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
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
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
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
him Thus you have seen the Examples of holy men and of Christ himself for a pattern of passing by of wrongs and injuries But now for the grounds of the Point Upon what ground doth Jesus Christ Commend and Command his Disciples to this work and duty of forgiveness Why first 1. Reason The first ground is Because he hath forgiven them much and therefore he requires that we should forgive others that so they that are forgiven of Christ may testifie their love and also their likeness unto Christ and that is held forth in the Parable that follows the Text the Lord there had forgiven the Servant that ought him ten thousand Talents and therefore he expected that he should have forgiven his fellow Servant a few pence I say all that are Christs Disciples all that are Believers that do believe in the name of Christ they have very much forgiven them of the Lord. There is no man but the Lord doth forgive a great deal of that temporal punishment which he might inflict upon them now there is no Believer but the Lord doth forgive not only temporal but eternal punishment and therefore there is an ingagement to us unto forgiveness Alas what are the debts and trespasses done to us or owing unto us in comparison of what we have done or what we owe unto the Lord Our sins are set forth by Talents the offences and wrongs done unto us are set forth by pence our sins are set forth to be ten thousand Talents and the offences that are done unto us are but a hundred pence when the Lord doth forgive so many transgressions so freely fully so sincerely so unchangeably the Lord doth expect that there should be a readiness in them to forgive others from a sense of that forgiveness unto them of his that so they may testifie themselves to be the Children of their Father which is in Heaven But the second ground is this 2. Reas Because those that we are called upon to forgive are our Brethren How oft shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him Christ Answers Till seventy times seven Now there is a great deal in the very name of Brother that may challenge forgiveness and call us upon this duty though many though never so many yet still often and ever called a brother for still in one sense or other every man is a brother some nearer than other though not born of the same Parents though not of Kindred yet he may be a Brother in the same faith though not a Brother in the family yet a Brother in the same Town City Country or Nation however in the same common nature of Adam in respect of the poor dark frail nature every man and woman is a Brother but some relations more near than others This spiritual relation the same Profession the same Faith the same God the same Inheritance this is a great engagement to pass by and to forgive wrongs whilst he is a Brother The Lord when he forgives he forgives inferiours there is an infinite distance between God and the creature when the Lord forgives a poor creature there is an infinite distance betwixt God and man but not betwixt man and man and therefore upon this account Christ requires it But then 3. Reas Thirdly Another ground is this If there be neglect of this Duty unto any of their Brethren it will be a grief unto their fellow-servants and they will make their complaint unto their Lord. It cannot but be a great grief of heart unto those that are fellow-servants when any that do profess the name of God shall be so far from performing this Duty that they shall express a spirit of Revenge and a spirit of Enmity it will sadden the hearts of many Saints when they shall see one that is called a Brother a Professour when they shall see him so unready to forgive as he shall study wrongs and injuries and study revenge it will grieve them and cause them many times to go to the Lord and make their complaint There is such a man that makes profession of thy Name and yet walks very unworthy of that profession very unsutable But 4. Reas Fourthly Again Neglect of this Duty will hinder and keep back a great deal of good and pull down a great deal of evil Christ knew this very well and therefore he did command this Duty Christ knew that the neglect of this Duty would hinder men of a great deal of good It may deprive a man of many temporal mercies of many temporal salvations the Lord may call in the grant of temporal mercies whenas he shall see such a spirit in any that profess his Name as to retain the sense of wrongs and injuries and not to pass them by it puts the Lord upon it many times to recall the grant of temporal mercies as in the Parable following Nay not only so but it may deprive the soul of many special spiritual choice mercies It may hinder the soul from beholding the light of Gods countenance It is true the soul being once pardoned by Faith in Christ God will never recall that pardon Ay but if that man or woman that is pardoned and they have the pardon sealed and witnessed yet shall walk unworthy of pardoning love and shall not come up to this Duty of forgiving pardoning and passing by wrongs and injuries the Lord will recall the manifestation of his pardoning Love and the sense of it though not the pardon it self It doth not only deprive the soul of much good but it also pulls down much evil and not only outward evils but sometimes the Lord manifests a great deal of wrath and displeasure upon such a one as is of an implacable spirit to retain wrongs and injuries as it was with that servant that would not forgive his fellow-servant the Lord commands that he should be delivered up unto the Tormentor and cast into prison until he had paid the uttermost Farthing Why a man though he hath but a profession the Lord lets him alone with that formal profession till such time as he comes forth with such a waspish peevish spirit against Gods people and seeks to wrong and injure them Why then the Lord he takes the advantage upon him and gives him up unto the Tormentor because of such a waspish spirit whenas he will not forgive a Brother a wrong or injury but retain anger he cannot find in his heart to forgive the Lord sometimes comes upon such a man though a Christian the Lord comes and takes him and delivers him up to the Tormentor delivers him up to his own Conscience though not to deliver him up out of his hand but the Lord will deliver him up unto his own Conscience unto the manifestation of wrath till he shall have made satisfaction till he shall have cried out unto Christ for more strength to carry it more like unto him 5. Reason But lastly Christ Commands and Commends the forgiving of wrongs and injuries that
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
