The Christians zodiake, or, Twelve signes of predestination unto life everlasting written in Lattin by Ieremie Drexelius.

The second Signe Of Predestination,

IS a readinesse to die, which is signified by a dead mans Sc••ll, with these words,; Co••retor e ducbus desiderioum habens dis∣solvi, & esse cum Christo; I am in a straight betwixt two, having a desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ. Et vos similes e∣stote hominibus expectántibus Dominum suum, &c. and be you (sayes our Saviour) like to men awayting their Lord at his re∣turne from some Nuptiall feast, that when he comes and knocks, they may straight wayes open unto him. Then sayes St G••e∣gorie, it is that our Lord doth knock, when by visiting us with any grievous sicknes, he de••oun∣ceth unto us that death is neere at hand, and then wee readily

open unto him, when we enter∣taine his summons with a friend∣ly welcome: That guilty person makes small haste to o••en the Judge the doore, who dares not issue out of his bodies prison to meet with him, neither can bee with any security behold his countenance whom he knowes he hath affronted in such unwor∣thy manner, whereas he, whom his hopes and actions have ren¦dered secure, will presently open unto him when he knocks, he wil be glad, and take it for an ho∣nour that hee calls him, and be cheerefull in the midst of teares, in consideration of his future recompence. Why then doe we not d••sire (with the Apostl) to be dissolved and be with Christ, seeing it is every wayes b••tter, than to ••ive here prolonging of our wofull banishment. It is im∣possible that he shou••d dye ill, who hath lived well, neither on the contrary that he should dye well, who hath lived ill, and what is our li••e, which wee are so fearefull to be deprived of,

but a scene of mockeries, a sea of miseries, where, in what ship so∣ever we embarke our selves, whe∣ther decked with gold, silver, and pretiou•• stones, or but simple wood, alls one, there is no avoy∣ding of the swelling wa••es, of being often dashed against the opposite rocks, and of••ner groun∣ded on perillous flats and sholes. Happy ••s he who hath passed this dangerous sea, happy he who is safely landed in the haven, and hat•• no more reason to com∣plaine, who chances ••o dye before he is well struck in ye••rs, than one for comming too soon to his journie•• end. ••hy then should we feare death which is but the end of our labors, the beg••nning of our recompence? It is the judgement of God upon all flesh, which none in former ages could ever avoyd, nor ever will in any ensuing times, all must follow as many as went before, and we are all borne on this condition, for to tend thither where every thing must go ••eath is the end of all, to many a remedy, and every

good mans wish, as being to god∣ly men, no other than a delive∣rance from all paine and griefe, and the utmost bound beyond which no harm of theirs can ad∣vance a pace. What madnesse then were it in us, to oppose our selves to such an universal decre of Al∣mighty Gods, to refuse to pay a tribute, that is duely exacted of every one, and pretend to an ex∣emption that is granted to none? How much more sublime is the Christian Theology, which tea∣cheth us to make life the subject of our patience, and death of our desires. The Swan if we wil•• be∣lieve Solinus, lives ever groaning and sorrowfull, and onely sings, and rejoyces upon the poynt of death, and so it becometh the godly to doe, who are to depart to the fruition of an endlesse joy. So did that white aged swan holy Simeon, welcome his ap∣proaching death with this me∣lodious song, Nunc dimittis &c. Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace: and why then shou••d we lament when this poor

cottage of ours doth fal to ruine, as if we were ignorant that when this house of earth, our habita∣tion here, decayes, God will pre∣pare us a better one in heaven, a house not made by hands, but an everlasting one.

The first Paragraph.

