Exposition of the Laws of Moses, Exegesis 7 – Title page 2
The comforts in Death.
Eccleſ. 7.1 Better is the day of death than the day of ones birth.
IN the former part of this verſe, the Preacher ſheweth,The co…ſion of the words. that a good name is better than pretious oyntment, and then he ſubjoyneth, better is the day of death, than the day of ones birth, as if he ſhould ſay, a mans good name and his report is better knowne after his death, than when he is alive, and then his good name ſmelleth like the Wine of Lebanon, which in his life time may be many wayes blotted.
He preferreth the day of our death to the day of our birth, and hee ſaith, that the day of our death is better.
A thing is ſaid to be [better] ſundry wayes,One thing is ſaid to be better then an other ſundry wayes. firſt it may be better in it ſelfe; but not to the perſon; ſo it is ſaid, that it had beene better that Iudas had never beene borne, it made more for the glory of God that Iudas was borne, but it was not better for himſelfe.
Secondly, things are ſaid to be better, when they ſeeme to be better to a carnall and corrupt man, as hee ſaith, that a living dog is better than a dead Lyon, Eccleſ. 9.4. that is, he had rather live in a baſe eſtate here, than to be in beſt account amongſt the dead.
Thirdly, ſome things are better for this preſent eſtate and condition of life than others, as better is a dinner of hearbes where love is, than a ſtalled Oxe and hatred therewith, Prov. 15.17.
Fourthly, ſome things are better for a man in the ſtate of grace, and for his ſoule, as it is better to be a doore keeper in the houſe of God, than to dwell in the tents of wicked men, One thing is ſaid to bee better then another comparatively.Pſal. 84.1. So it is better to goe to the houſe of mourning, than to the houſe of feaſting; and, ſorrow is better than laughter, Eccleſ. 7.2, 3. So, the day of a mans death, is better than the day of his birth.
Next, let us conſider, why the day of death is better than the day of ones birth; becauſe, man is borne unto trouble, as the ſparkes flye upward, Iob 5.7. but the day of his death, is the end of all his miſeries, and therefore is properly called, mans day, Iob 18.20. The day of a mans death is better then the day of his birth, Luc. 2.29. Now letteſt thou thy ſervant depart in peace, 1 Sam. 28.15. Why haſt thou troubled me? Iob 3.13. For now ſhould I have lien ſtill and beene quiet, I ſhould have ſlept; then ſhould I have beene at reſt. The Councell of Toledo marketh that Chriſt wept not at Lazarus death, but at his reſurrection; and this ſhould teach us to moderate our griefe when our friends dye, and thoſe whom we love beſt, If ye love me, ſaith Chriſt, yee will rejoyce, becauſe I goe to my father, Ioh. 14.28. So we ſhould rejoyce when wee ſee our friends goe to our Father, and count the day of their death better then the day of their birth.
The day of death is worſe to the wicked.The day of a mans death, is better than the day of his birth, to the children of God it is better, but to the wicked, it is much worſe; the child of God ſaith in his death, as Chriſt ſaid, conſummatum eſt, then all teares are wipt from their eyes; but to the wicked, it is their worſt day, as the child of God ſaith, conſummatum eſt, ſo they ſay, inchoatum eſt, Luc. 16.25. Remember that thou in thy life time receivedſt thy good things, and Lazarus his evill things, but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. Death is worſe to the wicked man, therefore his death is called, the death of the uncircumciſed, Ezek. 28.12. and he dyeth as a foole, 2 Sam. 3.33. but the children of God die in the Lord, and their death is their reſt.
It may ſeeme, that to be borne is better than death, Ob. Ioh, 16.20. A woman when ſhe is in travell, hath ſorrow, becauſe her houre is come, but aſſoone as ſhe is delivered of the child, ſhe remembreth no more the anguiſh, for joy that a man is borne into the world. She rejoyceth that ſhe hath brought forth a Sonne, but we rejoyce not when one dyeth, therefore it may ſeeme that the day of ones birth is better then the day of his death.
It is better for the woman that ſhe hath a child borne for the continuation of her poſterity, Anſw. and therfore ſhe rejoyceth; but the day of the childs death is better for himſelfe than the day of his birth, becauſe then there is an end put to all his miſeries.
