Section 1108
IV. This is ascribed to the greatness of the arm of the Lord, or to his almighty power
There were many things which contributed to make the passage of the Israelites over the river Jordan easy and comfortable, and which encouraged them to it; and somewhat similar to them the people of God are favoured with oftentimes in their passage through death; which are of singular use and service to them. As,
1. It was no small encouragement to the people of Israel in their passage over Jordan, to see the priests of the Lord go before them, and their feet stand firm and sure on dry ground in the midst of it. So when private christians behold their faithful guides and ministers stand fast in the faith, both in life and at death; whose faith they follow, and the end of whose conversation they consider; it greatly animates and encourages them to look to and trust in the Lord and Saviour, they do; who is the same to-day, yesterday, and for ever; (Hebrews 13:7, 8) when they observe that they abide steadfastly by the doctrines of the gospel they preach throughout the whole of their lives; and when they come to die, these are the support of their souls, and by means of which their feet stand firm in Jordan’s river, and they stagger not in the view of death and eternity; this gives a lift to weaker saints, and is a means to encourage them to follow them cheerfully, who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Besides, ministers of the gospel, as they are useful in their public ministrations to speak comfortably to the people of God, which is a principal branch of their work, even to assure those that believe in Christ of the pardon of their sins through his blood, and of their justification by his righteousness, and of eternal life as the free gift of God through him; so they are often serviceable to the saints in their last moments, by speaking a word in season to them; which tends to encourage their faith and hope, and to increase their joy and peace in believing, and to direct their views to that glory they are hastening to, in the hope of which they rejoice and are glad.
2. Another thing which served greatly to encourage the people of Israel to follow the priests through Jordan’s river, was the ark of the covenant which they bore before them as they passed through; and which ark was a type of Christ, and of the law being fulfill in him, and of the covenant of grace made with him. And a sight of Christ, as the Lord our righteousness and as the fulfilling end of the law for righteousness, and of an interest in the covenant of grace, and the blessings and promises of it, and of an interest. in God, as a covenant-God, and in Christ as the mediator of it, will set a soul above the fears of death, and cause it to pass cheerfully and comfortably through it; as it did David, some of whose last words, a little before his death, were these; Although my ho use be not so with God, yet he bath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure; for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. (2 Samuel 23:5)
3. Not only the priests of the Lord, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth, went before the Israelites when they passed over Jordan, but the living God himself was among them; and which was manifest from that wonderful display of his power in parting the waters, and causing them to stand up on an heap, for them to pass through on dry ground; which must be a great inducement to go on cheerfully into the midst of it, fearing nothing: nor can any thing be a greater encouragement to saints in their last moments, and when upon the brink of eternity, than to have some plain manifestations of the presence or God with them, and the displays of his love and grace to them: hence says David, Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me, thyrod and thy staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4) And this God, who is the God of his people, and their guide in life, will be their God for ever and ever, and will never leave them nor forsake them; and he will he their guide unto death; (Psalm 48:14) until they come to it, and will then be their guide through it; so that it must be safe and comfortable walking through Jordan’s river, when God is with his people as their God and guide: and which he has promised to be, and they may depend upon.
4. A sight of the waters of Jordan divided; those that came down from above rising up and standing on an heap; and those that came from the sea of the plain failing, being cut off, and the midst of the river appearing to be dry ground, must needs give the people of Israel courage to venture into it, and follow the priests in it. And so when the believer has a view all difficulties in his passage removed, which before presented to him, and all his doubts and fears scattered, and his objections answered, death is no more formidable to him; he meets it with pleasure, and passes through it with boldness and cheerfulness; having no fearful apprehensions of danger in, or hurt from it, of being overwhelmed with the floods of it, or of perishing in his passage through it. But,
5. The stillness of the enemies of Christ’s purchased people, while they pass over, is attributed to Jehovah’s arm; who has such an arm as no creature has; hast thou an arm like God? (Job 40:9) no, none has; kings are said to have long arms, because their power is large and extensive, they can come at persons and things out of the reach of others; but their arm is not to he compared with the arm of the Lord, of whom it is said, thou hast a mighty arm, strong is thy hand, and high is thyright hand; (Psalm 89:13) so mighty, as not to be resisted by any: so strong as to crush his most potent enemies; and so high, as not to be reached by any of them, or hindered from striking a fatal blow: and which, the higher the hand is, or is lifted up, comes with the greater force. On this mighty arm the purchased people of Christ lean, whilst they are passing through the wilderness of this world, and are coming up out of it: and so go on safely, cheerfully, and comfortably: it is on this they are borne, and carried all their days, even to old age and hoary hairs; by the mighty power of this arm they are preserved from their enemies; they are kept through faith unto salvation, and they are conducted safely through the dark valley of death, and over this river Jordan into the land of uprightness. And it is owing to this that their enemies are as still as a stone, while they pass over; the arm of the Lord is greater than theirs; his power is infinitely superior to what is in them; their hands are held, their mouths are stopped, their clamours are silenced; they are not suffered to move their lips, to bring any charge against the saints, and much less exert any lower over them. Jehovah subdues their iniquities, removes all the objections, doubts and fears of an unbelieving heart; rebukes the tempter, and stills the enemy, and the avenger; (Psalm 8:2) and so a safe, easy, and quiet entrance is ministered abundantly, richly, plenteously into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:11) But; I shall now close this discourse, by observing the use that may be made of it.
