A Sovereign Antidote Against the Fear of Death, Title page – Dedication
A SOVERAIGN ANTIDOTE AGAINST THE FEAR of DEATH: OR, A CORDIAL FOR A DYING CHRISTIAN. BEING Ten Select MEDITATIONS, wherein a Chriſtians Objections are Anſwered, and his Doubts and Fears Removed, and many convincing Motives and Arguments are laid down to perſwade him to a willing Submiſſion to Gods Will, whether he be ſent for by a Natural or a Violent Death. By EDWARD BƲRY formerly Miniſter of Great Bolas in Shropſhire.
For me to live is Chriſt, and to dye is gain, Phil. 1.21.
I am willing not only to be bound but to dye for Chriſt, Act. 21.13.
For I am in a ſtrait between two, having a deſire to depart, and to be with Chriſt which is better, &c. Phil. 1.23.
London, Printed by J. A. for Thomas Parkhurſt, at the Bible and three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapſide, near Mercers-Chappel, 1681.
To the Worſhipful PHILIP FOLEY of Preſtwood, Eſquire; One of the Members of the preſent PARLIAMENT: AND TO THE Vertuous and truely Religious, The Lady PENELOPE, Daughter to the Right Honourable the Lord Paget, his pious Conſort: E. B. wiſheth increaſe of Grace here, and Glory hereafter.
Worſhipful and Right Honourable,
I Have made bold here to preſent you with a Diſcourſe of Death, or rather with a Diſcourſe with my ſelf concerning Death. I am not ignorant that 'tis an unpleaſing Theam to declaim upon before many of the great ones of the times, who fear Death more than Hell it ſelf, as believing it to be a Reality; when God and Devil, Heaven and Hell, they would believe are Fictions: The apprehenſion of Death puts them into a cold ſweat; it makes them tremble, not much unlike to Belſhazzars hand-writing upon the wall; Dan. 5.5, 6. Mat. 8.29.and whoſoever minds them of it, doth but torment them before the time; but ſuch as wink, and then conceit Death doth not ſee them, will ere long find their miſtake. But had I imagined you had been of this Gang, I ſhould not have prefixt your Name to theſe Papers: They are intended for a Cordial againſt the fear of Death, but ſuch as thoſe ſhould be perſwaded to fear it more. But the Image of God, and thoſe divine qualifications which accompany ſalvation, appearing in you, I thought theſe Meditations, nay nor Death it ſelf, would not ſtartle you. For let me tell you, without flattery, that there are ſome qualifications in you that draw the eyes of the world after you, yea draw out their affections to you; ſuch as Juſtice, Temperance, Prudence, Charity, &c. Theſe, as they are rare in our times, in perſons of your rank, ſo they are lovely; but there are other qualifications, ſuch as Piety and Holineſs, the Image of God, and the Graces of his Spirit, that make you lovely both to God and good men; theſe the World take no notice of, at leaſt love not in you; for they …eem Grace and Holineſs no better than …renzie or Madneſs: But the time is coming, …e greateſt Gallants would be glad to be …und in this Garb, which now is grown ſo …uch out of faſhion; they are now, like Da…ocles, ſporting themſelves amidſt their …inties, and priding themſelves in their …incely Attendants, but forget the Sword …at hangs over their heads, ready every mo…nt to end their dayes together with their …ner. But though God hath given you …ndance of theſe outward things beyond …ny others, yet you take them not, as they …e, for your portion, but ſay of them as …ther of the Cardinals Hat when offered the Pope, God ſhall not put me off with …h poor triffes; or as Galeacius, that …lian Marqueſs, when offered great riches forſake his Religion, Let their Money …iſh with them, that hold all the Wealth …he world worth one dayes communion …h Chriſt. You ſeek after better Riches; … as Solomon found out by Experience, Eccleſ. 1.14.at all was Vanity and Vexation of ſpi… ſo you can write a Probatum eſt upon … I know you lye under great Temptati…, but I hope Gods grace to you (as it was the Apoſtle) will be ſufficient; 2 Cor. 12.9and 'tis ſmall meaſure of Grace will make you duplicate page duplicate page digeſt Proſperity without a ſurfeit. I ſpea… not theſe things to lay a ſtumbling-block o… pride before you; I ſtand in my own apprehenſions too near the brink of Eternity to b… guilty of this folly, and can ſay, 'tis your Humility that makes you lovely in my eyes: … know the way to throw you down, is to lif… you up; and whoſoever brings fuel to th… fire, is your Enemy and not your Friend… but ſeeing your works praiſe you in th… gates, Pro. 31.31.as Solomon ſaith of the good Hou… wife, why ſhould not I and others praiſe yo… for them, as he doth her; that God may … glorified, your hands ſtrengthened, and othe… encouraged by your Example to do the lik… hoping you will ſhine more and more unto t… perfect day, Pro. 4.18.untill you come to ſhine as t… Sun in the Kingdom of your Father?Mat. 13.4.
