divide this general Doctrine into Two Branches and speak to each part The First is this THAT a Believer in the Moment of his Death can Triumph over Death in reference to his Soul FIRST as the Lord shall enable me I will prove this Truth and then explain and illustrate it FOR Proof I shall only at present give you two places of Scripture Rev. 14.13 And I heard a Voice from Heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their Labours and their Works do follow them Where First you have the Truth plainly asserted Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord or in dying in the Lord. 2ly The Reasons of it 1. They rest from their Labours 2. Their Works follow them i. e. They will meet with their Prayers and Duties entered on the File for their review as an additional to their eternal Delights 3. You have here insinuated the Certainty and Importance of this Truth 1. The Commandment to write they are weighty things usually committed to Ink and Paper and that for duration also Littera Scripta manet 2. The Commander the Spirit I heard a Voice from Heaven saying write c. THE second place is Heb. 4 19. There remaineth therefore a Rest to the People of God Their rest is not in this World but in another and they enter upon it in the moment of Death therefore they have then ground of triumphing I shall add to these the Experiences of Three Worthies The first was David's 2 Sam. 23.5 Althô my House be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure For this is all my Salvation and all my Desire althô he make it not to grow David was now on the brink of Eternity taking a view of the past and present Disorders of his House and Heart yet rejoyces and triumphs in the view of the Covenant of Grace and his Interest in it and the influence it had on the Eternity he was entring into The second was that of faithful Stephen that glorious Proto-Martyr who when the Stones that dashed out his Brains and Life flew about his Ears cryed out triumphantly Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Acts 7.59 THE last I shall mention is the Experience of the blessed Apostle Paul Phil. 1.23 For I am in a straight betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better But very pat and pertinent to the purpose 2 Cor. 5.1 c. He being harrassed with Labours Perils and Sufferings at the apprehension of the time of his departure being at hand triumphs thus v. 1. For we know that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a Building of God an House not made with Hands eternal in the Heavens HAVING thus from the Holy Scriptures of Truth proved the Doctrine I shall proceed to the explication of it 'T IS undeniable That Contraries do the better illustrate one another as black Spots make a white Skin shine the brighter and a Black-a-Moor is a Foil to set off an European Therefore I shall illustrate this Truth by another Contrary that I might the more emphatically explain it which is this The triumph of Death over an Unbeliever and thus lay down the Doctrine to be explained DEATH in Death triumphs over the Unbeliever and the Believer triumphs over Death in dying I shall begin with the first Branch viz. Death in Death triumphs over the Unbeliever and as the Spirit of the Lord shall assist me shew you in what respects 1. DEATH triumphs over the Unbeliever's sensual Pleasures Where are now says Death your vain Pleasures that you wantonly rolled your self in in your life time What are become of those jolly merry frolicksom hours that you lavish'd away with your frothy Companions Where are now your drunken Cups and Glasses and your riotous Feasts with which you so often drowned and glutted your sensual Appetite What do they profit you now What pleasure do you find now from your former repeated acts of Lusts and Beastliness What relish now from those brutish tickling of swinish Delights What does all your vain Merriment avail you now What fruit have you from those Things that formerly you reckoned your Heaven and Happiness Instead of Pleasures you now shall have your belly full of everlasting Torments Now your merry Moments are turned into an eternity of Sorrows Now instead of swimming in Wine and luxuriously feeding on Dainties you shall swim world without end in fiery Streams of burning Brimstone You shall drink your Tears and feed on your own tortur'd Flesh in endless and never-ceasing Misery Now the flame of your Lust is succeeded by a hotter flame even the flame of divine Vengeance Now instead of your frothy Spirit and vain Laughter you shall have enough of howling weeping and gnashing of Teeth Nay you shall carry with you all your Lusts and Corruptions to Hell not to please you but