Therefore surely it 's Gain to die for a Godly Man 7ly Further It 's Gain in this respect When they receive immediately they shall receive all United in one and all together They shall have such Influence from Christ as hath all Good united in one Beam of Excellency and so receive it all together As now a Man may take the Quintesence of several Herbs there 's this Herb hath this Virtue another another and a third a third but now if you Still all these Herbs together you will have the Virtue and Quintesence of all in one Drop So Christ here scatters His Excellencies one in one Creature another in another but when we come to enjoy Him immediately then we shall have all in one because all His Excellencies whatsoever is united in one in Him Eighthly Further all our Good shall be in continal Act. Here we have a great deal of Good in the Habit but now when we come to have this Immediate communion with Christ there all our Graces shall be Acted continually The Sun you know how it doth Act the Earth whatsoever there is in the Earth it draws it forth and makes it flourish So the Presence of the Sun of Righteousness Oh how Gloriously will it Act all our Graces In Numb 17. 7. We read of Aarons Rod it Blossom'd And the Text saith It Blossom'd before the Lord. When the Souls of the Saints shall be before the Lord and be in the Presence of the Lord Christ O they shall Blossom and Flourish and all their Graces shall Flourish in a most Glorious manner Ninthly And then lastly We shall enjoy what is in Christ without any Intermission What 's the reason of any Intermission here But something that comes between Christ and our Souls But now when there shall be nothing between Christ and the Soul then there will be no Intermission That Sweetness and Comfort thou hast in communion with Christ at any time thou shalt have it at all times And how good is that O saith many a Soul could I have but the communion with Christ at all times as I have at some times O that would be comfortable Now when the Soul hath Immediate communion with Christ it shall have it at all times What 's the reason of Ecclipses It is the Interposition between the Moon and the Sun or some Interposition between the Sun and us So our Ecclipses of the Light that we have from Christ it is some Interposition Take away the Interposition and then there will be no Intermission Now put all these together and is it not Gain to Die and to be with Christ Now by way of Use It is Gain thus to be with Christ Hence then If it be Gain for one that doth so much Service for Christ as Paul did surely than those that are Believers and are made little Use of in any Service for Christ they will get by their Death Paul was a Man that one would wonder how the Churches could spare him he did so much for Christ and yet Paul would get by Death If thou beest a Believer thou shalt have thy Immediate communion with Christ as Paul had Alas here while thou Livest thou hast but little communion between Christ and thee and doest Him but little Service in the World Then why should you so much desire to Live in the World that have nothing to Countervail the Trouble that you have and the Sin that is committed in the World O surely it will be gain for you Secondly Hence it follows That it is a Self-denial to a Believer to be willing to Live here in the World You will say If it be so much Gain why should any be so desirous to Live It 's this first Nature will have its work though in their Judgments they are convinc't that it 's better to be with Christ yet the Body will be working and the Affections will follow the Body very much Further Though they be convinc't that it is Gain yet God lays a Tie upon them to preserve their Lives as long as they can here in this World in Obedience to God They do desire to avoid Dangers and Preserve their Lives It is not for them to be where it is best for them to be but to be where God would have them to be and therefore God doth charge them to seek to Preserve their Lives and to go on till He Himself shall Dissolve the Body and Soul It 's God that is the Lord of our Life and as God gave us our Lives so it is He that must take them away and not any Body else But yet I say there is some Self-denial in it We must look upon our selves here as in a very Low and Mean condition in comparison of what we hope to be within a while after Therefore observe this one Note Those that do believe the Gain of Death they had need Labour what they can to countervail the Forbearance of the Gain by somewhat or other If a Man hath a great Gain and it comes not in his present Possession he thinks What shall I have for my Forbearance You will say What is it that any Believer can have in lieu of his Forbearance of that Gain Truly the most Excellent thing is this that he may do Christ Service while he Lives Now then Is that the main thing O learn from hence to be of as much use in your Lives as possibly you can for you have nothing else to speak of in Forbearance of that great Gain Why Lord I expect to enjoy Thee for ever before long but thou art pleased to Prolong