to be given out certainly if God do perswade the heart to wait for that mercy that mercy shall be given out see David in Psal 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his holy Temple There he had a desire to come back again to Jerusalem to see the Lord in his Temple and his heart was carried out strongly to believe it he was banished by Saul a mighty King and he durst not come into the Land and how then could he come to the Temple yet he would not fear for that one thing that God had put in his heart to seek after for that his heart was upheld in it And thus God may deal with some of his servants when he doth raise up his peoples hearts to believe some special mercy that mercy shall be given out according to their faith That 's a second mercy why Enoch was thus translated he was one that had a special remarkable saith that something God should do for him in or about Death There 's a third Question follows Wherefore Enoch was thus translated The Answer is That so his translation might preach unto the men of that Generation yea to all succeeding Generations that there shall be a Resurrection of the Body I say therefore did God thus translate Enoch that his translation in body to heaven might witness to them and so to all other Generations that there is a time when that the bodies of the Saints shall be co-partners with their souls in Glory Here God Preached the Doctrin of the Resurrection of the Body by Enoch's translation in all Ages God hath not left himself without witness concerning this great truth the Resurrection of the Body and certainly the Lord saw that there was need that he should bear witness of this truth there was need then and there is need now even in this Generation that we should be informed perswaded and rooted in this Doctrine of the Resurrection of the Body there 's great need that Christians should be confirmed in it in the knowledge and in the full perswasion of it For 1. First of all It is the Doctrine that the Devil hath alwaies sought to over-throw the powers of Hell have bandyed against it and how hath the Devil by his Instruments by Atheistical men opposed this Doctrin in every Age It hath been opposed and it is still opposed I shall shew you what opposition is made against it that so you may be confirmed in it It 's sad to think that some that have formerly made a profession should fall so far as to deny a Resurrection and yet such a seducing spirit is gone forth in the world I shall shew you what the Atheist hath against it that your hearts may be confirmed in this Doctrin Quest Why First Say they it 's against reason How is it possible that the bodies of men should be raised up again whenas their bodies are devoured consumed in the heart of the earth they are turned into the very elements again into their first principles and how is it possible that the same bodies should be raised up again Answ To this I 'le answer in the words of our Saviour Christ O saies he you erre not knowing the Scripture nor the power of God for that was the answer that Christ gave unto the Sadducees that denyed the Resurrection in Matth. 22. 29. Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures he tells them they were not acquainted with that which God had spoken in his Word he brings one Scripture that they did not know and therefore they erred because they did not know it Have not you read saies he that which was spoken unto you by God saying I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob they said there was no Resurrection saies Christ Poor creatures you say so because you don't know the Scriptures ye err therefore because you know not the Scriptures God saies I am the God of Abraham God saies this after Abraham Isaac and Jacob are dead and gone that he is the God of Abraham therefore there is something of Abraham yet remains and Abraham shall live again for God saies he owns them and saies ye know not the power of God Ye err not knowing the Scriptures and the power of God you measure God by the arm of flesh because it 's impossible to you you think it 's impossible to God whenas God is infinite and can do whatsoever he please if you did but consider the power of God saies he you would not err on this manner even to deny the Resurrection as a thing impossible Why who made the world Who made all things out of nothing Who brought light out of darkness Certainly to raise up the dead is not a greater matter than to make the World of nothing certainly if you had known the Scriptures you would not have denied the power of God in raising from the dead But the Devil is subtil and therefore when reason won't do he flees to Scripture he 'll bring you Scripture to deny the Resurrection that Scripture is urged by some Atheistical spirits 1 Cor. 15. 