2. It is the ultimate triumphant act of faith, in which it achieves its
2. It is the ultimate triumphant act of faith, in which it achieves its final victory over all adversaries. Faith is the leading grace in all our spiritual warfare and conflict. Throughout our lives, it is accompanied by other faithful companions that support and assist it. Love works, hope works, and all the other graces—selfdenial, willingness to bear the cross—they all work alongside and aid faith. But when we face death, faith stands alone. Now, let us see what faith can accomplish. The exercise of other graces ceases, and faith engages in a decisive battle with its last adversary, where the entire struggle is tested. And through this one act of entrusting everything into the hand of God, faith conquers death and declares, "O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory? Come, grant me passage into immortality and glory; the eternal hand of God is prepared to receive me!" This is the victory by which we overcome all our spiritual enemies.
I intended to draw some practical application from what has been said—to examine whether we truly live in the exercise of this grace and what benefits we derive from it. I would have specifically emphasized that this alone will protect us from being caught off guard by death. To avoid being surprised by anything is the essence of human wisdom, and to be unprepared for death is a significant deficiency in our spiritual wisdom.
THE CHRISTIAN'S WORK OF DYING
DAILY II
I addressed this portion of Scripture on the previous Lord's Day, and I deemed the subject highly fitting due to the various warnings God
has given us to be diligent in this duty. God has further emphasized its timeliness by taking away a remarkable and esteemed servant from our midst. Regarding him, I shall say only this: based on my thirty years of acquaintance, friendship, and half that time in church fellowship, I believe that few were wiser, holier, or more useful than he in his role, if any. And so, I leave him in the peace of God.
My intention was to discuss the necessary elements for attaining a peaceful and comfortable departure from this world. I have already addressed one aspect: the daily exercise of faith in surrendering a departing soul to the sovereign power and will of God, to be cared for and received by Him according to the covenant of grace.
I will not move on from this point until I have drawn some practical application from it. And I will rely solely on the strength that God is pleased to provide me.
Application 1: It may be worthwhile for us to examine the specific nature of this duty to which we are exhorted, for we may increasingly realize the ignorance of many who mistakenly believe they understand it when they do not comprehend its true meaning.
Therefore, let us consider three aspects: (1) The special and immediate object of this exercise of faith, along with the motivating factor; (2) The form or specific nature of this exercise; and (3) The manner in which it is performed.
Regarding the special and immediate object of this exercise of faith, which must include a particular motive, it is God Himself, considered in terms of His sovereignty, power, and faithfulness. This motive is grounded in the individual's experience of His kindness and grace.
As the psalmist declares in Psalm 31:5, "Into thine hand I commit my spirit." What instilled such confidence in him? "Thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth." All who commit their spirits into God's
hands must possess a sense of redeeming grace, conveyed through the truth of His promises. Therefore, brethren, when you engage in this great duty, you must establish this foundation—an awareness and experience of God's grace and kindness—otherwise, you will never be able to fulfill it properly. And—
[1.] Based on this motive, the first aspect of God we consider in surrendering our souls to Him is His sovereignty. It is mentioned in two places in the Psalms where this duty is presented to us. In Psalm
16:1-2, we read, "Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord." Here, the psalmist uses the word "Jehovah" and then "Lord" (Adonai). He declares, "You are my Lord, the one who has complete control over me. I am about to entrust my spirit to you, and I do so on the basis of Your sovereignty." Likewise, in Psalm 31:14-15, the psalmist says, "I trusted in thee, O LORD." Why? "I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand." The psalmist commits himself to God because of His sovereignty. "You are my God, the one who has absolute control over me. Therefore, I entrust myself to You." In making this surrender, faith recognizes the glorious sovereignty of God as the ultimate, unrestricted ruler of all things in this world and for eternity.
[2.] It also has a distinct regard for the power of God. As stated in 2 Timothy 1:12, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day." It is common for individuals to approach this duty merely as a customary practice. They know they must die, but only an apprehension of God's infinite power, capable of preserving them in eternal existence in the invisible world, particularly until the day of resurrection, can encourage them to yield their souls to Him.
