A Cordial Against the Fear of Death, Sermon

A Cordial Against the Fear of Death · Sermon

p. 1Heb: 2.15.

And deliver them, who through feare of Death were all their life time ſubject to bondage.

IN this and the verſe immediately foregoing, we have a rationall account of the Incarnation of the Son of the God; why it was expedient that the Meſsiah ſhould be Emanuel, the Word ſhould be made Fleſh; wherefore the Son of God ſhould become the Son of Man, an everliving and all-quickening Spirit partake of fleſh and blood like unto us his brethren, onelyonly without ſin, i. e. be of a nature paſſible and mortall, or obnoxious to ſufferings and Death: namely, it was for theſe two ends, 1. That by his death he might deſtroy our great enemy, there named the Divel, and deſcribed to be him, that had the power of Death. And 2ly. That he might deliver us, his own brethren and friends, p. 2out of the hands of this cruel tyrant, and out of the mouth of this roaring Lyon, of whom by reaſon of our ſins, we either were, or had juſt cauſe to be all our life time afraid, leſt we ſhould by him be puniſhed both with temporall and eternall Death.

There are three obſervations, which I deſire to ſpeak to, and which I ſuppoſe contain the very marrow of theſe words.

1. That tis a grievous bondage to be all our life time in continuall feare of Death.

2. Unbelievers, or thoſe who are out of Chriſt, either are, or have juſt cauſe to be through feare of Death all their life time ſubject unto bondage.

3. Believers, or they who have part in Chriſt, and they onelyonly, are delivered and freed by his death from this intollerable bondage.

Of the 1. I ſhall proceed by theſe ſteps,

1. To ſhew that feare is a bondage.

2. That to fear all ons life time aggravates the bondage

3. That to feare Death all our life time conſummates the bondage.

1. Feare is a paſſion, which ſpeaks a man a ſervant; tis the badge and cognizance of a Servant: whereas Love is the principle and character of a Child: to feare our Lords or our Maſters anger is ſervile, ſervile eſt, ac ſervum arguit, ſaith Rolloc. in loc. And tis very obſervable, that Rom. 8.15. the ſpirit of fear is cal'd a Spirit of bondage, but the ſpirit of Adoption, or the ſpirit of Sons, is in the Scripture cal'd a ſpirit of love, and diſtinguiſhed from that ſpirit of feare, or that principle p. 3of fear, whereby ſervants commonly do act, or are acted rather, 2 Tim. 1.7. Feare hath torment, ſayth the Holy Ghoſt, 1 Joh. 4.18.

This foul fiend, this torturing Affection was worſhipped by the Lacedemonians as a God: I ſuppoſe for the ſame cauſe that the Romans and Indians worſhipped the Divel, viz. that it ſhould not torment them. And truely they ſay, Fear was commonly adored and painted in their Temples with a Lyons head, and ſo very terrible, not unlike the Devill, that roaring Lyon, who goeth about continually ſeeking whom he may devoure: and truly if it be not like the Devill, yet ſome have ſaid,Cardan. that feare doth invite the Devill to come to us, timor attrahit ad ſe daemonas. And ſurely it was not without all cauſe that Vives ſaid, Nulla eſt miſeria major quàm metus. Burton.There is no greater miſery then feare: No greater miſery, no rack or torture like it, ſaith another.

2. But then to feare all our life time, that aggravates the miſery and bondage, that makes our lives (& life we uſe to ſay is ſweet) bitter as death, yea it cauſeth ſome to chuſe (although they make an ill choice) death, rather than life. The day-labourer waits for the even, and then he ſhall reſt; the ſervant for the end of the yeer, the Apprentice for his year of Jubile, when he is to go out free; and the forethought of liberty ſugars the bitter cup of ſervitude to them. But alas! to be under the terrible bondage of feare, without any hopes or expectation of freedome, or of redemption all our life time, this is a burden which neither we, p. 4nor our Fathers were ever able to beare. Nay in death it ſelfe, I ſay not that the ſervant is free from this maſter; when a man dies, he rather feeles the evill which he feared, than is freed from it. And although we muſt ſay, bleſsed is he that feareth God alway, the Lord of life, with a filiall, child-like, ingenuous feare; yet we may ſay, miſerable is he that feareth death alway, that hard maſter, that cruel tyrant, with a ſervile and ſlaviſh feare. And ſo I come to the third and laſt degree of the bondage.

3. To feare Death all our life time, is a burden and bondage which is intolerable. Under the word Death I ſhall comprehend (with the generality of interpreters) not onelyonly temporall death, which is the ſeparation of the ſoule from the body; but eternall death alſo, which is the ſeparation of both ſoul and body from God everlaſtingly. Now to feare death alway is a terrible bondage, quid miſerius eſt, aut fingi poteſt (ſaid one) quam metu mortis perpetuo trepidare? Death is cal'd by the Philoſopher the terrible of terribles, the moſt terrible evill that can be: by Job, the King of terrors. Joh. 18.14.John 18:14Tis the feare of Kings, as well as mean men; and tis the King of feares: and thoſe who ſlaviſhly feare death are the veryeſt bondmen in the world, qui metuunt mortem illi ſervi ſunt, ac ſervili conditione, non autem ingenui, ne que filii, Rolloc. in loc. and ſo Theoph. foreign; they that feare death are the ſervants of death. Not onelyonly his ſervants we are whom we obey, but his ſervants and vaſſals we are whom we feare: p. 5and the little finger of the feare of death will be heavier than the loynes of all other feares and tyrants whatſoever. The feare of other evills chaſtiſeth us with whips, this with ſcorpions. Death is an evill, a great evil, and an unavoidable evil, and therefore terrible. It is uſherd in, and accompanied, and followed with a black guard and train of feares: the way and walke of death is very low and darke: we read of the valley of the ſhadow of death, Pſal. 23.4.Ps 23:4and in this valley there is too a Lyon, yea many legions of roaring Lyons, waiting for their prey continually; yea certainly many thouſands, if not millions of men, who have gone downe this way, have been ſore wounded, yea cruelly ſlaine here, have loſt their lives and their ſoules here. But more particularly, death will appeare ghaſtly and formidable, if we conſider

