Death is the wages of sin Rom. 6.23 and the Reign of Death is procured by the Reign of sin which hath reigned over all Mankind except Christ All are sinners infected with the guilt and filth of sin the Rot according to the Vulgar saying over-runneth the whole Flock Hence David reflects upon Original Sin as the Original cause of all his Actuals saying Behold I was shapen in Iniquity and in Sin did my Mother conceive me Psal 51.5 Thus Man's Malady begins betimes even in our Conception this subtile Serpent sowed his Tares very early so that we are all born in our sin Joh. 9.34 Adam begat a Son in his own Image Gen. 5.3 and his Childrens Teeth are set on Edge after he had eaten the sour Fruit of the forbidden Tree Ezek. 18.2 The same Hand that was reached forth to that forbidden Fruit reached out both Sin and Death to the Fruit of his Loins wherein that Fruit was seminally as the Branches are in a Common Stock the actual Sin did not determine the bound of Misery in himself but it brought a second Misery with it even the Misery of the whole Nature of Mankind Adam was the Representative or publick Person representing the whole mass of Mankind as a Parliament-man represents the whole Country he is chosen for while Adam stood we all stood in him while he kept his Obedience in his state of Innocency he kept his whole Estate and Nature safe and entire but when he fell we all fell in him in Adam all die 1 Cor. 15.22 Tho' we did not choose him yet God did choose him for us as our Representative and his Sin was the greatest Sin next to that Sin against the Holy Ghost as it had many aggravations against the greatest Light and the greatest Love that ever was vouchsafed to any man and therefore it was just with God so to punish not only himself but his whole Nature also for that sinful Act. Hereby all the Sons and Daughters of Adam came to be deprived of Original Righteousness we are all alienated from the Life of God Eph. 4.18 born the Children of Wrath Eph. 2.3 and come short both of God's Glory and of our own Duty Rom. 3.23 Adam first defiled the Nature of Mankind and ever since the defiled Nature hath defiled the whole Off-spring thereof leaving them under the Curse of God and liable unto Death in the latitude of it even unto Death Temporal Spiritual and Eternal The Fall of Adam was the Death of himself and the Death of us yea and also it was the Death of our dear Redeemer to redeem us from Spiritual and Eternal Death Now as is the Root so are the Branches as is the Fountain so are the Waters that flow from it Generatum sequitur Naturam Generantis that which is begotten doth follow the Nature of that which begetteth who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one Job 14.4 that which is born of the Flesh is Flesh Joh. 3.6 Corruptus parit Corruptum one corrupt thing brings forth another yea the Sower soweth clean Grain yet even that brings forth Chaff as well as Wheat from which it was winnowed before it was Sown Father Augustin saith There is nothing more certain than Original Sin yet nothing more secret and hard to be understood how it is conveyed from Parents to Children Many Disputes there be about the manner how Sin is propagated from Adam to his Off-spring some of which deserve no better Character than that of Aristotle de Vacuo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such discourses upon the empty place are but empty things 'T is sufficient for us to know that God by a just imputation doth realize the Infection into the whole Race of Adam in whom we were as in a common lump and in his Leaven we are all sowred We know that leprous Parents do beget leprous Children and there be Diseases which are call'd hereditary and incurable by man we took this Infection from our Parents and we transmit it to our Children so come we to be called a Seed of Evil Doers Children that are Corrupters as well as corrupted Isai c. 1. v. 4. I have read the story of some foolish People who falling all together into a deep Pit fell a disputing one with another how they came there c. but one wiser than the rest advised them to lay aside those Niceties and rather consult about some proper means whereby they might all be delivered out of that danger without which they were in all probability like to perish Even such are those vain Ventilations about this abstruce point of Sins entrance into the World whether by that one person Adam's fall or by every ones fall in his own person the frothy Wits of the Arminians do fondly deny Original Sin But such as are wise to Salvation have learnt better Lessons in Christ's School and they feel otherwise in the School of their own smarting experience Therefore we ought all seriously to consider how the Greek Fathers call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Seed-plot of all Actual Transgressions c. and the Latin