Scepter as Ahashuerus did his golden scepter to Hester come in Hester says he so says Christ Poor Soul come let him come in and drink of the water of life freely And so as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead that you would be reconciled unto him That 's a second fruit that grows on Christs heart Again 3. Thirdly there are affections that grow upon Christs heart sympathizing affections Oh! how tender is he of his people he suffers when they suffer he bears the leaviest end of the burden in all their afflictions he was afflicted and therefore he is called a merciful High Priest and he is one that knows how to have compassion and how to be tender see Heb. 5. 1 2. for every High Priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sin who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity He can have compassion he is able to have compassion he hath a compassionate disposition within him he knows how to pity them when ignorant and when they are out of the way he knows how to portion out grace to every of his peoples conditions he knows how to sympathize with them in their burdens for he was compassed about with our Infirmities he knows well what afflictions are and what temptations to sin are and he best knows how to compassionate his people these compassions are a gracious fruit growing in Christs heart 4. Fourthly But then again there are thoughts of delight in Christs heart Oh how doth he rejoyce over his people with joy with great joy He doth solace himself in their communion I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys as the lily among thorns so is my love among the daughters she is unto him as the lily among thorns let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely the expressions of the great delight that Christ takes in his people this is the fruit of Christs heart 2. Secondly There is the fruit of his lips not onely the fruit of his heart is exceeding delightful but the fruit of his lips is exceeding sweet see Isa 57. 19 I create the fruit of the lips Peace peace to him that is afar off and to him that is nigh saith the Lord and I will heal him peace it 's a fruit of Christs lips as there are thoughts of peace in his heart so there are words of peace in his mouth for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speak therefore it 's said that the tongue of the learned is given to him the Lord hath given to him the tongue of the learned and he knows how to speak a word in season there is none in all the world can speak a word in season to the wounded Soul but Christ his lips are like unto the lilies dropping sweet-smeling myrrhe every promise in the Gospel is a fruit of the lips of Christ and Oh! how sweet and refreshing is this fruit how delightful is the least promise of Christ if he be pleased to bring it home to the soul it stays it as with flaggons of wine when Christ shall bring home a promise to the Soul else a promise will do us no good will be of no use to us for all the promises of God they are in him yea and in him Amen all the promises they grow upon this tree and it 's most precious fruit if you will take Davids commendation of it he eat and commended it Psal 19. 10. more to be desired are they than gold yea than much fine gold he speaks of the word of the Lord the promises of the Lord they are sweeter than the honey nay take it when it is at the sweetest when it is in the Comb the word of the Lord goes beyond it Sweeter than the Honey and the honey Comb Oh! how gracious and acceptable is the least word that drops from Christs Mouth out of Christs lips to the poor wounded bleeding Soul A word in season says Solomon is like Apples of gold in Pictures of Silver pleasant and exceeding acceptable fruit unto a poor soul Again 3. Thirdly There 's not only the fruit of Christs lips but the fruit of Christs loins Oh the fruit of his womb he hath a seed which he brings forth unto God which are pleasant and much be to delighted in all that are brought in to God by the preaching of the Gospel they are called the fruit of Christ they are his seed he shall see the travail of his Soul and be satisfied this fruit is mighty delightful to Christ and therefore should be delightful and is delightful to the Saints Christ had a mighty delight in children he cared not what he suffered what pains what travails let the travail of the Soul be never so great so he might bring forth children he cared not nay though he knew he should die in travail yet he cared not and though he knew he should die of it and also live again and rise again he askt no other reward but only that he might have children and it was the great promise in Isaiah 53. 10 11. He shall see his seed he shall prolong his days and the good pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand he shall see the travail of his Soul and shall be satisfied he shall have a multitudinous offspring because he was such a lover of children And therefore when the promise was made to Abraham I 'le bless thee and thy seed shall be as the Stars of heaven that could not be numbred and therefore you read in the Revelations of a great number which no man can number and he brought them all unto the Father and presented them Here am I and the Children thou hast given me They are exceeding delightful to him and as Christ takes delight in them so The saints can't but take delight when they see souls brought in to God and brought forth for heaven they cannot but rejoyce in it and take great delight in this fruit of Christ To name no more 4. A fourth sort of fruit and that 's the fruit of Christs life Take him as he was here upon earth in the dayes of his flesh when he was planted in the Orchard of the world he brought forth exceeding much fruit unto God he was the most fruitful tree that ever the Father planted he brought forth a world of precious desirable fruit there was never any part of Christs life that was not fruitful he went up and down doing good He sought all opportunities to do good I must work the works of him that sent me while the day lasts for the night cometh when I shall not work he took all opportunities for the doing good to the souls of men and the bodies of men and glad was he that he
Christ is the first-fruits of them that ascend and the way to Heaven is set open by the blood of Christ and there was none ever ascended but by vertue of the blood of Christ that sets open the door to them but the efficacy of the blood of Christ did reach to them that lived before him and therefore in Rev. 13. 8. he is called The Lamb slain from the foundations of the World in the purpose of God yea it was accepted of God as if done already God the Father took the Word of his Son for the payment of the Debt he knew that he was able to make good his word and would be faithful to him wherefore he trusted him before he discharged the Debt before the price was actually paid so that the vertue of Christs blood did even reach to them even many thousand years before he came in the flesh to suffer for the Father took his word and the son took the Fathers word for the salvation of those that should be brought in many hundred years after the debt was paid the salvation of all that belong to God who should live from Christs time to the end of the world the son gave the full price into the fathers hand and he relies upon him upon his word for the discharge of the debt and for the receiving of poor sinners to life and favour as they shall be brought in in all Ages and therefore Dear Brethren I beseech you take notice of the mighty vertue of the death of Christ mighty vertue was in it that he should be accepted before-hand that it should reach as far as Enoch as far as Adam that it should be accepted for those that lived many thousand years before Christ before the debt was paid it holds forth the mighty efficacy of the blood of Christ if it had been only available for those that had lived after him after Christ was come in the flesh and dead and risen and had discharged the debt if it had reach'd only to those it had not been so much it is not so much saies Ezekiah for the shadow to go forward in the Dial but for the shadow to go backward so many degrees that holds forth a deal of the mighty power of God to his conviction and so the blood of Christ goes backward so many years to them that lived in the beginning of the world before the price was actually paid O the infinite vertue and efficacy that is in this blood of Christ Oh know what strong ground of consolation there is in this to you that are Believers now under the Gospel if it reach'd so far if it went backward if it went as far as Enoch to open the gate of Heaven to him how much more shall this reach you that are believers under the Gospel that live directly under the efficacy of the blood of Jesus Christ God bad Enoch welcom for this blood that was to be shed if he set the door open to him when the price was not actually paid oh how much more shall God bid the Saints welcom to come in the name of such a Saviour that was dead is risen and ascended now to sit at the right-hand of God and present the efficacy of his blood for ever Oh! how may this be improved and what sweet lives might Christians lead and with what a full wind might they fail and lanch forth into the Ocean of Eternity when they live directly under the efficacy of such a blood as this is that reach'd so far backward even as far as Enoch for it was by vertue of this blood that Enoch was saved But further It 's said God took him That phrase implies three things 1. First of all That Enoch was taken up into a state of Communion with God of near Communion with God God took him God took him to himself He had walked with God whilst he was upon earth but he was not taken up into nearest Communion until now the Saints in heaven are taken into highest Communion their Communion here upon earth is interrupted many times God comes now and then and gives a poor soul a visit but they are not taken in into God till such time as God removes the Mount of this visible world they are here put out to School God will give them good education he will bring them up for heaven and therefore it is not alwaies that they have their Fathers presence now and then God comes and visits them but there is another life in which God shall take his people to himself he shall send for his Children home and then they shall be for ever with the Lord I say for ever with the Lord Whilst we are here saies the Apostle we are absent from the Lord Whilst we are in the body we are absent from the Lord and therefore no wonder why the Saints are breathing so much after that other life â—ooking for and hastning after the appearance of Christ because they are not taken in till then here they are strangers and here they are absent from the Lord in a great measure though they walk with God as Enoch did yet he will not take them into that nearest Communion till they come to end this life 2. But again Secondly As it doth denote a state of near Communion which the Saints enjoy in heaven so it doth hold forth that fulness of light life and glory that the Saints shall there enjoy God took him he was taken into God taken up to the enjoyment of the fulness that is in God here they are narrow vessels and are not capable of receiving much but there the souls of his Saints shall be taken into God and so shall be filled with his fulness Believers here walk with God and God doth dwell in them but so long as they dwell below they don't dwell so much in God but there is a time a coming when they shall dwell wholly in God they shall be taken up into that fulness they shall be as so many vessels that are cast into the Ocean that shall be filled every one shall be filled full to the brim I say this holds forth that phrase of fulness of glory that the Saints do enjoy in Heaven God took him and he was taken into God 3. Again Thirdly It holds forth an act of free grace which was put forth towards Enoch as well as others God took him or received him and to receive it holds forth the free grace of God Enoch walked with God but he was not taken for his walking not because he had walked so and so with God in his Generation he was not therefore taken but he was received it was free-grace received him My Brethren I beseech you then know what you can only plead before God though you have walked with God never so long in your Generation yet you can't at last plead to be taken up because you have walked with God Alas the Lord sees so many slips so many stumblings so
