The Saints Encouragement in Evil Times, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
2. Of dying in Faith.
QValis vita, finis ita: He that will die in faith,Heb. 11. must first of all live by faith, and there is but one example in all the whole Bible,M. Perkins his right way of dying wel of a man dying in faith that lived without faith, viz. that thief upon the crosse.
To die by faith, is when a man in the time of death, doth with all his heart rely himself wholly on Gods speciall love and favour and mercy in Christ,Psal. 73. …. and as it is revealed in the word. Religion is seen in its glory, when one not only lives but dies in Christ,These were the words of Tremellius a converted▪ Jew near his end, Vivat Christus pereat Barabbas. Domini causa, id est▪ propter Dominum. Beza. Phil. 1. 21. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. And ver. 20. So now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or death. If I live, by preaching, if I dy, by suffering. Dr Preston said a little before his death, I have long… conversed with Christ in the world, and though I change my place, I shall not change my company. Revel. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead which dy in the Lord, from henceforth, yea saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours, In Domino moriuntur, quicunque perfidem uniti & conjuncti Christo inunum quasi corpus cum eo coalescunt. Rainold. de l. Apoc. praelect. 80and their works doe follow them. In the Lord, that is, say some for the Lord, as Ephes. 4. 1. Which suffer death for Christ, rather in the faith of Christ being incorporated into him, foreign from henceforth, as Rom. 8. 1. and 16, 17. That constantly hold out in these times of persecution, say some, presently, saith Dr Rainolds, from the very time of their death, they rest from their labours, of their particular calling, under afflictions from God, and persecutions from men, under sin, temptations, Beati a modò, statim, è vestigio, ab ipso mortis tempore. Id. ib.desertions. And their works, That is metonymically, the rewards of their works, as 2 Cor. 5. 26. Do follow them, accompany or go with them, the words well weighed sound so.
When a godly man dies he dies in the …ord by vertue of his union with Christ,There must be a being in Christ before there can be a dying in him, those that sleep in Iesus. when there is a dissolution of the soul and body, the mysticall union is not dissolved, as the personall union of Christ was not dissolved when he died.
Before I lay down directions how to die well, and shew the benefits that come to the godly by death, I will shew
1. The necessity, or certainty of death, and the misery of it to the wicked.
2. Resolve some questions about death. Of the first,
Death is a common condition appointed for every man first or last to undergo.
Heb. 9. 27. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement. The Greek word foreign translated, It is appointed, signifieth, it lieth as a mans lot. Once imploies two things, 1. A certainty, it shall once be. 2. A singularity, it will be but once, 1 Samuel 26. 8. 1 King. 2. 2. I go the way of all the earth, saith David Job 30. 23. The grave is called the house appointed for all the living.
Eccles. 12. 5. Solomon calls the grave foreign Bajith Gnolam, domum saeculi, the house of age: We translate it long home, where he must abide for a long time.
1 Cor. 15. 26. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death, that is, death destroies all and after is destroied it self.
Psal. 89. 48. What man lives and shall not see death?
When we would affirm any thing to be infallibly true, we say as sure as death.
A young man may die, an old man must die. It is an Hebrew proverb, In Golgotha are to be seen sculs of all sizes, that is, death comes on the young as well as the old.
Omnes una manet nox,
Et calcanda semel via lethi.Horace.
When it was told Anaxagoras that both his sons (which were all he had) were dead, being nothing terrified therewith, he answered, Sciebam me genuisse mortales, I knew I begat mortall creatures.
There are three speciall reasons why all must die.
1. Because God hath so decreed it, Heb. 9. 27.
2. All men are made of one mould and matter,Adam of Adamah, homo ab humo. Job. 4. 19. Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return, Gen. 3. 19.
3. Because all have sinned, Rom. 5. 12. Wherefore as by one man sinne entred into the world, and death by sin: Some reade foreign propterea quod, for as much as.and so death passed upon all men, for that, or in whom all have sinned. Beza prefers that version, in whom, In Adam legally, as they stood under his Covenant, in him naturally, as they bear his Image. Sin brought death into the world, either meritoriè, as it deserves wrath, or privativè, as it takes away the power of the law to conferre life.
