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
SERMONS Preached upon several Occasions BY That Able and Faithful Servant of JESUS CHRIST Mr Timothy Armitage late Pastor of a Church in the CITY of Norwich London Printed 1678. TO THE READER Reader THese Sermons Preached divers years since by the Godly and Reverend Author who is now with the Lord reaping the fruit of his Holy Labours which do still follow him having by the care and pains of a Christian Brother been preserved and now brought to Light by the good Hand of Providence for thy good and benefit as some other of his Works formerly published * Viz. Of the woman of Canaan And of the three Children in the furnace which if they have come to thy hand may have been through the Lords blessing Be pleased therefore to understand that they were preached and delivered by that Eminent Servant of God Mr. Timothy Armitage sometimes Pastor of the Church of Christ gathered at Norwich as may easily appear unto thee if thou hast been acquainted with any of his Labours in Print by that gracious Spirit which breaths and runs through all the Veins and almost every Line of the same 'T is needless to hang out before these Sermons a Bush to commend the same to thy perusal do but taste a little and if thou hast a savoury palate thou wilt be ready to say as the Samaritanes to the Woman that enticed them to go to see and hear Christ speak Joh. 4. 42. Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves The Subjects herein handled we doubt not but thou wilt find to be very momentous * First The eminency of Christ from Cant. 2. 3. Secondly About Forgiving one another from Mat. 18. 21 22. Thirdly Walking with God from Gen. 5. 24. Fourthly Gain by Christ in life and death from Phil. 1. 21. and very spiritually treated of We shall not need to add any more in this kind but commending them and thy perusal of them to the Grace and Blessing of Jesus Christ in whom we shall desire to remain Thy Well-willers Thomas Allen Samuel Petto SERMON I. CANT 2. 3. As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons I sat down under His Shadow with great delight and His Fruit was sweet to my Taste AS the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons c. Here are two things considerable in the Words viz. the Matter and the Form of them For the Form it is a Similitude the Matter in it is the Person and a Thing The Person is Christ the Thing to which this Person is resembled and that is an Apple-tree it 's titled by its plantation Among the Trees of the Wood Then we have the Application of this Similitude in that word So is my Beloved among the Sons Here is also an Illustration of this similitude in two particulars which discovers wherein Christ is resembled to the Apple-tree First For the shadow of it I sat under his shadow with great delight And then Secondly for the Furit of it His Fruit was sweet to my Taste There is something observable held forth in the dependance that these words have upon the former If you look into the second verse As the Lily among the Thorns so is my Beloved among the Daughters In that verse Christ sets forth the excellency of his Spouse declaring the high estimation he hath of her She is a Lily among the Thorns so is my Love among the Daughters By how much the Lily is to be prefer'd before the Thorns and Thistles so much is the Spouse before all other Children before all other Men before all other Congregations Now see how the Spouse doth admire Christ As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons and how the Love of Christ doth beget Love what Improvement a gracious Heart makes of the manifestation of Christs Love He declared that he loved her he loved her dearly above all the World and presently she breaths love again There was a Fire of Love that was kindled in her bosome which flamed towards Christ the more love Christ manifested the more a gracious Heart loves Christ again You know the Woman in the Gospel what abundance of love she exprest to Christ she sat at Christs Feet weeping and washing Christs Feet with her Tears and wiping them with the Hair of her Head she had much forgiven many manifestations of Love in the forgiving her many sins and therefore she loved much But again observe the Spouse doth not rest in that Commendation that Christ had given her he had highly commended her as a Lily among Thorns But she carries the commendation back again to him what ever she hath from Christ she carries back again to Christ she ' I make him the Alpha and the Omega the Beginning and the End of all and therefore she presently falls upon admiration admiring his Beauty and Excellency A gracious Heart is more taken with that which is in Christ than with that which he gives out to it It doth not rest in Grace that is received or in Love that is manifested but it goes back again to Christ pitches upon Christ in whom are all Divine perfections She doth not repeat the words of Christ again as if Christ had said My Love is a Lily among the Thorns she doth not say Oh now I am a Lily I am more beloved than all the World she looks from that presently she looks to Christ how shall she make him glorious The Lord Jesus he had set a Crown or at least a Garland upon her Head and she speedily put off her Garland and set it upon Christs Head she thinks it fit that all should be swallowed up in the Glory of Christ Let him be lifted up and magnified let his Name and Excellency and Goodness be magnified and remembred though I be forgotten for ever Oh that you would be more practical turn this into practice make it practical do as the Spouse did here let all the manifestations of Love kindle love in your Hearts to Christ and look not so much what is given to you as what is laid up in Christ for you Look upon Christ and carry it to him as he is the Alpha so let him be the Omega carry it all back to him again But let us look more strictly upon the words As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons The words are clear enough only it would be known what is meant by Son So is my Beloved among the Sons It may be either the Sons of God or the Sons of Men The Sons of God so the Angels and so the Saints are called by Joâ—â—â—â— Now there was a day when the Sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord The Angels are his Sons he useth them like Sons and they serve him like Sons And so believers are called the
shall shew you how the Lord takes notice special notice of such of his Servants as do walk closely with him in divers particulars 1. First of all The Lord bears witness to them and he bears witness of them in a special manner I say the Lord bears witness to them and bears witness of them He bears witness to them he spake evidently clearly unto them he clears up their evidences for heaven he speaks by his spirit unto theirs and they are his witnesses in the World they bear witness to the name of God and the truth of God to the Word of the Lord the Lives of such of his Saints bear witness to the Word they are a Comment an Exposition of the Word of the Lord and therefore the Lord bears witness to their spirits they have special work to do for God in the World and therefore God comes in with a special witness and testimony of his spirit with theirs that he might strengthen them and carry them through all their undertakings which are for God Paul was a chosen vessel and was to bear up the name of God before the Gentiles and therefore the Lord comes and speaks unto his spirit in a special manner in strengthening of Paul Paul fear not I am with thee The Prophet Jeremiah was to bear witness for God to do great things for God and therefore God bears witness to his Spirit in Jer. 1. 18. he sends him forth and tells him He had made him a Brazen Wall and an Iron Pillar and he would carry him through all the work and all his enemies should not be able to harm him they wait for the witness of God for the witness of the Spirit of God their souls are alwaies hearkening and they are listning what God shall speak they won't be put off with any other Testimony till God speaks their soul is not satisfied God therefore comes in and by his spirit witnesses it himself he writes their evidence fair and writes it with the blood of his Son and casts it into their bosom and they are careful to keep their evidence clear when God hath once given it out to them they are careful to keep it from blots and blurs and to read over their evidences in Christ and put it into their bosom there 's nothing they delight in but in reading it again and again and therefore the Lord doth witness unto such And he doth not only bear witness to them but he bears witness of them a high honour for God to bear witness of poor creatures to bear witness of them Hast thou considered my Servant Job Job 1. 1. God gave witness of him That Job is a perfect and upright man one that feared God he was one that eschewed evil God bears witness of him and so in Job 2. 3. the Lord saith Hast thou considered my servant Job that he is a perfect and upright man none like him in the earth Mark what a high Testimony God gives of him Job durst not say so of himself he durst not stand upon his own perfection he durst not say he was perfect but God said so his friends would not say so of him but they accused him and said he was an Hypocrite because they saw the hand of God went out remarkably against him Ay but God bears witness of him whatsoever his friends say God will convince them that they judged with unrighteous judgement therefore see what God saies to Eliphaz the Temanite Job 42. 7. My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends for you have not spoken of me the thing that is right like my servant Job Job was a perfect and upright man Their walking with God is hid from the World it 's in secret their spirits are in secret carried after God which are the choicest and most curious waies of their walking with him in the World they see not and can't eye their walking with God but God will take notice of what they have done for him in secret and it shall be published upon the house top God will bear witness of such of his Servants as walk closely with him in their Generation he will bear witness of them before men will bear witness of them either in their lives or at their death or else after death in their lives as he did of Job at their deaths he will give such a testimony of them at death as shall make even their very enemies wish with Balaam Oh that I might die the death of the righteous and that my latter end may be like unto his and then he will bear witness of them after death when they are gone I say many Ages and Generations after they are dead and gone God will bear witness of them as in Heb. 11. where you have it recorded of all the Patriarchs that by Faith they pleased God and thus God will bear witness of such of his servants as will close with him in their Generation And this is the first thing that God takes notice of in them so as to bear witness of them and to them 2. But again Secondly God sets up such of his servants as Patterns to others for them to imitate He sets them up as patterns this is a high honour to them for others to look unto they are the very Images of God they are the very Images of Christ and therefore God sets them to be patterns to be imitated Abraham that walked with God is made a pattern to all in his Generation and Moses a pattern of meekness and Job a pattern of patience You have heard of the patience of Job and therefore saith the Apostle James 5. 7. And therefore be ye also patient unto the coming of our Lord. Be ye also patient you have heard of the patience of Job It 's true God himself is the first and highest pattern Be ye holy as your heavenly Father is holy be ye perfect as he is perfect there 's a suitableness in the spirits and affections of the Saints in their desires unto this pattern of God himself which is set before them for as the perfection of God is infinite as the holiness of God is infinite so there is a kind of infiniteness in their desires and affections in their pursuits after God but when they look upon their actings and attainments they see they come infinitely short of God and are apt to be discouraged and therefore now the Lord hath set up other patterns for his weak Saints to look unto and therefore they are such as themselves to see how much they have attained to in their Generation You have heard of the patience of Job and so in the same Chapter the Apostle tells them of Elias a pattern which God hath set before them he calls them to wait upon God by prayer Elias though a man subject to passion as we are yet He prayed and it rained not and he prayed again and it did rain A man subject to the like passion as you are
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
dangers from all the Creatures there 's no hedge about them God hath not made a League with the Beasts in the Field for them Here is the misery of a man out of Christ it is set forth by a Tree that is in the Wilderness a Tree that grows in the Wood And therefore a word of Application to this particular Vse Beloved This lets us see the necessity of being planted into Christ by faith We are all of the wild Olive and the wild Vine and therefore there is a necessity that every man should seek after his transplanting into Christ Oh that the Lord would make you willing to be pluckt up by the Roots You that are out of Christ be willing to be pluckt up by the Roots that you may be planted into Christ There is some rooting that every natural man hath which he is loth to be pluckt from One man is rooted into the World and another is rooted in his lusts and another is rooted in himself in his own righteousness in his own works in his own strength in his own performances Oh that the Lord would make you willing to be pluckt up from all that Root that in which you have any thing besides Christ Here is the great difficulty to bring off the wills of men Men cry out many times Oh it is a hard matter Oh it 's an impossible thing that ever they should be pluckt up from such Rooting That they have such lusts Trees which are of twenty thirty forty years growth and all that time rooting deeper and deeper Is it possible that such should be plucked up by the Roots and planted into Christ My Brethren it 's possible if men were willing to be pluckt up the Lord would soon accomplish it You know what Christ said to his Disciples that if they had Faith as a grain of Mustard-seed they should say to this Cedar be removed into the Sea and it should be so Why the Lord can make poor Creatures to do that which is impossible for sense and reason to think may be done Oh what is it that the Lord can't do There is no Oake there is no Cedar so strong and so tall and so deeply rooted but the Lord can say Be thou removed be thou plucked up by the Roots There is no Tree so barren there is no Soul grows in such a barren Soyl but the Lord can say Be thou plucked up and be thou rooted in that fruitful Soyl. Oh that the Lord would make the hearts of men willing to be pluckt up by the Roots from that rooting which they have in sin or which they have in themselves that so they may be planted in a better soyl and rooted in the Lord Jesus Do but remember this that you may see what a necessity there is that every man should seek after their planting in Christ Why so long as you are out of Christ you are wild Trees so long as you are out of Christ you bring forth no fruit you bring forth no good fruit Our Saviour makes it an impossible thing in Mat. 7. 17. Even so every good Tree bringeth forth good fruit but a corrupt Tree bringeth forth evil fruit It 's impossible that ever the fruit should be good so long as the Tree is evil Now so long as a Man is out of Christ he is an evil Tree he is a wild Tree a Tree of the Wood a Tree of the Forest not a Tree of the Garden Oh that men would be made good that their Trees might bring forth good fruit Truly it 's in vain to teach men to bring forth good fruit until such time as the Tree be made good If the Tree were made good and ingrafted into Christ it 's impossible that that good Tree should bring forth evil fruit Oh know you that have Interest in Christ that all the fruit that you bring forth out of Christ is lost I say Men and Women they lose all their fruit It 's such as the Lord can't accept of such as the Lord doth not delight in The Lord could not endure that fruit that Israel brought forth in the first of Isaiah they were a burden to him their fruit he was weary of they and all the fruit that they brought forth to God were cast out What a pitiful thing is it that a man should lose all his fruit all his Labour and all his pains Yea truly till a man be in Christ all is lost You know the young man in the Gospel that came to Christ he had a great deal of good Moral fruit he had kept all the Commandments he said from his youth and yet all that fruit was lost it withered and fell off before it was ripe it rotted and perished it was never gathered by Christ his Soul did never eat of it it was no delight to him And why because though the Tree had a great deal of seeming good fruit on it yet it was an evil Tree it was a wild Tree Nay Let men consider further what a fearful word was spoken against such wild Trees as bring forth no fruit to God or such fruit as is sowre as his Soul can have no pleasure nor delight in it was a dreadful Word spoken by Daniel which was spoken concerning the great Tree see Dan. 4. 14. Hew down the Tree and cut off the Branches and scatter the Leaves and the fruit Why this was spoken of the mighty Tree which reached up to Heaven a Tree that did fill the whole Earth with its outward Glory and yet of this very Tree God said Hew it down and it was hewn down Oh that men would remember there is no outward priviledge that can exempt a man from the stroak of the Lord. He can breath upon the tallest Cedars and the greatest Oaks if the Lord blow upon them they shall wither as the Grass in the Field Now is the Ax laid to the root of the Tree saith John the Baptist in Mat. 3. 10. Therefore every Tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the Fire Now that the Gospel is preached now that Christ himself is come to offer terms of peace unto him now that God from Heaven hath declared his willingness to pluck men out of the cursed Soyl of Nature and to implant them into his Son now now if men submit not unto Christ if they continue obstinate hew them down and make them fewel for unquenchable Fire Oh now see then how it concerns every man to seek to be implanted into Christ It 's not a leaning upon Christ that will serve mens turns but there must be a planting into Christ a rooting in Christ the Apricock doth lean upon the wall but it 's not rooted into the wall it hath not its life from the wall but it 's rooted in the Ground And so many a poor creature may pretend he is leaning upon Christ and in the mean time he is rooted in the World in his filthiness in his base
for the commonness as well as for the usefulness of that fruit that none might plead Ignorance that they might not plead excuse that none might say he was such a fruit as none could buy that they could not come at No Christ would be resembled unto that which is common that he might be held forth freely unto poor lost sinners under the Gospel 5. And then fifthly and lastly He is set forth by the Apple-tree for the variety of fruits which it does bring forth and do grow upon this Tree There is no Tree that brings forth such variety of fruit How many sorts several kinds of Apples they are almost innumerable And truly in this respect Christ is the Apple-tree because of those innumerable precious Gifts and Graces which do grow upon him The fulness of the Spirit was poured out upon him it made him to bring forth fruits of all kinds He is the only begotten Son of God full of Grace and Truth There can be no excellency nor no perfection named which is not to be found in the Son of God they all do concenter and meet in him I shall say no more at this time but leave the Metaphor unto your consideration think of it The Lord Jesus was pleased to be resembled to an Apple-tree And what great condescension of Love is this that he should stoop down so low to set forth himself under such a mean comparison that we might know what goodliness and sweetness are in him Abundance of the love of Christ is held forth in this that he should choose to be set forth by such a Tree as this is by the Apple-tree you see the Lord Jesus Christ would rather choose a Fruitful Tree than a Great Tree than a Strong Tree he having such a delight in being Vseful in being Serviceable in Bringing forth Fruit unto his Father Fruit that should be for the good of the Sons of men And therefore let us look to Christ and labour to imitate Christ the Lord he delights in a fruitful Tree rather than in a Tall Tree or in a Strong Tree it 's the Greatest Commendation that can be to be Fruitful and Serviceable to bring forth Fruit to God and our Generation Christ chose this and let us choose it too and let us look to God who is the Husband-man who makes all this Trees to be fruitful Trees in his due time So much for this time SERMON II. CANT 2. 3. At the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons I sat down under His Shadow with great delight and His Fruit was sweet to my Taste I Have made entrance the last day Here is a double comparison the Sons of men are compared to the Trees of the Wood The Son of God is compared to the Apple-tree among those Trees I shall add a fifth particular wherein the resemblance holds 5. Christ here is set forth as the Apple-tree It seems to relate to the fruit of that Tree that Man did eat in Paradise which in all probability was a kind of Apples And herein we call to mind how man lost his happiness where it was that man undid himself how sin came into the World by eating of the forbidden fruit as also it holds forth that Christ hath taken away that Curse all the bitterness and wrath for his people which was the fruit of Adams transgression There was man undone at first under the Apple-tree there he lost himself and God and Happiness And therefore Christ will be an Apple-tree as shall bring forth better Fruit the Fruits of Peace Joy Life and Salvation for his people See what is said Cant. 8. 5. Who is this that cometh up from the Wilderness leaning upon her Beloved I raised thee up under the Apple-tree There thy Mother brought thee forth there she brought forth that bare thee Some make it to be the words of the Spouse to Christ I raised thee up under the Apple-tree She looks up to Christ and saith Lord I took hold of thy Boughs I took hold of thy Covenant I took hold of thy Promise by Faith and Prayer there I raised thee up He rose up to be a help and deliverer of his people But others make them to be the Words of Christ Christ speaks unto his Spouse Vnder the Apple-tree there I raised thee up It should seem to have a reference to the Tree which was the Occasion of Mans fall Thou lost thy self under the Apple-tree there was thy fall there did the Devil thrust down Man Adam and all his posterity Well says Christ I 'le be an Apple-tree and under this Apple-tree I 'le raise thee up again under this Apple-tree thou shalt be comforted thou shalt be saved I 'le raise thee up again The Lord Jesus he came to undo the works of Satan because Satan had undone the Works of his Father and spoiled the whole creation with sin and therefore thus will Christ be avenged of him Christ will be such an Apple-tree that will bring forth that fruit which shall be the destruction of Satan the destruction of Death and Hell which were brought into the World by the disobedience of Man under the Tree So then I say this may be held forth 1. First That the Lord would have his people remember what they lost in Adam by their disobedience and then the Lord would have them remember the Lord Jesus he hath taken away all that curse and all that wrath which was the desert of mans disobedience so that it shall not be poured upon believers And so much for the comparison betwixt Christ and the Apple-tree 2. It 's said further That he is as the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood. The next work then is to enquire after that comparison Why is Christ said to be the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood Why not among the Trees of the Garden There is much in this comparison receive it with Attention for I shall be but short in this work 1. First of all It holds forth That the Lord Jesus took the same Nature that we have he became man he took upon him the Nature of man It 's true he was not a wild Tree but he was a Tree as well as the rest of the Trees in the Wood he was of the same Substance with them he had the same Body the same Bark the same Rind the same out-side that other Trees had he was in all things made like unto us we read in Heb. 2. 14 17. For as much then as the Children are partakers of Flesh and Blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that though death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful high Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the People c. It was needful that he should be
dog Save me from the Lyons mouth for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns And in divers other Psalms which he made of Christ and in divers other respects Christ is compared to a tree a tree of the forest Again 6. Sixthly He is a tree in the forest an Apple-tree in the forest for that unexpected comfort and relief that the Lord Jesus doth afford for poor souls unexpected comfort and relief when a man hath been travelling all the day long in a forest or wood hungry and dry and thirsty he casts his eye upon a well laden Apple-tree full of goodly fruit Oh how welcome is it and so much the more welcome because he did not expect to find such a tree there and so it is with poor creatures how many are there wandering up and down in the world hungry and thirsty and ready to faint then doth Christ step in seasonably then doth Christ present himself unto poor souls as an Apple-tree laden with delighful fruit he sayes Poor soul thou shalt not famish I will not suffer thee to famish come take and eat of my fruit and let thy soul for ever be satisfied in me Now the unexpectedness of the mercy doth heighten the mercy I had thought I should never have seen thy face says Jacob to Joseph and now God hath shewed it to me Surely Hagar was mightily taken with that fountain or well that was shewen to her in the wilderness when she was ready to perish when she had given over her child for lost and there was no water to give then for the well to be shewen her surely this was a very welcome thing to her and so when the soul is ready to faint how often doth Christ present himself as a well in the wilderness and as an Apple-tree in the midst of the wood or forest and how pleasant and comfortable is that But again 7. Seventhly In the next place He is said to be an Apple-tree among the Trees of the wood because of the freeness of Christ it holds forth much of the freeness of Christ in bestowing of himself upon poor creatures an Apple-tree among the Trees of the wood that 's free for every man for every man to take of and eat of If an Apple-tree be in a garden or an Orchard a man may see it a great way off and can't taste of it he may desire it and his stomach may be for it but he despairs of it because it 's none of his but an Apple-tree in a wood that 's free for all for all that pass by there 's none excluded but he that wants may go and take and eat of the fruit of it It holds forth much of the fruit of Christs love he is not only an Apple-tree in the wood but he is an Apple-tree in the forest and therefore those tenders of grace that are held forth Isaiah 55. 1 2 3. See there what invitation is made Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price c. yea though a man has no money yet he may come and drink of this water and eat of the fruit of this Tree That 's a seventh particular 8. Eightly But again in the Eighth place Christ is said to be a Tree among the Trees of the wood Because there are very few that go forth to seek Christ and few there are that find him and seed upon him by faith An Apple-tree that is in the midst of the forest how few are there that feed on that Tree It may be God by a special providence directs a poor weary hungry traveller a weary man to that Tree but how few are there that go to seek it Men that have an Orchard at home will hardly go to the wood Men that have Orchards of their own Trees growing at home they will not go abroad they which were invited to the feast you know they would not come they had enough they had no need of Christ as they thought and therefore they would take no pains The Lord by his special grace must direct the poor soul to Christ or else it 's impossible they should come to him indeed men will not come to Christ ye will not come to me sayes Christ that I may give you life In all these respects Christ is said here to be an Apple-tree among the Trees of the wood And therefore to conclude with one word of Application Vse This lets us see the usefulness and desirableness of Jesus Christ What 's more useful and desirable in your Orchard than the Apple-tree If a man hath never so many Trees in his Orchard he never thinks his Orchard compleat except he hath some Apple-trees Oh that the Lord would perswade your hearts to look unto the Apple-tree look to get the Apple-tree into your Orchard get Christ into your hearts Oh he is an useful and desirable Tree Let me tell you the benefit of it in a word or two It will be a comfortable shelter to you The Apple-tree that is Planted in your Orchard it will keep off a storm from your house Christ in the heart is a comfortable shelter to the poor soul Oh how many a storm of wrath and indignation which blowes from Heaven and Christ keeps it off from the poor Soul Nay again Let me tell you that this Apple-tree it 's a Tree of Life and therefore worth the seeking after that you may get him planted in your garden I say it 's a Tree of Life whosoever eats of this Tree lives for ever Your fathers they did eat Manna in the wilderness sayes Christ and they are dead John 6. 58. but he that eats of the bread that I shall give him shall never die sayes he he shall live for ever it must needs be so for Christ he is a Tree of Life Again He is not only a Tree of Life but he is a Tree of knowledge and therefore worth the seeking aften You read in Genesis 3. of the Tree of knowledge that was in the midst of the garden which the woman lookt upon and it was very desirable for three things 6. vers The woman saw that the Tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eye and a Tree to be desired to make one wise she took of the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also to her husband Truly all this is to be found in Christ he is good for food ye heard before they that eat of him shall live for ever He is pleasant to the eye Oh how beautiful is he in his Nature and in his person thou art fairer than the Children of men and he is desirable to make one wise he that feeds upon Christ is made wise indeed he that knows Christ is the wisest man in the world it 's Christ that opens the eye the eating of Christ this Tree opens the eyes and makes
