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{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation}
Concerning the matter of it, I will reduce the chief ordinary topics on which to meditate to seven headings. As I will afterward advise, these may serve as one per day to go over the whole in a week.
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
God}
Begin with Him who is the beginning of all things. In Him we have our being. His nature and His will are the very foundation of all Christianity. The spiritual nature of God is the reason for our spiritual worship. His wisdom is the reason for our submission to Him, His power our dependence, His holiness our conformity to Him, His justice our fear, His goodness our love, His truth our trust, His grace our prayers, and His glory our praises.
I want to contract all of this into as small a space as possible, so I will give you two things in particular upon which you may direct your thoughts and meditate upon concerning God: His awesomeness272 and His goodness.
Direction 1: Consider God’s Awesomeness
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
God
Direction 1: Consider God’s Awesomeness}
For the purpose of bringing yourself to a due perception and understanding of the majestic awesomeness of God, set before your eyes what the Scriptures say about the majesty, glory, omnipotence, omniscience, holiness, severity, and righteousness of God. The Scriptures speak of the name of God as a name to be feared: “that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 28:58 ESV). This awesomeness of God is shown forth by:
The greatness of His power: “‘Do you not fear Me?’ says the Lord. ‘Will you not tremble at My presence?’” (Jeremiah 5:22 NKJV). “Fear Him who … has power to cast into Hell” (Luke 12:5 NKJV).273
The immensity of His nature: “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7 ESV).
The glory of His holiness: “Who is like You among the gods, O Lord? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders?” (Exodus 15:11 NASB).
His justice and severity: “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31 NASB). “For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29).
Direction 2: Consider God’s Goodness
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
God
Direction 2: Consider God’s Goodness}
That you may understand and be duly impressed by the goodness of God, consider what the Scripture says concerning His all-sufficiency, lovingkindness, mercy, faithfulness, patience, and so on. “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward” (Genesis 15:1 NKJV). “Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. … How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house … For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light” (Psalm 36:5–9). “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime” (Psalm 30:5 ESV). “My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26 NASB). “He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler” (Psalm 91:4 ESV). “For the Lord God is a sun and shield” (Psalm 84:11 NASB). These Scriptures show forth the Lord as a sufficient portion in whom His people may be happy. He is a sure refuge in whom they may be safe. He is a fountain of light, life, joy, rest, peace, everlasting blessedness, and everlasting safety. He is the inheritance of the saints, in whom they will be satisfied. He is their defense in whom they will be safe forever.
Direction 3: Ask Your Heart Questions
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
God
Direction 3: Ask Your Heart Questions}
Ask your heart these questions:274
Is not God worthy to be feared, loved, believed in, and chosen for my portion and trust? Some choose riches for their portion and some choose pleasures. Some put their trust in worldly friends. But will it not be well with me if I can bring my heart to choose and obtain the Lord to be my friend, refuge, and portion?
Is it not good for me to draw near to God, get acquaintance and intimacy with God, dwell in His presence, and live in the light of His countenance? Is there any life so full of true pleasure and satisfying delight as that of enjoying and beholding the face of God in righteousness?
Is the Lord mine?275 Is He reconciled to me? Is His love and mercy made sure to me? Some are confident that the Lord is theirs, but they are mistaken. Am I not mistaken? Is the Lord mine indeed? Is He my God, portion, and friend indeed? If not, then …
How may I obtain the Lord as mine? What pains should I refuse? What course should I deem too hard? What price is too great to lay out for such an inheritance? If the Lord were surely mine, how happy my provision would be. What a sufficiency would be laid up for me for body, soul, this life, and everlasting. What shall I do to obtain Him?
If He is mine, then what will I render to the Lord? Oh, the height and depth and length and breadth of the love and goodness of God276 to my soul that He should bestow Himself on such a worm. It is much that He gives me existence and that He gives me bread and clothing and feeds me with the crumbs that fall from His table. It is a wonder that he does not feed me with ashes, gall, wormwood, fire, and brimstone. It is a wonder that He has not clothed me with flames, fury, and vengeance. It would have been a wonder if He had given me only some of His good creatures to comfort me, such as His Earth277 for my inheritance and portion. But what a great wonder that He gave Himself to me. This poor creature is so provided for so as to feed upon his God, live upon his God, and possess his God for a portion. Oh, come to me, all of you who fear the Lord. Come to me and I will tell what He has done for my soul. “For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name” (Luke 1:49 NKJV). Oh, that I could love You more! Oh, that I could please You, praise You, and honor You. That I could rejoice, triumph, and make my boast in my God. That I could speak well of Your name while I have any being! “The Lord is my portion; the lines have fallen to me in a pleasant place and I have a goodly heritage” (Psalm 16:5–6).
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
Sin}
The second matter for meditation is sin.
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
Sin
The Evil Nature of Sin}
The first direction concerning sin is to exercise your thoughts on the evil nature of sin and consider what the Scriptures speak concerning: first, the malignity that is in sin; and second, the guilt of sin.