unto God in 1 Pet. 3. 17. It is better if the will of God be so that you suffer for well doing than for evil doing If you suffer as evil doers you will have little comfort in it but if suffering in well doing take it patiently and the more patiently you take it the more acceptable it will be unto the Lord. Object Ay but I have been a friend unto him thus will men stand to plead for their passions a hard matter it is to forgive I have been a friend unto this man I have done him good all my daies and yet he hath wronged me so and so nevertheless To which I say Answ 1. Thou hast the more cause to pity him if he be one that doth return evil unto thee for thy good thou hast the better end of the staff see what Solomon saies in Prov. 17. 13. Whoso rewardeth evil for good evil shall not depart from his house Mark here 's a sad threatening if thou remembrest this thou hast cause to pity thy brother that hath done wrong unto thee the Lord hath said it and thou hast cause to pity him Evil shall not depart from his house Again The Lord may Object against thee the Lord may say I have been a friend to thee and done thee good all thy daies and thou yet sinnest against me and if this be not any bar unto the Lord to shew forgiveness unto thee let not it be a bar to shew thy forgiveness unto thy brother Object Ay but he hath done me much wrong spoken evil of me in every company he comes in he hath wronged me after reconciliation and peace-making he hath done me much wrong this is a hard task Answ But let me say unto thee notwithstanding all this thou comest short of the rule of Christ thou hast forgiven often thou saist hast thou forgiven one Brother seven times why truly there are many that cannot say they have exceeded that But if thou hast forgiven seven times that is no great matter thou thinkest it much but Christ thinks it little Alas what is seven times to seventy times seven four hundred threescore and two times Which when done thou art but come up to the Letter of the Word Thou hast wronged the Lord in his Name thou hast sinned against God again and again thou hast wronged him in his Name and in his Glory many thousand times and yet that is no obstacle of the Lords mercy towards thee notwithstanding thine often renewed provocations Oh let not the often renewed provocations of thy brother hinder thee from thy forgiving him SERMON I. GEN. 5. 〈◊〉 And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him YOu have an History in this Chapter of the ten first Patriarchs from Adam unto Noah In every Age God had some to bear up his Name in the World and amongst those these ten Fathers were choice Pillars But here is something remarkably spoken of Enoch here was accounted more of him than all the rest Enoch walked with God and he was not He saith of all the rest they lived so long so many years and then they died but Enoch walked with God and he was not therefore we should consider who this Enoch was the New Testament bears witness of him and speaks of this Enoch as one that was a choice piece in his Generation the Apostle Jude tells you that he was a Prophet as you may read in that Epistle the 14 Verse Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesieth of thee saying Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute Judgement upon all c. Enoch the seventh from Adam so Jude describes him Some put a great deal in this mysterie The seventh from Adam and I think there was something in it as he was a Type of Christ he was a Type of that Christ that was to be the Rest of his people that was to give perpetual Rest everlasting rest unto his Sains his name Enoch signifies one that was dedicated or separated unto the Lord and so he was a Type of Christ that was chosen out among his Brethren and he was separated and dedicated unto the Lord He walked with God and so did Christ and therein he was a Type of him he was well pleasing unto God He had this Testimony saith the Apostle to the Hebrews he pleased God Heb. 11. 5 Christ was the object of the Fathers good pleasure in a special manner This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased But I rather think the Apostle intended no more than Enoch but only to distinguish him from another Enoch that was in that Generation as you may read of him in Gen. 4. 17. And Cain knew his wife and she conceived and bare Enoch and he builded a City and called the City after the Name of his son Enoch So this Enoch in Gen. 5. was a third from Adam for he was not the son of Cain but the son of Jared and of Adam's posterity by Seth and Rubin Cain he came of that seed that was given instead of Abel when Abel was slain God gave another seed instead of Abel and Enoch came of that seed The Church of Christ shall lose nothing by persecution if Abel be taken away by bloody hands the Lord will raise up another seed and Enoch a choice man is of that seed to hold up the name of God in the World When John Baptist was put in Prison Christ himself goes forth to Preach the Gospel the Church of Christ shall not lose by Persecution out of the very ashes of the Saints that are slain shall arise new ones men upon whom a double measure of the Spirit shall be given as it was to Elisha when Elias was taken away And this by the way Let us now more strictly consider what it is that is spoken of this Enoch There are two remarkable things the one is concerning his Life and the other concerning his Death Touching his Life it 's said that Enoch walked with God he walked with God nay through his whole life he walked with God so many years as he lived after he begat his first son three hundred years and upwards the Apostle to the Hebrews saith That he pleased God that is his walking with God in Heb. 11. 5. By Faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death before his translation it 's said He had this testimony that he pleased God at the latter end of the Verse He walked with God it was his constant aim to please God in all things he aimed at God in the whole course of his life He had this testimony that he pleased God he lived in Faith and Obedience and by Faith he pleased God For without Faith it 's said it 's impossible to please God He continually exercised Faith upon the promised Messiah that was to come he lived in expectation to see his day and he saw it before-hand as Abraham did by Faith and rejoiced and so he
that you would not be discouraged through the apprehension of the straitness of this passage you know not how easie God can make it why should you distrust him do not fear the greatness of the pains God can make them easie God can allay them God can take away the sense of them God can give in that which can sweeten them remember who went before you hath not the Lord Jesus gone before you He set himself in the fore-front of the Battel the passage was a great deal straiter when Christ went through it he hath widened it and made it far more easie Believers you have seen the worst that death can do to you you have seen it in Christ if it had overcome Christ you might have fear'd it but Christ would try the experiment first upon himself and you have seen the worst that it can do Jesus Christ is engaged with you if you should perish Christ himself had as good have perished it 's all one whether he be overcome in his person or in his members Oh therefore I say be not discouraged at the apprehension of the straitness of the passage and darkness of the entry but look to Christ that hath gone before you and only let it be your care whilst you live to live by Faith and to live in constant communion with God God will take care of the rest And Vse 2. Again How should you bless the Lord Christ What cause have you to bless the Lord and to admire the riches of wisdom and the riches of power and the riches of goodness that hath made death to be thus easie I tell you it is not so in it self Christians you are beholding to Christ for this death is not easie in it self it is most terrible in it self it hath brought down mighty spirits of wicked men Oh! whither shall I go said Nero when death was at hand It was not so easie with Christ oh it was exceeding strait when he ventured to pass through it was for your sakes that he entred the passage first Oh! admire his wisdom goodness and power and bless his name for this both in life and death That 's a second thing we considered Enoch was not God took him his translation is spoken of him as a very easie thing he walked a step further and returned no more and God took him There is one Particular more which I shall give but a hint on and that is He was not found So saies the Apostle to the Hebrews Heb. 11. 