The Glorious Feast of the Gospel, Sermon 4
THE Fourth Sermon.
ISAIAH 25. 7, 8.
I will deſtroy in this Mountaine the face of the covering caſt over all people, and the vaile that is ſpread over all Nations. He will ſwallow up death in victory, &c.
WE have heretofore at large ſpoken of the ſpirituall and eternall favors of God, ſet out in the former Verſe, In this Mountain will the Lord of Hoſts make a Feaſt of fat things. While our ſoule is in the body it is much guided by our fancy: ſpirituall things are therefore preſented by outward, and conveyed to the ſoule that way; onelyonly we muſt remember that there is a farre greater excellency in the things themſelves, than in their repreſentation; for what is all Banquets, fatneſſe with Marrow, Wine on the Lees, to the joy and ſweetneſſe of Religion, begun here, and accompliſhed in the world to come.
In Chriſt there is nothing but all Marrow, and ſweetneſſe in Religion, that may refreſh a man in the loweſt condition, if hee can but have a taſte of it.
Now becauſe the ſpirituall things of Chriſt doe us no good, as long as they are hid, therefore the Holy Ghoſt ſetteth downe a Promiſe, That God will take away the covering cast on all people, and the vaile ſpread over all Nations.
But there be ſome things that will dampe all mirth: Now here is ſecurity againſt them, that our joy may bee compleat; and this in the next verſe to which I now come; Hee will ſwallow up death in victory, hee will wipe away teares from all faces. The Prophet having ſpoken of a great Feaſt before, an excellent Feaſt, ſets forth here the ſervices of that feaſt; what is it that accompanies it.
Firſt of all there ſhall be light to diſcover the excellency of the feaſt, the vaile is taken away, and a knowledge given to know divine things in a ſpirituall manner.
Then (which will damp all feaſts) the feare of death is taken away; He will ſwallow up death in victory, and wipe away all tears, that is all ſorrow, the effect is put for the cauſe: This is an excellent promiſe, an excellent Service in this ſpirituall banquet. Suppoſe a man were ſet at a Feaſt furniſhed with all Delicates, royally attended, Cloaths ſuitable, and had a Sword hung over his head ready to fall upon him, it would caſt ſuch a dampe on his ſpirit, as would ſpoile the joy of this feaſt: So to heare of Spirituall excellencies, and yet death, and hell, and damnation comming along, alas where is the comfort you ſpeake of? And therefore to make the feaſt more perfect, there is not onelyonly light and knowledge, but removall of it ever may dampe the feaſt. So this muſt needs come in to comfort all the reſt; He ſhall ſwallow up death in victory, and wipe away tears from all faces. Death is here repreſented to us under the word victory, as a Combatant, as one that we are to fight withall, a Captaine.
And then here is the victory of him, Chriſt overcomes him, and overcomes him gloriouſly: It is not onelyonly a Conqueſt, but a ſwallowing of him up. Uſually God uſeth all ſorts of enemies in their owne kinde; he cauſeth them that ſpoile, to be ſpoyled; them that ſwallow up, to be ſwallowed up: So Death the great ſwallower ſhall be ſwallowed up.
Beloved,Death is the great King of Kings. Death is the great King of Kings, and the Emperor of Emperors, the great Captaine, and ruling King of the world; for no King hath ſuch Dominion as Death hath, it ſpreads its government and victory over all Nations; he is equall, though a Tyrant. As a Tyrant ſpares none, he is equall in this, he ſubdueth young and old,Death ſpares none. poore and rich, he levels Scepters and Spades together; he levels all; there is no difference between the duſt of an Emperor and the meaneſt man; he is a Tyrant that governeth over all; And ſo there is this equity in him, he ſpares none.
