FRom the beginning of the fifeteenth verse of this Chapter , to the end of the three and twentieth , the Apostle describeth a sharpe combate which he felt in himselfe , betweene the flesh and the spirit . In this twentie fourth verse , is declared the effect , the sense and feeling of it produced in this our Apostle , it caused him to crie out , O wretched man that I am : who shall deliuer me from the body of this death ? So that this Text may iustly be tearmed the dolefull Lamentation of Paul for the prauity of mans nature felt in himselfe .

In the Text we haue two poynts : First , an exclamation , in these words , Wretched man that I am : Secondly , an exoptation in the rest , who shall deliuer me from the body of this death ? In the exclamation two things : First , the subiect , man : Secondly , the adiunct , Wretched : In the exoptation two things : First , the euill he wisheth to be freed from , namely , from the body of death : Secondly , the forme of his wish , layd downe by way of question , to imploy the earnestnesse of it , who shall deliuer me ? First , concerning the exclamation , and in that first of the subiect , man .

Man hath diuers names in Scripture : he is called Adam , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifies to be red , possibly , because hee was made at the first of red earth : Secondly , he is called Ish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifies to be , or subsist , because in his essence and being , he excelled all other terrestriall creatures : Thirdly , he is called Geber 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifies to be strong or valiant , to signifie his magnanimity or courage : Fourthly , he is called Enosh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifies to bee sickly , because by his fall he so lost his health spirituall , as that neither he nor his posterity in this world could euer recouer it againe in perfection . Againe , hee is called aner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , because hee is highly lifted vp or aduanced , both in his Creation and glorification . Lastly , he is called Anthropos , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , of looking vp wards ; the reason of which Etymologie is rendred by the Poet in these words , Ouid. lib. 1. Metamor .

1. Doctrine or instruction . And as this name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the name giuen in the text , so of al the rest it is the most significant , and must teach vs according to that in Col. 3.2 . to minde things aboue , & not things on the earth . First , to seeke Gods Kingdome and his righteousnesse , Mat. 6.33 . to goe towards Zion with our faces thitherwards . Ier. 50.5 . I grant there ought to be a moderate care euen for the things of this life : the Eagle flies hie , but shee must come downe for her meate ; so the Church must sore high in her principall desires , reaching after nothing in comparison of heauen : and yet shee must also minde the things of this life with moderation , and in a subordination to spirituall things , 1 Tim. 5.8 . Gods ordinance is , that none walke inordinately , or idly , but that euery man and woman liue in a particular calling . That which the Lord speakes to Adam , Gen. 3.19 . in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eate bread , he speakes in like manner to all his posterity : for he would haue no man to liue idly like a Sodomite , though hee be neuer so rich ; he would haue vs indeed first to seeke his kingdome , but not onely to seeke it : some are iustly to be reproued in this City , which vnder a colour of Zeale to heare Sermons all the weeke long liue inordinately , not working at all , but liuing by the sweate of other mens browes , who doe vnlawfully relieue them , or by deuouring that which belongs to the poore indeed , thinking themselues to be wronged , if they haue not a share in euery beneuolence . I speake not this to quench any sparke of true Zeale in any , or to condemne diligent hearing of Gods Word . I taxe not Zeale but idlenesse . I desire rather to kindle Zeale , and to teach my selfe and others to looke vpwards , and to approue our selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee men by our heauenly mindednesse . Our mindes are like the weights of a clocke , they must continually bee wound vp , or they will sinke to the earth ; or like vnto stones which flie no longer vpwards then they are forced in their motion : therefore when we feele our soules to beare downeward ( as they are very prone to doe by reason of the weight of corruption which hangs vpon them like leade ) let vs quicken our selues vp with the remembrance of this Title , God hath made vs men and not beasts , he hath giuen vs eyes to looke vpwards , and let vs say with Gregory Nazianzen in a short sonnet which he makes to his owne soule , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . O my soule , looke vpwards , and forget all earthly things .

