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VERS. 42. Watch therefore, for ye know not, what houre your Lord doth come.[Vers. 42]
Our Saviour (by an unanimous consent of all Interpreters) speaketh here of the day of Judgement: but because there is a particular Judgement of every particular person at the day of death, and a generall judgement of all men and women in generall, at the last day; therefore some apply this (& that neither unfitly, nor unprofitably) unto the houre of death, and some unto the day of Judgement: of the last more amply by and by, and of the first briefly from this verse.
Christ giues us here to understand, that we are altogether uncertaine of the day and houre when he will come to call us either to death or judge∣ment; and therefore because we are sure that he will come, but unsure when▪ we must watch and prepare our selves against his comming to call us unto death. [Observ.] In a word, we must daily expect death, and duly prepare to e••tertaine, and welcome it when it comes; because we are altogether igno∣rant, when the Lord by death will call us unto judgement.
[Quest. 1] Why hath the Lord hid the day of death from us, and ordained that it should be unknowne and uncertaine unto us?
[Answ. 1] First, God hath decreed that the houre of death should be uncertaine unto us, for this end, that we might live the more holily and purely: For it is a great folly for a man to live in that estate or man∣ner, that he would not dye in; that is, to live in sinne, when he would not dye in sinne, seeing that death may come unto him every moment. And therefore in regard of this great uncertainty of the time of our dissolution, there is great reason that our lives should be holy and pure, as we desire our deaths to be.
[Answ. 2] Secondly, the day o death is uncertaine, for this end, that we might doe the more good unto others; if we knew how long we should live, we should be the more carelesse to helpe, and relieve others, and the more prone to live wholly unto our selves: And hence the Apostle exhorts us, while we have time, to doe good; as if he would say, we are not sure how long we shall live, and what good we do unto others, we must doe while we live; and therefore while it is said to day we must doe good to others, and not live wholy to our selves.
[Quest. 2] How is death to be expected?
[Answ.] Not onely patiently, but joyfully, desiring and praying for it, Bring oh Lord my soule out of prison.
[Quest. 3] Why must we desire death, and not rather feare it?
[Answ. 1] First, because so long as we live here, the soule remaines in the body, a darke, dangerous, and ob∣scure Dungeon. Hence Iob saith, we are involved in darknesse, and replenished with misery and la∣bour; and so long as we live we are subject to many evils.
[Answ. 2] Secondly, death is to be desired, and not feared, because after death, we shall praise, please, and serve God more cheerfully, and perfectly, then we can in this life. And
Thirdly, because we shall be more happy in hea∣ven then we can be in Earth: And therefore if we desire perfectly to be freed from all evill, and per∣fectly to injoy whatsoever is good, and perfectly to obey and serve our God; we must then desire, (and not dread) death, because then and never till then, shall these truly and perfectly be.