With respect to the malignity that is in sin, Scripture calls it by the names of plague, leprosy, gangrene, poison, death, Hell, enmity, treachery, rebellion, filthiness, rottenness, vomit, and so on. All of these expressions are used in Scripture. Scripture also tells us that sin has made us, in God's account, fools, beasts, dogs, swine, serpents, vipers, devils, and so on. What a monster sin is that it must have so many and such names to express the malignity that is in it.
With respect to the guilt of sin, all the world is guilty before God (Romans 3:19, Matthew 5:22). Guilt has two things in it.
First, guilt merits everlasting wrath. Every sinner is worthy to die and worthy to be damned.
Second, guilt produces an obligation, or binding over to wrath. “For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity” (Acts 8:23 ESV). Sinners are bound under a curse and bound over to eternal vengeance.
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
Sin
Our Own Sins}
The second direction concerning sin is to consider your own particular sins. Consider the special prevailing sins of your hearts, such as ignorance, unbelief, stubbornness, obstinacy, pride, evil desires, covetousness, malice, and so on. Consider the evils of your practice, such as lying, swearing, drunkenness, and oppression. Count up as near as you can and write down in a list or catalog all of the various wickedness of which you have been guilty and can remember. Include your sins of omission: neglects of prayer, sermon hearing, and so on. Include your neglect of Christ and the Gospel and so on.
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
Sin
Ask Your Heart Questions}
The third direction concerning sin is to ask your heart questions.
First, ask, “Am I not a sinner?”
Second, ask, “Is all that Scripture speaks about sin and sinners in general also true of me?”
Am I, by very nature, such a serpent, viper, dog, and beast in the sight of God? Is there all this enmity, treachery, and rebellion rooted in my nature? Am I this guilty creature and worthy of death? Am I in this gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity? If this is my case, oh, how can I lift up my face in the presence of God without shame, blushing, self-loathing, and self-abhorrence?
Third, ask, “Is my filth and guilt removed from me?”
This was once my condition; is it still my condition? Is the enmity slain? Is my corruption subdued? Is my conscience purged and my soul washed? Are my sins pardoned and my guilt removed? If not, then …
Fourth, ask, “What if this corruption is never purged and this guilt never removed?”
What if I should die in this state? What if all this sin and guilt were to stand and stare me in the face when I come to look death in the face? What if I were to appear in this woeful plight before the judgment seat? Should I not fear that such is my case? My sin has been growing and taking greater root in my heart for a long time. I have stood fast so long against the Gospel. I have had so many warnings and so many convictions, and yet my iniquity remains unpurged. I have reason to fear that it may never be purged. And, oh, what if it should not be purged?
Fifth, ask, “What must I do to be saved from my sins?”
I see that I am in an evil and woeful state, but is there no balm in Gilead and no physician there (Jeremiah 8:22) who can heal such a desperate disease? Is there no ransom to be found that may redeem such a captive (Mark 10:45)? Is there no blood shed that may cleanse me, even me, from all my unrighteousness (Hebrews 9:14; 1 John 1:7)? Is not Christ exalted to be a prince and savior for this very purpose that He might give repentance and forgiveness of sins (Acts 5:31)? For what reason then is the Gospel preached to me? In the Gospel, does not Christ call to me and bid me to come to Him and be saved? Is such an opportunity to be slighted? Is redemption from such a state worth going after? May I obtain redemption by Christ whether I seek it or not or whether I repent or not? Must I not believe or be damned, and repent or perish? Is this a time for me to delay or linger in a matter of such importance? Awaken, O my soul, put away your sloth, lay aside your excuses, and think about what you will do. The Lord calls you this day and calls you to return and repent so that your iniquities may be blotted out. Think about what answer you will return. Will you listen or not?
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
Christ}
The third matter for meditation is Christ.
What the Scriptures Say about Christ
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
Christ
What the Scriptures Say about Christ}
The first direction concerning Christ is to consider what the Scriptures say. First, concerning the excellency of His person: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14 NASB). “Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person” (Hebrews 1:3 NKJV).
Second, consider what the Scriptures say concerning the glory of the mystery of Christ crucified: See Isaiah chapter 53: “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God … But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth …” (Isaiah 53:3–7 ESV). “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27 NKJV). “Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6–8 ESV).
The Gospel is a mystery full of wonders.
There is a wonder of righteousness and severity: that God would not spare, but punish sin, even on His own Son.
There is a wonder of wisdom: that God would bring light out of darkness and life out of death. That God would bring about the rising of the world by the fall of the Lord, the riches of the world by the poverty of their Lord, and the fullness of the saints by the emptiness of the King of Saints.
There is a wonder of mercy: that God would harden His heart against the cry of His Son and open his pity and compassion to the cry of sinners.
There is a wonder of love: the love in the Father in giving His Son and the love in the Son in giving Himself, His blood, His life, and His soul as a ransom for sin, and all this for worms, traitors, and enemies.
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
Christ
Ask Your Heart Questions}
The second direction concerning Christ is to ask your heart questions.
