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
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
comfort that God hath given or helps to prolong life if a mans hand be found against his own life it proceeds from a sinful and wicked desire of death There 's great evil in this let me shew you the evil For 1. First It doth pluck that out of Gods hand which God hath challenged as his right the issues of life and death they belong to the Lord my times are in thy hand saies David now it is wicked boldness for a man to pluck times out of Gods hand when a man will have them in his own hand and not that God should have the disposal of them 2. Secondly Besides There is this evil in it A man casts away the most precious Jewel when he acts against his own life he casts away the most precious Jewel in nature Life is the preciousest of all natural gifts Life is a Talent a great Talent it is a Talent given thee for to improve it for God not to waste it away God gives thee this Talent that it may be laid out for him that thy life may be laid out for his name and glory and not to cast it away at thy own pleasure or displeasure know therefore that if any man shall at any time act any thing against his own life God will call him to account for it if the wicked servant was condemned because he did not improve his Talent what shall become of him that threw away his Talent Life is precious when a man shall act any thing against his own life it proceeds from sinful desires of death 3. Thirdly Again Desires of death are sinful When a man shall desire to die before he knows what it is to live or to die when a man desires to die before he hath begun to live or before he knows what it is to die There is many a poor creature will be speaking against his life O that my life were at an end O that God would take me out of the World But hast thou begun to live yet to God Many a poor creature will speak against his own life before he knows what God hath done for him hast thou done the work God hath sent thee into the World for Hast thou glorified his name on earth Hast thou finished thy course Hast thou considered these things before thou desirest to die Dost thou know what it is to die Hast thou considered that death is a door that opens to Eternity It opens to an Eternal condition to a place whence there is no return Hast thou considered what door death will open to thee whether to the inheritance of the Saints in light or to an inheritance with the wicked in utter darkness If thou hast not well considered of these things before thou desirest to die then these desires of death are sinful desires No rather go first to God and desire him to teach thee to live It may be thou hast been twenty thirty forty fifty years in the flesh hast thou begun to live hast thou made him the end of all thy services dost thou bring forth fruit to him and not to thy self is it he that strengthens thee and carries thee out to all thy duties and services is Christ thy life Thou hadst need know what it is to live desire that God would teach thee what is the end he sent thee into the World for the cause of thy coming rather that thou maist know how to live and when to die that when death comes it may be gain for if thou dost desire death before thy desires are sinful 4. Again Fourthly Desires of death are sinful When a man desires death in a passion It is a failing that is incident unto Gods own people and therefore you had need take heed of it It was Jonah's fault and also Elias failing in Jonah 4. 3. saies he Take away my life it is better for me to die than to live and when Jonah spake this he was in a great passion saies God in Verse 9. Dost thou well to be angry I do well to be angry even unto the death Was Jonah fit to die now to die in an anger to die in a passion Certainly if at any time Jonah was now unfit to die It was a strange passion he was now in and at this time he was angry with God himself and yet this man will needs die did he know what he said O passion passion is blind and unreasonable he will go to God he will go to the Throne of God to dwell with God for ever when he is angry with him he is angry with the grace and mercy of God in Jonah 4. 2 3. For I know that thou art a gracious God and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and repentest thee of the evil Therefore now O Lord take I beseech thee my life from me for it is better for me to die than to live Certainly Jonah was now unfit to die to go to God whenas there were such contrary distempers prevailed in his spirit such a distemper as was most contrary to God God was full of love full of bowels and pity full of meekness patience compassion calmness and quietness of mind contrary to all this Jonah must and would needs die here 's a passion which is a sinful desire of death and so Elijah in 1 Kings 19. 4. But he himself went a daies Journey in the Wilderness and came and sat down under a Juniper tree and he requested for himself that he might die and said It is enough now O Lord take away my life for I am no better than my Fathers Jonah will die in a passion of anger Elijah would die in a passion of fear he was afraid of Jezebel afraid that she should cut him off but it was his failing what was Elijah loth to be made a Martyr would he die and is he loth to die in Gods cause to die for the truth why would Elijah die yet afraid that God won't support him and uphold him in his way This is his infirmity like unto those of Moses's therefore Brethren take heed of Elijah's fears and Jonah's passion It is common if they meet with any discontent O then that God would take away my life O that I were out of the world thus to desire to die when in passion thou art least fit to die and therefore it is a sinful desire That 's a Third Again 4. Fourthly Desires of death are sinful when a man shall desire to die only to gain ease to the Flesh to be rid of some troubles or afflictions that lay upon him When a man saies O I lye under a heavy burden and I know not how to get rid of it O that God would make an end of my daies for I see if such or such affliction comes upon me I know not how to bear it when it comes O that God would take away my life before-hand this is a desire of the flesh which is a sinful desire I will shew you the
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
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
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
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