shadow the shadow goes up and thus is the shadow of all creature comforts in times of affliction in times of distress when men have most need of them then the shadow of creature comforts leaves them but now Christs shadow it 's always refreshing it continues even at noon day he makes his flock to rest at noon day It 's not possible for the Soul to hold out in time of persecution if it sits not under Christs shadow the stony ground is soon withered why because Christ did not overshadow it Well then I shall proceed to an use of Exhortation and that is Vse First To speak to such as are strangers to Christ to such as for the present sit under the shadow of Death and under the shadow of Hell and destruction Oh that the Lord would perswade your hearts to come and sit under the shadow of Christ Poor sinners you that are working the works of the Devil you that are drudges to Satan and your lusts the base lusts of your own hearts you that have a long time wearied your selves in the service of sin and spent your labour as the Prophet speaks for that which cannot satisfie Oh that you would not be content to be perpetual drudges to Satan The Devil hath been willing to make you drudges be not you willing to make your selves everlasting drudges Oh bethink of some resting-place where you may sit down and rest from this labour from this bondage of Satan it may be whilst you are under the pursuit of sin you are not sensible of it you are not sensible of those labours pains and travails of the Soul It fares with the poor sinner as it fairs with a labouring man or a servant that is over-wrought it may be especially if he be used to it he feels it not whilst he is in it he feels not the ach nor the evil of it but when the evening comes when he lies down for rest he feels then the fruit of his former labour and travail in his bones and truly so it is with many a sinner whilst they are in the pursuit of sin they feel not the pain they feel not the ach ay but the time is coming the evening is coming the night is coming when they must lie down when they can no longer go on when they must whether they will or no rest from that Labour then certainly they will find and feel the smart of their former drudgery and bondage in their Spirit Our Lord Jesus made that an argument John 9. 4. I must work the works of him that sent me whilst it's day The night cometh when no man can work but let me say the contrary to you Oh don't work the works of Satan whilst it's day do not work the works of sin all the day long the night comes when you must cease the labour of sin and then of a certain you will feel the smart of your pains and former services in sin Oh then that the Lord would help you to consider when you shall have a resting place when you shall sit down and rest your Souls before the strength of your Spirits be spent in the labour of sin Let me speak this word in your ear and tell you the Lord Jesus is willing that you should sit down under his shadow here 's a sweet cool refreshing resting-place for you to take up in And let me say further for your incouragement to come under this shadow That the Lord Jesus he will keep you for the future he will be a defence to you that your old Master shall not take you away again and the Soul whom Christ hath taken to himself is free from the bondage of sin and if the Son make you free you shall be free indeed if you sit under any shadow but Christ the Devil your lusts and your own hearts will fetch you back again it may be you have sat down under your good works vows resolutions humiliations and repentances and the like yet notwithstanding all this the Devil and the corruption of your own hearts have fetcht you back again to the old slavery and to the old bondage Oh that you would trust this shadow of Christ this is such a shadow as Satan dare not come nigh it 's the shadow of the day it 's not the shadow of the night it 's such a shadow as is dreadful unto the powers of darkness What have we to do with thee saith the unclean Spirit thou art the son of the living God of a certain Christ will be a defence unto you and a protection and you shall not sit under your former slaverie and bondage if once you sit under his shadow Oh then that you would not toil your Spirits in the service of sin and Satan Oh what a racking of the conscience and soul have poor sinners in the Service of Satan They are ready to sweat drops of water and blood and they are not aware of it Oh why will you tire your selves in the heat and wearie and tire your selves when as you might sit down under such a pleasant shadow as the shadow of Jesus Christ is 2. Vse Secondly Let me speak a word to Poor Souls that are sensible of their bondage and misery by reason of sin to such as cry out with David in Psam 38. 4. for mine iniquities are gone over mine head as an heavy burden they are too heavie for me Oh you say you have travailed in the wilderness and have set many a weary step in a dry and barren wilderness where no water is and never a tree for a shadow to shelter you you dare sit down under the shadow of your own comforts and the creatures righteousness you see there is no shelter but under the shadow of the Almighty Well let me tell you here 's a tree of life that springs up in this your wilderness that casts a shadow over your Souls here you may rest in a cool shadow here will be a defence and a protection from the wrath of the Almighty And let me say for your incouragement unto you First of all That Christ is willing you should sit under his shadow you have his own word for it see what he speaks in Math. 11. 28. Come to me all you that labour and are heavie laden and I will give you rest Why do you stick so long in that condition why do you say you are not laden enough you know not whether your spirits be laden aright or no or whether you be made sensible enough of sin or whether you may be so bold as to come to Christ and sit under this his shadow Christ doth not offer himself upon any conditions upon the condition of your weariness It 's not a conditional promise but it 's an absolute promise it 's a sweet incouraging promise come unto me you that are wearie says Christ and I will give you rest The Lord Jesus foresaw that they were most apt to be discouraged poor labouring Souls
Scepter as Ahashuerus did his golden scepter to Hester come in Hester says he so says Christ Poor Soul come let him come in and drink of the water of life freely And so as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead that you would be reconciled unto him That 's a second fruit that grows on Christs heart Again 3. Thirdly there are affections that grow upon Christs heart sympathizing affections Oh! how tender is he of his people he suffers when they suffer he bears the leaviest end of the burden in all their afflictions he was afflicted and therefore he is called a merciful High Priest and he is one that knows how to have compassion and how to be tender see Heb. 5. 1 2. for every High Priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sin who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity He can have compassion he is able to have compassion he hath a compassionate disposition within him he knows how to pity them when ignorant and when they are out of the way he knows how to portion out grace to every of his peoples conditions he knows how to sympathize with them in their burdens for he was compassed about with our Infirmities he knows well what afflictions are and what temptations to sin are and he best knows how to compassionate his people these compassions are a gracious fruit growing in Christs heart 4. Fourthly But then again there are thoughts of delight in Christs heart Oh how doth he rejoyce over his people with joy with great joy He doth solace himself in their communion I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys as the lily among thorns so is my love among the daughters she is unto him as the lily among thorns let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely the expressions of the great delight that Christ takes in his people this is the fruit of Christs heart 2. Secondly There is the fruit of his lips not onely the fruit of his heart is exceeding delightful but the fruit of his lips is exceeding sweet see Isa 57. 19 I create the fruit of the lips Peace peace to him that is afar off and to him that is nigh saith the Lord and I will heal him peace it 's a fruit of Christs lips as there are thoughts of peace in his heart so there are words of peace in his mouth for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speak therefore it 's said that the tongue of the learned is given to him the Lord hath given to him the tongue of the learned and he knows how to speak a word in season there is none in all the world can speak a word in season to the wounded Soul but Christ his lips are like unto the lilies dropping sweet-smeling myrrhe every promise in the Gospel is a fruit of the lips of Christ and Oh! how sweet and refreshing is this fruit how delightful is the least promise of Christ if he be pleased to bring it home to the soul it stays it as with flaggons of wine when Christ shall bring home a promise to the Soul else a promise will do us no good will be of no use to us for all the promises of God they are in him yea and in him Amen all the promises they grow upon this tree and it 's most precious fruit if you will take Davids commendation of it he eat and commended it Psal 19. 10. more to be desired are they than gold yea than much fine gold he speaks of the word of the Lord the promises of the Lord they are sweeter than the honey nay take it when it is at the sweetest when it is in the Comb the word of the Lord goes beyond it Sweeter than the Honey and the honey Comb Oh! how gracious and acceptable is the least word that drops from Christs Mouth out of Christs lips to the poor wounded bleeding Soul A word in season says Solomon is like Apples of gold in Pictures of Silver pleasant and exceeding acceptable fruit unto a poor soul Again 3. Thirdly There 's not only the fruit of Christs lips but the fruit of Christs loins Oh the fruit of his womb he hath a seed which he brings forth unto God which are pleasant and much be to delighted in all that are brought in to God by the preaching of the Gospel they are called the fruit of Christ they are his seed he shall see the travail of his Soul and be satisfied this fruit is mighty delightful to Christ and therefore should be delightful and is delightful to the Saints Christ had a mighty delight in children he cared not what he suffered what pains what travails let the travail of the Soul be never so great so he might bring forth children he cared not nay though he knew he should die in travail yet he cared not and though he knew he should die of it and also live again and rise again he askt no other reward but only that he might have children and it was the great promise in Isaiah 53. 10 11. He shall see his seed he shall prolong his days and the good pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand he shall see the travail of his Soul and shall be satisfied he shall have a multitudinous offspring because he was such a lover of children And therefore when the promise was made to Abraham I 'le bless thee and thy seed shall be as the Stars of heaven that could not be numbred and therefore you read in the Revelations of a great number which no man can number and he brought them all unto the Father and presented them Here am I and the Children thou hast given me They are exceeding delightful to him and as Christ takes delight in them so The saints can't but take delight when they see souls brought in to God and brought forth for heaven they cannot but rejoyce in it and take great delight in this fruit of Christ To name no more 4. A fourth sort of fruit and that 's the fruit of Christs life Take him as he was here upon earth in the dayes of his flesh when he was planted in the Orchard of the world he brought forth exceeding much fruit unto God he was the most fruitful tree that ever the Father planted he brought forth a world of precious desirable fruit there was never any part of Christs life that was not fruitful he went up and down doing good He sought all opportunities to do good I must work the works of him that sent me while the day lasts for the night cometh when I shall not work he took all opportunities for the doing good to the souls of men and the bodies of men and glad was he that he
1. 31. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own devices They shall eat the fruit of their own doings when they will not listen to Wisdoms call oh my friends it will be very sowr fruit for a man to eat the fruit of his own waies the fruit that grows in the High-way side it 's but sowr fruit take heed that you despise not the Tree of Life lest the Lord say you shall not eat thereof That 's the first Use of Conviction 2. Again Secondly Here is a word of Invitation and I shall propound it in the words of the Psalmist in Psal 31. 8. a gracious Invitation O taste and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him You have heard of the fruit that grows upon Christ and now oh my friends come taste and see how good the Lord is the Psalmist speaks as a man that had found a good morsel found some dainty food he was eating of it alone he found a great deal of sweetness in it and he calls his friends Oh friends come and taste and see how good it is if you did but taste of this meat you would say Oh taste and see how good the Lord is there is pleasure and sweetness there 's enough to take up all your affections and all your senses here you may see and taste you may see beauty and taste sweetness the Tree of Life is not only beautiful good to look upon beautiful to the eye but it 's good for food let me tell you it 's not enough to see the beauty of the Tree of Life it 's not enough to look upon it it 's not enough to see but your souls must taste you will never be the better for the fruit that grows upon Christ unless you taste it unless you come and feed experimentally upon Christ it 's not enough to hear that the Lord is good it 's not enough that you have heard that there is so much pleasant fruit grows upon Christ but as ever you desire to be nourished comforted revived strengthened and quickened why then come here and taste and see how good the Lord is it 's mercy that you have an Invitation it was a direful threatening in Luk. 14. 24. For I say unto you that none of these men which were bidden shall taste of my Supper That they which were bidden as Guests should never taste of my fruit the Lord doth not speak this to you this day he doth not say You shall never taste of his fruit but he gives you an Invitation Oh then come and taste and see the goodness of God Let me tell you by way of motive That there is nothing in the world will do away the cursed and bitter taste of sin but only the taste of the fruit of this Tree Poor sinners you know not what the taste of the fruit of sin is oh what bitterness many times doth sin leave behind It 's sweet in the commission whilst men are committing sin whilst men are in the midst of their lusts in the midst of their vanities in the midst of their cups sin is sweet but oh the bitterness the poyson of Asps that sin leaves behind in the Conscience you have tried it may be to put out the taste of sin to do away the bitterness that sin hath left behind and you swallow many a good Ordinance after it many a good duty as you have supposed you have washed with your own tears and yet the taste of sin is left behind and truly Brethren no wonder there is nothing in the world will do away the taste the bitter taste of sin but only the taste of the fruit of Christ O come and taste of this fruit it will leave a sweet relish behind it will leave a taste in your souls and consciences that shall alwaies be above and prevail against the bitter taste of sin Nay further let me tell you there is nothing else can sweeten your affliction there is nothing else can sweeten your temptations and your trials but only a taste of the fruit of Christ this will take away all the bitterness and therefore I beseech you make good provision for your selves against you take those bitter Pills you will have something that is sweet by you to sweeten your mouths against you take bitter Pills Oh that men would make such provision in and against evil daies death is bitter in it self and life is sweet Oh that the Lord would revive you in giving to you a taste of the Tree of Life and this will sweeten all afflictions and it will take away the bitterness of the taste of death the Martyrs they felt not the heat of the flames for they had the juice of the Tree of Life in their mouths and souls and the fruit of the Tree of Life preserved them Quest But how may you know that you have tasted of this fruit of the Tree of Life Answ You may know it by your desires after Christ when the soul hath tasted of the fruit of Christ it desires to taste more of that fruit and it will see an averseness to sin so did the Spouse of Christ she sat down and desired to eat as I told you it was rendred she sat down and desired to eat and still to eat her desires were carried out still after further and further enjoyments and tasts of Christ when the woman of Samaria had tasted of the sweetness of the water of Life in John 14. 15. Give me to drink of this water that I thirst not Give me evermore to drink of this water she tasted but a drop and this gave her to cry out O Lord give me evermore to drink of this water so the soul having once tasted but a taste of this fruit of the Tree of Life Lord give me evermore to eat of this Tree of this fruit Again It 's known by the contentment delight and satisfaction that the soul doth find in Christ by the tasting of him it hath satisfaction in Christ a high esteem and honourable esteem such an esteem as David had he desired to be a door-keeper in the Courts and House of the Lord And so the soul that hath tasted of Christ Oh Lord let me eat of thy fruit though my condition be never so low let me sit under thy Tree though I sit like Job on the Dunghil let me sit down and eat of thy fruit and it 's enough it satisfies when it hath Christ whatever it hath it 's satisfied if it be but the fruit of Christ's love it 's satisfied if it be but a piece of bread if it hath the love of Christ with it I shall say Lord my lot is fallen on a goodly ground and thus saith our Saviour Noman that hath drank old Wine and tastes of new desires the old again because it 's bitter to him so no man that is once in Christ desires to taste of the fruit
I should multiply pardon you think seven times hard but the Lord can multiply unto seventy times seven the Lords waies are not as your waies nor his thoughts as yours for his thoughts are above your thoughts as the heavens are above the earth now this shews us how far short we do imitate the Lord in forgiving others For 1. First of all The Lord when he forgives he forgives those that are enemies this will advance the exceeding riches of the Lords grace I say the Lord when he forgives he forgives enemies for so is every man by nature neither can any man lay down that enmity that is in the heart till such time as the Lord Christ brings home a pardon that is the first work and the ground of all that the Lord doth for a soul and of what it doth for him I will be merciful to their unrighteousnesses and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more Now how far are the thoughts and waies of the Lord above our thoughts and waies in this matter of forgiveness Christ he forgives enemies he brings home forgiving mercy unto enemies and reconciles the enmity that is in their hearts But oh how far come we short we are so far from forgiving enemies as we can scarce forgive friends hard to forgive a brother a dear and near relation Oh how far do we come short of Christ in that Secondly The Lord when he forgives offences and transgressions to a poor soul he forgives freely and the freeness of the Lords forgiveness will appear in these particulars 1. First In that the Lord is alwaies ready to forgive there is a propensity in the heart of the Lord to pardon poor sinners that come in to him he is ready to it God is never unready it discovers the freeness of the Lord in this work the Psalmist speaks of the Lord in Psal 86. 5. For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy to all them that call upon him Of tender mercies God is never unready for this work alwaies ready ready to forgive the heart of God is never out of tune never out of frame for this work never unready for this work alwaies ready to forgive but oh how far are the waies of the Lord above our waies for this and his thoughts above our thoughts Where is the man or where is the woman whose heart is ready to forgive whose heart is never out of tune never out of frame for this work of forgiving wrongs injuries and offences unto them that they do commit them The Lord he is ready to forgive It may be at last a man may be drawn off to forgive a man when friends have dealt with him when he hath been urging it on his own heart to be his duty when he hath taken pains with his own soul and brought the Word home to his soul and hath smarted for this unreadiness to forgive but oh where is the man or woman that looks unto God whose heart is never out of tune but alway ready to forgive 2. Secondly The freeness of the Lords forgiveness appears thus In that he is not only ready to forgive but he forgives at the desire of the poor creature no sooner doth a poor creature express his desire but the Lord is ready to express his willingness set forth in the Parable of the wicked Servant in Mat. 18. 32. I forgave thee because thou desiredst me not that this his desire was the cause of forgiveness but it exprest the readiness of the Lord at his desire to come in and to manifest pardon unto him Now I pray let us consider how far the thoughts of the Lord and the waies of the Lord in this particular are above ours for the Lord forgives that which is desired but oh where is the man almost that can so easily forgive at the desire of him that offends hardly brought off although the party offending doth desire it although friends have desired him and relations have desired him and God hath desired him and Christ hath desired him yet how hardly are they brought off to this work 3. Again Thirdly The Lord forgives freely it appears thus He doth forgive upon the confession of his people he is ready to manifest his pardoning and forgiving love 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins And hereby I say it appears that he forgives freely in that he forgives upon the very confession of his people though not for confession and not for desire as I said before but yet in this way the Lord is pleased to manifest forgiveness no sooner doth the poor soul confess but he presently forgives I have sinned saies David The Lord hath done away thy sin saies the Prophet presently that is the next word Now how far is the way of the Lord above ours Where is the man that is ready to forgive upon a confession Yea although there be an acknowledgement of the wrong done yet how hard a matter is it for a poor creature to pass by that wrong Thus how much are we unlike to God 4. Fourthly Nay further the freeness of Gods forgiving mercy appears in this He doth forgive presently as soon as his people look towards him he doth not make long delay about the business he doth not stand to consider whether he shall forgive such offences or no but presently gives out pardon I have sinned saies David and in the next words The Lord hath done away thine iniquity Now how far is the way of the Lord above us in this Where is the man or woman that can find in their heart to forgive presently the wrong or injury done Oh there must be a great deal of do to bring off the heart to this work to forgive It may be in length of time mens hearts may be perswaded through a long time they may forgive and forget but oh where is the working of grace to bring off the hearts of men to forgive presently truly in this we come far short of God and the way and thoughts of God 5. Fifthly Nay further The freeness of God in forgiving a poor sinner appears in this He doth prevent poor sinful creatures with pardoning mercy Even before they do desire he prevents their desire their supplication for mercy he brings in a pardon to a poor soul before it hath made any real acknowledgement of its offence I said I will confess my sin unto the Lord Psal 32. 5. And thou forgavest me the iniquity of my sin David did but say it in his heart he had but such a thought such a purpose in his soul well I will return unto the Lord and I will confess And before David could do it the Lord he prevents him he prevents him with mercy And so another Instance you have of the Prodigal in Luk. 15. He said he would go to his Father and make his confession at the 18 Verse I will arise and
go to my Father and say Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee c. and then at the 20 Verse it is said He arose and came to his Father But when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him Mark how the compassion of the Father did prevent the confession of the Son I will go to my Father and say Father I have sinned so and so but before he could utter one word the Father falls upon his neck and kisseth him and forgives his many and great transgressions and then indeed afterward he doth make an humble acknowledgement And thus the Lord doth deal with poor sinners he doth prevent them with pardon before they can acknowledge their transgression and how far is the way of the Lord above the way of man in this Where is the man or woman that will deal thus with an offending brother with one that hath done him wrong and injury that will prevent their desire and prevent their confession but men will rather stand upon it and think they have rather warrant so to do If my brother confess and acknowledge his offence then it may be we think it our duty to forgive though hardly to bring off our hearts to that but where there is no confession and acknowledgement where is the man like the Prodigals Father to run and meet his son and seal up forgiveness before confession or an acknowledgement This shews that the way of the Lord in matters of forgiveness is far above man the Lord forgives enemies and the Lord forgives freely But 3. Thirdly The Lords waies are above ours it appears in that the Lord forgives fully He doth not only forgive freely those whom he doth forgive but the Lord forgives poor sinners fully I shall make it out in these particulars As 1. First The Lord he doth forgive all the debts When God doth forgive a soul he doth forgive all offences all transgressions and sins whatsoever I forgave thee all the debt he doth not forgive one sin to the soul and leave the other to reckon with him for and to condemn him for but where the Lord forgives one he forgives all else the forgiveness of the Lord were not full There are some that think indeed that God may forgive a soul one sin and yet reckon with him for other sins as the Arminians say That God forgives Original sin to all the World and yet condemns for actual sin but this is contrary unto the fullness of that grace of forgiveness As Jesus Christ died for sins against the Law so he died for the sin of Unbelief and when God forgives the sin of the Law he forgives Unbelief and overcomes Unbelief else it were in vain for God to forgive transgression though God could forgive all transgressions against the Law yet if God did not forgive transgression against the Gospel we had been shut up eternally for that sin but when God forgives one sin he forgives all sins and herein is the fulness of his pardon But oh how short is our way of Gods way in this particular A man can find in his heart to forgive some wrong but to forgive all the wrong that a man hath done this is a hard work how hardly is the heart of man brought off to this work 2. Secondly Nay again The fulness of Gods forgiving mercy it appears in this He doth not only forgive all the offences where the offences are few but he forgives them all where they are many If the soul be brought home to Christ the great Mediator the great Sacrifice the Lord forgives for all sins though never so many Luk. 7. 47. She loved much because much was forgiven her though her sins were very many yet they were forgiven her fully we can forgive a brother a Neighbour or a friend if they have done us but a few wrongs but now when offences come to be multiplied suppose they were many Oh how hard a matter is it to us to forgive them though easie with a Almighty God But 3. Thirdly Again The fulness of Gods forgiving mercy doth appear in that he doth forgive the greatest wrong He doth not only forgive many when they are small but he forgives many when they are great and herein I say is the greatness of the grace and of the love of God towards poor sinners that although offences be never so great he pardons and forgives them all Though your sins be as scarlet yet they shall be made as white as snow Isa 1. 18. This is it that aggravates the offences of his people in Isa 43. 24. Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine inquities yet this follows at the 25 Verse I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my Name sake and will not remember thy sins this was it that did aggravate the offences of his people thou hast made me to serve with thy sins God he forgives their sins though they were so great that God was oppressed under them as a servant under a heavy burden and yet saith the Lord I even I am he that blotteth them out Oh how short is our way of the way of God It may be a man may forgive offences when they be small but when they come to apprehend them great they are great wrongs done unto him and never was any wronged as I am by such a one and such a friend Oh how hard a matter then is it to imitate God in forgiving such great wrongs 4. Fourthly But again further The fulness of Gods forgiving mercy appears in this He so forgives his people as He retains no grudge in his heart against his people nothing but clearness in the heart of God toward his people Joseph was one that forgave his Brethren so freely as he never retained any grudge he takes off their aggravation it was not you but God that sent me hither therefore be not offended Joseph herein was a Type of Christ he forgave his Brethren so fully as he bore no grudge against them we never read that he upbraided his brethren so much as once for all the wrong they had done to him there was no grudge in the heart of Joseph against his brethren there was nothing but clearness in his heart and so nothing but clearness in the heart of God But oh how do we fall short of God Men may profess forgiveness O they forgive their Neighbour such a wrong but oh is there not still some old grudge at the bottom that is ready to break out upon all occasions How short do we come of God in this respect Nay 5. Fifthly Further The fulness of Gods forgiveness doth appear in this That he doth not bear any grudge he will not only not upbraid but He doth receive those whom he forgives into nearest friendship and fellowship with himself Though man did greatly sin against God in
Adam and brake his first Covenant the Lord he enters into another Covenant a second Covenant and in that Covenant he gives his people a nearer admittance unto himself than formerly in his first Covenant nearer in Christ in the second Adam than in the first and truly when ever the Lord doth forgive a poor soul and pass by the failings and infirmities of his people the wrongs and injuries which they do commit against him daily yet he carries it as fairly and as friendly with them as if they had never broke Covenant with him so did Christ to Peter though he did wrong and injury to Christ yet the Lord Jesus he doth admit him as near as formerly he doth not only not upbraid him but look upon him as his dear friend Now how far is this way of God above our waies and thoughts It may be you will forgive a man that hath done you wrong yea but you will not trust him he was once your friend but you will never trust him with your secrets again you will have an eye upon him and watch over him as long as ever he lives Oh! how far short are we in our forgiveness of the forgiveness of God But Again The Lord he doth not only forgive freely and fully but he forgives sincerely with all his heart I will do you good with all my heart and soul so the Lord doth not only profess with his lips he doth not only speak it in word but the heart of God goes along with it with every word of pardon I know my thoughts towards you in Jer. 29. 11. they are thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end he doth not only speak peace but his heart is full of peace Oh how sincerely doth God forgive there is no hypocrisie no dissimulation no deceit in Gods forgiveness but oh how unlike are we in our thoughts and waies to God in this There is many a man professes ay he doth forgive he doth forgive another that hath done him wrong but his heart doth not go along with his word though he cannot but for shame profess yet a mans heart doth check him and tell him he doth not really forgive even as God forgives Psal 55. 21. Their words are smoother than Oyl peaceable words but war is in their heart when a man is put upon it by being urged to it to forgive it 's a shame not to confess forgiveness but it is not from the heart But Again When God forgives he forgives unchangeably When God pardons he doth not pardon to day and call it in tomorrow again he doth not pardon to day and recall it tomorrow I will be merciful to their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more I will blot them out as a Cloud as a thick Cloud A Cloud that is blown away and scattered that it never come again so doth the Lord give out pardon he forgives unchangeably Indeed the Papists and some that follow them in that way God he may forgive say they and yet visit for transgressions and afterward such may fall away and God may call to account and visit for all sins but this is contrary to sound Doctrin That which is urged by them for the proof of this their Assertion is that Parable in Matth. 18. that was spoken upon this occasion of forgiving some plead upon this Parable that God may forgive a man all his sins and yet afterwards calling him to account may reckon with him for those very sins It speaks of a certain man who ought his Lord ten thousand Talents but his Lord forgave him all the debt and immediately he went forth and fell upon his fellow servant which ought him an hundred pence and took him by the throat and cast him into prison till he should pay all the debt whereupon it is said When his Lord heard thereof he was wroth and delivered him to the Tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him Now from this Parable some plead That a man may be pardoned and afterwards God may reckon with him for those very sins But by way of Answer 1. First Know it is dangerous to strain every Parable we are in Parables to look to that which is the main scope it is not that God forgives sins and then calls to account afterward for them again the scope of the Parable is That no man can know he is pardoned of God but that man that is ready to forgive wrongs and injuries done unto him But yet they will urge particularly this Parable that the debt was forgiven and yet he called to an account 2. Secondly I answer to that That the Lord may forgive some temporal punishment when God removes a man or a people from temporal punishment then God is said to deliver from sin and so far this servant was forgiven and any a person may be forgiven so far God may give out a promise of the removal of some temporal punishment as he did upon Ahab his outward confession a man may be so far forgiven that temporal punishment for a while may be repealed and held back and a man by his own folly may pull down some greater wrath And then 3. Thirdly Again He was never made partaker of that pardoning mercy which the Covenant holds forth which appears by the frame of his Spirit after he was pardoned Verse 26. Lord have patience with me and I will pay thee all it was no more than the forgiving of some temporal punishment he knew not what did belong to the Covenant of Grace he was ignorant of Gods way in forgiving sin he was a Legalist certainly this man was never acquainted with the Covenant of Grace he did not know that he was a poor weak man and altogether unable to make satisfaction to his Lord. And then Again He was never made partaker of that pardoning mercy which the Covenant of Grace holds forth as appears by the frame of his Spirit after he was pardoned It was no more than the forgiving of some temporal punishment his sin was not pardoned by the Covenant of Grace for if it had he would have acted more mildly and not so irregularly and dealt so harshly with his fellow servant And it appears in that other word in the 32 Verse O thou wicked servant so that he was never made righteous with the righteousness of Christ for there he is called the wicked servant so that you see notwithstanding what was objected that the Lord whenever he doth forgive a soul he doth forgive unchangeably he doth not cross the score to day and then call to an account for the same another day but whom he pardons he pardons for ever how far short is our way of forgiveness unto Gods How hard a matter is it to forgive unchangeably David did forgive for a time when Shimei cursed him then he made an humble acknowledgement but upon another occasion he commands his son Solomon to fall upon him that
