The Cure of the Fear of Death, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Shewing the miseries of godly men in life.
NOW the miseries of the godly mans life are of two sorts: first, for either he may consider what hee wants: secondly, or what he hath in life, for which he should be weary of it.
I will giuegive but a touch of the first. Consider of it: in this life there are sixe things, among the rest, we want, and can neuer attaine, while we liue here.
The first, is the glorious presence of God, while Six things eueryevery godly mā wants, while hee liues here in this world.the body is present, the Lord is absent, 2. Cor. 5. 8. And is not this enough to make vsus loath life? Shal we more esteeme this wretched Carkasse, then our glorious God: whose onelyonly presence in glory shall fill vsus with eternall delight? O the Vision of God! If we had but once seene God face to face, we would abhorre that absence that should hinder the fruition of such vnspeakeable beauties, as would enamour the most secure heart to an vnquenchable louelove.
The second thing we want in life, is the sweet fellowship with our best friends: A fellowship matchlesse; if we either consider the perfection of the creatures, whose communion we shall enioy; or the perfect manner of enioying it: Who would be with-held from the Congregation of the first-borne, from the society with innumerable Angels, and the Spirits of iust men? Alas! the most of vsus hauehave not so much, as one intire and perfect friend in all the world, and yet we make such friends, as we hauehave, the ground of a great part of the contentment of our liues: Who could liue here, if he were not beloued? Oh! what can an earthly friendship be vntounto that in heauen: when so many thousand Angels, and Saints shall be glad of vsus, and entertaine vsus with vnwearied delight? If we had but the eies of faith to consider of this, we would thinke eueryevery houre a yeare, till wee were with them?
Thirdly, in this world we want the perfection of our owne Natures: we are but maimed and deformed creatures heere; we shall neuer hauehave the sound vnderstanding of men in vsus, till we be in heauen: our holinesse of nature and gifts wil neuer be consummate, till we be dead.
Fourthly, in this world we want liberty: Our glorious liberty will not be had here: A thing, which the Spirits of the best men hauehave, with much sighing, longed after: Rom. 8. 21. 22. O who would liue in a prison, a dungeon, rather then a Palace of royall freedome? It hath beene implyedly shewed before, that we are many waies in bondage here.
Fiftly, we shal euer want heere fulnesse of contentment. If a man liue many yeeres, so that the dayes of his yeeres bee many, if his soule be not filled with good, Salomon saith, an vntimely birth is better then hee. And it is certain, if a man liue a thousand yeers twise told, hee shall neuer see sollid good to fill his hart, his appetite will neuer be filled, Eccles. 6. 3, 6, 7. There is nothing in this life can giuegive a man sollid, and durable contentment: but a man finds by experience, vanity, and vexation of spirit, in what hee admires orloues most: and shall we be so sottish as to forget those riuers of pleasures that are at Gods right hand? Psal. 6. vlt.
6. The sixt thing vvee want in this world, is our crowne, and the immortall and incorruptible inheritance, bought for vsus with the bloud of Christ: and shall not our hearts burn within vsus in longing after possession? Can we desire still to liue in wants, & to be vnderunder age? What shall mooue vsus, if such an incomparable crown cannot moue vsus? Wee that sweat with so much sore labour for the possession of some small portion of the earth: shall wee, I say, bee so sluggish, as not to desire, that this kingdom, which our Father hath giuen vsus, might come quickly vponupon vsus? or are wee so transported with spirituall madnes, as to be afraid to passe through the gate of death, to attain such a life? What Prince would liue vncrowned, if hee could helpe it, and might possess it without wrong or danger? and what great heire would bee grieued at the tidings, that all his Lands were falne vntounto him?