The Natural Mans Case, Part 2
THE SAINTS TRIUMPH OVER DEATH: OR, A SERMON Preached at the Funerall OF Mr. CHRISTOPHER LOVE, IN Lawrence-Church, Auguſt. 25. 1651.
By THOMAS MANTON, Miniſter of the Goſpell, at Stoak-Newington near London.
London, Printed by E. Cotes, for George Everſden, at the Golden-ball in Alderſgate-ſtreet, 1652.
THE SAINTS TRIUMPH OVER DEATH: OR, A SERMON preached on a ſpeciall occaſion,
On 1 COR. 15. 57.
But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.
THeſe words are a part of Paul's foreign or Triumphant Song: In the Song there are two parts, and this is the laſt.
1. A confident Challenge.A view of the Context.
2. A ſolemne Thanksgiving.
The one is directed to the enemies, the other to the giver of victory.
1. A confident Challenge, in which he outbraveth Death, and all the powers of the Grave, O Death, where is thy ſting? O Grave, where is thy victory? the words allude to Iloſ. 13. 14. where Chriſt is brought in ſpeaking, I will ranſome them from the power of Death, and redeem them from the Grave: O Death, I will be thy plagues; O Grave, I will be thy deſtruction; there is Chriſts ingagement and undertaking for a full conqueſt of Death; Chriſt threatneth Death, and the Apoſtle inſulteth over it: the form of the words is altered, becauſe the enemy was now faln, and Paul proclaimeth the victory: hitherto Death and the Grave had inſulted over the miſery and frailty of mankinde, all the tombes and charnels of the World were but ſo many Monuments of Deaths conqueſts; Golgotha the place of skuls ſeemed to be deſigned on purpoſe, to upbraid and diſcourage our Redeemer; ſo many skuls and rotten reliques of humane frailty, as there were in that place, ſo many Trophies and Monuments of triumph did Death produce before the eyes of Chriſt, as if it were ſaid to him, Canſt thou, dareſt thou grapple and enter into the liſts with ſuch an enemy? But our Lord was not diſcouraged, when he aſcended upon the Croſſe; he did as it were anſwer theſe bravings of Death thus, O Death I will be thy plagues, O Grave, I will be thy deſtruction; and becauſe he was as good as his word, and every way performed his ingagement, the Apoſtle as one of Chriſts followers cometh and inſulteth over this proud adverſary that was now faln, O Death, where is thy ſting? O Grave, where is thy victory?
This challenge is illuſtrated by a Prolepſis or an Anticipation of an objection: ſome might ask, What is this ſting of Death? What is this power of the Grave? The Apoſtle anſwereth, The sting of Death is ſin, the ſtrength of ſin is the Law; Death cometh to have this power by ſin, and ſin to have this power by the Law.
[The ſting of Death] foreign, The prick, it implyeth both the ſtroke of Death, and the anguiſh of it; as in the ſting of a Serpent, there is the deadly touch, and the pain and torment of the wound: and ſo it noteth the power of Death over us, the prick or weapon by which it ſtriketh is ſin, Rom. 5. 12. By one man ſin entred into the world, and death by ſin; and the terrours and horrours of it, which alſo doe ariſe from ſin; now by horrours I mean not onelyonly the naturall averſation, retirement or flight of the ſpirits, but the bondage, torment and deſpair that is upon the conſcience, as Death is a penall evill, inflicted by the juſtice of God, guilt maketh Death terrible, ſo that a ſinner is all his life time ſubject to bondage, Heb. 2. 14, 15. and kept under an awe of judgement to come; 'tis not alwayes felt, but ſoon awakened, eſpecially in ſickneſſe and approaches of Death; when we feel the cold hands of it ready to pluck out our hearts, conſcience is whipped with a ſcourge of ſix ſtrings, fear, horrour, diſtruſt, grief, rage, and ſhame.
The ſtrength of ſin is the Law] How is that to be underſtood? The Law giveth ſtrength to ſin, ratione, cognitionis, obligationis, & augmentationis; they are the words of a *Pareus in locum.German Divine, and will yeeld us a fit method wherein to open the matter.
1. The Law diſcovereth ſin, and maketh it appear in its owne colours, the more light and knowledge of the Law, the more ſenſe of ſin, as in tranſparent veſſels, dregs are ſoon diſcerned; Rom. 6. 9. I was alive without the Law, but when the Law came, ſin revived, and I dyed. When by a ſound conviction all diſguiſes are taken off from the conſcience, we finde ſin to be ſin indeed; Paul was alive before, that is, in his owne hopes, as many a ſtupid ſoul maketh full account he ſhall goe to heaven, till conſcience be opened, and then they finde themſelves in the mouth of Death and Hell.
2. The Law giveth ſtrength to ſin, in regard of the obligation of it, it bindeth over a ſinner to the curſe and wrath of God; God hath made a righteous Law, which muſt have ſatisfaction, and till the Law be ſatisfied, we hear no news but of a curſe, and that maketh Death to be full of horrours, *Heb. 10. 33.there remaineth nothing but a fearfull expectation of the fiery indignation of the Lord. 3 It augmenteth and increaſeth ſin by forbidding it; luſts are exaſperated and rage upon a reſtraint, as the yoke maketh the young bullock more unrulely. Now put all together and you will underſtand the force of the expreſſion, The ſtrength of ſin is the Law, the Diſcovery of the Law ſtoppeth the ſinners mouth, and the curſe of the Law ſhutteth him up and holdeth him faſt, unto the judgement of the great day, by which reſtraint, ſin groweth the more raging and furious all which put together, make Death terrible, not an end of miſery, but a door to open into Hell.