Now there are two or three things whi… you may deſire to be ſatisfied in, in order … this Dedication: As firſt, Why I write up… this Subject? And to this I anſwer: That Diſcourſe of this nature can never be out ſeaſon; for as ſoon as we are born, we a… ſubject to die: And as 'tis ſuitable for … Times, ſo alſo for all Perſons, none … exempted; and we have no greater work doe, than to prepare for Death: 'Tis g… therefore for us, 1 Cor. 15.31.with the Apoſtle, to d… daily; that is, every day be expecting Dea… and preparing for it. But more particularly, God was pleaſed to exerciſe me for a long …ime together with various diſtempers, inſomuch that I deſpaired of life, and received in my ſelf the ſentence of death, and was diſabled for other concerns; and although my diſtempers were not ſo violent as to …hreaten a ſudden diſſolution, yet being ſo complicated, and continuing ſo long without check, notwithſtanding all the means that were uſed, and I felt Nature ſo faſt decay, that I thought God had ſpoken by this Providence to me, as ſometime to Hezekiah, 2 King. 20.1.Put thy houſe in order, for thou ſhalt die and not live: And it being my Clymasterical year, I thought it would prove fatal to me, as it had done to many old perſons; and theſe apprehenſions were much heightned by the continued rumors we then had, and ſtill have, of Popiſh Plots, and …ur intended Maſſacre, and a little faſtened alſo by Melancholy Conceits; ſo that between the one and the other, I raiſed this Concluſion, My dayes were cut off, and my life drew near to a period; but whether a natural diſeaſe, or a violent hand would do my work, I was at a loſs: Sometimes I concluded for the one, and ſometime for the other, according as my diſeaſe or our weekly News prevailed. However, this put me on to have more ſerious thoughts of Death and Judgment than I uſually have had; and I thought it my Intereſt to make preparation for death, yea for the worſt of deaths; and therefore I did often ask my ſelf this queſtion, What if Death ſhould come? What if I ſhould be brought to the Stake for Chriſt? what comfort could I find? And conſidering my memory was treacherous, being much diſabled by my diſtemper, lying much in my head, I wrote down the Anſwer as my mind dictated; and when God gave me any lucida intervalla, any breathing times, I loſt few of them, but can ſay with the Philoſopher, Nulla dies ſine linia, no day paſs'd but I did ſomething; and thus in a little time the materials for this Structure were gathered together; yet in a rude, confuſed and diſorderly Chaos, ſuitable to my diſtracted Thoughts and diſturbed Fancy, ſuited alſo to my end, to have recourſe thereto in my neceſſity. But when through Gods bleſſing upon my endeavour, thoſe fogs were a little blown over, and my bodily ſtrength a little reſtored, I began to think that the fear of Death was not my diſtemper alone, but an Epidemical diſeaſe; yea that ſome, and thoſe not of the worſer ſort, through the fear of death are all their life-time ſubject to bondage; Heb. 2.15.and conſidering alſo the preſent at ſtate of the Nation, which in the eyes … prudent perſons is not free from danger … Foreign Invaſion, or Domeſtick Inſur…ction, I began to think an undertaking of …is nature might not be unſuitable, and to …any not unwelcome; and hereupon I review… my ſcattered Papers, ſet them in order, …d poliſhed them, if not as I ſhould, yet as … could, preſuming a good Stomack (and for …ch I write) will digeſt wholſome meat, …ough not modiſhly dreſt: Thoſe that are wil…ng to live holily as well as dye happily, to …ve to the Lord, and if cal'd to it, to die …r the Lord, yet are not without their …ears and doubts, theſe be they that I would …nimate; but thoſe that eſteem the appearance of Vertue better than the Vertue it ſelf, I have here nothing to ſay to them, let them alſo think the appearance of Happineſs better than Happineſs and Heaven it …lf. However, my end drawing near, as I …ay without the Spirit of Propheſie foreſee, I was willing to leave upon record what my preſent thoughts of death are, what I found benefit by, when in mine own apprehenſion I lay upon my death-bed, and what I hope may comfort others in the like condition. If it be objected, that many learned Treatiſes …are written by able Divines upon this Subject, 'tis granted; and yet notwithſtanding all thoſe great Lamps, many are in th… dark, and who knows but my ſmall Taper may be uſeful to light ſome one or other in ſome dark corner of the houſe? the Leſſon is not ſufficiently taught, that is not ſufficiently learnt: Thoſe that have no better, may make uſe of this; thoſe that have, may beſtow this upon ſome one that wants it.
