say I have a soul dead to all the Actions Motions Sensations Injoyments of a Divine and Spiritual life And shall it be always thus by our own Consent with any of us We have however the rational intellectual Life and can think Do we think 't is fit for us to rest satisfy'd and secure in such a state What satisfy'd in the midst of Death such a Death while we are capable of apprehending at once the horror the danger and the remedibleness of our Case What will this come to It can only be Holy Divine Life that must be Victorious over Death as the warring opposite principle If there be nothing to oppose it what shall Conquer Death is in that Case Total and upon such termes till Life begin to spring in thy Soul thou must reckon it likely to be Eternal Yet let none so mistake as to imagine this Life an Enthusiastical thing that must discover it self in rapturous extatical motions or go for nothing It perfects our Faculties therefore destroyes them not And chiefly consists in a rational Judgment Choice and Love of what is most worthy of us what is fittest to be done by us and what is with fullest satisfaction to be enjoyed with a stedfast most resolved adherence thereunto 4thly This saying ought to be Instructive to us in reference especially to this one thing i. e. That we abstain from rash Censures of Providence That God lets death be regnant in so great a part of his creation so long a time It shall be swallowed up in victory let that solve with us the Phaenomenon It seems indeed an untoward one and might at first be an amazing spectacle even to the Blessed Angels themselves to behold so great a revolt in Heaven and afterwards to take notice of an intelligent world of Creatures beneath them successively thorough one first delinquent drawn in as Complices into a like defection and Death hereby spreading its horrid shadow and extending its power over so great and so noble a part of the Universe Committing such Wasts making such desolations from Age to Age in so great a part of the Creation of God! But there are many alleviating Considerations that should compose our Spirits to a rational quietude and be satisfying and pacifying to our minds with reference to this thing Let me but name some few to you which I shall leave with you for this purpose 1. Do but consider how minute a part of the Creation of God this Globe this point this punctilio rather of our earth is where death has reigned and so long had place 2. Consider how much of life there is in and about this little World of ours When upon one single Mole-Hill you see the brisk motions and efforts of so many hundred Lives you have reason to apprehend there is a great deal of Vitality about this little spot of Earth 3. Consider and Collect how probable it is that as we go higher and higher the nobler and finer parts of Gods Creation must be much more replenished with a nobler and more excellent sort of life It is very unreasonable to think that this Clod of Earth should be so full of Life and that in higher and purer Regions there should not be a richer plenitude of life or of such Inhabitants as live nobler and more excellent Lives than we And 4. For ought we know death never reaches higher than this earth of ours and what is in a nearer vicinity to it And that therefore there be vast and ample Regions incomparably beyond the range of our Eye or Thought where now no Death ever comes after the detrusion of the first revolters from those bright Regions When we are told Eph. 4. 10. our Lord Jesus Christ is ascended far above all heavens as it were a fond attempt to pretend to count them so it were rash Philosophizing to go about to describe them But can we suppose them spacious wild Wasts Or not suppose them replenished with numberless numbers of excellent Creatures that in their confirmed state fear no Death And continually pay a willing joyful Homage to their Great Preserver For every knee must bow to him of things in heaven Phil. 2. 10. And when we are told Eph. 1. 20 21. God hath set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places far above all Principality and Power and Might and Dominion and every Name c. And 1 Pet. 3. 22. That he is on the Right hand of God Angels and Authorities and Powers being made subject to him Tho' we cannot form distinct thoughts what those Dynastics Principalities and Dominions are yet we cannot but suppose those unconceivably vast and ample Regions fully Peopled with immortal Inhabitants that reign in life in a more excellent sense For it being said our Lord ascended far above all Heavens that he might fill all things Eph. 4. 10. This must suppose sutable Recipients And if his influences reach down in such plenty to our minute Earth as ver 11 12 13. how copious are they here 5thly Consider That here where Death has made its inrode tho' the Apostate Spirits surround us and incompass this Earth of ours and go to and fro throwing Death among us every where yet even here is a glorious off-spring continually arising the Redeemers Seed in whom a Divine Life is gradually springing up from Age to Age. So that at length they make a great multitude which no man can number standing before the Throne clothed with white Robes and as Ensigns of Victory having palmes in their hands Rev. 7. 9. Here is life then disseminated through all this death that inwraps our World Which for ought we know is the Center of Death it may be here for ought we can tell and no where else here or hereabouts And yet even here an Holy Divine Life is insinuating and spreading it self even among us over whom death has reigned and there are great numbers that having received abundance of Grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ Rom. 5. 17. Here 's supposed a Kingdom with a Counter-Kingdom and one Head against another One that brought in Death and Condemnation upon the World but another that brings in righteousness and life And that here even in this lower Region The Redeemer should have so large a Portion we know not how large This very much narrows the confines of Death And let it be further considered 6thly That where Death shall be perpetual it is there but self-procured They only lye under Death that lov'd it All they that hate me love death Prov. 8. 36. They inwrap themselves in death they make a covenant with it That Sin which is Death which carries Death and Hell in it self that they lov'd 'T was so 't is true with the rest that finally perish not but it was not always so The Grace of God made a difference not to be quarrell'd at when striving with many it is victorious with some But
