A practical discourse concerning death by William Sherlock ...

CHAP. II. Concerning the Certainty of our Death. (Book 2)

HAving thus shewed you under what Notions we are to consider Death, and what Wisdom we should learn from them, I proceed to the second thing, the Certainty of Death; It is appointed to men once to die: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, it remains, it is reserved, and as it were, laid up for them.

I believe no man will desire a proof of this, which he sees with his eyes; one Generation succeeds another, and those who live longest, at last yeild to the fa∣tal Stroke. There were two men in∣deed, Enoch and Elias, who did not die, as Death signifies the separation of Soul and Body, but were translated to Heaven without dying; but this is the general Law for Mankind, from which none are excepted, but those whom

God by his Soveraign Authority, and for wise Reasons thinks fit to except; which have been but two since the Creation, and will be no more till Christ comes to Judge the World: For then St. Paul tells us, those who are alive at Christ's second coming, shall not die, but shall be changed, 1 Cor. 15. 51, 52. Behold, I shew you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trum∣pet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be chang∣ed. This is such a Change as is equi∣valent to Death, it puts us in the same state with those who are dead, and at the last Judgment rise again.

SECT. I. A Vindication of the Iustice and Good∣ness of GOD, in appointing Death for all Men.

BUt before I shew you what use to make of this Consideration, that we must all certainly Die, let us exa∣mine, how Mankind comes to be Mor∣tal: This was no dispute among the

Heathens, for it was no great wonder that an earthly Body should die, and dissolve again into dust: it would be a much greater wonder to see a Body of Flesh and Blood preserved in perpetual youth and vigour, without any decays of Nature, without being sick or grow∣ing old. But this is a question among us, or if it may not be called a questi∣on, yet it is what deserves our conside∣ration, since we learn from the Histo∣ry of Moses, that as frail and brittle as these earthly Tabernacles are, yet if Man had not sinned, he had not died.

When God created Man, and placed him in Paradise, he forbad him to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil: Of every tree of the garden, thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die, 2. Gen. 16, 17. And when, notwithstanding this threatning, our first Parents had eat of it, God confirms and ratifies the Sen∣tence, Dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt return, 3. Gen. 19. What this Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was, is as great a mystery to us, as

what the Tree of Life was, for we un∣derstand neither of them; which makes some men, who would not be thought to be ignorant of any thing, to flie to Allegorical Sences: but though I would be glad to know this, if I could, yet I must be contented to leave it a Myste∣ry, as I find it. That which we are concerned in is, that this Sentence of Death and Mortality, which was pro∣nounced on Adam, fell on all his Poste∣rity: As St. Paul tells us, 1 Cor. 15. 21, 22. That by man came death, and in Adam all die. And this he does not only assert, but prove, 5. Rom. 12, 13, 14. Wherefore by man sin entred into the world, and death by sin, and so death pas∣sed upon all men, for that all have sin∣ned: for until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed, where there is no law; nevertheless death reigned from Adam till Moses, even over them who had not sinned, after the similitude of Adam's trangressions. The design of all which is to prove, that men die, or are mortal, not for their own sins, but for the sin of Adam: Which the Apostle proves by this argument, because tho' all men, as well as Adam, have sinned, yet till the giving the Law of Moses,

there was no Law, which threatned Death against Sin, but only that Law given to Adam in Paradise, which no man else ever did, or ever could trans∣gress, but he: Now sin is not imputed where there is no law; That is, it is not imputed to any man to death, be∣fore there is any Law which threatens death against it: That no man can be reckoned to die for those sins, which no Law punishes with death. Upon what account then, says the Apostle, could those men die, who lived, between Adam and Moses, before the Law was given, which threatens death? And yet die they all did, even those who had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression; who had neither eaten the forbidden Fruit, nor sinned against any other express Law threatning death: This could be for no other sin but A∣dam's; he sinned and brought Death in∣to the World, and thus Death passed up∣on all men for his sin, notwithstanding they themselves were Sinners; for tho' they were Sinners, yet that they died, was not owing to their own sins, be∣cause they had not sinned against any Law, which threatned death, but to the sin of Adam; and therefore in a proper sence, in Adam all die.

