The Blessedness of the Death of These that Die in the Lord, Sermon 2
SERMON II.
Revel. 14: 13.
Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord &c.
THere is one thing common to all men and that is a naturall inclination to, and ane appetite and desyre after happinesse or blessednesse, but there are two things wherein the most part of men doe exceidingly erre; 1. In seeking blessednesse where it is not to be found and in accounting that to be blessednesse which is not so, but leaves them eternallie miserable. 2. That when some glances of happinesse and wherein it consists are gotten they grosslie mistake the way to come by it; these words give a notable description of true blessednesse, and a clear direction towards the way how to come at it, they shew plainly where it lyeth, let the blind and prejudicat world esteem of it as they will, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, that is only true blessednesse which the dead in the Lord injoy, and thats the only way to true blessednesse, to be in Christ & to live & die in him.
This is a most concerning subject and singularly suteable to our times; it being probablie with respect to these times that the words are spoken, we shall therefor proceed to add a litle to what we said the last day.
The doctrine which we shall now propose and prosecute lyeth plainly and obviously in the verie words of the text, they are blessed and happie, yea they are only blessed and happie that are dead in the Lord Christ or shall die in him; a voice from heaven asserts it to Iohn, and the Spirit adds a confirmation of it, yea sayes the Spirit, who is the Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of truth; we shall ere we proceed further in a word or two cleir these things in the doctrine which are also in the words. 1. What this blessednesse is? It is spoken of here as that which is singularly so, its the only happie condition that can be truly thought of in all the world, its even to be fullie and compleitly blessed. 2. What is the necessary qualification of these persons who are pronunced to be blessed? Its not these that die, but these that die in the Lord that are thus blessed; and for cleiring of this beside what we said the last day we shall now adde, that there are two sorts of dieing spoken of in Scripture. 1. There is a dieing in sin, if ye beleive not in me, ye shall die in your sinnes, sayes Christ to the Jewes Iohn 8. vers. 24. and this implyes two things. 1. Ye shall die under the guilt of your sinnes, and under the curse and wrath of God which ye deserve, before death, at death, & after death. 2. Ye shall die in a sinfull estate in opposition to repentance for sin, ye shall slip away and be removed in that sinfull condition, ye shall depart and goe off the world in that sinfull state, O sad & sorrowfull departure! 2. There is a dieing in the Lord and this implyes two things also just opposit to dieing in sin. 1. That persons in the sense of their sin have betaken themselves to Christ and are freed from the guilt of sin by faith in him and are cloathed with his righteousnesse or with a right and title to it. 2. It implyeth a breaking off of the course of sin, and the bringing forth the fruits of a new nature and life, by a livlie faith in Christ in whom as the true vine they are as so many branches grafted abyding in him and bringing forth fruit to him that his father may be glorified and they manifested to be his disciples Iohn 15. Who as they have union with him by faith, so they have communion with him in the fruits of sanctification; these and these only are thus blessed, and this blessednesse is restricted unto and intailed upon them only, and peremptorly denyed to all others and they utterly excluded from it.
In prosecuting the doctrine I shall, 1. Cleir the truth of this, that they are blessed, exceedingly blessed and only blessed who are dead or shall die in the Lord. 2. I shall offer two or three reasons proveing that this blessednesse is peculiar to them and not to any other. 3. I shall speak a litle to the use and improvement of it.
For cleiring of the first, that they are exceedingly blessed that are dead or shall die in the Lord, we need to doe no more but to describe happinesse or blessednesse, & we will find it exactly to agrie in all its propperties and circumstances to them that are dead or shall die in Christ; O! Sirs look not on this as a storie or some airy notion, but as that which is a great realitie, a thing which some of our Christian acquaintance dead in the Lord doe now enjoy, and which others ere long shall enjoy, and that which by faith in him ye may all enjoy if ye prejudge not yourselves of it; there are two things necessarie to, and constitutive of, true blessednesse or happinesse, 1. Ane absolute freedome from all evil, from every thing that troubles or may be the cause of trouble, and from any sinfull blameable or unsuteable defect or want, for happinesse cannot consist or stand with any thing of that kind. 2. A concurrence of all the good things that are necessarie to compleit blessednesse or happinesse, both which are injoyed by all these that die in the Lord and by them only.
