Introduction
To the virtuous and my worthy friend, Mrs. Mary Hodges.
Honored Friend!
It was not my intention when I preached this sermon for it to go beyond the pulpit. But since you requested me to print it, I wanted to fulfill your wish and show my respect for your deceased husband by making it more public. May the Lord make it beneficial. I'm sure you are well aware of the recent loss you have experienced, so I chose to discuss this topic to encourage you with the hope of future gain, remembering Solomon's words, "Give wine to those that be of heavy hearts" (Prov. 31:6).
The Jews have a saying at their funerals to comfort those left behind: "Let your consolation be in heaven." So I say to you, look up to heaven and let the crown waiting for you there be your comfort. May the Lord help you to find a holy purpose in this difficult event. Learn, dear friend, to secure your relationship with Christ, even when you can't rely on other relationships. Faith will connect you to Christ, and if your Maker is your husband, death will not break but complete that union. Continue to anchor your hope in heaven; it's no use anchoring downward. We lose our earthly comforts when we depend too much on them, but I must not go on too long. I have given you the sermon as I preached it, with a few additions that I couldn't include at the time due to time constraints. May the blessing of the Almighty be upon you, and may that golden oil be poured out on your descendants.
So prays
Your loyal friend
And servant in the Lord,
Thomas Watson.
From my study at Steph. Walbrook, June 2, 1656.
Christian Meditation
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The Crown of Righteousness.
"Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day." - 2 Timothy 4:8
The wise God, to invite and encourage people to live holy lives, is pleased to show them the reward they will receive. If the fairness of His commands doesn't convince them, the greatness of His promise might. God wants His people to willingly follow religion, not out of fear, but drawn by love. So, He uses the most attractive and persuasive ways to reach them. He wants to attract people with a golden bait and encourage them to obey by showing them what is stored up in heaven for them. As the text says, "Henceforth there is a crown of righteousness laid up for me." A crown? Oh, how amazing! For someone guilty to receive a pardon is good, but to have a crown placed on them is both rare and astonishing.
A true saint has two crowns; one in this life and another stored up for the future. In this life, they have a crown of acceptance, as mentioned in (Eph. 1:6): "He hath made us accepted in the beloved." Some interpret the word as "he has made us favorites"; this is the crown of acceptance. In the life to come, there is a crown of righteousness. The glory of heaven is described in Scripture using various comparisons and metaphors. Sometimes heaven is compared to a place of rest (Heb. 4:9), as it is the soul's center. Other times, it's compared to a house not made with hands (2 Cor. 5:1) or an inheritance in light (Col. 1:12). In the text, the glory of heaven is depicted as a crown; the circle is the most perfect shape. This blessed crown encompasses all perfection. I will first explain the text and then move on to discuss the doctrine.
1. [Henceforth] The word "henceforth" is a relative term. First, it might refer to the time of the Apostle's conversion. "Henceforth there is laid up a crown": as soon as someone is joined with Christ, they are entitled to a crown. Or secondly, "henceforth" might relate to the end of his journey and struggle. Paul had gone through all the stages of Christianity. He had finished his course, and from this point on, he said, there is a crown waiting for him. He knew his work was done, and there was nothing left but to leave this world and receive his crown.
2. [There is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness.]
Question: Why is it called a Crown of Righteousness? It's a Crown of mercy, a Crown that free grace gives. So why is it called "Corona justitiae," a Crown of righteousness?
Answer #1: Negatively; it's not that we can earn this Crown by our righteousness. Bellarmine bases his Doctrine of Merit on this text; Aquinas and Bonaventure say that we earn this Crown "ex condigno," by way of worthiness. But our Orthodox Divines believe differently. The Apostle clearly distinguishes between a reward given by merit and by grace (Rom. 6:23). "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life." If the reward were by merit, the Apostle would have said, "the wages of God is eternal life." How can we earn a Crown? Before we earn, we must satisfy, but we have nothing to satisfy. How can finite obedience satisfy infinite justice? Besides, what equality is there between our service and the reward? What comparison is there between shedding a tear and receiving a Crown? So, we cannot earn this Crown by our righteousness.
Answer #2: it is called a Crown of righteousness in two ways. First, because it is a promised Crown, as stated in Revelation 2:10, "I will give thee a Crown." Since God has made this promise, it is right for Him to give this Crown to us. Second, it is a Crown of righteousness because it is a purchased Crown; it is a Crown bought with the price of blood. It was bought in such a way that it was given, otherwise, where would God's mercy be? And it was given in such a way that it was bought, otherwise, where would God's justice be? This Crown comes to us through the blood of a Savior. When Christ was hanging on the Cross, He was purchasing a Crown for us: and in this sense, it is a Crown of righteousness; it is right with God to give us the Crown which Jesus Christ has paid for so dearly.
3. [This crown is said to be laid up.]
