Zach. 3. 2. The Lord rebuke thee Satan saies the Angel the Lord rebuke thee he pleads for them he is their Advocate he lets his Father know that all the accusations that Satan brings in are out of malice and envy he is a malicious wrathful wretch a Murderer from the beginning he hath alwaies sought the destruction of my servants and therefore Father hear him not saies he for he accuses out of malice he hath alwaies been a false accuser he was cast out of heaven for a common Barreter and therefore Lord let him not plead at thy Bar there are many Bills brought in but the Lord Jesus he shews the Cross that is made over them they are all crost with the cross of his own blood all is discharged all is paid that Christ by his blood makes a mighty noise in heaven sin cries loud many times but the blood of Christ cries louder it fills all the Throne with outcries and it will be heard it will be heard when it speaks for poor sinners this is a precious fruit of Christ's Intercession 5. Fifthly The preservation of the Saints in a state of grace is a fruit of Christ's Intercession they can't fall it 's not possible they should be pluck'd out of his hand for he holds them sure he is continually Interceding for them it 's not possible they should be forgotten in heaven for he alwaies bears their names and presents them unto his Father he Intercedes continually for more grace for new grace and for new strength and new supplies to be given out every moment for his people and therefore it 's not possible their faith should fail I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not it 's not possible that their faith should fail and this is a fruit of Christ's Intercession Christ intercedes for his people and therefore they are kept and shall be kept by his mighty power through faith to salvation I might add The protection of Churches and the destruction of enemies as a fruit of Christ's Intercession he sits to protect his people and he sits there to destroy his enemies Sit thou at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy foot-stool the Lord in that day shall make Kings submit unto him He shall strike through Kings in the day of his power Intimating that the subjection of all enemies is a fruit of Christ's Intercession These are the fruits that grow upon this bough Now you have in part seen what fruit this Tree bears let us make Application Vse First of all If the fruit that grows upon Christ be so sweet to a believing soul Then 1. Use of Conviction First This may serve for Conviction unto such as taste no sweetness in Christ's fruit that have no longings no desires to eat of the fruit of this Tree why certainly it 's an evidence against such they never were yet espoused to Christ It 's said of young women in their breeding condition their desires are after fruit rather to feed on fruit than other meat I am sure it is so with such as are the Spouses of Christ their desires are alwaies after fruit they would by their good will eat nothing else their souls are alwaies longing after it they can't make a good meal though they have never so much of creature comforts if they have not a dish of this fruit of this fruit that grows upon this Tree of Life Oh poor creatures they know not such as find no sweetness surely they know not what this fruit is If thou knewest the gift of God saies Christ to the woman of Samaria in John 4. 10. and who it is that saith unto thee Give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water poor soul thou knowest not what this Tree of Life is Oh my friends if you knew this Tree the sweetness of it you would say Lord give us ever to eat of the fruit of this Tree what pity is it that such fruit should be lost because poor souls know not the goodness and sweetness of it It 's very strange that poor sinners should take so much delight in the world so much delight in the fruit that grows upon their own stock so much pleasure in the fruit of iniquity and should find no sweetness nor savour in the fruit that grows upon Christ I say there is no fruit so sweet as this yea there is nothing sweet but what grows upon this Tree no mercy sweet if it grows not on this Tree if it comes not from this Tree of Life and yet to a carnal heart every thing but Christ is sweet Oh such men and women they have lost their taste when a mans appetite is gone that 's a sign of a great distemper give him wholsom meats and pleasant drinks and he tells you they are bitter and unsavoury it 's a sign of a great distemper of the body yea many times it 's a great fore-runner of death and truly it 's thus with mens souls that taste not of the sweetness of Christ they have lost their appetite why it's wonderful strange they should find no sweetness in Christ What! sweetness in your profits and pleasures sweetness in your lusts and harlotry and what no sweetness in Christ Poor creatures they have lost their taste and the Lord grant it be not a fore-runner of eternal death you have a wo denounced against such men in Isa 5. 20. Wo unto them that call evil good and good evil that put darkness for light and light for darkness and put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Wo to them that call the Tree of Life bitter fruit unsavoury fruit whose souls find no sweetness in the feeding upon it and in the mean time find sweetness and delight in those things which are indeed bitter for the fruit of sin is bitter fruit Oh that such men would consider these two things 1. First of all What will you do when your desirable fruit is taken from you There was a threatening against Babylon in Rev. 18. 14. And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee and all things which were goodly and dainty are departed from thee and thou shalt find them no more at all The time will come when this will be spoken to Contemners of Christ the despisers of that fruit which grows upon this Tree of Life all thy desirable fruit is departed from thee that which thou tookest most delight in it 's departed from thee the Lord he can easily blast your fruit and cause it to wither if the Spirit of the Lord do but blow upon your comforts they are gone they are gone in a moment they wither and they fall off immediately and what will such men do when their fruit is departed from them if they have not better fruit to live upon 2. Secondly Again Oh that such men would consider that fearful threatening against despisers of the fruit of the Tree of Life in Prov.
shall be no cloggs no rubs in the way but there shall be a full enjoyment and a full manifestation of that life of Christ which is the life of the soul is made over to the soul for its life even to Eternity this is another part of the great gain that comes in by death to believing souls But again 5. Fifthly As it gains life so it gains victory by death the believing soul gains Victory full compleat victory and conquest over all its enemies He doth not only rest as I said before it is a great gain to rest rest from the motion of sin and lust and rest from the motion of temptation but that 's not all it rests and sits down as a Conquerour the Palm of victory is then put into the hand of every Believer and he shall stand upon that Mount Zion and shall sing Hallelujah unto the Lord he is then made a Conquerour there for all enemies at that day are put under all the lusts of his heart and all Principalities and Powers and whatsoever was a vexation and disquietment shall be put under his feet and he shall sit down with Christ as a Conquerour I have fought the good sight saith the Apostle in 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith and now is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness my life-time it was my time of combating but now I am ready to be dissolved to be offered up I shall sit down as a Conquerour and I shall have a Crown of righteousness that 's another priviledge another part of the gain that comes in to the believing soul by death But 6. Sixthly It gains a full sight of God I say the believing soul by death gains a full sight of God a full vision of God this gain is glorious and unspeakable it 's that which the Saints do press after to see the face of God it was Moses's great request I beseech thee shew me thy face mighty desirous to see the face of God and indeed it is a compleating of their happiness that they shall see the face of God Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God in Matth. 5. 8. here is the blessedness of that people whose heart is purged by faith they shall see God they shall see him here â—ay but in Heaven they shall see him face to face in 1 Cor. 13. 12. We now see him through a glass darkly but we shall see him face to face and then shall we know him as we are known It is true God cannot be seen with the eye of the body neither here nor in Heaven so the Saints cannot see him for he is an infinite Being a Spirit invisible invisible to the eye of the body but he shall be held forth clearly God will hold himself forth to the eye of their understanding and his people shall have full and clear visions of him they shall know him in his Nature and they shall know him in his attributes they shall know him in all his works and they shall know him in his Word whatsoever was hid from them in the daies of their flesh shall then be revealed they shall know him in his Counsel in those secret waies which God walked in from Eternity which no creature can give a reason of God will then unfold himself they shall have continual visions of God visions of grace and visions of love and visions of light and visions of glory which shall continually flow forth from the Throne this will be a mighty gain When the Queen of Sheba came to Solomon to see his House in 2 Chron. 9. 7. she said Happy are thy servants that stand in thy presence to hear thy wisdom if they were happy that saw Solomon and his wisdom and look'd him in the face then much more shall they that stand for ever in the presence of the great God King of Kings and Lord of Lords and shall see his face and behold his wisdom and shall for evermore be satisfied with a full vision of God so much as the creature can hold It 's true the creature is finite it shall not be infinite as God himself is but they shall behold the glorious visions of God himself which will be mighty gain But again 7. Seventhly Believing souls by death shall be gainers in respect of their habitation here they dwell in a house of Clay so Job calls it Job 4. 19. it is a house of Clay whose foundation is in the dust and is crush'd before the Moth. It is a poor house that a Moth can throw down that the Moth can crush and yet this is the house the house of the body and this is the house that the soul lives in whilst it is here a house of Clay that hath no foundation but the dust a house without a foundation it cannot stand it 's down in an instant every storm of wind will blow it down it hath only its foundation of and from the dust exceeding frail is the body set forth by this expression now what shall the soul gain when death comes It hath a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens in 2 Cor. 5. 1. For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens It 's a mansion or dwelling house it 's not a Tabernacle In my Fathers house are many mansions Job 14. 2. It 's not made by the hand of man it 's made by God himself It 's glory that was laid up before the foundation of the world it 's uncreated glory God himself will be the heaven he 'll be the dwelling place of his people and they shall dwell in him throughout all Generations for ever and for ever here is a change you see in respect of the habitation and it will be much more gain than for man to change a Dungeon for a Palace the soul comes out of a Dungeon and it 's put into an Inheritance an Inheritance with the Saints in light But Again 8. Eighthly They gain in respect of their company our Saviour saies in Matth. 8. 11. They shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God no worse company than Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the spirits of just men made perfect there shall be no failings nor defects there shall be no want of love there shall be no blemish to take off love but they shall enjoy the company of the spirits of just men made perfect this will be a mighty gain Here there are many failings failings in the best of Saints the best company that believers have even Saints there are failings in the best of them but there shall be nothing seen there but the Image of God nothing but the Image of Christ when they look upon one another they shall see nothing but an attractive love there shall be no emulation there they shall not envy
to go down into Egypt and have not asked at my mouth to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh and to trust in the shadow of Egypt Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion God pronounceth wo to them that run down to Egypt you see there that strength and shadow is all one they trust in the strength of Egypt under the shadow of Egypt that is the strength of Egypt They thought that Egypt should have been their protection so Psa 17. when David prayes that the Lord would protect him he prays that the Lord would be a shadow to him there protection and shadow is all one Verse 8. keep me as the Apple of thine eye hide me under the shadow of thy Wings Now if you take shadow in this Metaphorical sence for defence and protection it 's very evident that Christ is thus a shadow unto his people he is their defence and protection It 's he that defends them from the wrath of God and it 's he that defends them from the wrath of man It 's said of some trees the Laurel tree and some other they are a defence unto men in a tempest of thunder and Lightening However it 's true of Christ He that sits under Christ he is a defence from thunder and lightening from the wrath of God and that Soul that stands under him he is safe and well protected And as he is a defence to man from the wrath of God so he is a defence from the wrath of man Isa 4. 6. And there shall be a Tabernacle for a shadow in the day-time from the heat and for a place of refuge and for a covert from storm and from rain The Lord Christ promiseth protection unto his people in the day time when it 's never so hot when the wrath of man is fierce and cruel and there is a like promise in the 25. of the same prophecie 4. verse For thou hast been a strength to the poor a strength to the needie in his distress a refuge from the storm a shadow from the heat when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall c. the Lord Christ he is such a shadow such a protection to his people against the heat and tempest of all wrathfull ones 2. Secondly Again A shadow in the Metaphorical sense it signifies afflictions and sorrows and sometimes Death it self because they are privations of comfort even as the shadow is a privation of light and these may be called Christs shadows the sufferings of Christ are Christs shadows It was the sufferings of Christ that did eclipse his glory when he was here upon earth now all these shadows these sufferings of Christ though they were dreadful shadows to him yet they are comfortable shadows to his people from first to last all the sufferings of Christ are comfortable shadows to his people He sat under them with abundance of grief and dolour that so his people might sit under him with abundance of joy and peace and comfort his temptations were all sore griefs Oh what a day of temptation was it to him And yet how comfortable were these sufferings unto his people Afflictions even Death it self was a shadow to Christ and what a comfortable refreshing was it to his people When Christ was upon the Cross he cast a great shadow and what comfortable refreshment is it for poor weary Souls to sit under it 3. Again Thirdly The shadow in a Metaphorical sence in Scripture is a dark representation of a thing that which doth represent a thing it 's called the shadow of it as you know the types and Ceremonies and the whole Levitical Law they did hold forth something of Christ and therefore all those ceremonies and types they were shadows of things to come and so the Apostle speaks of all those ceremonial things they were the shadow but the body is Christ So then whatever it is that holds forth Christ whatsoever it is that represents Christ to the soul that may be called a shadow the shadow of Christ under which the Soul sits down which the Soul takes delight in As all the Ordinances of Christ they hold forth something of Christ as a mans picture is called a shadow the ordinances they hold forth Christ there 's the shadow of Christ in them The word holds forth something of Christ and so the Sacrament and so the fellowship of the saints there 's something of Christ to be found in all these to be seen and enjoyed in all these this also is one of the shadows of Christ that a gracious heart desires to sit under where ever it sees any thing of Christ in any word any Ordinance in any Communion of saints there it takes delight it blesses God for such communications of himself and there it sits down desiring with all faithfulness to wait upon God in them that it may see more of Christ until such time as the day shall break and the shadows may flie away Thus you may see what this shadow is that the believing soul desires to sit under and how Christ is likened and set forth by the Natural and Metaphorical shadow Quest But you will say in the next place What is it to sit down under this shadow Answ First of all It 's a Posture of rest as walking is a moving posture so sitting is a posture of rest It holds forth the soul is in a restless condition till such time as it comes to Christ there is no rest till such time as it pitches upon Christ what sayes David in that Psalm he speaks unto his Soul there when he desired that he might return to his rest Psalm 116. 7. Now Oh my soul return unto thy rest for the Lord he hath dealt bountifully with me he had been wandring abroad in the world and he found no rest there he returns to God as to his resting-place and now Oh my soul return unto thy rest 2. Again Secondly it 's a rest with Confidence as it 's a resting Posture so it 's a Confident Posture A man will not sit down in a place of danger if he sees danger he will not sit down If a man be in such a place as he fears wild beasts or thieves he will not sit down why when a man sits it 's a confident Posture to sit down with Christ it 's a confident Posture it 's to trust in Christ when the soul layes all its weight upon Christ when it looks to the power goodness and faithfulness of the Lord Jesus held forth in the promise there it sits and ventures it self upon him and saith with the Apostle I know in whom I have trusted and believed and he is able to keep what I have committed to his trust 3. Thirdly Again sitting it 's a posture of stedfastness when a man leans or rests upon another he is ready to fall down but this holds forth the stedfastness
Lord Jesus took in sitting under these shadows which were most uncomfortable to him for your sakes lo I come to do thy will O my God in the 40. Psalm 8. I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart It was hard work to Christ and yet he delighted in it because it was his fathers work and because your souls were concerned in it it was the work of your redemption and though it was a bitter cup yet the Lord Jesus took delight in it If Christ delighted in these uncomfortable shadows in the shadow of Death for your sakes Oh why should not you express the comfort and Joy of your hearts in taking delight in being under his shadow Again Christ he is the delight of God the Father in Isa 42. 1. It 's the father that speaks of his son he speaks of Christ Behold my Servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soul delights he would have you not only behold him as a servant but as his Elect in whom he delights now if he be the delight of his father what cause have you then to make him the delight of your Souls Nay further It 's the way to have all the desires of your hearts to be satisfied to be filled there 's an express place for that in Psa 37. 4. Delight thy self also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart He was speaking before that he should not fret because of the wicked yea think that they have all that heart can wish but you are mistaken their desires are not satisfied the more they drink the more they thirst they are not satisfied in the enjoyment of any creature comfort but I will shew you the way of satisfaction delight in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart it 's the way to more grace and more strength it 's the way to be more able to do for God and more able to suffer for God and abundance comes in in this way in delighting in Christ when the Lord hath brought the soul into this frame once to take delight in Christ under some shadows of Christ Christ he is not far off from that Soul but will satisfie and reveal himself to that Soul in a most glorious manner see Mal. 3. 1. Behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple even the messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in and he shall come suddenly he is not far off and this is an evidence of this his coming that he stirs you up to seek him and to delight in himself to sit under the shadow of Christ with delight Oh then Christ he will come and will come suddenly and to manifest himself in a more glorious manner to that Soul that doth thus delight in him Well then to conclude I beseech you Brethren that you would look up to the Lord to have this frame of Spirit wrought in your hearts Do not think it enough to have these shadows but delight your souls under these shadows Christ calls for a great deal of delight from you to himself he is a most comfortable shadow a most pleasant shadow he is as the shadow of a tree and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary Land and as he is of great benefit to you so he calls for much delight from you Behold I bring you tidings of great joy says the Angel to the shepherds where Christ is there 's tidings of great joy and so when Christ draws nigh to your souls in his shadows he expects there should be great joy and delight in him that you should solace your selves under these shadow of Christ sit down and meditate under these shadows whilst you look under the Sufferings of Christ and ordinances of Christ see what a glorious prospect the Lord hath set before your eyes that you may take great delight delight in every shadow of Christ delight in his ordinances set your selves under these shadows It 's said those that were sick and diseased they laid them in the high way that the shadow of Peter might go over them shall the shadow of Peter heal diseased bodies why it 's Christ under whose shadow who ever comes will heal diseased Souls and he is greatly to be delighted in he is a sweet refreshing shadow SERMON VI. CANT 2. 3. I sat down under His Shadow with great delight and His Fruit was sweet to my Taste I Shewed you what is this shadow of Christ and what it is for a soul to sit under this shadow I made Application the last day But I shall proceed to the last clause of the verse and his fruit was swee to my taste I have considered the shadow now for the tree it self and his fruit was sweet to my taste Here is another benefit comes in by Christ It 's a mercie to sit under a shadow a Poor weary man in a wilderness rejoyces that he finds the shadow of a fruitful tree to sit under where he may not only sit and rest him but sit and eat with delight he 'l account this a double mercie and truly thus beneficial is Christ to his servants he is willing they should sit under his shadow and he is willing they should eat of his fruit and it 's the sweetest and the most delectable and delightful fruit that ever poor creature tasted The taste is one of the external senses the Object of it is meat and drink here it 's applyed to the inward man to that taste the soul hath of Christ by faith because the soul it doth taste Christ and it doth taste the sweet fruit of Christ and it finds pleasure in them in feeding upon Christ even as the palate doth find delight in savorie meats and delightful drinks I shewed Christ yields both shadow and fruit you see the mercies that Christ gives to his people they are compleat mercies for he is a compleat and a perfect saviour he is not only a shadow he is not only a defence unto them he doth not only keep off evil he doth not only keep off the scorching beams of the sun he doth not only keep off the wrath and displeasure of the Father but he is a pleasant shadow and yields pleasant fruit under whom they may sit and eat with delight and pleasure So he is a perfect saviour he is not only a privative but a positive Salvation this is that which the Lord holds forth to Abraham says he I am thy buckler and thy exceeding great reward I am thy buckler there 's the shadow and I am thy exceeding great reward there 's the fruit which the Lord gives him to feed upon Christ doth not only deliver from wrath but he brings in Life glory and salvation in Dan. 9. 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy City to finish the transgression and to make
