Two Treatises on Death and Judgment, Treatise · Direction 9
DIRECTION. IX.
IT will ſomewhat abate the fears of Death, to conſider the Reſtleſneſs and troubles of this life, and the manifold evils that end at Death. And becauſe this Conſideration is little available with men in proſperity, it pleaſeth God to exerciſe us with adverſity, that when we find there no is hope of Reſt on earth, we may look after it where it is, and venture on Death by the impulſe of neceſſity. Here we are continually burdened with our ſelves, anonyed by our corruptions, and pained by the diſeaſes of our ſouls; or endangered moſt; when pained leaſt. And would we be thus ſtill? We live in the continual ſmart of the fruit of our own folly, and the hurts that we catch by our careleſs or inconſiderate walking, like children that often fall and cry; and would we ſtill live ſuch a life as this? The weakneſs of our faith, the darkneſs of our minds, the diſtance and ſtrangeneſs of our ſouls to God, are a continual languiſhing and trouble to our hearts▪ How grievous is it to us that we can love him nomore, nor be more aſſured of his love to us? that we find continually ſo much of the creature, and ſo little of God upon our hearts? that carnal affections are ſo eaſily kindled in us, and the Love of God will ſcarce be kept in any life, by the richeſt mercies, the moſt powerful means, and by our greateſt diligence? Oh what a death is it to our hearts, that ſo many odious temptations ſhould have ſuch free acceſs, ſuch ready entertainment, ſuch ſmall reſiſtance, and ſo great ſucceſs? that ſuch horrid thoughts of unbelief ſhould look into our minds, and ſtay ſo long, and be ſo familiar with us, that the bleſſed myſteries of the Goſpel, and the ſtate of ſeparated ſouls, and the happineſs of the life to come, are known ſo ſlightly, and believed ſo weakly and imperfectly, and meet with ſo many carnal queſtionings and doubts? that when we ſhould be ſolacing our ſouls in the fore-thoughts of Heaven, we look toward it with ſuch ſtrangeneſs and amazement, as if we ſtaggered at the promiſe of God through unbelief; and there is ſo much Atheiſm in our Affections, God being almoſt as no God to them ſometime, and Heaven almoſt as no Heaven to them, that it ſhews there is too much in our Underſtandings. O what a Death is it to our minds, that when we ſhould live in the Love of Infinite goodneſs, we find ſuch a remnant of carnal enmity, and God hath ſuch reſiſtance, and ſo narrow, ſo ſhort, ſo cold, ſo unkind entertainment in thoſe hearts that were made to love him, and that ſhould know and own no love but his? What a bondage is it, that our ſouls are ſo entangled with the creatures? and ſo detained from the love of God? and that we draggle on this earth, and can reach no higher, and the delightful Communion with God, and a Converſation in Heaven, are things that we have ſo ſmall experience of? Alas, that we that are made for God, and ſhould live to him, and be ſtill upon his work, and know no other; ſhould be ſo byaſſed by the fleſh, and captivated by ſelf-love, and loſt at home, that our affections and intentions do hardly get above our ſelves, but there we are too prone to terminate them all; and loſe our God, even in a ſeeming Religiouſneſs, while we will be gods to our ſelves! How grievous is duplicate page duplicate page it that ſuch wonders and glorious appearances of God, as are contained in the incarnation, life and death of Chriſt; and in all the parts of the work of our Redemption, ſhould no more affect us than they do, nor take up our ſouls in more thankful admiration, nor raviſh us into higher joyes! Alas, that Heaven commands our ſouls no more from Earth! that ſuch an infinite glory is ſo near us, and we enjoy ſo little of it, and have no more ſavour of it upon our ſouls! That in the hands of God, and before his face, we do no more regard him! That the great and wonderful matters of our Faith, do ſo little affect us, that we are tempted thereby to queſtion the ſincerity of our Faith, if not the reality of the things believed: and that ſo little of theſe great and wondrous things appeareth in our lives, that we tempt the world to think our Faith is but a fancy. Is not all this grievous to an honeſt heart? and ſhould we not be ſo far weary of ſuch a life as this, as to be willing to depart and be with Chriſt.