The crown is kept for later. God doesn't immediately give us the full rewards of glory; He doesn't immediately put us into our honor. It is a crown laid up. The saints are heirs who are not yet of age; God doesn't crown them until they are mature. The sons of kings are often crowned while they are still young; some have even been crowned in their cradle. But the heirs of glory must be fully grown before they are crowned. God will give His children the ring and the bracelets here, some of the comforts of His Spirit, but not the crown. We all want immediate rewards; we keep delaying our repentance, yet we want to put on our crown right away. God wants us to wait a while; the crown is laid up.
Question: But why is the crown stored away? Why isn't it given to us right now?
Answer: #1: It's not suitable for us to wear it yet, and there are two reasons for this.
1. Our spiritual qualities are incomplete in this life; they are still in their early stages and not fully developed. That's why we are said to receive only the "first fruits of the Spirit" (Rom. 8:23), not the full harvest, as Luther says. We are like Christians in the making, with only some incomplete traces of grace within us. Our virtues are mixed with a lot of corruption, like gold mixed with impurities in the ore. Even the most refined soul has some remnants of sin left in it. The life of grace is said to be hidden (Col. 3:3). Our faith is hidden under unbelief, like grain hidden under chaff. If God were to place the crown on us in this life, He would be crowning our sins as well as our virtues. That's why the crown is stored away.
2. It's not suitable for us to wear the crown yet because it would distract us from doing our work; we would become idle in the vineyard. Who would work hard for a reward if they already had it? That's why the crown is stored away. We must run the race before we wear the crown.
Answer #2: The crown is kept for us to make heaven even better. The longer we wait for our crown, the more satisfying it will be when we receive it. When we finally have what we've longed for, it becomes even more precious to us. After all our hard work for heaven, all our praying, crying, and fasting, how wonderful will a crown be? That's why God, even though He won't deny us, will delay our reward; it's a crown kept for us.
Question: But if this crown is stored away, when will we wear it? This brings me to the fourth and last point in the text.
4. [In that day] What day? "Die obitûs mei," says Tertullian, meaning the day of my death. Justinus and others believe that the Saints will not receive this crown until the resurrection. But Jerome disagrees with this opinion. The souls of the elect will be immediately crowned with joy and happiness. The body will lie in the grave, like in a bed of perfume, until the resurrection. It is clear that this resurrection will happen. That's why some of the ancients called the grave a "sleeping house," because this body will wake up again, and the Jews called their burial place "The house of the living," because they believed that life would return to them at the resurrection. Until then, the bodies of the Saints must wait for their honor, but their souls will be immediately crowned after death.
Why else would Saint Paul want to die if he wasn't going to be immediately crowned with glory? It would be better for believers to stay here if they weren't going to be with Christ right away. Here, they are constantly growing in grace and adding to the jewels of their crown. Even though they are in a valley of tears, God often turns their water into wine, giving them many sweet tastes of His love. They have the bunches of grapes. If Paul's soul were to sleep in his body (a sleepy opinion), then when he wanted to die, he would be wishing for something that would be a loss to him. But this crown will be given on that day, the day of our death. It can't be more than half a day's journey between the cross and paradise.
The words, once explained, can be divided into these three parts.
- Here is a glorious reward, a crown.
- The postponing of this reward, it is stored up.
- The people who receive it; specifically, Paul and the rest of the believers. "For me, and not for me only, but for all them that love Christ's appearing" (2 Tim. 4:8).
To explain this, I will do four things.
- I will ask who this righteous person is.
- I will prove it with Scripture, that the righteous person will wear this blessed crown.
- I will show you how the reward of glory is compared to a crown.
- How this crown of righteousness is better and more glorious than all earthly crowns.
I. Who this righteous person is. I answer, a person can be considered righteous in two ways.
1. Legally. In this way, Adam, while he wore the robe of innocence, was legally righteous. He had a law of holiness written in his heart, and his life was a living example of it. He followed every command of God precisely, like a well-made sundial follows the sun; but this righteousness is lost and forfeited.
2. A person is considered righteous in an Evangelical sense, and this righteousness is twofold: either a righteousness by imputation or by implantation.
The righteousness by imputation is truly ours to justify, just as it is Christ's to give. The righteousness by implantation comes from the Spirit of Christ. This implanted righteousness is within the soul as an intrinsic quality, and if it is genuine, it must be present in three ways.
1. Righteousness must be in the soul extensively, in every part; we don't call someone white just because they have white teeth. People aren't considered righteous just because they can speak righteously—what are these white teeth? Righteousness, like holy leaven, must spread and fill every part: the understanding, will, and affections. "The very God of peace sanctify you wholly" (1 Thess. 5:23). Therefore, grace is called the new man, not a new eye or a new tongue, but a new man. A saint, though righteous only in part, is righteous in every part.
2. Righteousness must be in the soul intensively. We call water hot when it is hot in the third or fourth degree; a person isn't considered righteous if they are lukewarm and neutral in religion. This was Laodicea's condition, lukewarm (Rev. 3:16). "I would thou wert cold or hot" (Rev. 3:15). I wish you were something; anything rather than lukewarm. Righteousness must rise to some degree; David was filled with holy zeal, "My zeal hath consumed me" (Ps. 119:139).
