The True Spring of Gospel Sight and Sense of Sin, Sermon

The True Spring of Gospel Sight and Sense of Sin · Sermon

A SERMON, &c.

1 Cor. xv. 55, 56, 57.

55. O Death, where is thy Sting? O Grave where is thy Victory? 56. The Sting of Death is Sin; and the Strength of Sin is the Law, 57. But Thanks be to God, which giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

OUR Great Apostle in this Epistle of his, having answered several Cases of Conscience to the Church at Corinth, in this Chapter, refutes that dangerous Error, that denied the Resurrection of the Dead.

He founds his Argument for the overthrow of the Error, and the Establishing the contrary Truth, chiefly upon the Resurrection of a buried Jesus. Having prosecuted this from v. 12. with the Intermixture of other Mediums; and also exhortatory Inferences to v. 35. he there states the Adversary's Objection in these Words, With what Body do they come again?

This Objection he answers (having rebuked the Objector with the Title of a p. 90Fool, v. 36.) from the Nature of Grain thrown by the Sower into the Ground, rising into a Crop of beautiful Corn, pleasant to the Eye and useful for Food: Further, shewing and explaining the difference between human Bodies and the Flesh of Beasts, Birds and Fish, and the difference of their Glory from the Terrestrial and Coelestial Bodies, even the difference between Coelestial. Bodies themselves in Glory.

Having managed this, from v. 36, to 42. he there applies it to the case in hand, shewing in v 42, 43, 44. That the Bodies of the Saints are sown in Corruption but raised in Incorruption. Sown in Dishonour, but raised in Glory, &c. This he repeats, varying his Phrase, v. 53.54. And draws in this Inferencē in the Close of the 54th ver. Death is swallowed up in Victory; which Inference he confirms in a way of Triumph, in the Words of my Text.

O Death where is thy Sting? &c.

In which words you have the Apostle triumphing in the Person of every dying Believer, wherein are contained these Parts.

1. The Apostles Triumph, in v. 55.

2. The Cause of it. 1st. Laid down negatively, v. 56. The Sting of the Believer's Death being pulled out by the abolishing of Sin, which is Death's Sting; and the Reign of the Law over him, which is the Strength of Sin.

p. 91Positively laid down in ver. 57. viz. A Victory being obtained over Death, thro' our Lord Jesus Christ; which the Apostle mentions with Thanksgiving to the Almighty.

In handling these Words, I shall only insist on the Triumph or Ovation in ver. 55. and the rather, because the Prosecution of the Truth that shall arise from that Verse, will reach, and take in, the chief Matter contained in the following Verses.

In these words you have, as was aforementioned, the Believer's Triumph over Death, and that in a twofold Respect. 1. In respect of his Soul; O Death, where is thy Sting? 2. In respect of his Body; O Grave, where is thy Victory? Without spending further time in opening the Words; they afford us this Doctrinal Observation.

Doct. That every true Believer, in the Moment of his Death, can Triumph over Death and the Grave, both in reference to his Soul and Body.

I shall divide this general Doctrine into two Branches, and speak to each part. The First is this,

That a Believer, in the Moment of his Death, can Triumph over Death, in reference to his Soul.

First (as the Lord shall enable me) I will prove this Truth, and then explain and illustrate it.

p. 92For Proof, I shall only give at present you two places of Scripture.

Rev. xiv. 13. And I heard a Voice from Heaven, saying unto me, Write; Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: yea saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their Labours; and their Works do follow them. Where first you have the Truth plainly asserted, — Blessed are the dead, that die in the Lord, or in dying in the Lord. 2dly, The Reasons of it. 1. They rest from their Labours. 2. Their Works follow them, i. e. They will meet with their Prayers and Duties entered on the File, for their review, as an addition to their eternal Delights. 3. You have here insinuated the Certainty and Importance of this Truth. 1. The Commandment to write, they are weighty things usually committed to Ink and Paper, and that for duration also.—Littera Scripta manet. 2. The Commander, the Spirit. I heard a Voice from Heaven, saying write, &c.

The second place is, Heb. iv. 9. There remaineth therefore Rest to the People of God. Their rest is not in this World, but in another; and they enter upon it in the moment of Death; therefore they have then ground of triumphing.

I shall add to these the Experiences of Three Worthies. The first was David's, 2 Sam. 23.5. Altho' my House be not be so with God, yet he hath made with me an p. 93everlasting Covenant, ordered in all things and sure: For this is all my Salvation and all my Desire; altho' he make it not to grow. David was now on the brink of Eternity, taking a view of the past and present Disorders of his House and Heart, yet rejoyces and triumphs in the view of the Covenant of Grace, and his Interest in it, and the influence it had on the Eternity he was entring into. The second was that of faithful Stephen, that glorious Proto Martyr; who when the Stones that dashed out his Brains and Life, flew about his Ears, cryed out triumphantly, Lord Jesus, receive my Spirit. Acts vii. 59.

The last I shall mention, is the Experience of the blessed Apostle Paul, Phil. i. 23. For I am in a straight betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better. But very pat and pertinent to the purpose, 2 Cor. v. 1. &c. He being harrassed with Labours, Perils and Sufferings, at the apprehension of the time of his departure being at hand, triumphs thus, ver. 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.

Having thus, from the Holy Scriptures of Truth, proved the Doctrine, I shall proceed to the Explication of it.

p. 94'Tis undeniable, That Contraries do the better illustrate one another, as black Spots make a whire Skin shine the brighter, and a Black-a-Moor is a Foil to set off an European: Therefore I shall illustrate this Truth, by another Contrary, that I might the more empharically explain it; which is this: The triumph of Death over an Unbeliever, and thus lay down the Doctrine to be explained.

Death in Death triumphs over the Unbeliever, and the Believer triumphs over Death in dying.

I shall begin with the first Branch, viz. Death in Death triumphs over the Unbeliever; and (as the Spirit of the Lord shall …ssist me) shew you in what respects.

