mouth The word of God is quick and powerfull Hebrews chap. 4. ver 52. and sharper than any two edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart And he was clothed with a vesture dipt in bloud Revelation chap. 19. ver 13. and his name is called the word of God As for me Isaiah cha 29. ver 21. this is my covenant with them saith the Lord my spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever Blessed are they that hear the word of God Luke chap. 11. ver 28. and keep it Receive with meeknesse James chap. 1. ver 21. the engrafted word of God which is able to save your souls Keep therefore Deuteronomy chap. 29. ver 9. the words of this covenant and do them that so ye may prosper in all that ye do As new born babes 1 Peter chap. 2. ver 2. desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby Verily John chap. 5. ver 24. verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life The word of God The word of God the word of Reconciliation 2 Corinthians chap. 5. ver 18.19 called the word of Reconciliation And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Iesus Christ and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation To wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation The word of God called the word of truth The word of God the word of Truth Ephesians cha 1. ver 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise The word of God called the word of life The word of God the word of life Philippians chap. 2. ver 16. Holding forth the word of life that I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain neither laboured in vain The word called the word of Christ The word called the word of Christ Collossians chap. 3. ver 16. The word called the faithfull word of God Titus chap. 1. ver 9. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdome The word called the faithfull word of God Holding fast the faithfull word of God as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers Thy word have I hid in my heart Psal 119. ver 11. and 42. that I might not sin against thee So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reprocheth me for I trust in thy word So then faith cometh by hearing Romans ch 10. ver 17. and hearing by the word of God Fourthly In our reading and hearing of the word of God and in our meditations thereon the due consideration of all this ought to stirre up in us a love unto the same and a rejoycing therein as by these ensuing places of Scripture may appear I rejoyce at thy word Psal 119. ver 162. Jeremiah cha 15. ver 16. as one that findeth great spoil Thy words were sound and I did eat them and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoycing of my heart for I am called by thy name O Lord God of hosts Lord Psal 26. ver 8. I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth I was glad when they said unto me Psal 122. ver 1. Let us go into the house of the Lord. For a day in thy Courts is better than a thousand Psalm 84. ver 10. I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickednesse O how I love thy law Psalm 119. ver 97.127 it is my meditation all the day Therefore I love thy commandements above gold yea above fine gold I delight to do thy will Psal 40. ver 8. O my God yea thy law is within my heart Fifthly These precedent observations being thus made use of by us the word of God which we have thus read heard and meditated on will then doubtlesse be a constant and a perpetuall comfort unto us at all times both in life and death Be thou faithfull unto death Revelation chap. 2. ver 10. and I will give thee a crown of life CHAP. II. Of the severall Books mentioned in the Scriptures THine eyes did see my substance Psal 139. ver 16. yet being unperfect and in thy Book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them Then they that feared the Lord Malachie chap. 3. ver 16 17 18. spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a Book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name And they shall be mine The difference between the wicked and the righteous in the day of Judgment saith the Lord of hosts when I make up my Iewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Thou tellest my wandrings Psal 56. ver 8. put thou my teares into thy bottle are they not in thy book And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book Isaiah cha 29. ver 18. Seek ye out of the book of the Lord and read Isaiah cha 34. ver 16. And at that time shall Michael stand up the great prince Daniel cha 12. ver 1. which standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation even to that same time and at that time thy people shall be delivered every one that shall be found written in the book And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake Daniel cha 12. ver 2 3. some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt And they that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousnesse as the starres for ever and ever A fiery stream issued Daniel cha 7. ver 10. and came forth from before him thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him the Iudgement was
set and the books were opened But thou O Daniel Daniel cha 12. ver 4. shut up the words and seal the book even to the time of the end many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased And these shall go away into everlasting punishment Matthew cha 25. ver 46. but the righteous into life eternall For the hour is coming John chap. 5. ver 28 29. in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice And shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of damnation Let them be blotted out of the book of the living Psalm 69. ver 28. and not be written with the righteous He that overcometh Revelation chap. 3. ver 5. the same shall be clothed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life but I will confesse his name before my father and before his angels And I entreat thee also Philippians ch 4. ver 3. true yoke-fellow help these women which laboured with me in the Gospel with Clement also and with other my fellow labourers whose names are in the book of life And it was given unto him Revelation ch 13. ver 7 8. to make war with the Saints and to overcome them and power was given him over all kindreds and tongues and nations And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lambe slain from the foundation of the world The beast that thou sawest was Revelation chap. 17. ver 8. and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomlesse pit and go into perdition and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder and whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world when they behold the beast that was and is not and yet is And I saw the dead small Revelation ch 20. ver 12 13. and great stand before God and the books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works And the sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them and they were judged every man according to their works And death Revelat. chap. 20. ver 14 15. and hell were cast into the lake of fire And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecie Revelat. chap. 2 r 2. ve 19. God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy City and from the things which are written in this book Books named in the Scripture and not to be found as namely Is not this written in the book of Iasher the marginall note of an old Bible Ioshua chap. 10. ver 13. being as some read it In the book of the righteous meaning Moses The Chaldee text reading In the book of the Law But it is like that it was a book thus named which is now lost All this in the marginall notes of an old Bible As it is written in the book of Iasher 2 Samuel cha 11. ver 18. or righteous as the marginall note is Wherefore it is said in the book of the warres of the Lord Numbers chap. 21. ver 14. or of the battels which by a marginall note in an old Bible seemeth to be the book of the Iudges or a book which