Fathers call it Fomes Peccati the lasting Fewel that feeds the Fire of our burning Lusts but above all how the Holy Scriptures doth Charactarize it calling it the Body of Sin Rom. 6.6 and the Sin that dwells in us Rom. 7.17 and the Law of the Members ver 23. and that which so easily besets us Hebr. 12.1 and David calls it the Iniquity of the Heels which was ready to trip him up and to lay him all along upon the ground at every turn and return of the Tempter upon him Psal 49.5 And if we do as little Zacheus did namely climb up the Sycamore Tree to take a full prospect of his lovely Lord from top to toe Luk. 19.3,4 c. so if we get up into the Mount of the Old and New Testament and take a full view of the foulness of Original Sin The right Scriptural Account of Original Sin is this 1. That man who had been God's delight before Prov. 8.31 became both hated of God Psal 5.5 and an hater of God Rom. 1.30 the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to hate God as Hell 2. That faln man is become intensively evil protensively only evil and extensively always and continually evil in the thoughts and imaginations of his heart Gen. 6.5 3. That man's Heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked Jer. 17.9 4. His Thoughts are Thoughts of iniquity Isa 59.7 5. He walks in the vanity of his Mind Ephes 4.17 having his understanding darkned and his Heart blinded ver 18. 6. His Conscience is defiled Tit. 1.15 7. His Eyes are full of Adultery and he cannot cease from Sin 2 Pet. 2.14 8. His Throat an open Sepulchre the poison of Asps upon his Tongue and Lips c. Rom. 3.13,14 9. In a word all mans Members and Faculties are marr'd and maim'd by the fall of Adam as might more largely
salvation of our Souls 1 Pet. 1.4,5,9 Insomuch that Death which is in it self no other than Nature's Divorce the Bodies Prison the Soul's Banishment the Arrest of Judgment the Curse of Sin and the King of Terrors as well as the Terror of Kings Job 18.14 unto all Mankind in General yet such a change doth the power of Godliness both in Young and Old that are chosen and called make in their Changes from one World to another that their Death's is only their 1. Harvest or Ingatherings into God's Garner c. 2 'T is the Joy of Marriage which is called a Rest in the House of the Husband Ruth 3.1 so Death is our Rest A Rest from their Labours Rev. 14.13 they shall Rest 1 st From their Labours of Necessity their Needs of Nature shall then cease for ever they shall Hunger no more they shall Thirst no more c. as they have done while in the Body 2 dly They shall Rest from their Labours of Infirmity they shall never complain of any more Aches and Pains in any one of the parts of the Body as they have done frequently heretofore in the time of their Mortality 3 dly From the Labours of their Callings c. they shall toil no more in the Sweats of either their Brows or their Brains c. And 4 thly Which is above all they shall Rest from their Labours of Iniquity a Laboribus Peccati as well as Officii they shall never sin any more whereas heretofore in the time of their sojourning upon Earth they had this weight upon them which they could never lay aside nor cast it off and sin did then easily beset them so that they could not run the Race that was set before them Heb. 12.1 Because of the Law of the Members that did continually war against the Law of their Minds and oft bringing them into Captivity yea and as oft making them to cry out Oh wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me c. Rom. 7.23,24 But now Christ is come to them and knock'd off all their Fetters which formerly clogg'd them c. and setteth them at perfect liberty Isai 61.1 and those whom the Son of God doth free they are free indeed John 8.36 3. Death to those that die in the Lord and in a Good Old Age also is not only the Christians Harvest Marriage and Rest as before but 't is likewise their Conquest over all their Spiritual Enemies so they have also the Joy of Victory as well as of Harvest of Marriage and of Rest They are become by their Holy Life and Happy Death more than Conquerors Rom. 8.37 even Triumphers in Christ 2 Cor. 2.14 and so as they have won the Crown of Glory by their overcoming the Wicked one through the strengthning Love of Christ upon them so they shall wear it as Kings Rev. 1.6 and as Conquerors for evermore 'T is said the last Enemy to be destroyed is Death 1 Cor. 15.26 Now to all true Believers Death is already swallowed up in Victory ver 55. as Fuel is swallowed up by the Fire and as the Sorcerers Serpents were swallowed up by Moses his Serpent so that they can say to Death when it comes to them as Jacob said to Esau surely I have seen thy Face as the Face of God Gen. 33.4,10 Thus that Esau Death doth meet a Member of Christ with Kissing rather than with Killing or so much as Frowns yea and guards him home to his Father's House as Esau guarded his Brother Jacob Home to Canaan after his long absence from it he went before Jacob as his Life-guard ver 12. Thus after a long Conflict by the Indwellings of Sin all our Life comes the Conquest at the last in our Death Alas we cannot beat sin out of Doors as Sarah did the Bond-woman Hagar but this Fretting Leprosie sin can never be either washed out or scraped off from the Walls of our Earthly Tabernacles until the House that is infected with that Plague be demolished by Death and the Stones and Timber thereof be altogether taken down As it was thus in the Type under the Law concerning the House of Leprosie Levit. 