to God it looks upon it as the fruit of the Spirit of Jesus Christ it desires that Christ may have the name that Christ may have the glory of it that Christ may be continually lifted up in all that it doth and therefore when it is assisted to do for God or to suffer for God it doth not reflect upon it self but upon Christ these are the breathings of the spirit of Christ and this is the strength that comes from Christ and therefore it is said of David Lord what am I when he was inabled to offer willingly Lord what am I and what are my people that we should offer in this wise When ever it meets with any assistance it saies Lord what am I that I should do any thing for God It looks upon all as coming from Christ and desires that Christ may have the glory of all and so far as the life of Christ prevails upon the soul so far the soul is acted by the spirit of Christ But again 4. Fourthly Where Christ is the life of the soul the Soul desires that Christ may be magnified whether by death or by life so it was with the Apostle This is all my care saies he that Christ may be magnified take you no care for me for Christ shall be magnified and I will rejoice in it Whether I live or die Christ shall be magnified in my body He desires that Christ may be magnified in his life a gracious heart doth not desire to live to satisfie its own lust it would not live long in the world to enjoy the pleasure of the world no if it lives it desires to live that Christ may be magnified and therefore if I may be useful if I may be serviceable to do good in any place or relation the Lord is pleased to cast me in I am content to live and so for death he desires that Christ may be magnified there too a gracious heart don't desire death to be rid of the troubles of life to be freed from those troubles and vexations that it meets withal in the world that 's no good desire but if it desires death it desires that Christ may be magnified that the Lord may be magnified in my death that Christ may be magnified that I may get nigher Christ that I may not dishonour Christ that that corruption may be subdued which is a grief to the spirit of Christ that I may magnifie Christ eternally without ceasing that Christ may be magnified this is the desire of a gracious heart and so far as the life of Christ doth prevail in any soul so far doth that soul live unto Christ and is willing to die for Christ and cares not what becomes of it so the Lord and his son Christ may be exalted Again 5. Fifthly When the life of Christ is in a soul It makes a man to die to die to sin and to die to the world and to die to self Where the life of Christ comes in it makes the soul to die to sin that still as the life of Christ prevails in the soul so sin dies in the soul Knowing this that our old man is crucified with Christ the old man is Crucified with Christ and the life of Christ will be the death of the old man He makes a man to die to sin where the life of Christ is in a soul the heart is dead to sin it carries to sin as to a dead man it is cold at the very heart no desire to satisfie the lusts of the flesh but to live unto Christ it makes the soul desirous to cast out all those lusts which it hath rejoyced in and been the very life of the soul before Christ came See what is said in the Prophecie of the Prophet Hosea Hos 14. 8. Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idols And so shall the soul say where the life of Christ prevails What have I to do any more with Idols It looks upon all base lusts as so many dead Carcasses they lie in his House and he knows not how to be rid of them but the life of Christ is in him and what hath the living to do with the dead What have I any more to do with dead Carkasses O Lord bury them bury them out of my sight the life of Christ will dead the heart to sin 2. Secondly Again This life of Christ will deaden the heart to the world see what the Apostle saies in the Epistle to the Galatians Gal. 6. 14. God forbid that I should glory in any thing save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world The world looks upon me as dead and I look upon the world as dead the world doth not at all esteem of a gracious man and a gracious heart doth esteem the world as little the vanities of the world as little the world looks upon me and I look upon the world as dead Paul lookt upon it as dead and therefore Paul was willing to part with it in Phil. 4. 12 13. men are willing to part with their dead friends and Paul was willing to part with the world it was dead to him I know how to be abased and I know how to abound I know how to want if God calls for it I know how to spare and I am content to be without it thus doth the life of Christ make the heart dead to the world deadens the affections and makes a man to use the world as if he used it not 3. Again Thirdly and lastly The life of Christ doth make a man to die to self it makes a man to die to self-principles and self-ends and self-seeking to self-righteousness and self-strength it makes a man die to all these where the life of Christ prevails the creature is nothing self is nothing it makes a man debase himself and lie low at the foot-stool of the Lord it makes him lie low in a way of humiliation Paul was less than the least of all Saints so he calls himself Less than the least of all Saints and he was the greatest of sinners so he calls himself the life of Christ made him lie low he had no life in himself I will speak no more saies Job I abhor my self in dust and ashes let God have all for the future it desires to exalt him to admire that which he can't find out I desire to lye at his foot-stool and to exalt his name it makes a man lie low in a way of submission to God as well as in a way of humiliation the life of Christ makes the heart submissive to Christ self is nothing self is laid aside content that God should rule that the creature should be disposed by him makes him willing to drink of every cup that his father puts into his hand to stoop down to every yoke and every burden that the Lord will put upon his neck and lay upon his shoulder
which his soul hates and yet that Word of the Lord doth conquer him and change him into his own likeness and so God leads his people to glory through a low way of suffering and when he brings them to the full possession of it he carries them through the dark entry through the dark narrow strait entry of death and through that place he leads them to the enjoyment of that glory which comes in by death I have no time for Application But Brethren consider it death is gain to those whose life Christ is but it is loss and the greatest loss that ever was met with unto those that have not Christ for their life I beseech you to look to your selves and to look about you before death comes when death comes you must venture such a venture as never was made you venture your souls and your Eternity and by that venture you are made or else you are marr'd to Eternity look about you examine Is death like to prove gain to you or no What assurance have you that death shall be gain I should press this further but the time is past already I shall reserve it for another time SERMON VII PHILIP 1. 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain YOU may remember the Point that we are insisting upon DOCT. That where Christ is life there death is gain I have opened the Point and shewed you wherein death is gain to believers in several particulars But I shall proceed in answering some Objections before I come to the Use Object It may be may some carnal heart say with Nicodemus how can these things be how is it possible that death should be gain when it strips a man of all his comforts turns him out of possession of House and Land it is no longer his if death comes it deprives him of all his friends he is left friendless it turns him naked out of the World and how is it possible that that should be gain Answ I Answer If there be not something beyond the Grave if a man hath not an Inheritance laid up in Heaven I grant it that death is the greatest loss of all for it robs a man of all comforts at once therefore I say if a man hath not a share in the Land of Promise if he hath not a more endurable substance in Heaven I grant that death is a great loss therefore what I say concerning those who are gainers by death it concerns them only that have interest in Christ and to them it is not loss to be stript of all comforts for why It puts them into possession of their Inheritance and what though death doth strip them of a few outward comforts It 's no great loss or it 's not considerable If a great Heir be gone home to his own Country if he gets to his own door his own house and his purse be taken from him what are a few pence It 's no great wrong because he hath now taken possession of an Inheritance that will bring him in a yearly Revenue thousands it may be the loss of his few pence from his purse is no great matter 2. Secondly Besides Whatsoever is lost in death it is no great matter to a gracious heart because the World is Crucified to him and he to the World before-hand I say however the World may look upon death as a loss yet a gracious heart doth not because the World is dead to him before-hand and if it be dead if it be a dead Carkass it is no great loss to part with it and though a man loves his Friend never so dearly as Sarah she was the beloved of Abraham Abraham's beloved wife and yet when death came Give me a burying place saies he that I may bury my dead out of my sight it was no matter to be parted with when she was dead and so saies a gracious heart of all the things of the World they are dead The world is crucified to me saies the Apostle and I to the World and therefore no great loss to him to part with them because they are dead to him 3. Thirdly Besides A believing soul shall find all to be made up in God abundantly whatsoever seems to be a loss shall be made up in Heaven with the presence of God and Christ Is there a loss of house and Land The Lord will be the dwelling place of his people throughout all Generations dost thou lose the light of the Sun the Lamb is the light of that City thou shalt find all relations in God Husband Wife Brother Sister whatever relation is broken by death it shall be made up in God he shall be their friend instead of all and you shall find the comfort of all relations made up in Heaven in Gen. 17. 7. I will be a God to thee it comprehends all relations that is Friends Father Husband Wife House Land all creature comforts whatsoever I will be a God to thee they are to be found in God Therefore whatsoever I say seems to be lost by death shall be made up in the enjoyment of God himself and of his Son Jesus Christ so much in answer to that But Object 2. Some poor hearts that are taken with this truth and with the great gain of Heaven will try out O Lord why do I live in this miserable world and why is light given to him that is in misery and why is life given to the bitter in Spirit Job 3. 20. I have heard of the gain of death and I cannot be content any longer in this vale of misery to be kept from my gain I know not how to bear it any longer O that the Lord would make haste and let loose his hand upon me and cut off this thread of my life Answ Now good Christian let me say a little to thee do not make too much hast do not make more hast than thy Father would have thee I remember the Apostle in Ephes 4. 26. saies Be angry and sin not so say I to thee desire death but sin not in thy desire every desire of death is not a good and a warrantable desire there is a holy desire of death and there is a sinful desire of death and have a care thou sinnest not Quest But you will say then How far may a man desire death When are his desires holy and when are they sinful This is a Case of Conscience that is very obvious and obnoxious to most of Gods people at one time or other and therefore I shall spend some time in answer First I shall shew you when a mans desires of death are sinful And secondly When they are holy and good 1. First of all Desires of death are Sinful when a man shall act any thing against his own life I say when a creature shall act any thing against his own life when a man or woman shall do any thing that shall shorten their own daies or when they shall refuse the
from your Fathers house to a Land you know not and therefore before death comes your eyes had need be opened Look about you and consider seriously of the venture that you make of death and how it is that you shall be able to go through What is it that shall carry you through this venture you had need take a great deal of pains in searching after this you had need learn to get assurance that death shall be gain how else shall you be carried through this venture And let me tell you It is strange to consider that rational men that have rational souls should be no more moved in such a point as this is when a man shall know that it is appointed for him to die and that in death he doth make an adventure the greatest venture that he can make he ventures for Eternity the greatest venture that ever was and yet whilst it is high time that he doth make no more inquisition after the knowledge of this one thing that death might be his gain And let me speak a word to you who are in Christ that I may press it upon you Labour to get the knowledge of this that death may be your gain you that do walk in the dark and at uncertainties concerning this you that fear the Lord and have given up your names to him and now walk in the dark and at uncertainties and know not whether death shall be your gain No my Brethren this is a sad condition next to the condition of the unregenerate this is the saddest O that the Lord would cause you to wait upon him till he clear up this truth to you why how mightily are your spirits disinabled the want of the knowledge of this that death shall be gain it keeps you in bonds in Heb. 2. 14. Who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage you are kept all your life-long in bondage through the fear of death because you know not whether it will be your gain or no O it is a sad condition that Gods own people should be all their life-long subject to bondage Nay if you have not this knowledge that death shall be made gain your spirits will be weak and feeble it will weaken your hands and knees and make you unable to do for God the want of this knowledge will make a Christian to walk basely and cowardly it will make him servile and make him slavish in what he doth for God and make him fearful to stand for God and to hold up the name of God in evil times and in suffering times it will make a man be base and betray his trust the want of this knowledge will make a Christian betray his trust it will make him deny Christ and his truth many times as Peter did when he was pressed with this fear And therefore to say no more As you desire to have your spirits raised mightily for God and for the service of your Generation would you do great things for God and truly God hath great things to do for his people even in these last and latter daies even such things as eyes have not seen nor ears heard God will work in these latter daies and his people shall be his Instruments What shall raise up your spirits make them noble and suitable to the great work and enterprizes that God hath now in hand If any thing in the World will do it it is this the knowledge and assurance that death cannot hurt you when it comes nigh death shall be an advantage to you you shall find gain in death and whatsoever you shall lose you shall find it infinitely made up in God the knowledge of this that death shall be gain it heightens your spirits and raises up your spirits in the great things of God in the service of your Generation But you will say How shall we come by this knowledge by the assurance of this that death shall be gain It is a great Question which will take up much time therefore I shall not enter into it So much for this time SERMON IX PHILIP 1. 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain WHere Christ is life to any soul there death is gain That 's the Proposition in hand I have entered the Application and drew several conclusions the last day by way of Instruction But I shall spend the remainder of my time in Answer to this Question Quest But you will say How shall we come by this knowledge the assurance of this that death shall be gain Answ That you would all labour to get assurance that death shall be gain to you It is a point that concerns every soul in the Congregation and therefore it calls for your attention get assurance that death shall be gain to you And let me speak 1. First To such as have not interest in Christ but are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity under the power of sin and Satan and so necessarily under bondage and fear of Death You had need look about you betimes there is a time a coming when you must make such a venture as you never made in all your lives you Ship all that you have and all that you can carry with you for another world when death comes there is such a venture as never was made in respect of the distance of place you do not venture to the Indies but you venture to another world a world which we had known nothing of if the Lord had not pleased to give us a glimpse of it in his Word for else we should have known nothing of it you venture more than all your Estates for my friends you venture your souls the soul that is more worth than all you have in the World if you were Masters of the whole world What! will a man venture for the gain of the World to lose his own soul Your loss is irrecoverable there is no hopes of any future trading for you venture once for all sor it is for ever And herefore I beseech you Consider what need you have of looking to this venture and to get assurance that it shall be made a gainful venture to you But you will say What directions will you give us that we may have assurance of gain in this venture I shall speak but one word to you Seek after an interest in Christ get Christ to be your life and then you shall be assured that death shall be gain I will not give you any other direction I will not set you any other way it will but lead you about and alas poor souls you had not need be led about you know not how soon the Wind and Tide may serve and you may set Sail for Eternity And therefore again I say seek after an interest in Christ get him to be your life If death shall find you whilst you live to the World and live in your selves whilst you live upon your works
come and say Lord Lord have not we prophesied in thy Name and in thy name we have cast out Devils and yet in the very next words Christ saies unto them Depart from me you workers of Iniquity here is a strange Epithete you workers of Iniquity they did abundance of good Prophesied 〈…〉 Name and cast out Devils c. and yet he call 〈…〉 workers of Iniquity if they be not done for Câ—â—â—â— to Christ Christ will interpret them worke 〈◊〉 Iniquity Make Christ your life and live upon him and that will fit you to look death in the face without fear Direct 6. Sixthly Converse with Death continually that is another Direction that I desire the Lord might set it upon our spirits converse with death continually behold death at a distance even all your life-long see death both in the death of Christ and in your own death Here you may converse with death 1. First In the death of Christ and then with your death which is approaching Christians Behold your own death in the death of Christ look upon a dying and a bleeding Saviour behold him as dead and laid in the Grave and what was the end of all this but that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death and deliver his poor people from fear of death Behold Christ as a mighty Conquerour by Faith every day and see death conquered and know that when Christ conquered he conquered as a common person he conquered death not only for himself but for his people O Christians if you were wise to make improvement of the death of Christ how might your spirits be strengthened against fears of death The death of Christ would kill all the fears of death in you I say if you made improvement of the death of Christ you may go and bury the fears of death in the Grave of Christ for he hath swallowed up death make it your work tâ— converse with death in the death of Christ And again Converse with your own death which is approaching O how is this neglected how seldom do men look for a dying hour or a departure how loth are men to entertain thoughts of death I have read of an Emperour that gave a Commâ—â—â—â— That no man should name Death in his Palace he 〈◊〉 afraid of death that he gave a Command upon paâ—â—â—â—â— death not to hear death named what advantage do men gain by this This strengthens the enemy and weakens their own hearts and spirits because they are afraid to think of death before death comes this doth exceedingly weaken a man against the time of his coming I have heard of a Serpent that is called a Cockatrice that if it sees a man it kills him but if he sees it it doth him no harm why it is true in this sense we are upon If death comes upon a man it kills him but when the soul hath seen death and hath digested and seen death at the worst that it can do and hath lived in a dying condition death when it comes is able to do no harm and therefore that 's a sixth Direction I desire the Lord would teach us to converse with death and to die daily with the Apostle Direct 7. Seventhly I desire that you would labour that your hearts may be thorowly rooted and established in the promises this will fortifie you against the fears of death upon the promises and upon that free-grace and that infinite righteousness that is held forth unto you in the Gospel Many men content themselves with common thoughts and ordinary notions of Christ and the Gospel and way of Salvation in his free-grace and of the power of Christ in saving of poor creatures but this is like the stony ground they are not perswaded of the truth of it and so setled And therefore how should this be fortifying against the fears of death This cannot bear them up in the time of death Go to the Lord desire him that he would realize things to you and that he would make real and deep impressions by his promise upon your souls that so you may be supported and carried out in the midst of all fears and dangeâ—◠〈◊〉 Eighthly Here is one more Direction whâ—â—â—â— give you which may help to strengthen your â—â—â—â—ts against the fears of death and that is Whilst you live labour to live in constant communion with God desire that the Lord would uphold your spirits in constant communion and fellowship with himself and with his son Jesus Christ Labour to walk with God as Enoch did He walked with God and was translated walk with God in your Generation and labour to enjoy communion with God in all Ordinances be thorowly acquainted with God with the goings of God in your spirits with the counsels of God with the promises of God that the Word may be your Counsellour and your guide and your comforter seek acquaintance with God What is it that makes men afraid to die It is because they are not acquainted with God a man fears in going into a strange place and strange company that he knows not it makes him fearful O if men were acquainted with God if they did walk with God whilst they lived and were acquainted with God in life it would take away the fears of death And truly Brethren you had need get extraordinary acquaintance with God before you leave your Country and Fathers house and follow him to a place you know not you had need be well acquainted to follow God and in making such a venture as you have heard of therefore make all improvement that may be to get more acquaintance with God under the Gospel Gods people are more generally freed from the fears of death because they have more acquaintance with God We are come saies the Apostle Heb. 12. 23. we are not only come to Jesus Christ the Mediator of the Covenant but we are come to God the Judge of all Now under the 〈◊〉 there is the way for Christians to come with 〈◊〉 and boldness to God even to God the Judge 〈◊〉 to have a sweet familiarity and acquaintance wâ—â—â—â— God even that Judge who judgeth all and that soul that hath been acquainted with God will not fear to go to God when God calls There was a gracious man I have heard of when he came to die saies he I shall change my place but not my company he had walked with God all his life God was his companion he had walked with God in all his waies and had done his work though he doth change his place having walked with God on earth he should now walk with God in Heaven Now O that we might thus walk with God and not be afraid to walk with God my Friend my Father my Companion Thus much for Direction the Lord sanctifie them to you I shall conclude these Words and this Text with one word more I beseech you you that have interest in Christ that have Christ for life and death for
now Christ is he that quickens whom he will by the mighty power of his resurrection is a poor soul raised up to live unto God I say all the life and strength of grace comes from the resurrection of Christ see what the Apostle says in Rom. 6. 4. mark that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father that is by the glorious power of the father by that almighty power in which he was so glorious I say Christ was raised from the dead even so saith he we should walk in newness of life it 's a mighty argument unto a gracious heart to walk with God and to live unto God and to walk in the newness of the Spirit why Christ he is risen he is risen from the dead and therefore when this word comes to the soul that is grovelling here below and seeks Christ in dead works and duties he is not there he sees not the death nor the resurrection of Christ but the power of Christ doth raise souls to live unto this newness of life and that is the fruit of the resurrection of Christ But 3. Again Thirdly there is another fruit of the resurrection of Christ and that is the Resurrection of the body at the last day this is a most sweet fruit that grows upon Christ the resurrection of the bodies of all his Saints at the last day he is said to be the first fruits of them that slept in 1 Cor. 15. 20. He is become the first-fruits of them that slept the first-fruits sanctifie the whole crop they were to bring the first-fruits the first-fruits they were brought forth the first-fruits sanctifie the crop that as they should reap that for the glory of God so their whole harvest now Christ he is the first-fruits of them that slept his resurrection it gives assurance unto the saints that as he is risen from the dead so the Lord he shall also raise them up he shall raise them up by the mighty power of his resurrection see there in the Gospel by Matthew 27. 52. And many bodies of the saints which slept arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared unto many a pledge given of our resurrection that all the saints shall be raised at the last many of the Saints that slept in the dust they arose and were seen of many in Jersalem there were witnesses of it this is a pledge I say that the bodies of all the Saints shall be raised up at the last day and these are the fruits that grow upon Christs Resurrection 7. Seventhly There are also many fruits that grow upon Christs Ascension his Ascension unto Heaven to tell you what fruits are there 1. First of all this is the fruit of Christs Ascension viz. The glorious triumph over all enemies and powers of darkness both in his own person and in his people I say a glorious triumph over all enemies for the day of Christs Ascension was the day of his triumph it 's said in Ephes 4. 8. when he ascended on high he led captivity captive alluding to a great conquest that when they have taken captives they will have a day of triumph to shew them openly and so Jesus Christ he led captivity captive Sin and Satan and all the powers of darkness that had led poor souls captive even them hath he led captive and looks upon all these as bound by Christ and they shall do no great harm that 's the first fruit of Christs ascension 2. Secondly the donation of the spirit and all the gifts of the Spirit is another fruit of Christs Ascension it 's said before in that place of the Ephesians That when he ascended on high he led Captivity Captive and he gave gifts to men all the gifts that are given to Churches to men for the use of the Churches they are the fruit of Christs Ascension Nay all the gifts and graces that are given to any particular Soul they are fruits of Christs Ascension he gave gifts to men yea to the Rebellious yea The Spirit of grace and consolation is given to the Saints to comfort them and to lead them into truth See what Christ hath promised in John 16. 7. Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you see how the sending of the Spirit did depend upon Christs going If I do not ascend the Spirit will not come but if I go I will send him 3. But again Thirdly There is another fruit of Christs Ascension and that is The carrying up of the hearts of his people into Heaven the holy conversation and those heavenly affections and dispositions which are or should be in all the Saints they are the fruits of Christs Ascension for he ascended for this very end that he might lift up their hearts If I be lifted up I will draw all men after me he was lifted up into heaven that he might draw eyes and souls after him and therefore it 's observable how Christ ascended he ascended openly he ascended in the view of all that were present he ascended whilest he was in the midst of his Disciples talking of things concerning the Churches he presently ascended this was one end why Christ would not ascend in secret but openly that they may know he is in Heaven and that by the sight of his Ascension he might draw them after him in Spirit though they could not follow him in body for the present as the Eagle when she teaches her young ones she goes before and flyeth aloft that they may follow after her and thus doth the Lord Jesus he soars aloft that he might make his Saints to give holy attempts at least in their Spirits whilst their bodies are here on earth Oh he can't endure that they should be creeping here below a low spirit and a low conversation is not fit for Saints he would not have his people to have rooting in the earth he would have his people be like Aaron's Rod Aaron's Rod it was not like other Trees it had no rooting in the earth and yet it blossomed such would the Lord have his people to be he can't away that they should have low conversations that their affections should be creeping here upon the earth and not soaring aloft and living in heaven where he is Under the Levitical Law the things that did creep upon the earth they were abominable and they were unclean God gave a Commandment in Levit. 11. 41. And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination it shall not be eaten it doth typifie what the Lord would have his people to be he would not have his people to live below on the earth the earth is but dust and that 's Serpents meat the Lord would have them to live above as Christ did
that you would not be discouraged through the apprehension of the straitness of this passage you know not how easie God can make it why should you distrust him do not fear the greatness of the pains God can make them easie God can allay them God can take away the sense of them God can give in that which can sweeten them remember who went before you hath not the Lord Jesus gone before you He set himself in the fore-front of the Battel the passage was a great deal straiter when Christ went through it he hath widened it and made it far more easie Believers you have seen the worst that death can do to you you have seen it in Christ if it had overcome Christ you might have fear'd it but Christ would try the experiment first upon himself and you have seen the worst that it can do Jesus Christ is engaged with you if you should perish Christ himself had as good have perished it 's all one whether he be overcome in his person or in his members Oh therefore I say be not discouraged at the apprehension of the straitness of the passage and darkness of the entry but look to Christ that hath gone before you and only let it be your care whilst you live to live by Faith and to live in constant communion with God God will take care of the rest And Vse 2. Again How should you bless the Lord Christ What cause have you to bless the Lord and to admire the riches of wisdom and the riches of power and the riches of goodness that hath made death to be thus easie I tell you it is not so in it self Christians you are beholding to Christ for this death is not easie in it self it is most terrible in it self it hath brought down mighty spirits of wicked men Oh! whither shall I go said Nero when death was at hand It was not so easie with Christ oh it was exceeding strait when he ventured to pass through it was for your sakes that he entred the passage first Oh! admire his wisdom goodness and power and bless his name for this both in life and death That 's a second thing we considered Enoch was not God took him his translation is spoken of him as a very easie thing he walked a step further and returned no more and God took him There is one Particular more which I shall give but a hint on and that is He was not found So saies the Apostle to the Hebrews Heb. 11. 5. He was not found for God had translated him He was not found and that implies he was sought for when God had took him They sought for him but he was not found saies the Apostle And so it was with Elijah in 2 Kings 2. latter end of the Chapter the Prophet sends out fifty men to seek after him and it 's very like they did so for Enoch but he was not found for God took him Observe It is usual to undervalue mercies whilst we have them which are prized dearly when once they are gone I say it is usual with the sons of men to undervalue mercies whilst they have them which they would seek for when once they are gone thus we deal with persons and thus we deal with other mercies With Persons you know how Samuel was undervalued by Saul whilst he lived and the Word of the Lord that he brought to Saul was rejected but when Samuel was gone then Saul seeks for him nay he was so violent that he seeks him in an unlawful way even to raise him up from the dead that he might acquaint him with the Will of the Lord. And so John Baptist was persecuted and banished and Herod cut off his head but when he was gone then Herod prized him and so when Herod heard of the fame of Jesus that he did great things Surely it is John Baptist that is risen up again here 's mighty works indeed And thus we deal not only with Persons But thus we deal with other Mercies whilst we have them we undervalue them that God is forced to take them away to let us know what the worth of them is Israel did not prize her mercies outward Mercies Corn Wine and Oyl Flax and Wool and therefore God was forced to take them away to let them know the worth of them I will take away my Corn my Wine and my Oyl my Flax and my Wool Hos 4. Yea thus we deal with God himself thus we deal with God and Christ and with the great and precious things of God how did Esau despise his birth-right how contemptibly did he speak of it whilst he had it What will my birth-right do me good saies he seeing I am ready to die And yet afterward when it was gone he sought it with tears when Jacob had got the blessing he sought it with tears and he could not obtain it Yea this is not only in the hearts of the wicked if it were only in the wicked it were the less but it is in the hearts of Gods own people to undervalue the things of God whilst they enjoy them and so give the Lord cause to strip them of them Israel had the presence of God amongst them but they did not prize God and therefore saies God I will go and return to my first place in their affliction they will seek me early Thus we deal with other of Gods precious ones many times they are undervalued and we know not the worth of them till such time as they are removed till God takes them away As it is said concerning the Jews in Matth. 23. that Christ was amongst them and Preached the everlasting Gospel to them and they received it not But when the Gospel was removed from them then they prized it Behold your house is left unto you desolate Why in Matth. 21. there you have the same words when the Children cried saying Hosanna Hosanna to the Highest the Jews were offended when the people said of Christ Hosanna and blessed is he that comes in the Name of the Lord they were offended in the 15 Verse and Christ doth rebuke them for this Well saies he when they cried Hosanna blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord you are displeased the time is a coming that you would give all that you enjoy to see such a man as you have seen but I will teach you by the absence of this mercy of which you shall say Welcom indeed and blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord I say what base hearts and spirits are within us that we should put God unto this labour that we should cause God to walk in this way towards us to take away our mercies that we may know how to prize them Oh it is an unworthy heart there is a great deal of the spirit of Esau to despise the blessing whilst we had it and then afterwards weep for it and sought it with tears but found it not And