1. Death triumphs over the Unbeliever's sensual Pleasures. Where are now (says Death) your vain Pleasures that you wantonly rolled yourself in, in your life time? What are become of those jolly, merry, frolicksome hours, that you lavish'd away with your frothy Companions? Where are now your drunken Cups and Glasses, and your riotous Feasts, with which you so often drowned and glutted your sensual Appetite? What do they profit you now? What pleasure do you find now from your former repeated acts of Lust and Beastliness? What relish now from those brutish tickling of swinish Delights? What does all your vain Merriment avail you now? What Fruit have you from those Things, that formerly you p. 95reckoned your Heaven and Happiness? Instead of Pleasures, you now shall have your belly-full of everlasting Torments. Now your merry Moments are turn'd into an eternity of Sorrows. Now, instead of swimming in Wine, and luxuriously feeding on Dainties, you shall Swim, World without End, in fiery Streams of burning Brimstone. You shall drink your Tears, and feed on your own tortur'd Flesh in endless and never-ceasing Misery. Now, the flame of your Lust is succeeded by a hotter flame, even the Flame of Divine Vengeance. Now, instead of your frothy Spirit and vain Laughter, you shall have enough of howling, weeping and gnashing of Teeth. Nay, you shall carry with you all your Lusts and Corruptions to Hell, not to please you, but to pain you. The same Water that the Fish swims in with delight, if heated over the Fire, will be the Fish's torment.

The Sins you acted with pleasure in the World, you shall act the same in great measure in Hell, but to your eternal torturing: You shall there act your Revenges, but wound none with its poison'd Arrows, but your own Soul. You shall there have your covetous Desires enlarged, as wide as the Hell you are in; but it will only be your pain and punishment: Your own Lusts there, shall be the Flames that will scorch you. Come, thou trembling Wretch, will Death say, to the Place of sinning, and the p. 96Place of punishment; and thy very sinning shall be thy punishment. Oh! then will Death insult in the Words of the wise Man, Whatsoever thy Eyes desired, thou keepest not from them: Thou witheldost not thy Heart from any Joy, Eccles. ii. 10. And now all will be Vanity and Vexation of Spirit to thee, part of ver. 11. And also in those Words as are written, Lu. xii. 19. Thou hast long said to thy Soul; Soul, take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry,—But, thou Fool, I am come this Night to require thy Soul of thee, part of ver. 20. And to add no more, Death will only, change the Moods and Tenses in that portion of Holy Writ, Eccl. ii. 9. insulting thus; Thou hast rejoyced, Oh! Young Man, in thy youth; and thy Heart has cheered thee in the days of thy youth; thou hast walked in the ways of thine Heart, and in the sight of thine Eyes; but know thou now, thou trembling Wretch, that for these things, I am sent by the God of Justice, to bring thee into Judgment.

Consider this, thou voluptuous sensual Wretch, thou Drunkard, thou Belly-slave, thou unclean Beast, thou Blasphemer, thou Swearer, thou Reveller and Persecutor, consider this, and ponder it in thy Heart, thou must 'ere long come upon a Deathbed; this griefly King of Terrors will stare thee in the Face. The Sting, that now at a distance thou seest not, when he …mes near thee with open Mouth, thou wilt p. 97then see, and be dismally affrighted at that fatal Fork. Death and thee must meet e'er long, and thou knowest not, but this dismal meeting may be e'er a Week rouls about, and how wilt thou like such an horrid greeting, such a black welcome, such terrible language, and bitter insultings as you have heard. How do you relish and savour thus being triumph'd over in a dying Moment? Oh! consider this, and look out after the Remedy.

2. Death triumphs over the Pride of the Soul. The Pride of the Soul is either a Glorying before God, or a Glorying before Men. As it is a Glorying before God, I shall reserve that to speak of under its proper Head, which is to follow. The Soul before Man prides itself in its Endowments, either outward or inward. Death will then thus Glory over their Glory; Where are now your airy Honours, and bubble Dignities? What is become of your State and Grandeur? Where are now your Crowns, O Kings, your Scepters, O Princes; I have tumbled them in the Dust, and my Spade has levelled them with the Earth. Could not your Purple, or your Furrs, your Swords and Maces, and Magistrates, defend you from my Arrest? What signified all your Guards, your Officers and Attendance, who could not protect you from me? What a bustle and fluster have you made? How have you set all in a flame about you, and p. 98waded through blood and slaughter cruelty and oppression; and all manner of villany to attain such a Degree of Honour, and where is it now? My breath has blown it all away. Where is now, O spluttering Monarch, that great Conduct, that deep Policy, wherewith you conquered other Nations, and enslaved your own? What could you use none of it to avoid my Attacks? Where is that Imperial Frown, that used to over-awe the gaping, cringing Crowd? I have divested it of all Majesty, and made it now meaner and simpler than the look of an Ideot; so says the Wise-man, A living Dog, is better than a dead Lyon, Eccl. ix. 4. Thou cunning admired Politician in thy Neighbourhood; that madest all thy Neighbours tremble at thy fraudulent Wit; that studied'st only how to over-reach, cheat, and impoverish; that thoughtest to hook in all to thy self! Why usest thou not some of thy cunningness to deceive me too? Why didst not thou play the Politician with me also? What do all thy Tricks and Artifices now advantage thee? Thou now perceivest that one event happeneth to the Wise, and to the Fool, Eccl. ii. 14, 15. As it happeneth to the Fool, so it happeneth to the Wise. Go now and try what all thy Wisdom and Cunning will do in Hell? Consider this you that are Great and Honourable on the Earth. You that are cunning to deceive in your Neighbourhood, that admire and flatter yourselves, that you can over-reach your Neighbours in bargaining. p. 99There will come an hour of Death; that will efface and tarnish all the Glory of your Honours, Dignities, Wisdom and Policies. There is no over-reaching Death. There is no such thing as being too cunning for the Grave. Death will soon tumble down all the Pageantry of your own Dignities and Abilities, that you have set up in your own Conceit. The Fire of God's wrath will soon burn up your Cobweb Policy: For this your Wisdom is your Folly. Methinks this should be as cold Water upon all burning Pride, and a check and rebuke to all your glorying, that very few of your Class and Complexion are chosen out to eternal Life. Your very Wisdom, Parts and Dignities for the most part, mark you out for eternal Misery. This is the Sum of what the Apostle Discourses, 1 Cor i. 26, 27.28, 29. For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh: not many mighty, not many noble are called, &c. Read that Portion of the Holy Spirit of Truth, consider it seriously and tremble.