5. He was not found for God had translated him He was not found and that implies he was sought for when God had took him They sought for him but he was not found saies the Apostle And so it was with Elijah in 2 Kings 2. latter end of the Chapter the Prophet sends out fifty men to seek after him and it 's very like they did so for Enoch but he was not found for God took him Observe It is usual to undervalue mercies whilst we have them which are prized dearly when once they are gone I say it is usual with the sons of men to undervalue mercies whilst they have them which they would seek for when once they are gone thus we deal with persons and thus we deal with other mercies With Persons you know how Samuel was undervalued by Saul whilst he lived and the Word of the Lord that he brought to Saul was rejected but when Samuel was gone then Saul seeks for him nay he was so violent that he seeks him in an unlawful way even to raise him up from the dead that he might acquaint him with the Will of the Lord. And so John Baptist was persecuted and banished and Herod cut off his head but when he was gone then Herod prized him and so when Herod heard of the fame of Jesus that he did great things Surely it is John Baptist that is risen up again here 's mighty works indeed And thus we deal not only with Persons But thus we deal with other Mercies whilst we have them we undervalue them that God is forced to take them away to let us know what the worth of them is Israel did not prize her mercies outward Mercies Corn Wine and Oyl Flax and Wool and therefore God was forced to take them away to let them know the worth of them I will take away my Corn my Wine and my Oyl my Flax and my Wool Hos 4. Yea thus we deal with God himself thus we deal with God and Christ and with the great and precious things of God how did Esau despise his birth-right how contemptibly did he speak of it whilst he had it What will my birth-right do me good saies he seeing I am ready to die And yet afterward when it was gone he sought it with tears when Jacob had got the blessing he sought it with tears and he could not obtain it Yea this is not only in the hearts of the wicked if it were only in the wicked it were the less but it is in the hearts of Gods own people to undervalue the things of God whilst they enjoy them and so give the Lord cause to strip them of them Israel had the presence of God amongst them but they did not prize God and therefore saies God I will go and return to my first place in their affliction they will seek me early Thus we deal with other of Gods precious ones many times they are undervalued and we know not the worth of them till such time as they are removed till God takes them away As it is said concerning the Jews in Matth. 23. that Christ was amongst them and Preached the everlasting Gospel to them and they received it not But when the Gospel was removed from them then they prized it Behold your house is left unto you desolate Why in Matth. 21. there you have the same words when the Children cried saying Hosanna Hosanna to the Highest the Jews were offended when the people said of Christ Hosanna and blessed is he that comes in the Name of the Lord they were offended in the 15 Verse and Christ doth rebuke them for this Well saies he when they cried Hosanna blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord you are displeased the time is a coming that you would give all that you enjoy to see such a man as you have seen but I will teach you by the absence of this mercy of which you shall say Welcom indeed and blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord I say what base hearts and spirits are within us that we should put God unto this labour that we should cause God to walk in this way towards us to take away our mercies that we may know how to prize them Oh it is an unworthy heart there is a great deal of the spirit of Esau to despise the blessing whilst we had it and then afterwards weep for it and sought it with tears but found it not And
needful that so long as they are in the body they should be in these conflicts afflictions and temptations then the Lord sometimes sees it best to shorten some of their daies to bring them unto himself But you must take this caution Take heed you don't limit the Lord to this way for though God doth take many of his servants this way by death yet I say they ought not to limit the holy one of Israel Let not them say as Job Wherefore is life given to a man that is in affliction Wherefore is life given to a man whose way is hid For if God continues life in afflicted conditions he sees good reason for it and therefore I say you may not absolutely desire death because of your affliction because of your temptations because of your buffettings not absolutely to limit God in this way of deliverance for though God doth use this way many times yet he will not be confined to it And though the Lord doth keep you in affliction he sees it is for his honour it is for his own glory that he may shew his power and goodness his wisdom in directing you his power in supporting you in strengthening you in delivering you and in making you able to hold out in such difficult afflicted conditions the Lord can find many waies of deliverance therefore don't say you Lord take away my life my affliction is great I see no way how I shall come out of it this is sinful for God hath many waies I say God chooses this way sometimes to free his people from all their corruption and temptations he shortens their lives and that in abundance of love 2. Again Secondly God sometimes doth shorten the daies of his servants in love when they live in evil times times in which iniquity doth abound then God fetches home many of his servants in love It was a very corrupt time that Enoch lived in The world was corrupt and filled with violence and therefore it was in love to Enoch that God shortened his course the Lord knows how afflictive it is for his servants to live in an evil world Wo is me saies the Psalmist that I am constrained to sojourn in Mesech and to dwell in the Tents of Kedar Psal 120. 