The Marrow of the Oracles of God, Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Shewing how vncomely it is to feare Death.
FOr the second, how vncomely a thing it is in Christians to feare death, may appeare many F…ene R…asons why it is an vncomely thing to be afraid to dye.waies.
1. By the feare of death we shame our Religion; while we professe it in our words, we deny it in our workes. Let Papists 1 Wee shame our religion.tremble at death, who are taught, that no man ordinarily can be sure he shall go to heauen when he dies. But for vsus, that professe the knowledge of saluation, to bee astonished at the passage to it, shewes (at least) a great weakenesse of faith, and doth outwardly giuegive occasion of disgrace to our Religion.
2. By that which went before, we may see how vncomely it is to be afraid of death: For thereby we disable the death of Christ: wee frustrate the end of Gods workemanship: we stop the execution of the Prophesies: we renounce our first agreement with Christ: we mocke God in praying that his kingdome may come: we obscure the euidence of our owne regeneration; and wee transgresse against the example of the godly in all ages.
3. Many of the Pagans greatly 3. We are worse then some Pagans.settled their hearts against the feare of death by this very reason: because there was no being after death; and therefore they could no more feele misery then, then before they were borne. And shall wee Christians, that heare eueryevery day of the glorious saluation we hauehave by Christ, be more fearefull then they were? Let them feare death that know not a better life.
Shall we be like wicked men? 4 Wicked men dye vnwillingly.Their death is compelled; shall ours be so too. They by their good wils, would not lose their bodies in this life, nor hauehave their bodies in the next life: but since God hath made vsus vnlike them in the issues of death, shall wee make our selues like them in the lothnesse to dye? Let Felix tremble at the doctrine of death and iudgement, Acts 24. 25. but let all the godly hold vp their heads, because the day of their redemption draweth nigh, Mathew 24. &c.
5. Shall we be afraid of a shadow? 5 Death is but a shadow.The separation of the soule frō God, that is death, if we speake exactly: but the separation of the soule from the body, is but the shaddow of death. When see we men trembling for feare of spirituall death, which is called the First Death? and yet this is farre more woefull then that we call the bodily death. But as if the death of the body were nothing, the Scripture cals damnation, The second death, neuer putting the other into the number.
6. This feare is called a bondage 6. It is a bondage to feare.here in this text: And shall wee voluntarily make our selues vassals? Or shall we be like slaues that dare not come in our Masters sight?
7. If we louelove long life, why are wee not much more in louelove 7. If wee louelove this life, why not eternal life?with eternall life, where the duration is longer, and the estate happier? Are wee not extremely insatuated, that when God will doe better for vsus then wee desire, yet wee will be afraid of him?
8. Shall wee bee worse then children, or mad men? Neither 8. Are wee worse then children & mad men?of them feare death; and shall simplicity, or Ideotisme, doe more with them, then reason or Religion can doe with vsus?
9. Do not all that reade the storie of the Israelites (in their 9. Wee make our selues like the Israelites, or rather more absurd then they.passion desiring to bee againe in Egypt, and violently murmuring at the promise of going into the Land of Canaan) condemne them of vile ingratitude to God, and folly in respect of themselues? For what was it for them to liue in Egypt, but to serue cruell Taske-masters about bricke and clay? And was not Canaan the place of their rest, and a Land that floweth with milke and hony? Euen such is the condition of all that wish life, and are afraid to dye. What is this world but Aegypt, and what is to liue in this world, but to serue about bricke and clay? Yea, the Church, that is separate from the world, can find it no better then a barren wildernesse. And what is Heauen, but a spirituall Canaan? And what can death bee more, then to passe ouer Iordan; and victoriously ouercomming all enemies to bee possessed of a place of matchlesse rest; of more pleasures then Milke or Hony can shadow out?
10. Adam might hauehave had 10. Is not death ordinary?more reason to feare Death, that neuer saw a man die an ordinary death; but for vsus to bee affrighted with death; that see thousands die at our right hand, and ten thousand at our left, and that daily, is an inexcusable distemper. The gate of Death is continually open, and wee see a prease of people, that daily throng into it.
11. When Moses had cast 11. The example of Moses.downe his Rod, it turned into a Serpent; and the Text, noting Moses weakenesse, saith; He fled from it: But the Lord commanded him to take it by the Taile; and behold, it became a Rod againe. Euen so death at the first sight is terrible, like a new-made Serpent, and the godly themselues, through inconsideration, flye from it: but if at Gods commandement, without feare they would lay hold vponupon this seeming Serpent, it will be turned into a Rod againe; yea, into a golden Scepter in our hands, made much better by the change. Neither doe we reade, that euer at any time after Moses had any feare of this Serpent, when he had once known the experience of it. And hauehave we offen, by the eyes of faith, seene the experience of this great work of God, and shall we still be running away?
12. It is said, Rom. 8. 12. that all creatures groane, wayting for 12 The example of al creatures.the libertie of the sonnes of God: and shall wee bee worse then bruit beasts? Doth the whole frame of nature, as it were, call for this time of change; and shall man be so stupid, or carried with such senslesse feares, as to shun his owne felicity?
13. Consider whether it bee 13. It is better we goe to death, then that death shuld come to vsusmore commodious for vsus, that Death come to vsus, or that we go to Death. For one thing is certaine; it is vaine to shunne that which cannot bee auoided. For it is appointed vntounto all men once to die, Heb. 9. 27. What man is hee that liueth, and shall not see death? Psal. 89. 48. Death is the way of all flesh, Iosh. 24. Now this being granted, let vsus consider of it: Death is like an armed man, with whom we must once fight. Now if we be aduised, and will goe to Death, we must get on our armour beforehand, and so the encounter will be without danger to vsus, because the weapons of our warfare are mighty through God, & we are assured of victory through Iesus Christ. On the other side, to tarry till Death come vntounto vsus, is as if a man that knowes he must fight with a sore aduersary, would through slothfulnesse goe vp and downe vnarmed, till he fall into the hands of his enemy, and must then fight with him at such disaduantage.
14. It is most vncomely to 1…. It is vncomely to feare that which is common & ce…tainefeare that which is both common and certaine. Death, of all afflictions is most common. For from other afflictions it is possible some might bee free; but from death can no man be deliuered: and God of purpose hath made that most common which is most grieuous, that thereby he might abate the terrour of it. It is monstrous foolishnes, to striue in vaine to auoid that which neuer man could escape. And to teach men their vnauoydable mortality, the Lord clothed our first Parents with the skinnes of dead beasts, and feeds vsus with dead flesh, that as often as wee eate of slaine beasts, we might remember our owne end: and shall we be euer learning, and neuer come to the knowledge of this truth? Is this such a lesson as cannot be learned? Shall we be so stupid, as daily to passe by the graues of the dead, and heare their knels, and yet be vntaught and vnarmed?
15. Lastly, shall we be afraid 15. Shal we be afraid of an enemy that hath bin soossen vanquishedof such an enemie as hath beene ouercome hand to hand, and beaten by Christ, and thousands of the Saints? especially if wee consider the assurance wee hauehave of victory. In this combate eueryevery Christian may triumph before the victory, … Corinth. 15. 55.
And thus much of the two first points.