A Little Cabinet, Section 46 – Section 47
Of the Miſeries attending both body and ſoul in the hour of death, if they ſee not their intereſt in Chriſt.
DEath in the Scripture is called the King of terrors, and the fear of death makes many ſubject to bondage all their life, for death is a meſſenger that hath ſomething to ſay to every man, and he often ſpeaks to all, that would fain be heard, but moſt men are not at leiſure to hear what he hath to ſay, no, not till old age, nor then neither; well, after all the forementioned troubles, in comes death, and looks the old man grim and black in the face, and neither pittieth his age, nor regardeth his long endured Dolours, but battereth all the principal parts of his body, and arreſteth him to appear before the great judge of Heaven and Earth, at the bar of his Juſtice; then the old man fals into a cold ſweat over all his body, and a trembling in all his members; the head aketh, the face waxeth pale, the noſe black, the eye-ſtrings break, the tongue faltereth, the throat rotleth: whilſt he is thus ſummoned to appear at the great aſſize of Gods court, behold a quarter Seſſions, and goal Delivery is held within him; where reaſon ſits as Judge, and his conſcience being now awakened, puts in a bill of Inditement; wherein is alleadged, all the evil deeds that ever thou haſt committed, and the good deeds that ever thou haſt omitted, and all the curſes, and Judgements that are due to every ſin: Never ſuch a bill put up againſt the greateſt Traitor in any court of men; thou muſt hold up thy hand at the bar, for all the ſins that ever thou didſt commit in the whole courſe of thy life; the bill of Indictment it ſelf runs thus.
1. Thou art accuſed for many ſins of omiſſion, in leaving undone many good things, that God in his word required of thee.
2. For ſpoiling all the good things that ever thou didſtin thy life, by mixing the poyſon of thy own corruption with them.
3. For ſinning in ſecret, as if God had not ſeen it, becauſe men do not; and hereby denying, as it were, Gods Omnipotency.
4. For preſuming ſometimes to ſin openly to the Diſhonouring of the God of Glory, before all the world.
5. For ſinning againſt all ſorts of men, againſt thy Parents in thy youth, thine equals in thy manly age, thine inferiours in thy old Age.
6. For ſinning againſt God himſelf immediately, by abuſing his Name and Ordinances.
7. For ſinning againſt mens Souls, Lives, Goods, Chaſtity, good Name, and all that was near and dear to them.
8. For ſinning againſt thy own ſoul, and all the good things God hath given thee, by intemperance, and otherwiſe.
9. For ſinning againſt Gods holy Ordinances, in neglecting or abuſing them.
10. For ſinning againſt Gods Mercies, abuſing Health, Wealth, and Liberty, and Parts, and Gifts.
11. For ſinning againſt Gods Judgements, as if thou caredſt not for his pleaſure, nor fearedſt his diſpleaſure.
12. For ſinning againſt the checks of thy own conſcience, that often forbad thee to ſin, but could not be heard.
13. For ſinning againſt the motions of Gods ſpirit, and ſo putting the Lord upon complaning, and Chriſt upon bleeding, and the Spirit upon grieving.
14. For drawing others to ſin, by thy bad examples and counſels.
15. For incouraging them in their ſins, by approving of them.
16. For not reproving them for ſin, as if thou waſt afraid to ſpeak for God, againſt thoſe that diſhonour him.
17. For not puniſhing ſin, where thou hadſt power and authority, and waſt required to do it.
18. For a world of precious time, that thou haſt miſpent in the world.
19. For a multitude of unknown ſins, that thou hadſt totally forgotten, committed in the child-hood, youth and man-hood; all thy omiſsions and commiſsions will then come into thy mind, and if thou wouldeſt, thou canſt not put them out; I know of two precious Chriſtians, being a long time weak, and like to dye, that did witneſs to this truth; all the ſins of their youth that they had forgotten, came in remembrance as freſh as if but now committed.
20. And laſtly, there comes in a long bill, that thou never dreamedſt of, much leſs, couldeſt repent of; ignorance will be no plea in this court, God will ſay, thou oughteſt and mighteſt have known al theſe things to be ſinful, out of the holy Scripture; and therefore art utterly unexcuſable. Oh conſider, if ever any bill were like to this, and bring it home to your own conſciences, for it is your own caſe; it is true, that in all courts of Juſtice, exception againſt witneſſes is allowed, but thou canſt except againſt none of theſe, except it be the Devil, who bears malice to thee; yet malice is a good informer, though a bad Judge; but to caſhier his teſtimony, what canſt thou ſay againſt thy partners in ſin? do not they know all thy waies? what canſt thou ſay againſt good men, that with grief beheld thy ſinfull courſes? what againſt good Angels, that will not belie thee? what canſt thou ſay againſt thy own conſcience? what canſt thou ſay againſt the moſt true and knowing God, that cannot lie?