1. That it has a venomous and deadly ſting; tis an old ſerpent, and has a poyſonous ſting, the ſting of death is ſin, and that is terrible. Sin is the edge of the ſword of this deadly enemy, tis the poyſon of the Dragon, tis a greater enemy to us than death, than the Devill, than Hell it ſelfe. If ſin was not there, we ſhould not die, or we ſhould not need to feare Death, we might eaſily ſhake off this viper into the fire, and rid our hands of it, as Paul did of the viper Act 28. and feel no harme; but therefore death is death indeed, and hell hell indeed, becauſe tis the wages of ſin.

2. Death will appeare terrible, if we conſider who impowers death primarily, who hath the abſolute and p. 6ſupream power of life and death, and from whom death originally hath his Commiſſion, and that is God. The Lord killeth and maketh alive, he bringeth down to the grave and raiſeth up, 1 Sam. 2.6. And truly God is a conſuming fire: God the ſupream judge of all the earth, and who cannot erre in judgment, hath paſſed ſentence upon us according to his holy, juſt, and righteous Law; and tis deaths part but to be an executioner, to execute upon us the judgment written. The avenging juſtice of Almighty God commands death to ſeize upon the ſinner, and to teare him in ſunder like a Lyon, yea to come hiſſing upon him like a dragon with the ſting of vengeance in the mouth of it: morcem intellige cum ira Dei conjunctam, qualem neceſſe eſt extra Chriſtum eſſe, ſaith Beza. Tis the juſtice and wrath of Almighty God which commiſſionates death to kill,Pſal. 90.11.Ps 90:11 and deſtroy, and take the ſpoyle: and of Gods wrath tis ſaid, according to our feare ſo is thy wrath: our feares may be aboue the wrath of men, but the wrath of God is greater then our feares.

3. Death is terrible, if we conſider who has the power of death, i. e. not ſo much a delegate power, ſuch as Kings & Magiſtrates have, as a power by conſequence; let us call it ſo: ſuch as an Executioner or an hangman hath over condemned perſons to put them to death; and that is the Devil, v. 14. The Devil may be ſaid to have the power of death, either, 1. As a tempter, who ſeduceth us to ſin,James 1.15.Jas 1:15 and ſo brings us to death. Sin being finiſhed bringeth forth death. Theophylact tells us, the Devil got the power of death, how? foreign, p. 7foreign: ſo he, i. e. peccatum eſt fortitudo robur que mortis: he got it by Sin; Sin is the ſtrength and power of death. Or, 2^ly As an Accuſer of us unto Almighty God, and urging the Law againſt us before God, continually ſoliciting preſſing this Iudge to doe iuſtice upon us, urging God as the Nobles and Courtiers did Darius, againſt Daniel, Daniel. 6.12.13.15.Dan 6:12Dan 6:13Dan 6:15that he might be caſt into the Lyons den: ſo he, that we might be caſt into hell, the den of the roaring Lyon, and out of which we have no hope of deliverance. Or, 3^ly he may be ſaid to have the power of death (ſicut carnifex habet imperium rotae & patibuli) as an executioner hath power of the wheel or gibbet, therewith to torment men, not whom and how he pleaſeth, but condemned malefactors, according to the direction and appointment of the Iudge: thus the Devil hath the power of death: and ſurely tis a dreadfull thing to fall into the hands of this cruel tyrant and tormentor. Death comes to our chamber-doors and to our bedſide, accompanyed and guarded with Legions of Devils, who all greedily gape for their prey. And ſo we come to

The 4^th and laſt conſideration, in reſpect whereof death is very formidable or terrible; namely, if we conſider the Conſequents of death: the ſecond Death followes at the heels of the firſt, i. e. Hell treads on the heels of death. Death comes riding on a red or pale horſe with a drawn ſword in his hand, and hell followes on a black horſe with a flaming ſword turning every way to cut off all the branches of our tree of p. 8life; yea ſo to cut down the tree of life, as that he leave us neither root nor branch. Ubi coram Deo reatus, ibi protinus Inferi ſe oſtendunt, ſayth Calvin: where the ſoul is yet under guilt before God, there hell ſtares us in the face: ſo terrible muſt death be to thoſe, who are yet in their ſins, who are indeed out of Chriſt. And this is our ſecond obſervation:

Obſerva. 2 That unbelievers either actually are, or of right have juſt cauſe to be through feare of death all their life-time ſubject to bondage.

Every unbeliever may be named magor-miſsabib, feare round about: within him are feares, when all is calme, and there are no fightings without.

Foure ſorts of men there are in the world, whoſe condition is a condition of feare. 1 Minors or children, and ſervants or vaſſals, who are under hard Maſters. 2. Such as are weake and of no ſtrength, and yet have many powerfull and revengefull enemies. 3. Poore debtors, who owe millions, who have nothing to pay, and yet have creditors, who will not abate them a …arthing or mite. And fourthly, malefactors or tranſgreſſors of the Law, who are obnoxious to juſtice, and ſo lyable continually to puniſhment for the breach of the Law.

