sheweth vs his desire and in his desire sheweth vs that death and desolution is a thing to bee desired of the godly When the labourer hath wrought stoutly in the vineyard all the day and at length the euening commeth wherein he may rest hee is glad of it yea hee doth desire and wait for the comming of the euening that he may rest Our life here beneath is but as a day and a short winter day and here vpon the earth as in the Lords vineyard we are appointed to labour so the Parable of the labourers hired to worke in the vineyard Matth. 20. doth teach vs. When the euening of our daye namely death dooth come the seruant of God reioyceth that he may rest from his labour yea in wisedome hee shoulde desire the comming of it that hee might rest from his labour for death bringeth such rest The holy Ghost from heauen affirmed to Iohn the Euangelist Reu. 14.13 that they which die in the Lord doe rest from their labours and are therein blessed And a wise Poet truly saide it Est finis miseria in morte in death our miseries end When the souldier hath put on armour and lieth in Campe against the enemie hee longeth for victorie that hee may put off his armour and rest from that daungerous and painefull seruice And when that wished day is come hee reioyceth for his rest For as the King of Israel answered the king of Aram though he that girdeth on his armour boast himselfe yet he that putteth it off after victorie hath whereof to boast Now wee are all Souldiers and our life vpon the earth is a warfare So Ierome reades the first wordes of the seuenth chapter of Iob Milita est vita hominis super terram A warfare saith hee fighting against inuisible aduersaries And wee are sent into this world as the Lordes prest men vnder the Banner of Christ following him our Captaine to fight against sinne against the flesh the diuell and the worlde by dooing good workes and resisting tentations Sinne fighteth against vs and often taketh vs captiues Rom. 7.23 Paul saith I see an other Lawe in my m̄ebers rebelling against the Law of my minde and leading mee captiue vnto the law of sin which is in my members The flesh fighteth against vs striuing against the spirit as the spirit striueth against the flesh And Peter biddeth vs Abstaine from fleshly lusts because they fight against the soule 1. Pet. 2.11 The Diuell commeth fiercely vpon vs as a roaring Lyon and fighteth against vs. Eph. 6.16 beeing armed with fierie darts And the worlde dooth not loue those whom God hath choson out of the world Iohn 15.19 and the battel which we haue to maintaine against those enemies is most perillous because Eph. 6.22 wee wrastle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers against the worldly gouernours the princes of the darknesse of this world This battell endeth not till the day of our dissolution commeth then are wee freed from tentations and deliuered from sinne For Romans 6.7 the Apostle saith Hee that is dead is freed from sinne Then doe wee rest and reioyce triumphing ouer all our enemies sauing that death for a time holdeth our bodies in the dust of the earth And therefore the day of our dissolution as the end of our both painefull and dangerous warre is to be desired Hee that can discerne betweene labour with wearinesse rest with reward betweene warre with perill and victorie with ioyfull peace hee will say that the daye of death to a good man is to bee desired more then life because life is labour with wearinesse and woe with perill but the houre of death bringeth rest with reward and victorie with ioyfull peace Ciprian in a Treatise of his De mortalitate in the third section saith of life Quid aliud in mundo quam pugna aduersus diabolum quotidie geritur quam aduersus iacula eius tela conflictationibus assidius dimicatur While wee are in the world what do we but fight against the diuell and warre with continual conflicts against his arrowes and darts but of death hee saith Illa est pax nostra illa fida tranquillitas illa stabilis firma perpetua securitas Death is our peace our sure tranquilitie our stable firme and perpetual securitie When Balaam that false Prophet that loued the wages of iniquitie beeing hired by the King of Moab to curse Israel had considered that cursing could not bee the ende of Gods people but that they were heires of blessing hee pronounced these wordes Numbers 23.10 Let mee die the death of the righteous let my last end be like his The man did see his eyes beeing opened of God that the end of the righteous for the peace and happinesse thereof was to be desired The day of dissolution to a righteous man is like that day in which Ioseph was brought out of prison and stoode before Pharaoh Hee had long beene in bonds In prison hee was basely clothed as became a prisoner In the end his fetters are laid aside hee is taken out of prison he putteth off his base attire he is washed and shauen hee putteth on new apparrell is brought into the presence of the King