The Cure of the Fear of Death, Chapter 12 – Chapter 20
CHAP. XII.
Comforts against the Paine of death.
THere are in the minds of all men certaine Obiections, which if they could be remoued, this feare of Death would be stocked vp by the very rootes. I will instance in some of the chiefe of thē; and set downe the answers to them
1. Ob. Some men say they should not be afraid of death, considering the gaine of it, & the happines after death, but that they are afraid of the paine of dying: It is the difficulty of the passage troubles them.
Sol. For answere heereunto diuers things would be considered of, to shew men the folly of this feare.
First, thou lik'st not Ten reasons to shew the folly of mē in pre tending the feare of the pain of death.death, because of the paine of it. Why, there is paine in the curing of a wound, yet men will endure it. And shall death do so great a cure, as to make thee whole of all thy wounds and diseases, and art thou so loth to come to the cure.
Secondly, There is difficulty in getting into a Hauen. Hadst thou rather be in the Tempest stil, then put into the Hauen?
Thirdly, thou likest not Death, thou saiest, for the paine of it: Why then likest thou life, which puts thee to worse paine? Men obiect not at the paines of life, which they endure without death. There is almost no man, but hee hath endured worse pains in life, then he can endure in death, and yet we are content to louelove life still: Yea, such is our folly, that whereas in some paines of life wee call for death to come to our succours: yet when we are well againe, wee louelove life, and loath Death.
Fourthly, we are manifestly mistaken concerning death: For the last gaspe is not death. To liue, is to die: For how much wee liue, so much we die; eueryevery step of life is a step of death. He that hath liued halfe his daies, is dead the halfe of himselfe: Death gets first our infancie, then our youth, and so forwards: All that thou hast liued, is dead.
Fifthly, it is further euident, that in death there is no paine; it is our life, that goeth out with paine: We deale herein, as if a man after sicknesse, should accuse his health of the last pains. What is it to be dead, but not to be in the world? and is it any paine to be out of the world? Were we in any paine before we were borne? Why then accuse we death, for the paines our life giues vsus at the parting? Is not sleepe a resemblance of Death?
Sixthly, if our comming into the world bee with teares: Is it any wonder, if our going out be so too?
Seuenthly: Besides, it is euident that wee make the passage more difficult, by bringing vntounto death a troubled and irresolute minde: It is long of our selues there is terrour in parting.
Eighthly, Consider yet more, the Humors of the most men! Men will suffer infinite paines for a small liuing, or preferment here in this world: Yea, we see souldiers for a small price will put themselues into vnspeakeable dangers, and that many times at the pleasures of others that command them, without certaine hope of aduantage to themselnes. Will men kill themselues for things of no valew; and yet be afraid of a litle pain to be endured, when such a glorious estate is immediately to be enioyed in heauen?
Ninthly, Let not men pretend the paines of death, that is but a figge leafe to couer their little faith: For they will languish of the Gowte, or Stone, a long time, rather then die one sweet death with the easiest conditions possible.
Tenthly, if none of these will perswade, yet attend, I will shew thee a Mysterie: Feare not the paines of death: For first, Death is terrible, when it is inflicted by the Law; but it is easie, when it is inflicted by the Gospell: The curse is taken off frō thee, thou art not vnderunder the Law, but vnderunder Grace: And besides, for this cause did Christ die a terrible and a cursed death, that eueryevery death might be blessed to vsus. And further: God that hath greatly loued thee in life, will not neglect thee in death. Precious in the sight of the LORD, is the death of his Saints. What shall I say against the terrour of death, but this Text of the Apostle? Thankes be to God that hath giuen vsus victory through Iesus Christ. Hee hath pul'd the sting out of death: O Death, where is thy sting? 1. Cor. 15. 55.
Lastly, thou hast the Spirit of Christ in thee, which will succour and strengthen, and ease thee, and abide with thee all the time of the combate. Why should we doubt of it, but that the godly die more easily then the wicked? Neither may wee gesse at their paine, but the pangs vponupon the body: for the body may bee in grieuous panges, when the man feeles nothing, and the soule is at sweete ease in preparing it selfe to come immediately to the sight of God.