the Pillars of Kingdoms nay they are the Pillars of the whole World so saies the Psalmist The earth shook O Lord and I will bear up the Pillars of it If the Pillars of the House be pluckt down how can the House stand If you see one Pillar after another fall you will conclude certainly that House won't hold long Why the Saints are the Pillars of the World and if it were not for their sakes the earth would mingle together presently but you must know this is not from any merit worth or righteousness of theirs though they are thus called Pillars I say it is not for any worth or righteousness of the Saints or the best on earth but they are called Pillars and they bear up Kingdoms and they bear up the Earth 1. First Because God is intreated by their supplications I say they prevail they stand at the gap they prevail with God to keep out wrath and Judgement that it may not break in and so you know Moses pleads with God and so long as Moses pleaded with God God could do nothing against Israel Let me alone that I may destroy them and so Abraham pleads for Sodom that God would spare that City for ten righteous mens sakes and God grants that request and it is very observable that Abraham gave over first God did not give over first it is like if he had gone lower he might have prevailed but there was a holy ingenuity and faithfulness in him when he considered that in so many Cities there should not be ten righteous men there why he could not in ingenuity ask any less and so by their supplication they bear up Kingdoms and Nations 2. Secondly And then again The Lord doth spare places and people many times from the care that God hath of them for the care that the Lord hath of his own people Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked Rather spare the wicked for the righteous sake and God doth choose this way this is Gods way he will rather spare the wicked for the righteous sake because God is exceeding careful of his own people he fears lest they should suffer he will rather have the tares grow with the Corn together than the good Corn should be in danger of being pluckt up and therefore he tells Lot of making haste in Gen. 19. when God was about to destroy Sodom Haste thee escape thither for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither I am so careful of my Lot that I can do nothing in way of Judgement till Lot be out of fear and danger this was not for desert of Lot's righteousness but the free-grace of God towards him for it is said in that Chapter When the Lord delivered him he was merciful to him 3. Thirdly The Lord spares many times evil wicked men for the love that he bears to his own he gives to his people the lives of others because he loves them so dear so God gave Paul in Acts 27. 24. he gave him the lives of a great many the lives of all that were in the Ship which were two hundred threescore and sixteen souls because the Lord loved him dearly O how good is it to be with the righteous It is good to be in their very company one righteous man one Paul saves a Ship-ful ten righteous men may save Sodom and four Cities more and a considerable number of righteous men may save a Kingdom for a few righteous mens sakes the whole world is preserved that fire and wrath is not mingled in a moment heaven and earth mingled in a moment it is for their sakes And therefore I beseech you consider and take notice of the infinite goodness and patience of God even to the worst of sinners that he should be pleased thus to give warning before he strikes to give warning to a sinful Generation by his own people before he destroy the world O the abundance of the good patience of God! God seldom smites by a remarkable Judgement till he gives warning it is sad warning and of all warnings this is a warning when God is a taking away his own people to take them away from the evil to come it is a sad warning unto a people in that condition that takes not this warning when God is at so much pains and cost with them Therefore in the second place I beseech you when God gives this warning O let us be careful to take it it is the greatest provocation to God when he gives warning and we take it not in this regard Christ upbraids the Scribes and Pharisees and saies to them Can you discern the face of the Skies and cannot you see these signs Do you see the signs there and cannot you discern the signs of the times Cannot you discern when full wrath is coming when Judgement is a coming Cannot you discern it by Gods signs O how many signs hath God shewn what abundance of his Noahs hath he Shipt How many Enochs have been translated by death How much blood hath been spilt precious blood O that God would make it to be a warning to this Generation that the Lord would stir us up too to revive and run after him that God should give us warning O that we could say Thou hope of Israel why shouldst thou be as a stranger and as a wayfaring man that staies but for a night and is gone in the morning But Again This upbraids the World for their former Ingratitude to the Saints it is for their sakes that you wicked have your lives continued and all your comforts continued and how is the enmity of the world let forth against those for whose sakes they are preserved What folly is it that men should go about to pull down the Pillars of that house in which they dwell It was an extream desperate action that Sampson did when that he should pull down the Pillars of the House and it cost him his own life O this is the folly of the wicked in the world that rage against the Saints that pull down the Pillars well know of a truth when those Pillars are down the House will fall upon your head and to pull down these Pillars will be to pull down the house to your own destruction Again This may teach the people of God to submit willingly to lie down willingly in the dust when God shall call them it is possible they may be taken away from a great deal of evil to come it should make them willing to lie down in the dust when God calls God may take you away from many an evil day that is coming many an evil day of persecution and many an evil day of old age Remember thy Creator in the daies of thy youth through the infirmities that do accompany old age it becomes an evil day Again There 's danger then of declining O David prayed and prayed heartily that God would not leave him to his own will and that he would take him
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
good counsel which Christ gives in Matth. 5. saies he there Seek the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof in the first place and all things shall be added Let the things of God have the preheminence he gives them the precedency in his heart and affections in his practice and pursuit still the Kingdom of God and the righteousness of it is sought in the first place therefore he desires to set up God above the world and saies Lord sit thou here sit thou here in the highest place sit thou in my heart in the excellency of my spirit let the things of God have the precedency and as for the world Thou world sit thou at my foot-stool he saies to the world as Abraham said to his Servants in Gen. 22. 5. when he went to sacrifice his son Isaac he saies to the young men Stand you here and I and the Lad will go up to the Mount and worship and thus saies the heart to the world World stand thou here Calling Employment stand thou here till I go up yonder and worship till I go and converse with God and behold the face of Christ stay thou here in the Valley till I go up to the Mount and worship for he gives the things of God and Christ the precedency because he knows they abide for ever the Word of the Lord that abides for ever and so the love of God and Christ abide for ever and communion with God and Christ endures for ever the Image of Christ upon his soul endures for ever he therefore gives these the precedency in his affections and in his pursuit therefore it is that he is not willing to grasp too much of the world he is fearful to grasp too much of the world to have more of the world than he knows how to manage with the performance of his duty to God he is fearful I say that the world should justle out his betters and therefore will not grasp too much of the world and is careful so to order the things of the world as that he may gain time to seek after the great things of God and Christ That 's a Fifth particular Again 6. Sixthly He that walks with God in his Calling lives by Faith he lives by faith whilst he works in his Calling he doth not only live by faith for the things of heaven he doth not only exercise faith for the blessings of the world to come but he lives by faith in his Calling and therefore he goes on chearfully he knows his person and his works are accepted whatsover his work is though never so mean it 's accepted and all his labours and faithfulness in his Calling are accepted he exercises his faith for the covering of his infirmities he knows that he is subject to dishonour God continually there 's much weakness doth escape from him whilst he is in the world and therefore he exercises his faith for the covering of those infirmities he lives by faith for the protection of God in his Calling thus he lives by faith he knows there 's a promise and he lives upon it He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy waies that thou dash not thy foot against a stone In all thy waies in every good and lawful way in thy Calling there is a promise of protection and he lives by faith upon this promise And there is a promise of blessing also Blessed art thou coming in and blessed art thou going out and he exercises faith in that promise also That 's another part of his walking with God But again 7. Seventhly He is careful to avoid those stumbling blocks and snares that might endanger him in his walking with God that 's another part of his walking with God It 's commendable for men to be industrious in their Calling but how many stumbling-blocks on the right-hand and on the left that men dash against and so lose all their industry and diligence by dashing against those stumbling blocks One stumbles at self-end self-seeking he propounds himself only and his own good and therefore he loses all others meet with other snares and fall into them deceit cozenage and falshood some are over-eager in their pursuit after the world and others stumble at the stone of Slothfulness and Idleness it 's hard to walk in a middle way but he that walks with God knows that there 's a snare in every condition and therefore he is watchful against those snares Every Calling every Employment hath some special snares and stumbling-blocks men that are employed about high things great matters they meet with one kind of snare men in low conditions meet with another kind of snare every high condition and every low condition hath its snares and therefore he is careful to observe what estate and what the calling and condition in that estate that he is in doth most expose him unto and he is careful in watching against those snares therein 8. Eighthly Again In the last place He abides with God in his Calling that 's another part of those that walk with God he abides with God in his Calling the Apostle gives that counsel in 1 Cor. 7. about the 15 or 16 Verses That every one should abide in the Calling that God hath set them in and this counsel he labours to walk up unto he is content in the place God hath set him or submits unto it with contentation and therefore he abides in the way that God hath set him in The Apostle doth not mean that it is not lawful for a man to change his Calling for certainly that may be done upon occasion the Merchant may turn Husbandman or the Husbandman may turn Merchant if he sees occasion for it but God would have his people to abide in their Callings not rashly to change them but to see God in them and submit thereunto with content Thus you see what that man is that walks with God if you follow him in his ordinary works and employments you shall find him such in the waies of his Calling and therefore oh that you would look up to the Lord to make this truth practical to you Truly these are high lessons but they are such as every gracious heart is breathing after and following hard unto and bewails wherein it comes short I say this is or should be found in every gracious heart therefore look unto God that he may make you such whilst you walk in your Callings Oh it were a blessed time Brethren if all your hearts were brought up to this thus to walk with God as you have heard in your Callings we should soon see the new heavens that is spoken of God hath promised to create new heavens and new earth if mens hearts were once set to walk thus with God in his waies and in their employments we should soon see new earth men must be new new hearts new conversations first new men and then a new world look up to the Lord to make
years for many years but he reckoned without his Land-lord and you know that that night his soul was taken from him Of all things in the world life is the most uncertain thing but the life of Christ that Christ gives is most certain it is a life that cannot be taken away it is as sure to a Christian as the life of Christ in Heaven is sure a Christian can no more die than Christ can die Because I live saies he ye shall live also as sure as I live ye shall live also as my life is certain so your life also is certain for your life shall no man take from you Though there be many that seek to take away a Christians life yet none shall be able to do it 1. The World shall not rob them of life Be of good comfort I have overcome the world saies Christ 2. Sin is another enemy to the life of Christ but yet it shall not prevail Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under grace there 's the bond of the Lords faithfulness Again 3. Satan is another enemy to the life of Christ but he shall not prevail neither Christ hath spoiled Principalities and Powers and hath triumphed over them for it is said the Lord Jesus shall tread down Satan under your feet shortly that the life of Christ shall not be taken from you here is the excellency of it Again 6. Sixthly The life of nature is a deceitful life both for time and continuance and also for the comforts of it it promises a great deal but performs little or nothing riches and honour and pleasures and the rest of the good things of natural life it promiseth much but performs little but when the creature comes to experience as Solomon did why he is deceived deceived in his expectation for he finds nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit let a man try if he will he shall never find so much comfort as it promiseth him but the life of Christ is no whit deceitful it doth not promise more than it performs there is alwaies more found in the enjoyment of the life of Christ than was promised and more than the soul did ever expect how often doth the poor soul cry out with the Queen of Sheba that is taken up into the Mount and sees Christ transfigured Do but behold a little of his glory she cries behold there was no spirit left in her when she saw Solomon's house for she did not believe what was told to the half of what she saw Why so when the life of Christ is given out to the soul you shall find more than ever was told God will be more and better in the performance than he was in the promise and truly the life and glory of Christ is Incomprehensible in respect of the creature the largest capacity and understanding though inlightened and sanctified is not able to take in the least part of the glory of the life of Christ it 's not able to comprehend the notion of it much less the life it self the great discoveries of it shall be reserved for heaven and then it shall be found of all Saints that the life of Christ was not like the life of man there was no deceitfulness in it But to say no more 7. Seventhly The life of Nature is a momentany life therefore often compared in Scripture to things that are not or are gone in a moment the breath the shadow the wind that passeth away there 's no continuance it comes up and is cut down there is no continuance compared with Eternity it 's but a moment the longest life is but a passage there 's no stay it 's but a Bridge to go over it 's but a Bridge to Eternity life is but a moment but now the life of Christ is an eternal life the life that Christ gives to the soul is eternal he that lives in Christ and with Christ shall live for ever it shall never be taken away it shall never be blown out but the soul that hath the life of Christ shall live as long as Christ lives it can no more die than Christ can die now he died but once and being risen from the dead he can die no more but he lives for ever and ever and thus is the life of Christ when ever it is communicated to a soul that soul can die no more it hath died when Christ died and therefore shall die no more but it shall live it shall live even to Eternity and to Eternity it shall lift up the name of God and Christ You see how excellent the life of Christ is how far it surpasses the life of nature every man desires to live and to live long because the life of nature is apprehended to be excellent but you have seen what a poor life it is without the life of Christ it 's a poor vain sinful miserable wretched decreasing uncertain deceitful momentany life O that that which hath been spoken of the life of Christ might stir up all your hearts to enquire the way of life that you may sit and wait at the foot-stool and wait for the givings out of his life for he came to this end that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly SERMON IV. PHILIP 1. 