In what caſe may a man chooſe death rather then life? Queſt.
We may chiefely chooſe death rather then life onelyonly to be rid of ſinne, as Paul deſired, Anſw. to depart and to be with Chriſt. Phil. 1.23. but this was onelyonly to be delivered from the body of ſinne; to prevent ſinne, it is better not to be, than to be, Eccleſ. 4.3. for he hath not ſeene the evill worke which is done under the Sunne: Againe, it is better for reprobates that they had never beene becauſe of their damnation, as it is ſaid of Iudas, It had beene better for him that he had never beene borne. Matth. 26.21. and it is better to be dead then living, that a man may be freed of ſinne. There is eſſe Phyſicum & eſse morale; it is better for a wicked man to be, than not to be, ratione Phyſica; becauſe he commeth nearer to God who hath his being of himſelfe; but it is worſe to him, quoad eſſe morale, & magis optandum non eſſe, cum carentia poena, quam eſſe cum poena, that is, it is better for him not to be, & without puniſhment, than to be, and be puniſhed eternally. There is in man inſtinct, reaſon, and faith; inſtinct teacheth him onelyonly to ſeeke the preſervation of his body; reaſon goeth ſomewhat higher, and hath ſome reſpect to vertue and honor, but yet it is not a right guide to man here, when hee wiſheth to be dead for feare of ſhame and ſuch worldly inconvenients;Stoici ne foedetur virtus, & Romani ob inanem gloriam mortem optarunt. but faith ſeeth farther, and wiſheth this diſſolution, becauſe it knoweth that the body and the ſoule ſhall be joyned together againe after they are ſeparated and purified from ſinne. A man muſt not wiſh death, or the grave although, he be bitter in ſoule, Iob. 3.20. and afflictions be upon him, but onelyonly for ſinne.
If it be ſaid, death deſtroyeth the ſubſtance of man, but ſinne deſtroyeth onelyonly an accident in man? Ob. therefore death ſhould not be deſired for the eſchewing of ſinne.
Anſw. Death is not a totall deſtruction of a man, neither is a man turned into nothing when he dyeth, neither wiſheth he death that he may not be, but that this Tabernacle may be diſſolved, that he may have, A building of God, an houſe not made with hands, eternall in the heavens. 2 Cor. 5.1.
Obſerve that men looke diverſly upon death. Firſt, as it is an enemy to nature, and ſo all men abhorre it. And the naturall man in this reſpect calleth it a bitter death, 1 Sam. 15.3. Hagag ſaid, Surely the bitterneſſe of death is paſt. Secondly, ſome looke upon it as the wages of ſinne, Rom. 6.32. then it is a more bitter death, and thirdly, ſome looke upon it as a paſſage to life, and then it is to be wiſhed, but not for it ſelfe, but for another end, as when a ſicke man deſireth a bitter potion for his healths ſake; for no evill of puniſhment is to be deſired for it ſelfe.
There are two periods ſet downe here, our birth, and our death, and not our life. It is the manner of the ſpirit of God in the Scriptures to ſet downe the two extremes, and to leave out the midſt, as Pſal. 21.8. the Lord ſhall keepe thy going in, and going out, that is all thy wayes, ſo Exod. 8.11.5. And all the firſt borne of the land of Egypt ſhall dye from the firſt borne of Pharaoh that fitteth upon the throne, unto the firſt borne of the Maidſervant, that ſitteth behind the Mill, here the reſt of the people are left out for ſhortneſſe, and the two extremes are expreſſed, ſo Num. 6.4. from the kernell to the huſke, here the wine which is the midſt is left out, ſo Iob. 24.20. The wombe ſhall forget him, and the wormes ſhall feede ſweetly upon him, here the birth and the grave include the whole life. So here are ſet downe our birth and our death our two graves, the grave out of which we come and the grave unto which we goe; Iob joyneth theſe two together, Naked came I out of my Mothers wombe, and naked ſhall I returne thither, Iob. 1.21. he was not to returne backe to his Mothers wombe againe, but he was to returne backe to the grave againe the ſecond wombe, and Chriſt joyneth the belly and the grave, Matth. 1….4. For as Ionas was three dayes and three night, in the Whales belly. So ſhall the ſome of man be three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth, hence it is that the inferior parts of the earth are both called the Mothers wombe, and the grave, Pſal. 139.15. My ſubſtance was curiouſly wrought in the loweſt parts of the earth, that is in my Mothers wombe, and as no man hateth the belly that conceived and bred him; ſo no man ſhould hate the grave which is his ſecond mother.