He hath continued from the beginning of the world to this time;Death hath continued from the beginning, let in by ſin. but he is a Tyrant brought in by our ſelves, Rom. 5. Sin let in Death, it opened the doore: death is no Creature of Gods making; Satan brought in ſin, and ſinne brought in death: So that we be acceſſary our ſelves to the powerfull ſtroak of this prevailing Tyrant; And therefore ſinne is called the cauſe of death. Sinne brought in death,Sin armeth Death. and armeth death; the weapon that death fights with, and cauſeth great terror, it is ſinne: The cauſe is armed with the power of the wrath of God for ſinne, the feare of hell, and damnation; So that wrath, and hell, and damnation, arming ſinne, it bringeth a ſting of it ſelf, and put as venome into death. All cares, and feares, and ſorrowes, and ſickneſſes, are leſſe and petty deaths, harbingers to death it ſelfe; but the attendants that follow this great King are worſt of all: As Rev. 6. I ſaw a pale horſe,Hel the attendant of death. and death upon it, and after him comes hell: what were death, if it were not for the Pit, and Dungeon that followeth it? So that death is attended with hell, and hell with eternity. Therefore here is a ſtrange kind of prevailing. There is no victory where there is no enemy, and therefore death muſt needs be an enemy, yea it is the worſt enemy, and the laſt enemy: Death is not planted in the forlorne hope, but it is planted at laſt for the greateſt advantage, and is a great enemy; what doth death? It depriveth us of all comfort, pleaſure, communion with one another in this life, callings, or whatſoever elſe is comfortable. The grave is the houſe of oblivion; Death is terrible of it ſelfe, even to nature, as Auguſtine ſaith, where it is not ſwallowed up of Chriſt: for it is an evill in it ſelfe, and as I ſaid, armed with a ſting of ſinne, after which followes Hell.
Now this death is ſwallowed up. When the Scripture puts a perſon upon death, it is not uncomly for us to ſpeak as the Scripture doth: The Scripture puts a perſouupon death, and a kind of triumphing ſpirit in Gods children over death: Oh death where is thy ſting, oh grave where is thy victory; death is the greateſt ſwallower, and yet it is ſwallowed up by Chriſt; death hath ſwallowed up all, and when it hath ſwallowed up, it keepeth them; It keeps the duſt of Kings, Subjects, great and ſmall, to the generall day of judgement, when death ſhall be ſwallowed up of it ſelfe. It is therefore of the nature of thoſe that Solomon ſpeaks of, that cry, give, give, and yet is never ſatisfied, like the grave, yet this death is ſwallowed up in victory.
But how commeth death to be ſwallowed up?Chriſt ſwallows up death in victory, for himſelfe and his. Chriſt will ſwallow up death in victory, for himſelfe and his. Firſt of all, becauſe ſin brought in death, our Saviour Chriſt became ſinne, a ſacrifice to his fathers juſtice for ſinne;Reaſ. he was made ſinne for us, he was made a curſe for us,Becauſe hee hath ſatisfied for ſin. to take away the curſe due to us: and ſinne being taken away, what hath death to doe with us, and hell, and damnation, the attendants on death? nothing at all; Therefore Coll. 2. upon the croſſe Chriſt did naile the law, and ſinne, and the devill; there he raigned over principalities and powers, which were but executioners let looſe by reaſon of our ſinnes: And God being ſatisfied for ſinne, the devill hath nothing to doe with us, but to exerciſe us, except it be for our good: So that he hath ſwallowed up death, becauſe by his death he hath taken away ſinne, and ſo the power of Satan, whoſe power is by ſinne. And therefore it is excellently ſet downe Heb. 2. 14. He alſo tooke part of fleſh and blood, that through death he might deſtroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devill: So Chriſt by death overthrew Satan, that had the power of death; becauſe by death he tooke away ſinne, the ſinnes of all, and bare our ſinnes upon the croſſe, and was made ſinne for us that knew no ſinne; he is ours, if we believe: For then Chriſt is given to a particular man when hee believes. Beloved, Chriſt upon the croſſe did triumph over all our ſpirituall enemies, ſinne, and death, and all; It was a kingdome of patience.A double kingdome of Chriſt. You know there is a double kingdome of Chriſt; a kingdome of patience, and a kingdome of power: Chriſt on the croſſe ſuffering puniſhment due to ſinne,1. A kingdom of patience. overcame the law, and the devill, and ſinne, which is the kingdome of patience; the kingdome of power he hath in heaven.2. A kingdom of power. If Chriſt were ſo able in his kingdome of patience to conquer our greateſt enemies, what will he doe in his kingdome of power? As Paul reaſoneth Rom. 5. If by his death we are ſaved, much more now he triumphs in heaven, and appeares for us, is he able to convey greater matters to us.
