Contemplations on Mortality, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Of the State of the Dead.
NOt only in reference to the State of Sinners before and at the point of Death: but as to their paſſage through the Valley of the grave, many grand horrors do occupy the thoughts of mortalls: Oh! that it were to prevent, as well as fore-ſee: what a damp 'tis to carnall Spirits, to think of their heads being no ſooner laid in the cold Cavern; but Death as a Tyger oraPſ. 49.14 Lion greedily feeds upon them: With what a cold clamy ſweat they faint away, to think of going down to the Gates of Death, and there to be lockt up in a loathſome Dungeon? But here's the ſweet comfort of a Saint, that Chriſt hath thebRev. 1.18 Keys at his Girdle and will give them thecIb. c. 2.28. morning Star: They reſt meekly pacified, that their bleſſed Lord went the ſame way to glory: that Ahrabam, Samuel and David; that Daniel, Paul, and John have beaten the path before them: There is but onedEph. 4.5. Lord, one Faith, one Baptiſm, one new and living way to enter within the Vail, that former SaintseHe. 11.40 without us ſhould not be made perfect.
But how mortally do the Pulſes of unſanctified perſons beat, at the remembrance of the pit: How they ſwound away with many a ſinking qualm. The fiery thoughts of their cold entertainment among the clods, well may they ſcorch and ſhrivell up the plumes of their pride and jollity: Oh how creſtfaln and blew in the lip, when this fatall gueſt knocks at dore: The tenors of the old drunkards ſongs, do they not quiver and rattle in their throats with wofull howlings? What Vultures of grief would knaw their heart-ſtrings, did they dare to retire and meditate in this Charnell-houſe? Were they ſo valiant and hardy Knights as to converſe with Conſcience in ſecret? as heretofore they have met their impudent MiſtreſſesfPro. 7.9.10. with the attire of a Harlot in the twy-light, in the evening, in the black and dark night: Would they not hang the head, droop the wing and feel their Loins diſſolv'd in trembling Palſies? Do not their countenancesgDan. 5.6. change and their knees clatter together to read the writing upon the wall that their daies are numbred and ſiniſht? How do the inhabitants of the earth, melt at the muſings on their forlorn eſtate in that hollow and deep Vault? What! to be trodden upon by every footleſs worm, to be inſulted upon by an ugly grub: to be bearded by a yellow Maggot, and to be kept priſoner in ſtinking chains of darkneſs by noiſome rottenneſſe? Oh! how it vexes the high ſpirit of a Lord, and nauſeates the fine ſtomack of a Lady? Then's the time, when allaIſay 14.9.10, 11. the Kings of the Nations will riſe up from their Thrones in the grave, and paſſe this dolorous complement with the proud Emperor of Babel: Art thou alſo become weak as we? Art thou become like unto us? Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noiſe of thy Viols: the worm is ſpread under thee, and the worms cover thee.) where the Nouns in the HebrewbBochart. de animal. part. 2. col. 254. are feminine, and the Verbs maſculine: the creatures contemptible: but their feaſt magnificent, upon the bowels of Princes: Oh! how the woodlice, flat-worms, maw-worms, the yellow-tails, mites and wivils carve out their morſells and rejoice together: Annon, after the feaſt is ended, the yellow hundred-foot takes up his Palace-royall in the skull of a King, and the proud mincing Jezabels ſhall have their faces once more painted and ſpotted with the odious excrements of a black Beetle.
'Tis but lean comfort for haugthy & big looks which the Lord abhors,Pro. 6.1. & 21.4. to be humbled into theſe dark holes: where their coſtly Sepulchrall Lamps ſhine with but a dim and blew light, to ſearch what impudent inſects dare ſo boldly to crawl up and down their entrails, and ſcorn to give account to their ſummons. For a living worm counts himſelf more honourable then a putrifying Monarch.
Here, on this ſide the grave, after every meal they muſt have a fit of muſick to digeſt their varieties, and a ſad poor fool muſt come in with his patches to make them merry: But he that mocketh the poor (whether in purſe or parts)cPro. 175. reproacheth his Maker, and he that is glad at calamities ſhall not be unpuniſhed,
Their gluttonous Feaſts ſhall have ſour ſauce of deaths cooking; and no Doctor can ſweat away the ſurfeits of Conſcience: When Death hath once ſhook them by the ſhoulder into the grave, hee'l call alſo for a leſſon at his Table, and the Satyrs ſhall play low Funeral-Songs upon the Lure-ſtrings of their periſhing Nerves, & Dancein their courſes: while they are here, they riſe from their gormandizing Platters to play at Cards for whole Parks, and fling the Dice for ancient Mannors: But there flaming Devills will hurl their bones about, from under the Altar, and the Chancell rails without Sacriledge and thruſt their own Rapiers red hot into their buſhy Pates, and make thoſe hairy Comets to burn for warning Beacons: O then, they would fain prevail with Father Abraham to ſend Meſſengers to theiraLuk. 16.28. five brethren upon earth to teſtifie to them, leſt they alſo come to this place of torment: Here after the game at Tables is ended, they hurry away with Coach and ſix horſes in haſte to hear a Sermon at the Play-houſe, and are very well edified, fully inſtructed and takes notes of the ready way how to reach Hell ſpeedily: But there death and hisbHs. 2.14. maſter will handle them without Mittens, hee'l force no court complements upon them: There's a King of a fiercecDan. 