Now this being the caſe of every man, what ſhall we do? and how ſhall we extricate our ſouls from ſuch a labyrinth of endleſſe horrour? You have an anſwer of that, in the next verſe in the Apoſtles Thanksgiving, where he acquainteth you not onelyonly with grounds of Hope, but Triumph; Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
In this thankſgiving you may obſerve,
1. The Author of the mercy; God by Jeſus Diyiſion of the Text.Chriſt.
2. The manner how we come to be intereſted in it; He giveth us victory. Or rather you may obſerve, 1 The Act of the Father as to Jeſus Chriſt, in that he appointed him to get the victory. 2 The Act of the Father as to us; in that hee applyeth this victory to our ſouls; Chriſts victory and the application of it, are the two grounds of this thankſgiving.
1. Chriſts victory over Sin, Death, and the Law, for it muſt be extended to all the things mentioned in the context, they are enemies by combination, and knit together in a faſt league; the Law giveth ſtrength to ſin, and ſin giveth a ſting to Death; as long as the Law hath power, ſin will be ſtrong, and as long as ſin hath ſtrength, Death will bee terrible: But Chriſt hath overcome Death, he foyled it in his own perſon, as I ſhall ſhew you anon fully; and for Sin, he hath taken away the guilt of it by his own merit, and will deſtroy it more and more by the power of the Holy Ghoſt; when he ſtood before the tribunall of God he ſtood there, as a ſurety and undertaker, Heb. 7. 22. A ſurety of a better reſtament, now he was a ſurety mutually Gods and ours, to work Gods work in us, and our work for us; among other things which he undertook there, he undertook the abolition of ſin on Gods part, he obliged himſelf that it ſhould be performed by his Spirit; on our part he obliged us to endeavours of mortification: now becauſe Chriſt is an able ſurety, the work is as good as done already, Rom. 6. 6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of ſin might be deſtroyed, that henceforth we ſhould not ſerve ſin; mark, 'tis crucified with him, as implying his undertaking upon the croſſe, that the body of Death might be deſtroyed: as noting the Work of Gods Spirit, which was ingaged and made ſure by Chriſts death upon the croſſe, that we ſhould not ſerve ſin, as noting the concurrence of our endevours, to which wee are obliged by the ſame ſponſory Act of Chriſt: thus much Chriſt hath done for the abolition of ſin: now for the Law, that was an enemy that could not be overcome but muſt be ſatisfied, and ſo it was by Chriſt who both performed the duty, and ſuſtained the penalty of it, chiefly the latter, and therefore tis ſaid, he was made a curſe for us, Gal. 3. 13. The ſting is loſt in Chriſt, and the honey left for us. But this is matter of another reſpect and cogniſance.
2 The next reaſon of the Apoſtles thankſgiving is the application, he hath given us victory, for underſtanding of which you muſt note that 1 Chriſts victory is imputed to us as if it were done in our own perſons; when we are actually united to him, wee are poſſeſſed of all his merit, Chriſt fought our war, and joined battell in our ſtead; we have a myſticall victory in Chriſt, and are ſaid to overcome, when Chriſt overcame; this is the reaſon why the acts of beleevers are complicated and folded up with Chriſts acts in the expreſſions of Scripture, Crucified with him, quickened with him, and raiſed with him, and ſet down with him in, heavenly places, Epheſ. 2. &c. All which are terms proper to the Judiciall Vnion which is different both from the Morall and Myſticall, as I could eaſily ſhew you, were it not a matter of another nature: now this myſticall victory is of great uſe to a beleever in time of diſcouragements; if the Law challenge, Satan and Conſcience ſay thou art a ſinner under a curſe, thou maiſt anſwer, I am a ſinner, but I am crucified in Chriſt, in my ſurety, his payment and ſuffering is mine: if Death or the world diſcourage; you may ſay, This is a beaten enemy, I foyled it in Chriſt, I aſcended in Chriſt, &c.
2. The benefit of this victory is imparted and applyed to us, by which he maketh us conquerours over ſin and death; all Chriſts worke was not done upon the Croſſe, there is much to be accompliſhed in our hearts, Rom. 16. 20. The God of peace ſhall tread Satan under your feet, &c. not onelyonly under Chriſts feet, but ours: as Joſhua called his fellowes to come and tread upon the necks of the Canaanitiſh Kings, *Ioſh. 10. 24.Come put your feet upon the necks of theſe Kings: ſo Chriſt will ſee us conquer; he that got a victory for us, will get a victory in us, over ſin, and death, and hell; Chriſt hath trodden them under foot already when his own *Gen. 3. 15.heel was bruiſed, now he will doe it under your feet.
Doctr. Having laid this foundation, the point and head of Doctrine, which I ſhall diſcuſs is, Chriſts victory over Death for the comfort and profit of Beleevers.
