_ Fh-st, Fur the time : ' in his generation.' ' Generation,' in the Scripture, signifies a succession of men one after another, as you have it in Mat. i. 1, from such a one to such a one ; so many generations, so many successions. You know in the Latin tongue, secuhon is taken for an age or generation, the space of an hundred years, though Moses shut up the life of man in a shorter time. Succession of one man after another is a generation. Generation, sometimes in a general sense, is taken for all of one kind. The generation of Noah, and the generation of the righteous ; that is, all of that kind, without restraining it to succession. But most commonly it is the consideration of men from succession of them, having the term from the way whereby we enter into the world, that is, by generation; therefore the succession of men from one to another is called generation.
Now, here generation implies both the times and the persons. The persons of men are a several generation, and the time wherein they live is a generation, and both are here included. ' David in his generation,' among the age of men, and in the time wherein he lived, ' served God.' The meaning of the place is clear. The points considerable here are.
First of all. That there is a generation, a succession of men one after another.
_ Secondly, That every man hath his particular generation. David had his generation, wherein he served the liord.
Thirdly, That ' he served God in his generation ;' that is, the whole time of his generation ; yet with this limitation, he served God only in his generation while he was here, before he came to heaven. In heaven there is a kind of service, but it is not by way of work, but of reward. We must serve God in our generation here. If ever we look to reap hereafter, we must sow now. ' David served God in his generation.'
Obs. 1. First of all. There is a f/eneration, a succession of men.
Particular men go ofi' the stage, but the species, the kind, is eternal. Kinds of things continue for ever, Man dies not, but Paul, and Peter, and David die ; there is a succession of particular men. It is with men as it is with the waves of the sea ; one wave goes away, and another comes after. It is with men as it is with trees ; for men are compared in Scrip- ture to trees, trees of righteousness ; and man, take him in his nature, is
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like a tree. The poet could say to that purpose (c). It is with men as with trees ; some fall off in autumn, and others come in their place the next spring. So it is with men. They have their several generations. There is an autumn, a decay, and there is a spring of them. There is a succession of generations.
Use 1. To teach us this lesson, that our time hebuj short here, eveiy man hath his generation ; one generation goeth away and another cometh, as the Scripture saith, Eccles. i. 4. We mast be laid with our fathers, and others must stand up in our place. ' Rise up,' Joshua, * for Moses my servant is dead, saith the Lord,' Josh. i. 2. One servant of God dies and another rises. There be many that must act their parts in this world. Therefore some must go off the stage, that others may come on. There- fore while we have time here, let us be sure to do good, before we be taken away, suddenly, we know not how soon, and there be no more generation. Here there will be a succession of generations, till we all meet in heaven, and then there will be no succession, there shall be no more death ; but as the apostle saith, ' we shall be for ever with the Lord,' 1 Thes. iv. 17.
Use 2. And it should teach us likewise, considering that in regard of our being and natural condition in the world there are several successions, gene- ration after generation, that now we are here, and presently after no more seen in the world, to make sure an eternal generation ; to be born anew of the immortal seed that never dies, as St Peter saith, 1 Pet. i. 23, that tends to immortality. There is no death in that birth. A Christian, as he is a new creature, hath a generation to eternity ; he never dies. In regard of our being here, there is generation after generation, successions of men ; but when we are new born, though we cease to be here, we go to heaven. ' He that believes in me,' saith Christ, ' shall never die,' John xi. 26. * Man that is born of a woman,' saith Job, ' hath but a short time to live,' and that short time ' is full of misery,' Job v. 7. But man that is born of the Spirit hath an eternal time to live, and that a happy life. All flesh is grass in regard of this life we lead, which is supported with meat and drink, and the comforts of this life : all flesh is grass, and the beauty of it as the flower of the grass ; but the word of God endureth for ever ; and as St John saith, ' he that doth the will of God endureth for ever,' vi. 27. The word of God endures for ever, because it makes us, having the Spirit of God, to endure for ever. The world passeth, and the lusts of it, but he that doth the will of God, that is new born by the word of God, and transformed to the obedience of God, he abides for ever. Would you abide for ever, and not pass from alteration to alteration — as wicked men, they alter and come to nothing, and worse than nothing ? Then labour for this estate. This is the way to abide for ever. This life hath no date of days, no death.