For the first part of it they that die in… he Lord are perfectlie freed from all evil, which holds true whither we look to it more generallie or with more particular respect to the scope; they are freed from all these evills that ane evil time hath with it: to descend into the particular consideration of this blessednesse would not be easie, let us only therefore look on some generall heads to clear it so farr forth as concerns t…e present point. 1. They have freedome from all sin that is the fountaine of all evils; the Spirits of just men are made perfect, before the throne no flesh or blood as corrupt is permitted to enter in there, no rebellion in the law of the members against the law of the mind is there, no remainder of the evil heart of unbeleife in drawing a back from the living God, nor any wearieing of holie duties but a delightfull serveing of God day and night, that is, without any the least interruption, for there is not day and night, but constant day in that life, then O! Then is that petition so often putt up to him in his peoples prayers, thy will be done as it is in heaven, fulfilled, there is then a most perfect doeing of is will, there his servants serve him, in such Spiritually noble state as he was never …erved by them on earth; this light, vain and unstable heart shall then be established and even fixed as ane immoveable pillar in the temple of God, the loosnesse of a wavering gauding and wandring mind shall then be … and for ever removed, and the thoughts of it so strongly stayed in the contemplation of that most blessed object that they shall not for so much as one moment be diverted, there will not then be any the least inclination to, nor capacitie of a diversion▪ O! What would some give (wer it to be bought) for this part of happinesse? even to be fully and finally delivered from a body of death and from the many si…ull pranks of it, and the dangerous precipices it drives them upon? 2. They have perfect freedome from all tentations to sin, there doeth not in that most clear and serene upper region breath the least air of tentation, there is no tentation to sin from without as there is no inclination to sin from within and consequentlie there is a full freedome from all fear of hazard and danger o… sinning, no unclean thing comes within the gates of the new Ierusalem; sin and death & the devil being cast into the lake; there is no evil example there, but on the contrary if there wer any need of stirring up, strengthening and encouradging one of another, its there eminently; there is withall there a holie freedome from the difficultie that is in watching here, which though it be a requisit usefull and necessarie dutie in sojourning saints yet it hath with it a painfullnesse and fear, from which the dead in the Lord even triumphing saints are perfectly freed. 3. They are freed from all challenges for sin, they have there no troublesome nor disquieting exercise of conscience, the immediat enjoyment of Gods companie so quiets and satisfieth them, that nothing can disquiet them; there they are under no desertion nor fear of desertion, and these are often two sad exercises to the godly here, the challenges of their conscience for sin, and the weights on their Spirits because of desertion; there is moreover no lukewarme nor any lyfelesse Spirituall condition there, but a condition alwayes fresh, livlie and at the verie best, they are continually praising in the sense of the love of God overflowing them in duty: the dead in the Lord must then certainly be in a most happie condition when they are freed from all these & from all fear of them. But 4. they are freed from all the effects of sin, there is no curse, no wrath, no sicknesse of body, no anxietie of mind there, no terror nor apprehension of indignation; no povertie no scarsi…ie nor want to them of any thing there (how poor soever a life they may have here), but God is all and in all, he by himselfe immediatly fills the roume of all things, and fills up the vastest capacities of the soul; they are also freed from all the tossings and troubles that are here in this lower world, there are no confinings nor fynings, no sequestrations nor forefaultures or hazard of loseing estates, no quarterings of souldiers to discompose the quiet and tranquillitie of families there, which some would think a peice of happinesse to be quyt of; there is no reproach, no discredit nor disgrace there, but a new name given; there are no mistakes nor jealousies, no alienations nor animosities, no rents nor divisions, no unsuteable passiones nor heats there, but a most comely and compleit union and holie harmonie in the praising of God, there is no darkenesse of mind there, the understanding being perfectly enlightened, no disorder in the affections, but a most exact regularity, no preversenesse nor backwardnesse in the will, but a most thorrow complyance in all things with the will of God, all within the man sweetly conspiring in a holie harmonie & in a due subordination to the head; there is no scandal or offence given nor taken there; there is no sadning reports nor ill news there; nay its impossible there can be, since God orders all immediatlie; and they approve all that he does, they applaud to, and are well satisfied with all; there are no overturnings of Kingdomes and states, nor confusions or desolations in Churches to marr their happinesse there; but they being fullie acquainted with the infinitly wise proceedings of God, there is nothing that can marr their happinesse, suppose they knew all these overturnings confusions and distractions that make us sad here below; they cannot be troubled with the want nor with the fear of the want of any thing, and thus they continue to be for ever and ever; yet this is but a litle peice of their happinesse that die in the Lord, how smal a portion of it doe we know?
