Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions, Sermon 9
SERMON IX.
PHILIP. 1. 21. For to me to live is Chriſt, and to die is gain.
WHere Chriſt is life to any ſoul, there death is gain; That's the Propoſition in hand. I have entered the Application, and drew ſeveral concluſions the laſt day by way of Inſtruction.
But I ſhall ſpend the remainder of my time in Anſwer to this Queſtion.
Queſt. But you will ſay, How ſhall we come by this knowledge, the aſſurance of this, that death ſhall be gain?
Anſw. That you would all labour to get aſſurance that death ſhall be gain to you. It is a point that concerns every ſoul in the Congregation, and therefore it calls for your attention; get aſſurance that death ſhall be gain to you. And let me ſpeak,
1. Firſt, To ſuch as have not intereſt in Chriſt, but are in the gall of bitterneſs, and in the bonds of iniquity, under the power of ſin and Satan, and ſo neceſſarily under bondage and fear of Death.
You had need look about you betimes, there is a time a coming when you muſt make ſuch a venture as you never made in all your lives; you Ship all that you have, and all that you can carry with you for another world: when death comes, there is ſuch a venture as never was made in reſpect of the diſtance of place, you do not venture to the Indies, but you venture to another world, a world which we had known nothing of, if the Lord had not pleaſed to give us a glimpſe of it in his Word, for elſe we ſhould have known nothing of it; you venture more than all your Eſtates: for, my friends, you venture your ſouls; the ſoul that is more worth than all you have in the World, if you were Maſters of the whole world: What! will a man venture for the gain of the World, to loſe his own ſoul? Your loſs is irrecoverable, there is no hopes of any future trading, for you venture once for all, ſor it is for ever.
And herefore, I beſeech you, Conſider what need you have of looking to this venture, and to get aſſurance that it ſhall be made a gainful venture to you.
But you will ſay, What directions will you give us, that we may have aſſurance of gain in this venture? I ſhall ſpeak but one word to you.
Seek after an intereſt in Chriſt, get Chriſt to be your life, and then you ſhall be aſſured that death ſhall be gain: I will not give you any other direction, I will not ſet you any other way, it will but lead you about; and alas, poor ſouls, you had not need be led about, you know not how ſoon the Wind and Tide may ſerve, and you may ſet Sail for Eternity. And therefore again, I ſay, ſeek after an intereſt in Chriſt, get him to be your life: If death ſhall find you whilſt you live to the World, and live in your ſelves, whilſt you live upon your works, 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 Ch…. 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 perfect peace; Ay, but is this righteouſneſs compleat? Have I done enough? But are not my works defiled? Is not my righteouſneſs ſpotted? or is it not ſhort? or is it not ſcant? doth it not want ſomething of length and breadth? will it wholly cover my nakedneſs? Thus the ſoul doth queſtion with it ſelf when it is looking after the Covenant of Grace, and thus the ſoul is carried out to act in the Covenant, and to look upon all as purchaſed by Chriſt, there is the mighty foundation laid, free-grace and the righteouſneſs of Jeſus Chriſt; the ſoul may even venture upon it when it walks through the Valley of the ſhadow of death; that is the firſt Direction. I beſeech you labour to underſtand the nature of the Covenant of Grace by which he brings his people to glory. But again,
Direct. 2. Secondly, As you deſire your hearts ſhould be fitted againſt the fears of death, look up to the Lord to inable you to live by Faith; whileſt you look up, learn to live by Faith; to live by Faith is the way to die in Faith, and the more Faith the leſs fear, the leſs carnal fear: and therefore, O look up unto the Lord to help you to live by Faith, to exerciſe Faith in every condition; it is ſaid, Th… juſt ſhall live by Faith, in Habak. 2. 4. Ay, in ſorrows, in afflictions, in diſtreſſes, in the darkeſt condition he ſhall live by Faith; he ſhall exerciſe Faith in the promiſe, and live above the darkneſs of his condition, through the love of God in Chriſt, in him he ſhall thus live by Faith: Go to Chriſt therefore to ſtrengthen your Faith, you that are weak in Faith go, and ſay as the Diſciples did, Lord increaſe our Faith, for it is he only that can draw forth the ſoul to acting of Faith, Pſal. 119. 49. Remember thy Word unto thy ſervant, upon which thou haſt cauſed me to hope; The Lord cauſed his ſoul to truſt in his promiſe: Labour to exerciſe Faith, Faith in every condition; there is ſome promiſe that God hath ſuited for his people in all conditions, and he expects that they ſhould live by Faith upon thoſe promiſes; the more that you live by Faith in the promiſe whilſt you live, the more able ſhall you be to look death in the face without terrour; exerciſe Faith every day on the promiſe, and Faith will grow ſo ſtrong as you ſhall be able to ſay with David, I will not fear, though I walk through the Valley of the ſhadow of death, for thou art with me. That's a Second Direction.
