now Christ is he that quickens whom he will by the mighty power of his resurrection is a poor soul raised up to live unto God I say all the life and strength of grace comes from the resurrection of Christ see what the Apostle says in Rom. 6. 4. mark that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father that is by the glorious power of the father by that almighty power in which he was so glorious I say Christ was raised from the dead even so saith he we should walk in newness of life it 's a mighty argument unto a gracious heart to walk with God and to live unto God and to walk in the newness of the Spirit why Christ he is risen he is risen from the dead and therefore when this word comes to the soul that is grovelling here below and seeks Christ in dead works and duties he is not there he sees not the death nor the resurrection of Christ but the power of Christ doth raise souls to live unto this newness of life and that is the fruit of the resurrection of Christ But 3. Again Thirdly there is another fruit of the resurrection of Christ and that is the Resurrection of the body at the last day this is a most sweet fruit that grows upon Christ the resurrection of the bodies of all his Saints at the last day he is said to be the first fruits of them that slept in 1 Cor. 15. 20. He is become the first-fruits of them that slept the first-fruits sanctifie the whole crop they were to bring the first-fruits the first-fruits they were brought forth the first-fruits sanctifie the crop that as they should reap that for the glory of God so their whole harvest now Christ he is the first-fruits of them that slept his resurrection it gives assurance unto the saints that as he is risen from the dead so the Lord he shall also raise them up he shall raise them up by the mighty power of his resurrection see there in the Gospel by Matthew 27. 52. And many bodies of the saints which slept arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared unto many a pledge given of our resurrection that all the saints shall be raised at the last many of the Saints that slept in the dust they arose and were seen of many in Jersalem there were witnesses of it this is a pledge I say that the bodies of all the Saints shall be raised up at the last day and these are the fruits that grow upon Christs Resurrection 7. Seventhly There are also many fruits that grow upon Christs Ascension his Ascension unto Heaven to tell you what fruits are there 1. First of all this is the fruit of Christs Ascension viz. The glorious triumph over all enemies and powers of darkness both in his own person and in his people I say a glorious triumph over all enemies for the day of Christs Ascension was the day of his triumph it 's said in Ephes 4. 8. when he ascended on high he led captivity captive alluding to a great conquest that when they have taken captives they will have a day of triumph to shew them openly and so Jesus Christ he led captivity captive Sin and Satan and all the powers of darkness that had led poor souls captive even them hath he led captive and looks upon all these as bound by Christ and they shall do no great harm that 's the first fruit of Christs ascension 2. Secondly the donation of the spirit and all the gifts of the Spirit is another fruit of Christs Ascension it 's said before in that place of the Ephesians That when he ascended on high he led Captivity Captive and he gave gifts to men all the gifts that are given to Churches to men for the use of the Churches they are the fruit of Christs Ascension Nay all the gifts and graces that are given to any particular Soul they are fruits of Christs Ascension he gave gifts to men yea to the Rebellious yea The Spirit of grace and consolation is given to the Saints to comfort them and to lead them into truth See what Christ hath promised in John 16. 7. Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you see how the sending of the Spirit did depend upon Christs going If I do not ascend the Spirit will not come but if I go I will send him 3. But again Thirdly There is another fruit of Christs Ascension and that is The carrying up of the hearts of his people into Heaven the holy conversation and those heavenly affections and dispositions which are or should be in all the Saints they are the fruits of Christs Ascension for he ascended for this very end that he might lift up their hearts If I be lifted up I will draw all men after me he was lifted up into heaven that he might draw eyes and souls after him and therefore it 's observable how Christ ascended he ascended openly he ascended in the view of all that were present he ascended whilest he was in the midst of his Disciples talking of things concerning the Churches he presently ascended this was one end why Christ would not ascend in secret but openly that they may know he is in Heaven and that by the sight of his Ascension he might draw them after him in Spirit though they could not follow him in body for the present as the Eagle when she teaches her young ones she goes before and flyeth aloft that they may follow after her and thus doth the Lord Jesus he soars aloft that he might make his Saints to give holy attempts at least in their Spirits whilst their bodies are here on earth Oh he can't endure that they should be creeping here below a low spirit and a low conversation is not fit for Saints he would not have his people to have rooting in the earth he would have his people be like Aaron's Rod Aaron's Rod it was not like other Trees it had no rooting in the earth and yet it blossomed such would the Lord have his people to be he can't away that they should have low conversations that their affections should be creeping here upon the earth and not soaring aloft and living in heaven where he is Under the Levitical Law the things that did creep upon the earth they were abominable and they were unclean God gave a Commandment in Levit. 11. 41. And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination it shall not be eaten it doth typifie what the Lord would have his people to be he would not have his people to live below on the earth the earth is but dust and that 's Serpents meat the Lord would have them to live above as Christ did
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
he I shall be no loser death is look'd upon as a loss therefore as Paul should have said For me to live is Christ or to die is Christ but he rather saies It is gain it is Christ that makes it gain to him or else it is a loss to me but Christ who is my life shall make death gain So take no thought of me saies he whatsoever befalls me I shall do well if I live or if I die And because you are more solicitous concerning my death saies he know that death is my gain if I lose my friends and my comforts if I lose life it self it shall be no loss it shall not undo me for I shall find all in Jesus Christ and so death shall be my gain DOCT. Christ is the Believers Life That 's the Proposition that lies before us For me to live is Christ or Christ is my Life it is all one Christ is the life of every believing soul By Life sometimes it is understood whatsoever is excellent whatsoever is excellent in its kind it is set forth by life because life is the most excellent thing in nature Skin for Skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life and therefore the Bread which Christ gives is called Living Bread Bread of Life and so Water of Life for the excellency of the spiritual things that the Lord gives out to his people and truly Christ is instead of all excellencies to a believing soul he is the life of all their comforts the comforts of the World are dead until such time as Christ shines in them there is no life until such time as Christ shines through them for riches are dead and honour is dead and friends are dead all comforts are dead till the life of Christ be in them But more particularly 1. First Christ is the Life of Righteousness to the believing soul every child of Adam is dead condemned and so he is dead in Law there is no life but by the righteousness of Christ that righteousness which Christ brought in by his blood He gave life by making satisfaction to Justice by paying the debt unto death therefore the Apostle saies that Righteousness reigns by Christ in Rom. 5. sin entered into the world by Adam speaking there at Verse 17. For if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ Righteousness raigns in a believing soul by Jesus Christ it hath the preheminence of all all is dross and dung in comparison of this righteousness of Jesus Christ it reigns gloriously in a believing soul it is Christ that procures this righteousness and it is Christ that applies this righteousness by his Spirit I say the Application of this life of righteousness is from Christ it is he that reveals this righteousness it is he that discovers it to the soul it is Christ by his eternal Spirit that causeth the soul to know this life and righteousness which is given to it now as Christ doth discover this righteousness so he causeth the soul to close with this righteousness it is he by his Spirit that overcomes the heart to rest upon this righteousness and to look upon this righteousness as its life for there is a principle in the creature to seek after life in it self man would seek righteousness in himself and it is a hard matter to bring the soul off of this rotten sandy foundation Christ only by his eternal Spirit when he hath revealed this righteousness perswades the soul to rest upon it and to look upon him as its life 2. Secondly Again As the life of righteousness is from Christ so the life of holiness is from Christ all those gracious dispositions and all those holy actings that do at any time shine forth in the hearts and lives of Gods people they have no other foundation but Christ the holiness of Christ From his fulness have all we received grace for grace if there be the life of any grace in the soul it is from Jesus Christ from the fulness of Christ there is no man lives the life of holiness till Christ becomes a principle of life to him there is no breathings in the heart after Christ there is no holy motion in pursuit after Christ till Christ first breaths upon the soul The hour is come and now is that they that are in their Graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear it shall live There is no man lives the life of holiness until such time as he hears the voice of the Son of God there may be Carkasses of grace out-sides of grace and there may be Carkasses of duties and performances but no living graces there are no living performances until such time as Christ be a principle of life unto the soul the beginning of the life of holiness and so the encrease of the life of holiness is from Christ I came that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly Christ decreed that you might have life and that you might have abundance of life that you might be filled with the Spirit of Christ that you might have abundance of the life of Christ that his people might be ready in his strength to every good word and work this was the end of Christs coming that they might have life more abundantly he is the life of holiness But again 3. Thirdly Christ is the Life of Consolation unto his people He is the life of all their comforts and the comforts that Christ gives they are living comforts my peace I give unto you not as the world gives give I unto you for no man shall take away your peace the world shall not take it away my Spirit shall be an everlasting living principle of consolation in you which shall not be taken away Christ is the life of all a Christians comforts he is the life of friends the life of all refreshments that a Christian hath and they are all dead to him when Christ doth not shine through them he is the life of comforts and the life of Ordinances there is no life there is no refreshment if Christ be not in them if the soul meets not with Christ in Ordinances they are but dead Ordinances truly Christ is the life of all He is also 4. Fourthly The Life of Glory Christ is the life of glory to his people It is he that hath purchased glory for them by his blood it is he that hath made the way plain it is he that hath made a new way to glory when the old way was shut you read in Heb. 10. 19 20. Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh A new and living way to God a new and living way to the
boldness The Lord hath delivered and he doth deliver and he will deliver he gained abundance of submission to the Will of God by contemplation on his condition and by this he knew how to want as well as how to abound and he could do all things through Christ that strengthened him and it was his obedience to the Will of Christ which strengthened him and I believe there is none of Gods people that will bring in their experiences if they will truly and impartially cast up their accounts but they will and shall find that God hath made them gainers by their losses and by their several afflictions that God hath laid upon them they have gained at least this to know that they are nothing they see themselves what fruitless unprofitable creatures they are and they have known what the creature is when God is at a distance they have seen something of themselves and something of God and if there be no more than this this is a great deal of gain and that it is true of all these Deaths the Lord makes his people gainers by them and he leads them through these conditions because he intends to make them gainers by them every affliction that he sends is a servant of Christ every afflicted condition is a servant of Christ and is sent with a good message is sent to communicate some good thing to the soul of every Believer God stands up and saies as in another case Who will go and perswade Ahab And the Spirit answers I God saies Who will go and carry tidings of love from Heaven to such a soul something of himself something of the Divine nature God hath store of Messengers That will I saies one mercy and that will I saies another afflictions are all ready to communicate some good thing to those that love the Lord Christ and indeed they are narrow Pipes all these conditions that the Saints are brought into they are narrow Pipes they can convey but a little a very little of God by them now God is an infinite fountain and he can convey much of himself one condition is too little too narrow for God to work in too narrow a Pipe for God to pour in all that good which he intends for his servants therefore he chooseth variety of works great mercies and variety of afflictions they are all the servants of God and they have commission to go and work for such a man to work for such a mans good the promise is given to the Believer That all shall work together for good so that all are his servants all deaths afflictions persecutions whatsoever distresses his people shall meet withal shall work together for good they must needs gain a man that hath a multitude of servants that work for him it 's all for their good as well as his why Believers have a multitude of servants all is yours all Christ is yours every condition that God hath brought you into shall work for your good for they are Christs servants and you must needs be gainers and truly God knows that their gain is his gain he will gain by their gain and therefore will make their deaths to be gain to them for it comes back again to his Treasury he knows that his people will not purse his glory will not put up that which is Gods if God doth come in and make them gainers by their afflictions if God doth inlarge their hearts and set them free they won't say By my own hand have I made my self rich by my own industry I have gotten this wealth this strength this peace this liberty for what are we that we should be able to walk answerably to any measure that God gives out unto us But Again God will make Death it self gain unto us not only lesser deaths but the greater death it shall be gain even that separation of soul from body which to the wicked man is the worst of deaths Christ becomes gain to that soul whose life Christ is I will tell you in one particular and leave the rest wherein death is gain to that soul whose life Christ is and that is this He shall gain Rest Blessed are those that die in the Lord in Rev. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them that 's their nature he speaks in a time of persecution when the Beast came out of the bottomless pit to make war against the Saints the Lord gives encouragement from hence they are blessed though Anti-Christ curse them as Hereticks but from henceforth they are blessed that die in the Lord especially that die in the Lord as these did but wherein are they blessed In this That they rest from their labours there 's a part of their blessedness see what the Prophet Isaiah saies of the righteous man he speaks of this blessedness they shall gain rest in Isa 57. 1 2. He shall enter into peace they shall rest in their Beds each one walking in his uprightness they shall rest as a man rests in his bed so shall the righteous man rest in his Grave the Grave shall be as a bed to them upon which they that die in the Lord shall rest sweetly from these their labours this World is a troublesome World a very turmoiling World full of troubles and labours both to flesh and spirit and they that die in the Lord rest from their labours This World is a place to work in When the Sun arises man goes forth to his labour till the evening comes But you will say This is no great matter what gain is here The gain of Rest rest to the flesh is this any great gain Job saies in Job 3. 13. For now should I have lien still and been quiet I should have slept then had I been at rest Wicked men rest in their Graves they that could never rest well but in wickedness they rest in their Graves but what then where is the gain that the righteous man rests in For they both rest in their Graves 1. First There is a difference in their rest the wicked mans rest is partial it is but the rest of the body the flesh only it is not the rest of the spirit It is an imperfect rest they do not lie down to rest sweetly on their beds with those peaceful thoughts that the righteous man hath in his going to bed to the Grave O their rest is a troublesome rest It is said in Psal 16. there in the person of Christ My flesh rests in hope and shall not see corruption his very flesh should rest in hope the very flesh of the righteous man when it is in the Grave rests in hope his very bones when dry and scattered still they rest in hope hope of a Resurrection But now we may say on the contrary that the very flesh of the wicked man rests in fear his very flesh rests in fear