3. Righteousness must be in the soul perseveringly. It must remain and continue. A person isn't righteous if they are good only in a moment of fear or joy; hypocrites may seem righteous for a time, as long as circumstances favor them, but it quickly fades; they change rapidly, like the herb Poleon whose leaves are white in the morning, purple at noon, and blue at night. They change in their goodness and are of various minds, like Joseph's coat of many colors. Hypocrites often live to contradict themselves; they are like Cataline, of whom Sallust observes, he had a good and hopeful beginning but a bad end. I've read of certain people in India called Pandorae, who have white hair in their youth and black hair in their old age. An emblem of hypocrites, who at first appear white and fair like saints, but in their later years darken in wickedness. These people's religion was never genuine; only those who, like Job, hold fast to their integrity are truly righteous (Job 2:3). There is a big difference between the motion of a watch and the beating of a pulse: the watch stops quickly, but the pulse, coming from a vital principle, is permanent and constant; as long as there is life, the pulse beats. True righteousness is a spiritual pulse that will always be beating. So much for the first, who this righteous person is.
2. The second point, which I will only briefly mention, is that the righteous person will wear the crown of righteousness. James 1:12 says, "He shall receive the crown of life." And in Revelation 2:10, it says, "I will give thee the crown of life." From both of these scriptures, you can see that a true saint is heir to the crown. Since this truth is so clear, I might say, as they did in another sense, "What needs there further witness?" I will therefore move on to the next point.
3. To show you how the reward of glory is compared to a Crown. It is called here a Crown of Righteousness, and that in three ways.
1. A crown is a splendid thing; the royal Crown adorned with jewels is a magnificent sight. Similarly, the Crown of Righteousness is very bright and illustrious. Because of its splendor, it is called a Crown of Glory (1 Pet. 5:4). It must be glorious because it is a Crown made by God Himself. Sin has given us our Crosses, but God has given us our Crown. What are all the beauties and glories of the world, which have been considered most famous, compared to this Crown of Righteousness? The Temple of Diana, Mausolus' Tomb, the Egyptian Pyramids, the Pillar of the Sun, which the Heathens offered to Jupiter. The glory of this Crown is beyond words. Even if the Angels themselves were sent from heaven to describe this Crown of Righteousness, they would sooner run out of words than ideas. But here I must draw a veil, as I am not able to give you the full picture or even a faint shadow of it; nor can it be described by all the lights of heaven, even if every star were turned into a Sun.
2. A crown is a heavy thing. So is the Crown of Righteousness; that's why the Apostle calls it a "weight of glory" (2 Cor. 4:17). We think our sufferings are heavy, but really, they are light compared to our crown. This Crown of Righteousness is so heavy that it would overwhelm us if God didn't make us able to bear it.
3. A crown is an honorable thing. "You crown him with honor" (Ps. 8:5). That's why when King Ahasuerus asked Haman, "What shall be done to the man whom the king will honor?" Haman couldn't think of anything more honorable than the crown. "Let the royal crown which the king uses to wear be set upon his head" (Esther 6:8). A crown is not for everyone; it won't fit every head. It is for kings and people of renown to wear. What great honor it was to wear the Olympic crowns! The Apostle seems to refer to this here. A crown is a badge and symbol of imperial honor. So this Crown of Righteousness is a sign of honor; it is a symbol of royalty and excellence. Only those who are born of God and have the royal blood of heaven running in their souls wear this blessed crown. The people of the world may gather silver like dust, but the crown God reserves only for those whom He has made kings (Rev. 1:6).
4. The last thing is to show you how this Crown of Righteousness is better and more glorious than all earthly crowns. This will be clear in six points.
1. This Crown of Righteousness is obtained lawfully. It is a crown that God himself will place on our heads. "The Lord, the righteous judge, will give it to me on that day," says the text (2 Tim. 4:8). Therefore, it is obtained lawfully. Other crowns are often taken by force, as history abundantly shows; they could be called Crowns of Unrighteousness because they are gained unjustly. Julius Caesar used to say that for a crown, it was lawful to break any oath. The saints do not get their crown by taking it unlawfully, but by being chosen for it; they are chosen for a crown.
2. This Crown of Righteousness is purer. Other crowns are made of less pure, more impure metal. They come with their troubles. A crown of gold cannot be made without thorns. In this way, the Crown of Righteousness is superior. It is made of a purer metal, with no worries or burdens woven into it. It fills the soul with joy and removes all sorrow from the heart. There can be no more sorrow in heaven than there is joy in hell. 3. This Crown of Righteousness can never be lost or forfeited. Other crowns can be lost. "The crown has fallen from our head" (Lam. 5:16). Henry the Sixth was honored with the crowns of two kingdoms, France and England. The first was lost through the faction of his nobles, and the other was twice taken from his head before his death. Crowns have many heirs and successors; many have been deposed either by deceit or force. But this Crown of Righteousness can never be lost. God will not say, "Remove the diadem, take off the crown" (Ezek. 21:26). This crown is set upon the head of Christ's bride, and Christ will never remove his bride. There's nothing except sin that can forfeit the crown, but believers will be so fixed in their state of holiness that they cannot stray or move backward.
