Part 20 (1/2)

Atten. This is a dreadful Story: and I would to G.o.d that it might be a warning to others to instruct them to fear before G.o.d, and pray, lest he gives them up to doe as John c.o.x hath done. For surely self-murderers cannot goe to Heaven: and therefore, as you have said, he that dieth by his own hands, is certainly gone to h.e.l.l. But speak a word or two of the other man you mentioned.

Wise. What? of a wicked man dying in Despair?

Atten. Yes, of a wicked man dying in despair.

Wise. Well then: {169a} This Mr. Badmans other Brother was a very wicked man, both in Heart and Life; I say in Heart, because he was so in Life, nor could anything reclaim him; neither good Men, good Books, good Examples, nor G.o.ds Judgements. Well, after he had lived a great while in his sins, G.o.d smote with a sickness of which he died. Now in his sickness his Conscience began to be awakened, and he began to roar out of his ill-spent Life, insomuch that the Town began to ring of him. Now when it was noysed about, many of the Neighbours came to see him, and to read by him, as is the common way with some; but all that they could doe, [Picture: Take note symbol] could not abate his terror, but he would lie in his Bed gnas.h.i.+ng of his teeth, and wringing of his wrists, concluding upon the d.a.m.nation of his Soul, and in that horror and despair he dyed; not calling upon G.o.d, but distrusting in his Mercy, and Blaspheming of his Name.

Atten. This brings to my mind a man that a Friend of mine told me of.

[Picture: Take note symbol] He had been a wicked liver; so when he came to die, he fell into despair, and having concluded that G.o.d had no mercy for him he addressed himself to the Devil for favour, saying, Good Devil be good unto me.

Wise. This is almost like Saul, who being forsaken of G.o.d, went to the Witch of Endor, and so to the Devil for help. {170a} But alas, should I set my self to collect these dreadful Stories, it would be easie in little time to present you with hundreds of them: But I will conclude as I began; They that are their own Murderers, or that die in Despair, after they have lived a life of wickedness, do surely go to h.e.l.l.

And here I would put in a Caution: Every one that dieth under consternation of spirit; that is, under amazement and great fear, do not therefore die in Despair: For a good man may have this for his bands in his death, and yet go to Heaven and Glory. For, as I said before, He that is a good man, a man that hath Faith and Holiness, a lover and Wors.h.i.+pper of G.o.d by Christ, according to his Word, may die in consternation of spirit: for Satan will not be wanting to a.s.sault good men upon their death-bed, but they are secured by the Word and Power of G.o.d; yea, and are also helped, though with much agony of spirit, to exercise themselves in Faith and Prayer, the which he that dieth in Despair, can by no means doe. But let us return to Mr. Badman, and enter further Discourse of the manner of his Death.

Atten. I think you and I are both of a mind; for just now I was thinking to call you back to him also. And pray now, since it is your own motion to return again to him, let us discourse a little more of his quiet and still death.

Wise. With all my heart. You know we were speaking before of the manner of Mr. Badmans death: {171a} How that he dyed very stilly and quietly; upon which you made observation, that the common people conclude, that if a man dyes quietly, and as they call it, like a Lamb, he is certainly gone to Heaven: when alas, if a wicked man dyes quietly, if a man that has all his dayes lived in notorious sin, dyeth quietly; his quiet dying is so far off from being a sign of his being saved, that it is an uncontrollable proof of his d.a.m.nation. This was Mr. Badmans case, he lived wickedly even to the last, and then went quietly out of the world: therefore Mr. Badman is gone to h.e.l.l.

Att. Well, but since you are upon it, and also so confident in it, to wit, that a man that lives a wicked life till he dyes, and then dyes quietly, is gone to h.e.l.l; let me see hat shew of proof you have for this your opinion.

Wise. My first argument is drawn from the Necessity of repentance: No man can be saved except he repents, nor can he repent that sees not, that knows not that he is a sinner, and he that knows himself to be a sinner, will, I will warrant him, be molested for the time by that knowledge.

{171b} This, as it is testified by all the Scriptures, so it is testified by Christian experience. He that knows of himself to be a sinner, is molested, especially if that knowledge comes not to him untill he is cast upon his death-bed; molested, I say, before he can dye quietly. Yea, he is molested, dejected and cast down, he is also made to cry out, to hunger and thirst after mercy by Christ, and if at all he shall indeed come to die quietly, I mean with that quietness that is begotten by Faith and Hope in G.o.ds mercy (to the which Mr. Badman and his brethren were utter strangers,) his quietness is distinguished by all Judicious observers, by what went before it, by what it flows from, and also by what is the fruit thereof.

I must confess I am no admirer of sick-bed repentance, for I think verily it is seldom {171c} good for any thing: but I say, he that hath lived in sin and profaneness all his dayes, as Mr. Badman did, and yet shall dye quietly, that is, without repentance steps in 'twixt his life and death, he is a.s.suredly gone to h.e.l.l, and is d.a.m.ned.

Atten. This does look like an argument indeed; for Repentance must come, or else we must goe to h.e.l.l-fire: and if a lewd liver shall (I mean that so continues till the day of his death), yet goe out of the world quietly, 'tis a sign that he died without repentance, and so a sign that he is d.a.m.ned.

