death not only from the domineering prevalency but the disquieting presence of them Now the words lying open to view you have a most fair prospect of great and sweet variety which naturally springs up out of this most fruitful field that if digged and searched will yield very holy meditation and discourse Concerning this Scripture I may say truly in the words of the Apostle Paul when he was comforting timorous souls under their fears of Judgment and so very pertinently to my business in hand Behold here how our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father who hath loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace do here comfort your hearts by the most warm breathings of the Holy Ghost the Comforter who indeed is then a Comforter when all else are but miserable ones His Cordial here is very singular and soveraign the Ingredients very precious and various and not a little conspicuous in these following Doctrines some of which are raised from the fourteenth verse immediately preceding my Text some from both verses together and some from the Text it self only 1. The fourteenth verse exhibits to you these seven Doctrines First That the unconceivable love of the Son of God to his dear children made him come down on earth and become man Secondly That Christ in his humane nature is as very man as any of the Elect his flesh and bloud not only being like ours but part of our substance He also himself likewise took part of the same So that he himself is of the same stock of Adam and Eve as surely and verily as any of us Thirdly That sinners out of Christ are under the sentence of Death such as are not Gods Children are under the Devil their fathers cruel severity that is under the power of Death or That Satan hath the power of Death over all such as are not delivered by Christ from his Power Fourthly That Christ hath destroyed this his power for the sole benefit of his children true believers Fifthly That the way how Christ overcame Satan and destroyed his power was by his own death Or Christ by his own death conquered that Tyrant the Devil Which destruction of the Devil by the Death of Christ because alledged here by the Apostle as Christs intermediate end in subserviency to his Grand design of delivering his children from the fears of Death I shall only a little pause upon The Devil was no sooner our enemy but Christ was his The Devil said to our first Parents Ye shall not surely dye but Christ only made it good Though the Devil meant nothing less yet Christ nothing more see the Devil in his colours First he tempts to sin with a surely thou shalt not dye and yet presently upon the Commission of sin he torments with a surely thou shalt dye He speaks his own plainly when he tempts to sin but he speaks in appearance Gods words when he tempts to despair How much harder then is it to resist his temptations to despair of pardon than it is to resist those his temptations by which he would bring us into a sad need of it But he is a Lyar in both For he spake in his first temptation to sin against his own judgment who verily thought man by sin would most irrecoverably dye and that for ever And when he tempts all men to despair with a surely ye shall dye he knows he lies For Christ in all Ages effectually delivers all his Children Whether Satan say thou shalt not surely dye before sin committed or thou shalt surely dye after sin committed he knows he lyes in the one he lyes against the truth of the Law in the other he lyes against the true meaning of an Enacted Law in the other he lyes against the truth of the repeale or in the one he lyes against the truth of Gods threats and the condemning power of the Law in the other against the truth of Gods promises and of his incomparably glorious Act of Indempnity He thought indeed seeing he could not be exalted above God he would become a petty Tyrant as his ambition thirsted over poor mankind and thereupon laboured to bring man by sin under his power the power of death but wherein he dealt proudly Christ was above him Christ in mans nature dyed for man so that though in as much as Christ dyed the Devil bruised his heel yet Christ by his own death defeated his design and bruised his Serpent-head which he will not be able to get healed for ever whereas Christ only was dead but is alive and lives for evermore as before by death to vanquish him so eternally by the power of his Life and Raign to keep him under in chains of darkness and also to deliver his children from his power of Death who though they sleep yet shall wake again Eternally Sixthly That Christs death conquered the Saints death even the power of it lying much in the hand of the Devil was destroyed with him Death is our enemy Christ encountred it for us in our stead verse 9. the Apostle speaking of Jesus saies thus That he by the grace of God should taste death for every man for him He conquered our enemy death by dying by bearing and so breaking off from us all its malignant force that it cannot reach us therewith when it ruffles most It is our last enemy but already conquered by Christ Christs death it is the Saints life in Death Christ hath given death its deaths wound and though at its last gasp it would lift up its self and grin upon a dying Saint yet behold all its venome-teeth are dasht out by the power of Christ and its sting to seek It laies only upon him a cold and feeble hand but cannot break a bone as I may say not do the least hurt It only rocks the body asleep and makes way for the soul to enter into its Masters Joy unspeakable indeed and full of glory As the Devil whom Christ rebuked in the possessed tare and rent the body it is true yet durst not but come forth and depart and though the body was left on the ground as dead yet it quickly appeared to be alive So death may teare and shake a Saints body at its dissolution and leave it for dead on the ground yet it hath no more to do to touch it the very body as the grain sown in the earth is a springing up though at first flowly with a new life I say the body shall in spight of death live again gloriously at the Resurrection and never dye because death is conquered and destroyed for ever by Christs death who was dead but is alive for evermore Amen Neither is the Saints sleeping at their dissolution a bare piece of Rhetorick but a most real notion Wicked mens bodies may be said indeed most properly to suffer death for though they also shall rise again yet it is to lead a life in those raised bodies worse than death But