Death is either the firſt, or ſecond, temporall, or eternall, ſinners are under the ſentence of both, and both are in a ſort put into the hands of Satan, he had the power of Death, Heb. 2. 14. as Gods executioner; and the one maketh way for the other, Death to the wicked is but a taking them away to torment, as unruly perſons are committed to priſon that they may moleſt no more; Gods patience expireth with their lives, and then his vengeance beginneth; The curſe of the firſt Covenant was eternall Death, Gen. 2. 15. thou ſhalt dye, that is eternally, the curſe muſt carry proportion with the bleſſing, the bleſſing was eternall life, and the curſe was eternall death: I ſay the ſorrow and pain muſt have bin perpetual, anſwerable to the life which he ſhould have enjoyed; therefore Chriſt is ſaid to have delivered us. from wrath to come, which certainly was our portion and inheritance by Adam, and without Chriſt there is no eſcape. But to come to particulars, I ſhall ſhew you,
1. How Chriſt delivered us from Death.
2. How far.
1. How be delivered us, The Apoſtle anſwereth, that Heb. 2. 14. by Death he deſtroyed him that had the power of Death, now Chriſts Death cometh under a twofold conſideration, as a merit, or as a glorious act of warre and combate; as the Act of a Redeemer, or the Act of a Conquerour: which anſwereth to the double evill in Death, 'tis a naturall evill, and a poenall evill; 'tis a naturall evill, as it is the diſſolution of ſoul and body; 'tis a poenall evill, as 'tis a curſe of the Covenant, or the puniſhment of ſin: 1 There was merit in Chriſts voluntary Death, 'twas *Mat. 20. 28.a ranſome for the elect, he dyed not onelyonly in bonum eorum, for their good and profit, but loco & vice ominium, in 1 Tim. 2. 6.their room and ſtead; as when the ram Iob 33. 24.was taken, Iſaac was ſpared, ſo Chriſts Death was in ſtead of ours; God will not exact the debt twice, of us, and our ſurety: Job 33. Delivered him from going down into the pit, for I have found a ranſome. The ſinner muſt dye, or the ſurety; now ſaith the Lord, I accept of the Death and paſſion of Chriſt for this penitent man; if we go downe to the pit, we go not down by way of vengeance, by Chriſts Death the merit of our ſin is expiated, juſtice ſatisfied, Gods wrath appeaſed, the Law fulfilled, ſin pardoned, and ſo the Jawes of Death are broken: Death in its ſelf is the ſentence of the Law, the fruit of ſin, and the recompenſe of angry juſtice, and ſo it hath no more to doe with us, for God hath found a ranſome. 2 You may look upon it as the Act of a Conquerour, Chriſt foiled Death in his own perſon, ever ſince he rifled the Grave, death hath loſt its retentive power; Act. 2. 24. foreign, looſing the pains, &c. tis an alluſion to the throws of a travailing woman, the Grave was in travail, till this precious burthen was egeſted, for he could not be holden of it, and over ſince the Grave is a womb rather then a dungeon and pit of vengeance, *Prudentius.non vitam rapit ſed refoomat, it doth not deſtroy life, but renew it; in almoſt the ſame metaphor Chriſt is called, Col. 1. 18. The firſt born from the dead; not that hee was the firſt that was raiſed from the dead, howbeit he was the firſt that aroſe, others were raiſed by the power of another, but Chriſt aroſe by his own; ſo he is called, 1 Cor. 15 20. The firſt fruits from the dead as the offering of the firſt-fruits was a bleſſing to all the ſtore, ſo Chriſt dying and riſing is a ground of conqueſt to all the elect; Chriſt before his death had beene combating with the powers of darkneſſe and all the ſubordinate inſtruments; Death was Satans beaſt of prey, that was ſet upon him, but our Lord foiled it in its own dungeon, the battail between Chriſt and Death was begun upon the Croſſe, he grappled with it there, and they went tugging and wreſtling to the Grave, Chriſt like a prudent warriour carryed the war into his enemies countrey, and there got looſe of the graſp of Death, foiled it in its own territory, he aroſe and left Death gaſping behinde him, ſo that the quality of the grave is quite altered, before 'twas a priſon, Satans dungeon, now 'tis a chamber of repoſe, a bed of eaſe ever ſince Chriſt ſlept there; when the Prophet ſpeaketh of Chriſts reſurrection, he ſaith, Iſa. 53. 8. He ſhall be taken from priſon and from judgement, by priſon meaning the grave; but ſpeaking of the death of the faithfull, he ſaith, Eſai. 57. 2. They ſhall reſt in their beds; 'twas for a while to Chriſt a priſon, that to us it might be a bed of eaſe.
2. The next queſtion is, how far he hath delivered us from death; we ſee the godly are obnoxious to the changes and decayes of nature, yea to the ſtrokes of violence as well as others; and how are we delivered? I anſwer, 'tis enough that the ſecond death hath no power over us, Rev. 20. 6. Nothing to do with us. Rom. 8. 1. foreign, not one condemnation, &c. We may dye, but we ſhall not be damned; and though we go to the grave, yet we are freed from hell: But this is not all, in the first death beleevers have a priviledge, they doe not dye as others doe.
1. The habitude and nature of it is changed, that which is poenall in death is now gone, 'tis not a deſtruction but a delivery, beleevers have wrong thoughts of Death; we are delivered from it as 'tis a puniſhment and a curſe, now 'tis a bleſſing, one of Chriſts Legacies of the Church, all things are yours, Death is yours, 1 Cor. 3. 18. while Death was in the Devils hands it was an enemy, but 'tis made a friend and a bleſſing in Chriſt, a paſſage from the vale of tears to the kingdome of glory, the end of a mortall life, and the beginning of that which is immortall; as Haman to Mordecai, it intended a miſchief, but it proved a priviledge: to a wicked man it is properly an execution, but to the godly a diſmiſſion of their ſouls into the boſome of Chriſt, Luk. 2. 28. Now letteſt thou thy ſervant to depart in peace, they quietly ſend away their ſouls, but a wicked mans ſoul is taken away; tis twice ſo expreſſed, Luk. 12. 20. This night ſhall they take away thy ſoul from thee, and Job 27. 8. When God taketh away his ſoul, &c. they would fain keep it longer, but God taketh it away whether they will or no; a godly man reſigneth and ſendeth away his ſoul in peace, his life cannot be taken away, tis only yeelded up upon the call of providence; and he dyeth not becauſe he muſt dye, but becauſe he would dye, he may dye ſooner then he thought, but not ſooner then he would, for when God willeth it, he ſubmitteth. But to return; the bleſſing of death lieth in 3 things.
