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Having not long turned fifty, I have found myself increasingly reflecting on my own mortality. The Bible says that the key to gaining a heart of wisdom is to “number our days” and that we should—on average—only expect seventy years, or maybe eighty if we have the strength (see Psalm 90:10-12).

As that milestone comes ever closer into view, I’ve also observed that the LORD sometimes calls home some of His most fruitful servants even sooner. As a pastor, I have witnessed this firsthand on more than a few occasions, as I’ve comforted brothers and sisters in Christ on their deathbeds for whom I had prayed might have been given longer on earth.

Sometimes God wills for our life on this earth to finish sooner than we had hoped. And not necessarily through the heroic test of martyrdom, but the more mundane trial of sickness. A brief look back over church history reveals how often this has been the case. Not all of Christ’s servants reach seventy years.

What follows is my own personal list of some of the more notable examples:

1. Jonathan Edwards, October 5, 1703 – March 22, 1758, died at age 55.

Edwards died as a result of complications from receiving a small pox vaccine just after he had been appointed President of Princeton University. Recognised as one of America’s greatest theologians, Edwards’ writings continue to be reprinted and widely distributed today through Banner of Truth.

What’s more, George Marsden writes in his biography that Edward’s descendants have had a disproportionate effect upon American culture, stating that “the Edwards family produced scores of clergymen, thirteen presidents of higher learning, sixty-five professors, and many other persons of notable achievements.”

2. John Calvin, July 10, 1509 – May 27, 1564, died at age 54.

Without question, Calvin was one of the greatest theologians to have ever lived. Calvin’s commentaries on the Old and New Testament, as well as his Institutes of Christian Religion are still widely read and appreciated. Reportedly, John Calvin’s last words were, “I am abundantly satisfied, since it is from Thy hand.” Significantly, Theodore Beza wrote of Calvin:

While oppressed with so many diseases he was never heard to utter a word unbecoming a man of firmness, far less unbecoming a Christian. Only, raising his eyes  towards heaven, he would say, ‘O Lord, how long!’ Even when he was in health this was   an expression which often he used in reference to the calamities of his brethren, which night and day affected him much more than his own sufferings. When we advised and entreated him that while sick he should desist from the fatigue of dictating, or at least of writing, ‘What’, he would say, ‘would you have the Lord find me idle?

3. Robert Murray McCheyne, 21 May 1813 – 25 March 1843, died at age 29.

While this well-known Presbyterian minister from Scotland was greatly used during his lifetime, his Memoirs and Remains—edited by Andrew Bonar—came to be published into over a hundred English editions. Some of his hymns became well known and his Bible reading plan is still in common use. He is also widely quoted. Some of his more popular sayings are:

[Affliction] shows the power of Christ’s blood, when it gives peace in an hour of trouble, when it can make happy in sickness, poverty, persecution and death. Do not be surprised if you suffer, but glorify God. 

It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.

If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me.

Your afflictions may only prove that you are more immediately under the Father’s hand. There is no time that the patient is such an object of tender interest to the surgeon, as when he is bleeding beneath his knife. So you may be sure if you are suffering from the hand of a reconciled God, that His eye is all the more bent on you.

[Affliction] brings out graces that cannot be seen in a time of health. It is the treading of the grapes that brings out the sweet juices of the vine; so it is affliction that draws forth submission, weanedness from the world, and complete rest in God. Use afflictions while you have them.

My people’s greatest need is my personal holiness.

4. David Brainerd, April 20, 1718 – October 9, 1747, died at age 29.

The great American Presbyterian missionary to the Native American Indians, thanks to the biography produced by Jonathan Edwards, The Diary and Journal of David Brainerd, Brainerd’s story inspired the likes of William Carey, Jim Elliot and Henry Martyn to cross-cultural missions.

