A Christian Library, Part 1 · Chapter 29
CHAP. XXIX. Because they have respect unto Gods Commandement.
2. BEcause they have respect unto Gods Commandement, who saith, By your patience possesse your souls, Luk. 21.19. Be patient toward all men, 1 Thes. 5.14. And Let your patient minde be known unto all men, Phil. 4.5. More especially; Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the Devill, Ephes. 4 26, 27. From whence observe this by the way; that he which lies down in wrath hath the Devill for his bedfellow.
See, saith Paul, that none recompence evill for evill unto any man, 1 Thes. 5.15. And again, Be not overcome with evill, but overcome evill with goodnesse, Rom. 12.21. Yea, saith our Saviour, Love your enemies, do well to them that hate you, blesse them that curse you, and pray for them which hurt you, Luk. 6.27, 28. And in case thine enemy hunger, instead of adding to his affliction, give him bread to eat; if he thirst, give him water to drink; or else thou breakest Gods Commandement touching patience; Prov. 25.21. Rom. 12.20. and consequently art in the sight of God a transgressor of the whole Law; and standest guilty of the breach of every Commandement, James 2 10, 11. We know the frantick man, though he be sober eleven moneths of the year, yet if he rage one, he cannot avoid the imputation of madnesse.
Now as Gods Children should do whatsoever he commands cheerfully, and take whatsoever he doth thankfully; so God suffers such wrongs to be, that he may exercise thy patience; and he commands thee to forgive those wrongs, that thou mayest exercise thy char…ty, and approve thy sincerity: Many say, Lord, Lord; but if you love me, saith Christ, keep my Commandements. It is an idle ceremony to bow at the Name of Iesus, except we have him in our hearts, and honour him with our lives. Phraates sent a Crown as a present to Caesar, against whom he was up in Arms; but Caesar returned it back with this answer; Let him return to his obedience first, and then I'le accept of the Crown, by way of recognizance. God admits none to Heaven (saith j…stin Martyr) but such as can perswade him by their works, that they have loved him.
And indeed, take a man that truly loves God, he will easily be friends, not easily be provoked.
True, take him unexpectedly, he may have his lesson to seek (even he that was the meekest man upon earth, threw down that in a sudden indignation, which in cold blood he would have held faster than his life, Exod. 32.19.) but when he bethinks himself what God requires, it is enough. When Teribazus a noble Persian was arrested, at first he drew his sword, and defended himself; but when they charged him in the Kings Name, and enformed him they came from his Majesty, he yeelded presently, and willingly.
If then we will approve our selves true obedienciaries, let our revenge be like that of Elisha's to the Aramites, in stead of smiting them, set bread and water before them: Or like that of Pericles, who as Plutarch reports, when one had spent the day in rayling upon him at his own door, least he should go home in the dark, caused his man to light him with a Torch. And to do otherwise is Ammonite-like, to entreat those Embassadours ill, which are sent in kindnesse and love: for these afflictions are Gods Embassadors, and to handle them rufly, yea, to repine or grudge against them, is to intreat them evill. And certainly, as David took it not well when the Ammonites ill intreated his Embassadours, so God will not take the like well from thee, 1 Chron. 19. But secondly, as the Law of God bindes us to this, so doth the Law of Nature: Whatsoever you would that men should do unto you even so do you unto them, Matth. 7.12. Our Saviour doth not say, Do unto others, as others do unto you; but as you would have others do unto you. Now if we have wronged any man, we desire that he should forgive us, and therefore we must forgive him. Nor would we have any man traduce us behind our backs: therefore St Austin writ over his Table thus,
To speak ill of the absent forbear:
Or else sit not at taeble here.
Lex talionis was never a good Christian Law. If I forgive not, I shall not be forgiven, Mar. 11.26. So to say of our Enemies, as Sampson once of the Philistims: even as they did unto me, so I have done unto them, is but an ill plea. For the Law of God, and the Law of Nature forbids it; and doth not the Law of Nations also? Yes, throughout the whole world: either they have no Law, or else a Law to prohibit men from revenging themselves. Oppression or injury may not be righted by violence, but by Law (and to seek revenge by Law, when it is not expedient to passe it by, is lawfull:) the redresse of evill by a person unwarranted, is evill.
