it in Scripture-Record All the Exemption from Death that the Best can claim or hope for is to be exempted from Eternal but not from Natural Death Grace does free Believers from the former Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die Joh. 11.26 Verily verily I say unto you If a Man keep my Sayings he shall never see Death Joh. 8.51 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the Second Death hath no Power Rev. 20.6 but it does not free from the latter It may indeed and does as to this Death exempt from the Curse and Sting of it O Death 1 Cor. 15.55 where is thy Sting but not from the Stroke of it not from the thing it self Naturally considered as it consists in the dissolving of the Vnion 'twixt Soul and Body Christ has unstung Death for every Believer the Serpent now may hisse but it cannot hurt yet it may sting so far as to put a Period to the present Life Doe Abrahams die must they die Oh happy Necessity blessed be God for it This is grounded not only upon their Natural Frame and Constitution as they are Flesh and Blood as well as others and made of the same brittle Materials Nor only upon their having Sin as well as others and where that is Death must follow upon it Nor only upon that Vniversal Statute It is appointed unto Men once to die Heb. 9.27 But also upon the special Love and Grace of God to his People He has prepared an Heaven for them they are designed to a future State of Blessedness shall be rewarded above for their Service below Now that they may be put into the actual Possession of all this they must die Death to the Saints is but their Transition into their everlasting Blessedness and so 't is not their Misery but their Felicity that they die This to the Wicked is in Judgment but to the Godly in Mercy The former die because God will glorify his Punitive Justice upon them in another World but the Other die because God will glorify his free Grace and Mercy upon them in another World Death shall come to an Abraham but it comes to him as a Friend not as an Enemy Whilst he is paying the indispensible Tribute due to Nature God is carrying on the glorious Designs of his Grace towards him But this I pass over I proceed to the threefold Amplification or to the three Specialties observable in the Death of Abraham The first of which points to the Order and to the Manner of his Death in this Branch Then Abraham gave up the Ghost and died In the Syriac Version 't is infirmatus est he was debilitated and weakened so he died In the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he fainted and so he died thus also the Chaldee Paraphrast the Vulgar Oleaster and divers others * Malè in 70 Interpretibus additum est deficiens Abraham mortuus est quia non convenit Abrahae deficere imminui Qâ—ast Heb. in Gen. Hierome objects against this Rendring the Words as if it did reflect upon such a Person as Abraham to faint But what Disparagement could it be to him at such an Age to lie under bodily Fainting so long as he was not weak in Faith but strong in Faith giving Glory to God Rom. 4.19 20. meer Natural Weakness could not at all reflect upon him or be unbecoming to him The Samaritan Version renders it by Expiravit he expired breathed out his last Breath or his Soul and Spirit his Breath and Soul went out of him so he died This Reddition is most generally followed by Expositors The giving up of the Ghost is the usual Expression to set forth Death by so it s used as to Isaac Gen. 35.29 as to Jacob Gen. 49.33 as to our Saviour Joh. 19.30 passim We 'll consider it as 't is expressive not only of Abraham's simple Dying but also of some Adjuncts and Circumstances about his dying It notes 1. The Order of his Dying and what was the Antecedent to it Abraham first gave up the Ghost then he died First the Soul departs and then we die and when that is once gone out of the Body Death immediately follows That being the living vital quickning Principle in Man when that is once separated from the Body this must necessarily be turned into a dead Carcase a dead lump of Clay So long as that stays with us we live but when it takes its Flight from us into its higher Mansion forthwith we die The dissolving of the Union 'twixt Soul and Body as it necessarily antecedes Death so Death necessarily succeeds upon it This is the Order of Nature as to what goes before and what follows after in that which I am speaking of By the way let such who believe and who thereupon are united unto Christ rejoyce in this spiritual and mystical Vnion inasmuch as it does secure to them the Perpetuity of their Spiritual Life The Natural Vnion of the two Constitutive Parts of Man is dissoluble and so the Natural Life that results from it may cease But the Spiritual Vnion between Christ and the Believer being indissoluble consequently the Spiritual Life resulting from it is and shall be Abiding and Everlasting The Soul may leave the Body therefore that may die but Christ and the Animating Spirit will never leave the Soul therefore that shall never die How may Believers comfort themselves from this 2. It holds forth the Manner