Page images
PDF
EPUB

it. Paul died daily, 1 Cor. xv. 31.; he was in deaths often, 2 Cor. xi. 23.: yet he was a living man then, when he said so; and he died but once. All new trials require new supplies of grace; and the trial of death is quite new. When we are tempted one day, we may know what temptation is thereby, and be thereby fitted for the next: but no past experience can teach us fully what dying is.

If a

3dly, Dying is not only a necessary, and new trial; but it is such a trial, in which a man's all is concerned for eternity. Immediately on death follows judgment, Heb. ix. 27. Death is the dark trance betwixt time and eternity. While we live, we are in time; when we are a-dying, we are leaving time, and passing into eternity; when we are dead, we are quite and for ever out of time, and are in eternity for ever. man miscarry in this passage, if a man stumble in the dark valley of death, if he fall here, he falls for ever. I would not have people to imagine, that the stress of their salvation depends on their frame when a-dying; for some Christians, when near to death, have neither the use and exercise of sense or reason, much less of grace. But surely, when the case of mens bodies permits acts of a man, or of a Christian, there is great need of grace to enable us to die well.

4thly, Dying is a great trial of faith. Though we know not fully what dying is; yet we may know so much of it, as to be convinced, that it is much harder to die in faith than to live by faith: and yet living by faith is the hardest thing we have to do in this world. To trust in an unseen God; to believe his unchangeable love, when we feel his anger, to trust his bare word, when we see no appearance of performance, but many to the contrary, are no easy things to the best. Our frequent experience of the difficulty, and of our many failings in this daily exercise, of living by faith, may justly make us sensible of our need of great help of grace, when we shall be called to the new and more hard work of dying by faith. To inforce this a little, consider,

(1.) Usually when death draws near to men, and they draw near to it, the eye of the mind is clearer, and the conscience more tender and sharp-sighted, in the review of their

life and actions. Many never saw their lives well, till they are just at the end of them. And many believers walk so, as a spiritual review of their ways breeds no small storm in their consciences, and trial and shaking to their faith. Though death be a dark valley, yet great light of convictions and challenges springs up in it. Woe to them that never know, till they are a-dying, what an awakened conscience is. Ways that are pleasing to men, when the evil day is put far away, look frightfully on them when that day approacheth, and is very nigh.

(2.) A dying time, is a time wherein the devil is very busy. He fetcheth then his last stroke on saints, and on sinnerę. He doth his utmost to secure the damnation of sinners, that he may not lose them at last. The devil's death-hold of a dying sinner is a strong one. He also doth his utmost against believers, if not to mar their salvation, yet to hinder their consolation. The devil's parting-blow hath been dreadful to many a saint. It is a weighty word, Heb. ii. 14. where he is said to have the power of death. It is true, there it is said also, that Christ overcame him, and through death. Death is properly and strictly in the devil's dominions. Sin and death are properly the devil's, though the Lord hath the wise or dering of both. He permits sin, and inflicts death; and death lies near the devil's great prison, hell. Through the valley of death there are two passages; one leading to hell, and another to heaven. Most fall into the pit; others are brought through safe and sound, by the skill and mercy of their blessed guide, Christ. It fares here with believers as with Israel, and with unbelievers as with the Egyptians, Heb. xi. 29. By faith they passed through the Red-sea, as by dry land; which the Egyptians assaying to do, avere drowned.

(3.) Judgment and eternity, when near, and seen at hand, are awful things: and a near view of them will try faith greatly. This view blows away the presumption and hope of the hypocrite; Job xxvii. 8. What is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul? Job xi. 20. Their hope is as the giving up of the ghost. His hope lived as long as he lived; and when he dies, it dies also. Woe to them that have a dying hope, a hope that cannot

outlive death.

Christians are begotten to a living or lively hope, 1 Pet. i. 3. He hath hope in his death, Prov. xiv. 32. The man's body dies, but the Christian's hope and faith lives. He lies down in the grave in hope, Psal. xvi. 9. He dies in that faith he lived by,

Heb. xi. 13.

2. What is the helpfulness of grace, in this time of great need, a time of dying. I am speaking to living men, but to such as must die, and know not how soon. I shall only insist on one thing at this time. The grace of God helps believers, by strengthening of their That is the help they mainly need in that hour. And this help stands in these:

faith.