He marketh the two extremes here the birth and the death, and paſſeth by our life, to teach us the ſhortneſſe of our life, the Scripture deſcribeth the ſhortneſſe of mans life ſundry wayes? Firſt, he calleth our dayes anni numeri, that is, which may bee eaſily numbered, Iob. 16.22. when a few yeeres are come (yeeres of number) than I ſhall go the way, whence I ſhal not returne, ſo dies numeri ſignifie a few dayes, Num. 19.20, ſo homines numeri, a few men, Deut. 4.27. So Ezek. 12.16. and Eſay. 10.19. The reſt of the trees of his forreſt ſhall be number, that a child may write them, that is, they ſhall be few, and here Iob ſaith, When yeeres of number are come, that is, a few yeeres that may be eaſily numbered, to note the ſhortneſſe of his dayes. Secondly, our life is called ſaeculum, Pſal. 17.14. Thirdly, our yeeres are reduced to three ſcore and tenne, and if by reaſon of ſtrength, they be foureſcore, yet is their ſtrength labour and ſorrow, for it is ſoone cut off, and we flye away; if a man out live threeſcore and ten, he payeth intereſt for thoſe yeeres, much ſorrow and griefe.
Then our yeeres are compared to the dayes of an hireling, Iob. 7.1. which was a ſhort time, the yeres of an hirling were but three yeeres, and the Lord to ſhew the ſuddaine deſtruction that ſhould come upon Moah, he ſaith, Eſay. 16.14. Within three yeeres, as the yeeres of an hirling, and the glory of Moab ſhall be contemned, that is, it ſhall ſhortly be contemned, ſo Iob ſaith, his dayes are like the dayes of an hireling, that is, they are very ſhort. They are compared to monthes, Iob. 14.5. the number of his monthes are with thee. Then they are compared to dayes, and to an artificiall day from the ſunneriſing, to the ſetting of the Sunne, they are like graſſe which groweth up, in the evening it is cut down and whitereth, Pſ. 90.6. and to a watch in the night, which was but three or foure houres, verſ. 4. then they are compared to an houre, then to a moment, and laſt to nothing, Pſal. 39.5.
So our yeeres for the ſhortneſſe of them are compared to a poſt, Iob. 25. Now my dayes are ſwifter than a poſt, they flyaway & ſee no good, they are paſſed away as the ſwift ſhips, as the Eagle that haſteneth to her pray, Marke the gradation here. Firſt, Iob compareth his dayes, to a poſt, a poſt goeth on in his journey very ſwiftly, when one horſe wearieth he will take another, and ſo goeth on; but yet he muſt reſt ſometimes: Therefore hee goeth further and compareth them to the ſwifteſt ſhips, that are called ſhips of deſire, the ſhip will not weary day nor night, yet there may come a contrary winde and make her ſtay; therefore he goeth higher, and he compareth his dayes to the Eagle, which of all fowles is the ſwifteſt to catch pray, and nothing can ſtay her untill ſhe have obtained it. So mans dayes wearies not, nothing can ſtay them in their courſe, but they flye away, and haſten to their end.
So mans life is compared to the weavers ſhitle, Iob. 7.6. this compariſon would be marked, for the ſhuttle carieth the threed within it, and the weaver toſſeth the ſhuttle too and fro untill the threed be ſpent, and then he cuteth it off. So time is the weaver that toſſeth the ſhuttle, and our dayes are as the threed within the ſhuttle, which peece and peece are ſpent, and then death cutteth them off. So they are compared to a ſmoke and to a dreame, or to a vapour, Pſal. 49. or to the breath of ones mouth, and to this the Apoſtle hath reference, when he ſaith, what is your life? it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vaniſheth away, Iam. 4.4,
Now that our death may be comfortable unto us; firſt, we muſt remember that we are mortall, Gen. 2.17. In that day that thou eateſt thereof, thou ſhalt dye the death, Symachus tranſlateth it, Mortalis eris, the conſideration of mortalitie in Abraham, made him to ſay that he was but duſt and aſhes, Gen. 78.27. It is appointed unto men once to dye, but after this the judgement, Heb. 9.17. If men dyed not, they could not obtaine life eternall, for fleſh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdome of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption, therefore we muſt either die, or be changed; And this corruptible muſt put on incorruption, and this mortall muſt put on immortality, and then we need not to be afraid of death, for it ſhall be ſwallowed up in victory, 1 Cor. 15.50. as the Wiſe man ſaith, Ecclus 14.12. Remember that death is not long in comming, and that the covenant of the Grave is not ſhewed unto thee; The Lord ſheweth unto us that we are all mortall, and that we muſt dye, but he ſheweth not in particular the time when we ſhall dye, and therefore we ſhould be ready at all times.
