Seauen helpes to Heauen Shewing 1. How to auoid the curse. 2. How to beare the crosse. 3. How to build the conscience. 4. How with Moses to see Canaan. 5. Simeons dying song, directing to liue holily and dye happily. 6. Comforts for Christians against distresses in life, and feare of death. 7. Feruent prayers, to beare sicknesse patiently, and dye preparedly. The second edition: much enlarged by Steuen Ierome, late preacher at S. Brides. Seene and allowed.

CHAP. II. Moses is fore-warned to die, and how God fore-warnes vs.

Sect. 1.

THE second part of this Chapter now followeth in the 12. Verse, to wit, the shewing of the Land of Promise to Moses and the telling him of his death, in these words: Againe, the Lord said vnto Moses, goe vp into this Mount of Abarim, and behold the Land which I haue giuen to the Children of Israel. And when thou hast seene it, thou shalt be ga∣thered vnto thy people, as Aaron thy Brother was gathered, &c. These points that are naturall from this place will come againe to be spoken of in the last Chapter of Deutronomie, to which I referre you. Let vs therefore I pray you, euen seriously and zealously pitch our mindes vpon these points: [Note. 1] First, that Moses is not here taken away sodainely, but is premonished before that he must away, and a time giuen him to prepare himselfe for it: a great and sweet mercy of God to his Children. Where∣fore Dauid prayeth heartily, Lord,* 1.1 let mee know my end, and the measure of my dayes: Let me know how long I haue to liue. And againe in another Psalme, Teach mee to number my dayes

that I may apply my heart vnto Wisedome. The Lord doth not this by expresse words, as here to Moses: [ 1] but first, by increasing weaknesse and infirmities vpon vs: [ 2] secondly, by many yeeres: [ 3] thirdly, by Examples of others daily before our eyes: [ 4] and fourthly, many times by a secret instinct in our hearts, with arguments and circumstances fitting to confirme vnto vs, that wee must dye: so that if wee be vnpre∣pared it is our fault that wee carry no better an eye to the Lords dealings with vs, no bet∣ter a watch ouer our selues for state of body and minde, nor make better vse and applica∣tion of things, as that often repeated counsell in Scriptures willeth vs,* 1.2 saying, Watch, watch, for you know not at what houre, the Bridegroome will come, &c. Sweet is the Lord, and most gra∣cious is his course. Let vs not be wanting in ours, and all shall be well: the time neuer so∣daine, the thing neuer fearefull, but as wel∣come as quiet sleepe to a wearied, and ouer-wearied body. A sodaine death to any one prepared, is no hurt: for the word of God is firme and immutable:* 1.3 hee that beleeueth shall be saued: No man taketh my Sheepe out of my hands: There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus, which walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit.* 1.4 Againe, Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ, shall tribulation, or an∣guish, or persecution, or famine, or nakednesse, or

perils, or sword. No, no,* 1.5 for I am perswaded that neyther death, nor life, (no not sodaine death) nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to se∣parate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Now if none of these, certain∣ly not sodaine death as I said before, and there∣fore well saith the Booke of Wisedome, concer∣ning the godly, that though he be preuented by death, yet shall hee be in rest: hee was taken away least wickednesse should alter his vnderstanding, or deceit beguile his minde: though he was soone dead, yet fulfilled hee much time,* 1.6 for his soule pleased God, therefore hasted hee to take him a∣way from wickednesse, &c.

It is said that S. Iohn dyed of an Apoplexie, and Policarpu•• wished hee might doe the like, yet a 1.7 wee vsually pray against sodaine death, first, in regard of the rash iudgement of the world: secondly, many mens negligence in preparing themselues for all houres; the want of which hath made the godly sometimes ti∣merous, as wee see in Dauid, Psal. 39.15. thirdly, as their soules are not alwayes set in order, so neyther their houses, as in Ezekia, 2 Kings 20.1. But I say againe, to one that hath laid his ground-worke well, it is no hurt blessed be God: and for the iudgement of men in taking Gods office vpon them in iudging

weakly or wickedly of their Brethren, Mat. 7.1.2. it is too rash vsually both in this and o∣ther things. The life before, and the profes∣sion and confession of a true Faith, ought to giue all men satisfaction; if not, let them re∣member that saying well,* 1.8 Who art thou that iudgest another mans Seruant? hee standeth or falleth to his owne Master and Lord. To the b 1.9 wicked indeede that haue wallowed in sinne without feeling, sodaine death is fearefull, ey∣ther in warre when the bullet taketh him, or at Sea when hee is drowned, or any other way whatsoeuer: when Ammon is nailed to the wall by his Brother Absolon, 2 Sam. 13.28.29. when Pharaoh and his Companie be sodainly drowned in the Seas, Ezod. 14.27.28. Corah, Dathan, and Abiram sodainely swallowed vp of the earth, Numb. 16.32. When Zimry and Cosbee, the Israelitish and Moabitish wantons be sodainely destroyed by Phineas Speare, or Gods plagues, in their filth or after, Numb. 25.4.8. The old c 1.10 Worldlings, and d 1.11 Sodomites sodainely consumed by fire or water; e 1.12 Balta∣zar, f 1.13 Antiochus, g 1.14 Herod, the rich h 1.15 Churle, with others, sodainely swept away like dung from the face of the earth, with the besome of Gods wrath, and strucke with Gods reuenging hand in the midst of their drunkennesse, cru∣eltie, pride, couetousnesse, and such sins, their case is fearefull.