Direct. 3. Thirdly, That your hearts may be ſtrengthened againſt the fears of death, look up to Chriſt to ſtrengthen you whilſt you are in the World; to die to the World, to Sin, and to Self; remember that you are Pilgrims here on earth, O entertain ſuch thoughts continually: I am a ſtranger on earth, I am upon my travel, in my journey, this is not my home, I muſt e're long depart this World, I came not here to reſt, is not this the bridge to Eternity? it is a bridge to paſs over, and ſhall I build upon this bridge? ſhall I think to dwell here? ſhall my affections take up here? No Lord, I am a Pilgrim and a Stranger as all my fore-fathers: I am crucified to the World, and the W… me; Paul could look death in the face beyond … I am crucified to the World, and the World to me; labour to die to ſin and to ſelf, be willing to caſt out ſelf, be willing that the Lord alone ſhould be exalted: he that hath made it his work to lay ſelf aſide in all his waies and actions, he will be very willing to lay himſelf aſide, if it ſhall be for the honour of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; and when he conflicts with ſin, he will rejoice at the reproaches of death, that that enemy that hath done him ſo much injury ſhall be fully conquered. That's a Third Direction.
Direct. 4. Fourthly, Deſire the Lord to teach you what is the ſervice of your Generation, and to help you to perform it; deſire that the Lord would help you to know what is the work of your Generation, and to inable you to perform it; this will fortifie the ſoul againſt the fears of death: It is very ſad to a ſervant when his Candle goes out before his work be done, he cannot lie down with comfort, his Maſter hath given him a piece of work, and he hath wholly neglected it whilſt his light was given, and what comfort can he have in his lying down; our Lord Jeſus Chriſt hath finiſhed the work his Father gave into his hand, and then he was willing to be gone; in John 17. 4, 5. I have glorified thee on the earth, I have finiſhed the work which thou gaveſt me to do, and now, O Father, glorifie thou me with thine own ſelf, with the glory which I had with thee before the World was. And ſo it is ſaid of David, After he had ſerved his Generation according to the Will of God, he fell aſleep; death was welcom to him, as ſleep is to a weary man; when his work was done he lay down with comfort, there is nothing to trouble him, his work is done: after he had ſerved his Generation he fell aſleep. There is ſome work God hath appointed to every one of us, O deſire the Lord to teach you to know what that work is he hath put into your hand, and ſent you into the world for, O do that work with all your might, that when death comes it may be welcom, as welcom to you as ſleep is to a weary man. But again,
Direct. 5. Fifthly, To fortifie your hearts againſt the fear of death whilſt you live, Live much upon Chriſt, make Jeſus Chriſt your life continually, where Chriſt is life there death is gain; be looking up to Jeſus Chriſt to be a principle of life to you, and to act you continually, live upon him for Juſtification, live upon him for Sanctification, live upon him for all your comforts, make much uſe of Jeſus Chriſt continually; the ſoul that hath lived upon Chriſt, that hath made him the beginning of all, and made him the end of all (for then is Chriſt their life) it will be exceedingly ſtrengthened againſt the fears of death: Let him be the beginning of all your works and actions, take nothing in hand without the ſtrength of Chriſt, look for the ſtrength of Chriſt to act you, to breath in you, and to fill your ſails in your motion God-ward and Heavenward, and let Chriſt be the end of all that you do; I ſay, propound Chriſt as your end, do what you do as unto Chriſt, whatſoever you do in your ſervices to men, do it as unto the Lord, do your common worke as unto the Lord, let Chriſt be the end, propound him as the end of all that you undertake; I tell you, if Chriſt be not the end of a mans works, all his works are loſt; Chriſt ſpeaks of ſome that ſhall come and ſay, Lord, Lord, have not we propheſied in thy Name, and in thy name we have caſt out Devils; and yet in the very next words Chriſt ſaies unto them, Depart from me you workers of Iniquity: here is a ſtrange Epithete, you workers of Iniquity; they did abundance of good, Propheſied … Name, and caſt out Devils, &c. and yet he call … workers of Iniquity: if they be not done for C… to Chriſt, Chriſt will interpret them worke … Iniquity. Make Chriſt your life, and live upon him, and that will fit you to look death in the face without fear.
