The Great Concern, Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Wherein further Directions are laid down in order to the ſetting of things right, and making all ready for a dying hour.
Seventhly, WOuld you indeed have all things right and in order, before a dying hour comes then be diligent and faithful in the work of God, that work which God in a particular manner hath given you to do: We have all our work to do, and that given us of God; we have general work, and ſpecial work.
Firſt, We have general work to do the work of our Chriſtian calling, the work of our ſalvation, which we are commanded to work out with fear and trembling, Phil. 2.12. the work of Faith and the labour of Love, the work of Mortification, Self-denial, and the like. We have alſo,
Secondly, Special work to do, the work of our particular Stations and places; work that is incumbent upon us, as we ſtand thus and thus related being Magiſtrates, or Miniſters, … Maſters of Families, or the like: for all ſuch Relations bring their work and duty with them; and this indeed is properly our own work, and this we ſhould be diligent and faithful in, as ever we would be found ready for a dying hour. Paul had his work to do, and he was diligent and faithful in the diſcharge of it; which gave him comfort, when he came to die, 2 Tim. 4.6, 7, 8. I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand; I have fought a good fight, I have finiſhed my courſe; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteouſneſs, &c. He had been faithful in the diſcharge of his work while he lived; and being now to die, he found the comfort and ſweetneſs of it: yea, this was that which our Lord himſelf comforted himſelf withal, when he was to die, and in the ſenſe of it goes to his Father with boldneſs for his glory, Joh. 17.4. I have glorified thee on earth, I have finiſhed the work which thou gaveſt me to do: indeed he had a great deal of work given him by the Father, and he was faithful and punctual in the diſcharge of it all; which was a comfort to him, now he was to die: and he himſelf tells us, that is the bleſſed ſervant, whom when his Lord ſhall come, ſhall find ſo doing; that is, faithful and diligent in the diſcharge of his proper work, Mat. 24.46. Truly this is the poſture which ſome (though but a few) are found in; they make conſcience to diſcharge the duty that is incumbent upon them; they ſay with their Lord, I muſt work the work of him that ſent me, while it is day; for the night cometh, when no man can work, John 9.4. they ſee a Night coming, Death coming, Judgment coming, Eternity coming; and accordingly they deſire to lay out their whole ſouls in the work of God, to live up to the Laws of Chriſt in every relation; and they look upon that day as loſt, wherein they have not done ſomewhat for God and their own ſouls: and how comfortably may ſuch look death in the face, when it comes? I have read the Life of an Holy Miniſter, who was ſeiſed upon by ſickneſs, which was unto death, while he was preaching the everlaſting Goſpel; and lying a few days ſick, ere he died, a Fellow-labourer of his, another Holy Miniſter, coming to viſit him, and ſeeing death in his face, cryed out in ſome paſſion, O dear Sir, are you going to Heaven from us? To whom he replied, Yes, and I bleſs God, that my Maſter found me in his work: Truly, might a man have his choice and option, he would have death to find him while he is engaged in the work of God. Oh ſtudy your own work? ſtudy the work and duty of your Chriſtian calling: ſtudy that work and duty which is incumbent upon you in your particular relations, and beg of God a heart to be diligent in the diſcharge of one and the other.
