Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions, Sermon 6
SERMON VI.
PHILIP. 1. …1. For to me to live is Chriſt, and to die is gain.
THE Apoſtle, I told you the laſt day, doth converſe with Death at a diſtance. But I entered into the main Point, which I ſhall proſecute at this time.
For to me to live is Chriſt, and to die is Gain.
DOCT. Where Chriſt is life, there death is gain.
See the Connexion, For to me to live is Chriſt; Chriſt is my life, and death is my gain: Death is gain to that ſoul that hath Chriſt for its life. One particular I named, I ſhall proſecute the reſt.
1. Firſt, Their gain is a gain of reſt; I ſay, every Believer by death gains Reſt, a reſt from toil and troubles of an evil turmoiling World; Bleſſed are the dead which die in the Lord, for they reſt from their labour, they reſt the reſt of the righteous man: When he is in the Grave, it is another kind of reſt than the reſt of the wicked; it is ſaid of David who is a Type of Chriſt that his fleſh reſts in hope: the fleſh of the righteous man reſts in hope, but the fleſh of the wicked man may be ſaid to reſt in fear, he may fear the approaching day of light, he may fear to lie down, but more to riſe up; he cries out, O Lord, let me lie here to Eternity, for the chains of darkneſs are better than the light of a new day; but the fleſh of the righteous man ſhall reſt in hope, he ſhall have no more fiery darts of the Devil thrown at him, he reſts from temptation and oppreſſion of the World, and from the tyranny of man, he reſts from all griefs, ſorrows, tears and complaints, where all tears ſhall be wiped away, and no complaints in the ſtreets at that day: here is a great deal of gain, the righteous man gains reſt in the day of death.
2. Secondly, As he gains reſt, ſo he gains perfect peace, and fulneſs of joy; it is ſaid in Iſa. 57. 1. The righteous are taken away from the evil to come, &c. and it is ſaid, he ſhall enter into peace, They ſhall reſt in their beds, every one walking in his uprightneſs; they ſhall not only reſt in their bed, in the Grave, but they ſhall enter into peace, and they ſhall enter into joy, in Matth. 25. 21. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord: he enters into peace, he enters into joy, that he ſhall thenceforth dwell in it; he ſhall dwell in joy, he takes full poſſeſſion of it, it is no more ſhut out: peace doth enter into the righteous mans heart whilſt he is on earth, but till death comes, his peace here ſhall be interrupted, he ſhall enter into it, and it into him; what Job ſaies of the body, ſo of the joy of the righteous man, it continues not at a ſtay, his peace and joy is many times interrupted, but in Heaven he ſhall meet with no more Clouds, there ſhall be a morning that ſhall drive away all Clouds, he ſhall enter into joy, and he ſhall dwell in the fulneſs of it; Chriſt hath purchaſed it, and he hath given out the firſt fruits of this peace and joy, but the full poſſeſſion is no till death, and therefore it is ſaid in Pſal. 97. 11. That light is ſown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart: he reaps ſomething here, but it is but a little in reſpect of the harveſt that he ſhall reap afterward, it rather ſeems to be a ſowing time than a reaping here, but afterward he ſhall reap the fulneſs of it; peace is ſown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart: ſo that here is another benefit of gain to a Believer by death, he ſhall then drink to ſatisfaction of thoſe Rivers of joy and pleaſures for evermore that do run at the right-hand of God.
