The Godly Mans Journey to Heaven, Treatise 2 · Meditation 24
24. The last song of Gods child is euer sweetest; and no wonder, considering that hee sees and feeles before death: and is assuredly perswaded to possesse after death for euer.
IT is writen of the swanne, ô my soule, that his last song is euer sweetest; and holy Scripture cannot but be a verie world, and cloud of worthie witnesses, teaching thee also, yt the last song of Gods children who happily (of blacke rauens by nature, hauing no white in them from top to toe because of sinne) are made white swannes, hauing washed thēselues in the bloud of the Lambe is sweetest also. Thou hast considered Scripture, ô my soule, and Scripture hath acquainted thee with the liues and deathes of many notable swannes. But tell me, art thou not transported out of thy selfe, and carried as it were from earth to the heauens presently, when the sweetest tune of their last melodie is brought to thy eares? Sang euer that swanne Iacob so sweetly as vppon his death-bed, as Moses maketh cleare by the 29. of Genesis? sang euer that Moses so sweetly as he did a little before he was to be taken vp by his God to the top of mount Pishgal, there to die and to be buried by his Maiestie, as is manifested in the 32. of Deuteronomie? Sang euer that swanne Iosuah so sweetly as before his death, as the 23. and 24. Chapter of his booke testifieth? Manie sweet songs passed through the tongue and lippes of that sweet singer of Israel Dauid; alwayes serued euer his spirituall musicall veine him better, then when he was to take his good-night from the kingdome of Iudath, and the Iewes his subiects, for to be transported by death vntounto the kingdome of Iesus his Sauiour, as is euident in the 18. Psalme. which iustly may be called Dauids latter end? Whose tongue can expresse, whose veine can discrie the sweetnesse of these speeches distilled many a day, like as many sweet cleare honie droppes from the gracious lippes of that fairest swanne; euer the heauens, euer the earth, euer the waters saw, euen white Iesus; white in his conception, white in his birth, white in his life, white in his death, yea whitenesse it selfe. And so farre surmounting the naturall swanne, who hauing white feathers, hath blacke feete. Alwayes thou wilt confesse, ô my soule, that neuer sung his sweetest lippes so singularly, so wonderfully, after a more then spirituall, angelicall, and heauenly sweet manner, then he did before his apprehension and death, as is manifest of that more then refreshing and comforting Sermon sounded by him frō the 31. verse of the 13. of Iohn to the end of the 17. Chapter thereof. These who hauehave reade the writings of Paul, must meete with the manie melodious notes sweetly tuned by him. Alwayes, when death is brought before him, can he not starting vp on both his feet as it were, and putting his hand as a valorous conqueror on his side, lifting vp his countenance on high, crie out couragiously. O death where is thy sting, 1. Cor. 15. 55. 56. 57.ô graue where is victorie. The sting of death is sinne, and the strength of sinne is the Law, but thankes be vntounto God who hath giuen vsus victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. And when he is brought before death, can he not setting both his feete vponupon the necke of death, stand ouer it by his word as it were, striking off the head of death (as Dauid standing vponupon Goliah, 1. Sam. 17. 51. 54.could take away his head with his owne sword, and carrie it in triumph towards Ierusalem) crie out to the hearing of others. I hauehave fought a good fight, 2. Tim. 4. 7. 8.I hauehave finished my course, I hauehave kept the faith; for henceforth is layed vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse, which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giuegive to me in that day, and not to me onelyonly, but to all them also that louelove his appearance. The blind senslesse worldling, speakes, and thinkes of Gods children as of monsters, when he sees them reioycing on their death-bedes, and heares them singing when that death approcheth them; but no wonder, for as these men know not the child of God so they know not his father, they know not where his father dwelleth, they know not by what gate his children enter into his house, much lesse hauehave they anie kind of knowledge or sense, of these vnheard, vnseene, vnfelt, good things which be within it? Alwayes, I charge thee, ô my soule, that thou attempt not to wonder (vnlesse it be to thy consolation, and no wayes to thy