Encouragement from the Dead

From the book, "Fair Sunshine: Character Studies of the Scottish Covenanters'"

Martyr: John Nisbet
Death: Hung for his faith
Age: 58/ 4 December 1685
Picking up after he loses his wife, daughter, and two young sons and is then captured by dragoons and taken to prison for his faith:

"He was in prison very cruelly treated, having a load of irons on him of seven stone weight, and not able to move much because of his terrible wounds. But all the time he was filled with inexpressible joy and continually witnessed to strong inward assurance and assistance from the Holy Spirit. He testified, 'It has pleased Him to give me such real impression of unspeakable glory as without constant and immediate supports from the Giver will certainly overwhelm me. This frail tabernacle is not able to hold up under what I now feel.'

A few days before he was hanged, he was so transported while at worship with other prisoners that he called aloud in prayer, 'O for Friday! O for Friday! O Lord, give patience to wait Thy appointed time! O give strength to bear up under Thy sweet, sweet Presence! If thou, O glorious , Thou the Chief of ten thousands, the eternal wonder, and admiration of angels and redeemed saints put not to me more strength, this weak clay vessel will rend in pieces under the unspeakably glorious manifestations of Thy rich grace and matchless, matchless Presence!'

In prison, he wrote his Last and Dying Testimony. It is one of the most remarkable of Covenanter Testimonies. It is written truly by one who knew that he 'had been lying dying and rotting in his blood-red sins, and One had passed by and in His love and life said, Live, Live.' It is a paean of praise and closes in this moving harmony, 'Be not afraid at His sweet, lovely and desirable cross, for although I have not been able because of my wounds to lift up or lay down my head, but as I was helped, yet I was never in better case all my life. He has not given me one challenge since I came to prison, for anything less or more; but on the contrary He has so wonderfully shined on me with the sense of His redeeming, strengthening, assisting, supporting, through-bearing, pardoning and reconciling love, grace and mercy, that my soul doth long to be freed of bodily infirmities and earthly organs, that so I may flee to His Royal Palace even the Heavenly Habitation of my God, where I am sure of a crown put on my head, and a palm put in my hand, and a new song in my mouth, even the song of Moses and of the Lamb, that so I may bless, praise, magnify and extol Him for what He hath done to me and for me. Wherefore I bid farewell to all my dear fellow-sufferers for the testimony of Jesus, who are wandering in dens and caves. Farewell, my children, study holiness in all your ways, and praise the Lord for what He hath done for me, and tell all my Christian friends to praise Him on my account. Farewell, sweet Bible, and wanderings and contendings for truth. Welcome death. Welcome, the City of my God where I shall see Him and be enabled to serve Him eternally with full freedom. Welcome, blessed company, the angels and spirits of just men made perfect. But above all, welcome, welcome, welcome, our glorious and alone God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; into Thy hands I commit my spirit for Thou art worthy. Amen.'

As he proceeded to his gallows it is said he had a bright happiness about him from communion with God. And jumping up to the gallows his last words were:

"My soul doth magnify the Lord! My soul doth magnify the Lord! I have longed these sixteen years to seal the precious cause and interest of precious Christ with my blood. And now, now He hath answered and granted my request, and has left me no more ado but to come here and pour forth my last prayers, sing forth my last praise to Him in time on this sweet and desirable scaffold, mount the ladder, and then I shall quickly get home to my Father's House, see, enjoy, serve and sing forth the praises of my glorious Redeemer, for evermore world without end.' ...He prayed with deep spiritual understanding in a loud clear voice, and sang the first six verses of the 34th Psalm:

God will I bless all times: His praise
My mouth shall still express.
My soul shall boast in God: the meek
Shall hear with joyfulness.

Extol the Lord with me; let us
Exalt His name together.
I sought the Lord; He heard, and did
Me from all fears deliver.

Notice, from this testimony, John kept praying for strength to uphold under God's sweet presence, never mentioning the weights he was chained to or the wounds that had been afflicted upon him.

Also notice, that unlike many Christians today, he did not have spite for God, he did not shove blame upon God and curse His name when all went bad, but He was faithful and thankful unto death.

May we ever be thankful for men and women like this, that God has used in such powerful ways to extend His gospel to all men and to encourage the faithful. May God give us boldness and ability to pray as John Nisbet.