Rom. 6. 23. The wages of sinne is death. The word in the*foreign Stipendia capitur, Lu…. 3. 14. & 1 Cor. 9. 7. pro stipendio militum. de Dieu. in loc. Vide Grotium. in loc. Originall signifies properly victuals, because victuals were that which the Roman Emperours gave their souldiers as wages in recompence of their service: but thence the word extends to signifie any other wages or salary whatsoever.
Death is then certain, because no man can eschew it, yet it is 3. waies uncertain.
1. In regard of time, no man knows when*Morte nihil certius, boramortis nihil incertius. he shall die, Hezekiah only had a lease of his life.
2. In regard of place*Incertum est, quo te loco mors expectet, itaque tu illam omni loco expecta. Sen. epist. 26., no man knows where he shall die.
3. In respect of the kinde of death, no man kuows what death he shall die, whether a naturall or violent death.
Objection,
1 Cor. 15. 51. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, Christ is said to be the judge of the quick and dead,Act. 10. 42. therefore all men shall not die.
Answer,
Cajetan on 2 Thes. 4. 17.Vide Calv. in 1 Cor. 15, 51, gives both a succinct and sufficient answer, Statutum regulare est, illos autem non mori singulare est.
Others say that change shall be a kinde of death.
Secondly, The misery that comes to the wicked by death.
Every man in an unregenerate estate lies under the fear of death.Death is the Atheists fear, and the christians desire.
1. The Scripture thus frequently sets forth naturall men.
Heb. 2. 15. And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage.
Job 18. 14. Death is called The King of terrours, an ordinary hebraisme, as the Lord of glory, that is, most glorious, death hath a dominion over them.
Luk. 1. 79. Tenebrae metum mortis incutientes.The shadow of death, that is, such darknesse as strikes men with fear of death.
2. All unregenerate men hate the very thoughts of death, Isa. 28. 15.
Lewis the 11th of France straitly charged his servants, that when they saw him sick they should never dare to name that bitter word, Death, in his ears.
3. Thoughts of death often imbitter all the comforts of this life.
The reasons of this truth may be these.
1. Because death is contrary to nature it self, and to that inseparable desire of its own preservation, it being a dissolution of the whole man,1 Cor. 15. 26. and a separation of two most loving companions, the soul and body, by vertue of that ancient curse, Gen. 2. 17. Yet it is not an enemy to the godly mans person, though it be to his naturall estate, 1 Cor. 3. 22. Christ did maledictionem benedicere, paupertatem ditare, ignominiam glorificare, saith Luther.
2. Because they die in their sins they must themselves conflict with the terrours of death,Lies down with the sins of his youth. 1 Cor. 15. 55. John. 8. 44. Sin in every man brings with it a secret guiltinesse, which makes him fear something worse will follow after death.
3. It puts an end to all the benefits and comforts of this life. Son remember that in thy life time thou receivedst good things. It deprives him of friends, goods, pleasures, credit.
4. It puts an end to all his hopes, A great man wrote thus a little before his death, Spes & fortuna valete.Job 11. ult. Their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost.
5. His conscience shall then be awakened, this is the worm.
6. It brings him to the barre of judgement, Heb. 9. 27. He must go to God to give an account, in whom he hath no interest.
7. All offers of grace shall be at an end.
8. It is the inlet to eternity and puts them into an unchangeable condition.
In the next place I shall resolve some questions about death.
1. Question,
Whether it be lawfull to desire death?
We have examples of both kindes,Phil. 1. 23 Paul desired to be dissolved, but Hezekiah mourned, and prayed exceedingly against it, so did David, Psal. 102. yet he rashly wished to die for Absolom, 1 Sam. 18. 33. The Israelites offended this way, Would God we had died in Egypt, and would God we had died with our brethren. Elisha, 1 Kings 19. 4.Job, and Jonah were to blame this way,Jonah 4. 3. O that I had never been born,Job 7. 15. and 6. 9. said Job, O that I had died so soon as I was born, O that I might die out of hand, for these are the three parts of his desperate words. It is often in the mouths of wicked people, would I were dead, and I would I were out of the world. If they were to die indeed they would be loath enough to it.M. Fenner of conscience. Like the man in the fable,Summum nec met…as diem nec optes. who being wearied with his burden of sticks, lay down and called for death, but when death came indeed to take him, and said, What shall I doe man? thou calledst me: I pray thee, said he, help me up with my burden of sticks.
