A Covert from the Storm, Doctrine 8
The Eighth Doctrine.
A Chriſtians faithfulneſs muſt run parallel with his life, to the death he muſt be ſtedfaſt.
This foreign to the death, may have a double interpretation.
1. Be thou faithful to the death, that is, be thou unmovable, though it coſt thee thy life to be ſo. Prefer not thy life before that Lord who laid down his life to redeem thee from death, and who will recompence the loſs of life temporal with that life that's everlaſting. A Chriſtian is to reſiſt even unto blood, ſtriving againſt ſin, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks; he muſt chooſe rather to part with his blood, than to loſe his God.
2. Be faithful to the death, that is, all thy dayes be faithful; that when death comes, and the Lord by death, he may find thee doing his work, doubling his talents, ſtanding up for his intereſt, notw…thſtanding all deriſion and oppoſition.
The Reaſons why we ſhould be faithful to the death are theſe.
1. Much of the former part of our life hath been loſt; therefore all the remainder ſhould be the more faithfully devoted to God. The time paſt of our life may more than ſuffice to have diſhonoured him; therefore all the reſt of our time in the fleſh, ſhould be lived, not to the luſts of men (either our own luſts, or the luſts of others) but to the will of God, 1 Pet. 4. 2, 3. The whole was his due, let him not be denyed that part which is behind.
2. The longer we know our Lord, and the cloſer we keep to him, the better we ſhall like him; therefore 'tis but reaſon that to the laſt we ſhould be ſtedfaſt. Cardinal Wolſey indeed was weary of the ſervice of King Henry the Eighth, and ſaid, If he had ſerved God ſo faithfully as he had done the King, God would not have forſaken him in his gray hairs. But Chriſt is another kind of Maſter than any other Potentate. Old Polycarpus ſaid, he had ſerved Chriſt for ſeveral Scores of years, and knew nothing but good by him, and therefore in his old age he choſe to ſuffer any thing rather than deny him. The harder we follow after Chriſt, and the longer we continue his diſciples, we diſcover new beauties, new pleaſures, new treaſures, and ſo we can never find juſt reaſon to exchange, ſince 'twill be ſo much for the worſe; but juſt reaſon to the contrary, ſince Chriſts lovlineſs, and fulneſs, and libetality in communicating of that fulneſs, doth daily more and more abundantly appear.
3. If we are not faithful to the death, all that we have done before will be loſt; we ſhall loſe thoſe things which we have wrought, and miſs of our reward. That's a full place, Ezek. 18. 24. But when the righteous man turneth away from his righteouſneſs, and committeth iniquity, and doth according to all the ab… minations that the wicked man doth, ſhall he live? All his righteouſneſs that he hath …one ſhall not be mentioned; in his treſpaſs that he hath treſpaſſed, and in his ſin which he hath ſinned, in them ſhall he dye. By the righteous man we are to underſtand one that by profeſſion is righteous, and outwardly unblamable, performing the duties required of him; if he give out and turn aſide, all his duties will be loſt, all his hearing, all his prayers, all his deeds of juſtice and mercy will not be mention'd; he continues not ſtedfaſt, which ſhews he was never ſincere, however others were deceived in him, and himſelf too.
USE.
The only Uſe of this Doctrine ſhall be to admoniſh all that profeſs the name of Chriſt, to perſevere to the end. Depart from iniquity, but never from your Lord. When firſt you give up your ſelves to Chriſt, reckon upon this, that you muſt ever abide with him. Your cloſing with Chriſt is a marriage, and this Husband never dies, you muſt not give away your ſelves to another. The Arguments to perſwade you to be faithful till death are theſe.
1. Many unfaithful ones at death tremble and are in horrour becauſe of their Apoſtacy. Conſcience often awakes when the King of terrours is within view: a dreadful ſound is in the backſliders ears, trouble and anguiſh make him afraid and prevail againſt him, as a King ready to the Battel. To have ones ſpirit wounded with an… ▪ tollerable ſtroke, to have the D…vils accuſing, the creatures all failing, ſins ſet in order before the eyes, calamity as a ſtorm ready to hur… one out of the would, and God ſo far from pi…ving as to laugh at ones deſtruction, and to be comforted in the vengeance that is inflicted. Ezek. 5. 13. muſt needs be very dreadful: But this is the doleful caſe & concluſion of many ba… ſl…ders.
2. Death is near at hand, think net much of ſo ſhort a time to be faithful. If a Maſter ſhould ſay, Work hard to day, and I will give thee an inheritance for thy life, verily the moſt ſlothful would not think much of the heat and burthen. Now God ſayes, abide in my ſervice for a little while, and then you ſhall reſt from all your labours and ſufferings, and that reſt ſhall be for ever. Oh how ſhould this encourage!
3. Faithfulneſs to the death will take away the fear of death. Death will be look upon a Meſſenger to tell you that your Lord can no longer brook your abſence, to tell you that your warfare is accompliſhed; and that having been faithful in your Maſters buſineſs you muſt enter into your Maſters joy. Be but faithful unto death, and Chriſt will ſtand by you at death; and after death he will receive you.