THE DYING MAN'S Last Sermon. OR, The Father's last Blessing. Left, and bequeathed as a Legacy unto his Children, immediately before his Death. Being comfortable Meditations and Preparations for the day of death; which for the worth of them are more worthy to be written in letters of Gold, then with Ink and Paper.  
The twelfth Edition with Additions, By ANDREW JONES, a servant of Jesus Christ.  Job 14.1, 2. 
Man that is born of a woman, is of few days and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.  
London, Printed for Elizabeth Andrews, at the White Lion near Pie-corner. 1665.   

THE FATHER'S last Blessing, Left and bequeathed as a Legacy unto his Children a little before his Death.  
THe life of Christian is, or rather should be, a continued daily meditation on, or a preparation for the day of his death. The first man living was called Adam Gen. 2. which in the original signifies a clod of red earth: and he was arrayed and clothed by God with the skins of dead beasts, and adjudged to the Earth to dig and delve in it, God would have his very Name, his Apparel, his Employments, to be continual remembrancers of his original, and premonitours of his mortality. O that men were wise, that they understood this, that they would remember their latter end! For whatsoever a man's Wisdom, Birth, Beauty, Strength, or State be, his foundation is in the Dust: Dust thou art, and unto Dust thou shalt return. Gen. 3.19. There seems to be a  difference between a Cedar and a Shrub, a Vine and a Bramble, so long as they both grow together, but cut them down and burn them, and their ashes will be one and the same. In this mortal life, some men sit upon the Throne, others are grinding at the Mill; some go clothed in purple, and far deliciously every day as Dives did; and others like Lazarus, lie at rich men's gates, and have not so much as the crumbs of their table: but in the Grave there is no difference, there the poor and the rich are all one; the Worms feed as well on rich Dives, as on poor Lazarus: Kings and Emperors must submit to Death, and lay down their Crowns and Sceptres at the Grave.  
The Daughters of Jerusalem, as the Prophet Isaiah saith in the third Chapter and sixteenth Verse, which walk with stretched forth necks; and wanton enticing eyes, mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet, must at last drop into the grave. And they that glory in the nobleness of their Birth and Blood, must make their Beds in the Dust, and acknowledge Corruption for their Father, and the Worms for their Mother. Why then should sinful Dust and Ashes be proud. For we brought nothing with us into this world, and it is most certain we shall carry nothing with us out of this world, as the Apostle saith, 1 Tim. 6.7. And holy Job saith, Job 1.21. Naked came we out of our mother's womb and naked shall we return, etc. And the Apostle saith, Hebrews 9.27. It is appointed for all men once to die. There is nothing more certain than Death, and yet nothing more uncertain: most certain it is we must all die, but when, where, or how we must die, that is altogether uncertain.  
We read in the Scripture that all the Fathers died, Gen. 5. Adam the first man died; and Mechuselah the eldest man he died also. Abraham the friend of God, and father of all the faithful, he died, as you may read, Gen 25.8 And Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years. David a man after Gods own heart, who triumphed over all the host of the Philistims, and slew Goliath, 1 Sam. 17.49 yet was overcome by death, as you may read, 1 Kings 2.10. And Solomon the wisest of men was constrained to submit unto death as you may see, 1 Kings. 11.43. And Moses the servant of the Lord, he died, Deut. 34.5. And what man is he that liveth and shall not see death? For as wise men die, (saith the Psalmist, Psalm 49.10.) so likewise the fool, and the brutish person. We all, like the Disciples, run fast, who shall come first to the Sepulchre. We are no sooner born but we begin to die. Man that is born of a Woman is of few days, He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down, Job 14. 1, 2. In the morning they grow up and flourish, in the evening they are cut down and withered, saith Moses, Psalm 90. ver. 9 And holy Job saith, There is an appointed time for man upon earth, and God hath set bounds, beyond which he cannot pass, Job 7.1. At the end of his appointed time he must die; yet the time when is very uncertain, as also the manner how: For one dyeth in his full strength, and another in the bitterness of his soul. God will have us ignorant of the day of our death, that we might be ready every day. We are but Tenants at will, and know not how soon our great Lord and Landlord may eject us. Death surprised Abel in the field, Gen. 4.8. Ely sitting at the door. 1 Sam. 4.18. and Jobs Children a feasting, Job 1.18. Herod sitting on his throne, Acts 12.33. And as death itself is uncertain, so is the manner also uncertain; there is a natural death, and there is a violent death; a natural death is when a man, as a lamp goeth out, because there is no more oil left to feed it; and a violent death is when the soul is as it were thrust out of the body by some untimely accident. There is a timely death, when a man comes to his growth, in a full age, as a shock of corn cometh in his season, which every godly man doth, though he die never so soon, or never so young. And there is also an untimely death, (that is) when a man is cropped or cut off as an ear of Corn before it be harvest. And there is a linger death, when the soul is besieged with sickness, and so starved out of his habitation. And there is a sudden death, which strikes without giving warning, from which the Lord deliver us, And there is also a quiet death, a departing in peace, when the soul doth as it were steal out of the body.  