50. Now this I say Brethren that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God therefore say they the Scripture is against the Resurrection there shall be no resurrection because flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God To this I answer 1. First That sinful flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God corrupt man cannot inherit the Kingdom of God but the bodies of the Saints shall be raised without sin there shall be no defilement when they come out of the Grave they shall be purified sufficiently and therefore then they may inherit the Kingdom of God And 2. Secondly It 's true that weak frail corruptible flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God but when the bodies of the Saints be raised up they shall not be weak frail and corruptible as their bodies are now no they shall leave all their weaknesses all their frailties shall be left behind them all these shall be left in the Grave therefore the Apostle answers sufficiently in the 53 verse of that Chapter For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on Immortality frail corruptible flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God but it shall not be so at the Resurrection but this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this poor mortal body shall put on Immortality it shall no more be cloathed with frail flesh and blood but it shall put on new robes new robes that shall not be changed and that are not subject to change that shall not wear away but shall abide for ever in the Heavens and therefore there is nothing in this against the Resurrection of the body but it shall be partner with
for the commonness as well as for the usefulness of that fruit that none might plead Ignorance that they might not plead excuse that none might say he was such a fruit as none could buy that they could not come at No Christ would be resembled unto that which is common that he might be held forth freely unto poor lost sinners under the Gospel 5. And then fifthly and lastly He is set forth by the Apple-tree for the variety of fruits which it does bring forth and do grow upon this Tree There is no Tree that brings forth such variety of fruit How many sorts several kinds of Apples they are almost innumerable And truly in this respect Christ is the Apple-tree because of those innumerable precious Gifts and Graces which do grow upon him The fulness of the Spirit was poured out upon him it made him to bring forth fruits of all kinds He is the only begotten Son of God full of Grace and Truth There can be no excellency nor no perfection named which is not to be found in the Son of God they all do concenter and meet in him I shall say no more at this time but leave the Metaphor unto your consideration think of it The Lord Jesus was pleased to be resembled to an Apple-tree And what great condescension of Love is this that he should stoop down so low to set forth himself under such a mean comparison that we might know what goodliness and sweetness are in him Abundance of the love of Christ is held forth in this that he should choose to be set forth by such a Tree as this is by the Apple-tree you see the Lord Jesus Christ would rather choose a Fruitful Tree than a Great Tree than a Strong Tree he having such a delight in being Vseful in being Serviceable in Bringing forth Fruit unto his Father Fruit that should be for the good of the Sons of men And therefore let us look to Christ and labour to imitate Christ the Lord he delights in a fruitful Tree rather than in a Tall Tree or in a Strong Tree it 's the Greatest Commendation that can be to be Fruitful and Serviceable to bring forth Fruit to God and our Generation Christ chose this and let us choose it too and let us look to God who is the Husband-man who makes all this Trees to be fruitful Trees in his due time So much for this time SERMON II. CANT 2. 3. At the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons I sat down under His Shadow with great delight and His Fruit was sweet to my Taste I Have made entrance the last day Here is a double comparison the Sons of men are compared to the Trees of the Wood The Son of God is compared to the Apple-tree among those Trees I shall add a fifth particular wherein the resemblance holds 5. Christ here is set forth as the Apple-tree It seems to relate to the fruit of that Tree that Man did eat in Paradise which in all probability was a kind of Apples And herein we call to mind how man lost his happiness where it was that man undid himself how sin came into the World by eating of the forbidden fruit as also it holds forth that Christ hath taken away that Curse all the bitterness and wrath for his people which was the fruit of Adams transgression There was man undone at first under the Apple-tree there he lost himself and God and Happiness And therefore Christ will be an Apple-tree as shall bring forth better Fruit the Fruits of Peace Joy Life and Salvation for his people See what is said Cant. 8. 5. Who is this that cometh up from the Wilderness leaning upon her Beloved I raised thee up under the Apple-tree There thy Mother brought thee forth there she brought forth that bare thee Some make it to be the words of the Spouse to Christ I raised thee up under the Apple-tree She looks up to Christ and saith Lord I took hold of thy Boughs I took hold of thy Covenant I took hold of thy Promise by Faith and Prayer there I raised thee up He rose up to be a help and deliverer of his people But others make them to be the Words of Christ Christ speaks unto his Spouse Vnder the Apple-tree there I raised thee up It should seem to have a reference to the Tree which was the Occasion of Mans fall Thou lost thy self under the Apple-tree there was thy fall there did the Devil thrust down Man Adam and all his posterity Well says Christ I 'le be an Apple-tree and under this Apple-tree I 'le raise thee up again under this Apple-tree thou shalt be comforted thou shalt be saved I 'le raise thee up again The Lord Jesus he came to undo the works of Satan because Satan had undone the Works of his Father and spoiled the whole creation with sin and therefore thus will Christ be avenged of him Christ will be such an Apple-tree that will bring forth that fruit which shall be the destruction