The Resolved Christian Exhorting to Resolution, Book 1 · Chapter 2 – Chapter 3
Chap. II. Of Death.
What Death is: and of the neceſſitie thereof. Sect. I
Death, what it is.DEath is the ſeperation of theaLuke 23.46. acts 7.59 ſoule from the body, with the diſſolution of thebGeneſis 3.19 body vntill thecEſay 26.19 reſurrection, as adRom. 6.23 puniſhment ordeyned of God, and impoſed on Man, for his ſinne. For when God had ſetled Adam in Paradiſe, a place of pleaſure, giuing him ſuch libertie as theſe wordes doe import,eGeneſis 2.16 Thou ſhalt eate freely of eueryevery tree of the Garden: Yet leſt hee ſhould preſumptuouſly equall himſelfe with his Creator, he gaue him this bridle to champe on;fGeneſis 2.17 But of the tree of knowledge of good and euill, thou ſhalt not eate of it, for in that daie that thou eateſt thereof, thou ſhalt DIE THE DEATH. Adam had ſoone forgotten this ſaying, thou ſhalt die, and harkned vntounto that lying ſpeech,gGeneſis 3.4 yee shall not die. ThehGeneſis 3.6 Man gaue eare to the woman, the woman to the ſerpent: they eate of the excepted tree,The fall of Adam ſoiLuke 6.39 the blind led the blind, and they both fel into the ditch. Here lieth the matter a bleeding, this is the old ſore bred in the bone, that will neuer out of the fleſh. O Adam, what haſt thou done? Haſt thou taſted of that fruit whereof God ſaid vntounto thee,kGeneſis 3.17 The miſerable eſtate of Adam Thou ſhalt not eate of it? Oh how wert thou bewitched? Thou waſt once in the ſtate of grace, but now thou art in diſgrace: thou wert once the child of God, but now in danger, for ought thou knoweſt, to be the child of the Serpent. God did once care altogither for thee, thou waſt warme without apparell, naked without ſhame, ſatisfied without labour, thy meate was put into thy mouth: but now thou muſt be pinched with cold, and ſcorched with heat, thou muſt trauell hard, and in thelGeneſis 3.19 ſweat of thy browes, thou muſt eate thy bread. Whilſt thou keptſt thy ſelfe within thy compaſſe, thou waſt an happie Adam: oh thanke God for that! now beeing in miſerie, thou art accurſed and vnhappie; thanke thy ſelfe, thy ſelfe-will ſinne for that! could not bleſſings allure thee, nor threatnings compell thee to obedience? O thankleſſe Adam! ſweet meate muſt hauehave ſower ſawce. Thou art ſicke Adam, thou art ſicke vntounto death, thou haſt prouoked the wrath of God, and cauſed him to open his cup of curſes; thy diſeaſe is deſperate, and therforemGeneſis 3.17 Thou shalt die the death, that double death, the due reward of thy ſinne: for thou art become thenRom. 6.16 ſworne ſeruant of ſinne and bondſlaue of Sathan. Hee is Gods friendoIohn 14.15 that fulfilleth his commaundement; but thou Adam, haſt broken the commandement; therfore thou art Gods enemie.p1. Iohn 3.8 He that committeth ſinne is of the diuell; Thou Adam haſt committed ſinne; therefore thou art not of God. Hee that ſinneth, is the ſeruant of ſinne: Thou haſt ſinned Adam; Therefore thou art out of Gods ſeruice. He that is the ſeruant of ſinne, muſt be payd with the ſinnes wages: but thou arte the ſeruant of ſinne Adam; therefore thou ſhalt die the death; forqRom. 6.23 the wages of ſinne is death. O lamentable fall!The poſterities are guiltie of Adams ſinne. O pittifull caſe! the wrath of God ouerrunneth the wholerRom. 