Shimei's head might not go in peace to the Grave You see then that the point is made good that the thoughts of the Lord and the waies of the Lord in the matter of forgiveness are far above the thoughts and the waies of man Peter thinks seven times to be a great matter but Christ saies not seven times but seventy times seven A word for Application in brief to shut up all 1. Vse Here is incouragement for poor sinners to come in to Christ there is mercy and forgiveness with him that he may be feared and the thoughts and waies of the Lord in this particular they are as far above your thoughts and waies as the heavens are above the earth and oh what a wide open door is here That the Lord would perswade some poor guilty soul to come in to Christ by this door of mercy forgiveness and plenteous redemption though you have been enemies and though your hearts be still filled with enmity against God yet know that the Lord is able to forgive enemies and though you have nothing in the world to procure your acceptance you can do nothing that should commend you to God yet know that the Lord he forgives freely and though your transgressions have been multiplied though very many though very great though you have made the Lord to serve with your sins and wearied him with your iniquities yet he is able to blot them out freely for his own name sake Oh then that the Lord would perswade your hearts to come and to submit to Christ and not to go on in the way of rebellion and take hold of that great propitiatory sacrifice and then you shall know that the Lord forgives for he forgives you cordially and sincerely he doth so forgive your transgressions as he will never remember them more 2. Vse And it speaks a word of comfort and refreshment unto such poor souls as are in dark and sad conditions some poor souls that have look'd to Christ for righteousness and yet are found sitting in darkness and oppressed with the weight of sin and becaus it may be when you look into your own hearts you find they are very narrow when you are put upon this work of forgiving another you are hardly brought off to it and certainly the Lord may for this withdraw himself Oh know you have sinned after profession and you have sinned much yea you have sinned much against light and that is that which cuts and makes great gashes but yet know that the Lord gave Commandment to Peter and his Disciples to forgive seventy times seven certainly that command which the Lord gave to man to forgive seventy times seven he will certainly forgive poor creatures though their sins be numberless This is not to spur on to sin this is no word to invite to sin but this word of forgiveness is to the end the Lord may be feared and admired for his great grace and take heed poor creatures you wrong not God of that which is his greatest glory It is the glory of a man to forgive seventy times seven and the oftner the more like unto God now do not rob God of his glory that infinite mercy which put him upon it to forgive seventy times seven say therefore as the Church did in Mic. 7. 18 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy he will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all our sins into the depth of the Sea You may look upon your transgressions nay you ought to look upon your sins nay and to lye low because of your provocations and abhorr your selves in dust and ashes you can never lye too low in the consideration of your own vileness none have sinned against so many aggravations and sinned against so much light and conviction when you have thus aggravated your sin do not rob God of his glory but say with the Prophet Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity that forgiveth great iniquities and many iniquities who forgives seventy times seven 3. Vse Lastly This should be matter of great humiliation that our thoughts and our waies are so beneath the thoughts and waies of God in the matter of forgiveness Peter thought it a great matter What to forgive seven times Peter's number is very short of Christs number Yet where is the man or woman that is come to Peter's number and yet Peter's number was short of Christs number Oh what cause have we to be humbled One of the Evangelists hath it If thy brother offend thee seven times in a day and say I repent thou shalt forgive him Oh how far are we from forgiving seven times in a day We are so far from forgiving seven offences in one day as we many times remember one offence seven daies nay seven years together Oh how unlike is this to Christ Oh let us therefore labour to walk up to the rule or else never profess our selves to be Christs Disciples And so much for this time SERMON II. MATT. 18. 21 22. Then Peter came to him and said Lord how oft shall my Brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven times Jesus saith unto him I say not unto thee until seven times but until seventy times seven I Made entrance before into these words Here is Peter's Question and Christs Answer concerning the forgiving of offences particular wrongs and personal injuries which are done to any man or woman Peter propounds the Question and seems to forestall Christs Answer by giving an Answer to it himself which Christ did not approve of But I proceed to the main Doctrin which is this Doct. That the often forgiving of wrongs and injuries is a duty which Christ commends unto and commands all his Disciples to follow I say until seventy times seven 1. First I shall clear this Point to you from Scripture and shew you from the word of the Lord That this is a duty that is incumbent upon all that profess themselves to be Christs Disciples 2. Secondly I shall hold forth unto you divers Examples of worthy and gracious men who have practised this Duty 3. Thirdly And then shew you upon what ground Christ doth commend and command this Duty 1. First Look into the Proverbs of Solomon where Wisdom speaks which is Christ Prov. 24. 29. Say not I will do so to him as he hath done unto me I will render unto a man according unto his works Mark here is the Counsel Wisdom gives unto all her Children Say not I will do so to him as he hath done unto me Do not say I will be revenged of him for the wrong he hath done to me do not say I will give to him as good as he brings I will recompence him according to his work say not so no Christ will tell
wrong that I will revenge me of you God hath turned it for good God hath turned it for good to you and me and more people and therefore God forbid that I should take upon me to turn that into evil which God hath made for good 2. Examp. A second Example for our imitation And that is Moses a man full of the Spirit of God a man that had great acquaintance and familiarity with God God spake with him face to face now Moses he was very ready to forgive all personal wrongs and injuries Many times when the Children of Israel murmured against him they laid all upon him Thou hast brought us from out of Egypt to slay us here in this place and thou hast done this wrong unto us Moses even at that time intercedes for this people in Numb 14. 2. Moses is so far from avenging the wrong that he is the first man that steps in for pleading for this people at the 17 18 19 Verses and therefore he beseeches God that God would be pleased to pass by this their transgression And there is one remarkable Instance of Moses his meekness and readiness to forgive wrongs and injuries done unto him in the twelfth of Numbers in the beginning of the Chapter it is said Moses was very meek he was the meekest man on the face of the Earth he doth not reply one word 'T is said that Miriam and Aaron spake against him because of the Ethiopian woman that he had married and said Hath the Lord spoken only by Moses hath he not spoken by us also He doth not reply one word to them they reproached his Wife that he had married an Ethiopian and that he was a man that had taken too much upon him but Moses doth not reply again but God takes Moses part and calls Aaron and Miriam to stand before him and God smites Miriam with a Leprosie because she carried it so before him and yet look into the 13 Verse Moses cried unto the Lord saying Heal her now I beseech thee Moses was the man that was wronged by Miriam and Miriam was cast into a Leprosie and now Moses is the first man that steps unto God to plead for her Oh his great love and readiness that was in him to forgive and pass by injuries which made him to forget his duty to God limiting him for the time Heal her now O God I beseech thee let it be done now I beseech thee Oh here 's a pattern here is an Example for the imitation of all 3. Examp. A third Example that I shall mention is that of David David a man full of the Spirit of God and we find him a man ready to pass by personal wrongs and injuries Because that Shimei had cursed him some of David's Worthies would have smote off his head and David would not suffer them It may be saith David God hath bidden him to go and say Curse David This was a foul aspersion cast upon David Come out thou bloody man come out thou bloody man see the 2 Sam. 16. 6 7 8. and 2 Sam. 19. 21 22 23. Whenas one of David's Captains would have had him put Shimei to death No saies he I will not Revenge but saies What have I to do with you ye sons of Zerviah He pardons Shimei and swears unto him That he should not be put to death for this his Conspiracy And so in the matter of Saul David was greatly oppressed and persecuted by Saul though Saul seemed to be put into his hand when he took him asleep in the Cave and had an opportunity to avenge his cause upon his enemy yet David would not do it It is true indeed David's foot had almost slipt in the matter concerning Nabal when he sware he would be avenged upon Nabal for the affront done to him but when Abigail comes and pleads with David he doth accept of her counsel and bless God Oh blessed be the Lord that hath sent thee to withhold my hand from shedding blood and from avenging mine own cause this day and thus you see David was a man ready to forgive and to put up wrongs and injuries 4. Examp. One Example more from the Old Testament and that is of Elisha in 2 Kings 6. 12 13 14. The King of Syria took an Army to apprehend Elisha now they came to the City where Elisha was to take it and there God smites them with blindness and Elisha he comes and takes them and carries them into the City of Samaria at the 22 Verse when Elisha had brought the Army into the midst of the City of Samaria and the King of Israel would have been smiting of them saies he My Father shall I smite them shall I smite them Saies the Prophet unto the King Thou shalt not smite them Set bread and water before them that they may eat and drink and go to their Master Though they came on purpose to apprehend him and carry him to their Master and so to take his life yet the Prophet seeks not to avenge himself of them but on the contrary requites them good for the evil they intended towards him 5. Examp. And so if we look into the New Testament there is some worth the taking notice of As Stephen the Martyr they did not only wrong Stephen in his name but in his estate and in his very life yea they put him to death he was so far from seeking revenge that the last words he breathed forth with his soul I say the last words were Lord lay not this sin to their charge and when he had said it he fell asleep 6. Examp. And so the Apostle Paul in the Galatians take his Example it is worthy our imitation in Gal. 4. the Galatians had done him a great deal of wrong they had under valued his Ministry and set up false Teachers in opposition to him and the Apostle he was very free to forgive the wrong so far as it was personal declaring that he did acknowledge it not to be any wrong 12 Verse Brethren I beseech you be as I am for I am as ye are ye have not injured me at all here is a gracious spirit I do not look upon it as any injury as it concerns me I do freely pass it by Nay 7. Examp. We have not only the Example of man but the Example of Christ himself Oh the wrongs and injuries that were done unto Christ What meekness What scourgings what buffettings what revilings what reproaches insomuch as the Governor wondred What nothing to speak for thy self And when he was to die and giving up the Ghost Father forgive them they know not what they do And then 8. Examp. That Instance of the Prodigals Father The son had greatly offended him done him great wrong yet the Father runs out to meet him and before he could speak one word of confession or acknowledgement the Father declares a readiness of forgiveness he seals up his love and forgiveness Falls upon his neck and kisses
so his Disciples they may have room to act their Graces and do some singular thing for the Lord in the fifth of Matthew when Christ put them upon this Duty there saies Christ What singular thing do you if you love them that love you what great matter is that The Publicans do the same the very Heathen do the same Ye wish good and do good to them that do the like to you that is no great matter But what singular thing do you Christ would have all his Disciples to do something more than the World doth and he is a Monster amongst men that will not do good when he can when good is done unto him But Christ he would have his Disciples his people do some singular good thing for him The Lord hath ordered it that they shall meet with wrongs and injuries more than any people in the World for the trial of their Graces Offences must come there is need of them great necessity there should be offences in this sense that wrongs and injuries should be done that the Lord by this might try and exercise the Graces of his people there would be else no room for the trial and exercise or at least not so much for the trial and exercise of love meekness patience forbearance long-suffering forgiving and forbearing one another If there were not wrongs and injuries there would be no room for the exercise of these Graces Christ would have his people put upon it to do some singular thing As many a man or woman will say Well let me alone as I am and I am as quiet as any man living do not disturb me or do not wrong me and you shall live as peaceably and as quiet as any people in the World Ay here 's good Neighbourhood but this savours not of Grace Christ would teach his people to do something singular the World saies Ye shall have blow for blow and wrong for wrong and injury for injury but let them alone and you shall be quiet here 's no more than the wild beasts in the Wilderness will here do is no trial of Grace where is your love your meekness your patience your long-suffering The Lord would have his people in the exercise of Grace to do something more than the World Object But you will say May not a natural man do this that hath meer nature quiet nature pass by wrongs and injuries and not render reviling for reviling and wrong for wrong Answ I Answer Yes There is many a man will go a great way in this that hath but good nature But oh what a shame is this to them that profess to have more than nature Will not this be a shame and condemnation to those that profess more than good nature that they who have but good nature may exceed them And truly that we may be ashamed of our neglect and provoked unto our Duty I shall give you but two or three Instances of what men have done by good nature And oh that the Lord would fasten something upon us either by what good men or bad men have done Amongst the Heathen Writers it is written of that Sect of Philosophers that were called Pythagoras his Scholars there was this Rule amongst them That when any offence was given by one to the other the Parties offending and offended should agree together and make up the breach before the Sun set whatever the injury and wrong was and now we let many a Sun set and not shake hands and close hearts There is another Instance amongst the Heathens which is very remarkable of a Governour and an excellent Governour Upon a time there was one of the chief Ring-leaders that struck at this Governour and struck out his eye and he though but a Heathen was so far from being revenged of him as he takes this offender and receives him into his Family And oh that this Heathenish man should thus forgive him that had put out his eye and yet we cannot forgive one that gives a blemish to our Name There is another Instance you have in Scripture and that is Esau Jacob's Brother Jacob supplanted him took him at an advantage and got away the birth-right and stole the blessing from him and although his offences were very great and did stir up his passion against his brother insomuch as Jacob was forced to flee from his presence yet afterward how freely doth Esau put up all the wrongs and injuries done unto him and how friendly doth he carry it towards him Oh! how will Esau condemn many that profess to be the seed of Jacob Shall Esau forgive such wrongs and injuries as to have his Birth-right and the blessing taken from him and yet we that are the seed of Jacob cannot put up the least petty wrong and injury But I should shew you the difference betwixt the natural mans forgiveness and the spiritual mans and several cases of Conscience which I shall reserve for a further opportunity SERMON III. MATT. 18. 21 22. Then Peter came to him and said Lord how oft shall my Brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven times Jesus saith unto him I say not unto thee until seven times but until seventy times seven THere were two Doctrins raised from the Words the first was this 1. Doct. That the thoughts of the Lord and the waies of the Lord in this matter of Forgiving Offences are far above the thoughts and the waies of man as far above ours as the Heavens are above the Earth The second was this 2. Doct. That the often Forgiving Offences is a Duty which Christ Commends unto and Commands all his Disciples to follow I made it clear from Scripture both by Precept and Example of holy men of old who have desired to walk up to this Command of the Lord. But to proceed to the Answering some Objections concerning this point It may be Queried Quest First of all How comes it to pass that meer natural men may go so far as to out-strip many Christians in this particular in the passing by of wrongs and injuries Answ I Answer First of all There are some natural men walk up to their principles though there are no natural men in all things walk up to their light yet there are some natural men walk up to their principles and it is true a Christian hath a more excellent principle than the natural man which would carry him out if well improved far beyond all the actings of natural men Ay but when a Christian doth not improve his principle when he doth not walk up according to what the Lord hath given him and the natural man doth improve his principle and walk up unto it the natural man the meer natural man may be a shame unto some Christians A man that hath a principle of reason he hath a more noble principle than a principle of sense yet if the principle of reason lie hid and be clouded it is possible that he may then act beneath a
God himself that we are bound to pardon and forgive though there be not an acknowledgement and confession of the wrong Object But you will say How can I forgive him the wrong that will not come at me and hearken unto me Answ Thou maist forgive in thine own spirit there ought to be a readiness in thy heart to forgive as the Lord was ready to forgive so thy heart should be prepared and ready at all times for forgiving and passing by wrongs and injuries Nay it is not only required that thou shouldst be in a readiness to forgive but the Lord requires that thou shouldst pass by wrongs and injuries so far as not to meditate upon them and so far as not to be hindred in holding forth love unto thy brother And to say further in answer to this Objection Whereas thou saist thou can'st not Why Because he will not come to thee I answer Thou art bound to go to him if he will not come to thee thou art bound to go to that man or that woman that hath done thee wrong if they will not come to thee in Matth. 18. 15. If thy Brother shall trespass against thee go to him and tell him first privately betwixt thee and him and if he shall hear thee thou hast gained a Brother Object This is strange you will say He hath done me the wrong it is he that hath heaped injuries upon me and what should I seek him first Answ Yes If he will not seek thee then thou must seek him It is true it 's his duty to come to thee but if he will not come unto thee then Christ hath imposed the duty upon thee to go unto him and this is the pattern of God himself Poor creatures we had offended the Divine Majesty and we are far from coming to God nay the louder God calls the further are we from God he pursues after them they will not come to him now he will come to them by his Word and by his Spirit and bring his pardon and make them sensible of their fault and transgression so that what the Lord doth unto the sons of men in this particular it is for our imitation Quest Again There is another Query or case of Conscience Whether may not a man in case of wrongs and injuries endeavour to right his wrongs as Whether may he not use lawful means to right himself Whether may he not go to use the Magistrate or to the Church Answ A man may upon these cautions 1. First to deal with him in a private way and so to labour to convince him of his fault so far as it is a sin against God now if a man cannot prevail in a private way then he may proceed further he may take two or three witnesses and seek unto the Church But 2. Secondly Take this caution That before a man doth this he must be sure to forgive it in his own heart as to himself to pass by the wrong and injury as to him and to retain no grudge in his heart as to himself And then further 3. Thirdly Take this caution In such a case a man may not make himself the last end and the great end for which he doth these things for he is bound to seek the glory of God in the first place and to do this that God may have honour and in the next place he is to eye the good of his brother that his brother may be reclaimed that his brother may be convinced that his Brother may see the sin that he hath committed against God a man ought to seek opportunity to right himself but not for himself but he ought to eye the glory of God and the good of his brother and then he may use such lawful means as God lays before him Quest There is another Query as a Case of Conscience Whether may not a man that is wronged by another go and spread his wrong before God and complain unto God of the wrong and injury that is done unto him by another Answ I answer unto this That a man may go unto the Lord and make his complaint whenas others have done him wrong but take heed it be not for this end that thou maist be avenged of thy brother if there be any desire of revenge nay if there be any desire that the Lord should revenge this is not that forgiveness that the Lord calls his people unto Object But you will say then Why upon what account may we spread our wrongs and injuries before the Lord If we may not desire that God would revenge them and requite them according to what they have done unto us to what end should we make our complaints before the Lord Answ I Answer We may complain for this end That the Lord might consider us that the Lord may pity us that the Lord may deliver us from the wrongs and from the pressures and grievances which are happened to us but there ought not to be a desire of revenge see Prov. 20. 22. Say not thou I will recompence evil but wait on the Lord and he shall save thee What then may I not go unto the Lord Yes for this end that the Lord may save thee but not that the Lord may take vengeance for thee upon another he doth not say Go and wait upon the Lord that he may take vengeance no but wait upon the Lord and he shall save thee he shall clear up thy good name and make thine innocency to appear But there ought not to be a waiting upon the Lord that he may take vengeance for thee this is far from that forgiveness which Christ calls for in the Text. Nay further The Lord would have his people to be so far from desiring revenge that he would have them to pray that the Lord would forgive others the wrong which they have done unto them mark those Examples of Christ and Stephen Father forgive them they know not what they do and saith Stephen in the like case Lord lay not this sin unto their charge so that I say the Lord would have his people so far from spreading the wrongs and injuries that others have done unto them that he would rather have them with Christ to pray Father forgive them and with Stephen Lord lay not this sin to their charge and to pray for them that persecute you and that speak all manner of evil of you The Lord would have his people so far from spreading their wrongs before him upon this account that the Lord would avenge them The deceit of mans heart is such that man will forgive that the Lord may reward it and revenge it no this is not the forgiveness but that forgiveness which Christ here calls for ought to be a thorow forgiveness to forgive so far as to pray for them that the Lord would forgive their sin unto them that the Lord would not lay their sin unto their charge SERMON IV. MATT. 18. 21 22. Then Peter came to him and said
very sad and a woe unto that man that shall be so offended woe to him that shall be offended at Christ for the miscarriages of men woe to him that shall be offended at the truth or any of the waies of truth from the miscarriages of men but yet know thou that hast done the wrong and art the occasion of this thou art under a woe and Woe also unto him saith Christ by whom the offence cometh And therefore know that it lies upon thee as thy duty to go and seek to deliver thy brother out of the snare thy going and tendering satisfaction unto him may break the snare of the Devil for him thou maist prevent a multitude of sins and therefore oh that God would perswade such to come up to their duty In a word either he that thou hast offended or wronged carries it impatiently or bears it patiently a while now if he bears it impatiently and his spirit be put out of frame and he begin to fret and fume in his spirit and be thereby indisposed unto his duty then by thy going thou maist break the snare of the Devil for him but if he carry it patiently and his spirit be silent before the Lord under those wrongs and those injuries which thou hast done him thou hast the more need then to go and make acknowledgement of the wrongs thou hast done for certainly God himself will step in on his part that is wronged that bears the wrong patiently and is quiet in his spirit before the Lord the Lord will engage against thee though he be silent yet the wrong which thou hast done to others unto such a man or such a woman it will cry very loud before the Lord and woe be unto thee if God shall step in and ingage against thee if God be for a man who can be against him if God be for him better to have all the world engaged against him than God to engage against him therefore go and acknowledge thy error before thy brother for if not the Lord will engage against thee 2. Secondly And then again Consider the patterns and examples of holy men in Scripture that have given satisfaction and acknowledged their error to the full when they have done wrong as Jacob he had done indeed a great deal of wrong sinned against God as well as against his Brother in getting or cheating his brother of the blessing well the good man returneth again to his brother and oh how submissive is he unto his brother He sends many a Present before him to appease his wrath and how many soft words does he give him in Gen. 3. 3. 5 8. This is to find favour in the sight of my Lord and these are the Children which the Lord hath graciously given thy servant and how many soft words doth he give unto his brother Esau By which the wrath of Esau was appeased And so you see Joseph's brethren when they sinned against their brother Joseph oh how free were they to make an acknowledgement of their wrong which they had done him in Gen. 50. 17 18 19 20. they came and made an humble acknowledgement of all the wrongs they had done unto him For give I pray the trespass of thy Brethren and their sin c. And at the 18 Verse it 's said his Brethren wept and fell down before his face and said Behold we be thy Servants and thus they make supplication that he would forgive the wrong And so did Job's friends they had done him great wrongs they had judged of his eternal estate they concluded he was a hypocrite they told him so to his face they added grief to his sorrow great was his affliction they had done him a great deal of wrong Well but in conclusion when God doth convince them of it they make acknowledgement of their evil unto Job as in Job 42. 8. So then you see it lies upon you that have done wrong unto your Brother to go and make acknowledgement of the wrong that you have done 3. Thirdly And let me say this further to you to stir you up to this your duty That all the Works which you perform in the service of the Lord they are lost till such time as you submit unto this duty to go and seek reconciliation see Matth. 5. 23 24. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leave thy gift before the Altar and go thy way first be reconciled to thy Brother and then come and offer thy gift Mark wouldst thou bring thy gift leave thy gift before the Altar the Lord will not accept it till thou beest reconciled to whom thou hast done the wrong leave thy injury there I will have none of it till thou hast done so The Lord doth not say go and carry away thy gift but leave it there There is many a man is taken off from his duty to God because he cannot bring off his heart to this duty to man and instead of leaving his gift he carries away his gift Go and be reconciled to thy brother and then come again the Lord would have you do it and have it done instantly go and do it speedily do it quickly before the time of offering be past the Lord will not receive gifts and offerings from that hand or from that tongue that hath done wrong unto his brother until such time as there be an acknowledgement till such time as there be a reconciliation So much for that duty which concerns those that have done wrong unto others you see what necessity doth lie upon them that they should go and acknowledge the wrong and seek reconciliation But a second Exhortation is to them that are wronged and have received injury from others The Lord by this Doctrin calls upon you to express your readiness to forgive and pass by wrongs and injuries he would have you to forgive and to forgive often for Christs sake be you willing to pass by all wrongs and injuries which are done unto you And I pray consider That you have an opportunity here to express your Love unto Christ I say you that are Christs people when ever any wrong or injury is done unto you by Neighbour or Brother Oh! then remember you have an opportunity of expressing your love to Christ of shewing your obedience unto the Lord Jesus Christ in a Gospel truth you have an opportunity of doing some singular thing for Christ and therefore take heed you do not lose the opportunity But you will say Here will be some Objections for a great deal will be objected by corrupt nature but I shall endeavour to take them off all Object 1. But you will say He hath done me the wrong it is a hard matter for me to go to him or to forgive the wrong or injury which he hath done to me flesh and blood will not submit unto it Answ 1. To which I say Though flesh and blood will not submit unto it