First, ask, “Oh, what a monster is sin?” What a Hell and what a bottomless pit of malignancy and wickedness is sin so that none but God can expiate or purge it away? And God could not do it except by becoming flesh. And that God, manifested in the flesh, could not purge away sin except by suffering. And no suffering would serve but death. And no death would serve except such a cruel and cursed death. Oh, what a monster is sin that it must have such blood, the blood of God to take it away.
Second, ask, “What an extraordinary love is the love of Christ?”
First, it is extraordinary with respect to the fruit and benefit of it. All the holiness and beauty that my spirit is clothed with, all the peace and joy that possesses my heart, all my glorious hopes and expectations for hereafter, and all the difference that is between my state and the state of Cain, Judas, and the whole reprobate world—this is the love of Christ. Where would I be now, had it not been for the love of Christ?
Second, Christ’s love is extraordinary in its fervency and ardency. This is true not only for the whole body of the elect, but for my soul in particular. To express this, ask this one question further: what if Christ had done and suffered all this for me alone? What if there had been just one sinner in the world and I had been that one sinner? And what if then Christ had come down from Heaven, clothed Himself with flesh, given Himself to death, given such a glorious Gospel, and sent forth such a multitude of ambassadors to preach. And what if He then had converted and saved this one soul, my soul? This would have been extraordinary love. Such is the love of Christ to every elect person: if there had been just one sinner, Christ would have done and suffered all this for one sinner rather than allow him to perish.
Third, ask, “Is Christ mine?” Have I a share in the Gospel? Is my name written in the Lamb’s book? All are not Israel (Romans 9:6). Although Christ died for all, all are not made alive by Him.278 There are many from whom the Gospel is hidden. There are many who have rejected the Gospel; they have pushed the Word of Life away. While there are such multitudes who are lost and perish forever, is my soul found in Christ? Has He who died for me drawn me to Himself? Has He who has given me a liberty to lay hold on Him given me a heart to lay hold on Him. Has He given me His Spirit in my heart to sanctify and cleanse me from my sins? If I do not have the Spirit of Christ in me, I am not His (Romans 8:9). “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me” (John 13:8 NASB). If He is not mine, then …
Fourth, ask, “What may I do to get Christ to be mine?” May I have Him without seeking Him? Can I live by Christ without coming to Christ, believing, repenting, and following Christ? Is this ignorant, idle, earthly, and carnal course I take the way to get a share in Christ? Is this loose and vain life I live the way to get a share in Christ? If Christ is mine, then …
Fifth, ask, “How may I walk worthy of Christ?” Is it not by being made compliant to Him and conformed to His image by being holy, humble, and meek? Is it not to be conformed to Him by obeying Him and by cheerfully and readily doing the will of God? Is it not to be conformed to Him in His sufferings by being content to be brought down, made low, and made vile for His name? Is it not to be conformed to His resurrection and ascension so that this poor soul who has descended with Christ may also ascend with Him, that is, ascend in holy desires and emotions, ascend in holy praises and acknowledgments, and confess to Him, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12 ESV). For He has redeemed my life from death and crowned me with lovingkindness and tender mercies.
The Vanity and Misery of a Worldly Life
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
The Vanity and Misery of a Worldly Life}
The fourth matter for meditation is the vanity and misery of a worldly life. By a worldly life, understand any course or way of life that is short of a godly life. It is that which the apostle calls “the course of this world” in Ephesians 2:2. In such a life, the main business, care, and delight in life lies in managing our worldly affairs and interests. It lies in buying, selling, working, and trading to get together this world’s goods. Its main comfort is in enjoying these earthly things. But as for our souls and the things of another world, little or no care is taken about them and little or no pleasure taken in them.
Consider What the Scriptures Say
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
The Vanity and Misery of a Worldly Life Consider What the Scriptures Say}
The first direction concerning the vanity and misery of a worldly life is to consider what the Scriptures say about it. “Surely every man walks about like a shadow; Surely they busy themselves in vain; He heaps up riches, And does not know who will gather them” (Psalm 39:6 NKJV). “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26 NASB). “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days” (James 5:1–3 NKJV). “And he told them a parable, saying, ‘The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, “What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?” And he said, “I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God’” (Luke 12:16–21).
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
The Vanity and Misery of a Worldly Life
Ask Your Heart Questions}
The second direction concerning the vanity and misery of a worldly life is to ask your heart these questions:
First, ask, “Is not my life a worldly life?” What have I done for the hereafter? What have I laid up for the world to come? Have I been trading for Heaven? Have I been trading in faith, repentance, and prayer? Have I been sowing in righteousness, mercy, holiness, and purity? What labor and pains have I taken in seeking knowledge, grace, a share in Christ, reconciliation with God, and so on, that it might be well with my soul hereafter? My body is cared for; I have enough laid up for that. My wife and children are all cared for; I have made sufficient provision for them. But is not my poor soul without care?
Second, ask, “How long will this life and the comforts of it last?” My soul is immortal and cannot die. I must have a being somewhere or other through all eternity. Is the happiness that I have chosen and pursued an everlasting happiness? Are my money, corn, and land everlasting?