Direct. 6. Sixthly, Converſe with Death continually; that is another Direction that I deſire the Lord might ſet it upon our ſpirits: converſe with death continually, behold death at a diſtance, even all your lifelong; ſee death both in the death of Chriſt, and in your own death. Here you may converſe with death:
1. Firſt, In the death of Chriſt, and then with your death, which is approaching: Chriſtians, Behold your own death in the death of Chriſt, look upon a dying and a bleeding Saviour, behold him as dead, and laid in the Grave, and what was the end of all this, but that through death he might deſtroy him that had the power of death, and deliver his poor people from fear of death? Behold Chriſt as a mighty Conquerour by Faith every day, and ſee death conquered: and know that when Chriſt conquered, he conquered as a common perſon, he conquered death not only for himſelf but for his people; O Chriſtians, if you were wiſe to make improvement of the death of Chriſt, how might your ſpirits be ſtrengthened againſt fears of death? The death of Chriſt would kill all the fears of death in you; I ſay, if you made improvement of the death of Chriſt, you may go and bury the fears of death in the Grave of Chriſt, for he hath ſwallowed up death: make it your work t… converſe with death in the death of Chriſt.
And again, Converſe with your own death which is approaching: O, how is this neglected? how ſeldom do men look for a dying hour, or a departure? how loth are men to entertain thoughts of death? I have read of an Emperour that gave a Comm… That no man ſhould name Death in his Palace, he … afraid of death that he gave a Command upon pa… death not to hear death named; what advantage do men gain by this? This ſtrengthens the enemy, and weakens their own hearts and ſpirits, becauſe they are afraid to think of death before death comes: this doth exceedingly weaken a man againſt the time of his coming. I have heard of a Serpent that is called a Cockatrice, that if it ſees a man, it kills him, but if he ſees it, it doth him no harm: why, it is true, in this ſenſe we are upon, If death comes upon a man it kills him, but when the ſoul hath ſeen death, and hath digeſted and ſeen death at the worſt that it can do, and hath lived in a dying condition, death when it comes is able to do no harm; and therefore that's a ſixth Direction; I deſire the Lord would teach us to converſe with death, and to die daily, with the Apoſtle.