to pain you The same Water that the Fish swims in with delight if beated over the Fire will be the Fish's torment THE Sins you acted with pleasure in the World you shall act the same in great measure in Hell but to your eternal torturing You shall there act your Revenges but wound none with its poison'd Arrows but your own Soul You shall there have your covetous Desires enlarged as wide as the Hell you are in but it will only be your pain and punishment Your own Lusts there shall be the Flames that will scorch you Come thou trembling Wretch will Death say to the place of sinning and the place of punishment and thy very sinning shall be thy punishment Oh! then will Death insult in the words of the Wise-man Whatsoever thine Eyes desired thou keptest not from them Thou withheldest not thy Heart from any Joy Eccles 2.10 And now all will be Vanity and Vexation of Spirit to thee part of v. 11. And also in those Words as are written Luke 12.19 Thou hast long said to thy Soul Soul take thine ease eat drink and be mâ—rry But thou Fool I am come this Night to require thy Soul of thee part of v. 20. And to add no more Death will only change the Moods and Tenses in that portion of holy Writ Eccles 11.9 insulting thus Thou hast rejoyced Oh! Young Man in thy youth and thy Heart has cheered thee in the days of thy youth Thou hast walked in the ways of thine heart and in the sight of thine Eyes but know thou now thou trembling Wretch that for these things I am sent by the God of Justice to bring thee into Judgment CONSIDER this thou voluptuous sensual Wretch thou Drunkard thou Belly-slave thou unclean Beast thou Blasphemer thou Swearer thou Reveller and Persecuter consider this and ponder it in thy Heart thou must ' ere long come upon a Death-bed this greisly King of Terrors will stare thee in the
Assaults and fiery Darts to terrifie with these several ways of Attacks is the poor Believer harrassed as long as he lives but in Death he can insult over all Thus then can the Believer vaunt it Satan thou hast long tortured me with throwing in wicked and blasphemous Suggestions and then perswadedst me to my great Terrour I had sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost Thou shalt no longer be able to throw in any more of thy fiery Insinuations I am now beyond the reach of any of thy Darts Thou hast always endeavoured to tempt me to sin and then to make me question my Interest But now I shall sin no more nor question my Interest any longer I shall not now be tempted any more to Despair on the one hand nor presume on the other Thou darest not appear where I am going Thou vile Satan I shall be disturbed with thee no longer I shall have no further Concerns with thee till I come with my Lord to sit in Judgment upon thee at the great Day Sixthly and lastly THE Believer can thus triumph over the World which is the last thing that goes to make up the Sting of Death Thou empty confused World that didst use to terrify me with thy Threats I defy thee and them now and wast wont to allure me with thy Flatteries I am above their Undermining now I scorn thy Rattles and thy painted Beads and thy airy Bubbles I dread not now thy haggard Face nor shall I any more be moved with thine Enchantments It will add to my Pleasure in my Mansions of Glory to see thee burnt for thy Witchcraft I shall no more dread thy mighty Hunters nor be aw'd with thy grim Tyrants nor be enslaved in Body nor Conscience by thy bloody Laws now be harrased with brutish Executioners There are no oppressing Magistrates no Catch-poles nor Informers in the place I now enter to Nay now I tread under foot all in thee that is enticing I set Health Wealth Pleasures Honours Friends Relations and all in one Scale and my dear Fore-runner in the other and that Scale weighs down now to the Ground I now go to the heavenly Jerusalem and that better Country where I shall have better Riches and more durable Substance better Honours better Pleasures and far better Relations Thus will the Believer then triumph over Death and whatsoever goes to make up the Sting of it BUT Secondly The Believer can triumph over every thing else in Death that is formidable To instance in one for many Nature abhors a Dissolution and the Soul though it has but a bad Lodging does not care to be turned out of Doors It s tenement of Clay it cares not to be dislodged of though its all over tattered and needs Repairs It shrinks back at entring into a new way of acting separate from the Body when it has all the while been accustomed to act only by such an Organ It has been used to such a poor Garment yet as sorry as it is it knows not how to be undressed of it and made naked Whereas