1. The Funerals of the godly are but the Funerals of their ſins, and frailties, and weakneſſes: peccatum moritur, miſeria moritur, homo non moritur, 'tis not the man dyeth, but the ſin, the miſery dyeth: all other means and diſpenſations doe but weaken ſin, but Death destroyeth it; when God juſtifieth, the damning power is gone, when God ſanctifieth, the reigning power is gone, but when by death we come to be glorified, then the very beeing of it is gone: when the houſe was infected with leproſie, ſo as ſcraping would not ſerve the turn, it was to be digged down, we are ſo infected with ſin that all other remedies are too weak, nothing but death will ſerve the turn: when Ivy is gotten into a wall it cannot be wholly deſtroyed, till the wall it ſelf be demoliſhed; cut off the ſtump, the body, the boughes, the branches, ſtill there are ſome ſtrings that are ready to ſprowt again; ſo tis here, originall ſin cannot be deſtroyed, the conſtant groans of the faithfull are, *Rom. 7. 23.Who ſhall deliver us from this body and maſſe of ſin? But now Death is a ſudden cure, ſinne brought in death, and as it were in revenge, death deſtroyeth ſin.
2. There is a way made for a preſent and compleat Vmon of the ſoul with Chriſt. Phil. 1. 23. I deſire to be diſſolved and be with Chriſt, we are looſed from the body and joined to Chriſt, tis better a ſoul be ſeparated from the body then abſent from Chriſt; we have an Union here but not a preſence, now judge you which is better, to be preſent with the body, or to be preſent with the Lord? to have the company of the body, or the company of Chriſt? Here the ſoul is incloſed and impriſoned as it were, but there thou haſt the free enjoyment of Chriſt, without the clog of an earthly eſtate: the ſoul as ſoon as it departs the body, goeth immediately to Chriſt; as when Potiphars wife laid hold on Joſephs coat he eſcaped; ſo you leave your upper garment in Deaths hand, but the ſoul flyeth to God: the body came from Adam and runneth in a fleſhly channell, and what we had from Adam, muſt for a while be mouldred to duſt, to purge it from the impurity of the conveyance; but the ſoul by a naturall right returneth to God that gave it, and by a ſpeciall intereſt to Chriſt that redeemed and ſanctified it by his own ſpirit.
3. The body which ſeemeth moſt to ſuffer, hath much advantage: a ſhed is taken down to raiſe up a better ſtructure, 'tis ſown a naturall body, 'tis raiſed a ſpirituall body, &c. 1 Cor. 15. 44. here 'tis not capable of high injoyments, 'tis humbled with diſeaſes unfit for duties; again, it's ſown'd corruptible body, 'tis raiſed an incorruptible body, here 'tis liable to changes, there it may live forever, without change and decay; if we love long life, there is eternall life; 'tis carnall ſelf-love that maketh us willing to abide in the fleſh; if we did but love our ſelves, but love our own fleſh, we would not be afraid to dye; for to dye, is to be perfected, to have body and ſoul free from ſin and incorruption.
2. The hurt of it is prevented: as you are choſen and ſanctified in Chriſt Jeſus, it cannot hurt you, I ſay again death may kill you, but it cannot hurt you, it hath no power over the better part, like a Serpent it feedeth only upon your duſt; nay, and for your bodies, that which dyeth as a creature, is ſure to live as a member of Chriſt; the Lord Jeſus is our head in the grave; your bodies have a principle of life within them; beleevers are raiſed by the Spirit of holineſſe, the ſame Spirit that quickneth them now to the offices of grace, ſhall raiſe their mortall bodies. So Rom. 8. 11. He ſhall quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit, that dwelleth in you: The holy Ghoſt can never leave his old manſion and dwelling place: how many grounds of comfort have we againſt the mortality of the body! Chriſt is united to body and ſoul, and he will not let his Myſticall body want one ſinew or joynt; in the account that he is to make to the Father, he ſaith he is to loſe nothing, Joh. 6. 39. Mark, he doth not ſay none, but nothing: Chriſt will not loſe a leg, or a piece of an ear: Again, God is in Covenant with body and ſoul, when you go down to the chambers of death, you may challenge him upon the Charter of his own Grace; God is the God of Abrahams duſt, of a beleevers duſt, though it be mingled with the remains of wicked men, yet Chriſt will ſever it: Mat. 22. 32. Chriſt proveth the reſurrection of the body, by that argument, that God is the God of Abraham, the God of Iſaac, and the God of Jacob, the ground of the argument is, that God made his Covenant not only with the ſouls of the Patriarchs, but with their whole perſons: Again, Chriſt hath purchaſed body and ſoul, ſo much is intimated in that place 1 Cor. 6. 20. Ye are bought with a price, therefore glorifie God in your bodies; Chriſt had payed price enough to get a title to body and ſoul, and therefore he will not loſe one bit of his purchaſe; the Lord will call the grave to an account, Where is the body of my Abraham, my Iſaac, my Jacob? tis ſaid, Rev. 20. 13. The Sea gave up her dead, and the Grave gave up her dead, and Hell gave up her dead: let me note that Hell is there taken for the ſtate of the departed, or elſe what's the meaning of that paſſage that followeth afterward, and death and hell were caſt into the lake that burneth, &c. Well then, all the dead ſhall be caſt up, as the Whale caſt up Jonah, ſo the grave ſhall caſt up her dead: the grave is but a cheſt wherein our bodies are kept ſafe till the day of Chriſt; and the key of this cheſt is not in the Devils hands, but Chriſts, ſee Rev. 1. 18. I have the keys of Death and Hell; when the body is laid up in the cold pit, 'tis laid up for another day; God hath an eſpeciall care of our duſt and remains, when our friends and neighbours have left is, Chriſt leaveth it not, but keepeth it till the great and glorious day.
