The Saints Safety in Evil Times, Sermon 1 – Title page 4
CHRIST IS BEST.
PHIL. 1. 23, 24.
For I am in a strait betweene two, having a desire to depart, and to bee with Christ which is best of all; neverthelesse to abide in the flesh, is most needfull for you.
THe Apostle Paul here, had a double desire, one in regard of himselfe, to be with Christ; another out of his love of Gods Church and people, to abide still in the flesh, and betweene these two hee is in a great straite not knowing which to choose; but the love of the Church of Christ tryumphed in him, above the love of his owne salvation; so as he was content out of selfe-deniall to want the joyes of heaven for a time, that hee might yet further comfort the people of God.
In the words you have, 1. S. Pauls straites, 2. his desires that caused them, as in regard of himselfe, which was to bee with Christ; so in respect of the Church of God, which was to abide still here. 3. the reasons of both, 1. to be with Christ, is farre better for mee. 2. to abide in the flesh, more needfull for you: and 4. his resolution upon all, being willing for the Churches good still to abide here, rather than goe to heaven and enjoy his owne happinesse.
S. Pauls soule was as a shippe betweene two windes, tossed up and downe, & as iron between two Loadstones drawne first one way, then another; the one loadstone was his owne good to bee in heaven, the other was the good of Gods people to abide still in the flesh.
Observe hence,Obser. that the servants of God are oftentimes in great straits; some things are so exceeding bad, that without any deliberation or delay at all we ought presently to abominate them, as Satans temptations to sinne, to distrust, despaire, &c. some things also are so good that wee should immediately cleave unto them, as matters of Religion and pietie, there should be no delay in these holy businesses; deliberation here argues weaknesse. Some things (againe) are of an ambiguous and doubtfull nature requiring our best consideration, such was Pauls strait in this place; he had reasons swaying him on both sides, and such is the happy estate of a Christian that whatsoever hee had chosen, had beene well for him, onelyonly God who rules our judgements will have us to make choise; God might have determined whether Paul should live or die,, but he would not without Pauls choice; that which is good is not good to us, but upon choice and advice; when God hath given us abilities to discourse and examine things hee will have us make use of them, and therefore the Apostle useth reasons on both sides; It is better to die for me, It is better to live for you, &c.
Wicked men have their deliberations and their straits too, but it is with the rich man in the Gospell, What they shall doe? how they may pull downe their barnes and build bigger; Luke 12. 18.&c. Their maine strait is at the houre of death, live they cannot, die they dare not, there is so much guilt of sinne upon their consciences, they know not which way to turn themselves; oh what fearefull straits will sinne bring men into? but the Apostle was straitned in an higher nature than this, whether it were better for the glory of God (which he aimed at above all) for him to goe to heaven and enjoy happinesse in his owne person, or to abide still for the comfort of Gods Saints on earth.
The ground of this difficulty and straite, was his present desire,
I have a desire.
Desires are the immediate issue of the soule, the motion and stirring of the same to something that likes it; when there is any thing set before the soule having a magneticall force, as the Loadstone to draw out the motions thereof, we call that, desire, though for the present it enjoyes it not.
S. Pauls desire was, 1. spirituall, not after hapinesse so much as holinesse; oh miserable man that I am (saith he) who shall deliver me from this body of death, Rom. 7.his desire of death was to be freeed from the body of sinne more than to be taken out of the flesh, and his desire of holines to have Christs image stamped on his soule, was more than of eternall happinesse; nature cannot doe this, its a worke above the flesh, for that will not heare of departing, but rather bids God and Christ depart from it.
2. This desire came from a tast of sweetnesse in communion with Christ; and those desires that most ravish the soule in apprehension of heavenly things are ever the most holy; S. Paul knew what a sweet communion Christ was.
3. It was a constant desire, he doth not say I desire, but I have a desire, I carry the same about me, and that carryes mee to a love of Christ and his members.
4. It was efficacious, not a naked velleity, not a wish of the sluggard, I would, and I would, but a strong desire carrying him even through death it selfe to Christ: desires thus qualified are blessed desires, as where wee soe vapours arise, there are springs usually below them, so where these desires are, there is alwayes a spring of grace in that soule; Nothing characterizeth a Christian so much as holy and blessed desires, for there is no hypocrisie in them.
I desire to depart.
There must be a parting and a departing; there must be a parting in this world with all outward excellencies, from the sweet enjoyment of the creatures; there must be a parting between soule and body, between friend and friend, and whatever is neare and deare unto us, all shall determine in death.
And there must be a departing also, here we cannot stay long, away we must, we are for another place. Oh that we could make use of these common truths! how farre are wee from making a right use of the mysteries of salvation, when we cannot make use of common truthes which wee have daily experience of? Holy Moses considering the suddennesse of his departure hence, begged of God to teach him to number his dayes that he might apply his heart unto wisedome.
