From hence we learn this instruction,
Doct. 6. That death may he less miserable than the ill which a man may live to see in this life; or, that the miseries of this life may be such as that death may be much better than life, and far rather to be chosen. We may fall into such miseries whilst we do live, that we may desire death, they being greater than it. The reason hereof is, because that a sudden death, in some respects, is better than a lingering one. One death is better than many deaths, for how many deaths did Josiah escape by this one death ! It would have been a death to him if he had lived to see the ruin of the commonwealth, the church of God, and his own sons carried into captivity, to have seen them slain, their eyes plucked out, the temple of God plucked down, and idolatry set up.
We ought then to be careful how to avoid a cursed and miserable estate after death. All the care of wicked men is to avoid death. But they may fall into such an estate in this life that they may wish death, as an heathen emperor once did, who complaining said, ' I have none will do me so much favour as to kill me.'* All the desire of atheists is, that they may live. Thou base atheist, thou mayest fall into such an estate as is worse than death, and if that be so terrible, what will thatf estate be after death ? An atheist in this life desires hfe. Oh that I might not die ! But in hell thou wilt desire, Oh that I might die ! The time will come that thou shalt desire that which thou canst not abide to hear of now. What desperate folly is it therefore to redeem life with base conditions ; not to give it for the gospel when we are called to it. In this case, that base life which we so stand upon, will cost us the loss of our soul for ever in hell, when we shall desire to die.
' Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be put in thy grave in peace.' The Lord saith, he ' will gather.' So we see,
Doct. 7. Our times are in God's hand ; as David saith, ' My time is in thy hand,' Ps. xxxi. 15. Our times of coming into the world, continuing in it, and going out of it, are in God's hand. Therefore he saith, ' Thou shalt be put in thy grave in peace.' God hath power of death. Our going and coming is from God ; he is the Lord of life and death.
Use. This is a comfort unto us while ive live in this world, that whilst we live we are not in our own hands, we shall not die in our own time ; neither is it in our enemies' hands, but in God's hand. He hath appointed a certain time of our being here in this world. This should tie us to obedi- ence, and to die in hope and faith ; because when we die we are but gathered to our fathers, to better company and place than we leave behind ns. * Qu, • Nero ' ?— G. t Qu. ' thine ' ?— Ed.
VOL. YI. P
82 THE saint's refreshing.
Again wo sec here that men may outlive their own Jiapplnesf;, that at last life may ho a judgment unto them, because they may see that which ia worse than death. How many parents Hve to see the ruin of their own famihes ! the undoing of their chikh'cn by their own miscarriage ! We see God takes away Josiah, because he will not have him live, as it were, beyond his happiness. "We see how tenderly affected God is for the good of his children. He pities them when they are in misery, knows what they are able to bear, and will lay no more upon them than he gives them strength to endure. God knew that Josiah was tender-hearted, and melted at the ver}' threatenings, which if he could not endure to hear against his countrj', could he ever have endured to have seen the miseries upon his people and country ? Surely no. Therefore God will rather gather him to his fathers.
Now this is a wonderful comfort, that many times God will not let us see too great matter of grief. Let us then imitate God, and deal so one with another as God deals with us — the husband with the wife, and the wife with the husband, and the like. Let us not acquaint them with such things as may make them more grieve than is fitting, or they are able to bear. God would not have Josiah to see the misery he brought upon his country, bccausa he knew that he was tenderly disposed, that a little grief would soon overcome him. So let us beware of causing any to grieve, or to let them know things which they are not able to bear.
Again, Seeing this is a grief to a kind and loving father, yea, worse than death, to see the ruin of his child, this should teach all those that are young, to take care that they give no occasion of offence to those that are over them, for to grieve ; which will be worse than death unto them. It would have been worse than a death unto Josiah to have seen the ruin of his children. So for those children v.'hich have been cherished by their parents in their nonage, it will be worse than death to them in their age to see their children lewd and come to ruin, whereby they bring so much sooner the grey head of their father to the grave in sorrow. These offend against the sixth commandment, which saith, ' Thou shalt not kill.' Let us then rather revive and comfort the heart of those that have been good unto us, and not kill them, or do that which is worse than death unto them.