The Diary has never been out of print and has had a massive influence on subsequent generations. Especially inspiring was Brainerd’s single-minded perseverance for the work of the Gospel and the glory of God in the face of personal illness and hardship. For instance, Brainerd wrote in his journal on April 19, 1742:

In the forenoon, I felt a power of intercession for precious immortal souls, for the advancement of the kingdom of my dear Lord and Saviour in the world; and withal, a most sweet resignation, and even consolation and joy in the thoughts of suffering hardships, distresses, and even death itself, in the promotion of it… God enabled me so to agonize in prayer that I was quite wet with sweat, though in the shade, and the wind cool. My soul was drawn out very much for the world; I grasped for multitudes of souls… I enjoyed great sweetness in communion with my dear Saviour. I think I never in my life felt such an entire weanedness from this world, and so much resigned to God in everything. Oh, that I may always live to and upon my blessed God!

5. Charles Haddon Spurgeon, June 19, 1834 – January 31, 1892, died at age 57.

Stephen Lawson writes in his book, The Gospel Focus of Charles Spurgeon:

By 1863, Spurgeon’s sermons had already sold more than eight million copies. At the time of his death in 1892, fifty million copies had been sold. By the end of the nineteenth century, more than a hundred million sermons had been sold in twenty-three languages, a figure unmatched by any preacher before or since. Today, this number has reached well over three hundred million copies. A century after his death, there were more works in print by Spurgeon than by any other English-speaking author.   Spurgeon is history’s most widely read preacher.

And yet, for all this spiritual fruitfulness, Spurgeon had a long history of poor health and ultimately died from gout and congestion of the kidneys.

6. Eric Liddell, 16 January 1902 – 21 February 1945, died at age 43.

Often referred to as ‘The Flying Scotsman’, Liddell was made famous through the movie Chariots of Fire. Liddell refused to run in the 100 metres—his favoured event—because the heats were on the Lord’s Day. As a result, he switched to the 400 metres in which in broke the world record three times in two days and also won the gold medal.

Liddell was widely quoted as saying: “Circumstances may appear to wreck our lives, but God is not helpless among the ruins.”

7. William Perkins, 1558-1602, died at age 44.

Perkins was considered as the Father of Puritanism and by the early seventeenth century, Perkin’s writings were more popular than those of Calvin, Beza and Bucer. He published nearly fifty substantial works which were translated into Spanish, Welsh, Dutch, French, Italian, Hungarian and Czech.

A whole generation of preachers in New England were influenced and shaped by his writings. Reformation Heritage Books has just published a new ten-volume series of his complete works.

8. George Whitefield, December 16, 1714 – September 30, 1770, died at age 55.

Christianity Today provides the following helpful summary:

Largely forgotten today, George Whitefield was probably the most famous religious figure of the eighteenth century. Newspapers called him the “marvel of the age.” Whitefield was a preacher capable of commanding thousands on two continents through the sheer power of his oratory. In his lifetime, he preached at least 18,000 times to perhaps 10 million hearers…

In 1770, the 55-year-old continued his preaching tour in the colonies as if he were still a young itinerant, insisting, “I would rather wear out than rust out.” He ignored the danger signs, in particular asthmatic “colds” that brought “great difficulty” in breathing.

In his last sermon, ‘He was speaking of the inefficiency of works to merit salvation,’ one listener recounted, “and suddenly cried out in a tone of thunder, ‘Works! works! A man gets to heaven by works! I would as soon think of climbing to the moon on a rope of sand.’

The following morning, he died.

9. James O Fraser, 1886 – September 25, 1938, died at age 52.

Fraser was instrumental in bringing the Gospel to the Lisu people of China, Myanmar and Thailand. Much like Adoniram Judson (see below), Fraser was the first to put the Lisu language into script (now officially called the Fraser Script) and translate the scriptures into Lisu. Fellow missionary, Lela Cook, described Fraser as follows in the book Mountain Rain:

His help with the translation was not the only help we received. His daily message for morning prayers were an inspiration…His capacity for work was astonishing, but with it all he always seemed fresh and full of life, always of an even temper, always considerate of others, and a perfect gentleman…He had read widely, and his conversation was rich and varied. He would sit, between whiles, and play on our little organ—Chopin’s Polonaise and treasures from Beethoven—bringing such glorious music out of it! The Lisu would crowd in to listen. And one thing that impressed me as the months went on—he had such a wonderful control over every part of his life. He was completely master of himself. He not only wanted to live a self-denying life, enduring hardness for Christ’s sake, he could do so. To bring his life up to his highest thought seemed to be quite natural with him. And he was so practical about it.” 