Eighthly, Would you indeed have all right, and in order in the … of your ſouls, ere a dying …? then be ſure to ſuffer no …, no eſtrangement to grow up between … and you; but labour to keep … …ſtant and intimate acquain… … him, Acquaint thy ſelf with God, and be at peace, Job 22.21. the more of an holy intimacy and acquaintance with God we maintain, the more we are at peace in our ſelves: and I am ſure, the more we are at peace in our ſelves, the more ready we are for a dying hour: Woe and alas for us! how oft do we let fall our converſe and communion with God, and ſuffer ſad diſtances and eſtrangements to grow up between him and us? And indeed (my Beloved) it is a ſad and amazing thing to think how ſuddenly and imperceptibly diſtances and eſtrangements will grow up between God and a mans ſoul: for my own part, ſhould I have heard of it only by the hearing of the ear, and had not found it by too many ſad and woful experiences, I could not have believed how ſuddenly and imperceptibly diſtances and eſtrangements will grow up between God and a mans ſoul, yea and that after the neareſt, livelieſt, and moſt intimate acquaintance and communion with him: which calls upon us to be very watchful and circumſpect, as to this thing; and (my Beloved) as you would die with boldneſs and comfort, let me adviſe and perſuade you to give all diligence to keep up conſtant intercourſe and acquaintance with God, and watch narrowly againſt all diſtances between him and you. Which of us, that knows any thing of the things of God, knows not, that we ſuffer diſtances and eſtrangements to grow up between God and us? we cannot tell how with any tolerable boldneſs and comfort to look him in the face in a duty, or ſcarce to think of him with delight; much leſs ſhall we be able to look him in the face with comfort in death, in caſe we ſuffer diſtances to grow up between him and us: moreover, take this for a ſure rule, That the more you are verſed in communion with God, and do maintain an holy intimacy and correſpondence with him, the more boldneſs and comfort you will have when you come to die; then you will be able to ſay, I am now going to be, and live for ever, immediately with that God with whom I have lived in much ſweet and intimate communion here; I am now going to converſe more fully with him in Heaven, with whom I have enjoyed much ſweet converſe here on Earth. Should death find a man under diſtances and eſtrangements between God and him, it muſt neceſſarily be uncomfortable unto him; but when there is an holy intimacy kept up between God and the ſoul, then the ſoul need not fear, or be aſhamed to look death and Judgment both in the face: Little Children, ſaith John, abide in him, that when he ſhall appear, we may have boldneſs, and not be aſhamed before him at his coming, 1 John 2.28. We are put into Chriſt by Faith at our firſt Converſion; and we abide in him by after-acts of Faith and Communion; and this abiding in him is the way to have boldneſs before him at his coming: therefore mind this, and pray much about this; take heed of diſtances growing up between God and you, and labour to have thoſe ſweet viſits, thoſe ſweet intercourſes of love, thoſe bleſſed acts of communion kept up between God and you, that are wont to be kept up between him and his watchful, cloſe walking Saints: and in order hereunto, take three or four ſhort hints.
Firſt, Look upon and eſteem converſe and communion with God, to be (as indeed it is) your higheſt happineſs, both here, and in heaven; the higheſt happineſs ſouls are capable of here, is to live in converſe and communion with God in ſuch ways as are ſuitable to this preſent ſtate; and the higheſt happineſs ſouls are capable of eternally in heaven, is to live in the Divine preſence, and to ſee Gods face continually, and to lodge for ever in the boſom of his love: we may run out to a thouſand things, and when we have done all, this will be the higheſt, and indeed the only happineſs of ſouls, (viz.) to converſe with God, and to enjoy communion with God; and they that miſs of this will miſs of all happineſs for ever: accordingly we ſhould prize it, and preſs after it: we ſhould account all things as nothing on this ſide God, and communion with God in Chriſt; the Saints of old have done ſo; Many, ſaith David, will ſay, who will ſhew us any good? but Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us, Pſal. 4.6. as if he ſhould ſay, While others are ſeeking their happineſs from carnal and earthly enjoyments, Corn, Wine, and Oyl, the happineſs we deſire is thy love, thy favour, the beamings out of the light of thy countenance upon our ſouls: So Pſal. 39.7. Now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee; I have done with the ſtreams, as if he ſhould ſay, and I deſire to cleave wholly to the fountain; I have done with the creatures, of which I have formerly been too fond, and I would now take up my whole reſt, ſolace, and ſatisfaction in thy ſelf alone: and alſo, Pſal. 73.25, 26. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none on earth I deſire in compariſon of thee: my heart and my fleſh faileth; but God is the ſtrength of my heart, and my portion for ever. The ſame ſpirit dwelt and acted in Auſtin, All fulneſs and plenty (ſays he) which is not my God, is want and poverty: And again, elſewhere, Thou, Lord, art my God, my happineſs; and unto thee, and after thee do I breathe and ſuſpire day and night. O (my Beloved) did we indeed prize communion with God more, we ſhould live more in communion with him; and this take for a certain truth, that it will never be well with us indeed, till we ſee all in God, and account we enjoy all happineſs in enjoying communion with him.