3. We are eaſed from the terrours and horrors of death: death is terrible, as tis a poenall and a naturall evill, as I diſtinguiſhed before; 1 As it is naturall evill, death in it ſelfe is the greateſt of all evils, foreign, ſaid an *Ariſtotle.heathen, which in Jobs language may be rendred, The King of terrours, Job 18. 14. We guſh to ſee a Serpent, much more the grim viſage of death; morall Philoſophy could never finde out a remedy againſt it; Heathens were either deſperate, raſh, ſtupid, or elſe they diſſembled their gripes and fears; but Chriſt hath provided a remedy, he hath delivered us not only from the hurt of death, but the fear of death; Heb. 2. 14. to deliver them from the fear of death, that all their life time were ſubject to bondage: by his ſpirit hee filleth the ſoul with the hopes of a better life; nature may ſhrink, when we ſee the pale horſe of death approaching; but we may rejoyce, when we conſider its errand, 'tis to carry us home: as when old Jacob ſaw the chariots come from Egypt, how did his heart leap within him, becauſe he ſhould ſee his ſon Joſeph! Death however we figure it with the pencill of fancy, is ſent to carry us to heaven, to tranſport us to Jeſus Chriſt: now who would bee afraid to be happy? to be in the Armes of our beloved Jeſus? Let them fear death, that know not a better life; a Chriſtian knoweth that when he dyeth, he ſhall not periſh, but have everlaſting life, Joh. 3. 17. The world may thruſt you out, but you may ſee heaven alluring, ready to receive you, as Stephen ſaw heaven opened, Act. 7. latter end: there is an intellectuall viſion, or perſwaſion of Faith, which is common to all the Saints; though every one hath not ſuch an extaſie and ſenſible repreſentation, as Stephen had, yet uſually in the hours of their departure, faith is mightily ſtrengthned and acted ſo, that they are exempted from all fear and ſorrow. 2. As 'tis a poenall evill, 'tis ſad when death is ſent in juſtice, and cloathed with wrath, and cometh in the quality of a curſe, you know what was ſaid before, The ſting of death is ſin, they dye indeed that dye in their ſins, death is a black and gloomy day to them, they drop down like rotten fruit into the lake of fire: now Chriſt hath taken away the ſting, the dolours and horrours of it; he hath taken away death as he hath taken away ſin, he hath not caſt it out, but caſt it down, taken away the guilt and power of it, though not the beeing of ſin; ſo the hurt, the ſting is gone, though not death it ſelf: 'tis like a ſerpent diſarmed and unſtinged, we may put it into our boſomes without danger: there are many accuſations, by which Satan is apt to perplex a dying ſoul, theſe make death terrible and full of horrours; But they overcome by the bloud of the Lamb, Rev. 12. 11. and get the victory of theſe doubts and fears; when ſins are pardoned fears vaniſh; Luther ſaid, Feri domine, feri, abſolutus ſum a peccatis meis, ſtrike Lord, ſtrike, my ſinnes are pardoned.
4. 'Twill be utterly aboliſhed at the laſt day. We ſcarce know now what Chriſts purchaſe meaneth, till the day of judgement; 'tis ſaid 1 Cor. 15. 26. The last enemy that ſhall be deſtroyed is death, tis weakened now, but then it ſhall be aboliſhed as to the elect: Rev. 20. 14. And death and hell ſhall be caſt into the lake of fire, this is the ſecond death; the dominion of death is reſerved for hell, it muſt keep company with the damned, whileſt you rejoyce with God: for the preſent tis continued out of diſpenſation, it doth ſervice, to promote Gods glory; but then the wicked muſt ſhare death and hell amongſt them, and be kept under a dying life, or a living death: but *Rev. 7. 17.all tears ſhall be wiped from your eyes, death ſhall be no more, and you ſhall take the harps of God in your hands, and in an holy triumph ſay, O Death, where is thy ſting? O Grave, where is thy victory? tis true we may ſay it, yea and ſing it now in hope, as ſome birds ſing in winter, but then we are properly ſaid to triumph.
Application. To apply it now.
