The Whole Duty of Mourning and Preparing Ourselves for Death, Part 2
THE Second Branch, HOW To Fortifie our Selves against THE Fears of DEATH.
CHAP. I. That if we dedicate our Lives to Christ, the advantage of Death will be to our Selves.
THe Apostle tells us, Phil. 1.21. to me to live is Christ, and to dye is Gain. First St. Paul lived, so do all Men, so do all Animals, what our Apostle saith of Bodies, I may of Life: there is a natural Body, and there is a spiritual Body, 1 Cor. 15.44. so there is a Natural; and there is a Spiritual Life; this is an hidden; but that a manifest Life; this an inclosure, but that a common; it is common to Heathens with Christians, to Beasts with Men; the little Ant, the crawling Worms have a share in Life as well as we; so that these may say as well as St. Paul, to me to live; why should we be so much in love with, or dote upon this Life, which we have no more Interest in, than the meanest living Creature? indeed, it is a Mercy for which we ought to be thankful; it is a Talent which we are to improve; but it is no Priviledge wherein we should glory, whereof we should boast, or wherewith we should be too much affected.
II. Secondly, as St. Paul lived, so he made account of dying: others live as well as he, and he must dye as well as others; and as certainly as we live, we must die: and Man is no less subject to perishing than the Beast; yea, the good man hath no more exemption than the bad; for so the Prophet asserts, Isa. 57.1. The Righteous perisheth: indeed the Apostle elsewhere calls Righteousness a Brest-plate, Eph. 6.14. but it is not Death proof; and though it delivereth in, yet not from Death: it is true, Death is the wages of Sin, but still, it is here the Lot of a Saint: perfect Innocency should not have known Mortality, but Grace in the best is mixed with that Sin, which bringeth Death: Christ, (I grant,) hath taken away Death, but so as he hath taken away Sin for the present, only in part, not fully: Sin is taken away by Death, that is the Power and Guilt of it.
III. And indeed, it is not without manifold Reason that divine Providence hath so ordered it: first that the Members may be conformable to their Head, and that we may follow Christ, the same way of Death, in which he hath gone before us to Glory: secondly, that by pulling down of the Wall, the Moss may be fully plucked out, and by the dissolution of the Body, its Infirmity and Frailty wholly Purged away: thirdly, that the Power of God may appear the more Glorious in Raising us up, after Death hath laid us in the Grave and the Grave turn'd us into Dust: fourthly, finally, that the Strength of our Faith might appear the more in believing we shall live though we die: for these Reasons the Wise God hath appointed his own Children to Walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.
IV. To carry it yet one Step further, and that in a few Words, it is no other than St. Paul (who was not only a Christian, but an Apostle) who taketh it for granted, that he must die; neither the Word nor the Work of Righteousness can secure from Death; for Prophets, Apostles, Ministers as well as others, are Mortal, and must dye: indeed, they are, (according to our Saviour's Metaphor) the Lights of the World, but such as after a while may be blown out by a violent, however must go out by a natural Death: Clouds they are from whom the Rain of Instruction falls upon the People, but at length they themselves vanish away: finally, Angels they are in Respect of their Office, but still they are Men in regard of their Nature, and must die like Men: St. Paul himself hence supposeth it is a thing which sooner or later would befall him.
V. Now this blest Pattern of the Apostle, might serve to shame us out of our inordinate living to our Selves, and quicken us in our endeavour to live to Christ; as Peter said in another case to Christ, John. 6.68. Lord, whither should we go? thou hast the Words of Eternall Life: let us say in this, Lord to whom should we live? thou hast Command of our Natural Life; yea, thou art the Life of our Life, and Soul of our Soul: oh that all our Oyl might empty it self into this Golden Candlestick! that all our Water might run in this Channel, all our Actions be levell'd at this Mark CHRIST, and his Honour: for indeed, all he did was in reference to us; he was born for us, liv'd for us, died for us, Rose again for us, is Ascended, and Sitteth at God's Righthand, and shall at last come again for us: why should not our Souls then wish to be with him? it is a known saying, the Soul is not where it liveth, but where it loveth: and it is no less true, whom the Soul loveth, to him it will live: and it is by Faith that Christ liveth in us, and it is by Love that we live to Christ: let him be the sole Object of thine Affections, and then he will be the chief end of thy Actions.