Death is but a departing, which word is taken from loosing from the shore, or removing of a ship to another coast; wee must all be unloosened from our houses of clay and bee carryed to another place, to heaven; Paul labors to sweeten so harsh a thing as death by comfortable expressions of it, It is but a sleep, a going home, a laying aside our earthly tabernacle, to teach us this point of heavenly wisdome, that wee should looke on death as it is now in the Gospell, not as it was in the Law and by nature, for so it is a passage to hell and lets us in to all miseries whatsoever.
Some things are desireable for themselves as happinesse and holinesse, some things are desirable not for themselves, but as they make way to better things, being sowre, and bitter to nature themselves, as Physicke is desired not for it selfe, but for health; wee desire health for it selfe, and physick for health, so to be with Christ is a thing desirable of it selfe, but because we cannot come to Christ but by the darke passage of death, saith Paul, I desire to depart that so my death may be a passage to Christ, so that death was the object of S. Pauls desire so farre as it made way for better things.
I desire to depart, and to bee with Christ.
To be with Christ that came from heaven to be here on earth with us, and descended that we should ascend, to be with him that hath done and suffered so much for us, to be with Christ that delighted to be with us, to be with Christ that emptyed himselfe, and became of no reputation, that became poore to make us rich, to be with Christ our husband now contracted here, that all may bee made up in heaven, this was the thing Paul desired.
Why doth he not say,Quest. I desire to be in heaven?
Because heaven is not heaven without Christ,Answ. it is better to be in any place with Christ than to be in heaven it selfe without him, all delicacies without Christ are but as a funerall banquet, where the master of the feast is away, there is nothing but solemnnesse: what is all, without Christ? I say the joyes of heaven are not the joyes of heaven without Christ; he is the very heaven of heaven.
True love is carryed to the person; It is adulterous love, to love the thing, or the gift more than the person, S. Paul loved the person of Christ, because hee felt sweet experience that Christ loved him; his love was but a reflection of Christs love first, he loved to see Christ, to embrace him, and enjoy him, that had done so much and suffered so much for his soule, that had forgiven him so many sins, &c.
The reason is, because it is best of all; To be with Christ is to be at the spring-head of all happines, it is to be in our proper element, every creature thinkes it selfe best in its owne element, that is the place it thrives in, and enjoyes its happinesse in; now Christ is the element of a Christian. Againe, it is farre better; because to bee with Christ is to have the marriage consummate, is not marriage better than the contract? is not home better than absence? to be with Christ is to be at home; is not triumph better than to be in conflict? but to be with Christ is to triumph over all enemies, to be out of Satans reach; is not perfection better than imperfection? here all is but imper…ect, in heaven there is perfection, therefore that is much better than any good below; for all are but shadowes here, there is reality; What is riches? what are the worme-eaten pleasures of the world? What are the honours of the earth, but meere shadowes of good? At the right hand of Christ are pleasures indeed, honours indeed, riches indeed; then is realitie.
If wee speake of grace, and good things, it is better to bee with Christ than enjoy the graces and com…orts of the holy-Ghost here; Why? because they are all stayned, and mixed, here our peace is interrupted with desertion, and trouble, here the joyes of the holy ghost, are mingled with sorrow, here the grace in a man is with combate of flesh, and spirit, but in heaven there is pure peace, pure joy, pure grace; for what is glory but the perfection of grace; grace indeed is glory here, but it is glory with conflict; the Scripture calls grace glory sometimes, but it is glory with imperfection; Beloved, perfection is better than imperfection, therefore to be with Christ is farre better.
And is it much farre better to die, that we may be with Christ, than to live here a conflicting life? Why should we then feare death, that is but a passage to Christ? It is but a grimme servant that lets us into a glorious pallace, that striks off our bolts, that takes off our rags that wee may bee clothed with better robes, that ends all our misery, and is the beginning of all our happinesse, why should we therfore be affraid of death? it is but a departure to a better condition? It is but as Iordan to the children of Israel, by which they passed to Canaan, it is but as the red-sea by which they were going that way; therefore we have no reason to feare death: of it selfe it is an enemy indeed, but now it is harmelesse, nay now it is become a friend, amicable to us, a sweet friend; it is one part of the Churches joynture, death All things are yours saith the Apostle,1 Cor. 3. 22. Paul and Apollos, life and death, death is ours and for our good, it doth us more good than all the friends we have in the world, it determines and ends all our misery, and sinne; and it is the suburbs of heaven, it lets us into those joyes above. It is a shame for Christians therefore, to bee affraid of that that Paul here makes the object of his desire.
But may not a good Christian feare death?
I answer, Not; so farre as a Christian is led with the spirit of God, and is truly spirituall: for the spirit carryes us upward; but as farre as wee are earthly and carnall, and byassed downward to things below, wee are loath to depart hence; In some cases Gods children are affraid to die, because their accounts are not ready, though they love Christ, and are in a good way, yet notwithstanding because they have not prepared themselves by care, as a woman that hath her husband abroad and desires his comming, but all is not prepared in the house, therfore she desires that he may stay awhile; so the soule that is not exact, that is not in that frame that it should be in;Psal. 39. saith, Oh stay awhile that I may recover my strength, before I goe hence and bee no more seene; but as farre as wee are guided by the spirit of God, sanctifying us, and are in such a condition as we should be in, so farre the thoughts of death ought not to be terrible to us, nor indeed are they.
