Contemplations on Mortality, Chapter 4
CHAP. VI. Of the Formidable evills in the Valley of Death.
AS in a Land-skip let us take a quick proſpect of thoſe fatall and tremendous evills, which cock their Helmets, and make bare their Gorgon faces at the entrance, in the paſſage, and the utmoſt end of this direfull Valley.
1. At the Entrance, when theſe brazen gates flee open: The ſoul bewitching comforts, to which we muſt bid [a longum vale] an eternal farewell, and thoſe wracking pains which muſt be felt, not on a Palate of Ivory, but a Bed of Iron, in which, this Gyant Procruſtes tortures all he catches: muſt needs ſhoot barbed arrows into the Livers of all impenitent ſinners.
The Phyloſopher teaches,hAriſtot. Rhet. l. 7. c. 14. [foreign,] that change is the ſweeteſt of all things: It muſt be in things to the better, or equall at leaſt in goodneſs to precedent injoyments; elſe 'tis foreign: the bittereſt of all. To have been fair, ſtrong, healthfull, rich, and happy, ſharpneſs the edge of preſent miſery, & cuts the deeper. Is not this a dead fly in the box of oyntment, a gourd in the pot, a ſnake in the graſſe, that poyſons the joy of all thy comforts? Muſt the amorous ſmiles of all thy ſinfull pleaſures corrupt into doleful howlings? Here's the parting ſtyle, when the ſweet embraces of the deareſt conjugall relations muſt ſurrender up to mortall gripings: Here livid, and fainty kiſſes muſt take leave of pretty children his own bowels, [& pignora chara nepotes,] thoſe choice pledges of a mans ſurvivall unto himſelf: The friend thats nearer than a brother, muſt now ſhake hands and look back to little purpoſe, at this doleſome and dark good-night. His fine houſes and fair poſſeſſions, his fruitfull orchards of his own planting and his pleaſant gardens, with all its rills and fiſhponds, his flowry meadows and beautifull proſpects, his gamefull parks and woody forreſts, his dutifull and toiling tenants muſt all come to his bedſide and ſhake their heads, and with dry eyes, bid good-even to their old fooliſh rent-wracking covetous Landlord: Then all theſe flaſhy, thorny joyes that made ſo great a crackling under his pot, having ſhot ſome ſplinters in his eyes, and more in's heart will leave him in thick darkneſs: Then all his falſe paraſites and trencher-gueſts, for a ſorry ring (elſe hardly) will march with him to the pits ſide, and forſake his memory when cloſed in a cold ſtone.
Beſides 'twill gawl him to the heart in that hour, to think what a feather cap fool aEccles. 2.19.he leaves for his heir: that will turn upon his left heel, and twit the miſer, when he ſees his cheſts all lined with gold, and ſorrow for nothing but that he ſhall never more have ſo true a drudge: Then out goes the young Ruffian with the fork upon his ſhoulder, to France and Venice to learn carriage among Whores, Banditos and riotous perſons, till penury forces his belly to fellow common withaLuk. 15.30, 16. Swine and quatrell with hogs for their husks, and at length can hardly crawl home to the Surgeons Shop: Are not theſe ſweet Flowers for his memory to ſmell to? And a ſoveraign Cordiall againſt the aſſaults of Death?
