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Godly Meditations: Chapter 32 - A Meditation on Death

By John Bradford


      A Meditation on Death, and the Advantages it brings

      What else do we daily in this present life, than heap sin to sin, and hoard up trespass upon trespass?oSo that this day always is worse than yesterday, by increasing our sins as our days, and therefore thy indignation, good Lord, is against us. But when we shall be suffered to go out of the body, and are taken into thy blessed company, then shall we be in the fullest safety of immortality and salvation; then shall come unto us no sickness, no need, no pain,o no kind of evil to soul or body; but whatsoever good we can wish, that shall we have, and whatsoever we loath shall be far from us. Oh dear Father, that we had faith to behold these things accordingly! Oh that our hearts were persuaded thereof, and our affections inflamed with the desire of them! Then should we live in longing for that which now we most loath. Oh help us, and grant that we, being ignorant of things to come, and of the time of our death, which to thee is certain, may so live and finish our journey here, that we may be ready, and then depart, when our departing may make most to thy glory and our comfort through Christ!

      What is this life, but a smoke, a vapour, a shadow, a warfare, a bubble of water, a word, grass, a flower? Thou shalt die is most certain, but the time when no man can tell. The longer thou dost remain in this life, the more thou sins, which will turn to thy more pain. By thinking upon death, our minds are often in manner oppressed with darkness, because we do but remember the night of the body, forgetting the light of the mind, and of the resurrection. Thereto remember the good things that shall ensue after this life, and without wavering, in certainty of faithoso shall the passage of death be more desired. It is like sailing over the sea to thy home and country; it is like a medicine to the health of soul and body; it is the best physician; it is like to a woman's travail, for so thy soul, being delivered out of the body, comes into a much more large and fair plate, even into heaven!

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See Also:
   To the Reader
   Chapter 1 - Instructions to be Observed Concerning Prayer
   Chapter 2 - Our Father
   Chapter 3 - Which art in Heaven
   Chapter 4 - Hallowed be Thy Name
   Chapter 5 - Let Thy Kingdom Come
   Chapter 6 - Thy Will be Done
   Chapter 7 - Give us this Day our daily Bread
   Chapter 8 - Forgive us our Debts
   Chapter 9 - Lead us not into Temptation
   Chapter 10 - For Thine is the Kingdom
   Chapter 11 - I Believe in God the Father
   Chapter 12 - I believe in Jesus Christ
   Chapter 13 - I believe in the Holy Ghost
   Chapter 14 - Upon the Commandments: I am God
   Chapter 15 - Graven Images
   Chapter 16 - God's Name in Vain
   Chapter 17 - Keep the Sabbath Holy
   Chapter 18 - Honour thy Father and Mother
   Chapter 19 - Thou Shalt do no Murder
   Chapter 20 - Thou Shalt not Commit Adultery
   Chapter 21 - Thou Shalt not Steal
   Chapter 22 - No False Witness
   Chapter 23 - A Meditation concerning Prayer
   Chapter 24 - Another Meditation
   Chapter 25 - A Meditation on Judgement
   Chapter 26 - A Meditation on Life
   Chapter 27 - Another Meditation to the Same Effect
   Chapter 28 - Exercise of our Mortification
   Chapter 29 - The Providence of God
   Chapter 30 - A Meditation of the Presence of God
   Chapter 31 - A Meditation of God's Power
   Chapter 32 - A Meditation on Death
   Chapter 33 - A Meditation on Christ's Passion

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