Obj. But thou wilt say, The Law doth not provide a just remedy in all cases of injury, especially in case of reproach and slander, which is now the Christians chief suffering; or if in part it doth, yet he that is just cannot be quit in one Terme or two. Nay, if he have right in a year, it is counted quick dispatch, and he is glad that he met with such a speedy Lawyer.
Ans. If thou know'st the remedy to be worse than the disease; I hope thou wilt leave it, and commit thy cause to God; who (if thou wilt give him the like time,) will cleer thy innocency, and cost thee nothing.
When we have suffered some evill, the flesh, our own wisedom, like the King of Israel, 2 King. 6.21. will bid us return evill to the doer; but the Spirit or wisdome of God, like Elisha, opposeth, and bids us return him good notwithstanding his evill: But the flesh will reply, he is not worthy to be forgiven: I, but saith the Spirit, Christ is worthy to be obeyed, who hath commanded thee to forgive him. Now, whethers counsell wilt thou follow? It is not alwayes good to take our own counsell; our own wit often hunts us into the snares, that above all we would shun. We oft use means of preservation, and they prove destroying ones. Again, we take courses to ruin us, and they prove means of safety. How many flying from danger, have met with death; and on the other side, found protection even in the very jawes of mischief, that God alone may have the glory. It fell out to be part of Mithridates misery, that he had made himself unpoysonable. All humane wisedom is defective, nor doth the Fools bolt ever misse: whatsoever man thinketh to do in contrariety, is by God turned to be an help of hastning the end he hath appointed him. We are governed by a power that we cannot but obey, our mindes are wrought against our mindes to alter us. In brief, man is oft his own Traytor, and maddeth to undo himself. Wherefore take the Spirits and the Words direction. Render good for evill, and not like for like, though it be with an unwilling willingnesse; as the Merchant casteth his goods over-board, and the Patient suffers his arm or leg to be cut off: and say with thy Saviour, Neverthelesse, not my will, but thy will be done.
But yet more to induce thee hereunto; consider in the last place, That to avenge thy self, is both to lose Gods protection, and to incur his condemnation. We may be said to be out of his protection, when we are out of our way which he hath set us: he hath promised to give his Angels charge over us, to keep us in all our wayes, Psal. 91.11. that is, in the wayes of obedience, or the wayes of his Commandements. But this is one of the Devils ways, a way of sinne and disobedience; and therefore hath no promise or assurance of protection: we may trust God, we may not tempt him: if we do, what seconds soever we get, Christ will not be our second. Where is no commandement, there is no promise; if we want his word, in vain we look for his ayd. When we have means to keep our selves, Gods omnipotency is for the present discharged. If Eutychus had fallen down out of a saucy malipert… ▪ I doubt whether he had been restored by St Paul, Acts 20.9. Wafts and strayes, are properly due to the Lord of the soyl: and you know what the Devill said to our Saviour, Luk. 4.6. which in a restrained sense is true. And therefore when one in Gods stead rebuked Satan, touching a Virgin whom he possest at a Theatre, saying, How durst thou be so bold, as to enter into my house? Satan answers, Because I found her in my house: as Chrysostom delivers it. I am sure Dinah fell into soul hands, when her Fathers house could not hold her: and Sampson the like, when he went to Dalilah: and Ionah, when he went to Tarshish: and the seduced Prophet, when he went beyond his Commission, set him by God: and many the like, who left the path of Gods protection, where the Angels guard and watch, to walk in the Devils by-way of sinne and disobedience. The Chickins are safe under the wings of their mother, and we under the providence of our Father; so long as we hold the tenure of obedience, we are the Lords Subjects; and if we serve him, he will preserve us. A Priest might enter into a Leprous house without danger: because he had a calling from God so to do, and we may follow God dry-shod through the Red-Sea. Neither need we vex our selves with cares, as if we lived at our own cost, or trusted to our own strength: but when a man is fallen to the state of an Out-Law or Rebell; the Law dispenseth with them that kill him; because the Prince hath excluded him from his Protection. Now this being our case, say there shall happen any thing amisse, through thy taking revenge, what mayest thou not expect to suffer, and in thy suffering, what comfort canst thou have? Whereas, if God bring us into crosses, he will be with us in those