yet Christs Disciples must submit unto it if thou beest one that dost profess nothing but flesh and blood I shall need to press this no further to you for you will never come up unto it but if thou beest one that dost profess submission to Christ Then are ye my friends saies Christ and my Disciples if you do whatever I command you Then when you yield obedience unto the command of my Gospel Answ 2. And let me say further If he hath done thee wrong and thou seekest him first thy acting it shall be most like unto God for so God acts towards the sons of men the sons of men had wronged God God stoops first he seeks reconciliation first 2 Cor. 5. 20. As though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled unto him though he be the wronged yet he acts first Answ 3. And let me tell thee further That the more thou stoopest to him that hath wronged thee the more peace will redound to thine own spirit another day it is a hard duty when thou lookest upon it at a distance but when the Lord helps thee to come up to it thou shalt have most peace in it and when ever it be over it will never repent thee that thou didst seek that man that hath done thee the wrong Object 2. Ay But it will be Objected further He hath done me that wrong that cannot be repaired he hath wronged me in my good name oh his words have been as sharp Arrows and they have wounded secretly If he had broken my head I could have born it that would have been healed again but he hath wounded my good name taken away my good name and therefore herein it is hard for a man to come up to this duty of forgiving of such wrongs Answ 1. But to this I Answer Thou speakest of Arrows that shall wound thee in thy name Oh but they are not worse than those which wounded Christ they wounded him in his name in his good name they reproached him and reviled him yet he cried out Father forgive them they are not sharper than those Arrows that David met with all over when his good name was wounded when Shimei cursed him he calls him a bloody man Come out thou bloody man here is a sharp Arrow Ay but David passeth by that wrong and injury in obedience to God Answ 2. And I desire thee in the second place to Consider that those Arrows are not shot without Gods hand the Lord hath a hand in it and therefore eye the hand of God If Gods hand had not been in it he could not have opened his mouth against him David considered that when Shimei cursed him saies he It may be God hath said unto him Go and curse David and so his spirit submits unto it Ay David considered it is a righteous thing with God for I have sinned against I have wounded the name of that Lord by my transgressions And therefore it is a righteous thing with the Lord that my name should be wounded with these Arrows Answ 3. And let me say further That as God hath a hand in it so the Lord might have shot worse Arrows against thee the Lord might have shot the arrows of his displeasure against thee the Lord hath shot with mans arrows upon thy name but what if the Lord doth shoot off his arrows upon thy spirit a wounded spirit who can bear And know if thy spirit be not brought off to pass by those wrongs and injuries which are done unto thy brother the Lord may wound thy spirit even as he suffers men to wound thy good name Object 3. But thirdly It will be objected further for it is a very hard thing to come up to this duty and there are many cavils and some will say The wrong which he hath done me it is known unto others If it were private I could pass it by But what will others think of me if I pass it by they will say I am guilty and I should be counted a Child or a Fool to pass by so many wrongs and such open wrongs and injuries Answ 1. I Answer Thou saiest thou shalt be counted a Child when Christ saith thou must be counted a Child Matth. 18. 3. If ever you will get to Heaven you must be converted and become as little Children do not stand upon that that you must be as a Child no thou must become a Child in these things or no entrance into Heaven as the Apostle said in 1 Cor. 14. 20. Brethren be not Children in understanding howbeit in malice be Children Be not Children in understanding unto God but unto men in malice be Children the Lord would have his people be as far from seeking revenge as a young Child In malice be as Children Answ 2. And whereas thou saiest Thou shalt be accounted a fool to put up every wrong and injury men will account thee a fool for thy labour I tell thee thou shalt be accounted a fool by none but those that are so themselves for the Lord doth account it a point of Wisdom high Wisdom see what the Proverbs of Solomon say Prov. 14. 29. He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding but he that is hasty in spirit exalteth folly See now who is a fool he that puts up wrong or he that is hasty in spirit to avenge himself The Word of the Lord saies He that is hasty in spirit he is the fool he that will prevent anger he that is slow to wrath he is of great understanding whatever men account of him in Prov. 19. 11. The discretion of a man deferreth his anger and it is his glory to pass over a transgression whereas thou saist it will be thy disgrace the Lord saies it shall be a mans glory to pass by wrongs and injuries Many a man whilst he seeks to shun the name of a fool he becomes a fool by giving way to wrath and being drawn on to wrath and revenge he becomes a fool think of it is it not better to be accounted a fool than to become a fool when anger lodgeth in the bosom of fools Object 4. Ay but it is further Objected Some will say I never did him wrong in my life he hath abused me so and so and I never did him the least wrong in all my daies here is a hard task Well in Answer to this Answ 1. First of all The Lord may say the same of thee if thou beest one that the Lord hath forgiven the Lord may say Oh I have done such a man good so and so and he hath rebelled and sinned so against me I say may not the Lord urge this against every one of us I have done this and that for him and I have never done him wrong yet he hath done thus to me notwithstanding which the Lord forgives those transgressions And let me say Answ 2. Further That this will be more praise-worthy and more acceptable
unto God in 1 Pet. 3. 17. It is better if the will of God be so that you suffer for well doing than for evil doing If you suffer as evil doers you will have little comfort in it but if suffering in well doing take it patiently and the more patiently you take it the more acceptable it will be unto the Lord. Object Ay but I have been a friend unto him thus will men stand to plead for their passions a hard matter it is to forgive I have been a friend unto this man I have done him good all my daies and yet he hath wronged me so and so nevertheless To which I say Answ 1. Thou hast the more cause to pity him if he be one that doth return evil unto thee for thy good thou hast the better end of the staff see what Solomon saies in Prov. 17. 13. Whoso rewardeth evil for good evil shall not depart from his house Mark here 's a sad threatening if thou remembrest this thou hast cause to pity thy brother that hath done wrong unto thee the Lord hath said it and thou hast cause to pity him Evil shall not depart from his house Again The Lord may Object against thee the Lord may say I have been a friend to thee and done thee good all thy daies and thou yet sinnest against me and if this be not any bar unto the Lord to shew forgiveness unto thee let not it be a bar to shew thy forgiveness unto thy brother Object Ay but he hath done me much wrong spoken evil of me in every company he comes in he hath wronged me after reconciliation and peace-making he hath done me much wrong this is a hard task Answ But let me say unto thee notwithstanding all this thou comest short of the rule of Christ thou hast forgiven often thou saist hast thou forgiven one Brother seven times why truly there are many that cannot say they have exceeded that But if thou hast forgiven seven times that is no great matter thou thinkest it much but Christ thinks it little Alas what is seven times to seventy times seven four hundred threescore and two times Which when done thou art but come up to the Letter of the Word Thou hast wronged the Lord in his Name thou hast sinned against God again and again thou hast wronged him in his Name and in his Glory many thousand times and yet that is no obstacle of the Lords mercy towards thee notwithstanding thine often renewed provocations Oh let not the often renewed provocations of thy brother hinder thee from thy forgiving him SERMON I. GEN. 5. 〈◊〉 And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him YOu have an History in this Chapter of the ten first Patriarchs from Adam unto Noah In every Age God had some to bear up his Name in the World and amongst those these ten Fathers were choice Pillars But here is something remarkably spoken of Enoch here was accounted more of him than all the rest Enoch walked with God and he was not He saith of all the rest they lived so long so many years and then they died but Enoch walked with God and he was not therefore we should consider who this Enoch was the New Testament bears witness of him and speaks of this Enoch as one that was a choice piece in his Generation the Apostle Jude tells you that he was a Prophet as you may read in that Epistle the 14 Verse Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesieth of thee saying Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute Judgement upon all c. Enoch the seventh from Adam so Jude describes him Some put a great deal in this mysterie The seventh from Adam and I think there was something in it as he was a Type of Christ he was a Type of that Christ that was to be the Rest of his people that was to give perpetual Rest everlasting rest unto his Sains his name Enoch signifies one that was dedicated or separated unto the Lord and so he was a Type of Christ that was chosen out among his Brethren and he was separated and dedicated unto the Lord He walked with God and so did Christ and therein he was a Type of him he was well pleasing unto God He had this Testimony saith the Apostle to the Hebrews he pleased God Heb. 11. 5 Christ was the object of the Fathers good pleasure in a special manner This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased But I rather think the Apostle intended no more than Enoch but only to distinguish him from another Enoch that was in that Generation as you may read of him in Gen. 4. 17. And Cain knew his wife and she conceived and bare Enoch and he builded a City and called the City after the Name of his son Enoch So this Enoch in Gen. 5. was a third from Adam for he was not the son of Cain but the son of Jared and of Adam's posterity by Seth and Rubin Cain he came of that seed that was given instead of Abel when Abel was slain God gave another seed instead of Abel and Enoch came of that seed The Church of Christ shall lose nothing by persecution if Abel be taken away by bloody hands the Lord will raise up another seed and Enoch a choice man is of that seed to hold up the name of God in the World When John Baptist was put in Prison Christ himself goes forth to Preach the Gospel the Church of Christ shall not lose by Persecution out of the very ashes of the Saints that are slain shall arise new ones men upon whom a double measure of the Spirit shall be given as it was to Elisha when Elias was taken away And this by the way Let us now more strictly consider what it is that is spoken of this Enoch There are two remarkable things the one is concerning his Life and the other concerning his Death Touching his Life it 's said that Enoch walked with God he walked with God nay through his whole life he walked with God so many years as he lived after he begat his first son three hundred years and upwards the Apostle to the Hebrews saith That he pleased God that is his walking with God in Heb. 11. 5. By Faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death before his translation it 's said He had this testimony that he pleased God at the latter end of the Verse He walked with God it was his constant aim to please God in all things he aimed at God in the whole course of his life He had this testimony that he pleased God he lived in Faith and Obedience and by Faith he pleased God For without Faith it 's said it 's impossible to please God He continually exercised Faith upon the promised Messiah that was to come he lived in expectation to see his day and he saw it before-hand as Abraham did by Faith and rejoiced and so he
in a corrupt time I say to practise those waies of holiness and righteousness and hold forth those graces which are contrary to the wickedness of the times and therefore it was Job's great commendation that he was upright that he was an upright man in a crooked Generation he lived amongst a crooked people And it was the great commendation of Noah that he practised righteousness it 's said he was a just man when the world was most unjust it 's said The earth was filled with violence there was no righteousness in Noah's daies and then Noah was a just man he was a lover of justice and righteousness he was a follower of it a pattern at that time when there was nothing but unjustness and violence in those times and thus to walk with God in a corrupt time is very pleasing and acceptable But again 3. Thirdly To walk with God in a corrupt time is then when the Servants of God shall stir up others to cleave close to God at that time this is part of their service at such time to endeavour to strengthen and to hold up the hands and the hearts of one another in declining and sinful times you may remember the place before Mal. 3. 16. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another when the time was woefully corrupt this was the service of that Generation then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another they spake words of encouragement to strengthen one another that they might not be dismayed that they might go on with boldness in professing the name and truth of Jesus Christ notwithstanding all opposition 4. Again Fourthly When the Saints shall Rest upon the promises of God which seem to be far off this is part of their walking with God in an evil time I say then to act faith in the promises which seem to be far off when you see nothing but corruption nothing but darkness yet even then to look to the promises of life and holiness and grace which shall be given out and shall be fulfilled when there is little or no knowledge of God then to close with the promise that the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea so the promise that God hath made to roul away the reproach of his servants when they meet with nothing but reproaches from men then to look upon the promise that he 'll roul away their reproach and cause their righteousness to break forth as the Sun at noon-day That 's another Again 5. Fifthly When they shall Vindicate the Providences of God though never so seemingly cross unto promises and so clear all dispensations of God both to the righteous and the wicked and though he suffer the righteous to be trodden under-foot yet they shall then vindicate God in his dispensations and say That the Lord is good and righteous and just and there 's no iniquity in him there 's a time a coming when he shall clear up this truth and they shall discern between the righteous and the wicked there 's a time a coming when it shall be said Verily there is a reward for the righteous there 's a reward for the just of the earth they shall vindicate the Providences of God in the face of the wicked Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints to execute Judgement upon all there 's a day of reckoning coming when the wicked shall pay for all this he resolves on and this is a second part of that service viz. what it is to walk with God in evil times But 3. Thirdly It 's exceeding pleasing to God that his Servants thus should walk and stick close to him in evil times I shall look no further than that of the Prophet Malachi Mal. 4. 16. which we before spake of Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard and then a Book of remembrance is set before them for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his Name You may see the Lord is exceeding intent upon his servants that walk close with him in evil times he doth eye them and his ear is towards them he listens to every word they speak They that feared the Lord spake often one to another and it 's said there The Lord hearkened and heard the Lord hearkened he did as if a man should listen to hear what his servants should say one unto another they had other listners it's like in that evil time the wicked hearkened and listned that they might trap them Ay but God listens for another end he hearkened and heard and a book of remembrance was written before them There 's another particular which doth declare how acceptable it is to God that they walk before him in evil times a book of remembrance is set before them while they speak God writes and takes notice of what they say A book of remembrance he writes a book of Chronicles that it may not be forgotten what they spake of God and one to another An allusion to the custom of Princes that they had their books in which they writ what any man did for them what good service they had done for the State as Mordecai's good service was written in a Book the King calls for the book in which the services of Mordecai were writ so the Lord looks in his Book a Book of remembrance was written But again Further A Book was written for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his name nothing that they did for God and spake of God and thought of God there 's nothing shall be lost it was an evil time and it may be they durst not speak all their thoughts yet all their good thoughts were taken notice of by the Lord they were not let go but set down in his book even their thoughts were written down God will write them that they shall not be forgotten Oh I remember the kindness of thy youth Jer. 2. 2. and the love of thy espousal when thou followedst me in the Wilderness to follow God alone in a Wilderness when there 's little or no company God takes this as a special respect and kindness But why does God take notice of his people in special who walk most close with him in evil times 1. First of all I Answer briefly It discovers that the very Life of God and Christ is in that soul God rejoices in the Image of his Life which he beholds in his Children it 's an argument that the Fish hath life when it swimms against the stream the dead Fish that 's carried down the stream it cannot make any resistance It 's an Argument the life of Christ is in that soul that is enabled to walk with God in evil times to go against the stream of corruption and looseness 2. Secondly Again As it is an Argument of Life so it 's an Argument of Strength that soul hath got much strength from God
temptations Behold I appoint unto you a Kingdom this was kindly taken they did not only follow Christ but they continued with him when under temptation and when he was persecuted you that continued with me in my temptation and tribulation I appoint to you a Kingdom The Lord saies of you that are followers of him in evil times that bear up against the stream These are they that have continued with me faithful and I 'le not forget them thou hast kept to me in the hour of my patience and I 'le keep thee in the hour of temptation that is coming upon the World SERMON IV. GEN. 5. 24. And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him I Have already dispatcht three Points which were needful to be considered before we come to the main the last time we considered what an evil time it was that Enoch lived in the earth being so corrupt as it appears by that Prophecie of Jude that the time of Enoch was an evil time but notwithstanding the corruption of the time Enoch walked with God The Lord takes it exceeding kindly when his people walk close with him in evil times But I shall further Consider what lies in the Text Enoch walked with God Here is nothing taken notice of but his walking with God he was an excellent Prophet as the Apostle Jude doth witness Enoch the seventh from Adam Prophesied he was one that did a great deal for God he preached faithfully unto the men of his Generation but there 's nothing said of him but this He walked with God he lived so long and he walked with God Observation Observe then That it 's the highest excellency of a Creature to walk with God For this is the greatest commendation that can be given of a man or woman that they are such as walk with God in their Generation Here I shall shew you First What it is to walk with God And Secondly That this is the excellency of any man or woman And Thirdly Wherein this excellency lies which will make way for the Application Our first work is to Consider What it is to walk with God the way of a Christians walking with God is either Internal or External Internal is the way of his spirit the way of his heart which is hid from the world External is the way of his Conversation We shall now consider the former only What is this Internal way the way of the spirit the way of the heart in walking with God First of all Faith is the beginning of this way I say Faith in God and Christ and the Promises is the beginning of this way for the Apostle saies We walk by Faith 2 Cor. 5. 7. And the Apostle to the Hebrews tells us expresly That Enoch walked with God by Faith Heb. 11. 5 6. it 's said By Faith Enoch was translated and was not yet before he was translated he pleased God where he holds forth to us that Enoch lived and died in faith and this was his first step and this is the beginning of a Christians way in walking with God he begins in Faith 'T is not possible that two should walk together unless they be agreed so saies the Prophet Amos Amos 3. 3. Can two walk together except they be agreed It 's not possible till Faith close with Christ there 's no Agreement it 's faith that makes our reconciliation and makes over this agreement to the soul and therefore no walking with God before this agreement it 's not possible for an Unbeliever to walk with God Faith is the beginning of this way for the soul is filled with slavish fear and it dares not come to God it dares not walk with him it dares not come nigh him till such time as faith doth discover the grace love and bowels of compassion that are in the heart of God it runs away from God the creature runs from God as Adam did God walked in the Garden and he called for Adam to walk with him but he durst not the guilt of his transgression was upon him and he hid himself among the Bushes in the Garden Poor creatures they run not only into the bushes of the Garden but into the bushes of the Wilderness they would hide themselves in the Thickets of their own righteousness in Bryars and Thorns rather than come in and submit to God again There 's not only pride of heart but there 's enmity enmity against God The fool hath said in his heart There is no God he wishes there were no God that he might still be without controul and give no account of his actions there 's enmity in the heart and this slavish fear and enmity remains till such time as God discovers it and roots it out by faith and faith discovers the tender bowels love and compassions that are in God towards it through Jesus Christ so that as the soul goes on in believing so it goes on in walking with God A Christians Exercise of faith is the acting of faith and exercising of faith every day on the promises is a great part of his daily walking with God for he that walks with God acts faith in all conditions he runs to the Promise when the guilt of sin revives he runs to the Fountain set open for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in and he rouls upon the Promise Lord thou hast promised to blot out my transgressions like a thick Cloud and so when he wants holiness when corruption prevails he runs to the promise Lord thou hast said sin shall not have Dominion over me thou hast said If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin dead to sin and so in time of temptation he runs to the Promise Lord thou hast said that such of thy servants as walk in darkness and see no light should trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon their God and thou hast said No temptation shall be a burden beyond their strength And so in all streights and afflictions it runs to the Promise Lord thou hast said That all things shall work together for good to them who love and fear thee In a word This is to walk with God when the soul shall rest upon the Promise for all supplies both for this life and that which is to come when he shall trust the Lord for provision in the way and trust him for an Inheritance in the end of the way he shall say Lord thou hast given me the Word of thy grace and I 'le venture my soul upon it though it be for eternity I 'le venture upon thy Word if I perish I perish if God can deceive me I am willing to be deceived Thus doth faith put the soul into a capacity and posture of walking with God it puts the soul in a posture of walking hand in hand with God as a man with his friend it puts the soul into the best posture of walking with God and that is into a posture of leaning and staying
upon him as it walks with him It 's said that the Spouse as she came out of the Wilderness She came leaning upon her Beloved The Lord knows his poor servants are not able to walk with him in the Wilderness unless they lean upon him and they can't set one step forward unless they lean upon him and therefore he hath given them himself his son and his sons name his Word to stay and lean upon in the Wilderness and this is the beginning of all their walking with God That 's the first particular Again 2. Secondly To walk with God is to Bow the spirit unto God this is another part of the Internal walking with God I say when the spirit bows unto God when the powers of the soul are over-powered by the Spirit of Christ to submit unto him for the very powers of the soul are resigned up to Christ when the soul gives him the chief place in the heart and desires that God may be set up in the very excellencies of the spirit it can't be content unless God have that strong hold unless he gain the inward-most Tower and Castle the very heart and spirit which he desires may bow to God when it is not content to give him the service of the outward man but desires to serve him in spirit also and therefore does cry out of those inward lusts that defile the soul and do hinder it from acting towards God though others though standers by look upon such a soul and see that God hath done a great deal for it yet he can't be satisfied so long as there are any risings in the inward man any rebellious lusts in the heart that do rise up against God it desires that the Word of the Lord may bring down every Towery imagination and that it might lead every thought into Captivity unto Jesus Christ when the soul makes it his work thus to bow the spirit the inward man unto Christ to serve him in spirit to give him the choice the excellency of the affections and the highest place in the soul and is never quiet till every base lust be cast out of that inward Castle and Tower this is another part of that Internal walking with God 3. Thirdly when the soul is carried out with strong desires after the enjoyment of the presence of God when the soul delights in the presence of God and is carried out with strong desires after further and further injoyment of God this is a part of the souls walking with him when it can't take up in any thing short of God Creatures and Ordinances can't satisfie if it don't meet with God in them and therefore it desires to use all creatures for that end that he may see God in them and glorifie God for them and be led unto God by them that still he may come nearer unto God whom to enjoy is his happiness and so for Ordinances he uses them all for that end that he may get nigher God and enjoy more of the presence of God and therefore he will wait upon the dispensation of the Word because God hath promised to be there and therefore he will walk with the Saints of God because Christ hath promised to walk in the midst of the golden Candlesticks for there he expects to meet him and desires to enjoy much of God and Christ I say when the soul thus enjoies much of God it 's a great part of its walking with him and therefore when God stands at a distance and hides his face it goes up and down lamenting Oh this is the greatest perplexity in the world for God to turn away and hide his face and to lead him into a poor dark condition Oh Lord turn again saies he let me see thy face though he chide him better than not to see his face or hear his voice at all and therefore its desires are vehement when God seems to exempt himself Therefore David breaths after God in Psal 42. 1 2. As the Hart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God As the Hart breaths after the water brooks Oh it is a mighty desire that the poor chased hunted bleeding Hart has after the water brooks and such is Davids desire after God Oh when shall I come and appear before God It 's also exprest in Isa 26. 9. My soul sought after God in the night season saies the Church there with my spirit within me will I seek thee early it 's a very Emphatical expression with my spirit within me will I seek thee early Well this is another part a third step of the souls walking with God 4. Fourthly Again When the soul is filled with mighty desires of being made like unto God his desires are continually extended this way in being made like unto God it looks upon it as his glory as his happiness It 's the greatest part of the glory of heaven to be made like unto God and therefore the Apostle cries out so much of the old man and of the body of sin and death and desires so much to be satisfied and filled with the likeness of God he looks upon Christ for this end and beholds the glory of God in Christ and he looks wistly and would alwaies be looking upon Christ that so he might be changed from glory to glory even by the Spirit of the Lord. His desires are mightily carried out in being made like unto Christ and he looks upon the promises for this end that they may purge sanctifie and cleanse from all pollution both of flesh and spirit the spirit of God shining in them and through them it might convey more of the divine nature to them That 's another part of his walking with God Again 5. Fifthly When the soul is desirous to embrace all the motions of the Spirit of Christ I say it 's desirous to embrace all the motions of the Spirit of Christ and to walk up to them and to improve them Oh that sentence is writ upon the soul He that hath an ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit speaks and therefore the soul is attentive and is intent upon God for this very end That he may know the mind of God and not lose its opportunity that it may hear when the Spirit calls and saies Come away There 's a great deal in this this is that which conduces unto a Christians peace exceeding much the knowing and improving such opportunities of Christs speaking in his heart conduces to his peace and growth and to his usefulness and serviceableness in those seasons and opportunities when the Spirit of Christ as I may say with holy reverence whispers in the soul when the Spirit of Christ saies Here 's an opportunity of doing good to the soul or to the body of a poor creature Oh how is then the heart drawn out amain to lay out himself for God his
