The Certainty of Death 2
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This must suffice, at present, in answer to the first question, WHO are the wicked? And I hope sundry of you, if you honestly make use of the light you have, have discovered, that whatever flattering hopes you have entertained, you must really place yourselves in the class with wicked men. This is an alarming discovery at any time: but it is much better to receive it now, when the case may be remedied; than in the eternal world, when it will be too late, and your case will be hopeless and desperate.
And now, O wicked man, whoever you are, as Ehud said to Eglon, "I have a message from God unto you!" Judges 3:20. I have a message not unlike to his; and that is, "You shall surely die!" Profane sinner, drunkard, swearer, whore-monger, "you shall surely die!" You, who knowingly, wilfully, and habitually indulge yourselves in any favourite sin, "you shall surely die!" You who are destitute of genuine faith, love, and the other graces and virtues essential to a godly man, "you shall surely die!" You, who are still the same in disposition that you were by nature, "you shall surely die!" This is the invariable decree of God—that you shall die!
You may cast death out of your thoughts: but, for all that—you shall die! You may continue unprepared for it—but you must die! Were you as high and bright as Lucifer, as rich as Croesus, as powerful as Alexander—you must die! Your wickedness cannotimmortalize you. Though you are wicked men now—you shall be dead men before long! Yes, as surely as you now live—you shall surely die!
But you will perhaps reply, "What is this that you tell us? Is death the lot only of the wicked? Must not all men die, the godly as well as the wicked? How then can death be threatened as the peculiar doom of the wicked?" The answer to this naturally leads me to the second question:
What kind of DEATH shall the wicked man die? It is true, natural death is the universal doom of all mankind. "The wise man dies—just like the fool." Ecclesiastes 2:16. The highest attainments in piety cannot secure an earthly immortality. Peter and Paulare dead, as well as Judas. But though there is no difference in this respect, there is a wide difference in another, and that is, the death of the wicked is quite another thing, or comes under quite a different notion, from the death of the righteous.
The death of the wicked, like an officer, from their offended sovereign, strikes off the fetters of flesh—that they may be carried away to the place of execution! But the death of the righteous, like a friendly angel, only opens the doors of their prison, and dismisses them from their bondage in sinful flesh!
The righteous, in death, enjoy, more or less, the consolations of an approving conscience, the sweets of the love of God, and the kind supports of an Almighty Saviour's hand. But the wicked die as criminals by the hand of justice; their guilt is unpardoned, and this gives death its sting! They have no almighty Friend in death. But Jesus, who alone can relieve them, is their enemy! They have no reviving sensations of divine love; but guilty reflections and shocking prospects; or, if they entertain hopes of eternal happiness, which most of them probably do, alas! they are but short-lived delusions, which will vanish like a dream in the morning, as soon as the light of eternity flashes upon them.
Death dismisses the righteous from all their sins and sorrows, and conveys them into a state of perfect and everlasting holiness and happiness. But the death of the wicked cuts them off from all enjoyments, from all the means and hopes of salvation, and fixes them in an unchangeable, everlasting state of sin and misery! Death to them is the gate of hell, the door of their infernal prison, and a sad farewell to all happiness! Then, farewell, a long, an everlasting farewell to the comforts of this life, and all its agreeable prospects! Farewell to friends! Farewell to hope and peace! Farewell to all the means of grace! Farewell God, and Christ, and all the blessedness of heaven. Now, nothing awaits them—but wrath and fiery indignation. Thus, O wicked man—you shall die: and is not this a very different thing from the death of the righteous?
Realize this prospect, sinners, and surely it must startle you. The time is just at hand, when the cold hand of death shall arrest you; when the vital pulse shall cease to beat, and your blood to flow; when your jaws shall fall; the shadow of death hover over your eyes; a ghastly paleness overspread your countenances; and a deadly numbness creep over your frame, and stupefy your active limbs; when the unwilling, lingering soul must be torn from its old companion of flesh; must bid adieu to all the enjoyments and pursuits of this mortal life, and shoot the gulf of eternity, and launch away; when it must pass into the immediate presence of God, mingle among the strange, unacquainted beings that inhabit the unseen, untried world, and be fixed in an unchangeable state; when your bodies, like that of our deceased friend, must be laid in the cold and gloomy grave, to moulder there, and feedthe worms you were accustomed to tread upon; when you must leave your riches, your honours, your pleasures, which you pursued with so much labour and eagerness, and go as naked out of the world as you came into it!
When you are reduced to this extremity, think, O wicked man, think seriously how miserable your condition will be! Then no comfortable reviews of past life! no supporting whispers of conscience within! no God, no Jesus, no Saviour to support you! no encouraging prospects before you! or none but the delusive, vanishing, confounding encouragement of a false and flattering hope!No relief, no gleam of hope from heaven or earth, from God or his creatures! Nothing but . . .
a guilty life behind you!
a corrupt heart, utterly unfit for heaven, and a clamorous, gnawing conscience, within you!
an angry God, a frowning Saviour, and a lost heaven above you!
a boundless, burning ocean below you!