If Chriſt in the daies of his fleſh did conquer,Chriſt conquereth for us and in us. how glorious will his conqueſt be at the day of judgement. Now Chriſt hath conquered all in his owne perſon, as our head, then he will conquer for us in his myſticall body; what is now done in his perſon, ſhall be done in his members. In the meane time, faith is our victory, his conqueſt over death our victory, his victory over all our ſpirituall enemies, is our victory; every one that believeth, is a conquerour of death, though he die, becauſe he ſees it conquered in Chriſt his head: and as it is truly conquered in him, ſo Chriſt will conquer it in all his members; For as Chriſt in his naturall body is gone to heaven there to appeare in our behalfe, ſo ſhall myſticall Chriſt be wholly in glory; he will not leave a finger, we ſhall all triumph over all our ſpirituall enemies; as Chriſts naturall body is glorious in heaven as our head, ſo ſhall alſo his myſticall body be.
You ſee then how death is ſwallowed up by Chriſt as our ſurety, as the ſecond Adam upon the croſſe; and truly ſwallowed up in him, and by faith this victory is ours, and time will come when in our owne perſons it ſhall be ſwallowed up in victory.
This might be inlarged, but I haſte to make uſe of it.
Marke I beſeech you how death is ſwallowed up by Chriſt in his owne perſon for our good,Death was conquered by Chriſt when he had given way to be under the power of it. he gave a great way to death, for death ſeiſed on him upon the croſſe, death ſevereth ſoule from body, death had him in his owne cabinet, his grave for three daies; nay this great King and tyrant death, had a great conqueſt over Chriſt himſelfe; but here was the glory of this victory; when death this great conquerour of the world had Chriſt upon the croſſe, and in his owne dominion, in the grave, where he rules and raignes, conſuming and ſwallowing up all, death was faine to give up all, and Satan thought to have had a great morſell when he devoured Chriſt; but there was an hooke in his divine power that catched him, that when he thought to have ſwallowed up Chriſt was ſwallowed up himſelfe, his head was then broken; he never had ſuch a blow, as by Chriſt on the croſſe, when he was overcome being a ſcorne of the world viſibly, yet inviſibly in Gods acceptation of that ſacrifice, and in a ſpirit of faith: Chriſt triumpheth over Satan, death was ſubdued even in his owne kingdome, and that makes the victory great.
Death by ſeiſing on Chriſt without right, Chriſt hath freed us from the evill of death when it had right to us: Death hath loſt all its right by faſtening on Chriſt, and ſo is become as a Drone without a ſting; ſo the great ſwallower of all is ſwallowed up it ſelfe at laſt by Chriſt.
Now for comfortable uſe of it.Uſe 1. Firſt, let us conſider that God oftentimes giveth a great deale of way to his greateſt enemies:Firſt, we ſee God gives way to his enemies for a time, when he will give glorious victory. God uſeth a ſtratagem of retiring, he ſeemes to retire and give liberty to his enemies, but it is to triumph and trample upon them with greater ſhame, he will tread them to duſt afterward; Chriſt gave death a great deale of liberty, he was crucified and tormented, then had to the grave, and there he lay: And this was to raiſe a greater triumph over this great prevailer, over the world and death it ſelfe.
It is continued ſo in the Church: Doth not he give way to the enemies of the Church, they may come to ſay ahah, ahah, ſo would we have it. Now the poore children of God are where we would have them, but then comes ſuddaine deſtruction: God to make his victory more glorious, and more to diſcover their cruelty, comes upon them when they be in the top of pleaſure, and the Church in the bottome of abaſement; then God ſwalloweth up all in victory, as Chriſt did death when it ſeemed to have bin it ſelfe victorious.