strength for God and to lay forth his Estate for God And he saies as Christ said Loe I come Here 's an opportunity for service why then Loe I come to do thy Will O God the embracing I say and cherishing those motions of the Spirit of God which he is pleased to hint in the souls of his people is another part of their walking with him Again 6. Sixthly In the next place That soul walks with God when it sets it self in the eye of God when it eyes God continually and sets it self in the eye of God in the presence of God this is a main part of his walking with God when a man shall do all that he doth as in the presence of God every action that though it concerns man and his outward calling yet he desires to do all as in the presence of God And therefore he doth not only look to a duty but he looks to the manner of the performance of every duty because the holy pure and piercing eye of God is upon him he looks to the manner how it 's carried on and forth what spirit is in it because he knows that the eye of God is piercing it 's a flame of fire and he doth all as in the presence of God and unto God in his serving of man he doth it as unto the Lord he hath a higher end than the men in the world have who know no other end than to gain riches and honour or the like but there 's a further and higher end that he may lift up the name of God and serve God in serving of man that he may serve his Generation according to the Will of God I say when the soul is thus alwaies under the eye of God and therefore is faithful whether man see or no though there is no eye to witness no eye to over-look yet it knows that it 's in the presence of God for though he don't so see the transgression of his people as to cast them off yet he may see that which may be matter of sore displeasure and grief and therefore this is that which is as a bridle and a bit over all his waies that it is in the presence of God Again 7. Seventhly In the next place The soul walks with God when he is desirous to embrace every truth that God shall impart when it opens to truth this is another part of the souls internal walking with God when it opens to truth to every truth which the embracing and professing of may cost him dear being opposed in the world it matters not if you be perswaded it 's the truth of Christ it 's enough it trusts God for the rest oh it 's greedy after truth that soul that walks with God oh how fearful is it lest it should not embrace truth Oh how fearful is it lest it should be left behind when God advances his truth in the world and when truth is advanced Oh how fearful is it to be left behind Though it would not set a step until God goes before and it would not hear the voice of a stranger yet it would not be shut up from the voice of Christ therefore it 's fear is to be left behind and desires that God would take it along when he discovers truths unto a Saint even the truth of the age and the truth of the Generation in which he lives that 's another part of the souls walking with God Again 8. In the Eighth place The Soul walks with God when it can justifie the Word of God justifie the Word of God though the Word condemn him in his practices yet he will justifie the Word of God though the Word be high holy and spiritual and he sees he is a poor creature and can't come up to it yet he won't despise nor hate the Word but loves justifies and blesses God for it so the Apostle in Rom. 7. 12. Wherefore the Law is holy saies he and the Commandment is holy just and good Again in the 13 Verse Was then that which was good made death to me God forbid But sin that it might appear sin working death in me by that which is good that sin by the Commandment might become exceeding sinful And again in the 16 Verse If then I do that which I would not I consent unto the Law that it is good Though I do the things that I would not yet saies he I love the Law and delight in it in the inward man this is a main part of the spirits and souls walking with God when it can thus justifie and clear the Word and though the Word of the Lord cross him yet it gets to the Word of the Lord and though he can't come up to it yet it blesses the Word that 's holy and good though I be carnal though I be sold under sin it justifies the Word 9. Again In the Ninth place He will Justifie God that 's another part of his walking he will justifie God and clear God in all his proceedings though God go against his comforts and smite them as he did Job yet still he 'll walk and go along with God and clear and justifie God In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly the Lord gives and the Lord takes and blessed be his name Still he will justifie God though he can't see a reason of Gods proceedings yet still he will justifie God though he do him wrong yet God is holy righteous and merciful and this is another part of the souls internal walking with God Again 10. In the Tenth and last place to name no more The soul then walks with God When it is taken up with higher things than the things of this World It desires to look up to higher things than the things of the world and greater things than the world is able to present and therefore would not have the world for its portion at no rate he can't take up there no he hath higher things to fix his heart upon the worldlings spend their time and meditations upon their Silver and Gold upon their Houses and Land but a gracious heart will not spend many of his thoughts upon these it will not spend the best of his thoughts upon these but saies to his soul as Solomon's Mother said to him Prov. 31. 2. Oh my son give not thy strength to women c. and so saies he Oh my soul give not thy strength to the things of this world give not the strength of thy heart and affections to these poor low things thou hast better things to spend thy strength upon there 's God and Christ there 's a Kingdom there 's the Pearl of great price there 's an Inheritance there 's an Eternity there 's an everlasting enjoyment of God these things art thou to be taken up with these things doth he desire to spend the best of his strength and thoughts upon You see my Brethren in part what it is to walk with God this is the
internal way the way of the spirit the way of the heart in walking with God this the Lord will have laid before you as your duty and although you see you come infinitely short of it as all Christians may see how they come short of it yet the Lord will have this truth discovered and this way laid before us though we come infinitely short and turn aside in our walkings with God yet be justifying of him and vindicating of his Word and say Blessed be thy name and the word of thy grace which thou hast made known unto us and see that ye walk humbly wherein you come short and get out of your selves more unto Christ that he may give you strength to walk with him So much for this time SERMON V. GEN. 5. 24. And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him I Have handled divers Propositions we are now come to the main It 's the greatest commendation that can be given to a man or woman that they are such as walk with God in their Generation it is the excellency of the creature upon earth to walk with God I shall come to the Second Part And that is the Christians External walking with God To shew what is this external walking with God It is either in its general or particular calling Or he walks with God First In those things that do more nearly concern God himself And Secondly He walks with God in the waies of his Calling and Employment in the World And Thirdly He walks with God in the several Relations that God hath placed him in To speak to the first of these And a Christian then walks with God 1. First of all When he walks by rule this is the first step of his acceptable walking with God I say when he walks by rule he knows that his heart is ready to go aside to decline from truth and righteousness and therefore he continually looks back for a rule to walk by lest he turn aside he knows that he is a creature and his dependance is on God and that the creature must walk by rule that the Creator gives forth he knows that whatsoever is without rule is an abomination unto the Lord though it may seem never so good never so specious to the eye yet if there be not a rule for it it 's an abomination unto the Lord and God saies Who hath required this at your hand as in Hos 8. 14. For Israel hath forgotten his maker and builded Temples and Judah hath multiplied fenced Cities but I will send a Fire upon his Cities and it shall devour the places thereof One would have thought this had been no forgetting of God to build Temples unto God and yet see how the spirit of God doth Interpret it Israel hath built Temples and therefore hath forgotten his maker they did it in remembrance of God but God bid him not do it and therefore he had no rule no command from God nay God commands that there should be but one Temple and for them to multiply Temples for their own devotion this was besides Gods rule and therefore God did not approve of it Now he that walks with God walks by rule and he that walks by rule hath this only rule as that which is revealed in his Word as the Sun when it shines upon the Dial it directs a rule for you to walk by There are corrupt rules in times past ye walked according to the common course of the world they walked by rule but it was a wicked rule not of Gods making they walked according to the common course of the world some men walk by the Example of others they make that their rule the example of the multitude great men and such as are counted wise learned judicious and prudent men and the like but this is a walking according to the course of the world some make their own wills and lusts their rule whatsoever seems good in their own eyes a rule to walk by but he that walks with God walks by no other rule than the rule of the Word and therefore he stands in the way and enquires he enquires for the way as God commanded the Prophet Jeremiah Jer. 6. 16. saying Stand ye in the waies and see and ask for the old Paths where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your souls he bids them stand in the way and enquire for the good old way and he enquired at the mouth of God So did David in all his Enterprises he takes God along with him in 2 Sam. 1. 1. Shall I go up and fight against this people Shall I go up he enquires of the Lord his recourse is to God continually Shall I go up or not Lord shall I take such a course Shall I take upon me such an Imployment Shall I enter into such a relation What is the mind of God shall I go or shall I not go up And when the Will of God is cleared up to him he rests satisfied he cares for no more he knows it's good to take God along with him he would not go without God nor take any thing in hand without God and therefore he continually looks up to him for grace That 's the first part or first step he walks by rule Again 2. Secondly No opposition no difficulty in his way no sad event can turn him aside from doing his duty this is another part of the Character of him that walks with God I say when his duty is revealed to him and made known by the Word there 's no difficulty no discouragement can turn him aside or cause him to desist from that which is his duty though he meet with discouragements from within and from without even his own bowels rise up against him the corruptions that are within him do oppose the work of the Lord in the performance of his duty his unbelieving heart tells him he had as good desist and give over he shall never prevail nor do good on 't nor be a proficient in the way of God notwithstanding his discouragements he looks upon the strength of Christ and goes on Sometimes the Devil sets upon him temptation doth back corruption and he meets with many a storm to blow him back again from following after God but he looks to the promise and goes on The God of Peace shall tread down Satan shortly he looks to Jesus who was tempted and is able to succour those that are tempted and therefore still he goes on Sometimes he meets with discouragements from the world there are reproaches cast in the way slanders cast in the way Persecutions many times lie in the way Ay but still he goes on and remembers that the Lord Jesus himself went through this way and remembers that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must walk through this way believes that there is a time when God will roul away all the reproaches of his servants and therefore notwithstanding
all opposition goes on not looking to the event such a duty may cost him his liberty and life but he looks whether it be his duty and considers not the event he will trust God for it So did the three Children in Dan. 3. when the King threatens to cast them into the Fiery Furnace the 15 16 17 Verses say they Oh King we are not careful to answer thee in this matter our God whom we serve is able to deliver us however we will not worship thine Image he looks I say to his duty that walks with God and trusts him for the event nay though friends be against him which is very sad sometimes by their perswasions sometimes by their frowns and threatnings it 's a great temptation Ay but still he goes on So did Paul in Acts 21. 13. you shall see there when they would have disswaded him from his duty because of danger that was in his way Why saies he there why what do you mean to weep and to break my heart I am ready not only to be bound but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus What do you mean to weep and break my heart there 's no sad event can discourage me from that which is revealed to me to be my duty nay God himself when he seems to break him and to turn against him to smite him in his body and estate and Children though the hand of the Lord seems to be gone out against him yet he will not desist from walking with God Psal 44. 17. see what they say there All this is come upon us yet have not we forsaken thee nor dealt falsely in thy Covenant and therefore he follows God in the Wilderness when he is left destitute of all creature comforts so did Israel in Jer. 2. 2. I remember the kindness of thy youth when thou didst follow me in the Wilderness in a Land that was not sown David was still carried after God though he was in a Land where no water is My soul breaths after thee O Lord in a dry and thirsty Land where no water is when God and the creature stand in competition he falls on Gods side and when he and the creature must part he chooses to follow God though he follows him naked though naked of all outward comforts yea and God shall not have the less of him though he takes away all his comforts he shall not have the less love nor the less service nor the less praise though God strips him naked of all this shall be no discouragement and thus it was with Job Job 1. the latter end when all was taken from him he blesses the name of the Lord The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away and blessed be the name of the Lord in all this Job sinned not This is another part of his walking with God there is no opposition no discouragement that he meets withal can turn him back to decline his duty Again 3. Thirdly He that walks with God labours to do some singular thing for God his desire is to hold forth much of him much of God in his conversation to do some singular thing for God he knows that he hath set him in the world for this end To bear up the name and honour of God in the world that God hath poured his Spirit upon him for this end that so in the light of God he might shine and shine gloriously in a dark world and therefore he desires to do something singular for God because he hath done singular things for him as thus his desires his endeavours are to promote the cause of God in the world to help forward the service of his Generation to be instrumental to the Lord if the Lord please to employ him for the helping forward of the great work in his Generation wherein God hath cast him he is willing also to lay down himself and his comforts at the foot-stool of God this is a singular thing I say to give up all to God whatsoever he hath he is willing that the Lord should take him his comforts his gifts his riches and whatsoever he hath and improve it for his own honour that if the Lord should say it 's mine if God should call for it if it shall be said the Lord has need of it he resigns it he is presently willing to let it go though it be a comfort never so dear to him he counts it an honour if God will take him and his and whatsoever he is and hath that God may improve him and his for his honour he desires to lie low before him even in the dust Yea to follow Gospel Precepts is another thing which is required as to love enemies this also he desires to do these are singular things to pray for them that persecute to requite evil with good to forgive wrongs and injuries though thy brother offend seventy times seven in a day yet if he comes and saies it repents me that I have done thee wrong these are Gospel Precepts that are hard to flesh and blood but he that walks with God desires to follow him even in this command also That 's the third part of this character of him that walks with God 4. Fourthly He desires to yield obedience unto every Commandment I say he desires to yield obedience to every Commandment of the Lord there 's no jot no tittle of the Word of the Lord but is precious to him and therefore he hath no reservation to himself he doth not say I 'le do any other but this I 'le obey any Commandment but such a Precept I can't walk in such a way with God though it be cleared up to be a duty but he that walks with God yields Universal obedience he will not indent with God no reservation to himself no exemption from any Word or Law of God he saies not as Nahaman God be merciful to me in this no he desires to yield universal obedience though he sees he comes short of his desires and his obedience is scant so that he dares not rely upon his obedience he dares not trust to his obedience to be justified by it yet it is his desire to come off in all things and he hath no reservation to himself to say if I embrace such a truth and walk in such a way with God it won't stand with my credit I shall lose my friends my name my esteem in the world my custom or trade and the like I say he that walks with God hath no such reservation That 's a fourth Again 5. Fifthly He that walk with God will hold fast his profession though all the world forsake him though he be left alone or though there be a very few that walk with him so did Elijah Lord they have killed thy Prophets said he and I am left alone and they seek my life and yet Elijah did not forsake the truth nor let go his profession for he knows that there 's a
Promise that God will be with him God hath promised to be with him and the presence of God is instead of all creatures and he shall have no cause to complain that he is alone so long as the Lord is with him he also considers that there 's a time when multitudes shall be given in to Christ and therefore he is not discouraged though there be but few for the present he looks to the promise and there he sees much cheerfulness there is a promise that they shall flow as Doves to the windows it 's said that a little one shall become a thousand and a small one shall become a great Nation the Lord hath said there shall be thousands where there is but one and a little flock shall become a multitude the Lord hath spoken it and he will hasten it in his time and therefore though for the present he sees but few that walk with him whilst he walks with God yet he is not discouraged But again in the 6. Sixth place He that walks with God is gracious and conscientious in his duty in private as well as publick this is another part of his character I say he is kept in his duty in private as well as in publick he dare not be remiss though no eye see him though there 's none in the world to take notice of it he knows he is in the eye of the Lord and what he doth is unto the Lord and therefore he doth it even with all his might There are some in the world that make a fair shew before men and in the mean time they care not what they are in secret zealous before the world Jehu like Come and see my zeal but cold and remiss in secret and so will give fair words before men good words when there are witnesses but when they are in secret and in private in their Families and the like they care not what rage they go in and how they play the Tyrants But now he that walks with God is as careful of his duty in private as in publick If it be his duty to give Alms he 'll give as much where there is no witness to take notice as if there were a thousand eyes before him as before God and his own soul he dare not be remiss there if remissness steal in upon him it is his burden and he is never satisfied till his soul be brought into such a frame to be as conscientious of that duty which he owes to God in secret and private as of those duties which the world takes notice of 7. But again Seventhly He that walks with God is careful to use all means by which he may get nigher God and to shun all occasions of sin which set the soul at a distance from God I say it desires to use all means that are of Gods appointment for getting nigher unto God he will wait upon God in every Ordinance and Administration of the Word and seals in reading and prayer in communion and fellowship he willingly neglects no duty they are the Institutions of Jesus Christ he looks upon them all as so many Conduit Pipes by which the Lord conveys himself unto his people they are golden pipes through which the Lord pours abundance of golden oyl into the souls of those that wait for him he looks upon the Promise that is annexed to them that God has promised to be there and to make them blessings to his people he therefore will wait upon God in them though it may be for the present he don't find those In-comes of grace and strength which his soul longs after though it may be he can't sometimes relish the Ordinance and taste sweetness in it yet still he looks upon it as the Institution of Jesus Christ and dares not turn his back on it he 'll rather accuse himself his own deadness and unbelieving heart and straitness he will not accuse Christ and the Ordinance of emptiness for he knows Christ hath blessed it and his people have found sweetness in it it 's the way in which Christ hath promised to walk and therefore he will go and lie in the way he 'll go and climb upon the Sycamore Tree as Zacheus did he 'll climb up on every ordinance if at any time he may see the face of God if he may see Christ passing by for his satisfaction he uses all means and Ordinances that are of Christs Institution which may be helps to him in his way to Christ and shuns all occasions to sin all provocations unto lust he dare not meddle with sin no not with the least sin he knows that sin is a most woful deceiver if he have but the least countenance he soon winds himself into the soul and it 's hard to wind him out when he hath got himself in he knows that there 's a woful corrupt heart within and that its natural disposition is like to dry Tinder and is ready to receive every spark of temptation that the Devil is like to strike in and if a spark falls in how soon it arises to a flame and how hard it is to quench it and therefore how doth he rise against sin and the occasions of sin he is afraid of those things which other men count niceties and punctilio's and the like or they may go under the colour of lawfulness Ay but he is fearful of it he knows that the least sin cost blood the blood of the Son of God and the guilt of the least transgression can't be wash'd away without the blood of the Son of God it will cost blood to wash away the least sin as well as the greatest and therefore he dare not be bold to meddle with the least sin but he shuns the very occasions and provocations unto sin That 's the seventh 8. Eighthly He approves of and desires to walk in the strictest way This is another part of his Character he that walks with God approves of and desires to walk in the strictest way he knows it's a great journey and he had need take the straightest line he is willing to engage himself in the strictest way if any way hold forth more of God and Christ if any way be more opposite to flesh and blood if any way be a further ingagement to him to keep close to God and bind up his heart that it may not so start aside he is willing to walk with God even in that way there he knows that that 's the rule Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect perfection is in his eye and therefore he knows he can never be be too strict too holy walk too close with God get too nigh God nor do too much for God this he laies down as a principle Some measure of holiness and of strictness many of the world will approve of but to be so strict is to be too imprudent in their account but I say he that walks with God knows that his engagements are such as
reads and when he prays and when he hears most men confess then they have to do with God but he that walks with God knows he hath to do with God when he is in his Calling and therefore he takes that Counsel which is given him by the Apostle in 1 Cor. 7. 31. And they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of the world passes away He uses the world as if he used it not because he knows he hath to do with God in the things of the world Now he hath to do for God and doth all for the Lord First As he sees there 's a trust committed to him from God and this is an engagement to faithfulness his Calling is a Talent it 's one of the Talents that God hath given him and therefore it 's a trust that lies upon him and therefore this is an engagement to faithfulness yea and he looks upon himself as one that is to be accountable to God how he hath carried himself not only in the waies of Gods worship but how he hath carried himself in his Calling with what faithfulness he hath performed the works of it thus he eyes God in it and he doth it as unto the Lord as he makes God the great end of all that he doth thus he performs the work of his Calling as in it he makes God the great and last end It 's true there are other subordinate ends which he looks at and he may even when he is industrious in his Calling as to gain a comfortable subsistance for himself and his family and that he may give to others as need be and the like but the main end is for the glory of God that God may serve himself of him that God may improve him and that he may be an Instrument of much good in his place and Generation and truly where men don't propound this and make God the great end there must needs be woful miscarriages in all that they take in hand when men know no other end but to gain the world and heap up riches and to build their Nests on high and the like when this is the only end that they propound in the work of their Calling it 's the way to all injustice violence fraud and deceit and forgetfulness of God and a whole flood of iniquity comes in but he that walks with God his aim is that God may have glory and that he may be the great and last end and therefore though he doth not gain much in the obtaining of those subordinate ends yet he is faithful in his Calling he goes on in obedience to Gods command and to be faithful to his Generation That 's a second particular he that walks with God in his Calling doth all as unto the Lord he is the last end he looks at 3. But again Thirdly He desires to be holy and spiritually minded whilst he is in his outward employment that 's another part of his walking with God he desires to be holy in the midst of the world and therefore it is that he takes that Counsel that the Apostle gives in 1 Cor. 7. 31. To use the world as not abusing it because the time is short and the fashion of the world passeth away he bewails nothing more than a carnal heart whilst he is in the world it 's death to him it 's worse than death To be spiritually minded is life and peace but to be carnally minded is death therefore he looks upon that Scripture with joy that doth prophesie of holiness abundance of holiness that shall be given out in that day in Zach. 14. 20. In that day there shall be holiness unto the Lord upon the Bells of Horses he looks upon that Scripture and his heart doth close with it as a gracious promise he prays for the accomplishment of it his heart leaps within him to think that there is a time coming when there shall be holiness to the Lord in the conversations of all his people in their employments that though their hands be put to the things of the world yet their hearts shall be up their hearts shall be breathing after God the heart shall be conversing with Christ he knows that his Calling was made for him and not he for his Calling it was made to be subservient to his best good to be a servant to him not to be his Master and therefore still he desires to keep his heart free for God he knows that if he make a God of the world the world will make a slave of him and therefore he desires to walk as one that Christ hath made free and still his heart is breathing and thirsting after God whilst he is in the midst of worldly Employments That 's a Third 4. Again Fourthly He that walks with God in his Calling is careful to sanctifie all by the Word and Prayer so saies the Apostle in 1 Tim. 4. 5. All things are sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer he knows that there 's a Curse upon the whole Creation sin hath brought a curse upon every creature there 's a curse upon every way of man there 's a curse and a snare in every Calling in every Employment that man sets his hand unto and therefore it is his desire that all may be sanctified unto him he knows that the creature is not comfortable no condition comfortable unless God be kept close to the creature and therefore he looks up continually to God for his blessing that all may be sanctified to him he knows that the earth can bring forth nothing but Bryars and Thorns it 's the curse of the world and so it 's the curse of every condition that though he plough and sow and though he labour with never so much industry his Calling brings forth nothing but Bryars and Thorns he meets with nothing but vanity and vexation crosses and molestations and that which is worst of all he is not able to bear them therefore he desires that all may be sanctified unto him by Word and Prayer he knows that it 's not the industry of man that makes rich it 's not the blessing of the hand unless the Word of God goes along with it in all his waies to take God along that so he may have the blessing of the Lord upon the works and labours of his hand That 's a fourth Again 5. Fifthly He is careful that the world and his outward employments don't justle out the things of God This is another part of his walking with God in his Calling he knows the things of God are of greatest concernment his Calling and the things of this world are but for a time for this moment whilst he is travelling over the bridge to Eternity and therefore he knows he shall wrong his own soul if the cares of the world and the things of the world and over-eager pursuit after the world should hinder him in his pursuit after God and Christ He looks upon that as
good counsel which Christ gives in Matth. 5. saies he there Seek the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof in the first place and all things shall be added Let the things of God have the preheminence he gives them the precedency in his heart and affections in his practice and pursuit still the Kingdom of God and the righteousness of it is sought in the first place therefore he desires to set up God above the world and saies Lord sit thou here sit thou here in the highest place sit thou in my heart in the excellency of my spirit let the things of God have the precedency and as for the world Thou world sit thou at my foot-stool he saies to the world as Abraham said to his Servants in Gen. 22. 5. when he went to sacrifice his son Isaac he saies to the young men Stand you here and I and the Lad will go up to the Mount and worship and thus saies the heart to the world World stand thou here Calling Employment stand thou here till I go up yonder and worship till I go and converse with God and behold the face of Christ stay thou here in the Valley till I go up to the Mount and worship for he gives the things of God and Christ the precedency because he knows they abide for ever the Word of the Lord that abides for ever and so the love of God and Christ abide for ever and communion with God and Christ endures for ever the Image of Christ upon his soul endures for ever he therefore gives these the precedency in his affections and in his pursuit therefore it is that he is not willing to grasp too much of the world he is fearful to grasp too much of the world to have more of the world than he knows how to manage with the performance of his duty to God he is fearful I say that the world should justle out his betters and therefore will not grasp too much of the world and is careful so to order the things of the world as that he may gain time to seek after the great things of God and Christ That 's a Fifth particular Again 6. Sixthly He that walks with God in his Calling lives by Faith he lives by faith whilst he works in his Calling he doth not only live by faith for the things of heaven he doth not only exercise faith for the blessings of the world to come but he lives by faith in his Calling and therefore he goes on chearfully he knows his person and his works are accepted whatsover his work is though never so mean it 's accepted and all his labours and faithfulness in his Calling are accepted he exercises his faith for the covering of his infirmities he knows that he is subject to dishonour God continually there 's much weakness doth escape from him whilst he is in the world and therefore he exercises his faith for the covering of those infirmities he lives by faith for the protection of God in his Calling thus he lives by faith he knows there 's a promise and he lives upon it He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy waies that thou dash not thy foot against a stone In all thy waies in every good and lawful way in thy Calling there is a promise of protection and he lives by faith upon this promise And there is a promise of blessing also Blessed art thou coming in and blessed art thou going out and he exercises faith in that promise also That 's another part of his walking with God But again 7. Seventhly He is careful to avoid those stumbling blocks and snares that might endanger him in his walking with God that 's another part of his walking with God It 's commendable for men to be industrious in their Calling but how many stumbling-blocks on the right-hand and on the left that men dash against and so lose all their industry and diligence by dashing against those stumbling blocks One stumbles at self-end self-seeking he propounds himself only and his own good and therefore he loses all others meet with other snares and fall into them deceit cozenage and falshood some are over-eager in their pursuit after the world and others stumble at the stone of Slothfulness and Idleness it 's hard to walk in a middle way but he that walks with God knows that there 's a snare in every condition and therefore he is watchful against those snares Every Calling every Employment hath some special snares and stumbling-blocks men that are employed about high things great matters they meet with one kind of snare men in low conditions meet with another kind of snare every high condition and every low condition hath its snares and therefore he is careful to observe what estate and what the calling and condition in that estate that he is in doth most expose him unto and he is careful in watching against those snares therein 8. Eighthly Again In the last place He abides with God in his Calling that 's another part of those that walk with God he abides with God in his Calling the Apostle gives that counsel in 1 Cor. 7. about the 15 or 16 Verses That every one should abide in the Calling that God hath set them in and this counsel he labours to walk up unto he is content in the place God hath set him or submits unto it with contentation and therefore he abides in the way that God hath set him in The Apostle doth not mean that it is not lawful for a man to change his Calling for certainly that may be done upon occasion the Merchant may turn Husbandman or the Husbandman may turn Merchant if he sees occasion for it but God would have his people to abide in their Callings not rashly to change them but to see God in them and submit thereunto with content Thus you see what that man is that walks with God if you follow him in his ordinary works and employments you shall find him such in the waies of his Calling and therefore oh that you would look up to the Lord to make this truth practical to you Truly these are high lessons but they are such as every gracious heart is breathing after and following hard unto and bewails wherein it comes short I say this is or should be found in every gracious heart therefore look unto God that he may make you such whilst you walk in your Callings Oh it were a blessed time Brethren if all your hearts were brought up to this thus to walk with God as you have heard in your Callings we should soon see the new heavens that is spoken of God hath promised to create new heavens and new earth if mens hearts were once set to walk thus with God in his waies and in their employments we should soon see new earth men must be new new hearts new conversations first new men and then a new world look up to the Lord to make