But you may demand, why I prefix your Name to theſe unpoliſht lines? Truly, thoſe that know you and your worth, and know me and my Engagements to you, need not wonder that I dedicate a Book to you, but rather that I did it no ſooner. That the preſent is ſo mean, the reaſon is, I had no better at hand, and I hope you will accept the will for the deed, and herein imitate God himſelf, Exod. 35.5, 6.who accepted of a little Goats hair, where there was neither Gold nor Silver to be had … I was alſo encouraged hereunto by your ready and thankeful acceptance of ſome former diſcourſes from me; and therefore have imitated herein that which is fabled of Pan the Rural God, who coming before Apollo to ſhew his Art, played upon his Oaten Reed, and being at firſt uncontrolled, he took courage, and plaid louder and louder: ſo it fares with me, when one check from you would have ſpoil'd my Muſick. But that I preſent you with a Book of this nature, my Anſwer is ready: Diſcourſes of this nature are never …ut of ſeaſon. Solomon tells us, Eccl. 7.2.'Tis better go to the houſe of mourning than to the houſe of feaſting, for this is the end of all fleſh, and the living will lay it to heart. 'Tis true, you are in the flower of your age, and your bones are full of marrow, Job 21.24.yet may you be cut off in your full ſtrength; and Solomon adviſeth ſuch to remember their Creator in the dayes of their youth, Eccleſ. 12.1. & 11.8.before the evil days come, before the dayes of darkneſs come, for they are many. My deſign in this Dedication is not that you ſhould protect it; if it be Truth God will protect it, if not, man cannot do it; let it therefore ſtand or fall accordingly: neither deſire I hereby to eſcape the juſt reproach due to me for the ill handling hereof, yet would I deſire that thoſe that have death in their eyes, as I had, and not thoſe upon the Alebench, that put far from them the evil day, may be my Judges. Neither is it becauſe I think you have more need of ſuch a diſcourſe than others have, that I ſend it to you: I know you too well to have ſuch a conceit; but it is to teſtifie the great reſpect I have for you, and hereby to acknowledge thoſe debts that I cannot pay, when I am not able to give you any thing worthy your ſelf. I would willingly further you in your great deſign, and put a weapon into your hand againſt you come to fight againſt your laſt enemy, Death; and yet I ſend you this as a Tenant doth a preſent to his Landlord, not to relieve his wants, but to teſtifie his dependance, and as an earneſt of his future ſervice. I know you need not with Philip King of Macedonia to have a Monitor to mind you of your Mortality: I ſend it, as a bad Debtor when he cannot pay the Stock, he payes the Intereſt, or at leaſt acknowledges the debt, and begs a longer time of payment; ſo 'tis with me. Fain would I avoid the title of Ingratefull, which ſounded ſo harſhly in the ears of the Heathen, that they thought it to be the worſt of ſins; Ingratum dixeris, omnia dixeris. I look upon you to be well skill'd in thoſe mortifying Meditations, and as deeply learned in ſelf-reſignation of your will to Gods, as moſt are. The ground of my confidence is this; when God in a little time had made you both Fatherleſs, (a loſs which Thouſands in England have cauſe to bewail) and as if this cup had not been bitter enough, took away about the ſame time your only Son, which might have been the ſtaff of your age, the ſtay of your Family, and the preſerver of your Name; though you were deeply ſenſible of this great breach God had made upon you, yet carried your ſelves with ſo much moderation, Chriſtian Fortitude, Diſcretion and Patience, without the leaſt murmuring, repining, or ſhew of diſcontent, but with chearful ſubmiſſion to the …ill of God, that I clearly ſaw death was …o ſtranger to you, and that you had learnt …he Apoſtles leſſon, 1 Theſſ. 