Secondly, In the cloſe of every day take a ſerious view of, and diligently conſider what hath paſſed between God and you, what tranſactions there have been between God and your ſouls that day: there doth not a day paſs, wherein there do not many things paſs between God and his people; and he that wouuld prevent diſtances and eſtrangements between God and him, ſhould ſeriouſly ponder and lay to heart vvhat hath paſſed between God and his ſoul, vvhat tranfactions there hath been between God and him that day. On the one hand ponder and conſider vvhat hath paſſed from God to you, and vvhat his carriage towards you hath been, vvhat approaches he hath made to you, vvhat intimations of love, vvhat overtures of communion, vvhat diſcoveries of himſelf and his glory; how far and in vvhat vvay God hath been dealing vvith your ſpirits, convincing, enlightning, quickening, or comforting of them; vvhat calls he hath given you, vvhat myrrhe he hath dropped upon the handle of the Lock, what taſtes you have had of his ſweetneſs and Grace, vvhat holy impreſſions he hath made upon you, and the like. On the other hand, ponder and conſider what hath paſſed from you to God, and what your carriages towards him have been, what reception and entertainment you have given him, making his approaches to you; what value you have put upon his preſence, and the intimations of his love: how far you have embraced and improved the overtures he made you of farther communion with him; what awe there hath been upon you of his holineſs, and his all-ſeeing eye; what out-goings of heart there have been found within you after him; what breathings of love, what holy longings and deſires, what ſpringings and workings of ſpiritual joy, and delight of ſoul to him, and in him; what place he hath had in your thoughts and contemplations; how far you have lived to him, and upon him; wherein you may have either grieved or delighted his Spirit, and the like. Thus in the cloſe of every day ponder and conſider what hath paſſed between God and you, and accordingly deport & demean your ſelves before him; wherein you have failed, or been defective in any thing, in order to keeping up communion between God and you, be humbled, and ſet all right by Faith and Prayer; adore God in his acts of Grace and Condeſcenſion (as to be ſure you will find cauſe to do) and loath your ſelves, for any acts of ſin or unkindneſs, undutifulneſs or diſreſpect, that you have been guilty of towards God: O this would be a bleſſed courſe indeed, to prevent diſtances and eſtrangements between God and you: This David calls a communing with his own heart; and enjoyns it as a duty of the higheſt importance; Stand in awe, and ſin not; commune with your hearts, and be ſtill, Pſal. 4.4. it is what he lived in the practice of, Pſalm 77.6. (if he were the Author of that Pſalm) I communed with my own heart, and my Spirit made diligent ſearch. O be punctual in this work.
Thirdly, Be much converſant, and that with all ſpiritual diligence, in the ways and duties of Communion; thoſe ways and duties wherein God is wont to meet his people, and maintain converſe and communion with them; and in all of them wait for God and his approaches to you: there are thoſe which we may call ways and duties of communion; ways and duties wherein God and his people do hold converſe with each other, wherein God viſits and communicates himſelf unto his people, and wherein his people may be ſaid to viſit God, and make out after God; and theſe are the uſe of the Word and Sacraments, the exerciſe of Prayer, Meditation, Self-examination, and the like: now, as ever you would prevent the growing up of diſtances and eſtrangements between God and you, ſee that you are much converſant in theſe, and that with a holy and ſpiritual diligence, waiting for God, and the manifeſtations of God to your ſouls in them; theſe are the galleries wherein Chriſt and his People do take ſweet turns together; the green beds wherein they lie down in the boſom of each others love: therefore keep up a conſtant and diligent attendance on God in theſe; and in all your attendances on him, look after converſe with him, let it be your ſolemn aim to converſe with him, and ſee his face, to have a viſit, a ſmile, a deſcent of love from him. I do ſuppoſe you to be ſuch as do, and will attend on publick Ordinances, and wait for God there, as they waited for the Spirit at Jeruſalem: that only then which I would preſs you to, in this preſent caſe, ſhall be to be much converſant in Prayer and Meditation between God and your own ſouls; in theſe two great duties of communion with God, ſecret Prayer and Meditation: Oh the loſs as to communion with God, that we expoſe our ſelves unto, by being no more in Prayer and holy Meditation! The holy Ones of old, and thoſe that have been men of the higheſt communion with God, have alſo been men of much Prayer, and great