FOr a sorowfull meeting , what more meet , then wordes , and songs , and sobs , and sighes of sorrowe ? speech with matter , matter with action , action with affection , affection with occasion should sympathize together . We haue here before our eyes a sad spectacle , a hearse couered with Sable weedes , a coffin filled with wormes and ashes ; fitting for which obiect , we haue singled out a doleful text , which doth intreat of nought but woes and sorrowes , of death , of teares , of pilgrimage , of the graue . Of death , by the power of sinne triumphing ouer life ; of teares , as the fruits of sinne weeping at the power of death ; of pilgrimage , as the lot of life trauelling vnto death , of the graue , as the home of pilgrimes and the house of death .

Then Sarah died . Here is the power of death triumphing ouer life ? And Abraham came to mourne for her and to weepe for her , here are the fruits of sinne weeping at the power of death . Then Abraham rising vp , said vnto the Hittites , I am a stranger and a forrenner among you , here is the lotte of life , which is a pilgrimage vnto death . Giue me a possession of buriall with you , here is the home of pilgrimes and the house of death

Then Sarah died . Thence obserue , the generall condition of mankinde , euen that which the Apostle hath confirmed * * Heb. 9. It is appointed vnto men that they shal once die . And Abraham came to mourne and weepe for her , thence obserue , that naturall affection towards the dead is commendable in all , Then Abraham said I am a stranger and a forrenner among you . Thence obserue , that all men are but strangers and pilgrims here on earth .

Giue me a possession of buriall with you . Thence obserue , that the dead are to be honoured with buriall and a graue .

That all men must once die , that naturall affection towardes the dead is commendable in all , that all are but pilgrims and strangers here on earth , that all after death are to be honoured with buriall & a graue , are the foure sad seuerall subiects , of my ensuing sad discourse , which whiles I applie to this sad spectacle , applie you your hearts to sorrow , your eyes to teares , if not for her that is dead and gone ( for she is blest and resteth from her labours ) yet for your owne sinnes , which will cause you ( will you nill you ) God knowes how soone , looke you how well , to follow after her , we will by Gods assistance and your much desired patience , trauish the same ground we haue began to tread , tracing the steppes , and following the method in the selfe same order we haue propounded it .

Then Sarah died . Was Sarah the first that died ; was not mother Eue with her daughters and her daughters daughters dead long before : if dead , and why not mentioned ? what was rare and singular in Sarahs death , that shee alone aboue all other women , aboue Eue her selfe should deserue to haue the first memoriall , then Sarah died : surelie I know no other reason but this , that as Abraham was the father so Sarah was the mother of the faithfull , and therefore the holie Ghost vouchsafeth vnto her , that which he denied to other women before her , an honourable mention both of her age , how long she liued and of the tyme of her death , when shee died , when Sarah was an hundreth twentie and seuen yeeres olde , so long liued she , then Sarah died Sarah though the mother of the faithfull , though a holy and religious matrone , though a Saint of God yet then Sarah died .

Whence we obserue the generall condition of mankinde .

It is appointed vnto men that they shall once die , all must drinke of Sarahs cup , the cup is full of one and the same liquour , the liquour is drawne from one and the same fountaine , the fountaine it selfe is poisned , and if the fountaine be vncleane the streames will be troubled too , if the root be cankred the branches will wither also , if the head be diseased , the members will be distempered too , Now the head , the roote , the fountaine , as of Sarah so of all mankinde , was father Adam , as therefore Adam by rushing against the law like a pitcher that dasheth against the wall , sinned not onlie in his owne person , but in his humane nature , not onlie in himselfe but in his descent , so he purchased the punishment of sinne which is death , not onlie vnto himselfe , vnto his owne person , but vnto others , vnto his humane nature , of which we all partake . For as by one man saith the Apostle , ( by one Adam and one Eue , two in sex , but one in nature , one in mariage , one in sinning , the woman seduced by the Serpent , the man induced by the woman , ( sinne entered into the world , and death by sinne , so by the sinne of one man , death went ouer all men , in whom all men had sinned , * * Rom. 5.12 . But how did sinne enter by one into the world ; not by propagation of kinde onlie , as Socinus the hereticke auerreth , but by participation of the fault also , and by imputation of the guilt ; And how did death enter by sinne ? euen as an effect that followeth yts cause , or as a shadowe that accompanieth a bodie in the sunne . And how went death ouer all ; as a plague grassantis in domo , depopulating the citie or a house where it entereth : or like an enemie pervagantis , vastantis , sternentis , raging ranging , destroying , all that he meets with , or like a hidden , poyson that diffuseth it's venome , vnto euery member , and penetrateth vnto all and euerie part , not onlie vnto a few sicke weaklings , and poore staruelings , but generallie vnto all , high and lowe , rich and poore , bond and free , of what age , sex , condition , degree soeuer ; all , men and women , young and old , great and litle , strong and weake , are subiect to deaths stroke whence the poet cryeth out .