4.13.Not to mourn as men …ithout hope for thoſe that ſleep in the …ord: you imitated David, who when his …n was living, faſted and prayed, but …hen dead, 2 Sam. 12.18.held his tongue and ſaid no…ing, becauſe God did it: Or ſaid as …b, at the death of all his children, Job 1.21.…he Lord gave, and the Lord hath ta…en away, Bleſſed be the Name of the …ord. To mourn for our Relations is doubt…ſs our duty, to mourn immoderately (as …achel) and will not be comforted, is doubtles;s a ſin, and implyes we think God hath …onged us in taking away our Relations without our leave; or ſerves to beſpeak us … have more wiſdom than God hath, and … know better than he when 'tis beſt for …hem to dye, and when their work is done. theſe conſiderations made me think theſe Meditations would not ſtartle you, nay your own Death would not affright you; and yet conſidering that death is an enemy to Nature, and that you were Fleſh as well as Spirit, and though the Spirit were willing yet the Fleſh …s weak, I thought it would not be unſuitable to put this weapon into your hand, in this conflict between the Fleſh and the Spirit; for death ſometimes comes with a griſly look, and terrible aſpect: for, as a Heathen ſaith, of all Terribles Death is moſt terrible; and therefore the Scripture calls him the King of terrors, Job 18.14and experience ſhews that he is a terror to Kings: Pſal. 55.4.David complains, the terrors of death compaſſed him about; and the apprehenſions of death ſtruck a greater than David into an agony: Chriſtianum agere non eſt hominem exuere; when we become Chriſtians, we ceaſe not to be men. Now though we cannot quite root out the fear of death, yet Chriſtians may and many doe much abate it, yea and chuſe it rather than life upon any ſinful terms; thoſe under great ſufferings refuſed deliverance, Heb. 11.36that is, upon any unlawful terms. The love of Chriſt in the Martyrs was hotter than the fire they burnt in; yea this made Paul willing not only to be bound, but to dye for Chriſt; yea deſire to be diſſolved and to be with him: ſo that although I think you have not ſo much need of a work of this nature as many have, yet I cannot think 'tis altogether uſeleſs; for you lye under greater temptations than many others, and have ſtronger guſts of wind to grapple with than low Shrubs; and haply Chriſt may coſt you more than others, haveing more to loſe; and the world breaks many a match between Chriſt and the Soul: thoſe that are rich fall into temptation; 1 Tim. 6.9 Luk. 18.23remember the young man that parted with Chriſt upon this ground, and Demas that choſe the world before him. 'Tis eaſier to ſteer a ſmall Veſſel in a ſtorm than a great Ship, this may be thruſt into any Creek or Harbour, where a tall Ship cannot ride: Cantabit vacuus coram latrone viator: Oh Death, Ecclus. 41.1.how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that lives at eaſe in his Poſſeſſions, and hath proſperity in all things! We may ſay of you as the people did of David, 2 Sam. 18.3.If many of us fall, it ſignifies little; the Enemyes great deſign lyes againſt ſuch as you; thoſe that fall high, their fall will be the greater, and a great deal of Grace is neceſſary to ſupport a great man: Till a man can ſee an emptineſs in the Creature, and a fulneſs in Christ, and enough in Heaven to, make amends for all his loſſes upon Earth, he will not be brought to loſe all for Chriſt. It was no ſmall meaſure of Grace that made Galeacius teave the Marqueſdom of Vico, and come to Geneva for the Goſpel ſake. I know we live in ſuch times as Salvian did, when Religion and Godlineſs are accounted a ſhame to Gentility, and a blemiſh to Nobility; and thoſe very Ingredients, let their other qualifications be what they will, will render the worlds greateſt Favourites unlovely in their eyes. 1 Sam. 2.30.But thoſe that honour God, God will honour, and thoſe that deſpiſe him ſhall be lightly eſteemed. St. Bernard tells Sophia, That it was a greater honour that God made her one of a few, than that ſhe deſcended from Noble Parents; the one was Gods diſtinguiſhing Badge, the other a common favour. Solomon tells us, A