CHAP. XIII.
Comforts against the losse of the body in death.
2. Ob. OH! but in death a man is destroied, he loseth his body, and it must bee rotted in the earth.
Sol. 1. It hath bin shewed before, that the separation of the soule frō God, is properly death, but the separation of the soule frō the body, is but the shadow of death, & wee hauehave no reason to be afraid of a shadow.
2. The body is not the man, the man remaines still, though he be without the body. Abraham, Isaac, and Iacab, are prooued to be liuing still by our Sauiour Christ, though their bodies were consumed in the earth, and GOD was their God still. It is true, Death seazeth on the body, but a Christian, at the most, suffers, but aliquid mortis, a little of death.
Death is like a Serpent; the Serpent must eat dust: now death therefore can feede vponupon no more, but our dust, which is the body, it cannot touch the soule: wheras wicked men suffer the whole power of death, because it seazeth both vponupon body and soule too, and in their case onelyonly it is true, that death destroyes a man.
3. Grant that wee lose the body in death, yet that ought not to be terrible: for what the body is, it hath been before shewed. It is but a prison to the soule, an old rotten house, or a ragged garment. It is but as the barke of a tree, or the shell, or such like; now what great losse can there be in any of these?
4. This separation is but for a time neither; we doe not for euer lose the body, wee shall hauehave our bodies again, they are kept safe for vsus till the day of Christ. Our graues are Gods chests, & hee makes a precious account of the bodies of his Saints, they shall bee raised vp againe at the last day: GOD will giuegive a charge to the earth to bring forth her dead, & make a true account to him, Reue. 20. And God hath giuē vsus the assurance of this, not onelyonly in his Word by promising it, but in his Sonne, whom hee hath raised from the dead. If any say, What is that to vsus, that Christs body is raised? I answere, It is a full assurance of the safety, and of the resurrection of our bodies. For Christ is our head. Now cast a man into a Riuer, though all the body bee vnderunder water, yet the man is safe, if the head bee aboue water. For the head will bring out all the body after it. So it is in the body of Christ, though all wee sinke in the riuer of death, yet our Head is risen, and is aboue water, and therefore the whole body is safe.
5. It should yet more satisfie vsus, if we throughly cōsider, that we shall hauehave our bodies againe much better then now they are. Those vile bodies wee lay down in death, shall be restored againe vntounto vsus glorious bodies, like the body of Christ now glorified, Phil. 3. 21. And therefore death loseth by taking away our bodies; we hauehave a great victory ouer death. The graueis but a Furnace to refine them, they shall come out againe immortall and incorruptible.
CHAP. XIIII.
The desire of long life confuted.
3. Ob. OH! but if I might liue lōg, I would desire no more, if I might not dye till I were fifty, or threescore yeeres old, I should bee contented to dye then.
Sol. There are many things may shew the vanitie & folly of men, in this desire of long life: For
1. If thou art willing to 9. Arguments to shew the vanity of men, in desiring to liue long.dye at any time, why not now? Death will bee the same to thee then, it is now.
2. Is any man angry & greeued when he is at sea in a tempest, because hee shall be so quickly carried into the Hauen? Is he displeased with the wind, that wil soon set him safe in the harbour? If thou beleeue, that death will end all thy miseries, why art thou carefull to defer the time?
3. Till thy debt be paid time wil not ease thee, thy care will continue, and therefore thou wert as good pay at the first, if thou bee sure it must bee paid at all.
4. In this world there is neither young, nor old: When thou hast liued to that age thou desirest, thy time past will bee as nothing. Thou wilt still expect that, which is to come, thou wilt be as ready to demaund longer respite then, as now.
5. What wouldest thou tarry heere so long for? There will bee nothing new, but what thou hast tasted: and often drinking will not quench thy thirst, thou hast an incurable Dropsie in thy heart, and those earthly things hauehave no abilitie to fill thy heart with good, or satisfy thee.
6. Wouldest not thou iudge him a Sot, that mournes because hee was not aliue a hundred yeres agoe? And thou art no better: thou mournest, because thou canst not liue a hundred yeeres here.