O my brethren , what arguments shall I vse to moue euery one of vs according to our Title , to looke vpwards ? Consider wee , I besech you , the insufficiencie of earthly things . First , they doe not satisfie the soule , quo plus sunt potae plus sitiuntur aquae ; the more a couetous heart hath of them , the more it doth desire them : much like a man sicke of a drie dropsie , the more he drinkes , the more hee may . Secondly , they are not able to preserue a man either from Gods iudgements in this world , or from hell-fire in the world to come , Pro. 11.4 . Riches profit not in the day of wrath . Thirdly , they are not able to make a mans life happie , whatsoeuer they seeme to promise : yea , oftentimes ( vnlesse they be in a speciall manner sanctified ) they make it far more miserable , piercing the heart with many sorrowes , 1 Tim. 6.10 . I appeale to the consciences of many rich men , that formerly haue bin of meane condition , Hier. lib. 2. aduersus Iouinian . whether they finde not now that they are rich , more cares , more distractions , more troubles , and lesse comfort then they haue done in a meaner condition . I speake not this that with Crates wee should cast our riches into the sea , or with begging Fryers wee should affect voluntary pouerty , but rather to teach vs , that if riches increase , we set not our hearts thereon , as the Psalmist speakes : but that wee haue our affections alwaies free for heauen and heauenly things .

Secondly , Horat. lib. 1. odarum od . 28. Omnes vna manet nox , & calcanda semel via let hi. consider we seriously our frailty , the vncertainty of our liues , and what we must all bee ere it be long ; to wit , wormes meate , notwithstanding all our strength , beauty , youth , friends , riches , parts , preferments , dignities and the like , as the Poet speaketh , euery man must die ; the way of death cannot bee shunned ; the time therefore will shortly come when we shall wish we had cared more for heauen and lesse for the earth .

Finiti ad infinitum nulla est proportio . Thirdly , consider wee how infinitely heauenly things surpasse earthly , one foote in heauen is more then ten thousand acres vpon the earth , both in respect of excellency and perpetuity . Let vs not therefore inuert Gods order , setting earth aboue heauen in our affections , when God hath set the heauen so farre aboue the earth in the first Creation .

Fourthly , let vs bee much in the meditation of heauenly things , whiles wee are vpon the earth ; the Sunne seemes small in eye , but if wee were lifted vp as high as the Sunne , the earth possibly might seeme smaller : euen so , whiles our mindes are glued to earthly things , heauenly things are neglected , but if wee would minde things aboue , and seriously meditate of them , things below would appeare lesse precious .

Fifthly and lastly , I professe ingeniously , I know not a more soueraigne meanes in the world , to helpe vs to winde vp our mindes towards heauen , and to gaine them from the world , and the inticing vanities thereof , then to be much conuersant in Gods ordinances , in reading and hearing and meditating Gods Word , in Prayer , in holy conference and the like : these present heauen vnto our eye , these leade vs into sweet fellowship and communion with God and Christ , these fill vs with the ioyes of the Holy Ghost , and peace of conscience , and by this meanes bring vs into that sensible happinesse , euen in this life which wee would not part with for all the pleasures , profits , or riches which this whole world can afford or yeeld . Thus for the subiect , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Man .

Now come we to the adiunct , Wretched . The Greeke word thus translated , signifieth properly one that suffereth sorrow : the Hebrues expresse it by their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifies one that is languid or quite spent , the Syrian and Chaldee by their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifieth heauy or mournefull : the Arabick by two words , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifie vile and vnfortunate : the truth is , by a talaiporous or wretched person , we are to vnderstand such an one as is in a miserable case , by reason of some incumbent calamity . But heere it may be demanded , what calamity was it which caused the Apostle thus to crie out ? Surely not the calamity of affliction or persecution ; yea , hee gloried in his sufferings , 2 Cor. 12.10.12 . but the calamity of sin and inbred corruption as appeares by the context .