thy fruit found That 's good fruit that grows upon Christ that comes from Christ that tastes of Christ Object But you will say When doth a mans fruit taste of Christ Answ 1. First of all When the Soul is still labouring to get out of it self is still emptying it self getting out of himself when a man doth all that he can do and yet looks upon himself as vile and wretched abhorring himself in dust and ashes when he continually sayes there is nothing at all in him that is good The Apostle Paul sayes it that is his expression and it was the expression of a gracious heart Rom. 7. 18. For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing When the Soul is thus taken up with Paul emptying it self and looking upon it self as a poor vile weak wretched creature utterly unable to do any thing in his own strength for God and lying at the footstool of Christ breathing and waiting this fruit is not of himself but it tastes of Christ But again Answ 2. Secondly the fruit tastes of Christ when as the soul doth all out of a principle of Faith It works from a principle of faith It hath seen the tenders of grace in the Gospel how the Lord doth freely and graciously hold forth himself to poor lost sinners and hath through the power of God made a close with his tender of grace received it by faith so that now this faith it works by love and all that ever the Soul doth it desires to do it out of love to God when it comes thus from a principle of faith it doth alway act by love then the Soul tastes and feeds upon Christ But again 3. Thirdly the Soul tastes of Christ when it lives from a continual dependance on Christ when the Soul goes only out to Christ for righteousness and strength and Salvation when it goes out to Christ for all grace strength and Holiness for strength to perform every duty and to bear every burden and to walk wisely and graciously in every relation when the Soul lyes breathing and waiting upon Christ as the Poor man in the Gospel who laid at the pool of Bethesda when the soul lies waiting for the movings of Christ and is continually opening its savory affections to Christ looks upon it self as a Ship at sea in a Calm and is not able to stir unless the wind move unless the wind blow I say when the soul doth thus act this fruit tastes of Christ and thus doth Paul profess that he lived in a continual dependance upon Christ and that all that he did it was not from himself or any thing of his own but it was from Christ See that place in the Galatians from which a gracious Spirit doth breath Gal. 2. 20. I am Crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the Life which I live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Here 's a gracious expression I live sayes he and yet not I it 's Christ that lives in me When the soul can thus refer all to Christ and sayes I believe and it 's not I but Christ that helps me and so I obey yet not I but it 's the Spirit of Christ in me and I suffer yet not I but Christ strengthening me I pray and I perform duties and yet not I but it 's the Spirit of Christ in me that breaths in me when the soul thus goes out of it self and depends upon Christ for all grace and strength and all Holiness as well as for life and Salvation now doth the fruit of this Soul taste of Christ God knows it he tastes of Christ in it But then again 2. Secondly As God doth taste of the principles of the Soul as by the Stock from whence it comes so also by the ends of it What 's the end of a mans action what is the end of that he doth for God what is the end of his affections of his forwardness of his duties the Lord judgeth of all the fruit by the ends of it why if the Glory of God be a mans end in all that he doth this tastes of the fruit of Christ of the fruit of the Apple-tree but if a man aim at his own ends if a man seek himself in all that he doth it tastes strong of Self and the Lord hath no delight in it see what is said in Hosea 10. 1. Israel is an emptie Vine and yet he brings forth fruit how can these two stand together he brings forth fruit but he brings forth no good fruit he is emptie because he is empty to God he brings forth fruit and that fruit is emptie it 's to himself and so emptie and so God looks upon him as an emptie Vine if a man bring forth never so much fruit it being to himself it can't be called good but seemless fruit and all that fruit is lost the Lord takes no delight in that fruit it 's not for Gods taste when as it 's not brought forth unto him Object But you will say when doth a man bring forth fruit to God What are the ends that a man should propound to himself in all his actions to God that makes his fruit to be good Answ When the Soul doth all that it doth that it may testifie its thankfulness that it owes to God for the great and wonderful salvation that comes in by Christ when a man sayes I will take the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of God When a man does all that he doth to testifie his Subjection to God and only does all his works that he may honour and lift up Gods name in the world that he may be serviceable and instrumental to do God service in his generation when he makes this his end when a man shall do all for this end that God may reap the Glory that God may eat of the fruit he hath planted that God may not lose all his labour and all his pains and all his cost that so he that hath planted the tree in his Orchard may eat the fruit of it so that when a man makes not himself the end but God the sole end this God tastes of as savourie as a fruit savoury to himself But again 2. Secondly Christians should labour to bring forth much of this fruit a good tree brings forth much fruit Oh how full was Christ every bough was full of fruit Therefore the people of God they are compared unto trees that are planted by the rivers side it 's said they shall be as trees planted by the rivers of waters they are fruitful trees that are well watered and so bring forth abundance of fruit Oh Christians remember this was the end of Christs coming that you may bring forth fruit and bring forth abundance of fruit you should not only be trees but bring forth abundance of fruit I came that
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
Justice and mercy meeting and kiss each other here it may see Justice reconciled and sin carried out and everlasting righteousness brought in here it may see reconciliation purchased and a way made for those that were afar off to come nigh unto God here it may see deliverance from that wrath which is to come it may see Death Hell sin and Satan and all trodden under foot here it may see all grace and all strength purchased by Christ here it may see a door of grace and a door of Life set open and Oh what a glorious sight may the Soul see there 3. Again Thirdly sit under the Ordinances of Christ take heed you neglect not these shadows of Christ and look at all the ordinances as shadows of Christ this is the way to use ordinances aright men and women never use ordinances aright untill such time as they look upon ordinances under this notion and consideration as they are shadows of Christ as they represent Christ and hold forth something of Christ Take an Ordinance as it 's out of Christ and it 's a shadow indeed a meer shadow a shadow of shadows but take the shadow as it 's in Christ and then it 's a glorious shadow and holds forth abundance of sweetness and grace and comfort and refreshment and then be sure you keep under Christ in the ordinance when the Soul thus looks upon ordinances as shadows of Christ then ordinances are sweet and refreshing and the Soul may see cause for ever to bless the Lord that he hath provided shadows for poor Souls to sit under that 's a Third particular Again Fourthly you that have Interest in Christ know it 's not enough to sit under his shadow but delight your selves in sitting under his shadow be like to the spouse in this she sits and sits with delight under this shadow of Christ Quest But you will say what is it to sit under the shadow of Christ with delight when may a Soul be said to sit under the shadow of Christ with delight under the ordinances Answ Delight it 's a complacency and rest which the soul takes of a suitable good so that then the soul may be said to delight in Christ or under the shadow of Christ whenas it rests and takes up in Christ as in the most suitable good Oh what is so refreshing and so suitable to a poor weary traveller as a comfortable refreshing shadow is to sit under And Oh so what so suitable to a poor weary soul as the comfortable shadow of Christ to sit under When the soul doth thus apprehend this suitableness of Christ to it Oh here 's a suitable shadow here 's a great shadow it 's long and large it 's able to cover multitudes of transgressions here 's a might shadow that can fence off abundance of wrath and displeasure My sin hath reacht up to heaven but here 's a shadow that is higher than the Heavens here 's the shadow of the day a refreshing shadow and how suitable is that to a Poor soul that hath sat long under the shadows of the night the shadows of darkness or the shadow of death When the Soul doth thus look upon Christ as the most suitable good and so to take up in him then may the soul be said to sit down with delight under Christs shadow But then again 2. Secondly What a man delights in that he is continually taken up withal his thoughts they run out much upon it So the soul that delights in Christ sits under Christs shadow with delight it 's much in the meditation of Christ continually taken up with Christ What says the Psalmist Psal 1. His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night His delight is in the Law of the Lord and how is that known by his continual meditation of it I know a gracious heart it may be weighed down by the prevalency of corruption ay but it looks upon it as a burden it crys out Oh Lord how long shall my spirit cleave to the dust or with Paul in Rom. 7. Who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death from this carnal heart and this sensual frame of spirit He is never well but when with Christ he is then in his Element Oh then how doth he rejoyce when he sees Christ lifted up and transfigured on the mount Oh then it 's good to be here always let me never go down but let me always live with God here 's a soul lifted up with delight in Christ 3. Again Thirdly what the soul delights in that it desires and desires more of a soul that delights in Christ it desires more of Christ more communion with Christ more acquaintance with Christ it 's never satisfied See what David says Psalm 119. 174. I have longed for thy salvation O Lord and thy Law is my delight when the Law was his delight he longed for the salvation of God how did his soul long for God and after Christ he expresses it in Psalm 42. 1. As the hart panteth after the water-brooks so doth my soul after thee O God as the hart panteth and breatheth after the water-brooks so his soul panted after God and when shall he get nigher God When shall I come and appear before thee The desires of the Soul prepare the soul for delight and stretch the soul wide for delight when it shall enjoy that which it doth desire 4. Again Fourthly delight in the soul doth beget strong desires in the soul that it may enjoy more of God and the soul that is thus carried out after Christ desires to see him more and to enjoy him more desires to do all in Christ to work under his shadow and to delight under his shadow to contemplate under his shadow and walk under his shadow then may the soul be said to delight in Christ Well then poor souls what care should you take to sit under the shadow of Christ to sit and to sit under his shadow with great delight with the more delight you sit under the shadow of Christ the more do you express the power of grace and the power of Godliness for certainly it 's the excellency of a Christian and the excellency of grace that the soul can be taken up with delight in Christ as it is with the sinfulness of sin it 's the height of wickedness and sin when the sinner delights in sin when he doth not only act in sin but delight in sin and in doing evil even so when the Soul doth not think enough to do that which is good but desires to do it with delight and can delight in God and delight in Christ and delight in grace and holiness delight in doing for God and delight in suffering for God the more you delight in Christ the more shall you express the power of grace 5. But again consider what cause you have to express your delight in Christ remember what delight the
Lord Jesus took in sitting under these shadows which were most uncomfortable to him for your sakes lo I come to do thy will O my God in the 40. Psalm 8. I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart It was hard work to Christ and yet he delighted in it because it was his fathers work and because your souls were concerned in it it was the work of your redemption and though it was a bitter cup yet the Lord Jesus took delight in it If Christ delighted in these uncomfortable shadows in the shadow of Death for your sakes Oh why should not you express the comfort and Joy of your hearts in taking delight in being under his shadow Again Christ he is the delight of God the Father in Isa 42. 1. It 's the father that speaks of his son he speaks of Christ Behold my Servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soul delights he would have you not only behold him as a servant but as his Elect in whom he delights now if he be the delight of his father what cause have you then to make him the delight of your Souls Nay further It 's the way to have all the desires of your hearts to be satisfied to be filled there 's an express place for that in Psa 37. 4. Delight thy self also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart He was speaking before that he should not fret because of the wicked yea think that they have all that heart can wish but you are mistaken their desires are not satisfied the more they drink the more they thirst they are not satisfied in the enjoyment of any creature comfort but I will shew you the way of satisfaction delight in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart it 's the way to more grace and more strength it 's the way to be more able to do for God and more able to suffer for God and abundance comes in in this way in delighting in Christ when the Lord hath brought the soul into this frame once to take delight in Christ under some shadows of Christ Christ he is not far off from that Soul but will satisfie and reveal himself to that Soul in a most glorious manner see Mal. 3. 1. Behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple even the messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in and he shall come suddenly he is not far off and this is an evidence of this his coming that he stirs you up to seek him and to delight in himself to sit under the shadow of Christ with delight Oh then Christ he will come and will come suddenly and to manifest himself in a more glorious manner to that Soul that doth thus delight in him Well then to conclude I beseech you Brethren that you would look up to the Lord to have this frame of Spirit wrought in your hearts Do not think it enough to have these shadows but delight your souls under these shadows Christ calls for a great deal of delight from you to himself he is a most comfortable shadow a most pleasant shadow he is as the shadow of a tree and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary Land and as he is of great benefit to you so he calls for much delight from you Behold I bring you tidings of great joy says the Angel to the shepherds where Christ is there 's tidings of great joy and so when Christ draws nigh to your souls in his shadows he expects there should be great joy and delight in him that you should solace your selves under these shadow of Christ sit down and meditate under these shadows whilst you look under the Sufferings of Christ and ordinances of Christ see what a glorious prospect the Lord hath set before your eyes that you may take great delight delight in every shadow of Christ delight in his ordinances set your selves under these shadows It 's said those that were sick and diseased they laid them in the high way that the shadow of Peter might go over them shall the shadow of Peter heal diseased bodies why it 's Christ under whose shadow who ever comes will heal diseased Souls and he is greatly to be delighted in he is a sweet refreshing shadow SERMON VI. CANT 2. 3. I sat down under His Shadow with great delight and His Fruit was sweet to my Taste I Shewed you what is this shadow of Christ and what it is for a soul to sit under this shadow I made Application the last day But I shall proceed to the last clause of the verse and his fruit was swee to my taste I have considered the shadow now for the tree it self and his fruit was sweet to my taste Here is another benefit comes in by Christ It 's a mercie to sit under a shadow a Poor weary man in a wilderness rejoyces that he finds the shadow of a fruitful tree to sit under where he may not only sit and rest him but sit and eat with delight he 'l account this a double mercie and truly thus beneficial is Christ to his servants he is willing they should sit under his shadow and he is willing they should eat of his fruit and it 's the sweetest and the most delectable and delightful fruit that ever poor creature tasted The taste is one of the external senses the Object of it is meat and drink here it 's applyed to the inward man to that taste the soul hath of Christ by faith because the soul it doth taste Christ and it doth taste the sweet fruit of Christ and it finds pleasure in them in feeding upon Christ even as the palate doth find delight in savorie meats and delightful drinks I shewed Christ yields both shadow and fruit you see the mercies that Christ gives to his people they are compleat mercies for he is a compleat and a perfect saviour he is not only a shadow he is not only a defence unto them he doth not only keep off evil he doth not only keep off the scorching beams of the sun he doth not only keep off the wrath and displeasure of the Father but he is a pleasant shadow and yields pleasant fruit under whom they may sit and eat with delight and pleasure So he is a perfect saviour he is not only a privative but a positive Salvation this is that which the Lord holds forth to Abraham says he I am thy buckler and thy exceeding great reward I am thy buckler there 's the shadow and I am thy exceeding great reward there 's the fruit which the Lord gives him to feed upon Christ doth not only deliver from wrath but he brings in Life glory and salvation in Dan. 9. 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy City to finish the transgression and to make