But again Vse 4. Fourthly This may be a ground of patience unto the servants of God in the midst of all their affliction in the midst of all temptations and afflictions whatsoever possess your souls in patience Why because the time is short and if it be good for you the Lord will make your daies few because they are evil therefore possess your souls in patience you complain of your afflictions Why they are not for an Eternity a few daies those daies are shortened if you should live as long as they did before the Flood seven eight or nine hundred years and all the time be tempted and afflicted but now for the Elects sake those daies are shortened your burden is but for a little time your rest is long therefore possess your souls with patience O the wisdom and goodness of God in walking in this way to and with his people if your afflictions had been heavy and long too that had been sad It is the misery of Hell heavy burdens to Eternity is the misery of Hell Ay but Gods dispensation to you is quite contrary and otherwise when your daies are evil they shall be few and but for a little while but when joy comes that shall be for Eternity O the goodness of Gods dispensation few daies when they are evil and an Eternity of daies when entering into the possession of Joy possess your souls with patience 5. Fifthly Again Will God cut off the times of his best servants See and take that Counsel in Isa 2. 22. Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be accounted of Cease ye from man from the best of men for their breath is in their nostrils Cease from affecting them over much do not let the stream of your affections be any way inordinate for wherein are they to be accounted Remember what the Apostle saies The time is short the fashion of this world passeth away when he goes about to other things concerning this world The time is short saies he cease ye from man and cease from trusting in him his breath is in his nostrils don't lay too much weight upon any man the Lord cuts short the daies of the best of his servants therefore trust not in don't lay too much weight upon them don't say the comfort of your lives is bound up in them and you can't live comfortably without them oh cease ye from trusting in man it 's much better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man by laying weight upon the creature you may break the creature therefore take heed though God may take away them that you trust in in love and mercy he may shorten their daies in love yet cease ye from trusting in man That 's a fifth Again Vse 6. Sixthly This may teach you to take heed of murmuring and repining when God takes away any of your relations in the midst of their years and daies Oh how full of carnal reasonings are they Oh you conceive it much better if they had lived longer if they had lived to mans age what an honour might they have been to God and a comfort to you if they had lived longer These are carnal reasonings that arise from the flesh know assuredly that if God shortened their daies it was in love it was best for them that they were so taken away taken away at that time why will you teach God Will you teach God to gather in his Corn in what season he shall do it Know assuredly he will take them at the best he will crop them at the best season he loves his servants well and he will put them off at the best advantage both in life and death and therefore know assuredly that whatsoever carnal reason may say on the contrary it was according to the dispensation of Gods love though he takes them away in the midst of their daies That 's a sixth Vse 7. Seventhly It may be a word of conviction to such as have lived long and have lost of their former forwardness and zeal for God such as have lived to grow worse lived to be scandalous to the name of God and to a holy profession Oh my friends what shall we say But that God orders things in infinite wisdom you might say poor creature how much better had it been if God had taken you away before Oh! to live to be a dishonour to God to live to lose thy first love and thy first zeal and forwardness for God to be a scandal to profession oh better that you had been taken away at the first better that you had been hid in the Grave many years ago that now your corruption should be discovered to the dishonour of your profession and yet don 't you say there is no hope and therefore we will wait no longer the Lord invites you to return return oh that you would seek after your first love and first zeal strengthen the feeble hands and knees if the Lord should come and take you away whilst you are in this condition oh how uncomfortable will it be unto you very uncomfortable you lose your Crown though I know if you have interest in Christ the Crown of glory is safe yet there is a Crown which you will lose if you return not speedily to the Lord the Crown of a Christian is to flourish green and be fruitful in old age fat and flourishing in the Courts of the Lord to be fresh and sweet and to send forth an excellent savour this is the Crown of a Christian and this Crown you may lose if death comes upon you whilst you are in that declining condion Oh therefore make hast to the Lord pour out your cry continually that the Lord would be pleased to restore you again and to establish you with his free spirit that you may be fresh fruitful and sweet and may not be withered in time of gathering when God shall come to pull and gather you if you be dead and withered you lose all your sweet scent Oh beg of the Lord that you may not be in that condition at that time when he shall come to gather you into his Barn That 's a seventh Vse 8. Eightly Let us pray and wait for that time which before was spoken of when there shall be no danger in long life when long life shall be a mercy unto all the Saints when the daies of the Lords people shall be as the daies of a tree and the Elect shall long enjoy the works of their hands Oh pray for the accomplishment of that promise it will be very sweet how much shall the Saints gain at that time how much knowledge yea how much shall they do for God Alas we are of yesterday and know nothing oh get large experience renewed experience they shall grow in that day like an Oak tree or a Cedar there shall be no hindrances of growth pray and wait for the accomplishment of that Vse 9. Ninthly This may support
from the evil to come Object But you will say There may be hopes of good daies and that might make us unwilling to die in hopes of good daies Answ Why God may make you willing as Moses was though at the Borders of Canaan yet God would have him die and he goes up to the Mountain and dies very willingly there may be a great deal of evil before the good come a great deal of shakings sore shakings before the good day come the passage to the Land may be very strait yet Christ will bring thee along with him when he comes I say when ever Christ comes he will bring the Saints along with him We that are alive shall not prevent those that are dead No they shall rise first and then shall we be changed Therefore God took away Enoch at this time that he may give warning to the World that wrath was a coming 2. Secondly Again God took away Enoch at this time that he might declare that he had respect unto his people though the World was never so wicked though they are never so cruel yet they shall not be forgotten but the Lord remembers the Lord takes notice of them If I find ten righteous men in Sodom saies God I will not destroy that City for tens sake God seeks his own people and if he finds but ten righteous souls in a City for their sakes it shall not be destroyed not an Enoch shall be forgotten Men may cast away much chaff and though there be two or three Corns or more of Wheat they won't look for them but God won't do so if a heap of chaff be never so great God will look over it and he will not lose one Corn though in abundance of Chaff his people do glorifie him much in an evil time and grace is remarkable then when it shines bright in the midst of a dark night the Lord will remember you and therefore if the Lord will find you out and remember you in an evil World Oh! how should you remember him He will do the more for you and deal the more remarkably with you because you are found faithful in an evil time in an evil World even as Enoch therefore be ye careful to walk with God Again 3. Thirdly and lastly God will declare hereby that the perfection and happiness of his people is not here below and therefore he would have them and all the world to know that the perfection and happiness of the Saints is not below Enoch enjoyed as much of God as ever man did and yet Enoch must be translated before he comes to perfection God witnesses to this in the lives of the best of the Saints in that Generation there is none that lived a thousand years though there came many nigh to a thousand years which is the perfect number the perfect account The Lord would teach that perfection is not here but he would have us to know where we shall enjoy it therefore let us see what necessity there is to live upon Jesus Christ by Faith in the worst of our daies if perfection be not here O what need then have you to live in Christ You are perfect in him saies the Apostle compleat in him and therefore in the sense and greatness of your Imperfections you had need live upon that fulness and breath after that fulness of time and perfection whither Enoch was translated unto So much shall serve for this time SERMON I. PHILIP 1. 21. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain THE Apostle was now in Bonds for the Gospel of Jesus Christ he takes care that the Philippians might not be offended at it that his sufferings might not be any stumbling-block to them in Verse 12. he tells them that whatsoever befell him it was for the furtherance of the Gospel I would have you understand saies he the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather to the furtherance of the Gospel he gives two particular Instances how the Gospel of Christ was furthered by his sufferings the one is in Verse 13. My Bonds in Christ are manifest in all the Palace By his sufferings many in Nero's Court came to enquire after the Gospel of Jesus Christ for which Paul suffered and by enquiring into it were convinced of it Another benefit of these his sufferings is in Verse 14. Many of the Brethren in the Lord waxed confident by my Bonds They were more bold to speak the Word of the Lord they feared not sufferings because they saw how God carried Paul through his sufferings They waxed more bold through my Bonds You see what improvement the Lord makes of the sufferings of his people Truth never thrives better than when it is most trodden upon the more the wind blows upon this fire the more it kindles the hotter it burns and the clearer it shines when the stream is dammed up it rises higher so it is with Truth this was the advantage that God makes of the sufferings of his people for though the Truth was upon trial yet Paul may suffer and Paul may lose by it Paul was in danger of his life Well take no care for me saies he in Verse 19. For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your Prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed but with all boldness as alwaies so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death Take no care for me saies he I desire nothing but your Prayers for I am confident that God will carry on his Work it shall turn to my good and what ever befall me the Lord shall be glorified in it I am confident of it saies he that Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death You see the breathings of a gracious heart it cares not what becomes of it self so God may have his honour Take no thought saies Paul whether I live or die it is all one to me so the Lord Jesus may be magnified in my bonds by my life or by my death if Christ be glorified it is enough it matters not what becomes of Paul so Christ be magnified in my life or in my death For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain Christ is gain to me both in life and death so some read the words For Christ is gain to me both in life and death Others make two Propositions of it Christ is life to me or to me to live is Christ Christ is my life and death is my gain Why if I live saies he Christ shall be magnified for Christ is my life if I live I shall gain and if I die I shall gain If I live I shall gain more of Christ I shall gain more knowledge of him and more communion with him here in the way Ay but what if Paul die If I die saies
he I shall be no loser death is look'd upon as a loss therefore as Paul should have said For me to live is Christ or to die is Christ but he rather saies It is gain it is Christ that makes it gain to him or else it is a loss to me but Christ who is my life shall make death gain So take no thought of me saies he whatsoever befalls me I shall do well if I live or if I die And because you are more solicitous concerning my death saies he know that death is my gain if I lose my friends and my comforts if I lose life it self it shall be no loss it shall not undo me for I shall find all in Jesus Christ and so death shall be my gain DOCT. Christ is the Believers Life That 's the Proposition that lies before us For me to live is Christ or Christ is my Life it is all one Christ is the life of every believing soul By Life sometimes it is understood whatsoever is excellent whatsoever is excellent in its kind it is set forth by life because life is the most excellent thing in nature Skin for Skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life and therefore the Bread which Christ gives is called Living Bread Bread of Life and so Water of Life for the excellency of the spiritual things that the Lord gives out to his people and truly Christ is instead of all excellencies to a believing soul he is the life of all their comforts the comforts of the World are dead until such time as Christ shines in them there is no life until such time as Christ shines through them for riches are dead and honour is dead and friends are dead all comforts are dead till the life of Christ be in them But more particularly 1. First Christ is the Life of Righteousness to the believing soul every child of Adam is dead condemned and so he is dead in Law there is no life but by the righteousness of Christ that righteousness which Christ brought in by his blood He gave life by making satisfaction to Justice by paying the debt unto death therefore the Apostle saies that Righteousness reigns by Christ in Rom. 5. sin entered into the world by Adam speaking there at Verse 17. For if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ Righteousness raigns in a believing soul by Jesus Christ it hath the preheminence of all all is dross and dung in comparison of this righteousness of Jesus Christ it reigns gloriously in a believing soul it is Christ that procures this righteousness and it is Christ that applies this righteousness by his Spirit I say the Application of this life of righteousness is from Christ it is he that reveals this righteousness it is he that discovers it to the soul it is Christ by his eternal Spirit that causeth the soul to know this life and righteousness which is given to it now as Christ doth discover this righteousness so he causeth the soul to close with this righteousness it is he by his Spirit that overcomes the heart to rest upon this righteousness and to look upon this righteousness as its life for there is a principle in the creature to seek after life in it self man would seek righteousness in himself and it is a hard matter to bring the soul off of this rotten sandy foundation Christ only by his eternal Spirit when he hath revealed this righteousness perswades the soul to rest upon it and to look upon him as its life 2. Secondly Again As the life of righteousness is from Christ so the life of holiness is from Christ all those gracious dispositions and all those holy actings that do at any time shine forth in the hearts and lives of Gods people they have no other foundation but Christ the holiness of Christ From his fulness have all we received grace for grace if there be the life of any grace in the soul it is from Jesus Christ from the fulness of Christ there is no man lives the life of holiness till Christ becomes a principle of life to him there is no breathings in the heart after Christ there is no holy motion in pursuit after Christ till Christ first breaths upon the soul The hour is come and now is that they that are in their Graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear it shall live There is no man lives the life of holiness until such time as he hears the voice of the Son of God there may be Carkasses of grace out-sides of grace and there may be Carkasses of duties and performances but no living graces there are no living performances until such time as Christ be a principle of life unto the soul the beginning of the life of holiness and so the encrease of the life of holiness is from Christ I came that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly Christ decreed that you might have life and that you might have abundance of life that you might be filled with the Spirit of Christ that you might have abundance of the life of Christ that his people might be ready in his strength to every good word and work this was the end of Christs coming that they might have life more abundantly he is the life of holiness But again 3. Thirdly Christ is the Life of Consolation unto his people He is the life of all their comforts and the comforts that Christ gives they are living comforts my peace I give unto you not as the world gives give I unto you for no man shall take away your peace the world shall not take it away my Spirit shall be an everlasting living principle of consolation in you which shall not be taken away Christ is the life of all a Christians comforts he is the life of friends the life of all refreshments that a Christian hath and they are all dead to him when Christ doth not shine through them he is the life of comforts and the life of Ordinances there is no life there is no refreshment if Christ be not in them if the soul meets not with Christ in Ordinances they are but dead Ordinances truly Christ is the life of all He is also 4. Fourthly The Life of Glory Christ is the life of glory to his people It is he that hath purchased glory for them by his blood it is he that hath made the way plain it is he that hath made a new way to glory when the old way was shut you read in Heb. 10. 19 20. Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh A new and living way to God a new and living way to the
bosom of the Father it is Christ that is this living way For he lives for ever to make Intercession for them that come to God by him He it is that removes all the blocks out of the way of his people to glory that helps them over all rubs they meet with it is he that hath born down all oppositions when he travelled in the greatness of his strength he hath set Heaven door open to his people he hath removed the Cherubims that kept the way with a flaming sword and kept the Tree of Life yea Christ is the subject matter of their Glory it is the presence of Christ that makes Heaven to be Heaven it is the glory of Heaven to know God in Christ and it is the glory of Heaven to enjoy God in Christ Joh. 17. 3. And this is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Thus you see how Christ is the life of Believers what life he is to them he is the life of righteousness the life of holiness and the life of their comforts yea and he is the life of Glory And it will appear that Christ is the life of the believing soul if you consider 1. First That there is none lives but Christ He hath life in himself as the Father hath life in himself so it is given to the Son to have in himself There is none lives but God and therefore when God will confirm a thing he swears by his life you have often that Oath As I live saith the Lord As I live saith the Lord there is none can say I live but only God he that is Jehovah that hath life in himself Now therefore if any creature have life if there be any spark of life in any soul it must be from this life in Christ there is no principle of spiritual life in a soul but it must be from Christ if there be any life it is from the life of Christ from the Resurrection of Christ and from the discoveries of Christ 2. Secondly It was the end of Christs coming in the flesh That he might give life to his people as you heard before I came saies Christ that you might have life Christ came in the flesh for this end he had nor lived in this world if it had not been to give life to his people it was the end of his life and so it was the end of his death also he tells us in Joh. 6. 51. If any man eat of this Bread he shall live for ever and the Bread which I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world I will give my flesh my body to be crucified that so my death may be the life of the world and it was the end of Christs living again it was the end of his rising again that he might give life to his people Joh. 14 19. Because I live saies he ye shall live also my life is the cause of your living I live for this end and arose for this end I am he that was dead and am alive and live for ever and because I live ye shall live also Quest But you will say When may it be said that Christ is the Life of any soul Answ 1. First of all When the soul prizes Communion with Christ as life And mark all the way so much as the life of Christ is in any soul so far will these effects and operations of life be found in him Christ is life when communion with Christ is prized as life when the soul shall prefer communion with Christ above all other comforts whatsoever when he seeks after it as life and when he hath found it he prizes it as life and is as fearful to lose it as he is to part with his life and he cannot be satisfied without it though he enjoies never so much of the world though he hath never so many friends and they shine upon him and they speak comfortably to him yet if Christ speak not it doth not satisfie though he hath never so good trading in the world and prosper in his Estate yet if he hath not trading with Christ if he hath not his mercies come in through Christ he looks upon himself as a loser so far as the life of Christ prevails with a soul so far will the soul prize communion with Christ Again 2. Secondly When the life of Christ is in a soul the Soul doth judge of it self not by what it is in it self but by what it is in Christ by what it is in another the life of Christ was Paul and how did Paul judge of himself by what By what he was in Christ and by what Christ was in him and to him I live saies he and yet not I but Christ lives in me in Gal. 2. 20. how doth he judge of his life not by any principle of self that was in him but by Christ that was in him I live yet not I but Christ lives in me Surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength Isa 45. 24. When he shall see that he hath no righteousness in himself no strength in himself he shall not judge of his present state or future happiness by what righteousness or what strength he hath in himself but by what Christ hath promised him he shall judge by the Word of the Lord and by what life of Christ is made over to him and he shall say Surely I have righteousness and strength I have all in another at that time when I have nothing but vileness and deadness in my self so that the soul judges of it self and its condition not according to what it finds in it self but according to what the Lord hath promised to be unto him Again 3. Thirdly Where Christ is the life of a soul there is Christ the principle of all holy actings in that soul The soul when ever it sets upon any duty or upon any holy work presently it looks up for the power and spirit of Christ it gives up it self to be acted by Christ to be carried on by the spirit of Christ Christ opens the sails of the soul to the gales of the spirit for it knows that if the spirit of Christ do not breath the soul is calmed it can do nothing it desires that Christ may have the glory of all that it doth that Christ may be the principle of all its workings for God all the fruit that a gracious heart brings forth to God it desires that Christ may have the honour of it and therefore it bears as it were upon Christs knee as the women of old took their Hand-maids when they were barren and they bare upon their knees and the Children were called theirs not the Hand-maids And truly so the beliving soul alwaies bears and brings forth fruit upon the knee of Christ and it calls them all the Off-spring of Christ whatsoever it doth for God whatever it brings forth
out a spirit of burning and breaths upon the same Word with command that sparks be blown up to a mighty flame so that the Lord speaks and when he speaks his words are not in vain when he speaks that he would have you to live do not you make objections against the life of Christ do not say we are dead creatures how should we live Consider what Abraham did it is said He considered not his own body when it was dead neither the deadness of Sarahs womb he did not look upon it in Rom. 4. 19. Not being weak in Faith it is said he considered not his own body now dead dead as to generation nor the deadness of Sarahs womb but he eyed the Word of the Lord the faithfulness and truth of God in his Word he lookt to the all-sufficiency of that God which had promised he knew that he was able to perform what he had spoken though it seemed never so unlikely unto sense therefore he staggered not at the promise through unbelief but he was strong in faith giving glory to God and so also you poor creatures do not look so much upon your own deadness but know that God can out of very stones raise up children unto Abraham he can quicken thee by the Word of his mouth and the breath of his nostrils though thou liest before him as Adam did who was as a lump of clay liveless and useless but the Lord made a body thereof and made it to become a living body though thou art dead the Lord can breath life in thee by the Word of his Spirit and so it shall burn unto Eternity all the life and breathings and motions of the Spirit after the Lord these are kindled by the Spirit of the Lord therefore look not so much after thine own deadness but look to the faithfulness of him that hath promised that thou maist not stagger at the Promise through unbelief Object But I am not only without the life of Christ saith some poor guilty sinner but I have been an enemy to the life of Christ I have opposed the life of Christ both in my own soul and others I have smothered those motions of the Spirit that he hath often cast in I have persecuted the appearances of the life of Christ in others and the Lord cause me to lie under the apprehension of the guilt of it and now I am ready to think and conclude that I am cast out of sight the time of life is past and the Lord hath for ever excluded me and shut me under death darkness and horror I shall not see the life of Christ Answ Why even to thee let me say that eternal life is the free gift of God I say this life is the free gift of God there is no gift more free than this life which God doth impart unto poor sinners It was said when Christ ascended up on high he led Captivity Captive and he received gifts for men even for the rebellious also that God might dwell amongst them Christ received life for Rebels he received gifts for Rebels and this was not the least of gifts this was the greatest of gifts that Christ received for Rebels this gift of life and therefore you shall see how Christ gave life unto that evil generation that did so persecute him even to the very death though they cut him off from the Land of the living as not being worthy to live among them yet to many of those that were the chief actors the chief instruments of the Crucifying of the Lord of life there was life given them as we may see by those that were converted at Peter's Sermon and made partakers of the death of Christ and life of Christ the Apostle tells them in Acts 2. 23. He was delivered by the determinate counsel and fore-knowledge of God him ye have taken and by wicked hands have Crucified and slain And afterwards in that Chapter you shall read that even those he speaks to here at Verse 37. were converted life was dispensed to them pardon to them mercy to them grace to them even to them that had with wicked and cruel hands slain and crucified the Lord of life and glory and therefore also Christ saies in John 6. That he came to give his life for the World he gave his flesh for the life of the world the world that lay in wickedness that was in darkness that was filled with enmity against Christ and against his people whilst they were here in the world Christ gave his flesh to be life unto the world therefore see that eternal life is the gift of God he gives it so freely to Rebels to such who had their hands embrewed in his blood that had with wicked hands crucified and slain him See what a door of Hope is set open for poor guilty sinners that they may come in and be made partakers of this life of Christ Object But it may be that soul will further Object and say I have not only been an enemy to the life of Christ but I have continued so long dead in sins and trespasses that when I look upon my condition it seems unto me like unto the state of dead and dry bones and I am ready to say Is it possible that such dead and dry bones should live that have lain so long in the Grave of sin so long rotting and stinking in their lusts is it possible that such should live Answ Let me tell you That the Lord carries on his work though under great disadvantages that Parable or Vision that was represented to the Prophet Ezekiel concerning the Jews is very remarkable in Ezek. 37. 3. And he said unto me Son of man can these bones live And I answered O Lord thou knowest Go Prophesie upon them and the Lord saies then he would give life unto them I know no way how they shall live it is beyond the reach of the creature to know thou art infinite in wisdom and power O Lord thou knowest the way how to give life and being to them Well saies God they shall live the Lord often gives life to such poor creatures in such a condition when they are like unto dead and dry bones when furthest from life the skin was not only broken and the flesh consumed and the bones loosned and disjointed but they were scattered abroad broken and dry and so they were in such an estate as was farthest off from life but even then the Lord delights to communicate life When Lazarus had lain four daies in the Grave then the Lord Christ raised him up he could have raised him as soon as his breath had gone out but the Lord Christ let him go four daies when he seemed to be farthest off from life when his sister had said Lord by this time he sti keth saies Christ unto her Did not I tell thee if thou wouldest believe thou shouldst see the glory of God What saies Christ to the poor soul when the soul saith
