Contemplating Mortality and Immortality, Division 4
The fourth generall diuiſion. IIII.
What our last thoughts ſhould be.
AS in greateſt extremities, good Phyſicians leaue drugges, and miniſter onelyonly Cordials: ſo deale by thy ſoule when death approaches, caſt away all worldly cares, entertaine onelyonly thoughts that will animate thy weake body, and refreſh thy thirſtie ſoule, as did that dew of Hermon, falling vponupon the Hill of Sion: nor will I feare how this body of mine ſhall appeare an other day. For I am promiſed by him that will performe, it ſhall not be found naked: But this couering of fleſh being caſt off, I ſhall take this body againe cloathed with glory, as with an other garment.
This doth Saint Paul moſt elegantly and diuinely expreſſe, ſaying: Wee know, that if our earthly houſe of this Tabernacle bee deſtroyed, wee hauehave a building giuen of God, that is, a houſe not made with hands, but eternall in the heaueus. For therefore wee ſigh, and deſire to be cloathed with our houſe, which is from heauen: Becauſe, that if wee be cloathed, wee ſhall not be found naked. For indeede, we that are in this Tabernacle, figh and are burthened, becauſe we would not be vncloathed, but cloathed vponupon, that immortalitie might be ſwallowed vp of life. And hee that hath created vsus for this thing, is God, who alſo hath giuen vsus the earneſt of his Spirit. Therefore we are alwayes bold, though we know that whilſt we are at home in the bodie, wee are abſent from the Lord. For wee walke by faith, and not by ſight. Neuertheleſſe, we are bold and louelove rather to remoue out of the body, and to dwell with the Lord. 2. Cor. 5.
This is ſo promiſing and ſo ſweet, as it ſeemes, to tranſport a man aliue from earth to Heauen. Hîc in via es, ſed illic eris in Patria. Therefore baite not too long vponupon pleaſures by the way. All the while I liued, ſaid a good man, I was going on my iourney towards my countrey: but now that I am dying, I finde my ſelfe neere home, I am now come to Mount Sion the Citie of the liuing God, the heauenly Hieruſalem.
I will not therefore ſit downe on this ſide Iordane, but haſten to the Citie; whither when I come, I ſhall there ſee my God face to face: Heare my Sauiour ſay, Euge, bone ſerue. It is my Fathers will to giuegive thee a kingdome.
Is it not enough, that my God is gone vp to prepare a place for me, but will hee giuegive mee a kingdome alſo? And ſhall not I bee glad, when God ſhall come and fetch mee to inthrone mee in this kingdome? Abſit.
Now mee thinkes I heare my ſoule ſay, Cur non accedis, Domine? Quid moraris? I hauehave too long dwelt in this ſepulchre of earth. And woe is me, that I ſtill remaine in Meſech, and dwell in theſe tents of Kedar. It is enough, Lord, as Elias ſaid in the wilderneſſe, Take now away my life, for I am no better then my Fathers were.
Nay, my ſoule is now growne ſo high minded, that ſhee ſaith, Maior ſum, & ad maiora genitus, quàm vt mancipium ſim huius corporis. Thus rich in thoughts, and great in expectation, doth diuine Contemplation make vsus.
God hath not giuen a ſoule to any creature elſe but Man: Therefore it is but duety in Man to know the dignitie of his Soule, which is ſo heauenly ambitious, as it will not let heauen alone, till it may ſee, as it is ſeene.
Grauata eſt anima mea, my bodie is a burthen to my ſoule. It hath had honour enough to hauehave beene ſo long companion with my Soule: wherefore now as Saint Hierome ſaid, Egredere, anima, egredere.
The Hermite ſitting on his turft, ſaid to his ſoule, Sexaginta annos ſeruiuiſti Deo, & nunc mori times? Goe out of this Arke of fleſh, O my ſoule, for I ſmell the ſauour of reſt. Celeritas nunc in deſiderio, mora eſt.
Though my ſoule, as a bird, for neceſſitie ſake, hath been faine to ſtay awhile heere vponupon earth; yet willingly would ſhe be ſoring in the skies. But I finde that ista vita eſt mihi impedimento ad id, propter quod viuitur. Specially when I heare my Sauiour ſay, Father, I will that thoſe whom thou haſt giuen mee, be with mee alſo where I am: That they may behold my glory. To him that is faithfull vntill death, I will giuegive a Crowne of life. Therefore, deſiderio deſideraui ergaſtuli huius egreſſum, that I may ſee facie ad faciem, him whom my ſoule loueth, and to bee (Lord) where thou enioyeſt thy ſelfe, and glorified ſpirits enioy thee.