AN ANTIDOTE Against the Sinfull Palpitation of the Heart OR Fear of Death Humbly offered to mens serious Thoughts because sadly occasioned by That Dreadfull PLAGUE And those horrid Fears of Death that have seized This present Generation in England whom either greater Sins or weaker Graces or both together have rendred more then ever Timorous MADE UP OF That Singular and Soveraign Scripture Hebrews 2.15 And deliver them who through fear of Death were all their life time subject to Bondage By Robert Tatnall M. A. Sometimes Fellow of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge and lately Minister of the Gospel at St. John Evangelist's LONDON Isa 9.14 15 16 17. For all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still Rev. 1.17 18. I am the first and the last I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen and have the keyes of Hell and of Death Psal 68.20 He that is our God is the God of salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from Death London Printed by J. Hayes and are to be sold by S. Gellibrand at the gilded Ball and S. Thomson at the Bishops Head in St. Pauls Church-yard 1665. Perlegi hunc Libellum cui Titulus An Antidote against the fears of Death in quo nihil reperio Doctrinae Disciplinaeve Ecclesiae Anglicanae aut bonis Moribus contrarium Joh. Hall R. P. D. Episc Lond. Ã Sac. Domest July 6. 1665. TO THE TRULY CHRISTIAN READER IT is not a time now if ever to complement with dying men and women that poor aid which any serious Christian can endeavour to give in such a publick Calamity as we all now do or should deeply lament The unworthy Labourer in this small Piece of Service must acknowledge so much concerning himself only for his Apology That having been some time till of late imployed in London as a Minister He cannot but weep over it in some Conformity to his Great President 's weeping over Jerusalem And lisp that tender Affection which he cannot express to so great a City For it is belov'd of all and a City once much in and 't is hop't not now out of God's favour To be sure not left out of the hearts of some few who as formerly do still most affectionately pray for her though they can do little else The Plague rages amongst us Good men as well though I hope not as much as bad men are obnoxious to this visitation The latter understand little of the Duty or Comforts manifested in Scripture Spiritually knowing nothing at all Such if they will may hear the sounding of Gods Bowels and tender Mercies to them as in some other instances so not least of all in those Comprehensive though SHORT INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SICK with some other very lately made publick by an Eminent Labourer in the Gospel which with his leave may be stil'd His repeated Call to the Unconverted in Epitome or their Now or Never indeed The Lord make those Instructions as effectual as they are most opportune and importunate too with mens souls Surely the endeavouring of sinners conversion especially at the brink of the Grave must needs be a work of Sage Prudence and an Apostolick Spirit But who is sufficient as for that so for the rest of the Labour viz. The Edification and Building up of Souls in their most holy Faith when their bodies are near ruine Truly be that now questions who is must answer for himself that he of all men is not Who yet counts it his great Duty to deplore it as well as to confess it And whilst he laments his own evident insufficiency to rely upon that sufficiency which is of God both to Direct Assist and Bless the meanest of all his Labourers As for good men and women who are so though they can scarce themselves think so yet they are Christs flock And the Sheep and Shepherds too cannot but chiefly tender their good Now 't is clear that Death is near them as well as others Yea some of Gods most pretious Children have been sick of the Plague none that I know do much doubt it to be King Hezekiahs sickness unto death Nay some have dy'd of it as a most Eminent Minister of this City not long ago And 't is not question'd by some considerable Divines but that many of the converted Corinthians dyed of the Plague as well as others of them were much visited with it so that many were sick and many weak Whereupon some may say there may be no peremptorily asserted ground for a good mans looking on himself as unconcern'd and exempted in a common danger and calamity But however it must be remembred that a good man hath no reason to fear the fear of the wicked whilst he hopes not their hope He having more reason then any wicked persons have to wait upon God for a special Protection if the ninty first Psalm be a part of his Charter as no doubt it is Yet notwithstanding I find a great Terrour upon this Plague even possessing Good as well as Bad men Which I am the more troubled at because as good people have less cause to sink and faint away so Christ by their dispondency hath the less Honour Which two inconveniencies much sadder then a Plague O that I could as a poor Instrument if not remove yet abate at least in some O let Saints bear up and stand