Two Treatises on Death and Judgment, Treatise · Direction 10
DIRECTION X.
THE laſt Direction that I ſhall give you, to conquer the Enmity of Death, is this: Give up your wills entirely to the will of God, as knowing that his will is your beginning and your end, your ſafety, your felicity and reſt, in which you ſhould gladly aquieſce. When you think of Death, remember who it is that ſends it; It is our Fathers meſſenger, and is ſent but to execute his will. And can there be any thing in the will of God, that his ſervants ſhould inordinately fear? Doubtleſs, his Will is much ſafer and better for us then our own. And if in generall it were offered to our choice, Whether all particulars of our lives ſhould be diſpoſed of by Gods will or by ours, common reaſon might teach us to deſire, to be rather in Gods hands then our own. The fulfilling of his will is the care and buſineſs of our lives: and therefore it ſhould be a ſupport and ſatisfaction to us at our death, that it is but the fulfilling of his will. His Juſtice and puniſhing Will is good, though ſelfiſhneſs maketh it ungratefull to the offendor. But his children that are dear to him, and taſt no evil but that which worketh for their good, have no cauſe to quarrell at his will: Whatſoever our ſureſt deareſt friends would have us take, or do, or ſuffer, we are ready to ſubmit to, as being confident they will do nothing for our hurt, (if they do but know what is for our good.) And ſhall we not more boldly truſt the will of God then of our deareſt friend? He knows what he hath to do with us, and how he will diſpoſe of us, and whither he will bring us; and his intereſt in us is more then ours in our ſelves; and ſhall we then diſtruſt him, as if we had to do with an enemy, or one that were evil, and not with love and infinite goodneſs? It is the will of God that muſt be the everlaſting Reſt, the Heaven, the pleaſure of our ſouls: And ſhall we now ſo fear it, and fly from it: as if it were our ruine? Look which way you will through all the world, your ſouls will never find repoſe, nor ſatisfying quietneſs and content but in the will of God. Let us therefore commit our ſouls to him, as to a faithful Creator; and deſire unfeignedly the fulfilling of his will, and believe that there is no ground of confidence more firm. Abraham may boldly truſt his Son, his only Son, on the will of God: And Chriſt himſelf when he was to drink the bitter Cup, ſubmitteth his own naturall love of life to his Fathers will, ſaying, Not my will, but thine be done. 'Tis a moſt unworthy abuſe of God, that we could be quiet and rejoyce, if our own wills, or our deareſt friends might, diſpoſe of our lives, and yet are diſtreſſed when they are at the diſpoſe of the will of God.
But perhaps you will ſay, It is the error of my own will that hath procured my Death: if it had been meerly the fruit of the will of God, I could be eaſily ſatisfied. Anſw. Wo to us, if we had not ground of comfort againſt the errors of our own wills. When our deſtruction is of our ſelves, our help is of God. So much as is of our ſelves in it, is evil: but ſo much as is of God is good. I do not ſay that you ſhould reſt in your own wills, nor in your own wayes; but in the will and wayes of God. The rod is good, though the fault that makes it neceſſary, be bad. The Chaſtiſing will is good, though the ſinning will be evil: And it is good that is intended to us, and ſhall be performed in the event.
Object. But how can we reſt in the angry afflicting will of God; when it is this that we muſt be humbled under: and it is the will of God that is the condemnation of the wicked. Anſ. The effect being from a twofold cauſe (the ſinning will of man, and the puniſhing will of God) is accordingly good as from the latter, and ſo far ſhould be loved and conſented to by all; and evil as from the former, and ſo may be abhorred: But to the Saints there is yet greater Conſolation: Though affliction is their grief, as it ſignifieth Gods diſpleaſure, and cauſeth the ſmart or deſtruction of the fleſh; yet it is their mercy, as it proceedeth from the Love of God, and prepareth them for the greateſt mercies. And therefore ſeeing God never bringeth evil on them that Love him, but what is preparatory to a far greater good, we may well take comfort in our Death, that it is our Fathers will it ſhould be ſo.