Entertaine thy laſt houres with ſuch like thoughts. Et hatibi dabunt ad aeternitatem Iter, & in itinere ſubleuabunt. They will Angelize thy body, and imparadiſe thy ſoule, before thou commeſt into Heauen; yeeld a ſweetneſſe, farre beyond the bitterneſſe of Death.
Certainely, a good ſoule, thus imploying it ſelfe, in iſta hora, will not leaue the felicitie it ſhall hauehave in ſuch a tranſmigration from death to life, for all the ioyes that life paſt did euer render her.
Good Saint Auſtine, in a high ſpeculation, endeuouring to expreſſe this heauenly ioy, was asked by a graue old man: Father Auſtine, quid agis? A man may as well draw in all the ayre in the world with one breath, as expreſſe to the life that which thou art now about. Though this ineffable ioy cannot bee expreſſed: yet it is res generoſa conari alta, & mente maiora concipere, quàm quae effici poſſunt.
Therefore this wee may doe, ſome way ſample that which wee can no way expreſſe.
Looke as a Bird that hath been long encaged, then chants it moſt merrily, when ſhe gets looſe into the open ayre.
— Nititur in ſyluas qua que redireſuas:
Or as a ſicke man, that hath wearily toſſed and turned himſelfe in his bed all night, is them comforted when hee ſees the day breake, and the ſunne beames guild the morning:
Or as a priſoner that feeles his chaines heauy vponupon him, longs for releaſement.
— Libera que â ferris crura futura velit:
So it will bee with thy Soule, when thou ſhalt heare thy Sauiour ſay, I am thy ſaluation. Come vntounto mee thou that art weary and heauy laden, and I will refreſh thee. Poenitentibus & petentibus pertinet Regnum Coelorum To them that are weary of this durance, and ſue for deliuerance, belongeth the kingdome of heauen.
Wherefore as a wearied traueller that hath paſſed a long iourney (though perhaps met with ſome delights by the way) is then gladdeſt, when hee comes within kenning of his countrey.
Natale ſolum dulcedine cunctos ducit. Euen ſo thy ſoule, after many yeeres pilgrimage in the wilderneſſe of the world, being come with Moſes to Mount Nebo, and beholding the pleaſant land of Canaan from the top of Piſgah, will then laugh for ioy, as doth the Horizon, to ſee the Sunne comming as a Bridegroome out of his chamber. Dilectus meus deſcendit ad hortum ſuum, ad areolam aromatum.
Of this ioy, thy dazled eyes might hauehave ſome glimpſes, when thou waſt in health: but then it was as the blind mans viſiō in the Goſpel, to whoſe firſt ſight men ſeemed to walke like trees. But in this thy new ſtate, thou ſhalt ſee clearely men and Angels ſtand before the Lambes Throne, and heare thy ſelfe inuited to the Lambes Supper, where thou ſhalt be brought into the wine ſeller, and louelove will be the banner ouer thee.
Come then, O Shunammite, ſtay me with flagons, and comfort me with Apples, for I am ſicke of louelove: Kiſſe me with the kiſſes of thy mouth, for thy louelove is better then wine; Shew mee, O thou whom my ſoule loueth, where thou feedeſt, where thou lyeſt at noone.
Thus with Solomon in a Canticle, and with Dauid in a Pſalme, let be the Raptures of thy Soule, which, as in trance, ſhall bee caught vp to Heauen, as was Philip by the Spirit, or Abdias by the Angel.
And with an Heroicall alacritie, tempered with a gracious humilitie, giuegive vp thy ſoule to God, and bid farewell to the world.
It was S. Bernards, I ſhall neuer truely ioy till I heare this word. Come you bleſſed; Nor ceaſe to ſorrow till this be paſt; Goe ye curſed.
Dying Saint Stephen, before his eyes were cloſed, had a faciall fight of his Sauiour, looked ſtedfaſtly into heauen, and ſaw the glory of God, and Ieſus ſtanding at the right hand of God. And old Simeon, after hee had ſeene his Sauiour, then reioyced to ſay, Lord now lettest thou thy ſeruant depart in peace, for mine eyes hauehave ſeene thy Saluation.
Hoc videā, & moriar. Morior, vt videam.