Uſe. 1 1. Here is terrour for wicked men, you may think it ſtrange, that I ſhould draw terrour out of ſuch a comfortable doctrine, but conſider Jeſus Chriſt hath conquered death for none but thoſe that have an intereſt in him, others (alas!) are under the full power of it; for the preſent the caſe of wicked men is ſad, in death 'twill be worſe, in hell 'twill be worſt of all. 1 'Tis ſad for the preſent, there is a bondage upon your ſouls, not alwaies felt but ſoon awakened, you cannot think of death and hell without torment, the thought of it like Belſhazzers hand-writing againſt the wall, ſmiteth you with trembling, in the midſt of all your cups and bravery; a ſmall thing will awaken a wicked mans conſcience; the fingers of a mans hand upon the wall: Belſhazzer ſeemed a jolly fellow: a brave ſpirit, ſets light by the Perſian forces that were even at his door, but God ſoone taketh off the edge of his bravery; and then his joints trembled, his knuckles ſmote one againſt another for fear; if the Lord will but whiſt to conſcience, the braveſt ſpirits are ſoon daunted, he needeth arm nothing againſt you but your own thoughts: certainly none but a childe of God can have a true and ſolid courage againſt death, you cannot ſuppoſe it without consternation, David ſaid, Pſal. 23. 4. Though I walk through the valley of the ſhadow of death, yet I will fear no evill, that's a grieſly, ſad, dark place to walk in the very borders of death, ſide by ſide with terrours and deſtruction, yet there David would be confident: tis otherwiſe with wicked men, hereafter they would not live, and here they would not dye. 2. In death it will be worſe, the nearer you draw to the everlaſting eſtate, the more will conſcience be opened, and ſcourge you with horrour and remorſe, I confeſſe every wicked man doth not dye ſenſible, ſome are ſtupid and foolhardy, they may ſacrifice a ſtout body to a ſtubborn minde: but at laſt they dye uncertain, doubtfull if not anxious, and full of horrour; As Adrian to his ſoul, O Animula vagula, blandula, &c. Oh poor ſoul whither doeſt thou now goe? thou ſhall never ſport it more, jeſt it more: Or as he ſaid, anxius vixi, dubius morior, heu quo vado! I have lived doubtfully, and dye uncertainly, alas whither doe I go! A man that leapeth in the dark near a deep gulfe knoweth not where his feet ſhall light, and this is the caſe of wicked men: But this is not all, uſually their death is full of terrour; things written with the juice of a Lemmon, when they are brought to the fire are plain and legible; ſo when wicked men are within the ſtench and ſmell of hell, they howl upon their beds, few or none are able to look death in the face with confidence. Oh conſider when you come to dye ſin ſtareth in the face of conſcience, and conſcience remitteth you to the law, and the law bindeth you over to hell, and hell enlargeth her mouth to receive you; what will you doe in ſuch a caſe? Satan inſulteth, your old tempter is become your new accuſer, nay you are at oddes with your ſelf, the body curſeth the ſoul for an ill guide, and the ſoul curſeth the body for a wicked inſtrument, 'tis a ſad parting when they can never expect to meet again, but in flames and torments, and therefore curſe the memory of that day, when ever they were joyned together: A godly man can take fair leave of his body, Farewell fleſh, goe reſt in hope, thou ſhalt one day awake out of the duſt, and then I ſhall be ſatisfied with Gods likeneſſe, I have a longing deſire of thy reunion, we have lived together and glorified God together thus long, God will not ſuffer thee to ſee corruption, &c. 3 In Hell twill be worſt of all, envie will be a part of your torment as well as deſpair, Luk. 16. 23. 'tis ſaid of the rich man, in hell he lifted up his eyes, and ſeeth. Lazarus in Abrahams boſome, and ſaith, I am tormented in this flame, 'twill be an additionall torment, to compare the beleevers eternall happineſſe with your own miſery, they are in the preſence of God, and his holy Angels, you have no company but the devill, death, hell, and the damned, and are holden under the power of everlaſting torments; you would not live and cannot dye, when you have run through many thouſands of years you cannot look for one minute of reſt, conſcience gnaweth more and more, you burn but conſume not; Oh! *Heb. 10. 33.tis a dreadfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God, mark that attribute living God, we do not ſpeak in the name of an Idol that cannot avenge his quarrell upon you, or of a God that ſhall dye and ſuffer decay, but in the name of a living God, that liveth for ever to ſee vengeance executed upon his adverſaries, there is no hope of releaſe, as long as God is God, Hell is Hell.
