The happrnef of thole that die reell. 11 t Saint AHjttn tells nre o£ live caules,tor which perrons doulually jay open chemfelves. The fir(t ís this. Some do it to avoid Come (name, or foosedi(honour, or mi[ery or beggery, that !]call befal them. Thus did Achitophel, when he faw that hi ccunlei was defeated, he went home and hanged himfelf : Thus have many don o avoid fhame,and dishonour. Alas poor wretches ;'While they leek co ilea empotal puni(hment, they run into eternal, like our Fifhes in the Proverb, O.ot rheFrytng.-pa into theFire,intoHell fire, where the Worm dyeìh not, and where the ßre nevergoeth oat, Secondly, 'Come bave done it to avoid the terrors of a guilty eortfcíenee. Thu fudas, troubled in confcience, after he had betrayed Chri if, he went and hung him- [elf. Poorwretch ; He had more need'he had lived , that he might have healed tha in of his by repentance. This is not a wayto expiate thy fin, this is a way coin- entire ir. 70dát when he killed himfelf, he killed as wicked a man as was upon th earth, and yet he{hail anfwcr toGod, as well for that norent blood of his owi that he fpilt, as he (hall for the innocent bloodof the Son ofGod that he be- trayed. Thirdly, we find fome that have done this to avoid forne villany that the fe ?red Ihould be offered them. As for example, Pels is a noble Lady,, that w. read of in Ecclefiaftical (holies, when the was followed by forme barbarous foul- diets that would have abufed her , the fpeaking nothing but, never a vildai,. of them all (hall touch me; threw her [elf over a bridge, and drowned he [elf. Some of the Fathers do little lefs thancommend her for this. SaintAosgnffint condemns her, fo Ihould I. For, why amulet the that had done no hurt, dr hurt to her felf f why Ihould file to efcape the hands of the Noçent , lay violent hands upon her felt that was innocent ? Our chaflity of body is not loft, when the chafity of our mind remaineth inviolated. Fourthly; Somehave done this to purchafe to themfelves a nameof valour. Raft in the book of the Machabees did thus. And if there were no other thing in the world to(hew that book ro be Apochriphal Scripture, this is enough, in that the,Au- thorof that batìkcommendethRafts for it. It is not valour for to flie a danger : is is valour to bear ir. If any example can br alledged to this purpose, that of Sampfon.r may. But Saint ./1uriine he aniwereth, The Spirit of God fecretly commandeth him to do ir. And we may verily believe it : for if the Spirit of Godhad not commanded ir, yea, and affrfted him in it too, he had never done that he did, in pulling down the houle upon himfelf and the Philiflims. Laftly,fome have done it,or they might have done it,becaufe Bleffed are The dead, Some will die, that they may be bleffed. Peer wretches ; They that deprive themfelves of this lift, may not look for a better when'this is ended. I will not judge particulars, I leave them unto God. 16 it in tie general, Confideringthat life isGodsbleffing: it is he that giveth ir,and it is he that mull take it away. Corfrderingthat man is nor lord of his own [pith. Confidering that God bath let us here in our Rations, and we may not move our .vichout leave from our General,. Confidering that we arc let here to ferve God, end we muff ferve him as long as he will, and not as long as w: will. Or fpecially confideriug that God hath forbidden us to kill others, therefore forbidden us much more to kill our [elves : therefore Purely ( except Gods mercy be greater than I can give warrant for) they that die thus, die eternally. And we had need ,befeech God with all earneftnefs of [pirie, to keep us from fucb a fearful temptation as this for they that die thus, die not in the Lord, and thereforecannot be bleffed : for my Text faith it of noother, but of thofe, Rifledare thedead, that die to the Lord. Thisis the fieR point, Icome to the Reftriótion. Die Pive caufes 04 f9f-munhcr."
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