Third, ask, “What will become of me when this life and the comforts of it fail?” Will this golden or silver key open the gate of Heaven to me? Will my money buy me an inheritance in the land of promise? Will my thriftiness and good management for this world plead with me before my judge or excuse the neglect of my soul? Will the memory of the plenty, pleasure, or ease in which I have lived here be a comfort and refreshing to my soul hereafter? All my carnal friends and companions with whom I have lived so merrily and spent so many a jolly hour—can their good word help me then? Will God acknowledge me or Christ plead for me then? Is this not He whom I have despised and refused to listen to? And will He not then say to me, “Go to the gods whom you have chosen?” (Judges 10:14). Go to your money and your pleasures and your companions. Let them save you if they can. O, what will I do and where will I dwell forever if I continue in this vain course?
Fourth, ask, “Will I now set upon a better course?” Will I do so in earnest? Will you, oh, my soul, will you now in earnest venture for another world and become a traveler to the holy city that is above? Will you cast in your lot with Christ and the everlasting Gospel? Will you at last labor for the true riches and enduring substance? Will you provide yourself with moneybags that do not grow old, a treasure in Heaven that does not fail? Will I take this course or will I continue as I am?
The Excellency, Blessedness, and Necessity of a Godly Life
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
Excellency, Blessedness, Necessity of Godly Life}
The fifth matter for meditation is the excellency, blessedness, and necessity of a godly life.
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation Matter for Meditation
Excellency, Blessedness, Necessity of Godly Life
Consider the Scriptures}
The first direction is, consider what the Scriptures say concerning the entrance into, nature, blessedness, and necessity of a godly life.
Concerning the entrance into a godly life, or the way by which we come to be godly, that is expressed different ways in Scripture. It is called being born of God (John 3:3–6). It is called being converted to God. “Repent therefore and be converted” (Acts 3:19 NASB; Matthew 18:3).279 It is expressed by having Christ formed on our hearts. “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19 NKJV). A new birth must go before a new life and conversion must go before a holy manner of life.
Concerning the nature of a godly life, the Scripture uses these and similar expressions: “walking with God” (Genesis 5:24; Micah 6:8); “walking in the fear of God” (Deuteronomy 10:12); “walking in the comfort of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:31); “living by faith” (Galatians 3:11); “having our citizenship in Heaven” (Philippians 3:20); “having our manner of life worthy of the Gospel” (Philippians 1:27); “being holy” (Leviticus 19:2); “being innocent,” “the sons of God without fault in the midst of a crooked generation [nation, people],” “shining forth as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15); “denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts,” “living righteously, soberly, and godly” (Titus 2:12); “keeping ourselves unspotted from the world” (James 1:27); “walking circumspectly” (Ephesians 5:15); “keeping a good conscience” (1 Timothy 1:19); and so on. By all of these expressions and many more like them, it appears that there is more required in order to live a true godly life than is ordinarily imagined.
Concerning the blessedness of a godly life: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1–2 ESV). “But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him” (Psalm 4:3 ESV). God has taken the godly out from the rest of the world to be His own special possession, His favorite, His servant, and His child on whom He intends to bestow Himself for an inheritance.
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
Excellency, Blessedness, Necessity of Godly Life
Ask Your Heart Questions}
The second direction concerning the blessedness of a godly life is to ask your heart these questions:
First, ask, “Am I converted to God?” Has any supernatural change been worked on me? Is this change a thorough change? Conversion is not a slight, but a great and marvelous change. Have I become a new creature? Is there a new light set up in me and a new life begotten in my heart? Have I become a person of quite another constitution, temperament, and disposition than I was formerly? Am I born from above, and is my heart now set on things above?280
Second, ask, “Is my life a godly life?” Do I think in my conscience that the course of life that I live is according to what the Scriptures mean by walking with God, living by faith, having citizenship in Heaven, keeping a good conscience, walking circumspectly, and so on? Can this fleshly, idle, easy, and trifling life that I live possibly be deemed a truly godly life?
Third, ask, “Is a godly life necessary?” Can I be saved without it? Do not the Scriptures make godliness of life here a necessary predecessor to everlasting blessedness in the life to come?281
Fourth, ask, “Can I be too godly?” Can I have too much likeness to God, too much care about my ways, too much fear of sin, or too much assurance that God is mine? Can I have too much peace, joy, or inward comfort? I may be too rich to be happy, too great to be good, or too merry to be wise. But I cannot be too gracious, humble, watchful, or circumspect. Let me ask dying people whether they have taken more care than needed or whether they have more grace than needed. Let me ask those who, when they have come at last to be weighed in the balance and were found lacking, whether there was any fear of making too sure or of being too busy, diligent, and painstaking about the work of their souls.