And whilſt thy ſoul is thus within, out of peace and order; thy wife, children and friends trouble thee as faſt, to have thee put thy goods in order, ſome crying, ſome craving, ſome pittying, ſome chearing well; In this extremity, the ſoul looks every way for help, and ſhe finds her ſelf every way helpleſs: I ſhall here acquaint the Reader, of a paſſage that I read at leaſt twenty years ago; which God made of great uſe to me, viz. The ſoul being in this miſery, deſires to hear the leaſt word of Comfort; ſhe directs this or the like ſpeech to the Eyes: Oh Eyes, who in times paſt were ſo quick ſighted, can you ſpie no comfort? not any way how I might eſcape this dreadful danger? Alas, the eyeſtrings are broken, they cannot ſee the candle that burneth, nor diſcern whether it be day or night.
The ſoul finding no comfort in the eyes, ſpeaks to the ears; Oh Ears, who were willing and wont to recreate me with hearing new pleaſant diſcourſes, and muſick, can ye hear the tidings of the leaſt comfort for me? but the ears are either ſo deaf, that they cannot hear at all; of the ſenſe of hearing is grown ſo weak, that it cannot endure to hear his deareſt friends to ſpeak; So the ear cannot miniſter any comfort: Then ſhe intimates her grief unto her Tongue; Oh Tongue, who was wont to bring it out with the braveſt, where are now thy big and daring words, now in my greateſt need? canit thou ſpeak nothing in my defence? canſt thou neither daunt theſe enemies with threatning words, nor intreat them with fair ſpeeches? But alas, the tongue cannot in his greateſt extremity, ſo much as call for a little drink, or deſire a friend to take away with his finger the flegm that is ready to choak him. Finding here no hope of help, ſhe ſpeaks to the feet, where are ye oh feet, which ſometimes were ſo nimble, in running and carrying of me from place to place; can ye carry me now no where, out of this dangerous place? But alas, the Feet are as it were dead already; if they be not ſtirred, they cannot ſtir. Then ſhe directs her ſpeech unto her hands; Oh hands, who have been ſo often approved for Manhood, in Peace and War, wherewith I have ſo often defended my ſelf, and offended my Foes; never had I more need then now; Help now, or I periſh for ever: But alas, the Hands are ſo weak, and do ſo tremble, that they cannot reach to the mouth a ſpoonfull of ſupping to relieve languiſhing Nature.
Whilſt The poor man lyeth in this miſery, in comes all his wealth to give her maſter a viſit; and in effect ſaith this to him: Thus far have I gone with thee, but farther I will not, I have nothing to do in another world: Now therefore maſter ſhift for your ſelf; I will go ſeek me a new Maſter: Nay, ſaith his Maſter, I hope thou wilt not ſerve me ſo, now I have moſt need of thee; many a nights reſt have I broken for thee.
Wealth. The more fool thou Maſter, who bid thee do ſo, not God I am ſure, but the Prince of the air, the God of this world. And therefore now to him thou muſt go or whither thou doſt go I know not, nor care not; but farther to go with thee, I will not; for I will ſeek me a new Maſter.
Maſter. Nay Wealth I pray thee ſay not ſo, that goeth to my very heart, go anſwer for me, or at leaſt ſpeak a good word for me.
Wealth. Not I; nay, I am ſure you ſhall anſwer for me and your ſelf too; and to tell you the truth, I doubt the place is too hot for me where thou art going; Look, Look, here comes death; quivering in your lips, quaking in your joynts, ſtaring in your eyes; I cannot endure the ſight of him: oh draw the curtain, ſhift fot thy ſelf Maſter, and I will ſhift for one.