5. That righteous soul was vexed Wo is me c. Nay the Lord considers that possibly his own people may be carried down the stream through the strength and violence of the corruption of the times that they may be drawn aside from their stedfastness it 's possible that even they may be corrupted even Gods own people may be corrupted in a corrupt Generation the Lord considers this and therefore many times he takes them away in an abundance of love and mercy When the Thistles and Nettles do so inclose the Lilies that they hinder their growth and communicate of their ill favour unto them then the Lord sees it's high time to remove to transplant his Lilies into a better soil And that 's a second Particular why the Lord doth shorten the daies of his servants it is when they live in a very corrupt and sinful Generation that doth both afflict them and endanger them 3. Again Thirdly Sometimes God shortens the daies of his servants in love that they may not see when great desolations are coming either upon their friends their relations their families or upon the Kingdom they live in the Lord in mercy calls home those that do walk faithfully with him and thus it was with Jeroboam's child in 1 Kings 14. 13. Jeroboam's child was taken away you have the reason given there because great desolation is coming upon the Family God threatens there by the Prophet that he would not leave one person alive and this child shall go to his Grave in peace Because some good thing was found in him towards the Lord God of Israel some good thing was found in him when the family was corrupt and therefore God would not have him to see what desolation he would bring upon the family And so when God brings desolation upon Kingdoms and Nations he sometimes calls home his own people Good King Josiah a gracious man was cut off betimes because the Lord was about to bring desolation upon Judah a great and fearful Captivity which came presently after when he was gone but he feared the Lord and was fearful when the Word of the Lord came to him and therefore God took him that he might not see that desolation with his eyes that sad desolation that God would bring upon Judah And so saies the Prophet Isa 57. 1. he gives this as a reason why God takes away some of his servants betimes The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart and the merciful man is taken away none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come When evil and desolation is about to come upon a place or a Kingdom why then God takes away many righteous and merciful men The Husbandman when he sees a storm is a coming he makes haste to gather in his Corn especially that which is most ready to shake that which is most like to take harm by the wet that he 'll in withall And thus the Lord doth with his when he sees great desolation that may even shake those that are his own 4. Fourthly God takes way some of his servants that he may prevent their uneven walking and their declining and turning aside from him the Lord loves to take his servants when they are at the best he pulls the Rose when it 's most sweet sometimes the Lord sees many of his servants that if they should stand longer they would decline and grow worse sad experience doth teach it now therefore it is that the Lord takes them at the fit time that he may prevent that dishonour that otherwise might be brought to his name if he should suffer them to stand longer in the world they might happily blurr their profession they might dishonour God they might harden their own hearts and therefore the Lord loves to take them when they are fully ripe and when he sees such a one ready to decline and grow worse and to lose of his sweetness and of his savour it may blurr the name of God dishonour him in the world why the Lord to prevent all this takes away sometimes such a servant of his in abundance of love and mercy and so he took away Asa and so Jehosaphat they were good men but they began to decline in their old daies Asa was a good man his heart was perfect it is the Testimony that God gives of him all his daies but he went and declined he went and relied on the arm of flesh when the Prophet tells him of it he was angry with the Prophet he imprisons the Prophet and he began to smite the people and God smites Asa with a disease in his feet and so took him away and it was best for Asa that he was taken away before a
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
you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly See that promise and make much of it Psalm 92. it 's a gracious promise and may tend through the blessing of God to quicken dead unfruitful hearts v. 12 13. the righteous shall flourish like a Palm tree he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God they shall bring forth fruit in old age they shall be fat and flourishing it 's a large promise they shall be fat and flourishing and they shall bring forth fruit in old age therefore you that complain of the deadness and unfruitfulness of your hearts look to the promise and say Oh Lord I have a dead heart my branches are withered I even despair of bringing forth fruit to God why don't look to thy own deadness look to the promise of God It 's said of Abraham he had a dead body or as good as dead in respect of begetting Children Rom. 4. yet he lookt to the promise v. 19 20. And being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when he was about an hundred years old neither the deadness of Sarahs womb he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in Faith giving glory to God he had a dead body and yet his faith was revived when he lookt to the promise of God he was confident that God who had promised was able to perform and thou that complainest of the deadness of thy heart don't look upon thine own heart but upon the promise God will declare his faithfulness and whatsoever he hath promised he will fulfill it Object But you will say how should we believe it we see the contrary how is this promise made good that the righteous shall bring forth fruit in old age don 't we see many times how the best Christians decay in old age which makes us even afraid to live to old age Answ Certainly the promise of God is made good they do flourish and bring forth fruit in old age an old Christian though he may not bring forth so much of some fruit yet he brings forth more of other fruit than young Christians do it may be there is not so much Zeal nor so much activitie for God ay but there may be more rootedness more stedfastness more establishment of heart the heart may be more rooted more grounded upon him this makes the fruit the more savoury the less of Self and the more of Christ is in him the more well pleasing is it to Gods taste Now I say that old Christians it 's true may decay in parts and gifts in utterance and expression and the like and yet may not decay in grace the inward man the hidden man in the heart that may wax strong and be more fresh green and fruitful 2. Secondly Again I say to this that young Christians may have more activitie but old Christians may have more Skill and therefore though they may not act as formerly yet there may be abundance of Skill in holy things as the wise man sayes remember thy creatour before old age comes before the daughters of musick fall low before the voice is gone he was able it may be to sing clear before yet now he may have