of sin because this fruit is better Oh that many might be convinced of sin such as wallow in their lusts and take more delight in their lusts than in Christ that have not yet tasted of the fruit of this Tree of Life the Invitation is even to them unto such that they might come in and taste and see how good the Lord is So much for the first Use 2. Vse Secondly A word of Exhortation to those that have interest in Christ O that you would come and sit under this Tree and eat That Christians would sit more under Christ and eat more of his fruit It 's not enough to give a pluck and away a snatch and away but the Spouse she sat and pluckt and eat Christ doth not love a hasting gesture he doth not love souls hast in plucking of his fruit he doth not love they should post over Communion with him but that they should sit down and eat Oh chew well upon the Tree of Life that you may find that sweetness that infinite sweetness that is in it Oh that you would pluck much of the fruit of this Tree you that have interest in Christ pluck much of this fruit and eat much of this fruit let me tell you there is more fruit grows upon one bough than you can pluck all your daies and make no spare there is more fruit grows upon one bough than you can pluck throughout all Eternity Oh that you would every day be plucking a little continually plucking and eating some of the fruit that grows upon this Tree of Life it 's but a taste that you can have and therefore you had need be often and alwaies tasting of that fruit which is in him Besides you can have but a taste of this sweetness yet this taste is exceeding comfortable reviving and strengthening I say that very taste it's exceeding comfortable and reviving there is no fruit so full of spirit as this fruit that grows upon the Lord Jesus and it 's full of strength it will strengthen your souls abundantly you may know it 's very nourishing by the sweetness of it Physicians say That which tastes well it nourishes well and if so I am sure this fruit is nourishing fruit for it hath the sweetest taste it hath the most delightful taste O the sudden strength that the taste of this fruit hath conveyed unto poor weak and weary souls to such as have been spent almost in their combates and ready to faint and give up the Ghost their spirits have been ready to fail within them and the Lord hath given but one taste of this fruit some fruit or other the fruit of his death or the fruit of his Resurrection Ascension or Mediation and it hath given new strength and new Life to the poor soul and it hath made it stand up and leap for joy it crept upon the earth before and now it mounts up like the Eagle Oh this excellent fruit that is in Christ it 's worth the plucking and it 's worth the eating Besides you may well pluck much of this fruit you that have interest in Christ you have all the advantage that can be you have the shadow over you whilst you pluck it and whilst you eat it you need not labour much and toil much for the Lord with this Tree will be a shadow to you you may pluck with delight and eat with delight under his shadow he will keep off his fathers displeasure you may eat and pluck and eat with delight and need not fear surfeit all the fruit is fully ripe here Christ hath bidden you eat without fear It 's the sin of some as the Apostle speaks that they eat without fear but here 's the commendation of this fruit you may eat without fear Men may eat too much of the fruit of this world and get a surfeit it may cost many a Life and Soul but here Gods people may still pluck and eat and eat and pluck and eat abundantly 3. Vse Thirdly This Doctrine calls the Saints to thankfulness Oh bless the Lord that he hath made such provision for you that he hath provided such a Tree as this that you may eat here and eat in heaven and for ever feed upon it and be comforted and satisfied What do you owe to the Lord you that are the people of the Lord What do you owe to the Lord for his mercy I say what shall you render unto the Lord for all his loving kindness when you pluck and when you eat look upward I say eat and look upward Do not eat as the Swine eat under the Tree and never look up from whence it comes it 's a sin to receive any mercy so to take them as not to look up but when you eat of the fruit of this Tree Oh lift up your hearts and look up unto Christ and be thankful do but consider what poor creatures you are what need you have of this fruit you had starved your souls had starved and famished for ever if Christ had not been a fruitful Tree all the creatures could not have given you fruit for your souls to feed on I tell you the fruit that is upon the creature is vanity it 's perishing they could not have nourished you up to eternal life Oh you had famished you had fainted you had perished and when you were in this fainting perishing condition he sprang up as a Tree in the Wilderness as a Tree in the Forest he sprang up in your fainting and wildred conditions he sprang up and became a fruitful Tree unto your nourishment And do you but consider what unfruitful Trees you were to Christ when Christ became a fruitful Tree unto you Oh the cursed fruit that you brought forth to him you brought forth nothing but sin and death there 's all the fruit that you brought to him you brought forth sin to him and brought forth death to your selves Oh that ever the Lord Christ should be a Tree of Life unto you you that were Trees of death unto your selves and Trees of Death unto him your sins put him to death That ever he should be a Tree of Life unto you and be a Tree to bring forth such fruit such peace such pardon such joy such strength oh the infinite love of Christ to you Why certainly Christ deserves a great rent for his fruit it 's said in Cant. 8. 11 12. That Solomon had a Vineyard and he let it out for a thousand pieces of Silver if Solomon had so much for his fruit what deserves Christ for his fruit Oh the thousand pieces of Silver the thousand Hosannahs the thousand Halleluja's and thousand praises that are due to Christ for his fruit Well I beseech you give Christ of his own fruit I say give him of his own fruit he requires nothing from you but what you may pluck from his own Tree give him his own fruit as it 's said of Cain as wicked as he was when the Lord blessed the
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
he fears the Resurrection that which is the righteous mans hope is the wicked mans fear he fears to see the morning he was loth to go to bed but will be more loth to rise for his flesh rests in fear he rather saies Lord let me lie here alway let me never go out of this Dungeon better lying here alway than going to Execution 2. But again Besides the rest of the righteous man is not only the rest of the flesh but the rest of the Spirit he ceases from all the assaults of Satan from his own crooked nature burdens of sin and corruption whilst he was in the Land of the living and those out-cries O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death the burden of death and sin is taken away it shall be put under his feet for ever he shall not see any more any of the motions of sin any of those lusts and corruptions that formerly did war in any of his members he shall no more cry O Lord deliver me from a hard heart a corrupt spirit a passionate heart O saies he my life is a burden to me to see these daughters of Heth these Canaanites because of these corruptions of mine my life is a burden to me Well there shall be no such complaints beyond the Grave and therefore saies he death shall make the Saints gainers But again They shall gain freedom from all the temptations of Satan this is great gain if well considered they shall no more be assaulted no more fiery darts thrown at them Here they are battered with temptations that through temptations their lives many times become a burden to them Ay but death shall set them free out of Gun-shot here they are tossed up and down turmoiled by Satan as Christ was carryed up to the Mountain and then to the Pinacle tossed up and down from Mountain to Pinacle Ay but then there shall be no tempter no temptation shall enter any place of that Jerusalem that is above in Heaven and therefore to the godly man death is gain Besides They shall gain freedom from all the oppositions and oppressions of the World I say freedom they shall rest from the oppressions of men and Job did account that and look upon that as a great mercy he did envy men in their Graves saies he They are at rest the poor man is freed from the Oppressor from all persecutions of men and from all the slaveries and bondages and tyrannizing of them why death shall set them free from the oppressions of men from all evil of men from all wars and rumours of wars and sad effects of wars death sets them free from these O say you I have lost a friend but you know not what he gained he is taken from the evil to come in the Generations after him he shall rest from all sorrows from all afflictions from all passions the Lord God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes there shall be no mourning beyond the Grave no complaining in the streets of the new Jerusalem Brethren Lay all these together and see if this be not gain to those in whom the life of Christ is to gain nothing but this Rest from their labours and rest from oppression and tyranny to rest from sorrows passions tears and mournings this is a mercy but to rest from temptations to rest from sin and from all those lusts and corruptions that did war in their members and in their minds this is a great mercy if there were no more see how you are beholding to Christ for these if you find no more gain that death brings you in that are in Christ how are you beholding unto Christ for it Death is not gain in it self but you are beholding to Christ that hath made it so It is said of Noah in Gen. 5. 