my Life here for a while in the mean time I meet with many Temptations and Troubles and Vexations and much Sin I have But yet Lord thou knowest it 's my desire to Honour Thee and Serve Thee and through Thy Mercy I am some way or other Serviceable to Thee in the Place where Thou hast set me and Lord this is the thing contents me while I am absent from Thee Thirdly Hence we see the great Difference that there is between the death of a Believer and the death of a Wicked Man I shewed you I remember in the death of an Ungodly Man when the siery Serpent comes with his Sting and takes him in his Natural Estate Death is not Gain to such a one O no death takes away all his Gain But now death is the greatest Gain to the Saints That 's an excellent Scripture you have in 1 Cor. 3. the latter end Whether Paul or Appollos or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or Things present or Things to come all is yours In Christ Death comes to be made yours Death is part of the Possession of the Saints O the difference between the death of the Saints and the death of Wicked and Ungodly Men Do but put two Men a Wicked Man and a Godly Man lying both together upon their Death-Beds you must take a wicked Man that hath an enlightned
Box on the Ear from an Inferiour or an Equal or from one a little above you But if so be a King should be near and strike you you could bear that you would not be so ready to rise against him as against an Inferiour mans striking of you Why 'T is the Lord that is Infinitely above us that is the Infinite Glorious and Blessed God He must be submitted to Yea secondly It is the Lord that hath the absolute Right to us and all that we have more than we have to our selves or any thing that we enjoy It is the Lord that hath the absolute Authority over us to do with us what He will you have not so much authority over a Worm under your feet as God hath over you and over all your Comforts you have not so much right to kill a Fly as the Lord hath to take away your Lives He hath more Right a thousand thousand times over your Lives Familie Comforts and all you have than you have over the meanest Creature He hath the absolute Right over you all If any thing be done amiss in a Family and the Servants be falling out one with another and one saith you did thus and thus and the other saith you did it and so are wrangling one with another now if the Master comes and saith Why It was I that did it He makes account that this should still them all because it was he that had right to do it Why It is the Lord and therefore it is not for us to stand Fretting against any means For it is the Great Soveraign Lord that hath the absolute Power and Dominion over us And then Thirdly It is the Lord we have sinn'd against and hath us at infinite Advantages that way It is the Lord that we are liable unto While we are here in this World and carry about with us so much sin we cannot have any serious Thoughts of God but we must needs have Thoughts how we have sinn'd against this God and what advantages this God hath us at in respect of our sins Oh! It is the Lord that we have offended and sinn'd against Fourthly Hence it follows It is the Lord and therefore it is He that if He hath brought a little Affliction He may bring abundantly more if He pleases It is He whose Power as it is not shortned in a way of Help so not in a way of Affliction Hath He afflicted in one kind He might in a hundred if he pleased Hath He afflicted thee in thy Estate He might have afflicted thee in thy Body Hath He afflicted thee in thy Body He might have afflicted thee in thy Soul Hath He afflicted thee in thy Soul here He might have sent thee down to Hell eternally Is it upon any within thy Dwelling-place it might have been upon thy self It is the Lord that hath us under His feet And if He bring the least evil He might have brought as much as He pleased He might have afflicted us abundantly more than He hath done And this is a mighty humbling Consideration to quiet the Heart under the Hand of God And then Fifthly It is the Lord. Why it is the Lord that hath done all the Good that ever we have enjoyed It is He that hath done all Good to us You have an Affliction but have you no Mercies Do you enjoy no Good Why from whence was it was it not from the Lord Shall I receive Good from the Hand of the Lord and not Evil saith Job Why even the Savage Beasts will bear strokes from them that feeds them The very Bears will suffer the Bearherd that brings them Meat to strike them they will not suffer a stranger so much but those that bring them Meat They receive good from them and therefore they will submit to them Now we receive infinite Good from God daily Good and that 's a very useful Meditation for us to consider of in times of Affliction There 's this Good or that particular Good taken from me but what do I enjoy or what have I enjoyed It 's a usual thing in Afflictions to keep the sight of God from us As the putting a thing but as big as a Two-pence upon the Eye it will keep the sight of all the Heavens from us and so a little