5.12 world for thy diſobedience, thy treaſon hath attainted al thy children, thy whole bloud is corrupted, thy fall redoundeth vntounto vsus that come of thee. Alas! How ſhall we doe? Adam is duſt, hated of God, and aſhamed of himſelfe; he is curſed, he is ſicke for ſinne, he is dead, twiſe dead, ſubiect to mortalitie, and ſubiect to eternall damnation: his Children be in the ſame caſe. But wo vntounto vsus, we are ſo benūmed of our ſences, that we feele not the ſting of Death fixed in our fleſh; the impoſtume of ſinne lieth ſo hidden in our hearts, that we thinke our ſelues whole and ſound, as though we ſhould neuer die. Thy incredulous and rebellious brood, O Adam, will not acknowledge their corruption and mortalitie; ſuch, and ſo great is their ſelfe-louelove, and pride of heart! Thou art our Father, wee bee thy Children, the Children cannot but beleeue their Father ſpeaking the truth of his own knowlege & experience. Cry out then, O father Adam, teach thy children to know themſelues, blow thy trumpet, command ſilence, tell vsus, in what caſe thou ſtandeſt, and what Inheritance thou haſt purchaſed for vsus. Thus ſaith your Father, O ye children of Men, conſider his ſayings, liſten, giuegive eare;sMatth. 13.9 He that hath eares to heare let him heare. I Adam the Father of all Nations, was once a free-man, a bleſſed man, the child of GOD; the mercy of God embraced me on eueryevery ſide; in the earth there were bleſſings for me, ingraued as it were, in the hearbs, flowers, and frites; yea, in the heauens & waters I ſaw innumerable tokens of Gods louelove towards me: But alas! wretch that I am, when I was intPſalme 49.20 honor, I forgot my ſelf, I denied God my ſeruice, yea, I obeyed his enemie; and therefore now am I accurſed, and debarred of all my former bleſſings, I am become a bond-man, a curſed creature, the ſeruant of ſinne and ſatan. I hauehave ſinned, I hauehave ſinned, my ſinnes are infinite; the firſt,The branches of Adams ſinne. Idolatrie, ſecond, Pride, third, Incredulitie, fourth, Contempt of God, fift, the prophanation of Gods name, ſixt, Murther, ſeuenth, Auarice, eight, Theft, ninth, euill concupiſcence, tenth, Ambition, &c. Alas! I ſincke in ſinne, I am aſhamed of my nakedneſſe, I tremble at Gods voyce. O Death, O Graue, yours is the victorie! I and my wife are become a curſed couple; yea, not only we, but all our poſterities; we be the roote, they are the braunches, if the roote be bitter, the branches muſt be ſo alſo: we be the fountain, they are the ſpring, if the fountaine be filthy, ſo muſt the ſpring be:Adams legacies to his children. Sin and Corruption be the riches that we bequeath vntounto our children: Rebellion is the inheritance that we hauehave purchaſed for them. Such as the father is, ſuch be the children, for we are all of the ſame nature, and hauehave eaten the ſameuEzech. 18.2 ſower grape. xRom. 5.12By one man ſinne entred into the world, and death by ſinne, and ſo death went ouer all men, in whom all men hauehave ſinned. There are two kindes of Death, bodily, and ſpirituall. Bodily death (which is called the firſt, becauſe in reſpect of time it goeth before the ſecond) is the ſeparation of the ſoule from the body.yHebr. 9.27 It is appointed vntounto men that they ſhall once die: herevpon the Prophet Dauid calleth death y1. King 2.2the waie of the whole earth; zPſal 89.48what man liueth and shal not ſee death? aEccl. 9.5the liuing know that they shall die, ſaith Solomon. Spiritual Death, which is termedbApoc. 2.11 apoc. 20.14 apoc. 21.8 Difference betweene the firſt and ſecond death the Second, is the ſeperation of the whole man, bodie and ſoule, from the fellowſhip of God. The firſt is an entrance to death, the ſecond is the accompliſhment of it: the firſt is temporarie, the ſecond is eternall: the firſt is of the bodie onelyonly, the ſecond is of both body and ſoule: the firſt is common vntounto all men, the ſecond is proper to the reprobates.
Of the vncertaintie of the houre of Death. Sect. II.