Direct. 7. Seventhly, I deſire that you would labour that your hearts may be thorowly rooted and eſtabliſhed in the promiſes; this will fortifie you againſt the fears of death; upon the promiſes, and upon that free-grace, and that infinite righteouſneſs that is held forth unto you in the Goſpel. Many men content themſelves with common thoughts and ordinary notions of Chriſt and the Goſpel, and way of Salvation in his free-grace, and of the power of Chriſt in ſaving of poor creatures; but this is like the ſtony ground, they are not perſwaded of the truth of it, and ſo ſetled. And therefore how ſhould this be fortifying againſt the fears of death? This cannot bear them up in the time of death. Go to the Lord, deſire him that he would realize things to you, and that he would make real and deep impreſſions by his promiſe upon your ſouls, that ſo you may be ſupported and carried out in the midſt of all fears and dange…
… Eighthly, Here is one more Direction, wh… give you, which may help to ſtrengthen your …ts againſt the fears of death, and that is, Whilſt you live, labour to live in conſtant communion with God; deſire that the Lord would uphold your ſpirits in conſtant communion and fellowſhip with himſelf, and with his ſon Jeſus Chriſt: Labour to walk with God as Enoch did, He walked with God and was tranſlated; walk with God in your Generation, and labour to enjoy communion with God in all Ordinances, be thorowly acquainted with God, with the goings of God in your ſpirits, with the counſels of God, with the promiſes of God, that the Word may be your Counſellour and your guide, and your comforter, ſeek acquaintance with God: What is it that makes men afraid to die? It is becauſe they are not acquainted with God; a man fears in going into a ſtrange place and ſtrange company that he knows not, it makes him fearful: O, if men were acquainted with God, if they did walk with God whilſt they lived, and were acquainted with God in life, it would take away the fears of death. And truly, Brethren, you had need get extraordinary acquaintance with God before you leave your Country and Fathers houſe, and follow him to a place you know not; you had need be well acquainted to follow God, and in making ſuch a venture as you have heard of: therefore make all improvement that may be to get more acquaintance with God under the Goſpel: Gods people are more generally freed from the fears of death, becauſe they have more acquaintance with God; We are come, ſaies the Apoſtle, Heb. 12. 23. we are not only come to Jeſus Chriſt the Mediator of the Covenant, but we are come to God the Judge of all: Now under the … there is the way for Chriſtians to come with … and boldneſs to God, even to God the Judge … to have a ſweet familiarity and acquaintance w… God, even that Judge who judgeth all; and that ſoul that hath been acquainted with God, will not fear to go to God when God calls. There was a gracious man I have heard of, when he came to die, ſaies he, I ſhall change my place, but not my company; he had walked with God all his life, God was his companion, he had walked with God in all his waies, and had done his work, though he doth change his place, having walked with God on earth, he ſhould now walk with God in Heaven: Now, O that we might thus walk with God, and not be afraid to walk with God, my Friend, my Father, my Companion. Thus much for Direction, the Lord ſanctifie them to you I ſhall conclude theſe Words and this Text with one word more.
I beſeech you, you that have intereſt in Chriſt, that have Chriſt for life, and death for gain,
1. Firſt of all, That you would ſee how you are beholding to Jeſus Chriſt for this, that ever the Lord ſhould make death to be gain. What a loſs is there in that? What is there more dreadful than death? That the Lord Chriſt ſhould make this to be gain to his people! O ſtand and wonder: death is not gain in it ſelf, it is the greateſt loſs in the World; Ay, but this man ſhall comfort us concerning the toil of our hands: this man comforts, this Lord Jeſus comforts concerning death as he makes it to be gain; that which ſeparates ſoul from body, which might have ſeparated ſoul from God to Eternity, ſhall not only ſeparate ſoul from body, but ſet it nearer unto God and Chriſt, and carries he ſoul into ſweet injoyment of himſelf, it leaves the body in the Grave to refine it, and God will at the laſt day … it up unto Glory. And therefore, I beſeec… … …hat you would endeavour that your lives ma… … to Chriſt; Hath he made death gain to yo… … he make it the moſt gainfull venture that ever you made? How ought you to deſire, by all means, that your lives may be gain to Chriſt? Be you willing to ſuffer any thing for him, for his ſake: you may well do it, he hath made death to be gain to you; you may well labour, there is a Reſt for you: Be you willing to do and ſuffer for Chriſt. Nay, you ſhould lay out your lives for Chriſt, O put them off at the beſt advantage, to die for Chriſt is the beſt advantage, O, put off life for the beſt gain for Chriſt: you may well do it, for he hath made death exceeding gainful and advantagious to you. To conclude all with a word of conſolation: You that have intereſt in Chriſt, is he your life?