VVHosoever lyes in a hard, and painfull bed, makes little difficulty to rise at any time, onely they seek excuses and delayes, who lye lazing in their softest downe, and are unwilling to forgoe their warmer nests. Is thy life irk••ome to thee? I trust then thou wilt not be sorry to passe to a better one; hast thou thy hearts content? in my opini∣on then it is high time for thee to close up thy dayes, before thy prosperity overwhelme thee (as it hath many more) with some disasterous ruine at the last: Wherefore (sayes Tertullian) we are no wayes to fear that which

secureth us from all other feares. God delivers that man from a long torment, to whom he al∣lowes but a short terme of life. Which con••••deration made the holy Martyr Saint Cyprian, when the Emperour Valerian pronoun∣ced this sentence a••ainst him: We command that Thracius Cy∣prian bee executed by the sword; to lift up his hands and eyes to heaven, and cheerefully answer, God be ever praysed, who vouch∣safeth to deliver me from the fet∣ters of this body of mine. St. Am∣b••ose could not but wonder at some, who when they were to die, would rather expect till they were thrust out by force, than leave their bodyes prison wil∣lingly; and what is there in this world & life, sayes he, but strife, with anger, lust, and gluttony, and the like? Of the same opi∣nion was St. Chrysostome, when he demands: O man, what canst thou say? Thou art invited to a Kingdome, to the Kingdome of the sonne of God, and art thou so stupid to stand shrugging at

it like a lazy sluggard, and doubt whether thou shouldst accept of it or no? If thou wert dayly to expose thy selfe for such a for∣tune to a thousand deaths, oughtest thou not to encounter with them all? And whilest there is nothi g, thou wouldst not attempt to gaine some petty Princedome on the earth, wilt thou n••t outdare a thousand swords, wilt thou not leap into the fi••e, to become a joynt-inhe∣ritor with the onely Sonne of God? nay out of a too inordina••e love unto this body of thine, thou do'st even lament and weep ••or to bee t••ken hence, and clingst un••o the poore commodities of this present life; can it be that death should appeare unto thee such a ••orrid thing? Without doubt th negligence, and plea∣sure thou livest in is the cause thereof, for those who live in misery, desire nothing more than to be freed from the thrall of li∣ving, and flye away to rest. Me thinks we can be compared o nothing more fitly than to birds,

sluggish young ones, who by their good wills would never leave their nests, and yet the lon∣ger they abide in them, the more faint and unweldy they become, and with good reason I compare this present life to such a nest, whose best materia••ls are straw, and dust, for shew ••re your most magnificent Pallaces, and even those Courts of Princes which shine the brightest with bur∣nisht gold, and precious stones, and I will account them nothing superiour to the swallowes nest, s••nce at the first approach of winter you shall behold them all come dropping downe.

Even so (S. C••rysome thou gol∣den Orator) even so it is, at last they must all fal indeed, and we for company, and for the most part they are the safest who get the soonest downe. In w••ich re∣gard the wise man congratulates with the Iust, that he was ravi∣shed away before malice had in∣fected his understanding, and the Angels so sharply reprehended him who shewed such unwilling∣nesse

to dye: You are afeard to suf∣fer (sayd he) and will not depart, what shall I do with you? He hath no faith of the future resurrection, who makes no speed to a better life. If our house threatned us with ruine, should wee not all avoyd it presently? if our Ship in the midst of a stormy Sea, should be in danger of making wrack, would not our longing wishes be all set on land? In this world we heare the fearefull cracks of ru∣ines every where, the dreadfull ro∣ring of Stormes and tempests on every side, and why then doe we not seek to make for land? Why doe we not retire our selves unto our heavenly Father for securi••y, where all our deare friends expect our comming, secure of their own safety, solicitous of ours? O hap∣py dead who die in our Lord, in that they rest in his bosome as if they dyed, and in that delightfull sl••mber do dye no otherwise, than if they went to rest. So St. Steven in the midst of such a violent shower of Stones, of such a noise and murmur of those that stoned

