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
there is no danger in striving to be eminent in grace in striving to get nearer to God and to walk close with God this is the very glory of Heaven it 's worth the seeking after My Brethren press hard to get more nigh to God to stick close to God it 's the glory of heaven heaven differs only in degrees from that which is given out to the Saints here it 's the same in essence it 's the glory of heaven to know God to enjoy God to walk with God To follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes it 's the glory of heaven and therefore I beseech you that you would now look upon it as your glory to follow God fully as your glory to follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes 2. Vse In the second place It may be a word of incouragement unto poor Christians weak Christians you that are sensible you are not the Enochs of your Generation Oh the distance that is in your spirits you see betwixt God and you Are you pressing on after God why then let me say to you That you have the same for essence that the best of the Saints have though you have not the same in degree I say you that have the least interest in Christ you have the same for essence which the best Saints on earth have and the same which the spirits of just men made perfect in heaven have the difference is only in degrees it 's not in kind and therefore press on hard that you may have more of it It 's not impossible that you should come to the same height with them because the difference is only in degrees it 's not in kind It 's true where there is nothing but gifts and parts there the difference is in kind If a man hath the most excellent parts in the world he can never attain unto that which a Christian hath parts can never attain unto grace but the least measure of grace may grow up to the greatest in time for the difference is only in degree The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a grain of Mustard seed why a grain of Mustard seed when it 's sown you know how little it is but it grows up to a great height where there is rooting in Christ where there is a principle of grace in any soul there shall be a growth and that soul shall never leave growing till it grow higher and higher as tall as heaven it self and there it hath its full growth and its full perfection But let me tell you that say you shall never be eminent in your Generation let me say thus to you You have the same Mediator that the chiefest of the Saints have even you that are weakest all they have comes through his hand and it 's for his sake you have the same Mediator that they have Oh why do you not improve this Mediator more that more may be given out through him If you were more in improving and more in waiting upon him seeing you have the same Mediator you shall have the same welcom in heaven with the most choice of Saints you have the same Fountain to go unto and therefore do not say you shall never be eminent in your Generation you have the same fountain All we from his fulness receive grace for grace the choicest have nothing but what they receive from Christ and his fulness and the same fountain is as full for you as for them nay there is the same freedom of access for you as for them there 's the same freeness in Christ to be given out to you it 's a fountain set open set open for Judas and for Jerusalem it 's set open for the weakest that they may come and drink and be cheared in their spirits nay let me tell you that the heart of Christ is more careful of you than of others the heart of Christ is most careful of his weak ones Oh what provision doth he make for them Simon Peter dost thou love me why then keep my Lambs if thou lovest me Peter by all the love thou bearest to me then take care of my weak ones Feed my Lambs and he takes care himself great care in Isa 40. 11 12. it 's said there what Christ the good Shepherd shall do that He shall gather the Lambs with his arms and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young there is the special care that Christ takes of you that are weak Nay Further for your incouragement let me tell you that there is the same blessing upon you that is upon the strongest of those Saints that God hath upon the earth therefore there is way made for your growth and increase when God makes the new creature when ever he brings forth the new creature he blesses it as when he created the World he gave it his blessing Increase and Multiply and so to the Trees Be fruitful and so where ever the new creature is there is the special blessing of the Creator goes along with it he saith to them all Be fruitful and multiply be fruitful in old age and in Rev. 22. 11. Let him that is holy be holy still there 's a blessing upon every righteous holy man though never so weak let him be holy still oh let him be more holy let him increase in holiness and righteousness there 's the blessing of Christ in the New Testament oh wait and look for this blessing and know that the blessing of Christ is prevalent the Curse of Christ is heavy it made the Figg-tree die to the very root wither to the very roots but the blessing of Christ can make roots that are withered to spring up and flourish But again to say no more for your incouragement Consider what promises the Lord hath made to the weak to those that are weak of strength which promises are in a special manner to be accomplished in the latter daies as in Zach. 12. 8. In that day shall the Lord defend the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God as the Angel of the Lord before them Zachariah saith that there 's a time a coming that the weak and feeble shall be as David and they who are as David shall be as the Angel of the Lord. David I told you was a choice man in his Generation he was a man after Gods own heart that walked with God most part of his life he was strong to do great things for God now he that is weak shall be as David and he that is as David shall be made strong as the Angel of the Lord. When you are in the midst of the sense of your weakness look upon these promises and desire the Lord that he would hasten the accomplishment of them Well then I beseech you suffer me to press this upon you that you would labour to get as nigh God as possible you may get
Servant and Master I shall not speak largely of all these it would be too large a Subject I shall only now give you some hints what that gracious person is that walks with God as Enoch did and how he carries it in those several Relations To begin with the Relation of the Wife and Husband hath God set such a person in the Relation of a Wife you shall behold her gracious carriage First of all She looks upon her Husband as her head and submits unto him as one that is set over her in the Lord she knows that there is a priority and a dignity that God hath put upon her husband the man was first and then the woman and therefore she submits unto him in all lawful things though in some respects he may seem to be inferiour to her though she brought more wealth though her birth be more honourable though her parts be more ripe yet she submits unto him as one that God hath set over her nay though he may seem unworthy to rule and unworthy of the dignity yet she submits for the Lords sake because it is the Ordinance and Command of God There are divers things in this submission which are seen in a gracious woman that walks with God As 1. First She thinks and speaks honourably of her Husband and speaks honourably unto him you know what was Mary's carriage to Joseph though she might seem to be above him she saies Thy Father and I have sought thee She doth not say My Father and I but Thy Father and I have sought thee and so the Apostle Peter speaks graciously of such gracious women that speak honourably to their Husbands in 1 Pet. 3. 6. he doth exhort women to imitate Sarah Sarah obeyed her husband and called him Lord. Again As she speaks honourably to him and of him so she labours to please him in all lawful things to conform her self as much as may be unto her husbands disposition to win him with her love and gracious carriage she also receives his counsels and is willing to submit to his reproofs in all things lawful because she looks upon him as one that the Lord hath set over her to be head Again 2. Secondly She looks upon her self as one that the Lord hath given unto her that she might be a meet help unto him this is another part of the gracious carriage in a woman she looks upon her self as one that is given to be a meet help unto her husband and therefore she desires to do him good all his daies so saies Solomon when he speaks of this vertuous woman in Prov. 21. 12. She will do him good and not evil all the daies of his life she endeavours to help him and to do him good in his soul body and estate she 'll do him good in every condition in affliction in low conditions when the hand of the Lord is upon him if the hand of the Lord be stretched out against his estate and bring him low she submits unto it and will not upbraid but comfort him and be content to take part with him in his affliction and low condition and all this she doth as unto the Lord because of the Ordinance of the Lord and thus you see how such a person as walks with God carries it in the Relation of a wife Well if God set such a person in the relation of a Husband you shall find him also walking with God in that relation he loves his wife dearly and he loves her especially for that of God he sees in her though he dare not love the creature immediately nor rejoice nor delight in the creature because he knows that's Idolatry yet he loves that which he sees of God in her and under God he loves her next to God with the dearest love That that is the most near relation it 's nearer than the Relation of Father and Mother Sons and Daughters this is not only a natural but supernatural relation it is a Mystical relation and there 's a great deal of God in making two to become one and therefore I say of that love which is due to and which he may give unto the creature he gives unto her the greatest share as being the nearest relation and because he loves her you shall see how he carries himself towards her 1. First He loves her soul in the first place and therefore it is that he mostly desires to do her good in her spirit therefore it is that he instructs and prays with her and for her that so the Lord may do her good in the inward man his dearest love is toward her best part and therefore he rejoices most in that when he sees the work of God upon her heart when they can live together as heirs co-heirs of the grace of life as the Apostle speaks that is it that he takes the most contentment in Again 2. Secondly Also because he loves her he won't be bitter to her he will remember that rule in Col. 3. 19. Husbands love your Wives and be not bitter against them he will not be bitter in word nor action he considers her weakness looks upon her as the weaker vessel and therefore he will not break her if he must chide and fight it shall be with himself and with those lusts that are within him and war against his soul and not with that relation that the Lord hath given to be such a wife and such a comfort unto him in this his Pilgrimage 3. Again Because he loves her he will defend her this is another part of his gracious carriage he will be a veil for a covering to her so Abimelech told Sarah Lo thy husband is a covering to thee where ever thou goest he will right her cause against all wrongs and injuries in a lawful way so far as he is able 4. Again He covers her weaknesses that 's another part of his carriage he remembers that rule that is given unto husbands Husbands love your Wives in Ephes 5. 25. as Christ loved his Church Why Christ covered the infirmities of the Church though there be a great deal amiss yet he puts his raiment upon her when ever he presents his people unto his Father he presents them as if there were no spot in them as if they were holy and perfect Thou art all fair my love saies he and there is no spot in thee Why so this man that walks with God won't blaze abroad the infirmities of his Wife but is willing to cover them for he knows what the Lord Jesus hath covered in respect to him 5. Again Fifthly Because he loves her he will maintain her that she may want no conveniencies according to his rank and the condition that God hath set him in he won't keep her short of necessaries but provide both for her necessity and dignity he won't spend all her portion and then turn her out of doors to provide for her self he won't keep her short that she shall have
further declining and so Jehosapbat did take part with a wicked King and the Lord did shorten his daies in abundance of love 5. Again Fifthly God will shorten the daies of his servants when they are enabled to do much in a little time when he hath caused them to run amain after himself to follow him hard and so through his grace have done the work of their Generation in a little time then the Lord shortens the daies of their dwelling in the body in abundance of love when their work is done the sooner their work is done the sooner they are at rest the Lord will not keep his people longer from their rest than needs must he knows that their daies are as the daies of an Hireling as Job speaks full of labour full of toyl and full of trouble full of disquietness and hurryings no rest therefore so soon as ever they have done their work God takes them he loves to have his children bettered he won't put them to School longer than needs must when he hath trained them up for heaven he presently sends for them home he hath longing desires to see them Christ would have all his children round about him and therefore when he hath caused them to do his work in a little time he will then send for them That where I am you may be also I am gone to prepare a place for you and I will come again and receive you to glory It shews how the Lord Christ doth hasten he hath longing desires to see them I am gone away and I come again as soon as ever the work is done he will not stay a minute when he hath fitted glory for them and fitted them for glory I will come I 'le come again and take you to my self he longs for them and causes their hearts also to be breathing mightily after him and therefore they shall not be absent from the Lord longer than needs must but when he hath caused them to do the work of their Generation he will take them away in abundance of love and mercy There are some Objections to Answer as concerning long life as a blessing but so much for this time SERMON XI GEN. 5. 