14.43,44 So it is with our Houses of Clay as the Antitype which can no way be Amended but must be Renewed and this is only done in part while we are in the Kingdom of Grace But this cleansing Work is compleatly perfected when Death gives us a dismission from hence into the Kingdom of Glory The belief of this made Old Simeon sing his Soul out of his Body and Paul the Aged Phil. v. 9. was not only a Conqueror but which was more even a Triumpher in Christ as before for he sang a Triumphant Song over Death and the Grave singing as well as saying Oh Death where is thy Sing and Oh Grave where is thy Victory 1 Cor 15.55 This is the boldest and the bravest Challenge that ever any Mortal Man did ring in the Ears of Death in which words he as it were out-braved it calling it Craven to its Face as the Vulgar saying is and bids it do its worst to him that it could do like the Philosopher Anaxarchus who with an undaunted Courage told the Tyrant who was beating his Body to pieces with a great Iron Pestle in a large Mortar made purposely for that Barbarous Butchery in the very Act of his Martyrdom he most confidently cryed out to his Tormentor Tunde Tunde Tyranne Vasculum frangis sed Anaxarchum non Laedis Beat on beat on thou Bruitish Tyrant thou indeed doth break the Vessel of the Man but thou can never hurt Anaxarchus the Man himself Much more might this blessed Apostle insult over this greatest of Tyrants that universal Destroyer of Mankind to wit Death with his Javelin in his hand seeing he was so able as to render such weighty Reasons for his Triumphing Insultation as he saith the Sting of Death is Sin c. ver 56. signifying hereby that our dear Redeemer had been the Death of Death by his Death Mors Mortis Morti Mortem quoque Morte dedisset The Death of Christ gave Death its Death as it was prophesied of him Oh Death I will be thy Death c. Hos 13.14 thus our Saviour did disarm Death and took out the Sting from this Venemous Serpent so that we may now as safely put Death into our Bosoms in a serious Meditation of dying Daily as some men whom I have seen have with enough of safety put into their Bosoms a Snake whose Sting was before pulled out If Death do now shoot out any Sting at us we may thank our selves for our not being more constantly sound in the way of Righteousness If at any time we turn aside to crâ—…ked Paths there will the old crooked Serpent meet us and he will not only sting us there but also leave his Sting behind him in us as the Bee doth to those that are stung by it and this may be the procuring Cause of many sad effects
namely of much smartings burning pains and sorrows if that Sting be not timely dâ—awn out by the Grâ—ce of true Repentance The Lord himselâ— pâ—…ed that Stinging Sermon unto Cain Iâ— thou dost well shalt thou not be accepâ—…d but if thou dost evil then sin lies at thy 〈◊〉 that is like a mighty Mastiff-Dâ—g whâ—ch lies sleeping at the Door and if once awakened he is there ready to pull out the Throat of the Soul Gen. 4.7 And Moses tells the People agreeable to this caution of the great God to Cain and surely your sin will find you out Numb 32.23 that is the Guilt of sin will haâ—… you at your Heels like a Blood-Hound and the punishment of it will ovâ—…ke you c. Yet such as do surely â—…nd â—t their sin by an unfeigned Repenâ—…ce before their sin thus fearfully find 〈◊〉 â—hem even all such as câ—nfesseth and â—…keth their sin shall fiâ—d 〈◊〉 Proâ— 28.13 Then if Death at 〈…〉 â—orth â—y Sting at us ' tiâ— no mâ—re harmâ—ul than an enchanâ—…d Stiâ—gâ— like those Serpents which th◠〈…〉 raised up by their Enâ—…ments Exod. â— 12 they were 〈◊〉 really Serpents but in appearanâ—… only and â—o thâ—ir Stings were like themselves more Phâ—…ms which could not 〈◊〉 sting any one true Israelite and as 〈◊〉 Mâ—…k-Serpents were swallowed up by Moses his real one even so Christ who is Life Essential hath swallowed up Death in Victory as before So that now through the Grace of Christ tho' Death may buzz about our Ears like a Drone-Bee that hath lost its Sting yet it cannot sting us with any mortal Sting for that is quite lost in the death of Christ for all his Redeemed as Christ hath taken away not sin