more shall it bee so in the last recoÌ„pense that either of themshal become a griefe and burden to others Here is then to bee taken vp that greate difference which is between the death of the Christian and of the worldling in the death of the wicked all sorts of deathes concurres â—hereas the Christian suffers but Aliquid mortis a peece of death to wit the dissolution of his earthly house the Serpent can doe no more to him but manducare terram eius fasten his teeth vpon his earthly parte as to the heauenly soule it falles not vnder the danger of death So that the vantage is greate which the Christian hath ouer his enemies in that the death which the wicked shall die the Christian is exempted from it but that parte of death which hee shall suffer and they are able to inflict vpon him they themselues shall shall not escape it Iezabel may make her vow to haue the head of Elijah but how little effect there is in such furie of flesh is manifest in that same example for God preserued his seruant safe and her own head was giuen in a prey to the dogges and they like the Burrios of the Lord deuoured her leauing nothing but the skull of her head and palms of her hands why then shall we bee affraid of them who are not exempted from that doome which in their greatest anger they giue vpon vs when it was tolde Anaxagoras the Philosopher that by his enemies meanes he was condemned to die he neuer troubled himself for the matter but made this answere Iam olim istam sententiam tulit natura in illos aeque ac in me that long since nature had giuen out the sentence of death vppon them as well as vppon him If such strength was in any Ethnik what should there bee in any Christian But beside this the excellent benefits wee receiue by death should confirme vs against all the terrors and paines thereof for first it relieues vs of much euill for by it our dayes of sinne are finished and wee are deliuered from the miseries of this life If wee had beene immortall in this this miserable mortality our estate had been most lamentable euen the Ethniks by the light of â—ature vnderstood that it was a great benefite that the bodie was but Mortale vinculuÌ„ animae a temporal or mortall band of the soule and they gaue the reason Ne semper huius vitae miserijs anima tener etur least the soule should be for euer deteyned vnder the miseries of this wretched life but praised bee God this comfort is made sure to vs by a clearer light that our soules shall not for euer be deteyned in the bodie as in a house of bondage but that shortly they shall bee deliuered and that in so wonderfull a manner that death which is the daughter of sinne shall become the destroyer of her owne mother for vnto the Christian death is a perfite mortification of all his earthly members Neither are we by it onely deliuered from euill but also entred to the fruition of our greatest good for as a cloud dissolued giues vs cleare sight of the Sun which before was obscured froÌ„ vs or as the doors of the prison being opened by the Angel made a faire way to Peter to come out and enter into IerusaleÌ„ so is it dissolutio corporis absolutio est animae the dissolution of the body is the absolution of the soule as the snare being broken the bird escapeth so the body being dissolued Euadit reclusa intus columba hoc est anima the soule hath a readie way to the face of God There is wrought by death as saith the Apostle both a dissolution and a coniunction The cause why death seemes terrible to many is for that they look to the dissolution and not to the coÌ„iunction the dissolution is of the soule froÌ„ the body the coniunction is of the soule with Christ if theÌ„ we be affraid when wee looke to the dissolution let vs also looke to the coniunction and be comforted I desire to bee dissolued there the dissolution and to be with Christ there the coniunction VVe vse commonly to call death a departure and so it is a departure from them who are deere vnto vs but to them who are more deere and therefore should we not so much be grieued at our departure from that company we leaue behinde vs as reioyced by thinking of that blessed fellowship which is before vs for we returne to our father from whom we came to our eldest brother whom we haue not yet seene but long to see him because we loue him to the company of innumerable Angels to the Congregation of the first borne and to the Spirits of iust and perfite men But here two things must bee remooued which impaire this comfort and makes death seeme much more terrible then it is indeede The first is the fear of punishment after death but in verie deede quid hoc ad mortem quod post mortem est Why shall death bee blamed for that which falles out after death Acerbitas non mortis est sed culpae the bitternesse is not in death but in sinne let a man therefore purge his conscience and death shall neither bee fearefull nor bitter vnto him As a Serpent wanting the sting may be put in our bosom without perrill so if sinne which is the sting of death be taken away wee may boldly welcome death yea embrace it without feare it cannot hurt vs. The other cause is that men apprehend death to be the destruction of man but in very truth it is not so but rather as I said the absolution of man it is neyther totall for it onely dissolues the bodie nor yet perpetuall Some Ethnikes falsly called it Aeternus Somnus it is a sleepe indeed but not eternall for in the resurrection the body shall bee wakened and raised vp againe so then Non mors ipsa sed opinio de morte est terribilis it is not death it selfe but an opinion of death which is terrible for since it translates vs from this present euill world vnto euerlasting life I know not said Nazianzen how it can be called death it being Nomine magis quaÌ„ re sormidabilis fearefull in name rather then in deede The separation of the soule from God that is death the separation of the soule from the body Vmbra tantummodo est mortis is onely the shaddow of death and therefore such as are dead not in â—he soule but in the flesh non vera morte sed vmbra tantum mortis oâ—eriri dicuntur are not said to be truely dead but only couered with the shaddow of death VVe are not then to looke vpon death in the glasse of the lawe but in the mirrour of the Gospel life looked vpon with the eyes of nature seemes a better thing then it is couered as it
shame and confusion should be vpon vs and if wee preuent it not we may certainly looke for it Quo enim diutius expectat Deus eo districtius indâ—cabit The second reason that hath mooued the godly sometime to desire a prolongation of their daies is that they might doe the greater good in the body and therefore Dauid considering that they who are gone to the graue cannot praise God to witâ—punc as we doe who are clad with our bodies on earth â—e praies God to releeâ—e him of the heauie sicknesse vndeâ— which he lay And this same also made the holy Apostle to doubt what he should chuse whether to liue in thâ— flesh or to bee loosed from the body thâ— one beeing best foâ— himselfe the othâ—r better for the Church oâ— God And herein alsâ— we are admonished to embrace the Apostleâ— counsell while ye haue time be doing good to all men eâ—pecially to them who are of the family of faith and our Sauiours warning that wee should worke so long as the twelue howers of the day laste But this conuinces thâ— blockish stupiditie of many whom God hath suffred to liue but they do no more praise him nor if they were dead and buried And the thiâ—d motiue is the loue of the body Ineffahilis enim est animi ad corpus affectus And no maruell is it that the soul be loath to sunder from the owne body consâ—dering that the body was created in the greate wisedome and goodnesse of God to bee a companion to the soul and this reason the Apostle touches heere in the subsequent words while he saith because wee would not bee vnclothed for heerein hee declares that the cause why with sighing hee desired to bee clothed with his hoâ—se which is from heauen was not any mislâ—king hee had of the body for hee protests now if it might please the Lord he desired not to want it And this desire in it selfe is not euill otherway it could not bee in those soules which are glorified in heauen for euen they long for their bodies as beeing imperfect without them for by the first creation â—s I said they were made companions and therefore the one of them without the other cannot rest in contentment the body without the soule it is as we see but a dead stocke or carrion of flesh whatsoeuer thing is pleasant in the body be it quicknesse of sense agilitie colour or beauty it hath it all of the presence of the soul in it the soule againe suppose glorified in heauen yet rests not in full contentment till it bee revnitâ—d againe with the body declaring therby that without it it cannot be perfited