24. And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him HE was not for God took him I opened the phrase to you the last day God took him to Communion with himself to near Communion the Saints whilst in the body are at a distance from God Whilst we are present in the body we are absent from the Lord saith the Apostle though God do now and then visit them yet for the most part they are absent from God they are put out to School and here God will have his people trained up for Heaven but when that change comes which is spoken of why then God is said to take them he takes them home he takes them into nighest fellowship and communion with himself For God took him the phrase holds forth that fulness of glory which the Saints are translated out of this world into God dwells here in them but they dwell in God they here are depressed in their spirits through the weight of corruption it't but a little they are able to hold of God Ay but in Heaven there God takes them he takes them in to himself Well done good and faithful servant enter into the joy of thy Master enter into it they shall be as so many vessels that are cast into fulness of love life and glory they shall be filled full to the brim God took him It holds forth also the freeness of grace in receiving in any even the best must enter in at this door of free-grace and no otherwise though Enoch had walked with God so many years three hundred sixty and five yet it 's free-grace if God will receive Enoch at last there are so many slips so many failings there are so many declinings so many turnings aside there is so much crookedness in the walks of the best of the Saints that if God should deal with them in the rigour of his Justice he might refuse them and therefore it 's grace it 's free-grace that they are received there 's no other door they are to enter in at I also considered the last time when it was that Enoch was taken when did God take him After he had lived three hundred sixty and five years which was a short time a very short time in that Age when the Patriarchs lived seven hundred eight hundred nine hundred almost a thousand years Enoch a gracious man one that walked with God and yet he lived not half the years of those Generations and of his son that came after him God many times shortens the daies of his servants in love I told you what are those times in which he shortens the daies of his servants in love and mercy 1. First When their lives are full of extraordinary warrings when more than ordinary burdens are laid upon them some have fiercer combatings with Satans temptations than others and some have heavier burdens both of corruptions and of afflictions than others I am a man that have seen affliction saies Jeremiah as if none besides him had seen affliction now many times God shortens the daies of his servants in love when their combatings have been extraordinary with corruptions and temptations and the burden of their affliction heavy it 's true the Lord could deliver them some other way open some other way besides the door of the Grave he could make them conquerours but the Lord in wisdom sees it best for some of his servants so long as they are in the body in this condition it 's needful for them so long as they are in the body to be grappling with their corruptions and temptations fightings and buffetings and therefore you ought not to call for death because of your afflictions and because of your temptations for the Lord is pleased many times in wisdom to take this way to bring in full deliverance to his servants And 2. Secondly When his servants live in a very evil time in a corrupt Generation then the Lord is pleased to shorten the daies of his servants in love It was a corrupt time that Enoch lived in before the Flood the earth was degenerated and violence covered the face of the earth before the Flood came and then it was mercy for Enoch to be taken away betimes the Lord knows what a burden it is for his servants to live at such a time when wickedness abounds and so the Lord delivers many of his servants by shortening of their course Again 3. Thirdly When great Judgements are coming upon them either upon their Families or upon the Kingdom and place that they live in God hath then sometimes shortened the daies of his servants as God when he intended to bring destruction upon Jeroboam's Family then cut short the daies of one of his Children Because some good thing was found in him towards the
Lord God of Israel God cut them off every man but he went to his grave in peace that he might not see that desolation and so good Josiah when he was young the Lord was pleased to take away him because of that Captivity which presently came upon the Jews after his being taken away And 4. Again Fourthly The Lord doth shorten the daies of his servants not because the seed of Faith should perish that doth abide for ever I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not Ay but the actings of their Faith may decline and Christians may grow dead and lose their first love may fall off and they may fall into Scandals and a blurr to their Conscience and profession now many times the Lord to prevent this doth shorten the daies of some of his servants As I gave Instances of King Jehosaphat and Asa began to imprison and to oppose and he might have done a great deal of evil but God smites him with a disease in his feet and he died and it was in love to his soul But again 5. Fifthly God loves his servants and therefore when they have done much in a little time and long for his appearance O! when shall I come and appear before thee So he calls alike for them he hath longing desires to see them when they have done the work of their Generation he will take them to himself in abundance of love and mercy Object But you will say Is not long life a blessing Hath not God promised to give long life to his servants in Prov. 10. 27. The fear of the Lord prolongeth daies and so see what Job saies Job 5. 27. Thou shalt come to thy Grave in a full age like to a Shock of Corn brought in in good season Now how is this promise made good that God takes away some of his servants in the midst of their daies How then do they come to the fulness of their daies as in age as a Shock of Corn in its full season To this I may answer in divers things which you may lay up for your satisfaction 1. First of all This may seem to be an Old Testament Promise the Promise of the Old Testament or Old Covenant for before the coming of Jesus Christ God walked more in this way of temporal promises and temporal blessings and happily though there may come a time again when God shall walk in this way and give out both temporal and spiritual yet now Gods present dispensation since the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh it 's more spiritual he gives out more spirituals and less of temporals he gives out more of his own glory which he hath pleased to reveal in and through Jesus Christ and that which he gives out now unto his servants in spirituals may abundantly recompence the absence of all temporal mercies whatsoever But 2. Again Secondly That these Promises are conditional all outward promises promises of riches and honour of health and children and promises of long life these are all conditional God hath not promised them absolutely but with this limitation so far as he in infinite wisdom and fatherly love and care shall see to be good for them so far the Lord will fulfill any yea all those temporal promises which are given out so far as the Lord shall see to be good for them and therefore if the Lord doth take away his servants any of his servants betimes in the midst of their daies and don 't give out these blessings of long life it 's because the Lords sees it's best for them they are strangers here and it 's not good for them that they should be long from home he sees it in his wisdom I say to be best for them because their daies are evil it 's mercy that their daies are few God in wisdom put both these together few and evil saies old Jacob in Gen. 47. 9. Few and evil have the daies of the years of my life been and I have not attained unto the daies of the years of the life of my Fathers in the daies of their Pilgrimage few and evil the Lord sees it's good that they should be few because they are evil In Job 14. 1. Man that is born of a woman is of few daies and full of trouble what a mercy is it that God hath put these together few daies and full of trouble he is full of trouble trouble from within and trouble from without he is troubled with corruption temptation affliction with the sin of others with the dishonour that is brought to God in the world now when he is full of trouble it 's mercy that his daies are few That 's a second Answer 3. But again Thirdly I must say to that Objection concerning the promise of long life to the Saints that this promise is made good to a gracious man or woman when God takes them away they are full of daies he shall die in a full age saies Job Full of daies why a gracious man is full of daies because he is full of grace he is full of holiness and goodness and therefore he hath filled up his daies A wicked man when God cuts him off he is never full of daies in this respect his daies are empty his daies are full of vanity full of sin they are spent as a shadow but a gracious man is full of goodness he is fully ripe he is ripe for heaven he is ripe for the grave at that time when God cuts him down for he is Gods Husbandry God won't cut down his Corn before it be ripe if he cut off betimes he ripens betimes he will cause them to fulfill their daies God will fill their daies full of grace and holiness 4. Again Fourthly We may see that this promise is made good for a gracious man hath enough of life when God calls him to die he hath enough of life so that he is not taken away before his time why because he hath enough of life It is enough saies the Prophet Lord it is enough therefore take me away I am no better than my Fathers even so God causeth his people to say though he takes them away betimes yet they shall say Lord it is enough I have enough of life I have enough of the world I see nothing desirable here nothing that may provoke me to live longer here and therefore if the Lord say It is enough he 'll say it 's enough too But this won't the wicked man he will never say he hath enough let him live an hundred years twice thrice told yet he 'll never have enough the righteous come to the Grave but the wicked is dragg'd and haled to his Grave he is not a Volunteer to his Grave And therefore here is the promise made good if God satisfie the hearts of his people and enable them to say Lord I have enough enough of the world here and if thou pleasest to expire my daies I can say I have enough I
for the commonness as well as for the usefulness of that fruit that none might plead Ignorance that they might not plead excuse that none might say he was such a fruit as none could buy that they could not come at No Christ would be resembled unto that which is common that he might be held forth freely unto poor lost sinners under the Gospel 5. And then fifthly and lastly He is set forth by the Apple-tree for the variety of fruits which it does bring forth and do grow upon this Tree There is no Tree that brings forth such variety of fruit How many sorts several kinds of Apples they are almost innumerable And truly in this respect Christ is the Apple-tree because of those innumerable precious Gifts and Graces which do grow upon him The fulness of the Spirit was poured out upon him it made him to bring forth fruits of all kinds He is the only begotten Son of God full of Grace and Truth There can be no excellency nor no perfection named which is not to be found in the Son of God they all do concenter and meet in him I shall say no more at this time but leave the Metaphor unto your consideration think of it The Lord Jesus was pleased to be resembled to an Apple-tree And what great condescension of Love is this that he should stoop down so low to set forth himself under such a mean comparison that we might know what goodliness and sweetness are in him Abundance of the love of Christ is held forth in this that he should choose to be set forth by such a Tree as this is by the Apple-tree you see the Lord Jesus Christ would rather choose a Fruitful Tree than a Great Tree than a Strong Tree he having such a delight in being Vseful in being Serviceable in Bringing forth Fruit unto his Father Fruit that should be for the good of the Sons of men And therefore let us look to Christ and labour to imitate Christ the Lord he delights in a fruitful Tree rather than in a Tall Tree or in a Strong Tree it 's the Greatest Commendation that can be to be Fruitful and Serviceable to bring forth Fruit to God and our Generation Christ chose this and let us choose it too and let us look to God who is the Husband-man who makes all this Trees to be fruitful Trees in his due time So much for this time SERMON II. CANT 2. 3. At the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons I sat down under His Shadow with great delight and His Fruit was sweet to my Taste I Have made entrance the last day Here is a double comparison the Sons of men are compared to the Trees of the Wood The Son of God is compared to the Apple-tree among those Trees I shall add a fifth particular wherein the resemblance holds 5. Christ here is set forth as the Apple-tree It seems to relate to the fruit of that Tree that Man did eat in Paradise which in all probability was a kind of Apples And herein we call to mind how man lost his happiness where it was that man undid himself how sin came into the World by eating of the forbidden fruit as also it holds forth that Christ hath taken away that Curse all the bitterness and wrath for his people which was the fruit of Adams transgression There was man undone at first under the Apple-tree there he lost himself and God and Happiness And therefore Christ will be an Apple-tree as shall bring forth better Fruit the Fruits of Peace Joy Life and Salvation for his people See what is said Cant. 8. 5. Who is this that cometh up from the Wilderness leaning upon her Beloved I raised thee up under the Apple-tree There thy Mother brought thee forth there she brought forth that bare thee Some make it to be the words of the Spouse to Christ I raised thee up under the Apple-tree She looks up to Christ and saith Lord I took hold of thy Boughs I took hold of thy Covenant I took hold of thy Promise by Faith and Prayer there I raised thee up He rose up to be a help and deliverer of his people But others make them to be the Words of Christ Christ speaks unto his Spouse Vnder the Apple-tree there I raised thee up It should seem to have a reference to the Tree which was the Occasion of Mans fall Thou lost thy self under the Apple-tree there was thy fall there did the Devil thrust down Man Adam and all his posterity Well says Christ I 'le be an Apple-tree and under this Apple-tree I 'le raise thee up again under this Apple-tree thou shalt be comforted thou shalt be saved I 'le raise thee up again The Lord Jesus he came to undo the works of Satan because Satan had undone the Works of his Father and spoiled the whole creation with sin and therefore thus will Christ be avenged of him Christ will be such an Apple-tree that will bring forth that fruit which shall be the destruction of Satan the destruction of Death and Hell which were brought into the World by the disobedience of Man under the Tree So then I say this may be held forth 1. First That the Lord would have his people remember what they lost in Adam by their disobedience and then the Lord would have them remember the Lord Jesus he hath taken away all that curse and all that wrath which was the desert of mans disobedience so that it shall not be poured upon believers And so much for the comparison betwixt Christ and the Apple-tree 2. It 's said further That he is as the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood. The next work then is to enquire after that comparison Why is Christ said to be the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood Why not among the Trees of the Garden There is much in this comparison receive it with Attention for I shall be but short in this work 1. First of all It holds forth That the Lord Jesus took the same Nature that we have he became man he took upon him the Nature of man It 's true he was not a wild Tree but he was a Tree as well as the rest of the Trees in the Wood he was of the same Substance with them he had the same Body the same Bark the same Rind the same out-side that other Trees had he was in all things made like unto us we read in Heb. 2. 14 17. For as much then as the Children are partakers of Flesh and Blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that though death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful high Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the People c. It was needful that he should be
