The Sick Mans Catechism, Chapter 19
The xix Chapter. Of the second maine proposition, to witt the right disposition of a man in death.
Qu. What is the right disposition of a man in death?
An. A religious and an holy behauiour of a mans selfe, specially towards God.
Qu. What are the parts of it?
An. Thrée especially: First, to dye in faith. Secondly, to dye in obedience. Thirdly, …o resigne our soules into the hands of God.
Qu. What is it to dye in faith?
An. When a man being ready to die, doth wholly depend vponupon Gods fauour and mercy in Christ, as it is reuealed in how Scripture.
Qu. UUhy must this duty bee now performed?
An. Because all other helps and comforts fayling, it is the very time to practise faith.
Qu. How is faith to be expressed?
An. By pra…er and thankes giuing. Iob. 2. 9. Hebr. 11. 22. Iames. 5. v. 15.
Qu. What if sense, vnderstanding and vtterance be wanting?
An. Praier consisteth rather & more in the affection of the hart, then in the voice Pro…. 15. 16.which is onelyonly the outward instrument and messenger of the heart, and God Io…. 4. 24.most of all looketh vntounto the heart.
Secondly, the very sighs and gron…s of a repentant sinner, are prayers, as much accepted with God, as if they had Rom. 8. ver. 26.béene vttered by the voyce. Exod. 14. verse, 15.
Qu. How is faith else to be expressed?
Ans. By the last wordes, which commonly in the true seruants of God, are excellent and full of comfort, as many examples out of Scripture, and the experience of all ages prooueth.
Qu. To what principal and ordinary heads may all that the godly speake in death be referred?
An. To omit extraordinary gifts and reuelations many hundred yeares ago ceased: They either wonderfully recount Gods benef…s in their life past, or do greatly reioyce in that they are shortly to be translated into a better condition, or do discourse of the vanities of the world, the comforts of death, and the beginning of euerlasting life, and the presence and assistance of the holy Ghost, or in a word, they all desire, wait, and pray for eternall li….
Ques. What if GODS children in their sicknes vtter no such Apothegmes or heauenly spéeches, but rather speake foolish and vnsauory spéeches?
An. It may be that the nature of the disease is violent, and therefore accompanyed with fren…es, and vnséemely gestures, and then no diuine matter is to bee expected from them, but al are to be constru…d charitably & in good part.
Qu. Why so?
An. Because wée also are subiect to the like extremities.
Qu. How must wee then iudge of them?.
An. Rather by the godly course of their life past then by their death.
And thus much of the first du…y which is to dye in faith.
The 2. Section.
Qu. What i… …he second duty in the right disposition to dye well?
An. To dye in obedience?
Que. Why must wee dye in obedience?
An. Because otherwise our death cannot be pleasing & acceptable vntounto God.
Ques. What reason moueth you to say so?
An. Because they that doe not die in obedience, séeme like slaues to come vntounto God, rather of feare and compulsion, as though the Lord were come to torment vsus before the time, then of louelove and duty like sons and childen, Hence it is that by reason of their impatiency, they wish that they neuer had béene borne, resting more in these outward deceitfull and …ransitory thinges then in the life to come.
Ques. What is it to die in obedience?
Ans. When a …an …s willing at Gods command to leaue …he world without murmuring or discontentment. Ph. 1. 23
And therefore we are to make a conscience of this duty as well as of any other.
Qu What ought to make vsus willing to die?
An. Because the Godly are respected of GOD in their death, and their death is pretious in his sight.
The third Section.
Ques. What is the third duty?
Answ. To commend our soules into Psa. 31. 5.GODS handes as vntounto a faithfull creator.
Que. Is it not an easie matter to performe these thrée duties?
Ans. No verily, for ordinarily these duties cannot be performed in death, vnlesse much preparation hath gon before in our life, for otherwise we shall come vntounto Christ our indge no otherwise then a malefactor to the executioner.
Secondly, for a man to be resolued that both God can and will saue his soule, procéedeth onelyonly from the holy Ghost and is no easie matter to be perswaded of.
Quest. What is the end of those men that die in faith, obedience, and that commend their soules into GODS hands.
Ans. Their end is most blessed, for death is to them a swéet sléepe onelyonly, and it is no enemy but a friend to soule and body, it accomplisheth our mortification, it fully endeth the battaile betwéene the flesh and the spirit, & it is the ladder of heauen & the gate of Paradice.
The 4 Section.
Obie. But I shall leaue my wife a poore widdow and succorlesse, how then can I die in faith, and obedience?
Ans. God will prouide for the widdowes that feare him.
Secondly Christ will neuer forsake them.
Thirdly they shall shortly méete together in heauen.
Lastly as a man for his wiues sake willingly left and departed from his parents, so they must without griefe, or discontentment goe vntounto God, that is more to be beloued then all creatures whatsoeuer.
Quest. But my poore children shal be left to the wide world, destitute and vnprouided for.
A. First God, according to his couenant is the God as well of the children, as Gen. 12. 1…he was of the parents and therefore he will alike prouide for them.
Secondly, if they séeke the kingdome of God first and make the Lord their sheapheard they shall want no good things and they shalbe fed in the time of famine. Psa. 34.
Qu. What vse is to be made of this last point.