confusion) when thou seest the child of God (who hath no louelove beside Iesus, who hath loued him, and giuen himselfe for him, who hath no home beside the home of heauen, where this his louelove is sitting in his owne nature preparing a place for him) filled on his death-bed with a greater sea of ioy, then euer it was before, euen there while death is drawing neare vntounto his bodie, and his bodie is drawing neare vntounto the graue, aduancing more holy the excellencie of that louelove wherewith the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost do louelove him, proclayming more largely, the vanitie, of all things earthly, euer hard, seene, smelled, tasted, touched, possessed by him, or any other to his seeing, or hearing; praising more aboundantly the incomparible value of these vnspeakeable good things promised vntounto him by his father, purchased vntounto him by his Sauiour, whereof he hath alreadie receiued the earnest, looking assuredly after death, for the full payment. Shall the child of God, ô my soule, crowned heare with pricking thornes, reioyce in tribulation, and shall he be confounded when he drawes neare vntounto death, whereby all these things which possibly can trouble him are finished, and by the which he is sent vntounto heauen, there to triumph for euer. Shall Paul and Silas cast in the inner prison at Philippi, and hauing their feete fastened in the stockes, sing a Psalme at mid-night? And shall I not sing much more continually, when that death shall draw neare me, which shall not open a doore to set me free from any outward prison, to the end I may enter the gates of any worldly Citie, to liue among and reioyce with men for a while: but which shall open that doore to me (by the vertue of his death, who by dying ouercame death) whereby I may enter within the gates of that high and heauenly Citie, within the which I shall liue without all suspition, and feare of future thraldome, among, and with Gods Angels and Saints in Gods presence, praysing that Lambe which sitteth on the throne for euer. Adam for his sinne being turned forth of that earthly Paradise, hauing heard his God say to him: Thou art dust, Gen. 3. 19.and to dust thou shalt returne againe, could not but with a heauie heart go out of it. Alwayes the child of God, ô my soule, hauing all his sinnes remitted through faith in the second Adam, who died for him, and being through him made the sonne of God the Father, the brother of God the Sonne, the temple of God the holy Ghost, hauing heard this voice (thou art Gods and thou shalt returne to God againe) cannot but with ioy of heart be content to hauehave his soule remoued frō his bodie, and his bodie from the sight of men by death. Augustine meditating vponupon this, and citing these words of Paul. Phil. 1. 13.I desire to be loosed and to be with Christ which is best of all, is not affraid to crie out thus.Aug. Qui cupit dissolui & esse cum Christo non patienter moritur, sed patienter viuit & delectabiliter moritur. He who desires to be loosed and to be with Christ, dies not patiently, but liues patiently, and dies ioyfully and pleasantly. Yea this moued Bernard citing the 55. verse of the 15. Chapter of the 1. to the Corinthians to speake thus.Bern. cant. ser. 26. Mors non iam stimulus sed iubilus, iam cantando moritur homo, & moriendo cantat… vsurparis ad laetitiam mater moeroris, vsurparis ad gloriā gloriae inimica, mortua es ô mors, & perforata hamo quem incauta glutisti, cuius illa vox est in Propheta, ô mors ero mors tua. Death now is no sting procuring mourning, but a Iubilee breeding mirth. Now man dies singing, and dying sings. O mother of mourning thou art now vsed for mirth, Hosea. 13. 14.ô enemie to all glorie thou art now vsed for rarest glory, yea thou art dead ô death, and pearced through by that hooke which thou didst swallow vnawares, whose voyce speaking by his Prophet is: ô death I shall be thy death.
FINIS.
THE WAY TO EVERLASTING LIFE.
CONTAINING SIXE Treatises. viz.
First, the blessed Chariots man.
Secondly, the Lanterne for the Chariot.
Thirdly, the skilfull Chariot driuer.
Fourthly, the driuer of the Chariot.
Fifthly, sixe Rockes of the Chariot.
Sixthly, sixe Rockes layed in the way.
Seuenthly, the onelyonly Inne Gods babes soiourne at.
Eightly, the guestes of the Inne.
PSAL. 143. 10. Let thy good spirit leade me vntounto the land of righteousnesse.
119. 105. Thy word is a lanterne to my feete, and a light vntounto my pathes.
LONDON, Printed for Robert Bird, and are to be sold at his shop in Cheape-side. 1625.