29. when Noah was born it is said this same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands This man shall comfort us for he shall be a Preacher of righteousness he was a Type of Christ and a Preacher of righteousness through faith and therefore Noah did comfort them through Preaching of Christ the righteousness of Faith an object of rest a place to take up in in the midst of their toil and labour they were beholding to Christ o whom Noah was a Type who is this rest and to you death would not be thus gain if Christ had not made it so no this man this Lord Jesus hath brought in comfort concerning that estate of separation of soul from body it is not gain in it self but Christ hath made it so unto his people O how are you engaged unto Christ say even for this if you should hear no more of this rest I will bless his great name for it SERMON VI. PHILIP 1. â—1 For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain THE Apostle I told you the last day doth converse with Death at a distance But I entered into the main Point which I shall prosecute at this time For to me to live is Christ and to die is Gain DOCT. Where Christ is life there death is gain See the Connexion For to me to live is Christ Christ is my life and death is my gain Death is gain to that soul that hath Christ for its life One particular I named I shall prosecute the rest 1. First Their gain is a gain of rest I say every Believer by death gains Rest a rest from toil and troubles of an evil turmoiling World Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord for they rest from their labour they rest the rest of the righteous man When he is in the Grave it is another kind of rest than the rest of the wicked it is said of David who is a Type of Christ that his flesh rests in hope the flesh of the righteous man rests in hope but the flesh of the wicked man may be said to rest in fear he may fear the approaching day of light he may fear to lie down but more to rise up he cries out O Lord let me lie here to Eternity for the chains of darkness are better than the light of a new day but the flesh of the righteous man shall rest in hope he shall have no more fiery darts of the Devil thrown at him he rests from temptation and oppression of the World and from the tyranny of man he rests from all griefs sorrows tears and complaints where all tears shall be wiped away and no complaints in the streets at that day here is a great deal of gain the righteous man gains rest in the day of death 2. Secondly As he gains rest so he gains perfect peace and fulness of joy it is said in Isa 57. 1. The righteous are taken away from the evil to come c. and it is said he shall enter into peace They shall rest in their beds every one walking in his uprightness they shall not
I should multiply pardon you think seven times hard but the Lord can multiply unto seventy times seven the Lords waies are not as your waies nor his thoughts as yours for his thoughts are above your thoughts as the heavens are above the earth now this shews us how far short we do imitate the Lord in forgiving others For 1. First of all The Lord when he forgives he forgives those that are enemies this will advance the exceeding riches of the Lords grace I say the Lord when he forgives he forgives enemies for so is every man by nature neither can any man lay down that enmity that is in the heart till such time as the Lord Christ brings home a pardon that is the first work and the ground of all that the Lord doth for a soul and of what it doth for him I will be merciful to their unrighteousnesses and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more Now how far are the thoughts and waies of the Lord above our thoughts and waies in this matter of forgiveness Christ he forgives enemies he brings home forgiving mercy unto enemies and reconciles the enmity that is in their hearts But oh how far come we short we are so far from forgiving enemies as we can scarce forgive friends hard to forgive a brother a dear and near relation Oh how far do we come short of Christ in that Secondly The Lord when he forgives offences and transgressions to a poor soul he forgives freely and the freeness of the Lords forgiveness will appear in these particulars 1. First In that the Lord is alwaies ready to forgive there is a propensity in the heart of the Lord to pardon poor sinners that come in to him he is ready to it God is never unready it discovers the freeness of the Lord in this work the Psalmist speaks of the Lord in Psal 86. 5. For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy to all them that call upon him Of tender mercies God is never unready for this work alwaies ready ready to forgive the heart of God is never out of tune never out of frame for this work never unready for this work alwaies ready to forgive but oh how far are the waies of the Lord above our waies for this and his thoughts above our thoughts Where is the man or where is the woman whose heart is ready to forgive whose heart is never out of tune never out of frame for this work of forgiving wrongs injuries and offences unto them that they do commit them The Lord he is ready to forgive It may be at last a man may be drawn off to forgive a man when friends have dealt with him when he hath been urging it on his own heart to be his duty when he hath taken pains with his own soul and brought the Word home to his soul and hath smarted for this unreadiness to forgive but oh where is the man or woman that looks unto God whose heart is never out of tune but alway ready to forgive 2. Secondly The freeness of the Lords forgiveness appears thus In that he is not only ready to forgive but he forgives at the desire of the poor creature no sooner doth a poor creature express his desire but the Lord is ready to express his willingness set forth in the Parable of the wicked Servant in Mat. 18. 32. I forgave thee because thou desiredst me not that this his desire was the cause of forgiveness but it exprest the readiness of the Lord at his desire to come in and to manifest pardon unto him Now I pray let us consider how far the thoughts of the Lord and the waies of the Lord in this particular are above ours for the Lord forgives that which is desired but oh where is the man almost that can so easily forgive at the desire of him that offends hardly brought off although the party offending doth desire it although friends have desired him and relations have desired him and God hath desired him and Christ hath desired him yet how hardly are they brought off to this work 3. Again Thirdly The Lord forgives freely it appears thus He doth forgive upon the confession of his people he is ready to manifest his pardoning and forgiving love 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins And hereby I say it appears that he forgives freely in that he forgives upon the very confession of his people though not for confession and not for desire as I said before but yet in this way the Lord is pleased to manifest forgiveness no sooner doth the poor soul confess but he presently forgives I have sinned saies David The Lord hath done away thy sin saies the Prophet presently that is the next word Now how far is the way of the Lord above ours Where is the man that is ready to forgive upon a confession Yea although there be an acknowledgement of the wrong done yet how hard a matter is it for a poor creature to pass by that wrong Thus how much are we unlike to God 4. Fourthly Nay further the freeness of Gods forgiving mercy appears in this He doth forgive presently as soon as his people look towards him he doth not make long delay about the business he doth not stand to consider whether he shall forgive such offences or no but presently gives out pardon I have sinned saies David and in the next words The Lord hath done away thine iniquity Now how far is the way of the Lord above us in this Where is the man or woman that can find in their heart to forgive presently the wrong or injury done Oh there must be a great deal of do to bring off the heart to this work to forgive It may be in length of time mens hearts may be perswaded through a long time they may forgive and forget but oh where is the working of grace to bring off the hearts of men to forgive presently truly in this we come far short of God and the way and thoughts of God 5. Fifthly Nay further The freeness of God in forgiving a poor sinner appears in this He doth prevent poor sinful creatures with pardoning mercy Even before they do desire he prevents their desire their supplication for mercy he brings in a pardon to a poor soul before it hath made any real acknowledgement of its offence I said I will confess my sin unto the Lord Psal 32. 5. And thou forgavest me the iniquity of my sin David did but say it in his heart he had but such a thought such a purpose in his soul well I will return unto the Lord and I will confess And before David could do it the Lord he prevents him he prevents him with mercy And so another Instance you have of the Prodigal in Luk. 15. He said he would go to his Father and make his confession at the 18 Verse I will arise and
go to my Father and say Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee c. and then at the 20 Verse it is said He arose and came to his Father But when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him Mark how the compassion of the Father did prevent the confession of the Son I will go to my Father and say Father I have sinned so and so but before he could utter one word the Father falls upon his neck and kisseth him and forgives his many and great transgressions and then indeed afterward he doth make an humble acknowledgement And thus the Lord doth deal with poor sinners he doth prevent them with pardon before they can acknowledge their transgression and how far is the way of the Lord above the way of man in this Where is the man or woman that will deal thus with an offending brother with one that hath done him wrong and injury that will prevent their desire and prevent their confession but men will rather stand upon it and think they have rather warrant so to do If my brother confess and acknowledge his offence then it may be we think it our duty to forgive though hardly to bring off our hearts to that but where there is no confession and acknowledgement where is the man like the Prodigals Father to run and meet his son and seal up forgiveness before confession or an acknowledgement This shews that the way of the Lord in matters of forgiveness is far above man the Lord forgives enemies and the Lord forgives freely But 3. Thirdly The Lords waies are above ours it appears in that the Lord forgives fully He doth not only forgive freely those whom he doth forgive but the Lord forgives poor sinners fully I shall make it out in these particulars As 1. First