The Soul of Man, Part 8 · Doctrine · Question 3
QUEST. III. Whether any Souls have notices, and forewarnings given them by Signs, or Predictions in an extraordinary way, of their approaching Separation?
Terms open'd.The terms of this Question need a little explanation. Let us therefore briefly consider what is meant by signs, what by predictions, and what by extraordinary signs and predictions.
A sign is that which represents something else to us than that which is seen,Sign…m est quod aliud repraesentat quam quod cernitur. or heard. And a sign of death, is that which gives notice to our minds that our departure is at hand.
A Prediction is a forewarning of a person more plainly and expresly of any thing which is afterwards to fall out or come to pass:Praedic…re est aliquem de re aliq…a eventu…a praemonere. and a prediction of death is an express notice or message informing us of our own, or of anothers Death, to the end the mind may be actually disposed to an expectation thereof.
Of Signs, some are ordinary and natural, some extraordinary and supernatural, or at least preternatural.
There are natural symptoms and prognosticks of Death which are common to most dying persons, and by which Physicians inform themselves and others of the state of the Sick. These are out of this Question, we have nothing to do with them here, but I am inquiring after extraordinary signs and predictions by words, or things forewarning us immediately, or by others of our approaching death. The Question is whether such intimations of Death be at any time truly given unto men; or whether we are to take them for fabulous reports, and superstitious fancies.
For the Negative, Reasons for the Negative.the following grounds are laid.
REASON I.
The sufficient ordinary provision God hath made in this case, renders all such extraordinary notices and intimations of our Death needless: And be sure the most wise God doth nothing in vain. We have three standing, ordinary, and sufficient means to premonish us of our departure hence, viz. the Scriptures, Reason, and daily Examples of Mortality before our eyes. The Scriptures tell us our life is but a vapour, which appeareth for a little while, and then vanisheth away, James 4.14. That our days are but to an hand breadth, and that every man in his best estate is vanity, Psal. 39.5.
Reason tells us, so feeble a tye as our breath is, can never secure our lives long. The living know that they must dye, Eccles. 9.5. The radical moisture which is daily consuming by the flame of life, must needs be spent ere long.
And all the Graves we see opened so frequently are sufficient warnings, that we our selves must shortly follow. Therefore as there was no need of Manna, when bread might be had in an ordinary way; so neither is there need of extraordinary signs, when God hath abundantly furnished us with standing and ordinary means for this purpose.
REASON II.
And as the Scriptures render such signs needless, so they seem to be directly against them. Christ commands us to watch, because we know not in what hour the Lord cometh. Yea, even Isaac himself, an extraordinary person, and endued with a Spirit of Prophecy, whereby he foretold the condition of his Sons after him, yet it's said, Gen. 27.2. That he knew not the day of his death. And it is not reasonable to think that common persons should know that, which extraordinary and prophetick persons knew not.
REASON III.
All mankind belong either to God, or the Devil. To such as belong to God, such extraordinary warnings are needless, for they have a watchful principle within them which continually prompts them to mind their change; and besides, death cannot endanger those that are in Christ, how suddainly or unexpectedly soever it should befal them.
And for wicked men, it cannot be thought God should favour and priviledg them in this matter above his own children; and as for Satan, he knows not the time of their death himself: and if he did, it would thwart his design and interest to discover it to them, Luke 11.21. So that upon the whole, it should seem such signs and predictions are of no use, and the relations and reports of them fabulous.
But though these reasons make the common and daily use of such signs and predictions needless,E contra. yet they destroy not the credibility of them in all cases, and at all times. For
I. There are recorded instances in Scripture of premonitions and predictions of the death of persons. Thus the death of Abijah was foretold to his Mother by the Prophet, and the precise hour thereof, which fell out answerably, 1 King 14.6, 12. And thus the death of the King of Assyria was foretold exactly both as to kind, and place, Isaiah 37.7, 37, 38.
II. These predictions serve to other ends and uses sometimes, than the preparation of the persons warned, even to display the foreknowledg, power and justice of God in marking out his Enemies for ruine. And thus the Lord is known by the judgments that he executeth, Psal. 9.16.
Thus Mr. Knox predicted the very place and manner of the death of the Laird of Grange. Clark's Lives. p. 277.You have sometime seen the courage and constancy of the Laird of Grange in the cause of God, and now that unhappy man is casting himself away. I pray you go to him from me (said Mr. Knox) and tell him that unless he forsake that wicked course he is in, the Rock wherein he confideth, shall not defend him, nor the carnal wisdom of that man (meaning the young Leshington), whom he counteth half a God, shall help him: but he shall be shamefully pull'd out of that nest, and his carcase hung before the Sun. And even so it fell out the following year, when the Castle was taken, and his Body hang'd out before the Sun. Thus God exactly fulfilled the prediction of his death.
