than that he hath in himself and therefore he runs to Christ and cries unto him Oh Lord saies he here is an opportunity for me to express my love to thee in the forgiving such and such wrongs and injuries here is an opportunity for me to do some singular good thing for thee but I have no strength of my own and therefore he cries unto the Lord and waits upon the Lord for strength but as for the natural man he is as the Ship upon the Sands and beats and staves himself there But Answ 3. Again A natural man when he forgives wrongs and injuries he aims at himself as self is the beginning so self is the end he forgives indeed but it is not for Christs sake but for his own sake and oh it is a great deal that a man will do for himself for his own credit for his own reputation that he may be taken for a good man for a loving man for a peaceable man that he may not discover his nakedness for his own credit and name a man will do a great deal and so for his own ease and for his own peace that he may not be disturbed in his own spirit and he saies to render evil for evil will be an occasion of disturbance to his own spirit if he retains wrongs and injuries it will prejudice his health and bring down his strength and so for such ends a meer natural man may be brought to forgive But now a gracious heart when he forgives he eyes the Lord and does forgive for the Lords sake he eyes the honour of God and the glory of God that so he may do something for the lifting up of the name of God that truth may be well spoken of that God and his waies and Christ may be well spoken of that he may be lifted up in the world Answ 4. Again A natural man when he hath forgiven wrongs and injuries commonly he presently reflects upon himself and is lifted up because of what he hath done and this tends to the nourishing of pride in his heart and ruine of himself as Jehu said in another case Come and see my zeal for the Lord And so in this case of a natural man when he hath forgiven wrongs Come and see my meekness come and see my patience come and see my long-suffering there is no man would have passed by such a wrong as I have done and taken no revenge you shall have it oft repeated by himself and that 's an aggravation after he hath done it because he makes it his work to lift up himself But now a gracious heart acts contrary to this he reflects upon the Lord when he hath been inabled to forgive any wrong or injury he desires to give God the glory he is sensible that if the Lord had left him he had done as evilly as others at such a time my heart was boiling and rolling up and down and meditating revenge and the Lord was pleased to bring off my heart to this duty of forgiving wrongs and then gives glory unto the Lord and thus did David in 1 Sam. 25. whenas the Lord had sent Abigail and took off David from his purpose of revenging himself upon Nabal at the 32 33 Verses Oh how doth David give all the glory to God! and so he doth not take any thing to himself but acknowledge that the free Grace of God was in it and it was the hand of God that did keep him his heart was as prone as any other Oh blessed be God and blessed be the instrument that God sent to prevent me from revenging of my self Answ 5. Another difference is That a natural man many times may forgive but it is through length of time that he wears out the Impression of the wrong and injury that is done unto him But now a gracious heart doth not let nature alone to wear it out by length of time but it is desirous to set grace at work for the present silencing of that corruption which is boiling and stirring in the heart you know Esau's heart was filled with a great deal of revenge against Jacob yet when Jacob fled and kept out of his presence twenty years and more at last Esau begins to fall from that passion of anger and when he comes to his brother he falls upon his neck and kisses him There is many a natural man may through continuance and length of time forget But a gracious heart though corruption may be boiling up yet Grace will take hold of its heel and will presently be fetching in arguments such arguments as have been spoken of before fetch'd from God from Christ from the love of God from the command of God from conformity unto Christ and by these arguments laid before the soul it is desirous to come up unto its duty Answ 6. Again There is this difference A natural man may forgive Ay but it is a hard thing for him to render good for evil and â—o overcome evil with good It is possible he may not revenge the wrong that is done unto him Ay but it is a hard matter to overcome evil with good Now a gracious heart looks to the Commandment of Christ of overcoming evil with good and looks to the example of Christ who overcame evil with good and to the examples of the Saints Joseph did good for evil and Moses did good for evil and Elisha did good for evil and David did good for evil and he desires herein to be a Follower of Christ and to come up to his duty Now I say it is a very hard thing for a natural man to come up to this duty though he may forgive and pass by wrongs and injuries yet to requite evil with good and to love them that hate him and to pray for them that persecute him and despitefully use him this is a hard lesson for a natural man But then Quest 3. A third Question is Whether is a man bound to forgive wrongs and injuries whenas a man doth not confess when they are not confessed and acknowledged The place that some make use of to uphold their corruption is Luk. 17. 4. And if he trespass seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him Therefore some think from hence that they are not bound to forgive a man the wrong and injury that is done unto him when that they be not confessed But to this Answ I Answer That a Christian ought to forgive wrongs and injuries though not confest The ground of my assertion is this Because we are bound to forgive as God forgives and the Lord brings forth a pardon before one word of acknowledgement can be made As in that Instance Before the son spake one word of confession the Father gave him a pardon and sealed up his pardon unto him and fell upon his neck and kisses him and then he makes confession Our rule and practice must be from
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
SERMONS Preached upon several Occasions BY That Able and Faithful Servant of JESUS CHRIST Mr Timothy Armitage late Pastor of a Church in the CITY of Norwich London Printed 1678. TO THE READER Reader THese Sermons Preached divers years since by the Godly and Reverend Author who is now with the Lord reaping the fruit of his Holy Labours which do still follow him having by the care and pains of a Christian Brother been preserved and now brought to Light by the good Hand of Providence for thy good and benefit as some other of his Works formerly published * Viz. Of the woman of Canaan And of the three Children in the furnace which if they have come to thy hand may have been through the Lords blessing Be pleased therefore to understand that they were preached and delivered by that Eminent Servant of God Mr. Timothy Armitage sometimes Pastor of the Church of Christ gathered at Norwich as may easily appear unto thee if thou hast been acquainted with any of his Labours in Print by that gracious Spirit which breaths and runs through all the Veins and almost every Line of the same 'T is needless to hang out before these Sermons a Bush to commend the same to thy perusal do but taste a little and if thou hast a savoury palate thou wilt be ready to say as the Samaritanes to the Woman that enticed them to go to see and hear Christ speak Joh. 4. 42. Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves The Subjects herein handled we doubt not but thou wilt find to be very momentous * First The eminency of Christ from Cant. 2. 3. Secondly About Forgiving one another from Mat. 18. 21 22. Thirdly Walking with God from Gen. 5. 24. Fourthly Gain by Christ in life and death from Phil. 1. 21. and very spiritually treated of We shall not need to add any more in this kind but commending them and thy perusal of them to the Grace and Blessing of Jesus Christ in whom we shall desire to remain Thy Well-willers Thomas Allen Samuel Petto SERMON I. CANT 2. 3. As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons I sat down under His Shadow with great delight and His Fruit was sweet to my Taste AS the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons c. Here are two things considerable in the Words viz. the Matter and the Form of them For the Form it is a Similitude the Matter in it is the Person and a Thing The Person is Christ the Thing to which this Person is resembled and that is an Apple-tree it 's titled by its plantation Among the Trees of the Wood Then we have the Application of this Similitude in that word So is my Beloved among the Sons Here is also an Illustration of this similitude in two particulars which discovers wherein Christ is resembled to the Apple-tree First For the shadow of it I sat under his shadow with great delight And then Secondly for the Furit of it His Fruit was sweet to my Taste There is something observable held forth in the dependance that these words have upon the former If you look into the second verse As the Lily among the Thorns so is my Beloved among the Daughters In that verse Christ sets forth the excellency of his Spouse declaring the high estimation he hath of her She is a Lily among the Thorns so is my Love among the Daughters By how much the Lily is to be prefer'd before the Thorns and Thistles so much is the Spouse before all other Children before all other Men before all other Congregations Now see how the Spouse doth admire Christ As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons and how the Love of Christ doth beget Love what Improvement a gracious Heart makes of the manifestation of Christs Love He declared that he loved her he loved her dearly above all the World and presently she breaths love again There was a Fire of Love that was kindled in her bosome which flamed towards Christ the more love Christ manifested the more a gracious Heart loves Christ again You know the Woman in the Gospel what abundance of love she exprest to Christ she sat at Christs Feet weeping and washing Christs Feet with her Tears and wiping them with the Hair of her Head she had much forgiven many manifestations of Love in the forgiving her many sins and therefore she loved much But again observe the Spouse doth not rest in that Commendation that Christ had given her he had highly commended her as a Lily among Thorns But she carries the commendation back again to him what ever she hath from Christ she carries back again to Christ she ' I make him the Alpha and the Omega the Beginning and the End of all and therefore she presently falls upon admiration admiring his Beauty and Excellency A gracious Heart is more taken with that which is in Christ than with that which he gives out to it It doth not rest in Grace that is received or in Love that is manifested but it goes back again to Christ pitches upon Christ in whom are all Divine perfections She doth not repeat the words of Christ again as if Christ had said My Love is a Lily among the Thorns she doth not say Oh now I am a Lily I am more beloved than all the World she looks from that presently she looks to Christ how shall she make him glorious The Lord Jesus he had set a Crown or at least a Garland upon her Head and she speedily put off her Garland and set it upon Christs Head she thinks it fit that all should be swallowed up in the Glory of Christ Let him be lifted up and magnified let his Name and Excellency and Goodness be magnified and remembred though I be forgotten for ever Oh that you would be more practical turn this into practice make it practical do as the Spouse did here let all the manifestations of Love kindle love in your Hearts to Christ and look not so much what is given to you as what is laid up in Christ for you Look upon Christ and carry it to him as he is the Alpha so let him be the Omega carry it all back to him again But let us look more strictly upon the words As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons The words are clear enough only it would be known what is meant by Son So is my Beloved among the Sons It may be either the Sons of God or the Sons of Men The Sons of God so the Angels and so the Saints are called by Joâ—â—â—â— Now there was a day when the Sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord The Angels are his Sons he useth them like Sons and they serve him like Sons And so believers are called the