[3.] It relates to the faithfulness of God as the One who has promised to care for us when we depart from this world. First Peter 4:19 states,
"Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing, as unto a faithful
Creator." In other words, we entrust our souls to Him as to a faithful God who is omnipotent, the Creator of all things, and faithful in fulfilling His promises.
So, then, the duty I exhort you to is an immediate addressing of God —an exercise of faith in Him, with a special regard to His sovereignty, power, and faithfulness—based on our experience, to some extent, of His goodness and grace.
The circumstances before me have changed significantly in a short time, and I do not know, brethren, how soon it may be the fate of any of you to require an understanding and practice of this matter. You may choose to remember it, for it is of great importance to have direct communion with God, considering His glorious attributes of sovereignty, power, and faithfulness. That is the first point.
(2.) Regarding the specific form of this duty, it can be expressed in two words that carry the same meaning. In one instance, it is rendered as "commending," and in another, as "committing" (Luke
23:46 and Psalm 31:5). However, it is a re-commending or committing, like entrusting a trust. If a dying person had an only child and an estate to leave behind, how solemnly would they commit the child to the care of a trusted friend! They would say, "I entrust this vulnerable and fatherless child to your care—for your love, concern, and ability to look after them." It is done with great solemnity. The psalmist refers to his soul as his "darling" and "only one": "Deliver 'my darling' from the dog, and 'my only one.'" Now,
when a person is about to leave this world, they must commit their soul and leave it in trust somewhere. This exercise of faith is the act of leaving our "darling," our "only one," which is departing from this earthly tent, to God, considering His sovereignty, power, and faithfulness. I am not yet addressing the essence of this duty, which lies in committing the trust of our souls to God, to be dealt with according to the terms of the covenant of grace, wherever it may lead, for all eternity. That is the solemn act of committing.
(3.) As for the manner of it, it should be done explicitly in words spoken to God. I am not giving instructions to those who are dying but to those who are living, that they may be prepared to die. We should say to God, "Lord, I have spent this much time in the world. I have witnessed a great variety in the external events of the world, but a thousand times more in the inward state of my spirit. And now, as I am departing from this world at Your call, I will be here no longer. O
Lord, after everything, as I am about to enter into a new, eternal state, I commit my soul to You—I leave it with You—I place all my trust and confidence in Your faithfulness, power, and sovereignty, to be dealt with according to the terms of the covenant of grace. Now I can lie down in peace."
Application 2: What benefits will we receive if we exercise our souls in this manner? I answer, we will receive these advantages:
(1.) I know nothing better suited to keep our souls in constant reverence of God, which is the essence of holiness and obedience.
Without this reverence, the finest profession holds no value. And nothing is more suited to cultivate this reverence than approaching
God immediately each day, or at least frequently, contemplating His glorious sovereignty, power, and faithfulness, as if we were immediately entering His presence and placing ourselves in His
hands. The more we engage in this practice, the greater our reverence for God will be. We have deceitful hearts and a cunning adversary to contend with. We are commanded to draw near to God and approach His throne of grace boldly (Hebrews 10, Hebrews
4:16). And we should do so frequently. However, boldness and frequency have a tendency to diminish reverence. Carnal boldness arises when people make themselves bold and frequent in a multitude of duties, but it diminishes reverence for God. The more frequently we approach God with spiritual boldness, the more our hearts will be filled with continuous reverence for Him. Conversely, if we approach God in outward duties without this holy and humble reverence, regardless of our gifts, reverence for God will decline. I have witnessed some individuals with outwardly commendable conduct and a multitude of duties who have become poor, superficial, withering souls. You can apply this measure to all your duties: if they increase reverence for God, they are from grace; if they do not, they are based on gifts and do not sanctify the soul.
