and delusions that are in the hearts of sinners such instances would not be rare but it would be a wonder how any sinner could die in his sin and in his wits too from such a fear as this Believers are delivered Though they may and do experience some measure of fears yet God doth always support with some degree of hope that they let not go all their hold of the Covenant of God In a word Believers are so far victorious over the fear of death that if they understand their case aright they have no cause to be afraid of death when they are they are more afraid than hurt The Hornet having lost its sting may threaten with its humming noise but cannot prick the flesh so death where sin is pardoned which is itssting may afright with its horrid aspect but cannot hurt 3. Death is overcome to Believers in that it cannot hold them by its power It is indeed the unalterable Law of Heaven that all must die And accordingly Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the Patriarchs Moses and Samuel and Isaiah and all the Prophets Peter and James and John and all the Apostles yea all the Saints from Adam to this generation are fallen asleep and shut up in their Graves But shall the Grave always contain them Are they there kept in an everlasting Prison under locks and bars that cannot be opened Did making the Sepulchre sure Sealing the stone and setting a Watch forbid Christs Resurrection No surely I went down saith Jonah a Type of the Resurrection to the bottoms of the Mountains the Earth with her bars was about me for ever yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption O Lord my God Jon. 2. 6. And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me saith Job ch 19. 26 27. Though the Saints be descended to the depths of the sea and hid in the bowels of the Earth and their bodies resolved into the farthest dust and that dust dispersed to the four Winds yet shall they be recovered and rise again The Sea shall not contain the dead that are in it nor the Graves the dead that are in them Their scattered atoms shall be recollected and reared up again to a goodly body Behold there shall be a shaking and their dry bones shall come together bone to his bone and lo the sinews and the flesh shall come up upon them and the skin shall cover them above And thus shall the Lord God say Come from the four Winds O breath and breath upon these slain that they may live and the breath shall come into them and they shall live and stand up upon their feet Ezek. 37. 7 8 10. This is it which the Apostle asserts here throughout the Chapter concluding that then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written Death is swallowed up in victory Object But what more victory is this than what unbelievers shall have for they also shall rise again Answ Yes it is more beyond all comparison Joh. 5. 28 29. All that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of life and they that have done evil to the Resurrection of damnation The wicked shall rise but from death Temporal to death Eternal to die the second death This is Death's Victory over them The Godly shall rise from Death temporal to Life eternal to die no more This is the Saints Victory over Death 4. Death is so overcome to Believers as to be made serviceable and advantageous to them And this is the fulness and perfection of Victory when the Enemy is brought in Subjection to serve the Conquerour The Apostle in this Epistle reckons Death to be part of the Saints Inventory ch 3. 21 22. All things are yours whether Paul or Apollos or Life or Death And elsewhere he calleth it gain Phil. 1. 21. to die is gain What gain Answ 1. In reference to the present state Death is 1 st The end of Sin With the body of Flesh the body of Sin is also put off from which St. Paul longed to be delivered Rom. 7. 24. Here the best of Saints have their corruptions infirmities imperfections but at Death the Spirits of just men are made perfect Heb. 12. 23. 2 ly The end of all Sorrows There are no Pains or Diseases or Griefs or Losses or Crosses or Persecutions in the Grave Job 3. 17 18 19. There the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary be at rest There the Prisoners rest together they hear not the voice of the Oppressor The small and great are there and the Servant is free from his Master 3. Rest from Labours It is no light burden of works that is upon a Christians hand no small labour to discharge the duties of his general and particular Calling What saith the Scripture Labour work watch run strive wrastle fight give diligence endure hardness press forward c. But blessed are the dead that die in the Lord for they rest from their labours Rev. 14. 13. The day of the Saints Death is his happy Jubilee when he is set at liberty and goeth out free from his Service Thus is Death gain in reference to the presence state 2. In reference to the future state for 1 st As for the Soul it being released from the body is admitted into the Heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable company of Angels to the Spirits of just men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant Heb. 12. This day saith Christ to a dying Saint shalt thou be with me in Paradise Luk. 23. 43. St. Paul desires to depart that he might be with Christ which is far better Phil. 1. 23. 2 ly As for the body Death serves to refine it for 1 Cor. 15. 50. This I say that Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God neither doth corruption inherit incorruption These bodies which we now carry are so gross and corruptible they are not meet for an heavenly state They die that they may be changed Phil. 3. 21. They are sown in corruption to be raised in incorruption sown in dishonour to be raised in Glory sown in weakness to be raised in power sown Natural bodies to be raised Spiritual The old decayed house is taken down to be built anew and these weak crasie bodies are laid in the Earth to rise afresh This corruptible is corrupted that it may put on incorruption and this Mortal dieth that it may put on Immortality Thus is this Enemy overcome and made to serve as a mean and advantage to the Believers happiness This indeed is a glorious Victory over a very mighty and formidable Enemy So great and wonderful that it far exceeds the hope of Nature Flesh and Blood cannot believe the report thereof Paul's discourse of the Resurrection
