An Exhortation against the Fear of Death
Part One
It is no wonder that worldly men are afraid to die. For death deprives them of all worldly honours, riches, and possessions, in the enjoyment of which the worldly man counts himself happy, so long as he may enjoy them at his own pleasure; and otherwise, if he is dispossessed of them without hope of recovery, then he can think nothing else of himself but that he is unhappy, because he has lost his worldly joy and pleasure.
"Alas," thinks this carnal man, "shall I now depart for ever from all my honours, all my treasures, from my country, friends, riches, possessions, and worldly pleasures, which are my joy and my heart's delight? Alas, that ever that day shall come, when I must bid all these farewell at once, and never enjoy any of them afterward!" It is therefore not without great cause that the Wise Man says, "O death, how bitter and sour is the remembrance of you to a man that lives in peace and prosperity amid his possessions, to a man living at ease, leading his life after his own mind without trouble, and who is also well pampered and fed." (Sirach 41:1)
There are other men whom this world does not so greatly smile upon, but rather vexes and oppresses with poverty, sickness, or some other adversity; yet they too fear death, partly because the flesh naturally abhors its own sorrowful dissolution, which death threatens, and partly by reason of sicknesses and painful diseases, which are the strongest pangs and agonies in the flesh, and commonly come to sick men before death, or at least accompany death whenever it comes.
Although these two causes seem great and weighty to a worldly man, moving him to fear death, there is yet another cause much greater than any already mentioned, for which he has indeed just cause to fear death; and that is the state and condition to which, at the last end, death brings all those who have set their hearts upon this world without repentance and amendment. This state and condition is called the second death, which shall come upon all such people after this bodily death. And this is the death that ought truly to be dreaded and feared, for it is the everlasting loss, without remedy, of the grace and favour of God, and of everlasting joy, pleasure, and happiness. And it is not only the loss for ever of all these eternal pleasures, but also the condemnation of both body and soul, without appeal or hope of redemption, to everlasting pains in hell.
To this state death sent the unmerciful and ungodly rich man that Luke speaks of in his Gospel, who, living in all wealth and pleasure in this world, and pampering himself daily with dainty food and gorgeous clothing, despised poor Lazarus, who lay pitifully at his gate, miserably afflicted and full of sores, and also grievously tormented with hunger. Both of these were arrested by death, which sent Lazarus, the poor miserable man, by angels at once to Abraham's bosom, a place of rest, pleasure, and consolation. But the unmerciful rich man went down into hell; and being in torments he cried for comfort, complaining of the intolerable pain he suffered in that flame of fire — but it was too late. So to this place bodily death sends all those who in this world have their joy and happiness, all those who in this world are unfaithful to God and unloving toward their neighbours, dying so without repentance and hope of God's mercy. It is therefore no wonder that the worldly man fears death, for he has much more cause to do so than he himself considers.
Thus we see three causes why worldly men fear death: first, because they will thereby lose their worldly honours, riches, possessions, and all their heart's desires; second, because of the painful diseases and bitter pangs that men commonly suffer either before or at the time of death; but the chief cause above all others is the dread of the miserable state of eternal damnation, both of body and soul, which they fear shall follow their departing out of the worldly pleasures of this present life. For these causes all mortal men who are given to the love of this world are, as the holy Apostle says, in fear and in the state of death through sin, so long as they live here in this world.
But — everlasting thanks be to Almighty God for ever — there is not one of all these causes, nor indeed all of them together, that can make a true Christian afraid to die, who is the very member of Christ, the temple of the Holy Spirit, the son of God, and the true inheritor of the everlasting kingdom of heaven. On the contrary, he conceives great and many reasons, undoubtedly grounded upon the infallible and everlasting truth of the word of God, that move him not only to put away the fear of bodily death, but also — for the many benefits and special advantages[1] that come to every faithful person through it — to wish, desire, and long heartily for it. For death shall be to him no death at all, but a true deliverance from death, from all the pains, cares, sorrows, miseries, and wretchedness of this world, and the very entry into rest, and the beginning of everlasting joy: a tasting of heavenly pleasures so great that no tongue is able to express them, no eye to see them, no ear to hear them, nor any earthly man's heart to conceive them. So exceedingly great are the benefits that God our heavenly Father, by his sheer mercy and for the love of his Son Jesus Christ, has laid up in store and prepared for those who humbly submit themselves to God's will, and evermore sincerely love him from the bottom of their hearts.
