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Natural
death stands in the separation of the soul from the body: spiritual, of
the soul and whole man from God, in respect of grace: eternal, in respect
both of grace and glory, with the sense of the contrary evils.
"By sin, death," in all three degrees, "came into
the world." Rom. v.12. For
albeit "God only have immortality," 1 Tim. vi.16, and
unchangeableness from and in himself, and that all creatures, and so man,
with the rest, in regard of his elementary body, be subject to change,
save as they do depend upon him, that uncreated being, and are sustained
and upheld by the world of his power, Heb. 1.3, and by a continual influx
from him; yet God having engraven his image in man, did both so temper his
body, and order all creatures, under his providence, for him; as that
nothing but sin could possible impeach his life or welfare.
By his sin he actually lost spiritual life; and the right both to
temporary, and eternal. The
first death is a natural evil; the second a spiritual; the third both.
For although in regard of the universal and of God's supernatural
ends, it be better that a man be, to be continued, though in eternal
misery, than that the should cease to be altogether; yet in regard of the
person's particular, as better eye out, than ever aching; better never to
have been born, Matt. xviii.9, or by death utterly to be abolished, as the
brute beasts are, than to live, and continue always accursed and
miserable.
By natural death divers men, how like soever they have been in their
temporal state, become most unlike in their eternal: the wicked, miserable
without hope; and the godly, happy without fear; and by the same death,
both they and all other, in other things, altogether alike, how unlike
soever they have been in them formerly.
After death remains no natural or civil relation; as of father,
son, husband, wife, or the like; all these are for this life only.
The lifeless earth unto which "the body returns," Eccl.
xii.7, is altogether incapable of them: so is the soul, being a spiritual
substance, whether in heaven or hell.
With them in glory, after the end of the world, "God shall be
all in all," 1 Cor. xv.28; and men shall be like the angels, neither
taking wives, nor giving in marriage, Matt. xxii.30, nor remaining
married. Peter and Paul neither are, nor shall be apostles there;
neither is the Virgin Mary, Christ's mother there: but they only remain
those persons which sometimes, upon earth, had these states, and relations
upon them. If there be any
natural, or bodily difference after death, it is, that the bodies of the
richer stink the more by reason of their greater fullness, and abundance
whilst they lived [Ambrose]. And
for the good, and bad, which are mingled together in this life, but cannot
agree; death parts them for ever: being hastened of the Lord, that the
godly dying may no more be vexed with, or by the wicked: nor the wicked
any long persecute the godly [Austin].
If men should live always in the world, or but so long in our age,
as did the first patriarchs, to what a height would many come in worldly
happiness or misery! How
extremely rich would many be! How
many extremely poor! How
mighty and powerful some! How
dejected and depressed many more! But
the wise providence of God is to be honored herein: by which it comes to
pass, that the more men are set to drive things to extremity, the less
time should be allowed them for their courses one or other in the world.
Only man being both mortal and reasonable, can think of his death.
Not the angels; for though they can by understanding conceive of
death, yet are they by their spiritual state, set without the reach of it:
nor brute beasts, though mortal, because it is not perceived by sight or
other sense: but being a privation, to wit, of life, is only discernible
by understanding [Scaliger]. If
a beast see never so many of its own kind slaughtered before its eyes, it
fears not death, which it sees not; though it may fear the instrument
which it sees, or other terrible and sensible object.
And hence it comes to pass, that the more brutish men are, they
have the less thoughts or fear of death for the most part.
"It is appointed unto men once to die 'ordinarily;' and after this
the judgment." Heb.
ix.12. I say, as the apostle
means, ordinarily: for "some die not, but are changed only," 1
Cor. xv.51, 52: some die twice, as Lazarus and others.
This death, which will certainly once come, and with it eternal and
unchangeable happiness or misery, we should always bear in mind; as if
Philip's death's-head were set before us.
For though the thoughts of death be not sufficient to raise the
heart to heavenly things; yet are they so available to draw it from
earthly, which is first to be done, as no thing is more, than the frequent
and serious meditation thereof [Jerome].
We should think seriously of that part of our life, which remains
unfinished, that we may provide things necessary for it; and also of our
death, that we may cut off superfluities, and use that moderately, which
we must not use long.
The
saying, Nothing more certain than death, and yet nothing more uncertain
than the hour of death [Bernard], is common, and commonly abused.
The certainty of it should teach us moderation in the use of the
world and all worldly things, and that "we abuse them not, because
the fashion of this world passeth away."
1 Cor. xii.31. But
contrariwise many take hereby occasion to lay the faster hold of it,
either in the profits thereof for themselves or theirs; or pleasures,
saying "Let us eat, and drink; to-morrow we shall die."
