MAN consists of two parts, a body and a soul; the bodily life is dependent on the light and air of this world, and on the circulation which they maintain and carry on; when this connection is broken, the body expires, it loses all sense and motion, and is dead. So the life of the soul is dependent on the light and air of the spiritual world. Jehovah in Trinity is the Creator, the only fountain of being, and there can be nothing independent of him: Christ is the light, and the Holy Spirit is the breath or air of all spiritual life; and when this connection is broken, although the soul may exist, yet its happiness in God is broken, and at an end. Sin, that great murderer sin, brought death upon body and soul; "For as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." And we read, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die;" sin separating it from its union, and thereby cutting it off from its communion with the Father of spirits. In the moment that Adam sinned, the spiritual death took place; for he had lost the spirit of life, and was dead in trespasses and sins; and that same moment his body became mortal, although he lived nine hundred years after.
Thus we have sin, and death, and misery, entailed upon all his descendants, from the first Adam, who is of the earth, earthy. O, how precious to a sinner in these circumstances should be the second Adam, the Lord from heaven, who stands at the head of the spiritual world, that he may give his righteousness and his life, and his happiness to all flint believe in him! He comes, Jehovah of Hosts, in our nature, as our champion, to fight our battles, and to conquer all our foes. Immanuel was made sin for us, and he died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, when the Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all; and was buried, and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. We read therein of his noble challenge to death and the grave: "I will ransom my people from the power of the grave, I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues, O grave, I will be thy destruction; repentance shall be hid from mine eyes."
It was the Captain of our salvation, the Lord of Hosts is his name, who purposed this in the everlasting councils, and in due time fulfilled it by his almighty power. "Because the children were partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver them who, through fearer death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage. "O, what infinite condescension is this! what love, surpassing all knowledge! The most high God's manifest in the flesh, that as God, in our nature, he might be cur surety to act and suffer for us men, and for our salvation. Accordingly, he takes our sins upon himself, bears the guilt and punishment of them in his own body and soul upon the tree, gives his own life a ransom for Ours, that by his death we might live. He was buried, but he rose again the third day, having loosed the bonds of death, because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
In this conflict with death and the grave, repentance was hid from his eyes. He knew what he was to go through, more than any of us can conceive of pain and agony, yet he would not change his purpose of grace, although he was to become obedient unto death, the most tormenting, the most shameful, even the death of the cross. His enemies, having brought him to the grave and the sealed sepulchre, seemed then to have him in their power: so they thought; but here Jesus made his complete and eternal triumph. By his resurrection he swallowed up death in victory; for he did not rise as a private person, but as the first fruits of the dead, drawing the joyful harvest after him. The Lord is risen indeed, the head of the body the church, and has the power of an endless life to quicken all his members. In which most glorious prospect, the apostle, quoting the passage above mentioned, breaks out into these raptures enjoy, seeing all his enemies vanquished, and nothing but bliss and glory before him: "O death, where is thy sting? O grave! where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law."
The law armed death with its sting, as the just wages of the transgression of the law; but Jesus, our Surety, magnified the law by his holy life in all its precepts, and by his death, in all its penalties. He died for our sins, and by his rising from the dead, he demonstrated that he had taken out its sting, and had disarmed it of its power to hurt: nay, had done much more,–he had changed death into life. "I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and Whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die." By faith in him, we share in the triumph and glory of his resurrection, and have a new song put into our mouths, with which we may make the sweetest melody in our hearts, even when our breath is failing us. "Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord."
These are scripture views of the almighty Jesus. Out of his infinite compassion, he undertook to save his people from sin and death, the works of the devil. And he has done it. It is finished. He has put away sin by his sacrifice, and he completed his conquest of death by his resurrection; and has had witnesses of these gospel truths in all ages, whom he sent to preach repentance, and remission of sins, in his name. When it is the good pleasure of his own will to accompany the message with power from on high, then he blesses it by making it the ministration of righteousness and of life; as it is written, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth in him that sent me, hath, everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life," already.
The Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath freed the believer from the law of sin and of death, and has also created in him a new life; he has given him a new birth into the spiritual world; and spiritual senses to fit him for spiritual enjoyments: for he is actually passed from death unto life. By the Holy Spirit as the agent, and by faith as the instrument, he is made a child of God, united to Christ, one with him, interested in him, and so closely joined to him, as the members are to the head, as to be a real partaker of all that he did upon earth, and of all that he is now doing for his redeemed in heaven.
He has a good warrant, for he is not only permitted, but also commanded, to apply to himself all the privileges and blessings which are contained in this large charter of grace. "Ye are complete in Christ, who is the head of all principality and power; in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him, through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead: and you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances, that was against us, which was contrary to us; and he took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in that same cross."