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain DOCT. Christ is a Believers Life THat 's the Proposition in hand I have concluded the Doctrinal part the last day and I made Application I put you upon examination to see whether the life of Christ be in you or no It is not enough to have a name to live for many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham when the children of the Kingdom shall be cast out into utter darkness and therefore you that have a name to live examine whether is Christ your life or no. But to proceed by way of Instruction Vse 3. Let us take notice in the third place of the excellent state of every Believer I say take notice of the excellent state of every Believer that is made partaker of the life of Jesus Christ If the life of nature be so excellent and makes the creature so excellent in its kind why then how excellent is this life of Christ which is communicated and made over unto his people I say the life of nature is so excellent as that the least worm that creeps upon the earth is of more noble account than the Sun in the Firmament the most inanimate creature in all the world is worth the Sun in respect of its life truly the meanest of Saints he that is least in his own eye and it may be in the eye of the world he is most excellent in the eye of God in the eye of Saints and Angels I say in the eye of the invisible world he is more excellent than the greatest man on earth that shines with the greatest
dangers from all the Creatures there 's no hedge about them God hath not made a League with the Beasts in the Field for them Here is the misery of a man out of Christ it is set forth by a Tree that is in the Wilderness a Tree that grows in the Wood And therefore a word of Application to this particular Vse Beloved This lets us see the necessity of being planted into Christ by faith We are all of the wild Olive and the wild Vine and therefore there is a necessity that every man should seek after his transplanting into Christ Oh that the Lord would make you willing to be pluckt up by the Roots You that are out of Christ be willing to be pluckt up by the Roots that you may be planted into Christ There is some rooting that every natural man hath which he is loth to be pluckt from One man is rooted into the World and another is rooted in his lusts and another is rooted in himself in his own righteousness in his own works in his own strength in his own performances Oh that the Lord would make you willing to be pluckt up from all that Root that in which you have any thing besides Christ Here is the great difficulty to bring off the wills of men Men cry out many times Oh it is a hard matter Oh it 's an impossible thing that ever they should be pluckt up from such Rooting That they have such lusts Trees which are of twenty thirty forty years growth and all that time rooting deeper and deeper Is it possible that such should be plucked up by the Roots and planted into Christ My Brethren it 's possible if men were willing to be pluckt up the Lord would soon accomplish it You know what Christ said to his Disciples that if they had Faith as a grain of Mustard-seed they should say to this Cedar be removed into the Sea and it should be so Why the Lord can make poor Creatures to do that which is impossible for sense and reason to think may be done Oh what is it that the Lord can't do There is no Oake there is no Cedar so strong and so tall and so deeply rooted but the Lord can say Be thou removed be thou plucked up by the Roots There is no Tree so barren there is no Soul grows in such a barren Soyl but the Lord can say Be thou plucked up and be thou rooted in that fruitful Soyl. Oh that the Lord would make the hearts of men willing to be pluckt up by the Roots from that rooting which they have in sin or which they have in themselves that so they may be planted in a better soyl and rooted in the Lord Jesus Do but remember this that you may see what a necessity there is that every man should seek after their planting in Christ Why so long as you are out of Christ you are wild Trees so long as you are out of Christ you bring forth no fruit you bring forth no good fruit Our Saviour makes it an impossible thing in Mat. 7. 17. Even so every good Tree bringeth forth good fruit but a corrupt Tree bringeth forth evil fruit It 's impossible that ever the fruit should be good so long as the Tree is evil Now so long as a Man is out of Christ he is an evil Tree he is a wild Tree a Tree of the Wood a Tree of the Forest not a Tree of the Garden Oh that men would be made good that their Trees might bring forth good fruit Truly it 's in vain to teach men to bring forth good fruit until such time as the Tree be made good If the Tree were made good and ingrafted into Christ it 's impossible that that good Tree should bring forth evil fruit Oh know you that have Interest in Christ that all the fruit that you bring forth out of Christ is lost I say Men and Women they lose all their fruit It 's such as the Lord can't accept of such as the Lord doth not delight in The Lord could not endure that fruit that Israel brought forth in the first of Isaiah they were a burden to him their fruit he was weary of they and all the fruit that they brought forth to God were cast out What a pitiful thing is it that a man should lose all his fruit all his Labour and all his pains Yea truly till a man be in Christ all is lost You know the young man in the Gospel that came to Christ he had a great deal of good Moral fruit he had kept all the Commandments he said from his youth and yet all that fruit was lost it withered and fell off before it was ripe it rotted and perished it was never gathered by Christ his Soul did never eat of it it was no delight to him And why because though the Tree had a great deal of seeming good fruit on it yet it was an evil Tree it was a wild Tree Nay Let men consider further what a fearful word was spoken against such wild Trees as bring forth no fruit to God or such fruit as is sowre as his Soul can have no pleasure nor delight in it was a dreadful Word spoken by Daniel which was spoken concerning the great Tree see Dan. 4. 14. Hew down the Tree and cut off the Branches and scatter the Leaves and the fruit Why this was spoken of the mighty Tree which reached up to Heaven a Tree that did fill the whole Earth with its outward Glory and yet of this very Tree God said Hew it down and it was hewn down Oh that men would remember there is no outward priviledge that can exempt a man from the stroak of the Lord. He can breath upon the tallest Cedars and the greatest Oaks if the Lord blow upon them they shall wither as the Grass in the Field Now is the Ax laid to the root of the Tree saith John the Baptist in Mat. 3. 10. Therefore every Tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the Fire Now that the Gospel is preached now that Christ himself is come to offer terms of peace unto him now that God from Heaven hath declared his willingness to pluck men out of the cursed Soyl of Nature and to implant them into his Son now now if men submit not unto Christ if they continue obstinate hew them down and make them fewel for unquenchable Fire Oh now see then how it concerns every man to seek to be implanted into Christ It 's not a leaning upon Christ that will serve mens turns but there must be a planting into Christ a rooting in Christ the Apricock doth lean upon the wall but it 's not rooted into the wall it hath not its life from the wall but it 's rooted in the Ground And so many a poor creature may pretend he is leaning upon Christ and in the mean time he is rooted in the World in his filthiness in his base
lusts and corruptions this man is not rooted into Christ So much to that first Similitude Thus you see that the Sons of men are compared to the Trees in the Wood to the Trees in the Forest As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons The Son of God I shall speak but a Word to that he is compared unto the Apple-tree in the midst of the Trees in the Wood or of the Forest But why is the Son of God set forth here by the Apple-tree There are many Trees that are of more worth than the Apple-tree why not the Cedar and why not the Oak Why set forth here by the Apple-tree First of all Christ is set forth by the Apple-tree for the fruitfulness of this Tree It 's a fruit-bearing Tree it brings forth abundance of useful fruit and therefore Christ is usually set forth by this Tree rather than others It 's a very fit Simile to set forth Christ by the Apple-tree Christ was a fruit-bearing Tree Oh what abundance of pleasant delightful fruit did Jesus Christ bring forth Such as did rejoyce the Soul of God his Father and of men and Angels He was fruitful all his days he continually brought forth fruit all the time of his being upon Earth all the time that he was planted by the Father in the Nursery here in this world He was fruitful even upon his first planting here he made it his meat and his drink to do the will of his Father He was never well but when he was bearing some fruit The fruit that Christ bare when he was upon Earth it shall last to Eternity It 's that which the Saints shall feed upon for ever and ever The fruit that the Apple-tree bears it 's both an Ornament to it self and it 's exceeding beautiful and beneficial unto others and therefore still fit is it to set forth this Simile for it 's a fruit-bearing Tree a beautiful sight a delightful sight The Lord Jesus he was laden with fruit every Branch and every Bough full of fruit It 's said We saw his Glory as the Glory of the only begotten Son full of Grace and truth So Christ he is full of Grace and Truth and this is the Glory of the only begotten Son being full of Grace and full of Truth And then he is of benefit to others The fruit of this Tree is exceeding beneficial to others How many are fed and nourished and refreshed by the fruit of the Apple-tree It 's a Tree that man could not spare of all the Trees that God hath planted The fruit this Tree brings forth it serves both for Meat and Drink it will both satisfie the Appetite and quench the thirst also which many other fruits will not do Thus still this holds forth Christ who is compleat nourishment to his people he is meat indeed and he is drink indeed he satisfies the hungry Soul with good things he quenches the thirst of the poor dry and parched Soul There is a drink that is made of Apples which is very useful we know for the quenching of thirst for the allaying of heat Such is that refreshment that Christ gives out unto his people he is content that his very heart blood should be squeezed out that so his people might drink of it that they might be refreshed cooled and revived that all the heat of his Fathers wrath might be allayed in them This is the will of Christ this is a Similitude that Christ is held forth by like unto an Apple-Tree 2. Then Secondly For the shadow that this Tree casts that also is held forth in the Text I sat under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste There are some Trees that bear fruit but cast no great shadow other Trees cast a shadow that bear no fruit that is desirable Ay but both these meet in Christ he is as the Apple-tree that brings forth fruit and also casts a comfortable shadow This makes the fruit more delightful when a man can stand under the shadow and gather the fruit of the Tree it makes the fruit exceeding pleasant to him he is not scorched with the Sun whilst he gathers it Oh there is a sweet shadow a sweet comfortable and refreshing shadow which the Lord Jesus doth cast over his people whilst they pluck that fruit and eat of that fruit which grows upon him But then 3. Again Thirdly His fruit is commended for the Smell of it in Cant. 7. 8. Now also thy Breasts shall be as a cluster of the Vine and the smell of thy Nose like Apples That is that very breath that comes from thee all thy breathings they are sweet and comfortable they have a sweet savour in them thy breathings after God and Christ they are full of Grace and they are full of holiness The Smell it 's like the smell of Apples There are some Apples that are of a very fragrant smell as your Pomecitrons and others and some have thought them to be the Apples here meant in the Text and this doth well set forth the Lord Jesus for that sweet and fragrant smell that he sends forth Oh what a sweet savour was he unto God! And what a sweet savour is he unto man It 's said he offered himself a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour unto God He carried his sacrifice as his fruit and it was a sweet smelling savour unto God And so Christ is a sweet smelling savour unto man also where there is any thing of Christ in a Creature it makes that Creature sweet where there is any thing of Christ in an Ordinance it makes that Ordinance smell sweet where there is any thing of Christ in a duty it makes that duty smell sweet Because of the sweet savour of thine Oyntment it 's therefore the Virgins follow thee It 's Christ that makes the Gospel of a sweet savour Christ in a person or Christ in an Ordinance or Christ in any condition makes that thing sweet 4. And again Fourthly This Tree it 's a Common Tree and therefore Christ would rather be resembled by this Tree than by any others which are not so common and are not so useful There is almost no part in the World but hath some kind of Apple-trees It 's a fruit more common than many others that even the poorest may eat of it And therefore the Lord Jesus he may be resembled by this Tree to hold forth that he is a common saviour that he is free for all poor creatures to come unto he is the Apple-tree in all parts of the World that men in all places might come in and feed upon him and be satisfied And therefore he is said to be A Fountain set open in Zech. 13. A Fountain set open it shall not be sealed up but a Fountain set open The Gospel tenders Christ freely and in that respect is Christ compared to A fountain set open He is also compared here to an Apple-tree
