Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions, Sermon 7
SERMON VII.
PHILIP. 1. 21. For to me to live is Chriſt, and to die is gain:
YOU may remember the Point that we are inſiſting upon.
DOCT. That where Chriſt is life, there death is gain.
I have opened the Point, and ſhewed you wherein death is gain to believers in ſeveral particulars. But I ſhall proceed in anſwering ſome Objections before I come to the Uſe.
Object. It may be, may ſome carnal heart ſay with Nicodemus, how can theſe things be? how is it poſſible that death ſhould be gain, when it ſtrips a man of all his comforts, turns him out of poſſeſſion of Houſe and Land, it is no longer his, if death comes it deprives him of all his friends, he is left friendleſs, it turns him naked out of the World, and how is it poſſible that that ſhould be gain?
Anſw. I Anſwer, If there be not ſomething beyond the Grave, if a man hath not an Inheritance laid up in Heaven, I grant it, that death is the greateſt loſs of all, for it robs a man of all comforts at once; therefore I ſay, if a man hath not a ſhare in the Land of Promiſe, if he hath not a more endurable ſubſtance in Heaven, I grant that death is a great loſs; therefore what I ſay concerning thoſe who are gainers by death, it concerns them only that have intereſt in Chriſt, and to them it is not loſs to be ſtript of all comforts; for why? It puts them into poſſeſſion of their Inheritance; and what though death doth ſtrip them of a few outward comforts? It's no great loſs, or it's not conſiderable. If a great Heir be gone home to his own Country, if he gets to his own door, his own houſe, and his purſe be taken from him, what are a few pence? It's no great wrong, becauſe he hath now taken poſſeſſion of an Inheritance that will bring him in a yearly Revenue, thouſands it may be; the loſs of his few pence from his purſe is no great matter.
2. Secondly, Beſides, Whatſoever is loſt in death, it is no great matter to a gracious heart, becauſe the World is Crucified to him, and he to the World before-hand; I ſay, however the World may look upon death as a loſs, yet a gracious heart doth not, becauſe the World is dead to him before-hand, and if it be dead, if it be a dead Carkaſs, it is no great loſs to part with it; and though a man loves his Friend never ſo dearly, as Sarah, ſhe was the beloved of Abraham, Abraham's beloved wife, and yet when death came, Give me a burying place, ſaies he, that I may bury my dead out of my ſight, it was no matter to be parted with, when ſhe was dead; and ſo ſaies a gracious heart of all the things of the World, they are dead, The world is crucified to me, ſaies the Apoſtle, and I to the World, and therefore no great loſs to him to part with them, becauſe they are dead to him.
3. Thirdly, Beſides, A believing ſoul ſhall find all to be made up in God abundantly; whatſoever ſeems to be a loſs ſhall be made up in Heaven, with the preſence of God and Chriſt: Is there a loſs of houſe and Land? The Lord will be the dwelling place of his people throughout all Generations; doſt thou loſe the light of the Sun? the Lamb is the light of that City: thou ſhalt find all relations in God, Husband, Wife, Brother, Siſter, whatever relation is broken by death, it ſhall be made up in God, he ſhall be their friend inſtead of all, and you ſhall find the comfort of all relations made up in Heaven; in Gen. 17. 7. I will be a God to thee: it comprehends all relations, that is, Friends, Father, Husband, Wife, Houſe, Land, all creature comforts whatſoever: I will be a God to thee, they are to be found in God. Therefore whatſoever, I ſay, ſeems to be loſt by death, ſhall be made up in the enjoyment of God himſelf, and of his Son Jeſus Chriſt: ſo much in anſwer to that. But,
Object. 2. Some poor hearts that are taken with this truth, and with the great gain of Heaven, will try out, O Lord, why do I live in this miſerable world? and why is light given to him that is in miſery? and why is life given to the bitter in Spirit? Job 3. 20. I have heard of the gain of death, and I cannot be content any longer in this vale of miſery, to be kept from my gain, I know not how to bear it any longer: O that the Lord would make haſte, and let looſe his hand upon me, and cut off this thread of my life.
Anſw. Now good Chriſtian, let me ſay a little to thee; do not make too much haſt, do not make more haſt than thy Father would have thee. I remember the Apoſtle in Epheſ. 4. 26. ſaies, Be angry and ſin not; ſo ſay I to thee, deſire death but ſin not in thy deſire: every deſire of death, is not a good and a warrantable deſire; there is a holy deſire of death, and there is a ſinful deſire of death, and have a care thou ſinneſt not.
Queſt. But you will ſay then, How far may a man deſire death? When are his deſires holy, and when are they ſinful? This is a Caſe of Conſcience, that is very obvious and obnoxious to moſt of Gods people at one time or other, and therefore I ſhall ſpend ſome time in anſwer.