But were this all, 'Twere no match for a Roman Spirit? No, no! proud worldlings before departure often conflict with fearfull torments, Agags b1 Sam. 15 32.bitterneſſe of death arreſts their ſouls and make their Spirits ſtagger: ThecPſ. 18.4 & 116.3 pains of Death and of Hell get hold upon them: Theſe deadly ſorrows ſwitch them with ſuch ſmart laſhes [Ut ſe ſentiant mori] as to leave lingring pains with ſtrong and biding Convulſions. Like Tiherius that cruell Tyrant: when tormenting of Aſinius Gallus, told him, he was not yet reconciled, and therefore would not permit him to dye, [dDion.. Caſſ. in Tiber. p. foreign,] That he might count life a puniſhment, and death a great benefaction Like the ſtroke of theſecRev. 9.6. Scorpions when men ſhall ſeek death but not find it, and ſhall deſire to dye, but Death ſhall flee from them: So ſharp and pungent are theſe invenomed ſhafts,fJob 7.15. that the ſoul chooſes Strangling and death rather then life: They are called,gAct. 2.24 12. the foreign, the pains of death, the acute pains of a woman in travell: when God ſhallhJob 33.19. chaſten men with pains upon their Beds, and the multitude of their bones with ſtrong pain: when every bone ſhall have its pang; and every pang from the ſtrong arm of God: oh! how dreadfull to fall into the handsiHeb. 10.31. of the living God: They are pains indeed which God calls pains, when the ſoul ſhall be torn and rent from its beloved twin; oh, the tendons crack and the nerves with ſtartling dolour ſnap in ſunder. We read of one, but ſick of the Palſie, and yetkMat. 8.6 grievouſly tormented. When the Lord ſmites perſonslDeut. 28.22. with Conſumptions, Feavers, Inflamations and extream burnings: oh, what toſſings and tumblings and pinings with weariſome hours: when torn and grinded by the Stone or wrackt by the gout; what tongue can expreſs their miſeries? For a Herod to be eaten up ofaAct. 12▪ 23. Worms and ſuch little wretches to pull a Prince piece-meal, and to run away unqueſtioned: For Jehorams b2 Chron. 21.19.bowels to fall out by reaſon of his ſickneſs, and poyſon his Courtiers: For Aſa to lye howling of the Gout, and make all Jeruſalem ring with his roaring: Should not theſe tidings of three miſerable Monarchs, cool the fury and tame the madneſs of the Bedlam Hectors of our age. To ruminate upon theſe terrors of death, theſe painfull throws, when men pour out their ſouls in dreadfull agonies methinks ſhould take them a peg lower and put their carier in ſin to a pauſe: They who taſte of the Cup of Death, find it more bitter than Wormwood, more venemous then the poyſon of Aſps all ſqueez'd into it: Such as are under the gaſtly view of Death, behold a griefly & fearfull Monſter, that ſcares the bloody Heroes and vainglorious Gallants into exquiſite horrors.
— Obriguere comae & vox faucibus haeſit. Their hait ſtands an end, and their tongue faulters with amazing fears It has a direfull ſting, more horrid then a Scorpion or a Dragon. This Cup unleſſe ſweetned with a lively ſenſe of a gracious promiſe there's no laying of your lips to it: This fiery flying Serpent, unleſſe eaſed of his ſting: there's no dallying with it in their boſomes for fool-hardy ſinners: Well mightcSueton. in Caſ. c. 87. Caeſar wiſh a ſudden, and Auguſtus dId. in Aug. c. 99.an eaſie Death, who had beheld many aſtoniſhing ſpectacles in their long and bloody wars: which might pierce hearts of Adamant, and melt the moſt brawny and flinty breaſt, and run down the moſt ſtoical Apathies into Rivers of mournfull Sympathies and compaſſions: Methinks, it ſhould awaken ſnorting formaliſts to admit into the Hall of Conſcience the Ecchoes of the roaring Elegies of ſuch who dye (as the hiſtorian phraſes)eId. in Caſ. c. 88. non morte ſua, not a natural but a violent death; when this Lion rampant rends the Soul from the body, as he would thefHoſ. 13.8. Caul of a Kids heart: When death ſhall meet them as a Bear bereaved of her Whelps, or an evening Wolf that hath lurkt cloſe ingPſ. 104.20. her Den all the day long of a ſinners life, and comes forth barking at night and ſharp ſet for her prey: Then they are forc'd to drink deep of the wine of violence and to ſup up the Cup of the avenger. Then theyaJob 15.33 ſhake off their unripe Grapes as the Vine and caſt off their Flower as the Olive.
