Christians, were you awake, here would be matter of wonder to you,
to see a man assaulted with all the power of hell, and yet come off
a conqueror. Is it not a wonder to see a poor creature, who in
himself is weaker than the moth, stand against and overcome all
devils, all the world, all his lusts and corruptions? Or if he fall,
is it not a wonder to see him, when devils and guilt are upon him,
rise again, stand upon his feet again, walk with God again, and
persevere after all this in the faith and holiness of the gospel? He
that knows himself, wonders; he that knows temptation, wonders; he
that knows what falls and guilt mean, wonders: indeed, perseverance
is a wonderful thing and is managed by the power of God; for he only
"is able to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before
the presence of his glory, with exceeding joy."
He that is saved must, when this world can hold him no longer, have
a safe conduct to heaven; for that is the place where they that are
saved must to the full enjoy their salvation. Here we are saved by
faith and hope of glory; but there we that are saved shall enjoy the
end of our faith, and hope, even the salvation of our souls.
But now for a poor creature to be brought thither, this is the life
of the point. But how shall I come thither? There are heights and
depths to hinder. Rom. 8:38, 39. Suppose the poor Christian is upon
a sick-bed, beset with a thousand fears, and ten thousand at the end
of that--sick-bed fears, and they are sometimes dreadful ones:
fears that are begotten by the review of the sin perhaps of forty
years' profession--fears that are begotten by fearful suggestions of
the devil, the sight of death and the grave, and it may be of hell
itself--fears that are begotten by the withdrawing and silence of
God and Christ. But now, out of all these the Lord will save his
people; not one sin, nor fear, nor devil shall hinder, nor the grave
nor hell disappoint thee. But how must this be? Why, thou must have
a safe conduct to heaven. What conduct? A conduct of angels. "Are
they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them
that shall be heirs of salvation?"
These angels therefore are not to fail them that are saved, but
must, as commissioned of God, come down from heaven to do this
office for them. They must come, I say, and take the care of our
souls, to conduct them safely into Abraham's bosom. It is not our
meanness in the world, nor our weakness of faith, that shall hinder
this; nor shall the loathsomeness of our diseases make these
delicate spirits shy of taking this charge upon them. Lazarus the
beggar found this a truth--a beggar so despised of the rich glutton
that he was not suffered to come within his gate; a beggar full of
sores and noisome putrefaction--yet behold, when he dies angels come
from heaven to fetch him thither.
True, death-bed temptations are ofttimes the most violent, because
then the devil plays his last game with us; he is never to assault
us more. Besides, perhaps God suffereth it thus to be that the
entering into heaven may be the sweeter, and ring of this salvation
the louder. O it is a blessed thing for God to be our God and our
guide, even unto death, and then for his angels to conduct us safely
to glory. This is saving indeed.
Mercy seems to be asleep when we are sinking; for then we are as if
all things were careless of us; but it is but as a lion couchant, it
will awake in time for our help.
There are those that have been in the pit, Psa. 40:2, now upon mount
Zion, with the harps of God in their hands, and with the song of the
Lamb in their mouths.
God hath set a Saviour against sin, a heaven against a hell, light
agamst darkness, good against evil, and the breadth and length and
depth and height of the grace that is in himself for my good,
against all the power and strength and subtlety of every enemy.
Is it not a thing amazing, to see one poor inconsiderable man, in a
spirit of faith and patience, overcome all the threatenings,
cruelties, afflictions, and sorrows that a whole world can lay upon
him? None can quail him, none can crush him, none can bend down his
spirit; none can make him forsake what he has received of God, a
commandment to hold fast. His holy, harmless, and profitable
notions, because they are spiced with grace, yield to him more
comfort, joy, and peace; and do kindle in his soul a goodly fire of
love to and zeal for God that all the waters of the world shall
never be able to quench.
Now, a creation none can destroy but a creator, wherefore, here is
comfort. But again, God hath created us in Christ Jesus; that's
another thing. The sun is created in the heavens; the stars are
created in the heavens; the moon is created in the heavens. Who can
reach them, touch them, destroy them, but the Creator? Why, this is
the case of the saint, because he has to do with a Creator: he is
fastened to Christ, yea, is in him by an act of creation. So that
unless Christ and the creation of the Holy Ghost can be destroyed,
he is safe that is suffering according to the will of God, and that
hath committed the keeping of his soul to him in well-doing, as unto
a faithful Creator.
The strife is now, Who shall be Lord of all: whether Satan the
prince of this world, or Christ Jesus the Son of God; or which can
lay the best claim to God's elect, he that produces their sins
against them, or he that laid down his heart's blood a price of
redemption for them. Who then shall condemn, when Christ has died
and does also make intercession?