VI. That Expression of the Spouse in the Canticles, my beloved is mine, and I am his; Cant. 2.16. is very considerable to this purpose: my beloved is mine, in that she expresseth her Sense of Christ's Affection towards her: and I am his, in that she insinuateth her love towards Christ: and (which was the Fruit of it) the Resignation of her self to Christ: excellently doth St. Bernard Illustrate these Words: he is mine, and I am his: he mine, because he is merciful: I his, because I am not unthankful: he Conferreth on me, Grace for Grace: I return him Praise for his Grace: he is for my Deliverance, I for his Honour: he for my Salvation, I in Subjection to his Will. Thus it was with the Spouse, and thus it will be with every Christian, who duly pondereth upon the Mercy of Christ towards him, and hath his Soul affected with Love and gratitude to Christ. Now if there were not in us any Spark of Love to Christ, yet even Self-love cannot but strongly oblige us to live to Christ, in as much as this is the only Honourable, Profitable, and Pleasurable Life.
VII. No Life so honourable as this: all Actions are dignified, especially by the End to which they tend; whence the more noble the Intention, the more noble the Operation: and what Intention can be higher, or end nobler than the Glory of Christ? this is that which by a strange Activity turneth our Earthly into an Heavenly, our Natural, into a Spiritual Life, which is the most excellent of all Lives: to live to a Man's Lusts, debaseth his Life, and maketh it no better than Beastial; but to live to Christ, exalteth it, and rendreth it no less than Angelical.
VIII. Nor is no Life truly Profitable but this; the Way to live to our Selves, is to live to Christ: whilst he hath the Glory, we have the Benefit: and as his Name is Advanc'd, so our Good is Advantag'd: there is a strange Riddle, and a seeming Contradiction in those Words of God by the Prophet Hos. 10.1 Ephraim is an empty vine, and bringeth forth fruit: a Vine is then said to be Empty when it is Fruitless, and can that which bringeth forth Fruit be said to be Fruitless? but the next Words [to himself] unfolds the Riddle, and reconciles the Contradiction, since the Fruit which is brought forth to our selves is no Fruit: what one said of the day wherein he had done no good, I have lost a day: that may we say in this case, that day and time of our Life is lost, wherein we live not to Christ.
IX. Finally, this is the most Pleasurable Life, free from those Cares and Fears, Distractions and Vexations, with which living to the World, and our Lusts, is encumbred, full of those Joys and sweet Pleasures, and Delights whereof all others are Ignorant: he that can say, to me to live is Christ, may say, to me to live is peace of Consience, contentment of Mind, and Joy in the Holy Ghost, in one Word, this is the only way to make both our Life Comfortable; and our Death Gainful.
X. I shall now Conduct you into the Walk of the pleasant Field of Death's Gain, where it will appear that Death is Gain to a Godly Man, and a Good Christian; many are the Miseries under which we Groan in this Life; but, as St. Ambrose says, Death is a Cure for 'em all: in this respect it is, that Seneca saith aptly, it is the cause of none, but the end of many evils: upon this account it was, that Death hath been, even by the Heathens, looked upon as an Advantage: when those two famous Carpenters, Agamedes, and Trophonius, had built a Temple for Apollo at Delphos, they begg'd of him a Reward, to whom this Answer was given by the Oracle, that it should be Conferred on them within Nine days; within which time they died: and when Cydippe begg'd of Juno a Boon for her two Sons, Cleobis and Bito, she found them in the Morning dead in their Beds, as if the Gods could not bestow a greater Benefit than Death, by which Men are freed from the Calamities of Life.
XI. In this respect Seneca's Comparison is very fit, who resembleth Death to an Haven, into which when the Ship enters, she is past all the danger of Rocks, Sands, Waves or Winds, to which she was Continually liable upon the Tumultuous Seas: indeed Death is that which delivereth our Bodies from Pains and Aches, our Tears, and our Hearts from Sorrows: and in this respect St. John calls them who die in the Lord, blessed, because they rest from their Labours, Revel. 14.16. to wit, all Labour both of Mind and Body with which here they are oppressed.
XII. The Truth is, many are the Afflictions of all Men, so especially of the Righteous in this Life: they are sure to meet with Persecution from Wicked Men, for their Righteousness sake; as the Tree is beaten with Sticks for its Fruits sake; yea, such is the rage of Persecutors, that they care not to what Sorrows, of Hunger, Cold, Nakedness, Imprisonment, Banishment, and Want, they expose them: besides, Almighty God is pleas'd to Chastise em; for whilst he lets others alone in Sin, he exercises their Graces by Adversity, whilst others enjoy Prosperity: but when Death comes, it sets them free from all, as being the last Chastisement which God doth inflict upon, and the last Mischief which Wicked Men can do to the Godly.