True it is indeed that which Saint Austen taught long agoe , God at first created man as a meane betweene Angels and beasts , that if he obeyed the Lord his true creatour and kept his hestes , he might be transported to the Angels societie , but if he became peruerse in will , and offended the Lord his God , then that he might be cast vnto death like a bruit beast ; And to this end he placed him in the garden of Eden , the paradise of God , stored with matchlesse varietie , of whatsoeuer delightes heart could desire , especiallie garnished begnets hacaim , with the tree of life , and begnets haddagneth the tree of knowledge , which two trees he appointed him for two Sacraments , by the tree of life mystically importing that if he continued his obedience , he should surely enioy life , neuer feele nor feare hunger , thirst , sickenes , age , or death , by the tree of knowledge that if he transgressed the commandement , ipso facto In the very act * * Gen. 2. moth tamuth dyinge dye . he should most certainlie die , or he should die a double death , the death of the body , & the death of the soule which accordingly happened , as had beene threatned , for in the same houre he began to eate , he began to die , not onelie a spirituall death , which is a seperation of man from God , who is the life of man and the length of * * Deut. 30. dayes , vnto which and vnto which onlie the hereticke Socinus restraineth it , conceating the death of the bodie to be a sequele , not of sinne but of nature , euen of of nature vncorrupted , so that the body should haue died though man had neuer sinned , but also and not onelie ( as Ambrose erroneouslie thinketh ) a corporall death , which is the dissolution of nature , and the soules last farewell vntill the generall resurrection vnto the bodie which actuall dissolution though instantlie it followed not , yet was to be seared euerie moment , for as in ciuill iudgements & Iuridicall proceedings among men , a man condemned to death , though after his condemnation he be committed vnto the Iaylour , by him cast againe into the dungeon , and there linger for a long time a dying life , yet in common esteeme he is rather reckoned among the dead , then the liuing , and we are wount to say of him sentence is past , he is a dead man : In the same manner Adam , from the verie day and houre he receiued his sentence of mortalitie gnaphar attah , vel gnaphar thashubh , earth thou art , and into the earth thou shalt returne , though after this , the line of his life were long extended , yet the nature of his life was but a death , because he was dead in doome , for he that makes himselfe lyable vnto punishment , is vnder punishment si non re , tamen sententia if not in deed yet in doome . And in this respect saieth Saint Ambrose , Adam from the verie act of his eating the forbidden fruite , may be rightly saied to haue died instantlie , because he neuer after liued one day , houre , or moment , wherein he was not obnoxius vnto death , we commonlie say of them that haue suckt in some strong and violent poyson , actum est , he is a dead man , because though as yet he breath , yet stay a little and loe he is stone dead : So may we say of Adam , and as of Adam , so of euerie sonne of Adam , who haue all sinned in the sinne of Adam , hic mortuus est , he is a dead man , because though as yet he liue , yet hauing dranke his deadlie bane he must surelie die .