May we rest in this promise, as Nisbet did:
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28-

J.C Ryle on the Penitent Thief

And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on Him, saying, "If thou be Christ, save Thyself and us." But the other answering rebuked him, saying, "Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? and we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this Man hath done nothing amiss." And he said unto Jesus, "Lord, remember me when Thou comes into Thy Kingdom." And Jesus said unto him, "Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise." -Luke 23:39-43

J.C Ryle on the verse above shows us many things we can learn from this passage, but this one in particular grabbed me. I would have never thought of this verse like this had I not read "Holiness" by Ryle, which I must recommend to everyone as an absolute must-read.

-----
See then, for one thing, how strong was the faith of this man. He called Jesus, “Lord.” He declared his belief that He would have a kingdom. He believed that He was able to give him eternal life and glory, and in this belief prayed to Him. He maintained His innocence of all the charges brought against Him. “This man,” said he, “hath done nothing amiss.” Others perhaps may have thought the Lord innocent,—none said so openly but this poor dying man. And when did all this happen? It happened when the whole nation had denied Christ,—shouting, “Crucify Him: crucify Him. We have no king but Cæsar!”—when the chief priests and Pharisees had condemned and found Him guilty of death,—when even His own disciples had forsaken Him and fled,—when He was hanging, faint, bleeding and dying on the cross, numbered with transgressors, and accounted accursed. This was the hour when the thief believed in Christ, and prayed to Him. Surely such faith was never seen since the world began. The disciples had seen mighty signs and miracles. They had seen the dead raised with a word,—and lepers healed with a touch,—the blind receiving sight,—the dumb made to speak,—the lame made to walk. They had seen thousands fed with a few loaves and fishes. They had seen their Master walking on the water as on dry land. They had all of them heard Him speak as no man ever spake, and hold out promises of good things yet to come. They had some of them had a foretaste of His glory in the mount of transfiguration. Doubtless their faith was the gift of God, but still they had much to help it. The dying thief saw none of the things I have mentioned. He only saw our Lord in agony, and in weakness, in suffering, and in pain. He saw Him undergoing. a dishonourable punishment; deserted, mocked, despised, blasphemed. He saw Him rejected by all the great, and wise, and noble of His own people,—His strength dried up like a potsherd, His life drawing nigh to the grave. (Psa. xxii. 15; lxxxviii. 3.) He saw no sceptre, no royal crown, no outward dominion, no glory, no majesty, no power, no signs of might. And yet the dying thief believed, and looked forward to Christ’s kingdom. Reader, would you know if you have the Spirit? Then mark the question I put to you this day.—Where is your faith in Christ?
-----
“I know not that since the creation of the world there ever was a more remarkable and striking example of faith.”—Calvin's Commentary on the Gospels

“A great faith that can see the sun under so thick a cloud; that can discover a Christ, a Saviour, under such a poor, scorned, despised, crucified Jesus, and call Him Lord.

“A great faith that could see Christ’s kingdom through His cross, and grave, and death, and when there was so little sign of a kingdom, and pray to be remembered in that kingdom.” -Lightfoot Sermon. 1684.

“The penitent thief was the first confessor of Christ’s heavenly kingdom,—the first martyr who bore testimony to the holiness of His sufferings,—and the first apologist for His oppressed innocence.”—Quesnel on the Gospels “Probably there are few saints in glory who ever honoured Christ more illustriously than this dying sinner.”—Doddridge “Is this the voice of a thief or a disciple? Give me leave, O Saviour, to borrow Thine own words, ‘Verily I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel.’ He saw Thee hanging miserably by him, and yet styles Thee Lord. He saw Thee dying, and yet talks of Thy kingdom. He felt himself dying, yet talks of a future remembrance. O faith, stronger than death, which can look beyond the cross at a crown;—beyond dissolution at a remembrance of life and glory! Which of Thine eleven were heard to speak so gracious a word to Thee in these Thy last pangs? “—Bishop Hall

This Is All My Calvinism

In a sermon on Romans 9:16, Charles Simeon declared, "Many there are who cannot see these truths [the doctrines of God's sovereignty], who yet are in a state truly pleasing to God; yea many, at whose feet the best of us may be glad to be found in heaven. It is a great evil, when these doctrines are made a ground of separation one from another, and when the advocates of different systems anathematize each other. . . . In reference to truths which are involved in so much obscurity as those which relate to the sovereignty of God, mutual kindness and concession are far better than vehement argumentation and uncharitable discussion" (Horae Homileticae, Vol. 15, p. 357).