This is a very comfortable conſideration, for if death be overcome when it ſeem'd to overcome Chriſt, what need wee feare any other enemy? Chriſt hath broken the net as an Eagle or great bird, and the reſt eſcape by him.
You may inlarge this in your owne meditations: hee will ſwallow up death in victory, this is ſaid for the time to come,Death is already ſwallowed up to faith. he wil ſwallow up death; but Paul ſaith it is alſo paſt, and ſwallowed up already; faith ſaith it is done, and ſo it is in our head. Were it not comfortable now to all true hearted Chriſtians, to heare that the Church fareth better, and that the enemies were ſwallowed up, for they be but the inſtruments of this inferiour death; let us get the ſpirit of faith and ſee them all conquered, for certainly they ſhall have the worſt at laſt. He that hath ſwallowed up death in victory, will ſwallow up all that be the cauſe of death: And therefore the Scripture ſpeaks of theſe things as paſt, Babilon is fallen, as a milſtone caſt into the bottome of the Sea.
Get a ſpirit of faith, and wee ſhall never be much troubled with Babilon; for all the enemies of Chriſt, and adherents to that man of ſinne muſt downe, and partake of the judgement threatned in the Revelations; Heaven hath concluded it, and all the policy of Rome and hell cannot diſanull it: they be already ſwallowed up to faith, and Chriſt will rule till hee hath put them all under his feet; which ſhall be done, not only to deſtroy them, but to raiſe himſelfe higher, in giving them up to their confuſion.
Againe, if death be ſwallowed up in victory, labour to be one with Chriſt crucified,Vſe 2. for union with him; begin with union,Labour to be one with Chriſt crucified. with Chriſt crucified. The firſt union is with Chriſt abaſed, and then with Chriſt glorified: And therefore labour to ſee ſinne that brought in death, ſubdued by the power of Chriſts death in ſome meaſure, and then wee ſhall have comfort in his death glorified. For in my holy mount death is ſwallowed up, that is, the true Church of Chriſt, labour to be members of Chriſt, otherwiſe death will come as a tyrant indeed, armed with a terrible ſting, in his full force to aſſaile you. It is the moſt terrible thing to ſee death come armed with the wrath and anger of God, and attended with hell and damnation. Labour therefore to be one with Chriſt crucified, to get our ſinnes crucified, and our ſelves partakers of his death: and then no damnation, no feare of death to them that are in Chriſt: they may die, but they are freed from eternall death, and they ſhall riſe againe even as Chriſts body roſe to glory.
Get therefore into Chriſt and deſire the power of his death ſubduing ſinne: In what meaſure we grow in that, wee grow in boldneſſe and joy, and whatſoever priviledges follow Chriſt.
Againe,Vſe 3. when wee be in Chriſt, true members of him,Be thankfull to God for this victory in Chriſt. then let us be thankfull to God for this victory, thankfull to Jeſus Chriſt that hath given us victory; when wee thinke of death, of ſinne, of judgement, of hell, of damnation, let us be framed as a Chriſtian ſhould. Now let him (that hath the moſt terrible and fearfull things in the world as conquered enemies) ſay, oh bleſſed be God for Chriſt, and bleſſed be Chriſt for dying for us, and by death diſarming death of his ſting; that now wee can thinke of it in our judgements quietly; now we can thinke of all theſe as conquered enemies: this is the fruit of Chriſts death, they are not onelyonly enemies, but friends in Chriſt: Sinne, the remainder of it, the guilt of it, that bindeth over to damnation, is taken away, the remainders of it ſerve to humble us, make us feele the power of pardon, and to deſire another world, where we ſhall be all ſpirituall; ſo that death is a part of our joynture. All things are yours,The benefits of death to a perſon that is in Chriſt. life, and death; death doth us many excellent ſervices, it is a doore and paſſage to life; death is the death of it ſelfe, deſtroyeth it ſelfe: Wee never truly live, till wee die, and when wee die, we are paſt feare of death. So that ſinne dieth, miſery dieth, death dieth; though it takes us from comforts, and employments, and friends here, yet it is a change to a better place, and better company, and better employments, and better condition, to be in a glorious condition to eternity; and therefore wee have cauſe to bleſſe God in Chriſt, that tooke our nature, and in our nature diſarmed our greateſt enemy, ſinne, and ſo diſarmed death, and freed us from the wrath of of God,Vſe 4. and hell, and damnation. Oh we can never be thankfull enough for this.Let thoſe that are in Chriſt be aſhamed of the feare of death.