3. Death triumphs over the Riches and Possessions of a Man in such Heart-rendring words as these; O where are now, Man, all thy vast Possessions? What signifies thy Heaps of Gold and Silver? Hadst thou amassed together all the Treasures of the Indies; they could not bribe me, or buy me off. Eccl. iv. 8. Thine eye has no p. 100been satisfied with riches in all thy life time. Now thou must carry none with thee to the Grave. Naked camest thou out of thy Mother's Womb, and naked shalt thou return thither, Job. i. 21. Instead of thy many Fields, Farms and Tenements, now thou must be content with so much Ground as thy Body can measure out. Now instead of thy many Bags of Gold and Silver, thou must rest satisfied, to be wrapt up in grosser Clay. Now farewel gilded Coaches, fair Palaces, splendid and well furnished Rooms, stately Beds, and all other costly. Furniture: Now for all the numerous Troop of cringing Attendants; thou shalt be surrounded with an Host of Vermine, and for the very same End, with the former Attendants, to feed upon thee too. What is become of all thy Glory and Excellency now? 'tis all laid in the Dust. Job. xx. 6, 7, 8, 9. Though thy excellency did mount up to the Heavens, and thy Head reach unto the Clouds, Yet, thou shalt perish for ever, like thine own Dung: they which have seen thee, shall say; where is he? Thou shalt flye away as a Dream, and shalt not be found: Yea, thou shalt be chased away, as a Vision of the Night. The Eye also which saw thee shall see thee no more; neither shall thy place any more behold thee, and ver. 11. Thy Bones are full of the Sins of thy Youth; which shalt lye down with thee in the Dust. Thus will Death then …ph.

p. 101Consider this, thou that forgettest God in the midst of thy plenty and abundance, that notwithstanding thy Pleasures and Treasures and great Possessions, thou must enter to Eternity, poor and wretched, miserable and naked, unless thou art cloathed with that Royal Robe of Christ's Righteousness. No riches then will suffice to enrich thee, but the Gold tryed in the Fire, i. e. an interest in Jesus; who was made the perfect Captain of Salvation through sufferings. No Rayment will then so cover thee, as to hinder the Appearance of the shame of thy nakedness like that white Rayment, viz. the Righteousness of God, which is of Faith. And without that Wedding Garment, thou wilt stand speechless at the Bar of God, and then shall be bound hand and foot, and cast into utter darkness; where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Mat. xxii. 13.

4. Death triumphs over a Man's own Righteousness. Men are apt through the horrid Pride of their Natures, to trust to their own doings for Salvation; and 'tis but too to common for Sinners in a State of Nature to apply Plaisters of their own making to the smarting Wounds of their Consciences, and to usurp Christ's Royal Prerogative of speaking Peace to their Souls; whereas, thus says the Lord, Isa. lvii. 19. I create the Fruit of the Lips Peace; I speak Peace to them, that are p. 102afar off, viz. in a natural State, and to them that are nigh, viz. Them that are made, Eph. ii. 13. nigh to my Father by my Blood. But over all such white-wash'd painted Pharisees, will, insulting Death, glory thus. Thou Pharisaical Fool, thou refusedst Fire from God's Altar, viz. the Lord Jesus, Joh. v. 40. Thou wouldst not come to him, that thou mightest have Life; but thou hast kindled a Fire of thine own; nay like Nadab and Abiu hast brought strange Fire; Isa. l. 11. Thou hast compassed thy self about with Sparks. Thou hast walked in the Light of thy Fire, and of the Sparks that thou hast Kindled. This thou shalt have now at God's Hand by my Dart to lye down in a Bed of Eternal Sorrows. Thou wer't for digging to thy self a way to Heaven; and hast refused the Heb. x. 20. New and living way, that the God and Father of Christ had consecrated; that is to say the Flesh of Jesus, or his suffering, raised, glorified, human Nature; and though, Isa. lvii. 10. Thou wast wearted in the greatness of thine own way; and hast often tryed in vain with thine own Doings and Works of the Law, and could'st not; but in spite of thy Teeth, the Fire of Hell that was in thy Conscience, would be often blazing out, yet said'st thou not, there is no hope; but would'st be still hoping for Life from the Dead; unprofitable Works of the Law; Thus thou didst find p. 103the Life of thine Hands; therefore thou wast not then grieved; but still didst stifle all thy convictions: But now thou shalt grieve, and eternally grieve without intermission; now thou wilt not be able to stifle thy convictions, but they will rend and tear thy Soul with unspeakable horrors for ever and ever.

Now Psa. xvi. 4. Thy Sorrows shall be multiplied, that didst hasten after other Gods, and other Idol Righteousnesses. Thou leftest no stone unturned, no way of working unessaied to procure warmth and life to thy Soul, Isa. lvii. 5. Thou didst enflame thy self with Idols under every Green Tree, and didst let thy Heart run out for Holiness and Salvation upon every branch of, in it self beautiful Morality. Isa. lvii. 6. Among the smooth Stones of the Stream was thy Portion, they were thy Lot, even to them thou hast procured a Drink-Offering, &c. i. e. Thou hast set up thy Duties for Saviours, hast trusted in them, and so fallen down and Worshipped them. Isa. lvii. 7. Upon a lofty and a high Mountain hast thou set thy Bed: Even thither wentest thou up to offer Sacrifice. i. e. Thou didst confide in thy splendid towring profession, and didst make a God and Saviour thereof, by laying the whole stress of thy Soul upon thy outward Profession, without Faith in Jesus. Isa. lvii. 8. Behind the Doors also and the Posts hast thou set thy Remembrance, p. 104**The 12th ver. of this Chapter, is a Key to open the rest of the Chapter.i. e. And hast set up a Record within thy self for the Goodness of thy Estate from thy Family, and Closet Prayers; things good in themselves, but become Idols of Indignation, when advanced into the Room, and Throne of the Mediator. Isa. lvii. 8. Thou hast discovered thy self to others, then to Christ, and art gone up; but thou wouldst not come to Jesus, that thou mightest have Life: What are now become of thy Doings, thy Works, and thy Righteousness? Isa. lvii. 12. I will declare thy Righteousness and thy Works: for now they shall not profit thee. Cry now to thy Morality and Reformation; lift up thy suppliant hands to thy Duties and Profession. Cry aloud to thy Prayers and Tears; thy Convictions and thy Terrors of Conscience: Fall prostrate to thy wishings, and to thy wouldings, and thy desires to desire to have thy Sin inwardly mortified under the obstinate refusals of Christ and his Righteousness. And try these thy Idol Saviours whether they will now hear thee. Isa. lvii. 13. When thou cryest, let thy companies of Saviours deliver thee; but the wind now carries them all away, and vanity takes them. Hadst thou trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ, thou shouldest now have, Isa. lvii. 13. possessed the Land, and shouldest have inherited his holy Mountain, even the p. 105everlasting Hills in the Highest Heavens. But now thy Mountains of Self-righteousnesses, which thou wentest up to, to offer Sacrifice, to set thy Bed, and to build thy Nests upon; and, which thou thoughtest eternally strong, I thrash them to dust, and my breath blows them away like chaff. All thy Pharisaical Doings, do now leave thee; and nothing of them goes with thee to Hell, but the unpleasant remembrance thereof to torment thee, that thou wast such a Madman to set up these instead of Christ the only Saviour; as if thy good Duties, good Professions, good Frames, and good Privileges had undertook for thee from Eternity, had obeyed the Law for thee with a God-like Obedience, and suffered the cursed death of the Cross for thee, were raised up again, and by the Father's right hand were exalted to be Princes and Saviours to give repentance and remission of sins, and were now ever living at the Fathers right hand to make intercession for thee. Why callest thou these good Saviours? There is none good in that sense; but he that is God. Thus I say will Death then insult in the dying moment, and glory over, and tread under foot like Dogs meat, all the ragged Righteousnesses of Men and Women.

