Part 34

Wise. What? of a wicked man dying in Despair?

Atten. Yes, of a wicked man dying in despair.

Wise. Well then: {169a} This Mr. Badmans other Brother was a very wicked man, both in Heart and Life; I say in Heart, because he was so in Life, nor could anything reclaim him; neither good Men, good Books, good Examples, nor Gods Judgements. Well, after he had lived a great while in his sins, God smote with a sickness of which he died. Now in his sickness his Conscience began to be awakened, and he began to roar out of his ill-spent Life, insomuch that the Town began to ring of him. Now when it was noysed about, many of the Neighbours came to see him, and to read by him, as is the common way with some; but all that they could doe, [Picture: Take note symbol] could not abate his terror, but he would lie in his Bed gnashing of his teeth, and wringing of his wrists, concluding upon the Damnation of his Soul, and in that horror and despair he dyed; not calling upon God, but distrusting in his Mercy, and Blaspheming of his Name.

Atten. This brings to my mind a man that a Friend of mine told me of. [Picture: Take note symbol] He had been a wicked liver; so when he came to die, he fell into despair, and having concluded that God had no mercy for him he addressed himself to the Devil for favour, saying, Good Devil be good unto me.

Wise. This is almost like Saul, who being forsaken of God, went to the Witch of Endor, and so to the Devil for help. {170a} But alas, should I set my self to collect these dreadful Stories, it would be easie in little time to present you with hundreds of them: But I will conclude as I began; They that are their own Murderers, or that die in Despair, after they have lived a life of wickedness, do surely go to Hell.

And here I would put in a Caution: Every one that dieth under consternation of spirit; that is, under amazement and great fear, do not therefore die in Despair: For a good man may have this for his bands in his death, and yet go to Heaven and Glory. For, as I said before, He that is a good man, a man that hath Faith and Holiness, a lover and Worshipper of God by Christ, according to his Word, may die in consternation of spirit: for Satan will not be wanting to assault good men upon their death-bed, but they are secured by the Word and Power of God; yea, and are also helped, though with much agony of spirit, to exercise themselves in Faith and Prayer, the which he that dieth in Despair, can by no means doe. But let us return to Mr. Badman, and enter further Discourse of the manner of his Death.

Atten. I think you and I are both of a mind; for just now I was thinking to call you back to him also. And pray now, since it is your own motion to return again to him, let us discourse a little more of his quiet and still death.

Wise. With all my heart. You know we were speaking before of the manner of Mr. Badmans death: {171a} How that he dyed very stilly and quietly; upon which you made observation, that the common people conclude, that if a man dyes quietly, and as they call it, like a Lamb, he is certainly gone to Heaven: when alas, if a wicked man dyes quietly, if a man that has all his dayes lived in notorious sin, dyeth quietly; his quiet dying is so far off from being a sign of his being saved, that it is an uncontrollable proof of his damnation. This was Mr. Badmans case, he lived wickedly even to the last, and then went quietly out of the world: therefore Mr. Badman is gone to Hell.

Att. Well, but since you are upon it, and also so confident in it, to wit, that a man that lives a wicked life till he dyes, and then dyes quietly, is gone to Hell; let me see what shew of proof you have for this your opinion.

Wise. My first argument is drawn from the Necessity of repentance: No man can be saved except he repents, nor can he repent that sees not, that knows not that he is a sinner, and he that knows himself to be a sinner, will, I will warrant him, be molested for the time by that knowledge. {171b} This, as it is testified by all the Scriptures, so it is testified by Christian experience. He that knows of himself to be a sinner, is molested, especially if that knowledge comes not to him untill he is cast upon his death-bed; molested, I say, before he can dye quietly. Yea, he is molested, dejected and cast down, he is also made to cry out, to hunger and thirst after mercy by Christ, and if at all he shall indeed come to die quietly, I mean with that quietness that is begotten by Faith and Hope in Gods mercy (to the which Mr. Badman and his brethren were utter strangers,) his quietness is distinguished by all Judicious observers, by what went before it, by what it flows from, and also by what is the fruit thereof.