crosses, and at length bring us out of them more refined. You may observe, there is no such coward, none so valiant as the beleever: without Gods warrant he dares do nothing; with it, any thing. Nothing without it. Those saith Basil (to a great man that perswaded him to yeeld) who are trained up in the Scriptures, will rather die in an holy quarrell, than abate one syllable of divine truth. Nor would any solicite them to do ill, did they rightly know them: for what Cicero speaks of Cato (viz. O gentle Cato, how happy art thou to have been such an one? that never man durst yet presume, to solicite thee in any dishonest cause, or contrary to duty) may be applied to every Beleever, rightly so stiled. When the Tormentors of Marcus Areihusius (who laid to his charge the pulling down of an idolatrous Temple) offered him his pardon, in case he would give so much as would build it up again, he refused it; and being further urged to give but half, he refused it: at last, being told that if he would give but a little towards it, they would release him; he refused to give them so much as an half penny: saying, No not an half penny; for it is as great wickednesse, said he, to confer one half penny, in case of impiety, as if a man should bestow the whole. A good conscience being in the greatest torture, will not give one half penny to be released, with hurt to his conscience: he scans not the we…ght of the thing, but the authority of the Commander: and such have no good consciences, that dare gratifie Satan, in committing the least sinne, o… neglect God in the smallest precept. The conscionable Nazarite, Numb. 6. did not only make scruple of guzling, and quaffing whole Flagons of wine, but of eating only an husk, or a kernell of the grape: knowing the one was as well forbidden as the other. Will any man eat poyson because there is but a little of it? A small bullet may kill a man as well as a great one. Goliah was as much hurt by Davids little stone, as Sampson by the weight of a whole house. And Ely died as well by falling back in his chair, as Iezabel by being thrown down from an high window. And what saith our Saviour to the unjust Steward? He that is faithfull in that which is least, is faithfull also in much; and he that is unjust i… the least, is unjust also in much, Luk. 16 10. He that will corrupt his conscience for a pound, what would he do for a thousand? If Iudas will sell his M…ster for thirty pence, what would he not have done for the Treasury?
Alas, there are no sins small but comparatively: These things (speaking of Mint and Cummin) ought ye to have done, sayes our Saviour, and not have left the other undone, Luk. 11.42. Wherefore it is with a good and tender conscience, as it is with the apple of the eye, for as the least hair or dust grieves and offends that which the skin of the eye-lid could not once complain of; so a good and tender conscience is disquieted, not only with beams, but moates, even such as the world accounts trifles; it strains not only at Cammels, but Gnats also.
A sincere heart is like a neat spruce man, that no sooner spies the least speck or spot on his garment ▪ but he gets it washt or scrap't off: the common Christian, like a nasty sloven, who, though he be all foul and besmeared, can indure it well enough: yea, it offends him that another should be more neat than himself. But such men should consider, that though they have large consciences, that can swallow down any thing, yet the sincere and tender conscience is not so wide. A strait shooe cannot indure the least pibble stone, which will hardly be felt in a wider; neither will God allow those things in his Children, which he permits in his enemies: no man but will permit that in another mans Wife or Child, which he would abhor in his own. A box of precious oyntment, may not have the least fly in it; nor a delicate Garden, the least weed, though the Wildernesse be overgrown with them.
I know the blind world so blames the Religious, and their Religion also, for this nicenesse, that they think them Hypocrites for it: but this was Iobs comfort in the aspersion of Hypocrisie, My witnesse is in Heaven, and my record on high. And as touching others that are offended, their answer is, Take thou O God (who needest not our sinne to further thy work of Grace) the charge of thy Glory, give us grace to take charge of thy Precepts. For sure we are, that what is absolutely evill, can by no circumstance be made good; poyson may be qualified and become medicinall: there is use to be made of an enemy; sicknesse may turn to our better health; and death it self to the faithfull, is but a door to life; but sinne, be it never so small, can never be made good
Thus you have seen their fear, but look also upon their courage, for they more fear the least sinne, than the greatest torment.