If it would ſo much rejoyce a gracious ſoul, to have a ſtonger Faith, a more lively hope, a more tender Conſcience, a more humble ſelf-abhorring heart, to be more fervent in prayer, more reſolute againſt temptations, and more ſucceſsfully to fight againſt them; with what deſire and joy then ſhould we look towards Heaven, where we ſhall be above our ſtrongeſt Faith and Hope, and have no more need of the healing graces, or the healing Ordinances, nor be put upon ſelf-afflicting work, nor troubled with the temptations, nor terrified by the face of any enemy.
Now, if we will vigorouſly appear for God, againſt a ſinful generation, how many will appear againſt us? how bitterly will they reproach us? how falſly will they ſlander us, and ſay all manner of evil againſt us? and it is well if we ſcape the violence of their hands! and what ſhould be our joy in all theſe ſufferings, but that Great is our reward in Heaven! Matth. 11. 12.
Alas! how are we continually here annoyed, by the preſence, and the motions and the ſucceſs of ſin in our ſelves and others! It dwelleth in us night and day; we cannot get it to ſtay behind, no, not when we addreſs our ſelves to God; not in our publick worſhip, or our ſecret prayers: not for the ſpace of one Lords Day, or one Sermon, or one Sacrament; in ordinary or extraordinary duty. O what a bleſſed day and duty would it be, in which we could leave our ſin behind us; and converſe with God in ſpotleſs innocency, and worſhip and adore him without that darkneſs, and ſtrangeneſs, and unbelief, and dulneſs, and doubtings, and diſtractions, that are now our daily miſeries? Can we have grace and not be weary of theſe corruptions? Can we have life, and not be pained with theſe diſeaſes? And can we live in daily pain and wearineſs, and not be willing of releaſe? Is there a gracious ſoul, that groaneth not under the burden of theſe miſeries? yea, in every prayer, what do we elſe but confeſs them, and lament them, and groan for help, and for deliverance? And yet ſhall we fear our day of freedom, and be loth that Death ſhould bring us news, that our prayers are heard, and our groans have reached up to heaven, and that the bonds of fleſh and ſin ſhall be diſſolved, and we ſhall have need to watch, and ſtrive, and fear, and complain, and ſigh, and weep no more? Shall the face of death diſcourage us from deſiring ſuch a bleſſed day? When we have ſo full aſſurance, that at laſt this enemy alſo ſhall be deſtroyed? The Lord heal and pardon the Hypocriſie of our complaints, together with the unbelief and cowardlineſs of our Souls! Do we ſpeak ſo much, and hear ſo much, and ſeem to do ſo much againſt ſin, and yet had we rather keep it ſtill, then be ſtript of it, together with the rags of our mortality? and yet had we rather dwell with ſin, in tempting, troubling, corruptible fleſh, then lay them by, and dwell with Chriſt? O Lord, how lamentably have we loſt our wiſdom, and drowned our minds in fleſh and folly, by forſaking thee our light and life! How come our reaſonable ſouls to be ſo bewitched, as after all our convictions, complaints, and prayers, to be ſtill more willing of our ſickneſs then of the remedy, and more afraid of this bitter Cup, then of the poyſon that lodgeth in our bowels, which it would expel! and that after all the labour we have uſed, we had yet rather dwell with our greateſt enemy, then by a leſs to be tranſmitted to our deareſt friend! and had rather continue in a troubleſome, weary, reſtleſs life, then by the ſleep of death to paſs to Reſt.
