Hale's Contemplations: On the Consideration of Our Latter End

DeUT. XXXII. 29.

“O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!’*

It may probably be thought, that the principal intention of this wish of Moses was, that the people of Israel had a due consideration of their final rejection; the ten tribes for their idolatry, and the two tribes for their crucifying of the Messiah; and not only of that state of rejection, but of the causes of it: namely, idolatry, and rejection of the Messiah; which consideration would have made them wise and prudent to avoid those great apostacies which should occasion so terrible a desertion and rejection by God.

But certainly the words contain an evident truth, with relation to every particular person, and to that latter end thdt is common to all mankind; namely, their latter end by death, and separation of the soul and body; the due consideration whereof is a great part of wisdom, and a great means to attain and improve it; and very many of the sins and follies of mankind as they do in a great measure proceed from the want of an attentive and serious consideration of it; so would they be, in a great measure, cured by it.

It is the most certain, known, experienced truth in the world, that all men roust die; that the time of that death is uncertain; that yet most certainly it will come, and that within the compass of no long time: though the time of our life might be protracted to its longest period, yet it is ten thousand to one that it exceeds fourscore years; where one man attains to that age, ten thousand die before it: and this lecture is read to us by the many casualties and diseases that put a period to the lives of many, in our own experience and observation; by the many warnings and monitions of mortality that every man finds in himself, either by the occurrences of diseases and weaknesses, or especially by the declinations that are apparent in us, if we attain to any considerable age: and the weekly bills of mortality, and the monuments and graves in every church and church-yard, do not only evince the truth of it, whereof no man of understanding doubts, but do incessantly inculcate the remembrance of it.

And yet it is strange to see, that this great truth, whereof, in theory, no man doubts, is little considered, or thought upon, by the most of mankind: but notwithstanding all these monitions and remem* brances of mortality, the living lay it not to heart, and look upon it as a business that little concerns them; as if they were not concerned in this common condition of mankind, and as if the condition of mortality only concerned those that actually die, or are under the immediate harbingers of it, some desperate or acute diseases; but concerned not those that are at present in health, or not under the stroke of a mortal sickness. The reasons of this inconsiderateness seem principally these: —

1. That men are not willing to entertain this unwelcome thought of their own latter end; the thought whereof is so unwelcome and troublesome a guest, that it seems to blast and wither all those present enjoyments of sense that this life aiSbrds; whereby it comes to pass, that as death itself is unwelcome when it draws near, so the thoughts and pre-apprehensions of it become as unwelcome as the thing itself.

2. A vain foolish conceit that the consideration of our latter end is a kind of presage and invitation of it; and upon this account I have known many superstitiously and foolishly forbiear the making of their wills, because it seemed to them ominous, and a presage of death; whereas this consideration, though it fits and prepares a man for death, doth no wy hasten or presage it.

3. A great difficulty that ordinarily- attends our human condition, to think otherwise concerning our condition than what at present we feel and find. We are now in health, and we can hardly bring ourselves to think that a time must and will come, wherein we shall be sick; we are now in life, and therefore we can hardly cast our thoughts into such a mould, as to think we shall die; and hence it is true, as the common proverb is That there ib no tnan so old, but be thinks he shall live a year longer.” It ra true, this is the way of mankind to put from us the evil day, and the thoughts of it; but this our way is our folly, and one of the greatest ocCBsions of those other follies that commonly attend our iifes; and therefore, the greatest means to cure this folly, and to make us wise, is wisely to consider our latter end. This wisdom appears in those excellent efkcis it produceth, which are generally those two:

I. It teacheth us to live well.

II. It teacheth us to dte easily.

I. For the former of these, the consideration of Our latter end, doth in no sort make our lives the shorter, but it is a great means to make our lives the better.

1. It is a great monition and warning of us to avoid sin, and a great means to prevent it. When I shall consider that certainly I must die, and I know not how soon, why should I- commit those things, that if they hasten not my latter end, yet they will make it more uneasy and troublesome by the reflection upon what I have done amiss? I may die to-morrow, why should I then commit that evil that will then be gall and bitterness to me? Would I do it if I were to die to-morrow? why should I then do it to-day? Perchance it may be the last act of my life, and however let me not conclude so ill; for, for ought I know, it may be my concluding scene in this last act pf my life.

