The art of patience and balm of Gilead under all afflictions an appendix to The art of contentment / by the author of The whole duty of man.

SECT. XVI. Of Mortality.

1. THOU fearest Death: The Holiest, Wisest, and Strongest have done no less: He is King of Terrors, and must command. Thou mayst hear the Man after God's own heart say, Psal. 116.3. The sorrows of Death compassed me: And Psal. 88.3, 4, 5. My Soul is full of troubles, my life draweth nigh to the Grave: I am counted with them that go down to the Pit, as a Man that hath no strength; free among the Dead. And Good Hezekiah, upon the message of Death, Chattered like a Crane or a Swallow, and went mourning as a Dove, Isa. 38.14.

2. THOU fearest as a Man; but must strive too ver∣come as a Christian: which thou mayst perform, if from the terrible aspect of the Messenger, thou cast thine eyes upon the Amiable Face of God that sends him. Holy David shews the way, Psal. 18.5, 6. The snares of Death prevented me: In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cryed unto my God; and he heard my voice out of his Temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears: He that is our God, is the God of Salva∣tion; and unto God the Lord belong the issues of death, Psal. 68.20.

3. MAKE God thy Friend, and Death shall be an advantage, Phil. 1.21. It is true what the Wise Man said, VVisd. 1.13. Chap. 2.24. that God made not death; but through envy of the Devil death came into the VVorld: But though God made him not, he is pleas'd to employ him as his Messenger to Summon

some to Judgment, and Invite others to Glory; and those the Psalmist makes mention of, are these latter; Psal. 116.15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the Death of his Saints: And what reason hast thou to abom••nate that which God accounts precious?

4. THOU art afraid of Death: Acquaint thy self with him more, and thou wilt fear him less. Bears and Lyons, at the first sight affright us, but upon frequent viewing lose their Terror: Inure thine eyes to the sight of Death, and that Face shall not displease thee. Thou must shortly dwell with him for a long time, for the days of darkness are ma∣ny, Eccl. 11.8. but in the mean time entertain him, as the blessed Apostle doth, 1 Cor. 15.31. I protest by your rejoycing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I dye daily.

5. INVITE him to thy Board, lodge him in thy Bed, discourse him in thy Closet, and walk with him in thy Garden, as Joseph of Arimathea did; and by no means suffer him to be a stranger to thy thoughts: This familiarity shall bring thee to delight in his company whom thou didst formerly dread, then thou mayest with the blessed Apostle say, Phil. 1.23. I have a desire to be with Christ, which is far better.

6. THOU art gievously afraid of Death: Fears are apt to imagin, and aggravate evils: Even Christ himself walking upon the waters, and the Disciples trembled, as at some dreadful Apparition; perhaps thou lookst at Death as some utter abolition, or extinction of thy being; and nature must needs shrink at the thought of not being at all: This is an ill and dangerous misprision: For it is but depart∣ing, which thou call'st Death.

7. SEE how God stiles it to Abraham; Thou shalt go to thy Fathers in peace, thou shalt be buried in a good

old Age, Gen. 15.15. And Jacob, Gen. 49.33. When Jacob had ended commanding his Sons; he gather∣ed up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the Ghost, and was gathered unto his People. So that dying is going to our Fathers, and gathering to our People, with whom we shall live in a better World, and re-appear Glo••ious, Let but thy Faith represent Death to thee in this shape, and he will not appear terrible.

8. DO but observe in what familiar terms God Confer'd with Moses concerning his Death, Deut. 32.49. Get thee up into this Mountain Abarim unto Mount Nebo, which is in the Land of Moab, and be∣hold the Land of Canaan, which I gave unto the Chil∣dren of Israel for a Possession, and dye in the Mount whi∣ther thou goest up, and be gathered to thy People, as Aaron thy Brother died in Mount Hor, and was ga∣thered to his People: So it is no more, go up there and dye; should it have been go a days Journey in the Wilderness to Sacrifice, it could have been no o∣therwise expressed; or as if it were all one to go up to Sinai to meet with God, and go up to Nebo and dye. Neither is it otherwise with us; only the dif∣ference is, that Moses must first view the Land of Promise, and then dye; whereas we must first dye, and then see the Promised Land.

