5. We are not prepared for death and judgment without faith, hope, and love ; but either of these days will be terrible to us
[1.] Death. Take either grace, faith, hope, or love. Faith ;^first wo live by faith, and afterwards we die by faith : Heb. xi. 13, ' These
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all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them.' The intervening promises are most questioned in the present life, because of the urgency of present necessities; but the great promise is questioned hereafter. When we are to launch out into eternity, it is a hard matter to look with a steady confidence into the other world ; when the soul must flit out of the body, to see heaven open to receive it needs a strong faith : John xi. 25, 26, * I am the resurrection and the life ; he that belie veth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live ; and whosoever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never die : believest thou this ? ' So for love ; that is necessary, that we may be willing to go home to our Father, who hath admitted us into his family, pardoned our sins, and relieved our souls. And it is a great encouragement in the hour of death, when we are to leave the world, and come imme- diately into his presence, who hath done such great things for us, and is now about to do more. But in what a woful case are they who must appear before a God whom they never knew nor heartily loved, and with whom they never had communion and acquaintance ; they never had experience of his kindness nor interest in his love, and now are forced into his presence against their will ! Certainly it is faith and love must smooth and sweeten our passage into the other world, and make it comfortable to us. Love overcometh our natural loath- ness to quit the body : 2 Cor. v. 8, * We are confident, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and be present with the Lord.' To enjoy Christ's presence, we can part with what is nearest and dearest to us. So for hope ; in what a lamentable case are men when they come to die if they are without hope ! Job xxvii. 8, ' What is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul ? ' They are full of presumption and blind confidence now, while they swim in the full stream of worldly comforts and advantages ; but when this dotage is over, they have no solid comfort, but either die sense- less and stupid, or are filled with horror and despair, and their hopes fail them when they have most need of them.
[2.] So for the judgment ; for the context speaketh of the day of the Lord, which cometh unexpectedly on the sensual and careless, and is matter of terror to them ; but it is welcome to the godly, who are upon their guard, and have long looked and prepared for it. Now, what is the due preparation for judgment, but furnishing ourselves with faith, love, and hope ? For these graces do both put us on that spiritual care which is necessary for waiting for it, and also fill us with confidence and comfort. Faith : 2 Thes. i. 10, ' When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe, because our testimony among you was believed in that day.' Love is necessary : 1 John i. 17, 18, ' Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment ; he that feareth, is not made perfect in love.' Hope : Heb. ix. 28, * And unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time, without sin unto salvation.'
Use 1. Is to persuade us to get these graces, all of them ; partly because without them the new creature is not perfect ; you will want
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sight, life, or strength, either an eye, or an heart, or a power to act ; and partly because they have a mutual influence one upon another ; faith and hope upon love, for faith looketh backward to the wonders of God's love shown in our redemption by Christ ; hope looketh forward to the state of glory and blessedness prepared for us ; and both excite our love to God, and thankful obedience to him. Again, faith and love breed hope, for they that believe and love Christ's appearing will wait for it, and not think of it with perplexity and fear, but with comfort and delight. There is a great deal of grace then to be brought to us. Well, then, labour to get all these graces. To this end —
1. Kemove the impediment, that is, a careless vanity of mind, which groweth upon us through an indulgence to the delights of the flesh, so that either we have none, or seldom and cursory thoughts of God, or Christ, or the world to come. ' Let us be sober,' as in the text ; so 1 Peter i. 13, ' Be sober, and hope to the end.' Draw off your affections from carnal vanities or delights of the senses, that you may more earnestly mind God and heaven.