you thus faithful in your Callings it 's the main thing that God looks after faithfulness walking with him whilst we are performing the works of our Calling it 's not so much the Calling that God regards but your faithfulness in it let the Calling be what it will if a man have a Calling never so honourable yet if he be not faithful in it he is no way pleasing to God and on the other side if a man have a Calling never so mean and never so low yet if he be faithful in it it 's well pleasing to God oh it 's that which will stick by you yea it 's that which will follow you when you leave the world your Callings can't follow you they must leave you they must be left behind below but thy faithfulness that faithfulness that hath been exercised in thy employment and in thy work that will never leave thy soul that will follow it even unto heaven and now you that fear the Lord though others be unfaithful yet you are engaged to faithfulness you are ingaged to walk with God in the works of your Calling for you have the promise of protection you have the promise of blessing this is ingagement to you you have a promise that the Lord will be with you that his Angels shall be with you that they shall keep you continually when you are in your way and in the works of your Calling and therefore this is an engagement unto you and you have the promise of blessing the Lord if he bless you in your way what an engagement is this unto you to be faithful he will not only be with you when you are in those duties that do more nearly concern his worship but he hath promised to be with you by his protection and by his blessing even whilst you are in the works of your Calling and therefore walk up to God there in your Calling it 's a Talent left to you by God and it doth engage an ingenious man to be faithful therein you are betrusted and herein an instrument to do good to souls and bodies and therefore you are engaged herein as it is your duty therefore be faithful in all Oh what encouragement is here for Christians to consider this whatsoever their Calling is though never so mean they are accepted in it the Lord accepts it while they study faithfulness to carry it faithfully in a mans Calling in the meanest work that ever they took in hand they are accepted as if their work were the most honourable work in the world and therefore if you have acceptance not only when you come before God in his worship but when you are in your own waies in your Callings and Employments your person and works are accepted it 's a great engagement unto you to be found faithful in the works of your Calling And so much for this time SERMON VII GEN. 5. 24. And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him I Have given you part of the Character of one that walked with God and shewed you what he is in those duties that do more immediately concern God himself I shewed you the last time I spake what his carriage is in his Calling in his ordinary employment he looks upon his Calling as an Ordinance of God God who is an active Spirit can't endure that any of his creatures should be idle the very Angels have their employment there 's never an Angel in heaven idle Are they not all ministring spirits saies the Apostle in Heb. 1. they are all ministring spirits sent forth for the good of them that shall be saved And therefore out of this Consideration he submits unto the way of his Calling and desires to be faithful in it he also desires to do all that he doth to the Lord even the very works of his calling he doth them to the Lord he looks upon it as a trust from God and by that trust he is engaged to faithfulness and he desires to make God his last end there 's a further end besides the gain of riches and living in the world there 's a further end which he eyes which is more honourable more noble and that is to serve God in his Generation that he may be an instrument in the hand of God to do some good in his Generation that God may have the glory of it this is the last end and so he doth all as to the Lord he desires also to be holy and spiritual in the midst of his Calling though his hand be to the earth he desires that his heart may be upright he groans under the burden of a carnal heart it 's worse than death to him to be carnally minded he rejoices in the promise of holiness and in that Prophecie in Zachariah In that day holiness shall be written to the Lord upon the Bells of Horses there 's a promise that Gods people shall be holy when they are in the world in the midst of their Callings and Employments holiness shall be written to the Lord upon them he rejoices to think that that time is a coming he prays and waits to see the accomplishment of it in his own spirit he desires to sanctifie all by the Word and Prayer he knows it's the blessing of the Lord and not his own endeavours that can make him prosperous in his Calling he desires also that the things of the world don't shut out the things of God that 's another part of his walking with God Oh how fearful is he to grasp too much of the world how fearful is he that the things of the world should deprive him of those opportunities of waiting upon God of communion with the Lord and with his own spirit He doth not live upon his own endeavours but he lives by faith whilst he works with his hand he exercises faith in the promise for protection blessing and acceptance He desires also to shun all those snares and temptations that are in the way of his Calling as every Calling hath its special snare and temptation he desires there to be most watchful where there is most likelihood he should slip and fall and be snared and broken he prays and watches against the temptations that are in his way and is willing to abide with God in his Calling I shall now come to shew you what this person is in his Relations One that walks with God you shall find active gracious carry it graciously in his Relations And I shall only speak now of Family Relations and there 's some need we should speak of that It seems to be hinted in the Text That Enoch was faithful with God in his Family and this was mentioned That Enoch walked with God after he begat Methusalem three hundred years and begat sons and daughters and as he begat them so he brought them up to God and was found faithful in his family Relations There are three sorts there 's that of Husband and Wife Parent and Child and
Servant and Master I shall not speak largely of all these it would be too large a Subject I shall only now give you some hints what that gracious person is that walks with God as Enoch did and how he carries it in those several Relations To begin with the Relation of the Wife and Husband hath God set such a person in the Relation of a Wife you shall behold her gracious carriage First of all She looks upon her Husband as her head and submits unto him as one that is set over her in the Lord she knows that there is a priority and a dignity that God hath put upon her husband the man was first and then the woman and therefore she submits unto him in all lawful things though in some respects he may seem to be inferiour to her though she brought more wealth though her birth be more honourable though her parts be more ripe yet she submits unto him as one that God hath set over her nay though he may seem unworthy to rule and unworthy of the dignity yet she submits for the Lords sake because it is the Ordinance and Command of God There are divers things in this submission which are seen in a gracious woman that walks with God As 1. First She thinks and speaks honourably of her Husband and speaks honourably unto him you know what was Mary's carriage to Joseph though she might seem to be above him she saies Thy Father and I have sought thee She doth not say My Father and I but Thy Father and I have sought thee and so the Apostle Peter speaks graciously of such gracious women that speak honourably to their Husbands in 1 Pet. 3. 6. he doth exhort women to imitate Sarah Sarah obeyed her husband and called him Lord. Again As she speaks honourably to him and of him so she labours to please him in all lawful things to conform her self as much as may be unto her husbands disposition to win him with her love and gracious carriage she also receives his counsels and is willing to submit to his reproofs in all things lawful because she looks upon him as one that the Lord hath set over her to be head Again 2. Secondly She looks upon her self as one that the Lord hath given unto her that she might be a meet help unto him this is another part of the gracious carriage in a woman she looks upon her self as one that is given to be a meet help unto her husband and therefore she desires to do him good all his daies so saies Solomon when he speaks of this vertuous woman in Prov. 21. 12. She will do him good and not evil all the daies of his life she endeavours to help him and to do him good in his soul body and estate she 'll do him good in every condition in affliction in low conditions when the hand of the Lord is upon him if the hand of the Lord be stretched out against his estate and bring him low she submits unto it and will not upbraid but comfort him and be content to take part with him in his affliction and low condition and all this she doth as unto the Lord because of the Ordinance of the Lord and thus you see how such a person as walks with God carries it in the Relation of a wife Well if God set such a person in the relation of a Husband you shall find him also walking with God in that relation he loves his wife dearly and he loves her especially for that of God he sees in her though he dare not love the creature immediately nor rejoice nor delight in the creature because he knows that's Idolatry yet he loves that which he sees of God in her and under God he loves her next to God with the dearest love That that is the most near relation it 's nearer than the Relation of Father and Mother Sons and Daughters this is not only a natural but supernatural relation it is a Mystical relation and there 's a great deal of God in making two to become one and therefore I say of that love which is due to and which he may give unto the creature he gives unto her the greatest share as being the nearest relation and because he loves her you shall see how he carries himself towards her 1. First He loves her soul in the first place and therefore it is that he mostly desires to do her good in her spirit therefore it is that he instructs and prays with her and for her that so the Lord may do her good in the inward man his dearest love is toward her best part and therefore he rejoices most in that when he sees the work of God upon her heart when they can live together as heirs co-heirs of the grace of life as the Apostle speaks that is it that he takes the most contentment in Again 2. Secondly Also because he loves her he won't be bitter to her he will remember that rule in Col. 3. 19. Husbands love your Wives and be not bitter against them he will not be bitter in word nor action he considers her weakness looks upon her as the weaker vessel and therefore he will not break her if he must chide and fight it shall be with himself and with those lusts that are within him and war against his soul and not with that relation that the Lord hath given to be such a wife and such a comfort unto him in this his Pilgrimage 3. Again Because he loves her he will defend her this is another part of his gracious carriage he will be a veil for a covering to her so Abimelech told Sarah Lo thy husband is a covering to thee where ever thou goest he will right her cause against all wrongs and injuries in a lawful way so far as he is able 4. Again He covers her weaknesses that 's another part of his carriage he remembers that rule that is given unto husbands Husbands love your Wives in Ephes 5. 25. as Christ loved his Church Why Christ covered the infirmities of the Church though there be a great deal amiss yet he puts his raiment upon her when ever he presents his people unto his Father he presents them as if there were no spot in them as if they were holy and perfect Thou art all fair my love saies he and there is no spot in thee Why so this man that walks with God won't blaze abroad the infirmities of his Wife but is willing to cover them for he knows what the Lord Jesus hath covered in respect to him 5. Again Fifthly Because he loves her he will maintain her that she may want no conveniencies according to his rank and the condition that God hath set him in he won't keep her short of necessaries but provide both for her necessity and dignity he won't spend all her portion and then turn her out of doors to provide for her self he won't keep her short that she shall have
and to vanquish enemies to help you up when you are fallen to make advantage of your falls to lead you the nighest and the safest way to glory Oh that the sense of your weakness and infirmities might cause you to cleave close to the Lord and take heed that you don't depart and go out from walking with him And in your walking with God I shall but give you a few Directions and conclude Direct 1. In your walking with God be sure that you follow him in every step go you where God goes walk you where God walks if you mean to keep the presence of God look to this Oh go to the Lord and desire that he would teach your souls where he walks as the Spouse Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon that she may go there Why the Lord walks in his Ordinances he walks amongst his people the Son of God walks in the midst of his Golden Candlesticks there 's his walk would you know where to find him come in his walks in the midst of his Golden Candlesticks in the midst of his people in the fellowship of his Saints those that worship him in the beauties of holiness in Gospel order there the Lord walks you that expect the presence of the Lord that would not lose that comfortable presence of his which you might enjoy take heed you do not turn away where God hath said he walks Direct 2. Again I beseech you that you would be alwaies careful to give God the upper hand in every walking in every passage of your life give God the upper hand do not ascribe to your selves lift up the name of God be content that he should be exalted and you debased Not to us Lord not to us Lord put away with both hands give us nothing nothing belongs to us but all belongs to God glory belongs to God why if you be enabled to do for God if you be enabled to suffer for God give nothing to your selves give him the glory put it away from you desire him to take it all and ascribe nothing to your selves but what he is pleased to give in freely unto you oh give him the preheminence in all and his Son the preheminence in all things be content that the day of the Lord should be upon whatsoever is high and lifted up upon all the Cedars of Lebanon and upon all the Oaks of Bashan upon whatsoever is in your hearts and spirits desire him to pull down all high thoughts and to lay you low at his footstool be content that you and all creatures may be debased and the Lord alone may be exalted through his son Jesus Christ it should be a Christians care in all things I say to give God the upper-hand Direct 3. Again Thirdly Take heed you do not take up where God doth not take up do not you sit down where God sits not down for you may haply lose him God may go out of sight and you may run hard before you can find God again don 't take up in your selves don't take up in creatures don't say here I 'le rest here I 'le take up don't set up here and say here I 'le rest and take up in this creature if you will take up in creatures and rest in them where God doth not rest why God rests in himself and wholly in himself for ever he rests in himself and he rests in his son This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased all the delight and complacency of the soul of the Father is in the person of the son This is my Beloved Son Oh take heed of creatures that your comforts be not snares to you don't take up in them follow on after the Lord let your spirits take up no where but in God himself and in Christ whom he hath given to be the center of your souls and a foundation for you to build upon for ever Direct 4. Again Fourthly Entertain sweet entercourse between God and your souls I say this I desire that sweet entercourse with God may be entertained by you let God be often thought of by you will you go with a friend and travel with him and speak not to him Oh you will speak often to him you that walk with God speak often to God keep up that entercourse betwixt God and your souls listen to what God speaks to you a great deal is lost because we don't hearken to him the soul is not intent the ear is not bored to hear what God speaks therefore many a sweet word and many a comfortable word is lost because the soul don't listen after God therefore I beseech you Brethren know it is your duty all the time you are walking with God it is your duty to hear what God speaks let your soul be attentive unto the Lord that so you may hear every word whether it be a word of counsel or a word of direction or a word of consolation be ye alwaies either speaking to the Lord or else hearkening to hear what the Lord shall speak unto you this becomes those that have given up themselves to walk with God Direct 5. Fifthly And to say no more Take heed of those rubs and lets that are in the way take heed of that which may hinder of that which may take you off from walking with God there 's many a snare there 's many a rub in the way 1. First Take heed of this present evil world it 's a snare it 's a bait that draws many off from walking with God Demas hath forsaken me saith Paul he hath forsaken me for this present evil world the Devil catcht him with this bait Oh take heed of the snares of the world the cares of the world the honours of the world the riches of the world the pleasures of the world these are snares I say in which many are taken 2. Secondly Take heed ye turn not out into any way of sin whatsoever give no countenance to any evil way in your spirits or in your courses the God that you walk with he is a God of pure eyes he can't endure to walk in the defiled waies if you will walk in the dirt you shall not have God to go along with you God can't endure to walk in waies of impurity and therefore oh desire the Lord to make you watchful over the waies of your spirit and over the waies of your conversation that so you may not turn aside to those defiled waies in which God takes no pleasure to abide in And 3. Thirdly Take heed of an unbelieving heart which is another snare and is the cause of many departings from God An evil heart of unbelief and therefore don't give way unto it don't close with it don't take part with unbelief against the work of God in your own spirits for if you take part with Satan against the Lord what a grief will it be unto the Lord to whom
that you would not be discouraged through the apprehension of the straitness of this passage you know not how easie God can make it why should you distrust him do not fear the greatness of the pains God can make them easie God can allay them God can take away the sense of them God can give in that which can sweeten them remember who went before you hath not the Lord Jesus gone before you He set himself in the fore-front of the Battel the passage was a great deal straiter when Christ went through it he hath widened it and made it far more easie Believers you have seen the worst that death can do to you you have seen it in Christ if it had overcome Christ you might have fear'd it but Christ would try the experiment first upon himself and you have seen the worst that it can do Jesus Christ is engaged with you if you should perish Christ himself had as good have perished it 's all one whether he be overcome in his person or in his members Oh therefore I say be not discouraged at the apprehension of the straitness of the passage and darkness of the entry but look to Christ that hath gone before you and only let it be your care whilst you live to live by Faith and to live in constant communion with God God will take care of the rest And Vse 2. Again How should you bless the Lord Christ What cause have you to bless the Lord and to admire the riches of wisdom and the riches of power and the riches of goodness that hath made death to be thus easie I tell you it is not so in it self Christians you are beholding to Christ for this death is not easie in it self it is most terrible in it self it hath brought down mighty spirits of wicked men Oh! whither shall I go said Nero when death was at hand It was not so easie with Christ oh it was exceeding strait when he ventured to pass through it was for your sakes that he entred the passage first Oh! admire his wisdom goodness and power and bless his name for this both in life and death That 's a second thing we considered Enoch was not God took him his translation is spoken of him as a very easie thing he walked a step further and returned no more and God took him There is one Particular more which I shall give but a hint on and that is He was not found So saies the Apostle to the Hebrews Heb. 11. 5. He was not found for God had translated him He was not found and that implies he was sought for when God had took him They sought for him but he was not found saies the Apostle And so it was with Elijah in 2 Kings 2. latter end of the Chapter the Prophet sends out fifty men to seek after him and it 's very like they did so for Enoch but he was not found for God took him Observe It is usual to undervalue mercies whilst we have them which are prized dearly when once they are gone I say it is usual with the sons of men to undervalue mercies whilst they have them which they would seek for when once they are gone thus we deal with persons and thus we deal with other mercies With Persons you know how Samuel was undervalued by Saul whilst he lived and the Word of the Lord that he brought to Saul was rejected but when Samuel was gone then Saul seeks for him nay he was so violent that he seeks him in an unlawful way even to raise him up from the dead that he might acquaint him with the Will of the Lord. And so John Baptist was persecuted and banished and Herod cut off his head but when he was gone then Herod prized him and so when Herod heard of the fame of Jesus that he did great things Surely it is John Baptist that is risen up again here 's mighty works indeed And thus we deal not only with Persons But thus we deal with other Mercies whilst we have them we undervalue them that God is forced to take them away to let us know what the worth of them is Israel did not prize her mercies outward Mercies Corn Wine and Oyl Flax and Wool and therefore God was forced to take them away to let them know the worth of them I will take away my Corn my Wine and my Oyl my Flax and my Wool Hos 4. Yea thus we deal with God himself thus we deal with God and Christ and with the great and precious things of God how did Esau despise his birth-right how contemptibly did he speak of it whilst he had it What will my birth-right do me good saies he seeing I am ready to die And yet afterward when it was gone he sought it with tears when Jacob had got the blessing he sought it with tears and he could not obtain it Yea this is not only in the hearts of the wicked if it were only in the wicked it were the less but it is in the hearts of Gods own people to undervalue the things of God whilst they enjoy them and so give the Lord cause to strip them of them Israel had the presence of God amongst them but they did not prize God and therefore saies God I will go and return to my first place in their affliction they will seek me early Thus we deal with other of Gods precious ones many times they are undervalued and we know not the worth of them till such time as they are removed till God takes them away As it is said concerning the Jews in Matth. 23. that Christ was amongst them and Preached the everlasting Gospel to them and they received it not But when the Gospel was removed from them then they prized it Behold your house is left unto you desolate Why in Matth. 21. there you have the same words when the Children cried saying Hosanna Hosanna to the Highest the Jews were offended when the people said of Christ Hosanna and blessed is he that comes in the Name of the Lord they were offended in the 15 Verse and Christ doth rebuke them for this Well saies he when they cried Hosanna blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord you are displeased the time is a coming that you would give all that you enjoy to see such a man as you have seen but I will teach you by the absence of this mercy of which you shall say Welcom indeed and blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord I say what base hearts and spirits are within us that we should put God unto this labour that we should cause God to walk in this way towards us to take away our mercies that we may know how to prize them Oh it is an unworthy heart there is a great deal of the spirit of Esau to despise the blessing whilst we had it and then afterwards weep for it and sought it with tears but found it not And
therefore I shall conclude with this word of Exhortation Vse 3. Let us learn to prize our mercies I say whilst we enjoy our mercies let us learn to prize them because the time is coming when they shall not be to us they shall not be found we shall seek them and shall not find them God hath given you friends and relations Oh my Brethren prize them use them for Gods glory do all the good you can to them whilst you have them receive all the good that may be from them whilst you have them for the time is a coming when they shall not be to you It was Job's argument with God you shall see in Job 7. the last Verse and it is a very strong argument and Why dost thou not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity and pardon it quickly Speak a good word quickly to thy Servant I cannot hold out long Lord saies he I cannot hold out long now I shall sleep in the dust and thou shalt seek me in the morning and I shall not be Lord pardon pardon thy servant Job whilst thou hast a Job to pardon Lord do good to me whilst thou hast an occasion to do good to me e're I sleep in the dust you shall seek me then and I shall not be that you shall say oh that I had such a friend to do good to or that I had such a friend to receive good from Oh take the present opportunity therefore of doing and receiving good and this is spoken not only of all Persons but of all Things prize them whilst you have them prize them whilst you enjoy them for time is coming when they shall not be And Consider this Let me say this to you The Lord is this day tendering grace to you he stands he knocks he invites you he beseeches you he desires you to open he is willing to pardon multitudes of transgressions to wash away thousands and ten thousands of transgressions and sins and to subdue them also Oh that the Lord would give you hearts to seek after this present mercy you 'l seek them hereafter when they shall not be Oh take heed lest Christ speak to you as he spake to the Jews which was a fearful sentence because of their mistaking their time and neglecting their opportunity Joh. 7. 34. You shall seek me saies Christ and shall not find me and where I am you cannot come he had said a little before And I am with you and am coming to them that seek me and afterward You shall seek me and shall not find me Christ was with them a little while preaching and holding forth and urging mercy and grace beseeching of them to come in they refuse and reject life Well saies Christ I have sought you and you would not be found you would not follow me the time is coming when you shall seek me and shall not find me and where I am you cannot come and you that fear the Lord I beseech you be you warned also take heed you don't slight your mercies your present enjoyments of God lest the Lord also teach you to know the worth by the want I say take heed that you do not abuse your mercies take heed that you do not grow cold and dead and loose and formal under the enjoyment of the means of getting nigher God which you enjoy more than formerly for what pity is it that we should grow worse when God is better That we should be further off from drawing nigh to God when God is drawing nigh to us What pity is it that the Sun-shine and fair weather should do harm Doth not sad experience teach us that many Christians are further off from God now than when the means were lesser in their getting near to God take heed God don't let you know by sad experience what the loss of his presence is and that he don't let you know by sad experience what the loss of Ordinances are what the want of mercies are it shews abundance of corruption that is in the heart but it is mercy if God will teach his people any way it is the saddest way of teaching that God will make use of to recount what once we had and what once we enjoyed and now are stript of for want of improvement we had the Sabbaths the teachings of God we had the Ordinances but now stript of all and therefore may as they sit down by the waters of Babylon and weep most bitterly it is a sad way of teaching yet it is mercy if God will choose any way of teaching and drawing these sad and drowsie hearts of ours more to himself Thus you have had some hints of what Enoch was He was not found for God had translated him God took him the main Point is yet behind viz. to consider whither Enoch was translated and wherefore he was translated and the year in which he was translated which was three hundred sixty five years and was the shortest life of all the Patriarchs But so much shall serve for this time SERMON X. GEN. 5. 24. And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him WE have done with Enoch's walk we are come to Enoch's Rest He was not for God took him I have opened the phrase to you the last time I spake But I shall proceed to what is still behind in the Text. He was not for God took him And God took him there is a great dispute amongst many to what place Enoch was taken There are many both of the Papists and others that place Enoch in earthly Paradise they say Enoch was not taken into Heaven but into Paradise and that this Enoch and Elijah are those two Witnesses that shall come again at the end of the world to discover and destroy Antichrist there is such a Tradition generally amongst them and others have received it from them but there is not the least ground for it in the Word of God that Enoch and Elijah should be those Witnesses spoken of in Rev. 11. for certainly those Witnesses are no other but the servants of God spoken of that have stood up in all Ages since Christ to bear witness to the name and truth of Jesus and therefore I see nothing why we may not assert that Enoch was taken up into Heaven that he ascended in body into Heaven You shall see in 2 Kings 2. 11. it is spoken there of Elijah who was translated even as Enoch And it came to pass as they still went on and talked that behold there appeared a Chariot of fire and Horses of fire and parted them both asunder and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into Heaven if Elijah went into Heaven why not Enoch Object But it may be Objected Is not Jesus Christ the first-fruits of them that ascend Did not Christ open the door by his blood How then could Enoch or Elijah ascend into Heaven before Christ came and opened the door Answ To which I Answer It is true that