Secondly, remember the advertiſements of death, when thou art faint and weary, thoſe are Gentlemen Vſhers to death, when yee feele thoſe meſſengers, remember that the ſound of their Maſters feet is behind them, foreign cincinni, ſic dicti quod facile mutantur a foreign mutabit.2 King. 6.32. We are called in the Scriptures, [bene hhaloph] Prov, 31.8. Children of change; and the lockes of our haire are called [mahhaliphoth] mutationes Iudg 16.13. becauſe they are ſoone changed, when our haire beginneth to change once, that is an advertiſement to death, as the wiſe man ſaith; but many men take no notice of thoſe advertiſements, when a Sergeant commeth to arreſt a man, the man abſenteth himſelfe, and will not ſeeme to be at home; yet notwithſtanding the arreſtment is valide, and holdeth good in the Law: ſo thoſe advertiſements of death, although thou neglect them, and ſeemeſt not to be at home, yet the arreſtment ſhall hold good, and thou ſhalt be enforced to anſwer at the day appointed.
Thirdly, looke upō the death of others, for that he looketh ſeriouſly upon the death of others, he cannot chuſe but that he muſt remember his mortality, 2 Sam. 20.12. When Amaſa was wallowing in his blood, all the people ſtood ſtill and lookt upon him; when people behold the death of others, then it ſhould put them in minde of their owne death.
Fourthly, acquaint thy ſelfe often with death, that it ſeeme not a ſtranger to thee when it commeth, Hierome ſet the skull of a dead man before him daily, and the Anchorites of old ſcraped with their nailes ſome part of their owne grave every day; Put not the evill day farre from thee, Eſay 22.12. When the Lord called the Iewes to mourning, yet they put the evill day farre from them, and they ſaid, Let us eate, let us drinke, for tomorrow wee ſhall die, 1 Cor. 15.32. Many men live now as though they ſhould never dye, they make a covenant with death, as the Prophet ſaith Eſay 28.16. We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement. But they are deceived, death is unmercifull, it will mak a league with no man, this league is made only in the imagination of their owne hearts.
Fiftly, conſider the comforts which we have againſt the grave, it is very terrible in it ſelfe, it is called a pit, Eſa 38.18. darkneſse and the Land of oblivion, Pſal. 88.13. The ſhadow of death, Iob, 10.21. corruption and deſtruction, and for the power of it, it is ſaid to have gates and doores, Iob 38.13. and a ſoule, Eſay 5.14.foreign dilatat ſepulchrum animam ſuam. [Hirhhibbah ſheol naphſhah] the grave hath enlarged her ſoule; ſo to have hands Pſal. 49.16 and 89.49. ſo to have a mouth, Pſ. 141.7, ſo a ſting 1 Cor. 15.55. all thoſe Epithites are to ſhew how terrible and fearefull it is to a wicked impenitent ſinner who lyeth down in it with his ſins upon him, but to the godly it is foreign, a ſleeping place; it is a place that all men, yea even the beſt muſt come into, Iacob made account to go thither Gen. 37.35. and Iob deſired to be there; O that thou wouldeſt hide me in the grave, Iob 14.13. Becauſe he knew that it was his houſe, Iob. 17.13. Yea Chriſt himſelfe was there, and ſanctified it, firſt he bought the grave, the price of him that was valued, after that Iudas had caſt it backe againe, was given for a potters field, for the buriall of ſtrangers, this is the firſt right which gentiles have to the grave, becauſe Chriſt purchaſed it unto them. Againe Chriſt was buried in Golgotha where his blood ranne downe upon the graves of the dead that were buried there. Thirdly, he hath lyen downe in it, and whereas it was loathſome before, now he hath perſumed it, ſo that we may ſafely lye downe in that bed in which his bleſſed body lay; and laſtly he hath the key of the grave, to open it when hee pleaſeth ſo that it hath no power to keepe us. Revela. 1.18. I have the keyes of hell and of death, this is a ſingular comfort to us then who are the Children of God, ſo that we may ſay better is the day of our death than the day of our birth.