the soul in the blessedness of Heaven But there 's another place that the Atheist doth alledge from Scripture and that is from Solomon what he saies in Eccles 3. 19. For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth Beasts even one thing befalleth them as the one dieth so dieth the other yea they have all one breath so that a man hath no preheminence above a beast for all is vanity Hence the Atheist concludes that there 's no Resurrection for when death comes it 's with man as a beast who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward To this I answer That Solomon doth not speak in his own person he speaks in the person of the Atheist he tells you what is the Atheists conclusion what he saies in his heart because of those oppressions that he saw under the Sun I said in my heart concerning the estate of the sons of men that God might manifest them and that they might see that they themselves are beasts There you have the thoughts of Solomon there he speaks his own it was a conclusion of his from the observation that he saw under the Sun to see how one man oppressed another even like beasts and there he brings in the conclusion of the flesh and the conclusion of the spirit the conclusion of the spirit is God shall judge betwixt the righteous and the wicked and so he brings them in scoffingly Who knows the spirit of a man that goeth upward c. you see it was not Solomon's it was far from Solomon's thoughts that there should be no Resurrection in Eccles 11. 9. Rejoice O young man in thy youth and let thine heart chear thee in the daies of thy youth and walk in the light of thine eyes But know thou for all these things God will bring thee into Judgement Solomon concludes with the Resurreon and it was the conclusion of his Book in his last Chapter 13 14 verses Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of man For God shall bring every work into Judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil You see how the Devil by his Agents doth strike at this Doctrin of the Resurrection he destroies all Godliness all the power of Godliness he destroies the Kingdom of God at once and he builds up his own Kingdom for ever If there be no Resurrection then saies the Atheist Let us eat and drink and to morrow shall be as this day and more abundant If our hopes were only in this life we were of all men most miserable it destroies the whole mysterie of Godliness then all should be in vain Preaching and Hearing in vain and your faith in vain if there be no Resurrection Now therefore I beseech you get your hearts established in this Resurrection The Devil plaies not at small game but he strikes at the fulness of the root at the Scriptures he strikes at the Resurrection O get your hearts established Some that have been as stars in the Firmament have been swept down so low as to deny the Resurrection of the body know therefore that it is the Will of the Father that Jesus Christ should raise up all his people at the last day so he tells them and so he would have all his people believe it it is the Will of the Father that of all that he hath given me I should lose none but he will raise them up at the last day and know that your bodies shall as certainly be raised up again as the body of Jesus Christ was raised up there was a seminal vertue in Christ but it was not so in others they did rise but Christ arose as a common person and his Resurrection is as the seed of the Resurrection of their bodies in the conclusion even as certainly as Christs body was raised from the Grave so shall thine and know if it were not so Christ should not be compleat the body of Christ should not be compleat for all his people are a part of his body if the head be risen the members also shall rise for Christ without them is not compleat and the body shall arise because without the body the man is not compleat I say man is not compleat without the body the soul waits for the Resurrection of the body it is not compleat it hath not its fulness of joy untill the Resurrection and therefore it 's said in Rev. 6. 10. the souls under the Altar cry out How long Lord holy and true dost not thou judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth The soul thinks long when it shall meet with its old friend again the body Oh Lord how long say they shall we be in this condition Now seeing it is so there shall certainly be a Resurrection of the body at last and if there shall be a Resurrection of the body then I beseech you consider what manner of persons we ought to be how should you endeavour after holiness in the body seeing there shall be a Resurrection of the body whilst you are in the body how should you demean your selves in all holiness O what need is there that you should get faith in Christ to cover and to wash away all those sins and defilements of the body And how careful should you be to keep your bodies holy as the Temples of the holy Ghost That so when your souls and bodies are parted there may be a longing for a Resurrection that your soul may say Lord how long how long when shall that poor body that sleeps in the dust be raised up It will not be so with wicked men they won't call for a Resurrection the souls of the wicked had rather their bodies should sleep perpetually that there should be no morning that there should be no Gaol delivery rather be in Prison than come forth to the Assizes but it shall not be so with the Saints in their state of separation of soul from the body they think long that their bodies may be raised from the Grave that their souls may be copartners with them in the glory that Christ shall give out And to say no more in the Last place I beseech you with the Apostle comfort one another with these sayings Do but consider how comfortable this Doctrin of the Resurrection is in it self O the Resurrection of the body a great deal of a Christians comfort is laid up in it The Resurrection of the body may be comfort to you in all your afflictions that you meet withal whilst you are in the body in the midst of all your infirmities and weaknesses and troubles whilst you are in the body When this corruptible shall put on incorruption Oh! how willingly should we spend and be spent for Christ because he will give it all back at the Resurrection again How willingly should we lay down
our bodies our lives for Christ if Christ call for them because there is a Resurrection of the body All that the Father hath given him it is the Will of the Father that he should raise them up at the last day It will be comfort to you when you come to lay your heads in the Grave at rest you shall not be in Prison for ever your bodies shall not lie in the dark Dungeon for ever No Christ hath taken away the horror of the Grave and he would not have you meditate horror there the Covenant of God you that are his people holds with your bodies where ever you are the Covenant of God laies hold upon your scattered bones the Covenant of God holds with their very bones and Christ will come to open those Prison doors the Apostle saies the whole Creation groans Rom. 8. 22. For we know that the whole Creation groaneth and travelleth in pain together until now waiting for that deliverance in that great day the day of Resurrection the very earth shall travel and it groans to bring forth even all those sons and daughters that have lain so long in the bowels of the earth even all that have been buried in the Earth and Sea it groans to be delivered of them and therefore what matter of comfort is this The Lord would have you assured of this That there shall be a Resurrection of your bodies he hath taught it in the Type whilst you have seen Enoch Enoch translated in the body and he hath given you a greater confirmation by Jesus Christ who is risen and sits at the right-hand of the Father he is the seminal Comforter therefore O ye Saints be ye comforted waiting for that day of Resurrection And so much for this time SERMON XIII GEN. 5. the latter end of the 24 Verse For God took him I Desire you with patience one hour longer then I hope through Gods assistance to finish that which I have been so long insisting upon from this Text. The last day we enquired wherefore God took Enoch in that extraordinary manner why was he translated that he should not see death I gave three Answers then I shall proceed to a further Answer to this Question Quest Wherefore Enoch was thus Translated that he should not see Death Answ It was That so the Lord might be a defence to that great Mysterie even in that Generation that he might give them a taste and so see of that wonderful good that God should work towards the end of the world when Christ shall come in his glory when the bodies of all the Saints that are alive shall be changed when they shall not see Death as Enoch was translated that he saw not death I say here God gave some first-fruits of that wonderful work that he should do for his people at his next coming when the Saints that are alive shall not die but shall all have their living upon the face of the Earth and be taken up as Enoch was and as Elias was even so shall they be taken up and lifted up to meet the Lord in the Air and here is a Mysterie which is more fully made known to us by our Lord Jesus since the coming of Christ in the flesh see what the Apostle speaks concerning this great mysterie of the change of those at Christs coming in 1 Cor. 15. 51. Behold I shew you a mysterie we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last Trump for the Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed Again the same Apostle doth plainly declare this mysterie to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 4. 15 16. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-Angel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. He doth reveal this mysterie in all the parts of it we that are alive shall not prevent them that sleep Christ shall first descend and the Trumpet shall blow and they shall be raised and then shall we be changed But you will say Doth not this cross other Scriptures Is it not said that it is appointed for all men once to die Why then doth the Apostle say We shall not all die we shall not all sleep I Answer First of all That this Word of the Lord is not crost though the Lord is pleased to mitigate the sentence there shall be a kind of death to the Saints that are then alive when Christ shall come they shall not die properly there shall not be a separation of body and soul yet there shall be a metaphorical death there shall be a change and so great a change even as death is the change of the Resurrection meeting together which certainly is very great and this cannot be without some fear and some horror which shall be even as the horror of death unto the Saints for though there shall be no harm they shall not be harmed when the first Trumpet shall blow no harm to the Saints all the woe shall be past but yet I say there may be a great deal of cause of fear of death for Christ shall first descend before they be changed and therefore there is room left for fear and horror the Text saies Christ shall first come with thousands and ten thousands of Angels and the Trump shall blow and the dead shall be raised and all this before those that are alive shall be changed and then saies he we that are alive shall be changed and be caught up even with them Now Brethren seeing God hath seen this needful that this mysterie should be revealed in all Ages therefore a glimpse of it must be given out to those Generations in which Enoch lived when he was taken up and so afterward the same was thought of Elias when he was taken up into Heaven The Lord hath seen it needful I say that this mysterie should be known and if it were needful for them then it is much more needful for us it is needful for us upon whom the ends of the earth are come that we should know this mysterie and that being in a continual expectation of the fulfilling of it it is needful both for the consolation and for the instruction of the Saints that this mysterie should be made known For their consolation Why the time is coming when Death shall be swallowed up when the Saints shall not die but they shall be changed this change is more desirable than death Gods people in all Ages have longed after it and therefore God
very Image of Christ in them and these operations of life spoken of I discern the life of Christ in others But alas I see nothing but deadness in my own soul nothing but a body of sin and death I say it 's the burden of my soul every day I rise O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death I fear the life of Christ is not in me Answ Is not the life of Christ in you Whence then are those complaints that thou makest Did you ever hear a dead man complain did you ever hear him cry out of his burden Surely there is some life of Christ or else whence are these complaints of that body of sin that body of death which is more heavy to the soul than the burden of the Mountains If the life of Christ be not in thee whence are those desires Thou breathest after Christ ay with all thy soul thou couldst even expire that the life of Christ might be more manifest more evident in thee why whence are those desires Did you ever know a dead man breath or the Pulse of a dead man beat Surely these motions of the soul after Christ these breathings of the heart after Christ do testifie there is something of the life of Christ but if thou canst not find the life of Christ and seest nothing but deadness yet look towards him as a living Saviour let thine eye be towards him as one that is set up to give life he is a Tree of life for this end that is in the midst of the Garden and it 's the Will of the Father that thou shouldst come to Christ thou that art sensible that there is nothing but deadness in thee come to Christ for life Christ complains that you will not come to me that I may give you life you that complain of your deadness give not Christ cause to complain that you will not come to him that he may give you life therefore seeing the way of the Tree of life is not shut up but it 's set open it 's left open there is no Cherubim set before thee but come and eat eat of the Tree of life and live Christ presents himself to thy soul that thou mightest put forth thy hand and eat of the Tree of Life and though thou saiest thou hast not the life of Christ yet look up to Christ that so thy soul may have life and know for thy encouragement that the time is coming and is at hand that more of the life of Christ shall be given out than ever it was unto the Saints I say it shall be as life from the dead when the Jews shall come in again there shall be a new Resurrection the people of God shall differ most exceedingly from what they were before the time is hastning and abundance of the life of Christ shall be communicated unto every member of Jesus Christ and all the Saints they shall die more to sin die more to the world and die more unto self and shall live more unto God and lift up the Son of God for the day of the Lord is high and shall be lifted up for in that day the Lord alone shall be exalted But so much for this time SERMON III. PHILIP 1. 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain CHrist is the life of every Believer I shewed you how the life of Christ works in every soul where it is I come to the Application Vse 1. First of all Let it be a word of Examination Know it 's not enough to have a name to live if Christ be not the principle of life it 's possible as I have shewed you heretofore that the children of the Kingdom may be cast out into utter darkness to have a name and only a name to live it will do men little good therefore I beseech you examine whether the life of Christ be in you or no whence came your life first What way came into your oul that life which you have Did it come by hearing the voice of Christ That life which is from Christ comes into the soul by hearing the voice of Christ in Joh. 5. 25. The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live There is no man that lives but he shall hear the voice of the Son of God can you say that the life that was in you it was thus brought into your souls it was by the voice of the Son of God it was Christ spake Christ spake in your souls and you were revived it was Christ in a Promise or Christ in an Ordinance or Christ in the breathings of his spirit Ay you know it was Christ that spake for you were so sensibly deeply sunk in unbelief you were so dead that if an Angel from Heaven should have sounded a Trumpet you could not have heard nor have believed the Gospel Ay you know it was the voice of Christ for you heard the same word many a time the same promise was given in you read it you heard it it was urged upon you and yet you found no life in it but when Christ spake then your spirit was revived Nay you are perswaded it was the voice of Christ for it was at such a time when you were farthest off from light then was your spirit revived when your condition was those dead and dry bones which the Prophet Ezekiel speaks of in Ezek. 37. you were furthest from life when not only the flesh was consumed but the bones were dry scattered and consumed even in such a spiritual sense were you broken and when the Word of Christ came to your soul you were revived from this Word of the Lord and therefore certainly it was Christ that spake I cannot but assent unto it the life of Christ that thus comes in by the voice of the Son of God it 's Christ in the soul 2. Secondly Again Did not this life come in in a way of dying I say did it not come in in a way of dying For so is the life of Christ where the life of Christ is it kills the creature it strikes him stark dead the creature is nothing it dies to self it dies to his own righteousness it dies to his own strength to his own wisdom have you thus found it Thus it was with Christ the life that he purchased for his people he purchased it by his death it was made evident in a way of dying when he arose from the Grave then it was evident and he is declared with power that he was the Son of God life came in by death in a way of dying and truly thus it is with a soul where the life of Christ is when Christ comes the soul dies it saies as Christ said when he was ready to give up the Ghost in Luk. 23. 46. Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit so that soul where
heard before it cost Christ dear that life which he communicates to his people it cost him his blood it was not purchased without the laying down of his life and therefore take heed that you do not act against him Let Christians take heed that they do not neglect communion with God neglecting of communion and sleighting of communion is an acting against the life of Christ in them for why the life of Christ comes in that way it is maintained by the souls conversing with God and therefore when a man turns his eye so from God when he is looking downward continually poring upon the things of this World neglecting the things of Eternity and does not eye God and does not converse with God in all Ordinances and Duties why this is an obstructing of the life of Christ in you Again Take heed of giving way to any vanity take heed of making bonds with sin that you do not step out from God in the least it is destructive to the operation of the life of Christ sin weakens the inward man as sicknesses and diseases do the body take away the natural strength that a man cannot act with that strength as before so it is with sin when the soul gives way to lusts and corruptions whatever they be he weakens his own strength he entertains fellowship with that which is an enemy to the life of Christ in him And then take heed of giving way to sinful passions and unbelief and dejection of spirit for these also are great enemies to the life of Christ I say dejection of spirit is an enemy to the life of Christ as well as to the life of Nature therefore reason with your passions as sometimes David did Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me Know that he hath made you Kings he hath set you upon the Throne that you may judge your own hearts that holy and sanctified reason may call all your inordinate lusts and passions to account in thy soul and say as David did Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Take heed of neglecting Ordinances of sleighting Ordinances it is by them that the life of Christ is maintained and cherished they are the Pipes they are the Golden Pipes though empty in themselves yet they are the Pipes through which the Lord is pleased to convey life and therefore the sleighting of Ordinances and casting of them off must needs make way for the hinderance of the life of Christ Christians should take heed I say in any case that they do not that which may be an obstruction to the life of Christ to the actings and to the motion of the life of Christ in them Again To say no more Let all Believers consider what matter of consolation the Lord hath laid up for them in this in that he hath made Christ to be their life I say what matter of strong consolation is it in the midst of all their deaths and dangers in the midst of all their miseries in the midst of all their corruptions and enemies that they are compast about with here in the World Here is a hidden ground of consolation There is a principle of life in them Christ is their principle of Life and such a principle as shall never decay in them they have such a life as endures for ever Why it is comfort in the midst of all the want of outward necessaries if Christians want they have a more excellent life than creatures and if creatures say natural life is better than raiment then how much more may it be said of spiritual life that it is better than food and raiment and all outward things below And so in the midst of all afflictions that do lie upon Gods people at any time they may comfort themselves with that hidden life that is within them though the World see not the world takes no notice of it the Lord looks upon them as excellent because of that life that is within them yea even death it self the people of God may comfort themselves as Job did in the thoughts of death in the apprehension of death though it seem never so terrible they have a living Saviour they who have interest in Christ he is a principle of life unto them I know that my Redeemer lives and I shall see him again at the last day saies Job he lives and he will be life to me I shall stand up with him and I shall live in his sight this was that which Job did solace his soul in in the midst of all those afflictions in the thoughts of death it self when it was presented to him as the King of terrors yet let the Saints rejoice in this life for it is such a life as shall never be put out though it be compassed about it is a life that is compassed about with enemies and all that is in a man and all that is without him are enemies to the life of Christ O how many temptations and how many lusts and corruptions do beset it round about every day Well here is comfort to every one to whom Christ is a principle of life that this life of Christ shall prevail and it shall continue to see all its enemies put under its feet thou shalt live to see them all put under thy feet Christ indeed when he came in the flesh was persecuted in his very infancy he was driven into a strange Country but he lived to see his enemies put under in Matth. 2. 19. the Angel comes and tells Joseph he may return with safety for they are dead which sought the young Child's life to destroy him it shall one day be said so unto every Believer to every soul that hath interest in the life of Christ though for a time they may be persecuted and hurryed and driven up and down with the lusts and corruptions of their hearts and this wicked world yet it shall be said one day Lo they are dead which sought the Childs life But so much for this time SERMON V. PHILIP 1. 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain I Have concluded the first of these Propositions That Jesus Christ is a Believers life But I shall proceed to a second Proposition in the Text. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain I shall propound it as exemplary unto all the Saints DOCT. That it is worthy your imitation to converse with Death at a distance to prepare for Death before Death comes You shall find it the practice of the Saints in Scripture so did Moses and so did David Moses as you have it recorded in Psal 90. 12. which is a Psalm of Moses So teach us to number our daies that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom Teach us so to number them as we may know our own frailty so as we may have the impressions upon our hearts that we are but Grass and as the
boldness The Lord hath delivered and he doth deliver and he will deliver he gained abundance of submission to the Will of God by contemplation on his condition and by this he knew how to want as well as how to abound and he could do all things through Christ that strengthened him and it was his obedience to the Will of Christ which strengthened him and I believe there is none of Gods people that will bring in their experiences if they will truly and impartially cast up their accounts but they will and shall find that God hath made them gainers by their losses and by their several afflictions that God hath laid upon them they have gained at least this to know that they are nothing they see themselves what fruitless unprofitable creatures they are and they have known what the creature is when God is at a distance they have seen something of themselves and something of God and if there be no more than this this is a great deal of gain and that it is true of all these Deaths the Lord makes his people gainers by them and he leads them through these conditions because he intends to make them gainers by them every affliction that he sends is a servant of Christ every afflicted condition is a servant of Christ and is sent with a good message is sent to communicate some good thing to the soul of every Believer God stands up and saies as in another case Who will go and perswade Ahab And the Spirit answers I God saies Who will go and carry tidings of love from Heaven to such a soul something of himself something of the Divine nature God hath store of Messengers That will I saies one mercy and that will I saies another afflictions are all ready to communicate some good thing to those that love the Lord Christ and indeed they are narrow Pipes all these conditions that the Saints are brought into they are narrow Pipes they can convey but a little a very little of God by them now God is an infinite fountain and he can convey much of himself one condition is too little too narrow for God to work in too narrow a Pipe for God to pour in all that good which he intends for his servants therefore he chooseth variety of works great mercies and variety of afflictions they are all the servants of God and they have commission to go and work for such a man to work for such a mans good the promise is given to the Believer That all shall work together for good so that all are his servants all deaths afflictions persecutions whatsoever distresses his people shall meet withal shall work together for good they must needs gain a man that hath a multitude of servants that work for him it 's all for their good as well as his why Believers have a multitude of servants all is yours all Christ is yours every condition that God hath brought you into shall work for your good for they are Christs servants and you must needs be gainers and truly God knows that their gain is his gain he will gain by their gain and therefore will make their deaths to be gain to them for it comes back again to his Treasury he knows that his people will not purse his glory will not put up that which is Gods if God doth come in and make them gainers by their afflictions if God doth inlarge their hearts and set them free they won't say By my own hand have I made my self rich by my own industry I have gotten this wealth this strength this peace this liberty for what are we that we should be able to walk answerably to any measure that God gives out unto us But Again God will make Death it self gain unto us not only lesser deaths but the greater death it shall be gain even that separation of soul from body which to the wicked man is the worst of deaths Christ becomes gain to that soul whose life Christ is I will tell you in one particular and leave the rest wherein death is gain to that soul whose life Christ is and that is this He shall gain Rest Blessed are those that die in the Lord in Rev. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them that 's their nature he speaks in a time of persecution when the Beast came out of the bottomless pit to make war against the Saints the Lord gives encouragement from hence they are blessed though Anti-Christ curse them as Hereticks but from henceforth they are blessed that die in the Lord especially that die in the Lord as these did but wherein are they blessed In this That they rest from their labours there 's a part of their blessedness see what the Prophet Isaiah saies of the righteous man he speaks of this blessedness they shall gain rest in Isa 57. 1 2. He shall enter into peace they shall rest in their Beds each one walking in his uprightness they shall rest as a man rests in his bed so shall the righteous man rest in his Grave the Grave shall be as a bed to them upon which they that die in the Lord shall rest sweetly from these their labours this World is a troublesome World a very turmoiling World full of troubles and labours both to flesh and spirit and they that die in the Lord rest from their labours This World is a place to work in When the Sun arises man goes forth to his labour till the evening comes But you will say This is no great matter what gain is here The gain of Rest rest to the flesh is this any great gain Job saies in Job 3. 13. For now should I have lien still and been quiet I should have slept then had I been at rest Wicked men rest in their Graves they that could never rest well but in wickedness they rest in their Graves but what then where is the gain that the righteous man rests in For they both rest in their Graves 1. First There is a difference in their rest the wicked mans rest is partial it is but the rest of the body the flesh only it is not the rest of the spirit It is an imperfect rest they do not lie down to rest sweetly on their beds with those peaceful thoughts that the righteous man hath in his going to bed to the Grave O their rest is a troublesome rest It is said in Psal 16. there in the person of Christ My flesh rests in hope and shall not see corruption his very flesh should rest in hope the very flesh of the righteous man when it is in the Grave rests in hope his very bones when dry and scattered still they rest in hope hope of a Resurrection But now we may say on the contrary that the very flesh of the wicked man rests in fear his very flesh rests in fear