made partaker of Flesh and Blood there was a Necessity of it For first of all 1. The Lord Jesus was that stock or that root upon which God the Father had determined to graft all the Sons and Daughters of men that he had appointed to be Trees of Righteousnesâ— in his Paradise I say all that were to be made Trees of Righteousness were to be engrafted into that stock and therefore there was a necessity that the stock should be like unto the Cyons it was necessary that the branch and the root should be of one nature Again The Lord Jesus was to fill all his Branches with Life and Spirit the Sap and Juice must run from the root to the Branches and therefore it was necessary they should be Homogeneal of one Nature that they should be incorporated and made one that so Christ might fill our Nature that humane Nature which he took into the second person with all the fulness of God and from that and through that fill all his Members That 's the First That Christ is compared to an Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood. 2. But again Secondly This comparison does hold forth the unspotted Nature and that holiness which was in Jesus Christ It holds it forth in the excellency of it He was an Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood He was not a wild Tree as they were though he grew amongst the wild Trees though he grew in the World yet he did not partake of the sin of the World there was no corruption in him he brought forth no wild fruit And herein is the excellency of Christ held forth To see an Apple-tree a sweet Apple in the midst of an Orchard is no great wonder but to find an Apple-tree laden with goodly and pleasant fruit where there is nothing but a Wood and a Forest and wild Trees and Bryars and Thorns and Brambles round about this is a wonder and even thus was the Lord Jesus the Trees round about him were wild Trees they are all gone out of the way it 's spoken of the wild Trees and become altogether unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one This is the natural Estate of all men and that Christ should be planted in the midst of these and yet be an Apple-tree and bring forth sweet and blessed fruit this was his great commendation and the Spouse does here admire him for it Before he was admiring the Spouse as a Lily among Thorns the tender Lily among the Thorns and here the Spouse doth admire that the Lord Jesus should be a green Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood That none of the corruption of mans Nature should cleave unto him that he should bring forth nothing but pleasant fruit he was the Lamb of God without spot and there was no guile found in his mouth Here is the great Commendation of Christ still a pleasant Apple-tree though in the midst of the Trees of the Wood. 3. Again Thirdly The comparison holds forth the High and Honourable esteem that the Spouse had of Christ As the Apple-tree amongst the Trees of the Wood as the Apple-tree is to be preferred before the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved to be preferred before all the Sons of men He had preferred the Spouse as much as the Lily is to be preferred before the Thorns And here she returns his love back again saith she He is to be preferred before the Sons of men as the Apple-tree is to be preferred before and beyond the Trees of the Wood. What saith the Apostle in Phil. 3. speaking of all things in comparison of Christ to be but Dung and Dross Yea verily saith he I count all things but Dross and Dung in comparison of Christ how precious is Christ to a gracious soul all is but Dross and Dung in comparison of him to you that believe saith the Apostle Peter he is precious you that have tasted of the comforts of this Tree you 'l say Oh Lord give me evermore to eat of this Tree That 's a third particular wherein the comparison holds 4. Fourthly It holds forth that mean and low Estimation that the men in the world have of Christ They look upon him as a Common tree he is among the trees in the wood and he is of no better account than the trees of the wood Cant. 5. 9. what is thy beloved say they more than anothers beloved They could not believe that there should be any thing of worth more in Christ than was in other persons and other things what is thy beloved they could not believe that he was any more than another tree because he grew among them and truly it 's because men know not the worth of Christ and have no Esteem of him they have not tasted and seen how good and gracious the Lord is and therefore they have no high account of the precious fruit that growes on this tree The carnal heart closeth with the world and closeth with his lusts they are his Dalilahs his Beloved and when he looks upon a child of God sees a gracious heart go lamenting after Christ another that hath found Christ rejoyces in him and solaceth himself in the fruit of this tree Why this is the wonder unto a carnal heart why What 's thy Beloved more than my Beloved what do you find more in Christ than I find in the world than I find in my lusts Oh it 's a dreadful deceit of a mans heart Can a man gather grapes of thorns and figs of thistles Is it possible that the wild tree can bring forth as good fruit as the Apple-tree No it 's the ignorance of men that they know not Christ that Christ is not precious to them But again 5. Fifthly This comparison holds forth the great sufferings of Christ he is said to be the Apple-tree in the forest or in the wood because of the sufferings that Christ was exposed to when he was on earth You know the trees in the forest they ly open to the Storms there 's no fence about them they lye open to the teeth and horns of the wild beasts and thus did Christ suffer when he was upon earth he laid open to most grievous Storms to blow upon him the very wrath of God his Father went over his head it blow exceeding sore upon him that it even brake his tree to pieces It pleased the Father to bruise him Isaiah 53. 10. It pleased the father to bruise him and to put him to grief yea it pleased the father to break him in pieces Moreover he met with a world of sufferings from men Oh how was he persecuted from first to last How many Psalms are there in which David doth complain in the person of Christ He complains of the wild beasts in the forest the Dogs the Lyons the Unicorns and the wild Buls of Bashan incompassed him round about Psalm 22. 20 21. Deliver my soul from the sword my darling from the power of the
an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquitie and to bring in everlasting righteousness c. he shall carry out sin and bring in righteousness to take off sin that 's not enough but to brings in righteousness an everlasting righteousness far more glorious and excellent than the righteousness of men or Angels he shall deliver his people from the fear of death this is a mercie but that 's not all Christ he brings in a glorious hope hope of life hope of glory who hath begotten us again unto a lively hope says the Apostle He doth not think it enough to deliver his people from the Slavery of sin but he translates them into the freedom and liberty of the Sons of God he delivers them from the power of sin and he puts them under the power of grace he brings them out of the Kingdom of darkness and he brings them into the Kingdom of his own glorious light it was not enough to free them from wrath to save them from hell but he will put them into the possession of glory and therefore he prayes his Father in John 17. that he would let them be where he is he hath been a shadow to them but that 's not enough they shall eat of his fruit let them be with me where I am that they may behold the glory thou hast given me which is and which was before the foundations of the world were laid And 1. First therefore brethren let your expectations and faith be according to the largeness of the heart of Christ don't think it enough that you sit under his shadow that the Lord Christ is one that can free you from wrath don't think that enough but look further to taste of his fruit look up for those joyes and consolations of his Spirit which he is willing to pour into your souls as well as to free your souls from the apprehension of wrath and so don't think it enough that you are delivered from the slavery and bondage of sin that sin hath not dominion over you don't think that enough but look out further for the life of Christ to be revealed in you to be manifested unto you for life and righteousness to raign gloriously in your hearts let your expectations be according to the largeness of the heart of Christ And then 2. Secondly you should deal with the Lord Christ as he deals with you He did not think privative salvation enough it was not enough to make a shadow for you but he prepares fruit for you and therefore don't think it enough that you have bare negative holiness that what you do is not against Christ but that you do what you do for Christ for he that is not with me says Christ is against me Don't think it enough that you pass your time and spend your dayes without being conscious of any wilful Sinning but what you do from day to day deal with Christ as he deals with you that you may lift up his name and honour him who will in due time honour and lift up you That 's the first particular Again 2. Secondly Christ brings you first unto the shadow and then he gives of his fruit to eat and then he causes you to taste of his fruit Because she was brought under his shadow therefore she shall eat of his fruit see how the Lord doth make one mercy to be the beginning of another mercie unto his people it 's Gods ordinary way of dealing with his Servants because he hath shown them mercy therefore he will shew them mercy because he hath brought them under his shadow he will have them to eat of his fruit See Gen. 18. 17 18. Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do says God seeing Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him in his seed in the Messiah that shall come out of his loins yea and because I have given out this mercy I won't hide what I will do God makes one mercy to be the beginning of another And so when he promised to bring his people unto the mount a in in Isa 56. 7. it was a mercy to be brought to the mountain of God yea but God does not leave his people there but that mercy shall be a step to many a mercy which he intends to give out when I have brought them thither when I have got them thither then will I make them joyful in my house of prayer I will make a feast to them a feast of fat things I 'le chear hearts their and accept of their sacrifices and services and thus God makes one mercy the beginning of another And therefore Brethren do but see what a large testimony this gives unto the infinite goodness and riches of free grace which is in our God well might the Apostle say God who is rich in mercy for the great love wherewith he hath loved us what riches of mercy is here what fulness of grace and mercy in Christ is here that he should make mercy the way to mercy and mercy the beginning of mercy Oh what fulness of grace and mercy is there in Christ he is never well but when he is giving out we see the glory the glory of the only begotten son of God full of grace and truth there 's a fulness indeed all infinite fulness and this fulness doth delight to empty it self and to communicate it self unto poor empty creatures the riches of grace is mightily held forth in this And then what encouragement is here to poor souls that are conscious of their own unworthiness They want such and such mercies and such and such graces and strength and I have received more mercy than ever I can be thankful for and how can I or dare I be so bold with God to ask more mercy than I am able to express thankfulness unto him for what I have received Why if thou hast no argument to plead with God he will make this an Argument because he hath done thee good already this is not the manner of men but it 's the way of God it 's no argument with men you shewed me such and such kindness and therefore do me another such kindness but the Lord he doth thus he will make this an argument his doing of thee good from thence he will do thee good again But then again 3. Here is a third particular observable First the shadow and then the fruit See how the Lord doth proceed gradually in a way of mercy in doing good to poor creatures the longer they are with him and the more they know him the greater mercy he gives out it 's a greater mercy to eat of the fruit than to sit under the shadow well after Christ hath caused thee to sit under his shadow then he will give thee to eat of the fruit the Lord deals with his servants as you deal with your servants it may be you are not
