But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful."(2) Exceeding, he says, because the transgression is more heinous when through the increasing lust of sin the law itself also is despised.Why have we thought it worth while to mention this? For this reason, because, as the law is not an evil when it increases the lust of those who sin, so neither is death a good thing when it increases the glory of those who suffer it, since either the former is abandoned wickedly, and makes transgressors, or the latter is embraced, for the truth's sake, and makes martyrs.And thus the law is indeed good, because it is prohibition of sin, and death is evil because it is the wages of sin;but as wicked men make an evil use not only of evil, but also of good things, so the righteous make a good use not only of good, but also of evil things.Whence it comes to pass that the wicked make an ill use of the law, though the law is good; and that the good die well, though death is an evil.
CHAP.6.--OF THE EVIL OF DEATH IN GENERAL, CONSIDERED AS THE SEPARATIONOF SOUL AND
BODY.
Wherefore, as regards bodily death, that is, the separation of the soul from the body, it is good unto none while it is being endured by those whom we say are in the article of death.For the very violence with which body and soul are wrenched asunder, which in the living had been conjoined and closely intertwined, brings with it a harsh experience, jarring horridly on nature so long as it continues, till there comes a total loss of sensation, which arose from the very interpenetration of spirit and flesh.And all this anguish is sometimes forestalled by one stroke of the body or sudden flitting of the soul, the swiftness of which prevents it from being felt.But whatever that may be in the dying which with violently painful sensation robs of all sensation, yet, when it is piously and faithfully borne, it increases the merit of patience, but does not make the name of punishment inapplicable.Death, proceeding by ordinary generation from the first man, is the punishment of all who are born of him, yet, if it be endured for righteousness' sake, it becomes the glory of those who are born again; and though death be the award of sin, it sometimes secures that nothing be awarded to sin.
CHAP.7.--OF THE DEATH WHICH THE UN-BAPTIZED(1) SUFFER FOR THE CONFESSIONOF CHRIST.
For whatever unbaptized persons die confessing Christ, this confession is of the same efficacy for the remission of sins as if they were washed in the sacred font of baptism.For He who said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God,"(2) made also an exception in their favor, in that other sentence where He no less absolutely said, "Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven;"(3) and in another place, "Whosoever will lose his life for my sake, shall find it."(4)And this explains the verse, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints."(5) For what is more precious than a death by which a man's sins are all forgiven, and his merits increased an hundredfold? For those who have been baptized when they could no longer escape death, and have departed this life with all their sins blotted out have not equal merit with those who did not defer death, though it was in their power to do so, but preferred to end their life by confessing Christ, rather than by denying Him to secure an opportunity of baptism.And even had they denied Him under pressure of the fear of death, this too would have been forgiven them in that baptism, in which was remitted even the enormous wickedness of those who had slain Christ.
But how abundant in these men must have been the grace of the Spirit, who breathes where He listeth, seeing that they so dearly loved Christ as to be unable to deny Him even in so sore an emergency, and with so sure a hope of pardon! Precious, therefore, is the death of the saints, to whom the grace of Christ has been applied with such gracious effects, that they do not hesitate to meet death themselves, if so be they might meet Him.And precious is it, also, because it has proved that what was originally ordained for the punishment of the sinner, has been used for the production of a richer harvest of righteousness.But not on this account should we look upon death as a good thing, for it is diverted to such useful purposes, not by any virtue of its own, but by the divine interference.Death was originally proposed as an object of dread, that sin might not be committed; now it must be undergone that sin may not be committed, or, if committed, be remitted, and the award of righteousness bestowed on him whose victory has earned it.
CHAP.8.--THAT THE SAINTS, BY SUFFERING THE FIRST DEATH FOR THE TRUTH'SSAKE, ARE
FREED FROM THE SECOND.
For if we look at the matter a little more carefully, we shall see that even when a man dies faithfully and laudably for the truth's sake, it is still death he is avoiding.For he submits to some part of death, for the very purpose of avoiding the whole, and the second and eternal death over and above.He submits to the separation of soul and body, lest the soul be separated both from God and from the body, and so the whole first death be completed, and the second death receive him everlastingly.Wherefore death is indeed, as I said, good to none while it is being actually suffered, and while it is subduing the dying to its power; but it is meritoriously endured for the sake of retaining or winning what is good.And regarding what happens after death, it is no absurdity to say that death is good to the good, and evil to the evil.
For the disembodied spirits of the just are at rest; but those of the wicked suffer punishment till their bodies rise again,--those of the just to life everlasting, and of the others to death eternal, which is called the second death.
CHAP.9.--WHETHER WE SHOULD SAY THAT TIlE MOMENT OF DEATH, IN WHICHSENSATION
