forgot, that our happiness or misery does not begin till after we are dead. May God give us all grace to think of this, with the seriousness of Christians who hope for salvation; that we may die in peace, and rest in hope, and rise in glory, for Jesus Christ's sake. To Whom &c. SERMON XCVII. AT THE FUNERAL OF MRS. SUSANNAH MURRAY. THE TRUE FOUNDATION OF COMFORT ON THE DEATH 10.7; 11.7; 14. 32; 1 THESS. iv. 13, 14. See Prov. I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others which hare no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus (that is, in the faith of Jesus) will God bring with Him. Jer. 18. 12; 12; 2 Tim. 1 John 3. 3. THIS is the mighty difference which death makes betwixt true Christian believers, and infidels or libertines. When the first come to die, they are able to say with St. Paul, "I know whom I have believed;" they resign their souls into the hands of God, who is able to keep them; trusting in His mercy, and goodness, and promises, in Jesus Christ, both at the hour of death, and in the day of judgment. And their friends, which they leave behind them, HAVING HOPE IN THEIR DEATH, consider them as freed from the miseries of this life, and as gone to a much better. With which considerations they endeavour to assuage their grief, and to bear with patience and resignation the chastisement which God in His wise and good providence has thought fit to lay upon them, to be sure for their good, if it is not their own fault. On the other hand, THEY WHICH HAVE NO HOPE; that is, no knowledge of what must come hereafter, no faith in God's Word; or have not regarded it; these, when death ap proaches, are either stupid, or hardened, or given over to a reprobate mind, a mind void of judgment; or, if their consciences are not seared, they are under the greatest perplexities, fears, astonishment, at what may very soon be their portion; and no mortal man can tell what to say to comfort them. And such friends as they leave behind them are either overwhelmed with sorrow for what may too likely be their lot; or they part with them with despair of ever seeing them again; or they blame themselves for having not done all that was in their power to keep them from the pit of destruction. So very great a difference does death make, both with regard to the living and the dead, betwixt Christians and infidels, betwixt good and bad livers. Now, the great design of the subject I have chosen, being to comfort all Christians upon the death of such persons as have been very dear to them; I would from hence take occasion to exhort you all, good Christians, to take care to lay a sure foundation of comfort for yourselves, and for those you shall leave behind you. This is to be done by a TRUE REPENTANCE, and by an HOLY LIFE; these being the fruit and effects of a true and saving faith. Whoever promises you pardon and peace upon any other terms, does but deceive himself and you, to his own and your eternal ruin. And yet nothing is more common than to hear people speak their comfortable hopes of their departed friends, though they have lived in sin, and have left no sign of virtue and piety behind them; only because they were become serious at the sight of death, which the most abandoned sinners can hardly choose but be. St. Paul's commission from Jesus Christ Himself was this: that he should preach (and accordingly he did) every where, that men should repent and turn to God, and do works meet [Acts 26 for repentance. 20.] Here you see, (Christians,) here are works to be done after men have repented. And then, if we add our Saviour's words, THE NIGHT COMETH WHEN NO MAN CAN WORK; we John 9. 4. SERM. shall easily see what a madness it must be, to trust the great concern of our salvation to a death-bed repentance. XCVII. We must not indeed limit the mercies of God, nor discourage people from confessing and detesting their sins and unfruitfulness, under the means of grace, even at their last moments. But then this is only what can be said to them after all: they having not done works meet for repentance, their case must be left to the uncovenanted mercy of God, who, under the law of Moses, reserved to Himself certain cases, for which no sacrifices were to be offered by His priest. The will of God is, that all who are called Christians should honour Him in their lives, and should improve the graces He bestows upon them: should crucify the flesh with [Col. 1. 12.] its affections and lusts, "that they may be meet to be partakers of the inheritance with the saints in light." And if people will deceive themselves either with the bare name of Christians, or will depend upon a faith, which does not purify the heart, or trust the care of their souls to those they leave behind them, they will run the greatest hazard of being shut out of paradise when they die. To prevent this as much as possible, and that we may all have comfort in the death of our friends, I would apply myself, First; to such of my own order as hear me, and to whom Jesus Christ has committed the care of the souls which He has purchased with His most precious blood; And secondly; to such as have any manner of authority over others, whether magistrates, parents, or masters, who all have it in charge, and, through the blessing of God, in their power, to hinder people from ruining themselves and others; to the sad sorrow and grief of those who have any serious concern for their friends' everlasting welfare. And first; every clergyman, who knows what a frightful and difficult part of his duty it is to deal with HABITUAL SINNERS upon the bed of sickness, should be at any pains to prevent so afflicting and uneasy a work; and which only can be prevented by dealing with such people very often and plainly, while they are in health; by representing to them the danger they are in, while they live in open rebellion against God, and in defiance of His laws; that as sure as there is a righteous and omnipotent God, He will punish them for the abuse of His good creatures, for defiling their own bodies, which at their baptism were made temples of the Holy Ghost, for tempting others to sin, and being accessory to their eternal ruin, for misspending that very time which God has given them in which to work out their salvation, for the evil example they give, or for leading an idle and an unprofitable life; and that all this while they are under the displeasure of a God who can destroy both body and soul in hell. By doing this often, a pastor will keep the fears and consciences of such sinners awake. They will at least sin with uneasiness; and, finding that the ways of sin are a state of real slavery, they may at last resolve to seek for that ease and peace, which is only to be found in the ways of God's commandments. After this, a faithful pastor will endeavour to drive such sinners from all their holds of false hopes, and vain purposes OF REPENTING TIME ENOUGH BEFORE THEY DIE, as if sinners could repent when they please; or as if, by deferring their repentance, they might not at last provoke God to give them over to a reprobate mind. He will convince them, that they have no reason to depend upon the mercy of God, if it does not lead them to repentance; and that there is certainly the greatest evil towards that man, who sins and prospers in his sin, it being a sign of God's greatest displeasure, and that such a man is left to himself: a condition the most to be dreaded of any thing in this world. That, notwithstanding all this, if a sinner is truly sensible of his sad condition, in having been in the hands, and power, and a slave to Satan, and desires to return to God and to his duty, he ought to be assured, that that desire is from the good Spirit of God; and if he closes with it, God will receive him into favour upon his true repentance. We have the word of the Son of God for it: "VERILY, Mark 3. 28. ALL SINS SHALL BE FORGIVEN UNTO THE SONS OF MEN;" to encourage the greatest sinners to apply to God for mercy and pardon, and not to defer doing so one moment. If to this, a faithful pastor would add his own most earnest |