Sect. 2. That all must die.

BVt though Moses be not sodainely taken away, yet away hee goeth: it is very true, and so must all flesh, therefore let vs reckon of it, The reward of sinne is death, Rom. 6.21. And since all flesh is sinfull, to all is appointed once to die, Heb 9.27 hodie an cras, &c. whether it be to day or to morrow, it must be, it will be, a debt it is, and must be paid, saith S. Augustine; Hodie mihi, cras tibi; I to day, you to mor∣row, till wee be all gone: nothing more vncertaine then the time, nothing more cer∣taine then the thing. They that liued so many hundred yeeres, as Adam, Methusalem, Noah, Sem, and the other Patriarkes, of euery one it is said Et mortuus est, and hee dyed, the longest time had an end: and at the last death knocked for him, hee must away. And as no time so no vertue can auoid death, but euen Moses himselfe, as worthy a man as the earth hath carried, as the Word testifies of him, Iosh. 1.2.13. Heb. 3.2.5. yet this Moses must die.

But if a man maruell at this, why such men should dye,* 1.16 since sinne which is the cause of death, is pardoned & forgiuen them, through faith in Christ: let him know that this is done for two causes.

[ 1] First, for those reliques of sinne and cor∣ruption which hang vpon, and by death must be purged and taken cleane away, God then perfecting that sanctification which was begun before. [ 2] Secondly, that wee might be made conformable to our Head Christ Iesus, who as hee by death ouer-came death▪ and rose from death to life, so must wee by him; both which ends yeeld vs great comfort, because they shew that death is not laid vpon the elect as a pu∣nishment, but as a mercy vouchsafed by a sweet father for the ends named.

Sect. 3. God prepares his children to dye, as hee did Moses, by shewing them Canaan.

BVt before hee dye, and passe this way of all flesh, God will haue him goe into the Mountaine, and see the Land of Promise, this was done in sweet goodnesse, that with more ready will hee might make an end. And assu∣redly thus dealeth God with his louing chil∣dren at their latter ends,* 1.17 euen giue them a glympse, a sight and taste of the true Land of Promise, that heauenly Canaan: which hee hath prepared for them after death. But as Moses to see this pleasant sight, must ascend vp into the Mountaine; so must wee raise vp, and lift vp our hearts, our soules, our thoughts,

and the eyes of our mindes, as it were aloft to an high Mountaine, that so wee may see what will make vs most willing to depart, that our ioy may be full and endlesse, as in Peter.* 1.18

That Moses entered not into Canaan, but onely saw it, it had two ends: first, the punish∣ment of his Incredulitie, when hee strucke the Rocke spoken of here in the 14.* 1.19 Verse of this Chapter: and secondly, for mysterie, Vt significet nos per Legem, cuius Minister, &c. that it might signifie that by the Law, whereof Moses was Minister, wee may see as it were afarre off eternall life and saluation, but neuer enter into it that way, because through cor∣ruption of our natures, wee are not able to performe it, which being not performed,* 1.20 shut∣teth vs out, and subiecteth vs to a curse.

Sect. 4. Moses obedience to Gods summons, a patterne to vs.

THat Moses went vp into the Mountaine to dye, Deut. 34.1. is an example before our eyes of most singular obedience, for hee grudged not, hee grieued not, he shrunke not backe, but yeelded to Gods blessed pleasure, and was most willing and ready to dye. O that wee may finde grace and mercy with God, so to doe when time commeth, saying with

tongue, and saying with heart, behold here am I thy seruant, be it vnto mee as thou my bles∣sed God wilt: Is my time come▪ and must I away? Lord then I come, and desire to be loosed, and to be with thee▪ Againe, that Moses endured so patiently the deniall of him to enter into the Land, which no doubt hee much desired, let it euer teach vs and streng∣then vs to doe the like when God denieth vs our desires: for assuredly God will doe bet∣ter for vs, as here he did for Moses, if vvee rest on his good pleasure. It is a true saying, it is a good saying, let it neuer goe out of our mindes; Semper Deus suos exaudit, &c. God alwayes heareth his Children, if not vnto their will, yet vnto their saluation and good.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 90.12
• * 1.2

  Mat. 26.41 1 Pet. 4.7.
• * 1.3

  Iohn 3.15.1 18.36. Iohn 10.29. Rom. 8.1.
• * 1.4

  Ver. 35.
• * 1.5

  Ver. 38.
• * 1.6

  Esa. 57.1.2 2 Chron. 34.28.
• a 1.7

  Why we are to pray against so∣dain death.
• * 1.8

  Rom. 14.4.
• b 1.9

  The fear∣full estate of the wic∣ked, by so∣dain death.
• c 1.10

  Gen 7.21.
• d 1.11

  Gen. 19.24.
• e 1.12

  Dan 4.30
• f 1.13

  2 Mach. 9 5.6.7.
• g 1.14

  Act. 12.23.
• h 1.15

  Luke 12.
• * 1.16

  Rom. 5.12.
• * 1.17

  Obser.
• * 1.18

  Mat. 17.14
• * 1.19

  Numb. 20.12.
• * 1.20

  Gal. 3.10. Iames 2.10. Mat. 5.19.