenient. This is briefly the substance of that which Cicero in his Dialogue of old age doth handle more at large. Christians have more excellent remedies, helps, and refuges against the miseries of old age, and the assaults of death, which hereafter in their order we will declare. That old age hath his particular miseries in regard of the body and mind we are not now to dispute: It is that which we are next to speak of.   

CHAP. IX. A more special Catalogue, or numbering up of some miseries in old men, in regard of their bodies.  
VErily, that man which should take upon him to maintain, that old age is exempt and privileged from all discommodities and miseries, should reason against sense, experience, and nature itself, which bears witness against him. For although the life of man, from the beginning to the end, hath no part of it free from diverse calamities, which it is to resist and conflict, and that man from his birth seems to be made to live in pain and sorrow: Yet we must know and acknowledge, that feeble and decrepit old age is incident to many particular miseries, which are the causes that weak old men are commonly testy, froward, sad, melancholy; especially those, who are choleric, fretful, and impatient by nature, or are not armed and prepared before hand to undergo such assaults, and to stoop to the miseries, which the last age of their life shall lay upon them. It is a well worn saying, That as lees and dregs do sink down, and lie at the bottom of vessels: so the excrements, noisome humours, and all the miseries of our life, do settle in old age their last lodging place. One compares very fitly, the condition of old men to a little City, half ruinous and decayed, whose walls moulder away, are almost all broken down, and is altogether vnprouided of munition, and victuals, to fortify and succour itself if need require. For we see in all old men, their eye sight by little and little to fail them; that they are duller and deaffer of hearing, their teeth to fall out, their hands and feet to have the palsy; briefly, this building of clay and spittle, to have many defects and decays, and daily to waste and impair more and more, expecting a total ruin. But the more these evils do press and molest us, the more we think upon, desire, and expect to make an end of our painful pilgrimage, to hit the mark we aim at, & to be quietly seated in our true dwelling place, & eternal habitation. Those persons, who from their youth have learned to submit themselves to the divine providence, and to meditate and revolve with themselves a better life, do with greater case sustain and bear all the miseries of their long age; And the weakness of body in old men, doth not hinder them from doing that which is meet and behooveful for them to do. But it is a great reproach and obloquy to old men, if in the eye of good men, without shame or fear of their great and sovereign judge, who is to be feared, they imitate and act the foul enormities and scandalous manners of some wilful impudent young men. But if, according to the opinion of Seneca, there is nothing more wretched in the world, than the man who hath never had any misfortune, cross, or affliction: Let us deem him happy, which beareth his afflictions in such sort, that he is confident and assured quickly to have a release and end of them, to his credit and true contentment. But to proceed, old men are not without laudable exercises, employments, and delightful studies and meditations. If their feet be slow of pace; their minds are quick enough and ready to conceive, and apprehend, as Euripides saith. If young men do know how to use the Stoccado, the Punto reverso, and are expert and cunning in their weapon; it is old men do direct them how to manage a quarrel, and when to fight for their advantage and honour; if herein we will give credit to Plutarch, who writeth, that it belongs to young men to bear Arms, and for old men to consult and determine, what is best and profitable for the good and welfare of the State. Old men then, are the heads of the politic body, and young men are the arms. As for holy meditations, wherewith the soul is ravished, and transported above the clouds, they require not great strength of body; but on the contrary, when the wise Vicillard, or Old man, cannot without great pain stir hand and foot, and lies bedrid, he comforteth and cheers up himself, with divine meditations sitting to his age; and while fools and dissolute persons, confound themselves in base shameful pleasures, he is privately conversant and talking with God, hearkens unto him inwardly speaking to him, not daring once to look up with his eyes, doth question and expostulate with him; humbly prays and sues to him, prevails, and obtains favour of him, to grant him his humble request and desires. Young men, that are so forward and bold to provoke old men to anger and displeasure, feel now and then that old men have strong and forcible resistances, sharp swords and words to, to daune and dismay the stoutest of them: As in our time it hath chanced to many great and mean persons; who in regard of their age, weakness of body, being esteemed as dead men, have made young men to tremble and quake, who erst purposed to pluck their skin over their ears, before they had been laid in their beds asleep. S. Jerome glanceth at these things, and toucheth them by the way, in his letters to S. Augustine. I pray you (saith he) do not challenge and dare one that hath been an old beaten Soldier both by sea and land, to single combat and to hand blows with you, who are but a young novice, and freshwater Soldier: remember Dares, and Entellus in Virgil, etc. Cicero writeth that Agamemnon, the chief General of the Grecian Army, was wont to wish for ten Nestor's, that is, eloquent and wise counsellors, and not for ten Aiaxes, or stout Captains, and bold daring warriors. Valerius Maximus, in his eight book, chap. 1. maketh mention of certain old men, who being deeply strooken in years, would not give over to do service for their Country, and to the State, and had good success in their enterprises: Among others, he nameth Marcus Valerius Coruinus, who lived a hundred years, and was six times Consul: Also Metellus, who being a very aged man, was notwithstanding chosen chief Pontifex, and worthily discharged the place: Lastly, Appius, surnamed the blind; who in his decrepit old age, caused his Litter to be made ready, wherein he was carried to the Senate house, where he gave his negative voice, and crossed the treaty of a dishonourable peace with Pyrrhus, that it went not forward.  
Some do object, that old age is to be feared, because it blears men's eyes, or puts them out quite. But will you reproach Appius, that he was blind, who gave eyes to his weak sighted country, to see what was honourable and behooveful for it? I solemnly affirm, that loss of sight is a discommodity, which doth diversely sometimes blast and smite young men from their cradle, either through some defect in nature, or by accident. Some see best a far off, others nearer hand: some cannot endure to look upon the Sun, others are so weak sighted, that the light of the day doth offend their eyes, some are borne stark blind, and some purblind. Howsoever this may be, yet old men are not without the comfort, which blind Asclepiades had; who pleasantly said, That he had this benefit by his blindness, that before he went all alone by himself; but since he was blind, he went not abroad any whether, but he had the company of him that did lead him. The solace and comfort of a wise old man, who is become stark blind or sees but very little, is that he hath no more the ill hap to see so many dissolute, lascivious, arrogant, impudent, mad-braine-sicke, and lewd persons, with whom the earth is overspread. He can make the same answer, which a good Father made to julian the Apostata, who to mock and scoff so much the more at Christians, reproached and hit him in the teeth with his imperfection of sight; I praise God, said the good Father, that he hath given me the grace not to see so wicked a man as thou art. Let us add that which the good Anthony, heretofore living a Hermit's life, not far from Egypt, said to Didymus the blind man of Alexandria, a very pious and religious person, and of singular learning, as Sozomene reports in his third book, chap. 14. Thou oughtest not, friend Didymus, to hold it grievous or molestfull to have lost thy sight, which mice, lynxes, and other brute beasts have very piercing and quick, but rather to be glad, and to judge thy condition happy, that thou hast eyes like the eyes of the holy Angels, by whose help thou beholdest the Lord, and dost perfectly see and discern the causes of his works. But what avails it to have eyes in our head, if our understanding be sensual and brutish, if it be clouded with the darkness of ignorance: Briefly, if in question and discourse of good things, we be beetle-blinde, and see no more than a mole? How great cause have we then to beg of the Lord with David, 119. Psalm, To open our eyes that we may be able to behold, the wonderful mysteries of heavenly knowledge? The soul (as Basil said in his first book against Eunomius) is glad, and rejoiceth, which enquiring into things that be divine, hath so good eye sight, that she can penetrate and pry into things that are not to be perceived by sense, and can contemplatively behold the Lord, with whom she shall dwell for ever.  
Some find fault with and complain of their memory, the infirmity whereof Seneca the Orator, in the first book of his controversies, doth number among the principal hazards of old age, and saith, it doth first fail and decay: that in times past he had a very pregnant, ready, and great memory, but long age had brought him to this pass, that he durst not rely or presume upon his memory, in any thing he should engage himself to do, or to promise. Pliny in his seventh book, 14. chapter, saith, That the memory is one of the principal house employments, and utensils of our life; and that Simonides did profess to know the art thereof, but withal, that nothing is more frail and brittle in man, than memory; which by sundry diseases and mischievous accidents, is impaired and made weak, so that by a small accident, some have forgotten the names of their nearest allies, some the names of their servants, and some their own names, as Messala Coruinus did.  
But Cicero maintaineth, that forgetfulness is not a vice of old age; but rather of a dull, sluggish, heavy age, which had need to be stirred & spurred to imitate the scholars of Pythagoras, whose manner was every night to repeat all they had learned, said, and done the whole day. We do not readily forget that which runneth most in our mind, and which we do most effect: As old men do precisely remember all their several debtors, and their manner of dealing, and all the coffers, cabinets, odd holes and corners, where they have laid up and hid their jewels and gold: They carry an exact inventory of them in their heads.  
It is good oftentimes to put many things out of our mind, and to forget them, that so we may remember our Creator and Redeemer, and whosoever remembreth him, may say; He hath forgotten nothing: Who, because we are of our own nature subject to tread under our feet the memory of good things, hath instituted that in memory of him, we should often communicate in the holy Sacrament of the Eucharist.  
Me thinketh, that it were expedient here, by all ways and means, to remember the providence of our all good and merciful Father in heaven; who foreseeing, that the last age of our life should be obnoxious, and subject to many evils and infirmities, hath given us many remedies for our ease and comfort, which are to be found in the books of learned Physicians; whereof it is not convenient for us to make a scroll or catalogue in this Section; because we present not a book of receipts for the body, but of instructions necessary and fit for every wise old man. Only we will say, that the Creator hath been bountiful in giving infinite means to those, who delight not in shameful and exorbitant luxuries and riots, to maintain themselves in a competent strength of body, until they be threescore and ten years old: 
Yea their old age, even as a tree,  
With goodly fruits shall loaded be:  
Whose branches steeped in summer's dew,  
Shall goelie be, and green of hue.  
Which being seen to every eye,  
Aloud to all doth testify,  
God's goodness and integrity.  
Who is my strength and my defence,  
And keeps me by his providence:  
That I do live without offence.   
It is impossible in mine own opinion, that so great ingratitude should enter into the mind, or soul of a wise old man, to forget the innumerable blessings, which God in favour hath enlarged unto him, and to complain more of the evils which he doth justly suffer. justly then did Cicero tax and blame Cecilius, who maintained that among other the miseries of old age, this was one, that living long, we see many things which do discontent and displease us. For we see also other things, which do give us all contentation, pleasure, and delight, whereof we are altogether unworthy, if God would strictly examine our life. But Cecilius addeth further, that it is a misery and a death to be contemned, and to be a burden to others, as it happeneth to those old men, who for many years lie bedrid of the gout, and are a trouble to themselves, and to all their servants and family, by reason their weak decrepit old age hath made them unable to help themselves, or to do any thing, but lie still expecting to be laid in their grave. I say, that these are offences and discommodities, which proceed from the frowardness or ingratitude of our servants, and those of our house, or we ourselves are the cause of them, having lived so wretchedly and untowardly that we have not gained the love of any: or our own follies have made us to be had in contempt of every one, or we do receive the reward of our own arrogant and insolent behaviour, towards our ancestors, fathers, mothers, masters, schoolmasters, & tutors, whereby it cometh to pass, through the just judgement of the Almighty, that our children, servants, or those of our family do render the like unto us. Not to harp upon this string: if old men be odious, despised, and scorned, it is of graceless villains, for whom the gallows groans, who never thinking on the frailty of man, and that they themselves are as subject to the uncouth and strange accidents, which in this life do blast great and mean persons, do as proudly disdain and vilify the honour of old age, as they do the majesty of God, which they blaspheme, revile, and rend and tear it asunder. How should such desperate wretched persons regard old men, when they show themselves so refractory and untractable, at the good admonitions and reproofs of every man that gravely tells them of their follies and faults to have them abhor and detest them? Reverend old men are worthy of commiseration, and to be supported in their infirmities, to be honoured in their age, and the wiser sort of persons do so esteem and regard them; yea, even those old men, against whom information is given, and complaint is made that they are Dotards, whose number for the most part is but small. Howsoever their case be, these Dotards, these twice children, these that are become childish again, do leave among good men an honourable memory of themselves, and have no less at their service their holy Angels, beholding the face of their Father, and watching over them, than heretofore those little children had of whom jesus Christ speaketh in the 18. Chapter of S. Matthew. This is spoken of wise old men; as for those men who having not enough glutted themselves with the slips and peccadills of their youth, with the sins of their middle and manly age, do fill up the measure of their iniquities with the vices of a shameless old age, killing their bodies by foul excesses and surfeits of gluttony, drunkenness, whoredoms, adultries, by mad bicker and sudden quarrels, rising of choler and anger, by unlawful practics, and unjust dealings, proceeding of covetousness, and by niggard-shipp, and extreme parsimony on the one side; by prodigalities, profuse and inordinate expenses, to satiate their accursed lusts and appetites on the other side: These men build themselves most noisome and nasty prisons, where they are to be seen now and then to languish long, and pine under the uneasy yoke, and in the stocks of sharp diseases, which do torment and torture them in the sight of all the world, without any pity or ease, until the first death deliver them over to the second death, to be for ever tormented in hell fire, if in time they do not reform & reclaim themselves, and forsake their wicked ways, to dedicate their souls, their bodies, and goods to glorify God according to his holy will. The best and choicest antidote, which we can prescribe to old men against the miseries which suddenly seize on them in their old age, is that before hand they subdue themselves, get the upperhand and master those passions, which do tyrannize and cruelly Lord it over Atheists and profane persons, that they cheerfully undergo and endure the miseries which do assail their bodies, that they live with an upright and pure conscience before God and men; that they always have their soul lifted up, and ravished at the saying of the Apostle, that their habitation, or right and privilege of Citizens is not in this world (for here we are strangers, and way-faring men) but it is in heaven; that they may be strong in the Lord, in whom we are able to over come all things, according as it pleaseth him to fortify and strengthen us, even to overcome Satan, the world, our own concupiscence, and sensuality; finally, as the Prophet speaketh in an excellent Allegory, in the nintie-one Psalm; 
On Lions fell, and Lion's whelps, and Vipers full of gall,  
And on fierce Dragons they do tread, and have no harm at all.   
They always remember that worthy saying of Solomon (which he himself forgot in his distress, and when it behoved him more carefully to think on it) to wit, that he that is slow to anger, is better than a mighty man, and he which mastereth his own affections is to be preferred before him that winneth a City. Pro. 16. 32. But it behooveth us, to treat a little more at large of the chiefest passions of the mind in old men, to the end that the wiser sort may bend all their forces so much the more against them, and may earnestly endeavour to consecrate the rest of their days to the glory of their sovereign, who is called the ancient of days. (⸪)   

CHAP. X. The miseries of old men in regard of their minds.  
A Poet in times past, called Old age the seasoning, and as it were, the sauce of wisdom. And some have thought that the word Seigneur is derived from Senior, which signifies, an Elder, or Ancient: As if authority, honour, respect, or reverence did appertain to none but those that were ancient, being indeed unfit attributes for young men, whom if we reverence, or regard, it is for their ripeness of wit, and capacities, and in regard they do wisely discharge and perform the service, business, and matters committed unto them. In the laws of Pepin, in the fifth Book of the Laws made concerning free men, and the ninth title, there is read to this purpose of our Senior, which signifies Seigneur, this constitution under these terms: Nullus comparet caballum, bovem, iumentum, vel aliam rem, nisi illum hominem cognoscat qui eum vendiderit, aut de quo pago est, vel ubi manet, et quis est eius senior, that is, that no man buy a horse, ox, nor labouring, or sacrificing beast, nor any other thing, unless he know the seller, or of what village he is, or in what place he dwells, and who is his Lord and master. But this is spoken by the way. To proceed, It is very apparent that the heat of passions in youth beginning to cool and smother out in old men, many vices are extinguished and mortified in them, by the help and assistance of long experience, which makes them wise and advised. Notwithstanding which, we yet do confess, that they have great imperfections, and that their own folly doth often enough beat them, and make them to smart; the corrupt nature of Adam in his posterity being not to be quite abolished but by death, is abolished in some less, and in others more during this pilgrimage, according as it hath pleased God to permit some sooner than others to be better taught, trained up and enured to bow, and more willingly to stoop under the yoke of the Lord, as jeremy speaketh in his third Chapter, and 27. Verse. There are found very worthy old men, who in their very old age, by the direction of the holy spirit, and a right training up, do muster in troops, and show like victorious Captains and Leaders of armies: For having discomfitted and broken the ranks, and squadrons of diverse corrupt affections, which were their pernicious enemies, they advance and carry them as excellent Trophies of victory, and with hearts lifted up behold the heavens, and the reward of their calling above, being able truly to say with the Apostle 2. Cor. 12. 10. when I am weak then am I strong.  
To come again to our point in hand, old age hath his imperfections, and there be old men, who are cumbered and tortured with particular passions, and divers diseases, and pests of the mind, commonly called the evils of guilt of sin, and the evils of punishment of sin. The punishments of sin are torments and vexations of mind, griefs, passions, fears, and other miseries, which at first, being inflicted for the punishment of sin, do also sometimes afflict the children of God, according as it hath pleased the Lord to exercise them, and often according as the humour of choler or melancholy doth abound, and is predominant in some more than in others. Physicians long since confirmed by long experience grounded upon the rules of science, and a right knowledge of causes, have discovered these evils, and diverse remedies for them, in such sort, that it cannot be denied, but that the study of true Philosophy, the continual combat and conflict of a good mind against the defects and frailties of his own inordinate, and over-boyling passions, a settled form and order of life, fervent prayers to God to repress these evils, and to weed out this evil nature, are of great use unto those men, who do make use of such helps and remedies.  
We call the evils of guilt of sin, the vices of the mind, which solicit us to lust after, and to do things repugnant to the law and will of God, and to the office and duty of a good man. It must be confessed that old men, who have not been well instructed and trained up from their infancy, or be of a harsh, stubborn, crafty, slie-subtile nature, and disposition, are not without diverse gross and enormous sins: Yea, so it is (but to the utter confusion and overthrow of themselves, and their families) that they growing still older and older, such sins are not mortified in them, but on the contrary, the older they grow, the more do malice, brazen-faced impudency, wickedness and villainy take deep root in them. Whence do proceed these nipping Proverbes, and bywords, old fornicator, old giber, old babbler, thankless old man, old drunkard, and more old drunkards then old Physicians: Forms and parts of speech, by which the imperfections of mad, doting old men are bewrayed and discovered, and wise old men are so much the more put in mind, how they ought to bear, and behave themselves in the sight of God, of his Church, of their own servants and families, of their friends which wish them well, and of their enemies which wish them ill, seeking to discredit, disgrace, and defame them. It is lamentable to see some old men to idle out the time in potting, tippling, and swilling in drink; others to seek after meats and provocative drugs, to inflame and stir up their beastly lusts, not regarding the commandment of the Apostle, in the second Chapter of his Epistle to Titus, second verse, where he willeth ancient men to be sober, grave, discreet, and advised. Such persons do yet less remember that which the Author of Ecclesiasticus saith Chapter 25. verse. 3. 4. There are three sorts of men whom my heart hateth, and whose life I abhor: A poor man that is proud a rich man that is a liar, and an old adulterer, which doteth, or is without understanding. A wise man said, that is an imputation to an old man to speak of unchaste courting, and dalliance, much more to be devoted to it: yea, when it were fit to make him a comely withdrawing room far from the canopies of the world, and the unclean spirit, then to wallow and bemyre himself in the perilous pleasures of the world, is to neglect and despise the wise admonitions of Salomon's mother, and little to consider the evils which happened to that wise Prince, for not having considered it well, when she left him this worthy instruction, Give not thy strength to women. Pro. 31. 3. Our wise Vieillard will remember, that if true wisdom lodge in his heart, and the knowledge of truth delighteth his soul, she will deliver him from the strange woman, which smootheth her words, which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. For her house leaneth unto death, and her paths lead unto the dead. Not one of them which go unto her do return again, neither take they hold of the ways of life, Pro. 2. v. 10. 16. 17. etc. Keep thy way far from her, and come not near the door of her house, lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years to the cruel: lest the stranger be filled with thy strength, and thy labours be in the house of a stranger, Pro. 5. v. 8. etc. Solomon having in the same place propounded notable things to this purpose, even as a wise Father, who with tears trickling a pace down his cheeks, would admonish his lewd stubborn son, addeth, why shouldest thou my son be transported with the love of a strange woman, or embrace the bosom of a stranger? seeing the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his paths. The same wise Solomon further saith, in the sixth Chapter; The woman which lusteth, hunteth after the precious life of a man. Can a man put fire into his bosom, and his clothes not be burnt? shall a man go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt? so he that goeth into his neighbour's wife, shall not be innocent whosoever toucheth her: Also he that committeth adultery with a woman is destitute of understanding, he that doth it destroyeth his own soul. In the chapter following, he describeth a shameless and impudent woman, who by her crafts, and subtle devices brings those to destruction, who for want of understanding suffer themselves to be seduced by her enticing words, comparing such idiots to Beasts that are led to the slaughter house, to fools that are laid and chained up in Prison to be corrected; to Birds which willingly fall into pit-falles, and snares. Let our wise Vieillard remember that the author of all holiness hath expressly condemned whoredom and adultery, not only in the act, but also in the affection. In stead of beholding with an evil eye those women, whose company he ought to shun and avoid, let him read, or cause to be read unto him the places of holy Scripture, which we go about to quoate unto him, and which are the parts and points of the indictment according to which God will judge whore-mongers, and adulterers, Heb. 13. 4. The places are these, Gen. 26. 3. Behold thou art dead because of the Woman which thou hast taken; she was only taken, and not defiled. Gen. 26. 10. Abimelech said to Isaac, who somewhat unadvisedly behaved himself in the behalf of his wife Rebecca; it was a narrow hazard that none of the people lay not with thy wife, and that thou hast not been the cause to have the sin laid unto us. Exod. 20. 14. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Levit. 18. 20. Thou shalt not lie with thy neighbour's wife, defiling thyself with her. Levit. 20. 10. Adulterers are condemned to death. Deut. 22. 24. He that polluteth, and defileth a betrothed virgin is condemned to death with her if she hath consented to it. Deut. 23. 17. There shall not be a whore among the daughters of Israel, not a whore-keeper among the sons of Israel. Our Lord jesus condemneth him of adultery in the heart, which looketh upon a woman to lust after her. Saint Paul propoundeth diverse arguments against whore-mongers and adulterers, Rom. 13. 13. and 1 Cor. 6. 15. 16. 18. and the 10. 8. and the 2 Cor. 12. 22. Galat. 5. 19 Ephes. 5. 3. Coloss. 3. 5. and the 2 Thes. 4. 3. etc. Heb. 13. 4. Which our wise Vieillard will examine, than he will join thereunto the considerations of the terrible punishments of families defiled with such sins, the fearful judgements pronounced against senseless and obdurate consciences, the lamentable changes and alterations in the family of David and Solomon, and of many others since, the strong and invincible arguments of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 6. Chapter, to this effect briefly, that whore-mongers and adulterers are shut out of the kingdom of God. Therefore that we may have a part in the inheritance of the Saints, who are sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord jesus, and by the spirit of God, we must remember first, that our bodies are not for whoredom, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. Secondly, that seeing our bodies shall rise again, not to ignominy and pollution, but to glory and holiness, it is reason we should keep them pure and unpolluted, for so are they members of Christ, and consequently, it should be horrible sacrilege to make them members of a Harlot. Thirdly, that being members united unto the Lord, and made one spirit with him, it is not meet in no sort, to join them to a Harlot, with whom we are made one body. Fourthly, that whoredom ought to be detested above all other sins: for whatsoever sin a man committeth, it is without the body, but he which committeth adultery sinneth against his own body. Fiftly, that our bodies are temples of the holy Ghost, which is in us, which we have of God. Sixtly, that we are not our own men to live as we list, for we have been bought & redeemed by a price, to wit, by the precious blood of Christ, as a Lamb without spot, and without blemish, as S. Peter speaketh of him. Of these strong and forcible reasons, S. Paul frameth a holy exhortation to all men, especially to old wise men, whom it most concerns, who before all others are bound to think and be mindful of it: Glorify then God in your body, and in your soul, which belong unto God. Let us conclude this short discourse, with the definitue sentence of Christ, propounded by S. john, in the last Chapter to the Revelation, in these words; Blessed are those which do his commandments, that they may have their right in the true tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city: But dogs, enchanters, whoormongers, &c. shallbe without. here we do put wise old men in mind of the holy exercise of prayer, and particularly we recommend unto them the serious and continual meditation of the one and fiftieth Psalm.  