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
ground he brought of the fruit of the ground and presented it as an offering unto the Lord and now if Cain brought the fruit of the ground should not you bring the fruit of the Tree The Lord hath given you all the fruit of the Tree to eat of Oh bring of the fruit of the Tree as a Sacrifice that the Lord hath given you so freely to eat of know that all your mercies come from this Tree and therefore look that all your mercies liberties and comforts grow upon this Tree Oh then acknowledge Christ in all and say with David O Lord all things come of thee and of thine own have I given thee So go and return all these mercies to Christ if thou hast any thing that is good say Lord this grew upon thy Tree and I am beholding to Christ for it if thou hast any grace any strength any ability any opportunity to do for God to serve thy Generation say Blessed be Christ for it it 's none of my fruit but it 's Christs fruit this strength and that grace it grew upon that Tree I bless the Lord for it Oh be taken up with admiration with holy admiration there is a world of precious fruit that grows upon Christ you have heard but a little of it oh be taken up with admiration continually be taken up with thanksgiving and acknowledgement give all back again to Christ and by that little that little sight of the goodness and the little taste of the sweetness that the Lord now gives you of the Tree of life rise higher do not rest here but be rising higher and higher and say Oh Lord if the fruit be so sweet what 's the Tree it self How excellent and glorious is the Lord Jesus Christ the Tree of life from whence such precious fruit doth grow Rest not upon any thing but Christ and be still ascending higher and higher and say Lord if this fruit the fruit that I now taste be so sweet what is the fruit that I shall taste of in heaven If I taste of the fruit of the lowest boughs and they be so sweet what is the fruit that grows upon the top branches which is reserved for the Saints to pluck and to eat of when they shall come unto heaven And thus I have given you in part to see the meaning of these words and how usefully they may be enlarged in your own Meditation and remember the Text it 's worthy you should spend many thoughts upon it 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 SERMON I. MATT. 18. 21 22. Then Peter came to him and said Lord how oft shall my Brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven times Jesus saith unto him I say not unto thee until seven times but until seventy times seven HEre is Peter's Question unto Christ about the Forgiving of Offences and Christs Answer unto Peter's Question you must know that the Question and so the Answer relates unto particular offences personal offences such wrongs and injuries as are done by one man unto another As for those which are more immediately against God and more publick Christ doth give another rule in this Chapter but this I say is concerning personal offences or wrongs which are done by one man unto another How often shall my Brother sin against me and I forgive It is true every such offence is a sin against God and so far as it is a sin against God there is no man can forgive the Lord only can forgive sin he against whom the sin is committed but now there is an offence or wrong which is done against man and so far as the offence is against man man may forgive man cannot forgive Gods part but so far as the offence is against man man may forgive it nay Christians ought to forgive it so far to forgive it as not to seek any revenge for the wrong done How often shall my Brother sin or offend against me By Brother here we are to understand any relation any friend any neighbour any man that we have to do with if that he hath done any wrong or any offence he 's comprehended under this relation of a Brother any man for we are all Brethren How often shall my Brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven times there is Peter's Limitation he seems to give an answer to himself for it comes short of the answer of Christ Shall I forgive him so often saies Peter Lord what shall I forgive him seven times It seems to be hard to forgive a brother seven times but see how Christs answer doth exceed Peter's Christ will have no such bounds set as seven times I say not unto thee till seven times but until seventy times seven As if Christ should say Wherefore dost thou say seven times to set the bounds of thy forgiveness seven times to thy brother I 'le have no such bounds given you think it a great matter to forgive seven times I say unto you That it is the Will of my Father that you forgive until seventy times seven a certain number for an uncertain seventy times seven that is I will have you to multiply forgiveness not that Christ himself doth set bounds to seventy times seven that they should proceed so far and no further but I will have you to forgive very often nay as often as thy brother doth offend not seven times but I say seventy times seven That which I shall observe at this time is this Doct. How far the thoughts of the Lord and the waies of the Lord are beyond our waies and our thoughts in this matter of forgiveness Peter thought seven times for a man to forgive an offending brother was a great matter but seventy times seven was not enough and know that what the Lord Christ doth here give in as a duty unto Peter and to all the Disciples that the Lord Jesus himself doth assert as his prerogative in the matters of forgiveness in the matter of forgiving offences and transgressions The Lords thoughts and the Lords waies are infinitely above ours This truth I shall handle at this time to make way for that main Doctrine of the Text which is the Doctrine of Forgiveness forgiving Offences Now that the Lords thoughts and the Lords waies are so far above ours it is clear from Scripture Isa 55. 7 8 9. see it was in the matter of forgiveness this is spoken Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy and to our God for he will abundantly pardon For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your waies my waies saith the Lord for as the Heavens are higher than the Earth so are my waies higher than your waies and my thoughts than your thoughts Though you cannot think that
I should multiply pardon you think seven times hard but the Lord can multiply unto seventy times seven the Lords waies are not as your waies nor his thoughts as yours for his thoughts are above your thoughts as the heavens are above the earth now this shews us how far short we do imitate the Lord in forgiving others For 1. First of all The Lord when he forgives he forgives those that are enemies this will advance the exceeding riches of the Lords grace I say the Lord when he forgives he forgives enemies for so is every man by nature neither can any man lay down that enmity that is in the heart till such time as the Lord Christ brings home a pardon that is the first work and the ground of all that the Lord doth for a soul and of what it doth for him I will be merciful to their unrighteousnesses and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more Now how far are the thoughts and waies of the Lord above our thoughts and waies in this matter of forgiveness Christ he forgives enemies he brings home forgiving mercy unto enemies and reconciles the enmity that is in their hearts But oh how far come we short we are so far from forgiving enemies as we can scarce forgive friends hard to forgive a brother a dear and near relation Oh how far do we come short of Christ in that Secondly The Lord when he forgives offences and transgressions to a poor soul he forgives freely and the freeness of the Lords forgiveness will appear in these particulars 1. First In that the Lord is alwaies ready to forgive there is a propensity in the heart of the Lord to pardon poor sinners that come in to him he is ready to it God is never unready it discovers the freeness of the Lord in this work the Psalmist speaks of the Lord in Psal 86. 5. For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy to all them that call upon him Of tender mercies God is never unready for this work alwaies ready ready to forgive the heart of God is never out of tune never out of frame for this work never unready for this work alwaies ready to forgive but oh how far are the waies of the Lord above our waies for this and his thoughts above our thoughts Where is the man or where is the woman whose heart is ready to forgive whose heart is never out of tune never out of frame for this work of forgiving wrongs injuries and offences unto them that they do commit them The Lord he is ready to forgive It may be at last a man may be drawn off to forgive a man when friends have dealt with him when he hath been urging it on his own heart to be his duty when he hath taken pains with his own soul and brought the Word home to his soul and hath smarted for this unreadiness to forgive but oh where is the man or woman that looks unto God whose heart is never out of tune but alway ready to forgive 2. Secondly The freeness of the Lords forgiveness appears thus In that he is not only ready to forgive but he forgives at the desire of the poor creature no sooner doth a poor creature express his desire but the Lord is ready to express his willingness set forth in the Parable of the wicked Servant in Mat. 18. 32. I forgave thee because thou desiredst me not that this his desire was the cause of forgiveness but it exprest the readiness of the Lord at his desire to come in and to manifest pardon unto him Now I pray let us consider how far the thoughts of the Lord and the waies of the Lord in this particular are above ours for the Lord forgives that which is desired but oh where is the man almost that can so easily forgive at the desire of him that offends hardly brought off although the party offending doth desire it although friends have desired him and relations have desired him and God hath desired him and Christ hath desired him yet how hardly are they brought off to this work 3. Again Thirdly The Lord forgives freely it appears thus He doth forgive upon the confession of his people he is ready to manifest his pardoning and forgiving love 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins And hereby I say it appears that he forgives freely in that he forgives upon the very confession of his people though not for confession and not for desire as I said before but yet in this way the Lord is pleased to manifest forgiveness no sooner doth the poor soul confess but he presently forgives I have sinned saies David The Lord hath done away thy sin saies the Prophet presently that is the next word Now how far is the way of the Lord above ours Where is the man that is ready to forgive upon a confession Yea although there be an acknowledgement of the wrong done yet how hard a matter is it for a poor creature to pass by that wrong Thus how much are we unlike to God 4. Fourthly Nay further the freeness of Gods forgiving mercy appears in this He doth forgive presently as soon as his people look towards him he doth not make long delay about the business he doth not stand to consider whether he shall forgive such offences or no but presently gives out pardon I have sinned saies David and in the next words The Lord hath done away thine iniquity Now how far is the way of the Lord above us in this Where is the man or woman that can find in their heart to forgive presently the wrong or injury done Oh there must be a great deal of do to bring off the heart to this work to forgive It may be in length of time mens hearts may be perswaded through a long time they may forgive and forget but oh where is the working of grace to bring off the hearts of men to forgive presently truly in this we come far short of God and the way and thoughts of God 5. Fifthly Nay further The freeness of God in forgiving a poor sinner appears in this He doth prevent poor sinful creatures with pardoning mercy Even before they do desire he prevents their desire their supplication for mercy he brings in a pardon to a poor soul before it hath made any real acknowledgement of its offence I said I will confess my sin unto the Lord Psal 32. 5. And thou forgavest me the iniquity of my sin David did but say it in his heart he had but such a thought such a purpose in his soul well I will return unto the Lord and I will confess And before David could do it the Lord he prevents him he prevents him with mercy And so another Instance you have of the Prodigal in Luk. 15. He said he would go to his Father and make his confession at the 18 Verse I will arise and