an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquitie and to bring in everlasting righteousness c. he shall carry out sin and bring in righteousness to take off sin that 's not enough but to brings in righteousness an everlasting righteousness far more glorious and excellent than the righteousness of men or Angels he shall deliver his people from the fear of death this is a mercie but that 's not all Christ he brings in a glorious hope hope of life hope of glory who hath begotten us again unto a lively hope says the Apostle He doth not think it enough to deliver his people from the Slavery of sin but he translates them into the freedom and liberty of the Sons of God he delivers them from the power of sin and he puts them under the power of grace he brings them out of the Kingdom of darkness and he brings them into the Kingdom of his own glorious light it was not enough to free them from wrath to save them from hell but he will put them into the possession of glory and therefore he prayes his Father in John 17. that he would let them be where he is he hath been a shadow to them but that 's not enough they shall eat of his fruit let them be with me where I am that they may behold the glory thou hast given me which is and which was before the foundations of the world were laid And 1. First therefore brethren let your expectations and faith be according to the largeness of the heart of Christ don't think it enough that you sit under his shadow that the Lord Christ is one that can free you from wrath don't think that enough but look further to taste of his fruit look up for those joyes and consolations of his Spirit which he is willing to pour into your souls as well as to free your souls from the apprehension of wrath and so don't think it enough that you are delivered from the slavery and bondage of sin that sin hath not dominion over you don't think that enough but look out further for the life of Christ to be revealed in you to be manifested unto you for life and righteousness to raign gloriously in your hearts let your expectations be according to the largeness of the heart of Christ And then 2. Secondly you should deal with the Lord Christ as he deals with you He did not think privative salvation enough it was not enough to make a shadow for you but he prepares fruit for you and therefore don't think it enough that you have bare negative holiness that what you do is not against Christ but that you do what you do for Christ for he that is not with me says Christ is against me Don't think it enough that you pass your time and spend your dayes without being conscious of any wilful Sinning but what you do from day to day deal with Christ as he deals with you that you may lift up his name and honour him who will in due time honour and lift up you That 's the first particular Again 2. Secondly Christ brings you first unto the shadow and then he gives of his fruit to eat and then he causes you to taste of his fruit Because she was brought under his shadow therefore she shall eat of his fruit see how the Lord doth make one mercy to be the beginning of another mercie unto his people it 's Gods ordinary way of dealing with his Servants because he hath shown them mercy therefore he will shew them mercy because he hath brought them under his shadow he will have them to eat of his fruit See Gen. 18. 17 18. Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do says God seeing Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him in his seed in the Messiah that shall come out of his loins yea and because I have given out this mercy I won't hide what I will do God makes one mercy to be the beginning of another And so when he promised to bring his people unto the mount a in in Isa 56. 7. it was a mercy to be brought to the mountain of God yea but God does not leave his people there but that mercy shall be a step to many a mercy which he intends to give out when I have brought them thither when I have got them thither then will I make them joyful in my house of prayer I will make a feast to them a feast of fat things I 'le chear hearts their and accept of their sacrifices and services and thus God makes one mercy the beginning of another And therefore Brethren do but see what a large testimony this gives unto the infinite goodness and riches of free grace which is in our God well might the Apostle say God who is rich in mercy for the great love wherewith he hath loved us what riches of mercy is here what fulness of grace and mercy in Christ is here that he should make mercy the way to mercy and mercy the beginning of mercy Oh what fulness of grace and mercy is there in Christ he is never well but when he is giving out we see the glory the glory of the only begotten son of God full of grace and truth there 's a fulness indeed all infinite fulness and this fulness doth delight to empty it self and to communicate it self unto poor empty creatures the riches of grace is mightily held forth in this And then what encouragement is here to poor souls that are conscious of their own unworthiness They want such and such mercies and such and such graces and strength and I have received more mercy than ever I can be thankful for and how can I or dare I be so bold with God to ask more mercy than I am able to express thankfulness unto him for what I have received Why if thou hast no argument to plead with God he will make this an Argument because he hath done thee good already this is not the manner of men but it 's the way of God it 's no argument with men you shewed me such and such kindness and therefore do me another such kindness but the Lord he doth thus he will make this an argument his doing of thee good from thence he will do thee good again But then again 3. Here is a third particular observable First the shadow and then the fruit See how the Lord doth proceed gradually in a way of mercy in doing good to poor creatures the longer they are with him and the more they know him the greater mercy he gives out it 's a greater mercy to eat of the fruit than to sit under the shadow well after Christ hath caused thee to sit under his shadow then he will give thee to eat of the fruit the Lord deals with his servants as you deal with your servants it may be you are not
of sin because this fruit is better Oh that many might be convinced of sin such as wallow in their lusts and take more delight in their lusts than in Christ that have not yet tasted of the fruit of this Tree of Life the Invitation is even to them unto such that they might come in and taste and see how good the Lord is So much for the first Use 2. Vse Secondly A word of Exhortation to those that have interest in Christ O that you would come and sit under this Tree and eat That Christians would sit more under Christ and eat more of his fruit It 's not enough to give a pluck and away a snatch and away but the Spouse she sat and pluckt and eat Christ doth not love a hasting gesture he doth not love souls hast in plucking of his fruit he doth not love they should post over Communion with him but that they should sit down and eat Oh chew well upon the Tree of Life that you may find that sweetness that infinite sweetness that is in it Oh that you would pluck much of the fruit of this Tree you that have interest in Christ pluck much of this fruit and eat much of this fruit let me tell you there is more fruit grows upon one bough than you can pluck all your daies and make no spare there is more fruit grows upon one bough than you can pluck throughout all Eternity Oh that you would every day be plucking a little continually plucking and eating some of the fruit that grows upon this Tree of Life it 's but a taste that you can have and therefore you had need be often and alwaies tasting of that fruit which is in him Besides you can have but a taste of this sweetness yet this taste is exceeding comfortable reviving and strengthening I say that very taste it's exceeding comfortable and reviving there is no fruit so full of spirit as this fruit that grows upon the Lord Jesus and it 's full of strength it will strengthen your souls abundantly you may know it 's very nourishing by the sweetness of it Physicians say That which tastes well it nourishes well and if so I am sure this fruit is nourishing fruit for it hath the sweetest taste it hath the most delightful taste O the sudden strength that the taste of this fruit hath conveyed unto poor weak and weary souls to such as have been spent almost in their combates and ready to faint and give up the Ghost their spirits have been ready to fail within them and the Lord hath given but one taste of this fruit some fruit or other the fruit of his death or the fruit of his Resurrection Ascension or Mediation and it hath given new strength and new Life to the poor soul and it hath made it stand up and leap for joy it crept upon the earth before and now it mounts up like the Eagle Oh this excellent fruit that is in Christ it 's worth the plucking and it 's worth the eating Besides you may well pluck much of this fruit you that have interest in Christ you have all the advantage that can be you have the shadow over you whilst you pluck it and whilst you eat it you need not labour much and toil much for the Lord with this Tree will be a shadow to you you may pluck with delight and eat with delight under his shadow he will keep off his fathers displeasure you may eat and pluck and eat with delight and need not fear surfeit all the fruit is fully ripe here Christ hath bidden you eat without fear It 's the sin of some as the Apostle speaks that they eat without fear but here 's the commendation of this fruit you may eat without fear Men may eat too much of the fruit of this world and get a surfeit it may cost many a Life and Soul but here Gods people may still pluck and eat and eat and pluck and eat abundantly 3. Vse Thirdly This Doctrine calls the Saints to thankfulness Oh bless the Lord that he hath made such provision for you that he hath provided such a Tree as this that you may eat here and eat in heaven and for ever feed upon it and be comforted and satisfied What do you owe to the Lord you that are the people of the Lord What do you owe to the Lord for his mercy I say what shall you render unto the Lord for all his loving kindness when you pluck and when you eat look upward I say eat and look upward Do not eat as the Swine eat under the Tree and never look up from whence it comes it 's a sin to receive any mercy so to take them as not to look up but when you eat of the fruit of this Tree Oh lift up your hearts and look up unto Christ and be thankful do but consider what poor creatures you are what need you have of this fruit you had starved your souls had starved and famished for ever if Christ had not been a fruitful Tree all the creatures could not have given you fruit for your souls to feed on I tell you the fruit that is upon the creature is vanity it 's perishing they could not have nourished you up to eternal life Oh you had famished you had fainted you had perished and when you were in this fainting perishing condition he sprang up as a Tree in the Wilderness as a Tree in the Forest he sprang up in your fainting and wildred conditions he sprang up and became a fruitful Tree unto your nourishment And do you but consider what unfruitful Trees you were to Christ when Christ became a fruitful Tree unto you Oh the cursed fruit that you brought forth to him you brought forth nothing but sin and death there 's all the fruit that you brought to him you brought forth sin to him and brought forth death to your selves Oh that ever the Lord Christ should be a Tree of Life unto you you that were Trees of death unto your selves and Trees of Death unto him your sins put him to death That ever he should be a Tree of Life unto you and be a Tree to bring forth such fruit such peace such pardon such joy such strength oh the infinite love of Christ to you Why certainly Christ deserves a great rent for his fruit it 's said in Cant. 8. 11 12. That Solomon had a Vineyard and he let it out for a thousand pieces of Silver if Solomon had so much for his fruit what deserves Christ for his fruit Oh the thousand pieces of Silver the thousand Hosannahs the thousand Halleluja's and thousand praises that are due to Christ for his fruit Well I beseech you give Christ of his own fruit I say give him of his own fruit he requires nothing from you but what you may pluck from his own Tree give him his own fruit as it 's said of Cain as wicked as he was when the Lord blessed the
you and Wisdom will teach all her scholars to unsay this Lesson you must learn to forget this Lesson I will do unto him as he hath done unto me say not so if you will be Wisdoms Scholars you must learn to unsay this Lesson indeed flesh and blood saies so and corrupt nature will bid you say so I will do to him as he hath done to me I will never put up these wrongs Flesh and Blood will not put up these wrongs and the Devil will put you on to do as you say but Christ would not have you If you would be Wisdoms Scholars fear to purpose this in your hearts much less to act Why what then must we do See but what Wisdom invites us unto in Matth. 5. 39 44. I say unto you resist not evil but whosoever shall smite thee on the one cheek turn to him the other also and again Love your enemies bless them that curse you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you Here Christ tells you what you should say and what you should do in case of wrongs and injuries namely to render good for evil it is the best way look into Luk. 17. Christ would teach you your lesson if you would be his Disciples Take heed to your selves saies Christ take heed Ay but what should we take heed of He doth not bid them take heed of the wrongs and injuries that others do unto them that 's not the matter Christ bids them take heed to no but take heed to your selves look to your hearts watch over your affections and over your passions when any wrong and injury is done unto you then you have need to take heed to your selves you do no resist evil take heed you do not meditate revenge you are in great danger of sinning against God when wrong is done unto you and therefore of all other Counsel now take heed to your selves see the Epistle to the Romans 12. 17 19 21. Recompence no man evil for evil Avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord. Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good Mark what counsel Christ gives here by the Apostle to all his Disciples Be not overcome of evil When is a man overcome of evil we are speaking of wrongs When is a man overcome with evil Why when his spirit is put out of frame by the wrongs and injuries he meets withal when he strives to resist and meditate revenge then this man is overcome with evil Whenas a man can pass by the wrongs pass by an injury that is done and his soul is drawn forth in pity and compassion towards that man that doth him the wrong Alas poor man he hath wronged his own soul more than me I have cause to pity him more than to seek revenge of him but now when as a mans passion is heightened to give him as good as he brings this man is overcome with evil As it is with Fire and Water cast water upon the fire if the fire be quenched with water and so kept from burning then we say the fire is overcome but when the fire doth gather together its force and doth continue its heat and burning is as hot after as before then the fire overcomes the water wrongs and injuries are as water now wrongs and injuries being cast upon a man quench his love and that duty which he owes unto any man or woman when as a man is taken off from his duty hindred in the performance of his duty his love is quenched he cannot perform it there is duty of love which he may owe to his Neighbour and brother but now when this shall continue and he is found doing his duty though he meet with wrongs and injuries yet passes them by and love overcomes them then doth he overcome evil with good Take one place more in Col. 3. 13. Forbearing one another and forgiving one another If any man hath a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you so also do ye Forbearing and forgiving one another which is spoken to every man If any man hath a quarrel and if it be against any man whatsoever Yet saies Christ it 's your duty to forbear and not only to forbear but also to forgive A man may forbear yet not forgive forbearing one another and forgiving one another is the pattern that is set before us which is Christ himself even as Christ gave himself as a pattern even so do ye not only forbear but also forgive 2. Secondly But the second work is to shew you the example of many blessed servants of God that have been very eminent in this very duty very ready to forgive wrongs and injuries which were done by others unto them and oh that by their example we might be drawn unto a holy imitation of them 1. Examp. And the first Example that I shall mention is Joseph Joseph was a man that had much of the Spirit of God he was a man that received many wrongs and injuries from his Brethren they could not endure him they hated him they conspired against him they sought to take away his life when they were prevented in that then they sold him sold him as a slave and if the Lord had not been the more merciful to him he had ended his daies in slavery and bondage and this was from his Brethren and yet we find in Joseph a great readiness of forgiving all those wrongs and injuries which were done unto him by his Brethren in Gen. 45. 5 7 8. Be not grieved saies he nor angry with your selves that ye sold me hither for God did send me before you to preserve life And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance so it was not you that sent me hither but God c. See how this good man doth not only forgive the wrongs and injuries but endeavours to comfort his brethren to take off their fears and to take off their grief and therefore tells them these three times together it was not you but God God sent me hither and God sent me hither and God sent me for gracious ends not a word that savours of any grudge or any spirit of Revenge Nay afterward whenas old Jacob their Father was dead they might think now Joseph would remember their old unkindnesses now their Father is dead in Gen. 50. 19. But as for you ye thought evil against me but God meant it unto good they besought him that he would not remember their old unkindness Fear not am I in the place of God Do you think I will take upon me to revenge the wrong to revenge an injury that were to set my self in the place of God Vengeance is mine saies God and I will repay it God forbid that I should set my self in the place of God you need not fear that I will do you