is lost Concerning the acts of David the king behold 1 Chron. chap. 29. ver 29. they are written in the book of Samuel the Seer and in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the book of Gad the Seer The marginall note in an old Bible is that the books of Nathan and Gad are thought to have been lost in the captivity And there shall in no wise Revelation ch 21. ver 27. enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination nor maketh a lye but they which are written in the Lambes book of life There is as One well observeth a two fold Book of God as namely First there is Liber Providentiae that is the Book of Gods Providence whereby we are taught to know our duties to God and to referre our selves and all our actions to his Divine Providence and mercy and to use his good blessings on us bestowed to his glory All which if we thus do we shall then receive all things necessary in this world and life eternall in the world to come But if we are disobedient and do contrary to all this then there is a second Book which will be opened against us as namely Secondly there is Liber Judicii the Book of Gods Judgement whereby we shall receive all the Judgements of God therein mentioned and pronounced against the wicked and disobedient Then shall the king say unto them Matthew cha 25. ver 34. on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Then shall he say also unto those Matthew cha 25. ver 41. on the left hand Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels It is observed by a Father That there is another book and that is called Codex Conscientiae the book of a mans conscience St. Chrysostome observeth thus much S. Chrysostom sc That Conscientia est codex in quo quotidiana nostra peccata rescribuntur The Conscience is a book in the which our daily sinnes and offences are writ down registred and recorded against us as S. Chrysostome observeth And as touching Conscience There is a Threefold quality of the Conscience Of Conscience as One observeth as namely First Testificare de praeterito that is to bear testimony and witnesse of what is done by us and past Secondly Accusare vel excusare to accuse us of what we have done or else to excuse us Thirdly Solvere vel ligare That is either to let us loose or else to bind us fast up For when the Gentiles Romans chap. 2. ver 14.15.16 which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves Which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their Conscience also bearing witnesse and their thoughts mean while accusing or else excusing one another In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel Conscientia est quasi cordis scientia S. Bernard ut S. Bernard The conscience is as it were the very knowledge of the heart By strength stratagems and policy men do overcome their enemies But God
promise Life I am the life which I lay down for the life of the World And again Clamat errantibus ego sum via S. Bernard Clamat dubitantibus ego sum veritas Clamat Lacescentibus ego sum vita Christ is the way for us to walk Truth us to direct And Life us to refresh And again St. Ambrose upon this place saith Ambulare vis ego sum via Falli non vis ego sum veritas Mori non vis ego sum vita Non est qua eas Nisi per me S. Ambro Non est quo eas Nisi ad me Surge igitur O homo quiae Via vita veritas veniunt at te Wilt thou walk then I am the way Wilt thou not be deceived then I am the Truth Wilt thou not die then I am the life There is no way in which thou canst walk but by me only There is no way whither thou canst go but only to me Arise therefore O man and that speedily because The way the life and the truth do come unto thee And again St. Bernard upon these words of the Evangelist Iohn 14.6 Christus est via S. Bernard Io. 14.6 veritas vita Christ is the way the truth and the life Christus est via sine errore Veritas sine falsitate Vita sine morte And again S. Bernard Christus est Via in exemple Ut homo Veritas in promisis Vita in remnneratione ut Deus Christ is the way without error The truth without falshood The life without death Again Christ is The way in his example as he was man The truth in his promises And the life in his free bestowing thereof on us as he is God And again St. Augustin upon these words saith Errare non vis ego sum via St. August Decipi non vis ego sum seritas Mori non vis ego sum vita Wilt thou not erre then I am the way Wilt thou not be deceived then I am the truth Wilt thou not die then I am the life From hence St. St. Bernard Bernards fourfold Venite is very observable Shewing us the difference between the call of the Devil and his Instruments inviting us to follow them and what reward they promise their followers for so doing And the call of Christ our Saviour and his invitation of us to follow him and what he promiseth us for our so doing Dicit mundus venite S. Bernard et ego Inficiam Dicit caro venite et ego Illiciam Dicit daemon venite et ego interficiam Dicit Christus ventte et ego reficiam The World saith to us come and follow me and my reward is this I will infect you The flesh saith to us come and follow me and my reward is this I will intice and allure you to ill The Devil saith to us come and follow me and my reward is this I will destroy you both body and soul in hel But Christ saith to us come and follow me and my reward is this I will new make you and supply all your defects whatsoever Come unto me all ye that labour Mat. 11.28 29 30. and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my Yoak upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls For my yoke is easie and my burden is light For this is the love of God 1 Io. 5.3 that we keep his Commandements and his Commandements are not grievous And we know Rom. 8.28 that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are called according to his purpose For whom he did foreknow Rom. 8.29 30. he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the first born among many brethren Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ Ephes 1.3 4 5 7 9. who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ According as he hath chosen us in in him before the foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in love Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Iesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his Will In whom we have redemption through his bloud the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace Having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven and which are on earth even in him In whom also we have obtained an inheritance Ephes 1.11 12 13 14. being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the Counsell of his own will That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of Truth the Gospel of your salvation In whom also after that ye beleeved ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our Inheritance untill the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory According to his mercy Tit. 3.5 6.7 he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost which he shed on us aboundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour That being justiffed by his Grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life So then Rom. 9.16 it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy From these before-ment oned places of Scripture it doth appear unto us for our comfort that God doth hereby manifest unto us his free grace and bounty in the means of our salvation and that for the better grounding of our faith herein he observeth this course as namely First Noseligere ordinare praedestinare ad salvationem in praescientia sua divina aeterna To choose ordain and predestinate us unto salvation in his divine and eternall foreknowledge Secondly Nos inspirare renovare illuminare per Spiritum suum sacrosanctum To inspire to renew and to illuminate us by the heavenly operation of his holy Spirit in us Thirdly Nos ligare trahere dirigere stabilire adificare per verbum suum divenum per sacramenta sua sacra To biud draw direct establish and build us up in the heavenly building and knowledge of Christ by his divine and holy Word and by his holy and blessed Sacraments St. Augustines observation is this St. Augustin That God doth Inspirare per verbum God doth inspire us by his Word The due and serious consideration of all this ought not onely to raise