Beloved, there is none but a Christian that can desire death; because it is the end of all comfort here, it is the end of all callings and employments, of all sweetnesse whatsoever in this world. If another man that is not a Christian, desire heaven, he desires it not (as heaven) or to …e with Christ (as Christ) he desires it under some notion sutable to his corruption: for our desires are as our selves are, as our aymes are; no carnall worldly man, but hath carnall worldly aymes; a worldly man cannot goe beyond the world, it is his spheare; a carnall man cannot goe beyond the flesh, therefore a carnall man cannot desire heaven, a man that is under the power of any lust, can desire nothing but the satisfying of that lust, heaven is no place for such; none but a child of God can desire that: For if we consider heaven, and to bee with christ, to be perfect holines, can he desire it that hates holinesse here? can he desire the Image of God upon him that hates it in others and in himselfe too? can he desire the communion of Saints, that (of all societies) hates it the most? can he desire to be free from sinne, that ingulfes himselfe continually in sinne? he cannot, and therefore as long as he is under the thraldome, and dominion of any lust he may desire heaven indeed, but it is onelyonly so farre as he may have his lusts there, his pleasures, honours, and riches there too; if he may have heaven with that, he is contented: but alas, brethren, heaven must not be so desired, S. Paul did otherwise, he desired to be dissolved to be with Christ, hee desired it as the perfection of the Image of God, under the notion of holinesse and freedome from sin, as I said before.
Which is farre better.
Againe,Obser. we see that God reserves the best for the last, Gods …a…t workes are his best workes, the new heaven and the new earth, are the best; the second wine that Christ created himselfe was the best; spirituall things are better than naturall; A Christians last is his best.
God will have it so for the comfort of Christians, that everyday they live, they may think, My best is behinde, my best is to come, that every day they rise, they may thinke, I am nearer heaven one day than I was before, I am nearer death, and therefore nearer to Christ, what a solace is this to a gracious heart? A Christian is a happy man in his life, but happyer in his death, because then he goes to Christ, but happiest of all in heaven, for then hee is with Christ. How contrary to a carnall man, that lives according to the sway of his owne base lusts? he is miserable in his life, more miserable in his death, but most miserable of all after death; I beseech you lay this to heart, mee thinkes considering that death is but a way for us to be with Christ, which is farre better, this should sweeten the thinking of death to us, and we should comfort our selves daily that we are nearer happinesse.
But how shall we attaine this sanctified sweet desire that Paul had,Qu…t. to die and be with Christ?
Let us carry our selves as Paul did,Ans. and then we shall have the same desires; S. Paul (before death) in his life time, had his conversation in heaven, his minde was there, Phil. 3. 1.and his soule followed after; there is no mans soule comes into heaven, but his minde is there first. It was an easie matter for him to desire to bee with Christ, having his conversation in heaven already; Paul in meditation was where he was not, and he was not where he was, he was in heaven when his body was on earth.
2. Againe, S. Paul had loosed his affections from all earthly things, therefore it was an easie matter for him, to desire to be with Christ,Gal. 6. 14. I am cruci…ied to the world and the world is crucified to me, &c. If once a Christian comes to this passe, death will be welcome to him; those whose hearts are fastened to the world, cannot easily desire Christ.
3. Againe, holy S. Paul laboured to keepe a good conscience in all things, herein I exercise my selfe to have a good conscience towards God and men, Acts 24. 16.&c. It is easie for him to desire to be dissolved, that hath his conscience sprinkled with the blood of Christ, free from a purpose of living in any sinne; But where there is a stained, defiled, polluted conscience, there cannot be this desire: for the heart of man naturally, as the Prophet saith, casts up myre and dirt, it casts up feares, and objections, and murmurings, and repinings: Oh beloved, wee thinke not what mischiefe sinne will do us when we suffer it sease upon our consciences; when it is once written there with the claw of a Diamond, Jer. 17. 1.and with a pen of iron, who shall get it out? Nothing but great repentance and faith, applying the blood of Christ, it is no easie matter to get it off there, and to get the conscience at peace againe; and when conscience is not appeased, there will be all clamours within, it will feare to appeare before the judgement …ea…; a guilty conscience trembles at the mention of death. Therefore I wonder how men that live in swearing, in loosenesse, in filthinesse, in deboisednesse of life, that labour to satisfie their lusts and corruptions, (… wonder how they) can thinke of death without trembling, considering that they are under the guilt of so many sinnes; Oh beloved the exercising of the heart to keepe a cleare conscience, can onelyonly breede this desire in us to depart, and to bee with Christ: you have a company of wretched persōs (proud enough in their owne conceits, and censorious, nothing can please thē) whose whole life is acted by satan joyning with the lusts of their flesh, and they do nothing but put stings into death every day, and arme death against themselves, which when once it appeares, their con…cience, which is a hell within them, is wakened, and where are they? they can stay here no longer, they must appeare before the dreadfull Iudge, and then where are all their pleasures, and contentments, for which they neglected heaven, and happinesse, peace of conscience, and all: Oh therfor let us walke holily with our God, and maintaine inward peace all we can, if we desire to depart hence with comfort.