Then consider it seriously, thou, that with the Pharisee in the Gospel, gloryest before the Lord, that thou art not as other p. 106Men, an Extortioner, Unjust, an Adulterer, or even as the Publicans and Sinners, and layest hold on this for eternal Life. Thy Conscience is not purged, but choaked and bribed with false Counters, of outward Reformation. The unclean Spirit of Debauchery may be, has been cast out, and thou thinkest that enough; but the Spirit of the Lord, the Gospel sanctifier has not been there at work; for he walked through dry places: The rest and Peace of Conscience thou hast obtained are not right; for 'tis written, he sought for rest and found none. The House, i. e. Thy Person has been swept by Reformation, and garnished with a fine Profession: But 'tis but the stronghold of wicked Spirits still. 'Tis empty of the Spirit of the Lord. The Holy Ghost has had no in-dwelling there at all; therefore the unclean debauch'd Spirit transformed into an Angel of Light, with seven other Spirits more wicked than himself (not more unclean than himself, but more wicked) a compleat Number of evil Spirits, i. e. the Devil of unbelief and spiritual Pride, two great Legions have returned and entered into thee; and if the Lord does not pity thee, and discover the rottenness of thine Estate to thee, Thy last State will be worse than the first. Ah! deluded Soul: Thou wouldst heal thy Conscience with thine own Medicines, thou wouldst cover thy self with thine own Righteousness, p. 107thou wouldest lay thy self down on thine own Bed of eternal Happiness; thou wouldst climb up to Heaven by thine own Methods, and find out a way for thy self to eternal Glory. But thou will find in Death, thy Plaisters will not stick, Isa. xxviii. 20. Thy covering will be too narrow for thy Soul to wrap itself in. Thy Bed too short for it to stretch itself upon; thy Ladder unlike Jacobs, will not reach to Heaven. Thy own way to Glory, how fair soever a Prospect it may have at first, does so wind and turn, that at last it will lead directly, down to the Chambers of Death.

I should have improved this Branch in several uses; but having done somewhat of that under every Head, I shall only now answer a Question, which I suppose some, if not many, may be ready to ask under the Conviction of their miserable and lost Estate by Nature. May be some, now under present awakenings, are enquiring,

Q. What shall I do to be saved?

Ans. I answer in the Words of the Apostles, Acts xvi. 31. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, &c.

Obj. What, nothing else but believe on Christ? That I do already, and did it ever since I was born, and so do all, that are not Turks and Pagans.

Ans. I answer, First, They that say, they believed ever since they were born; never yet believed at all.

p. 108Rea. For Faith grows not in Nature's Garden, neither is it born with us, But it is the Gift of God, Eph. ii. 8. and 'tis written, Phil. i. 29. For unto you it is given on the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, &c. Whence observe, that to believe on the Lord Jesus, must be given from above: Therefore 'tis not born with us.

Ans. 2. They that think Believing an easy thing, I dare engage never yet believed. For,

Reas. Nothing less then the Almighty Power of God in Christ, can work this Faith in us; even the same Power that created the World, must be put forth to an Act of Faith: 2 Cor. iv. 6. God who commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness, viz. in the Creation of the World, Gen. i. 3. hath shined in our Hearts, to give the light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ. Whence observe, That to believe is to have a view of the Glory of the Eternal Godhead, especially of the Glory of the Father's Grace and Goodness, shining through Jesus of Nazareth. 2. That this Divine Beam of eternal Light, is infused into the Soul by the same powerful Command, that sent down the creating Light, to inform the dark Chaos: God who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness, &c. Nay, a greater Power must be put forth to an Act of Faith, p. 109than to the World's Creation; because in the World's Creation there was no Opposition, though there was Indisposition; but in the sinful Soul where Faith is wrought, there is Indisposition and Opposition too.

Ans. 3. They that do not plainly feel the Evil of indwelling Unbelief, never knew what Faith meant, John xvi. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. there when the Spirit is said to convince of Judgment and of Righteousness, he is said to convince of Unbelief too: And wherever Faith is, the contrary Principle of Unbelief rises always to oppose it, Rom. vii, 15, to the end; Gal. iv. 22, to the end, chiefly ver. 29. where though the Apostle speaks chiefly in both places of the contrary effects of the working Law and the working Gospel, in the same enlightned Conscience, yet the mutual opposition and warring of Faith and Unbelief, is also especially included. I apprehend that to be a typical instance of this, spoke of to Rebecca, Gen. xxv. 23. Two Nations are in thy Womb, &c. This is evident, That no sooner a grain of saving Faith is sown in the Soul, but Unbelief, that afore lurked undiscovered in the Soul, rises instantly in Arms to war against it.

Ans. 4. They that are under no influence of the indwelling Spirit, have no Faith; Rom. viii. 9. Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his; and he that is not in Christ, has not a dram of p. 110Faith. They that have the Spirit, walk after the Spirit, v. 1. and are led by the Spirit, v. 14. they mind the things of the Spirit, v. 5. and their mortal Bodies are quickned, because of the Spirit of Christ that dwelleth in them, v. 11. Now they that are never spiritually, but carnally minded, that know nothing what the indwelling of the Spirit means, nor his blessed Influences and Operations; but are so far from knowing all these, that they reproach and blaspheme his blessed Person and Operations, as Whimsies, heat of Brain, Fanaticism, Enthusiasm, and the like; how can it be said, That such Enemies of the Spirit have the Spirit? And if they have not the Spirit, they are not only wholly ignorant of, but utter Enemies to the Grace of Faith.