of Satan the destruction of Death and Hell which were brought into the World by the disobedience of Man under the Tree So then I say this may be held forth 1. First That the Lord would have his people remember what they lost in Adam by their disobedience and then the Lord would have them remember the Lord Jesus he hath taken away all that curse and all that wrath which was the desert of mans disobedience so that it shall not be poured upon believers And so much for the comparison betwixt Christ and the Apple-tree 2. It 's said further That he is as the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood. The next work then is to enquire after that comparison Why is Christ said to be the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood Why not among the Trees of the Garden There is much in this comparison receive it with Attention for I shall be but short in this work 1. First of all It holds forth That the Lord Jesus took the same Nature that we have he became man he took upon him the Nature of man It 's true he was not a wild Tree but he was a Tree as well as the rest of the Trees in the Wood he was of the same Substance with them he had the same Body the same Bark the same Rind the same out-side that other Trees had he was in all things made like unto us we read in Heb. 2. 14 17. For as much then as the Children are partakers of Flesh and Blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that though death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful high Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the People c. It was needful that he should be
Zach. 3. 2. The Lord rebuke thee Satan saies the Angel the Lord rebuke thee he pleads for them he is their Advocate he lets his Father know that all the accusations that Satan brings in are out of malice and envy he is a malicious wrathful wretch a Murderer from the beginning he hath alwaies sought the destruction of my servants and therefore Father hear him not saies he for he accuses out of malice he hath alwaies been a false accuser he was cast out of heaven for a common Barreter and therefore Lord let him not plead at thy Bar there are many Bills brought in but the Lord Jesus he shews the Cross that is made over them they are all crost with the cross of his own blood all is discharged all is paid that Christ by his blood makes a mighty noise in heaven sin cries loud many times but the blood of Christ cries louder it fills all the Throne with outcries and it will be heard it will be heard when it speaks for poor sinners this is a precious fruit of Christ's Intercession 5. Fifthly The preservation of the Saints in a state of grace is a fruit of Christ's Intercession they can't fall it 's not possible they should be pluck'd out of his hand for he holds them sure he is continually Interceding for them it 's not possible they should be forgotten in heaven for he alwaies bears their names and presents them unto his Father he Intercedes continually for more grace for new grace and for new strength and new supplies to be given out every moment for his people and therefore it 's not possible their faith should fail I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not it 's not possible that their faith should fail and this is a fruit of Christ's Intercession Christ intercedes for his people and therefore they are kept and shall be kept by his mighty power through faith to salvation I might add The protection of Churches and the destruction of enemies as a fruit of Christ's Intercession he sits to protect his people and he sits there to destroy his enemies Sit thou at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy foot-stool the Lord in that day shall make Kings submit unto him He shall strike through Kings in the day of his power Intimating that the subjection of all enemies is a fruit of Christ's Intercession These are the fruits that grow upon this bough Now you have in part seen what fruit this Tree bears let us make Application Vse First of all If the fruit that grows upon Christ be so sweet to a believing soul Then 1. Use of Conviction First This may serve for Conviction unto such as taste no sweetness in Christ's fruit that have no longings no desires to eat of the fruit of this Tree why certainly it 's an evidence against such they never were yet espoused to Christ It 's said of young women in their breeding condition their desires are after fruit rather to feed on fruit than other meat I am sure it is so with such as are the Spouses of Christ their desires are alwaies after fruit they would by their good will eat nothing else their souls are alwaies longing after it they can't make a good meal though they have never so much of creature comforts if they have not a dish of this fruit of this fruit that grows upon this Tree of Life Oh poor creatures they know not such as find no sweetness surely they know not what this fruit is If thou knewest the gift of God saies Christ to the woman of Samaria in John 4. 