The Lord he doth forgive all the debts When God doth forgive a soul he doth forgive all offences all transgressions and sins whatsoever I forgave thee all the debt he doth not forgive one sin to the soul and leave the other to reckon with him for and to condemn him for but where the Lord forgives one he forgives all else the forgiveness of the Lord were not full There are some that think indeed that God may forgive a soul one sin and yet reckon with him for other sins as the Arminians say That God forgives Original sin to all the World and yet condemns for actual sin but this is contrary unto the fullness of that grace of forgiveness As Jesus Christ died for sins against the Law so he died for the sin of Unbelief and when God forgives the sin of the Law he forgives Unbelief and overcomes Unbelief else it were in vain for God to forgive transgression though God could forgive all transgressions against the Law yet if God did not forgive transgression against the Gospel we had been shut up eternally for that sin but when God forgives one sin he forgives all sins and herein is the fulness of his pardon But oh how short is our way of Gods way in this particular A man can find in his heart to forgive some wrong but to forgive all the wrong that a man hath done this is a hard work how hardly is the heart of man brought off to this work 2. Secondly Nay again The fulness of Gods forgiving mercy it appears in this He doth not only forgive all the offences where the offences are few but he forgives them all where they are many If the soul be brought home to Christ the great Mediator the great Sacrifice the Lord forgives for all sins though never so many Luk. 7. 47. She loved much because much was forgiven her though her sins were very many yet they were forgiven her fully we can forgive a brother a Neighbour or a friend if they have done us but a few wrongs but now when offences come to be multiplied suppose they were many Oh how hard a matter is it to us to forgive them though easie with a Almighty God But 3. Thirdly Again The fulness of Gods forgiving mercy doth appear in that he doth forgive the greatest wrong He doth not only forgive many when they are small but he forgives many when they are great and herein I say is the greatness of the grace and of the love of God towards poor sinners that although offences be never so great he pardons and forgives them all Though your sins be as scarlet yet they shall be made as white as snow Isa 1. 18. This is it that aggravates the offences of his people in Isa 43. 24. Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine inquities yet this follows at the 25 Verse I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my Name sake and will not remember thy sins this was it that did aggravate the offences of his people thou hast made me to serve with thy sins God he forgives their sins though they were so great that God was oppressed under them as a servant under a heavy burden and yet saith the Lord I even I am he that blotteth them out Oh how short is our way of the way of God It may be a man may forgive offences when they be small but when they come to apprehend them great they are great wrongs done unto him and never was any wronged as I am by such a one and such a friend Oh how hard a matter then is it to imitate God in forgiving such great wrongs 4. Fourthly But again further The fulness of Gods forgiving mercy appears in this He so forgives his people as He retains no grudge in his heart against his people nothing but clearness in the heart of God toward his people Joseph was one that forgave his Brethren so freely as he never retained any grudge he takes off their aggravation it was not you but God that sent me hither therefore be not offended Joseph herein was a Type of Christ he forgave his Brethren so fully as he bore no grudge against them we never read that he upbraided his brethren so much as once for all the wrong they had done to him there was no grudge in the heart of Joseph against his brethren there was nothing but clearness in his heart and so nothing but clearness in the heart of God But oh how do we fall short of God Men may profess forgiveness O they forgive their Neighbour such a wrong but oh is there not still some old grudge at the bottom that is ready to break out upon all occasions How short do we come of God in this respect Nay 5. Fifthly Further The fulness of Gods forgiveness doth appear in this That he doth not bear any grudge he will not only not upbraid but He doth receive those whom he forgives into nearest friendship and fellowship with himself Though man did greatly sin against God in
Lord how oft shall my Brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven times Jesus saith unto him I say not unto thee until seven times but until seventy times seven YOu may remember the Doctrin which we are insisting upon is That the often forgiving of offences and injuries is a duty which Christ commends unto and commands all his Disciples to follow Not till seven times but until seventy times seven I proved the Doctrin by Scripture and held forth unto you the examples of godly men who had much of the Spirit of the Lord and the more of Gods Spirit was in them the more ready were they to pass by wrongs and injuries which were done unto them by their Brethren I gave you the grounds of the Point the last day I came to answer some Objections and Cases of Conscience But I come now to the Application and Uses of the Point 1. Vse It is a word of reproof in the first place Oh what a sad complaint may we take up that this duty which Jesus Christ commands is so little practised in our Generation that there is such an unreadiness in the spirits of most men if not in all men to come up to this duty a Gospel duty a hard duty and oh what unreadiness is there in mens spirits to come up unto the practice of it Oh! how many are there in the World that do not only come short of walking up unto this Rule but do walk quite contrary unto it And I shall shew you who they are and oh that God would speak convincingly unto mens hearts 1. First They walk contrary unto this Rule of Christ Who are easily provoked unto wrath who are soon displeased who are soon put out of the way take up every small wrong every petty offence nay are many times provoked unto wrath upon a conceited injury for a poor trivial business that will make a man an offender for a word Nay it may be displeased for want of a look or for want of a Complement Oh how contrary is this unto the Rule of Christ Oh! how far are such spirits from that forbearance and that long-suffering that the Gospel calls unto Where is the grace of long-suffering Nay such spirits they are far from the exercise of the grace of Love Love believeth all things and hopeth all things makes the best interpretation of all things Such spirits as are easily provoked with every petty wrong and offence they are far from the duty of the exercise of this grace of Long-suffering and come far short of walking up to this Rule that Jesus Christ hath left for his Disciples to walk in But 2. Secondly They walk contrary unto this Rule of Christ Who are retentive of those wrongs and injuries that are hardly appeased when once provoked that will remember one wrong seven daies nay seventy times seven when Christ saies Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath let it not once go down upon your wrath there are many that let the Sun set seven times nay seventy times seven on their wrath Let me say to such I must needs say that such actings are beneath the actings of a man there is a heavy Judgement upon such a man or such a woman a heavy Judgement is upon them and they know not of it I say such as can retain wrongs or injuries think of them seventy times seven daies speak of them seventy times seven a Judgement will belong unto them such a Judgement as was upon Nebuchadnezar Dan. 4 32. Truly I may say of such men and women this Judgement is upon them in a spiritual sense He was turned out from among men to dwell with the Beasts his reason was taken from him and he was cast out seven times yea seven years among the beasts I say it of such men and women that have this spirit reigning upon them whenas anger lodgeth in their hearts they are turned out as among the beasts what a Judgement is it to be turned out among the Beasts daies and years together and so is every one judged of God till they shall come to know that the most high ruleth over all and that he hath taught them this lesson To forget and to forgive But let me say again of such Whilst passion so reigns they give entertainment unto Satan that foul and unclean spirit when ever anger and wrath lodgeth in any mans heart the Devil lodgeth there too see it in Ephes 4. 26 27. Be angry and sin not let not the Sun go down in your wrath neither give place to the Devil That man that lets anger lodge in his bosom all night gives entertainment that night to the Devil There is many a man and many a woman in the world in word will bid defiance to the Devil or Satan and yet they open their bosom their breast and their doors and give entertainment unto Satan for where anger and wrath lodgeth in any mans bosom the Devil will certainly creep in they cannot be parted these two will go together If there be anger one night that night the Devil will be there too And oh that we may not be found to give entertainment unto such a Guest as Satan is But they do give entertainment unto him that are retentive of wrongs and injuries But 3. Thirdly How contrary do they walk unto the Rule of Christ That do aggravate all offences which are done unto them aggravate all wrongs and all injuries and do improve them to the uttermost and make the worst of them So did Laban whenas he pursued after Jacob when he returned to his own Country Gen. 31. Laban pursues after him 26 27 30 Verses What hast thou done that thou hast stolen away unawares to me and carried away my daughters as Captives taken with the Sword Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly and steal away from me and didst not tell me c. Yea thou hast stolen away my Gods See here 's a man that aggravates all to the utmost twice thrice Thou hast stolen away and stolen away and carried away my Daughters as Captives and thou hast stolen away my Gods Oh such a Spirit is far unlike unto the Spirit of God The Lord Jesus calls offences against men Trespasses and so Christ would have us to look upon them as Trespasses as errors and not to aggravate them nor to look upon them as sins of presumption Oh! that such hearts were but as ready to aggravate their own offences against God! We aggravate all wrongs and all injuries which are done against us but we are but little in aggravating our sins and our transgressions against the Lord Oh that men could but aggravate both their own sins and the Lords mercies as they are ready to aggravate the offences of their Brother We commit many sins against the Lord and do not aggravate them we receive many mercies from the Lord and do not aggravate them we do not compass our mercies and tell the Towers of them