Ans. 5. Dare the Drunkard, the Swearer, the Blasphemer, the Sabbath-breaker, the prophane, ignorant, carnal, vile Person say he has Faith? His prophanity, enmity and wickedness always give him the Lye to his teeth, and his sinful practise is an undoubted Test of the badness of his Faith, and that he professes a Lye, when he professes Faith in Jesus. Shew me, says the Apostle, Jam. ii. 18. thy Faith without thy Works, and I will shew thee my Faith by my Works. The Heart is purified by Faith, Acts xv. 9. Nay, Faith sanctifies throughout, Acts xxvi. 18. Faith purifies the Conversation: p. 111'Tis this Grace of God, this great Grace of Faith that teaches us, That denying Ungodliness and worldly Lust we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present World, Tit. ii. 11, 12. Nay, let me tell you, that such have no more Faith in Christ, than Turks or Heathens: They have no more of Christ and his Righteousness, than the chiming of Words in their Heads, and the sound of Phrases rolling in their Memories: They have heard of one Jesus Christ, and that is all; but they know him not. As to any Soul, Belief, and Conscience, Persuasion concerning him, his pardoning Grace and his Righteousness, they have as little as the very Heathens, that never heard of his Name: But they are worse than the Heathens, because they abuse his holy Name, to patronize their Lust and Wickedness.

Object. 2. But I can shew my Faith by my Works: I reform, hear, pray, meditate, weep, mourn for Sin, and profess: And have not I Faith then?

Ans. Thou mayst do all these, very commendable in themselves, yet not growing on the root of Faith; and as trusted in, they are an abomination to the Lord. There is a vast difference between the Fruits of Holiness flowing from Faith, and good Works set up instead of Christ, the Object of Faith. Thou mayst do all these, and much more, and yet make Saviours of them, p. 112and so be void of saving Faith, that looks to Jesus, and him alone at God's Right Hand for Salvation; and at last be damned for idolizing thy good Works, as well as others are for wallowing in their Lusts: For all equally refuse the Lord Jesus, and will have none of him for Life and Salvation, but tread with like scorn and contempt, the offered Son of God under foot? There's not a Dram of Gospel-Holiness, nor one Evangelical good Work, but what flows from Faith in the Person and Righteousness of the once crucified, but now ascended, Jesus, at tho Father's Right Hand.

Object 3. But for all my Reformation, Duties and Profession, I seek to Christ too.

Ans. That is perhaps, as the common Proverb runs, You will set the Cart before the Horse. Your Duties and Righteousness shall lead the Van, and Christ and his Righteousness shall bring up the Rear. You will put him to no other use, than to carry the Train of your ragged Robes of Righteousness, to patch up your Rags, and make up what is wanting in your Duties: But the Garment of Christ is seamless, and cannot be divided; but if it could be, that his new Cloth could be pieced to your old, the rent in yours would be the worse, Mat. ix. 16. Perhaps you are sensible of your inability to do, therefore ye look to him for assistance to help you to do for Life: But what says the Lord, The Just shall live by p. 113Faith, Rom. i. 17. You would have him be King over you, to subdue your Iniquities, that for your subdued Iniquities you may get to Heaven. But you must look to him by Faith to be saved, and then mortification of Sin, and Holiness shall be given in unto you. The High Priest under the Law had his Mitre and Crown on his Head, and his Urim and Thummim on his Breast, to typifie, that the Lord Jesus executes his Kingly and Prophetical Office, by his Priestly Office; and all whom he instructs and subdues, he does it by shedding in the Faith and Hope, (either more or less) of their pardoned estate, through his Blood, into their Consciences. Again, do not you seek Christ because of your Reformation, Duties and Tears? If so, you bring your own Money in your Hands to buy Christ; and that's quite contrary to the Proclamation the Lord makes of Heaven's Market, Isa. lv. 1. Ho, every one that thirsteth; that is, after the Things of the World, or their own Righteousness; for 'tis such thirsting, as ver. 2. calls spending Money for that which is not Bread, and labour for that which satisfieth not. These are summoned here to come to the Fair of the Almighty, where glorious Commodities are put to sale, Waters, Wine and Milk. But what price must the Buyers bring? No price at all. They that would speed in Heaven's Market, must come without Money p. 114and without price, Heb. xii. 13. Esau sought to buy Repentance with Tears, but he found no place for it. All buying in the meaning of Christ, is but accepting, and he gives the power to do that too: Therefore come to Christ as poor, blind, miserable, naked, vile, ungodly Wretches, and he will be Riches to the Poor, Eyes to the Blind, Happiness to the Miserable, Cloathing to the Naked, and Sanctification to the Vile and Ungodly. The voice of the Gospel is for the present time, 2 Cor. vi. 2. Now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of Salvation. Heb. iii. 18. To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your Hearts. The Gospel does not say, Go home now, and pray, and mourn, and weep, and come to morrow, or next week, or next month, after you have prepared and qualified your self with so much praying, mourning, weeping, repenting and reformation, then come to Christ; bur come now; now is the accepted time, now is the day and hour of Salvation. But, further, some may be ready to ask me,

Quest. What is believing in Christ, or Faith in him?