vertuous Woman, her… price is above Rubies, and no doubt a vertuous Man is as precious; but 'tis a good conjunction where Grace and Greatneſs meet, for although a Diamond hath the ſame vertue o… the Dunghill as in a Gold Ring, or the richeſt Cabinet, yet not ſo ſeemly: Grace loſeth not it Vertue in a Country Clown, yet is it mo… ſplendid in a great man; and ſuch a one thu… qualified, is capable of bringing more Glor… to God, and doing more good in his Generation, than a poor man can: Religion in grea… perſons, as 'tis moſt Rare, ſo 'tis moſt Conſpicuous; 'tis like a Beacon upon an hill, eve… eye is upon it; and the Country imitates th… Court: Qualis Rex, talis Grex. Greatne… makes men capable of doing God more work or the Devil more ſervice: The great … need not be aſhamed of going in th… Faſhion, for Grace is the faireſt Flower … their Garland; for none wear thoſe Jewel but the Spouſe of Chriſt. It was more honour to David to be Gods Servant than Iſraels King; 'tis more honour to be in Covenant with God, than to have Royal blood run in our Veins; to be an Heir of Heaven, than to be Heir to a Kingdom; to be the Children of God, than to be the Children of Nobles: Iſai 43.4.ſince thou waſt precious in my ſight (ſaith God) thou waſt honourable: For Nobility it ſelf is mortal, and many Noble Houſes and Families dye and come to nothing, but Grace is longer liv'd: My deſire is, that ſeeing God hath written Vanity upon the Creatures, that you may be able to read it, and ſo may hang looſe to the World; and ſo uſe it as not to abuſe it. And ſeeing Death is certain, and the time of Death uncertain, that you will learn to dye daily, that when Death comes you may look upon it without Horror or Diſtraction: In the mean time, Heb. 12.1, 2.that you may run the Race that is ſet before you, yea, ſo run that you may obtain; and with Chriſt endure the Croſs and deſpiſe the Shame, 1 Cor. 9.24.that you may ſit down with him in his Kingdom of Glory; that you may keep your Garments unſpotted in the World, and have your Loyns girded, your Lamps alwayes Burning, and you your ſelves in a Centinel poſture; that at what hour ſoever your Lord and Maſter comes, you may be found Watching: my deſire is, that while you live you may ſhine as Stars of the firſt Magnitude in this our dark Hemiſphere, that your Lives may be exemplary, and your laſt Works better than your firſt; and when you ſhall be gathered unto your Fathers, it may be in a good Old Age, as a ſhock of Corn in its ſeaſon; that while you live, you may ſhine as the Sun in his ſtrength, until you ſet in the Infinite Ocean of endleſs Bliſs, and lye for ever in the Boſom of your dear Redeemer, there to receive a Reward for all your pains and labour of love; and that thoſe tender Plants which God hath given you, may be watered with the dew of Heaven, and may become Trees of righteouſneſs, even Pillars in the Houſe of God; and that in your Family there may never want thoſe that may own Chriſt in ſincerity: And that the remaining part of your time, Phil. 3.13, 14. 1 Tim. 6.12.forgetting what is paſt, you may reach forth unto thoſe things that are before, preſſing towards the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Chriſt Jeſus; and fight the good fight of Faith, and lay hold on eternal Life: Theſe are my Deſires, and ſhall be my Prayers; and if theſe following Meditations conduce any thing to the furtherance hereof, I have my deſire; and who knows but ſome poor drooping Soul may receive benefit by it? the Seed may ſpring when the Seedſman is dead. And thus much in Anſwer to the Queſtion, Why I Dedicate it to you? If you demand, why I prefix both your Names? I will anſwer with Jerom in the like caſe, Jungat Epiſtola quos junxit conjugium, charta non dividat quos Chriſti neſcit amor; God hath made you not only one Fleſh, but alſo one Heart, and it is the concern of the one as well as of the other: And thus having ſpoken to you jointly, give me leave to ſpeak a few words to you ſeverally and apart.
