An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

Fourthly, The fear of death is sinful, when it doth proceed from a sinful cause. ¹If the fountain be bitter, then the stream is bitter. Now there are these sinful causes of the fear of death.

Fourthly, The fear of death is sinfull, when it doth proceed from a sinfull cause. ¹If the fountain be bitter, then the stream is bitter. Now there are these sinfull causes of the fear of death.

1. 14. When it proceeds from a sinful cause, as from 1. An inordinate love of life.4. When it proceeds from a sinfull cause, as from 1. An inordinate love of life.

1. When it proceedeth from an inordinate love of life. An excessive love of life doth always beget an immoderate fear of death. So that we may judge of the sinfulness of fear by the sinfulness of love: If thy heart be not mortified and crucified to the world, if thy heart be not loosened and weaned from earthly comforts; and this maketh thee afraid to die, this is sinful. It is a fundamental qualification required in every Disciple of Christ; he cannot be Christs, unless he be above the love of all things, Matth. 10. 37. He that loveth father, or mother, or life it self, more than me, cannot be my Disciple. Why then art thou so afraid to die? Is it because thy heart is so dearly engaged in such relations, to such creatures? Be humbled for this, and reform.

1. When it proceedeth from an inordinate love of life. An excessive love of life doth alwayes beget an immoderate fear of death. So that we may judge of the sinfulness of fear by the sinfulness of love: If thy heart be not mortified and crucified to the world, if thy heart be not loosned and weaned from earthly comforts; and this maketh thee afraid to die, this is sinfull. It is a fundamental qualification required in every Disciple of Christ; he cannot be Christs, unless he be above the love of all things,