9. THOU art troubled with the fear of Death: What reason hast thou to be Afflicted with that which is common to Mankind? Remember the words of Joshua, Josh. 23.14. Behold this day (saith he) I am going the way of all the Earth. If all the Earth go this way, couldst thou think there is a by-path left thee to tread in, were it so that Monarchs, Princes, Patriarchs, Prophets and Apostles were allow'd any easier passage out of the World, thou mightst perhaps repine at a painful dissolution, but now since all go one way, there can be no ground for a discontented murmur.

10. GRUDGE if thou wilt, that thou art a man, but grudge not that being a man thou must dye: It is true, those whom the last day shall find alive, shall not dye, but they shall be changed; 1 Cor. 15.51, 52. but this change shall be an Annalogical Death a speedy Consumption of all our corrupt and drossy Parts; so as the pain must be the more intense, by its shortness, than in the ordinary course of death. Briefly, that change is death, and our death is a change, as Job stiles it, Job 14.14. The difference is not in the pain, but in the speed of the T••ansaction: Fear not then the sentence of Death; re∣member them that have been before thee, and that come after, for this is the sentence of the Lord over all flesh, Ecclus. 41.3.

11 THOU fearest Death: So do not Infants, Children, or Distracted Persons, as the Philosopher observes: Why should reason render us more Co∣wardly, than defect of reason doth them? Thou fearest that which others wish for: O Death, how ac∣ceptable is thy sentence to the needy, and to him whose shrength faileth, that is now in the last age, and is vex∣ed with all things, and to him that despaireth, and hath lost patience: Ecclus. 41.2. VVherefore is light given (saith Job) to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in Soul? VVhich long for hid Treasures; which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad when they can find the grave? Job 3.20, 21, 22.

12. HOW many invite the violence of Death, and if refus'd, do, as Ignatius threatned he would do to the Lyons, force his Assault? Death is the same to all: The Difference is in the Disposition of the En∣tertainers; could'st thou loost upon Death with their eyes, he would be as welcome to thee as to them: At least, why shouldst thou not labour to have thy heart so wrought upon, that this Face of Death which seems lovely and desirable to some, may not appear over-terrible to thee?

13. THOU art afraid to die: Could'st thou have been capable in the Womb, of the use of rea∣son, thou wouldst have been more afraid of coming into the World, than thou art of going out: For why should we be more afraid of the better, than of the worse? Better is the day of death, than the day of ones birth, saith the Preacher: Eccles. 7.2. better every way; our birth begins our miseries, our death ends them: The one enters the best into a wretch∣ed World, but the other enters the good into a World of Glory: Certainly, were it not for our infidelity, as we came crying into the World, so we should go rejoycing out: And as some have so∣lemnized their Birth-day with feasting and triumph, the Primitive Church hath enjoyned rejoycing up∣on the Dying day of her Martyrs and Saints.

14. THOU abhorrest Death, and fleest from it as from a Serpent: but dost thou know his sting is gone? what harm is there in a sting-less Snake? Hast thou not heard of some delicate Dames that have carried 'em in their Bosom for coolness, and pleasure of their smoothness? The sting of Death is Sin; 1 Cor. 15.56. He may hiss and wind about us, but cannot prejudice us when that Sting is out: Look up, O thou believing Soul, to thy blessed Saviour, who hath pluckt out this sting of Death, and happily tri∣umphs over it; O Death where is thy sting? O Grave where is thy Victory? 1 Cor. 15.55.

15. THY Soul and Body, old Companions are loth to part: It is but forbearing their Society a while; they but take leave of other till they meet at the Resur∣r••••••••on in the mean time they are safe, and the better 〈…〉〈…〉: It is commendable in the Jews (other∣wis•• 〈…〉〈…〉 Men) that they call their Grave 〈…〉〈…〉 th•• House of the Living; and when th••y 〈…〉〈…〉 ••urial of their Neigbours, they 〈…〉〈…〉 ••nd cast it into the Air, with those

words of the Psalmist, 72.16. They shall flourish and put forth as Grass upon the Earth.

16. DID we not believe a Resurrection of the one part, and a re-uniting of the other, we had rea∣son to be daunted with thoughts of a Dissolution: But now we have no cause to be dismayed with a little Intermission. It was the saying of a Wise Hea∣then, That Death which we so fear and flee from, doth but respite Life for a while, not take it away: The day will come which shall restore us to Light again: Settle thy Soul in this assurance, and thou canst not be discomfited with a necessary Parting.