In this view of the almighty conqueror of all our enemies, and of his enabling us also by faith to come after him, conquering and to conquer, what thanks and praises should be given unto him? There is no possible evil, but he has removed it from us; and no possible good, but he has obtained the right, and gives the possession. We are complete in him, our head, completely circumcised in heart by his circumcision, so as to put off the body of sin, and risen indeed with him by the faith of his own operation: through which we have the first resurrection from the grave of sin, and shall have the resurrection of the body from the grave of death. He now gives the first as a sure earnest of the second. He raises us from the grave of sin, and quickens us to newness of life, and thereby gives us a lively hope that we shall one day be with him and like him.
In this hope the redeemed of the Lord have thus expressed their joys:–We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners, in defiance of all our enemies–we need not fear sin, nor Satan, nor death, nor hell. Our Redeemer is strong, the Lord of Hosts is his name. He, for us men, and for our salvation, was manifested to destroy the works of the devil: and he has destroyed them. He died for our sins, and rose again for our justification. His victory was complete, and in him we conquer. We come after him only to gather up the spoils of his triumph. Through faith in him, the sting of death is taken out of the conscience, and thereby the fear of it out of the heart.–A believer ought to say, and when he is in his right mind he says with joy and gratitude–"The Lord is my light, and my salvation, what then shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom then shall I be afraid? Yea, though I walk through the valley and shadow of death, I will fear no evil–I need not fear any, because thou, my Lord and Saviour, hast promised to be with me; thy rod and thy staff, they shall comfort me."
What an infallible antidote has our Jesus here provided against all guilty fears, and against all natural fears. These promises to his dying followers cannot fail. He who made them is almighty to fulfil them; and almighty to enable us to believe, that he will both support and comfort. Jesus, wonderful in his person, wonderful in all his works and ways–he has changed the very nature of death; he has turned it into life. Whosoever believeth in him shall never die, but is passed already from death unto life. The Holy Spirit has put him into present possession of a life laid up with Christ, out of the reach of death; so that when his body expires, it falls asleep in the Lord, and his spirit enters upon an eternal triumph of life and glory, among the spirits of just men made perfect.
O what a deliverance is this from the bondage of sin and the terrors of the grave! It is the peculiar blessedness of believers in Jesus; for the natural man cannot but fear death, and look upon it as his enemy; he has no prospects, but what are bounded by time; his whole happiness is in the present world, and in the enjoyment of what he calls the blessings of it; he was laying fine plans, and hoping to live to execute them–heaping up riches–living in the unrestrained liberty of sensual enjoyments–murdering his time–misspending his talents–without any concern about eternal things–When, lo! an enemy comes, and puts an end to all his schemes. He dies.
Perhaps he may be a sceptic, doubting of the certainty of a future state; he may wish there was none, but he can have no evidence; and if he continue to wish it, even to the last, O what a scene will open, when he meets a just and angry God! He may be a materialist, and please himself with fancying, that what we call his soul, will vanish at his death into soft air; but the God of truth says, that when the dust shall return to the earth, as it was, the spirit shall return to God who gave it; and in the morning of the resurrection, Christ will reanimate the dust, and body and soul shall be united to live for ever. He may be one of the careless, quite unprepared; but when the messenger arrests him, he must go with him, and that in a moment. Perhaps he may be a moralist, trusting to his own goodness; he may fortify himself with arguments taken from Seneca; but these will furnish him with no armour proof against the guilt of sin, or the sting of death. He may seek aids from philosophy, falsely so called; but its votaries, professing themselves to be wise, in the hour of death found that they were fools. Every human help has failed, when most wanted. "But blessed is he who hath the God of Jacob for his help, and whose hope is in the Lord his God; who made heaven and earth, and all that therein is; who keepeth his promise for ever."
Here is the Christian's never-failing support. God, even his covenant God, has promised to be with him, and to be his Saviour in death. God Jesus, almighty to keep his promise for ever, is his one hope, living and dying; and he is his gain both in life and death. If he has won Christ, he has lived to a blessed time, and whenever he dies, Christ will make death his friend, and reconcile him to his going to the Lord, which is best of all. To look upon death as an enemy, to fear it, as if it could take from us anything worth keeping, or as if it did not put us into the eternal possession of everything worth enjoying, these are views of the resurrection of Jesus very dishonourable to his victories, and very injurious to our interest in him. He undertook to conquer death for us, as our surety. He has done it. He has swallowed up death in victory, he has made it our friend and our benefactor; for he has engaged to support us in our last moments. He never did, he never can, fail any who put their trust in him. Experience has confirmed his faithfulness in all ages. His soldiers, whom he made valiant in fight, a goodly company, whom no one can number, have triumphed gloriously–before death, in death, and after death.