4. This Crown of Righteousness is a crown that never fades. Other crowns are like a garland of flowers that soon withers; do crowns last for all generations? (Proverbs 27:24). All outward glory passes away like a swift stream or a ship with full sails; crowns wear out and fall into the dust. But this Crown of Righteousness does not fade (1 Pet. 5:4). Eternity is a jewel in the Saints' Crown; after millions of years, it will be as bright and splendid as on the first day it was worn.
5. This Crown of Righteousness does not cause envy. David's own son envied him and tried to take his crown from his head. A crown of gold is often a target for envy and ambition. But this Crown of Righteousness is free from envy. The white lily of peace is a flower that grows in this crown. One saint in glory will not envy another because everyone is crowned. And even though one crown may be larger than another, each person will have a crown as big as they can carry.
6. This Crown of Righteousness makes a person blessed; earthly crowns don't have this power. They often make people cursed; they are so heavy that they can drag people down to hell. They make people's heads so dizzy that they stumble and fall into harmful desires. But this Crown of Righteousness blesses those who wear it. The Hebrew word for "to crown" means to surround. Because the crown surrounds those who wear it with earthly happiness. The saints will see God for eternity, and this is the surrounding crown. The scholars say happiness is found in the vision of God. But besides that, the saints will have such communications of divine excellencies as they are able to receive. This is the essence of blessedness.
The Lord's Supper
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Application #1
1. For Information, and it has four parts.
1. It shows us that religion is not imposed on difficult terms; God does not ask us to do unreasonable things. He doesn't give us work without a reward; behold, there is a Crown of Righteousness waiting for us. When we hear about the doctrine of repentance, soaking our souls in tears for sin, or the doctrine of mortification, removing the right eye, we might be tempted to say, "This is a hard saying, who can hear it?" No, beloved, God's terms are not unreasonable. He never gives us work without ensuring we receive double pay. He gives us many sweet encouragements while we do the work, often filling our paths with roses, spreading his love in our hearts (Rom. 5:5), and filling us with joy in believing (Rom. 15:13). Even the smallest mercy from God will leave us in his debt. But when we consider the reward, which far exceeds our thoughts and surpasses what we deserve, we surely cannot say to God, as in Matthew 25:24, "I knew thee that thou art a hard man." If a king asked someone to pick up his staff and, for that, gave them a lifetime annuity, it wouldn't be unreasonable. When you have done all, as our Lord Christ says, you are but unprofitable servants. What advantage do you bring to God? Yet for this small, insignificant effort, there is a Crown waiting for you. Surely God does not invite you to your loss, nor can you say he is a hard Master. Satan, who would discourage you from living a strict holy life, will he promise you something equivalent to this Crown? As Saul said in another context, "Will the son of Jesse give you fields and vineyards, and make you Captains of thousands?" So, will Satan, who belittles the ways of God, give you Crowns to possess? Will he improve your wages? Alas! You know what wages he pays; his wages are death, and truly, the less wages, the better.
2. See here something that should make us feel a holy anger against sin, because it will make us lose our crown. Sin is not only bad by itself, being the most horrible, ugly, and deformed thing; which made holy Anselm say that if he had to choose between the pains of hell on one side and the ugliness of sin on the other, he would rather throw himself into hell than willingly commit one sin against God. Besides the inner filth that is in sin (it being the very essence of evil), this should make us hate it; sin would take away our honor, it would snatch the crown from our head. Think about what the end of sin will be. As Abner said to Joab, "Will it not be bitterness in the latter end?" (2 Sam. 2:26). If people, before they committed sin, would just sit down and think rationally about whether the present gain and sweetness in sin would make up for the future loss, I believe it would make them break out in a cold sweat and give them some pause to their uncontrolled desires. Jacob took Esau by the heel. Oh, do not look at the smiling face of sin, but take it by the heel, look at the end of it; it will take away our crown. And can anything make up for this loss? When a person is tempted to pride, let them remember this will make their head swell so big that the crown will not fit; "Woe to the crown of pride!" (Isa. 28:1). The crown of pride will stop them from getting the crown of righteousness. When tempted to lust, let them remember that enjoying the pleasures of sin for a short time risks losing a crown of immortality. And is there as much sweetness in sin as there is in a crown? When tempted to drunkenness (a sin that not only makes them unchristian but also un-man them), let them consider that it would uncrown them of their reason and later uncrown them of their happiness. When tempted to swearing, let them think to themselves, this is a sin that has nothing to make it enjoyable. Other sins have a show of pleasure and profit, which is the bait people are drawn with. But the swearer is caught by the devil's hook without any bait. Oh, is it not madness to give up heaven for these unfruitful works of darkness? How will the devil mock and laugh at people? That they should be so foolish as to give up a crown for a rattle. Like those Indians who, for pictures and glass beads, will part with their gold. Oh, how should we hate sin, which will take away our crown from us.
