by John Flavel
Question 7. What if I die without such a preparation? What will the consequence be?
Answer. Very terrible, even the separation of my soul and body from the Lord to all eternity. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (Jn 3:36). He shall not see life; this is the part of his misery involving loss, separation from the blessed God. And the wrath – mark it, not anger, but wrath; not the wrath of man, but of God, at whose rebukes the mountains skip like frightened men, and the hills tremble. The wrath of God not only flashes out upon him, as a transient flash of lightning, but abides, dwells, sticks fast; there is no power in the world that can loose the soul from it. Upon him, not on the body only, nor on the soul only, but on him – that is, on the whole person. Here is the principal positive part of that man’s misery.
Question 8. Can I bear this misery?
Answer. No, my heart cannot endure, nor my hands be strong, when God shall take to do with me on this account. I cannot bear His wrath; angels could not bear it; it has sunk them into the depths of misery. Those that feel but a few sparks of it in their consciences here, even they are distracted by it (Ps 88:15). Christ Himself would never have borne up under it, if He had not been supported by the infinite power of the divine nature: “Behold My Servant whom I uphold” (Is 43:1). How then shall I live when God does this? What will be done in the dry tree? There is no abiding of it; it is insufferable. “The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?” (Is 33:14).
Question 9. If it cannot be borne, is there any way to prevent it?
Answer. Yes, there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. Thus I am in a better situation than the damned; I have the maybe of mercy, and they do not. What would they give for a possibility of salvation? “Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do well . . . Come now, and let us reason together . . . though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Is 1:16,17,18). “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Is 55:7). Though my disease is dangerous, it is not desperate; it does not refuse a remedy. There is balm in Gilead and there is a physician there. There is yet a possibility, not only of recovering my primitive glory, but to be set in a better situation than Adam ever was.
Question 10. How may that be?
Answer. By going to the Lord Jesus Christ. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1). “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth, Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again” (Rom 8:33, 34).
Question 11. What is it to go to Christ?
Answer. To go to Christ is to embrace Him (Jn 1:12) in His person (Jn 3:36) and offices (1 Cor 1:30), and to rest entirely (Acts 4:12) and closely upon Him for pardon of sin (Acts 13:38,39) and eternal life (Is 45:22), being deeply aware (Acts 2:37) of the need and worth of Him. “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (Jn 1:12). “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life” (Jn 3:36). And “of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor 1:30). “Neither is there salvation in any other” (Acts 4:12). “And by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:39). “Look unto Me, and be ye saved” (Is 45:22). “Now when they heard this, they were “pricked in their heart” (Acts 2:37).
^1 Taken with editing from Flavel’s Works, vol 5. Written with a particular consciousness of the dangers seamen faced in the days of sail, the Catechism applies to everyone, for we must all die. The previous question was, “What things does a due preparation for death consist in?”