dog Save me from the Lyons mouth for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns And in divers other Psalms which he made of Christ and in divers other respects Christ is compared to a tree a tree of the forest Again 6. Sixthly He is a tree in the forest an Apple-tree in the forest for that unexpected comfort and relief that the Lord Jesus doth afford for poor souls unexpected comfort and relief when a man hath been travelling all the day long in a forest or wood hungry and dry and thirsty he casts his eye upon a well laden Apple-tree full of goodly fruit Oh how welcome is it and so much the more welcome because he did not expect to find such a tree there and so it is with poor creatures how many are there wandering up and down in the world hungry and thirsty and ready to faint then doth Christ step in seasonably then doth Christ present himself unto poor souls as an Apple-tree laden with delighful fruit he sayes Poor soul thou shalt not famish I will not suffer thee to famish come take and eat of my fruit and let thy soul for ever be satisfied in me Now the unexpectedness of the mercy doth heighten the mercy I had thought I should never have seen thy face says Jacob to Joseph and now God hath shewed it to me Surely Hagar was mightily taken with that fountain or well that was shewen to her in the wilderness when she was ready to perish when she had given over her child for lost and there was no water to give then for the well to be shewen her surely this was a very welcome thing to her and so when the soul is ready to faint how often doth Christ present himself as a well in the wilderness and as an Apple-tree in the midst of the wood or forest and how pleasant and comfortable is that But again 7. Seventhly In the next place He is said to be an Apple-tree among the Trees of the wood because of the freeness of Christ it holds forth much of the freeness of Christ in bestowing of himself upon poor creatures an Apple-tree among the Trees of the wood that 's free for every man for every man to take of and eat of If an Apple-tree be in a garden or an Orchard a man may see it a great way off and can't taste of it he may desire it and his stomach may be for it but he despairs of it because it 's none of his but an Apple-tree in a wood that 's free for all for all that pass by there 's none excluded but he that wants may go and take and eat of the fruit of it It holds forth much of the fruit of Christs love he is not only an Apple-tree in the wood but he is an Apple-tree in the forest and therefore those tenders of grace that are held forth Isaiah 55. 1 2 3. See there what invitation is made Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price c. yea though a man has no money yet he may come and drink of this water and eat of the fruit of this Tree That 's a seventh particular 8. Eightly But again in the Eighth place Christ is said to be a Tree among the Trees of the wood Because there are very few that go forth to seek Christ and few there are that find him and seed upon him by faith An Apple-tree that is in the midst of the forest how few are there that feed on that Tree It may be God by a special providence directs a poor weary hungry traveller a weary man to that Tree but how few are there that go to seek it Men that have an Orchard at home will hardly go to the wood Men that have Orchards of their own Trees growing at home they will not go abroad they which were invited to the feast you know they would not come they had enough they had no need of Christ as they thought and therefore they would take no pains The Lord by his special grace must direct the poor soul to Christ or else it 's impossible they should come to him indeed men will not come to Christ ye will not come to me sayes Christ that I may give you life In all these respects Christ is said here to be an Apple-tree among the Trees of the wood And therefore to conclude with one word of Application Vse This lets us see the usefulness and desirableness of Jesus Christ What 's more useful and desirable in your Orchard than the Apple-tree If a man hath never so many Trees in his Orchard he never thinks his Orchard compleat except he hath some Apple-trees Oh that the Lord would perswade your hearts to look unto the Apple-tree look to get the Apple-tree into your Orchard get Christ into your hearts Oh he is an useful and desirable Tree Let me tell you the benefit of it in a word or two It will be a comfortable shelter to you The Apple-tree that is Planted in your Orchard it will keep off a storm from your house Christ in the heart is a comfortable shelter to the poor soul Oh how many a storm of wrath and indignation which blowes from Heaven and Christ keeps it off from the poor Soul Nay again Let me tell you that this Apple-tree it 's a Tree of Life and therefore worth the seeking after that you may get him planted in your garden I say it 's a Tree of Life whosoever eats of this Tree lives for ever Your fathers they did eat Manna in the wilderness sayes Christ and they are dead John 6. 58. but he that eats of the bread that I shall give him shall never die sayes he he shall live for ever it must needs be so for Christ he is a Tree of Life Again He is not only a Tree of Life but he is a Tree of knowledge and therefore worth the seeking aften You read in Genesis 3. of the Tree of knowledge that was in the midst of the garden which the woman lookt upon and it was very desirable for three things 6. vers The woman saw that the Tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eye and a Tree to be desired to make one wise she took of the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also to her husband Truly all this is to be found in Christ he is good for food ye heard before they that eat of him shall live for ever He is pleasant to the eye Oh how beautiful is he in his Nature and in his person thou art fairer than the Children of men and he is desirable to make one wise he that feeds upon Christ is made wise indeed he that knows Christ is the wisest man in the world it 's Christ that opens the eye the eating of Christ this Tree opens the eyes and makes
Scepter as Ahashuerus did his golden scepter to Hester come in Hester says he so says Christ Poor Soul come let him come in and drink of the water of life freely And so as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead that you would be reconciled unto him That 's a second fruit that grows on Christs heart Again 3. Thirdly there are affections that grow upon Christs heart sympathizing affections Oh! how tender is he of his people he suffers when they suffer he bears the leaviest end of the burden in all their afflictions he was afflicted and therefore he is called a merciful High Priest and he is one that knows how to have compassion and how to be tender see Heb. 5. 1 2. for every High Priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sin who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity He can have compassion he is able to have compassion he hath a compassionate disposition within him he knows how to pity them when ignorant and when they are out of the way he knows how to portion out grace to every of his peoples conditions he knows how to sympathize with them in their burdens for he was compassed about with our Infirmities he knows well what afflictions are and what temptations to sin are and he best knows how to compassionate his people these compassions are a gracious fruit growing in Christs heart 4. Fourthly But then again there are thoughts of delight in Christs heart Oh how doth he rejoyce over his people with joy with great joy He doth solace himself in their communion I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys as the lily among thorns so is my love among the daughters she is unto him as the lily among thorns let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely the expressions of the great delight that Christ takes in his people this is the fruit of Christs heart 2. Secondly There is the fruit of his lips not onely the fruit of his heart is exceeding delightful but the fruit of his lips is exceeding sweet see Isa 57. 19 I create the fruit of the lips Peace peace to him that is afar off and to him that is nigh saith the Lord and I will heal him peace it 's a fruit of Christs lips as there are thoughts of peace in his heart so there are words of peace in his mouth for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speak therefore it 's said that the tongue of the learned is given to him the Lord hath given to him the tongue of the learned and he knows how to speak a word in season there is none in all the world can speak a word in season to the wounded Soul but Christ his lips are like unto the lilies dropping sweet-smeling myrrhe every promise in the Gospel is a fruit of the lips of Christ and Oh! how sweet and refreshing is this fruit how delightful is the least promise of Christ if he be pleased to bring it home to the soul it stays it as with flaggons of wine when Christ shall bring home a promise to the Soul else a promise will do us no good will be of no use to us for all the promises of God they are in him yea and in him Amen all the promises they grow upon this tree and it 's most precious fruit if you will take Davids commendation of it he eat and commended it Psal 19. 10. more to be desired are they than gold yea than much fine gold he speaks of the word of the Lord the promises of the Lord they are sweeter than the honey nay take it when it is at the sweetest when it is in the Comb the word of the Lord goes beyond it Sweeter than the Honey and the honey Comb Oh! how gracious and acceptable is the least word that drops from Christs Mouth out of Christs lips to the poor wounded bleeding Soul A word in season says Solomon is like Apples of gold in Pictures of Silver pleasant and exceeding acceptable fruit unto a poor soul Again 3. Thirdly There 's not only the fruit of Christs lips but the fruit of Christs loins Oh the fruit of his womb he hath a seed which he brings forth unto God which are pleasant and much be to delighted in all that are brought in to God by the preaching of the Gospel they are called the fruit of Christ they are his seed he shall see the travail of his Soul and be satisfied this fruit is mighty delightful to Christ and therefore should be delightful and is delightful to the Saints Christ had a mighty delight in children he cared not what he suffered what pains what travails let the travail of the Soul be never so great so he might bring forth children he cared not nay though he knew he should die in travail yet he cared not and though he knew he should die of it and also live again and rise again he askt no other reward but only that he might have children and it was the great promise in Isaiah 53. 10 11. He shall see his seed he shall prolong his days and the good pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand he shall see the travail of his Soul and shall be satisfied he shall have a multitudinous offspring because he was such a lover of children And therefore when the promise was made to Abraham I 'le bless thee and thy seed shall be as the Stars of heaven that could not be numbred and therefore you read in the Revelations of a great number which no man can number and he brought them all unto the Father and presented them Here am I and the Children thou hast given me They are exceeding delightful to him and as Christ takes delight in them so The saints can't but take delight when they see souls brought in to God and brought forth for heaven they cannot but rejoyce in it and take great delight in this fruit of Christ To name no more 4. A fourth sort of fruit and that 's the fruit of Christs life Take him as he was here upon earth in the dayes of his flesh when he was planted in the Orchard of the world he brought forth exceeding much fruit unto God he was the most fruitful tree that ever the Father planted he brought forth a world of precious desirable fruit there was never any part of Christs life that was not fruitful he went up and down doing good He sought all opportunities to do good I must work the works of him that sent me while the day lasts for the night cometh when I shall not work he took all opportunities for the doing good to the souls of men and the bodies of men and glad was he that he