All that hath been spoken against the above mentioned sins, is extraordinary and unusual, and it is a thing monstrous to see old men addicted unto them, or if such old men are to be found, at last diseases, and old decrepit age, or some particular vengeances of God do come to quench and put out such fires of hell. But there are sins, which do not grow old, nor dye in old age, but commonly grow young, and revive again. These sins among others, are covetousness, anger, or choler, distrust, or impatience. Cicero thinketh, that such sins proceed rather from men's manners, then of old age; because other ages of man's life have their part in them, as jeremy said of the people of his times; That from the inferior to the superior, from the lowest to the highest, every man was given to fordid and dishonest lucre and gain. That old men appear to be more subject to such evils, then young men, it seems to proceed of their weakness, and of diseases which do incessantly harry and molest them, so that feeling their strength to fail, fear invades them, and pinions then up in such sort that (as one saith) they are more afraid than ever they were before, that the earth slides from under their feet, are suspicious, distrustful, and do mutter at, and find fault with every thing that is spoken or done. Cicero excuseth these frailties and imperfections, with this; That they imagine they are despised, not regarded, mocked and scoffed at; And that they do fitly resemble sick persons, who are quite out of taste with every thing, and nothing can be made or done to please or like them: But all these froward humours, are calmed and tempered by the knowledge of learning and exercises of virtue. Moreover, Cicero wondereth very much to see an old man covetous, for that it is a strange folly to load himself with much luggage, and to massacre and torture his mind with making provision of victuals, when he is near his journey's end, and almost at home. Do you not see (said Saint Augustine, in his 246. Sermon, De Tempore) that covetousness is so much the more furiously kindled, and flames out in frozen old men, when it is time for them to leave and resign up all, and when they cannot keep any longer that which they have gotten and scraped together? O strange folly! the nearer she is to her home, the more hasty and instant she is to lay on heavier loads than she is able to bear. All this is well spoken by these worthy persons. In all other things, except in covetousness, time doth discover unto us more plainly what is to be done, and how we may handle and feel the pulse beat. But if we question old men of the cause of this boiling desire, and Cupid of theirs, they answer in excuse, That it proceeds not of covetousness, but of parsimony and thrift, and allege four special reasons or motives. First, that their strength failing them, they are passed getting and gathering, and it behoves to seek and forecast for help and stays, and to provide pillows and props, whereupon to lay their old bones, and to rest their weak crazy age. Secondly, that their aim, scope, and drift is, by the lustre of their wealthy possessions and riches, to keep themselves in honour, estimation, and credit with those, who disdain old age that is spurr-gald with poverty. Thirdly, that being not able to recreate themselves, and to walk and ride abroad from this place to that, their pleasure and delight is to be cashiers at home, to look upon their money bags, and to reckon what store of crowns they have in Bank. Fourthly, that so they may in better sort provide for their children, and be bountiful and do good to the poor. These excuses are but pretences, and the Apostle doth in few words answer them, in the thirteenth Chapter of his Epistle to the Hebrews, saying; Let your conversation be far from covetousness, and be content with that which you have, for God hath said; I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee: so that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, wherefore I will not fear what man can do unto me. Saint Basil in his Homilies, or Sermons against covetous persons, doth confute their several allegations, whereof we will here draw out a few lines unto you. If, saith he, old age doth put you to pain, why do you make it more painful and tedious to you, by treading mortar, and tempering clay to make bricks, as heretofore the children of Israel did in the time of their bondage in Egypt? If your strength fail you, ought your charity therefore to fail? If you so much love and affect life, will you therefore prefer the goods of the world before the Author of life? will you therefore despise and not regard the true life? Do you desire to be had in honour and estimation? Do you fear to be contemned and despised? practise that which the Prophet speaketh in the 112. Psalm; and that which the Apostle rehearseth in the second Epistle to the Corinthians, Chap. 9 A good man is charitable and dareth: The just shall be had in everlasting remembrance: He distributeth and giveth to the poor and needy: His righteousness remaineth for ever: His might, or horn shall be exalted in glory. Do you desire gain or profit: Hark what the Apostle saith to the Galathians, Chap. 6. 9 10. Let us not be weary of well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not: 
The time to do good is in this world, but men cannot find it.  Wherefore, while we have time let us do good to all men, but especially to the household of faith. What mitching covetousness is it, not to be willing to part with somewhat of that which we have, and to let others have a feeling thereof, until we be dead, to wit, when we have nothing to do with it ourselves? Will you then have men to wish your death, or as they kill fat hogs to practise and procure it, that every one afterward may have a piece and a part? Though you have the gout in your feet, it may not be in your hands, as it is, when after the example of the accursed rich man, you will give nothing to poor begging Lazarus. What a shame is it to young men, and much more to old men, to waste, and so badly spend and lay out so much money in banquets, revel, masks; yea, in many lusts and shameful pleasures, and to show themselves so pinching and niggardly in necessary benevolences, tending so many ways to their honour, credit, and profit? What wrong doth a rich old man to himself, to love rather to have his table charged withsuperflous dishes of meat, to have a great retinue and number of lewd servants, to take pleasure to be cloyed with buffoons, impostors, scorners of all religion, then to show himself religious indeed? What a woeful case is it, to give less in a whole year to a great number of poor Christians, then to some one detestable rakehell, who hath ten times deserved to have justice executed upon him, to be nailed to the pillory, or to be put in a sack and cast into the sea? Undoubtedly covetousness, especially in old men, knows no mean in sparing or spending. Sometimes she is all for belly cheer and banquet, and as we say, throws the house out at the windows, than she is niggardly and pinching again, and like unto Rhodomache, a wild beast in Polonia, which forages up and down seeking pasture to fill herself, and afterward seeks to disgorge and empty her paunch, to cram it quickly again fuller than before. It is a pleasing and favoured excuse among men (saith Basil) to allege that they spare for their children. But have you begged children of God, that having them, you might forget God himself, and your neighbours. How many persons by their riches have wasted themselves in pleasures, to the wrack and ruin of their bodies and souls, to whom it had been much better to have still been poor? What avails it a man to gain the whole world, and to lose his soul? to abound in perishing riches, and not to have one mite of faith, charity, repentance, humility, truth, and steadfast hope? And what of all this? you deserve then a double punishment; both because you have doted, and been enamoured of this yellow and white oar and earth; as also because your ravennous niggardship, and base pinching on the one side, and your monstrous and beastly prodigality and lavishing out on the other side have been the instrumental cause of the dissolution, perdition, and ruin of your successors, and children. You think sometimes, if you give order that they be well instructed in the fear of the Lord, your Sovereign, and theirs, that they shall lack nothing: If they be wicked, the more you shall leave them, the worse they will do. O sot! thou fliest poverty, which indeed hath want of some things, and forgettest that the covetous person wants all things: O mad fool (said jesus Christ, speaking of the rich worldling, Luke 12. 20.) this night they will take thy soul from thee, and whose shall these things be, which thou hast provided, etc. And I ask of you rich old men, and not very wise, who have devoured so many families to increase wicked riches for your children, whose shall you be, and what will become of you, when you must be dislodged and turned out of the world? redeem your sins by just dealing, and your iniquities by your beneficence and good deeds to the poor: this shall prolong the prosperity and welfare of your successors and posterity, which you so much desire. And this counsel heretofore wise Daniel gave to the King of Babylon, Dan. 4. 27. Let us say further with a worldly wise man, That he is rich, who is content with his poverty; on the contrary, he is poor, which coveteth more to that which he hath, not he which hath little. For what avails it, how much money a rich man hath in his Coffer, or mows of corn in his barn, or herds and flocks of cattle in his pastures, or crowns at interest, if he cast an envious eye upon that which another man possesseth, if he reckon not upon the goods he hath, but upon those he would have? Will you know what is the measure of riches? The first is, to have that which is needful; the second is, to have as much as is enough or to suffice. There is nothing then better or safer, nor whereof our wise Vieillard ought more to take heed, than not to suffer himself to be bewitched and intoxicated with the poison of covetousness, which it behooveth betimes to root out of our hearts, for if it take root there, every eye shall see it bring forth leaves and fruits of all sorts of sin; according as the Apostle teacheth in the last Chapter, of his first Epistle to Timothy. For conclusion of this point, we exhort the wise Vieillard to remember to imitate the prayers of David, in the 119 Psalm, and to say with that great Prophet; Incline mine heart to thy testimonies, not to covetousness. O Lord, I have thirsted after thy salvation, and thy word is my delight, I love the doctrine of thy mouth, better than thousands of gold and silver. We further present unto him the prayer which followeth, to the end he may want nothing which appertains to his duty, or which he might require of us. O Lord God Almighty, which hast given me the use, and lent me the commodities of this present life; I am greatly displeased with the too greedy affection which I bear to transitory riches. Behold, this is the worst evil of my over thirsty and over greedy mind, which no reason can allay, no measure limit; for the more I possess, the less I cease to covet, the more I lose the possession of myself. The greater my heaps be, the lesser I find them. My carking and caring is beyond measure, to increase my revenues, and to heap up goods and possessions, and still my covetousness makes the heap small. Gaping after that which I hope, I let that which I hold in my hand fall to the ground. All that I do, is a very dropsy of the mind. In hunting after plenty, I have found scarcity and want, and imagining transitory things to be very profitable, I find myself entangled in the toil of miseries, out of which I cannot get. They are precious chains and manacles I confess, but they bind me as fast, as if they were of iron. They are chains which make me forget thy holy majesty, to neglect my salvation, for which I ought diligently to watch and labour: O my God, tame and suppress this unruly, wild, and over greedy affection, making abstinence and continence to spring up in stead thereof. Ease the heart in my breast, which panteth and gapeth for breath. Change this den of rapine and robbery, into a quiet lodge and harbour of holiness. Wash, and wash again these gross corruptions, and give me the bright shining beams of charity. Fill and dam up the bottomless pit of my heart, with the love of thy grace, that the transitory goods of this world may not be able to fill it up again. Inflame my thought with the sole desire to behold the beauty of thy face, and turn it away far from the greedy desire of having and possessing much earth. Grant unto me, I beseech thee, that I may frame myself to a voluntary poverty; which being accompanied, with a mild, right, lowly, and true contentation, may continually rule and bear sway in me in such sort, that resting myself content with a little, I may employ all the hours of my life in thy service: that without ceasing I may meditate and think upon thy blessings, and the benefits, whereof thou hast given me so large a portion. Be it far from me to wish to lay up heaps of silver and gold and transitory goods, and if I be frugal and sparing to lay up any, that I may do it with this mind, not to lay them out wickedly in vanities and dissolute riotings, but to relieve the need of my brethren thy children. Can I find any of my goods, wherewith I may do good unto all men, especially to the household of faith, let these be my vacancies and exercises. From thence let flow the contempt and refusal of all things which do not guide me to thee, and to hate those things which lead me out of the way from thee. Grant unto my soul, so much tossed up and down in the haven of thy mercy, to land at her Port, that floating no longer upon the perilous waves of so many foolish and noisome lusts, she may rest in the love which thou hast testified unto me in my Saviour, Amen.  
I come now to speak of anger and choler, which commonly keep possession in old men, by reason that they still feel sharp goads in their minds, and grievous wounds in their bodies, either for that their children misgoverne themselves, or their wives behave themselves usurpingly, or considering the common state of things, the ordinary burden of their song is, that all the world is naught, because their manner is always highly to commend the times past, and ever to bode and presage that the times to come will be worse and worse. Besides, old men are suspicious, distrustful, and hard of belief, because (as Aristotle saith) having lived long, many men have deceived or dealt craftily with them, or they have deceived and dealt craftily with others. They are not easily reconciled, for they cannot endure to be advised or directed, although (as St Ambrose saith) there is no age too old to learn, and that those old men, which are incorrigible, and will not be reform, have more cause to be ashamed, and to lament, then to smooth up themselves that they do well, and laugh in their sleeves at those which would gravely put them in mind of their duty. But the principal endeavour of our wise Vieillard shall be to overcome himself, especially in respect of anger, or choler, a cruel and outrageous passion, which Horace the Poet fitly surnameth a short madness. He shall easily get the victory of it, if presently upon the first motions and assaults he repress and repulse it, before he be invaded, transported, wounded, poisoned with it. To alter nature is a very hard thing: notwithstanding many things in nature may be corrected and tempered by taking a little heed thereunto; Especially choler may be repressed by abstaining to drink too much strong wine, and to feed upon meats and sauces too much spiced, by refraining the company of scoffers, quarrellsome, mutinous, and mad-braine-sicke persons, by frequenting the company of good men, by framing the mind to meditate upon the sufferings, patience, humility, sovereign charity of jesus Christ, by the reading also in good books, the many worthy examples of the meekness and patience of infinite persons set forth unto us. Now as green things do help the sight, and as there be some colours which do less offend the eyes than others: so there be pleasant studies and delightful exercises and employments, which drive away dullness of spirit, and melancholy of mind. And because choler is stirred up in us upon an opinion of wrong done unto us, let us weed out of our hearts all suspicions, let us stop our ears against rumours and tales, and let us consider in ourselves, that oftentimes it hath been better to wink at, and pass by an injury then to revenge it, seeing that it is a woeful and impious act to be cruel to ourselves, which falls out, when choler doth disturb, and put the mind and body out of all good tune, frame, and temper: so that (to speak truly) there is none to whom we do so great injury as we do to ourselves. Undoubtedly, the wrath or anger of man doth not accomplish the righteousness of God, that is, can do nothing that is pleasing and acceptable to God, as saith S. james in his first Chapter.  
The proper effect of magnanimity and greatness of courage, is to bridle and suppress choler and anger, and there is nothing so commendable in an honourable Peer and great person, nor worthy his fame and reputation, as clemency and mercy. For although severity must be used in punishing offences, yet is it meet to curb and suppress anger, which always leaps beyond the bounds of mediocrity, and drives us into the toil of odious and idle fumings and chaffing. If we be provoked to anger, let us according to the precept of the Apostle, be angry and sin not, which we shall do, if we be angry with ourselves, and detest our own frailties and vices. But so long as we are conversant with men, let us carry ourselves friendly and lovingly, & courageously overcome the miseries, which are of a short continuance, by reason that while we are taking a survey of ourselves, stirring to and fro, here and there, turning us about, and looking how feat and handsome we be, death following with everlasting life will seize and lay hold on us. But if malice and privy hatred do creep into our hearts, it is expedient to seek a speedy reconciliation, for when we see the mind of man (if in this point we believe Valerius Maximus) to abandon hatred, and to be of a peaceable and reconcilable inclination, it is a sign that it is in an excellent state of rest and tranquillity. And as calm weather at Sea after a raging gust of wind, and as a fair Sunshine day after a cloudy storm, is wonderfully pleasing, so war turned to peace causeth unspeakable contentments. Moreover, touching the things which seem to excite and provoke us to anger, as the disobedience of our children, the ingratitude of our servants, or friends, the perfidious and false dealing of some others, sickness, and diseases: they are the visitations of the Lord God, to prove our patience, and also to repress the pride of our flesh. Let it be our part not to thrust our nails into our own wounds, nor to add (as we say) fuel to the fire, but rather let us daily pray to our heaunly Father, who being our sole Creator, is likewise solely he, who can reform and regenerate us, that by the virtue and efficacy of his spirit, he may repress all our corrupt and inordinate affections in such sort, that as children of God, nor of Satan, or of Cain, we may be clothed with the new man created according to God, may be couteous one towards another, merciful, mutually forgiving one another all offences, as our Lord hath graciously pardoned all our sins in jesus Christ. But it is not requisite to proceed further in the discourse of anger or choler, the turpitude and deformity whereof is sufficiently known to wise old men, who have read the excellent Treatises, which have been anciently written of it, especially, in the Books of Seneca and Plutarch: Afterward in our time by john de L'Espine in his grave Discourses of the contentment of the mind. Whosoever will add to these that which Turtullian and Cyprian, Doctors of the Church have written of patience, can require to know nothing further of this subject, unless he may be pleased to add that which S. Basile and S. Chrysostome have written in diverse Homilies against anger, and the great desire of revenge, which is to be lamented in all men, and beyond all measure to be abhorred of a wise old man. As for many late writers, which in Latin, Italian, Almaigne, or any other Language besides the French, have written of choler, or anger, and of the helps and remedies against it, which they have called out of Books of Divinity, natural Philosophy, and Physic; We need not now to make a Catalogue of them, they making nothing to our principal intention in this Discourse.  
There remaineth to speak something of diffidence and distrust, the mother of impatience and almost of all other vices. Our Lord correcteth this evil in those that are his, whom he calleth sometimes men of little faith, showing the remedies for it, to be contained in the consideration of the gracious power of our God. If any men be bound to such contemplation, wise old men are, who seeing themselves at their journeys' end, and feeling their strength to fail, aught to profit in faith, and in the meditation of the providence and mercy of God. It is that whereunto S. Paul seems to have regard, when he willeth old men, to sober, discreet, advised, sound in the faith, in charity, and patience, Tit. 2. 2. What is the cause of the frowardness and impatience in old men? Even this, that they forget so many great favours and benefits, which God hath bestowed upon them, having mercifully drawn them from their mother's belly, tenderly brought them up, protected them from infinite dangers, so that they have great cause to praise God at all times, as David exhorteth them by his example in diverse Psalms, especially in the 34. 71. and 118. Psalms, which all young and old men ought to know by rote, and by heart; As also we recommend unto them the seven and thirtith Psalm, which may be called the shield against impatience, because we may find therein, that which is able to settle, and assure a conscience wavering and perplexed with the scandals and offence, to see the eminent prosperity of Atheists, and profane persons. Put the case that the sky fall, that the earth melt into the deeps, and that the elements of fire and water be mingled together; shall we suffer therefore melancholy, fretting, and impatience to devour us, when on the contrary our Saviour exhorts us at that very time to lift up our heads to heaven, because our deliverance draws near, and is at hand? Luke 21. 28. Is there any heaviness or anguish which the promised comforter, who is more mighty than all the world may not abolish and take away? Provided we leave the matter to him, and banish and cast of all distrust and impatience. Then to what use should so many promises of the son of God serve? and what should that charitable and ardent prayer avail, which he made a little before his death, described in the 17. Chapter of S. john? But if we will conserve and keep our souls in peace, and in true joy, let us carefully keep faith, and a good conscience, and let us endeavour with S. Paul, and after his example, to hope that the resurrection of the dead, as well of the just as of the unjust shall come, and to have our conscience unblameable towards men, Act. 26. 15. 16. Thus doing we shall always have joy in God, Phillip. 4. 4. The heart which is glad and rejoiceth in the Lord, is a perpetual banquet, Pro. 15. 15. So the unclean and froward spirit, the horror of sin, the sense and feeling of the wrath of God shall vanish and depart from us, and we shall sing in triumph with the Apostle, these excellent sayings, If God be on our side, who shall be against us? He which hath not spared his son, but gave him for us all to death, shall not he bountifully give unto us also all things with him? I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature is able to separate us from the love, which he hath manifested unto us in jesus Christ our Lord, Rom. 8. 30, &c: If sometimes we feel our faith to languish and droop, and our souls to be heavy and pensive, let us spur and rouse up ourselves with the goad that David useth in the two and fortieth Psalm. 12. v. My soul why art thou cast down, and why art thou disquieted within me? wait on God, for I will yet give him thanks, he is my present help, and my God. Let us then discard and cast from us, the execrable suggestions of the flesh & of Satan, and hearken to the counsel of the Son of God, who doth dehort and dissuade us from the perplexed, unprofitable, vain, and profane cares of the world in the sixth chapter of Saint Matthew, and doth encourage us to all confidence and affiance, and to an invincible hope in him, when he saith, You shall have affliction in the world and peace with me; but be of good courage I have over come the world. john 16.   

CHAP. XI. Of the causes that old age is burdensome, and tedious to many old man.  
A Well framed mind rejoiceth in prosperity, and is sensible of afflictions. But the evil and mischief is, that many men casting their eye awry upon evils, give good things a shrewd unhappy, and wrong name, speak sinisterly and ill of them, or do not judge of them as they ought: Whereupon it follows that old age is tedious, and unpleasing unto them, because they have not learned whereof to rejoice, and to complain, nor know not the felicities of old age, what they are, nor have not saluted or congratulated them a far off, nor near hand. 
The common felicities of old age.  I do not reckon nor rest upon those common felicities, to have the Hat put off to them, to be men of countenance and respect, to have servants to attend them, to be sought unto for their counsel and advise, felicities which do not happen to all old men: But I have a regard to the true felicities, whereof our next Chapter shall treat: In so much, that it was wisely spoken, that old age doth resemble the Images called Silenes, which a far off, and without appeared to be grossly carved, and very ill favouredly made, but near hand were of excellent workmanship, and seemed to have in them, I know not what, that was more than humane. Such is properly old age, if the life past hath been wisely ordered, and if old men do truly know their state and condition. But in mine opinion there are four Reasons wherefore many old men do impatiently bear the burden of old age. The first is, that by their fretful impatience, they do aggravate their inevitable miseries a great deal more than is fitting, or there is cause, & give out in speech, that they are worse than they be, and being too sensible of them, regarding altogether the present pains and evils, which they feel and suffer, do not comfort themselves with the remembrance of their felicities past, nor with the hope of the felicities of come. The second, is an evil education, which is so prevailing, potent, and powerful, that custom is almost a nature, and habit doth utterly deprave men's manners, and wholly corrupt them. Therefore the saying of a wise ancient man is of a authority; that it is fit betimes to train up young men to take delight or pains in such things wherein it is meet for them to recreate themselves, 
Delightful good recreations are as fit for young persons as labour.  or to be busied, or take pains: Even as it is good to make them fit for honest trades, or occupations, and to enure them to good employments, services, and to well-doing, which no age ought to refuse. For if we should draw the shoulder from under the yoke, and shun all study and industry, we should make no reckoning of virtue, whereunto we do not attain, but by the way that is narrow, uneasy, and painful to climb; whereunto having attained, our care is, that we be not carried beyond our bounds, and misled by the vices which we hate and avoid. It is said that good housekeepers make use of any thing, be it never so small a rag; and why shall not wise old men have the wisdom and skill to draw and distil good out of the evils which they suffer. Physicians find infinite remedies, and wonderful medicinal properties in plants, herbs, and fruits, which we would never think to have such excellent virtues, if daily experience did not make it manifest and probat unto us. Shall it then be forbidden to those whom so many years have enabled to be wise, to extract from the time, and from the sundry accidents and occurrences of their life past, some remedy and refuge against the miseries which do assail and besiege them? All things are mutually helpful and aiding to the good of those that love God; And what ought then wise old men to hope for and expect, if betimes they have learned some documents and lessons touching their true office and duty? The third cause of impatience is, that we who make profession of jesus Christ, and speak highly of the Church, of Religion, of the service of God, of faith, of good works, and say there is nothing so true as the Gospel, have but a weak faith and belief in the Gospel, or in the assured promises of him, who cannot deceive nor be deceived. From this source and fountain do issue and flow all those evils which our forefathers, and we have seen. What evils doth incredulity and hardness of belief in gender and beget? How often doth our Lord find fault with his Disciples for it, whom he saw so dull and slow to comprehend and understand what he taught them? Old men do torment and vex themselves when they feel their sensitive and carnal life to shorten and melt away, but as for the life eternal, Angelical, blessed, the nearer it approacheth to them, the less they apprehend and perceive it. If a man of honour or credit, did promise you this or that, this promise should pass for ready pay, and for money told on the nail; and a hard matter it should be to make you in the least manner to think, that his purpose should be to falsify or break his word with you. Behold, God doth tell you, and when you are ready to depart out of the world, promiseth that you shall live for ever; and your mind wavers and floats upon the waves of doubt and hardness of belief. This is, not to know that there is a God, nor who he is; this is, by the sin of incredulity grievously to offend jesus Christ, the Lord and master of all them which believe; this is, to imagine a Christian dwelling in the house of faith, a man without faith, & without hope. The fourth cause of our impatience is, that old men know not what the oil of salvation is, the oil of joy, the oil, whose flaming light never goes out; or if they do in some small measure know it, they care not for it, nor have any mind or fancy to seek it and beg it of the Lord. This oil, is the unction of the holy Ghost, wherewith Christians being inwardly anointed are made strong, not only to resist death, but the gates of hell also. The ancient manner was to anoint wrestlers with oil, and old men which are to combat and fight against the terrors of death, have very great need of this oil and spiritual unction. Let them take heed then that they quench not the spirit. 1. Thess. 5. 19 But (to use another comparison) let them be careful to kindle the gift of God in them, by a daily supply of this oil, craving with a zealous affection the increase thereof, as King David did with a loud voice in the one and fiftieth Psalm; O God, cast me not off from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me; Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and let thy free Spirit sustain and establish me. This Spirit doth renew us, to the end we like Eagles, which soar directly aloft in the air to the Sun, might fly up to heaven, there to see ourselves plucked, and stripped of the vain light feathers of corruption, covetousness, anger, impatience, distrust, and of many worldly lusts and desires, which like lymetwigges do stay and detain foolish old men, even, as it were, piles of wood rammed into the earth, where their hearts are buried, having their souls more untowardly crooked, than their heads and shoulders; so that they consume their days in sighs, wail, and torments; being wholly vnprouided of fit remedies to temper and sweeten the woes and sorrows of this life, nor having the power of themselves to leave and forsake this world; but as they must perforce be driven out of it, although misery doth assail and afflict them on every side.   

CHAP. XII. Of the benefit or good of old age.  
WE do now speak of some commodities of old age, and do parcel out the benefits and good thereof. We speak here of a well framed and well ordered old age, and of that age, which is from fifty five years, or there about, until threescores and ten, or fourscore years. Touching those casual miseries, as childish humours and doting manners, paulsies, faintness, feebleness, and the like infirmities either of mind or body, these art not here to be considered, for all old men do not bring forth commendable fruits and effects of their lives; being become sots, lewd, and men altogether rude and ill nurtured. And who would think to go to gather grapes of thorns, figs of thistles, and to find honey in a gall? Ancient men had a Proverb (as David reports, 1. Sam. 24. 14.) That wickedness doth proceed from the wicked. But we do maintain, that there are virtues not common, which are to be found in old men, who are virtuous, wise, and fearing God, who only are worthy and none else, (as Basil saith) of the worthy name of old men, although they have faint and languishing bodies and lie bedrid. Speaking then of good, we do consider diverse sorts of good. There is a natural good, a politic, a supernatural, and a good which is opposed to that which is vicious and bad, unpleasing, painful, unprofitable, hurtful.  
We do take upon us to make it appear, that these diverse species and sorts of good, do all meet in old men. And first, to speak of the natural good; What thing is there so agreeable to nature, as ripeness of judgement? Now this is found properly and altogether in old men. For pregnant and forward wits, are of an extraordinary last, and do seldom last long. Men of ripe age, do undoubtedly perceive the overboyling blood and passions of youth, to wax lukewarm and to freeze in them, they feel ordinarily many salt rheums, and Catarrhs to consume and dry up in them, they are macerated and lean, and they know their judgement decays. It is a natural good to dye old, for a man to be careful of himself and his health, which is sounder in old men, then in young; who, for the most part, regard not the good government of their bodies and lives.  
Concerning the civil or politic good, it chiefly consisteth in honour, which being the Magnificent and Majestical reward of virtue, hath been the cause that wise old men have always judged, that there was no good so commodious as this. The Spartans, and many other people, did honour very much the ancients and elders; who in the commonweal of Israel were superintendents, and had the charge of public and State affairs committed to them. And Saint Paul, 1. Timoth. 5. 17. willeth, That the elders that rule well be esteemed worthy of double honour. All constitutions and ordinances do decree, that old men command, and young men obey. The Athenians observing an ancient decree of Solon, did honour old age in such sort, that the ancientest men of the city had the prime voice, and spoke first in all their common counsels and assemblies, and they esteemed it very expedient for the good of their state, to respect the counsel of old men. Young Pliny in the eight book of his Epistles writeth, that there was an ancient constitution to this effect; That young men should learn of old men, not only how to behave themselves in their speeches and words, but also in their carriage and gesture of body: The father was tutor to the son, and if the father died, the ancientest man of the place where he died, or of some other place, was to have the tuition and wardship of his son. The Apostle saith to Timothy his scholar; Rebuke not an elder, but exhort him as a father, and the elder women as mothers.  
Concerning the goods of the mind, which are moral; as prudence, temperance, continency, and those which are supernatural and infused; as the true wisdom, the sincere knowledge of God, the zealous invocation of his name, the discussion of Theological controversies, the dexterity, and skill of managing, and ordering Church discipline; there was never no doubt made, but it is agreed upon of all men, that old men have a larger measure of knowledge herein, and without comparison more understanding to direct, then young men. Certainly young men, who are of sober and discreet conversation and manners, and plenteously furnished & qualified with grave counsels, as Timothy the Evangelist was, do deserve very great commendation and applause. 1. Timoth. 4. 12. But Saint Paul doth not mince and dissemble the matter, but that such green heads are often time in travel, and whurried about with intemperate lusts and desires; and further, will not admit that the Pastor and Minister of the Church, should be a young scholar, or freshman; lest being puffed up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the Arch Calumniator the Devil. 1. Tim. 3. 6. He forbiddeth the young widows to meddle in things set a part for the service of the Church. 1. Timoth. 5. 12. It is evident what opinion old men in times past had of young men. Homer in his Ulysses declares, that young men usually are inconsiderate and heedless. Aristotle writeth, That they are not very capable of moral knowledge, for lack of judgement and experience, which they could not attain unto, but by succession of time. Cicero propoundeth this sentence; That young men are rash and heady, and old men are advised and stayed. Besides, many others have shot forth the like bolts and censures, whereof this is the total sum and substance.  
I never saw wisdoms and youth, both together dwell,  
Nor him a good commander, that did never obey well.  
I will hereunto add further this Stanza of verses of the same quill.  
Suddenly to resolve, and rashly to believe all,  
Not to discern and friend's voice, from a flatterers call:  
Young headed counsel, and new servants put in trust,  
Have oftentimes laid high estates in the dust.  
It is recorded in Histories, that many Commonweals having been disturbed turned topsie turuie, and brought to ruin, by the bold forwardness and rashness of young Counselors, have been reestablished, and at length reduced to a good form of government by the counsel of old men. The kingdom in the house of David, in the time of Rehoboam, the Commonweal of Athens many times, and of Rome in the conspiracy of Catiline, are a proof hereof. So then the fruits, which old age doth yield and bring forth, are manifold, whereof some redound to the glory of God, as old men have more devotion and religion than other men, their prayers are more powerful and frequent, they do more usually, and daily extol and magnify the grace, favour, & providence of God, whereof they have many testimonies and experiences in their own persons. There are other fruits, which old age doth yield, which do serve to the benefit and good of their neighbour; for that wise old men by their good counsels, do maintain and support public estates, and their own private estates, be they great or small. For he that is a prudent governor of a small family, deserves great commendation; As on the contrary, if the followers and servants of the mightiest, and most eminent persons that may be imagined, do live dissolutely, it is a woeful shame: And hereof we must appeal to the judgement of Solomon, in the fourth Chapter of his Ecclesiastes, 13. v. where he saith, Better is a poor and wise child, than an old and foolish King, that will no more be admonished. And what is a wise old man in a counsel of State? It is an incomparable treasure. And what is a King, Prince, Lord, that is old and wise? It is a true and lively image of God among men. There are other fruits, which old men themselves enjoy, who living discreetly, rest in peace, health, and welfare, reducing their course of life within the lists of piety, temperance, where they spend their days in holy meditations, and with joy of heart pass their time, in seeing 
Their virtuous children in comely show,  
About their table all on a row,  
Like Olive plants to stand and grow.   