only rest in their bed in the Grave but they shall enter into peace and they shall enter into joy in Matth. 25. 21. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord he enters into peace he enters into joy that he shall thenceforth dwell in it he shall dwell in joy he takes full possession of it it is no more shut out peace doth enter into the righteous mans heart whilst he is on earth but till death comes his peace here shall be interrupted he shall enter into it and it into him what Job saies of the body so of the joy of the righteous man it continues not at a stay his peace and joy is many times interrupted but in Heaven he shall meet with no more Clouds there shall be a morning that shall drive away all Clouds he shall enter into joy and he shall dwell in the fulness of it Christ hath purchased it and he hath given out the first fruits of this peace and joy but the full possession is no till death and therefore it is said in Psal 97. 11. That light is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart he reaps something here but it is but a little in respect of the harvest that he shall reap afterward it rather seems to be a sowing time than a reaping here but afterward he shall reap the fulness of it peace is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart so that here is another benefit of gain to a Believer by death he shall then drink to satisfaction of those Rivers of joy and pleasures for evermore that do run at the right-hand of God 3. But again Thirdly As he gains joy and peace so by death the believing soul gains enlargement and liberty this is a great part of his gain the soul by death is set at liberty for the spirit even of a righteous man though it be the Candle of the Lord and though it be enlightened from Heaven yet whilst it is in this body which is now corrupted it is like a light that is in a dark Lanthorn the light of those excellent faculties of the soul are eclipsed and darkened I say so it is with all mankind the curse came by the fall of Adam that the body is as a dark Lanthorn to the soul and it doth hide that light which should otherwise be revealed as the soul acts most highly when it hath least of the body as when the body is asleep it sees not it hears not it reads not yet the soul then sees and mourns and joyes more exquisitely than it doth or can do in the body and therefore when the soul is nigh parting with the body it acts most highly and so it shall do in its separation when separated from his body it shall be freed from his dark Lanthorn it shall be taken out from his Dungeon as it were and all the faculties of the soul shall be enlarged the understanding the apprehension the capacity of the soul shall be mightily enlarged The Prophet speaks of a time a coming that there shall be no more an Infant of daies the beginnings of it shall be on earth but the perfection of it shall be in Heaven There shall be no more an infant of daies there shall be no more a child of understanding but he that is weak shall be as David and he that is as David shall be as the Angel of the Lord the capacity of the soul shall be wonderfully enlarged as it shall comprehend most of God here it is straitened and it could not receive much of God it could not receive much of the mysteries of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ it is not large enough to take in much of the notion of those glorious things but when death comes it shall be enlarged And then saies the Apostle I shall know even as I am known It shall be exceedingly enlarged to take in very much of God And as the understanding shall be set at liberty so all the faculties of the soul shall be set at liberty They shall be greatly enlarged towards God and run towards God the desires of the soul shall run like a mighty stream towards God here there was but a little drop of the affection but then a mighty stream shall run not only faith but love shall be perfect A believing soul shall be enlarged in respect of action as the faculties so all the actings of the Soul shall be set at large at liberty here the soul can't act according to its desires it would do more for God but there 's a clogg that lies upon it it hath mighty wings wings like the Ostridge but there is such a heavy body as it can't get up there 's wings would carry the soul up to Heaven every moment but there is a heavy body in Rom. 7. 19 20 24. For the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do Now if I do that I would not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death I say there is infiniteness in a believers desires to do for God and he would enjoy more and more still and he would do more and more for God ay but he is straitened up in his actings there he is narrow he cannot act according to his desire but now when death comes the believing soul shall be set at liberty it shall be able to act according to its desire it shall be whatever it desires to be and it shall do whatever it desires to do and it shall have as much holiness as it will desire to have this is a mighty priviledge and a great deal of that gain that comes in by death unto that soul where Christ is its life it meets with this liberty and enlargement But again 4. Fourthly The believing soul by death gains not only liberty but abundance of life it gains life it hath more of the life of Christ it enjoyes more of the life of Christ and hath the fulness of it communicated and now Brethren this is a mighty gain to gain life what would a man gain more and what is a greater gain than life It is beyond the gain of all treasure whatever Natural life is the greatest of all mercies Thou shalt have thy life for a prey and that 's the greatest mercy Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life and in this the believing soul shall come nearer to the life of Christ for he shall have the life of Christ who is the fountain and so more of it communicated to him and therefore it was that for which the Apostle desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all for there he should have perfection of life in Christ there shall be nothing there to hinder the life of Christ from flowing in unto the soul there
one anothers glory but every one shall glory in his own happiness as his own gain they shall gain in respect of company Again in the 9. Ninth place They shall gain Confirmation and Establishment by this blessed condition all this that is spoken of he shall be established in it for ever there shall be no more returning to sin and sorrow no more returns of former temptations there shall be no more possibility to fall again but it shall be confirmed and established in blessedness it shall no more lose his happiness than Christ can lose his no more turned out of heaven than the Son of God can be turned out they shall be confirmed and established for ever there shall be no robbers nor no fear of danger this is another part of their gain 10. Tenthly To name no more Believers shall be gainers in respect of their body for their bodies shall be new moulded at the Resurrection of the great day the body shall be made new and serviceable to the soul every way fitted and Organized for the soul to work This corruptible shall put on incorruption saies the Apostle and mortality shall be swallowed up in life God will make up these vessels of the bodies of his people again at the Resurrection and when he hath raised them up he will raise them as vessels of honour and vessels of glory And as it is said that that matter whereof is made the purest China is buried many Generations in the earth before they take it and of that they make the purest China so though you be buried in the earth the Lord will raise you up though many Generations after and they shall be raised up and fitted for the spirits of just men made perfect that God may be glorified both in soul and body to Eternity This is the gain of that soul by death to that body whose life Christ is And there must needs be gain to those that are Christs For 1. First of all It were not possible that Believers should be willing to part and leave all comforts behind them and that they should so part with all willingly with that which is so desirable in the world I say it could not be if there were not gain behind for Gods people have nature as well as others and they have natural affections and nature seeks its own preservation and it looks upon death as an enemy and yet that this enemy shall be entertained so willingly that when the Lord calls he should open his bosom to receive the stroke that he shall send and be a volunteer in his death certainly there is something in this there is that which the World knows not of how willingly did Christ send forth his spirit It 's said He cryed with a loud voice and gave up the Ghost his spirit was not snatcht away violently but he gave it up willingly it is not so with the wicked man and it was not so with the rich fool in the Gospel This night shall thy soul be required at thy hand his soul was commanded it was taken from him by force and violence whether he will or no he was not a volunteer but his soul was pluckt from him but that a man shall give his life up voluntarily that he should entertain death voluntarily and part with all friends Wife and Parents why surely it is because the Lord gives a greater assurance of gain which is to be found beyond death it self But again 2. Secondly If there were not such gain by death to the godly man it were not possible that he should make such a venture as he doth If a man venture into a far Country he will not venture for a little he will venture for gain and good gain or else he will not venture there is a venture at death with the godly man he makes a venture and it is the greatest venture that ever was made he doth not venture his estate but he ventures his soul which is infinitely of more worth than his estate and the venture is for Eternity and if that venture be lost all is lost and he is undone for ever yet thus he ventures and lancheth forth into the Gulph of Eternity but he hath a word from the Lord and he saith Well if God will deceive me let him I will venture now the believing soul doth see the future great gain that will follow death But again 3. Thirdly If it were not so Believers were the miserablest creatures of all men If it were not for Christ we were of all men most miserable if there were no hopes of better then we were the miserablest of all men for we are the lowest of all men Afflictions Persecutions Griefs and Sorrows of all sorts is the portion many times of Gods dearest people and children now if there were nothing beyond the Grave we were of all men most miserable the Apostle was in deaths often he was dead every way he carried his life in his hand he was the off-scouring of the world so accounted and now if there were in this life no hope no hope of a Resurrection no hopes of a better world then we were miserable indeed but the believing soul knows that the end of the righteous man is peace and the end of the transgressour is to be cut off But again 4. Fourthly and lastly to name no more Death must needs be gain to believing souls because it was gain to Christ Christs gain came in by death and therefore so shall theirs Ought not the Son of man to suffer these things and so to enter into his glory It 's the way to his glory by way of sufferings He was led along all his life in this way his gain came in by losses his honour his greatest honour came in by dishonour and that reproach and that low condition that befell him whilst he was in the World he found honour in dishonour and his exaltation came in in a way of humiliation and life came in for all his people in a way of death by his own death He took upon himself the form of a servant c. his exaltation came in in a way of humiliation and life for his people came in by his death as it was with Christ so shall it be with his members for there shall be a conformity and there shall be an uniformity betwixt Christ and them as it was in the head so shall it be with the members as his exaltation came in in a way of humiliation so shall theirs and their life in the greatest of it shall come in by death God the Father delights to walk in this way for it is contrary to the World and God delights alway to do the greatest things by contraries In the Creation of the World and so in the new Creation when he made the World he made all things of nothing and so of the new Creation he converts a sinner by that which is most opposite by the Word of the Lord
and lastly to say no more This desire of death must be with an indifferency to the Will of God though it be for never such good ends though a man desires death for lifes sake though he desire death that he may sin no more that he may be with Christ that he may lift up the name of God fully in Heaven yet if it be not with an indifferency to the Will of God it is not a holy and lawful desire and therefore the Apostle in the Text refers himself to the Will of God I am in a strait I know not what to do it is best for me to die I am in a strait I will not determine though I shall be deprived of my gain and be a loserby it yet it is no great matter if God may gain any thing by my life if his Church may gain any thing if any poor soul may gain any thing if God hath any further work for me I am content to live I know not what to choose saies he but I refer my self to God this makes the desires of death lawful When a man hath considered all and yet notwithstanding he knows death shall be gain to him yet he refers himself still to the Will of God If thou hast any service which may be for the good of thy people and for the advancement of thy name if thou hast any message though it is hard to keep from home if the Lord will have me do any service for him why I am willing When the desires of death are thus referred to the Will of God submitting to his Will whether by life or death thus are the desires of death holy and lawful Thus have I shown you when desires of death are sinful and when lawful The Application of the Point is yet behind SERMON VIII PHILIP 1. 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain THE Subject in hand is Gain and therefore I hope you that are wise Merchants will not be weary of it the whole World is for gain every man saies Who will shew us any good I have shewed you a great deal of gain that is by death for those that have interest in Christ and O that the Lord would make your hearts desirous to know how you shall get this gain how you may so live as that the great venture you make of death may be gain unto you But I shall prosecute that in its time You may remember the last day we spent most of the time in Answering a Question Whether it be lawful to desire death or no I told you there is a good desire and there is a sinful desire of death and I shewed you the differences But I shall wave repetition and come to the Application of the Point Vse 1. It lets us see what a fancy or conceit that is that men have taken up That the soul hath no existence without the body but that it ceases to be whenas the body is laid in the dust there is such a conceit that the soul sleeps or that it ceases to be until the day of Resurrection that God should give life again to the body This Text doth confute that opinion though it may be matter of temptation even to Gods own people if it were so then it should not be gain to die if the soul cease to be when separated from the body it should not be gain to die I might bring many places to confute this what think you of that in Luk. 23. 43. where Christ saies unto the good Thief This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise surely Christ speaks not of the body it could not be understood of the Grave that his body should rest in for to be with Christ in Paradise implies more Paradise was a place of pleasure it was a place in which Adam did enjoy the presence of God therefore certainly the soul hath existence when separated from the body the souls of the righteous are where they do enjoy the presence of God Again that in Rev. 6. 9 10. where it is said of them that are under the Altar they cryed out How long Lord holy and true will it be e're thou avenge our blood on them that dwell on the Earth Then the soul hath existence when it is out of the body for these souls cryed How long Lord It is true there are divers operations of the soul which do cease which do depend upon the operation of the body but there are many operations in the soul which the soul doth most excellently exercise notwithstanding its separation from the body the Apostle Paul was in a holy ecstasie as out of the body and when he was in the body it 's said His soul saw such things as were unutterable not to be seen nor heard But I shall not need to go any further to strengthen you against this temptation the Apostle in this Chapter saith I am in a strait between two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Where you may see first That the soul when it is separated from the body it doth not cease to be for it is only departed I desire to depart an active expression some Translate it to flinch or move to remove from one house to another or to be loosed or dissolved so some Translate it I desire to be set free from this my prison my soul is in prison while I am in the body now I desire to depart from this house to be fetch'd from this house to depart from this Prison and to be with Christ to depart and to be with Christ so then there is a being with Christ in a state of dissolution for the Apostle doth desire to be dissolved for this very end that when he was dissolved he might be with Christ there is a being with Christ there is an enjoyment of Christ in a state of dissolution Nay he saith It is far better he knew that he should enjoy more of Christ when he was gone he should have more intimate communion with the Lord Jesus in a state of separation than when he was in the body that condition was far better now I say if the soul do sleep if it ceases to be or to act or to enjoy Christ when it is separated from the body till the day of Resurrection why then he could not have said it is far better to die and to be with Christ But it may be said it is better to die because death frees from the miseries of life and so the Apostle might say It is better to die because death frees from the miseries of life because there is a rest and a cessation from the present troubles and turmoils in the world If there had been nothing else he could not have said It is better to die for I say to live to live the most afflicted life and the most troublesom life in the world is better than to die and to cease to be if there
be not an enjoyment of life after that departure Yea it had been better for the Apostle to have lived if there had been no existence of the soul for then all knowledge of God and of Christ cease and no actings for God no lifting up of the name of God it had been better for him to have lived to have been serviceable to God in his generation to have lived to have known Christ for all knowledge of God upon that supposition is to be lost and gone to rest thus his gain is no better than the beasts gain the very beasts gain rest to the flesh If there had been no more gain by death he could not have said It had been better to die than to live and to live it had been far better than to die and rest if there had not been a further enjoyment of God in Christ in that estate of separation and dissolution And therefore I beseech you that you would hold this fast that you may be strengthened against this temptation that there is no enjoyment of God and Christ in a state of separation when the soul is loosened from the body though it is true the full enjoyment the full revelation of heaven is not until the Resurrection when soul and body shall both enjoy the glory of heaven But so much for the first Use Vse 2. Secondly If death be gain where Christ is life then this may comfort you in the loss of your friends you should not mourn inordinately for the loss of your friends when you have hopes of their death It is true it is not only lawful but it is a duty to mourn I shall shew you how far it is lawful to mourn in the loss of friends 1. First of all As seeing that the hand of God is gone out against you If the Lord comes and makes any breach in a Family and the hand of God is gone out against you the Lord would that men should lay it to heart in Heb. 12. 5. My son despise not the chastening of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked there are two great extreams either to despise the chastening of the Lord or else to faint under it the Lord would that we should lay his hand to heart when it is upon us to consider what is the voice of the Rod what is the message that is in its mouth and what it is that the Lord speaks by such and such an affliction Again 2. Secondly Our mourning ought to be either more or less according as those that we part with are more or less useful and serviceable in their Generation when God plucks away those that are Pillars those that should stand in the gap those that should prevent Judgements that should hold his hand from striking a Nation in such a case the Lord allows nay he calls for a great deal of sorrow and it is made a sign of a hard-hearted people and a people that are fit for destruction and nigh to ruine when the Lord shall take away such Instruments and it is not laid to heart in Isa 57. 1. The righteous perish saith he no man lay it to heart none considereth that they are taken away from the evil to come It is a sign that there was evil a coming to that people when the righteous are taken away and they do not lay it to heart But I say when that we have no hopes in the death of Friends when we see the hand of the Lord is gone out to cut off men in sin when God shall meet them in a way of rebellion I confess there is more cause of raking up a sad lamentation You know what was David's carriage in this case when God smote his son Absalom he was smitten in his rebellion he died in his sin and therefore David takes up a sad lamentation O Absalom my son my son would God I had died for thee but in another case in the case of another Child when his Child died in whose death he had hopes David did not mourn with bitterness then he rather was comforted seeing it is the Will of God I shall go to him saies he he shall not return to me Thus you see how far it is lawful to mourn whenas God takes away a friend by death but when we have hopes in their death that death is gain unto them this should exceedingly compose and calm and quiet our spirits Object But you will say Your loss is great your loss is exceeding great such a dear Husband such a loving Wife such a beloved Child there 's none knowe how great my loss is and therefore do not condemn me in my mourning Answ I Answer How dear so ever thy friend and how great so ever thy loss be if thou hast interest in Christ thy loss cannot undo thee if the Lord be thy portion thy loss cannot undo thee Baruch was reproved because he took up so sad a lamentation in Isa 45. 3. Woe is me for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow I fainted in my sighing and I find no rest woe is me c. he had interest in God and therefore he did not well so to complain because his loss could not un do him yea thy loss is not so great but God can make it up in himself and if God give thee more of himself though less of the creature thou shalt have no cause to complain 3. Thirdly But again Consider and look upon not only thy loss but look upon the gain of thy friend if thou hast hopes in his death look upon his gain and let that quiet thy spirit why he gains rest he is laid down to sleep will you mourn when your friends lie down in their beds to sleep The righteous when death comes it laies them upon their beds to sleep if thy friend gain rest why then shouldst thou disquiet thy self by inordinate mourning He gains peace and joy the righteous enter into peace and therefore why shouldst thou so mourn as to disturb thy peace or to quench and damp the joy of the Lord in thee Why it is thy friend that dies in the Lord it is the time of his advancement he is advanced it is his Marriage-day or a day of Coronation and therefore there is no cause of inordinate mourning And you that are Parents that love your Children never so dearly you will be willing to part with them for their preferment though you marry them when it may be you shall enjoy little of them when they shall go hundreds of Miles from you you shall enjoy little of them But you will say it is to a man that hath a great Estate and why should I hinder them Now are you willing to part with your Children for preferment when you see they may enjoy a little of earth and shall you be unwilling to part with them when they may enjoy the fulness of Heaven Will you trust a man a creature with them and will not you trust
from your Fathers house to a Land you know not and therefore before death comes your eyes had need be opened Look about you and consider seriously of the venture that you make of death and how it is that you shall be able to go through What is it that shall carry you through this venture you had need take a great deal of pains in searching after this you had need learn to get assurance that death shall be gain how else shall you be carried through this venture And let me tell you It is strange to consider that rational men that have rational souls should be no more moved in such a point as this is when a man shall know that it is appointed for him to die and that in death he doth make an adventure the greatest venture that he can make he ventures for Eternity the greatest venture that ever was and yet whilst it is high time that he doth make no more inquisition after the knowledge of this one thing that death might be his gain And let me speak a word to you who are in Christ that I may press it upon you Labour to get the knowledge of this that death may be your gain you that do walk in the dark and at uncertainties concerning this you that fear the Lord and have given up your names to him and now walk in the dark and at uncertainties and know not whether death shall be your gain No my Brethren this is a sad condition next to the condition of the unregenerate this is the saddest O that the Lord would cause you to wait upon him till he clear up this truth to you why how mightily are your spirits disinabled the want of the knowledge of this that death shall be gain it keeps you in bonds in Heb. 2. 14. Who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage you are kept all your life-long in bondage through the fear of death because you know not whether it will be your gain or no O it is a sad condition that Gods own people should be all their life-long subject to bondage Nay if you have not this knowledge that death shall be made gain your spirits will be weak and feeble it will weaken your hands and knees and make you unable to do for God the want of this knowledge will make a Christian to walk basely and cowardly it will make him servile and make him slavish in what he doth for God and make him fearful to stand for God and to hold up the name of God in evil times and in suffering times it will make a man be base and betray his trust the want of this knowledge will make a Christian betray his trust it will make him deny Christ and his truth many times as Peter did when he was pressed with this fear And therefore to say no more As you desire to have your spirits raised mightily for God and for the service of your Generation would you do great things for God and truly God hath great things to do for his people even in these last and latter daies even such things as eyes have not seen nor ears heard God will work in these latter daies and his people shall be his Instruments What shall raise up your spirits make them noble and suitable to the great work and enterprizes that God hath now in hand If any thing in the World will do it it is this the knowledge and assurance that death cannot hurt you when it comes nigh death shall be an advantage to you you shall find gain in death and whatsoever you shall lose you shall find it infinitely made up in God the knowledge of this that death shall be gain it heightens your spirits and raises up your spirits in the great things of God in the service of your Generation But you will say How shall we come by this knowledge by the assurance of this that death shall be gain It is a great Question which will take up much time therefore I shall not enter into it So much for this time SERMON IX PHILIP 1. 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain WHere Christ is life to any soul there death is gain That 's the Proposition in hand I have entered the Application and drew several conclusions the last day by way of Instruction But I shall spend the remainder of my time in Answer to this Question Quest But you will say How shall we come by this knowledge the assurance of this that death shall be gain Answ That you would all labour to get assurance that death shall be gain to you It is a point that concerns every soul in the Congregation and therefore it calls for your attention get assurance that death shall be gain to you And let me speak 1. First To such as have not interest in Christ but are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity under the power of sin and Satan and so necessarily under bondage and fear of Death You had need look about you betimes there is a time a coming when you must make such a venture as you never made in all your lives you Ship all that you have and all that you can carry with you for another world when death comes there is such a venture as never was made in respect of the distance of place you do not venture to the Indies but you venture to another world a world which we had known nothing of if the Lord had not pleased to give us a glimpse of it in his Word for else we should have known nothing of it you venture more than all your Estates for my friends you venture your souls the soul that is more worth than all you have in the World if you were Masters of the whole world What! will a man venture for the gain of the World to lose his own soul Your loss is irrecoverable there is no hopes of any future trading for you venture once for all sor it is for ever And herefore I beseech you Consider what need you have of looking to this venture and to get assurance that it shall be made a gainful venture to you But you will say What directions will you give us that we may have assurance of gain in this venture I shall speak but one word to you Seek after an interest in Christ get Christ to be your life and then you shall be assured that death shall be gain I will not give you any other direction I will not set you any other way it will but lead you about and alas poor souls you had not need be led about you know not how soon the Wind and Tide may serve and you may set Sail for Eternity And therefore again I say seek after an interest in Christ get him to be your life If death shall find you whilst you live to the World and live in your selves whilst you live upon your works