4. Againe, Paul had got assurance that he was in Christ by his union with him; I live not saith he, but Christ lives in mee: Gal. 2. 19.therefore labour for assurance of salvation, that you may feele the spirit of Christ in you, sanctifying, and altering your carnall dispositions to be like his, I know whom I have trusted, saith he; he was as sure of his salvation as if he had had it already. How few live, as if they intended any such matter as this, assurance of salvation, without which how can we ever desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ? will a man leave his house, though it bee never so meane, when hee knowes not whither to goe? will a man leave the prison when he knows he shall be caryed to execution? Oh no, he had rather bee in the dungeon still; So when there is guilt on the soule, that it is not assured of salvation, but rather hath cause to feare the contrary: can it say, I desire to depart, and bee with Christ, &c? No; they had rather abide in the flesh still, if they could for ever, for all eternitie; therefore if we would come to Pauls desire, labour to come to the frame of the holy Apostles spirit, he knew whom he had beleeved, he was assured that nothing could separate him from the love of God, neither life, nor death, Rom. 8.nor any thing whatsoever could befall him.
5. Paul had an art of sweetning the thoughts of death, hee considered it onelyonly as a departure from earth, to heaven, when death was presented unto him as a passage to Christ, it was a easie matter, to desire the same; therefore it should be the Art of Christians, to present death as a passage to a better life, to labour to bring our soules into such a condition, as to thinke death not to bee a death to us, but the death of it selfe, death dyes when I die, and I beginne to live when I die; It is a sweet passage to life, we never live till wee die. This was Pauls Art, hee had a care to looke beyond death, to heaven, and when he looked upon death he looked on it but as a passage to Christ, so let it bee our art and skill; would we cherish a desire to die, let us looke on death as a passage to Christ, and looke beyond it to heaven: All of us must goe through this darke passage to Christ, which when we consider as Paul did, it will be an easie matter to die.
I come now to the next words, Neverthelesse to abide in the flesh is more needfull for you.
This is the other desire of Paul that brought him into this straite, he was troubled whether he should die, which was farre better for himselfe, or live, which was more needfull for them, but the love of Gods people did prevaile in holy S. Paul, above the desire of heaven, and the present enjoying his owne happinesse. Oh the power of grace in the hearts of Gods children, that makes them content to be without the joyes of heaven for a time, that they may doe God service, in serving his Church here upon earth.
Observe hence,Obser. 1. that the lives of worthy men▪ especially Magistrates, and Ministers are very needful for the Church of God.
The reason is, because Gods manner of dispensation is, to convey all good to men, by the meanes of men like our selves for the most part; and this hee doth to knit us into a holy communion one with another, therfore it is needful that holy men should abide; in regard of the Church of God▪ their lives are very usefull.
If we consider good, the great benefit, that comes by them, wee shall easily yeeld to this; For what a deale of sinne doth a good Magistrate stoppe and …inder? when there were good Iudges and good Kings in Israel, see what a reformation there was: Antichrist could not come in when the Romane Empire flourished,2 Thes. 2. though now the Romane Empire hinder the fall of Antichrist, because Antichrist hath given her the cup of fornication, and they are drunke with the whores cup; but at the first it was not so. Beloved, whilest good Magistrates and good Ministers continue in a place, there is a hinderance of heresies, and sinne, &c. If they bee once removed, there is a floodgate opened for all maner of sin, and corruption to breake in at. Yea there is abundance of good comes in by gracious persons.
1. By their counsell and direction; The lips of the righteous feed many.
2. By their reformation of abuses, by planting Gods ordinances, and good orders, whereby Gods wrath is appeased; they stand in the gappe and stop evill, they reforme it and labour to stablish that which is pleasing to God.
3. Gracious persons, in what condition soever they are, cary the blessing of God with them; wheresoever they are, God and his blessing goes along with them.
4. They doe a great deale of good by their patterne, and example, they are the lights of the world, that give ayme to others in the darknesse of this life.