3. See here the misery of a wicked person. Even if they may be "Coronis aureis donatus" (adorned with golden crowns) and seem to thrive in their splendor while alive, when they die, they won't receive a Crown of Righteousness but Chains of Darkness. Death takes them as prisoners to hell, leading them away to be punished. The Egyptians, as Plutarch reports, would bring a skull to their feasts with the motto: "Look upon this, and proceed in your banquet." The sinner who enjoys sin and crowns themselves with rosebuds, amidst all their joy and music, here's a skull for them to look at. The day of death for them will not be a day of celebration, but a day of execution. How can the wicked rejoice? Theophylact used to say, their situation is miserable if they go laughing to hell. We may say of this laughter, "it is mad" (Eccles. 2:2). Imagine seeing a person sitting in a rotten chair, with a fire burning beneath them, a sword hanging by a thin thread above their head, and a table full of delicacies in front of them. Surely, they would have little appetite to eat, sitting in such danger. This is like a sinner, whose soul sits in their body as in a chair, with diseases like worms breeding there. Under them, hellfire is burning, and over their head, not a crown, but a sword of justice hangs. When death breaks this chair of the body, they fall into the fire, and this fire is unquenchable. A multitude of tears cannot extinguish it, and time cannot end it. Let not the sinner expect any Charon to ferry them over that Stygian lake, as some have vainly imagined. God has the keys of hell (Rev. 1:18), and the damned are bound hand and foot (Matt. 22:13), so there can be no escape. O that this might scare and frighten people from their evil ways! The wicked, when they are dying, must say to their souls, like Emperor Adrian: "O my poor wandering soul, where are you going? What will become of you?" There remains nothing for sinners but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation (Heb. 10:27). God will not say to them, "Come here and be crowned," but "go, you cursed."
4. This shows us, like a mirror in Scripture, the happiness and nobility of a righteous person. During their life, they wear a "robe of righteousness." After death, they wear a "crown of righteousness." 1. During their lifetime, they wear a robe of righteousness (Isa. 61:10). This is the righteousness of Christ, in which they are seen and considered as righteous as Christ himself (2 Cor. 5:21). It doesn't say we are made the righteousness of angels, but of God. 2. After death, they wear a crown of righteousness. This crown includes all blessedness within it. The saints are not perfectly happy until death; that's when the crown comes. Here, we are just candidates and expectants of heaven. This is just the seed-time; we sow the seed of prayer and water it with our tears, but the golden harvest is yet to come. The crown is stored up. When Croesus asked Solon who he thought was happy, he told him about Tellus, a man who was dead. So, a Christian is not perfectly happy until death; then the crown will be placed on. The Thracians used music at their funerals, and Theocritus notes that the Heathens had their funeral banquet because of the happiness they believed the deceased experienced. When the believer's fleshly body falls away, their soul will ascend in a triumphant chariot, and the garland of glory will be placed on their head.
Application #2
For examination. Examine yourselves to see if you are the heirs of this Crown.
Question: But how can that be known?
Answer: By this one sign; if you give the Crown to Christ while you live, he will give the Crown to you when you die. Do you have the wisdom to handle important matters, the strength to fulfill duties, resist temptations, and bear burdens? You will not claim or take credit for anything yourself, but let Christ wear the Crown. Just like Saint Paul said, "I labored more than they all, yet not I" (1 Cor. 15:10). This is the inscription on Christ's clothing and on his thigh, "King of Kings" (Rev. 19:16). We do our best to make him King when we place the Crown of all upon his head. King Canute (as historians tell) took the Crown off his own head and placed it on a Crucifix; similarly, a good Christian takes the Crown of honor and praise from their own head and places it on the head of Christ. This is hard for human nature to accept; a proud heart will not easily give up the Crown; it will praise Christ and tell others to bow the knee, but still want to be greater in the throne. But be assured there's no way for us to reign with Christ unless we let Christ reign here.
Application #3
For Exhortation; and it encourages us to focus on four things:
Exhortation #1: If there is a crown waiting for us, it calls for our love to God. Look at the kind of love the Father has given us, to offer us a crown. This is the highest honor for a creature. If there is love in a crumb, what is there in a crown? If there is love in forgiving mercy, what is there in crowning mercy? It is a favor that we, poor worms, should be allowed to live; but that worms should be made kings; that Christ should be judged and we adorned; that the curse should be placed on his head, and the crown set on ours, look at what kind of love this is! It is beyond all exaggeration. And shouldn't this make our hearts respond and echo back love? Oh Christians! Ignite your love at this fire; just like burning glasses that catch fire when the sun shines on them: God having shone upon us in love, let our hearts burn; and our love for God must be divinely inspired.
1. It must be a genuine love; we must not love Him for something else, like a person loves medicine for the sake of health, but like a person loves sweet wine for itself. We must love God for the intrinsic excellencies in Him, which are so attractive and lovely.