As to the other halfe of their happinesse (and O! That ye knew and beleived what the happinesse is which they have that are now before the throne) we said in generall that there is in it a concurrence of all good things necessarie for makeing of them compleitly happie; and it must have these four things concurring to this end which are all in their estate who die in the Lord. 1. Ane enjoying of God the chiefe good, for no other thing nor person can communicat true happinesse nor make one trulie happie. 2ly. Because there cannot be ane enjoying of him without some suteablenesse to him, therefor a suteablenesse for the enjoyment of God is required, for we could not, we dought not fullie and immediatlie enjoy God in the estate wherein we now are. 3ly. It requires full measures and degrees of enjoying God. 4ly. It requires a perpetuall and eternall enjoying of him, and all thir concurr, as I said, to compleit the happinesse of them that die in the Lord. 1. They doe fullie injoy God the cheife good, look where Abraham is there are they, he is in the Kingdome of his father, & so are they, and therefor most happie; hence it is that Christ speaking of blessednesse to his disciples he tells them that they shall sitt with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdome of heaven, Matth. 8. vers. 11. they have places among them that stand by, Zech. 3. vers. 7. they see his face and are therefor happie, blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God, Matth. 5. vers. 8. when we speak of enjoying God, it is far very far above and beyond what we can expresse; it must sure be a great happinesse and delight when the object of their delight is no created thing, but the infinit and alsufficient God, it must be a pure heavenly and excellent delight that flowes from the enjoyment of God with whom is the fountaine of life. 2ly. They are made meet and suteable to enjoy him in a full measure and in a high degrie; if we would imagine man's understanding to be inlarged to conceive of God, and the inlargement of it to be verie far beyond that which we can now Imagine or conceive, it shall▪ be thus dilated and filled; it shall then have a distinct and fullie satisfieing knowledge of the great mysterie of the adorable trinitie, as Christ assures his disciples, Ioh. 14. vers. 20. At that day ye shall know that I am in the father, the affections shall then be made capacious to receave & shall be filled and satisfied with delight in the enjoyment of that clearlie and distinctly known object; it satisfies Angels and must satisfie the Spirits of just men made perfect, it makes them happie to behold and enjoy him, and the greatest happinesse that the Scripture speaks of, is to be in Christs companie, beholding the glorie that he hes gotten from the father; and if ye could suteablie conceive what condition David, Paul, and some that have gone a few years or moneths since into that blessed rest are in, it would make you long to die in the Lord, and would thrugh grace put you to give all diligence in time to make that happinesse sure. 3ly. As they are made suteable and meet to enjoy God in a full measure and high degrie, so they shall enjoy him in a full measure and degrie actually, there is no more desyred nor desyreable, it is full glorie and full joy, none can imagine or wish more, it being a thing to which there can be no accession made according to the capacitie that they are put into; for though there be different degrees of glorie and some conceave and receave more and some lesse, yet all are filled even filled with the love and loveing-kyndnesse of God with that fullnesse of joyes and these pleasures that are at his right hand; and they have all this not in bare notions but most reallie and in ane incomprehensible way (to us now at least incomprehensible) communicated to them. 4ly. This enjoying of God is perpetuall and eternall, for ever & ever without interruption or intermission, its not only a full but ane everlasting joy and glorie, sorrow and sighing shall then for ever flee away, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads for evermore, the croune is ane eternall and immarcessible one even a croune of life that is perpetually floorishing; yet all that we have said falls hugely short of, and as to our manner of expressing it, unworthie to be compared with the happinesse of them that die in the Lord; if any of them heard us speak of their condition they would wonder to hear us doe it so childishlie, poorly, meanly & bauchly; O! That we could streatch ourselves to believe that which we cannot so distinctly conceave of this blessednesse.