beast and a natural man that hath but a natural principle he may excel the Christian that hath the more noble principle by walking up to his principle But 2. Secondly A meer natural man that hath but a natural principle may out-strip some Christians in this work of forgiving wrongs and injuries because there is many a natural man places his life and righteousness in this he hath nothing else to commend him to God nothing else to trust to for salvation nothing else He is quiet peaceable loving and one that will do no wrong rather put up wrongs and injuries than do wrongs unto any Now whenas a man doth trust to any of his works for life it is a wonder to see what a great deal such a man will do whenas a man works for life there is such a desire in such men to work for life and to work for righteousness and work for Heaven It is very admirable to see what a natural man will do upon such an account Oh what a shame is it to Christians yet there is no true Believer but is bound to do as much for God and as much for Christ as if he were to earn Life and Salvation by doing Christ having laid down his life for him he accounts himself as much ingaged to do for Christ as if he were to gain life by doing it is a shame to Christians to consider what a natural man will do for life and salvation But 3. Thirdly There is many a natural man will outstrip a Christian in this because some natural men have the advantage of a natural disposition there are some that are more mild and more peaceable and more loving and gentle some men are so and do exceed others in natural qualifications now such a man hath a great advantage whenas he is put upon such a work as of passing by wrongs and injuries The Lord many times and for the most part makes choice of and brings in to himself the worst of Natures the most crooked the most rugged the most knotty pieces the Lord is pleased to make choice of such and this is for the glory of the great Master Builder for the glory of his Wisdom and the glory of his Power and the glory of his Grace I say this doth appear in that he is pleased to make choice of the most crooked pieces of Timber for his Building his Wisdom doth appear the more in making these crooked things straight taking away the knottiness and unevenness that is in the natures of poor creatures But now a man that is of a mild nature a soft disposition he hath a great advantage it is no hard matter for him to pass by wrongs and injuries but now there are many of Gods people that have crooked natures when God takes them to work them for his Building Oh they cannot come up to their Duty without much striving struggling wrastling praying and crying unto the Lord That is another cause why some natural men may exceed a Christian in that work of passing by wrongs and injuries And then 4. Fourthly A natural man may not meet with such opposition from without a natural man may not be so much hindred in this work when the Lord calls him thereunto for the Devil suits his temptations according to the qualification and disposition of the creature where he sees them mild he will not put them upon such rugged temptations the Devil will let a natural man alone and will not seek to hinder him no when he is in the practice of such a good as this for the Devil knows that these his works are nothing and he knows that such a man when he hath done never so much forgiven seventy times seven his best works are nothing without Faith if he hath no interest in Christ yet such a one I say will out-strip many a Christian which should be our shame and a provocation unto us But Quest 2. Again A Christian may forgive and a natural man may forgive the one may forgive as often as the other But what is the difference Oh a great deal of difference betwixt a gracious heart and a meer natural man and I pray take notice of it for it may be for the discovery of the great deceitfulness of mans heart in this particular There is many a man may look upon himself as forgiven and he may think he forgives a great deal and yet God and Christ look upon him and see he hath forgiven nothing at all Well the difference betwixt a natural man and a gracious heart in the forgiving of wrongs and injuries lies in these particulars Answ 1. First of all A natural man may forgive wrongs and injuries but it is not from a principle of love unto God in Christ it is meerly from reasons that are taken from himself I say the natural mans arguments are from himself they are out of the shop of reason and not from the apprehension of the love of God nor from any perswasion of his Duty or any desire that he hath to express his likeness and conformity unto God in Christ I say his reasons are from himself He may reason thus Alas this is unworthy of a man to express wrath to take revenge or this will but disturb mine own peace this will but lay me open to others it will but discover my nakedness and frowardness my passion which is my nakedness He reasons thus Why should I meddle with one that is so much beneath me it will be no great conquest if I do overcome him And thus his Arguments are from himself But now a gracious heart when God comes and puts him upon the work of forgiveness his arguments are taken all from God By this I shall express my love unto God and my obedience unto Christ by this I shall shew my self like unto God more conformable unto Christ who is the Image of the invisible God upon this account I say a gracious man is brought off to forgive wrongs and injuries But Answ 2. Again A natural man when he forgives it is in his own strength that he doth it when he sets upon this Duty it is in his own strength he is never sensible of the contrary workings of his own heart which do lie in the way to hinder him he is not sensible of his own contrary motions that are in his own spirit against this Duty he is not sensible of the need he stands of the Lord Jesus Christ to help him herein and therefore he doth not make use of Christ he doth not run unto the Lord and cry to him for strength and rest upon him for strength to perform his duty but now a gracious heart doth not move upon his own hinges but is made sensible of the contrary motions and workings of his own heart and spirit unto this duty he sees how hard his spirit and heart is brought off to this duty he sees what need he hath of a better principle and of further strength
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
and yet he prayed and it rained not and he prayed and it rained therefore look you to be as patterns this is another honour that God is pleased to put upon his servants he makes them patterns to others But again 3. Thirdly The Lord doth boast of such of his servants as do thus he boasts and makes it his glory he sets them before for all the world to look upon and behold his glory in them in Rev. 14. 4. These are they which follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes let all the world look upon them and behold the glory of God shining in them these are they that follow the Lamb whereever he goes you know what God said to Satan concerning Job Job 1. 8. and 2. 3. Hast thou considered my servant Job I have one servant that is worth the considering saith God Hast thou considered my servant Job Hast thou set thine heart upon my servant Job saith he Thou hast been compassing the earth but hast thou seen such a one as my servant Job Thou hast many slaves to boast on and many drudges but I 'le compare with thee above all my servant Job hast thou considered him he is a perfect and upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evil And so David God seems to glory in him that he had such a servant as David in Acts 13. 22. I have found David the son of Jesse a man after mine own heart that shall execute all my Will as good a servant as I desire to have he will fulfill all my Will and he is according to mine own heart he will do all my Will God glories in it that he had such a servant as David 4. Fourthly As God glories in such so he delights exceedingly in such as walk closely with him they are the Object of his delight it 's said in Cant. 7. 5. that the King is held in his Galleries he sees such an excellent piece he is held by his affections and he cannot get out Oh thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse thou hast ravished mine heart with one of thine eyes with one chain of thy neck Behold the beauty of thine eye that eye of Faith that eye of thine ravishes my heart it wounds the heart of Christ it made him love-sick there was such a dart from the eye that ravish'd his heart great delight the Lord takes in such Oh saith the Father here 's the very Image of my son in such and such a Saint here 's the very likeness of my son I can't but look upon this picture with delight here 's the very countenance of my son the very eye of my son Doves eyes the very cast of his eye and it 's alwaies looking heaven-ward the very cast of the eye of thee my son here 's the very lip of my son that dropt sweet smelling Myrrh here is the very gate of my son his very carriage every foot-step is like the foot-steps of my son I can't but delight the Father saw the Image of the son in such and the son sees the Image of the Father in such and therefore can't but rejoyce and delight in them with exceeding great joy That 's a fourth But again 5. Fifthly The Lord doth manifest much love unto such there 's another special favour that such as walk close with God meet withal Oh that all this which is spoken might refresh your hearts The Lord manifests special love and favour to such he communicates more of his love they shall have the very heart of God God unfolds he 'll unbowel himself unto them the Lord can't contain it he falls upon them falls upon their neck and kisses them as Joseph did upon his Brethrens necks in Gen. 45. 14 15. he could contain no longer fell upon their necks discovered himself unto them I am your brother saith he I am Joseph there 's abundance of love precious love that the Lord doth reveal unto such he will satiate and satisfie their soul with kindness there is a promise that is made in the Psalms 36. 8. He will satisfie their souls with his loving kindness they shall drink abundantly and be satisfied with the fatness of thy house they shall taste abundance not only so but be satisfied taste and be satisfied with the goodness and love of the Lord there 's none drinks so much nor none meet with such soul-satisfaction as those that walk close with God 6. Sixthly The Lord reveals his secrets unto them he 'll with-hold nothing Shall I hide from Abraham The Lord will reveal it unto such of his Servants Shall I hide from Abraham Gen. 18. 17 18. seeing Abraham shall become a great Nation and he will teach his Children The Lord knows to whom he gives out such as will give out to others and be communicative to others and therefore the Lord reveals himself unto them they stand nigher God than others therefore they see more than others understand more than others and standing upon the hill top they see further than others God reveals special things to them Enoch the seventh from Adam Prophesied of these saying Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Again 7. Seventhly The Lord imployes such upon special Services such as walk more closely with him shall do the great works of God in the world great things are spoken of to come to pass in the latter daies and who shall be Gods Instruments to bring his great works to pass Why the Lord will make wise such as walk closely with him in Rev. 17. 14. The Army of the Lamb such as hee 'll do great things by they were such as are called faithful and chosen there 's that commendation given of them And they that are with him are called faithful and chosen These shall be his Instruments of the great work to bring down Babylon by to do his great work by these shall be men of choice spirits called chosen and faithful God will make use of them to bear up his name in the world and he will use them as Instruments to bring to pass the great things he hath spoken of they are Instruments that will give all to God and therefore God will make them Instruments of great work to him and it 's their study that the Lord alone may be exalted and therefore the Lord will make use of such for special service But again in the eighth place 8. Eighthly The Lord takes special notice of them for he puts such a lustre upon them as shall make them to shine in the eye of the world this is another honour that God is careful to put upon them as that they shall shine in the eye of the world that they shall either be respected or feared Sometimes the Lord makes the very
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
no opportunity to do good but he gives her allowance to share with him and to take comfort together of that which God hath given him 6. Again Sixthly and lastly He will maintain her honour in the Family and therefore he commands that she be respected he will not suffer servants nor children to usurp authority over her but commands that reverence be shewed and submission given to her over all the Family he looks upon her as one that God hath set next himself to be the next light of the Family and therefore desires that she might share and be respected he knows that God hath given her to be a help and so under him to look to the waies of her Family Children and Maidens and therefore in this he doth countenance her lest the Family be disordered and God be dishonoured in it this he doth as unto the Lord and for his sake though there may be unworthiness on her part because it 's the Ordinance and appointment of God Thus you see what is the work of the first Relation of Husband and Wife 2. But Secondly The second Relation in the Family is of Children and Parents Now if a gracious heart as one that walks with God be such in either of these relations you shall see his gracious carriage 1. First to speak in relation to Children If God hath set him as a Child he desires to obey his Parents in all things in the Lord he desires to give willing submission and obedience unto them â—ay and that from the very heart he obeys them as Christ obeyed his Father in Psal 40. 