heard before it cost Christ dear that life which he communicates to his people it cost him his blood it was not purchased without the laying down of his life and therefore take heed that you do not act against him Let Christians take heed that they do not neglect communion with God neglecting of communion and sleighting of communion is an acting against the life of Christ in them for why the life of Christ comes in that way it is maintained by the souls conversing with God and therefore when a man turns his eye so from God when he is looking downward continually poring upon the things of this World neglecting the things of Eternity and does not eye God and does not converse with God in all Ordinances and Duties why this is an obstructing of the life of Christ in you Again Take heed of giving way to any vanity take heed of making bonds with sin that you do not step out from God in the least it is destructive to the operation of the life of Christ sin weakens the inward man as sicknesses and diseases do the body take away the natural strength that a man cannot act with that strength as before so it is with sin when the soul gives way to lusts and corruptions whatever they be he weakens his own strength he entertains fellowship with that which is an enemy to the life of Christ in him And then take heed of giving way to sinful passions and unbelief and dejection of spirit for these also are great enemies to the life of Christ I say dejection of spirit is an enemy to the life of Christ as well as to the life of Nature therefore reason with your passions as sometimes David did Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me Know that he hath made you Kings he hath set you upon the Throne that you may judge your own hearts that holy and sanctified reason may call all your inordinate lusts and passions to account in thy soul and say as David did Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Take heed of neglecting Ordinances of sleighting Ordinances it is by them that the life of Christ is maintained and cherished they are the Pipes they are the Golden Pipes though empty in themselves yet they are the Pipes through which the Lord is pleased to convey life and therefore the sleighting of Ordinances and casting of them off must needs make way for the hinderance of the life of Christ Christians should take heed I say in any case that they do not that which may be an obstruction to the life of Christ to the actings and to the motion of the life of Christ in them Again To say no more Let all Believers consider what matter of consolation the Lord hath laid up for them in this in that he hath made Christ to be their life I say what matter of strong consolation is it in the midst of all their deaths and dangers in the midst of all their miseries in the midst of all their corruptions and enemies that they are compast about with here in the World Here is a hidden ground of consolation There is a principle of life in them Christ is their principle of Life and such a principle as shall never decay in them they have such a life as endures for ever Why it is comfort in the midst of all the want of outward necessaries if Christians want they have a more excellent life than creatures and if creatures say natural life is better than raiment then how much more may it be said of spiritual life that it is better than food and raiment and all outward things below And so in the midst of all afflictions that do lie upon Gods people at any time they may comfort themselves with that hidden life that is within them though the World see not the world takes no notice of it the Lord looks upon them as excellent because of that life that is within them yea even death it self the people of God may comfort themselves as Job did in the thoughts of death in the apprehension of death though it seem never so terrible they have a living Saviour they who have interest in Christ he is a principle of life unto them I know that my Redeemer lives and I shall see him again at the last day saies Job he lives and he will be life to me I shall stand up with him and I shall live in his sight this was that which Job did solace his soul in in the midst of all those afflictions in the thoughts of death it self when it was presented to him as the King of terrors yet let the Saints rejoice in this life for it is such a life as shall never be put out though it be compassed about it is a life that is compassed about with enemies and all that is in a man and all that is without him are enemies to the life of Christ O how many temptations and how many lusts and corruptions do beset it round about every day Well here is comfort to every one to whom Christ is a principle of life that this life of Christ shall prevail and it shall continue to see all its enemies put under its feet thou shalt live to see them all put under thy feet Christ indeed when he came in the flesh was persecuted in his very infancy he was driven into a strange Country but he lived to see his enemies put under in Matth. 2. 19. the Angel comes and tells Joseph he may return with safety for they are dead which sought the young Child's life to destroy him it shall one day be said so unto every Believer to every soul that hath interest in the life of Christ though for a time they may be persecuted and hurryed and driven up and down with the lusts and corruptions of their hearts and this wicked world yet it shall be said one day Lo they are dead which sought the Childs life But so much for this time SERMON V. PHILIP 1. 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain I Have concluded the first of these Propositions That Jesus Christ is a Believers life But I shall proceed to a second Proposition in the Text. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain I shall propound it as exemplary unto all the Saints DOCT. That it is worthy your imitation to converse with Death at a distance to prepare for Death before Death comes You shall find it the practice of the Saints in Scripture so did Moses and so did David Moses as you have it recorded in Psal 90. 12. which is a Psalm of Moses So teach us to number our daies that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom Teach us so to number them as we may know our own frailty so as we may have the impressions upon our hearts that we are but Grass and as the
these temptations yea therefore it is that many a poor creature is brought down wonderfully because they do not converse with death at a distance they do not consider their latter end in Lam. 1. 9. She remembred not her latter end therefore she came down wonderfully because men do not converse with death at a distance they do not consider their latter end the rich Fool in the Gospel remembred not his latter end therefore he came down wonderfully men are broughtâ— down wonderfully suddenly they are cut off e're they are aware of it and all because they do not converse with death at a distance and therefore when it comes it is wonderful strange to them because they do not die daily they do not consider their latter end Object But you will say there are many that converse with death and look death in the face every day and yet we see they are not the better for it as many that carry their lives in their hands when they go upon the Sea and see the wonders of God in the deeps and when they go into the high places in the Field to engage and venture their lives such men look death in the face yet we see not that they are the better for it Answ I Answer It is true there is a conversing with death which makes not men the better but the worse for there are many men as Solomon saies It is better to go into the house of mourning than into the house of feasting for in the house of mourning the living they will lay it to heart but it is possible for men to go so long in the house of mourning to be hardened so as they cannot lay death to heart that they look upon it as a matter of custom to die and to be buried and there is an end it is possible for such the Prophet speaks of who have made a league with Hell and Death but Paul's conversing with death at a distance was of another stamp for his conversing with death was from an impression that God had made upon his spirit of the frailty of the creature it was the Lord that taught him for to number his daies till God teach this lesson no man can converse with death daily from an inward real apprehension of the vanity of the creature with the perishing condition of this Tabernacle of Clay this was Paul's conversing The wicked man converseth with death when he is bold to die as it is possible he may his familiarity with death it ariseth it may be from some ignorance or hardness he takes his leap as a blind man may do when he skips down a Hill he knows not how far it is to the bottom through ignorance men know not what death is know not what the condition is that death leads to they do not consider of the consequence of it and of that Eternity that follows death and therefore it is ignorance of this that makes the wicked man desperate but when the righteous man is bold as a Lion and death is familiar to him it is from a principle of knowledge and not from ignorance he knows what death is he knows that in it self it is an enemy it is an enemy to nature and it is destructive to all outward comforts but he knows also that death hath lost his sting he knows it is conquered it is an enemy but it is a conquered enemy he knows that Christ was the death of it O Death I will be thy death it is Christ that hath fulfilled and made good that challenge he knows there is an Eternity beyond the Grave and can look upon it as gainful he knows it is gain that is laid up in Heaven and it is death that makes him so gainful and it is this that makes him so bold as a Lion This leads me more particularly to consider the Proposition as it is in it self To die is gain It is a strange Paradox that none can reveal but Christ and such as have Christ for their life that death should be gain to that that should be gain that seems to be the greatest loss that strips a man naked of all his comforts that doth at once take away the desire of the eye and the delight of the heart this is that which a natural man cannot understand or he cannot believe it at least but it is made good unto all the Saints and therefore I shall lay down this as the Position which I shall insist upon That where Christ is Life there Death is gain You see there is a connexion betwixt this and the former part of the Text and therefore Solomon saies as I told you before That the day of Death to the righteous is better than the day of ones birth and saies the Apostle We groan to be cloathed upon with our house which is from Heaven 2 Cor. 5. 4. There is a groaning in all the Saints to be cloathed upon with that House which is from Heaven that so mortality may be swallowed up in life Now death is gain to every Believer whether by Death you understand lesser Death afflictions losses crosses bonds and imprisonments persecution bonds for the Gospel as the Aposte was in here I say if you understand by Death these lesser deaths it is true that all these deaths are gain the Lord makes his people gainers by all their losses they gain by every condition that they are brought into though the outward man lose the inward man gains The Prophet Habkakuk if you look upon him in his great distress you shall see what a gainer he was by it he was in sore affliction he saies his very belly trembled his very bowels trembled within him but he was a gainer by this he gains in faith his faith broke out gloriously Hab. 3. 17 18. he gained faith and faith is precious The tryal of your faith is more precious than that of Gold so did David he was in great distress in Psal 46. 2. but he was a gainer by it he gained in faith and confidence Though the earth be removed saies he and though the Mountains be thrown into the Sea though the Waves thereof roar yet there be professes that he will hold fast his confidence in God If you look upon Job you shall see what a gainer he was by all his losses and those sore afflictions and trials that he met withal he gained abundance of experience of God experience of his wisdom experience of his power and experience of his faithfulness experience of his goodness and kindness he gained the knowledge of God and he gained the knowledge of himself that when he came out of his affliction he throws himself at the foot-stool of God in Job 42. 6. Now saies he I abhor my self in dust and ashes The Apostle Paul was a man of great affliction there were bonds that did attend him in every place almost where he came yet he was a gainer by all he gained in confidence in holy
boldness The Lord hath delivered and he doth deliver and he will deliver he gained abundance of submission to the Will of God by contemplation on his condition and by this he knew how to want as well as how to abound and he could do all things through Christ that strengthened him and it was his obedience to the Will of Christ which strengthened him and I believe there is none of Gods people that will bring in their experiences if they will truly and impartially cast up their accounts but they will and shall find that God hath made them gainers by their losses and by their several afflictions that God hath laid upon them they have gained at least this to know that they are nothing they see themselves what fruitless unprofitable creatures they are and they have known what the creature is when God is at a distance they have seen something of themselves and something of God and if there be no more than this this is a great deal of gain and that it is true of all these Deaths the Lord makes his people gainers by them and he leads them through these conditions because he intends to make them gainers by them every affliction that he sends is a servant of Christ every afflicted condition is a servant of Christ and is sent with a good message is sent to communicate some good thing to the soul of every Believer God stands up and saies as in another case Who will go and perswade Ahab And the Spirit answers I God saies Who will go and carry tidings of love from Heaven to such a soul something of himself something of the Divine nature God hath store of Messengers That will I saies one mercy and that will I saies another afflictions are all ready to communicate some good thing to those that love the Lord Christ and indeed they are narrow Pipes all these conditions that the Saints are brought into they are narrow Pipes they can convey but a little a very little of God by them now God is an infinite fountain and he can convey much of himself one condition is too little too narrow for God to work in too narrow a Pipe for God to pour in all that good which he intends for his servants therefore he chooseth variety of works great mercies and variety of afflictions they are all the servants of God and they have commission to go and work for such a man to work for such a mans good the promise is given to the Believer That all shall work together for good so that all are his servants all deaths afflictions persecutions whatsoever distresses his people shall meet withal shall work together for good they must needs gain a man that hath a multitude of servants that work for him it 's all for their good as well as his why Believers have a multitude of servants all is yours all Christ is yours every condition that God hath brought you into shall work for your good for they are Christs servants and you must needs be gainers and truly God knows that their gain is his gain he will gain by their gain and therefore will make their deaths to be gain to them for it comes back again to his Treasury he knows that his people will not purse his glory will not put up that which is Gods if God doth come in and make them gainers by their afflictions if God doth inlarge their hearts and set them free they won't say By my own hand have I made my self rich by my own industry I have gotten this wealth this strength this peace this liberty for what are we that we should be able to walk answerably to any measure that God gives out unto us But Again God will make Death it self gain unto us not only lesser deaths but the greater death it shall be gain even that separation of soul from body which to the wicked man is the worst of deaths Christ becomes gain to that soul whose life Christ is I will tell you in one particular and leave the rest wherein death is gain to that soul whose life Christ is and that is this He shall gain Rest Blessed are those that die in the Lord in Rev. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them that 's their nature he speaks in a time of persecution when the Beast came out of the bottomless pit to make war against the Saints the Lord gives encouragement from hence they are blessed though Anti-Christ curse them as Hereticks but from henceforth they are blessed that die in the Lord especially that die in the Lord as these did but wherein are they blessed In this That they rest from their labours there 's a part of their blessedness see what the Prophet Isaiah saies of the righteous man he speaks of this blessedness they shall gain rest in Isa 57. 1 2. He shall enter into peace they shall rest in their Beds each one walking in his uprightness they shall rest as a man rests in his bed so shall the righteous man rest in his Grave the Grave shall be as a bed to them upon which they that die in the Lord shall rest sweetly from these their labours this World is a troublesome World a very turmoiling World full of troubles and labours both to flesh and spirit and they that die in the Lord rest from their labours This World is a place to work in When the Sun arises man goes forth to his labour till the evening comes But you will say This is no great matter what gain is here The gain of Rest rest to the flesh is this any great gain Job saies in Job 3. 13. For now should I have lien still and been quiet I should have slept then had I been at rest Wicked men rest in their Graves they that could never rest well but in wickedness they rest in their Graves but what then where is the gain that the righteous man rests in For they both rest in their Graves 1. First There is a difference in their rest the wicked mans rest is partial it is but the rest of the body the flesh only it is not the rest of the spirit It is an imperfect rest they do not lie down to rest sweetly on their beds with those peaceful thoughts that the righteous man hath in his going to bed to the Grave O their rest is a troublesome rest It is said in Psal 16. there in the person of Christ My flesh rests in hope and shall not see corruption his very flesh should rest in hope the very flesh of the righteous man when it is in the Grave rests in hope his very bones when dry and scattered still they rest in hope hope of a Resurrection But now we may say on the contrary that the very flesh of the wicked man rests in fear his very flesh rests in fear
he fears the Resurrection that which is the righteous mans hope is the wicked mans fear he fears to see the morning he was loth to go to bed but will be more loth to rise for his flesh rests in fear he rather saies Lord let me lie here alway let me never go out of this Dungeon better lying here alway than going to Execution 2. But again Besides the rest of the righteous man is not only the rest of the flesh but the rest of the Spirit he ceases from all the assaults of Satan from his own crooked nature burdens of sin and corruption whilst he was in the Land of the living and those out-cries O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death the burden of death and sin is taken away it shall be put under his feet for ever he shall not see any more any of the motions of sin any of those lusts and corruptions that formerly did war in any of his members he shall no more cry O Lord deliver me from a hard heart a corrupt spirit a passionate heart O saies he my life is a burden to me to see these daughters of Heth these Canaanites because of these corruptions of mine my life is a burden to me Well there shall be no such complaints beyond the Grave and therefore saies he death shall make the Saints gainers But again They shall gain freedom from all the temptations of Satan this is great gain if well considered they shall no more be assaulted no more fiery darts thrown at them Here they are battered with temptations that through temptations their lives many times become a burden to them Ay but death shall set them free out of Gun-shot here they are tossed up and down turmoiled by Satan as Christ was carryed up to the Mountain and then to the Pinacle tossed up and down from Mountain to Pinacle Ay but then there shall be no tempter no temptation shall enter any place of that Jerusalem that is above in Heaven and therefore to the godly man death is gain Besides They shall gain freedom from all the oppositions and oppressions of the World I say freedom they shall rest from the oppressions of men and Job did account that and look upon that as a great mercy he did envy men in their Graves saies he They are at rest the poor man is freed from the Oppressor from all persecutions of men and from all the slaveries and bondages and tyrannizing of them why death shall set them free from the oppressions of men from all evil of men from all wars and rumours of wars and sad effects of wars death sets them free from these O say you I have lost a friend but you know not what he gained he is taken from the evil to come in the Generations after him he shall rest from all sorrows from all afflictions from all passions the Lord God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes there shall be no mourning beyond the Grave no complaining in the streets of the new Jerusalem Brethren Lay all these together and see if this be not gain to those in whom the life of Christ is to gain nothing but this Rest from their labours and rest from oppression and tyranny to rest from sorrows passions tears and mournings this is a mercy but to rest from temptations to rest from sin and from all those lusts and corruptions that did war in their members and in their minds this is a great mercy if there were no more see how you are beholding to Christ for these if you find no more gain that death brings you in that are in Christ how are you beholding unto Christ for it Death is not gain in it self but you are beholding to Christ that hath made it so It is said of Noah in Gen. 5. 29. when Noah was born it is said this same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands This man shall comfort us for he shall be a Preacher of righteousness he was a Type of Christ and a Preacher of righteousness through faith and therefore Noah did comfort them through Preaching of Christ the righteousness of Faith an object of rest a place to take up in in the midst of their toil and labour they were beholding to Christ o whom Noah was a Type who is this rest and to you death would not be thus gain if Christ had not made it so no this man this Lord Jesus hath brought in comfort concerning that estate of separation of soul from body it is not gain in it self but Christ hath made it so unto his people O how are you engaged unto Christ say even for this if you should hear no more of this rest I will bless his great name for it SERMON VI. PHILIP 1. â—1 For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain THE Apostle I told you the last day doth converse with Death at a distance But I entered into the main Point which I shall prosecute at this time For to me to live is Christ and to die is Gain DOCT. Where Christ is life there death is gain See the Connexion For to me to live is Christ Christ is my life and death is my gain Death is gain to that soul that hath Christ for its life One particular I named I shall prosecute the rest 1. First Their gain is a gain of rest I say every Believer by death gains Rest a rest from toil and troubles of an evil turmoiling World Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord for they rest from their labour they rest the rest of the righteous man When he is in the Grave it is another kind of rest than the rest of the wicked it is said of David who is a Type of Christ that his flesh rests in hope the flesh of the righteous man rests in hope but the flesh of the wicked man may be said to rest in fear he may fear the approaching day of light he may fear to lie down but more to rise up he cries out O Lord let me lie here to Eternity for the chains of darkness are better than the light of a new day but the flesh of the righteous man shall rest in hope he shall have no more fiery darts of the Devil thrown at him he rests from temptation and oppression of the World and from the tyranny of man he rests from all griefs sorrows tears and complaints where all tears shall be wiped away and no complaints in the streets at that day here is a great deal of gain the righteous man gains rest in the day of death 2. Secondly As he gains rest so he gains perfect peace and fulness of joy it is said in Isa 57. 1. The righteous are taken away from the evil to come c. and it is said he shall enter into peace They shall rest in their beds every one walking in his uprightness they shall not
only rest in their bed in the Grave but they shall enter into peace and they shall enter into joy in Matth. 25. 21. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord he enters into peace he enters into joy that he shall thenceforth dwell in it he shall dwell in joy he takes full possession of it it is no more shut out peace doth enter into the righteous mans heart whilst he is on earth but till death comes his peace here shall be interrupted he shall enter into it and it into him what Job saies of the body so of the joy of the righteous man it continues not at a stay his peace and joy is many times interrupted but in Heaven he shall meet with no more Clouds there shall be a morning that shall drive away all Clouds he shall enter into joy and he shall dwell in the fulness of it Christ hath purchased it and he hath given out the first fruits of this peace and joy but the full possession is no till death and therefore it is said in Psal 97. 11. That light is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart he reaps something here but it is but a little in respect of the harvest that he shall reap afterward it rather seems to be a sowing time than a reaping here but afterward he shall reap the fulness of it peace is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart so that here is another benefit of gain to a Believer by death he shall then drink to satisfaction of those Rivers of joy and pleasures for evermore that do run at the right-hand of God 3. But again Thirdly As he gains joy and peace so by death the believing soul gains enlargement and liberty this is a great part of his gain the soul by death is set at liberty for the spirit even of a righteous man though it be the Candle of the Lord and though it be enlightened from Heaven yet whilst it is in this body which is now corrupted it is like a light that is in a dark Lanthorn the light of those excellent faculties of the soul are eclipsed and darkened I say so it is with all mankind the curse came by the fall of Adam that the body is as a dark Lanthorn to the soul and it doth hide that light which should otherwise be revealed as the soul acts most highly when it hath least of the body as when the body is asleep it sees not it hears not it reads not yet the soul then sees and mourns and joyes more exquisitely than it doth or can do in the body and therefore when the soul is nigh parting with the body it acts most highly and so it shall do in its separation when separated from his body it shall be freed from his dark Lanthorn it shall be taken out from his Dungeon as it were and all the faculties of the soul shall be enlarged the understanding the apprehension the capacity of the soul shall be mightily enlarged The Prophet speaks of a time a coming that there shall be no more an Infant of daies the beginnings of it shall be on earth but the perfection of it shall be in Heaven There shall be no more an infant of daies there shall be no more a child of understanding but he that is weak shall be as David and he that is as David shall be as the Angel of the Lord the capacity of the soul shall be wonderfully enlarged as it shall comprehend most of God here it is straitened and it could not receive much of God it could not receive much of the mysteries of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ it is not large enough to take in much of the notion of those glorious things but when death comes it shall be enlarged And then saies the Apostle I shall know even as I am known It shall be exceedingly enlarged to take in very much of God And as the understanding shall be set at liberty so all the faculties of the soul shall be set at liberty They shall be greatly enlarged towards God and run towards God the desires of the soul shall run like a mighty stream towards God here there was but a little drop of the affection but then a mighty stream shall run not only faith but love shall be perfect A believing soul shall be enlarged in respect of action as the faculties so all the actings of the Soul shall be set at large at liberty here the soul can't act according to its desires it would do more for God but there 's a clogg that lies upon it it hath mighty wings wings like the Ostridge but there is such a heavy body as it can't get up there 's wings would carry the soul up to Heaven every moment but there is a heavy body in Rom. 7. 19 20 24. For the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do Now if I do that I would not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death I say there is infiniteness in a believers desires to do for God and he would enjoy more and more still and he would do more and more for God ay but he is straitened up in his actings there he is narrow he cannot act according to his desire but now when death comes the believing soul shall be set at liberty it shall be able to act according to its desire it shall be whatever it desires to be and it shall do whatever it desires to do and it shall have as much holiness as it will desire to have this is a mighty priviledge and a great deal of that gain that comes in by death unto that soul where Christ is its life it meets with this liberty and enlargement But again 4. Fourthly The believing soul by death gains not only liberty but abundance of life it gains life it hath more of the life of Christ it enjoyes more of the life of Christ and hath the fulness of it communicated and now Brethren this is a mighty gain to gain life what would a man gain more and what is a greater gain than life It is beyond the gain of all treasure whatever Natural life is the greatest of all mercies Thou shalt have thy life for a prey and that 's the greatest mercy Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life and in this the believing soul shall come nearer to the life of Christ for he shall have the life of Christ who is the fountain and so more of it communicated to him and therefore it was that for which the Apostle desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all for there he should have perfection of life in Christ there shall be nothing there to hinder the life of Christ from flowing in unto the soul there
one anothers glory but every one shall glory in his own happiness as his own gain they shall gain in respect of company Again in the 9. Ninth place They shall gain Confirmation and Establishment by this blessed condition all this that is spoken of he shall be established in it for ever there shall be no more returning to sin and sorrow no more returns of former temptations there shall be no more possibility to fall again but it shall be confirmed and established in blessedness it shall no more lose his happiness than Christ can lose his no more turned out of heaven than the Son of God can be turned out they shall be confirmed and established for ever there shall be no robbers nor no fear of danger this is another part of their gain 10. Tenthly To name no more Believers shall be gainers in respect of their body for their bodies shall be new moulded at the Resurrection of the great day the body shall be made new and serviceable to the soul every way fitted and Organized for the soul to work This corruptible shall put on incorruption saies the Apostle and mortality shall be swallowed up in life God will make up these vessels of the bodies of his people again at the Resurrection and when he hath raised them up he will raise them as vessels of honour and vessels of glory And as it is said that that matter whereof is made the purest China is buried many Generations in the earth before they take it and of that they make the purest China so though you be buried in the earth the Lord will raise you up though many Generations after and they shall be raised up and fitted for the spirits of just men made perfect that God may be glorified both in soul and body to Eternity This is the gain of that soul by death to that body whose life Christ is And there must needs be gain to those that are Christs For 1. First of all It were not possible that Believers should be willing to part and leave all comforts behind them and that they should so part with all willingly with that which is so desirable in the world I say it could not be if there were not gain behind for Gods people have nature as well as others and they have natural affections and nature seeks its own preservation and it looks upon death as an enemy and yet that this enemy shall be entertained so willingly that when the Lord calls he should open his bosom to receive the stroke that he shall send and be a volunteer in his death certainly there is something in this there is that which the World knows not of how willingly did Christ send forth his spirit It 's said He cryed with a loud voice and gave up the Ghost his spirit was not snatcht away violently but he gave it up willingly it is not so with the wicked man and it was not so with the rich fool in the Gospel This night shall thy soul be required at thy hand his soul was commanded it was taken from him by force and violence whether he will or no he was not a volunteer but his soul was pluckt from him but that a man shall give his life up voluntarily that he should entertain death voluntarily and part with all friends Wife and Parents why surely it is because the Lord gives a greater assurance of gain which is to be found beyond death it self But again 2. Secondly If there were not such gain by death to the godly man it were not possible that he should make such a venture as he doth If a man venture into a far Country he will not venture for a little he will venture for gain and good gain or else he will not venture there is a venture at death with the godly man he makes a venture and it is the greatest venture that ever was made he doth not venture his estate but he ventures his soul which is infinitely of more worth than his estate and the venture is for Eternity and if that venture be lost all is lost and he is undone for ever yet thus he ventures and lancheth forth into the Gulph of Eternity but he hath a word from the Lord and he saith Well if God will deceive me let him I will venture now the believing soul doth see the future great gain that will follow death But again 3. Thirdly If it were not so Believers were the miserablest creatures of all men If it were not for Christ we were of all men most miserable if there were no hopes of better then we were the miserablest of all men for we are the lowest of all men Afflictions Persecutions Griefs and Sorrows of all sorts is the portion many times of Gods dearest people and children now if there were nothing beyond the Grave we were of all men most miserable the Apostle was in deaths often he was dead every way he carried his life in his hand he was the off-scouring of the world so accounted and now if there were in this life no hope no hope of a Resurrection no hopes of a better world then we were miserable indeed but the believing soul knows that the end of the righteous man is peace and the end of the transgressour is to be cut off But again 4. Fourthly and lastly to name no more Death must needs be gain to believing souls because it was gain to Christ Christs gain came in by death and therefore so shall theirs Ought not the Son of man to suffer these things and so to enter into his glory It 's the way to his glory by way of sufferings He was led along all his life in this way his gain came in by losses his honour his greatest honour came in by dishonour and that reproach and that low condition that befell him whilst he was in the World he found honour in dishonour and his exaltation came in in a way of humiliation and life came in for all his people in a way of death by his own death He took upon himself the form of a servant c. his exaltation came in in a way of humiliation and life for his people came in by his death as it was with Christ so shall it be with his members for there shall be a conformity and there shall be an uniformity betwixt Christ and them as it was in the head so shall it be with the members as his exaltation came in in a way of humiliation so shall theirs and their life in the greatest of it shall come in by death God the Father delights to walk in this way for it is contrary to the World and God delights alway to do the greatest things by contraries In the Creation of the World and so in the new Creation when he made the World he made all things of nothing and so of the new Creation he converts a sinner by that which is most opposite by the Word of the Lord