Sadly, Fraser died of a malignant cerebral malaria, for which no suitable medicines were available.

10. Adoniram Judson, August 9, 1788 – April 12, 1850, died at age 61.

Judson was the first overseas missionary to be commissioned from the United States. His remarkable story is told in the missionary classic, To the Golden Shore (1956) by Courtney Anderson. When Judson began his mission work in Burma (now Myanmar), he hoped to be able to translate the Bible into Burmese and found a church of 100 members. But by the time of his death, he had not only translated the entire Bible, but had also half-completed a Burmese-English dictionary, witnessed the establishment of approximately 100 churches which had a membership of over 8,000 believers.

Sadly, Judson died of lung disease when he was 61. In his 37 years of missionary service, Judson had only returned to America once.

Make the Most of Every Opportunity

The fact that so many choice servants of Christ died well before most of us might have hoped is a reminder to use our time well. It is also a much-needed corrective to the thought that someone dying of sickness before the age of seventy is a sign of the LORD’s discipline or displeasure.

None of us know when our heavenly Father might call us home. Now is the time then to be giving ourselves fully to the work of the LORD. As the apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 5:15, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

爱惜光阴

十位英年早逝的基督徒

不久前，我刚满五十岁，开始更频繁地思考自己的生命与死亡。圣经教导我们，获得智慧的关键在于「數算自己的日子」（诗篇90:12, 和合本）。我们常常期望的寿命仅为七十岁，幸运的话，或许能够延续至八十岁（参考 诗篇90:10）。

随着这人生的里程碑的临近，我也不禁观察到上帝有时会提前召回一些最有成效的仆人。作为一位牧者，我亲身见证了这种情况，曾在基督里的弟兄姊妹临终前安慰他们，为他们祷告，希望他们能够在这个世界上多活一些日子。

有时候，上帝决定让我们的生命在我们预期之前结束，并不一定是因为英勇的殉道，而可能是因为常见的疾病考验。回顾教会历史，我们可以发现这种情况并不罕见，不是每位基督仆人都能够活到七十岁。

以下是一些比较著名的例子：

1. 喬納森·愛德華茲（Jonathan Edwards），生于1703年10月5日，逝世于1758年3月22日，享年55岁。

爱德华兹在成为普林斯顿大学校长后，因接种天花疫苗引发并发症而不幸离世。他被公认为美国最伟大的神学家之一，他的著作至今仍透过真理之旗出版社 (Banner of Truth) 再版并广泛传播。

此外，乔治-马斯登（George Marsden）在他的传记中指出，爱德华兹的后裔在美国产生的影响力远远超过了他的祖先。

• 约翰·加尔文（John Calvin），1509年7月10日—1564年5月27日，享年54岁。

毫无疑问，加尔文是有史以来最伟大的神学家之一。加尔文对《旧约》和《新约》的注释以及他的《基督教宗教要义》仍然被广泛阅读和赞赏。加尔文的遗言是：“我非常满意，因为它出自祢之手。”

西奥多·贝扎 (Theodora Beza) 这样描写加尔文:

当饱受多种疾病的困扰时，他从来没说过一句不坚定的人说的话，更没说过一句不符合的基督徒会说的话。他举目望天时, 说：“主啊，还有多久!” 即使在他身体健康时，他也经常用这来表达弟兄们的灾难，他觉得这些日日夜夜的灾难对他的影响远大于自己的痛苦。当我们建议并恳求他在生病期间停止写作以免过度疲劳时，他会回答 “什么, 你会让主觉得我无所事事吗？”

• 罗伯特·默里·麦克钦（Robert Murray M’Cheyne），1813年5月21日至1843年3月25日，享年29岁。

这位来自苏格兰的著名长老会牧师一生倍受重用。现代基督徒而言，他最为人所熟知的是他的圣经阅读计划, 他的赞美诗也相当有名.  由安德鲁·博纳 (Andrew Bonar) 编辑的《回忆录和遗作》已有百次的重印, 他的著作也被大量引用. 以下是他一些的名言:

[苦难]显示了基督宝血的力量，它在困难时刻带来平安，它在疾病、贫穷、迫害和死亡中带来快乐。如果你受苦，不要感到惊慌，而要荣耀神。

上帝祝福的不是伟大的才能，而是与耶稣的伟大相似。一位圣洁的牧师是上帝手中一件可怕的武器。

如果我能听到基督在隔壁房间为我祈祷，我就不会害怕百万个敌人。然而距离并不是问题。他正在为我祈祷。

你的苦难可能只会证明你更直接地在天父的手里。当病人在刀下流血时，外科医生最关心的就是病人。因此，你可以确信，如果你正遭受与神和好的上帝之手的痛苦，他的眼睛就会更加注视着你。

[苦难]带来健康时看不到的恩典。正是通过践踏葡萄，葡萄树才流出甘甜的汁液。因此，正是苦难使人顺服，使人脱离世界，并在上帝里面得到完全的安息。当你有烦恼的时候，就利用它。

我的人民最需要的是个人的圣洁。

• 大卫·布雷纳德（David Brainerd），1718年4月20日—1747年10月9日，享年29岁。

这位伟大的美国长老会传教士向美洲原住民印第安人传教，感谢乔纳森·爱德华兹撰写的传记《大卫·布雷纳德的日记和日志》， 布雷纳德的故事激励了威廉·凯里(William Carey)、吉姆·埃利奥特 (Jim Elliot) 和亨利·马丁 (Henry Martyn) 等人进行跨文化宣教。

这本日记从未绝版，对后世产生了巨大的影响。尤其令人鼓舞的是布雷纳德面对个人疾病和困难时对福音工作和上帝荣耀一心一意的坚持。例如，布雷纳德在1742年4月19日的日志中写道：

今天上午我感受到一种为宝贵和不朽灵魂代祷的力量，为我亲爱的神和救世主的国度在世界上的发展而代祷；此外，还有一种最甜蜜的顺从，甚至是在想到遭受苦难、痛苦，甚至死亡本身时的安慰和喜悦，在促进它的过程中……上帝让我在祷告中如此痛苦，以至于我被汗水浸湿。尽管如此，阴凉处，风凉爽。我的灵魂对这个世界非常着迷。我抓住了众多灵魂……我在与亲爱救主的交流中享受到极大的甜蜜。我想我一生中从来没有像现在这样彻底脱离这个世界，在一切事情上都如此顺服上帝。哦，但愿我能永远为我可称颂的上帝而活！

• 查尔斯·哈登·司布真 (Charles Haddon Spurgeon)，1834年6月19日—1892年1月31日，享年57岁。

史蒂芬·劳森 (Stephen Lawson) 在他的书《查尔斯·司布真的福音焦点》中写道：

到 1863 年，司布真的讲道已售出超过 800 万份。 1892 年他去世时，已售出 5000 万册。到 19 世纪末，已经以 23 种语言售出超过 1 亿篇讲道，这个数字是之前或之后任何传道者都无法比拟的。如今，这个数字已远远超过三亿份。在他去世一个世纪后，司布真印刷的作品比任何其他英语作家的作品都要多。司布真是历史上最广泛被阅读的传道者。

然而，尽管司布真在精神上硕果累累，但他长期以来健康状况不佳，最终死于痛风和肾充血。

• 李爱锐（Eric Liddell），1902年1月16日—1945年2月21日，享年43岁。

李爱锐常被称为“会飞的苏格兰人”，因电影《烈火战车》(Chariots of Fire) 而闻名。李爱锐拒绝参加他最善长的百米赛跑，因为预赛在主日进行。结果，他转战400米，两天内三度打破世界纪录，还获得了金牌。

李爱锐的名言流传甚广，比如：“环境可能会颠覆我们的生活，但上帝在废墟中并非无助。”

• 威廉·帕金斯 (William Perkins)，1558-1602年，享年44岁。

珀金斯被认为是清教徒神学之父. 十七世纪初。珀金斯的著作比加尔文、贝扎和布塞尔 (Martin Butzer) 的著作更受欢迎。他出版了近五十部重要著作，并被翻译成西班牙语、威尔士语、荷兰语、法语、意大利语、匈牙利语和捷克语。

