The Marrow of the Oracles of God, 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 bee stocked vp by the very rootes. I will instance in some of the chiefe of them, and set downe the answers to them.
Some men say, they should not Ob. 1.be afraid of death, considering the gaine of it, and the happinesse after death, but that they are afraide of the paine of dying: It is the difficulty of the passage troubles them.
For answer hereunto, diuers things would be considered of, Sol.to shew men the folly of this feare.
First, thou likest not death, Teareasons to shew the folly of men, in pretending the feare of the paine of 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 doe 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 an Hauen. Hadst thou rather bee in the tempest still, then put into the hauen?
Thirdly, thou likest not death, thou sayest, 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 he hath endured worse paines 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 pains of life we call for death to come to our succours; yet when wee are well againe, we louelove life, and loath death.
Fourthly, we are are manifestly mistaken concerning death; for 4.the last gaspe is not death. To liue, is to dye; for how much wee liue, so much we die: eueryevery step of life, is a step of death. He that hath liued halfe his dayes, is dead the halfe of himselfe. Death gets first our infancie, then our youth, and so forwards: All that thou hast liued, is dead.
Fiftly, it is further euident, 5.that in death there is no paine; it is our life that goeth out, with paine. Wee deale herein, as if a man, after sicknesse, should accuse his health of the last paines. What is it to be dead? but not to be in the world. And it is any paine to bee out of the world? Were wee 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 remembrance of death?
Sixthly, if our comming into the world be 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.
Eightly, consider yet more, the humours 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 pleasure of others that command them, without certaine hope of aduantage to themselues. Will men kill themselues for things of no value; and yet be afraid of a little paine to be endured, when such a glorious estate is immediately to be enioyed in heauen?
Ninthly, let not man pretend 9.the paines of death; that is but a …igge-leafe to couer their little faith: For they will languish of the Gout, or Stone, a long time, rather then die one sweet death with easiest conditions possible.
Tenthly, if none of these will 10.perswade, yet attend, I wil shew … a mystery: Feare not the paines of death: for first, death 1.is terrible, when it is inflicted by the Law; but it is easie, when it is inflicted by the Gospel: the Curse is taken off from thee; thou art not vnderunder the Law, but vnderunder Grace: And besides, for this cause did Christ die a terrible an… 2.… 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 fight of the Lord, is the death of his Saints. What shall I say against the terror of death, but this Text of the Apostle? Thanks be to God, that hath giuen vsus victory through Iesus Christ. Hee hath pulled 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 wil succour 3.and strengthen, & ease thee, and abide with thee all the time of the combate. Why should wee doubt of it, but that the godly dye more easily then the wicked? Neither may we guesse at their paine, but the pangs vponupon the body: for the body may bee in grieuous pangs, 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.
Comfort against the losse of the body in death.
OH! but in death a man is destroyed, hee loseth his Ob. 2.body, and it must bee rotted in the earth.
Sol. 1. It hath bin shewed before, 1.that the separation of the soule from God, is properly Death; but the separation of the soule from the body, is but the shadow of Death: and we hauehave no reason to be afraid of a shadow.
2. The body is not the man: 2.the man remaines still, though hee be without the body. Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, are proued 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 seizeth on thy body; but a Christian, at the most, suffers but aliquid mortis▪ a little of death.
Death is like a Serpent; the Serpent must ea…e dust: now death therefore can feed vponupon no more but our dust, which is the body, it cannot touch the soule: whereas wicked men suffer the whole power of death, because it seizeth both vponupon body and soule too; and in their case onelyonly it is true, that death destroyes a man.
3. Grant▪ that we lose the body in death, yet that, ought not 3.to be terrible; for what the body is, it hath beene 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 eu…r 4.lose the body, we sh… hauehave our bodies againe, they are kept safe for vsus till the day of Christ. Our graues are Gods Chest's, and he makes a precious account of the bodies of …is Saints, they shall be raised vp againe at the last day. God will giuegive a charge to the earth to bring forth her dead, and make a true account to him, Reuel. …. And God hath giuen 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 answer, 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 be vnderunder water, yet the man is safe, if the head be aboue water; for the head will bring out all the body after it. So it is in the body of Christ: though all we s…nke in the riuer of death, yet our Head is …isen, and is aboue water, and therefore the whole body is safe.