For euer since the sinne of Adam , as soone as man beginnes to liue , hee begins a perpetuall iourney vnto death , And there is none saieth Saint Austen but is neerer death at the yeeres ende , then he was at the beginning , to morrow then to day , to day then yesterday , by and by then iust now , and now then a litle before , each part of time ( if time haue partes ) that we passe , cuts of so much from our life , and the remainder still decreaseth , Austen in Psal. 127. veniente pueritia saith Saint Austen moritur infantia , veniente adolescencia moritur pueritia , veniente iuventute moritur adolescentia , veniente senectute moritur iuventus , veniente morte moritur omnis aetas , when childhood commeth on , infancie dieth , when adolescencie commeth childhood dieth , when youth commeth adolescencie dieth , when olde age commeth youth dieth , when death commeth all and euery age dieth , so that looke how many degrees of ages we desire to liue so manie degrees of death we desire to die , aske an olde man where is his infancie where is his childehood ? where is his adoloscencie ? where is his youth ? shal he not say true if he answere , alas all these are dead and gone , what speake I of ages ? euerie yeere , moneth , day houre , of our life that we haue liued , is dead to vs , and we are dead with them , what therefore else is our whole life , but a long death . what is euery day therof but as * * Lib. 1. Epist. 5. Petrarch saieth a degree vnto death , what is euerie moment therof but a motion vnto death ? whence it is that * * In registro . Gregorie compares the life of man vnto a Saylour in a shippe , for as he that sayleth whether he stand or sit , or lie or walke , is alwayes wafted onwards by the motion of the shippe : so it is with vs , whether we wake or whether we sleepe , whether we walke or whether we talke , whether we sit or whether we lie , whether we will or whether we nill , by times moments we are caried forewardes vnto our ende , and as * * Lib. 3. Epist. 24. Seneca saieth quo tidie morimur we die euery day ; for euery day we loose part of our life , & tunc quoque cum crescimus vita decrescit and our life , euen then decreaseth when it increaseth Paralel with that of * * Cap. 2. lib. Solil . Saint Austen vita mea quantò magis crescit , tanto magis decrescit , & quanto magis procedit tanto magis ad mortem accedit , my life the more it increaseth the more it decreaseth the more it is lengthened the more it is shortned , and the longer I liue the nearer I approach vnto death , For all our life indeede is but a liuing death , or to make the best of it , it is no better then a continuall passage vnto death , wherein one can neither stay nor slake his pace , but all runne in one and the same manner , with one and the same speede , for the short liuer runneth his race no faster then hee that liueth long , both runne alike , both make speede alike , the difference is , the first hath not so farre to runne as the later . It is one thing to runne further , another to runne faster , he that liues long runneth further , but not a moment faster , euerie man hasteneth vnto death alike though one haue a lesser way to goe then the other .

And hence it is that though all men make equall hast yet all haue not the same arriuall vnto death , but some in the morning , others in the noontide , others in the euening of their age , yet all in some one houre or other . For howsoeuer there may be some difference of tyme , yet there is no vncertaintie of the ende , but sooner or later it is certaine all shall come to an end . Iob. 30.23 . I know assuredly , saith holy Iob , thou wilt bring me vnto death , which is the house appointed for all the liuing , as a hauen for all shipping . It may be when a ship is come to the mouth of the hauen , a blast driueth it backe againe : but thither it will arriue at the last , so must wee , all of vs , at the gates of death , Omnes ( saith the Poet ) vna manet mors , & calcanda semel via laethi , Death is the end of al , and once the way of death is to bee troad of all . For as all starres moue from the East to the West , and all the riuers runne into one Sea so all men trauel vnto one home , the house of death , which therefore the * * 1. King . 2 Iosh. 23.14 Prophet in a prouerbiall manner calleth the way of all the earth . And as all trees haue their death , either they fall through the tempests of windes , or rend in sunder through the violence of thunder , or wither away through the length of time : Isa. 51.6 . so all on earth are mortall . All flesh , saith the Prophet , waxeth old as a garment ; a garment whether it bee worne or whether it lie folded in a chest , perisheth at length , if it bee not worne it will soone bee motheaten , if worne , it will soone into ragges . And as the leaues on a thicke tree , some fal , and some grow : so is the generation of flesh and bloud , one is borne , and another dieth : which the Heathen Poet well saw , Homer . though hee himselfe were blind , in that verse of his , which Pyrrhus Eleensis aboue all other verses so much commended :