2. It must be a voluntary love; otherwise, it is not love but force. It should come freely, like water from a spring. It must be a free-will offering, not like paying a tax.
3. It must be an abundant love; it shouldn't be limited to just a few drops, but should be a stream; like the Nile, it should overflow its banks.
4. It must be an extraordinary love; not just any ordinary love, but a special, complete, and supreme love. We shouldn't just give God the basic part of our love, but the very best; not just the truth of it, but the essence and finest part. "I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, and the juice of my pomegranates" (Song of Solomon 8:2). If the bride has a cup that is richer and more flavorful, Christ should drink from that.
5. Our love must be a very intense and passionate love. The sun shines as brightly as it can; our love for God should be the same, going to the utmost of our strength. It should overflow but never stop. What unmatched love God has shown us. Oh Christian! Respond to love with love. In love, we can, as Bernard says, reciprocate with God. If God is angry, we must not be angry in return, but if God loves us, we must love Him back. Oh, love God the Father, who has made this crown for us; love God the Son, who has bought this crown for us; love God the Holy Spirit, who has made us fit to wear this crown.
Exhortation #2: Let us long and yearn for this happy condition. Doesn't the heir want to be crowned? Here we have a weight of sin. In heaven, a weight of glory. How should our souls be filled with the desire to leave this world? What is the world we are so attached to? It is just a spacious prison, and shouldn't we be willing to leave prison to be crowned? The bird wants to leave the cage, even if it is made of gold. The Academics compare the soul of man to a bird, soaring with its wings high up. Every saint is a true bird of paradise, always flying up towards heaven with passionate and zealous affections, longing to be out of this earthly cage of the body, when, like the Phoenix, they will receive a golden crown on their head and shine in glory like the angels of God. Tully notes that Scipio, when his father told him about the glory the soul would have in a state of immortality, said, "Why then do I stay so long on earth? Why do I not hurry to die?" When we hear of this crown of righteousness, which will so greatly enrich and adorn the soul, it should make us tired of this world and long for the time of our solemn inauguration. How Paul desired to be free from this life (Phil. 1:23). Wouldn't a person be willing to set sail and cross the troublesome waters if they were sure to be crowned as soon as they reached the shore? Why are our souls so earthly? We love to graze in the world's full pastures and are afraid to die. Most people look so terrified at the thought of death, as if they were going to the cross rather than the crown. Oh, long for death! The Apostle calls death a putting off of our earthly clothes (2 Cor. 5:4). This is all death does to us if we are in Christ—it takes off our clothes and puts on a crown. This should make us say like Hilarion, "Go out, my soul, go out, why do you tremble? You are going to receive a crown." A believer at death will be the happiest loser and the happiest gainer. They will lose their sins and gain glory. The day of death is the saint's coronation day.
Exhortation #3: Learn to behave and conduct yourselves in such a way that this Crown of Righteousness can be placed on your heads when you die.
Question: How can you do that?
Answer: Do three things.
1. If you want to wear the Crown of Righteousness, make sure you have the work of righteousness in your heart (Isa. 32:17). This means having the work of grace done within you, and this work must be shown by a significant change. This change is sometimes called an ingrafting or a transforming. Grace causes a transformation; it creates in the soul a resemblance and likeness to Christ. First, there must be a consecrating work before there can be a crowning work. In Scripture, during the formal inauguration of their kings, they first anointed them and then crowned them. Zadok the priest took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon, and after that, he was crowned. Similarly, there must be the anointing of the Spirit; first, God pours on us the anointing oil of grace, and after the horn of oil, then comes the crown.
2. If you want to wear the Crown of Righteousness, then walk in the way of Righteousness (Prov. 12:28). This is called in Scripture, walking after the Spirit (Rom. 8:1). Just like the people of Israel followed the Pillar of Fire, and the wise men followed the Star; wherever the Star went, they went. Sometimes it's called walking by rule (Gal. 6:16). Those who expect a Golden Crown must walk by a Golden rule. Make sure you walk with David's Candle and Lantern in your hand (Ps. 119:105). If you walk in the dark, you might easily lose your way. Walk soberly, in acts of temperance; righteously, in acts of justice; godly, in acts of piety. Walk as Christ did on earth; His life was, as someone said, purer than the sunbeams. Copy His life in yours; be assured you will never share in the privilege of Christ's death unless you imitate the pattern of Christ's life.
Do you want to wear the Crown of Righteousness? Walk in the way of Righteousness; but sadly, this is a very untrodden path.
1. Some know the way of Righteousness but don't walk in it; like the Greeks, whom Plutarch mentioned, they knew what was honest but didn't do it.
2. Others praise the way of Righteousness but don't walk in it; like those who taste and praise the wine but don't buy it.
3. Others walk the opposite way; instead of walking in the way, they are only good at crossing it, opposing the way of Righteousness, such as persecutors (2 Tim. 3:8).
4. Others walk a few steps in the way and then go back again; these are apostates (2 Tim. 4:10). As if there were any way to heaven by going backward.
