The Consolation of the Sick
which is an Instruction in Faith,
and the Way of Salvation
to prepare Believers to die willingly
Since Adam was created just and good, that is to say, holy,
righteous and immortal, and dominion given him over all the
creatures which God had created; and whereas he did not long
remain in this state, but has through the subtlety of the
Devil and his own rebellion fallen from this excellent glory,
whereby he has brought upon us the misery of temporal and
eternal death; this is the original sin of which David speaks
in the 51st Psalm, saying, I was shaped in iniquity and in Ps.51:5
sin did my mother conceive me: In like manner Paul says to
the Romans, That by one man sin entered into the world, and Rom.5:12
death by sin, and death passed upon all men, for that all
have sinned. For as soon as Adam was thus fallen, he
immediately came under a certain curse, as we read in
Genesis, where God says, Cursed is the ground for thy sake, Gen.3:17,
in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life, in 19
the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return
unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: For dust thou
art, and unto dust shalt thou return. Whence we certainly
know, that all things which receive life, must once die. This
David clearly testifies, saying, What man is he that liveth, Ps.89:48
and shall not see death? For Solomon says, The living know Eccl.9:5
that they shall die. For here we have no continuing city, but Heb.13:14
we seek one to come. And to the Hebrews, That it is appointed
unto men once to die, but, but after this the judgment. For Heb.9:27
as the Scripture says: We must needs all die, and are as 2 Sam.14:
water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. 14
For our days are like the days of a hireling, and swifter Job 9:25
than a post. And we pass away (says David) like a stream, yea
like a leaf which the wind driveth away, and a withered stalk
and a garment moth-eaten. For the dust must return to the
earth, as it was, and the spirit unto God who gave it; as Job Eccl.12:7
says, We are ashes and must return to ashes. Likewise James
says, That man's life is even a vapour that appeareth for a Jam.4:14
little time and then vanisheth away. Yea our time passeth
away as a cloud and is consumed like a mist, and vanisheth as
a shadow. And Peter also says (quoting from Isaiah), That all
flesh is as grass, and all the glory of men, as the flower of 1 Pet.1:
grass; the grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth 24
away. Again Jesus Syrach says, This is the old covenant, you
must die; --the one today and the other tomorrow, like as
green leaves upon a tree, some fall off, and others grow
again: Thus it goes with mankind, some die and some are born.
As Solomon says, To every thing there is a season, a time to Eccl.3:
be born, and a time to die. 1,2
And this time is in the hands of the Lord, as Job says, Man Job 14:5
has his appointed time, the number of his months are with
him, he has appointed our bounds that we cannot pass. Which
Paul also says, That God has determined the times before Acts 7:26
appointed, and the bounds of their habitation. And David
says, That our days are as a hand-breadth by the Lord, and Ps.39:5
our age is as nothing before him: How vain are all men who
live so unconcernedly? For our days are lighter than a Job 7:6
weaver's shuttle, and swifter than a post. Moreover, we are Job 9:25
here only pilgrims and strangers for a short time. For the Heb.11:13
days of our years are threescore years and ten, and if by
reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their Ps.90:10
strength, labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we
fly away. And when we live long we live a hundred years: As
drops of water are to the sea, so are our years to eternity.
And Peter says, That one day is with the Lord as a thousand 2 Pet.3:8
years, and a thousand years as one day, even so are our years
to eternity.
Whereas then we must all die, according to holy Scripture,
who would not earnestly wish for death, when we behold in
what state and ruin we are plunged through Adam, namely, in
all unrighteousness, misery and trouble; inasmuch that we are
wicked, and inclined to wickedness from our very infancy. For
as Paul says, We are by nature the children of wrath, and Eph.2:3
reprobate unto every good work, having nothing of ourselves Tit.1:16
but sin. And David also says, There is none that does good, Ps.14:1
they are all gone aside, they are altogether become filthy.
For the good that we would, we do not, by reason of sin that Rom.7:19
dwells in us. Of this inherent sin, David witnesseth, That we
are conceived and born in sin, and proceed in the same. For Ps.51
the inclination of men's hearts is to evil from their youth.