Simeon lived out this counsel is seen in the way he conversed with the elderly John Wesley. He tells the story himself:

Simeon: "Sir, I understand that you are called an Arminian; and I have been sometimes called a Calvinist; and therefore I suppose we are to draw daggers. But before I consent to begin the combat, with your permission I will ask you a few questions. Pray, Sir, do you feel yourself a depraved creature, so depraved that you would never have thought of turning to God, if God had not first put it into your heart?"

Wesley: "Yes, I do indeed."

Simeon: "And do you utterly despair of recommending yourself to God by anything you can do; and look for salvation solely through the blood and righteousness of Christ?"

Wesley: "Yes, solely through Christ."

Simeon: "But, Sir, supposing you were at first saved by Christ, are you not somehow or other to save yourself afterwards by your own works?"

Wesley: "No, I must be saved by Christ from first to last."

Simeon: "Allowing, then, that you were first turned by the grace of God, are you not in some way or other to keep yourself by your own power?"

Wesley: "No."

Simeon: "What then, are you to be upheld every hour and every moment by God, as much as an infant in its mother's arms?"

Wesley: "Yes, altogether."

Simeon: "And is all your hope in the grace and mercy of God to preserve you unto His heavenly kingdom?"

Wesley: "Yes, I have no hope but in Him."

Wesley: "Then, Sir, with your leave I will put up my dagger again; for this is all my Calvinism; this is my election, my justification by faith, my final perseverance: it is in substance all that I hold, and as I hold it; and therefore, if you please, instead of searching out terms and phrases to be a ground of contention between us, we will cordially unite in those things wherein we agree." (Moule, 79f)

Citation:
*I took this directly off of www.reformationtheology.com

How Much Do You Love Christ?

Thomas Vincent---

"It is observed, and it is greatly to be lamented that there is of late - a great decay in the power of godliness among those who are sincere. And is not this decay most evident in the great decay of love, even in true Christians unto Jesus Christ? Are you not dwarfs in comparison to others from past generations, or even in your own generation? Are you not babes in Christ and weaklings in your love to Christ?"

"Is it not evident that you have but little love to Christ, when he is but little in your thoughts and meditations? Does not your lack of thoughts of Christ prove your lack of love? The 'thoughts' are the handmade of love. Where love is strong and ardent, there - many thoughts will be attending upon it. But will not your hearts tell you that your thoughts of Christ are very few. You can think often of your food, but how little do your thoughts feed upon Christ who is the bread of life. You can often think of your clothing and what to wear, but how little do you think of the robes of Christ's righteousness? You can think often of your earthly friends, but how little do you think of Jesus Christ - your friend in Heaven? Objects of sense are often not only in your eyes, but also in your thoughts. But how little is Christ entertained in your thoughts, who is the object of faith?"

"Moreover, does it not argue of little love to Christ that you speak so little of Him, and for Him, in your conversations? If you had much love to Christ, would not this love breath forth more in your conversations? You can readily speak of yourselves, and you often speak directly or more subtly about yourselves, which reveals your great self-love. But how little to you commend your Lord and Master and extol his excellencies with your lips? Is this not evidence that you have but little love for him in your hearts? You can readily discourse of news and public occurrences (which is lawful and needful as long as due limits are observed), but when you leave Christ quite out of your conversation, it shows that you have not an abundance of love to Him, because "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks". Such as have much love to pleasures; we are often speaking of that subject. Such as love their friends; much will often be speaking of and commending them, when you are not in their company. Which is why, when you speak such little of Christ, it is a sign that you love Him but little."

"And likewise, does not the small amount of zeal which you have for Christ's honor in the world, argue that you have but little love to Him? Where is your activity for Christ to promote his interest among those relations and friends that you have made acquaintance with? Do you labor all you can to bring others into the way of God and into acquaintance with Christ? If you truly loved Christ, you would be like the disciple Phillip who sought out his brother Nathaniel, found him and said: "we have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and about whom the prophets also wrote, Jesus of Nazareth - the son of Joseph".'

