The Christian Armory, Book 1 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Of Death, of the nature, causes, euils, and benefits of it; what preparation against it is necessary: how a man may in this life hauehave a taste of eternall life, and of a right disposition in death▪ the generall vse of the Doctrine.
Question.
WHat is death?
A. Phil. 1.23. 2. Cor. 15.1.It is the loosing and separation of the soule from the body.
Q. What is the procuring cause of it?
A. Rom. 5.12.Adams sinne, and the sinne of all his posterity.
Q. Who is the author of it?
A. God, as a iust Iudge imposing it vponupon man.
Q. What is it in it owne nature?
A. It is the Diuels weapon, whereby he séeketh to murder mankind, it is the punishment of our sinne, the enemy … our soules, and the gulfe of damna…on.
Q. But what is it to Gods childre… that beleeue and are regenerate?
A. It is no enemy, but a friend to sou… and body; for it is changed, by vert… of Christ his death and obedience, fro… a curse to a blessing: it is Golias hi… sword to cut off his owne head; it is … the drone that hath lost his sting (that is … eternall torment in hell fire;) it is … sweet sleepe refreshing the body;Ioh. 11.11 12. it is the accomplishment of our mortification, and fully, and finally, endeth the battell betwixt the flesh and the spirit▪ and it insteede of being the gate and sub…urbs of hel, is made the ladder of peace, and the entrance into paradise to all beleeuers.
Q. Why doe holy and regenera… men die, seeing that their sins are forgiuen them?
A. First, because the remainders of sinne are left in them, which cannot be abolished, but by changing corruption into incorruption: and this cannot be performed before the last day.
Secondly, the law of nature must bèe fulfilled, as well in them, as in any other.
Lastly, the quality of death is changed in the beléeuers:1. Thes. 4.13. for it is not death, but a sleepe, and not a punishment, but a fatherly correction, yea and a spéedy passage to eternall life.
Q. Seeing that the soules of the Saints are immediately after their departure out of the body glorified, why are the bodies so long kept vnderunder the power of death, and not iointly glorified with their soules?
A. First, the body did sinne last, and therefore is glorified last, for this standeth with the proportion of iustice?
Secondly, God in detaining the body for a time in the earth, which is the first death, doth hereby declare his mercy in deliuering both soule and body frō the second death.
Thirdly,Rom. 8.17. wee must by death bee made conformable to Christ our Sauiour, that wee may raigne with him.
Fourthly,Gen. 3 19. God will hereby shew the truth of that his threatning, Thou art dust, and to dust shalt thou returne.
Fifthly, Christ their head and King, who is the resurrection,1. Cor. 15.20. and the life, and the first fruits of the dead, must of necessity be glorified before the members.
Lastly, the bodies of the Saints, though lying in the graue and consumed there, yet are without sinne, and sense of paine, and they shall arise againe in glory at the last day, and be reunited to their soules, &c. and both together inherite eternall happines through the power of God.
Ob. But the bodies of Henoch, before the law, and of Elias in time of the law, neuer died, but were rapt and translated into heauen.
A. First, these examples are extraordinary, and therefore they are no common rule to others. For God did not onelyonly hereby signifie to the world in what account he had them, (though the world distasted and despised their persons, and blessed doctrine;) but hee made them types and figures of the generall resurrection.
Secondly, some Diuines hold, that their bodies (though rapt vp into the aire) were cōsumed in the aire, because Christ in regard of his bodily ascension is said to be the first fruits of the dead.
Lastly, they died an extraordinary death, such as we the Saints that shalbe found aliue at Christ his comming shall tast of, for their bodies were in a moment changed from mortality to immortality,1. Thes. 4. and from corruption to incorruption.
Q. But why doe Infants (that are called Innocents) die, seeing that they doe not, and cannot sinne with consent of will, nor of knowledge, as doe men of yeares?
A. Albeit they want, (as yet) the power, meanes, instruments, to commit Actuall sinne, yet they hauehave the bitter and poisonfull root of originall sinne,Rom. 5.14. Rom. 6. v. 23. in them, and in it they were conceiued and borne, and the wages euen of it, is death,
Secondly, God will sometimes temporally punish or ch…sten the parents in the death of their children, because they are flesh of their flesh, and bone of their bones, and who (perhaps) would (if God granted them longer life,) match and equall their parents in sinne.
Q What are we further to consider in prosecuting this argument of death?
A Foure chiefe branches or partes.
First, some of the (principall) reputed and supposed euils of it.
Secondly, the benefites of it, both Priuatiue, and Affirmatiue, or Positiue.
Thirdly, the right preparation against it.
Lastly, a right disposition in death it selfe.
Q What are some of the principall (and so reputed) euils?
A. Thrée: First, the suddennes of it in many.
Secondly, the violent death of many.
Thirdly, the vncomfortable, and lamentable effects of it, in that it bereaueth vsus of the benefite, company, gifts, prayers, gouernment of many notable, and worthy persons in Church, commonwealth, and family.
Q. Now (to handle eueryevery member of the diuision in his right place and order) is sudden death, simply euill, and a curse?
A. I must néeds distinguish of suddē death; for, qui non distinguit, destruit artem. First in it selfe it is not euill; but because it commonly taketh men vnrepentant, and vnprepared; otherwise the last iudgement should be simply euill, because it is sudden, seeing that the sonne of man will come in an houre, when wee looke not for him: but this sudden comming of Christ is not euil,1. Thes. 4.17. but good, and happy for Gods children. Againe, the manner and time of eueryevery mans death, is not in his own dispositiō, but in Gods power and hands onelyonly.