needful that so long as they are in the body they should be in these conflicts afflictions and temptations then the Lord sometimes sees it best to shorten some of their daies to bring them unto himself But you must take this caution Take heed you don't limit the Lord to this way for though God doth take many of his servants this way by death yet I say they ought not to limit the holy one of Israel Let not them say as Job Wherefore is life given to a man that is in affliction Wherefore is life given to a man whose way is hid For if God continues life in afflicted conditions he sees good reason for it and therefore I say you may not absolutely desire death because of your affliction because of your temptations because of your buffettings not absolutely to limit God in this way of deliverance for though God doth use this way many times yet he will not be confined to it And though the Lord doth keep you in affliction he sees it is for his honour it is for his own glory that he may shew his power and goodness his wisdom in directing you his power in supporting you in strengthening you in delivering you and in making you able to hold out in such difficult afflicted conditions the Lord can find many waies of deliverance therefore don't say you Lord take away my life my affliction is great I see no way how I shall come out of it this is sinful for God hath many waies I say God chooses this way sometimes to free his people from all their corruption and temptations he shortens their lives and that in abundance of love 2. Again Secondly God sometimes doth shorten the daies of his servants in love when they live in evil times times in which iniquity doth abound then God fetches home many of his servants in love It was a very corrupt time that Enoch lived in The world was corrupt and filled with violence and therefore it was in love to Enoch that God shortened his course the Lord knows how afflictive it is for his servants to live in an evil world Wo is me saies the Psalmist that I am constrained to sojourn in Mesech and to dwell in the Tents of Kedar Psal 120. 5. That righteous soul was vexed Wo is me c. Nay the Lord considers that possibly his own people may be carried down the stream through the strength and violence of the corruption of the times that they may be drawn aside from their stedfastness it 's possible that even they may be corrupted even Gods own people may be corrupted in a corrupt Generation the Lord considers this and therefore many times he takes them away in an abundance of love and mercy When the Thistles and Nettles do so inclose the Lilies that they hinder their growth and communicate of their ill favour unto them then the Lord sees it's high time to remove to transplant his Lilies into a better soil And that 's a second Particular why the Lord doth shorten the daies of his servants it is when they live in a very corrupt and sinful Generation that doth both afflict them and endanger them 3. Again Thirdly Sometimes God shortens the daies of his servants in love that they may not see when great desolations are coming either upon their friends their relations their families or upon the Kingdom they live in the Lord in mercy calls home those that do walk faithfully with him and thus it was with Jeroboam's child in 1 Kings 14. 13. Jeroboam's child was taken away you have the reason given there because great desolation is coming upon the Family God threatens there by the Prophet that he would not leave one person alive and this child shall go to his Grave in peace Because some good thing was found in him towards the Lord God of Israel some good thing was found in him when the family was corrupt and therefore God would not have him to see what desolation he would bring upon the family And so when God brings desolation upon Kingdoms and Nations he sometimes calls home his own people Good King Josiah a gracious man was cut off betimes because the Lord was about to bring desolation upon Judah a great and fearful Captivity which came presently after when he was gone but he feared the Lord and was fearful when the Word of the Lord came to him and therefore God took him that he might not see that desolation with his eyes that sad desolation that God would bring upon Judah And so saies the Prophet Isa 57. 1. he gives this as a reason why God takes away some of his servants betimes The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart and the merciful man is taken away none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come When evil and desolation is about to come upon a place or a Kingdom why then God takes away many righteous and merciful men The Husbandman when he sees a storm is a coming he makes haste to gather in his Corn especially that which is most ready to shake that which is most like to take harm by the wet that he 'll in withall And thus the Lord doth with his when he sees great desolation that may even shake those that are his own 4. Fourthly God takes way some of his servants that he may prevent their uneven walking and their declining and turning aside from him the Lord loves to take his servants when they are at the best he pulls the Rose when it 's most sweet sometimes the Lord sees many of his servants that if they should stand longer they would decline and grow worse sad experience doth teach it now therefore it is that the Lord takes them at the fit time that he may prevent that dishonour that otherwise might be brought to his name if he should suffer them to stand longer in the world they might happily blurr their profession they might dishonour God they might harden their own hearts and therefore the Lord loves to take them when they are fully ripe and when he sees such a one ready to decline and grow worse and to lose of his sweetness and of his savour it may blurr the name of God dishonour him in the world why the Lord to prevent all this takes away sometimes such a servant of his in abundance of love and mercy and so he took away Asa and so Jehosaphat they were good men but they began to decline in their old daies Asa was a good man his heart was perfect it is the Testimony that God gives of him all his daies but he went and declined he went and relied on the arm of flesh when the Prophet tells him of it he was angry with the Prophet he imprisons the Prophet and he began to smite the people and God smites Asa with a disease in his feet and so took him away and it was best for Asa that he was taken away before a
have enough 5. Fifthly Again The time of the full accomplishment of this promise of long life to be given out is not yet come there 's a day when it shall be given out when it shall be mercy to live long when God shall give out long life there seems to be such a thing spoken of it is Prophesied by the Prophet Isaiah Isa 65. 22. this Prophecie relates to the end of the world the latter daies when there shall be a great restauration of the world and of all things they shall not be cut off in the midst of their daies as formerly saies God They shall not build and another inhabit they shall not build houses and be cut off before they can build they shall not plant and another eat for as the daies of a tree are the daies of my people and mine elect shall long enjoy the works of their hands they shall be as the long-liv'd Oaks this promise God will fulfil before the end and it shall be a mercy then to live long when the new Jerusalem shall come down from heaven and when the Lamb shall be the light of the new Jerusalem when Satan shall be bound and shall not seduce the Nations and tempt them and when all enemies shall be put under the soals of their feet when Jerusalem shall be a peaceable habitation and a quiet resting place when there shall be peace upon Israel then long life shall be a blessing 6. Sixthly and lastly When God will fulfil this it shall be a time of the accomplishment of the promises in that God gives life and length of daies even for ever and ever there is the accomplishment of the promise and therefore God is not behind-hand concerning this promise if he promise long life on earth and give an eternity of life in heaven the creature is no loser if a man shall promise you a shilling and when he comes to pay he shall give you a thousand pounds will not you say this man is as good as his word The Lord hath promised a long time on earth and an eternity in heaven you may well say it of him who is truth it self that he will fulfil and make good his word and therefore notwithstanding what may be objected yet still it 's true it 's not against the promise but God may in love and mercy shorten the daies of his people What shall we learn from this God shortens the daies of his servâ—nts in love It will be useful to us divers waies Why Vse 1. First of all It lets us see that life and death is in the hand of God God shortens God took him I say life and death is in the hand of God it 's not in the hand of any creature whatsoever My times are in thy hand saies David and He that is our God is the God of Salvation and to him belong the issues of Death Enemies think that it is in their power to harm or to cut off Laban thought it in his power to cut off Jacob but he was deceived it 's in the hand of no creature to cut off the time of Gods servants but at the appointment of the Lord and God doth it in love when he cuts short the time of his servants it 's in love if any wicked man shall attempt any thing against the lives of his servants that 's from the malice of Hell which God will avenge and if any man shall attempt against his own life that is not without horrible sin for though God can cut short in love yet if thou dost cut short thine own life it 's not without horrible sin though indeed when God shortens it 's alwaies in love for what 's the creature Ah poor creature a worm that he should step up in the seat of God and should pluck the issues of life and death out of the hand of God which God doth challenge in a peculiar manner as his right That 's the first Vse 2. Secondly It may teach us that though God cut short the time of his servants in love yet he may cut short the time of many in wrath in abundance of wrath when his own people are ripe for heaven he reaps them and when wicked men are ripe for destruction the Lord also cuts them down In Psal 55. 23. it 's said there of wicked men That blood-thirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their daies God will cut them off in wrath they shall live out those daies that God hath determined yet they shall not live out half their daies in the course of nature that they might have done and therefore see what Solomon saies in Eccles 7. 17. Be not thou over-much wicked neither be thou foolish why shouldst thou die before thy time wickedness brings men to end their time before the course of nature be extinct Oh that wicked men would think of this it would be very sad if their own hands should be upon themselves to bring them down though it is mercy to the Saints at some times to be taken away early yet when wicked men are cut off in the midst of their daies it is not without a great deal of displeasure and wrath of God That 's a second Vse 3. Thirdly This may teach us this Instruction If God deal thus with his own people what shall be the portion of the wicked If this be done to the green tree what shall become of the dry If God cut off young Saints what shall become of old sinners Oh! that the hear-say of this dispensation might convince some and move them to awake and say Come let us eat and drink and to morrow shall be as this day and more abundant Why do you put off the thoughts of God and Eternity to old age and speak of returning to God another time when thou knowest not what a day may bring forth thou knowest not what may lie in the womb of to morrow God cuts off sometimes some of his people in the midst of their daies and what shall become of you I shall speak only to you in the words of the Apostle James Jam. 4. 13. and the Lord set them home to your hearts Go to now ye that say To day or to morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow for what is your life He shews the vanity of the cares of this life and of wicked worldly men they dream of a long time of a continuance and we will stay there a year A year saies he thou knowest not what to morrow may bring forth thou saiest Stay we will heap goods up and what knowest thou O fool but this night thy soul may be taken away Oh! that men wicked men and worldly men would look to themselves and not promise to themselves time for hereafter and if this be done to the green tree what will be done to the dry
they have length of daies continued And besides God doth promise to his people a great restauration that is to be before the end of the world as the daies of a tree so shall the daies of my servants be and mine Elect they shall long enjoy the work of their hands it shall then be a mercy to live long when the new Jerusalem shall come down from heaven and when the Lamb shall be the light of it when Satan shall be bound and the Accuser of the Brethren cast out and wicked men put under when corruption shall be subdued then long life shall be a mercy But however I answer That if God do shorten our daies here and give us an Eternity in heaven we are no losers but God is as good as his word If a man promise you a Shilling and shall at that day give you a hundred or a thousand pounds he is not unfaithful but he is as good as his word and thus the Lord promised long life which is an eternity better than life here and wherein he fulfils his word It should and ought to be the desire of all to live much rather than to live long to live much in a little time thus did Christ he lived much he glorified the name of his Father in the time he lived he did much in a little time and thus it should be our care to do much for God in a little time and to lay hold of eternal life betimes because this life is momentany and vanishing the Devil takes his opportunity he works much knowing he hath but a little time because he knows his time is short therefore he works with all his might and plyes his work to deceive the Nations If he be so subtile for his Kingdom how wise ought we to be to promote the Kingdom of Christ Oh! whatsoever we find to do for God let us do it with all our might and with all our strength for thus hath Christ given us his Example I shall proceed to that which remains God took him I shewed you before Whither Enoch was taken He was taken up into Heaven he was not dissolved he died not as other men I proved it from the Epistle to the Hebrews that he was translated that he should not see death Quest But you will say Wherefore was Enoch thus translated Why was he not dissolved Why died he not as others Why translated that he should not see death Answ I answer First Because he was a remarkable Type of Jesus Christ I say he was a remarkable Type of Christ For 1. First He was matchless in his Generation There was none like him above all the men in the world Enoch walk'd most close with God in his time he was matchless and none like him and herein he waâ— a Type of Jesus Christ who was matchless in the world whilst he was in the world he was as the Apple-tree in the midst of the Trees in the Forest there was no guile found in his mouth he walked exactly with God when he was here upon earth there was no stumbling blocks no slips in the whole course of Jesus Christ But 2. Secondly Enoch was a Type of Christ in that God was so exceedingly well pleased with him He received this Testimony saies the Apostle in Heb. 11. 5. that he pleased God God was pleased with him and herein he was a notable Type of Christ the Father is pleased only in him Behold my servant whom I uphold saies he in Isa 42. 1. mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth he was infinitely well pleased with Christ the good pleasure of God towards Enoch it was but a drop of that love and that good pleasure which was poured out upon the head of Jesus Christ the Father was pleased with his Person infinitely pleased in his righteousness pleased in all that he did and pleased in his sufferings Isa 53. 10. It pleased the Father to bruise him he was pleased with all those that Christ represented he is pleased with the whole Family of Christ even with all that belong unto him in Heaven and Earth and that only for his sake it is said of him in Matth. 3. the latter end This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased So then my Brethren is there ever a soul that is seeking after the good pleasure of God the manifestation of the love of God unto it that is looking and waiting for some token of acceptance from heaven Would you be in the ready way unto it Then look unto the Lord even Jesus Christ of whom Enoch was a Type look unto him in his love all the love and all the good pleasure that is in the heart of God runs down through Jesus Christ unto poor creatures Oh run to Christ make hast to Christ throw down your selves at the Foot-stool of Christ and clasp about him by Faith and know that there is a plentiful Box of good pleasure and love broken upon the head of Christ by the Father that will run down unto every soul that sits under the skirt and shadow of Christ That 's a Second thing wherein Enoch was a Type of Christ 3. Thirdly Enoch was a Type of Christ as Christ was a Conqueror over Death and this was held forth in Enoch's translation He did not see Death Enoch did not see corruption as the bodies of others do and he was in this a Type of Jesus Christ that was the holy One of God that he should not see corruption he did not see corruption Enoch's conquest was but a Type of this conquest and victory of Jesus Christ that he got for his people over Death and the Grave and therefore you that desire not to be dismayed when Death comes when this enemy shall set upon you Oh that you would before-hand look unto the conquest and victory of Christ There is a time when this your enemy will meet you all in the Field Would you not be dismayed Would you be able to look Death in the face Then I beseech you before-hand live upon Faith in Christ upon the conquest of Christ upon the victory of Christ he hath broken the force of death taken away the sting of it he hath dismayed it Oh live upon the conquest that Christ hath made over death that so your hearts may not fail when you come to grapple with this last enemy which is Death Christ hath overcome Death gloriously and Enoch was but a Type of Christ and a shadow of it in his translation That 's the first wherefore Enoch was translated in an extraordinary way because he was an extraordinary Type of Christ 2. But Secondly Enoch was thus translated because Enoch whilst he lived exercised a special faith I say Enoch had a special Faith a most remarkable faith in some good and great deliverance that God would work for him either in Death or from Death He trusted God whilst he lived in victory over Death that Death should be conquered for him and
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
from the evil to come Object But you will say There may be hopes of good daies and that might make us unwilling to die in hopes of good daies Answ Why God may make you willing as Moses was though at the Borders of Canaan yet God would have him die and he goes up to the Mountain and dies very willingly there may be a great deal of evil before the good come a great deal of shakings sore shakings before the good day come the passage to the Land may be very strait yet Christ will bring thee along with him when he comes I say when ever Christ comes he will bring the Saints along with him We that are alive shall not prevent those that are dead No they shall rise first and then shall we be changed Therefore God took away Enoch at this time that he may give warning to the World that wrath was a coming 2. Secondly Again God took away Enoch at this time that he might declare that he had respect unto his people though the World was never so wicked though they are never so cruel yet they shall not be forgotten but the Lord remembers the Lord takes notice of them If I find ten righteous men in Sodom saies God I will not destroy that City for tens sake God seeks his own people and if he finds but ten righteous souls in a City for their sakes it shall not be destroyed not an Enoch shall be forgotten Men may cast away much chaff and though there be two or three Corns or more of Wheat they won't look for them but God won't do so if a heap of chaff be never so great God will look over it and he will not lose one Corn though in abundance of Chaff his people do glorifie him much in an evil time and grace is remarkable then when it shines bright in the midst of a dark night the Lord will remember you and therefore if the Lord will find you out and remember you in an evil World Oh! how should you remember him He will do the more for you and deal the more remarkably with you because you are found faithful in an evil time in an evil World even as Enoch therefore be ye careful to walk with God Again 3. Thirdly and lastly God will declare hereby that the perfection and happiness of his people is not here below and therefore he would have them and all the world to know that the perfection and happiness of the Saints is not below Enoch enjoyed as much of God as ever man did and yet Enoch must be translated before he comes to perfection God witnesses to this in the lives of the best of the Saints in that Generation there is none that lived a thousand years though there came many nigh to a thousand years which is the perfect number the perfect account The Lord would teach that perfection is not here but he would have us to know where we shall enjoy it therefore let us see what necessity there is to live upon Jesus Christ by Faith in the worst of our daies if perfection be not here O what need then have you to live in Christ You are perfect in him saies the Apostle compleat in him and therefore in the sense and greatness of your Imperfections you had need live upon that fulness and breath after that fulness of time and perfection whither Enoch was translated unto So much shall serve for this time SERMON I. PHILIP 1. 21. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain THE Apostle was now in Bonds for the Gospel of Jesus Christ he takes care that the Philippians might not be offended at it that his sufferings might not be any stumbling-block to them in Verse 12. he tells them that whatsoever befell him it was for the furtherance of the Gospel I would have you understand saies he the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather to the furtherance of the Gospel he gives two particular Instances how the Gospel of Christ was furthered by his sufferings the one is in Verse 13. My Bonds in Christ are manifest in all the Palace By his sufferings many in Nero's Court came to enquire after the Gospel of Jesus Christ for which Paul suffered and by enquiring into it were convinced of it Another benefit of these his sufferings is in Verse 14. Many of the Brethren in the Lord waxed confident by my Bonds They were more bold to speak the Word of the Lord they feared not sufferings because they saw how God carried Paul through his sufferings They waxed more bold through my Bonds You see what improvement the Lord makes of the sufferings of his people Truth never thrives better than when it is most trodden upon the more the wind blows upon this fire the more it kindles the hotter it burns and the clearer it shines when the stream is dammed up it rises higher so it is with Truth this was the advantage that God makes of the sufferings of his people for though the Truth was upon trial yet Paul may suffer and Paul may lose by it Paul was in danger of his life Well take no care for me saies he in Verse 19. For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your Prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed but with all boldness as alwaies so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death Take no care for me saies he I desire nothing but your Prayers for I am confident that God will carry on his Work it shall turn to my good and what ever befall me the Lord shall be glorified in it I am confident of it saies he that Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death You see the breathings of a gracious heart it cares not what becomes of it self so God may have his honour Take no thought saies Paul whether I live or die it is all one to me so the Lord Jesus may be magnified in my bonds by my life or by my death if Christ be glorified it is enough it matters not what becomes of Paul so Christ be magnified in my life or in my death For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain Christ is gain to me both in life and death so some read the words For Christ is gain to me both in life and death Others make two Propositions of it Christ is life to me or to me to live is Christ Christ is my life and death is my gain Why if I live saies he Christ shall be magnified for Christ is my life if I live I shall gain and if I die I shall gain If I live I shall gain more of Christ I shall gain more knowledge of him and more communion with him here in the way Ay but what if Paul die If I die saies
bosom of the Father it is Christ that is this living way For he lives for ever to make Intercession for them that come to God by him He it is that removes all the blocks out of the way of his people to glory that helps them over all rubs they meet with it is he that hath born down all oppositions when he travelled in the greatness of his strength he hath set Heaven door open to his people he hath removed the Cherubims that kept the way with a flaming sword and kept the Tree of Life yea Christ is the subject matter of their Glory it is the presence of Christ that makes Heaven to be Heaven it is the glory of Heaven to know God in Christ and it is the glory of Heaven to enjoy God in Christ Joh. 17. 3. And this is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Thus you see how Christ is the life of Believers what life he is to them he is the life of righteousness the life of holiness and the life of their comforts yea and he is the life of Glory And it will appear that Christ is the life of the believing soul if you consider 1. First That there is none lives but Christ He hath life in himself as the Father hath life in himself so it is given to the Son to have in himself There is none lives but God and therefore when God will confirm a thing he swears by his life you have often that Oath As I live saith the Lord As I live saith the Lord there is none can say I live but only God he that is Jehovah that hath life in himself Now therefore if any creature have life if there be any spark of life in any soul it must be from this life in Christ there is no principle of spiritual life in a soul but it must be from Christ if there be any life it is from the life of Christ from the Resurrection of Christ and from the discoveries of Christ 2. Secondly It was the end of Christs coming in the flesh That he might give life to his people as you heard before I came saies Christ that you might have life Christ came in the flesh for this end he had nor lived in this world if it had not been to give life to his people it was the end of his life and so it was the end of his death also he tells us in Joh. 6. 51. If any man eat of this Bread he shall live for ever and the Bread which I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world I will give my flesh my body to be crucified that so my death may be the life of the world and it was the end of Christs living again it was the end of his rising again that he might give life to his people Joh. 14 19. Because I live saies he ye shall live also my life is the cause of your living I live for this end and arose for this end I am he that was dead and am alive and live for ever and because I live ye shall live also Quest But you will say When may it be said that Christ is the Life of any soul Answ 1. First of all When the soul prizes Communion with Christ as life And mark all the way so much as the life of Christ is in any soul so far will these effects and operations of life be found in him Christ is life when communion with Christ is prized as life when the soul shall prefer communion with Christ above all other comforts whatsoever when he seeks after it as life and when he hath found it he prizes it as life and is as fearful to lose it as he is to part with his life and he cannot be satisfied without it though he enjoies never so much of the world though he hath never so many friends and they shine upon him and they speak comfortably to him yet if Christ speak not it doth not satisfie though he hath never so good trading in the world and prosper in his Estate yet if he hath not trading with Christ if he hath not his mercies come in through Christ he looks upon himself as a loser so far as the life of Christ prevails with a soul so far will the soul prize communion with Christ Again 2. Secondly When the life of Christ is in a soul the Soul doth judge of it self not by what it is in it self but by what it is in Christ by what it is in another the life of Christ was Paul and how did Paul judge of himself by what By what he was in Christ and by what Christ was in him and to him I live saies he and yet not I but Christ lives in me in Gal. 2. 20. how doth he judge of his life not by any principle of self that was in him but by Christ that was in him I live yet not I but Christ lives in me Surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength Isa 45. 24. When he shall see that he hath no righteousness in himself no strength in himself he shall not judge of his present state or future happiness by what righteousness or what strength he hath in himself but by what Christ hath promised him he shall judge by the Word of the Lord and by what life of Christ is made over to him and he shall say Surely I have righteousness and strength I have all in another at that time when I have nothing but vileness and deadness in my self so that the soul judges of it self and its condition not according to what it finds in it self but according to what the Lord hath promised to be unto him Again 3. Thirdly Where Christ is the life of a soul there is Christ the principle of all holy actings in that soul The soul when ever it sets upon any duty or upon any holy work presently it looks up for the power and spirit of Christ it gives up it self to be acted by Christ to be carried on by the spirit of Christ Christ opens the sails of the soul to the gales of the spirit for it knows that if the spirit of Christ do not breath the soul is calmed it can do nothing it desires that Christ may have the glory of all that it doth that Christ may be the principle of all its workings for God all the fruit that a gracious heart brings forth to God it desires that Christ may have the honour of it and therefore it bears as it were upon Christs knee as the women of old took their Hand-maids when they were barren and they bare upon their knees and the Children were called theirs not the Hand-maids And truly so the beliving soul alwaies bears and brings forth fruit upon the knee of Christ and it calls them all the Off-spring of Christ whatsoever it doth for God whatever it brings forth
very Image of Christ in them and these operations of life spoken of I discern the life of Christ in others But alas I see nothing but deadness in my own soul nothing but a body of sin and death I say it 's the burden of my soul every day I rise O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death I fear the life of Christ is not in me Answ Is not the life of Christ in you Whence then are those complaints that thou makest Did you ever hear a dead man complain did you ever hear him cry out of his burden Surely there is some life of Christ or else whence are these complaints of that body of sin that body of death which is more heavy to the soul than the burden of the Mountains If the life of Christ be not in thee whence are those desires Thou breathest after Christ ay with all thy soul thou couldst even expire that the life of Christ might be more manifest more evident in thee why whence are those desires Did you ever know a dead man breath or the Pulse of a dead man beat Surely these motions of the soul after Christ these breathings of the heart after Christ do testifie there is something of the life of Christ but if thou canst not find the life of Christ and seest nothing but deadness yet look towards him as a living Saviour let thine eye be towards him as one that is set up to give life he is a Tree of life for this end that is in the midst of the Garden and it 's the Will of the Father that thou shouldst come to Christ thou that art sensible that there is nothing but deadness in thee come to Christ for life Christ complains that you will not come to me that I may give you life you that complain of your deadness give not Christ cause to complain that you will not come to him that he may give you life therefore seeing the way of the Tree of life is not shut up but it 's set open it 's left open there is no Cherubim set before thee but come and eat eat of the Tree of life and live Christ presents himself to thy soul that thou mightest put forth thy hand and eat of the Tree of Life and though thou saiest thou hast not the life of Christ yet look up to Christ that so thy soul may have life and know for thy encouragement that the time is coming and is at hand that more of the life of Christ shall be given out than ever it was unto the Saints I say it shall be as life from the dead when the Jews shall come in again there shall be a new Resurrection the people of God shall differ most exceedingly from what they were before the time is hastning and abundance of the life of Christ shall be communicated unto every member of Jesus Christ and all the Saints they shall die more to sin die more to the world and die more unto self and shall live more unto God and lift up the Son of God for the day of the Lord is high and shall be lifted up for in that day the Lord alone shall be exalted But so much for this time SERMON III. PHILIP 1. 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain CHrist is the life of every Believer I shewed you how the life of Christ works in every soul where it is I come to the Application Vse 1. First of all Let it be a word of Examination Know it 's not enough to have a name to live if Christ be not the principle of life it 's possible as I have shewed you heretofore that the children of the Kingdom may be cast out into utter darkness to have a name and only a name to live it will do men little good therefore I beseech you examine whether the life of Christ be in you or no whence came your life first What way came into your oul that life which you have Did it come by hearing the voice of Christ That life which is from Christ comes into the soul by hearing the voice of Christ in Joh. 5. 25. The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live There is no man that lives but he shall hear the voice of the Son of God can you say that the life that was in you it was thus brought into your souls it was by the voice of the Son of God it was Christ spake Christ spake in your souls and you were revived it was Christ in a Promise or Christ in an Ordinance or Christ in the breathings of his spirit Ay you know it was Christ that spake for you were so sensibly deeply sunk in unbelief you were so dead that if an Angel from Heaven should have sounded a Trumpet you could not have heard nor have believed the Gospel Ay you know it was the voice of Christ for you heard the same word many a time the same promise was given in you read it you heard it it was urged upon you and yet you found no life in it but when Christ spake then your spirit was revived Nay you are perswaded it was the voice of Christ for it was at such a time when you were farthest off from light then was your spirit revived when your condition was those dead and dry bones which the Prophet Ezekiel speaks of in Ezek. 37. you were furthest from life when not only the flesh was consumed but the bones were dry scattered and consumed even in such a spiritual sense were you broken and when the Word of Christ came to your soul you were revived from this Word of the Lord and therefore certainly it was Christ that spake I cannot but assent unto it the life of Christ that thus comes in by the voice of the Son of God it 's Christ in the soul 2. Secondly Again Did not this life come in in a way of dying I say did it not come in in a way of dying For so is the life of Christ where the life of Christ is it kills the creature it strikes him stark dead the creature is nothing it dies to self it dies to his own righteousness it dies to his own strength to his own wisdom have you thus found it Thus it was with Christ the life that he purchased for his people he purchased it by his death it was made evident in a way of dying when he arose from the Grave then it was evident and he is declared with power that he was the Son of God life came in by death in a way of dying and truly thus it is with a soul where the life of Christ is when Christ comes the soul dies it saies as Christ said when he was ready to give up the Ghost in Luk. 23. 46. Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit so that soul where