gain 1. First of all That you would see how you are beholding to Jesus Christ for this that ever the Lord should make death to be gain What a loss is there in that What is there more dreadful than death That the Lord Christ should make this to be gain to his people O stand and wonder death is not gain in it self it is the greatest loss in the World Ay but this man shall comfort us concerning the toil of our hands this man comforts this Lord Jesus comforts concerning death as he makes it to be gain that which separates soul from body which might have separated soul from God to Eternity shall not only separate soul from body but set it nearer unto God and Christ and carries he soul into sweet injoyment of himself it leaves the body in the Grave to refine it and God will at the last day 〈◊〉 it up unto Glory And therefore I beseec◠〈◊〉 â—hat you would endeavour that your lives ma◠〈◊〉 to Christ Hath he made death gain to yo◠〈◊〉 he make it the most gainfull venture that ever you made How ought you to desire by all means that your lives may be gain to Christ Be you willing to suffer any thing for him for his sake you may well do it he hath made death to be gain to you you may well labour there is a Rest for you Be you willing to do and suffer for Christ Nay you should lay out your lives for Christ O put them off at the best advantage to die for Christ is the best advantage O put off life for the best gain for Christ you may well do it for he hath made death exceeding gainful and advantagious to you To conclude all with a word of consolation You that have interest in Christ is he your life What strong Consolation doth this minister unto you O blessed are the people that are in such a case Christ to be gain Christ to be advantage in life and death There is a blessed condition why all you that have interest in Christ what need you fear death I say what need you fear death It cannot hurt you it is an enemy disarmed the sting is taken out you may take a Wasp in your hand and put it into your bosom when the sting is out the sting of death is out and it cannot separate you from the love of your Father Nay it will carry you unto nearer embraces of God and Christ I am perswaded saies the Apostle that neither life nor death can be able to separate from the love of God in Christ Death cannot separate from Gods Covenant though it may separate from body and soul though the body lies in the Grave yet the Covenant of Grace holds I 〈◊〉 God of Abraham Isaac and of Jacob the 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—nt of God holds now the Lord takes care of 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—ones of the Saints in the Grave they shall 〈◊〉 by vertue of this Covenant O what do not you fear death you may make a bold venture on death you that have Christ for your life I say you may make a bold venture you may shoot the Gulph of Eternity and venture all upon him for he is your life and he will not fail you you have his example and he is gone before you he would fortifie your hearts he hath gone before you he was the Captain of your Salvation and he first broke the Ranks he was partaker of flesh and blood with us that he might suffer death and so that he might destroy death and therefore Christ hath given you his Example he intended that you should see the worst that death can do and it can do you no more hurt than it did him you that have interest in Christ it can do you no more hurt than it did him he is in the Ship with you he is Partner with you in the venture and if you lose he shall be the greatest loser Christ is Partner with you in the venture and if you shall lose in this venture Christ had as good never have risen again it is all one whether he suffers in his person or in his members if they should miscarry in this great venture of death Christ had as good never to have risen again it is all one O what hath the Lord done for you thus to fortifie your souls and to strengthen you by his own venture in that Partnership that Christ hath undertaken with you that this may spur you on Consider it well is not this a blessed priviledge O that I might die the death of the righteous saith Balaam no wonder he desired it what a gain does the righteous man get in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the Lord would perswade you to live the 〈◊〉 righteous to see the life of Christ and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith of the Son of God whilst you livâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—ath engaged that you should live the life of 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—teous but if Christ be not your life you will never partake of the life of the righteous for where Christ is not life death cannot be gain But you will say Do not Gods own people fear death even as well as others Why we see they are subject to fears where is the difference betwixt their death and others they may have fears of death as well as other men I Answer It is true even the righteous man may fear nay not only the fear of nature but his fear may be sometime inordinate and sinful Ay but in his fear he runs to the promise even as Jacob did when he was greatly distressed when he came to his brother Lord saies he I fear my Brother but he runs to the Promise but Lord thou hast said thou wilt be with me and do me good and bless me he fears as well as others but in his fears he runs to the Promise Yea moreover To say no more but this The righteous man shall be delivered from all his fears therefore he does not upbraid the righteous they have Promises to run unto and the Lord their God will save them from their fears even our Lord Jesus feared when death approached he was greatly afraid he put up strong cries with tears and groans and yet was heard in that he feared in Heb. 5. 7. In the daies of his flesh he feared and his fears made him cry aloud and his Father that was able to save him is able to save thee from all thy fears these fears shall make him cry to his God and he shall be certainly heard in that he feared and so was made a Conquerour And so shall it be with those that are in Christ they shall be Conquerours over all their fears this poor man cried and the 〈◊〉 saved him and delivered him from all his fears 〈◊〉 shall serve for this time FINIS
of the souls condition in Christ Oh then it 's not possible the Soul should fall he may be moved but he shall not be greatly moved he may be moved so as not to be removed I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not nay twice he hath made this promise that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against his people 4. Again Fourthly and lastly This posture doth relate to continuance and abiding and therefore that eternity of enjoyment of Christ is set down with that eternity of rest with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God If a man sit down he will make some stay it holds forth a continuance or abiding of the soul with Christ there it resolves to stay there it resolves to take up as the Lord sayes unto his people here shall be my rest for ever so says the soul Lord here I will rest here I will abide and continue for ever Well then to conclude all with a word of Application 1. Vse First of all it lets us see whatsoever is in Christ is useful and delightful Every passage of the life of Christ yea all the sufferings of Christ from first to last how useful are they to the Saints and how comfortable when they are improved by faith Not only the fruit of the Tree is good but the shadow of the Tree is good the very shadow of Christ is good the sufferings of Christ the very death of Christ is exceeding useful and delightful when the Soul delights in it Oh how delightful is the Glory of Christ 2. Vse But in a word I beseech you sit down under Christs shadow let not any Poor creature sit down under any other shadow but the shadow of Christ Make haste poor weary Souls you that have toyled your selves and laboured in vain have sought for righteousness and consolation in your selves Oh that you would not think of sitting down under these shadows But make haste to Christ get out of your selves and sit under his shadow Let me tell you if you be not under this shadow of Christ you are under the shadow of death It 's said of Christ before he came into the Land of Napthali they sat down under the region and shadow of Death so Poor Souls if you sit not under Christs shadow you sit under the very region of the shadow of death Nay let me tell you further that it 's not possible you should find rest but only under this shadow there is no creature can shadow you the shadow of your own righteousness and your own works is too short to comfort you and the shadow of all the works that men do enjoy they are too short A man may solace himself under the shadow of the creature for a time these shadows are too short when the Sun gets up to the height of it's beauty and you have most need of shadow you can't have it Poor Souls when you have most need of cool refreshing shadows these shadows goe quite away so that I say it 's not possible that you should rest sweetly and securely under any other shadows but the shadow of Christ it 's not possible ye should hold out in the time of trial you read of the stony ground in Math. 13. the corn that was sown upon it when it came up the Sun did arise and though it did spring up yet anon it withered there was no root and so it died if Christ had been their shadow he could have helpt it but when the wrath of man was furious he could not stand long but withered because he had not depth of root Oh what a sweet refreshing shadow is Christ if he do overshadow the Soul it may stand in any place in any condition though times of Persecution be never so hot You know Christ was a shadow in the fiery furnace a sweet refreshing shadow to the three Children there he kept off the heat Nay Consider further all the shadows besides Christ are perishing they are vanishing shadows they are truly compared unto shadows man walks in a vain shadow whatever any man sits down under he sits under a vain shadow it flyes away presently you know the Prophet says all flesh is grass and the glory of it as the flower in the field and what man would sit down under the shadow of grass it's soon withered and then the shadow is gone What man will sit down under withering comforts they are cut down in a moment and what are these shadows All creature comforts are like the shadow of Jonahs Gourd it was a good refeshing shadow while he had it but the Lord prepared a worm and it did eat the Gourd before the Morning and when the Sun did arise it did scorch the head of Jonah and made him faint and sick why so the Lord he doth serve Poor creatures like Jonah when the creature is gone and the shadow is gone when a man apprehends the wrath of the Lord and the displeasure of God he hath nothing to shadow it Oh what a hard affliction is this what dangerous shadows are creature comfort to sit down under which are prickling thorns and brambles A man to sit down under thorns when he might as well sit down under the Apple-tree all creature comforts when a man sits down under them if trusted in they will prove tearing thorns pricking thorns and nothing but sorrow in them now Christ he is a shadow wherein you may rest you may rest upon Chrirst and lean upon Christ and he is of Infinite sweet refreshing and support unto his people take heed I say that you sit not down under the shadow of any creature comfort but under Christ and then this will follow you shall sit down under him with sweet delight and shall eat of his fruit and this fruit will be sweet to your taste But so much for this time SERMON V. CANT 2. 3. I sat under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste I Gave you the several readings of the verse In his shadow I desired and saâ— so some say in his shadow I desired that I might sit others thus In his shadow I delighted and sat down I have delighted I come to the Application A word of Instruction You see that every thing that is in Christ is very useful not so much as the shadow of Christ is useless and if the shadow be so useful and desirable what is the tree it self and what is the fruit that this tree brings forth And if so then by way of caution I say take heed of sitting under the shadow of any one creature comfort He that is not under the shadow of Christ he is under the shadow of Death It 's a poor shadow that all creature comforts afford it 's a shadow that will not continue when the Sun shall break forth at noon day You know the natural shadow it goes up when the Son is at the highest and when men have most need of the
such as were prest with the guilt and burden of sin and he knew that they were such as were fearful in coming in unto him but says he come ye that are laden and wearie and I will give you rest but then 2. Secondly Again The Lord Jesus he is not only willing that you should sit under his shadow but he will be a defence unto you under this shadow you say you are hunted and pursued by Satan you are hunted with wrath Oh then that you would flee unto Christ go now and sit under his shadow there is no other shadow can defend you but this shadow of Christ Adam you know he ran away from God when he was guiltie he goes and runs his head into the bushes but the Lord found him out there is no creature can be your defence What says the Psalmist Psal 139. 7. Thou hast beset me behind and before c whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee from thy presence there 's no place of safetie but only in this shadow of Christ and he is a sure defence If it should rain Storms of fire and Brimstone if once in Christ this shadow will keep off all the heat of wrath for he is a safe and sure defence Nay let me say 3. Thirdly Further for your incouragement The Lord Jesus he will not deal Treacherously with you when you turn in unto him If you take under his shadow he will not deal treacherously with you when you flee from the pursuit of your enemy he will rescue save and deliver The Lord Jesus he will not deal treacherously with those that come under his shadow there is no drop of wrath shall fall from this tree to those that are under his shadow the Lord Jesus he never made any prey upon Poor creatures that turn in to him for shadow and rest Ay but will he not betray me into the hands of others of those that seek my soul to destroy it No certainly Christ will not deal so with you his honour is engaged to the contrary You know what Lot said concerning those two strangers that came in to him when they came to him for shadow he would not deliver them he would let go his life first Gen. 19. 8. for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof When they came under his shadow for protection Lot would not be so base as to betray them He tells them he hath two Daughters that are undefiled and he will rather deliver them into their hands than he will deliver those strangers who took shelter under his roof why so says Christ if wrath shousd demand you or justice should demand you I will not let you go he will rather say let my Daughters go for it my body or Soul go for it rather than they shall go my self shall go for it thus Poor disconsolate Souls you see Christ he will not betray you unto those who seek your Souls to destroy them But 3. Vse Again Thirdly a word to those that have interest in Christ Oh that you would make more use of this shadow of Jesus Christ That Christians would sit more under Christs shadow make use of it 1. First of all Work all your works under this shadow Whatever you have to do for God or for your Souls or for eternity whatsoever your hand finds to do be sure you do it under this shadow it 's hard working in the open Sun in the heat of summer it makes mens labours very uncomfortable it adds to their toyl but if they work under a shadow it 's a sweet refreshment to him and it 's a great ease to his work he toiles and sweats less and with less pains so Christians if you set your selves directly under Christ when ever you have any work to do for God or concerning your souls or when ever you have any burden that is too heavie set your selves under Christ through Christ you may do all things and you may bear your burdens with a great deal of more ease and comfort the Soul under Christ feels not the weight nor burden which would sink another that is not under this shadow 2. And then again Secondly as you should work all your works under this shadow so be sure to Walk under this shadow I say walk under this shadow in the whole course of your walking with God Walk in the shadow and it will be a great deal more comfortable unto you Why the Lord Jesus himself delights to walk with the Soul when it 's under the shadow of this sun God came and walked in the Garden Gen. 3. in the cool of the day God delights to walk with the Soul when it 's under the shadow of Christ he delights there to manifest himself much to the Soul Oh it 's hot walking with God when the poor creature is not under the shadow of Christ why the presence of God the very presence of God will be very hot and uncomfortable if the Soul be not under the shadow of Christ Ye can't see my face and live then be sure you set your selves under the shadow of Christ in all your walkings with God When you pray pray under this shadow set your selves under this shadow and so when you hear read and meditate in the whole course and way of your walking be sure you set your selves under this shadow of Christ Quest But you will say what shadows of Christ should you sit under walk under and work under Answ 1. I Answer First of all look to the Humane nature of Christ that is a sweet comfortable shadow through which you may see the face of God I say the human Nature of Christ it 's a shadow a vail through which you may behold the face of God God out of Christ is a great way off and you cannot see the face of God he is so glorious he is too glorious for your eye you can't behold him Ay but God in our nature look upon God as he hath taken our nature up unto himself and there you may see God nigh unto the poor creature it 's very comfortable to look up unto God through Christ upon or through the shadow of the flesh of Christ 2. Secondly And then Secondly make use of the sufferings of Christ those are shadows that Christians should always walk under and work under and contemplate under as I said before they were terrible shadows to Christ they were shadows of the night unto Christ Ay but they are comfortable shadows all that Christ suffered and every passage of his sufferings even the very shadow of Death that went over his head it 's a sweet and comfortable shadow unto his people that sit under him in it Now poor souls sitting under these shadows there is a great deal to be seen and the Soul by faith sits under these shadows and under these shadows of the sufferings of Christ Oh the glorious sight that it may have by faith here it may see
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
had an opportunitie There is never a part of Christs life if you look into the history of it as it lies before us by the Evangelists but was altogether fruitful and all that fruit was exceeding pleasant and desirable and affords an abundance of matter of refreshment there is matter of much contemplation when you look into the life of Christ And these are some of the kinds of fruit which grow upon this Apple-tree upon Christ the tree of life they are the fruit of his heart the fruit of his lips the fruit of his womb the fruit of his loins the fruit of his life There are divers other kinds of fruit but I shall speak no more at this time the Lord help you to feed upon this fruit SERMON VII CANT 2. 3. And his fruit was sweet to my taste AFter many particular observations we came the last day to the main general proposition that these words hold forth viz. The fruit that grows upon Christ the tree of life is sweet to the believing soul it must needs be so for it 's the fruit that God doth feast his friends withal the feasts that he makes to his servants upon his holy Mountain they are nothing else but the fruit that grows upon this tree Nay in the great supper of the Lamb that everlasting feast that God shall make in heaven wherein his people shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God and shall rise no more they shall have no other dainties but the fruit that grows upon this tree But what 's the fruit that grows upon Christ that is so pleasant and sweet I told you of the fruit of his heart the fruit of his lips the fruit of his loins the fruit of his life and I came in the last place to speak of the fruit of his Death and this is a precious bough full of fruit Well what is the fruit that grows upon Christs Death First of all Satisfaction of his Fathers Justice That satisfaction which is given to Justice is a fruit of Christs death He hath paid the debt he hath cancelled the bond he hath given to Justice what Justice could demand he hath satisfied it to the utmost farthing so that now Justice and mercy are met together they now do embrace and kiss each other Justice is satisfied and mercy is satisfied Justice is glorified and mercy is glorified the believing soul may look Justice in the face as well as mercy in the face because Justice hath fully as much from Christ as it can demand now this satisfaction which is given to Justice it 's a fruit of Christs death But again 2. Secondly By the death of Christ Christ is made a fit Object for poor sinners to pitch upon He is an Object for the guilty sinner that durst not look Christ in the face he is a suitable object to a poor bleeding sinner there 's abundance of precious fruit that grows upon Christ the tree of life but this tree it was too high for a poor wretch and could not have been enjoyed if Christ had not been willing to have his fruit cut down he was cut down to the earth laid upon the earth humbled to the death of the cross so that now the poor guilty sinner that is humbled through the sense of his sin may look upon Christ in and through his death and is become a suitable object for the poor soul to pitch upon what more suitable to a wounded bleeding conscience than a wounded bleeding dying saviour Now that Christ is so suitable an Object for a poor guilty sinner to pitch upon this is a fruit of Christs death 3. Again Thirdly Christ by his death hath carried out sin and brought in righteousness this is another fruit that grows upon the death of Christ the volume of sin in respect of the guilt in respect of the condemning power of it he hath carried out and made an end of it in Dan. 9. 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sin and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal up the vision and prophecie and to anoint the most holy Sin like a monster seised upon it suckt the very heart blood of Christ well the Lord Jesus he will be avenged of him and therefore his blood it was the bane of sin I'remember Pliny in his natural History reports of the enmitie that is betwixt the Dragon and Elephant the Dragon gets under the Elephant and sucks his blood and by his fall oft-times is the death of the Dragon and this may be fitly compared to Christ sin is the Dragon that seized upon Christ and the Lord Jesus by his death fell upon sin he hath crusht it all to pieces he hath taken away the killing power of sin so that sin by this deed he hath carried it out as an abominable thing and in the room of it he hath brought in a glorious righteousness a perfect righteousness and put it upon his people a far more glorious righteousness than the righteousness of the Angels so that the believing Soul may stand in the presence of God with much more boldness than formerly This is a third fruit that is brought in by the death of Christ 4. Again Fourthly Reconciliation is brought in as another fruit by the death of Christ perfect reconciliation and sweet communion and fellowship with God all this is the fruit of Christs death he by his death hath taken in the wall of partitions and by his death hath made those that were enemies friends those that were a far off nigh unto him so that the heart of God is now nigh unto a believing Soul and the believing soul may say now with the Apostle truly our fellowship is with the father and with his son Jesus Christ Before it might be said of every man in the world his fellowship was with sin with hell and the devil and enemies to God but now by the death of Jesus Christ peace is made and reconciliation is made and believing souls may say truly our fellowship is with the father and with the son Jesus Christ that 's a fourth fruit that grows upon the death of Christ 5. Fifthly The death of Christ it hath crusht the head of the old serpent he hath bound the strong man and cast him out and delivered poor captive souls out of the mouth and paw of the Lyon it was promised long before Christ came thousands of years that the seed of the woman should break the serpents head and Christ by his death made good that promise he did crush the serpents head by death he overcame him that had the power of death But then 6. Sixthly Here is another fruit of Christs death and that is by subduing the power of sin and corruption in the hearts of Gods people This is a very sweet and desirable fruit that grows