Firſt, I ſhall ſhew you when a mans deſires of death are ſinful. And ſecondly, When they are holy and good.
1. Firſt of all, Deſires of death are Sinful, when a man ſhall act any thing againſt his own life: I ſay, when a creature ſhall act any thing againſt his own life, when a man or woman ſhall do any thing that ſhall ſhorten their own daies, or when they ſhall refuſe the comfort that God hath given, or helps to prolong life: if a mans hand be found againſt his own life, it proceeds from a ſinful and wicked deſire of death. There's great evil in this, let me ſhew you the evil. For,
1. Firſt, It doth pluck that out of Gods hand, which God hath challenged as his right: the iſſues of life and death they belong to the Lord; my times are in thy hand, ſaies David; now it is wicked boldneſs for a man to pluck times out of Gods hand; when a man will have them in his own hand, and not that God ſhould have the diſpoſal of them.
2. Secondly, Beſides, There is this evil in it, A man caſts away the moſt precious Jewel, when he acts againſt his own life; he caſts away the moſt precious Jewel in nature: Life is the preciouſeſt of all natural gifts; Life is a Talent, a great Talent, it is a Talent given thee for to improve it for God, not to waſte it away; God gives thee this Talent, that it may be laid out for him, that thy life may be laid out for his name and glory, and not to caſt it away at thy own pleaſure, or diſpleaſure: know therefore, that if any man ſhall at any time act any thing againſt his own life, God will call him to account for it; if the wicked ſervant was condemned, becauſe he did not improve his Talent, what ſhall become of him that threw away his Talent? Life is precious; when a man ſhall act any thing againſt his own life, it proceeds from ſinful deſires of death.
3. Thirdly, Again, Deſires of death are ſinful, When a man ſhall deſire to die, before he knows what it is to live or to die; when a man deſires to die, before he hath begun to live, or before he knows what it is to die. There is many a poor creature will be ſpeaking againſt his life: O that my life were at an end; O that God would take me out of the World: But haſt thou begun to live yet to God? Many a poor creature will ſpeak againſt his own life before he knows what God hath done for him: haſt thou done the work God hath ſent thee into the World for? Haſt thou glorified his name on earth? Haſt thou finiſhed thy courſe? Haſt thou conſidered theſe things before thou deſireſt to die? Doſt thou know what it is to die? Haſt thou conſidered that death is a door that opens to Eternity? It opens to an Eternal condition, to a place whence there is no return: Haſt thou conſidered what door death will open to thee, whether to the inheritance of the Saints in light, or to an inheritance with the wicked in utter darkneſs? If thou haſt not well conſidered of theſe things before thou deſireſt to die, then theſe deſires of death are ſinful deſires: No, rather go firſt to God, and deſire him to teach thee to live. It may be thou haſt been twenty, thirty, forty, fifty years in the fleſh, haſt thou begun to live? haſt thou made him the end of all thy ſervices? doſt thou bring forth fruit to him, and not to thy ſelf? is it he that ſtrengthens thee and carries thee out to all thy duties and ſervices? is Chriſt thy life? Thou hadſt need know what it is to live: deſire that God would teach thee, what is the end he ſent thee into the World for, the cauſe of thy coming, rather that thou maiſt know how to live, and when to die, that when death comes it may be gain, for if thou doſt deſire death before, thy deſires are ſinful.