The next thing I proposed to speak a word or two to, is the reasons why blessednesse is peculiar only to them that die in the Lord and not to any others; I shall shortlie hint at three, the 1. whereof is, because only they that die in the Lord Christ are made partakers of his satisfactione, and therefor they and they only are freed from the curse by beleiving in him, Iohn 3: 36. He that beleiveth on him is not condemned but hath everlasting life, but he that beleiveth not is condemned alreadie and the wrath of God abideth on him, Iohn. 3. vers. 18. & 36. They that beleive have gotten a discharge of their debt, the hand-writing that was against them is cancelled; but they that beleive not have the bond still standing over their heads, and they for their debt undischarged shall be hailed before the Judge and cast in prison where they must lye till they pay the utmost farthing which will never be done.
2. Because they only that are in Christ and die in him are priviledged with the adoption of sonnes, and consequently they only have right to heaven and eternall life, to as many as receaved him he gave power to become the sonnes of God, that is, to as many as beleived on his name, Joh. 1. 12. And if sonnes then heirs and joint heirs with Christ, Rom. 8: 17. If we be not sonnes then are we not heirs.
3. Because only they that live and die in Christ are new creatures, if any man be in Christ he is a new creature, 2 Cor 5. vers. 17. And in Christ Iesus nothing availls but a new creature, Gal. 6: 15. Except a man be borne againe he cannot enter into the Kingdome of heaven, John 3. vers. 3. And there being none borne againe but they that are in Christ, and our regeneration and faith in Christ goeing inseperablie togither, none can be happie but these that live and die in him.
We come now in the 3d place according to the method proposed to speak to the uses of this doctrine, which must needs have many uses being such a high point as holds forth the right way and the only way to true blessednesse.
The first use then is to put us all to be more seriouslie exercised how to die well, & that is to die in the Lord; seeing happinesse and such a happiness depends on it, & only on it, then sure folkes should be exceedingly concerned to walk by this midle, of dieing in him as they would meet with happinesse at the end. There are many things that presse this; as 1. if peace and tranquillitie of mind and conscience be of concernment, then this is of concernment, for how can they possiblie have peace that know not whither they shall goe to heaven or hell? 2. If comfort in any thing or all things be of concernment, then this is of concernment, for how can men's sleep, meat, drink, apparrell, or any thing they enjoy be comfortable to them if they know not that they are in him and shall die in him? This one word may marr all their mirth and happinesse, that they that are not in him shall die miserablie and so lo…e all other comforts. 3. If it be of concernment to have boldnesse and confidence to god-wards at death, this is of concernment; for if death sadlie surprize men how can they have peace, confidence or boldnesse since they are not in him? All the world cannot buy nor purchasse a quiet and good conscience to them. 4. If we think heaven or happinesse to be of concernment, then this is no doubt of concernment, for heaven and happinesse are knitt to dieing in him; and therefor let me in the name of the Lord lay it upon you, by all suteable means to endeavour to bear it upon your verie hearts to have your peace with God made in time, that die when ye will, it may be made sure that it shall be in him; think ye that to be eternally in …e…ven or in hell is of litle concernment? Its your way of dieing that makes the difference, as the tree falls so it will ly; there will be no revocking of that sentence nor any change of your state after death; and knowes any of you when it will come? Are any sure to gett time or grace then to make peace with God when seiknesse and death comes? Are there not many striken wish hardnesse, sensless…esse and conscience benuming stupiditie at their death? Remember therefor that death is coming and studie to have this much in your eye.