Since we thus lie under the wrath of God, and in the shadow
of death, yea in hell and damnation, therefore Christ the
light of the world appeared unto us, and the sun of
righteousness is risen: Who was delivered for our offenses,
and was raised again for our justification, and has also Rom.4:25
quickened us when we were dead in sin, and has forgiven us
our sins, and blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that Col.2:14
was against us, and took it out of the way, and nailed it on
the cross; whereby he has triumphed over all our enemies, as
death, Satan, hell and the curse of the law, as God has
spoken by the Prophet Hosea, O death, where is thy sting? O
grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be to God, which gives us 1 Cor.15:
the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has also 55,57
(according to the promise of God) bruised the head of the
Devil, in whose power we were kept captives, by reason of the
transgressions of sin.
God to the end that he might deliver us therefrom, has given
us his dearest pledge, namely his only beloved Son in whom
the Father is well pleased, and commands us to hear him. Whom
he has given for a propitiation and a ransom. For God so John 3:16
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son; that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life. Also in this was manifested the love of God
towards us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into 1 John 4:
the world, that we might live through him. And this is life 9
eternal (says Christ), that they might know thee the only
true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. He is the
true Messiah, who came into the world in the fullness of John 1:
time, true God to crush the power of the Devil; and true man 17,3
to be our mediator before God, that he might deliver those
who were captive under the law. He is that lamb without
blemish, that was wounded and offered for our transgressions,
to be a propitiation for all our sins, as Isaiah clearly
testifies. And he who was rich, for our sakes became poor, 2 Cor.8
that we through his poverty might be rich, for he has given
unto us, all his goods, all his benefits, all his
righteousness, merits and holiness. Therefore we must embrace
him in faith, and be thankful to him with love and obedience.
And who would not love him who first loved us? In that when
we were yet his enemies, he delivered and reconciled us, how Rom.5:18
much more being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life?
For how can one have greater love, than to lay down his life John 15:
for his friends? Which Christ as a good shepherd has done, 13
who has been obedient to his Father, unto death, even the
death of the cross, and was made a little lower than the Phil.2:8
angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and Heb.2:9
honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for
every man. Also he is the true Samaritan who has poured oil Luke 10:
and wine in our wounds, that is to say, he has poured out his 34
precious blood or our sins, and bought us with such a
precious price. For we are not (says Peter) redeemed with 1 Pet.1:
gold or silver, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of 18,19
a lamb without blemish and without spot. For we are not
redeemed by the blood of goats or calves, but by his own Heb.9:12
blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained
eternal redemption for us: Who has also delivered us from the
power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of Col.1:
his dear Son, in whom we have the redemption through his 13,14
blood, even the forgiveness of sins.
Since we certainly know this, that we only obtain eternal
salvation, without our merits (for we have none, wherefore we
are unprofitable servants), through the death and
resurrection of Christ, we must therefore come boldly unto Heb.4:16
the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace
to help in time of need. And since we always stand in need of
help, we must go unto him; for he says, by the Prophet David,
Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee. Ps.50:15
And although a mother might forsake her child, yet will I
never forsake thee, as Christ himself says in the gospel:
Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I Matt.11:
will give you rest, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 28,29
To whom else should we go? He has the words of eternal life, John 6:68
and life is made manifest in him. He is that heavenly manna,
which eternally satisfies our souls, that heavenly bread of
which he that eateth through faith, shall never hunger, and
whosoever drinketh of his blood shall never thirst.
Again Christ says by the Apostle John, Let him that is Rev.22:17
a-thirst, come and take the water of life freely: He that John 7:38
believeth on me, as the Scripture has said, out of this belly
shall flow rivers of living water, which are the operations
of the Holy Ghost: Whosoever drinketh of that living water, John 4:14
shall never thirst, for the water that I shall give him,
shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting
life. As God has said by the Prophet Isaiah, Ho, every one Isa.55:1
that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that has no
money, come ye, buy and eat; yea come, buy wine and milk,
without money and without price. Therefore let us go to this
fountain for our refreshment, and not to broken wells which
contain no water, For of his fullness have we all received John 1:
grace for grace: For the law was given by Moses, but grace 16,17
and truth came by Jesus Christ.
