II. To consider the knowledge that living saints may have
II. To consider the knowledge that living saints may have
And the notice that they should take, of the state and condition of them that are asleep in Jesus
I would not have you to be ignorant concerning them that are asleep. And,
1. We may be assured that they are, that they are in being, that they do exist; for, though they are gone from us, they are somewhere else. We are not to consider them as non-entities, as annihilated, as reduced to nothing, because they are departed from us. It is said indeed of Rachel, that she was weeping for her children, and refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not (Jeremiah 30:15); that is, they were not with her, they were not on earth, in the land of the living; but then it follows not, that they were not any where else. It is observed of Enoch, that he was not; that is, he was not on earth, conversing among men as before; he was in heaven with God, for God took him. Thus, though the places of our dear friends and relations, who die in the Lord, know them no more; though their families and acquaintance know them no more after the flesh, yet they are still in being; their souls are immortal and never die; and as soon as their bodies die, their souls return to God that gave them: as soon as these are separated from their bodies, as swift as angels can bear them away, they are carried by them into Abraham ‘ s bosom; they are lodged in the embraces of Christ, and continue with him in the heavenly paradise, till the last trumpet sounds, and the dead arise. Nor are their bodies, which are laid in grave, crumbled into nothing; they return indeed to the dust but there is a wide difference between returning to the dust, and being reduced to nothing. These earthly tabernacles indeed are unpinned and taken down, and their several parts separated from each other; but then they are not utterly destroyed; and they will be put together again in a better frame and order than ever they were before; and so become fit and everlasting habitations for their souls to dwell in. The bodies of the saints are the purchase of Christ’s blood, are members of his body, and the temples of the holy Ghost, and therefore can never be brought to nothing. Christ will not lose his purchase, nor any part of his fullness; nor will the Spirit of God lose his dwelling-place.
2. We should consider, and bear in mind, not only that they are, but that they are asleep, yea, asleep in Jesus, and so at rest and in safety. Such a view of the state of the dead serves to render death very easy and familiar to us; and to take off the horror, and those frightful apprehensions which are often entertained concerning it; for the death of a believer is but like a man’s lying down on his bed at evening, where he takes a comfortable nap till the morning light, when he rises refreshed and satisfied. In this light Job represents it to himself and others, Man, says he, lieth down, and riseth not till the heavens be no more (Job 14:12, 14, 15); which general case of man he particularly applies to himself, and explains what he means by such expressions, saying, If a man die, shall he live again ? Yes, he shall live again; wherefore, says he, all the days of my appointed time, that is, in the grave, will I wait, with patience, until my change comes, at the time of the glorious resurrection; when thou shalt call, as one man may call up another in the morning to rise out of his bed, and attend his business, and I will answer thee; I shall awake at thy call; I shall rise at thy word of command, when I shall hear thee say, “Arise, ye dead, and come to judgment; ” for thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands, to see it raised and restored to a more glorious form than it now exists in: Hence he could say to corruption, Thou art my father; to the worm, Thou art my mother and my sister: And where is now my hope ? As for my hope, who shall see it ? They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust. [5341] This consideration of the state of the dead, as of persons asleep, and at rest, serves also to moderate our grief and sorrow for the loss of any of our friends. Very pertinently may those words be applied to our present case, which our Lord spoke to the parents of the maid he raised from the dead, and others with them; why make ye this ado and weep ? THE DAMSEL IS NOT DEAD, BUT SLEEPETH (Mark 5:39). What master of a family can be uneasy at finding his family, his wife, his children, his servants, in a sound fast sleep at midnight? May he not expect they will rise in the morning well and healthful, and ready to go about any service that may be proper for them. Sound sleep supposes healthfulness; and in case of illness and indisposition it promises a deliverance from it; as the disciples observed concerning Lazarus, when Christ said, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; Lord, say they, if he sleep he shall do well (John 11:12). The saints who are fallen asleep must needs do well; they cannot do otherwise than well, who not only sleep, but sleep in Jesus. Should it be asked, How shall we know that our friends died in Christ, or sleep in Jesus? It may be replied, Did they live in Christ? Did they live to him? If so, they died in him, and died to him; for none of us, that is, of the saints, liveth to himself and no man, of that fort, dieth to himself for whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord So that from hence it may be strongly concluded, that, whether we live or die, we are the Lord ‘ s (Romans 14:7, 8). Since therefore our life, and that of our friends, is hid with Christ in God; though we shall die, and they are fallen asleep in Jesus, yet, when Christ who is our and their life, shall appear, we and they shall appear with him in glory (Colossians 3:3, 4).
3. It may be known, and should be considered, that the pious dead, though they are at present asleep, they will not sleep always, they will awake again, they will rise from the dead. Nothing is more certain, than that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust; and as for the dead in Christ, they will rise first; they will have the start of the wicked dead by the space of a thousand years. The resurrection-day is the day of the Lord; and one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (2 Peter 3:8).
The saints will rise at the beginning of this day, in the morning of it, as soon as ever the sun of righteousness is risen, or Christ is come; but the rest of the dead (Revelation 20:5, 6), the wicked dead, shall not live again till the thousand years are finished; they will not rise till the evening of this day, towards the expiration of it; like sheep they are laid in the grave, death shall feed on them, and retain them under his power all this long day; and the upright, the righteous ones, who are found in Christ and his righteousness, shall have the dominion over them in the morning (Psalm 49:14).
Happy then are they that are the Lord’s, that die in him, they will share all the glories and advantages of the resurrection to eternal life: blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection, on such the second death hath no power; but they shall be priests to God, and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, as it serves to support the people of God under present afflictions, and when in the view of death and eternity; as it did Job, who could say, though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself and mine eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within me (Job 19:26, 27), so it tends to assuage that grief and trouble which attend the removal of our friends from us; and for that reason should be observed and considered by us.
4. We may assure ourselves, that the saints, while their bodies are sleeping in Jesus, and before they awake in the resurrection-morn, in the meanwhile, during this interval, their souls are in a state of happiness: they are mixed with the spirits of just men made perfect; they are attended with, and surrounded by an innumerable company of angels; they are in the presence of, and enjoy uninterrupted communion with God, Father, Son, and Spirit; in whose presence is fulness of joy, and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore: they are blessed with the vision of God, are employed in singing the hallelujahs of the lamb, enjoy the society of glorified spirits, and are in perfect peace and rest. If it should be said, how shall we know that this is the case of our departed friends? Could we be satisfied of this, we should sit easy under the loss of them; let this single question be put, is there any reason to believe the grace of God was bestowed upon them? If this is a clear point, the other is out of all doubt; for nothing is more certain than this, that to whom God gives grace he also gives glory. We may be assured of the happiness of our friends in the other world, from their having tasted that the Lord was gracious to them in this. Vocation, justification and glorification, are inseparably connected together; whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified (Romans 8:30).
5. Add to all these considerations one more, that in a little time we shall meet together again, and never part. Our friends are gone but a little before us; we are hastening after them as fast as the wings of time can carry us. The conduct of David is worthy of our imitation; While the child was yet alive, says he, I fasted and wept; for I said, who can tell, whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me (2 Samuel 12:22, 23).
Or should the coming of the Lord prevent our going to them; for, who knows how soon he may come? He will bring all his saints with him, and we shall have a glorious meeting with them. Then we which are alive, and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be together with the Lord; wherefore we should comfort one another with these words. And seeing we cannot be wholly ignorant concerning them that are asleep; yea, we may assure ourselves of their happy state and condition; let us dry up our tears, and cease sorrowing, especially in any immoderate way, and what is unbecoming our Christian character. Which brings me,