Secondly, we must distinguish of it, according to the persons, vponupon whom it seazeth: they are either irrepentant persons, and thus die; and to these death is hel-mouth, & the beginning of euerlasting torment;Gal. 3.13. or repentant, and to these it is no curse; for Christ hath (by his death and passion) taken away the curse; but it is a short and vnsensible crosse, and correction, which freeth them from the feare of death, and doth speedily conuey them into the hauen of eternall rest.
Secondly, it is not sudden to the godly, that long before foresaw it, and waited for it.
Thirdly, the sooner that they die, the sooner are they blessed:Apo. 14.13 for they rest from their labours, and their works follow them.
Lastly, many of Gods children hauehave died suddenly, yet they were not hereby defrauded of eternall glory: of this number were Iobs children; Meph…hosheth; the infants that the bloudy butcher Herode caused to bee massacred,Luk. 13. Math. 14. Iohn the Baptist suddenly beheaded, &c. But as for wicked, vnbeléeuing, and vnrepentant persons, they liue not out half their dayes, but sudden, (yea & ordinary) death is to them a curse, and a swift posting of them into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, (as we may see in Pharaoh, Nabal, and the rich churle, whereof we reade in the 12 of Luke.)
Q. What vse are wee to make hereof?
A. Seeing that death many times stealeth and encrocheth vponupon vsus so vnlooked for; wée ought daily to prepare ourselues against it, by prayer, repentance, and the practise of good works, and to thinke eueryevery day to be the last; for (as an ancient Father saith) vtiliter latet vltimus dies, Augustinus.vt obseruentur omnes dies, (that is) the last day is for our profite kept vnknowne, that all the rest may be obserued.
Secondly, being prepared and resol…ued before hand, let vsus not feare the circumstances of death, more then death it selfe;Rom. 8.38 but let vsus (for our comfort) know and be assured, that the sting of eueryevery kind of death is taken away by Christs death from the true beleeuers, and no manner of death can diuert and diuorce them from Christ their Sauiour.
Lastly, wee must daily commend our soules and spirits into Gods hands, as vntounto a faithfull Creator, not doubting but that hee will receiue and glorifie them; but as for the time of death, and the warning that God giueth vsus of it, we must refer it wholy to his heauenly disposition.
Q. Is it lawfull for a Christian to pray against sudden death?
A. Yes, when he hath liberty so to doe, or whiles hee hath time and memory.
Q. But sudden death cannot preiudice his saluation, & there is no expresse forme of prayer against sudden death in all the scripture; why then should any Christian man pray against it?
A. First, because sudden death more often befalleth to the wicked,Psal. 73.19. then to the good.
Secondly, because fewnes of daies, and suddennes of death is wished to the wicked in way of imprecation, and therfore we may pray for some warning of death approching, that the wicked and prophane doe not rashly censure, iudge, and condemn vsus, as though wee died accursed, and out of Gods fauour.
Thirdly, wee cannot otherwise (by our good confession and prayer) glorifie God before men in our death, nor giuegive at all a good example of dying well to our family, or others.
Lastly, if we being of ability) die intestate, and without making a will, the poore may be defr…uded of all comfort; and much contention may (possibly) arise about the distribution and disposall of our lands and worldly goods amongst our wiues, children, and kinsfolke.
Q. What shall wee iudge of Gods children that doe perish by the enemies sword, and (by consequence) are this way cruelly and suddenly massacred?
A. It hath beene the lotte of Gods Saints in the old and new Testament, and in all ages sithence, thus to end their liues,Math. 5.2. and they blessed, yea blessed with a further addition of glory, because they died for Gods cause.
Secondly, this kind of death cannot kill the soule,Rom. 8.32 nor separate soule or body from Gods fauour and louelove.
Thirdly, they had no (special) promise to die quietly in their beds, or in their friends hands, and (as for their enemies) they hauehave preuented themselus frō hauing any further power ouer Gods children, for they hauehave done their worst. Finally, non nocet bonis (si subito) occidantur, vel si subita morte pereunt. Nō enim subito moriuntur qui semper cogitauerunt se morituros; that is; It disparageth not good men, if they be (suddenly) slain, or if they suddenly die. For they die not suddenly, who alwaies thought that they should die.
Lastly, right many hauehave béene by the sword not knighted in earth, but martyred here, and crowned in heauen; & this besides the pregnant testimonies of sacred scriptures,) the experience of all times and ages euinceth and verifieth.
Q. How shall wee arme and resolue our selues against the feare of perishing by the enemies sword, or any such kind of violent death?
A. First it skilleth and mattereth not, whether a burning feauer, the pestilence▪ or the sword kill vsus, or whether the prison be set or broken open.
Secondly, we are not so much to feare the hand as the wound; but death doth not so much wound as cure and salue the godly from their sinnes and miseries.
Thirdly, wee may hereby bee preuented of a more lingring and fearefull death, as to die by famine, and by r…cking,Psal 44.22. Rom. 8. v. 2 flaying▪ &c.
Lastly, wee must remember that it is the lot of Gods children oftentimes this way to die and that no kind of death naturall or violent can separate them or vsus from the louelove wherewith God loueth vsus in Christ.