10. and who it is that saith unto thee Give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water poor soul thou knowest not what this Tree of Life is Oh my friends if you knew this Tree the sweetness of it you would say Lord give us ever to eat of the fruit of this Tree what pity is it that such fruit should be lost because poor souls know not the goodness and sweetness of it It 's very strange that poor sinners should take so much delight in the world so much delight in the fruit that grows upon their own stock so much pleasure in the fruit of iniquity and should find no sweetness nor savour in the fruit that grows upon Christ I say there is no fruit so sweet as this yea there is nothing sweet but what grows upon this Tree no mercy sweet if it grows not on this Tree if it comes not from this Tree of Life and yet to a carnal heart every thing but Christ is sweet Oh such men and women they have lost their taste when a mans appetite is gone that 's a sign of a great distemper give him wholsom meats and pleasant drinks and he tells you they are bitter and unsavoury it 's a sign of a great distemper of the body yea many times it 's a great fore-runner of death and truly it 's thus with mens souls that taste not of the sweetness of Christ they have lost their appetite why it's wonderful strange they should find no sweetness in Christ What! sweetness in your profits and pleasures sweetness in your lusts and harlotry and what no sweetness in Christ Poor creatures they have lost their taste and the Lord grant it be not a fore-runner of eternal death you have a wo denounced against such men in Isa 5. 20. Wo unto them that call evil good and good evil that put darkness for light and light for darkness and put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Wo to them that call the Tree of Life bitter fruit unsavoury fruit whose souls find no sweetness in the feeding upon it and in the mean time find sweetness and delight in those things which are indeed bitter for the fruit of sin is bitter fruit Oh that such men would consider these two things 1. First of all What will you do when your desirable fruit is taken from you There was a threatening against Babylon in Rev. 18. 14. And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee and all things which were goodly and dainty are departed from thee and thou shalt find them no more at all The time will come when this will be spoken to Contemners of Christ the despisers of that fruit which grows upon this Tree of Life all thy desirable fruit is departed from thee that which thou tookest most delight in it 's departed from thee the Lord he can easily blast your fruit and cause it to wither if the Spirit of the Lord do but blow upon your comforts they are gone they are gone in a moment they wither and they fall off immediately and what will such men do when their fruit is departed from them if they have not better fruit to live upon 2. Secondly Again Oh that such men would consider that fearful threatening against despisers of the fruit of the Tree of Life in Prov.
therefore I shall conclude with this word of Exhortation Vse 3. Let us learn to prize our mercies I say whilst we enjoy our mercies let us learn to prize them because the time is coming when they shall not be to us they shall not be found we shall seek them and shall not find them God hath given you friends and relations Oh my Brethren prize them use them for Gods glory do all the good you can to them whilst you have them receive all the good that may be from them whilst you have them for the time is a coming when they shall not be to you It was Job's argument with God you shall see in Job 7. the last Verse and it is a very strong argument and Why dost thou not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity and pardon it quickly Speak a good word quickly to thy Servant I cannot hold out long Lord saies he I cannot hold out long now I shall sleep in the dust and thou shalt seek me in the morning and I shall not be Lord pardon pardon thy servant Job whilst thou hast a Job to pardon Lord do good to me whilst thou hast an occasion to do good to me e're I sleep in the dust you shall seek me then and I shall not be that you shall say oh that I had such a friend to do good to or that I had such a friend to receive good from Oh take the present opportunity therefore of doing and receiving good and this is spoken not only of all Persons but of all Things prize them whilst you have them prize them whilst you enjoy them for time is coming when they shall not be And Consider this Let me say this to you The Lord is this day tendering grace to you he stands he knocks he invites you he beseeches you he desires you to open he is willing to pardon multitudes of transgressions to wash away thousands and ten thousands of transgressions and sins and to subdue them also Oh that the Lord would give you hearts to seek after this present mercy you 'l seek them hereafter when they shall not be Oh take heed lest Christ speak to you as he spake to the Jews which was a fearful sentence because of their mistaking their time and neglecting their opportunity Joh. 7. 34. You shall seek me saies Christ and shall not find me and where I am you cannot come he had said a little before And I am with you and am coming to them that seek me and afterward You shall seek me and shall not find me Christ was with them a little while preaching and holding forth and urging mercy and grace beseeching of them to come in they refuse and reject life Well saies Christ I have sought you and you would not be found you would not follow me the time is coming when you shall seek me and shall not find me and where I am you cannot come and you that fear the Lord I beseech you be you warned also take heed you don't slight your mercies your present enjoyments of God lest the Lord also teach you to know the worth by the want I say take heed that you do not abuse your mercies take heed that you do not grow cold and dead and loose and formal under the enjoyment of the means of