Now the condition of unbelievers may be likened to all theſe, and therefore muſt needs be a condition of feare.

1 And at beſt, he is under the Law as a ſchoolmaſter, yea as a taskmaſter too, who requires of him difficultyes and impoſſibilities, demands brick and gives no p. 9ſtraw, and he is, or ought to be afraid of being beaten daily. Then he is a ſervant, yea a ſlave to ſin, the worſt maſter, the greateſt tyrant in the world: he is as Paul ſaid of himſelf Rom. 7.14. Carnall, ſold under ſin, as to his unregenerate part: or as tis ſaid of Ahab, 1 Kings. 21.25.1 Kgs 21:25he is one that ſells himſelfe to worke wickednes: being a ſervant of Sin he is made a ſervant of death; and ſerves him daily with feare and trembling, as oft as he thinks of him: yea he is carryed captive by the Devil at his pleaſure, ſo right is that, quàm multos habet Dominos qui unum non habet? How many Lords and Maſters hath he that hath not one, that is, God, for his Lord and maſter?

2 An unbeliver is weak, and of no ſtrength, and yet hath many potent enemys to grapple withall. 1 he hath one omnipotent enemy, and that is God, one who is ſaid to be angry with him every day, Pſalm. 5.5. & 11.5.Ps 5:5Ps 11:5and to hate him, who whets his ſword, and bends his bow, and prepares for him the Inſtruments of Death. And ſurely tis a fearfull thing to be a child of wrath, and to be lyable daily to fall into the hands of this living God, as ones deadly enemy; and yet this is the ſtate of unbelievers. Again, all the Angels in heaven, and all the creatures in heaven and earth, and all the Devils in hell are his enemys: they all ſtand ready ſome nearer & ſome farther off the Iudges bench, as it were ſaying, Away with ſuch a fellow from the Earth, he is not worthy to live. He that kills thee may think he doth God good Service. An unbeliever (like Cain) may feare every one that meeteth him, leſt he ſhould ſlay him.

p. 103. He is extreamly indebted unto the Juſtice of God, and is never able to pay a farthing; and God will one day ſay (if he live and die in this ſtate) take him, and bind him hand and foot, and caſt him into the dungeon, into utter darkneſſe: verily he ſhall not come out thence, untill he hath paid the uttermoſt farthing.

And 4ly, he is a tranſgreſſor, a malefactor: God looks on him ſo, in the womb and from the womb; as ſoon as he comes into life, he is lyable to the law, ſentence, and puniſhment of death: he is (as we ſay) a dead man in law, as ſoon as he begins to live.

Yea, and that which aggravates his bondage and miſery is this, that he knows of no reprieve, no not for a day, or hour, or moment; death and hell may ſeize on him every minute: behold as it were a flaming ſword with a twine-thread hangs over his head continually, ſo that all his honors, ſweet pleaſures, wealth, is nothing to him, if his eyes be but open to ſee his miſery: his head is as it were alway upon the block, and death is ready with his axe, for ought he knows, to ſever ſoul and body every moment; and (if he die preſently) he knowes not what will become of his ſoul to eternity, or he knows that the Devills will come and fetch away his ſoule: he looks on death quaſi aeternae mortis exordium. C. Alap. on death temporall as but the beginning or inlet into eternall death; he enters into the priſon of hell, as never hoping to come out againe. If the eyes of his underſtanding be enlightned, he p. 11ſees Legions of Devills ready to fly upon his ſoule, before his ſoule goes out of his body, reaching after and catching at his ſoule, before his friends begin to ſcramble for his goods, or the wormes to feaſt themſelves with his fleſh.

To conclude this, an unbeliever hath juſt cauſe to feare death, as one that will deprive him of life, and all that he accounted happineſſe; and as a Serjeant ſent to arreſt, attach, and hale him to priſon and judgment, and ſo deliver him up to the Devill, and the torments of hell for ever.

And now if any be troubled at theſe ſayings, and ſay in their hearts, this is a hard ſaying, who can bear it? who then can be ſaved? I anſwer, our Lord Jeſus Chriſt dyed to deliver all thoſe, that will come to him for Salvation, from the feare of death, under which they were before time held in bondage: and ſo we come to treat of our 3d and laſt obſervation.

All true Chriſtians, or thoſe who are juſtified by faith Obſerv: 3 in Chriſt, are by him, and eſpecially by his death for them, or his dying for them, freed from being all their life time through fear of death ſubject unto bondage.

1 They are delivered, they do not ſlaviſhly feare death temporall and eternall, or they ought not ſo to doe. 2 They are delivered by Chriſt, and 3 by Chriſt dying for them.

1 True Chriſtians do not, or need not ſlaviſhly to fear death. I know nature is averſe to, and trembles at diſſolution; and the pure and holy nature of Chriſt did (with ſubmiſſion to his fathers will) decline p. 12ſuffering, and feare dying; and it is ſufficient for the ſervant that he be as his Maſter. A naturall, ordinate, moderate feare of death a Chriſtian may have, but yet he doth not ſlaviſhly feare death or hell; he knows the one cannot hurt him, and the other hath nothing in him: a haire of his head ſhall not fall to the ground, and not ſo much as the ſmell of hell fire ſhall ever paſſe on him. Chriſtians have no need to fear death: it can (let it do its worſt) but kill the body, it cannot caſt body or ſoule into hell fire; and wherefore then ſhould Chriſtians feare it? the ſhell, the body may in death be broken or worm-eaten; but the kernell, the ſoul, that is untouched, the wormes cannot touch that. Beſides, death is a hiding place or Sanctuary to Chriſtians for a time, till all the ſore calamities of this miſerable world are overpaſt; and men in diſtreſſe do not fly from, but to places and cities of refuge. Againe, they may look on death as a period of all evill, as a forerunner, as an in let to all bleſſedneſſe, a darke entry leading them to the father of lights: they find death in the Inventory of their good things, 1 Cor. 3.21, 22. For all things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, Revel. 14.13.Rev 14:13or life, or death. Even ſo ſaith the Spirit, Bleſsed are the dead that die in the Lord. Alacres accedunt ad mortem, tanquam ad aerumnarum terminum, & melioris vitae exordium, Corn. Alap. They approach death cheerfully, as the end of their troubles, and the beginning of a better life.