7 8. Lo I come to do thy Will I delight to do thy Will O God thy Law is in my heart and this is the carriage of a gracious Child one that walks with God to his Parents he obeys them from the heart 2. Secondly He also submits unto all their Instructions he embraces the wholsom counsel of his Parents He will not despise the counsel of his Father nor depart from the Law of his Mother but he wears them as an Ornament of Grace to his head and as a Chain as Solomon speaks 3. He also doth submit unto all their reproofs and chastenings because he looks upon them as the reproofs and chastenings of a Father and so proceed from love and they are for his good He also 4. In the fourth place Is content that they should dispose of him for Calling for Employment he is willing that they should dispose of him in Marriage he knows that they have a great share of him and therefore he will not dispose of himself without their consent He also in 5. The Fifth and last place Looks upon himself as alwaies bound even all his daies to love and honour and to respect his Parents though God hath given him a Family of his own and though he be set free from their Government yet he looks upon himself all his daies bound to honour and respect them and to maintain them if the hand of the Lord be upon them to shorten their comforts and if his be lengthened our he looks upon himself as bound to relieve their wants and to be a comfort and stay unto them in their old age this is the carriage of one that walks with God if he be found in the relation of a Child But for the relation of a Father If he stand in the relation of a Parent you shall also see his gracious carriage 1. First of all He looks upon his Children as given him of God to be brought up for God he knows that they are but only sent out to Nurse as it were to him God hath given him such and such Children to train up in his fear and therefore it is his great desire to see the Image of God upon them he is more desirous that they should be made rich in grace than in gold therefore he prays for them counsels them instructs them gives them good examples and all that so the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ may be communicated unto them if the Lord have pleased at any time to work upon the hearts of his Children Oh how thankful is he unto the Lord for it And he rejoices a thousand times more even in this that he knows that they are the Lords than that they are his 2. Secondly Again He will not bear with that which is evil in them though they be never so nigh to him though they be of his flesh yet he will not bear with that which is a dishonour to God he will not suffer that in a Child which he abhors in another which he will reprove nay it may be punish in a servant but he is impartial in the matters of God when Gods honour is concerned in it he won't connive at any wickedness in them 3. Thirdly And on the other side He is careful not to provoke them to wrath for that 's another extreme he remembers that that is a Precept Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath but bring them up in the fear and nurture of the Lord he desires rather if it be possible to rule them by love than by fear he knows that slavish fear is the seed of a great deal of evil and many times it destroies Ingenuity it self he won't provoke them by cutting words as Saul did his son Jonathan in the first of Samuel you shall see what cutting words he gave to Jonathan a good and gracious son 1 Sam. 20. 30. Then Sauls anger was kindled against Jonathan and he said unto him Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman c. 4. Fourthly He will not deny them conveniencies and that education that is fit for them but he is careful to dispose of them in the way of a lawful Calling he sets them in a good way that they may be serviceable to the Lord and their Generation according to the Will of the Lord when he is dead and gone 5. Fifthly He won't fall upon them with violence before he knows the matter and examines the cause lest he should smite them without cause he will not cast them off for every offence but he seeks the Lord for them and waits long for their return he prays and prays again that the Lord would bring them home unto himself and if at any time the Lord gives repentance he looks upon it as a great mercy and his heart is drawn forth in thankfulness and this is the carriage of one that walks with God in the relation of a Parent There is a third relation in which I shall be more short and that is That of Servant and Master Now if God set a gracious soul in this relation ye shall see his carriage 1. First of all If he be a Servant he is content with his condition he remembers that the Lord Jesus himself was found in the form of a Servant and therefore well may he a poor worm submit unto that condition if the Lord set him in it he remembers he
you for a time to be comforts to you for a time till the Lord should call for them but when the Lord hath taken them they are no longer yours they are not as to you It 's sinful then to let out natural affections towards them as to look upon them as yours your Husband your Wife your Children they are not as to you but they are as to the Lord compleat in him and as to you they are not and therefore it 's sinful unto you to let out natural affections when God hath broken your relations And 3. Thirdly This may give some comfort in the loss of friends when they die in the Lord they are not lost they don't cease to be If they were annihilated and destroyed and if they had no being any where there 's cause to mourn there 's a loss indeed they only disappear unto you and unto this visible world but they are not lost they appear in the presence of God though you see them not and they have no being as to you yet as to God in heaven in another world they have a being a glorious being a perfect being and therefore there is no cause why we should mourn for them as if they were utterly lost That 's the first consideration Enoch was not as to this world and as to the relations of this life he was not But again 2. Secondly Observe how easily Enoch was translated how easie God makes Enoch's passage to another world he walks with God and God took him and we hear no more of him he walked all his life with God and at the end of his course God took him along with him it 's spoken of him as if he went but a step further and he was not here he went but a step further and he went along with God God took him to himself We may observe that God can make the passage of his servants easie to another world such as walk with God on earth God makes their passage easie to another world so it was with Enoch Quest But is it so to others Enoch's translation was easie for Enoch he was not dissolved soul and body did not part but both were taken up to live with God but is it so to others Answ Yea God can and doth make it so unto his people that walk with him though death may seem a strait passage and a dark entry yet the Lord can make it lightsome he can make it easie unto his servants what an easie matter was it for Moses to die when he had walked with God all his life It was spoken of him as an ordinary thing Go up and die God bid him go up upon the Mount and die there go and die there and Moses went up and God made that death easie to him And so it was spoken of all the Patriarchs and those that walked with God in those old Ages God made this strait passage easie to them therefore it 's called a falling asleep after they had served their Generation they fell asleep or they were gathered up to their Fathers it 's set forth by such expressions Jacob leaned upon his staff and raised up himself and blessed his Children and speaking of the things of God and Heaven and so he fell asleep God makes it easie unto them that walk with him for they that walk with God gain experiences of him I say they that walk with God treasure up experiences of Gods gracious dealings they shall see how God hath been with them many a time he hath been with them in many deaths he hath been with them in the fire he hath been with them in the water he hath been with them in many Jeopardies and dark conditions he hath delivered them they have gained many experiences of God therefore they will trust in God they 'l trust in him when they walk through the Valley of the shadow of death he is a sure friend he is a tried friend and therefore they can't but rest in him But Again They that walk with God walk by Faith now it 's faith makes death easie all those Worthies spoken of in Heb. 11. died willingly for they died in Faith Faith makes the strait passage easie For 1. First Faith discovers the Victory of Christ I say it makes discovery of the victory of Christ over death and the Grave presents the Saviour that is the Conquerour that hath disarmed the strong man that hath taken away the sting of the Serpent now when the soul by Faith sees that death is disarmed and the sting is taken out it 's easie then to grapple with him 2. Secondly Again Faith takes hold of the promises which are grounded upon the faithfulness and truth of God for its security I say it takes hold of those promises which are made in faithfulness and truth why the Lord hath said that he will be with his people in all their straits yea when they walk through the valley and shadow of death that he will never leave them he will never forsake them now the discovery of this to the soul makes death easie 3. Thirdly Again Faith looks beyond death it 's higher it 's taller than death it can look over the shoulders of death it hath a piercing eye it can see through the darkness of the Grave and it can behold the tops of the Towers of the heavenly Jerusalem it can see the Land that lies beyond the Land of death it sees the dark entry and the low valley that doth over-shadow it it doth lead unto that Land that Land of blessedness that the Lord hath prepared for his people and therefore whilst faith is thus exercised death is made easie and they that walk with God walk and live by faith and therefore to them is death made easie Yea 4. Fourthly Again Death is made easie to them for by walking with God they have gained acquaintance with God and it's acquaintance with God that makes death easie when a soul hath walked with God as with his friend all his life it 's not afraid to go to God at last because he is his friend he knows God thoroughly and therefore can trust him he knows his gracious disposition and the love that is in his heart He that comes to God must believe that he is saies the Apostle and that He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him till this grace of the love of God be discovered the soul can't come to him on earth it can't draw nigh to him by faith much less can he come freely to him in heaven Why this is the cause why death is so terrible because his acquaintance is no more with God but when the soul hath lived as in heaven and conversed with God and beheld his face and follows him continually with this acquaintance he hath gained with God it doth make the passage of death though strait in it self yet easie And therefore to apply this Vse 1. I beseech you you that walk with God
needful that so long as they are in the body they should be in these conflicts afflictions and temptations then the Lord sometimes sees it best to shorten some of their daies to bring them unto himself But you must take this caution Take heed you don't limit the Lord to this way for though God doth take many of his servants this way by death yet I say they ought not to limit the holy one of Israel Let not them say as Job Wherefore is life given to a man that is in affliction Wherefore is life given to a man whose way is hid For if God continues life in afflicted conditions he sees good reason for it and therefore I say you may not absolutely desire death because of your affliction because of your temptations because of your buffettings not absolutely to limit God in this way of deliverance for though God doth use this way many times yet he will not be confined to it And though the Lord doth keep you in affliction he sees it is for his honour it is for his own glory that he may shew his power and goodness his wisdom in directing you his power in supporting you in strengthening you in delivering you and in making you able to hold out in such difficult afflicted conditions the Lord can find many waies of deliverance therefore don't say you Lord take away my life my affliction is great I see no way how I shall come out of it this is sinful for God hath many waies I say God chooses this way sometimes to free his people from all their corruption and temptations he shortens their lives and that in abundance of love 2. Again Secondly God sometimes doth shorten the daies of his servants in love when they live in evil times times in which iniquity doth abound then God fetches home many of his servants in love It was a very corrupt time that Enoch lived in The world was corrupt and filled with violence and therefore it was in love to Enoch that God shortened his course the Lord knows how afflictive it is for his servants to live in an evil world Wo is me saies the Psalmist that I am constrained to sojourn in Mesech and to dwell in the Tents of Kedar Psal 120. 5. That righteous soul was vexed Wo is me c. Nay the Lord considers that possibly his own people may be carried down the stream through the strength and violence of the corruption of the times that they may be drawn aside from their stedfastness it 's possible that even they may be corrupted even Gods own people may be corrupted in a corrupt Generation the Lord considers this and therefore many times he takes them away in an abundance of love and mercy When the Thistles and Nettles do so inclose the Lilies that they hinder their growth and communicate of their ill favour unto them then the Lord sees it's high time to remove to transplant his Lilies into a better soil And that 's a second Particular why the Lord doth shorten the daies of his servants it is when they live in a very corrupt and sinful Generation that doth both afflict them and endanger them 3. Again Thirdly Sometimes God shortens the daies of his servants in love that they may not see when great desolations are coming either upon their friends their relations their families or upon the Kingdom they live in the Lord in mercy calls home those that do walk faithfully with him and thus it was with Jeroboam's child in 1 Kings 14. 13. Jeroboam's child was taken away you have the reason given there because great desolation is coming upon the Family God threatens there by the Prophet that he would not leave one person alive and this child shall go to his Grave in peace Because some good thing was found in him towards the Lord God of Israel some good thing was found in him when the family was corrupt and therefore God would not have him to see what desolation he would bring upon the family And so when God brings desolation upon Kingdoms and Nations he sometimes calls home his own people Good King Josiah a gracious man was cut off betimes because the Lord was about to bring desolation upon Judah a great and fearful Captivity which came presently after when he was gone but he feared the Lord and was fearful when the Word of the Lord came to him and therefore God took him that he might not see that desolation with his eyes that sad desolation that God would bring upon Judah And so saies the Prophet Isa 57. 1. he gives this as a reason why God takes away some of his servants betimes The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart and the merciful man is taken away none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come When evil and desolation is about to come upon a place or a Kingdom why then God takes away many righteous and merciful men The Husbandman when he sees a storm is a coming he makes haste to gather in his Corn especially that which is most ready to shake that which is most like to take harm by the wet that he 'll in withall And thus the Lord doth with his when he sees great desolation that may even shake those that are his own 4. Fourthly God takes way some of his servants that he may prevent their uneven walking and their declining and turning aside from him the Lord loves to take his servants when they are at the best he pulls the Rose when it 's most sweet sometimes the Lord sees many of his servants that if they should stand longer they would decline and grow worse sad experience doth teach it now therefore it is that the Lord takes them at the fit time that he may prevent that dishonour that otherwise might be brought to his name if he should suffer them to stand longer in the world they might happily blurr their profession they might dishonour God they might harden their own hearts and therefore the Lord loves to take them when they are fully ripe and when he sees such a one ready to decline and grow worse and to lose of his sweetness and of his savour it may blurr the name of God dishonour him in the world why the Lord to prevent all this takes away sometimes such a servant of his in abundance of love and mercy and so he took away Asa and so Jehosaphat they were good men but they began to decline in their old daies Asa was a good man his heart was perfect it is the Testimony that God gives of him all his daies but he went and declined he went and relied on the arm of flesh when the Prophet tells him of it he was angry with the Prophet he imprisons the Prophet and he began to smite the people and God smites Asa with a disease in his feet and so took him away and it was best for Asa that he was taken away before a