it self but the Guilt of sin So nor hath he taken away Death it self but the Sting of it Thus Augustine doth phrase this double Purchase of Christ for us both in respect of Sin and in respect of Death saying Christus tollit Peccatum Mortem nonne sint sed ne obsint our Lord indeed doth take away both Sin and Death from us yet not that they should not be at all but that they should not be hurtful to those for whom he died And 't is for this glorious Priviledge that the Apostle Paul as one of Christ's chief Heraulds proclaimeth openly to the World and that with a world of Solemnity and Triumph his own Victory over Death by his dear Redeemer 1 Cor. 15.57 and therefore exhorts us to be always stedfast and unmoveable and always abounding in the work of the Lord well-knowing that our Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord ver 58. The same Apostle saith with such a firm Faith which both took Root downward and brought forth Fruit upward that for him to live was Christ and to die was gain and he longed to be dissolved Phil. 1.21,22,23 5 thly 'T is his returning Home to his Father's House c. because death to a Good Man is the day-break of an eternal Brightness 't is as the Vally of Achor as a Door of Hope into the celestial Canaan Josh 7.24,27 and 15.7 Hos 2.15 even into that Heavenly Country unto which the Holy Patriarchs so earnestly pressed to enter Heb. 11.13,14,15 and as it were hastened Home thither where their Father was and their All also Hereupon for them to die was no more but repaterasse as Father Bernard phraseth it that is to go Home again to their Father's House whither when they come they are assured of a most hearty and of a most happy welcome The Parable of the penitent Prodigal and his compassionate Father's meeting together at Home with Feasting and exceeding great Joy Luke 15.20,23,24 doth illustrate this The Prodigal only came but the Father ran and fell upon his Neck and kissed him and killed the fatted Calf for him and put the best Robe upon him c. to make him welcome yet all this was but a dim shadow of that exceeding excessive and eternal meeting of our Heavenly Father with his dear Children to whom Christ most lovingly speaketh Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World Matth. 25.34 Oh the infinite Bowels of a Father yerning over his Adopted Sons and Daughters as if he had thus said Where have you been my dear Darlings all this time of my long absence from you and of yours from me come nâ—w and heartily welcome come now into my Bosom which is now wide open to receive you as the welcomest Guests that oâ—er accosted me ye shall lie warm in my Bosom to all Eternity c. and with Crowns of Glory upon your Heads ye shall sing Hallelujahs unto the Lord for ever and ever NB. Note well To know this upon a dying Bed câ—nnot but be a Rich Cordial to know that death is only Perta Coeli Janua Viâ—… the Postâ—rn Gate to the Heavenly City and the Narrow Door to Everlasting Life that it is our restoration into a better Paradise than that was out of which the first Adam was banished at first by his sinning but this Heavenly Paradise The Second Adam purchased for us by his suffering that death doth now by the purchase of Christ bring to us both Malorum omium Ademptionem Bonâ—rum omnium Adentionem that is the râ—moving of all that is evil and the receiving of all that is good This consideration brought Paul out of his Sâ—râ—it when he had been musing and â—…hting and knew not what he should châ—ose â—…ether Life or Death at last he 〈◊〉 â—orth into this resolve 〈…〉 I desire to be dissâ—lved and to return 〈◊〉 to my Father's House from whom I expect to hear Well done thâ—… good and faithful Servant enter 〈◊〉 into the Joy of thy Lord Matth. 24.21,23 which is a Joy so big so great that it cannâ—… enter into us Quicquid Recipitur recipitur ad Modum Recipientis saith the â—…losopher the Vessel receiving m◠〈…〉 Measure congruous to and c◠〈…〉 the Matter received Now 〈…〉 ouâ— Vessâ—ls are not large en◠〈…〉 Joy to enter into us th◠〈…〉 that we must enter int◠〈…〉 it is such a Joy as is more m◠〈…〉 Lord and Master than for 〈…〉 yet such a liberal Lord do w◠〈…〉 as will honour his Servants with 〈◊〉 matchless Joy We serve a most Honoâ—rable Master who employs us in most Honourable Work and will at last pay us with most Honourable Wages Unto all this aforesaid let me add the Christian's Charter as another pretious Cordial unto a dying Saint namely the large Inventory which the blessed Apostle distinctly describeth that belongeth to every true Believer saying all things are yours whether the World and so you lose nothing when you leave the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come all are yours and ye are Christ's and Christ is God's 1 Cor. 3.21,22,23 that is the World is theirs tho' not in possession yet by way of Reduction ye shall