Consortium enim carnis spiritus non requireret si absque illa consummaretur The soule would not desire the fellowship of flesh if without it it could be perfited but God hath so prouided that souls without their bodies nec velint nec valeant consummari neither will nor can be consummat And therefore is it that the souls while they haue their bodies desire not to want them and while they want them are not content till againe they receaue them And of al this we are warned what great neede wee haue to prepare our selues in time with willingnesse to remoue out of the body for since the Apostle protests that it was greuous to him to suffer the want of his body wee may easily thinke that in regarde of our greater infirmities it wil be much more greeuous vnto vs and therefore are wee to endeuour by grace to make our selues willing to die since by nature we are so vnwilling to it And to this end let vs reuerence the working of our God who seasons the pleasures of our life with many paines and giues vs much bitternesse as Nahomi spake of herselfe to abate the comfort of our beauty while as by heauy troubles crosses hee makes our life vnpleasant and our bodies a burden to our selues This the Lord doth for no other ende but that wee may bee made coÌ„tent willingly to quit our bodies for a time whereas other way if they continued in their vigour and health we wold be loath to want them That mortality might be swallowed vp The Apostle makes cleare in these words that which he hath spoken before obscurely hee wishes so to enter into life if it might please the Lord that he went not to it by the way of mortality but so that mortality might be swallowed vp of that life hee desires not then to keepe still the body and sinne and death in the body this were to put on a garment of immortality vpon the rotten ragges of mortall flesh this were to desire to be glorious without while in the meane time filthy rottennesse and corruption is within the Apostle craues no such thing neither indeede can any such thing be but his desire is so to haue his body preserued and translated into that life that sinne in the body and mortality flowing from sinne were swallowed vp in such sort that no footestep neither of the one nor of the other were â—emaining in the body And this desire also at the length wil be performed in all the children of God when â—his triumphant song shall bee put in their mouthes O Death where is thy Sting O' Graue where is thy victory The Sting of Death is Sinne the strength of Sinne is the Law But thankes bee to God who hath giuen vs victory through our Lord Iesus Againe wee are to marke here the excellencie of that life whereunto wee are begotten againe that it is such a life as shall swallow vp all mortality and not suffer so much as any antecedent or consequent of death to remaine in vs The Apostle saieth that death hath raigned from the dayes of Adam like a tyrant swallowing vp in the wide mouth gulfe of mortalitie al generations that haue beene sensyne like the great depth of the Ocean supping vp in her bosome al the riuers of the earth but there wil be a chaÌ„ge for that life for which we hope shal at length swallow vp Mortality death in her bosome all the paines and dolors that goes before it all the rottennesse and corruption that followes after it yea not so much as a teare shall be left in the face of Gods children far les shall any remanents of that poyson wherewith Satan infected our nature bee left in it the Lord shall so illuminate vs with his light that no darkenesse shall be left in vs he shal so reuiue and quicken vs with his life that death shall vtterly bee abolished and he shall so refresh vs with the ioy of his countenance that all sorrow shall flye away yea so wonderfull shall the change be that as a drop of water powred into a great quantity of Wine doth lose the vâ—ry nature of it dum saporem vini inauit colorem and
whateuer it be cannot be euill Nunquam mala mors putanda est quam bona praecessit vita and if the life be euill to the end it is certaine the death cannot be good for euen that Thiefe who was crucified with our Lord before he got comfort in his death was first amended in his life â—or vpon the Crosse was he conuerted incontinent brought out the sweet fruite of righteousnes accusing himâ—elfe for his sinnes rebuking the railing of his companion pleading the innocency of our Lord giuing to God the glory of iustice and praying to Christ for mercie that he would remember him when he came to his Kingdome As it is comfortable in death to think vpon life looking to Iesus who for vs died before vs and hath left this comfort to vs who through death are to follow him I am the resurrection and the life And againe He that beleeues in mee hath past from death to life So is it very profitable in our life to thinke vpon death in our youth to remember the euill dayes and yeares approaching vppon vs wherein euery worke and secret thing must be brought to iudgement Our Sauiour at the Banquet in Bethania had his conference of his death and burial and Ioseph of Arimathea had his Sepulchre in his Garden both of them teaching vs to season the pleaâ—ures of our life with the remembrance of our death for Meditatio mortis vita est perfecta quam dum iusti sollicite peragunt culparum laqueos euadunt The meditation of death is perfite life which while the godly carefully practise they eschue the snares of sinne and for this same cause Bernard commends the meditation of death Tanquam summam Philosophiam as the most high and profitable Philoâ—ophy that wee can learne in our life To this purpose the Apostle in this Treatise deliuers to vs a most wholsome preseruatiue against the feare of death set down summarily in the first verse and then drawes out of it three notable conclusions which if wee can lay vp in our hearts shall learn vs to order our life well and so serue as preparatiues to make our harts readie and capable of this comfort in death The preseruatiue giuen vs in the first verse is the certaine knowledge of a better estate into the which we shal be translated by death In handling of this he first sets downe the losse wee haue by death it is no more but a dissolution of our earthly Tabernacle and then subioynes the vantage we get by it to wit that wee are entred into a better building giuen of God not made with handes but eternall in the heauens and so lets vs see that the vantage wee receiue by death doth farre exceede the losse that we susteine by it We know He first affirmes it as a thing not doubtsome but certaine and well enough knowne that by death wee are translated into a better estate the warrants of our knowledg are two for first wee know it by the reuelation of the worde In my fathers house are many dwelling places I goe to prepare a place for you Our soiourning place is on earth our Mansion place in heauen And next we know it by the perswasion of faith which is proper onely to Gods elect children effectually called And of this we learn how the ChristiaÌ„ man onely walketh in light where al the rest of the world are groping in darkenesse in their life wandring after vanity and in their death departing comfortles or at least doubtsome and vncertain where-away to goe Something they knew by experience of the vanity of this life for the which some of the naturall Philosophers did think it was Optimum non nasci and others as Heraclitus was moued to mourning by euerie thing which hee saw but certaine knowledg of a better life to come they haue not therefore in their best estate goe doubting as I said lamenting out of the bodie as did that Emperor Hadrian like a wilsome man not knowing whither to goe Animula Vagula blandula quae nunc abibis in loca And no maruell he being destitute of the light of the word and taught by his Master Secundus the Philosopher that death was incerta peregrinatio an vncertaine peregrination And truely no better is the coÌ„fort which that Step-mother the Church of Rome giueth to her children for shee sendes them away out of the world without any assurance of saluation and keeps them in suspence with a vaine hope of helpe to bee sent vnto them for their deliuerance from the paines of Purgatorie by soule Masses and such like rotten caddle as must be made for them when they are dead vppon their owne or their friends expences And in this all the bastard Religions of the world are alike that they render no solide comfort to their professours in death Neither can it bee otherwise for seeing they are not vpon the Foundation Iesus Christ in whose merits onely wee get life who are dead in our selues what maruel if they die oppressed with doubtings and fearefull despaires But as to vs we know whoÌ„ we hauebeleeued that wheÌ„ our course is finished our battel ended a crown of righteousnes shall be giuen vnto vs we know