XIII. Finally, so long as we continue in this World, the bur of Corruption will cleave to us; but Death rids us of it: according to that of St. Paul, 6.7. He that is dead is free from Sin: in this respect, Death is fitly called by St. Ambrose, the Grave of our Sins; and by Gregory Nyssen, the Expurgation of Wickedness, for till the Vessel be broken, the muddy Water of Corruption cannot be wholly poured out: Consult the Experience of the Saints, and you shall find them still Complaining of Spiritual Conflicts with their Corruptions: we are besieged on every side, (as Saint Cyprian observes) and, oh how often is a Breach made upon us! if Covetousness be knocked down, Lust riseth up; if Lust be quelled, Pride starteth forth; if Pride be subdu'd, Anger exasperateth; thus are we forced to a continual strugling with our Sins: but when we die, the Combat ceaseth; and as for the present we are not under Sin; so then, we shall be without Sin, or so much as the Motions of Sin.
CHAP. II. Of the Fears of Death, and how to Fortifie our Selves against them: Practically Considered.
DEath in all Mens Opinion is the King of Terrors, and the most formidablest Enemy in the World to humane Nature, now all Grief ariseth from Love and Self-interest, and naturally Men fear Death, because it puts a period to that Life, which Indulgent Love, and Weak Nature would preserve: Christians were wont to assume that Courage, that no Fear possess'd 'em, but that of Sin: they could Expostulate with the Law, and say, thou hast no power over me, for God the Father hath sent his beloved Son to Redeem me from the Captivity of thy Bondage, and therefore thy Terrors and Accusations, are all in vain: for this Expedient I have, I will creep into the hole in my Saviours Side: there will I hide my self from all my Foes, and plunge my Conscience in his bleeding Wounds, and by Vertue of his bitter Death, Victorious Resurrection, and Glorious Ascension shall I gain the Conquest.
II. Why should we then thus be surrrounded with Fears, and permit Death's Terrors thus to affright us? seems it so hard a task to Walk the Path, which all our Ancestors have Trod before us? Adam the first of all Mankind, and Righteous Noah that feared the Almighty: Abraham the Father of the Faithful, and Friend of God, and Moses the Servant of the Lord: David the Man after God's own Heart, and Solomon the Wisest King that e'er Sway'd the Scepter: all these have Justly paid their Debt to nature, and subcribed to the Law of universal Mortality: Nay, Jesus himself, the blessed Saviour of the World, has expired on the Accursed Cross of Eternal Shame; and went to his Transcendant Glory through the Gates of Death.
III. And Now shall our Childish and fond Self-love so blindly flatter us; as to wish an Exception from this regular and general Rule? shall we be still murmuring and repining, when our Life is but a Bubble, a Vapour, nay, but, a Span, and still expos'd to innumerable Sorrows and Afflictions? does not the very shortness mitigate and abate its Miseries? and does not those many Miseries highly applaud its shortness? should we not rather be glad and rejoye at the approach of Death, that when e'er it comes it proves so advantagious to us? if in our Aged Years, tis a Haven of Repose; and ought to be kindly Entertain'd after so long, and tedious a Voyage: if Death appears in our Infancy and Youth, it prevents a Thousand Calamities, and numberless Dangers of ruining our Souls: if by an ordinary fit of Sickness, 'tis according to the Course of Nature; if by any disaster or outward Violence, 'tis always the will of Heaven: what occasion have we then to dread or fear, how many Darts Death has in his Quiver, when we are sure he can throw but one at us.
IV. Therefore to depart this World is an act to be done but once; and that once well done, we are happy for ever: we must needs confess the Decrees of the Almighty are always Just; and that 'tis only our selves are the cause of all our Miseries; for no sooner are we Born but we begin to Sin, we Sacrifice our minority and Youth to Vain Sports and Follies; and our Riper Years to Gluttony, Drunkenness, Lust, and Pride: we spend our Old Age in Politick Craft and Greedy Avarice; and begin not to live till we are ready for the Grave: then indeed we lament the shortness of our time; when we have our selves like Spend thrifts thrown it all so Prodigally away: for when we have lived, and led a loose and negligent Life, we then Complain Death seizes on us unawares: we find fault that perhaps our days are too few to grow Rich; or to satisfie the Ambition of a haughty Spirit: but did we strive to be Taught the Love of God, and to immitate the meek and humble Life of the Blessed Jesus: it would require not so much the number of Years; as the faithful endeavours and utmost diligence of a Pious Mind: could we but bestow, on the improvement of our Immortal Souls, the time we so vainly trifle away on our Frail Bodies; our day would be short enough and not seem tedious; and long enough to finish our appointed Task.