Before death he prepared them to meet it in faith; for the great design of his gospel is to arm them against the guilt of sin and the terrors of death. And they are good soldiers of Christ Jesus who put on this armour, who have learnt their exercise, and who, by their daily battles, keep their arms shining and bright. Looking to Jesus, the Captain of their salvation, for orders, for courage, for strength, for victory, all opposition falls before them. He enables them to fight the good fight of faith, and the more they conquer sin, the less they have to fear from death; for Christ is to them the whole armour of God, and the pieces of this armour are the g 'aces of his Sprat. For with these the apostle says, m Ephesians, chap. vi., that Christ has perfectly equipped the armies of the Lord: they have the truth of Christ, the righteousness of Christ, the peace of Prod in Christ, faith in Christ, the word of Christ, hope in Christ and prayer to Christ, for fresh supplies of his Spirit, that he would enable them to make such a use of their armour, that they might get the victory over sin and death, and he might get all the praise.
In this holy war, he is everything to them, and they find in him, and receive out of his fulness, whatever they want for the peace of their conscience and for the happiness of their hearts. Sin is pardoned. Death is conquered. They experience the power of his resurrection, and being passed from death unto life, they have believing views of their own dissolution. We read of their deliverance from the fear of death, and we have examples of those who were more afraid of sin than of death; yea who chose to go into a burning fiery furnace, rather than offend their God; hear how they triumphed–"Our God is able to deliver us; but if he does not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Hear the witness of another Christian hero, how he was enabled to look upon death:–"The Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying, that bonds and afflictions abide me; but none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear to myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." This was a great victory, hut the case is not singular; in the same faith died the noble army of martyrs, of whom we read–"That they overcame the accuser of the brethren by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." And to this day, the Holy Spirit witnesses to the same truth, and seals it upon the consciences of believers in the hour of death. I call one evidence, a great dignitary in our church, a man of great learning, and never suspected of enthusiasm; being near his death, he thus expressed himself:–"I cannot plead innocency of life, especially of my youth; but I am to be judged by a merciful God, who is not willing to see what I have done amiss; and though of myself I have nothing to present to him but sins and misery, yet I know he looks not upon me now as I am of myself, but as I am in my Saviour, and hath given me, even at this time, some testimonies by his Holy Spirit, that I am of the number of his elect; I am therefore full of joy, and shall die in peace?"
Thus the precious Jesus was, in the prospect of death, more desirable than life itself. So he was to them in dying. All these died in faith. They were his witnesses, that he kept everything hurtful from them, and brought them in triumph to the end of their lives. That great · company round his throne, who are crowned conquerors, testify for him that he did not leave them, nor forsake them, one moment. He kept his word with them. He smoothed their bed in their sickness. He was tender over them, and wiped away all tears from their eyes.
When fainting, he gave them strong consolation. When he called them to meet death in all its terrors, to suffer in flames of fire, to be torn to pieces by wild beasts, to be tormented in every way that malice could invent, or the power of tyrants could inflict–he was with them–their Saviour and their God–the tender care of his heart, and the mighty power of his arm, were never more felt than when most wanted. He kept his peace ruling in their consciences always and by all means, and gave them to feel, that bodily pain could not lessen his love to them, nor abate or stop their love to him. I might bring a cloud of witnesses to prove the compassion of Jesus to his redeemed in their dying hours; but let these two suffice: Dr. Thomas Goodwin was upon his death-bed when his friend Mr. Collins came to visit him, and to pray with him, to whom he said–"He rejoiced that he was dying, and going to have a full and uninterrupted communion with God."
"I am going," said he, "to the Three Persons with whom I have had communion: they have taken me, I did not take them. I shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye: all my lusts and corruptions I shall be rid of, which I could not be here."
After mentioning these great examples of faith (Hebrews, chap. xi.), he said, "All these died in faith: I could not have imagined I should ever have such a measure of faith as I have in this hour. My bow abides in strength. Is Christ divided? No, I have the whole of his righteousness. I am found in him, not in my own righteousness, which is of the law, but in the righteousness which is of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, who loved me, and gave himself for me: Christ cannot love me better than he does; and I think I cannot love Christ better than I do: I am swallowed up in God."
The historian remarks, that with this assurance of faith and fulness of joy, his soul left this world, and went to see and to enjoy the reality of that blessed state of glory, of which, in a discourse on that subject, he had given a very lively description.