17. THOU art afraid of Death; when thou art weary of thy days labour, art thou afraid of rest? Hear what thy Saviour, who is the Lord of Life, esteems of Death, Joh. 11.11. Our Friend La∣zarus sleepeth; and of Jarius his Daughter, Matt. 9.24. The Maid is not Dead, but Sleepeth: Neither useth the Spirit of God any other Language, con∣cerning his Servants under the Old Testament: Now shall I sleep in the Dust, saith holy Job, Job 7.21. and of David, 2. Sam. 7.12. When thy days be fulfilled, thou shalt sleep with thy Fathers; nor yet under the New: For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep, saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 11.30.

18. THE Philosophers were wont to call Sleep the Brother of Death; but God says, Death is no other than Sleep it self; a Sleep sure and sweet: When thou liest down at Night to thy Repose, thou canst not be certain to awake in the Morn∣ing, as when thou layest thy self down in Death, thou art sure to wake in the Morning of the Re∣surection. Out of this Bodily Sleep, thou may'st be startled with some noise of Horror, fearful Dreams, Tumults, or allarms of War; but here thou shalt rest quietly in the place of Silence, free

from all internal and external Disturbances, and in the mean time thy Soul shall see none but Visi∣ons of Joy and Blessedness.

19. BUT, oh the sweet and hearty expression of our last rest, and the Issue of our happy resusci∣tation, which our holy Apostle hath laid forth, for the consolation of his mournful Thessalonians, 1 Thess. 4.14. For if we believe, that Jesus died and rose again; Even so them also which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him. So that our belief is Antidote enough against the worst of Death: And why are we troubled, when we believe Jesus dyed, and what a Triumph is this over Death, that the same Jesus who dyed, rose again? And what a comfort is it, that the same Jesus who arose, shall come a∣gain and bring all his with him in Glory? And lastly, what a strong Cordial is this to all good Hearts, that all which die well, sleep in Jesus? Thou thoughtest, perhaps, of sleeping in the Bed of the Grave; and there indeed is Rest: But he tells thee of sleeping in the Bosom of Jesus; and there is Immortality and Blessedness. O blessed Jesu, in thy presence is the fulness of Joy, and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore, Psal. 16.12. Who would de∣sire to walk in the World, when he may sleep in Christ.

20. THOU fearest Death: But on what terms, doth Death present himself to thee: If as an Enemy, (as the Apostle stiles him) 1 Cor. 15.26. The last Ene∣my that shall be destroyed is Death, thy unprepared∣ness will make him dreadful; but thy readiness and fortitude takes off his terror: If as a Messenger of God he is sent to convey thee to happiness, what reason hast thou to be afraid of thine own bliss? It is one thing what Death is in himself, a privation of Life; such as nature cannot chuse but abhor: Another what he is by Christ made unto

us; and introduction to Life, and a harbinger to Glory.

21. WHY, would the Lord of Life yield unto Death, and by yielding vanquisht him; but to alter and sweeten him to us; and of a fierce Tyrant, make him a Friend and Benefactor? And if we look upon him thus changed, and reconciled. how can we chuse but bid him welcome?

22. THOU art afraid of the pangs of Death: Some have dyed without any great sense of pain: Some have yielded up their Souls without a groan: And how knowest thou, what measure God hath allotted thee? Our Death is a Sea-Voyage, (The holy Apostle, desired to lanch forth, Phil. 1.) wherein some find a rough and tempestuous passage; others calm and smooth: Such thine may prove; and so thy dissolution may be easier than a fit of sick∣ness.

23. BUT if God had determined otherwise, look unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith; (Heb. 12.2.) the Son of God, the Lord of Glory; see with what Agonies he conflicted, what torments he en∣dured for thee: Look upon his Bloody Sweat, Bleeding Temples, Furrowed Back, Nailed Hands and Feet, Rack'd Joints, and Pierc'd Side: Hear his strong Cries, consider the Shame, Pain and Curse of the Cross which he underwent for thy sake: Say whether thy sufferings can be comparable to his. He is a Cowardly and Unworthy Soldier that follows his General sighing. Behold, these are the steps where∣in thy God and Saviour hath trod before thee: Walk on couragiously in this deep and bloody way; and after a few paces thou shalt overtake him in Glory: For if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him, 2 Tim. 2.12.