I must confess I am no admirer of sick-bed repentance, for I think verily it is seldom {171c} good for any thing: but I say, he that hath lived in sin and profaneness all his dayes, as Mr. Badman did, and yet shall dye quietly, that is, without repentance steps in ’twixt his life and death, he is assuredly gone to Hell, and is damned.

Atten. This does look like an argument indeed; for Repentance must come, or else we must goe to Hell-fire: and if a lewd liver shall (I mean that so continues till the day of his death), yet goe out of the world quietly, ’tis a sign that he died without repentance, and so a sign that he is damned.

Wise. I am satisfied in it, for my part, and that from the Necessity, and Nature of repentance. It is necessary, because God calls for it, and will not pardon sin without it: Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish. This is that which God hath said, and he will prove but a fool-hardy man that shall yet think to goe to Heaven and glory without it. Repent, for the Ax is laid to the root of the tree, every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit, (but no good fruit can be where there is not sound repentance) shall be hewn down, and cast into the fire. {172a} This was Mr. Badmans case, he had attending of him a sinfull life, and that to the very last, and yet dyed quietly, that is, without repentance; he is gone to Hell and is damned. For the Nature of repentance, I have touched upon that already, and shewed, that it never was where a quiet death is the immediate companion of a sinfull life; and therefore Mr. Badman is gone to Hell.

Secondly, {172b} My second argument is drawn from that blessed Word of Christ, While the strong man armed keeps the house, his goods are in peace, till a stronger than he comes: but the strong man armed kept Mr. Badmans house, that is, his heart, and soul, and body, for he went from a sinfull life quietly, out of this world: the stronger did not disturb by intercepting with sound repentance, betwixt his sinful life and his quiet death: Therefore Mr. Badman is gone to Hell.

The strong man armed is the Devil, and quietness is his security. The Devil never fears losing of the sinner, if he can but keep him quiet: can he but keep him quiet in a sinfull life, and quiet in his death, he is his own. Therefore he saith, his goods are in peace; that is, out of danger. There is no fear of the Devils losing such a soul, I say, because Christ, who is the best Judge in this matter, saith, his goods are in peace, in quiet, and out of danger.

Atten. This is a good one too; {173a} for doubtless, peace and quiet with sin, is one of the greatest signs of a damnable state.

Wise. So it is. Therefore, when God would shew the greatness of his anger against sin and sinners in one word, he saith, They are joyned to Idols, let them alone. {173b} Let them alone, that is, disturb them not; let them goe on without controll; let the Devil enjoy them peaceably, let him carry them out of the world unconverted quietly. This is one of the sorest of Judgments, and bespeaketh the burning anger of God against sinfull men. See also when you come home, the fourteenth Verse of the Chapter last mentioned in the Margent: I will not punish your daughters when they commit Whoredom. I will let them alone, they shall live and dye in their sins. But,

Thirdly, My third argument {173c} is drawn from that saying of Christ: He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, and be converted, and I should heal them. {173d}

There are three things that I will take notice of from these words.

1. The first is, That there can be no conversion to God where the eye is darkned, and the heart hardened. The eye must first be made to see, and the heart to break and relent under and for sin, or else there can be no conversion. He hath blinded their eyes, and hardned their hearts, lest they should see, and understand and (So) be converted. And this was clearly Mr. Badmans case, he lived a wicked life, and also died with his eyes shut, and heart hardened, as is manifest, in that a sinful life was joyned with a quiet death; and all for that he should not be converted, but partake of the fruit of his sinfull life in Hell fire.