1 Cor. xv.32. And
whereas God would have us ignorant of our last day and hour [Austin], that
suspecting it always, we might always be ready [Gregory]; we are apt, on
the contrary,
because we know not the certain time, to be the less ready at all times:
and which is worse not to take warning neither, as we ought, by any, or
all those known messengers of death; which are reckoned three: 1.
Casualty, 2. Weakness, and 3. Age: the first showing our death to be
doubtful; the second and third to be near, and at hand.
Hardly any so old, but thinks he may yet live a year; or so sick,
but that he may live a day longer [Hugo Grotius].
Not only the foolish, but even the wise virgins are too prone to
slumber, if the Bridegroom defer his coming a little.
Matt. xxv.5. Few
regard the good counsel given, to account every day the day of our death
[Perkins], and as that, wherein we are, it may be, to appear before the
Lord. Few "watch because
they know not what hour the Lord will come," as all are warned.
But "the servant that so doth, and is ready; blessed is he,
whom his Lord when he cometh, finds so doing."
Matt. xxiv.24.
Young folk may die shortly; but the aged cannot live long.
The green apple may be plucked off or shaken down, by violence; but
the ripe will fall of itself. It is wisdom therefore to provide for death in youth, there
being many more that die in youth or childhood, than that survive till old
age; but madness it is to neglect preparation, when age cometh: though in
truth few die well in age, that have not lived well in youth [Seneca].
That we may once die the great death aright and in peace; it is
requisite, that we "die daily" many little death, both by
outward afflictions and inward mortifyings of our worldly and corrupt
lusts. 1 Cor. xv.31.
We should so live, as being content to die, when God calls us hence; and
that, upon knowledge of the nature, cause and event of death, and out of a
good conscience towards God and men.
And not in senseless blockishness, overcoming death, as the most
do, by forgetting it; as if a man overcame his enemy, by getting as far
from him as he could: nor yet by desperate wearisomeness of life for any
troubles in it; but as being willing, yea desirous to live to serve God's
providence for good, upon earth. It
is ill, saith the wise heathen, to wish death; but worse to fear it
[Ibid.]. But godly Christians
are to do both in different respects.
To desire it, as it stands with God's will, that they may be free
from sin and misery; it being "best for them to be dissolved, and to
be with the Lord." Phil.
i.23. To fear it, as being in
itself a fearful punishment of sin; the dissolution of the most excellent
creature upon earth; and an end of further praising God in his church, and
performing particular offices of goodness and love to men.
And in truth, though grace have this effect with them that desire
to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, that they do not die only
patiently, but even die with delight, and live patiently [Austin]: yet
nature causeth, that not only they, that know they must die, as all do;
but they also which believe, that after death they shall enjoy a more
happy state, desire the deferring it [Ibid.]; so loath to part are the two
old acquaintances, the body and soul.
"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints,"
Psa. cxvi.15, when they die for or in faith, and a good conscience: as the
gold melting and dissolving in the furnace is as much esteemed by the
goldsmith, as any in his shop, or purse.
Precious also it is, whilst they live, and that which God will not
lightly suffer to befall them. And
if he put their tears in his bottle, he will not neglect their blood, nor
easily suffer it to be shed: neither doth death, when it comes, part him
and them; though it part man and man; yea man and wife; yea man in
himself, his soul and body. Friends
show themselves faithful in sticking to their friends in sickness, and all
other afflictions: but they, how affectionate soever, must leave them in
death: and are glad to remove them, and to have "their dead buried
out of their sight." Gen.
xxiii.4. But the fruit of God's love reacheth unto death itself: in
which he doth his beloved ones the greatest good, when friends can do no
more for them.
He that said, Before death and the funeral no man is happy, spake the
truth, as he meant, of the happiness which can be found in worldly things.
But both he and they, who have so admired his saying, should have
considered, that he who is not happy before death in worldly things,
cannot be happy in them, by it; which deprives him of them all, and of
life itself, which is better than they, and for which they are.
But miserable indeed is the happiness, whereof a man hath neither
beginning, nor certainty, but by ceasing to be a man.
The godly are truly happy both in life and death: the wicked in
neither.
We are not to mourn for the death of our Christian friends, as they which
are without hope, 1 Thess. iv.13: either in regard of them or of
ourselves. Not of them,
because such as are asleep with Jesus, God will bring with him to a more
glorious life, in which we, in our time, and theirs, shall ever remain
with the Lord, and them: not of ourselves, as if that, because they had
left us, God had left us also. But
we should take occasion by their deaths to love this world the less, out
of which they are taken; and heaven the more, whither they are gone before
us, and where we shall ever enjoy them.
Amen. |
