Freedomefrom the fear of Death. Thereforewe (hall find that wickedmen that caft off the fear ofGod intheir lives, they are ftavifhlyheld under thefear ofdeatb,this you (hall fee in thole examplesof Belfisazzar, a man that let himfelf with a high band againft God , went on in a contemptuous courfe againft God, and prophanedthe holyveffels, when there was a handwritinguponthe wall, tome terrible thing prefented unto him, his kneesfmote together , he could not hold his joynts (till : And fo Felix, a man that lived with- out the fear of.God, when he heard ofjudgment, and other things ; the text faith, he trembled ; and fo likewifeCain and diversothers,' I need not Rand on it. It was oneof the judgments threatned in part , Deut. z3. Becaufe thou daft not Deut as. cç fear the Lord thy Clod, therefore wherefoever thou goeft , thou /halt find no eafe, 66, &C. neither (half the tole of thyfoot have any refs, but the Lord(hallgive thee a trembling; heart , and tby life (hall hang in doubt before thee,( that is; thou (halt be in continual fear ofdeath ) andthou (haltfear day and night , and (hall have nene affurance of thy life ; in the,2terning thou (halt fay , would God it were Even , and at even thou(haltfay , would God it were morning , becaufe of the fear of thine heart wherewith thoufhàltfear ; andfor the light of thine eyes which thou /halt fee. This is the firft thing, Secondly, anótherthing is this, when mens hearts are too much glued to the world,andmark ir,according as there is worldly affe&ions, and worldly-mindednefs 7 inordinate in the hearts OfGods fervants , fo the fear ofDeath is more in them : wor according love oldf . the to the ftrength ofthe one , isthe fear of the other. What is it thatdifquieteth men ordinarily , and makes them that they cannot thinkof Death with comfort, but this now they muff lofe their company, part with all their friends when they dieonce. Hezekiahcomplained of that, I/hallfee man no more ( faith he )with the inhabitantsof the world. This Ifay, is that that afféð the heart exceedingly, If 3s. xi. that they muff lofe all their friends, fpeciallywhen husband and wife milt part, pa- rents and childrenmuff part, and familiar and dear acquaintance mutt part , this caufeth thefear ofdeath, becaufe the heart is too much let upon the creature. So likewife worldly bufrnefs, when a man loveth much employment, much bulnefs, he cannot abide to thinkofdeath Why fo? becaufe all work, all enterprifes ceafe inthe ve, (asJob faith) A manbath neither the works of his hands, nor the en- terptWof his head in thegrave, all a&ionsceafe,both ofthe mind and body there. So when a mansheart is let upon pleafures below, there is neither love nor hatred in cclef 9 the grave (faith Solomon ) That is , thole things that affe&ed the heart that men love, they ceafe there, all his pleafures and comforts are gone. So if a man love honour, and applaufe amongft men, it ceafethin the grave, all honour there is laid in the dull, contempt ù caft uponPrinces:this is that that affeecetlt men exceeding- ly, that they ;ball lofe their honours and pleafures , and acquaintance , and buf- nefs , and all when they come to the grave , and that becaufe mens hearts are let toomuch upon thefe things. That is the fecond reafon, There is a third thing, which is a fmful caufe of this fear ofDeath, and that is the ;. wan,o want ofAflùrance. Therebe two things that a man not being alluredof, makes the,tlurance him fear death; and thefe maybe in the childrenofGod , andas they are more' °f Gods fa- in anyone, fo the fear ofdeath is more in them. your. The firff is, when they are not affuredofreconciliation with God, that God is at peace with them, plcafedwith them in Chrift. Thewant ofthis affurance makes deathfcarfi l,fornow they look upon Death, as aSergeant , as aJaylor; either it is a Sergeant to take them'ofd their prefent comforts,or as aJaylor to hold them under thofc bonds and fetters, that they would fain efcape Nowwhen a man looks upon Death either way, it is terrible. As a Sergeant; fo the rich man in the Gofpel, This night they frail fetch thyfoulfrosts thee : they (Iía11 come to thee as a Sergeant Luke. t6. to aDebtour, to require a debt, they (hall require thy foul ofthee; Now, we all know, that a man that is in debt, and either hath not to pay, or is unwilling to part with that hehath, fuch a man cannot induce the fight of a Sergeant above all men,becaufe he cometh to fetch that from him, that he would not part with. Or if he look upon Death as a Jaylor , fo Chrift faith ; Agree with thyadverfary' Mar. 6. (quickly, left he deliver thee to the Judg, andbe give thee to the ,Taylor; and then he i holdeth' 39
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