All the fear of Satan and his instruments, ariseth from the want of the true fear of God; but the more a man fears God, the lesse he fears every thing else. Fear God, honour the King, 1 Pet. 2.14, 17. He that fears God, doth but honour the King, he need not fear him, Rom. 13.3. the Law hath not power to smite the vertuous.
True, many have an opinion not wise, That Piety and Religion abates fortitude, and makes valour Feminine: but it is a foundationlesse conceit. The true beleever fears nothing but the displeasure of the highest, and runs away from nothing but sinne.
Indeed he is not like our hot-spurs, that will fight in no cause but a bad; that fear where they should not fear, and fear not where they should fear; that fear the blasts of mens breath, and not the fire of Gods wrath; that fear more to have the world call them Cowards for refusing; than God to judge them rebels for undertaking: that tremble at the thought of a Prison, and yet not fear Hell fire: That can govern Towns and Cities, and let a silly woman over-rule them at home; it may be a servant or a Childe, as Themistocles Sonne did in Greece: What I will, said he, my Mother will have done, and what my Mother will have, my Father doeth. That will undertake a long journey by Sea in a Wherry, as the desperate Marriner hoyseth sayl in a storm, and sayes None of his Ancestors were drowned: That will rush fearlesly into infected houses, and say, The Plague never ceizeth on valiant blood, it kills none but Cowards: That languishing of some sicknesse, will strive to drink it away, and so make hast to dispatch both body and soul at once: that will run on high battlements, gallop down steep hils, ride over narrow bridges, walk on weak Ice, and never think what if I fall? but what if I passe over and fall not?
No, he is not thus fearlesse, for this is presumption and desperate madnesse, not that courage and fortitude which ariseth from faith, and the true fear of God; but from blindnesse and invincible ignorance of their own estate: As what think you? Would any man put his life to a venture, if he knew that when he died he should presently drop into hell? I think not. But let the beleeving Christian, (who knowes he hath a place reserved for him in Heaven) have a warrant from Gods word; you cannot name the service, or danger that he will stick at. Nor can he lightly fail of successe. It is observed that Trajan was never vanquished, because he never undertook warre without just cause. In fine, as he is most fearfull to offend, so he is most couragious in a good cause; as abundance of examples witnesse, whereof I'le but instance two: for the time would be too short to tell of Abraham, and Moses, and Caleb, and David, and Gideon, and Baruck, and Sampson, and Ieptha, and many others; of whom the holy Ghost gives this generall testimony; that by faith, of weak they were made strong, waxed valiant in battell, turned to flight the Armies of the Aliants, subdued Kingdoms, stopt the mouthes of Lyons, quenched the violence of the fire, &c. Heb. 11.22, to 35. Nor will I pitch upon Ioshua, whom neither Caesar, nor Pompey, nor Alexander the Great, nor William the Conquerour, nor any other ever came near, either for valour or victories: but even Ionathan before, and the Martyrs, after Christ, shall make it good. As what think you of Ionathan, whom neither steepnesse of Rocks, nor multitude of enemies, could discourage, or disswade from so unlikely an assault? Is it possible, if the divine power of Faith, did not add spirit and courage, making men more than men; that two should dare to think of encountering so many thousands? and yet behold Ionathan and his Armour-bearer put to flight, and terrified the hearts of all the Philistims, being thirty thousand Chariots, six thousand Horse-men, and Foot-men like the sand of the Sea-shore, 1 Sam. 14.15. O divine power of faith! that in all attempts and difficulties makes us more than men, and regards no more Armies of adversaries, than swarms of flies.
A naturall man in a project so unlikely, would have had many thoughts of discouragement, and strong reasons to disswade him: but his faith dissolves impediments, as the Sunne doth dewes; yea, he contemns all fears, overlooks all impossibilities, breaks through all difficulties with a resolute courage, and flies over all carnall objections with celestiall wings; because the strength of his God, was the ground of his strength in God.