"And in the same way, does not the fact that you spend very little time in private bible reading and devotion - argue your small affection unto Christ? Will not your closets or other retiring places witness how little you are in secret prayer and conversation with Christ? Brief and straightened prayer in secret, argues a heart that is brief and straightened in love to Jesus Christ. Does not your backwardness to the exercise of this love to Christ show the weakness of your love?"

"How slow of heart are you to the love of Christ; how hard to be persuaded. You need not be persuaded to love your wives if they are kind and helpful. You need not be persuaded to love your children if they are pretty and show potential. You need not be persuaded to love your friends if they are friendly and faithful, and yet whatever attractions of love there are, the most strong of any are in Jesus Christ. Yet, you are backward to this love."

"Need I say more to convince you that you have but little love to Christ?"

(Thomas Vincent "The True Christian's Love to The Unseen Christ")

Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices

I really recommend reading this, its good I promise. This comes from a book I am reading called "Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices" by a puritan named Thomas Brooks. He outlines devices of Satan and then gives some remedies to consider. Such as this one:

Remedy 4 of the 2nd Device (By painting sin with virtuous colors, presenting it as a beautiful thing):

Thomas Brooks---

"Seriously to consider, That even those very sins that Satan paints, and puts new names and colours upon, cost the best blood, the noblest blood, the life-blood, the heart-blood of the Lord Jesus. That Christ should come from the eternal bosom of His Father to a region of sorrow and death; that God should be manifested in the flesh, the Creator made the creature; that He that was clothed with glory should be wrapped with rags of flesh; he that filled heaven and earth with His glory should be cradled in a manger; that the power of God should fly from weak man, the God of Israel into Egypt; that the God of the law should be subject to the law, the God of the circumcision circumcised, the God that made the heavens working at Joseph's homely trade; that He that binds the devils in chains should be tempted; that He, whose is the world, and the fullness thereof, should hunger and thirst; that the God of strength should be weary, the Judge of all flesh condemned, the God of life put to death; that He that is one with His Father should cry out of misery, 'My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?' (Matt 27:46); that He that had the keys of hell and death at His girdle should lie imprisoned in the sepulchre of another, having in His lifetime nowhere to lay His head, nor after death to lay His body; that that head, before which the angels do cast down their crowns, should be crowned with thorns, and those eyes, purer than the sun, put out by the darkness of death; those ears, which hear nothing but hallelujahs of saints and angels, to hear the blasphemies of the multitude; that face, that was fairer than the sons of men, to be spit on by those beastly wretched Jews; that mouth and tongue, that spake as never man spake, accused of blasphemy; those hands, that freely swayed the sceptre of heaven, nailed to the cross; those feet, 'like unto fine brass,' nailed to the cross for man's sins; each sense annoyed; His feeling or touching, with a spear and nails; His smell, with stinking flavor, being crucified about Golgotha, the place of skulls; His taste, with vinegar and gall; His hearing, with reproaches, and sight of His mother and disciples bemoaning Him; His soul, comfortless and forsaken; and all this for those very sins that Satan paints and puts fine colors upon! Oh! how should the consideration of this stir up the soul against it, and work the soul to fly from it, and to use all holy means whereby sin may be subdued and destroyed!
After Julius Caesar was murdered, Antonius brought forth his coat, all bloody and cut, and laid it before the people, saying, 'Look, here you have the emperor's coat thus bloody and torn': whereupon the people were presently in an uproar, and cried out to slay those murderers; and they took their tables and stools that were in the place, and set them on fire, and ran to the houses of them that had slain Caesar, and burnt them. So when we consider that sin hath slain our Lord Jesus, ah, how should it provoke our hearts to be revenged on sin, that hath murdered the Lord of glory, and hath done that mischief that all the devils in hell could never have done?
It was good counsel one gave, 'Never let go out of your minds the thoughts of a crucified Christ.' Let these be meat and drink unto you; let them be your sweetness and consolation, your honey and your desire, your reading and your meditation, your life, death, and resurrection." (Remedy 4, Device 2. Pg.36-38 "Precious Remedies against Satan's Devices" Puritan Paperbacks. Brooks, Thomas.)