And this ſin in others alſo is our trouble, though not ſo much as in our ſelves. It maketh thoſe our bitter enemies, whoſe good we moſt deſire and endeavour, and cauſeth the unthankful world to requite us with malicious uſage, For telling them the ungrateful truth, and ſeeking their ſalvation. It makes our friends to be but half-friends; and ſome of them too, like our enemies. It puts a ſting into the ſweeteſt friendſhip, and mixeth ſmart with all our pleaſures; It worketh us grief from precious mercies; and abateth the comfort of our near Relations; So that our ſmart by the pricks, is often greater then our pleaſure in the ſweetneſs of the Roſe. No friend is ſo ſmoothed, and ſquared to the temper and intereſt of another, but that ſome inequality and unevenneſs doth remain, which makes the cloſure to be leſs near and ſtedfaſt. Even Family-relations are uſually ſo imperfectly jointed and cemented, that when the when the winds of tryal are any thing high they ſhake the frame; and though they are but low, they find an entrance, and cauſe ſuch a coldneſs of affections, as is contrary to the nature and duty of the Relations. Either a contrariety of opinions, or of natural temperature and humours, or elſe of the diſpoſitions of the mind; Sometime croſs intereſts, and ſometime paſſions and croſs words, do cauſe ſuch diſcontents and ſowrneſs, ſuch frowns, or jealouſies, or diſtances, that our neareſt friends are but as ſackloth on our skins, and as a ſhoo too ſtrait for us, or as a garment that is unmeet, which pinch and trouble us in their uſe: and thoſe that ſhould be to us as the Apple of our eyes, are as the duſt or ſmoak to them, that vex or blind them. And the more we Love them, the more it grieveth us to be croſſed in our love. There is ſcarce any friend ſo wiſe, ſo good, ſo ſuitable to us, or ſo near, that we can alwayes pleaſe. And the diſpleaſure of a friend is as gravell in our ſhoos, or as Nettles in our bed, oft-times more grievous then the malice of an enemy. There is no ſuch doing as this in heaven: becauſe there is no ſuch gueſt as ſin. We ſhall love each other far more then we do here; and yet that Love ſhall never be inordinate, nor in the leaſt divert our love from God, but every Saint and Angel in the Society, ſhall be loved with moſt chaſte and pure affections, in a perfect ſubordination to the love of God, and ſo as that God himſelf in them, ſhall be the chiefeſt object of that love. It is there that our friends being freed from all their imperfections, do neither tempt us to a carnal Love, nor have any thing in them to diſcourage the love that is ſpiritual and pure. We have here our paſſionate friends, our ſelf-conceited friends, our unkind, unthankfull, ſelfiſh friends; our mutable and unfaithful friends; our contentions friends that are like to enemies: and who have uſed us more hardly then our friends; But when we come to God, we ſhall have friends that are like God, that are wholly good, and are participatively turned into Love; and having left behind them all that was unclean and noyſome, and troubleſome to themſelves, they have alſo caſt off all that could be troubleſome to us. Our love will be there without ſuſpicions, without interruptions, unkindneſſes and diſcontents, without diſappointments, fruſtrations and diſſatisfactions: For God himſelf will fully ſatisfie us; and we ſhall love his goodneſs and glory in his Saints, as well as immediately in himſelf. Our friends are now loſt at the turning of a ſtraw: the change of their intereſt, their company, their opinions, the ſlanders of back-biters, and miſ-repreſentations of malicious men, can cool their Love, and kill their friendſhip. But Heaven is a place of conſtant Love: The Love of Saints, as all things elſe, is there eternal: And yet it declineth not with age. It is a world of Love that we are haſting to: It is a life of love that we muſt there live; and a work of love, and perfect love that we muſt be there employed in for ever. If here we have a pure, a dear, a faithful friend; that is without falſe-heartedneſs and deceit, that loveth us as his own ſoul, how quickly is he ſnatcht away by death? and leaves us melted into tears, and mourning over his earthly relicts, and looking upward with grieved hearts, as the Diſciples did after their aſcending Lord, Acts 1. 