And we ought to believe that death, having been slain by Christ, cannot keep any man who steadfastly trusts in Christ under its perpetual tyranny and subjection, but that he shall rise from death again to glory at the last day appointed by Almighty God, just as Christ our Head rose again, according to God's appointment, on the third day. For St. Augustine says that, the Head going before, the members trust to follow and come after. And St. Paul says that, if Christ has risen from the dead, we shall rise also. And, to comfort all Christian people in this, holy Scripture calls this bodily death a sleep, in which a man's senses are, as it were, taken from him for a season, and yet, when he awakes, he is fresher than he was when he went to bed. So, although our souls are separated from our bodies for a season, yet at the general resurrection we shall be fresher, more beautiful, and more perfect than we are now. For now we are mortal, then we shall be immortal; now infected with various infirmities, then wholly free of all mortal infirmities; now subject to all carnal desires, then we shall be all spiritual, desiring nothing but God's glory and things eternal.
Thus this bodily death is a door, or an entrance, into life; and therefore, if it is rightly considered, not so much dreadful as it is a comfort: not a mischief, but a remedy for all mischief; no enemy, but a friend; not a cruel tyrant, but a gentle guide, leading us not to mortality but to immortality, not to sorrow and pain but to joy and pleasure — and that for ever — if it is thankfully taken and accepted as God's messenger, and patiently borne by us for the love of Christ, who suffered the most painful death for our love, to redeem us from eternal death. In keeping with this, St. Paul says, "Our life is hidden with Christ in God; and when our Life shall appear, then we also shall appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:3-4)
Why then shall we fear to die, considering the many comforting promises of the Gospel and of the holy Scriptures? "God the Father has given us everlasting life," says St. John, "and this life is in his Son. He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son has not life." (1 John 5:11-12) And, says St. John, "This I wrote to you that believe in the Name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have everlasting life, and that you may believe in the Name of the Son of God." (1 John 5:13) And our Saviour Christ says, "He that believes in me has life everlasting, and I will raise him from death to life at the last day." (John 6:40, 47) St. Paul also says that Christ is appointed and made by God our righteousness, our holiness, and our redemption, so that whoever boasts should boast in the Lord. St. Paul despised and set little store by all other things, counting them as dung, which before he had prized very highly, that he might be found in Christ, and have everlasting life, true holiness, righteousness, and redemption. Finally, St. Paul makes a plain argument like this: if our heavenly Father would not spare his own natural Son, but gave him to death for us, how can it be that with him he should not also give us all things? Therefore, if we have Christ, then with him and by him we have all good things, whatever we can wish or desire in our hearts: victory over death, sin, and hell; the favour of God, peace with him, holiness, wisdom, justice, power, life, and redemption; we have by him perpetual health, welfare, joy, and everlasting bliss.
Part Two
It has been shown you before that there are three causes why men commonly fear death: first, the sorrowful departing from worldly goods and pleasures; second, the fear of the pangs and pains that come with death; and the last and chief cause, the horrible fear of extreme misery and perpetual damnation in the time to come. And yet none of these three causes troubles good men, because they support themselves by true faith, perfect charity,[2] and the sure hope of endless joy and bliss everlasting.