How unhappy were Chriſtians, if they could not p. 13dye? they would not live alway. It is enough ſay they, (with Elijah, a little altered) take away our lives, 1 King. 15.4.1 Kgs 15:4that we may be better with our fathers; nay, that we may be ever with the Lord, which is beſt of all. Vitam habent in patientia, mortem in deſiderio: they are patient of life, or content to live, but deſirous to dye. Of old it was grown to a kind of Proverb, ſoli Chriſtiani mortis contemptores: Chriſtians were the men who contemned death. In the Martyrologie we find Juſtus and Paſtor, the one of ſeven, the other of nine yeares of age, offering themſelves to Martyrdome for Chriſt. A godly man dies willingly, though at the ſtake, ſaying with the firſt Martyr Stephen, Lord Jeſus receive my Spirit: Act. 7.59.Acts 7:59but tis obſerved by ſome, that the rich fool dyed unwillingly, this night (ſaith the text) do they require thy ſoul of thee; he would not dye, but he muſt.Luk. 12.20. gr.Luke 12:20

Farther, Chriſtians are freed by Chriſt, and by his dying, from the ſlaviſh feare of death and hell, or temporall and eternall death. For

1 Chriſt hath deſtroyed him that had the power of death, i. e. the Devill: non quod perſonam, aut ſubſtantiam diaboli deſtruxerit, & annihilârit, ſed quia ejus regnum & imperium deſtruxit, Corn. Alap. He hath not deſtroyed or annihilated the perſon or ſubſtance of the Divell, but he hath deſtroyed his Kingdome and Empire. Chriſt hath deſpoyled the Devill of that right or power, which he ſometimes had by permiſſion or ſufferance from God, to tempt and torment them, by reconciling them by his death unto p. 14God. Now ſince Chriſt hath made our peace with God, the Devils power to tempt us in this life is much limited and reſtrained, if we be in Chriſt; and his power to torment us after death is totally aboliſhed. He hath delivered us from the power of Satan, Act. 26.18. from the power of darkneſse, Col. 1.13. Ita proſtratus eſt (ſaith Calvin, ſpeaking of the Devill) ut pro nihilo habendus ſit, ac ſi nullus foret: the Devill is ſo vanquiſhed, as if he ſignified nothing now, as if there was no Devill at all as to believers. And Chriſt conquerd the Devill, beat him out of his Kingdome and Empire, which he ſometimes had over us his Subjects, with his own weapon; he ſlew him as it were with his own ſword: hoſtem ſuis ipſius armis confecit Chriſtus, ſaith Beza. Chriſt by death overcame him that had the power of death: when he hung upon the croſſe,See Coloſ: 2.15. & Epheſ. 4.8.Eph 4:8 he ſpoiled principalities and powers; and when he aſcended up on high, he led captivitie captive, and made a ſhew of them openly, triumphing over them. The Devill firſt got his power to torment us with death temporall and eternall, and with the fear and horror of both, by tempting us to ſin; and by that meanes tyrannized over man, putting him to death cruelly and malitiouſly: but now Chriſt became ſin for us, our ſins were laid upon him, and he died for our ſins, and by his death overcame the Devill: the great Leviathan did bite at the fleſh of Chriſt, or his humane nature, ſed captus fuit hamo Divinitatis, but he was caught by his divinity, as with a hook: yea the divine power of Chriſt is p. 15ſuch a hook in his noſtrills, that he can and will hinder him from tyrannizing over and tormenting (as formerly he did) thoſe that are Chriſts. And truly, the Devil hath juſtly forfeited his power for his malice againſt Chriſt, and his preſumption in ſetting upon Chriſt, the Captain of our ſalvation, when he once appeared but in the Similitude of ſinfull fleſh.

2. Becauſe Chriſt hath deſtroyed the power and dominion of Sin; he hath by his death taken away the condemning power, and purchaſed the Spirit to deſtroy the commanding power of Sin in his; ſo that ſin ſhall no more raigne in our mortall bodyes, Sin ſhall no more have dominion over us, ſince Chriſt dying for ſin hath condemned Sin in the fleſh.

3. That Chriſt hath delivered true Chriſtians from the feare of Death, appeares, in that he hath freed them from the damning power of the Law: the ſtrength of ſin, as to its condemning power, is the Law; but Chriſt in this regard, as to thoſe that are Chriſts, hath nayled the Law to his croſſe: yea the law was not made for a righteous man, ſayth the Scripture, 1 Tim, 1.9, and ſuch are juſtified perſons by the death of Chriſt. Farther, tis ſaid againſt ſuch there is no law, Gal. 5.23. and that we might be yet delivered from all our tormenting feares, hear what the Apoſtle Paul ſayth, Rom. 8.1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Chriſt.