and made a ruler throughout the Kingdome The iust mans life is like the time of his captiuitie and his death is like to his deliuerie While wee liue the soule is inclosed in the bodie as in a prison and is clothed with the flesh as with filthie garmentes and is clogged with sinne as with fetters of yron and brasse and is cumbred with iniuries and tentations more greeuous and noysome then the hunger colde and noysome sauour of the prison But when the houre of dissolution commeth the prison is broken and wee are deliuered Wee put off the ragges of the flesh and are clothed with white we are loosed from the fetters of sinne we are washed in the blood of Christ wee are admitted into the presence of God and are made togither with Iesus Christ heires of a heauenly kingdom And therefore as Ioseph desired to bee deliuered and had cause to riot when that daye came euen so may the righteous desire their dissolution they haue cause to reioyce when the day thereof draweth nigh The death indeed of the wicked is very fearefull and by all meanes to be auoided if it could bee auoided For their death is like the euening to the slothfull seruant when his Maister will examine his daies worke It is like the comming home of the Lorde to the vnprofitable seruant that had wrapped his Tallent in a napkin and buried it in the ground hee was called to account and because he had beene idle Mat. 25.26 his Talent was taken from him and giuen to an other and after sharpe rebukes hee was cast into vtter darknesse where is weeping and gnashing of teeth It is like the fearefull assises and day of goale deliuerie vnto the malefactor who being brought from the prison
to the Bar and there condemned is led from thence to the place of execution It is like the birth day of Pharaoh vnto his officer the Baker who was taken out of prison led to the gallowes hanged and made a praie to the foules of heauen The death therefore of the wicked is euill and to be shunned if it could bee shunned for in it endeth all their rest and beginneth all their labour In it endeth all their happinesse and beginneth all their miserie In it endeth all their pleasure beginneth their torment which neuer shall end and they fall as the tree that is cut downe for the fire Reade the report of the vnmercifull glutton in Luk. 16.19 what pleasures his life abounded withall which all turned to torments when hee died But the righteous are cut downe like to ripe corne that with care is brought into the barne and they are deliuered from the euills that are to come Esay 57.1 they rest from all their labours past Reuel 14.13 They come to their perfect ioy in hope whereof they reioyced beefore Matth. 25.11 It is saide to the good seruant Enter into thy Maisters ioy And when they put off the earthly house of this tabernacle 2. Corin. 5.1 they haue a building giuen of God not made with handes but eternall in heauen They leaue earthly possessions which comming naked into the worlde they found here and going naked out of the world they leaue here and for them they receiue an inheritance immortal vndefiled that fadeth not away but is reserued for them in the heauens and then doe they truly begin to liue when they depart out of this darke vale of fraile mortalitie Truly that seruant of God the ruines of whose earthly tabernacle lie here before vs to be interred knowing that the death of the righteous was to bee desired did with desire and longing expect and entertaine the houre of his dissolution And when hee had not yet in deede but onely in his purpose and resolution put off his flesh and receiued in himselfe the sentence of death hee could by no meanes bee drawen in his affections to put it on againe though the fraile flesh and his fading life as enticing harlots did earnestly striue to drawe his liking vnto them But as a wise and stout trauailer when after long wearie iournies he sees at last not farre off the place of his habitation dooth then with double desire contend to come vnto it and wil not then suffer himselfe to bee staied but saith in his heart Oh long desired seate of my wished rest often haue I thoght vpon thee now shall I obtaine thee my feete forget their wearinesse and my hart forgets all faintnes for loue of thee and my desire shall not end till I obtaine the end of my desire Euen so this man made wise by the word of God which maketh wise vnto saluation being strong and of good courage in the Lorde when after wearie trauaile and long iournies in this wildernesse of the world vale of tentations he was admonished by sicknesse and infirmitie that he was not farre from the end of his way and that his resting place vpon the hill of Gods holines was not much distant hee lifted vp the eyes of his minde toward heauen and contemplating the beautie of the heauenly new Ierusalem and of the glorious kingdome prepared for the sonnes of God with doubled desire he contended thither and casting of all those things that