that the day of our death is but the day of our chaÌ„g from the worse to the better And this should animate vs to coÌ„stancy perseuerance in godlines because wee goe not like vncertain men carried vpoÌ„ vaine hope to an vnknown end but before haÌ„d we are both forewarned certified of the'nd wherunto we are called why then shall wee linger in the way and suffer our spirits to bee discouraged with doubting of the euent It is the praise of Abraham the father of the faithfull that albeit hee knew not the land whereunto God called him yet he obeyed the calling and willingly forsooke his natiue countrey and kindred being assured the word of God could not beguile him and that the Lord neuer biddes his children exchange but for the better And we certainly are vnworthy to bee accounted the children of Abraham if wee refuse ioyfully to follow the heauenly vocation considering the Lord hath foretold vs or euer we goe out of the body of a better building into which we shall bee translated Let them doubt and feare who knowe not of a better let vs giue glory to him that hath called vs and through the valley of death hee shall lead vs to eternall life That if The Apostle speakes not this doubtingly as if it were vncertaine whether our bodies were to bee dissolued or not but by way of concession hauing in it a stronge affirmation as if hee did say albeit it bee so that the earthly house of our Tabernaclâ— must bee dissolued yet are wee sure of a better It is true that in the ages before vs there hath beene some of Gods Saints whose bodies were not
thee Let it therefore bee farre from vs to glorie eyther in the strength or beauty or stature of our mortall bodies they are but rotten and ruinous habitations nothing is there in them to puff vp our pride if we consider them aright but much matter to humble vs. It is written of Agathocles who of a Potter was made a King that he caused to furnish his table with vessels some of Golde and some of Loame that by the one he might be serued as a King and by the other admonished that hee was once a Potter and it much more becomes vs who now are called to the high dignity of the sonnes of God to remember what wee were before that so we may bee humbled in our selues be thankfull to our God Secondly the bodie is called an earthly houâ—e because by earthly meanes it is susteyned and vpholden so that the verie food by which we liue dooth warne vs of the fragility of our mortall bodiâ— the fowles of the ayre and beastes of the earth are slaine to feed vs they must quit the silly life they haue before they can bee conuenient foode for vs And I pray you what enduring life can they cause vnto vs which must die before they can helpe our life yea within short time if they bee let alone they corrupt and putrifie of their owne accord thus euerie creature that feedes vs testifies to vs in their kinde that our life is but a silly life the ende whereof is death and filthy rottennesse Of this Tabernacle the third generall point we marked heere is how our body is called a Tabernacle And that first for some similitude of the building a Tabernacle being such a soiourning place as Tectum habeat non fundamentum hath a couering but not a foundation to warne vs that how euer in this life wâ—e haue aboue vs the protection of God as a Couert for the storme and for the raine yet beneath there is heere no foundation whereon we may rest and settle our selues but we are with Abraham Isaac and Iacob to looke for that Citie aboue hauing a Foundation that is our Temples building in which without danger wee may lay vp our treasure hauing both a roofe a foundation fundamentum est stabilitas aeternae beatitudinis tectum consummatio perfectio ipsius Secondly our bodies care called Tabernacles in regard of the vse of them since our life is a warfare wee should soiourne in the body as souldiers in their Sconses Tents that out and in them wee may watch for vantage ouer our enemies to annoy them and defend our selues from them but it is to bee lamented that our bodies which should be vsed as Tabernacles for warre are turned in domicilia turpissimae captiuitatis in little houses of seruitude bondage And thirdly to shew their mortality they are compared to Tabernacles for they are moueable at the will and arbitrement of God who hath pitched them we haue here no continuing City but should liue in the body as ready euery houre to bee transported for wee know not when it shal please the Lord to pull vp the stakes of our Tabernacle to slake the cordes and folde vp the couering therof which shortly must bee done to euery one of vs but our comfort is that as the Arke of God which in the Wildernesse dwelt in a moueable Tabernacle was afterward placed in a fixed and stablished Temple in Canaan so our soules shall bee translated from this earthly Tabernacle to haue their dwelling in that Temple of God in heauen Great ioy was in Ierusalem when Salomon transported the Arke from the Tabernacle to the Temple but greater ioy shall be to our soules when God shall carrie them from this earthly Tent to that heauenly and eternall habitation Be dissolued Heere we see that in the Christian death dooth no more but dissolue his earthly Tabernacle It is demaunded by Augustine what kinde of death it was which God denouÌ„ced to man in paradise if he did eat of the forbidden tree Vtrum corporis an animae an totius hominis an illa quae dicitur secunda And he aunswers that into that death which is the proper punishment of sinne all kinds of death concurres for as the whole earth coÌ„sists sayes he of many earths the Catholike Church consists of many particular Churches so vniuersal death which is the proper punishmeÌ„t of sin consists of all sorts of death Now the Scripture makes mention chiefly of two sorts oâ— death the first and second the first death hath in it two deaths the one of the soule the other of the body the death of the soule is when the soule quickening the body is not quickened of God but is as the Apostle speakes a straÌ„ger froÌ„ the life of God by this death many are dead who in regard of their bodies seem to be liuing as is spokeÌ„ of the Ephesians before their calling of the waÌ„toÌ„ widows who liuing are dead of the Angel of Sardis the death of the body is the separatioÌ„ of the soule from the body So then the death of the whole maÌ„ is Cum anima sine deo corpore ad tempus paenas luit but the second death which is so called because by many degâ—ees it is greater then the other and there is not any other behinde it is Cum anima sine Deo cum corpore aeternas paenas luit Where that we may yet more cleerely distinguish the death of a Christian from the death of the wicked it is to be enquired seeing in the resurrection the wicked shall haue their soules and bodies vnited together how shall they be punished with death The aunswer is that this vnion of their soules and bodies shall be with such a fearfull diuision from God among themselues that they shall rather wish to be extinguished and turned into nothing then be vnited againe Ad augmentum tormenti hic de corporenolens educitur impius illic in corpore tenetur inuitus In this life the wicked is taken out of the body against his will and in the life to come hee is kept in the bodie against his will and by both of these his torment is encreased In the first creation God conioyned soule and body that they might be a mutuall comfort one to other but in the second death by the coÌ„trary they are vnited for the mutual punishment one of another so that the body shall bee for no other ende quickened by the soule but to make it feeling and sensible of horrible paine for if euen now in this life it bee come vpon man as a iust punishment of his rebellion against God that the body is not so seruiceable to the soule as it was in the beginning Anima quippe quia supâ—riorem DominuÌ„ suo arbitrio deseruit inferiorem famulum sibi subiectuÌ„ non habet how much