4 In that Chriſt by his death hath aboliſhed death to the godly, I had all-moſt ſaid Name and Thing, he hath taken away the ſting of death, he hath beat out p. 16the teeth of this evill and venemous beaſt. Death came with open mouth upon Chriſt, like a roaring Lyon, as he went down that way, but Chriſt hath ſlaine the Lyon, and now out of the eater comes meat, and out of the ſtrong comes ſweetnes, to them that are Chriſts the bitternes of death is paſt; any child of God may now play upon the hole of this Aſpe death; tis now to them a ſleep, a change, a gathering to their fathers:Revel. 20.6.14. v compared.Rev 20:6Rev 20:14 and it hath been obſerved, that in the Revelations ſometimes it doth not goe in account as worthy of the name of death; for then the death of the Soul in hell, which is cal'd the ſecond death, ſhould have been cal'd the third death: but if it be any thing, we are aſſured 1 Cor. 15. that it ſhall be deſtroyed, death is ſwallowed up of victory, v. 54. and Revel. 20.14. we read, that death and hell were both caſt into the lake of fire and brimſtone: ſo that thoſe that are Chriſts need not feare either the one or the other.

5 In that Chriſt by dying hath procured the keyes of hell and death to be laid upon his ſhoulders, and none of his ſhall goe into the chambers of death, till he open the door; and that he will not doe, untill he hath made and perfumed their beds for them, and untill it is the beſt time for them to goe take their reſt: and as for hell, ye may be ſure he will bar and bolt the gates of hell, ſo that Chriſtians need not feare it, they ſhall never goe thither.

Beſides, Chriſt will redeem them from death, by a glorious Reſurrection of their bodyes at the laſt day.

p. 17And now if any ſay in their hearts, what then, muſt Chriſtians for ever caſt of all feare, and rejoyce in it as their portion, purchaſed for them by the ſufferings and death of Chriſt?

I anſwer

1 That Chriſtians ought, notwithſtanding all that hath been ſaid, to feare God with an awfull, reverentiall feare, and to have Reverend thoughts of him, and demean themſelves reverently before him, as becomes duſt and aſhes; eſpecially when he manifeſts himſelfe to, and before them, either in his holy word and ordinances, or in his extraordinary workes and Providences. So Moſes ſaid,Heb. 12.21.Heb 12:21 I exceedingly feare and quake, when God came down on Mount Sinai:Iſa: 66.2. Philip. 2.12.Phil 2:12 and to him will I look (ſayth God) that trembles at my word.

2 Chriſtians ought, notwithſtanding all that hath been ſaid, to take heed leſt they fall, to worke out their Salvation with feare and trembling: they ought to ſerve their Maſter in heaven with feare and trembling. My fleſh trembleth for feare of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments, pſal. 119.120. i. e. they ought to hauehave a watchfull, carefull, heedfull feare, that they doe not offend or diſpleaſe God at any time: we muſt not caſt overboard ſuch a Religious feare, as made Noah build an Arke, for the ſaving of himſelfe and his houſe; but as for ſuch feares, as like Ionah, ſhall occaſion ſuch ſtormes and tempeſts, that though we row hard, and tugg hard, yet we cannot bring the veſſel ſafe to ſhoare, let it be caſt out.

3 Yet I ſay, that Chriſt hath freed them by his holy p. 18life and innocent Death, from anxious, diſtracting, perplexing, tormenting feare, either of temporall or eternall death. Such a feare as may make them fly to God, as may conſiſt with love to God and goodnes; ſuch a feare of his goodnes and mercy, as conſiſts with hope in his mercy; ſuch a feare they have, and may, and ought to have, and yet be good Servants, and no baſe ſpirited or baſe principled ſlaves; and yet be loving Children, and not baſtards, no unworthy baſe ſpirited Children.

Yea laſtly, So far as they are unregenerate, the feare of ſufferings may be a bridle to luſt, and a ſpur to duty; yea they may make uſe of the threatnings in the word to deterre them from offending, and as a Motive or meanes to keep cloſe to the way which is called holy: we find that God uſed a Commination even to Adam in Innocency in Caſe of diſobedience, In the day thou eateſt thereof thou ſhalt ſurely dye, Gen. 2.17.

Again, if any ſay further in their hearts, how can this man ſave us? he did not ſave himſelfe from the feare of death, and how can he ſave others? and if we read Math. 26. from v. 38. to 42. and Heb. 5.7. we may hauehave cauſe to think, that Chriſt himſelfe feared death; and then how could he deliver us from it?

I anſwer, that Chriſt did feare death; but that his feare was not inordinate, that it was principally the wrath of God, the terrors of the Almighty, which made him pray with ſtrong cryes and teares unto God. He did conflict with death in its full ſtrength; with the Serpent with its ſting and poyſon in it: Chriſt p. 19endured the paine of ſenſe in the garden, when he ſaid, my ſoule is exceeding ſorrowfull even to the death; the paine of loſſe, when he was crucifyed on the tree, and cryed out, my God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? where, though the grace of viſion was for a time withdrawn from Chriſt, yet the grace of union and unction ſtill continued the ſame. So that as Chriſt entred into the firſt degree of the firſt death, his ſoul and body were really ſeparated, but not into the ſecond, i. e. his body did not ſee corruption: ſo he enterd only into the firſt degree of the 2^d death: the light of Gods countenance was hid towards him for a while, as it were under a cloud, but God did not wholly forſake him, nor was he totally ſeparated from God. And truely, God heard the prayer of Chriſt, that prayer of his upon the croſſe,Luk. 23.46.Luke 23:46 Father into thy hands I commend my ſpirit, i.e. ſaith one, Father, if I dye, yet deliver me from the power of death, deliver me out of death, preſerve and reſtore my ſpirit again:D. H^d. and accordingly he had within 3 daies a glorious Reſurrection in anſwer to his prayer.

