The Christians Defense Against the Fears of Death, Chapter 7
CHAP. 7.
The firſt Remedy againſt the fears of Death, is to Meditate often upon it.
WE become acquainted with the moſt dreadful things by cuſtome and converſation, freſh Soldiers do commonly quiver and ſhake at the ſight of an Enemy; they tremble at the Volleys of Shot, and, half dead, fall to the ground at the horrid noiſe of the great Ordnance; but when their courage hath been hardened by a long exerciſe, they can then, without fear, ſeek the Enemy in his greateſt advantages, and can go as merrily to the Combat as to a Feaſt, or to a Triumph; The ſhowers of ſmall ſhot, the Lightning and Thunder of the Canon, can't make them ſo much as to ſhut their eyes, or ſtoop their heads; They do then laugh at their former apprehenſions; Thus the firſt conceits of Death do commonly terrify us, but when we ſeriouſly meditate upon it, and look it in the face, we ſhall not only contemn it, but we ſhall alſo ſeek it boldly in its retreats, and with an aſſured and undaunted countenance, we ſhall behold Death let fly all its Arrows and Launces, all its Thunderbolts, without the leaſt apprehenſion; As it is with them who are not wont to ſee Savage Beaſts, they dare not draw near to them, and can ſcarce look upon them without fear; but ſuch as are familiarly acquainted with them, can touch them without apprehenſion, and freely play with them. Thus it is with thoſe who have never had the confidence to look Death in the face, they tremble and are fill'd with aſtoniſhment, aſſoon as they ſee its approaches, but thoſe who do often behold Death, are familiarly acquainted with it, and therefore they can with confidence thruſt their Fiſts into its jaws. Moſes fled away from his Rod, when it was firſt turned into a Serpent; but when he began to take it into his hands, and ſaw that it return'd to its former ſhape and being, he was far from running from it, or entertaining the leaſt apprehenſion of it; but rather he made a very happy uſe of it, and by Gods Command he wrought many great miracles. Thus it is with Death, it frights us at firſt, but if we can but take hold of it with the hands of a true and lively faith, it will be ſo far from ſcaring or frighting of us, that it will diſcover to us a world of delightful Wonders.
Death therefore is ſo far from terrifying ſuch as are accuſtomed with it, that it fils them full of comfort and joy; as a Child that looks upon his Father, who hath a Vizard on his face, is frighted, and begins to cry, but if he hath but the confidence to pull off the Vizard, and take but notice of the loving ſmiles of his Parent, hid under that horrid deformity, he will not only ceaſe from weeping, and ſettle his mind, but he will alſo leap for joy, and embrace him. Thus if we look upon Death with a timerous countenance, and behold its hideous appearance, we ſhall be ſtruck with a ſudden horror, but if we can with any aſſurance lift up its ugly Vizard, we ſhall ſoon diſcover our heavenly Father, and with tears of Joy we ſhall run to embrace him: as the Apoſtles when they eſpied our Saviour in the night walking upon the Waves of the Sea, cried out in a fright, thinking that it had been a Spirit; but when he drew near to them, and heard his voice, they perceiv'd him to be their Saviour, when therefore they took him into their Ship, the ſtorm ceas'd immediately; Thus if we look upon Death at a diſtance, the blindneſs and ignorance with which we are poſſeſs'd, will repreſent to us a frightful Spirit, but if we examine and behold it nearer by the help of the Gospel Light, we ſhall find it to be our Salvation, and the accompliſhing of our Redemption. All our fears will then be calm'd, and our Souls will return to their former repoſe: In a word, as he that runs from his Enemy, increaſes his courage, and renders him more earneſt and reſolved to purſue him; Thus when Death ſees us tremble and decline its approaches, it becomes more proud and imperious over us. We muſt therefore think betimes of Death, repreſent it to our ſelves continually, and enter into an acquaintance with it; it was holy Job's practice, for he cried unto the Pit, thou art my Father, and to the Corruption and the Worms, you are my Mother, and my Siſters, Job 16. And imagine that this was the chief reaſon of Philip of Macedon's commanding a Page every morning to rouſe him up out of his ſleep, with O King, remember that thou art a mortal man. For by this often repeated Leſſon, he labour'd to humble his lofty mind, and teach his frail nature not to glory too much in the ſplendor of his Crown and Scepter, nor to abuſe the power committed to his Truſt. By this means alſo he became acquainted with Death, that it might not ſeem ſtrange when it ſhould come in earneſt to ſnatch him