Vi':n. 13.] SERMONS upon Hebrews xi. 283
for duties and afflictions ; but we are careless of things to come. But when we come to die faith is exercised about things to come ; then it is put to the push to meet and grapple with the great and last enemy, death. Then we come to receive the great promise of our final estate ; therefore to dismiss the body to the grave in hope, and recommend the soul to God, is a great trial of onr faith.
3. There are great promises to be performed after our decease, and it is a great honour to God when we are ready to die, to go to the grave with assurance, and profess our confidence that God will make them good. There are two parts of this reason.
[1.] There are many promises to be accomplished when vre are dead and gone, and they are either public or private.
(1.) Concerning the church there are many promises which we see not performed in our lifetime. This was the case of these patriarchs, they had a promise of Canaan that was now possessed by giants, of a numerous ofi'spring, of a city, of a temple wherein God would be present, all unaccomplished. In every age of the church there is some- thing to be waited for ; and there are many public promises not accomplished in our days, as the })rosperity of the church, the calling of the Jews, the second coming of Christ, the confusion of antichrist. Though we go to the grave, and see not these things, yet we shouM not doubt of them, for God hath been faithful hitherto : Rev. xiv. 8, 'Babylon is fallen, is fallen.' We should count it as done already, though we see it not performed in our days. God counts our purposes obedience , Abraham is said to offer Isaac because it was his vow and purpose to do it ; and therefore we should count God's promises to be as good as performances. Go to the grave with this hope, we leave a God behind us. who is able to perform his promises whether we be or no. We hereby teach others to believe.
(2.) Concerning our families and relations that survive us, there are private promises. God cannot content himself with doing good to the person of a believer, but he hath promised also to do good to his posterity: 2 Sam. vii. 19, 'And this was yet a small matter in thy sight, 0 Lord God, for thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come.' God will act according to the highest laws of friendship ; as David : 2 >Sam. ix. 1, ' Is there any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake.' God hath not only spoken comfortably for our persons, but for our house, our families, our relations for a great while to come. Now when we can provide for them no longer, pray for them no longer, this is the last act that we can do, believe for them, go to the grave with confi- dence that God will be as good as his word, who hath promised to be a father to the fatherless and a husband to the widow. When you can leave them no inheritance, leave them a God in covenant, that is a good portion. God hath taken you off from being instrumental for their good, you can do no more for them ; now believe that God will take the care upon him.self : Gen. xvii. 7, ' I will establi.^h my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.' Our trust is not so })ure in life, whilst we have opportunity to act for them, as in death, when we can leave them in the hands of
284 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. XLV.
God ; and leave tliem the promises for their portion, though you can leave them nothing else.
[2.] This is an honour to God, to profess our confidence in him when we are going to the grave. All faith bringeth glory to God : John iii. 33, ' He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true ;' but especially dying faith, because then we can da no more, and we leave all to the Lord, and because the speeches of dying men are wont to be observed as they are entering upon the con- fines of eternity, they are wiser and more serious than at other times, it is no time to dally or dissemble now, at the hist gasp. Now speeches of living men are suspected of partiality to present interests, or are neglected as not having much weight in them : Gen. 1. 16, ' Thy fcither did command before he died, saying, Thus shall you say unto Joseph,' &c. ; Josh, xxiii. 14, ' Behold this day I am going the way of all the earth.' When men return, as one expresseth it, eTrLTOTrpojajvov Oelov — ^to the divine original, they seem to be more possessed with the divine spirit than at other times ; when they are dying, their speeches are more serious, grave, weighty, entertained with more consideration and readiness ; therefore when we die, to profess our confidence in the faithfulness and truth of God, and go to the grave v.ith this acknow- ledgment, this is a mighty honour to God.