Againe, if death be ſwallowed up in victory, let us be aſhamed of the feare of death, becauſe Chriſt ſaith he will ſwallow him up, as he hath already in his own perſon: Shall wee be afraid of an enemy that is ſwallowed up in our head, and ſhall be ſwallowed up in every one of us? If we cheriſh feare, we ſhew we looke not for an intereſt in this promiſe; for it is a promiſe, that in this holy mountaine death ſhall be ſwallowed up in victory, and why ſhould we feare a conquered enemy, none will feare an enemy that is conquered.
Object. But how came Chriſt to feare death, and we not to fear?
Anſw. Chriſt had to deale with death armed with a terrible ſting, with ſinne, and the wrath of God for ſin: And therefore when he was to die, Father let this cup paſſe from me. But death is diſarmed to us: He had to encounter with ſinne and the wrath of God, and death in all its ſtrength. But we are not ſo: we are to deale with death like the brazen Serpent, that hath the ſhape of death, but no ſting at all; Its become a drone ever ſince it loſt its ſting in Chriſt. (Life tooke death, that death might take life) as he ſaid. The meaning is, Chriſts life it ſelfe tooke death, that wee that were ſo ſubject to death, that we were death it ſelfe, might take life. Oh bleſſed conſideration, nothing comparable to the conſideration of the death of Chriſt, it is the death of deaths.
And then againe wee are ſure of victory, it is conquered in our head, and ſhall be in us. But you ſay wee are to conflict with the pangs of death, and many troubles meet in death. It is true, but it is conquered to faith, and in Chriſt our head; we muſt fight, Chriſt traineth us to overcome death our ſelves by faith, and then wee are ſure of victory. Joyne theſe two together, it is conquered in Chriſt our head, and ſhall be conquered of us; death keeps our duſt, and muſt give them all againe.
Obj. But in the mean time we die.
Anſ. 'Tis ſo, but we are ſure of victory; he will protect us in our combate, that hath conquered for us: we fight againſt death and the terror of it, in the ſtrength and faith of his victory; joyne theſe three together.
Hee that hath been our Saviour in life, will be ſo to death, and not excluſively, then to leave us but to death, and in death for ever, yea moſt ready to helpe us in our laſt conflict.Death terrible to the wicked. Indeed to wicked men death is terrible, for he ſendeth the devill to fetch them out of the world: but for theſe that be his, he ſendeth his Angels to fetch them, and he helps them in their combat: we muſt not therefore feare overmuch. There is a naturall feare of death, death wrought upon Chriſt himſelfe God-man; not only death, but ſuch a death, he was to be left of his Father, and lie under the ſenſe of the wrath of God, the ſeperation of that ſoule from the body he tooke upon him was terrible; and therefore he ſaith, If it be poſſible let this cup paſſe from me; that was nature, and without it he had not bin true man. But that I ſay, is, that grace may be above nature; death is a time of darkneſſe, it ſtrips us of earthly comforts, friends, callings, imployments, but then comes the eye of faith to lay hold on the victory of Chriſt in time to come, when death ſhall be only ſwallowed up in victory, and then the glorious ſtate to come, to which death bringeth us; ſo that here faith muſt be above ſenſe, and grace above nature, and therefore I beſeech you let us labour for it.
There be two ſorts of men to whom I would ſpeake a little.
