To ' die in the Lord ' may relate either to the cause for which, or to the state wherein, or to tiie manner how, we die.
[1.] The cause for which we die. So the martyrs die in the Lord,
PiEV. XIV. 13.] THAT DIE IN THE LORD. 4.'j9
or for the Lord's sake ; and are blessed of God, though, it may be, cursed of men. The text relates to the time of Antichristian perse- cution, when usually they died excommunicate or accused by the Koman synagogue. God hath a special regard to his champions that love not their lives to the death.
[2.] The state wherein we die. So to die in the Lord is to die in the favour of God, in a state of peace with him as members of Christ's mystical body : they die in the bosom of Christ ; sleep in Jesus, 1 Cor. XV, 18 ; are reconciled to God in and through him. There are two notable expressions which I shall commend to you upon this occasion. One is in the 2 Peter iii. 14: ' That we may be found of him in peace.' To die before the quarrel be taken up between us and God, that is sad. When a town is surprised by force, they that are taken with their weapons in their hands die without mercy; but blessed are they that die in peace. The other is in the 2 Cor. v. 3 : * That I may not be found naked.' To be summoned to come before God, and to have nothing to cover our nakedness, that is sad : it should be our care to be wrapt in Christ's rigliteousness ; that is the best shroud for a dying Christian.
[3.] As to the manner : they are said to die in the Lord who die in a gracious manner. It much concerneth us and the glory of God that we die well. A Christian is not only to live to the glory of God, but to die to the glory of God, for living and dying we are the Lord's, Kom. xiv. 7, 8. As to the manner, ' to die in the Lord' signifieth— (1.) Our perseverance in communion with him ; to continue our blessed fellowship with Christ to the death and in the death. Into the vineyard, Mat, XX., some were called sooner, some later, but all continued to the end. Elisha would not leave his master till he was taken from him into heaven ; so, till all be finished, we should follow our work close. ' Let us take heed,' saith the apostle, ' lest we seem to come short,' Heb. iv. 1. As we should not come short, we should not seem to come short, Enoch lived a long while, but all that while he walked with God ; three hundred and sixty-five yeai-s, a long age, but spent in com- munion with God, Gen, v. 22, (2.) It implies the solemn actings of grace at death. The scripture takes notice of the last words of saints ; 2 Sam. xxiii. 1, the last words of David. Death is a special season wherein to make use of grace, of faith, love, zeal, and obedience.
(1,) Faith : Heb. xi. 13, ' AUtliese died in faith.' It is not enough to live by faith, but we must also die by faith. This is a grace always of use on this side the grave ; in the other world there is no need of it. When we come to enjoyment, faith ceaseth ; at death it doth us the last office ; we see what it is then to put the soul into God's keep- ing, 2 Tim. i. 12 ; Luke xxiii. 46 ; Acts vii. 59. Then do we die in faith when we can resign our souls to God, and send our bodies to the grave in hope. While we are alive, we find it harder to depend upon God for daily bread than for eternal life, for herein faith is put upon a present trial ; but when we come to die, the strength of our con- fidence is tried about the blessed recompenses. This then is to die in the Lord, when we can look beyond the grave and within the veil into the glory of the world to come.
(2.) Love. In our readiness and willingness to be with Christ : Phil.
4G0 THE BLESSED ESTATE OF THEM [ReV. XIV. 1 3.
i. 23, ' I desire to be dissolved, and be with Christ ;' the ' Spirit and the bride say, Come.' Now God takes you at your word, and you draw- back. Let liini be afraid to die that woukl not go to Christ.
(3.) Zeal for God's glory. It is tlie last time you can do anything for God in the world. Put in a word for him, commend him to those about you, as Jacob doth the Mediator or the angel of the covenant, of whom he had such experience in the course of his pilgrimage, Gen. xlviii. 16 ; and Josh, xxiii.. Josh, xxiv., 'I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and all your souls not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God hath spoken.' All is come to pass ; not one thing hath failed thereof. Words of dying men are of most elhcacy and authority, as being spoken out of all their former experience, with most simplicity, with- out self-seeking or sinister ends, with most seriousness ; for men enter- ing upon the confines of eternity are wiser and more serious. It is no time to dally and dissemble at the last gasp. Speeches of living men are suspected of partiality to their present interests, or neglected as having no weight in them ; but the speeches of dying men are solemnly observed. Therefore Joseph's brethren, to engage him the more, urge him with his father's dying charge: Gen. 1. 16, ' Thy father, when he died, said,' &c. Men, as they are returning tt/so? to Trpoyovov 6dov, to the original divinity, as Flotinus speaks, are supposed to be more divine, and therefore their dying words are much regarded. Put in then a word for God, an amen to the promises. Carnal men cannot honour their principles when they die; the world fails them when there is most need : Job xxvii. 8, ' What hope hath a hypocrite when God comes to take away his soul ?' When they are going out of the world, then they fall a complaining how the world hath deceived them ; but a Christian, when he dies, he may honour his principles, commend the promises, give an account of the faithfulness of the Mediator, and plead for God at the last gasp.