Josiah he ours by the wound of an arrow, 2 Chron. 35.23. Abimelech by the tall of a stone, Judg. 9 53. Wicked proud Jezabel is eaten up of dogs, 2 Kings 9 36. There are thousands of casualties and discases, and no man living knoweth what shall be his end: For unto God the Lord belong the issues of death, Psal. 68.20. There is but one way into the world, but there are a thousand ways out of the world. And we may all say of death as David of Ahimaaz, he is a good man and bringeth good tidings.  
For first, the death of the body frees us from the body of death, the Remainders of corruption.  
Secondly, the death of the body frees us from the misery and encumbrances of this life. So many are the miseries and afflictions of this life, that were it not for the hope of heaven, it would be worse than hell itself; cross afflictions come as fact upon its as Jobs Messengers. The life of man is tike a Winter's day, short and very cloudy: Few and evil are the days of this life, Gen. 45 9 Man that is born of a Woman is but of few days, but full of troubles, Job 14.1, 2. Lastly, death translates us from a prison to a palace, from a Scaffold to a Paradise, from a vale of miseries to a away all tears from our eyes, Rev. 21.4. Where there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; where we shall be perfectly free from all sin: therefore may we say with Solomon, Better is the dead then the living. And with St. Paul, To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain, Phil. 1.27.  
Every man with Balaam desires to die the drath of the righteous, Numb. 23.10. and in this they desire well: For to die well is a point of the highest concernment in the world; because either eternal life or eternal death depends upon it; for as the tree falls, so shall if lie. But to die well is not attainable, unless we have first learned the art of living well. A fair ●ay Bay have a foul evening, but a good life cannot have a bad death; for as David saith, Psal. 37.37. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace; therefore it is good always to be in readiness for death; and whensoever the will of the Lord is, willingly and cheerfully to submit unto it: for it is written, Rev. 14.13. Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord, for they rest from their labours, and their works do follow them. And. if we be dead in Christ, we shall also rise with Christ, Rom. 6.8. For when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory, Col. 3.4.  
And now my Son, as I have leisure and opportunity enough, so have I cause more then enough to meditate and prepare for death. I bless God, neither my prosperity nor my adversity hath made me a stranger to the thoughts of Mortality: for meditating on, and preparing for death, is never unseasonable, although the time and manner of death be always very uncertain. I bless God I am not so, old as to be weary of life, nor so bad as to be either afraid to die, or ashamed to live: my afflictions make me even sometimes desire to die; but when I consider that it is the glory of a Christian to die daily, I desire to conquer death by faith, and hopes of a better life. Blessed be God, I can look upon the sting of death as unpoisonous, although it may be sharp, because I know my Redeemer Jesus Christ hath taken it away by his death. I can say. and that truly; I never found so much life of Religion, the feast of a good conscience, as I have done since I came to converse so nearly with the thoughts of death. I do wholly desire to depend upon God, and submit to his will, both in life and death. I shall not think my life too long or too tedious, if God by prolonging it shall be pleased to give me fresh opportunities to do good thereby; neither shall I think my death too soon, whensoever the will of the Lord is to call for me: it is my honour and my erceeding great comfort that I can go as willingly to my grave, as to a bed of down, or roses; the will of God hath confined and concluded my will, I shall have pleasure in dying; for death cannot deprive me of more than I am willing to lose when God sees it fit, whose mercy I am confident will abundantly reward my loss, with the joys of heaven.  
