For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
— 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4
And they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man. And for this cause Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven. And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword.
— 2 Chronicles 32:19-21
He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
— Proverbs 29:1
Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.
— Isaiah 30:13
They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
— Luke 17:27-29
He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it. Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble. Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.
— Psalm 10:11-13
For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.
— Nahum 1:10
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
— Luke 21:34-35
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
— 2 Peter 3:3-7
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
— Ecclesiastes 12:1
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
— Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Directions and Helps on Being Godly—Serving the Lord, by Thomas Brooks. The following contains an excerpt from Chapter Six of his work, “Apples of Gold.”
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.
— Proverbs 25:11
The hoary head is a crown of glory—if it be found in a way of righteousness.
— Proverbs 16:31
Chapter 6 Directions and Helps
I shall now come to those DIRECTIONS and HELPS that must, by assistance from heaven, be put in practice, if ever you would be godly early, and serve the Lord in the primrose of your days. Now all that I shall say will fall under these two heads.
First, Some things you must carefully and watchfully decline, and arm yourselves against; and
Secondly, There are other things that you must prosecute and follow. First, There are some things that you must watchfully decline, and they are these.
Direction, (1). First, If ever you would be godly early, if you would be gracious in the spring and morning of your youth, oh! then, take heed of putting the day of death far from you, Amos 6:3, “You push away every thought of coming disaster.” Young men are very prone to look upon death afar off, to put it at a great distance from them. They are apt to say to death as Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get away from me, and let me see your face no more,” Exod. 10:28. If old men discourse to them of death, they are ready to answer, as the high priest did Judas in a different case, Mat 27:4, “What is that to us? look you unto it.” We know sickness will come, and death is a debt that we must all pay, but surely these guests are a great way from us; for does not David say, “The days of a man are threescore years and ten”? Psalm 90:10. We have calculated our nativities, and we cannot abate a day, a minute, a moment, of “threescore and ten;” and therefore it is even a death to think of death; there being so great a distance between our birth-day and our dying-day, as we have cast up the account.
Ah! young men, it is sad, it is very sad, when you are so wittily wicked as to say with those in Ezekiel, “the people of Israel are saying —His visions won’t come true for a long, long time.” Ezek. 12:27.
Ah! young men, young men, by putting far away this day—you gratify Satan, you strengthen sin, you provoke the Lord, you make the work of faith and repentance more hard and difficult, you lay a sad foundation for the greatest fears and doubts.
Ah! how soon may that sad word be fulfilled upon you, “The Lord of that servant (who says his Lord delays his coming) shall come in a day when he looks not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder (or cut him off), and appoint him his portion with hypocrites; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth,” Mat. 24:48-51. When Sodom, when Pharaoh, when Agag, when Amalek, when Haman, when Herod, when Nebuchadnezzar, when Belshazzar, when Dives, when the fool in the Gospel—were all in their prime, their pride, when they were all in a flourishing state, and upon the very top of their glory—how strangely, how suddenly, how sadly, how fearfully, how astonishingly—were they brought down to the grave, to hell!
Ah young man, who are you? and what is your name or fame? what is your power or place? what is your dignity or glory? that you dare promise yourself an exemption from sharing in as sad a portion as ever justice gave to those who were once very high, who were seated among the stars, but are now brought down to the pit of hell, Isaiah 13:10-17. I have read a story of one that gave a young prodigal a ring with a death’s head, on this condition, that he should one hour daily, for seven days together, look and think upon it; which bred a great change in his life.
Ah! young men, the serious thoughts of death may do that for you which neither friends, counsel, examples, prayers, sermons, tears, have not done to this very day. Well! remember this; to labor not to die is labor in vain, and to put this day far from you, and to live without fear of death, is to die living. Death seizes on old men, and lays wait for the youngest. Death is oftentimes as near to the young man’s back as it is to the old man’s face.