unto punishment He is overcome whose armour is taken from him wherein he trusted Luk. 11. 22. Thus it is with Death Where Sin hath no dominion Death hath none for Death reigneth by Sin Now as for the sins of believers God to whom belongeth the forgiveness of sins saith Isa 44. 22. I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgresons and as a cloud thy sins Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more Numb 23. 21. He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seen perversness in Israel Mic. 7. 18 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage Thou wilt Cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea Act. 10. 43. whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of Sins What God said to repenting and believing David that he saieth to all believers 2 Sam. 12. 13. The Lord hath put away your sin ye shall not die Ye shall not die by the venemous sting of Death This indeed is in effect the whole victory over death This is the fatal mortal wound given to Death and will in time be the very Death of Death and therefore the Apostle triumpheth over it on that account vers 55. O Death where is thy sting What Luther sometimes said to God that may every Believer say to Death Feri Domine said he Strike Lord. Feri mors feri may they say Nam a peccatis absolutus sum Strike Death strike for my sins are pardoned Thou mayest kill me but thou canst not hurt me 2. Death is overcome to Believers in that it cannot amaze them with despairing terrors However it be to others it is not to them the King of Terrors Believers are freed from the bondage of the tormenting fear of Death Heb. â— 15. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death saith David Psal 23. 4. I will fear no evil Elijah makes request for himself that he might die 1 King 19. 4. The three Children valiantly yielded their bodies to the fiery fornace Dan. 3. 16. 28. Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace saith good old Simeon Luk. 2. 29. Paul and Barnabas willingly hazarded their lives Act. 15. 16. Paul had a desire to be dissolved Phil. 1. 23. Those worthies Heb. 11. 35. would not accept deliverance The Primitive Martyrs would hasten to the stake Such Victory had they gotten of the fear of Death The grant of their Pardon and their discharge from Condemnation which God hath Sealed to them The peace of a good Conscience which they carry about with them Their apprehensions that their bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost which he will never desert or neglect Their assurance of the faithfulness and power of God into whose hands they commend their Spirit The fore-tasts of the sweetness of Communion with God and Jesus Christ to be fully enjoyed in the other world Their faith and hope of a blessed Resurrection to Immortality Their Evidences for Heaven These are powerful Arguments which they improve against the fear of Death and by the strength whereof they Triumph over it Object But for all this Are not Believers afraid to die Was not Abraham afraid when he thought he should be slain Gen. 20. 11. Did not David complain The terrors of death are fallen from me Ps 55. 4. Did not Hezekiah weep sore when it was said to him Thou shalt die Isa 38. 1. And who almost is not afraid Answ 1. There is a Natural fear of death as it is the dissolution of the Compositum a separation of Soul and Body which are so intimately united which is not sinful Believers are not free from this Grace doth not destroy Nature Nature will be Nature and act its part even in the best of Saints They who have the surest hope of Eternal life and clearest Evidences of their Salvation yea and have an unfained longing and desire after the Heavenly state have yet a natural aversness unto Death and do rather endure than desire it St. Paul saith for himself and other Believers that though they knew that if their Earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved they had a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens and groaned earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with their house which is from Heaven yet they had a natural Love of life and abhorrence of death and their groaning was not that they would be unclothed 2 Cor. 5. 1 2 4. yea our Lord Jesus Christ himself in whom was no sin being found in fashion as a man when he humbled himself and became obedient unto death experienced this fear as the proper expression of his humane Nature When his hour was come Mar. 14. 33 34. He taketh with him Peter and James and John and began to be sore amazed and to be very heavy and saith my Soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death 2. There is a slavish inordinate sinful fear of death which Believers overcome and from which they are freed It was one end of Christs death that he might deliver his redeemed from fear of death to which they were holden in bondage Heb. 2. 