comfort that God hath given or helps to prolong life if a mans hand be found against his own life it proceeds from a sinful and wicked desire of death There 's great evil in this let me shew you the evil For 1. First It doth pluck that out of Gods hand which God hath challenged as his right the issues of life and death they belong to the Lord my times are in thy hand saies David now it is wicked boldness for a man to pluck times out of Gods hand when a man will have them in his own hand and not that God should have the disposal of them 2. Secondly Besides There is this evil in it A man casts away the most precious Jewel when he acts against his own life he casts away the most precious Jewel in nature Life is the preciousest of all natural gifts Life is a Talent a great Talent it is a Talent given thee for to improve it for God not to waste it away God gives thee this Talent that it may be laid out for him that thy life may be laid out for his name and glory and not to cast it away at thy own pleasure or displeasure know therefore that if any man shall at any time act any thing against his own life God will call him to account for it if the wicked servant was condemned because he did not improve his Talent what shall become of him that threw away his Talent Life is precious when a man shall act any thing against his own life it proceeds from sinful desires of death 3. Thirdly Again Desires of death are sinful When a man shall desire to die before he knows what it is to live or to die when a man desires to die before he hath begun to live or before he knows what it is to die There is many a poor creature will be speaking against his life O that my life were at an end O that God would take me out of the World But hast thou begun to live yet to God Many a poor creature will speak against his own life before he knows what God hath done for him hast thou done the work God hath sent thee into the World for Hast thou glorified his name on earth Hast thou finished thy course Hast thou considered these things before thou desirest to die Dost thou know what it is to die Hast thou considered that death is a door that opens to Eternity It opens to an Eternal condition to a place whence there is no return Hast thou considered what door death will open to thee whether to the inheritance of the Saints in light or to an inheritance with the wicked in utter darkness If thou hast not well considered of these things before thou desirest to die then these desires of death are sinful desires No rather go first to God and desire him to teach thee to live It may be thou hast been twenty thirty forty fifty years in the flesh hast thou begun to live hast thou made him the end of all thy services dost thou bring forth fruit to him and not to thy self is it he that strengthens thee and carries thee out to all thy duties and services is Christ thy life Thou hadst need know what it is to live desire that God would teach thee what is the end he sent thee into the World for the cause of thy coming rather that thou maist know how to live and when to die that when death comes it may be gain for if thou dost desire death before thy desires are sinful 4. Again Fourthly Desires of death are sinful When a man desires death in a passion It is a failing that is incident unto Gods own people and therefore you had need take heed of it It was Jonah's fault and also Elias failing in Jonah 4. 3. saies he Take away my life it is better for me to die than to live and when Jonah spake this he was in a great passion saies God in Verse 9. Dost thou well to be angry I do well to be angry even unto the death Was Jonah fit to die now to die in an anger to die in a passion Certainly if at any time Jonah was now unfit to die It was a strange passion he was now in and at this time he was angry with God himself and yet this man will needs die did he know what he said O passion passion is blind and unreasonable he will go to God he will go to the Throne of God to dwell with God for ever when he is angry with him he is angry with the grace and mercy of God in Jonah 4. 2 3. For I know that thou art a gracious God and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and repentest thee of the evil Therefore now O Lord take I beseech thee my life from me for it is better for me to die than to live Certainly Jonah was now unfit to die to go to God whenas there were such contrary distempers prevailed in his spirit such a distemper as was most contrary to God God was full of love full of bowels and pity full of meekness patience compassion calmness and quietness of mind contrary to all this Jonah must and would needs die here 's a passion which is a sinful desire of death and so Elijah in 1 Kings 19. 4. But he himself went a daies Journey in the Wilderness and came and sat down under a Juniper tree and he requested for himself that he might die and said It is enough now O Lord take away my life for I am no better than my Fathers Jonah will die in a passion of anger Elijah would die in a passion of fear he was afraid of Jezebel afraid that she should cut him off but it was his failing what was Elijah loth to be made a Martyr would he die and is he loth to die in Gods cause to die for the truth why would Elijah die yet afraid that God won't support him and uphold him in his way This is his infirmity like unto those of Moses's therefore Brethren take heed of Elijah's fears and Jonah's passion It is common if they meet with any discontent O then that God would take away my life O that I were out of the world thus to desire to die when in passion thou art least fit to die and therefore it is a sinful desire That 's a Third Again 4. Fourthly Desires of death are sinful when a man shall desire to die only to gain ease to the Flesh to be rid of some troubles or afflictions that lay upon him When a man saies O I lye under a heavy burden and I know not how to get rid of it O that God would make an end of my daies for I see if such or such affliction comes upon me I know not how to bear it when it comes O that God would take away my life before-hand this is a desire of the flesh which is a sinful desire I will shew you the
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
be not an enjoyment of life after that departure Yea it had been better for the Apostle to have lived if there had been no existence of the soul for then all knowledge of God and of Christ cease and no actings for God no lifting up of the name of God it had been better for him to have lived to have been serviceable to God in his generation to have lived to have known Christ for all knowledge of God upon that supposition is to be lost and gone to rest thus his gain is no better than the beasts gain the very beasts gain rest to the flesh If there had been no more gain by death he could not have said It had been better to die than to live and to live it had been far better than to die and rest if there had not been a further enjoyment of God in Christ in that estate of separation and dissolution And therefore I beseech you that you would hold this fast that you may be strengthened against this temptation that there is no enjoyment of God and Christ in a state of separation when the soul is loosened from the body though it is true the full enjoyment the full revelation of heaven is not until the Resurrection when soul and body shall both enjoy the glory of heaven But so much for the first Use Vse 2. Secondly If death be gain where Christ is life then this may comfort you in the loss of your friends you should not mourn inordinately for the loss of your friends when you have hopes of their death It is true it is not only lawful but it is a duty to mourn I shall shew you how far it is lawful to mourn in the loss of friends 1. First of all As seeing that the hand of God is gone out against you If the Lord comes and makes any breach in a Family and the hand of God is gone out against you the Lord would that men should lay it to heart in Heb. 12. 5. My son despise not the chastening of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked there are two great extreams either to despise the chastening of the Lord or else to faint under it the Lord would that we should lay his hand to heart when it is upon us to consider what is the voice of the Rod what is the message that is in its mouth and what it is that the Lord speaks by such and such an affliction Again 2. Secondly Our mourning ought to be either more or less according as those that we part with are more or less useful and serviceable in their Generation when God plucks away those that are Pillars those that should stand in the gap those that should prevent Judgements that should hold his hand from striking a Nation in such a case the Lord allows nay he calls for a great deal of sorrow and it is made a sign of a hard-hearted people and a people that are fit for destruction and nigh to ruine when the Lord shall take away such Instruments and it is not laid to heart in Isa 57. 1. The righteous perish saith he no man lay it to heart none considereth that they are taken away from the evil to come It is a sign that there was evil a coming to that people when the righteous are taken away and they do not lay it to heart But I say when that we have no hopes in the death of Friends when we see the hand of the Lord is gone out to cut off men in sin when God shall meet them in a way of rebellion I confess there is more cause of raking up a sad lamentation You know what was David's carriage in this case when God smote his son Absalom he was smitten in his rebellion he died in his sin and therefore David takes up a sad lamentation O Absalom my son my son would God I had died for thee but in another case in the case of another Child when his Child died in whose death he had hopes David did not mourn with bitterness then he rather was comforted seeing it is the Will of God I shall go to him saies he he shall not return to me Thus you see how far it is lawful to mourn whenas God takes away a friend by death but when we have hopes in their death that death is gain unto them this should exceedingly compose and calm and quiet our spirits Object But you will say Your loss is great your loss is exceeding great such a dear Husband such a loving Wife such a beloved Child there 's none knowe how great my loss is and therefore do not condemn me in my mourning Answ I Answer How dear so ever thy friend and how great so ever thy loss be if thou hast interest in Christ thy loss cannot undo thee if the Lord be thy portion thy loss cannot undo thee Baruch was reproved because he took up so sad a lamentation in Isa 45. 3. Woe is me for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow I fainted in my sighing and I find no rest woe is me c. he had interest in God and therefore he did not well so to complain because his loss could not un do him yea thy loss is not so great but God can make it up in himself and if God give thee more of himself though less of the creature thou shalt have no cause to complain 3. Thirdly But again Consider and look upon not only thy loss but look upon the gain of thy friend if thou hast hopes in his death look upon his gain and let that quiet thy spirit why he gains rest he is laid down to sleep will you mourn when your friends lie down in their beds to sleep The righteous when death comes it laies them upon their beds to sleep if thy friend gain rest why then shouldst thou disquiet thy self by inordinate mourning He gains peace and joy the righteous enter into peace and therefore why shouldst thou so mourn as to disturb thy peace or to quench and damp the joy of the Lord in thee Why it is thy friend that dies in the Lord it is the time of his advancement he is advanced it is his Marriage-day or a day of Coronation and therefore there is no cause of inordinate mourning And you that are Parents that love your Children never so dearly you will be willing to part with them for their preferment though you marry them when it may be you shall enjoy little of them when they shall go hundreds of Miles from you you shall enjoy little of them But you will say it is to a man that hath a great Estate and why should I hinder them Now are you willing to part with your Children for preferment when you see they may enjoy a little of earth and shall you be unwilling to part with them when they may enjoy the fulness of Heaven Will you trust a man a creature with them and will not you trust
upon your righteousness upon your riches upon the creature I say if death shall find you before Christ be your life it is not possible that it should be gain know that there is none can give you assurance but only Christ there is none can assure the commodity that you Ship for Eternity but only Christ he is the Master of that Insuring Office and there is none can assure the soul but only he I tell you the venture that you make is more worth than all the world it would break the whole World to make good the loss of the soul and yet not able to effect it Christ sits in the Insuring Office and he only can give you assurance that death shall be gain and therefore go and wait upon the Lord for the promise of Christ Christ is made over to poor sinners in the promise of free grace and when Christ is given all other promises are given with him and if Christ be given with them then this promise is true that death shall be made gain to you go and wait at the foot-stool of grace and say Lord give out one word one promise and that shall be my assurance for my venture for Eternity do not rest till you get Christ into the Ship till you get Christ into the venture to venture with you when Christ comes once into the soul he will be a good Pilot he will carry you through all straits and difficulties he will save you in the midst of all storms you shall meet with in your passage to Eternity he will rebuke the wind and the waves though the Ship were ready to be overwhelm'd he can stop every leak he will throw out every thing that is burdensom unto the Ship then death lightens and out goes sin and out goes self Micah 7. 19. And thou wilt cast all their iniquities into the depth of the Sea Well then go to the Lord and say O Lord the time is a coming when I must make a venture I must venture my soul I must venture for eternity and to another world and I would fain have my Goods insured before hazard comes before I shoot the Gulph give me a word of promise from thy self and I shall rest upon it if thou wilt come into the Ship if thou wilt be my Pilot I know then that all shall be safe and I shall not only meet with safety but I shall make the most gainful voyage that ever was made I say get Christ to be your life O rest not till Christ have Insured you that all shall be safe this is the only way to make death gain But 2. Secondly I shall speak to such as have interest in Christ and yet do walk in the dark and still are as if they walked in the region and shadow of death they have chosen the Lord for their portion and they have cleaved to him and yet are not able to say that death will be gain to them I beseech you labour to get your hearts fortified and your souls strengthened against the fears of death O how unuseful will you be until that be done What bondage are your spirits in through fear of death till that be done How low are your spirits how unsuitable unto Gods glorious dispensations until that be done Therefore look unto the Lord this day to strengthen your selves against the fears of death What shall strengthen you you will say how shall our spirits be fortified against these carnal sinful fears of death 1. First of all Labour to understand clearly what is the nature of the Covenant of Grace I say labour to understand clearly the nature of the Covenant of Grace what that Covenant is by which now God saves his Children and brings all his Sons unto glory The ignorance of this keeps Christians in bondage through fear of death know therefore that the way of salvation now it is by a Covenant of free Grace God engages for all and it is even of free promise I will pardon and I will save and I will sanctifie I will give salvation and I will give faith to apprehend that salvation Ephes 2. 8. By Grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God there is an abundance of the Covenant of Grace in these words You are saved by grace through Faith Ay But that Faith is not of your selves but it is the gift of God know that all is given out freely unto poor creatures under the Gospel and that all that God requires to be done it is not to make any purchase of Love or Grace or Heaven there is no sacrifice or oblation to be offered any more Christ hath offered himself a sacrifice once for all and there needs no more oblation no more sin-offering but that all the sacrifices of the Saints now under the Gospel are sacrifices of thanksgiving only it is only to render unto the Lord for what he hath done for what he hath given out freely by Jesus Châ—â—â—â— Brethren labour to know the freeness of Gods Covenant in this and the like particular it will be an excellent preparatory to thee to die well and to fortifie thy self against deaths approaches viz. the clear understanding of this Covenant it is said in Heb. 2. 15. That when Christ came he delivered them who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage In the Gospel men are delivered from the fear of death because that the Gospel doth clearly unfold the Covenant of grace Before the coming of Christ they were trained up in a more legal way they did not fee the clearness of the Covenant until Christ came and therefore till Christ came they were in bondage through fear of death but when the Gospel was once given out and where that comes it dtoh unfold Gods Covenant the Covenant of his Grace in the freeness of it which doth mightily fortifie and strengthen the hearts of his people against fears of death and truly so long as any of Gods people do act legally in their spirits I say though they be under a Covenant of Grace yet if they act legally in their services not clearly understanding the Covenant they are under it is not possible that they should meet with perfect peace or be strengthened to this venture of death with freedom of soul without abundance of fear Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee Isai 6. 3. because he trusteth in thee when the soul trusts only in God when it rests only in the Word of God as a foundation of the Covenant of Grace then it rests in peace but when the soul doth act legally and thinks he shall purchase something by his actings O how unquiet and legal will those services be to him When he works for life how will he know he hath wrought enough If he staies himself on his own righteousness and not on the righteousness of Christ there will be mis-givings of heart and no
perfect peace Ay but is this righteousness compleat Have I done enough But are not my works defiled Is not my righteousness spotted or is it not short or is it not scant doth it not want something of length and breadth will it wholly cover my nakedness Thus the soul doth question with it self when it is looking after the Covenant of Grace and thus the soul is carried out to act in the Covenant and to look upon all as purchased by Christ there is the mighty foundation laid free-grace and the righteousness of Jesus Christ the soul may even venture upon it when it walks through the Valley of the shadow of death that is the first Direction I beseech you labour to understand the nature of the Covenant of Grace by which he brings his people to glory But again Direct 2. Secondly As you desire your hearts should be fitted against the fears of death look up to the Lord to inable you to live by Faith whilest you look up learn to live by Faith to live by Faith is the way to die in Faith and the more Faith the less fear the less carnal fear and therefore O look up unto the Lord to help you to live by Faith to exercise Faith in every condition it is said Thâ— just shall live by Faith in Habak 2. 4. Ay in sorrows in afflictions in distresses in the darkest condition he shall live by Faith he shall exercise Faith in the promise and live above the darkness of his condition through the love of God in Christ in him he shall thus live by Faith Go to Christ therefore to strengthen your Faith you that are weak in Faith go and say as the Disciples did Lord increase our Faith for it is he only that can draw forth the soul to acting of Faith Psal 119. 49. Remember thy Word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope The Lord caused his soul to trust in his promise Labour to exercise Faith Faith in every condition there is some promise that God hath suited for his people in all conditions and he expects that they should live by Faith upon those promises the more that you live by Faith in the promise whilst you live the more able shall you be to look death in the face without terrour exercise Faith every day on the promise and Faith will grow so strong as you shall be able to say with David I will not fear though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of death for thou art with me That 's a Second Direction Direct 3. Thirdly That your hearts may be strengthened against the fears of death look up to Christ to strengthen you whilst you are in the World to die to the World to Sin and to Self remember that you are Pilgrims here on earth O entertain such thoughts continually I am a stranger on earth I am upon my travel in my journey this is not my home I must e're long depart this World I came not here to rest is not this the bridge to Eternity it is a bridge to pass over and shall I build upon this bridge shall I think to dwell here shall my affections take up here No Lord I am a Pilgrim and a Stranger as all my fore-fathers I am crucified to the World and the Wâ—â—â—â— me Paul could look death in the face beyond 〈◊〉 I am crucified to the World and the World to me labour to die to sin and to self be willing to cast out self be willing that the Lord alone should be exalted he that hath made it his work to lay self aside in all his waies and actions he will be very willing to lay himself aside if it shall be for the honour of the Lord Jesus Christ and when he conflicts with sin he will rejoice at the reproaches of death that that enemy that hath done him so much injury shall be fully conquered That 's a Third Direction Direct 4. Fourthly Desire the Lord to teach you what is the service of your Generation and to help you to perform it desire that the Lord would help you to know what is the work of your Generation and to inable you to perform it this will fortifie the soul against the fears of death It is very sad to a servant when his Candle goes out before his work be done he cannot lie down with comfort his Master hath given him a piece of work and he hath wholly neglected it whilst his light was given and what comfort can he have in his lying down our Lord Jesus Christ hath finished the work his Father gave into his hand and then he was willing to be gone in John 17. 4 5. I have glorified thee on the earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do and now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the World was And so it is said of David After he had served his Generation according to the Will of God he fell asleep death was welcom to him as sleep is to a weary man when his work was done he lay down with comfort there is nothing to trouble him his work is done after he had served his Generation he fell asleep There is some work God hath appointed to every one of us O desire the Lord to teach you to know what that work is he hath put into your hand and sent you into the world for O do that work with all your might that when death comes it may be welcom as welcom to you as sleep is to a weary man But again Direct 5. Fifthly To fortifie your hearts against the fear of death whilst you live Live much upon Christ make Jesus Christ your life continually where Christ is life there death is gain be looking up to Jesus Christ to be a principle of life to you and to act you continually live upon him for Justification live upon him for Sanctification live upon him for all your comforts make much use of Jesus Christ continually the soul that hath lived upon Christ that hath made him the beginning of all and made him the end of all for then is Christ their life it will be exceedingly strengthened against the fears of death Let him be the beginning of all your works and actions take nothing in hand without the strength of Christ look for the strength of Christ to act you to breath in you and to fill your sails in your motion God-ward and Heaven-ward and let Christ be the end of all that you do I say propound Christ as your end do what you do as unto Christ whatsoever you do in your services to men do it as unto the Lord do your common worke as unto the Lord let Christ be the end propound him as the end of all that you undertake I tell you if Christ be not the end of a mans works all his works are lost Christ speaks of some that shall
gain 1. First of all That you would see how you are beholding to Jesus Christ for this that ever the Lord should make death to be gain What a loss is there in that What is there more dreadful than death That the Lord Christ should make this to be gain to his people O stand and wonder death is not gain in it self it is the greatest loss in the World Ay but this man shall comfort us concerning the toil of our hands this man comforts this Lord Jesus comforts concerning death as he makes it to be gain that which separates soul from body which might have separated soul from God to Eternity shall not only separate soul from body but set it nearer unto God and Christ and carries he soul into sweet injoyment of himself it leaves the body in the Grave to refine it and God will at the last day 〈◊〉 it up unto Glory And therefore I beseec◠〈◊〉 â—hat you would endeavour that your lives ma◠〈◊〉 to Christ Hath he made death gain to yo◠〈◊〉 he make it the most gainfull venture that ever you made How ought you to desire by all means that your lives may be gain to Christ Be you willing to suffer any thing for him for his sake you may well do it he hath made death to be gain to you you may well labour there is a Rest for you Be you willing to do and suffer for Christ Nay you should lay out your lives for Christ O put them off at the best advantage to die for Christ is the best advantage O put off life for the best gain for Christ you may well do it for he hath made death exceeding gainful and advantagious to you To conclude all with a word of consolation You that have interest in Christ is he your life What strong Consolation doth this minister unto you O blessed are the people that are in such a case Christ to be gain Christ to be advantage in life and death There is a blessed condition why all you that have interest in Christ what need you fear death I say what need you fear death It cannot hurt you it is an enemy disarmed the sting is taken out you may take a Wasp in your hand and put it into your bosom when the sting is out the sting of death is out and it cannot separate you from the love of your Father Nay it will carry you unto nearer embraces of God and Christ I am perswaded saies the Apostle that neither life nor death can be able to separate from the love of God in Christ Death cannot separate from Gods Covenant though it may separate from body and soul though the body lies in the Grave yet the Covenant of Grace holds I 〈◊〉 God of Abraham Isaac and of Jacob the 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—nt of God holds now the Lord takes care of 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—ones of the Saints in the Grave they shall 〈◊〉 by vertue of this Covenant O what do not you fear death you may make a bold venture on death you that have Christ for your life I say you may make a bold venture you may shoot the Gulph of Eternity and venture all upon him for he is your life and he will not fail you you have his example and he is gone before you he would fortifie your hearts he hath gone before you he was the Captain of your Salvation and he first broke the Ranks he was partaker of flesh and blood with us that he might suffer death and so that he might destroy death and therefore Christ hath given you his Example he intended that you should see the worst that death can do and it can do you no more hurt than it did him you that have interest in Christ it can do you no more hurt than it did him he is in the Ship with you he is Partner with you in the venture and if you lose he shall be the greatest loser Christ is Partner with you in the venture and if you shall lose in this venture Christ had as good never have risen again it is all one whether he suffers in his person or in his members if they should miscarry in this great venture of death Christ had as good never to have risen again it is all one O what hath the Lord done for you thus to fortifie your souls and to strengthen you by his own venture in that Partnership that Christ hath undertaken with you that this may spur you on Consider it well is not this a blessed priviledge O that I might die the death of the righteous saith Balaam no wonder he desired it what a gain does the righteous man get in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the Lord would perswade you to live the 〈◊〉 righteous to see the life of Christ and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith of the Son of God whilst you livâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—ath engaged that you should live the life of 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—teous but if Christ be not your life you will never partake of the life of the righteous for where Christ is not life death cannot be gain But you will say Do not Gods own people fear death even as well as others Why we see they are subject to fears where is the difference betwixt their death and others they may have fears of death as well as other men I Answer It is true even the righteous man may fear nay not only the fear of nature but his fear may be sometime inordinate and sinful Ay but in his fear he runs to the promise even as Jacob did when he was greatly distressed when he came to his brother Lord saies he I fear my Brother but he runs to the Promise but Lord thou hast said thou wilt be with me and do me good and bless me he fears as well as others but in his fears he runs to the Promise Yea moreover To say no more but this The righteous man shall be delivered from all his fears therefore he does not upbraid the righteous they have Promises to run unto and the Lord their God will save them from their fears even our Lord Jesus feared when death approached he was greatly afraid he put up strong cries with tears and groans and yet was heard in that he feared in Heb. 5. 7. In the daies of his flesh he feared and his fears made him cry aloud and his Father that was able to save him is able to save thee from all thy fears these fears shall make him cry to his God and he shall be certainly heard in that he feared and so was made a Conquerour And so shall it be with those that are in Christ they shall be Conquerours over all their fears this poor man cried and the 〈◊〉 saved him and delivered him from all his fears 〈◊〉 shall serve for this time FINIS