have enough 5. Fifthly Again The time of the full accomplishment of this promise of long life to be given out is not yet come there 's a day when it shall be given out when it shall be mercy to live long when God shall give out long life there seems to be such a thing spoken of it is Prophesied by the Prophet Isaiah Isa 65. 22. this Prophecie relates to the end of the world the latter daies when there shall be a great restauration of the world and of all things they shall not be cut off in the midst of their daies as formerly saies God They shall not build and another inhabit they shall not build houses and be cut off before they can build they shall not plant and another eat for as the daies of a tree are the daies of my people and mine elect shall long enjoy the works of their hands they shall be as the long-liv'd Oaks this promise God will fulfil before the end and it shall be a mercy then to live long when the new Jerusalem shall come down from heaven and when the Lamb shall be the light of the new Jerusalem when Satan shall be bound and shall not seduce the Nations and tempt them and when all enemies shall be put under the soals of their feet when Jerusalem shall be a peaceable habitation and a quiet resting place when there shall be peace upon Israel then long life shall be a blessing 6. Sixthly and lastly When God will fulfil this it shall be a time of the accomplishment of the promises in that God gives life and length of daies even for ever and ever there is the accomplishment of the promise and therefore God is not behind-hand concerning this promise if he promise long life on earth and give an eternity of life in heaven the creature is no loser if a man shall promise you a shilling and when he comes to pay he shall give you a thousand pounds will not you say this man is as good as his word The Lord hath promised a long time on earth and an eternity in heaven you may well say it of him who is truth it self that he will fulfil and make good his word and therefore notwithstanding what may be objected yet still it 's true it 's not against the promise but God may in love and mercy shorten the daies of his people What shall we learn from this God shortens the daies of his servâ—nts in love It will be useful to us divers waies Why Vse 1. First of all It lets us see that life and death is in the hand of God God shortens God took him I say life and death is in the hand of God it 's not in the hand of any creature whatsoever My times are in thy hand saies David and He that is our God is the God of Salvation and to him belong the issues of Death Enemies think that it is in their power to harm or to cut off Laban thought it in his power to cut off Jacob but he was deceived it 's in the hand of no creature to cut off the time of Gods servants but at the appointment of the Lord and God doth it in love when he cuts short the time of his servants it 's in love if any wicked man shall attempt any thing against the lives of his servants that 's from the malice of Hell which God will avenge and if any man shall attempt against his own life that is not without horrible sin for though God can cut short in love yet if thou dost cut short thine own life it 's not without horrible sin though indeed when God shortens it 's alwaies in love for what 's the creature Ah poor creature a worm that he should step up in the seat of God and should pluck the issues of life and death out of the hand of God which God doth challenge in a peculiar manner as his right That 's the first Vse 2. Secondly It may teach us that though God cut short the time of his servants in love yet he may cut short the time of many in wrath in abundance of wrath when his own people are ripe for heaven he reaps them and when wicked men are ripe for destruction the Lord also cuts them down In Psal 55. 23. it 's said there of wicked men That blood-thirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their daies God will cut them off in wrath they shall live out those daies that God hath determined yet they shall not live out half their daies in the course of nature that they might have done and therefore see what Solomon saies in Eccles 7. 17. Be not thou over-much wicked neither be thou foolish why shouldst thou die before thy time wickedness brings men to end their time before the course of nature be extinct Oh that wicked men would think of this it would be very sad if their own hands should be upon themselves to bring them down though it is mercy to the Saints at some times to be taken away early yet when wicked men are cut off in the midst of their daies it is not without a great deal of displeasure and wrath of God That 's a second Vse 3. Thirdly This may teach us this Instruction If God deal thus with his own people what shall be the portion of the wicked If this be done to the green tree what shall become of the dry If God cut off young Saints what shall become of old sinners Oh! that the hear-say of this dispensation might convince some and move them to awake and say Come let us eat and drink and to morrow shall be as this day and more abundant Why do you put off the thoughts of God and Eternity to old age and speak of returning to God another time when thou knowest not what a day may bring forth thou knowest not what may lie in the womb of to morrow God cuts off sometimes some of his people in the midst of their daies and what shall become of you I shall speak only to you in the words of the Apostle James Jam. 4. 13. and the Lord set them home to your hearts Go to now ye that say To day or to morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow for what is your life He shews the vanity of the cares of this life and of wicked worldly men they dream of a long time of a continuance and we will stay there a year A year saies he thou knowest not what to morrow may bring forth thou saiest Stay we will heap goods up and what knowest thou O fool but this night thy soul may be taken away Oh! that men wicked men and worldly men would look to themselves and not promise to themselves time for hereafter and if this be done to the green tree what will be done to the dry
against the extream of a short life and a long uncomfortable Oh saies the soul I am pressing after the Lord and breathing after him and this is my fear I shall be cut off before his work be done in me Fear it not the Lord will not cut off the daies of his servants but in love if it be not for thy good it shall not come unto thee Old Simeon waited for the consolations of Israel he might have many discouragements what hopes had he to see Christ when he had one foot in the Grave And yet at last he saw Christ the hope of his Salvation But they may think if they should live they should live to decay in profession and to go backward Oh fear not I am perswaded neither things present nor things to come even old age shall separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus Though God do send for some of his servants it 's no argument that he don't love you though you live long Mathusalem lived nine hundred years the rest of the Patriarchs were holy men as well as others That 's a Ninth Vse 10. Tenthly This may teach to covet to desire to live much rather than to live long Oh labour to do much for God while ye live to do much for God in the service of your Generation What ever your hand finds to do do it with all your might labour to redeem time and take all seasons and all opportunities of getting nigher God Oh lose no opportunity lose no part of precious time A Heathen could say There 's no time past but there 's something is worth the writing let no part of your precious time be waste and nothing done time is short and therefore you had need live every part of time live every hour and live every moment rather covet to live much than long Oh labour for an eternal life this life is short in a moment God shortens the time of the best of his servants and therefore if this time be short oh labour for an eternal life and do what you do for God with all your might and with all your strength He is an unwise man that will protract time that will do that in a year which he might do in a day Oh covet much you have a pattern of the Lord Jesus Christ he lived not long on earth but he did much in a little time he wrought whilst it was day he knew the night was coming Christ did so and Satan doth so he knows his time is short and he bestirs himself he knows it must be now or never if Satan be thus wise for his Kingdom shall not we that profess our selves to be Christs be thus wise in the matters of his Kingdom Here is all the time you have to work in oh you have no more working daies work apace for God for in the end of the six daies of this life there 's a rest a coming there 's no work beyond the Grave either in heaven or in hell you that are Christs you shall not work after this life is at an end your rest comes then yea that 's the time of your sitting down this is the time of your walking not the time of your rest and seeing you have no more time to eternity to work in there 's no more working daies be content to work now be earnestly desirous to do all you can to lift up God and Christ and his Kingdom whilst you are on earth for what know you your time is short and what know you but that you may live even as Enoch whose life was but half the daies of the rest of the Patriarchs Thus I have shewn you at what time Enoch was taken at three hundred sixty and five years It remains further to enquire Wherefore did God take Enoch away and why he did take him away at that time and wherefore Enoch was taken in that extraordinary way both soul and body to Heaven SERMON XII GEN. 5. the latter end of the 24 Verse And he was not for God took him I Shewed you the last day at what time God took Enoch it was when he had not attained to half the years of the rest of that Generation God sometimes shortens the daies of his own servants in Love I answered an Objection the last day Object Is not long life promised as a blessing to the Saints Thou shalt come to thy Grave in a full age as a Shock of Corn in its season How is this promise made good when God takes away some of his people before they have attained to half their daies that they might have lived unto in the course of nature I answered in many things Answ 1. First That this is an Old Testament promise God walked then in a way of temporal promises more than now in this dispensation under the Gospel in which he gives out less temporals and more spirituals Besides I told you it was a conditional promise as in all the promises of outward good things that are made to Gods people the promises of health strength riches and honour and of long life they must be taken with this limitation so far as God in infinite wisdom shall see to be best for them so far shall he give out to them and therefore if God do take away any of his people at any time it is because God sees it best for them to be taken home to himself it is best for them to have a short time because that their daies are evil Man that is born of a woman saies Job is one of few daies and full of trouble and there is a mercy that both these go together few of daies and full of trouble Besides I answered That the promise is made good though God do take away some of his people whilst young yet the promise is made good they come to the Grave in full age because they come to the Grave full of grace he is not cut down before he is ripe they are not like the Corn on the house top that is burnt up before it is ripe but God can make them full of grace which is a full age and herein his promise is made good Besides his promise is made good because God makes them willing to leave the world when he calls for them the righteous man when God calls for him he saies as Elias said Lord it is enough if thou saiest it is enough that I have lived so long upon earth I will say so too Lord I have enough of living here I have enough of this world here 's nothing that is desirable or that may draw forth my affection to live longer if this be the determined time of God A wicked man hath never life enough though he liveth a hundred years twice told yet he is as greedy to live longer as at first but God satisfies the hearts of his servants in that they have lived long enough and their time is come and that satisfies them and thus