Sir, I ſhall firſt Addreſs my ſelf to you, whom your Countrey hath made choice of to ſerve in Parliament, and have intruſted you with their Eſtates, Liberties, Priviledges, Lives and Religion; Oh! what an Ingagement lyes upon you to be faithful in your Truſt; and what a blurr have ſome in that relation brought upon themſelves of late dayes? that for private Intereſt have betrayed their Truſt: But Sir, thoſe that know you, are free from theſe fears; you may eaſily ſee what confidence they have in your Fathers Family, when all his three Sons, beſides Sons in Law, are choſen and Intruſted, as alſo other Relations, not only in this, but in the laſt Parliament alſo: Go on Sir therefore couragiouſly, and the Lord will proſper you; ſeek to ſet a ſtop to the deluge of Sin that is breaking in upon us, or otherwiſe God will pour out a deluge of Judgments alſo; God will ſtand by thoſe that ſtand for him, and though you may loſe ſomething for him, you ſhall never loſe by him: 'Tis your Duty to deny your ſelf, and private Intereſt, when it comes in competition with Gods Cauſe and your Countreys good: Put your ſhoulders to the work, and if England be not reform'd, you ſhall not loſe your Reward; Who knows but God will honour you now choſen with the Work, at leaſt you ſhall be honoured for the work? The time was, Jeruſalem had been ſpared had there been one man to ſtand in the gap to execute Judgment and Juſtice in it: Jer. 5.1. &c.There is now an opportunity put into your hand, a Talent to improve, and God ſtands by to ſee how it is improved: Numb. 21.18.It is left upon recor… to the honour of the Rulers in Iſrael, that the Princes digged the Well, and the Noble… digged it with their ſtaves: Theſe ſtave are imagined to be Enſigns of honour, which here they employed to a publick good; an… 'tis a brand laid upon the Nobles of th… Tekoits, Nehe. 3.5.That they laid not their Neck… to the work of the Lord; and I wiſh none of our Nobles bear that reproach. My deſire is, that you be not only bleſſed, but a bleſſing in your Generation; and though your pains be great, and your coſt not ſmall, yet remember whoſe the work is, and who will be your Pay-maſter; one who can make up all your loſſes, and whoſe is all that you expend in this ſervice; and imitate herein your dear Father, who was a publick ſpirited man, and for works of Piety and Charity, hath left ſuch an Example, that I deſpair ever to ſee the like done by any one in thoſe parts of England; he is now reciving his reward, and I doubt not but he hath left a Bleſſing behind upon his Poſterity, which his Children and Childrens Children ſhall inherit to many Generations.
And to you, Madam, one word more and I have done: Though you are a Branch of a Noble Family, yet are you much more Ennobled by your ſecond Birth, yea more nobly Born than of Fleſh and Blood; for God is your Father, Jeruſalem which is above your Mother, Chriſt your elder Brother, yea the Glorified Saints your Brethren and Siſters: ſo that you are more happy in your New Birth than eminent in the firſt; A vertuous woman (ſaith Solomon) her price is above Rubyes: The Children of Princes and Nobles are the Foundation-ſtones whereupon Kingdoms are founded, Pro. 31.31.but had you not been poliſhed by God himſelf, you had never been one of thoſe choice Stones that muſt beautifie the New Jeruſalem: My deſire is, that God will give you more Sons, for thoſe two which you have ſo freely lent to the Lord; at leaſt give you a Name better than that of Sons and Daughters: When Death comes, it muſt be Grace and not Titles of Honour that then will dignifie you; and Humility and Self-denial, which many think now unbeſeeming … Gentleman, will be greater Ornaments that Jemms and Jewels, lofty Titles and Coat… of Arms; though theſe are not to be contemned, yet the other are to be prefered Now if theſe poor Meditations conduce an… thing to the increaſing of your Grace, th… ſtrengthning of your reſolution to live in th… Lord, and to the Lord, and if he require it, … dye for the Lord, I ſhall think my pains we beſtowed, and my time well ſpent: And the it may be ſo, is the deſire, and ſhall be th… Prayer of him who is, and reſolves to be,
SIR, MADAM, Yours to his Power to ſerve you, Edward Bury Eaton, Octob. 21. 1680.