down this Lamp of Life will quickly go out if no violent strong breath doth blow it out we shall of our own accord within a little time drop from the Tree of Life if no violent Wind doth shake us down or cruel hand doth a little sooner pluck us from it 4. Peter tells us his especial ground why he did know that shortly he must put off his Earthly Tabernacle because the Lord Jesus Christ had told him so Jesus Christ could not be mistaken about a future Event He knew what Cruel Men would endeavour to commit and what he himself would permit and therefore certainly warned Peter of that violent Death that did abide him Peter in these words seems to relate to and reflect on what is Recorded in the 21 John 18 19. That when he was old another should Gird him that is with Bonds of Chains and carry him whither he would not that is he should be led to such Hard Sufferings and cruel Death as Nature was averse to and did recoil from Peter had lived several years since this Prediction and therefore the fulfilling and accomplishing of it could not now be far off The Doctrine that the words offer and offer'd to us is this Doctr. Christ's Ministers must shortly put off their Earthly Tabernacles Peter an Eminent Apostle was to submit to and fall under the Fatal Stroke of Death To Die indeed is common to all Men but to be put to Death for the Gospel this is peculiar to Christians and Saints Death makes War against the Ambassadours of Peace blows out the Sacred Lamps of the Sanctuary silences the very Friends of the Bridegroom so that they can no more Sollicit a Marriage between the Lord of Life and poor Perishing Sinners This King of Terrors not only Executes Saints but also cuts off even Christs Seâ—â—es-men and sows them in the Dust Reapes the Lords Harvest-men and Removes them into the Barn of Heaven and gathers them into the Garners of Glory that sad Providence that is the occasion of this Solemnity is an evident Proof and clear demonstration of the Truth of the Doctrine one of the Lords Messengers in the Flower and Prime of his Days hath quickly put off his Tabernacle In the handling of the Doctrine I shall 1. Take notice of the Name given to the Body 2. Insist upon the Name given to Death 3. I shall shew you why even Ministers must put off this Tabernacle 4. I shall evidence what ground they have to conclude that shortly they must put off their Tabernacle 1. Let us consider the Name put on the Body It is called a Tabernacle as I hinted before 1. To express its weakness on this account it is Styled an Earthen Vessel 2 Cor. 4.7 By a little knock this Earthly Vessel may easily be dash'd to Pieces a little Sickness looses the Cords pulls up the Stakes and overthrows this Tabernacle A Disease of a few days pulls it down to the dust as grass we spring up and wither as bubble we rise and fall as vapours we appear and vanish away 4. James 14.14 Job 1. We act a short part on the Stage of Time and retire within the Curtains of Eternity 2. It is called a Tabernacle to Note the short continuance of the Soul in it it must soon dislodg and remove to another Habitation The Traveller had his Tent so Jacob when he journied towards Canaan he pitch'd his Tent in Mount Gilead Gen. 31.25 And Soldiers when they Camped in the open Field they had their Tents 2 Sam 11.11 When Israel and Judah did Besiege Rabbah they did abide in Tents The word Tent and Tabernacle are used promiscuously for the same thing 1 Chron. 16.1 David is said to pitch a Tent for the Ark of God but in 2 Sam. 6.17 it is said they brought the Ark of God and set it in its place in the midst of the Tabernacle that David had pitched for it For this Reason the Patriarchs are said to dwell in Tabernacles or to sojourn in Tents Heb. 11.9 to shew that they had no long time to stay in this World that they accounted themselves to be but Pilgrims and Strangers on Earth Heb. 11.13 that they look for an abiding City that they desired a Country above Heb. 11. and were Travelling towards an invisible and glorious World our welfare will soon be accomplished and then the Soldiers Tent is taken down our Pilgrimage will quickly be at an end and then the Travellers Tent ceases and is gone Saints not only have no abiding City in this World but they would have none they desire none below 2. Death is here called the putting off this Tabernacle this Phrase may instruct us and teach us three considerable Lessons and weighty truths 1. The Nobility and Excellency of the Soul the Body is but a Tabernacle the Soul is the Tenant and Inhabitant in it how much better is the Tenant than the Tabernacle therefore Souls should be most highly valued chiefly thought of cared for and attended to the Soul doth not follow the state of the Body but the Body follows the state of the Soul either for a blessed or a miserable Eternity Will a man lay out all his Time and waste his Estate to beautify flourish and fine out his House and will he neglect famish and Starve himself And that we feed heal cloath our Bodies but for get all the concerns wants and necessities of our Souls and that we doat on our baser despise forget and famish our better part 2. This expression of putting off our Tabernatle may teach us the