will not seeke that which God hath granted to â—ome but conditionally that it may stand with the wil of God may not wee bee ashamed to seeke that which he hath denied and forbidden vnto al Oh that we could remember this as ofâ— as our corrupt nature provokes vs to desire those things which God hath forbidden O man why wilt thou follow a will contrary to God his most holy wil or what good can that doe vnto thee which thou knowest thou canst not inioy with the fauour of thy God Againe wee see that albeit there be one end of all the children of God for at length they shâ—ll all bee gathered from vnder the foure corners of heauen and â—et downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of God yet doe they not all come to it after one manner for some of them as wee haue spoken shall not lay aside their bodies but keeping them still shall be transchanged in a moment others againe must leaue their bodies behind them till the resurrection And this last suppose our nature abhorre it wee must learn to be coÌ„tent with it euen to bee broken with the dolors of death as other Godly mâ—n yea and our blessed Sauiour hath beene before vs esteeming it comfort sufficient for vs that wee dye in the Lord and so are sure to rest from our labours But of this wee haue spoken before Ver. 4. For wee that are in this Tabernacle sâ—gh and are burdened because c. The Apostle here insists in his former purpose explayning more clearely what it is that hee desired he protests hee liued in this body as a malecontent who knowing a better and sighing for a better esteemed it a burthen to him to be holden backe from it And yet least it shold seeme he were offended at the body he declares againe that he desired not to sunder with the body iâ— it might please the Lord that keeping still the body he might bee superuested or clothed vpon with his other most excellent hoâ—se which is from heauen Heere first it comes to be enquired seeing the Apostle Phil. 1. affirmes that hee desired to be dissolued and to bee with Christ and againe cryed out Rom. 7.6 Miserable man that I aâ— who will deliuer me â—rom this body of deaâ—h how is it that heere he saies he had no will to be vnclothed of the body The answere is that these are not contrary for in the one when he desired to bee loosed from the body it was not for any hatred of the body but for the loue of Christ and hatred of sin wherof hee knew hee could not be quitt so long as he dwelt in the body And now when hee protests that he desired not to want the body it is not for loue of sin in the body nor â—or aâ—y contentmenth had to be absent froÌ„ Câ—â—ist for afterward considering he could not both abyde in the body and dwell with the Lord too hee resolues willingly to remooue out of the body that hee might dwell with the Lord So then the deire he hath to keepe stil the body is vpon a two folde condition First that sinne and mortality weare not in it but vtterly swallowed vp of that life and next that in the body hee were transported to abyde and dwell with Iesus Christ. In holy Scripture wee finde that there thinges hath mooued Gods children to wish a delay of death The first is want of preparation in themselues for the Godly are nor alway in that estate of life wherein they dare be bold to dy and then they desire a prorogation of their life as Dâ—uid did Stay a little that I may recover my streÌ„gth before I goe hence and be not It is a comfortable meditation which Naziansen hath concerning this It is hard saith he for me to determine whether I shal desire life or death on euery hand are extremities As to life my sins haue already made it bitter heauie to me and as to death alas if once it come there is no medicine after it left vnto me by which I may cure my sinnes wherof it is euident that the desire which this holy man had to liue in the body was that hee might mourne for his sinnes which hee had done in the body admonishing vs by hs example that as long as God spares vs wee shold vsâ— our time weâ—l not to multiply more offences which may bâ—eed vs terrour in the houre of death but carefull to purge our consciences of theâ—e which wee haue contracted already When Dauid came vpon Saule in his camp and found him sleeping he would neither slay him himself nor suffâ—r Abner to slay him only he tooke away his speare and his water-pot and these also after that he had wakened him hee did againe restore vnto hiâ— declaring thereby that he no manner of way intended his distruction Bâ—t this is no way comparable to these maniâ—old prooffes which God hath giuen vs of his louing kindnesse for many a time hath he visited vs in this campe of our warfare and alas hath found vs sleeping when wee should haue been waking and hath not taken vs away in our sinnes to slay vs but onely hath taken from vs those thinges wherein we placed ouâ— strength and maintenance of our life yet so that he hath graciously restored them vnto vs. But alas how many is thâ—re among vs who are no other way wakned with all this working of God then Saul was with the working of Dauid for it wroght in him a temporall repentance and no more incontinent hee returned to his old sinnes no better is it with many of vs â—or a while after our recouery from sicknes or deliuerance out of otheâ— troubles we are somewhat religious but shortly after our repentance vanishes like the morning dewe and wee returne againe to our old manners as the Sow to the puddle and the Dogge to his vomit this is but to abuse the time of Gods patience Where it were better for vs to doe as did the Ambassadours of Dauid who being abued by the King of Ammon who cutted their garments to their hips shaued their beards at the counsell of Dauid their King tarried still in Iericho the border of their land till their beards were grown again and their garments were prepared for them so wee if we follow the counselâ— of our King and Lord Iesus Christ should tarry heere vppon earth which to the Godly is the border of heauenly Canaan for no other end but that the shame which Satan hathdone vs by deforming our face in spoiling vs of the image of God may be taken from vs and therefore it â—hould â—ee farre from vs. to make oâ—r shame any more by new sinnes but rather by grouth in godlines to recouer againe our former Image otherway if we still abuse the patience of God we iustly deserue that tribulation anguish of spirâ—t feareful
except they bee sent I will not so be content with preaching that I neglect prayer because the ministrie is of men but the grace is from God neither will I so depend on prayer that I despise preaching for hee can neuer receaue grace froÌ„ God who despises the means by which it pleases God to giue it Now as to the fourth whereof wee promised to speake it is a point most necessary to bee knowne for our comfort how we may know whether if or not wee haue receiued this spirit there are many in this age who haue heard the Testimony of God in his Gospell who as yet haue not receiued the seale and Testimony A very lamentable thing indeed for albeit the Gospell be a doctrine of ioyful tydings yet what comfort can it bring to theÌ„ who are not assured they belong vnto theÌ„ The Apostle writing to the Corinthians thaÌ„ks God not onely for that they had hard the word but because the testimony of God was confirmed vnto theÌ„ suchlâ—ke to the â— phefiaÌ„s he thaÌ„ks God not onely for that they heard the word of truth which is the Gospel of saluation but álso for that after they had beleeued they were sealed with the holy spirit of promise but truly as the disciples at Ephesus being asked if they had receiued the holy Ghost answered we know not if there be such a thing as an holy Ghost so is it with many in this age who haue heard the gospel which is the testimonie of Gods loue if they bee asked whether if or not they haue receaued the earnest of the Spirit which is the seale and confirmation of the testimonie shall bee found not to knowe what the earnest of the Spirit is But now to shew in one worde how it may be knowne wheâ—her if or not wee haue receaued him let vs remember that the same holy Spirit which is heere called the earnest of God is also called the seale of God Now the nature and vse of a seale is that it leaues behinde it in that which is stamped by it and impression of that same forme which it hath in it selfe Euen so also the Spirit of God imprints the very image of God in the hearts of so many as are sealed by him in which sense the Apostle sayes that the Romanes were deliuered vnto a forme of doctrine whereunto from the heart they had been obedient thereby declaring that euen as wax is made conforme to the print of the seale vnto which it is deâ—iuered so the hearts of the Godly are made conforme to the Image of God so soone as they are stamped with his holy spirit So that they who liue licenâ—iously after the lusts of the flesh declare themselues to be of their father the deuill because as our Sauiour said to the carnall Iewes they doe his workes and it is but a lying presumption when the like to these men dare say that they haue receiued the earnest of the spirit VER 6. Therefore we are bold FOllowes now the 2. conclusioÌ„ which the certain knowledge of that glory to come wrought in the Apostle to wiâ—te a contentment with boldnes to remooue out of the body that hee might dwel with the Lord and this hath in it more tâ—en is in the former for where in the 1. he protested only he had a desire to that glory yet so that he had no wil to want the body but now hee goes further considering that hee was not able to enioy them both together he protests he was gladly conteÌ„t to remoue out of the body that hee might dwell with the Lorde This meaning of the wordes shall bee cleare