Afflictions many times keeps the sight of all the Good that we do enjoy from us But when we consider it is the Lord the infinite Fountain of all Good this is a mighty quieting Consideration Sixthly It is the Lord He is Just and Righteous in all his Proceedings there 's nothing but Righteousness in Him in all His Wayes In very Faithfulness saith David hast thou afflicted me It may be some affliction may come from Men and we may think they deal Unrighteously and Unjustly but it is the Lord and there is nothing but Righteousness in all His Wayes If we should think Why these afflictions they fall upon me and such and such they escape You must not reason so It is the Lord and therefore it is Righteous You think it might be better thus and thus but it is the Lord that is Just and Righteous in all His Proceedings and in all His Wayes Yea Seventhly As Righteous so infinitely Wise He is Infinitely Wise and so knows how to Order things in the best way that may be He knows what 's fittest both for us and for His own Glory We are poor weak Creatures but it 's the Lord that sees Infinitely beyond us Eightly It is the Lord that hath alwayes very Holy ends in all His Dealings He hath Holy ends and Aims at Great and Holy things though perhaps we know them not and therefore He is to do whatsoever He will We use to say of a Man if we see him to be a Wise and Understanding man yea a Just man and to be a man that doth all things alwayes from good Principles and for good Ends let him alone though we do not understand what he is doing yet let him alone he knows what he doth It is the Lord let Him alone in His work let Him do what seemeth Him good Ninthly It is the Lord and He is able to bring good out of the greatest evils to bring light out of darkness yea to bring the greatest good out of the greatest evils I verily believe that many of the People of God have found it so That the greatest Blessings that ever they have had since they were born have been Ushered in by the greatest Afflictions Certainly as the Lord would not suffer sin in the World were it not for His Infinite Power to bring about Good from the sins of men so neither would He suffer Afflictions in the World to His Saints but that He knows He hath Power enough to bring good to them even out of their greatest Afflictions It is the Lord that hath this Power One would be loath to trust ones self with one in any Danger that cannot tell how to bring him
threaten sometimes in the Name of God Now therefore That they might convince people that they aim onely at good unto them in this therefore they must be of as loving and gentle and quiet and patient Spirits as possible may be especially in their own cause and that 's the tryal You sometimes prehaps hear a Minister preach hard things and you think they come with much harshness to you and your hearts are ready to rise against them But examine whether in all their dealings else and in things concerning themselves whether they be not of loving and gentle Spirits and full of Bowels of Compassion And they must be of such dispositions that they might win upon people and draw their hearts as in Hos 11. 4. I drew them with Cords of a Man and with the Bands of love And indeed this is one special reason why God sends Men to be the Ministers of the Gospel rather then Angels that there might not be any terror strook into the hearts of people If Angels should appear they would be exceeding dreadful and terrible but God doth rather choose Man to be a Minister that so he might sute himself to the dispositions of Men and draw with the Cords of Man And what 's that That 's with the Bands of love Mans Nature will rather be drawn then driven And my Brethren As it ought to be in Ministers to be of such dispositions so you that are the people should shew your selves to be of the like dispositions towards them again of Sweet and Loving and Gentle and Fair Dispositions towards them not of rugged and ridged tempers We read of the building of the Temple that there was not one whit of Iron us'd in it which is observable We do not read I say of Iron that was brought to the Building they made their Pinns of Wood and other things and Plates of Gold and Silver but brought no Iron God when he is about to build a Church and call a People home to himself he will call such as are of gentle Spirits or make them such God doth either refuse such ridged Spirits or else he doth change their natures that 's the First Note Say Peace be to this House The Second is this That Ministers ought to bless their People for so these words are to be considered not onely as to manifest their dispositions to give them a taste of their Spirits but as a Benediction to them Peace be to this place We in the Name of the Lord Bless you with Peace And this is more than to pray for them Ministers are to pray for People God forbâ—d saith Samuel That I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you But Ministers should do more They are in the Name of the Lord to Bless them Prayer it is a Speaking unto God but Blessing it is to Speak from God to Man and that with some kind of Authority Therefore we find in Scripture that The Lesser is Blessed of the Greater And That the Ministers were appointed to Bless the People in the Old Law Numb 6. 