away. This was alſo the deſigne of that Emperor Meruaan, or Meruanes, who cauſed this Motto to be Engraven upon his Seal, Remember that thou muſt dye. Theſe words did call to his mind that which his Courtiers did not dare to mention to him. So that this great Prince never confirm'd with his Seal, the death of any man; but at the ſame time he did repreſent to himſelf, that his own death was not to be avoided; for the ſame reaſon, the Noblemen of China are wont to have their Coffins ready made betimes in their Chambers, that at every moment they might look Death in the face; for the ſame cauſe the Aegyptians in their moſt ſumptuous Feaſts, did commonly place a dead mans Scull in an eminent corner of the room; by this ſpectacle they intended not only to oblige the Gueſts to a moderation of their Joys, and to a curbing in of their unruly Luſts, but alſo to bring them acquainted with, and to accuſtome them to behold it amongſt all their Delights. They treated Death, as if their deſigne had been to invite it to their moſt delicious Feaſts, that they might rejoyce together with it, Iohn. 19. I conceive that the Jews for the ſame cauſe did build their Sepulchres in their Gardens of Pleaſure, that they alſo might have the image of death continually before them; and that in the midſt of all their divertiſements, it might be their moſt pleaſant and ordinary entertainment. For us Chriſtians, to oblige us to think upon Death, there is no need that a Page ſhould remember us every day that we are Mortal, nor that the Motto of a Ring ſhould call to our minds, that we muſt dye; there is no need of a Coffin to be plac'd in our Chambers: in ſuch things there is many times more Oſtentation than Piety; nor is it needful that a dead mans Skull be put before our Eyes, or that a Sepulchre be built or hewen in our Gardens, and places of Recreation and Delight; for as Alexander the Great, underſtood that he was a Mortal Man, by the Bloud that ran out of his Wounds; Thus the Diſeaſes unto which we are ſubject, and the daily infirmities that we feel, do ſufficiently inſtruct, and aſſure us, that we are Mortals; And as a famous Philoſopher when he receiv'd the unhappy news of his only Son's untimely death, anſwer'd the Meſſenger with a ſetled countenance; I knew, ſaid he, that I had begot him a Mortal man, Xenoph. Thus will the faithful ſay, without change of countenance or appearance of fear, when his death is declar'd to him; I knew that my Mother had conceiv'd me a Mortal Man; I knew very well that Death is the Tribute that we muſt all pay to Nature, and that upon this condition, I am enter'd into the world.
If we will make uſe of any exterior help, to imprint this Leſſon into our Fancy, we muſt practice with care the advice of the wiſe man, It is better to go to the houſe of Mourning, than to that of Feaſting, Eccleſ. 7. for that is the end of all Men, and the living will lay it to his heart; never look upon a diſeaſed Body ſtretch'd upon a Bed, nor upon a dead Corps in a Coffin; but remember that this is an univerſal Law, unto which all Mankind muſt pay obedience; and that it is the broad Road of all the Earth, and that there thou mayeſt behold the lively image of thy future Eſtate. I conceive that this may be a good expedient and very ſucceſsful to entertain in our minds the continual thoughts of Death, to make our laſt Will betimes, and frequently to peruſe it; for as it happens when we meditate upon a farewel, that we are to take of our friends, we feel in our ſouls the ſame affections and motions, as are in us at the moment of our ſeparation. Thus, will it be with us when we ſeriouſly meditate upon the laſt farewel, that we are to bid to the World. Death appears to us upon our Lips, or rather we fancy our ſelves at that inſtant, already in the ſweet embraces of our Divine Jeſus, our Glorious Redeemer.
Beſides thoſe things that are unuſual and extraordinary, I find nothing in, nor out of us, nothing that we feel, taſte or reliſh, in ſhort, nothing that paſſeth either in our, private or publick converſation, but is able to renew in our minds the ſerious conſideration of Death. The Fleſh that thou doſt eat, the Wooll that cloaths thy nakedneſs, the Silk that adorns thy Body; in general, all thy Garments and Ornaments are but the ſparkles of the Dead Creatures; the ſight therefore of all theſe things, muſt call to thy remembrance thy frail and mortal Eſtate, and cauſe thee to meditate upon the Preachers ſaying. The ſame accident that happens to the Beaſt, the ſame happens to Mankind, as is the death of the one, ſo is the death of the other. They have all the ſame Breath, and Man hath no advantage above a Beaſt, for all is vanity, all goes to the ſame place, all proceeds from the Duſt, and ſhall return to the Duſt again.