But alas! the pains of naturall or the pangs of violent death, are but the ſtinging of Gnats or Flea-bites to a ſcorched conſcience and inflamed by the wrath of God: When men come to dye and have trifled away pretious hours with Rattles and childiſh Baubles, and the ſilly jingling Hobby-horſes of Court or Country: and at that turning point of Eternity have forgotten to make their peace with God: then Conſcience rowzes up like a Gyant refreſht with the wine of Sodom, and the Grapes of Gomorrah. When the grinning Furies laſht the goatiſh Soul of Tiberius for all his Villanies within the dark and diſmall Dungeon of his unclean breaſt: Oh! who would not tremble to think of thoſe goring wounds, thoſe ſecret and inviſible tortures, which wrackt his Soul and ſtretcht his tormenting imaginations upon the Devils Tenter-Hooks. See, howaTacit. An nal. l. 5. p. 107. Edit. Baſil. 1544 Tacitus breaks forth upon the Theme, Si recludantur Tyrannorum mentes, poſſe aſpici laniatus & ictus,] had we Caſements into the hearts of Tyrants: the dreadfull marks of the Steel whips of Conſcience would appear with bloody gaſhes: And asbDio. in Nerone l. 63. Dion the Hiſtorian ſpeaking of the horrors of Nero, neer the time of his death, for the aſſaſination of his Mother and other brutiſh crimes: ſayes, that if a Whelp did but howl, or a Hen cackle, or the arm of a Tree creak by a ſtrong wind, [foreign,] he was in a wofull anguiſh: Oh, how the wires of Megaerae fetcht blood and gobbets at every ſtroak, from his Soul: When God ſhall pour the ſcalding Lead of his wrath into theſe freſh wounds, when the Law thunders from Mount Sinai, and the lightnings of Paran glitter about him, ThencHab. 3.16. their bellies tremble, their lips quiver at the voice, and rottenneſſe enters into their bones: When ſin comes home to the Soul on a death-bed, and accoſts him as the Souldier diddPollio in Mario p. 538. Ed. Lug. B. Marius the Black-ſmith, and Triduan Emperor, (Hic eſt gladius, quem ipſe feciſti.) Here's the Sword of thine own hammering and ſhaking it in the face of a ſinner, cries, look how it ſhines, 'tis thine own furbiſhing.
Then wo to him, who hath enlarg'd his deſire as Hell, and encreaſed that, which is not his: and laden himſelf with thick clay: Then fain would he vomit up his ſweet morſells: but no Emetick of the ſhop can help him, no Squills, no Roots in Nicander can fetch them up: Then they abhor to remember, what they cannot forget, and the eyes of their fancy are as quick and venemous as a Bafilisk. Then with their robberies of Peter they would pay off Paul: and for their defrauding of Miniſters would give tenfold Tithes, and with the ruins of old Abbayes, and Mannors by oppreſſion & depopulations of Villages, that they mayaIſa. 5.8. be alone in the midſt of the earth, in all haſte they patch up Chappells, Schoolls and Work-houſes.
But God hates the Sacrifices of dying and putrilaginous bodies: the Incenſe that oppreſſors offer, proves the ſavour of death unto death; he counts the ſighs of their fleeting Spirits, like the ſteams of rancid dung-hills, which the fire of Hell ſends up: not the beams of his countenance, who is now departed. No warning pieces before could alarm them. No blazing Comets could awaken or ſtartle them: thoughbMantil. Aſtrinom. l. 1. p. 27. that of Mantilius be true in all ages.
Nunquam futilibus excanduit ignibus aether.
Never did blazing Comets ſhine in vain,
But famine pale, plague or fierce warrs did reign.
But now they ſcud about like Eels in Thunder, and anon Death hales them with the weeds about their heads in his ſweeping drag-net. Now they cry out withcSpartian in Hadrian p. 34 Ed. Lug. B. Hadrian the Emperor:
Ani mula vagula blandula,
Quae nunc abibis in loca.