Oh! what a tragic exit, what a melancholy end is this!
This is to die indeed! And thus, "O wicked man—you shall surely die!" Such a death will be the certain doom of persisting, impenitent wickedness. I need make no exception at all—but only that which I have already hinted at, namely, that many a wicked man dies with a self-flattering apprehension that he is not wicked, and with expectant hopes of heaven. This is a common case, especially with people that have not lived under a faithful ministry, to inform them honestly of the nature of true religion, and the prerequisites of salvation.
But alas! what a sandy foundation is this! What does it avail to enjoy a little delusive relief in the hour of death, when the first entrance into the eternal world will cause the dream to vanish forever, and leave you to perish without hope, in all the confusion and consternation of eternal disappointment! Thus shall every wicked man among you die, if you still continue such.
But even this, as dreadful as it is—is not all. There is, besides this, that dreadful something, called the second death, Revelation 21:8; 2:11; 20:6, 14, which you, O wicked man, must die. Besides that death, which will put an end to this transitory life—you will have another death to suffer; a death, which will immediately commence when the first is over: a death, which will not be over in a few moments like the other—but the agonies of which will continue—an everlasting death—a state of misery, which will renderlife worse than death; or being worse than annihilation.
Then the soul will be forever dead to God and holiness—dead to all the means of grace, and all the enjoyments of this life—dead to all happiness and all hope—dead to all the comfortable purposes of existence—dead to everything that deserves the name of life; in short, dead to everything, but the torturing sensations of pain. To these the soul will be tremblingly alive all over, to eternity! But, alas! to be alive, in this sense—alive only to suffer pain, is worse than death, worse than annihilation. This is the import of that dreadful phrase, "the second death."
As life, in the language of Scripture, frequently signifies a state of perfect, everlasting happiness; so death often signifies a state of misery. And the "second death" signifies that second state that follows upon this, which is our first; a state of total, everlasting misery! as full of death and misery—as heaven is of life and felicity. Thus, O wicked man, shall you surely die! For remember, you have not the character of those who are safe from the "second death." Their character you have in Revelation: "He who overcomes, shall not be hurt of the second death." Revelation 2:11. It is only the Christian hero, the brave soldier of Jesus Christ, who is enabled by divine grace to conquer his sins within, and all temptations from without. It is he, and he alone, who shall escape unhurt by this dreadful king of death.
As for others, particularly the "fearful, the unbelieving, whore-mongers, and all liars," you are expressly told, "they shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone." Here, also, you may see a Scripture definition of the "second death." Revelation 21:8; it is to lie in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. What a shocking image is this!
And now, when you see the dreadful import of this denunciation, may it not spread terror through this assembly to hear, "Oh, wicked man—you shall surely die!" Are your hearts armoured against the thunder of his threatening? Are you so foolhardy, as not to be concerned, whether life or death, eternal life or eternal death—be your doom?
Is there no wicked man in this assembly so much affected, as at least to inquire, "Is there no way to escape? Must I die without relief? Is the sentence past beyond repeal?"
No, blessed be God, you are yet alive; and while there is life—there is hope. The gates of eternal despair are not yet shut and barred upon you! Therefore, in the name of God, I assure you, there is hope, there is a possibility of escaping.
But in what way? Suppose you sin on, as you have done hitherto, and herd in the crowd of wicked men; suppose that you still continue thoughtless about the great concerns of eternity, neglect the Lord Jesus, and attend upon the means of grace in a careless, formal manner—suppose that your hearts should never be changed by the almighty power of Divine grace—but still remain hard, impenitent, in love with sin and the world, and destitute of the love of God—suppose that you resist the strivings of the Holy Spirit and your own consciences, flatter yourselves with vain hopes of safety, and shut your eyes against the light of conviction—suppose that you should abandon yourselves to the pursuit of this world with your usual eagerness, and drown all serious thoughts in the bustle and confusion of secular affairs; I say, suppose that you should take this course—then is there anyhope? No! in this way there is nothing but despair. If you should live as long as Methuselah, and continue in this course—you would still continue wicked, and never become more fit for heaven than you now are; nay, like a body tending to corruption, you would corrupt and putrefy more and more.
Consult your reason, consult your Bible, consult anything, except the self-flattering heart of man, and the father of lies; and they will all tell you, that if you persist in this course—that you shall surely die! Not one who ever went on in this course has entered into heaven: but in this downward road those crowds persisted, who are now with Judas and Dives, in the place of torment; and, if you tread in their steps—then you shall certainly, before long, be among them.
But if you will attend, I will endeavour to show you what you must do to be saved, and point out to you the way of life and hope. Hear me, O wicked man! who is under the sentence of death; hear me, and I will direct you how you may procure a repeal of the sentence, and live forever. Blessed Spirit! we need your assistance in this attempt. Oh! bear home my feeble words with resistless energy upon the hearts of sinners, that this day they may pass from death to life. Let me again demand your attention to the following directions:
If you would escape death in its most dreadful form, and enter into life, then:
First, Betake yourselves immediately to serious thoughtfulness. No more of your levity and froth; no more of your mirth, and vanity, and dissipation of thought. But now, at last, begin to THINK; to think seriously and sadly of your sins, of your guilty and wretched condition, of your danger of being forever miserable, and of the best means of deliverance.