All those, therefore, have great cause to be full of joy who are joined to Christ with true faith, steadfast hope, and perfect charity, and not to fear death or everlasting damnation. For death cannot deprive them of Jesus Christ, nor can any sin condemn those who are surely grafted into him, who is their only joy, treasure, and life. Let us repent of our sins, amend our lives, and trust in his mercy and satisfaction, and death can neither take him from us nor us from him. For then, as St. Paul says, "whether we live or die, we are the Lord's own." (Romans 14:8) And again he says, "Christ died and rose again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living." (Romans 14:9) Then, if we are the Lord's own when we are dead, it must follow that such temporal death not only cannot harm us, but shall be much to our profit, and shall join us to God more perfectly. And of this the Christian heart may be surely assured by the infallible (or undeceivable) truth of holy Scripture. "It is God," says St. Paul, "who has prepared us for immortality, and it is the same God who has given us the earnest of the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 5:5)
Therefore let us always be of good comfort; for we know that, so long as we are in the body, we are, as it were, far from God in a strange country, subject to many perils, walking without the perfect sight and knowledge of Almighty God, seeing him only by faith in the holy Scriptures; but we have courage, and would rather be at home with God and our Saviour Christ, far from the body, where we may behold his Godhead as he is, face to face, to our everlasting comfort. These are St. Paul's words in effect, by which we may perceive that life in this world is compared and likened to a pilgrimage in a strange country far from God, and that death, delivering us from our bodies, sends us straight home into our own country, and makes us dwell at once with God for ever in everlasting rest and quietness. So that to die is no loss, but profit and gain, to all true Christian people.
What did the thief lose, who hung on the cross with Christ, by his bodily death? Indeed, how much did he gain by it! Did not our Saviour say to him, "Today you shall be with me in Paradise"? (Luke 23:43) And Lazarus, that pitiful man who lay before the rich man's gate, pained with sores and tormented with hunger — did not death highly profit and promote him, when by the ministry of angels it sent him to Abraham's bosom, a place of rest, joy, and heavenly consolation? Let us think nothing else, good Christian people, but that Christ has prepared and made ready beforehand the same joy and happiness for us that he prepared for Lazarus and the thief. Therefore let us hold fast to his salvation and gracious redemption, believe his word, serve him from our hearts, and love and obey him; and whatever we have done before this contrary to his most holy will, let us now repent in time, and hereafter strive to correct our lives, and let us not doubt that we shall find him as merciful to us as he was to either Lazarus or the thief. Their examples are written in holy Scripture for the comfort of those who are sinners, and subject to sorrows, miseries, and calamities in this world, so that they should not despair of God's mercy, but ever trust through it to have forgiveness of their sins and life everlasting, as Lazarus and the thief had.
Thus I trust every Christian perceives, by the infallible (or undeceivable) word of God, that bodily death cannot harm or hinder those who truly believe in Christ, but on the contrary shall profit and promote the Christian souls who, being truly penitent for their offences, depart this life in perfect charity and in sure trust that God is merciful to them, forgiving their sins for the merits of Jesus Christ his only natural Son.
The second cause why some fear death is grievous sickness and painful suffering, which partly come before death and partly accompany (or come with) death whenever it comes. This fear is the fear of the frail flesh, a natural passion belonging to the nature of a mortal man. But true faith in God's promises, and regard for the pains and pangs that Christ suffered for us miserable sinners on the cross, together with the thought of the joy and everlasting life to come in heaven, will mitigate and lessen those pains, and moderate (or bring to a mean) this fear, so that it shall never be able to overthrow the heartfelt desire and gladness that the Christian soul has to be separated from this corrupt body, that it may come to the gracious presence of our Saviour Jesus Christ. If we steadfastly believe the word of God, we shall perceive that such bodily sickness, pangs of death, or whatever painful suffering we endure either before or with death, are nothing else, in Christian men, but the rod of our heavenly and loving Father, with which he mercifully corrects us — either to test and display the faith of his patient children, that they may be found praiseworthy, glorious, and honourable in his sight when Jesus Christ shall be openly shown to be the Judge of all the world, or else to chasten and amend in them whatever offends his fatherly and gracious goodness, lest they should perish everlastingly. And this correcting rod of his is common to all those who are truly his.
Therefore let us cast away the burden of sin that lies so heavy on our necks, and return to God by true repentance and amendment of our lives. Let us with patience run this course that is appointed, suffering — for the sake of him who died for our salvation — all the sorrows and pangs of death, and death itself, joyfully, when God sends it to us, keeping our eyes fixed and set fast ever upon the Head and Captain of our faith, Jesus Christ. He, considering the joy that he should come to, cared neither for the shame nor the pain of death, but, willingly conforming and framing his will to his Father's will, most patiently suffered the most shameful and painful death of the cross, being innocent and harmless. And now, therefore, he is exalted in heaven, and everlastingly sits at the right hand of the throne of God the Father.
