The Blessedness of the Death of These that Die in the Lord, Sermon 1
SERMON I.
On Revel. 14. v. 13.
And I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, write, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their Labors; and their works doe follow them.
THese words are singularly usefull, material and momentuous in themselves, and it is not for nought that the Spirit of God puts such a mark on them, and that a speciall commission is given to Iohn to write them; we have therefor thought it meit to speak a word of them beyond what we can easilie reach in the lecture, they including a truth so verie concerning to us even the right way of dieing and the happines that follows them that die in the Lord; blessednesse hath in all ages beene thought of and sought after by men, though alace many have sadly mistaken it, and the way how to come at it, here is the neirest step and doore to it, even to die rightly and well, and that is to die in the Lord.
That we may a litle open up the meaning of the words we would consider that this verse sett down by way of transition coupleth the two last parts of the chapter togither; for when Iohn hath spoken of the warneing and advertisement given to the world by the Ministers of the Gospell, ere he come to denunce Judgment for despysing of the preached Gospell, these sweet words are interjected by a voice from heaven, writte sayes he, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord &c.
The scope of them then is this, since there wer sad and doolfull dayes coming and Judgments wer like to be verie universall after Gods beginning to reckon for despysing of the Gospell, that he may both sett out the greatnesse and terriblenesse of the Judgments and comfort the Godlie against them, the Lord bids Iohn writte downe this, that none who die in him neids to be affrayed of them; as if he had said, though these Judgments that are coming will be verie great and though many will be removed and sweeped away by them, and though withall the coming-calamities will be such that the Godlie will be readie to think them happy that wer taken away, yet notwithstanding, all these that die in me are blessed.
There are 4 things considerable in this verse, 1. A preface, I heard avoice from heaven, saying unto me writte, importing the weightinesse of the matter and commission, for it is sent from heaven to Iohn and he is bidden writte it, its a heavenly message sent by Christ to his Church and even to his Church in these tymes and dayes wherein we live. 2. A plaine maxime, conclusion, or generall doctrine laid downe as a most certaine truth, writte sayeth he, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, registrat and record this sayeth Christ, it hes beene and shall be a most infalliblie certaine truth to the end of the world, let never so many confusions come and let Kingdomes be turned upside down, they are blessed that die in me. 3. There is a qualification of this truth not denying the universalitie of it, but seeming to apply it as especiallie verified in such a tyme, from henceforth, yea saith the Spirit. We cannot so expone these words as if the meaning of them wer, that from the tyme of their death they are blessed who die in the Lord though that be a truth, 1. Because it agries not with the scope, these words being a diversion relateing to this time, and intended for a peculiar comfort to the Godlie against the evils of Judgment coming in this tyme. 2. Because it will not agrie with the particle here used, from hence-forth or now, (as it is in the originall) to expone it so, for then it would have beene said, from thenceforth, that is from their death forward; but it is from henceforth, that is now in this sad time that is coming; and if any should ask what shall be the singular happinesse that these shall have who after this time shall die in the Lord? The answer may be drawen from the reason that is subjoined, which is the 4 thing in the text, that they may rest from their Labors and their works doe follow them; this implyeth a speciall tosseing and troublesome time coming, and sayes this much, that its verie good to be in heaven ere that time come; and out of this reason we may see a threefold respect wherein their happinesse that die in the Lord is applicable to this tyme, and they doe all agrie to the scope. 1. They are freed from much tossing toill and trouble that the surviving godly would be involved in who should have a hard & toilsome life of it under the coming judgments (for the scope is to sett out the greatnesse of the approching judgments); and they are happy that are taken away from the evil to come, as Solomon sayes Eccles 4: 2. I praised the dead which are alreadie dead, more then the living which are alive, meaning they are freed from these troubles vanities & vexations that the living wer waited with; they are (as if the Spirit had said) freed from a toilsome and troublesome world, more so now and at this time then at other times. 2. They are happie in this respect that now when the Gospell is brocken out, they die with more confidence, being freed from the fear of purgatorie, being cleir in the matter of their salvation, and assured of their goeing immediatly to paradyse; and this is holden forth in the end of the words in that it is said their works doe follow them; though they have no expectation to receave any thing by way of merit, yet it shall be well with them who have keeped a good conscience, for they shall eat the fruit of their doeings, as it is Isai. 3. for though God give not any thing to his people for their works, yet he rewards them according to their works, so proportioning his proceeding with them as nothing shall be found to have been done by them for him for nought; and this is a speciall part of their happinesse, that they shall be freed from the anxietie that the darknesse of these superstitious times keeped men under being now cleired by the light of the Gospell. 3. Compareing this with vers. 11. they are blessed that die now in the Lord after life and immortality are brought to light by the Gospell, because they are freed from the scroching hell that these gott who worshiped the beast; now when the light is come are they not blessed who die in the Lord and are freed from that which they would have mett with if they had not lived and died in him but in darknesse and ignorance of him? And so the words say, that when the Gospell breaketh forth men must resolve to live and die in Christ, or to live and die in a more damnable condition then the heathens that lived before them without the Gospell.
In this conclusion or generall doctrine we have these three things implyed, 1. Something common to all, and that is dieing, good and bad have that lot, all must die. 2. That there is a difference in dieing as to some, though death be common to all, and that is to die in the Lord, 3. That there is a peculiar effect or advantage to them that die with this qualification, and that is happinesse or blessednesse, and these two last imply that there are many who die not in the Lord, and that consequently they are accursed who neither live nor die in him.
The generall doctrine is plaine and it greatly concerns everie one to take notice of it, it wer good that this text wer ingraven in deep & legible characters on our hearts that we may learn to reckon blessednesse not so much from our life as from our living and dieing jointly togither; be what we will in our life if we die not in Christ there is a great lett and mancke in our happinesse, a curse in stead of a blessing, and if this indispensiblie requisit qualification be in it, it intitles us to this blessednesse, O! therefore let these plaine words and the necessity of the doctrine speak home to you.
First then it is implyed here that there is a necessitie of dying lying on all, for whill it is said, blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, it sayes plainly that there is a sort of dieing that is in the Lord, and a sort of dying that is out of the Lord, and all sorts of men and women die one of these wayes, as if he had said, would ye know who are indeed happie? Its not all who dy, but such onlie as die in the Lord; ye know what death is, we need not describe it to you, and ye are disposed to think that this needs not to be proved that all must dy, and we wish it needed no proof, however see 1. Heb. 9: 27. Its appointed to men once to die and Rom. 5. where it is said, that death hath passed upon all men and that death reignes over all men, vers. 12. and 14. And 2. it is certaine from the cause of death, which is sin and Gods curse for sin, death is the wages of sin, and where sin is as the cause death must be as the effect, yea 3. it may be confirmed from neir 6000 years experience, wherein none that have been borne thrughout all generations but they have died; we speak not of these extraordinar examples of Enoch & Elias who wer particularly and singularly by the soverainge dominion of God exempted from death, neither will we speak of what the Lord did to them in the place of death or for putting them in capacitie to sustaine immortalitie; Gods ordinary way of dealing with menis that which we are called to look to, its eneugh that they▪ have putt off mortality and putt on immortalitie though we know not the manner and way; but look on the race of mankynd and ye will find that these who lived longest died at last as Adam, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Iared, Gen. 5. and Methuselah who though he lived nyne Hundreth Sixty and nyne years yet died, and its said Eccles. 8: 8. There is no man that hath power over the Spirit to retaine it, neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war, neither shall wickednesse deliver those that are given to it; there is no man that hath power to keep his soul in his body, there is no dimission or forloffe in that war, no way to escape death, the profanest man that putts death furthest off from him shall not shift it; and seeing he takes it forgranted & all generations have proved the truth of it, we shall insist no further on the proof of it but come to the use.