I know there are, who take foreign to ſignifie a reverentiall or religious feare; and ſo make the ſenſe of Heb. 5.7. where tis ſaid, that Chriſt was heard foreign, to be, he was heard for his great piety and devotion, and not that he was ſaved from, or out of the thing which he feared, namely out of death, implying that Chriſt feared death: but therefore Chriſt feared it ſo much, that we might not fear it ſo.

p. 20If any farther examine me, what is the Reaſon then that good men oftentimes are ſo unwilling to dye, and ſo fearfull of death? we read of good Hezekiah, that at the tidings of death, he turned his face to the wall, and wept ſore.

I anſwer, 1 concerning Hezekiah, that he was at this time childleſſe, and that might ſeem a diſmall thing, for his Sun to ſet ſo long before night, and to have no hope of riſing againe in his poſterity. 2 That he had newly made a glorious Reformation, and knew not but that after his deceaſe the worſhip of dead Idols might revive againe, to the great diſhonour of the living God, whom he ſerved. 3 He might feare leſt his being taken away at ſuch a time, and by ſuch a violent diſeaſe (tis thought by ſome it was the plague) might open the mouths of his enemies to triumph and ſay, that this evill was therefore come upon him, becauſe he had broken down their Altars. 4 Poſſibly he himſelfe might upon the ſudden look upon this meſſage of death, as a meſſenger bringing him tidings of Gods diſpleaſure, and for this cauſe he might weep at the newes of death.

And ſecondly, as concerning other good men or women, who have feared Death, I anſwer 1 that of right they ought not to fear it. Chriſt hath ſet open the priſon doors, and if they uſe the meanes, they may be free from their feares; tis their ignorance of their ſtrength in Chriſt, and deaths weakneſſe, which makes them fear death. If the children p. 21of light be kept ever in darkneſſe, and not ſee that there are more for them then can be againſt them, they will be afraid of death and his followers: or 2ly, it may be they neglect to put on the whole armour of God, when they grapple with principalities and powers, and particularly with the power of death; or they go out raſhly in their own ſtrength, without ſeeking of auxiliary forces from heaven to help them; or it may be they do not uſe their ſhield of faith in Chriſt, who by death overcame death; and therefore it is that they are overcome for a while of the fear of death. Or laſtly, as tis ſaid of Gad, ſo I may ſay of theſe, a troop may overcome them, Gen. 49.19.Gen 49:19but they ſhall overcome at the laſt; and though their hearts faile them for fear in the beginning, yet they ſhall be as David, and as the Angel of the Lord ſtrengthning him; they ſhall be couragious, and more than conquerors in the concluſion, over death and hell, and all their feares of them:

And now if on the other ſide we ſee any wicked men, children of the Devill, who ſeem to us undaunted at death;Job. 41.33.Job 41:33 who ſeem to us like the great Leviathan, concerning whom ye know tis ſaid, upon earth there is not his like, who is made without feare.

I ſay either 1 that the Devill it may be hath blinded their eyes, that ſo he might lead them into the bottomleſſe pit, before they ſo much as feare or fancy it. He is ſo ſubtle, that he will not torment them before the time, that he may be more ſure to torment them to all eternity. Again, they may ofttimes p. 22perhaps have a hell in their conſciences, whilſt they ſeem to us to be in a fools paradiſe. If they feel no fear of death temporall or eternall, tis ſurely becauſe they are dead in their ſins and treſpaſſes, and their conſciences are ſeared with a hot iron. I am perſwaded the ſoule of the boldeſt wicked man on earth was never ſo fearleſſe all the time that it was in the body, but that when it ſees it muſt go out of the body, and goe into hell, it feares and trembles to go forth: how free and jolly would it deem it ſelfe, might it but abide in the priſon of the body for ever? but to ſay no worſe of ſuch, theſe dye deſperately, but the righteous hath hope in his death.

Uſe. And now are theſe things ſo, is fear ſo terrible a bondage, and eſpecially the fear of death and hell; and are all out of Chriſt lyable and obnoxious to this horrid and helliſh ſlavery, and that all their life time; oh that this truth might be to every one that hears it, and is out of Chriſt, like the handwriting upon the wall to Belſhazzar, that it might fill him with fear, and that he might go home full of fear, and that his feares (like ſome ghoſt) might haunt him, and give him no reſt, whilſt he continues in his naturall, unregenerate condition. I deſire this Doctrine may ſcare them, but not hurt them.

And you who are indeed (and know it) ſubject to this grievous bondage, the feare of death and hell, I deſire you would go to the hart, and hare, and ſuch like fearefull creatures; that you would conſider, and learn their wayes, and be wiſe.

p. 231 They are very cautelous and watchfull. Tis ſaid of the hare, that ſhe ſleeps with her eye-lids open. Let us be vigilant and circumſpect, and keep a conſtant guard upon all the wayes and inlets of ſin; for ſin, fear, death, and hell, all enter in at the ſame port or door.

2 Fearfull creatures are very nimble to fly from danger. Let us fly from ſin as from the face of a ſerpent; remembring alway, that the ſting of death is ſin.

