Part 17
(2.) They often commend themselves to men under the mask of some harmless thing, or some real virtue, Col. 2:18. Thus, like Satan, they transform themselves into an angel of light. So many call evil good, and good evil, &c.
(3.) There is a hidden mischief in them, when they are most smiling. There is a hook always, which is covered with the bait, James 1:14, "Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lusts, and enticed." It is a metaphor taken from fishes caught by the bait, and drawn out of the water. But,
Ye must have your eyes in your head, and not be ignorant of Satan's devices, Prov. 22:3. Be not rash, but try ere ye trust. Forbidden fruit may be fair to look at, and the devil's ground may be very smooth; and the sinner see no hazard where death is at his elbow, Prov. 14:12. Therefore fight as against a deceitful enemy, Eph. 6:11. And fight in faith,
[1.] Believing the testimony of God concerning the heart, Jer. 17:9, that it is "deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it? and therefore keeping a watchful eye, a holy jealousy over it: Prov. 28:14, "Happy is the man that feareth always: but he that hardeneth his heart, shall fall into mischief." Faith is the soul's going out of itself to the Lord, and brings off the man from leaning to his own understanding, Prov. 3:5, and trusting to his own heart, Prov. 28:26. For these are the things that betray a man into the hands of deceitful lusts.
[2.] Trusting to the conduct of the Lord Jesus Christ, Prov. 3:6. He is the Captain of salvation, the appointed leader of his people, eyes to them in the wilderness. And he will teach those who are willing to be
taught, Psal. 25:9. And there is no way to get clear of the deceitful lusts, but by shutting our own eyes, and looking to the Lord for light to discern our way. For he is made wisdom for us, 1 Cor. 1:30, and by faith in him, "the way-faring men, though fools, shall not err in the way of holiness," Is. 35:8.
Lastly, There is a fight with death. This is the last enemy ye will have to grapple with: 1 Cor. 15:26, "The last enemy that shall be destroyed, is death." There was never any who escaped this combat, but Enoch and Elias. As for all others, the encounter with it is appointed of Heaven, Heb. 9:27. And there is no freeing of any from this battle, Eccl. 8:8. Many trouble not themselves to fight with temptation, or with sin, but live at peace with these their enemies: but, whether they will or not, they must feel the bitterness of death. If ever ye would fight it so as to overcome, ye must fight in faith. Here consider,
1. How death may attack you; and,
2. In what shapes it may do so.
lst, How death may attack you. And that,
First, With sorrow and heaviness, Psal. 116:3. Death is apt to let in a flood of sorrows upon poor sinners: so that those who have spent their days in mirth, find then all their mirth quite swallowed up in that flood; and they who have had a life of sorrows, feel then the flood of them swelling to the brim. And there are two sluices death opens to let in this flood.
1. The separation of the man from this world, and all things in it, Is. 38:11. It comes to carry the man off from this world; to separate
betwixt him and his nearest relations; to put an end to any portion of his under the sun, that he shall no more see the sun rise or set again, and have no more access to his own house, or bed, or board. This is apt to let in a flood of sorrow upon the man. And there is no way to hold out against it, but one of these two;
1st, By turning it into the matter of joy: like those mentioned in Job 3:22, "which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad when they can find the grave;" when the man is so wearied of the world, that his heart leaps for joy, when God's messenger, death, knocks at his door.
2dly, By a Christian resignation to the will of the Lord, Luke 2:29, the man being ready calmly to deliver up unto the hands of God, all he has here.
Now, if ye would fight death's sorrows on this head, viz. separation from the world, either of these ways; ye must do it in faith,
(1.) Believing, that, through the alone merits of Christ, ye shall be admitted into a better world, set down in a better house, at a better table, and lie better, even in Abraham's bosom, 2 Tim. 4:7, 8. Nothing else will work the soul into that Christian resignation. The heart of man will never be truly content to give away this world's good things, while it has no comfortable prospect of better: and therefore Christian resignation at death, will be according to faith's view of better things in the other world, Heb. 11:13.
(2.) Trusting the same Lord Jesus with the charge and care of those whom ye are to leave and are concerned for, 1 Pet. 5:7, "Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you." With an eye to this, the Lord has made that promise, Jer. 49:11, "Leave thy fatherless
children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me." Ungodly men can have no such comfort, in the abundance they have to leave theirs, as a godly man may have in this way of believing, Heb. 11:22.