To prosecute this use a litle and to reprove the great stupiditie that the most part live in as i… they cared not how they die, (for how live many grosslie prophane and Atheisticall men, as i… they wer to die like beasts? And now many presumptuous hypocrites are there, that think it a veri… easie matter to die, yea that it is nothing; and how many are there who have frequent fears and convictions especially at death, who yet never come this length to make it sure on good grounds that their sinnes are laid on Christ, and to make it their great bussinesse to have their corruption mortified by his grace that they may die in him? And how many are there that have some good in them w…o are verie lasie and carelesse and who in a manner let death come as it will?) We shall seeing it is of such mightie concernment) presse it on you by a familiar laying before you some things that are verie ordinarie to men and women at death▪ we look a…ace upon death … off, but we should bring it neir to us and have it alwayes before us, the neglect whereof makes folke verie ordinarly to die as they live, and thats not well nor in the Lord: there are four cases or conditions that we most ordinarlie meet with in the pluralitie of them that die. 1 We find some senslesse and stupid without any fear of God or regaird to their souls, they lived a stupid life without all fear and aw of the majestie of God, and they die so, thus Churlish Nabal died as he lived most stupidly and senselessly; it might possiblie be edifieing though verie sad to speak of the lamentable condition of some gracelesse persons that die among us; therefor putt away senselessnesse and stupiditie now alonge your life, as ye would not die senselesse and stupid. A 2d sort of persons we meet with who have been p…esumeing all their dayes, and will needs pertinaciously disput it out at their death that all shall be well with them; and though it may be palpablie discerned that they are without all due sense of sin and utterly void of grace, yet they will confidently averre that they be e…ved all their dayes, and will not quyt their deluding hopes that all shall be well with them now at death; O! Sirs think ye that to be a good condition, to die without sense of sinne, and with wersh, teastlesse, lifelesse and groundlesse apprehensions of merciemercy; dread therefor and deprecat presumption; O! But its hard to get some of you convinced of it, and yet it is a speciall thing that keeps you from coming in good earnest to Christ. A 3d sort are these that die with some litle challenges, and at the best with much doubting, and many feares who have had their own convictions fears and doubtings in their life, and yet never laboured in Gods way, to be thrugh in the matter of their interest in, and peace with God; they are affrayed to die, and yet die they must, the faith they had mi…gives them, and the strong apprehensions they have of wrath quite overturnes their confidence and hope, the just recompence of living in a doubtfull and doubting condition without serious seeking after thorrow clearnesse; I grant this condition is somewhat better then any of the former two, and yet ane evil and dangerous condition to die in; words sp…ken to them doe neither satisfie nor setle them, for either they have litle Judgment or tentations are strong and vigorous, or bodily infirmitie is growing fast on them. There is a 4th sort of selfe-righteous persons, that please themselves with a hope of heaven, because they have been good neighbours, and lived harmlesslie, they wer not grossly prophane, they wer not drunkards, swe…rers, sabbath-breakers nor extortioners &c. But civil and honest, faithfull and just in their deallings and their callings, they had prayer in their families and in secreet, they waited on ordinances &c. And at death they confirme themselves from these grounds that all shall be well; we condemne not duties, God forbid, but its a sad and hazardous case when they are mainly laid weight on and stuck to at death; such selfe-justifiers are brought in by the Lord Luke 13. saying Lord we have eaten and drunken in thy presence &c whom yet he boasts away from him; see how the proud and selfe-justifieing Pharasie on such grounds as these is sent away unjustified Luke 18. folkes habituating themselves to these grounds of confidence in their life-time makes them stick stiffly to them at their death, and keeps them from seeing the absolute necessitie of Christs imputed righteousnesse, and from fleeing to it for their justification.
The 2d Use is of exhortation to stir up yourselves from these considerations to think on death more seriously, and how ye may die in the Lord; and to this end we shall propose three questions that ye would lay your account to be putt to answer at death.