of Abraham's Death 1. As to the Speediness and Easiness of it 2. As to his ready and willing Submission to it 1. His Death was quick and easy He was not long in Dying did not stand out any long Siege Death did but summon him and he presently surrendred up himself he breathed out his last Breath and the Work was done Neither did he grapple with those sharp Pains those grievous Agonies and Conflicts which many feel in a dying-hour no he just expired just gave up the Ghost and that was all The Hebrew Word used in the Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the * Dictio expiravit egressionem Spiritus è Corpote significat quae sit subitò sine Dolore Morâ Aben-Ezra Putant Rabbini 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esse mortem quae Homini accidit absque ullo praevio morbo dolote Munster Expirando mortuus est mortis quadam facilitate usus quam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vatab. Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apud Hebiaeos dicitur de Morte sine Dolore Grot. so Oleaster quamplurimi alii Calvine rejects this Exposition Rabbinical Doctors and many Interpreters after them make to import a quick speedy and easy Death But others observe Vid Fagium in Loc. that we can lay no great Stress upon the Word as importing and easy Death to belong to good Men at least not so as to be appropriated and limited to them because else-where we find it applied to wicked
Men in their Dying As it is to those that perished in the General Deluge Gen. 7.21 to Ishmael himself in this Gen. 25.17 And for the Thing it self Abraham might have this easy Death but we cannot from him conclude that all Saints and they only shall have it This is wholly at God's dispose who orders every Man's Death to be easy or painful as he pleases Even the Godly sometimes have a rough Passage to Heaven while the wicked have a calm Passage to Hell Do we not see this verified in daily Experience the Good dying with sad Groans sharp Conflicts acute Pains and the Bad dying like Lambs having a very serene and placid Death As to this all things fall alike to all and there 's no Knowledg of the Love or Hatred of God by it All that I can say upon it is this An easy Death is a great Mercy Observ There can hardly be a parting of the two old Companions such a Violence offered to Nature but there will be some Pains and Difficulties attending this but the less there is of These the more there is of Mercy This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suiton in V. â—ng was passionately desired by the Emperor Augustus for Himself and all his Friends And indeed it is a Blessing much to be desired provided that this be done with due Submission to the Will of God We must not be our own Chusers as to the Circumstances either of Life or Death but in both entirely refer our selves to the Sovereign Pleasure of God And Christian comfort thy self in this whatever thy Pains may be in Dying thou art secured from those worser After-Pains that will succeed these to the ungodly and unbelieving That Death which is so painful to thee for a few Minutes Hours or Days when it has done its Work will put an end to all thy Pains and to whatever here is afflictive to thee 2. It imports Abraham's readiness and willingness to die He gave up the Ghost when God called for his Soul he freely gave it up there was in him no striving strugling or reluctancy nothing but a quiet and willing Resignation of himself to die 'T would have been strange had it been otherwise He that was willing at God's Command * Gen. 12.1 To go out of his own Country from his Kindred and Father's House to a Land that God would shew him †Heb. 11.8 though he knew not whither he went ‖ Acts 7.5 had no Inheritance in the Place no not so much as to set his Foot upon I say it would have been strange that he who so readily complied with this Command of God when as to his Earthly Interest things were no better Circumstantiated should have been backward to have complied with God's Will as to his removal from Earth when he knew upon this he should be taken up into Heaven This was in his Eye in his removal from his Country here for he looked for a City which hath Foundations whose Builder and Maker is God Heb. 11.10 But surely he might have and had a more immediate and proximate view of the Heavenly Inheritance in his Departure by Death which would put him into the present Possession of it No wonder therefore he should be thus willing to die A good Pattern for our Imitation Saints should be willing to die Observ Thus it was with Abraham himself and thus it should be with his Seed also We must with the greatest Readiness give up the Ghost whenever God demands it Not die out of Force or Necessity because we cannot help it but out of Choice and ready Resignation of Life to God's Will Sapientis est exire non ejici Sen. Ep. 30. a wise Man is not forced out of the World but he spontaneously goes out of it The wicked Oh how averse are they from Dying and can we blame them for it Their Souls are pull'd out of their Bodies whether they will or no they do