Shimei's head might not go in peace to the Grave You see then that the point is made good that the thoughts of the Lord and the waies of the Lord in the matter of forgiveness are far above the thoughts and the waies of man Peter thinks seven times to be a great matter but Christ saies not seven times but seventy times seven A word for Application in brief to shut up all 1. Vse Here is incouragement for poor sinners to come in to Christ there is mercy and forgiveness with him that he may be feared and the thoughts and waies of the Lord in this particular they are as far above your thoughts and waies as the heavens are above the earth and oh what a wide open door is here That the Lord would perswade some poor guilty soul to come in to Christ by this door of mercy forgiveness and plenteous redemption though you have been enemies and though your hearts be still filled with enmity against God yet know that the Lord is able to forgive enemies and though you have nothing in the world to procure your acceptance you can do nothing that should commend you to God yet know that the Lord he forgives freely and though your transgressions have been multiplied though very many though very great though you have made the Lord to serve with your sins and wearied him with your iniquities yet he is able to blot them out freely for his own name sake Oh then that the Lord would perswade your hearts to come and to submit to Christ and not to go on in the way of rebellion and take hold of that great propitiatory sacrifice and then you shall know that the Lord forgives for he forgives you cordially and sincerely he doth so forgive your transgressions as he will never remember them more 2. Vse And it speaks a word of comfort and refreshment unto such poor souls as are in dark and sad conditions some poor souls that have look'd to Christ for righteousness and yet are found sitting in darkness and oppressed with the weight of sin and becaus it may be when you look into your own hearts you find they are very narrow when you are put upon this work of forgiving another you are hardly brought off to it and certainly the Lord may for this withdraw himself Oh know you have sinned after profession and you have sinned much yea you have sinned much against light and that is that which cuts and makes great gashes but yet know that the Lord gave Commandment to Peter and his Disciples to forgive seventy times seven certainly that command which the Lord gave to man to forgive seventy times seven he will certainly forgive poor creatures though their sins be numberless This is not to spur on to sin this is no word to invite to sin but this word of forgiveness is to the end the Lord may be feared and admired for his great grace and take heed poor creatures you wrong not God of that which is his greatest glory It is the glory of a man to forgive seventy times seven and the oftner the more like unto God now do not rob God of his glory that infinite mercy which put him upon it to forgive seventy times seven say therefore as the Church did in Mic. 7. 18 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy he will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all our sins into the depth of the Sea You may look upon your transgressions nay you ought to look upon your sins nay and to lye low because of your provocations and abhorr your selves in dust and ashes you can never lye too low in the consideration of your own vileness none have sinned against so many aggravations and sinned against so much light and conviction when you have thus aggravated your sin do not rob God of his glory but say with the Prophet Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity that forgiveth great iniquities and many iniquities who forgives seventy times seven 3. Vse Lastly This should be matter of great humiliation that our thoughts and our waies are so beneath the thoughts and waies of God in the matter of forgiveness Peter thought it a great matter What to forgive seven times Peter's number is very short of Christs number Yet where is the man or woman that is come to Peter's number and yet Peter's number was short of Christs number Oh what cause have we to be humbled One of the Evangelists hath it If thy brother offend thee seven times in a day and say I repent thou shalt forgive him Oh how far are we from forgiving seven times in a day We are so far from forgiving seven offences in one day as we many times remember one offence seven daies nay seven years together Oh how unlike is this to Christ Oh let us therefore labour to walk up to the rule or else never profess our selves to be Christs Disciples And so much for this time SERMON II. MATT. 18. 21 22. Then Peter came to him and said Lord how oft shall my Brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven times Jesus saith unto him I say not unto thee until seven times but until seventy times seven I Made entrance before into these words Here is Peter's Question and Christs Answer concerning the forgiving of offences particular wrongs and personal injuries which are done to any man or woman Peter propounds the Question and seems to forestall Christs Answer by giving an Answer to it himself which Christ did not approve of But I proceed to the main Doctrin which is this Doct. That the often forgiving of wrongs and injuries is a duty which Christ commends unto and commands all his Disciples to follow I say until seventy times seven 1. First I shall clear this Point to you from Scripture and shew you from the word of the Lord That this is a duty that is incumbent upon all that profess themselves to be Christs Disciples 2. Secondly I shall hold forth unto you divers Examples of worthy and gracious men who have practised this Duty 3. Thirdly And then shew you upon what ground Christ doth commend and command this Duty 1. First Look into the Proverbs of Solomon where Wisdom speaks which is Christ Prov. 24. 29. Say not I will do so to him as he hath done unto me I will render unto a man according unto his works Mark here is the Counsel Wisdom gives unto all her Children Say not I will do so to him as he hath done unto me Do not say I will be revenged of him for the wrong he hath done to me do not say I will give to him as good as he brings I will recompence him according to his work say not so no Christ will tell
so his Disciples they may have room to act their Graces and do some singular thing for the Lord in the fifth of Matthew when Christ put them upon this Duty there saies Christ What singular thing do you if you love them that love you what great matter is that The Publicans do the same the very Heathen do the same Ye wish good and do good to them that do the like to you that is no great matter But what singular thing do you Christ would have all his Disciples to do something more than the World doth and he is a Monster amongst men that will not do good when he can when good is done unto him But Christ he would have his Disciples his people do some singular good thing for him The Lord hath ordered it that they shall meet with wrongs and injuries more than any people in the World for the trial of their Graces Offences must come there is need of them great necessity there should be offences in this sense that wrongs and injuries should be done that the Lord by this might try and exercise the Graces of his people there would be else no room for the trial and exercise or at least not so much for the trial and exercise of love meekness patience forbearance long-suffering forgiving and forbearing one another If there were not wrongs and injuries there would be no room for the exercise of these Graces Christ would have his people put upon it to do some singular thing As many a man or woman will say Well let me alone as I am and I am as quiet as any man living do not disturb me or do not wrong me and you shall live as peaceably and as quiet as any people in the World Ay here 's good Neighbourhood but this savours not of Grace Christ would teach his people to do something singular the World saies Ye shall have blow for blow and wrong for wrong and injury for injury but let them alone and you shall be quiet here 's no more than the wild beasts in the Wilderness will here do is no trial of Grace where is your love your meekness your patience your long-suffering The Lord would have his people in the exercise of Grace to do something more than the World Object But you will say May not a natural man do this that hath meer nature quiet nature pass by wrongs and injuries and not render reviling for reviling and wrong for wrong Answ I Answer Yes There is many a man will go a great way in this that hath but good nature But oh what a shame is this to them that profess to have more than nature Will not this be a shame and condemnation to those that profess more than good nature that they who have but good nature may exceed them And truly that we may be ashamed of our neglect and provoked unto our Duty I shall give you but two or three Instances of what men have done by good nature And oh that the Lord would fasten something upon us either by what good men or bad men have done Amongst the Heathen Writers it is written of that Sect of Philosophers that were called Pythagoras his Scholars there was this Rule amongst them That when any offence was given by one to the other the Parties offending and offended should agree together and make up the breach before the Sun set whatever the injury and wrong was and now we let many a Sun set and not shake hands and close hearts There is another Instance amongst the Heathens which is very remarkable of a Governour and an excellent Governour Upon a time there was one of the chief Ring-leaders that struck at this Governour and struck out his eye and he though but a Heathen was so far from being revenged of him as he takes this offender and receives him into his Family And oh that this Heathenish man should thus forgive him that had put out his eye and yet we cannot forgive one that gives a blemish to our Name There is another Instance you have in Scripture and that is Esau Jacob's Brother Jacob supplanted him took him at an advantage and got away the birth-right and stole the blessing from him and although his offences were very great and did stir up his passion against his brother insomuch as Jacob was forced to flee from his presence yet afterward how freely doth Esau put up all the wrongs and injuries done unto him and how friendly doth he carry it towards him Oh! how will Esau condemn many that profess to be the seed of Jacob Shall Esau forgive such wrongs and injuries as to have his Birth-right and the blessing taken from him and yet we that are the seed of Jacob cannot put up the least petty wrong and injury But I should shew you the difference betwixt the natural mans forgiveness and the spiritual mans and several cases of Conscience which I shall reserve for a further opportunity SERMON III. MATT. 18. 21 22. Then Peter came to him and said Lord how oft shall my Brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven times Jesus saith unto him I say not unto thee until seven times but until seventy times seven THere were two Doctrins raised from the Words the first was this 1. Doct. That the thoughts of the Lord and the waies of the Lord in this matter of Forgiving Offences are far above the thoughts and the waies of man as far above ours as the Heavens are above the Earth The second was this 2. Doct. That the often Forgiving Offences is a Duty which Christ Commends unto and Commands all his Disciples to follow I made it clear from Scripture both by Precept and Example of holy men of old who have desired to walk up to this Command of the Lord. But to proceed to the Answering some Objections concerning this point It may be Queried Quest First of all How comes it to pass that meer natural men may go so far as to out-strip many Christians in this particular in the passing by of wrongs and injuries Answ I Answer First of all There are some natural men walk up to their principles though there are no natural men in all things walk up to their light yet there are some natural men walk up to their principles and it is true a Christian hath a more excellent principle than the natural man which would carry him out if well improved far beyond all the actings of natural men Ay but when a Christian doth not improve his principle when he doth not walk up according to what the Lord hath given him and the natural man doth improve his principle and walk up unto it the natural man the meer natural man may be a shame unto some Christians A man that hath a principle of reason he hath a more noble principle than a principle of sense yet if the principle of reason lie hid and be clouded it is possible that he may then act beneath a
