Humbling Encouragement of a Death Well-Died

In the past couple of weeks, I’ve completed two biographies: Andrew Fuller: Model Pastor-Theologian and George Müller: Delighted in God. I love biographies. My other favorites include John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace, which I read last winter, and the classics: Augustine’s Confessions, Patrick of Ireland’s Confession, and Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testament of Jim Elliot.

Paul Washer was the first person to recommend the reading of Christian biographies to me, and since those early days of my salvation I have heard and read the same recommendation several times over. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in Preaching and Preachers famously recommended reading biographies alongside works in theology, church history, and apologetics arguing that biographies help to humble us and to keep us anchored to reality rather than becoming lost in the purely theoretical. Certainly the greatest benefit of reading Christian biographies is that humbling encouragement of a life well-lived. We read of a man or woman who was used of God despite overwhelming weakness and suffering, and in this we are inspired to trust God with the same confidence as they did, knowing that the same God is working in and through our lives.

Even so, over the past couple of weeks, I discovered an additional benefit of reading biographies: the humbling encouragement of a death well-died. The Bible says, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints” (Psa 116:15), but there is also a preciousness that extends to fellow saints who are more able to prepare for their own death by witnessing someone who is dying well—whether first hand or through the written word.

Take as an example the death of the 19th century English Baptist pastor Andrew Fuller, who rescued Baptists from hyper-Calvinism and inspired the man who became known as the Father of the Modern Missionary Movement (William Carey). Knowing that death was drawing nigh, Fuller wrote to his best friend John Ryland, Jr.:

I trust we shall meet and part no more. I have little hope of recovery; but I am satisfied to drink of the cup which my Heavenly Father giveth me to drink…I am a poor guilty creature; but Christ is an almighty Saviour (Fuller 35).

Or consider the death of Mary Müller, George’s first wife of forty years. When she lay dying beyond any hope of recovery, George said to her, “The Lord Jesus is coming for you.” Mary replied, “He will come soon!” Her condition soon grew worse as she had difficulty swallowing and speaking. Even so, George testified that “her dear bright eyes were set” (Müller 163-164).

In his eulogy for Mary, Müller said:

Every day I miss her more and more…Yet, without an effort, my inmost soul habitually joys in the joys of that loved departed one. Her happiness gives joy to me. My dear daughter and self would not have her back, were it possible to produce it by turn of the hand. God himself has done it, we are satisfied with him” (Müller 165).

Those of us who have not yet experienced death find comfort in such first hand evidence proving that death truly is gain for the believer (Phil 1:21). We must resolve to face death with the confidence of other saints. We look forward to leaving this life. We long to realize unabated blessing—indescribable joy—which they great cloud of witnesses already experience in Christ. We must sing with David: “As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness” (Psa 17:15).