2. It is a great motive and means to pat us upon the best and most profitable improvement of our time. There be certain civil and natural actions of our livesy that God Almighty hath indulged and allowed to us, and indeed commanded us, with moderation, to use; as the competent supplies of our own natures with moderation and sobriety; the provisions for our families, relations, and dependences, without covetousness or anxiety; the diligent and faithful walking in our callings, and discharge thereof. But there are also other businesses of great importance, which are yet attainable without injuring ourselves in those common concerns of our lives; namely, our knowledge of God and of his will, of the doctrine of our redemption by Christ, our repentance of sins past, making and keeping our peace with God, acquainting ourselves with him, living to his glory, walking as in his presence, praying to him, learning to depend upon him, rejoicing in him, walking thankfully with him: these, and such as these, are the great business and end of our lives, for which we enjoy them in this world; and these fit and prepare us for that which is to come. And the consideration that our lives are short and uncertain, and that death will sooner or later come, puts us upon this resolution and practice, to do this our great work while it is called to-day; that we loiter not away our day, and neglect our task and work while we have time and opportunity, lest the night overtake us, when we cannot work; to gain oil in our lamps before the door be shut. And if men would wisely consider their latter end, they might do this great business, this one thing necessary, with ease and quietness; yea, and without any neglect of what is necessary to. be done in order to the common necessities of our lives ai:kd ^QjyLv;^«

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It is not these that disable us and rob us of our time; but the thieves that rob us of our time, and our one thing necessary, are liegligence, excess of pleasures immoderate and excessive cares, and solicitousness for wealth, honour, and grandeur; .excessive eating, drinking, curiosity, and idleness: these are the great consumptives that do not only exhaust that time that would be with infinite advantage spent in our attainment, and perfecting, and finishing, the great work and business of our lives; and then, when sickness and death comes, and God Almighty calls upon us to give up the account of our stewardship, we are all in confusion, our business is not half done, it may be not begun; and yet our lamp is out, our day is spent, night hath overtaken us; and what we do, is with much trouble, perplexity, and vexation; and possibly our soul takes its flight before we can finish it. And all this would have been prevented and remedied by a due consideration of our latter end; and that would have put us upon making use of the present time, and present opportunity, to do our great work, “while it is called to-day,” because the “night cometh, when no man can work.” 3. Most certainly the wise consideration of our latter end, and the employment of ourselves on that account, upon that one thing necessary, renders life the most contented and comfortable life in the world: for as a man, that is beforehand in the world, hath a much more quiet life in order to externals, than he that is behind-hand; so such a man that takes his opportunity to gain a stock of grace and favour with God, that hath made his peace with his Maker through Christ Jesus, hath done a great pari of the chief business of his life, and is ready, upon all occasions, for all conditions, whereunto the divine providence shall assign him, whether of life, or death, or health, or sickness, or poverty, or riches; he is, as it were, beforehand in the business and concern of his everlasting, and of his present state also. If God lend him longer life in this world, he carries on his great business to greater degrees of perfection, with ease, and without difficulty, trouble, or perturbation. But if Almighty God cut him shorter, and call him to give an account of his stewardship, he is ready, and his accounts are fair, and his business is not now to be gone about: “Blessed is that servant whom his Master, when he comes, shall find so doing.”

II. As thus this consideration makes life better, so it inakes death easy.

1. By frequent consideration of death and dissolution a man is taught not to fear it; he is, as it were, acquainted with it beforehand, by often preparation for it. The fear of death is more terrible than death itself; and by frequent consideration thereof, a man hath learned not to fear it. Even children, by being accustomed to what was at first terrible to them, learn not to fear.

2. By frequent consideration of our latter end, death- comes to be no surprise tons. The great terror of death is when it surpriseth a man unawares; but anticipation and preparation for it, takes away all possibility of surprise upon him that is prepared to receive it. Biljiey, the martyr, was used, before his martyrdom, to put his finger in the candle, that so the flames might be no novelty utilo Vlsv<^ wx surprise hini) by reason of unacquaintedness with them; and he that often considers his latter end, seems to experience death before it comes, whereby he is neither surprised nor affrighted with it when it comes.

3. The greatest sting and terror of death, are the anrepented sins of the past life; the reflection upon these, is that which is the strength, the elixir, the venom of death itself. He, therefore, that wisely considers his latter end, takes care to make his peace with God in his lifetime; and by true faith and repentance, to get his pardon sealed; to enter into covenant with his God, and to keep it; to husband his time in the fear of God; to observe his will, and keep his laws; to have his conscience dean and clear: and, being thus prepared, the malignity of death is cured, and the bitterness of it healed, and the fear of it removed. And when a man can entertain it .with such an appeal to Almighty God, as once the good king HezoJciah made, in that sickness which was of itself mortal: “Remember nowj I beseech thee, O Lord, how I have walked before thee with a perfect heart,” &c. it makes as well the thought, as the approach of death, no terrible business.