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 YOu may remember the Doctrin which we are insisting upon is That the often forgiving of offences and injuries is a duty which Christ commends unto and commands all his Disciples to follow Not till seven times but until seventy times seven I proved the Doctrin by Scripture and held forth unto you the examples of godly men who had much of the Spirit of the Lord and the more of Gods Spirit was in them the more ready were they to pass by wrongs and injuries which were done unto them by their Brethren I gave you the grounds of the Point the last day I came to answer some Objections and Cases of Conscience But I come now to the Application and Uses of the Point 1. Vse It is a word of reproof in the first place Oh what a sad complaint may we take up that this duty which Jesus Christ commands is so little practised in our Generation that there is such an unreadiness in the spirits of most men if not in all men to come up to this duty a Gospel duty a hard duty and oh what unreadiness is there in mens spirits to come up unto the practice of it Oh! how many are there in the World that do not only come short of walking up unto this Rule but do walk quite contrary unto it And I shall shew you who they are and oh that God would speak convincingly unto mens hearts 1. First They walk contrary unto this Rule of Christ Who are easily provoked unto wrath who are soon displeased who are soon put out of the way take up every small wrong every petty offence nay are many times provoked unto wrath upon a conceited injury for a poor trivial business that will make a man an offender for a word Nay it may be displeased for want of a look or for want of a Complement Oh how contrary is this unto the Rule of Christ Oh! how far are such spirits from that forbearance and that long-suffering that the Gospel calls unto Where is the grace of long-suffering Nay such spirits they are far from the exercise of the grace of Love Love believeth all things and hopeth all things makes the best interpretation of all things Such spirits as are easily provoked with every petty wrong and offence they are far from the duty of the exercise of this grace of Long-suffering and come far short of walking up to this Rule that Jesus Christ hath left for his Disciples to walk in But 2. Secondly They walk contrary unto this Rule of Christ Who are retentive of those wrongs and injuries that are hardly appeased when once provoked that will remember one wrong seven daies nay seventy times seven when Christ saies Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath let it not once go down upon your wrath there are many that let the Sun set seven times nay seventy times seven on their wrath Let me say to such I must needs say that such actings are beneath the actings of a man there is a heavy Judgement upon such a man or such a woman a heavy Judgement is upon them and they know not of it I say such as can retain wrongs or injuries think of them seventy times seven daies speak of them seventy times seven a Judgement will belong unto them such a Judgement as was upon Nebuchadnezar Dan. 4 32. Truly I may say of such men and women this Judgement is upon them in a spiritual sense He was turned out from among men to dwell with the Beasts his reason was taken from him and he was cast out seven times yea seven years among the beasts I say it of such men and women that have this spirit reigning upon them whenas anger lodgeth in their hearts they are turned out as among the beasts what a Judgement is it to be turned out among the Beasts daies and years together and so is every one judged of God till they shall come to know that the most high ruleth over all and that he hath taught them this lesson To forget and to forgive But let me say again of such Whilst passion so reigns they give entertainment unto Satan that foul and unclean spirit when ever anger and wrath lodgeth in any mans heart the Devil lodgeth there too see it in Ephes 4. 26 27. Be angry and sin not let not the Sun go down in your wrath neither give place to the Devil That man that lets anger lodge in his bosom all night gives entertainment that night to the Devil There is many a man and many a woman in the world in word will bid defiance to the Devil or Satan and yet they open their bosom their breast and their doors and give entertainment unto Satan for where anger and wrath lodgeth in any mans bosom the Devil will certainly creep in they cannot be parted these two will go together If there be anger one night that night the Devil will be there too And oh that we may not be found to give entertainment unto such a Guest as Satan is But they do give entertainment unto him that are retentive of wrongs and injuries But 3. Thirdly How contrary do they walk unto the Rule of Christ That do aggravate all offences which are done unto them aggravate all wrongs and all injuries and do improve them to the uttermost and make the worst of them So did Laban whenas he pursued after Jacob when he returned to his own Country Gen. 31. Laban pursues after him 26 27 30 Verses What hast thou done that thou hast stolen away unawares to me and carried away my daughters as Captives taken with the Sword Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly and steal away from me and didst not tell me c. Yea thou hast stolen away my Gods See here 's a man that aggravates all to the utmost twice thrice Thou hast stolen away and stolen away and carried away my Daughters as Captives and thou hast stolen away my Gods Oh such a Spirit is far unlike unto the Spirit of God The Lord Jesus calls offences against men Trespasses and so Christ would have us to look upon them as Trespasses as errors and not to aggravate them nor to look upon them as sins of presumption Oh! that such hearts were but as ready to aggravate their own offences against God! We aggravate all wrongs and all injuries which are done against us but we are but little in aggravating our sins and our transgressions against the Lord Oh that men could but aggravate both their own sins and the Lords mercies as they are ready to aggravate the offences of their Brother We commit many sins against the Lord and do not aggravate them we receive many mercies from the Lord and do not aggravate them we do not compass our mercies and tell the Towers of them
that walks thus with God in evil times It requires much strength to swimm against the stream a great stream there are times of great opposition the servants of God meet with much opposition from Satan and the World then then to walk with God when all the world almost goes contrary to bear up with God then doth discover the strength of the soul which God is exceedingly delighted with 3. Thirdly Again To walk with God in evil times is an Argument of Sincerity to do for God out of sincerity Job was sincere and still retained his Integrity notwithstanding all the opposition that he met with it doth discover that the soul hath a better principle that soul that bears up with God in evil times it hath a better principle than the men of the world that he doth not walk by the Examples and Commands of men it 's not multitudes of men this carries on false hearts which oft fall in evil times and therefore when God notwithstanding general corruptions carries on the hearts of Gods people to stick close to him it 's an Argument of much sincerity and sincerity is that which God is exceedingly delighted in And therefore I shall conclude with a word or two of Application 1. Vse First of all It lets us see how contrary the wicked are to the righteous It 's not a good time will make the wicked man good as it 's not wicked time that will make the righteous man evil it 's neither the time place nor company that can change the nature of the wicked man Saul retains his evil heart when he is in the midst of the Prophets though he be amongst the Prophets and Prophesie amongst them his heart is as evil as ever but on the contrary David retains a sweet enjoyment and breathings after God when his soul was amongst the Heathen in the Tents of Kedar the wicked man will not learn righteousness in a Land of uprightness let favour be shown to him though he be in a Land of uprightness he will not learn righteousness on the contrary a gracious heart will not learn perverseness though he be in a Land of wickedness For why there 's the seed of God in them the seed of God shall preserve them and therefore Oh what cause have wicked men to see and bewail their condition it's not time place nor company can make them better in a Land of uprightness they 'l be evil Oh that the Lord would cause them to bewail their sinful natures and so come unto Jesus Christ that so he may make their crooked natures straight And let the Saints be thankful unto God for that principle of God that is in them Oh what cause have you to rejoice in it and to be thankful for it that God hath put such a seed of himself into you that he hath made you partakers of his own divine nature which all the corruption that is in the world cannot alter All the salt water that is in the Sea can't make the live Fish salt still it retains its freshness and all the wickedness that is in wicked men can't make the gracious heart wicked I say improve this that is of God in you take heed that you be not carried down with the stream of corrupt times but know the worse that the times are so much the better should you that are the people of God be you are set up as Lights in the night you are as the stars in the Firmament so shall the righteous shine one day and you as the stars should â—ine brightest in the darkest night God hath set you up for this very end that so you may be as witnesses in the world that you may bear up his name in the world that you may witness against the general corruption of the times in which you live God doth therefore set you up as Pillars of Brass on which he hath set his name and his sons name and you are to bear it in the world he hath set you to bear up his name and he hath set you to bear up the earth if it were not for the few that did walk with God in corrupt times the earth would fall remember then that God hath set you up for this very end therefore don't suffer the name of God to fall through your loose walking with God and through your giving way to the evil of the times it 's special service God hath for you to do you are set here for this very end to bear up his name it 's the work the service in your Generation and therefore know that God calls for it at your hands Oh know he expects that you should embrace the truth of the times that are most opposed persecuted and cast out that you should practise the contrary graces unto the wickedness of the times that you should strengthen and encourage one another in the way and work of the Lord that you should rest upon the Promises that seem to bear up and clear the Providences of God against the blasphemies of the wicked this God expects from you in evil times and know that if you don't walk closely with God it goes to his very heart I say you that are his people it grieves the very heart of God when you go astray from him saies Christ of the twelve Disciples in Joh. 6. 67. Will ye also go away from me It 's said that there were many at that time that left Christ well he turns unto his Disciples and saies to them Will ye also go away from me But Peter said To whom should we go Thou hast the words of eternal life What will you if you should go away that would be a greater grief than all the rest you that have walked with me so long what will you turn aside It was the great commendation of Judah that she was faithful with God and he bids her so continue Oh let not Judah turn aside in Hos 4. 15. Though Israel play the Harlot yet let not Judah offend Though they play the Harlot yet you that are my people that have so long walked with me and that have kept in my truth Oh have you a care that you walk not with the multitude to do evil and that you be not extravagant it goes to the heart of God your Father if you should walk loose and keep ill orders this goes to the heart of God it 's more than if twenty strangers should do it if you in the least should turn aside this is a wound from a Child and the wound of such goes to the heart of the Father But on the contrary know that the Lord is exceedingly delighted with your close walking with him you heard before in Mal. 3. 16. how God is delighted with the close walking of the Saints it 's kindness that God will never forget he will remember it to the last in Luk. 22. 28. to name no more saies Christ You are they that have continued with me in my
temptations Behold I appoint unto you a Kingdom this was kindly taken they did not only follow Christ but they continued with him when under temptation and when he was persecuted you that continued with me in my temptation and tribulation I appoint to you a Kingdom The Lord saies of you that are followers of him in evil times that bear up against the stream These are they that have continued with me faithful and I 'le not forget them thou hast kept to me in the hour of my patience and I 'le keep thee in the hour of temptation that is coming upon the World SERMON IV. GEN. 5. 24. And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him I Have already dispatcht three Points which were needful to be considered before we come to the main the last time we considered what an evil time it was that Enoch lived in the earth being so corrupt as it appears by that Prophecie of Jude that the time of Enoch was an evil time but notwithstanding the corruption of the time Enoch walked with God The Lord takes it exceeding kindly when his people walk close with him in evil times But I shall further Consider what lies in the Text Enoch walked with God Here is nothing taken notice of but his walking with God he was an excellent Prophet as the Apostle Jude doth witness Enoch the seventh from Adam Prophesied he was one that did a great deal for God he preached faithfully unto the men of his Generation but there 's nothing said of him but this He walked with God he lived so long and he walked with God Observation Observe then That it 's the highest excellency of a Creature to walk with God For this is the greatest commendation that can be given of a man or woman that they are such as walk with God in their Generation Here I shall shew you First What it is to walk with God And Secondly That this is the excellency of any man or woman And Thirdly Wherein this excellency lies which will make way for the Application Our first work is to Consider What it is to walk with God the way of a Christians walking with God is either Internal or External Internal is the way of his spirit the way of his heart which is hid from the world External is the way of his Conversation We shall now consider the former only What is this Internal way the way of the spirit the way of the heart in walking with God First of all Faith is the beginning of this way I say Faith in God and Christ and the Promises is the beginning of this way for the Apostle saies We walk by Faith 2 Cor. 5. 