But secondly, To shew that their courage is no lesse passive, than active; look upon that Noble Army of Martyrs, mentioned in Ecclesiasticall History, who went as willingly and cheerfully to the stake, as our Gallants to a Play; and leapt into their beds of flames, as if they had been beds of down: yea, even weak women, and young striplings, when with one dash of a pen, they might have been released. If any shall yet doubt which of the two (the Religious or Prophane) are most valiant and couragious; let them look upon the demeanour of the twelve Spies, Numb. the 13th and 14th Chapters; and observe the difference between the two faithfull and true hearted, and the other ten: then will they conclude, that Piety and Religion doth not make men Cowards; or if it do▪ that as there is no feast to the Churles, so there is no fight to the Cowards. True, they are not soon, nor easily provoked; but all the better, the longer the cold fit in an Ague, the stronger the hot sit.
I know men of the Sword will be loth to allow of this Doctrine; but truth is truth, as well when it is not acknowledged, as when it is: and experience tells us, that he who fears not to do evill, is alwayes afraid to suffer evill. Yea the Word of God is expresse; That none can be truly valarous, but such as are truly religious, The wicked fly when none pursueth, but the righteous are as bold as a Lyon, Prov. 28.1. The reason whereof is, If they live, they know by whom they stand; if they die, they know for whose sake they fall.
But what speak I of their not fearing death, when they shall not fear even the day of Iudgement, 1 Joh. 4.17. Hast not thou O Saviour bidden us, when the Elements shall be dissolved, and the Heavens shall be flaming about our ears, to lift up our heads with joy, because our redemption draweth nigh, Luk. 21.25, to 29. Wherefore saith the valiant Beleever, come death, come fire, come whirlewinde, they are worthy to be welcome that shall carry us to immortality. Let Pagans and Infidels fear death, saith St Cyprian, who never feared God in their life, but let Christians go to it as travellers unto their native home; as Children unto their loving Father; willingly, joyfully. Let such fear to die, as have no hope to live a better life: well may the brute beast fear death, whose end of life is the conclusion of their being: well may the Epicure tremble at it, who with his life looketh to lose his felicity: well may ignorant and unrepentant sinners quake at it, whose death begins their damnation: well may all those make much of this life, who are not sure of a better; because they are conscious to themselves, that this dying life, will but bring them to a living death; they have all sown in sinne, and what can they look to reap, but misery and vanity? sinne was their traffique, and grief will be their gain; detestable was their life, and damnable will be their decease.
But it is otherwise with the Godly, they may be killed, but cannot be hurt; for even death (that fiend) is to them a friend, like the Red Sea to the Israelites, which put them over to the Land of Promise, while it drowned their enemies. It is to the faithfull as the Angels were to Lot, who snatcht him out of Sodome, while the rest were consumed with fire and brimstone. Every beleever is Christs betrothed Spouse, and death is but a messenger to bring her home to her Husband: and what chaste or loving Spouse, will not earnestly desire the presence of her Bridegroom (as St Austin speaks?) Yea, the day of death to them, is the day of their Coronation: and what Princely heir does …t long for the day of his instalment, and rejoyce when it comes? Certainly it was the sweetest voice that ever the Thief heard in this life, when Christ said unto him, This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise, Luk. 23.43. In a word, as death to the wicked, puts an end to their short joyes, and begins their everlasting sorrowes: so to the Elect, it is the end of all sorrow, and the beginning of their everlasting joyes.
The end of their sorrow; for whereas complaint of evils past, sense of present, and fear of future, have shared our lives amongst them; death is
1. A Supersedeas for all diseases; the Resurrection knows no imperfection.
2. It is a Writ of ease, to free us from labour and servitude: like Moses that delivered Gods people out of bondage, and from brick-making in Aegypt.
3. Whereas our ingresse into the world, our progresse in it, our egresse out of it, is nothing but sorrow (for we are born crying, live grumbling, and die sighing) death is a medicine, which drives away all these, for we shall rise triumphing.