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
many falls there 's so much crookedness in the way of the heart in the way of the conversation even in the best of Saints that if the Lord should judge them according to their walkings they were undone those Hypocrites plead a great deal when they cried Lord Lord have we not Prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name have cast out Devils and done many wonders and yet Christ bids them depart for he knew them not there is no pleading of works there is no pleading of worthiness and of the creatures righteousness when the creature comes to stand before Christ if you could walk with God as many years as Enoch did yet at the end of your walk at the end of your course you must lay down all and be willing to enter in as sinners that is at the door of free-grace not through any door of your own works or righteousness And again How does this call upon the people of God to be exceeding careful to receive Christ Oh! receive him freely he receives you freely here and he will receive you freely hereafter how are you engaged to receive him freely to close fully with him and with the tenders of life and grace of righteousness and holiness which are held forth in and through him Receive Christ freely and receive the Word of Christ freely though it be never so contrary to flesh and blood though it crosses your beloved lusts though it cross your profits though it cross your delights though it be the Word and Truth for which you must suffer yet oh why should not you receive Christ and his Word freely seeing he will receive you so freely another day He won't be ashamed to take his people and to own them before all the world these are mine my Jewels and if Christ won't be ashamed of you oh what a shame is it that you should either be ashamed or afraid to receive him and his Word and his Truth and to hold it forth in a time of opposition and suffering The free-grace of God in receiving his people at last is a mighty engagement unto them now to receive Christ and every word of Christ whilst they are in this Pilgrimage where God hath set them to bear up his name in the world But Further God took Enoch When was Enoch taken When he had lived three hundred sixty and five years that you find in the Chapter to be the term of his life three hundred sixty and five years if you compare the years of Enoch with the years of others of the holy men that lived in that Generation you shall find his life exceeding short his father lived above nine hundred and sixty years and his son Mathusalem lived longer yea all the time of all the Patriarchs there in this Chapter even amongst them all Enoch was the shortest liver a holy man a gracious man and one that was most eminent in his Generation and none there was that walked with God in his Generation as Enoch did and yet Enoch's daies are shortened I say sometimes the Lord shortens the daies of his Children that have walked and lived with him in an abundance of love and mercy You will say What time is that and when is it a mercy When does God shorten the daies of his servants in love 1. First of all God hath some of his servants that lie under great pressures their combatings are extraordinary and sometimes he shortens the term of their life in mercy and love We shall consider those particular combats which some of the Lords people are in an extraordinary manner exercised with and sometimes in pity mercy and love the Lord shortens their daies on earth As 1. First There is some of Gods servants that have extraordinary warrings with corruptions within them I say with corruptions within them and this proves a most heavy burden to them and makes their very lives uncomfortable a continual burden to them Oh these daughters of Heth were a continual vexation unto Rebecca the Apostle Paul was a man able to bear much and he bore a great deal of affliction which he met withal in his Pilgrimâ—ge that he could rejoice in afflictions and glory in tribulations they were nothing to him but when he comes to combate with sin lust and corruption that was within him he was forc'd to cry out to cry out for help he could rejoice in other affliction but herein he could not rejoice O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death I say some have extraordinary combatings with corruption more than others Oh these Monsters as soon as one head is cut off another springs up in the room never at peace the war is never at an end the Lord shortens their warfare in that 2. Again Secondly God hath some of his servants that are extraordinarily imployed with temptation oh they are hunted up and down and continually baited baited with Satans most horrible temptations winds and storms are ever beating fiery darts are ever thrown in before one wound is healed another is given Well the Lord looks out from Heaven he looks down he sees the combate and many times he makes this the way of deliverance he puts out his hand he takes his poor servants to himself and so delivers them from the baitings of Satans temptations 3. Again Thirdly Some of Gods servants are in extraordinary afflictions all their daies above all the men in the world they are most afflicted I say the way that God leads some of his servants to heaven is a very dark and narrow lane and they see more affliction than all their Neighbours in â—am 3 1. well saies the Prophet there I am the man that have seen affliction I am the man that have seen affliction that 's no great matter who hath not seen affliction Is that such a matter for the Prophet to complain of that he had seen affliction Ay but his portion was extraordinary he had seen more than all others in his time and therefore complains as if he alone had been the man that had seen affliction Well when afflictions are very great and of long continuance God hath trained up some of his servants in this way in this School yea he many times shortens their journey in love But you will say Object Could not God deliver them some other way Could not God rescue them out of the hands of affliction and deliver them from temptation and make them conquerours over their lusts and corruptions But must he shorten their lives by it and no other way Answ Why Beloved we must know this the Lord sees it best and he knows it is needful for them to come to him in this narrow way and they could not be without those afflictions and warrings of lusts and without those temptations and it 's the best way infinite wisdom sees it the best way to lead them to himself and to glory And therefore when the case is thus that the Lord sees it so
Justice and mercy meeting and kiss each other here it may see Justice reconciled and sin carried out and everlasting righteousness brought in here it may see reconciliation purchased and a way made for those that were afar off to come nigh unto God here it may see deliverance from that wrath which is to come it may see Death Hell sin and Satan and all trodden under foot here it may see all grace and all strength purchased by Christ here it may see a door of grace and a door of Life set open and Oh what a glorious sight may the Soul see there 3. Again Thirdly sit under the Ordinances of Christ take heed you neglect not these shadows of Christ and look at all the ordinances as shadows of Christ this is the way to use ordinances aright men and women never use ordinances aright untill such time as they look upon ordinances under this notion and consideration as they are shadows of Christ as they represent Christ and hold forth something of Christ Take an Ordinance as it 's out of Christ and it 's a shadow indeed a meer shadow a shadow of shadows but take the shadow as it 's in Christ and then it 's a glorious shadow and holds forth abundance of sweetness and grace and comfort and refreshment and then be sure you keep under Christ in the ordinance when the Soul thus looks upon ordinances as shadows of Christ then ordinances are sweet and refreshing and the Soul may see cause for ever to bless the Lord that he hath provided shadows for poor Souls to sit under that 's a Third particular Again Fourthly you that have Interest in Christ know it 's not enough to sit under his shadow but delight your selves in sitting under his shadow be like to the spouse in this she sits and sits with delight under this shadow of Christ Quest But you will say what is it to sit under the shadow of Christ with delight when may a Soul be said to sit under the shadow of Christ with delight under the ordinances Answ Delight it 's a complacency and rest which the soul takes of a suitable good so that then the soul may be said to delight in Christ or under the shadow of Christ whenas it rests and takes up in Christ as in the most suitable good Oh what is so refreshing and so suitable to a poor weary traveller as a comfortable refreshing shadow is to sit under And Oh so what so suitable to a poor weary soul as the comfortable shadow of Christ to sit under When the soul doth thus apprehend this suitableness of Christ to it Oh here 's a suitable shadow here 's a great shadow it 's long and large it 's able to cover multitudes of transgressions here 's a might shadow that can fence off abundance of wrath and displeasure My sin hath reacht up to heaven but here 's a shadow that is higher than the Heavens here 's the shadow of the day a refreshing shadow and how suitable is that to a Poor soul that hath sat long under the shadows of the night the shadows of darkness or the shadow of death When the Soul doth thus look upon Christ as the most suitable good and so to take up in him then may the soul be said to sit down with delight under Christs shadow But then again 2. Secondly What a man delights in that he is continually taken up withal his thoughts they run out much upon it So the soul that delights in Christ sits under Christs shadow with delight it 's much in the meditation of Christ continually taken up with Christ What says the Psalmist Psal 1. His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night His delight is in the Law of the Lord and how is that known by his continual meditation of it I know a gracious heart it may be weighed down by the prevalency of corruption ay but it looks upon it as a burden it crys out Oh Lord how long shall my spirit cleave to the dust or with Paul in Rom. 7. Who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death from this carnal heart and this sensual frame of spirit He is never well but when with Christ he is then in his Element Oh then how doth he rejoyce when he sees Christ lifted up and transfigured on the mount Oh then it 's good to be here always let me never go down but let me always live with God here 's a soul lifted up with delight in Christ 3. Again Thirdly what the soul delights in that it desires and desires more of a soul that delights in Christ it desires more of Christ more communion with Christ more acquaintance with Christ it 's never satisfied See what David says Psalm 119. 