The Fear which terminates in the Second Death.
Revelation xxi. 8.
"The fearful--shall have their part in the lake which burneth with
fire and brimstone; which is the second death."
The terms on which only we can be Christ's disciples are laid before
us in the Scriptures, and we are counselled to consider them before we
engage to be his.
Though Christ was born to be a king, his kingdom is not of this world.
He doth not persuade men with the prospect of great things here; but
on the contrary warns his followers, that "in this world they shall
have tribulation;" pointing them to another, as the place of their
rest, and teaching them there to expect the reward of their labors and
suffering here. And here the saints in every age, have groaned,
being burdened. Had God provided nothing better for them, he would be
ashamed to be called their God.
The primitive Christians drank largely of the bitter cup. All the
apostles, except John, are said to have sealed their testimony with
their blood. John at an advanced age, died peaceably in his bed at
Ephesus. But he did not escape persecution here. When the revelation
was made to him, he was in exile for the word of God and for the
testimony of Jesus. For his consolation, and for the edification of
the church, he was visited in his lonely state, by the exalted
Redeemer, who unveiled futurity before him, briefly sketching the
changes which were to pass over his people till the consummation of
all things. The vision closed with the solemn, dreadful process of the
great day, and its consequences to the righteous and to the wicked.
The divine visitant enlarged on the glories of the heavenly state
beyond any of the prophets who had gone before. The description is
clothed in figurative language, affording only a partial view of "the
glory which is to be revealed;" sufficient however to convince us,
that "eye hath not seen, ear heard, or the heart of man conceived the
things which God hath prepared for those who love him."
But who will be made to possess these glorious things? They are
offered to all who hear the sound of the gospel; but conquering
believers will only attain them. Their contrast will be the portion
of others.
This life is a warfare, in which we are called to contend with our own
corruptions and with the powers of darkness--"He that overcometh
shall inherit all things:" But those who are overcome, _will have
their part in the lake of fire--which is the second death_.
To understand the grounds of this context is highly important.
Mistakes here may be fatal. To assist the inquirer, the characters of
conquerors and captives are drawn in the scriptures. The verse of
which the text is a part, mentions several general characters of the
latter kind, and determines their future portion--_The fearful, and
unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and
sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the
lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second
death_.
In the prosecution of our subject, only one of these general
characters will be considered--_the fearful_.
Who then are intended by _the fearful_? And what is the fear which
leads to destruction?
Fearful, is a term seldom used to describe sinners. It occurs, we
believe, in no other scripture. Every kind of fear is not sinful; much
less inconsistent with a state of grace. "The fear of Lord is the
beginning of wisdom"--it disposes the subject of it to mind the things
which belong to peace, and flee to the hope set before him in gospel.
The fear of God is often used to describe the good man, and given as a
leading trait in his character. It is noted in favor of Obadiah, the
servant of Ahab, that he "feared the Lord greatly."
To have no fear of God before one's eyes, is expressive of great
obduracy in sin; of the last grade of depravity. Yet in the text, the
fearful, are mentioned as the first rank of those who will have their
part in the burning lake! What then is this fear?
It may be of several kinds; particularly--that to which precludes
trust in God, and reliance on his grace in Christ--that which operates
to explain away the law of God--that which puts men upon duty in order
to atone for sin--and that which shrinks from the hardships of
religion.
I. The fear which leads down to the lake of fire, may be that which
precludes trust in God and reliance on his grace in Christ.
Faith in Christ, and reliance on divine grace in him, are conditions
of salvation. Where these are wanting Christ will not profit. Faith
and reliance are united. The latter is dependant on the former, and
riseth out of it. "He that cometh to God, must believe that he is,
and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
The fearful and unbelieving are here set together--the fearful and
unbelieving shall have their part--Perhaps they are thus joined to
intimate that the fear intended precludes the faith to which the
promises are made.
