Lifes Preservative Against Self-Killing, Tract · Chapter 1 – Chapter 2
CHAP. 1. The generall deſcription of Self-murder.
§. 1. Concerning life and death.
Life and death things of great importance, and much to be regarded, are not rightly cared for.LIfe and Death are two things of the greateſt importance in this world; both in reſpect of what they are; and whereto they tend: that is, their Eſſence; and the great conſequences that depend upon them: and yet there is nothing wherof many men are more regardleſſe, than of their lives; how wretchedly they ſpend, and end them; and of their Deaths, how deſperately they incurre and contract them; caſting themſelves into the danger of it, by the hands of others, or of themſelves; although the ſinnes in which they die, can never afterwards be recovered, or eternall deſtruction be avoided.
And therefore, conſidering the dangerous and damnable practiſe of divers perſons deſperately deſtroying their owne lives, and murdering themſelves; with ſo great prejudice to the Honour of God and his truth imbraced amongſt us; and with ſo much hurt to themſelves and others: I have adventured to treat more largely of the point of ſelf-murder, than yet I have ſeene the ſame done by others.
Touching which I will firſt deſcribe in generall what it is.
§. 2. Self-murder deſcribed.
What it is.Self-murder is the voluntary deſtroying of a mans owne life, by himſelfe, or his owne meanes and procurement.
1.In which deſcription we are for the better underſtanding of it, to conſider, Firſt, the object of ſelf-murder, and that is the life of man.
2.Secondly, the act it ſelfe; which is the voluntary taking away of life, or unjuſtly deſtroying of it; which makes it to be murder.
3.Thirdly, the efficient cauſe, or meanes of the deſtruction of mans life, and that (in this caſe) is a mans owne ſelfe by his owne procurement; which ſpecifies the act, and makes it to be properly ſelf-murder.
§. 3. Self-murder is knowne by life.
Life.In explicating theſe in order, I will begin at life; as firſt in nature, and more auſpicable; which is the object of ſelf-murder. For, ſelf-murder being death, and death being onelyonly a privation, it cannot be knowne what it is but by the knowledge of life, which is its contrarie: for, no privation can be defined (in regard of its want of entitie in it ſelfe,) but by its oppoſite habit: as no man, that knows not in ſome meaſure what light is, can know what darkneſſe is.
Evill cleaves to good.And ſelf-murder being in it ſelfe evill, it cannot be but in and about that thing which of it ſelfe is good. 1.For evill cleaves and adheres to good for two reaſons; firſt, that it may ſubſiſt, which extra ſubjectum bonum, without the ſubject of good cannot be: for, evill is like to the diſeaſe called the woolfe, which maintains it ſelf by eating & feeding upon the body wherein it is. For, as non datur ſummum malum, nec datur merum malum per ſe exiſtens: There is nothing abſolutely evill, neither is there a meere evill ſubſiſting by it ſelfe, but in that which is good.
2.Secondly, evill adheres to that which is good, that it may convert and turne the good ſubject wherein it is, into the quality of it ſelfe, ſo making it nought, and deſtroying it; as loaven that ſowreth the whole lump wherein it is: the nature of all evill is ever active and deſtructive of that good that entertaines it, or that it is exerciſed about, it being as the worm that deſtroyes the tree wherein it breeds and harbours.
Obſerve. All things are ſubject in this world to contraric paſſions.From whence we may obſerve that, as all created ſubſtances are mutable, ſo are they capable of, and ſubject unto contrary paſſions and qualities in this world; and by how much the more excellent any good thing in this world is, ſo much the worſe is the contrary evill that attends upon and corrupts it; and therefore the better that any created thing is on earth, the more danger it is in, and needs the greater care and indeavour to be had about it, to preſerve it againſt its oppoſite evill: ſo, life being of the nature and number of the beſt things, it is in danger of the worſt evils, and therefore is with the greater care and circumſpection to be watched over, for its preſervation.
CHAP. 2. Of the kindes of the life of man.
THat we may know what life is, & (becauſe there be divers kinds of it) wch it is that in ſelf murder is deſtroyed by death; we are to conſider there are two kinds of the life of man; Kinds of life, naturall and ſpirituall.the firſt is naturall, the ſecond is ſpirituall; according as he conſiſts of two natures, and is an inhabitant of two worlds; being made of heaven and earth, to inhabit both: there is no creature in the world that conſiſts of ſuch various & different compoſition as man; nor is indowed with ſuch multiplicity of vitall operations, or ſuch variety of properties and qualities, fitted for diverſity of actions of ſo many kindes; and thereupon is ſubject to ſo many and oppoſite motions and temptations.
Obſerv. Mans care muſt be of two lives.From the divers kindes of mans life, we may obſerve, that mans care muſt not bee (as the brute beaſts) to live according to the inſtinct of nature, but that he may live by a ſupernaturall principle, and divine direction, a ſpirituall life, even here in this naturall life, as he expects to arrive, and attaine to a more excellent and heavenly end of advancement, than other earthly creatures do, or ſhall: and there is a taske of more and greater porformances required to be done by him, than from any other creature on earth.