174. I have longed for thy salvation O Lord and thy Law is my delight when the Law was his delight he longed for the salvation of God how did his soul long for God and after Christ he expresses it in Psalm 42. 1. As the hart panteth after the water-brooks so doth my soul after thee O God as the hart panteth and breatheth after the water-brooks so his soul panted after God and when shall he get nigher God When shall I come and appear before thee The desires of the Soul prepare the soul for delight and stretch the soul wide for delight when it shall enjoy that which it doth desire 4. Again Fourthly delight in the soul doth beget strong desires in the soul that it may enjoy more of God and the soul that is thus carried out after Christ desires to see him more and to enjoy him more desires to do all in Christ to work under his shadow and to delight under his shadow to contemplate under his shadow and walk under his shadow then may the soul be said to delight in Christ Well then poor souls what care should you take to sit under the shadow of Christ to sit and to sit under his shadow with great delight with the more delight you sit under the shadow of Christ the more do you express the power of grace and the power of Godliness for certainly it 's the excellency of a Christian and the excellency of grace that the soul can be taken up with delight in Christ as it is with the sinfulness of sin it 's the height of wickedness and sin when the sinner delights in sin when he doth not only act in sin but delight in sin and in doing evil even so when the Soul doth not think enough to do that which is good but desires to do it with delight and can delight in God and delight in Christ and delight in grace and holiness delight in doing for God and delight in suffering for God the more you delight in Christ the more shall you express the power of grace 5. But again consider what cause you have to express your delight in Christ remember what delight the
an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquitie and to bring in everlasting righteousness c. he shall carry out sin and bring in righteousness to take off sin that 's not enough but to brings in righteousness an everlasting righteousness far more glorious and excellent than the righteousness of men or Angels he shall deliver his people from the fear of death this is a mercie but that 's not all Christ he brings in a glorious hope hope of life hope of glory who hath begotten us again unto a lively hope says the Apostle He doth not think it enough to deliver his people from the Slavery of sin but he translates them into the freedom and liberty of the Sons of God he delivers them from the power of sin and he puts them under the power of grace he brings them out of the Kingdom of darkness and he brings them into the Kingdom of his own glorious light it was not enough to free them from wrath to save them from hell but he will put them into the possession of glory and therefore he prayes his Father in John 17. that he would let them be where he is he hath been a shadow to them but that 's not enough they shall eat of his fruit let them be with me where I am that they may behold the glory thou hast given me which is and which was before the foundations of the world were laid And 1. First therefore brethren let your expectations and faith be according to the largeness of the heart of Christ don't think it enough that you sit under his shadow that the Lord Christ is one that can free you from wrath don't think that enough but look further to taste of his fruit look up for those joyes and consolations of his Spirit which he is willing to pour into your souls as well as to free your souls from the apprehension of wrath and so don't think it enough that you are delivered from the slavery and bondage of sin that sin hath not dominion over you don't think that enough but look out further for the life of Christ to be revealed in you to be manifested unto you for life and righteousness to raign gloriously in your hearts let your expectations be according to the largeness of the heart of Christ And then 2. Secondly you should deal with the Lord Christ as he deals with you He did not think privative salvation enough it was not enough to make a shadow for you but he prepares fruit for you and therefore don't think it enough that you have bare negative holiness that what you do is not against Christ but that you do what you do for Christ for he that is not with me says Christ is against me Don't think it enough that you pass your time and spend your dayes without being conscious of any wilful Sinning but what you do from day to day deal with Christ as he deals with you that you may lift up his name and honour him who will in due time honour and lift up you That 's the first particular Again 2. Secondly Christ brings you first unto the shadow and then he gives of his fruit to eat and then he causes you to taste of his fruit Because she was brought under his shadow therefore she shall eat of his fruit see how the Lord doth make one mercy to be the beginning of another mercie unto his people it 's Gods ordinary way of dealing with his Servants because he hath shown them mercy therefore he will shew them mercy because he hath brought them under his shadow he will have them to eat of his fruit See Gen. 18. 17 18. Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do says God seeing Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him in his seed in the Messiah that shall come out of his loins yea and because I have given out this mercy I won't hide what I will do God makes one mercy to be the beginning of another And so when he promised to bring his people unto the mount a in in Isa 56. 7. it was a mercy to be brought to the mountain of God yea but God does not leave his people there but that mercy shall be a step to many a mercy which he intends to give out when I have brought them thither when I have got them thither then will I make them joyful in my house of prayer I will make a feast to them a feast of fat things I 'le chear hearts their and accept of their sacrifices and services and thus God makes one mercy the beginning of another And therefore Brethren do but see what a large testimony this gives unto the infinite goodness and riches of free grace which is in our God well might the Apostle say God who is rich in mercy for the great love wherewith he hath loved us what riches of mercy is here what fulness of grace and mercy in Christ is here that he should make mercy the way to mercy and mercy the beginning of mercy Oh what fulness of grace and mercy is there in Christ he is never well but when he is giving out we see the glory the glory of the only begotten son of God full of grace and truth there 's a fulness indeed all infinite fulness and this fulness doth delight to empty it self and to communicate it self unto poor empty creatures the riches of grace is mightily held forth in this And then what encouragement is here to poor souls that are conscious of their own unworthiness They want such and such mercies and such and such graces and strength and I have received more mercy than ever I can be thankful for and how can I or dare I be so bold with God to ask more mercy than I am able to express thankfulness unto him for what I have received Why if thou hast no argument to plead with God he will make this an Argument because he hath done thee good already this is not the manner of men but it 's the way of God it 's no argument with men you shewed me such and such kindness and therefore do me another such kindness but the Lord he doth thus he will make this an argument his doing of thee good from thence he will do thee good again But then again 3. Here is a third particular observable First the shadow and then the fruit See how the Lord doth proceed gradually in a way of mercy in doing good to poor creatures the longer they are with him and the more they know him the greater mercy he gives out it 's a greater mercy to eat of the fruit than to sit under the shadow well after Christ hath caused thee to sit under his shadow then he will give thee to eat of the fruit the Lord deals with his servants as you deal with your servants it may be you are not