2. The separation of the soul from the body, Is. 38:13, 14. The soul and body are closely knit; but death comes to loose the silver cord that knits them together; like a whirlwind to separate them, and carry them far asunder. The soul has a sure prospect of a separate state, which it has no experience of; and the consideration thereof is apt to fill it with sorrow, on the account of its foreseen widowhood.
There is no making head against this, but in faith;
1st, Believing the soul's union with Jesus Christ, and with God through him, Rom. 8:38, 39. Thus the soul has full comfort against the separation that death makes. Though the man's spirit parts with his body, yet the Spirit of God still dwells in the soul. God would have his people believe this particularly: and for that cause he has appointed the sacraments, signifying and sealing their union with Christ.
2dly, Believing and trusting for the blessed resurrection of the body at God's appointed time, Job 19:26. It stays the sorrow of friends at their parting, that they look to meet again in peace: and when the soul and body are parting, the stronger the faith of the joyful resurrection is, the less will the sorrow be on that head. And all that are Christ's have good ground for it: for our Lord has said, John 11:25, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."
Secondly, Death may attack you with fear and terror. Death is of all terrors the most terrible. Hence we read of being "brought to the king of terrors, Job. 18:14. And therefore the scripture expresseth the greatest consternation by the terrors of death; as in the case of David, Psal. 55:4, "The terrors of death are fallen upon me." And says Job, chap. 24:17, "For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death." Death will appal and damp the stoutest heart: it will fill them with fear, who have been a terror to others in the land of the living. But faith will bear out, where natural courage falls like a dyke of sand before a sweeping flood. Now, there are three sources of the terrors of death.
1. Guilt lying on the soul, 1 Cor. 15:56, "The sting of death is sin." By the guilt of sin, the sinner is bound over to death; so that is the sting wherewith it pierces men. The native guilt of sin binds over the sinner to death in its full extent, even to revenging wrath: the moderated guilt of it binds over the sinner to unstiuged death. When death comes up, it takes the man prisoner as a guilty man; and so fills him with terror. Here must be a close fight of faith to stop this source of fear and terror.
1st, Over the belly of all your doubts, fears, and felt unworthiness, stretching out the hand of faith, and laying it on the head of the great sacrifice Christ, and so transferring all your guilt on him, Rom. 3:25, and 5:11. Ye must believe in, and trust on the obedience and death of Christ, for the removal of your guilt; believing, that, for the sake of a crucified Christ, all your sins shall be pardoned. And for the warrant of your so trusting, ye must discern the pardon offered to you through Christ in the gospel, Acts 2:38, 39; and so, amidst all your
doubts and fears, anchor your souls on the faithfulness of God in the promise. Thus ye shall pull out death's sting, obtaining the removal of guilt by faith in his blood.
2dly, Believing and applying to yourselves Christ's full answering of the demands of the law, whereby the law is disarmed of its curse, and the bond of it as a covenant is loosed from off you, Gal. 2:20; Col. 2:14. Death's strength lies in guilt: take away guilt off the soul, death is like Samson without his hair. The strength of guilt lies in the law as a covenant: remove the bond of the law from off the man, and the man's guilt is like the cords the Philistines bound Samson with, which became as flax burnt with fire, Judg. 16:14. Let faith apply to the soul Christ's obedience and death, and so his fully answering the demands of the law: and, then the law can have no more effect on you, than a subscribed bond fully paid and discharged, blotted and rent in pieces, can have on you.
2. The unseen unknown world, therefore called the land of darkness, Job 10:21. One is apt to be seized with fear, when they are to be carried into a place which they do not know. Death comes to carry us to another world, which we never saw, nor can see till we be there, never to come back: and that makes it terrible. It is the world of spirits: the blessed spirits dwelling in the upper regions; the damned spirits in the lower. We are so unacquainted with the inhabitants of that world, that the sight of a spirit, good or bad, would be enough to frighten us while we are here: what wonder then that death be terrible, coming to carry us, where there are none but spirits? Here is great necessity of faith, to bear up against the fear rising from thence. We must then stay our hearts by faith,
1st, Firmly believing the scripture accounts of the unseen world, Heb. 11:1. Though we have never seen it, yet we have heard of it: though we never were there, yet the map of it has been laid before us in the Bible; and there we have it described both the upper and lower part of it. And in that map, drawn by inspired pens, not capable of erring, the lower part of that world is not more dreadful, than the upper part is pleasant and desirable, John 14:2; Rev. 21. The faith of heaven is staying to the heart in some measure.