4. It shall revive our reputations, and cleer our Names from all ignominy and reproach; yea, the more contemptible here, the more glorious hereafter. Now a very Duellist will go into the field to seek death, and finde honour.
5. Death to the godly is as a Goal-delivery, to let the Soul out of the prison of the body, and set it free.
6. Death frees us from sinne, an Inmate that (spite of our teeth) will …oust with us, so long as life affords it house-room: for what is it to the faithfull, but the funerall of their vices, and the resurrection of their vertues.
And thus we see, that death to the Saints is not a penalty, but a remedy; that it acquits us of all our bonds, as sicknesse, labour, sorrow, disgrace, imprisonment, and (that which is worse than all) sinne; that it is not so much the death of nature as of corruption and calamity. But this is not half the good it doth us; for it delivers us up, and lets us into such Ioyes, as eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entred into the heart of man to conceive, 1 Cor. 2.9. Yea, a man may as well with a coal, paint out the Sunne in all his splendor, as with his pen, or tongue expresse; or with his heart (were it as deep as the Sea) conceive, the fullnesse of those joyes, and sweetnesse of those pleasures, which the Saints shall enjoy at Gods right hand for evermore, Psal. 16.11. In thy presence is the sullnesse of joy, and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore. For quality they are pleasures; for quantity, fullnesse; for dignity, at Gods right hand; for eternity, for evermore: and millions of years multiplied by millions, make not up a minute to this eternity.
Our dissolution is nothing else but aeterni natalis, the birth-day of eternity (as Seneca calls it, more truly than he was aware,) for when we are born, we are mortall; but when we are dead, we are immortall: yea, even their mortall wounds make the sufferers immortall; and presently transport us from the contemplation of felicity, unto the fruition. Whereas, if the corn of our bodies be not cast into the earth by death, we can have none of this increase: which is the reason, first, that we celebrate the memory of the Saints, not upon their birth-dayes, but upon their death-dayes; to shew how the day of our death, is better than the day of our birth: And secondly, that many Holy men have wisht for death; as Ieremy, Iob, Paul, &c. As, who can either marvell, or blame the desire of advantage? for the weary traveller to long for rest, the prisoner for liberty, the banished for home; it is so naturall, that the contrary disposition were monstrous.
And indeed it is our ignorance and infidelity; at least our impreparation, that makes death seem other than advantage. And look to it, for he hardly mourns for the sinnes of the time, who longs not to be freed from the time of sinne: he but little loves his Saviour, who is not willing to go unto him, and is too fond of himself, that would not go out of himself to God.
True, he that beleeveth will not make haste, Isa. 28.16. that is, he will not go out by a back-door, seek redresse by unlawfull means: for though here he hath his pain, and in Heaven he looks for his payment, yet he will not make more haste than good speed. Though he desires to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, which is best of all, Phil. 1.23, 24. Yet he is content to live, yea, he lives patiently, though he dies joyfully: In his wisdome he could chuse the gain of death, but in his obedience he refuseth not the service of life: and it is to be feared, that God will refuse that soul, which leaves the body before himself calls for it; as Seneca speaks (like a Divine.)
Now, what are we to learn from this double lesson, but a two-fold instruction? … unsent? is death to the godly no other then the Brazen Serpent to the Israelites? which was so farre from hurting them, that contrarily it healed them. And wouldest thou not fear death (for to labour not to die is labour in vain, and Kings in this are Subjects.)
First, Look through death at glory, as l…t but the unfolded Heavens give way to Stevens eyes, to behold Christ in the glory of his Father; how willing is he to ascend by that stony passage? Acts 7.56, 59.
Secondly, Fear to commit the least sinne, which is forbidden by so great a God, and suffered for by so loving a Saviour.