Ans. It would be too tedious now to answer the Question as it ought to be; I shall only briefly thus define it, and then make good my Definition. Faith, as strictly and properly taken, is a powerful Conscience-Perswasion wrought by God, concerning p. 115Christ and his Things, their excellency and suitableness to the Soul, and more or less concerning the Soul's Interest in them, according to the Word of God. Faith in the Original is foreign, from foreign to perswade, and really signifies a perswading. 'Tis phrased in Old Testament-language, in Noah's Prophecy, cencerning his Children, Gen. ix. 27. God shall perswade Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem. And to the same purport 'tis phrased in the New Testament: 'tis said to be, 2 Cor. iv. 6. A light shining into a dark Heart; which is a perswasive Knowledge, called, Rom. i. 17. the Righteousness of God in the Gospel, revealed from Faith to Faith. 'Tis named, Rom. iii. 21. a manifestation without the Law of the Righteousness of God, ver. 25. stiled a declaration of his Righteousness for the remission of Sins; and defined to be, Heb. xi. 1. The Evidence of things not seen, which are Christ and his Righteousness, which are wholly without us, not seen by our bodily Eyes, or natural Reason or Understanding. The Spirit in working Faith is said to take of Christ and his Things, and shew them to the Soul, John xvi. 14, 15. God the Father, as the Worker of it, so is said to real his Son in the Soul, Gal. i. 16. Which Expressions evidently import a perswasive Knowledge. 2dly, This Perswasion is an inward Conscience-Perswasion, and not only an Head Knowledge, or notional p. 116Perswasion, Gal. i. 15. but when it pleased God, &c. ver. 16. to reveal his Son in me, &c. 1 John v. 10. He that believeth, hath the witness in himself; i. e. a Conscience-Testimony. 3dly, This Conscience Perswasion is very powerful, for it instantly works a great change on the whole Man, Heart, Lip and Life: 'Tis a creating Power, 2 Cor. iv. 6. an exceeding great power, Eph. i. 19. and 'tis the Declaration of the King of Heaven to the Conscience; and where the Word of the King is, there is Power, Eccles. viii. 4. &c. And (as Divines say) in this the Soul is wholly passive, like a dark Room, that has light let into it from without. The object of this Faith is Christ, and the Things of Christ, as in that forementioned Place, John xvi. 14. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shew it unto you, ver. 15. All things that the Father hath are mine; therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shew it unto you. The Rule of Faith is the written the Word of God, 2 Pet. i. 19, 20, 21. And this I take to be Faith strictly and properly taken. But there are inseparable Instantaneous Effects and Concomitants of this inward revelation of Jesus, which are also called believing, which is the Souls accepting of this manifested Jesus, and his Righteousness, venturing itself upon him, and committing it self to him; which Acts are set forth in Scripture by various p. 117phrases; as, Looking unto him, Isa. xlv. 22. Coming unto him, John vi. 37. Casting ourselves and burden upon him, Psal. lv. 22. Staying upon him, Isa. lviii 10. Leaning upon him. Cant. viii. 5. Trusting in him, and many more. And thus, I have answered this Question with all the brevity and perspicuity I could, as the Lord has enabled me, and as time would give me leave. And now, methinks, some are ready to ask in the words of the blind Man, whom Christ had restored to his Sight.

Quest. But who is he that I might believe on him, John ix. 36. You say he must be seen and ventured on; pray then who is he?

Answ. I shall answer you from the Sermons of the Apostles, preached by them after they were endued with Power from on high. And first the Apostle Peter tells you who he is, Acts ii. 22, 23. Jesus of Nazareth, a Man approved of God; him being delivered by the determinate Counsel and Fore-knowledge of God ye have taken, and by wicked Hands have crucified and slain, comp. with 32. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all Witnesses. 33. Therefore being by the right Hand of God exalted, hath received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost. Once more, Acts v. 30. The God of our Fathers hath raised up Jesus, whom he slew and hanged upon a Tree, 31. Him hath God exalted with his right Hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and p. 130remission of Sins. Add to these, Heb. xii. 2. Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith, who for the joy set before him [in the saving of Sinners] endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is now set down at the right Hand of God. In short, he that was made of the Seed of David according to the Flesh (Rom. i. 3.) who yet is God over all blessed for ever, Rom. ix. 5. That mighty glorious God-Man, who was born of a Virgin, that lived and preached in Judea, Rom. viii. 34. that died, yea rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also ever lives to make intercession (Col. i. 18.) the first born from the dead (Col. i. 15.) and the first born of every Creature, the despised Jesus of Nazareth (Col. ii. 9.) in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily: And all the Glory, Excellency, Beauty and Majesty that shines on Jesus of Nazareth, is the Glory, Excellency, &c. of the Godhead. This is he, that blessed Object of your Faith, this is he whom you must believe in. When he lived on Earth, the Faith of his Children was more dark about his God-head than his human Nature, but now he is in Heaven, their Faith is more at a loss about his human Nature, and it is to be lamented that the glorified human Nature, even Jesus of Nazareth, is so little in the Preaching, Profession, Faith and Experience of God's own Children. But yet this is the Lord, whom we, thro' p. 131Grace, have seen and tasted to be gracious: Will not you too, O Sinners! come and taste and see how gracious he is? Cant. v. 16. This is our Friend, this is our Beloved, O Daughters of Jerusalem. He is altogether lovely, Cant. v. 10. He is the chief among ten thousand. He is able Heb. vii. 25. to save you to the uttermost. O come therefore and venture your Souls upon him, commit them to him: O that you would but try him! you have tried his Patience to the utmost, by your Rebellion and Obstinacy in Wickedness. O that you would but try his boundless Grace, by casting your selves into the Ocean of it! You must venture on his Grace, or you must be damned, Mark xvi. 16. He that believeth shall be saved, he that believeth not shall be damned. If you accept not of this offered Jesus, you despise this only Sacrifice, and there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation, which shall devour the Adversary, Heb. x. 26.

I am now come to the second Branch, the Believers triumphing over Death.

And 1. The Believer triumphs over the Sting of Death, and what else does concur to make it.

2. The Believer triumphs over every thing else in Death that is formidable.

First, The Believer triumphs over the Sting of Death. He then can rejoicingly cry out, O Death, I fear thee not! thou art very harmless unto me. Thou comest indeed p. 132like a Dragon, with open Mouth; but where is thy Sting? I dread not that open Mouth, or that wide Throat. I with Joy am swallowed up of it, and pass thro' it up to the highest Heavens into my Redeemer's Arms. Here at this dark Portal, I undress my self of this mortal Flesh, and fly with holy Confidence to the Presence of the Lamb upon the Throne, and the Presence of God the Father in him, and the bright innumerable Company above in this full Assurance, that I shall not be found naked. Welcome Death, to dissolve and pull down this earthly House of my Tabernacle, that so I may go to my House, not made with Hands, the Building of God, eternal in the Heavens, 2 Cor. v. 1. Welcome sweet Messenger, that comest to fetch me home from this mad, confused, wicked, raging, tottering World, into my Father's House. I thank thee, O grim Porter! who openest the Gates to eternal Happiness. 'Tis true, the news of thy Approach did terrify me, as the Report of the Coming of rough blustering Esau, with his armed Men, did Jacob, Gen. xxxii. 6, 7. But yet now thou art come to me, I can say as he did, I behold thy black and grisly Face, Gen. xxxiii. 10. as the Face of the Angel of God, or the Messenger of the Lord Jesus Christ. For in thy black Face I see Beauty, in thy grisly Terrors great Glory. In thy Dragon's Mouth no Sting at all. O Death! where is thy Sting? Thus the p. 133Believer in dying triumphs over the Sting of Death.

