N01109:34
Meditations on death. Delivered in several sermons, wherein is showedMeditations on death. Delivered in several sermons, wherein is shewed
Meditations on death. Delivered in several sermons, wherein is showed; I. That some true believers on Christ are afraid of death, but that they have no just cause to be so. II. That good men as well as others may be taken out of the world by a sudden death. III. That not earth but heaven is the Christians home. / By Increase Mather, D.D. ; [Two lines from Hebrews]Meditations on death. Delivered in several sermons, wherein is shewed; I. That some true believers on Christ are afraid of death, but that they have no just cause to be so. II. That good men as well as others may be taken out of the world by a sudden death. III. That not earth but heaven is the Christians home. / By Increase Mather, D.D. ; [Two lines from Hebrews]
printed by Timothy Green, 1707
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
PROPOSITION II.
Christless Sinners have just cause to be afraid of Death. If they are afraid to dye and leave this world, who can •lame them? True it is, that some Christless Sinners are Fearless of death, […] it proceeds from Ignorance: they •now not what an Enemy Death is ⟨p. 18⟩unto them, and the mischief and misery it will bring upon them: […] ▪ 28.15. They have made a Covena•• with Death, & are at an agreement […] Hell. They fear neither Death […] Hell. Alas! Many of them […] False Persuasions concerning the Happiness in another world, which makes them they fear not Death. The• have deluded hopes that it shall […] well with them. Some are so vain […] to think, if they can but say, Lor• have Mercy on me, when they come […] dye, that will save them; and […] then it shall be well with them. […] Deluded Souls! Others there are […] are mere Atheists: They hardly belie•• that there is a God; Psal. 14.1. […] Fool hath said in his heart, there is […] ▪ Then they need not be afraid […] Death: if there is no God, they […] no• fear Eternal punishment. […] some are so brutish as to think, […] no difference between the Sou• a Man and a Brute, and […] that there is no Heaven nor […] nor Judgment to come. Such […] ⟨p. 19⟩the Sadducees, who said there was no Angel nor Spirit, or immortal Soul. Why should such fear Death? One of the Popes being a great Atheist, […] ready to dye uttered such […] words as these, Now (says […]) I shall know whether three things be true, that I could never Believe: (1.) I shall know whether there is a God or no. (2.) Whether I have an immortal Soul or no. (3.) Whether there is an Heaven and an Hell or no. Such Atheism as this makes Christless Sinners that they fear not Death. Yet it is not so with all of them. As for some, yea many of them, the prospect of Death is most dismal to them. I have Read of one going to die, who Cried out, Oh that I might live, tho' it were the life of a Toad. Some great Men have been dismally afraid of Death. A Great Man in Rome, the Emperors greatest Favourite, was horly afraid of Death. He profess he […] be content to be in any misery, […] lose the use of all his Limbs, and […] in Poverty […] always in Pain, so