not give them up but they are taken from them Thou Fool this night c. Prov. 14.32 The wicked in driven away in his Wickedness it 's an Allusion to things that are hurried away by some tempestuous Winds quite contrary to their own Natural Inclinations but the Righteous has hope in his Death and upon this Hope he dies willingly Certainly they who duely consider the Miseries of the present Life the true Nature of Death the Gain and Advantages of it to the Upright the * Quam praeposterum est quamque perversum ut cum Dei Volun atem fieri postulemus quando evocat nos accersit de hoc Mundo Deus non statim Voluntaris ejus imperio pareamus Cyprian de Mortal Serm. 6. Soveraignty of God over Men as to Life and Death cannot but be ready and willing to die Ripe Fruit how easily does it fall into the hands of him that gathers it Oh such who are fit to die ripe for Heaven how readly should they fall into God's Hands when by Death he comes to gather them The Truth is 't is not enough for such barely to be willing to die but this they should passionately yet not impatiently desire and pant after Having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 1.23 In this we groan earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our House which is from Heaven 2 Cor. 5.2 4. For we that are in this Tabernacle do groan being burdened So much for the First Amplification in the words about Abraham's Death The Second is taken from the Time of it Then Abraham gave up the Ghost and died in a good old Age an old Man and full of Years In a good old Age 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sym. in an hoary Age like that of Samuel I am old and gray-headed 1 Sam. 12.2 This God had promised before to Abraham Thou shalt go to thy Fathers in Peace thou shalt be buried in a good old Age Gen. 15.25 and here it was made good to him The same is said of David 1 Chron. 29.28 of Gideon Judg. 8.32 It may here be queried Object How is Abraham said to die in a good old Age when if we compare his Age with those who lived before him it comes much short of theirs What 's an 175 Years to those several hundreds of Years that the Fathers before the Flood arrived at according to what is recorded of them Gen. 5. And in the Computation of the Lives of the Fathers after the Flood Gen. 11. we find all of them one excepted viz. Nachor who lived but 148 Years to be older than Abraham was Some answer He is said to die in a good old Age Answ an old Man Senex dicitur non spatio dierum Temporum cùm junior obierit omnibus Avis suis sed quia sensu Fide Sanctimoniâ Vitae profecerat in immensum not as to the measure of his Life by Days or
an hour a moment longer Not because its bitter to us to live but because 't is unnecessary for us to live 'T would be an Act of * Singularis est Dei Gratia vitae saturiâ—as ut ex eâ migrare parati sumus cum Animi Tranquilitate c. Rivet in loc singular Grace from God if by his Spirit he would bring us to this blessed Temper I have dispatch'd the two first Amplifications about Abraham's Death from the Manner and the Time of it let me add a little upon the Third viz. the Issue and Consequent of it He died what became of him after that why He was gathered to his People This like the preceding Expressions of giving up of the Ghost dying in a good old Age being full of Years does often occur in Scripture 'T is used of Isaac Gen. 35.29 of Jacob Gen. 49.33 of Aaron Numb 20.24 of many otheres Sometimes 't is expressed by being Gathered to their Fathers I will gather thee to thy Fathers says God to Josiah 2 Kings 22.20 And also all that Generation were gathered unto their Fathers Judg. 2.10 David was laid unto his Fathers Acts 13.26 The Promise to Abraham was Thou shalt go to thy Fathers Gen. 15.15 We read again and again of sleeping with their Fathers 1 Kings 11.43 1 Kings 2.10 passim It 's an usual Hebraism to set forth entring into the State of the Dead There 's a kind of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in it it being a more soft and pleasing Description of that State instead of that which is more rough and harsh The Grave being the common Receptacle of all that die All go unto one place Eccles 3.20 I know that thou wilt bring me unto Death and to the House appointed for all living Job 30.23 therefore though Abraham died and was buried in Canaan where * Gen. 25.10 Sarah only was buried and none of his Progenitors yet upon his Death and Burial he 's said to be gathered to his People or Fathers The Papists Gloss upon it is he went to the Limbus Patrum Their Doctrine is that the Fathers and all the Old-Testament-Saints who lived and died before the Incarnation Passion and Resurrection of Christ were not immediately taken up into Heaven but shut up together in some secret Recesses or Cavernes of the Earth till Christ should come and suffer and rise again and then they were to be admitted into the Heavenly Glory And they tell us that these Fathers and others in this State did not feel any Paena Sensus as they in Purgatory do but only Paena Damni in their not having the immediate Presence of God and