7. And the Apostle to the Hebrews tells us expresly That Enoch walked with God by Faith Heb. 11. 5 6. it 's said By Faith Enoch was translated and was not yet before he was translated he pleased God where he holds forth to us that Enoch lived and died in faith and this was his first step and this is the beginning of a Christians way in walking with God he begins in Faith 'T is not possible that two should walk together unless they be agreed so saies the Prophet Amos Amos 3. 3. Can two walk together except they be agreed It 's not possible till Faith close with Christ there 's no Agreement it 's faith that makes our reconciliation and makes over this agreement to the soul and therefore no walking with God before this agreement it 's not possible for an Unbeliever to walk with God Faith is the beginning of this way for the soul is filled with slavish fear and it dares not come to God it dares not walk with him it dares not come nigh him till such time as faith doth discover the grace love and bowels of compassion that are in the heart of God it runs away from God the creature runs from God as Adam did God walked in the Garden and he called for Adam to walk with him but he durst not the guilt of his transgression was upon him and he hid himself among the Bushes in the Garden Poor creatures they run not only into the bushes of the Garden but into the bushes of the Wilderness they would hide themselves in the Thickets of their own righteousness in Bryars and Thorns rather than come in and submit to God again There 's not only pride of heart but there 's enmity enmity against God The fool hath said in his heart There is no God he wishes there were no God that he might still be without controul and give no account of his actions there 's enmity in the heart and this slavish fear and enmity remains till such time as God discovers it and roots it out by faith and faith discovers the tender bowels love and compassions that are in God towards it through Jesus Christ so that as the soul goes on in believing so it goes on in walking with God A Christians Exercise of faith is the acting of faith and exercising of faith every day on the promises is a great part of his daily walking with God for he that walks with God acts faith in all conditions he runs to the Promise when the guilt of sin revives he runs to the Fountain set open for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in and he rouls upon the Promise Lord thou hast promised to blot out my transgressions like a thick Cloud and so when he wants holiness when corruption prevails he runs to the promise Lord thou hast said sin shall not have Dominion over me thou hast said If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin dead to sin and so in time of temptation he runs to the Promise Lord thou hast said that such of thy servants as walk in darkness and see no light should trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon their God and thou hast said No temptation shall be a burden beyond their strength And so in all streights and afflictions it runs to the Promise Lord thou hast said That all things shall work together for good to them who love and fear thee In a word This is to walk with God when the soul shall rest upon the Promise for all supplies both for this life and that which is to come when he shall trust the Lord for provision in the way and trust him for an Inheritance in the end of the way he shall say Lord thou hast given me the Word of thy grace and I 'le venture my soul upon it though it be for eternity I 'le venture upon thy Word if I perish I perish if God can deceive me I am willing to be deceived Thus doth faith put the soul into a capacity and posture of walking with God it puts the soul in a posture of walking hand in hand with God as a man with his friend it puts the soul into the best posture of walking with God and that is into a posture of leaning and staying
strength for God and to lay forth his Estate for God And he saies as Christ said Loe I come Here 's an opportunity for service why then Loe I come to do thy Will O God the embracing I say and cherishing those motions of the Spirit of God which he is pleased to hint in the souls of his people is another part of their walking with him Again 6. Sixthly In the next place That soul walks with God when it sets it self in the eye of God when it eyes God continually and sets it self in the eye of God in the presence of God this is a main part of his walking with God when a man shall do all that he doth as in the presence of God every action that though it concerns man and his outward calling yet he desires to do all as in the presence of God And therefore he doth not only look to a duty but he looks to the manner of the performance of every duty because the holy pure and piercing eye of God is upon him he looks to the manner how it 's carried on and forth what spirit is in it because he knows that the eye of God is piercing it 's a flame of fire and he doth all as in the presence of God and unto God in his serving of man he doth it as unto the Lord he hath a higher end than the men in the world have who know no other end than to gain riches and honour or the like but there 's a further and higher end that he may lift up the name of God and serve God in serving of man that he may serve his Generation according to the Will of God I say when the soul is thus alwaies under the eye of God and therefore is faithful whether man see or no though there is no eye to witness no eye to over-look yet it knows that it 's in the presence of God for though he don't so see the transgression of his people as to cast them off yet he may see that which may be matter of sore displeasure and grief and therefore this is that which is as a bridle and a bit over all his waies that it is in the presence of God Again 7. Seventhly In the next place The soul walks with God when he is desirous to embrace every truth that God shall impart when it opens to truth this is another part of the souls internal walking with God when it opens to truth to every truth which the embracing and professing of may cost him dear being opposed in the world it matters not if you be perswaded it 's the truth of Christ it 's enough it trusts God for the rest oh it 's greedy after truth that soul that walks with God oh how fearful is it lest it should not embrace truth Oh how fearful is it lest it should be left behind when God advances his truth in the world and when truth is advanced Oh how fearful is it to be left behind Though it would not set a step until God goes before and it would not hear the voice of a stranger yet it would not be shut up from the voice of Christ therefore it 's fear is to be left behind and desires that God would take it along when he discovers truths unto a Saint even the truth of the age and the truth of the Generation in which he lives that 's another part of the souls walking with God Again 8. In the Eighth place The Soul walks with God when it can justifie the Word of God justifie the Word of God though the Word condemn him in his practices yet he will justifie the Word of God though the Word be high holy and spiritual and he sees he is a poor creature and can't come up to it yet he won't despise nor hate the Word but loves justifies and blesses God for it so the Apostle in Rom. 7. 12. Wherefore the Law is holy saies he and the Commandment is holy just and good Again in the 13 Verse Was then that which was good made death to me God forbid But sin that it might appear sin working death in me by that which is good that sin by the Commandment might become exceeding sinful And again in the 16 Verse If then I do that which I would not I consent unto the Law that it is good Though I do the things that I would not yet saies he I love the Law and delight in it in the inward man this is a main part of the spirits and souls walking with God when it can thus justifie and clear the Word and though the Word of the Lord cross him yet it gets to the Word of the Lord and though he can't come up to it yet it blesses the Word that 's holy and good though I be carnal though I be sold under sin it justifies the Word 9. Again In the Ninth place He will Justifie God that 's another part of his walking he will justifie God and clear God in all his proceedings though God go against his comforts and smite them as he did Job yet still he 'll walk and go along with God and clear and justifie God In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly the Lord gives and the Lord takes and blessed be his name Still he will justifie God though he can't see a reason of Gods proceedings yet still he will justifie God though he do him wrong yet God is holy righteous and merciful and this is another part of the souls internal walking with God Again 10. In the Tenth and last place to name no more The soul then walks with God When it is taken up with higher things than the things of this World It desires to look up to higher things than the things of the world and greater things than the world is able to present and therefore would not have the world for its portion at no rate he can't take up there no he hath higher things to fix his heart upon the worldlings spend their time and meditations upon their Silver and Gold upon their Houses and Land but a gracious heart will not spend many of his thoughts upon these it will not spend the best of his thoughts upon these but saies to his soul as Solomon's Mother said to him Prov. 31. 2. Oh my son give not thy strength to women c. and so saies he Oh my soul give not thy strength to the things of this world give not the strength of thy heart and affections to these poor low things thou hast better things to spend thy strength upon there 's God and Christ there 's a Kingdom there 's the Pearl of great price there 's an Inheritance there 's an Eternity there 's an everlasting enjoyment of God these things art thou to be taken up with these things doth he desire to spend the best of his strength and thoughts upon You see my Brethren in part what it is to walk with God this is the
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
that you have heard do belong to those that walk with God they are laid open before you to win upon you and to invite your souls to come in and walk with this God why will you walk with your worst enemy Is he not a mad man that will walk with him that seeks to destroy him And yet this is the folly that is in the heart of sinners whilst you walk in the waies of sin you walk with your worst enemy and walk with a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour who would make choice of a roaring Lion to devour him sinners walk with one that would devour them Oh that the Lord would perswade your hearts to turn in and walk with him he knocks at your doors to day he stays for you if there be ever a sinner that hath any desires cast in to walk with God know that the Lord stays for you he is willing to have your company and therefore he sends you this invitation and therefore I beseech you and the Lord perswade your hearts to come up to a resolution to give up your selves to the Lord this doth undo men this want of coming up to a resolution is the destruction of many poor souls that have many a good motion cast in when they hear this of God and the excellency of those that walk with God they can't but see that there is something of God that is desirable But alas the misery is men come not up to a resolution to a fixed resolution to make choice of God and to walk with him there 's something in God that is desirable Ay but there 's another object that the heart is fixed upon there 's something of the world there 's something in lust oh my friends know it you can't serve God and Mammon you can't serve God and your lusts Faith can't endure this divided heart and therefore I beseech you look up to the Lord to bring off your hearts to a resolution that you may say Well I 'le make choice of the Lord I 'le make choice of the Lord for my portion let all the world go so I may have God come up to a resolution to part with all though you lose all though you lose your friends though you lose your relations and comforts know that whatever you lose for the Lords sake shall be made up abundantly in him oh therefore I beseech you that you would eye that fulness that is in God this may help to bring off the heart to bring up the soul to close in a resolution to come up and walk with him when the soul looks and eyes the fulness that there is in God there 's whatsoever may answer all losses whatsoever may supply all wants and satisfie all desires there 's a fulness in God a fulness of Grace and a fulness of truth is in Christ there 's fulness of satisfaction and contentment and therefore the Lord being yours you shall not need to go from him you shall not need to go out to seek satisfaction elsewhere though all the world should forsake and your comforts leave you yet there 's that in God may answer all and though you part with all your lusts yea though you should lose all the world for the Lords sake that you may give up your selves to walk with him know assuredly that it will never repent you you will