Then they reap the sweet and precious fruit of their labours past. But to proceed, who would dare to term wise old men idle persons, who do employ themselves to the true and proper exercises of a man, to wit, to the actions of the mind. Magnanimity, true fortitude, is not enclosed in the muscles, nor in the sinews, but in the bearing and sustaining of grievances; in levying all our powers and forces to fight against impatience, carnal lusts, against Satan and the world. The famous deeds of old men are wise counsels, instructions, good examples, 
Old men's actions.  zealous prayers, services to the Commonweal and State, succours and helps to friends, protection and maintenance to orphans and children. Plato, Sophocles, Isocrates, and a number of Heathens more, who in their old age began and perfected works, which are yet extant and useful, were they doting old persons? Basil, Nazienzen, Saint Augustine, so many ancient and modern Divines, who during the profound darkness of Atheists and profane persons, wallowing like swine in all confusions, died very old men, and their tongues and pens never lay still, but were busy and moving to edify and instruct the Christian Churches: are these old men which have spent their time badly? So many white beards, which yet to this day serve their sovereign Lord, of whom they expect a glorious reward, are they to be cast behind the door as unprofitable vessels? Is it wisely done of young men to revile them in words, and shamefully to spurn and tread on them? But as Zenophon said, Those men live wisely, who are careful more and more to reform themselves; and they live cheerfully, who every day feel themselves to profit in virtue, which may be truly said of wise old men, whose hearts are lifted up to the Lord, and who already have a foot in Paradise. Wherefore then, do we accuse nature and her impediments, as we call them, I mean old age, and the infirmities thereof? Seeing that the mild, and meek conversation of old men is of better esteem, and more gracious in them; a pregnancy and dexterity to counsel well, is more eminent in them; their constancy to suffer death, more assured and steadfast; and the temperance to bridle and restrain fond foolish lusts and desires, is more potent and forcible in them. Though their body be weak, their mind is strong. A wise old man is no more daunted at the approach of death, than a labouring man, who having undergone the rain, heat, and cold of the day, is not grieved to see the sun set, because it is a sign of his surcease and rest from his labour, and of receiving his promised wages. And old man fearing God, doth already feel the pleasures of Paradise, and being ascended to the top and pinnacle of true knowledge, despiseth the base, deceiving, perishing, to wit, the woeful and corrupt riches of the world. According as old men have been better or worse trained up, and instructed; according also to the diversity of gifts, which they have received of God, we see they yield diverse fruits and effects. It is the incredulity, impatience, viciousness, and lewdness of life, not old age, which is the cause that many, in stead of referring themselves, and their actions and affairs to the providence of God, of learning that whatsoever distasters and discommodities do happen unto us abroad and at home, in our bodies, in our goods, from our servants and those of our family, from our friends, from our enemies, is a gracious chastisement unto us of our heavenly Father, and an exercise and trial of our faith, we still perceivering in the sincere knowledge of him in our calling, joined with a good conscience; Do woefully torment themselves, childishly bewail their condition, if their projects and plors, devices and wishes, have not that speedy success which they desire: As that great Orator Cicero, who forgetting what he had written in his book of Offices, That no man can be just which feareth exile, pain, or death, being forlorn and in a desperate taking a few days before he was slain, cowardly exclaimes in a letter of his to Octavius; Beast that I am! In vain have I been taken and held for the man I am not! My old age is most unfortunate and disastrous! My white hairs after a miserable life stand up fearfully staring, and out of order!  
There remaineth for conclusion of this Chapter, to add unto the felicities of old age, certain excellent privileges, which those that are learned in the civil law do attribute unto it. I will give you the cullings and choice of fifty, or threescore and more, quoated by sundry collectors. Men that were ancient themselves, did bear no less honour to very aged persons, than they did to Magistrates. The older a man is the more is his judgement esteemed. In consultations, and in matters ambiguous and doubtful to be decided, the advice of old men is preferred before the advice of young men. Old men enjoyed the privileges of noble men. Old men are not sued, nor scited to appear in any Courts of justice, without the Praetor's express permission, and licence, and particular information of the cause. The ancientest men have their names always enroled and set down first. Old men ought to have the first places and seats, and to sit at the upper end of the Table. The ancientest Counsellors in the absence of the Precedent may appoint and call a counsel. If there be question touching the observing and keeping of common contracts and rates, the ancientest men of a fraternity, or company, have the first voice. It is granted and permitted to old men to censure and reform their neighbours. Many willing to accuse and bear witness against any one, the testimony of the oldest man is of most credit. Old men are Magnificoes and noble men. The counsels of old men are more regarded, than the strength of young men. In the common weal of Israel there was an express ordinance of God, touching the honour due to old men, which Moses recites in these words; Rise up before the hoare-head, honour the person of the aged man, and fear thy God, Levit. 19 32. Elihu in the two and thirtieth Chapter of job. 6. verse, doth declare what reverence was given in those days to aged persons. And Solomon in his 16. Chapter of the Proverbes, ver. 31. saith, Old age is a crown of glory when it is found in the way of righteousness. The commonweal of Israel had a long time the ancientest of the people to the number of threescore and ten to govern it, men of great age and experience, who were very much respected, men of great authority, and represented the whole body of the people, as all the holy history doth verify. It is apparent, that Rehoboam the son of Solomon, for not giving credit to the counsel of old men, lost almost his whole kingdom, 1 King. 12. Young counsellors were authors of this confusion, by which it appeareth how wise David and Solomon had been, in their just government, to have still grey headed men about them, and attending on their persons, and what misery doth ensue to Princes, to despise and not regard wise old men. The ancient jews had this saying, that it is bonum omen, a good sign to see an old man in a house. This saying seems to be taken from the first of Samuel and second Chapter, where the Lord threatening the high Priest Eli, saith, There shall never be an old man of thine house, all that descend of thine house, shall dye in the flower of their age, and when they be men grown. The same jews had a saying also, That those countries wherein there are no old men to be seen, do deserve to be overrun, wasted, and spoilt by enemies. They have an eye of regard, to the sentence pronounced in the third Chapter of Isaiah, where the Lord threateneth jerusalem and juda, to give them young men for their governors, and children should rule over them, and further saith, That women are Lords over them. In the book of Ecclesiasticus there are many worthy wise sentences and sayings, in the honour of old age. It shall suffice to note two or three of them. Dishonour not a man in his old age, for they were as we which are not old; they have been taught of their fathers, and of them thou shalt learn wisdom, and to make an answer in time of need. Chap. 8. And in the 25. Chapter he saith, That it is a pleasant thing to behold grey headed men minister judgement, and for a man to have his cause referred to the elders, who can give good counsel; Also that experience is the crown of old men, and the fear of the Lord is their glory.  
Cyrus' in Zenophon reports, that the Persians had a law enjoining all men to be silent, when an Elder should speak, to give him the wall when they met him in th● streets, and to set open and clear the passage ways when he should go any journey, or voyage. Yea, the ancient Grecians, as Hesichius observeth, gave titles of Majesty to old men, naming them Excellencies, Kings, Princes. In the ancient Roman Common weal great reverence was done to old men, as Callistratus the Lawyer witnesseth. And the Poet Ovid in his third Book, treating of pride and haughtiness of mind, remembers that the ancient romans did greatly reverence old age. It is wonderful what Plutarch in diverse places doth relate of the privileges of old age in the Common weal of Sparta, which flourished many hundred years, so long as the young men gave care and credit to the counsel of old men. And Zenophon in a Discourse of the Grecian state worthily saith, that Pharnabazus stood up to speak, because he was the ancientest common counsel man. Moreover, in the ancient Roman or Latin tongue, that is called Antiqué, which is honest, of credit, and authority; And Cicero saith in one place, Ne dubites quin quod honestius, id mihi futurum sit antiquius. And in another place, At salus antiquior, id est potior, militum, quam impedimentorum: A manner of speech and phrase usual also among the Grecians, as Plato mentioneth in his Sympose, and Pollux in his second Book of Synonimaes. Let us conclude this whole Discourse of the privileges of old age, with that which the Apostle propoundeth in the 1 Timoth. 5. Where he forbiddeth Timothy his scholar, & all others rudely to rebuke Elders: Unless (as S. Gregory saith) they be scandalous, and an evil example to others. For Chrysostome saith, that an old man of a youthful and light behaviour, is more ridiculous, then lascivious, fond toying young men.   

CHAP. XIII. Of the profit, which wise old men may reap from the Doctrine contained in the writings of Philosophers, and Heathen Authors.  
SAint Augustine teacheth in the fourth Chapter of his second Book of Christian doctrine, that if heathen Philosophers have had the hap to pen Documents and Instructions agreeable to the truth, which we profess; so far beside the mark, and uncouth is it, that we should estrange and withdraw ourselves from the use of them, that on the contrary, we must take out of their hands, as from unjust possessors, and convert to our use, whatsoever they have wisely written. For if in the composition of Antidotes, and counterpoisons, Viper's flesh be mixed and incorporated in treacle; Who shall let us not to draw and extract from the doctrine of Gentiles and heathens many worthy remedies against vices: we learning in other books the right knowledge of the true God? Undoubtedly, we do find in Plato, Aristotle, Zenophon, Isocrates, Cicero, Seneca, Plutarch, yea, in the Greek, and ancient Latin Poets infinite lessons and instructions touching vices and virtues. We do read in the Histories penned by many learned heathens, of wonderful things, which may be called the rack, and bills of fearful inditements against Christians, before the judgement seat of God. We see in the Gospel, that jesus Christ doth propound the examples of the Queen of Saba, of the Ninivites, of the men of Tyre and Sidon, to the end to strike a terror in the jews. Wherefore then should we make any scruple to allege some testimonies of Heathens touching the happy estate and condition of old age? It shall suffice to give the wise Vieillard some taste of them, leaving him to remember the rest, or to learn them in the forenamed Authors, and in others which he shall remember. I commend unto him the laws of Plutarch, especially of the ancient Greek and Roman Captains; Also the Apothegms and wise sentences, and particularly the whole Treatise of the same Author in his opuscula, entitled, Whether an old man ought to meddle with public affairs and negotiations. The Dialogue of old age in Cicero is excellent. And in the Discourses of Socrates, in Plato, and Zenophon there are found to this purpose in question many worthy sayings. Valerius Maximus in the eight book of his Collection of ancient memorable acts and sayings, doth set forth many notable examples of famous old men, whereof some have hitherto been propounded by us. It shall then be enough to add yet some testimonies drawn and culled out of the hoard and treasury of Stobeus in his hundred and sixteenth Discourse in favour of old age. The experience of old men can reveal and discover more wisdom, than the travails, sweeting endeavours, tugging and striving of young men. It is true that the hands of young men are strong to execute, but the brains of old men do better service, and prevail, and perform more: For time is the father that begets variety of wisdom and prudence. Love to commune and advise with old men, and abandon the foolish devices, and fond imaginations of young men, wherein there is nothing appears but vainness and foppery. So it is that the pleasure of a vicious and sinful contentment doth not last long.  
Old age is not so near the end of life, as it is near the threshold of the door which opens to an assured happy life. He that will take upon him the wardship and tuition of some young man, and to have him well brought up, doth commit him to a wise old man; even as to qualify strong fuming wines, we do brew them with water. Old men who are free and rid of the so many evil lusts, wherein young men do furiously plunge themselves, become like unto God. Also old men live and die as if they were rather asleep: whereas the life and death of young men resembles boisterous tempests and violent shipwracks.  
It will be objected against whatsoever I can all edge in favour of old age, that the heathens also have spoken very disgracefully and reproachfully of it; witness the hundred and seaventeenth discourse of Stobeus, the scoffing taunts and quipps both of the Greek and Latin comical, and Satirical Poets in their Tractates. And he he may go for a witness to, who compares old age to Wine that is low and almost nothing but lees; to a warehouse full of refuse and braided wares, whereof there is no reckoning to be made; to a sanctuary or place of refuge, whereunto all sorts of evils seem to retire as to their garrison and hold; to an echo, to a shadow, to a vanishing dream, and to the dead time of Winter. Horace in his art of Poetry doth pencil and picture out an old man in this manner.  
Many are the miseries of wretched man that is old,  
Either because he hazards himself to get money and gold;  
And when he hath got it, his wretchedness is such,  
He dares not lay out a penny, he loves it so much:  
Or because in all things he takes in hand, and goes about,  
He is fearful, unwieldy, full of suspicion and doubt;  
He puts off the day of death, still his mind doth him give,  
And he verily hopes many a day longer to live.  
He lies lusking at home, and loves to hear men relate,  
All news whatsoever, yea, the secrets of State.  
He complains of the times present, is pensive and sad,  
And says his forefather's days, were nothing so bad.  
Iwenal in his tenth Satire, describeth the infirmities of such old age. But if we heedfully consider the scoffing speeches of these Authors, it will soon appear, that they speak either of the diseases of the body, or of old age that is decrepit, worn out, quite spent and done, not regarding the commodious helps and uses of wise old men. For otherwise, to what dangers and disasters are young men exposed unto? And when should we make an end, if we should take upon us to make a Catalogue of them? The Heathens have confessed, that a young man was happy, not in regard of his age, but his virtue: They have affirmed as much of an old man, adding further, That an old man is already possessed of that which a young man expects and hopes for. And what do young men aim at, and hope after, but to live to a great age and to be old men? They have compared young men, unto men tossed up and down to and fro with the winds and waves in the midst of the Sea, and old men to passengers which are near their port and ready to cast Anchor. Ought we to marvel (saith Cicero) if old men be sometimes feeble and decayed in strength, seeing that young men cannot be exempt and privilledged from consumptions, or pynings away of the body? There is no infirmity whatsoever in old age, which the wiser old men are not prepared and armed for, and with greatness of courage and patience do easily sustain and endure. Whereunto the verses of Horace do fitly sort and agree, who saith; 
If God to thee a time do give,  
Wherein thou mayest full happy live,  
Most joyfully this time embrace;  
Do not neglect too long a space,  
The happy hour of thy Fate,  
To enjoy a life more fortunate:  
But to the world proclaim throughout,  
Thou art a voluntary Soldier and stout;  
And wilt not from thy colours fly,  
But stand thy ground courageously.   
And in another place he saith; 
Irksome it is to be annoyed,  
With evil a man cannot avoid;  
But that which is past remedy,  
Man bears at last contentedly.  
When patience hath him under awe,  
Yielding obedience to her law.   
Put case then that old age hath his opponents, assaults, and be exposed to diverse disasters, and miseries, so hath it also strong and fit weapons, stratagems, directories, and practised virtues to help at need. Old men's minds are still entire and sound, so long as they are enured to study, and exercised. Though their legs fail them, their wits do not, as Homer saith, bringing in Nestor speaking in this manner; I will with my Counsel and Orations excite and prick forward the youths and young men: This is the trade and practise of old men, who have more wisdom and judgement than others, and as Ovid affirmeth, It is time that ripens experience: The counsel and saw of old men hath in it somewhat, I know not what, that is pleasing to hear, graceful, and of venerable regard and well liking.  
Even as we see the Sun at his decline,  
With golden rays more pleasingly to shine.  
If Seneca the Tragedian be herein to be believed. And it there be to be found, foolish, impertinent, and unprofitable old men, they are no other than fountains without water, forests grubbed up and gladded, trees without fruit, stars without light, and all their imperfections and defects proceed from ill education. Remember (saith Cicero) that I commend that old age, which hath had early good beginnings, and been well taught and trained up from childhood and youth. For that old age is miserable, that can plead nothing else for Atiquitie, but the wrinkles of the face and the white hairs. Moreover, the more old age sees the time to approach of appearing before the tribunal of the Sovereign judge, the less it apprehends and reckons of death, the threatenings and rage of Tyrants: As Solon, who being demanded, By what virtue, he did so brave the Tyrant Pisistratus, answered, His old age. Touching the contempt of death, and a resolution courageously to apprehend and embrace it; who will not marvel to hear the words, which the great Cyrus' King of Persia uttered to his sons a little before his death? My dear beloved sons, said he, when you shall see me no more; think not therefore I am quite annihilated and no where: for when I was in your company you could not perceive my soul, but only discusled it in your mind to be in my body, by the deeds and actions you saw me to do. Believe then, that the soul is still alive, and in being, although you see my body no more. Never could any man persuade me, that the souls of mortal men perish with their bodies, nor that being departed out of our bodies past feeling and sense, that they are without feeling and sense: on the contrary, seeing that the soul being at liberty, and having nothing to do with the body, begins to become pure and wholly to see and behold itself, I hold and maintain, that then it is in full perfection of knowledge and understanding. Furthermore, the case standing thus, that death is the dissolution of nature, we see whither all things tend, to wit, to their first matter whereof they were made, the soul excepted, which we see not how it comes into the body, remains there, nor goes out. You see that there is nothing so much resembles death, as sleep. But the souls of those which sleep, show their divine nature in this point, that being free from disturbance and at rest, see and behold things a far off, and to come, which plainly declares what they must be, after they are delivered from the prison of the body. This being so, reverence me, my sons, as a thing divine; but if the soul be to perish with the body, yet give not you over to fear the gods, which maintain, uphold, & govern this Principal, & master piece, called Man: And in this doing, as good children, you shall inviolably preserve my name. To this Oration, which is bettered by Cicero in his Dialogue of old age, reciting Socrates, who in prison wisely and stoutly discourseth of the immortality of the soul: Old Cato also addeth, that seeing the souls of men are so prompt and apprehensive to remember things past, and of so wise foresight in things future and to come, have invented so many trades, arts, sciences, so many rare and notable things; It is impossible that such natures, capable of so great excellencies should be mortal. And seeing the soul is in continual agitation and motion, which she originally hath not (to wit, from any extrinsecall cause, and from other than her Creator, which Cicero forgetteth) seeing she moves and stirs of herself; it follows that she shall ever have such agitation and motion, for she will never leave or abandon to be herself. Further, that the soul in it own nature, being a substance simple, pure, unmixed, having no disagreeing qualities, cannot be divided, and being individual, it follows it is immortal; which serves to prove that men are capable and of understanding before they be borne; seeing that children in learning the base, and more servile and meaner trades, arts, and sciences, do on a sudden comprehend and conceive infinite things, ere on would say, they begin to apprehend and understand what this or that is, but only their memories serve them to retain and bear them away. Cato afterward affirmeth further, That if the souls of men were not immortal, good men would not desire or aspire to a glory, which is durable and ay-lasting. What means this saying, That every wise man dieth most willingly, and the wicked depart hence full fore against their will, and with much grief and vexation of mind? Seems it not, unto you, that the soul which sees more clearly and father off knows she goes to a better place? On the contrary, hebere, dull, and senseless man is uncapable and ignorant hereof. Verily, I desire nothing more than to see your forefathers, whom I have made much on, respected and honoured; and beside, I desire to be with those of whom I have heard men to speak and discourse, whose books I have seen and perused, and whose names I have quoated and mentioned in mine own writings. Now that I am onward in my way, and making haste to go to them, It would be a troublesome and hard matter to hale me or make me roll, or go back, as men would a ball or a bowl. And if God had made me a grant to become a child again, and to cry in a cradle, I should stiffly and with might and main refuse such an offer; for seeing, I have almost finished my course, I will not be recalled from my last end, to my first state and condition. Is there any commodity in this life? Is not this life painful in all her revolutions, terminations, periods and ends? But put the case this life hath many commodities: so it is that we may be full gorged satiated, and glutted with them, and see and end of them too. I will not for all that waywardly and testily fret, fume, storm, and chaff at this life, as many learned men have oftentimes done, and I repent me not that I have lived, for I have so spent my days, that I account of myself, as one that hath served for some use, and for something in the world. I go out of this life, as out of an Inn, and not as one out of a house; seeing that nature leaves us here in this world, a time to pass and walk up and down, but not here to settle, abide, and continue. O happy the day, when I shall go to the holy company of blessed souls, and shall leave the base rabble, and rascally rout of the world.  
See here for certain the worthy Treatises, of men ignorant of the immortality of man's soul, but as they did gropingly and blindly imagine. Notwithstanding, they were grounded upon this imagination, that nothing being so common, nor of more price and account with man, than the love and preservation of himself, a care and regard ought especially to be had of that part, which properly may be called Man, to wit, the soul, and that the way and means to live well and happily, consisteth in the knowledge and comtemplation of things divine, inciting and provoking us to good works: so as the tranquillity of our minds consisteth, not properly in being freed from pain and grief, but rather in being delivered from those raging and unruly passions, which hurry the wicked up and down. For as Seneca saith in his book, De Providentia, those casual miseries, which our own hands bring not upon us, are sent for our good, that our many virtues may the more gloriously show and appear, and that as we cut Vines to make them yield the more fruit; so by the smart and wound of afflictions, we are made the more fit for laudable actions. And as Cicero saith in his book of Tusculane questions, If at the exercise of wrestling, the champions contemn bruises and hurts, and their pains and tuggings in the presence of noble personages are easily borne, set light by, and not a whit blencht at, why should we make any difficulty, stoutly to thwart and resist the dangers which in the ways of virtue offer themselves? What magnanimity can be of more fame and note, then that which is seen in the hazard of dangers, and in bearing those evils, which must be undergone, and cannot be avoided; for so long as the heart keeps his hold, unmoved, undaunted, not fainting, not quailing, all is well. And this resolution is much more excellent than the possession of the treasures and goods of the world, which a great mind commonly contemns, as things flitting, transitory, and vain. Again, by the testimony of Seneca, unintermitted and daily adversity and evil (at least as we call it) hath this good and commodity, that those that are tempested, vexed, and exercised therewith, are the more hardy to bear and endure. But why should he which knows, and takes himself to be a man, and triumphs and glories to be called a man, refuse to put under his shoulder and stoop to those jeopardies, burdens, and crosses, which are incident and casual to a man.  
Moreover, the Heathens do tell us of other stays and helps to old age, whereby to prolong it, and make it more easeful as well in regard of the body, as of the mind. Cicero saith, We must make head, and strive against old age, carefully correct, help, and redress her defaults and defects, and neither more nor less resist it, than we would do some disease. Let us have then a care of our health, let our bodily exercises be moderate, let us eat and drink to restore, and not to oppress and overthrow that bodily strength which remains. He that is old cannot be young again, and death is inevitable: but it is possible to corroborate and strengthen old age by good government and order of diet, and to keep the heart from fainting and dying on a sudden. Wise old men are taught and prescribed of learned, and Christian Physicians, remedies outward and inward of good and sound health, which they are careful to observe, that so they might hold out and continue the longer, to do good in the sight of God, to themselves, and their neighbours: For which cause, as Cicero said, besides the tendering and cherishing of their weak bodies, which daily do languish and pine away, they are much more thoughtful of their mind, and intellectual and memorative parts, which by little and little decay, if we do not, even as a Lamp is with oil, maintain and keep them exercised. Long travel, tire, and toylefull labours make our bodies unwieldy, sluggish, and lither: on the contrary, continual exercise and study do recreate, revive, and cherish our minds. If old men be scoffed and mocked at in the theatres and common assemblies, as dolts mad fools, and dotards, it is only meant of such as be credulous, oblivious, voluptuous, and dissolute persons. These are vices of young and old, but not of all persons alike. For the wise Vieillard hath always his mind bend, and intent unto virtue: All his desire is to keep himself immaculate and pure before God, well affectioned to his country, careful for the building of that spiritual temple which is called the Church, governing and bringing up his family in the love of piety, righteousness, holiness, verity: shining by his grave counsels and sayings, and by his worthy actions and deeds, as a sun among men, to the joy of his friends and well willers, and to the astonishment at home and abroad, of the enemies and enviers of the splendour, and eminency of those excellent gifts, which the holy Ghost hath liberally communicated and conferred unto him. The wise Vieillard desirous to live long in this estate, for the good of many, hath most noble and worthy thoughts, and agreeing to his age: though he be far spent with years, his heart is strong to do wonderful matters ere he depart hence, and yet the best of his life is in his inwardest part, the soul. But I know not what false opinion, or wretched ignorance of the truth doth possess us, that in stead of taking pleasure in our own happinesses, we cease not to torment & vex ourselves about evils, which we make much greater than they are, so that almost ordinarily, and without much thinking thereon, we voluntarily run ourselves headlong into voluntary carkings and fits, and into continual anxieties, disquiets, and troubles of mind, making that part of our life extremely miserable, which should with glory crown all that is past: No whit remembering, what wise Plato said, That what things soever the outward senses desire or fear, they are almost no other but stadowes and dreams.   

CHAP. XIIII. Assured consolations against all the infirmities of body and mind.  
ALthough the Heathen, Greek, and Latin Philosophers (among others, Plutarch and Seneca) seem to have gloriously discoursed, of all whatsoever concerns the tranquillity and contentment of the mind, thereby to make the troubles and discommodities of this present life more easily borne: Yet must it be confessed, as we have else where observed, upon the foresaid Philosophers, that their discourses are weak and insufficient, yea altogether impertinent, being compared to the doctrines of heavenly wisdom. Notwithstanding, let us speak this word by the way touching the reading of such Authors, who endeavour, according to their poor skill, to reclaim us from vice (wherein worldlings wallow, and dabble ehemselues to their confusion) to the end to settle and habituate us in laudable thoughts, and in noble exercises of virtue: They are men guided by a dark light, by which some glympses and glimmerings of truth are seen and appear, which do not sufficiently direct and point out the way, yet serve they to make known well enough to them that are wide, and strangers to the true light, that they are every way miserable: And such by schools do teach, sober, young, and old men, to redeem the time, and to make all haste to be admitted betimes into the holy Academy, there to be fully resolved of the doubts and hard questions, which humane wisdom cannot assoil and discuss. Ploto in his Philche is of the mind, that the ancient Authors are to be read, which, in his opinion are the nearer streams to the fountain of truth, and consequently the purer. If this be so, what shall we say of Moses, David, Solomon, the Prophets, whose writing were before those of the Heathen? with what eye of regard, and how heedfully, and accurately ought we to read the holy Evangelists and Apostles, replenished, and full of so many necessary and important doctrines for all sorts of persons? Who dares contradict them but an Atheist, and horrible monster condemned by the testimony of his conscience, wherein he bears the written doom, and sentence of his own damnation? Such holy books are the true springs and fountains of living water, which the Author of life and everlasting consolation, causeth to flow into our souls, by the efficacy and virtue of his Spirit, which for the salvation of those that in humility come and draw near unto them, purgeth and cleanseth those filthy frothy waters and puddles, making them quick running streams to eternal life. We read in the second Book of the Tusculane questions, a frank and open confession of Cicero the Author, touching the imbecility and weakness of humane reason. There are, saith he, certain seeds of virtue springing in our hearts, which if we would suffer them to grow and sprout out, nature by their means would guide us to a happy life.  
But we are no sooner borne, but behold, we are plunged into all corruption, and into a gulf of errors, and aberrations, which we seem to suck with the milk of our Nurses. Then are we afterward put forth to masters and tutors, which stain and corrupt us with so many false and monstrous opinions, that verity gives way and place to vanity, and nature being preoccupied and forestalled with strange imaginations, suffers itself by them to be out of measure transported and lead awry. As than we draw out of the fountains of Israel, that is, out of the word of God, contained in the holy Books of the Prophets and Apostles, most certain and assured documents and doctrines of the nature and essence of God, of his providence, of his love towards us, of the sovereign good, and of a happy and everlasting life: So wise old men, and all good Christians, nurtured and instructed in the words of truth, of faith, charity, hope, temperance, piety, are not daunted and terrified with humane brittleness and frailty, neither think their maladies incurable, nor their pains, and sorrows unsupportable, but by the help of the Doctrine recorded in this holy School do enjoy a steadfast and assured consolation, and do say with David in the Psalm 94. O how happy is the man O Lord, whom thou reprovest, and instructest by thy law, to set him in a sure habitation and refuge in the days of adversities, that while and as often as sharp, heavy, and grievous thoughts and perplexities of mind do wound and pierce their souls, they may ever be cured, holped and cheered with heavenly consolations.  
But when we see many old men which call themselves Christians, more faint-hearted, more effeminate, more impatient and froward, than many poor silly, miscreants, and infidels have been: And Christians likewise which make so great a sound of their name, and have high swelling words in their mouths, and base and evil manners, who think one thing, and say and do another, are far indeed from the staidness and constancy of the ancient Stoics: We can do no other than blame these vau●neantes, vain & vicious persons, who like bad stubborn soldiers, when trial and need is, throw down their weapons, scoff and mock at the exhortations and encouragements given them to learn to handle and wield their spiritual weapons in the hall of Fence, which stands open for them in the Mansion house of truth: briefly, please themselves in abjuring and renouncing all parts and points of any good and laudable duty and service in the army of the living God. Verily, the life of a Christian, so long as he sojourneth here in earth, is affronted with carkings and caring, annoyances, and tedious disquiets: It is a continual war, wherein we are daily to cope, grapse, and strive against the enemy, as well within as without, to wit, Satan, the world, and our own corrupt nature: There, is much work marked and cut out. But as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation aboundeth through Christ. Undoubtedly, a Christian hath an Arsenal or Armoury replete with whatsoever is necessary for him, wherein he findeth all manner of weapons, wherewith God himself from heaven doth array and furnish him, so long as he will lift up his eyes toward the promise and assistance of his Lord, & turn away his sight from whatsoever may hinder, let, inwrapp, and entangle him.  