now upon the Confines of that World of perfect Purity Bliss and Joy and having so great an assurance that the intermediate Death we are to go through is no sooner suffered than overcome We should deal closely with our selves in this Do we think this saying a Fable or a Trifle Have these Words no meaning We should labour to come to a point and say If we have no reason to dis-believe them we will believe them absolutely and live as having gain'd our point and overcome already i. e. who are as sure of Victory as of Death Some overcome by dying as others are overcome by it There are who are not hurt by the second Death If Death strike once it thereby puts it out of its own power ever to strike a second time or hurt them more Let us once bring our case to that state as to live in continual defiance of Death let it strike when it will Dependance only on the Grace and Spirit of Christ must give us this confidence not an opinion that we are our selves strong enough to act separately but that knowing our relation to him we are thorough him that loved us more than Conquerours or as that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 27. may be understood to signifie We are a glorious Triumphant sort of Conquerours We not only Conquer but Triumph too through him that loved us being perswaded that neither Death nor Life shall separate us from his Love So a noted Expositor understands that word observing how great a delight this Apostle takes when he would heighten a matter in the use of that particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is elsewhere said Colos. 3. 3. Ye are dead but your life c. We are dead i. e. in our selves we are a sort of dead or dying Creatures Death hath almost got the possession of us already has partly seised and partly sentenced us to die and irreversibly This the Apostle intimates where he adds what you have heard Ye have a Life bid with Christ in God that Life is safe and out of the reach of Death no Death can ouch that Life They that are born of God have in reference to this Life though the other must be given up a self-preserving principle and power in them 1 Joh. 5. 18. They keep themselves that the Evil One touches them not that is not mortally or with any deadly touch In having a new holy divine Life they have an assuring pledge also of the permanency perpetuity and everlastingness of it If a man have once drank of that water which Christ gives it shall be in him a perpetual fountain a well of water springing up into everlasting life Joh. 4. 14. Are we Christians and with the springings of this life do we not feel a lively joy springing and exulting in our Hearts Add vital Christianity to the rational Nature and loathness to dye is a repugnancy and a reproach to both Christianity so plainly stating our Case Reason should judge upon it And sutable affections arise in us thereupon as they would if our Christianity were vital and the product of the Divine Spirit Then how should we bless God that we are Mortal and that it is not in the Power of all this World to keep us from dying out of it when we know in how glorious a Victory that Death will be swallowed up But it may be said by some We should very little fear death if we did know our interest in Christ if we were not in great uncertainty and had not our hearts hanging in doubt within us about this thing And therefore 3dly This saying should be Monitory to us As it is a Credible as it is a Comfortable so it is a Monitory saying also Death shall be swallowed up in victory This said in reference to some which cannot be meant as to all So great a thing spoken with restriction ought to make them of whom it is not meant look about them With what solicitude should we concern our selves to be at a certainty Am I one of them in reference to whom Death shall be swallowed up in such a Victory It should awaken us to consider Have we made our Interest sure in our Lord Jesus Christ that great Prince and Lord of Life He that hath the Son hath life 'T is Eternal Life that is spoken of in that Context 1 Joh. 5. 11 12. This is the record that God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son That is this Eternal Life He that hath the Son hath this Life he that hath not the Son hath not this Life Spiritual Life and Eternal Life are all one all of a piece the same in nature and kind The One will grow up into the other That Life only is here meant that will be Eternal Life To the same sense is that He that believeth in me shall never dye Joh. 11. 26. These are plain words He hath a life in him that is Immortal Sacred and not liable to be touched It was before said They that believe in him if dead shall live ver 25 But not only that but 't is further added they that believe in him shall never dye If dead they shall live If they live they shall never dye What means this that they have a life besides this bodily one which is continued thorough Death Of this line or thred Death makes no intercision But we can never justify it to God or our own understandings to rest in a dubious uncertainty about a matter of so vast Consequence as this Unconcernedness here is the most unaccountable thing in the whole World i e. whether we have only that life in us which will end in the darkness and rottenness of a Grave and an horrid Hell or that which runs into Eternal Life Things will come to this issue very shortly with us that either death must as to us be swallowed up in victory or we be swallowed up of victorious death Nor have we any ways to ascertain our own state but as was said by uniting with the Prince of life i. e. by receiving him in all the Capacities wherein we are to be concern'd with him and by resigning our selves entirely to him For if we must have him that we may have life How can we otherwise have him but by receiving him The Gospel under which we live can only be a savour of life to us as it disposes us hereunto Recollect your selves then How do your Lords Dayes and other Seasons of attending this Gospel pass over with you Have you long expected Life and which is less likely do you meet with continual and total disappointments And doth it cause with you no qualmish thoughts But 't is infinitely a sadder Case if you never feel your selves begin to live and yet are never disappointed because you never attend upon the Gospel-Dispensation with any such design or hope Is the matter thus that If you speak the Truth of your Case you must