1st, When a dying believer is helped by grace to see death in Christ's hand. There is a vast difference betwixt death in the devil's hand, who hath the power of it; and death in Christ's hand, who is master both of death and the devil: betwixt a man's seeing death approaching, and the devil behind it, and with it; and a man's seeing death coming on him, and Christ with it. Paul's triumph rose on this ground: 1 Cor. xv. 55, 56, 57. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, (or hell), where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giv, eth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ. That by which death stings men, is sin unpardoned, and God's holy law binding sin and wrath on their persons. Victory over both sin and the law, comes by Jesus Christ. When this victor, and victory in Christ, is seen by a believer, death is defied and despised, as a stingless overcome thing. Much and strong faith is needful to enable a man to play on the hole of this asp. Christ reveals himself to John almost dead with fear, Rev. i. 17, 18. Fear not; I have the keys of hell and of death. "Behold them in my hand, and behold me as the "lord of them." Should a believer in Jesus fear any thing that Christ hath the power of? The bitterness of death is past to all believers, by Christ's death, and victory over it. And if their faith was strong, their fears would be

small.

2dly, To have faith enabled to look through death, and beyond death. If a man's eyes be fixed on death only, and

see no further, it is death to look on death: but when the believer's eye of faith is so quickened, that he can look through the trance of death, and see within the vail, where Christ is, that is a blessed help of grace. Christians faith and hope enters within the vail, Heb. vi. 19. And a view within the vail is specially desirable and useful, when the Christian is walking in the valley of the shadow of death, Psal. xxiii. 4.

3dly, Faith is helped, when the dying believer is enabled to cast his anchor on God in Christ confidently in this last storm. This last act of faith is a great one. The more sensible a man is that he is on the point of eternal ruin, the nearer he is to drop into hell without divine help; the more sensibly he acts faith. Then the clingings and graspings of faith on Christ, are sensible and strong. When a believer looks on himself, and on his way, and seeth nothing in them pleasing or staying to his soul; he looks into the dark passage before him, and it is frightful to heart and flesh; he looks on judgment and eternity as just at hand, and his thoughts are swallowed up with their greatness. In this case to stay his soul, and say with dying David, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. Although my house be not so quith God, (Though my heart, my ways, be not so with God as they ought to have been); yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure: and this is all my salvation and all my desire, requires singular help of the grace of God. To shut the eyes, and give the hand to Christ, and to quiet the mind, by trusting our guide in this last step, is a mighty blessing.

I would conclude this discourse with these four :

1. It is a great mystery of faith, and a great trial of faith, that the way to eternal life should lie through the midst of this dark valley of death. Our Lord Jesus Christ bought eternal life for us, by the price of his blood; he went through death to take possession of his kingdom and glory and yet his people must go through death to take possession of the gift of eternal life. If there were any allowed room or place for prayer in this affair, how many, and how earnest prayers would we make to be delivered from going in this way to glory? But after a life of trials, temptations, and manifold tribulations, this last is still before us; and we must pass through,

and set our feet in the cold waters of this Jordan, ere we enter the heavenly Canaan. After all the lively hopes of hea ven, and sweet foretastes of it, we have had; after our faith hath risen us to a full assurance; yet through death must all the heirs of glory pass.

2. There is no wisdom like that of preparing for this awful hour; Job xiv. 14. If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. " I "will think on it, I will look for it, I will prepare for it." Men are wise or foolish, according to their faithful diligence, or unbelieving negligence, in this preparing for death. Many have bewailed their neglect ; never did any repent their dili-' gence, in this work.

men,

3. There is no right and sure way of preparing for death, but by seeking saving acquaintance with Jesus. If you set about the study of holiness without Christ, you mistake your way, and will never reach your end. But labour to be intimately acquainted with Jesus Christ, and the communications of his grace will make you holy. Death deals with and billets them into their eternal quarters, in heaven or hell, as men are in Christ, or out of Christ. Their works, according to which they are judged, are but the fruits and effects of their different states. These two different states of men in this life, in Christ, or not in Christ, are the foundation of the two different states in the next life, in heaven, or in hell; though all in Christ are holy, and all out of Christ are unholy.

4. There is no life truly comfortable, but that which hath a comfortable prospect of death and judgment. Never envy the condition of them who seem to be the only cheerful men in the world, whom one quarter of an hour's serious thought of death and judgment, is enough to make them like Belshazzar at his great feast, Dan v. 6. whose countenance ras changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. Amazement seized on soul and body. How can a man be said to live comfortably, that dare not think of death, for fear of marring his comfort? Miserable is that consolation, that cannot bear a serious thought of an approaching unavoidable thing, VOL. I.

P

« PreviousContinue »