SERMONS Preached upon several Occasions BY That Able and Faithful Servant of JESUS CHRIST Mr Timothy Armitage late Pastor of a Church in the CITY of Norwich London Printed 1678. TO THE READER Reader THese Sermons Preached divers years since by the Godly and Reverend Author who is now with the Lord reaping the fruit of his Holy Labours which do still follow him having by the care and pains of a Christian Brother been preserved and now brought to Light by the good Hand of Providence for thy good and benefit as some other of his Works formerly published * Viz. Of the woman of Canaan And of the three Children in the furnace which if they have come to thy hand may have been through the Lords blessing Be pleased therefore to understand that they were preached and delivered by that Eminent Servant of God Mr. Timothy Armitage sometimes Pastor of the Church of Christ gathered at Norwich as may easily appear unto thee if thou hast been acquainted with any of his Labours in Print by that gracious Spirit which breaths and runs through all the Veins and almost every Line of the same 'T is needless to hang out before these Sermons a Bush to commend the same to thy perusal do but taste a little and if thou hast a savoury palate thou wilt be ready to say as the Samaritanes to the Woman that enticed them to go to see and hear Christ speak Joh. 4. 42. Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves The Subjects herein handled we doubt not but thou wilt find to be very momentous * First The eminency of Christ from Cant. 2. 3. Secondly About Forgiving one another from Mat. 18. 21 22. Thirdly Walking with God from Gen. 5. 24. Fourthly Gain by Christ in life and death from Phil. 1. 21. and very spiritually treated of We shall not need to add any more in this kind but commending them and thy perusal of them to the Grace and Blessing of Jesus Christ in whom we shall desire to remain Thy Well-willers Thomas Allen Samuel Petto SERMON I. CANT 2. 3. As 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 AS the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons c. Here are two things considerable in the Words viz. the Matter and the Form of them For the Form it is a Similitude the Matter in it is the Person and a Thing The Person is Christ the Thing to which this Person is resembled and that is an Apple-tree it 's titled by its plantation Among the Trees of the Wood Then we have the Application of this Similitude in that word So is my Beloved among the Sons Here is also an Illustration of this similitude in two particulars which discovers wherein Christ is resembled to the Apple-tree First For the shadow of it I sat under his shadow with great delight And then Secondly for the Furit of it His Fruit was sweet to my Taste There is something observable held forth in the dependance that these words have upon the former If you look into the second verse As the Lily among the Thorns so is my Beloved among the Daughters In that verse Christ sets forth the excellency of his Spouse declaring the high estimation he hath of her She is a Lily among the Thorns so is my Love among the Daughters By how much the Lily is to be prefer'd before the Thorns and Thistles so much is the Spouse before all other Children before all other Men before all other Congregations Now see how the Spouse doth admire Christ As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons and how the Love of Christ doth beget Love what Improvement a gracious Heart makes of the manifestation of Christs Love He declared that he loved her he loved her dearly above all the World and presently she breaths love again There was a Fire of Love that was kindled in her bosome which flamed towards Christ the more love Christ manifested the more a gracious Heart loves Christ again You know the Woman in the Gospel what abundance of love she exprest to Christ she sat at Christs Feet weeping and washing Christs Feet with her Tears and wiping them with the Hair of her Head she had much forgiven many manifestations of Love in the forgiving her many sins and therefore she loved much But again observe the Spouse doth not rest in that Commendation that Christ had given her he had highly commended her as a Lily among Thorns But she carries the commendation back again to him what ever she hath from Christ she carries back again to Christ she ' I make him the Alpha and the Omega the Beginning and the End of all and therefore she presently falls upon admiration admiring his Beauty and Excellency A gracious Heart is more taken with that which is in Christ than with that which he gives out to it It doth not rest in Grace that is received or in Love that is manifested but it goes back again to Christ pitches upon Christ in whom are all Divine perfections She doth not repeat the words of Christ again as if Christ had said My Love is a Lily among the Thorns she doth not say Oh now I am a Lily I am more beloved than all the World she looks from that presently she looks to Christ how shall she make him glorious The Lord Jesus he had set a Crown or at least a Garland upon her Head and she speedily put off her Garland and set it upon Christs Head she thinks it fit that all should be swallowed up in the Glory of Christ Let him be lifted up and magnified let his Name and Excellency and Goodness be magnified and remembred though I be forgotten for ever Oh that you would be more practical turn this into practice make it practical do as the Spouse did here let all the manifestations of Love kindle love in your Hearts to Christ and look not so much what is given to you as what is laid up in Christ for you Look upon Christ and carry it to him as he is the Alpha so let him be the Omega carry it all back to him again But let us look more strictly upon the words As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons The words are clear enough only it would be known what is meant by Son So is my Beloved among the Sons It may be either the Sons of God or the Sons of Men The Sons of God so the Angels and so the Saints are called by Joâ—â—â—â— Now there was a day when the Sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord The Angels are his Sons he useth them like Sons and they serve him like Sons And so believers are called the
Justice and mercy meeting and kiss each other here it may see Justice reconciled and sin carried out and everlasting righteousness brought in here it may see reconciliation purchased and a way made for those that were afar off to come nigh unto God here it may see deliverance from that wrath which is to come it may see Death Hell sin and Satan and all trodden under foot here it may see all grace and all strength purchased by Christ here it may see a door of grace and a door of Life set open and Oh what a glorious sight may the Soul see there 3. Again Thirdly sit under the Ordinances of Christ take heed you neglect not these shadows of Christ and look at all the ordinances as shadows of Christ this is the way to use ordinances aright men and women never use ordinances aright untill such time as they look upon ordinances under this notion and consideration as they are shadows of Christ as they represent Christ and hold forth something of Christ Take an Ordinance as it 's out of Christ and it 's a shadow indeed a meer shadow a shadow of shadows but take the shadow as it 's in Christ and then it 's a glorious shadow and holds forth abundance of sweetness and grace and comfort and refreshment and then be sure you keep under Christ in the ordinance when the Soul thus looks upon ordinances as shadows of Christ then ordinances are sweet and refreshing and the Soul may see cause for ever to bless the Lord that he hath provided shadows for poor Souls to sit under that 's a Third particular Again Fourthly you that have Interest in Christ know it 's not enough to sit under his shadow but delight your selves in sitting under his shadow be like to the spouse in this she sits and sits with delight under this shadow of Christ Quest But you will say what is it to sit under the shadow of Christ with delight when may a Soul be said to sit under the shadow of Christ with delight under the ordinances Answ Delight it 's a complacency and rest which the soul takes of a suitable good so that then the soul may be said to delight in Christ or under the shadow of Christ whenas it rests and takes up in Christ as in the most suitable good Oh what is so refreshing and so suitable to a poor weary traveller as a comfortable refreshing shadow is to sit under And Oh so what so suitable to a poor weary soul as the comfortable shadow of Christ to sit under When the soul doth thus apprehend this suitableness of Christ to it Oh here 's a suitable shadow here 's a great shadow it 's long and large it 's able to cover multitudes of transgressions here 's a might shadow that can fence off abundance of wrath and displeasure My sin hath reacht up to heaven but here 's a shadow that is higher than the Heavens here 's the shadow of the day a refreshing shadow and how suitable is that to a Poor soul that hath sat long under the shadows of the night the shadows of darkness or the shadow of death When the Soul doth thus look upon Christ as the most suitable good and so to take up in him then may the soul be said to sit down with delight under Christs shadow But then again 2. Secondly What a man delights in that he is continually taken up withal his thoughts they run out much upon it So the soul that delights in Christ sits under Christs shadow with delight it 's much in the meditation of Christ continually taken up with Christ What says the Psalmist Psal 1. His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night His delight is in the Law of the Lord and how is that known by his continual meditation of it I know a gracious heart it may be weighed down by the prevalency of corruption ay but it looks upon it as a burden it crys out Oh Lord how long shall my spirit cleave to the dust or with Paul in Rom. 7. Who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death from this carnal heart and this sensual frame of spirit He is never well but when with Christ he is then in his Element Oh then how doth he rejoyce when he sees Christ lifted up and transfigured on the mount Oh then it 's good to be here always let me never go down but let me always live with God here 's a soul lifted up with delight in Christ 3. Again Thirdly what the soul delights in that it desires and desires more of a soul that delights in Christ it desires more of Christ more communion with Christ more acquaintance with Christ it 's never satisfied See what David says Psalm 119. 174. I have longed for thy salvation O Lord and thy Law is my delight when the Law was his delight he longed for the salvation of God how did his soul long for God and after Christ he expresses it in Psalm 42. 1. As the hart panteth after the water-brooks so doth my soul after thee O God as the hart panteth and breatheth after the water-brooks so his soul panted after God and when shall he get nigher God When shall I come and appear before thee The desires of the Soul prepare the soul for delight and stretch the soul wide for delight when it shall enjoy that which it doth desire 4. Again Fourthly delight in the soul doth beget strong desires in the soul that it may enjoy more of God and the soul that is thus carried out after Christ desires to see him more and to enjoy him more desires to do all in Christ to work under his shadow and to delight under his shadow to contemplate under his shadow and walk under his shadow then may the soul be said to delight in Christ Well then poor souls what care should you take to sit under the shadow of Christ to sit and to sit under his shadow with great delight with the more delight you sit under the shadow of Christ the more do you express the power of grace and the power of Godliness for certainly it 's the excellency of a Christian and the excellency of grace that the soul can be taken up with delight in Christ as it is with the sinfulness of sin it 's the height of wickedness and sin when the sinner delights in sin when he doth not only act in sin but delight in sin and in doing evil even so when the Soul doth not think enough to do that which is good but desires to do it with delight and can delight in God and delight in Christ and delight in grace and holiness delight in doing for God and delight in suffering for God the more you delight in Christ the more shall you express the power of grace 5. But again consider what cause you have to express your delight in Christ remember what delight the
had an opportunitie There is never a part of Christs life if you look into the history of it as it lies before us by the Evangelists but was altogether fruitful and all that fruit was exceeding pleasant and desirable and affords an abundance of matter of refreshment there is matter of much contemplation when you look into the life of Christ And these are some of the kinds of fruit which grow upon this Apple-tree upon Christ the tree of life they are the fruit of his heart the fruit of his lips the fruit of his womb the fruit of his loins the fruit of his life There are divers other kinds of fruit but I shall speak no more at this time the Lord help you to feed upon this fruit SERMON VII CANT 2. 3. And his fruit was sweet to my taste AFter many particular observations we came the last day to the main general proposition that these words hold forth viz. The fruit that grows upon Christ the tree of life is sweet to the believing soul it must needs be so for it 's the fruit that God doth feast his friends withal the feasts that he makes to his servants upon his holy Mountain they are nothing else but the fruit that grows upon this tree Nay in the great supper of the Lamb that everlasting feast that God shall make in heaven wherein his people shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God and shall rise no more they shall have no other dainties but the fruit that grows upon this tree But what 's the fruit that grows upon Christ that is so pleasant and sweet I told you of the fruit of his heart the fruit of his lips the fruit of his loins the fruit of his life and I came in the last place to speak of the fruit of his Death and this is a precious bough full of fruit Well what is the fruit that grows upon Christs Death First of all Satisfaction of his Fathers Justice That satisfaction which is given to Justice is a fruit of Christs death He hath paid the debt he hath cancelled the bond he hath given to Justice what Justice could demand he hath satisfied it to the utmost farthing so that now Justice and mercy are met together they now do embrace and kiss each other Justice is satisfied and mercy is satisfied Justice is glorified and mercy is glorified the believing soul may look Justice in the face as well as mercy in the face because Justice hath fully as much from Christ as it can demand now this satisfaction which is given to Justice it 's a fruit of Christs death But again 2. Secondly By the death of Christ Christ is made a fit Object for poor sinners to pitch upon He is an Object for the guilty sinner that durst not look Christ in the face he is a suitable object to a poor bleeding sinner there 's abundance of precious fruit that grows upon Christ the tree of life but this tree it was too high for a poor wretch and could not have been enjoyed if Christ had not been willing to have his fruit cut down he was cut down to the earth laid upon the earth humbled to the death of the cross so that now the poor guilty sinner that is humbled through the sense of his sin may look upon Christ in and through his death and is become a suitable object for the poor soul to pitch upon what more suitable to a wounded bleeding conscience than a wounded bleeding dying saviour Now that Christ is so suitable an Object for a poor guilty sinner to pitch upon this is a fruit of Christs death 3. Again Thirdly Christ by his death hath carried out sin and brought in righteousness this is another fruit that grows upon the death of Christ the volume of sin in respect of the guilt in respect of the condemning power of it he hath carried out and made an end of it in Dan. 9. 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sin and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal up the vision and prophecie and to anoint the most holy Sin like a monster seised upon it suckt the very heart blood of Christ well the Lord Jesus he will be avenged of him and therefore his blood it was the bane of sin I'remember Pliny in his natural History reports of the enmitie that is betwixt the Dragon and Elephant the Dragon gets under the Elephant and sucks his blood and by his fall oft-times is the death of the Dragon and this may be fitly compared to Christ sin is the Dragon that seized upon Christ and the Lord Jesus by his death fell upon sin he hath crusht it all to pieces he hath taken away the killing power of sin so that sin by this deed he hath carried it out as an abominable thing and in the room of it he hath brought in a glorious righteousness a perfect righteousness and put it upon his people a far more glorious righteousness than the righteousness of the Angels so that the believing Soul may stand in the presence of God with much more boldness than formerly This is a third fruit that is brought in by the death of Christ 4. Again Fourthly Reconciliation is brought in as another fruit by the death of Christ perfect reconciliation and sweet communion and fellowship with God all this is the fruit of Christs death he by his death hath taken in the wall of partitions and by his death hath made those that were enemies friends those that were a far off nigh unto him so that the heart of God is now nigh unto a believing Soul and the believing soul may say now with the Apostle truly our fellowship is with the father and with his son Jesus Christ Before it might be said of every man in the world his fellowship was with sin with hell and the devil and enemies to God but now by the death of Jesus Christ peace is made and reconciliation is made and believing souls may say truly our fellowship is with the father and with the son Jesus Christ that 's a fourth fruit that grows upon the death of Christ 5. Fifthly The death of Christ it hath crusht the head of the old serpent he hath bound the strong man and cast him out and delivered poor captive souls out of the mouth and paw of the Lyon it was promised long before Christ came thousands of years that the seed of the woman should break the serpents head and Christ by his death made good that promise he did crush the serpents head by death he overcame him that had the power of death But then 6. Sixthly Here is another fruit of Christs death and that is by subduing the power of sin and corruption in the hearts of Gods people This is a very sweet and desirable fruit that grows
upon this bough the death of Christ I say the subduing and conquering of the power of sin in the heart see what the Apostle says of it in Rom. 6. 11. Likewise ye also reckon your selves dead unto sin but alive unto God he said before in v. 10. In that he died he died unto sin once but in that he liveth he liveth unto God so likewise reckon ye your selves dead unto sin that is in that he died he died to sin to the crucifying of sin to the violating and mortifying of the power and strength of sin and therefore brethren account and reckon your selves dead unto sin fetch arguments from the death of Christ to kill sin and truly brethren there are no such Powerful arguments in the world to the subduing of the Power of sin as those which are to be fetcht from the Power of the death of Christ Oh says the believing soul shall that be sweet to me which was so bitter to Christ shall I look upon that as a friend which was an enemie to Christ Shall I love that which was a nail and a spear to pierce Christ Shall I take delight in that cup to drink of that cup which was such poyson to Christ No God forbid says the believing soul did not I die with Christ did not he stand as a common person and therefore ought not I to have reckoned my self dead dead unto sin even as Christ died for sin And how then shall we that are dead unto sin live any longer unto it This is another fruit that grows upon the death of Christ 7. Seventhly there is a holy and sanctified use that believers have of all ordinances and of all creatures and this comes in as another fruit of the death of Christ to unbelievers says the Apostle all is defiled and all is polluted his conscience is defiled he defiles the best things and the holiest ordinances he hath no sanctified use of creature comforts but by the death of Christ all ordinances are sanctified and blessed and all creatures are blessed and sanctified to such as have faith in Christ the blood of Christ sprinkled upon a man hath a smell exceeding sweet and makes the soul to be thankful for every crum Oh this morsel is sanctified through Christs blood and thus every mercy being sanctified is sweetned by the death of Christ and that is most comfortable 8. Eighthly Christ hath changed temporal death and taken away the evil of it for his people this is a most sweet and desirable fruit of the death of Christ that temporal death is changed sweetned sanctified that the sting of death is taken out for all his people Christ hath sent a challenge to death Oh death I will be thy death long before he came into the world and he made good his word when he came he fought a duel and overcame death as in 1 Cor. 15. 55. O Death where is thy Sting O grave where is thy victorie this is a most precious fruit Nay death that was a curse is turned into a blessing and this makes it a greater mercy death that was a curse and the worst of curses is turned into a blessing to the believer it doth them a very good turn it 's the fathers Servant and it helps to bring them home and although it be terrible to look upon its hard vizage yet still he doth a good office for all that are in Christ he helps to carry them home unto their fathers house and this is another fruit of Christs death 9. Again Ninthly Christ hath swallowed up eternal death he hath vanquished hell by letting forth the stream of his blood so that that now there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ there 's no hell there 's no wrath no displeasure in the Almighty he hath opened a door wide to life grace and salvation and this is another fruit of Christs death 10. Again in the Tenth place Another fruit of Christs death is this The confirmation and ratification of all the promises of the whole Covenant that he hath made with his people and this is a most precious and desirable fruit I say by the Death of Christ all the promises are confirmed and ratified he hath confirmed his testament his last will and testament with all the Legacies that Christ gave to his people he bequeathed grace life and salvation and all these were ratified when Christ died When a man dies his will is sure then there 's no man can alter the will of him that is dead for by death the will is ratified As the Covenant is unalterable being ratified by the death of Christ so every promise is ratified by the death of Christ it 's as sure that heaven and earth shall pass but not one jot or tittle of the word shall fall to the ground they shall as certainly be fulfilled as God is in heaven now that the promises are so sure this establishment and confirmation it 's a blessed fruit of the Death of Christ So much for the fruit of Christs death 6. Sixthly Again in the sixth place let us consider the fruit of Christs resurrection and that hath a great deal of fruit the resurrection of Christ what fruit grows upon this bough Three sorts of fruit grow upon this bough But briefly of these 1. First of all the believing soul is fully and compleatly justified The full and compleat justfying of the Soul depends upon the Resurrection of Christ For when Christ arose from the dead he is said to be justified of the Spirit That is he was fully acquitted he was fully absolved God the father declared to all the world that he was satisfied the debt was paid he was fully satisfied I say it was declared to men and Angels at that time when Christ did arise the judge himself acquitted him he did not break prison but the father himself justified him and it 's said the Angel came and rolled away the stone which makes it evident to all the world that he was justified and so he being justified all his people are justified virtually in him so that he left all his chains behind him He did not come forth when he came forth bound hand and foot as Lazarus did but the Napkins and all bonds were left behind so that the compleat justification of a Sinner comes in by virtue of Christs compleat Resurrection The Apostle speaks of the Answer of a good conscience by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead A good conscience may now answer if justice come to demand any thing the good conscience it may answer and say Lord didst thou acquit thy son by his Resurrection didst not thou roll away the stone or cause the Angel to do it and why dost thou come to me That 's a sweet fruit that grows upon the Resurrection of Christ 2. Secondly the Quickening of the new man and the raising of a dead heart to life is another fruit that grows upon the resurrection of Christ
that his Ascension might be a means to draw their hearts above that their affections meditations and desires and whole conversation might be in heaven as for us saies the Apostle Our Conversation is in heaven now when this conversation is given out to any of the Saints let them be thankful to Christ for it it 's not in themselves it 's the fruit of this bough that proceeds from Christ the Tree of Life But then 4. Fourthly Again all those boughs and branches that are above they with all the Mansions are the fruit of Christs Ascension in John 14. 2. In my Fathers house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you this is one end of Christs going to heaven that he might prepare a place for all his people that he might furnish a Table with great glory that he might prepare a great supper against their coming that he might bespeak a great welcom for them against they come there I say there are glorious preparations that Christ is making to entertain his people with when they are come into heaven such as eye hath not seen nor ear hath heard nor the heart of man can't conceive all these are fruits of Christ's Ascension Besides their Ascension in body and soul at the last day is a fruit or consequent of Christ's Ascension he ascended that they might ascend after him Father I will that they which thou hast given me may be with me that they which thou hast given me may come and behold my glory The Lord Jesus he hath set the doors wide open to his people having unlocked them and taken the Keys he hath not only the Keys of heaven but of hell and the Lord he hath set a flaming Sword by the way of Paradise that after Adam had sinned he should not come there but Christ by his Ascension he hath taken away that Sword and opened the door and set forth that glory that they shall all be put into the possession of that glory which he hath prepared for them and this Ascension which they shall partake of at the last day is a blessed consequent of Christs Ascension into heaven I thought to have spoken of the fruit of Christ's Mediation or Intercession and so have come to the Use but I shall reserve it for another time SERMON VIII CANT 2. 3. And his fruit was sweet to my taste I Shewed you what this fruit is that is sweet there are several kinds of fruit that grow upon Christ you have heard of the fruit of his heart the fruit of his lips the fruit of his loins the fruit of his life I speak the last day of the fruit of his death and I shewed you ten several fruits that grow upon this bough I speak also of the fruit of his Resurrection and the fruit of his Ascension I shall repeat nothing because I must be short Here 's but one bough more and that is his Intercession or his sitting at the right hand of his Father Now what 's the fruit that grows upon this bough the fruit of Christs Intercession 1. First of all The actual Application of all that he hath purchased unto his people this is the fruit of Christ's Intercession he hath purchased by his death and applies by his Intercession the Lord Jesus he intercedes for them in particular he hath all their names in particular upon his breast and he doth not only intercede for them in the lump but for every particular soul that his Father hath given him so he tells Simon Peter I have prayed for thee Simon that thy faith fail not Christ hath purchased pardon of sin by his blood but the Application of pardon to this and that soul it 's the fruit of Christs Intercession and so he hath purchased grace and he hath purchased glory by his blood but the giving out of grace and putting the soul into actual possession of glory this is a fruit of Christ's Intercession 2. Again Secondly There is another precious fruit grows upon this bough and that is The large way or door that is made and set open for poor sinners to come to God the Father by There is a large door for poor sinners to come to God by and that this door is open and held open we are beholden to Christs Intercession in Heb. 7. 25. He lives for ever to make Intercession for all that come to God by him and therefore saies the Text He is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him so that now the poor sinner that durst not come to God that stood afar off trembling that look'd up like the poor Prodigal and said Father I have sinned before thee in thy sight and am not worthy to come under thy roof even for such poor souls hath Christ set open a door by his Intercession to come to God Will ever Christ plead for such a one as I am Yes saies the Text He lives to do it he lives for ever for that end to make Intercession for them that come to God by him But is it possible that ever Christ should prevail for such a one though Christ be willing to intercede is it possible that he should prevail for such a sinner Yea it 's possible with Christ for He is able to save to the uttermost if he could not prevail he were not able to save to the uttermost but saies the Text He is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him 3. Again Thirdly There is another precious fruit that grows upon the Intercession and that is The presentation of the persons and of the Sacrifices of all his people in his own name and righteousness unto God his Father this is the fruit of Christ's Intercession He takes all his Children by the hand and leads them to his Father Lo saies he here am I and the Children thou hast given me Father these are my friends these are my beloveds let them find welcom in heaven for my sake he presents also their sacrifices all their services their prayers their praises and their works and washes them in his blood it is said in the Revelation there was an Angel stood by the Altar with a Censer in his hand and he offered much sweet Incense which he mixed with the prayers of the Saints the Lord Jesus is that Angel he mixes all their sacrifices with his Incense that their prayers and praises may ascend before the Lord as Incense that all their liftings up of hands and hearts may be acceptable 4. Again Fourthly There 's another fruit upon the bough of Christ's Intercession and that is The casting out of all those Indictments which are brought into the Court by malicious Adversaries against any of his people the Lord Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father to cast them out the Devil brings many a black bill of Indictment but the Lord Jesus sits there to rebuke him in