as much skill and it may be more than ever though old and so of an old Christian this may be said that young Christians may bring forth more fruit but old Christians may bring forth sweeter fruit it 's so of older trees they bring forth sweeter fruit though not so much indeed as young trees why so old Christians that hold fast in their Integritie if they don't bring forth so much as the young tree yet they bring forth sweeter and pleasanter fruit and still the Lord is faithful in his promise the righteous bring forth fruit in old age and therefore look to the promise of the Lord and let this promise strengthen your faith 3. Thirdly Again Labour to grow up in grace the Lord loves to walk in his Orchard when there are fruitful trees he loves to bestow his pains upon them he will hedge them he will prune them he will spare no cost on his fruitful trees nay the Lord will not cut down his fruitful trees here 's great encouragement for Christians to bring forth much fruit in their Generation God doth spare those who bring forth much fruit God gave command in the book of Deuteronomie when as they went out to war Deut. 20. 19 When thou shalt besiege a City a long time in making war against it to take it thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an ax against them for thou mayest eat of them For the trees of the Field might be imployed in the siege the trees that brought forth no fruit those trees should be cut down but those that bear fruit shall not by Gods command be cut down you that are fruit-bearing trees the Lord takes special care of you the Lord will not cut down those trees the husbandman he comes and looks on a branch and sees no fruit he is ready to cut it down ay but if there comes one and spies a cluster on it if it be but one cluster don't cut it down surely it is not dead here is a cluster on it Oh the grace and goodness of God towards his people there is something of Christ found in such and therefore Lord cut them not down thus mercy pleads Well then you that belong to Christ bring forth much fruit If you ask me how I answer look to God the great husbandman he is such a husbandman as he knows how to make you fruitful Paul plants and Apollo waters but God gives the encrease look to the Lord be willing to submit unto God in whatsoever way God shall deal with you be willing that the Husbandman should prune you launce you that he should cut off your unsound branches Submit unto Gods wayes of affliction though they be never so hard the Lord he can by them make you fruitful The rain it makes wayes dirtie but in time it makes grounds fruitful The Lord he can make thy trees fruitful and the herbs that he hath sowen and planted in thy heart fruitful therefore submit unto Gods wayes and get nigher to Christ as ever thou desirest to be fruitful the branches that are nearest the root those branches bring forth most fruit Christ is the root and you that are in Christ cleave more to him and let your dependance be on him The nigher you are to him the more fruit you shall bring forth 4. Fourthly The fourth and last thing and I have done Let Christians be like unto Christ in this that they be Apple-trees in the midst of the wood Christ he was an Apple-tree among bryars and thorns in the world Oh that Christians would be like unto Christ in this It was the great commendation of Lot Enoch Moses
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
1. 31. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own devices They shall eat the fruit of their own doings when they will not listen to Wisdoms call oh my friends it will be very sowr fruit for a man to eat the fruit of his own waies the fruit that grows in the High-way side it 's but sowr fruit take heed that you despise not the Tree of Life lest the Lord say you shall not eat thereof That 's the first Use of Conviction 2. Again Secondly Here is a word of Invitation and I shall propound it in the words of the Psalmist in Psal 31. 8. a gracious Invitation O taste and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him You have heard of the fruit that grows upon Christ and now oh my friends come taste and see how good the Lord is the Psalmist speaks as a man that had found a good morsel found some dainty food he was eating of it alone he found a great deal of sweetness in it and he calls his friends Oh friends come and taste and see how good it is if you did but taste of this meat you would say Oh taste and see how good the Lord is there is pleasure and sweetness there 's enough to take up all your affections and all your senses here you may see and taste you may see beauty and taste sweetness the Tree of Life is not only beautiful good to look upon beautiful to the eye but it 's good for food let me tell you it 's not enough to see the beauty of the Tree of Life it 's not enough to look upon it it 's not enough to see but your souls must taste you will never be the better for the fruit that grows upon Christ unless you taste it unless you come and feed experimentally upon Christ it 's not enough to hear that the Lord is good it 's not enough that you have heard that there is so much pleasant fruit grows upon Christ but as ever you desire to be nourished comforted revived strengthened and quickened why then come here and taste and see how good the Lord is it 's mercy that you have an Invitation it was a direful threatening in Luk. 14. 24. For I say unto you that none of these men which were bidden shall taste of my Supper That they which were bidden as Guests should never taste of my fruit the Lord doth not speak this to you this day he doth not say You shall never taste of his fruit but he gives you an Invitation Oh then come and taste and see the goodness of God Let me tell you by way of motive That there is nothing in the world will do away the cursed and bitter taste of sin but only the taste of the fruit of this Tree Poor sinners you know not what the taste of the fruit of sin is oh what bitterness many times doth sin leave behind It 's sweet in the commission whilst men are committing sin whilst men are in the midst of their lusts in the midst of their vanities in the midst of their cups sin is sweet but oh the bitterness the poyson of Asps that sin leaves behind in the Conscience you have tried it may be to put out the taste of sin to do away the bitterness that sin hath left behind and you swallow many a good Ordinance after it many a good duty as you have supposed you have washed with your own tears and yet the taste of sin is left behind and truly Brethren no wonder there is nothing in the world will do away the taste the bitter taste of sin but only the taste of the fruit of Christ O come and taste of this fruit it will leave a sweet relish behind it will leave a taste in your souls and consciences that shall alwaies be above and prevail against the bitter taste of sin Nay further let me tell you there is nothing else can sweeten your affliction there is nothing else can sweeten your temptations and your trials but only a taste of the fruit of Christ this will take away all the bitterness and therefore I beseech you make good provision for your selves against you take those bitter Pills you will have something that is sweet