The same Mr. Knox in the year 1566. being in the Pulpit at Edenburgh, upon the Lords day, a paper was given up to him among many others, wherein these words were scoffingly written concerning the Earl of Murray, who was slain the day before, Take up the man, whom ye accounted another God. At the end of the Sermon, Mr. Knox bewailed the loss that the Church and state had by the death of that vertuous man, and then added, There is one in this company that makes this horrible murther, the subject of his mirth, for which all good men should be sorry; but I tell him he shall dye where there shall be none to lament him. The man that wrote the Paper, was one Thomas Metellan, a young Gentleman, who shortly after in his Travels, died in Italy, having none to assist, or lament him.
III. And others have had premonitions and signs of their own deaths, which accordingly fell out. And these premonitions have been given them, sometimes by strong irresistible impressions upon their minds, sometimes in dreams, and sometimes by unusual elevations of their Spirits in duties of Communion with God.
1. Some have had strong and irresistible impressions of their approaching change made upon their minds. So had Sir Anthony Wingfield who was slain at Brest, Anno 1594. At his undertaking of that expedition,Sir Iohn Norris his Expedition, p. 46. he was strongly perswaded it would be his death; and therefore so setled and disposed of his Estate, as one that never reckoned to return again. And the day before he died, he took order for the payment of his debts, as one that strongly presaged the time was now at hand, which accordingly fell out the next day.
Much of the same nature was that of the late Earl of Marleburrough, who fell in the Holland War. He not only presaged his own fall in that Encounter, (which was exactly answered in the event) but left behind him that memorable and excellent Letter, which evidenced to all the World, what deep fixed apprehensions of Eternity it had left upon his Spirit. Many examples of this nature might be produced, of such as have in their perfect health foretold their own death; and others who have dropt such passages as were afterwards better understood by their sorrowful friends, than when they first dropt from their lips.
2. Others have been premonished of their death by Dreams, sometimes their own, and sometimes others. The learned and judicious Amyraldus gives us this well attested relation of Lewis of Bourbon, Amyraldus of divine Dreams, p. 122, 123.That a little before his journey from Dreux, he dreamed that he had fought three successful Battels, wherein his three great Enemies were slain, but that at last he himself was mortally wounded, and that after they were laid one upon another, he also was laid upon the dead Bodies. The event was remarkable; for the Mareschal of St. Andree was killed at Dreux, the Duke of Guise at Orleans, the Constable of Montmorency at St. Denis: and this was the Triumvirate which had sworn the ruine of those of the Religion, and the destruction of that Prince. At last he himself was slain at Basack, as if there had been a continuation of deaths and funerals
Suetonius in the life of Iulius Caesar, tells us that the night before he was slain, he had divers premonitions thereof, for that night all the doors and windows of his chamber flew open, his wife also dreamed that Caesar was slain, and that she had him in her arms. The next day he was slain in Pompey's Court, having received three and twenty wounds in his Body.
Pamelius in the life of Cyprian tells us for a most certain and well attested truth, that upon his first entrance into Carubis (the place of his banishment) it was revealed to him in a dream, or vision, that upon that very day twelve-month, he should be consummate: which accordingly sell out; for a litle before the time prefixed, there came suddainly two Apparators to bring him before the new Proconsul Galeius, Pamelius in vita Cyprian.by whom he was condemned, as having been a Standard-bearer of his Sect, and an Enemy of the Gods. Whereupon he was condemned to be beheaded, a multitude of Christians following him crying, Let us die together with him.
And as remarkable is that recorded by the learned and ingenious Doctor Sterne, of Mr. Vsher of Ireland, a man, saith he,Dr. Sterne's disse…tatio de morte, p. 163. of great integrity, dear to others by his merits, and my kinsman in blood: who upon the eighth day of Iuly, 1657. went from this to a better World. About four of the clock the day before he died, a Matron, who died a little before, and whilst living was dear to Mr. Vsher, appeared to him in his sleep, and invited him to sup with her the next night: he at first denyed her, but she more vehemently pressing her request on him, at last he consented, and that very night he died.