there is no danger in striving to be eminent in grace in striving to get nearer to God and to walk close with God this is the very glory of Heaven it 's worth the seeking after My Brethren press hard to get more nigh to God to stick close to God it 's the glory of heaven heaven differs only in degrees from that which is given out to the Saints here it 's the same in essence it 's the glory of heaven to know God to enjoy God to walk with God To follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes it 's the glory of heaven and therefore I beseech you that you would now look upon it as your glory to follow God fully as your glory to follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes 2. Vse In the second place It may be a word of incouragement unto poor Christians weak Christians you that are sensible you are not the Enochs of your Generation Oh the distance that is in your spirits you see betwixt God and you Are you pressing on after God why then let me say to you That you have the same for essence that the best of the Saints have though you have not the same in degree I say you that have the least interest in Christ you have the same for essence which the best Saints on earth have and the same which the spirits of just men made perfect in heaven have the difference is only in degrees it 's not in kind and therefore press on hard that you may have more of it It 's not impossible that you should come to the same height with them because the difference is only in degrees it 's not in kind It 's true where there is nothing but gifts and parts there the difference is in kind If a man hath the most excellent parts in the world he can never attain unto that which a Christian hath parts can never attain unto grace but the least measure of grace may grow up to the greatest in time for the difference is only in degree The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a grain of Mustard seed why a grain of Mustard seed when it 's sown you know how little it is but it grows up to a great height where there is rooting in Christ where there is a principle of grace in any soul there shall be a growth and that soul shall never leave growing till it grow higher and higher as tall as heaven it self and there it hath its full growth and its full perfection But let me tell you that say you shall never be eminent in your Generation let me say thus to you You have the same Mediator that the chiefest of the Saints have even you that are weakest all they have comes through his hand and it 's for his sake you have the same Mediator that they have Oh why do you not improve this Mediator more that more may be given out through him If you were more in improving and more in waiting upon him seeing you have the same Mediator you shall have the same welcom in heaven with the most choice of Saints you have the same Fountain to go unto and therefore do not say you shall never be eminent in your Generation you have the same fountain All we from his fulness receive grace for grace the choicest have nothing but what they receive from Christ and his fulness and the same fountain is as full for you as for them nay there is the same freedom of access for you as for them there 's the same freeness in Christ to be given out to you it 's a fountain set open set open for Judas and for Jerusalem it 's set open for the weakest that they may come and drink and be cheared in their spirits nay let me tell you that the heart of Christ is more careful of you than of others the heart of Christ is most careful of his weak ones Oh what provision doth he make for them Simon Peter dost thou love me why then keep my Lambs if thou lovest me Peter by all the love thou bearest to me then take care of my weak ones Feed my Lambs and he takes care himself great care in Isa 40. 11 12. it 's said there what Christ the good Shepherd shall do that He shall gather the Lambs with his arms and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young there is the special care that Christ takes of you that are weak Nay Further for your incouragement let me tell you that there is the same blessing upon you that is upon the strongest of those Saints that God hath upon the earth therefore there is way made for your growth and increase when God makes the new creature when ever he brings forth the new creature he blesses it as when he created the World he gave it his blessing Increase and Multiply and so to the Trees Be fruitful and so where ever the new creature is there is the special blessing of the Creator goes along with it he saith to them all Be fruitful and multiply be fruitful in old age and in Rev. 22. 11. Let him that is holy be holy still there 's a blessing upon every righteous holy man though never so weak let him be holy still oh let him be more holy let him increase in holiness and righteousness there 's the blessing of Christ in the New Testament oh wait and look for this blessing and know that the blessing of Christ is prevalent the Curse of Christ is heavy it made the Figg-tree die to the very root wither to the very roots but the blessing of Christ can make roots that are withered to spring up and flourish But again to say no more for your incouragement Consider what promises the Lord hath made to the weak to those that are weak of strength which promises are in a special manner to be accomplished in the latter daies as in Zach. 12. 8. In that day shall the Lord defend the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God as the Angel of the Lord before them Zachariah saith that there 's a time a coming that the weak and feeble shall be as David and they who are as David shall be as the Angel of the Lord. David I told you was a choice man in his Generation he was a man after Gods own heart that walked with God most part of his life he was strong to do great things for God now he that is weak shall be as David and he that is as David shall be made strong as the Angel of the Lord. When you are in the midst of the sense of your weakness look upon these promises and desire the Lord that he would hasten the accomplishment of them Well then I beseech you suffer me to press this upon you that you would labour to get as nigh God as possible you may get
wicked in the world to respect them John that was a burning and shining light John Baptist how did God make even Herod himself to respect him Even the wicked of the world are convinced by them and God doth inforce the world to approve of them to approve of the way they walk in and to approve of their Integrity There 's a promise in Rev. 2. to the Church of Philadelphia that God would make their very enemies to come and worship before them and to acknowledge that God hath loved them there is such a lustre upon them upon their spirits and lives and carriages when they walk close with God that the men of the world are forc'd to confess as of Christ Never man spake as this man and certainly these men are gracious men what ever the world thinks of them and oh that there were no worse and that I might die the righteous mans death that my latter end may be as his they are thus convinced by that lustre that is upon them or at least God makes the world to fear them they are a dread unto the world Abraham was mightily feared by Abimelech and Abimelech feared him and sent to make a Covenant with him in Gen. 1. 22. he sent his great Captain to make a Covenant with Abraham and why Because they perceived that God was with him and God prospered him and therefore they are afraid that Abraham should be their enemy though they were strangers to God yet the fear of his people the fear of Abraham fell upon them what a dread is many a godly man unto the wicked their very conversations do convince them the stirrings of God the appearances of God in them do convince them and therefore they cry out many times of them as the Devils did of Jesus of Nazareth Why art thou come to torment us So a man that walks close with God is even a torment upon them the fear and dread of them fall upon their enemies that 's another honour that God puts upon those that walk closely with him 9. Ninthly Again To such as walk closely with God there 's an abundant entrance for them into the Kingdom of God I say such shall meet with an abundance of entrance into the Kingdom of God so saies the Apostle in 2 Pet. 1. 11. He bids them there Give all diligence to make their calling and election sure be not idle do not stand at a stay press on For so there shall be an entrance made an abundant entrance shall be ministred unto you into the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ All Gods people do not meet with this abundant entrance there are some that creep in at the narrow gate some sail to Heaven with quarter wind others go with full sails of Assurance Now this seems to be promised to those that walk most closely with God that give all diligence to wait upon God and all diligence to increase in knowledge and grace full sails of Assurance and an abundant entrance shall be ministred unto them into the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ But again 10 Tenthly In the last place Such as walk with God God makes their memorial to be sweet the memory of the just shall be sweet when they are dead and gone their names shall not rot they shall be Embalmed God will have them to be remembred unto many Generations Abel though dead he is yet remembred God will take care that his Saints shall be remembred Enoch walked with God and though he was cut off yet Enoch must be remembred though it were many hundred years before Moses yet God would have Moses to write it twice Enoch walked with God Now God will have the very men in the world to honour their Names when they are dead and gone the Prophets many of them were cut off by the wicked Jews but God caused their names to be precious when they were gone and the Scribes and Pharisees as wicked as they were yet notwithstanding they honoured the name of a Prophet and your Fathers killed the Prophets though odious whilst they lived though cut off as Christ himself was and thought not worthy to live on the face of the Earth yet their Names are precious and in memory and thus you see that the Lord takes special notice of such of his Servants as walk most closely with him he knows that the Devil takes special notice of them and therefore he 'll take notice of them he knows that the world takes special notice of them to envy them the spight of the world is against them and therefore God will take them into special favour with himself there are none so hated none so maligned as those that walk most close with God there is no such eye-sore to a carnal man as one that walks close with God Oh the light and glory of God that doth appear in such a Saint doth convince the men of the world and upbraids them shames them sets their Consciences on work convinces them at what distance they are from God and therefore it is that the world hates them there 's none that meets with more spight from the world than they and therefore the Lord takes special notice of such and there 's none that the Devil strikes more at than those that walk closest with God for they are like a light set upon a Hill and the Prince of the Air will endeavour to blow it out they are as Beacons set upon a Hill and the Devil knows that if he can throw them down there will fall many with them Hast thou considered my Servant Job hast thou set thy heart upon him I doubt not but thou hast considered him thou hast maligned him sought to cast him down from his station Simon Simon Satan has a desire to have you that he may winnow you but I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not of all others Satan desires to have Peter that he might winnow him Such as are most eminent the more eminent the more doth Satan desire to winnow them and therefore the Lord steps in I have prayed for them Christ steps in to plead for them in a special manner he takes care of them As the darts of the Devil are thrown principally at such so the Lord himself will be their Buckler and their defence Now Brethren from all that hath been spoken reflect upon it And oh that it may stir you up to endeavour to walk more close with God not only to walk with God but to walk with God as Enoch did it 's not enough to be gracious but what singular thing do you for God I know that this will make you vile in the eyes of the world but be you resolute in the waies of God It will be a blot to you in the eyes of the world but it will be an honour to you in the eyes of God who judges in truth and righteousness and therefore if the world spite you for this
he can never do too much for God when he hath done his utmost if he could do ten thousand times more he might say he is an unprofitable servant That 's the Eighth But again 9. Ninthly He that walks with God will use no unlawful means to deliver himself this is another part of his Character he uses no unlawful means to free himself though his liberty be at stake though his life be at stake he will not deliver himself by any unlawful course thus it was with Paul Paul might have delivered himself if he would have taken an unlawful course in Acts 24. it 's said there that Festus did expect to have received money from him in the latter end of the Chapter and if he would have given a Bribe he might have been delivered but he would not use such unlawful means for his deliverance to open a door for such an escape he would not give a Bribe to the corrupt Judge I say he would rather wait upon God for the opening a door that he may escape in every estate and low condition he remembers he that believes makes not too much hast he remembers it's good not to make too much hast he won't break Prison till God set him free till God shall open a door for his escape out of any afflicted or tempted condition that he is brought into That 's the Ninth 10. In the tenth and last place It is his desire to gain time to redeem time from the world and from his employments in the world that he may converse more with God and with his own heart I say it is his great desire his care to redeem time from the world that he may converse with God and converse with his own heart and therefore he is a good husband with time he husbands his time well that the great things of God may not be shut out he knows that they are of great concernment the things of God and the things of the world to come are of greatest concernment he is hastening to Eternity here 's no stay here here he is upon the bridge and going over to another world to Eternity and therefore it concerns him above all to look after the things of that Eternity he is alwaies best when he is with God he hath found sweetness with God he knows what it is to enjoy communion with God and because he hath been with Christ upon the Mount therefore he desires to go often thither sets the world apart that so he may converse with God that he may behold the face of Jesus Christ he knows how deceitful his own heart is that he had need search continually make a diligent search Oh there 's a depth of iniquity a depth of deceit that can hardly be found out Oh it will harbour some lust or other if diligent search be not made it 's to comply with an enemy and to harbour such an enemy that will seek the very destruction of the soul I say these things he hath known in part through grace of the great concernments and things of the world to come and the sweetness preciousness of that communion which the soul hath with Jesus Christ and therefore it is his daily care to husband his time as well as he may that he may gain time from the world and from the secular employments thereof and this is the last Character that I shall name of him that walks with God And so much shall serve for this time SERMON VI. GEN. 5. 