not repent you the very first day that you walk with God the very first hour of your walking with God will bring you such contentment and satisfaction into your spirits that you will not repent you that you have left all your old waies and lusts all sin and all your Companions for the Lords sake that so you may walk with him And moreover I beseech you that you would make use of Jesus Christ in your coming to God if God shall perswade your hearts to give up your selves to walk with God make use of Christ at your first coming there 's no man can walk with God at his first coming till the son of God makes way for him Two cannot walk together except they be agreed God and man were fallen out in Adam now these must be agreed now oh let your souls breath after Christ you that desire to walk with God begin first with Christ let your hearts breath after him look to him as your peace-maker to be your reconciler to make God and you one to bring you into more nigh acquaintance and fellowship with the Father that God and you may be one in Christ Oh look up unto the righteousness of Jesus Christ every soul of you you can't walk with God if you be naked you can't abide his presence you know Adam ran out from the presence of God when God walk'd in the Garden he could not walk because God was there he runs and hides himself a naked creature can't endure the presence of God look up to the righteousness of Jesus Christ throw your selves as poor naked creatures upon the righteousness of Jesus Christ that so coming in the righteousness of the Son unto the Father you may have friendly acceptance that you may walk with God for the future Vse 2. One word also to those that have interest in God and Jesus Christ Oh that I might stir you up also to walk with God to walk with God as Enoch did Brethren consider I pray you Did not Christ bring you into acquaintance with the Father for this end Were not you at a distance ye were strangers ye were enemies you were far off from God! what pains did Jesus take to bring you acquainted with God that so you might walk with him as a man with his friend It cost Christ dear it was a hard work to make up the breach it was a mighty work to bring you into acquaintance with God do not neglect therefore your communion with God in your daily walk seeing it cost Christ so dear Consider also that God hath made you all for this very end he hath given you legs that you might walk with him he hath given some strength to those that were lame that could not stand I say when he brought you home to himself he gave you some strength it was then that he came to open the eyes of the blind and to strengthen the feet of the lame and he strengthens their feet that so they may walk with God his Father Is not the Lord your best friend Is he not the sweetest companion you can choose and if so I beseech you take heed that you do not neglect your walking with him what will you leave your friend will you leave your friend upon the way Oh do not give the Lord occasion to accuse you of this Ingratitude had you not need to keep close to God do not you need his presence do not you need him to comfort you to quicken you to revive you to strengthen you to supply your wants to bear your charges to keep off the blasts to rebuke temptations
needful that so long as they are in the body they should be in these conflicts afflictions and temptations then the Lord sometimes sees it best to shorten some of their daies to bring them unto himself But you must take this caution Take heed you don't limit the Lord to this way for though God doth take many of his servants this way by death yet I say they ought not to limit the holy one of Israel Let not them say as Job Wherefore is life given to a man that is in affliction Wherefore is life given to a man whose way is hid For if God continues life in afflicted conditions he sees good reason for it and therefore I say you may not absolutely desire death because of your affliction because of your temptations because of your buffettings not absolutely to limit God in this way of deliverance for though God doth use this way many times yet he will not be confined to it And though the Lord doth keep you in affliction he sees it is for his honour it is for his own glory that he may shew his power and goodness his wisdom in directing you his power in supporting you in strengthening you in delivering you and in making you able to hold out in such difficult afflicted conditions the Lord can find many waies of deliverance therefore don't say you Lord take away my life my affliction is great I see no way how I shall come out of it this is sinful for God hath many waies I say God chooses this way sometimes to free his people from all their corruption and temptations he shortens their lives and that in abundance of love 2. Again Secondly God sometimes doth shorten the daies of his servants in love when they live in evil times times in which iniquity doth abound then God fetches home many of his servants in love It was a very corrupt time that Enoch lived in The world was corrupt and filled with violence and therefore it was in love to Enoch that God shortened his course the Lord knows how afflictive it is for his servants to live in an evil world Wo is me saies the Psalmist that I am constrained to sojourn in Mesech and to dwell in the Tents of Kedar Psal 120. 5. That righteous soul was vexed Wo is me c. Nay the Lord considers that possibly his own people may be carried down the stream through the strength and violence of the corruption of the times that they may be drawn aside from their stedfastness it 's possible that even they may be corrupted even Gods own people may be corrupted in a corrupt Generation the Lord considers this and therefore many times he takes them away in an abundance of love and mercy When the Thistles and Nettles do so inclose the Lilies that they hinder their growth and communicate of their ill favour unto them then the Lord sees it's high time to remove to transplant his Lilies into a better soil And that 's a second Particular why the Lord doth shorten the daies of his servants it is when they live in a very corrupt and sinful Generation that doth both afflict them and endanger them 3. Again Thirdly Sometimes God shortens the daies of his servants in love that they may not see when great desolations are coming either upon their friends their relations their families or upon the Kingdom they live in the Lord in mercy calls home those that do walk faithfully with him and thus it was with Jeroboam's child in 1 Kings 14. 13. Jeroboam's child was taken away you have the reason given there because great desolation is coming upon the Family God threatens there by the Prophet that he would not leave one person alive and this child shall go to his Grave in peace Because some good thing was found in him towards the Lord God of Israel some good thing was found in him when the family was corrupt and therefore God would not have him to see what desolation he would bring upon the family And so when God brings desolation upon Kingdoms and Nations he sometimes calls home his own people Good King Josiah a gracious man was cut off betimes because the Lord was about to bring desolation upon Judah a great and fearful Captivity which came presently after when he was gone but he feared the Lord and was fearful when the Word of the Lord came to him and therefore God took him that he might not see that desolation with his eyes that sad desolation that God would bring upon Judah And so saies the Prophet Isa 57. 1. he gives this as a reason why God takes away some of his servants betimes The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart and the merciful man is taken away none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come When evil and desolation is about to come upon a place or a Kingdom why then God takes away many righteous and merciful men The Husbandman when he sees a storm is a coming he makes haste to gather in his Corn especially that which is most ready to shake that which is most like to take harm by the wet that he 'll in withall And thus the Lord doth with his when he sees great desolation that may even shake those that are his own 4. Fourthly God takes way some of his servants that he may prevent their uneven walking and their declining and turning aside from him the Lord loves to take his servants when they are at the best he pulls the Rose when it 's most sweet sometimes the Lord sees many of his servants that if they should stand longer they would decline and grow worse sad experience doth teach it now therefore it is that the Lord takes them at the fit time that he may prevent that dishonour that otherwise might be brought to his name if he should suffer them to stand longer in the world they might happily blurr their profession they might dishonour God they might harden their own hearts and therefore the Lord loves to take them when they are fully ripe and when he sees such a one ready to decline and grow worse and to lose of his sweetness and of his savour it may blurr the name of God dishonour him in the world why the Lord to prevent all this takes away sometimes such a servant of his in abundance of love and mercy and so he took away Asa and so Jehosaphat they were good men but they began to decline in their old daies Asa was a good man his heart was perfect it is the Testimony that God gives of him all his daies but he went and declined he went and relied on the arm of flesh when the Prophet tells him of it he was angry with the Prophet he imprisons the Prophet and he began to smite the people and God smites Asa with a disease in his feet and so took him away and it was best for Asa that he was taken away before a
to be given out certainly if God do perswade the heart to wait for that mercy that mercy shall be given out see David in Psal 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his holy Temple There he had a desire to come back again to Jerusalem to see the Lord in his Temple and his heart was carried out strongly to believe it he was banished by Saul a mighty King and he durst not come into the Land and how then could he come to the Temple yet he would not fear for that one thing that God had put in his heart to seek after for that his heart was upheld in it And thus God may deal with some of his servants when he doth raise up his peoples hearts to believe some special mercy that mercy shall be given out according to their faith That 's a second mercy why Enoch was thus translated he was one that had a special remarkable saith that something God should do for him in or about Death There 's a third Question follows Wherefore Enoch was thus translated The Answer is That so his translation might preach unto the men of that Generation yea to all succeeding Generations that there shall be a Resurrection of the Body I say therefore did God thus translate Enoch that his translation in body to heaven might witness to them and so to all other Generations that there is a time when that the bodies of the Saints shall be co-partners with their souls in Glory Here God Preached the Doctrin of the Resurrection of the Body by Enoch's translation in all Ages God hath not left himself without witness concerning this great truth the Resurrection of the Body and certainly the Lord saw that there was need that he should bear witness of this truth there was need then and there is need now even in this Generation that we should be informed perswaded and rooted in this Doctrine of the Resurrection of the Body there 's great need that Christians should be confirmed in it in the knowledge and in the full perswasion of it For 1. First of all It is the Doctrine that the Devil hath alwaies sought to over-throw the powers of Hell have bandyed against it and how hath the Devil by his Instruments by Atheistical men opposed this Doctrin in every Age It hath been opposed and it is still opposed I shall shew you what opposition is made against it that so you may be confirmed in it It 's sad to think that some that have formerly made a profession should fall so far as to deny a Resurrection and yet such a seducing spirit is gone forth in the world I shall shew you what the Atheist hath against it that your hearts may be confirmed in this Doctrin Quest Why First Say they it 's against reason How is it possible that the bodies of men should be raised up again whenas their bodies are devoured consumed in the heart of the earth they are turned into the very elements again into their first principles and how is it possible that the same bodies should be raised up again Answ To this I 'le answer in the words of our Saviour Christ O saies he you erre not knowing the Scripture nor the power of God for that was the answer that Christ gave unto the Sadducees that denyed the Resurrection in Matth. 22. 29. Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures he tells them they were not acquainted with that which God had spoken in his Word he brings one Scripture that they did not know and therefore they erred because they did not know it Have not you read saies he that which was spoken unto you by God saying I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob they said there was no Resurrection saies Christ Poor creatures you say so because you don't know the Scriptures ye err therefore because you know not the Scriptures God saies I am the God of Abraham God saies this after Abraham Isaac and Jacob are dead and gone that he is the God of Abraham therefore there is something of Abraham yet remains and Abraham shall live again for God saies he owns them and saies ye know not the power of God Ye err not knowing the Scriptures and the power of God you measure God by the arm of flesh because it 's impossible to you you think it 's impossible to God whenas God is infinite and can do whatsoever he please if you did but consider the power of God saies he you would not err on this manner even to deny the Resurrection as a thing impossible Why who made the world Who made all things out of nothing Who brought light out of darkness Certainly to raise up the dead is not a greater matter than to make the World of nothing certainly if you had known the Scriptures you would not have denied the power of God in raising from the dead But the Devil is subtil and therefore when reason won't do he flees to Scripture he 'll bring you Scripture to deny the Resurrection that Scripture is urged by some Atheistical spirits 1 Cor. 15. 50. Now this I say Brethren that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God therefore say they the Scripture is against the Resurrection there shall be no resurrection because flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God To this I answer 1. First That sinful flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God corrupt man cannot inherit the Kingdom of God but the bodies of the Saints shall be raised without sin there shall be no defilement when they come out of the Grave they shall be purified sufficiently and therefore then they may inherit the Kingdom of God And 2. Secondly It 's true that weak frail corruptible flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God but when the bodies of the Saints be raised up they shall not be weak frail and corruptible as their bodies are now no they shall leave all their weaknesses all their frailties shall be left behind them all these shall be left in the Grave therefore the Apostle answers sufficiently in the 53 verse of that Chapter For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on Immortality frail corruptible flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God but it shall not be so at the Resurrection but this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this poor mortal body shall put on Immortality it shall no more be cloathed with frail flesh and blood but it shall put on new robes new robes that shall not be changed and that are not subject to change that shall not wear away but shall abide for ever in the Heavens and therefore there is nothing in this against the Resurrection of the body but it shall be partner with
to God it looks upon it as the fruit of the Spirit of Jesus Christ it desires that Christ may have the name that Christ may have the glory of it that Christ may be continually lifted up in all that it doth and therefore when it is assisted to do for God or to suffer for God it doth not reflect upon it self but upon Christ these are the breathings of the spirit of Christ and this is the strength that comes from Christ and therefore it is said of David Lord what am I when he was inabled to offer willingly Lord what am I and what are my people that we should offer in this wise When ever it meets with any assistance it saies Lord what am I that I should do any thing for God It looks upon all as coming from Christ and desires that Christ may have the glory of all and so far as the life of Christ prevails upon the soul so far the soul is acted by the spirit of Christ But again 4. Fourthly Where Christ is the life of the soul the Soul desires that Christ may be magnified whether by death or by life so it was with the Apostle This is all my care saies he that Christ may be magnified take you no care for me for Christ shall be magnified and I will rejoice in it Whether I live or die Christ shall be magnified in my body He desires that Christ may be magnified in his life a gracious heart doth not desire to live to satisfie its own lust it would not live long in the world to enjoy the pleasure of the world no if it lives it desires to live that Christ may be magnified and therefore if I may be useful if I may be serviceable to do good in any place or relation the Lord is pleased to cast me in I am content to live and so for death he desires that Christ may be magnified there too a gracious heart don't desire death to be rid of the troubles of life to be freed from those troubles and vexations that it meets withal in the world that 's no good desire but if it desires death it desires that Christ may be magnified that the Lord may be magnified in my death that Christ may be magnified that I may get nigher Christ that I may not dishonour Christ that that corruption may be subdued which is a grief to the spirit of Christ that I may magnifie Christ eternally without ceasing that Christ may be magnified this is the desire of a gracious heart and so far as the life of Christ doth prevail in any soul so far doth that soul live unto Christ and is willing to die for Christ and cares not what becomes of it so the Lord and his son Christ may be exalted Again 5. Fifthly When the life of Christ is in a soul It makes a man to die to die to sin and to die to the world and to die to self Where the life of Christ comes in it makes the soul to die to sin that still as the life of Christ prevails in the soul so sin dies in the soul Knowing this that our old man is crucified with Christ the old man is Crucified with Christ and the life of Christ will be the death of the old man He makes a man to die to sin where the life of Christ is in a soul the heart is dead to sin it carries to sin as to a dead man it is cold at the very heart no desire to satisfie the lusts of the flesh but to live unto Christ it makes the soul desirous to cast out all those lusts which it hath rejoyced in and been the very life of the soul before Christ came See what is said in the Prophecie of the Prophet Hosea Hos 14. 8. Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idols And so shall the soul say where the life of Christ prevails What have I to do any more with Idols It looks upon all base lusts as so many dead Carcasses they lie in his House and he knows not how to be rid of them but the life of Christ is in him and what hath the living to do with the dead What have I any more to do with dead Carkasses O Lord bury them bury them out of my sight the life of Christ will dead the heart to sin 2. Secondly Again This life of Christ will deaden the heart to the world see what the Apostle saies in the Epistle to the Galatians Gal. 6. 14. God forbid that I should glory in any thing save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world The world looks upon me as dead and I look upon the world as dead the world doth not at all esteem of a gracious man and a gracious heart doth esteem the world as little the vanities of the world as little the world looks upon me and I look upon the world as dead Paul lookt upon it as dead and therefore Paul was willing to part with it in Phil. 4. 12 13. men are willing to part with their dead friends and Paul was willing to part with the world it was dead to him I know how to be abased and I know how to abound I know how to want if God calls for it I know how to spare and I am content to be without it thus doth the life of Christ make the heart dead to the world deadens the affections and makes a man to use the world as if he used it not 3. Again Thirdly and lastly The life of Christ doth make a man to die to self it makes a man to die to self-principles and self-ends and self-seeking to self-righteousness and self-strength it makes a man die to all these where the life of Christ prevails the creature is nothing self is nothing it makes a man debase himself and lie low at the foot-stool of the Lord it makes him lie low in a way of humiliation Paul was less than the least of all Saints so he calls himself Less than the least of all Saints and he was the greatest of sinners so he calls himself the life of Christ made him lie low he had no life in himself I will speak no more saies Job I abhor my self in dust and ashes let God have all for the future it desires to exalt him to admire that which he can't find out I desire to lye at his foot-stool and to exalt his name it makes a man lie low in a way of submission to God as well as in a way of humiliation the life of Christ makes the heart submissive to Christ self is nothing self is laid aside content that God should rule that the creature should be disposed by him makes him willing to drink of every cup that his father puts into his hand to stoop down to every yoke and every burden that the Lord will put upon his neck and lay upon his shoulder
what abundance of patience and meekness did he shew to Thomas notwithstanding all that unbelief Saies he in his unbelief I will not believe saies he except it be so and so except I put my hand into the hole of his side and yet this did not provoke the Lord Jesus Christ to leave him but he condescends to his weakness heals his weakness and plucks him out of that mire in which he stuck And if you look upon his carriage towards his enemies and see what a spirit of meekness there was in Christ even towards his enemies the Samaritans in one place would not receive him and see the Disciples they were for fire from Heaven to consume them in Luk. 9. 53 54. And he sent Messengers before his face and they went and entered into a Village of the Samaritans to make ready for him and they did not receive him c. And when his Disciples James and John saw this they said Lord wilt thou that we command Fire to come down from Heaven and consume them even as Elias did You think it is the spirit of Elias but you are deceived You know not your own hearts there is a great deal of the wilde Fire of revenge in this your motion it 's not well grounded zeal for God therefore Christ saies the son of man came not to destroy but to save them and you know when they came to take him in Luk. 22. 50 51. They came with Swords and Staves against him and one of them smote the servant of the High Priest and cut off his right ear And Jesus answered and said Suffer thus far and he touched his ear and healed him But see how Christ bare not only with his Disciples but even with his very enemies But again 5. Fifthly You shall find that Christ in his life was exceeding compassionate he was not only meek and patient but he was exceeding compassionate Oh! how often did the bowels of Christ yearn towards poor creatures He never saw an object of pity but his heart was drawn out to relieve in Matth. 9. 36 37. But when he saw the multitude he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as Sheep without a Shepherd The very bowels of Christ were moved he was filled with compassion towards their souls nay he was filled with compassion to the very bodies of men in Matth. 14. 14 15 16. he takes care that they should not be sent away fasting but makes provision for them Let them cat lest they should faint in the way When he beheld a poor obstinate sinner his heart was drawn out in pity the woman of Samaria when she came first she was a very jolly sinner she laugh'd but Christ pitied her his bowels were towards her and would not give her over till he made her to know that he was the true Messiah the Saviour of the World When he saw a desolate soul his bowels were drawn forth with abundance of tenderness and compassion as in that woman that was accused those that did there present her unto Christ laid a heavy accusation upon her in Joh. 8. 10. Jesus lifted up himself and said unto the woman where are those thine accusers The poor creature sat trembling at the feet of Christ and she expected a fearful sentence of condemnation but the bowels of Christ were drawn forth to pity and compassion Is there no man accuses thee What are they all gone that accuse thee Well Neither do I accuse thee go thy way and sin no more Now you see what the life of Christ was now I say where the life of Christ is in any soul it makes that soul some way answerable to the life of Christ in these particulars It is true the best of Saints come short infinitely short of that which is their duty but yet I say withal that so far as the life of Christ prevails in his people so far doth the life of Christ produce these operations and it will bewail it self for its unlikeness to Christ in these particulars Object But you will say If the life of Christ produce these operations where shall we find the life of Christ If we look upon our selves we shall see sin and if we look upon other Christians where ever we look there is so little of this to be found that it is hard to say the life of Christ is in them Answ 1. To this I answer First of all I do confess that Christians do mightily come short of that which is their duty and therefore may take up a sad complaint and lamentation they may lament over their own hearts and lament over one another and bewail their case but yet let not them be disquiet for I shall shew you that the life of Christ may be in a soul that is not so conspicuous in all these particulars In way of answer if you say that this is the life of Christ the life of Christ is scarce to be sound in any man in the world 1. First of all Let me tell you the life of Christ is a hidden life It is hid from themselves that it is not discerned and as it is hid from themselves so it is hid from others that they cannot see the life of Christ in them and especially it 's hid from the men of the world from a carnal man there 's the life of Christ and the world cannot see it the world cannot see the in-side of a Christian he sees the out-side but he cannot see the in-side The Kings Daughters are all glorious within There are special times in which the life of Christ is hid in a Believer that there may be life though it may be others may not discern this life As 1. First of all When God begins his work in a soul the work of the Lord goes on gradually in the heart step after step You say Rome was not built in a day even so the new Jerusalem the beginnings of the life of Christ in a Christian they are very small sometimes they are scarce discerned and therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to a grain of Mustard seed which is the least of all seeds Ay but afterward it springs up and you must not judge of the beginnings but of the latter end the lattter end will be glorious it is with a young Christian as it is with an Infant in the womb when it begins first to live there is but a little and but a very weak motion that it can scarce be discerned whether it move or no so is the life of Christ it is like the tender plants and herbs that put forth in the spring they are hardly discerned hardly discerned from weeds though you look upon them though you pluck them though you smell them yet when they first put forth they do so smell of the earth smell of the soil as you cannot discern them why truly so it is with the work of God upon the spirits of his people