24. THOU shrink'st at the thoughts of Death: Is it not for over-valuing Life, and making Earth thy

home? Rich Persons that live at ease are loth to stir abroad, especially upon hard and stormy Voyages: Perhaps 'tis so with thee; wherein I cannot but much pity thy weakness, in placing thy content∣ment, where a wiser Man could find nothing but vanity and vexation.

25. ALAS, what is our Exile, if this be our home? What entertainment to be enamour'd on? Distempered humours, hard usages, violent passions, and bodily sicknesses; sad complaints, disappoint∣ed hopes, and frequent miscarriages, Momentany Pleasures mixt with sorrows, and lastly, umbrages, of joy, and real miseries: Doth these so bewitch thee, that when Death calls, thou art ready to reply, as the Devil to our Saviour, Mat. 8.29. Art thou come to torment me before the time?

26. ARE these such contentments, as allures thee to the World, as St. Peter was to Mount Tabor, Mat. 17.4. Master, It is good for us to be here, if thou have any Faith in thee, look up to the other World, where thou art going and see whether that true Life, pure Joy, perfect Felicity, and Eternity, may not be worthy to draw thy heart to a longing desire of Fruition, and a Contempt of what the Earth can promise, in comparison of infinite blessedness.

27. IT was one of the defects which Sir Francis Bacon found in Physicians that do not study Remedies to procure the easie passage of their Patients, through the Gates of Death: Such helps I leave to the care of the skilful Sages of Na∣ture; the use I supose must be with caution, lest whilst they endeavour to sweeten Death, they shor∣ten Life.

28. BUT let me prescibe this spiritual means of thine happy Euthanasia; which is a faithful disposi∣tion of the labouring Soul, that can truly say with

Timothy, 2 Tim. 1.12. I know whom I have believed: and Chap. 4.7, 8. I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the Faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness, which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at that day.

29. THOU startest ar the mention of Death: How canst thou but blush to read of Socrates, when the Message of Death was brought him; applauded the News with much joy: Or, of a Cardinal of Rome, that re∣ceived the Intimation of his approaching Death, Cry'd out, the news is good and welcome! Is not their Confidence thy Shame; who believing that when our Earthly house of this Tabernacle shall be dis∣solved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens, 2 Cor. 5.1. yet shrinks at the motion of taking possession of it?

30. CANST thou with dying Mithridates be un∣willing to forsake this light! when thou art going to a light more Glorious than the Sun: It is our infide∣lity, that makes us unwilling to die: Did we think the Soul sleeps as well as the Body, from the mo∣ment of the dissolution, till the day of Resurrecti∣on, death might be unwelcome.

31. OR, did we think we should wander to un∣known places to uncertain entertainment; or fear a scorching Tryal upon the Emig••ation, in flames little inferiour to those of Hell, there were some cause to tremble at the approach of Death: But we can boldly say, with the Wise Man, VVisd. 3.1, 2, 3. The Souls of the Righteous are in the hands of God, and there shall no torment touch them: In the sight of the un∣wise they seem'd to die, and their departure is taken for misery, and their going from us to be utter destruction; but they are in peace.

32. OH thou of little Faith, why fearst thou? ••hide thy self, as that dying Saint of old, and say,

my Soul, go boldly forth, what art thou afraid of? Lo, the Angels are ready to receive thee, and carry thee to Glory; leave there this wretched Body, and be possess'd of Heaven: After a momentary dark∣ness upon Nature, thou shalt enjoy the Beatifical Vision of God: Be not afraid to be happy, but say in Faith what Jonah said in Anger; Jonah 4.3. It is better for me to dye than to live.

33. I am afraid to dye: This is Natures voice: But wilt thou hear what Faith saith? To me to live is Christ, and to dye is gain. If therefore Nature reigns in thee, thou must be affrighted with Death: But if true Grace be prevalent in thy Soul, that Guest shall not be unwelcome: Was ever any Man afraid of Profit and Advantage? Such is Death to the Faithful: Whosoever finds Christ his Life, shall be sure to find Death his gain, for he is thereby brought to a near Communion with him: Whereas before he enjoyed him by the dim apprehension of Faith, now he clearly and immediately enjoys that Glorious Presence, which only makes blessedness.