him Thus you have seen the Examples of holy men and of Christ himself for a pattern of passing by of wrongs and injuries But now for the grounds of the Point Upon what ground doth Jesus Christ Commend and Command his Disciples to this work and duty of forgiveness Why first 1. Reason The first ground is Because he hath forgiven them much and therefore he requires that we should forgive others that so they that are forgiven of Christ may testifie their love and also their likeness unto Christ and that is held forth in the Parable that follows the Text the Lord there had forgiven the Servant that ought him ten thousand Talents and therefore he expected that he should have forgiven his fellow Servant a few pence I say all that are Christs Disciples all that are Believers that do believe in the name of Christ they have very much forgiven them of the Lord. There is no man but the Lord doth forgive a great deal of that temporal punishment which he might inflict upon them now there is no Believer but the Lord doth forgive not only temporal but eternal punishment and therefore there is an ingagement to us unto forgiveness Alas what are the debts and trespasses done to us or owing unto us in comparison of what we have done or what we owe unto the Lord Our sins are set forth by Talents the offences and wrongs done unto us are set forth by pence our sins are set forth to be ten thousand Talents and the offences that are done unto us are but a hundred pence when the Lord doth forgive so many transgressions so freely fully so sincerely so unchangeably the Lord doth expect that there should be a readiness in them to forgive others from a sense of that forgiveness unto them of his that so they may testifie themselves to be the Children of their Father which is in Heaven But the second ground is this 2. Reas Because those that we are called upon to forgive are our Brethren How oft shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him Christ Answers Till seventy times seven Now there is a great deal in the very name of Brother that may challenge forgiveness and call us upon this duty though many though never so many yet still often and ever called a brother for still in one sense or other every man is a brother some nearer than other though not born of the same Parents though not of Kindred yet he may be a Brother in the same faith though not a Brother in the family yet a Brother in the same Town City Country or Nation however in the same common nature of Adam in respect of the poor dark frail nature every man and woman is a Brother but some relations more near than others This spiritual relation the same Profession the same Faith the same God the same Inheritance this is a great engagement to pass by and to forgive wrongs whilst he is a Brother The Lord when he forgives he forgives inferiours there is an infinite distance between God and the creature when the Lord forgives a poor creature there is an infinite distance betwixt God and man but not betwixt man and man and therefore upon this account Christ requires it But then 3. Reas Thirdly Another ground is this If there be neglect of this Duty unto any of their Brethren it will be a grief unto their fellow-servants and they will make their complaint unto their Lord. It cannot but be a great grief of heart unto those that are fellow-servants when any that do profess the name of God shall be so far from performing this Duty that they shall express a spirit of Revenge and a spirit of Enmity it will sadden the hearts of many Saints when they shall see one that is called a Brother a Professour when they shall see him so unready to forgive as he shall study wrongs and injuries and study revenge it will grieve them and cause them many times to go to the Lord and make their complaint There is such a man that makes profession of thy Name and yet walks very unworthy of that profession very unsutable But 4. Reas Fourthly Again Neglect of this Duty will hinder and keep back a great deal of good and pull down a great deal of evil Christ knew this very well and therefore he did command this Duty Christ knew that the neglect of this Duty would hinder men of a great deal of good It may deprive a man of many temporal mercies of many temporal salvations the Lord may call in the grant of temporal mercies whenas he shall see such a spirit in any that profess his Name as to retain the sense of wrongs and injuries and not to pass them by it puts the Lord upon it many times to recall the grant of temporal mercies as in the Parable following Nay not only so but it may deprive the soul of many special spiritual choice mercies It may hinder the soul from beholding the light of Gods countenance It is true the soul being once pardoned by Faith in Christ God will never recall that pardon Ay but if that man or woman that is pardoned and they have the pardon sealed and witnessed yet shall walk unworthy of pardoning love and shall not come up to this Duty of forgiving pardoning and passing by wrongs and injuries the Lord will recall the manifestation of his pardoning Love and the sense of it though not the pardon it self It doth not only deprive the soul of much good but it also pulls down much evil and not only outward evils but sometimes the Lord manifests a great deal of wrath and displeasure upon such a one as is of an implacable spirit to retain wrongs and injuries as it was with that servant that would not forgive his fellow-servant the Lord commands that he should be delivered up unto the Tormentor and cast into prison until he had paid the uttermost Farthing Why a man though he hath but a profession the Lord lets him alone with that formal profession till such time as he comes forth with such a waspish peevish spirit against Gods people and seeks to wrong and injure them Why then the Lord he takes the advantage upon him and gives him up unto the Tormentor because of such a waspish spirit whenas he will not forgive a Brother a wrong or injury but retain anger he cannot find in his heart to forgive the Lord sometimes comes upon such a man though a Christian the Lord comes and takes him and delivers him up to the Tormentor delivers him up to his own Conscience though not to deliver him up out of his hand but the Lord will deliver him up unto his own Conscience unto the manifestation of wrath till he shall have made satisfaction till he shall have cried out unto Christ for more strength to carry it more like unto him 5. Reason But lastly Christ Commands and Commends the forgiving of wrongs and injuries that
and behold the goodness of the Lord in them and yet oh how ready are we to aggravate our wrongs and compass them round again and again and aggravate them to the uttermost Oh! how far do such come short of walking up to the rule of Christ And let it be considered what should become of poor creatures If the Lord should aggravate thy offences as thou dost thy Brothers and set them before thee withall the aggravation of them how sad would it be unto thee Oh! that we might not improve and aggravate all to the height for that spirit is very unlike unto Jesus Christ Again 4. Fourthly They are far from this rule That are hardly brought off unto reconciliation that although there be confession and although there be acknowledgement sometimes though they that have offended be ready to acknowledge the offence and do seek reconciliation nay although friends intercede and friends plead that they would be reconciled nay although God steps in and Christ pleads and Christ beseeches and Christ commands and God sets a mans Conscience upon him and that speaks unto him and lets him know he is out of the way yet how hard is it for a man to bring off his heart into a reconciliation with his Brother after some wrongs and injuries which are done unto him and oh how unlike is this to God and how contrary is this unto the rule which Christ here commends unto and commands his Disciples to follow But 5. Fifthly Again They are far from this Lesson that instead of being reconciled or satisfied Will not be pacified till they do avenge the wrong which is done unto them with their own hand they will render one evil word for another reviling for reviling and one evil turn for another an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth Nay are there not some men that are not ashamed to profess this before all the World that they will put up no wrongs no injuries but they will give as good as they bring and if you provoke me I can be as hot as you is not this the language of the World Oh Sirs this is cursed speaking and cursed acting altogether contrary to Christs rule for a man to avenge with his own tongue and his own hand Oh cursed be the wrath of Simeon and Levi whenas they would avenge that wrong that was done unto their Sister with their own hands Nay let such men and women consider that they do but profess before all the World their likeness unto the Devil while they do speak and while they do act I can be as hot as you and I can give as good as you can bring what is that but in plain English to say I can be as like the Devil as you How far is this from a gracious heart I can put up as many wrongs as you and can commit my Cause unto the Lord This makes you like to God and the other like to the Devil himself Nay let such men and women consider He that gets the best of it in such contests when mens wrath is stirred up why truly alwaies he that gets the best of it hath the worst of it that man that got the victory he is overcome It may be he gains his lust he may gain his will and satisfie his lust but he may lose his peace he may not satisfie his own heart nor his conscience but alwaies he that hath the best of it goes with the worst of it Now such as will pass by wrongs and injuries till they do requite them word for word and wrong for wrong they do walk contrary unto this rule which Jesus Christ hath given unto his Disciples Again 6. Sixthly and lastly They come short of Christs rule That cannot come up to Christs number We are willing to forgive one or two wrongs it may be but oh how hard it is to come up to Christs number to forgive seventy times seven four hundred fourscore and ten wrongs unto one man Oh where is the heart that can come up to this number of Christs Nay there is such an averseness unto the practice of this duty which Christ doth command as it is a very hard matter for Christs people to believe it is their duty see what the Disciple said when Christ had told him his duty in Luk. 17. 4 5. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again unto thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him And the Apostles said unto the Lord Increase our Faith When he said Forgive seven times in a day it 's a hard matter to bethink it a duty now Lord increase our Faith Now if it be so hard to believe it a duty oh how hard is it to come up to the practice of it Surely if the best men in the World had been put upon it to have given Answer to Peter's Question they would never have answered as Jesus Christ hath answered there is never a man upon earth would have said Thou must forgive seventy times seven But the thoughts of the Lord and the waies of the Lord are infinitely above our thoughts and our waies it is a hard matter for us to forgive seven times and if hard to forgive seven times then how hard to forgive seventy times seven Oh that the Lord would make us sensible of our great coming short of this duty and that the Lord would humble us lay us low that we have come so far short of this rule which our Lord Jesus hath left us and all his Disciples to follow and practise in passing by wrongs and injuries 2. Vse But the next Use is an Use of Exhortation First I shall speak to those that have done wrong unto their brother And Secondly To them that have received wrongs from their brother 1. First To them that have done wrong unto others that have injured their brother or brethren either by word or action done them wrong in their Name or Estate or any other way Know that it lies upon you and is your duty to go and seek reconciliation It lies upon you that have done wrong to go and tender satisfaction for the wrong which you have done unto your brother at least to make acknowledgement of the wrong and injury which you have done And to press you unto this duty which is hard 1. First Consider you that have done wrong to others It may be thou hast put the spirit of thy brother or Neighbour out of frame and thou hast unfitted him for all duty either unto God or man thou by thy injury hast stirred up his passion and his passion hath opened a door unto the Devil and the poor soul is exposed unto manifold temptations and snares and oh how is he filled with hard thoughts with hard thoughts it may be not only of thee but of the way of God and of the truth of God filled with hard thoughts against Christ himself And although it will be
was alwaies next him and that was John the beloved Disciple Joh. 21. 20 21. Peter saw the Disciple whom Christ loved who leaned on his Breast at the Supper he was nearer Christ than all the rest and so he instructed all the Disciples and revealed great mysteries to them all but the greatest of mysteries he revealed unto James Peter and John in the Mount and none saw Christs transfiguration but they three they were choice Pillars in their Generation As it is in the natural body so it is in the body of Christ there are some members that are nearer the head than others all do partake of the same life and of the same spirit which runs through the whole body Ay but some are nearer the head than others there 's a greater dignity put upon some than others some are more useful than others some are of greater growth than others and some have more strength than others So 't is in the body of Christ there are some of Christs members that he looks upon and holds forth to the World as choice pieces such as Enoch Noah Abraham Job Moses Joshua and Caleb David Hezekiah and Josiah were all have not the same helps and therefore all come not to the same growth all have not the same means of knowledge the same means of getting nearer God and growing up in spiritual strength and stature there are some that are beloved of God that are but seldom rained upon upon others showers of Heaven do distill every day Again All have not the same Impediments the same hindrances that some have and therefore some out-strip others Grace in some of Gods people meets with an abundance of opposition through the abundance of corruption they meet with more temptations than others there 's more blocks cast in the way of some the World is a great impediment and proves a great snare to some and they are kept back from getting so nigh unto God as others There are some that God doth inable to follow the Lamb where ever he goes Oh they get nigh God they are choice men in their Generation such as are inabled to follow the Lamb where ever he goes There are some that God makes very attentive unto his Word their souls are continually bent towards God and towards his Word and they are listning continually to hear what God will speak and when God will speak they are nigher God than others there are some that lay up the Word of God in their hearts ponder the words of Christ as Mary did she pondered the sayings of Christ in her heart and hid them in her heart she pondered them why these get nearer God than others There are some that God makes wise to know their time and to take their season to improve the opportunity that God puts into their hands when God calls them to follow him when the Lord breaths and stirs them up then to stir up themselves and to take hold of his name they are taught of God to know the opportunity and season in which they may get nighest to God by following him When God draws a soul after himself when some cord of love is cast about it oh it breaths towards God in its spirit when the spirit of God is breathing in their hearts now those whom God thus calls to improve their opportunity and to do the work of the Lord with all their might and with all faithfulness as Christ did when he was upon earth these are the men and women who get near God of whom it may be said as of Enoch that they walked with God above all their Generation And for the ground of this you must know That God hath several works to put his people upon he hath several works several services and several sufferings and so accordingly he gives out strength and accordingly he draws into nigher communion with himself There are some that God hath appointed for great services in the world such as these had need be exceedingly strengthened by sweet communion with God that their spirits may be upheld and some God brings forth to great sufferings and therefore they had need have a great deal of strength from God that they may be carried through Job was a choice man and God had great sufferings for him and there was none like him nor no sufferings like to his in his Generation the Lord fitted him with abundance of grace to go through his sufferings Our Lord Jesus Christ before he was tempted had abundance of his Father to his comfort there came a Voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased a voice from heaven doth evince and declare that he was the Son of God The Lord Jesus had great sufferings great conflicts great temptations to grapple with therefore his Father doth strengthen him exceedingly there were some that were set upon a hill lights set upon a hill can't be hid the eyes of many are upon them the endeavours of all the powers of darkness are to blow out such lights the name of God is greatly interested and greatly concerned in them and therefore they had need have a great deal of clear light from Heaven they had need be exceedingly comforted and strengthened in their spirits by the presence of God and by most near and intimate fellowship and communion with him therefore the Lord disposes that some of his servants shall be choice and excellent in their Generation to be near to him as Enoch was who walked with God Now therefore to apply things 1. Vse I beseech you Brethren That you would seek after this high measure of Grace and Holiness that you would labour to get nigh unto God get as close unto God as may be that you may walk with God in an eminent manner in your Generation as Enoch did you have God himself for your pattern before you Oh how the Saints should strive to be thus minded Be ye perfect for your heavenly Father is perfect you have God before you you have Christ before you for your pattern I do not say be as holy and perfect as the rest of your friends and neighbours and measure your holiness by theirs but you should strive to go beyond all beyond all creatures look at none as your pattern but God and Christ labour to get up to the height of eminency the life of God in Christ you can never get too nigh God you can never have too much of him there is no danger in following hard after God there is certainty in the things of God A man may have too much of the things of the world there 's danger in it but a man cannot have too much of the knowledge of God and of communion with God a man may have more and too much of the World as he cannot use it to the glory of God Oh there is danger in the World in striving to be the greatest to be the richest in the World there is great danger but