What ſtrong Conſolation doth this miniſter unto you? O, bleſſed are the people that are in ſuch a caſe; Chriſt to be gain, Chriſt to be advantage in life and death? There is a bleſſed condition, why, all you that have intereſt in Chriſt, what need you fear death? I ſay, what need you fear death? It cannot hurt you, it is an enemy diſarmed, the ſting is taken out: you may take a Waſp in your hand and put it into your boſom when the ſting is out; the ſting of death is out, and it cannot ſeparate you from the love of your Father.
Nay, it will carry you unto nearer embraces of God and Chriſt; I am perſwaded, ſaies the Apoſtle, that neither life nor death, can be able to ſeparate from the love of God in Chriſt; Death cannot ſeparate from Gods Covenant, though it may ſeparate from body and ſoul, though the body lies in the Grave, yet the Covenant of Grace holds: I … God of Abraham, Iſaac and of Jacob; the … …nt of God holds; now the Lord takes care of … …ones of the Saints in the Grave, they ſhall … by vertue of this Covenant. O what! do not you fear death? you may make a bold venture on death, you that have Chriſt for your life, I ſay, you may make a bold venture, you may ſhoot the Gulph of Eternity, and venture all upon him, for he is your life, and he will not fail you, you have his example, and he is gone before you, he would fortifie your hearts, he hath gone before you, he was the Captain of your Salvation, and he firſt broke the Ranks; he was partaker of fleſh and blood with us that he might ſuffer death, and ſo that he might deſtroy death, and therefore Chriſt hath given you his Example; he intended that you ſhould ſee the worſt that death can do, and it can do you no more hurt than it did him, you that have intereſt in Chriſt it can do you no more hurt than it did him; he is in the Ship with you, he is Partner with you in the venture, and if you loſe, he ſhall be the greateſt loſer: Chriſt is Partner with you in the venture; and if you ſhall loſe in this venture, Chriſt had as good never have riſen again, it is all one whether he ſuffers in his perſon or in his members, if they ſhould miſcarry in this great venture of death, Chriſt had as good never to have riſen again, it is all one; O, what hath the Lord done for you, thus to fortifie your ſouls, and to ſtrengthen you by his own venture in that Partnerſhip that Chriſt hath undertaken with you, that this may ſpur you on? Conſider it well, is not this a bleſſed priviledge? O that I might die the death of the righteous, ſaith Balaam; no wonder he deſired it; what a gain does the righteous man get in his … at the Lord would perſwade you to live the … righteous, to ſee the life of Chriſt, and … Faith of the Son of God: whilſt you liv… …ath engaged that you ſhould live the life of … …teous; but if Chriſt be not your life, you will never partake of the life of the righteous; for where Chriſt is not life, death cannot be gain.
But you will ſay, Do not Gods own people fear death, even as well as others? Why, we ſee they are ſubject to fears; where is the difference betwixt their death and others? they may have fears of death as well as other men.
I Anſwer, It is true, even the righteous man may fear; nay, not only the fear of nature, but his fear may be ſometime inordinate and ſinful; Ay, but in his fear he runs to the promiſe, even as Jacob did when he was greatly diſtreſſed when he came to his brother, Lord, ſaies he, I fear my Brother, but he runs to the Promiſe, but Lord, thou haſt ſaid, thou wilt be with me, and do me good and bleſs me; he fears as well as others, but in his fears he runs to the Promiſe.
Yea moreover, To ſay no more but this, The righteous man ſhall be delivered from all his fears; therefore he does not upbraid the righteous, they have Promiſes to run unto, and the Lord their God will ſave them from their fears: even our Lord Jeſus feared when death approached, he was greatly afraid, he put up ſtrong cries with tears and groans, and yet was heard in that he feared, in Heb. 5. 7. In the daies of his fleſh he feared, and his fears made him cry aloud, and his Father that was able to ſave him, is able to ſave thee from all thy fears: theſe fears ſhall make him cry to his God, and he ſhall be certainly heard in that he feared, and ſo was made a Conquerour: And ſo ſhall it be with thoſe that are in Chriſt, they ſhall be Conquerours over all their fears; this poor man cried, and the … ſaved him and delivered him from all his fears. … ſhall ſerve for this time.
FINIS.
End of the text · Timothy Armitage, Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions (1678)