Meditations vppon the mysteries of our holy faith with the practise of mental praier touching the same composed in Spanish by the R.F. Luys de la Puente ... ; and translated into English by F. Rich. Gibbons ...

The first Pointe.

THe first Propertye of Deathe is, to bee most Cer∣taine, from the which none can escape in the time that God hath determined.

1. VVherein wee are to ponder first; That God our Lord from all eternitye hath determined the yeares of our Life, and assigned the moneth, the Day, and Hower wherein euery one is to dye, so that it is Impossible (sayeth Iob) to passe one mi∣nute thereof: neither is there any King, nor Mo∣narke that can adde to himselfe, nor to any other one moment of Life, aboue that which God hath determined. So that as I entred into the VVorlde the same Daye that God would, and not before; so shall I departe out of the VVorlde, the same Daye that God will, and not afterwardes. That by this I may Vnderstand, that what daye soeuer I liue, I receiue it of Grace, and that those I haue liued, haue beene of grace: for our Lord might haue assi∣gned mee a shorter time of Life, as hee assigned to others, that died in their Mothers wombe, or in their Infancye. And seeing my Life so depen∣deth vpon God, there is just cause why I should spend all the time thereof, in his Seruice that gaue it mee, holding it for a greate Ingratitude, to em∣ploye one onely moment to offend him.

2. Secondly, I am to consider, that God our Lord in this his Decree, shortned, or inlarged the dayes that some men, according to their naturall Comple∣zion,

might haue liued, for the secret endes of his soueraigne Prouidence. For to some, either for their owne praiers, or for the praiers of other Sainctes, hee inlarged the dayes of their Life; as to king Ezechias hee added fifteene yeares, because with Teares hee required it. And the like hath succeeded to the Deade, who miraculously haue beene raized to Life. To some others hee shortneth the dayes of their life, for one of two endes: either for their Sal∣uation, cutting them off (as the VViseman saithe) in their youth, lest Malice should chaunge their vn∣derstanding, or lest fiction might deceiue their Soule. Or contrarily to punish their grieuous Sin∣nes, and to stop their passages, that they might not make an addition of greater. VVhereupon Dauid fayed. That the men of Blood, that is, men very wic∣ked and cruell, shall not liue halfe their dayes. And sometimes hee shorteneth them for Sinnes that seeme but light, as it happened to the Propher, who beeing beguiled by another, did eate in the place, where God had commaunded him that hee should not eate. Out of all this I will extract a firme Re∣solution, so to order the dayes of my Life, that God shorten them not for my Sinnes, saying with Dauid. Call mee not backe, o Lord in the halfe of my dayes by a sodaine Deathe but remember that thy yea∣res are eternall, and haue compassion of mine that are fewe.

Notes

• Ad Heb. 9.27.
• Psal. 38.6.
• Iob. 14.5
• 4. Reg. 20.6.
• Sap. 4.11
• Psal. 54.24.
• 3. Reg. 13 19.
• Psal. 101 25.