Now God hath so farre forth forbidden revenge, that he hath forbidden all kinde of hatred and malice; for the Law in every Commandement is spirituall, and bindes the heart as well as the hand; and to thy power thou hast slain him whom thou hatest: he is alive, and yet thou hast kil'd him, saith St Augustine: and therefore these two, hatred and murther, are coupled together as yoak-fellowes, in that long teame of the fleshes beastly works, which draw men to perdition, Rom. 1.29. Gal. 5.21. and wherein do they differ? but as the Father and the Sonne, or as Devill and evill, only in a letter. Yea, saith Christ, in the places before quoted, Love your enemies, do well to them that hate you, overcome evill with good, &c. Luk 6.27. Rom. 12.21. Be so farre from snatching Gods weapon out of his hand, that you rather master unkindnesse with kindnesse.
And as this is Gods word, so hearing what the word speaks, is an ear-mark of Christs sheep, as witnesseth the chief sheepherd, Joh. 8. He that is of God, heareth Gods word: and he is of an uncircumcised ear, and one of the Devils Goats, that wants this mark: for he heareth it not, because he is not of God, Vers. 47. Wherefore lay it to heart, lose not the priviledge of Gods protection, by an unwarrantable righting of thy self: Do not like the Fool, that leapt in the water, for fear of being drowned in the boat. But above all fears, fear him, which, after he hath kil'd, hath power to cast into hell, Luk. 12.5. compare the present with the future, the action with the reward; think thou seest beyond pleasing thy appetite, and doing thine own will, sinne against God; beyond that, death; beyond death, judgement; beyond judgement, hell; beyond that, no limits of time, or torments; but all easelesse, and endlesse. Thou cryest, God be mercifull to me; but be thou also mercifull to thy self: Fear God, fear sinne, and fear nothing; for sinne is the sting of all troubles: pull out the sting, and deride the malice of the Serpent. Yea, have but Gods warrant for what thou goest about, and then let death happen, it shall not happen amisse; for the assurance of Gods call and protection, when a mans actions are warranted by the Word, will even take away the very fear of death: for, death (as a Father well notes) hath nothing terrible, but what our life hath made so. He that hath lived well is seldom unwilling to die; life or death is alike welcome unto him; for he knowes, whiles he is here, God will protect him; and when he goes hence God will receive him. I have so behaved my self (saith St Ambrose to the Nobles of Millain) that I am not asha… Hilarion, These seventy years and upwards, thou hast served the Lord ▪ therefore now go forth my soul with joy, &c. Whereas he that hath lived wickedly, had rather lose any thing even his soul, than his life: whereby he tels us, though his tongue expresse it not, that he expects a worse estate hereafter. How oft doth guiltinesse make one avoid, what another would wish in this case? Yea, death was much facilitated by the vertues of a well-led life, even in the Heathen. Phocion being condemned to die, and the executioner refusing to do his office, unlesse he had twelve Drachmes paid him in hand; Phocion borrowed it of a friend and gave it him: ne mora fieret morti. Again, Cato was so resolute, that he told Caesar, he feared his pardon, more than the pain he threatned him with. And Aristippus, as I take it (though I may be mistaken,) told the Saylers (that wondred why he was not, as well as they, afraid in a storm?) that the odds was much; for they feared the torments due to a wicked life, and he expected the reward of a good one. Its a solid and sweet reason, being rightly applied. Vic… drawes death with a horrid look, with a whip, and flames, and terrors; but so doth not vertue. Whence it was that death was ugly and fearfull unto Cicero; wished for, and desired of Cato; and indifferent to Socrates.
Obj. But a violent and painfull death, is by far, more terrible and intollerable than a naturall?
Answ. Seldom have the Martyrs found it so, but often the contrary: which made them kisse the wheele that must kill them, and think the stayres of the scaffold of their Martyrdom, but so many degrees of their ascent to glory. Besides Elias his fiery Chariot, or they which stoned Steven, took no more from them, than an ordinary sicknesse did from Lazarus; and let death any way crumble the body to dust, the Resurrection shall restore it whole again. Indeed if we live (and God by some lingring sicknesse, shall in mercy stay till we make us ready,) we shall do well: but if we die as the Martyrs did, half burnt, and half blown up; we shall do better. And thus much to prove that the Godly indure reproaches and persecutions patiently, because God hath commanded them so to do.