DEath which is moſta2. Sam. 14.14 pſal. 45.10 certaine, is moſt vncertaine, in reſpect of the time, of the place, and of the kind of death; for no man knowes, when, where, or how he ſhal die.bEccl. 9.12 Man knoweth not his time, but as the fishes which are taken in an euill net, and as the birds that are caught in the ſnare, ſo are the children of men ſnared in the euill time, when it falleth vponupon them ſodainly. cIames 4.13Go to now, ye that ſaie, to daie or to morrow we will go into ſuch a cittie, and continue there a yeare, and buy, and ſell, and get gaine. dIames 4.14And yet ye cannot tell what shall be to morrow: for what is your life? it is euen a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and afterwards vanisheth aware: eIames 5.9Behold the Iudge ſtandeth before the doore. Well may we be compared vntounto men ſcaling the walles of a Beſeeged cittie, at whom the cittizens diſcharging their peeces, encounter their aſſault with darts, ſtones, and other munitions, the better to defend themſelues, and to offend the enemie; who as they be wounded, fall downe, ſome from the top, ſome from the midſt, and ſome at the bottome of the wall; ſome being wounded with gun-ſhot, ſome with darts, and ſome with ſtones. Euen ſo fareth it with the men of this world, who while they labour to clime vp vntounto the high ſtate of Honour and Wealth, Death tumbleth them downe, ſome from the higheſt degree of honour and riches, ſome from a middle or meane eſtate, and ſome very poore; ſome in their old age, ſome in their youth,What makes death terrible. and ſome in their infancie. Nothing makes death terrible and tedious, but want of conſideration of it; the old man hath it right before him, the yong man hard behind him, and all men dayly ouer them, and yet we forget it. If a man were tied to a ſtake, at whom a moſt cunning Archer did ſhoote, wounding many about him and neere him; ſome aboue him, ſome right againſt him, ſome vnderunder him, and the miſerable wretch himſelf ſo faſt bound that it were not poſſible for him to eſcape; would it not be deemed madneſſe in him, if in the mean while forgeting his miſerable eſtate, he ſhould fall to bib and quaffe, to laugh and to be merrie, as though he could not be touched? Who woulde not iudge ſuch a manne quite out of his wittes, that did not bethink himſelfe how to eſcape, or if that were impoſſible, that did not prepare himſelfe vntounto death? And are not we to be accounted ſtark mad, who know that the moſt expert Archer that euer was, or can be, euen God himſelfefPſalme 7.12 hath bent his bow and made it readie. Yea he hath ſent his darts of death already, vntounto them that are aboue vsus, that is, vntounto our anceſtors and elders; and now one while he ſhooteth at them that be right againſt vsus, that is, our Equalls in age; another while he hitteth very neere vsus, when he taketh away our Fathers, Mothers, or Brethren; on the right hand hee woundeth our friendes, on the left hand our ennemies, and vnderunder vsus ſuch as be yonger then we: If among ſo many arrows of death, we leade in the meane time a wicked life, as though we ſhould euer eſcape, who would not ſay, that we were Lunatique and Mad-men? like one that would go into a Tauerne, and call for wine in great quantity, and there quaffe and carowſe, hauing neuer a pennie in his purſe to paye the reckoning? Oh then, let vsus remember that we are faſt bound vntounto the ſtake of mortalitie, that it is not poſſible for vsus to eſcape the darts of death: but that one time or other, we ſhall be deadly wounded, though we eſcape for a ſhort time! God would hauehave the houre of our death hid from vsus, that being vncertaine when to depart this life, we might at all times be found ready to die. Therefore a good chriſtian ought alwaies to acknowledge the goodneſſe of God, to turne from his ſinnes, and not to deferre his conuerſion vntill the houre of death,gMat. 24.42 marke 13.35 luke 12, 40 Watch therefore (ſaith our Sauiour) for ye know not what houre your Maister will come. Is there any that knoweth better, what we hauehave to doe, then he that is thehIohn 5.22 mat. 16.27 Iudge of our cauſe? Weigh his reaſon, becauſe you know not the houre when your Maiſter will come, therefore watch eueryevery houre; bicauſe you know not the day, watch eueryevery day; becauſe you know not the weeke, watch eueryevery week; becauſe you know not the monethmonth, watch eueryevery monneth; becauſe you know not the yeare, watch eueryevery yeare: for though you do not certainly know when God will call for you, yet be ye ſure that he will do it ſometimes. Kings and Captaines doe ſet continuall watch and ward, to guard their frontier townes and caſtles againſt the inuaſious and incurſions of the enemies; for no other cauſe, but only for that they do not know when their enemies will giuegive the aſſault: and ought we to be leſſe carefull for the caſtle of our ſoules, then they for their earthly caſtles, conſidering that herein conſiſteth the ſaluation or damnation of our ſoules for euer? Let vsusiLuke 12.40 watch therefore continually (as Chriſt counſelleth vsus) to the end we be not vnprepared,kSyrach 14.1… Remember that Death tarrieth not, and that the couenant of the graue is not shewed vntounto thee.