Now this is thought very hard, that the sin of Adam should bring death upon all his Posterity, that one man sinned, and all men must die; and therefore, I suppose, no man will think it improper to my present Argument, to give you such an account of this matter, as will evidently justifie the Wisdom and Good∣ness, as well as the Justice of GOD in it.

I. In the first place then I observe, that an immortal Life in this World, is not the original Right of earthly Crea∣tures, but was wholly owing to the Grace and Favour of God. I call that an original Right, which is founded in the Nature of things; for otherwise, properly speaking, no Creatures have a∣ny right either to being, or to subsi∣stance, which is a continuance in being: It is the Goodness and the Power of God, which both made the World, and upholds and sustains all things in being. And therefore Plato confesses, that the inferiour Gods, those immortal Spirits, which he thought worthy of Divine Honours, were both made by the Su∣preme God, and did subsist by his Will: for He who made all things, can annihi∣late

them again, when he pleases; and therefore their Subsistence is as much owing to the Divine Goodness, as their Creation: But yet there is a great dif∣ference between the natural gift and bounty of God, and what is superna∣tural, or above the nature of things: What God makes by nature immor∣tal, so that it has no principles of Mortality in its constitution, Immor∣tality may be said to be its natural Right, because it is by nature immor∣tal, as Spirits and the Souls of Men are: And in this case it would be thought very hard, that a whole race of immortal Beings should be made mortal for the sin of one; which would be to deprive them of their natural Right to Immortality, without their own fault. But when any Creature is immortal not by Nature, but by super∣natural Grace, God may bestow this su∣pernatural Immortality upon what con∣ditions he pleases, and take the forfeiture of it, when he sees fit; and this was the case of Man in Innocence. His Body was not by Nature immortal, for a Bo∣dy made of Dust, will naturally resolve into Dust again; and therefore without a supernatural power, an earthly Body

must die; for which reason God pro∣vided a remedy against Mortality, the Tree of Life, which he planted in Pa∣radise, and without which man could not be immortal: so that Mortality was a necessary consequence of his losing Pa∣radise, for when he was banished from the Tree of Life, he could have no Re∣medy nor Preservative against Death. Now, I suppose, no man will question, but God might very justly turn Adam out of Paradise for his disobedience, and then he must die, and all his Posterity die in him: for he being by Nature mortal, must beget mortal Children, and having forfeited the Tree of Life, he and his Posterity, who are all shut out of Paradise with him, must necessarily die: Which takes nothing from them to which any man had a right, (for no man had a natural right to Paradise, or the Tree of Life) but only leaves them to those Laws of Mortality, to which an earthly Creature is naturally subject. God had promised Paradise and the Tree of Life to no man, but to Adam him∣self, whom he created and placed in Pa∣radise; and therefore he took nothing away from any man, but from Adam, when he thrust him out of Paradise;

Children indeed must follow the condi∣tion of their Parents; had Adam preser∣ved his right to the Tree of Life, we had enjoyed it too, but he forfeiting it, we lost it in him, and in him die: We lost, I say, not any thing that we had a right to, but such a supernatural Pri∣viledge, as we might have had; had he preserved his Innocence: and this is a sufficient Vindication of the Justice of God in it. He has done us no injury; we are by nature mortal Creatures, and he leaves us in that mortal state: and to withdraw favours upon a reasonable provocation, is neither hard nor un∣just.

II. For we must consider farther, when Sin was once entred into the World, an immortal Life here became impossible, without a constant series of Miracles. Adam had sinned, and thereby corrupt∣ed his own nature, and therefore must necessarily propagate a corrupt nature to his Posterity: His earthly Passions were broke loose, he now knew good and evil, and therefore was in the hands of his own counsel, to refuse or choose the good or evil: and when the Animal Life was once awakned in him, there was no great dispute, which way his

