Lifes Preservative Against Self-Killing, Tract · Chapter 9
CHAP. 9. Of bodily ſelf-murder in ſpeciall.
§. 1. How bodily ſelf-murder is defined and differenced.
NOw we are to proſecute the ſecond branch of ſelf-murder; which is called bodily ſelf-murder; and is thus defined.
Bodily ſelf-murder is the killing of a mans owne body, in deſtroying of his naturall life; by himſelf, his owne voluntary meanes, or procurement.
This kind of ſelf-murder is differenced from ſpirituall ſelf-murder, by two things. Firſt, by the object that is killed; in this the ſoule and ſpirituall life is deſtroyed: in that, the body or mans naturall life is undone.
Secondly, they differ in the meanes and manner of killing of them; the ſoule, or ſpirituall life is ſlaine, by ſpirituall and morall meanes; the body, by naturall, or bodily ſelf-willed waies.
§. 2. Of Mans body and its works.
Touching the body of man, in this caſe, we are to conſider three things.
1. Conſiderations.Firſt, that it is an eſſentiall part, and not onelyonly an integrall part, conſtituting the perſon of man; without which he cannot be a man, perſonally conſidered: and therefore, by killing of his body, he deſtroyes his perſon, that it ceaſes from being, or ſubſiſting in this world.
2.Secondly, the body of man is the organ or inſtrument, whereby the ſoule works organically: and therefore, hee that kills his owne body deſtroyes all thoſe works, that the ſoule was to worke in it; and which it cannot doe, without it.
The ſoules morall workes in the body. 1.The morall organicall works of mans ſoule in the body, are of three ſorts. Firſt, ſuch as immediatly intend, and concerne the advancement of the glory of God, in this life; where, the living, and not the dead, do praiſe him.
2.Secondly, ſuch works as are ſerviceable for the morall and ſpirituall good of the perſon himſelfe; which is to bee attained and procured by life; before we can come to enjoy it by death.
3.Thirdly, ſuch works as promore the good of the Church and Common-wealth; of both which every Chriſtian is a member; and can, onelyonly by his life, and not after death, benefit the ſame: ſo that, by killing himſelfe, a man wrongs God, himſelfe, the Church and Common-wealth; in bereaving them of that ſervice and good, which they all might have by his life.
3. Conſideration.The third thing here conſiderable in mans body is, that it, with the ſoule, makes the perſon; and ſo, in that reſpect, is the ſubject, or ſeate of Gods Image, and therefore, a man, in killing of his owne body, not only diſhonours, but alſo, in a ſort, doth what in him lieth, to kill God himſelfe; as he is ſimilitudinarily in him and incurres the horrible crime of Laeſae majeſtatis divinae; or treaſon againſt the ſacred Majeſty of God.
Obſerv. The body ſuffers by, and for the ſoule.So then, the body, which is the ſoules inſtrument, or ſervant; and is no way culpable, or nocent, but by partnerſhip with, and inſerviceableneſſe to the ſoule, is ill rewarded, and indignely ſuffers, by its owne maſter, abuſing it to ſinne, and ſubjecting it to miſery and puniſhment: who is not content to weare it out; but, after his owne luſt, breakes and ſpoyles it; whereof hee cannot turne one haire to be white, or black: hee ſpares his ſoule, in its ſinnes, which he ſhould mortifie; and, in a ſinfull courſe, kills his body, which he ſhould ſpare.
Naturall life is both a bleſſing of it ſelfe; and alſo is a meanes of bleſſing God and others, in this world; and whereby wee may attaine to everlaſting bleſſedneſſe hereafter:Life is unſure. of all which, a man deprives himſelfe, by thus killing of himſelfe: which cannot be done, but againſt the light and reluctancie of nature in all men; whereby, the actors declare themſelves to bee unnaturall and barbarou monſters. Naturall life that is a tenant at will in man, is moſt uncertaine, and ſoone thruſt out at doores; when it is not ſecure from him that owes it. Man is unworthy of this life, that is no more thankfull for it, neither more values it, nor makes better uſe of it; but after his waſtefull expence of it, in ſinfull courſes, deſperately deſtroyes it.
God in his Word, never appointed, nor commended any meanes for a man to kill himſelfe by; becauſe, where God appoints not the end, he appoints not the meanes to attaine it; yet, man wants not meanes to doe it, by perverting his power, and skill to that end; and abuſing other things, contrary to the uſe for which God made them, when he purpoſes to doe ſuch an act; ſo, abuſing both himſelfe, and all other things, to his owne ruine.
The body is paſſive.The body is but a paſſive ſubject, in reſpect of the ſoule, to whoſe power and will it is obnoxious: and therefore, it is the more ſubject to ſuffer; and it is the more inexcuſable ſinne, to miſuſe it; ſeeing, it neither deſerves to be ill intreated at his hand, that owes it; nor yet hath it power to reſiſt, or defend it ſelfe, againſt the invaſions of him, to whom it is committed to preſerve it. In this bodily ſelf-murder not onelyonly doth the ſoule turne enemy to the body; but it, moreover, makes an unnaturall mutinie againſt, and amongſt the members; raiſing, by faction, a partie for it ſelfe; ſo cauſing the hand to ſtab the body, and the parts to be inſtruments to undoe the whole: and thus, by inteſtine oppoſition, a man ſubverts and pulls downe upon his owne head the tabernacle of his owne body; (as Samſon did the houſe wherein he was) whereby he cruſhes and undoeth himſelfe ordinarily, in body and ſoule.
§. 3. Of the degrees of ſelf-murder and proneneſſe of men to it.
The degrees of ſelf-murder.This ſelf-murder of the body is either inchoate, and begun, only in purpoſes, and courſes tending to the effecting thereof in time; if it be not ſeaſonably prevented: or elſe it is conſummate, in the full accompliſhment thereof. No man falls into the higheſt extremities of evill, but by degrees; the leaſt whereof makes way for, and drawes on the greateſt.
Cauſes of proneneſſe to ſelf. bodily murder.The cauſes why men often are prone to the ſelf-murdering of their bodies, are two.
1.Firſt, the meanneſſe of it, in compariſon of the ſoule, for nature and durance; it being but earthly and fraile; whereby it muſt naturally die. 2.Secondly, in regard that by it the ſoule is ſubjected to manifold ſufferings, here in this life, and is hindered from that eaſe and advancement, that freed out of the body, it might have.
Anſwer to 1.But, touching the firſt, it ſhould make us the more tender over it, chary to uſe it; and to conſider that, by ſelf-murderouſly deſtroying our bodies, wee do contaminate and defile our ſoules; whereby wee make them far more vile, than any carion can be: ſeeing, ſinne is the onelyonly excrement and morall defilement, for which God deteſts and abhorres men as loathſome.
Anſvver to 2.For anſwer to the ſecond, it is to be obſerved, that, by ſelf-murder of the body, a man is ſo farre from bettering of himſelfe; that thereby he deprives himſelfe of happineſſe; and ſubjects himſelfe to that wofull miſety; which, otherwiſe, living he might eſcape: and therefore, our bodies, and naturall lives are to be reſpected and cheriſhed; not onelyonly, for their worth; but alſo, for their uſe; for wch God hath given them to us. So that we are not to force a divorce of thoſe things, that God hath coupled ſo neere together; nor to thruſt away, or reject that which God requires us not then, and that way to lay downe.