A Believer's Last Day ... His Best Day

"You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory." (Psalm 73: 24)

Thomas Brooks preached a sermon at the funeral of Mrs. Martha Randall at Christs Church, London, on June 28, 1651. The complete text may be found here.

Leland Ryken, professor of English at Wheaton College, compiled the following as a way of introduction, which was posted April 22 on ChristianHistory.net


Most people think about their own death as a fearful prospect, but the title of a famous Puritan funeral sermon offers a pleasing alternative: a believer's last day on earth is his or her best day.

The Puritans of the 16th and 17th centuries produced a wealth of writing that can be read devotionally. They were at their devotional "best" in a genre that falls into the category of "best kept secrets," namely, funeral sermons. By the time a Puritan funeral sermon found its way into print, it had often been expanded into a small book. Puritan funeral sermons announce a single Bible verse at the outset, but as the sermons unfold they almost always become a mosaic of evocative verses on the subjects of death, heaven, and immortality. Some of these sermons are small anthologies of choice Bible verses.

When Thomas Brooks preached a sermon at the funeral of Mrs. Martha Randall at Christ's Church, London, on June 28, 1651, he chose a title that is a stroke of genius. By calling a believer's last day on earth his or her best day, Brooks at once demolished the conventional view of death as an earthly calamity. The following excerpt brings together a few key passages from the sermon.

Death is a believer's coronation day and marriage day

Death is a change of our imperfect and incomplete enjoyments of God, for a more complete and perfect enjoyment of him. As no believer has a clear sight of God here, so no believer has a full and perfect sight of God here. In Job 26:14, how little a portion is heard of him—speaking of God—and of that is heard, ah how little a portion is understood! It is an excellent expression that Augustine has: "The glorious things of heaven are so many—that they exceed number; so precious—that they exceed estimation; so great—that they exceed measure!" Bernard says, "For Christ to be with Paul was the greatest security—but for Paul to be with Christ was the chief happiness!" …

When death shall give the fatal stroke, there shall be an exchange of earth—for heaven; of imperfect enjoyments—for perfect enjoyments of God; then the soul shall be swallowed up with a full enjoyment of God; no corner of the soul shall be left empty—but all shall be filled up with the fullness of God. Here in this present world, they receive grace—but in heaven they shall receive glory. God keeps the best wine until last; the best of God, Christ, and heaven—is beyond this present world. Here we have but some sips, some tastes of God; fullness is reserved for the glorious state. He who sees most of God here on earth, sees but his back parts; his face is a jewel of that splendor and glory, which no eye can behold but a glorified eye.

The best of Christians are able to take in but little of God; their hearts are like the widow's vessel, which could receive but a little oil. Sin, the world, and creatures do take up so much room in the best hearts, that God gives out himself little by little, as parents give sweets to their children. But in heaven God will communicate himself fully at once to the soul! Grace shall then be swallowed up of glory! …

Death is another Moses: it delivers believers out of bondage, and from making bricks in Egypt. It is a day or year of jubilee to a gracious spirit—the year wherein he goes out free from all those cruel taskmasters which it had long groaned under … . Death is a believer's coronation-day, it is his marriage-day. It is a rest from sin, a rest from sorrow, a rest from afflictions and temptations, etc. Death to a believer is an entrance into Abraham's bosom, into paradise, into the "New Jerusalem," into the joy of his Lord … Christians! what is your whole life—but a day to fit for the hour of death? What is your great business in this world—but to prepare and fit for the eternal world? It was a sad speech of Caesar Borgia, who being on his deathbed said, "When I lived, I provided for everything but death! Now I must die, and am unprovided to die." Ah, Christians! you have need every day to pray with Moses, "Lord, teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom," Psalm 90:12 … .

See that Christ be your Lord and Master, … and then your dying-day shall be to you as the day of harvest to the farmer, as the day of deliverance to the prisoner, as the day of coronation to the king, and as the day of marriage to the bride. Your dying-day shall be a day of triumph and exaltation, a day of freedom and consolation, a day of rest and satisfaction!

"A tempestuous sea"

Composer Don Wyrtzen wrote the music for a wonderful song that pictures our earthly life as a “tempestuous sea.”

(Chorus)
Just think of stepping on shore__and finding it heaven!
Of touching a hand __ and finding it God's!
Of breathing new air__ and finding it celestial!
Of waking up in glory __ and finding it home!



(Verse 1)
When engulfed by the terror of tempestuous sea
Unknown waves before you roll
At the end of doubt and peril is eternity
Though fear and conflict seize your soul



(Verse 2)
When surrounded by the blackness of the darkest night
O how lonely death can be
At the end of this long tunnel is a shining light
For death is swallowed up in victory

Death is not finality

When you are one of His, death is not finality. It is the beginning of eternity with Him. It is only the end of physical life with our loved ones, and if you are one of His, you have a future hope to see them again.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. ... "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent (i.e., physical body), is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ... "For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him." (2 Corinthians 4: 16-17, 5: 1, 7-9)

Night is coming

"I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work." (John 9:4)

Sometimes it seems our work is never done, but night is coming ... the night when we will once and for all close our eyes on the world or when our Lord will return to take us to be with Him. The work of the day brings night that much closer. But it is all in God's timing, God's purpose. When we are One with Him, children of the Living God, God will take us home, to our Eternal Home, when we have done all that He has in mind for us here on earth.