Adam and brake his first Covenant the Lord he enters into another Covenant a second Covenant and in that Covenant he gives his people a nearer admittance unto himself than formerly in his first Covenant nearer in Christ in the second Adam than in the first and truly when ever the Lord doth forgive a poor soul and pass by the failings and infirmities of his people the wrongs and injuries which they do commit against him daily yet he carries it as fairly and as friendly with them as if they had never broke Covenant with him so did Christ to Peter though he did wrong and injury to Christ yet the Lord Jesus he doth admit him as near as formerly he doth not only not upbraid him but look upon him as his dear friend Now how far is this way of God above our waies and thoughts It may be you will forgive a man that hath done you wrong yea but you will not trust him he was once your friend but you will never trust him with your secrets again you will have an eye upon him and watch over him as long as ever he lives Oh! how far short are we in our forgiveness of the forgiveness of God But Again The Lord he doth not only forgive freely and fully but he forgives sincerely with all his heart I will do you good with all my heart and soul so the Lord doth not only profess with his lips he doth not only speak it in word but the heart of God goes along with it with every word of pardon I know my thoughts towards you in Jer. 29. 11. they are thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end he doth not only speak peace but his heart is full of peace Oh how sincerely doth God forgive there is no hypocrisie no dissimulation no deceit in Gods forgiveness but oh how unlike are we in our thoughts and waies to God in this There is many a man professes ay he doth forgive he doth forgive another that hath done him wrong but his heart doth not go along with his word though he cannot but for shame profess yet a mans heart doth check him and tell him he doth not really forgive even as God forgives Psal 55. 21. Their words are smoother than Oyl peaceable words but war is in their heart when a man is put upon it by being urged to it to forgive it 's a shame not to confess forgiveness but it is not from the heart But Again When God forgives he forgives unchangeably When God pardons he doth not pardon to day and call it in tomorrow again he doth not pardon to day and recall it tomorrow I will be merciful to their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more I will blot them out as a Cloud as a thick Cloud A Cloud that is blown away and scattered that it never come again so doth the Lord give out pardon he forgives unchangeably Indeed the Papists and some that follow them in that way God he may forgive say they and yet visit for transgressions and afterward such may fall away and God may call to account and visit for all sins but this is contrary to sound Doctrin That which is urged by them for the proof of this their Assertion is that Parable in Matth. 18. that was spoken upon this occasion of forgiving some plead upon this Parable that God may forgive a man all his sins and yet afterwards calling him to account may reckon with him for those very sins It speaks of a certain man who ought his Lord ten thousand Talents but his Lord forgave him all the debt and immediately he went forth and fell upon his fellow servant which ought him an hundred pence and took him by the throat and cast him into prison till he should pay all the debt whereupon it is said When his Lord heard thereof he was wroth and delivered him to the Tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him Now from this Parable some plead That a man may be pardoned and afterwards God may reckon with him for those very sins But by way of Answer 1. First Know it is dangerous to strain every Parable we are in Parables to look to that which is the main scope it is not that God forgives sins and then calls to account afterward for them again the scope of the Parable is That no man can know he is pardoned of God but that man that is ready to forgive wrongs and injuries done unto him But yet they will urge particularly this Parable that the debt was forgiven and yet he called to an account 2. Secondly I answer to that That the Lord may forgive some temporal punishment when God removes a man or a people from temporal punishment then God is said to deliver from sin and so far this servant was forgiven and any a person may be forgiven so far God may give out a promise of the removal of some temporal punishment as he did upon Ahab his outward confession a man may be so far forgiven that temporal punishment for a while may be repealed and held back and a man by his own folly may pull down some greater wrath And then 3. Thirdly Again He was never made partaker of that pardoning mercy which the Covenant holds forth which appears by the frame of his Spirit after he was pardoned Verse 26. Lord have patience with me and I will pay thee all it was no more than the forgiving of some temporal punishment he knew not what did belong to the Covenant of Grace he was ignorant of Gods way in forgiving sin he was a Legalist certainly this man was never acquainted with the Covenant of Grace he did not know that he was a poor weak man and altogether unable to make satisfaction to his Lord. And then Again He was never made partaker of that pardoning mercy which the Covenant of Grace holds forth as appears by the frame of his Spirit after he was pardoned It was no more than the forgiving of some temporal punishment his sin was not pardoned by the Covenant of Grace for if it had he would have acted more mildly and not so irregularly and dealt so harshly with his fellow servant And it appears in that other word in the 32 Verse O thou wicked servant so that he was never made righteous with the righteousness of Christ for there he is called the wicked servant so that you see notwithstanding what was objected that the Lord whenever he doth forgive a soul he doth forgive unchangeably he doth not cross the score to day and then call to an account for the same another day but whom he pardons he pardons for ever how far short is our way of forgiveness unto Gods How hard a matter is it to forgive unchangeably David did forgive for a time when Shimei cursed him then he made an humble acknowledgement but upon another occasion he commands his son Solomon to fall upon him that
Shimei's head might not go in peace to the Grave You see then that the point is made good that the thoughts of the Lord and the waies of the Lord in the matter of forgiveness are far above the thoughts and the waies of man Peter thinks seven times to be a great matter but Christ saies not seven times but seventy times seven A word for Application in brief to shut up all 1. Vse Here is incouragement for poor sinners to come in to Christ there is mercy and forgiveness with him that he may be feared and the thoughts and waies of the Lord in this particular they are as far above your thoughts and waies as the heavens are above the earth and oh what a wide open door is here That the Lord would perswade some poor guilty soul to come in to Christ by this door of mercy forgiveness and plenteous redemption though you have been enemies and though your hearts be still filled with enmity against God yet know that the Lord is able to forgive enemies and though you have nothing in the world to procure your acceptance you can do nothing that should commend you to God yet know that the Lord he forgives freely and though your transgressions have been multiplied though very many though very great though you have made the Lord to serve with your sins and wearied him with your iniquities yet he is able to blot them out freely for his own name sake Oh then that the Lord would perswade your hearts to come and to submit to Christ and not to go on in the way of rebellion and take hold of that great propitiatory sacrifice and then you shall know that the Lord forgives for he forgives you cordially and sincerely he doth so forgive your transgressions as he will never remember them more 2. Vse And it speaks a word of comfort and refreshment unto such poor souls as are in dark and sad conditions some poor souls that have look'd to Christ for righteousness and yet are found sitting in darkness and oppressed with the weight of sin and becaus it may be when you look into your own hearts you find they are very narrow when you are put upon this work of forgiving another you are hardly brought off to it and certainly the Lord may for this withdraw himself Oh know you have sinned after profession and you have sinned much yea you have sinned much against light and that is that which cuts and makes great gashes but yet know that the Lord gave Commandment to Peter and his Disciples to forgive seventy times seven certainly that command which the Lord gave to man to forgive seventy times seven he will certainly forgive poor creatures though their sins be numberless This is not to spur on to sin this is no word to invite to sin but this word of forgiveness is to the end the Lord may be feared and admired for his great grace and take heed poor creatures you wrong not God of that which is his greatest glory It is the glory of a man to forgive seventy times seven and the oftner the more like unto God now do not rob God of his glory that infinite mercy which put him upon it to forgive seventy times seven say therefore as the Church did in Mic. 7. 18 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy he will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all our sins into the depth of the Sea You may look upon your transgressions nay you ought to look upon your sins nay and to lye low because of your provocations and abhorr your selves in dust and ashes you can never lye too low in the consideration of your own vileness none have sinned against so many aggravations and sinned against so much light and conviction when you have thus aggravated your sin do not rob God of his glory but say with the Prophet Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity that forgiveth great iniquities and many iniquities who forgives seventy times seven 3. Vse Lastly This should be matter of great humiliation that our thoughts and our waies are so beneath the thoughts and waies of God in the matter of forgiveness Peter thought it a great matter What to forgive seven times Peter's number is very short of Christs number Yet where is the man or woman that is come to Peter's number and yet Peter's number was short of Christs number Oh what cause have we to be humbled One of the Evangelists hath it If thy brother offend thee seven times in a day and say I repent thou shalt forgive him Oh how far are we from forgiving seven times in a day We are so far from forgiving seven offences in one day as we many times remember one offence seven daies nay seven years together Oh how unlike is this to Christ Oh let us therefore labour to walk up to the rule or else never profess our selves to be Christs Disciples And so much for this time SERMON II. MATT. 18. 21 22. Then Peter came to him and said Lord how oft shall my Brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven times Jesus saith unto him I say not unto thee until seven times but until seventy times seven I Made entrance before into these words Here is Peter's Question and Christs Answer concerning the forgiving of offences particular wrongs and personal injuries which are done to any man or woman Peter propounds the Question and seems to forestall Christs Answer by giving an Answer to it himself which Christ did not approve of But I proceed to the main Doctrin which is this Doct. That the often forgiving of wrongs and injuries is a duty which Christ commends unto and commands all his Disciples to follow I say until seventy times seven 1. First I shall clear this Point to you from Scripture and shew you from the word of the Lord That this is a duty that is incumbent upon all that profess themselves to be Christs Disciples 2. Secondly I shall hold forth unto you divers Examples of worthy and gracious men who have practised this Duty 3. Thirdly And then shew you upon what ground Christ doth commend and command this Duty 1. First Look into the Proverbs of Solomon where Wisdom speaks which is Christ Prov. 24. 29. Say not I will do so to him as he hath done unto me I will render unto a man according unto his works Mark here is the Counsel Wisdom gives unto all her Children Say not I will do so to him as he hath done unto me Do not say I will be revenged of him for the wrong he hath done to me do not say I will give to him as good as he brings I will recompence him according to his work say not so no Christ will tell
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
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
they have length of daies continued And besides God doth promise to his people a great restauration that is to be before the end of the world as the daies of a tree so shall the daies of my servants be and mine Elect they shall long enjoy the work of their hands it shall then be a mercy to live long when the new Jerusalem shall come down from heaven and when the Lamb shall be the light of it when Satan shall be bound and the Accuser of the Brethren cast out and wicked men put under when corruption shall be subdued then long life shall be a mercy But however I answer That if God do shorten our daies here and give us an Eternity in heaven we are no losers but God is as good as his word If a man promise you a Shilling and shall at that day give you a hundred or a thousand pounds he is not unfaithful but he is as good as his word and thus the Lord promised long life which is an eternity better than life here and wherein he fulfils his word It should and ought to be the desire of all to live much rather than to live long to live much in a little time thus did Christ he lived much he glorified the name of his Father in the time he lived he did much in a little time and thus it should be our care to do much for God in a little time and to lay hold of eternal life betimes because this life is momentany and vanishing the Devil takes his opportunity he works much knowing he hath but a little time because he knows his time is short therefore he works with all his might and plyes his work to deceive the Nations If he be so subtile for his Kingdom how wise ought we to be to promote the Kingdom of Christ Oh! whatsoever we find to do for God let us do it with all our might and with all our strength for thus hath Christ given us his Example I shall proceed to that which remains God took him I shewed you before Whither Enoch was taken He was taken up into Heaven he was not dissolved he died not as other men I proved it from the Epistle to the Hebrews that he was translated that he should not see death Quest But you will say Wherefore was Enoch thus translated Why was he not dissolved Why died he not as others Why translated that he should not see death Answ I answer First Because he was a remarkable Type of Jesus Christ I say he was a remarkable Type of Christ For 1. First He was matchless in his Generation There was none like him above all the men in the world Enoch walk'd most close with God in his time he was matchless and none like him and herein he waâ— a Type of Jesus Christ who was matchless in the world whilst he was in the world he was as the Apple-tree in the midst of the Trees in the Forest there was no guile found in his mouth he walked exactly with God when he was here upon earth there was no stumbling blocks no slips in the whole course of Jesus Christ But 2. Secondly Enoch was a Type of Christ in that God was so exceedingly well pleased with him He received this Testimony saies the Apostle in Heb. 11. 5. that he pleased God God was pleased with him and herein he was a notable Type of Christ the Father is pleased only in him Behold my servant whom I uphold saies he in Isa 42. 1. mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth he was infinitely well pleased with Christ the good pleasure of God towards Enoch it was but a drop of that love and that good pleasure which was poured out upon the head of Jesus Christ the Father was pleased with his Person infinitely pleased in his righteousness pleased in all that he did and pleased in his sufferings Isa 53. 10. It pleased the Father to bruise him he was pleased with all those that Christ represented he is pleased with the whole Family of Christ even with all that belong unto him in Heaven and Earth and that only for his sake it is said of him in Matth. 3. the latter end This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased So then my Brethren is there ever a soul that is seeking after the good pleasure of God the manifestation of the love of God unto it that is looking and waiting for some token of acceptance from heaven Would you be in the ready way unto it Then look unto the Lord even Jesus Christ of whom Enoch was a Type look unto him in his love all the love and all the good pleasure that is in the heart of God runs down through Jesus Christ unto poor creatures Oh run to Christ make hast to Christ throw down your selves at the Foot-stool of Christ and clasp about him by Faith and know that there is a plentiful Box of good pleasure and love broken upon the head of Christ by the Father that will run down unto every soul that sits under the skirt and shadow of Christ That 's a Second thing wherein Enoch was a Type of Christ 3. Thirdly Enoch was a Type of Christ as Christ was a Conqueror over Death and this was held forth in Enoch's translation He did not see Death Enoch did not see corruption as the bodies of others do and he was in this a Type of Jesus Christ that was the holy One of God that he should not see corruption he did not see corruption Enoch's conquest was but a Type of this conquest and victory of Jesus Christ that he got for his people over Death and the Grave and therefore you that desire not to be dismayed when Death comes when this enemy shall set upon you Oh that you would before-hand look unto the conquest and victory of Christ There is a time when this your enemy will meet you all in the Field Would you not be dismayed Would you be able to look Death in the face Then I beseech you before-hand live upon Faith in Christ upon the conquest of Christ upon the victory of Christ he hath broken the force of death taken away the sting of it he hath dismayed it Oh live upon the conquest that Christ hath made over death that so your hearts may not fail when you come to grapple with this last enemy which is Death Christ hath overcome Death gloriously and Enoch was but a Type of Christ and a shadow of it in his translation That 's the first wherefore Enoch was translated in an extraordinary way because he was an extraordinary Type of Christ 2. But Secondly Enoch was thus translated because Enoch whilst he lived exercised a special faith I say Enoch had a special Faith a most remarkable faith in some good and great deliverance that God would work for him either in Death or from Death He trusted God whilst he lived in victory over Death that Death should be conquered for him and
out a spirit of burning and breaths upon the same Word with command that sparks be blown up to a mighty flame so that the Lord speaks and when he speaks his words are not in vain when he speaks that he would have you to live do not you make objections against the life of Christ do not say we are dead creatures how should we live Consider what Abraham did it is said He considered not his own body when it was dead neither the deadness of Sarahs womb he did not look upon it in Rom. 4. 19. Not being weak in Faith it is said he considered not his own body now dead dead as to generation nor the deadness of Sarahs womb but he eyed the Word of the Lord the faithfulness and truth of God in his Word he lookt to the all-sufficiency of that God which had promised he knew that he was able to perform what he had spoken though it seemed never so unlikely unto sense therefore he staggered not at the promise through unbelief but he was strong in faith giving glory to God and so also you poor creatures do not look so much upon your own deadness but know that God can out of very stones raise up children unto Abraham he can quicken thee by the Word of his mouth and the breath of his nostrils though thou liest before him as Adam did who was as a lump of clay liveless and useless but the Lord made a body thereof and made it to become a living body though thou art dead the Lord can breath life in thee by the Word of his Spirit and so it shall burn unto Eternity all the life and breathings and motions of the Spirit after the Lord these are kindled by the Spirit of the Lord therefore look not so much after thine own deadness but look to the faithfulness of him that hath promised that thou maist not stagger at the Promise through unbelief Object But I am not only without the life of Christ saith some poor guilty sinner but I have been an enemy to the life of Christ I have opposed the life of Christ both in my own soul and others I have smothered those motions of the Spirit that he hath often cast in I have persecuted the appearances of the life of Christ in others and the Lord cause me to lie under the apprehension of the guilt of it and now I am ready to think and conclude that I am cast out of sight the time of life is past and the Lord hath for ever excluded me and shut me under death darkness and horror I shall not see the life of Christ Answ Why even to thee let me say that eternal life is the free gift of God I say this life is the free gift of God there is no gift more free than this life which God doth impart unto poor sinners It was said when Christ ascended up on high he led Captivity Captive and he received gifts for men even for the rebellious also that God might dwell amongst them Christ received life for Rebels he received gifts for Rebels and this was not the least of gifts this was the greatest of gifts that Christ received for Rebels this gift of life and therefore you shall see how Christ gave life unto that evil generation that did so persecute him even to the very death though they cut him off from the Land of the living as not being worthy to live among them yet to many of those that were the chief actors the chief instruments of the Crucifying of the Lord of life there was life given them as we may see by those that were converted at Peter's Sermon and made partakers of the death of Christ and life of Christ the Apostle tells them in Acts 2. 23. He was delivered by the determinate counsel and fore-knowledge of God him ye have taken and by wicked hands have Crucified and slain And afterwards in that Chapter you shall read that even those he speaks to here at Verse 37. were converted life was dispensed to them pardon to them mercy to them grace to them even to them that had with wicked and cruel hands slain and crucified the Lord of life and glory and therefore also Christ saies in John 6. That he came to give his life for the World he gave his flesh for the life of the world the world that lay in wickedness that was in darkness that was filled with enmity against Christ and against his people whilst they were here in the world Christ gave his flesh to be life unto the world therefore see that eternal life is the gift of God he gives it so freely to Rebels to such who had their hands embrewed in his blood that had with wicked hands crucified and slain him See what a door of Hope is set open for poor guilty sinners that they may come in and be made partakers of this life of Christ Object But it may be that soul will further Object and say I have not only been an enemy to the life of Christ but I have continued so long dead in sins and trespasses that when I look upon my condition it seems unto me like unto the state of dead and dry bones and I am ready to say Is it possible that such dead and dry bones should live that have lain so long in the Grave of sin so long rotting and stinking in their lusts is it possible that such should live Answ Let me tell you That the Lord carries on his work though under great disadvantages that Parable or Vision that was represented to the Prophet Ezekiel concerning the Jews is very remarkable in Ezek. 37. 3. And he said unto me Son of man can these bones live And I answered O Lord thou knowest Go Prophesie upon them and the Lord saies then he would give life unto them I know no way how they shall live it is beyond the reach of the creature to know thou art infinite in wisdom and power O Lord thou knowest the way how to give life and being to them Well saies God they shall live the Lord often gives life to such poor creatures in such a condition when they are like unto dead and dry bones when furthest from life the skin was not only broken and the flesh consumed and the bones loosned and disjointed but they were scattered abroad broken and dry and so they were in such an estate as was farthest off from life but even then the Lord delights to communicate life When Lazarus had lain four daies in the Grave then the Lord Christ raised him up he could have raised him as soon as his breath had gone out but the Lord Christ let him go four daies when he seemed to be farthest off from life when his sister had said Lord by this time he sti keth saies Christ unto her Did not I tell thee if thou wouldest believe thou shouldst see the glory of God What saies Christ to the poor soul when the soul saith
only rest in their bed in the Grave but they shall enter into peace and they shall enter into joy in Matth. 25. 21. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord he enters into peace he enters into joy that he shall thenceforth dwell in it he shall dwell in joy he takes full possession of it it is no more shut out peace doth enter into the righteous mans heart whilst he is on earth but till death comes his peace here shall be interrupted he shall enter into it and it into him what Job saies of the body so of the joy of the righteous man it continues not at a stay his peace and joy is many times interrupted but in Heaven he shall meet with no more Clouds there shall be a morning that shall drive away all Clouds he shall enter into joy and he shall dwell in the fulness of it Christ hath purchased it and he hath given out the first fruits of this peace and joy but the full possession is no till death and therefore it is said in Psal 97. 11. That light is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart he reaps something here but it is but a little in respect of the harvest that he shall reap afterward it rather seems to be a sowing time than a reaping here but afterward he shall reap the fulness of it peace is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart so that here is another benefit of gain to a Believer by death he shall then drink to satisfaction of those Rivers of joy and pleasures for evermore that do run at the right-hand of God 3. But again Thirdly As he gains joy and peace so by death the believing soul gains enlargement and liberty this is a great part of his gain the soul by death is set at liberty for the spirit even of a righteous man though it be the Candle of the Lord and though it be enlightened from Heaven yet whilst it is in this body which is now corrupted it is like a light that is in a dark Lanthorn the light of those excellent faculties of the soul are eclipsed and darkened I say so it is with all mankind the curse came by the fall of Adam that the body is as a dark Lanthorn to the soul and it doth hide that light which should otherwise be revealed as the soul acts most highly when it hath least of the body as when the body is asleep it sees not it hears not it reads not yet the soul then sees and mourns and joyes more exquisitely than it doth or can do in the body and therefore when the soul is nigh parting with the body it acts most highly and so it shall do in its separation when separated from his body it shall be freed from his dark Lanthorn it shall be taken out from his Dungeon as it were and all the faculties of the soul shall be enlarged the understanding the apprehension the capacity of the soul shall be mightily enlarged The Prophet speaks of a time a coming that there shall be no more an Infant of daies the beginnings of it shall be on earth but the perfection of it shall be in Heaven There shall be no more an infant of daies there shall be no more a child of understanding but he that is weak shall be as David and he that is as David shall be as the Angel of the Lord the capacity of the soul shall be wonderfully enlarged as it shall comprehend most of God here it is straitened and it could not receive much of God it could not receive much of the mysteries of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ it is not large enough to take in much of the notion of those glorious things but when death comes it shall be enlarged And then saies the Apostle I shall know even as I am known It shall be exceedingly enlarged to take in very much of God And as the understanding shall be set at liberty so all the faculties of the soul shall be set at liberty They shall be greatly enlarged towards God and run towards God the desires of the soul shall run like a mighty stream towards God here there was but a little drop of the affection but then a mighty stream shall run not only faith but love shall be perfect A believing soul shall be enlarged in respect of action as the faculties so all the actings of the Soul shall be set at large at liberty here the soul can't act according to its desires it would do more for God but there 's a clogg that lies upon it it hath mighty wings wings like the Ostridge but there is such a heavy body as it can't get up there 's wings would carry the soul up to Heaven every moment but there is a heavy body in Rom. 7. 19 20 24. For the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do Now if I do that I would not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death I say there is infiniteness in a believers desires to do for God and he would enjoy more and more still and he would do more and more for God ay but he is straitened up in his actings there he is narrow he cannot act according to his desire but now when death comes the believing soul shall be set at liberty it shall be able to act according to its desire it shall be whatever it desires to be and it shall do whatever it desires to do and it shall have as much holiness as it will desire to have this is a mighty priviledge and a great deal of that gain that comes in by death unto that soul where Christ is its life it meets with this liberty and enlargement But again 4. Fourthly The believing soul by death gains not only liberty but abundance of life it gains life it hath more of the life of Christ it enjoyes more of the life of Christ and hath the fulness of it communicated and now Brethren this is a mighty gain to gain life what would a man gain more and what is a greater gain than life It is beyond the gain of all treasure whatever Natural life is the greatest of all mercies Thou shalt have thy life for a prey and that 's the greatest mercy Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life and in this the believing soul shall come nearer to the life of Christ for he shall have the life of Christ who is the fountain and so more of it communicated to him and therefore it was that for which the Apostle desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all for there he should have perfection of life in Christ there shall be nothing there to hinder the life of Christ from flowing in unto the soul there