affections would incline. To be sure it is evident enough in his Posterity, whose boisterous passions act such Tragedies in the World. Now suppose in a state of Innocence, that the Tree of Life would have preserved men immortal, when no man would injure himself, nor another; when there was no danger from wild Beasts, or an intemperate Air, or poisonous Herbs; yet, I suppose, no man will say, but that even in Paradise itself, (could we suppose any such thing) Adam might have been devoured by a Beast, or killed with a Stab at the Heart, or had there been any Poison there, it would have killed him, had he eaten or drunk it, or else he had another kind of Body in Paradise than we have now, for I am sure that these things would kill us: Consider then how impossible it is, that in this fallen and apostate State, God should preserve Man immortal with∣out working Miracles every minute: Mens passions are now very unruly, and they fall out with one another, and will kill one another, if they can; of which the World had a very early ex∣ample in Gain, who slew his Brother A∣bel; and all those Murders and bloody Wars since that day, put this matter out

of doubt: Now this can never be pre∣vented, unless God should make our Bodies invulnerable, which a body of flesh and blood cannot be without a Mi∣racle: some die by their own hands, o∣thers by wild Beasts, others by evil Ac∣cidents, and there are so many ways of destroying these brittle Bodies, that it is the greatest wonder that they last so long; and yet Adam's body in Paradise was as very Earth, and as brittle as our Bodies are; but all this had been prevent∣ed, had men continued innocent; they would not then have quarrelled or fought, they would not have died by their own hands, nor drunk themselves into a Feavour, nor over-loaded Nature with riotous Excesses; there had been no wild Beasts to devour, no infectious Air, or poisonous Herbs, and then the Tree of Life would have repaired all the decays of Nature, and preserved a perpetual Youth; but in this state we are now, the Tree of Life could not preserve us immortal; if a Sword or Poison can kill, which shews us how impossible it was, but that Sin and Death must come into the World to∣gether: Man might have been immor∣tal, had he never sinned; but brutish

and ungovern'd passions will destroy us, without a Miracle. And therefore we have no reason now to quarrel at the Divine Providence, that we are mor∣tal, for in the ordinary course of Provi∣dence, it is impossible it should be other∣wise.

III. Considering what the state of this World necessarily is, since the Fall of Man, an immortal Life here is not de∣sireable: No state ought to be immor∣tal, if it be designed as an act of favour and kindness, but what is completely happy; but this World is far enough from being such a state. Some few years give wise men enough of it, tho' they are not oppressed with any great Calamities; and there are a great ma∣ny Miseries, which nothing but Death can give relief to: This puts an end to the sorrows of the Poor, of the Oppres∣sed, of the Persecuted; it is a Haven of Rest after all the Tempests of a trouble∣some World; it knocks off the Priso∣ners Shackles, and sets him at liberty; it dries up the Tears of the Widdows and Fatherless; it cases the complaints of a hungry Belly, and naked Back; it tames the proudest Tyrants, and restores Peace to the World; it puts an end to

all our Labours, and supports men un∣der their present Adversities, especially when they have a prospect of a better life after this. The labour and the mise∣ry of Man under the Sun is very great, but it would be intolerable, were it end∣less: and therefore since Sin is entred into the World, and so many necessa∣ry miseries and calamities attend it, it is an act of Goodness, as well as Justice, in God, to shorten this miserable life, and transplant good men into a more hap∣py, as well as immortal State.

IV. Since the Fall of Man, Mortality and Death is necessary to the good Go∣vernment of the World: nothing else can give check to some mens Wicked∣ness, but either the fear of Death, or the execution of it; some men are so outragiously wicked, that nothing can put a stop to them, and prevent that mischief they do in the World, but to cut them off: This is the reason of ca∣pital punishments among men, to re∣move those out of the World, who will be a plague to Mankind, while they live in it. For this reason God destroyed the whole Race of Mankind by a De∣luge of Water, excepting Noah and his Family, because they were incurably

wicked: For this reason he sends Plagues, and Famines, and Sword, to correct the exorbitant growth of Wickedness, to les∣sen the numbers of Sinners, and to lay restraints on them: And if the World be such a Bedlam as it is, under all these re∣straints, what would it be, were it filled with immortal Sinners!