Fifth, ask, “Will I now set upon a godly life without any more delay?” If it is necessary to take up this holy course, when will I begin? Will I resolve on it today? Can I begin too soon? Can I look toward God too soon? I may defer it too long until it is too late, and then what will happen? What if I stay so long in Sodom that it becomes too late to flee to Zoar? (Genesis 19:22). What if I dwell in the tents of wickedness until it is too late to return to the way of righteousness? Awake, O my soul, awake from your worldliness and sensuality. Awake from your carelessness. Today, today, if you will hear His voice, give yourself to God. Give yourself up to the power of His Spirit and government of His Word. Before now, I have been a fool. Before now, I have been a servant of sin and the world. Oh, that from now on I might yield myself to God as one made alive from the dead.
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
Death and Judgment}
The sixth matter for meditation is death and judgment.
Think about What the Scriptures Say about the Dread of Death, the Death of Death, and Judgment
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
Death and Judgment
Consider Scripture about Death, Judgment}
The first direction is to think about what the Scriptures say concerning the dread of death, the death of death, and judgment.
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
Death and Judgment
Consider Scripture about Death, Judgment
Concerning the Dread of Death}
Concerning the dread of death: it is shown to us as a pale horse in Revelation 6:8.282 A horse connotes strength that is difficult to resist and it is swift. A horse is used by officials. And a horse is used to carry away. It is a pale horse for ghastliness. Death has a grim and ghastly countenance that strikes terror into all hearts and paleness into all faces. It is called the “king of terrors” in Job 18:14. It is called the “black prince,” and the “prince of clouds and darkness” as some render it. Darkness has its terror in it. The king of terrors thus denotes the highest and most terrible of terrors.
The terror of death arises from:
The Office or Errand of Death
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
Death and Judgment
Consider Scripture about Death, Judgment
Concerning the Dread of Death
Office or Errand of Death}
The first office or errand of death from which arises its terror is to arrest guilty sinners and commit them to custody, reserving them for judgment.
The second office of death is to avenge the quarrel of an angry God. By sin, death entered the world. Death came into the world, not only as the mistress of sin, one of sin’s retinue or attendants, but as the avenger of sin. By sin, man provoked God. By death, God takes vengeance on man.
The third office of death is to cut us off and carry us away to our place. Death is the door between the two worlds, the departure gate, where sinners take their leave forever of their pomp, pleasures, houses, lands, and friends, never to return to them again.
It is dreadful to be carried away from our habitations and acquaintances to an unknown destination. Sad was the death of one dying who said, “I have lived in care, I die in doubt, but where I am going I cannot tell.” But, death is indeed the king of terrors to those who understand that death is carrying them into the place of darkness and eternal misery. This is the case of self-condemned sinners.
The Weapons of Death
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
Death and Judgment
Consider Scripture about Death, Judgment
Concerning the Dread of Death
The Weapons of Death}
Death is furnished with weapons. From these weapons also arise the terror of death. Death is furnished first with a dart. This dart is the stroke of death, which dissolves this earthly tent and divides soul and body. Against this dart of death, there is no defense. No quality or condition can exempt us. None can escape this dart, whether king or prisoner, rich or poor, evil or good. Whomever death strikes, it strikes sure, hits home, and never fails to do the execution.
Death’s weapons include a sting. “The sting of death is sin” (1 Corinthians 15:56 NASB). A sting does two things. First, it pierces. Second, it poisons; the poison is the reason for the swelling, inflammation, and anguish that a sting causes people.
But what is the sting of death? It is sin. This is the poison on the dart of death that makes it so full of torment. An evil heart, evil conscience, and evil life are what make death so terrible. A guilty conscience often stings a sinner in this life, even in health and prosperity. But when death and a guilty conscience strike together, then it stings with an [accusing] witness.
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
Death and Judgment
Consider Scripture about Death, Judgment
Concerning the Death of Death}
Concerning the death of death, or its destruction: this enemy is to be destroyed (Hosea 13:14).283 Indeed, it is in part destroyed already (2 Timothy 1:10).284 Christ, by dying and rising again, has overcome death, and this not only for Himself, but for the members of His body, on whose behalf He has disarmed death and taken away its sting. So that, although death strikes them, it cannot sting them. Death is a hornet; it stung our Lord, and in Him it has lost its sting. On this basis, the apostle, in the person of all believers, triumphs over death: “‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55–57 ESV). Christians, who through Christ have conquered sin, have conquered death by the same Jesus. Therefore it is possible for you to live above the fear of death. Due to natural fear, there may be some shrinking back of the flesh, but the great fear is over and the bitterness of death is past.
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
Death and Judgment
Consider Scripture about Death, Judgment
Concerning Judgment}
Consider what the Scriptures speak concerning judgment, in particular, these two passages: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10 NASB).
Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” Then the righteous will answer him, saying, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?” And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”
Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, saying, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?” Then he will answer them, saying, “Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. (Matthew 25:34–46 ESV)
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
Death and Judgment
Ask Your Heart Questions}
The second direction concerning death and judgment is to ask your heart these questions:
First, ask, “Must not I die?”
Second, ask, “To where will death carry me?” Into which of the two regions of the next world is my death likely to land me: into the region of everlasting light or into the region of everlasting darkness. To which of these two regions am I now traveling? By the following questions, I may guess to where my death will transport me.