him, did notwithstanding fall a∣sleep in our Lord, as the Scripture testifieth. The like our Saviour himselfe affirming of Lazarus, whom he loved so well, Lazarus amicus noster dormit; So Moses the holy servant of Almighty God at his appointment dyed, and even as a tend••r mother kisses her child thats sleeping in her armes, and with deare imbraces laies him downe to rest, so there wants not some who affirme that passage of Scripture to beare such a sence as if God should have taken Laza∣rus, like a sleeping infant in his arm••s and in midst of his tender kisses, and imbracements, layd him downe in Abrahams bosome, as in a bed to rest: for so, cum d••de∣rit dilectis suis somnum, ecce haere∣ditas Domini; when hee hath layd his beloved to sleep, beh••ld (hee bestowes on him) his inheritance; thrice happy are such dead as these, of whom the Spirit can say, from henceforth now they rest from their labours, for their works follow them, no otherwise than servants doe their Lords, children their Pa∣rents,

Noble men their Princes, & attend upon them even to the very throne of God. They usher and conduct them to Gods supremest Court, where never any attendants under their ranke and dignity are admitted in; whosoever then is predestinated to everlasting life, will prayse death as the most ex∣cellent invention, which nature hath, as knowing that they can arive unto it by no other way. And such a one who is alwayes prepared to dye, will keep himself in appetite by such like Discourses as these.

The 2. Paragraph.

WHy should I feare to dye; 'tis but to goe the way which my Fathers went before, nay more, the common beaten road of eve∣ry thing: What priviledge is th s, which I alone of all others doe pretend unto, when I doe shunne to dye? Had I not better doe that willingly, which I must doe whe∣ther I will or no? since the perfor∣mance is light of that which is

willingly undertaken, and necessi∣ty gives place, where our will be∣comes a party. Rather why should I not imbrace that willing∣ly, by benefit of which I shall cease to be mortall, which I have unwillingly beene so long, I recei∣ved my body upon no other condi∣tion, than to restore it backe a∣gaine, and am to restore it for no other end than to resume it a∣gaine to my more commodity. I have been detained hitherto from beholding of my God, onely by the tardinesse of my death, which is but the fore-runner of that better life, and that day which so many stand in feare of, as the last of all their life, is but the birth∣day of an eternall one; and I take it no wayes heavily, that the Sunne sets upon me here, since I expect the dawning of a light a∣gaine, which never shall be obscu∣red by any gloomy night. O how gladly shall I embrace that d••y, which shall assigne me my habi∣tation, and replant mee in Para∣dise, delivered from hence, and loosned from those bonds which

detain'd me here so long? I am not ignorant that I stand guilty, and convicted of many crimes, but thy mercy, O my God, is an Ocean, and a boundlesse sea: in∣to which death shall bee no rea∣dier to precipitate me off of this turfe of earth, whereon I stand, than I to commit my self unto the vast bosome of so deare a sea, as shall set a period to all the mise∣ries of my mortall life. O God, that death would mend its pace; it can never come so suddenly, so at unawares, as not to finde mee ready, and desirous to goe to rest; I am not such an enemy of repose to bee sor••y when a holy day comes, which may bring with it a cessation from ••roubles and af∣flictions, but will rather rejoyce for so good an opportunity, of shutting up this wretched shop of life, fraught with so many and innumerable miseries, to shake off the heavy yoak of death, and for∣tune, and begin with a day which shall never end in night. O what happy tidings will it be to heare, that my King calls for mee out

of this prison where I am, and ranks me in a state of higher dig∣nity. Open but the cage unto a bird, and there will be no need to chase it out, but it will flye out of its owne accord: Even so I will willingly issue forth into those a∣zure plaines, as one who long since have beene over cloyed with life. Touching the place, or hour of my death, I am nothing soli∣citous, let him who made mee dispose of me as hee ple••se, his wil shall be both the rule of life and death to me, neither can I expect any thing of him, who is all good∣nesse, but the best. And is it not in the potters hands, aswell to frame the vessell on his act ye wheele, as to new mould it, if it seem good unto him? I am a ves∣sell of that great potters making, and what reason have I to com∣plaine, if he who made me please to unmake me? or to speak more properly, to make me new again, and render mee happy, who was miserable before? Is hee pleased to have me live? then I will live as long as it pleases him: Is

