Lifes Preservative Against Self-Killing, Tract · Chapter 16
CHAP. 16. The introducement and entrance into ſelf-murderer.
§. 1. Of the perſons ſubject to ſelf-murder.
WEE are now to proceed to the introduction and beginning of ſelf-murder, in the act thereof; about which we are to conſider two things.
1. Perſons ſubject to ſelf-murder.Firſt, the perſons that are moſt ſubject, upon the former grounds, to temptations and acts of ſelf-murder, are ſpecially of foure ſorts.
1. Melancholicke people.Firſt, melancholie people; becauſe they are moſt cogitabundi & triſtes, given to muſing and ſadneſſe, on whom Satan workes moſt; and they are moſt ſubject to diſcontentment, and apt thereupon to entertaine impreſſions and reſolutions of ſelf-murder. So that naturall temper makes much for the paſſive capacity of ſome vertues and vices, more than others.
2. People under ſpirituall temptations.Secondly, the perſons moſt ſubject to theſe fits of ſelf-murder, are Chriſtians under great ſpirituall temptations, upon their want of apprehenſion of the preſence of grace, and favour of God; and upon the ſenſe of the horrour of their owne raging corruptions and luſts, in the ſeeming prevailing thereof againſt their oppoſition, without hope of ability to ſubdue them, or to have them pardoned. And upon conceiving that their croſſes, when the ſame are great, are in wrath from God, without any hope of forgiveneſſe or freedome; which ſwallowes them up in deſpaire: temptations incline men contrary to their own tempers.
3. Proud ambitious perſons.Thirdly, the parties moſt ſubject to ſelf-murder, are high-minded and ambitious perſons, impatient of diſgrace and croſſes; as was Ahitophel, and all ſuch as place their chiefe happineſſe in earthly things; whereof when they are diſappointed, they grow into that degree of diſcontentment, that they will not out-live their expectation of earthly things, but will rather kill themſelves, than endure ſuch a croſſe and diſappointment in that which they moſt highly value.
4. Wicked perſons.Fourthly, thoſe that are moſt ſubject to fall into this ſelf-murder, are people that are moſt obnoxious to a wicked and flagitious courſe of life, imbraced and impenitently lived in; contrary both to the meanes they have, and alſo to the light and reluctancy of their owne conſciences; with ſuch affection of love to, and zeale for evill, and hatred and oppoſition of goodneſſe and all good people; that they overpitch themſelves ſo farre beyond recovery, that when they are throughly awaked, and doe ſeriouſly conſider, diſcerne and feele the wofulneſſe of their eſtates; being under the deſperate ſenſe and importable horrour of their ſinnes and judgements due for the ſame; then are they in danger to conclude their wretched dayes by ſelf-murder.
Obſerv. To know our tempers, and watch our ſelves.Therefore, people ſhould well conſider their owne tempers and ſtates, with the ſeverall dangers that attend upon the ſame; and are to be wiſe to fortifie themſelves, where they are weakeſt; and ſo wiſely to demeane and behave themſelves, that they neither entertaine, nor give way to any thing in themſelves that may bring them to deſtruction; but by faith and good workes to walke with God, whereby they may be ſure to live for ever.
§. 2. Of the entrance into ſelf-murder.
2. Entrances into ſelf-murder.The ſecond thing conſiderable in the acting of ſelf-murder, is the firſt entrances, degrees or approaches into it, which are ſpecially foure.
1. Crying capitall crimes. Parricide proceeds.Firſt, grievous capitall crying ſinnes of blood; as murder, knowne, or ſecret, parricide, which is killing of parents, children, wives, or huſbands:1. From love of them that are killed. which flowes either from exuberancy of carnall affection to them whom they kill, whereby they take occaſion to kill them, by prevention, to free them from miſeries; or to have them with them out of this world; being by their owne hands about to rid themſelves out of this life.
2. From hatred of them.Or elſe it proceeds from unnaturall, or monſtrous hatred to them, for wrong ſuſtained by them, for keeping ſome good from them;3. From love of ſome other things. or for the ſuppoſed evill they may bring upon them: as whores that kill their infants to avoide ſhame and puniſhment; children that kill their aged parents to come to their eſtates; mothers in law that kill their children in law, to derive eſtates to their owne; widdowes that kill their children to eaſe themſelves of charge, and to preferre themſelves by mariage. Theſe perſons, as they kill their owne ſoules by ſuch vile ſins; ſo are they juſtly given over of God in recompenſe of their owne wayes, to deſtroy their own bodies by their owne ſelf-murdering hands.