Third, ask, “What kind of extraordinary change will death bring upon me?” How will my judgment and opinion change? How will I look upon all things differently than I do now? When death comes, will I look on God, Christ, holiness, and peace of conscience with such a slight and undervaluing eye? Will I look on the glory, pleasures, and lusts of the world with such an admiring and doting eye as I do now? I can now look on a godly life, a good conscience, and the promises, privileges, and hopes of the Gospel as follies, fantasies, and trifles; will I do so then? I make no matter of sin and guilt now; will I have the same thoughts at death? If I could speak with any soul that has gotten one step beyond the grave and ask him, “What do you think of sin and the pleasure of sin now?” what answer might I then expect?285
What kind of extraordinary change will death make on my person? If I am a saint, my poor soul has had its dwelling in Meshech286 [with those who hate peace] and has been imprisoned in a sinful body, mourning, sighing, and laboring under the burden of sins, lusts, temptations, doubts, fears, scoffs, and scorns. But then, in an instant, my soul will be set at liberty from all this and be lodged in the arms and bosom of the Lord of Glory. Or, if I am a sinner, then I will be taken from all my glory, greatness, delights, dalliances, hopes, and confidence, and be thrown down like Lucifer, Son of the Morning,287 from all my brightness into the blackness of darkness forever. Though I lie down in hope and in confidence that I will have rest, within a minute after death has closed my eyes, I will awaken in everlasting flames. How my undone soul will then cry out. Oh, where am I? Is this my place? Must this be my dwelling forever? Have all my hopes and confidence come to this? Has all my mirth and pleasure come to this? Woe, woe, woe to me, a miserable wretch. How am I deceived? To where have I fallen?
Fourth, ask, “How dreadful will be the day of death to sinners when it comes?” While it is only preached or thought of at a distance, it stirs the emotions only a little. But when that day of darkness has come and they feel their house of clay falling, their last sand running,288 their last breath drawing, and their miserable souls launching forth into the depth of eternity and when a few minutes will lodge them in the place of darkness and everlasting torments—how black of a day will it appear then?
Fifth, ask, “On which hand am I likely to stand in the judgment?”289 Am I likely to stand on the right hand or on the left? Will I stand among the sheep or the goats? On which hand do I stand now? Is my conduct of life and fellowship here and now with the goats—and do I then expect my sentence to be with the sheep?
Sixth, ask, “What may I do to get above the fear of death and judgment?” How blessed is the state of those Christians who have gotten beyond this fear. They have good reason to be content, to bear their cross, and be patient in tribulation. They need fear none of those things that they will suffer here. And the reason for this is that their great fear is over. Death is swallowed up in victory. But how may I, for good reasons, be out of this fear? How may I be made able to die and stand in the judgment without fear? Oh, if I could get the sting of death out, this sin crucified, and this guilt removed. Oh, if I could get such a life over which death can have no power. If I could get Christ to be my life, judge, and friend, then welcome death and the grave and welcome that great day. Then that black hour will become the blessed hour. At the approach of that dark and gloomy day, this sinful world will call to the mountains to cover them and the rocks to fall on them. But to me it will be a glorious day in which I will lift up my head with joy because my redemption is so near. So let me live that I may be fit to die, and then let my Lord come whenever He pleases. Yes, then I may say, “Why are the wheels of His chariots so long in coming? ... Make haste my beloved and be like a roe on the mountain of spices” (Judges 5:28; Song of Solomon 8:14).
Eternity, or the World to Come
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
Eternity, or the World to Come}
The seventh matter for meditation is eternity, that is, the world to come. There are two destinations in eternity: into blessedness or misery. The one is the portion of the saints, and the other is the reward of the ungodly of the earth.
Consider What the Scriptures Say about Eternity
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
Eternity, or the World to Come
Consider the Scriptures on Eternity}
The first direction is to think about what the Scriptures say concerning eternity. Consider first the eternity of blessedness. “So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9 NASB). “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11 ESV). “For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17 ESV). Therefore note that the state of the godly in another world is:
A state of rest;
A state of joy;
A state of glory.
And note that the joy of this rest is unspeakable and inconceivable [in this life]. Therefore they are called the “rest of God” and the “joy of the Lord.” When a king makes a feast, he makes a royal feast. When a king gives gifts and favors, he gives like a king. God will save like a God and reward like a God. Such will be the reward of the righteous that people will say, “Truly He is a God who judges” (Psalm 58:11). This joy is also eternal. “The things not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).
Concerning the eternity of misery: “For Tophet was ordained long ago” (Isaiah 30:33). Tophet is a place lying in the Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem where the idolatrous Jews burnt their children in sacrifice to Molech. And it is used as a type to signify Hell, or the place and punishment of the damned hereafter.290 That is the reason for this description: “He has made it deep and large; Its pyre is fire with much wood; The breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, Kindles it” (Isaiah 30:33 NKJV). “While the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12 ESV). “Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:48 ESV).