I have also the fullest assurance that can be, of the truth of this following Narrative. A person yet living was greatly concerned about the welfare of his dear Father and Mother who were both shut up in London in the time of the great Contagion in 1665. Many Lettets he sent to them, and many hearty prayers to Heaven for them. But about a fortnight before they were infected, he fell about break of day into this dream, That he was in a great Inn which was full of company, and being very desirous to find a private room, where he might feek God for his parents life, he went from room to room, but found company in them all; at last casting his eye into a little chamber which was empty, he went into it, lockt the door, kneeled down by the outside of the bed, fixing his eyes upon the plaisterd wall within side the bed; and whilst he was vehemently begging of God the life of his Friends, there appeared upon the plaister of the wall before him the Sun and the Moon, shining in their full strength. The sight at first amaz'd and discomposed him so far, that he could not continue his Prayer, but kept his eye fixed upon the body of the Sun; at last a small line or ring of black no bigger than that of a Text pen circled the Sun, which increasing sensibly, eclipsed in a little time the whole Body of it, and turned it into a blackish colour; which done, the figure of the Sun was immediately changed into a perfect Death's head, and after a little while vanished quite away. The Moon still continued shining as before, but whilst he intently beheld it, it also darkned in like manner, and turned also into another Death's head, and vanished. This made so great an impression upon the beholder's mind, that he immediately awaked in confusion and perplexity of thoughts about his dream; and awakning his wife, related the particulars to her with much emotion and concernment; but how to apply it he could not presently tell, only he was satisfied that the dream was of an extraordinary nature. At last Ioseph's dream came to his thoughts with the like Emblems, and their interpretation, which fully satisfied him that God had warned and prepared him thereby for a suddain parting with his dear Relations, which answerably fell out in the same order, his Father dying that day fortnight following, and his Mother just a month afterwards.
I know there is much vanity in dreams, and yet I am fully satisfied some are weighty significant, and declarative of the purposes of God.
3. Lastly, An unusual and extraordinary elevation of the Soul to God, and enlargement in Communion with him, hath been a signifying forerunner of the death of some good men. For as the Body hath its levamen anteferale, lightning before death, and is more vegete and brisk a little before its dissolution; so it is sometimes with the Soul also. I have known some persons to arrive on a suddain, to such heights of love to God, and vehement longings to be dissolved, that they might be with Christ, that I could not but look upon it, as Christ did upon the box of Oyntment, as done against their death. And so indeed it hath proved in the event.
Thus it was with that renowned Saint, Mr. Brewen of Stapleford, as he excelled others in the holiness of his life, so he much excelled himself towards his death; his motions towards Heaven being then most vigorous and quick. The day before his last sickness, he had such extraordinary enlargements of heart in his Closet-Duty, that he seemed to forget all the concernments of his Body, and this lower World. And when his wife told him, Sir, I fear you have done your self hurt with rising so early; he answered: If you had seen such glorious things as I saw this morning in private prayer with God, you would not have said so: for they were so wonderful and unspeakable, that whether I was in the Body, or out of the Body, with Paul, I cannot tell.
And so it was with learned and holy Mr. Rivet, who seemed as a man in Heaven, just before he went thither. And so if hath been with thousands beside these. I confess it is not the lot of every gracious Soul, (as was shew'd you in the last Question) nor doth it make any difference as to the safety of the Soul, whatever it makes as to comfort. Let all therefore labour to make sure their Union with Christ, and live in the daily exercises of grace in the duties of Religion; and then, though God should give them no such extraordinary warnings one way or another, they shall never be surprized by death to their loss, let it come never so unexpectedly upon them.
Quest.It may be also queried whether Satan by his Instruments may not foretel the death of some men? How else did the Witch of Ender foretel the death of Saul? And the Southsayers the death of Caesar upon the Ides, (i. e.) the fifteenth day of March, which was the fatal day to him?
Sol.Foreknowledg of things to come which appear not in their next causes, is certainly the Lords Prerogative; Isai. 41.23. Whatever therefore Satan doth in this matter, must be done either by conjecture, or commission. As to the case of Saul, 'tis not to be questioned but that he knowing the Kingdom was made to David by promise, and that the Lord was departed from Saul, and saw how near the Armies were to a Battel, might strongly conjecture and conclude, and accordingly tell him, To morrow thou shalt be with me, 1 Sam. 28.19.
And so for the death of Caesar, The Devil knew the conspiracy was strong against him, and the Plot laid for that day; and so it was both easie for him to reveal it to the South-sayers, and his interest to do it: thereby to bring that cursed Art into reputation.
As for other signs and forewarnings of death, by the unusual resort of doleful Creatures, as Owls and Ravens, vulgarly accounted Ominous, Wall-watches, upon this account called Death-watches; and the eating of wearing-apparel by Rats: I look upon them generally as supertitious fancies, not worthy to be regarded among Christians. God may, but I know not what ground we have to believe that he doth, commissionate such Creatures to bring us the message of death from him. To conclude therefore,
Let no man expect or depend upon any such extraordinary premonitions and warnings of his change, or neglect his daily work and duty of preparation for it. We have warnings in the Word, in the examples of Mortality frequently before us, in all the diseases and decays we often feel in our own Bodies: and by the signs of the times, which threaten death and desolation. Be ye therefore always ready, for ye know not in what watch of the night your Lord cometh.