Wise. I am satisfied in it, for my part, and that from the Necessity, and Nature of repentance. It is necessary, because G.o.d calls for it, and will not pardon sin without it: Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish. This is that which G.o.d hath said, and he will prove but a fool-hardy man that shall yet think to goe to Heaven and glory without it. Repent, for the Ax is laid to the root of the tree, every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit, (but no good fruit can be where there is not sound repentance) shall be hewn down, and cast into the fire. {172a} This was Mr. Badmans case, he had attending of him a sinfull life, and that to the very last, and yet dyed quietly, that is, without repentance; he is gone to h.e.l.l and is d.a.m.ned. For the Nature of repentance, I have touched upon that already, and shewed, that it never was where a quiet death is the immediate companion of a sinfull life; and therefore Mr. Badman is gone to h.e.l.l.

Secondly, {172b} My second argument is drawn from that blessed Word of Christ, While the strong man armed keeps the house, his goods are in peace, till a stronger than he comes: but the strong man armed kept Mr.

Badmans house, that is, his heart, and soul, and body, for he went from a sinfull life quietly, out of this world: the stronger did not disturb by intercepting with sound repentance, betwixt his sinful life and his quiet death: Therefore Mr. Badman is gone to h.e.l.l.

The strong man armed is the Devil, and quietness is his security. The Devil never fears losing of the sinner, if he can but keep him quiet: can he but keep him quiet in a sinfull life, and quiet in his death, he is his own. Therefore he saith, his goods are in peace; that is, out of danger. There is no fear of the Devils losing such a soul, I say, because Christ, who is the best Judge in this matter, saith, his goods are in peace, in quiet, and out of danger.

Atten. This is a good one too; {173a} for doubtless, peace and quiet with sin, is one of the greatest signs of a d.a.m.nable state.

Wise. So it is. Therefore, when G.o.d would shew the greatness of his anger against sin and sinners in one word, he saith, They are joyned to Idols, let them alone. {173b} Let them alone, that is, disturb them not; let them goe on without controll; let the Devil enjoy them peaceably, let him carry them out of the world unconverted quietly. This is one of the sorest of Judgments, and bespeaketh the burning anger of G.o.d against sinfull men. See also when you come home, the fourteenth Verse of the Chapter last mentioned in the Margent: I will not punish your daughters when they commit Wh.o.r.edom. I will let them alone, they shall live and dye in their sins. But,

Thirdly, My third argument {173c} is drawn from that saying of Christ: He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, and be converted, and I should heal them. {173d}

There are three things that I will take notice of from these words.

1. The first is, That there can be no conversion to G.o.d where the eye is darkned, and the heart hardened. The eye must first be made to see, and the heart to break and relent under and for sin, or else there can be no conversion. He hath blinded their eyes, and hardned their hearts, lest they should see, and understand and (So) be converted. And this was clearly Mr. Badmans case, he lived a wicked life, and also died with his eyes shut, and heart hardened, as is manifest, in that a sinful life was joyned with a quiet death; and all for that he should not be converted, but partake of the fruit of his sinfull life in h.e.l.l fire.

2. The second thing that I take notice of from these words is, That this is a dispensation and manifestation of G.o.ds anger against a man for his sin. When G.o.d is angry with men, I mean, when he is so angry with them, this among many is one of the Judgments that he giveth them up unto, to wit, to blindness of mind, and hardness of heart, which he also suffereth to accompany them till they enter in at the gates of death. And then, and there, and not short of then and there, their eyes come to be opened.

Hence it is said of the rich man mentioned in Luke, He dyed, and in h.e.l.l he lifted up his eyes: {174a} Implying that he did not lift them up before: He neither saw what he had done, nor whither he was going, till he came to the place of execution, even into h.e.l.l. He died asleep in his soul; he dyed bespotted, stupified, and so consequently for quietness, like a Child or Lamb, even as Mr. Badman did: this was a sign of G.o.ds anger; he had a mind to d.a.m.n him for his sins, and therefore would not let him see nor have an heart to repent for them, lest he should convert, and his d.a.m.nation, which G.o.d had appointed, should be frustrate: lest they should be converted, and I should heal them.

3. The third thing that I take notice of from hence, is, That a sinfull life and a quiet death annexed to it, is the ready, the open, the beaten, the common high-way to h.e.l.l: there is no surer sign of d.a.m.nation, than for a man to dye quietly after a sinfull life. I do not say that all wicked men, that are molested at their death with a sence of sin and fears of h.e.l.l, do therefore goe to Heaven, (for some are also made to see, and are left to despair (not converted by seeing) that they might go roaring out of this world to their place:) But I say, there is no surer sign of a mans d.a.m.nation, than to dye quietly after a sinful life; than to sin, and dye with his eyes shut; than to sin, and dye with an heart that cannot repent. He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart; (no, not so long as they are in this world) lest they should see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. {174b}

G.o.d has a Judgment for wicked men; G.o.d will be even with wicked men: G.o.d knows how to reserve the unG.o.dly to the day of Judgment to be punished: {174c} And this is one of his wayes by which he doth it. Thus it was with Mr. Badman.