That death is to be deſired of the godlie. Sect. III
WHat Sailer, hauing eſcaped the dā ger, of the tempeſtuous and boiſterous waues of the Sea, reioyceth not when hee commeth to the deſired hauen where he would be? What Traueller, hauing paſſed many daungerous wayes, is not glad when he draweth neare towardes his owne country? And we being wayfaring men,aGeneſis 47.9 pilgrimes, and meereb1. Chro. 29.15 hebr. 11.13 ſtrangers in this world (as iscCap. 1. Sect. 2 before declared) ſhould reioyce and be merrie drawing towards that ioyfull eternall d1. Theſ. 1.7 apoc. 14.13reſt prepared for vsus before all worldes. TheeExodus 3.8 num. 13.27 children of Iſrael could not enioy the promiſed land flowing with milke and honny, till they had paſſed ouer the riuer Iordan; and we cannot come to ourf1. Pet. 1.4 inheritance, to our eterriallgHebr. 4.3.9 reſt andhPſalme 16.11 pleaſure, vntill we paſſe the narrowes ofiHebr. 9.27 death. What is death then, to a chriſtian man, but thekHoſ. 13.14 1. cor. 15.54, 57 paſſage and way that leadeth from priſon to libertie, from miſerie to happineſſe, and from bondage to bleſſedneſſe? Great are the profits,That death bringeth vntounto the faithfull great profite. Firſt, Becauſe it freeeth vsus from paine and infinite are the commodities, that death bringeth vntounto the faithful. 1. It ſetteth our ſoules at libertie and deliuereth them from infinite calamities, from errour, ſorrowes, griefes, troubles, anguiſhes, dreames, feares, paſſions, ſuſpitions; beſide ſin, ignorance, envie, hatred, diſtruſt, ambition, and from other the like tribulations and afflictions, that dayly diſquiet, torment, and vexe our ſoules, whiles they are weakened in the loathſome priſon of our ſinfull, mortall and corruptible bodies. It deliuereth alſo our bodies from infinite and innumerable dangers, whervnto they are ſubiect as well on ſea as land, as in any other place wherſoeuer they conuerſe; from all aches, paines and diſeaſes, as feuers, conſumptions, &c. which doe weare and conſume vsus with intollerable & fearful griefes, from the paine & neceſſitie of trauelling & labouring; and finally, from that perplexitie that we hauehave to ſearch and to ſeeke after the means how to be nouriſhed, clad, lodged, and prouided of all thoſe things that are needefull to maintain this miſerable life.Secondly, Bicauſe it diſchargeth vsus from offending God. 2. It diſchargeth and putteth vsus out of all danger of ſinning any more, and of being tempted of the diuell, of the world, & of our own luſt, concupiſcence, inborne-corruptions, and rebellions of the heart, which neuer ceaſe to prouoke vsus to the doing of euill, which inceſſantly ſtir vsus vp, to offend God, and ſo to procure vponupon our ſelues the curſes of he law. What a miſerie it is, to be in ſubiection to ſinne on this manner, appeareth by earneſtneſſe and feruencie of Paul, who with great zeale and vehemencie, with deepe ſighs and grones, deſired of God, that he might bel2. Cor. 12.7, 8 deliuered from that pricke which wounded his fleſh, which was the angell of Satan that did buffet him. And after the long and lamentablemRom. 7.14 to the 23 complaint that he made of the law that was in his members, ſtriuing againſt the law of his ſpirit, and leading him captiue vntounto the law of ſinne, he burſteth into this patheticall exclamation,nRom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliuer me from the body of this death! If a man would inuent a torment for ſuch as feare God, and deſire to walke in newneſſe of life, and to hauehave part in theoReuel. 20.5, 6 firſt Reſurrection, he cannot deuiſe a greater then this tryannie of ſinne to be exerciſed, tormented, and tempted with this vnhappie Iebuſite, the rebellion of his owne fleſh. O happie therefore and bleſſed death, that diſchargeth vsus from ſuch a cumberſome, cruell, and yrkeſom bondage! 