Tale genus est hominum quale est foliorum , such is the generation of men as of leafes , so one perisheth & commeth to his end , and another riseth vp in his place . And as the leafe buddeth , springeth , florisheth , waxeth old and withereth away : so man is borne , groweth , florisheth , waxeth old , and vanisheth away ; and as many leafes are nipped in the bud : so many men are cut of in their youth , tale quidem genus est hominum quale est foliorum . So then such as a leafe is , such is a man ; there is no leafe but at length withereth , and there is no man but at length dyeth ; the wind bloweth , and the leafe fadeth , death with his pestiferous breath approacheth , and man dieth . Who can stopp the wind that it blowe not ? who can hinder death that it come not ?

What one writeth wittilie of the Grammarian is true of euerie sonne of Adam , that being able to decline all other nounes in euerie case , could decline death in no case . there was neuer Oratour so eloquent that could perswade death to spare him , neuer Gibber so mightie nor monarch so potent , that could withstand him . Nerus the faire Therscites the foule , Selym the cruell , Solyman the magnificent , Crassus the rich , Irus the poore , Damaetas the peasant , Agamemnon the Prince , all fall downe at deaths feet , if he command , we must away , no teares , no praiers , no threatnings , no intreatings will serue the turne : so stiffe , so dease , so inexorable is death .

There are meanes to tame the most fierce and sauage beasts , meanes to breake the hard marble , and to mollifie the Adamant , but not any one thing to mittigate deaths rage , Resistitur , saith Saint Austen , ignibus , vndis , ferro , resistitur regibus , resistitur Imperijs * * Aug. Psa. 121. venit vna mors & quis ei resistit ? Fire , water , the sword , may bee resisted , and Kings and Kingdomes may be resisted , but when death commeth who can resist it ? non miseretur inopum ( saith * * Ber. de conu . cler. Saint Bernard ) non reueretur diuitas , Death pitieth not the poore , regardeth not the rich , feareth not the mightie , spareth not any .

It is in mans power indeed to say vnto death , Polydor. as sometime King Canutus said vnto the Sea , when it beganne to flow . Sea I command thee that thou touch not my feet : but his command was bootlesse , for he had no sooner spake the word , but the surging waue dashed him : So may man say vnto death when it approcheth , Death I command thee not to come neere me : but no force , death will strike him , and no more power hath man to keepe backe death that it strike not , then the mightiest King on earth to keepe backe the Sea that it dash not . The Sea will haue his fluxe , and death will haue his course , antiquum obtinent , they both keepe their old wont , since the first diuision of waters , the Sea hath beene accustomed to ebbe and flow , who hath euer hindred it ? and since the first corruption of nature , death hath been accustomed to slay and destroy , who hath resisted it ? Other customes haue and may be abolished , a King may command , and it is done ; but what Monarch so absolute ? what Emperour so potent , that could abrogate in his dominions this custome of dying ? It was a custome among the Carthaginians to sacrifice humane flesh , but this custome is abolished . It was a custome also among the Indians to eat mans flesh , but this custome is abolished too , many other inhumane and vnnaturall customes in the world haue beene , but they are or may be abolished . But this custome of dying , there was neuer yet any Prince , seene , read , or heard of , that could abolish . For this condition which the Wise-man saith , * * Eccl. 14. is the condition of all times remaineth still , Thou shalt die the death , no man , no meanes can abolish it .

No not length of dayes , nor wisedome , nor riches , nor honour , nor beautie , nor strength , no not that excellent grace and gift of holinesse and pietie . The Antient , Fathers and Patriarches before the floud liued very long , some 700. some 800. some 900. yeeres and more , and yet at length of all and euery one the conclusion is , he died . Salomon was a wise King , the wisest that euer was , hee knew the nature of all simples , from the very Hysope to the Cedar , and therefore if any , surely hee aboue others could haue preserued himselfe from death , and yet of him it is said in the end , he died .