by you to sweeten your mouths against you take bitter Pills Oh that men would make such provision in and against evil daies death is bitter in it self and life is sweet Oh that the Lord would revive you in giving to you a taste of the Tree of Life and this will sweeten all afflictions and it will take away the bitterness of the taste of death the Martyrs they felt not the heat of the flames for they had the juice of the Tree of Life in their mouths and souls and the fruit of the Tree of Life preserved them Quest But how may you know that you have tasted of this fruit of the Tree of Life Answ You may know it by your desires after Christ when the soul hath tasted of the fruit of Christ it desires to taste more of that fruit and it will see an averseness to sin so did the Spouse of Christ she sat down and desired to eat as I told you it was rendred she sat down and desired to eat and still to eat her desires were carried out still after further and further enjoyments and tasts of Christ when the woman of Samaria had tasted of the sweetness of the water of Life in John 14. 15. Give me to drink of this water that I thirst not Give me evermore to drink of this water she tasted but a drop and this gave her to cry out O Lord give me evermore to drink of this water so the soul having once tasted but a taste of this fruit of the Tree of Life Lord give me evermore to eat of this Tree of this fruit Again It 's known by the contentment delight and satisfaction that the soul doth find in Christ by the tasting of him it hath satisfaction in Christ a high esteem and honourable esteem such an esteem as David had he desired to be a door-keeper in the Courts and House of the Lord And so the soul that hath tasted of Christ Oh Lord let me eat of thy fruit though my condition be never so low let me sit under thy Tree though I sit like Job on the Dunghil let me sit down and eat of thy fruit and it 's enough it satisfies when it hath Christ whatever it hath it 's satisfied if it be but the fruit of Christ's love it 's satisfied if it be but a piece of bread if it hath the love of Christ with it I shall say Lord my lot is fallen on a goodly ground and thus saith our Saviour Noman that hath drank old Wine and tastes of new desires the old again because it 's bitter to him so no man that is once in Christ desires to taste of the fruit
ground he brought of the fruit of the ground and presented it as an offering unto the Lord and now if Cain brought the fruit of the ground should not you bring the fruit of the Tree The Lord hath given you all the fruit of the Tree to eat of Oh bring of the fruit of the Tree as a Sacrifice that the Lord hath given you so freely to eat of know that all your mercies come from this Tree and therefore look that all your mercies liberties and comforts grow upon this Tree Oh then acknowledge Christ in all and say with David O Lord all things come of thee and of thine own have I given thee So go and return all these mercies to Christ if thou hast any thing that is good say Lord this grew upon thy Tree and I am beholding to Christ for it if thou hast any grace any strength any ability any opportunity to do for God to serve thy Generation say Blessed be Christ for it it 's none of my fruit but it 's Christs fruit this strength and that grace it grew upon that Tree I bless the Lord for it Oh be taken up with admiration with holy admiration there is a world of precious fruit that grows upon Christ you have heard but a little of it oh be taken up with admiration continually be taken up with thanksgiving and acknowledgement give all back again to Christ and by that little that little sight of the goodness and the little taste of the sweetness that the Lord now gives you of the Tree of life rise higher do not rest here but be rising higher and higher and say Oh Lord if the fruit be so sweet what 's the Tree it self How excellent and glorious is the Lord Jesus Christ the Tree of life from whence such precious fruit doth grow Rest not upon any thing but Christ and be still ascending higher and higher and say Lord if this fruit the fruit that I now taste be so sweet what is the fruit that I shall taste of in heaven If I taste of the fruit of the lowest boughs and they be so sweet what is the fruit that grows upon the top branches which is reserved for the Saints to pluck and to eat of when they shall come unto heaven And thus I have given you in part to see the meaning of these words and how usefully they may be enlarged in your own Meditation and remember the Text it 's worthy you should spend many thoughts upon it As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my beloved among the sons I sat down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste SERMON I. MATT. 18. 21 22. Then Peter came to him and said Lord how oft shall my Brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven times Jesus saith unto him I say not unto thee until seven times but until seventy times seven HEre is Peter's Question unto Christ about the Forgiving of Offences and Christs Answer unto Peter's Question you must know that the Question and so the Answer relates unto particular offences personal offences such wrongs and injuries as are done by one man unto another As for those which are more immediately against God and more publick Christ doth give another rule in this Chapter but this I say is concerning personal offences or wrongs which are done by one man unto another How often shall my Brother sin against me and I forgive It is true every such offence is a sin against God and so far as it is a sin against God there is no man can forgive the Lord only can forgive sin he against whom the sin is committed but now there is an offence or wrong which is done against man and so far as the offence is against man man may forgive man cannot forgive Gods part but so far as the offence is against man man may forgive it nay Christians ought to forgive it so far to forgive it as not to seek any revenge for the wrong done How often shall my Brother sin or offend against me By Brother here we are to understand any relation any friend any neighbour any man that we have to do with if that he hath done any wrong or any offence he 's comprehended under this relation of a Brother any man for we are all Brethren How often shall my Brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven times there is Peter's Limitation he seems to give an answer to himself for it comes short of the answer of Christ Shall I forgive him so often saies Peter Lord what shall I forgive him seven times It seems to be hard to forgive a brother seven times but see how Christs answer doth exceed Peter's Christ will have no such bounds set as seven times I say not unto thee till seven times but until seventy times seven As if Christ should say Wherefore dost thou say seven times to set the bounds of thy forgiveness seven times to thy brother I 'le have no such bounds given you think it a great matter to forgive seven times I say unto you That it is the Will of my Father that you forgive until seventy times seven a certain number for an uncertain seventy times seven that is I will have you to multiply forgiveness not that Christ himself doth set bounds to seventy times seven that they should proceed so far and no further but I will have you to forgive very often nay as often as thy brother doth offend not seven times but I say seventy times seven That which I shall observe at this time is this Doct. How far the thoughts of the Lord and the waies of the Lord are beyond our waies and our thoughts in this matter of forgiveness Peter thought seven times for a man to forgive an offending brother was a great matter but seventy times seven was not enough and know that what the Lord Christ doth here give in as a duty unto Peter and to all the Disciples that the Lord Jesus himself doth assert as his prerogative in the matters of forgiveness in the matter of forgiving offences and transgressions The Lords thoughts and the Lords waies are infinitely above ours This truth I shall handle at this time to make way for that main Doctrine of the Text which is the Doctrine of Forgiveness forgiving Offences Now that the Lords thoughts and the Lords waies are so far above ours it is clear from Scripture Isa 55. 