5. They can by their prayers binde God, (as it were) that he shall not inflict his judgements, they doe a world of good by this way, a praying force and army is as good as a fighting army. Moses did as much good by prayer, as the soldiers in the valley when they fought with Amelek; they are favorites with God in heaven, therefore S. Paul saith, It is needfull for you that I abide in the flesh: Gracious men are publique treasures, and storehouses wherein every man hath a share, a portion; they are publique springs in the wildernesse of this world to refresh the soules of people; they are trees of righteousnesse that stretch out their boughs for others to shelter under, and to gather fruit from: You have an excellent picture of this in Daniel, in the dreame of Ne…chadnezar; Dan. 4. 21.the Magistrates there are compared to a great tree, where in the birds build their nests, and the beasts shelter themselves▪ so a good Magistrate especially if he bee in great place, is as a great tree, for comfort and shelter; Oh beloved, the lives of good men are very usefull. A good man (saith the Philosopher) is a common good, because as soone as ever a man becomes gracious, hee hath a publique minde as he hath a publique place, nay, whether he hath a publick place or no, he hath a publique minde; It is needfull therefore that there be such men alive.
If this be so, then we may lament the death of worthy men, because wee lose part of our strength in the losse of such, Gods custome being to convey much good by them, and when there is scarcity of good men, we should say with Micah, Micah 7.Woe is mee, the good is perished from the earth: they keepe iudgements from a place, and derive a blessing upon it, howsoever the world iudgeth them, and accounts them not worthy to live yet God accounts the world unworthy of them, they are Gods Iewels, they are his treasure, and his portion, therefore we ought to lament their death and to desire their lives; and we ought to desire our owne lives, as long as we may be usefull to the Church, and be content to want heaven for a time: Beloved, it is not for the good of Gods children that they live; as soone as ever they are in the state of grace they have a title to heaven, but it is for others; when once we are in Christ, we live for others not for our selves; that a father is kept alive, it is for his childrens sake; that good Magistrates are kept alive, it is for their subjects sake; that a good Minister is kept alive out of the present enjoying of heaven, it is for the peoples sake, that God hath committed to him to instruct, for as Paul saith here, in regard of my owne particular, it is better for mee to bee with Christ.
If God convey so much goodVse. by worthy men to us, then what wretches are they that maligne them, persecute them, &c. speake ill of those that speake to God for them? doth the world continue for a company of wretches, a company of prophane, blasphemous, loose, disorderly livers? Oh no, for if God had not a Church in the world, a company of good people, heaven and earth would fall in pieces, there would bee an end presently; It is for good people (onelyonly) that the world continues, they are the pillars of the tottering world, they are the stakes in the fence, they are the foundation of the building, and if they were once taken out, all would come downe, there would bee a confusion of all, therefore those that oppose and disquiet gracious and good men, are enemies to their owne good, they cut the bough which they stand on, they labour to pull downe the house that covers themselves, being blinded with malice, and a diabolicall spirit: take need of such a disposition, it comes neare to the sinne against the holy Ghost, to hate any man for goodnesse; because perhaps his good life reproacheth us, such a one would hate Christ himselfe if he were here, how can a man desire to bee with Christ, when hee hates his image in another? therefore if God convey so much good by other men that are good, let us make much of them, as publick persons, as instruments of our good; take away malice, and pride, and a poisonfull spirit, and all their good is ours: what hinders that wee have no good by them? pride, and an envious spirit, &c.
A second thing that I observe hence is this;Obser. Holy and gracious men that are led by the Spirit of God can deny themselves, and their owne best good, for the Churches benefit. They know that God hath appointed them as instruments to convey good to others, and knowing this they labour to come to Pauls spirit here, to desire to live, to have life in patience, and death in desire in regard of themselves; for it were much better for a good man to bee in heaven out of misery, out of this conflicting condition with the devill and devilish minded men.
The reason is,Reas. 1. because a good man as soone as he is a good man, hath the spirit of love in him, and love seeketh not its owne but the good of another, and as the love of Christ and the love of God possesseth, and seizeth upon the soule, so selfe-love decayes; what is gracious love, but a decay of selfe-love, the more selfe-love decayes, the more we deny our selves.
Againe, Gods people have the spirit of Christ in them, who minded not his owne things; If Christ had minded his owne things where had our salvation beene? Christ was content to leave heaven, and to take our nature upon him, to be Emanu…l, God with us, that we might be with God for ever in heaven; hee was content not onelyonly to leave heaven, but to be borne in the wombe of a Virgin, he was content to stoope to the grave; he stooped as low as hell, in love to us. Now where Christs spirit is, it will bring men from their altitudes, and excellencies, and make them to stoope, to serve the Church, and account it an honour to bee an instrument to doe good; Christ was content to be accounted not onelyonly a servant of God, but of the Churches, Es…y 53. 11…My righteous servant, &c. Those that have the spirit of Christ, have a spirit of selfedeniall of their owne, we see the blessed angells are content to be Ministring spirits for us, and it is thought to bee the sinne of the devil, pride, when he scorned to stoope, to the keeping of man an inferiour creature to himself. The blessed Angells doe not scorne to attend upon a poore child, little ones: A Christian is a consecrated person, and he is none of his owne, he is a sacrifice as soone as he is a Christian, he is Christs, he gives himselfe to Christ, and as he gives himselfe so he gives his life, and all to Christ, as Paul faith of the Corinths, they gave themselves and their goods to him; when a Christian gives himselfe to Christ, he gives all to Christ: all his labour and paines, and whatsoever hee knowes that Christ can serve himselfe of him for his Churches good, and his glory; he knowes that Christ is wiser than he, therefore hee resignes himselfe to his disposall, resolving, if he live, he lives to the Lord; Rom. 14. 8.and if he die, he dies to the Lord; that so, whether he live or die, he may be the Lords.