Wretched man that I am . The first thing hence to be obserued , 2. Doct. is , that sin remaines in the dearest of Gods children after their regeneration : indeed it is not regnant in them after conuersion , Rom. 6.12 . but it is inhabitant , it raignes not as a King , but it dwells as an inmate : for the proofe of this point ; wee neede not goe out of this Chapter ; Paul was a conuerted man , yet he was not without sin : what he did , he allowed not ; what he would , that hee did not ; what he hated , that he did . In him , that is in his flesh , abideth nothing that is good ; to will was present with him , but how to performe that which is good he found not ; he found a law , that when hee would haue done good , euill was present with him ; he saw another law in his members warring against the law of his minde , and bringing him into captiuity to the law of sinne , Lib. vno de fide ad petrum Diaconum Tom 3. Eos qui bene viuunt nonnulla quotidie contrahere peccata pro quibus etiam sancti & insti in hac vita semper Deo dicere debent , dimitte nobis debita nostra , sicut & nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris . which was in his members ; with his minde hee serued the law of God , but in his flesh the law sinne , Rom. 7.15.18.21.23.25 . Et quod apostolus fatetur de seipso , id nos de nobis inficias ire iniquum est ; and if such an Apostle acknowledge sinne in himselfe , it were a shame for any of vs to professe absolute perfection . Saint Augustine saith , they which liue well , doe daily contract sinne , for the which , they ought alwaies to say vnto God , forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs : and in another place he saith also : First , Aug. de tempor . serm. 45 Prius recolite vitam iusti , in isto adhuc corpore bellum esse , nondum triumphum consider yee the life of the iust man , that while he is in the body , hee is still in a combate , the triumph is not yet .

And there is iust cause wherefore God regenerates , but in part , leauing still the rootes of sinne in his dearest Saints . First , that hereby they might bee the more abased in themselues , and so preserued from spirituall pride : why did the Lord leaue the * * Or stubbe . thorne in Pauls flesh , 2 Cor. 12.7 . but to humble him thereby , left he should be puffed vp with abundance of reuelations : the Lord is like a skilfull Chyrurgian , hee is able to make a soueraigne Corasiue of the Vipers flesh of sinne , to eate out the dead flesh of spiritual pride , which is a sinne , which commonly reuiueth when other sinnes are dead ; when the diuell cannot draw men to this or that grosse sinne , commonly hee tempts them to pride , labouring to puffe them vp with a vaine conceit of their graces ; and so by one dead flie , causeth if it were possible the whole box of the ointment of grace to stinck in the nostrills of God . The Lord being aware of this labours to preuent it , by leauing in vs sufficient matter to humble vs to the very dust

Secondly , the Lord doth it , that his power may be perfected in our weakenesse , 2 Cor. 12.9 . the Lord did neuer manifest his power more in any thing , no not in the very Creation of the World , then hee doth in the preseruing of a weake Christian full of infirmity to his heauenly Kingdome : in this the Lord preserues contraries in contraries , hee causeth the fire of grace to burne in the midst of a sea of corruption : he preserueth Faith in the midst of vnbeliefe , chastity in the midst of vncleannesse , patience in the midst of distemper , holinesse in the midst of profanesse , and the like .

3. This is done for the greater confusion of the diuel ; if the diuell had onely to deale with perfect men , it were the lesse confusion to him if he could not , either totally or finally preuaile against them by his hellish temptations . But hauing to deale with weake men , such as are more flesh then spirit , and yet not being able with all his gates and armoury to preuaile against them , in this he must needs goe away with great confusion : in this the Lord deales with his children , as once hee did with the Caldeans , Ier. 37.10 . though they remaine but as wounded men , yet by his power they arise and preuaile against principalities and powers .

Fourthly , hereby the Lord doth try the courage and magnanimity of his children , leauing in their bosomes dangerous enemies against whom they must combate all their life time . God had bin able , if it had pleased him to haue brought Israel his people into Canaan without Warre ; but hee would not , that hee might trie them : euen so God is able to bring his children to heauen without any opposition , but hee will not ; he that will obtaine the heauenly Canaan must fight for it .

Fifthly , Sinne still remaineth in the children of God after conuersion , that they might the more sensibly feele what need they haue of Christ , and of Gods mercy ; if wee were perfectly whole , wee should not need the physitian , but being sickly and crasie ( as indeed we be in our best estate here ) we haue infinite need of the onely Doctor , who by the physick of his owne precious bloud healeth all our infirmities .

Sixthly , hereby the Lord doth weane his children from the loue of this world , and makes them willing and desirous to bee dissolued , and to be with Christ ; not so much that they might bee freed from afflictions and distresses , as from sinne and corruption ; there is nothing in the world makes the true children of God so weary of their liues as sinne doth .

