Death Made Comfortable, Title page – Preface
DEATH MADE Comfortable: OR The Way to Dye Well: Consisting of Directions for an Holy and an Happy Death.
Together with An Office for the Sick: and for certain kinds of bodily illness:
And for dying Persons.
And proper Prayers upon the Death of Friends.
By IOHN KETTLEWELL, a Presbyter of the Church of England.
LONDON, Printed for Robert Kettlewell:
And are to be sold by Sam. Keble, at the Turks. head over against Fetter-Lane in Fleet-street. MDCXCV.
THE PREFACE.
EVery Person, who comes into this World under the Guilt of Sin, is a Debtor to Death. And this Debt sooner or later all must pay; even they, who fence themselves about with the strongest Armies, or heap up Riches as if they were always to possess them, or whose daily Business it is to drown all Thoughts of Death in the Noise of Mirth and Pleasures. In the midst of all their Care and Labour to avoid him, Death will surely meet them, and spoil all their Glory and Iollity; and that commonly when they least expect him. And then he makes them see their own Vanity, and the Vanity of all earthly things, which nothing else could teach them to consider of. For he shews us the Shame of our Bodies, and makes the Pride of Human Greatness to become an easie Conquest and inglorious Prey for Worms, and brings all earthly Hopes and Projects to end and hide themselves in Dust.
This is a thing, which all Men know, and all Men fear. And they who study most, to keep the Thoughts of Death far from them, do yet certainly know that it will come. And happy then is he, whose Mind is so well prepared and …ortified, that it can neither fright nor hurt him; who has disarmed this†Job. 18. 14. King of Terrors, and made this great Enemy of Nature to become a Friend.
All this, Religion will do, if we will make a right use of it. For*1 Cor. 15. 56. the sting of death is sin, and true Repentance takes that out. And if we take care, that our Life contain nothing terrifying, our Death need not. And the compleatest Victory over Death is Eternal Life, and the same Repentance secures us thereof. And Trust in God fortifies us against Fear, and Patience makes our Pains lighter. So that whilst by true Devotion we are spending our selves in these Exercises, we are dressing our Souls in Armour, which will not only sustain the Shock of Death, but conquer it with all its Strength and Terror.
And the business of these Papers, is to furnish out thoughts for all those who are willing and d…sirous to use the same, whereby all this may be done. And whereby we may receive Sickness, and meet. Death, so as at the same time to have enough under them to support and comfort us, and in the end to be made better by both.
And all this I treat of, not as a man who is preaching to men at ease, who must be diverted and entertained with nice inquiries, and fine discourses and speculations about Death. But as one who is called to sick and dying Persons, who desire to be helped and directed in things of use, and told those matters which are fit, to support and ease their weary Souls, and to dress them in such habits, as are the best defence both against the sting and terror of their approaching Enemy.
I have first, according to the best of my skill, given them directions what to do, and wherein to spend their care, thro, all the steps and progress of their sickness, from its first seisure to their departure. I show them what will render their sick-bed carriage rewardable, and its Sorrows …olerable and comfortable. How they are like to be most easie to themselves, and may most profitably chuse or improve the Company, and employ and receive the services, and kind Offices of others. What they are to do, that they may dye well, and be happy and full of Comfort in their Death and after it; and how it is fit for them to part with all men, and take a decent and a Christian leave of this World.
And in regard Devotion is the chief work, and the best support of sick and dying Persons, to these directions, I have added Offices of Devotion.
In these, I have made collections of select and proper Scriptures, upon the several duties and necessities of sick or dying Persons, which I have ranged and put in order the best I can, for their comfort and instruction. And these they may resort to, as a Storehouse of Divine Sentences, fit to direct their practice in the virtues, and to cheer and revive their Spirits under all the sorrows of their Affliction. How forceable are right words, says Job under the bitterness of his sorrows. Job 6. 25. And heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad, says Solomon Prov. 12. 25. But the good words which God himself speaks to us, do leave a much stronger impression, and give more ease, and do more revive and make glad the Heart, than any others.
And after these collections of Scriptures, I have furnished them with variety of fit and proper Prayers, upon their several Duties, or Needs, in that condition. And as I was able, I have stored those Prayers with such proper thoughts and considerations, as may serve at once, both to express and put up to God the several bounden duties and tempers required of us, and also to ingenerate and increase the same in our own minds.
And to these for sick and dying Persons, I have annexed like Devotional helps, for Women with Child, or in Child Birth, and for some other cases of Bodily distempers and Calamities. And to conclude all, I have added Devotions on the Death of Friends, and made particular Prayers for those cases which usually are most affecting, and provided them with such considerations, as seem to me to be most proper and of greatest force to support and comfort us, under such mortifying and afflictive losses.