in the Gap or Breach Aaron you know ran into the midst of the visited Congregation and stood between the Dead and the Living making atonement for them till the Plague was stayed Numb 16.47 48. Hath Christ made his people a Royal Priesthood to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices acceptable by Jesus Christ and shall such run from the Congregation I mean from their Duty their Calling their Charge their own people yea God and all in vain O let Christ be honoured for the increase of whose Kingdom by the consciencious labours of Gods Children in their places The world both doth and shall stand through Gods mercy remembred in all his Judgments even till the great and general day of the Lords Tribunal There are indeed no greater Motives to any good Action or endeavour then the advance of Christs Honour and of the Holiness and Happiness of poor souls who may if they be wise become with Abraham strong in Faith and so rewarded with strong Consolation that believing so with him they might rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory not only after but also before their death All which is plainly intended in the Subject or Scripture here presented to such as would be serious and safe Which Design of God and interest of man if it be sincerely espoused in the ensuing Discourse God will I hope in mercy pardon and every good person pity his infirmities who in pity prayes for a blessing of God upon this and all other means to be used by such as are sick of the fears of Death before they are
honour to suffer for Christs name stocks stripes and imprisonments yea miserable Deaths Their noble eye piercing into Eternity immortality and glory could read a meaning in that Text Count it all joy when ye fall into divers Temptations yea when into the Grave and Pit it self Heb. 10.34 And ye took joyfully the spoyling of your goods as knowing in your selves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance Into a full possession of which Death at worst could but put them So that the Saints spiritual courage will quickly swallow up their natural fears The Case is evident enough in those Worthies recorded in that Gospel-Chronicle or rather little book of Martyrs Heb. 11. whose natures abhorred Death as much as any of ours yet whose spirits would not ACCEPT of deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection Thirdly The Saints may be and are more than others wisely sensible of Gods hand do humble themselves under it mourn and grieve and yet fear not this slavish fear Were the Saints as stocks and stones without sence they would not only be wanting to their duty of fearing God but truly in such a case would there be no spiritual courage or valour in enduring To say they are Stoicks and unsensible of misery were to deny the power of Christ in upholding his Saints and Martyrs of all Ages in their suffering great evils The Lord Jesus the greatest Sufferer and Conflicter with Death had his sence of evil or acute pain in crying out My God! but he feared none of this fear the distracting fear that divides or alienates the soul from God For he said My God my God that twice but once only Why hast thou forsaken me Which evidently shews his fear was no other than filial upon confidence of his sure interest in Gods love as his God and Father and also that it was less than his pain For his pain was excessive his fear not so but moderated with the highest fortitude and courage And so Christ in that he himself suffered being Tempted is able to succour them that are tempted True Saints are anointed with the very same Unction wherewith Christ was anointed And as he had some of their sence of Pain so they likewise have some of his Courage under it Fourthly Saints may fear God in an affliction though not an affliction it self God at or in death but not death it self Be it known to the worst and greatest enemies of Christ and Christians it is not the frown of a Tyrant or the black visage of Death that chils and damps a Saints heart but rather his doubtful and dark apprehensions of God in afflictions are they that weaken his heart Oh! that is a sad Sob Psal 90.7 We are consumed by thine anger and by thy wrath are we troubled If God smile the Saints fear not Prisons Stocks spoyling of goods Death it self occasions little fear If Gods favour set them a singing and his countenance glad their hearts what can sadden It is Gods anger in judgments that makes the Saints fear whilst others reckon only on Gods hatred the Saints not daring to do so do yet judge that it is but rational and safe to conclude of Gods anger and displeasure in judgments which seldom proclaim any thing more How often have you in the Scriptures this proved Sometimes that the wrath of the Lord was enkindled as naturally evident in Plagues and judgments and at the end of many sad descriptions of Gods judgments by the Prophets the sum of each dreadful visitation is this For all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still Now though the Saints through faith in Christ do not suffer their hearts to be troubled with fears of Gods hatred yet they are troubled at his anger and displeasure A Child when his Fathers anger is legible indeed in stripes concludes not that his Father hates him yet trembles at his anger And indeed it is no valour in the world not to fear Gods consuming anger To this I might add That Saints may fear some sin visited by a mortal sickness and the like which they might never sufficiently know was a sin or themselves guilty of it if indeed they did know it to be a sin or that they have not duly repented of it or fully forsaken it Or they may fear their own unpreparedness for weakness and insufficiency to grapple with affliction pain and Death it self And all this is not to fear the power of any mortal