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
took him I Am drawing towards a conclusion I have given you the Character of one that walks with God I shall therefore proceed Having thus given you the Character of one that walks with God I shall shew you that this is a dignity the excellency of any man or woman upon earth that they thus walk with God as you have heard To declare unto you therefore wherein the dignity lies What is the excellency of a man or woman that doth thus walk with God will appear in divers particulars 1. First of all This man that thus walks with God is nearer God than others he comes into the presence of God he is nigh as a special friend and favourite that puts dignity upon him it 's the dignity of a man to stand in the presence of a Prince it 's an honour a priviledge What is it then to stand in the presence of God! it is an Angelical dignity it 's said of the Angels Christ saies of them that they alwaies behold the face of God the Father in Matth. 18. 10. Do not offend my little ones for their Angels alwaies behold the face of their Father it 's the glory of the Angels that they ever stand in the presence of God and behold his face this is the dignity of one that walks with God he is nigher God than others But 2. Again Secondly He sees more of God than other men I say that soul that walks with God as Enoch did sees more of God than other men God deals friendly with him he looks upon him as a fellow-traveller he 'll impart his mind to him freely he 'll reveal his secrets the mysteries of his Kingdom unto them he that is nigh God is nigh the light therefore he shall not walk in darkness the Lord goes before him continually he guides and leads him with his counsel the light shall discover the way unto him that he shall walk in Thou shalt hear a voice behind thee saying This is the way walk in it if any man walks with God it 's he that walks thus with God as Enoch did That 's a second 3. But Thirdly God entertains that soul all along his Journey with profitable and delightful discourse God is ever and anon speaking to him that walks with him as a man speaks to his friend when he walks with him in his way and this takes off from the tediousness of the way though the way be tedious though it be deep dirty way yet if a man have a good companion if he have one to call often to to discourse pleasantly it takes off from the tediousness of the way it 's forgotten and thus doth the Lord carry it towards the soul that walks with him he so speaks to the soul that it takes from the tediousness of their Pilgrimage that they forget the tediousness of it whilst the Lord speaks sweetly of his love and goodness to them he often calls upon them as a man doth to his friend that he walks with he enquires into their states and bids them be of good chear sometimes he tells them that the worst is past and there 's better way behind he tells them of the rest they shall have at night or of the good entertainment they shall have when they come home or of the glorious provision that is making ready and though the way be tedious their rest is long and this takes off from the tediousness of the way 4. Again in the fourth place He supplies their wants this is another priviledge that that soul hath that walks with God the Lord will bear all their charges and take care of them in their Journey they shall not want any thing that is good for them either for the outward or inward man this will comfort a man upon his Journey though he have never a penny in his purse yet if there be a friend with him he 'll say I have good store thou shalt not want so long as I have a penny I will take care make provision and pay all and thus the Lord doth take care of all he gives them himself Walk before me saies he to Abraham in Gen. 17. 1. and be thou perfect and I will make a Covenant with thee And what is that in Vers 2. I will be a God unto thee Walk with me and I will be a God unto thee take care for nothing I 'le bear thy charges all the way I 'le be a God unto thee I 'le supply thy wants the presence of the Lord shall be instead of all comforts if thou want any thing I 'le make it up of my self I 'le be a God unto thee what wouldst thou have more And so he takes care to supply all the wants of the inward man he 'll make provision all the way he hath laid up store of provision in Jesus Christ for them there is store of righteousness grace and strength that his people might want nothing no not while they are in their Pilgrimage and therefore he saies unto such a soul as sometimes the Father said to the eldest son that was brother to the Prodigal in Luk. 15. the latter end of the Chapter when he was ready to murmur because his Prodigal brother had so much kindness shewed unto him Why saies his Father unto him Son saies he thou art ever with me and all that I have is thine therefore why shouldest thou murmur why shouldest thou repine thou wantest nothing thou art ever with me thou enjoyest and hast interest in all that I have it 's thine so saies the Lord to every soul that walks with him Thou art ever with me and all that I have is thine I 'le take care to supply all thy wants This is another special priviledge to all those that walk with God 5. Again Fifthly He supports them that 's another dignity and priviledge that the Lord will support them under all their burdens when they are ready to faint and ready to give up the Ghost many times in their own apprehension he will support their spirits he will take care that they shall not fall if there lie never such pressures upon them the Lord will ease them he 'll bear with them he gives them leave all the way to lean upon him this is a most sweet and excellent priviledge that the soul hath that walks with God I say all the way of their Journey all the way of the Wilderness the Lord gives them leave to lean upon him when they are weak and fainting and ready to be discouraged he gives them leave to lean upon him his righteousness and strength Let him take hold on my righteousness and make peace with me and he shall make peace with me He gives them leave to cast all burdens upon him and to venture for Eternity upon him to lay all the weight of all their cares and fears upon the Lord that he may support them and bear their burdens yea he doth not only give them leave to lean upon
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
Death if it came should do him no harm I say he had a special faith in this respect It appears by two Demonstrations 1. First In respect of that bold that holy bold profession that Enoch makes of God in his Generation which was a most corrupt time and dangerous to make any profession of God in righteous Abel was killed for his profession for his walking with God his Brother arose up and slew him and yet Enoch is not dismayed he will not turn aside from God he will not balk his profession for fear of death for fear of the sons of violence the posterity of Cain was multiplied and the earth was filled with violence at that time and there was enmity in that seed of Cain against the seed of Seth which God raised up instead of Abel so that it was dangerous for Enoch to make any profession of God in his Generation and yet Enoch was not dismayed he feared not the hand of violence what it could do to him but he trusted that God would deliver him either from Death or in Death And 2. Secondly It appears that Enoch had such a remarkable faith if we consider what was the name that he gave unto his Son as in this Chapter He begat a Son and called his name Methuselah that is Mortis gladium the sword of Death or the dart of Death he believed there was one a coming that should be the death of Death one that should overcome death for him and for all the people of God and therefore called his son after that name The Sword of Death He knew there was a Messiah a coming that should send a challenge to death as in Hos 13. 14. O death I will be thy Plague O Grave I will be thy destruction Christ sent a challenge and perform'd this Enoch saw this by faith and all his daies he lived in the contemplation of it and sucked sweetness in the thoughts of it and when e're death came he believed it should do him no harm This will teach us three or four Lessons 1. First There is nothing lost by making a bold profession of Christ in evil times in the midst of dangers Abel was slain because he walked with God and yet Enoch will not go back and Enoch lost nothing in conclusion Oh how often doth our Saviour call upon Christians his Disciples and others Fear not them that can kill the body and can do no more the fear of man brings a snare how many poor creatures are insnared through this fear the fear of man That when God convinces of the truth and of the way of God the soul submits unto it and yet dares not hold it forth because of the fear of man because it 's a way that may be persecuted that the Powers of the world will persecute it and oppose it O this fear of man brings a snare what saies our Saviour in Matth. 10. 39. He that will save his life shall lose it but he that will lose his life shall find it it is made good many times in this world He that will save his life shall lose it when a man will turn aside from God when he will balk any way of God to save his life or to save some comforts of his life Oh it will befall that poor creature as with the Prophet Some Lion comes in the way he meets him and slays him But he that will lose his life shall save it he remembers the three Children spoken of in Daniel they lost nothing by their bold profession they were willing to lose their lives and so they saved their lives and thus did they and so did Enoch 2. Secondly It doth teach us how much God is delighted with the faith of his people Enoch lived by Faith in a special manner and how was the heart of God taken with Enoch He was well pleasing unto God so well pleasing that God could not long be without him puts forth his hand and takes him up to himself Oh how greatly is the heart of God and Christ taken with Faith We never read that Jesus Christ wondred at any thing but at Faith twice he wondred at the Faith that was given out to some of his servants as in Matth. 8. Christ wondred at it O saies he at the 10 Verse when Jesus Christ heard it he marvelled and said to them that followed him Verily I say unto you I have not found so great a Faith no not in Israel When Jesus Christ heard it he marvelled and so the heart of Christ was taken with the Faith that was given out to the woman of Canaan in Matth. 15. O woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Faith gains the will of Christ what a great deal hath God done to encourage his people to believe Faith finds not what it expecteth but it finds more than ever it expected certainly Methuselah believed death should do him no harm and therefore he feared not death and thought not of such a way as this is but God was better to him than his Faith You have a strong God what encouragement is here You have a strong Saviour O let not your faith be weak especially seeing the Lord is so delighted with it he gives faith whatsoever it expects nay even beyond it's expectation Again 3. Thirdly This teaches us That to live much by faith is the way to make our translation easie thus it was with Enoch he lived all his daies by faith and see how easie his translation was to him there 's nothing honours God in the world so much as faith doth now therefore God delights to honour Faith because it honours him it hath the promise They that honour me I will honour I beseech you then you that would have an easie change and who would not have an easie change an easie translation when death comes who would not have a large door set open to them and go with full sails for heaven If this be the desire of your hearts then labour to live much by faith it is faith that will set the door wide open it will minister abundance of entrance into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord the spirit of faith will fill the soul with full sails it shall go to Heaven with full sails thus it was with Enoch who lived by faith 4. But again Fourthly A fourth thing that we may learn is this that when God doth give out a special faith he doth give out some special mercy when God gives out a special faith a particular faith he that perswades the heart to believe it it shall be easie to him Enoch was perswaded in a special faith to believe something concerning death that God would do for Enoch and he did believe it is rare and extraordinary this special faith that doth concern such and such as a special mercy that God doth put the soul to seek after it if the heart be perswaded by God to believe such a particular mercy
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
to God it looks upon it as the fruit of the Spirit of Jesus Christ it desires that Christ may have the name that Christ may have the glory of it that Christ may be continually lifted up in all that it doth and therefore when it is assisted to do for God or to suffer for God it doth not reflect upon it self but upon Christ these are the breathings of the spirit of Christ and this is the strength that comes from Christ and therefore it is said of David Lord what am I when he was inabled to offer willingly Lord what am I and what are my people that we should offer in this wise When ever it meets with any assistance it saies Lord what am I that I should do any thing for God It looks upon all as coming from Christ and desires that Christ may have the glory of all and so far as the life of Christ prevails upon the soul so far the soul is acted by the spirit of Christ But again 4. Fourthly Where Christ is the life of the soul the Soul desires that Christ may be magnified whether by death or by life so it was with the Apostle This is all my care saies he that Christ may be magnified take you no care for me for Christ shall be magnified and I will rejoice in it Whether I live or die Christ shall be magnified in my body He desires that Christ may be magnified in his life a gracious heart doth not desire to live to satisfie its own lust it would not live long in the world to enjoy the pleasure of the world no if it lives it desires to live that Christ may be magnified and therefore if I may be useful if I may be serviceable to do good in any place or relation the Lord is pleased to cast me in I am content to live and so for death he desires that Christ may be magnified there too a gracious heart don't desire death to be rid of the troubles of life to be freed from those troubles and vexations that it meets withal in the world that 's no good desire but if it desires death it desires that Christ may be magnified that the Lord may be magnified in my death that Christ may be magnified that I may get nigher Christ that I may not dishonour Christ that that corruption may be subdued which is a grief to the spirit of Christ that I may magnifie Christ eternally without ceasing that Christ may be magnified this is the desire of a gracious heart and so far as the life of Christ doth prevail in any soul so far doth that soul live unto Christ and is willing to die for Christ and cares not what becomes of it so the Lord and his son Christ may be exalted Again 5. Fifthly When the life of Christ is in a soul It makes a man to die to die to sin and to die to the world and to die to self Where the life of Christ comes in it makes the soul to die to sin that still as the life of Christ prevails in the soul so sin dies in the soul Knowing this that our old man is crucified with Christ the old man is Crucified with Christ and the life of Christ will be the death of the old man He makes a man to die to sin where the life of Christ is in a soul the heart is dead to sin it carries to sin as to a dead man it is cold at the very heart no desire to satisfie the lusts of the flesh but to live unto Christ it makes the soul desirous to cast out all those lusts which it hath rejoyced in and been the very life of the soul before Christ came See what is said in the Prophecie of the Prophet Hosea Hos 14. 8. Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idols And so shall the soul say where the life of Christ prevails What have I to do any more with Idols It looks upon all base lusts as so many dead Carcasses they lie in his House and he knows not how to be rid of them but the life of Christ is in him and what hath the living to do with the dead What have I any more to do with dead Carkasses O Lord bury them bury them out of my sight the life of Christ will dead the heart to sin 2. Secondly Again This life of Christ will deaden the heart to the world see what the Apostle saies in the Epistle to the Galatians Gal. 6. 14. God forbid that I should glory in any thing save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world The world looks upon me as dead and I look upon the world as dead the world doth not at all esteem of a gracious man and a gracious heart doth esteem the world as little the vanities of the world as little the world looks upon me and I look upon the world as dead Paul lookt upon it as dead and therefore Paul was willing to part with it in Phil. 4. 12 13. men are willing to part with their dead friends and Paul was willing to part with the world it was dead to him I know how to be abased and I know how to abound I know how to want if God calls for it I know how to spare and I am content to be without it thus doth the life of Christ make the heart dead to the world deadens the affections and makes a man to use the world as if he used it not 3. Again Thirdly and lastly The life of Christ doth make a man to die to self it makes a man to die to self-principles and self-ends and self-seeking to self-righteousness and self-strength it makes a man die to all these where the life of Christ prevails the creature is nothing self is nothing it makes a man debase himself and lie low at the foot-stool of the Lord it makes him lie low in a way of humiliation Paul was less than the least of all Saints so he calls himself Less than the least of all Saints and he was the greatest of sinners so he calls himself the life of Christ made him lie low he had no life in himself I will speak no more saies Job I abhor my self in dust and ashes let God have all for the future it desires to exalt him to admire that which he can't find out I desire to lye at his foot-stool and to exalt his name it makes a man lie low in a way of submission to God as well as in a way of humiliation the life of Christ makes the heart submissive to Christ self is nothing self is laid aside content that God should rule that the creature should be disposed by him makes him willing to drink of every cup that his father puts into his hand to stoop down to every yoke and every burden that the Lord will put upon his neck and lay upon his shoulder