might stay him the loue of this world and of fraile life hee wholly breathed heauen with this resolution Long haue I desired thee nowe haue I found thee When thou wert further of I desired thee and now that my ioy be fulfilled in comming vnto thee I speake not these things as onely intending to praise him though it be his iust and great praise that these things be truly spoken of him and such a praise as men doe not vsually deserue namely to renounce this world to contend with ful course of strong affections toward heauen For his praise only I speak not these things of him though to the righteous there belongeth a blessed memorie Prou. 10.7 himselfe desired not praise among men but the praise that is of God But I remember also for your sakes and in him I shadow forth vnto you as in an example agreeing aptly with the doctrine of my text what ought to be the desire and resolution of euery of you namely to meete the Lords purpose with your desire and to goe hence with ioy when the houre of your dissolution commeth and not to looke backe in your loue and wishes to this world as Lots wife looked backe to Sodome whē her departure out from thence was her safetie and her stay could not haue beene any longer without her hurt Thus much shall serue to haue spoken of the first wordes wherein the Apostle signifieth his desire of death Now let vs cōsider of the cōmoditie that he looketh to reape by his dissolution which maketh him so much to desire it And to be with Christ. The commoditie of life was publike hee might doe good to others His wordes for that are in verse 24. Neuerthelesse to abide in the flesh is more needefull for you The commoditie of death is priuate he shall win good to himselfe That he pronounceth in the words of this verse Desiring to bee dissolued and to bee with Christ In which words giuing reason of his desire hee teacheth vs a fruit of our death and what it is that should make vs desire death namely that thereby we might be gathered vnto Christ Many men for many causes desire the day of their dissolutiō But as the Lord Iesus said Luk. 10.42 of Maries choyce One thing is needefull so may we say of the reasons driuing men to desire death one is laudable Abimelech the base sonne of Gedeon besieged a Tower in Tebez and comming neare vnto the wall thereof a woman threw down vpon him a peece of a milstone wherewith she brake his head Iudg. 9.53 Then he called his seruant that bare his armour and bad him draw his sword and kill him yeelding this reason for his desire of death That men might not say a woman killed him The valiant man for the auoiding of that dishonour desiring the speede of his owne dissolution by his armour bearers hands In the daies of Dauid Absolom rebelled against his father And Achitophel a man very politike and a subtill counseller tooke part with him His counsell Absolom refused followed rather the counsell of Huspai Herevpon Achitophel partly angrie and disdaining that his counsell was not followed partly fearing that Absoloms faction could not preuaile letting slip the opportunitie that he had counselled him to take sadled his Asse forsooke Absolom went to his owne house set all things in order and then hanged himselfe The proud Polititiā not able to beare the disgrace and fearing afterclaps for he suspected Absoloms fall hastened with his own
2. to the Corinthians 5. chapter 10 verse Paul saith Wee must all appeare before the tribunall seate of Christ that euery one may receiue the thinges that are done in his body whether it be good or euil All therefore at that day shall bee brought before the Lord Iesus But the wicked shal not come to be and to abide with Iesus Christ from that day Neither shal they in the houre of their dissolution bee gathered vnto him to be abide with him before that day They shall come vnto him as vnto a Iudge armed with authoritie to condemne They shall come vnto him as vnto a reuenger appearing from heauen with flaming fire to destroy And their iudgement when they appeare shal be to depart for euer from his presence As wee reade the sentence set downe in the 25. of Matthew at the 14. verse Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuell and his angells And of the iudgment of them in that great day that either know not God hauing had no calling or obeyed not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ hauing obeied no calling Paul saith in the second to the Thessalonians 1. chapter and 9. verse That they shall be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glorie of his power Their comming therefore is not to bee and abide with Christ And for the time of their comming and abiding before Christ it shall be most fearefull vnto them of whom it is written Reuelations 6. chapter 16. verse That they shall say vnto the mountaines and hills fall vpon vs and couer vs from the presence of him that sitteth vpon the throne and from the Lambe for the great day of his wrath is