2dly, Firmly believing the scripture account of the way to heaven; that Christ is the way to it, John 14:6; and that by faith we walk in him to it, Col. 2:6. If we believe not this, our hearts have nothing to stay themselves on, but are left at an utter uncertainty, in our encounter with death. Therefore labour to strengthen your faith of this, that it may not be yea and nay, but yea with you, 2 Cor. 1:19, 20; that "he that believeth, shall be saved."
3dly, Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, for your safe passage to the upper part of the unseen world, Psal. 73:24, and 31:5; committing your soul to him, rolling the weight of your through-bearing on him as the Captain of salvation appointed of God to bring many sons to glory. Take hold of him, by his word of promise, by the everlasting covenant, 2 Sam. 23:5; and labour to gripe some particular promise for that end, as Is. 43:2, "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." Heb. 13:5, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Is. 35:9, 10, "No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there: but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord
shall return and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."
4thly, Believing that your Lord Christ is Lord of the unseen world, and that the whole compass of it above and below is nnder his dominion, Rev. 1:18. It is in his hand that the disposing of souls to any part of that world is. Neither is he to fight with the prince of darkness, on that side, about any soul. That fight of his with Satan was in this world. When one comes there, the devil cannot touch him, unless given up to him as an executioner. And he has said it, that none that believe in him shall be damned, Mark 16:16. Believe it with application.
5thly, Believing, that as soon as your soul departs out of your body, God will receive it into his own hand, Psal. 31:5. compared with Luke 23:46. So David believed, Psal. 23:4, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." It shall be conducted by angels into Abraham's bosom, Luke 16:22. Believe, that the same God who brought thee out of the womb, safe into this world, when thou wast a naked helpless infant, and by his providence preserved thee, will take the same care of thee, when entering into the unseen world. This is the comfort of faith in death; agreeably to what the Psalmist saith, Psal. 22:9, 10, "But thou art he that took me out of the womb; thou didst make me hope, when I was upon my mother's breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly."
Lastly, That thy God will fit thee both for the place and the company, however unfit thou art for them now, Heb. 12:23. He will do it in a moment, as appears from parity of reason from 1 Cor. 15:51, 52, "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," &c. Believe that he will fit thee, not only for the sight or knowledge of the spirits there before thee, but for communion with them. And thou mayst confirm thy faith of this, by the experience thou hast had (1.) of his fitting thee for communion with the inhabitants of this world, though thou camest into it an infant knowing nobody there, no not the mother that bare thee; and (2.) of his fitting thee for communion with himself, though thou wast by nature dead in sin.
3. The judgment, Heb. 9:27. The appearing before a tribunal is an awful thing. When a guilty creature is lying on a death-bed, drawing his last breath, and considers that in a little he is to be carried before his judge in another world, to be judged, and give account of his deeds done in the body, and to receive his sentence for eternity, in well or woe; no wonder fear and terror seize him. There is no making head against this but by faith,
1st, Receiving and embracing the Lord Jesus Christ, with all his salvation offered to you in the gospel, John 1:12. So in Rev. 22:17, the offer of Christ is made, after the warning given of Christ's coming to judgment: for this only is the way how a sinner may stand before him. While a sinner breathes in this world, he is in the way: and that is the time to agree with the adversary. Christ and all his salvation is offered; that is, pardon, peace, right to glory, sanctification &c. And it is the work of faith to receive them, held forth in the gospel-promise.
For this cause it is necessary to judge ourselves, and condemn ourselves; to call over all our bypast life, with the sin of our nature: and renouncing all confidence in ourselves, to fly to the horns of the altar, confiding in a crucified Christ, upon the ground of God's faithfulness in the promise of the gospel; John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life."
2dly, Believing, that the same Jesus who is offered, and whom you have embraced, in the gospel, is the judge whom you are to appear before, John 5:22, "For the Father judgeth no man; but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." This is a fit means to abate the terror of the judgment-seat to a believer. For thus, by the eye of faith, the soul may see, that it is the very same person who is its head, husband, advocate, and the redeemer, who is its judge. And thus a full fountain of consolation is opened against the terrors of death, arising from the judgment.