the life of Christ comes in expires into God the soul expires into God into the hands of God the creature becomes nothing it desires to be nothing nothing in it self content that the creature should be dead look'd upon as dead that God alone should be exalted that he should be all unto it and that it should be all in all unto him thus the life of Christ where it comes into the soul in this way 3. Thirdly But again Examine how your life is maintained if the life of Christ be in you How is that life of Crist in you that spiritual life maintained the life that is from Christ is maintained by Christ it came in at first by the voice of the Son of God and so it 's maintained by the voice of God and every time that Christ speaks it 's further into life every time that Christ speaks in a promise every time that Christ speaks in an Ordinance it runs further into life and every day it's dying the life of Christ is increasing and triumphs in the victory by killing and slaying the creature to it self in its own apprehension and it 's maintained by the voice of Christ or by a sight of Christ so that where this life of Christ is the soul in all its deadness runs to Christ when it wants life at any time it looks to Christ for it it runs to Christ for this life Lord maintain this life A soul hath its life from the Father originally instrumentally from God and it depends upon the Father for life and where the soul is begotten by God its life being in Christ it 's maintained by Christ and it never lives so well as when it sees most of Christ it 's a sight of the glory and beauty of Christ of the grace of Christ and love of Christ that doth mightily affect the heart and raise the spirits of the soul it is mightily stirred up the operations of the soul are stirred up and it looks upon Christ and it's revived it looks upon Christ and is strengthened and is beholding the glory and strength of Christ is most ready to act for Christ and to work for Christ whenas the soul hath much of Christ in his eye Well is your life thus maintained certainly this is the life of Christ Vse 2. But if I would speak in a way of discovery unto poor creatures that are without the life of Christ It will be an easie Test unto the discovery of many that they are without the life of Christ How many poor creatures in the world death sits on their sore-heads upon their faces Christ is not their life but the world is their life and their lusts is their life and the creature is their life for they live upon these the life of many a poor soul is bound up in these his life is bound up in the world and bound up in his lusts and if the world be taken from him or his lusts taken from him he cries out O he is undone what hath he more And what will God do him good or Christ do him good or communion with the spirit do him good his lusts are his life and his life is taken away when he is robbed of his lusts When a man doth live to the satisfaction of his lusts and makes them the whole end of his living not to lift up God and Christ but to live to the satisfaction of the lusts of his heart I say here it is an easie matter to say without breach of the law of love the Lord be merciful to such poor creatures for the life of Christ is not in them they lay rotting in their Graves of sin their throat is an open Sepulchre there 's no appearance of the life of Christ in such And therefore I shall desire the Lord would convince such poor creatures how miserable their condition is without the life of Christ they are like so many dead Carkasses and what a sad object is that to look upon so many men as dead carkasses though they be never so lively never so full of strength activity and of beauty here before the eye of the World yet in relation to the invisible World which is many thousand times more considerable such men are as dead carcasses I say in the eye of God and of his Angels and the rest of the Inhabitants of the invisible World such poor creatures are as dead carkasses as dreadful an object to them as a walking Ghost is to you a carkass that lies rotting in the Grave where there is nothing but putrefaction it is a noysom an offensive object every one turns away from it and truly every one is such who is a sinner an obstinate sinner the Lord cannot away with them that if they continue in trespasses and sins being dead in sins and trespasses the Lord will bury them out of his sight there wants nothing but a burying them out of the sight of God to make their misery compleat rejection from the presence of God to be cast out of the sight of God and his presence for ever never to behold his face in glory and communion with him it shall be the completion of the misery of such poor wretches And therefore I shall desire you in the fear of God to look after the life of Christ O that the Lord would perswade you to look after the life of Christ He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life Look after Christ for life O that you would consider the excellency of the life of Christ is it not worth the seeking after Shall I set it out to you by comparing the life of Christ with natural life which is accounted most excellent in this lower world and you shall see how infinitely excellent the life of Christ is What is the most excellent thing in the World the best thing in nature Why life natural life is the best thing in nature Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life the least worm is more excellent than the Sun in that respect because it hath life life is most excellent in its nature But now compare the life of nature with the life of Christ and you shall see how far it goes beyond it and therefore infinitely more desirable than the life of nature For 1. First of all The life of Nature is a vain life a life full of vanity Eve was convinced thereof by that time she brought forth a second Son she called his name Abel that is vanity she now knew that was the condition and case of the sons and daughters of fallen man of all she brought forth with all the world that followed her their lives shall be vanity Man walks in a vain shadow in a vain shew Psal 39. 5 6. Surely every man walks in a vain shew surely they are disquieted in vain the life of Nature is full of vanity it appears in that it satisfieth not it
shall be no cloggs no rubs in the way but there shall be a full enjoyment and a full manifestation of that life of Christ which is the life of the soul is made over to the soul for its life even to Eternity this is another part of the great gain that comes in by death to believing souls But again 5. Fifthly As it gains life so it gains victory by death the believing soul gains Victory full compleat victory and conquest over all its enemies He doth not only rest as I said before it is a great gain to rest rest from the motion of sin and lust and rest from the motion of temptation but that 's not all it rests and sits down as a Conquerour the Palm of victory is then put into the hand of every Believer and he shall stand upon that Mount Zion and shall sing Hallelujah unto the Lord he is then made a Conquerour there for all enemies at that day are put under all the lusts of his heart and all Principalities and Powers and whatsoever was a vexation and disquietment shall be put under his feet and he shall sit down with Christ as a Conquerour I have fought the good sight saith the Apostle in 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith and now is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness my life-time it was my time of combating but now I am ready to be dissolved to be offered up I shall sit down as a Conquerour and I shall have a Crown of righteousness that 's another priviledge another part of the gain that comes in to the believing soul by death But 6. Sixthly It gains a full sight of God I say the believing soul by death gains a full sight of God a full vision of God this gain is glorious and unspeakable it 's that which the Saints do press after to see the face of God it was Moses's great request I beseech thee shew me thy face mighty desirous to see the face of God and indeed it is a compleating of their happiness that they shall see the face of God Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God in Matth. 5. 8. here is the blessedness of that people whose heart is purged by faith they shall see God they shall see him here â—ay but in Heaven they shall see him face to face in 1 Cor. 13. 12. We now see him through a glass darkly but we shall see him face to face and then shall we know him as we are known It is true God cannot be seen with the eye of the body neither here nor in Heaven so the Saints cannot see him for he is an infinite Being a Spirit invisible invisible to the eye of the body but he shall be held forth clearly God will hold himself forth to the eye of their understanding and his people shall have full and clear visions of him they shall know him in his Nature and they shall know him in his attributes they shall know him in all his works and they shall know him in his Word whatsoever was hid from them in the daies of their flesh shall then be revealed they shall know him in his Counsel in those secret waies which God walked in from Eternity which no creature can give a reason of God will then unfold himself they shall have continual visions of God visions of grace and visions of love and visions of light and visions of glory which shall continually flow forth from the Throne this will be a mighty gain When the Queen of Sheba came to Solomon to see his House in 2 Chron. 9. 7. she said Happy are thy servants that stand in thy presence to hear thy wisdom if they were happy that saw Solomon and his wisdom and look'd him in the face then much more shall they that stand for ever in the presence of the great God King of Kings and Lord of Lords and shall see his face and behold his wisdom and shall for evermore be satisfied with a full vision of God so much as the creature can hold It 's true the creature is finite it shall not be infinite as God himself is but they shall behold the glorious visions of God himself which will be mighty gain But again 7. Seventhly Believing souls by death shall be gainers in respect of their habitation here they dwell in a house of Clay so Job calls it Job 4. 19. it is a house of Clay whose foundation is in the dust and is crush'd before the Moth. It is a poor house that a Moth can throw down that the Moth can crush and yet this is the house the house of the body and this is the house that the soul lives in whilst it is here a house of Clay that hath no foundation but the dust a house without a foundation it cannot stand it 's down in an instant every storm of wind will blow it down it hath only its foundation of and from the dust exceeding frail is the body set forth by this expression now what shall the soul gain when death comes It hath a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens in 2 Cor. 5. 1. For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens It 's a mansion or dwelling house it 's not a Tabernacle In my Fathers house are many mansions Job 14. 2. It 's not made by the hand of man it 's made by God himself It 's glory that was laid up before the foundation of the world it 's uncreated glory God himself will be the heaven he 'll be the dwelling place of his people and they shall dwell in him throughout all Generations for ever and for ever here is a change you see in respect of the habitation and it will be much more gain than for man to change a Dungeon for a Palace the soul comes out of a Dungeon and it 's put into an Inheritance an Inheritance with the Saints in light But Again 8. Eighthly They gain in respect of their company our Saviour saies in Matth. 8. 11. They shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God no worse company than Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the spirits of just men made perfect there shall be no failings nor defects there shall be no want of love there shall be no blemish to take off love but they shall enjoy the company of the spirits of just men made perfect this will be a mighty gain Here there are many failings failings in the best of Saints the best company that believers have even Saints there are failings in the best of them but there shall be nothing seen there but the Image of God nothing but the Image of Christ when they look upon one another they shall see nothing but an attractive love there shall be no emulation there they shall not envy
sinfulness of it when a man desires to die only upon these grounds to be rid of trouble and affliction 1. First He doth charge God foolishly It is said of Job in the latter end of the first Chapter In all this he sinned not nor charged God foolishly But afterward Job did charge God when he came to consider the day of his birth he spake against his own life Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery and life given to the bitter in soul There Job did charge God foolishly as if God were not wise enough to measure out thy portion O thou wouldst die that thou maist be eased of such and such an affliction thou chargest God with want of faithfulness want of wisdom want of love see what Absalom said when he flattered with the people O that I were Judge saith he I would hear every mans Cause and it should not be so and so I would rule better than my Father David he charged his Government with folly I would do Justice better than he And truly so thou saiest O that I were in Gods place O that I sat upon the Throne I would dispose better of my own condition I would dispose of it with more wisdom and more love and more compassion What a high charge is this to lay upon God! O have a care thou dost not charge God thou saist wherefore is life given to thee in such an affliction thou chargest God foolishly Dost thou not know why God knows it may be that the life of Nature is continued that so he may increase the life of grace in thee or that he may kill the life of sin in thee or that he may give thee more of himself that thou maist have more experience of his love and goodness or that thou maist be a pattern to others a pattern of his patience of his power and goodness and therefore is life given thee 2. Secondly Nay further When thou speakest against thy own life and desirest to die thou dost limit the holy one of Israel and commit that sin which the Children of Israel did they tempted God and limited the holy one of Israel When thou saist O that God would take away thy life that thy affliction may may be taken away why cannot God take away thy affliction and not take away thy life hath God no other way He can make a hundred doors and find out a thousand waies must he needs open that door the strait door of death or else he cannot open a door of deliverance for thee why dost thou limit and tempt the holy one of Israel If thou desirest death because thou wouldst be delivered thy desire is sinful O desire rather that the Lord would be with thee in thy affliction and make thee a Conquerour over thy affliction that thou maist get above thy affliction to glorifie God in the fire That 's a Fourth But 5. Fifthly Thy desires of death are sinful When as thy desires are unlimited when they are not subjected to the Will of God when they are absolute when a man will have no denial whether God see it good or no whether the Lords time be come or no thou saist it is gain shall I not desire gain No thou maist not desire gain with an immoderate desire The Apostle James reproves those that say We will go and buy and sell and get gain no but saies he Stay and ask God leave If God will we will do so and so c. When you would go to the new Jerusalem for gain in that City say not We will go we will go no say If God will let me go God will have thee to finish thy course there are many that would go though the Lord hath no need of them these unlimited desires of death are unlawful desires Quest But you will say When are desires of death Lawful I shall desire to speak a few words to that briefly Answ First of all When a man doth not desire death for death but death for life There are many poor creatures are desirous to die but they know not wherefore but now a holy man hath holy desires his desires are not death for death but death for life for death is an enemy to desire death only to cease to be only to lie still in the Grave and cease to be the Apostle in 2 Cor. tells you wherefore he desired death he don't desire to be uncloathed But to be cloathed upon that mortality may be swallowed up in life not to be uncloathed to lay aside the body to be in the Grave and to cease from being but to be swallowed up in life to be cloathed upon to desire death for life seek for that life which we are sure shall come into us by death this is a lawful desire 2. Secondly Desires of death are lawful when a man desires to die that he may sin no more against God that corruption may be fully mortified that there may be nothing left in the soul to provoke the Lord any longer that may displease the eye of his glory that it may be holy in all things made like unto Christ even without sin a gracious heart saies and believes because the Lord hath spoken it that death shall be the death of sin as well as the death of the body sin brought death into the world and death shall carry sin quite away that at death it shall be abolished that there shall be no more sense of sin no sense of lust to desire death for this end that the creature may sin no more that God may be displeased no more and grieved no more this is a lawful desire 3. Thirdly When a man desires death that he may enjoy communion with Christ this is lawful to enjoy full communion with Christ that was the Apostles desire Phil. 1. 23. Having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better wherefore doth he desire to be dissolved he tells you To be with Christ to see the face of Christ to enjoy the presence of Christ that he may be filled with the love of Christ and behold the glory of Christ and may be for ever in the presence of Christ and never look off his face but to enjoy full and perfect communion with Christ to desire death for these ends is lawful 4. Again Fourthly When a man desires death That he may lift up the name of God in Heaven that he may do the Will of God perfectly as it is done in Heaven by the Saints and Angels O here he cometh short in all the works and services he desires to do he cannot do the thousandth part of that which he desires to do and therefore desires death that he may lift up the name of God fully in Heaven that he may there be swallowed up in the present enjoyment of God and Christ that he may be infinitely enlarged to sing Hallelujahs unto God to all Eternity thus to desire death is lawful But 5. Fifthly