7 8 9. see it was in the matter of forgiveness this is spoken Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy and to our God for he will abundantly pardon For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your waies my waies saith the Lord for as the Heavens are higher than the Earth so are my waies higher than your waies and my thoughts than your thoughts Though you cannot think that
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
no opportunity to do good but he gives her allowance to share with him and to take comfort together of that which God hath given him 6. Again Sixthly and lastly He will maintain her honour in the Family and therefore he commands that she be respected he will not suffer servants nor children to usurp authority over her but commands that reverence be shewed and submission given to her over all the Family he looks upon her as one that God hath set next himself to be the next light of the Family and therefore desires that she might share and be respected he knows that God hath given her to be a help and so under him to look to the waies of her Family Children and Maidens and therefore in this he doth countenance her lest the Family be disordered and God be dishonoured in it this he doth as unto the Lord and for his sake though there may be unworthiness on her part because it 's the Ordinance and appointment of God Thus you see what is the work of the first Relation of Husband and Wife 2. But Secondly The second Relation in the Family is of Children and Parents Now if a gracious heart as one that walks with God be such in either of these relations you shall see his gracious carriage 1. First to speak in relation to Children If God hath set him as a Child he desires to obey his Parents in all things in the Lord he desires to give willing submission and obedience unto them â—ay and that from the very heart he obeys them as Christ obeyed his Father in Psal 40. 7 8. Lo I come to do thy Will I delight to do thy Will O God thy Law is in my heart and this is the carriage of a gracious Child one that walks with God to his Parents he obeys them from the heart 2. Secondly He also submits unto all their Instructions he embraces the wholsom counsel of his Parents He will not despise the counsel of his Father nor depart from the Law of his Mother but he wears them as an Ornament of Grace to his head and as a Chain as Solomon speaks 3. He also doth submit unto all their reproofs and chastenings because he looks upon them as the reproofs and chastenings of a Father and so proceed from love and they are for his good He also 4. In the fourth place Is content that they should dispose of him for Calling for Employment he is willing that they should dispose of him in Marriage he knows that they have a great share of him and therefore he will not dispose of himself without their consent He also in 5. The Fifth and last place Looks upon himself as alwaies bound even all his daies to love and honour and to respect his Parents though God hath given him a Family of his own and though he be set free from their Government yet he looks upon himself all his daies bound to honour and respect them and to maintain them if the hand of the Lord be upon them to shorten their comforts and if his be lengthened our he looks upon himself as bound to relieve their wants and to be a comfort and stay unto them in their old age this is the carriage of one that walks with God if he be found in the relation of a Child But for the relation of a Father If he stand in the relation of a Parent you shall also see his gracious carriage 1. First of all He looks upon his Children as given him of God to be brought up for God he knows that they are but only sent out to Nurse as it were to him God hath given him such and such Children to train up in his fear and therefore it is his great desire to see the Image of God upon them he is more desirous that they should be made rich in grace than in gold therefore he prays for them counsels them instructs them gives them good examples and all that so the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ may be communicated unto them if the Lord have pleased at any time to work upon the hearts of his Children Oh how thankful is he unto the Lord for it And he rejoices a thousand times more even in this that he knows that they are the Lords than that they are his 2. Secondly Again He will not bear with that which is evil in them though they be never so nigh to him though they be of his flesh yet he will not bear with that which is a dishonour to God he will not suffer that in a Child which he abhors in another which he will reprove nay it may be punish in a servant but he is impartial in the matters of God when Gods honour is concerned in it he won't connive at any wickedness in them 3. Thirdly And on the other side He is careful not to provoke them to wrath for that 's another extreme he remembers that that is a Precept Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath but bring them up in the fear and nurture of the Lord he desires rather if it be possible to rule them by love than by fear he knows that slavish fear is the seed of a great deal of evil and many times it destroies Ingenuity it self he won't provoke them by cutting words as Saul did his son Jonathan in the first of Samuel you shall see what cutting words he gave to Jonathan a good and gracious son 1 Sam. 20. 30. Then Sauls anger was kindled against Jonathan and he said unto him Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman c. 4. Fourthly He will not deny them conveniencies and that education that is fit for them but he is careful to dispose of them in the way of a lawful Calling he sets them in a good way that they may be serviceable to the Lord and their Generation according to the Will of the Lord when he is dead and gone 5. Fifthly He won't fall upon them with violence before he knows the matter and examines the cause lest he should smite them without cause he will not cast them off for every offence but he seeks the Lord for them and waits long for their return he prays and prays again that the Lord would bring them home unto himself and if at any time the Lord gives repentance he looks upon it as a great mercy and his heart is drawn forth in thankfulness and this is the carriage of one that walks with God in the relation of a Parent There is a third relation in which I shall be more short and that is That of Servant and Master Now if God set a gracious soul in this relation ye shall see his carriage 1. First of all If he be a Servant he is content with his condition he remembers that the Lord Jesus himself was found in the form of a Servant and therefore well may he a poor worm submit unto that condition if the Lord set him in it he remembers he