He is the true mediator who stands between God and us, to be
our advocate against all our accusers: For there is one 1 Tim.2:5
mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. For this Heb.9:15
cause he is also a mediator of the New Testament, that by
means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that
were under the first testament, they which are called might
receive the promise of an eternal inheritance. Wherefore he
is able also to save them to the uttermost, that come unto Heb.7:25
God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for
us; with which the Apostle John agreeing, says, If any man
sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the 1 John 2:
righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins: And not for 1,2
ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world: Namely
for all peoples and nations of the whole world, who sincerely
repent and turn themselves to God: For the lamb was slain,
from the beginning of the world for believers, as Christ
himself says, That Abraham saw his day and was glad. John 8:
56,5
Thus we see that God is no respecter of persons. For God is Acts 10:
not only the God of the Jews, but of the Gentiles also: 34
Namely he is a God who justifies the circumcision by faith, Rom.3:
and uncircumcision through faith; for he has justified us by 29,30
faith, without the deeds of the law, after which manner David
also speaks, that salvation is only come unto the man to whom
God imputes righteousness without works, where he says,
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is Ps.32:1,2
covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not
iniquity.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God, Rom.5:1
through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have a certain
access into the holy place, by his blood, whereby he has made
peace between God and us; for he is our true peace, wherefore
we have nothing to fear. For Paul says, If God be for us who Rom.8:
can be against us? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of 31,33-35
God's elect? It is God that justifieth, who is he that
condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen
again, who is even at the right hand of God, who maketh
intercession for us; who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or
famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword? Therefore though we
have the daily actual and other sins remaining in us, we must
not despair. For the Prophet Isaiah says, Though your sins be
as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be Isa.1:18
red like crimson, they shall be as wool. And this is done
through Jesus Christ, who has washed away our sins by his
blood, of which baptism is a sign; and the Lord's Supper is a
token unto us, that we are redeemed by the sacrifice of
Christ once offered on the cross, that he might deliver us Tit.2:24
from the wrath to come, and all iniquity; and purify unto
himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works, by which
the Lord may be praised.
We then knowing for certain, that we are reconciled to God by
Jesus Christ, ought (according to the word of God) to have an
earnest desire of being delivered from this mortal body, by
which we must come to that glorious inheritance of all the
children of God, which is prepared for us in heaven. This,
Paul, that chosen vessel of God, desired, when he says, O
wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of Rom.7:24
this death? Moreover he says, We know that if our own earthly 2 Cor.5:1
house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building
of God, eternal in the heavens; for in this we groan,
earnestly desiring to be clothed upon, with our house which 2 Cor.5:
is from heaven, and we are always confident, knowing that 2,6,8
whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the
Lord; therefore we are willing rather to be absent from the
body, and to be present with the Lord. Again Paul says, We
know that the whole creation groaneth with us, and not only Rom.8:22
they, but we ourselves groan within ourselves, who have the
first fruits of the spirit, waiting for the adoption, to wit
the redemption of our body. And since we are pilgrims and
strangers, who would not desire to be at home in his native
country? For here we walk in absence, and in faith, but not
in sight. For now we see through a glass darkly, but then 1 Cor.12:
face to face, as he is. Who would not long after this sight, 12
since we see that the holy men of God have craved after it?
As we read in the 42nd Psalm, As the hart panteth after the
water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God! My soul
thirsteth for God, for the living God; when shall I come and
appear before God? My tears have been my meat, day and night,
while they continually say unto me, where is thy God? This
unutterable glorious sight of God is so great (as the prophet
says), That eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has Isa.64:4
entered into the heart of man the things which God has 1 Cor.2:9
prepared for them that live him. Again David says, that a day
in the courts of the Lord, is better than a thousand; yea I Ps.84:10
had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God, than to dwell Ps.34:1,4
long in the tents of wickedness. How amiable are thy Ps.36:8,9
tabernacles, O Lord of Host! Blessed are they that dwell in
thy house: They will be still praising thee. And they shall
be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house, and
thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For
with thee is the fountain of life, in thy light shall we see
light; this is the delightful mansion, of which Christ spoke John 14:
by John, In my Father's house are many mansions, if it were 2,3
not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for
you, I come again and receive you unto myself, that where I
am there may ye be also; namely in the new Jerusalem, which
has no need of the sun, neither of the moon, for the glory of Rev.21:23
God lightens it, and the lamb is the light thereof. There God
will wipe all tears away from our eyes, and death shall be no
more. Which is the last enemy that God will trample under his
feet. There God has prepared a glorious wedding, where we
shall sit at the table of the Lord together with Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob: And blessed are they who are called to this
wedding or supper.
We cannot come to this supper by any other means than through
death, therefore Paul says, For to me to live is Christ and Phil.1:21
to die is gain. And as soon as the faithful depart from
hence, they enter into eternal rest, as Christ says, Where I John 12:
am there shall also my servant be: Again, He that hearth my 26
Word and believeth in him that sent me, has everlasting life John 5:24
and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from
death unto life. Which is also plainly to be observed in the
malefactor, when he prayed and said, Lord remember me when
thou comest into thy kingdom. Upon which Christ answered him Luke 23:
Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise: Therefore Paul 42,43
justly said (agreeable to this), I desire to depart and to be Phil.1:23
with Christ. Solomon likewise says, That dust must return to Eccl.12:7
the earth as it was, and the spirit unto Goad who gave it.