2. Deſperation.The ſecond degree of entrance, or approach into ſelf-murder, is deſperation of pardon of ſins, or of freedome from calamities; which rather than ſome will endure, they will kill themſelves; ſeeing no other way of eaſing themſelves and their minds, whereof ſome reſemblance may bee ſeene in Iobs Wifes counſell to her Huſband, Job 2.9. expounded.adviſing him in his extremitie to curſe God and die, that is, that he would take a courſe to be rid out of his miſeries; either by blaſphemy provoking God to kill him; or by diſpatching himſelfe with his owne hands, after that he had bleſſed God, in making peace with him for the ſafety of his ſoule.
3 Entertainment of ſelf-murderous motions.Thirdly, a further degree of entrance into ſelf-murder, is the adviſed entertainment of temptations and motions for a man to kill himſelfe, voluntarily ſuffering the ſame to ſeiſe upon him, with ſome liking thereof; ſearching and pleading reaſons, and examples to beguile himſelfe; whereby he may thinke it lawfull, or leſſe-evill in that caſe to kill himſelfe: and begins to plot the manner how he may beſt accompliſh it, with a fluttering wavering reſolution to doe it.
4. Impatient deſire of death.The fourth degree of entrance into ſelf-murder, is the impatient wiſhing and deſiring of death, and a lothing and weariſomneſſe of life; which ſo farre prevailes upon ſome, that their whole ſtudy and endeavours are how to get out of their lives, and to diſpatch themſelves by their owne hands, rather than to live here.
A queſtion concerning deſire of death.It is here a pertinent queſtion, whether it be at all lawfull to deſire that we were dead?
Anſwer.For reſolution whereof, it is to bee conſidered that there are two ſorts of deſires of death; the one is holy, the other is ſinfull.
1 A holy deſire of death. How it is holy.A holy deſire of death is that, which deſires not to be unclothed, but to be clothed upon, 2 Cor. 5.2, 4. the things that make this deſire to be holy are two.
1 By ſubordination to Gods will.Firſt, when it is conditionall and moderate, with reſpect and ſubordination to the good will of God, being content to live if God will have it ſo; and while wee are in this life, ſuch holy deſires of our diſſolution from hence, doe not hinder, but further all ſuch performances as tend to the glorifying of God, and to the edification of our ſelves and others.
2 In the motives thereof.Secondly, the holineſſe of the deſire of death conſiſts in the motives thereof; the which are two.
1The firſt, is to bee with Chriſt; that we may enjoy God in him, to our full happineſſe. Philip. 1.23.
The ſecond is, that we may be wholly freed from ſinning againſt God, and may be beatifically perfit; in having the fulneſſe of that, whereof we now have the firſt fruits, as the Apoſtle profeſſes touching himſelfe; that he did forget thoſe things that are behinde, and did reach forth to thoſe that are before, and did preſſe toward the marke, for the price of the high calling of God in Chriſt Ieſus aPhil. 3.13, 14.: yet, for to be tranſlated no man is purpoſely to doe any thing to haſten his death; nor to omit any thing due for preſervation of his life; or to bee more negligent in doing the things which are pertinent for him to doe in this life.
Vnlawfull deſires of death.A ſinfull deſire of death conſiſts in three things.
Firſt, in abſolutely deſiring it, according to our owne wills, how, and when to die; with uſing meanes as wee liſt to effect it, neglecting the preſervation of life, and well imployment of the ſame in doing all thoſe duties, for which God doth give it to us.
2Secondly, when our deſire of dying is from lothing of life, and envying the benefit of it to ones ſelfe, for Gods glory, and the good of others; which wee poſtpone and ſubject to our owne ſelf-wills.
3.Thirdly, when our eager deſire of the ſame, is more for freedome from ſome temporary evillsb1 Kings 19.4. Job. 3.3. Jer. 20.14. Rev 6.16.; than for to enjoy ſpirituall and eternall good: which ought not to be, becauſe God is as much, if not more glorified, and our ſelves and others truly benefited by our paſſive obedience, as by our active: Note.for, by the former God hath his will more than by the latter.
Our chiefe care ſhould be for the happy eſtate of our ſoules, and of both ſoule and body for evermore.Non pro vitandis naturae vel fortunae malis; ſed pro vitando malo animi, & oſſequendo potiore bono. And therefore, as one ſaith. Wee may not deſire death, to ſhunne and eſcape the evills of nature or fortune; but to avoide the evill of the ſoule, and to obtaine a more excellent good.
An objection out of Marke 14.21.An objection may here be made from Mark. 14.21. where it is ſaid, That it had been good that Iudas had never been borne; therefore it may ſeeme to be lawfull for ſuch to wiſh and haſten death; that what was good it had not beene, may (as ſoone as may be) be brought to not being.