upon this bough the death of Christ I say the subduing and conquering of the power of sin in the heart see what the Apostle says of it in Rom. 6. 11. Likewise ye also reckon your selves dead unto sin but alive unto God he said before in v. 10. In that he died he died unto sin once but in that he liveth he liveth unto God so likewise reckon ye your selves dead unto sin that is in that he died he died to sin to the crucifying of sin to the violating and mortifying of the power and strength of sin and therefore brethren account and reckon your selves dead unto sin fetch arguments from the death of Christ to kill sin and truly brethren there are no such Powerful arguments in the world to the subduing of the Power of sin as those which are to be fetcht from the Power of the death of Christ Oh says the believing soul shall that be sweet to me which was so bitter to Christ shall I look upon that as a friend which was an enemie to Christ Shall I love that which was a nail and a spear to pierce Christ Shall I take delight in that cup to drink of that cup which was such poyson to Christ No God forbid says the believing soul did not I die with Christ did not he stand as a common person and therefore ought not I to have reckoned my self dead dead unto sin even as Christ died for sin And how then shall we that are dead unto sin live any longer unto it This is another fruit that grows upon the death of Christ 7. Seventhly there is a holy and sanctified use that believers have of all ordinances and of all creatures and this comes in as another fruit of the death of Christ to unbelievers says the Apostle all is defiled and all is polluted his conscience is defiled he defiles the best things and the holiest ordinances he hath no sanctified use of creature comforts but by the death of Christ all ordinances are sanctified and blessed and all creatures are blessed and sanctified to such as have faith in Christ the blood of Christ sprinkled upon a man hath a smell exceeding sweet and makes the soul to be thankful for every crum Oh this morsel is sanctified through Christs blood and thus every mercy being sanctified is sweetned by the death of Christ and that is most comfortable 8. Eighthly Christ hath changed temporal death and taken away the evil of it for his people this is a most sweet and desirable fruit of the death of Christ that temporal death is changed sweetned sanctified that the sting of death is taken out for all his people Christ hath sent a challenge to death Oh death I will be thy death long before he came into the world and he made good his word when he came he fought a duel and overcame death as in 1 Cor. 15. 55. O Death where is thy Sting O grave where is thy victorie this is a most precious fruit Nay death that was a curse is turned into a blessing and this makes it a greater mercy death that was a curse and the worst of curses is turned into a blessing to the believer it doth them a very good turn it 's the fathers Servant and it helps to bring them home and although it be terrible to look upon its hard vizage yet still he doth a good office for all that are in Christ he helps to carry them home unto their fathers house and this is another fruit of Christs death 9. Again Ninthly Christ hath swallowed up eternal death he hath vanquished hell by letting forth the stream of his blood so that that now there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ there 's no hell there 's no wrath no displeasure in the Almighty he hath opened a door wide to life grace and salvation and this is another fruit of Christs death 10. Again in the Tenth place Another fruit of Christs death is this The confirmation and ratification of all the promises of the whole Covenant that he hath made with his people and this is a most precious and desirable fruit I say by the Death of Christ all the promises are confirmed and ratified he hath confirmed his testament his last will and testament with all the Legacies that Christ gave to his people he bequeathed grace life and salvation and all these were ratified when Christ died When a man dies his will is sure then there 's no man can alter the will of him that is dead for by death the will is ratified As the Covenant is unalterable being ratified by the death of Christ so every promise is ratified by the death of Christ it 's as sure that heaven and earth shall pass but not one jot or tittle of the word shall fall to the ground they shall as certainly be fulfilled as God is in heaven now that the promises are so sure this establishment and confirmation it 's a blessed fruit of the Death of Christ So much for the fruit of Christs death 6. Sixthly Again in the sixth place let us consider the fruit of Christs resurrection and that hath a great deal of fruit the resurrection of Christ what fruit grows upon this bough Three sorts of fruit grow upon this bough But briefly of these 1. First of all the believing soul is fully and compleatly justified The full and compleat justfying of the Soul depends upon the Resurrection of Christ For when Christ arose from the dead he is said to be justified of the Spirit That is he was fully acquitted he was fully absolved God the father declared to all the world that he was satisfied the debt was paid he was fully satisfied I say it was declared to men and Angels at that time when Christ did arise the judge himself acquitted him he did not break prison but the father himself justified him and it 's said the Angel came and rolled away the stone which makes it evident to all the world that he was justified and so he being justified all his people are justified virtually in him so that he left all his chains behind him He did not come forth when he came forth bound hand and foot as Lazarus did but the Napkins and all bonds were left behind so that the compleat justification of a Sinner comes in by virtue of Christs compleat Resurrection The Apostle speaks of the Answer of a good conscience by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead A good conscience may now answer if justice come to demand any thing the good conscience it may answer and say Lord didst thou acquit thy son by his Resurrection didst not thou roll away the stone or cause the Angel to do it and why dost thou come to me That 's a sweet fruit that grows upon the Resurrection of Christ 2. Secondly the Quickening of the new man and the raising of a dead heart to life is another fruit that grows upon the resurrection of Christ
now Christ is he that quickens whom he will by the mighty power of his resurrection is a poor soul raised up to live unto God I say all the life and strength of grace comes from the resurrection of Christ see what the Apostle says in Rom. 6. 4. mark that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father that is by the glorious power of the father by that almighty power in which he was so glorious I say Christ was raised from the dead even so saith he we should walk in newness of life it 's a mighty argument unto a gracious heart to walk with God and to live unto God and to walk in the newness of the Spirit why Christ he is risen he is risen from the dead and therefore when this word comes to the soul that is grovelling here below and seeks Christ in dead works and duties he is not there he sees not the death nor the resurrection of Christ but the power of Christ doth raise souls to live unto this newness of life and that is the fruit of the resurrection of Christ But 3. Again Thirdly there is another fruit of the resurrection of Christ and that is the Resurrection of the body at the last day this is a most sweet fruit that grows upon Christ the resurrection of the bodies of all his Saints at the last day he is said to be the first fruits of them that slept in 1 Cor. 15. 20. He is become the first-fruits of them that slept the first-fruits sanctifie the whole crop they were to bring the first-fruits the first-fruits they were brought forth the first-fruits sanctifie the crop that as they should reap that for the glory of God so their whole harvest now Christ he is the first-fruits of them that slept his resurrection it gives assurance unto the saints that as he is risen from the dead so the Lord he shall also raise them up he shall raise them up by the mighty power of his resurrection see there in the Gospel by Matthew 27. 52. And many bodies of the saints which slept arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared unto many a pledge given of our resurrection that all the saints shall be raised at the last many of the Saints that slept in the dust they arose and were seen of many in Jersalem there were witnesses of it this is a pledge I say that the bodies of all the Saints shall be raised up at the last day and these are the fruits that grow upon Christs Resurrection 7. Seventhly There are also many fruits that grow upon Christs Ascension his Ascension unto Heaven to tell you what fruits are there 1. First of all this is the fruit of Christs Ascension viz. The glorious triumph over all enemies and powers of darkness both in his own person and in his people I say a glorious triumph over all enemies for the day of Christs Ascension was the day of his triumph it 's said in Ephes 4. 8. when he ascended on high he led captivity captive alluding to a great conquest that when they have taken captives they will have a day of triumph to shew them openly and so Jesus Christ he led captivity captive Sin and Satan and all the powers of darkness that had led poor souls captive even them hath he led captive and looks upon all these as bound by Christ and they shall do no great harm that 's the first fruit of Christs ascension 2. Secondly the donation of the spirit and all the gifts of the Spirit is another fruit of Christs Ascension it 's said before in that place of the Ephesians That when he ascended on high he led Captivity Captive and he gave gifts to men all the gifts that are given to Churches to men for the use of the Churches they are the fruit of Christs Ascension Nay all the gifts and graces that are given to any particular Soul they are fruits of Christs Ascension he gave gifts to men yea to the Rebellious yea The Spirit of grace and consolation is given to the Saints to comfort them and to lead them into truth See what Christ hath promised in John 16. 7. Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you see how the sending of the Spirit did depend upon Christs going If I do not ascend the Spirit will not come but if I go I will send him 3. But again Thirdly There is another fruit of Christs Ascension and that is The carrying up of the hearts of his people into Heaven the holy conversation and those heavenly affections and dispositions which are or should be in all the Saints they are the fruits of Christs Ascension for he ascended for this very end that he might lift up their hearts If I be lifted up I will draw all men after me he was lifted up into heaven that he might draw eyes and souls after him and therefore it 's observable how Christ ascended he ascended openly he ascended in the view of all that were present he ascended whilest he was in the midst of his Disciples talking of things concerning the Churches he presently ascended this was one end why Christ would not ascend in secret but openly that they may know he is in Heaven and that by the sight of his Ascension he might draw them after him in Spirit though they could not follow him in body for the present as the Eagle when she teaches her young ones she goes before and flyeth aloft that they may follow after her and thus doth the Lord Jesus he soars aloft that he might make his Saints to give holy attempts at least in their Spirits whilst their bodies are here on earth Oh he can't endure that they should be creeping here below a low spirit and a low conversation is not fit for Saints he would not have his people to have rooting in the earth he would have his people be like Aaron's Rod Aaron's Rod it was not like other Trees it had no rooting in the earth and yet it blossomed such would the Lord have his people to be he can't away that they should have low conversations that their affections should be creeping here upon the earth and not soaring aloft and living in heaven where he is Under the Levitical Law the things that did creep upon the earth they were abominable and they were unclean God gave a Commandment in Levit. 11. 41. And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination it shall not be eaten it doth typifie what the Lord would have his people to be he would not have his people to live below on the earth the earth is but dust and that 's Serpents meat the Lord would have them to live above as Christ did
that his Ascension might be a means to draw their hearts above that their affections meditations and desires and whole conversation might be in heaven as for us saies the Apostle Our Conversation is in heaven now when this conversation is given out to any of the Saints let them be thankful to Christ for it it 's not in themselves it 's the fruit of this bough that proceeds from Christ the Tree of Life But then 4. Fourthly Again all those boughs and branches that are above they with all the Mansions are the fruit of Christs Ascension in John 14. 2. In my Fathers house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you this is one end of Christs going to heaven that he might prepare a place for all his people that he might furnish a Table with great glory that he might prepare a great supper against their coming that he might bespeak a great welcom for them against they come there I say there are glorious preparations that Christ is making to entertain his people with when they are come into heaven such as eye hath not seen nor ear hath heard nor the heart of man can't conceive all these are fruits of Christ's Ascension Besides their Ascension in body and soul at the last day is a fruit or consequent of Christ's Ascension he ascended that they might ascend after him Father I will that they which thou hast given me may be with me that they which thou hast given me may come and behold my glory The Lord Jesus he hath set the doors wide open to his people having unlocked them and taken the Keys he hath not only the Keys of heaven but of hell and the Lord he hath set a flaming Sword by the way of Paradise that after Adam had sinned he should not come there but Christ by his Ascension he hath taken away that Sword and opened the door and set forth that glory that they shall all be put into the possession of that glory which he hath prepared for them and this Ascension which they shall partake of at the last day is a blessed consequent of Christs Ascension into heaven I thought to have spoken of the fruit of Christ's Mediation or Intercession and so have come to the Use but I shall reserve it for another time SERMON VIII CANT 2. 3. And his fruit was sweet to my taste I Shewed you what this fruit is that is sweet there are several kinds of fruit that grow upon Christ you have heard of the fruit of his heart the fruit of his lips the fruit of his loins the fruit of his life I speak the last day of the fruit of his death and I shewed you ten several fruits that grow upon this bough I speak also of the fruit of his Resurrection and the fruit of his Ascension I shall repeat nothing because I must be short Here 's but one bough more and that is his Intercession or his sitting at the right hand of his Father Now what 's the fruit that grows upon this bough the fruit of Christs Intercession 1. First of all The actual Application of all that he hath purchased unto his people this is the fruit of Christ's Intercession he hath purchased by his death and applies by his Intercession the Lord Jesus he intercedes for them in particular he hath all their names in particular upon his breast and he doth not only intercede for them in the lump but for every particular soul that his Father hath given him so he tells Simon Peter I have prayed for thee Simon that thy faith fail not Christ hath purchased pardon of sin by his blood but the Application of pardon to this and that soul it 's the fruit of Christs Intercession and so he hath purchased grace and he hath purchased glory by his blood but the giving out of grace and putting the soul into actual possession of glory this is a fruit of Christ's Intercession 2. Again Secondly There is another precious fruit grows upon this bough and that is The large way or door that is made and set open for poor sinners to come to God the Father by There is a large door for poor sinners to come to God by and that this door is open and held open we are beholden to Christs Intercession in Heb. 7. 25. He lives for ever to make Intercession for all that come to God by him and therefore saies the Text He is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him so that now the poor sinner that durst not come to God that stood afar off trembling that look'd up like the poor Prodigal and said Father I have sinned before thee in thy sight and am not worthy to come under thy roof even for such poor souls hath Christ set open a door by his Intercession to come to God Will ever Christ plead for such a one as I am Yes saies the Text He lives to do it he lives for ever for that end to make Intercession for them that come to God by him But is it possible that ever Christ should prevail for such a one though Christ be willing to intercede is it possible that he should prevail for such a sinner Yea it 's possible with Christ for He is able to save to the uttermost if he could not prevail he were not able to save to the uttermost but saies the Text He is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him 3. Again Thirdly There is another precious fruit that grows upon the Intercession and that is The presentation of the persons and of the Sacrifices of all his people in his own name and righteousness unto God his Father this is the fruit of Christ's Intercession He takes all his Children by the hand and leads them to his Father Lo saies he here am I and the Children thou hast given me Father these are my friends these are my beloveds let them find welcom in heaven for my sake he presents also their sacrifices all their services their prayers their praises and their works and washes them in his blood it is said in the Revelation there was an Angel stood by the Altar with a Censer in his hand and he offered much sweet Incense which he mixed with the prayers of the Saints the Lord Jesus is that Angel he mixes all their sacrifices with his Incense that their prayers and praises may ascend before the Lord as Incense that all their liftings up of hands and hearts may be acceptable 4. Again Fourthly There 's another fruit upon the bough of Christ's Intercession and that is The casting out of all those Indictments which are brought into the Court by malicious Adversaries against any of his people the Lord Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father to cast them out the Devil brings many a black bill of Indictment but the Lord Jesus sits there to rebuke him in
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
you for a time to be comforts to you for a time till the Lord should call for them but when the Lord hath taken them they are no longer yours they are not as to you It 's sinful then to let out natural affections towards them as to look upon them as yours your Husband your Wife your Children they are not as to you but they are as to the Lord compleat in him and as to you they are not and therefore it 's sinful unto you to let out natural affections when God hath broken your relations And 3. Thirdly This may give some comfort in the loss of friends when they die in the Lord they are not lost they don't cease to be If they were annihilated and destroyed and if they had no being any where there 's cause to mourn there 's a loss indeed they only disappear unto you and unto this visible world but they are not lost they appear in the presence of God though you see them not and they have no being as to you yet as to God in heaven in another world they have a being a glorious being a perfect being and therefore there is no cause why we should mourn for them as if they were utterly lost That 's the first consideration Enoch was not as to this world and as to the relations of this life he was not But again 2. Secondly Observe how easily Enoch was translated how easie God makes Enoch's passage to another world he walks with God and God took him and we hear no more of him he walked all his life with God and at the end of his course God took him along with him it 's spoken of him as if he went but a step further and he was not here he went but a step further and he went along with God God took him to himself We may observe that God can make the passage of his servants easie to another world such as walk with God on earth God makes their passage easie to another world so it was with Enoch Quest But is it so to others Enoch's translation was easie for Enoch he was not dissolved soul and body did not part but both were taken up to live with God but is it so to others Answ Yea God can and doth make it so unto his people that walk with him though death may seem a strait passage and a dark entry yet the Lord can make it lightsome he can make it easie unto his servants what an easie matter was it for Moses to die when he had walked with God all his life It was spoken of him as an ordinary thing Go up and die God bid him go up upon the Mount and die there go and die there and Moses went up and God made that death easie to him And so it was spoken of all the Patriarchs and those that walked with God in those old Ages God made this strait passage easie to them therefore it 's called a falling asleep after they had served their Generation they fell asleep or they were gathered up to their Fathers it 's set forth by such expressions Jacob leaned upon his staff and raised up himself and blessed his Children and speaking of the things of God and Heaven and so he fell asleep God makes it easie unto them that walk with him for they that walk with God gain experiences of him I say they that walk with God treasure up experiences of Gods gracious dealings they shall see how God hath been with them many a time he hath been with them in many deaths he hath been with them in the fire he hath been with them in the water he hath been with them in many Jeopardies and dark conditions he hath delivered them they have gained many experiences of God therefore they will trust in God they 'l trust in him when they walk through the Valley of the shadow of death he is a sure friend he is a tried friend and therefore they can't but rest in him But Again They that walk with God walk by Faith now it 's faith makes death easie all those Worthies spoken of in Heb. 11. died willingly for they died in Faith Faith makes the strait passage easie For 1. First Faith discovers the Victory of Christ I say it makes discovery of the victory of Christ over death and the Grave presents the Saviour that is the Conquerour that hath disarmed the strong man that hath taken away the sting of the Serpent now when the soul by Faith sees that death is disarmed and the sting is taken out it 's easie then to grapple with him 2. Secondly Again Faith takes hold of the promises which are grounded upon the faithfulness and truth of God for its security I say it takes hold of those promises which are made in faithfulness and truth why the Lord hath said that he will be with his people in all their straits yea when they walk through the valley and shadow of death that he will never leave them he will never forsake them now the discovery of this to the soul makes death easie 3. Thirdly Again Faith looks beyond death it 's higher it 's taller than death it can look over the shoulders of death it hath a piercing eye it can see through the darkness of the Grave and it can behold the tops of the Towers of the heavenly Jerusalem it can see the Land that lies beyond the Land of death it sees the dark entry and the low valley that doth over-shadow it it doth lead unto that Land that Land of blessedness that the Lord hath prepared for his people and therefore whilst faith is thus exercised death is made easie and they that walk with God walk and live by faith and therefore to them is death made easie Yea 4. Fourthly Again Death is made easie to them for by walking with God they have gained acquaintance with God and it's acquaintance with God that makes death easie when a soul hath walked with God as with his friend all his life it 's not afraid to go to God at last because he is his friend he knows God thoroughly and therefore can trust him he knows his gracious disposition and the love that is in his heart He that comes to God must believe that he is saies the Apostle and that He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him till this grace of the love of God be discovered the soul can't come to him on earth it can't draw nigh to him by faith much less can he come freely to him in heaven Why this is the cause why death is so terrible because his acquaintance is no more with God but when the soul hath lived as in heaven and conversed with God and beheld his face and follows him continually with this acquaintance he hath gained with God it doth make the passage of death though strait in it self yet easie And therefore to apply this Vse 1. I beseech you you that walk with God