And in all these Prayers, I have taken care to be as instructive as I can, in the several States and Cases they refer to, that we may see what our work and wants are under them, and know what we have to mind and do therein, better than we knew before. And so likewise in the several duties, which the Prayers are made upon. For I have endeavoured therein, especially in the Prayers about Trust in God, and about Patience (which are the virtues most tryed on sick-beds, and indeed of most general use thro the whole course of our lives) to set off the several Acts, wherein we are to exercise and show forth those Graces; and the most proper and important helps and considerations, whereby we are like to be most quickened, and best assisted in our performance of them. And therefore when any are desirous to encrease knowledge, and improve their understandings therein, they may read the Prayers, or have them read to them, tho not in way of Devotion, but as Discourses upon them.
And these Offices for sick or dying Persons, should not be neglected or thrown aside by men in Health, as if they were a Study and Employment only for sick-beds. For living men must think of Death, and prepare for it, as well as dying: and if whilst health and strength lasts, we throw these Thoughts and Preparations by, when it comes it will be like to find us unready. And then we can neither dye comfortably, nor safely.
For when once the Bridegroom is come, as our Saviour tells us†Mat. 25. in the Parable of the wise and foolish Virgins, *ver. 1.they that are ready go in with him to the Marriage. And if any want †ver. 8. 1….Oyle in their Lamps, and need to seek it, when they should go out to meet him, he will enter without them, and then the door is shut, and will not be opened again for them. If they are ready with Oyle in their Lamps, when *ver. 7. …the Cry of the Bridegroom comes they may fall to trim them: but they must not have their Oyle to seek, or the virtues of a death-bed to learn, when they are called forth to show and take comfort in them.
Besides, Repentance, and Reconciliation, and satisfaction for injuries, and settling ones worldly affairs, are a work most fit and proper for the best days of life. And resignation, and trust in God, and patience, and thankfulness, (the great virtues and employment of sick-beds) are all Duties as necessary and acceptable in Health, as they are in sickness. Death it self, is but the last Act, and end of Life. And those spiritual exercises, which make us at last to dye well and happyly, are but the last Acts of those Duties, which had made us live well and Holily before.
Defer not therefore, as the wise Son of Syrach says, untill Death to be justified. But humble thy self before thou be sick, and in the time of sins shew Repentance. Before Judgment examine thy self, and in the day of visitation thou shalt find mercy. Ecclus. 18, 20, 21, 22.
But when we come to be sick, then are we most especially to make such Offices our Employment, and to seek to them as our chiefest comfort. And each one may pick out Prayers for himself on one Head or another, according as those wants shall require, which at that time are most pressing upon his body or his spirit, or which in the present temper of his Soul he is best disposed for. And he may use sometimes more of them, and sometimes fewer, according as he finds his strength and time will bear. And these, when he is in strength and circumstances fit for it, he may read himself; but at other times, they may be read to him for his spirit to repeat and send up to God, by some religious Friend who attends about him. Or they may be read to him, as a Chapter of seasonable and needful Doctrine and Direction, which will lay such considerations before him, as are fit to guide and comfort him in that condition, when he is less able to bear the Fatigue and expensive pains of Devotion.
As for some distempers, they are slow and chronical, and carry us off by lingring degrees. And in these, men have time enough to employ, if they have but the Will and Heart to employ it, in these or such like Offices, which teach them both how to sustain sickness, and how to prepare for Death.
Other Distempers, indeed, are more violent and acute, which both carry us off suddenly, and whilst we are strugling with them, leave us little mental vigor or ability. And under these, there is less to be done in this way. But something may be done, tho more short and broken: and with more application and liveliness, when it pleases God they have intervals of ease, or any recruit of spirits. And they have great need to make the best of these opportunities, and to do as much as they can in their condition, and spend as many thoughts in such Devotions as they have leisure and strength for. And as for the great defectiveness in exercising these Death-bed Graces, which will unavoidably attend this case, it will be best provided for, by their making these thoughts their great business, and familiarizing the same to their minds in time of Health.
In these matters, tho many and the most important things, are common to all sick or dying Persons; yet some are particular to each, and all have not the same wants or complaints. And therefore whilst a Prayer descends to particulars, to suit and serve one persons case; it may contain some clauses or expressions, which are not suitable to anothers. But in this, the Readers themselves are to have and use a discretion, and must omit such passages as do not belong to them, making use only of the rest which do. And think, that altho these passges are not for their use, yet hitting the case of others who are touched and afflicted in those particulars, they may be received and used by them with great thankfulness.
This Treatise I had begun, and had made some considerable progress in it; but had laid it aside again, by reason of some hindrances. But afterwards being brought my self into a state of more uncertain Health and Life, by the most wise and good ordering of Almighty God, I resumed it, and made such haste, as the needful attendacne of my health would allow, to finish it. For I was desirous, to have some benefit, and help thereby my self, whilst I live; as well as to leave it to be some way helpful unto others, and come in by this means to hear some part of their Burdens, if it please God (at whose wise and good choice I am and desire to be) that I dye of this illness. And if any devout Readers receive any comfort or spiritual improvement, from this Poor*Heb. …. 10. Labour of Love, to my Blessed Master, and to them, as they have the offer of my pains, I hope they will vouchsafe me the benefit of their Prayers, and that God will have the Glory of all.
From my House in London, August 17. 1694.