The sinner who is the subject of this fear hath so deep a sense of the
sinfulness of sin, especially of his own, that he is afraid to make
God his hope--afraid to look up to the throne of grace, or to ask
mercy of God. He would gladly flee the divine presence, like the first
guilty pair, when they heard the voice of God walking in the garden
after their fall. When fear hath this effect, it drives the sinner
from the mercy which alone can save him.
"Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. He
came to seek and save that which was lost." To sinners, mercy is
offered in him. Were we without sin, we should have no need of mercy.
If we flee from Christ because we are sinners, we flee the mercy which
alone can save us, and put offered salvation from us; for it is
offered us only in him. To drive sinners away from the Savior by fear,
when he can hold them no longer secure in sin, is an old device of the
deceiver, which hath probably often succeeded.
On secure and awakened sinners, different delusive arts are practised.
The former are persuaded that sin is a trivial evil, far from meriting
eternal punishment; that God is not greatly offended at it; that it is
easy to obtain forgiveness; that as we are required to forgive every
offender who saith, I repent, God will do the same; that it is only to
ask mercy, when we can sin no longer, and it will be immediately
granted; so that there is very little danger in sin. But those who
are awakened--who see the evil of sin, and tremble for fear of God's
judgments, are tempted to believe that divine justice will only be
exercised, especially to them--that their sins are unpardonable; their
day of grace ended, and that they have nothing before them but "a
certain fearful looking for of judgment." In such suggestion, the
design of the tempter is to drive sinners to despair, and thus drive
them away from Christ. If he avails to effect it, his end is gained;
for there is salvation in no other.
It is emphatically true of the despairing sinner, that he "cannot go
to Christ for life." All who go to him, believe him able and willing
to save. Devoid of this faith none can go to him. Therefore doth the
fear which precludes faith lead down to ruin.
II. Fear _which operates to explain away the law of God, hath the same
effect_.
This is sometimes the effect of fear. Those who believe that there is
a God, and that the holy scriptures are his word, cannot feel secure
while they consider themselves condemned by his law, and view
themselves as the objects of his wrath.
Therefore do the slaves of depravity endeavor to explain away God's
law--therefore to persuade themselves that certain duties are not
required--that certain self denials are not enjoined; or that there is
something in their particular case which exempts them from _this or
that_, which is required of others.
The cunning which some discover in finding out excuses and evasions,
by which to cheat themselves and silence their consciences, is
affecting. It shews them to be the slaves of Satan, and servants of
corruption, and that they love their masters, and refuse to go out
free, when liberty is offered.
When people of this description pretend to inquire what is their duty,
their real design is to evade the obligations of it. And they often
succeed to persuade themselves that they are free from the obligations
of it. But few others are deceived. The veil of the covering spread
over their designs and views, is opaque only to themselves; to others
it is transparent, and leaves them without excuse.
Frequent instances of this unfairness are visible in the world. When
people make themselves easy and secure, without faith which works by
love and purifies the heart--without repentance which mourns for sin
as dishonorable to God, and in itself an evil thing, and a bitter, and
without devotedness to the service of God, as well as a reliance on
his grace in Christ, no matter what they substitute in the place of
these graces, all is of no avail; hope is built on the sand. That many
of these vain substitutes are to be found among men, Who is
insensible? When fear hath this effect, it leads down to the fiery
lake.
III. Sometimes _fear puts men upon duty in order to atone for sin and
merit the divine favor_. Afraid of God's judgments, they set
themselves to do commanded duties, and place their dependence on these
doings of their own.
Duties done by men have nothing meritorious in them. The design of
many things which God hath enjoined is to serve as a schoolmaster to
bring men to Christ. None are intended to save by any virtue in them.
By nothing which man can do is God made his debtor. Neither doth ought
done by man recommend to the divine favor if perverted and made the
ground of hope toward God.
The sinner's best recommendation to the divine favor is a sense of his
own demerit, which leads him humble and self abased to cast himself on
grace in a mediator. His most prevalent prayer is that made by the
publican--"God be merciful to me a sinner." Sinners are invited to
the Savior, and encouraged to hope in him--"Look unto me and be ye
saved all the ends of the earth. It is a faithful saying, that Christ
came into the world to save sinners." But he saves only those who
receive and trust in him. If we go about to establish our own
righteousness, relying on our own doings as the ground of our
acceptance with God, he will give to us according to our works
--"Behold all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about
with sparks; walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye
have kindled: This shall ye have from mine hand, ye shall lie down in
sorrow." *
*Isaiah l. 11.