1. Think how ye will answer the challenges that death will readilie bring alonge with it and urge you for a satisfieing answer unto, where there hath been a negligent life there will be many challenges, yea where there hath been a diligent life there will not be challenges wanting, ye would see how to prevent or answer these; I shall instance only in fyve of them. 1. When this comes, thou hast stiffled many good purposes and resolutions, or suspended the consciencious execution and practice of them, thou hast delayed and putt off from day to day the making of thy peace with God, how wilt thou answer that? When conscience begins to reflect and look back and to aske how is all? Is the house out of order thrugh thy negligence? Tell me man what is the reason thou made not thy peace with God sure before this time? Didest thou shuffle by such and such a dutie when thou wast called to it and when it was pressed on thee? Why didst thou forbear to mortifie such and such a lust? Consider, O … Consider how ye will answer such a challenge when ye will not dar to adventure on death▪ and yet will not be able to put it off, O secure Atheists and contemners of Godlinesse consider in time what ye will say to this. 2. Another challenge will be this, the conscience will say thou hast been bussied in following after some vaine Iust, bussie about the bigging of a house, about the gathering of some gear or riches, about makeing conqueist of such a peice of land &c. Now what will all these advantage thee? And what profite hast thou of all these things whereof thou art now ashamed? Why didest thou sett thine eyes on, why bestowed thou so much labour and spent so much time and pains on that which cannot satisfie, on that which is not? What good will they then doe to thee? It shall be said to thee, fool this night thy soul shall be taken from thee and then whose shall these things be; what advantage is there or can there possiblie be in gaining the wholl world if thou lose thy own soul? And O! What grounds of such challenges are there in this generation? A thing which when death comes will stick to and gnaw in the consciences of many of you that hear me this day, even that you have been cumbred and carefull about many things while in the mean time the one thing necessary hath been postponed and quite neglected. A 3d challenge, the ground whereof is alace verie common, will be, carelesse sloathfull and idle triffling away and mispending of precious time, and neglecting the great work of salvation, easie letting passe without improvement opportunities of getting good and doeing good, when ye shall looke back and ask yourselves what have we been doeing in this our day? And the conscience will answer and say, ye wer vainlie discoursing or tipling or vaiging and wandering thorrow the feilds bussied in doeing nothing or worse then nothing, then ye will cry but in vaine, O! To have some of these precious opportunities back againe, that we thought litle of when we had them; we have past 30. or 40. years time in the world, and yet are no surer of our salvation now then when we came into it, but we have much more sin and guilt then we had; Ah! Will some say we have lived 50. or 60. years and yet none of all that time hath been well spent. A 4th challenge will be, folks formalitie & hypocrisie in the worship of God, that they came to the Church to hear, but sleeped or wandred and wer nothing carefull to profite, that they satt downe and prayed, but wer not in earnest in it, never sought after the Spirit of grace and of supplications, it may be they prayed in their families, and in secreet, but when the conscience lookes back and sees that all hath been but formall and hypocriticall work, that they knew not what communion with God was, they knew not neither cared to know whither their persons wer accepted and their prayers heard, they studied not experimentally to be acquainted with the life & power of godlinesse, O! How sad will this be? And how will it all be gote answered? A 5th challenge will be abuseing of many means of grace, of many mercies and favours, such as Sabbaths, Sermons, Conferences &c. that ye lived not under heathnish or Antichristian darknesse, but where the pure light of the Gospell shined clearly, that ye might have known the right way and would not, that ye might have made use of such ane Instrument, of such a Sermon, of such fellowship, of such a book &c. And it would have been better with you, but ye did not, ye would not; the conscience will say, here ye wer negligent, there ye dallied, here ye wearied, and there ye satt up and gave over, and what can ye now answer for all? There are many in Glasgow and else where, that will meet with this challenge if not with Gods Judgment for the sinnes whereon it is founded; as ye would die in the Lord, for Christs sake, studie to prevent such challenges, and to gett them scored out by timeous turning to God in Christ and seriousnesse in the way of faith and holinesse; for assuredly death will bring alonge with it many moe and many other challenges then most have now while they live and are in health, they will prick & byt in ane other manner then quicklie transient lighter touches of convictions doe now.