the Beatifick Vision And amongst other Proofs that they give of this my * Apponi ad Populum suum est consociari Non in majorum Sepulturâ juxta corpus sed perduci juxta Animam ad consortium Animarum Patrum illius quae erant in poenis tenebrarum usque ad discensum Filii Dei ad Inferos c. post Salvatoris Domini Resurrectionem transferendus ad Paradisum faelicitatis aeternae Lipem in loc So Lyranus P. Burgensis in Gen. 49.33 Bellarmin de Animâ Christi Cap. 11. Pet. Galat. Arcan lib. 6. c. 7. Text with other parallel Texts is insisted upon for one Abraham was gathered to his People i. e. he was not presently translated into Heaven but for a time shut up in a common Cell with the rest who died before him as only an Expectant of Heaven And hence they observe a Variation of Words in the setting forth of the Death of those who died since Christ came and of those who died before Christ came The former are said to die in the Lord to sleep in Jesus and the like but the latter are said to be gathered to their People to sleep with their Fathers and so on This Opinion we reject as having no solid Foundation in the Word of Truth And hold that as all Believers who now die do immediately enter into Glory for the Spirit returns to God who gave it Eccles 12.7 To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Luke 23.43 We know that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a Building of God an House not made with Hands eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 So that all who lived before Christ and believed in him did also upon their Dying immediately enter into Glory See this Limbus Patrum refuted and the Protestant Doctrine defended in River in Gen. Eâ—ercit 151. Idem summa controv Qu. 42. Rainold Censura libr. Apochryph Prael 79 c. Chamier Panstrat 〈◊〉 3. l. 25. c. 5 c. Christ being the same to Them that he is to Vs Heb. 13.8 his Merit extending to Them as well as to Us he being the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World Rev. 13.8 and They believing in the Messiah to come as well as we believe in him as come what reason can be assigned why they should not partake of the same Blessings the same Happiness that we now partake of and consequently upon Death be put into the immediate Possession of the Glory of Heaven even aswe are But blessed Abraham was it thus with thee was this thy gathering to thy People to be shut up in some dark Caverns of the Earth God knows where and to be kept out of Heaven God knows how long In thy Life at God's Command thou wentest thou knewest not whither and at thy Death too didst thou go thou knewest not whither Wast thou the great Instance of Faith Rom. 4.3 the Father of the Faithful and yet does it fare better with the meanest of thy Seed now than it did with thy Self Was Heaven so much in thy Eye didst thou look for a City which had Foundations Heb 11. â—0 whose Builder and Maker is God and yet so long kept out of it and thrust into some Recluse whöse Builder and Maker is Man Is thy * So Austin expounds it Qâ—eâ— Evang. l. 2. c. 28. in Ep. ad Evodium So Muldonate in loc who yet to save himself is fain to say Non quod Abraham in Coelo esset sed quòd ita loqui singarur quasi esset in Coelo Bosome made use of to represent Heaven and that before Christ died and yet wast thou not as yet in Heaven Blessed Saint these things we poor dim-sighted Protestants know not how to understand The Adversay has led me out of my way I return to the words which I shall consider not only as a Periphrasis of Death or of the dead State that follows upon it but as holding forth something of a far higher nature As namely that Abraham's Soul as soon as Death had seized upon his Body was forthwith translated into the Fellowship and Society of the glorified Saints who lived and died before him Two things Expositors infer from them 1. The Existence of the Soul in its separated State from the Body They apply
Abraham's being gathered to his People to his Soul and from thence assert the Existence and Immortality of it And whereas some affirm that in all the Books of Moses there 's nothing said to prove the Soul's Immortality * In Loc. Cajetan confutes them from this very Text And many †Vatab. Pererius in Gen. 25 Tom. 4. Disp 8. pag. 789 c. Ainsworth Theodoret Q. 109. in Gen. others concur with him therein 2. The Advancement and Felicity of the Soul upon its Separation from the Body which consists in this that it is presently joyned with and admitted into the Society of the glorified Souls that are with God in Heaven I must not engage in the discussing of these Heads in brief take this Observation That whenever the Godly die immediately they are translated unto the Society of the glorified Saints in Heaven We cannot ground this merely upon the Phrase of Abraham's being gathered to his People but we must also take in the Grace and Holiness of the Subject It 's said of Ishmael here ver 17. He was gathered to his People but how not as Abraham was because he was a bad Man The Sence of the Words must be stated according to the * Ad foelicitatem per se â—on peâ—tiner sed