so I would have told you it I go to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also Sapientis est igitur totam in mortem Seneca prominere hoc velle hoc meditari hac semper cupidine ferri ut Seneca It is therefore the part of a wise man wholly to bend and prepare himself for and towards Death to be willing to dye to be alwaies meditating on death and to desire the same And not to be like unto those of whom Seneca complaineth in this manner Nemo sine quaerula moritur Seneca Quis non recusans Quis non gemens exit ut Seneca No man dyeth without complainings Who goeth willingly out of this World without expressing of some sorrow and lamentation for the same But for our greater comfort in Death St. Cyprian observeth thus much Ad refrigerium justi vocantur S. Cyprian ad supplicium rapiuntur injusti datur mors tutela fidentibus perfidis autem paena The just and godly by death are called unto rest and to a refreshing But the wicked and ungodly are suddenly snatched away by Death unto punishment And again Death to the godly is as a safe Custody and Protection But unto the Wicked Death is as a sharpe and severe punishment This difference is therefore observed between the hope of the Wicked The difference between the hope of the Wicked and the Godly and the Worldly-minded man and of the Godly and truly Religious man The Worldly-minded man Dum spirat sperat Whiles that he hath any breath left in him his hope still is to recover But the Godly and Religious man Dum expirat sperat When Life decaies and when his last breath is ready to go out of his body even then at that very instant hath he hope to enjoy a far better life The wicked is driven away in his wickedness Prov. 14.32 but the righteous hath hope in his death Nulla res magis proderit Seneca quam cogitatio mortalitatis ut Seneca Nothing can more profit and avail a man here in this life than a serious thought and meditation of his mortality Nullius rei meditatio tam necessaria est ut Seneca Seneca Meditari mortem qui hoc dicit meditari libertatem jubat ut Seneca The Meditation of nothing is so necessary as this meditation of Death is For to meditate on death he which adviseth us so to do commandeth us to meditate on that which introduceth our greatest liberty and happiness Mortem nemo hilaris excipit Seneca nisi quise ad istam diu composuerat ut Seneca No man doth entertain and welcome death chearfully unless he have well disposed fitted and prepared himself long before for that day Compone te igitur ad diem illum Seneca ut Seneca Therefore fit and prepare thy self for that day Dies ultimus salubriter ignoratur S. Gregory and S. Bernard ut semper proximus esse credatur ut St. Gregory St. Bernard Our last day or the day of our death is kept from our knowledge and that very profitably for our good that so we should believe and think every day to be our last day that so we may be alwaies ready fitted and prepared for the same accordingly Qualis vita finis ita As a mans life is so shall his death be Qualis quisque hinc exierit S. Augustine in suonovissimo die talis invenietur in novissimo seculi die ut St. Augustin Look in what state and condition a man is in when he departeth out of this World in his last day even in the day or time of his death In the self same state and condition shall he be found to be in in the last day of the World even in the day of Judgement If the clouds be full of rain they empty themselves upon the earth Eccles 11.3 and if the Tree fall towards the South or towards the North in the place where the Tree falleth there it shall be Longe est quidem dies judiecii sed unius cujusque hominis S. Augustine dies ultimus longe esse non potest quia brevis est vita vitae brevitas incerta ut St. Augustine The day of Iudgement may be long before it come but the last day or the day of death of every particular person cannot be long before it happen because that this our life is short and this shortness of our life uncertain Seneca Effice igitur mortem tibi cogitatione familiarem ut possis illi laetns alacer obviam exire ut Seneca Therefore strive and endeavour thou by the often thought and meditation of death to make the same familiar unto thee that so when death knocks at the door of thy heart thou mayest be then ready joyfully and chearfully to embrace the same Magna autem pars est Seneca et diu discenda cum adventat hora illa inevitabilis aequo animo exire ut Seneca But it is a very great and difficult thing and a long time in learning for a man to go out of this World with a quiet and with a contented mind when that inevitable day and hour of our death shall come Vivere tota vita discendum est Seneca de brevitatc vitae cap. 7. et quod magis fortasse miraberis tota vita discendum est mori ut Seneca de brevitate vitae cap. 7. During our whole life we must learn to live and which is more and it may be to be wondred at our whole life here must be a learning to die Mors omnium dolorum et solutio est et finis ut Seneca Death is the ful end and period of all our griefs and sorrows which are here endured Seneca Per vitam ad mortem transitus est S. Ambrose de bona morte per mortem ad vitam reditus est ut St. Ambrose de bona morte Our life is a passage unto death and by death we return to life Tota vita nihil aliud est quam ad mortem iter ut Seneca Our whole life here is nothing else but a Iourney unto death Death is the salve that ceaseth all annoy For our comfort in death Death is the Port by which we pass to joy For our further comfort in death Christus morte mortem destruxit vitamque reduxit ut Cyril Christ by his death destroyed death and the power thereof and thereby brought life unto us Mors est quae mundum redemit Leo St. Ambrose de bona morte ut Leo St. Ambrose de bona morte It was the death of Christ which redeemed the world Morte illa mors mortua est S. Bernard ut St. Bernard By the death of Christ was death killed Nothing doth more resemble death than sleep Nothing so like the Grave
as the bed Nothing more resembles our resurrection than our awaking and rising again in the morning This ought to put us daily in mind of our death and resurrection Et Lathi consanguineus sopor Virgil. ut Virgil. Sleep is a Cousin of death Speculum mortis somnnm Tertullian ut Tertullian Sleep is a very spectacle of death Quoties dormis vigilas toties morieris resurgis As often as thou sleepest and awakest again so often by way of resemblance dost thou dye and rise again as a Father observeth Dies iste Seneca quem tanquam extremum reformidas aeterni natalis est ut Seneca That day which thou so much fearest as being thy last day the same day for thy joy and comfort is thy everlasting birth-day Cur igitur doles Tertullian de patientia si periisse non credis ut Tertullian De patientia Why dost thou therefore grieve and lament to think of this thy last day if thou dost believe thou shalt not perish thereby We have rather cause of rejoycing when we think of this our last day of the day of our death the same being the day of our happy change All the daies of my appointed time Iob 14.14 will I wait till my change come Ultimus optimus medicus morberum etiam immedicabilium est mors Aeschilus ut Aeschilus Death is the last and the best Physitian and that of incurable diseases Mors aeterna quies ut Pater Aerumnarum requies mors Death brings us to our everlasting rest and puts an end unto all our miseries The antient Counsels termed the blessed Sacrament Or Viaticum morientis Viaticum Aeternitatis A blessed bate that the devout Soul useth to take in this life when he is even ready to travell for the other life It is very memorably observed by Nazianzen of St. Basil Nazianzen of S. Basil that in his life time he desired that when death came he might be so happy as in the ending of his daies to die with some divine sentence of piety in his mouth at the instant before his death Death is as a Father observeth a passage from Earth to Heaven from a World of endless miseries here to a happy Heaven of everlasting happiness in Heaven And he said unto Iesus Luke 23.42 43. Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdom And Iesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Death as one observeth is a temporary separation of the Soul from the body A location or placing of the body in the Earth from whence it was taken and there to remain till the last day the day of Iudgement being the day of the happy re-uniting of the Soul and Body together again And a translation of the Soul and Spirit of man unto God that gave it who at the first breathed into him the breath of life And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground Gen. 2 7. and breathed into his Nostrils the breath of life and man became a living Soul All in whose Nostrils was the breath of life Gen. 7.22 In the sweat of thy face Gen. 3.19 shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the Ground for out of it was thou taken for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou teturn Cease ye from man Isaiah 2.22 whose breath is in his Nostrils All flesh shall perish together Iob 34.15 and Man shall turn again unto the dust His breath goeth forth Psal 146.4 he returneth to his earth All are of the dust Eccles 3.20 and all turn to dust again Thou takest away their breath Ps 104 29. they dye and return to their dust The Lord created man Ecclus. 7.8 of the earth and turned him into it again Then shall the Dust return to the earth as it was Eccles 12.7 and the Spirit shall return unto GOd who gave it I also am formed out of the clay Iob 33.6 But now O Lord Isaiah 64.8 thou art our Father and we are the clay These and such like meditations cannot choose but make the thought of death to be very happy and comfortable unto us A good name is better than pretious ointment Eccles 12.1 and the day of death than the day of ones birth A promise of Gods mercy A Promise of Gods mercy to comfort us against the day of our death For thou hast delivered my Soul from death Psalm 56.13 I will ransome them from the power of the grave Hosea 13.14 I will redeem them from death O death I will be thy plague O grave I will be thy destruction Verily Iohn 5.24 verily I say unto you He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life He will swallow me up in victory Isaiah 25.8 9. and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth for the Lord hath spoken it And it shall be said in that day Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us This is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation For thou hast delivered my Soul from death Psal 116.8 mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling For the Lambe which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed them Rev. 7 17. and shall lead them unto living Fountains of waters and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes Rev. 21.4 and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away But we had the sentence of death in our selves 2 Cor. 1.9 10. that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raised the dead who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will deliver us 2 Tim. 2.19 The Lord knoweth them that are his Who hath saved us 2 Tim. 1.9 10. and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Iesus before the world began But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Iesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel Forasmuch then as the Chlidren are partakers of flesh and blood Heb. 2.14 15. he also himself took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of Death that is the Devil And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage We know that we have passed from death unto life
A GOLDEN-CHAIN OR A MISCELANY OF DIVINE SENTENCES Of the Sacred SCRIPTVRES And of other Authors Collected and linked together for the souls comfort By EDWARD BULSTRODE of the Inner-Temple Esquire Lex Christi est Lux Christiana LONDON Printed by F.L. for W. Lee D. Pakeman and G. Bedel and are to be sold at their shops in Fleetstreet 1657 To the RIGHT HONOURABLE Sir Bulstrode Whitlock Knight One of the Lords Commissioners of his Highnesse Treasury and Speaker pro Tempore of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland Right Honourable IT is a generall Scandall upon what grounds I know not thrown upon the Professours of the Law especially in this age that the practicall knowledge of the Lawes of God and of our own Nation do seldome meet together in one person whereby they seem to put an incompatibility of devotion and sanctity into the life of Lawyers whereas Religigion is sutable with all sorts of vocations and he that is not Bonus Theologus as to himself and that does not make Religion his Primum and his Ultimum can never be well fitted for any Profession whatsoever It is true in the Creation God commanded the Plants to bring forth their fruits every one according to its kind and so he commands all Christians who are living Plants of his Church to bring forth fruits of Devotion every one in his quality and vocation For at ought to be differently exercised by different men and the practice of it must be accommodated to the capacity and imployments of each particular person and when Religion is not sutable with the lawfull vocation of any man then without doubt that Religion is false For true Godlinesse is so farr from prejudicing any imployment that it adorns and beautifies it all persons becoming more acceptable in their vocation joyning it with true devotion And as knowledge is the glory of a man so Divine knowledge is the glory of a Christian especially that of sacred Scripture which is most sublime and makes a Christian happy to salvation The Brick and Straw of Egypt is not comparable to the Gold and Silver Vessels in the Temple neither are Divine Instructions borrowed from Humane Learning to be compared with the inestimable value of those golden Precepts contained in holy Scriptures For this cause my Lord have I linckt together this Chain of Golden Sentences out of the holy Scriptures and gathered this handfull of Flowers out of that Garden of Paradise to present to your Lordships hands which if your Lordship please sometimes to smell unto I doubt not but they may yeeld some fragrancy and sweetnesse For the written Word of God affords extraordinary sweetnesse chearing a breast full of perplexities the power of it reforming the disordered lives of men and snatching us from the gates of death to eternity And since God himself in the Old Testament commands us and Christ in the New enjoyns us to read his holy Word and to search the Scripture I have therefore in the first place made choice of those places of Scripture that concern our hearing and reading the word of God the knowledge of which fully understood and conscionably practised is or should be the main and principall end of every true Christians endeavour I have likewise observed the severall texts concerning the severall Books mentioned in Scripture and the difference betwixt the Old and New Testament and of the necessity of the Virtue and the Benefits of Prayer And that we may with more ease digest those inconveniencies and distresses which we have been acquainted with and which do daily threaten worse unto us I have therefore produced severall Scriptures concerning afflictions and the benefit of them if seriously considered For how can a man suffer his heart to be dejected at the privation of any temporall blessings or at the load of any afflictions which