Eclesiastes 8:12

DISCOURSE: 839
THE BLESSEDNESS OF FEARING GOD

Eclesiastes 8:12. Surely I know that it shall be well with them which fear God.

NOTHING certain can be determined respecting God’s favour from the outward dispensations of his providence [Note: Eclesiastes 9:1.]. The wicked seem on the whole to prosper more than others [Note: Salmos 73:5; Salmos 73:12.]; nevertheless the godly are by far the happier persons [Note: Salmos 73:15.]. It is of them only that the assertion in the text can be made. We propose to shew,

I. Who they are that fear God—

This, we may suppose, would be a point easy to be determined: but, through self-love and Satan’s devices, many mistake respecting it. The characters described in the text may be distinguished by the following marks:

1. They stand in awe of God’s judgments—

[Once they disregarded the displeasure of the Almighty [Note: Salmos 10:5.]: they would not believe that his threatenings would be executed. But now they have learned to tremble at his word [Note: Isaías 66:2.]. Awakened by his Spirit, they exclaim with the prophet [Note: Isaías 33:14.]. The Scriptures uniformly represent them in this light [Note: Atos 16:29 and Salmos 119:120.]

2. They embrace the salvation offered them—

[In their natural state they felt no need of a physician [Note: Apocalipse 3:17.]: they saw no suitableness in the remedy which the Gospel offered them [Note: 1 Coríntios 1:23.]. Their pride would not suffer them to submit to its humiliating terms [Note: Romanos 10:3.]: but now they gladly embrace Christ as their only Saviour. They flee to him, as the murderers did to a city of refuge. This is the description given of them in the inspired volume [Note: Hebreus 6:18].]

3. They endeavour to keep all the commandments-

[If ever they obeyed God at all, they served him only to the extent the world would approve. Where the lax habits of mankind forbad their compliance with the divine command, they were afraid to be singular. But they dare not any longer halt between God and Baal: they have determined, through grace, to follow the Lord fully. The language of their hearts is like that of David [Note: Salmos 119:5.]. This was the very ground on which God concluded that Abraham feared him [Note: Gênesis 22:12.]

These marks clearly distinguish those who fear God from all others—
[The formal Pharisee has never felt his desert of condemnation [Note: Lucas 18:11.]. The merely awakened sinner has never truly embraced the Gospel [Note: Atos 24:25; Atos 26:28.]. The hypocritical professor has never mortified his besetting sin [Note: Atos 8:23.]. It is the person alone, who fears God, that unites in his experience a dread of God’s wrath, an affiance in Christ, and a love to the commandments.]

Such persons, notwithstanding appearances, are truly blessed.

II.

In what respects it shall be well with them—

They are not exempt from the common afflictions of life. They have in addition to them many trials peculiar to themselves; yet it goes well with them,

1. In respect of temporal good—

[They have a peculiar enjoyment of prosperity. The ungodly find an emptiness in all their possessions [Note: Jó 20:22.]; but the godly have not such gall mixed with their comforts [Note: Provérbios 10:22; 1 Timóteo 6:17.]. They have also peculiar supports in a season of adversity. The wicked are for the most part miserable in their affliction [Note: Eclesiastes 5:17.]: if kept from murmuring, it is the summit of their attainments: but the righteous are enabled to glory in tribulation [Note: Romanos 5:3.], and cordially to approve of God’s dispensations towards them [Note: 2 Reis 20:19.]

2. In respect of spiritual good—

[They possess a peace that passeth all understanding. They are filled with a joy utterly unknown to others [Note: Provérbios 14:10.]. The work of sanctification is gradually carried on within them [Note: 2 Coríntios 4:16.]. As they approach towards death they grow in a meetness for heaven, and are serene and happy in the near prospect of eternity [Note: Salmos 37:37.]

3. In respect to eternal good—

[Who can set forth their felicity in the eternal world? Who can even conceive the weight of glory preparing for them? How will their faith be lost in sight, and their hope in enjoyment! Then indeed will that truth be seen and felt by them [Note: Salmos 144:15.]

These things are far from being “cunningly devised fables.”

III.

What assurance we have that it shall be thus well with them—

No truth whatever is capable of clearer demonstration. The topics from whence it might be proved are innumerable: we shall however confine ourselves to three:

1. The fitness of things requires it—

[No man can seriously think that there is one portion to the righteous and the wicked: there is no well-ordered government on earth where this is the case: much less can we suppose it possible in the divine government. To imagine such a thing, is to strip the Deity of all regard to his own honour. We may be sure that there shall be a distinction made in favour of his servants [Note: Malaquias 3:18.]

2. The promises of God insure it—

[All temporal good is expressly promised to those “who fear God [Note: Salmos 34:9.]:” all spiritual good also is given them as their portion [Note: Salmos 25:12.]: yea, all eternal good is laid up for them as their unalienable inheritance [Note: Salmos 103:17.]: all the promises are made over to them in one word [Note: 1 Timóteo 4:8.]. Can any one doubt a truth so fully established?]

3. The experience of all that ever feared God attests it—

[Who ever found it unprofitable to serve the Lord [Note: Jeremias 2:31.]? What truly devoted soul was ever forsaken by him [Note: Isaías 49:15.]? Who ever complained that the means, by which he was brought to fear God, were too severe Or that any affliction, that increased and confirmed that fear, was too heavy? David indeed did at one time question the position in the text: but on recollection he condemned himself for his rashness and ignorance, and acknowledged that his vile suspicions contradicted the experience of God’s children in all ages [Note: Salmos 73:12; Salmos 73:22.]

On these grounds we “assuredly know” the truth declared in the text—
[We do not surmise it as a thing possible. We do not hope it as a thing probable. We absolutely know it as infallibly certain. We are not surer of our existence than we are of this truth. Without hesitation therefore we deliver our message [Note: Isaías 3:10.]. O that the word may sink deep into all our hearts! And that we might from experience unite our testimony to Solomon’s [Note: Provérbios 28:14.]

We beg leave to ask, whether they who fear not God, have any such assurance in their favour?

[We are aware that they will entertain presumptuous hopes; and that, in opposition to God’s word, they will expect happiness. But does the boldest sinner dare affirm that he knows it shall be well with him? His conscience would instantly revolt at such falsehood and blasphemy. Let those then, that fear not God, stand self-condemned. Let them flee unto their God and Saviour with penitence and faith. Let them so live us to preserve the testimony of a good conscience. And then, however enlarged their expectations of good may be, they shall never be disappointed [Note: Isaías 45:17.]