Never pull off thy Cloaths, but remember that thou muſt ſhortly quit this miſerable Body, and lay it down in the Grave: When thou art entring into thy Bed, think upon thy Sepulchre, where thou muſt one day be ſtretch'd; If thou doſt awake in the night, conſider that Death will ſhortly come, and put out the Taper of thy Life; let thy Sleep be an image of thy Death, and let it call to thy mind, how thou muſt within a few days, ſleep in a bed of Duſt, when thou awakeſt, think upon the delightful ſound of the Arch-Angel's Trumpet, that ſhall rowſe thee out of Deaths long ſleep: ſay within thy ſelf when thou ariſeſt, It may be that I ſhall never riſe again till the Son of God ſhall come from Heaven, to lift me up out of the Grave with his Almighty hand; when we caſt our Eyes upon the riſing Sun, Let us ſay within our ſelves, it may be I ſhall never behold any other Sun riſe again, but the Son of Righteouſneſs, that carries healing under his wings; Conſider when thou doſt put on thy Garments, that the time is coming, when thou muſt be cloathed with a more Magnificent and Glorious Robe, a Robe of Light and Immortality; when thou doſt ſit down to eat, think upon the hour that is drawing near, in which death will feed upon thy Carkaſs; imagine that it may be, that this is the laſt time that thou ſhall ſit at the Table, that next thou mayſt ſit with Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob, with all the bleſſed Martyrs, who have waſh'd and whiten'd their Robes in the Blood of the Lamb, and that it may be, that thou ſhalt never taſte any more but of the food of Angels, and of the fruit of the Tree of Life, and that thou ſhalt never drink but of the new Wine in the Kingdom of Heaven, and of the Rivers of Eternal pleaſures, that run from the Throne of God.
Every time that thou goeſt out of thy dwelling, or changeſt thy abode, fancy to thy ſelf that in a ſhort time thou muſt depart out of this Mortal Tabernacle. Art thou alone, and ſeparated from humane Society? remember that within a few days, Death will ſeparate and divide thee; art thou going to any meeting, or entring into any company, or marching to the Holy Aſſemblies; diſcourſe with thy ſelf in this manner, It may be, that I ſhall never go to any other company, until I come to the Church and Congregation of the Firſt-born, whoſe names are written in Heaven. Art thou invited to the marriage of a friend? Say unto thy Soul, It may be I ſhall never go to any other Feaſt, but to the marriage of the Lamb offered from the foundation of the World. Doſt thou ſee a rich and glorious Palace, or a pleaſant Garden? ſay to thy ſelf, It may be, I ſhall never ſee any other Palace, but that where the living God doth dwell, and it may be I ſhall never behold any other place of pleaſure, but the Celeſtial Paradiſe.
If thou doſt caſt down thy eyes to look upon the Earth, upon which thou doſt tread; Conſider at the ſame time, that this Earth, or ſome like to it, ſhall afford thee a Grave, and that thou ſhalt ſleep there the ſleep of death: Remember what God told Adam, Duſt thou art, and to duſt thou ſhalt return, Gen. 3. or ſay with the Holy man Job. Remember I pray thee, that thou haſt formed me of Clay, and that thou ſhalt reduce me to duſt. I ſhall ſleep in the duſt, and if thou ſeekeſt for me in the morning, I ſhall be no more. Job 20. Job 7.
If thou takeſt a view of the Plants, of the Herbs and Flowers; don't forget what the word of God ſpeaks concerning our Life, in the 90 Pſalm. That Man is like the Graſs which groweth up, in the morning it flouriſheth and is green, in the evening it is cut down, and withereth. And in the 103 Pſalm. As for man his days are as Graſs, as a Flower of the field, ſo he flouriſheth, for the wind paſſeth over it, and it is gone, and the place thereof ſhall know it no more. And elſewhere, All fleſh is like Graſs, and the Glory of Man like the Flower of the field. Iſ. 40. 1 Pet. 1.
