Lifes Preservative Against Self-Killing, Tract · Chapter 7
CHAP. 7. Of murder, as it is of ones ſelfe.
§. 1. Of the ſpecificall difference of ſelf-murder.
BEſides the conſideration of murder, in a mans killing of himſelfe, the third point in the generall deſcription of ſelf-murder is the efficient cauſe, or meanes of it; and that is a mans owne ſelfe, by his owne precurement; who is alſo the immediate object of that vile fact; whereof now I am to ſpeake.
Self-murders ſpecificall difference.Here is now the ſpecificall difference of this ſort of murder, wherby it tranſcends, and is diſtinguiſhed from all other murders; and conſiſts in reſtraint of the act of killing, in regard of its individual object, to a mans own life & ſelf; which is the greateſt and cruelleſt act of hoſtility in the world: when a man, who by nature is moſt bound to preſerve himſelf, reflects upon himſelfe, to deſtroy himſelfe; the horriblenes whereof is ſo monſtrous, that we read no Law made againſt it, as if it were a thing not to bee ſuppoſed poſſible. And this ſinne of all others is moſt againſt the Law of nature, for that ſelf-preſervation, armes a man to turne upon others, unlawfully invading him to kill him. And alſo, it is againſt that ſelf-love, which is the rule of our love to others; and therefore what wee may not lawfully, in this caſe, doe to others, we can leſſe lawfully doe it to our ſelves, againſt this generall law of love; in breaking whereof, ſpecially towards our ſelves, we violate the whole law, the generall ſumme whereof is love.
§. 2. Of the evill and greatneſſe of ſelf-murder.
Whence it proceeds.This is the malice of Satan, and our own wretchedneſſe, to ſet us at diviſion and enmity againſt our ſelves; and in a monſtrous manner to make a man both the active and paſſive ſubject of his owne action, and utter deſtruction of himſelfe; (the greateſt miſchiefe that can betide him in this world) and ſo a mans ſelfe becomes his owne executioner, by his owne hands, or meanes; principall, or acceſſary; by command, or otherwiſe.
Compariſon.If parricide be a grievous ſinne, as wilfully to kill our owne parents; children; wives; huſbands, &c. who are diſtinct perſous from our ſelves; much more is ſelf-murder abhominable. For, by unitie, things are preſerved; and individualls are principally one: and therefore, if individualls be divided againſt themſelves, the world cannot ſtand; when things ſhall ceaſe to be true, and amically diſpoſed to themſelves.
§. 3. Of lawfull ſelf-killing.
Lawfull ſelfekilling. Of our old man.There is a lawfull and commanded killing of our ſelves. For underſtanding whereof, it is to be obſerved, that every one of us hath in him a ſelf-old-man of ſinfulneſſe, lively and powerfull in manifold luſts and wicked actions: of which the Apoſtle tells us, Rom. 7.5. That when we were in the fleſh, the motions of ſinnes, which were by the Law, did worke in our members, to bring forth fruit unto death; when the Commandement came ſinne revived: the living whereof doth kill us.
In this caſe, even for our owne preſervation, it is neceſſary, and lawfull for us to kill our ſelf-old-man, with the luſts thereof: as the Apoſtle commands us to mortifie our memhers, that the body of ſinne might be deſtroyed: we ſhould put off the old man. Epheſ. 4.22. Col. 3.9. ſo that we ſhould become dead to treſpaſſes and ſinnes, wherein formerly we were dead.
The kinds of it.This killing of our ſelves, is metaphoricall and morall; by which death we are made alive: For, if we doe not thus die, wee cannot live: as, the ſowne corne muſt firſt die, before it can live and grow.Compariſon.
Hovv done. 1. In Chriſt.This our ſelf-old-man is ſlaine by three ſeverall acts or blowes. Firſt, the ſame, after a ſort, was crucified in Chriſt, Rom. 6.6. That the body of ſinne might be deſtroyed; although, not the individuall perſons; but the common nature of mankind aſlumed by Chriſt did ſuffer death in him.