if after the sixt verse wee reade the eight passing by the parenthesis which is in the seuenth verse The word the Apostle vses heere signifies such a boldnes as stout-hearted men vse to set against great daungers for where there is no cause of feare where can the praise of boldnesse be there is then will the Apostle say matter of great feare in death I see before mee a terrible deepe and gulfe of mortality through which I must goe many fearefull enemies with whom I must fight before I wonne to my Lord yet am I not affraid to encounter with them Against me is Satan with his principalities powers and spirituall wickednesse but I know that the seede of the woman hath brused the head of the Serpent Against mee are a greate multitude of my sinnes â—nd the terrors of a gilty conscience but I know that Christ hath once suffered for sinnes the iust for the vniust that â—ee might bring vs to God so that now there is no condemnation to tâ—em which are in him Against me stands in my way dreadfull death with the horrors of the graue but I know my Lord hath taken away the sting of death and spoiled the graue of victorie Shall I then bee afraide No certainely but through the vally of death will I walke with boldnâ—s â—ill I come to the Lord my God And this boldnesse against death in the godly proceedes not onely from the sure knowledgâ— of a better life but from the present sense and feeling of the same life begunne in them which they know cannot be extinguished by death Notable examples haue we therof in all ages to proue that it is no vaine content but the effectuall power of God working in his children Ignatius Bishop of Antioch beiâ—g brought to Rome in the third persecution which was vnder Traian gaue a proofe of his boldnesse for being condemned to be cast to the beasts to bee deuoured by them hee gaue this answere nihil visibilium nihil inuisibilium moror modo Christum acquiram I stand sayes hee vpon nothing visible nothing inuisible so that I may finde and obtaine the Lord Iesus let fire come let the crosse let beasts let the breaking of my bones the convulsion of my members the grinding of my body yea let all the torments of Satan come vpon me I care not for them so that I may inioy the Lord Iesus And Policarpe who suffered in the fourth persecution vnder Aurelius Antoninus beeing brought to the place of execution and desired by the Emperours Deputy to blaspheme Christ and he would let him goe answered these fourescore and sixe yeares haue I serued Christ and haue found him a good Master to mee how then can I curse my king who hath saued me But if ye will not saide the deputy I will cast thee to wilde Beasts who shall teare thee Call them when thou wilt said the Martyr it is fixed and determinat with mee that from good thinges by repentance I will neuer goe back vnto worse But if ye feare not beasts said the Deputy I shall bridle and danton you with fire thou boasts me said the Martyr with a fire that burnes for an houre and shortly after will be extinguished but knowes not that fire of the iudgement to
come which will burne for euer and euer and then being brought to the fire hee was filled with boldnesse and harty thankes giuing reioycing that the Lord in that day and houre had vouchâ—afed to receiue him in the number of his Martyrs to drinke of the cup of his Lord Iesus Christ Thus was he offered in a burnt offering to the Lord and no feare of death could be perceiued in him And the like Christian boldnesse was shewed by Basil in that persecution vnder Valens made by Modestus and Eusebius his Deputies I will neuer sayd hee feare death which can dono more but restore me to him that made me all these beside many other innumerable examples which might be alledged if they bee coÌ„pared with that great timiditie feare which is in vs at the least mention or appearance of death may iustly make vs ashamed of that smal progresse which wee haue made in spirituall strength Now in this time of so cleare a light and plentifull grace of our Lord Iesus Christ. Alway But here least the Godly de discouraged by reason of that feare of death which many a time they finde in themselues it is to be considered if the Apostle was alway so bolde that at no time hee was fearfull or if such confidence can bee in any of Gods children as is without all vicissitude of feare No surely for the same Apostle who here reioices in his boldnesse proâ—ests in an other place that hee had fightings without and terrors within Yea our blessed Sauiour albeit he longed with a greate desire to eate the passouer which was his last meale and after which immediately hee knew his passion was to folow yet when he entred into the garden to his sufferings hee began also to be affraid proceeding in feare hee sweat blood and confessed that his soule was heauy vnto the death It is true there is no comparison betweene his death and ours for he suffered that death to be a satisfaction for our sinnes and he alone trod the wine-presse of the wrath of God but our death neither is it a satisfaction for sinne neither a stroke of the wrath of God neither endure we it by our owne strength but are sustained in it by the spirit of our Lord yet is it in such fort made comfortable to vs that in some manner it is conformeable to his death for so saith the Apostle that God hath predestinate vs to bee conforme to the image of his son and that not in heauen only by rayning with him in glory but in earth also by carrying his image and bearing of his Crosse both in our life and death and that not onely by suffering the outward dolors of death caused by the seperation of the soule and body but also the inward feares terrors thereof that so in our little measure tasting of that cup wherof our Sauiour dranke before vs wee might some way learne the great loue he hath caried towards vs. So that wee are not exempted froÌ„ our owne feares wherewith in death after our small measure God wil haue vs exercised which I haue marked that wee should not be discouraged with this tentation of the feare of death we may tast of it but it shall not remayne with vs for it is certaine that in all Gods children faith shall preuaile at length and confidence in Gods promises shall breed such boâ—dnes as shall cast out and ouercome all contrarie feare in vs. Knowing that while we are at home in c. In the end of this verse the Apostle casts in two reasons which wrought in him this coÌ„fidence and willingnes to goe out of the body one is that soâ— loÌ„g as he was in the body he was absent froÌ„ the Lord another that remouing out of the body he knew hee should dwel with the Lord the Apostle to expresse this vseâ—two words in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which caÌ„not be turned in to full significant speeches in our languag yet do they import thus much that so long as we are here among our owne people in the body we are absent from our people who are with the Lord. So that hee wil here draw vs to consider of two Cities two Countries and two fellowships of people whereof the one is in the earth the other in heauen with the one wee haue fellowship so long as wee are in the body and by expeâ—ience knowe what are the comforts of our carnall kinred of our earthly country city but with the other wee cannot haue familiar conuersation till we remoue out of the body And this also serues greatly if we consider it to take from vs our natural vnwilingnesse to dâ—e the cause whereof is that we haue no will to depart from our country kinred and people but here we are taught that if it greiue vs to depart from this people it should much more reioyce vs to bee gathered to that people there is a better Country there a more glorious Citie a more excellent Burgeship there is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof th'Apostle by which we are made free to greater liberties and priuiledges then any we can haue here there is a kinred of people sibber to vs much worthier to be loued then that which is heere as the heauens are more high and excellent then the earth Oh that this light did a way shine in our minds that as oft as wee are troubled with the griefe oâ— Nature to forsake our people which are on earth we might be comforted by grace and made willing to goe to our people which are in heauen For â—he Apostle coÌ„paring these two together he accounts our abyding here but a Pilgrimage in respect of our remaining there which is dwelling at home in our own country our best estate wherin we can be vpon earth is but an absence from the Lord of all places in the world a man naturally loues his natiue countrey best and of all parts of his countrey hee esteemes himselfe most homely in his own house and of all that is in his house what hath he neerer to him then his owne body yet is it of truth that not onely in his owne Country but euen in his house at his owne fire in his own bed yea euen in his owne body he is but a stranger and therefore so should wee liue in it as ready to remoue out of it for here we haue no continuing Citie We are absent from the Lord. The losse that we sustaine by our soiourning in the body the Apostle takes it vp in few words but very weighty to wit that it keepes vs absent froÌ„ the Lord and truely if there were no more to sparre vs from the loue of this life yet this were enough that it holdes vs from the Lord our God whom aboue all wee ought to loue most deerely for this cause Nazianzen writing of the calamities of his soule and
