make Christs fear of death only natural and say therefore he was more sadly affected with it than any of the Prophets or Martyrs because of the exquisite and tender constitution of his body do greatly derogate from that work of mediation for us and satisfaction which was done by his blood to the justice of God From these examples you see that though grace can subdue sinne conquer lusts overcome the Devil yet it cannot totally take away the anxiety and fear of death which is altogether natural though the sinfulness of it may be mortified But to this it may be objected How could Paul be so sollicitous about death when Phil. 1. 23. he saith He had a desire to depart and to be with Christ Yea he did not know what to choose whether life or death He was in a straight betwixt two a desire to be with Christ and a desire to live that he might be serviceable to the Church That this may be answered it is good to take more exact notice of that place for it is an admirable demonstration of the gracious frame of Paul's heart lest the Philippians should think that he desired their prayers for himself now in bonds for the Gospel as being too inordinately affected to the desire of life he sheweth what a blessed frame of heart he had obtained unto even that if it were put to his choice whether he should live or die he should be straightned what to do The desire to be with Christ on one side did so affect him and the desire of the Churches good by his labours on the other side did so much work upon him where we may observe that his desire to depart was not because he had troubles and calamities here it was not because of the miseries and afflictions he met with but want of love to Christ That I may be with Christ saith he he doth not say that I may have glory that I may reign in Heaven but be with Christ Christs presence maketh Heaven to be Heaven Though Paul in this life was in Christ yet he was not with Christ Further he doth not say meerly I desire but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Having a desire it was a constant setled permanent desire in him and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cut the rope as it were and to set fail to Heaven to return to him from whom he had his spiritual being The Apostle then did not only desire to be with Christ but he judged it the farre better condition for him Therefore we must distinguish of a two-fold desire there is a Natural Desire and an Elicite Desire A Natural Desire is that which floweth from the meer principles of Nature desiring to preserve it self and this Paul could not but have as he was a man Even as our Saviour told Peter He should be bound and should be carried whether he would not Joh. 21. 18. that is according to his natural will otherwise according to his will as sanctified did with readiness and joy go to the place of his Martyrdom An Elicite Desire is that which a man putteth forth according to the principles of reason and grace so that we may desire one thing with a natural desire another thing with an elicite A man that hath a putrified arm doth with a natural desire will to continue his arm still in his body but with an elicite desire following reason so he willeth to cut it off And thus Paul did with an elicite desire so he willed Heaven and being with Christ rather than to continue in the flesh To amplifie this Consider First That death is not according to mans creation at first he was not made mortal or corruptible But as the sentence of God doth witness In the day Adam did eat of the forbidden fruit he fell into a dying condition It is true The Question is of a large dispute Whether Adam was made immortal or no The Papists say he was made mortal and the Socinians they do more frowardly oppose this truth affirming Adam would have died though there had not been any eating of the forbidden fruit So that with them actual death was necessary before Adams sinne only it became a punishment after But Rom. 5. the Apostle at large sheweth That by one mans sinne death came into the world And Rom. 6. 23. The wages of sinne is death Death then being wholly against the natural institution At first Adam had an implanted love of his life in him And although his estate was so blessed that there could not be place for any fear yet had he been capable of losing his life his love to it would have made him afraid of being deprived of it This then is the great mystery that the natural wise men of the world were ignorant of Death they would not deny they called it The tribute of Nature which all must pay only they did not know the cause of it they understood not how it came to seâ—se upon all mankind Secondly Seeing that death is thus connatural and the effect of sinne and the Devil Hence it is that which maketh Death farre more terrible than otherwise it would be is sinne Whatsoever bitterness and gall is in death it doth chiefly come from sinne 1 Cor. 15. 56. The sting of death is sinne So many sinnes as thou committest thou puttest so many stings into death to make it more dreadfull Could a man die and have not any sinne laid to his charge though it would be pain yet it would not be terrour When Aristotle calleth death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The terrible of terribles He speaketh of death as now it is Now in death as ordinarily men die there is not a bare apprehension of the dissolution of soul and body but there is the guilt of sinne likewise interposing whereby a dying man is usually terrified with the thoughts of what he hath done and in Christians what will become of them when they are dead Animula blandula quae nunc abibis in loca Die I dare not live I cannot and thus his soul is miserably in agonies and grievous tormenting fears and all because sinne is the sting of death Oh it were easie to die were it not for sinne for hell for judgement were it not for conscience accusing and condemning But this is it which maketh the thoughts of it so grievous and terrible Therefore in the third place The Lord Christ came into the world to destroy and remove this sting of death To change the nature of death that it should not be matter of terror but of joy and comfort being like Joseph's Chariot to carry us to the place of our hope and desire Thus we have the Apostle insulting over death 1 Cor. 15. 54 55. Death is swallowed up in victory Death doth not swallow the godly man but he doth swallow that up O death where is thy sting Thanks be to God which giveth us victory by our Lord Jesus Christ Were it not then for