3.Thirdly, Becauſe it ſeparateth vsus from the company of the wicked. It deliuereth vsus from the company of them that arep2. Tim. 3.2 louers of their owne ſelues, couetous, boaſters, proud, curſed ſpeakers, diſobedient to parents, vnthankeful, vnholy, without q3natural affection, truce breakers, falſe accuſers, intemperate, fierce, no louers at all of them that are good; r4Traitors, headie, high minded, louers of pleaſure more then louers of God:s5 hauing a ſhevv of godlineſſe, but hauehave denied the povver thereof. Who can expreſſe what a miſerie it is to be encloſed and enuironed with the profeſſed and ſworne enemies of the Goſpel of Chriſt Ieſus, and of his church, which are accurſed goates, dogges, Woolues, Rauens, Kites and Cormorants, deſpiſing God and his graces, curious perſons, raſh, outragious, prophane, blaſphemers, hauing neither faith nor feare, law nor conſcience to repreſſe and reſtraine their malice? What a torture is it to a godly mind, to liue in the middeſt of ſuch a froward and peruerſe generation, to be an eie witnes of their abhominable impietie, to be an eare-witnes of the abominable blaſphemies, they belch & breath out againſt the maieſtie of God? Would not this ſight and ſenſe make a man weary of his life? Would not he ſay with Dauid,tPſalme 120.5 Woe is me that I remaine in Meshech, and dvvell in the tents of Kedar. u6My ſoule hath too long dvvelt vvith him that hateth peace. Elias ſeeing the idolatrous practiſes of the Iſraelites, and the ſtrange cruelties of Achab and Ieſabel againſt the prophets and ſeruants of God, went apart into thex1. King. 19.4, 5 Fourthly, Becauſe it preuenteth the miſeries to come. Wilderneſſe and deſired to die. 4. It preuenteth the miſeries that are to come.yEſay 57.1 The righteous perisheth and no man conſidereth in his heart, and mercifull men are taken avvaie, and no man vnderſtandeth that the righteous is taken avvaie from the euill to come. Paul ſaith, that ſome arez1. Corinth. 11 30, 32 aſleepe that they might not be condemned with the world. Soa2. Kin. 22.20 Ioſias was taken away that his eies ſhuld not ſee all the euil that was to come. 5. It giues an entrance to the ſoule,Fiftly, Becauſe it is the gate that letteth the ſoule in into heauen. that it may come into the preſence of God, and ſee himb1. Cor. 13.12 face to face, and Ieſus Chriſt in his glory, which ſight ſo rauiſheth the Angels, & all the bleſſed ſpirits in heauen, that they deſire nor can vviſh for any more ioy or contentation but onelyonly in that.cPſal. 16.11 In thy preſence (ſaith the Prophet) is the fulneſſe of ioy, and at thy right hand there are pleaſures for euermore. If to heare and ſee king Solomon vvere thought ſo great a matter, that thed1. King. 10.3 Queen of Saba hauing a trial of his vviſdome, ande1. Kings 10.5 noting the comly order, and great port of his houſe, being as it vvere rauiſhed & beſides her ſelfe, brake out into theſe vvords:f1. Kings 10.8 Happie are thy men, happie are theſe thy ſeruants, vvhichwhich ſtand euer before thee and heare thy vviſedome. What a thing ſhall it be to behold the gloriousgExodus 33.20 face of God, that euerlaſtinghPſalme 147.5 vviſedome, that infiniteiDeut. 10.17 greatneſſe, ineſtimablekPſalme 45.2 beautie, and to enioy the ſame for euermore? The conſideration of this ioy, made Paul to ſay,lPhil. 1.23 I deſire to be diſſolued, and to be vvith Chriſt. And thus it is manifeſt that vve ought not to feare death, but to deſire it rather, to be thankfull to God vvhen it ſhall pleaſe him to ſend it vsus, to embrace it vvillingly, & to reioyce; conſidering on the one ſide, the miſeries, griefes, and diſpleaſures of this life, from vvhence it deliuereth vsus; and on the other ſide, the comfort, ioy, & contentment of the euerlaſting life vvhervnto it leadeth vsus. Wherevpon Solomon ſaith,mEccleſ. 7.3 the daie of death is better then the daie that one is born. And an heathen Philoſopher could ſay, O ignorant men of their ovvn miſery! why praiſe ye not death, as the beſt inuentiō of nature? vvhichwhich bringeth felicity, expelleth miſery, finiſheth & endeth the labors & toyles of age, preuenteth the perils of youth, to many is a remedy, to ſome a vviſh, and to al an end: vvhichwhich deſerueth better of none then of him to vvhom it commeth before it be called for.