3dly, Believing, that you being in Christ, judgment will not proceed upon you according to the law of works, but according to the law of faith, i. e. the covenant of grace, Rev. 20:12. The law of works adjudgeth every one that sins in the least to die, Gen. 2:17; Gal. 3:10; and according to it shall all unbelievers be judged; but no believer, Rom. 6:14. The covenant of grace adjudgeth every soul united to Christ by faith, how many soever his sins have been, to live eternally, for the sake of Christ's obedience and death imputed to him, Rom. 8:1; John 3:16.
Lastly, Believing, that the covert of Christ's blood is a perfect covert, within which not one drop of revenging wrath can fall here or
hereafter, Is. 32:2; and that faith's plea will never be rejected, for it is established by the covenant betwixt the Father and the Son, and God's faithfulness is impawned for it. Let the believer then, thinking on the tribunal, behold the rainbow about the throne, Rev. 4:3. compared with Is. 54:9. and be comforted against the terror of death from this quarter.
Thirdly, With despondency, Lam. 3:18. This is the most fearful weapon wherewith death attacks a man; when it goes about to raise a man's hope in Christ, making his heart to sink within him as hopeless, filling him with a fearful expectation of eternal destruction, Job 33:22. This may be the case of those that are strangers to Christ, whom death seizing after a lifetime spent in profanity and wickedness, their sins, especially their gross heaven-daring abominations staring them in the face while they are death's prisoners, are apt to fill them with despair of mercy, Job 18:14. It may also be the case of saints after a careless untender walk, Psal. 69:2, 77:7; Matth. 25:5. Here is need of faith in a special manner,
1st, Believing with application the infinite efficacy of the blood and Spirit of Christ Jesus, Heb. 7:25. The soul would behold that blood as the blood of the Son of God, 1 John 1:7, and therefore of infinite efficacy to do away the greatest guilt; as the sea, to quench a house on fire, as well as a candle: his Spirit is of infinite efficacy, as able to wipe away the deepest stains of sins, as others, 1 Cor. 6:11: a waterflood, sweeping away whole dunghills, as well as mole-hills.
2dly, Believing that ye are still within the compass of the gospel offer, Is. 55:1; Rev. 22:17. Yea, it is directed to you in particular, as Jer. 3:1, "Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to
me, saith the Lord." Is. 1:18, "Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." God has made no exception of sinners of any size, who will come in; though ordinarily a profane graceless life has a disagreeable end; they that live gracelessly, for the most part dying hardened, sometimes in sullen despondency: yet the case of the thief on the cross, shews a possibility of its being otherwise.
Lastly, Believing, griping, and hanging by the promise of the gospel, over the belly of all objections. Acts 16:21. Though you are in a boisterous sea, where one wave comes after another to sweep you away; yet quit not your gripe, Heb. 10:39; but hope against hope, as Abraham did; for it is pleasing to God, Psal. 147:11, and will have a good issue, as in the woman of Canaan.
2dly, Consider in what shapes death may attack us. There is one way of coming into the world, but there are many ways of going out of it. Which of them may be ours, we know not; and therefore it concerns us to be ready to encounter death, and fight the last battle successfully, in whatever shape death come upon us. I will take notice of these four.
1. A violent death, by the hands of men. This the heaviest of deaths, when it is an ill cause; as in the case of malefactors, by the hand of public justice; and of men falling sacrifices to their own and others rage in their private godless quarrels. All I say to that, is, to advise you to live by faith, that ye may be preserved from such a death, Prov. 28:17; Matth. 26:52. But even in a good cause men may be brought to it, whether more solemnly by process of law, or
summarily by the hands of bloody men. Death in that shape must be fought,
1st, Believing that that was the kind of death which Christ died, and so has sanctified it to his own, that they may comfortably venture on it for his sake and cause. And the saints of the highest class have died so, dying martyrs, in numberless multitudes. Our Lord will have all his to lay their accounts with it, Luke 14:26, "If any man come to me," says he, "and hate not—his own life, he cannot be my disciple;" though he does not call them all to it. But many who have been called to it have rejoiced in it as their honour.
2dly, Believing that great truth with application, Matth. 16:25. "Whosoever shall save his life, shall loose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." When one's life comes in competition with the honour of Christ and the cause of truth, and they will, for saving themselves, make shipwreck of faith and a good conscience; they lose their souls, to save their bodies for a little time: whereas they to whom Christ's honour is more dear than their own lives, their souls shall be saved eternally, and eternal glory will more than make make up all their losses.