Stand still, angels, and behold how the Father divides his Son a
"portion with the great," and how he "divides the spoil with the
strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death, and was
numbered with the transgressors, and did bear the sin of many, and
made intercession for the transgressors." The grace of God and the
blood of Christ will, before the end of the world, make brave work
among the sons of men. They shall come for a wonderment to God by
Christ, and--be saved for a wonderment for Christ's sake."
Behold, these shall come from far; and lo, these from the north and
from the west, and these from the land of Sinim."
"What man is he that feareth the Lord?" says David; "him shall he
teach in the way that he shall choose."
Now, to be taught of God, what is like it? Yea, what is like being
taught in the way that them shalt choose? Thou hast chosen the way
to life, God's way; hut perhaps thy ignorance about; it is so great,
and those that tempt thee to turn aside are so many and so subtle,
that, they seem to outwit thee and confound thee with their guile.
Well, but the Lord whom thou fearest will not leave thee to thy
ignorance, nor yet to thine enemies' power or subtlety, but will
take it upon himself to be thy teacher and thy guide, and that in
the way that thou hast chosen. Hear, then, and beliold thy
privilege, O thou that fearest the Lord; and--whoever wanders, turns
aside, and swerveth from the way of salvation, whoever is benighted
and lost in the midst of darkness--thou shalt find the way to heaven
and the glory that thou hast chosen.
There is between those that have taken sanctuary in Christ, and the
bottomless pit, an invincible and mighty wall of grace and heavenly
power, and of the merits of Christ to save to the utmost all and
every one that are thus fled to him for safety.
Oh, how my soul did at this time [while in spiritual darkness] prize
the preservation that God did set about his people. Ah, how safely
did I see them walk whom God had hedged in. Now did those blessed
places that spake of God's keeping his people, shine like the sun
before me, though not to comfort me, yet to show me the blessed
state and heritage of those whom the Lord had blessed. Now I saw
that as God had his hand in all the providences and dispensations
that overtake his elect, so he had his hand in all the temptations
that they had to sin against him; not to animate them in wickedness,
but to choose their temptations and troubles for them, and also to
leave them for a time to such things only as might not destroy, but
humble them--as might not put them beyond, but lay them in the way
of the renewing of his mercy. But Oh, what love, what care, what
kindness and mercy did I now see, mixing itself with the most severe
and dreadful of all God's ways to his people! He would let David,
Hezekiah, Solomon, Peter, and others fall; but he would not let them
fall into the sin unpardonable, nor into hell for sin. O, thought I,
these be the men that God hath loved--these be the men that God,
though he chastiseth them, keeps in safety by him, and whom he makes
to abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Surely his salvation, his saving, pardoning grace, is nigh them that
fear him; that is, to save them out of the hand of their spiritual
enemies. The devil and sin and death do always wait even to devour
them that fear the Lord; but to deliver them from these, his
salvation doth attend them. So, then, if Satan tempts, here is their
salvation nigh; if sin by breaking forth beguiles them, here is
God's salvation nigh them; yea, if death itself shall suddenly seize
upon them, why, here is their God's salvation nigh them.
I have seen that great men's little children must go no whither
without their nurses be at hand. If they go abroad, their nurses
must go with them; if they go to meals, their nurses must go with
them; if they go to bed, their nurses must go with them; yea,--and
if they fall asleep, their nurses must stand by them.
O, my brethren, those little ones that fear the Lord are the
children of the highest; therefore they shall not walk alone, be at
their spiritual meats alone, go to their sick-beds or to their
graves alone: the salvation of their God is nigh them, to deliver
them from the evil. This is then the glory that dwells in the land
of them that fear the Lord.
"He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him." Where now is the
man that feareth the Lord? let him hearken to this. "What sayest
thou, poor soul? Will this content thee? the Lord fulfil thy
desires. O thou that fearest the Lord, what is thy desire? "All my
desire," says David, "is all my salvation;" so sayest thou, "All my
salvation is all my desire?" Well, the desire of thy soul is granted
thee; yea, God himself hath engaged himself even to fulfil this thy
desire. "He will fulfil the desires of them that fear him; he will
hear their cry, and will save them." O this desire, when it cometh,
what "a tree of life" will it be to thee! Thou desirest to be rid of
thy present trouble; the Lord shall rid thee out of trouble. Thou
desirest to be delivered from temptation; the Lord shall deliver
thee out of temptation. Thou desirest to be delivered from thy body
of death; and the Lord shall change this thy vile body, that it may
be like to his glorious body. Thou desirest to be in the presence of
God, and among the angels in heaven; this thy desire also shall be
fulfilled, and thou shalt be made equal to the angels. Exod. 6:6; 2
Peter, 2:9; Phil. 3:20, 21; Luke 16:22; 26:35, 36. "Oh, but it is
long first." Well, learn first to live upon thy portion in the
promise of it, and that will make thy expectation of it sweet. God
will fulfil thy desires; God will do it, though it tarry long: Wait
for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry."