that you would not be discouraged through the apprehension of the straitness of this passage you know not how easie God can make it why should you distrust him do not fear the greatness of the pains God can make them easie God can allay them God can take away the sense of them God can give in that which can sweeten them remember who went before you hath not the Lord Jesus gone before you He set himself in the fore-front of the Battel the passage was a great deal straiter when Christ went through it he hath widened it and made it far more easie Believers you have seen the worst that death can do to you you have seen it in Christ if it had overcome Christ you might have fear'd it but Christ would try the experiment first upon himself and you have seen the worst that it can do Jesus Christ is engaged with you if you should perish Christ himself had as good have perished it 's all one whether he be overcome in his person or in his members Oh therefore I say be not discouraged at the apprehension of the straitness of the passage and darkness of the entry but look to Christ that hath gone before you and only let it be your care whilst you live to live by Faith and to live in constant communion with God God will take care of the rest And Vse 2. Again How should you bless the Lord Christ What cause have you to bless the Lord and to admire the riches of wisdom and the riches of power and the riches of goodness that hath made death to be thus easie I tell you it is not so in it self Christians you are beholding to Christ for this death is not easie in it self it is most terrible in it self it hath brought down mighty spirits of wicked men Oh! whither shall I go said Nero when death was at hand It was not so easie with Christ oh it was exceeding strait when he ventured to pass through it was for your sakes that he entred the passage first Oh! admire his wisdom goodness and power and bless his name for this both in life and death That 's a second thing we considered Enoch was not God took him his translation is spoken of him as a very easie thing he walked a step further and returned no more and God took him There is one Particular more which I shall give but a hint on and that is He was not found So saies the Apostle to the Hebrews Heb. 11. 5. He was not found for God had translated him He was not found and that implies he was sought for when God had took him They sought for him but he was not found saies the Apostle And so it was with Elijah in 2 Kings 2. latter end of the Chapter the Prophet sends out fifty men to seek after him and it 's very like they did so for Enoch but he was not found for God took him Observe It is usual to undervalue mercies whilst we have them which are prized dearly when once they are gone I say it is usual with the sons of men to undervalue mercies whilst they have them which they would seek for when once they are gone thus we deal with persons and thus we deal with other mercies With Persons you know how Samuel was undervalued by Saul whilst he lived and the Word of the Lord that he brought to Saul was rejected but when Samuel was gone then Saul seeks for him nay he was so violent that he seeks him in an unlawful way even to raise him up from the dead that he might acquaint him with the Will of the Lord. And so John Baptist was persecuted and banished and Herod cut off his head but when he was gone then Herod prized him and so when Herod heard of the fame of Jesus that he did great things Surely it is John Baptist that is risen up again here 's mighty works indeed And thus we deal not only with Persons But thus we deal with other Mercies whilst we have them we undervalue them that God is forced to take them away to let us know what the worth of them is Israel did not prize her mercies outward Mercies Corn Wine and Oyl Flax and Wool and therefore God was forced to take them away to let them know the worth of them I will take away my Corn my Wine and my Oyl my Flax and my Wool Hos 4. Yea thus we deal with God himself thus we deal with God and Christ and with the great and precious things of God how did Esau despise his birth-right how contemptibly did he speak of it whilst he had it What will my birth-right do me good saies he seeing I am ready to die And yet afterward when it was gone he sought it with tears when Jacob had got the blessing he sought it with tears and he could not obtain it Yea this is not only in the hearts of the wicked if it were only in the wicked it were the less but it is in the hearts of Gods own people to undervalue the things of God whilst they enjoy them and so give the Lord cause to strip them of them Israel had the presence of God amongst them but they did not prize God and therefore saies God I will go and return to my first place in their affliction they will seek me early Thus we deal with other of Gods precious ones many times they are undervalued and we know not the worth of them till such time as they are removed till God takes them away As it is said concerning the Jews in Matth. 23. that Christ was amongst them and Preached the everlasting Gospel to them and they received it not But when the Gospel was removed from them then they prized it Behold your house is left unto you desolate Why in Matth. 21. there you have the same words when the Children cried saying Hosanna Hosanna to the Highest the Jews were offended when the people said of Christ Hosanna and blessed is he that comes in the Name of the Lord they were offended in the 15 Verse and Christ doth rebuke them for this Well saies he when they cried Hosanna blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord you are displeased the time is a coming that you would give all that you enjoy to see such a man as you have seen but I will teach you by the absence of this mercy of which you shall say Welcom indeed and blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord I say what base hearts and spirits are within us that we should put God unto this labour that we should cause God to walk in this way towards us to take away our mercies that we may know how to prize them Oh it is an unworthy heart there is a great deal of the spirit of Esau to despise the blessing whilst we had it and then afterwards weep for it and sought it with tears but found it not And
ground he brought of the fruit of the ground and presented it as an offering unto the Lord and now if Cain brought the fruit of the ground should not you bring the fruit of the Tree The Lord hath given you all the fruit of the Tree to eat of Oh bring of the fruit of the Tree as a Sacrifice that the Lord hath given you so freely to eat of know that all your mercies come from this Tree and therefore look that all your mercies liberties and comforts grow upon this Tree Oh then acknowledge Christ in all and say with David O Lord all things come of thee and of thine own have I given thee So go and return all these mercies to Christ if thou hast any thing that is good say Lord this grew upon thy Tree and I am beholding to Christ for it if thou hast any grace any strength any ability any opportunity to do for God to serve thy Generation say Blessed be Christ for it it 's none of my fruit but it 's Christs fruit this strength and that grace it grew upon that Tree I bless the Lord for it Oh be taken up with admiration with holy admiration there is a world of precious fruit that grows upon Christ you have heard but a little of it oh be taken up with admiration continually be taken up with thanksgiving and acknowledgement give all back again to Christ and by that little that little sight of the goodness and the little taste of the sweetness that the Lord now gives you of the Tree of life rise higher do not rest here but be rising higher and higher and say Oh Lord if the fruit be so sweet what 's the Tree it self How excellent and glorious is the Lord Jesus Christ the Tree of life from whence such precious fruit doth grow Rest not upon any thing but Christ and be still ascending higher and higher and say Lord if this fruit the fruit that I now taste be so sweet what is the fruit that I shall taste of in heaven If I taste of the fruit of the lowest boughs and they be so sweet what is the fruit that grows upon the top branches which is reserved for the Saints to pluck and to eat of when they shall come unto heaven And thus I have given you in part to see the meaning of these words and how usefully they may be enlarged in your own Meditation and remember the Text it 's worthy you should spend many thoughts upon it As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my beloved among the sons I sat down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste SERMON I. MATT. 18. 21 22. Then Peter came to him and said Lord how oft shall my Brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven times Jesus saith unto him I say not unto thee until seven times but until seventy times seven HEre is Peter's Question unto Christ about the Forgiving of Offences and Christs Answer unto Peter's Question you must know that the Question and so the Answer relates unto particular offences personal offences such wrongs and injuries as are done by one man unto another As for those which are more immediately against God and more publick Christ doth give another rule in this Chapter but this I say is concerning personal offences or wrongs which are done by one man unto another How often shall my Brother sin against me and I forgive It is true every such offence is a sin against God and so far as it is a sin against God there is no man can forgive the Lord only can forgive sin he against whom the sin is committed but now there is an offence or wrong which is done against man and so far as the offence is against man man may forgive man cannot forgive Gods part but so far as the offence is against man man may forgive it nay Christians ought to forgive it so far to forgive it as not to seek any revenge for the wrong done How often shall my Brother sin or offend against me By Brother here we are to understand any relation any friend any neighbour any man that we have to do with if that he hath done any wrong or any offence he 's comprehended under this relation of a Brother any man for we are all Brethren How often shall my Brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven times there is Peter's Limitation he seems to give an answer to himself for it comes short of the answer of Christ Shall I forgive him so often saies Peter Lord what shall I forgive him seven times It seems to be hard to forgive a brother seven times but see how Christs answer doth exceed Peter's Christ will have no such bounds set as seven times I say not unto thee till seven times but until seventy times seven As if Christ should say Wherefore dost thou say seven times to set the bounds of thy forgiveness seven times to thy brother I 'le have no such bounds given you think it a great matter to forgive seven times I say unto you That it is the Will of my Father that you forgive until seventy times seven a certain number for an uncertain seventy times seven that is I will have you to multiply forgiveness not that Christ himself doth set bounds to seventy times seven that they should proceed so far and no further but I will have you to forgive very often nay as often as thy brother doth offend not seven times but I say seventy times seven That which I shall observe at this time is this Doct. How far the thoughts of the Lord and the waies of the Lord are beyond our waies and our thoughts in this matter of forgiveness Peter thought seven times for a man to forgive an offending brother was a great matter but seventy times seven was not enough and know that what the Lord Christ doth here give in as a duty unto Peter and to all the Disciples that the Lord Jesus himself doth assert as his prerogative in the matters of forgiveness in the matter of forgiving offences and transgressions The Lords thoughts and the Lords waies are infinitely above ours This truth I shall handle at this time to make way for that main Doctrine of the Text which is the Doctrine of Forgiveness forgiving Offences Now that the Lords thoughts and the Lords waies are so far above ours it is clear from Scripture Isa 55. 7 8 9. see it was in the matter of forgiveness this is spoken Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy and to our God for he will abundantly pardon For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your waies my waies saith the Lord for as the Heavens are higher than the Earth so are my waies higher than your waies and my thoughts than your thoughts Though you cannot think that
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
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
therefore I shall conclude with this word of Exhortation Vse 3. Let us learn to prize our mercies I say whilst we enjoy our mercies let us learn to prize them because the time is coming when they shall not be to us they shall not be found we shall seek them and shall not find them God hath given you friends and relations Oh my Brethren prize them use them for Gods glory do all the good you can to them whilst you have them receive all the good that may be from them whilst you have them for the time is a coming when they shall not be to you It was Job's argument with God you shall see in Job 7. the last Verse and it is a very strong argument and Why dost thou not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity and pardon it quickly Speak a good word quickly to thy Servant I cannot hold out long Lord saies he I cannot hold out long now I shall sleep in the dust and thou shalt seek me in the morning and I shall not be Lord pardon pardon thy servant Job whilst thou hast a Job to pardon Lord do good to me whilst thou hast an occasion to do good to me e're I sleep in the dust you shall seek me then and I shall not be that you shall say oh that I had such a friend to do good to or that I had such a friend to receive good from Oh take the present opportunity therefore of doing and receiving good and this is spoken not only of all Persons but of all Things prize them whilst you have them prize them whilst you enjoy them for time is coming when they shall not be And Consider this Let me say this to you The Lord is this day tendering grace to you he stands he knocks he invites you he beseeches you he desires you to open he is willing to pardon multitudes of transgressions to wash away thousands and ten thousands of transgressions and sins and to subdue them also Oh that the Lord would give you hearts to seek after this present mercy you 'l seek them hereafter when they shall not be Oh take heed lest Christ speak to you as he spake to the Jews which was a fearful sentence because of their mistaking their time and neglecting their opportunity Joh. 7. 34. You shall seek me saies Christ and shall not find me and where I am you cannot come he had said a little before And I am with you and am coming to them that seek me and afterward You shall seek me and shall not find me Christ was with them a little while preaching and holding forth and urging mercy and grace beseeching of them to come in they refuse and reject life Well saies Christ I have sought you and you would not be found you would not follow me the time is coming when you shall seek me and shall not find me and where I am you cannot come and you that fear the Lord I beseech you be you warned also take heed you don't slight your mercies your present enjoyments of God lest the Lord also teach you to know the worth by the want I say take heed that you do not abuse your mercies take heed that you do not grow cold and dead and loose and formal under the enjoyment of the means of getting nigher God which you enjoy more than formerly for what pity is it that we should grow worse when God is better That we should be further off from drawing nigh to God when God is drawing nigh to us What pity is it that the Sun-shine and fair weather should do harm Doth not sad experience teach us that many Christians are further off from God now than when the means were lesser in their getting near to God take heed God don't let you know by sad experience what the loss of his presence is and that he don't let you know by sad experience what the loss of Ordinances are what the want of mercies are it shews abundance of corruption that is in the heart but it is mercy if God will teach his people any way it is the saddest way of teaching that God will make use of to recount what once we had and what once we enjoyed and now are stript of for want of improvement we had the Sabbaths the teachings of God we had the Ordinances but now stript of all and therefore may as they sit down by the waters of Babylon and weep most bitterly it is a sad way of teaching yet it is mercy if God will choose any way of teaching and drawing these sad and drowsie hearts of ours more to himself Thus you have had some hints of what Enoch was He was not found for God had translated him God took him the main Point is yet behind viz. to consider whither Enoch was translated and wherefore he was translated and the year in which he was translated which was three hundred sixty five years and was the shortest life of all the Patriarchs But so much shall serve for this time SERMON X. GEN. 5. 24. And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him WE have done with Enoch's walk we are come to Enoch's Rest He was not for God took him I have opened the phrase to you the last time I spake But I shall proceed to what is still behind in the Text. He was not for God took him And God took him there is a great dispute amongst many to what place Enoch was taken There are many both of the Papists and others that place Enoch in earthly Paradise they say Enoch was not taken into Heaven but into Paradise and that this Enoch and Elijah are those two Witnesses that shall come again at the end of the world to discover and destroy Antichrist there is such a Tradition generally amongst them and others have received it from them but there is not the least ground for it in the Word of God that Enoch and Elijah should be those Witnesses spoken of in Rev. 11. for certainly those Witnesses are no other but the servants of God spoken of that have stood up in all Ages since Christ to bear witness to the name and truth of Jesus and therefore I see nothing why we may not assert that Enoch was taken up into Heaven that he ascended in body into Heaven You shall see in 2 Kings 2. 11. it is spoken there of Elijah who was translated even as Enoch And it came to pass as they still went on and talked that behold there appeared a Chariot of fire and Horses of fire and parted them both asunder and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into Heaven if Elijah went into Heaven why not Enoch Object But it may be Objected Is not Jesus Christ the first-fruits of them that ascend Did not Christ open the door by his blood How then could Enoch or Elijah ascend into Heaven before Christ came and opened the door Answ To which I Answer It is true that
But again Vse 4. Fourthly This may be a ground of patience unto the servants of God in the midst of all their affliction in the midst of all temptations and afflictions whatsoever possess your souls in patience Why because the time is short and if it be good for you the Lord will make your daies few because they are evil therefore possess your souls in patience you complain of your afflictions Why they are not for an Eternity a few daies those daies are shortened if you should live as long as they did before the Flood seven eight or nine hundred years and all the time be tempted and afflicted but now for the Elects sake those daies are shortened your burden is but for a little time your rest is long therefore possess your souls with patience O the wisdom and goodness of God in walking in this way to and with his people if your afflictions had been heavy and long too that had been sad It is the misery of Hell heavy burdens to Eternity is the misery of Hell Ay but Gods dispensation to you is quite contrary and otherwise when your daies are evil they shall be few and but for a little while but when joy comes that shall be for Eternity O the goodness of Gods dispensation few daies when they are evil and an Eternity of daies when entering into the possession of Joy possess your souls with patience 5. Fifthly Again Will God cut off the times of his best servants See and take that Counsel in Isa 2. 22. Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be accounted of Cease ye from man from the best of men for their breath is in their nostrils Cease from affecting them over much do not let the stream of your affections be any way inordinate for wherein are they to be accounted Remember what the Apostle saies The time is short the fashion of this world passeth away when he goes about to other things concerning this world The time is short saies he cease ye from man and cease from trusting in him his breath is in his nostrils don't lay too much weight upon any man the Lord cuts short the daies of the best of his servants therefore trust not in don't lay too much weight upon them don't say the comfort of your lives is bound up in them and you can't live comfortably without them oh cease ye from trusting in man it 's much better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man by laying weight upon the creature you may break the creature therefore take heed though God may take away them that you trust in in love and mercy he may shorten their daies in love yet cease ye from trusting in man That 's a fifth Again Vse 6. Sixthly This may teach you to take heed of murmuring and repining when God takes away any of your relations in the midst of their years and daies Oh how full of carnal reasonings are they Oh you conceive it much better if they had lived longer if they had lived to mans age what an honour might they have been to God and a comfort to you if they had lived longer These are carnal reasonings that arise from the flesh know assuredly that if God shortened their daies it was in love it was best for them that they were so taken away taken away at that time why will you teach God Will you teach God to gather in his Corn in what season he shall do it Know assuredly he will take them at the best he will crop them at the best season he loves his servants well and he will put them off at the best advantage both in life and death and therefore know assuredly that whatsoever carnal reason may say on the contrary it was according to the dispensation of Gods love though he takes them away in the midst of their daies That 's a sixth Vse 7. Seventhly It may be a word of conviction to such as have lived long and have lost of their former forwardness and zeal for God such as have lived to grow worse lived to be scandalous to the name of God and to a holy profession Oh my friends what shall we say But that God orders things in infinite wisdom you might say poor creature how much better had it been if God had taken you away before Oh! to live to be a dishonour to God to live to lose thy first love and thy first zeal and forwardness for God to be a scandal to profession oh better that you had been taken away at the first better that you had been hid in the Grave many years ago that now your corruption should be discovered to the dishonour of your profession and yet don 't you say there is no hope and therefore we will wait no longer the Lord invites you to return return oh that you would seek after your first love and first zeal strengthen the feeble hands and knees if the Lord should come and take you away whilst you are in this condition oh how uncomfortable will it be unto you very uncomfortable you lose your Crown though I know if you have interest in Christ the Crown of glory is safe yet there is a Crown which you will lose if you return not speedily to the Lord the Crown of a Christian is to flourish green and be fruitful in old age fat and flourishing in the Courts of the Lord to be fresh and sweet and to send forth an excellent savour this is the Crown of a Christian and this Crown you may lose if death comes upon you whilst you are in that declining condion Oh therefore make hast to the Lord pour out your cry continually that the Lord would be pleased to restore you again and to establish you with his free spirit that you may be fresh fruitful and sweet and may not be withered in time of gathering when God shall come to pull and gather you if you be dead and withered you lose all your sweet scent Oh beg of the Lord that you may not be in that condition at that time when he shall come to gather you into his Barn That 's a seventh Vse 8. Eightly Let us pray and wait for that time which before was spoken of when there shall be no danger in long life when long life shall be a mercy unto all the Saints when the daies of the Lords people shall be as the daies of a tree and the Elect shall long enjoy the works of their hands Oh pray for the accomplishment of that promise it will be very sweet how much shall the Saints gain at that time how much knowledge yea how much shall they do for God Alas we are of yesterday and know nothing oh get large experience renewed experience they shall grow in that day like an Oak tree or a Cedar there shall be no hindrances of growth pray and wait for the accomplishment of that Vse 9. Ninthly This may support