Quest. Quest. Yea , but if there be sinne still remaining in the children of God after conuersion , then what difference is there betwixt the state of the conuerted and vnconuerted ?

Answ. Answ. Yes great difference , for though sinne bee in both , yet it is not in the like manner in both . Sinne in the vnconuerted or wicked man is as the Master of the house , bearing the whole sway , ruling and domineering at its pleasure ; but in the conuerted it is but as a drudge , being indeed vnruly and malitious but wanting power .

Secondly , Sinne in the vnregenerate , is as a welcome guest , entertained with all alacrity and cheerefulnesse : nothing is so sweet to a carnall man as sinne , nothing so louingly embraced , nothing so ioyfully possessed ; but in the regenerate it is as an vnwelcome guest , which intrudeth himselfe without any inuitation , and remaineth without any approbation , his roome being desired rather then his company .

Thirdly , Sinne in the vnregenerate is committed and followed with greedinesse , without any reluctation in the will : the hart doth not more bray after the riuers of water then a wicked man doth lust after sinne : but in the regenerate , sinne is resisted , prayed against , feared , shunned with the occasions thereof , &c.

Fourthly , Sinne in the vnregenerate is continued in , excused , maintained , and sometimes boasted of : but in the regenerate it is broken of by speedy repentance , confessed , aggrauated and blushed at .

But to come to the Application : Vse . is it so that sinne remaineth still in the children of God after conuersion , to wit , originall corruption ; then this makes against the doctrine of Papists , maintained by one of their chiefe a a Bellar. lib. 5. de stat paccat . c. 7. Champions which teacheth that originall sinne is so washed away by Baptisme , as that it remaineth no longer sinne of its owne nature : a vaine conceit : for doth not Paul after he was baptized by Ananias , complaine in this Chapter of sin still dwelling in him , and will any Papist be so impudent , as to thinke himselfe cleaner washed by Baptisme then Paul himselfe ? but to let them goe : The Familists are the generation of the Manichaeans , Catharists , Donatists , Iouinians and Pelagians , which in former ages of the Church held the same opinion concerning purity as they doe .

This in the second place makes against Familists , which dreame of attaining of perfection of degrees in this present world , terming themselues eagles , angels , Archangels , commers vp to God , &c. concerning whom , I may iustly say with Salomon , There is a generation pure in their owne eyes , and yet are not washed from their filthinesse , Pro. 30.12 . the diuel may so farre preuaile with them by their inbred pride as to make them beleeue they are pure , but alasse , if we consider them well , we shall finde them most erronious in their iudgements , distempered in their passions , disordered in their liues , vnreformed in their families : yea sometimes deliuered vp to some base lust , either of idlenes , or vncleannes , or couetousnes , or fraud and deceit , or the like : but to leaue these and to come to our selues . In the third place let it teach vs not to despaire though we finde corruption in our selues after conuersion , especially , if we looke vpon it with the same eye that God lookes vpon it withall , to wit , to hate and abhorre it : it is not sinne but the loue of sinne that baines the soule ; and yet let vs take heed lest wee deceiue our selues , thinking vnder a colour that all are sinners , that therefore there is no difference betweene sinne as it is in the regenerate , and as it is in the vnregenerate . For though there is sinne in both , yet there is great difference as we noted before .

Fourthly , let it teach vs not to iudge rashly concerning our Brethren as though they were Hypocrites , because we decerne in them some frailties , yea , although wee should discouer in them some acts of grosser sin , and some recidiuations or back-slidings as in Dauid , Peter and Loth , yet wee are not to passe finall sentence vpon them but rather consider our selues lest we also be tempted .