It is storied of Charles the Fourth, king of France, that being one time affected with the sense of his many and great sins, he fetched a deep sigh, and said to his wife, By the help of God I will now so carry myself all my life long, that I will never offend him more; which words he had no sooner uttered, but he fell down dead and died.
Do not, young men, put this day far from you, lest you are suddenly surprised, and then you cry out, when too late, “A kingdom for a Christ, a kingdom for a Christ!”
Ah! young men, did you never hear of a young man that cried out, “Oh! I am so sick, that I cannot live, and yet, woeful wretch that I am! so sinful, that I dare not die. Oh that I might live! oh that I might die! oh that I might do neither!” Well! young men, remember this, the frequent, the serious thoughts of death will prevent many a sin, it will arm you against many temptations, it will secure you from many afflictions, it will keep you from doating on the world, it will make you do much in a little time, it will make death easy when it comes, and it will make you look out early for an unshakable kingdom, for incorruptible riches, and for unfading glory. Therefore do not, Oh do not put the day of death far from you. Take heed of crying tomorrow, tomorrow, says Luther; for a man lives forty years before he knows himself to be a fool, and by that time he sees his folly, his life is finished. So men die before they begin to live.
Direction (2). Secondly, If you would be godly early, then take heed of leaning to your own understanding.
This counsel wise Solomon gives to his son (or the young men in his time): “My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not lean on your own understanding,” Proverbs 3:1, 5.
Youth is the age of folly, of vain hopes, and overgrown confidence. Ah! how wise might many have been, had they not been wise in their own opinion when young. Rehoboam’s young counselors proved the overthrow of his kingdom. It is brave for youth at all times to be discreet and sober-minded. Three virtues, they say, are prime ornaments of youth, modesty, silence, and obedience.
Ah! young men, keep close in every action to this one principle, namely, in every action resolve to be discreet and wise. Ah! young men, your leaning upon yourselves, or upon others, will in the end be bitterness and vexation of spirit. Young men are very apt to lean on their own wit, wisdom, arts, parts, as old men are to lean on a staff to support them (as the Hebrew word signifies, that is rendered lean, in that of Proverbs 3:5). This has been the bane of many a choice wit, the loss of many a brave head, the ruin of many a fine mind.
Ajax thought it was only for cowards and weaklings to lean upon the Lord for support, not for him when he was foiled. Lean not to great parts, lean not to natural or acquired accomplishments, lest you lose them and yourselves too. Leaning to natural or moral excellencies, is the ready way to be stripped of all. Babylon, who was bold bold upon her high towers, thick walls, and twenty years’ provision laid in for a siege, was surprised by Cyrus.
It was said of Caesar, that he received not his wounds from the swords of enemies, but from the hands of friends; that is, from trusting in them. Ah! how many young men have been wounded, yes slain, by trusting to their own understandings, their own abilities!
It was an excellent saying of Austin, He who stands upon his own strength, shall never stand. A creature is like a single drop left to itself, it spends and wastes itself presently, but if like a drop in the fountain and ocean of being, it has abundance of security.
Ah! young men, young men, if you will need be leaning, then lean upon precious promises, 2 Peter 1:4, Psalm 27:1; lean upon the rock that is higher than yourselves, lean upon the Lord Jesus Christ, as John did, who was the youngest of all the disciples, and the most beloved of all the disciples, John 21:20, chapter 13:23. John leaned much, and Christ loved him much. Oh lean upon Christ’s wisdom for direction, lean upon his power for protection, lean upon his purse, his fullness, for provision, Cant. 8:5; lean upon his eye for approbation, lean upon his righteousness for justification, lean upon his blood for remission, lean upon his merits for salvation. As the young vine, without her wall to support her, will fall and sink, so will you, young men—without Christ putting his everlasting arms under you to support you, and uphold you. Therefore, above all leanings, lean upon him. By leaning on him, you will engage him; by leaning on him, you will gain more honor than you can give; by leaning on him, you may even command him, and make him eternally yours, etc.