immortality of our Souls the Body is but the Tent of the Soul a Traveller or Soldier hath no such dependance on his Tent but he can go out of it and yet live there is no such necessary connexion between the Tent and the Traveller but he can exist and subsist tho his Tent be taken down Aristotle de anima tho a Heathen did acknowledg that the Soul came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from without by this expression he seems to intimate that the Soul is of a higher Original of a more Noble Extraction than to derive its Pedigree from Progenitors below Man is so great and noble a Creature that he came from two Worlds and therefore must needs be for two Worlds our Flesh was propagared from Parents below but our Spirits descend and derive our Original from a Father above Heb. 12.9 This lower world is but a passage for Travelling Souls to journey through but the upper world is the home and rest for Holy and Blessed Souls to dwell in the Body is but the Garment of the Soul as a man can live tho he put off his Cloaths so the Soul can continue its being tho it be stript of the Garment of the Flesh a naked divested Spirit can live in the World of Spirits tho it leave the World of Bodies Death in Scripture is often called a Sleep 1 Kings 2.10 Job 7.21 this Phrase is used only
concerning Men nor concerning Beasts Plants or Trees these Creatures have a Sensitive or Vegetative Life but when they die they are not said to sleep because their Life is utterly extinguished and totally abolished but when Men Die they do but Sleep the Senses of the Body are indeed seal'd up it becomes a Carcase without Sense or Motion but the Soul is alive the Light is snatched out of the Lanthorn of the Body but is not exringuished Life is still preserved in the Soul as the root and tho men sleep yet there is one that will a wake them Christ the first born of Gods new Family is up fiâ—st he is raised out of the Grave and will call out and rouse up all his Spiritual Brethren and Sisters out of the long sleep of Death 3. Peters saying He must put off his Tabernacle doth further mind us of and instruct us in a great Duty that Saints ought to Die in obedience and willingly to lay down the body tho Christians are snatched by a violent death and cut off by cruel hands tho their fleshly Garment be plucked off and their Earthly Tabernacle by barbarous Enemies be plucked down yet God expects and Christ looks for submission to the fatal Stroke and that we should choose Sufferings and Death rather than sin this is to put off our Tabernacle when God takes away the Souls of Hypocrites Job 27.8 we must commit them into his Hands Psal 31.5 when others are driven away out of the World Prov. 32. we must desire to depart and to be with Christ Phil. 23. We must die to the Lord Rom. 14.8 that is we must breath out our Souls and give them up when he calls for them and requires them we must die in compliance with his will to be more subject to him to 〈◊〉 more possessed by him to enjoy a Peace and fuller Communication with him not so much to be freed of Sufferings as to be rid of Sin To be perfected in the Image and Life of Christ 3. Why must Christs Ministers as well as others put off their Tabarnacles Ans 1. They have contracted and are involved in guilt all have sinned Rom. 3.23 As they are not free from the Contagion of Iniquity so they are not exempted from the Sentence of Death Gen. 3.19 Sin dwells in them and this opens the door and lets in Death upon them they as well as other Christians do want the Soader the Glew the Cement of a perfect inherent Righteousness and therefore their Building doth moulder and the Stones of it sall one from another Death is compar'd to a Flood Psal 90.5 Thou carriest them away as with a Flood this Flood is very general it carrie away High and Low Rich and Poor Saints and Sinners we read but of two little Islands Enoch and Elias that have not hitherto been over whelm'd with this Flood all the rest of Mankind shall be carried away with this Plood except those that shall be found a live at the last day It is appointed for all men once to die Heb. 9.27 This is a Law not to be Repealed a Seâ—â—… not to be Reversed the Body is Dead by Reason of Sin Rom. 8.10 Death passeth over all men because all have sinned Rom. 5.12 2. Ministers must die that sometimes by their Death they may Eminently Glorify God Christ foretold Peters Martyrdom and by his being girded and led whither he would not did signify that violent death whereby he should Glorify God and John 1.18 19. that he durst not lay down his Lise that is most sweet and submit to Death that is most bitter to Nature in obedience to an invisible God and in hope of an unseen World this signally Glorifies God and benefits his People Paul speaks of his being offered on the Service and Sacrifice of the Philippians Faith 2 Phil. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies a Drink-offering the Drink-offering used to be annexed to the Sacrifices and these were of Wines On this account the Vine in the Parable saith That by its Wine it cheared the Heart of God Judg. 9. as well as of men the Apostle with allusion to the Sacrifices of the Law was willing that his Blood should be poured out by cruel hands that God might dispose his true Offerings to this Holy and Gracious end to promote and advance the Faith of the Philippians the sufferings of the Pastors for the true Religion do so greatly tend to Edify their Flocks and to strengthen their Belief of the Gospel Paul would not have Died for an uncertain Doctrine or for a Fable invented by men he was fully perswaded of the truth of the Gospel of Christ that he durst to venture his Life his Soul his all for Eternity on the credit of this Doctrine so Christ was Magnified by him and Saints were confirmed and established by his sufferings Phil. 1.12 13 20. 3 Christs Ministers do put off their Tabernacle to shew that God is not stinted or confined to particular Ministers he can bare up his Name support his Kingdom carry on his Interest tho he cut off eminent Embassadors and gives a quiet rest to painful Labourers God hath absolute need of no person if he cut off some he can raise up others if the day and work of some be done he hath a residue of the Spirit and can furnish fit and thrust out other Labourers into his Harvest if Pillars be pulled away yet the Church that is the Temple of the Living God shall not fall God hath others to substitute in the room of those that are snatched away as God reneweth the Face of the Earth by sending forth his Spirit Psal 104.30 tho Plants and Trees decay Birds die Beasts perish Men give up the Ghost yet Gods great Farm is not unstocked his House unfurnished or destitute of Inhabitants so tho Saints die and Ministers are snatch'd away yet God sends forth his Spirit and begets a new Generation of Saints and raises up a new Stock and suptly of Ministers and so renews the Face of the Church God will not want Friends to wooe for that Bridegroom Ambassadours of Christ for Peace Heralds to Proclaim Christ the King of Glory 4. God calls his Ministers home to receive the Reward of their Labours to reap the fruits of all their pains 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Paul saith That after Death there remnined for him a Crown of Righteousness God design'd it towards him God laid it up for him Ministers go hence to set on the Throne to wear the Crown to possess the Eternal Inheritance to partake of the everlasting Feast promised to them when God saith to the Body Return to thy dust Gen. 3.19 then he speaks to the Soul as God did to Jacob Gen. 31.3 Return to the Land of thy Fathers and to thy Kindred and I will be with thee when the Soul is turned out of an Earthly Tabernacle it is taken into an Heavenly House when the Flesh is Sown in the dust the
Spirit reaps up the Fruit of its Faith in a state of Glory 5. Ministers put off their Tabernacle because the Lord intends to Glorify himself by raising them and the Bodies of all his Saints again tho they sleep and have a long dark Night in the Grave yet a bright and comfortable morning will come Psal 49.14 tho they put off the Garment of the Body yet Jesus will dress them and put on these Cloaths again tho they go out of their Bodies as a Tabernacle yet they shall return to them again and dwell in them as a house for ever these their vile bodies shall be changed and made like the glorious Body of Christ Phil. 3.21 The bodies of Saints are but sowed in the Earth 1 Cor. 15.42 43 44 they must appear and Spring up again to everlasting life Jesus Christ is a Second Adam and an Everlasting Father Isa 8.6 He must therefore beget the Bodies of his People from the Dead They must bare the Image of the Heavenly Adam 1 Cor. 15.48 49. old Adams Holding and Tenute must cease and be utterly extinguished and we must be Regenerated in our Bodies as well as in our Souls and then we shall hold them from Jesus Christ our Bodies are now as knocked bruised or broken Vessels that are cast into the Furnace that they may be melted and new moulded and framed as the Tabernacle was taken down in the Wilderness but was set up again in Canaan so tho the Tabernacle of the body be dissolved and taken to pieces in the Wilderness of this World yet it shall be joyn'd together and set up for ever in the Heavenly Canaan those that dwell in this Tabernacle do groan being burdened but those that dwell in the Body as a House built by the hand of the Lord stretched out from Heaven shall Sing Rejoyce and Triumph for ever 4. Ministers have ground to conclude that shortly they must put off their Tabernacles tho we cannot say as Peter That we have a particular Revelation from Christ of the Kind or Time of our Death yet we may say that our God hath shewed us that it must be shortly 1. Gods Threatning doth evidence it Gen. 3.19 Dust we are and to dust we must return what God said to the first Adam that he repeats and saith over to his Children return ye Sons of Men Psal 90.3 when he requires us to return we cannot stay here but must be gone God will change our Countenances and send us away Job 14.20 we know not how soon how suddenly God may speak this word return ye Sons of Men we cannot foresee when that Wind of Sickness or other accident will arise that will blast our Flower and blow out our Lamp of Life Death sometimes lays in Ambushment and break forth unexpectedly on persons 