look upon young Beginners it 's hard to be discerned they smell so much of the soil so much of corrupt nature that is not yet subdued that it is hardly discerned but yet there is the life of Christ in them And so 2. Secondly Again In a time of temptation in them in whom the life of Christ is hid it 's hardly discerned and you must not judge of a Christian in that time I say in time of temptation for it 's a time of Winter now you know in time of Winter the life of the Tree is not discerned there is no appearance of life in the Tree but yet without doubt there is life there 's life in the Tree the life is still in the root and it will put forth Again 3. Thirdly A time of temptation is a time of swoonding it 's as a man in a swoond the operation of life ceases it 's out of view ye can hardly discern that there is life when a man is in a swoond if you look upon him you see no symptoms of life his countenance is changed his lips are pale death sits upon him Ay but let a skilful Physician come and he shall feel some motion of the pulse or some breathings of the nostrils though it be very weak that it will scarce move a Feather yet there is some hope why so take a poor soul that is under temptation he is as in a swoond you say there is no life in him but yet let Christ the Physician come and he will discern the pulse and he will discern some motion some movings of spirit some breathings of heart though it be not obvious to the view of others Thus you see that the life of Christ is a hidden life and therefore don 't you say that there is not the life of Christ in such and such as profess themselves to be Christians because you see not those operations it may be Spring-time or it may be Winter-time with them or it may be a time of swoonding well notwithstanding there is life though thou discern'st it not 2. But again Secondly to give another Answer If this be the life of Christ if the life of Christ doth produce such operation in the soul when shall we find life Take this Answer That though the life of Christ doth produce such operations in the soul where it is yet the life of Christ is communicative to every one according to the place that every member is set in you know the soul being in the body doth inform every part of the body and it grows but yet every member doth not grow alike and one member hath more strength than another Will you say that the soul is not in the finger because the finger hath not so much strength as the arm Will you say the soul is not in the foot because it hath not the strength of the leg Why thus Brethren it is with the body of Christ all have not the same parts and therefore all have not the same strength though the same spirit of life that was in Jesus Christ doth inform the meanest of his members though it doth not grow so big and so strong as in other members yet the Lord hath provided by this dispensation to make up a sweet harmony in this body that every member shall have its strength and every member shall have its proportion its growth and increase according to the place it 's set in that it shall not be shrunk up in the body nor extended above what is meet but every member in the body of Christ shall have its strength and its growth in proportion But then 3. Again Thirdly If you say that the life of Christ is such where shall we find the life of Christ in any if it works so I Answer The life of Christ doth not work eminently in every operation that is put forth in every Saint but one Saint excels in one particular and another in another and herein is abundance of the wisdom of God I say the life of Christ runs in several veins in one Christian it is more eminent in the vein or chanel of Faith in another Christian there is the same life in the vein or chanel of humiliation and self-denial and in another it runs in the vein of prudence holy wisdom and activity so that you cannot say there is not the life of Christ in such and such because you don't see an eminency in some particulars which it may be you fasten upon why though the life of Christ be not eminent in that it runs in another in such a vein as is as it were under ground as is not obvious to thy eye which thou seest not nor takest no notice of Quest But you will say Why is not every grace in its operation eminent in every Saint and in every Believer Answ I Answer First Because the Lord will maintain in this way a sweet communion with his Saints the Lord intends to maintain sweet communion with his Saints he therefore gives out to one one grace more eminent and to another another that so the eye may not say to the head I have no need of thee nor the hand to the foot say I have no need of thee So that every member shall have its proportion but if you look upon the best Saints you 'l see how they come short of the life of Christ how defective they are in this and that particular what need then have we to live upon imputed righteousness And what need have we to keep in a continual dependance upon Christ that so he may supply all our wants out of his fulness 2. Secondly Again The Lord doth with-hold his hand in abundance of wisdom and goodness if he should give too much he knows what poor weak creatures we are and what poor weak vessels we are and if he should pour in too much he knows we were not able to bear it If you pour new Wine into old Bottles the Bottle will break and the Lord considers that we are old Bottles and his new Wine would break our old Bottles we are not able to contain much if the Lord should give out much of himself the visions of the Lord would break these old Bottles that we were not able to bear up Christ tenders his people in this that when they come to Heaven he will fill them full then there is no fear of breaking their old bottles he will fill them to the brim and no fear of breaking but now there 's fear of the best of Saints Paul had great raptures and was exalted above measure therefore 't is to be marked he had a check but the life of Christ and the strength of Christ doth not thus appear in eminency in every Saint Object But some poor soul will say Whatsoever there is in others I will not judge others the life of Christ may be in them and I am perswaded the life of Christ is in such and such I see the
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
years for many years but he reckoned without his Land-lord and you know that that night his soul was taken from him Of all things in the world life is the most uncertain thing but the life of Christ that Christ gives is most certain it is a life that cannot be taken away it is as sure to a Christian as the life of Christ in Heaven is sure a Christian can no more die than Christ can die Because I live saies he ye shall live also as sure as I live ye shall live also as my life is certain so your life also is certain for your life shall no man take from you Though there be many that seek to take away a Christians life yet none shall be able to do it 1. The World shall not rob them of life Be of good comfort I have overcome the world saies Christ 2. Sin is another enemy to the life of Christ but yet it shall not prevail Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under grace there 's the bond of the Lords faithfulness Again 3. Satan is another enemy to the life of Christ but he shall not prevail neither Christ hath spoiled Principalities and Powers and hath triumphed over them for it is said the Lord Jesus shall tread down Satan under your feet shortly that the life of Christ shall not be taken from you here is the excellency of it Again 6. Sixthly The life of nature is a deceitful life both for time and continuance and also for the comforts of it it promises a great deal but performs little or nothing riches and honour and pleasures and the rest of the good things of natural life it promiseth much but performs little but when the creature comes to experience as Solomon did why he is deceived deceived in his expectation for he finds nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit let a man try if he will he shall never find so much comfort as it promiseth him but the life of Christ is no whit deceitful it doth not promise more than it performs there is alwaies more found in the enjoyment of the life of Christ than was promised and more than the soul did ever expect how often doth the poor soul cry out with the Queen of Sheba that is taken up into the Mount and sees Christ transfigured Do but behold a little of his glory she cries behold there was no spirit left in her when she saw Solomon's house for she did not believe what was told to the half of what she saw Why so when the life of Christ is given out to the soul you shall find more than ever was told God will be more and better in the performance than he was in the promise and truly the life and glory of Christ is Incomprehensible in respect of the creature the largest capacity and understanding though inlightened and sanctified is not able to take in the least part of the glory of the life of Christ it 's not able to comprehend the notion of it much less the life it self the great discoveries of it shall be reserved for heaven and then it shall be found of all Saints that the life of Christ was not like the life of man there was no deceitfulness in it But to say no more 7. Seventhly The life of Nature is a momentany life therefore often compared in Scripture to things that are not or are gone in a moment the breath the shadow the wind that passeth away there 's no continuance it comes up and is cut down there is no continuance compared with Eternity it 's but a moment the longest life is but a passage there 's no stay it 's but a Bridge to go over it 's but a Bridge to Eternity life is but a moment but now the life of Christ is an eternal life the life that Christ gives to the soul is eternal he that lives in Christ and with Christ shall live for ever it shall never be taken away it shall never be blown out but the soul that hath the life of Christ shall live as long as Christ lives it can no more die than Christ can die now he died but once and being risen from the dead he can die no more but he lives for ever and ever and thus is the life of Christ when ever it is communicated to a soul that soul can die no more it hath died when Christ died and therefore shall die no more but it shall live it shall live even to Eternity and to Eternity it shall lift up the name of God and Christ You see how excellent the life of Christ is how far it surpasses the life of nature every man desires to live and to live long because the life of nature is apprehended to be excellent but you have seen what a poor life it is without the life of Christ it 's a poor vain sinful miserable wretched decreasing uncertain deceitful momentany life O that that which hath been spoken of the life of Christ might stir up all your hearts to enquire the way of life that you may sit and wait at the foot-stool and wait for the givings out of his life for he came to this end that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly SERMON IV. PHILIP 1. 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain DOCT. Christ is a Believers Life THat 's the Proposition in hand I have concluded the Doctrinal part the last day and I made Application I put you upon examination to see whether the life of Christ be in you or no It is not enough to have a name to live for many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham when the children of the Kingdom shall be cast out into utter darkness and therefore you that have a name to live examine whether is Christ your life or no. But to proceed by way of Instruction Vse 3. Let us take notice in the third place of the excellent state of every Believer I say take notice of the excellent state of every Believer that is made partaker of the life of Jesus Christ If the life of nature be so excellent and makes the creature so excellent in its kind why then how excellent is this life of Christ which is communicated and made over unto his people I say the life of nature is so excellent as that the least worm that creeps upon the earth is of more noble account than the Sun in the Firmament the most inanimate creature in all the world is worth the Sun in respect of its life truly the meanest of Saints he that is least in his own eye and it may be in the eye of the world he is most excellent in the eye of God in the eye of Saints and Angels I say in the eye of the invisible world he is more excellent than the greatest man on earth that shines with the greatest
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
Lord I have lain so long stinking in my lusts and how is it possible I should believe Have not I told thee as he said to Martha that if thou wouldest believe thou shalt see the glory of God the glory of his Power and the glory of his Grace to give life to these dry bones So say I to you notwithstanding all these discouragements go and wait upon the Lord and sit at the foot-stool of Christ and wait for the giving out of life and know that Christ said The hour is come when they that are in their Graves shall hear the voice of the son of God and live Sit down at Christs foot and wait to hear his voice hearken diligently when Christ will speak and what Christ will speak to thy soul for certainly the hour is come when such as are in their Graves shall live wait for the voice of Christ and wait for the pourings out of the Spirit of Christ the Spirit of life and the Spirit of faith that may carry up thy soul to believe in Jesus Christ and know that he is the Resurrection and the Life and though thou beest never so dead in thy self yet by faith in Christ thou shalt live Thus much to those that are strangers to the life of Christ Let me speak a word to those that have interest in Christ Vse 5. If Christ be your life then I beseech you that you would live upon Christ fetch life from Christ let it appear to all the world that Christ is your life let it appear in all your actings in your conversings with God and in your conversations in the world O that you would make Christ your life What a shame is it that Christians should live no more upon Christ see that you look unto him as your life as your life of Righteousness as your life of Holiness as the life of all your Comforts as the life of all Ordinances live upon Christ upon the strength of Christ in all your works and in all your duties it 's a blessed frame of spirit when the soul can say as the Apostle did in Gal. 2. 20. I live saies he and yet not I but Christ lives in me When a man can say it is I and yet not I it 's Christ that lives in me it 's the Spirit of Christ that speaks in me and it 's the strength of Christ that acts in me it 's the arm of Christ that supports me and it 's the wisdom of Christ that guides me it 's no more I that live it 's not I that work but it 's the Spirit of Christ that doth all this in me and for me why then I fear we are debtors to this exhortation and what a shame is it that we should live so little upon Christ that we should live so much upon the creature and so much upon self Truly the Lord may take up a complaint against most of this Generation as sometimes he did against his people Israel These people had committed two great evils they had forsaken me the fountain of living water and digged to themselves broken Cisterns To go for the living amongst the dead to live so much upon creatures to live so much upon outward things for a Christian to have his life bound up in them so as he knows not how to live without them and saies if I lose such a comfort and am deprived of such a relation O I am undone for ever what a dishonour is this to Christ and to that principle of life that is in you That your life should be bound up in any creature whatsoever know that a Christian cannot be undone so long as Christ lives he lives Christ can die no more and therefore his life cannot be put out the life of his righteousness and the life of his comforts shall not die they shall be put out no more than the life of Christ is Therefore let me desire that you would look to Christ for an abundance of life I say look to Christ for abundance of life it is not enough that Christ be a principle of life in you but a Believer should look to Christ for abundance of life it was the end of his coming I came that they might have life saies he and that they might have it more abundantly Christ came that his people might have abundance of life and therefore do not straiten your selves be not straitened in your own bowels when you are not straitened in Christ you are not straitened in your principle With thee is the fountain of life saith the Psalmist and therefore in thy life we shall see life The fountain of life is in Christ and therefore there is abundance of life for all Believers there is no man need to make spare of the fountain head if a man be owner of a fountain surely he need not make spare he may drink abundantly hearty draughts and not to sip when he hath a fountain to go to with Christ is a fountain of life he is a fountain and a fountain set open therefore I beseech you go to Christ for abundance of life let all your actings be proportionable to that principle of life that is in you What a shame is it that we should have a living head in Heaven I say a living head and that we should be such dead members O that the Lord would cause all our souls to look unto this Fountain that so we may be filled and satisfied What do you more than others saies Christ unto his people There is some singular thing that Christ expects his people should do they have a principle above others and therefore their actings should be above others the life of a Christian or a Believer is as much above the life of the natural man as the life of man is above the life of beasts or the life of a Tree or a Plant and therefore the operation of their life is far more excellent what a shame is it that it should be said of a Christian such as profess the life of Christ what do they more than others Wherein do they differ from the World What difference betwixt them and those that have their portion in this life O my Brethren if Christ be your life then let all the breathings and motions of your spirits be high noble and lifted up let them be carried after God and let all the actings of your spirits be in a proportion to that principle of life that is in you to Christ who is your hope of glory But again I beseech you take heed that you do nothing against the life of Christ that is in you It is a sin for a man to act against his life against his natural life to do that which may shorten his life to do that which may hinder the comfort of life and if so then what an evil is it to act against the life of Christ seeing the life of Christ is far more excellent than the life of Nature as you