5. Others walk halfway in the way and halfway out; these are loose believers, who, though they don't disagree with us on some doctrines, under the notion of Christian liberty, walk carelessly and presumptuously, emphasizing justification to weaken the power of sanctification. They take liberties that others tremble to think of; surely, if there were no other Bible to read but the lives of some believers, we would read very little Scripture there.
6. Others walk soberly for a while in the way, but suddenly, drinking in the poison of error, begin to be intoxicated with new and dangerous opinions, who, as the Apostle says, have turned aside after Satan (1 Tim. 5:15). Ignatius calls error the invention of the Devil. Basil calls it a spiritual drunkenness; and when the head is dizzy, the feet must surely stumble. Loose principles breed loose practices.
7. Others, instead of walking in the way, slander the way of Righteousness. The way of truth will be spoken of badly (2 Pet. 2:2), or as it is in the Greek, it will be blasphemed. People of the world say that the way of Righteousness is a lonely way and makes those who walk in it melancholy, and that they must expect to lose their joy along the way. They forget that golden saying of Augustine, when a person is converted and turns to God, their joy is not taken away but changed; it's more sublime and pure. And doesn't Solomon's wisdom tell us that all the ways of God are pleasantness?
Take the most difficult part of the path of religion, and it is still pleasant to walk. Holy weeping may seem strange and uncomfortable at first, but how often, while the saints weep for sin, does the Lord make them weep for joy. The tears of repentance, like rose-water, while they fall from the eye, give off a sweet fragrance that refreshes the soul with inner comfort. Oh, what green branches! What full clusters of grapes hang all along as we walk in the way of righteousness. How then dare people criticize?
8. Others move very slowly in their spiritual journey; they don't walk, they creep. Their progress is so slow, like the movement of the eighth sphere, that those watching can hardly tell if they're making any progress at all. They are sluggish in their spiritual journey and need to frequently pray with David for God's free Spirit (Ps. 51:12).
9. Others walk completely off the path. These are the profane people who dedicate their lives to indulgence, stepping closer and closer to the Devil's territory with every move. They are like Asa, who had a disease in his feet; they walk, as the Apostle says, disorderly like soldiers marching out of rank and file. Jesus Christ not only shed blood from His sides to redeem us but also water to cleanse us (1 John 5:6). Those who do not have the power of one to sanctify may question the benefit of the other to save.
Oh! All of you who want to wear the Crown of Righteousness, walk in the way of Righteousness; strive to maintain the reputation of religion in the world; walk exactly, so that if we could imagine the Bible being lost, it might be found again in your lives.
If you want to wear the Crown of Righteousness, put on the Armor of Righteousness (2 Cor. 6:7). This means if you want this Crown, you must fight for it. Paul says, "I have fought the good fight"; a metaphor, as Chrysostom and Ambrose observe, taken from wrestlers who, when they had won the victory, were crowned. It is a triumphal crown, which is why the Saints in glory are depicted with palms in their hands as a sign of victory. Christians must strive as in the Olympic games; they must not only be adorned but also armed. Not only adorned with the jewel of knowledge but armed with the breastplate of faith. Satan is a lion in the way, and there must be a pitched battle. This Crown is worth fighting for; a Christian shines most in his spiritual armor. This is his sacred bravery when he is like those soldiers Curtius speaks of, who did not look impressive in gold and glittering clothes but shined in their martial attire. The Crown is set upon the head of the conqueror; those delicate, dainty Christians who live at ease and will not make the slightest effort against the enemy will have no Crown but will be discarded as cowards. Lycurgus would have no man's name written on his tombstone except for those who died bravely in war; God will write no man's name in the book of life except for those who die fighting. When the Saints, after all their spiritual battles, come to heaven as conquerors, then, as it was said of Caesar, their symbols of honor will be displayed, and the Crown of Righteousness will be set upon their head.
4. Let this motivate our lazy hearts and make us act with all our strength for God. What effort? What hard work? How should we push ourselves to be holy? How should we spend and be spent for Christ? How should we strive to bring in some rewards for our Lord and Master when we consider how infinitely it will be rewarded? While we are working for God, He is preparing rewards for us; there is a crown waiting for us. How should this crown add wings to our prayers and fuel to our zeal? O Christian, let your mind think for Christ, let your tongue speak for Him, let your hands work for Him! "What honor and dignity has been done to Mordecai?" says King Ahasuerus (Esther 6:3). Ask what has been done for God. I think we should sometimes go into our private rooms and weep, considering how little work we have done for God. Beloved, what a huge difference there is between our work and our reward; our effort and our crown. And it's only a short time, a very little while before the crown will be put on. "The time is short," says the Apostle. We are ready to finish our journey, we are almost at the shore, and then we shall be crowned. O! Make the most of the present time for the glory of God; the crown is near, you sail quickly, work quickly; and to encourage Christians and quicken their obedience, consider this: the more work you do for God, the bigger crown you shall wear. There are levels of glory. He who gained five with his pound was made ruler over five cities, but he who gained ten was made ruler over ten cities. As one star differs from another in glory, so one crown differs from another in glory. If there are levels of torment in hell, then by the same reason, there are levels of glory in heaven. That there are levels of torment is clear (Luke 20:47). Those who pretend to make long prayers will receive greater damnation. Those who hide sin under the guise of religion and claim God supports their wickedness will have a hotter place in hell; likewise, there are levels of happiness. How then should we abound in work, seeing we shall exceed in reward?