他的著作在新英格兰影响和塑造了整整一代传道者。改革宗出版社 (Reformed Heritage Books) 刚刚出版了他的全新十卷全集系列。

• 乔治·怀特菲尔德（George Whitefield），1714年12月16日—1770年9月30日，55岁去世。

以下是《今日基督教》关于乔治·怀特菲尔德的一篇文章的总结:

如今，乔治·怀特菲尔德很大程度上已被人遗忘，然而在18世纪，他或许是最著名的宗教人物。当时的报纸将他誉为“时代奇迹”。怀特菲尔德凭借其雄辩之力能够在两个大洲上号令成千上万的听众，是一位不可忽视的傳道者。他一生中传道至少18000次，或许有一千万的听众…

1770年，这位55岁的传教士继续在殖民地传道，仿佛仍然是一位年轻的四处旅行者，坚持说：“我宁愿疲惫不堪，也不愿生锈。”他忽视了危险信号，特别是哮喘引起的“感冒”，导致呼吸“严重困难”。

在他的最后一次布道中，一位听众回忆道：“他谈到靠行为来获得救赎是没有效率的，然后突然以雷鸣般的声音喊道：‘工作! 幹活！人靠行为才能进入天堂！我宁愿想到用沙绳爬到月球。’” (这意味着，如果救恩是基于行为，那么我们获得救恩的机会就像我们试图用沙绳爬上月球一样!)

第二天早上，他去世了。

• 富能仁 (James O Fraser)，1886 年 – 1938 年 9 月 25 日，52 岁去世。

富能仁在向中国、缅甸和泰国的傈僳族人民传播福音方面发挥了重要作用。与阿多奈拉姆·贾德森（Adoniram Judson）（见下文）非常相似，弗雷泽是第一个将傈僳语转化为文字（现在正式称为富能仁文字）并将经文翻译成傈僳语的人。传教士莱拉·库克 (Lela Cook) 在《山雨》一书中这样描述富能仁：

他的翻译并不是我们得到的唯一帮助。他每天早上祈祷的信息给了我很大的启发……他的工作能力令人惊叹，但与此同时，他看起来总是充满活力，脾气温和，总是为他人着想，是一位完美的绅士……他阅读广泛，谈话内容丰富多彩。他会时不时地坐下来，弹奏我们的小风琴——肖邦的波罗乃兹舞曲和贝多芬的珍品——从中演奏出如此美妙的音乐！傈僳族人会蜂拥而至聆听。随着时间的推移，有一件事给我留下深刻的印象——他对生活的每一部分都拥有如此出色的控制力。他完全是自己的主人。他不仅想过克己的生活，也能做到为基督的缘故忍受苦难。将生活提升到最高思想对他来说似乎是很自然的事。他对此非常务实。”

不幸的是，弗雷泽死于恶性脑型疟疾，目前尚无合适药物可治。

1. 阿多奈拉姆·贾德森（Adoniram Judson），1788年8月9日—1850年4月12日，61岁逝世。

贾德森是第一位受美国委托的海外传教士。考特尼·安德森 (Courtney Anderson) 的传教经典《到金海岸》( To the Golden Shore ，1956) 讲述了他的非凡故事。当贾德森开始在缅甸传教时，他希望能够将圣经翻译成缅甸语，并建立了一个有100名成员的教会。但到他去世时，他不仅翻译了整本圣经，还完成了一半的缅英词典，见证了约100所教堂的建立，信徒人数超过8000人。

遗憾的是，贾德森在 61 岁时因肺病去世。在 其37 年的传教生涯中，贾德森只返回美国一次。

充分利用每一个机会

事实上，许多基督拣选的仆人都早于我们大多数人的期望去世，这一事实提醒我们要善用时间。这也纠正了“七十岁之前因病死亡是主的管教或不悦的标志”的想法。

我们谁也不知道天父何时会呼召我们回家。现在正是我们全身心投入主的工作的时候。正如使徒保罗在以弗所书5 章 15 – 16 节中所写的：“你们要谨慎行事，不要像愚昧人，当像智慧人。 要爱惜光阴，因为现今的世代邪恶。  ” (和合本)

马克·鲍威尔

 基石长老教会牧师, 霍巴特