That these weapons are strong, sure, and of proof, not feigned, and vain, we learn of two most brave Warriors, who long ago, and a long time to, encountered perils and dangers, were in many skirmishes, and battles, wherein they fought valiantly: Men who for their magnanimity, valour, & long experience, hold the prime and chief places of honour and rank in the Army of the supreme and sovereign chieftain, commander, and head of the militant Church, which is jesus Christ. One of them is called David the Bethlemite, the other Paul of Tarsus. David singes in the Psalm 39 Every man at his best is vanity; doubtless man walketh in a shadow: and now Lord what have I waited for? my hope is even in thee: hearken unto my request bow down thine ear unto my cry, be not deaf at my tears; for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner as all my Fathers were. In the Psalm 40. Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and regardeth not the proud, nor such as turn a side to lies. O Lord my God, thou hast made thy wonderful works, and none can count in order to thee thy thoughts toward us they are so many; will I take upon me to declare and speak of them? they are more, than I can recount and express. Then at the end he addeth, Let all them which seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee, and let all them that love the salvation thou givest to those that are thine, say always, the Lord be praised and magnified. Verily I am poor and needy, but the Lord thinks and hath care on me: my God thou art my help and deliverer. The same great warrior singes in the Psalm 46. in the name of all the Church; God is my fortress, strength, and succour in troubles and distress, very ready to be found, therefore we will not fear, though the Earth tremble, and be moved, and the Mountain's fall, and be over whelmed in the midst of the Sea. Let us hear the Apostle of the Gentiles. Although, saith he, we be daily delivered over to death for jesus sake, yet we have the spirit of faith, which preserves us that we perish not. But although our outward man perish, yet the inward man is daily quickened and renewed. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, causeth unto us a far more excellent and eternal weight of glory, while we look not on the things which are seen, for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. In another place, to wit, in the sixth Chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians, he leadeth his soldiers into the spiritual Arsenal and Armoury, and saith unto them; Finally, my brethren be valiant, and strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might: Put on the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to overcome, and stand against the slights, and assaults of the Devil, and having overcome all things stand fast. Stand fast then having your loins girded about with verity, having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of peace: Above all laying hold on the shield of faith, wherewith you may quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one: Take also the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God: Praying always with all manner of prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance. These are the words of the Apostle.  
But because it is not enough to name and show weapons to a man, if he know not how rightly to use and to handle them: We are more particularly to inquire after, and to discourse and set forth the practice of this military Art, as much as the consolation which we purpose to propose to wise old men doth require. Saint Ambrose in his commentary upon the sixth Chapter to the Ephesians speaks well to the purpose; that although the Apostle names many specialties and parts of Armour, yet faith it is that makes us keep to our tackling and to stand fast, and whereof principally we have need in this spiritual combat. In deed what avails it to read much, to hear many Sermons of the providence, grace and mercy of God, if faith be not added to his Word? And what avails it to believe this word to be true, if you tremble not when it sounds louder in your ears then usually it hath done, if you steadfastly settle not your joy and assurance in the promises of salvation which it propoundeth unto you, if you do not in humility revere and honour your heavenly Father, if you dread not his wrath & indignation more than ten thousand deaths, if you be not wholly resolved that God speaks to condemn you, if you persevere and go on to provoke him, and to offer you grace if you amend your lives and believe in the Gospel. To what purpose serve so many Sermons touching jesus Christ, his obedience, his merit, his miracles, his love to save his elect? And what are so many exhortations good for, if this Saviour dwell not in your hearts by faith, if he do not rule, amend, and reform them, if by his spirit of sanctification and adoption, he seal them not up in them, if he do not stamp and engrave his love and truth in them? The Apostle S. john speaking of the special graces of God, who is Almighty, and good to his children, wisely and necessarily joins these two together: To wit, that he hath given us eternal life, that this life is in his Son, so that whosoever hath the Son consequently hath an assured guard of defence against death, and all the temptations, which go before and precede it. Afterward that God hath given us knowledge and understanding, to the end we may know him, and be certainly assured, that he herein is true, in this Author of all good, which is Christ. The same Apostle doth upon good right call this assurance our victory, that is our warlike furniture and armour, wherewith we overcome the world, and throw down to the ground all her strong holds.  
For this cause, according to the example of the Apostles, we ought devoutly to pray to God to give us faith, and daily to increase it in our hearts. What dastard and cowards were the Disciples of our Lord? What a hard, harsh, diffused noise was it, and not to be endured, to hear of their Master's death, before the virtue and efficacy of a lively faith did actuate and enlarge itself in them? We may see what the Evangelists said of them. Saint Matthew Chapter 16. verse 23. Saint Luke 18. 34. Saint john 16. 6.  
The eleventh Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews contains a great number of worthy examples, by which we may learn how great the efficacy and power of a true and lively faith is in all manner of afflictions. We read the same in the ancient and modern History of the Church, where we see a great number of men, and women of divers and differing Ages, of young boys and girls, that made proof of an invincible Faith, as well in the fiery Furnace of persecutions, as in the deep dungeon and prison of all sorts of troubles and calamities, and had the victory, and now are crowned with praise and immortal glory in the Palace of GOD in his triumphant Church. So we must conclude with the Prophet in the Psalm 73. that God is good to Israel, yea, to all those, which serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life, although on the contrary, the flesh, the world, and Satan, do grumble, gnash their teeth, and snarl at it. And in another place (Psalm 66.) the Prophet saith, O inhabitants of the earth, bless our God, and sound aloud his praise: It is he that hath reestablished our soul in life, and hath not suffered our feet to slip. For thou O God hast proved us, thou hast tried and purified us, as silver is tried and purified. As if he did say, justly thou mightest consume us, and thou art content to try us, cleansing us from the filth of so many scandals and imputations wherewith we have been disgraced and defamed. We are fallen into the fire of afflictions, which should burn and waste us to nothing, and are up to the ears in the water of extreme anguish, and agony of body and mind, where if we had our deserts we should be stifled, and strangled, but thou hast enlarged and set us at ease: The peace and holy liberty which we enjoy by thy free gift, is as a Mansion or dwelling in a large pleasant country to all those that desire to live and without ceasing to praise thee. Behold how faith doth accommodate itself, is willing and ready, sweening and mitigating all the pains. griefs, and discommodities of this present life, quenching also all the fiery darts of Satan, especially, despair and distrust. It is she which hath the custody and charge of all the Armour of God, which shrouds us under the helmet of salvation, with the strong shield of affiance, hath the sword of the word of truth in her hand, is well shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, doth cross and resist all impediments and lets, and bestirs herself on every side in the enemy's camp. If then (as S. Cyprian saith, writing to those of Thibara) men practise and learn to fence, and to fight pell mell, not sparing life nor limb, making great reckoning of a corruptible Crown, which is set upon their heads in the presence of the Emperor, how much more excellent and glorious is the combat, whereof God is the Emperor and sovereign, and his Angels are not only spectators, but moderators and judges, and propound to us a Crown of glory? Let us then arm ourselves, saith he, with a simple and pure understanding, a sound and sincere faith, and with a devout zeal and courage.  
But let us yet come nearer, and according to our project and purpose, let us see what help and comfort Philosophy, and faith do yield and afford us against our natural frailty. While we are in this world we cannot have freedom and ease from all our affections, perturbations, and passions, nor from all sense of our misery. Then seeing it is so, let us at least take a course to moderate them, and with patience to bear our condition: which we shall easily do, if we call to mind, what our sins do deserve; and how great the wisdom and goodness of God is, in turning our adversities and troubles to be profitable and wholesome medicines and helps unto us. Let us then first acknowledge in our original and natural frailty, that which is remarkable, and to be observed in all the children of Adam. S. Bernard saith in one of his Sermons upon the Canticles; Man being advanced and raised to honour, is become as a brute Beast: he dwelled in a garden, and had a pleasant dwelling, and very delightful, was not pressed with any care or annoyances, wanted nothing, was surrounded with sweet smelling flowers, with fruits pleasing to the taste, was crowned with glory and honour, was supervisor and Lord over all the works, which his Creator had made. But his chiefest excellency consisted in this, that he was created after the Image of God, was a companion with the Angels, and with all the companies of the host of Heaven; But he hath changed this glory, and is become like to the Beasts. O lamentable and woeful change! That man a trimmer of a garden of pleasure, Lord of the earth, a citizen of Heaven, a domestic of the Lord God of hosts, an heir of heavenly happiness, by a sudden change is become naked, miserable, poor, like to the beasts, which with a bridle we awe and keep under! Now, as man is come naked out of his mother's belly, so shall he return to the earth, carrying nothing with him of all his labour and travail. For to draw some comfort from that which hath been spoken, let us now and then ponder and weigh with ourselves, that it is our fault and misdoings hath brought these evils and miseries, and others much more grievous and heavy upon us, that we must not blame God, but our own disobedience. Then let us consider in God such a mercy, as doth easily swallow up all the miseries of this present life, in as much as he turneth and changeth them to medicines profitable to us. To which purpose S. Augustine said upon the exposition of the Psalm 22. Man knows that God is a Physician, that affliction is a remedy procuring his salvation, and not a punishment effectuating his damnation. When a remedy is sought for, the Physician brings a searing iron and fire; thou criest, thy Physician hears well enough thy roar and clamours, but he hears not to do as thou wouldst have him to do, but to heal thee. Behold, according to S. Paul in the fifth Chapter of the Epistle to the romans, how the Physic works; Tribulation brings forth patience, and patience experience, and experience hope. Let us then have before our eyes this molehill of earth, whereof the body is kneaded and made, and the grace of the holy Ghost proceeding out of the most hidden treasures of God's love, whose will it hath been that this vile mass of earth should be a vessel of his glory: Let us make reckoning of it, in as much as our bodies (so saith the Apostle 1 Cor.) have been made members of jesus Christ, & temples of the holy Ghost. Let us not be less considerate and ingrate than the incredulous and profane Gentiles, who have so deeply considered the frailty, vilety, misery of our original, as Lactantius in the second book of his Institutions, Chap. 12. collects out of the first book of Cicero's laws, that they have acknowledged that this wretched poor living creature, in whom is seen such wisdom, prudence, wit, memory, a large and deep understanding and reason, was created of the high God, to be elevated and advanced to an excellent state and condition.  
Although then other living creatures, devoid of reason, seem better provided and armed touching the body, than man: Some being very swift of foot, as Hares, Does, and Stags: others armed with sharp claws and horns, as Lions and Bulls: others dight, trimmed and sheltered with feathers and wings, as Birds and Fowls: yet notwithstanding, this is done by the exquisite providence of God, as Chrysostome notes well, That all the power and strength of man, should be in the soul, and that man should be so much the more strong in God, as he is more weak and naked without. This mystery and secret long ago was acknowledged by David, and all wise old men to teach the younger, aught to remember it. Thou hast, saith he (speaking to God) put thy strength in the mouth of little children, and sucking babes. Surely in this first age, sustained, governed, guarded, and protected by a special wisdom, and admirable power of the Creator, he seems to lay, as the first foundations of his power and might, to make them manifest to them that have any understanding, thereby to quell and confound with shame the enemies of his name, Atheists, and profane persons, which dare contest and contend against him. In the Psalm 22. the Prophet strengthened by his own experience, saith assuredly, O God, thou art he which drewest me out of my mother's belly, thou gavest me assurance and safety at my nurse's breast; I have been in thy custody, tuition, and charge from the womb, thou art my strong God from my conception. And in the Psalm 139. Thou hast possessed my reins from the time that I was lapped up, and covered in my mother's womb, I will celebrate and praise thee, for that I was made in so strange and wonderful a manner: Thy works are wonderful, and my soul knows it right well: The good proportion and setting in order of my bones, was not hid from thee, when I was made in a secret place, and curiously fashioned beneath in the earth. Thine eyes did see me when I was as a formless embryo, & all these things were written in thy book before they were. O mighty God, how precious then unto me are the considerations of thy works, and how great is the number of them: will I take upon me to count them? they are more in number then the smallest sands. These are the holy meditations of David. So then, casting our eyes to the ground, upon this little heap of earth, whereof our bodies are form, we learn to hang down the head, and bow down the crest, and to abate more than three parts of our pride and self conceit: On the contrary, lifting up our eyes to heaven, from whence our souls took their beginning, and where the great Father of spirits dwells, we have cause given us to rejoice, and occasion, with all alacrity and readiness, to trample under our feet all those earthly and transitory things, which nature itself teacheth us to despise: And an instruction also to lodge and harbour our meditations and thoughts in that Palace of infinite glory, wherein we are assured, that all those that are righteous and sanctified to God, by jesus Christ, shall be assembled to bless and praise him for ever. If on our birth day, we are extruded and come forth into the world crying and weeping; Let us also remember, that presently we receive the visible sign in Baptism of our admittance into the Church, and habitation of the living God, that we put on jesus Christ, that we are consecrated to God, that we receive the Hostage, and pledge of that happy life, to which the Son of God hath regenerated and begotten us by his precious blood: That it is he that wipes away our tears, which gives us good hope and eternal consolation, which he sufficiently ratified then, when he so lovingly caused the little children to be brought unto him, laid his hands on them, saying to his Disciples, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for to such is the kingdom of heaven. So much touching the first beginnings of our life.  
I come now to other afflictions and crosses, which seem to assail, and to lay near siege to aged persons. These opponents are so mighty and many in number, which Solomon considering, hath oftentimes said in his Ecclesiastes, That all that is wrought under the sun is very vanity; That man reaps no profit of his labour and travel, and that all his days he feels affliction and vexation of spirit. Having showed that all the sovereign good, dreamt on in outward and transitory things, is a mere imagination, he wisely concludes, That this good consisteth in the fear of God, and keeping his Commandments, declaring that all man's good consisteth herein: We cannot more briefly and certainly clear this point. For whosoever knows not God, to reverence and stand in awe of him with a pure heart, and to subscribe and submit himself to all his Statutes and Laws, walketh, not in verity, but vanity: Wherefore, it behoves us ever to come to this point; That there is nothing more miserable, than the man which understands not, loves not, nor seeks after, nor knows any thing, but the things under the sun, and which happen many times without travel or pains taking, to the wicked, and succeed quite cross and contrary to the godly and good. But happy is the man, which earnestly looks up to God, walking in his presence, and believes that all things shall further the help together for his good. Light shineth to him in darkness, he stands fast and is never moved, he fears no evil tidings, trusting assuredly in the Lord. If he want the necessary things of this life; his riches are in God's hand and keeping, who giveth him contentation and contentment. Hath he a costly lewd wife, and bad dissolute children? It is the proof of his patience, and the exercise of his faith, as it was in job, and David, of whom, one had a very spiteful shrewd wife, and the other children, wholly given to lewdness and mischief; wit. Ammon and Absalon. Is he seized with maladies, he calleth to mind what Basil writes upon the Psalm 45. Oftentimes, saith he, sickness and maladies serve to tame and reclaim us: On the contrary, sanity and health often hurteth enough, in that it helps and furnisheth many with occasions and instruments to do evil and mischief. Again in the 124. Epistle, he saith, Make account that a malady or sickness serves for a schoolmaster, wherewith to attain to this good, that making no reckoning of the body, you also despise whatsoever is frail or transitory, troublesome, and past hope or recovery, to be placed in the heavenly company, and to live in this world, as if already you were in Paradise. Pondering these things in your mind, all your life will be a day of feasting and joy, and it will be joyful unto you to impart your joy to many others.  
But why should we find it evil or strange, to see our body hardly handled and kept under, which feeling itself fat, and well fed, pampered, and at too much ease, will work the wrack and ruin of the soul; and as a hot furious horse, boundeth, and rears up aloft, and seeks how to cast his rider, and to lay him on the ground? Undoubtedly, man's proper strength, is an inward vigour of mind, held up by and depending upon God, whose power and strength is principally seen and discovered in our weakness. For which cause S. Paul writeth; Being weak, I am strong, 2. Cor. 12. 10. David was of the same mind in his greatest agonies and sorrows. I am (saith he, in the Psalm 38.) weakened, and sore broken; I roared for the great grief and terror of my heart. O Lord, my desire is before thee, & my sighing is not hid from thee; my heart is tossed to and fro; my strength faileth me, and the light of mine eyes; yea they are no more unto me. But, seeing I wait on thee, O Lord, thou wilt answer, O my God. Forsake me not, be not thou far from me, my God. Hast thee to help me, O Lord, which art my salvation. So many excellent promises dispersed throughout the whole Bible, shall they not have the efficacy to reclaim and encourage us? Let us have a heed full eye (I pray you) to the reiterated protestations of God's love towards his, of that fire of love, which all the waters of the world cannot quench. To which purpose Solomon spoke in his last Chapter of the Canticles. Set me as a seal on thy heart, and as a signet upon thine arm, for love is strong as death, and jealousy is cruel as the grave; the coals thereof are fiery coals, and a very vehement flame: Many waters cannot quench this love, and the floods cannot drown it: If a man would give for it all the substance of his house, it would be contemned. The Prophet Isaiah also saith, in the Chapter 44. Thus hath the Lord said, that made thee, and form thee from the womb, and which helpeth thee. Fear not, O jacob, my servant, the righteous whom I have chosen, for I will pour water upon him which is thirstly, and floods upon the dry land, I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon those which proceed out of thy loins. And in the Chapter 46. O house of jacob, and all that remain of the house of Israel, whom I have borne from the womb, and brought up from the birth. I will do the the same to your old age, yea I will bear you until your hoar white age: I have made you, I will bear you, and I will carry you, I will rescue and deliver you.  
As touching old men (I speak to those that are wise) they shall find in the Scriptures, forcible and fitting arguments of comfort. For first, although the life of God be blissful and unchangeable, yet for the honour and majesty of his eternity, Daniel calls him, The Ancient of days: not that therefore it is lawful to represent God in the shape of an old man, with a great long white beard, as many ignorant folk do, which never read Moses nor the Prophets, and which are ignorant of the nature and essence of the true God: But that we should conceive this incomprehensible Majesty, to be nothing else, but wisdom, a venerable supremacy and greatness of estate, and a perfect sanctity. Secondly, we are taught to reverence old men, to honour their persons, to rise up with great respect to these white heads and beards, and to show thereby, that we acknowledge in this their old age, the stamps and prints of God, as Moses exhorts us in the 19 Chap. Levit. v. 32. which we recite to the same end and purpose, as we have done other sayings and sentences before, whereunto we add this of a wise Elder, who writ Ecclesiasticus, in the third Chapter of which book, he saith; My son help thy father in his age, and grieve him not so long as he liveth; when his understanding faileth him, have patience and bear with him, and despise him not, but honour him as much as thou canst. For the good entreaty of thy father shall not be forgotten, but shall be a fortress for thee against thy sins. The women of Bethlehem are friendly and kind to the good old Naomi, for that her daughter in law Ruth, had borne a son to Boaz. This (say they) may bring life again to thee, and lenghthen thy days, and cherish and comfort thine old age. Ruth. 4. 15. God by his Prophet Isaiah reprochet the Babylonians, that they were cruel and unmerciful to the jews, and laid a very heavy yoke upon them, Chap. 47. 6. Also these wicked people were as hammers, which the just judge of the world used to break in pieces the old and the young, as jeremy speaks in the 52. Chapter, Vers. 22. whence proceeded those woes, and alasses of the Prophet in his Lamentations 4. Chap Vers. 16. They reverenced not the face of the Priests, nor had compassion of the Elders. And in the fifth Chapter following, Vers. 12. The Princes are hanged up by the hands, and they reverence not the face of the Elders. That which Ezechiel proposeth in the 9 chap. v. 6. is most fearful, and it sufficeth us to mark and observe it, that our wise Vicillard do thereby take heed. On the contrary, in Zachariah's days, there being a question and demur concerning the reestablishment of the people, and of the favours that God was minded to bestow upon them, Zachariah declares in the 8. Chapter Vers. 4. That the God of hosts, said thus, There shall old men and women dwell in the streets of jerufalem, and every man have his staff in his hand for very age. But Isaiah in the third Chapter, Vers. 2. and 5. putteth for signs of the terrible judgement of God to jerusalem, That the old men shall be taken away and destroyed, that the child shall exalt himself and presume against the ancient, and the abject and vile, against the honourable. If in these times there be any presage of the decay and ruin of Churches and Commonweals, it is that the number of wise old men is very small, that the age of the worthies and renowned men is vanished and passed: That those that are children in years and understanding, are perched up and set up in the places of the experienced valiant, and learned. An extreme misery which we cannot sufficiently describe and lament.  
But as good fruit when it is ripest and mellow, is most delicate and pleasant to the taste, and as the last draught contenteth the thirsty person: In like sort, pleasure seems to reserve her dainties to the last, and for the last service and mess. So likewise we say, that old age hath in it, I know not what, that is notable and more excellent than other ages, and the sayings of the ancients, as the singing of swans, are daily excellent monitors and admonitions to us. If we listen to the last words of the patriarchs, Moses, joshua, David, and give them the hearing, we shall in them find an ample proof hereof. Such Histories are familiar to wise old men, and it is much better to read them in themselves, than here to recite them. What illumination of God's spirit is revealed and manifest in the sayings of infinite Martyrs, especially of such as were old, even from the Apostles time till now? It is matter for a greater book than this small Tractat, or Manuel. In the second book of the Maccabees, Chap. 6. It is spoken of Eleazar, one of the chief Scribes, an aged man, who being pressed, and instantly solicited, to feign and make semblance, to adhere and obey to the superstitions of the Heathens, upon an honest and upright mind worthy his age, the excellency of his years, the honour of his grey hairs, his good conversation from his childhood, and chiefly Gods holy law, suddenly required that he might be led to the place of execution, adding these words worthy of memory. It becometh not our age to dissemble, lest many young persons diffident and wavering, that Eleazar being fourscore and ten years old, was gone and yielded to profane ceremonies, through mine hypocrisy and dissimulation (for a small moment of a caduque and transitory life) might be seduced, and I bring a malediction and curse and a stain and reproach to mine old age: for though I should be delivered from the torments of men, yet could I not escape the hand of the Almighty, neither alive nor dead. Wherefore, manfully changing and giving up this life, I shall show myself such as mine age requireth and meriteth: And I shall leave a notable example for such as be young, to die willingly and courageously for the venerable and holy laws. To this worthy old man, let us join the constant Martyr Polycarpus, a Disciple of S. john the Apostle, and of the Church of Smyrna in Asia. As he was brought to the torturing fire, the Proconsul having most earnestly solicited him to recant and renounce his faith, with promise of liberty: I have, said this wise old man and constant Martyr, these fourscore and six years served jesus Christ, and all this time he did me no outrage nor hurt; how should it then be possible to bring me to be of the mind to blaspheme my Saviour and King? I will never do it. If you feign and pretend you know not my quality, I would have you to know that I am a Christian. Many other words of admirable constancy were then uttered by this reverend old man, who being armed with invincible courage, presently suffered death for the name of the Lord.  
These two examples shall suffice to show, that the nearer wise old men are unto death, be it easy or violent, the greater is their courage, the nearer are they to the kingdom of Heaven: And still as their bodies grow weak, the holy Ghost doth fortify and strengthen them in such sort, that no torments nor tortures can quell, or dismay their stout mind; nor no Bugbear, or terror is ghastly or horrid enough to fray and affright them.  
The Lord having made a covenant with his Church, which here on earth is compounded of all sorts of people, hath given unto it two strong props of hope, to wit, his spirit, and his true word. This spirit is called the spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, of sanctification, verity, consolation, life, faith, grace.  
The word is called, the word of life, of salvation, of the grace of God, of our reconciliation with the father of Heaven: A word testifying that all things were given us necessary to life, and piety, by the knowledge of him, who hath called us by his own power and glory, by which are given unto us great and precious promises, that by them wee (which are regenerated by the holy Ghost, and the word) should be made partakers of the divine nature, being delivered and freed from the concupiscences and corruptions of the world. Whosoever hath not this spirit of jesus Christ, and trusteth not in the promises of God, a mid all his babble and prattle of the contempt of death, and the benefit of old age, is still in doubt, hath feeble hands, trembling and staggering knees, halts, feeds himself with the wind, and not with any assured consolation. But the just do live by faith, are strengthened and upheld by it, which makes them rejoice all ways in the Lord, who sanctifies them, preserves whole and entire their mind, soul, and body unblameable, until the coming of our Lord jesus Christ.   

CHAP. XV. An advice to wise old men, containing the summary and substance of their duty until their last gasp.  
IT should remain now to treat of death, and the certain remedies against it. But before we enter therein, we will propound to our wise Vieillard an advice drawn and taken out of the volumes of sacred Philosophy, to lead him more easily on to that whereunto he aspires. But it behooveth those who are almost at their ways end, more heedfully to consider both the way they have gone, and are to go, for their further encouragement to their duty. Behold then what I pretend to remember to whomsoever being in old age will vouchsafe to hearken to him who is drawing near unto it. It is reason that the grace of God, witnessed in so many sorts so many years, and sealed in our Baptism at our first entrance into the world, and into the Church, when we have rightly apprehended in whom we are dead and in whom quickened; do cause us to wish a continual sense and feeling of our adoption by his spirit, speaking to us by his word, and witnessing with our spirit that we are the sons of God. This sense and feeling doth engender or beget an excellent desire, an earnest devotion, a firm resolution, to yield him obedience all our life long, but more at the dissolution, and end of our life, then at the beginning, which is devoid of knowledge, conscience, experience, wisdom, plunged and drowned the greater part of time in ignorance, self opinion, insolency, and ribald and lascivious impudency. Now than it behoves so soon as we feel the motions of this grace, that our hearts be replenished with a sincere and lively affection to obey God, not according to our worldly sense, but following the rule which he himself doth propose and set down unto us. Touching this affection it is commended unto us by general and special reasons. The general reasons are; that our God is holy, and that we his people cannot cleave unto him, except we be holy likewise: then as members belonging to jesus Christ our head and redeemer, we ought to be made conformable to him, imitating his life, which is called the obedience to God his Father, even to the death of the cross. The special reasons are; First, that God is our Father. Secondly, that Christ hath washed us by his precious blood, and incorporated us into him. Thirdly, that this our head is ascended up into heaven. Fourthly, that we are the temples of the holy Ghost. Fiftly, that our bodies be predestinated to the last resurrection, and our souls to immortality, both of them to everlasting glory. Whereupon it follows, that it is horrible ingratitude not to be willing to obey the will of our heavenly Father; that it is madness to return to the filthiness from which we have been so dear and preciously cleansed and purged; that it is detestable iniquity to wish and to will the members of jesus Christ to be joined to Satan, and to the world; that is but reason for ever to bury all earthly affection; to aspire to a better life; to be by a lively faith set in the heavenly places, and to feel and taste of life and everlasting glory; that we must not grieve him which dwelleth in us, our counsellor, guide, and comforter: That it is good reason, to preserve ourselves immaculate, and pure, even until the day of our Lord.  
Having treated of our affection, let us speak of the rule thereof declared in such wise, and so expressly in the law of God, to make us yet to see, as the soul and main of all, that his good pleasure hath been, to form and fashion our manners, by a most exact manner and order, and which serves as a commentary of all that is contained in the said Law: That is, that we should renounce ourselves, to the end to be fit to apply and frame ourselves sincerely and wholly to serve God, because we are not our own but Gods. Whereupon it follows, that a Christian (be he young or old, and the old is more bound to this duty, than the young, because God hath upheld and supported him long, hath bestowed many blessings and benefits on him, and a blessed life, whereinto he is now entering) ought to search and learn out, what God willeth and approveth, briefly, whatsoever serveth to the advancement of his glory. Those which are of an other mind, are styled and termed by the voice of truth, ungracious, hypocrites, ungrateful, reprobates. All these licentious and inordinate humours S. Paul in his Epistle to Titus comprehendeth under the word, Impiety: To which, he opposeth the duties of Christians, marshaled and ranged under the three excellent gifts of the holy Ghost in the regenerate, to wit, sobriety, justice, and piety. And in this sacred triangle is included the renouncing of ourselves. And the Apostle not without cause hath begun with temperance, which especially concerns us, which moderates our lusts, and desires, banishing and driving away sensual, carnal, worldly, and unclean, and filthy affections, much more their detestable effortes and effects. It is she which doth fashion and frame us to a true square, rulle, and order, as well in the moderation of our wishes, and dreams of worldly honour and greatness, as of our inordinate beastly concupiscences, suggested by the unclean spirit; In the violent pursuit, seeking, and hunting after, proud usurping, sacrilegious detaining, and miserable possessing of goods, not goods, but perishing and transitory, and which do not enlarge the strait bounds of this present life, where we are confined (and this is our happiness, comfort, tranquillity) to deliver up and resign our persons, goods, our affairs, briefly, all that we love, into the hands of our heavenly Father, humbly beseeching him every hour to subdue, guide, and govern our hearts by his grace and power. Whereupon it follows, that it ill becomes all Christians, much more wise old men, to be voluptuous, ambitious, or covetous: Also that in all the accidents and chances of our life, we ought quietly to submit and yield to the will of God.  
