HOM. IX. Against the Fear of Death. himself declareth the desire of their heart, which was to be dissolved and loosed from his body, and to be with Christ, which, as he said, was much better for him, although to them it was more necessary that he should live, which he refused not for their sakes. Even like as St. Martin said, Good Lord, if I be necessary for thy people to do good unto them, I will refuse no labour: but else for mine own self, I beseech thee to take my soul. Now the holy Fathers of the old law, and all faithful and righteous men, which departed before our Saviour Christ's ascension into heaven, did, by death, depart from troubles unto rest, from the hands of their enemies, into the hands of God, from sorrows and sicknesses, unto joyful refreshing in Abraham's bosom, a place of all comfort and consolation, as the Sciptures do plainly by manifest words, testify. The Book of Wisdom saith, That the righteous men's souls be in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed to the eyes of foolish men to die, and their death was counted miserable, and their departing out of this world wretched, but they be in rest. And another place saith, That the righteous shall live for ever, and their reward is with the Lord, and their minds be with God, who is above all: therefore they shall receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown at the Lord's hand. And in another place the same book saith, The righteous, though he be prevented with sudden death, nevertheless he shall be there where he shall be refreshed. Of Abraham's bosom, Christ's words be so plain that a christian man needeth no more proof of it. Now then, if this were the state of the holy fathers and righteous men, before the coming of our Saviour, and before he was glorified: how much more then Wisd. iii. iv. HOM. IX. Against the Fear of Death. ought all we to have a stedfast faith, and a sure hope of this blessed state and condition, after our death? seeing that our Saviour now hath performed the whole work of our redemption, and is gloriously ascended into heaven, to prepare our dwelling places with him, and said unto his Father, Father I will that where I am, my servants shall be with me. And we know, that whatsoever Christ wills, his Father wills the same; wherefore it cannot be, but if we be his faithful servants, our souls shall be with him, after our departure out of this present life. When St. Stephen was stoned to death, even in the midst of his torments, what was his mind most upon? when he was full of the Holy Ghost, saith holy Scripture, having his eyes lifted up into heaven, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. The which truth, after he had confessed boldly before the enemies of Christ, they drew him out of the city and there they stoned him, who cried unto God, saying, Lord Jesus Christ take my spirit. And doth not our Saviour say plainly in St. John's gospel, Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and cometh not into judgment, but shall pass from death to life? shall we not then think that death to be precious, by the which we pass into life? Therefore it is a true saying of the prophet, the death of the holy and righteous men, is precious in the Lord's sight. Holy Simeon, after that he had his heart's desire in seeing our Saviour, that he ever longed for in his life, he embraced, and took him in his arms, and said, Now, Lord, let me depart in peace, for mine eyes have beholden that Saviour which thou hast prepared for all nations. John xvii. Acts vii. John v. Ps. exvi. Luke ii. HOM. IX. Against the Fear of Death. It is truth therefore, that the death of the righteous is called peace, and the benefit of the Lord, as the church saith, in the name of the righteous departed out of this world: my soul turn thee to thy rest, for the Lord hath been good to thee, and rewarded thee. And we see by holy Scripture, and other ancient histories of martyrs, that the holy, faithful, and righteous, ever since Christ's ascension, or going up, in their death did not doubt, but that they went to Christ in spirit, which is our life, health, wealth, and salvation. John in his holy revelation, saw an hundred forty and four thousand virgins and innocents, of whom he said, these follow the Lamb Jesus Christ wheresoever he goeth. And shortly after in the same place he saith, I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, write, happy and blessed are the dead which die in the Lord: from henceforth, surely saith the Spirit, they shall rest from their pains and labours, for their works do follow them: so then that they shall reap with joy and comfort, that which they sowed with labours and pains. They that sow in the Spirit, of the Spirit shall reap everlasting life: let us therefore never be weary. of well-doing, for when the time of reaping or reward cometh, we shall reap without any weariness, everlasting joy. Therefore while we have time, as St. Paul exhorteth us, let us do good to all men, and not lay up our treasure in earth, where rust and moths corrupt it; which rust, as St. James saith, shall bear witness against us at the great day, condemn us, and shall, like most burning fire, torment our flesh. Let us beware therefore, as we tender our own wealth, that we be not in the number of those miserable, covetous, and wretched men, which St. James biddeth mourn and lament for their greedy Ps. cxvi. Apoc. xiv. Gal. vi. Matt. vi. James v. HOM. IX. Against the Fear of Death. gathering and ungodly keeping of goods. Let us be wise in time, and learn to follow the wise example of the wicked steward. Let us so wisely order our goods and possessions, committed unto us here by God for a season, that we may truly hear and obey this commandment of our Saviour Christ: I say unto you, saith he, make you friends of the wicked mammon, that they may receive you into everlasting tabernacles or dwellings. Riches be called wicked, because the world abuseth them unto all wickedness, which are otherwise the good gifts of God, and the instruments whereby God's servants do truly serve him in using of the same. He commanded them not to make them rich friends, to get high dignities and worldly promotions, to give great gifts to rich men that have no need thereof, but to make them friends of poor and miserable men, unto whom, whatsoever they give, Christ taketh it as given to himself. And to these friends Christ in the gospel giveth so great honour and pre-eminence, that he saith, they shall receive them that do good unto them into everlasting houses: not that men shall be our rewarders for our well doing, but that Christ will reward us, and take it to be done unto himself, whatsoever is done to such friends. Thus making poor wretches our friends, we make our Saviour Christ our friend, whose members they are: whose misery as he taketh for his own misery, so their relief, succour, and help he taketh for his succour, relief, and help; and will as much thank us and reward us for our goodness shewed to them, as if he himself had received like benefit at our -hands, as he witnesseth in the gospel, saying, whatsoever ye have done to any of these simple persons which do believe in me, that have you done to myself. Therefore let us diligently foresee, that HOM. IX. Against the Fear of Death. our faith and hope, which we have conceived in Almighty God, and in our Saviour Christ, wax not faint, and that the love which we bear in hand to bear to him, wax not cold but let us study daily and diligently to shew ourselves to be the true honourers and lovers of God, by keeping of his commandments, by doing of good deeds unto our needy neighbours, relieving, by all means that we can, their poverty with our abundance and plenty, their ignorance with our wisdom and learning, and comfort their weakness with our strength and authority, calling all men back from evil doing by godly counsel and good example; persevering still in well-doing, so long as we live: so shall we not need to fear death for any of those three causes afore-mentioned, nor yet for any other cause that can be imagined: but contrarily, considering the manifold sicknesses, troubles, and sorrows of this present life, the dangers of this perilous pilgrimage, and the great encumbrance which our spirit hath by this sinful flesh and frail body, it being subject to death: considering also the manifold sorrows and dangerous deceits of this world on every side, the intolerable pride, covetousness, and lechery, in time of prosperity, the impatient murmuring of them that be worldly, in time of adversity, which cease not to withdraw and pluck us from God, our Saviour Christ, from our life, wealth, and everlasting joy and salvation: considering also the innumerable assaults of our ghostly enemy the devil, with all his fiery darts of ambition, pride, lechery, vain-glory, envy, malice, detraction, back-biting, with other his innumerable deceits, engines, and snares, whereby he goeth busily about to catch all men under his dominion, ever like a roaring lion, by all means searching whom he may devour. The faithful 1 Pet. v. |