Doct 3 Wretched man that I am : hence obeserue in the second place ; what it is that makes a man miserable : and that is not afflictions , as pouerty , imprisonment , disgrace in the world , sicknesse , banishment , no not death it selfe : in the mids of these we may haue some ioy , as the Martyrs haue had but sin , sinne alone is that which makes miserable : and why so ? because it defaceth Gods Image in a man , and conformes him to the Image of Satan : no childe doth so aptly resemble the parents , as sin makes a man resemble the diuell , which is no small misery . Secondly , it depriues a man of Gods fauour , a man may vndergoe many crosses and afflictions , and yet remaine in Gods loue , but he cannot continue wallowing in sinne and retaine his fauour . Thirdly , it robs a man of al solid comfort , a man may be afflicted , and yet filled with the ioyes in the holy Ghost : he may walke with ioy , work with ioy , eate with ioy , lie down with ioy , rise vp with ioy : but he cannot sell himselfe to worke wickednes , and retaine any true comfort , sin and comfort doe mutually expell one another . Fourthly , sin wounds the conscience , kindles Gods wrath , keepes good things from vs , depriues of heauen , exposeth to hel-torments , brings a curse vpon al a man hath , makes the very remembrance of death terrible ; and therefore sinne alone makes miserable .

Good Anselmus had that apprehension of the miserie of sin , as that if hee had been put to his choice , he would haue chosen rather to haue been in hell without sinne , then in heauen with sinne . Supposing sin to be able to make him more miserable then hell fire it selfe .

Vse . And this may serue first , to discouer the deceitfulnes of sin , it promises to make a man happie : the Adulterer would thinke himselfe a happy man , if he might obtaine his filthy desires : the Couetous person would think himself made for euer , if by vsury , false weights , cosenage , swearing , lying , and the like , hee may attaine riches and greatnesse in the world : the malicious person would thinke himselfe happy to worke reuenge against his enemy in word or deed . The like wee might say of other habituall sinners , which account sin their summum bonum , or chiefest good ; but alas ! they are far deceiued , accounting that their happinesse which is their miserie : In this , they are like such as haue the greene-sicknesse , which take delight to eate loame , and other baggage , taking pleasure in that which others see to bee their misery : or like one infected with the itch ( pardon the plainnesse of my comparison ) who takes delight and pleasure in rubbing of himselfe , when as alas , this hee takes pleasure in , increaseth his miserie . Thus , I say , wee see the deceitfulnesse of sinne , it promiseth happinesse , but it performeth nothing but woefull miserie .

Vse . Secondly , this shewes vs what we may esteeme of them which ( wee see ) goe on and take their chiefe delight in sinne , be they neuer so rich , neuer so great , neuer so highly aduanced in the world , they are but wretched persons : if the sense of naturall corruption abated , made the Apostle in his own feeling miserable ; what shall sinne reigning , and nothing abated , make these persons ? Possibly they are not sensible of their misery , as Paul was , but this their senselesnesse addes rather to their misery , then in any sort extenuats it : a man somtimes is neuer more deadly sicke then when hee hath least feeling of his sicknesse ; euen so a sinner is then in the most miserable case , when he can goe on in sinne with greedinesse without any remorse and with great contentment . What should wee speake of IOB sitting on the dung hill , or of LAZARVS full of sores dying at the Rich-mans gate , or of any other in great affliction , the sinner , the sinner is the onely miserable person . Shew methe greatest sinner in the world , and I will quickly shew thee the most wretched miserable catiffe that the earth beares , or euer the Sun lookt vpon . Many other good vses might be made of this point , both for the deepe humiliation of vs which are sinners , and for our preseruation against sinne for the time to come : but for breuity sake , I leaue them to euery mans priuate meditation , beseeching euery man and woman in the name of the Lord Iesus , to shunne that with all diligence which they see by this doctrine , will make them wretched and miserable .

And thus for the first part of my Text , to wit , the exclamation .