3 Fearfull creatures get hiding places, to which they run and are ſafe: the Hart that is animal timidiſsimum, a moſt fearfull creature, hath a hiding place on the tops of mountains; hence that expreſſion Pſalm. 18.33. He maketh my feet like hindes feet, and ſetteth me upon my high places: and the ſtony rocks are a hiding place for the coneys, Pſal. 104.18. Let us get a hiding place in that Rock, that is higher then our ſelves, in the Lord Chriſt, and then we need not fear that mighty hunter, the Devill, when he purſues us. Lets hide our ſelves in the clefts of this rock now, and then we ſhall not need one day to call for the rocks to fall on us, and for the hills to cover us. Be convinced that by nature we are dead in ſins and treſpaſſes, come to Chriſt by a true and a lively faith, this is the way to paſſe from death to life: live in, and to, and for Chriſt much for the time to come, and you need not fear temporall and eternall death; for ſurely you have eternall life abiding in you. Fear God with all your hearts, with a filiall fear, this will provoke you to diligence, and obedience, and watchfulneſſe, p. 24and then you ſhall not, you ought not to fear with a ſlaviſh fear, what death or the Devill can do unto you: time at mortem, qui Deum non timet. Let him feare death, who feareth not God. What ſhall I ſay more, get abundance of love to God, and good evidences of Gods love to you; and Love, both this and that, is as ſtrong as death: and then having two ſuch ſtrong and mighty champions with you and for you, you need not fear death, come when he will, for you are more then his match. And ſo I come to Apply the third and laſt obſervation.

Uſe Infor. Are Chriſtians thus delivered from the ſlaviſh fear of death temporall and eternall, then this may informe us 1 that Chriſtians are the freeſt men in the world; they are not in bondage, no not unto death: they were not borne free, nor with a great ſumme of moneys obteined they this freedome, but the Son of God hath made them free, and therefore they are free indeed. Againe 2ly, hence we may be informed, that Chriſtians are the valianteſt and moſt couragious champions in the world. If thus they are not afraid to look death in the face, of whom then ſhould they be afraid? they may by grace do what tis ſaid the horſe doth by nature, even mock at fear, when it cometh. We may ſay as David doth, the Righteous is hold as a Lion. A righteous man may ſay with David, Pſal. 3.6. I will not be afraid of 10000s of people, that have ſet themſelves againſt me round about: or as in Pſal. 46.2. Although the earth be removed, and the mountaines caſt into the midſt of the Sea, I will not p. 25fear. Although the greater world fall, this leſser world need not ſhake or be moved. And ſo we are here taught 3ly, the great Bleſſedneſſe of Chriſtians in miſerable times: theſe are the happy men and women in times of war, plague, famine. Miſer Chriſtianus videri poteſt, non poteſt inveniri, he may outwardly ſeem miſerable, he ſhall never be truly miſerable.

Are ye by Chriſt freed from the ſlaviſh fear of death temporall and eternall, Uſe 2 then let not ſuch men as you be terrified at the newes of the approach of death; and be not unwilling to die, when the God of our lives calls for you. When once good old Simeon had got his Saviour in his armes, he preſently ſings his Now letteſt thou thy ſervant depart in peace. Luk. 2.29.Luke 2:29Rebeckah, that went ſo willingly with Abrahams ſervant to Canaan, to be Iſaacs wife, may riſe up in the day of Judgment and condemn us, if we hang back, when our bridegroome the Lord Chriſt comes or ſends for us. She went to an earthly Canaan, we to a heavenly; ſhe went to Iſaac, a type of Chriſt, we to Chriſt himſelfe; ſhe to Sarahs tent, we to Abrahams boſome; ſhe to a moveable tent or Tabernacle, we to Manſions, to a building that has foundations, whoſe builder and maker is God himſelfe; ſhe went from her own kindred and fathers houſe, to live and die in a ſtrange country, we go to our own country and fathers houſe, to dye no more, death ſhall no more have dominion over us.

Conſider (for I ſpeak to thoſe who are paſſible and mortall, and to whom no day can bring a priviledge, p. 26nor place be a Sanctuary from the arreſt of death, no though our breaſts be full of milk, and our bones of marrow) conſider I ſay 1. that death can but bruiſe our heel, he cannot break our head: when death hath killed the body, he hath done all. God ſayes to this deſtroying Angell or Meſſenger of his, when he hath taken away the life of our bodies, ſtay now thine hand, it is enough, put up thy ſword into the ſcabbard: and therefore do not fear death, for the ſword of death is like the ſword of the magiſtrate, he beareth it indeed not in vain, but to be a terror to evill doers, and a praiſe to them that do well. 2. Death will cure thee of thy body and ſoul diſeaſes: The long-ſick writ upon his grave ſtone, hîc ero ſanus, here I ſhall be well. And as for ſin, the diſeaſe of thy ſoul, death will perfectly cure that leproſie, and ſtop that bloudy iſſue, and be the death of that body of death within thee. 3. As the fining pot for ſilver, and the furnace for gold, ſo ſhall the grave be to our droſſy bodies: our bodies (like the China diſhes) after they have been buryed for ſome generations under ground, ſhall be taken up, and made veſſels of honour, fit for our maſters uſe in heaven. The ſoul is now indeed a Pearl, but ſet in clay; but at the Reſurrection, in the day when God makes up his Jewels, when he takes them up out of the duſt and dirt, he will then ſet them in bodies of gold, yea in bodies like the Sun; for we ſhall be made like unto the glorious body of Chriſt, Phil. 3.Revel. 1.16.Rev 1:16 laſt. And his body is like the Sun, when it ſhineth in its full ſtrength. 4. Death is the beaten road to everlaſting p. 27life: Chriſt the King of heaven and earth went this way; and it may ſuffice Chriſtians to walke to heaven, even as Chriſt walked, in and by the way of death. 5. Conſider, Death is Chriſts meſſenger, he will not run before he is ſent; he is Chriſts Angel or Miniſter, ſent out for the good of them, who are heires of Salvation. In the 2 King. 6.32. we read, that when Jehoram ſent a meſſenger to take off Eliſha's head, the Prophet bid ſhut the door, for (ſaith he) is not the ſound of his maſters feet behind him? But let us uſe death kindly, and not handle him roughly at the door; but rather ſay, turn in, turn in my Lord, for is not the ſound of his and our Maſters feet, is not the ſound of Chriſts feet behind him? 6^ly and laſtly, conſider that ſo long as thou art ſlaviſhly afraid of death and judgment, thou art either not a ſon, or ſurely a ſon under age; thou art not made perfect in love. I ſhall never think my ſoul in good caſe (ſaid one) ſo long as I fear to think of dying. And Luther in a Sermon on Luk. 21.25. ſaith, that untill we can from our hearts deſire the day of judgment, we cannot ſay boldly that we are Chriſtians: he would therefore have us pray to God for this day, thus, fac, ſi fieri poteſt, ut hâc horâ veniat. I deſire it may come, even this very hour.