The 2d Question we would propose is, how will ye answer some peculiar tentations that death useth to bring alonge with it; for tentations are then more slie and subtile as challenges are more loud and peirceing, and the devil is then more then ordinarly bussie, and if tentations be then yeilded to, he hath almost win the cause; O! Consider how ye will answer these tentations; I shall only instance these fyve tentations that use to assault and sett upon folk at death; the 1. is a tentation to fretting against Gods dispensation in removeing and calling away a person at such a time and under such circumstances, which fretting floweth from a unwillingnesse to die; O! As enimitie will be ready to burst out in being angrie at Gods chopping by death at the man in the midst of such a designe and project or before he gott such a bargane ended, such a purchasse made, or such a child provyded for &c. And if the devil prevail by this tentation to fretting and repining at divine disposall, it will marr the fruit of any thing that might be then expected, and will further estrange you from God that ye cannot come neir him, and yet O! How ryfe is such a tentation? Studie to walk therefore in a sweet plyablenesse and readinesse to die, for if ye goe on following one designe after another, and one wordlie bussinesse after another without this studie, ye will be taken unawarse suddenly surprised in the midst of them as many are, and be in eminent hazard of being prevailled over by this tentation to fretting and grudging at deaths arreasting though by the great and righteous Judge his order. A 2d tentation is to Atheisme, for as folke have lived in Atheisme, so the devil assaults them by tentations to Atheisme at their death, to make them despyse death and desperatly to harden themselves against it, and with a profaine and damnable sort of delicacy Agag like to throw themselves into the pitt; hence many desperat soules who as they tushed alonge their life at the thoughts of death, so when death comes they trouble not themselves with it, but shake off all fear and studie a sort of godlesse gallantrie of Spirit, and seeing they must die they will die, and will not so much as seem to regaird it; but will ye that way outface the wrath of God and dar to laugh in takeing the cup of his indignation in your hands? It is true, I grant it is a peece of Gods dreadfull justice that these who have not stood in aw of him in their life, should die Judicially hardened, but such will meet with a most fearfull wakening after it. A 3d tentation is to presumption and hypocrisie, which prevaills especially with civil and formall professours, that dought never abyd to be evened to hell, nor could ever indure to be called naturall folke; as such did presume and wer hypocriticall in their life, so the same tentation sticks to them and prevaills over them at death; and they will it may be, speak something of the consolations of God with their mouths when they have no feilling of them in their hearts, and of faith in Christ when yet they never knew the reall exercise of it, and will need like the foolish virgins goe forth with the wise to meet the bridgroome keeping their lamps till their verie death; that same principle of Hypocrisie that made them dissemble in their life will make them speak many good words for a name at their death; therefore bewar of it, hunt not after a name of religion, and affect not to be accounted and to be called somebody, but seek to be sincere, to be reallie that which ye seem to be, and when ever a challenge comes for this, rather entertaine it and make some good use of it then shake it off, for though ye could passe away undiscovered by man, God will find you out and discover you; and often not a few of such persons make such discoverie of themselves, that a discerning eye will see them in their own collours; alwayes I say take notice of it as a mightie tentation, when folke take more paines to faird and paint their condition over with fair words and shews, then to be reall before God, and be upon your guard against it. A 4th tentation is to conceit of selfe-righteousnesse, and which even some holie men at their death have been more troubled with then any other tentation, and it prevaills much with formall professours (such as the Pharasies wer) who as they lived in conceit of it, so readily it cleaves to them at death, such will be readie to say, I thank God I keeped the Church, I was never heard with my neighbours, I dealt truely and Justly with all men, it was Gods goodnesse to me, I was aye on the right side, I read, prayed, keeped the Sabbath &c. These are good in themselves I grant, but not to be laid weight upon and lippened to neither in life nor at death as the main fundation of salvation and consolation, therefore guaird against it as a tentation when ever Satan comes to speak a good word to you in order to merit or deserving. The 5th and last is a tentation to doubting yea to desperation, which is not so frequent I grant, yet it prevaills with some who have lived it may be verie secure in their life, and when death comes the devil sayes, ye have never sought God in earnest all your dayes, and now tyme is gone the doore is shutt …e will not hear you, this may thrugh grace be answered and it would not be strengthened by refuseing the offer of Gods grace even then, especially if God call thick, to say so, and some of the senses it may be begin to fail and to be taken away.