5. It should yet more satisfie vsus, if we throughly consider, that 5.we shall hauehave our bodies againe much better then now they are. Those vile bodies we lay downe in death, shall be restored againe vntounto vsus glorious bodies, like the body of Christ now glorified, Philippians 3. 21. And therefore death loseth, by taking away our bodies; we hauehave a great victory ouer death: The graue is but a furnace to refine them, they shall come out againe immortall and incorruptible.
CHAP. XIIII.
The desire of long life confuted.
OH! but if I might liue long, I would desire no more: Ob. 3.If I might not dye till I were fiftie or threescore yeeres old, I should bee contented to dye then.
Sol. There are many things may shew the vanity and folly of men, in this desire of long life▪ For,
1. If thou art willing to die at Nine argu ments to shew the van…y of men in desiring to liue long.any time, why not now? Death will be the same to thee then, it is now.
2. Is any man angry and grieued when hee is at the Sea in a 2.Tempest, because hee shall be so quickly carried into the Hauen? Is he displeased with the Wind, that will soone set him safe in the Harbour? If thou beleeue that death will end all thy miseries, why art thou carefull to deferre the time?
3. Till thy debt be paid, time 3.will not ease thee, thy care will continue; and therfore thou wert as good pay at the first, if thou be sure it must be paid at all.
4. In this world there is neither young nor old. When thou 4.hast liued to that age thou desirest, thy time past will be as nothing. Thou wilt still expect that which is to come; thou wilt bee as ready to demand longer respit then, as now.
5. What wouldst thou tarry here so long for? There will be 5.nothing new, but what thou hast tasted; and often drinking, will not quench thy thirst: thou hast an incurable dropsie in thy hart, and these earthly things hauehave no ability to fill thy heart with good, or satisfie thee.
6. Wouldst thou not …dge him a sot, that mournes because 6.he was not aliue an hundred yeeres agoe? And thou art no better: thou mournest, because thou canst not liue an hundred yeeres hence.
7. Thou hast no power of the 7.morrow, to make it happy to thee. If thou die young, thou art like one that hath lost a Die, with which he might as well hauehave lost as wonne.
8. Consider the proportion of time thou desirest to thy selfe, reckon what will bee spent in sleepe, care, disgrace, sickenesse, trouble, wearinesse, emptinesse, feare; and vntounto all this adde sinne: and then thinke, how smal a portion is left of this time, and how small good it will doe 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 betweene time and eternity. What is that space of time to eternity? If thou louelove life, why doest thou not louelove eternall life? as was said before.
CHAP. XV.
Of them that would liue to doe good.
BVt I would liue long to doe good, and to doe God seruice, Ob. 4.and to benefit others by mine example.
Sol. First, search thine owne Six reasons against their pretence▪ that would liue long to do good, as they …ay.heart: it may be, this pretence of doing good to others, is pleaded onelyonly, because thou wouldest further thine owne good. Thou wouldst not seeke the publike, but to finde thine owne particular.
2. God that set thee to do his 2.worke, knowes how long it is fit for thee to be at the same; hee knowes how to make vse of the labors of his workmen: He will not call thee from thy work, till it bee prouided to dispatch his businesse without thee.
3. It may be, if thou be long 3.at thy worke, thou wouldst marre all; thy last workes would not bee so good as thy first: it is best to giuegive ouer, while thou doest w…ll, &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 a religious conuersation: but thy Religion is not hindered by going to heauen, but perfected. There is no comparison betweene thy goodnesse on earth, and that in heauen. For though thou mayest doe much good here; yet it is certaine, thou doest much euill heere too.
6. Whereas thou perswadest thy selfe, that by example thou maiest 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 continuance in this infectious world, longer then our time: for the best way is to get farre from the contagion. I… diuers fresh waters fal 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.
Ob. 5. BVt then it seemes by this, that it were a Ob. 5.mans best course to take away life, seeing so much euill is in life, and so much good to bee had in death.