Ans. First let the parents commend their children vntounto the prouidence and 1. 23. 1.protection of Almighty God. Secondly, the children, if onelyonly they feare and serue GOD, must not doubt hereof.
Obi. Oh, but I must forgoe all the honors, pleasures and profites of this life: how then can I with comfort performe the thrée aboue named duties?
Ans. First these things are but vaine deceitfull, temporary and they cannot make vsus blessed.
Secondly we are strangers and pilgrimes in this world, and therefore we must not set our hearts and affections vponupon these things, but mind and …. 18.meditate vponupon heauenly and eternall thinge.
Thirdly Christ his kingdome is not of this world, but is heauenly, and the goods▪ wherewith he enricheth his are spirituall, Ergo we must not looke to hauehave our rest and heauen here.
Fourthly they that dote and surfet vponupon these earthly and out-ward things, are void of faith, hope and repentance, and so perish, and therefore it is better willingly to forgoe these things then to bee vndone by them.
Lastly, we must looke for true and euerlasting honour the pretious and proper riches: sincere and neuer discontenting pleasure in the paradice of heauen onelyonly, and bid auant to these earthly matters, when they hinder vsus in the course of Godlinesse, and most destrously forsake them, when the Lord by death calleth vsus to the kingdome of glory and the felicity thereof.
Que. Ought a man to feare death?
Ans. He ought partly to feare it, and partly not to feare it.
Questi. Why must a man feare death?
An. First because it is the destruction of nature, and a paineful correction.
Ques. What vse is to be made hereof.
Ans. We must feare sinne that is the cause thereof, and acknowledge Christ an enemy to it and offended with sinne.
Que. What is the second reason why we must feare death.
An. Because by the death of the Godly, the Church or common wealth suffereth losse and we are beréeued of the saffe and stay of our comfort. 2. Reg. 2.
Qu. What if a man in death sée no way how to escape Satans temptation?
Ans, He must close his eyes, commit his cause to God, and put on the spirituall armour of faith, hope and the word of God.
Que. What if a Godly man doubt, and his flesh tremble to enter into another life?
Ans. We must not yeeld to these temtations but resist them, and our spirit is to be commended into Gods hand and then Christ with all his Angells will come and bee our guide to eternall life.
Secondly we must stoutly vndergo it and meditate vponupon Christs sufferings, and the issue and end wilbe happy deliuerance.
Que. What if Satan contrarywise laboureth to expell all feare, to make a man careles, and laboureth to perswade him as he did maister Knoxe, to rest in an opinion of his owne merits, and so would puffe him vp with pride & arrogancy?
Ans. He must consider and confesse that his owne righteousnes is foule and deformed, he must resist and withstand that temptation, and attribute all the glory of his saluation to God alone.
Que. In what and for what causes must we not feare death 1. Cor. 4. 7.?
Ans. For fiue causes, first because we hauehave hence a cause and an occasion to shew our subiection & obedience to God. Secondly, because we are fréed from sin which is a principal part of our glorification. Thirdly, because the very body lying in the graue is refreshed against labours, and is deliuered from death and misery, and shall rise againe in glory. Fourthly, it conueieth & translateth the soule vntounto eternall life, wher God is perfectly serued, & it hath blessed fellowship with Christ and all the Angells and Saints of heauen.
Lastly, because by death GOD purgeth and disburdneth his Church of euil men.
Qu. Séeing that death is the cause of so great good to the godly, may a man lawfully desire it?
An. Yes, so that it be not of impatiency or desperation. Secondly, Iob & many …hil 1. 23. …om. 7. …. Cor. 5.others hauehave desired death again & again, and are not therfore reproued.
Qu. May a man simply desire death?
An. No truly, but a man must walke in his calling and standing, so long as it shall please God: For the godly had rather liue to sette forth Gods glory, thē for their owne temporall commodity.
Qu. In what respects is death to bée desired?
An. So farre forth as it is a meane to frée and deliuer vsus from the burden and contagion of sinne, and from the miseryes and troubles of this life.
Secondly, as it is a meane and instrument to the manifest vision of God, and to the immediate fellowshippe …oc. 14. ….of God and Christ.
Lastly, our desire must bee moderate, and agréeable to Gods will and good pleasure.
Quest. May a man contrariwise desire long life?
An. Yes, so the end and scope of his life be to doe acceptable seruice to God, and to further and maintaine Gods religion Isay 38. 18.and glory, and labour to help and forward other mens faith, &c. Phil, 1. 24. 25.
Quest. If the death of the godly bée so blessed, what shall wee thinke of the death of the wicked?
An. It is altogether accursed and fearefull.
Que. Why so?
Ans. First because it is the dissolution of nature, and the wages of sinne.
Secondly, for that by reason of Gods iustice pursuing the wicked in eueryevery place, and because they hauehave no peace of conscience, death is to them the beginning of euerlasting damnation. For they féele no mitttigation of theyr gréefe in death, nor hauehave so much as the least hope and expectation of ease and deliuerance.
Qu. What is the conclusion and sum of all that hath bin said
An. Wee must striue and continually indeauour to liue and dye well and godly, that wée may bee blessed both in life and death: and that we when this earthly life and pilgrimage is ended, may liue and triumph for euer with our Lord Iesus in heaue…: which the Lord in mercy graunt and effect
Amen.