Direction (3).Thirdly, If you would be godly early, if you would seek and serve the Lord in the spring and morning of your days, then take heed of flatterers and flattery. Ah! how many young men might have been very godly, who are now exceeding bad, by hearkening to flatterers, and pretending flattery! Flattery undid young Rehoboam, Ahab, Herod, Nero, Alexander, etc. Flatterers are soul-murderers; they are soul-undoers. They are like evil surgeons, who skin over the wound, but never heal it.
The emperor Anastasius’ motto was, Smooth talk proves often sweet poison. Flattery is the very spring and mother of all impiety; it blows the trumpet, and draws poor souls into rebellion against God, as Sheba drew Israel to rebel against David. It put our first parents upon tasting the forbidden fruit; it put Absalom upon dethroning of his father; it put Haman upon plotting the ruin of the Jews; it put Korah, Dathan, and Abiram upon rebelling against Moses; it makes men call evil good and good evil, darkness light and light darkness, etc. Flattery puts people upon neglecting the means of grace, upon undervaluing the means of grace, and upon despising the means of grace; it puts men upon abasing God, slighting Christ, and vexing the Spirit; it unmans a man; it makes him call black white and white black; it makes a man exchange pearls for pebbles, and gold for counters; it makes a man judge himself wise when he is foolish; knowing, when he is ignorant; holy, when he is profane; free, when he is a prisoner; rich, when he is poor; high, when he is low; full, when he is empty; happy, when he is miserable, Rev. 3:17-18.
Ah! young men, young men, take heed of flatterers; they are the very worst of sinners; they are left by God, blinded by Satan, hardened in sin, and ripened for hell! God declares sadly against them, and that in his word and in his works: in his word, as you may see by comparing these scriptures together, Deut. 29:18-20; Psalm 78:36, 36:1, 3; Job 17:5; Ezek. 12:24; Dan. 11:21, 32, 34. Psalm 12:2-3, “They speak vanity everyone with his neighbor: with flattering lips, and with a double heart, do they speak. The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaks proud things.” And as God declares sadly against them in his word, so he has declared terribly against them in his works, as you may run and read in his judgments executed upon Ahab’s flattering prophets, and upon Haman, and upon Daniel’s princely false accusers, etc. And why, then, will not you stop your ears against those wretches, whom the hand and heart of God is so much against?
Again, as God declares against them, so godly men detest them and declare against them, as you may see by comparing these scriptures together, Psalm 5:8-10; Proverbs 2:16, Proverbs 7:21, Proverbs 28:23; Job 32:21-22; 1 Thes. 2:5, 10. Proverbs 20:19, “Meddle not with him who flatters with his lips.” Why so? Why! Because a man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet, Proverbs 29:5. The Hebrew word that is here rendered flatterer, signifies a soft butter-spoken man, because flatterers use smooth, soft speeches. Also the word signifies “to divide,” because a flatterer’s tongue is divided from his heart. Flatterers have their nets, and those who give ear to them will be taken to their ruin. A lying tongue hates those who are afflicted by it, and “a flattering mouth works ruin,” Proverbs 26:28. A flattering mouth ruins name, fame, estate, body, soul, life.
Valerian, the Roman emperor, used to say, Not bitter words—but flattering words do all the mischief.
When Alexander the Great was hit with an arrow in the siege of an Indian city, which would not heal, he said to his flatterers, You say that I am Jupiter’s son—but this wound cries that I am but a man.
Now shall godly men detest them and abhor them, as they are the pest of pests, the plague of plagues; and will you own them, will you take pleasure in them, to your ruin here and hereafter? The Lord forbid! Oh say to all flatterers, as he to his idols, “Get hence, for what have I more to do with you?” Hosea 14:8.
Nay, once more consider, that not only the good—but the bad, not only the best—but some of the worst of men, have manifested their detestation of flatterers and flattery.
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