Sampson was indued with extraordinary strength , at one time hee slew a thousand with the iaw bone of an Asse , and yet hee dyed . Dauid was a man after Gods owne heart , and yet he died . Moses saw God face to face , and yet hee died . The Prophets were indued with a great measure of sanctification , yet the Prophet * * Zach. 1.5 Zachary ioines them all together in one state of mortality , your Fathers where are they ? and do the Prophets liue for euer ? What say I the Prophets ? Christ Iesus himselfe the Sonne of God , the onely sonne , the Sonne in whom hee was well pleased , more wise then Salomon , more mightie then Samson , more holy then Dauid , and all the Prophets , though hee knew no sinne in himselfe , yet for taking on him the burthen of our sinnes , became subiect to the same condition of mortalitie with vs , and hee dyed also . And that I goe no further , but come home vnto my Text , Sara who liued a hundred twenty and seuen yeares , and was as the Hebrewes mystically expound the numbers , so chast and innocent at twenty yeares old , as she was at seuen , and so faire at a hundred yeares old , as she was at twenty ; yet neither her wisedome , not her beauty , nor her chastity , could ought auaile her : but heere you see the conclusion is , Then Sarah died .

If any shall obiect , but Enoch and Elias died not , I answere , we know not , I rather thinke they did , and that Elias in his fiery Chariot had his bodie burnt , and Enoch who in his yeeres matched the dayes of the sunne 365. was without paine dissolued when God tooke his soule to heauen , or if they died not , yet as Origen saith , the generall is not therefore false , because GOD hath dispensed in some particulars , though one or two died not , yet this is an vniuersall truth of all men to bee receiued and duely pondered . It is appointed vnto men that they shall once die .

And is it indeed * * Heb. 9. appointed vnto men that they shall once die ? Is there but one way for all the earth to goe , one doore , deaths * * 1. Kin. 22 doore , for all the liuing to turne into ? how neerely then doth it concerne vs , to bethinke our selues of this way , to fit our selues for this iourney , and euen in this life , to take care for another life , a better life , eternall life . A man that knowes for certaine hee must resigne his dwelling house , within a moneth , or a weeke , or a day , is very silly and simple , if he take no order for procuring some other habitation , * * Iob 30.23 that when he is put out of his owne house , he may haue another to couer his head in : so will it bee with vs , who inhabite these houses of clay , whose foundation is the dust , * * Iob. 4. we know for certaine wee shall leaue them , how soone wee know not , perhaps to morrow , perhaps to day , perhaps this very houre , we are silly then and vnprouident , if wee take no care for prouiding other houses . What said * * Ser. 2. dedi . Eccl. Saint Bernard to his soule , Ad huc domum quidem habes ( O anima ) sed certa esto , quoniam in breui ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) casura est domus tua , & nisitu prouideris aliam , erís pluviae , vento , & frigori exponenda . O my soule thou hast yet a house to dwell in , but be assured thy house will shortly fall and moudre , and vnlesse thou prouide thee before hand of some other house , caytiue , forelorne and naked shalt thou be exposed vnto the winde , the raine , and the cold : alas , who can stand in presence of this stormy tempest ; happy therfore , thrice happy shalt thou be my soule , if then thy conscience tell thee , thou canst say vnto thy selfe in faith and full assurance I know that if my earthly house of this Tabernacle be destroyed , I haue a building giuen of God , that is , an house not made with hands , but eternall in the heauens , 2. Cor. 5.

Againe , is it appointed vnto men that they must once die ? Oh that wee could euery one of vs ( as we ought ) seriously consider this , and daily and duly ponder with our selues , of this theame , We must die . Doubtlesse this would cause vs to feare God while wee liue , that we might finde fauour at his hands when wee die . For who so feareth the Lord , it shall goe well with him at the last , and he shall finde fauour at the day of his death * * Eccl. 1. .

2. It would moue vs to imbrace the good , and refuse the euill , remembring that as Precious is the death of the Saints in the sight of the Lord : so euill is the death of sinners * * Psal. 34. .

3. It would abate in vs the plumes of our pride , and humble vs farre below the Niniuites , and Ahab , considering that Earth we are , and into earth we shall returne againe , and why art thou proud O earth and ashes * * Eccl. 10. .