V. Then what shall we but say to our Souls! that our only business here, is but like unto the Wise Virgins; to Trim our Lamps, and to wait the coming of the Bridegroom? but to sow the Immortal Seed of a never failing Hope; and expect hereafter to reap a due Increase: it is insignificant, how late in the Year the Fruit be gathered; if still it improve in growing better: no matter how soon it falls from the laden Tree; if a Stormy Wind blow it not down before it proves Ripe: let us then Contemplate, on God's most Just and Secret providence; who governs all things by the Counsel of his Divine Will whose powerful Hand can Wound and Heal; lead down to the Grave of Silence, and bring back again: let us be ever ready, to him to bow our Heads, and freely submit to him our dearest Concerns: let us say unto him, Lord, strike as Thou pleasest our Health, or Lives, we cannot be safer than at thy disposal: only these few, but earnest Requests we humbly make; which, O may thy Clemency Vouchsafe to hear! Cut us not off in the midst of our Sins and Folly; nor suffer us to Expire with our Sins unpardoned: but make us, Lord, first fit, and ready for Heaven; and then take us to thy self in thy own due time: for 'tis not for us, O Lord, to choose our own Conditions; but to manage well what thou hast appointed.
VI. It is true, Death bereaveth us of a Mortal and Transitory Life, but it is an inlet to an Immortal and Everlasting Life; it despoileth us of our Worldly possessions; I, but it putteth us in possession of our Heavenly Inheritance, it taketh us from the Society of our bosome Friends and Neighbours: I, but it sends us to Abraham's Bosome, and makes way for our Society with Christ: finally, it severs the Soul from the Body; I, but it unites the Soul to God: what is it for the Candle to be put out, whilst we enjoy the light of the Sun? for the standing Pools to be dry, so long as we may drink at the Fountain? for our Earthly Comforts to be taken from us, when Heavenly Joys are Conferred on us? the truth is, Death is not a privation, but a permutation: so Holy Job calleth it a Change: Job 14.14. and that a Blessed Exchange, of a Cottage for a Palace, a Wilderness for a Paradise, a House of Bondage for a Place of Liberty, of Brass for Gold, Pebles for Pearls, Earth for Heaven.
VII. But let the advantages of Death mitigate the Fears which is apt to arise in us from the apprehensions of it; when Abigall told Nabal the threatning Words of David; the Text says, 1 Sam. 25.27. his heart died within him, and became as a Stone. thus is it with the most of us, when any Summons of Death is given: nay, not only with the most, but even sometimes with the best: Christ cometh to the Disciples on the Sea, to preserve them from the Storm, and they are Troubled; Death cometh to deliver us from all evil, and we exceedingly Tremble: indeed the reason is, because we Consider not that Death is a deliverance, and an advantage to us: what Chrysologus saith of Martyrs, is true of all Good Men, Their death is a birth and end a beginning, they live by being killed, and whilst they are thought to be extinguished on Earth, they shine in Heaven; and surely were this well pondered by us, we would not seek Consolation against Death, but Death it self would be our Consolation: those Words of Job, chap. 16.14. I have said to Corruption thou art my Father; to the Worm thou art my Mother and Sister, are not unfitly allegorized by Origen to this purpose; as if he therefore called Corruption and Worms his Father and Mother, because as Parents are comforters to their Children, so were they to him.
VIII. It is true the Separation of Soul and Body is Terrible, and a natural Fear of it cannot but be in all; I but it is as true in respect of the Godly, that when this Separation is made, the Soul is set at Liberty, and rejoyceth, yea, the Body is at rest, and knoweth no Trouble; and is such a Separation to be feared? this Life, what is it but a going to Death? and Death what is it but a going to Life? little cause there is then sure, why we should either too much Love the one, or Fear the other: shall that be the Object of our Fear, says Tertullian, Which freeth us from what ever is to be feared? and this we have from the Mouth of a Roman, I would not be Young again though God would grant it me, and he giveth this Reason, because when I die I shall go from my Inn to my home.
I. It is not Death it self, but our mis-apprehension of Death is terrible to us; says St. Ambrose: Did we look through, beyond Death, at the happiness which followeth, it would not be dreadful but Amiable in our Eyes, and with the Apostle we would not Fear, but desire to depart: that of the Wise Man, Prov. 14.32. the Righteous hath hope in his death, the Caldee reads, the Righteous hopeth he shall dye; so far is a Good Man, from fearing of that he hopeth for, his dissolution; and though he dare not rashly hasten, yet he willingly entertaineth it, whensoever sent by the Almighty to him.