(2.) This practice will sustain us through all our sufferings. A soul accustomed to exercising this faith will not be greatly shaken by its sufferings. We are all shaken and stirred—sometimes quite improperly and indecently—like leaves in the forest. But it will prevent us from being greatly shaken. As the psalmist says, "I shall not be greatly moved." Furthermore, we are instructed to commit the keeping of our souls to God, as to a faithful Creator, when we suffer according to His will. This will provide support through all your sufferings. The psalmist's condition in Psalm 31, from which I drew my primary testimony, exemplifies this: "Have mercy upon me, O
LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed," and so on. "For I have heard the slander of many;
fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life." What course does he take in the midst of these distresses, sufferings, and persecutions? He says, "I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand." He resigns himself to the sovereignty of God and finds peace.
I have now shown you how you can practice this duty, and I consider myself near my own account as one who is aware of it. I wish I could persuade you to bring it into actual exercise, to a greater or lesser extent, before you close your eyes or find slumber upon your eyelids!
Application 3: Next, who are those who can perform this duty as they should, living in this exercise of faith?
I am certain that those who live as if they were to remain in this world forever do not perform this duty. But this clearly demonstrates the disorder and confusion that have befallen the minds and souls of humankind. If a person of sobriety and reputation were to approach individuals who live in sensuality and wickedness—as the world is full of such people—and say to them, "Sirs! What are you doing? I am convinced that there is death to come and an eternal state of blessedness or woe that is rapidly approaching. The path you are treading will surely engulf you in eternal destruction," they would dismiss him by saying, "That's just your opinion." Yet one would think that a wise person could convince them to act in accordance with his opinion. But it is not so. They have convictions in their minds that they will die. They not only acknowledge it as an opinion, but they themselves are convinced of a future state and profess it.
However, do they take any action based on this conviction? Not at all, no more than if they were mere animals. Such individuals are incapable of engaging in the exercise of this duty.
Nor do those who walk without any thought of death. They acknowledge its inevitability, but they tend to believe that they have other things to attend to before facing death. They think there will be plenty of time in the future, at some point or another, to prepare for death. The apostle did indeed "die daily," but they have other matters to attend to. When death knocks on their neighbor's door and they hear of someone's passing, or when it strikes their own families and claims the lives of individuals, they have fleeting thoughts for a brief moment. But those thoughts quickly fade, and they return to their usual state of mind. "Just a little more slumber, a little more sleep, a little more folding of the hands to sleep"—a little more carefree engagement with the world, tending to our own affairs. However, death will come like an armed man, and they will not be able to escape.
Therefore, two things are required of anyone who desires to engage in this duty:
(1.) They must establish its foundation in a comforting conviction of having a share in Christ, for that alone will enable them to die safely.
Once that foundation is established, they can strive for that which will allow them to die comfortably and joyfully. Some individuals die safely, but for various reasons that need not be discussed here, they do not appear to die comfortably. On the other hand, some people appear to die very comfortably outwardly, but they do not die safely.
It is necessary, therefore, to have this foundation—a comforting conviction of our share in Christ—in order to die safely. Otherwise, there is no point in expecting to die comfortably.
(2.) Many believe that a few last words will suffice, and that will be the end of it. But let me assure you, based not only on the principles of Scripture truth but also on natural principles, no one can achieve
this unless they have a vision of the glory of spiritual and eternal things that outweighs everything their souls find desirable in this world. I hear people expressing willingness to die, and indeed some do so, but it goes against the principles of human nature. No person on this earth (it implies a contradiction) can let go of what appears good to them unless there is a greater good motivating them. They must let go of it, but they cannot do so willingly and cheerfully. If you desire to have the ability to willingly and cheerfully surrender a departing soul to God, strive to have a vision of those superior things that are infinitely greater and more glorious, which your souls will come to enjoy upon departing from this world.
The calls of God are significant upon us, both in public and private spheres, and especially within this congregation. God expects a special response to His calls from us, or else we will continue to experience further signs of His displeasure.
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THE CHRISTIAN'S WORK OF DYING
DAILY III
What I have been discussing based on these words is to reveal the ways and responsibilities through which a believer can not only die safely, which is the case for all believers, but also die cheerfully and comfortably, so as to have a smooth and abundant entry into the kingdom of God in glory.
I have only addressed one aspect, which is the exercise of faith in surrendering a departing soul to the sovereign hand and will of God as it enters the unseen realm, in accordance with the eternal covenant.