Firſt,They are fools that in a carnall bravery contemn death before diſarmed in Chriſt. thoſe that in a kind of bravery ſeeme to ſlight death; men of baſe ſpirits as we call them, fooles, vain-glorious ſpirits, empty ſpirits. Is there any creature unleſſe in Chriſt, able groundedly to ſlight ſo great an enemy as death, armed with a ſting of ſinne, and attended with hell and damnation? The Romiſh and divelliſh ſpirits are terrible; but if thy ſinnes be not pardoned, it is the moſt terrible thing in the world to die, for there is a gulfe afterwards: what ſhall we ſay then, of ſingle Combatants that for vain-glory are prodigall of their lives,Of Duelliſt. that for a foule word, a little diſgrace, will venture on this enemy, that is armed with ſinne, and if they dye, they dye in ſinne: And which is the miſerable condition of him that dyes in ſinne, his death opens the gate to another death which is eternall. They ſay they have repented, but there is no repentance of a ſinne to be committed. Canſt thou repent of a ſinne before it bee committed? that is but a mockery of God. And what ſaith the Scripture? Is it not the moſt terrible judgement under heaven to dye in our ſinnes? A man that dyes in ſinne, dyes in hell, he goeth from death to hell, and that eternall.
I wonder therefore that the wiſedome of fleſh and bloud ſhould take away mens wit, and faith, and grace, and all, ſo much as to ſlight death, and repentance, as if it were ſo eaſie. Now beloved, death is a terrible thing, it hath a ſting, and thou ſhalt know it, if thou haſt not grace to feele the ſting of it whilſt thou liveſt, when thou dyeſt the ſting will revive, then thy Conſcience ſhall awake in hell: Drunkenneſſe and jollity takes away ſenſe of ſinne; but ſinne will revive, and conſcience will revive, God hath not put it into us for nought: death is terrible, if not diſarmed before hand. And if thou goe about to dye without diſarming it before, it will not be out-faced. It is not an enemy to be ſcorned and ſlighted; and therefore be Chriſtians in good earneſt, elſe leave profeſſion, and periſh eternally; for wee muſt all dye; and it is a greater matter than we take it: but if we be true Chriſtians, it is the ſweeteſt thing in the world, an end of all miſery, a beginning of true happineſſe, an inlet to whatſoever is comfortable; bleſſed are they that are in the Lord by faith, and them that dye in the Lord, their death is better than the day of life: Our Birth-day brings us into miſery; and therefore let me ſpeak to true Chriſtians, and bid them be aſhamed of fearing death too much, which of an enemy is become a reconciled friend.
This may in the next place yeeld great conſolation to thoſe that are in Chriſt Jeſus,VſUs that death by Chriſt is ſwallowed up in victory;Of conſolation to thoſe that are in Chriſt. and the rather, becauſe the holy Ghoſt meaneth more than a bare victory over death: Death is not onelyonly ſubdued,Death is not only ſubdued, but made a friend. but is made a friend to us. As Pſalme 110. it is ſaid his enemies ſhall bee his footſtoole. Now a footſtoole is not onelyonly trampled upon, but an helpe to riſe: And ſo death is not onelyonly ſubdued, but it advanceth Gods Children, and raiſeth them higher. It is not onelyonly an enemy, but a reconciled friend; for he doth that which no friend in the world can doe; It ends all our miſery, and is the inlet into all happineſſe for eternity: And whatſoever it ſtrips us of here, it giveth us advantage of better in another world. It cuts off our pleaſures, and profits, and Company, and Callings here; but what is that to our bleſſed change afterward, to our prayſing of God for ever, to the Company of bleſſed ſoules, and the profits, and pleaſures at the right hand of God for evermore? And therefore it is not onelyonly conquered, but to ſhew the excellency of his power, hee hath made it a friend of an enemy, and the beſt friend in the world. It indeed ſeperates ſoule from body, but it joyneth the ſoule to Chriſt; ſo that the conjunction wee have by it, is better than the ſeparation, if the Conjunction makes us partake of our deſire. I deſire to be diſſolved, ſaith St. Paul, but that is not well tranſlated; I deſire to depart, and to be with Chriſt, which is beſt of all: ſo that it is not onelyonly, not an enemy, but a friend; and therefore the Apoſtle makes it our joyncture, part of our portion, all things are yours. Why? you are Chriſts, and Chriſt is Gods: what are ours? things preſent, things to come, life, death: And well may death be ours, becauſe ſinne is our enemy; that remainder that is kept in our nature to exerciſe us, and humble us, and fit us for grace, as Auſtin ſaith, I dare be bold to ſay, it is profitable for ſome to fall,Its profitable to ſome to fal to make them more carefull and watchfull, and to prize mercy more: ſo that not only Death, but ſinne and the devill himſelfe is ours; for his plots are for our good: God over-ſhooteth him in his owne Bow. Hee will give them over to Satan, ſaith the Apoſtle, that they may learne not to blaſpheme: yet though they have a ſpirit of blaſphemy by the humbling of their bodies, they be taught not to blaſpheme, ſo that not onelyonly death, but ſinne, and hee that brought ſinne into the World, the Devill, are become our friends.
