Contemplations on Mortality, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Of the Valley of Death.
DEath 'tis compar'd to a Valley, to a Valley of ſhadow, to a walk in a Valley, to a night walk in this ſhady Valley of Kidron.
1. Death is compared to a Valley, While men are alive their feet are ſet upon a Rock, on a high Mountain on the towring Pinnacle of a Temple, and oh how hard it is for any to perſwade themſelves, that they ſhall once ſtep down the precipice into this Valley. Every one thinks he may live to morrow, be he never ſo old: and the morrow of his thoughts can ſee no evening. But down he muſt and viſit the dark land of his forefathers manſions.
In the Valley of Kidron were theaJer 31, 40. Jewiſh Sepulchres on the Eaſt-ſide of the City, between the aſpiring Mountains of Moriah and Olivet. Here the Ravens of the Valley pickt out thebProv. 30.17. Eyes of diſobedient Children. Did Jews or Romans (who had alſo their Tombes in thecLiv. Dec. 3. l. 6. Eſquilian Mountains on the Eaſt of Rome) turn their faces to the riſing Sun, in hope of a reſurrection to a future life? whatever glances might in ſpirit their Cuſtomes: Into this Valley they muſt all deſcend and run their appointed race. Into this Valley of Kidron, through the water-gate was conveyed the Soil and Offall and Filth of the City; probably moſt of their Sewers and Drains had here their vent. Here all the d Aſhes and refuſe of the Sacrifices,Jea. 31.40. all the recrements and purgations of the Temple found a Lay-ſtall. Death and the grave cover all.
Its a high pitch of Grace to be humbled unto the death, to mingle the duſt of our noble bodies with ſuch off-ſcourings and ſullage, to converſe with the records of rottenneſſe. But ſo 'tis with a Saint, he ſubmits his will and yields up his ſpirit to God: To putrifie a while in the Valley of Hinnom, that by Heavens Chymiſtry, he may ſpring up into a Tree of Life, in the Garden of Gethſemany. Wicked men fret and fume at death, and curſe the Aple that poyſoned nature, and ſome would ſeem to cheat death by a violent ſeicide, O fool, ne moriare, mori: by a chooſing a violent, to avoid a natural death: by cutting off preſent terrors, to haſten eternall.
But a Saint like a man in a dark Cavern under a mineral Mountain, ſees light at the other end by the Eye of Faith. He goes down into this Valley leaning upon the Staffe of hope, of Chriſt in him the hopecCol. 1.27. of glory: he ſpies Mount Olivet, and the foot-ſteps of Chriſts Aſcention.aCor. 5.2 He groans to be uncloathed of his filthy garments expecting change of raiment, and places to walk among Angels,bZach. 3.7 that ſtand by and wait upon the Prince of the Covenant. He knows that his vile body, thiscPhil. 3.21 foreign body of humiliation, muſt once be a body of exaltation, and faſhioned like his glorious body, who is able to ſubdue all things to himſelf, and to carve our bodies into his own image.
Secondly, Death is a valley of ſhadow, a Valley of darkneſſe. Here are Lions Dens and Mountains of Leopards: Here be Akrabbims, aſcents of Scorpions anddFons Draconis prope Jeruſalem. Fountains of Dragons, and yetfCant. 4.8. the holy Spouſe will go hand in hand with Chriſt,e1 Cor. 15.57. from the fleeting pleaſures of this mortall Lebanon, to view and walk in the midſt of theſe tremendous Dungeons.
The Valley of Kidron of old likely was a dark Valley, not only for Rocks and Mountains, but pitchy ſhades and thence might yield a lively ſymbol of death: here might be Trees and Shrubs which not only ſhut out the healing beams of the Sun: but alſo by their opiate vapors and the exhaling of deadly atomes, might lull the brains aſleep in the Cradle of Death: here might grow the funeſtous Yew, the ſtrong-ſcented Box, that makes the head to fume, the melancholy Cypreſs, the ſoporous Juniper with the Firre: here the dark greens of deadly night-ſhade, the groſſe Savin and Dulcamara might entwine together, and cover many an Aſp, many a Cockatrice, and a Baſilisk; and plump them with their direfull poyſons.