the life of Christ comes in expires into God the soul expires into God into the hands of God the creature becomes nothing it desires to be nothing nothing in it self content that the creature should be dead look'd upon as dead that God alone should be exalted that he should be all unto it and that it should be all in all unto him thus the life of Christ where it comes into the soul in this way 3. Thirdly But again Examine how your life is maintained if the life of Christ be in you How is that life of Crist in you that spiritual life maintained the life that is from Christ is maintained by Christ it came in at first by the voice of the Son of God and so it 's maintained by the voice of God and every time that Christ speaks it 's further into life every time that Christ speaks in a promise every time that Christ speaks in an Ordinance it runs further into life and every day it's dying the life of Christ is increasing and triumphs in the victory by killing and slaying the creature to it self in its own apprehension and it 's maintained by the voice of Christ or by a sight of Christ so that where this life of Christ is the soul in all its deadness runs to Christ when it wants life at any time it looks to Christ for it it runs to Christ for this life Lord maintain this life A soul hath its life from the Father originally instrumentally from God and it depends upon the Father for life and where the soul is begotten by God its life being in Christ it 's maintained by Christ and it never lives so well as when it sees most of Christ it 's a sight of the glory and beauty of Christ of the grace of Christ and love of Christ that doth mightily affect the heart and raise the spirits of the soul it is mightily stirred up the operations of the soul are stirred up and it looks upon Christ and it's revived it looks upon Christ and is strengthened and is beholding the glory and strength of Christ is most ready to act for Christ and to work for Christ whenas the soul hath much of Christ in his eye Well is your life thus maintained certainly this is the life of Christ Vse 2. But if I would speak in a way of discovery unto poor creatures that are without the life of Christ It will be an easie Test unto the discovery of many that they are without the life of Christ How many poor creatures in the world death sits on their sore-heads upon their faces Christ is not their life but the world is their life and their lusts is their life and the creature is their life for they live upon these the life of many a poor soul is bound up in these his life is bound up in the world and bound up in his lusts and if the world be taken from him or his lusts taken from him he cries out O he is undone what hath he more And what will God do him good or Christ do him good or communion with the spirit do him good his lusts are his life and his life is taken away when he is robbed of his lusts When a man doth live to the satisfaction of his lusts and makes them the whole end of his living not to lift up God and Christ but to live to the satisfaction of the lusts of his heart I say here it is an easie matter to say without breach of the law of love the Lord be merciful to such poor creatures for the life of Christ is not in them they lay rotting in their Graves of sin their throat is an open Sepulchre there 's no appearance of the life of Christ in such And therefore I shall desire the Lord would convince such poor creatures how miserable their condition is without the life of Christ they are like so many dead Carkasses and what a sad object is that to look upon so many men as dead carkasses though they be never so lively never so full of strength activity and of beauty here before the eye of the World yet in relation to the invisible World which is many thousand times more considerable such men are as dead carcasses I say in the eye of God and of his Angels and the rest of the Inhabitants of the invisible World such poor creatures are as dead carkasses as dreadful an object to them as a walking Ghost is to you a carkass that lies rotting in the Grave where there is nothing but putrefaction it is a noysom an offensive object every one turns away from it and truly every one is such who is a sinner an obstinate sinner the Lord cannot away with them that if they continue in trespasses and sins being dead in sins and trespasses the Lord will bury them out of his sight there wants nothing but a burying them out of the sight of God to make their misery compleat rejection from the presence of God to be cast out of the sight of God and his presence for ever never to behold his face in glory and communion with him it shall be the completion of the misery of such poor wretches And therefore I shall desire you in the fear of God to look after the life of Christ O that the Lord would perswade you to look after the life of Christ He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life Look after Christ for life O that you would consider the excellency of the life of Christ is it not worth the seeking after Shall I set it out to you by comparing the life of Christ with natural life which is accounted most excellent in this lower world and you shall see how infinitely excellent the life of Christ is What is the most excellent thing in the World the best thing in nature Why life natural life is the best thing in nature Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life the least worm is more excellent than the Sun in that respect because it hath life life is most excellent in its nature But now compare the life of nature with the life of Christ and you shall see how far it goes beyond it and therefore infinitely more desirable than the life of nature For 1. First of all The life of Nature is a vain life a life full of vanity Eve was convinced thereof by that time she brought forth a second Son she called his name Abel that is vanity she now knew that was the condition and case of the sons and daughters of fallen man of all she brought forth with all the world that followed her their lives shall be vanity Man walks in a vain shadow in a vain shew Psal 39. 5 6. Surely every man walks in a vain shew surely they are disquieted in vain the life of Nature is full of vanity it appears in that it satisfieth not it
worldly glory that can be for why this little worm hath life this worm Jacob hath life whereas a natural man is dead and without life in Eccles 9. 4. A live Dog is better than a dead Lion Why Brethren it is true in this sense also the woman of Canaan knew she was called Dog and so she was in respect of her outward condition for she was one of the out-cast Gentiles a stranger to the children not worthy to eat of the crumbs of the Table but though she was a Dog she was a living Dog and though a Dog yet she was accounted by Christ far better than the great Rabbies of the World she was a living Dog though they were but dead Lions and she shall shine in the Firmament whenas the dead Lions of the World shall rot and their carcasses the living Shrub that shall grow and flourish when the dead Oak shall be cut down and made fuel for the fire And therefore I beseech you Brethren that you would learn by this how to judge of your selves and how to judge of others and not according to that mean condition that happily God hath cast you in in the World but by that principle of life which is within you if Christ be your life if Christ be in you the hope of Glory why though in respect of your natural life and outward accommodations your life is but as the life of a worm yet your spiritual life being in you is a life better than the life of Angels which is a spark of the life of Christ himself of God himself which though their life be hid it 's hid with God in Christ And when Christ who is your life shall appear then shall you also appear with him in Glory and therefore notwithstanding all those hinderances of Clouds in the World that are cast upon you yet know that this your life is hid with Christ in God So much by way of Instruction Vse 4. A word of Exhortation And first of all I shall speak unto such as are strangers unto the life of Christ And Secondly To those in whom Christ is a principle of life 1. First of all To those that are strangers to the life of Christ My desire and request is That the Lord would cause you to come to Christ for life the Father hath made him the principle of life unto all that shall live in his sight you that are dead in sins and trespasses that it may be easily seen and said of you that the World is your life and that your lusts are your life that your life is bound up in creatures and not in Christ I beseech you that you would this day come to Christ that he may give you life know it that the Lord doth this day tender life to you the Lord Christ stands weeping over you in this Ordinance as sometimes he wept over Lazarus in John 11. 35. Jesus wept And truly I may say Christ stands weeping over you poor sinners that are standing with your trespasses and sins the Lord Christ stands weeping over you he sounds forth this Word Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee life know that you are in a dead sleep such as are strangers to the life of Christ they are like men in a sleep they are filled with fancies and dreams and conceits that they have life and strength righteousness and glory they dream of a Feast but when they awake they are hungry thou conceitest thou art Rich and stand'st in need of nothing and knowest not that thou art poor miserable blind and naked now it is to you that the Lord saies Arise awake thou that sleepest it is high time we should awake the Apostle saies The night is past the day is at hand and therefore it is high time that men should awake there is a glorious day that the Gospel shall now shine in which the Lord makes gracious discoveries of himself light shines round about you and therefore awake thou that sleepest It is a shame for men to lie a bed Sleeping and Snorting when the Sun shines on their faces and calls them to labour what a shame is it for men to lie asleep in the day of the Gospel when the Sun hath risen and visited our coasts O know the Lord bids thee to awake and stand up from the dead thou that sleepest I beseech you be not found amongst the dead when God shall find you amongst the dead for him then to cast you among the dead and bury you out of his sight cast you for ever out of his sight to Eternity O let this awaken your souls when God calls you to awake Object But you will say If we be dead men why do you speak to us Can the dead arise Can the dead hear the voice Why do you bid us stand up and awake if we be as dead men Answ I Answer It is true there is no principle of life in a natural man the Lord doth not speak to you because you have a principle of life in you he doth not speak to you because you have life in you but he speaks that so you may live he speaks that so he may convey life to you for you must know that the Lord Jesus is the Prince of life he is the Lord of life he can command life he gives life by his Word he gives life by the breath of his mouth and therefore know it is not an empty word when the Lord calls upon you to live and to stand up for he that speaks to you is the Lord of life When Christ spake to Lazarus Come forth he knew Lazarus had no power of himself to come forth but when he speaks he gives life to Lazarus and enables him to live and to arise and so he comes out of his Grave Why so it is the Lord Jesus speaks and call upon you to live and he will give you life it is the prerogative of God he calls things that are not as if they were he speaks to dead men as if they were alive and when the Lord speaks he acts upon the soul there is an effectual operation in the Spirit of Christ that goes along to the giving of life to every soul that belongs unto God by the Word of the Lord. If a man go to a heap of Wood and he commands the Wood to burn he may command long enough before he shall see any such effect upon it but if this man take fire in his hand fire in one hand and bellows in the other and lay fire to the wood and blow upon the fire he shall presently see it arise up to a flame And thus the Lord soeaks his Word is not an empty Word but he carries fire along with it when he saies O soul live O soul be inflamed with desire after it this is not an empty word but there is efficacy goes along with it the Lord pours out going along with it pours
out a spirit of burning and breaths upon the same Word with command that sparks be blown up to a mighty flame so that the Lord speaks and when he speaks his words are not in vain when he speaks that he would have you to live do not you make objections against the life of Christ do not say we are dead creatures how should we live Consider what Abraham did it is said He considered not his own body when it was dead neither the deadness of Sarahs womb he did not look upon it in Rom. 4. 19. Not being weak in Faith it is said he considered not his own body now dead dead as to generation nor the deadness of Sarahs womb but he eyed the Word of the Lord the faithfulness and truth of God in his Word he lookt to the all-sufficiency of that God which had promised he knew that he was able to perform what he had spoken though it seemed never so unlikely unto sense therefore he staggered not at the promise through unbelief but he was strong in faith giving glory to God and so also you poor creatures do not look so much upon your own deadness but know that God can out of very stones raise up children unto Abraham he can quicken thee by the Word of his mouth and the breath of his nostrils though thou liest before him as Adam did who was as a lump of clay liveless and useless but the Lord made a body thereof and made it to become a living body though thou art dead the Lord can breath life in thee by the Word of his Spirit and so it shall burn unto Eternity all the life and breathings and motions of the Spirit after the Lord these are kindled by the Spirit of the Lord therefore look not so much after thine own deadness but look to the faithfulness of him that hath promised that thou maist not stagger at the Promise through unbelief Object But I am not only without the life of Christ saith some poor guilty sinner but I have been an enemy to the life of Christ I have opposed the life of Christ both in my own soul and others I have smothered those motions of the Spirit that he hath often cast in I have persecuted the appearances of the life of Christ in others and the Lord cause me to lie under the apprehension of the guilt of it and now I am ready to think and conclude that I am cast out of sight the time of life is past and the Lord hath for ever excluded me and shut me under death darkness and horror I shall not see the life of Christ Answ Why even to thee let me say that eternal life is the free gift of God I say this life is the free gift of God there is no gift more free than this life which God doth impart unto poor sinners It was said when Christ ascended up on high he led Captivity Captive and he received gifts for men even for the rebellious also that God might dwell amongst them Christ received life for Rebels he received gifts for Rebels and this was not the least of gifts this was the greatest of gifts that Christ received for Rebels this gift of life and therefore you shall see how Christ gave life unto that evil generation that did so persecute him even to the very death though they cut him off from the Land of the living as not being worthy to live among them yet to many of those that were the chief actors the chief instruments of the Crucifying of the Lord of life there was life given them as we may see by those that were converted at Peter's Sermon and made partakers of the death of Christ and life of Christ the Apostle tells them in Acts 2. 23. He was delivered by the determinate counsel and fore-knowledge of God him ye have taken and by wicked hands have Crucified and slain And afterwards in that Chapter you shall read that even those he speaks to here at Verse 37. were converted life was dispensed to them pardon to them mercy to them grace to them even to them that had with wicked and cruel hands slain and crucified the Lord of life and glory and therefore also Christ saies in John 6. That he came to give his life for the World he gave his flesh for the life of the world the world that lay in wickedness that was in darkness that was filled with enmity against Christ and against his people whilst they were here in the world Christ gave his flesh to be life unto the world therefore see that eternal life is the gift of God he gives it so freely to Rebels to such who had their hands embrewed in his blood that had with wicked hands crucified and slain him See what a door of Hope is set open for poor guilty sinners that they may come in and be made partakers of this life of Christ Object But it may be that soul will further Object and say I have not only been an enemy to the life of Christ but I have continued so long dead in sins and trespasses that when I look upon my condition it seems unto me like unto the state of dead and dry bones and I am ready to say Is it possible that such dead and dry bones should live that have lain so long in the Grave of sin so long rotting and stinking in their lusts is it possible that such should live Answ Let me tell you That the Lord carries on his work though under great disadvantages that Parable or Vision that was represented to the Prophet Ezekiel concerning the Jews is very remarkable in Ezek. 37. 3. And he said unto me Son of man can these bones live And I answered O Lord thou knowest Go Prophesie upon them and the Lord saies then he would give life unto them I know no way how they shall live it is beyond the reach of the creature to know thou art infinite in wisdom and power O Lord thou knowest the way how to give life and being to them Well saies God they shall live the Lord often gives life to such poor creatures in such a condition when they are like unto dead and dry bones when furthest from life the skin was not only broken and the flesh consumed and the bones loosned and disjointed but they were scattered abroad broken and dry and so they were in such an estate as was farthest off from life but even then the Lord delights to communicate life When Lazarus had lain four daies in the Grave then the Lord Christ raised him up he could have raised him as soon as his breath had gone out but the Lord Christ let him go four daies when he seemed to be farthest off from life when his sister had said Lord by this time he sti keth saies Christ unto her Did not I tell thee if thou wouldest believe thou shouldst see the glory of God What saies Christ to the poor soul when the soul saith
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
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
perfect peace Ay but is this righteousness compleat Have I done enough But are not my works defiled Is not my righteousness spotted or is it not short or is it not scant doth it not want something of length and breadth will it wholly cover my nakedness Thus the soul doth question with it self when it is looking after the Covenant of Grace and thus the soul is carried out to act in the Covenant and to look upon all as purchased by Christ there is the mighty foundation laid free-grace and the righteousness of Jesus Christ the soul may even venture upon it when it walks through the Valley of the shadow of death that is the first Direction I beseech you labour to understand the nature of the Covenant of Grace by which he brings his people to glory But again Direct 2. Secondly As you desire your hearts should be fitted against the fears of death look up to the Lord to inable you to live by Faith whilest you look up learn to live by Faith to live by Faith is the way to die in Faith and the more Faith the less fear the less carnal fear and therefore O look up unto the Lord to help you to live by Faith to exercise Faith in every condition it is said Thâ— just shall live by Faith in Habak 2. 4. Ay in sorrows in afflictions in distresses in the darkest condition he shall live by Faith he shall exercise Faith in the promise and live above the darkness of his condition through the love of God in Christ in him he shall thus live by Faith Go to Christ therefore to strengthen your Faith you that are weak in Faith go and say as the Disciples did Lord increase our Faith for it is he only that can draw forth the soul to acting of Faith Psal 119. 49. Remember thy Word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope The Lord caused his soul to trust in his promise Labour to exercise Faith Faith in every condition there is some promise that God hath suited for his people in all conditions and he expects that they should live by Faith upon those promises the more that you live by Faith in the promise whilst you live the more able shall you be to look death in the face without terrour exercise Faith every day on the promise and Faith will grow so strong as you shall be able to say with David I will not fear though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of death for thou art with me That 's a Second Direction Direct 3. Thirdly That your hearts may be strengthened against the fears of death look up to Christ to strengthen you whilst you are in the World to die to the World to Sin and to Self remember that you are Pilgrims here on earth O entertain such thoughts continually I am a stranger on earth I am upon my travel in my journey this is not my home I must e're long depart this World I came not here to rest is not this the bridge to Eternity it is a bridge to pass over and shall I build upon this bridge shall I think to dwell here shall my affections take up here No Lord I am a Pilgrim and a Stranger as all my fore-fathers I am crucified to the World and the Wâ—â—â—â— me Paul could look death in the face beyond 〈◊〉 I am crucified to the World and the World to me labour to die to sin and to self be willing to cast out self be willing that the Lord alone should be exalted he that hath made it his work to lay self aside in all his waies and actions he will be very willing to lay himself aside if it shall be for the honour of the Lord Jesus Christ and when he conflicts with sin he will rejoice at the reproaches of death that that enemy that hath done him so much injury shall be fully conquered That 's a Third Direction Direct 4. Fourthly Desire the Lord to teach you what is the service of your Generation and to help you to perform it desire that the Lord would help you to know what is the work of your Generation and to inable you to perform it this will fortifie the soul against the fears of death It is very sad to a servant when his Candle goes out before his work be done he cannot lie down with comfort his Master hath given him a piece of work and he hath wholly neglected it whilst his light was given and what comfort can he have in his lying down our Lord Jesus Christ hath finished the work his Father gave into his hand and then he was willing to be gone in John 17. 4 5. I have glorified thee on the earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do and now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the World was And so it is said of David After he had served his Generation according to the Will of God he fell asleep death was welcom to him as sleep is to a weary man when his work was done he lay down with comfort there is nothing to trouble him his work is done after he had served his Generation he fell asleep There is some work God hath appointed to every one of us O desire the Lord to teach you to know what that work is he hath put into your hand and sent you into the world for O do that work with all your might that when death comes it may be welcom as welcom to you as sleep is to a weary man But again Direct 5. Fifthly To fortifie your hearts against the fear of death whilst you live Live much upon Christ make Jesus Christ your life continually where Christ is life there death is gain be looking up to Jesus Christ to be a principle of life to you and to act you continually live upon him for Justification live upon him for Sanctification live upon him for all your comforts make much use of Jesus Christ continually the soul that hath lived upon Christ that hath made him the beginning of all and made him the end of all for then is Christ their life it will be exceedingly strengthened against the fears of death Let him be the beginning of all your works and actions take nothing in hand without the strength of Christ look for the strength of Christ to act you to breath in you and to fill your sails in your motion God-ward and Heaven-ward and let Christ be the end of all that you do I say propound Christ as your end do what you do as unto Christ whatsoever you do in your services to men do it as unto the Lord do your common worke as unto the Lord let Christ be the end propound him as the end of all that you undertake I tell you if Christ be not the end of a mans works all his works are lost Christ speaks of some that shall
come and say Lord Lord have not we prophesied in thy Name and in thy name we have cast out Devils and yet in the very next words Christ saies unto them Depart from me you workers of Iniquity here is a strange Epithete you workers of Iniquity they did abundance of good Prophesied 〈…〉 Name and cast out Devils c. and yet he call 〈…〉 workers of Iniquity if they be not done for Câ—â—â—â— to Christ Christ will interpret them worke 〈◊〉 Iniquity Make Christ your life and live upon him and that will fit you to look death in the face without fear Direct 6. Sixthly Converse with Death continually that is another Direction that I desire the Lord might set it upon our spirits converse with death continually behold death at a distance even all your life-long see death both in the death of Christ and in your own death Here you may converse with death 1. First In the death of Christ and then with your death which is approaching Christians Behold your own death in the death of Christ look upon a dying and a bleeding Saviour behold him as dead and laid in the Grave and what was the end of all this but that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death and deliver his poor people from fear of death Behold Christ as a mighty Conquerour by Faith every day and see death conquered and know that when Christ conquered he conquered as a common person he conquered death not only for himself but for his people O Christians if you were wise to make improvement of the death of Christ how might your spirits be strengthened against fears of death The death of Christ would kill all the fears of death in you I say if you made improvement of the death of Christ you may go and bury the fears of death in the Grave of Christ for he hath swallowed up death make it your work tâ— converse with death in the death of Christ And again Converse with your own death which is approaching O how is this neglected how seldom do men look for a dying hour or a departure how loth are men to entertain thoughts of death I have read of an Emperour that gave a Commâ—â—â—â— That no man should name Death in his Palace he 〈◊〉 afraid of death that he gave a Command upon paâ—â—â—â—â— death not to hear death named what advantage do men gain by this This strengthens the enemy and weakens their own hearts and spirits because they are afraid to think of death before death comes this doth exceedingly weaken a man against the time of his coming I have heard of a Serpent that is called a Cockatrice that if it sees a man it kills him but if he sees it it doth him no harm why it is true in this sense we are upon If death comes upon a man it kills him but when the soul hath seen death and hath digested and seen death at the worst that it can do and hath lived in a dying condition death when it comes is able to do no harm and therefore that 's a sixth Direction I desire the Lord would teach us to converse with death and to die daily with the Apostle Direct 7. Seventhly I desire that you would labour that your hearts may be thorowly rooted and established in the promises this will fortifie you against the fears of death upon the promises and upon that free-grace and that infinite righteousness that is held forth unto you in the Gospel Many men content themselves with common thoughts and ordinary notions of Christ and the Gospel and way of Salvation in his free-grace and of the power of Christ in saving of poor creatures but this is like the stony ground they are not perswaded of the truth of it and so setled And therefore how should this be fortifying against the fears of death This cannot bear them up in the time of death Go to the Lord desire him that he would realize things to you and that he would make real and deep impressions by his promise upon your souls that so you may be supported and carried out in the midst of all fears and dangeâ—◠〈◊〉 Eighthly Here is one more Direction whâ—â—â—â— give you which may help to strengthen your â—â—â—â—ts against the fears of death and that is Whilst you live labour to live in constant communion with God desire that the Lord would uphold your spirits in constant communion and fellowship with himself and with his son Jesus Christ Labour to walk with God as Enoch did He walked with God and was translated walk with God in your Generation and labour to enjoy communion with God in all Ordinances be thorowly acquainted with God with the goings of God in your spirits with the counsels of God with the promises of God that the Word may be your Counsellour and your guide and your comforter seek acquaintance with God What is it that makes men afraid to die It is because they are not acquainted with God a man fears in going into a strange place and strange company that he knows not it makes him fearful O if men were acquainted with God if they did walk with God whilst they lived and were acquainted with God in life it would take away the fears of death And truly Brethren you had need get extraordinary acquaintance with God before you leave your Country and Fathers house and follow him to a place you know not you had need be well acquainted to follow God and in making such a venture as you have heard of therefore make all improvement that may be to get more acquaintance with God under the Gospel Gods people are more generally freed from the fears of death because they have more acquaintance with God We are come saies the Apostle Heb. 12. 23. we are not only come to Jesus Christ the Mediator of the Covenant but we are come to God the Judge of all Now under the 〈◊〉 there is the way for Christians to come with 〈◊〉 and boldness to God even to God the Judge 〈◊〉 to have a sweet familiarity and acquaintance wâ—â—â—â— God even that Judge who judgeth all and that soul that hath been acquainted with God will not fear to go to God when God calls There was a gracious man I have heard of when he came to die saies he I shall change my place but not my company he had walked with God all his life God was his companion he had walked with God in all his waies and had done his work though he doth change his place having walked with God on earth he should now walk with God in Heaven Now O that we might thus walk with God and not be afraid to walk with God my Friend my Father my Companion Thus much for Direction the Lord sanctifie them to you I shall conclude these Words and this Text with one word more I beseech you you that have interest in Christ that have Christ for life and death for
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