9, 10, 11. We are left almoſt as lifeleſs by ſuch friends, as the body is left by the departed ſoul: We have nothing but grief to tell us that we live, and that our ſouls are not departed with them: we are left in greater lamentation, then if we had never known a faithful friends. And alas, how quickly are they gone, when once God ſees them ripe for heaven? When Droans and Dullards live much longer. If we ſee a Saint thats clear of judgement, and low in humility, and naked-hearted in ſincerity, and that abounds in love to God and man, thats faithful and conſtant to their friend, and is above the pride and vanities of this world, and doth converſe by a life of faith, above, and is uſefull and exemplary in their generation; alas how ſoon are they ſnatcht away! and we are left in our temptations, ripening and murmuring at God, as Jonah, when his gourd was withered, as if the Lord had deſtinated this world to be the dwelling of unfaithfull, worthleſs men, and envied us the preſence of one eminent Saint, one faithful friend, and one that (a… Moſes when he had talkt with God) hath a face that ſhineth with the reflected raies of the heavenly glory: when indeed it is becauſe this world is unworthy of them, (Heb. 11. 38.) not knowing their worth, nor how to uſe them, nor how to make uſe of them for their good: and becauſe when they are ripe and mellow for eternity, it is fit that God be ſerved before us, and that Heaven have the beſt, and that be left on earth that is earthly: Muſt Heaven be deprived of its inhabitants? Muſt a Saint that is ripe be kept from Chriſt, and ſo long kept from his inheritance, from the company of Angels, and the face of God, and all, leſt we ſhould be diſpleaſed, and grudge at God for glorifying thoſe, whom he deſtinated to glory before the foundations of the world; and whom he purchaſed and prepared for Glory? Muſt there a place be empty, and a voice be wanting in the Heavenly Chore, Ieſt we ſhould miſs our friends on earth? Are we not haſting after them at the heels, and do we not hope to live with them for ever? and ſhall we grudge that they are gone a day, or week, or year, before us? O fooliſh unbelieving ſouls! We mourn for them that are paſt mourning: and lament for our friends that are gone to Reſt, when we are left our ſelves in a vexatious, reſtleſs, howling wilderneſs! as if it were better to be here! we mourn and weep for the ſouls that are triumphing in their Maſters joy! And yet we ſay, we believe, and hope, and labour, and wait for the ſame felicity! Shall the happineſs of our friends be our ſorrow and lamentation? O did we but ſee theſe bleſſed ſouls, and where they are, and what they are enjoying, and what they are doing, we ſhould be aſhamed to mourn thus for their change! Do you think they would wiſh themſelves again on earth? or would they take it kindly of you, if you could bring them down again into this world, though it were to reign in wealth and honour? O how would they diſdain or abhor the motion, unleſs the commanding will of God did make it a part of their obedience! And ſhall we grieve that they are not here, when to be here, would be their grief?
But thus our lives are filled with griefs. Thus ſmiles and frowns, deſires and denyals, hopes and fruſtrations, indeavours and diſappointments, do make a quotidian ague of our lives. The perſons and the things we love, do contribute to our ſorrows, as well as thoſe we hate. If our friends are bad, or prove unkind, they gall and grieve us while they live: If they excell in holineſs, fidelity and ſuitableneſs, the dart that kills them deeply woundeth us; and the ſweeter they were to us in their lives, the bitterer to us is their death. We cannot keep mercy, but ſin is ready to take it from us, or elſe to marr in, and turn it into Vinegar and Gall. And doth not Death (accidentally) befriend us, that puts an end to all theſe troubles, and lands us ſafe on the Celeſtial ſhore, and puts us into the boſome of perpetual Reſt, where all is calm, and the ſtorms and billows that toſt us here, ſhall … or trouble us no more? And thus Death ſhall make us ſome recompence at laſt, for the wrong it did us; and the mortal blow ſhall hurt us leſs then did the dreadful apparition of it in our fore-thoughts. Let not our fears then exceed the cauſe; Though we fear the pangs and throws of travel, let us withal remember, that we ſhall preſently rejoyce, and all the holy Angels with us, that a ſoul is born into the world of glory: And Death ſhall gain us much more then it deprived us of.