Oh beloved,Vse that we had the spirit of S. Paul, and the spirit of Christ to set us a worke, to doe good while we are here, to deny our selves; oh it would bee meate and drinke as it was to our blessed Saviour Christ, to doe good all kinde of wayes; consider all the capacities and abilities wee have to doe good, this way, and that way, in this relation, and that relation, that we may bee trees of righteousnesse, that the more we beare, God will mend his owne trees, hee will purge them and prune them to bring forth more fruit, God cherisheth fruitfull trees: in the law of Moses, when they besieged any place, he commanded them to spare fruitful trees: God spares a fruitfull person till hee have done his worke; we know not how much good one man may doe though he be a meane person, sometimes One poore wise man delivereth the citie, Eccles. 9. 15.and the righteous delivereth the Iland; Wee see for one servant Ioseph, Potiphars house was blessed.Gen. 39. 3. Naaman had a poore maidservant, that was the occasion of his conversion. Grace will set any body aworke, its puts a dexterity into any though never so meane, they carry Gods blessing wheresoever they goe, and they bethinke themselves when they are in any condition to doe good, as he saith in Hester God hath called mee to this place, perhaps for this end: wee should often put this quaere to our selves, why hath God called me to this place? for such and such a purpose.
Now that wee may bee fruitfull as Paul was, let us labour to have humble spirits; God delights in an humble spirit, and not in a proud spirit, for that takes all the glory to it selfe, God delights to use humble spirits, that are content to stoope to any service for others, that thinkes no office too meane.
2. Get loving hearts, love is full of invention, how shall I glorifie God? how shall I doe good to others? how shall I bring to heaven as many as I can? love is a sweet and boundlesse affection, full of holy devices.
3. Labour to have sufficiency in our places, that you may have abilitie to doe good: oh, when these meet together, abilitie and sufficiencie, and a willing, a large, and gracious heart and a fit object to do good too: What a deale of good is done then?
4. And when we finde opportunitie of doing any good, let us resolve upon it, resolve to honour God, and serve him in spight of flesh and blood: for we must get every good worke that we doe out of the fire, as it were; we must get it out with travaile, and paines; wee carry that about us that wil hinder us, let us therefore labour to have sincere aymes in that we doe to please God, and then resolve to doe all the good we can.
To stirre us up to bee more and more fruitfull in our places, let us consider wee live for others, and not for our selves when wee are good Christians once. It was a good speech of that godly Palsgrave, great grandfather to him that is, (Frederick the godly they called him) when he was to die, satis vobis (saith he) I have lived hitherto for you, now let me live for my selfe; we live here all our life for others, therefore let us think while we live how we may doe most good in the Church of God.
For encouragement hereunto consider, God will undertake to recompence all the good we doe, to a cup of cold water; we shall not lose a sigh, a groane, for the Church, God would account himselfe dishonoured if it should not be rewarded, hee hath pawned his faithfulnesse upon it;Heb. 6. 10. Hee is not unfaithfull to be unmindfull of your good workes.
Nay, wee have a present reward and contentment of conscience: as light accompanies fire, so peace and joy accompanie nie every good action; All is not reserved for heaven, a Christian hath some beginnings of happinesse here, when he doth that that is contrary to flesh and blood, how full of sweet joy is a fruitfull soule? those that are fruitfull in their places never want arguments of good assurance of salvation. It is your lazie luke-warme Christian that wants assurance. Therefore I beseech you be stirred up, to live desired in the world, and die lamented, labour to be usefull in your places all you can, to be as the Olive, and fig-tree, delighting God and man, and not to cumber the ground of the Church with barrennesse: sinnes of omission, because men were not fruitfull in their places was a ground of damnation: Cast the unprofitable servant into utter darknesse: M …. 2.put case hee did no harme, I, but he was unprofitable; such was the cursed disposition of Ephraim, hee brought forth fruit to himselfe: Oh this looking to our selves, whē we make our selves the begining & the end of all the good we doe, it is an argument of a barren person, none ever came to heaven but those that denyed themselves.