Which also evidently appears in the example of Enoch and
Elias, who were both taken up into heaven, where our
citizenship and conversation is: from whence also we look for Phil.3:
the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile 20,21
body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.
And we cannot arrive to this state of glory, unless through
such tribulation, of which Jesus Syrach elegantly speaks: My
son (says he), if thou come to serve the Lord, prepare thy
soul for temptation: In which thou shalt also rejoice, thou
who has for a short time, mourned with much temptation. But 1 Pet.5:
the God of all grace, who has called us unto his eternal 10
glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while
will make you perfect, stablish, strenghten, settle you.
Again Paul says, If so be that we suffer with Christ, we Rom.8:
shall also be glorified together. For the sufferings of this 17,18
present time, are not to be compared with the glory which 2 Cor.4:
shall be revealed to us. For our affliction is temporal and 17
light, but works an eternal and exceeding weight of glory.
And David said, Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes Ps.30:5
in the morning. Therefore rejoice, that when his glory shall 1 Pet.4:
be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy: Christ 13
has also suffered without the gate, therefore let us also go Heb.13:
forth unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For 12,13
herein has Christ left us an example, that we should follow 1 Pet.2:
his steps. Again Peter says, "forasmuch then, as Christ has 21
suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with 1 Pet.4:1
the same mind: For he that suffers in the flesh ceaseth from
sin. Moreover the Apostle James also says, My beloved Jam.1:2
brethren, count it all joy when you fall in divers Rom.5:
temptations, And Paul likewise says, We glory in 3-5
tribulations, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and
patience, experience; and experience hope, and hope maketh
not ashamed. For which reason we must not despise the
chastening of the Lord, when we are rebuked of him; for whom
the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and he scourgeth, every son
whom he receiveth; which may be seen at large in the 12th Jam.5:
chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Be therefore patient, 8-10
and establish your hearts, for the coming up of the Lord
draweth nigh. Take also the prophets for an example of
suffering affliction, and of patience; we count them happy
which endure, for we have heard of the patience of Job, and
have seen the end of the Lord, who have left us an example of Heb.2:9
perseverance. For we see that Christ for the suffering of Matt.10:
death, has been crowned with never fading honour. Therefore 22
Christ also says, He that endureth to the end shall be saved: 2 Tim.4:
And the Apostle Paul says, I have fought a good fight, I have 7,8
finished my course, I have kept the faith, henceforth there
is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord
shall give me; and not only to me, but unto all them that Jam.1:12
love his appearing. Likewise James says, Blessed is the man
that endureth temptation, for when he is tried, he shall
receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to
them, that love him.
To obtain this crown of righteousness, we must manfully fight
against all our enemies, who attack us on all sides:
Particularly against the wiles of the Devil, against which
put on the whole armour of God, with which you will be able
to withstand the Devil and all his might. Peter speaking of 1 Pt.5:
his fight says, That the Devil walketh about as a roaring 8,9
lion seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the
faith, and he will flee from you. This victory and resistance
we have of God through Christ, who tramples the Devil under
our feet, in whose power and bonds we were bound. He is the
prince of this world whom Christ has cast out; and we have
likewise through him obtained the victory, and are also
through faith made partakers of him. He is the old serpent
who seeks to devour us who did devour our first parents, and
who still bites us in the heel, wherefore he is called a
murderer from the beginning.
Therefore we must be diligent on our guard against his wiles
as Peter says, Be sober and watch unto prayer. For as Christ 1 Pet.4:7
says, We know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Lord
will come. But this ye know that, if the good man of the Matt.25:
house had known in what hour the thief would come, he would 13
have watched. Be ye ready therefore also, for the Son of Man Luke 12:
will come at an hour when we watch not, but begin to beat our 39,40,45,
fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 46
then the Lord will come and cut us in sunder, and our portion
will be with the hypocrites: there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth, there the worm never dies, and the fire is Mark 9:44
not quenched. For we certainly know that the day of the Lord
will come as a thief in the night, when we shall say, Peace 2 Pet.3:
and safety, then sudden destruction will come upon us, as 10
travail upon a woman with child. Therefore take heed to
yourselves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with
surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life, and so Luke 21:
that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare, or as 34
lightning which comes suddenly, shall it come on us all.