Let us therefore call to remembrance the life and joys of heaven that are kept for all those who patiently suffer here with Christ; and let us consider that Christ suffered all his painful passion for sinners, and for sinners; and then we shall, with patience and the more easily, suffer such sorrows and pains when they come. Let us not make light of the chastising of the Lord, nor grumble at him, nor fall away from him when we are corrected by him; for the Lord loves those whom he corrects, and chastens every one whom he takes to be his child. "What child is there," says St. Paul, "whom the father loves and does not chastise? If you are without God's correction, which all his well-beloved and true children have, then you are but illegitimate children, little regarded by God, and not his true children." (Hebrews 12:6-8) Therefore, since we have our earthly fathers here to correct us, and we fear them and reverently accept their correction, shall we not much more be in subjection to God our spiritual Father, by whom we shall have everlasting life? Our earthly fathers sometimes correct us merely as it pleases them, without cause; but this Father justly corrects us, either for our sin, that we should amend, or for our benefit and welfare, to make us thereby partakers of his holiness. Furthermore, all correction that God sends us in this present time seems to bring no joy and comfort, but sorrow and pain; yet it brings with it a taste of God's mercy and goodness toward those who are so corrected, and a sure hope of God's everlasting consolation in heaven.
If, then, these sorrows, diseases, and sicknesses, and death itself, are nothing else but our heavenly Father's rod, by which he assures us of his love and gracious favour, by which he tests and purifies us, by which he gives us holiness and assures us that we are his children and he our merciful Father — shall we not then, with all humility, as obedient and loving children, joyfully kiss our heavenly Father's rod, and ever say in our heart, with our Saviour Jesus Christ, "Father, if this anguish and sorrow that I feel, and the death that I see approaching, may not pass, but it is your will that I must suffer them — your will be done"? (Matthew 26:42)
Part Three
In this Sermon against the Fear of Death, two causes were set out that commonly move worldly men to be in much fear of dying; and yet these same causes do not at all trouble the faithful and good-living when death comes, but rather give them occasion to rejoice greatly, considering that they shall be delivered from the sorrow and misery of this world, and brought to the great joy and happiness of the life to come.
Now the third and special cause why death is indeed to be feared is the miserable state of worldly and ungodly people after their death. But this is no cause at all why the godly and faithful should fear death; rather, on the contrary, their godly conversation in this life, and their belief in Christ, clinging continually to his merits, should make them long earnestly for that life that remains for them, beyond all doubt, after this bodily death.
Of this immortal state — after this transitory life, where we shall live evermore in the presence of God, in joy and rest, after victory over all sickness, sorrows, sin, and death — there are many plain passages of holy Scripture that confirm the weak conscience against the fear of all such pains, sicknesses, sin, and bodily death, to allay such trembling and ungodly fear, and to encourage us with the comfort and hope of a blessed state after this life. St. Paul wishes for the Ephesians that God the Father of glory would give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation, that the eyes of their hearts might have light to know him, and to perceive how great are the things he has called them to, and how rich an inheritance he has prepared, after this life, for those who belong to him. And St. Paul himself declares the desire of his heart, which was to be set free and loosed from his body and to be with Christ. This, as he said, was much better for him; yet for them it was more necessary that he should live, and he did not refuse to live for their sakes. Just as St. Martin said, "Good Lord, if I am necessary for your people, to do good to them, I will refuse no labour; but otherwise, for my own self, I beg you to take my soul."