Sol. 1. I thinke, the most of vsus 1.may bee trusted of that danger. For though the soule aspire to the good to come, yet the body tends vntounto the earth, and like an heauie clog weighs men downewards.
2. That is not the course; we must cast the world out of our 2. Against selfe. murder.hearts, not cast our selues out of the world. It is both vnseemely and extremely vnlawfull. It is vnseemely: 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 battell. 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 retrait; then it is honorable for thee to giuegive place. Besides, thou art Gods tenant, and doest hold thy selfe as a tenant at will: the Landlord may take it from thee, but thou canst not without disgrace surrender at thy pleasure; and it is extre…me slothfulnesse to hate life, onelyonly for the toyles that are in it. Secondly, and as it is vnseemely, so it is vnlawfull, yea damnable. It is vnlawfull: for the souldier that runnes away from his Captaine, offends highly; so doth the Christian that makes away himselfe: and therefore the commandement 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 wicked men, as Sa…l, Achitophel, Iudas, and the like. Yea, it is damnable: for hee that leaueth his worke before God calls him, loseth it, and besides incurres eternall death. As the souldier that runneth away, dyeth for it, when he is taken: so the Christian that murdereth himselfe, perisheth; I say, that murdereth himselfe, being himselfe.
CHAP. XVII.
Why we should not bee troubled to part with our friends.
MIght some other say, I Ob. 6could more willingly dye, but mee thinkes it is grieuous vntounto mee to part with friends and acquaintance; I cannot willingly goe from my kind…ed and my familiars; life is sweete in respect of their presence and louelove and societie.
Sol. It is true, that vntounto some mindes this is the greatest contentment of life of any thing; but yet many things must bee considered: For,
First, amongst an 100. men, scarce one can by good reason 4. 6▪ Reasons about parting with our friends in death.pleade that, I meane, cannot say that hee hath so much as one sound friend in the whole world, worthy to be reckoned, as the stay of his life.
Secondly, those that can plead felicitie in their friends, yet what is it? one pleasing dreame hath more in it, then a moneths contentment which can bee reaped from thy friends. Alas, it is not the thousandth part of thy life▪ which is satisfied with delight from them.
3. Thou s…st thy friend… drop away from thee from day to day; for either they dye, or they are so farre remoo…d from thee, that they are as it w…e dead to thee; and 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 t… be thy foes, that now are dearest vntounto thee: or if they fall not into tearmes of flat enmitie, they … grow full and wea…e of thee, and so carelesse of thee.
5. If none of these would satisfie thee, yet what are thy 5.friends on earth, to thy friends thou shalt finde in heauen? This is an answer beyond all exception.
6. Lastly, by death thou doest 6.not lose thy friends neither, for thou shalt finde them, and enioy them in another world to all eternity; and therefore thou hast no reason forthy friends sake to be loth to dye.
7. But might some one say: Ob. 7.All my griefe is to part with my wife and children, and to leaue them, especially in an vnsettled estate.
1. Hast thou forgotten the Sol. 1.consolation that saith, God will bee a father to the fatherlesse, and a Iudge, and a Protector of the widowes cause? Hee will releeue both the fatherlesse and the widow, as many Scriptures doe assure vsus, Psal. 146. 9. and 68. 6. Pro…. 15. 25.
2. Thou leauest them but for a time; God wil restore them to thee againe in a better world.
3. Thou gainest 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.
BVt might some other say: My heart is sorely vexed, Ob. 8.because in death I must part with the pleasures of life?
There are many things might quiet mens mindes in respect Sol. Fiue arguments against the … of life.of this obiection: For thy pleasures are either sinfull pleasures, or … pleasures: if they bee … ▪ … …west thy hatred of God by louing them, and heapest vp wrath vponupon thin… owne soule, by liuing in them. But say, thy pleasures be lawfull in themselues: yet consider,
First, that the paines of thy life 1.are, and will be 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 2.they may hauehave: For thy pleasures may goe out with gall. For either shame, or losse, or euill sicknesse may fall vponupon thee: or if not, yet thine owne heart will loath them; as they are vanity, so they will proue vexation of spirit: Thou will bee extremely tyred with them.