4. Again, Fourthly, Deſires of death are ſinful, When a man deſires death in a paſſion: It is a failing that is incident unto Gods own people, and therefore you had need take heed of it: It was Jonah's fault, and alſo Elias failing, in Jonah 4. 3. ſaies he, Take away my life, it is better for me to die than to live; and when Jonah ſpake this, he was in a great paſſion: ſaies God in Verſe 9. Doſt thou well to be angry? I do well to be angry even unto the death. Was Jonah fit to die now? to die in an anger, to die in a paſſion? Certainly if at any time, Jonah was now unfit to die. It was a ſtrange paſſion he was now in, and at this time he was angry with God himſelf, and yet this man will needs die; did he know what he ſaid? O, paſſion, paſſion is blind and unreaſonable; he will go to God, he will go to the Throne of God, to dwell with God for ever, when he is angry with him, he is angry with the grace and mercy of God, in Jonah 4. 2, 3. For I know that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, ſlow to anger, and of great kindneſs, and repenteſt thee of the evil: Therefore now, O Lord, take I beſeech thee, my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live. Certainly Jonah was now unfit to die, to go to God, whenas there were ſuch contrary diſtempers prevailed in his ſpirit, ſuch a diſtemper as was moſt contrary to God; God was full of love, full of bowels and pity, full of meekneſs, patience, compaſſion, calmneſs and quietneſs of mind: contrary to all this, Jonah muſt and would needs die; here's a paſſion which is a ſinful deſire of death; and ſo Elijah in 1 Kings 19. 4. But he himſelf went a daies Journey in the Wilderneſs, and came and ſat down under a Juniper tree: and he requeſted for himſelf that he might die; and ſaid, It is enough now, O Lord, take away my life: for I am no better than my Fathers; Jonah will die in a paſſion of anger; Elijah would die in a paſſion of fear: he was afraid of Jezebel, afraid that ſhe ſhould cut him off, but it was his failing; what was Elijah loth to be made a Martyr? would he die? and is he loth to die in Gods cauſe? to die for the truth? why, would Elijah die, yet afraid that God won't ſupport him, and uphold him in his way? This is his infirmity, like unto thoſe of Moſes's; therefore, Brethren, take heed of Elijah's fears, and Jonah's paſſion. It is common, if they meet with any diſcontent, O then that God would take away my life, O that I were out of the world; thus to deſire to die when in paſſion, thou art leaſt fit to die; and therefore it is a ſinful deſire. That's a Third. Again,
4. Fourthly, Deſires of death are ſinful when a man ſhall deſire to die, only to gain eaſe to the Fleſh, to be rid of ſome troubles or afflictions that lay upon him: When a man ſaies, O I lye under a heavy burden, and I know not how to get rid of it, O that God would make an end of my daies, for I ſee if ſuch or ſuch affliction comes upon me, I know not how to bear it when it comes; O that God would take away my life beforehand; this is a deſire of the fleſh, which is a ſinful deſire. I will ſhew you the ſinfulneſs of it, when a man deſires to die only upon theſe grounds, to be rid of trouble and affliction.
1. Firſt, He doth charge God fooliſhly: It is ſaid of Job in the latter end of the firſt Chapter, In all this he ſinned not, nor charged God fooliſhly. But afterward Job did charge God, when he came to conſider the day of his birth, he ſpake againſt his own life, Wherefore is light given to him that is in miſery, and life given to the bitter in ſoul? There Job did charge God fooliſhly, as if God were not wiſe enough to meaſure out thy portion▪ O thou wouldſt die that thou maiſt be eaſed of ſuch and ſuch an affliction, thou chargeſt God with want of faithfulneſs, want of wiſdom, want of love: ſee what Abſalom ſaid when he flattered with the people, O that I were Judge, ſaith he, I would hear every mans Cauſe, and it ſhould not be ſo and ſo, I would rule better than my Father David; he charged his Government with folly, I would do Juſtice better than he. And truly ſo thou ſaieſt, O that I were in Gods place, O that I ſat upon the Throne, I would diſpoſe better of my own condition, I would diſpoſe of it with more wiſdom, and more love, and more compaſſion. What a high charge is this to lay upon God! O, have a care thou doſt not charge God; thou ſaiſt, wherefore is life given to thee in ſuch an affliction? thou chargeſt God fooliſhly: Doſt thou not know? why God knows (it may be) that the life of Nature is continued, that ſo he may increaſe the life of grace in thee, or that he may kill the life of ſin in thee, or that he may give thee more of himſelf, that thou maiſt have more experience of his love and goodneſs, or that thou maiſt be a pattern to others, a pattern of his patience, of his power and goodneſs, and therefore is life given thee.
2. Secondly, Nay further, When thou ſpeakeſt againſt thy own life, and deſireſt to die, thou doſt limit the holy one of Iſrael, and commit that ſin which the Children of Iſrael did, they tempted God, and limited the holy one of Iſrael. When thou ſaiſt, O that God would take away thy life, that thy affliction may may be taken away; why, cannot God take away thy affliction, and not take away thy life? hath God no other way? He can make a hundred doors, and find out a thouſand waies; muſt he needs open that door, the ſtrait door of death, or elſe he cannot open a door of deliverance for thee? why doſt thou limit and tempt the holy one of Iſrael? If thou deſireſt death becauſe thou wouldſt be delivered, thy deſire is ſinful. O deſire rather that the Lord would be with thee in thy affliction, and make thee a Conquerour over thy affliction, that thou maiſt get above thy affliction to glorifie God in the fire. That's a Fourth. But,
5. Fifthly, Thy deſires of death are ſinful, When as thy deſires are unlimited, when they are not ſubjected to the Will of God, when they are abſolute, when a man will have no denial whether God ſee it good or no, whether the Lords time be come or no; thou ſaiſt it is gain, ſhall I not deſire gain? No, thou maiſt not deſire gain with an immoderate deſire. The Apoſtle James reproves thoſe that ſay, We will go, and buy, and ſell, and get gain, no, but ſaies he, Stay and ask God leave, If God will, we will do ſo and ſo, &c. When you would go to the new Jeruſalem for gain in that City, ſay not, We will go, we will go; no, ſay, If God will let me go: God will have thee to finiſh thy courſe; there are many that would go, though the Lord hath no need of them; theſe unlimited deſires of death, are unlawful deſires.