Use I. It serveth to setle and fixe the impression of the truth of this point deeply upon us, and withall to reprove our living so much from under and without it; alace we take generall truths ordinarlie for granted, but as for any sutable use or application of them in our practice we live for most part as if they wer untruthes; we live as mortall in respect of seiknesse, infirmities and feares, but we live as immortall in respect of the stayed thoughts of a world to come; let me therefor pose you in sober sadnesse, how often doe ye think seriously of dying? When laid ye your reckoning solidly for it? When descended ye into your hearts to see how it would be with you at death? how often have you made your testament this way to say so? and when tooke ye your leive and fare-well of the things of a world and laid them some way by, on this consideration that death will make a finall seperation betwixt you and them? Take these two or three evidences that ye doe not indeed mind death and mortalitie. 1. The stupid securitie we generallie live under and our great unwatchfullnesse sayeth plainly that we doe not really mind death, if we wer thinking on death would we be so carelesse in counting with God and so litle affrayed what will become of the immortall soul, and live as if there wer not a life eternall, and as these of the old world did who eated and drank and never, to say so, once altered their pace? Ah! Is it not so with the most part now? Death lights like a falcon out of the air on the most part of men unawar, because this generall truth is not practically beleived, there could not be such deep and senslesse security if there wer serious thoughts and reall beleif of dying. 2. The great earthly mindednesse and unsatiable coveting and lusting after the things of the world as if men wer perpetually to abyd with them, clearly and convinceingly speak out this, beleive me, serious thoughts of dieing would much wean and estrange from these things; men alace seek after a happinesse here in tyme as if they wer to have ane eternall aboad in the world, as that poor rich man in the Gospell did who brutishly said to his soul, soul take thee rest for thou hast much goods laid up for many years eat and drink & be mirry; if men wer on their wing looking for death, sure they would not thus glutt themselves with these wordlie emptie things, hugely disproportioned objects for satisfieing the vast appetite of ane immortal soul which by its constitution is elevated to the capacitie of an happinesse of a higher and more excellent nature then these things can possiblie amount unto; take this then for a palpable evidence of your Atheisme and unbeleife in this concerning point, and let the thoughts of death come in to bound and moderat your eager and inordinat persute of the world. 3. The great and intollerable pryd and loftinesse of men and women is a demonstration of this, if ye minded death in good earnest and beleived that it wer neir even at the doore, and that your breath is in your nostriles, it would make you humble in your walking with God and in your converseing one with another. 4. Litle preparation for dieing and for the life to come, if there wer no more sayes plainly and undenyablie that ye lay not death seriously to heart, which if ye did ye would be seeking more to lay up treasures in heaven and to be flitting (to say so) your affections thither and towards things above and to be casting your anchor within the vaile.
Use 2. In opposition to the former securitie and stupid unconcernednesse let me beseech you to mind this more seriously which is so certaine & to take more paines to the prepareing of yourselves for it, eternitie is long O vastlie and incomprehensiblie long, heaven and hell are matters of great unspeakablie great moment and consequence, when the master or goodman of the house is (to say so) laid downe and hath shutt the door there will thenceforth be no opening; its now your summer, provyde O provyde for your long winter, its ill thrift to leave that which is of greatest concernment hindmost, and to put over the secureing of your eternall state till the tyme of sicknesse & death, ye know not if ever ye shall gett advertisement by any l…inthened disease; and sicknesse will have much to doe with itselfe, neither know ye but ye may be snatched away in a moment on the sudden, and beleive it, its no common thing to die well, and to have death as the entrie and door to happinesse.