24. And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him I Have given you part of the Character of one that walks with God Now I shall shew you what he is in his calling in his ordinary employment that God hath set him in for he walks with God in his calling as well as in those duties that do more immediately concern God 1. And first of all He looks upon his Calling that God hath set him in as an Ordinance of God I say he looks upon it as an Ordinance of God and therefore he submits unto it and endeavours to be faithful in it He knows it 's laid upon all men in Gen. 3. 19. In the sweat of thy brows thou shalt eat thy bread there are some bad drones that fortifie themselves against this Scripture and say this is only the Curse In the sweat of thy brows thou shalt eat thy bread but now the Curse is taken away by Christ for his people and therefore they ought to work no longer as the Lilies in the Field they neither sow nor reap but yet are cloathed but now he that walks with God looks upon that Scripture not only as a Curse but as a Commandment In the sweat of thy brows thou shalt eat thy bread it 's the Commandment of God and the Commandment holds though the Curse be taken away Man was enjoyned to labour in the state of Innocency when there was no Curse God made him and it 's said he put him into the Garden to dress it yea the very Angels Heb. 1. 14. Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth for the good of his Saints They all work they have all their employment there 's not one Angel in Heaven that is idle God himself is a pure Actor he is an active Spirit he is alwaies working so saies our Saviour My Father worketh hitherto and I work though he ceased from the works of Creation yet God hath been working ever since he worketh hitherto every day and I work So that he that walks with God looks upon his Calling as an Ordinance of God and sees the wisdom and goodness of God in it in appointing such a way for man there 's abundance of wisdom in it by this means wicked men are kept from being desperately wicked if there were no work no employment for them there would be a studying of wickedness a plotting and contriving of wickedness sin would become out of measure sinful it would break from all banks and bounds the whole earth would commit violence nay it 's good for Gods own people whilst they are in the world to have employment for by this means they are kept from many a snare and many a temptation they are freed from an idle man tempts the Devil the Devil tempts man and an idle man tempts the Devil unto those woful snares which others being employed are freed from a man that walks with God looks upon his Calling God hath set him in as an Ordinance of God But then again 2. Secondly He desires to do all the works of his Calling as unto God that 's another part of his walking with God in his Calling he desires to do all the works of his Calling as unto the Lord he knows that he hath to do with God yea even then when he is serving of man that he hath not only to do with God in the things of his worship not only when he comes before God in Ordinances and in duties when he
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
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
against the extream of a short life and a long uncomfortable Oh saies the soul I am pressing after the Lord and breathing after him and this is my fear I shall be cut off before his work be done in me Fear it not the Lord will not cut off the daies of his servants but in love if it be not for thy good it shall not come unto thee Old Simeon waited for the consolations of Israel he might have many discouragements what hopes had he to see Christ when he had one foot in the Grave And yet at last he saw Christ the hope of his Salvation But they may think if they should live they should live to decay in profession and to go backward Oh fear not I am perswaded neither things present nor things to come even old age shall separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus Though God do send for some of his servants it 's no argument that he don't love you though you live long Mathusalem lived nine hundred years the rest of the Patriarchs were holy men as well as others That 's a Ninth Vse 10. Tenthly This may teach to covet to desire to live much rather than to live long Oh labour to do much for God while ye live to do much for God in the service of your Generation What ever your hand finds to do do it with all your might labour to redeem time and take all seasons and all opportunities of getting nigher God Oh lose no opportunity lose no part of precious time A Heathen could say There 's no time past but there 's something is worth the writing let no part of your precious time be waste and nothing done time is short and therefore you had need live every part of time live every hour and live every moment rather covet to live much than long Oh labour for an eternal life this life is short in a moment God shortens the time of the best of his servants and therefore if this time be short oh labour for an eternal life and do what you do for God with all your might and with all your strength He is an unwise man that will protract time that will do that in a year which he might do in a day Oh covet much you have a pattern of the Lord Jesus Christ he lived not long on earth but he did much in a little time he wrought whilst it was day he knew the night was coming Christ did so and Satan doth so he knows his time is short and he bestirs himself he knows it must be now or never if Satan be thus wise for his Kingdom shall not we that profess our selves to be Christs be thus wise in the matters of his Kingdom Here is all the time you have to work in oh you have no more working daies work apace for God for in the end of the six daies of this life there 's a rest a coming there 's no work beyond the Grave either in heaven or in hell you that are Christs you shall not work after this life is at an end your rest comes then yea that 's the time of your sitting down this is the time of your walking not the time of your rest and seeing you have no more time to eternity to work in there 's no more working daies be content to work now be earnestly desirous to do all you can to lift up God and Christ and his Kingdom whilst you are on earth for what know you your time is short and what know you but that you may live even as Enoch whose life was but half the daies of the rest of the Patriarchs Thus I have shewn you at what time Enoch was taken at three hundred sixty and five years It remains further to enquire Wherefore did God take Enoch away and why he did take him away at that time and wherefore Enoch was taken in that extraordinary way both soul and body to Heaven SERMON XII GEN. 5. the latter end of the 24 Verse And he was not for God took him I Shewed you the last day at what time God took Enoch it was when he had not attained to half the years of the rest of that Generation God sometimes shortens the daies of his own servants in Love I answered an Objection the last day Object Is not long life promised as a blessing to the Saints Thou shalt come to thy Grave in a full age as a Shock of Corn in its season How is this promise made good when God takes away some of his people before they have attained to half their daies that they might have lived unto in the course of nature I answered in many things Answ 1. First That this is an Old Testament promise God walked then in a way of temporal promises more than now in this dispensation under the Gospel in which he gives out less temporals and more spirituals Besides I told you it was a conditional promise as in all the promises of outward good things that are made to Gods people the promises of health strength riches and honour and of long life they must be taken with this limitation so far as God in infinite wisdom shall see to be best for them so far shall he give out to them and therefore if God do take away any of his people at any time it is because God sees it best for them to be taken home to himself it is best for them to have a short time because that their daies are evil Man that is born of a woman saies Job is one of few daies and full of trouble and there is a mercy that both these go together few of daies and full of trouble Besides I answered That the promise is made good though God do take away some of his people whilst young yet the promise is made good they come to the Grave in full age because they come to the Grave full of grace he is not cut down before he is ripe they are not like the Corn on the house top that is burnt up before it is ripe but God can make them full of grace which is a full age and herein his promise is made good Besides his promise is made good because God makes them willing to leave the world when he calls for them the righteous man when God calls for him he saies as Elias said Lord it is enough if thou saiest it is enough that I have lived so long upon earth I will say so too Lord I have enough of living here I have enough of this world here 's nothing that is desirable or that may draw forth my affection to live longer if this be the determined time of God A wicked man hath never life enough though he liveth a hundred years twice told yet he is as greedy to live longer as at first but God satisfies the hearts of his servants in that they have lived long enough and their time is come and that satisfies them and thus
they have length of daies continued And besides God doth promise to his people a great restauration that is to be before the end of the world as the daies of a tree so shall the daies of my servants be and mine Elect they shall long enjoy the work of their hands it shall then be a mercy to live long when the new Jerusalem shall come down from heaven and when the Lamb shall be the light of it when Satan shall be bound and the Accuser of the Brethren cast out and wicked men put under when corruption shall be subdued then long life shall be a mercy But however I answer That if God do shorten our daies here and give us an Eternity in heaven we are no losers but God is as good as his word If a man promise you a Shilling and shall at that day give you a hundred or a thousand pounds he is not unfaithful but he is as good as his word and thus the Lord promised long life which is an eternity better than life here and wherein he fulfils his word It should and ought to be the desire of all to live much rather than to live long to live much in a little time thus did Christ he lived much he glorified the name of his Father in the time he lived he did much in a little time and thus it should be our care to do much for God in a little time and to lay hold of eternal life betimes because this life is momentany and vanishing the Devil takes his opportunity he works much knowing he hath but a little time because he knows his time is short therefore he works with all his might and plyes his work to deceive the Nations If he be so subtile for his Kingdom how wise ought we to be to promote the Kingdom of Christ Oh! whatsoever we find to do for God let us do it with all our might and with all our strength for thus hath Christ given us his Example I shall proceed to that which remains God took him I shewed you before Whither Enoch was taken He was taken up into Heaven he was not dissolved he died not as other men I proved it from the Epistle to the Hebrews that he was translated that he should not see death Quest But you will say Wherefore was Enoch thus translated Why was he not dissolved Why died he not as others Why translated that he should not see death Answ I answer First Because he was a remarkable Type of Jesus Christ I say he was a remarkable Type of Christ For 1. First He was matchless in his Generation There was none like him above all the men in the world Enoch walk'd most close with God in his time he was matchless and none like him and herein he waâ— a Type of Jesus Christ who was matchless in the world whilst he was in the world he was as the Apple-tree in the midst of the Trees in the Forest there was no guile found in his mouth he walked exactly with God when he was here upon earth there was no stumbling blocks no slips in the whole course of Jesus Christ But 2. Secondly Enoch was a Type of Christ in that God was so exceedingly well pleased with him He received this Testimony saies the Apostle in Heb. 11. 5. that he pleased God God was pleased with him and herein he was a notable Type of Christ the Father is pleased only in him Behold my servant whom I uphold saies he in Isa 42. 1. mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth he was infinitely well pleased with Christ the good pleasure of God towards Enoch it was but a drop of that love and that good pleasure which was poured out upon the head of Jesus Christ the Father was pleased with his Person infinitely pleased in his righteousness pleased in all that he did and pleased in his sufferings Isa 53. 10. It pleased the Father to bruise him he was pleased with all those that Christ represented he is pleased with the whole Family of Christ even with all that belong unto him in Heaven and Earth and that only for his sake it is said of him in Matth. 3. the latter end This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased So then my Brethren is there ever a soul that is seeking after the good pleasure of God the manifestation of the love of God unto it that is looking and waiting for some token of acceptance from heaven Would you be in the ready way unto it Then look unto the Lord even Jesus Christ of whom Enoch was a Type look unto him in his love all the love and all the good pleasure that is in the heart of God runs down through Jesus Christ unto poor creatures Oh run to Christ make hast to Christ throw down your selves at the Foot-stool of Christ and clasp about him by Faith and know that there is a plentiful Box of good pleasure and love broken upon the head of Christ by the Father that will run down unto every soul that sits under the skirt and shadow of Christ That 's a Second thing wherein Enoch was a Type of Christ 3. Thirdly Enoch was a Type of Christ as Christ was a Conqueror over Death and this was held forth in Enoch's translation He did not see Death Enoch did not see corruption as the bodies of others do and he was in this a Type of Jesus Christ that was the holy One of God that he should not see corruption he did not see corruption Enoch's conquest was but a Type of this conquest and victory of Jesus Christ that he got for his people over Death and the Grave and therefore you that desire not to be dismayed when Death comes when this enemy shall set upon you Oh that you would before-hand look unto the conquest and victory of Christ There is a time when this your enemy will meet you all in the Field Would you not be dismayed Would you be able to look Death in the face Then I beseech you before-hand live upon Faith in Christ upon the conquest of Christ upon the victory of Christ he hath broken the force of death taken away the sting of it he hath dismayed it Oh live upon the conquest that Christ hath made over death that so your hearts may not fail when you come to grapple with this last enemy which is Death Christ hath overcome Death gloriously and Enoch was but a Type of Christ and a shadow of it in his translation That 's the first wherefore Enoch was translated in an extraordinary way because he was an extraordinary Type of Christ 2. But Secondly Enoch was thus translated because Enoch whilst he lived exercised a special faith I say Enoch had a special Faith a most remarkable faith in some good and great deliverance that God would work for him either in Death or from Death He trusted God whilst he lived in victory over Death that Death should be conquered for him and