Application: Here is a Gospel honeycomb, dropping comfort into the hearts of the godly. How this can ease all the troubles of this life and make the bitter waters of Marah sweet and pleasant to drink! There is a crown waiting for us. A Christian in this life has things that make them sad, but also things that comfort them. A true saint is an heir of the Cross; if they wear any robes, they are bloody; if any crown, it's made of thorns. But here is something that can make their sufferings easier to bear, here is wine mixed with their myrrh, they shall be crowned in Paradise. This, my brethren, can turn our mourning into melody, our tears into triumph; though we bear the cross, we shall wear the crown. And these sufferings cannot last long; if our life is short, our sufferings cannot be long. Oh, how this can sweeten all the bitter cups we drink! Cleopatra put a jewel in her cup that was worth a kingdom; when we are drinking from our bitter cup, let this jewel be put into our cup to make it more pleasant to drink: There's a reward of glory. Though death is in the cup, there's sugar at the bottom. "Henceforth there is a crown of righteousness laid up" (2 Tim. 4:8). So much for the text, now to the occasion.
I'm sorry to be the one speaking in this sad moment; it might have been better for someone else to do it, as grief often makes it hard to express oneself clearly, but I won't make excuses. We are here to honor the funeral of Thomas Hodges Esquire, who I believe was not only well-known but also well-loved. I won't exaggerate his qualities like Homer did with Achilles; what I will say about him now that he is laid to rest are just my own observations. I dislike giving overly flattering titles; however, since this is the last act of love I can offer, allow me to place a few flowers on his hearse. The Jews used to embalm the bodies of their dead, and why shouldn't names be preserved in the same way?
1. He was not only someone who attended regularly, but he also listened to the word with great respect; and from what I observed, he seemed to accept the truth not just by understanding it, but by loving it as well.
2. He was very passionate about his beliefs and strongly opposed error. He didn't like listening to preachers with false teachings, knowing that smooth talkers could easily sell bad ideas. He was a friend to the truth.
3. He greatly respected and supported the lawfully ordained ministers. I rarely heard him talk about those who were conscientious without showing some respect. I noticed that he valued most those ministers who spoke directly to the conscience, rather than those who simply used smooth words (Jer. 23:31) or made their preaching more about sounding good than being helpful. It was a good sign of a spiritual appetite that he preferred the substance of the message over the presentation.
4. He was a man without deceit; a truly loyal friend. He didn't know the art, which some have, of flattering and hating at the same time. The Romans depicted friendship with her hand on her heart; a symbolic emblem of a faithful friend who speaks sincerely from the heart. Our departed friend would speak plainly about what was on his mind, not like those who have sweet words in their mouth but malice in their heart.
5. He was someone who did not sinfully go along with the whims of others. There are too many people who, like Proteus, can change into any form; who can go along with any trend, especially if it leads to promotion. I can say this about him: even though death broke him, the times could never change him. He often thanked God in my hearing for the generous provision that Providence had given him, and he did not want to increase his wealth by increasing his guilt.
6. He was very charitable to the poor. The age we live in, though it has the appearance of being religious, shows little actual charity. It's the sin of many rich people that, even though they have a flourishing estate, they have a withered hand and cannot stretch it out for good causes. Chrysostom made a serious and important statement: "Feed the hungry with your charity while you live, so you don't feed the fire of hell when you die." There was a temple built in Athens called the Temple of Mercy, dedicated to charitable uses. It was a great reproach for anyone to be accused of not having been in the Temple of Mercy. This could be the reproach of many rich people in this city, that even though they sometimes visit God's temple by attending public services, they are seldom or never seen in the Temple of Mercy. They can drink from a full cup themselves but won't let a single drop fall to refresh the poor. Their arguments always end in excuses. As for our deceased friend, I must speak on his behalf, and let it be his honor now that he is gone. He had not only wealth but also a generous heart. Even though I often went to him for charitable works, he never made excuses (which are just polite denials), but his hands were generous, which is a sacrifice pleasing to God. He truly had a free and noble spirit, avoiding both wastefulness and stinginess. When I visited him on his deathbed, he told me that sin was the burden of his life and that he relied only on the merits of Christ. But he said, "How hard do I find it to believe," and these words were spoken with many tears. "It is better to complain than to presume." I could say more, but I will keep it brief. These things were commendable in him and worth imitating by us. Here was good fruit that adorned the tree. It would be wise for us to copy what we see as good in others and to live blamelessly in holiness, so that while we live, we may have good hope through grace of a part and interest in Christ. And when we die, we may receive that crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give on that day to all who love his appearing (2 Tim. 4:8).
The End.