such heauy crosses as are vpon their bodies or else because they cannot endure the terrours of a iust accusing conscience for these causes oftentimes they haue beeene forced to seeke reliefe by making their refuge to the bosome of death as did Saul Achitophell and Iudas but all in vaine for by new sins the worme of conscience is further wakened but not extinguished the breath of naturall life thereby maybe suffocate but the giltinesse of an euill conscience is encreased so that in this their refuge of vanity they finde no more ease to their weary spirits then if a man to eschew death by water should leap into the fire which is no other thing in effect but to exchange a smaller paine with a greater it being most certaine that all the paines which wicked men sustaine in this life if they bee compared with the paines of Hell are but like vnto reeke or smoake which goes before the fire If in the body they may not abide the smoake of Gods wrath how shall they abide to bee burnt with the fire thereof in hell Yet in this confused and perturbed estate goe they out of the world finding and feeling they are not well where they are and forwarned by their conscience that a worse abides them Two things then are requisite to make vs willing with comfort to remooue out of the body The first is that the sense of our miserie makes vs wearie of this life seeing here wee are absent from the Lord the next is that the hope of a better makes vs willing to remooue knowing that we shall dwell with the Lord The one is as a hand behind vs to put vs out of the world The other is as a hand stretched out before to receiue vs into a better if the sense of misery put vs not out we shal be lik Israel delighting rather ot bide vnder banishmeÌ„t in Babell then to follow Gods calling to Canaan and againe if the sense of mercy make vs not certaine of a better we shall bee like them who finding a hand behind them to put them out but none before them to take a gripe of them and pull them ouer cannot but in most miserable manner fall downe into that pit and gulfe which is betweene the two prepared for the damned And dwell with the Lord. Here we see that the soules of the godly after their remoouing out of the body haue their dwelling with the Lord it is not then as some suppose that the soules haue any other resting place but heauen wherin they are till Christ his second comming with which wrong opinion some of the learned haue bin stained whose names with theiâ— nakednesse we delight not to discouer but as the Israelites did to the Egyptians wee will borrow their Gold and Siluer and vse it as our owne leauing their Claye and Bricke vnto themselues and will rest vpon this most sure word of the Lord that our Soules remoouing out of the body shall dwell with the Lord. What our Sauiour said to that Conuert on the Crosse belongs also after Death to all the rest of his children This night thou shalt be with me in Paradise Non enim propter solam latroniâ— animam Christus Deus noster paradis um aperuit Sed ob reliquas etiam Sanctorum animas Againe wee learne here that seeing Saints departed are but flitted to dwell wiâ—h the Lord we should so moderate our mourning for them that we lament not their estate seeing they haue changed for a better but our owne who sustaine by their departure a twofold losse First that such notable instrumeÌ„ts of comfort as haue bin pledges to vs of Gods fauour should bee taken from vs suâ—h was the mourning of the Faithfull for S. Stephen and of the Elders of Ephesus for Saint Paul when hee tolde them that they should see his face no more Secondly because the taken away of godly men is a forerunner of euill dayes to follow the godly are as Pillars in a Citie like as Lot was in Sodome to hold backe the iudgement of God from it thus wee see how in the death of others beloued of vs the causes of mourning should respect our selues and not them and as for that which may concerne them if any cause of mourning be it should bee before their death and not after it as Dauid did who when his child was stroken with the hand of God he fasted and mourned for him seauen daies together but when hee saw that the Lord would not bee intreated to spare him his seruants hauing tolde him that the childe was dead then he arose and refreshed himselfe with meate teaching vs that the best time of mourning for those whom we loue is to mourne for them while they are aliue that so we may entreat the Lord to spare them or then to receive them into his fauour and not to take them away in the continuance of his anger but the contrary commonly is done by vs for then doe wee begin our mourning wheÌ„ the time of mourning for them is past that is when the iudgement is giuen out both vpon their soules and bodies which by no intreaty of ours can be reuoked Last of all comfortable is it that our estate after this life is called a dwelling with the Lord it is not a soiourning in a tabernacle as heere we are but a dwelling in an euerlasting habitation the Lord Iesus shall stablish vs there as well grounded pillars in the temple of our God and we shal neuer any more goe out and againe seeing that is the place of the dwelling of God with his Saints and of them with him it offereth to our consideration that great variety of good without any want which there abydes vs for if vpon earth Men of power haue their dwelling places aboundantly furnished with all necessary good what shall wee looke for in the dwelling house of our God Blessed is hee whom thou chusest and causest to come to thee hee shall dwell in thy courts and we shall bee satisfied with the pleasures of thine house The best creatures which serue vs now shall not get that honour as to serue vs there There is no neede of the Sunne nor of the Moone to shine in that Citie for the glory of God doth light it and the Lambe is the light thereof The Lord himselfe shall bee all things in all vnto vs In a word then Anima Animae erit Deus God shall bee the soule of our soule he onely shall mooue it he only shall possesse it with him onely shall it be delighted filled and fully satisfied We conclude then with Dauid How excellent is thy mercy O God therefore the children of men trust vnder the shadow of thy winges They shall be satisfied with the fatnesse of thine house and thou shalt giue them drinke out of the riuers of thy pleasures for with thee is
into the Riuer hee answered him Pray for me to morrow what a misery is this the plague of God is vpon him and God offers by his seruaÌ„t to take it froÌ„ him at such a time as hee himselfe shold appoint yet the blind hard hatred maÌ„ hath no grace presently to seeke the remedy but puts it of til to morrow but truely more miserable are they to whom God by his Gospel euery day offers mercy and grace saying as much to them in effect as when wilt thou that I shal take thy sins from thee when wilt thou that I deliuer thee from the death vnder which thou lyest but truely the answer which is giuen to the Lord is worse then that answere of Pharao for in effect this it is no till the morrow yea no till the next yeare and which is worst of al no til mine old age Let me first go and kisse my father then wil I come and follow thee let me first delight my selfe with the pleasurâ— of corrupt nature and then shall I amend my life and become godly â—issoluta certe paralytica vox est de crastina cogitare conuersione hodiernam negligere Our carefull expedition to preuent all euills may befal to our bodies may iustly conuict vs for this carelessnes that we haue of our owne saluation no man beares a burden longer then conuenieÌ„tly he may be quit of it no man is soonâ—r wounded in his body but incontâ—nent he cries for a Phisitian and if fire enter into the house there is hast made for water to quench it shall we be so wise in thinges pertaining to our bodies and prooue foolish as concerning our souls why delight we to beare the burden of our sinnes any longer since the Lord Iesus offers to reliue vs of it wee are wounded to the death and will not receiue the Oyle of that sweet Samaritan that we may be cured the fire of Gods wrath is kindled against vs and we make no hast to get water out of tâ—â— fountaine of