Uſe. 2 2. It ſerveth to exhort us all to get an intereſt in this conqueſt of Chriſt, every one is not fit to make uſe of Chriſts victory over death, there are many things neceſſary to injoy the full comfort of it, I ſhall name them: 1. A care to get ſinne pardoned; all the power of the devill and death hangeth on ſin, therefore ſee ſinne buryed ere thou art buryed, or it will not be well with thee: there are two deep pits, wherein you may bury your ſins, and you ſhall never hear of them any more, the Ocean of divine mercy, and the Grave of Chriſt: ſee them buryed in the Ocean of mercy, Mich. 7. 18. Thou wilt caſt all their ſins into the depths of the Sea; there is depth enough to bury them and drown them, that they may no more come into remembrance; then there is the Grave of Chriſt, the merit of Chriſt is a deep grave, deep enough wherein to bury all the ſins of the world: buryed with him in Baptiſme, Rom. 6. 3. Otherwiſe, if this be not done, you will deſire to be buryed eternally, and never to riſe more: Let me uſe one metaphor more in this matter, and it ſhall take its riſe from that expreſſion of the Apoſtle, 2 Cor. 5. 3. we ſhall be cloathed upon, ſaith he, if ſo be that we ſhall be not found altogether naked, tis the great fault of Chriſtians when they come to die, they are to ſeek of a ſhrowd, and are found altogether naked, 'tis uncomely to ſee a man in his darkneſſe, you ſhould bee wrapt in the winding ſheet of Chriſts righteouſneſſe, there is no ſhrowd like to that, come thus to the grave and the grave ſhall have no power over you: But to leave the Metaphor, this muſt be your great work and care (Chriſtians) to reflect upon theſe things in the ſerious applications and diſcourſes of faith, the infinite mercy of God, the abundant merit of Chriſt, and the ſufficiency of his righteouſneſſe for your acceptance with God. 2 Doe not onelyonly act faith, but ſtrive after aſſurance of Gods love to your ſouls. Old Simeon ſaid, Luk. 2. 29, 30. Mine eyes have ſeen thy ſalvation, now let me depart in peace; he held the Meſſiah not onelyonly in his Arms, but in his heart, and then he could comfortably diſmiſſe his ſoul; now let me dye, (ſaid Jacob, when he had ſeen Joſeph), he can never dye too ſoon as for himſelf, his owne comfort and profit, that hath ſeen Jeſus, his death is not untimely and immature, by what ſtroke ſoever he be cut off; whereas otherwiſe if you live an hundred yeares you dye too ſoon, if you dye before you have gotten an intereſt in Chriſt, the ſinner of an hundred years ſhall be accurſed, old ſinners that are left to be eaten out by their own ruſt, are chimneys long foul and come at laſt to be fired. 3 Mortifie corruptions, ſin muſt dye ere wee dye, he dyeth well whoſe ſinnes are dead before him; either ſin muſt dye or the ſinner, as the Prophet ſaid in another caſe, I ſay in this, thy life muſt goe for its life, you will find thoſe ſins mortall that are not mortified; what ſhould an unmortified man doe with heaven? there are no ſports nor carnall pleaſures there, thoſe bleſſed manſions ſeem to him but dark ſhades, and melancholy retirements: the Apoſtle hath an expreſſion, Col 1. 12. He hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light, we are firſt made meet for heaven before we enter into it, we are weaned from the world before we leave it; when men hang upon the world as long as they can, and when they can hang no longer, think then to make uſe of God, the Lord will refuſe them with diſdain, *Judg. 10. 14.Go to the Gods which you have choſen, let the world now help you, and ſave you: in ſhort, a mortified man is prepared and ready, he doth but wait for winde and tide, and falleth like a ſhock of corn in ſeaſon. 4 An holy life and converſation; men live as if they never thought to dye, and then dye as if they never thought to live; the beſt way to dye well is to live well, they that are not aſhamed to live, are not afraid to die; Balaam deſired to dye the death of the righteous, but would not take pains to live a godly life; every man cannot ſay, Thanks be to God that giveth us victory through Jeſus Christ, you can not dye in Chriſt, unleſſe you live in him, and in the power of his life advance towards heaven: oh labour to exerciſe your ſelves in theſe things, that you may be in a conſtant preparation; you never enter into the combate of death but once, 'tis impoſſible to mend overſights, either we are ſlain or ſaved eternally. Now if you doe what I have here exhorted you to, you may wait till your change come; and when it cometh, your laſt hour will prove your beſt.
Uſe. 3 3. It ſerveth to preſſe Gods children to improve the comforts of Chriſts victory, doe not let it goe out of your hands. 1 Improve it for your friends that are departed in the Lord; our weeping puts ſome diſparagement upon Chriſts conqueſt, why ſhould wee weep in the day of their preferment, in the day of their ſolemn eſpouſals to Jeſus Chriſt? *Kinet Cathol. orthed. Queſ. 40. primae …is.In the primitive times at Funerals they were wont to ſing Pſalmes of thanksgiving, we ſhould bring them as champions to the grave, as thoſe that have paſſed the pikes, and finiſhed their courſe, and kept the faith, and have conquered the world, and ſin, and death, and danger: Chryſoſtome in one of his homilies on the Hebrews, ſpeaketh of the ancient rites at funerals, of their Hymnes, and Pſalmes, and Praiſes, haec omnia ſunt laetantium (ſaith he) All theſe ſignifie joy, and wilt thou weep, and ſing a Pſalme of praiſe and triumph at the ſame time? I confeſſe 'tis ſaid, Act. 8. 2. That devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him: 'tis our loſſe when the Church is bereaved of ſuch excellent perſons, there is cauſe of ſorrow, but there ſhould be a mixture, we ſhould not mourn as thoſe without hope, 1 Theſ. 4. 13. as Chriſtians muſt not rejoice without ſorrow, ſo they muſt not be ſorry without ſome mixture of joy; let us declare that we hope for a reſurrection, that we expect to meet our friends again in heaven, and when wee weep let it be like rain when the Sun ſhineth, there ſhould be ſomewhat of joy in our countenances as well as tears in our eyes.