Therefore note that the torments of the ungodly in another world will be, first, intolerable. It is the wrath of the Lord that will lie upon them. The breath of the Lord will kindle and feed their flames. Just like the Lord will save like a God, so He will punish like a God. The wisdom, power, severity, and justice of God will be exercised in compounding such a deadly drink and such carefully selected and crafted [for perfect justice] torments that the ungodly world will experience that He is God.
Second, the torments of the ungodly in another world will be eternal. These torments will never have an end. This makes Hell to be Hell, indeed. It is a pit without a bottom, a night with no following day, a grave from which there is no resurrection. Oh, the height and depth and length and breadth of this one word: eternity.
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Holy Meditation
Matter for Meditation
Eternity, or the World to Come
Ask Your Heart Questions}
The second direction concerning eternity is to ask your heart these questions.
First, ask, “Who will ascend into the holy hill?” (Psalm 24:3; Psalm 15:1). Will the unclean enter into the holy hill? Will the ignorant, unbelievers, adulterers, or drunkards enter in? Do not the Scriptures tell me who they are? “He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor … in whose eyes a vile person is despised” (Psalm 15 ESV). “… the poor in spirit … those who mourn … the meek … those who hunger and thirst for righteousness … the merciful … the pure in heart … the peacemakers …” (Matthew 5:3–12 ESV). These are those who will ascend into the holy hill.
Second, ask, “Who will descend into the bottomless pit?” “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15 ESV). “But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie” (Revelation 22:15 NKJV). “In flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” (2 Thessalonians 1:8–9 ESV).
Third, ask, “Am on the right way to the rest of God?”
Fourth, ask, “Is my title to the rest certain?” Is my name written in the Book of Life? Am I sealed with that Spirit of promise who is the earnest of my inheritance? Have I gotten an assurance that Christ is mine and Heaven is mine? Is not this assurance something to be had? Is there not a promise laid up for me of entering into the rest? May not this promise, by my believing, accepting, and venturing upon it, be made sure to me? Why do I sit down so quietly while short of this assurance? Am I content to leave my earthly possessions under such uncertainties that I cannot tell what to call my own? That I cannot tell whether I have anything or nothing. Do I refuse any labor, cost, or counsel that may secure my worldly estate? And, what! Is it only Heaven and everlasting glory that is not worth obtaining with complete certainty?
Fifth, ask, “What if I were to fall short of this rest?” What if, at the last, I were to see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets sit down in the kingdom of Heaven, but myself cast out? I have made profession of Christianity. I have had some good will to the ways of God. I have borne some affection to the people of God and had some communion and fellowship with them. I have a name and good opinion among them. I have gone to the house of God with them and joined in prayers, fasting, and sacraments with them. I have attained to some probable evidence of grace. But what if, notwithstanding all of this, I were to be found at last to be short of sincerity and of true saving grace? I have complained often of an earthly, slothful, careless, and lingering, delaying heart. I have had some motions and stirrings in me to shake myself out of this sloth and awaken and rouse myself up out of these delays and trifling. I have been thinking often of taking more care and pains. I have been wishing often for a diligent heart. I have been hoping that this will not always be my condition, but that at one time or another I will attain to more life and seriousness. But what if after all this complaining, thinking, wishing, and hoping it will be better, I were to still run on like this from one day to another and from one year to another? And what if this goes on until I am surprised and taken away before I had gotten my heart to a thorough closing with God in Christ?
Sixth, ask, “How joyful will my state be when that day comes—if I may then be counted worthy to enter into the rest?” If I enter, the voice will sound in my ears, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matthew 25:21, 23). All these filthy garments and rags of the flesh will be put off. All of these bitter tears will be wiped away. Like clouds of darkness, my doubts, fears, sorrows, and afflictions will be blown away. I will be brought into the presence of the King of Saints and see all those glorious things that are said about the City of God. My head will wear that immortal crown and my heart will taste and drink of those everlasting pleasures at God’s right hand. I will be brought into that general assembly and church of the firstborn whose names are written in Heaven. I will be brought to an innumerable company of angels, to God, the judge of all people, to Jesus, the mediator of the New Covenant, and to the spirits of just people made perfect. My heart will acknowledge that I indeed know Him in whom I have believed and that I now see that for which I have labored. In its travel toward Zion, this poor soul has passed through a wilderness, lain down among the sheepfolds, and has been fed with tears, clothed with reproaches, clogged with infirmities, and discouraged with fears and dismaying situations. But after all this, I will sit down in the kingdom of God and be lodged in the arms and bosom of the Lord of Glory. I will take part in those everlasting praises and hallelujahs before the throne of God forever. My eyes will come to see all of this and my heart will come to possess it. Will it not be a joyful day?