God shall lay upon him if he consider the vanity of the first Gods Justice in imposing the last and that nothing is worth his serious thoughts but what may accompany him to the Mansions of Eternity Certainly if we seriously reflect upon the excellency of our own nature and think upon that happy estate which we shall arrive unto if we make the Law of God our meditation day and night we shall then wean and take off our affections from this world the cares whereof do very much clog our souls flight to heaven and tedder us here below I must confesse prosperity is a great blessing of God and duely used is no mean advantage both to ones self and others yet if the hand that gave shall take away we must not repine at what God formerly lent us and thinks not fit any longer to permit us the use of In the next place since our whole life ought to be a continuall preparation for death I have collected many meditations concerning it And since to perform any action well a man must propose the end of that action to himself and since of all mans actions the government of himself in relation to his future estate is most important and neerliest concerning him a mans being in this life being but instrumentally good as being the means for him to be well in the next I have in the last place observed some things concerning the day of Judgement and the happinesse we expect in the life to come For there remains an eternity to us after the short revolution of time we so swiftly run over here on earth and all that which in this world we call happinesse is not valuable in respect of the future nor is any thing we do here considerable otherwise then as it conduceth to our eternall well-being hereafter And thus having given your Lordship an account of this small Tract I must beg your Lordships pardon for putting your name in the Front of it being I fear an undervaluing your Lordship to prefix your name to so slender a piece but it being a right hand errour I hope it will be lookt upon the more favourably by your Lordship my obligations to your Lordship being so many great that I am bereft of all other means of shewing my thankfulnesse but by laying hold of any opportunity of subscribing my self My Lord Your Lordships most faithfull and humble Servant Edward Bulstrode The heads of the following Chapters CHAP. I. TOuching the sacred Word of God with certain directory rules and observations to be made use of for the more profitable and better understanding thereof when we read or hear the same And herein is set forth and shewed First How that the constant and frequent reading and hearing of the Word of God is a duty and service commanded and enjoyned us by God himself Fol. 1. Secondly How we are to fit and prepare our selves for the due performance of these so religious duties by our prayers unto God for his blessing thereon 5. And herein four observations are set down for our better direction in the reading of the
willing to die considering that the godly by death are called to rest but the wicked to punishment 164. The difference between the hope of the wicked and of the godly 164 165. Nothing more profitable than the thought of mortality 165 166. Why the day of our death is kept from us 166. That a mans death shall be as his life is 166 167. That the day of Judgement may be long before it come but the day of death not so and the reason 167. By meditation on death to make the same familiar to us 167. That our whole life ought to be a learning to die 167. That death puts an end to all sorrows 168 169 170. That life is a passage to death and death a return to life 168 169. Touching our comfort in death by Christ his overcoming of death 169. That sleep is a resemblance of death the bed of the grave our rising again of our resurrection 169 170. That the day of our death is as our everlasting birth day 170. We are not to grieve at the thought of death but rather to rejoyce 170 171. The Sacrament called viaticum Aeternitatis or morientis 171. The desire of Nazianzen to die with some sentence of piety by him uttered at that time 171. That death is a passage from earth to heaven 171 172. That death is a separation of the soul from the body a location of the body in the earth and a translation of the soul to God 172 173. That man is of the dust and to dust to return 172 173. That the thought of death ought to be comfortable in regard of Gods mercy promised 173 174 175 176. CHAP. VII Of the day of Judgement the same described with the fruits and effects thereof 177. The severall appellations of the day of Judgement 177 178 179. The terriblenesse of the day of Judgement with the manner thereof 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189. Touching the manner of our change at the day of Judgement 187 188. That God will deliver his in the day of Judgement 188. That because man was so wicked God made the dumb creatures to take part of the punishment with him 189 190. A Sermon preached upon this text 2 Cor. 5.10 For we must all appear before the Judgement-seat of Christ 195. ERRATA Fol. 31. line 1. these words omitted nisi introspieere in mentem suam 51. l. 29. that for the 54. l. 1. the first all too much 83. l. 6. that too much 87. l. 16. dignitio tua for est dignatio tua 88. l. 1. serio for serious 112. l. 1. not too much 121. l. last word for sword 124. l. 7.8.9 read morbidus putridus cassus auspicatus 125. l. 3. dives for dies and l. 13. is to be left out 128. l. 3 4. melior for melius 136. l. 7. shall too much 141. l. 28. distinction for direction 144. l. 22 moriamini for moriâ—mini l. 27. O nqnom for O nequam 148. l. 21. ereunti for exennti 156. l. 24. quod for quid 159. l. 14. provectio for profectio 161. l. 17. bono for bona l. 26. sciet for sociat 162. l. 7. transgradimur for trunsgredimur and l. 10. temporali itinere de cursa for temporalis itineris decursu 165. l. 20. jubat for jubet 170. l. 5. somnum for somnus or somnium In the Sermon 2. division the generality of the Judgement we must all appear here to be left on t the 3. division the severity of the Judgement in this word appear here to be added CHAP. I. Touching the sacred word of God with certain directory Rules and observations by way of Caveats to be made use of for the more profitable and better understanding of the holy Scriptures and sacred word of God whensoever we do either read or hear the same preached unto us FIrst the constant and frequent reading and hearing of the Word of God and the due meditation thereon is a duty and service commanded us by God himself and by him enjoyned to be duely and carefully performed by us with his good blessings promised if we so do and his ensuing judgements threatned if we neglect the same all which appeareth by many places of Scripture Deut. chap. 11. vers 18.19.20.21 Ye shall lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul and bind them for a signe upon your hand that they may be as frontlets between your eyes And ye shall teach them your children speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way when thou liest down and when thou risest up And thou shalt write them upon the doore posts of thine house and upon thy gates That your dayes may be multiplied and the dayes of your children in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them as the dayes of heaven upon the earth Observe Deuteronomie chap. 12. vers 28. and hear all these words which I command thee that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee for ever when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the Lord thy God And it shall be Deuteronomie chap 17. vers 18.19 when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdome that he shall write him a copy of this Law in a book And it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all the words of this law and these statutes to do them And Moses wrote this law Deuteronomie chap. 31. vers 9 10 11 12. and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi. And Moses commanded them saying Gather the people together men and women and children and the stranger that is within thy gates that they may hear and that they may learn and fear the Lord your God and observe to do all the words of this law But the word is very nigh unto thee Deuteronomie ch 30. vers 14. in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayest do it The word is nigh thee Romans ch 10. ver 8. even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth Joshua chap. 8. vers 8. but thou shalt meditate therein night and day that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good successe Whoso despiseth the word Prov. 13.13 shall be destroyed but he that feareth the commandement shall be rewarded I have sent unto you all my servants the prophets Jeremiah cha 7. ver 25 26. daily rising up early and sending them Yet they hearkened not nor enclined their eare but hardened their neck they did worse than their fathers How do ye say Jeremiah cha 8. ver 8.9 we are wise and