2. By change of our eſtate in Juſtification.Secondly, our ſelf-old-man is killed, by change of our ſtate, upon our grafting into Chriſt by faith: ſo that we are, in that reſpect, ſaid to be dead to the Law, by the body of Chriſt, Rom. 7.4.6. and that we are dead to the Law, that we might live unto God, Gal. 2.19. this is done at one entire act or blow; in the act of our juſtification; ſo, by this death, freeing us from him, that hath the power of death, even the devill.
3. By the Spirit.Thirdly, our ſelf-old-man and the luſts thereof are killed, as touching the dominion and corruption of them, by the Spirit of God, in the act of ſanctification: touching which the Apoſtle tells us, Rom. 8.13. That if we, through the Spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the body, (which is the worke of our whole life,) we ſhall live.
How we are actors in it.This killing of our ſelf-old-man ſhould be done by our ſelves, being the executioners of it; by aſſiſtance of divine power from God, in three ſeverall acts.
1.Firſt, by our act of ſavingly beleeving in Chriſt, whereby our ſtate is changed from death to life.
2.Secondly, by our conſtant indeavours to be conformed to Gods Image and will, by daily renovation.
3.Thirdly, by our continuall warfare againſt our corruptions and temptations, touching which, the Apoſtle ſaies, that the fleſh luſteth againſt the ſpirit, and the ſpirit againſt the fleſh, Gal. 5.17. they are ſo contrary the one to the other, that there is no living for either of them, but by the death of its oppoſite: neither is there any peace, untill one of them be dead.
Obſerve. The uſe of our Chriſtian armour.Wee ſhould therefore ever uſe our Chriſtian armour, and imploy our utmoſt indeavours to deſtroy our ſelf-old-man; againſt which, if we doe turne the edge of our ſpirituall ſword to ſlaughter it, with the luſts thereof, we ſhall be diverted, not onelyonly from unjuſtly killing of others, but much more from killing our ſelves, in any other reſpect, but when we, as Saul, doe ſpare the life of this Agag, or ſelf-old-man, it cauſes us, by a juſt hand of God, to fall upon our ſelves; to take away that life of our owne which we ſhould both ſpare and cheriſh.
§. 4. Diverſe obſervations from the generall conſideration of ſelf-murder.
Obſerv. 1. Man is in greateſt danger.From the conſideration of ſelf-murder we may obſerve: Firſt, that man ſtands in more danger of deſtruction, than any other creature: for, no creature is ſubject to attempts againſt the life of it, by it ſelfe, but onelyonly man; who is invironed alſo with mortall dangers from without, but ſpecially of his owne procurement, by opening the way for others to invade and hurt him, by breaches and armes of his owne making.
2. God vvants not executioners of his juſtice.Secondly, wee here ſee that God wants not meanes of execution of his judgements upon man; ſeeing, he can leave a man to fall upon himſelfe, and be his owne executioner.
Vſe. Feare God.The uſe hereof is, to make us afraid to offend God; or to provoke him to be our enemie; or to live unreconciled with him, deſtitute of the aſſurance of his peace and favour.
Diſtruſt our ſelves.Neither are we over-confidently to truſt our ſelves with our ſelves; of whom wee have ſo little aſſurance for ſecurity and ſafety from ſelf-miſchiefe: and therefore, we are carefully to cleave to God for preſervation, praying him not to give us up to our ſelves, who are mercileſly cruell to our ſelves, when wee fall into our owne hands: for the neerer that any are linked and knit together in condition, or affection, the more deſperately oppoſite they are, when they fall into diviſion; becauſe of the want of a fit medium or mediatour of reconciliation, betweene a mans ſelfe and himſelfe: what meane is there, either to keepe himſelfe from himſelfe, or to reconcile himſelfe to himſelfe, when himſelfe is fallen out into murdercus reſolutions againſt himſelfe?