now in the Moment of Death that 's over to the Believer It can cry then like his Master giving up the Ghost All is finished It sees a better House to go to upon its being dispossessed of this even the Fathers House that has many Mansions And a better Garment to be cloathed with even his elder Brother's glorious Robe of curious Embroidery And can triumph in the Words of the Apostle varying a little the Form of speaking 2 Cor. 5.1 2. c. I now see that my earthly House of this Tabernacle being dissolved I have a Building of God an House not made with Hands eternal in the Heavens In this I have groaned earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with my House which is from Heaven I am sure being so cloathed I shall not be found naked For I that in this Tabernacle did groan being burdened not for that I would be uncloathed but cloathed upon And now Mortality shall be swallowed up of Life THUS the Believer triumphs over this Terror of Death and every thing else in Death that is terrible And thus I have finished the first Branch of my Doctrine viz. That the Believer in Death triumphs over Death in reference to his Soul I should pass away now to various Uses but time will not permit I shall therefore wind up this Branch with one Word of Exhortation to poor Sinners O you poor perishing Sinners over whom my Bowels yearn In my Master's Name I beg that you would suffer a Word of Exhortation You must needs be all perswaded firmly of this that you must once die and you know not how soon You may perhaps go to bed well and never see Morning Would you then in that instant of time avoid being insulted over by Death and triumph over that cruel Dragon Death and his fatal Sting then look up to that brazen Serpent the blessed Jesus erected on the Pole of Gods Word the only Hope set before you in the Gospel O fly to it for Refuge Would you glory over that King of Terrors and all his Dread 2 Tim. 2.1 Be strong in the Grace that is in Christ Jesus Would you die the Death of the Righteous then you must live the Life of the Righteous and we are told what that is Rom. 1.17 The Just shall live by Faith Believe in the Lord Jesus the exalted Prince and Saviour and his God-like Righteousness and earnestly beg of the Lord for the Revelation of the Righteousness of God to you from Faith to Faith Rom. 1.17 That so when that Faith is going to be swallowed up of Vision you may triumph over Death and all its Terrors in respect of your precious and immortal Soul The Second SERMON 1 Cor. 15.55 O Grave Where is thy Victory SOME of you may remember that from the Words opened and Explained I raised this general Observation THAT every true Believer in the Moment of his Death can triumph over Death and the Grave as well in reference to his Soul as to his Body I divided it into two Branches the first whereof was this That a Believer in the Moment of his Death can triumph over Death in respect of his Soul which I have dispatched and now proceed to handle the second viz. THAT a Believer in Death can triumph over the Grave in respect of his Body I judge it most convenient to use the same Method in the Prosecution of this Branch as I did in the former viz. to illustrate it by its contrary and therefore lay it down thus to be spoken to THE Grave can triumph over the Unbelievers Body but the Believer can triumph over the Grave in respect of his Body SINNERS are apt to make Gods of their Bodies honouring them excessively with Food Rayment Lodging and the like and to glory in the Health Beauty and Strength of their Bodies but the Grave will trample upon all these Instead of delicious Wine and choice
Dainties the Grave will fill their Mouths and Bellies with Dust Their Silks and Laces and abominable impudent whorish Head dresses their proud and lofty Crests shall be exchanged for stinking Rottenness odious Filth and crawling Maggots And instead of their stately Houses and Down Beds they must be content to take up with a dark Hole and a cold Bed of Clay The most vigorous Health then is vanished a little pitiful Vermine can there deal with the stoutest Hector and the strongest Sampson The fairest Face will soon prove as dismal there as the foulest Monster The most exquisite Beauty look as squallid and as horrid as the ugliest Blackamoor and none shall be able to see any Difference between the rotten Skull of the one and the other But having spoken somewhat to these things already and being desirous to hasten to other Matter I shall here put a Conclusion to this and only add three or four things to be considered in Death wherein Death and the Grave triumphs over a Sinners Body but the Believer triumps over Death and the Grave