Now the holy fathers of the old Law, and all the faithful and righteous who departed before our Saviour Christ's ascension into heaven, passed by death from troubles to rest, from the hands of their enemies into the hands of God, from sorrows and sicknesses to joyful refreshing, into Abraham's bosom, a place of all comfort and consolation — as the Scriptures plainly testify in clear words. The Book of Wisdom says:
The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. In the sight of foolish men they seemed to die; their death was counted miserable, and their departing out of this world wretched; but they are in rest. (Wisdom 3:1-3)
And another place says that the righteous shall live for ever, and their reward is with the Lord, and their minds are with God, who is above all; and therefore they shall receive a glorious kingdom and a beautiful crown at the Lord's hand. And in another place the same Book says, "The righteous, though he is overtaken[3] by sudden death, shall nevertheless be where he shall be refreshed." (Wisdom 4:7) Of Abraham's bosom Christ's own words are so plain that a Christian needs no more proof of it.
Now then, if this was the state of the holy fathers and righteous men before the coming of our Saviour, and before he was glorified, how much more ought all of us to have a steadfast faith and a sure hope of this blessed state and condition after our death — seeing that our Saviour has now performed the whole work of our redemption, and is gloriously ascended into heaven to prepare our dwelling places with him, and has said to his Father, "Father, I will that where I am, my servants shall be with me." (John 17:24) And we know that whatever Christ wills, his Father wills the same; therefore it cannot be otherwise but that, if we are his faithful servants, our souls shall be with him after our departing out of this present life.
St. Stephen, when he was stoned to death, even in the midst of his torments — what was his mind most upon? When he was full of the Holy Spirit, says holy Scripture, having his eyes lifted up to heaven, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. (Acts 7:55) And after he had boldly confessed this truth before the enemies of Christ, they drew him out of the city and there stoned him; and he cried out to God, saying, "Lord Jesus Christ, receive my spirit." (Acts 7:59) And does not our Saviour say plainly in St. John's Gospel, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he that hears my word and believes him that sent me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but shall pass from death to life"? (John 5:24) Shall we not then count that death precious by which we pass to life? Therefore it is a true saying of the Prophet, "The death of the holy and righteous is precious in the Lord's sight." (Psalm 116:15)
Holy Simeon, after he had his heart's desire in seeing our Saviour, whom he had longed for all his life, embraced (or took) him in his arms and said, "Now, Lord, let me depart in peace, for my eyes have beheld that Saviour whom you have prepared for all nations." (Luke 2:29-31) It is true, therefore, that the death of the righteous is called peace, and the benefit of the Lord, as the Church says in the name of the righteous who have departed out of this world: "My soul, turn to your rest, for the Lord has been good to you and has rewarded you." (Psalm 116:7) And we see by holy Scripture, and by other ancient histories of the Martyrs, that the holy, faithful, and righteous, ever since Christ's ascension (or going up), in their death did not doubt that they went to be with Christ in spirit, who is our life, health, welfare, and salvation.
John, in his holy Revelation, saw a hundred and forty-four thousand virgins and innocents, of whom he said, "These follow the Lamb, Jesus Christ, wherever he goes." (Revelation 14:4) And shortly after, in the same place, he says:
I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Write: Happy and blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. From now on, surely, says the Spirit, they shall rest from their pains and labours, for their works follow them. (Revelation 14:13)
So then they shall reap with joy and comfort what they sowed with labours and pains. Those who sow in the spirit shall, of the spirit, reap everlasting life. Let us therefore never grow weary of doing good; for when the time of reaping, or of reward, comes, we shall reap everlasting joy without any weariness. Therefore, while we have time, as St. Paul exhorts us, let us do good to all men, and not lay up our treasures on earth, where rust and moths corrupt them — which rust, as St. James says, shall bear witness against us at the great day, condemn us, and torment our flesh like a most burning fire.[4]
Let us beware, therefore, as we value our own welfare, that we are not among those miserable, covetous, wretched men whom St. James bids mourn and lament their greedy gathering and ungodly keeping of goods. Let us be wise in time, and learn to follow the wise example of the wicked steward. Let us so wisely manage our goods and possessions, entrusted to us here by God for a season, that we may truly hear and obey this commandment of our Saviour Christ: "I say to you," he says, "make yourselves friends of the wicked mammon, that they may receive you into everlasting tabernacles (or dwellings)." (Luke 16:9) He calls riches wicked because the world abuses them to all wickedness — riches that are otherwise a good gift of God, and the instruments by which God's servants truly serve him in the use of them.