Ever since the Fall of Adam, there always was, and ever will be a mixture of good and bad men in the World: and Justice requires that God should re∣ward the Good, and punish the Wick∣ed: But that cannot be done in this World, for these present external Enjoy∣ments are not the proper Rewards of Vertue. There is no complete Happi∣ness here; man was never turned into this World, till he sinned, and was flung out of Paradise; which is an argument, that God never intended this World for a place of Reward and perfect Happi∣ness; nor is this World a proper place for the final punishment of bad Men, because good Men live among them; and without a Miracle bad Men cannot be greatly punished, but good Men must share with them; and were all bad Men punisht to their deserts, it would make this World the very Image and

Picture of Hell, which would be a ve∣ry unfit place for good Men to live and to be happy in: As much as good Men suffer from the Wicked in this World, it is much more tolerable, then to have their ears filled with the perpetual cries of such miserable Sinners, and their eyes terrified with such perpetual and ama∣zing executions: Good and bad Men must be separated, before the one can be finally rewarded, or the other punished, and such a separation as this, cannot be made in this World, but must be reserved for the next.

So that considering the fallen State of Man, it was not fitting, it was not for the good of Mankind, that they should be immortal here. Both the Wisdom, and Goodness, and Justice of God re∣quired, that Man should die, which is an abundant Justification of this divine Decree, That it is appointed for men once to die.

V. As a farther Justification of the Divine Goodness in this, we may ob∣serve, that before God pronounced that Sentence on Adam, Dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt return, he expresly promised, that the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head, 3. Gen. 15.

In his Curse upon the Serpent, who be∣guiled Eve, I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel: Which contains the promise of sending Christ into the World, who by death should de∣stroy him, who had the power of death, that is, the Devil, and deliver them, who* 1.1 through fear of death, were all their life time subject to bondage; i. e. before he denounces the Sentence of Death against Man, he promises a Saviour and Deli∣verer, who should triumph over Death, and raise our dead Bodies out of the dust, immortal and glorious. Here is a most admirable mixture of Mercy and Judgment! Man had forfeited an earth∣ly Immortality, and must die; but be∣fore God would denounce the Sentence of Death against him, he promises to raise up his dead Body again to a new and endless Life: And have we any rea∣son to complain then, that God has dealt hardly with us, in involving us in the sad consequences of Adam's Sin, and exposing us to a temporal Death, when he has promised to raise us from the Dead again, and to bestow a more glo∣rious Immortality on us, which we shall

never lose. When Man had sinned, it was necessary that he should die, because he could never be completely and per∣fectly happy in this World, as you have already heard; and the only possible way to make him happy, was to tran∣slate him into another World, and to bestow a better Immortality on him: This God has done, and that in a very stupendious way, by giving his own Son to die for us; and now we have lit∣tle reason to complain, that we all die in Adam, since we are made alive in Christ: to have died in Adam, never to have lived more, had indeed been very severe upon Mankind; but when death signifies only a necessity of going out of these Bodies, and living without them for some time, in order to re-assume them again immortal and glorious, we have no reason to think this any great hurt: Nay, indeed, if we consider things aright, the Divine Goodness has impro∣ved the Fall of Adam, to the raising of Mankind to a more happy and perfect state: for though Paradise, where God placed Adam in Innocence, was a happi∣er state of life than this World, freed from all the disorders of a mortal Bo∣dy, and from all the necessary cares and

troubles of this Life, yet you'll all grant, that Heaven is a happier place than an earthly Paradise; and therefore it is more for our happiness to be transla∣ted from Earth to Heaven, than to have lived always in an earthly Paradise: You will all grant, that the state of good men, when they go out of these Bodies, before the Resurrection, is a hap∣pier life than Paradise was, for it is to be with Christ, as St. Paul tells us, which is far better, 1. Phil. 23. And when our Bodies rise again from the Dead, you will grant, they will be more glorious Bodies than Adam's was in Innocence: For the first man was of the earth earthy, but the second man is the Lord from heaven, 1 Cor. 15. 47. Adam had an earthly mortal Body, tho' it should have been immortal by Grace; but at the Resurrection our Bodies shall be fashioned like unto Christ's most glo∣rious Body: The righteous shall shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of the Father, that as we have born the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly, 1 Cor. 15 49. So that our Redemption by Christ has infinitely the advantage of Adam's Fall, and we have no reason to complain, That by man came death, since by man also came the