c. I shall speak to both the Contraries together by way of Antithesis 1. NATURAL Death to the Wicked is an entrance to eternal Death Heb. 9.27 And 't is appointed to Men once to die but after this the Judgment The Righteous Law of God has so ordered it for Sinners that Death as a Sergeant shall arrest and cast their Bodies to the Grave as to a Dungeon there to be reserved in Deaths Chains to the Judgment of the great Day But natural Death to the Godly is a Passage to eternal Glory and Death like a skilful Chymist takes their Bodies and puts them into the Alembick of the Grave and there distils them into pure spiritual and glorious Bodies against the great Day but more of this hereafter 2. NATURAL Death to the Wicked is a part of the penal Sentence of the Law Gen. 2.17 For in the Day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die The Law threatned a threefold Death spiritual temporal and eternal The Hebraism in the Original is emphatical to the Purpose dying thou shalt die To me having this Force dying in thy Body thou shalt die eternally in thy Soul 'T is evident that to the Ungodly natural Death is a part of that punishment inflicted by the righteous Law of God and what Death is the Grave is the same If one be the Laws Jaylor to the Body the other is the Laws Prison But to the Godly 't is far otherwise For as Death has lost his Sting to them so has the Grave 'T is not to them penal but purely natural the putting off the old Adam that the second Adam may take possession of the whole Body The Apostle in 1 Cor. 15. discoursing of the Necessity of the natural Death of Believers argues thus That the old Adam had first took possession of the Elect Vessels Bodies V. 46. That what of the old Adam is there is earthly and tends to Earth and Dissolution V. 47. It being the proper Nature thereof V. 48. Concludes thus that the Image of the old Adam on the Body must be wholly laid aside and that by Death so that the Image of the second might take sole and full Possession V. 49. As we have born the Image of the Earthy we shall also bear the Image of the Heavenly 3. NATURAL Death is a separation of the Body from all Life and thus it is to the Wicked Their Dust dwell alone in the Grave united to nothing only there reserved by an Almighty Power of God in an extraordinary way for the Glory of his Justice hereafter But the Dust of the Godly in their Graves are united to the Body of Christ now in Heaven and there is held still a secret Correspondence between their scattered Dust and the Life of Jesus who in this sence is the Resurrection and the Life To make this more evident 't is to be considered 1. That the Person of the Believer both Body and Soul in the first act of Faith is united to the Person of Christ yea joyned to the Body of Christ Rom. 7.4 2. That by vertue of this Union the second Adam takes Possession of the Body as well as the Soul as proved afore from 1 Cor. 15.45 to 50. especially 46. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual but that which is natural and afterward spiritual Observe that the Apostles Discourse must be here confined to the Bodies of the Saints for it is the Resurrection of their Bodies he is a proving 3. The Believer holds his natural Life upon another tenure than he did formerly even from the second Adam by vertue of his Implantation into him The great Apostle Paul in the 2 Cor. 4. declaring how his Body had been supported in the Work of Christ under all Perils Pains Watchings Labours Imprisonments c. almost insupportable declares the Cause V. 10. That it was from the Life of Jesus made manifest in his Body repeating the same in the last Clause of the 11th Verse only instead of Body there he writes mortal Flesh All which thus explained does evidently prove that the Bodies of the Saints derive now their natural Life in great measure from another Root 4. As an undeniable Consequence of this that that Life the Body holds from Christ does not quite vanish as that of the first Adam does but is gathered up into Christ and retreats back to him the Root as the Sap of Trees in Winter Time falls down from the Branches to the Root And I take that to be the Meaning of that place of holy Writ or at least I may allude to it Col. 3.3 Your Life is hid with Christ in God especially because of the following Verse when Christ who is our Life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in Glory which Glory respects the Body as well as the Soul 'T is to me plain that there is a secret Commerce between the Living glorious Body of an exalted Jesus and the Dust of a deceased Believer which may be further proved from Mat. 22.31 32. The Argument Christ himself uses