Christ what would become of a poor humbled sinner What terrour would compasse him about This powerfull effect of Christs death for death overcometh death is notably spoken of Heb. 2. 14. That through death he might deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage A learned man Cocceius understands this of the Jewes especially who because of those many Ceremonial Lawes they were in bondage to were in continual fear of death because the transgressing of many of those Lawes God made capital they were to die for it hence they could not be but in constant fear of death But it seemeth more genuine to interpret more largely as an effect of Christs death to believing Gentiles as well as to the Jewes It is from Christ only that the terrible thoughts of death can be mitigated otherwise to a man not in Christ it is the beginning of hell But in the fourth place Though to the godly thus death is changed in its Nature The Serpent hath its sting taken out Moses need not runne from it it is only turned into a rod of a fatherly chastisement yet Nature cannot but tremble at the approaches of it The heart of that man who is most heavenly though he would gladly be in Canaan yet he is not willing to passe through this wildernesse to it he would be cloathed with immortality but is unwilling to put off this garment of the body We would be happy but we would not die As children cry for a new garment to have it on and yet cry while it is putting on so greatly is the love of life and the fear of death engraffed in the very heart of a man And so farre as this fear of death is only natural not immoderate it is of great use For First Hereby men do more patiently abide under their afflictions As long as it is not death they do the more willingly bear it Lament 3. 39. Wherefore doth a living man complain If a man be greatly punished for his sinnes yet if God keep him alive he hath cause to be more patient Thus Satan thought Job 2. 4. Skinne for skinne and all that a man hath he will give for life Therefore he would have Job tryed in that Fear then of death is a mercy because hereby men may the more readily sit down under other afflictions that are not so bad as death When therefore men come to such high discontents as Ahitophel because his counsel was neglected or such despairing terrours of conscience as Judas did that they choose to die yea to make away them selves This as it is an heavy temptation and desertion from God so it argueth that by the fear of death men do patiently abide under their distresses but when they care not for this they voluntarily throw themselves into the flame of hell Secondly The natural fear of death is of great use in this respect That it doth keep men from the committing of many sinnes which otherwise they would securely offend in Hence God appointed in the Law the punishment of death for many sinnes And Rom. 13. the Apostle biddeth him that doth evil be afraid of the powers Because they bear not the sword in vain It is therefore the fear of death that maketh men keep within bounds of righteousnesse and honesty It is not the fear of God nor the fear of hell nor the fear of sinne it self but a bodily corporal death that restraineth men from sinne So that if men come to that height of obstinacy as not to fear death they are prepared for any impiety Vitam qui contempsit suam tuae Dominus est When the Devil would perswade Eve to sinne he telleth her She shall not die he giveth her hopes of life Thirdly The natural fear of death is thus farre advantagious That it maketh a man more thankefull for the mercies of his life for his food and raiment which go to the preservation of his life Therefore a godly man doth make advantage of this fear of death to stirre up himself to all thankfulnesse to look up unto God as knowing That in him onely we live move and have our being It is also from this fear of death that the godly are more quickned to improve the day of grace to be working while it is called to day Those that had made a Couenant with death they grew desperate Let us eat and drinke for to morrow we shall die whereas rather to have concluded Let us pray mourn rnd repent lest to morrow we die If therefore the godly are at any time greatly dejected with the fear of death the thoughts of it are a great temptation they sadly complain that they cannot conquer those slavish thoughts the memory of death is bitter to them they cannot take any joy when they think of it Let them among other things remember to turne this water into wine by faith Let them make an advantage of this natural infirmity Doest thou fear to die Then be more thankfull to God for the dayes and years he hath given thee in this world Doest thou fear to die Oh then be fruitfull live holily make a good use of thy health that so when death shall come it may be only death thou shalt grapple with not death and sin also death and the anger of God with it Death enough is terrible do not thou make it fuller of horrour Fifthly This natural fear of death is very difficultly kept from being a sinfull fear It is very hard to regulate and order it aright so that in some respect or other it doth not go beyond its bounds It 's hard so to fear and not to over-fear Even the most godly have found this fear of death to be a great snare to them They have not done the good they should have done because of this fear They have gone against conscience wounded their spirits because of fear Abraham though he was the Father of the faithfull yet did use sinfull equivocation with Abimelech about Sarah from which many sad evils might have been committed and all was this sinfull fear of death Though a godly man be allowed to have a natural fear of death yet he must take heed of a sinfull fear This hath brought many into such grievous sinnes that the fear of their consciences about Gods anger about hell and damnation have quite swallowed up the fears of death at last the greater fear hath devoured the lesse To whom are woes and wounds of conscience by apostasie and forsaking of Christ but to those who have too excessively been afraid of death As we see in Peter and many others Our next work therefore is to shew when the natural fear of death goeth beyond its bounds and becometh sinfull SERM. LXV Of the natural and sinfull fear of Death How to discern between them and from whence the sinfulness of that fear proceedeth 2 COâ— 1. 8. So that we despaired even of life THis last aggravating