getting nigher God which you enjoy more than formerly for what pity is it that we should grow worse when God is better That we should be further off from drawing nigh to God when God is drawing nigh to us What pity is it that the Sun-shine and fair weather should do harm Doth not sad experience teach us that many Christians are further off from God now than when the means were lesser in their getting near to God take heed God don't let you know by sad experience what the loss of his presence is and that he don't let you know by sad experience what the loss of Ordinances are what the want of mercies are it shews abundance of corruption that is in the heart but it is mercy if God will teach his people any way it is the saddest way of teaching that God will make use of to recount what once we had and what once we enjoyed and now are stript of for want of improvement we had the Sabbaths the teachings of God we had the Ordinances but now stript of all and therefore may as they sit down by the waters of Babylon and weep most bitterly it is a sad way of teaching yet it is mercy if God will choose any way of teaching and drawing these sad and drowsie hearts of ours more to himself Thus you have had some hints of what Enoch was He was not found for God had translated him God took him the main Point is yet behind viz. to consider whither Enoch was translated and wherefore he was translated and the year in which he was translated which was three hundred sixty five years and was the shortest life of all the Patriarchs But so much shall serve for this time SERMON X. GEN. 5. 24. And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him WE have done with Enoch's walk we are come to Enoch's Rest He was not for God took him I have opened the phrase to you the last time I spake But I shall proceed to what is still behind in the Text. He was not for God took him And God took him there is a great dispute amongst many to what place Enoch was taken There are many both of the Papists and others that place Enoch in earthly Paradise they say Enoch was not taken into Heaven but into Paradise and that this Enoch and Elijah are those two Witnesses that shall come again at the end of the world to discover and destroy Antichrist there is such a Tradition generally amongst them and others have received it from them but there is not the least ground for it in the Word of God that Enoch and Elijah should be those Witnesses spoken of in Rev. 11. for certainly those Witnesses are no other but the servants of God spoken of that have stood up in all Ages since Christ to bear witness to the name and truth of Jesus and therefore I see nothing why we may not assert that Enoch was taken up into Heaven that he ascended in body into Heaven You shall see in 2 Kings 2. 11. it is spoken there of Elijah who was translated even as Enoch And it came to pass as they still went on and talked that behold there appeared a Chariot of fire and Horses of fire and parted them both asunder and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into Heaven if Elijah went into Heaven why not Enoch Object But it may be Objected Is not Jesus Christ the first-fruits of them that ascend Did not Christ open the door by his blood How then could Enoch or Elijah ascend into Heaven before Christ came and opened the door Answ To which I Answer It is true that
Christ is the first-fruits of them that ascend and the way to Heaven is set open by the blood of Christ and there was none ever ascended but by vertue of the blood of Christ that sets open the door to them but the efficacy of the blood of Christ did reach to them that lived before him and therefore in Rev. 13. 8. he is called The Lamb slain from the foundations of the World in the purpose of God yea it was accepted of God as if done already God the Father took the Word of his Son for the payment of the Debt he knew that he was able to make good his word and would be faithful to him wherefore he trusted him before he discharged the Debt before the price was actually paid so that the vertue of Christs blood did even reach to them even many thousand years before he came in the flesh to suffer for the Father took his word and the son took the Fathers word for the salvation of those that should be brought in many hundred years after the debt was paid the salvation of all that belong to God who should live from Christs time to the end of the world the son gave the full price into the fathers hand and he relies upon him upon his word for the discharge of the debt and for the receiving of poor sinners to life and favour as they shall be brought in in all Ages and therefore Dear Brethren I beseech you take notice of the mighty vertue of the death of Christ mighty vertue was in it that he should be accepted before-hand that it should reach as far as Enoch as far as Adam that it should be accepted for those that lived many thousand years before Christ before the debt was paid it holds forth the mighty efficacy of the blood of Christ if it had been only available for those that had lived after him after Christ was come in the flesh and dead and risen and had discharged the debt if it had reach'd only to those it had not been so much it is not so much saies Ezekiah for the shadow to go forward in the Dial but for the shadow to go backward so many degrees that holds forth a deal of the mighty power of God to his conviction and so the blood of Christ goes backward so many years to them that lived in the beginning of the world before the price was