Anſw. The goodneſſe of being.Hereunto I anſwer, for a man to bee, (although miſerable) abſolutely conſidered, is better than not to bee at all; becauſe God doth nothing in vaine, and but what is good that it ſhould bee: alſo being is better than not being, in regard of the neerer proximity thereof to God. Not to bee is negative of all goodneſſe, Non entis nullae ſunt affectiones: A non-ens bath no poſitive properties: whereas, being is good, and capable of good; ens and bonum, metaphyſically conſidered, are reciprocall.
It is not good, with the goodneſſe of profit for ſome men in particular that they are, or bee; in regard of their owne private wretched eſtate, and of the evills that their beeing ſubjects them unto, and makes them capable of.
Yet it is good, in reſpect of the Vniverſe, conſiſting of contraries, and benefited by the ſame; and for the further manifeſtation of the glory of God; and becauſe it is his will that ſuch men ſhould bee.
The publike and more eminent good preponderates to give denomination, againſt the more private and leſſer evill.
Note.It is by mans owne fault, abuſing his eſſe and being, that he is miſerable; both by deprivation of good, and alſo by ſubjection to wretchedneſſe: eſſe or being is good to thoſe that uſe it well, and is evill onelyonly accidentally to thoſe that abuſe it.
§. 3. Of the ſignes of ſelf-murder.
Signes of ſelf-murder.The ſignes of ſelf-murder, are ſpecially foure.
1. Solitarineſſe.Firſt, the unwoonted affectation of ſolitarineſſe by perſons diſpoſed and fit for ſelf-murder, upon ſome of the precedent motives, whereby they eſtrange themſelves from all company and meanes, whereby they might bee comforted and upheld; and doe give the greater advantages and entertainment to ſelf-murderous motions and temptations, raiſed or injected by the devill; or elaborated and wrought out by a diſcontented ſelf-muſing minde.
2. Signe of ſelf-murder. Neglect of duties and regardleſneſſe.The ſecond forerunning note of ſelf murder is a ſtrange and ſudden neglect of neceſſary duties of a mans calling, civill and divine, and a regardleſſeneſſe of thoſe perſons, and things in the world that he moſt affected; having his thoughts and mentall diſcourſes and determinations imployed about murdering of himſelfe; ſo as neither his diſcourſes about religion, or his civill affaires, nor his performances in, or about either of them, is ſo diſcreet, as it was wont to be; but as of things that he doth not minde; or whereabouts he is with ſome other thoughts and reſolutions diſturbed.
3. Signe of ſelf-murder. Strange behaviour.The third ſigne foregoing ſelf-murder, is a ſtrange change in outward behaviour, with gaſtly lookes, wilde frights and ſlaights, neſtling and reſtleſſe behaviour, a mindleſſeneſſe and cloſe dumpiſhneſſe, both in company and in good imployments; a diſtracted countenance and cariage; ſpeaking and talking to, and with themſelves, in their ſolitary places and dumps; reaſoning and reſolving with themſelves about that fact, and their motives to it, in a perplexed diſturbed manner, with the like.
4. Signe of ſelf-murder. Speeches and actions.The fourth precedent note of ſelf-murder, is the ſpeeches and actions of ſuch perſons immediately before the fact: which are ſome words of threatning or fore-telling ſomething that may import ſo much; as that his friends ſhall not have him long to trouble them; or he will very ſhortly be rid out of all theſe troubles; or he deſires the abſence, or ſends away thoſe that he thinkes may hinder him; or he moves queſtions of that nature; he provides himſelfe of meanes to doe it; ſeekes opportunities, hee pretends many excuſes to be here, or there, to do this, or that, whereby he thinks he may be able to do that vile fact upon himſelfe: and ſometime he is taken attempting to do it; which is a ſufficient warning what he will do, if it be not ſeaſonably prevented.
Note. Practiſes of ſelf-murder comes by fits.It is to be obſerved, that ſelf-murder comes ague-like, by fits, and that none, or very few doe fall into that horrible ſinne to accompliſh it upon themſelves, but by degrees. For, no man at an inſtant falls into the fowleſt crimes in the higheſt degree; but by meanes, from ſtep to ſtep, as he is able to overcome the oppoſition of reaſon and grace, that ſtands in his way. So then, ſuddenly truſt not him, that once adviſedly attempts to kill himſelfe, although he ſeeme to repent, and promiſe faire never to do it, when either he himſelfe gave over the attempt for the preſent, or was prevented by others.
Note.For, except the cauſe thereof bee ſoundly cured, and he confirmed, in length of time, againſt the temptation, it will more furiouſly recoyle upon him; and he, when hee thinks hee is ſecure of others from interrupting of him, will doe that indeed, which before hee did but attempt for a triall and an eſſay: ſo ſubtill and indivertible is man to deſtroy himſelfe, with whom the devill hath prevailed ſo far, fully to reſolve upon the fact.