be saved And they said Acts. 16.41 Believe on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ Rom. 1.16 17 18. for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth For therein is the righteousnesse of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written The just shall live by faith But the just shall live by his faith Habakkuk 2.4 Hebrews 10.38 Gal. 3.11 Now the just shall live by faith But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident for the just shall live by faith But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin Gal. 3 22 23. that the promise by faith of Christ Iesus might be given to them that believe But before faith came we were kept under the law shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed By the deeds of the law Rom. 3.20 21 22. there shall no flesh be justified in his fight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin But now the righteousnesse of God without the Law is manifested by the Law and the prophets Even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe For all have sinned Rom. 3.23 24 25 26. and come short of the glory of God Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God That he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Iesus To him that worketh nor Rom. 4.5 but beliveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Being justified by faith Rom. 5.1 2. we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ By whom also we have accesse by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus Rem 8.1 2. Who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit For the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath made me free from the lâ—w of sin and death For Christ is the end of the law Rom. 10.4 for righteousness to every one that believeth The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart Rom. 10.8 9 10 11. that is the Word of Faith which we preach That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth Confession is made unto salvation For the Scripture saith Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed Whatsoever is not of Faith Rom. 14.23 is sin And whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed Rom. 9.33 It pleased God 1 Cor. 1.21 by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe For we walk by faith 2 Cor. 5.7 not by sight I live yet not I Gal. 2.20 but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me They which be of faith are blessed Gal. 3.9 26. with faithfull Abraham For ye are all the Children of God by faith in Christ Iesus In whom also Ephes 1.13 14. after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of Promise which is the earnest of our Inheritance For by Grace are ye saved through Faith Ephes 2.8 and not of your selves it is the gift of God For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again 1 Thess 4.14 even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him Above all things take the shield of Faith Wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the wicked Ephes 1.16 17. Watch ye 1 Cor. 16.13 stand fast in the Faith quit you like men be strong And to whom swore he Heb. 3.18 19 that they should not enter into his rest but to them that believed not So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief Let us draw near with a true heart Heb. 10.22.23 in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill Conscience and our Bodies washed with pure water Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithfull that promised Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 the evidence of things not seen But without Faith it is impossible to please him Heb. 11.6 for he that commeth to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him The whole Chapter being special instances of Faith Of the great Power of faith in the true Servants of God who shewed the powerfullnesse of Faith in general and of their Faith in particular Looking unto Jesus Heb. 12.2 the Author and finisher of our Faith Receiving the end of your Faith 1 Pet. 1.9 20. even the salvation of your Souls Who by him do believe in God that raised him from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God Be thou faithfull unto the death Rev. 2.10 and I will give thee the Crown of life Hence is the patience of the Saints Rev. 14.12 here are they that keep that Commandements of God and the faith of Iesus Seventhly Again Christus in veteri Testamaento est velatus Sed in novo Testamento Christus est nobis revelatus Christ in the Old Testament was hid and covered as it were under a veil and was only shadowed out unto us But in the New Testament Christ is there manisestly revealed unto us and the veil of the old Testament by him taken away 2 Cor. 3.13 14 15. And not as Moses which put a veil over his face that the Children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished But their minds were blinded for untill this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old Testament which veil is done away in Christ But even to this day when Moses is read the veil is upon their hearts Nevertheless where they shall turn to the Lord the veil shall be taken away And without controversie 1 Tim. 3.16 great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world and received up into glory In the beginning was the Word Iohn 1.1 2 14. and the Word was with God And the same was in the beginning with God 1 Iohn
Eve First began with a Nequaquam moriamini ye shall not dye Hereupon Saint Augustine after the Serpent was accursed by God from the Earth saith thus unto the Serpent O n quam ubi jam esi tua nequaquam O thou wicked serpent Where are now thy lying words Ye shall not dye at all For the wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 but the gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Mors fructus à fruendo dicitur as one observeth of it Death is the fruit so called from the enjoying of it and so death is the fruit or wages of sin Quotidie morimur S. Bernard quotidie enim demitur pars vitae tunc quoque cum crescimus vita decrescit ut S. Bernard That is We do dye daily and even every day a part of our life is cut off as St. Bernard observeth Homo est fatuus usque ad quadraginta annorum deinde Luther ubi agnovit se esse fatuum vita consumpta est ut Luther That is A man is as a fool and full of ignorance till he attain unto the age of forty yeares and then so soon as he comes to know and so to acknowledge himself to be a fool to be ignorant and to know nothing of himself even then and at that very time his life here is as it were ended gone and spent as Luther observeth Mors tua mors Christi fraus mundi gloria coeli Et dolor inferni sint meditanda tibi That is These things thou oughtest to take into thy serious consideration and duely for to meditate thereon as namely On thy own death on the death of Christ of the fraud and deceit of the world of the great glory of heaven and on the unsufferable paines and torments of Hell as one observeth It is well observed by one That death in Christ killed life for a time that afterwards life in him might kil death for ever For since by man came death 1 Cor. 15.21 22 25 26 55 56 57. by man came also the resurrection of the dead For as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Death as one observeth is a quiet sleep The soul when death comes puts off the body and the body buried lives in the earth the grave being the bed thereof there to remain till the morning of our resurrection at the day of Iudgement appearing It is observed by one That the true servants of God are so farr from being any wayes discontented or troubled with the thinking of death as that they rather earnestly desire and thirst after it with a Cupio dissolvi Philip. 