2. The Believer in dying triumphs over those things that go to make up the Sting of Death. And

1. Over Sin. The Sting of Death is Sin, says the Words of my Text. And 1. In its Guilt. 2. In its Pollution. And

1. Over the Guilt of Sin. Thus the Believer in dying glories over it: O Guilt of Sin! who in my Life-time, since my Conversion, notwithstanding I was washed with the Blood of Jesus, and he had obtained an eternal Redemption for me, didst often use to sting my Conscience, and thereby to fill me with Dread and Horror, and so didst weaken my Faith and Confidence in the Lord Jesus; didst strengthen the Hands of my Unbelief, in making me depart from the living God: Didst make me often come in Prayer to God as my angry Judge, and not as to my Father, reconciled to me in Christ. And thereby didst bind up my Soul, fetter my Spirits, so that I had no freedom of Access to God thro' Christ: Thou didst often deal with me as the Man that went from Jerusalem to Jericho; didst wound me and strip me, and leave me half dead: Didst often force me to entertain hard, murmuring and outrageous Thoughts against my dear Lord and Master Jesus, and my reconciled God and Father in him: Didst often make me add Iniquity to my p. 134Sin, and a carnal, loose, vain Conversation to my inward Deadness and Enmity; and when Death approached to bring me to a State of Perfection in Glory, didst represent him to me as a dreadful King of Terrors. But now Death is come, and has executed his Office, I welcome him, and laugh thee to Scorn. Free Grace has disarm'd him of the Sting that thou wouldst have given him against me. I shall now no more be perplexed with thy Gripes: I shall now plainly see my Redemption eternal, and always the same, without as much as a Cloud as big as a Man's Hand to interpose. I shall never look off the Lord, my Righteousness, my Sanctification and Covering, but always behold my Father's reconciled Face in the Face of my beloved Jesus: I shall never depart from him any more: I shall now have perpetual Freedom and Enlargement of Soul before him: I shall never have an hard Thought of him any more, nor ever sin the least sin against him any more. Farewel eternally, O Guilt of Sin! thou canst not enter into Heaven, where I am going. Thus I spurn thee now, mounting up into everlasting Glory.

Death triumphs over the Pollution of sin, and makes a full End of Corruption and Iniquity. Then may the Believer cry, O filthy fink of Sin! thou shalt defile me no more. How often, even since Conversion, hast thou ravished my Virgin Soul? How p. 135oftentimes a day hast thou scattered thy Filth in my Conscience, and left an envenom'd Taint there? How often, when I was going to approach an Holy God, didst thou appear in my Soul in thy ugly Colours, to terrify me, and to turn me aside from the living God? Yea, and though I often saw the Righteousness of Christ covering me, yet thou often filledst my Conscience with such a cloud of Filth and Stench, that that glorious Covering was hid from mine Eyes; but now thou shalt blind mine Eyes no more: I shall now have perfect uninterrupted Visions of that spotless beauteous Garment wrapping me round, and that to all Eternity. Not the least speck of thee shall enter into Heaven; in my Father's House, I am entring into, there's nothing but compleat Purity and Holiness: There is not the least Atom of Dirt in the Streets of the Jerusalem above. Here, thou filthy Load, I finally part with thee, I shall never be defiled any more with thee. Hallelujah, Amen. And thus the Believer triumphs over Sin; that is the Substance of the Sting of Death.

Thirdly, The Believer triumphs over the Law, which the Words of my Text call the strength of Sin; and the Law, or the Covenant of Works, is the strength of Sin (though it be in itself holy, just and good) in a twofold respect. 1. It condemns the Soul, and tortures the Conscience; so drives p. 136the Soul farther from God, and encreases the Enmity against him, and thereby puts the Soul more under the Power of Sin, enlarging and strengthening Sin's Dominion over it, Rom. vi. 16. Sin shall not have Dominion over you, for you are not under the Law, but under Grace. Where 'tis evidently implied, that to be under the Power of the Law, is to be under Sin's Dominion; and this is exemplified and proved plainly and clearly in the former Part of the seventh of the Romans, which I cannot now stay to open. 2. The Law judicially delivers the Soul up to the Will and Power of Sin by way of Punishment. Thus the Son of God is said to come in the Likeness of sinful Flesh, and for sin, or sinning, to condemn sin in the Flesh, Rom. viii. 3. Sin, by the condemning Law, has assign'd it penally, as Executioner, a Power of sinning in the Soul; from which Sentence, only a crucified Jesus can free the Soul. The Law therefore as it is the strength of Sin, is a sore Exercise to the Believer, and the strength of the old Man, or the Body of Death in his Soul, all his life time; but in his Death he may thus glory over it. Thou Covenant of Works, thou killing Letter in my Conscience, though I was much freed from thee by the Law of Righteousness, which is of Faith, yet thou didst still work there Gendring unto Bondage, opposing the Law of the Spirit of Life in p. 137Christ Jesus, Gal. iv. 29. Thou that wast born after the Flesh, didst persecute that that was born after the Spirit, Gal. iv. 30. But now the Bond-woman and her Son shall be quite cast out. Thou didst all my Life-time endeavour all ways to keep up Guilt in my Conscience, and if at any time removed, to do it away by Obedience to thee, by legal Sorrow and Contrition, by Resolutions to amend, and greater Watchfulness for the future. Whilst I was thereby diverted from making first Applications to the Blood of sprinkling, so that my fin was rather oftentimes compounded for, than in Faith wash'd away, in that Fountain that is opened for Sin and for uncleanness. Zech. xiii. 1. Whence I was not only diverted from continual Believing into a bleeding Jesus, but had my Conscience rather stupified than healed, my sin made little, harmless and familiar, and rather encouraged, than a real dying unto it, and hence oftentimes my Soul cast into a deep Lethargy. But now I am absolutely freed from that Yoke of Bondage Mount Sinai in my Conscience, and I shall be made for ever, to Gal. v. 1. Stand fast in that Liberty, wherewith the Son hath made me free indeed, John viii. 36. Thus will the Believer in Death, triumph over the Law as it is the Strength of Sin.

