Sermon XXVIII.1
I made an entrance upon this portion of Scripture the last Lord’s day, and I judged the subject very suitable, because of the warnings God hath variously given us to be exercising ourselves unto this duty. God hath since increased the seasonableness, by taking away a great and eminent servant2 of his from among us; concerning whom I will say this one word, and no more:—
As far as I know by thirty years’ acquaintance and friendship, and half that time in church-fellowship, it may be the age wherein he lived did not produce many more wise, more holy, more useful than he in his station, if any. And so I leave him at rest with God.
I proposed to insist upon those things which are necessary for us, to obtain a peaceable and comfortable departure out of this world. And I have spoken to one head; which was, the daily exercise of faith, in the resignation of a departing soul, to the sovereign power and will of God, to be treated and entertained by him according to the tenor of the covenant of grace.
I will not leave this point till I have made some use of it. And I shall take no other measure of my time but the strength God is pleased to give me.
Use 1. It may be worth our while to inquire into the especial nature of this duty which we are exhorted unto; for we may every day more and more understand the weakness of many, who think, it may be, they know something of it, when they know not what it means. We may, therefore, consider three things in it:— (1.) What is the special and immediate object of this exercise of faith; (2.) What is the form or special nature of it; and, (3.) What is the way and manner of its performance.
(1.) As to the especial and immediate object of this exercise of faith, and which must take with it a special motive, — that, I say, is God, under the consideration of his sovereignty, power, and faithfulness; and this upon the motive of some experience of his kindness and grace. So speaks the psalmist, Ps. xxxi. 5, “Into thine hand I commit my spirit.” What was it that gave him confidence so to do? “Thou hast redeemed me,” saith he, “O Lord God of truth.” A sense of redeeming grace, conveyed by the truth of the promises, is required in all that would commit their spirits into the hand of God. And therefore, brethren, when you come to the exercise of this great duty, you must lay this foundation in some sense and experience of the grace and kindness of God, or you can never perform it in a due manner. And, —
[1.] Upon this motive, the first thing we consider in God, in the resignation of our souls to him, is his sovereignty. It is mentioned in two places in the Psalms, in both which this duty is proposed unto us. Ps. xvi. 1, 2, “Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord” (thou hast said unto Jehovah), “Thou art my Lord.” He doth not use the word יְהיָה again, — but אֲדֹנָי, “Thou art my Lord,” (אֲדֹנָי אָתָּה) “who hast the sovereign disposal of me. I am going to give up my spirit to thee; and I do it upon the consideration of thy sovereignty, that ‘thou art my Lord.’ ” So Ps. xxxi. 14, 15, “I trusted in thee, O Lord.” Why so? “I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand.” — “It is because of thy sovereignty. ‘Thou art my God,’ who hast the sovereign disposal of me; therefore I commit myself to thee.” It follows those words, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” Faith regards the glorious sovereignty of God, as the absolute free disposer of all things here, and unto eternity, without any reserve but his own pleasure, when it makes this resignation of the soul unto him.
[2.] It hath a peculiar respect unto the power of God, 2 Tim. i. 12, “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day.” It is common for persons to go through it in a customary manner. Die they must; but there is nothing can encourage them to yield up their souls to God, but an apprehension of such an infinite power that is able to preserve them in eternal being in the invisible world, especially to the day of the resurrection.
[3.] It respects the faithfulness of God, as one who hath promised that he will take care of us when we are gone out of this world, 1 Pet. iv. 19, “Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator;” that is, as a God who is omnipotent, who made all things, and is faithful in the accomplishing of his promises.