This being ſo,Satan hath advantage by our fearing death. it may be for ſpeciall comfort, that wee not feare the King of Feares. The Devill hath great advantage by this affection of feare, when it is ſet upon this object Death: Overcome death, and all troubles are overcome; who will fear any thing that hath given up himſelf to God? Skin for skin, and all that a man hath, will he give for his life. The Devill knoweth that well enough; Therefore feare not, ſaith Chriſt, them that can kill the body: feare cauſeth ſnares, ſaith Solomon, ſnares of Conſcience: But if a man hath overcome the the fear of death once, what more is to be done? What if they take away life, they cannot take away that that is better than life, the favor of God. If we dye in the Lord, we dye in the favor of God, which is better than life; and we ſhall be found in the Lord at the day of judgement, and ſhall bee for ever with the Lord in heaven; and therfore this is a ground of reſolution in good cauſes, notwithſtanding all threats whatſoever, becauſe death it ſelfe is ſwallowed up in victory.
The worſt the world can doe,The worſt the world can doe is to take away life, and in that they doe the godly a pleaſure. is to take away this Nature of ours, when they have done that they have done all they can; and when they have done that, they have done a pleaſure. That is not to be feared, ſaith Tertullian, that frees us from all that is to be feared. What is to be feared in the world? every ſickneſſe, every diſgrace; why▪ death frees us from all. We doe ſee every day takes away a peece of ones life, and when death commeth it overthroweth it ſelfe; for the ſoule goeth preſently to the place of happineſſe, the body ſleepeth awhile, and death hath no more power.
He that beleeveth in mee, ſaith Chriſt, hee ſhall not ſee death, but is paſt from death to life. He ſhall not ſee ſpirituall death; but as he lives in Chriſt, ſhall dye in Chriſt, and riſe againe in Chriſt: He that hath the life of grace begun, ſhall have it conſummate without interruption. Its a point of wonderfull Comfort, that death is ſo overcome that we bee in heaven already: And it is no hard ſpeech, but ſtands with the truth of other points; for are not Chriſt, and we all one, his body is there, and is not he the head of his myſticall body? hee that carried his naturall body, will not hee carry his myſticall body thither too? will hee bee in piece-meale in heaven? Therefore we are in heaven already the beſt part of us: We are repreſented in heaven, for Chriſt repreſents us there as the Husband doth the Wife. He hath taken up Heaven for us.
Chriſt cannot be divided,Chriſt will draw his myſticall body to him into heaven. as Auſtine ſaith; we ſit in heavenly places already with Chriſt. And what a comfort is this, that while wee live we are in heaven, and that death cannot hinder us from our Reſurrection, which is the reſtoring of all things. And therefore, as the Apoſtle ſaith, Comfort one another with theſe things. Theſe things indeed have much comfort in them.
Let us labour then to bee comfortable, (this uſe the Apoſtle makes of it,)Our comfort by Chriſt ſhould make us fruitfull to Chriſt. and fruitfull in our places, upon conſideration of the victory we have by Chriſt, 1 Cor. 15. It is an excellent Chapter that largely proveth Chriſts victory, as the cauſe of our victory, becauſe hee is the firſt fruit that ſanctifieth all the reſt. Finally my bretheren bee conſtant, immoveable, alwayes abound in the works of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. He raiſeth that exhortation of fruitfulneſſe and conſtancy, from this very ground of the victory Chriſt hath gotten by death: O Death where is thy Sting? O Grave where is thy Victory? thanks bee to God through Jeſus Chriſt. And therefore be conſtant, immovable, alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord, knowing that your labour ſhall not be in vaine in the Lord: Make that uſe the Apoſtle doth of fruitfulneſſe to God for Chriſt, that we can thinke of death, and ſinne, the devill, and all his malice, and not be afraid, yea thinke of them all with comfort, that we be not onelyonly freed from their tyranny, but they bee our friends.