He did not command them to make rich friends, to gain high dignities and worldly advancement, or to give great gifts to rich men who have no need of them, but to make themselves friends of poor and miserable men, to whom, whatever they give, Christ takes it as given to himself. And to these friends Christ in the Gospel gives great honour and pre-eminence, for he says they shall receive into everlasting houses those who do good to them: not that men shall be our rewarders for our well-doing, but that Christ will reward us, and take whatever is done to such friends as done to himself. Thus, by making poor wretches our friends, we make our Saviour Christ our friend, whose members they are; and as he takes their misery for his own misery, so he takes their relief, succour, and help for his own succour, relief, and help, and will thank and reward us as much for the goodness shown to them as if he himself had received such a benefit at our hands — as he testifies in the Gospel, saying, "Whatever you have done to any of these simple persons who believe, that you have done to me." (Matthew 25:40)
Therefore let us diligently take care that the faith and hope we have conceived in Almighty God and in our Saviour Christ do not grow faint, and that the love we bear to him does not grow cold; but let us study daily and diligently to show ourselves to be the true honourers and lovers of God, by keeping his commandments, by doing good deeds to our needy neighbours — relieving by all means we can their poverty with our abundance and plenty, their ignorance with our wisdom and learning, and comforting their weakness with our strength and authority — calling all men back from evil-doing by godly counsel and good example, and persevering in well-doing as long as we live.
So we shall not need to fear death for any of those three causes already mentioned, nor for any other cause that can be imagined. On the contrary, many miseries, perils, and disadvantages beset the faithful Christian so long as he lives here on earth: the many sicknesses, troubles, and sorrows of this present life, the dangers of this perilous pilgrimage, and the great burden our spirit bears from this sinful flesh and frail body, subject to death; the many sorrows and dangerous deceits of this world on every side, the intolerable pride, covetousness, and lechery in time of prosperity, and the impatient murmuring of worldly men in time of adversity, which never cease to draw us away and pluck us from God, our Saviour Christ, from our life, welfare, everlasting joy, and salvation; and the countless assaults of our spiritual enemy the devil, with all his fiery darts of ambition, pride, lechery, vainglory, envy, malice, detraction (or backbiting), and his other countless deceits, devices, and snares, by which he goes busily about to catch all men under his dominion, ever, like a roaring lion, searching by every means whom he may devour. On the other hand stands that blessed and comforting state of the heavenly life to come, and the sweet condition of those who depart in the Lord: how they are delivered from the continual burdens of their mortal and sinful body, from all the malice, crafts, and deceits of this world, and from all the assaults of their spiritual enemy the devil, to live in peace, rest, and endless quietness, to live in the fellowship of countless Angels, and with the congregation of perfect, righteous men — Patriarchs, Prophets, Martyrs, and Confessors — and finally to be brought into the presence of Almighty God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Whoever considers all these things, and assuredly believes them, as they are to be believed, from the very bottom of his heart, being established in God in this true faith, having a quiet conscience in Christ, and a firm hope and assured trust in God's mercy through the merits of Jesus Christ to obtain this quietness, rest, and everlasting joy, shall not only be without fear of bodily death when it comes, but, just as St. Paul did, shall gladly — according to God's will, and when it pleases God to call him out of this life — greatly desire it in his heart, that he may be rid of all these occasions of evil, and live for ever to God's pleasure, in perfect obedience to his will, with our Saviour Jesus Christ.
To his gracious presence may the Lord, of his infinite mercy and grace, bring us, to reign with him in life everlasting; to whom, with our heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory, world without end. Amen.
Original "commodities" (= benefits, advantages); not goods for trade.↩︎
The 1859 text reads "charity," retained here for its technical sense (Greek agapē, self-giving love).↩︎
Original "prevented," in its older sense of "overtaken" or "caught beforehand" — the opposite of the modern meaning.↩︎
Source reading uncertain here. This clause about the rust bearing witness against us and tormenting the flesh (echoing James 5:3) is corrupt in the scanned original; the sense has been reconstructed.↩︎