8.23 countenance, underſtanding dark ſayings, will ſpeak as big and as rough as they taunted to the poor, he will make them bend the knee, and do ſuit and ſervice at his Court-Baron: There they ſhall hear the Jaylors longwinded Lecture upon a ſharp and cutting Text, and can't get out of his Chappell though they ſit at the lower end, hee'l keep them from ſleeping, and gaſh their memories with the keen knife of his tongue, about the many Sabbaths they profaned, and the means of Grace they contemned; how they mockt at repentance, and loll'd out the tongue at preciſeneſſe; hee'l gripe them with the holy examples, meek admonitions of Saints and their patient ſufferings for the truth at their barbarous hands: They'l have cold ſtomachs to jeer and fleere in the face of this conſcience-ſcalding Preacher; hee'l chain the bleſſed Bible to the Desk of their Pews; which they had laid aſide like an old Almanack: Now it comes in date at this year of reckoning. Hee'l prove to their faces, how they have ſlighted the heavy judgments of the late dreadfull Peſtilence, the aſtoniſhing Fire, and the colour of the Britiſh Seas, crimſon'd and diaper'd with the blood of their brethren: hee'l gaul them with their baſe ingratitude in ſlighting the mercies of the great God, who gave them reprievall and ſurvivall after all theſe diſmall memento's. But now ha's delivered them from aJerom. 21 7.the Peſtilence, and from the Sword and from the Famine, into the hands of this diſmall King of Aſſyria: hee'l once more rub up their dull ſenſes with ſharp rebukes, about the numerous checks of conſcience, and the loud calls of the ſpirit, which then they injoyed, but now they may howl after, without any pitty: and that which ſhall vex them to the heart, hee'l ever be harping and grating odiouſly upon the ſame ſtring, and jarring in their ears, and rubbing the old ſore about their loſt opportunities and ſeaſons of grace: This ſhall be a plain and home Sermon, ſuch as before they ſcoft at: here will be no flowers of Rhetorick to ſet off Truth to the ſqueazy palate of a Sermon-ſick Lady: here will be no fear to diſpleaſe greatneſs, here's no Trencher-Chaplains to ſoften expreſſions, leaſt the great Churl Stomack at ſound reproofs, that might ſave his ſoul; No, theſe dayes are paſt! here's no impatient lookings at the hour-glaſſe when the laſt ſand drops, to be gone to dinner; here's no being glad at ſleeveleſſe errands to ſteal away through the croud, and choak conſcience with this flam: that a little's enough if well practiſed: No! here's a Preacher will hold them to it, and taunt, and twit them with the day of repentance being over, and chain them to their ſeats, and lock them in the ſtocks, as they once did the Saints in Lollards-Tower: till the Trump of the Reſurrection ſounds an Alarum to Judgment.
Is this the ſtate of wicked mens ſouls; while their bodies rot in the grave: when will they learn to be wiſe for Eternity? They muſtbBernard de Conver. ad Clerico…. ſuffocate and ſlay the worm of conſcience, here ſaies Bernard, that would not be bitten hereafter: Is it not better to hearken diligently to a few Sermons here, though ten hours long, thoughaAct 20.7. Paul preach till mid-night: then to be liuckt to that terrible Sermon, that ſhall laſt many hundred years long, from the day of death, till the day of judgment, and after that a ſecond Sermon in the afternoon, which ſhall know no evening, but laſt to Eternity: when rivers of tears can't waſh away guilt, nor ten thouſand rivers of oyl can't make thy Sacrifice flame acceptably up to heaven: O be wiſe while the day laſts,Mic. 6.7. and do the work which the Father giveth to work:bJoh. 6.29. This is the work of God, that ye believe in him, whom he hath ſent.
But if ye reject this counſell, and like fooliſh builders refuſe this ſtone of the corner, till that fearfull night ſhall overſhadow you; then your mouldring bodies muſt lye by it, and be kept in that ſmothering priſon; while your lamenting ſouls are agitared and hurried with theſe condemning and tormenting Furies: There your bodies though of ne're ſo fine acJob 21.26 Clay, muſt mix with the courſe allay of your once oppreſſed Slaves: The duſt of Princes muſt mingle with baſe and mean Peaſants: they and their Porters muſt lodge together: Lords and Beggers know no diſtance, and what Artiſt can form his Epitah, by any diſtinct colour, or grain in their mould? Neither can heaps of Gold bride a fancied Charon, to waft their bodies out of theſe gloomy regions, theſe Egyptian ſhades to any Elyſiam meadows of pleaſure: The ſearching brains of the ableſt Counſellors can find no flaw in the Writ of Death, nor get any bayl or mainprize from that tedious Gatehouſe: Here the Skull of the acuteſt Thomiſt through length of time will all dwindle into ſtarvling Moſs while he forgets to diſtinguiſh its fit ſeaſon for the Weapon ſalve: Alas! it won't cure the fractures made by Deaths Pole-Axe: No diſtinctions can ſatisfie this cunning ſophiſter to turn the key and releaſe the Priſoner: But here they muſt all continue and abide in the ſtate of the dead: The ingenious Artificer, can invent no clew to hand him out of this ſnaring maze, this winding Labyrinth: There'sdEccl. 9.10 no invention or judgment, no device, knowledge or wiſdome in the grave whither thou goeſt: 'Tis by the Decree of theeDan. 4.17 watchers, the time once doom'd and ſixt, there's no reverſion: He that goesaJob 7.9, 10. down into this far Country ſhall return no more, to his houſe, nor ſhall his place know him again: There all ſit down in deep ſilence till the moment appointed by the high and holy One, who inhabits Eternity: Then ſhall the enemies of his Sons Kingdome, creep out of the duſt to ſhame and everlaſting contempt.
But the aſhes of his people, their gracious Father lays them up in the treaſuries of his wakefull providence, and they ſhall be his in that day, thatbMal. 3.17. he makes up his Jewels, when the joyfull voice of Chriſt ſhall gently raiſe them to that bliſsfull dawn: when (foreign,) the roſie fingered morn ſhall bluſh out of the Eaſt, and the Sun of Eternity ſhall gild their riſing Temples for glory.