The 3d and last Question is to inquire at you what think ye will be your thoughts at death? And I shall draw forth this also into four or fyve; 1. What will ye then think of the world, of all its pleasures, gaines and honours? In health and prosperitie men have big and high thoughts of this and that vanitie, project and designe▪ but what will ye think of all outward prosperitie, and of barnes full of corne, of cellars full of wyne, and of houses full of wealth and ric…es, of high places, honours, credit and repute in the world when death comes to summond you to leave them all? The mind will not feed upon them then, the glorie and splendor of them will then grow dim and dark, they will then lose their blossome and flowr, the teast and sweet relish of them will then quite evanish; hath not the experience of many men who did sweem in pleasures and abound in wealth and honour, verified the truth of this? Have they not found all then to be but vanitie and vexation of Spirit, and have they not some times proclamed them to be so? Yea even it may be before death when under some great paine or sicknesse or some quick and sharpe challenge of conscience; all the man's riches, pleasures, and honours could not then ease his mind. 2. What will be your thoughts of the cheiffest grounds ye have to build your peace on now? Ye can presume now and have no doubt of your Salvation, but at death your grounds will be narrowly sifted, and in sted of a solid assurance, ye will scarce get a harleing thought of it, to say so, in sted of faith ye will readilie have doubting, and for hope ye will have fear; how many at death have been made to think and even to say, they have been but beguileing themselves? and will not many of you, if God prevent not, think and say so? when ye begin to look on eternitie and Gods Justice, and to find that many things ye have leaned unto, will not then abyd the tryall nor be able to bear the weight of your soules salvation, nor to answer the challenges which they answered, as it might be, in health; Hence is it that many at death will cry for a Minister and for Prayer, that cared little for their Companie and for that dutie alonge their life, and when the Minister is come they will then tell him they can doe nothing, and indeid they can doe nothing till grace friely give both to will and to doe, but this bids you bewar of putting off till death. 3. When ye draw neir your latter end, and death comes to sit downe on your eye lids, when the eyes and ears begin to fail and eternitie stares you in the face (for I suppose the persons to have still the exercise of their Judgment) what will be your thoughts then? may we not Imagine the thoughts of many will be like these of the poor Heathen Emperour Hadrian, who bespoke his dislodging soul thus, O poor soul whither art thou goeing? And think with yourselves what ye would give for a Sabbath then, for one Sermon then, and when relations and neighbours will be weeping about you and ye groaning under a burden of sin and fear of wrath, and also of paine and sicknesse, and faine would ye stay but ye may not, the soul must goe and not one houres delay will be granted, what think ye would ye give then, and at that hour to be suffered to come back againe, and stay a while here? and yet that hour is not far off from many of you, from some not a year, from othersome it may be not a MonethMonth yea possiblie not a week. 4. What think ye will be the condition of the soul when it goes out and dislodgeth from the bodie, and when the sentence shall be passed, and when Legions of Devils shall harle and drag the soul away to hell the place of Torment that was thinking to goe to heaven; what think ye will be the thoughts of such a soul that in the persons lifetime would have disdained & stormed to hear a Minister or any other eiven it to hell, when it shall be thus unexpectedly seazed on and hurried thither? Doe ye think Sirs that there are no souls in hell, or that few or none at all are in hazard of being there eternally? If ye will deny neither but grant both, doe not then think ye, all they infinitly wrong themselves who securely drive over their time and think not seriously on their dieing in the Lord? which is the scope of all: This Doctrine layes before you Life and Death, Heaven and Hell, if ye live and die in Christ, ye shall get life and be eternally blessed, but if ye live and die in your sinnes in sted of life ye shall without all doubt meet with death, and such a death as ye heard of in the Lecture, a death that hath the Wyne of the Wrath of God without mixture in the Cup of his Indignation, and torment even eternal Torment without any the least intermission or mitigation, whereby ye will be made everlastingly most miserable. Lastlie, is it not think ye of your unspeakablie great concernment to think seriously on your living and dieing in the Lord before death come? Let me but put this one question to you; what will be the thoughts of many in Hell, who have gotten fair warning of this ere it come? many of you if grace prevent not will then remember better on this preaching then you will doe a day or two hence, ye may reject and beat back a word now, but ye will not gett it beat back then, but it will take hold of you, it will gall and torment you, the Prophets doe not live for ever, sayes the Prophet Zacharie Chap. 1. but the Word of the Lord will live for ever, it will take hold of them that despised it, it will take them by the throat, as it wer, and make them gaspe eternally; The Lord graciously knock hard at your hearts by this so concerning a truth, that it may have accesse to you, and keep you from slighting of it; Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, they rest from their labours and their works doe follow them.