Pallidula rigida nudula.
nec ut ſoles dabis jocos.
O pretty, petty, wandring Soul,
In what holes wriggleſt thee?
Stark naked, cold and crackſt no more
Thy frothy Jeſts with me.
And is this all the cold comfort for theſe roaring Blades with a ſneaking Epigram, with ſo deadly a neck-verſe, to ſwing into the arms of eternall vengeance: How horrible is it, and to be trembled at, to think that Randoll the Poet (as I have heard) ſhould cry out at death, Now Horace have at thee where ever thou art. Could we think, that vile worms when dying ſhould ſpew ſuch poyſon? like the Toads indHelmont. t. mul. peſt. p. 884.4 to. Helmone hung up by the Heels before the fire of Hell caſt out green flies and other venom, Oh! that it might make a Zenexton an antidote againſt the plague of the heart in aſtonied mortalls. And have you not drencht your Souls in a ſweet pickle by flinging off repentance to ſo late an hour. Alas! God's now gone up to his place and retired, ye haveaProv. 1.25, &c. ſet at naught all his Counſell and would none of his reproof: Now he laughs at your calamity and mocks when your fear cometh as a deſolation and your deſtruction as a whirlwind: when diſtreſſe and auguiſh ſeizes upon you; Therefore ſhal ye eat the fruit of your own way, and be filled with your own devices: 'Tis not the cold abſolution of every formall Prieſt can daube up theſe Thunder ſtruck Walls with his untempered Morter. The fooliſh and cock headed Athieſt, thatbPſ. 14.1. ſaid in his heart there was no God and was bold and ſawcy to fancy what he would have, that he might revell and rant and tear it, in his blaſphemous pride, and doe corrupt and abominable works, begins now to be awakened out of his Frenzy-Lethargy, and runs into the clefts of the rocks and skulks in the tops of the ragged rocks, and cryes to the deaf hills to fall on him, and the hard-hearted mountains to cover him for fear of the Lord, and the glory of his terrible Majeſty.
The old Owl-eyed Heathens by the glimmering glances of Synideſes dAlcin. de doct. Plat. cap. 10. Max. Tyr. c. 1. &c.and Syntereſes, the faint reflections of primitive light did grope after a Deity by the Glow-Worm candle of ſoft contemplation. They catcht at a little vaniſhing notion of the firſt Being by the working of their Souls in night-Viſions and argued the immortality of their own Spirits and began to diſcern that (Divinae particula aurae) this particle of Divine light, was inſpired by the Father of Lights and Spirits:eRo. 1.20. By the things that were made they ſtammer'd and ſpelt out lamely his Eternal Power and God-head: But alas! the Meridian Fools of our age, that ſit in the Devils Chair of Peſtilence, though taught by the glorious light of holy Scripture, will hardly come off to cry at death, with that muſing Phyloſopher of Greece, O ens entium miſerere mei. O being of beings have mercy on me. But when the grave Judg of Conſcience commiſſion'd and charg'd by God, ſits down with his white conſidering Coife in his Judgment-ſeat upon a pale Pillow: Then their ſtupid Atheiſm (a ſin greater thenaJam. 2.19. Devils are guilty of) brings the Scoffer to thebProv. 7.22. correction of the Stocks; and Phineas his righteous dart ſticks through his belly, and there he lyes ſentenced to ſelf-tormenting horrors: Thoughts as fiery as flaſhes of lightning, and as keen as double edg'd Swords. No Turky Cymiter pierces ſo deadly to the inner-moſt parts of the belly.