they have length of daies continued And besides God doth promise to his people a great restauration that is to be before the end of the world as the daies of a tree so shall the daies of my servants be and mine Elect they shall long enjoy the work of their hands it shall then be a mercy to live long when the new Jerusalem shall come down from heaven and when the Lamb shall be the light of it when Satan shall be bound and the Accuser of the Brethren cast out and wicked men put under when corruption shall be subdued then long life shall be a mercy But however I answer That if God do shorten our daies here and give us an Eternity in heaven we are no losers but God is as good as his word If a man promise you a Shilling and shall at that day give you a hundred or a thousand pounds he is not unfaithful but he is as good as his word and thus the Lord promised long life which is an eternity better than life here and wherein he fulfils his word It should and ought to be the desire of all to live much rather than to live long to live much in a little time thus did Christ he lived much he glorified the name of his Father in the time he lived he did much in a little time and thus it should be our care to do much for God in a little time and to lay hold of eternal life betimes because this life is momentany and vanishing the Devil takes his opportunity he works much knowing he hath but a little time because he knows his time is short therefore he works with all his might and plyes his work to deceive the Nations If he be so subtile for his Kingdom how wise ought we to be to promote the Kingdom of Christ Oh! whatsoever we find to do for God let us do it with all our might and with all our strength for thus hath Christ given us his Example I shall proceed to that which remains God took him I shewed you before Whither Enoch was taken He was taken up into Heaven he was not dissolved he died not as other men I proved it from the Epistle to the Hebrews that he was translated that he should not see death Quest But you will say Wherefore was Enoch thus translated Why was he not dissolved Why died he not as others Why translated that he should not see death Answ I answer First Because he was a remarkable Type of Jesus Christ I say he was a remarkable Type of Christ For 1. First He was matchless in his Generation There was none like him above all the men in the world Enoch walk'd most close with God in his time he was matchless and none like him and herein he waâ— a Type of Jesus Christ who was matchless in the world whilst he was in the world he was as the Apple-tree in the midst of the Trees in the Forest there was no guile found in his mouth he walked exactly with God when he was here upon earth there was no stumbling blocks no slips in the whole course of Jesus Christ But 2. Secondly Enoch was a Type of Christ in that God was so exceedingly well pleased with him He received this Testimony saies the Apostle in Heb. 11. 5. that he pleased God God was pleased with him and herein he was a notable Type of Christ the Father is pleased only in him Behold my servant whom I uphold saies he in Isa 42. 1. mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth he was infinitely well pleased with Christ the good pleasure of God towards Enoch it was but a drop of that love and that good pleasure which was poured out upon the head of Jesus Christ the Father was pleased with his Person infinitely pleased in his righteousness pleased in all that he did and pleased in his sufferings Isa 53. 10. It pleased the Father to bruise him he was pleased with all those that Christ represented he is pleased with the whole Family of Christ even with all that belong unto him in Heaven and Earth and that only for his sake it is said of him in Matth. 3. the latter end This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased So then my Brethren is there ever a soul that is seeking after the good pleasure of God the manifestation of the love of God unto it that is looking and waiting for some token of acceptance from heaven Would you be in the ready way unto it Then look unto the Lord even Jesus Christ of whom Enoch was a Type look unto him in his love all the love and all the good pleasure that is in the heart of God runs down through Jesus Christ unto poor creatures Oh run to Christ make hast to Christ throw down your selves at the Foot-stool of Christ and clasp about him by Faith and know that there is a plentiful Box of good pleasure and love broken upon the head of Christ by the Father that will run down unto every soul that sits under the skirt and shadow of Christ That 's a Second thing wherein Enoch was a Type of Christ 3. Thirdly Enoch was a Type of Christ as Christ was a Conqueror over Death and this was held forth in Enoch's translation He did not see Death Enoch did not see corruption as the bodies of others do and he was in this a Type of Jesus Christ that was the holy One of God that he should not see corruption he did not see corruption Enoch's conquest was but a Type of this conquest and victory of Jesus Christ that he got for his people over Death and the Grave and therefore you that desire not to be dismayed when Death comes when this enemy shall set upon you Oh that you would before-hand look unto the conquest and victory of Christ There is a time when this your enemy will meet you all in the Field Would you not be dismayed Would you be able to look Death in the face Then I beseech you before-hand live upon Faith in Christ upon the conquest of Christ upon the victory of Christ he hath broken the force of death taken away the sting of it he hath dismayed it Oh live upon the conquest that Christ hath made over death that so your hearts may not fail when you come to grapple with this last enemy which is Death Christ hath overcome Death gloriously and Enoch was but a Type of Christ and a shadow of it in his translation That 's the first wherefore Enoch was translated in an extraordinary way because he was an extraordinary Type of Christ 2. But Secondly Enoch was thus translated because Enoch whilst he lived exercised a special faith I say Enoch had a special Faith a most remarkable faith in some good and great deliverance that God would work for him either in Death or from Death He trusted God whilst he lived in victory over Death that Death should be conquered for him and
Death if it came should do him no harm I say he had a special faith in this respect It appears by two Demonstrations 1. First In respect of that bold that holy bold profession that Enoch makes of God in his Generation which was a most corrupt time and dangerous to make any profession of God in righteous Abel was killed for his profession for his walking with God his Brother arose up and slew him and yet Enoch is not dismayed he will not turn aside from God he will not balk his profession for fear of death for fear of the sons of violence the posterity of Cain was multiplied and the earth was filled with violence at that time and there was enmity in that seed of Cain against the seed of Seth which God raised up instead of Abel so that it was dangerous for Enoch to make any profession of God in his Generation and yet Enoch was not dismayed he feared not the hand of violence what it could do to him but he trusted that God would deliver him either from Death or in Death And 2. Secondly It appears that Enoch had such a remarkable faith if we consider what was the name that he gave unto his Son as in this Chapter He begat a Son and called his name Methuselah that is Mortis gladium the sword of Death or the dart of Death he believed there was one a coming that should be the death of Death one that should overcome death for him and for all the people of God and therefore called his son after that name The Sword of Death He knew there was a Messiah a coming that should send a challenge to death as in Hos 13. 14. O death I will be thy Plague O Grave I will be thy destruction Christ sent a challenge and perform'd this Enoch saw this by faith and all his daies he lived in the contemplation of it and sucked sweetness in the thoughts of it and when e're death came he believed it should do him no harm This will teach us three or four Lessons 1. First There is nothing lost by making a bold profession of Christ in evil times in the midst of dangers Abel was slain because he walked with God and yet Enoch will not go back and Enoch lost nothing in conclusion Oh how often doth our Saviour call upon Christians his Disciples and others Fear not them that can kill the body and can do no more the fear of man brings a snare how many poor creatures are insnared through this fear the fear of man That when God convinces of the truth and of the way of God the soul submits unto it and yet dares not hold it forth because of the fear of man because it 's a way that may be persecuted that the Powers of the world will persecute it and oppose it O this fear of man brings a snare what saies our Saviour in Matth. 10. 39. He that will save his life shall lose it but he that will lose his life shall find it it is made good many times in this world He that will save his life shall lose it when a man will turn aside from God when he will balk any way of God to save his life or to save some comforts of his life Oh it will befall that poor creature as with the Prophet Some Lion comes in the way he meets him and slays him But he that will lose his life shall save it he remembers the three Children spoken of in Daniel they lost nothing by their bold profession they were willing to lose their lives and so they saved their lives and thus did they and so did Enoch 2. Secondly It doth teach us how much God is delighted with the faith of his people Enoch lived by Faith in a special manner and how was the heart of God taken with Enoch He was well pleasing unto God so well pleasing that God could not long be without him puts forth his hand and takes him up to himself Oh how greatly is the heart of God and Christ taken with Faith We never read that Jesus Christ wondred at any thing but at Faith twice he wondred at the Faith that was given out to some of his servants as in Matth. 8. Christ wondred at it O saies he at the 10 Verse when Jesus Christ heard it he marvelled and said to them that followed him Verily I say unto you I have not found so great a Faith no not in Israel When Jesus Christ heard it he marvelled and so the heart of Christ was taken with the Faith that was given out to the woman of Canaan in Matth. 15. O woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Faith gains the will of Christ what a great deal hath God done to encourage his people to believe Faith finds not what it expecteth but it finds more than ever it expected certainly Methuselah believed death should do him no harm and therefore he feared not death and thought not of such a way as this is but God was better to him than his Faith You have a strong God what encouragement is here You have a strong Saviour O let not your faith be weak especially seeing the Lord is so delighted with it he gives faith whatsoever it expects nay even beyond it's expectation Again 3. Thirdly This teaches us That to live much by faith is the way to make our translation easie thus it was with Enoch he lived all his daies by faith and see how easie his translation was to him there 's nothing honours God in the world so much as faith doth now therefore God delights to honour Faith because it honours him it hath the promise They that honour me I will honour I beseech you then you that would have an easie change and who would not have an easie change an easie translation when death comes who would not have a large door set open to them and go with full sails for heaven If this be the desire of your hearts then labour to live much by faith it is faith that will set the door wide open it will minister abundance of entrance into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord the spirit of faith will fill the soul with full sails it shall go to Heaven with full sails thus it was with Enoch who lived by faith 4. But again Fourthly A fourth thing that we may learn is this that when God doth give out a special faith he doth give out some special mercy when God gives out a special faith a particular faith he that perswades the heart to believe it it shall be easie to him Enoch was perswaded in a special faith to believe something concerning death that God would do for Enoch and he did believe it is rare and extraordinary this special faith that doth concern such and such as a special mercy that God doth put the soul to seek after it if the heart be perswaded by God to believe such a particular mercy
to be given out certainly if God do perswade the heart to wait for that mercy that mercy shall be given out see David in Psal 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his holy Temple There he had a desire to come back again to Jerusalem to see the Lord in his Temple and his heart was carried out strongly to believe it he was banished by Saul a mighty King and he durst not come into the Land and how then could he come to the Temple yet he would not fear for that one thing that God had put in his heart to seek after for that his heart was upheld in it And thus God may deal with some of his servants when he doth raise up his peoples hearts to believe some special mercy that mercy shall be given out according to their faith That 's a second mercy why Enoch was thus translated he was one that had a special remarkable saith that something God should do for him in or about Death There 's a third Question follows Wherefore Enoch was thus translated The Answer is That so his translation might preach unto the men of that Generation yea to all succeeding Generations that there shall be a Resurrection of the Body I say therefore did God thus translate Enoch that his translation in body to heaven might witness to them and so to all other Generations that there is a time when that the bodies of the Saints shall be co-partners with their souls in Glory Here God Preached the Doctrin of the Resurrection of the Body by Enoch's translation in all Ages God hath not left himself without witness concerning this great truth the Resurrection of the Body and certainly the Lord saw that there was need that he should bear witness of this truth there was need then and there is need now even in this Generation that we should be informed perswaded and rooted in this Doctrine of the Resurrection of the Body there 's great need that Christians should be confirmed in it in the knowledge and in the full perswasion of it For 1. First of all It is the Doctrine that the Devil hath alwaies sought to over-throw the powers of Hell have bandyed against it and how hath the Devil by his Instruments by Atheistical men opposed this Doctrin in every Age It hath been opposed and it is still opposed I shall shew you what opposition is made against it that so you may be confirmed in it It 's sad to think that some that have formerly made a profession should fall so far as to deny a Resurrection and yet such a seducing spirit is gone forth in the world I shall shew you what the Atheist hath against it that your hearts may be confirmed in this Doctrin Quest Why First Say they it 's against reason How is it possible that the bodies of men should be raised up again whenas their bodies are devoured consumed in the heart of the earth they are turned into the very elements again into their first principles and how is it possible that the same bodies should be raised up again Answ To this I 'le answer in the words of our Saviour Christ O saies he you erre not knowing the Scripture nor the power of God for that was the answer that Christ gave unto the Sadducees that denyed the Resurrection in Matth. 22. 29. Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures he tells them they were not acquainted with that which God had spoken in his Word he brings one Scripture that they did not know and therefore they erred because they did not know it Have not you read saies he that which was spoken unto you by God saying I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob they said there was no Resurrection saies Christ Poor creatures you say so because you don't know the Scriptures ye err therefore because you know not the Scriptures God saies I am the God of Abraham God saies this after Abraham Isaac and Jacob are dead and gone that he is the God of Abraham therefore there is something of Abraham yet remains and Abraham shall live again for God saies he owns them and saies ye know not the power of God Ye err not knowing the Scriptures and the power of God you measure God by the arm of flesh because it 's impossible to you you think it 's impossible to God whenas God is infinite and can do whatsoever he please if you did but consider the power of God saies he you would not err on this manner even to deny the Resurrection as a thing impossible Why who made the world Who made all things out of nothing Who brought light out of darkness Certainly to raise up the dead is not a greater matter than to make the World of nothing certainly if you had known the Scriptures you would not have denied the power of God in raising from the dead But the Devil is subtil and therefore when reason won't do he flees to Scripture he 'll bring you Scripture to deny the Resurrection that Scripture is urged by some Atheistical spirits 1 Cor. 15. 50. Now this I say Brethren that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God therefore say they the Scripture is against the Resurrection there shall be no resurrection because flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God To this I answer 1. First That sinful flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God corrupt man cannot inherit the Kingdom of God but the bodies of the Saints shall be raised without sin there shall be no defilement when they come out of the Grave they shall be purified sufficiently and therefore then they may inherit the Kingdom of God And 2. Secondly It 's true that weak frail corruptible flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God but when the bodies of the Saints be raised up they shall not be weak frail and corruptible as their bodies are now no they shall leave all their weaknesses all their frailties shall be left behind them all these shall be left in the Grave therefore the Apostle answers sufficiently in the 53 verse of that Chapter For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on Immortality frail corruptible flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God but it shall not be so at the Resurrection but this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this poor mortal body shall put on Immortality it shall no more be cloathed with frail flesh and blood but it shall put on new robes new robes that shall not be changed and that are not subject to change that shall not wear away but shall abide for ever in the Heavens and therefore there is nothing in this against the Resurrection of the body but it shall be partner with
he I shall be no loser death is look'd upon as a loss therefore as Paul should have said For me to live is Christ or to die is Christ but he rather saies It is gain it is Christ that makes it gain to him or else it is a loss to me but Christ who is my life shall make death gain So take no thought of me saies he whatsoever befalls me I shall do well if I live or if I die And because you are more solicitous concerning my death saies he know that death is my gain if I lose my friends and my comforts if I lose life it self it shall be no loss it shall not undo me for I shall find all in Jesus Christ and so death shall be my gain DOCT. Christ is the Believers Life That 's the Proposition that lies before us For me to live is Christ or Christ is my Life it is all one Christ is the life of every believing soul By Life sometimes it is understood whatsoever is excellent whatsoever is excellent in its kind it is set forth by life because life is the most excellent thing in nature Skin for Skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life and therefore the Bread which Christ gives is called Living Bread Bread of Life and so Water of Life for the excellency of the spiritual things that the Lord gives out to his people and truly Christ is instead of all excellencies to a believing soul he is the life of all their comforts the comforts of the World are dead until such time as Christ shines in them there is no life until such time as Christ shines through them for riches are dead and honour is dead and friends are dead all comforts are dead till the life of Christ be in them But more particularly 1. First Christ is the Life of Righteousness to the believing soul every child of Adam is dead condemned and so he is dead in Law there is no life but by the righteousness of Christ that righteousness which Christ brought in by his blood He gave life by making satisfaction to Justice by paying the debt unto death therefore the Apostle saies that Righteousness reigns by Christ in Rom. 5. sin entered into the world by Adam speaking there at Verse 17. For if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ Righteousness raigns in a believing soul by Jesus Christ it hath the preheminence of all all is dross and dung in comparison of this righteousness of Jesus Christ it reigns gloriously in a believing soul it is Christ that procures this righteousness and it is Christ that applies this righteousness by his Spirit I say the Application of this life of righteousness is from Christ it is he that reveals this righteousness it is he that discovers it to the soul it is Christ by his eternal Spirit that causeth the soul to know this life and righteousness which is given to it now as Christ doth discover this righteousness so he causeth the soul to close with this righteousness it is he by his Spirit that overcomes the heart to rest upon this righteousness and to look upon this righteousness as its life for there is a principle in the creature to seek after life in it self man would seek righteousness in himself and it is a hard matter to bring the soul off of this rotten sandy foundation Christ only by his eternal Spirit when he hath revealed this righteousness perswades the soul to rest upon it and to look upon him as its life 2. Secondly Again As the life of righteousness is from Christ so the life of holiness is from Christ all those gracious dispositions and all those holy actings that do at any time shine forth in the hearts and lives of Gods people they have no other foundation but Christ the holiness of Christ From his fulness have all we received grace for grace if there be the life of any grace in the soul it is from Jesus Christ from the fulness of Christ there is no man lives the life of holiness till Christ becomes a principle of life to him there is no breathings in the heart after Christ there is no holy motion in pursuit after Christ till Christ first breaths upon the soul The hour is come and now is that they that are in their Graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear it shall live There is no man lives the life of holiness until such time as he hears the voice of the Son of God there may be Carkasses of grace out-sides of grace and there may be Carkasses of duties and performances but no living graces there are no living performances until such time as Christ be a principle of life unto the soul the beginning of the life of holiness and so the encrease of the life of holiness is from Christ I came that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly Christ decreed that you might have life and that you might have abundance of life that you might be filled with the Spirit of Christ that you might have abundance of the life of Christ that his people might be ready in his strength to every good word and work this was the end of Christs coming that they might have life more abundantly he is the life of holiness But again 3. Thirdly Christ is the Life of Consolation unto his people He is the life of all their comforts and the comforts that Christ gives they are living comforts my peace I give unto you not as the world gives give I unto you for no man shall take away your peace the world shall not take it away my Spirit shall be an everlasting living principle of consolation in you which shall not be taken away Christ is the life of all a Christians comforts he is the life of friends the life of all refreshments that a Christian hath and they are all dead to him when Christ doth not shine through them he is the life of comforts and the life of Ordinances there is no life there is no refreshment if Christ be not in them if the soul meets not with Christ in Ordinances they are but dead Ordinances truly Christ is the life of all He is also 4. Fourthly The Life of Glory Christ is the life of glory to his people It is he that hath purchased glory for them by his blood it is he that hath made the way plain it is he that hath made a new way to glory when the old way was shut you read in Heb. 10. 19 20. Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh A new and living way to God a new and living way to the
to God it looks upon it as the fruit of the Spirit of Jesus Christ it desires that Christ may have the name that Christ may have the glory of it that Christ may be continually lifted up in all that it doth and therefore when it is assisted to do for God or to suffer for God it doth not reflect upon it self but upon Christ these are the breathings of the spirit of Christ and this is the strength that comes from Christ and therefore it is said of David Lord what am I when he was inabled to offer willingly Lord what am I and what are my people that we should offer in this wise When ever it meets with any assistance it saies Lord what am I that I should do any thing for God It looks upon all as coming from Christ and desires that Christ may have the glory of all and so far as the life of Christ prevails upon the soul so far the soul is acted by the spirit of Christ But again 4. Fourthly Where Christ is the life of the soul the Soul desires that Christ may be magnified whether by death or by life so it was with the Apostle This is all my care saies he that Christ may be magnified take you no care for me for Christ shall be magnified and I will rejoice in it Whether I live or die Christ shall be magnified in my body He desires that Christ may be magnified in his life a gracious heart doth not desire to live to satisfie its own lust it would not live long in the world to enjoy the pleasure of the world no if it lives it desires to live that Christ may be magnified and therefore if I may be useful if I may be serviceable to do good in any place or relation the Lord is pleased to cast me in I am content to live and so for death he desires that Christ may be magnified there too a gracious heart don't desire death to be rid of the troubles of life to be freed from those troubles and vexations that it meets withal in the world that 's no good desire but if it desires death it desires that Christ may be magnified that the Lord may be magnified in my death that Christ may be magnified that I may get nigher Christ that I may not dishonour Christ that that corruption may be subdued which is a grief to the spirit of Christ that I may magnifie Christ eternally without ceasing that Christ may be magnified this is the desire of a gracious heart and so far as the life of Christ doth prevail in any soul so far doth that soul live unto Christ and is willing to die for Christ and cares not what becomes of it so the Lord and his son Christ may be exalted Again 5. Fifthly When the life of Christ is in a soul It makes a man to die to die to sin and to die to the world and to die to self Where the life of Christ comes in it makes the soul to die to sin that still as the life of Christ prevails in the soul so sin dies in the soul Knowing this that our old man is crucified with Christ the old man is Crucified with Christ and the life of Christ will be the death of the old man He makes a man to die to sin where the life of Christ is in a soul the heart is dead to sin it carries to sin as to a dead man it is cold at the very heart no desire to satisfie the lusts of the flesh but to live unto Christ it makes the soul desirous to cast out all those lusts which it hath rejoyced in and been the very life of the soul before Christ came See what is said in the Prophecie of the Prophet Hosea Hos 14. 8. Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idols And so shall the soul say where the life of Christ prevails What have I to do any more with Idols It looks upon all base lusts as so many dead Carcasses they lie in his House and he knows not how to be rid of them but the life of Christ is in him and what hath the living to do with the dead What have I any more to do with dead Carkasses O Lord bury them bury them out of my sight the life of Christ will dead the heart to sin 2. Secondly Again This life of Christ will deaden the heart to the world see what the Apostle saies in the Epistle to the Galatians Gal. 6. 14. God forbid that I should glory in any thing save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world The world looks upon me as dead and I look upon the world as dead the world doth not at all esteem of a gracious man and a gracious heart doth esteem the world as little the vanities of the world as little the world looks upon me and I look upon the world as dead Paul lookt upon it as dead and therefore Paul was willing to part with it in Phil. 4. 12 13. men are willing to part with their dead friends and Paul was willing to part with the world it was dead to him I know how to be abased and I know how to abound I know how to want if God calls for it I know how to spare and I am content to be without it thus doth the life of Christ make the heart dead to the world deadens the affections and makes a man to use the world as if he used it not 3. Again Thirdly and lastly The life of Christ doth make a man to die to self it makes a man to die to self-principles and self-ends and self-seeking to self-righteousness and self-strength it makes a man die to all these where the life of Christ prevails the creature is nothing self is nothing it makes a man debase himself and lie low at the foot-stool of the Lord it makes him lie low in a way of humiliation Paul was less than the least of all Saints so he calls himself Less than the least of all Saints and he was the greatest of sinners so he calls himself the life of Christ made him lie low he had no life in himself I will speak no more saies Job I abhor my self in dust and ashes let God have all for the future it desires to exalt him to admire that which he can't find out I desire to lye at his foot-stool and to exalt his name it makes a man lie low in a way of submission to God as well as in a way of humiliation the life of Christ makes the heart submissive to Christ self is nothing self is laid aside content that God should rule that the creature should be disposed by him makes him willing to drink of every cup that his father puts into his hand to stoop down to every yoke and every burden that the Lord will put upon his neck and lay upon his shoulder