actually paid O the infinite vertue and efficacy that is in this blood of Christ Oh know what strong ground of consolation there is in this to you that are Believers now under the Gospel if it reach'd so far if it went backward if it went as far as Enoch to open the gate of Heaven to him how much more shall this reach you that are believers under the Gospel that live directly under the efficacy of the blood of Jesus Christ God bad Enoch welcom for this blood that was to be shed if he set the door open to him when the price was not actually paid oh how much more shall God bid the Saints welcom to come in the name of such a Saviour that was dead is risen and ascended now to sit at the right-hand of God and present the efficacy of his blood for ever Oh! how may this be improved and what sweet lives might Christians lead and with what a full wind might they fail and lanch forth into the Ocean of Eternity when they live directly under the efficacy of such a blood as this is that reach'd so far backward even as far as Enoch for it was by vertue of this blood that Enoch was saved But further It 's said God took him That phrase implies three things 1. First of all That Enoch was taken up into a state of Communion with God of near Communion with God God took him God took him to himself He had walked with God whilst he was upon earth but he was not taken up into nearest Communion until now the Saints in heaven are taken into highest Communion their Communion here upon earth is interrupted many times God comes now and then and gives a poor soul a visit but they are not taken in into God till such time as God removes the Mount of this visible world they are here put out to School God will give them good education he will bring them up for heaven and therefore it is not alwaies that they have their Fathers presence now and then God comes and visits them but there is another life in which God shall take his people to himself he shall send for his Children home and then they shall be for ever with the Lord I say for ever with the Lord Whilst we are here saies the Apostle we are absent from the Lord Whilst we are in the body we are absent from the Lord and therefore no wonder why the Saints are breathing so much after that other life â—ooking for and hastning after the appearance of Christ because they are not taken in till then here they are strangers and here they are absent from the Lord in a great measure though they walk with God as Enoch did yet he will not take them into that nearest Communion till they come to end this life 2. But again Secondly As it doth denote a state of near Communion which the Saints enjoy in heaven so it doth hold forth that fulness of light life and glory that the Saints shall there enjoy God took him he was taken into God taken up to the enjoyment of the fulness that is in God here they are narrow vessels and are not capable of receiving much but there the souls of his Saints shall be taken into God and so shall be filled with his fulness Believers here walk with God and God doth dwell in them but so long as they dwell below they don't dwell so much in God but there is a time a coming when they shall dwell wholly in God they shall be taken up into that fulness they shall be as so many vessels that are cast into the Ocean that shall be filled every one shall be filled full to the brim I say this holds forth that phrase of fulness of glory that the Saints do enjoy in Heaven God took him and he was taken into God 3. Again Thirdly It holds forth an act of free grace which was put forth towards Enoch as well as others God took him or received him and to receive it holds forth the free grace of God Enoch walked with God but he was not taken for his walking not because he had walked so and so with God in his Generation he was not therefore taken but he was received it was free-grace received him My Brethren I beseech you then know what you can only plead before God though you have walked with God never so long in your Generation yet you can't at last plead to be taken up because you have walked with God Alas the Lord sees so many slips so many stumblings so
the soul in the blessedness of Heaven But there 's another place that the Atheist doth alledge from Scripture and that is from Solomon what he saies in Eccles 3. 19. For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth Beasts even one thing befalleth them as the one dieth so dieth the other yea they have all one breath so that a man hath no preheminence above a beast for all is vanity Hence the Atheist concludes that there 's no Resurrection for when death comes it 's with man as a beast who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward To this I answer That Solomon doth not speak in his own person he speaks in the person of the Atheist he tells you what is the Atheists conclusion what he saies in his heart because of those oppressions that he saw under the Sun I said in my heart concerning the estate of the sons of men that God might manifest them and that they might see that they themselves are beasts There you have the thoughts of Solomon there he speaks his own it was a conclusion of his from the observation that he saw under the Sun to see how one man oppressed another even like beasts and there he brings in the conclusion of the flesh and the conclusion of the spirit the conclusion of the spirit is God shall judge betwixt the righteous and the wicked and so he brings them in scoffingly Who knows the spirit of a man that goeth upward c. you see it was not Solomon's it was far from Solomon's thoughts that there should be no Resurrection in Eccles 11. 