An Antidote Against Sinful Palpitation of the Heart, Title page – To the reader
AN ANTIDOTE Againſt the Sinfull Palpitation of the Heart, OR Fear of Death. Humbly offered to mens ſerious Thoughts, becauſe ſadly occaſioned by That Dreadfull PLAGUE, And thoſe horrid Fears of Death, that have ſeized This preſent Generation in England: whom either greater Sins, or weaker Graces, or both together, have rendred more then ever, Timorous.
MADE UP OF That Singular and Soveraign Scripture, Hebrews 2.15.
—And deliver them, who through fear of Death, were all their life time ſubject to Bondage.
By Robert Tatnall M. A. Sometimes Fellow of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge, and lately Miniſter of the Goſpel at St. John Evangeliſt's LONDON.
Iſa. 9.14, 15, 16, 17. —For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is ſtretched out ſtill.
Rev. 1.17, 18. I am the first and the laſt. I am he that liveth and was dead; and behold I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keyes of Hell and of Death.
Pſal. 68.20. He that is our God, is the God of ſalvation; and unto God the Lord belong the iſſues from Death.
London, Printed by J. Hayes, and are to be ſold by S. Gellibrand at the gilded Ball, and S. Thomſon at the Biſhops Head in St. Pauls Church-yard. 1665.
Perlegi hunc Libellum cui Titulus (An Antidote againſt the fears of Death) in quo nihil reperio Doctrinae Diſciplinaeve Eccleſiae Anglicanae aut bonis Moribus contrarium.
Joh. Hall, R. P. D. Epiſc. Lond. à Sac. Domest. July 6. 1665.
TO THE TRULY CHRISTIAN READER.
IT is not a time now (if ever) to complement with dying men and women that poor aid which any ſerious Chriſtian can endeavour to give, in ſuch a publick Calamity, as we all now do, or ſhould deeply lament. The unworthy Labourer in this ſmall Piece of Service muſt acknowledge ſo much concerning himſelf, only for his Apology: That having been ſome time, till of late imployed in London, as a Miniſter, He cannot but weep over it, in ſome Conformity to his Great Preſident's weeping over Jeruſalem; And liſp that tender Affection, which he cannot expreſs to ſo great a City. For it is belov'd of all, and a City once much in, and ('tis hop't) not now out of God's favour: To be ſure not left out of the hearts of ſome few, who as formerly, do ſtill moſt affectionately pray for her, though they can do little elſe.
The Plague rages amongſt us. Good men as well, though I hope not as much as bad men, are obnoxious to this viſitation. The latter underſtand little of the Duty or Comforts manifested in Scripture, Spiritually knowing nothing at all. Such if they will may hear the ſounding of Gods Bowels and tender Mercies to them, as in ſome other inſtances, ſo not leaſt of all in thoſe Comprehenſive, though SHORT INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SICK, with ſome other; very lately made publick by an Eminent Labourer in the Goſpel, which, with his leave, may be ſtil'd His repeated [Call to the Unconverted] in Epitome, or their (Now or Never) indeed. The Lord make thoſe Inſtructions as effectual, as they are moſt opportune and importunate too with mens ſouls. Surely the endeavouring of ſinners converſion, eſpecially at the brink of the Grave, muſt needs be a work of Sage Prudence, and an Apoſtolick Spirit. But who is ſufficient as for that, ſo for the reſt of the Labour? viz. The Edification and Building up of Souls in their most holy Faith, when their bodies are near ruine? Truly, be that now queſtions (who is?) muſt anſwer for himſelf, that he of all men, is not: Who yet counts it his great Duty to deplore it, as well as to confeſs it: And whilſt he laments his own evident inſufficiency; to rely upon that ſufficiency which is of God; both to Direct, Aſſiſt, and Bleſs the meaneſt of all his Labourers.
As for good men and women, who are ſo, though they can ſcarce themſelves think ſo, yet they are Chriſts flock; And the Sheep and Shepherds too, cannot but chiefly tender their good. Now 'tis clear that Death is near them as well as others; Yea ſome of Gods most pretious Children have been ſick of the Plague, none that I know do much doubt it to be King Hezekiahs ſickneſs unto death; Nay, ſome have dy'd of it, as a most Eminent Minister of this City not long ago. And 'tis not queſtion'd by ſome conſiderable Divines, but that many of the converted Corinthians dyed of the Plague, as well as others of them were much viſited with it, ſo that many were ſick, and many weak. Whereupon ſome may ſay, there may be no peremptorily aſſerted ground for a good mans looking on himſelf as unconcern'd, and exempted in a common danger and calamity. But however it muſt be remembred, that a good man hath no reaſon to fear the fear of the wicked, whilſt he hopes not their hope: He having more reaſon then any wicked perſons have, to wait upon God for a ſpecial Protection; if the ninty firſt Pſalm be a part of his Charter, as no doubt it is. Yet notwithſtanding I find a great Terrour upon this Plague even poſſeſsing Good as well as Bad men. Which I am the more troubled at; becauſe as good people have leſs cauſe to ſink and faint away; ſo Chriſt by their diſpondency hath the leſs Honour. Which two inconveniencies much ſadder then a Plague, O that I could, as a poor Inſtrument, if not remove, yet abate, at leaſt in ſome: O let Saints bear up, and ſtand in the Gap, or Breach: Aaron you know ran into the midſt of the viſited Congregation, and ſtood between the Dead and the Living making atonement for them, till the Plague was ſtayed, Numb. 16.47, 48. Hath Chriſt made his people a Royal Prieſthood to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices acceptable by Jeſus Chriſt? and ſhall ſuch run from the Congregation? I mean from their Duty, their Calling, their Charge, their own people, yea God and all, in vain? O let Christ be honoured for the increaſe of whoſe Kingdom, by the conſciencious labours of Gods Children in their places, The world both doth and ſhall ſtand through Gods mercy remembred in all his Judgments, even till the great and general day of the Lords Tribunal.
There are indeed no greater Motives to any good Action, or endeavour, then the advance of Chriſts Honour, and of the Holineſs and Happineſs of poor ſouls, who may, if they be wiſe, become with Abraham ſtrong in Faith, and ſo rewarded with ſtrong Conſolation, that believing ſo, with him, they might rejoice with joy unſpeakable, and full of glory, not only after, but alſo before their death. All which is plainly intended in the Subject, or Scripture here preſented to ſuch as would be ſerious and ſafe. Which Deſign of God, and interest of man, if it be ſincerely eſpouſed in the enſuing Diſcourſe: God will I hope in mercy pardon, and every good perſon pity his infirmities, who in pity prayes for a bleſſing of God upon this, and all other means to be uſed by ſuch as are ſick of the fears of Death before they are viſited. Who therefore will not ſurely, when a Cordial is brought them from the God of Heaven, fling Glaſſe and all, in contempt at the poor Meſſenger; who is
(Chriſtian Reader) Thine in the LORD heartily, R. T.