34. THIS is it that causeth Death to change his Copy; and renders him who is formidable, plea∣sing, and beneficial; I desire to depart, and to be with Christ, saith the Man who was rapt up in the third Heaven; had it been only departing, he had not been in such an extasie, but to depart, and to be with Christ, is that which raiseth his Soul.

35. WHEN Socrates was to dye for his Religion, he comforted himself with this, that he should go to Orpheus, Homer, Musaeus, and the other Worthies of former Ages; Poor Man! Could he have known God manifested in the flesh, and received up into Glory, 1 Tim. 3.16. and in that glorified state sitting at the right hand of Majesty; could he have known the Blessed Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim, Angels, Arch Angels, Principalities and Powers, and

the rest of the most Glorious Hierarchy of Heaven; Could he have been acquainted with that Celestial Choir of the Spirits of Just Men made Perfect: Heb. 12.23. Could he have known the God and Father of Spirits, the Infinite and Incomprehensible Glo∣rious Diety, whose Presence transfuses Everlasting Blessedness into all those Citizens of Glory, And could he have known that, he should have an un∣doubted interest in that infinite Bliss; how gladly would he have taken of his hemlock, and how joyful∣ly would he have passed to that happy World?

36. ALL this we know, and no less assured then of our present being; with what comfort should we think of changing our present Condition with a Blessed Immortality? How sweet a Song was that of old Simeon? Luke 2.29. Lord, now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace, according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation: That which he saw by the Eye of Sence, thou seest by the Eye of Faith; even the Lords Christ; verse 16. he saw him in Weakness, thou seest him in Glory; why should'st thou not depart, not in peace only, but in joy and comfort?

37. HOW did the Proto-Martyr Stephen triumph over the rage of his Enemies, and the fury of Death, when he had once seen the Heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God? Acts 7.56. God offers the same blessed prospect to the Eye of thy Soul: Faith is the Key that opens the Heav'n of Heav'ns, fix thy eyes upon that Glorious and Saving Object: Thou canst not but lay down thy Body in peace, and send thy Soul into the hands of him that bought it, with the cheerful and sweet Recommendation, of Lord Jesus receive my Spirit, Acts 7.39.

A Prayer at the Hour of Death.

O LORD GOD, Almighty, I humbly acknowledge my own vileness, through the whole course of my Life▪ And seeing thou hast thus long spared me, now ac∣complish thy Mercy in me: Be thou my God forever, and my Guide unto the end; O Comfort me, now my Heart trembleth in me, and the terrors of Death are fallen upon me, give me the long expected fruits of my hopes propos∣ed to me in thy Word: O Blessed Jesu, who art the Death of death, now shew thy self my Saviour: Take from my afflicted Soul the sting of Death, and assure me of Victory: Loose the Pains, allay the Fears and Sorrows, and Sweeten the bitterness of Death, untill in my enjoy∣ing thy Presence it be swallowed up in Victory: O Holy Saviour, who hast had Experience of all our miseries for Sin, without Sin, and hast admitted us to be Baptized into the Similitude of thy Death and Resurrection: Let me now feel in my Languishing Soul the Power and Ef∣ficacy thereof.

2. O Christ, whose Human Soul, in thy Passion for my Redeemption, was heavy unto Death, now mercifully Consider my Frailty who am now at the point of Dissolu∣tion: O now give me an Invincible Faith in thee, against which the Gates of Hell shall never prevail, now speak Peace and Comfort to my poor Soul: Thou who pouredst out thy Soul to Death for me, receive my wearied Spirit to Eternal Life: Let not this fearful passage be too bitter to me, but be thou ever present with me in all my suffer∣ings: O Holy Ghost the Comforter of all the Elect, leave me not Comfortless, let me be gathered to my Fathers in Peace: Bring me to that Life wherein thou hast promised to wipe away all Tears from our Eyes: Where shall be no more Death, Sorrow, Pain, nor any bitter Effects of Sin: Lord hear me, O thou, who despisest not a broken 〈1 page missing〉〈1 page missing〉

contrite Heart, have mercy upon me: Lord receive my Petitions; and in thy appointed hour, come Lord Jesus, my Saviour and Redeemer, deliver me from this bon∣dage of Corruption, even so come Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen.

Notes

• Advancement of Learning.
• Plato Phoedone