Maſter. Oh baſe vagrant, have I thus entertained thee like a Prince for this? Oh all ye people of the world, be warned by me, a dying man: Lay up Treaſure in Heaven, improve thy Talent, redeem thy Time, and give Diligence to make thy Calling and Election ſure: Oh how ſuddenly hath death ſtollen upon me, like the Sun, which the eye perceives not to move, though it be moſt ſwift of motion. The God of Mercy hath utterly forſaken me, and the Devil who knows no mercy waites for me; my joyes in this life were gone before I could ſcarce enjoy them; my miſeries are eternal, and never ſhall know end: Oh that I had ſpent the hours that I conſumed in carding, dicing and other exerciſes, in reading the Scriptures, in hearing Sermons, and meditating thereon; in conferring with the Lords people, in weeping for my ſins, in faſting, watching and praying, and beliveing; that I might have now departed in the aſſured hope of everlaſting ſalvation: Oh that I were now to begin my life again, how religious and purely would I lead my life! But now my glaſs is out, the Sun is ſet, the golden Scepter is taken in, once I had a reconcileable God, bowels of Mercy were not totally reſtrained, but Repentance might have enlarged them: The treaſury door of Mercy and Grace was not lockt up, but Faith could have opened it, and the hour of Grace might have procured the oyl of Gladneſs; and there was ſtill a blank in the leaf, for the ſinners name to be put in upon coverſion, but now every door of hope is ſhut and lockt up, and now is my caſe more miſerable then the beaſt that periſheth in the ditch; for I muſt go to anſwer before the Judgement ſeat of the Righteous judge of heaven and earth, where I ſhall have none to ſpeak for me, and I cannot excuſe my ſelf; my own heart already condemns me, I muſt needs therefore be condemned before his Judgement ſeat: me thinks I hear that doleful ſentence, Mat. 25. 41. Depart from me ye curſed into everlaſting fire, prepared for the devil and his Angels: If I ſhould ſay Lord, If I muſt depart from thy bleſſed preſence, then bleſ me before I go; Then he will anſwer me as in the text, Depart ye curſed; Lord if I muſt depart, and depart without a bleſſing, and with a curſe; let me go into ſome good place: no ſaith the Lord in the ſame text, Depart ye curſed into Hell fire; but Lord if I muſt depart, and depart curſed, and be caſt into Hell fire; Let me ſtay but a little while there: then the Lord will anſwer as in the ſame text, Depart ye curſed into everlaſting fire: But Lord ſaith the damned ſoul, if I muſt depart, and depart curſed into everlaſting fire: Let me have good company there; no ſaith the Lord, Depart into everlaſting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels, Theſe ſhall be thy companions: Oh horror to to think! Oh grief to conſider! Oh curſed be the day wherein I was born, curſed be the man that ſhewed my Father, ſaying, a child is born unto thee. Curſed be the man, becauſe he ſhew me not Oh that my mother might have been my grave: How is it that I came forth of the womb, to endure theſe helliſh Sorrows, and that my daies ſhould thus end with eternal ſhame!
And thus he who made earth his Paradiſe; his belly his God; his luſt, his Law; and ſo ſowed vanity, now he reapeth miſery: in his proſperity he neglected to ſerve God, in his adverſity God refuſeth to ſave him: and the Devil whom he ſerved now, at at laſt pays him his wages; thus far of the miſeries of the ſoul and body in Death, which is but curſedneſs in part.
Of the ſad Condition and Miſery of all out of Chriſt after death.
ANd here I ſhall not ſay much, but only give the Reader a taſt of that ſtate, and then ſpeak at large to this thing, towards the cloſe of this book, when we ſpeak of the laſt Judgment and end of all things. Now the miſery of the ſoul after death, is either particular or general: particular is that which liteth upon the ſoul immediately, as ſoon as ſhe is ſeparated from the body, ſhe is ſaid to ſtand before the throne of God, and ſo forthwith ſhe is carried by the evil Angels with violence into hell, where ſhe is kept as in a priſon, in everlaſting pains and chains, under darkneſs unto the Judgement of the great day: but not in that extremity of Torments which ſhe ſhal receive at the laſt day; there thy laſcivious eyes ſhall be afflicted with ſights of ghoſtly ſpirits: Thy curious ears ſhall be affrighted with hinous noyſe of howling Devils, and the gnaſhing teeth of damned Reprobates: thy dainty noſe ſhall be cloyed with noyſom ſtench, thy delicate taſte ſhall be pined with intolerable hunger, and thy drunken throat ſhall be parched with nnquenchable thirſt, thy mind ſhall be tormented to think how fooliſhly thou haſt loſt heaven, and gotten helliſh pains for momentary riches; thou haſt loſt the eternal treaſure, and changed heavens felicity for hells fury; where thou ſhalt have puniſhment without pitty, miſery without mercy, ſorrow without ſuccour, crying without comfort, miſchief without meaſure, torment without eaſe, where the worm dyeth not, and the fire is never quenched, where the wrath of God ſhall fall upon the ſoul and body, as the flame of fire doth on the Lump of pitch or brimſtone, in which flame thou ſhalt ever be burning, and never conſumed: ever dying, and never dead; ever roaring in the pangs of death, and never rid of thoſe pangs: this is the ſecond death, which every damned Reprobate muſt ſuffer, ſo long as God and his Saints ſhall enjoy bliſs and felicity in Heaven for evermore. Hitherto of the miſery of man in the ſtate of corruption: now followeth the means that every one ſhould uſe to eſcape this ſad condition; that they may not go out as the ſnuff of a candle, but lay down their lives in peace; in aſſurance, or at leaſt ſome hope of their ſalvation.