X. Now if a good Life preceed, an happy Death cannot but follow; nor is it probable, a happy Death should be the Consequent, if a religious Life hath not been the Antecedent: some there are, who would invert these Words of the Apostle, Phil. 1.21. To me to live is Christ, but to die is Gain: and make Gain the predicate of the former; and Christ of the latter; thus doth every Covetous man say, To me to live is Gain, and to dye is Christ; Vain Men who will have Gold to be their God, and yet Christ to be their Redeemer, they will serve Mammon whilst they live, and yet be saved by a Saviour when they dye; but it will be Just with Christ to say to all such Mammonists, in these Words of God to the Israelites, in the day of their distress, Go to the Gods which you have Served, the Gain which you have lived to, and let that deliver you in this hour of your Death.
XI. Others there are who would severe these Clauses, whilst they would gladly say, To dye is Gain, but not to live is Christ: one was asked, whether he had rather be Croesus or Socrates, his answer was, he would be rich Croesus in his Life, and good Socrates at his Death; you know whose Prayer it was, Numb. 23.10. Let me dye the death of the Righteous, and let my last end be like his; and it is that no doubt which many wish and desire; nay hope, who yet regardeth not to live, the Life of the Righteous, and that their Course to that end may be like his: but what a Folly, nay Madness is it, for Men to expect to Reap that they do not Sow? to Sow to the Flesh, and to the World, and yet Reap by Christ the Gain of everlasting Life after Death? as therefore we expect the one, let us endeavour the other; and if Gain by Death be our Hope, let living to Christ be our practice,
XII. So that this Scripture thus Considered, doth plainly put a difference between the Precious and the Vile, the Godly and the Wicked; whilst to these who live to themselves Death is a loss; but to those that live to Christ, it is a Gain: Adrian was wont to say, that Death is the Rich Man's fear, and the Poor Man's desire: and this I may well apply here, Death either is, or may be the bad Man's fear, but the good Man's wish, or to use St. Ambrose his Expression; it is an Haven to the Just, but a Shipwrack to the Guilty; to the Good, a Bed of Repose, but to the Wicked a Rack of Torture; The Man who liveth to the World, saith to Death, as Ahab to Elijah. 1 Kings 21.20. Hast thou found me oh mine Enemy! but he who liveth to Christ, may say to it as David of Ahimaz. 2 Sam. 18.27. it cometh with good tydings.
XIII. And now would you on the one hand see the reason why you are so fearful of Death? it is because your Consciences accuse you, that you have not lived as becometh Christ's Disciples; and so you may thank your own Guilty Consciences for those fears of Death: it was not without reason, that St. Paul saith, 1 Cor. 15.56. The sting of death is Sin; since Death is only venemous and deadly to them who live in Sin: on the other hand, would you see the way to a joyful End? would you have Comfort in, and Gain after Death? Oh let it be your Study to live to Christ: it is our Saviour's Counsel to his Disciples, Mat. 6.25. Take no thought for your life, let me alter it a little, take no thought for your death, but for your Life, let your Care be to advance Christ in your lives, and it will be his Care to Confer the Gain of Glory and Immortality upon you at your Death.
XIV. Lastly, I shall earnestly beseech you in those Words of our Saviour to his Disciples, I say unto you all Watch; indeed, when we see many falling in their full Strength, and snatch'd away in the prime of their days, have we not reason to Watch? and Watching to prepare for the Hour of our Death: let it then be the Care of us all whilst we live, to live to the Glory of our Creator, every one of us in our Station, Consecrating our selves to, and Employing our Talents in his Service, and for his Glory; and whensoever that time shall approach, whether sooner or later, to any of us; we may like good Stewards give up our Accompts with Joy and not with Grief; and receive that happy Commendation of Well done goood and faithful Servants, enter into the Joy of thy Lord.
XV. It was reasonable Advice, and a proper Instrument of Vertue, which Pythagoras taught his Scholars: Let not Sleep seize upon the Regions of your Senses, before you have three times recalled the Conversation, and Accidents of the day: Examine what you have Committed against the Divine Law, what you have Omitted of your Duty, and what Use you have made of the Divine Grace to the purposes of Vertue and Religion; joyning the Iudge Reason, to the Legislative Mind or Conscience, that God may Reign there as a Law-giver and a Judge: then Christ's Kingdom is set up in our Hearts: then we always live in the Eye of our Judge, and live by the Measures of Reason, Religion, and Sober Counsels.