23. Speak unto Aaron and to his Sons saying On this wise ye shall bless the Children of Israel saying unto them The Lord bless thee and keep thee the Lord make His Face to shine upon thee and be Gracious unto thee the Lord lift up His Countenance upon thee and give thee Peace Here was Blessing in the Old Law And they retain'd some part of it in coming to any place when they said Peace be to this Place We read of Men of great Esteem among the People of the Jews that were wont to Bless those that they came unto As you find that of Boaz in Ruth 2. 4. He Prays for them and they Bless him Here was a sweet Salutation of a Man that did set other Men on work Boaz came into the Field and said unto the Keepers The Lord be with you And they answered him The Lord bless thee Many Men when they go among their Work-men they go with Raging and Cursing if things be not done according to their Mind Now what an unseemly thing is this among those who profess themselves Christians But on the other side this is Gracious-like to come among their Servants and Work-men and thus to Bless them The Lord be with you And they to pray for them And the Lord bless thee And so we read of pure Parents to Bless their Children And it hath been the Use of the Church to Bless the People Therefore in all Congregations where you meet with the Exercises of Religion you use to have a Blessing before you go and you are not to flight it And except God call you out by extraordinary Occasion you are to abide and stay the Blessing We read of some that were appointed by God to stand upon Mount Gerisim in Deut. 27. and their work was only to bless to Bless the People and there were some who stood upon Mount Ebal and they were to Curse But now Mark If we search who they are that are appointed to Bless you shall find them to be more Honourable than those that were appointed to Curse For those that were appointed to Curse there was Reuben he had lost his Birth-right and Gad and Ashur and Dan and Napthali they were Children of the Hand-Maid they were not begotten in the way of Marriage but only by the Hand-Maid or by a Concubine Most of these that were to stand upon Mount Ebal for Cursing they were of the meaner sort of the Tribes This notes thus much That Blessing is the chief work that Ministers should Rejoyce and Delight in Therefore though they do sometimes pronounce the Threats of God against you to awaken Secure Drowsie Sinners which is their work likewise yet certainly there is nothing more sutable unto the Heart of a Godly Minister than to be alwayes Blessing of his People and to be bringing of the Message of Blessing unto them And if this be so then certainly the Ministers of the Gospel they are a great Blessing in the World And you that are People you should Encourage your Ministers to Bless you and to Bless God for you your Carriage towards them should be such as they may with Chearfulness in the Name of God Bless you and they may in secret when they are between God and themselves Bless God for you O when as the Minister shall first look upon the People and Bless them in the Name of God and Bless God for them and the People shall look again upon the Minister and pray to God for a Blessing upon him and Bless God that ever they knew him I say happy is the Minister that thus Blesses and Blesses God for a People and happy likewise the People that do thus pray for a Blessing upon and Bless God for a Minister But more Blessed is that God that shall joyn such Ministers and People together And that 's the Second Note That Ministers are to bless People when they
than by the dreadful Threats of the Law For the Gospel shews that sin makes such a dreadful Breach between God and the Creature that only the Son of God made Man and put under a Curse can make up the Breach again In the Red-glass of the Blood of Jesus Christ that is Preached to you in the Ministry of the Gospel the evil of sin is more fully discerned than in the bright Crystal-glass of the Law that doth discover somewhat but this shews you more It shews you that those beloved sins of yours that you have Imbrac'd and have had a great deal of Sweetness and Gain by O they are such Snakes and Vipers in your Bosom as makes such a Breach between God and your Soul that only the Son of God paying an Infinite price for the Satisfying for these can take away from you And further The Gospel doth discover more to Debase a Man than any thing can possibly be Imagined There is nothing that doth more discover that which may Abase Men and bring them Low and make them Vile in their own Eyes than the Gospel Why The Gospel doth shew unto them that they are by Nature the Enemies to God It is the Gospel doth discover that because it is the Doctrine of Reconciliation and it doth discover that all a Mans Righteousness is nothing his own Righteousness is nothing in point of Salvation for Justification that