Therefore to stirr you up seriously and timeously to mind dying that ye may not with the sluggard say yet a litle sleep yet a litle slumber, and yet a litle folding of the hands to sleep, whereby the fool is slaine, consider 1. that it will not be bare wis… as that will make you die well, Balaam had many such wishes to die the death of the righteous and yet was nothing the better of them, spend not your dayes idlie, triffle not away your tyme unprofitablie, for death is alwayes coming on and will not stay and wait for your preparation when it comes; seek therefore to be found in a watchfull and praying frame, blest is that servant who when his master comes is found in that postour waiting for the coming of his Lord and readie to open to him immediatly (or at the verie first knock) as it is, Luke 12. vers. 36. O! Strangely Emphatick word! 2. Consider how few they are who at death are readie and how few they are who at death gett the libertie and blessing to make themselvès readie; some I grant as one theife on the crosse finds merciemercy, that none may despair, yet its but one that none may presume, but that all may be alarmed to look well and watchfullie to themselves; many will goe to hell no doubt who will seek to enter into heaven and yet will not be able, a sort of whinging and youlling at death may be in verie godlesse and Atheisticall persons, because they did not begin in tyme to seek to enter, as the scope of that parable sheweth; if ye heard the language of many in hell. O! How would they to the life preach this point? Bewar of dallieing and putting off the time, many that are there did ye hear them speak would readily say. O! That was our ruine and did undoe us; but if the word of God doe not affect you, nor work you up to the serious consideration of this though one should rise from the dead and preach to you, it would not affect you to any advantage. 3. Consider that the longer ye be of thinking on death it will be the terribler when it comes, serious and suteable thoughts of death before hand would doe much to mitigat the terrour of it, but when death comes violently and suddenly on you and finds you setled and sitten downe in the world and will needs have you loosed and raised it is in that case indeed as the King of terrors, whereas if ye wer dieing daylie and by converseing with death came to have experience as it wer of litle deathes before hand, that would make death itself when it should come much more easie, if especially ye wer dieing to your lusts and Idoles, mortified to the world and to the things that are in it, death should have in that case but litle to doe when it came; for it is the cleaving of your hearts to these things and your being glued to them that makes death so terrible, for it will not tryst nor treat, but suddenly and inexorablie seperat you and them. 4. Consider the longer ye be a begining to mind your eternall state and to think seriously of dieing ye will have the more to doe when death comes; O! There is much work about dieing even to these who have been thinking on it, how to gett faith in Christ right, how to gett themselves rolled on the everlasting covenant for salvation, how to be in a patient calme and composed frame to incounter the terrors that accompanies death, how to be weaned from the world and to have their affections heavenly; sure the longer ye putt off ye will have the more to doe and will readilie be the lesse able to doe it; and is it wisedom think ye, to leave your greatest and most necessarie work to your last, weakest, and unfittest time to goe about it? Which yet alace is the lamentablie foolish, demented, ruefull, and soul-ruining practice even of many hearers of the Gospell; there is none of these things but it must be done before death or not at all; what's in the bargane or bussinesse then? O what is in it? It's not ten or tuentie thousand years happines or miserie but ane eternitie of happines or miserie in the greatest measure and highest degree that can be imagined; and should such a bussinesse be delayed and putt off? And this is even it in the Text by which dieing in the Lord is so much commended.