resurrection of the dead. That St. Paul might well magnifie the Grace of God in our Redemption by Christ, above his Justice and Severity, in punshing A∣dam's Sin with Death, 5. Rom. 15, 16, 17. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift: For if through the offence of one many be dead; much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Iesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sin∣ned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation; but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence, death reigned by one; much more they which receive abun∣dance of grace, and of the gift of righte∣ousness, shall reign in life by one, Iesus Christ. Where the Apostle magnifies the Grace of God upon a fourfold ac∣count: 1. That Death was the just Re∣ward of Sin, it came by the offence of one, and was an act of Justice in God; whereas our Redemption by Christ is the Gift of Grace, the free Gift, which we had no just claim to. 2. That by Christ we are not only delivered from the effects of Adam's Sin, but from the guilt of our own: For though the judge∣ment was by one to condemnation; the

free gift is of many offences unto justifica∣tion. 3. That though we die in A∣dam, we are not barely made alive a∣gain in Christ, but shall reign in life by one Iesus Christ; which is a much hap∣pier Life, than what we lost in Adam. 4. That as we die by one man's offence, so we live by one too; By the righte∣ousness of one, the free gift comes upon all men unto justification of life. We have no reason to complain, that the Sin of Adam is imputed to us to Death, if the Righteousness of Christ purchase for us eternal Life. The first was a necessa∣ry consequence of Adam's losing Para∣dise; the second is wholly owing to the Grace of God.

Thus we see, what it is that makes us mortal: God did not make Death; he created us in a happy and immortal state, but by man sin entred into the world, and death by sin. What ever a∣version then we have to Death, should beget in us a greater horrour of Sin, which did not only at first make us mor∣tal, but is to this day both the cause of Death, and the Sting of it: No degree indeed of Vertue now can preserve us from dying; but yet Vertue may pro∣long

our lives, and make them happy, while sin very often hastens us to the Grave, and cuts us off in the very midst of our days. An intemperate and lustful man destroys the most vigorous constitution of Body, dies of a Feavour, or a Dropsie, of Rottenness and Con∣sumptions, others fall a Sacrifice to pri∣vate Revenge, or publick Justice, or a Divine Vengeance, for the wicked shall not live out half their days. However, setting aside some little natural aversi∣ons, which are more easily conquered, and Death were a very innocent, harm∣less, nay, desirable thing, did not Sin give a sting to it, and terrifie us with the thoughts of that Judgment, which is to follow: quarrel not then at the Divine Justice in appointing Death, God is very good, as well as just in it, but vent all your indignation against Sin; pull out this sting of Death, and then you will see nothing but smiles and charms in it, then it is nothing but putting off these mortal Bodies, to re∣assume them again with all the advan∣tages of an immortal Youth. It is cer∣tain indeed we must die, this is appoint∣ed for us, and the very certainty of our death will teach us that Wisdom which

may help us to regain a better Immor∣tality then we have lost.

SECT. II. How to improve this Consideration, that we must certainly Die.

FOr, 1. if it be certain that we must Die, this should teach us frequently to think of Death, to keep it always in our eye and view: For, why should we cast off the thoughts of that which will certainly come, especially when it is so necessary to the good government of our lives, to remember that we must die? If we must die, I think it concerns us to take care, that we may die hap∣pily, and that depends upon our living well; and nothing has such a powerful influence upon the good government of our lives, as the thoughts of Death: I have already shewed you, what Wis∣dom Death will teach us; but no man will learn this, who does not consider, what it is to die; and no man will pra∣ctise it, who does not often remember, that he must die: but he that lives un∣der a constant sence of Death, has a perpetual Antidote against the Follies

and Vanities of this World, and a per∣petual Spur to Vertue.

