Of Peace and Contentment of Mind, Book 2 · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI Of Death.
IT is the ſubject of which Seneca ſpeakes moſt, and of which there was leaſt for him to ſpeak; for being doubtfull whether Death deſtroyed the ſoul or releaſed it, Mors nos aut conſumit aut emittit; and being more inclined to the firſt Opinion, it was better for him neither to ſpeake nor to think of it. But what! others of his rank that had reaſoned before him about the immortality of the ſoul had quitted themſelves ſo meanely of that task, that out of their labours in that field, he could not reape any ſatisfaction of his doubt. This is the grand priviledge of the Chriſtian that he ſeeth life through Death, and that the laſt limit of Nature is the date of his franchiſing, and the gate of his felicity and glory. Death that moweth downe all the hopes of this world perfecteth Chriſtian hope.
Death is the ſeparation of body and ſoul: It is the returne of theſe two parts of man ſo different to their ſeveral principles. Eccleſ. 12.4. Then the duſt returneth to the earth as it was, and the ſpirit returneth unto God that gave it: Who diſpoſeth of it either in mercy or juſtice. Death is the laſt Act of the Comedy of this world. To every one Death is the end of the world in his own reſpect. In one ſenſe it is againſt nature, becauſe it deſtroyes the particular being: In another it is according to nature, for it is no leſſe natural to dye then to live. Yea Death is a conſequence of life, we muſt dye becauſe we live; and we dye, not becauſe we are fick and wounded, but becauſe we are animals borne under that Law.
Wherefore conſidering Death in the natural way, as Charron doth; I approove what he ſaith that we muſt expect Death in a ſteady poſture, for it is the terme of nature which continually drawes neerer and neerer. But I cannot approove that which he adds, that wee must fight againſt Death. Why ſhould we fight againſt it ſeeing we cannot ward its blowes? It is more unreaſonable then if he had ſaid that we muſt fight againſt the raine & the winde, for wee may get a ſhelter from theſe, none from that: Wherefore as when it raines wee muſt let it raine, ſo when Death is coming (and it comes alwayes) wee need but let it come, not thinking it more ſtrange to live then to dye. In ſtead of fighting againſt Death, wee muſt acquaint our ſelves with it. Indeed they that feare Death, muſt fight againſt that feare.
Of them that feare Death there are two ſorts. Some feare it for its owne ſake: Some for that which comes after. The former which are more in number, that love the preſent world, and cannot fixe their thoughts upon that which is to come, imagin, that when they dye they loſe all. A great folly! They cannot loſe that which is none of theirs. They have the uſe of the world only til their Leaſe be out. Death is the great proofe of that fundamentall Maxime, which I ſo often urge, and no oftner then I need; That the things that are out of the diſpoſition of our will are none of ours; and ſuch are riches, honours, our body, and life it ſelfe. To them that are ſo farre miſtaken as to thinke themſelves owners of theſe things, death is an undoing; not to them that acknowledge themſelves tenants at will, and look continually to be called out of their tenement. The goods of the world are held by turnes: When you have enjoyed them a while you muſt give place to others. Make your ſucceſſours caſe your owne. How ſhould yee like it, if a certaine number of men ſhould be priviledged to monopolize to themſelves the goods of all the world for ever, to the perpetuall excluſion of all others?
This reaſoning belongs to few perſons, for it preſuppoſeth plenty and proſperity. But how few have plenty? and of thoſe few againe, how few have proſperity with it? One would thinke that diſtreſſed perſons have no need of comfort againſt death. Yet they that have the greateſt ſorrowes in the world, many times are the moſt unwilling to leave it. But certainly, if life be evill, it is good to go out of it. All men being born under the neceſſity of ſuffering, and miſery being univerſall in all conditions; Death which ends all miſery of life, is the greateſt benefit of Nature. Bleſſed be God, that there is no temporal miſery ſo great but hath an end.
Take me a man that hath nothing but debts, that liveth meerely by his ſhifts and tricks, that hath the ſtone in the bladder and ten ſuits in Law, that flyeth from the Sergeants to his houſe, and then flyeth out of his houſe relanced by the ſcolding of his perverſe wife. If in that flight he be ſuddainly killed in the ſtreet by the fall of a tyle or the overturning of a Cart, that happy misfortune delivereth him from all other miſfortunes. The Sergeants overtake him and let him are All attachments and Subpoenas againſt him are vacated. Hee is no more troubled where to get his dinner. His debts breake not his perpetuall ſleep. He is thoroughly healed of the ſtone; and his wife, now deſperaetly crying becauſe ſhe ſeeeth him inſenſible for ever and unmoved at her noiſe. Certainly Death is a ſhelter againſt all in…uries. Death puts an end to endleſſe evills. It is the reſt after a continual toyle. It is the cure of the ſick, and the liberty of the ſlave. So Job deſcribeth that quiet ſtate. Job. 3.7. There the wicked ceaſe from troubling, and there the weary be at reſt. There the priſoners reſt together, they heare not the voyce of the oppreſſor: The ſmall and great are there, and the ſervant is free from his Maſter. It is a great folly to feare that which cannot be avoyded, but it is a greater to feare that which is to be deſired. When we have conſidered the evills of life, thoſe that we do and thoſe that we ſuffer, after that to feare Death what is it elſe but to be affraid of our reſt and deliverance? And what greater harme can one wiſh to him that will not dye, but that he may live alwayes, and be guilty and miſerable for ever.