Seventh, ask, “Can my heart endure to think of being shut out from this blessedness forever?” Can I burn? Can I endure the vengeance of eternal fire? Will boiling oil, burning brimstone, scalding lead, a glowing oven, and a scorching furnace be an easy lodging for me? Oh my soul, you will not be persuaded to repent; there is too much pain in that. You cannot bear a cross, an affliction, a scoff, or a reproach. If one speaks to you about crucifying the flesh, denying yourself, parting with your fleshly lusts and worldly companions, of entering in at the narrow gate, of walking strictly and precisely according to the Gospel, you cry out, “Oh! These are hard sayings. Who can bear them?” But how will you do dwelling with the devouring fire? How will you dwell with everlasting burning? Whatever it seems to you now, think what Hell will be to you when the day comes that you must descend into it. Now you look on Hell as a scarecrow or bugbear whose fear you can drink or laugh away. But what will it be to you when you feel yourself wrapped up in the flames of it and there is not a drop of water left to cool your tongue? Think about Hell, O my soul. Then think about Christ and consider whether a Redeemer from such misery is not worth accepting. Think about Hell, and then think about sin. Then think about your carnal pleasures and delights, and consider how much you will delight in them when you are therefore salted with everlasting fire. Are these the things for which I die? Are these the price for which I sell my soul to Hell? Away, away from me, all my lusts and pleasures. Away from me, my companions in sin. I confess I love you too well, but I must not burn for you. I must not damn my soul to please my flesh.291
272awesome: inspiring deep awe, wonder, and respect. In light of this true meaning, the word is frequently much misused and abused.
273Also: The vast size of this universe combined with the intricacy and complexity of natural phenomena, especially of higher living things, show to our senses the awesome power, wisdom, skill, and so on of our Creator.
274Alleine’s questions may seem, especially to more mature Christians, more accusatory than necessary. But there are none of us that do not need improvement in holiness in one or more areas pertaining to each question, whether directly or indirectly. The person who thinks he or she scores 100% on any question simply has not searched his or her heart deeply enough.
275Philippians 2:12–13.
276Ephesians 3:18–21.
277Isaiah 45:18.
278Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross is sufficient for all humans over all time, but it is applied only to the elect.
279Different translations use “convert,” “turn,” “return,” and similar words. Both verses use forms or derivatives of στρέφω [strepho], meaning to turn around, change one’s ways, and so on. In Acts 3:19, the verb is in the imperative, and in Matthew 18:3, the verb is in the passive voice, meaning that the believer is being turned by an outside force, in this case, God; not all translations reflect this nuance.
280These questions pertain to both justification and sanctification. Some people are justified, like John the Baptist, from the womb or as infants. Such should not bemoan the fact that God’s grace was bestowed upon them early, leaving them without a distinct conversion experience. But all true believers are continually being sanctified. It seems to be a law of nature that all living things are either growing or dying. The reader who is not growing in Christ needs to fear and take warning.
281Let the reader note carefully that a godly life on earth is a necessary predecessor, not prerequisite or cause of an eternal reward.
282The Greek word describing the color of this horse is χλωρός [chloros], generally meaning pale green. In fact, the name of the element chlorine comes from this word since it is a pale green gas. But χλωρός is also used to describe the color of plants; in such contexts it is properly translated “green.” Bible translators, given only the context of death in Revelation 6:8, have generally translated χλωρός in a way that emphasizes the paleness aspect, referring to the pallor of death (pallor mortis), such as “pale horse.”
283“O Death, where are your thorns? O Sheol, where is your sting?” (Hosea 13:14 NASB).
284“Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10 NASB).
285From a glorified saint, the truth; from a sinner, the same as his master the devil, a lie.
286Psalm 120:5–7 speaks of dwelling with those who hate peace.
287In Isaiah 14:12, הֵילֵל [haylal] is translated “Lucifer,” meaning “light bearer,” in the Latin Vulgate. It was carried over as a name into the KJV. Traditionally, the name has been used to refer to Satan. The NKJV retains this name as well. In the Hebrew, הֵילֵל means “day/morning star” (Venus). Other versions correctly translate it as “morning star,” “day star,” or something similar. That הֵילֵל refers to the king of Babylon is abundantly clear from the context (v 4). If this prophecy refers to Nebuchadnezzar’s fall into madness (Daniel 4:33), then it seems unfair to ultimately compare Nebuchadnezzar to Satan, given his testimony to God’s glory in Daniel 4:34–37. At the same time, prior to his conversion, Nebuchadnezzar was an excellent image of his master, the devil. Possibly, the prophesy refers to a different king of Babylon. It may also be reasonably argued that the prophesy of God’s temporal judgment of the king of Babylon foreshadows the eternal judgment of the devil.
288A reference to an old-fashioned hourglass.
289Matthew 25:31–34, 41.
290Christ used the same figure, for example in Matthew 5:22. Most versions translate γέεννα [Gehenna] as “Hell.” See also the earlier footnote on this topic.
291Believers: The editor wishes to suggest to the reader that he or she use these meditations not only for personal edification, but that the Lord may grant a heart for the lost and for personal evangelism. Alleine does not directly discuss personal evangelism; but the reader will surely remember places where he encourages the reader to it, such as here. (It is possible that Alleine held to the interpretation of 1 Corinthians 5:18–20 that preachers, not all believers, are “ambassadors for Christ.” The debate continues today concerning the relative responsibilities of preachers and lay people for evangelism and preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.)
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