When such a man finds his desires af∣ter this World enlarge beyond, not one∣ly the wants, but the conveniencies of Nature, Thou Fool, says he, to himself, what is the meaning of all this? what kindles this insatiable thirst of Riches? why must there be no end of adding House to House, and Field to Field? is this World thy home, is this thy abi∣ding City? dost thou hope to take up an eternal Rest here? Vain man! thou must shortly remove thy dwelling, and then whose shall all these things be? Death will shortly close thy eyes, and then thou shalt not so much as see the God thou worshippest; the Earth shall shortly cover thee, and then thou shalt have thy mouth and belly full of clay and dust. Such thoughts as these will cool our desires to this present World; will make us contented when we have enough, and very charitable and liberal of what we can spare: For what should we do with more in this World, than will carry us thorough it? What bet∣ter and wiser use can we make of such Riches, as we cannot carry with us in∣to the other World, than to return them

thither before hand in acts of Piety and Charity, that we may receive the re∣wards and recompences of them in a better life? that we may make to our selves friends of the mammon of unrighte∣ousness, that when we fail, they may receive us into everlasting habitations.

When he finds his mind begin to swell, and to encrease as his fortune and honours do, Lord, thinks he, what a bubble is this! which every breath of Air can blow away. How vain a thing is Man in his greatest glory, who ap∣pears gay and beautiful like a Flower in the Spring, and is as soon cut down and withered! Though we should meet with no change in our fortune here, yet we shall suddenly be removed out of this World; the scene of this life will change, and there is an end of earthly Greatness. And what a con∣temptible mind is that, which is swel∣led with dying Honours, which looks big indeed, as a body does which is swel∣led out of all proportion with a Dropsy, or Timpany, but that is its Disease, not a natural Beauty. What am I better than the poorest Man, who beggs an Alms, unless I be wiser and more vertu∣ous than he? Can Lands and Houses,

great Places and Titles, things which are not ours, and which we cannot keep, make such a mighty difference between one man and another? are these the Riches, are these the Beauties and Glo∣ries of a Spirit? are we not all made of the same mould? is not God the Fa∣ther of us all? must we not all die a∣like, and lie down in the dust together? and can the different parts we act in this World, which are not so long as the Scene of a Play, compared to an eter∣nal Duration, make such a vast diffe∣rence between men? This will make men humble and modest in the highest fortune, as minding them, that when they are got to the top-round of Honour, if they keep from falling, yet they must be carried down again, and laid as low as the dust.

Thus, when he finds the Body grow∣ing upon the Mind, and intoxicating it with the love of sensual Pleasures, he remembers, that his Body must die, and all these Pleasures must die with it; that they are indeed killing Pleasures, which kill a mortal Body before its time; that it does not become a man who is but a Traveller in this World, but a Pil∣grim and a Stranger here, to study Ease,

and Softness, and Luxury; that a Soul, which must live for ever, should seek after more lasting Pleasures, which may survive the Funeral of the Body, and be a spring of ravishing Joys, when he is stript of Flesh and Blood. These are the thoughts which the consideration of Death will suggest to us, as I have al∣ready shewed you: And it is impossible for a man, who has always these thoughts at hand, to be much imposed on by the Pageantry of this World, by the transi∣ent Honours and Pleasures of it.

It is indeed, I think, a very impra∣cticable Rule, which some men give, To live always, as if we were to die the next moment. Our lives should always be as innocent, as if we were immediately to give up our accounts to God; but it is impossible to have always those sensible apprehensions of Death about us, which we have when we see it approaching: but though we cannot live as if we were immediately to die, (which would put an end not only to all innocent Mirth, but to all the necessary Business of the World, which I believe no dying man would concern himself for,) yet we may, and we ought to live as those who must certainly die, and ought to

have these thoughts continually about us, as a guard upon our actions: For whatever is of such mighty consequence to us, as Death is, if it be certain, ought always to give Laws to our Behaviour and Conversation.

2ly, If it be certain we must die, the very first thing we ought to do in this World, after we come to years of un∣derstanding, should be to prepare for Death, that whenever Death comes, we may be ready for it.