If it be for the paine that we feare Death, for that reaſon wee ought rather to feare life, for the paines of life are farre more ſenſible then the paines of Death; if in Death there is any paine; of which I ſee no great likelyhood. For why ſhould we imagine the revulſion of the ſoul from the body to be very painful, it being knowne that the vital parts, as the heart and the liver, have little or no ſenſe: No more ſenſe hath the ſubſtance of the braines though the ſource of the ſenſes; for the head-ach is in the tuniques. When the braines is benummed and weakened, the ſenſe of paine is weaker over all the body. And generally when ſtrength decreaſeth, paine decreaſeth together. Hence it is that moſt of them that are ſick to Death, when they draw neere their end, feele themſelves very much amended. That ſtate is called by the Italians il meglioramento della morte.
The decay of ſenſes in that extremity is a fence againſt the troubleſome diligence, talke, & cries, more troubleſome then Death, wherewith dying perſons are commonly perſecuted. But as a man upon the point of death is too weake to defend himſelfe againſt all that perſecution, he is too weak alſo to feele it much.
Then, all ſuffocation is without paine, & that is the moſt ordinary end of life. In the moſt violent death, paine is tolerable becauſe it is ſhort, and becauſe it is the laſt. It is a ſtorme that wracks us, but caſts us upon the haven.
To that haven we muſt looke continually, and there caſt anchor betimes by a holy hope, conceiving Death not ſo much a parting as an arrival; for unto well diſpoſed ſoules it is the haven of Salvation.
The feare of that which comes after death, makes ſome mens lives bitter, and through feare of dying after Death they have already eternall death in their Conſcience. They have eyes to ſee Hell open gaping for them, but they have none to ſee the way to avoid it. In others, that feare is more moderate, and is an ill cauſe working a good effect, inducing or rather driving them to ſeeke, and then to embrace the grace and peace that God offers unto them in Jeſus Chriſt, and together to do good workes which are the way to the Kingdome of heaven. A man cannot afeare God too much, but he may be too deeply afraid of his Juſtice; And the feare of that death after death muſt be ſwallowed up by the faith in Jeſus Chriſt who by his death hath delivered them who through feare of death were all their life ſubject unto bondage. Heb. 2.15. He hath made death the gate of life and glory, to all that truſt in him and doe good. Godly men will not feare death; for the ſting of it is pluckt off by Chriſt. It is the terrour of evill conſciences, but the joy of the good. It is this pleaſant meditation that ſweetneth their adverſities and makes them joy, Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a farre more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 2 Cor. 4.17. The troubles of life are ſoone ended by death; and after death comes a life without trouble, and a glory without end. Men may deprive us of life, but they cannot deprive us of death; which is our deliverance.
The ſame meditation will make us reliſh proſperity when God ſends it; for none can enjoy the goods of this life with delight but he that is prepared before to leave them. Then are they delightfull when they are poſſeſt without care, and without, that which makes proſperity bitter, the feare to loſe them. Whether I have little or much let me allwayes ſay, Praiſed bee God for his temporal gifts. Here is more then I need to live and dye well. But theſe are not the goods that he promiſt me, and to which he calls me by by his Goſpel.
O when ſhall that day come, when I ſhall be ſatisfied with the goodneſſe of his houſe even of his holy Temple. Pſal. 65.4. My deſire is to depart and to be with Chriſt. Phil. 1.23.
The impriſonment of our immortal Soul of heavenly nature, in a body coſingerman to the beaſt, where it lyeth heavy, drowzy and mired in the fleſh, ought to make us think that a happy day, when we ſhall be awake, quickned, and ſet at liberty. Children in the womb ſleep continually: Men (if you take their whole age together) ſleep well nigh halfe their time. But after death, the ſpirit which is the true man, hath ſhaken off all his ſleepineſſe: The faithfull ſoul is no more in darkneſſe. She receives light no more at two little loope-holes. She is all eye in the preſence of God, who is all Light. She is free, holy, joyfull, all vertue, and all love, and all glory; for ſeeing God, and being ſeene by him, ſhe is changed into the ſame image; And to that bleſſed ſtate death is the way. Who ſo knoweth ſo much of the nature of death, & yet feares it as a terrible evill, ſheweth that he is very farre within another death, which is the death of ſinne, and that he hath more fleſh then ſpirit, that is, more of the beaſt then man.