Touching the word justice, which respecteth our duty toward our neighbours, it requireth two things: The one is, that we rightly examining and considering, what we ourselves are, we should prefer others before us; the other, that our study and endeavour tend to this end, faithfully to procure their benefit and good. In this behalf, it is wholly requisite that we be furnished with humility, patience, a frank and liberal mind, lest we fall into the neglect and contempt as well of those that are of the household of faith, as of those which seem not to be, not shrouding ourselves under this vain subterfuge, shift, and colour, that our neighbour is a stranger, one we know not, contemptuous, base, vile, ungrateful, an enemy unto us. For to all this the law of humanity, charity, the image of God, his honour, mercy, and goodness makes a suyply.  
Moreover, every good doing and deed ought to proceed from a well informed conscience, & a sincere affection of heart, without which our works are soiled, and tainted with damnable hypocrisy, with perverse confidence, vain arrogancy, infamous reproach, fond opinions; As that God is our debtor to repay and requite us, that our neighbours are exceedingly bounden and obliged unto us; yea, that having performed some small duty in this, or in that, we are freed and discharged (even in the sight of him of whom we hold all that we have, to whom we owe all that we have, without whom we are nothing of ourselves, without whom we can do nothing of ourselves, of whom only we ought to glory, in whom alone it behoves us to put our affiance and trust) from all other duties of charity, whereof we willingly make ourselves ignorant, or basely refuse, neither loving God, nor our neighbours, nor ourselves, and living one with another as brute beasts before the eyes of our just judge.  
But it is requisite that our wise Vieillard mount up yet higher, though the way be narrow, rugged, uneven, steep, and headlong, to wit, that he be continually ready and prepared to bear the cross, which God lays upon him, that is, to be exercised within and without by divers temptations, and afflictions all the remainder and rest of his days. If from his youth he hath borne the yoke, hath not been brought up in the shade, but hath endured storms, cold, and extreme parching heat, his travail toward the evening of his life will be less tedious, seeing the hour of his rest is near and at hand. Hereupon he will call to mind that his heavenly Father, who from the cratch did handle in like manner his own, and only beloved son, will also that his members be made conformable to their head, and hath predestinated them thereunto: whereof this most excellent comfort doth follow, that being under the cross, we partake of the afflictions and sufferings of our Lord. Furthermore, for diverse reasons, afflictions are necessary for Christians, more particularly to old men. First, the vain assurance of their flesh, the opinion of their sufficiency, their obstinate selfe-willd conceit, their arrogancy, require such a corrective. Secondly, they have need to be kept in humility, and in a reverend awe of God, to the end so much the more heartily to seek and sue for his grace, without which it would be impossible for them to stand under the burden, much less to savour and relish well how sweet, and wonderful the Lord is in their bodily and spiritual deliverances. Thirdly, It is necessary also that their patience and obedience, may more evidently appear, it being impossible for them to stop unto God, if he do not awe and reclaim them by afflictions. Fourthly, Their life past is had in remembrance, to the end, that being chastised in this world by the rod of a Father, they may be kept in order in their master's service, who scourging their bodies, comforteth and saveth their souls in the hope of the last resurrection; briefly, he chastiseth those that are his in this world, that they may not perish with the world.  
Now among the sundry sorts of crosses and afflictions, one among others carries with it singular contentment, as when we shall suffer for righteousness, for Christ's name sake, for the maintenance and defence of God's word and truth. Christians willingly lay down their necks under the light yoke of the Lord, and rejoice at it, not with a stupid, or hasty mad brainsick, or fond toying joy; their rejoicing is spiritual, accompanied with that magnanimous resolution, which appeared in the Apostles, after they had received the holy Ghost, and in all their true Disciples. This doth not vanquish nor abolish true patience, consisting in this, that Christians do not faint altogether under the burden that presseth them: But in the anguish and bitterness of their hearts feel the sweetness of the consolations of the holy Ghost, which comforteth and strengtheneth them unto the end, so as the love of God vanquisheth the vanity which cumbers them in the world. In this appeareth wherein the Philosopher's patience differs from the Christians. One saith, that it is an unresistible necessity, or doing of that which must be done, and counselleth to bear what is unavoidable: But the other tells us, that we ought so to depend upon the consideration of the just, wise, and good will of God, that we acknowledge that our sufferings in the world are equal, agreeable, honourable, profitable: that therefore we ought to be courageous and resolute in them, glorying in the constancy that our God giveth us, and will always give us at need.  
The principal fruit, which the wise Vieillard may gather from the tree of affliction, is, that by the taste thereof he should be enured to contemn this present life, which would beguile and bewitch him, if all things succeeded according to his sensual appetite and lust. Afterward, this fruit makes him by faith, to relish and taste the sweetness and pleasure of the happy life, which is reserved for us in heaven. For if in youth and old age, We see nothing but troubles, and dangers in our course here on earth, if our delights be mingled with griefs, our honey with gall, our pleasures be steeped and drenched in distastes and discontentments, our mirth end in tears, to what purpose should we start back and retire? And why should we be sorry to go out of prison, to go into the Palace of liberty; out of the company of sinners, to be with the just, and in the heavenly jerusalem to rest from our labours? But as it is commended to old and young to have their hearts, where there treasure is, which ought to be in heaven, consequently not to be affectionated, and enamoured of this present life, which is indeed no life, and is forbidden them to love the world and the things in the world: So must they not hate and abhor this earthly life, nor take occasion by the cumbers thereof, to be ingrate toward God, much less to mutter and murmur against his justice, or to censure his providence: Seeing that our life here, though short, painful, and miserable, is an excellent gift, yea, an assured testimony of God's love and favour to us. Let us then so use it, that whatsoever we shall abate (if we be wise) of the disordinate love thereof, may be added to a fervent and holy desire to be with the soon received into heaven. For we should do ill, to wish death, but to be with the Lord, to glorify him in the triumphant Church, more completely and fully, then in the Church militant. Let us only desire for this cause to live on earth, to praise our Father which is in heaven, and let us stand and keep sentinel, to wit, our vocation, wherein our chieftain and sovereign head hath placed us, till he call us away, which is by the call and hand of death. True it is, that old men are no less frighted and skared, sometimes more, then young men, when we tell them of death. But the desire to be with our Saviour in heaven, ought so to overcome this frailty, that faith may persuade us devoutly to wish that which nature is afraid of. By what badges and colours should we be known to be Christians, and believers, if we should so much fear the day of death, which brings us to the true land of the living? Should we not be more wretched than the beasts, if we should not leap and skip for joy, pronouncing these comfortable words, I believe the remission of sins, the resurrection of the flesh, the life everlasting. Are not these the privileges of the holy universal, or Catholic Church, and of the communion of Saints? Then shall our miseries and infinite temptations be abolished: Then shall we enjoy unspeakable glory in heaven, above all them, when after this happy resurrection, all our enemies shall be vanquished, and God shall be all in all to his elect.  
But forasmuch, as the way to heaven lies open unto us in earth, it is requisite that Christians old and young, know to use well this present life, and the means to support it; because without this knowledge and skill, there is nothing but perils, mischances, and distasters in our terrene and earthly pilgrimage, which it is reason to aid, comfort, and further (not to hinder and let) by using our means well, as well by a supply to our necessities, as by honest lawful recreations, and fitting to our ages and callings. In both these respects, two extremities are to be shunned; Too great austerity on the one side; dissolution, and intemperance on the other. Those which boast and glory before God and men, of a certain hypocritical, and dissembled abstinence and continence, and moulded in their own fancies, or others like themselves, are way wardly wise and Timon's, enemies of honest society; persons which have but a vain, ridiculous show and appearance, who for the the most part commit in secret, things reserved to the just punishment of the Lord: persons unreasonable, unindifferent to themselves and others, ignorant of the doctrine of holiness, true Christian liberty, enemies to jesus Christ, his offices and benefits. All the life of God's children, who in the Common weal, Church, and their own families, are profitable servants and ministers, condemneth these frantic wizards, who have made their vaunt and boast of a Moonkish lazy life, who under playerlike habits, have hatched the greatest pride and counterfeit confidence that may be imagined, who have insolently defied, and spit at the lawful recreations of good men, and converted the graces of the Lord into uncouth and strange dissolutions. But to stir this filth no longer: As those that are young and old endued with the fear of the Lord, know that it is permitted them to use the goods and things of thing life, not only for necessity, but also for honest delight, so it be to the glory of God, the relief of their neighbour, and the common edification of all, and to be for their own particular, so much the more adapted and fitted to converse and keep company: So do they not cease to condemn, as much as their calling requires all dissolutions, enormous, and licentious living, in fine, all abuse of the things of this life. Hereupon it is good to remember: First, that all the goods we possess, were ordained, that we should duly acknowledge the Author and giver of them, magnifying with thanksgiving his liberality to us, which intemperate and dissolute persons cannot do. Secondly, that all these goods ought to be abandoned, yea accounted as nothing, even despised as dung, in comparison of the excellent knowledge of our salvation in jesus Christ, and of that glory which is reserved for us in heaven, which is quenched and dyeth, when we are too much addicted and wedded to goods transitory and perishing: For as much as we excessively abuse them in prosperity, making them instruments of our ruin and hurt, which are to procure help, and further our good: For that also we being deprived of them, cease not to think and to say, that all is lost and gone, that we are miserable. Indeed so we are in carrying ourselves thus; but we have a good Lord, who doth infinitely help and support us; but it is to bind and oblige us so much the more to our duty. Thirdly, that the holy Scripture for the ordering of our goods, doth teach us, that they are given to us upon condition to yield account of them sooner or later, yea, by him that hath expressly forbidden the abuse of them, whom also we cannot deceive or abuse. Fourthly, that to discern the right use from the abuse o●●orldly goods, God hath ordained that every man in all the actions of this life, cast his eyes, and look to his vocation and calling, that he rashly undertake nothing, nor with a doubting and unresolued conscience. Whereupon it follows, that infidels, superstitious, unjust, dissolute, profane persons and Atheists, are infinitely culpable and guilty before God, because they outrageously and above measure abuse this present life, and the good they possess in it; all things being polluted to them, they themselves being polluted both in body and mind. For conclusion of our counsel and advice, the wise Vieillard shall remember, that the life of every Christian young and old, consisteth in these six Articles. First, That we have a sincere affection to obey God. Secondly, That the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles, contained in the Canonical Books of the old and new Testament, is the rule of his obedience. Thirdly, That he renounce himself, to the end to yield and submit himself unto God. Fourthly, That he patiently and cheerfully bear the cross, that is, all kind of affliction, that it shall please God to inflict upon him. Fifthly, That in all his course of life, he meditate upon that better life which is prepared in heaven. Sixthly, That the use of transitory goods do provoke, and incite him to go forward more courageously to the end of his high calling.   

CHAP. XVI. Worthy Meditations for all persons, especially the wise Vieillard, of what quality and condition soever he be.  
WE propound further to the wise Vieillard, that which follows, to the end that in his own particular, for the dignity and honour of his age in the sight of God and good men, he meditate thereon. I say then, tha●●●ery man, especially he that is far gone in years, ought continually to have jesus Christ in his meditation and thought, which he shall stay and settle upon the considerations following. As jesus Christ after he was baptised, was solemnly, and with a loud voice from heaven, declared to be the beloved Son, in whom the Father delighted: So a Christian inwardly may know, by the efficacy of the holy Spirit, witnessing in and with his, that he is the child of God. And when after his initiation and entry into the house of God, sealed by the sacred sign of Baptism, it happeneth unto him at many years' end, to be led into the desert, as his head was, there to be brought to extreme hunger, to be pressed with sundry necessities and wants, environed with the dangers, persecutions, miseries and adversities of this world, by means whereof Satan assayeth to make him think (as he assailed on the same side at first our Lord jesus) that he is out of the number of God's children, being destitute of all helps and comforts, and many ways perplexed; Thou oughtest not, O wise Vieillard, of what quality or condition soever thou be, to resign and yield up the buckler of faith, but opposing it against the fiery darts of that wicked one, firmly believe, that God is thy Father, hath care of thee, that all his visitations are full of love, do proceed from his wisdom, for his glory, and thy salvation and welfare. I know that this outrageous one will persever and go on in his calumny, will say that thou shouldest make request unto God, if thou be one of his children, that these stones be turned into bread, that is, that these hard, sharp, and violent adversities, which do batter and split in pieces thy heart be changed into prosperity: But do thou answer as thy Saviour, that the children of God are not sustained and maintained by goods, and things transitory, and perishing, but by God himself, and by his rich, and blessed promises. If he charge and set upon thee another way, exclamining, that if thou think thyself so privileged, that thou shouldest cast thyself down headlong from the top of the pinnacle of the temple, that is, from the high degree of the spiritual, political, economical dignity and jurisdiction, wherein thou art promoted and advanced far higher and above many others, to tumble thyself into some stinking sink of impiety, injustice, defamatory lewdness, and villainy, and he do add withal that nothing shall follow of it, which thou oughtest to fear, that no body shall know aught of it, that thou shalt have a foul wide mouth, and a brazen impudent face, to deny all; yea even that God is much obliged to thee, that his Angels have a care of thee, that thou always have at a pinch of need ready in thy sleeve a good peccavi, that whatsoever happen, if thou go the way leading to hell, it is notwithstanding the way to Paradise: Make him this answer, It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God; but on the contrary, seeing that of his so great benignity, goodness, and grace he hath made me his, I am so much the more obliged and bound to honour him, thank him, and to study and endeavour to assure my calling. Again, if the tempter set before thine eyes all the world, and thereupon demand of thee to do him homage and worship, thou feeling thyself by faith to be the son of God, and heir of heaven, disdain, and despise these shadows, dreams, smoky vapours, falling down prostrate before the only true God, thy hope, life, and salvation. Who, whereas thou wert by nature a child of wrath, a member of the first Adam, a branch of a thorny, bitter, venomous, corrupt, and wild plant, hath cut and taken thee from it, and graffed thee into jesus Christ, the stock of life, and the fruitful, pure olive branch, so that thou hast been made a living member of him: which requires that thou have neither strength or vigour, nor motion or progress whatsoever; but as thou art moved and directed by the Spirit of jesus Christ dwelling in thee: that thou oughtest not to think, to will, desire, or do any thing, but by divine inspiration, and as much as is behooveful for a living and spiritual member of the Lord. Upon this thou art bound often to meditate, especially when the case is so, that thou art put to thy trial, and to stand to thy tackling; And when thou dost any thing unbeseeming, and not agreeing to the dignity of a Christian, of one adopted of God, and of a brother and member of Christ, be ashamed of thyself, and defer not to repent and amend.  
But forasmuch as our Saviour was crucified, it follows that all his members ought to be nailed to the cross with him. Which is first done by a fervent charity, as it falls out to all those, who being inflamed, and changed by an entire love to their Redeemer, feel all his sufferings, and are mortified with him in his cross. Secondly, thou must yet in another manner be crucfied with jesus Christ; to wit, if thy feet will trample and troth up and down, to and fro in the world to do some evil, nail them to the cross of the Lord, with strong nails of charity. Does as much to thy hands, if they enterprise and take upon them to do and commit some mischievous act and design, and with thy wanton lustful eyes, including and shutting up in Christ thy intellect and understanding, with his cogitations, the will with her desires and lusts, and the soul with all her faculties and powers, so that all the old Adam being crucified, the saying of the Apostle may be verified in thee, That those that are of Christ, have crucified their flesh with the lusts thereof; Thirdly, thou oughtest further to be fastened in another manner to the cross of Christ, that as when he hanged on the cross, he was beheld naked, forlorn, emptied and destitute of all the favour, friendship, respect, and wisdom of men, of all worldly riches, pomps dignities, and pleasures, by reason whereof himself said, That the Prince of the world found nothing of his in him: So likewise is it requisite, that thou being emptied, and stripped of the world, and the concupiscences and lusts thereof, shouldest be wholly changed and devoted to further and advance the glory of God. Whereupon the Apostle said; That our old man is crucified, that the body of sin may be destroyed.  
Our Lord having been nailed to his cross is there-dead, and we his members ought to die to the world and to ourselves, in such sort that as those which are dead, we should make no more reckoning of the things of the world, should be without sense or feeling of them, and should have neither sinew, nor vein stretching or tending that way. To this purpose S. Paul said to the Colossians, you are dead, and your life is hid in Christ. Furthermore, we must also be buried with the same Saviour. He that is dead hath no more care of the world, yet before he be buried, the world hath care to wind him up in a sheet, to Coffin him, then to carry him to his grave, where being interred, all society and dealing one with another is at an end. In this sort, many who think themselves to be dead to the world, pretending and making semblance to have renounced it, are not yet buried, because the world makes great account of them, doth reverence and worship them. But it behooveth us to be dead and buried to the world, in such sort as we have as small account and esteem of it, as of a stinking carrion, and that it esteem so of us. For it is an ill sign, when the children of this world speak well of us. It is then a thing requisite and necessary, that we be buried with jesus Christ by Baptism into his death. And it is fit also that we descend as our head into hell, that is, that we have a right knowledge, and a lively feeling of our sins, which is done, when we feel in our hearts the love of God our Father, in jesus Christ crucified. For being convicted to have offended him, we must descend to confess, and earnestly to decest, and abhor our pride, ignorance, infidelity, malice, obstinacy, and other vices. Seeing then that these pollutions, and defilements have so much and so greatly displeased God, that to purge them out of the world, he hath delivered his own son to death, we are brought to this point, in some sort to know our misery, and how much we ourselves do displease God. Moreover, as the Saviour is risen again, so his members ought to rise again in newness of life, in such sort that afterwards they have no motion, or inclination whatsoever, but to glorify God, walking as persons whose conversation is already in heaven. Christ is risen again, therefore his members ought to rise again, not only at the last day, but hourly and continually in newness of life, so that thence forward they have no motion, or disposition whatsoever, but to glorify God. Christ is risen immortal, for that having triumphed over death, death hath no more dominion over him. Thereupon S. Peter saith to Christians, seeing our Saviour hath suffered for us in the flesh, it is reason that we be armed and resolved in mind, that he which hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; willing and ready to say, that Christ the head, pledge, and surety for all God's children, coming to die, consequently to satisfy fully and wholly the justice of God for them, hath clearly discharged the debt for all his members, who are obliged to him, (unless they would crucify him again, and hold the precious blood of the everlasting covenant for a profane thing) to cease and give over to sin. For being dead to sin, buried to the world, risen again to God, they ought to sin no more, nor to die in sin, much less to remain dead therein: Sin ought no more to reign, nor have dominion in them, they ought no longer to obey their evil lusts, but to curb and restrain them by the spirit, which doth quicken, guide, and govern them. Our Lord is ascended up into heaven; In like sort, if we be living members of his mystical body, we ought zealously, and with all our affections to be elevated and raised up unto God, truly to say with S. Paul, that our conversation is in heaven. The same S. Paul said to the Colossians, Chapter 3. 1. If you be risen again with Christ, seek the things which are above, that is, heavenly and divine not earthly and sensual.  
Now as this good Saviour soon after his ascension into heaven, for a testimony of his infinite glory, in that he is set at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, sent his holy spirit in a visible form upon his twelve disciples; So we likewise after we are raised up to God, shall feel ourselves filled with this spirit, and with fervent charity, which will then appear, when we shall illuminate, kindle, and inflame our neighbours in the love of God, not only with our words, but especially with our doings and deeds, by the good examples of a blameless life. jesus Christ ought to come to judge the quick and the dead; And if we be his members, a lively faith will make us to feel the sweetness of these words of our Saviour: Come ye blessed of my Father possess the inheritance prepared for you before the foundation of the world. Let us add, that as the judge of all, shall be judged of none, so shall it be with all his true members in the great and last day. And who should judge them? seeing the Father justifieth them in his son, and by the mouth of his son pronounceth them just, blessed, and heirs of the kingdom of heaven. Wherefore Christ jesus denounceth, that he which heareth his word, and believeth in him, hath eternal life, and shall not come to condemnation, that is, shall not be judged but is passed from death to life, joh. 5. 24.  
This needs no further exposition; And it were to blaspheme, whosoever would call into question the certainty of our salvation by jesus Christ alone, who is dead for our sins, risen again for our justification, that we might be the righteousness of God in him. Let us say further with S. Paul, 1 Cor. 6. 2. 3. Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the world? Know ye not that we shall judge the Angels? But as after the last judgement, Christ jesus shall remain in heaven in incomprehensible glory; so true Christians, already risen again by faith, and sitting together in the heavenly habitations with their head, having their conversation in heaven, shall there appear, and be found all perfect & entire in their bodies and souls with their Saviour, who in raising them up again, shall change their vile and contemptible bodies, so as they shall be made conformable to his glorious body, according to the power, and efficacy, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself.  
If wise old men do in a quiet and sober mood meditate and consider these things, every one of them hanging down the head, will cry within himself, O wretch that I am, God hath made me, by the gift of knowledge, capable of infinite wonderful secrets and mysteries, and I seek contentment in vanity! He hath created me Lord and commander of all things, and I am the slave of the Creatures! I ought to serve God alone, and I am in subjection to mine own inordinate passions! He hath created me upright, the more easily to behold and look up to the place of my felicity; but I am more brutish than a beast, which looks still down to the ground! Christ hath made me a King, and a Priest to God his Father, and sensuality doth tyrannize and domineer over me, and I sacrifice to mine own insolences, and lewdness! O what misery! Ought I not to be fruitful, and abound in all good works, being a tree of righteousness, and a heavenly plant? What do I? I draw no breath of life but from the world, I bring forth nothing but iniquity, nothing but poison for myself and others. Am I created after the Image of God, to be changed into a Beast? What resteth more for me but to be like the image of God Should I I then be a liar, a villain, a slanderer, an enemy of godliness, righteousness, holiness? I am a little world, a world of wounders! shall I then become a bottomless gulf of wickedness? I am the end and measure of things, but I am like the mad man which killeth himself with his own knife, like the wicked rich man that damneth himself, and by the winding stairs of his riches goes down to hell. I ought to be the benefit, and welfare of my house and family, of my neighbourhood, of a whole country, to procure true peace and quietness to rule there, and I trouble mine own peace and rest, and other men's too. I that am the measure and rule of all things, am myself out of all measure and order, as much as can be spoken and more. The vessel apppointed to honour, which will fill itself with stinking mire and filth. The temple of the holy Ghost, a most holy place, wherein Christ only ought to enter and lodge, but so profaned that I am ashamed to think on it. Thou sayest thou art a Christian, and thou makest no conscience to wallow in impurities, and hypocrisies, joining thyself with Satan, Antichrist, and the world, so little thou regardest God, jesus Christ, and his Church. Thou that art light, art nothing but darkness. Thou that art a shepherd, art become a wolf. Thou that art the salt of the earth, art unsavoury and tasteless. Thou that art the glory and peace of the world, thou sowest disgrace, reproach, and trouble therein. Thou that art the brother, friend, and Table-guest of Christ, dost thou betray him with a kiss? Thou that art a member of Christ, where are the motions that thou hast of the spirit? Thou that art Christ's Lieutenant in earth, or in thy house, or family, or over many houses, or families, wilt thou daily war against thy Lord? Christ is thy garment, and thou puttest it off, to clothe thee with shame, riot, dissoluteness, disorder. Thou art within three steps, within three fingers breadth of death, and thou thinkest not on the true life, and thinkest only on the transitory and perishing life. But think on the blessings and honours which God hath bestowed on thee, on the dangers, which he hath guarded and protected thee from, of the true pleasures which he offers unto thee, and thou wilt be ashamed of the false pleasures which undo thee, thou wilt blush & be apalled to live and die as thou dost by a poor sorry fire: Thou wilt repent and fly to the throne of grace, to the end, that having obtained it, thou render him thanks for the same, who in special regard of his patience showeth himself wonderful towards us, and submitting thyself to obey his truth, thou wilt go on in silence to glorify him to the end. Lo here a little copy and pattern of some sighings and groan for every wise old man, remembering himself, and calling to mind jesus Christ.   

CHAP. XVII. Consolations against death, and how it ought to be feared, or not feared.  
WE present now some consolations to the wise Vieillard, to strengthen him against death, and do show him how he ought to fear or contemn it: For in this point it is, that wise men at last show what they are. He that hath not learned to die betimes, can hardly die well, and for one that doth it, thousands lagg behind where they perish. Many according to the saying of Cicero, think old age is miserable, because it is so near approaching to death, which among the most terrible things, being terrible to the children of this world, for that it destroys the structure & frame of this mortal body, and endeth the life, which we keep and maintain with so much carking and caring: We are not able to relate how great and many the terrors be, which the apprehension of death causeth in most persons, which live in the world, yea, even in those men and women, which under the weight and burden of extreme anguishes and griefs desire nothing more than to be gone hence. This terror floweth from the sense and feeling of the wrath of God, and a bad conscience, with which when wicked ones come to feel themselves tormented, they have no rest, nor can conceive nothing else but evil for them in death. Therefore we cannot too much allaude and commend the saying of Sineca in the Epistle 62. where he saith; before I grew old I endeavoured and studied to live well: In my old age I frame and dispose myself to die well. It is well spoken: For according to the counsel of Saint Augustine in his second book of Christian doctrine; he cannot die ill, who hath lived well, and hardly shall any man whosoever make a good end which hath lead a wicked life. But they are grossly deceived, who think that old men and none else, are lodged in death's quarter, and that they only are pressed and obliged resolutely to await and look for him: Seeing that in all places, and at all times he lieth in wait for persons of all ages and sexes, and saith unto them, Stand, I take thee prisoner by the great King's commandment: pack hence away, come before thy judge. Death respects neither babe, young nor old, man nor woman, rich nor poor, high nor low, strong nor weak.  
The poor man's cottage built very low,  
Death doth demolish, and quite overthrow;  
The rich man's Palace high towering and strong,  
He shivers in pieces, and lays it along.  
Who knoweth not that war and the pestilence doth sweep away out of the world, many more little children, or strong able men, than aged persons? verily all the life of man is nothing else but a road way to death We came into the world upon this condition, to go out of it. In this we greatly err and beguile ourselves, as many most learned Philosophers and Divines have long ago spoken, that we look upon death afar off, and still think him to be a poor feeble impotent, which marcheth with a slow pace, and is yet five or six thousand days journey behind the weakest of our troop: not considering that death is on the threshold of our doors, yea, is our chamber-fellow, a guest at our tables, and our bedfellow too. Death hath already trussed up the fairest and best part of our life, like a Sergeant, which taking us by the throat carries away under his arm our money-bagges, our precious jewels, and upon his yeoman's shoulders our curious household movables. Not to wonder hereat, consider (said S. Basile) the changes and revolutions of ages. Do we not observe how in three weeks of years three are dead? Childhood is passed away, and all his fond and vain wishes have left us: As much may be said of other parts of our life. The case being so then that the meditation of death belongeth to all persons, and that nothing is so miserable as not to know to die, and that to fear death is an evil more dreadful than death itself, seeing also that the proper force of faith, consisteth in this, not to be afraid of death: It is meet now, somewhat the more at large to treat of this point, and to show what other holy, and profane Authors do say therein to our purpose, to wit, to remove out of the heart, especially, of every wise old man, the too violent and raging apprehension of death, and to strengthen and fortify so well the mind, that it be never dismounted, or thrown out of the seat of assurance, wherein it is settled by the knowledge of the truth.  
First, We will show that every one, especially, our Vieillard, ought continually to meditate upon death, and betimes to provide and furnish himself with remedies, against the affrightments and terroes thereof. Secondly, what death is: how many sorts there are: what death it is aught to be feared. Thirdly, for what reasons the Heathens have so manfully contemned death. Fourthly, of the extremities which must be avoided, and of the mean, that it is meet to keep in all. Fiftly, the defences and comforts against death, the commodities of it, and the great benefits which they reap by it, who in young and old age make their recourse to jesus Christ, the food and drink of eternal life. The two first points shall be handled in this seaventeenth Chapter, the other three in the Chapter following.  