Come we now to the second , namely the exoptation in these words : Who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death ? These words may be read two waies ; either thus , Who shall deliuer me from the body of this death ? or thus , Who shall deliuer me from this body of death ? The Reason of the diuersity of reading is , because the pronoune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may bee indifferently referred ; as it stands in construction , either to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; the Syrian translation reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Who shall deliuer me from this body of death , referring the pronoune This , rather to body then to death : the which reading , I doe the rather imbrace , because the Apostle at this time doth not seeme to point at this or that particular kinde of death , but rather at his present body . But in the next place for the better vnderstanding of these words , it may bee demanded , what is meant heere by the body of death ? a a Bucer . Some hold , that by the body of death is meant , nothing else but sinne inhabiting in the body : b b Hier. in apolog aduersus Ruffin . others , by the body of death , vnderstand the naturall body lyable to death : but Origen vnderstands it of both . b b Theoph. ad loc. I thinke it safest to receiue the last acception : For surely the Apostle desires so earnestly to bee freed from sinne , as that withall he desires to bee freed from the very body as it is infected with sinne . Wo shall deliuer ? non dubitantis , sed anhelantis , saith reueuerend Caluin , these are not words of one that doubteth , who shall deliuer him , but of one that greatly desireth to be deliuered , and indeed it is the manner of the Hebrewes to expresse an earnest wish by way of question , as wee haue an example in Psal. 53.6 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who will giue deliuerance vnto Israel out of Zion ? that is , O that the Lord would giue deliuerance ; and so in this place , who shall deliuer mee out of this body of death ; that is , O that the Lord would deliuer me .

Thus for the meaning .

To handle the words , First , as they haue relation to the body , and then as they haue reference to sinne in the body : from this body of death ; the body is called the body of death , because it is liable to death : so that the first instruction hence to bee obserued , is , that the body of man is subiect to death or mortality : in this respect it is called dust , Eccles. 12.7 . a karkeise , Heb. 3.17 . a Tent or Tabernacle , 2 Pet. 1.13 . a mortall body , Rom. 6.12 . and here a body of death . Quest. But how came man to be liable to death ? did GOD create him at the first so ? Surely no : the Lord created him , non moriturum , such an one as should neuer haue seene death , if he had persisted in his integrity : In lib. hypognost contra Pelag. & Celestianos contra primum articulum , Tom. 7. Dicite ergo : si deus mortem fecit cur Christus Deus mortuum fleuit Lazarum secundum carnem , non enim quod ipse fecerat dolere debuit , sed dolens eum & plorans , ostendit , quos Deus vitales fecerat , diabolum per culpam fecisse mortales . it was sinne , it was sinne , that brought death into the world . In sinnes wombe it was hatched ; God is not properly the Author or Father of it , Rom. 5.12 . Saint Augustine saith notably ; rather say yee , if God created death , why then did Christ , being God , bewaile the death of Lazarus according to the flesh : for what hee himselfe had made , he should not haue grieued for ; but in that he doth lament and bewaile him , he sheweth that whom God had made vitall , the diuell by sinne hath made mortall . We shall not need further to insist vpon the proofe of this point , viz. that the body of man is mortall ; we see it prooued euery day , when we see by experience good men , wise men , great men , eminent men in Church or Common-Wealth , Learned men , and men of singular parts to be taken away by death , as well as others : this point needs not proofe but Vse .

Vse . And this much aggrauateth the sinne of such as make it their especiall care to paint , pranck and to pamper their bodies : how many vaine women haue you in this City , and else-where , which spend a great part of the forenoone in trimming of their bodies , & hardly afford to spend one quarter of an houre in a whole day in prayer , or reading of Gods Word , or in repenting of their sinnes for the eternall good of their soules : yea ; how many Epicures haue you both men and women , whose care is to fare deliciously euery day , to ride vp and downe from place to place , to seeke delights for their flesh , which will hardly goe to the dore to heare a Sermon ? doe these persons consider that their bodies are bodies of death ? their practise shews they doe not : but let them remember that those bodies which they are so curious to prank vp in apparell , farre aboue their callings , must ( they know not how soone ) be clothed with dust , and those karkeises which they doe so pamper , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poena autem huic mors malorum minimum plat . lib. 9. de legibus . shall ere it bee long , be very wormes-meate : yea , it were happie for them , if no greater danger did hang ouer their heads then bodily death : but alas , after death comes iudgement , Heb. 9.27 . when they must answer for this misexpence of time , and the rest of their sensuall and gracelesse courses . I might make diuers other vses of this point ; for it should teach vs to liue in a continuall expectation of death , and preparation for it ; it should teach vs to lay vp treasures for our selues in heauen by good workes , to bee mortified to the world , to beware of sinne , and the like , because we liue in bodies of death which may quickly faile vs ; but I studie breuitie .