calamity or of Death it self But I dare scarce take any occasion though of pertinent enlargements hoping that God will supply all my defect in your serious Meditations Fifthly Will you have a distinction betwixt the wicked hypocrites and the Saints fears Be pleased to take it Saints fear not with an utter despair at the worst but so doth every wicked man The wicked either altogether presume in Prosperity or in great adversity altogether despair Just as it was with Nabal his heart over night was huge merry within him at a Kingly Feast but the next morning when his wine was gone out of him saies the Scripture and but at the report of a past danger his heart died within him as a stone So many men in their Cups have a courage springing from the Tap who drown their cares and fears in the Hogshead whilst Saints drown theirs in Christs bloud Alas what spirit have wicked men when their Wine is gone out of them The Saints hearts may quake and be shaken a little but yet they are at Anchor when as the very first evil tydings of vengeance from God and of a dreadful mortality drive the wicked's fearful hearts as Chaff before the wind or as a poor tattered Ship without Anchor before a Tempest Bring the Saints to their worst fears so that they sin to escape and make a supply of weak faith with a foolish carnal stratagem yet still their fears are not the fears of the wicked for First Saints have even then some hope in God which laies real hold on God though but little and God accepts yea fails not that little Therefore God was good to David and delivered him from Achish and made him not ashamed though his hope in God was little and his sin great Saies David at that very time Psal 34.4 I sought the Lord there is some hope necessarily implied and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears Many fears little hope yet some he had for he sought God But yet it is very remarkable in Scripture how God hath in the utmost extremity of his people even eminently prospered their sins of little hope and great fears for their escape though afterward he punished them forely for both Secondly Whereas the wickeds fears encrease with their dangers and calamities and the nearer approach of their unavoydable ruine yet the grace of Gods Children in such extremities recovers it self again and their fears decrease the more their miseries multiply Wicked
men are like the Amorites whose hearts melted the nearer Israels Host came neither was there spirit in them any more Josh 5.1 Their fear had quite consumed their spirits Hence it is that despair carries away so many of them at last But it is quite contrary with those that are in Christ following him in all the difficulties of the Regeneration and deadly troubles of this life their Courage encreases with their dangers At the first commonly some smart and some fear in greater pain none at all At the first they may be somewhat affraid of evil Tidings but not long or not long so much It may be there is upon further certainty and feeling of what they heard and feared before nay there is indeed frequently greater quiet and composure of mind under Gods fatherly hand A soul that hath true grace though but weak feeling it self almost quite gone in despair stirs up all its strength as its last gasp and stretch just as the spirit is failing before the Lord and behold it revives when as in such a case the wicked mans spirit like a Nabals sinks as a stone within him See how the Saints dying hope as I may call it revives in an utmost extremity For when the hypocrites hope perishes and is like the giving up of the Ghost The Saints hope is like the Resurrection from the Dead as you have it in a place of Scripture truly singular and notable Lam. 3.17 18 19 20 21. Thou hast removed my soul far off from peace I forgat prosperity Vers 18. And I said my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord. Vers 19. Remembring mine affliction and my misery the wormwood and the gall Vers 20. My soul hath them still in remembrance and is humbled in me Vers 21. This I recall to my mind therefore have I hope Oh! most wonderful It is first said My strength and my hope is perished then This I sadly think on what is next Therefore have I hope What saies learned Calvin that sagacious man in spiritual cases What Doth despair cause hope Saies he excellently Incomprehensi bili atque admirabili Dei beneficio spes ex Desperatione By an unconceivable and most admirable working of God the Saints hope springs out of despair So it was with David sometimes even at first encounter disquieted quite amort afterwards he rowzes himself and trusts in God Therefore he confesses the whole matter saying At what time I am affraid I will trust in thee Psal 56.3 This is a Saints most constant use and a certain Remedy is taken by this course nothing cures fear like hope Though a Saint be surprized at first with fear yet hope in God will recover him e're it be too late As it did that reverend Martyr who recanted for fear For he mastered his fears soon after and burnt them with the same hand that drew back before having in a greater pain least fear So it is in general or in common with Gods people it may be at first some fear but through Christ victory over it at last Thus did the terrible army of Martyrs win the field and Crown of glory and even so do all by Christ more or less conquer their fears of Death Take then a good man as a good man a child of God my Text speaking of such an one one that is gracious and serious that walks with God and there is no dispute no room for an objection If I say he be eminently righteous constant in holiness watchful and careful closely walking with God one whose soul Christ his great Shepherd hath restored and leads in the paths of Righteousness Christ still conducting him he is not