3. But again, Thirdly, As he gains joy and peace, ſo by death the believing ſoul gains enlargement and liberty; this is a great part of his gain: the ſoul by death is ſet at liberty; for the ſpirit even of a righteous man, though it be the Candle of the Lord, and though it be enlightened from Heaven, yet whilſt it is in this body, which is now corrupted, it is like a light that is in a dark Lanthorn, the light of thoſe excellent faculties of the ſoul are eclipſed and darkened; I ſay, ſo it is with all mankind, the curſe came by the fall of Adam, that the body is as a dark Lanthorn to the ſoul, and it doth hide that light which ſhould otherwiſe be revealed; as the ſoul acts moſt highly when it hath leaſt of the body, as when the body is aſleep, it ſees not, it hears not, it reads not, yet the ſoul then ſees, and mourns, and joyes more exquiſitely than it doth or can do in the body; and therefore when the ſoul is nigh parting with the body, it acts moſt highly, and ſo it ſhall do in its ſeparation, when ſeparated from his body, it ſhall be freed from his dark Lanthorn, it ſhall be taken out from his Dungeon, as it were, and all the faculties of the ſoul ſhall be enlarged, the underſtanding, the apprehenſion, the capacity of the ſoul ſhall be mightily enlarged. The Prophet ſpeaks of a time a coming, that there ſhall be no more an Infant of daies, the beginnings of it ſhall be on earth but the perfection of it ſhall be in Heaven, There ſhall be no more an infant of daies, there ſhall be no more a child of underſtanding, but he that is weak ſhall be as David, and he that is as David, ſhall be as the Angel of the Lord; the capacity of the ſoul ſhall be wonderfully enlarged, as it ſhall comprehend moſt of God; here it is ſtraitened, and it could not receive much of God, it could not receive much of the myſteries of the Kingdom of Jeſus Chriſt, it is not large enough to take in much of the notion of thoſe glorious things, but when death comes, it ſhall be enlarged: And then, ſaies the Apoſtle, I ſhall know, even as I am known. It ſhall be exceedingly enlarged to take in very much of God. And as the underſtanding ſhall be ſet at liberty, ſo all the faculties of the ſoul ſhall be ſet at liberty. They ſhall be greatly enlarged towards God, and run towards God, the deſires of the ſoul ſhall run like a mighty ſtream towards God; here there was but a little drop of the affection, but then a mighty ſtream ſhall run; not only faith but love ſhall be perfect.
A believing ſoul ſhall be enlarged in reſpect of action; as the faculties, ſo all the actings of the Soul, ſhall be ſet at large, at liberty: here the ſoul can't act according to its deſires, it would do more for God, but there's a clogg that lies upon it, it hath mighty wings, wings like the Oſtridge, but there is ſuch a heavy body, as it can't get up: there's wings would carry the ſoul up to Heaven every moment, but there is a heavy body; in Rom. 7. 19, 20, 24. For the good that I would, I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now, if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but ſin that dwelleth in me. O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from the body of this death? I ſay there is infiniteneſs in a believers deſires to do for God, and he would enjoy more and more ſtill, and he would do more and more for God, ay, but he is ſtraitened up in his actings, there he is narrow, he cannot act according to his deſire: but now when death comes, the believing ſoul ſhall be ſet at liberty, it ſhall be able to act according to its deſire, it ſhall be whatever it deſires to be, and it ſhall do whatever it deſires to do, and it ſhall have as much holineſs as it will deſire to have; this is a mighty priviledge, and a great deal of that gain that comes in by death unto that ſoul where Chriſt is its life; it meets with this liberty and enlargement. But again,
4. Fourthly, The believing ſoul by death gains not only liberty but abundance of life: it gains life, it hath more of the life of Chriſt, it enjoyes more of the life of Chriſt, and hath the fulneſs of it communicated; and now Brethren, this is a mighty gain to gain life: what would a man gain more, and what is a greater gain than life? It is beyond the gain of all treaſure whatever. Natural life is the greateſt of all mercies; Thou ſhalt have thy life for a prey, and that's the greateſt mercy, Skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give for his life: and in this the believing ſoul ſhall come nearer to the life of Chriſt, for he ſhall have the life of Chriſt, who is the fountain, and ſo more of it communicated to him; and therefore it was that, for which the Apoſtle deſired to be diſſolved and to be with Chriſt, which is beſt of all, for there he ſhould have perfection of life in Chriſt, there ſhall be nothing there to hinder the life of Chriſt from flowing in unto the ſoul, there ſhall be no cloggs, no rubs in the way, but there ſhall be a full enjoyment, and a full manifeſtation of that life of Chriſt, which is the life of the ſoul, is made over to the ſoul for its life even to Eternity; this is another part of the great gain that comes in by death to believing ſouls. But again,