1.23 a desire with St. Paul to be dissolved and to be with Christ For death as a Father well observeth is but provectio a journey or a laying down of this our earthly tabernacle Nihil certius quod quilibet debet mori sed tempore quando quo leco vel quomodo uihil incertius There is nothing more certain then this that every one must die but when in what place or the manner how nothing is more uncertain Statutum est omnibus semel mori It is dereed that all men must once die Rom. 5.14 As by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned For this is the sentence of the Lord over all flesh Eccles 4.3 As by one mans disobedience Rom. 5.19 21. many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might Grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. When Lust hath conceived it bringeth forth Sin Iames. 1.15 and Sin when it is finished bringeth forth Death Now nothing is more uncertain than the time when we shall die the place where or the manner how we shall die This was therefore the meditation of Seneca daily with himself as is recorded of him Dic tibi dormituro Seneca potes non expergisci Dic exerecto potes non dormire amplius Dic ereunti potes non reverti Dic revertenti potes non exire amplius VVhen thou liest down at night in thy Bed to sleep and to take thy rest say thou unto thy self It may be thou shalt never live to awake again to behold the light of the ensuing day When thou awakest in the morning and dost arise out of thy bed say then unto thy self It may be thou shalt never live to lye down in thy bed to take thy rest and sleep again When thou goest forth of thy house about thy necessary affaires say then unto thy self It may be thou shalt never live to return unto thy house again When thou doest return in safety to thy house say then unto thy self It may be thou shalt never live to go forth of thy house again These meditations ought to stirr us up unto a daily and continuall preparation for death that so death may never take us unawares and unprepared Mors sanctis refrigerium improbis autem supplicium Death to the godly is but as it were a refreshing but to the wicked death is a punishment Cujus vita est Christus mors ei lucrum maximum Sed Cujus vita est mundus mors ei damnum maximum ut Pater He who liveth like a Christian and maketh Christ his life here death unto him is the greatest gain that can be But he who liveth here like a worldling and maketh the world his life and chiefest delight here death unto him is the greatest detriment and dammage that can be Boni moriuntur bene etiamfi mors ipsa mala ut Pater Good and godly men do die well and make a happy end although death it self in it self be evil Num. 23.10 This made the prophet Balaam to cry out and say Let me dye the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his Upon which place one well observeth thus much as namely That he which desireth to die the death of the righteous must labour and strive here in this life to lead and live the life of the righteous and then his death will be happy like unto his Vita est vivere vitam Deo sed vivere vitam mundo mors est ut Pater To live here a godly and a Christian life and to devote our selves here wholly to the service of God this is the onely way for us after this our life here ended to attain unto the everlasting life of glory in the kingdome of heaven But He which
so long time served and having thus said he quietly died as St. Jerome observeth Death as one observeth is Succisio non occisio portus non orcus A cutting down not a cutting quite off A port or haven by which we pass to joy and not a gulf to swallow us up And this is via universae carnis the way of all flesh It is written of Xerxes That he having gathered together a million of Men went up into a high Mountain and there looking down upon them he presently wept and he being demanded why he did so answered Quia infra centum annos Because that within these hundred years all these so goodly Souldiers who now do as it were shew their strength and bravery will yet within that time be all of them dead For that Abraham is dead John 8.52 and the Prophets Therefore certain it is we must all dye and this is by no means to be avoided therefore we ought to labour and endeavour our selves so to live here as that in the end we dye not the death eternal But may enjoy after this life ended the unspeakable blessedness of the life to come and so being assured hereof the thought of the death temporal will never be grievous or troublesome unto us St. S. Hierome Hierome saith thus of Nepotian being dead That he did rather Migrare quam mori rather pass to an other place than die St. S. Bernard Bernard writes thus of one Hubertus being dead That he did rather abire quam obire fall asleep than dye And St. S. Chrysostom Chrysostome upon the death of a godly man saith Dormit non mortuus est quiescit non periit He is asleep not dead he doth rest and not perish Omnia pereundo servantur Tertullian All things by perishing are kept alive The Corn it dies and springs again as Tertullian observeth From hence ariseth unto us a great comfort in our death But some men will say 1 Cor. 15.35 to 44. How are the dead raised up and with what body do they come Thou Fool that which thou sowest is not quickned except it die And that which thou sowest thou sowest not that body that shall be but bear grain it may chance of Wheat or of some other grain But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him and to every seed his own body So also is the resurrection of the dead it is sown in corruption it is raised in incorruption It is sown in dishonor it is raised in glory it is sown in weakness it is raised in power It is sown a natural body it is raised a splritual boby there is a natural body Tertu lian and there is a spiritual body Mors est provectio ad resurrectionem non mors est janua qua intremur in Coelum et mors est via ad resurrectionem Death is as it were a Journey or a passage unto our Resurrection and not a Death and our Resurrection is the Gate or Way by which we enter into Heaven and Death is the ready way unto our Resurrection as Tertullian well observeth S. Augustine Therefore well saith Augustine hereupon Tolle articulum de resurrectione Christi et sublata est omnis spes vitae aeterna Take away the Article of the Resurrection of Christ and all our hope of life eternal is then also taken away Mors est Janua vitae Augustin Death is the Gate unto Life as St. Augustin observeth Petrus Damianus de Stephano mortuo Peter Damianus of Stephen being dead Petrus Damianus writeth thus Foelix somnus cum requie requies cum voluptate voluptas cum aeternitate O happy sleep with rest and rest with pleasure and pleasure with the enjoyment of eternity Whereupon St. S. Gregory Gregory writing upon the same saith Dulcis simul beatus somnus O sweet and also happy sleep Mors est cursus ad Coelum S. Chrysostom Death is a speedy course race or way to Heaven as St. Chrysostome observeth Again we are here in this World as Pilgrims Whereupon saith Augustine S. Augustin Cui peregrinatio dulcis est non amat patriam He whose Pilgrimage here is sweet unto