affraid though he walk in the valley of the shadow of Death Thus it is with the Saints Christs Souldiers conflicting with their enemies from Deaths first Alarum in other Calamities to its last onset on the Graves brink The Saints may truly make Sampson's Riddle their Song Judges 14.14 Out of the eater comes forth meat and out of the strong comes forth sweetness even so at worst out of the fearfullest Death the liveliest Hope And now I think the Objection will not in the least disturb my Application or the USE And because I have no design to tire the Press or any ones patience but to make the Comforts of the Scriptures go down both as quickly and as pleasantly as may be I shall only add a few words of Information and then of Exhortation with Direction And first of Information in two things First See how Precious Christ is who is such a Deliverer as hath not only purchased heaven for us but given us the first fruits to taste He not only frees altogether from Eternal Death but from the fears of Temporal and bodily Death Therefore this being a great benefit we have by Christ is particularly extolled by the Apostle Paul who preached up the glory of his Dear Jesus with what singular advantage he could take as 1 Cor. 15.56 Thanks be to God saies he who hath given us the victory that is over Death and its power through our Lord Jesus Christ Oh there is the Emphasis there is his Selah as I may say Through our Lord Jesus Christ Oh! How dear should this Jesus this Deliverer be to us Who makes us poor Creatures so dear to himself as that sith we must dye yet the fears of Death should not molest and vex us the remaining part of our life Secondly See the Possibility of attaining this Temper of not fearing Death nay also the Necessity of it Be not prejudiced ignorantly against Christs design and your own duty yea attainable happiness Do not say you cannot attain it it requires assurance and assurance rarely if ever enjoyed by Saints in this life Do not jumble mistakes together you have seen what is required to it and how Christ works the fears of death out of his peoples hearts Come come say O Saint hereafter with the Apostle Paul I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me Say with David Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of Death I will fear no ill for thou art with me Follow Job's and others their courage in the expectation of death Is God any respecter of persons Is not a childs portion a childs portion You expect heaven as well as those eminent Saints and the same Crown of glory And why should you not fight as manfully as they who could dare death it self But still this Information is clouded with some kind of exceptions And there are that say Indeed Christ hath delivered Scripture Saints and some others it may be from the fear of death and can do as much for us But yet is any thing in so great an attainment our duty Or to us possible Few or none attain a full assurance of faith without which can any attain to freedom from the fears of death What you answer is of Eminent Saints Paul Job David who had this rare thing assurance and
I shall only add That this freedom from the fears of Death is a priviledge Christ hath purchased for this present state for this life NOw what Saint can find in his heart to lose so great a Legacy left by Christ so great a purchase and benefit of his Death So great a Deliverance And foolishly multiply to himself self-willed fears or which is worse self-willed grounds of fear as lust passion worldly incumbrances or worldly mindedness idleness vain frothy foolish actions and carriage or if not so then it may be ignorant suspicions of Gods mercy All these things do but arm Death and thine own Conscience to wound thee oh look to thy self make haste for Death hastens apace O! what true Child of God but would so long to be rid of this disingenuous temper of fearing Death as to be even hourly on his knees begging of Christ this benefit of his gloriously conquering death which if a Child of God receives not in this short and now if ever uncertain life he will altogether miss that which is so goodly a part of the Saints Portion which is proper to and fitted for this present life even before Death comes to encounter us Well abandon these fears with the grounds of them and then though Death come quickly yet through Christ you will grapple well enough with it And oh that men were wise to get from Christ by all constant importunity some of this blessed deliverance from the fears of Death and oh that by a continual carelesness because not presently seized by the Plague or any other mortal sickness they would not desperately venture it and so sadly abandon themselves to the frights of the Devil in an hour of sudden death Now if any be awakened either by Gods Word or Providence to look after this great benefit of Christs death which is to be delivered from the servile fears of their own then let such consider this Counsel which the Scripture gives in the Case First Have a care of harbouring one moment any known or knowable guilt For it receives from the condemning Law strength to arm Death with I wonder not that those Saints who have at any time much guilt upon their spirits do then fear Death If sin be not examined and found out which is not done by many Saints who even justifie themselves in some sins not judging them to be sins nor much caring to examine lest they should prove sins and so to be parted with contrary to a dear humour and so calling good evil and evil good no wonder in such a case that the Woe belonging to such when executed as well as threatned frights them If Saints for want of due consideration and examining themselves do not only commit but continue in sin unrepented of as the Plagued Corinthians no wonder that they are surprized not only with