1. 31. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own devices They shall eat the fruit of their own doings when they will not listen to Wisdoms call oh my friends it will be very sowr fruit for a man to eat the fruit of his own waies the fruit that grows in the High-way side it 's but sowr fruit take heed that you despise not the Tree of Life lest the Lord say you shall not eat thereof That 's the first Use of Conviction 2. Again Secondly Here is a word of Invitation and I shall propound it in the words of the Psalmist in Psal 31. 8. a gracious Invitation O taste and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him You have heard of the fruit that grows upon Christ and now oh my friends come taste and see how good the Lord is the Psalmist speaks as a man that had found a good morsel found some dainty food he was eating of it alone he found a great deal of sweetness in it and he calls his friends Oh friends come and taste and see how good it is if you did but taste of this meat you would say Oh taste and see how good the Lord is there is pleasure and sweetness there 's enough to take up all your affections and all your senses here you may see and taste you may see beauty and taste sweetness the Tree of Life is not only beautiful good to look upon beautiful to the eye but it 's good for food let me tell you it 's not enough to see the beauty of the Tree of Life it 's not enough to look upon it it 's not enough to see but your souls must taste you will never be the better for the fruit that grows upon Christ unless you taste it unless you come and feed experimentally upon Christ it 's not enough to hear that the Lord is good it 's not enough that you have heard that there is so much pleasant fruit grows upon Christ but as ever you desire to be nourished comforted revived strengthened and quickened why then come here and taste and see how good the Lord is it 's mercy that you have an Invitation it was a direful threatening in Luk. 14. 24. For I say unto you that none of these men which were bidden shall taste of my Supper That they which were bidden as Guests should never taste of my fruit the Lord doth not speak this to you this day he doth not say You shall never taste of his fruit but he gives you an Invitation Oh then come and taste and see the goodness of God Let me tell you by way of motive That there is nothing in the world will do away the cursed and bitter taste of sin but only the taste of the fruit of this Tree Poor sinners you know not what the taste of the fruit of sin is oh what bitterness many times doth sin leave behind It 's sweet in the commission whilst men are committing sin whilst men are in the midst of their lusts in the midst of their vanities in the midst of their cups sin is sweet but oh the bitterness the poyson of Asps that sin leaves behind in the Conscience you have tried it may be to put out the taste of sin to do away the bitterness that sin hath left behind and you swallow many a good Ordinance after it many a good duty as you have supposed you have washed with your own tears and yet the taste of sin is left behind and truly Brethren no wonder there is nothing in the world will do away the taste the bitter taste of sin but only the taste of the fruit of Christ O come and taste of this fruit it will leave a sweet relish behind it will leave a taste in your souls and consciences that shall alwaies be above and prevail against the bitter taste of sin Nay further let me tell you there is nothing else can sweeten your affliction there is nothing else can sweeten your temptations and your trials but only a taste of the fruit of Christ this will take away all the bitterness and therefore I beseech you make good provision for your selves against you take those bitter Pills you will have something that is sweet by you to sweeten your mouths against you take bitter Pills Oh that men would make such provision in and against evil daies death is bitter in it self and life is sweet Oh that the Lord would revive you in giving to you a taste of the Tree of Life and this will sweeten all afflictions and it will take away the bitterness of the taste of death the Martyrs they felt not the heat of the flames for they had the juice of the Tree of Life in their mouths and souls and the fruit of the Tree of Life preserved them Quest But how may you know that you have tasted of this fruit of the Tree of Life Answ You may know it by your desires after Christ when the soul hath tasted of the fruit of Christ it desires to taste more of that fruit and it will see an averseness to sin so did the Spouse of Christ she sat down and desired to eat as I told you it was rendred she sat down and desired to eat and still to eat her desires were carried out still after further and further enjoyments and tasts of Christ when the woman of Samaria had tasted of the sweetness of the water of Life in John 14. 15. Give me to drink of this water that I thirst not Give me evermore to drink of this water she tasted but a drop and this gave her to cry out O Lord give me evermore to drink of this water so the soul having once tasted but a taste of this fruit of the Tree of Life Lord give me evermore to eat of this Tree of this fruit Again It 's known by the contentment delight and satisfaction that the soul doth find in Christ by the tasting of him it hath satisfaction in Christ a high esteem and honourable esteem such an esteem as David had he desired to be a door-keeper in the Courts and House of the Lord And so the soul that hath tasted of Christ Oh Lord let me eat of thy fruit though my condition be never so low let me sit under thy Tree though I sit like Job on the Dunghil let me sit down and eat of thy fruit and it 's enough it satisfies when it hath Christ whatever it hath it 's satisfied if it be but the fruit of Christ's love it 's satisfied if it be but a piece of bread if it hath the love of Christ with it I shall say Lord my lot is fallen on a goodly ground and thus saith our Saviour Noman that hath drank old Wine and tastes of new desires the old again because it 's bitter to him so no man that is once in Christ desires to taste of the fruit
of sin because this fruit is better Oh that many might be convinced of sin such as wallow in their lusts and take more delight in their lusts than in Christ that have not yet tasted of the fruit of this Tree of Life the Invitation is even to them unto such that they might come in and taste and see how good the Lord is So much for the first Use 2. Vse Secondly A word of Exhortation to those that have interest in Christ O that you would come and sit under this Tree and eat That Christians would sit more under Christ and eat more of his fruit It 's not enough to give a pluck and away a snatch and away but the Spouse she sat and pluckt and eat Christ doth not love a hasting gesture he doth not love souls hast in plucking of his fruit he doth not love they should post over Communion with him but that they should sit down and eat Oh chew well upon the Tree of Life that you may find that sweetness that infinite sweetness that is in it Oh that you would pluck much of the fruit of this Tree you that have interest in Christ pluck much of this fruit and eat much of this fruit let me tell you there is more fruit grows upon one bough than you can pluck all your daies and make no spare there is more fruit grows upon one bough than you can pluck throughout all Eternity Oh that you would every day be plucking a little continually plucking and eating some of the fruit that grows upon this Tree of Life it 's but a taste that you can have and therefore you had need be often and alwaies tasting of that fruit which is in him Besides you can have but a taste of this sweetness yet this taste is exceeding comfortable reviving and strengthening I say that very taste it's exceeding comfortable and reviving there is no fruit so full of spirit as this fruit that grows upon the Lord Jesus and it 's full of strength it will strengthen your souls abundantly you may know it 's very nourishing by the sweetness of it Physicians say That which tastes well it nourishes well and if so I am sure this fruit is nourishing fruit for it hath the sweetest taste it hath the most delightful taste O the sudden strength that the taste of this fruit hath conveyed unto poor weak and weary souls to such as have been spent almost in their combates and ready to faint and give up the Ghost their spirits have been ready to fail within them and the Lord hath given but one taste of this fruit some fruit or other the fruit of his death or the fruit of his Resurrection Ascension or Mediation and it hath given new strength and new Life to the poor soul and it hath made it stand up and leap for joy it crept upon the earth before and now it mounts up like the Eagle Oh this excellent fruit that is in Christ it 's worth the plucking and it 's worth the eating Besides you may well pluck much of this fruit you that have interest in Christ you have all the advantage that can be you have the shadow over you whilst you pluck it and whilst you eat it you need not labour much and toil much for the Lord with this Tree will be a shadow to you you may pluck with delight and eat with delight under his shadow he will keep off his fathers displeasure you may eat and pluck and eat with delight and need not fear surfeit all the fruit is fully ripe here Christ hath bidden you eat without fear It 's the sin of some as the Apostle speaks that they eat without fear but here 's the commendation of this fruit you may eat without fear Men may eat too much of the fruit of this world and get a surfeit it may cost many a Life and Soul but here Gods people may still pluck and eat and eat and pluck and eat abundantly 3. Vse Thirdly This Doctrine calls the Saints to thankfulness Oh bless the Lord that he hath made such provision for you that he hath provided such a Tree as this that you may eat here and eat in heaven and for ever feed upon it and be comforted and satisfied What do you owe to the Lord you that are the people of the Lord What do you owe to the Lord for his mercy I say what shall you render unto the Lord for all his loving kindness when you pluck and when you eat look upward I say eat and look upward Do not eat as the Swine eat under the Tree and never look up from whence it comes it 's a sin to receive any mercy so to take them as not to look up but when you eat of the fruit of this Tree Oh lift up your hearts and look up unto Christ and be thankful do but consider what poor creatures you are what need you have of this fruit you had starved your souls had starved and famished for ever if Christ had not been a fruitful Tree all the creatures could not have given you fruit for your souls to feed on I tell you the fruit that is upon the creature is vanity it 's perishing they could not have nourished you up to eternal life Oh you had famished you had fainted you had perished and when you were in this fainting perishing condition he sprang up as a Tree in the Wilderness as a Tree in the Forest he sprang up in your fainting and wildred conditions he sprang up and became a fruitful Tree unto your nourishment And do you but consider what unfruitful Trees you were to Christ when Christ became a fruitful Tree unto you Oh the cursed fruit that you brought forth to him you brought forth nothing but sin and death there 's all the fruit that you brought to him you brought forth sin to him and brought forth death to your selves Oh that ever the Lord Christ should be a Tree of Life unto you you that were Trees of death unto your selves and Trees of Death unto him your sins put him to death That ever he should be a Tree of Life unto you and be a Tree to bring forth such fruit such peace such pardon such joy such strength oh the infinite love of Christ to you Why certainly Christ deserves a great rent for his fruit it 's said in Cant. 8. 11 12. That Solomon had a Vineyard and he let it out for a thousand pieces of Silver if Solomon had so much for his fruit what deserves Christ for his fruit Oh the thousand pieces of Silver the thousand Hosannahs the thousand Halleluja's and thousand praises that are due to Christ for his fruit Well I beseech you give Christ of his own fruit I say give him of his own fruit he requires nothing from you but what you may pluck from his own Tree give him his own fruit as it 's said of Cain as wicked as he was when the Lord blessed the
wrong that I will revenge me of you God hath turned it for good God hath turned it for good to you and me and more people and therefore God forbid that I should take upon me to turn that into evil which God hath made for good 2. Examp. A second Example for our imitation And that is Moses a man full of the Spirit of God a man that had great acquaintance and familiarity with God God spake with him face to face now Moses he was very ready to forgive all personal wrongs and injuries Many times when the Children of Israel murmured against him they laid all upon him Thou hast brought us from out of Egypt to slay us here in this place and thou hast done this wrong unto us Moses even at that time intercedes for this people in Numb 14. 2. Moses is so far from avenging the wrong that he is the first man that steps in for pleading for this people at the 17 18 19 Verses and therefore he beseeches God that God would be pleased to pass by this their transgression And there is one remarkable Instance of Moses his meekness and readiness to forgive wrongs and injuries done unto him in the twelfth of Numbers in the beginning of the Chapter it is said Moses was very meek he was the meekest man on the face of the Earth he doth not reply one word 'T is said that Miriam and Aaron spake against him because of the Ethiopian woman that he had married and said Hath the Lord spoken only by Moses hath he not spoken by us also He doth not reply one word to them they reproached his Wife that he had married an Ethiopian and that he was a man that had taken too much upon him but Moses doth not reply again but God takes Moses part and calls Aaron and Miriam to stand before him and God smites Miriam with a Leprosie because she carried it so before him and yet look into the 13 Verse Moses cried unto the Lord saying Heal her now I beseech thee Moses was the man that was wronged by Miriam and Miriam was cast into a Leprosie and now Moses is the first man that steps unto God to plead for her Oh his great love and readiness that was in him to forgive and pass by injuries which made him to forget his duty to God limiting him for the time Heal her now O God I beseech thee let it be done now I beseech thee Oh here 's a pattern here is an Example for the imitation of all 3. Examp. A third Example that I shall mention is that of David David a man full of the Spirit of God and we find him a man ready to pass by personal wrongs and injuries Because that Shimei had cursed him some of David's Worthies would have smote off his head and David would not suffer them It may be saith David God hath bidden him to go and say Curse David This was a foul aspersion cast upon David Come out thou bloody man come out thou bloody man see the 2 Sam. 16. 6 7 8. and 2 Sam. 19. 21 22 23. Whenas one of David's Captains would have had him put Shimei to death No saies he I will not Revenge but saies What have I to do with you ye sons of Zerviah He pardons Shimei and swears unto him That he should not be put to death for this his Conspiracy And so in the matter of Saul David was greatly oppressed and persecuted by Saul though Saul seemed to be put into his hand when he took him asleep in the Cave and had an opportunity to avenge his cause upon his enemy yet David would not do it It is true indeed David's foot had almost slipt in the matter concerning Nabal when he sware he would be avenged upon Nabal for the affront done to him but when Abigail comes and pleads with David he doth accept of her counsel and bless God Oh blessed be the Lord that hath sent thee to withhold my hand from shedding blood and from avenging mine own cause this day and thus you see David was a man ready to forgive and to put up wrongs and injuries 4. Examp. One Example more from the Old Testament and that is of Elisha in 2 Kings 6. 12 13 14. The King of Syria took an Army to apprehend Elisha now they came to the City where Elisha was to take it and there God smites them with blindness and Elisha he comes and takes them and carries them into the City of Samaria at the 22 Verse when Elisha had brought the Army into the midst of the City of Samaria and the King of Israel would have been smiting of them saies he My Father shall I smite them shall I smite them Saies the Prophet unto the King Thou shalt not smite them Set bread and water before them that they may eat and drink and go to their Master Though they came on purpose to apprehend him and carry him to their Master and so to take his life yet the Prophet seeks not to avenge himself of them but on the contrary requites them good for the evil they intended towards him 5. Examp. And so if we look into the New Testament there is some worth the taking notice of As Stephen the Martyr they did not only wrong Stephen in his name but in his estate and in his very life yea they put him to death he was so far from seeking revenge that the last words he breathed forth with his soul I say the last words were Lord lay not this sin to their charge and when he had said it he fell asleep 6. Examp. And so the Apostle Paul in the Galatians take his Example it is worthy our imitation in Gal. 4. the Galatians had done him a great deal of wrong they had under valued his Ministry and set up false Teachers in opposition to him and the Apostle he was very free to forgive the wrong so far as it was personal declaring that he did acknowledge it not to be any wrong 12 Verse Brethren I beseech you be as I am for I am as ye are ye have not injured me at all here is a gracious spirit I do not look upon it as any injury as it concerns me I do freely pass it by Nay 7. Examp. We have not only the Example of man but the Example of Christ himself Oh the wrongs and injuries that were done unto Christ What meekness What scourgings what buffettings what revilings what reproaches insomuch as the Governor wondred What nothing to speak for thy self And when he was to die and giving up the Ghost Father forgive them they know not what they do And then 8. Examp. That Instance of the Prodigals Father The son had greatly offended him done him great wrong yet the Father runs out to meet him and before he could speak one word of confession or acknowledgement the Father declares a readiness of forgiveness he seals up his love and forgiveness Falls upon his neck and kisses
unto God in 1 Pet. 3. 17. It is better if the will of God be so that you suffer for well doing than for evil doing If you suffer as evil doers you will have little comfort in it but if suffering in well doing take it patiently and the more patiently you take it the more acceptable it will be unto the Lord. Object Ay but I have been a friend unto him thus will men stand to plead for their passions a hard matter it is to forgive I have been a friend unto this man I have done him good all my daies and yet he hath wronged me so and so nevertheless To which I say Answ 1. Thou hast the more cause to pity him if he be one that doth return evil unto thee for thy good thou hast the better end of the staff see what Solomon saies in Prov. 17. 13. Whoso rewardeth evil for good evil shall not depart from his house Mark here 's a sad threatening if thou remembrest this thou hast cause to pity thy brother that hath done wrong unto thee the Lord hath said it and thou hast cause to pity him Evil shall not depart from his house Again The Lord may Object against thee the Lord may say I have been a friend to thee and done thee good all thy daies and thou yet sinnest against me and if this be not any bar unto the Lord to shew forgiveness unto thee let not it be a bar to shew thy forgiveness unto thy brother Object Ay but he hath done me much wrong spoken evil of me in every company he comes in he hath wronged me after reconciliation and peace-making he hath done me much wrong this is a hard task Answ But let me say unto thee notwithstanding all this thou comest short of the rule of Christ thou hast forgiven often thou saist hast thou forgiven one Brother seven times why truly there are many that cannot say they have exceeded that But if thou hast forgiven seven times that is no great matter thou thinkest it much but Christ thinks it little Alas what is seven times to seventy times seven four hundred threescore and two times Which when done thou art but come up to the Letter of the Word Thou hast wronged the Lord in his Name thou hast sinned against God again and again thou hast wronged him in his Name and in his Glory many thousand times and yet that is no obstacle of the Lords mercy towards thee notwithstanding thine often renewed provocations Oh let not the often renewed provocations of thy brother hinder thee from thy forgiving him SERMON I. GEN. 5. 〈◊〉 And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him YOu have an History in this Chapter of the ten first Patriarchs from Adam unto Noah In every Age God had some to bear up his Name in the World and amongst those these ten Fathers were choice Pillars But here is something remarkably spoken of Enoch here was accounted more of him than all the rest Enoch walked with God and he was not He saith of all the rest they lived so long so many years and then they died but Enoch walked with God and he was not therefore we should consider who this Enoch was the New Testament bears witness of him and speaks of this Enoch as one that was a choice piece in his Generation the Apostle Jude tells you that he was a Prophet as you may read in that Epistle the 14 Verse Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesieth of thee saying Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute Judgement upon all c. Enoch the seventh from Adam so Jude describes him Some put a great deal in this mysterie The seventh from Adam and I think there was something in it as he was a Type of Christ he was a Type of that Christ that was to be the Rest of his people that was to give perpetual Rest everlasting rest unto his Sains his name Enoch signifies one that was dedicated or separated unto the Lord and so he was a Type of Christ that was chosen out among his Brethren and he was separated and dedicated unto the Lord He walked with God and so did Christ and therein he was a Type of him he was well pleasing unto God He had this Testimony saith the Apostle to the Hebrews he pleased God Heb. 11. 5 Christ was the object of the Fathers good pleasure in a special manner This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased But I rather think the Apostle intended no more than Enoch but only to distinguish him from another Enoch that was in that Generation as you may read of him in Gen. 4. 17. And Cain knew his wife and she conceived and bare Enoch and he builded a City and called the City after the Name of his son Enoch So this Enoch in Gen. 5. was a third from Adam for he was not the son of Cain but the son of Jared and of Adam's posterity by Seth and Rubin Cain he came of that seed that was given instead of Abel when Abel was slain God gave another seed instead of Abel and Enoch came of that seed The Church of Christ shall lose nothing by persecution if Abel be taken away by bloody hands the Lord will raise up another seed and Enoch a choice man is of that seed to hold up the name of God in the World When John Baptist was put in Prison Christ himself goes forth to Preach the Gospel the Church of Christ shall not lose by Persecution out of the very ashes of the Saints that are slain shall arise new ones men upon whom a double measure of the Spirit shall be given as it was to Elisha when Elias was taken away And this by the way Let us now more strictly consider what it is that is spoken of this Enoch There are two remarkable things the one is concerning his Life and the other concerning his Death Touching his Life it 's said that Enoch walked with God he walked with God nay through his whole life he walked with God so many years as he lived after he begat his first son three hundred years and upwards the Apostle to the Hebrews saith That he pleased God that is his walking with God in Heb. 11. 5. By Faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death before his translation it 's said He had this testimony that he pleased God at the latter end of the Verse He walked with God it was his constant aim to please God in all things he aimed at God in the whole course of his life He had this testimony that he pleased God he lived in Faith and Obedience and by Faith he pleased God For without Faith it 's said it 's impossible to please God He continually exercised Faith upon the promised Messiah that was to come he lived in expectation to see his day and he saw it before-hand as Abraham did by Faith and rejoiced and so he
walked with God and by Faith he pleased God And here is something spoken of his death or of his change It 's said that after he walked with God He was not He walked with God and he was not for God took him Some conceive that all this is spoken of his walking with God He walked with God and he was not he was not in himself he walked in God and not in himself he denied himself and followed God he made a resignation of himself up to God God took him up to himself but this is something strange I rather think the latter part doth consider the change of Enoch his translation out of this life He was not for God took him and we have good ground for this Interpretation because the Apostle gives it thus in that place before in Heb. 11. 5. it 's said By Faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him so he was not that is he was not of the World he was not found any more amongst men He is said to walk with God here upon earth after he had walked with God three hundred years and he was not for God took him It implies a special way and manner of Enoch's change which was not ordinary he died not as the rest did but only he was changed as those shall be that shall be found alive when Christ shall come to be Judge of the World they shall not die but they shall be changed so Enoch died not but he was changed his body did put on Incorruption it did not cease to be but it was changed and translated so saith the Apostle He was translated that he should not see death God took him up in some extraordinary way as he did Elias Elias was translated that he should not see death he was taken up in the sight of all his friends Chariots and Horses of Fire took him up and carried him into Heaven and so 't is very likely that Enoch was carried up some such way to Heaven He was taken away from his friends and they knew not what was become of him God took him they knew not where he was He was not found saies the Apostle which doth intimate that his friends sought him as the friends of Elias they went to seek him when he was taken up to Heaven so it 's like he was sought for when he was taken up to heaven but he was not found God took him up the manner of his translation was extraordinary even as that of Elias Enoch before the Law and Elias under the Law were taken up into heaven But more of that hereafter I shall only for the present make some entrance and look upon this Enoch as a man that was a choice piece in his Age in his Generation special notice is taken of him more than of all the rest Enoch walked with God You may observe That in all Ages God hath some of his Servants that are more eminent than others God hath some in all Ages that walk more close with him that are in a very remarkable manner holy and gracious and hold forth a great deal of God to the World all the ten Patriarchs that were spoken of in the Text they were gracious men and they all walked with God but it 's said of Enoch as if he was alone Enoch walked with God which doth intimate that he walked with God in a remarkable manner he walked more close with God than all the rest of his Brethren than all the rest of his Generation Enoch walked with God God hath some choice servants in all Ages he loves all his Children dearly as a father loves all his Children dearly but some are nearer him than others some are set upon the knee and laid in the bosom when others stand by choice affections are in the Lord to some and made known to some A Prince shall carry it respectively to all his Favorites he 'll shew favour to all but yet some come nearer him than others they know more of his mind and are more intimate with him they are taken into his privy Chamber into his secret Galleries there to walk with him And thus the Lord deals with some of his Saints Enoch was a favorite in his Generation Afterward comes Noah and Noah was a favorite in his Generation see Gen. 6. 9. These are the Generations of Noah Noah was a just man and perfect in his Generation and Noah walked with God Noah was a just man and perfect in his Generation Noah walked with God in a remarkable manner he kept more close to God than all the World beside But Noah found favour in the eyes of the Lord it 's said when all the World was drowned Abraham was such a man in his Generation he was a friend of God God revealed more to him than to all the World besides I will hide nothing from Abraham saies God in Gen. 18. 17 18 19. Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do saies God he 'll teach his Children and Servants I will not hide from Abraham he was Gods choice favourite and therefore he will not hide from Abraham the thing that he will do After Abraham comes Job he was a favourite in his Generation it was thought upon good ground that he lived betwixt Abraham and Moses when ever it was he was a favourite in his Generation Hast thou considered my Servant Job that he is a perfect and upright man one that fears God and eschews evil and there is none like him on the earth Here is a high commendation he is a man worthy to be considered God himself considers him a perfect and upright man one that walked up close with God as there was none nigher him in his Generation there was none like Job he was the choicest Scholar that God had in the World and God taught him more than all the World besides he was the greatest proficient in all the School of God God gives him high commendations And then comes Moses he is a favourite in his Generation He saw God face to face there was none like unto Moses none had such communion with God as Moses had in his Generation Come thou up into the Mount he was Gods favourite he walked with God as Enoch did and there was none like him And so when Moses was gone Joshua in his Generation was one that Followed God fully none but Caleb and Joshua followed God fully they were the choice in their Generation And so afterward David he was a man after Gods heart a choice man in his Generation And so Hezekiah and then Josiah of them both there was none like them in their Generation there was none like Hezekiah in his Generation and none like Josiah in his Generation they were choice favourites in their Generation Our Lord Jesus loved all his Disciples dearly and took care of them but there was one of them lay in his bosom there was one that
shall shew you how the Lord takes notice special notice of such of his Servants as do walk closely with him in divers particulars 1. First of all The Lord bears witness to them and he bears witness of them in a special manner I say the Lord bears witness to them and bears witness of them He bears witness to them he spake evidently clearly unto them he clears up their evidences for heaven he speaks by his spirit unto theirs and they are his witnesses in the World they bear witness to the name of God and the truth of God to the Word of the Lord the Lives of such of his Saints bear witness to the Word they are a Comment an Exposition of the Word of the Lord and therefore the Lord bears witness to their spirits they have special work to do for God in the World and therefore God comes in with a special witness and testimony of his spirit with theirs that he might strengthen them and carry them through all their undertakings which are for God Paul was a chosen vessel and was to bear up the name of God before the Gentiles and therefore the Lord comes and speaks unto his spirit in a special manner in strengthening of Paul Paul fear not I am with thee The Prophet Jeremiah was to bear witness for God to do great things for God and therefore God bears witness to his Spirit in Jer. 1. 18. he sends him forth and tells him He had made him a Brazen Wall and an Iron Pillar and he would carry him through all the work and all his enemies should not be able to harm him they wait for the witness of God for the witness of the Spirit of God their souls are alwaies hearkening and they are listning what God shall speak they won't be put off with any other Testimony till God speaks their soul is not satisfied God therefore comes in and by his spirit witnesses it himself he writes their evidence fair and writes it with the blood of his Son and casts it into their bosom and they are careful to keep their evidence clear when God hath once given it out to them they are careful to keep it from blots and blurs and to read over their evidences in Christ and put it into their bosom there 's nothing they delight in but in reading it again and again and therefore the Lord doth witness unto such And he doth not only bear witness to them but he bears witness of them a high honour for God to bear witness of poor creatures to bear witness of them Hast thou considered my Servant Job Job 1. 1. God gave witness of him That Job is a perfect and upright man one that feared God he was one that eschewed evil God bears witness of him and so in Job 2. 3. the Lord saith Hast thou considered my servant Job that he is a perfect and upright man none like him in the earth Mark what a high Testimony God gives of him Job durst not say so of himself he durst not stand upon his own perfection he durst not say he was perfect but God said so his friends would not say so of him but they accused him and said he was an Hypocrite because they saw the hand of God went out remarkably against him Ay but God bears witness of him whatsoever his friends say God will convince them that they judged with unrighteous judgement therefore see what God saies to Eliphaz the Temanite Job 42. 7. My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends for you have not spoken of me the thing that is right like my servant Job Job was a perfect and upright man Their walking with God is hid from the World it 's in secret their spirits are in secret carried after God which are the choicest and most curious waies of their walking with him in the World they see not and can't eye their walking with God but God will take notice of what they have done for him in secret and it shall be published upon the house top God will bear witness of such of his Servants as walk closely with him in their Generation he will bear witness of them before men will bear witness of them either in their lives or at their death or else after death in their lives as he did of Job at their deaths he will give such a testimony of them at death as shall make even their very enemies wish with Balaam Oh that I might die the death of the righteous and that my latter end may be like unto his and then he will bear witness of them after death when they are gone I say many Ages and Generations after they are dead and gone God will bear witness of them as in Heb. 11. where you have it recorded of all the Patriarchs that by Faith they pleased God and thus God will bear witness of such of his servants as will close with him in their Generation And this is the first thing that God takes notice of in them so as to bear witness of them and to them 2. But again Secondly God sets up such of his servants as Patterns to others for them to imitate He sets them up as patterns this is a high honour to them for others to look unto they are the very Images of God they are the very Images of Christ and therefore God sets them to be patterns to be imitated Abraham that walked with God is made a pattern to all in his Generation and Moses a pattern of meekness and Job a pattern of patience You have heard of the patience of Job and therefore saith the Apostle James 5. 7. And therefore be ye also patient unto the coming of our Lord. Be ye also patient you have heard of the patience of Job It 's true God himself is the first and highest pattern Be ye holy as your heavenly Father is holy be ye perfect as he is perfect there 's a suitableness in the spirits and affections of the Saints in their desires unto this pattern of God himself which is set before them for as the perfection of God is infinite as the holiness of God is infinite so there is a kind of infiniteness in their desires and affections in their pursuits after God but when they look upon their actings and attainments they see they come infinitely short of God and are apt to be discouraged and therefore now the Lord hath set up other patterns for his weak Saints to look unto and therefore they are such as themselves to see how much they have attained to in their Generation You have heard of the patience of Job and so in the same Chapter the Apostle tells them of Elias a pattern which God hath set before them he calls them to wait upon God by prayer Elias though a man subject to passion as we are yet He prayed and it rained not and he prayed again and it did rain A man subject to the like passion as you are
