A Staff of Comfort to Stay the Weak, Part 12
Of Death.
Ob. I Am but young, very healthful and strong, and yet neuerthelesse I feare sudden death, or vntimely taking away.
Answ. The houre of death is certainely determined of God.If it be good for thee, & God so please thou shalt goe to the graue in a full age, and as a ricke of corne commeth in due season to the barne, Iob, 5.26. Howsoeuer know this, that there is an appointed time to man vponupon earth, Iob, 7.1. His time is in Gods hand, Psal. 31.15. His daies and moneths are numbred, and his appointed bounds hee cannot passe, Iob, 14.5.
Ob. I feele an vnwillingnesse in me to dye.
Answ. We should not be vnwilling to die.Consider that it is the way of all flesh, Iosh. 23.14. 1. King. 2.2. And that it is appointed vntounto men once to die, Heb. 9.27. And though the wicked die without hope,Iob, 21.33. Eccles. 7.2. Prou. 11.7. Yet the righteous in death hath hope, Prou. 14.23. For wee doe know that if this earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolued, wee hauehave a building of God, an house not made with hand, eternall in the heauens, 2. Cor. 5.1. And shall for euer blessedly rest from our labours, Reuel. 14.13. & 21.4.
Ob. Oh, but (I feare me) we are swallowed vp of death, and so there is no more remembrance of vsus.
The dead as well as the liuing, are in remembrāce before God.Answ. God is not God onelyonly of the liuing here on earth, but also of them that be departed this life, Matth. 22.32. Who will giuegive vsus victory ouer death, through our Lord Iesus Christ, 1. Cor. 15.57. Who will raise vsus vp at the last day, Ioh. 6.44. For all that beleeue in him shall not perish, but hauehave life euerlasting, Iohn, 11.25.26. & 8.51.
Obiect. But the elect of God are scattered all the earth ouer: Yea, and millions of men are dead and consumed to dust in the graue; it is not like that these can be brought together, to meete the Lord at his appearing.
Ans. Yes verily;All shall be raised vp at the last day. for the Lord will send his Angels with the great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the foure windes, from one end of heauen to the other, Matth. 24.31. The trumpet shall sound, and the dead also shall rise, 1. Cor. 15.52. For I know (saith Iob) that my Redeemer liueth, and that hee shall stand at the latter day vponupon the earth, and though after my skin, wormes destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom I my selfe shall see, and mine eyes shall behold, and none other for me, Iob, 19.25.26.27.
Ob. Yet those that are in the graue, dead and rotten when Christ commeth, can not as soone appeare and behold his presence, as those that be then aliue; the consideration thereof may make vsus desire still to liue.
Ans. They that are aliue, and remaine vntounto the comming of the Lord,The dead in graue shall not be preuented, by the liuing at Christs comming. shall not preuent them that are asleepe, for the Lord himselfe shall descend from heauen with a shout, with the voice of the Arch-angel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise: first thē, we which are aliue and remaine, shall together with them be caught vp into the clouds, 1. Thess. 4.15.18.
Ob. This is comfortable, but, alas, one thing much troubleth my minde often, when I think vponupon my death: for my corruptions are so great, my faith so weake, Satans suggestions so strong, & my owne conscience so forcibly accusing many times, that I feare my end will bee fearefull.
The issues of death are in the hand of God.Answ. The Lord doth know (though we doe not) how to deliuer the godly out of tentations, 2. Peter, 2.9. For he is our God, euen the God of saluation, to whom belong the issues of death, Psalm. 68.20. By whose power (and not by our owne) wee are kept through faith vntounto saluation, 1. Pet. 1.5. Who also is faithfull, and will not suffer his to bee tempted aboue that they are able, but will with the tentation also make a way to escape, that they may bee able to beare it, 1. Cor. 10.13. So as thou maiest say (with Saint Paul) that the Lord will deliuer thee from eueryevery euill work, and will preserue thee to his heauenly kingdome, 2. Tim. 4.18.
Ob. Well, though I escape a fearefull end before men: yet may I be damned at the last day.
Answ. No condemnation to those that are in Christ. Rom. 8.1.He that heareth my words (saith our Lord Iesus) and beleeueth in him that sent mee, hath euerlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but hath passed from death to life, Ioh. 5.24.
Ob. But when we are in heauen, wee may perhaps bee cast out thence againe, as the Angels were, and so be separated from Christ againe.The Elect at the last day shall be euer with Christ.
Ans. No, we shall at the last day be like him, 1. Iohn, 3.2. And appeare with him in glory, Col. 3.4. And so shall wee be euer with the Lord, 1. Thes. 4.17. Therefore let vsus comfort one another with these wordes, Vers. 18.
Ob. That shall be a happy day to the godly: but mee thinke, hee is slacke in comming, the day is long too.
Christ is not slack in comming, but staieth for our good.Answ. Be not ignorant of this one thing, that with the Lord a thousand yeeres, is but as one day: neither is the Lord slacke concerning his promise (as some men count slacknesse) but is long suffering to vsus-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, 2. Pet. 3.8.9. For the long suffering of the Lord, we must account to be saluation, Ver. 15. To all that gladly expect his comming.
Ob. I hauehave heard happily of many & sundry comforts, which might make glad the heart of the most pensiue spirit, if there bee no doubt of the truth thereof.
Answ. Gods word is most infallibly true. Psa. 119.142.The words of the Lord are pure words, as siluer tried in a furnace of earth purified seuen times, Psa. 12.7. Pro. 30.5. The testimony of the Lord is sure, Ps. 19.7. His word is truth, Ioh. 17.17. It is true from the beginning, Psa. 119.160. It indureth for euer, 1. Pet. 1.25 Blessed be God, & his mercies bee magnified for euer and euer, Euen so
Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Richard Bernard, A Staff of Comfort to Stay the Weak (1616)