heard before it cost Christ dear that life which he communicates to his people it cost him his blood it was not purchased without the laying down of his life and therefore take heed that you do not act against him Let Christians take heed that they do not neglect communion with God neglecting of communion and sleighting of communion is an acting against the life of Christ in them for why the life of Christ comes in that way it is maintained by the souls conversing with God and therefore when a man turns his eye so from God when he is looking downward continually poring upon the things of this World neglecting the things of Eternity and does not eye God and does not converse with God in all Ordinances and Duties why this is an obstructing of the life of Christ in you Again Take heed of giving way to any vanity take heed of making bonds with sin that you do not step out from God in the least it is destructive to the operation of the life of Christ sin weakens the inward man as sicknesses and diseases do the body take away the natural strength that a man cannot act with that strength as before so it is with sin when the soul gives way to lusts and corruptions whatever they be he weakens his own strength he entertains fellowship with that which is an enemy to the life of Christ in him And then take heed of giving way to sinful passions and unbelief and dejection of spirit for these also are great enemies to the life of Christ I say dejection of spirit is an enemy to the life of Christ as well as to the life of Nature therefore reason with your passions as sometimes David did Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me Know that he hath made you Kings he hath set you upon the Throne that you may judge your own hearts that holy and sanctified reason may call all your inordinate lusts and passions to account in thy soul and say as David did Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Take heed of neglecting Ordinances of sleighting Ordinances it is by them that the life of Christ is maintained and cherished they are the Pipes they are the Golden Pipes though empty in themselves yet they are the Pipes through which the Lord is pleased to convey life and therefore the sleighting of Ordinances and casting of them off must needs make way for the hinderance of the life of Christ Christians should take heed I say in any case that they do not that which may be an obstruction to the life of Christ to the actings and to the motion of the life of Christ in them Again To say no more Let all Believers consider what matter of consolation the Lord hath laid up for them in this in that he hath made Christ to be their life I say what matter of strong consolation is it in the midst of all their deaths and dangers in the midst of all their miseries in the midst of all their corruptions and enemies that they are compast about with here in the World Here is a hidden ground of consolation There is a principle of life in them Christ is their principle of Life and such a principle as shall never decay in them they have such a life as endures for ever Why it is comfort in the midst of all the want of outward necessaries if Christians want they have a more excellent life than creatures and if creatures say natural life is better than raiment then how much more may it be said of spiritual life that it is better than food and raiment and all outward things below And so in the midst of all afflictions that do lie upon Gods people at any time they may comfort themselves with that hidden life that is within them though the World see not the world takes no notice of it the Lord looks upon them as excellent because of that life that is within them yea even death it self the people of God may comfort themselves as Job did in the thoughts of death in the apprehension of death though it seem never so terrible they have a living Saviour they who have interest in Christ he is a principle of life unto them I know that my Redeemer lives and I shall see him again at the last day saies Job he lives and he will be life to me I shall stand up with him and I shall live in his sight this was that which Job did solace his soul in in the midst of all those afflictions in the thoughts of death it self when it was presented to him as the King of terrors yet let the Saints rejoice in this life for it is such a life as shall never be put out though it be compassed about it is a life that is compassed about with enemies and all that is in a man and all that is without him are enemies to the life of Christ O how many temptations and how many lusts and corruptions do beset it round about every day Well here is comfort to every one to whom Christ is a principle of life that this life of Christ shall prevail and it shall continue to see all its enemies put under its feet thou shalt live to see them all put under thy feet Christ indeed when he came in the flesh was persecuted in his very infancy he was driven into a strange Country but he lived to see his enemies put under in Matth. 2. 19. the Angel comes and tells Joseph he may return with safety for they are dead which sought the young Child's life to destroy him it shall one day be said so unto every Believer to every soul that hath interest in the life of Christ though for a time they may be persecuted and hurryed and driven up and down with the lusts and corruptions of their hearts and this wicked world yet it shall be said one day Lo they are dead which sought the Childs life But so much for this time SERMON V. PHILIP 1. 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain I Have concluded the first of these Propositions That Jesus Christ is a Believers life But I shall proceed to a second Proposition in the Text. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain I shall propound it as exemplary unto all the Saints DOCT. That it is worthy your imitation to converse with Death at a distance to prepare for Death before Death comes You shall find it the practice of the Saints in Scripture so did Moses and so did David Moses as you have it recorded in Psal 90. 12. which is a Psalm of Moses So teach us to number our daies that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom Teach us so to number them as we may know our own frailty so as we may have the impressions upon our hearts that we are but Grass and as the
only rest in their bed in the Grave but they shall enter into peace and they shall enter into joy in Matth. 25. 21. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord he enters into peace he enters into joy that he shall thenceforth dwell in it he shall dwell in joy he takes full possession of it it is no more shut out peace doth enter into the righteous mans heart whilst he is on earth but till death comes his peace here shall be interrupted he shall enter into it and it into him what Job saies of the body so of the joy of the righteous man it continues not at a stay his peace and joy is many times interrupted but in Heaven he shall meet with no more Clouds there shall be a morning that shall drive away all Clouds he shall enter into joy and he shall dwell in the fulness of it Christ hath purchased it and he hath given out the first fruits of this peace and joy but the full possession is no till death and therefore it is said in Psal 97. 11. That light is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart he reaps something here but it is but a little in respect of the harvest that he shall reap afterward it rather seems to be a sowing time than a reaping here but afterward he shall reap the fulness of it peace is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart so that here is another benefit of gain to a Believer by death he shall then drink to satisfaction of those Rivers of joy and pleasures for evermore that do run at the right-hand of God 3. But again Thirdly As he gains joy and peace so by death the believing soul gains enlargement and liberty this is a great part of his gain the soul by death is set at liberty for the spirit even of a righteous man though it be the Candle of the Lord and though it be enlightened from Heaven yet whilst it is in this body which is now corrupted it is like a light that is in a dark Lanthorn the light of those excellent faculties of the soul are eclipsed and darkened I say so it is with all mankind the curse came by the fall of Adam that the body is as a dark Lanthorn to the soul and it doth hide that light which should otherwise be revealed as the soul acts most highly when it hath least of the body as when the body is asleep it sees not it hears not it reads not yet the soul then sees and mourns and joyes more exquisitely than it doth or can do in the body and therefore when the soul is nigh parting with the body it acts most highly and so it shall do in its separation when separated from his body it shall be freed from his dark Lanthorn it shall be taken out from his Dungeon as it were and all the faculties of the soul shall be enlarged the understanding the apprehension the capacity of the soul shall be mightily enlarged The Prophet speaks of a time a coming that there shall be no more an Infant of daies the beginnings of it shall be on earth but the perfection of it shall be in Heaven There shall be no more an infant of daies there shall be no more a child of understanding but he that is weak shall be as David and he that is as David shall be as the Angel of the Lord the capacity of the soul shall be wonderfully enlarged as it shall comprehend most of God here it is straitened and it could not receive much of God it could not receive much of the mysteries of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ it is not large enough to take in much of the notion of those glorious things but when death comes it shall be enlarged And then saies the Apostle I shall know even as I am known It shall be exceedingly enlarged to take in very much of God And as the understanding shall be set at liberty so all the faculties of the soul shall be set at liberty They shall be greatly enlarged towards God and run towards God the desires of the soul shall run like a mighty stream towards God here there was but a little drop of the affection but then a mighty stream shall run not only faith but love shall be perfect A believing soul shall be enlarged in respect of action as the faculties so all the actings of the Soul shall be set at large at liberty here the soul can't act according to its desires it would do more for God but there 's a clogg that lies upon it it hath mighty wings wings like the Ostridge but there is such a heavy body as it can't get up there 's wings would carry the soul up to Heaven every moment but there is a heavy body in Rom. 7. 19 20 24. For the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do Now if I do that I would not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death I say there is infiniteness in a believers desires to do for God and he would enjoy more and more still and he would do more and more for God ay but he is straitened up in his actings there he is narrow he cannot act according to his desire but now when death comes the believing soul shall be set at liberty it shall be able to act according to its desire it shall be whatever it desires to be and it shall do whatever it desires to do and it shall have as much holiness as it will desire to have this is a mighty priviledge and a great deal of that gain that comes in by death unto that soul where Christ is its life it meets with this liberty and enlargement But again 4. Fourthly The believing soul by death gains not only liberty but abundance of life it gains life it hath more of the life of Christ it enjoyes more of the life of Christ and hath the fulness of it communicated and now Brethren this is a mighty gain to gain life what would a man gain more and what is a greater gain than life It is beyond the gain of all treasure whatever Natural life is the greatest of all mercies Thou shalt have thy life for a prey and that 's the greatest mercy Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life and in this the believing soul shall come nearer to the life of Christ for he shall have the life of Christ who is the fountain and so more of it communicated to him and therefore it was that for which the Apostle desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all for there he should have perfection of life in Christ there shall be nothing there to hinder the life of Christ from flowing in unto the soul there
shall be no cloggs no rubs in the way but there shall be a full enjoyment and a full manifestation of that life of Christ which is the life of the soul is made over to the soul for its life even to Eternity this is another part of the great gain that comes in by death to believing souls But again 5. Fifthly As it gains life so it gains victory by death the believing soul gains Victory full compleat victory and conquest over all its enemies He doth not only rest as I said before it is a great gain to rest rest from the motion of sin and lust and rest from the motion of temptation but that 's not all it rests and sits down as a Conquerour the Palm of victory is then put into the hand of every Believer and he shall stand upon that Mount Zion and shall sing Hallelujah unto the Lord he is then made a Conquerour there for all enemies at that day are put under all the lusts of his heart and all Principalities and Powers and whatsoever was a vexation and disquietment shall be put under his feet and he shall sit down with Christ as a Conquerour I have fought the good sight saith the Apostle in 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith and now is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness my life-time it was my time of combating but now I am ready to be dissolved to be offered up I shall sit down as a Conquerour and I shall have a Crown of righteousness that 's another priviledge another part of the gain that comes in to the believing soul by death But 6. Sixthly It gains a full sight of God I say the believing soul by death gains a full sight of God a full vision of God this gain is glorious and unspeakable it 's that which the Saints do press after to see the face of God it was Moses's great request I beseech thee shew me thy face mighty desirous to see the face of God and indeed it is a compleating of their happiness that they shall see the face of God Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God in Matth. 5. 8. here is the blessedness of that people whose heart is purged by faith they shall see God they shall see him here â—ay but in Heaven they shall see him face to face in 1 Cor. 13. 12. We now see him through a glass darkly but we shall see him face to face and then shall we know him as we are known It is true God cannot be seen with the eye of the body neither here nor in Heaven so the Saints cannot see him for he is an infinite Being a Spirit invisible invisible to the eye of the body but he shall be held forth clearly God will hold himself forth to the eye of their understanding and his people shall have full and clear visions of him they shall know him in his Nature and they shall know him in his attributes they shall know him in all his works and they shall know him in his Word whatsoever was hid from them in the daies of their flesh shall then be revealed they shall know him in his Counsel in those secret waies which God walked in from Eternity which no creature can give a reason of God will then unfold himself they shall have continual visions of God visions of grace and visions of love and visions of light and visions of glory which shall continually flow forth from the Throne this will be a mighty gain When the Queen of Sheba came to Solomon to see his House in 2 Chron. 9. 7. she said Happy are thy servants that stand in thy presence to hear thy wisdom if they were happy that saw Solomon and his wisdom and look'd him in the face then much more shall they that stand for ever in the presence of the great God King of Kings and Lord of Lords and shall see his face and behold his wisdom and shall for evermore be satisfied with a full vision of God so much as the creature can hold It 's true the creature is finite it shall not be infinite as God himself is but they shall behold the glorious visions of God himself which will be mighty gain But again 7. Seventhly Believing souls by death shall be gainers in respect of their habitation here they dwell in a house of Clay so Job calls it Job 4. 19. it is a house of Clay whose foundation is in the dust and is crush'd before the Moth. It is a poor house that a Moth can throw down that the Moth can crush and yet this is the house the house of the body and this is the house that the soul lives in whilst it is here a house of Clay that hath no foundation but the dust a house without a foundation it cannot stand it 's down in an instant every storm of wind will blow it down it hath only its foundation of and from the dust exceeding frail is the body set forth by this expression now what shall the soul gain when death comes It hath a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens in 2 Cor. 5. 1. For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens It 's a mansion or dwelling house it 's not a Tabernacle In my Fathers house are many mansions Job 14. 2. It 's not made by the hand of man it 's made by God himself It 's glory that was laid up before the foundation of the world it 's uncreated glory God himself will be the heaven he 'll be the dwelling place of his people and they shall dwell in him throughout all Generations for ever and for ever here is a change you see in respect of the habitation and it will be much more gain than for man to change a Dungeon for a Palace the soul comes out of a Dungeon and it 's put into an Inheritance an Inheritance with the Saints in light But Again 8. Eighthly They gain in respect of their company our Saviour saies in Matth. 8. 11. They shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God no worse company than Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the spirits of just men made perfect there shall be no failings nor defects there shall be no want of love there shall be no blemish to take off love but they shall enjoy the company of the spirits of just men made perfect this will be a mighty gain Here there are many failings failings in the best of Saints the best company that believers have even Saints there are failings in the best of them but there shall be nothing seen there but the Image of God nothing but the Image of Christ when they look upon one another they shall see nothing but an attractive love there shall be no emulation there they shall not envy
