The Cure of the Fear of Death, Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
Shewing the cure of this feare of death by practise.
HItherto of the way of curing this feare of death by meditation. It remaines now, that I proceed to shew how the cure is to bee finished, and perfected 7. Things that cure the feare of death in practice.by practise. For there are diuerse things to bee heeded by vsus in our daily conuersation, which serue exceedingly for the extinguishing of this fear, without which the cure wil hardly euer be soundly wrought for continuance.
1. The first thing wee must frame our liues to for this purpose, is the contempt of the world: wee must striue earnestlie with our owne hearts, to forgoe the louelove of worldly things. It is an easie thing to be willing to dye, when our hearts are clensed of the louelove of this world. We must leaue the world, before the vvorld leaue vsus, and learne that lesson heartily, To vse the world, as if we vsed it not. Neither ought this to seeme too hard a precept. For they that striue for mastery, abstaine from all things, when it is but to obtaine a corruptible crowne: how much more should wee be willing to deny the delights of this world, and striue with our natures herein, seeing it is to obtaine an incorruptible crowne? 1. Cor. 9. 24.
We must learne of Moses, who brought himselfe to it willingly, to forsake the pleasures of Egypt, and to chuse rather to suffer affliction with Gods people, then to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter, Heb. 11. 26.
And to this end wee should first restraine all needlesse cares, & busines of this world, and study so to be quiet, as to meddle with our own businesse, & to abbridge them into as narrow a scantling, as our callings will permit. Secondly, wee should auoid, as much as may bee, the societie with the fauourites and minions of the world, I meane such persons, as admire nothing but worldly things, and know no other happinesse thē in this life: That speak onelyonly of this world, and commend nothing, but what tends to the praise of worldly things, and so to the intising of our hearts after the world. And withall, wee should sort our selues with such Christians, as practise this contempt of the world as well as praise it, and can by their discourse, make vsus more in louelove with heauen. 3. Thirdly, we should daily obserue, to what things in the world our hearts most run, and striue with GOD by prayer, to get downe the too much liking, and desire after these things. 4. Fourthly, vvee should daily be pondring on these meditations, that shew vsus the vanitie of the world, and the vilenesse of the things thereof. Thus of the first medicine.
2. Secondly, we must in our practise, soundly mortifie our beloued sins: our sinnes must dye, before we dye, or else it will not be well with vsus. The sting of death is sinne, and whē we hauehave puld out the sting, we need not feare to entertaine the Serpent into our bosome. It is the louelove of some sin, & delight in it, that makes a man afraid to dye, or it is the remembrance of some foule euill past, which accuseth the hearts of men: and therefore men must make sure their repentance, and iudge themselues for their sinnes, and then they need not feare Gods condemning of them. If any aske me, how they may knowe when they hauehave attained to this rule, I answer, Whē they hauehave so long confessed their sinnes in secret to God, that now they can truly say, there is no sinne they know by themselues, but they are as desirous to hauehave GOD giuegive them strength to leaue it, as they would hauehave God to shew them grace to forgiue it. He hath soundly repented of all sin, that desires from his heart to liue in no sin. And vntounto this rule I must adde the care of an vpright & vnrebukeable cō uersation. It is a maruelous encouragement to dye with peace, when a man can liue without offence, and can iustly plead his integrity of conuersation, as Samuel did, 1. Sam. 12. 3. and Paul, Act. 26. 26, 27. and 2. Cor. 1. 12.
3. Thirdly, assurance is an admirable medicine to kill this feare; & to speake distinctly, wee should get the assurance first of Gods fauour, and our owne calling and election. For hereby an entrance will be ministred into the heauē ly kingdome, and therefore hauehave I handled this doctrine of the Christians assurance, before I medled with this point of the feare of death. Simeon can dye willingly, whē his eyes hauehave seene his saluation. Feare of death is alwaies ioyned with a weake faith, and the full assurance of faith, doth maruelously establish the heart against these feares, and breeds a certain desire of the comming of Christ. Paul can be confident when he is able to say, I knowe whom I hauehave belieued, and that hee is able to keepe that which I hauehave committed to him, 2. Tim. 1. 12.