Meditation; as I might inſtance in David, and Daniel, and others: and indeed their communion with God came in and was kept up this way: God (you know) hath told us, the Prayer of the upright is his delight, Prov. 15.8. and Chriſt beſpeaks the Prayer of his Spouſe, as moſt pleaſing and delightful to him, Cant. 2.14. O my Dove! thou art in the clefts of the rock, in the ſecret places of the ſtairs: let me ſee thy countenance, and hear thy voice; for ſweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely: as if he ſhould ſay, Approach to me in ſcret Prayer, I will aſſure thee it will be moſt ſweet and pleaſant to me. And as he thus delights in the Prayers of his People, ſo he will ſurely delight them in their Prayers vvith the viſits of his Love, and communications of his Grace, the beamings out of his Glory to and upon their ſouls: he hath promiſed to make them joyful in the houſe of prayer; yea, he hath promiſed to perform the whole Grace of the New Covenant in anſwer to their prayers, Ezek. 36.37. Oh the great things God doth for his People, and the ſweet communion that is kept up between him and them, in a way of Prayer! I remember a ſaying of one, He that is not much in prayer, will never be a man of much excellency: And I may as truly ſay, He that is not much in prayer, is never like to be a man of much communion with God. And ſo for Meditation: O how ſweet, how Heaven-like a duty is that! Oh how much of God is let out many times to the ſouls of his people herein! David experienced this, Pſal. 63.5, 6. My ſoul ſhall be ſatisfied as with marrow and fatneſs, and my mouth ſhall praiſe thee with joyful lips; when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the nightwatches: while he was converſant in this duty of Meditation, his ſoul was filled with joy and ſatisfaction, as with marrow and fatneſs: Again, ſaith he, my meditation of thee ſhall be ſweet, Pſ. 104.34. Oh be much and frequent with God in theſe ways and duties of communion.
Fourthly, Give Chriſt his due place and honour, in all your makings out after communion with God. Joſeph told his Brethren, they ſhould not ſee his face, unleſs they brought their Brother Benjamin with them: and truly you are not like to ſee the face of God, in any of the fore-mentioned ways and duties, unleſs you bring Chriſt with you, and give him his due place and honour therein; that is to ſay, unleſs you eye him, and act Faith upon him, as the only way and medium of communion with God: Chriſt beſpeaks this at our hands, while he tells us, I am the way, the truth; and the life; no man cometh to the Father, but by me, John 14.6. and by his Blood it is, that we have a way opened to us into the Holy of Holies, acceſs for our Perſons and Prayers into the Divine Preſence, Heb. 10.19, 20. yea, not only has he purchaſed a liberty, and opened a way for us to approach into the preſence of God; but having done this, by his Mediation and Interceſſion it is, that any of us come to God: hence he is ſaid to ſave to the very uttermoſt all that come to God by him, ſeeing he ever lives to make interceſſion for us, Heb. 7.25. Indeed vvere it not for Chriſt, none of us could ever hope to ſee the face of God, and live; none of us could ever hope to ſee one ſmile of Gods face, one embrace of his boſom, any the leaſt deſcent and emanation of love from him: vvere it not for Chriſt, vvhen vve come unto God, vve ſhould find him to be a conſuming fire, and vvhen he and our ſouls did meet, it vvould be as the meeting of devouring fire, and vvithered ſtubble: in a vvord, all communications of Grace and Love from God to us, are by and through Chriſt; and all the Love, the Duty, the Homage vve tender to God, muſt be all tendered to him by and through Chriſt, if ever we find acceptation vvith him: have Chriſt therefore in your eye in all your approaches unto God, as him by whom we have acceſs unto the Father, Eph. 2.18. Let the real language of your ſouls be, If I have any one ſmile from God, it muſt be upon the account of Chriſt, if he ſheweth himſelf pacified towards me, it muſt be through his blood; if he gives out any grace, any favour, any bleſſing to me, it vvill be upon the ſole account of his Mediation; if ever either my perſon, or ſervices be accepted of the Lord, it muſt be in and through this Mediator: moreover, how great ſoever the diſtance between God and my ſoul is, yet Chriſt can bring me nigh unto him; and however unworthy of, or unſuitable to communion with God I am in my ſelf, yet ſuch is his well-pleaſedneſs in Chriſt, that well-beloved Son of his, that I will hope through him to find Grace in his ſight, and to be lodged in the boſom of his Love: Thus put all the honour upon Chriſt, that is due to him in this buſineſs; this is what is pleaſing to the Father: and the more you thus honour him, the fuller and more conſtant will your converſe and communion with God be.