come and who can stand that is who shall be able to abide his iudgement But the faithfull at that great day come vnto him to be and abide with him to whom Iesus shal say in the 25. of Matthew 34. Come yee blessed of my Father And of whom Paul doth say in the 1. to the Thessalonians 4. chap 17. verse So shal we be euer with the Lord. And that their being and continuing with him is their happines as here Paul saith Euen best of all To this purpose it is an apt speech that is in the 6. chapter of Augustines Manuale Faelix anima quae terreno resoluta tarcere libera coelum petit quae te dulcisimum Dominum facie ad faciem ceruit quae nullo metu mortis affiicitur sed de incorruptione perpetua gloria letatur Happy is that soule which freed from her earthly prison dooth now in libertie enter into heauen and there beholdeth thee most sweete Lord Iesus face to face and is affected with no more feare of death but reioyceth in the incorruptible estate of eternall glory Marke the words of the Lord Iesus spoken to the Apostles touching this very matter of his fellowship in heauen and you shall finde them to contemne all consolation In the 22. of Luke at the 29. verse I appoint vnto you a kingdome as my Father hath appointed to me that you may eate and drinke at my table in my kingdome and sit on thrones iudging the twelue Tribes of Israel In the fellowshippe of Christ they shall bee made partakers with him of all glorie and gladnesse they shall be made partakers with him of all glorie for they raigne with him as Kings and be copartners of his Kingdome and ioyne with him in iudgement when he shall condemne the wicked And they shall bee made partakers with him of all gladnesse for they shall sit with him at table after the blessed manner of heauenly entertainement and they shall eate and drinke with him after the manner of heauenly diet and it shall be done to them that was saide to the faithfull seruant they shall enter into their Maisters ioy The blessednesse of this fellowship is described and shadowed forth vnto vs in the Parable by the happy successe of the fiue wise Virgins of whom it is said in the 25. verse of Mathew 10. verse That they entred with the Bridegroome into his wedding Chamber What meane these thinges the wedding day is a day of ioy and gladnesse The place where the wedding is kept is a place abounding with reioycing and feasting Those that are guests admitted to the fellowship of that time and place and admitted to the fellowshippe of ioy and gladnesse The wine was merely spent at the wedding in Cana of Galilee when the company was sober and Iesus his mother and Disciples were bidden and present And the faithfull comming to Iesus for the state of all the faithful in those fiue wise Virgins is shadowed enter with him into the wedding chamber that is they come to the place of mirth of ioy and of gladnesse Where as Anselme saith Munda anima sempiterno diuino consortio copulatur The pure soule is coupled as in marriage with euerlasting fellowship with God Father saith Iesus in the 17. of Iohn 24. verse I will that those which thou hast giuen me be with me where I am that they may see my glory which thou hast giuen mee That is that at leisure and at their pleasure they may satisfie their soules with viewing whatsoeuer delight the Kingdome of heauen and the glorie of the Sonne of God may affoord Which how great delight it is vnto the soule they cannot conceiue that are not yet admitted to see The Queene of the South came a far iourney to see the wisedome the riches the glorie of Salomon whereof she had heard report And in the second of Chronicles 9. chapter she came and saw and wondred And in the seuenth verse pronounced the seruants of Salomon and his men happy because they stoode before him heard his wisedome And when wee shall come vnto Christ to continue with him and to stand before him is there not a greater then Salomon there In wisedome and riches and glory farre passing Salomon How much more then shall we be happie and blessed to heare his wisedome in whom all the treasure of wisedome and knowledge are laied vp Peter saith Hee had the wordes of eternall life in his mouth whiles he was poore and despised on earth His wisedome then must needes be the words of eternall comfort and glorie which his followers shall heare from his mouth in heauen And how much more shall we be happie in beholding his riches and glorie when wee shall obtaine with him all vse of his riches and shall bee transformed into the like glorie For the iust shall shine as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father Mat. 13.43 The beautie of Lillies and other flowers exceedeth by the saying of our Sauiour Christ Matth. 6.29 the beautie and glorie of Salomon But the glorie of the Lorde Iesus Christ farre exceedeth the glorie of the heauens his exceeding glorie giuing light and beautie to the heauens As it is said Reuelations 21. chapter and 23. verse The Citie