First because with that aged Father the Patriarch Jacob, 1we make account, that our life is but as a pilgrimage: and our selves strangers & Pilgrims, or sojourners on the earth, as the seed of Abraham were in a land that was not theirs. Strangers continue not in a ⟨p. 149⟩place: and we look for a better home. For as the Tabernacles of the Israelites were to be removed, even so are ours.2 Their abiding place hoped for, was the land of promise: and ours is the kingdom of heaven figured by theirs: where mortality shall be swallowed up of life. Therefore it is written,3 Here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come. For we know, that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle be destroyed, we have a building given of God, e•• an house, not made with hands, but eternal life in the heavens. So that whilst we are strangers in the body,4 we are absent from the Lord. Therefore we forget that which is behind,5 and endeavour our selves unto that which is before, and follow hard towards the mark, unto which death guides us, as is before showed. Therefore it is called a Way, 6that brings us unto God. A quo in hunc mundum sumus peregrinatum missi, of whom we are sent into the world, to abide there as strangers, until death come. And then Anima ad caeleslia colligitur, corpus suis restituitur elementis, ad suū usque tempus, The soul is taken into ⟨p. 150⟩the heavens, and the body is dissolved into his elements until his appointed time. An other writer saith, that death Oslij instar est, 7aut viae, per quam nos ex hac vita mortali, in immortalitatem transire oportet, is like unto a door, or a way, through which we must pass out of this mortal life into immortality. And it may not amiss be compared unto the star,8 that guided the wise men till they came to the stable where the blessed babe Christ lay in the manger: and death brings us to behold Christ glorified in the heavens, at the right hand of his father.9 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with an exceeding great joy: like the Disciples, which were glad when they had seen the Lord. And shall we be sorry to mee•e with death, that brings us unto God? Christ healing one, lying upon his bed sick of the palsy,10 said: Arise, take up thy bed, and go to thine house. Even so when death cometh, she may say to our souls in our bodies sick upon our beds: as the Prophet of God did to Israel in an other matter;
FIrst because with that aged Father the Patriarke Iacob, 1we make account, that our life is but as a pilgrimage: and our selues straungers & Pilgrimes, or soiourners on the earth, as the seed of Abraham were in a land that was not theirs. Straungers continue not in a ⟨p. 149⟩place: and we looke for a better home. For as the Tabernacles of the Israelites were to be remooued, euen so are ours.2 Their abiding place hoped for, was the land of promise: and ours is the kingdome of heauen figured by theirs: where mortalitie shall be swallowed vp of life. Therfore it is written,3 Here we haue no continuing citie, but we seeke one to come. For we know, that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle be destroyed, we haue a building giuen of God, e•• an house, not made with hands, but eternall life in the heauens. So that whilest we are strangers in the body,4 we are absent from the Lord. Therfore we forget that which is behind,5 and indeuour our selues vnto that which is before, and followe hard towardes the marke, vnto which death guides vs, as is before shewed. Therefore it is called a Waye, 6that brings vs vnto God. A quo in hunc mundum sumus peregrinatum missi, of whom we are sent into the world, to abide there as straungers, vntill death come. And then Anima ad caeleslia colligitur, corpus suis restituitur elementis, ad suū vsque tempus, The soule is taken into ⟨p. 150⟩the heauens, and the bodie is dissolued into his elements vntill his appointed time. An other writer saith, that death Oslij instar est, 7aut viae, per quam nos ex hac vita mortali, in immortalitatem transire oportet, is like vnto a doore, or a waye, through which wee must passe out of this mortall life into immortalitie. And it may not amisse be compared vnto the starre,8
- 1Gen. 47.9. Heb. 11.13. 1. Cron. 29.15. Ps. 39.12. 1. Pe. 2.11 Gen. 15.13 & 47.4.
- 2Exo. 33.7 2. Cor. 5 5. Num. 15.2 2. Cor. 5.4.
- 3Heb. 13.14
- 42. Cor. 5.1.6.
- 5Phil. 3.13 14.
- 61. Reg. 2 2. Job. 16 22. Aretius de Morte.1. Reg. 2 2. Iob. 16 22. Aretius de Morte.
- 7Gualt. in Has. 13. Hom. 44.
- 8Mat. 2.9 10.
- 9Joh. 20.20.Ioh. 20.20.
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