5. Fifthly, As it gains life, ſo it gains victory by death; the believing ſoul gains Victory, full, compleat victory and conqueſt over all its enemies: He doth not only reſt, as I ſaid before; it is a great gain to reſt, reſt from the motion of ſin, and luſt, and reſt from the motion of temptation, but that's not all; it reſts and ſits down as a Conquerour, the Palm of victory is then put into the hand of every Believer, and he ſhall ſtand upon that Mount Zion, and ſhall ſing Hallelujah unto the Lord, he is then made a Conquerour there, for all enemies at that day are put under; all the luſts of his heart, and all Principalities and Powers, and whatſoever was a vexation and diſquietment, ſhall be put under his feet, and he ſhall ſit down with Chriſt as a Conquerour, I have fought the good ſight ſaith the Apoſtle in 2 Tim. 4. 7, 8. I have finiſhed my Courſe, I have kept the Faith, and now is laid up for me a Crown of righteouſneſs: my lifetime, 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, …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 offſcouring of the world, ſo accounted, and now if there were in this life no hope, no hope of a Reſurrection, no hopes of a better world, then we were miſerable indeed; but the believing ſoul knows that the end of the righteous man is peace, and the end of the tranſgreſſour is, to be cut off. But again,
4. Fourthly and laſtly, to name no more, Death muſt needs be gain to believing ſouls, becauſe it was gain to Chriſt: Chriſts gain came in by death, and therefore ſo ſhall theirs: Ought not the Son of man to ſuffer theſe things, and ſo to enter into his glory? It's the way to his glory, by way of ſufferings. He was led along all his life in this way, his gain came in by loſſes, his honour, his greateſt honour came in by diſhonour, and that reproach and that low condition that befell him whilſt he was in the World, he found honour in diſhonour, and his exaltation came in in a way of humiliation, and life came in for all his people in a way of death, by his own death, He took upon himſelf the form of a ſervant, &c. his exaltation came in in a way of humiliation, and life for his people came in by his death; as it was with Chriſt, ſo ſhall it be with his members; for there ſhall be a conformity, and there ſhall be an uniformity betwixt Chriſt and them; as it was in the head, ſo ſhall it be with the members; as his exaltation came in in a way of humiliation, ſo ſhall theirs, and their life in the greateſt of it ſhall come in by death; God the Father delights to walk in this way, for it is contrary to the World, and God delights alway to do the greateſt things by contraries. In the Creation of the World, and ſo in the new Creation, when he made the World he made all things of nothing: and ſo of the new Creation, he converts a ſinner by that which is moſt oppoſite, by the Word of the Lord, which his ſoul hates, and yet that Word of the Lord doth conquer him, and change him into his own likeneſs: and ſo God leads his people to glory through a low way of ſuffering, and when he brings them to the full poſſeſſion of it, he carries them through the dark entry, through the dark narrow ſtrait entry of death, and through that place he leads them to the enjoyment of that glory which comes in by death. I have no time for Application: But Brethren conſider it, death is gain to thoſe whoſe life Chriſt is, but it is loſs, and the greateſt loſs that ever was met with, unto thoſe that have not Chriſt for their life; I beſeech you to look to your ſelves, and to look about you before death comes: when death comes you muſt venture ſuch a venture as never was made, you venture your ſouls and your Eternity, and by that venture you are made or elſe you are marr'd to Eternity; look about you, examine, Is death like to prove gain to you or no? What aſſurance have you that death ſhall be gain? I ſhould preſs this further, but the time is paſt already, I ſhall reſerve it for another time.