Besides, we should labour to get a particular knowledge and assurance of our happines in death, and of our saluation. We should study to this end, the Arguments that shews our felicity in death: And to this purpose it is of excellent vse to receiue the Sacraments often: For Christ by his Will bequeathed Heauen to vsus, Ioh. 17. and by the death of the Testator this Will is of force, and is further daily sealed vntounto vsus, as internally by the Spirit, so externally by the Sacraments.
Now if we get our Charter sealed and confirmed to vsus, how can we be afraid of the time of possession? Hee is fearelesse of death, that can say with the Apostle; Whether I liue or die, I am the Lords, Rom. 14. 8.
4. That charge giuen to Hezekiah, concerning the setting of his house in order, Esay 38. is of singular vse for this Cure: Men should with sound aduice settle their outward estates, and dispose of their worldly affaires, and according to their meanes prouide for their wife, and children. A great part of the feare and trouble of mens hearts is ouer., when their Wils are discreetely made: but men are loth to die, so long as their outward estates are vnsettled, and vndisposed. It is a most preposterous course for men to leaue the making of their Wils to their sicknesse; For besides their disabilities of memories or vnderstanding, which may befall them, the trouble of it breeds vnrest to their minds, and besides, they liue all the time in neglect of their duty of preparation for death.
5. We may much help our selues by making vsus friends with the riches of iniquity: we should learne that of the vniust Steward, as our Sauiour Christ sheweth, since we shall be put out of the Stewardship, we should so dispose of them while wee hauehave them, that when wee die, they may receiue vsus into euerlasting habitations, Luke 16. An vnprofitable life is attended with a seruile feare of death.
6. It would master this feare, but to force our selues to a frequent meditation of death: To learne to die daily, will lessen, yea, remoue the feare of dying: Oh this remembring of our latter end, and learning to number our daies is an admirable rule of practices: It is the forgetfulnesse of death, that makes life sinfull, & death terrible, Deut. 32. 19. Psal. 90. 12. Lam. 1. 9. And wee should beginne this exercise of meditation betimes; Remember thy Creator in the daies of thy youth, Eccl. 12. 1. This is that is called for, when our Sauiour Christ requires vsus, and all men, so to watch: and heerein lay the praise of the fiue wise Virgines, Math. 25. 3. Thus Iob will waite, till the time of his change come, Iob 10. 14. And of purpose hath the Lord left the last day vncertain, that we might eueryevery day prepare. It were an admirable methode, if we could make eueryevery day a life to beginne and end, as the day begins, and ends.
7. Lastly, because yet wee may finde this feare combersome, and our natures extremely deceitfull: there is one thing left, which can neuer faile to preuaile as far as is fit for vsus; and that is hearty prayer to God for this very thing. Thus Dauid praies, Psal. 39. 4. and Moses, Psal. 90. 12. and Simeon, Luk. 2. 32. And in as much as Christ died for this end, to deliuer vsus from this feare, we may sue out the priuiledge, and by prayer striue with God to get it framed in vsus: It is a suite God will not deny them, that aske in the name of Christ, because it is a thing that Christ especially aimed at in his owne death.
To conclude then: wee hauehave proued, that it is possible to be had, and most vncomely to want it; and likewise the way hath beene shewed, how both by meditation & practise, this Cure may bee effected: If then it bee not wrought in any of vsus; we may heere finde out the cause in our selues: For if wee would hereby bee soundly aduised and ruled, we might attaine to it all the daies of our life, to sing with the Saints that triumphant song, mentioned both in the Old and New Testament: Oh death, where is thy sting? Oh hell, where is thy victory? Death is swallowed vp into victory: so as we are now the conquerours through him that loued vsus, and gaue himselfe to death for vsus: euen Iesus Christ the righteous: To whom with the Father, and the Holy Ghost bee all praise in the Churches, throughout all ages for euer.
Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Nicholas Byfield, The Cure of the Fear of Death (1618)