I see I cannot proceed in this point, you may by the spirit of God inlarge it in your thoughts and bring home what hath been said to your ownes soules, labour that you may bee such as others may make use of you, and not be the burthens and calamities of the time, as many are, that live for nothing but to doe good men good by vexing of them, that is all the good they doe, by vexing their patience they exercise their grace a contrary way; let us not be bryers and unfruitfull plants, labouring to be great by the publique miserics: As they say, great fishes grow bigge by devouring many little ones; as a dragon comes to be great by devouring many little serpents, so many grow great by the ruine of others; Oh beloved, it had beene better for such that they had never beene borne. Therefore as we desire to have comfort when we die, let us labour to be fruitfull while we live. S. Paul when the time came that he should die, when hee had done his worke, you see he that was thus full of selfe-deniall, how gloriously he ended his dayes; The second Epistle to Timothy was the last Epistle that ever he wrote, and when hee had done his worke, saith hee,2. Tim. 4. 7. I have sought a good fight, I have kept the faith, I have finished my course, from henceforth there is a crowne of righteousnesse reserved for me; what a glorious end is here? and indeed those that are thus carefull, and fruitfull in their lives and conversations, end their dayes full of comfort, and resigne their soules to God with full assurance of a blessed change, and onelyonly those: For you have many, when they come to die, what hinders them? Oh I have beene unfruitfull, I have not done that good that I might, I have not wrought out my salvation with feare and trembling. In such a thing I have done ill, such a thing I have omitted, so they are enemies to their owne comfort, inlarge this in your owne meditations, and consider what will comfort you hereafter when you shall need most comfort: So I leave the text, and come to the occasion.
This holy and blessed man whose funerall now wee solemnize, was of S. Pauls spirit, hee did desire to die, & be with Christ, he had a desire while he lived to take all opportunities to doe good: I speake of that time when he lived, that is, when hee was good, for we live no longer than wee are good: let us not reckon that Life wherein we doe no good. After God had wrought upon his hea…rt, he had a publique heart to doe good. If I wanted matter to speak of, I could tell you of his allyance and birth, having two worthy Iudges of reverend esteeme, the one his grand father, the other his unckle; the one bred him, the other cherished and promoted his studie and indeavours; but what should I speake of these things when hee hath personall worth enough? I need not goe abroad to commend this man, for there were those graces and gifts in him, that made him so esteemed, that verily I thinke, no man of his place and yeares, lived more desired, and dyed more lamented.
For his parts of na…ure, they were pregnant and sollid, but as one said to Melancthon, his disposition and loving minde did gaine as much love from men as his parts, though they were great.
His learning was good, for beside his owne prosession, hee was a generall scholler, and had good skill in that we call elegant learning, & controverted points of divinitie; he was a good divine: Indeed in the turning of his life when he should have adventured upon a profession, he had some thoughts of being a divine, had not his friends, especially his uncle, Iudge Telverton, disposed him otherwise, by promoting his studie in the Law, and when hee tooke upon him that profession, he grew so in it, that he was a credit to the profession, for integrity, sincerity, and abilitie.
For his disposition he was every way a man of an excellent sweet temper: milde, and yet resolute; meeke, and yet bold where cause was; discreet, yet not overdiscreet, so as not to stand out in a good cause in the defence of it; he was humble, yet thought himselfe too good to bee instrumentall to any services other then stood with the peace of his conscience; he was tractable and gentle, yet immoveably fixed to his principles of piety and honestie; he was exact in his life, yet not censorious; very conscionable and religious, but without any vaine curiositie; indeed he was every way of a sweet temper, if he stood out in dislike of any, in any matter, he carryed it usually with evidence of such sinceritie, and deniall of selfeseeking, that he usually prevailed where he put in.
To come to his private personall cariage, it was very pious, he was wont to sequester himselfe from his imployment and labour, to bring his heart under to God, to the guidance of Gods spirit; his study was, to study to die, for he gathered choise things out of the sermons hee heard about death, many yeares before he died, to lay up store of provision against that time. And two or three Termes before he died, he had a speciall care to enquire of nearer communion with God; he enquired of those he conversed with, of the way to attaine the same, and was willing to heare any discourses that tended that way.
For his care of the Sabbath, it was his delight, his custome was after Sermon to retyre, and ruminate upon what he had heard to turne it into his spirit: Alas, for want of this, how many sermons are lost in this great Citie? how much seed is spilt in vaine? What nourishment can there be without digestion? it is the second digestion that breeds nourishment; when wee chew things, and call them to minde againe and make them our own: This was his custome every Sabbath.
For his carriage to others, he was a constant friend, and his studie was to labour to make those good he conversed withall, he conversed with few but they were the better for him, he was so fruitfull; and hee would have intimate society with none but he would doe good or take good from them; you have many in the society where he lived, that may blesse God al the daies of their life, that ever they knew him.
For his carriage in his government of the Place where he lived, I thinke there are none that are able to judge, but will give him the testimony of a faithfull prudent govern…ur; he was so careful of the towne where he was Recorder, that he provided for them after his death, and gave them a large legacie, 200. marke, to set the poore on worke.
For the honourable societie wherein he was a governor, hee carryed himselfe with that resolution, for good order and good exercises, and was such a strict opposer of any abuse, which he judged to be so, that the house will have a speciall want of him: I feare, rather I desire from my soule that that honourable societie may so flourish as they may have no want of good Master Sherland.
For his more Publick carriage, by vertue of his place at Northampton where hee was Recorder, he was called to be a member of the body representative in Parliament, wherein both his abilitie, and spirit appeared to all that knew him; you may see by this what manner of man wee have lost.