My Son, the God of heaven and earth be thy portion; these are my last words, for now the time is come, that I must leave this world and go to a better: hitherto as a Father have I protected and directed you; but now my time being come, my days being but a span long, I must go hence, and shall be no more seen, Psalm 39.13. See therefore that you serve the Lord with all singleness and uprightness of heart in godly sincerity, and he will be a Father unto you in my stead. Keep a good Conscience all the days of your life, no to others, as you would have others to do to you; For that is the Law and the Prophets, saith our blessed Saviour, Mat 7. 12. And then when the time shall come, (which although you be young now, you know not how near it may lodge at this present; for many are living now that must die to morrow, who would weep if they knew they had so short a time to live) that when you shall lie upon your deathbed, death may not a frighten you, but may appear unto you (as blessed be God it doth now unto me) not in his ugly shapes and deformities, but stingless as a friend; thus shall you have comfort within you, that shall rejoice you when all out wards comforts sail you 〈◊〉 then every pain you feel shall be but as a pleasure unto your, because it shall prevent the pains of hell: then the grave shall not appear loathsome unto you, but sweet, because it was the Lord's bed, I bless God, I find the truth of this upon my own soul; and O that the mercies of God to me might move you and all others to love him, and to serve him to your lives end. And I charge thee before God, before whom I am presently to appear, that you honour God above all things daily and principally: let him be thy fear, and let him be thy dread, let him be thy counsellor, the joy and delight of thy soul; and be sure thou set God always before thy face, so will he be a lantern to thy feet, and a guide to thy paths. Labour strongly to suppress vice, and cralt virtue, strive to be in love with goodness; remember that thou must give an account of each idle hour, and very idle word, as our Saviour saith, Matth, 12.36. Let all thy actions then proceed from a good conscience, for thou shalt never thrive by such ways and means as God hath accursed; for that is a miserable gain that is gotten by the less of thy soul. For what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul. Matthew 16.26. Be always the same in the sight of God, for he seethe all men's actions be they never so secret: as thou appearest to be in the sight of men, take heed thou give no aid nor assistance to any wicked words or works, neither countenance wicked men in the least with thy company; for the faults of those whom thou favourest will be imputed to thee. Be not a follower of those that enrich themselves by unjust gain, for it is better to be poor with honesty, then rich by wickedness. Account that day lost in which thou hast not done or learned some good. Be more careful to keep thy word then thy money: acquaint thyself with such as are good and virtuous: look upon every thing here below as very uncertain, so shalt thou not rejoice overmuch in thy prosperity, nor be oversad or dismayed in adversity. And what counsel I give thee here for the present, be sure thou treasure it up in store for the time to come.  
My Son. saith Solomon, Prov. 1. etc. Hear the instruction of thy Father. Hear ye children the instructions of a Father, and attend to know understanding, then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, judgement, and equity, yea, every good path. Walk in the ways of good men, and keep the paths of the rightenous; for the upright shall dwell in the Land, and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and transgressors shall be rooted out. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee, bind them about thy neck, writ them upon the tables of thy heart, so shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Happy is the man that finds wisdom, that getteth understanding, for the merchandise of it is better than silver, and the gain thereof then fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her, and happy is every one that retains her. My Son keep sound wisdom and discretion, and let it not departed from thine eyes, so shall it be life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou liest down thou shalt not be afraid, for the Lord shall be thy confidence. Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do it. Enter not into the path of the wicked, go not in the way of wicked men; avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left, remove thy foot from evil. Be not over hasty to get riches, but consider it is the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow to it. Let not thine heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day. Be not among wine-bibbers, nor among riotous eaters of flesh for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. Look not upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its colour in the cup; for at the last it stingeth like a serpent. Devise not evil against thy neighbour, for he that deviseth to do evil, shall be called a mischievous person. Rejoice not when thine enemy falls, and let not thine heart be glad when be stumbleth, lest the Lord see it, and it displease him. Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy words to that which destroyeth Kings. It is not for Kings to drink wine, nor Princes strong drink; lest they drink and forget the Law. Open thy mouth for the dumb, open thy mouth: judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. Say not thou what is the cause that the former days were better than these, for thou dost not wisely imagine concerning that, but consider the work of the Lord; for who can make that straight which he hath made crooked, Eccles. 7.10, 13.  