If thou doſt behold the Currants of Water, the Rivers and the Torrents; remember at that time what is ſaid in the 14 Chapter of the ſecond Book of Samuel, for we muſt needs dy, and are as water ſpilt on the ground. And in the 90 Pſalm. Thou carrieſt them away, as with a floud.
If thou tak'ſt notice of the ſhadow of the Needle in a Dyal that follows the ſwift motion of the Sun, or to the ſhadows which ſolid bodies caſt upon the Earth; In the evening they ſtretch a great way, and a little after vaniſh; conſider ſeriouſly, and engrave in thy mind this excellent Sentence. Man is like to vanity, his days are as a ſhadow that paſſeth away. Pſal. 144. and ſay as David, I am gone as the ſhadow when it declineth, Pſal. 109.
If thou heareſt the roaring of the Winds, that God taketh out of his Storehouſes, Lift up thy Soul unto God thy Creator, and ſay with Job, Job 7. Remember that my life is but a wind, mine eye ſhall no more ſee good. Job 30. that is, the imaginary Good of this miſerable World. And elſewhere, Thou lifteſt me up to the wind, thou cauſeſt me to ride upon it, and diſſolveſt my ſubſtance.
If thou takeſt any delight in the ſight of Birds that fly in the Air; Let this excellent thought enter into thy mind. My days are paſſed away, as the Eagle that haſteth to the prey, Job 9.
If thou lookeſt up to the Glory and Beauty of the Heavens, and ſeeſt the raviſhing light of the Stars; conſider that thy God who hath form'd thee after his Image, is ſo good and noble, that he will not ſuffer thee to dwell for ever, or periſh amongſt this ſlimy and miſerable Earth, but to dwell with him for ever in the Heavens; and that at the end of thy Race, he will raiſe and carry thee into the Palace of his Glory, where thou ſhalt ſhine as the Sun in its greateſt ſplendor.
If thou doſt meditate upon the changeableneſs of the ſeaſons, remember that the ſpring of thy infancy, the hot Summer of thy Youth, the Autumn of thy Maturity, and the ſad countenanc'd Winter of thy cold and decrepid age, ſhall ſucceed one another in the ſame order.
Let him who travels by Land, think upon Job's complaint, My days have been ſwifter than a Poſt, they flee away, they ſee no good, Job 9. Let him call to mind the Apoſtles excellent ſaying, This one thing I do, forgetting thoſe things which are behind, and reaching forth unto thoſe things which are before, I preſs forwards towards the mark, for the prize of the high Calling of God in Chriſt Jeſus, Phil.
Let him who ſails upon the Sea, fancy the whole World as a great Sea toſt up and down with ſeveral furious Waves, our Life as a dangerous Voyage, and our Days as Ships, that paſs away in a moment; and let him conſider that the laſt breath of Death will drive us into the Haven of Eternal Felicity, to the enjoyment of immortal Glory, Job 9. Doth God bleſs us with Children? let us underſtand that we are minded by them of our Mortality, for they come to take our room, and to ſucceed to our Eſtate; Doth God take them away to his Reſt, and thoſe of whom we are moſt fond? Let this advertiſe us, That God intends thereby to cut off all the lower Roots, that tye us to this Earth, to unlooſe our hearts and affections, that we may offer them up to him alone. Inſtead of ſpending our ſelves in Tears, and indulging our fooliſh humour in needleſs diſpleaſures; Let us comfort our ſelves with this conſideration, That, by this means, a part of our ſelves is enter'd into Heaven, and that tother part will follow apace. Let us ſay with David, We ſhall go to them, but they ſhall not return to us. 2 Sam. 11.
Let the Rich Man when he reckons his Money, remember that God hath reckon'd and appointed his days; and let this Order ſound continually in his Ear Give an account of thy Stewardſhip, Luke 16.
Let the Magiſtrate, when ever he delivers his Vote, or pronouce a Sentence, be arm'd with this conſideration, That he who ſits in the Judgement Seat here below, ſhall ſtand at the Bar, and be judged himſelf above. That one day he ſhall appear as a poor priſoner at the Tribunal, of his great God; That the Books will be open'd, and that the univerſal Judge of the World will peruſe every particular of his accuſation: That he muſt tender an account, not only of his words and actions, but alſo of his moſt ſecret thoughts, and that without any examination at the Rack, God will diſcover the very bottom of his heart.