But oh Sirs! this is not all: The Devill by hiscHeb. 2.14 miniſteriall power of death, ſlips forth from behind the hangings, all arm'd with fire-brands. He who before like a roaring Lion yeld after his prey: Now whets his Claws upon the rock of their impenitent hearts grins like a tearing Lion, and ſtrangles for his Lioneſſes: Now he who ſecretly ſtir'd them up to war and rapine, to ſlaughter and blood-ſhed, even the precious blood of the Saints, he who egg'd, and ſpur'd them up to their mad ambition and rage; to alarum neighbour Provinces into confuſions, to ſatiate their luſt, revenge and avarice; now he ſprings forth with hisdRev. 9.17 breaſtplate of fire, jacinct and brimſtone: and and out of his mouth flow torrents of fire and ſmoak and ſulphur: His head is twiſted about with a Crown of Snakes, and girt with a Veſt and Tunick of Scarlet deep dyed in the blood of Souls. This Prince of the Power of the Air, the raiſer of tempeſts, now hurries up a ſtorm within, which no created power can calm: At his puddling he finds turbulent matter in the foul ſinck of their hearts, and rowzes all the winds of the Compaſſe into a dreadfull Hurricane: Then the wicked Gallio's that of old waved and tuſh't at any thing, but Spring-Gardens and painted Faces, and pampered Paunches,eRo. 13.14 and proviſions for the fleſh to fulfill the luſts thereof: That ſnuft at your Counſells like the doltiſh block-head, thefJer. 2.24. wild Aſſe in the Wilderneſſe; Till their bellies ſwell big with the Tempter, in this monethmonth you ſhall find them crying out with the German Captain in thoſe civill Wars: Six hundred Dollars for a Miniſter to comfort a galled Conſcience. Then how the Waves break white one in the neck of another? Oh! how the wicked wretch tumbles likeaIſ. 57.20. troubled Seas that cannot reſt, and caſts up mire and dirt? 'Tis dreadfull to ſtand on the ſhore and ſee, how Leviathan makes the deepbJob 41.31 of their hearts to boil like a pot, the Sea of Conſcience like a Pot of Ointment; he makes a path of flaming Brimſtone to ſhine after him, and at the breaking of theſe waves of fire, ſtrong ſulphurous exhalations even ſtiſtle and ſuffocate the Spirits, One of the Roman Emperours ſent to buy the Pillow of a man, that was greatly in debt, and yet could ſleep ſweetly: But who would not fly from the Pillow of an awakened Athieſt, though ſtufft and cramb'd with double angels: When ſuch diſmall Sprites chatter at the four corners: when he who had ſeduced them to all their flagitious ſins, and hardned them to perſeverance now appears in his colours, triumphing in the harveſt of his envy, and tumbling his impenitent Proſelytes, with himſelf into the bottomleſſe gulf of deſpair.
And now 'tis evident, Who ever form'd Weapons againſt Heaven and proſper'd? Do not their Darts recoil upon theircPſ. 68.21 own hairy Scalps? When againſt every raking Oppreſſor,cHab. 2.11 the Stone cries out of the Wall, and the Beam out of the Timber ſhall anſwer it. WhendIſay 34.13, 14. the Owls of the Deſert ſhall hoop among their ſhatter'd Palaces in hideous Conſort, and Satyres ſhall cry to their Fellowes.
Now, woe to the ruiners of Cities by Fire, anddHab. 2.12 builders of Towns with blood, that ſtabliſh their foundations by iniquity, and cement the ſtones with the gore of the Innocent: That put thefV. 15. Bottle to the noſe of their Neighbours and make them drunk, to behold their nakedneſſe. That boaſt in their mightgIſ. 5.11.22. to drink Wine, that they are men of ſtrength to mingle ſtrong drink, and how many they knock under Table:hV. 23 24. Therefore as the fire devoureth ſtubble, and the flame conſumeth the chaffe; So their root ſhall be rottenneſſe, and their bloſſome ſhall go up as duſt. Now, woe iHab. 2.19to him that ſaith to the wood of a Table, awake: and to the dumb ſtone of a Croſſe, ariſe: for it ſhall teach: Theſe all compaſſe themſelveskIſay 50.11. with ſparks of their own kindling: This they ſhall have at the hand of the Lord: they ſhall lye down in ſorrows.