one anothers glory but every one shall glory in his own happiness as his own gain they shall gain in respect of company Again in the 9. Ninth place They shall gain Confirmation and Establishment by this blessed condition all this that is spoken of he shall be established in it for ever there shall be no more returning to sin and sorrow no more returns of former temptations there shall be no more possibility to fall again but it shall be confirmed and established in blessedness it shall no more lose his happiness than Christ can lose his no more turned out of heaven than the Son of God can be turned out they shall be confirmed and established for ever there shall be no robbers nor no fear of danger this is another part of their gain 10. Tenthly To name no more Believers shall be gainers in respect of their body for their bodies shall be new moulded at the Resurrection of the great day the body shall be made new and serviceable to the soul every way fitted and Organized for the soul to work This corruptible shall put on incorruption saies the Apostle and mortality shall be swallowed up in life God will make up these vessels of the bodies of his people again at the Resurrection and when he hath raised them up he will raise them as vessels of honour and vessels of glory And as it is said that that matter whereof is made the purest China is buried many Generations in the earth before they take it and of that they make the purest China so though you be buried in the earth the Lord will raise you up though many Generations after and they shall be raised up and fitted for the spirits of just men made perfect that God may be glorified both in soul and body to Eternity This is the gain of that soul by death to that body whose life Christ is And there must needs be gain to those that are Christs For 1. First of all It were not possible that Believers should be willing to part and leave all comforts behind them and that they should so part with all willingly with that which is so desirable in the world I say it could not be if there were not gain behind for Gods people have nature as well as others and they have natural affections and nature seeks its own preservation and it looks upon death as an enemy and yet that this enemy shall be entertained so willingly that when the Lord calls he should open his bosom to receive the stroke that he shall send and be a volunteer in his death certainly there is something in this there is that which the World knows not of how willingly did Christ send forth his spirit It 's said He cryed with a loud voice and gave up the Ghost his spirit was not snatcht away violently but he gave it up willingly it is not so with the wicked man and it was not so with the rich fool in the Gospel This night shall thy soul be required at thy hand his soul was commanded it was taken from him by force and violence whether he will or no he was not a volunteer but his soul was pluckt from him but that a man shall give his life up voluntarily that he should entertain death voluntarily and part with all friends Wife and Parents why surely it is because the Lord gives a greater assurance of gain which is to be found beyond death it self But again 2. Secondly If there were not such gain by death to the godly man it were not possible that he should make such a venture as he doth If a man venture into a far Country he will not venture for a little he will venture for gain and good gain or else he will not venture there is a venture at death with the godly man he makes a venture and it is the greatest venture that ever was made he doth not venture his estate but he ventures his soul which is infinitely of more worth than his estate and the venture is for Eternity and if that venture be lost all is lost and he is undone for ever yet thus he ventures and lancheth forth into the Gulph of Eternity but he hath a word from the Lord and he saith Well if God will deceive me let him I will venture now the believing soul doth see the future great gain that will follow death But again 3. Thirdly If it were not so Believers were the miserablest creatures of all men If it were not for Christ we were of all men most miserable if there were no hopes of better then we were the miserablest of all men for we are the lowest of all men Afflictions Persecutions Griefs and Sorrows of all sorts is the portion many times of Gods dearest people and children now if there were nothing beyond the Grave we were of all men most miserable the Apostle was in deaths often he was dead every way he carried his life in his hand he was the off-scouring of the world so accounted and now if there were in this life no hope no hope of a Resurrection no hopes of a better world then we were miserable indeed but the believing soul knows that the end of the righteous man is peace and the end of the transgressour is to be cut off But again 4. Fourthly and lastly to name no more Death must needs be gain to believing souls because it was gain to Christ Christs gain came in by death and therefore so shall theirs Ought not the Son of man to suffer these things and so to enter into his glory It 's the way to his glory by way of sufferings He was led along all his life in this way his gain came in by losses his honour his greatest honour came in by dishonour and that reproach and that low condition that befell him whilst he was in the World he found honour in dishonour and his exaltation came in in a way of humiliation and life came in for all his people in a way of death by his own death He took upon himself the form of a servant c. his exaltation came in in a way of humiliation and life for his people came in by his death as it was with Christ so shall it be with his members for there shall be a conformity and there shall be an uniformity betwixt Christ and them as it was in the head so shall it be with the members as his exaltation came in in a way of humiliation so shall theirs and their life in the greatest of it shall come in by death God the Father delights to walk in this way for it is contrary to the World and God delights alway to do the greatest things by contraries In the Creation of the World and so in the new Creation when he made the World he made all things of nothing and so of the new Creation he converts a sinner by that which is most opposite by the Word of the Lord
upon your righteousness upon your riches upon the creature I say if death shall find you before Christ be your life it is not possible that it should be gain know that there is none can give you assurance but only Christ there is none can assure the commodity that you Ship for Eternity but only Christ he is the Master of that Insuring Office and there is none can assure the soul but only he I tell you the venture that you make is more worth than all the world it would break the whole World to make good the loss of the soul and yet not able to effect it Christ sits in the Insuring Office and he only can give you assurance that death shall be gain and therefore go and wait upon the Lord for the promise of Christ Christ is made over to poor sinners in the promise of free grace and when Christ is given all other promises are given with him and if Christ be given with them then this promise is true that death shall be made gain to you go and wait at the foot-stool of grace and say Lord give out one word one promise and that shall be my assurance for my venture for Eternity do not rest till you get Christ into the Ship till you get Christ into the venture to venture with you when Christ comes once into the soul he will be a good Pilot he will carry you through all straits and difficulties he will save you in the midst of all storms you shall meet with in your passage to Eternity he will rebuke the wind and the waves though the Ship were ready to be overwhelm'd he can stop every leak he will throw out every thing that is burdensom unto the Ship then death lightens and out goes sin and out goes self Micah 7. 19. And thou wilt cast all their iniquities into the depth of the Sea Well then go to the Lord and say O Lord the time is a coming when I must make a venture I must venture my soul I must venture for eternity and to another world and I would fain have my Goods insured before hazard comes before I shoot the Gulph give me a word of promise from thy self and I shall rest upon it if thou wilt come into the Ship if thou wilt be my Pilot I know then that all shall be safe and I shall not only meet with safety but I shall make the most gainful voyage that ever was made I say get Christ to be your life O rest not till Christ have Insured you that all shall be safe this is the only way to make death gain But 2. Secondly I shall speak to such as have interest in Christ and yet do walk in the dark and still are as if they walked in the region and shadow of death they have chosen the Lord for their portion and they have cleaved to him and yet are not able to say that death will be gain to them I beseech you labour to get your hearts fortified and your souls strengthened against the fears of death O how unuseful will you be until that be done What bondage are your spirits in through fear of death till that be done How low are your spirits how unsuitable unto Gods glorious dispensations until that be done Therefore look unto the Lord this day to strengthen your selves against the fears of death What shall strengthen you you will say how shall our spirits be fortified against these carnal sinful fears of death 1. First of all Labour to understand clearly what is the nature of the Covenant of Grace I say labour to understand clearly the nature of the Covenant of Grace what that Covenant is by which now God saves his Children and brings all his Sons unto glory The ignorance of this keeps Christians in bondage through fear of death know therefore that the way of salvation now it is by a Covenant of free Grace God engages for all and it is even of free promise I will pardon and I will save and I will sanctifie I will give salvation and I will give faith to apprehend that salvation Ephes 2. 8. By Grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God there is an abundance of the Covenant of Grace in these words You are saved by grace through Faith Ay But that Faith is not of your selves but it is the gift of God know that all is given out freely unto poor creatures under the Gospel and that all that God requires to be done it is not to make any purchase of Love or Grace or Heaven there is no sacrifice or oblation to be offered any more Christ hath offered himself a sacrifice once for all and there needs no more oblation no more sin-offering but that all the sacrifices of the Saints now under the Gospel are sacrifices of thanksgiving only it is only to render unto the Lord for what he hath done for what he hath given out freely by Jesus Châ—â—â—â— Brethren labour to know the freeness of Gods Covenant in this and the like particular it will be an excellent preparatory to thee to die well and to fortifie thy self against deaths approaches viz. the clear understanding of this Covenant it is said in Heb. 2. 15. That when Christ came he delivered them who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage In the Gospel men are delivered from the fear of death because that the Gospel doth clearly unfold the Covenant of grace Before the coming of Christ they were trained up in a more legal way they did not fee the clearness of the Covenant until Christ came and therefore till Christ came they were in bondage through fear of death but when the Gospel was once given out and where that comes it dtoh unfold Gods Covenant the Covenant of his Grace in the freeness of it which doth mightily fortifie and strengthen the hearts of his people against fears of death and truly so long as any of Gods people do act legally in their spirits I say though they be under a Covenant of Grace yet if they act legally in their services not clearly understanding the Covenant they are under it is not possible that they should meet with perfect peace or be strengthened to this venture of death with freedom of soul without abundance of fear Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee Isai 6. 3. because he trusteth in thee when the soul trusts only in God when it rests only in the Word of God as a foundation of the Covenant of Grace then it rests in peace but when the soul doth act legally and thinks he shall purchase something by his actings O how unquiet and legal will those services be to him When he works for life how will he know he hath wrought enough If he staies himself on his own righteousness and not on the righteousness of Christ there will be mis-givings of heart and no
you have given up your selves to walk with him Oh that the Lord would make you that are his people watchful over your souls you have given up your selves and therefore take heed you don't turn aside maintain this communion desire that it may be upheld betwixt God and your souls and remember this That it 's your greatest priviledge whilst you are upon earth that you may thus walk with God a mighty priviledge that poor dust and ashes poor worms should be taken to walk with the great God that God should make choice to have such for his Companions his Fellow-travellers Oh it is infinite rich and Free-grace therefore do not slight it do not contemn it but labour to walk up to such relation it 's your dignity and your priviledge to walk with God So much for this time and for this part of the Text. SERMON IX GEN. 5. 24. And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him YOU have heard of Enoch's walking here 's Enoch's Rest here 's recorded what befell him at the end of his Journey he went a step out of sight He walked with God and he was not God took him He was not the phrase is sometimes applied unto those whom God takes away by ordinary death so saies Jacob of his sons whom he supposed to be dead in Gen. 42. 36. Joseph is not and Simeon is not and so in Jer. 31. 15. you shall see this phrase applied to those that God takes away by ordinary death Thus saith the Lord a voice was heard in Ramah lamentation and bitter weeping Rachel weeping for her Children and refused to be comforted because her Children they were not and so some do conceive that Enoch was taken away as other men are becaâ—â—e it 's appointed for all men once to die but the Apostle must be our Interpreter he tells us the meaning of that phrase as applied to Enoch He was not for God took him in Heb 11. 5. By Faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him he was not found saith the Apostle for God had translated him he was not found amongst men he was no longer of this world nor in this world he was taken into another world into another place for God had translated him and he was not found and it was not in an ordinary way as other men he was translated God took him And so it may be said God takes and receives all the spirits of his servants but Enoch's departure his farewel to the world was in an extraordinary way God did not take him as he takes others of his servants by death but God took him from death he was translated that he should not see death saies the Apostle There are many particulars that may be useful to us before we come to the main concerning Enoch which we shall hardly reach at this time But to Consider that phrase He was not He was not in the world of the world you must not think that Enoch ceased to be he did not lose his Being the Text saies He was not neither do any of the servants of God lose their Being when they are translated when taken away by death but he had no being as to the things of this world he had a being as to God and Heaven and as to an invisible world so he was and so it may be said of all Gods people that leave this world They are not they are not as to the world they have no being as to their comforts relations friends employments and callings so they are not but as to God Christ and Heaven and to the things of an invisible world their being is not lost but perfected they have no being as to their relations death cuts that asunder You shall see what Job saies Job 7. he complains there that all relations cease there and the Servant is free from the Master as this relation so all other relations when death comes so that a man he is not he is no longer as to his friends and relations And so he is as to the comforts of this world see Job 7. 9. As the Cloud is consumed and vanisheth away so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more he shall return no more to see his house neither shall his place know him more he is consumed like a Cloud and gone down to the Grave and what hath he no being No he speaks only in relation to the things here and to the comforts and enjoyments as to his house and so to all other comforts of his he shall not return to his house neither shall his comforts know him any more Take notice of this it will hold forth something that is useful to us It will teach you three things 1. First of all It will teach Christians to mind the things of God and Heaven more to be more taken up with the things of the world that is to come why as to all the things of this life as to all your friends comforts relations house and land and other accommodations you shall not be e're long and therefore seek more after the things of God and Christ where you shall have a being to eternity Think upon this Christians when you are ready to lose God in the World when you sleep over head and ears in your worldly employments Oh think of this the time is a coming the time is at hand when it shall be said That you are no more of the world and you shall have no being at all as to the things of the world your friends shall know you no more and your relations your comforts your house shall know you no more you shall be to all these things as if you had not been as if you had no being or as if you had no relation to them Oh then whilst you are in the world don't live as those that are of the world but say as Christ did Now Father I am no more of this world live more there where your being shall be to eternity Live more upon God and Christ and be more exercised in the contemplation of the things of the invisible world there your being shall be to eternity and don 't live so much upon those poor low outward things where you shall have no being e're long but when the world shall speak of you they shall say You are not even as it was of Enoch here Enoch was not as to this world he was not 2. Secondly This may also instruct you how to carry it towards the loss of friends and relations when God shall take away any of your friends and relations take heed you don't let out natural affections towards them when God hath taken them for they are not as to you they are not they are none of yours you have no relation to them death hath broken it they were given you for a time your Husband your Wife your Children they were given