2. A painful death. Death in any shape can hardly want pain; but death is certainly more painful to some than to others. O what piercing pains, gripes, and torments, do some suffer at their death! What struggles and wrestlings have some with death, before their souls leave their bodies! What measure of these pains is allotted to us we do not know; but every one will at length feel his own part of them.
Our business is to bear them Christianly and patiently; and that I we will never do to purpose, but by faith,
1st, Cleaving to Christ in them by faith, Job 13:15, and believing, that through his grace they shall have a comfortable end in due time, 2 Tim. 4:6, 7, 8. Faith's view of the eternal rest in heaven, is the best cordial in the pain of death. When the soul believes, that the last pain is coming up, the last sob; after which sorrow and sighing shall for ever fly away; that will make the man stand the shock of the sharpest pains Christianly and patiently.
2dly, Believing that the body of death and sin, which thou hast had many a battle with in thy life, is by that means to be put to the door. Death came in by sin, and sin must go out by death. Every pain and gripe looseth a pin of the tabernacle; and according as death makes its progress in the believer's body, sin is the nearer to a removal outof his soul. And when death has perfected its work on the body, the soul shall then be perfected, Heb. 12:23. A Christian will abide sore thrusts patiently, in the faith of this their thrusting out his worst enemy.
3dly, By the eye of faith discerning death unstinged to thee, by the death of Christ. Our Lord Christ has said it, and done it, Hos. 13:14, "I will ransom thee from the power of the grave: I will redeem them from death: O death I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction; repentance shall be bid from mine eyes:" and therefore a dying saint should comfort himself in it, and believing sing, as in 1 Cor. 15:55–57, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength, of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ." That whereby the believer's dying body is pained, is not death's sting: he may therefore bear it the better. Death's sting stings the soul and conscience, and leaves the venom of the curse there, which will scorch the man eternally. These pains are but as a bee-sting in comparison of that.
3. A longsome or lingering death. Death makes quick harvest with some, but with others death's work is spun out to a great length; whereby they have many deaths in one, are often looking for the last stroke, but it is long a coming. This is a great trial, and we know not but it may be ours. Therefore we should be prepared for it, and lay up timely for it. We will never manage it well, but by faith,
1st, Believing always that it is coming; but at what hour, we know not. The faith of this will make us keep up our watch, Matth. 24:42. They may watch at first, who may let down their watch when they find the Bridegroom delays his coming; and so they may be surprised, as the foolish virgins when their lamps were out. But the faith of this will put us on Job's resolution, chap. 14:14, "All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come."
2dly, Believing that therein the Lord has you upon your trials, 1 Pet. 1:6, 7. He is in that case taking a trial of your faith, love, patience, and Christian fortitude. And if God opens to any of us a scene of trial of more variety and greater length than that of others, it is our business to behave well in the trial laid to our hand.
3dly, By the eye of faith discerning the eternal weight of glory, on the other side of the trial: and if we weigh the one by the other, the most longsome struggle with death will appear both light and momentary, 2 Cor. 4:17, 18, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen, are temporal; but the things which are not seen, are eternal."
4. Lastly, A sudden death. Death sometimes makes a wide step, so that it is upon a man ere he can well perceive it coming. It is what may be our lot; for it is common to good and bad. Good Eli died so, as well as Ananias and Sapphira, who died with a lie in their mouth. And therefore it concerns us to be prepared for it; which we can never be but by believing. And,
1st, Securing ourselves within the true ark, timely, by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, accepting him in the offer of the gospel covenant, John 1:12. Then come death when and how it will, we are habitually ready for it: and it shall not be able to loose the marriage-knot cast by faith betwixt Christ and our souls, Rom. 8:38. &c. If in that case, it come suddenly on us, it shall but waft us over more speedily into Immanuel's land.
2dly, Resolutely renewing the actings of faith on Christ, at death's sudden approach, Is. 45:22. What a man has done before, he may the more easily do again on a signal given: and a believer may through grace renew his acting of faith, upon death's short warning. If death be sudden, the act of faith, may be as sudden, as reaching in a moment from earth to the highest heavens: and therefore compared to a look.
And thus I have gone through the Christian warfare, even to the last battle. May the Lord thus teach our hands to war, and our fingers to fight.
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