our bodies our lives for Christ if Christ call for them because there is a Resurrection of the body All that the Father hath given him it is the Will of the Father that he should raise them up at the last day It will be comfort to you when you come to lay your heads in the Grave at rest you shall not be in Prison for ever your bodies shall not lie in the dark Dungeon for ever No Christ hath taken away the horror of the Grave and he would not have you meditate horror there the Covenant of God you that are his people holds with your bodies where ever you are the Covenant of God laies hold upon your scattered bones the Covenant of God holds with their very bones and Christ will come to open those Prison doors the Apostle saies the whole Creation groans Rom. 8. 22. For we know that the whole Creation groaneth and travelleth in pain together until now waiting for that deliverance in that great day the day of Resurrection the very earth shall travel and it groans to bring forth even all those sons and daughters that have lain so long in the bowels of the earth even all that have been buried in the Earth and Sea it groans to be delivered of them and therefore what matter of comfort is this The Lord would have you assured of this That there shall be a Resurrection of your bodies he hath taught it in the Type whilst you have seen Enoch Enoch translated in the body and he hath given you a greater confirmation by Jesus Christ who is risen and sits at the right-hand of the Father he is the seminal Comforter therefore O ye Saints be ye comforted waiting for that day of Resurrection And so much for this time SERMON XIII GEN. 5. the latter end of the 24 Verse For God took him I Desire you with patience one hour longer then I hope through Gods assistance to finish that which I have been so long insisting upon from this Text. The last day we enquired wherefore God took Enoch in that extraordinary manner why was he translated that he should not see death I gave three Answers then I shall proceed to a further Answer to this Question Quest Wherefore Enoch was thus Translated that he should not see Death Answ It was That so the Lord might be a defence to that great Mysterie even in that Generation that he might give them a taste and so see of that wonderful good that God should work towards the end of the world when Christ shall come in his glory when the bodies of all the Saints that are alive shall be changed when they shall not see Death as Enoch was translated that he saw not death I say here God gave some first-fruits of that wonderful work that he should do for his people at his next coming when the Saints that are alive shall not die but shall all have their living upon the face of the Earth and be taken up as Enoch was and as Elias was even so shall they be taken up and lifted up to meet the Lord in the Air and here is a Mysterie which is more fully made known to us by our Lord Jesus since the coming of Christ in the flesh see what the Apostle speaks concerning this great mysterie of the change of those at Christs coming in 1 Cor. 15. 51. Behold I shew you a mysterie we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last Trump for the Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed Again the same Apostle doth plainly declare this mysterie to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 4. 15 16. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-Angel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. He doth reveal this mysterie in all the parts of it we that are alive shall not prevent them that sleep Christ shall first descend and the Trumpet shall blow and they shall be raised and then shall we be changed But you will say Doth not this cross other Scriptures Is it not said that it is appointed for all men once to die Why then doth the Apostle say We shall not all die we shall not all sleep I Answer First of all That this Word of the Lord is not crost though the Lord is pleased to mitigate the sentence there shall be a kind of death to the Saints that are then alive when Christ shall come they shall not die properly there shall not be a separation of body and soul yet there shall be a metaphorical death there shall be a change and so great a change even as death is the change of the Resurrection meeting together which certainly is very great and this cannot be without some fear and some horror which shall be even as the horror of death unto the Saints for though there shall be no harm they shall not be harmed when the first Trumpet shall blow no harm to the Saints all the woe shall be past but yet I say there may be a great deal of cause of fear of death for Christ shall first descend before they be changed and therefore there is room left for fear and horror the Text saies Christ shall first come with thousands and ten thousands of Angels and the Trump shall blow and the dead shall be raised and all this before those that are alive shall be changed and then saies he we that are alive shall be changed and be caught up even with them Now Brethren seeing God hath seen this needful that this mysterie should be revealed in all Ages therefore a glimpse of it must be given out to those Generations in which Enoch lived when he was taken up and so afterward the same was thought of Elias when he was taken up into Heaven The Lord hath seen it needful I say that this mysterie should be known and if it were needful for them then it is much more needful for us it is needful for us upon whom the ends of the earth are come that we should know this mysterie and that being in a continual expectation of the fulfilling of it it is needful both for the consolation and for the instruction of the Saints that this mysterie should be made known For their consolation Why the time is coming when Death shall be swallowed up when the Saints shall not die but they shall be changed this change is more desirable than death Gods people in all Ages have longed after it and therefore God
it makes a soul submissive unto Christ submissive to the Will of God in all things And then the life of Christ it empties of Self for it makes a man to condescend to those of low degree though never so high yet if the life of Christ be in them it makes them to look down unto the lowest degree and the life of Christ in the meanest and lowest Christian is very high and honourable in his esteem and as the life of Christ doth prevail in any heart so there will be all these operations as the life of Christ doth increase so the life of sin doth decrease and self will decrease and the soul is content with it and it rejoices abundantly that it should be so it saies of it self as John Baptist did when they told him that all men ran after Christ and he would have no Followers I am glad of it saies he that he may increase though I decrease and truly where the life of Christ is in a soul it will break forth into these Expressions Let Christ be all let me be nothing let me lie low at his foot-stool let me not be thought of when that day of Christs Exaltation shall be let him be exalted in the riches of his grace which he hath manifested unto poor creatures And thus you see what the life of Christ is in a soul so far as the life of Christ is in the heart so far will there be special operations in the soul towards Christ again But so much for this time SERMON II. PHILIP 1. 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain JEsus Christ is the Life of every Believer that 's the Point in hand He is the life of righteousness he it is that gave life unto all those that were dead dead under the Law though reprieved for a time He is also the life of Holiness to his people the beginnings of all grace and the encrease of all grace is from Christ there are shadows and carkasses of grace but there is no life until such time as Christ be found in the soul He is also the life of all the Believers Comforts they are no comforts till Christ be in them the best of his comforts even the very Ordinances of God are but a dead letter if the Spirit of Christ be not in them it is he that makes them to be life to come with power and efficacy He is also the life of Glory to a Believer He hath purchased Glory he hath made the way plain a new and living way he hath set the door wide open it 's he that takes all rubs out of the way It 's he that is the very Subject matter of Glory for it 's the presence of Jesus Christ in Heaven that is the greatest glory and comfort of Heaven I shewed how it may be known that Christ is the life of Believers in five Particulars 6. A Sixth Particular is Where the life of Christ is in any soul it makes that soul in some measure conformable to the life of Christ so far as the life of Christ doth prevail in a soul so far it makes the soul conformable to that life of Christ which he lived when he was upon earth it makes the soul desirous and willing to live to God it looks upon it as the great work and great end of Christs coming to lift up his Fathers Name to make God glorious before the eyes of the sons of men that 's the work that his servants have to do for him whilst they are here upon earth But more particularly 1. First If you look upon the life you shall find that the life of Christ is an active life it 's said of him That he went up and down doing good he was never well but when he was doing good he took opportunities and he sought opportunities he sought occasions of doing good to the bodies of men and to the souls of men I have meat to eat that you know not of it is my meat to do the will of my Father he was never well but when he was doing something by which he might glorifie God and edifie in love 2. Again Secondly If you look upon the life of Christ it was not only an active life but it was a passive submissive life it was a self-denying life He left all his glory in Heaven when he came to live here upon earth that he might live and die for the good of the sons of men though he was the son of the most high God yet he was pleased to condescend to the lowest of men he emptied himself and became of no reputation he was in the form of man but yet came in the form of a servant he emptied himself and became of no reputation that so he might glorifie his Father I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do it was a self-denying work Again 3. Thirdly It was a holy gracious life he conversed with sinners but he was the Lamb of God without spot he was numbered amongst the Transgressors but there was no guile found in his mouth he was gracious in the midst of a sinful world and therefore the Spouse stiles and resembles him to the Apple-tree in the midst of the Trees in the Forest in Cant. 2. 3. he was full of sweet gracious fruit even then when he was in the Forest when he was compassed about with wild Trees as Crab-trees Pricklingthorns Prickling-brambles even so was the Lord Jesus amongst such But the Lord was found in integrity he was not levened with corruption though he conversed with sinners yet he was no sinner the life of Christ was a gracious life even then when he was in the midst of sinners But again 4. Fourthly The life of Christ was full of patience and full of meekness he was very admirable in that patience and meekness which he exercised and expressed in his whole life he was not easily provoked for he endured alone all the contradictions of sinners and he was dumb even before the shearer he opened not his mouth he did not render evil for evil He came to his own and his own received him not What a provocation was there that his own should not receive him And Christ could not easily be provoked he bare with that people and though they would not receive him yet he spent his whole Ministry among them and he sent forth his Disciples to pluck them in if possible and gives them a charge that they should go to none else in Matth. 10. 5. Go not into the way of the Gentiles and into the City of the Samaritans enter ye not but rather go unto the lost Sheep of the house of Israel Though they sought to destroy him yet he endeavours to save them he bears with them But rather go to the lost Sheep of the house of Israel What forbearance was there in him In their ignorance he opened unto them those things which he spake in Parables to the world
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