And further, my Son I would have thee to consider seriously of what I have said, and remember this as the last words of thy dying Father: Fear God and keep his Commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil, Eccles. 12.13, 14.  
Thus having briefly admonished thee in the words of the Wiseman, I shall spend out my last breath in a word or two more, and I have done: it is some refreshment to my fainting spirits to consider how you have begun and spent some years in the experience of troubles, and exercise of patience; and indeed I had rather you should be good and afflicted, then great and socond in the world, I hope God hath designed you to both, having so early put you on the exercise of his Grances, Faith, Love, and Patience, which only will dipose you, so these princley endowments and improvements that may gain you the love and favour of all those that fear the Lord. With God I would have you begin, and with God I would have you end: you have begun well, the Lord bless you, go on end prosper; piety will make you prosperous, at least it will keep you from being miserable, Godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of the life to come, 1 tim. 4.8. Nor is he much a loser that loseth all yet saveth his own soul. I trust you have already tasted of that bitter cup whereof I have so deeply drunk. Above all, I would have you, as I hope you are already, well grounded and settled in Religion, and the ways of God, in which I charge you to persevere; for unless you be well grounded and settled in Religion, you shall never want temptations to destroy you. Therefore take here of averting any Faction whatsoever, for I have observed, that the Devil of Rebellion doth turn himself commonly into an Angel of Light and Reformation: when some men's consciences accuse them with Sedition and Heresy, they like the old Serpent pretend new light, and stop its mouth with the name and noise of Religion; and when Piety pleads for Peace and Patience, than they cry out Zeal, Zeal. Be sure always to keep up well-grounded Piety, and such Fundamental Truths as mend both hearts and lives of most men: and with an equal eye and impartial hand, distribute competent rewards to such as by well-doing shall deserve them, which will undoubtedly gain you both the hearts and savours of the best, yea, and the most too, who thought they be not good themselves will be glad to see the works of virtue sweetened by temporal rewards.  
And once more I do require you, and entreat you, as a Father, as a dying Father; that you never suffer your heart to receive the least dissatisfaction to the truth of Religion now established, which I have by experience found to be the best in the world, and nearest agreeing to the word of God. Happy times I have will attend you. The Lord bless you, and establish your soul in right ousness, that as you grow in years, so you may grow also in wisdom and goodness in grace and favour both with God and man. The Lord bless you, and make his face to shine upon you. And now behold I am ready to be offered up, and the time of my departure is at hand, I bless God I can say as St. Paul did, 2 Tim. 3.7, 8. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the Faith; henceforth therefore there is said up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteorus Judge shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but to all them also that love his appearing. And now I leave you, and go before you to a better Kingdom; and inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled, that fadeth not away, 1 Pet. 1.4. which the Lord hath prepared for me, and me for it, through the only and alone merits of my only and all sufficient Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; to whose blessed protection and mercy, I commend and leave you: and so farewell till we meet, if not on Earth, yet in Heaven.  
FINIS.   

Courteous Reader.  
THere is lately published an excellent and profitable Sermon, called, The Christians Blessed Choice. Likewise Christ's first Sermon. also, Christ's last Sermon. And the Christians best Garment. Also Heaven's Glory, and Hell's Horror. And the School of Grace. Also, A warning piece to the Slothful, Idle, Careless, Drunken, and Secure Ones of these last and worst of times. Very godly Books, and are but three pence price.  
Likewise 

1. England's Faithful Physician.  
2. The dreadful character of drunkard.  
3. Doomsday at hand.  
4. The Father's last Blessing to his children.  
5. The sin of Pride arraigned and condemned.  
6. The Black Book of Conscience.  
7. Peter's Sermon of Repentance.  
8. The Plain Man's Plain Pathway to Heaven.  
9 Death Triumphant.  
10. The Charitable Christian.    
All very necessary for these licentious times, and each of them being but of two pence price They are to be sold by Elizabeth Andrews, at the White Lion near Pie-corner.