The Cure of the Fear of Death, Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Prouing that we may be cured of the feare of death.
FOR the first: that the feare of death may be remoued; and that we may Eight Arguments to proue we may be helped against the feare of death.attaine to that resolution to be willing to die, without lothnesse, is apparant diuers waies.
First, it is euident: Christ died to deliuer vsus, not onelyonly from the hurt of death, and from the deuill, as the executioner: but also from the feare of death too. Now Christ may attaine to the end of his death, vnlesse we will deny the vertue of Christ, and his death, and think that notwithstanding it cannot be obtained, Heb. 2. 14, 15. And the more apparant is this, because in that place hee shewes, that there is vertue in the death of Christ, to cure this feare of death in any of the Elect, if they will vse the meanes: For as our sinnes will not bee mortified, though there be power in the death of Christ to kill them; vnlesse wee vse the meanes to extract this vertue out of the death of Christ: so is it true, that the feare of death may be in some of Gods Elect: but it is not because Christ cannot deliuer them; but because they are sluggish, and will not take the course to bee rid of those feares. The Physician is able to cure them, and vsually doth cure the same disease; but they will not take his Receipts.
2. The Apostle intreating of the desire of death, saith, That God hath wrought vsus vntounto the selfesame thing, 2. Cor. 5. 5. We are againe created of God, that wee might in our selues aspire vntounto immortality; and are set in such an estate, as if we answered the end of his workemanship, we should neuer be well, till wee be possessed of the happinesse in another world: which hee shewes in those words of being absent from the body, and present with the Lord, ver. 8.
3. The Prophesies hauehave run on this point. For it was long since fore-told, that Christians knowing the victory of Christ ouer death, should be so farre from fearing death, that they should treade vponupon him, and insult ouer him: O Death, Where is thy sting? &c. Isay 25. 8. Hos. 13. 14. 2. Cor. 15. 54, 55.
4. It is a condition, that Christ puts in, when he first admits Disciples, that they must deny their owneliues: and not onelyonly be content to take vp their crosse in other things, but their liues must not bee deare vntounto them, when hee cals for it, Luk. 14. 26.
5. Wee are taught in the Lords Prayer, to pray That Gods Kingdome may come: And by his Kingdom he meanes the Kingdom of Glory, as well as the Kingdome of Grace: Now in that wee are taught to pray for the Kingdome, it shewes wee should desire it, and that by prayer wee should bee more and more heated in our desires.
6. Wee are borne againe to a liuely hope of our inheritance: Now if wee bee afraid of the time of our translation thither, how do we hope for it after a liuely manner? A desire of going to heauen is a part of that seed cast into our hearts in our regeneration, 1. Pet. 1. 3, 4.
7. Wee hauehave the example of diuers men in particular, who hauehave desired to die, and were out of feare in that respect: Gen. 49. 18. Iacob wayted for Gods saluation: and Paul resolues, that to die, and to be with Christ, is best of all for him: Phil. 1. 21. Yea, in Rom. 7. 23. hee is vehement; O wretched man that I am, who shall deliuer mee from this body of death? Simeon praies God to let him die, Luk. 2. 29. And the Prophet in the name of the godly, said long before Christ: O that the saluation of Israel were come out of Syon, Psal. 14. 7. And we hauehave the example of the Martyrs in all Ages, that accounted it a singular glory to die: And in 2. Cor. 5. 2, 7. the godly are said to sigh for it, that they might bee absent from the body, and present with the Lord; and so do the first fruites of the Holy Ghost, those eminent Christians mentioned, Rom. 8. 21.
Lastly: not onelyonly some particular godly men hauehave attained to this; but the whole Church is brought in, in the 22. Ch. of the Reu. praying for the comming of Iesus Christ, and desiring too, that hee would come quickly: And 2. Tim. 4. 8. The louelove of the appearing of Christ, is the Periphrasis of the childe of God.
Thus of the first point.