Does a Saint fear to trace theſe Regions and to meaſure the Land of his Captivity? No! Thanks be to God through Jeſus Chriſt, who gives him victory e1 Cor. 15.57.His feet are ſhod with Goſpel promiſes: the Iron and BrazenaDeut. 33. ſhoes of happy Aſher fence him from the ſtings of theſebHaſeraphim. Num. 21.6. Seraphims, theſe fiery Serpents: he ſhall tread upon the Lion and Adder, the young Lion and the Dragon ſhall he trample under foot:cPſ. 91.13 nay, he ſhrinks not, though let down into this Den of Lions: ſeeing the Lion of the Tribe of Judah is with his Daniels.
And yet darkneſs, this Egyptian darkneſs carries a load of fear and ſadneſs upon its back, it exhales and breaths out terror from every dim hole within the Valley: behind every buſh lurks a glaring Leopard; from the cleft of every Rock the young Dragons hiſſe out fire, and belch venome upon a carnal man. He thats alive to ſin, may tremble to dye to nature, and ſhrink out and ſtream to think of the old Serpent ſliding through the marrow of his backbone and upbraid him with bitter ſcoffs about the forbidden fruit. O ye Sons of Men how long will ye lovedPſ. 2.2. vanity and forget your latter end? The length of their love to vanity keeps pace with the line of Life; they turn not from it, till they turn into it, & become vanity it ſelf, & their place know them no more.
In time of ſome rowzing Sickneſs the Bell of Eternity tolls dolefully in their Ears: then they ſay, By and by Lord, wee'l come to worſhip, to repent and amend: but if a good Criſis lengthen the hopes of life; theit gyant-promiſes ſink into Dwarſs, and their By and by lengthens out its Tenor through many a morrow till the laſt hour approaches▪ and then the day of invitation from divine grace, turns into a day of provocation to the divine anger: he that ſwears in hiseHeb. 6.17 love to the Heirs of promiſe for their ſtrong conſolation, willfHeb. 3.11 ſware in his wrath to the Children of diſobedience that delay repentance, and harden their hearts at the voice of God, they ſhall never enter into his reſt.
Alas! whats the life of man? but agJam. 4.14. vapour appearing for a little while and then vaniſheth away: Man walks in a vain h ſhadow while he lives, even the ſhadow of a vapor;eJob 8.9. every wind puffs it away and man is not: a ſhort lived vapour, that lives to be, but lives no longer no ſooner in being, but it flies away, and who can gather it: whats all time from the Suns firſt motion, till he turns to ſack-cloth; but a periſhing cut out of the boſome of Eternity: ſcarce worth the name of a point or a moment to it. And, what then are the few and evill dayes of mans life upon earth, like a ſpark gives a ſnap and periſhes; but when he dyes, the ſhadows of a dark, of a longaJer. 6.4. evening, are ſtretcht upon him.
How wholſome is it to meditate under theſe ſhadows: By theſe thingsbIſ. 33.16▪ men live, and in all theſe is the life of our ſpirit: let's catch theſe vapours by the hand of contemplation, and diſtill ſome ſpiritual Cordials.
Is life ſocJob 7.7▪ vain a meteor? O vainer ſoul to build caſtles upon it: here'sdHeb. 11.10. no City that hath foundations: thats in heaven, men trade, and buy, and build, and plant, as if Noah's ſecond flood of fire and brimſtone would never come. All former ages are wrapt up in the ſhort breath of a hiſtory, and yet moſt men live, as if they thought their forefathers were by the Art of Magick ſtept aſide in a miſt, and the ſtory of death but a Poets fable. But aseDion. Caſs. l. 53. p. V 34. Tiberius ſaid of Scaurus, that reviv'd an old Tragedy againſt the Emperor, he himſelf ſhould be Ajax. Thou lookſt upon Death only as the Tragicall Theam of ſome ſickly overſtudied Miniſter, till thou become the Tragedy it ſelf, and be invelop't in eternall darkneſſe: to which the ſhadow of death is but the ſhadow of miſſery.