which his soul hates and yet that Word of the Lord doth conquer him and change him into his own likeness and so God leads his people to glory through a low way of suffering and when he brings them to the full possession of it he carries them through the dark entry through the dark narrow strait entry of death and through that place he leads them to the enjoyment of that glory which comes in by death I have no time for Application But Brethren consider it death is gain to those whose life Christ is but it is loss and the greatest loss that ever was met with unto those that have not Christ for their life I beseech you to look to your selves and to look about you before death comes when death comes you must venture such a venture as never was made you venture your souls and your Eternity and by that venture you are made or else you are marr'd to Eternity look about you examine Is death like to prove gain to you or no What assurance have you that death shall be gain I should press this further but the time is past already I shall reserve it for another time SERMON VII PHILIP 1. 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain YOU may remember the Point that we are insisting upon DOCT. That where Christ is life there death is gain I have opened the Point and shewed you wherein death is gain to believers in several particulars But I shall proceed in answering some Objections before I come to the Use Object It may be may some carnal heart say with Nicodemus how can these things be how is it possible that death should be gain when it strips a man of all his comforts turns him out of possession of House and Land it is no longer his if death comes it deprives him of all his friends he is left friendless it turns him naked out of the World and how is it possible that that should be gain Answ I Answer If there be not something beyond the Grave if a man hath not an Inheritance laid up in Heaven I grant it that death is the greatest loss of all for it robs a man of all comforts at once therefore I say if a man hath not a share in the Land of Promise if he hath not a more endurable substance in Heaven I grant that death is a great loss therefore what I say concerning those who are gainers by death it concerns them only that have interest in Christ and to them it is not loss to be stript of all comforts for why It puts them into possession of their Inheritance and what though death doth strip them of a few outward comforts It 's no great loss or it 's not considerable If a great Heir be gone home to his own Country if he gets to his own door his own house and his purse be taken from him what are a few pence It 's no great wrong because he hath now taken possession of an Inheritance that will bring him in a yearly Revenue thousands it may be the loss of his few pence from his purse is no great matter 2. Secondly Besides Whatsoever is lost in death it is no great matter to a gracious heart because the World is Crucified to him and he to the World before-hand I say however the World may look upon death as a loss yet a gracious heart doth not because the World is dead to him before-hand and if it be dead if it be a dead Carkass it is no great loss to part with it and though a man loves his Friend never so dearly as Sarah she was the beloved of Abraham Abraham's beloved wife and yet when death came Give me a burying place saies he that I may bury my dead out of my sight it was no matter to be parted with when she was dead and so saies a gracious heart of all the things of the World they are dead The world is crucified to me saies the Apostle and I to the World and therefore no great loss to him to part with them because they are dead to him 3. Thirdly Besides A believing soul shall find all to be made up in God abundantly whatsoever seems to be a loss shall be made up in Heaven with the presence of God and Christ Is there a loss of house and Land The Lord will be the dwelling place of his people throughout all Generations dost thou lose the light of the Sun the Lamb is the light of that City thou shalt find all relations in God Husband Wife Brother Sister whatever relation is broken by death it shall be made up in God he shall be their friend instead of all and you shall find the comfort of all relations made up in Heaven in Gen. 17. 7. I will be a God to thee it comprehends all relations that is Friends Father Husband Wife House Land all creature comforts whatsoever I will be a God to thee they are to be found in God Therefore whatsoever I say seems to be lost by death shall be made up in the enjoyment of God himself and of his Son Jesus Christ so much in answer to that But Object 2. Some poor hearts that are taken with this truth and with the great gain of Heaven will try out O Lord why do I live in this miserable world and why is light given to him that is in misery and why is life given to the bitter in Spirit Job 3. 20. I have heard of the gain of death and I cannot be content any longer in this vale of misery to be kept from my gain I know not how to bear it any longer O that the Lord would make haste and let loose his hand upon me and cut off this thread of my life Answ Now good Christian let me say a little to thee do not make too much hast do not make more hast than thy Father would have thee I remember the Apostle in Ephes 4. 26. saies Be angry and sin not so say I to thee desire death but sin not in thy desire every desire of death is not a good and a warrantable desire there is a holy desire of death and there is a sinful desire of death and have a care thou sinnest not Quest But you will say then How far may a man desire death When are his desires holy and when are they sinful This is a Case of Conscience that is very obvious and obnoxious to most of Gods people at one time or other and therefore I shall spend some time in answer First I shall shew you when a mans desires of death are sinful And secondly When they are holy and good 1. First of all Desires of death are Sinful when a man shall act any thing against his own life I say when a creature shall act any thing against his own life when a man or woman shall do any thing that shall shorten their own daies or when they shall refuse the
and lastly to say no more This desire of death must be with an indifferency to the Will of God though it be for never such good ends though a man desires death for lifes sake though he desire death that he may sin no more that he may be with Christ that he may lift up the name of God fully in Heaven yet if it be not with an indifferency to the Will of God it is not a holy and lawful desire and therefore the Apostle in the Text refers himself to the Will of God I am in a strait I know not what to do it is best for me to die I am in a strait I will not determine though I shall be deprived of my gain and be a loserby it yet it is no great matter if God may gain any thing by my life if his Church may gain any thing if any poor soul may gain any thing if God hath any further work for me I am content to live I know not what to choose saies he but I refer my self to God this makes the desires of death lawful When a man hath considered all and yet notwithstanding he knows death shall be gain to him yet he refers himself still to the Will of God If thou hast any service which may be for the good of thy people and for the advancement of thy name if thou hast any message though it is hard to keep from home if the Lord will have me do any service for him why I am willing When the desires of death are thus referred to the Will of God submitting to his Will whether by life or death thus are the desires of death holy and lawful Thus have I shown you when desires of death are sinful and when lawful The Application of the Point is yet behind SERMON VIII PHILIP 1. 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain THE Subject in hand is Gain and therefore I hope you that are wise Merchants will not be weary of it the whole World is for gain every man saies Who will shew us any good I have shewed you a great deal of gain that is by death for those that have interest in Christ and O that the Lord would make your hearts desirous to know how you shall get this gain how you may so live as that the great venture you make of death may be gain unto you But I shall prosecute that in its time You may remember the last day we spent most of the time in Answering a Question Whether it be lawful to desire death or no I told you there is a good desire and there is a sinful desire of death and I shewed you the differences But I shall wave repetition and come to the Application of the Point Vse 1. It lets us see what a fancy or conceit that is that men have taken up That the soul hath no existence without the body but that it ceases to be whenas the body is laid in the dust there is such a conceit that the soul sleeps or that it ceases to be until the day of Resurrection that God should give life again to the body This Text doth confute that opinion though it may be matter of temptation even to Gods own people if it were so then it should not be gain to die if the soul cease to be when separated from the body it should not be gain to die I might bring many places to confute this what think you of that in Luk. 23. 43. where Christ saies unto the good Thief This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise surely Christ speaks not of the body it could not be understood of the Grave that his body should rest in for to be with Christ in Paradise implies more Paradise was a place of pleasure it was a place in which Adam did enjoy the presence of God therefore certainly the soul hath existence when separated from the body the souls of the righteous are where they do enjoy the presence of God Again that in Rev. 6. 9 10. where it is said of them that are under the Altar they cryed out How long Lord holy and true will it be e're thou avenge our blood on them that dwell on the Earth Then the soul hath existence when it is out of the body for these souls cryed How long Lord It is true there are divers operations of the soul which do cease which do depend upon the operation of the body but there are many operations in the soul which the soul doth most excellently exercise notwithstanding its separation from the body the Apostle Paul was in a holy ecstasie as out of the body and when he was in the body it 's said His soul saw such things as were unutterable not to be seen nor heard But I shall not need to go any further to strengthen you against this temptation the Apostle in this Chapter saith I am in a strait between two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Where you may see first That the soul when it is separated from the body it doth not cease to be for it is only departed I desire to depart an active expression some Translate it to flinch or move to remove from one house to another or to be loosed or dissolved so some Translate it I desire to be set free from this my prison my soul is in prison while I am in the body now I desire to depart from this house to be fetch'd from this house to depart from this Prison and to be with Christ to depart and to be with Christ so then there is a being with Christ in a state of dissolution for the Apostle doth desire to be dissolved for this very end that when he was dissolved he might be with Christ there is a being with Christ there is an enjoyment of Christ in a state of dissolution Nay he saith It is far better he knew that he should enjoy more of Christ when he was gone he should have more intimate communion with the Lord Jesus in a state of separation than when he was in the body that condition was far better now I say if the soul do sleep if it ceases to be or to act or to enjoy Christ when it is separated from the body till the day of Resurrection why then he could not have said it is far better to die and to be with Christ But it may be said it is better to die because death frees from the miseries of life and so the Apostle might say It is better to die because death frees from the miseries of life because there is a rest and a cessation from the present troubles and turmoils in the world If there had been nothing else he could not have said It is better to die for I say to live to live the most afflicted life and the most troublesom life in the world is better than to die and to cease to be if there