7. Thou hast no power of the morrow, to make it happy to thee. If thou dye young, thou art like one that hath lost a Dye, with which hee might as well hauehave lost, as wonne.
8. Consider the proportion of time thou desirest to thy selfe, reckon what will be spent in sleep, care, disgrace, sickenesse, trouble, wearinesse, emptinesse, feare; and vntounto all this adde sinne: and then thinke, how small a portion is left of this time, & how small good it will do thee. What can that aduantage thee with such mixtures of euill? It is certaine, to liue long, is but to be long troubled, and to die quickly, is quickly to be at rest.
9. Lastly, if there were nothing else to be said, yet this may suffice, that there is no comparison between time and eternity. What is that space of time to eternity? If thou louelove life, why dost thou not louelove eternall life? as was said before.
CHAP. XV.
Of them that would liue to do good.
4. Ob. BVT I would liue long to do good, and benefite others, and to do God seruice, & to benefite others by mine example.
Sol. 1. Search thine Sixe reasons against their pretence that would liue long to do good, as they say.owne heart: it may be, this pretence of doing good to others, is pleaded onelyonly, because thou wouldst further thine owne good: Thou wouldst not seek the publicke, but to finde thine owne particular.
2. God, that set you to do his worke, knowes, how long it is fit for thee to bee at the same: hee knowes, how to make vse of the labours of his worke-men. Hee will not call thee from thy worke, till he be prouided to dispatch his businesse without thee.
3. It may be, if thou be long at thy worke, thou wouldest marre all; thy last workes would not be so good as thy first; it is best to giuegive ouer, while thou dost well, &c.
4. If God will pay thee as much for halfe a day, as for the whole: art thou not so much the more to praise him?
5. It is true, that the best comfort of our life here, is in a religious conuersation: but thy Religion is not hindred by going to heauen, but perfected: There is no comparison betweene thy goodnesse on earth, and that in heauen: For though thou maist do much good here; yet it is certaine, thou dost much euill here too.
6. Whereas thou perswadest thy selfe, that by example thou maist mend others, thou art much mistaken: A thousand men may sooner catch the plague in an infected Towne, then one be healed. It is but to tempt God to desire continuācepage missing in this infectious world, longer then our time; for the best way is to get farre from the contagion. If diuers fresh waters fall into the Sea; what doth that to take away the saltnesse of the Sea? No more can two or three Lots reforme a world of Sodomites.
CHAP. XVI.
Why men may not make away themselues, to be rid of the miseries of life.
5. Ob. BVT then it seems by this, that it were a mans best course to cast away life, seeing so much euill is in life, and so much good to be had in death.
Sol. 1. I thinke the most of vsus may bee trusted for that danger. For though the soule aspire to the good to come, yet the body tends vntounto the earth, & like a heauy clog weighes men downewards.
2. That is not the course, Against selfe murther.wee must cast the world out of our hearts, not cast our selues out of the world. It is both vnseemly, and extremely vnlawfull. It is vnseemly; for it is true, we ought willingly to depart out of this world, but it is monstrous base, like cowards to runne away out of the battaile▪ Thou art Gods souldier, and appointed to thy standing, and it is a miserable shame to runne out of thy place. When Christ, the great Captaine sounds a retreat, then is it honourable for thee to giuegive place. Besides, thou art Gods tenant, and dost hold thy life as a Tenant at will: the Landlord may take it frō thee, but thou canst not without disgrace surrender at thy pleasure; and it is extreme slothfulnes to hate life, onelyonly for the toiles that are in it. 2. And as it is vnseemely, so it is vnlawfull, yea damnable. It is vnlawful: for the souldier that runnes away frō his Captain, offends highly: so doth the Christian that makes away himselfe: and therefore, the cōmandemēt is not onelyonly, Thou shalt not kill other men, but generally, Thou shalt not kill, meaning, neither thy selfe, nor other men. Besides, wee hauehave no example in Scripture of any that did so, but such as were notorious vvicked men, as Saul, Achitophel, Iudas, and the like. Yea, it is damnable: for he that leaueth his work before God calls him, loseth it, & besides, incurres eternall death. As the souldier that runneth away, dieth for it when he is taken: so the Christian that murdereth himselfe, perisheth; I say, that murdereth himselfe, being himselfe.