Sixtly; wee ſhould remember that our dead bodies are within the covenant, and the Lord forgetteth them not: When Iacob went downe to Egypt the Lord promiſed to bring him backe againe, Gen. 46.4. but how did the Lord bring him backe againe, ſeeing he dyed in Egypt? The Lord was with him when his bones were brought out of Egypt: ſo the Lord preſerveth all the bodies of his Saints, and he keepeth all their bones, Pſal. 34.20. yea even when they are in the grave, becauſe they are within the Covenant, therefore it is called, domus viventium, the houſe of the living.
Laſtly, that our death may be comfortable unto us, let us remember that it doth not onelyonly put an end to our miſeries in this life, but it is the entrance to glory and everlaſting happineſſe, where we ſhall ſee the Lord and his Angels, and abide with them eternally; Moſes is renowned unto the worlds end, becauſe hee ſaw the Lords backe parts onelyonly; but we ſhall not onelyonly ſee his backeparts, but we ſhall ſee him as he is, even face to face, 1 Iohn 3.2. 1 Cor. 13.12. The Queene of Sheba heard many things of Salomon, and yet the halfe was not told her, but when ſhee ſaw him face to face, then ſhee ſaid, Happy are thy men, happy are thy ſervants that ſtand continually before thee, 1 King. 10.8. So in this life wee heare many things of Chriſt the true Salomon and his kingdome, but yet the halfe are not told us, for the eye hath not ſeene, nor eare heard, neither have entred into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him, 1 Cor. 2.9. But at the day of our death when our ſoule ſhall be ſeparated from our bodies, then wee ſhall ſee theſe things, and ſhall ſay with the Queene of Sheba, happy are thy men, happy are thy ſervants that ſtand continually before thee; and bleſſed are the dead that die in the Lord, Revel. 14.13. If wee conſider theſe things ſeriouſly, wee ſhal be inforced to conclude with Salomon here, better is the day of death, thā the day that one is borne.
Errata.
Pag. 32. line 6 for Ezek. r. Eſa. pag. 43. l. 15. for eate of this. r. eate not of this bread but other leſſe holy things, pag. 68. l. 30. were eſſentially, r. as the cauſe and the effect. pag. 73. l. 8. r. firſt fruits. pag. 82. l. 20. dele done upon, pag. 95. l. 1. Pentecoſt. r. Paſſeover. pag. 101. l. 11. dele therefore. p. 114. l. 25. r. they blew not at all in the fifty yeere, as Maſius holdeth, but in the forty nine yeere, pag. 156. l. 22. for neither. r. and his ſonnes, but not his daughter, pag. 168. l. 27. for thee, r. his.
FINIS,
AN EXPLICATION OF THE IVDICIALL LAWES OF MOSES.
Plainely diſcovering divers of their ancient Rites and Cuſtomes.
As in their Governours, Government, Synedrion, Puniſhments, Civill Accompts, Contracts, Marriages, Warres, and Burialls.
Alſo their Oeconomicks, (Vizt.) their dwellings, Feaſting, Clothing, and Husbandrie.
Together with two Treatiſes, the one ſhewing the different eſtate of the godly and wicked in this life, and in the life to come.
The other, declaring how the wicked may be inlightned by the preaching of the Goſpel, and yet become worſe after they be illuminated.
All which are cleered out of the Originall Languages, and doe ſerue as a ſpeciall helpe for the true underſtanding of divers difficult Texts of Scriptures.
foreign.
Venia danda primum aliquid experienti.
By IOHN WEEMSE, of Lathocker in Scotland, Preacher of Gods Word.
LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawſon for Iohn Bellamie, and are to be ſold at his Shoppe at the ſigne of the three Golden Lyons in Cornehill, neere the Royall Exchange. 1632.