Ninthly, Would you indeed have all right, and in order for a dying hour? would you be ready for that laſt and great work? then live wholly and conſtantly upon Chriſt, and his righteouſneſs, for your juſtification and acceptation with God, both living and dying: the more we live out of our ſelves upon Chriſt and his righteouſneſs, for juſtification, and acceptation with God, the more ready poſture we are in for a dying hour: this indeed is the main thing, and when we have done all that ever we can, to deck and adorn our ſelves with Grace, and gracious diſpoſitions, ſtill we muſt live out of our ſelves, and out of all thoſe Ornaments, upon the naked righteouſneſs of Chriſt, for Juſtification and Salvation: This is that which the Scripture calls the readineſs of the Lambs Wife, Rev. 19.7, 8. Let us be glad and rejoyce, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made her ſelf ready: and wherein that readineſs lay, the next words tell you; To her was granted to he cloathed with fine linen, clean and white; which fine linen is the righteouſneſs of the Saints; that is, the righteouſneſs of Chriſt imputed to the Saints through believing; this is the beſt robe, mentioned Luke 15.22. a robe indeed which covers all our nakedneſs, that beautifies and adorns us, and renders us moſt amiable in Gods eye: whatſoever ſpots and blemiſhes, whatever failings or defects may be upon us, yet theſe are not ſeen, while God looks upon us as cloathed with the righteouſneſs of his Son; and we by faith do live upon that righteouſneſs, as the ſole matter of our Juſtification and acceptation with him: and let me tell you, the more clear and diſtinct the actings of our Faith are, in carrying us out of our ſelves, and all ſelf-righteouſneſs, and relying wholly on Chriſt and his righteouſneſs, the more ready and comfortable poſture we are in for a dying hour: This was the great thing Paul coveted, and preſſed after to the very laſt, and which he accounted all things but dung for, Phil. 3.8, 9. I count all things but dung, that I may win Chriſt, and be found in him, not having mine own righteouſneſs, which is by the Law, but the righteouſneſs of Faith, the righteouſneſs which is of God by Faith. He dreaded the thoughts of being found in any thing of his own; he trembled to think of ſtanding upon his own bottom, the bottom of his own worth and righteouſneſs, when he ſhould come to die; and he cleaved intirely unto, and relied wholly upon Chriſt, and his moſt perfect righteouſneſs: Oh let me tell you, Paul had as much and perhaps more to have reſted upon, than ten thouſand of us; for gifts, for graces, for privileges, for ſervices, for ſucceſſes, for ſufferings for Chriſt, he went beyond any meer man that ever lived; and Chryſoſtom obſerves of him, That he feared nothing but ſin; to diſpleaſe God, and to diſhonour him, was the onelyonly thing that was terrible to him; and the Scripture gives a large and frequent account of his other attainments: but ſtill he goeth out of all, and his language is, None but Chriſt, none but Chriſt; not but that alſo he preſſeth after the greateſt eminency and exactneſs in holineſs, as you find in the following Verſes of this third to the Philippians: and indeed this is the true Spirit of the Goſpel, to preſs after the greateſt eminency and exactneſs in holineſs; to covet to attain, if poſſible, unto Angelical holineſs: and yet under, and after all, to live ſingly and entirely on a naked Chriſt, and his righteouſneſs, for juſtification and acceptation with God: and the more you come to, and live in this Spirit, the more ready you are for Death and a bleſſed Eternity: this was a great part of the ground of the Churches rejoycing, Iſa. 61.10. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord, my ſoul ſhall be joyful in my God; for he hath cloathed me with the Garments of Salvation, and hath covered me with a Robe of Righteouſneſs: which Chryſoſtom, and others both Ancient and Modern, interpret of the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt: and indeed no greater ground of rejoycing to a man or woman, whether living or dying, than to be cloathed with the Robe of the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt: I ſhall only put you in mind of a ſaying I have heard from a holy man the day before he died: My Friends (ſaith he, ſpeaking to my ſelf and others) I have walked with God theſe thirty years, and have enjoyed a good meaſure of the aſſurance of his love: but now that I am come to die, I do not place my comfort on any of all theſe, but on the infinite ſatisfaction of Jeſus Chriſt. Oh there, there, when we have done all, we muſt lay the weight and ſtreſs of our Souls, Comfort, Salvation, and all: and therefore be ſure you live out of your ſelves upon Chriſt. It is a great ſaying Luther hath to this purpoſe; Lord Jeſus (ſaith he) thou art my righteouſneſs, and I am thy ſin: thou tookeſt mine, (meaning his ſin) and thou gaveſt me thine, (meaning his righteouſneſs:) thou tookſt that which thou waſt not, and thou gaveſt me that which I was not: intending the exchange that Chriſt had made with him, giving him his righteouſneſs for his ſin: Oh let this be the language of our ſouls to Chriſt; ſo ſhall we be ſound ready when a dying hour comes.
Tenthly, Would you indeed die with comfort? then beg God to ſtand by you, and give you actual Grace in a dying hour; and make it one of your great works to treaſure up many Prayers for this before-hand: When you have done all, ſhould God withdraw his preſence, and the influences of his Grace and Love from you when you come to die, Death would be in a great meaſure uncomfortable to you: but if God will be with you, if God will ſtand by you, if he will vouchſafe you the influences and communications of his Grace in a dying hour, then how will your ſouls triumph over death? this indeed will ſweeten death: they are great words of David in Pſal. 23.4. Though I walk through the valley of the ſhadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me: having the preſence of God with him, he was not, he would not be afraid, even in the very valley of the ſhadow of death: truly without the preſence of God, we cannot live comfortably; whatſoever our attainments in Grace have been, yet if God withdraw his preſence from us, we can do nothing, we can bear nothing, we cannot perform the leaſt duty, we cannot reſiſt the leaſt temptation, we cannot grapple with the leaſt corruption, nor carry through, as we ought, the leaſt difficulty: much leſs ſhall we be able to die with comfort, if God withdraw: therefore, I ſay, beg God to ſtand by you in a dying hour: Let it be your daily prayer to God,
Firſt, That he would be with you in the difficulties of life.
Secondly, That he would not leave you in the conflicts and agonies of death. And indeed we ſhould not paſs that day wherein we do not treaſure up one prayer for this before-hand; and thus doing, God will not leave us, God will not fail us in that laſt and great difficulty; at leaſt he will not leave us in point of Grace: our Lord himſelf was left in the agonies of death by the Father, in point of comfort, which put him to that out-cry, Why haſt thou forſaken me? but he was not left by him in point of Grace, ſtill a Spirit of Faith and Holineſs acted him; and therefore though forſaken, he cries out, My God, my God: if poſſibly, in conformity to our Head, we ſhould be left in that hour in point of comfort, yet if we carry our ſelves as we ought, we ſhall not be left in point of Grace; and if we be not left in point of Grace, all will do well, though not ſo ſweet and joyous with us as otherwiſe it would be. And thus I have given you theſe more particular directions, in order to a preparation for a dying hour; which if you live up to, you may not only live above the fear of death, but alſo in the joyful expectation thereof daily.