This, I confess, is not according to the way of this World; for dying is u∣sually the last thing they take care of: This is thought a little unseasonable, while men are young and healthful and vigorous; but, besides the uncertainty of our lives, and that it is possible, while we delay, Death may seize on us be∣fore we are provided for it; and then we must be miserable for ever; which I shall speak to under the next Head. I doubt not but to convince every con∣sidering man, that an early Preparation for Death is the very best means to make our lives happy in this World, while we do continue here. Nor shall I urge here, how a life of Holiness and

Vertue, which is the best and only Pre∣paration for Death, tends to make us happy in this World, delivers us from all those Mischiefs which the wildness and giddiness of Youth, and the more confirmed debaucheries of riper Years expose Men too; for this is properly the commendation of Vertue, not of an early Preparation for Death: And yet this is really a great engagement and motive to prepare betimes for Death, since such a Preparation for Death will put us to no greater hardships and in∣conveniencies, than the practice of such Vertues as will prolong our lives, pre∣serve or increase our fortunes, give us honour and reputation in the World, and makes us beloved both by God and men. But setting aside these things, there are two advantages of an early Preparation for Death, which contribute more to our Happiness, than all the World besides, 1. That it betimes deli∣vers us from the fears of Death, and consequently from most other fears. 2ly, That it supports us under all the troubles and calamities of this life.

1. It betimes delivers us from the sears of Death; and indeed it is then only a man begins to live, when he is

got above the fears of Death. Were men thoughtful and considerate, Death would hang over them in all their Mirth and Jollity, like a fatal Sword by a single Hair; it would sowre all their Enjoyments, and strike terror into their hearts and looks: But the security of most men is, that they put off the thoughts of Death, as they do their preparation for it: they live secure and free from danger, onely because they will not open their eyes to see it. But these are such examples as no wise man will propose to himself, because they are not safe: and there are so many oc∣casions to put these men in mind of Death, that it is a very hard thing not to think of it, and when ever they do, it chills their Blood and Spirits, and draws a black and melancholly Veil over all the Glories in the World. How are such men surprized, when any danger approaches? when Death comes within view, and shews his Sithe, and only some few sands at the bottom of the Glass? This is a very frightful sight to men who are not prepared to die; and yet should they give themselves liberty to think, in what danger they live eve∣ry minute, how many thousand accidents

may cut them off, which they can nei∣ther foresee nor prevent; fear, and hor∣ror, and consternation would be their constant entertainment, till they could think of Death without fear; till they were reconciled to the thoughts of dy∣ing, by great and certain hopes of a bet∣ter life after death.

So that no man can live happily, if he lives like a man, with his thoughts, and reason, and consideration about him, but he who takes care betimes to pre∣pare for Death and another World: Till this be done, a wise man will see him∣self always in danger, and then he must always fear: but he is a happy man who knows and considers himself to be mortal, and is not afraid to die: his pleasures and enjoyments are sincere and unmixt, never disturbed with a Hand writing upon the Wall, nor with some secret qualms and misgivings of mind; he is not terrified with present dangers, at least not amazed and distracted with them. A man who is delivered from the fears of Death, fears nothing else in excess, but God: and fear is so troublesome a passion, that nothing is more for the happiness of our lives, than to be delivered from it.

2. As a consequent of this, an early Preparation for Death will support men under all the troubles and calamities of this life: There are so many troubles, that Mankind are exposed to in this World, that no man must expect to e∣scape them all; nay, there are a great many troubles, which are unsupportable to humane Nature, which there can be no releif for in this World: The hopes and expectations of a better life, are, in most cases, the safest retreat: a man may bear his present sufferings with some courage, when he knows that he shall quickly see an end of them, that Death will put an end to them, and place him out of their reach: For there the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary be at rest; there the pri∣soners rest together, they hear not the voice of the oppressor; the small and great are there, and the servant is free from his master, 3. Job 17, 18, 19.

So that in many cases the thoughts and expectations of Death is the only thing, that can support us under present sufferings; but while the thoughts of Death itself are terrible to us, this will be a poor comfort: Men who are un∣der the sence of guilt, are more afraid

of Death, than they are of all the Evils of this World: Whatever their present sufferings are, they are not so terrible as lakes of fire and brimstone, the worm that never dieth, and the fire that never go∣eth out: So that such men, while they are under the fears and terrors of Death, have nothing to support them under present miseries. The next World, which Death puts us into the possession of, is a very delightful prospect to good men; there they see the rewards of their la∣bour and sufferings, of their faith and patience: They can suffer shame and re∣proach, and take joyfully the spoiling of their goods; since these light afflictions, which are but for a season, will work for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. But men who are not prepared to die, while they are afraid of Death, can find no relief in the thoughts of it, and therefore want the greatest support that we can have in this life a∣gainst the sufferings of it: The sooner we prepare to die, the sooner we are delivered from the fears of Death, and then the hope of a better life will carry us chearfully through this World what∣ever storms we meet with.

3ly, Since we must certainly die, it makes it extreamly reasonable to sacri∣fice our lives to God, whenever he calls for them; that is, rather to chuse to die a little before our time, then to re∣nounce God, or to give his Worship to Idols, or any created Beings, or to cor∣rupt the Faith and Religion of Christ: There are arguments indeed enough to encourage Christians to Martyrdom, when God calls them to suffer for his sake: the love of Christ in dying for us, is a sufficient reason why we should chearfully die for him; and the great rewards of Martyrdom, that glorious Crown which is reserved for such Con∣querors, made the Primitive Christians ambitious of it: It is certain there is no hurt in it, nay, that it is a peculiar fa∣vour to die for Christ, because those persons who were most dear to him were crowned with Martyrdom; but our present argument shews us, at what an easie rate we may purchase so glo∣rious a Crown; for we part with no∣thing for it: We die for God, and we must die whether we die Martyrs or not: and what man then, who knows he must die, and believes the rewards

of Martyrdom, can think it so terrible to die a Martyr? No good Christian can think that he loses any thing by the bargain, to exchange this life for a better: for as many years as he goes sooner out of this World, then he should have done by the course of Nature, so many years he gets sooner to Heaven; and I suppose that is no great loss: It is indeed a noble expression of our love to God, and our entire obedience and subjection to him, and of a perfect trust in him, to part with our lives for his sake; but what can a man, who knows he must die, do less for God then this, to part with a life, which he cannot keep, willingly to lay down a life for God, which would shortly be taken from him, whether he will or not.

4ly, This shews us also, what little reason we have to be afraid of the pow∣er of Men; the utmost they can do, is to kill the Body; a mortal Body which will die whether they kill it or not: which is no mighty argument of pow∣er, no more than it is to break a brit∣tle Glass; nor any great hurt to us, no more than it is to die, which we are all born to, and which is no injury to a

good man: and therefore our Saviour's counsel is very reasonable, 12. Luke 4, 5. Be not afraid of them who kill the bo∣dy, and after that have no more that they can do: but I will forewarn you, whom you shall fear, Fear him, which af∣ter he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, fear him.

This is very reasonable, when the fear of God and men is opposed to each o∣ther, which is the only case our Savi∣our supposes. No man ought foolishly to fling away his life, nor to provoke and affront Princes, who have the pow∣er of Life and Death: this is not to die like a Martyr, but like a Fool, or a Re∣bel. But when a Prince threatens Death, and God threatens Damnation, then our Saviour's counsel takes place, not to fear men but God: for indeed God's power in this is equal to mens at least; men can kill, for men are mortal, and may be killed; and this is only for a mortal Creature to die a little out of order: but God can kill too; and thus far the case is the same. It is true, most men are of the mind, in such a case, rather to trust God then men, be∣cause he does not always punish in this

World, nor execute a speedy vengeance. And yet when our Saviour takes no∣tice, that God kills as well as men, it seems to intimate to us, that such A∣postates, who rather chuse to provoke God then men, may meet with their deserts in this World: for no man is secure, that God will not punish him in this World; and Apostates of all others, have least reason to expect it. Those who renounce God, for fear of men, are the fittest persons to be examples of a sudden Vengeance. But then when men have killed, they can do no more, they cannot kill the Soul; and here the pow∣er of God and men is very unequal, for when he has killed, he can cast both Body and Soul into Hell fire: This is a very formidable power indeed, and we have reason to fear him; but the power of men, who can only kill a mor∣tal Body, is not very terrible; it ought not to fright us into any sin, which will make us obnoxious to that more terrible Power, which can destroy the Soul.

Notes

• * 1.1

  2. Heb. 14, 15.