But that which above all makes death easy to such a considering man, is this, that by the help of this consideration, and the due improvements of it, as is before shown, death to such a man, becomes nothing else but a gate unto a better life: not so much a dissolution of this present life,. as a change of it for a far more glorious, happy, and immortal life. So that though the body dies, the man dies not; for the soul, which is indeed the man, makes but a transition from her life in the body, to a life in heaven: no moment intervenes between the putting off the one, to the putting on the other. And this is the great privilege that the Son of God hath given us, that by his death he hath sanctified it unto us, and by his life hath conquered it, not only in himself, but for us. “Thanks be unto God, who hath given us the victory, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” And our .victory, that is thus given us, is this. 1. That the sting of death is taken away. And, 2. That this very death itself is rendered to us a. gate and passage to life eternal; and upon this account, it can neither hurt, nor may justly affright us. It is reported of the adder, that when she is old, she glides through some strait passage, and leaves her old skin in the passage, and thereby renews her vigour and her life. It is true, this passage through death is somewhat strait, and uneasy to the body; which, like the decayed skin of the adder, is left by the way, and not without some pain and difficulty to it: but the soul passeth through without any harm, and without any expense of time, and in the next moment acquires her estate of immortality and happiness. And this is the victory over death that all those have, that by true repentance and faith are partakers of Christ, and the benefits of his death and resurrection, “who bath brought life and immortality to light by the gospel.”

And now, having gone through the benefits of this wise consideration of our latter end, I shall now add Bome cautions that are necessary to be ^.liwe^^ .^ this consideration. We are to know, that although death be thus sudden, and rendered rather a benefit than a terror to good men; yet,

1. Death is not to be wished or desired; though it be an object not to be feared, it is a thing not to be coveted; for certainly life is the greatest temporal blessing in this world. It was the passion, not the virtue of that excellent prophet Elijah, that he desired to die, because he thought himself only left of the true worshippers of God. We are placed in the world by Almighty God, and a talent of life is delivered to us, and we are commanded to improve it; a task is set every one of us in this life, by the great Master of the family of heaven and earth; and we are required, with patience, and obedience, and faithfulness, to perform our task, and not to be weary of our work, ‘nor wish our day at an end before its time. When our Lord calls us, it is our duty, with courage and cheerfulness, to obey his call; but until he calls, it is our duty, with patience and contentedness, to perform our task, to be doing our work. And indeed in this life, our Lord has delivered us several tasks of great importance to do; as, namely, 1. To improve our graces and virtues, our knowledge and faith, and those works of piety and goodness that he requires. The better and closer we follow that business here, the greater will be our reward and improvement of glory hereafter. And therefore, as we must, with all readiness, give over our work when our Master calls us, so we must, with all diligence and perseverence, continue our employment till he calls us; and, with all thankfulness to God, entertain and rejoice in that portion of life be lends us; because we have thereby an op* portunity of doing our Master the more service, and of improving the degrees of our own glory and happiness. 2. And besides the former, he hath also set us another task; namely, to serve our generation; to give an example of virtue and goodness; to encourage others in the ways of virtue and goodness; to provide for our families and relations; to do all good offices of justice, righteousness, liberality, charity to others; cheerfully and industriously to follow our callings and employments; as well natural, as civil, and moral employments; which, though of a lower importance in respect of ourselves, yet are of greater use and moment in respect of others; and are, as well as the former, required of us, and part of the task that our great Lord requires of us; and for the sake of which, h also bestows many talents upon us, to be thus improved in this life, and for which we must also, at the end of our day, give our Lord an account: and therefore, for the sake of this also, we are to be thankful for our life, and not be desirous to leave our post, our station, our business, our life, till our Lord calls us to himself in the ordinary way of his providence; for he is the only Lord of our lives, and we are not the lords of our own lives.

2, A second caution is this; that as the business, and employments, and concerns of our life must not estrange us from the thoughts of death, so again we must be’ careful that the overmuch thought of death do not so much possess our minds, as to make us forget the concerns of life, nor neglect the business which that portion of time is allowed us for; as the business of fitting our souls for heaven, the busin of our callings, relations, places, stations; nay comfortable, thankful, sober, enjoyments of t honest, lawful comforts of our life that God ] us, so as it be done with great sobriety and mo< tion, as in the presence of God, and with i thankfulness to him; for this is part of that duty we owe to God, for those very external forts and blessings we enjoy. A wise and due sideration of our latter end, is neither to rendi a sad, melancholy, disconsolate people; nor to re us unfit for the businesses and offices of our but to make us more watchful, vigilant, industr soberly cheerful and thankful to that God, that been pleased thus to make us serviceable to comfortable to ourselves, profitable to others; after all this, to take away the bitterness and i of death through Jesus Christ our Lord.