reads and when he prays and when he hears most men confess then they have to do with God but he that walks with God knows he hath to do with God when he is in his Calling and therefore he takes that Counsel which is given him by the Apostle in 1 Cor. 7. 31. And they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of the world passes away He uses the world as if he used it not because he knows he hath to do with God in the things of the world Now he hath to do for God and doth all for the Lord First As he sees there 's a trust committed to him from God and this is an engagement to faithfulness his Calling is a Talent it 's one of the Talents that God hath given him and therefore it 's a trust that lies upon him and therefore this is an engagement to faithfulness yea and he looks upon himself as one that is to be accountable to God how he hath carried himself not only in the waies of Gods worship but how he hath carried himself in his Calling with what faithfulness he hath performed the works of it thus he eyes God in it and he doth it as unto the Lord as he makes God the great end of all that he doth thus he performs the work of his Calling as in it he makes God the great and last end It 's true there are other subordinate ends which he looks at and he may even when he is industrious in his Calling as to gain a comfortable subsistance for himself and his family and that he may give to others as need be and the like but the main end is for the glory of God that God may serve himself of him that God may improve him and that he may be an Instrument of much good in his place and Generation and truly where men don't propound this and make God the great end there must needs be woful miscarriages in all that they take in hand when men know no other end but to gain the world and heap up riches and to build their Nests on high and the like when this is the only end that they propound in the work of their Calling it 's the way to all injustice violence fraud and deceit and forgetfulness of God and a whole flood of iniquity comes in but he that walks with God his aim is that God may have glory and that he may be the great and last end and therefore though he doth not gain much in the obtaining of those subordinate ends yet he is faithful in his Calling he goes on in obedience to Gods command and to be faithful to his Generation That 's a second particular he that walks with God in his Calling doth all as unto the Lord he is the last end he looks at 3. But again Thirdly He desires to be holy and spiritually minded whilst he is in his outward employment that 's another part of his walking with God he desires to be holy in the midst of the world and therefore it is that he takes that Counsel that the Apostle gives in 1 Cor. 7. 31. To use the world as not abusing it because the time is short and the fashion of the world passeth away he bewails nothing more than a carnal heart whilst he is in the world it 's death to him it 's worse than death To be spiritually minded is life and peace but to be carnally minded is death therefore he looks upon that Scripture with joy that doth prophesie of holiness abundance of holiness that shall be given out in that day in Zach. 14. 20. In that day there shall be holiness unto the Lord upon the Bells of Horses he looks upon that Scripture and his heart doth close with it as a gracious promise he prays for the accomplishment of it his heart leaps within him to think that there is a time coming when there shall be holiness to the Lord in the conversations of all his people in their employments that though their hands be put to the things of the world yet their hearts shall be up their hearts shall be breathing after God the heart shall be conversing with Christ he knows that his Calling was made for him and not he for his Calling it was made to be subservient to his best good to be a servant to him not to be his Master and therefore still he desires to keep his heart free for God he knows that if he make a God of the world the world will make a slave of him and therefore he desires to walk as one that Christ hath made free and still his heart is breathing and thirsting after God whilst he is in the midst of worldly Employments That 's a Third 4. Again Fourthly He that walks with God in his Calling is careful to sanctifie all by the Word and Prayer so saies the Apostle in 1 Tim. 4. 5. All things are sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer he knows that there 's a Curse upon the whole Creation sin hath brought a curse upon every creature there 's a curse upon every way of man there 's a curse and a snare in every Calling in every Employment that man sets his hand unto and therefore it is his desire that all may be sanctified unto him he knows that the creature is not comfortable no condition comfortable unless God be kept close to the creature and therefore he looks up continually to God for his blessing that all may be sanctified to him he knows that the earth can bring forth nothing but Bryars and Thorns it 's the curse of the world and so it 's the curse of every condition that though he plough and sow and though he labour with never so much industry his Calling brings forth nothing but Bryars and Thorns he meets with nothing but vanity and vexation crosses and molestations and that which is worst of all he is not able to bear them therefore he desires that all may be sanctified unto him by Word and Prayer he knows that it 's not the industry of man that makes rich it 's not the blessing of the hand unless the Word of God goes along with it in all his waies to take God along that so he may have the blessing of the Lord upon the works and labours of his hand That 's a fourth Again 5. Fifthly He is careful that the world and his outward employments don't justle out the things of God This is another part of his walking with God in his Calling he knows the things of God are of greatest concernment his Calling and the things of this world are but for a time for this moment whilst he is travelling over the bridge to Eternity and therefore he knows he shall wrong his own soul if the cares of the world and the things of the world and over-eager pursuit after the world should hinder him in his pursuit after God and Christ He looks upon that as
you for a time to be comforts to you for a time till the Lord should call for them but when the Lord hath taken them they are no longer yours they are not as to you It 's sinful then to let out natural affections towards them as to look upon them as yours your Husband your Wife your Children they are not as to you but they are as to the Lord compleat in him and as to you they are not and therefore it 's sinful unto you to let out natural affections when God hath broken your relations And 3. Thirdly This may give some comfort in the loss of friends when they die in the Lord they are not lost they don't cease to be If they were annihilated and destroyed and if they had no being any where there 's cause to mourn there 's a loss indeed they only disappear unto you and unto this visible world but they are not lost they appear in the presence of God though you see them not and they have no being as to you yet as to God in heaven in another world they have a being a glorious being a perfect being and therefore there is no cause why we should mourn for them as if they were utterly lost That 's the first consideration Enoch was not as to this world and as to the relations of this life he was not But again 2. Secondly Observe how easily Enoch was translated how easie God makes Enoch's passage to another world he walks with God and God took him and we hear no more of him he walked all his life with God and at the end of his course God took him along with him it 's spoken of him as if he went but a step further and he was not here he went but a step further and he went along with God God took him to himself We may observe that God can make the passage of his servants easie to another world such as walk with God on earth God makes their passage easie to another world so it was with Enoch Quest But is it so to others Enoch's translation was easie for Enoch he was not dissolved soul and body did not part but both were taken up to live with God but is it so to others Answ Yea God can and doth make it so unto his people that walk with him though death may seem a strait passage and a dark entry yet the Lord can make it lightsome he can make it easie unto his servants what an easie matter was it for Moses to die when he had walked with God all his life It was spoken of him as an ordinary thing Go up and die God bid him go up upon the Mount and die there go and die there and Moses went up and God made that death easie to him And so it was spoken of all the Patriarchs and those that walked with God in those old Ages God made this strait passage easie to them therefore it 's called a falling asleep after they had served their Generation they fell asleep or they were gathered up to their Fathers it 's set forth by such expressions Jacob leaned upon his staff and raised up himself and blessed his Children and speaking of the things of God and Heaven and so he fell asleep God makes it easie unto them that walk with him for they that walk with God gain experiences of him I say they that walk with God treasure up experiences of Gods gracious dealings they shall see how God hath been with them many a time he hath been with them in many deaths he hath been with them in the fire he hath been with them in the water he hath been with them in many Jeopardies and dark conditions he hath delivered them they have gained many experiences of God therefore they will trust in God they 'l trust in him when they walk through the Valley of the shadow of death he is a sure friend he is a tried friend and therefore they can't but rest in him But Again They that walk with God walk by Faith now it 's faith makes death easie all those Worthies spoken of in Heb. 11. died willingly for they died in Faith Faith makes the strait passage easie For 1. First Faith discovers the Victory of Christ I say it makes discovery of the victory of Christ over death and the Grave presents the Saviour that is the Conquerour that hath disarmed the strong man that hath taken away the sting of the Serpent now when the soul by Faith sees that death is disarmed and the sting is taken out it 's easie then to grapple with him 2. Secondly Again Faith takes hold of the promises which are grounded upon the faithfulness and truth of God for its security I say it takes hold of those promises which are made in faithfulness and truth why the Lord hath said that he will be with his people in all their straits yea when they walk through the valley and shadow of death that he will never leave them he will never forsake them now the discovery of this to the soul makes death easie 3. Thirdly Again Faith looks beyond death it 's higher it 's taller than death it can look over the shoulders of death it hath a piercing eye it can see through the darkness of the Grave and it can behold the tops of the Towers of the heavenly Jerusalem it can see the Land that lies beyond the Land of death it sees the dark entry and the low valley that doth over-shadow it it doth lead unto that Land that Land of blessedness that the Lord hath prepared for his people and therefore whilst faith is thus exercised death is made easie and they that walk with God walk and live by faith and therefore to them is death made easie Yea 4. Fourthly Again Death is made easie to them for by walking with God they have gained acquaintance with God and it's acquaintance with God that makes death easie when a soul hath walked with God as with his friend all his life it 's not afraid to go to God at last because he is his friend he knows God thoroughly and therefore can trust him he knows his gracious disposition and the love that is in his heart He that comes to God must believe that he is saies the Apostle and that He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him till this grace of the love of God be discovered the soul can't come to him on earth it can't draw nigh to him by faith much less can he come freely to him in heaven Why this is the cause why death is so terrible because his acquaintance is no more with God but when the soul hath lived as in heaven and conversed with God and beheld his face and follows him continually with this acquaintance he hath gained with God it doth make the passage of death though strait in it self yet easie And therefore to apply this Vse 1. I beseech you you that walk with God
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
needful that so long as they are in the body they should be in these conflicts afflictions and temptations then the Lord sometimes sees it best to shorten some of their daies to bring them unto himself But you must take this caution Take heed you don't limit the Lord to this way for though God doth take many of his servants this way by death yet I say they ought not to limit the holy one of Israel Let not them say as Job Wherefore is life given to a man that is in affliction Wherefore is life given to a man whose way is hid For if God continues life in afflicted conditions he sees good reason for it and therefore I say you may not absolutely desire death because of your affliction because of your temptations because of your buffettings not absolutely to limit God in this way of deliverance for though God doth use this way many times yet he will not be confined to it And though the Lord doth keep you in affliction he sees it is for his honour it is for his own glory that he may shew his power and goodness his wisdom in directing you his power in supporting you in strengthening you in delivering you and in making you able to hold out in such difficult afflicted conditions the Lord can find many waies of deliverance therefore don't say you Lord take away my life my affliction is great I see no way how I shall come out of it this is sinful for God hath many waies I say God chooses this way sometimes to free his people from all their corruption and temptations he shortens their lives and that in abundance of love 2. Again Secondly God sometimes doth shorten the daies of his servants in love when they live in evil times times in which iniquity doth abound then God fetches home many of his servants in love It was a very corrupt time that Enoch lived in The world was corrupt and filled with violence and therefore it was in love to Enoch that God shortened his course the Lord knows how afflictive it is for his servants to live in an evil world Wo is me saies the Psalmist that I am constrained to sojourn in Mesech and to dwell in the Tents of Kedar Psal 120. 5. That righteous soul was vexed Wo is me c. Nay the Lord considers that possibly his own people may be carried down the stream through the strength and violence of the corruption of the times that they may be drawn aside from their stedfastness it 's possible that even they may be corrupted even Gods own people may be corrupted in a corrupt Generation the Lord considers this and therefore many times he takes them away in an abundance of love and mercy When the Thistles and Nettles do so inclose the Lilies that they hinder their growth and communicate of their ill favour unto them then the Lord sees it's high time to remove to transplant his Lilies into a better soil And that 's a second Particular why the Lord doth shorten the daies of his servants it is when they live in a very corrupt and sinful Generation that doth both afflict them and endanger them 3. Again Thirdly Sometimes God shortens the daies of his servants in love that they may not see when great desolations are coming either upon their friends their relations their families or upon the Kingdom they live in the Lord in mercy calls home those that do walk faithfully with him and thus it was with Jeroboam's child in 1 Kings 14. 13. Jeroboam's child was taken away you have the reason given there because great desolation is coming upon the Family God threatens there by the Prophet that he would not leave one person alive and this child shall go to his Grave in peace Because some good thing was found in him towards the Lord God of Israel some good thing was found in him when the family was corrupt and therefore God would not have him to see what desolation he would bring upon the family And so when God brings desolation upon Kingdoms and Nations he sometimes calls home his own people Good King Josiah a gracious man was cut off betimes because the Lord was about to bring desolation upon Judah a great and fearful Captivity which came presently after when he was gone but he feared the Lord and was fearful when the Word of the Lord came to him and therefore God took him that he might not see that desolation with his eyes that sad desolation that God would bring upon Judah And so saies the Prophet Isa 57. 1. he gives this as a reason why God takes away some of his servants betimes The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart and the merciful man is taken away none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come When evil and desolation is about to come upon a place or a Kingdom why then God takes away many righteous and merciful men The Husbandman when he sees a storm is a coming he makes haste to gather in his Corn especially that which is most ready to shake that which is most like to take harm by the wet that he 'll in withall And thus the Lord doth with his when he sees great desolation that may even shake those that are his own 4. Fourthly God takes way some of his servants that he may prevent their uneven walking and their declining and turning aside from him the Lord loves to take his servants when they are at the best he pulls the Rose when it 's most sweet sometimes the Lord sees many of his servants that if they should stand longer they would decline and grow worse sad experience doth teach it now therefore it is that the Lord takes them at the fit time that he may prevent that dishonour that otherwise might be brought to his name if he should suffer them to stand longer in the world they might happily blurr their profession they might dishonour God they might harden their own hearts and therefore the Lord loves to take them when they are fully ripe and when he sees such a one ready to decline and grow worse and to lose of his sweetness and of his savour it may blurr the name of God dishonour him in the world why the Lord to prevent all this takes away sometimes such a servant of his in abundance of love and mercy and so he took away Asa and so Jehosaphat they were good men but they began to decline in their old daies Asa was a good man his heart was perfect it is the Testimony that God gives of him all his daies but he went and declined he went and relied on the arm of flesh when the Prophet tells him of it he was angry with the Prophet he imprisons the Prophet and he began to smite the people and God smites Asa with a disease in his feet and so took him away and it was best for Asa that he was taken away before a
have enough 5. Fifthly Again The time of the full accomplishment of this promise of long life to be given out is not yet come there 's a day when it shall be given out when it shall be mercy to live long when God shall give out long life there seems to be such a thing spoken of it is Prophesied by the Prophet Isaiah Isa 65. 22. this Prophecie relates to the end of the world the latter daies when there shall be a great restauration of the world and of all things they shall not be cut off in the midst of their daies as formerly saies God They shall not build and another inhabit they shall not build houses and be cut off before they can build they shall not plant and another eat for as the daies of a tree are the daies of my people and mine elect shall long enjoy the works of their hands they shall be as the long-liv'd Oaks this promise God will fulfil before the end and it shall be a mercy then to live long when the new Jerusalem shall come down from heaven and when the Lamb shall be the light of the new Jerusalem when Satan shall be bound and shall not seduce the Nations and tempt them and when all enemies shall be put under the soals of their feet when Jerusalem shall be a peaceable habitation and a quiet resting place when there shall be peace upon Israel then long life shall be a blessing 6. Sixthly and lastly When God will fulfil this it shall be a time of the accomplishment of the promises in that God gives life and length of daies even for ever and ever there is the accomplishment of the promise and therefore God is not behind-hand concerning this promise if he promise long life on earth and give an eternity of life in heaven the creature is no loser if a man shall promise you a shilling and when he comes to pay he shall give you a thousand pounds will not you say this man is as good as his word The Lord hath promised a long time on earth and an eternity in heaven you may well say it of him who is truth it self that he will fulfil and make good his word and therefore notwithstanding what may be objected yet still it 's true it 's not against the promise but God may in love and mercy shorten the daies of his people What shall we learn from this God shortens the daies of his servâ—nts in love It will be useful to us divers waies Why Vse 1. First of all It lets us see that life and death is in the hand of God God shortens God took him I say life and death is in the hand of God it 's not in the hand of any creature whatsoever My times are in thy hand saies David and He that is our God is the God of Salvation and to him belong the issues of Death Enemies think that it is in their power to harm or to cut off Laban thought it in his power to cut off Jacob but he was deceived it 's in the hand of no creature to cut off the time of Gods servants but at the appointment of the Lord and God doth it in love when he cuts short the time of his servants it 's in love if any wicked man shall attempt any thing against the lives of his servants that 's from the malice of Hell which God will avenge and if any man shall attempt against his own life that is not without horrible sin for though God can cut short in love yet if thou dost cut short thine own life it 's not without horrible sin though indeed when God shortens it 's alwaies in love for what 's the creature Ah poor creature a worm that he should step up in the seat of God and should pluck the issues of life and death out of the hand of God which God doth challenge in a peculiar manner as his right That 's the first Vse 2. Secondly It may teach us that though God cut short the time of his servants in love yet he may cut short the time of many in wrath in abundance of wrath when his own people are ripe for heaven he reaps them and when wicked men are ripe for destruction the Lord also cuts them down In Psal 55. 23. it 's said there of wicked men That blood-thirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their daies God will cut them off in wrath they shall live out those daies that God hath determined yet they shall not live out half their daies in the course of nature that they might have done and therefore see what Solomon saies in Eccles 7. 17. Be not thou over-much wicked neither be thou foolish why shouldst thou die before thy time wickedness brings men to end their time before the course of nature be extinct Oh that wicked men would think of this it would be very sad if their own hands should be upon themselves to bring them down though it is mercy to the Saints at some times to be taken away early yet when wicked men are cut off in the midst of their daies it is not without a great deal of displeasure and wrath of God That 's a second Vse 3. Thirdly This may teach us this Instruction If God deal thus with his own people what shall be the portion of the wicked If this be done to the green tree what shall become of the dry If God cut off young Saints what shall become of old sinners Oh! that the hear-say of this dispensation might convince some and move them to awake and say Come let us eat and drink and to morrow shall be as this day and more abundant Why do you put off the thoughts of God and Eternity to old age and speak of returning to God another time when thou knowest not what a day may bring forth thou knowest not what may lie in the womb of to morrow God cuts off sometimes some of his people in the midst of their daies and what shall become of you I shall speak only to you in the words of the Apostle James Jam. 4. 13. and the Lord set them home to your hearts Go to now ye that say To day or to morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow for what is your life He shews the vanity of the cares of this life and of wicked worldly men they dream of a long time of a continuance and we will stay there a year A year saies he thou knowest not what to morrow may bring forth thou saiest Stay we will heap goods up and what knowest thou O fool but this night thy soul may be taken away Oh! that men wicked men and worldly men would look to themselves and not promise to themselves time for hereafter and if this be done to the green tree what will be done to the dry
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
look upon young Beginners it 's hard to be discerned they smell so much of the soil so much of corrupt nature that is not yet subdued that it is hardly discerned but yet there is the life of Christ in them And so 2. Secondly Again In a time of temptation in them in whom the life of Christ is hid it 's hardly discerned and you must not judge of a Christian in that time I say in time of temptation for it 's a time of Winter now you know in time of Winter the life of the Tree is not discerned there is no appearance of life in the Tree but yet without doubt there is life there 's life in the Tree the life is still in the root and it will put forth Again 3. Thirdly A time of temptation is a time of swoonding it 's as a man in a swoond the operation of life ceases it 's out of view ye can hardly discern that there is life when a man is in a swoond if you look upon him you see no symptoms of life his countenance is changed his lips are pale death sits upon him Ay but let a skilful Physician come and he shall feel some motion of the pulse or some breathings of the nostrils though it be very weak that it will scarce move a Feather yet there is some hope why so take a poor soul that is under temptation he is as in a swoond you say there is no life in him but yet let Christ the Physician come and he will discern the pulse and he will discern some motion some movings of spirit some breathings of heart though it be not obvious to the view of others Thus you see that the life of Christ is a hidden life and therefore don 't you say that there is not the life of Christ in such and such as profess themselves to be Christians because you see not those operations it may be Spring-time or it may be Winter-time with them or it may be a time of swoonding well notwithstanding there is life though thou discern'st it not 2. But again Secondly to give another Answer If this be the life of Christ if the life of Christ doth produce such operation in the soul when shall we find life Take this Answer That though the life of Christ doth produce such operations in the soul where it is yet the life of Christ is communicative to every one according to the place that every member is set in you know the soul being in the body doth inform every part of the body and it grows but yet every member doth not grow alike and one member hath more strength than another Will you say that the soul is not in the finger because the finger hath not so much strength as the arm Will you say the soul is not in the foot because it hath not the strength of the leg Why thus Brethren it is with the body of Christ all have not the same parts and therefore all have not the same strength though the same spirit of life that was in Jesus Christ doth inform the meanest of his members though it doth not grow so big and so strong as in other members yet the Lord hath provided by this dispensation to make up a sweet harmony in this body that every member shall have its strength and every member shall have its proportion its growth and increase according to the place it 's set in that it shall not be shrunk up in the body nor extended above what is meet but every member in the body of Christ shall have its strength and its growth in proportion But then 3. Again Thirdly If you say that the life of Christ is such where shall we find the life of Christ in any if it works so I Answer The life of Christ doth not work eminently in every operation that is put forth in every Saint but one Saint excels in one particular and another in another and herein is abundance of the wisdom of God I say the life of Christ runs in several veins in one Christian it is more eminent in the vein or chanel of Faith in another Christian there is the same life in the vein or chanel of humiliation and self-denial and in another it runs in the vein of prudence holy wisdom and activity so that you cannot say there is not the life of Christ in such and such because you don't see an eminency in some particulars which it may be you fasten upon why though the life of Christ be not eminent in that it runs in another in such a vein as is as it were under ground as is not obvious to thy eye which thou seest not nor takest no notice of Quest But you will say Why is not every grace in its operation eminent in every Saint and in every Believer Answ I Answer First Because the Lord will maintain in this way a sweet communion with his Saints the Lord intends to maintain sweet communion with his Saints he therefore gives out to one one grace more eminent and to another another that so the eye may not say to the head I have no need of thee nor the hand to the foot say I have no need of thee So that every member shall have its proportion but if you look upon the best Saints you 'l see how they come short of the life of Christ how defective they are in this and that particular what need then have we to live upon imputed righteousness And what need have we to keep in a continual dependance upon Christ that so he may supply all our wants out of his fulness 2. Secondly Again The Lord doth with-hold his hand in abundance of wisdom and goodness if he should give too much he knows what poor weak creatures we are and what poor weak vessels we are and if he should pour in too much he knows we were not able to bear it If you pour new Wine into old Bottles the Bottle will break and the Lord considers that we are old Bottles and his new Wine would break our old Bottles we are not able to contain much if the Lord should give out much of himself the visions of the Lord would break these old Bottles that we were not able to bear up Christ tenders his people in this that when they come to Heaven he will fill them full then there is no fear of breaking their old bottles he will fill them to the brim and no fear of breaking but now there 's fear of the best of Saints Paul had great raptures and was exalted above measure therefore 't is to be marked he had a check but the life of Christ and the strength of Christ doth not thus appear in eminency in every Saint Object But some poor soul will say Whatsoever there is in others I will not judge others the life of Christ may be in them and I am perswaded the life of Christ is in such and such I see the