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
you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly See that promise and make much of it Psalm 92. it 's a gracious promise and may tend through the blessing of God to quicken dead unfruitful hearts v. 12 13. the righteous shall flourish like a Palm tree he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God they shall bring forth fruit in old age they shall be fat and flourishing it 's a large promise they shall be fat and flourishing and they shall bring forth fruit in old age therefore you that complain of the deadness and unfruitfulness of your hearts look to the promise and say Oh Lord I have a dead heart my branches are withered I even despair of bringing forth fruit to God why don't look to thy own deadness look to the promise of God It 's said of Abraham he had a dead body or as good as dead in respect of begetting Children Rom. 4. yet he lookt to the promise v. 19 20. And being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when he was about an hundred years old neither the deadness of Sarahs womb he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in Faith giving glory to God he had a dead body and yet his faith was revived when he lookt to the promise of God he was confident that God who had promised was able to perform and thou that complainest of the deadness of thy heart don't look upon thine own heart but upon the promise God will declare his faithfulness and whatsoever he hath promised he will fulfill it Object But you will say how should we believe it we see the contrary how is this promise made good that the righteous shall bring forth fruit in old age don 't we see many times how the best Christians decay in old age which makes us even afraid to live to old age Answ Certainly the promise of God is made good they do flourish and bring forth fruit in old age an old Christian though he may not bring forth so much of some fruit yet he brings forth more of other fruit than young Christians do it may be there is not so much Zeal nor so much activitie for God ay but there may be more rootedness more stedfastness more establishment of heart the heart may be more rooted more grounded upon him this makes the fruit the more savoury the less of Self and the more of Christ is in him the more well pleasing is it to Gods taste Now I say that old Christians it 's true may decay in parts and gifts in utterance and expression and the like and yet may not decay in grace the inward man the hidden man in the heart that may wax strong and be more fresh green and fruitful 2. Secondly Again I say to this that young Christians may have more activitie but old Christians may have more Skill and therefore though they may not act as formerly yet there may be abundance of Skill in holy things as the wise man sayes remember thy creatour before old age comes before the daughters of musick fall low before the voice is gone he was able it may be to sing clear before yet now he may have as much skill and it may be more than ever though old and so of an old Christian this may be said that young Christians may bring forth more fruit but old Christians may bring forth sweeter fruit it 's so of older trees they bring forth sweeter fruit though not so much indeed as young trees why so old Christians that hold fast in their Integritie if they don't bring forth so much as the young tree yet they bring forth sweeter and pleasanter fruit and still the Lord is faithful in his promise the righteous bring forth fruit in old age and therefore look to the promise of the Lord and let this promise strengthen your faith 3. Thirdly Again Labour to grow up in grace the Lord loves to walk in his Orchard when there are fruitful trees he loves to bestow his pains upon them he will hedge them he will prune them he will spare no cost on his fruitful trees nay the Lord will not cut down his fruitful trees here 's great encouragement for Christians to bring forth much fruit in their Generation God doth spare those who bring forth much fruit God gave command in the book of Deuteronomie when as they went out to war Deut. 20. 19 When thou shalt besiege a City a long time in making war against it to take it thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an ax against them for thou mayest eat of them For the trees of the Field might be imployed in the siege the trees that brought forth no fruit those trees should be cut down but those that bear fruit shall not by Gods command be cut down you that are fruit-bearing trees the Lord takes special care of you the Lord will not cut down those trees the husbandman he comes and looks on a branch and sees no fruit he is ready to cut it down ay but if there comes one and spies a cluster on it if it be but one cluster don't cut it down surely it is not dead here is a cluster on it Oh the grace and goodness of God towards his people there is something of Christ found in such and therefore Lord cut them not down thus mercy pleads Well then you that belong to Christ bring forth much fruit If you ask me how I answer look to God the great husbandman he is such a husbandman as he knows how to make you fruitful Paul plants and Apollo waters but God gives the encrease look to the Lord be willing to submit unto God in whatsoever way God shall deal with you be willing that the Husbandman should prune you launce you that he should cut off your unsound branches Submit unto Gods wayes of affliction though they be never so hard the Lord he can by them make you fruitful The rain it makes wayes dirtie but in time it makes grounds fruitful The Lord he can make thy trees fruitful and the herbs that he hath sowen and planted in thy heart fruitful therefore submit unto Gods wayes and get nigher to Christ as ever thou desirest to be fruitful the branches that are nearest the root those branches bring forth most fruit Christ is the root and you that are in Christ cleave more to him and let your dependance be on him The nigher you are to him the more fruit you shall bring forth 4. Fourthly The fourth and last thing and I have done Let Christians be like unto Christ in this that they be Apple-trees in the midst of the wood Christ he was an Apple-tree among bryars and thorns in the world Oh that Christians would be like unto Christ in this It was the great commendation of Lot Enoch Moses
Josiah David and others that lived in an evil age yet their hearts were upright for God and truly though their services be hard service and though Gods people be in an evil world yet in heaven they shall lift up God without opposition and thought it be here with opposition yet still it makes the Name of God Glorious to bring forth fruit when all the world is unfruitful or hath nothing but wild fruit this is their commendation There are some professors they will be Apple-trees among the Apple-trees but when they are among the trees of the wood then they 'l be crab-trees Christ though in the midst of the wood he was sweet and delightful fruit though compassed about with sinners well look unto Christ to keep up your savoury fruit that God may taste it that you may still bring forth sweet and pleasant fruit though compassed about with Wild trees And so much for this time SERMON IV. CANT 2. 3. I sat down under His Shadow with great delight and His Fruit was sweet to my Taste YOu heard in the former part of the verse that the Lord Jesus is compared to an Apple-tree in the midst of the trees of the wood and I prest it upon you the last day that you should be like unto Christ Choose to be fruit-bearing trees it 's better to be a fruitful tree than to be a tall Cedar or a mighty Oak I proceed to what remains You have heard of the tree Now consider the two resemblances in which Christ is compared unto the Apple-tree Here is a Specification or an Illustration of the Simile First Here is an Apple-tree for the nature And secondly for the fruit so that these words hold forth 1. First How Beneficial Christ was and how Beneficial he is as he is a tree And 2. Secondly What use the believing soul makes of him First He is beneficial for his shadow that 's delightful a pleasant delightful shadow Secondly Then he is beneficial for his fruit his fruit that is sweet also now the use that the believing Soul makes of Christ is First It sits down under his shadow I sat down under his shadow with great delight Secondly It eats of his fruit His fruit was sweet to my taste So that both his shadow and his fruit is exceeding pleasant and delightful to the believing Soul The words have two several readings Some read them thus In his shadow I delight and sit down I desired and sat down in his shadow Or in his shadow I desired to sit I desired that I might sit down for the word signifies both desire and delight now I take it so I desired that I might sit down It holds forth 1. First the Vehemence of affection which is in the believers heart to Christ the mighty strong desire the breathings and pantings the desires of a gracious heart are carried out strongly after Christ Ps 42. 1 2. they are the expressions of mighty strong desires vehement desires after God as the hart panteth after the water brooks so doth my Soul after thee O God my soul thirsts after God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God! so Isa 64. 1. the Church expresses her strong desires after God Oh that thou wouldest rent the heavens and that thou wouldst come down that the mountains might flow down at thy presence the expressions of vehement desires after Christ it 's like the desire of a Servant or labouring Man after the shadow so Job expresses it Job 7. 2. he sets down what desire the labouring man hath as a servant earnestly desireth the shadow and as a hireling looketh for the reward of his work he thirsts after it he breaths after it when a man desires and breaths after a thing he draws in the air he sucks and pants after it such is the desire of a poor Soul 2. It doth not hold forth only vehemence of desire but it holds forth constancy of desire I desire that I may sit down she was sat but she desired to sit still I desire to sit longer and to continue under the shadow as a man that sits under a shadowy place at ease he is loth to be disturbed One thing have I desired of the Lord says David Psal 27. his desires were like unto the desires of the Spouse here v. 4. one thing have I desired of the Lord and that will I seek after all the dayes of Life to behold the beautie of the Lord and to enquire in his temple David desired all his dayes to sit under the Ordinance that he might behold the beautie of God I shall look towards the other reading which is more known I sat down under his shaddow with delight Or I delighted and sat down under his shadow and his fruit was sweet to my taste She had a great delight as her desires were strong so her delight was good When a Soul finds Christ it alway finds a Sweetness in him which is proportionable to all its desires It 's not so in the things of the world a man may have strong desires after vanities and creature comforts but when he enjoyes them he can take no delight in them but it is not so in the enjoyment of Christ the delight is proportionable to the desire of the Soul nay it 's more in Christ than it expected it 's able to say as the Queen of Sheba did of Solomon I heard a great deal of thy wisdom said she but the half was not told me I shall clear up two things in the words 1. First shew you what this shadow is that the spouse sat under 2. Secondly What is it to sit under this shadow 1. First What is the shadow the Spouse sat under with so much delight they are either natural or metaphorical you know what a natural shadow is it 's a darker or obscurer light which is caused by the Interposition of your body betwixt the eye and the sun when the Trees or the Mountains stand betwixt you and the Sun they cast a shadow towards you now there are shadows of the night and shadows of the day indeed night is nothing else but a shadow a great shadow nothing but the shadow of the earth the earth coming betwixt the Sun and us therefore the shadow the night it 's a privation of light and therefore it 's terrible the shadows of the night are dreadful to nature because it 's a privation of light but the shadow of Christ is not the shadow of the night for his shadow is no dreadful shadow indeed it 's like the shadow of the night for the largeness of it because the shadow that Christ casts it reaches the whole earth over it 's a mighty large shadow that thousands and ten thousands of poor weary souls may sit under and so indeed it resembles the shadow of the night but it 's not the shadow of the night it 's a comfortable shadow a delightful shadow it 's the shadow of the day it 's