But yet truly I think that the houſe of our ſoul may ſometimes lie ſo unſwept and out of order, that we may be for a ſeaſon willing that our Lord and huſband ſhould delay a little his comming. But tis our duty, and let it be our ſtudy and endeavour, to ſet the p. 28houſe of our ſoule in order daily, not knowing but that any day we may dye, and not live.

To this purpoſe lets meditate often on death; thus lets die daily, thus lets acquaint our ſelves with it, and prepare for it, and ſo ſhall we be at peace, and ſo ſhall we not be afraid. We read in the Goſpell of one mad man, who lived among the tombs; the world think all mad that do ſo,Joh. 19.41, 42. compared with Math. 27.59.60John 19:41John 19:42Matt 27:59Matt 27:60 although but by meditation: and yet we read that devout Joſeph of Arimathea had his tomb in his garden, where he probably uſed to walk. And oh that my people were wiſe, Deut. 32.29.Deut 32:29that they would conſider their latter end, were ſome of the laſt words of Moſes. This is the way to prepare for death; and watchfulneſſe and preparation may prevent a ſurpriſall, may turn death into a ſleep: the longer and more we watch for death, our ſleep and reſt will be the ſweeter. In vita vigilant juſti, ideo in morte dicuntur dormire, Auguſt: the righteous watch whilſt they live, and their death is a ſleep. And what weary long waking man is afraid of a ſound and ſweet ſleep?

Uſe laſt. And ſo I come to the laſt Uſe of the Doctrine. If Chriſtians ought not to fear death neither temporall nor eternall, of whom or what then ſhould believers be afraid?

Let us not fear the Devill; he is an enemy, but a conquered enemy, but an enemy bound in chaines; he is a Lyon, but led in chains, and ſo muzled, that a child of God need not fear him.

Lets not fear the day of judgment; tis a time of refreſhing from the preſence of the Lord; tis the day of p. 29Redemption of our bodies. Let it be the object of our hopes, not of our feares. Lets not fear the world, not all the evill the men of the world can do unto us; let us march on in the way of truth and holineſſe; and that although the whole world ſhould be againſt us, although our dayes ſhould prove daies of darkneſſe, of clouds, and of thick darkneſſe, daies of rebuke and blaſphemy to us: yet let us Chriſtians, whether Prophets, or Prophets children, or profeſſors of the Goſpell, which is the truth, and the Doctrine according unto godlineſse, let us be zealous and couragious for truth againſt error, and for holineſſe againſt profaneneſſe; let us quit our ſelves like men, and be ſtrong; let us ſtand up to and for the truth, our hearts never once failing us for fear of what may come upon us; no not if it ſhould come to a worſhip the golden Image, or be caſt into the fiery furnace: cōſidering (as one ſaith) that Dei miles nec in dolore deſeritur, nec in morte finitur, Gods ſouldier is neither deſerted in ſufferings, nor ended in death. And again, quanto plus tormenti, tanto plus erit gloriae: the more torment, the more glory. For although we muſt not have amorem mercenarium, yet we may have amorem mercedis, though not a mercenary love, yet a Reſpect to the recompence of reward.

Let us know, that although tis a bleſſed thing to dye in the Lord, yet tis a more glorious thing to dye for the Lord. Let us therefore look unto the cloud of witneſſes of the martyrs of Jeſus, who have gone before us, either in the Primitive, or in the Marian times; p. 30yea let us look unto Jeſus, the Author and finiſher of our faith, Heb. 12.2Heb 12:2who for the joy that was ſet before him, endured the croſse, and deſpiſed the ſhame, and is now ſet down at the right hand of God, from whom he came into this world, that he might deliver us out of the hands of all our enemies, that we might ſerve him without fear, foreign, i. e. ſaith D^r H. foreign in ſafety, in holineſſe and righteouſneſse all the daies of our lives.

To conclude all, In all our qualms and faintings of heart, lets endeavour to revive and encourage our ſelves with this ſoveraigne cordiall and Antidote, that it was one great end wherefore Chriſt took upon him fleſh and blood, which could ſuffer and dye, that ſo by his death and reſurrection he might not only reſcue one day our bodies after death from the power of the grave, giving us a glorious Reſurrection unto eternall life; but alſo might by his victorious death on the croſſe deſtroy our Arch-enemy the Devill, who had the power of death, a deadly power, or a power to kill, and deliver us, who through fear of death otherwiſe ought, and ſhould have been all our life time ſubject unto bondage.

FINIS.

End of the text · Thomas Hodges, A Cordial Against the Fear of Death (1659)