To answer this question, we must distinguish, 1. Of desire, there is Desiderium carnale, spirituale, heroscum, a carnall, spirituall, and heroicall desire. If this desire ariseth,
1. From diffidence of Gods help and succour.
2. From impatience under crosses.Mors non est simpliciter &, absolutè optanda, quia habet in serationem mali, sed primò tanquam medium ad finem praestantiorē, secundò propter consecutionē majoris boni.
Or 3. From shunning of those labours and pains which are to be endured for Gods glory and the Churches good, it is very sinfull, but if it arise from a holy desire to injoy the presence of Christ, and to be freed from sin, it may be lawfull.
Secondly, We must distinguish of the manner in desiring, which is either absolute or conditionate, if it be a conditionate one with submission to Gods will, as long as the Church hath need of him, it may be lawfull, Domine si adhuc populo tuo sim necessarius, n…llum recuso laborem.
2. Question,
Whether a godly man may fear to die?
Answer,
He may.
1. For some sin that he is not enough humbled for.
2. For want of the clear evidence of pardon and assurance of interest in Christ.
3. Question,
Whether may one pray against a sudden and violent death?
Answer,
A violent and sudden death chiefly by some immediate hand of God, is redious to mans nature: The Apostles themselves in a tempest made bold to waken Christ with some what a reproving speech, Master, carest thou not that we perish? Christ told Peter (foretelling a violent death) that he should be led to it as to that which he would not, meaning by the naturall inclination of his will, this gives us just ground and warrant to pray against sudden and violent death.
4. Question,
Whether may we mourn for the dead?
Answer,
Yes, Because
1. Death is a fruit of sin, In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt d…e the death, and a sign of Gods displeasure against it.
2. It is a separation of friends, and they should not part without some grief, onelyonly we must look that our mourning in such cases, be
1. Serious, not counterfeit.
2. Moderate, not excessive, either for quantity or continuance, which may shew want of hope and excesse of love, both naught.
3. Holy, turning our sorrow from the death of our friends to the bewailing of our sins, the only procurers of that and all other crosses.Egredere, quid times? egredere anima mea quid dubitas? septuaginta propè annos servisti Christo & mortem times?
In the last place I shall lay down directions how to die well, and shew the benefits that come to the godly by death.
1. What a Christian should do that would die comfortably.
1. Discharge the place and office which God hath called him to with much diligence and sincerity, 2 Tim. 4. 7, 8. Act. 20. 31. Hier epist. Fam. l. 3. Non est timendum quod nos liberat ab omni timē, do. Tertul.Why dost fear O my soul (said Hilarion) thou hast served God this seventy years, and art thou afraid to die? Live much in a little time, doe all for eternity, be abundant in serving thy generation, Acts 13. 36. You live no longer in Gods account then you serve him.
2. Doe nothing against conscience for the greatest advantage, this troubled Iudas, he betraied innocent bloud, this made the wofull tragedy of Spira.
3. Take heed of unjust dealing and violent oppressing of others. Samuel before his death,Deu. 32. 19 Tell me (saith he) whose ox or asse have I stolen or taken away?*Psal. 90. 12.
4. Improve thy riches and honours for Gods glory,This will make death less bitter and terrible unto us, forewarned forearmed. Luk. 16. 9.
5. Spend the time of thy health well, and lay up praiers for death before hand. Teach us to number our daies (that is, to consider how few they are) that we apply our hearts to wisdom.
6. Get acquaintance with death,Tu mor…ē ut nunquā time as, semper cogita. Senec It is the act of acts & science of sciences to learn to die. take notice of all the approaches of it, behold the mortality of others and consider thine own, do not think to die all at once, the Apostle saith, I thank God I die daily,
So seriously meditate on death, as to draw from thence some wholesome and profitable conclusions and resolutions for the well ordering of thy life, and that in respect of four things chiefly; sin, the things of the world, our own persons, and the persons of others.
For sin, this conclusion must follow, therefore sin is a most hatefull thing to God, and a most harmfull thing to man, for it alone hath provoked God to inflict this heavy punishment of death, yea of eternall death after this upon the sons of men, unlesse repentance come betwixt. Sinne is the parent and sting of death, sin brought it into the world and makes it terrible,Moriantur ante te vitia Sen. therefore I must hate sinne, lament sin, resist and mortifie sin, and must make it my chiefest and in a manner my only care to get my sins forgiven,Our Saviour being at a great feast at Bethanie, sell into meditatiō and speech of his death and …, Ioh. …. 7, 8. my iniquity subdued, and then resolve especially to mortifie that sin which thy heart is most unwilling to reform.