to prove the Resurrection of the Dead and the force of his Argument I apprehend to lye here That God calls himself the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob though dead That God is not the God of the Dead but of the Living therefore that though Abraham Isaac c. were dead yet they were still united to the living God and by Vertue of those secret Beams of Life from him the inseparable Effects of that Union that still corresponded and preserved their mouldered Bodies in the Grave they should be raised up at the last Day This sence of the Place seems to be confirmed from the Answer of our Lord Jesus to Martha's Objection against the present Resurrection of her Brother John 11.34 Martha saith unto him I know that he shall rise again in the Resurrection at the last day John 35. Jesus saith
as another What a wonderful Word is that A Man may die with that Word in his Mouth The free Gift is of many Offences unto Justification Then added And though my Flesh and my Heart faileth God is the Strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever Another time being somewhat clouded and speaking of the Grace of God I cannot demand it nor have I deserved it But being asked if he would not accept of it Yes reply'd he very thankfully Towards Night he grew more distressed for several Friends being gathered about him he looked upon them dolefully and said Oh I tremble being asked at what he answered at the possibility of Perishing One then sitting by that knew how it was with him told him it was impossible he being helped through Grace to commit his Soul into such Hands It was said further None can pull you out of his Hands He speaks a little after Poor Hearts you are willing to hope the best I wish you are not mistaken You know said he to his Wife Dear oppressed Nature will cry out for Relief but being answered that oppressed Nature could not rest on Christ for Salvation or to this Effect he was silent Next Morning he was much complaining that he was to die and do Christ no Service in the World He cryed out Oh that I might live but one Year but may be if I should I would be wicked But yet said he I think verily if I know my Heart I am willing to imbrace Christ on his own Terms I think verily if I was to live the strictest Life as ever Saint lived yet I think I could embrace none but Christ A little after being full of Complaints as to his Soul it was told him Yesterday you could say though my Heart and my Flesh faileth c. He answered But I cannot say so to day Some time after his Faith began to mount up and being melted under the Sence 〈◊〉 God's Grace to him he said If I had strength I would soon make my Confession Town-Talk I need not tell the Town what my Life hath been they know that very well But I would have them know the difference between them that have Grace and them that have none Monday about Noon Mr. Bear came to visit him and asked him What art thee going now to Christ He answered Better now than ever But he was so weak and laboured with such Difficulty of Breathing that he could scarce speak which he expressed himself saying That if it were to save his Life he could not speak yet desired Mr. Bear that he would wrestle and strive with God in Prayer for him that he might be helped sincerely to close with Christ A little after finding his Weakness increase upon him he spake thus I am brought to the Dust of Death That Night which was the Night before he departed about nine a Clock he grew weaker and weaker and fetch'd his Breath shorter and shorter Being a little lifted up on his Pillow he lifted up his Hands and bad all farewell After which he drew his Breath as one just departing being as 't was thought past speaking was spoke to by a Friend thus putting him in mind of his own Expression Blessed be God for Jesus Christ whereat he was heard to say softly Amen Then his dear Relation added Christ the Fore-runner is for thee entred Then he with a pleasant Countenance nodded his Head being not able to speak And now Death indeed was in his Face in all its Symptoms and all concluded him just a dying when all of a suddain his Blood returned into his Face Vigor and liveliness into his opened Eyes and with a Voice exceeding loud as if he had rose from the Dead on purpose to give in his dying Testimony for free Grace he thus spake triumphantly I know that my Redeemer liveth and that with these Eyes I shall see him and not anothers Come Lord Jesus come quickly Come Lord Jesus come quickly Come Lord Jesus come quickly These Words he spake with such Vehemence that he made the whole House to eccho when afore he could scarce be heard if one laid his Ear to his Mouth and then continued