it makes a soul submissive unto Christ submissive to the Will of God in all things And then the life of Christ it empties of Self for it makes a man to condescend to those of low degree though never so high yet if the life of Christ be in them it makes them to look down unto the lowest degree and the life of Christ in the meanest and lowest Christian is very high and honourable in his esteem and as the life of Christ doth prevail in any heart so there will be all these operations as the life of Christ doth increase so the life of sin doth decrease and self will decrease and the soul is content with it and it rejoices abundantly that it should be so it saies of it self as John Baptist did when they told him that all men ran after Christ and he would have no Followers I am glad of it saies he that he may increase though I decrease and truly where the life of Christ is in a soul it will break forth into these Expressions Let Christ be all let me be nothing let me lie low at his foot-stool let me not be thought of when that day of Christs Exaltation shall be let him be exalted in the riches of his grace which he hath manifested unto poor creatures And thus you see what the life of Christ is in a soul so far as the life of Christ is in the heart so far will there be special operations in the soul towards Christ again But so much for this time SERMON II. PHILIP 1. 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain JEsus Christ is the Life of every Believer that 's the Point in hand He is the life of righteousness he it is that gave life unto all those that were dead dead under the Law though reprieved for a time He is also the life of Holiness to his people the beginnings of all grace and the encrease of all grace is from Christ there are shadows and carkasses of grace but there is no life until such time as Christ be found in the soul He is also the life of all the Believers Comforts they are no comforts till Christ be in them the best of his comforts even the very Ordinances of God are but a dead letter if the Spirit of Christ be not in them it is he that makes them to be life to come with power and efficacy He is also the life of Glory to a Believer He hath purchased Glory he hath made the way plain a new and living way he hath set the door wide open it 's he that takes all rubs out of the way It 's he that is the very Subject matter of Glory for it 's the presence of Jesus Christ in Heaven that is the greatest glory and comfort of Heaven I shewed how it may be known that Christ is the life of Believers in five Particulars 6. A Sixth Particular is Where the life of Christ is in any soul it makes that soul in some measure conformable to the life of Christ so far as the life of Christ doth prevail in a soul so far it makes the soul conformable to that life of Christ which he lived when he was upon earth it makes the soul desirous and willing to live to God it looks upon it as the great work and great end of Christs coming to lift up his Fathers Name to make God glorious before the eyes of the sons of men that 's the work that his servants have to do for him whilst they are here upon earth But more particularly 1. First If you look upon the life you shall find that the life of Christ is an active life it 's said of him That he went up and down doing good he was never well but when he was doing good he took opportunities and he sought opportunities he sought occasions of doing good to the bodies of men and to the souls of men I have meat to eat that you know not of it is my meat to do the will of my Father he was never well but when he was doing something by which he might glorifie God and edifie in love 2. Again Secondly If you look upon the life of Christ it was not only an active life but it was a passive submissive life it was a self-denying life He left all his glory in Heaven when he came to live here upon earth that he might live and die for the good of the sons of men though he was the son of the most high God yet he was pleased to condescend to the lowest of men he emptied himself and became of no reputation he was in the form of man but yet came in the form of a servant he emptied himself and became of no reputation that so he might glorifie his Father I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do it was a self-denying work Again 3. Thirdly It was a holy gracious life he conversed with sinners but he was the Lamb of God without spot he was numbered amongst the Transgressors but there was no guile found in his mouth he was gracious in the midst of a sinful world and therefore the Spouse stiles and resembles him to the Apple-tree in the midst of the Trees in the Forest in Cant. 2. 3. he was full of sweet gracious fruit even then when he was in the Forest when he was compassed about with wild Trees as Crab-trees Pricklingthorns Prickling-brambles even so was the Lord Jesus amongst such But the Lord was found in integrity he was not levened with corruption though he conversed with sinners yet he was no sinner the life of Christ was a gracious life even then when he was in the midst of sinners But again 4. Fourthly The life of Christ was full of patience and full of meekness he was very admirable in that patience and meekness which he exercised and expressed in his whole life he was not easily provoked for he endured alone all the contradictions of sinners and he was dumb even before the shearer he opened not his mouth he did not render evil for evil He came to his own and his own received him not What a provocation was there that his own should not receive him And Christ could not easily be provoked he bare with that people and though they would not receive him yet he spent his whole Ministry among them and he sent forth his Disciples to pluck them in if possible and gives them a charge that they should go to none else in Matth. 10. 5. Go not into the way of the Gentiles and into the City of the Samaritans enter ye not but rather go unto the lost Sheep of the house of Israel Though they sought to destroy him yet he endeavours to save them he bears with them But rather go to the lost Sheep of the house of Israel What forbearance was there in him In their ignorance he opened unto them those things which he spake in Parables to the world
look upon young Beginners it 's hard to be discerned they smell so much of the soil so much of corrupt nature that is not yet subdued that it is hardly discerned but yet there is the life of Christ in them And so 2. Secondly Again In a time of temptation in them in whom the life of Christ is hid it 's hardly discerned and you must not judge of a Christian in that time I say in time of temptation for it 's a time of Winter now you know in time of Winter the life of the Tree is not discerned there is no appearance of life in the Tree but yet without doubt there is life there 's life in the Tree the life is still in the root and it will put forth Again 3. Thirdly A time of temptation is a time of swoonding it 's as a man in a swoond the operation of life ceases it 's out of view ye can hardly discern that there is life when a man is in a swoond if you look upon him you see no symptoms of life his countenance is changed his lips are pale death sits upon him Ay but let a skilful Physician come and he shall feel some motion of the pulse or some breathings of the nostrils though it be very weak that it will scarce move a Feather yet there is some hope why so take a poor soul that is under temptation he is as in a swoond you say there is no life in him but yet let Christ the Physician come and he will discern the pulse and he will discern some motion some movings of spirit some breathings of heart though it be not obvious to the view of others Thus you see that the life of Christ is a hidden life and therefore don 't you say that there is not the life of Christ in such and such as profess themselves to be Christians because you see not those operations it may be Spring-time or it may be Winter-time with them or it may be a time of swoonding well notwithstanding there is life though thou discern'st it not 2. But again Secondly to give another Answer If this be the life of Christ if the life of Christ doth produce such operation in the soul when shall we find life Take this Answer That though the life of Christ doth produce such operations in the soul where it is yet the life of Christ is communicative to every one according to the place that every member is set in you know the soul being in the body doth inform every part of the body and it grows but yet every member doth not grow alike and one member hath more strength than another Will you say that the soul is not in the finger because the finger hath not so much strength as the arm Will you say the soul is not in the foot because it hath not the strength of the leg Why thus Brethren it is with the body of Christ all have not the same parts and therefore all have not the same strength though the same spirit of life that was in Jesus Christ doth inform the meanest of his members though it doth not grow so big and so strong as in other members yet the Lord hath provided by this dispensation to make up a sweet harmony in this body that every member shall have its strength and every member shall have its proportion its growth and increase according to the place it 's set in that it shall not be shrunk up in the body nor extended above what is meet but every member in the body of Christ shall have its strength and its growth in proportion But then 3. Again Thirdly If you say that the life of Christ is such where shall we find the life of Christ in any if it works so I Answer The life of Christ doth not work eminently in every operation that is put forth in every Saint but one Saint excels in one particular and another in another and herein is abundance of the wisdom of God I say the life of Christ runs in several veins in one Christian it is more eminent in the vein or chanel of Faith in another Christian there is the same life in the vein or chanel of humiliation and self-denial and in another it runs in the vein of prudence holy wisdom and activity so that you cannot say there is not the life of Christ in such and such because you don't see an eminency in some particulars which it may be you fasten upon why though the life of Christ be not eminent in that it runs in another in such a vein as is as it were under ground as is not obvious to thy eye which thou seest not nor takest no notice of Quest But you will say Why is not every grace in its operation eminent in every Saint and in every Believer Answ I Answer First Because the Lord will maintain in this way a sweet communion with his Saints the Lord intends to maintain sweet communion with his Saints he therefore gives out to one one grace more eminent and to another another that so the eye may not say to the head I have no need of thee nor the hand to the foot say I have no need of thee So that every member shall have its proportion but if you look upon the best Saints you 'l see how they come short of the life of Christ how defective they are in this and that particular what need then have we to live upon imputed righteousness And what need have we to keep in a continual dependance upon Christ that so he may supply all our wants out of his fulness 2. Secondly Again The Lord doth with-hold his hand in abundance of wisdom and goodness if he should give too much he knows what poor weak creatures we are and what poor weak vessels we are and if he should pour in too much he knows we were not able to bear it If you pour new Wine into old Bottles the Bottle will break and the Lord considers that we are old Bottles and his new Wine would break our old Bottles we are not able to contain much if the Lord should give out much of himself the visions of the Lord would break these old Bottles that we were not able to bear up Christ tenders his people in this that when they come to Heaven he will fill them full then there is no fear of breaking their old bottles he will fill them to the brim and no fear of breaking but now there 's fear of the best of Saints Paul had great raptures and was exalted above measure therefore 't is to be marked he had a check but the life of Christ and the strength of Christ doth not thus appear in eminency in every Saint Object But some poor soul will say Whatsoever there is in others I will not judge others the life of Christ may be in them and I am perswaded the life of Christ is in such and such I see the
Flower in the Field that withers in a moment and David puts up the like Petition in Psal 39. 4. Lord make me to know my end and the measure of my daies what it is that I may know how frail I am Teach me to know my end that I may know how frail I am He doth not desire to know how many daies he shall live or when his end shall be but to know how frail a creature he was that it may take impression on his heart And truly these teachings are such as none but God can teach to teach a man to know how frail he is and every day to look upon himself as a Spire of Grass or as a Flower in the Field that is in a withering and decaying condition every moment The Apostle Paul also tells what his practice was in 1 Cor. 15. 31. I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord I die daily He died in affection to the World I fit loose to the World I die to it in affection but I also die daily I put my self into a dying condition I know that I walk in the midst of Jeopardies and therefore I fit loose from all yea from life it self I protest I die daily The Prophet speaks of some that put the evil day far from them it is a sign that the day of Death is an evil day when men put it far from them it is a good day to the soul that hath interest in Christ it is the best day that ever came to him Eccles 7. 1. you shall see what the wise man says there A good name is better than a precious Oyntment and the day of death than the day of ones birth It is not so to every one but to the righteous it is to him that hath a good name a name that is better than precious oyntment to him that hath the new name better than that of sons and daughters to him the day of death is better than the day of his birth therefore saith the Apostle For to me to die is gain and therefore it is good for Christians to look upon death at a distance for death in it self is an enemy The last enemy that shall be destroyed said the Apostle is Death it is an enemy such an enemy as hath a terrible visage and therefore let 's look death in the face often that so we may be acquainted with the visage of death that the terror of this enemy may be taken away it is an enemy and such an enemy as is armed such an enemy as hath a sting with him The sting of death is sin and therefore it is a great deal of wisdom to combate with this enemy at a distance to disarm him to take away the sting before he comes upon you that you may be the better able to grapple with him when he draws nigh it is good therefore for men to consider whether they be able to grapple with and meet this enemy or no whether they be able to look him in the face to put themselves in a posture of combating and how you may meet with him without fear how you may overcome him by the blood of the Lamb to exercise faith and to eye the conquest that Christ hath gotten over death to see how he hath taken away the sting and horror and to sanctifie the Grave this is a great mercy 1. First And therefore let me speak to you one word you whose life is thus to die do it daily with the Apostle it is exceeding beneficial to the Saints this kind of exercise the Lord himself doth commend it as a point of high wisdom by Moses O how doth he wish his people that all his people were thus wise in Deut. 32. 29. O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter-end it is a point of high wisdom for men to consider their latter end and through grace it proves a great help even unto the people of God it proves a spur to them I say it is a spur to the works and services of their Generation when they consider their latter end I must work the work of him that sent me saies Christ the night comes when no man can work and so again saies Solomon Whatsoever thy hand finds to do do it with all thy might for there is no work nor device nor counsel nor knowledge in the Grave whither thou art going If therefore it lieth before thee neglect not the work of thy Generation if he say This is the way walk in it if he say By this or by that thou shalt be for my Glory in the World take heed you neglect it not no not a minute for how soon maist thou go to thy home thy long-home and there is no work in the Grave this through grace I say proves a spur to God's people the consideration of their latter end I have but a little time in which I can gain glory to God's name O take it O soul improve it for God's glory this I say puts a man to consider his latter end 2. Secondly Again It is that which will make the soul truly Magnanimous truly valiant for God it will beget a mighty Heroick spirit this conversing with death at a distance this considering of a mans latter end see what God saies in that pathetical wish I before spake of in Deut. 32. 29 30. If they did but consider their latter end how should one chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight the consideration of this would make a man Magnanimous for God it would make a man to carry his life in his hand and venture it freely if God should call him forth such a righteous man hath conversed with death at a distance and hath seen and knows that it will be gain he fears not a thousand he is truly Magnanimous he only looks at the cause and goes forth willingly for though there be a thousand to one he fears not for he hath considered his latter end Whereas on the contrary the neglect of this the neglect of conversing with death daily makes men liable to the snares and temptations of the world I say the neglect of this doth expose men to a thousand snares in the world how doth this world keep many from seeking after the life of Christ House Land Friends Riches Honours and Pleasure what snares are these to thousands What 's the cause of this It is because men do not consider their latter end it is because that men have a kind of phancy or dream that they shall alwaies possess these things below men dream of an Eternity here and they are not indeed perswaded of parting that they are a parting from them and so prove woeful snares they are neglecting the great things of God and the great things of Eternity because they do not look upon all as Grass as withering Grass themselves also as fading Flowers therefore they are exposed to
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
which his soul hates and yet that Word of the Lord doth conquer him and change him into his own likeness and so God leads his people to glory through a low way of suffering and when he brings them to the full possession of it he carries them through the dark entry through the dark narrow strait entry of death and through that place he leads them to the enjoyment of that glory which comes in by death I have no time for Application But Brethren consider it death is gain to those whose life Christ is but it is loss and the greatest loss that ever was met with unto those that have not Christ for their life I beseech you to look to your selves and to look about you before death comes when death comes you must venture such a venture as never was made you venture your souls and your Eternity and by that venture you are made or else you are marr'd to Eternity look about you examine Is death like to prove gain to you or no What assurance have you that death shall be gain I should press this further but the time is past already I shall reserve it for another time SERMON VII PHILIP 1. 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain YOU may remember the Point that we are insisting upon DOCT. That where Christ is life there death is gain I have opened the Point and shewed you wherein death is gain to believers in several particulars But I shall proceed in answering some Objections before I come to the Use Object It may be may some carnal heart say with Nicodemus how can these things be how is it possible that death should be gain when it strips a man of all his comforts turns him out of possession of House and Land it is no longer his if death comes it deprives him of all his friends he is left friendless it turns him naked out of the World and how is it possible that that should be gain Answ I Answer If there be not something beyond the Grave if a man hath not an Inheritance laid up in Heaven I grant it that death is the greatest loss of all for it robs a man of all comforts at once therefore I say if a man hath not a share in the Land of Promise if he hath not a more endurable substance in Heaven I grant that death is a great loss therefore what I say concerning those who are gainers by death it concerns them only that have interest in Christ and to them it is not loss to be stript of all comforts for why It puts them into possession of their Inheritance and what though death doth strip them of a few outward comforts It 's no great loss or it 's not considerable If a great Heir be gone home to his own Country if he gets to his own door his own house and his purse be taken from him what are a few pence It 's no great wrong because he hath now taken possession of an Inheritance that will bring him in a yearly Revenue thousands it may be the loss of his few pence from his purse is no great matter 2. Secondly Besides Whatsoever is lost in death it is no great matter to a gracious heart because the World is Crucified to him and he to the World before-hand I say however the World may look upon death as a loss yet a gracious heart doth not because the World is dead to him before-hand and if it be dead if it be a dead Carkass it is no great loss to part with it and though a man loves his Friend never so dearly as Sarah she was the beloved of Abraham Abraham's beloved wife and yet when death came Give me a burying place saies he that I may bury my dead out of my sight it was no matter to be parted with when she was dead and so saies a gracious heart of all the things of the World they are dead The world is crucified to me saies the Apostle and I to the World and therefore no great loss to him to part with them because they are dead to him 3. Thirdly Besides A believing soul shall find all to be made up in God abundantly whatsoever seems to be a loss shall be made up in Heaven with the presence of God and Christ Is there a loss of house and Land The Lord will be the dwelling place of his people throughout all Generations dost thou lose the light of the Sun the Lamb is the light of that City thou shalt find all relations in God Husband Wife Brother Sister whatever relation is broken by death it shall be made up in God he shall be their friend instead of all and you shall find the comfort of all relations made up in Heaven in Gen. 17. 7. I will be a God to thee it comprehends all relations that is Friends Father Husband Wife House Land all creature comforts whatsoever I will be a God to thee they are to be found in God Therefore whatsoever I say seems to be lost by death shall be made up in the enjoyment of God himself and of his Son Jesus Christ so much in answer to that But Object 2. Some poor hearts that are taken with this truth and with the great gain of Heaven will try out O Lord why do I live in this miserable world and why is light given to him that is in misery and why is life given to the bitter in Spirit Job 3. 20. I have heard of the gain of death and I cannot be content any longer in this vale of misery to be kept from my gain I know not how to bear it any longer O that the Lord would make haste and let loose his hand upon me and cut off this thread of my life Answ Now good Christian let me say a little to thee do not make too much hast do not make more hast than thy Father would have thee I remember the Apostle in Ephes 4. 26. saies Be angry and sin not so say I to thee desire death but sin not in thy desire every desire of death is not a good and a warrantable desire there is a holy desire of death and there is a sinful desire of death and have a care thou sinnest not Quest But you will say then How far may a man desire death When are his desires holy and when are they sinful This is a Case of Conscience that is very obvious and obnoxious to most of Gods people at one time or other and therefore I shall spend some time in answer First I shall shew you when a mans desires of death are sinful And secondly When they are holy and good 1. First of all Desires of death are Sinful when a man shall act any thing against his own life I say when a creature shall act any thing against his own life when a man or woman shall do any thing that shall shorten their own daies or when they shall refuse the
sinfulness of it when a man desires to die only upon these grounds to be rid of trouble and affliction 1. First He doth charge God foolishly It is said of Job in the latter end of the first Chapter In all this he sinned not nor charged God foolishly But afterward Job did charge God when he came to consider the day of his birth he spake against his own life Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery and life given to the bitter in soul There Job did charge God foolishly as if God were not wise enough to measure out thy portion O thou wouldst die that thou maist be eased of such and such an affliction thou chargest God with want of faithfulness want of wisdom want of love see what Absalom said when he flattered with the people O that I were Judge saith he I would hear every mans Cause and it should not be so and so I would rule better than my Father David he charged his Government with folly I would do Justice better than he And truly so thou saiest O that I were in Gods place O that I sat upon the Throne I would dispose better of my own condition I would dispose of it with more wisdom and more love and more compassion What a high charge is this to lay upon God! O have a care thou dost not charge God thou saist wherefore is life given to thee in such an affliction thou chargest God foolishly Dost thou not know why God knows it may be that the life of Nature is continued that so he may increase the life of grace in thee or that he may kill the life of sin in thee or that he may give thee more of himself that thou maist have more experience of his love and goodness or that thou maist be a pattern to others a pattern of his patience of his power and goodness and therefore is life given thee 2. Secondly Nay further When thou speakest against thy own life and desirest to die thou dost limit the holy one of Israel and commit that sin which the Children of Israel did they tempted God and limited the holy one of Israel When thou saist O that God would take away thy life that thy affliction may may be taken away why cannot God take away thy affliction and not take away thy life hath God no other way He can make a hundred doors and find out a thousand waies must he needs open that door the strait door of death or else he cannot open a door of deliverance for thee why dost thou limit and tempt the holy one of Israel If thou desirest death because thou wouldst be delivered thy desire is sinful O desire rather that the Lord would be with thee in thy affliction and make thee a Conquerour over thy affliction that thou maist get above thy affliction to glorifie God in the fire That 's a Fourth But 5. Fifthly Thy desires of death are sinful When as thy desires are unlimited when they are not subjected to the Will of God when they are absolute when a man will have no denial whether God see it good or no whether the Lords time be come or no thou saist it is gain shall I not desire gain No thou maist not desire gain with an immoderate desire The Apostle James reproves those that say We will go and buy and sell and get gain no but saies he Stay and ask God leave If God will we will do so and so c. When you would go to the new Jerusalem for gain in that City say not We will go we will go no say If God will let me go God will have thee to finish thy course there are many that would go though the Lord hath no need of them these unlimited desires of death are unlawful desires Quest But you will say When are desires of death Lawful I shall desire to speak a few words to that briefly Answ First of all When a man doth not desire death for death but death for life There are many poor creatures are desirous to die but they know not wherefore but now a holy man hath holy desires his desires are not death for death but death for life for death is an enemy to desire death only to cease to be only to lie still in the Grave and cease to be the Apostle in 2 Cor. tells you wherefore he desired death he don't desire to be uncloathed But to be cloathed upon that mortality may be swallowed up in life not to be uncloathed to lay aside the body to be in the Grave and to cease from being but to be swallowed up in life to be cloathed upon to desire death for life seek for that life which we are sure shall come into us by death this is a lawful desire 2. Secondly Desires of death are lawful when a man desires to die that he may sin no more against God that corruption may be fully mortified that there may be nothing left in the soul to provoke the Lord any longer that may displease the eye of his glory that it may be holy in all things made like unto Christ even without sin a gracious heart saies and believes because the Lord hath spoken it that death shall be the death of sin as well as the death of the body sin brought death into the world and death shall carry sin quite away that at death it shall be abolished that there shall be no more sense of sin no sense of lust to desire death for this end that the creature may sin no more that God may be displeased no more and grieved no more this is a lawful desire 3. Thirdly When a man desires death that he may enjoy communion with Christ this is lawful to enjoy full communion with Christ that was the Apostles desire Phil. 1. 23. Having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better wherefore doth he desire to be dissolved he tells you To be with Christ to see the face of Christ to enjoy the presence of Christ that he may be filled with the love of Christ and behold the glory of Christ and may be for ever in the presence of Christ and never look off his face but to enjoy full and perfect communion with Christ to desire death for these ends is lawful 4. Again Fourthly When a man desires death That he may lift up the name of God in Heaven that he may do the Will of God perfectly as it is done in Heaven by the Saints and Angels O here he cometh short in all the works and services he desires to do he cannot do the thousandth part of that which he desires to do and therefore desires death that he may lift up the name of God fully in Heaven that he may there be swallowed up in the present enjoyment of God and Christ that he may be infinitely enlarged to sing Hallelujahs unto God to all Eternity thus to desire death is lawful But 5. Fifthly