whatsoever Righteousness a Man hath by common Gifts by his good Nature it will not serve his turn in the Day of Jesus Christ he may perish notwithstanding It takes a Man off from all his Civil Righteousness and so makes him to be as a vile wretched Creature before the Lord and one that must lie upon meer pure Mercy or else must perish to all Eternity whatsoever he thought himself he must be taken from his own bottom even from that which his Soul Imbrac'd and was as dear unto him as his own Soul he must be taken from all O now this is a hard saying and who can bear it The Gospel doth teach Self-denial that we must deny our own Excellency every beloved Lust and to be nothing in a Man 's own Eyes I indeed it is the first Lesson of the Gospel saith Christ If any man will follow me let them deny themselves Now Men naturally are Proud and Haughty and what for them to come and appear before the Lord as vile wretched Caitiffs in themselves and to have all their Righteousness to be counted as filthy Rags now to see that they must be Sav'd by a Righteousness that is above them and beyond them and without them O this is very hard The Gospel requires Conditions that are very hard to Flesh and Blood that we must be willing to Sell and part with all for Christ as the wise Merchant did And besides It is a very high Mystery a thing that is above the reach of any Natural Man living and People Generally are of Slight Vain and Proud Spirits Now being partly Slight and Vain and partly Proud they will not bend their Minds to dive into those things that they are not presently able to read It is that Mystery that the Angels do stoop down to pry into and it requires a great deal of pains to behold the Glory of God in it Now the Vain and Drossy and Proud hearts of Men and Women they pass it over lightly because they see no present need of it They Thrive and injoy their Estates and they are well enough for the Flesh and all things that are Savory to them they have according to their hearts desire and what need have they to trouble themselves Many other things might be named to shew that when the Gospel comes to places why it is not entertained Quest But you will say Why doth God send it God knows it will not be entertain'd it is not with God as it is with us to go to a place at paradventures It is said If they hear them There can be no Ifs with God God knows every thing Now if God knows that before a Man comes it will not be entertain'd why doth God send it Answ 1. To that I Answer First That Gods Wayes and Judgments are Unsearchable and past finding out in this thing For indeed there is nothing wherein God doth appear more Wonderful in His Wayes and Judgments past finding out than in this in sending the Gospel sometimes to a place where He sees it will not prevail and denies it to another place where He sees that if it were among them it would be likely more to prevail You will say This is strange and yet this is certain This is the Administrations of God that sometimes God denies the Gospel to a place where He doth see that if He sent it they would Entertain it more and sends it to another place where He sees they will not Entertain it Now to make this out by Scripture that Text is clear for it in Mat. 11. 21. Wo unto thee Chorazin Wo unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty Works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sydon they would have Repented long ago in Sack-cloth and Ashes It is a strange Speech almost as any one that is in Scripture Here 's Chorazin and Bethsaida have the Gospel sent to them and they did not Entertain it Saith Christ If the Works that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sydon they would have Repented and yet I denied it to them and sent it to you Now there can be no Reason given of this but only this The Judgments of God are unsearchable and His Wayes past finding out Gods Mercies are His own the Gospel is His own and He will send it where He pleases Secondly But then Secondly The Lord sends His Gospel For though perhaps it be rejected for the generallity yet there may some one Soul Entertain it among a People that shall so much reject it and for the sake of that one God may send it God may send Ministers to a Congregation to spend their very Heart and Strength and Life and it may be may intend some one or two Souls that are as unlikely as others perhaps some one or two poor Servant or Child and it is worth the Life of any Man if he may be Blest to call home one or two in his Life time You know the Lord lets it Rain and the Intendment of the Rain it is to Water the Earth but abundance of it falls upon Tiles and Stones but likewise it falls upon your Beds in your Gardens and the Intendment I say is for the benefit of the Ground So the Ministry of the Gospel Gods chief Intent is for the good of Souls though God causes the Ministry of it to be generally The Gospel is Preached to Congregations and for the generallity it doth but as it were Rain upon the Tiles and Stones I but there are some Beds that have some good Seeds in them and