tantum pro Subjectorum ra ioâ—e intellecta Rivet Subject to whom they are applied When the Wicked die they are gathered to their People i. e. they are thrown into the Company of the Damned in Hell But when the Godly die they are gathered to their People i. e. taken up into the Company of the glorified Saints in Heaven It 's foretold and promised Mat. 8.11 That many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven Hebr. 12.22 23. But ye are come unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable Company of Angels to the General Assembly and Church of the First-born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of just Men made perfect And to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the Blood of sprinkling that speaketh better Things than that of Abel The first Intendment of the Apostle in this Scripture was to describe the Gospel-Church as 't is here on Earth in the Glory and Priviledges thereof One of which is this that under the Gospel Saints on Earth have Communion with the Saints in Heaven all making up but one Body or one Assembly But yet so as that the Things here spoken have their fullest Accomplishment in the Church triumphant When any are taken up into that Church they go indeed to the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem an innumerable Company of Angels the Church of the First-born the Spirits of just Men made perfect And this is the Portion of all that fear love and obey God whenever Death removes them hence Luke 16.22 And it came to pass that the Beggar died and was carried by the Angels into Abraham's Bosom And is it thus Vs 1. then 1. What an incentive is this to Godliness Abraham died in a good old Age an old Age which succeeded a pious and well-spent Life what followed upon it he was gathered to his People admitted into the Society of the Blessed in Heaven Now as we desire to partake of his happy End we must conform to his holy Course Let us shew our selves to be his Children by the doing of his Works Joh. 8.39 Let us believe obey live as he did and then we shall be Heirs with him of this and all that other Blessedness which he now possesses To be with all the glorified Saints in Heaven much more to be with the blessed God there what Tongue can express what Heart can conceive how great a Thing this is But how is this to be attained only by being good and doing good Heb. 12.14 Without Holiness no Man shall see God nor any who are with God Oh let the Age be what it will old or young see that it be good and gracious and then this happy Gathering will follow upon it but otherwise 't is not to be hoped for Pray tell me you that live as Antipodes to the Saints on Earth can you hope to be imbodied with those in Heaven You that hate and persecute the Saints on Earth can you hope ever to be joined with them that are in Heaven You that are all for the Society of Sinners below can you expect to be admitted into the Society of Saints above surely you cannot so grosly impose upon your selves At death there is a sorting of all Men into their several Companies the Wicked go to the Wicked the Godly to the Godly the former to their Predecessors and Companions in Sin the latter to their Predecessors and Companions in Sin the latter to their Predecessors and Companions in Grace and Holiness Oh let the Consideration hereof prevail with us to put away Sin and to engage in all serious Piety Be Followers of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises Heb. 6.12 that you may be gathered to them when you die psal 125.5 and not rank'd amongst the Workers of Iniquity 2. It may be improved Vse 2. to support against the Fear of Death How are many through this Fear all their Life Time subject unto Bondage Hebr. 2.15 But if ye be Abraham's Seed and Children why should it be thus with you Here are in the Words of my Text three notable Antidotes against this Fear 1. What is Death 't is but the giving up of the Ghost the expiring of the Breath and that 's all to the Sanctified and holy And is this a Thing so much to be feared Every Breath that comes from thee is a kind of Death when 't is the last Breath then it's Death there 's all the Difference â— Thess 4.14 Isa 57 2. 2 Cor. 5 4. phil 1.23 Elsewhere 't is but a Sleep a lying down in Bed an uncloathing a Departing Oh what mollifying Expressions doth the Scripture set forth Death by and all to keep down our inordinate Fear of it 2. All sooner or later are subject to it 'T is not we alone that die all are Companions with us in this The Patriarchs Prophets Apostles nay Christ himself all died and shall we be afraid to walk in that Path which so many have trod before us When Phocion saw one who was to die with him afraid to die What says he art thou not glad to fare as Phocion does Plutarch in Apoth So when Abraham gave up the Ghost and died with innumerable others shall we be overwhelmed with Fear when it shall be our turn to die 3. After the Dying comes the Gathering That Death that breaks our Company below advances us to far better Company above It takes the Key of Heaven as it were and lets us into