the Lord with them who hath more right to them than you and hath more bowels towards them and more power to do them good infinitely more than you Why you are willing to part with your friends for their safety if dangers are coming you are content that your friends should be hidden in places of safety and shall you mourn if the Lord shall take your friends to hide them for if God do take away the righteous it is but to hide them he will hide them from the evils to come he will take them and hold them in the Grave that they shall not see the evil that is coming he will hide them till all calamities be past and gone and they shall then come again in the time of the Resurrection If you love me saies Christ you would rejoice because I say I go to the Father Do you love your friends and will you mourn inordinately because they go to their Father when they go to lie in the bosom of their Father But you will say Did not Christ weep when Lazarus was dead Christ wept and mourned It is lawful to mourn I told you before and how far you may mourn But it is conceived our Lord did no mourn nor weep so much because Lazarus was de at as because Lazarus was to live again our friend Lazarus sleepeth Christ did not weep because of that Christ knew what he intended to do that Lazarus should be raised again therefore he did not weep for the loss of Lazarus but rather he wept that Lazarus was coming into a troublesome World for he knew that his friend Lazarus should be a loser by it though Lazarus was content that Christ might be glorified to come again even as Christ was content to leave the glory of Heaven to do his Father service Christ knew Lazarus should be a loser and therefore he was very loth to awake him to stir him his friend was now lain down to sleep and shall he awake him before the morning Therefore was it that Christ wept Still I say retain this as a ground of Consolation in the parting with your friends when ever you have hopes in their death know that it is a time of their advancement and therefore whilst you have your friends do all the good to them you can and get all the good from them you can so that that neglect of yours may not be a burden to you and be a gaul to you in the loss of friends but when God shall call for them when you have hopes in their death do not grieve inordinately but know and rest in this and rejoice in it that it is their gain and their greatest advantage So much for the second Use Vse 3. Let this stir up every one to be inquisitive how death shall be made gain to them I say let every one seek after this it is a point of as great concernment as you have met with and therefore you should spend many thoughts upon it how shall you know and how shall you get assurance of this That when death comes it shall be gain unto you Let me stir you up to seek after this to get the knowledge and assurance of it Why Consider 1. First of all That you cannot withstand the stroke of death you had need make hast in this work I say you cannot out-stand the stroke of death when it comes the stroke is unavoidable Poor man he is crush'd before the very Moth there is a decree and an appointment of God concerning it and therefore it cannot be withstood O how little do men exercise themselves in the thoughts of this That man doth not only die because he is made of dust and so must return to dust all creatures must be dissolved into their principle but he dies by his Statute Law he dies by the decree and appointment of God which was inflicted by way of punishment and this still makes it more certain In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death which was appointed for all men once to die there is no man can redeem his soul from going down to the Grave what man is it that lives and shall not see death It is every one of your conditions every fool that is here and therefore what need of looking out to get assurance that death shall be gain 2. Secondly Nay let me tell you further that you may make the more hast in this work This time is like to be a time of great Mortality Judgements will sweep away many Plagues shall be poured out upon the World till the World be reconciled to God and his Truth and now in this latter time there shall be greater opposition than ever and so greater Plagues than ever now that Christ is making way for his Kingdom he will bear down thousands before him Look to your selves you had need get assurance that death shall be gain If his wrath be kindled but a little blessed are they that trust in him blessed are they that know death is gain I tell you Christ shall go forth in a great deal of wrath now to smite and bring down his enemies to make his way to his Kingdom and certainly the appearances of Jesus Christ shall be exceeding glorious and terrible to the World in Rev. 6. 16 17. see how terrible Christs coming shall be which certainly is at hand even the Kings and Counsellours and the great men in the World shall cry when the appearances of the wrath of God do come even amongst the Saints what flinching shall there be of great men to be hid from the wrath of the Lamb Still this calls upon us to get assurance that death shall be gain Nay let me tell you that many of Gods own people may be born down in the brunt for Anti-Christ will cost something in his fall as he cost a great deal in his rise so he falls by violence and by the sword and it is possible his fall may crush many of Gods own people Nay let me propound this to your Consideration That it is the greatest adventure that ever soul can make this of death and let that be another spur to you where death shall be gain you do not venture your Estate but you venture your souls and a greater venture cannot be made it is the venture of the soul and it is a venture made for Eternity that that can be but once done had need be well done It is appointed for all men once to die and but once they cannot die it over again they had need learn to die well when death comes that you that are Believers may trust God in the venture you may shut your eyes and follow God as Abraham did when as God led him forth from his Kindred from his Fathers house he follows God no man knows whither and so must you do when death comes shut your eyes and believe and venture and follow God whither he will lead you though from your Kindred and
upon your righteousness upon your riches upon the creature I say if death shall find you before Christ be your life it is not possible that it should be gain know that there is none can give you assurance but only Christ there is none can assure the commodity that you Ship for Eternity but only Christ he is the Master of that Insuring Office and there is none can assure the soul but only he I tell you the venture that you make is more worth than all the world it would break the whole World to make good the loss of the soul and yet not able to effect it Christ sits in the Insuring Office and he only can give you assurance that death shall be gain and therefore go and wait upon the Lord for the promise of Christ Christ is made over to poor sinners in the promise of free grace and when Christ is given all other promises are given with him and if Christ be given with them then this promise is true that death shall be made gain to you go and wait at the foot-stool of grace and say Lord give out one word one promise and that shall be my assurance for my venture for Eternity do not rest till you get Christ into the Ship till you get Christ into the venture to venture with you when Christ comes once into the soul he will be a good Pilot he will carry you through all straits and difficulties he will save you in the midst of all storms you shall meet with in your passage to Eternity he will rebuke the wind and the waves though the Ship were ready to be overwhelm'd he can stop every leak he will throw out every thing that is burdensom unto the Ship then death lightens and out goes sin and out goes self Micah 7. 19. And thou wilt cast all their iniquities into the depth of the Sea Well then go to the Lord and say O Lord the time is a coming when I must make a venture I must venture my soul I must venture for eternity and to another world and I would fain have my Goods insured before hazard comes before I shoot the Gulph give me a word of promise from thy self and I shall rest upon it if thou wilt come into the Ship if thou wilt be my Pilot I know then that all shall be safe and I shall not only meet with safety but I shall make the most gainful voyage that ever was made I say get Christ to be your life O rest not till Christ have Insured you that all shall be safe this is the only way to make death gain But 2. Secondly I shall speak to such as have interest in Christ and yet do walk in the dark and still are as if they walked in the region and shadow of death they have chosen the Lord for their portion and they have cleaved to him and yet are not able to say that death will be gain to them I beseech you labour to get your hearts fortified and your souls strengthened against the fears of death O how unuseful will you be until that be done What bondage are your spirits in through fear of death till that be done How low are your spirits how unsuitable unto Gods glorious dispensations until that be done Therefore look unto the Lord this day to strengthen your selves against the fears of death What shall strengthen you you will say how shall our spirits be fortified against these carnal sinful fears of death 1. First of all Labour to understand clearly what is the nature of the Covenant of Grace I say labour to understand clearly the nature of the Covenant of Grace what that Covenant is by which now God saves his Children and brings all his Sons unto glory The ignorance of this keeps Christians in bondage through fear of death know therefore that the way of salvation now it is by a Covenant of free Grace God engages for all and it is even of free promise I will pardon and I will save and I will sanctifie I will give salvation and I will give faith to apprehend that salvation Ephes 2. 8. By Grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God there is an abundance of the Covenant of Grace in these words You are saved by grace through Faith Ay But that Faith is not of your selves but it is the gift of God know that all is given out freely unto poor creatures under the Gospel and that all that God requires to be done it is not to make any purchase of Love or Grace or Heaven there is no sacrifice or oblation to be offered any more Christ hath offered himself a sacrifice once for all and there needs no more oblation no more sin-offering but that all the sacrifices of the Saints now under the Gospel are sacrifices of thanksgiving only it is only to render unto the Lord for what he hath done for what he hath given out freely by Jesus Châ—â—â—â— Brethren labour to know the freeness of Gods Covenant in this and the like particular it will be an excellent preparatory to thee to die well and to fortifie thy self against deaths approaches viz. the clear understanding of this Covenant it is said in Heb. 2. 15. That when Christ came he delivered them who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage In the Gospel men are delivered from the fear of death because that the Gospel doth clearly unfold the Covenant of grace Before the coming of Christ they were trained up in a more legal way they did not fee the clearness of the Covenant until Christ came and therefore till Christ came they were in bondage through fear of death but when the Gospel was once given out and where that comes it dtoh unfold Gods Covenant the Covenant of his Grace in the freeness of it which doth mightily fortifie and strengthen the hearts of his people against fears of death and truly so long as any of Gods people do act legally in their spirits I say though they be under a Covenant of Grace yet if they act legally in their services not clearly understanding the Covenant they are under it is not possible that they should meet with perfect peace or be strengthened to this venture of death with freedom of soul without abundance of fear Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee Isai 6. 3. because he trusteth in thee when the soul trusts only in God when it rests only in the Word of God as a foundation of the Covenant of Grace then it rests in peace but when the soul doth act legally and thinks he shall purchase something by his actings O how unquiet and legal will those services be to him When he works for life how will he know he hath wrought enough If he staies himself on his own righteousness and not on the righteousness of Christ there will be mis-givings of heart and no
perfect peace Ay but is this righteousness compleat Have I done enough But are not my works defiled Is not my righteousness spotted or is it not short or is it not scant doth it not want something of length and breadth will it wholly cover my nakedness Thus the soul doth question with it self when it is looking after the Covenant of Grace and thus the soul is carried out to act in the Covenant and to look upon all as purchased by Christ there is the mighty foundation laid free-grace and the righteousness of Jesus Christ the soul may even venture upon it when it walks through the Valley of the shadow of death that is the first Direction I beseech you labour to understand the nature of the Covenant of Grace by which he brings his people to glory But again Direct 2. Secondly As you desire your hearts should be fitted against the fears of death look up to the Lord to inable you to live by Faith whilest you look up learn to live by Faith to live by Faith is the way to die in Faith and the more Faith the less fear the less carnal fear and therefore O look up unto the Lord to help you to live by Faith to exercise Faith in every condition it is said Thâ— just shall live by Faith in Habak 2. 4. Ay in sorrows in afflictions in distresses in the darkest condition he shall live by Faith he shall exercise Faith in the promise and live above the darkness of his condition through the love of God in Christ in him he shall thus live by Faith Go to Christ therefore to strengthen your Faith you that are weak in Faith go and say as the Disciples did Lord increase our Faith for it is he only that can draw forth the soul to acting of Faith Psal 119. 49. Remember thy Word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope The Lord caused his soul to trust in his promise Labour to exercise Faith Faith in every condition there is some promise that God hath suited for his people in all conditions and he expects that they should live by Faith upon those promises the more that you live by Faith in the promise whilst you live the more able shall you be to look death in the face without terrour exercise Faith every day on the promise and Faith will grow so strong as you shall be able to say with David I will not fear though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of death for thou art with me That 's a Second Direction Direct 3. Thirdly That your hearts may be strengthened against the fears of death look up to Christ to strengthen you whilst you are in the World to die to the World to Sin and to Self remember that you are Pilgrims here on earth O entertain such thoughts continually I am a stranger on earth I am upon my travel in my journey this is not my home I must e're long depart this World I came not here to rest is not this the bridge to Eternity it is a bridge to pass over and shall I build upon this bridge shall I think to dwell here shall my affections take up here No Lord I am a Pilgrim and a Stranger as all my fore-fathers I am crucified to the World and the Wâ—â—â—â— me Paul could look death in the face beyond 〈◊〉 I am crucified to the World and the World to me labour to die to sin and to self be willing to cast out self be willing that the Lord alone should be exalted he that hath made it his work to lay self aside in all his waies and actions he will be very willing to lay himself aside if it shall be for the honour of the Lord Jesus Christ and when he conflicts with sin he will rejoice at the reproaches of death that that enemy that hath done him so much injury shall be fully conquered That 's a Third Direction Direct 4. Fourthly Desire the Lord to teach you what is the service of your Generation and to help you to perform it desire that the Lord would help you to know what is the work of your Generation and to inable you to perform it this will fortifie the soul against the fears of death It is very sad to a servant when his Candle goes out before his work be done he cannot lie down with comfort his Master hath given him a piece of work and he hath wholly neglected it whilst his light was given and what comfort can he have in his lying down our Lord Jesus Christ hath finished the work his Father gave into his hand and then he was willing to be gone in John 17. 4 5. I have glorified thee on the earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do and now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the World was And so it is said of David After he had served his Generation according to the Will of God he fell asleep death was welcom to him as sleep is to a weary man when his work was done he lay down with comfort there is nothing to trouble him his work is done after he had served his Generation he fell asleep There is some work God hath appointed to every one of us O desire the Lord to teach you to know what that work is he hath put into your hand and sent you into the world for O do that work with all your might that when death comes it may be welcom as welcom to you as sleep is to a weary man But again Direct 5. Fifthly To fortifie your hearts against the fear of death whilst you live Live much upon Christ make Jesus Christ your life continually where Christ is life there death is gain be looking up to Jesus Christ to be a principle of life to you and to act you continually live upon him for Justification live upon him for Sanctification live upon him for all your comforts make much use of Jesus Christ continually the soul that hath lived upon Christ that hath made him the beginning of all and made him the end of all for then is Christ their life it will be exceedingly strengthened against the fears of death Let him be the beginning of all your works and actions take nothing in hand without the strength of Christ look for the strength of Christ to act you to breath in you and to fill your sails in your motion God-ward and Heaven-ward and let Christ be the end of all that you do I say propound Christ as your end do what you do as unto Christ whatsoever you do in your services to men do it as unto the Lord do your common worke as unto the Lord let Christ be the end propound him as the end of all that you undertake I tell you if Christ be not the end of a mans works all his works are lost Christ speaks of some that shall
come and say Lord Lord have not we prophesied in thy Name and in thy name we have cast out Devils and yet in the very next words Christ saies unto them Depart from me you workers of Iniquity here is a strange Epithete you workers of Iniquity they did abundance of good Prophesied 〈…〉 Name and cast out Devils c. and yet he call 〈…〉 workers of Iniquity if they be not done for Câ—â—â—â— to Christ Christ will interpret them worke 〈◊〉 Iniquity Make Christ your life and live upon him and that will fit you to look death in the face without fear Direct 6. Sixthly Converse with Death continually that is another Direction that I desire the Lord might set it upon our spirits converse with death continually behold death at a distance even all your life-long see death both in the death of Christ and in your own death Here you may converse with death 1. First In the death of Christ and then with your death which is approaching Christians Behold your own death in the death of Christ look upon a dying and a bleeding Saviour behold him as dead and laid in the Grave and what was the end of all this but that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death and deliver his poor people from fear of death Behold Christ as a mighty Conquerour by Faith every day and see death conquered and know that when Christ conquered he conquered as a common person he conquered death not only for himself but for his people O Christians if you were wise to make improvement of the death of Christ how might your spirits be strengthened against fears of death The death of Christ would kill all the fears of death in you I say if you made improvement of the death of Christ you may go and bury the fears of death in the Grave of Christ for he hath swallowed up death make it your work tâ— converse with death in the death of Christ And again Converse with your own death which is approaching O how is this neglected how seldom do men look for a dying hour or a departure how loth are men to entertain thoughts of death I have read of an Emperour that gave a Commâ—â—â—â— That no man should name Death in his Palace he 〈◊〉 afraid of death that he gave a Command upon paâ—â—â—â—â— death not to hear death named what advantage do men gain by this This strengthens the enemy and weakens their own hearts and spirits because they are afraid to think of death before death comes this doth exceedingly weaken a man against the time of his coming I have heard of a Serpent that is called a Cockatrice that if it sees a man it kills him but if he sees it it doth him no harm why it is true in this sense we are upon If death comes upon a man it kills him but when the soul hath seen death and hath digested and seen death at the worst that it can do and hath lived in a dying condition death when it comes is able to do no harm and therefore that 's a sixth Direction I desire the Lord would teach us to converse with death and to die daily with the Apostle Direct 7. Seventhly I desire that you would labour that your hearts may be thorowly rooted and established in the promises this will fortifie you against the fears of death upon the promises and upon that free-grace and that infinite righteousness that is held forth unto you in the Gospel Many men content themselves with common thoughts and ordinary notions of Christ and the Gospel and way of Salvation in his free-grace and of the power of Christ in saving of poor creatures but this is like the stony ground they are not perswaded of the truth of it and so setled And therefore how should this be fortifying against the fears of death This cannot bear them up in the time of death Go to the Lord desire him that he would realize things to you and that he would make real and deep impressions by his promise upon your souls that so you may be supported and carried out in the midst of all fears and dangeâ—◠〈◊〉 Eighthly Here is one more Direction whâ—â—â—â— give you which may help to strengthen your â—â—â—â—ts against the fears of death and that is Whilst you live labour to live in constant communion with God desire that the Lord would uphold your spirits in constant communion and fellowship with himself and with his son Jesus Christ Labour to walk with God as Enoch did He walked with God and was translated walk with God in your Generation and labour to enjoy communion with God in all Ordinances be thorowly acquainted with God with the goings of God in your spirits with the counsels of God with the promises of God that the Word may be your Counsellour and your guide and your comforter seek acquaintance with God What is it that makes men afraid to die It is because they are not acquainted with God a man fears in going into a strange place and strange company that he knows not it makes him fearful O if men were acquainted with God if they did walk with God whilst they lived and were acquainted with God in life it would take away the fears of death And truly Brethren you had need get extraordinary acquaintance with God before you leave your Country and Fathers house and follow him to a place you know not you had need be well acquainted to follow God and in making such a venture as you have heard of therefore make all improvement that may be to get more acquaintance with God under the Gospel Gods people are more generally freed from the fears of death because they have more acquaintance with God We are come saies the Apostle Heb. 12. 23. we are not only come to Jesus Christ the Mediator of the Covenant but we are come to God the Judge of all Now under the 〈◊〉 there is the way for Christians to come with 〈◊〉 and boldness to God even to God the Judge 〈◊〉 to have a sweet familiarity and acquaintance wâ—â—â—â— God even that Judge who judgeth all and that soul that hath been acquainted with God will not fear to go to God when God calls There was a gracious man I have heard of when he came to die saies he I shall change my place but not my company he had walked with God all his life God was his companion he had walked with God in all his waies and had done his work though he doth change his place having walked with God on earth he should now walk with God in Heaven Now O that we might thus walk with God and not be afraid to walk with God my Friend my Father my Companion Thus much for Direction the Lord sanctifie them to you I shall conclude these Words and this Text with one word more I beseech you you that have interest in Christ that have Christ for life and death for