I may be permitted to call another witness to this blessed truth; a believer who just before his death addressed himself to his friends in these words:–"My brethren, is not this very amazing to you? When I contemplate the holiness of God, I cannot but cry out, that I myself am vile, most vile: and then when I consider the justice of God, could any one imagine but that I should be struck with most dreadful apprehensions of approaching judgment and deserved wrath? Instead of that, I am under no fear of the latter, and much desire the former. I long to appear before this holy, just God. I have a righteousness to plead that is perfect. The holy Jesus is my security; and I cannot be disappointed. In Christ, the justice of God is as much my security as his mercy: here is a holiness that transcends that of all the angelic host. There is no charging my Redeemer with possible folly: Oh! I know I am pardoned for the sake of Jesus Christ, my only Lord and Mediator: I am sure of it: I am fully, freely pardoned: I shall soon be thoroughly sanctified and fitted for glory. Oh! I want words to express my gratitude, to tell my joy: adored be God, my Lord, my Saviour: this is the work of God alone; O unfathomable love, infinite condescension, unmerited, unbounded grace to a vile offender; I deserve hell; I enjoy heaven."
O thou that readest this honourable mention of the love of Jesus to his dying followers, may it be given thee to find him near to thee in that time of need! If thy faith be in him, doubt not. Take courage and live up to thy privileges. Regard his promise. Observe his faithfulness to it. Depend upon his arm. Trust in him, and be not afraid. Since he has overcome death, why shouldst thou fear that it will overcome thee? Is not his victory thine? Whatever thou feelest in thyself; if nature shrink, and thou hast many uneasy thoughts about thy dissolution, remember that all thy salvation is in and from him, and he has made thee a free gift of salvation, and of all the things which accompany salvation–He undertook it all–he has finished it all–He has put away sin by the sacrifice of himself–he has conquered death: it is now a vanquished foe. In his hand it is the royal way to the kingdom, the only way. Trust him, he will not suffer it to hurt thee. Trust him, and thou wilt find there is nothing in it that ought to frighten thee. Breath may be failing thee, but Jesus will not fail thee. He has pronounced them blessed, he will infallibly make them blessed, who die in the Lord. Only believe, and thou wilt experience that he has dying con-solutions for his dying friends. They live in death. He makes them blessed in dying; yea, sometimes to encourage the faith of others, and to recommend his own grace, he has vouchsafed to give them, at the time of their death, a foretaste of the glory which was just going to be revealed. In this faith they leave the world; casting all their care for time and for eternity, for body and soul, upon him who careth for them.
Jesus, into thy hand I commend my spirit, for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord thou God of truth. I believe in the resurrection of the body; thou hast promised it, and I hope it shall be done unto me according to thy word. Christ is the first-fruits; and afterward, they that are Christ's at his coming, when he will bring the joyful harvest with him; therefore, into his faithful hands commit my body. I take my leave of it in faith. Ii; is not possible that the grave should hold me in any more than it could him: and I not only hope to be raised from the grave, but I shall be brought out of it in triumph on that day of wonders, when Jesus Christ, the great God and our Saviour, shall change this my vile body, and shall make it like unto his own most glorious body.
O what a change! O what a miracle! This very body, which is now sinful dust, shall be like the Son of God, who is the standard, of all perfection–even this body of mine shall be conformed to his most glorious body: although it be now a house so infected with the leprosy of sin, that it must be taken down, yet out of its rums will the Lord raise it a monument to his eternal praise; even au habitation of God by his Spirit. Come then, thou blessed of the Lord, O welcome, welcome death–Thou art the smiling messenger from my Jesus, bringing with thee glad tidings of great joy–of a salvation secured from all possible evil, and the enjoyment of all possible good. In sure and certain hope of this complete and eternal salvation, I resign my body into thy hands, thou Lord of life and giver of glory! I intrust it with thee, to be kept against that day, when all that sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him. For this prospect, for believing views of it, for the earnest, and for some little foretaste of it, to the eternal Three be eternal praise. Amen.
Such are the hopes of a real Christian, which he is warranted, which he is commanded to entertain in the hour of death, which God, in his infinite grace, actually favours his people with, to the strengthening of their faith, and to the silencing of unbelievers. Never did he display his faithfulness more signally than in our times. Many instances might be given, but I select one, who thus expressed himself to his friends surrounding his death-bed:–
"My soul is abundantly comforted and refreshed: my body is dying, but my mind is still vigorous and alive: I feel the cold hand of death is actually upon me; and you may feel it too, if you touch my feet and legs; they are once more clay. Blessed be God, death is no king of terrors to me; he is a welcome messenger, because sent by my heavenly Father. Here I am, O Lord! waiting thy pleasure; ready to obey the summons: thy will, O Lord! be done. Blessed be God, that the attack is made below: my head is as yet very clear and untouched, and till my heart feels the damp, I hope to be engaged in work suitable to a death-bed: it is not to me a bed of languishing or wasting; this poor remainder of a body is hardly capable of any greater decay, till it moulders in the grave; and there let it moulder. Who would not part with it as it is? It is now my burden, my bar to happiness, a hinderance to a lively spiritual communion with God. But, O my friends, it is united to Christ, and shall therefore one day become a glorious body. This corruption shall put on incorruption, and shall be for ever with the Lord." Thanks be to God for such a witness–may my latter end be like his.