Pneumatologia, a treatise of the soul of man wherein the divine original, excellent and immortal nature of the soul are opened, its love and inclination to the body, with the necessity of its separation from it, considered and improved, the existence, operations, and states of separated souls, both in Heaven and Hell, immediately after death, asserted, discussed, and variously applyed, divers knotty and difficult questions about departed souls, both philosophical, and theological, stated and determined, the invaluable preciousness of humane souls, and the various artifices of Satan (their professed enemy) to destroy them, discovered, and the great duty and interest of all men, seasonable and heartily to comply with the most great and gracious design of the Father, Son, and Spirit, for the salvation of their souls, argued and pressed / by John Flavel ...

Inference I.

MUst we put off these Tabernacles? Is death necessary and inevitable? Then 'tis our wisdom to sweeten to our selves that Cup which we must drink, and make that as pleasant to us as we can, which we know cannot be avoided. Die we must, whether we be fit or unfit, willing or unwilling: 'tis to no purpose to shrug at the name, or shrink back from the thing. In all Ages of the World death hath swept the Stage clean of one Generation, to make room for another, and so it will from Age to Age, till the Stage be taken down in the general dissolution.

But though death be inevitable by all, it is not alike evil, bitter and dreadful to all. Some tremble, others triumph at the appearance of it. Some meet it half way, receive it as a friend, and can bid it welcome, and die by consent, making that the matter of their Election, which in it self is neces∣sary and unavoidable; so did Paul, Philip. 1.23. but others are drawn or rent by plain violence from the Body, Iob 27.8. when God draws out his Soul.

That man is happy indeed, whose heart falls in with the Appointment of God, so voluntarily and freely, as that he dare not only look death in the face with confidence, but go along with it by consent of will. Remarkable to this purpose is that which the Apostle asserts of the frame of his own heart, 2 Cor. 5.8. We are confident, I say, and willing, ra∣ther to be absent from the Body, and present with the Lord. Here is both Confidence and Complacence, with respect to death. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The word signifies Courage, Fortitude, or if you will, an undaunted boldness and presence of mind, when we look the King of Terrours in the face. We dare venture upon death, we dare take it by the cold hand, and bid it welcome. We dare defie its Enmity, and deride its noxious power, 1 Cor. 15.55. O Death, where is thy sting? And that's not all, we have Complacence in it, as well as Confidence to encounter it. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. We are willing, the Translation is too flat, we are well pleased, it is a desi∣rable and grateful thing to us, to die: But yet not in an ab∣solute,

but comparative Consideration, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, we are willing rather, (i.e.) rather than not see and enjoy our Lord Jesus Christ: rather than to be here always sinning and groaning. There is no Complacency in death, in it self, it is not desirable. But if we must go through that strait gate, or not see God; we are willing rather to be absent from the Body. So that you see, death was not the matter of his submission only, he did not yield to what he could not avoid, but he ballances the evils of death, with the Priviledges it admits the Soul into, and then pronounces, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, we are content, yea, pleased to die.

We cannot live always if we would, and our hearts should be wrought to that frame, as to say, we would not live always if we could. Iob 7.16. I would not live always or long, saith he. But why should Iob deprecate that which was not attainable? I would not live alway; he needed not to trouble himself about that, it being impossible that he should; both Statute and Natural Law forbid it. Ay, but this is his sense, supposing no such Necessity as there is, if it were pure matter of Election: Upon a due ballancing of the accounts, and comparing the good and evil of death, I would not be confined always, or for any long time to the Body: It would be a bondage unsupportable to be here always.

Indeed those that have their Portion, their All, in this life, have no desire to be gone hence. They that were never changed by grace, desire no change by death; if such a Concession were made to them, as was once to an English Parliament, that they should never be dissolved, but by their own consent, when would they say as Paul, I desire to be dissolved? But it's far otherwise with them whose portion and affections are in another World, they would not live al∣ways if they might, knowing, that never to die, is never to be happy.

If you say,* 1.1 this is an excellent and most desirable temper of Soul, but how did these holy men attain it? Or what is the course we may take to get the like frame of willingness?

* 1.2They attained it, and you may attain it in such Methods as these.

• 1. They lived in the believing views of the invisible World, and so must you, if ever death be desirable in your eyes, 2 Cor. 4.18. It's said of all that died comfortably, that they died in faith, Hebr. 11.13. You will never be willing to go along with death, except you know where it will carry you.
• 2. They had assurance of Heaven, as well as Faith to dis∣cern it: Assurance is a lump of Sugar indeed in the bitter Cup of death, nothing sweetens like it. So 2 Cor. 5.1. so Iob 19.26, 27. This puts Roses into the pale Cheeks of death, and makes it amiable, 1 Cor. 15.55, 56. and Rom. 8.38, 39.
• 3. Their hearts were weaned from this World, and the inordinate affectation of a terrene life, Philip. 3.8. all was dung and dross for Christ; they trampled under foot what we hug in our Bosomes. So 'tis said, Hebr. 10.34. Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in your selves, &c. And so it must be with us if ever we obtain a Complacency in death.
• 4. They ordered their Conversations with much Inte∣grity, and so kept their Consciences pure and void of of∣fence, Acts 24.16. Herein do I exercise my self, &c. and this was their Comfort at last, 2 Cor. 1.12. This is our rejoycing, &c. So Iob 27.5. My Integrity will I not let go till I die. O this unstings death of all its terrours.
• 5. They kept their love to Christ at the height, that flame was vehement in their Souls, and made them despise the terrour, and desire the friendly assistance of death, to bring them to the sight of Jesus Christ, Philip. 1.23. so Ignatius, O how I long, &c. Thus it must be with you, if ever you make death eligible and lovely to you, which is terrible in it self. There is a loveliness in the death, as well

• as in the life of a Christian. Let me die the death of the righ∣teous, said Balaam.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Qu.
• * 1.2

  Sol.