these temptations yea therefore it is that many a poor creature is brought down wonderfully because they do not converse with death at a distance they do not consider their latter end in Lam. 1. 9. She remembred not her latter end therefore she came down wonderfully because men do not converse with death at a distance they do not consider their latter end the rich Fool in the Gospel remembred not his latter end therefore he came down wonderfully men are broughtâ— down wonderfully suddenly they are cut off e're they are aware of it and all because they do not converse with death at a distance and therefore when it comes it is wonderful strange to them because they do not die daily they do not consider their latter end Object But you will say there are many that converse with death and look death in the face every day and yet we see they are not the better for it as many that carry their lives in their hands when they go upon the Sea and see the wonders of God in the deeps and when they go into the high places in the Field to engage and venture their lives such men look death in the face yet we see not that they are the better for it Answ I Answer It is true there is a conversing with death which makes not men the better but the worse for there are many men as Solomon saies It is better to go into the house of mourning than into the house of feasting for in the house of mourning the living they will lay it to heart but it is possible for men to go so long in the house of mourning to be hardened so as they cannot lay death to heart that they look upon it as a matter of custom to die and to be buried and there is an end it is possible for such the Prophet speaks of who have made a league with Hell and Death but Paul's conversing with death at a distance was of another stamp for his conversing with death was from an impression that God had made upon his spirit of the frailty of the creature it was the Lord that taught him for to number his daies till God teach this lesson no man can converse with death daily from an inward real apprehension of the vanity of the creature with the perishing condition of this Tabernacle of Clay this was Paul's conversing The wicked man converseth with death when he is bold to die as it is possible he may his familiarity with death it ariseth it may be from some ignorance or hardness he takes his leap as a blind man may do when he skips down a Hill he knows not how far it is to the bottom through ignorance men know not what death is know not what the condition is that death leads to they do not consider of the consequence of it and of that Eternity that follows death and therefore it is ignorance of this that makes the wicked man desperate but when the righteous man is bold as a Lion and death is familiar to him it is from a principle of knowledge and not from ignorance he knows what death is he knows that in it self it is an enemy it is an enemy to nature and it is destructive to all outward comforts but he knows also that death hath lost his sting he knows it is conquered it is an enemy but it is a conquered enemy he knows that Christ was the death of it O Death I will be thy death it is Christ that hath fulfilled and made good that challenge he knows there is an Eternity beyond the Grave and can look upon it as gainful he knows it is gain that is laid up in Heaven and it is death that makes him so gainful and it is this that makes him so bold as a Lion This leads me more particularly to consider the Proposition as it is in it self To die is gain It is a strange Paradox that none can reveal but Christ and such as have Christ for their life that death should be gain to that that should be gain that seems to be the greatest loss that strips a man naked of all his comforts that doth at once take away the desire of the eye and the delight of the heart this is that which a natural man cannot understand or he cannot believe it at least but it is made good unto all the Saints and therefore I shall lay down this as the Position which I shall insist upon That where Christ is Life there Death is gain You see there is a connexion betwixt this and the former part of the Text and therefore Solomon saies as I told you before That the day of Death to the righteous is better than the day of ones birth and saies the Apostle We groan to be cloathed upon with our house which is from Heaven 2 Cor. 5. 4. There is a groaning in all the Saints to be cloathed upon with that House which is from Heaven that so mortality may be swallowed up in life Now death is gain to every Believer whether by Death you understand lesser Death afflictions losses crosses bonds and imprisonments persecution bonds for the Gospel as the Aposte was in here I say if you understand by Death these lesser deaths it is true that all these deaths are gain the Lord makes his people gainers by all their losses they gain by every condition that they are brought into though the outward man lose the inward man gains The Prophet Habkakuk if you look upon him in his great distress you shall see what a gainer he was by it he was in sore affliction he saies his very belly trembled his very bowels trembled within him but he was a gainer by this he gains in faith his faith broke out gloriously Hab. 3. 17 18. he gained faith and faith is precious The tryal of your faith is more precious than that of Gold so did David he was in great distress in Psal 46. 2. but he was a gainer by it he gained in faith and confidence Though the earth be removed saies he and though the Mountains be thrown into the Sea though the Waves thereof roar yet there be professes that he will hold fast his confidence in God If you look upon Job you shall see what a gainer he was by all his losses and those sore afflictions and trials that he met withal he gained abundance of experience of God experience of his wisdom experience of his power and experience of his faithfulness experience of his goodness and kindness he gained the knowledge of God and he gained the knowledge of himself that when he came out of his affliction he throws himself at the foot-stool of God in Job 42. 6. Now saies he I abhor my self in dust and ashes The Apostle Paul was a man of great affliction there were bonds that did attend him in every place almost where he came yet he was a gainer by all he gained in confidence in holy
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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