Secondly, Break off from those things that hinder your conversion. No more of your drunkenness, swearing, and other vices. No more mingle in the company of sinners, nor run with them into the same excess of riot. Break off from your over-eager pursuit of the world; and act as if you thought it infinitely worse to be lost forever, than to be low and poor in this life.
Thirdly, Diligently use all means that may instruct you in the nature of true religion, and teach you what you should do to be saved: particularly, read the Scriptures, and other good books, and attend upon the most faithful preaching as you have opportunity.
Fourthly, Earnestly pray to God. If you have hitherto had prayer-less families, or prayer-less closets, let them be so no longer: this evening consecrate them to God by prayer. Pray, particularly, for the Holy Spirit, who alone can thoroughly convert and sanctify you.
Fifthly, Endeavour to receive and submit to the Lord Jesus as your only Saviour. It is through him alone, that you can be saved: therefore, make use of him as your only mediator, in all your transactions with God.
Finally, Do not delay to follow these directions. Alas! if, with Felix, you put it off to a more convenient season, (Acts 24:25.) there is very little hope. "Today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." (Hebrews 2:15.) "Now is the accepted time: now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2.) Therefore, now, this moment, begin the work. Now dart up a prayer to heaven, "Lord, here is a poor wicked creature, who must die before long, unless you have mercy upon me: have mercy upon me, O God of mercy." Thus pray, and keep your souls, as it were, always in a praying posture until you are heard.
And now, my dear friends, what is your resolution upon the whole? Are you resolved to use these means for your deliverance—or are you not? If you are, you have great reason to hope for success. But if not, I defy you to find one encouraging word to you in all the Bible. On the other hand, I am commanded, upon my peril, to warn you; and therefore I would once more sound this dreadful alarm in your ears, "O wicked man—you shall surely die!" And if, when you hear the words of this curse, you blessyourselves in your hearts, and hope better things—then God foresaw there would be such self-flattering, presumptuous sinners in the world, and he has prepared his terrors against them.
"Let none of those who hear the warnings of this curse consider themselves immune, thinking, 'I am safe, even though I am walking in my own stubborn way.' This would lead to utter ruin! The LORD will not pardon such people. His anger and jealousy will burn against them. All the curses written in this book will come down on them, and the LORD will erase their names from under heaven. The LORD will separate them from all the tribes of Israel, to pour out on them all the covenant curses recorded in this Book of the Law!" (Deuteronomy 29:19-21.)
What a tremendous threatening is this! and you see it stands in full force against those who presumptuously flatter themselves with false hopes of impunity: and it will certainly have a dreadful accomplishment upon such of you as disregard this repeated warning, "O wicked man—you shall surely die!"
I doubt not but there are some of you to whom the character of the wicked does not belong, and therefore are in no danger of dying their death. To you I would speak a few parting words of encouragement.
You must die; but oh! death to you will be a harmless, sting-less thing. Death is but your Father's messenger to fetch you home—that you may be forever with him. You will have good company in death; Jesus, your faithful and never-failing friend, will then be with you, and support you: and his angels will wait round your dying beds to receive your departing souls, and conduct them to eternal rest. Death will be your birthday; then you will be born, not a helpless, weeping infant, into a world of sin and sorrow—but a perfect immortal, into a world of consummate happiness and glory!
Death will be the last enemy that ever you shall conflict with; after that, you will be conquerors, more than conquerors, forever. Death to you will be a blessing, and not a curse: so that as to you, I may change the threatening in my text, into a promise, "O godly man—you shall surely die!" Yes, blessed be God, you shall die in spite of earth and hell; you shall not be doomed to live always in such a sinful wretched world as this; but death, your friend, will set you free, and convey you to the place where Jesus is, and where your heart is gone before you.
This may, perhaps, seem strange language, that death should become a blessing: but such strange things does Jesus perform for his people. O may we all "die the death of the righteous; and may our last end be like his!" (Numbers 23:10.)
For a more immediate improvement of this funeral occasion, instead of haranguing upon the virtues of the dead, many of which, I doubt not, deserve commendation; my business is with the living—who alone can receive advantage from what I say; and to them I would suggest a few solemn reflections.
First, how uncertain and frail are the nearest ties of relation, and all our domestic and relative happiness! Therefore, how much should we be concerned, to contract immortal friendships, and secure a never-dying happiness!
Secondly, Such bereavements should be made occasions of exercising resignation to the will of God.
Thirdly, Let this instance of mortality put us in mind of our own. Shall others die—to warn us that we must die? and shall the warning be in vain?
Fourthly, Let us rejoice that though our friends die—yet the Lord lives, and blessed be our rock! 2 Samuel 22:47. Psalm 18:46.
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