He died before he was come to the middle of his yeares, a young man to speake of, and he did a great deale of work in a little time, God had ripened him for his businesse extraordinarily; and gave him a spirit to bestirre himselfe to doc all the good hee could: These bee wondrous ill times, beloved, to lose such men as he was, therefore we have cause to lay it to heart the more, the commonwealth wants him, the towne and countrey where hee lived will want him, the societie where hee was a governour will want him, the family where hee was a governour, will finde a misse in him; hee went wisely in & out, hee was able for family duties, hee had more than ordinary sufficiency, he was of Iosuahs mind, Choose who you will serue, Jos. 24. 15.but I and my house will serve the Lord; and to helpe him the more, hee had the happinesse to marry into a religious family, hee had a good helper.
Now for the Church, though his profession was the Law, yet that will have a great want of him, hee was a heartie and true Promoter of the cause of Religion, and shewed his love to the Church, by his care of it now hee is departed, hee gave foure hundred pounds to buy in impropriations, hee gave an hundred pounds for the breeding duplicate page duplicate page up of Poore schollers, and there is never a good Minister round about where he lived, but had incouragement from him; Indeed he was a man of speciall use, and service; and as he honored God in his life, so God hath honored him in his death, as you may see by this honorable assembly of worthy people, met in love to him.
His death was (as the death of strong men useth to be) with conflicts betweene nature, and his disease, but with a great deal of patience; and in his sicknesse time, hee would utter Pauls disposition, Oh saith he, You keepe me from heaven, you keepe me from glorie, being displeased with those, that kept him alive with conference out of love.
Hee had a large heart to doe good, for though hee were fruitfull and studied to be fruitfull, yet oft in his sicknesse in a complaining manner, hee would say, Oh, I have not beene so wise for my owne soule, as I ought to be: I have not beene provident enough in taking opportunities of doing and receiving good.
Beloved, shall such a man as he was, so carefull, so fruitfull, so good, shall he complaine thus? what shall a company of us do? Beloved, those that have warmed their hearts at the fire of Gods love, they thinke zeale it selfe to be coldnesse, and fruitfulnesse to be barrennesse; Love is a boundlesse affection, hee spake not this from want of care, but love knows no bounds, therefore hee tooke the more opportunities of doing good.
Well, I beseech you beloved, let not this example Passe without making good use of it, God will call us to a reckoning not only for what we heare, but for what we see: he will call us to a reckoning for the examples of his people, therefore as wee see here what a holy disposition was in St. Paul, and in this blessed man now with God, so let us labour to finde the same disposition in our selves. Paul hath now his desire, hee is dissolved, and he is with Christ, that is best of all. This holy man hath his desire, he desired not to be kept from his glory and happinesse, on which his mind was set before; let us therefore labour with God in the use of good meanes, to have the same disposition, And in this moment let us provide for eternitie: out of eternitie before, and eternitie after, issueth this little spot of time to doe good in. Let us sow to the spirit, account all time lost that either we doe not or take not good in; opportunitie is Gods Angel; time is short, but opportunitie is shorter; let us catch at all opportunities; this is the time of working, oh let us sow now: shall we goe to sowing then, when the time comes that wee should reap? some begin to sow when they die, that is the reaping time; while we have time let us doe all good, especially where God loves most, to those that are good.
Consider the standings and places, that God hath set us in; consider the advantages in our hands, the price that wee have▪ consider opportunitie wil not stay long, let us therfore doe all the good wee can, and so if we doe, beloved, we shal come at length to reape that, that this blessed Saint of God, Saint Paul here in the text, and this blessed man, duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page for whose cause we are now met doe enjoy: Therefore if wee desire to end our dayes in ioy and comfort, let us lay the foundation of a comfortable death now betimes: To die well is not a thing of that light moment as some imagine; it is no easie matter. But to die well is a matter of every day, let us daily doe some good that may helpe us at the time of our death, every day by repentance pull out the sting of some sin, that so when death comes, we may have nothing to doe but to die; to die well is the action of the whole life, he never dies well for the most part, that dies not daily, as Paul saith of himselfe, I die daily; he laboured to loose his heart from the world, and worldly things: if we loose our hearts from the world and die daily, how easie will it be to die at last? he that thinks of the vanity of the world, and of death, & of being with Christ for ever, and is dying daily, it will be easie for him to end his daies with comfort; but the time being past, I will here make an end; Let us desire God to make that which hath been spoken effectuall, both concerning Paul, and likewife concerning this blessed man, for whose cause we are met together.
FINIS.
CHRISTS SUFFERINGS, FOR MANS SINNE.
Laid open in a Passion Sermon at Mercers Chappell London, vponupon Good Friday.
By R. SIBBS, D. D.
Isay. 53. 5. He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes are wee healed.
LONDON, Printed by M. F. for R. Dawlman, at the Brazen Serpent in Pauls Churchyard. 1634.