David Serving His Generation

For David, after be had served his own Generation by the Will of God fell on sleep, & was laid unto his Fathers, & saw Corruption.

IN these Words (which are the words of Paul) we are presented with these five things.

1. The Life of David, a man after Gods own heart, and ◊itted thereby to be a pattern and Example to the Servants of God in after Ages and Generations.

2. The Death of David, under a comfortable Shadow and Similitude, he fell asleep.

3. The Burial of David, he was laid to his Fathers

4. The Effect of his Death and Burial, he saw Corruption.

5. A convincing Argument hence to prove that those words in Psal. 10. 10. were spoken of Christ and properly to be applyed unto him and not to David; ◊or David 〈…〉 Corruption, but Christ saw no Corruption here, ver. 37. Therefore that Holy One to, or concerning whom that promise, ver. 35. was made, was Christ.

In the first of these, (which may be the Subject of the present discourse) we have, (1) a Metaphori◊al Expression of Davids Life, under the Term of Service, David though a King yet he was a Servant, which requires Diligence and Faithfulness, and is attended with many Exercises of Patience. (2) The Subject of his Service, his own Generation, those that were his Contemporaries, that lived in the same Age and Generation with himself. (3) The Rule whereby he served his Generation, by the will of God, not by his own will, not by the will of his Generation, not by his own will although he was a King, not by the will of his Generation although he was a Servant, he was not such a King as to serve them by his own will, not such a Servant as to Serve them by their will.

p. 2David in this serving his Generation may be considered and lo◊◊t upon, (1) As a private Christian, as a godly man. (2) As a man in publick place, (1) As a Prophet, for so he was a man endowed with abundance of the Spirit, whereby he was an Instrument of publishing the 〈…〉 God for the good of his Church, not only in that Age but in after Ages of the World (2) As a King, the Political head of Israel, now under all these Relations David served his Generation, and served them by the will of God.

p. 2Doct. The life of a Christian, especially of such as are in publick place ought to be a Serving of their Generation, and to be ruled therein by the will of God: Every Christian as he hath a God to Serve, so he hath a Generation to Serve, in serving of 〈…〉 be Serves God, every Christian should so live as that his Generation may be the better for him.

In the Doctrinal prosecution of this point, I shall show, (1) Wherein this service of our Generation doth consist? (2) Why a Christians life must be spent in the service of his Generation? and (3) Why by the will of God?

Quest. 1. What is it for a Christian to serve his Generation according to the will of God?

Answ. There is comprehended and implyed in it, 1. That Christians should be men of publick Spirits, it is requisite that every Christian should be so, especially publick persons, they must not be of private Spirits, not cearer in any private Interest, a private Spirit is an un-Christ-like un-Christian Spirit, to look only on our own things, to be of a private Spirit is more Ca◊◊ like, Gen 4 9. then Christ-like, Phil 2. 4, 5. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ, that we be not such as Paul complains of ver. 21. that seek our own things, David had this publick Spirit, Psal. 122. 9. I will seek thy good, this also was Nehemiahs frame, Chap. 2 10. he sought the welfare of Israel, and 〈…〉, Esther 10. 3. he sought the wealth of his people, and spoke peace to all his Seed.

2. It 〈…〉 also a love of our Generation, our Generation must lie near our Heart, there is a duty of love that we owe to our whole Generation, to every man in it, a bond, a tye that every Christian hath upon him to all the Members of his Generation however Circumstanced, some with a love of compassion others with a love of complacency, herein consi◊s the Strength and S◊◊ews of our Generation-Service, this doth influence and anima◊e all, Gal. ◊. 1◊ by love serve one another, Psal. 122 6. they prosper that love thee.

p. 33. A 〈…〉 care to do what may be done for the good of our Generation, a casting in our mind, what we may do whereby we may be most serviceable to our Generation, by what means we may do the most and best good for our Generation, what that Service is, our Generation stands in need of, by attendance whereunto we may promote their good, Ca◊. 8 8. what shall we do for our sister? a solliciton◊s question, so we must be saying, what shall we do for our Generation?

p. 34. A solemn and serious pondering and weighing the state of our Generation, Christians must study their Generation, Heb. 10. 24. Let us consider one another.

1. Study the evils of our Generation; there is a two fold evil that every Generation of Professours is ordinarily tainted with, (1) Practical, as every Generation of fallen mankinde is under the prevailing power of sin, so there are some sins that are the special prevailing sins of such a Generation; Israel in the wilderness had special sins incident to that Generation, unbelief; tempting of God, murmuring against him and his Servants, were the provoking sins of that Generation, wherewith they grieved God forty years, Psal 95. 10. in Can◊an there were other sins, when they had plenty and abundance of all outward Comforts and blessings then they were lifted up, and kicked against God and forgate him, Deut. 32. 15▪18. So mind the evils of our Generation as to withstand them. (2.) Doctrinal evils, the errours of our Generation, Doctrinal evils as well as Practical have been from Generation to Generation in the Church of Christ, and among a professing People, Rev. 2. 14,15. in the Church of Pergamus were the Nicolaitan◊, and in the Church of Corinth some denyed the Resurrection, 1 Cor. 15. there must be an opposing and withstanding of these evils, Contend for the Faith, Jude 3.