First, It is reason that we should betimes think upon death, and meditating thereon, we should castour eye upon the freedom, life, immortality, and other benefits which ensue it. For he giveth death a joyful welcome, who before hand is prepared for it, and who seeing him to come as at the beginning, is no more moved and troubled thereat, than the passenger which with a favourable wind should in shorter time make an end of his sailing. A certain Ancient compared our life to him which is set in a sailing Ship: be he sitting or standing he forwardly his way. So we every moment make towards death, in our waking, sleeping, standing still, or going. But it is meet to settle and invre our minds not to be too much affected, and to dote upon this present life, not therein to lazy and house them, as if it were their Country, but rather to think that we are way faring persons from the Mansion and royal Palace of our heavenly Father. Let our minds then sigh and groan in this Tabernacle; let them meditate upon, and wish for that happy life, wherein all corruption shall be swallowed up, lest it happen to them as to those inconsiderate persons, who being a long time grown lazy and idle in some incommodious, rude, and base Inn, cannot be haled out thence, whatsoever remonstrance and counsel is given them. But on the contrary, let us call to mind our original, and that we are the sons of the everlasting King, that heaven is our country, that for a while we troth up and down in the earth, as little children which are carried out of cities into country villages there to be nursed up, till there fathers and mothers send to fetch them home. Let us remember that we are poor passengers, and that after much running up and down, we must return home to our dwelling, and settle ourselves in some certain place: lest our hearts make a stay and demur at the things we behold with our eyes, and which have some appearance to deceive and detain them.  
Let us take great heed of being desirous to dwell, and to rot and stink in the close and dark den of our body, and this present life, which is nothing else but a horrid prison of infinite temptations, cares, carckings and dangers, where pleasure is unpleasing, where our joy is unsure, where we are tortured with fear, scroched with lust and concupiscence, wasted with sorrow and grief. Let our soul be daily coversant in heaven, let our heart be where our treasure is: By this means we shall easily contemn all things that be earthly, transitory and perishing. Whosoever doth daily think that he is mortal, (and the Vieillard ought to think on it more than any other) despiseth that which he sees present, and makes haste to those happinesses, which are future and to come. I know no better means for our serious conversion to God, and to enjoy perfect comfort, than the remembrance of the end of our race in the world, and the meditation of death. This is a powerful doctrine to draw us out of the swallows and gulfs of intemperance, impatience, and all riots and excess.  
Let us remember our Creator in the days of our youth, before old age and death entrap and seize on us: Let the end of our actions and affairs be before our eyes, to contain us in our obedience to God. When death is between our teeth, it is too late to provide remedies against the terrors thereof. He is unadvised who thinks to cast out his lading, when his ship is all leaky, & takes in water on all sides. It is no time to make provision for a voyage, when men are put forth and forward at Sea. He deceives himself who seeks preservatives, when the pestilence is spread all over the body, and hath seized the heart; The foolish Virgins bethought themselves unseasonably to seek oil for their Lamps, when the spouse was entered and the gate shut. But our Lord hath willed that the day of our death should be unknown unto us; so much the more to dispose us to wait for it, following the example of those faithful servants, who not knowing the hour of their master's return, stand upon their guard carefully watching. Such servants are wise. But the slothful, dissolute, riotous, who make spoil and havoc of all in the house without care of their master, are mischievous and unlucky. Plato writeth in his first book of his Commonweal, That when any one is come to this point, to think that he ought to die out of hand, and yet is so heedless that death doth surprise him, he suddenly falleth into griefs, frights, despairs, horrors, for not having in his life kept reckoning of those things, which he ought maturely and betimes to consider of. We add, that this is wholly necessary, by somuch the more as we are to render our account, before the in evitable throne of the eternal Father of that great family, which must appear before him. Verily the meditation of death is not irksome, anxious, perplexing, nor ought we to defer it from one year or age to another, according to the sottish opinion of the vulgar: But clean contrary to think, that nothing doth safeguard or assure us so much in the midst of adversities and dangers, as such meditation. It is that which makes us sober in prosperity; pressed, ready, and prepared in all events. Also as (Saint Cyprian said to the people of Thibara) we wear not enroled by Baptism among Christian Soldiers, to think that we ought to do nothing else in the world, than there to seek and hunt after our pleasures and ease, turning our backs to conflicts, wounds, death. Saint Augustine writeth in the fifth Chapter of his thirteenth Book, De Civitate Dei, That faith would utterly be weakened; if presently after our Baptism, we should become immortal, and should be crowned before we had fought.  
2. Let us see in the second place, what death is, how many kinds there are, and how it ought to be feared and contemned. Life and death (according to Aristotle) are common accidents to all living creatures, for that the reason of original and corruptible matter doth so bear, maintain, and require it. Touching the condition of the first man, and how he had ever lived, continuing in his obedience to God, we have formerly spoken of it in the discourse of the tree of life. Furthermore, as the condition of man, created after God's image, who kindly received him into his alliance, was excellent: By so much the more miserable, dreadful, and terrible, is the death into which he fell after his revolt, than the death of other living creatures, whose soul dyeth with the body, and who after this annihilation fear no torment whatsoever. But we speak here of the death of man, which God caused not, for he also taketh no pleasure in the death of any, but rather in the conversion, good, and salvation of us all. This doth not impugn, but that God is a just judge, punishing sins, and suffering no misdeeds and transgressions unpunished, but bringing all things to their ends by miraculous means, wherein his wisdom doth manifestly appear, although very often the instruments, which he useth to execute his just judgements, may have foul crimes and gross faults. In this sense it is said; That God woundeth, killeth, whetteth his sword, that he bringeth to ruin, that he casteth the body and soul into hell, and that he sendeth the wicked into everlasting fire. So then, God hath not made death, but death is crept, and entered into the world through the devil's envy, and malice, and man's disobedience. Saint Augustine in a certain place saith, That if God had made death, he would not with tears have bewailed dead Lazarus, whom therefore he raised and restored to life, that the devil might see, that it is but lost labour with such rage and fury, to pursue the children of God to take them out of the world, forasmuch as those whom we deem utterly lost and destroyed, do live unto God.  
Touching their error, who held that Adam should have died, though he had not sinned: Saint Augustine answereth, That all Christians are to hold this point for firm and undoubted, that Adam and Eve were created such, that if they had rejected the counsel of the seducer, who spoke by the Serpent, continuing in the free liberty wherein they were, they had enjoyed eternal life and not died: But making no reckoning of obeying God their Lord, and abusing their free will, prone and ready to yield to the suggestions of Satan, and their own lusts and concupiscences, so, as they very soon felt the effect of the threatening denounced to them both: In that day that thou shalt eate of the forbidden fruit, thou shalt die the death. Before his fall the first man was mortal, as touching the condition of his body: immortal by the good pleasure of his Creator: before sin he could not dye. But by the redemption of Christ jesus, the elect of God shall obtain in the life eternal, even the same privilege that the holy Angels, not to be able to fall from the state of grace, nor to dye. And as touching this point, that our father Adam died not so soon as he had obeyed the voice of Eve, it doth derogate nothing from the truth of the sentence pronounced against him, nor from the heinousness of his sin: For the sense and meaning of the threatening, Thou shalt dye the death, is as if God said, certainly thou shalt be subject to the first death, which is a separation of the soul from the body, and to the second death, a fearful punishment, forasmuch as it is an everlasting separation from God, from the light of heaven, from joy unspeakable, from the life which is blessed for ever. If then it be demanded, how can it be, that Adam lived after his revolt and falling away; Gregory the great, doth sufficiently to the purpose make answer, in his 145. Epistle of his fifth Book: that death in two kinds steps in and seizeth upon us; either by the privation and defection of life, or by the quality of life. In regard of the first kind of death, Adam died not so soon, but rather as touching the second: For presently after his disobedience, being deprived of happiness, of the state of innocency, of contentment of mind, of a strong sound constitution of body, he felt himself covered with shame, horrors, sorrow, with sundry miseries, knew himself to be alive in pain under the curse of his Sovereign, who was created by God's favour to live in an excellent estate, and perpetual quiet, and tranquillity of mind.  
Some think that we meddle and go too far, to say, that man transgressing in time, was pronounced guilty of temporal and eternal death. The jews bewitched with the like error do dream, that they have no need of a Messias to abolish and take away sin, and to deliver from eternal death. This error did grow from the ignorance of the definition of sin, as also of the sovereign and infinite Majesty of God, whom man had offended by his transgression. For, sin being a revolt and falling away from God to join and cleave to the devil, and a transgression of the holy law in despite of God, man sinning could not escape eternal perdition and punishment, but by the grace of his Redeemer, as by obedience he had kept his Creator's favour for ever. Even so then, as it is not injustice (as Saint Augustine saith, in the 11. Book, De Civitate Dei, Chap 11.) If Magistrates capitally punishing many heinous crimes and offences, do banish for ever the malefactors from humane society: Who shall dare to say, that it is iniquity in God, the Lord of the permanent and durable City, if he eternally banish out of his kingdom of glory, his sworn enemies the wicked, who continually offend him; And the polluted, profane, unjust, reprobates, who plot and conspire against God, and their neighbours, remain for ever under the wrath and curse of the Lord? For justification of all, consider only the corruption of humane nature, and what the sons of Adam are in themselves. For howsoever the belief, touching the immortality of man's soul, be orthodox and most true, yet may it fitly be said, that the soul is subject to a certain kind of death. We call it immortal, because it ceaseth not to live, and in some sort to have sense and feeling. The body is mortal, because it may be deprived of life, which consists in the residence of the soul in it, from whence floweth that which doth maintain it, not living of itself, but by the soul which doth govern and move it. But the death of the soul is, when God doth abandon it, and deprive it of his grace: And we say, that man is utterly dead, when the soul is quite gone out of the body, and that God doth abandon the soul finally adjudged to everlasting torments. S. Augustine will, that the name of death be derived from the venomous morsure, or sting of the infernal serpent the devil, then by him brought into the world, when he first bit and stung out first mother Eve, leaving fast sticking in us the sting of sin, which the Apostle calleth the sting of death. This sting being blunted and taken away, death ceaseth mortally to sting us. When S. Ambrose writeth (in his Treatise of the benefit of death, Chap. 1. & 2.) that death hurteth not the soul, consequently is not evil; seeing that nothing but sin hurteth the soul, it is to be understood of the bodily death in respect of God's children. Therefore he maketh a ●hree-fold distinction of death, the one good, the other evil, the third good or evil. The good is the mystical death, when a man dyeth to sin and liveth to God, whereof the Apostle speaketh, That we are buried with Christ jesus into his death by Baptism. The evil is the death of sin, whereof it is written, Then soul that sinneth shall dye. And the third is the end of our race and calling in this world, that is, the separation of the soul from the body; of good men accounted good, of wicked men evil. Although death doth unshackle and set all persons at liberty; very few yet are to be found, which take pleasure therein: But this proceedeth not from any offence that is in death, that is, in the separatiof the soul from the body, but from the infirmity of mortal men, who suffering themselves to go on in their carnal pleasures and delights of this life, do tremble and fear to see themselves at the end of their race in the earth, loving long life, there to live evilly, that is, there to dye hourly. O how sweet is the good death to wise old men, to men and women who are the servants of God, who watch, who pray, who cry to their Lord in repentance, in faith, and charity, who manfully fight against all temptations. And how bitter is the evil death to those evil souls, unbelievers, stiff necked ones, hypocrites, who wrap themselves in their sins, who have no pleasure, hope, nor comfort, but in this world.  
These things being so, it is easy to show how death is to be feared or not. Certainly, the death of sinners is evil, who not content to be borne in sin, live still in all manner of iniquities. But the death of the Saints is precious, being the end of their labours and toils, the conservation and custos of their victory; the door of life, and the entrance into an assured, perfect, glorious rest. Those are to be bewailed in their death, who have hell for their prison: But it beseems us to rejoice and be glad at their departure, whom God doth bid welcome into his heavenly Palace, where they magnify him for ever. If any one ask us (saith Lactantius, in the third Book of his Christian Institutions) whether death be good or evil? we will answer, that the quality thereof doth consist in the consideration of life in itself. Death in itself cannot be said to be good, pleasing and to be desired, on the contrary, it is the destruction of nature, and the reward of sin. But we must esteem it a thing worthy great praise, pleasing, and full of grace and delight, when we die joyfully in the true knowledge of Christ jesus, to go out of the prison of this mortal body, out of this valley of miseries, out of this desert where we are exiled persons, to return to our Father, our country and heavenly city. He dyeth well, who with the Apostle saith in sincerity of conscience, all my desire is to depart hence, and to be with Christ jesus: Particularly, as touching myself, I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, also the crown of righteousness is laid up and reserved for me, which the Lord, the just judge shall in that day give unto me; not to me only, but to those who love his appearing. Again, death and the remembrance and apprehension of it, is wonderful irksome, and bitter to a man which trusteth in his riches, living in all ease, in full strength of body and prosperity.  
Here we demand, what we are to judge of the death of those, who are cruelly quartered and dismembered by hangmen, or by fierce and wild beasts, are swallowed up in the belly of fishes, are stifled with a sudden apoplexy, are bereaved of wit, sense, and reason, by some hot burning fever, or who die frantic, and mad? As for those who are put to cruel death for the name of Christ jesus, the answer is that their death cannot be termed and accounted but dear and precious in the sight of the Lord, and of all his Church. For if the heathen Philosophers have had some reason to say, that a virtuous man, leaves not to be happy, though he be put to a violent death; why should we not say the same of the true virtuous, to wit, the holy Martyrs, seeing we have so certain testimonies, and so many famous examples of their faith, charity, patience, and constancy in death? The Epistle to the Hebrews is herein express: for it containeth the heroical trophies of faith, also the opprobries, disgraceful revile, and cruel torments of the invincicible Champions of Christ jesus. But I pray you what torments can dismay, and terrify him which glorieth in the cross of Christ jesus, among all others a shameful and terrible torment and death. Turtullian observeth in his Apologetico, that in his time Christians were called Sarmentitij & Semissijs bavinistes, and poor snakes, because they were bound to a stake, which cost but six Liards, three half pence, or thereabouts, and there were burned with faggotts of reeds, or brush wood, which were set round about them. Behold saith he our equipage, our munition, and armour of victory; this is out triumphal Chariot. Eusebius writeth in the fifty book of his History, of a holy martyr burned alive with certain plates of iron made red hot, and set to his naked body; notwithstanding which torments he made a constant profession of the Christian faith, even to the last gasp. Eusebius addeth, that this showeth that nothing is terrible to him, which feels that God loveth him, and that whosoever seeks the glory of Christ jesus is guarded, and saved harmless from every painful, and terrible accident and casual event. As for the uncouth and strange diseases, and kinds of hideous death, whereunto to man's life is exposed, as they are to be seen in the horrible convulsions of Epilepsies & falling sicknesses, in the violent fits of Apoplexies, in cruel, and hot burning fevers; these are pitiful cases to behold, and incident to our frail and sinful nature: But they are also certain monitors of a better life, seeing that our health, and happiness consisteth not in a sound temperature of humours, but in this that our names are written in heaven, and that we have been dedicated to jesus Christ. For the Lord God who knoweth our hearts, who in his secret judgement exerciseth some more than others, regards and considers what he hath done for us, and what the holy Ghost, who comforteth us in such accidents and cases, doth for us by unspeakable groan; not the intemperature of our bodies, nor the effects of it. For this is an assured thing, that there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ jesus, and that nothing is able to separate us from the love, which the father of heaven bears us for his son's sake: yea, that all things do help together for the good of those, whom according to his determinate counsel he hath called to the participation of his grace. Therefore all Christians ought to remain undoubted and resolved in this point, that there is no kind of malady, torment, or death, which doth hurt Gods elect: that there is no death, happy, joyful, peaceable to the wicked, unbelievers, and miscreants, whom God often times for a while doth uphold in this world, to the end, more heavily to punish them, after he hath dragged and haled them out of the earth.  
Hereupon it will be demanded, wherefore then so many great personages, members of the Church of God, and Christ jesus himself the head thereof, did fear death, and prayed to be guarded and secured from it?  
I answer, that there was something of singular note in our Lord, and which must be differenced and distinguished from others; In that he not only bore and felt a common death, or separation of the soul from the body, but also underwent and sustained the wrath of God, and all the torments and agonies, that may be imagined, without sin notwithstanding, because he was an hostage and pledge for us: Nevertheless, in such sort, that he did not yield nor shrink under the burden, nor murmured a whit against God, but voluntarily offered himself in sacrifice, stood not demurring, and shifting of death with nature's delays, wholly submitted himself to the will of God his Father, as it was foretold and figured by David in the fortieth Psalm, Here am I O God, that I may do thy will. Behold, as touching the head of the Church, who had had no subject of combat and victory, if he had not felt the torments, and terrors of death, without sin, or any offence and fault on his part. In respect than we are his members, let us keep and observe this rule: That we cannot commend every refusal, or every desire of death, nor discommend all contempt of death. Some wish death not so much for any desire they have of a better life, as for the despite and dislike they conceive against their abode and stay in the world, where they see miseries, which their weak minds cannot brook and endure, and which give terrible shocks and assaults to the most resolved and stoutest hearts. The Israelites wanting bread in the wilderness, wished death; as also when news was brought them, that the Canaanites were men of a very tall stature. job in the depth of his pangs and griefs desired to die; as also the Prophet Eliah did, during his escape in the Desert. On the contrary David, Ezechias, and other great personages very much feared death, and instantly besought the Lord to guard and save them from it. But this was for a special consideration, to wit, in as much as they being afraid of the threatenings and judgements of God, the approach of death appeared more terrible unto them; or, because they wished to continue longer to advance God's glory, and to yield their help and service to the edification of the Church.  
Again, the same personages banished all fear from them, looking upon death, according as now it is made unto us (by the grace of God) the rest from our labours, & the passage to a better life. In this sense the Patriarch job spoke in the 19 Chapter, I know that my redeemer liveth, and that I shall rise again at the last day, that I shall be again clothed with my skin, and shall see the Lord in my flesh. So David did sing in the 16. Psalm. For this cause my heart is glad, my tongue rejoiceth; Moreover, my flesh resteth in assurance, for thou wilt not leave my soul in the grave. And in the 23. Psalm, Though I should walk in the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, because thou art with me.   

CHAP. XVIII. The sequel of the points propounded in the former Section, concerning the resolutions and consolations against Death.  
IF there be any men bound to meditate ordinarily upon death, to be armed with remedies against the alarumes of it, to procure that their children, friends, and families do live as pressed and ready to die, wise old men are especially they, whose true Philosophy is called the Meditation of death. To draw them so much the more easily unto it, we will remember to every one of them some sayings of wise Pagans and Heathens, which will cause us to say to all persons, who vaunt themselves of the name of Christians; At least do not afflict and torment yourselves more with the death of the yourselves and yours then the silly Heathens, who had no hope, who so manfully contemned the approaches of death, who with so great constancy have embraced it, and striven against it. I speak thus considering the cowardice of some Christians, who have nothing so much in their mouths, and take so little to heart, as death. S. Jerome in the Epistle to Heliodorus showing, how we ought to be more resolute against the assaults of death, and all accidents and casualties of humane life, than Infidels were, maketh mention of Xerxes that mighty Monarch, who overthrew mountains, and paved the Sea with Ships. This Monarch considering from the top of a hill many millions of men at his service in wars, fell a weeping, that at the end of a hundred years, not one of them should be alive. And if we love (added he) this advantage to be mounted upon so high a watch Tower, that from thence we may behold all the earth under our feet, and so many kingdoms fallen to ruin; also many living men, some tortured, others strangled, and drowned; on the one side festivals, on the other side funerals; some to be borne, others to die: To what strait and exigent should we be brought, if we were not assured that all these things are ordered by the just appointment of the Allmightie. S. Ambrose in his exposition of the creation of the world, saith, that all men are borne and die naked, that there is no difference between the bodies of poor men and rich, but that the bodies of rich-men being very pursy, well fed and fat while they live, are more puant and stinking then the bodies of poor men.  
Besides these helps and supports against death, which the Heathens have collected from our condition to be borne and to die they have from thence collected other causes, which we are now to discuss and examine, and whereof Ciceco speaketh in his Dialogue of old age, as followeth. We know how cheerfully and manfully soldiers contemn death; why then should wise old men fear it? To have our fill of all things causeth that we have our fill and satiety of life. Those who die well, live a life which alone deserveth the name: but so long as we are locked up in the prison of the body, we are as it were plunged deep in the earth, and exiled very far from, and beneath our heavenly Mansion. Wherefore all wise men die willingly, fools on the contrary leave this world against their will, maugre their teeth, or in brutish ignorance. Socrates the last day of his death discoursed of the immortality of the soul. Cyrus' a little before his death said to his sons, Do not think that after I shall be dead, I am annihilated and brought to nothing. If some god (said Cato in the same Dialogue) would permit me to return from old age to childhood, and to cry in a Cradle, I should forbear to accept such a condition, nor would I for any thing return to the beginning of my race, having almost finished it. For what commodity is found in a life tossed to and fro with turmoils and toils, as this present life is? Notwithstanding, I will not bewail it, nor do I repent me to have lived, I which go out of this world as out of an Inn, not as out of a house, seeing nature hath given us a cabin here of ingress and egress, but not to stay and continue. O how glorious will that day be, wherein I shall be found in the holy assembly of souls, and shall go to heaven.  
Certainly, Old age is the end and Epilogue of our life, even as of some Comedy or Interlude. Lo here some sayings of Cicero in the forementioned dialogue. In the first Book of his Tusculane questions, wherein he expressly treateth of the contempt of death, among other his sayings and discourses, we read that among the old Latins, whom the Poet Ennius calleth Cascj, that it was a doctrine held from Father to Son, that death did not abolish man, so as it might be said he was utterly perished. The sages would not have set out and adorned their funerals, sepulchres, and tombs with such ceremonies, nor hallowed them with so many devotions, if they had certainly held that death is an utter destruction of the whole man: on the contrary they were in this point persuaded, that it was a departure and change of life, which brought worthy men and women to heaven. Plato also bringeth in Socrates condemned to death, saying to his judges, I hope that good shall befall me to die; For if all sense and feeling be abolished in death, it bringeth a quiet and perpetual rest, but if that which is said of it be found true, that it is a departure out of this world to go into places where those that be dead are assembled together, what contentment shall it be to me, to talk and discourse with them? It is further (addeth Cicero) a sound and solid Argument, that nature itself proclaims the souls of men to be immortal, in this, that all men have a wondrous care, what shall become of them and all things else after their death, and die very willingly, when life beginning to fail and to leave them, may stay and settle itself upon a good conscience, and a worthy evidence to itself. In the second Book of the Laws these words following are read; Our ancestors have ordained that the dead should be canonised, and placed in the number of gods, by certain ceremonies which they did institute. Ennius as of opinion that we were not to weep for the dead, because their souls were immortal. Plato said in the first Book of his Common weal, that a man which hath this good testimony in himself, to have done no man wrong, is always upheld with a greacious and steadfast hope, the good nurse and supportress of his old age.  
And again, Cicero in his first Book of Tusculane questions, writeth these words; You have in sleep the image of death, wherein you are sheeted and wrapped up every night. Are you in doubt then that there is no more sense in death, seeing you know that in sleep the soul of man is never at rest? Moreover, banish far from you those old wife's fables and compte, that it is a great misery to die before the time. And of what time? Of Nature? But nature hath lent us life as silver or coin, without setting us a day of restitution, but to restore it back again at her will and pleasure. Why then do you complain, if she call for and demand her own again, when it pleaseth her, seeing you hold and have it upon this condition? With what alacrity and cheerfulness ought we to go that way, at which ways end we shall be released and discharged of all careful carkinges, fascheries, and anxieties of mind.  
A woman of Sparta having sent her son to the war, and tidings being brought her that he was slain in the battle, with great courage answered, that she did bear him, to the end he should die for his Country.  
Seneca an excellent Stoic Philosopher hath very worthy precepts, in his moral Books, touching death. We could compile a great Book of them, but not to be too long & too large, it shall suffice us to cull out some sentences of them, which shall be able to give the reader a taste, and desire to see the rest. I will begin at the end of the thirteenth Epistle, which speaketh to old men. Among other evils folly hath yet this one, that she still begins to live. This point showeth how bad and scurrilous the levity and giddy humour of men is, who every day lay new foundations of their life, and begin to build and raise hopes, when it behoves them to go out of the world. You shall see old men, who run themselves out of breath after honours, profits, and transitory goods. But can there be a more unsightly, and unseemly thing seen, than an old man to become a child again? In the two and twentieth Epistle: Is it not a great shame to be afraid, when we are to enter into a Palace of assurance and safety? The reason is, that we are dispossessed and turned out of all the goods after which we do sigh, and painfully toil at the end of our life, whereof not any portion or part remains unto us, all being gone and lost. There is no man which takes care to live well, but to live long, & yet all men may be able to attain to this good, to live virtuously, but no man can or aught to promise himself long life. We do add: And the old man, which now hath no more to do with the things of this life, that are common to all, is so ill advised, that he thinketh not of the amendment of his life, nor of the box and blow which death shall suddenly give him on the ear. At the very end of the three and twentieth Epistle; There are some, who begin to live, when they must dye, and there are some, who are dead, before they have begun to live. In the thirtieth Epistle, As little wise is he who feareth death, as the young man who feareth to be old. For as old age doth kick and spur young age, in like sort doth death old age. He which will not dye, hath no will to live, because life was given with this exception, That we must die. We are in the way of death, and who feareth it is out of his wits, seeing we expect that which is certain, and fear that which is uncertain. At the end of the two and thirtieth Epistle. He is free and his own man, who liveth as if he had no longer to live. And at the end of the six and thirtith Epistle, Neither little infants, nor young boys, nor mad men fear death; it is then a great shame, if reason do not as much confirm and assure us, as stupidity and sottishness doth them. At the end of the threescore and seventeenth Epistle: It is with our life, as with a Comedy, it skils not how long it be, so it be well acted. Take no care where the end of your race shall be, make a stop and a stay, where necessity enforceth you, provided you make a good end. In the nintith three Epistle. Let us take order, that as gold and other things of excellent price and worth; so our life be not of a great length, nevertheless that it weigh much: Let us not measure it by our time, but by our work. Will you know a very good respite of years, it is to live till we be wise. He that is come so far, though he have not attained to a great number of years, hath seen the greater and better part of them. The nintith nine Epistle containeth sundry consolations in death, which I will briefly set down. It is a fond and childish part to give the reynes to sorrow, and to make account of an uncertain thing as our life is. He doth ill who weeps upon custom, and seeing that sorrow doth make us forget the blessings and benefits received of God, we must betimes shake off, and rid ourselves of it, to the end to call to mind the virtue of our departed friends, and to make our use of it, and of them, as if they were present. We ought to follow the example of those, who have showed themselves unmoved at the death of their friends, to think we shall follow the dead, whom we have not lost, but given up unto God, who are gone but a little before us: It is the way of the world, our life doth so manifest it: we have assurance of nothing under heaven, but of death, and our life is short though it contain many ages: It is crossed and wounded with infinite miseries, which end in death freeing it of malice, and of error and ignorance. Consequently, he which is accustomed to grieve much, depriveth himself of comfort, to remedy which, and in stead of imitating the fond customs of the ignorant and vulgar, he must show himself a man of courage, in the most violent shocks and assaults of adversity, setting before our eyes the worthy deportments and behaviours of those which go before us, keeping a measure between sorrow and forgetfulness, of those whom we have made much on, and been kind and friendly unto in the world, and whom we see no more, and when they are at peace and rest, we are to give over to grieve and sorrow for them. I reascend to the nintith one Epistle, from whence I will deduce that which follows. Do not measure us by our Tombs, and Monuments, which seem to note some way differing between some and others. The grave wherein our bodies are dissolved to dust, makes us all equal. We are borne unequal, but death makes us all equal. The Sovereign Lawgiver hath not differenced us by our nobility, lineage, blood, and greatness, but in this life: but when death cometh, he saith to this worldly greatness, Begun; I will that there be the same law to all living things upon earth. We are all subject to all sorts of evils. One is no more frail, nor more assured to live till to morrow then another. In the hundreth and one Epistle: There is no day nor hour, which doth not point out unto us our vanity, and which by some new experiment and trial, doth not remember us of our frailty, which we tread under our feet, and which doth not compel every one of us, who build and devose endless plots and designs, to have an eye unto death. From the hundred and seventh Epistle, I will make this deduction; It is good to bear that which we cannot remedy, & to follow without murmuring or complaining that great God, by whose providence all things come to pass. A bad Soldier is he, who follows his Captain unwillingly. Let death find us pressed, forward, and cheerful. The heat which doth resolutely consign and yield itself into the hands of God, is every way great. On the contrary, he is a lusk, coward, and basely bred fellow, who spurns, kicks, and winses, who complains of the government of the world, and who had rather censure God, than himself. In the hundred and twentieth Epistle: A man is never more heavenly minded, then when he thinketh upon his own frailty, and knows and acknowledgeth that he is borne to dye: Also that his body is not a house, but an Inn, and for a while: It is a folly for us to fear the last days of our life, seeing our first days are tributarries, and owe as much unto death as our last. The last day of our race makes us to touch death, all the other do approach it. Death doth not violently lay hands upon us, but gently lays hold on us. Wherefore a virtuous soul, feeling itself called to the participation of a greater happiness, endeavoureth to carry and behave itself, honestly and wisely in this earthly Sentinel and Station, accounting none of those things to be hers, which do hem her in on every side; but serves her turn with them, as with borrowed movables, remembering herself that she doth but go a journey, and in post haste. There are many other sentences of Seneca, touching the benefit of death, in his Consolations to Polybius and Marcia, as also in his other Treatises. But we will make this extract no longer, lest so we trouble and offend with long reading impatient and froward old men.  