Now before I close this Sermon let me speak a word to what it is to die in the Lord, which is holden forth as the great and necessarie qualification of them that die with well grounded confidence and warantablie expect happinesse; and there are three Scripture-phrases that conduce verie much to the opening up of it. 1. It implyes a being in Christ as that word is, 2 Cor. 5: 17. If any man be in Christ be is a new creature, this holds out union with him by faith, when Christ openeth his armes and takes the soul in to himselfe which flieth to him closeth with, and cleaveth to him lyke a graft that is imped in the stock, or lyke the manslayer sheltred in the citie of refuge; this is the first step and ground of happinesse and it hath with it a new nature and a new life. The 2 phrase is Gal. 2: 21. I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me, and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the sone of God, and this is a step furder, when a man by faith is fled to Christ & improves and makes use of his title to him and interest in him for performing the acts of life; this living in Christ or by the faith of Christ expresseth and holdeth forth a new nature and life in the acts of life in bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit, and makes the person indeed a Christian man or man-christian, doeing not onlie the duties of religion, but all his morall, civill, and naturall actions to Christ living thus Christian lyke, as spirituall and from the Spirit, as the word is, 2 Cor. 5: 5. Living not to ourselves but to him &c. 3. There is a dieing in the Lord here in the Text which followes upon the former; living in him is the way to happinesse and dieing in him is the verie doore thrugh which he entereth into the possession of happinesse; now this dieing in the Lord presupposeth the former and hath somewhat more in it, to witt, as ane acting of faith for living in him, so ane acting of faith for dieing in him; it takes in; 1. a flieing to Christ a fresh and of new for refuge, as it is Philip. 3. vers. 9. A seeking to be found in him, leaping as it wer out of ourselves and betakeing ourselves to him as our ship to sail in thrugh death to life, renunceing our own righteousnesse of new and closeing with his, yea and renunceing the verie acts of our faith as they are acts. 2, It takes in a giving of credit to Christ for bearing us thrugh death, acquiesceing in, and resting on him on that ground, sticking closse by our gripes of him, being well content and satisfied to adventure to goe thorow death in his hand, and haveing gotten a word from Christ resolvedly to keep the grippe of it, and with old Simeon to say now lets thou thy servant depart in peace; Lord I am content to take shipping, as it wer, in Christ & in that bottome to saile throw the gulfe of death when thou will. 3. It taketh in a humble quieting and satisfieing of ourselves on this ground, not only delyting ourselves in him as alsufficient, but comforting ourselves in our thus resting on him & counting ourselves happie in it: something of all these last three we will find holden forth in these called the last words of David his swan-like song when he is goeing to die, 2 Sam. 23. vers. 5. Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me ane everlasting covenant; here is the first step his betakeing of himselfe and flieing for his life to the grace of God in Christ holden out in the covenant. 2. He goes forward and concredits himselfe to and contents himselfe in this covenant calling it a well ordered and sure covenant, able & sufficient to doe his turne, O! its a tight veshell that cannot have a leck, as if he had said, I may sail thrugh death in it safely & not fear. 3. There is his delyting and satisf…eing himselfe in it, his acquiesceing in it, this is all my salvation and all my desyre its all my heart can wish, its mensura voti, the verie outmost measure of my wishes, I need no more & I desy…e no more. Now when we speak of dieing in the Lord we would have you to take all these three steppes togither. 1. Studie to be in him, there is no possible dieing in him without being in him, any that would be happie by dieing in him would by all meanes accept of the offer of the Gospell, flee to Christ for refuge & close with him by faith, and endeavour to putt that out of question that ye are in him; O! Make it sure that thou hast given him a soul to save, and acquiesce in him as thy saviour. 2. Live by faith in him, there is none that can expect to die in Christ that never seriously sought to live in him, make it manifest that ye live in him by haveing another sort of life then brutish men still in their naturall state have; God may call a thiefe on the crosse and make him die in Christ that hes not lived in him, but none of you can comfortablie expect that he will deall so with you, and where one is so dealt with, tuentie if not a Hundreth, even verie many die without it: and let me say it if ever at any time God was strikeing men and women with stupiditie at death, it is palpable he is strikeing many so in this time; it may be some of you may know Gods strikeing some with stupiditie that made a mock of the serious exercise of Godlinesse in their life time; therefore I say againe make your being in christ sure, evidence your being in him by your living in him & to him. We shall not insist further at this time on this subject, God calls us all seriously to think on it; sicknesse, smiteing with Judgments and death have not readily been more frequent, & if ever there was a time when folke wer called to beleive and lay to heart such a doctrine this is the time; it may be there are some here who ere a few dayes goe by may experience the truth of it, and who knows who these some shall be? As ye exspect happines learne to die, and as to die in Christ so to live in him; and as the Lord bidds Iohn write these words, so we bid you read them & think often on them, blessed are the dead, that die in the Lord, from henceforth saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours and their works doe follow them.