1. This may serve to put us in mind of death, and to expect it; it lies in our way to the heavenly Canaan; there is no entrance into the one, without passing through the other: if therefore we are hooking for the blessed hope laid up for us in heaven, or are waiting for the hope of righteousness by faith; we should live in a continual expectation of death, and should frequently meditate upon it, and endeavour to make it familiar to us; that when we come to the brink of this river, we may not be surprised and intimidated with its swelling floods.
2. This may have a tendency to take off the fears of death, which often attend the people of God, when their thoughts are led to dwell upon it; they are fearful what frame of soul they shall then he in; they are afraid their graces will be weak, and their enemies strong; their sins will stare them in the face; their hearts will fail through unbelief; Satan will be busy with his temptations, noisy and clamorous within his charges; and the terrors of death will set themselves in array against them. But when they observe, that God has promised his presence with his people; that he will never leave them in life nor in death; will be their God and guide to it, and through it: will silence all their enemies, and make them as still as a stone; they have then nothing to fear, but may say as David did in the view of death, and with respect unto it, I will fear no evil. (Psalm 23:4)
3. This may encourage the weakest believe, and assure him, that he shall go safely and even quietly through this dark valley, and over this swelling river; who is sometimes ready to argue after this manner, that it he has run with the footmen, and they have wearied him; either striving to keep pace with fellow-saints of the same class with him, of to get before them, but through the weakness and weariness of the flesh has not been able; of striving with the corruptions of his nature, and endeavouring to overcome them, is wearied by them; then how can he think to contend with horses, or horsemen; to enter the lists with those that are above his match, with Satan and his principalities and powers? and if in the land of peace wherein he trusted, he has been wearied and distressed in a time of health and outward prosperity, which he promised himself a continuance of; then how shall he do in the swelling of Jordan? (Jeremiah 12:5) or in the hour of death, when that shall appear formidable and terrible to him? but God can abate this swelling, and bring down its rising waves and floods, and make it smooth and quiet; yea, divide its waters, and form a path of dry land between them to pass through, easily and safely; or, in other words, remove the seeming difficulties in the passage, and make it a comfortable and pleasant one.
4. This may instruct us to look beyond death and the grave to the heavenly glory. As on the other side of Jordan’s river lay a most delightful and fruitful country, the land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey; so on the other side of death, and the grave, lies a land of promise, a land of test, a land of uprightness; a better country than thus earthly one, abounding with heavenly fruit, and rivers of pleasure; and where there is fulness of joy; and which the Elysian fields can give us no idea of; but faith gives us a glimpse of them, being the evidence (Hebrews 11:1) of those unseen glories and invisible realities; wherefore let us look by faith, not at things which are seen, which are temporal, but at things which are not seen, which are eternal; (2 Corinthians 4:18) and let us gird up the loins of our minds, amid he in a waiting posture, expecting to enjoy those everlasting things; and hope unto the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto us at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:13)
5. This may assure t he Lord’s purchased people, such who have any reason to believe that they are purchased with the blood of Christ, that as they shall safely and quietly pass over Jordan’s river, so they shall most certainly possess tine promised land, and inherit everlasting life; for Christ will surely see the travail of his soul; he will never lose his purchase; the price of his blood can never he paid in vain, as it so far would be, if any of those he has purchased should come short of eternal glory and happiness. Beside, such have not only Christ’s purchase to trust unto, and depend upon for their security; but they have the Spirit, and his grace, as the earnest of their enjoyment of the inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession: (Ephesians 1:14) wherefore it may with the greatest assurance be concluded, that the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; and they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35:10)