4. Fourthly, we speak now of the extremities that must be avoided, when there is question of death, to wit, Too great confidence, or rashness, or rather inhuman, or barbarous stupidity and senselessness; then the too great apprehension, fear, and pain of death. Of a truth our Creator and Sovereign Lord, hath honoured us with this favourable gift and grant, that our hearts are of flesh, not of stone or iron, to be easily touched with the sense of our miseries, and the miseries of others. How should we apprehend the mercy of God, if we had not an apprehension of our miseries? And what fear of God, and of his judgements would there be in the world, if we should not fear death, and other punishments which he doth mitigate, and usually convert into wholesome remedies to persons, who mourn under the burden of their sins, and with a repentant heart, crave and implore the grace of their heavenly Father? We are not willing to approve the practice of those too austere Thracian Elders, who wept at the birth day of their children, and made great cheer & merrily banqueted at the funeral of them that died. Much less do we purpose to dispute of death, as Hegesias of Cyrena, whom the King of Egypt prohibited to discourse any more of death, because many who heard him; killed themselves. No more do we approve those mad men, such as were in times past, certain surnamed, Circamcellianes, of the Sect of the Donatists, who not rightly understanding the sayings of the Scripture, touching mortification of the flesh, cast themselves down headlong from the tops of high mountains, and without looking or staying for any commandment to do so, resigned and gave up the place they held in this humane life. It is not lawful for any private person, without express authority and order of the Magistrate, to kill a guilty or condemned person; And he which killeth himself is not he a murderer? Who hath given him power and authority to do so? We abhor, and justly, the facinourous fact of judas, who by despair increased his detestable impiety. Satan is the author of such counsels, as we see in the fourth Chapter of S. Matthew, where Christ jesus being importuned, by that malignant and mischievous one, to throw himself headlong from the top of the Temple, answereth, That we must not tempt the Lord. S. Augustine said, in his first Book, De Civitate Dei, Chap. 22. That those which kill themselves, make a hazardous proof of some kind of greatness of courage, but indeed they are mad men: Further, they are not magnanimous, seeing that being unable to support and bear adversity, they discover their impotency and pusillanimity, not their fortitude and valour, in casting themselves so into the gulf and jaws of death. But he is truly magnanimous, who chooseth rather to bear the burden of a miserable life, then rashly to rid himself, and fly from it, instead of standing and abiding in the place allotted and appointed unto him. It is said that Cleombrotus having read the Book which Plato writ of the immortality of man's soul, cast himself down headlong from a high wall, to pass to the other life, which he judged to be better. But it was an act of wretched folly, for Plato taught no such thing, although he discoursed of the immortality of the soul. Therefore let us turn our backs to the Stoics, so brutish and besotted in their pride, that they think it lawful to a man, which cannot suffer an injury, to kill himself. A man of courage, and fearing God, knowing indeed that life is not given him, doth not violently rid himself of it, but renders it into the hands of God, not fearing the approaches of death, but submitting himself to his Sovereign Lord, who hath employed him in his service in the world, to go out of it when he shall command him. It is alleged, that a speedy death is better than a fastidious and tedious life, and once to be quiet for altogether, then so long to languish and droop. But to attempt to leave this life before God give us leave, is to fall into another death, which never hath end. What then, shall not a Soldier dare to go out of the army, without his Captain's licence and pass port, but upon hazard of his head, and shall mortal man go out of this present life, without the avouchy and warrant of the immortal, who hath placed him in it, protected and blessed him. What crown can the impatient, the furious, the infidel expect, who in despite of his Lord, cowardly resigns his charge, his place, his honour, with the loss of his body, soul, goods, and friends, who forsakes those to whom he is bound and beholden, breaks all the bands of divine and humane society? God giveth a happy issue to their temptations who fear him, he doth in fit time deliver and help them. It is they which are to hold out to the end in a full assurance of hope, not to quail and lose courage, but to follow those, who by a faithful and humble patience have obtained the promised inheritance. Let us then take heed and beware of the arrogancy of the Stoics, and of the vain confidence of Epicures, who never think on death, but think they are in league and friendship with him, persuade themselves that it shall be easy for them to put by his blows, and to pacify him. Moreover, let us have no part in their effeminacy and diffidence, who tremble at the mere name of death, not thinking that in death itself there is not so great evil, as in the solicitudes, carkings, sorrows, and fears, wherewith a thousand times a day they kill themselves, without any ease to their unbelieving heart. Their apprehensions are ill ordered, fond, and unprofitable, seeing (as witnesseth the Prophet in the Psalm 89. 90.) there is no man living can boast himself not to see death, and to be able to save his life out of the hand of the grave. Hereupon we will say to young and old, that their duty requires, that they bear and behave themselves so toward God, that their death may not be a mortal, but a living death: And that they so gently and wisely lay down their load in the world, that they may not be found under a heavy and unsupportable burden, whose weight doth suppress them, and cause them to tumble into everlasting perdition.  
5. Fifthly, let us now add some assured consolations against death; and first we will draw from certain places of the holy Scripture, the fair terms and names, which it giveth to death, to sweeten unto us the apprehension of it. By whose testimony, to dye, is to be gathered to his people, as it is said of Abraham, Gen. 25. 8. It is to go the way of all the earth. 1. Kings 2. 2. It is to be bound up in the bundle of life. 1. Sam. 25. 29. It is to be taken away from evil, to enter into peace and rest in our beds. Esaiah 57 1, 2. It is to be in the shadow, and at rest as the hireling, which hath ended his day's work. job 7. 1. 2. It is to sleep. john 11. 11. 1. Thess. 4. 13. To rest from his labours. Apocalips 14. 13. It is to go out of the world to go to God our Father. john 13. 1. It is to go to our Father's house, where there are many dwelling places. john 14. 1. It is to return to our home and country, after a long, painful, and perilous voyage. 2. Cor. 5. 6. It is to be unshackled and delivered out of a galley or prison, to be with Christ jesus. Philip. 1. 23. It is to go hence out of a poor beggarly tabernacle. 2 Peter 1. 14. It is to be clothed in heaven with glory and immortality. 2. Cor. 5. 1. 2. It is to finish our course and our fight, to receive a crown. 2. Timoth. 4. 7. 8. It is to go to the Nuptials of the Lamb, and his Bride in the Celestial jerusalem, in the City of God, all garnished with gold and precious stones, that is, adorned with incomprehensible glory and eternal happiness. Apocalips 21. 1. etc. It is to live with jesus Christ a thousand years, to wit, for ever. Apocalips 20. 4. This life and glorious immortality is manifested unto us in the Gospel by Christ jesus, who by his appearing hath abolished death. 2. Timothy 1. 10.  
Wherefore then should a wise man fear to go to his Fathers, and would have a way by himself? Is it well done not to will, and desire to be gathered with the true living, from so many evils, without, within, above, below, behind, before, and round about us? After so many battles, so many conflicts, skirmishes, and wounds, especially in the soul, to refuse peace, to rest out of the short and danger of the weapons, tears, alarms, vacarmes, gurboyles, and stirs of the world, of our own heart, of the corruption of the wicked, and of the powers of Satan our capital adversary? O strange case! We run after peace and rest, and fly from it when it offers itself. Travails and labours weigh us down and oppress us, and we are aghast and abashed to be rid of them! There is no bed in the world so soft, as that where the bodies do rest, when the souls are separated from them; notwithstanding not to lie in it, we would be contented to be condemned to go wool ward, in sackcloth, and hair cloth in totters and rags, and to lie on the hard ground, or upon thorns; Had we rather dwell with Vipers, then with our Father in his heavenly Mansion? Those everlasting Mansions, so much to be desired, are in less account and esteem with us, than the unclean and nasty stables of Beasts. The earth doth more infinitely please us then heaven.  
This galley of our life, where we tug both day and night, at the oar of ambition, avarice, cruel lusts, debauched pleasures; These dark dens of innumerable sins are the resting places, that we make much on, and wherein we bristle up ourselves, and outrageously curse whatsoever sacred Philosophy doth propose and set forth unto us, of the blessed estate of the triumphant Church, with her head in heaven. What old men are we, who grow young in our vices, who had rather renounce our sweet Country, and trot up and down in the hideous deserts of the world, full of scorpions and Basilisques, of horrid ghosts, and hob goblins, and so many kinds of Devils, then to set one step in the right way of repentant faith, of charitable hope and patient humility! Men of wit, where is our wit, when our bodies are of more price unto us than our souls, and we are willing to forgo and lose our arms to save our sleeves? Who prefer a garment before eternal glory, a handful of crowns before most durable treasures, a fond, idle, wicked damnable pleasure before everlasting joys! Who still desire to run on in the way of perdition, who fight and strive against nothing but piety, righteousness, holiness; to conclude, who purchase a burial place for virtue, to cause vice to reign and triumph. When will it be, that the invitation to the solemn feast of the Son of God with his Church, will please and be welcome unto us? When will we provide our costly rich robes to appear in this holy assembly? Will we still defer to cleanse ourselves from the filth of sin, which makes us holds down the head, to blush, to look pale, and wan, to be half dead, or in a trance, not to dare once to lift up the eyes of our mind (but in hypocrisy, and a very strange stupidity) to him, which calleth us to him, to the gates of the Palace, whereunto we are so near? Wise old men awaken and rouse up yourselves, and more deeply yet consider and meditate upon the consolations insinuated, and inserted in the terms and names, which divine wisdom giveth and ascribeth to death.  
It is demanded, seeing Christ jesus hath abolished death, and that by him we are reconciled to God to obtain eternal life, how comes it to pass that we are still subject to death? S. Augustine answereth, that heretofore death came, and was by sin haled into the world, but now death takes away our temporal life, to the end we should cease from sin, and that the remembrance of death do keep and conteme us in our duty. So by the unspeakable mercy of God, the punishment of our sins, was changed into an armour, or shield against sins. And although that the death of the flesh proceedeth originally from sin, so is it that the good aspect and face of death hath made many excellent Martyrs. And although death and all the evils, travails, and turmoils, vexations, and sorrows of this present life proceed from the desert of our sins, and that after having obtained pardon, these evils remain still, it is to the end we should have adversaries to wrestle against and to exercise us, to make known and sensible to us how strong the power of the Lord is in our weakness: And that so the new man may grow up, and be fitted and prepared in this world for the world to come, looking for the perfect and complete happiness of all God's children. Therefore repentant Christians, whose sins are pardoned, and who accept this pardon by the gift and hand of a lively faith, do wrestle against the image of death, against a bruised Serpent, a worried torn Lion, against a stingless Wasp, against a vanquished enemy. Chrysostome censureth in good manner those wretches, who fear death, and fear not sin, wherein they are ensnared and wrapped, nor the unquenchable fire of hell which gapes for them. Thus, saith he, as children are wayward and wrangle, if their mothers come near them with masks on their faces, but when a lighted Candle is brought near unto them, they readily thrust their hands in it, and are burned: So those men fear death, who know not what it is to live. Death snatcheth away a miserable and short life to make us to enter into an eternal and perpetual blessed life. Death doth separate us from the heaps of jewels, the robes, movables, coffers crammed with gold and silver, the sundry immovables which we must leave. But in heaven we have unseperable riches with the Angels: death extrudes and thrusts us out of the earth, but to bring us into paradise: death kills the body, but it shall rise again to die no more, but be conformable to the glorified body of Christ jesus. If any man fight with his own shadow, he hurts no body: so death doth but beat the air, in bickering and jousting against the just. It hath been God's will and pleasure (so saith Chrysostome) that this present life should be painful and miserable, to the end that being buffeted on all sides with so many and manifold miseries, we should eagerly aspire to the happinesses to come. But seeing we are thus far ill advised to wallow and idle it so willingly in this present life, where so many disasters and miseries do surround and encompass us, how would it be with us, if there were nothing but joy, peace, and rest here? Our most merciful heavenly Father doth so mitigate and temper the afflictions of this life, that as a Lute-player doth not wind up too high his Lute strings, for fear to break them, nor slacken them too much, that so their sweet harmony & tunablenesse may be more distinctly perceived: So doth the wise master of our life, not leaving us in continual prosperity, nor too much oppressed. He is faithful who will not suffer us to be tempted beyond and above our strength, but will give a good issue to our temptations and trials, to the end we should be able to bear them.  
We see men of war, desirous of honour, and to attain to some rank and degree, manfully to expose themselves to a thousand dangers: The covetous Merchant to run upon all hazards and risks for a handful of yellow earth: The voluptuous person to disdain and set light by infinite, reproachful and woeful dangers, to satisfy his passions and humours: And you wise old men, will you slumber and sleep in a corner, will you still sit with your arms and legs a cross, not rousing & lifting up yourselves to the contemplation, and diligent seeking after so many happinesses, prepared for them which love God? Do you fear death, you which in the midst of the shadow of death, have standing at your ell-bow the Prince and Author of life? If you bear in your hearts that quickening spirit, which raised up jesus Christ from the dead, whence is it that you fear death? Have you blotted out of your remembrance him, who hath the words of eternal life, who is the way, the truth, the resurrection, the life, who died for our sin, and is risen again for our justification? But soil not this gracious remembrance with the mire and mud of sordid and obscene pleasures: Let not the persuasions of the unclean and filthy flesh stop and hinder the motions of the spirit, illuminated by sacred Philosophy. Let the repetitions of his most sweet, most certain, and most holy promises be potent and powerful in your hearts, who was willing to participate of our flesh and blood, that in the same nature foiled by Satan, our Saviour hath abolished it by his death, as by a most sufficient ransom, he which conquered death, to wit, the Devil. Give me leave to reform and rectify you by recital of the excellent promises following of the Lord. Verily, I say unto you, that whosoever heareth my word, and believeth in him which sent me, hath eternal life, and shall not come to condemnation, but is passed from death to life, john 5. 24. This is the will of him which sent me, that whosoever beholdeth the son, and believeth in him, hath eternal life, and for this cause I will raise him up again at the last day. Such perspection and contemplation of faith is not (as profane persons chatter and mutter) a vain imagination; but is coupled and counited with his effect, and with the true apprehension and laying hold of jesus Christ, and his benefits. This great Saviour hath so often times, and again and again recommended it, and for confirmation of it, hath prepared his holy Table, to which we draw near, there to receive the bread of life, ordained to the nourishment of our souls to eternal life, not for our bellies, to receive which bread we hold up the hands of faith to heaven, and believing in him do eat it. That bread I say which is given to the children of the house, not to reprobates, who sometimes eat the bread of the Lord, but not the bread of life which is the Lord. He which is not reconciled to Christ jesus, eateth not his flesh, and drinketh not his blood, although every day he receive (but to his condemnation) the Sacrament, or the holy signs of so excellent a thing. But he which confirms and establisheth us in Christ, and who hath anointed us, is God, who also hath sealed and given unto us the earnest of his spirit in our hearts. It is this holy spirit of promise, wherewith we have been sealed, yea, for the day of redemption, without which spirit the visible signs in the Sacraments are received to condemnation, by which spirit, faith taught by the word & confirmed by the signs, or seals of the righteousness of the same faith, takes daily new growthes and growings, and is manifested by holy works; of which the sum and total is, that we live and die to the Lord, who is dead and risen again to have dominion, as well over the living as the dead, to govern and guide us as the sheep of his pasture; and finally, to draw us out of the hideous deserts of this worldly life, no life in deed, to gather us to himself his heavenly sheep fold. If God be on our side, who shall be against us? Who shall be able to make us afraid and dismay us? jesus Christ who is dead, is risen again, it is he who now being set at the right hand of God maketh request for us.  
Let us add some worthy sayings of S. Cyprian in his excellent Treatise of death. Simeon the just, rejoicing to hold in his arms the little babe jesus, whom he had so much desired, declareth by his words (which breathed nothing but faith, charity, consolation, a steadfast hope) that the servants of God are in peace, enjoy a free rest, being drawn out of the foaming and tempestuous waves of this world, and landing at the port of safety, and eternal happiness, when after the abolishment of death we come to a glorious immortality. For this is our peace, our assured rest, our assured and perpetual safety. In this world we are continually grappling, tugging, and wrestling with Satan, and all our exercise is, to repulse and repel his darts. We have on our arms, on our foreheads, sides, and backs, avarice, incontinency, anger, ambition: of necessity we must wrestle without ceasing against the lusts of the flesh, and the baits and allurements of the world. Toward the end of the same Treatise, he saith further, that we must not weep for our brethren, when it pleaseth God to call and deliver them out of this world; for well I know that they are not lost, but gone before, and have the start of those who tarry behind. We may desire and look after them, as men do for their friends, who are going some voyage, or who take shipping to sail, and go to land in a good port. But we must not bewail them, nor here wear black mourning habits, seeing they have already received white robes in heaven. It becomes us not to give occasion to Heathens justly to tax and reprove us, if they see by an inordinate love our countenance appalled and aghast thinking them utterly lost, and annihilated, whom we hold and maintain to be alive with God, and if they perceive it witnessed evidently enough by our mind, that we condemn the faith we profess with our mouths. In this case we over throw our faith, and our hope, which we could not say but to proceed of hypocrisy. It is nothing to show ourselves hardy in words, if we evert and destroy the truth with our doings and deeds.  
It is time to conclude this Chapter. We say then that the anxieties of mind, maladies, perplexities, and apprehensions of so many deaths which do spurn and kick against us, do silently and tacitly cry unto us, and exhort us with speed to lift up our eyes to Christ jesus the fountain of life, to the communion we have with him, also to the blessings already received of him, and to those, which the hope which makes us not afraid, doth assuredly expect. And following the counsel of S. Basile in his Treatise, that thanks must always be given to God; Let us not put our affiance and trust in man, nor let us say with the ignorant vulgar, death hath taken from me all my succour and help, my father, my husband, my son, the comfort of my old age, the prop and pillar of my house: Who hath commanded you to moor your ancher of hope in such a little lump of dust as man is? What age is privileged from the hands of death? What a one is he who by covenant made with us protesteth that he will be the God of their fathers, and of their children to a thousand generations, who love & fear him! Shall we forget him, who makes so kind a proffer of himself to us, to imagine & forge to ourselves succours and helps of straw and of wind? Let the ancher of our sure and steadfast hope sink into the veil of heaven, and let it be sticking fast in the throne of God. It shall there be a brazen bulwark for us, a wall of fire. Let Christ be our life in death, in him let death be our gain. Let us say with jeremiah in the 17. Chapter, Blessed be the man, which trusteth in the Lord, whose confidence the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the water, which spreadeth out her roots by a flowing river, which shall not feel when the heat shall approach, her leaf shall be green, and shall not wither in the year of drought, and shall not cease to yield her fruit. Let us further amass and gather some words from the same Prophet; O Lord thou art the hope of thy Church; those that forsake thee shall be confounded, for they have forsaken the fountain of living waters. Heale those that are thine, O Lord, then shall they be in rest: save them, and none shall be able to hurt them. Leave them not forlorn, and in a desperate plight, thou which art their hope in the day of affliction. Let their despairing and hopeless enemies be confounded; and let them rest in safety under the shadow of thy wings.   

CHAP. XIX. Of the resurrection of the bodies, and of the immortality of humane souls.  
THE Apostle speak to very good purpose in the 15. chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians, that if our hope should be in Christ jesus in regard of this present life only, our condition should be more miserable than other men's, seeing that true Christians are continually exposed to diverse afflictions, and from time to time do suffer great tortures & troubles. But what would it avail to live in the world, and there to subsist and be a thousand years, if it be in the fire of calamities and sundry oppressions? There cannot then be proposed unto us, a more certain refuge and help, nor a more sweet comfort and support against the miseries and infirmities of this present life, than the assured hope of the resurrection to a better life. When we shall bear about us no longer the image of the first earthly man, but of the second, who is the heavenly Adam; and that this corruptible and mortal body shall put on incorruption and immortality. The sure confidence of Christians, is the resurrection from the dead, wherein we shall have a glorious body, which shall be so reunited to the blessed soul, and the soul again to the body, that we may be for ever with our head, fully replenished with everlasting joy in the presence of God. The Heathens, enemies of Christian religion, have especially impugned this Article of the resurrection of the body. And which is more, many of their Philosophers have spoken doubtfully of the immortality of the soul. At this time, to the end to confirm our faith, our hope, and assured consolation, we will consider the grounds of these two Articles, aswell by the nature of things, and by certain conceptions, as by the sound resolutions rehearsed in the holy Scriptures. Certainly, as Gregory the great said in his Morals, That those who have not learned from the Scripture, the doctrine of the Resurrection, aught to learn it of nature. For what do men daily observe in the continual medley and blending of the Elements, whereof all visible things are composed, but proofs of the resurrection of the dead? We see by the vicissitude and revolution of time, the Plants and Trees to lose their green leaves, which whither and fall off when Winter comes, after in the Spring to sprout forth again, and the earth to become green & gay as before. If the small kernels of so many several seeds, somewhat before, or at the Spring do grow, shoot up, and become so great, that they are Plants and young Trees in the Summer, or in the Autumn following; Shall we say that the same God, who hath given this virtue to seeds, is not able to do as much in the most noble of his creatures, and made expressly for his glory? Christ jesus propoundeth this argument, when he saith in the 12. Chapter of S. john, Verily, verily, I say unto you, if the wheat corn falling into the earth do not dye, it abideth alone, but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit, And S. Paul in the fifteenth Chapter of the first to the Corinthians, Vers. 35. etc. But some man will say, How are the dead raised up, and with what bodies, come they forth? O fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die, and as for that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that which shall come up again, but bare corn as it falleth, of wheat, or of other grain. But God giveth it a body as he will, and to every seed his own body.  
The Patriarch job, in his fourteenth Chapter, describing the frailty of our life in earth, prayeth God in these terms; Turn from the man that is afflicted, let him be at rest till he come to the end of his life, as a hireling. Then he addeth: For if a Tree be cut down, there is hope, and it will yet sprout, and his branches shall not fail: Although the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof be dead in the ground, yet feeling water it will bud and bring forth bows, as a Tree newly planted: But man dyeth, and all his strength is gone, yea man breatheth out his last gasp, then where is he? These are the complaints of job, extremely afflicted, beholding in his condition, the condition of such like himself, not speaking precisely, nor determinately, much less after the manner and meaning of Epicures. On the contrary, both his words of the tree cut down, and growing green again, and that which he addeth presently after, makes it plain what sense and feeling he had in his soul, of the doctrine concerning the resurrection. The waters (saith he) flow from the Sea, and the River decays and is dried; so man's lies in the earth, and riseth not to wake again, till the heavens be no more, they shall not to wake, and they shall not be awakened from their sleep. It is well said, for our bodies being cut off, and laid upon the earth, and in the earth, in the day of death shall take root again, have bud and fruit, that is, shall live again. They shall indeed rest in the earth, until the end of the world: And as S. Peter declareth in the third Chapter of his second Epistle, Verse 10. The day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night: In that day the heavens shall pass away, with a whizzing tempestuous noise, (It is that which job denoteth by these words, There shall be no more heavens) and the Elements shall melt with heat, and the earth and all the works therein shall be quite burnt up. But moreover, the same Patriarch maketh a plain confession of his faith, upon this Article in the 19 Chap. Vers. 25. saying; As for me, I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand the last day on the earth, and although after my skin, worms destroy this body, I shall see God in my flesh, whom I myself shall see, and mine eyes shall behold him, and none form. So than it may be demonstrated from the first testimony of the tree cut down, after growing green again, that the resurrection of the flesh is not above, nor beyond, beside, nor against nature. Notwithstanding we acknowledge, that the mighty power of God shall then be seen, as it was when he raised up Christ jesus shut up in the grave, as the Apostle witnesseth, Rom. 1. 4. Ephes. 1. 19 20. And in the third Chapter of the Philippians, at the end; From heaven (saith he) we look for the Saviour, and the Lord jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned and made conformable to his glorious body, according to the working and efficacy, whereby he is even able to subdue all things to himself.  
Among the ancient Theologians S. Basil doth propose, and set out an image of the resurrection in those Infects, which we call Silk worms. Wherefore do you wonder (saith he, in his exposition of the six days) at the change which shall be of our bodies at the day of the resurrection? Seeing you see so many mutations and changes in the very insectes, especially in the horned Indian worm. It is first a Caterpillar, which turns to a Silkworm. Moreover, it keeps not this form, but is changed into a Butterfly. You, those women, who artificially wind up your quills and bobbins of silk, and so cunningly and wittily twisted on your fine skeins and clues, to make the most costly and curious garments that can be worn; Remember you the diversity of this admirable worm, to gather from it a clear and certain testimony of the resurrection, and believe that one day our bodies shall be otherwise, than they be in this present life, and in the grave. Tertullian in the book which he penned of the resurrection of the flesh, confirmeth this Article of our faith, by reasons worthy memory. What difference is there at the first beginning to give us our life, and after to restore it again? We cannot despise the flesh of man, except we would also despise the Lord and Creator of the same flesh. The earth, from whence the body of our flesh was taken, is vile; but that which is abject and contemptible in his original, may be excellent in regard of his very subsistence and matter. Gold is but yellow earth, and yet is much more precious than any other earth. Do we call the flesh vile, wherein God hath infused the breath of his Spirit? which the Son of God hath prised, hath willed to be baptised, and commanded to receive the holy signs of the Sacrament with thanksgiving? True it is, that the works of the flesh, that is, of man's nature corrupted by sin, are condemned, but not the flesh itself, which the Son of God hath resumed, and taken into the unity of his person, being God-man everlastingly. Moreover, the accomplishment of the last judgement should be imperfect, if the whole man should not appear there, to the end that he who hath suffered in his body, for the confession of the truth, may receive remission and repose, and that he whosoever, hath made the members of his body slaves to execute wickednesses, may be punished. Also, it is meet that we should take upon us to span with our fingers, and measure with our arm the miracles of God, who alone (as all people who are not altogether brutish do avouch) doth wonderful works, of purpose that there might be many choice and rare things in the world, and not to be paralleled, whereof the reason is hid from us, though we see the things themselves. But there is a great difference between the destruction or annihilation, and the change of nature. As we believe the resurrection of this our flesh, so is it certain that the nature of the same flesh, shall subsist and remain in the life eternal: But the condition shall be changed, in as much as this flesh, vile and miserable, shall be made glorious and happy. These are some proofs brought by Tertullian.  
Lactantius Firmianus in his Book of the Heavenly Reward, Chap. 23. observeth, That the Pagan Philosophers, who desired to discourse of the last resurrection, have confounded and soiled this Article of our faith, as all the Poets have done. Pythagoras' maintained, that the soul did transmigrate and pass out of one man's body into another's, and that he himself in the Trojan war was Euphorbus. Chrysippus the Stoic hath made a better answer, who in his Book, De Providentia, discoursing of the restauration of the world, addeth; This being so, we see that it is not impossible that after our death, at the end of the revolutions of some ages, we may be restored again into the state and condition wherein we are now. But (as Lactantius addeth) the faith of Christians is much otherwise, and their hope much more certain. For they undoubtedly believe the resurrection of the flesh, confirmed by most sacred and invincible proofs of the holy Scripture, by the promises of God, and by the motions of the Spirit, which raised up Christ jesus from the dead; as the Apostle declares it in the eight Chapter to the Romans, saying, If the Spirit of him that raised up jesus from the dead, dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall quicken also your mortal bodies, because of the Spirit dwelling in you. True it is, that the wicked shall rise again in their bodies, but this shall not be for any communion they have with the body of Christ jesus, nor with his Spirit, but simply by the absolute power of God, who shall give them again their being, life, and motion to suffer the second death, being for ever damned in their bodies and souls. So then, such a resurrection cannot be counted grace, nor called regeneration, nor a resurrection to life, but a repairing to condemnation, whereof S. john writes these words in the twentieth Chapter of the Apocalips, Verse eleventh, etc. I saw a great white throne, and one that sat on it, from whose face fled away the earth and the heaven, and their place was no more found. I saw the dead great and small standing before God, and the Books were opened, and another Book was opened, which is the Book of Life, and the dead were judged by the things which were written in the books, according to their works, and the Sea gave up her dead which were in her, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were jon them, and they were judged every man according to their works. And the wicked were cast into the lake of fire: this is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life, was cast into the lake of fire.  