Chap. III. The Cauſes why man doth feare Death.
Death feareful vntounto the voluptuous worldlingHE which counteth his happineſſe and felicitie, in the fruition of worldly things, greatly feareth Death, as that which depriueth him of his pompe & preferments, of his honors and high calling; robbeth him of his iewels and treaſures, of his riches and poſſeſſions; ſpoileth him of his paſtimes and pleaſures, of his ioy and merriments; exileth him from his countrie and friends, from his wife and children; and vtterly bereaueth him of all his worldly wiſhes, and hearts delight. Which Syrach noting, ſayd: O Death,aSyrach 41.2 how bitter is the remembranee of thee, to a man that liueth at reſt in his poſſeſſions, vntounto the man that hath nothing to vexe him, and that hath proſperitie in all things! Death painefull vntounto the healthfull and faint-hearted.Many likewiſe doe ſtand in feare of Death, when they call to mind and conſider, that they muſt ſuffer thoſe moſt ſtrange and intollerable pangues and agonies in the fleſh, commonly comming before, or at leaſt accompanying death, whenſoeuer it commeth. Others alſo ſtand in aw of death,Death terrible vntounto the doubtfull and wauering man. bicauſe they are deſtitute of firme hope, of true and ſtedfaſt faith. They behold death in the mirrour of the Law, where it ſheweth it ſelfe vnderunder a moſt terrible ſhape, like a Sargeant armed with the anger of God, and the curſes of the Lawe, comming to arreſt and to cite them to appeare before the tribunall ſeate of God, to heare the dolefull ſentence of damnation, denounced againſt the wicked tranſgreſſors of Gods Law. Which fearefull apprehenſion of death, ſurchargeth many, and preſſeth them downe into the bottomleſſe gulfe of deſperation.Death horrible vntounto the wicked and faithleſſe. And finally, death is dreadfull and fearefull vntounto many, by reaſon of their guiltie conſciences: For as the Apoſtle ſaith.bRom. 2 9 Tribulation and anguiſh ſhall be vponupon the ſoule of eueryevery one that doth euill, cRom. 2.15their conſcience bearing them witneſſe. When the incorrupt Iudge commeth to iudge ſinners, although any man would neuer ſo faine, hide and conceale his ſinnes and enormous deedes from men, yet can he neuer hide them from his owne conſcience, accuſing and crying out vponupon him, night and day, at home and abroad, ſhewing vntounto him the greatneſſe of his offences, and the grieuouſneſſe of the puniſhment due vntounto the ſame. Hereunto alſo doth concurre the iudgement of God, and the feare of hell-fire, which cauſeth the remembrance of death to be bitter vntounto worldly men.d2. Cor. 5.10 rom. 14.10 We must all appeare before the iudgement ſeate of Chriſt (ſaith Paul) that eueryevery man may receyue the things which are done in his body, according to that hee hath done, whether it be good or euill. And Chriſt ſaith.eMat. 12.36 Of eueryevery idle word that men shall ſpeake, they shall giuegive accompt thereof at the day of iudgement. fIohn 5.29 dan. 12.…And they shal come forth that hauehave done good, vntounto the reſurrection of life, but they that hauehave done euill, vntounto the reſurrection of condemnation. gMatth. 25.41And theſe shall go into euerlaſting paine, and the righteous into life eternall. So then wee ſee 4. cauſes why worldly men feare death. Firſt, the loſſe of their honours, riches, pleaſures, and friends. Secondly, the painefull pangues which come before, or accompany death. Thirdly, want of faith and hope. Finally, their guiltie conſciences, and feare of Gods iudgements and puniſhments