Queſt. But you will ſay, When are deſires of death Lawful? I ſhall deſire to ſpeak a few words to that briefly.
Anſw. Firſt of all, When a man doth not deſire death for death, but death for life. There are many poor creatures are deſirous to die, but they know not wherefore, but now a holy man hath holy deſires, his deſires are not death for death, but death for life: for death is an enemy; to deſire death, only to ceaſe to be, only to lie ſtill in the Grave and ceaſe to be; the Apoſtle in 2 Cor. tells you wherefore he deſired death, he don't deſire to be uncloathed, But to be cloathed upon, that mortality may be ſwallowed up in life; not to be uncloathed, to lay aſide the body, to be in the Grave, and to ceaſe from being, but to be ſwallowed up in life, to be cloathed upon, to deſire death for life: ſeek for that life which we are ſure ſhall come into us by death, this is a lawful deſire.
2. Secondly, Deſires of death are lawful when a man deſires to die, that he may ſin no more againſt God, that corruption may be fully mortified, that there may be nothing left in the ſoul to provoke the Lord any longer, that may diſpleaſe the eye of his glory, that it may be holy in all things, made like unto Chriſt, even without ſin: a gracious heart ſaies and believes, becauſe the Lord hath ſpoken it, that death ſhall be the death of ſin, as well as the death of the body, ſin brought death into the world, and death ſhall carry ſin quite away, that at death it ſhall be aboliſhed, that there ſhall be no more ſenſe of ſin, no ſenſe of luſt; to deſire death for this end, that the creature may ſin no more, that God may be diſpleaſed no more, and grieved no more, this is a lawful deſire.
3. Thirdly, When a man deſires death, that he may enjoy communion with Chriſt, this is lawful, to enjoy full communion with Chriſt, that was the Apoſtles deſire, Phil. 1. 23. Having a deſire to depart, and to be with Chriſt which is far better; wherefore doth he deſire to be diſſolved? he tells you, To be with Chriſt, to ſee the face of Chriſt, to enjoy the preſence of Chriſt, that he may be filled with the love of Chriſt, and behold the glory of Chriſt, and may be for ever in the preſence of Chriſt, and never look off his face, but to enjoy full and perfect communion with Chriſt: to deſire death for theſe ends is lawful.
4. Again, Fourthly, When a man deſires death, That he may lift up the name of God in Heaven, that he may do the Will of God perfectly, as it is done in Heaven by the Saints and Angels. O here he cometh ſhort in all the works and ſervices he deſires to do, he cannot do the thouſandth part of that which he deſires to do, and therefore deſires death, that he may lift up the name of God fully in Heaven, that he may there be ſwallowed up in the preſent enjoyment of God and Chriſt, that he may be infinitely enlarged to ſing Hallelujahs unto God to all Eternity; thus to deſire death is lawful. But,
5. Fifthly and laſtly, to ſay no more, This deſire of death muſt be with an indifferency to the Will of God: though it be for never ſuch good ends, though a man deſires death for lifes ſake, though he deſire death that he may ſin no more, that he may be with Chriſt, that he may lift up the name of God fully in Heaven; yet if it be not with an indifferency to the Will of God, it is not a holy and lawful deſire: and therefore the Apoſtle in the Text, refers himſelf to the Will of God, I am in a ſtrait, I know not what to do: it is beſt for me to die, I am in a ſtrait, I will not determine: though I ſhall be deprived of my gain, and be a loſerby it, yet it is no great matter, if God may gain any thing by my life, if his Church may gain any thing, if any poor ſoul may gain any thing, if God hath any further work for me, I am content to live, I know not what to chooſe, ſaies he, but I refer my ſelf to God, this makes the deſires of death lawful. When a man hath conſidered all, and yet notwithſtanding he knows death ſhall be gain to him, yet he refers himſelf ſtill to the Will of God. If thou haſt any ſervice which may be for the good of thy people, and for the advancement of thy name, if thou haſt any meſſage, though it is hard to keep from home, if the Lord will have me do any ſervice for him, why, I am willing. When the deſires of death are thus referred to the Will of God, ſubmitting to his Will, whether by life or death; thus are the deſires of death holy and lawful. Thus have I ſhown you when deſires of death are ſinful, and when lawful. The Application of the Point is yet behind.