him cannot be in love with his Country with this life Mors non est exitus sed transitus ad Coelum via ad Regnum Death doth not put a final end and period unto us but the same is as a passage for us unto Heaven and the ready way by which we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven even into eternity as a Father well observeth And in this so troublesome a Sea of of this World Seneca and exposed unto all the surges and tempestuous waves that can arise there is no Port or Haven that doth appear unto the Navigators in this Sea for them to land or arive at but only the Port or Haven of Death as Seneca observeth Justo mors salutis est portus S. Ambrose ut St. Ambrose de bono morte To the Iust and godly Men death is the Port and Haven of Health and of Happiness It is our life here which doth keep and sever us from our Saviour but it is a happy death which doth conjoyn us unto Christ our head Non est mors sed vita quae morientem Christo societ Non est vita sed mors quae viventem Christo seperat It is not death but life which doth as it were conjoyn and associate the soul of the dying Christian unto Christ And it is not to be called a life but rather death which doth as it were seperate the Soul of the living Christian from Christ his Saviour Quod interim morimur S. Ciprian de mortalitate ad immortalitatum morte transgradimur Nec potest vita aeterna succedere nisi hinc contigerit exire Non est exitus sed transitus et temporali itinere de cursa ad aeterna transgressus ut Ciprian in tractatu de mortalitate For as much as we do here die suddenly we do pass by death unto immortality neither can life eternal succeed unless it happen unto us first to leave this Life It is not a final end but a passage and by the course of a temporal journey a passing unto Heaven Descendit altissimus S. Bernard et sua nobis descensa suavem ac salubrem dedicavit ascensum ut S. Bernard The highest did descend from Heaven and so by his descending he did dedicate his ascension to be good and profitable unto us Ascendit qui descendit S. Augustine descendit nt sanaret te ascendit ut levaret te ut St. Augustine He which ascended is the same which descended he descended that so he might heal and cure thee of all thy malladies he ascended that so he might by the virtue of his powerfull ascension lift thee up and make thee to ascend likewise Iohn 14.2 3. In my Fathers House are many mansions if it were not
the Lord of hosts For as the lightning cometh out of Matth. 24.27 the east and shineth even unto the west so shall also the coming of the Son of man be Immediately after the tribulation of those dayes shall the sun be darkened Matth. 24.29 30 31 33 36. the moon shall not give her light the stars shall fall from heaven the powers of the heaven shall be shaken And then shall appear the sign of the son of man in heaven Mark 13.24 25 26 27 29 32 33. and Luke 21.25 26 27 31 32 33. the same with St. Matthew and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn and they shall see the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds from the one end of heaven to the other When ye shall see all these things know that it is near even at the doors But of that day and hour knoweth no man no nor the angels of heaven but my Father onely By these preceding places of Scripture it appears That the day of Iudgement or the day the Lord is called by the name of the harvest being ripe The harvest of the earth is ripe and therefore to be reaped with the sickle By the name of a noise that shall come even to the ends of the earth and that the Lord hath a controversie with the Nations that he will plead with all flesh and give them that are wicked to the sword Again Of the day of Judgement a farther description and of the effects of it The day of Iudgement further described with full expressions in the Scripture how fearfull and terrible the same shall be and what men shall do for to avoid the same And they shall go into the holes of the rocks Isaiah 2.19 and 10.11 12. all to the same purpose and into the caves of the earth for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth Or then shall they go into the holes of the rocks from before the fear of the Lord and from the glory of his majesty when he shall arise to destroy the earth as another Translation is In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver Isaiah 2.20 and his idols of gold which they made each one for himself to worship to the moles to the bats Or at that day shall a man cast away his silver idols and and his golden idols which they had made themselves to worship them to the moles and to the batts as another Translation is That is Exposition They shall cast them into most vile and filthy places when they perceive that they are not able to help them as the exposition is To go into the clefts of the rocks Isai 2.20 21. and into the tops of the ragged rocks for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth And they shall say to the mountains Cover us and to the hills Hosea 10.8 Fall on us Then shall they begin to say to the mountains Fall on us and to the hills Luke 23.30 Cover us And the kings of the earth Rev. 6.15 16. and the great men and the rich men and the chief captains and the mighty men and every bond-man and every freeman hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and rocks Fall on us And hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand And in those dayes shall men seek death and shall not find it and shall desire to dye and death shall flee from them Riches Prov. 11.4 profit or avail not in the day of wrath but righteousnesse delivereth from death Trust not in wicked riches Ecclus 5.8 for they shall not help or profit thee in the day of punishment or vengeance Wo unto you that desire the day of the Lord Amos 5.18 to what end is it for you the day of the Lord is darknesse and not light Or what have you to do with it as another Translation is Thus he speaketh because the wicked and hypocrites said they were content to abide Gods Iudgements whereas the godly tremble and fear as the exposition is As if a man did flee from a lion Amos 5.19 20. and a bear met him or went into the house and leaned hard on the wall and a serpent bit him Shall not the day of the Lord be darknesse and not light even very dark and no brightnesse in it Or and no light in it as another Translation is Behold 1 Cor. 15.51 I shew you a mystery or a secret thing we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed when the Lord cometh to Iudgement some of the saints shall be alive whom he will change even as if they were dead so that this change is instead of death to them as the Exposition is Exposition For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout 1 Thess 4.16 17. with the voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Meaning them which shall be found alive as the exposition is In this sudden taking up Exposition there shall be a kind of mutation of the qualities of our bodies which shall be as a kind of death as the exposition is And it shall be said in that day Lo Isaiah 25.9 this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us This is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation In a moment 1 Cor. 15.52 in the twinckling of an eye at the last trump or trumpet for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed For this corruptible must put on incorruption 1 Cor. 15.53 and this mortall must put on immortality I will ransome them from the power of the grave Hosea 13.14 I will redeem them from death O death I will be thy plagues O grave I will be thy destruction Meaning Exposition that no power shall resist God when he will deliver his but even in death he will give them life as the exposition is Therefore be ye ready Matth. 24.44 for in such an hour as you think not the son of man cometh or will come Ye that put farr away the evil day Amos 6.3 and cause the seat of violence to come near