Not that sinners are to neglect the means of grace, or indulge in sin.
When God promised his church to give them a new heart, and cause them
to walk in his statutes, he declared that those blessings should be
given in answer to prayer--"Yet for this will I be inquired of by the
house of Israel to do it for them." And when the apostle teaches how
to seek renewing grace, he directs to "lay apart all filthiness and
superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness, the ingrafted
word."
Saving grace is perhaps, never given till it is asked of God. Sinners
are made to see their need of this divine gift and led to cry to God
for it. It is then when they ask that they receive. That they shall
not ask in vain, is intimated with sufficient clearness in the word of
truth. "Whosoever shalt call on the name of the Lord, shall be saved.
If thou knewest the gift of God--_thou wouldest have asked of him_,
and he would have given thee living water."
Yet the sinner merits nothing by any doings of his. The true penitent
is sensible of it. He relies on grace alone; and asks mercy of God for
the sake of him "who died for his offences, and rose again for his
justification." He seeks in the use of appointed means because it is
the way of duty, and the way in which God is wont "to have mercy, on
whom he will have mercy;" who are commonly chosen from among those who
seek his face.
As fear puts some on duty, it excites others to that which is not
duty--puts them on doing things which are not required. Such are the
pilgrimages and penances of the Romanists; and such the severities
which some others have practised on themselves with a view to atone
for sin and render Deity propitious.
These have no tendency to conciliate heaven. A curse is more likely to
follow them than a blessing; yet in this way some have thought to
atone for sin and make peace with an offended God!*
* Vide Sermon on Colossians ii. 8.
IV. There is yet one other kind of fear which leads to destruction
--that _which causes men to shrink from the hardships of religion_;
and decline the difficulties which lie in the way of duty.
Difficulties and temptations were not peculiar to the first ages of
Christianity. St. Paul, after mentioning his own, declares them, in a
measure, common to all Christ's followers--"Yea, and all who will
live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution."
The trials and difficulties of the righteous are divers, but none
escape them. Many arise from indwelling corruption--many from an
insnaring world--many from Satan's malice and devices.
In fallen man there is a bias to error and wickedness. Not to suffer
his own lusts to draw him away, and entice him to sin, requires great
self denial.
From a wicked world temptations also arise and difficulties spring up.
In this land, the enemies of religion, have not power to kill and
destroy the faithful; but they have power to pour contempt upon them.
Cruel mockings may severely try those who fear neither the gibbet, nor
the stake. These do try the people of God at this day.
Neither do the powers of darkness cease to trouble and afflict--to
assault the faithful with their temptations, and to lay snares to
entangle them.
"Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking
whom he may devour." Satan's devices are without number--his attacks
are made from every quarter; and he is often so hidden that it is
difficult to discover him. Sometimes he assumes the mark of religion
--is "transformed into an angel of light," the more effectually to
cover his dark designs. Such is his enmity that he is indefatigable in
his endeavors to seduce and to destroy--such his craft and experience,
that he is wise to accomplish his nefarious designs: And against the
saints his rage is the greater, because he knoweth that his time is
short.
Here the people of God live in a state of warfare--conflict with many
enemies and suffer many sorrows. Often they are called to suffer for
Christ--because they are numbered among his followers and wear his
livery.
If any of these things move us, if we are afraid to encounter these
hardships, are discouraged in our Christian course and induced to turn
back from after Christ, our fear will destroy us--it will cause us _to
have our part in the lake of fire--which is the second death_.
This hath happened to some who have assumed the Christian name, and
for a time appeared among Christ's disciples! They have forsaken him.