CHAP. XVII.
Why we shold not be troubled to part with our friends.
6. Ob. MIght some other say, I could more willingly dye, but me thinks it is greeuous vntounto me to part with friends, & acquaintance, I cannot willingly goe frō my kindred, and my familiars, life is sweet in respect of their presence, and louelove, and societie.
Sol. It is true, that vntounto some minds this is the greatest contentment of life of any thing, but yet many things must be considered: For
First, amongst a hundred men, scarce one can 6. Reasons about parting with our friēds in death.by good reason plead that, I meane, cannot say, that hee hath so much as one sound friend in the whole world, worthy to be reckned, as the stay of his life.
2. Those, that can plead felicitie in their friends; yet what is it? one pleasing dreame hath more in it, then a months contentmēt which can be reaped from thy friends. Alas! it is not the thousand part of thy life, which is satisfied with delight from them.
3. Thou seest thy friends drop away from thee frō day to day; for either they die, or they are so farre remooued from thee, that they are as it were dead to thee; & sith they are gone, who would not long to go after them?
4. The friends that are left, are not sure to thee: men are mutable, as well as mortall; they may turne to bee thy foes, that now are dearest vntounto thee: or if they fall not into tearms of flat enmity, they may grow full, and wearie of thee, and so, carelesse of thee.
5. If none of these would satisfie thee, yet what are thy friends on earth, to thy friends thou shalt find in heauen? This is an answere beyond all exception.
6. Lastly, by death thou doost not lose thy friends neither, for thou shalt find them, and enioy them in another world to all eternitie; and therefore thou hast no reason for thy friends sake to bee loth to dye.
7. Ob. But might some one say, All my griefe is to part with my wife & children, and to leaue them, especially in an vnsettled estate.
Sol. 1. Hast thou forgotten the consolation that saith, God will be a father to the fatherlesse, and a Iudge, and a Protector of the widowes cause? Hee will relieue both the fatherless and the widow, as many Scriptures doe assure vsus, Psal. 146. 9. & 68. 6. Prou. 15. 25.
2. Thou leauest them but for a time; God will restore thē to thee againe in a better world.
3. Thou gainst the presence of God, and his eternall coniunction, who will be more to thee, then many thousand wiues, or children could be. He can be hurt by the losse of no company, that findeth God in heauen.
CHAP. XVIII.
Why we should not be sorry to leaue the pleasures of life.
8. Ob. BVT might some other say, My heart is sorely vexed, because in death I must part with the pleasures of life.
Sol. There are many things might quiet mens mindes in respect of this obiection: For thy pleasures are either sinfull pleasures, Fiue Arguments against the pleasures of life.or lawfull pleasures: If they bee sinfull, thou shewest thy hatred of God by louing them, and heapest vp wrath vponupon thine own soule, by liuing in them. But say, thy pleasures be lawfull in themselues: yet consider,
1. That the paines of thy life are, and will bee greater both for number and continuance, then thy pleasures can be: No pleasure at once, euer lasted so long, as the fit of an Ague.
2. Thou forgettest, what end they may hauehave: For thy pleasures may go out with gall. For either shame, or losse, or euill sicknesse may fall vponupon thee: or if not, yet thine owne heart will loath thē; as they are vanity, so they will proue vexation of spirit: Thou wilt be extremely tired with them.
3. Thou art farre from giuing thy life for Christ, that wilt not forgoe the superfluity of life for him.
4. That in thy delights thou shewest the greatest weakenes, so as thou maist say of Laughter, Thou art mad, Eccl. 2. 2.
5. That death doth not spoile thee of pleasures: For it bringeth thee to the pleasures, that are at Gods right hand for euermore, Psal. 16. vlt.
CHAP. XIX.
Why we should not be loth to leaue the honours of the world.
9. Ob. IF any other obiect, the lothnes to leaue his honours, or high place in the world: I may answer diuers things.
Sol. 1. Why shouldest thou be so in louelove with the honours of this world, if thou but consider how small thy preferment is, or can be? The whole earth Fiue obseruations about the honors of this world.is, but as the full point or center, in comparison with the circumference of the whole world besides. Now in true iudgement, it is almost impossible to discerne, how a mā should rise higher in a Center. If thou hadst all the earth, thou wert no more exalted, then to the possession of a full point: a little spot in comparison, and therefore how extremely vaine is thy nature, to be affected with the possession of lesse, then the thousand thousand part of a little spot or point?
2. Consider seriously the thraldome, which thy preferment brings thee vntounto: Thou canst not liue free, but still thou art fettered with the cares, and feares, and griefes, that attend thy greatnesse. There is little difference between thee and a prisoner; saue that the prisoner hath his fetters of iron, and thine are of gold; and that his fetters binde his body, and thine thy mind: He weares his fetters on his legs, and thou thine on thine head; and in this thou art one way lesse contented, then some prisoners: for they can sing for ioy of heart, when thou art deiected with the cares and griefes of thy minde. If thou hast a Crowne, it were but a Crowne of thornes, in respect of the cares it would put thee to, &c.
3. Say thou shouldest get neuer so high, thou canst not protect thy selfe from the miseries of thy condition, nor preserue thy selfe in any certainety from the losse of all thou enioyest. If thou wert as high as the toppe of the Alpes, thou canst not get such a place, but the clouds, winds, stormes, & terrible lightnings may finde thee out, so as thou wouldst account the lower ground to bee the safer place. Thou standest as a man on the top of a pinacle, thou canst not know, how soone thou maist tumble downe, and that fearefully.
4. If thou shouldst be sure to enioy thy greatnes of place in the world: yet thou art not sure to preserue thine honour: For either it may be blemished with vniust aspersions, or else some fault of thy own may marre all thy praises: For as a dead flye may mat a whole box of ointment: so may one sinne, thy glory, Eccl. 10. 1.
5. Thou losest not honour by dying: for there are Crownes of glory in heauen, such as shall neuer wither, nor be corrupted; such as can neuer be held with care, or enuy, nor lost with infamy.
CHAP. XX.
Why it should not trouble vsus to part with riches.
10. Ob. IF thou be infected with the louelove of riches, and that thou art loth to die, because thou wouldst not be taken from thy estate, and outward possessions; then attend vntounto these considerations.
Sol. 1. Thou camest naked into the world; and Seuen mo …ue to leaue the louelove of riches.why should it grieue thee to goe naked out of the world?
2. Thou art but a steward of what thou possessest: and therefore why should it grieue thee to leaue, what thou hast imployed, to the disposing of thy master?
3. Thou hast tried by experience, and found hitherto, that contentment of heart is not found, or had by aboundance of outward things. If thou hadst all the Pearles of the East, and wert Master of all the Mines of the West, yet will not thy heart bee filled with good: by heaping vp of riches, thou dost but heap vp vnquietnesse.
4. Riches hauehave wings, thou maist liue to lose all by fire, or water, or thieues, or suretiship, or iniustice, or vnthrifty children, or the like.
5. They are riches of iniquity. There is a snare in riches, and nets in possessions, thy gold and siluer is limed, or poisoned. It is wonderfull hard, and in respect of men, impossible for thee to bee a rich man, but thou wilt bee a sinful man, especially if thy heart bee growne to louelove money, and to haste to be rich.
6. Thou must leaue thē once, and therefore why not now? Thou canst not enioy them euer, & therefore why shouldest thou trouble thy heart about them?
7. By death thou makest exchange of them for better riches, & shalt be possessed of a more enduring substance. Thou shalt enioy the vnsearchable riches of Christ, thou canst neuer be fully rich, til thou get to heauen.
11. Ob. Might some one say, I should not feare death, were it not, that I knowe not, what kind of death I shall dye: I may dye suddenly, or by the hands of the violent, or without the presence, or assistance of my friends, or the like.
Sol. Sith we must dye, it is the lesse matter vvhat kind of death we dye; we should not so much looke how wee dye, as whither wee shall goe when wee are dead.
2. Christ died a cursed death, that so eueryevery death might be blessed to vsus. For hee that liues holily, cannot dye miserably. Hee is blessed that dieth in the Lord, what kind of death soeuer it be.