9. Rejoice O young man in thy youth and let thine heart chear thee in the daies of thy youth and walk in the light of thine eyes But know thou for all these things God will bring thee into Judgement Solomon concludes with the Resurreon and it was the conclusion of his Book in his last Chapter 13 14 verses 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 Judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil You see how the Devil by his Agents doth strike at this Doctrin of the Resurrection he destroies all Godliness all the power of Godliness he destroies the Kingdom of God at once and he builds up his own Kingdom for ever If there be no Resurrection then saies the Atheist Let us eat and drink and to morrow shall be as this day and more abundant If our hopes were only in this life we were of all men most miserable it destroies the whole mysterie of Godliness then all should be in vain Preaching and Hearing in vain and your faith in vain if there be no Resurrection Now therefore I beseech you get your hearts established in this Resurrection The Devil plaies not at small game but he strikes at the fulness of the root at the Scriptures he strikes at the Resurrection O get your hearts established Some that have been as stars in the Firmament have been swept down so low as to deny the Resurrection of the body know therefore that it is the Will of the Father that Jesus Christ should raise up all his people at the last day so he tells them and so he would have all his people believe it it is the Will of the Father that of all that he hath given me I should lose none but he will raise them up at the last day and know that your bodies shall as certainly be raised up again as the body of Jesus Christ was raised up there was a seminal vertue in Christ but it was not so in others they did rise but Christ arose as a common person and his Resurrection is as the seed of the Resurrection of their bodies in the conclusion even as certainly as Christs body was raised from the Grave so shall thine and know if it were not so Christ should not be compleat the body of Christ should not be compleat for all his people are a part of his body if the head be risen the members also shall rise for Christ without them is not compleat and the body shall arise because without the body the man is not compleat I say man is not compleat without the body the soul waits for the Resurrection of the body it is not compleat it hath not its fulness of joy untill the Resurrection and therefore it 's said in Rev. 6. 10. the souls under the Altar cry out How long Lord holy and true dost not thou judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth The soul thinks long when it shall meet with its old friend again the body Oh Lord how long say they shall we be in this condition Now seeing it is so there shall certainly be a Resurrection of the body at last and if there shall be a Resurrection of the body then I beseech you consider what manner of persons we ought to be how should you endeavour after holiness in the body seeing there shall be a Resurrection of the body whilst you are in the body how should you demean your selves in all holiness O what need is there that you should get faith in Christ to cover and to wash away all those sins and defilements of the body And how careful should you be to keep your bodies holy as the Temples of the holy Ghost That so when your souls and bodies are parted there may be a longing for a Resurrection that your soul may say Lord how long how long when shall that poor body that sleeps in the dust be raised up It will not be so with wicked men they won't call for a Resurrection the souls of the wicked had rather their bodies should sleep perpetually that there should be no morning that there should be no Gaol delivery rather be in Prison than come forth to the Assizes but it shall not be so with the Saints in their state of separation of soul from the body they think long that their bodies may be raised from the Grave that their souls may be copartners with them in the glory that Christ shall give out And to say no more in the Last place I beseech you with the Apostle comfort one another with these sayings Do but consider how comfortable this Doctrin of the Resurrection is in it self O the Resurrection of the body a great deal of a Christians comfort is laid up in it The Resurrection of the body may be comfort to you in all your afflictions that you meet withal whilst you are in the body in the midst of all your infirmities and weaknesses and troubles whilst you are in the body When this corruptible shall put on incorruption Oh! how willingly should we spend and be spent for Christ because he will give it all back at the Resurrection again How willingly should we lay down