Blessed then be God the Father of our Lord jesus Christ, who by his great mercy hath regenerated us into a lively hope by the resurrection of Christ jesus from the dead, to obtain an incorruptible inheritance, which cannot be defiled, nor fade away, reserved in the heavens for us, who are kept by the power of God through faith, to have the salvation prepared to be revealed at the last day: wherein we rejoice, being now made heavy by diverse temptations, as it is meet, to the end that the trial of our faith, much more precious than gold, (which perisheth and yet is tried in the fire) may turn to our praise, honour, and glory, when jesus Christ shall be revealed, who speaketh thus unto us in the person of his Disciples, in the beginning of the 14. Chapter of S. john. Let not your hearts be troubled; You believe in God, believe also in me: There are many dwelling places in my Father's house: I go to prepare a place for you, and when I shall be gone hence, and shall have prepared a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself, that where I am, there may you be also. Then shall be the true regeneration, and restauration of God's children, when the soul emptied of all error, ignorance, and malice, shall be filled with new illumination, perfect righteousness and holiness, when the body clothed with glory and immortality, shall see death swallowed up in victory. In him there shall be no fainting, dec●ying drooping, nor old age. The bodies of the Saints saith S. Augustine, in the 19 chap. of his Manuel) shall rise again without blemish, without deformity, without corruption, heaviness, or impediment; This shall as easily be done, as their felicity shall be consummated: for which cause we call them spiritual, although their bodies ought still to remain, not to be changed into Ghosts and Spirits. As for the corruption which now presseth down the soul, and the vices by whose means the flesh lusteth against the spirit, such flesh shall cease to be, because it could not be able to possess the Kingdom of God. In regard of the substance of the same flesh, it shall not be abolished, but still remain, but everlastingly glorified. For this cause S. Paul said, That the body being sown a fleshly body shall rise again a spiritual body; because there shall be so strong an union between the soul and the body, that the soul making the body to live without any supply of nourishment, and having no more combat and striving within us between the spirit and the flesh, all being then spirit, we shall not feel any enemies, assaults, nor dangers whatsoever, without, nor within, but shall be replete, compassed about, saciated, crowned with permanent glory. Behold, as touching this point of the resurrection of the flesh. The belief of this Article encourageth all Christians, but particularly wise old men, patiently to bear their infirmities and maladies; remembering the counsel of the Apostle S. Peter, in the third Chapter of his second Epistle; Seeing that so it is (saith he) that the heavens and the earth must be dissolved, what manner of persons ought we to be in holy conversation, and holy works? looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of the Lord, by whom the heaven being set on fire shall be dissolved, and the Elements shall melt with heat. But according to his promise we look for new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore beloved, seeing ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. Let us strengthen this Article of the resurrection by the notable sayings of S. Paul to the Corinthians, Chap. 5. of the 2. Epistle. We must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that every man may receive according to what he hath done in his body, be it good or evil. Knowing then the terror of the Lord, we persuade men to the faith, and we are made manifest to God. And that which he saith at the end of the fourth Chapter of the first to the Thessalonians. This we say unto ye by the word of the Lord, that we which shall live and remain to the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which sleep. For the Lord himself with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the Trumpet of God shall descend from heaven, and those which are dead in Christ shall rise first, afterward we which shall be alive and remain, shall be caught up with them also in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. O how great occasion have young and old, who read these things, to think upon and consider their consciences!  
Let us add some lineaments of the immortality of man's soul; not that we think that any good man doth call in doubt this truth: but because we cannot too much fortify young nor old against the bloody scoffings, & execrable blasphemies of Epicures & Atheists, with whom the earth is covered in these latter times. Many ancient Philosophers, as Pythagoras, Pherecydes, the Platonistes, and the Stoics, have set forth many sayings of the immortality of the soul, as much as they could learn out of the School of Nature; And yet (as Lactantius declares it, in his 7. book of Divine Institutions) seeing they were ignorant, wherein the sovereign good of man doth consist, unlearned in the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles, they apprehended not any thing of the truth of this Article, but by uncertain opinion, and conjecture, rather than by assured knowledge. Yea, which is worse, some of them, first Dicaearchus, than Democritus, and after them Epicurus, have disputed against the immortality of souls. Cicero himself, who otherwise doth eloquently harang and plead this cause in the first book of his Tusculane questions, having examined diverse opinions, is at a demur & doubt even to say, that it belongs to some god, to scan and to see which of all these diverse opinions are maintained saith he, because these diverse opinions are maintained by learned men, we cannot well conjecture, which of them all is to be received. But as Lactantius saith, we to whom God manifesteth his truth, need not to conjecture.  
But the source and spring of error upon this point is, that those who have questioned the certainty of the immortality of the soul, have stood too much upon their own conceits and understanding, judging false and incomprehensible whatsoever was out of the reach of their apprehension. Their reasons are well set forth and fitly confuted in the second and third Chapter of the Book of Wisdom, as it followeth. The wicked have falsely imagined with themselves, our life is short, and full of vexation, and in the death of man there is no recovery, and it was never known that any returned from the grave. For we are borne at adventure, and shall be as if we had never been, because the breath of our nostrils is as smoke, and our words as a spark rising up out of our heart, which being extinguished, our body is turned into ashes, and our spirit vanisheth as soft air. Come then and let us frolic it with the pleasures that are present, cheerfully using the creatures, and our youth; let us fill ourselves with the best wine, and with perfumes, etc. It is added also after; The wicked have thus erred, and gone astray, because their wickedness hath blinded them, and they have not understood the mysteries of God, nor hoped for the reward of holiness, and have not discerned what is the reward of the souls that are faultless. For God created man to be incorruptible, having made him to be an Image of his own nature and likeness, but through the envy of the Devil, death is come into the world, and those which hold on his side prove it. But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die, & their end was grievous. At their departure from us, they seemed utterly destroyed, but they are in peace. They suffered pains before men: their hope was full of immortality: having been lightly, or in few things punished, they shall be plentifully rewarded, because God hath proved them as gold, and hath found them worthy of him. They shall judge the Nations, and shall have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever. Those which trust in him shall understand the truth, and the faithful shall remain with him in love; For grace and mercy is to his Saints, and he hath care of his elect. But the ungodly shall be punished for their very imaginations, who have made no reckoning of the righteous, and have rebelled against the Lord. For wicked is he, who despiseth Wisdom and Discipline; their hope is vain, their labours help them not, and their works are unprofitable.  
From these words we gather, that the abominable opinion of the mortality of the soul openeth the window to error, and letteth go the raynes to all impiety and dissolution. Whereunto doth sort and agree the scoffing speeches of Epicures and profane ones, to elude and shift off the judgements of God denounced unto them, of which Esaiah in the 22. Chapter, and Saint Paul in the 15. Chapter of the 1. to the Corinthians make mention: Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die: Let us be frolic and merry, we have but one day more to live; This is the reckoning of these clamourers and brawlers, who deaf and trouble our ears with their discourses and reasons.  
Moreover, this Text of the Book of Wisdom discovereth the profaneness of these sensual, and carnal men, to proceed from this, that they judge of the soul of man according to their gross imaginations to wit, that it is no other but a respiration, a breath, and vapour of smoke: not considering there is great difference between the effect and the cause, that is, between respiration which proceeds from the lungs, and is conveyed to the nostrils, or to the mouth, and the soul itself, which is that essential spirit, which formeth man, yea, doth many things without the adiument and help of the body, witness her speculations, deep imaginations, profound meditations, she being never idle and without motion, when the body is fast a sleep and stirs not. Although then that respiration ceaseth, the natural faculties of the heart and lungs being suffocated, and leaving their office, the soul created to the image of God is not stifled, and abolished; so as there is great difference between it and the souls of Beasts, which being form with the bodies of the same matter that the bodies are, do perish also as the bodies, and with them: whereof it is, that the Beasts do suour the earth, and desire nothing but that which is earthy, and of the earth: Man on the contrary (as the wisest of the Heathens, especially Plato and Cicero in diverse passages of their writings do observe) hath a divine and heavenly soul, which being enfranchised and delivered out of the prison of the body returneth to the place of his original; And the more generous the mind of man is, the more he lusteth after and desireth heavenly things, meditating and looking for a better state and condition, than he enjoyeth in this present life. From thence it cometh to pass, that he despiseth losses and troubles, calamities, wounds, and death itself, holding it a great honour to yield up his soul in some valiant and virtuous exploit, and enterprise for the service and safety of his Country, to the end to go to the other life, where good men have their reward. Sallust saith, that the virtuous effects and sufferings of the mind, are no less immortal than the soul itself, which to us is common with God, but the body assimilateth and agreeth with the beasts.  
Another reason hath strongly persuaded the ancient Philosophers to believe the immortality of man's soul: That God should seem otherwise unjust, if he should suffer the vau-neantes, treacherous, dissolute to prosper in the world, after to escape his vengeance: and good men, who are industrious, and employ themselves to preserve humane society, should utterly perish in death, without hope of rest at the end of their travails, and of joy after so many disquiets and griefs of mind, and of a crown at the end of so many thousand fought battles and combatts.  
Undoubtedly, profane persons, who are bold to think and affirm the soul of man to be mortal, do abolish as much as in them lies, all piety and religion, they overthrow all virtuous and laudable actions and enterprises, and as S. Ambrose very well saith in his exposition of the work of the six days, they are madd-men.  
Furthermore, what is more avers, preposterous, and ill beseeming, then to have a strait body, and a crooked soul, always grovelling and stooping to the earth, never lifting or rousing up itself toward heaven her true dwelling place? But as God our creator hath plainly instructed us in his word touching the original, end and sovereign good of man: It is also from the same word, that we must gather the infallible doctrines which we do handle. Man's soul was not composed of the elements, nor fabricated, or form of the dust of the earth, but the Lord God inspired it, and endowed it with diverse gifts. Little children do obtain even a soul of God their creator, to wit, a reasonable soul, not of the seed of their fathers and mothers, but by the singular favour and benefit of him, whom the Apostle (Hebr. 12.) calleth the Father of spirits, and not without cause: For although that he be the father of our bodies, yet notwithstanding he created not our souls by corporal helps; but hath placed them in our bodies as excellent lamps and lights, as Solomon speaks of them. Prov. 20. 7. We call them immortal for two reasons: first, by reason of their essence, which is spiritual and originary, or primary from God the giver of it. Secondly, in regard of the grace (peculiar to the children of God) for so much as we have communion with jesus Christ, the eternal Word of the Father, the Prince and author of life. This immortal and eternal life is the true happy life, and so much to be desired, so much recommended in the Scripture whereof Saint Paul saith, The just shall live by faith, Rom. 1. 17. Also, who believeth in me hath eternal life. john 6. 47. And the Apostle saith, jesus Christ hath abolished death, and brought life and immortally unto light through the Gospel, 2 Timoth. 1. 10. For although the souls of the wicked in regard of their essence, sense, and motion, be immortal, nevertheless they suffer death in as much as they are deprived of the justice, light, beatitude, and glorious life of God, upon which cause the wicked who triumph, and brave it for a while in the world are called dead, and after this present life it is said, that they go into condemnation, and into eternal death because the state wherein they are then to be and remain in perpetual torments, deserveth rather the name of death, than life.  
Profane people talk they know not what, in objecting unto us, that never any came from the other world, as they babble and prattle, to tell news of them. O the greatest fools and idiots among people! O silly sots! will they be still mad? miserable, and more brutish them beasts, who believe nothing but what they see with their eyes and touch with their hands! According to their babble they ought to give over to believe, that they do participate of reason, seeing they do not see their soul: Let them give over to believe that our friends dwelling remote and far from us, do live and are at their ease and content, desiring to see us again, and that because we see them no more. But to proceed, it is not simply true, that never any returned from the other life; on the contrary, the Histories of the Old and New Testament do furnish us with examples, of men and women, of young striplings and damsels raised again from death.  
The Prince of our faith, the head of all Christians, our Lord jesus descending from heaven to assume our humane nature in earth, hath told us ample and gladsome news, of the state of heaven and of life eternal. His ascension to heaven in body and soul is an assured pledge, that we also shall ascend into heaven in our bodies and souls. S. Paul caught up into the third heaven, where he was informed of the high and deep mysteries and secrets of God, from thence came to tell us afterward many particularities of the Church. Christ jesus is in heaven, and we shall live there. For although that death dissolve the body into dust, from whence it was taken; death cannot let the soul to return to him, that gave it. And when we die, young and old, let us after the example of Christ jesus, and of David recommend our souls to God, rendering them into his hands, as into the hands of a most faithful keeper and guardian of them; And let us say with S. Stephen, Lord jesus receive my soul: being well assured that at the same hour, when it shall be fit for us to go out of this present life, we have part in that gracious promise of the son of God, made to the sinner converted, Verily I say unto thee, that this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise. This is the sweet voice, which still ought to be sounding in the heart of the wise Vieillard, to the end that being at the point to leave this world, as his age plainly shows him, his conscience do not smite and check him, to be a profane person and a contemner of God, to be obdurate and hardened in his sins, and that Satan bawl not in his ears, that seeing thou hast delighted in nothing but to satisfy thy lusts, to follow thy affections and desires, that thou art an hypocrite, a liar, murderer, an unclean person; in effect that thou hast loved nothing but the world, that thou hast not carried the name of a Christian, but to live in all carnal licentiousness, renouncing the guide-ship of the spirit of truth, and holiness, thou shalt speedily be with me in hell. Wise old men lift up your thoughts to the meditation of this doctrine of the Resurrection of our bodies, and of the immortality of men's souls, joining to it the last Article of our Faith, to say in fervour and joy of spirit; I believe the life everlasting.   

CHAP. XX. The conclusion of the Work, with a serious Exhortation to Old and Young: Also two prayers for wise old men.  
WHat resteth more, but to wish, that that which hath been spoken upon so worthy a Subject in the former chapters, may be carefully pondered and thought upon by old men, who have any sense or feeling of their condition before God, who are not ungrateful for his benefits, and who aspire to a perfect renovation. I was willing to abridge my Discourse, knowing that a short speech suiteth to old men, who love to talk, hear, read, and that practised precepts do better fit them then much talk and discourse. Seeing then that they have but a little way to go, it is reason that they speak many things in few words, remembering what the wise man hath said so long ago in his first Chapter of his Ecclesiastes. That there is no end in making many Books, and that so much study is but a weariness which we put ourselves to. I grant that it is so, especially when we let go the bridle, and give way and head to such curious and infinite disquisitions, bawl, and controversies, unworthy the age and quality of old men. For otherwise Solomon himself confesseth, that the words of the wise are as goads, and that the masters who make huge volumes are as nails, and stakes fast driven in up to the head. For the Church likewise is the park or fold, wherein the flocks of the chief shepherd of Souls are gathered, to keeps and contain them in their obedience and duty by the declaration of sound doctrine, uttered with a lively voice, and set down in print and writing. If this compiled Volume and Library of many Masters and Doctors may serve to young and old; to myself who am freed from the errors and aberrations of young age, and who am growing old, if the year, commonly called Climacterical, aught to be held for the threshold of old age, I shall have well spent and employed some hours of my leisure.  
Whatsoever success it hath, I first invite young men, who betimes aught to lay foundations of a comely and settled old age, to remember themselves, that men have occasion to hope well of them, when they see them soberly and constantly frequent the company and are conversant with wise old men, are advanced to places of charge in the Commonweal, or are employed in the service of the Church, or are well seen or experienced in domestic affairs. Those which see young men thus careful cannot but greatly rejoice, and assure themselves that after their times humane society will be mainetained and kept entire, in good case and state, and that her breaches and decays shall find men, who indeed will be able to lay their helping hands to it. A young Orator should have his wit furnished with argument enough, if he would amplify and discuss the evils and miseries, which do compass us about, and would purpose and set forth the good things and commodities which we want. Whence do proceed so many miseries? God hath taken away from us many wise old men, many true Fathers, and men always affected and forward to procure whatsoever was for his glory, and the Commonweal. Let posterity judge more sound than we of what we do want. We do not lance this imposthume. It is but too much said, if we say that almost all, young and old, are the slaves of pride, of dissoluteness, of avarice, of vanity, in fine borne to the servitude & slavery of vices, and to the hatred of virtues.  
What doth this servitude beget and bring forth? Another so lamentable as nothing more. Young men open your eyes, to the end that your fathers, mothers, families, may take true comfort in your virtuous proceedings, that your country may receive honourable service from you: resemble (as the Prophet saith in the Psalm 127.) Arrows shot out of a strong bow: Speak in the assemblies and common counsels, for piety, justice, temperance, and stoutly procure the suppression of vice, and the advancement of virtue.  
Let young men be such as the Apostle commandeth, Titus 2. 6. to wit, sober minded, to the end (that according to their usual wishes and desires) they may be strong of body and mind, well respected, well willed, esteemed, and commended, with all the privileges and immunities, whereof the dissolute and vicious have no part. And what madness is it, not to be willing to be employed always in doing that which they ought willingly and cheerfully to do? Let young men be such able men, that they may overcome the malignant one, as the most wise and well-beloved Disciple of the Lord requires them to be, in the second Chapter of his first Epistle. Above all, I pray them that (to crown their age with true praise) they be sober, that they respect ancient men, bearing with the lumpishness and sourness of those, who have done them many good turns and services, and who are still able to help and further them much. For hardly can young age decay and wrong itself more, then in appearing, ungrateful, sullen, churlish, and insolent to aged persons.  
I come now toyou venerable and reverend old men, beseeching you in the name of the Lord our common Father, to think that your undoubted praise, peace, felicity, assured health consisteth in this; That you be (according to the Apostles doctrine) sober, grave, meek, sound in the faith, abounding in charity, patience, and wisdom. The Emperor justinian in a certain Edict addressed to Christians, saith, That the first degree of salvation, consisteth in an open confession of the true faith. The knowledge of true and comfortable Antiquity consisteth, according to Saint john in the second Chapter of his first Epistle, In this, if the Fathers know him, who is from the beginning. Let wise old men profit in such knowledge, and let them not be weary to go on, and be forward scholars therein, even until with unspeakable joy, they behold the glorious face of the Ancient of days, and be entertained in his heavenly Palace. Honour is the nutriment of old men, so also is hope, yea that hope which maketh not ashamed, the assured hope of a better state and condition, and that taste which we have, even of the contemplation of God in this present life, is the sound food and solid substance of wise old men. But let us grow old in such sort, that we may make a good end: that it be not reproached unto us in God's presence, that the last years of our life, have been the worst of all; But let us strive to partake of that singular benediction, contained in the end of the Song of the wise Deborah, in the fifth Chapter of the History of the judges; That those who love God, shall be as the Sun going forth in his strength. It is not to decline, but to rise even to midday. Our midday is to continue such, never to decline.  
Not only old age, but the world also is in a decline. Let us then lift up our eyes to the East above, let us behold the Son of righteousness, let us turn our faces that way, lest we perish with the world.  
When we shall be departed hence (saith Saint Cyprian against Demetrius) there will be no more time to repent, satisfaction shall have no more effect: In this world we lose or save life. Let no man then be hindered by his sins, or by the years of his life, to come to the salvation which is offered unto him. There is no repentance too late to him that remains yet in the world. The gate to obtain pardon of God is open: those which seek and follow the truth close, shall without difficulty approach to it. Although you be ready to topple into your grave, and have not much longer to live, if you pray the only true God to pardon your sins, confessing them unto him, and calling upon him in faith unfeignedly, who hath manifested himself unto you, your request shall be granted, his mercy shall give you grace to salvation, and you shall pass from death to eternal life. Christ affordeth us part of such grace, he giveth us that excellent present of his mercy, having slain and put death to death for us by the Trophy of his Cross, redeeming whosoever believeth in him by the price of his blood, reconciling man to God, quickening him that is dead, by a heavenly regeneration. If it be possible let us follow after this Saviour, let us be taken and recognized for his Soldiers, let us fight under his banner. It is he which openeth unto us the passage to life, which doth bring and set us up again in the possession of Paradise, which doth guide us to the Kingdom of heaven: we shall live altogether with him, who hath made us the children of God, and being restored by his precious blood, we shall enjoy joy for ever in his presence. We shall be glorified with our head, blessed in God the Father, have our fill of gladness and everlasting happiness in his presence, whom we shall thank without ceasing. And truly whosoever acknowledging his miseries past, hath been made assured of immortal life, it cannot be but he will be always joyful, and render continual thanks to God. These are the sayings of S. Cyprian; the meditation of which we do recommend to the wise Vieillard, and for to excite and stir him up yet the more thereunto, we do present unto him these two Prayers following.  
O Lord my God, who hast given to man life, upon condition to be a while on the earth, and then to go thence by death, to the end to admonish me that there is a better life, heavenly and eternal; Grant me thy grace, I beseech thee, that as always I ought, to think by all means to live holily, so now I may endeavour to depart happily out of this world: Let the hope to behold speedily and out of hand thy glory, remove from me the fear of death, that I may wait in joy for that day, wherein that approaching and everlasting liberty shall unlose me from the chains of my sins, which do so mightily overload me. Let this hope uphold me so, that I may make no reckoning of any transitory thing, and let humane affections be so mortified in my frail members, that I may not desire to begin again, or to continue my course, but to be soon at an end. Grant that I may not be careful for this wretched body, and this decayed building, but so much only as may be fit for this short life, which remains for me to use. Especially, fortify my mind against the many impostures, and guiles of Satan, which do compass me about on every side. I am ashamed that I am become a child again, and worse than a young man, who doth forge years to himself, and doth dream of immortalities in the shadow of death. Suffer not this fond confidence of linger still in the earth, insensibly to steal away my life from me, so as without thinking on it, and too late, I shall find myself at the end of it, surprised, and suddenly taken, desperate and past hope; whereupon would follow a vain complaint, to have wretchedly cast away thy graces, to see myself shackled with an unsupportable chain, and from which I fear to be loosed. My life is between my lips, why then should I pant, and sigh after transitory things? What have I any more to do with the profits, and commodities of this life? My weaknesses do bid me enough to turn my back to all infamous lendnesse and licentiousness, and, O my God, though I should be stronger than I am, should it be to offend thee? My sight is dim, and decays, my hearing is dull and deaffed; should I revive these dead senses, with the remembrance of old pleasures and new also? O let me not, with new crimes and sins, increase and add to mine iniquities past! And if thy favour hath upheld me in my young age, oh let me not abuse it in old age, or vilely sink into the bottomless gulf of death, notwithstanding so many graces of thine, for which I am bounden and indebted to thine infinite goodness, and am to make account before thy judgement seat. Thy holy Angels, shall they mourn ever me? Thy Spirit, shall it be made heavy in beholding me? My conscience shall it accuse me, to be hypocritical and malicious? Make this old age (O Lord) free from stupidity, and sottishness, from pollution, from weakness, talkativeness, from arrogancy, bragging, doting, from too much niggardship, and from unnecessary, vain, odious expenses; make me become charitable, honest, sober, temperate, always mindful of my near departure, and desirous of that immortality, which I hope for. In fine, let my old age have nothing that I may fear, nothing that my friends and enemies may lament or condemn. Let it be beloved and welcome unto me, in that it will make me shortly to return into thy heavenly Palace, where thou shalt wipe away the tears from mine eyes, where I shall see myself delivered from all sins, filled with thy grace, and closed about with blissful glory, in the holy company, who there continually magnify thee. O my God, deliver me from these so many cares and miseries, which do presseme down, to the end that at the hour of my departure I may follow thee with courage. Let this be my meditation continually: Let me be released from the vain employments, and businesses of this world, not setting myself to any thing, but that which directly concerns my calling, and behaving myself in such sort, that both those which dwell near me, and those which are far and remote from me, may from my behaviours and carriage, take example of piety, just dealing, and holy manners. Let me be an enemy to Atheism, and superstition, and sincerely addicted to thy service, according to the rules of thy word. Grant me I beseech thee this grace, that I may carefully meditate on whatsoever I have understood, or perceived of thy wisdom, power, and mercy in the ways of my life. That I may every day learn that, whereof to be ignorant, it would be both shameful unto me, and dangerous.  
Above all root out of my heart all wicked guile and craft, and grant me the grace to walk before thee in a sincere and honest heart, hating evil in myself more than in an other, to be a lover of plain dealing, of peace, of equity, of meekness, of purity, of innocence of life. Let these be the ornaments of mine age, and let thy spirit so direct, comfort, and strengthen me, that I may not be too much dejected, though I become deaf, blind, weak, & lame. Only let me have strength left and remaining, to praise and call upon thee to the last gasp, so as the weaknesses and decays of my body may be borne up by the supply of thy graces in my soul, which desires not to be and remain in this prison, but to bless and praise thee. Suffer me not to conceit still on months and years, but that at every step and moment of time, I may remember my departure out of this present life, that my whole thought may be, that I must once pay this debt, least being suddenly taken, I cast away my soul. When then the appointed time shall come, grant I beseech thee, that I may joyfully depart, and with fervent desire lift up myself to thee. Let thy goodness, O Lord my God, cause me to employ my last days to the study and meditation hereof, not fearing to leave and resign this life, whereby I shall no more offend thee, but shall glorify thee continually. The apprehension of so happy a day, which shall be the birth day of my eternal and unspeakable blessed being, let it make me to rejoice before thee my Lord, my God, my heavenly Father, through jesus Christ thy son my redeemer. Amen.  
O Eternal God and almighty, heavenly Father and merciful, which hast been my hope from the first day of my life, and during all the course of the same, and until this great age haste by infinite ways, caused me to feel thy providence, care, and protection, thou art he to whom I have recourse as to my God, my glory, my salvation. My legs are feeble, but I lift up myself upon the wings of my thoughts, even unto thee, who art my strength in infirmity, my light in so great darkness of my understanding, my life in death which compasseth me about, beseeching thee to be pleased to forget the sins of my youth, and to have no more remembrance of my transgressions, but remember thy faithful promises, to look upon the wounds and sufferings of thy son my pledge and Saviour, for whose love be pleased to pardon mine iniquities. Suffer me not, O my God, for ever to cast thee off and forsake thee. Be pleased to anoint the eyes of my soul with the salve of thy spirit, that I may continually behold thee, and that acknowledging myself a poor way-faring man, and a stranger in this world, as all my fathers were, I may earnestly aspire to thee, and to the country where the blessed are, and where thou hast prepared a place for all thine elect. Grant that I may see myself delivered out of the waves and storms of the dangerous Sea of this world: O Lord teach me to know mine end, and the number of my days, to the end that seeing that the flourishing state of this humane life hath no abiding, but is compassed with sorrows, and oppressed with labours and pains, and then the more dangerous when we least feel them, I may give myself to the study and exercise of that wisdom, which doth teach me to renounce the world, and myself, and to meditate upon the heavenly happiness of thy kingdom, to the end that my heart may be there where my treasure is, the head and spouse of the Church, and where thou hast prepared for them which love thee incomprehensible joys, through JESUS CHRIST, etc.   
FINIS.   

Errata.  
PAge 5. Line 21. for be, read, begun. p. 12. l. 14. for, from currant, r. or currant. p. 17. l. 16. for, midst was, r. nuddest whereof was. l. 1. for, and that, r. but that. l. 29. for, sight, r. scite. p. 18. l. 12. for, followeth, r. floweth. l. 23. for, made, r was. p. 19 l. 21. for, of days, r. of our days. p. 22. Chap. 4. l. 1. for, fearfulness, r. fearful fall l. 7. for, respectacle, r. receptacle. l. 22. for, age a, r. age is a p. 23. l. 13. for, down, r. done l. 15. for, crimes r. ruins p. 24. l. 12. for lineaments, r. ligaments. p. 27. l. 20. for, spin at, r spin out. p. 30. l. 3. for a wonder, r. no wonder. p. 31 l. 5. for, if this life, r. of his life p. 36 l. 27. for, to be proclaim, r. to proclaim, p. 10. l. 17. for, porportiall, r. proportional. p. 55. l. 3. for, wh, r. who. p. 58. l. 23. for, effect, r affect p. 99 l. 20. for, yovyg, r. young. p. 107. l. 16. themselves, r. themselves p. 120. l. 9 for, wit-r. witness.