God may forsake gradually that thereby he may not forsake totally and finally Such desertions that are for a season are sometimes mercies and very usefull being a substraction of grace in order to fill us with more grace And the end of such providential administrations is to convince us fully of this truth that we do not settle our selves but it is God that doth it for us Lastly This truth may be demonstrated from the nature of that grace which is habitual and permanent in us For though that there be in us as a principle qualifying of us to work holy things with delight joy and content yet it cannot put us upon working without a further actual efficacious work of grace upon our souls which you heard the Apostle calleth Working in us both to will and to do Phil. 2. 13. So that although there be never so much grace planted in us yet that lieth asleep as it were and worketh not till this efficacious grace actuate it and put it into motion neither ought this to be any wonder to us For we see in natural causes it is not enough to have a principle of life unless God also enable us to move For in him we live and move and have our being much more then must this be in supernatural things where the Actus primus and secundus is of God Not but that in the progresse of grace we act and move but Acti agimus moti movemus It is the grace of God that doth efficaciously incline the sanctified will to spiritual operation then the North-wind and the South doe as it were blow upon the spiccs that they may send forth their fragrant smell It is true at the first work of grace there we are meerly passive but God doth not then force our will he only changeth it as water which naturally descends when made air doth naturally ascend upwards Thus the will of a man which was depressed to earthly things by sinne when sanctified and made heavenly ascendeth up towards God and heavenly objects By these discoveries it is manifest that the best Saint in this world is setled by the grace of God alone Those corruptions within him are treacherous and would betray him into the hands of Satan did not Christ corroborate him And is this any wonder of man fallen seeing Adam fell for want of this confirming grace and the elect Angels do therefore not leave their habitation as the Apostate have because the grace of God doth confirm them So that the good use we are to make of this Doctrine is to be exceeding watchfull and tender about all sinne lest thereby we provoke God to leave us How terrible do such desertions many times prove To whom are woes to whom are wounds and gripes of conscience but many times to those who being left of God have thereby ingaged in sinfull wayes and so having lost an holy frame of heart have thereby deprived themselves likewise of an Evangelical comfortable one Take heed through thy lazinesse negligence pride or some other sinne God forsake thee and thou become worse than Nebuchadnezzar of a godly man made like a beast This will be bitternesse in the latter end As for the second Doctrine I shall not say much to that because it hath been in part already spoken unto it is That in Christ alone we are established That as in the building other stones are strengthened because of the corner stone or the foundation stone or as the branch in the Vine doth therefore live and flourish because in the Vine so it is with us because in Christ we are setled with Christ in Christ we are confirmed with Christ which made Austin say In Christo sumtis Christus extra Christum nihil In Christ we are even like Christ out of Christ we are nothing at all To consider this we are to know First That all the godly through the efficacy of Gods Spirit are united to Christ and so become his mystical and spiritual body By reason of this it is that Christ dwelleth in them and they in Christ Christ actively communicating of his goodnesse and virtue to them and they passively receiving influences of grace from his fulnesse This union is represented in Scripture by many similitudes of a building of a vine and branches of an husband and wife but none so expresly as that in the Sacrament of bread and wine denoting us those elements are naturally turned into our nourishment and made one with us so we are in a spiritual and mystical manner made one with Christ This being laid as a foundation then Secondly From this our establishment and settlement followeth whereby we are sure to persevere and nothing shall be able to dissolve this union whence once made a true member of Christ there cannot be any separation made so as ever such a person should at last be damned in hell for that would redound to the highest dishonour of Christ the Head as could be imagined The reason why Adam fell though without any inherent corruption in him was partly because he was not united to Christ in that manner as the weakest believer is now under the Covenant of Grace And although these things are derided by the Arminian yet this Doctrine of spiritual union with Christ may compell every one to believe the truth thereof so that if we now fall Christ must fall with us we are not to be considered as single persons standing upon our own bottome but as united to Christ Therefore Thirdly Being thus in Christ our stablishment ariseth two wayes from Christ 1. By meritorious impetration Christ as our Mediatour hath deserved this through his propitiatory death that we should alwayes be kept his and therefore when we have a thousand times over deserved that God should leave us yet because Christ hath deserved that God should alwayes love us therefore it is that we stand faster than Mount Zion which yet is said not to be moved The second way is by efficient application for he doth communicate of his power and strength to us whereby when we are ready of our selves to fall yet he doth prevent it So that our being in Christ is the foundation of all strength and all comfort and therefore this discovereth the wretched estate of such who can claim no interest in Christ these are tossed up and down from one lust to another they roll from one iniquity to another the Devil doth what he pleaseth with them he throweth them sometimes in the fire and sometimes in the water and all this is because not in Christ If at any time through the common graces of Gods Spirit they are got up to the pinacle of the Temple they are eminent for gifts and place in the Church of God all the godly have admired them for a while yet at last you find them blasted and cursed in this way you find them like swine wallowing in the mire that were judged to be the sheep of