46 Tb.right woy iearneebeleeue, &obey the true religion,that is,thedoarineofSaluation fete down inthe writings ofthe Prophets&Apoftles.TheLord hitnfelfc coin- 'terms./ 9. mends Abraham for this:IkntavAbraham, faithhe, that hewillcommasndhis finnes,andhre hootholdafter hitm,that theykeepe the wayofthe Lord todoerigh- tcosajne.r and lodgement. And Dauid giuesSalomon on his death beda moll ',Kig.a,read notable and folemnecharge,t'ne fumme& fubfiance wherofis,toknovvthe Dl. God ofhisfathers,&to ferne hicn :whichbeing donc,hcfurther commends him toGod by praier : for which purpofethe72. pfal. wasmade.This pra- &ieofhis is tobe followed ofall. Thus gouernouts,when they fhail care- fullydifpofeoftheirgoods,and giuecharge to their poferitie touching the war1bipofGod,fhallgreatly honourGoddying as well as liuing. Hitherto ,I haue intreatedofthe twofold preparation which is togo be- foredeath :now follows the fecondpart of Dying-well,namely thedifpofi- tion indeath. This difpofition is nothingcis but areligious and holy beha- uiour fpeciallytowards Cod,whenwe are in ornegre the agonie and pang ofdeath .Thisbehauiour containes three fpeciallduties.Thefiat is,todie in or by faith.To die by faith is when aman in the timeofdeath,dothwith all his heart relie himfelrewholly on Gods fpeciall loueandfauour andmercie in Chrif},as it isreueal`d in the word. And though there be nopartofmans lifevoid of iuft.occafions wherebywe mayput faith in praelife, yet the fpc- ciall timeofall is the pangofdeath,vchen friends,&riches, &pleafures,and theoutward fenfes,& temporal' life, Stall earthlyhelps forfakevs.For then true faithmaketh vs togo whollyout ofourfelues, and todefpaire of cofort 8t faluation in refpe1ofanyearthly thing; and with all the power &firégth ofthe heart to tell on the puremercie ofGod. This made. Luther both think and fay,thatmen were beft Chriffians in death. An example ofthis faith we haue inDauid,whowenhefaw nothingbefore his eiesbut prefentdeath,the .Satn.;o.6. people intending toflone him,corofortedhimat that very infiant (as the text farth)iotheLordhis God. And thiscomfort he reaped, in thatby faith he ap- pliedvino hisowne foule themercifull promifes ofGod; ashe teftifieth of Pfal.u9,49,5'o himfelfe: Remember(faith he)thepromife made tothy fertaant,rvherin thou haft trigfcdme to trato. It is my comfort sn trouble: for thy promife bathgatick_nedmc. Again, Myflefh f tiledandmyheart alfo,but Godit the f zrengthofmyheart,and fa1.73lb. my portios fircuer.Nowlooke whatDauid heredid ,the famemull eueryone ofvs do in the like cafe.Wh6 the Ifraelires=in the wildernes were flung with Eerie ferpents,& lay at the point of death, they looked vp to thebrafen er- enby the i i' ufowhen anyman fe;lldath todrawnere,&hiss Retie fling top erce the heart, hemufifixe the eyeofa true & liuely faithvp6 Chrift,exalted &cruci- fied on thecrofl'e,which being done,he fhal bydeath enter into eternal life. Now becaufe true faith isnodead thing, it mull be expreffed by fpeciall a&ions;theprincipal whereof is Invocation, wherbyeitherpraier orthäkf% giuing is direaed vetoGod.Whendeath had feaesedvpon the bodie of Ia- cob,heraifed vphimfeife,at d turninghis face towards the bedshead,lea- ned I
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