What makes night but the ſhadow of the earth? and what's death but the ſhadow of the grave? every night is the ſhadow of death, and every ſleep in the bed is next of kin to that in the duſt: and ſhould raiſe up the holy ſeed of meditation to his brother. While man lives, he walks in a ſhadow, and when he dies he lies down in it: A carnall man dies once, and riſes to judgment: but after that, to a ſecond death, and never riſes more. A Saint indeed ſteps down into this firſt Valley, but walks through it to glory. The Vale of Kidron was alſo called the Valley of Tophet, and the Valley ofaGehenna. Ge-hennon, the Valley of Hell. From the Valley of the grave wicked men ſink into the bottom of Hell: But a Saint aſcends from Kidron to Olivet.
Thirdly, Death is a Saints walk in this ſhady Valley. King David might, but Saint David would fear no evill; though he trod this diſmall path. Chriſt is gone beforebAct. 2.29 the Patriarch, and hath left behind him the luſtre of his footſteps to inlighten Davids feet in thecPſ. 16.11 path to life. 'Twas not his royall Diadem could dazle the eyes of Death, and fright him attaching his Ermine Robes, or guard him from appalement at the wan looks of Death: Scepters as well as Sheephooks lye ſnapt in that Valley: Purple and Sackcloth are a like begrim'd with the ſoil of the grave: the Worms Table-cloth is ſpread with the fine Linnen of Egypt, no leſs then the courſeſt Woollen, not greatneſs but goodneſs, not highneſs but holineſs, gains Letters of ſafe conduct through this Valley. All paſſe through it, but a Saint walks through it to the Mountains of Spices,
Fourthly, Death is a night-walk through this ſhady Valley: a Saint is to paſs, not to ſtay there: 'tis a night-walk, and there he muſt walk till the bright morning ſprings. So many Suns muſt rowl over his body till the Reſurrection. Then he thatdDan. 12.2. ſlept in the duſt of the earth, ſhall awake to everlaſting life. When his mouldring Clay being well digeſted in the Sepulchrall urn, ſhall attain maturity: it ſhall then ſhine forth a diaphanous, ſplendid and glorious body. The ſleep of the ancient Heroe-Saints for ſome thouſands of years, ſhall ſeem but as the ſleep of one night: Wicked mens ſouls may be terrified with dreams and viſions of horror in that diſmall night; but a Saint ſleeps quiet and ſound, and with Chriſts dead body ſhal he ariſe: he toſſes,eIfay 26.19. he tumbles not in this bed of Roſes: 'tis but one faſt ſleep to a labouring and reſting Saint; the worm ſhall ſuck the nerves of the wicked, and feedfJob 25.20. ſweetly on him; but a Saint feeds ſweetly on death. 'Tis but his refreſhment from all the ſorrows and toil of his heart & hands, that he found under the Sun, and his works follow him to glory.
Saints indeed are noctam bulones, night walkers in this Valley; but 'tis not the fruit of undigeſted Suppers on the worlds Dainties, but as a happy pleaſure in the boſome of Chriſt. The ſeparate Soul watches his lovely bed-fellow and ſings (a requiem, an Epithalamium) a Song of Love towards it Marriage-morning. Nay Angels in ſhining garments ſit at the head and feet of a Saints grave. When holy David aPſ. 8.3conſidered Gods Heavens the work of his fingers, the Moon and the Stars which he had ordained: he conſiders Man too, that God ſhould remember him, and the Son of Man that he ſhould viſit him, what's Man to a Star, to the Sun, to the Heavens? yet a Saint's of more value to God then numerous Stars or the manifold Orbes of Heaven. Was not David now on the Roof of his Houſe by night gazing on that ſpangled Canopy, and pondering on the greatneſs of the Stars, their motion, luſtre and influence? May not a Saint thus meditate upon the night-watches of the grave and look up to thebGen. 15.5 Stars as ſo many promiſes,cPſ. 89.37 and faithfull witneſſes in Heaven? When he views the Zodiack, he traces the courſe of the Sun of righteouſneſs: he looks upon the Milky Way, as the future path of his glorified feet. He counts what if each Saint ſhall have a Star for his Kingdome; and yet, that all the Stars are but the paintings of the outhouſes of that eternal Palace, wherein he ſhall dwell with God: When his Fathers face ſhall viſit him with the day-ſpring from on high, and the bright morning Star ſhall glitter upon the Eaſtern-Mountains of the Reſurrection, and proclaim the Suns ariſing to an eternall Jubile.