Let the Gentleman, whenever he receives his Rents and his Revenues, call to mind the Tribute that he muſt needs pay to death. Let the Prince and the Lord when he handles his Royal Parents, and his antient Charters, or when he examines the Homage and Duties to be paid to his Houſe and Family, take notice that he muſt go in perſon to Heaven Gates, and pay his Homage to the Divinity: Let the King who ſits in his Seat of Juſtice, or Chair of State, think upon the Throne of the King of Kings, before which he muſt appear, as well as the moſt wretched Caitiff, and the meaneſt of his ſubjects; and that he muſt give account before a juſt God, who is no reſpecter of Perſons.
Let the Miniſter be never employed about the Duties of his Function, but let him Long and wiſh for that happy day, in the which, the Lamb ſhall inſtruct and feed him in perſon, and lead him to the Fountains of living water.
Let the Chriſtian Soldier engrave upon his Sword this Sentence of Job, Is there not as it were a warfare appointed to all Mortals on Earth? Job 7. And inſtead of thirſting after humane blood, let him prepare to encounter with Deathit ſelf.
Let the Husbandman when ever he ſows his Seed, or when he reaps the Corn of his Fields, be mindful of the ſeaſon that comes on apace, in which his Body muſt …ot in the Earth, that it might grow up to Eternity; Let him think upon what St. Paul ſaith, O fool, that which thou ſoweſt is not quickened, except it dye, 1 Cor. 15. and let him meditate upon Davids comfortable perſwaſions, They who ſow in Tears, ſhall reap with Songs of Triumph, Pſal. 126.
Let an Handy craftsman that works in his ſhop, imprint in his mind, this excellent Sentence, Our days are like the days of an hireling; and when he hath ended his Task, and that he is departing to his Reſt, let him comfort himſelf with this aſſurance, That aſſoon as he ſhall have ended that work that God hath given him to do, he ſhall reſt from all his labors, Job 7.
When ever the Phyſitian viſits his Patient, or when the Chyrurgeon tends upon his wounded Bodies, let them conſider, that they have no Secret nor Art able to protect them from Death, or to cure the wounds that it ſtrikes in our corruptible Nature.
Let the moſt cunning Lawyers, the moſt adviſed Counſellors, and the moſt eloquent Orators, remember that all their Rhetorick and ſubtilty will never obtain for them, their Suit againſt Death, nor procure a moment of reſpite and delays.
And let the moſt Learned Philoſophers, learn, That the ſoundeſt Philoſophy is the meditation of Death.
In ſhort, What ever be our Imployment, Condition, or Age, let us lift up our minds and hands unto God, to ſpeak to him in the Language of the Prophet David; Lord, let me know my end, and the number of my days, that I may know how long I am to live. Or of Moſes, So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wiſdom.
A Prayer and Meditation upon the Conſideration of Death.
O my God and Heavenly Father, ſeeing that it hath been thy good pleaſure, that I ſhould be born of a mortal Nature, and that this wretched Body that comes out of the Duſt, ſhould return to Duſt again; Give me Grace to be continually mindful of my frail and dying condition, and ſeriouſly to meditate upon the changes of Time, that conſumes all things, the variety of the ſeaſons, the unconſtancy of the World, and the ſtrange diſturbances of the Earth, as remembrancers of the laſt Change that ſhall happen to our Perſons; Give me Grace to look upon my bodily infirmities, and the Diſeaſes which commonly afflict me, as ſo many Bailiffs and Meſſengers that call upon me, that the time of my departure, out of this earthly Tabernacle, draws near. Let the Bed where I ſleep mind me, that when I have ended my great days work, my Body muſt repoſe it ſelf in a bed of Duſt; O that I might conſider as often as I caſt off my Cloaths, that within a few days I muſt caſt off this mortal and corruptible Body; that the ſleep that benums my Sences, is an image before me of Death, that ſhall deſtroy all the functions of this animal life. Let the Graves and Sepulchres of my Friends and Parents, repreſent to me my future abode. O merciful Lord, give me Grace and Courage to look ſo often upon Death, and the Grave, that they may never fright nor terrify me; That this conſideration be ſo natural to me, and ſo pleaſant by cuſtom, that it may fill my Soul rather with joy, that with grief and diſpleaſure. It is true, I am born to dye, but I am ſatisfied, that I ſhall dye to live for ever with my God, the Author of my Life, and the Fountain of Bleſſedneſs, Amen.