Dauids house which only is able to quench slaken it So soone as the Angell troubled the waters of Siloam so soone such as were diseased hasted to step downe into it that they might be healed the liuely and wholesome waters of Shiloh able to curâ— all out sperituall diseases flowes aboundantly among vs but alas we delay to seek our health in them But if it bee so that thou liuest in hope thy dayes will be long why wilt thou not fall to in â—â—me and make them also good for if God make thy daies loâ—g and thou thy self make them euill by continuall sinning doâ—t thou not turn good into euâ—ll and so increaâ—eft double wrath and iudgment vpon thy selfe Take heed to thy selfe and consider how euery thing which is thine thou wouldst faine haue it good and preâ—sest dayly to make it better if thou haue children thou wouldst haue them good if thou haue land thou woulst haue it good thy house thy garments and all that thiâ—â— is thou wilt haue them good onely heere thou forgets thy selfe that thy owne life thou suffers to be euill and so Intâ—r omnia bona tua ipse malus es in the midâ—le of all thy good thinges thou thy selfe onely art found euill The late repentance of the wicked falles out commonly to bee like vnto that of Esau hee sought the blessing with teares but hee found it not â—and it is the common iudgâ—ment of all â—he wicked â—ee loued cursing and it shal come vpon him he loueâ— not blessing and it shall bee far from him they farre deceiue themselâ—s who tâ—inke they may when they will euen in an instant returne to the Lord Many knotts that are surely casten are not easily loosed the heart which Satan hath bouÌ„d of along time with the cords of manifold transgressions is not easily mâ—de free againe Ioseph and Mary lost Christ at Ierusalem and went a daies iournâ—y from him but sought him againâ— three daies before thâ—â— could finde him and thinkest thou who aâ—l thy daies hast liued in rebellion against God that it is easie in a moment to be reconciled with him Wee see by daily experience howe often it comes to passâ— Vt hac anim duersione percutâ—atur peccator vt morienâ— obliuiscatur sui qui dum viueret oblitus est Dei That with this fearefull iudgement a sinner is stricken that in death he forgets hiâ—â—elfe who in â—is life did forget the â—ord as we see many of tâ—em suddenly taken away in their sinnes in such sort that not onely sense but reson and memory also is taken from them Men for their pleasure do iâ— such fort diuide their life and death that they liue in that state wherein neither intend they to die neither dare they dye and God for their punishment forsakes them letting them die in that same sinful estate wherein they liued Thus betwâ—ene two they fall into hell whilâ— in their young yeareâ— they will not in theiâ— olde age they cannot repent But if we with the Apostle will not delay in our life carefully to please him then in our death shall we be acceptable to him If our life be the life of the righteous out of doubt wee shall dye the death of righteous and bee welcommed of God with that ioyfull sentence Come to me thou faithfull seruant which God of his mercy graunt to vs for Iesus Christs sake to whome be praise and glory for euer FINIS 1 Cor. 15.19 Psal. 17.14 Luk 6.24 Luke 16. Eccles. 7.8 Reu. 18.14 1. Pet. 1. As our death is so shall our estate be after it eternally Reu. 14.13 Eccles. 11.3 August Hesych Epist. 80 Our life shold make our death good and our death should make our resurrection happy Aug. de ciuit Deâ— l. 1. c. 11. If that our life be not first good our death shall neuer be good and be the contrary Luke 23.40 How the life and death of the godly each one of them helpe another Ioh 11.25 Ioh 5 2â— Gregor moral lib. 13. Bern. The Apostles purpose and manner of proceeding herâ— offers two things 1 Preseruatiues against the â—eare of death 2 Instructions for a godly liâ—e Two waies know we that a better estate abides vs after death â—oh 14.2 Onely the Christian walkes in light the râ—st of the world are in darkâ—nesse Naturalists knew some thing of mans misery in the body but had no certaine knowledge of a better life The doctrine of the Româ—sh Churchleaues her disciples comfortlesse in death It is otherwise with the Christian taught by the word os God Abraham followed God calling to a countrey which hâ— knew not How much more should we being called to â— Countrey which we know Some godly men beâ—ore vs haue been taken away and their bodies not dissolued by death after the common manner Deu. 34.7 But wâ—e must not dreame of any such priuiledge to our selues But
must looke to other of the Fathers who dâ—ed the common course of death Gen. 27.1 Gen. 49.33 The godly also aliue at Christs comming shal not be dissolued But we haue no warrant that wee shall be of that number For before Chriâ—ts comming the Iâ—wes must be recallâ—d Rom. 11.24 It is out of al doubt our bodies must be dissolued by death Heb. 13.14 Al fortification against death is in vaine Deu. 28. marg As Adam was the first liuing man so the first that died by the course of nature But now so many haue gone through death before vs that it is a shame for vs to scare at it Seneca By the earthly house our body here is to be vnderstood For two causes is our body called an house I For the câ—mly and orderly workmanship thereof Other creatures were made by the word of God but to the making of man God put too his hand also And consultation among the persons of the blessed Trinity goes before Basil hexam hâ—m 10. Tortul de resur car This preparation before shewes that some great thâ—ng was to follow as it did indeed Aug. de ciuit Dei l. 10. cap. 12. Man an excellent workmanship euen iâ— respect of his bodie Gregor mâ—ral l. 32. Sect 13. Bernard A short view of the excelleÌ„t workmanship of mans body as it is giuen by Salomon Psal. 139. Man euen in regard of his body is a world of wonders Eccles. 12. VVe should not dâ—shonour the bodie which God hath honouredso highly 2 The bodie is called a house in respect of the soule dwelling in it Man for his two substances whereof he consists is a compend of all Gods creatures But the coniunction of these two substances is more marueilous Bern. in die â— Natal dom er 2. Nazian That flâ—sh and spirit should agree so well together That the soule shâ—uld be kept in the bodie by blood and breth yet not liuing by them Carnal men so liue as if they were nothing but flâ—sh onely Ierem. 15. VVhâ—reas the body is but the house the man is he who dwels in the bodie Let vs so care for the house that much more wâ—â—â—re for him who dwâ—ls in it The bodie is called an earthly house First because it was made of the earth And herein appeares Gods power and wisdome that of so base a matter hath made so excellent a creature Tertul. de resurrect car Gen. 2. Ambros. hexam l. 6. cap. 6. The soueraignty of God ouer man is more thâ—n that which the Potter hath ouer his clay 1. Cor. 10.22 Therefore wo to him who liues in â—nmity with God Act. 12 20. The consideration of our originall does leâ—rne vs humility They who will not learn it by their originall â—et them looke to their end and they shal see no cause of pride Gen. 23.4 Greg. moral l. 16. sect 105 Neither is there strength nor beauty nor stature of the body to be delighted in Esa. 40.6 The body like a wall of clay plastered ouer and painted with colours Esa. 14.11.19 Remâ—mbrance of that which we haue bin should keepe vs from waxing proud for that which we arâ— Secondly the bâ—dy is called an earthly house because it is vphoâ—den by earthly meanes Our body is called a Tabâ—rnacle first because we haue here a couering but not a foundation Ber. parui Sermones Esa. 4.6 Heb. 11. Ibid. Sâ—condly because we should vse it as a Sconse or Tent for the warfare Basil. ser. 10. in Psal. qui habitat Thirdly because it is not fixed in one place as an house but is made for transporting That death whâ—rein all deaths concurre is the proper punâ—shment of sinne Aug. de ciuit Dei l. 13. cap 12. Of the two kindes of death mentioned in holy scripture Eph 4. Eph. 2. 