wrong that I will revenge me of you God hath turned it for good God hath turned it for good to you and me and more people and therefore God forbid that I should take upon me to turn that into evil which God hath made for good 2. Examp. A second Example for our imitation And that is Moses a man full of the Spirit of God a man that had great acquaintance and familiarity with God God spake with him face to face now Moses he was very ready to forgive all personal wrongs and injuries Many times when the Children of Israel murmured against him they laid all upon him Thou hast brought us from out of Egypt to slay us here in this place and thou hast done this wrong unto us Moses even at that time intercedes for this people in Numb 14. 2. Moses is so far from avenging the wrong that he is the first man that steps in for pleading for this people at the 17 18 19 Verses and therefore he beseeches God that God would be pleased to pass by this their transgression And there is one remarkable Instance of Moses his meekness and readiness to forgive wrongs and injuries done unto him in the twelfth of Numbers in the beginning of the Chapter it is said Moses was very meek he was the meekest man on the face of the Earth he doth not reply one word 'T is said that Miriam and Aaron spake against him because of the Ethiopian woman that he had married and said Hath the Lord spoken only by Moses hath he not spoken by us also He doth not reply one word to them they reproached his Wife that he had married an Ethiopian and that he was a man that had taken too much upon him but Moses doth not reply again but God takes Moses part and calls Aaron and Miriam to stand before him and God smites Miriam with a Leprosie because she carried it so before him and yet look into the 13 Verse Moses cried unto the Lord saying Heal her now I beseech thee Moses was the man that was wronged by Miriam and Miriam was cast into a Leprosie and now Moses is the first man that steps unto God to plead for her Oh his great love and readiness that was in him to forgive and pass by injuries which made him to forget his duty to God limiting him for the time Heal her now O God I beseech thee let it be done now I beseech thee Oh here 's a pattern here is an Example for the imitation of all 3. Examp. A third Example that I shall mention is that of David David a man full of the Spirit of God and we find him a man ready to pass by personal wrongs and injuries Because that Shimei had cursed him some of David's Worthies would have smote off his head and David would not suffer them It may be saith David God hath bidden him to go and say Curse David This was a foul aspersion cast upon David Come out thou bloody man come out thou bloody man see the 2 Sam. 16. 6 7 8. and 2 Sam. 19. 21 22 23. Whenas one of David's Captains would have had him put Shimei to death No saies he I will not Revenge but saies What have I to do with you ye sons of Zerviah He pardons Shimei and swears unto him That he should not be put to death for this his Conspiracy And so in the matter of Saul David was greatly oppressed and persecuted by Saul though Saul seemed to be put into his hand when he took him asleep in the Cave and had an opportunity to avenge his cause upon his enemy yet David would not do it It is true indeed David's foot had almost slipt in the matter concerning Nabal when he sware he would be avenged upon Nabal for the affront done to him but when Abigail comes and pleads with David he doth accept of her counsel and bless God Oh blessed be the Lord that hath sent thee to withhold my hand from shedding blood and from avenging mine own cause this day and thus you see David was a man ready to forgive and to put up wrongs and injuries 4. Examp. One Example more from the Old Testament and that is of Elisha in 2 Kings 6. 12 13 14. The King of Syria took an Army to apprehend Elisha now they came to the City where Elisha was to take it and there God smites them with blindness and Elisha he comes and takes them and carries them into the City of Samaria at the 22 Verse when Elisha had brought the Army into the midst of the City of Samaria and the King of Israel would have been smiting of them saies he My Father shall I smite them shall I smite them Saies the Prophet unto the King Thou shalt not smite them Set bread and water before them that they may eat and drink and go to their Master Though they came on purpose to apprehend him and carry him to their Master and so to take his life yet the Prophet seeks not to avenge himself of them but on the contrary requites them good for the evil they intended towards him 5. Examp. And so if we look into the New Testament there is some worth the taking notice of As Stephen the Martyr they did not only wrong Stephen in his name but in his estate and in his very life yea they put him to death he was so far from seeking revenge that the last words he breathed forth with his soul I say the last words were Lord lay not this sin to their charge and when he had said it he fell asleep 6. Examp. And so the Apostle Paul in the Galatians take his Example it is worthy our imitation in Gal. 4. the Galatians had done him a great deal of wrong they had under valued his Ministry and set up false Teachers in opposition to him and the Apostle he was very free to forgive the wrong so far as it was personal declaring that he did acknowledge it not to be any wrong 12 Verse Brethren I beseech you be as I am for I am as ye are ye have not injured me at all here is a gracious spirit I do not look upon it as any injury as it concerns me I do freely pass it by Nay 7. Examp. We have not only the Example of man but the Example of Christ himself Oh the wrongs and injuries that were done unto Christ What meekness What scourgings what buffettings what revilings what reproaches insomuch as the Governor wondred What nothing to speak for thy self And when he was to die and giving up the Ghost Father forgive them they know not what they do And then 8. Examp. That Instance of the Prodigals Father The son had greatly offended him done him great wrong yet the Father runs out to meet him and before he could speak one word of confession or acknowledgement the Father declares a readiness of forgiveness he seals up his love and forgiveness Falls upon his neck and kisses
him Thus you have seen the Examples of holy men and of Christ himself for a pattern of passing by of wrongs and injuries But now for the grounds of the Point Upon what ground doth Jesus Christ Commend and Command his Disciples to this work and duty of forgiveness Why first 1. Reason The first ground is Because he hath forgiven them much and therefore he requires that we should forgive others that so they that are forgiven of Christ may testifie their love and also their likeness unto Christ and that is held forth in the Parable that follows the Text the Lord there had forgiven the Servant that ought him ten thousand Talents and therefore he expected that he should have forgiven his fellow Servant a few pence I say all that are Christs Disciples all that are Believers that do believe in the name of Christ they have very much forgiven them of the Lord. There is no man but the Lord doth forgive a great deal of that temporal punishment which he might inflict upon them now there is no Believer but the Lord doth forgive not only temporal but eternal punishment and therefore there is an ingagement to us unto forgiveness Alas what are the debts and trespasses done to us or owing unto us in comparison of what we have done or what we owe unto the Lord Our sins are set forth by Talents the offences and wrongs done unto us are set forth by pence our sins are set forth to be ten thousand Talents and the offences that are done unto us are but a hundred pence when the Lord doth forgive so many transgressions so freely fully so sincerely so unchangeably the Lord doth expect that there should be a readiness in them to forgive others from a sense of that forgiveness unto them of his that so they may testifie themselves to be the Children of their Father which is in Heaven But the second ground is this 2. Reas Because those that we are called upon to forgive are our Brethren How oft shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him Christ Answers Till seventy times seven Now there is a great deal in the very name of Brother that may challenge forgiveness and call us upon this duty though many though never so many yet still often and ever called a brother for still in one sense or other every man is a brother some nearer than other though not born of the same Parents though not of Kindred yet he may be a Brother in the same faith though not a Brother in the family yet a Brother in the same Town City Country or Nation however in the same common nature of Adam in respect of the poor dark frail nature every man and woman is a Brother but some relations more near than others This spiritual relation the same Profession the same Faith the same God the same Inheritance this is a great engagement to pass by and to forgive wrongs whilst he is a Brother The Lord when he forgives he forgives inferiours there is an infinite distance between God and the creature when the Lord forgives a poor creature there is an infinite distance betwixt God and man but not betwixt man and man and therefore upon this account Christ requires it But then 3. Reas Thirdly Another ground is this If there be neglect of this Duty unto any of their Brethren it will be a grief unto their fellow-servants and they will make their complaint unto their Lord. It cannot but be a great grief of heart unto those that are fellow-servants when any that do profess the name of God shall be so far from performing this Duty that they shall express a spirit of Revenge and a spirit of Enmity it will sadden the hearts of many Saints when they shall see one that is called a Brother a Professour when they shall see him so unready to forgive as he shall study wrongs and injuries and study revenge it will grieve them and cause them many times to go to the Lord and make their complaint There is such a man that makes profession of thy Name and yet walks very unworthy of that profession very unsutable But 4. Reas Fourthly Again Neglect of this Duty will hinder and keep back a great deal of good and pull down a great deal of evil Christ knew this very well and therefore he did command this Duty Christ knew that the neglect of this Duty would hinder men of a great deal of good It may deprive a man of many temporal mercies of many temporal salvations the Lord may call in the grant of temporal mercies whenas he shall see such a spirit in any that profess his Name as to retain the sense of wrongs and injuries and not to pass them by it puts the Lord upon it many times to recall the grant of temporal mercies as in the Parable following Nay not only so but it may deprive the soul of many special spiritual choice mercies It may hinder the soul from beholding the light of Gods countenance It is true the soul being once pardoned by Faith in Christ God will never recall that pardon Ay but if that man or woman that is pardoned and they have the pardon sealed and witnessed yet shall walk unworthy of pardoning love and shall not come up to this Duty of forgiving pardoning and passing by wrongs and injuries the Lord will recall the manifestation of his pardoning Love and the sense of it though not the pardon it self It doth not only deprive the soul of much good but it also pulls down much evil and not only outward evils but sometimes the Lord manifests a great deal of wrath and displeasure upon such a one as is of an implacable spirit to retain wrongs and injuries as it was with that servant that would not forgive his fellow-servant the Lord commands that he should be delivered up unto the Tormentor and cast into prison until he had paid the uttermost Farthing Why a man though he hath but a profession the Lord lets him alone with that formal profession till such time as he comes forth with such a waspish peevish spirit against Gods people and seeks to wrong and injure them Why then the Lord he takes the advantage upon him and gives him up unto the Tormentor because of such a waspish spirit whenas he will not forgive a Brother a wrong or injury but retain anger he cannot find in his heart to forgive the Lord sometimes comes upon such a man though a Christian the Lord comes and takes him and delivers him up to the Tormentor delivers him up to his own Conscience though not to deliver him up out of his hand but the Lord will deliver him up unto his own Conscience unto the manifestation of wrath till he shall have made satisfaction till he shall have cried out unto Christ for more strength to carry it more like unto him 5. Reason But lastly Christ Commands and Commends the forgiving of wrongs and injuries that