is required of us when we are Difciples, we fhall fee a plain Reason, why Faith and Repentance, as that fignifies Sorrow for Sin, and Vows of Obedience, will juftify us in Baptifm, but will not be accepted upon a Death-bed, after a Life fpent in Wickednefs: For when a baptized Chriftian comes to die, he is not then to be made a Difciple ofChrift and to be baptized again, but to give an Account of his Life fince he has been Chrift's Difciple; and mere Faith in Chrift, Sorrow for Sin, and Vows of Obedience, without actual Holinefs of Life, tho’ with the Sacrament of Baptifm it will make a Difciple, yet it will not pats in a Difciple's Account, efpecially when the Sum Total of his Life is nothing but Sin, and Sorrow, and fruitlefs Vows; for this is not that Holinefs of Life which Chrift requires of his Disciples, The ancient Difcipline of the Church was a plain Proof of this, that they thought a great deal more neceffary for a baptifed Chriftian, than was required to qualify Men for Baptifin. In the Apoftles Days, they baptized both Jews and Heathens, immediately upon their Profeffion of Faith in Chrift, and renouncing their former wicked Lives; but in cafe they fell into any grofs and and fcandalous Sin after Baptifin they were caft out of the Communion of the Church; and the Profeffion of Sorrow and Repentance for their Sins, and moft folemn Vows of a new Life, was not thought fufficient to restore them to the Peace of the Church, but they were kept under the Severities of Repentance, till they had made Satisfaction for the Scandal they had ven to the Church, and given fufficient Teftimonies of the actual Reformation of their Lives. And in the Ages fucceeding the Apoftles, this State of Penitence, in fome cafes, was continued many Years; in P 3 other g1 other Cafes, fuch Sinners were never reconciled to the Hour of Death, Now if they had thought as many among us now do, that Sorrow for Sin, and the Vows of Obedience, do immediately obtain our Pardon from God, for Sins committedafter Baptifin, it is not imaginable why they should have impofed fuch a long and fevere Discipline on Penitents. If they believed God had forgiven them, Why should not the Church forgive them, and receive them to her Communion again, upon their Promises of Amendment, without fuch a long Trial of their Reformation? But it is evident, they thought Sins after Baptifm not forgiven without actual Reformation, and therefore would not receive them to Communion again, without a tried and visible Reformation of their Lives. We know what Disputes there were about this Matter in the Primitive Church; the ancient Difcipline allowed but of one Repentance after Baptifm: And fome would not allow of that in the Cafe of Adultery, Murder, and Idolatry, but denied the Authority of the Church to receive fuch Sinners to Communion again. This was the Pretence of Novatus's Schifm; and Tertullian, after he turned Montanist, faid many bitter Things against the Catholics upon this Argument, which feemeth to question the Validity of Repentance itfelf after Baptifin, tho' it did reform Mens Lives. But tho' this was a great deal too much, and did both leffen the Grace of the Gofpel, and the Authority which Chrift hath given to his Church, yet it is evident that all this Time they were very far from thinking that fome dying Sorrows, or dying Vows after a wicked Life, would carry Men to Heaven: And the Judgment of thofe firft and pureft Ages of the Church, ought at least to make Men afraid of relying on fuch a Death-bed Repentance as they thought very ineffectual to fave Sinners. С НА Р. CHA P. IV. Concerning the Fear of DEATH, and the Remedies against it. EATH is commonly and very truly called the King of Terrors, as being the most formidable Thing to human Nature. The Love. of Life, and the natural Principle of Self-prefervation, begets in all Men a natural Averfion against Death; and this is the natural Fear of dying. This is very much increased by a great Fondness and Paffion for this World, which makes fuch Men, efpecially while they are happy and profperous, very unwilling to leave it; and this is ftill increased by a Senfe of Guilt, and the Fear of Punishment in the next World. All these are of a diftinct Nature, and require fuitable Remedies; and therefore I fhall diftinctly confider them, : I. The natural Fear of Death refults from Self-Prefervation, and the Love of our own Being For Light is fweet, and a pleasant Thing it is for the Eyes to behold the Sun, Ecclef. xi. 7. All Men love Life, and the neceffary Confequence of that is, to far Death; tho' this is rather a natural Inftinct, than the Effect of Reafon and Difcourfe. There are great and wife Reasons why God fhould imprint this Averfion to Death on human Nature, becaufe it obliges us to take Care of ourselves, and to avoid every Thing which will deftroy or fhorten our Lives: This in many Cafes is a great Principle of Virtue, as it pre ferves us from all fatal and deftructive Vices; it is a great Inftrument of Government, and makes Men afraid of committing fuch Villanies as the Laws of their Country have made capital. And therefore, fince the natural Fear of Death is of fuch great Advantage to us, we must be contented with it, though it makes the Thoughts of dying a little uneafy. Efpecially if we confider, that when this natural Fear of Death is not increased by other Caufes, (of which more prefently) it may be conquered or allayed by Reafon and wife Confideration: For this is not fo ftrong an Averfion, but it may be conquered. The Miferies and Calamities of this Life very often reconcile Men to Death, and make them paffionately defire it; Wherefore is Light given to him that is in Mifery, and Life to the bitter in Soul? Which long for Death, but it cometh not, and dig for it more than for bid Treafures; which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad when they can find the Grave, Job iii. 20, 21, 22. My Soul chufeth ftrangling, and Death rather than Life; I loath it, I would not live alway; let me alone, for my Days are Vanity, Job vii. 15, 16. And if the Senfe of prefent Sufferings can conquer the Fears of Death, there is no doubt but the Hope of immortal Life may do it alfo. For the Fear of Death is not an original and primitive Paffion. but refults from the Love of ourfelves, from the Love of our Life and our own Being; and therefore when we can feparate the Fear of Death from Self-Love, it is eafily conquered. When Men are fenfible that Life is no Kindness to them, bnt only ferves to prolong their Mifery, they are fo far from being afraid of Death, that they court it; and were they as thoroughly convinced, that when when they die, Death will tranflate them to a more happy Life, it would be as easy a Thing to put off thefe Bodies, as to change their Cloaths, or to leave an old and ruinous Houfe for a more beautiful and convenient Habitation. If we fet afide the natural Averfion, and enquire into the Reasons of this natural Fear of Death, we can think of but thefe two. Either Men are afraid that when they die they fhall ceafe to be; or at leaft they know not what they fhali be, and are unwilling to change this prefent Life, which they like very well, for they know not what. But now both thefe Reasons of Fear are taken away by the Revelation of the Gospel, which has brought Life and Immortality to Light; and when the Reafons of our Fear are gone, fich an unaccountable Averfion and Reluctancy to Death, fignifies little more than to make us patient of living, rather than unwilling to die; for a Man who has fuch a new glorious World, fuch a happy immortal Life in his View, could not very contentedly delay his Removal thither, were not Death in the Way, which he naturally startles at, and draws back from, tho' his Reason fees nothing frightful or terrible in it. The plain and fhort Account then of this Matter is this: We must not expect wholly to conquer our natural Averfion to Death; St. Paul himself did not defire to be uncloathed, but cloathed upon, that Mortality might be fwallowed up of Life, 2 Cor. iii. 4. Were there not fome remaining Averfions to Death mixed with our Hopes and Defires of Immortality, Martyrdom itfelf, excepting the patient enduring the Shame and Torments of it, would be no Virtue. But tho' this natural Averfion to Death cannot be wholly con |