Watch therefore and pray always, that ye may be accounted Luke 21:
worthy to escape all these things, that shall come to pass, 35,36
and to stand undaunted before the Son of Man.
But this worthiness to stand before the Son of Man consists
in a pure undefiled and immovable faith which works through
love, by which we receive and embrace Christ with all his
merits and benefits. Which faith we must show by a pure life,
as James says. And of this purity Christ speaks by Matthew, Matt.5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. And
the principal purity lies in the heart, for as Christ says,
Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, Matt.15:
fornication, thefts, false witness and blasphemies: these 19,20
things defile man. Therefore the fruits of the spirit follow, Gal.5:
which are, love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, 22,23
goodness, faith, meekness, chastity, righteousness, and
truth. Therefore unless we are born again, we cannot see the Matt.3:3
kingdom of God. Yea as Christ says, Except ye repent and
become as children (to wit in sin) ye shall not enter into Mark 10:
the kingdom of heaven. There shall nothing enter into it that 14
defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a Rev.21:27
lie, as Paul likewise clearly testifieth.
Since then the law of Cod requires this perfection of us, as
it is written, Cursed is every one who does not keep the
whole law; as James also says, Whosoever offendeth in one Jam.2:10
point, he is guilty of all. Again whosoever does the law,
shall live by it: But we do not keep the least commandment
perfectly. As the wise man says, When we imagine to have done
we only begin (and in case we did do it, we only do our
duty), wherefore we are by the law condemned in God's
righteous judgment; for this we have a sure remedy and cure,
namely Christ who has redeemed us (as Paul says) from the Gal.3:13
curse of the law, and has satisfied the righteousness of God
for us, making reconciliation; and who has broken down the
wall which was between us, namely the law, contained in
ordinances, and forgiven us our sins, and torn the
handwriting of them, and nailed it to the cross: For this
great love of Christ, we ought also to love him, and to be
thankful to him, with good works, and verily to believe in
him, for the gift of these excellent benefits: For he that
comes to God, must believe that he is a rewarder of them that Heb.11:6
seek him; for the just shall live by his faith. Therefore we Heb.2:4
conclude that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds Rom.3:28
of the law; and although we suffer a little with Christ, we
must not despair, for we see that Christ himself when he was
smote for our sins, did not smite again, but suffered
patiently.
And if the ungodly live in great prosperity, as David and the
prophets testify, we must not marvel, neither stumble, but
comfort ourselves, being assured that their end is
everlasting death. He lets them go as sheep to the slaughter,
therefore it is to be wondered at that the faithful meet with
still more crosses in comparison to the glorious joy which is
prepared for them, and on the contrary, that the ungodly have
still more prosperity, than they have, in comparison to the
dreadful damnation which attends them. Therefore if the trial
of believers is not alike, so neither shall the resurrection
of the dead be alike.
And in this we have great comfort, that all believers will
rise at the last day; of which Paul reasoning, says, If the
dead rise not, then is not Christ risen, then is our
preaching vain, and we are found false witnesses of God. The 1 Cor.15
manner of our resurrection we may read in the 37th chapter of
Ezekiel, how that we shall rise with flesh and bones. And Job
also says, I know that my redeemer liveth, and will hereafter Job 19
raise me up out of the earth, and that I shall be covered
with my skin, and in my own flesh, see God; likewise the
Prophet Isaiah says, that the earth and the sea shall give up
the dead which have slept in them, for Christ is the
resurrection, the first of them that slept. But you must not
be ignorant concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow 1 Thess.
not even as others, which have no hope. For if we believe 4:13-17
that Jesus died and rose again, even so those also which
sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him, for this we say as a
true word of God; that we which are alive and remain unto the
coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep,
for the Lord himself, shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God,
and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are
alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in 2 Cor.5:
the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. Where we must appear 10
before the judgment seat of Christ: Where every one will
receive according to that he has done, whether it be good or
bad. Then Christ will separate the sheep from the goats, and
the sheep will be set on his right hand, who shall hear the
delightful voice, Come ye blessed, inherit the kingdom of my
Father prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
There we shall stand with greater confidence against those
who have distressed us: Then we shall shine forth as the sun
in the kingdom of our Father, there we shall come to the hope
of an innumerable company of angels. There we shall reign
from eternity to eternity, Amen.
Blessed are they whose names are written in the Book of Life.
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