Fourthly, The Believer in Death may glory over the Justice of God, as it is armed with Vengeance against Sinners. The p. 138Believers are fully delivered in their lifetime from the stroke of Divine Justice, yet they do oft-times not so fully apprehend it: But after Death, the Believer shall see as he is seen, apprehend as he is apprehended; and then be enabled to rejoice thus. Divine Justice, whilst I lived, though thou wast my Friend in Jesus, yet many times I dreaded thee as mine enemy; but now I plainly see that thou art my Friend indeed, and that it is just with thee to justifie me in the Lord, my Righteousness, Rom. iii. 26. compared with Isa. xlv. 24, 25. Thy Sword that was pointed at my Breast, and should have now thrust me down to Hell, was received by my crucified Lord into his own Bowels, and I am now made for ever to escape, Being made more than a Conqueror through him that loved me, Rom. viii. 37. My dying Saviour in Falling, wrested thy Weapon out of thy Hand, and made his blessed Body a Grove, planted from thy poisonous Quiver, so that there is not an Arrow now left to spend upon me. I now come, O Justice, in the Right of my Lord, to sit for ever down in his heavenly Mansions; to sing Hallelujahs to that Righteous and true God for ever and ever.

Fifthly, The Believer in Death may triumph over Satan. Satan, though a Soul is Translated out of his Kingdom, yet thro' his restless Enmity, is always seeking to de…our. He has Wiles, Methods, and cunning p. 139Devices of Temptations to ensnare; imperious Suggestions, fierce Assaults, and fiery Darts to terrifie; with these several ways of Attacks is the poor Believer harrassed as long as he lives; but in Death he can insult over all. Thus then can the Believer vaunt it: Satan, thou hast long tortured me with throwing in wicked and blasphemous Suggestions, and then persuadedst me, to my great Terrour, I had sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost. Thou shalt no longer be able to throw in any more of thy fiery Insinuations. I am now beyond the reach of any of thy Darts. Thou hast always endeavoured to tempt me to Sin, and then to make me question my Interest. But now I shall sin no more, nor question my Interest any longer. I shall not now be tempted any more to Despair on the one hand, nor presume on the other. Thou darest not appear where I am going. Thou vile Satan, I shall be disturbed with thee no longer. I shall have no further Concerns with thee, till I come with my Lord to sit in Judgment upon thee at the great Day.

Sixthly, and lastly, The Believer can thus triumph over the World, which is the last thing that goes to make up the Sting of Death. Thou empty confused World, that didst use to terrify me with thy Threats, I defy thee and them now; thou wast wont to allure me with thy Flatteries: I am above their undermining now. I scorn thy p. 140Rattles, and thy painted Beads, and thy airy Bubbles. I dread not now thy haggard Face; nor shall I any more be moved with thine Enchantments. It will add to my Pleasure in my Mansions of Glory, to see thee burnt for thy Witchcraft; I shall no more dread thy mighty Hunters, nor be aw'd with thy grim Tyrants, nor be enslaved in Body, or Conscience, by thy bloody Laws, nor be harrased with brutish Executioners: There are no oppressing Magistrates, no Catch-poles, nor Informers in the place I now enter to. Nay, now I tread under foot all in thee, that is enticing; I set Health, Wealth, Pleasures, Honours, Friends, Relations and all in one Scale, and my dear Fore-runner in the other, and that Scale weighs down now to the Ground; I now go to the heavenly Jerusalem, and that better Country, where I shall have better Riches, and more durable Substance, better Honours, better Pleasures, and far better Relations. Thus will the Believer then triumph over Death, and whatsoever goes to make up the Sting of it.

But Secondly, The Believer can triumph over every thing else in Death, that is formidable. To instance in one for many, Nature abhors a Dissolution, and the Soul, though it has but a bad Lodging, does not care to be turned out of Doors. Its tenement of Glay it cares not to be dislodged of, though its all over tattered, and needs p. 141Repairs. It shrinks back at entring into a new way of acting separate from the Body, when it has all the while been accustomed to act only by such an Organ. It has been used to such a poor Garment, yet as sorry as it is, it knows not how to be undressed of it, and made naked. Whereas now in the Moment of Death, that's over to the Believer: It can cry then like his Master giving up the Ghost, All is finished. It sees a better House to go to, upon its being dispossessed of this, even the Father's House, that has many Mansions. And a better Garment to be cloated with, even his elder Brother's glorious Robe of curious Embroidery: And can triumph in the Words of the Apostle, varying a little the Form of speaking, 2 Cor. v. 1, 2. &c. I now see that my earthly House of this Tabernacle being dissolved, I have a Building of God, an House not made with Hands, eternal in the Heavens. In this I have groaned, earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with my House which is from Heaven. I am sure, being so cloathed, I shall not be found naked. I that in this Tabernacle did groan, being burdened, not for that I would be uncloathed, but cloathed upon; And now Mortality shall be swallowed up of Life.

Thus the Believer triumphs over this Terror of Death, and every thing else in Death that is terrible. And thus I have p. 142finished the first Branch of my Doctrine, viz. That the Believer, in Death, triumphs over Death, in reference to his Soul. I should pass away now to various Uses, but time will not permit; I shall therefore wind up this Branch with one Word of Exhortation to poor Sinners.

O you poor perishing Sinners, over whom my Bowels yearn! In my Master's Name I beg, that you would suffer a Word of Exhortation. You must needs be all perswaded firmly of this, that you must once die, and you know not how soon: You may perhaps go to bed well, and never see Morning. Would you then in that Instant of Time avoid being insulted over by Death, and triumph over that cruel Dragon, Death and fatal Sting; then look up to that brazen Serpent, the blessed Jesus, erected on the Pole of God's Word, the only Hope, set before you in the Gospel. O fly to it for Refuge! Would you glory over that King of Terrors, and all his Dread, 2 Tim. ii. 1. Be strong in the Grace that is in Christ Jesus. Would you die the Death of the Righteous; then you must live the Life of the Righteous; and we are told what that is, Rom. i. 17. The Just shall live by Faith. Believe in the Lord Jesus, the exalted Prince and Saviour, and his God like Righteousness; and earnestly beg of the Lord for the Revelation of the p. 143Righteousness of God to you from Faith to Faith, Rom. i. 17. That so when that Faith is going to be swallowed up of Vision, you may triumph over Death, and all its Terrors, in respect of your precious and immortal Soul.