Chriſt hath the Key of Hell and Death; a ſaying taken from the cuſtome of Governours that carryed the Key: he hath the Government and Command of Hell and Death. Now if Chriſt hath command of Death, he will not ſuffer Death to hurt his Members, or triumph alwayes over them, he will keep them in the grave. Our bodies are ſafe in the grave, the duſt is fitted for a heavenly, for another manner of body than we have now, and Chriſt that hath the Key will let them out againe: Therefore truſt awhile till times of reſtoring come, and then we ſhall have a glorious ſoule, and glorious body, as the Apoſtle ſaith. I beſeech you think of theſe things, and get comfort againſt the evill day: And to that end, be ſure to get into Chriſt, that wee may bee in Chriſt, living, and dying, and bee found in Chriſt: For what ſaith the Scripture, Bleſſed are they that dye in the Lord. Its better to dye in the Lord, than for the Lord.It is an argument of bleſſedneſſe to dye for the Lord, but if it be not in the Lord, it is to no purpoſe. If there is granted this happineſſe of dying for the Lord, it is well: but bleſſed are they that dye in the Lord. Why? they reſt from their labour. Death takes them off from their labours; All their good Workes goe to heaven with them: So ſaith the Spirit, whatſoever the Fleſh ſaith; and there is no reſting till that time, their life is full of troubles and combers, and therefore labour to get aſſurance that wee are in Chriſt, that wee bee in Chriſt, and dye in Chriſt, and then, there is no condemnation to them that are in Chriſt.
How beſotted are wee to put away preparation of Death till it comes;Prepare for death, by getting into Chriſt. he that forgets Chriſt, and getting into Chriſt all his life time, it is Gods juſt judgment that he ſhould forget himſelf in death. We ſee how a villaine that hath no care of his owne life, may have power of another mans life.
And therefore labour to bee ingraffed into Chriſt by faith, and that we may know it by the Spirit of Chriſt prevailing in us over our naturall Corruptions more and more. As the Apoſtle ſaith, There is no condemnation to them that are in Chriſt; for the ſpirit of life, the Law of the Spirit of life which is in Chriſt, hath freed me from the Law of ſinne and death, the condemning law of ſinne. If the Law of the ſpirit of life which is in Chriſt the head be in us in any meaſure, it frees us from the condemning law of ſinne, that it carrieth us not whither it would; then wee may ſay with comfort, There is no condemnation to them that are in Chriſt; for the law of the ſpirit of life in Chriſt, hath freed us from the condemning, tyrannizing law of ſinne and death.
Sinne hath no Law;Sin hath no Law in us to rule by. It is in us as a ſubdued Rebell, but it ſets not up a Throne. Some hope to bee ſaved by Chriſt, and yet they ſet up ſinne a Throne in the ſoule: Sinne biddeth them defile themſelves, and they muſt obey it; This is a wofull eſtate, how can they expect to dye in the Lord? but ſuch as are freed by the Law of the Spirit of life. New Lords new Lawes: When Kings Conquer, they bring fundamentall Lawes; and when wee are taken from Satans Kingdome into the Kingdome of Chriſt, the fundamentall Lawes are then altered. Chriſt by his Spirit ſets up a Law of believing, and praying, and doing good, and abſtaining from evill: the Law of the Spirit of life frees us from the Law of ſinne and death.
I beſeech you inlarge theſe things in your thoughts; They bee things wee muſt all have uſe of beforehand, againſt the evill day. It ſhould bee comfortable and uſefull to us all, to heare that our enemy, our greateſt enemy Death, is ſwallowed up in victory. And yet there's more comfort in the Text.