2. The second thing that I take notice of from these words is, That this is a dispensation and manifestation of Gods anger against a man for his sin. When God is angry with men, I mean, when he is so angry with them, this among many is one of the Judgments that he giveth them up unto, to wit, to blindness of mind, and hardness of heart, which he also suffereth to accompany them till they enter in at the gates of death. And then, and there, and not short of then and there, their eyes come to be opened. Hence it is said of the rich man mentioned in Luke, He dyed, and in Hell he lifted up his eyes: {174a} Implying that he did not lift them up before: He neither saw what he had done, nor whither he was going, till he came to the place of execution, even into Hell. He died asleep in his soul; he dyed bespotted, stupified, and so consequently for quietness, like a Child or Lamb, even as Mr. Badman did: this was a sign of Gods anger; he had a mind to damn him for his sins, and therefore would not let him see nor have an heart to repent for them, lest he should convert, and his damnation, which God had appointed, should be frustrate: lest they should be converted, and I should heal them.

3. The third thing that I take notice of from hence, is, That a sinfull life and a quiet death annexed to it, is the ready, the open, the beaten, the common high-way to Hell: there is no surer sign of Damnation, than for a man to dye quietly after a sinfull life. I do not say that all wicked men, that are molested at their death with a sence of sin and fears of Hell, do therefore goe to Heaven, (for some are also made to see, and are left to despair (not converted by seeing) that they might go roaring out of this world to their place:) But I say, there is no surer sign of a mans Damnation, than to dye quietly after a sinful life; than to sin, and dye with his eyes shut; than to sin, and dye with an heart that cannot repent. He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart; (no, not so long as they are in this world) lest they should see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. {174b}

God has a Judgment for wicked men; God will be even with wicked men: God knows how to reserve the ungodly to the day of Judgment to be punished: {174c} And this is one of his wayes by which he doth it. Thus it was with Mr. Badman.

4. Fourthly, {174d} It is said in the Book of Psalms, concerning the wicked, There is no bands in their death, but their strength is firm. By no bands, he means no troubles, no gracious chastisements, no such corrections for sin as fall to be the Lot of Gods people for theirs; yea, that many times falls to be theirs, at the time of their death. Therefore he adds concerning the wicked, They are not troubled (then) like other men, neither are they plagued like other men; but go as securely out of the world, as if they had never sinned against God, and put their own souls into danger of damnation. There is no band in their death. They seem to go unbound, and set at liberty, out of this world, though they have lived notoriously wicked all their dayes in it. The Prisoner that is to dye at the Gallows for his wickedness, must first have his Irons knock’t off his legs; so he seems to goe most at liberty, when indeed he is going to be executed for his transgressions. Wicked men also have no bands in their death, they seem to be more at liberty when they are even at the Wind-up of their sinfull life, than at any time besides.

Hence you shall have them boast of their Faith and Hope in Gods Mercy, when they lye upon their death-bed; yea, you shall have them speak as confidently of their salvation, as if they had served God all their dayes: when the truth is, the bottom of this their boasting is, because they have no bands in their death.

Their sin and base life comes not into their mind to correct them, and bring them to repentance; but presumptuous thoughts, and an hope and faith of the Spiders (the Devils) making, possesseth their soul, to their own eternal undoing. {175a}

Hence wicked mens hope, is said to dye, not before, but with them; they give up the Ghost together. And thus did Mr. Badman. His sins and his hope went with him to the Gate, but there his hope left him, because it dyed there; but his sins went in with him, to be a worm to gnaw him in his conscience for ever and ever.

The opinion therefore of the common people concerning this kind of dying, is {175b} frivolous and vain; for Mr. Badman died like a Lamb, or as they call it, like a Chrisom child, quietly and without fear. I speak not this with reference to the strugling of nature with death, but as to the strugling of the conscience with the Judgment of God. I know that Nature will struggle with death. I have seen a Dog and Sheep dye hardly: And thus may a wicked man doe, because there is an antipathy betwixt nature and death. But even while, even then, when Death and Nature are strugling for mastery, the soul, the conscience, may be as besotted, as benummed, as senceless and ignorant of its miserable state, as the block or bed on which the sick lyes: And thus they may dye like a Chrisom child in shew, but indeed like one who by the Judgment of God is bound over to eternal damnation; and that also by the same Judgment is kept from seeing what they are, and whither they are going, till they plunge down among the flames.