and sedate all along Only so much does deserve a remark That she was prepossest with an Apprehension that she should dye suddenly so much of Gods secret he was pleased to impart to her as he sometimes does to more inward Friends That discovery he vouchsaf't to her as to a Favourite to let her have some kind of pre-signification that her passage out of this World should be very quick whensoever it came and so it was that sitting in her Chair amidst familiar Discourse in a dimidiated Sentence she made a full stop and life was ended before that could have an end Now certainly the Decease of such a one ought not to be lamented with that bitter Sorrow as if there were no such thing as this that Death were certainly to be swallowed up in Victory in an intire and compleat Victory with reference to such a one It seems indeed in such Cases as was said to you before unto the judgment of our sense that Death only overcomes we see not beyond that It turns a living Creature into a dead Clod and so it is laid among such it is buried in the Grave our Sight goes no further But when we are perswaded by the Word of the Lord that this mortal shall put on immortality and this corruptible incorruption and death be swallowed up in such a Victory as you have heard certainly this takes away the cause of all bitter and reliefless sorrow I am not unapprehensive that Reverend Brother whom this stroke touches more nearly is much fitter to administer this consolation than receive it from such a one as I. But as we may any of us put in for our share as our case may require and can admit in what is so generally spoken with reference to Christians dying in the Lord and their surviving fellow-Christians that as yet live in him 1 Thes. 4. from verse 13 onward to the end So we are directed to comfort one another therewith Be patient I pray you while I present to you this Most sutable Portion of Scripture I would not have you to be ignorant Brethren concerning them which are asleep that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope For if we believe that Jesus dyed and rose again even them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-Angel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we be ever with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words We shall be in a great promptitude and disposition of Spirit to do so if these words be lookt upon as Divine sayings as the words of the Living and Immortal God My Friends do you not find there is Spirit in these words Is there not strong Consolation in them How can we but think so unless our whole Religion be with us but a Fable This concerns us all upon the common Christian account who are but a residue a remnant escaped and exempted a-while from being part of the Spoils and Triumphs of Death which hath slaughtered and thrown into the dust probably a much greater number of our Friends and Relatives than we our selves do make who are left behind And 't is likely we have been most of us divers times Mourners upon such occasions This shews upon what account and in what case we may intermingle very reviving Consolations with our Sorrows and that we ought freely as the occasion recurres to apply it to our selves and one another But I withal think there may be somewhat of more special import tending to repress intemperate Sorrow on such an occasion in that of Ezekiel 24. 16. I think there may be somewhat I say collected besides what was more peculiar and appropriate by way of signal to the Prophet himself that may reach the last mention'd Case It was a thing injoined upon him that he should not mourn nor weep nor should his tears run down when God should take away from him the desire of his eyes with a stroke I reckon that as we have seen Christians should not mourn like other men so the Lords Prophets are not to mourn altogether like others of his People but somewhat more of restraint they are to put upon themselves that they may discover an higher excellency or somewhat a greater measure of that spirit of faith ruling in them that gives a great allay to present things whether good or evil as it begets clearer and more vivid apprehensions of things yet-future and out of sight And that as all believers should endeavour in things of common concernment to all to be exemplary to one another and to other men so they who are so much nearer to God in Office and Relation should be examples to Believers in Conversation Spirit Faith 1 Tim. 4. 12. 2. This should be very comfortable too unto them that are in union with Christ in reference to their own future death which they are continually to expect Death is often saying to us repeatedly and very sensibly to our very Bone and our Flesh You shall be my Prey shortly at least sooner or later It is ready to make its seisure upon us when we do not know but we are sure some time it will But my Friends it does not become Christians to look upon this thing called Death as so formidable a thing as it is commonly reckoned it is ignominious to our profession not to be indured amongst them that have Life and Immortality brought to light and set in view before their Eyes in the Gospel such as profess to be united with Christ who hath Life in himself and imparts it to all that are so united such a Life hid with Christ in God And hope that when he who is their Life shall appear shall appear with him in Glory It becomes not such to dye continually by the fear of dying or that the very thoughts of Death should be deadly to them This is remote from what was much observed to be the Temper and Character of Primitive Christians An Heathen Prince who throughly understood them not Censures them too hardly as being in the other extream though he at length became kinder to them as if they rashly threw themselves upon Death Whereas he says the Soul should rationally and becomingly be in readiness to be loosed from the body But how come we to lose our Character and our Glory How degenerated a thing is the Christianity of our age To dye without regret is counted an attainment it should be with gladness As Psal. 16. 9 10 11. and upon the Considerations there mention'd as being