and lastly to say no more This desire of death must be with an indifferency to the Will of God though it be for never such good ends though a man desires death for lifes sake though he desire death that he may sin no more that he may be with Christ that he may lift up the name of God fully in Heaven yet if it be not with an indifferency to the Will of God it is not a holy and lawful desire and therefore the Apostle in the Text refers himself to the Will of God I am in a strait I know not what to do it is best for me to die I am in a strait I will not determine though I shall be deprived of my gain and be a loserby it yet it is no great matter if God may gain any thing by my life if his Church may gain any thing if any poor soul may gain any thing if God hath any further work for me I am content to live I know not what to choose saies he but I refer my self to God this makes the desires of death lawful When a man hath considered all and yet notwithstanding he knows death shall be gain to him yet he refers himself still to the Will of God If thou hast any service which may be for the good of thy people and for the advancement of thy name if thou hast any message though it is hard to keep from home if the Lord will have me do any service for him why I am willing When the desires of death are thus referred to the Will of God submitting to his Will whether by life or death thus are the desires of death holy and lawful Thus have I shown you when desires of death are sinful and when lawful The Application of the Point is yet behind SERMON VIII PHILIP 1. 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain THE Subject in hand is Gain and therefore I hope you that are wise Merchants will not be weary of it the whole World is for gain every man saies Who will shew us any good I have shewed you a great deal of gain that is by death for those that have interest in Christ and O that the Lord would make your hearts desirous to know how you shall get this gain how you may so live as that the great venture you make of death may be gain unto you But I shall prosecute that in its time You may remember the last day we spent most of the time in Answering a Question Whether it be lawful to desire death or no I told you there is a good desire and there is a sinful desire of death and I shewed you the differences But I shall wave repetition and come to the Application of the Point Vse 1. It lets us see what a fancy or conceit that is that men have taken up That the soul hath no existence without the body but that it ceases to be whenas the body is laid in the dust there is such a conceit that the soul sleeps or that it ceases to be until the day of Resurrection that God should give life again to the body This Text doth confute that opinion though it may be matter of temptation even to Gods own people if it were so then it should not be gain to die if the soul cease to be when separated from the body it should not be gain to die I might bring many places to confute this what think you of that in Luk. 23. 43. where Christ saies unto the good Thief This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise surely Christ speaks not of the body it could not be understood of the Grave that his body should rest in for to be with Christ in Paradise implies more Paradise was a place of pleasure it was a place in which Adam did enjoy the presence of God therefore certainly the soul hath existence when separated from the body the souls of the righteous are where they do enjoy the presence of God Again that in Rev. 6. 9 10. where it is said of them that are under the Altar they cryed out How long Lord holy and true will it be e're thou avenge our blood on them that dwell on the Earth Then the soul hath existence when it is out of the body for these souls cryed How long Lord It is true there are divers operations of the soul which do cease which do depend upon the operation of the body but there are many operations in the soul which the soul doth most excellently exercise notwithstanding its separation from the body the Apostle Paul was in a holy ecstasie as out of the body and when he was in the body it 's said His soul saw such things as were unutterable not to be seen nor heard But I shall not need to go any further to strengthen you against this temptation the Apostle in this Chapter saith I am in a strait between two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Where you may see first That the soul when it is separated from the body it doth not cease to be for it is only departed I desire to depart an active expression some Translate it to flinch or move to remove from one house to another or to be loosed or dissolved so some Translate it I desire to be set free from this my prison my soul is in prison while I am in the body now I desire to depart from this house to be fetch'd from this house to depart from this Prison and to be with Christ to depart and to be with Christ so then there is a being with Christ in a state of dissolution for the Apostle doth desire to be dissolved for this very end that when he was dissolved he might be with Christ there is a being with Christ there is an enjoyment of Christ in a state of dissolution Nay he saith It is far better he knew that he should enjoy more of Christ when he was gone he should have more intimate communion with the Lord Jesus in a state of separation than when he was in the body that condition was far better now I say if the soul do sleep if it ceases to be or to act or to enjoy Christ when it is separated from the body till the day of Resurrection why then he could not have said it is far better to die and to be with Christ But it may be said it is better to die because death frees from the miseries of life and so the Apostle might say It is better to die because death frees from the miseries of life because there is a rest and a cessation from the present troubles and turmoils in the world If there had been nothing else he could not have said It is better to die for I say to live to live the most afflicted life and the most troublesom life in the world is better than to die and to cease to be if there