3. Thou art far from giuing 3.thy life for Christ, that wilt not forgoe the superfluity of life for him.
4. That in thy delights thou 4.shewest the greatest weakenesse; so as thou maist say of Laughter, Thou art mad, Eccles. 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, Psa. 16. vlt.
CHAP. XIX.
Why wee should not be loth to leaue the honours of the world.
9. IF any other obiect the Ob. 9.lothnesse to leaue his honours, or high place in the world: I may answer diuers things.
1. Why shouldest thou bee so in louelove with the honours of Sol. 1. Fiue obseruations abo… the honours of this world.this world, if thou but consider how small the preferment is, or can be? …e whole earth is, but as …e … point and …nter, in comparison with the circumference of the whole world besides.
1. Now in true iudgement, it is 1.almost impossible to discern, how a man 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: & therfore how extremely vaine is thy nature, to be affected with the possession of lesse then the thousand thousandth part of a little spot, or point?
2. Consider seriously the 2.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 betweene 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 minde: 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 hadst a Crowne, it were but a Crowne of thornes, in respect of the cares it would put thee to, &c.
3. Say thou shouldst get neuer so high, thou canst not protect 3.thy selfe from the miseries of thy condition, nor preserue thy selfe in any certainty from the losse of all …hou enioyest. If thou wert as high as the top of the Alpes, thou canst not g…t such a place, but the clouds, winds, stormes, and terrible lightnings may find th…e out, so as thou wouldest 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 maiest tumble downe, and that fearefully.
4. If thou shouldest be sure to enioy the greatnesse of place 4.in the world, yet thou art not sure to preserue thine honour; for either it may bee blemished with vniust aspersions, or else some fault of thine owne may marre all thy prayses: For as a dead Flye may marre a whole Boxe of Oyntment, so may one sinne thy glory, Eccl. 10. 1.
5. Thou losest no honour by 5.dying: for there are Crownes of Glory in Heauen, such as shall neuer wither, nor bee corrupted; such as can neuer bee held with care or enuy, nor lost with infamie.
CHAP. XX.
Why it should not trouble vsus to part with riches.
10. IF thou bee infected with the louelove of riches and Ob. 10.that thou art loth to dye, because thou wouldest not be taken from thy estate and outward possessions; then attend vntounto these considerations.
1. Thou camest naked into the world; and why should it grieue Sol. 1.thee to goe naked out of the 1. Seuen mo…ues to leaue the louelove of riches.world?
2. Thou art but a Steward of what thou possessest: and therefore why should it grieue thee to 2.leaue, what thou hast employed, to the disposing of thy master?
3. Thou hast tried by experience, & found hitherto, that contentment 3.of heart is not found, or had by abundance of outward things. If thou hadst all the pearls 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 heape vp vnquietnesse.
4. Riches hauehave wings: thou maist 4.liue to lose all, by fire, or water, or theeues, or suretiship, or iniustice, or vnthrifty children, or the like.
5. They are riches of iniquitie. There is a snare in riches, & nets 5.in possessions; thy gold and siluer is limed vp, or poysoned. It is wonderfull hard, and in respect of men, impossible for thee to be a rich man, but thou wilt be a sinfull man, especially if thy heart be growne to louelove money, and haste to be rich.
6. Thou must leaue them on…, & therefore why not now? Thou 6canst not enioy them euer, and therefore why shouldest thou trouble thy heart about them?
7. By death thou makest exchange 7of them for better riches, and shalt be possessed of a more euduring substance: Thou shalt enioy the vnsearchable riches of Christ: thou canst neuer be fully rich, till thou get to heauen.
Might some one say: I should not … d…ath, were it not that Ob. 11.I know not what kinde 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.
1. Sith wee must dye, it is the lesser matter what kind of Sol. 1.death wee dye: wee should not so much looke how wee dye, as whither wee shall goe when we are dead.
2. Christ dyed a cursed desth, 2.that so eueryevery death might bee blessed to vsus: For hee that liues holily, cannot dye miserably. Hee is blessed that dyeth in the Lord, what kind of death soeuer it be.