thus with no less Accent and Affection I am no more afraid to die than I am to shut my Eyes I am no more afraid to die than I am to go to sleep God loves me dearly and I love God dearly I am sure he will do me no hurt Lord strike the Blow and the Work is done I long to be gone I long to see Jesus Christ O that all the Town might ring of God's free Grace to me What at the last Hour too Who would have thought of this a few Weeks ago Nothing less than Eternity is sufficient to admire free Grace This is blessed Work indeed This is Dying indeed Thy Father said he turning to his Wife will wonder to see me in Heaven He little thinks I am so near him His Wife asked him if he thought she should ever come where he was a going He answered I do not question it thou nor the poor Children neither Through God's Grace his dying Prophesie is in a likely way to be accomplished in all of them You will not be long after me Come one Bosom will hold us all He that hath begun the good Work in them meaning his Children will carry it on till the Day of Jesus Christ A Friend hearing him speak so heartily said Sir I hope you may live still He replied Oh do not tell me so I do not love to hear of that Ear I would not come back again for thousands of Gold and Silver but what the Lord will I am wholly swallowed up in Gods Soveraign will After he was spent with speaking he said I can speak no more I hope you are all satisfied Fare you well expecting as it seems he should have gone immediately to Heaven But it pleased the Lord to order it otherwise and to continue him till the next Night though under some Regret for he presently added Oh! I thought I had been going so sweetly but I am here still and next Morning hearing some Friends discoursing about the Distress he had been in he said to them but the Lord has now fully satisfied me Yet by reason his Dissolution was delayed it occasioned further Temptation and a black Cloud arose upon his Soul after all this glorious Sun-shine He burst out into such bitter Expressions as these God has forsaken me and I am afraid 't is a sore Judgment of God upon me that I lye in such a Condition I am afraid least I have deceived my self with false Hopes Some time after the beginning of his Distress there appeared on him Convulsive Fits whereupon he said to his Wife I have Fits She answered I am afraid you have He added I am almost frighted out of my Wits Being asked at what He replied At the Awfulness of Death This Conflict lasted for some time but the Lord was pleased to return again as was perceived for his Soul was composed and still His Fits ceased though his Strength was gone that he could speak but litttle However this for Satisfaction was had from him a little before he departed He said would I was up His Wife answered That would be a pleasant Sight indeed to see thee up again to tell us what thou hast seen on this sick Bed He answered I have seen that here which hath made my Heart and the Hearts of many more glad It was then told him you may see now what Satan's Temptations are when God permits him he will rob a Child of God of his Comforts but that is all he can do And it is a great All too said he it was that which made my Life a Burthen to me Being asked if he did not believe he should have Comfort again He answered Yes but did not know when But it was not long before he had it to the full for now he fell into a sweet Sleep the best he had for many Days in which Sleep he quietly slept in Jesus Thus I have given you an Account of some of his Death bed Experiences in whom though now dead he yet speaketh to you the Living and invites you all to partake of the same Grace with him that you may enter into the same Glory â—e now is in Have a care as I cautioned you afore to suck Poison to the Ruine of your own Souls out of this Instance of God's Free Rich and Glorious Grace but make this Improvement of it to stir you up now to accept of and venture on the boundless Grace of God in Christ Jesus Consider what has been said and the Lord give you Vnderstanding in all things His EPITAPH Here lies interred The Body of Mr. John Bigg Who departed this Mortal Life When he had seen his thirty seventh Year On the twenty eighth Day of January Anno Domini 1689. Cropt in his full blown Age if we by Grace His time compute he liv'd but five Weeks space Dead whilst alive in dying Life begins Short Race of Life But what a Crown he wins In Sin him Death attacks but Grace steps in And makes him Triumph over Death and Sin Thus by Christ's Death in death he 's made to cry Death where 's thy Sting Grave where 's thy Victory Now to the only wise God be Glory and Dominion World without end Amen FINIS