2. Tim. Reuel 3. Death of the whole man what it is It is demanded seeing the soule and body of the wicked shâ—ll be vniâ—ed in the resurrectâ—on how shall they be punished with the second death Gregor moral l. 15. Sect 55. It is answered that this â—nion of their â—oule and body is for their greater punishment Aug. de ciuit dei l. 13. c. 13 A great difference betweene the death of the Christian and the wicked The Christian shall neuer die that death which is the punishment of the wicked And the wicked cannot free themselues of that death which they inflict on the godly â— beside that a worse abides them By death we get deliuerance from our present euils Aug. de ciuit Dei l. 9. cap. 10. VVhat a great benefit it is that our bodies are mortall By death we are set at libertie to enioy our greatest good Aug. de ciuit dei l. 9. c. 20. Athanas in qâ—estionibus quaest 18. Many lookes to the dissolution but not to the coniuction made by death and therefore are affraid at it Two things remoued which make death fearefull 1 The feare of punishment after death Ambr. de bono mortis c. 8 But indeede death is not to be blamed for thatwhich comes after it 2 An apprehension that death destroyes man Ambros. ibid. Death it self is not terrible but the opinion of death Nazian orat de funere patris Greg. moral l. 4. sect 47. Death should not be looked vpon in the glasse of the law but in the mirrour of the Gospell Comfortable phrases by which death is described by the spirit of God Gen. 25.8 Deu 31.16 Psal. 16.9 Luke 2. Pet. 1.14 S. Paul expresses the nature of our death by thrâ—e similitudes 1. He compares it to the changing of a garment To the sowing of seed in the earth thaâ— it may grow againe 1. Cor. 15. 3 To a flitting from one house to another Albeit death be certaine yet the time place and kinde thereoâ— is vncertaine Many dreame of more daies theÌ„ they haue are far deceiued at the length Aug. Ber. de fallatia vitae praesentis Time of our death left vncertaine to make vs the more vigilant Gregor The life of man is but a life that turnes vpon seuen daies and in one of them man must die Therefore shâ—ld he take heed to them all The place of death vncertaine VVe can come to no place in the which some haue not died before vs. Bernard The kinde of death is also vncertaine that for all deaths we might be prepared VVe come all into the world by one way but we go out of it by many VVe should not much care for the kind of death but for the way we goe after death Aug. de ciuit dei l. 1. c. 11. Men should not be violeÌ„t actors of their owne death but patient sufferers Gen. 9. 2. Mac 14. A selfe murtherer neuer allowed but condemned in holy scripâ—â—re The second parâ— oâ—â—he verse conteynes the vantage we â—aue by death The comfort giuen here against death concernes the soule onely Comfort concerning the losse of our bodies by death is to be sought â—n other places of Scripture The Lord will noâ— forsake that body whiâ—h was
the Temple of hâ—â— spirit â—ut will keâ—pe the dâ—st thereof Iâ—cobs dead body honourably buried by God Three things to be considered here The fiâ—st thing to be considered here is what is meant by this building By this building is not to be vnderstood our glorisied bodies for those we get not till the resurrection But that place of glory into which we are transated aftâ—r death Luke Ioh. Hebr. Reuel The second thing to be considered here is how saies the Apostle we haue this building The reason is because presently we have the rights and â—ecurities of it which are Charter Confirmation Seazing and Possession Of the Charters of our heauenly building Luke 12.32 Most comfortable Meditations Ioh. Psal. 2. Of the confirmation we haue receiued vpon our Charter Heb. 6.17 Of our seazing and inuestment in our heauenly building Of our present possession we haue of that building The 3 thing to be considered here is the description of the building wherein are foure things Fiâ—st God is called the Authour and maker of this building and theâ—efore it must be a glorious house Ahasuerus made a royal banquet in a very pleasant place to shew his glorie Esth. 1. VVhat shall we then thinke of that building and banquet God hath prepared for declaration of his glory The glorie of Sa'omons Temple may lead vs to consider of the glorie of our heauenly building 1. K. 7.14 It is taken for a sure â—ule that the inuisible works of God are most excellent This we may see in the workemanship of man The same is to be vnderstood in the Fabric of this world which is very pleasant and yet but a figure in respect of that which is aboue How farre this visible world is inferiour to that invisible building The 2. thing in this description is the manner of the building Mat. 25.34 The Lord hath prepared that house for vs and also prepares vs for it The glory of both the creations belong to God only Iob. 38.4 Of all Gods workes he craâ—es no more but the praise giues vs the profite Psal. 116. The third thing in the description of this building is the eternity thereof Our present life is but for a moment Basil. in Psal. 143. Our life is finished by many deaths This is made cleaâ—e by parting our life into â—oure ages euery one whereof doth die before we enter to another Since by nature wee loue a long life and care for it why wil we not loue an eternall life The last thing in the description of this building is the situaâ—ion thereof Psal. 16 Dwelling places assigned to men according to the disposition of their persons If such comforts be on earth what may we looke for in heauen Cant. The place of our dwelling admonishes vs that we should be holy and heauenly 2. Pet. The Apostle now comes to shew a threefold fruit of godlines which the knowledge of the glory to come workes in the children of God The first is â—n earnest desire of that glory to come The nature of the liuely knowledge wrought in vs by the Gospell It is not only a mirrour whereby we see God but it is his power whereby we are carried after him How the two lights of heauen shadow two sorts of knowledge in the minde of man The knowlâ—â—ge of many woâ—kes nothing but their conuiction 2 Pet. 2.21 T. â—â—godly while they sigh for things that are to come do thereby declare that they finde no contentment in these which are present Desires in the godly goe besore satisfaction Psal. 145.19 Our perfection vponâ— earth consists rather in desiring to doe as we should then in doing it Aug. in Ioan. tract 4. Rom. 7. God accepts our desires for deeds â—ut this is to â—e vnderstood of true desires which aâ—e discerned from vâ—ine desires two waies 1 True desires are ay the longer the greater 2 True desire uses all meanes lawfull to bring vs to the thing desired An example thereof in Zacheus Luk. 19.2 The desire which worldlings haue of Christ is described The 〈◊〉 of glory â—o come is shâ—dowed to vs by sundâ—y similitudes Rom. 8. No glorious thing but glory it selfe is promised vnto vs. Beâ—â—de fall ac pâ—â—sen vitae The spirit of God vses many similitudes to declare that no similitude can expresse that glory The godly speake oâ—â—e glory to come like men transported For no order of words can be kept in speaking of that which passes vnderstanding Psal. 36.8 The Apostle expones what he meant by wishing to be clothed vpon The Godly in desiring things not absolutely promised submit their will to Gods will Vnlawfull desire of things simply agaâ—nâ—t Gods will shâ—uld be sâ—r srom vs. All Gods children shall come to one end suppose not in one maner Reuel 14.13 The Apostle dâ—sires not â—to want the body if it might stand with the Lords dispâ—nsation How this plâ—ce agrees with Philip. 〈◊〉 where hee dâ—sires to bee dâ—ssolued and loosed from the body Delay of of death is som time desirâ—d of the Godly for three respects 1. That thâ—y may bâ— bâ—tter prepaâ—ed to 〈◊〉 Psal. 39.13 Nazian od suum Animum Nazianzâ—ns doubt whether he should desire life or death A meditation how as Dauiâ— spared Saul sleâ—ping in the campe So God maâ—y â— time hath found vs sleepâ—ng in our sins and hath not sâ—â—ine vs â—ut waknâ—d vs. But our wakâ—ng hath beene no bâ—tter nor Sâ—â—ls working in vâ— a tâ—mpoâ—all râ—pâ—nâ—ance 2 Pet. 2.22 How we should vse the time of life granted vs on eâ—rth is shâ—wâ—d by tâ—e example of Dauidâ— ambaâ—sadors Aug. 2. They desire delay of death that they may doe the greater good in the body Psal. 6. Phil. 1. Gala. 6.10 Iohn 11.19 3. Thâ—y desire delay of death for the â—oue they haâ—e to the body wâ—ich they desire not to want This loue of â—â—e body is not euill in it selfe For â—uen the glorified soule rests not in ful contentment so long as it waÌ„ts the bod Ber tract de diligendo deum Ibid. Vhat great need there is to prepare our selues to die with willingnesse For this cause God seasons to his children the plâ—asurs of their life with bitter paines Yet the Apostle wishes not to kâ—epe the body with the sin and mortality of the body But so that sin and mortality might be swallowed vp in the body by that life as at length it shall be 1 Cor. 15.55 The excelleâ—sy of the life to come it shall not leauâ— any remanent of sinne or death in the body Death like a tyrant hath deuoured al since Adam but shall be deuoured by that life Reuel 21.4 This is expressed by the similitude of a little water turned in to wine â—â—r ser. de diligendo Deo Comfort against the feare of death He prooues that this desire which he had was no vain desire by two reasons 1. First because by Gods ordinance we are appointed to tâ—at immortall liâ—e both in the first and second creation Neitherâ— hath God only