There is an hour of temptation, which trieth those who dwell on the
earth; many fail in the trying hour. Attacked by enemies and assaulted
by temptations, they yield themselves captives to their spiritual
enemies. This happens to some who had "heard the word and received it
with joy--in the time of temptation, they are offended and fall away."
Wanting courage to stand on the Lord's side, when it exposes them to
reproach and sufferings, they suffer themselves to be overcome of
evil, and fall from their stedfastness. These are Christians only in
name. The real Christian possesseth a noble courage which raiseth him
superior to every trial, and enableth him to subdue every enemy. The
storms of temptation beat upon him; but he stands firm--resists the
powers of darkness and his own corruptions--is moved neither by the
frowns, nor flatteries of the world. Like an eminent saint of old, he
"hath respect to the recompence of reward," keeps heaven in his eye,
and presseth on in his way thither. "Through Christ strengthening
him, he doth all things and abounds--holds out to the end and is made
more than a conqueror."
To such "pertain the promises--they overcome--will inherit all
things. God will be their God, and they will be his children."
But those who cannot, "endure hardness as good soldiers"--who faint,
and fail in the day of trial, suffering the enemy to prevail, and
themselves to be overcome, "will lose that which they have wrought--
others will take their crowns, _and they will have their part in the
lake of fire and brimstone: Which is the second death_."
Thus we have seen who are intended by the fearful, and their sad
state. Influenced by fear which drives them from the Savior; or leads
them to explain away God's law; or drive them to duty in order to
atone for sin; or too timid to take up the cross and follow Christ,
they have no part in him. They are afraid of misery; and their fear
indulged, will bring misery upon them far beyond their fear! For "who
knows the power of God's anger."
Before us the door of mercy is yet open. We are invited to Christ for
life. God hath no pleasure in the death of sinners. He is ready to
receive the returning prodigal. His arm is not shortened that it
cannot save. He offers pardon and peace to the chief of sinners. The
deeper sense we have of sin, the more we abhor ourselves for sin, the
more welcome to his grace.
Weary and heavy laden sinners are particularly invited to the Savior.
He will not send them empty away. As the returning prodigal was
received by his father, so is every repenting sinner, by his Father in
heaven. When the prodigal resolved to return with, a "Father I have
sinned--the father saw him a great way off," and all his bowels
yearned over him--"he had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck,
and killed him"--bid him a hearty welcome--lavished the richest favors
on him, and called all to rejoice at his return. In like manner our
heavenly Father receives the returning penitent. This is the spirit of
the parable.
Fear not then, ye who mourn in Zion. Come empty and naked as ye are,
and fall down before an offended God, with, "Father I have sinned.
--God be merciful to me a sinner." Come thus to God, and cast
yourselves on his grace in Christ, and his grace will be sufficient
for you. We are warranted to promise you a kind reception.
Let none think to hide their sins by excuses or palliations. They are
all open to the divine eye. "There is no darkness, nor shadow of
death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves." Neither let
any think to atone for their sins by doings of their own. The blood of
Christ is the only atonement. Our best services are polluted with sin.
Let us endeavor to see our sins as they are, renounce them all, and
repair to the mercy of God in Christ. There is a fulness of merit in
Christ, and a fulness of mercy in God. There we may trust and not be
ashamed.
Let none be discouraged by the difficulties which lie in their way, or
faint under the hardships of the cross. If God calls us to trials he
will support us under them--yea, if we make him our hope, and are not
needlessly wanting to ourselves, he will make us more than conquerors;
he will make us triumphers in Christ. But if we fear to enter the
lists against our spiritual enemies or to endure ought to which we are
called in the way of duty, whether it be contempt, sufferings, or
loss, we shall bring greater sorrows on ourselves by shrinking back in
the day of trial, than by pressing forward, and bearing all which duty
requires.
Our sorrows, if we abide faithful, and are not moved away from the
hope of the gospel, will be only temporary; and under the pressure of
them, we shall be supported by Omnipotence; but if we draw back, and
refuse to deny ourselves, fainting in the day of trial, our sorrows
and sufferings will be eternal, and as such as Omnipotence can only
inflict!
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