the fears of death but with sudden death it self Oh! shake your Consciences rouze them up to discharge their office faithfully let your heart smite you for the least sin or evil thought and oh harbour not guilt let it not lodge with you one night no not an hour for so long you will be liable to horrid fears of dying It is so and the very truth of many Saints condition Therefore find out that which troubles your peace and provokes God to leave you to the fears of Death finding it out labour for the assistance of Christs Spirit for one look from Christ for one manifestation of Gods love that may break your hearts and make you weep bitterly repent and grieve throughly thus shall not sin come upon you with an afterclap with a repentance to be repented of Weep for sin according to the demand of the Gospel which requires not a little grief though less then sin deserves for it deserves hells weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Do this Believe and Repent Repent and Believe and then you will find in your hearts little or no fears of Death For peace of Conscience will thus become firm and will cast and keep them out yea defend the heart through Christ I say therefore dayly yea hourly exercise faith together with repentance that is to say a vigorous faith which is never forlorn or forsaken of good works and such a faith in Christ will be your victory over all base fears of Death Be not then O souls too hasty in your exercise of faith Believe again and again really and truly presenting to your selves the severity of the last and solemn judgment of God Believe not only till some ease come but till you be willing to dye if the Lord will presently For did you arraign your selves in bitter Confession of sin as before Gods Tribunal indeed No less faith would serve your turn then such as would carry you boldly from your knees through Death to Judgment for you may so examine and judge your selves as to be confident in Christ that you shall never be judged of the Lord. Secondly Resist the Devil I mean these his temptations to fear death resist both him and all his temptations as those to sin to despair of its pardon and to fear its wages Death Have an It is written for him if not to wound him yet to gag him If nothing be readier dart this Text into his foul mouth to stop it this Text managed with faith will fright the Devil more than he can fright you This Text is in this case like Goliahs Sword none like it Take Gods Word for it will wound him and make him run too by the power of the Spirit of Christ Well thus resist the Devil fear him not he is a conquered enemy Christ hath destroyed him that hath the power of death saies the Apostle And therefore I desire you to resist him for two reasons First Because your Captain hath done it It is fit for Souldiers to fight against such as their General Charges It is not fit for you to yield to the Devils temptations to fear Death when as Christ the Captain of your salvation hath overcome him as his and your Enemy destroying him that had the power of Death This were to raise arms with the Devil and to strengthen him against Christ and your own lives too But Secondly I advise this because it is the way of Christ his Method of ridding his children from fear He first destroyed him that had the power of Death that is the Devil and all this that he might deliver his people from fear of dying So do you follow Christs Methods of war Would you be delivered indeed by Christ from the bondage fears of Death Then do as Christ resist him that hath the power of Death The Promise you know encourages this stoutness Resist the Devil and he will flee from you which when he doth your fears of Death will flee after him because it is he only that hath this power of Death As one saies Timor attrahit ad se Daemonas Fear or Cowardize invites the Devil to
thy Saviours death which remembrance in the use of the Lords Supper if it be the highest Gospel Ordinance as none doubt it so to be is the most effectual means to subdue as all sin so all fears of death The death of Christ kills sin guilt death and Devil and will it not by faith destroy the fears of Death Surely it will Only take heed to thy self in receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for else thy remedy may prove thy poyson An unbecoming remembrance at that Ordinance of Christs death may cost thee thy life and bring the Plague to thy body as many good Divines are of the opinion that the Plague raged amongst those unworthy Communicants of the Corinthians that were even many of them weak and sickly yea many faln asleep A Plague sure because many fick and many dead Sixthly Maintain a very exact and holy Conversation walk with God in thy Closet and in thy house in a perfect way Who was it that had a desire to be dissolved Who was it That by all means laboured to attain to the resurrection of the dead To enjoy by death the perfection of glory and that without the least fears of Death Was it not that holy man the Apostle Paul who as you find in the same place Phil. 3.13 counted not himself to be already perfect forgetting those things which were behind reaching forth to those things which were before and pressing towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus He prest forward yea would have prest too through Death gladly that he might attain to the Resurrection of the Dead He that hath a Conversation in heaven will least fear his passage thither by Death having in his life time been much used to be above Those that set their minds on things above can look much beyond death and see all clear A holy conversation in heaven is a conversation beyond Death Certainly none fear death more than wicked men whose Consciences are somewhat awakened and none next to them fear death more than careless Saints Strict livers are not only fearless of Death but desirous of it The Apostle Peter speaking of sufferings counsels thus 1 Pet. 4.19 Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing as unto a faithful Creator Truly for Saints not only to suffer but to dye as well as others is the appointed will of God Let them then commit the keeping of their souls to God in death or under the expectation of it in well doing as unto a faithful Creator for then they can no more fear Death reasonably then they can Gods faithfulness Seventhly Make a good improvement of all afflictions Conquer them by faith and patience and you will better deal with Death The Apostle Paul triumph't over Death as you have heard because more then Conquerour over tribulations persecutions and the like sorrows Truly overcoming these afflictions he bids a defiance to Death it self let it do its worst he is perswaded that neither life nor death neither the troubles of life nor the pains of Death if not the first sure not the later can separate him from his happiness the love of God in Christ Jesus Therefore you find a remarkable passage in Phil. 1.13 23. near together in the same Chapter first he mentions his bonds in Christ or for his sake in Caesars Palace then quickly mentions his desire to dye to depart this miserable world This is the unspeakable happiness of afflictions when improved they make us not only weary of this life and desirous of the Saints everlasting rest but they harden us and animate us to go on to conquer the remains of death at the last hour None live or dye more couragiously then the most exercised Saints trained up in great afflictions and sufferings for righteousness sake Eighthly Study the great Examples of this Deliverance Scripture Saints and others that have not feared death though subject to the like passions and infirmities that we are as Job David the Apostle Paul and others Example is cogent and their courage as well as patience was recorded for our imitation Now this is the great advantage we have by such examples A poor soul is encouraged to expect the same deliverance by Christ that such Saints before obtained freely seeing as God so Christ is no respecter of persons especially no partial Father to his own children who have all an equal interest in the Common Saviour and Deliverer Consider that seriously and take courage Remember once and again that Heb. 7.25 He is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by him them that is whosoever come them as well as the Apostle Paul himself Stephen and Apollo's as well as the great Apostles Peter and Paul and the Apostle John's little children as well as himself so long as they be children of God and come to God by Christ As the Apostle Peter speaks God saies he making no difference between them and us even all one in Christ as to the benefits of his death I beseech you consider also your living and dying Saints whose eminent lives are fresh in your memories confider and trace in them the evident footsteps of this glorious deliverance from the fears of Death The great instruction that the life and death of truly Christian friends do teach us is to dye well and comfortably And their evident victory over Death should animate the following files of Christian Souldiers to fall on and that with more courage upon death then death can upon them Ninthly Trust in God Believe in God believe also in Christ we find in Scripture that nothing we can do is a more present remedy against disquiets and fears then a present exercising this heavenly grace of trusting in and cleaving closer to God even when trouble is nigh very nigh Why art thou disquieted O my soul hope in God Again What time I am affraid I will trust in thee and many such instances Well the Devil fights thy soul with the fears of Death Do thou charge him again with thy hope in God Take this armour of God Hope is a proper weapon to fight against fear and the longer weapon too I will assure you It is a proper match for fear and much more valiant through Christ then the fears of Death can pretend to be for and through the Devil Therefore to promote this grace so highly conducing to the design of Christ in delivering his people from the fears of Death or of any dismal misery that can usher in Death to us I shall conclude with a discovery of some things that make for us all many waies as well as for the due Complexion of this needful grace of hope which I confess may blush but never grow pale and wan upon the nearest approach or roughest touch of Death we will leave that dull complexion to the lumpish fears of Death Well to get this
spiritual swooning away but in their coming again to themselves be like them not only in their desertions or dejections but their more usual assurance of Gods love Oh labour to speak the Dialect of Gods Children with David either in the phrase of Psal 3.7 or 119.94 either thus Save me O MY God Or thus I AM THINE save me Sixthly Rely on nothing else Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding Pro. 3.5 That is to the devices of thy heart for security refuge help preservation in danger Some trust in horses saies the Psalmist and some I may say in Country houses and air Go to them in time of Pestilence they may but only in case duty and necessary business bind them not to the contrary He that flees the Plague and runs from his Duty may most likely but rush into the Plague as I may say or worse whatever he now thinks Some trust to their invention of Antidotes against the Plague to their own or other mens devices for help and succour in time of danger use them they may but trust to them and their danger is a hundred times the greater for cursed is man that trusteth in man much more that trusteth in himself that leans to his own understanding for he that doth so would if he prospered which it is pity therefore he should I say he would sacrifice to his own net as well as lean to his own understanding Seventhly Praise God much even with thy soul and all that is within thee under the greatest Judgments It is a duty most of all seasonable necessary and advantagious to thee Art thou alive Praise God as the living the living should do especially I say in time of danger Therefore Jacob in his time of danger and fears began his prevalent and successful prayer for deliverance with Less then the least of all Gods mercies For a thankful and chearful acknowledgment feeds faith and hope with former good experience and dispels fear of evil to come with a joy in the Lord who is the presentest and the greatest good Be careful for nothing saies the Apostle How so What remedy against disquieting care and fean Truly Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving In dangers and troubles I judge it very fitting to begin our Prayers with Thanksgivings thanking God for what we have when all seems to be a going and we our selves too who are less then the least of all Gods mercies But especially because by Praises in the beginning of our Prayers we sing out our fears and tune our hearts to pray in faith But seeing both Praise and Prayer are so useful to increase faith and blast fear I will never contend for the priority of either e'n put them together let them never go asunder To conclude then Oh pray much The admirablest way under heaven by Christs blessing to conjure all base fears quite out of the heart For if ever faith be emboldened it is in prayer Prayer it is the improver as of all grace so especially of faith Psal 62.8 Trust in the Lord at all times But how shall we do that It follows Ye people pour out your heart before him then he adds God is a Refuge for us That is certain as the Prophet thinks Oh the confidence in God that they arrive to who in danger can pour out their hearts before him Faith when we pray aright doth in every Petition get faster and faster hold of God Thus the soul in Prayer works it self even into Gods arms of mercy and Christs bosome of love Thus in danger we nestle closer into the Clefts of our blessed Rock till the indignation be overpast You know that excellent Counsel Isa 26.20 Come my people enter thou into thy Chambers and shut thy doors about thee hide thy self as is were for a moment untill the indignation be overpast Wouldst thou be so safe Then as Christ counsels Mat. 6.6 Do thou when thou prayest enter into thy Closet and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father which seeth in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly There is to this purpose a very edifying inference may be easily gathered from 1 Tim. 5.5 Where you have the Apostle's good widow mentioned and that she trusted in God but that is not all It is not a poor rash flourish I trust in God and I hope in the Lord Jesus which is but a dream nay a vain and empty breath the poor ignorant prophane perfons hope which quickly gives up the Ghost But saies the Apostle The good widow she trusteth in God and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day Thus she upholds her Confidence in God both day and night Woe be to those that say they trust in God day and night and yet scarce pray at all in good earnest day nor night The Apostle saies indeed that this good widow is desolate hath none to help her but yet to facilitate her faith you know God hath especially revealed his tender care of widows yet their even their trust in God if they will make any thing on 't must be raised and enlivened through continual supplications night and day So must every one of us do who make God our refuge in times of danger I think every one of our hearts tells us without asking what need we have to trust in God under this sad Visitation and sore Judgment of the Plague we may quickly sit in our Families as a desolate widow yea how quickly may we be shut up in them as many are at this time Well if we would approve our Consciences to God in this duty of trusting in him which is our wisest and safest practice let us be exceeding fervent yea constant too in our supplications and prayers day and night It is the use you sadly know as of old when a poor forlorn Family is shut up for the Plague to make upon the door a Red Cross and to write over or by it Lord have mercy c. But as you love your lives both before and after infection instead of that Red Cross have faith in the bloud of Jesus get your souls well sprinkled with it And that which effectually cures the Plague of the heart can more easily and quickly cure the Plague of the body And so Christ may be your Passeover indeed the destroying Angel may pass over you and not touch those that are careful by faith to get their hearts well sprinkled with the bloud of this immaculate Lamb of God And then instead of that short Lord have Mercy do you pour out your souls before the Lord who poured out his heart bloud for poor sinners And to encourage you in the whole even in all your labours to attain such a faith and confidence in Christ as may by his power work out of your hearts the slavish fears of Death Take that excellent place of Scripture Nahum 1.7 The Lord is good A strong hold in the day of trouble AND HE KNOWETH THEM THAT TRUST IN HIM to be sure that trust in him like Job though he stay them Be assured of it your Father which seeth in secret in the secret Closet nay in the secret Chamber and house shut up he that seeth in secret will reward you openly So that if you do indeed firmly believe in God and believe also in Christ you shall be able to say and that from some sweet and great experience that in very deed When his Wrath is kindled but a little blessed YEA THRICE BLESSED are all they that put their trust in him FINIS