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 seuenth Meditation of the Proper∣ties of Deathe.

IN this meditation wee will consider some Properties of Deathe, and what endes our Lorde pretended in them for our Proffit, reducing them to three, which are the most Principall.

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.

The second Pointe.

THE second Propertye of Deathe is, that concer∣ning the Day, Place, & Manner it is most secre∣tly hidden from all men, & manifest onely to God. 1. In the which I will ponder first, that wee are not able to knowe the Day, nor the Hower wherein wee are to dye; neither the Place, nor the Occasion, nor Seas on wherein Deathe may attache vs, nor the

manner how wee are to dye whither its hal bee with a naturall Deathe, by Sickenesse, & by what kinde of Sicknesse: or whither it shalbee with a violent Deathe, by Fier, or VVater: by the handes of men, or by Beastes: or by some Lightning, or by the tile of a houset, hat may fall downe vpon vs. This onely wee knowe, that Deathe shall come sodainely, or Sicknesse, and the Occasion thereof: and that when a man is most carelesse, it comes like a Theefe in the night to scale his house, and robbe him of his VVealthe. So (saieth Christ our Lorde) shall the Sonne of man come to scale your house, which is the bodye, and to robbe, and sacke the Soule of it, and to giue Iudgement thereof.

2. Secondly, I will consider what endes our Lord had in this plot of his Prouidence, that is to say, to oblige vs to bee alwayes watchefull, fearing this hower, prouiding ourselues for it, doing penance for our Sinnes before Deathe seaze vpon vs, and making haste to merit, and to labour before our light bee ended, least the Candle dye sodainely, and wee remaine in the Darke. This Christe our Lord concluded in his Parables concerning this matter. Sometimes hee saide. Vigilate, qnia nescitis diem no{que} horam: VVatche daily, and howerly, because you knovve not the daye, nor the hovver of your Deathe. Other sometimes hee saide: VVatche, because you knovve not vvhat hovver your Lord vvill come: and bee you readye, for at vvhat houre you thinke not, the Sonne of man vvill come. VVith these wordes I will often exhort my selfe, saying: Girde thy body with the mortification of thy vices, and passions: and take in thy handes the burning torches of Ver∣tues, and good workes, and bee allwayes watche∣full expecting the comming of Christe, for hee shall come when thou leaste thinkest of it, and that ho∣wer wherein thou are most forgetfull, shallbee

peraduenture the hower that hee hath assigned, and if hee finde thee not well prouided, thou wilt bee miserably deceiued.

3. Thirdly, I will ponder that all sodaine vnex∣pected Deathes that haue happened, and daily doe happen, are remembrances of this Veritie giuen mee by our Lord, that I may feare, and prepare my∣selfe; for Deathe that striketh euery man, may li∣kewise strike mee. And therefore when I see, or heare say, That some dye sodainely by the sworde, some by the handes of their Enemyes; and other some lying downe to sleepe in good healthe, slept the last sleepe of Deathe: out of all this, I am to drawe feare, and aduise: for that it may possibly happen, that such a kinde of Sodaine Deathe shall light vpon mee.

4. VVhereupon I am deepely to consider, that any mortall Sinne whatsoeuer, if I doe not penance for it, deserueth that Gods Iustice should chastize mee with this Deathe, as Christe our Lord aduerti∣sed to the purpose, in two like cases, that happened in his time: the one, That Pilate killed sodainely certaine Galileans: the other, That the Tower of Siloe fell vpon eighteene men: thinke you (saithe hee) that these men were the greatest Sinners of Galiley, or Ierusalem? Non, dico vobu: sed nisi poe∣nitentiam habueritis, omnes similiter peribitis. No, I say vnto you, for this hath happened that you may vnderstand, that vnles you doe Penance, you shall all likevvise perishe: as if hee should saye: VVhen you see any dye sodainely, and of a disastrous Deathe, bee not vainely secure, saying: This happened vnto them, because they were greate Sinners: for verily I say vnto you, that what Sinner soeuer hee bee, though hee bee not so greate, if hee doe not I e∣nance, hee is worthy of Punishment, and shall pe∣rishe, as these perished. Then if this bee truthe,

as indeede it is, why doe not I tremble to liue one hower in mortall Sinne, in what sorte soeuer it bee? VVho can secure mee that the Punishment shall not fall vpon mee, that I so justly haue deserued? VVho hath excepted mee from this generall threa∣tening, that Christe our God menaceth to all Sin∣ners? O miserable Sinner, bee mercifull to thyne owne Soule, and endeuour to appease God with Penance, before so horrible miserye light sodainely vpon thee.

The third Pointe.

THe third Propertye of Deathe, is, that it hap∣peneth but once, according to that of the Apostle S. Paul: Statutum est omnibus hominibus se∣mel mori. It is appointed to all men to dye once, whereupon it ensueth, that the hurt, and errour of an euill Deathe, being the worst of all hurts, is ir∣remediable throughout all eternitie: as likewise to die a good Deathe, is thoroughout all eternitie du∣rable. So that if I once dye in mortall Sinne, there is no meanes to remedie this hurt. For (as Salomon saithe) If the tree shall fall, when it is cut, to the South, or to the North, in vvhat place soeuer it shall fall, there shall it be.

If by Obstinacye in Sinne it falleth to the North of Hell, there is no remedye to recouer grace, nor to escape from paine. But, if by perseuerance in Grace, it falleth to the South of Heauen, there is no feare of returning againe to Sinne, nor of the losse of Glorie. VVith the liuely consideration of this, and of the former Verities, I am on the one side to bee astonished at myselfe, that beleeuing this with such certainety of Faithe, I doe yet liue so carelesse of my Saluation, and so forgetfull in a matter, that so much importeth mee: And on the other side to animate myselfe to procure, with grea∣test

speede Penance, and Amendement of Life, and feruencye therein, humbly beseeching our Lorde to cut the tree of my Life in such time, & place, and in such an occasion, that it may not fall to the side of Hell, but of Heauen. And with all, I will examine (as S. Bern. saieth) to what side I should fall, if God should now cut mee off, and will endeuour to as∣sure my good Successe, doing fruites worthy of true Repentance, with the which the Tree inclineth to the parte of Glorye, and beeing then cut off, shall∣be transplanted therein.

The experienced Deceites that men suffer con∣cerning these three Verities, that haue beene decla∣red, shallbee set downe in the twelfth Meditation.

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.
• Luo. 12.39. 1. Ad Thes. 5.2 Apoc. 16.15.
• Eccles. 9.2.
• Ioan. 12.35.
• Matt. 25 13. Matt. 24 42. Luc. 12.40.
• Lue. 13.2.
• Eccles. 30 24.
• Ad Heb. 9.27.
• Eccles. 11 3.
• Serm. 49 paruorū.