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
further declining and so Jehosapbat did take part with a wicked King and the Lord did shorten his daies in abundance of love 5. Again Fifthly God will shorten the daies of his servants when they are enabled to do much in a little time when he hath caused them to run amain after himself to follow him hard and so through his grace have done the work of their Generation in a little time then the Lord shortens the daies of their dwelling in the body in abundance of love when their work is done the sooner their work is done the sooner they are at rest the Lord will not keep his people longer from their rest than needs must he knows that their daies are as the daies of an Hireling as Job speaks full of labour full of toyl and full of trouble full of disquietness and hurryings no rest therefore so soon as ever they have done their work God takes them he loves to have his children bettered he won't put them to School longer than needs must when he hath trained them up for heaven he presently sends for them home he hath longing desires to see them Christ would have all his children round about him and therefore when he hath caused them to do his work in a little time he will then send for them That where I am you may be also I am gone to prepare a place for you and I will come again and receive you to glory It shews how the Lord Christ doth hasten he hath longing desires to see them I am gone away and I come again as soon as ever the work is done he will not stay a minute when he hath fitted glory for them and fitted them for glory I will come I 'le come again and take you to my self he longs for them and causes their hearts also to be breathing mightily after him and therefore they shall not be absent from the Lord longer than needs must but when he hath caused them to do the work of their Generation he will take them away in abundance of love and mercy There are some Objections to Answer as concerning long life as a blessing but so much for this time SERMON XI GEN. 5. 24. And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him HE was not for God took him I opened the phrase to you the last day God took him to Communion with himself to near Communion the Saints whilst in the body are at a distance from God Whilst we are present in the body we are absent from the Lord saith the Apostle though God do now and then visit them yet for the most part they are absent from God they are put out to School and here God will have his people trained up for Heaven but when that change comes which is spoken of why then God is said to take them he takes them home he takes them into nighest fellowship and communion with himself For God took him the phrase holds forth that fulness of glory which the Saints are translated out of this world into God dwells here in them but they dwell in God they here are depressed in their spirits through the weight of corruption it't but a little they are able to hold of God Ay but in Heaven there God takes them he takes them in to himself Well done good and faithful servant enter into the joy of thy Master enter into it they shall be as so many vessels that are cast into fulness of love life and glory they shall be filled full to the brim God took him It holds forth also the freeness of grace in receiving in any even the best must enter in at this door of free-grace and no otherwise though Enoch had walked with God so many years three hundred sixty and five yet it 's free-grace if God will receive Enoch at last there are so many slips so many failings there are so many declinings so many turnings aside there is so much crookedness in the walks of the best of the Saints that if God should deal with them in the rigour of his Justice he might refuse them and therefore it 's grace it 's free-grace that they are received there 's no other door they are to enter in at I also considered the last time when it was that Enoch was taken when did God take him After he had lived three hundred sixty and five years which was a short time a very short time in that Age when the Patriarchs lived seven hundred eight hundred nine hundred almost a thousand years Enoch a gracious man one that walked with God and yet he lived not half the years of those Generations and of his son that came after him God many times shortens the daies of his servants in love I told you what are those times in which he shortens the daies of his servants in love and mercy 1. First When their lives are full of extraordinary warrings when more than ordinary burdens are laid upon them some have fiercer combatings with Satans temptations than others and some have heavier burdens both of corruptions and of afflictions than others I am a man that have seen affliction saies Jeremiah as if none besides him had seen affliction now many times God shortens the daies of his servants in love when their combatings have been extraordinary with corruptions and temptations and the burden of their affliction heavy it 's true the Lord could deliver them some other way open some other way besides the door of the Grave he could make them conquerours but the Lord in wisdom sees it best for some of his servants so long as they are in the body in this condition it 's needful for them so long as they are in the body to be grappling with their corruptions and temptations fightings and buffetings and therefore you ought not to call for death because of your afflictions and because of your temptations for the Lord is pleased many times in wisdom to take this way to bring in full deliverance to his servants And 2. Secondly When his servants live in a very evil time in a corrupt Generation then the Lord is pleased to shorten the daies of his servants in love It was a corrupt time that Enoch lived in before the Flood the earth was degenerated and violence covered the face of the earth before the Flood came and then it was mercy for Enoch to be taken away betimes the Lord knows what a burden it is for his servants to live at such a time when wickedness abounds and so the Lord delivers many of his servants by shortening of their course Again 3. Thirdly When great Judgements are coming upon them either upon their Families or upon the Kingdom and place that they live in God hath then sometimes shortened the daies of his servants as God when he intended to bring destruction upon Jeroboam's Family then cut short the daies of one of his Children Because some good thing was found in him towards the
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
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