he ple••sed that I should dye? I I will not desire to have my death respited a moments sp••ce; both my beginning and ending are wholly depending on his ho∣ly will. Wherefore I will not onely embrace willingly, but also gladly whatsoever he shall ordain. Mihi vivere Christus est. & mori lucrum; for unto mee to live is Christ; to dye is gaine. I love thee, O my most amiable God, & desire yet to love thee more ardently: O that my heart might wholly melt away in the flame of such a love, since nothing can make me happy beside thy selfe. And when and where, O my God, shall I take my flight hence unto thee? I will follow thee, O most loving father, and at neerer di∣stance thou shalt call mee, the more readily I will obey thy call.

The third Paragraph.

THis feeling he hath of death, who desires to bee transpor••ed unto heaven, and live with Christ,

neither is this such an uncouth thing, for as a Physitian (sayes Theoph••lact) when hee pe••••eives his patient to have an aversion from the food and physick which he doth prescribe, doth first take an assay of them himselfe, to in∣courage his patient to an appe∣tite; so Christ vouchsafed to taste first of death himselfe, that Chri∣stians might have no horrour of dying after him. And why then dear Christian, tho thou be of na∣ture never so timorous at the ap∣prehension of death, wilt thou not put on such a resolution, as that which I have set before thine eyes, and with an assured and un∣daunted mind, burst forth into these ex••lamations; Caelicem sa∣lutarem accipiam, & nomen Domini invocabo. J will receive the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I cannot deny but it is a bitter one, yet it is no other than that which my Saviour drunk of unto my health, upon his bloody Crosse, and le•••• to me to pledge. It is no other than that fatal cup of death, which

Christ dranke out of his owne free election, and all others must drink of inevitable necessity, and why then should I alone refuse it? All whose lives have a begin∣ning must likewise have an end, but to begin a fresh a life againe which neve•• shal have end. What a vaine feare then is this that startles me? what a silly pensive∣nesse that tempts my constancy? Calicem, quem dedit mihi Pater, &c. and shall I not drink of the Chalice which my father hath presented mee withall, which Christ himselfe hath drunke of to me, and fild me out again; am I a mortall man, and shall I not learne to die? Alexander lying once dangerously sick, some of his friends more solicitous than needed for his health, advised him to beware of Philip his Phy∣sitian, as one who had a designe to poyson him. The King, the next time the Physitian visited him, with a potion he had pre∣pared to administer unto him, did no more but receive the po∣tion in one hand, and reach him

out in the other the letter to read, containing the advice which his friend had given him, and whilst he prepared himself, to drinke it off, hee stedfastly regarded the Physitians face, to note whether in the reading thereof he might discover any signes of guiltinesse, but per∣ceiving the innocencie of the man, from the constancy of his countenance, without any more delay he drunke it up. In this manner receiving that cuppe which Christ my onely Physitian and Saviour hath ordeyned, and presented me withall, to cast me into a profound, and quiet sleep, I will fasten my eyes upon my Physitian whilst I drinke it off; I will stedfast∣ly regard the countenance of my crucified Lord, wherein I shall read written in lively Cha∣racters the countenance of that infin••te love he beares me, and with a constant and unappaled mind will I drinke it up: which will conferre so much the more of health, the more affectio∣nately

I shall welcome it. And thus (deare Christian) death when it arrives, will easily be overcome, if before it ar∣rives, we arme our selves against the feare of it, by often revolving it in our me∣mories.

Notes

• Phil. 1.
• Phil. 1.
• Psal. 119.
• Solin de mi∣rab. mundi.
• Lib. de bono mortis.
• In c. 1. ad Colos.
• Acts 7.
• Iohn 11.
• Deut. 34,
• Psal. 126.
• Apoc. 4.
• Phil. 1.
• Psal. 116.