very Image of Christ in them and these operations of life spoken of I discern the life of Christ in others But alas I see nothing but deadness in my own soul nothing but a body of sin and death I say it 's the burden of my soul every day I rise O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death I fear the life of Christ is not in me Answ Is not the life of Christ in you Whence then are those complaints that thou makest Did you ever hear a dead man complain did you ever hear him cry out of his burden Surely there is some life of Christ or else whence are these complaints of that body of sin that body of death which is more heavy to the soul than the burden of the Mountains If the life of Christ be not in thee whence are those desires Thou breathest after Christ ay with all thy soul thou couldst even expire that the life of Christ might be more manifest more evident in thee why whence are those desires Did you ever know a dead man breath or the Pulse of a dead man beat Surely these motions of the soul after Christ these breathings of the heart after Christ do testifie there is something of the life of Christ but if thou canst not find the life of Christ and seest nothing but deadness yet look towards him as a living Saviour let thine eye be towards him as one that is set up to give life he is a Tree of life for this end that is in the midst of the Garden and it 's the Will of the Father that thou shouldst come to Christ thou that art sensible that there is nothing but deadness in thee come to Christ for life Christ complains that you will not come to me that I may give you life you that complain of your deadness give not Christ cause to complain that you will not come to him that he may give you life therefore seeing the way of the Tree of life is not shut up but it 's set open it 's left open there is no Cherubim set before thee but come and eat eat of the Tree of life and live Christ presents himself to thy soul that thou mightest put forth thy hand and eat of the Tree of Life and though thou saiest thou hast not the life of Christ yet look up to Christ that so thy soul may have life and know for thy encouragement that the time is coming and is at hand that more of the life of Christ shall be given out than ever it was unto the Saints I say it shall be as life from the dead when the Jews shall come in again there shall be a new Resurrection the people of God shall differ most exceedingly from what they were before the time is hastning and abundance of the life of Christ shall be communicated unto every member of Jesus Christ and all the Saints they shall die more to sin die more to the world and die more unto self and shall live more unto God and lift up the Son of God for the day of the Lord is high and shall be lifted up for in that day the Lord alone shall be exalted But so much for this time SERMON III. PHILIP 1. 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain CHrist is the life of every Believer I shewed you how the life of Christ works in every soul where it is I come to the Application Vse 1. First of all Let it be a word of Examination Know it 's not enough to have a name to live if Christ be not the principle of life it 's possible as I have shewed you heretofore that the children of the Kingdom may be cast out into utter darkness to have a name and only a name to live it will do men little good therefore I beseech you examine whether the life of Christ be in you or no whence came your life first What way came into your oul that life which you have Did it come by hearing the voice of Christ That life which is from Christ comes into the soul by hearing the voice of Christ in Joh. 5. 25. The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live There is no man that lives but he shall hear the voice of the Son of God can you say that the life that was in you it was thus brought into your souls it was by the voice of the Son of God it was Christ spake Christ spake in your souls and you were revived it was Christ in a Promise or Christ in an Ordinance or Christ in the breathings of his spirit Ay you know it was Christ that spake for you were so sensibly deeply sunk in unbelief you were so dead that if an Angel from Heaven should have sounded a Trumpet you could not have heard nor have believed the Gospel Ay you know it was the voice of Christ for you heard the same word many a time the same promise was given in you read it you heard it it was urged upon you and yet you found no life in it but when Christ spake then your spirit was revived Nay you are perswaded it was the voice of Christ for it was at such a time when you were farthest off from light then was your spirit revived when your condition was those dead and dry bones which the Prophet Ezekiel speaks of in Ezek. 37. you were furthest from life when not only the flesh was consumed but the bones were dry scattered and consumed even in such a spiritual sense were you broken and when the Word of Christ came to your soul you were revived from this Word of the Lord and therefore certainly it was Christ that spake I cannot but assent unto it the life of Christ that thus comes in by the voice of the Son of God it 's Christ in the soul 2. Secondly Again Did not this life come in in a way of dying I say did it not come in in a way of dying For so is the life of Christ where the life of Christ is it kills the creature it strikes him stark dead the creature is nothing it dies to self it dies to his own righteousness it dies to his own strength to his own wisdom have you thus found it Thus it was with Christ the life that he purchased for his people he purchased it by his death it was made evident in a way of dying when he arose from the Grave then it was evident and he is declared with power that he was the Son of God life came in by death in a way of dying and truly thus it is with a soul where the life of Christ is when Christ comes the soul dies it saies as Christ said when he was ready to give up the Ghost in Luk. 23. 46. Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit so that soul where
the life of Christ comes in expires into God the soul expires into God into the hands of God the creature becomes nothing it desires to be nothing nothing in it self content that the creature should be dead look'd upon as dead that God alone should be exalted that he should be all unto it and that it should be all in all unto him thus the life of Christ where it comes into the soul in this way 3. Thirdly But again Examine how your life is maintained if the life of Christ be in you How is that life of Crist in you that spiritual life maintained the life that is from Christ is maintained by Christ it came in at first by the voice of the Son of God and so it 's maintained by the voice of God and every time that Christ speaks it 's further into life every time that Christ speaks in a promise every time that Christ speaks in an Ordinance it runs further into life and every day it's dying the life of Christ is increasing and triumphs in the victory by killing and slaying the creature to it self in its own apprehension and it 's maintained by the voice of Christ or by a sight of Christ so that where this life of Christ is the soul in all its deadness runs to Christ when it wants life at any time it looks to Christ for it it runs to Christ for this life Lord maintain this life A soul hath its life from the Father originally instrumentally from God and it depends upon the Father for life and where the soul is begotten by God its life being in Christ it 's maintained by Christ and it never lives so well as when it sees most of Christ it 's a sight of the glory and beauty of Christ of the grace of Christ and love of Christ that doth mightily affect the heart and raise the spirits of the soul it is mightily stirred up the operations of the soul are stirred up and it looks upon Christ and it's revived it looks upon Christ and is strengthened and is beholding the glory and strength of Christ is most ready to act for Christ and to work for Christ whenas the soul hath much of Christ in his eye Well is your life thus maintained certainly this is the life of Christ Vse 2. But if I would speak in a way of discovery unto poor creatures that are without the life of Christ It will be an easie Test unto the discovery of many that they are without the life of Christ How many poor creatures in the world death sits on their sore-heads upon their faces Christ is not their life but the world is their life and their lusts is their life and the creature is their life for they live upon these the life of many a poor soul is bound up in these his life is bound up in the world and bound up in his lusts and if the world be taken from him or his lusts taken from him he cries out O he is undone what hath he more And what will God do him good or Christ do him good or communion with the spirit do him good his lusts are his life and his life is taken away when he is robbed of his lusts When a man doth live to the satisfaction of his lusts and makes them the whole end of his living not to lift up God and Christ but to live to the satisfaction of the lusts of his heart I say here it is an easie matter to say without breach of the law of love the Lord be merciful to such poor creatures for the life of Christ is not in them they lay rotting in their Graves of sin their throat is an open Sepulchre there 's no appearance of the life of Christ in such And therefore I shall desire the Lord would convince such poor creatures how miserable their condition is without the life of Christ they are like so many dead Carkasses and what a sad object is that to look upon so many men as dead carkasses though they be never so lively never so full of strength activity and of beauty here before the eye of the World yet in relation to the invisible World which is many thousand times more considerable such men are as dead carcasses I say in the eye of God and of his Angels and the rest of the Inhabitants of the invisible World such poor creatures are as dead carkasses as dreadful an object to them as a walking Ghost is to you a carkass that lies rotting in the Grave where there is nothing but putrefaction it is a noysom an offensive object every one turns away from it and truly every one is such who is a sinner an obstinate sinner the Lord cannot away with them that if they continue in trespasses and sins being dead in sins and trespasses the Lord will bury them out of his sight there wants nothing but a burying them out of the sight of God to make their misery compleat rejection from the presence of God to be cast out of the sight of God and his presence for ever never to behold his face in glory and communion with him it shall be the completion of the misery of such poor wretches And therefore I shall desire you in the fear of God to look after the life of Christ O that the Lord would perswade you to look after the life of Christ He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life Look after Christ for life O that you would consider the excellency of the life of Christ is it not worth the seeking after Shall I set it out to you by comparing the life of Christ with natural life which is accounted most excellent in this lower world and you shall see how infinitely excellent the life of Christ is What is the most excellent thing in the World the best thing in nature Why life natural life is the best thing in nature Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life the least worm is more excellent than the Sun in that respect because it hath life life is most excellent in its nature But now compare the life of nature with the life of Christ and you shall see how far it goes beyond it and therefore infinitely more desirable than the life of nature For 1. First of all The life of Nature is a vain life a life full of vanity Eve was convinced thereof by that time she brought forth a second Son she called his name Abel that is vanity she now knew that was the condition and case of the sons and daughters of fallen man of all she brought forth with all the world that followed her their lives shall be vanity Man walks in a vain shadow in a vain shew Psal 39. 5 6. Surely every man walks in a vain shew surely they are disquieted in vain the life of Nature is full of vanity it appears in that it satisfieth not it
is empty and vain for it proves many times a burden even vanity life it self which is the most excellent thing in nature it proves a burden if you declare the vanity of it and so many times it is so to the wicked and to the Godly Life is a burden to the wicked there is a principle in nature in a man to live to desire to live to live alwaies and yet man many times is weary to live the wicked man would live long and yet his life is a burden he would live longer he never dies willingly though sometimes he be the instrument of his own destruction he dies not willingly It is said of the wicked man That be shall not live out half his daies Why though they may live longer than the righteous though he live a hundred years yet he may not live out half his daies he desires to live long and yet life is a burden to him here is a vanity especially when the Lord shall break in upon his soul with apprehensions of wrath and when he meets with vexations and disquietments from the world many times he speaks against his life and acts against his life which is a great sin here 's a vanity Nay natural life is a burden many times to Gods own people you may see how it comes short of the life of Christ though it is the most excellent thing in nature yet it is a burden to the Saints the corruption that is within their own hearts which doth follow them all the time of life makes life a burden O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death The workings of corruption have made his very life a burden to him who shall deliver him from it And so through the temptation of Satan the life is made burdensome through the evil of the times through the dishonour that is brought to God in the world whilst they look upon it their life is made a burden to them Lot's righteous soul was vexed his life was a burden to him though they dare not think against their lives and act against their lives yet many times life is a burden to Gods own people not but that they are willing to bear their burden whilst God is pleased to let them live here But now Turn your eye to Christs life and you shall see the life of Christ is full of satisfaction full of contentment It 's full of satisfaction you don't say of that as sometimes Job said of his life you may see in Job 7. 15 16. he was under sore temptation and in great affliction I loath it I would not live alway why Job never said so of the life of Christ he never said of that I loath it I would not live alway No on the contrary a gracious heart saies thus I love it I delight in it I would live alway let me live to Eternity to lift up the name of God to behold his Glory to wait at his foot-stool to extol his glorious name for ever and ever thus you see how contrary the life of Christ is unto the life of nature in respect of the vanity of it 2. But again Secondly The life of Nature is a sinful life and that makes it worse than vanity sin doth accompany it all along yea in its first rise in its first being In sin was I conceived saies David A man that hath nothing but the life of nature lives to nothing but to sin he lives to dishonour God he lives to wound and to destroy himself he lives to do hurt in the world in injury to others and these are the fruits that nature brings forth but the life of Christ is pure and holy it 's without sin there is no principle of corruption in it and therefore it never dies it never expires it hath no principle of corruption in it self but it is pure as the life of God is pure But again 3. Thirdly The life of Nature is a miserable life it 's full of misery see how Job speaks of it speaking of the life of Nature he saies That man is born to misery as the sparks flie upward that is Naturally the sparks naturally flie upward and so there is all the portion that a man is born unto by nature if he hath any besides his misery it 's besides his portion he hath more than he was born to for he was born to misery But the life of Christ hath no sorrow in it for he that is born again to God is born to happiness he is born to joy he is born to glory even as the sparks flie upward this is the portion that he is born to and if he comes short of this it 's accidental because he comes short of the life of Christ if he comes short of this glory and joy in the Holy Ghost it 's because he comes short of the life of Christ for the life of Christ shall be compleated in Heaven where it shall not be interrupted in its actings then there shall be nothing but peace and joy in the Holy Ghost there shall be then no sorrow for all tears shall be wiped away this is the excellency of the life of Christ Again 4. Fourthly The life of Nature is a decreasing life it decreases as soon as ever it comes into the world as soon as ever a man begins to live He comes up and is cut down like a flower The Candle consumes as soon as it is lighted and even thus is the life of Nature and it 's like a Garment that is eaten with the Moths it 's continually decreasing and waxing worse and worse There are so many worms at the root of the Tree gnawing at the root of our Tree that as soon as ever we spring above ground our natures decrease continually but the life of Christ is an increasing life there is a period beyond which a Christian shall not grow he doth not come to his height and then go downward there is no period in his growth so long as he is on this side Heaven there is no old age in which his life decreaseth it 's true the operations of life may be destroyed in a Christian but the principle of life increases continually and therefore the promises are made that they shall be as Trees which bring forth fruit in old age and that they shall grow from strength to strength until they come to appear before him in Sion and thus in the strength of Christ they shall go from strength to strength which is far more excellent than the life of Nature 5. But again Fifthly The life of nature is an uncertain life there is no man hath any lease of life but our times are in the Lords hand and there is no man living hath certainty of life for a moment It 's true the Fool in the Gospel makes large promises and makes a large lease to himself of that which was not his own he would lease our life for
Flower in the Field that withers in a moment and David puts up the like Petition in Psal 39. 4. Lord make me to know my end and the measure of my daies what it is that I may know how frail I am Teach me to know my end that I may know how frail I am He doth not desire to know how many daies he shall live or when his end shall be but to know how frail a creature he was that it may take impression on his heart And truly these teachings are such as none but God can teach to teach a man to know how frail he is and every day to look upon himself as a Spire of Grass or as a Flower in the Field that is in a withering and decaying condition every moment The Apostle Paul also tells what his practice was in 1 Cor. 15. 31. I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord I die daily He died in affection to the World I fit loose to the World I die to it in affection but I also die daily I put my self into a dying condition I know that I walk in the midst of Jeopardies and therefore I fit loose from all yea from life it self I protest I die daily The Prophet speaks of some that put the evil day far from them it is a sign that the day of Death is an evil day when men put it far from them it is a good day to the soul that hath interest in Christ it is the best day that ever came to him Eccles 7. 1. you shall see what the wise man says there A good name is better than a precious Oyntment and the day of death than the day of ones birth It is not so to every one but to the righteous it is to him that hath a good name a name that is better than precious oyntment to him that hath the new name better than that of sons and daughters to him the day of death is better than the day of his birth therefore saith the Apostle For to me to die is gain and therefore it is good for Christians to look upon death at a distance for death in it self is an enemy The last enemy that shall be destroyed said the Apostle is Death it is an enemy such an enemy as hath a terrible visage and therefore let 's look death in the face often that so we may be acquainted with the visage of death that the terror of this enemy may be taken away it is an enemy and such an enemy as is armed such an enemy as hath a sting with him The sting of death is sin and therefore it is a great deal of wisdom to combate with this enemy at a distance to disarm him to take away the sting before he comes upon you that you may be the better able to grapple with him when he draws nigh it is good therefore for men to consider whether they be able to grapple with and meet this enemy or no whether they be able to look him in the face to put themselves in a posture of combating and how you may meet with him without fear how you may overcome him by the blood of the Lamb to exercise faith and to eye the conquest that Christ hath gotten over death to see how he hath taken away the sting and horror and to sanctifie the Grave this is a great mercy 1. First And therefore let me speak to you one word you whose life is thus to die do it daily with the Apostle it is exceeding beneficial to the Saints this kind of exercise the Lord himself doth commend it as a point of high wisdom by Moses O how doth he wish his people that all his people were thus wise in Deut. 32. 29. O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter-end it is a point of high wisdom for men to consider their latter end and through grace it proves a great help even unto the people of God it proves a spur to them I say it is a spur to the works and services of their Generation when they consider their latter end I must work the work of him that sent me saies Christ the night comes when no man can work and so again saies Solomon Whatsoever thy hand finds to do do it with all thy might for there is no work nor device nor counsel nor knowledge in the Grave whither thou art going If therefore it lieth before thee neglect not the work of thy Generation if he say This is the way walk in it if he say By this or by that thou shalt be for my Glory in the World take heed you neglect it not no not a minute for how soon maist thou go to thy home thy long-home and there is no work in the Grave this through grace I say proves a spur to God's people the consideration of their latter end I have but a little time in which I can gain glory to God's name O take it O soul improve it for God's glory this I say puts a man to consider his latter end 2. Secondly Again It is that which will make the soul truly Magnanimous truly valiant for God it will beget a mighty Heroick spirit this conversing with death at a distance this considering of a mans latter end see what God saies in that pathetical wish I before spake of in Deut. 32. 29 30. If they did but consider their latter end how should one chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight the consideration of this would make a man Magnanimous for God it would make a man to carry his life in his hand and venture it freely if God should call him forth such a righteous man hath conversed with death at a distance and hath seen and knows that it will be gain he fears not a thousand he is truly Magnanimous he only looks at the cause and goes forth willingly for though there be a thousand to one he fears not for he hath considered his latter end Whereas on the contrary the neglect of this the neglect of conversing with death daily makes men liable to the snares and temptations of the world I say the neglect of this doth expose men to a thousand snares in the world how doth this world keep many from seeking after the life of Christ House Land Friends Riches Honours and Pleasure what snares are these to thousands What 's the cause of this It is because men do not consider their latter end it is because that men have a kind of phancy or dream that they shall alwaies possess these things below men dream of an Eternity here and they are not indeed perswaded of parting that they are a parting from them and so prove woeful snares they are neglecting the great things of God and the great things of Eternity because they do not look upon all as Grass as withering Grass themselves also as fading Flowers therefore they are exposed to
shall be no cloggs no rubs in the way but there shall be a full enjoyment and a full manifestation of that life of Christ which is the life of the soul is made over to the soul for its life even to Eternity this is another part of the great gain that comes in by death to believing souls But again 5. Fifthly As it gains life so it gains victory by death the believing soul gains Victory full compleat victory and conquest over all its enemies He doth not only rest as I said before it is a great gain to rest rest from the motion of sin and lust and rest from the motion of temptation but that 's not all it rests and sits down as a Conquerour the Palm of victory is then put into the hand of every Believer and he shall stand upon that Mount Zion and shall sing Hallelujah unto the Lord he is then made a Conquerour there for all enemies at that day are put under all the lusts of his heart and all Principalities and Powers and whatsoever was a vexation and disquietment shall be put under his feet and he shall sit down with Christ as a Conquerour I have fought the good sight saith the Apostle in 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith and now is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness my life-time it was my time of combating but now I am ready to be dissolved to be offered up I shall sit down as a Conquerour and I shall have a Crown of righteousness that 's another priviledge another part of the gain that comes in to the believing soul by death But 6. Sixthly It gains a full sight of God I say the believing soul by death gains a full sight of God a full vision of God this gain is glorious and unspeakable it 's that which the Saints do press after to see the face of God it was Moses's great request I beseech thee shew me thy face mighty desirous to see the face of God and indeed it is a compleating of their happiness that they shall see the face of God Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God in Matth. 5. 8. here is the blessedness of that people whose heart is purged by faith they shall see God they shall see him here â—ay but in Heaven they shall see him face to face in 1 Cor. 13. 12. We now see him through a glass darkly but we shall see him face to face and then shall we know him as we are known It is true God cannot be seen with the eye of the body neither here nor in Heaven so the Saints cannot see him for he is an infinite Being a Spirit invisible invisible to the eye of the body but he shall be held forth clearly God will hold himself forth to the eye of their understanding and his people shall have full and clear visions of him they shall know him in his Nature and they shall know him in his attributes they shall know him in all his works and they shall know him in his Word whatsoever was hid from them in the daies of their flesh shall then be revealed they shall know him in his Counsel in those secret waies which God walked in from Eternity which no creature can give a reason of God will then unfold himself they shall have continual visions of God visions of grace and visions of love and visions of light and visions of glory which shall continually flow forth from the Throne this will be a mighty gain When the Queen of Sheba came to Solomon to see his House in 2 Chron. 9. 7. she said Happy are thy servants that stand in thy presence to hear thy wisdom if they were happy that saw Solomon and his wisdom and look'd him in the face then much more shall they that stand for ever in the presence of the great God King of Kings and Lord of Lords and shall see his face and behold his wisdom and shall for evermore be satisfied with a full vision of God so much as the creature can hold It 's true the creature is finite it shall not be infinite as God himself is but they shall behold the glorious visions of God himself which will be mighty gain But again 7. Seventhly Believing souls by death shall be gainers in respect of their habitation here they dwell in a house of Clay so Job calls it Job 4. 19. it is a house of Clay whose foundation is in the dust and is crush'd before the Moth. It is a poor house that a Moth can throw down that the Moth can crush and yet this is the house the house of the body and this is the house that the soul lives in whilst it is here a house of Clay that hath no foundation but the dust a house without a foundation it cannot stand it 's down in an instant every storm of wind will blow it down it hath only its foundation of and from the dust exceeding frail is the body set forth by this expression now what shall the soul gain when death comes It hath a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens in 2 Cor. 5. 1. For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens It 's a mansion or dwelling house it 's not a Tabernacle In my Fathers house are many mansions Job 14. 2. It 's not made by the hand of man it 's made by God himself It 's glory that was laid up before the foundation of the world it 's uncreated glory God himself will be the heaven he 'll be the dwelling place of his people and they shall dwell in him throughout all Generations for ever and for ever here is a change you see in respect of the habitation and it will be much more gain than for man to change a Dungeon for a Palace the soul comes out of a Dungeon and it 's put into an Inheritance an Inheritance with the Saints in light But Again 8. Eighthly They gain in respect of their company our Saviour saies in Matth. 8. 11. They shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God no worse company than Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the spirits of just men made perfect there shall be no failings nor defects there shall be no want of love there shall be no blemish to take off love but they shall enjoy the company of the spirits of just men made perfect this will be a mighty gain Here there are many failings failings in the best of Saints the best company that believers have even Saints there are failings in the best of them but there shall be nothing seen there but the Image of God nothing but the Image of Christ when they look upon one another they shall see nothing but an attractive love there shall be no emulation there they shall not envy
sinfulness of it when a man desires to die only upon these grounds to be rid of trouble and affliction 1. First He doth charge God foolishly It is said of Job in the latter end of the first Chapter In all this he sinned not nor charged God foolishly But afterward Job did charge God when he came to consider the day of his birth he spake against his own life Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery and life given to the bitter in soul There Job did charge God foolishly as if God were not wise enough to measure out thy portion O thou wouldst die that thou maist be eased of such and such an affliction thou chargest God with want of faithfulness want of wisdom want of love see what Absalom said when he flattered with the people O that I were Judge saith he I would hear every mans Cause and it should not be so and so I would rule better than my Father David he charged his Government with folly I would do Justice better than he And truly so thou saiest O that I were in Gods place O that I sat upon the Throne I would dispose better of my own condition I would dispose of it with more wisdom and more love and more compassion What a high charge is this to lay upon God! O have a care thou dost not charge God thou saist wherefore is life given to thee in such an affliction thou chargest God foolishly Dost thou not know why God knows it may be that the life of Nature is continued that so he may increase the life of grace in thee or that he may kill the life of sin in thee or that he may give thee more of himself that thou maist have more experience of his love and goodness or that thou maist be a pattern to others a pattern of his patience of his power and goodness and therefore is life given thee 2. Secondly Nay further When thou speakest against thy own life and desirest to die thou dost limit the holy one of Israel and commit that sin which the Children of Israel did they tempted God and limited the holy one of Israel When thou saist O that God would take away thy life that thy affliction may may be taken away why cannot God take away thy affliction and not take away thy life hath God no other way He can make a hundred doors and find out a thousand waies must he needs open that door the strait door of death or else he cannot open a door of deliverance for thee why dost thou limit and tempt the holy one of Israel If thou desirest death because thou wouldst be delivered thy desire is sinful O desire rather that the Lord would be with thee in thy affliction and make thee a Conquerour over thy affliction that thou maist get above thy affliction to glorifie God in the fire That 's a Fourth But 5. Fifthly Thy desires of death are sinful When as thy desires are unlimited when they are not subjected to the Will of God when they are absolute when a man will have no denial whether God see it good or no whether the Lords time be come or no thou saist it is gain shall I not desire gain No thou maist not desire gain with an immoderate desire The Apostle James reproves those that say We will go and buy and sell and get gain no but saies he Stay and ask God leave If God will we will do so and so c. When you would go to the new Jerusalem for gain in that City say not We will go we will go no say If God will let me go God will have thee to finish thy course there are many that would go though the Lord hath no need of them these unlimited desires of death are unlawful desires Quest But you will say When are desires of death Lawful I shall desire to speak a few words to that briefly Answ First of all When a man doth not desire death for death but death for life There are many poor creatures are desirous to die but they know not wherefore but now a holy man hath holy desires his desires are not death for death but death for life for death is an enemy to desire death only to cease to be only to lie still in the Grave and cease to be the Apostle in 2 Cor. tells you wherefore he desired death he don't desire to be uncloathed But to be cloathed upon that mortality may be swallowed up in life not to be uncloathed to lay aside the body to be in the Grave and to cease from being but to be swallowed up in life to be cloathed upon to desire death for life seek for that life which we are sure shall come into us by death this is a lawful desire 2. Secondly Desires of death are lawful when a man desires to die that he may sin no more against God that corruption may be fully mortified that there may be nothing left in the soul to provoke the Lord any longer that may displease the eye of his glory that it may be holy in all things made like unto Christ even without sin a gracious heart saies and believes because the Lord hath spoken it that death shall be the death of sin as well as the death of the body sin brought death into the world and death shall carry sin quite away that at death it shall be abolished that there shall be no more sense of sin no sense of lust to desire death for this end that the creature may sin no more that God may be displeased no more and grieved no more this is a lawful desire 3. Thirdly When a man desires death that he may enjoy communion with Christ this is lawful to enjoy full communion with Christ that was the Apostles desire Phil. 1. 23. Having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better wherefore doth he desire to be dissolved he tells you To be with Christ to see the face of Christ to enjoy the presence of Christ that he may be filled with the love of Christ and behold the glory of Christ and may be for ever in the presence of Christ and never look off his face but to enjoy full and perfect communion with Christ to desire death for these ends is lawful 4. Again Fourthly When a man desires death That he may lift up the name of God in Heaven that he may do the Will of God perfectly as it is done in Heaven by the Saints and Angels O here he cometh short in all the works and services he desires to do he cannot do the thousandth part of that which he desires to do and therefore desires death that he may lift up the name of God fully in Heaven that he may there be swallowed up in the present enjoyment of God and Christ that he may be infinitely enlarged to sing Hallelujahs unto God to all Eternity thus to desire death is lawful But 5. Fifthly