2. The Death of other Servants and Messengers of God that daily are called away and drop into the Grave before our Eyes doth shew us that shortly we must follow them into the dust Zeck 1.5 Your Fathers where are they and the Prophets do they live for ever Those holy Men that were inspired by the Spirit were yet mowed down by the Syth of death Many Thousands of Famous Ministers have taken the Grave for their House and have made their Bed in Darkness And must not we travel in the same Road and take the way of all the Earth Will not our Glass be quickly run our Sun set and the Thread of our Lives be 〈…〉 cut 3. The Distempers that we feel the Infirmities that exercise us the Diseases we groan under do sensibly teach us That shortly we must put off our Tabernacles All Pains and Distempers are Deaths working in us and warring against us These are the Harbingers of the King of Terrors that come to take up Quarters and Lodgings for Death in our Earthly Tabernacles All the painful Maladies thou dost complain of are Deaths Batteries against the Fort of the body are stroaks towards the Felling of the Tree are Warnings to remove out of this Earthly Tabernacle as one Post one Messenger should go after another to inform the King of Babylon that his City was taken at one end Jer. 51.31 So the decays of our strength of our sight of our hearing of our taste doth plainly tell us that Death hath taken us at one end This King of Terrors is lodged already at the Cinque-Ports of our Senses with a design to conquer the whole Country of our bodies The only use that I shall make of this Doctrine is an Use of Exhortation And here 1. I would humbly direct and earnestly press a word of Exhortation on you my Reverend Brethren in the Ministry that are here present Must we that are the Messengers and Ambassadors of Christ shortly put off our Tabernacles O then leâ—â—â—â—ll improve our short time bestir and put forth our selves to the utmost while our day lasts and our strength continues it is better for a Knife to wear away by continual use than to rust away by disuse why doth God shine into our Hearts but that we should set forth and impart the light of the knowledg of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ to others 2 Cor. 4.6 what will it avail us if we be large ponds our selves to hold much water if we are not spiritual pipes to convey the water of Life to thirsty and perishing Souls as the Bread that Christ did break to distribute to others was multiplied and did increase in his hands Matt. 14.19 20. so while we divide the word of Truth and break the Bread of Life to others our own knowledg in the Mystery of Christ will increase and our own Spiritual Life and Strength will be improved O strive to break hard Hearts with the hammer of the word and to cut off the Members of the old Man with the sword of the Spirit labour to awaken sleepy drowsy Sinners to reduce those that are gone astray to sput sluggish and loytering Souls pluck brands out of the Fire snatch the prey from the paw and mouth of the roaring Lion Christ bids his Disciples to go to their lost sheep of the House of Israel Matt. 10.6 Christ awakens their pity stirs their bowels draweth forth their him passions by the name he gives to poor sinners they are lost sheep perishing sheep such a are sinking into Hell dropping into the Bottomless Pit and will you not bestir your selves to step rescue and save them O let us consider the danger the distress the necessities of Souls and be instant urgent pressing upon them in season and out of season let us sound the Trumpet and brandish the flaming Sword of Gods threatnings to alarm and rouse up sullen and presumptuous sinners Let us shoot the keen and sharp Arrows of the word to wound the Hearts of the workers of iniquity that they may fall down as a Conquered and submitting People under Jesus Christ Psal 45. â— yet let me beseech you to Sollicit Heaven that
all the burthen of all rest upon thee wilt thou keep thy filthy Garments and retain thy spots and stains will they not then render thee loathsome and abominable is the Fountain so near and wilt thou not have recourse to it and make use of it 2. Take heed that thou dost set up any in opposition to or Competition with this Fountain Do not put thy penitential Tears or Reformation in the place of the Blood of Christ God hath established the Sacrifice of Christ Heb. 10.9 This is the only Meritorious cause of Justification and means of atonement beware therefore that thou dost not mistake and tread in the steps of the blind zealous Jews that went about to establish their own Righteousness and did not submit to the righteousness of God Here was mans establishment directly contrary to Gods Establishment as if they must build a proud Babel of their own to get up to Heaven by when God had provided Jesus the Mediator as a long compleat spiritual Ladder for men to ascend to glory by it is the greatest curse not to come into this Righteousness of God Psal 69.27 this is a horrid Imprecation on the unbelieving Jews Let them not come into thy Righteousness and wilt thou bring this curse on thy own Soul He that come into Gods Righteousness shall never come into Condemnation