2. In respect of the world, we must conclude and resolve, that wealth honour, pleasure, friends, are but very vanities, trifles and toies, poor petty short and vanishing goods, therfore I must,Ioseph of Arimathea made his tomb in his gardē, Ioh. 19 4… and by Gods grace will resolve to pull mine heart from off these things, not rejoice in them, trust in them, boast of them, seeing I brought nothing into the world and must carry nothing out, use the present world as if we used it not. 2. Diligently prepare for the life to come, every man must be for ever in heaven or hell (there is no middle place as *Nemose decipiat fratres, duo enim loca sunt, & tertius non est visus. Qui cum Christo regnare nō meruit, cū diabolo absque ulla dubitatione peribit. Aug. serm. 1. de ebrietate.pargatory) so soon as his soul and body are separated. Labour therefore to get good assurance of bettering your estate and injoying eternall life by bewailing the sinfulnesse of your nature and lives, and seeking unto, and resting upon the Lord Jesus Christ alone, and his mediation and obedience and the sprinkl…ng of his bloud for pardon of sin and help against damnation, and lastly labour and study to reform your hearts and lives more and more.
3. Concerning our own persons, we must thus conclude that we are but mean and contemptible creatures that must die and turn to dust and be made food for worms, why should I then be proud, or think my self better then others because of my strength, beauty, wit, learning, parentage, titles, offices, attendances? of all which death will strip me and teach me to know they were but borrowed things.
4. For other men we ought to to conclude thus, they also must die as well as my self, my husband, wife, my dear and faithfull friend, who knows how soon? therefore it is a great weaknesse to trust on such, to place my happinesse in them. Cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils, therefore use al persons as well as all things, as if thou didst not use them.
Lastly, Let the Saints of God take great comfort in the contemplation of the good that death will bring them, it concludes all their sorrows and evils and is a beginning of all joies, pleasures, comfort, glory and happinesse. Death is to such a resting from their labours, Rev. 14. 14. A happy change, Phil. 3. 21. Job 14. 14. cals death a change, it is not an annihilation or extinction, but a mutation, and that by way of eminency, My change. It is the last change we shall meet with till the resurrection. 2. A lasting, nay an everlasting change, it puts us into an eternall condition of happinesse or misery. 3. An universall change, 1. in respect of persons all must meet with it. 2. In regard of the whole man, body and soul, makes the body a stinking carkasse, and puts the soul into heaven or hell. 4. A different change according to the quality of the person changed, terrible to a sinner, comfortable to the godly. Death is their bodies seed-time, 1 Cor. 15. the crowning day to the soul, 2 Tim. 4. 7, 8. the funerall of all their sins and sorrows, Rom. 6. 7.
I shall in the last place mention some of the chief benefits that come to the godly by death.
By it he is freed
1. From sin, not only the destroying power, but the being of it is then taken away.
2. From those miseries which follow sin, Isa. 57. 1, 2, 3.
3. From the temptations of the devil, Rev. 12. 8.
4. From the troubles of the world, and vexations of the flesh, Rev. 14. 13. Eccles. 4. 1, 2.
2. There is nothing in his death but what conduceth to make him happy.
1. A godly man dies in Gods love, and mercy,
2. He never dies til he be prepared,See Ioh. 11. 44. till his graces be perfected and work finished,2 Tim. 4. 7 Job. 5. 26.
3. He shall in some measure be assured of a better life, 2 Cor. 5. 1.
4. When he dies he shall leave a sweet favour behinde him, Prov. 10. 7. The memory of the just is blessed *The Iews when they make mention of any of their deceased Worthies, are wont to doe it with this encomium foreign id est, Memoria ejus sit in bened…ctionem. Which encomiasticall scheme is taken from that of Solomon, Pr…. 10. 7. Buxtorf. de Abbreviat Hebr. Fuller. Concord. Hebr. transm. and Mede on Psal. 112. 6.foreign
The Septuagint thus translates it, foreign. The memory of the just is with praises.
Let the godly therefore comfort themselves against death with these promises, Joh. 3. 16. & 5. 24. and 10. 28. and 11. 25. 1 Cor. 15. 22, 57. 2 Cor. 5. 1.
FINIS.