The Soul of Man, Part 8 · Doctrine · Question 2
Querie 2.QUERIE II.
Whether there be any difference in the separation of Gracious Souls from their Bodies; and if so, in what particulars doth th… difference appear?
Sol. §. 1.
For the clear stating and satisfying of this Question, I will lay down some things negatively, and some things positively about it. On the negative part I desire two things may be noted.
1. First, That there is no difference betwixt the separation of one gracious Soul, and another in point of safety. Every regenerate Soul is fully secured in and by Jesus Christ from the danger of perishing, and is out of hazzard of the Wrath to come.
This must needs be so, because all that are in Christ are equally justified by the imputation of Christ's Righteousness, without difference to them all, Rom. 3.22. Even the Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Iesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference: By vertue whereof, they are all equally secured from Wrath to come, one as well as another: as all that sailed with Paul, so all that die in Christ come safe to the shoar of Glory, and not one of them is lost. The sting of Death smites none that are in Christ.
2. Secondly, There is no difference betwixt the departing Souls of just men, in respect of the supporting presence of God with them in that their hour of distress; that Promise belongs to them all, Psal. 91.15. I will be with him in trouble, and so doth that, Heb. 13.5. I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Their God is certainly with them all, to order the Circumstances of their death, and all the Occurrences of that day, to his glory, and their good. Supports I have (said a good man in such an hour) though Suavities I want; and so they have also who meet with the hardest tug at death.
But notwithstanding their equality in these Priviledges, there is a great difference betwixt the departing Souls of just men. And this difference is manifest both in the
I. External Circumstances of their death.
II. Internal Circumstances of their death.
I. In the External Circumstances of their death, all have not one and the same passage to Heaven in all respects; for
(1) First some go thither by the ordinary road of a natural death from their Beds, and the arms of lamenting friends, to the arms and bosome of Jesus Christ: But others swim through the Red Sea to Canaan, from a Scaffold to the Throne, from a Gibbet or Stake to their Fathers house, from insulting Enemies to their triumphant Brethren, the Palmbearing Multitude. This is a rough, but honourable way to Glory.
(2) Some lie long under the hand of death, before it dispatch them, it approaches them by slow and lingering paces, they feel every step of death distinctly as it comes on towards them: But others are favoured with a quick dispatch, a short passage from hence to Glory. Hezekiah feared a pineing sickness, Isa. 38.10, 12. what he feared, many feel. O how many Days, yea Weeks and Months, have many gracious Souls dwelt upon the brink of the Pit, crying, How long Lord, how long!
(3) The pains and throes of death are more acute and sharp to some of Gods people, than to others: Death is bitter in the most mild and gentle form of it. Two such dear and intimate Friends as the Soul and Body are, cannot part without some tears, groans, or sighs; and those more deep and emphatical than the groans and sighs of the living use to be: But yet (comparatively speaking) the death of one may be stiled sweet and easie to anothers. Latimer and Ridley found it so, though burnt in the same flame.
In this respect all things come alike to all, and the same difference is found in the worst, as well as in the best men: Some like Sheep are laid in the Grave, Psal. 49.14. others die in the bitterness of their Soul, Iob 21.25. and by this no man knows either love or hatred.
II. There are beside these, some remarkable. Internal differences in the dissolution of good men; the sum whereof is in this,
1. That some gracious Souls have a very hard, strait, difficult entrance into Heaven: just as it is with Ships that sail by a very bare wind, all their art, care, and pains, will but just weather some head-land or Cape: they steer fast by some dangerous Rock or Sand, and with a thousand fears and dangers, win their Port at last. Saved they are, but yet (to use the Apostles phrase) scarcely saved, or saved as by fire. And this difficulty ariseth to them from one or all these causes:
(1) It ordinarily ariseth from the weakness of their faith, which is in many Souls without either the light of evidence, or strength of reliance: neither able to dissolve their doubts, nor steadily repose their hearts, and thus they die, much at the rate they lived, poor doubting and cloudy, though gracious Souls. They can neither speak much of the comfort of past experiences, nor of the present foretasts of Heaven.
(2) The violent assaults and batteries of temptations make the passage exceeding difficult to some. O the sharp conflicts and dreadful combates many poor Souls endure upon a death-bed! O the charges of hypocrisie fortified by neglects of duty, formality, and bye-ends in duty, falls into sin after conviction and humiliation, &c. all which the Soul is apt to yield to, and admit the dreadful conclusion. These are the last, and therefore oft-times the most violent conflicts. The malice, of Satan will send them halting to Heaven, if he cannot bar them out of it.
(3) To conclude. The hidings of Gods face, puts terror into the face of death, and makes a dying day a dark and gloomy day. All darkness disposes to fear, but none like inward darkness. They must, like a Ship in distress, venture into the Harbour in the dark, though they see not their Landmarks.
2. But others have the priviledge of an foreign, easy death, a comfortable and sweet passage into glory, through the broad gate of assurance, 2 Pet. 1.11. Even an abundant entrance into the everlasting Kingdom. What a difference doth God make, not only betwixt those that have grace, and those that have none; but betwixt gracious Souls themselves in this matter! The things which usually make an easy passage to Heaven are
(1) A pardon cleared, Isai. 33.24. The Sense of pardon swallows up the sense of pain.
(2) An heart weaned from this world, Heb. 11.9, 13, 16. An heart loosed from the World, is a foot out of the snare. Mortified limbs are cut off from the Body with little pain.
(3) Fervent love to Christ, and longings to be with him, Philip. 1.23. He that loves Christ fervently, must needs loath absence from Christ proportionably.
(4) Purity and peace of Conscience make a death-bed soft and easie. The strains and wounds of Conscience in the time of life, are so many Thorns in our Bed or pillow in the time of Death, 1 Iohn 3.21. But integrity gives boldness.
(5) The work of obedience faithfully finished, or a steddy course of holiness throughout our life, is that which usually yields much peace and joy in death, Acts 20.24.
(6) But above all, the presence of the Comforter with us in that cloudy and dark day, turns it into one of the days of Heaven, 1 Pet. 4.14. And thus you see, though all dying Christians be equally safe, and all supported and carried through by the power of God; yet their farewels to the Body are not alike chearful. There are many external, and internal circumstantial differences in the deaths of good men, as well as a substantial and essential difference betwixt all their deaths, and the death of a wicked man.