Joh. 5.24 It is by Faith alone that we come into and are Interested in this Righteousness The Righteousness of God is revealed from Faith to Faith Rom. 1.17 Faith begins to apprehend goes on to apply this Righteousness and at last doth terminate center and rest in it 3. I would put you in remembrance of the great Physician of Souls Jesus Christ Mat. 9.12 13. Never was there Physician like to him he first died himself to provide a soveraign Remedy and then visits the dead and applys it to them You are sensible of bodily Diseases you complain of them you groan under them yet they do but separate Soul and Body but will you not resent and be affected with your spiritual Maladies which will part God and their Souls for ever To all other Diseases Sinners add a Lethargy they are stupid senseless of their Misery and danger Though the world be full of sick Folks yet how little practice hath the great Physician How few apply themselves as Patients to him or seriously commit their sick dying Souls to him to be recovered by him Is the Fall of Adam and the sin and corruption of the world that floweth from it but a Fiction or Fable that you have no sense or feeling of these things will you say you are not siek or diseased till you suddenly drop down to Hell Are you resolved to continue and dye in your sins What an aggravation will this be of your wilful obstinacy that you will perish when the Physician is so near and the remedy is at hand 4. I would put y ou in remembrance of a great Supper Luke 14.16 of an excellent Feast that God hath provided Isa 25.6 and hath invited you to God the Father gives you the true bread from Heaven John 6.32 There wants nothing to your participation of it but a due Esteem and thankful acceptance of it This is an excellent Supper 〈◊〉 Fire on an Altar Heb. 13.10 and Feast on a Sacrifice offered by the Son of God 1 Cor. 5.7 8. The Lord 's gracious Call if you echo to it his free Invitation if you comply with it gives you a right to all this spiritual good cheer tho you are poor maimed halt and blind yet all your Defects shall be passed over none of them shall exclude you from the Feast Luke 14.21 God is so set upon filling his House with Guests Luke 14.23 that he hath commanded us to compel you to come in This is strange Aversness Corruption and Rebellion in poor and Famishing sinuers that they need to be compelled to come in to a Feast and this is wonderful goodness in God that he chargeth us to compel you both by remonstrating your sin and danger if you do not come and by representing to you the Excellency Riches and Grace of Jesus Christ to invite and allure you to come On do not famish your Souls by neglecting to feed on Christ do not poyson your souls by drinking in the pleasures of sin that are but for a season O that we could so press these things on you and that with such warm hearts and lively affections that our importunity might answer our Commissions and savour of a kind of Violence and Compulsion 5. I wovld put you in remembrance of a spiritual Market that the Lord himself hath set up and keeps O improve this spiritual Market day 1. Here is food brought from far that is not of the growth of this world there is bread of God that cometh down from Heaven and giveth life to the world John 6.33 the bread is living bread John 6.51 and therefore well may it be bread of life John 6.48 2. Jesus Christ imports spiritual food by the precious River or Red Sea of his own blood If there were not such a Red Sea there would be no Traffick or Commerce between Heaven and Earth Christ is a Priest of good things Heb. 9.11 3. Jesus Christ keeps a Market for the Poor Isa 55.1 he encourages those to trade with him that can bring neither mony nor price If there were a Market kept in a City for the poor how would all flock to it And will you not that are spiritually poor come and buy of Christ without Money or Price It was observed of Attica that it was one of the poorest most hungry and barren Soil in Greece and that therefore the Inhabstants of it were most given to Trade and Merchandize So your poverty should press you to deal with Jesus Christ that is so liberal and free to those that come to him and will traffick with him He requires you to part with nothing that will impoverish you or inrich him 4. You are undone for ever if you buy not of Jesus Christ and obtain not his goods your Eyes will be blind if not anointed with his Eye-Salve your Souls will be naked if not cloathed with his white Raiment your Spirits will be poor to Eternity if you buy not his Gold tried in the fire 5. I would put you in remembrance of your work in God's Vineyard that you are hired to mind and prosecute Matth. 20.1 2. The Kingdom of Heaven is like to an Householder that went forth to hire Labourers into his Vineyard You cannot pretend or excuse your selves as the Heathen World and say None hath hired you and therefore you stand idle Mat. 20.6 God hath come forth several times in the day of your life to hire you Tho Ministers have a larger Vineyard to cultivate yet every particular Christian hath a lesser piece of Ground to manure and employ his labours on You have your own Hearts to keep your own Families to watch