2. Improve it for your ſelves, and that, 1 In life time, that in your reſolutions you may bee willing to dye; many times we are like Lot in Sodome, or like the Iſraelites in Egypt, we could wiſh for Canaan, but are loath to goe out of Egypt, this argueth little faith. Can we beleeve there is a heaven ſo excellent and glorious, and yet ſhun it? can we hope for ſuch an *1 Pet. 3. 14.incorruptible inheritance, and yet be afraid of it? that we ſhall enter upon it too ſoon? what Prince would live uncrowned? what heir would whine when hee is called to come and take the inheritance? what thoughts have we of eternall life? do we count it a priviledge, or a miſery, and a burden? And again, it argueth little love, can we pretend to love Chriſt, and be ſhie of his company! he ſhould be unwilling to dye, *Illius eſt nolle mori, qui nolit … ad Chriſtum-Aug.that is unwilling to goe to Chriſt. And again, it argueth little judgement and conſideration; Wherein is this life valuable? the world is nothing elſe but a place of baniſhment, here is nothing but groaning, all the creatures join in conſort with the heirs of promiſe, Rom. 8. 23. What do you ſee in the world, or in the preſent life to make you in love with it? are you not weary of miſery and ſin? the longer thou liveſt, thou ſinneſt the more, certainly thou haſt provoked God long enough already, 'tis high time to breath after a better eſtate; and thou haſt had taſte enough of the worlds miſery and deceit, and of the frailties and weakneſſes of the body, a longer life would be but a longer ſickneſſe; what's the matter, that we are ſo loath to let goe our hold of preſent things? if it be not want of faith or want of love to Christ, or too much love of the world, certainly it muſt be fear of death, & what a baſeneſs & lowneſs of ſpirit is this? to fear an enemy ſo often vanquiſhed by Chriſt and his Saints? If you be at this paſs, I have preached al this while in vain, & the victory of Chriſt, which I have diſcourſed of is to little purpoſe; Oh conſider, generous Heathens may ſhame you, you make all the proviſion of Chriſt in the Goſpell, to be of leſſe effect then meer morall principles. 2. Eſpecially improve this in the very ſeaſon and hour of death; the great Goliah is now faln, and you may come forth and *Iſai. 66. 24.look upon the carkaſſe; death its ſelf that ſtartleth the creature, and ſeemeth to be the great check and prejudice of Chriſtian hopes, is vanquiſhed by Chriſt, therefore in the very ſeaſon when it ſeemeth to prevail over you, apply the victory, and ſay, Thanks be to God, &c. When the pangs come upon you, remember this is deaths laſt pull and aſſault, you may bear with it, it ſhall moleſt *Exod. 14. 13.you no more, as Moſes ſaid, The Egyptians which yee have ſeen to day, yee ſhall ſee them no more again for ever, ſo you ſhall feel theſe things no more, in heaven there are no groans, nor tears, nor ſorrows, have but a little patience, and aſſoon as the laſt gaſp is over, the ſoul ſhall be carryed by Angels to Chriſt, and by Chriſt to God: beleevers have the ſame entertainment that Chriſt had, he was carryed into heaven by Angels, Dan. 7. 13. They brought him to the ancient of dayes, and ſo we are carryed by Angels into Abrahams boſome, Luk. 16. 22. they have a train to accompany them into heaven, as their friends accompany their bodies to the grave; and as Chriſt was welcomed into heaven with acclamations, and God ſaith, *Pſa. 110.Sit down at my right hand, and *1. Pſal. 2. 8aske of me and I will give thee, &c. ſo are beleevers welcomed, Well done good and faithfull ſervant, enter into thy maſters joy.
What remaineth then, but that we dye by faith as well as live by faith, but that we welcome death with confidence, and breath out our ſouls in triumph? Moſes when he took up the Serpent in his hand, 'twas but a rod, death thus welcomed and entertained by faith will prove at moſt but a correction, yea rather a bleſſing of the Covenant, a means of paſſage into glory.
One thing I had almoſt forgotten, to preſſe you to thankfulneſſe to Chriſt: Oh bleſſe your Redeemer, that hath delivered you from the fear of death, admire his love and condeſcenſion, that he ſhould come down from heaven and ſubſtitute himſelf into our room and place, and take the horrours of death into his own ſoul; 'tis ſaid, Mat. 20: 28. The Son of man came not to be miniſtred unto, but to miniſter and to give his life a ranſome for many; Chriſt was a Prince by birth, heir of all things, yet he came not in the pomp and equipage of a Prince, if he had come in ſtate to viſit us, and to deliver comfort to us by word of mouth, it had been much; but Chriſt came not in this way, not in the pomp of a Prince, but the form of a ſervant to miniſter to our neceſſities, and that in the higheſt way of ſelf-deniall, he gave his life as a ranſome for many; other Princes are laviſh of their ſubjects bloud, and care not how many lay down their lives for them, many give their lives as a ranſome for the Prince, but here 'tis quite otherwiſe, this Prince layeth down his life to redeem the ſubjects, and he ſuffered death that it might not bee terrible and deſtructive to us, Oh bleſſed be the Lord Jeſus Chriſt for this love for evermore.
Some may expect, that I ſhould ſpeak ſomething concerning the ſervant of God, our dear brother now departed, but I need not ſay any more, then what I have ſpoken already; all along the diſcourſe, I have indeed ſpoken of him, and that in the judgement of your conſciences, the duties which I preſſed upon you, he performed, the comforts which I have propounded to you, he enjoyed. I ſhall not make any particular rehearſall of the paſſages of his exemplary life, I judge it not convenient; only to you of this place I may take liberty to commend his doctrine, and intreat you to be carefull of thoſe precious truths which he ſowed among you, whileſt the Lord uſed him here as a skilfull ſeeds man: God looketh for ſome increaſe, and taketh ſpeciall notice of the time, that you have enjoyed his labours, there is an exact account kept in heaven, in that parable, Theſe three years came I ſeeking fruit, Luk. 13. 7. probably the three years of Chriſts miniſtery are intended, for then he was entring upon his laſt half year, God reckoneth how many yeares, how many moneths your Miniſter hath been with you, and accordingly doth expect fruit: your paſtour a little before his ſuffering, profeſſed high and worthy thoughts of you, let him not be deceived; 'twill be ſad for you in that great day of ſeparation, that when he expecteth to finde you among the ſheep, and to be his Crown and rejoicing, he ſhould ſee you among the goats; he will know you there, memory in heaven is not aboliſhed, but parfected. I ſay he will know you, though without any leſſening of his own happineſſe, or repining at Gods rightous judgements.
FINIS.