15. To which yet some Believers are subject yea it may be All at sometimes more or less This ariseth from weakness of Faith from want of assurance from Conscience of lapses and contracted guilt from neglecting to search their own hearts from misapprehending and mis-judging their Spiritual state from inordinate love to this life and world c. for which they must blame themselves Believers as such so far as they are Believers are victorious Did they walk close with God improve grace received examine their own state wisely and judge thereof rightly Did they take hold of the Covenant of God live by Faith meditate on the Promises and apply them as their Portion which becometh Believers they might and would get above the slavish fears of Death In this method they might be ready to die and fear no evil When the Christian can say with David Psal 23. The Lord is my Shepherd he maketh me to lie down in green pastures he leadeth me besides the still waters he restoreth my Soul he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness He will then add also Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil 3. There is a despairing fear The presumptions of Hell the pre-occupation of Torment the fore-tasts of the wrath of the Almighty the scorchings of the Lake that burneth with fire and Brimstone that driveth the sinner past all hope and overwhelms the Soul in hideous darkness and horrible Confusions Have there not been instances of some wretched guilty Souls going out of the body as the Devil out of the Demoniack Mar. 9. renting and taring and wallowing and foming and raging and roaring again And were it not for the Atheism ignorance infidelity blindness hardness searedness flattery
even as to them he hath abolished Death and brought life and immortality to light 2 Tim. 1. 10. Saith Christ Rev. 1. 18. I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen and have the keyes of Hell and Death The keyes are the Ensign of power Christ by his resurrection hath obtained authority over Death to quicken whom he pleaseth to shut and open the grave And his promise is to exercise this power for his people Joh. 6. 44. I will raise him up at the last day Hos 13. 14. I will ransome them from the power of the grave I will redeem them from death Notwithstanding all the improbabilities yea impossibilities in Nature yet he saith to them as to Cyrus Isa 54. 2. I will go before thee and break in pieces the Gates of Brass and cut in sunder the barrs of Iron On which account St. Peter begins his Epistle v. 3. with thanksgiving Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope i. e. hope of eternal life as v. 4. by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead It is observable what the Apostle saith here he hath begotten us by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ The Resurrection of Jesus Christ hath a secret generating influence upon the Resurrection of the Saints who are therefore called by our Saviour Luke 20. 36. The Children of the Resurrection which leadeth to 3. This Victory becomes the believers by participation and Communion with Him They communicate with him in the value of his satisfaction and they communicate with him in the vertue of his Resurrection 1. They communicate with him in the value of his Satisfaction whereby the sting of Death is taken out as to them to wit the guilt of sin done away By the Covenant of Redemption between the Father and Christ it was eternally agreed that Christ should be their Surrogate Substitute and Surety to undertake for them in their nature Joh. 10. 18. No man taketh my life from me but I lay it down of my self there is Christs Consent This Commandment have I received of my Father there 's the Fathers Consent So Hebr. 10. 7. Then said I Lo I come to do thy will O God Accordingly he became man and our surety and thereby one with us in the Sense of the Law as the principal debtor and Surety are looked upon as one person in Law Thus our debt became his debt he was bound for us and saith to his Father on our behalf as Judah to Joseph on the behalf of Benjamin Gen. 44. 32. 33. Thy Servant became Surety for the lad unto my Father Now therefore I pray thee let thy Servant abide in stead of the lad a bondman to my Lord And the punishment due to us became his Isa 53. 4 5. Surely he hath born our greifs and carried our Sorrows He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities c. And thus by vertue of the same Suretyship when he had undergone the punishment and Satisfied the Law and taken his discharge which was testified by his Resurrection His Satisfaction becomes our Satisfaction and his discharge our discharge Jer. 23. 6. He is the Lord our Righteousness Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us Rom. 8. 33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Who is he that Condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again No Law doth demand both of the principal and the Surety too They are bound to pay disjunctively one or the other Therefore when Christ was apprehended he said to the Officers that took him Joh. 18. 8. If ye seek me let these my disciples go their way 2. They communicate with him in the vertue of his Resurrection Christ rose from the dead not only as a surety discharged from prison when he had paid the debt and thereby cancelling the obligation of the principal but also as a vital head to quicken and raise all his body the Church For the same Spirit of life which is in Christ and quickened his dead body is also in the church and in every particular member thereof and will certainly quicken their dead bodies Rom. 8. 11. If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by or because of his Spirit that dwelleth in you He saith not your dead bodies but your mortal bodies to denote this quickening to be not only from death to life but from mortality to immortality as was the resurrection of Christ He that eateth me saith Christ Joh. 6. 5 7. that is by faith there is union with Christ even he shall live by me there is communion with Christ as necessarily consequent And what that life is he expresseth four times in that chap. ver 39 40 44 54. I will raise him up at the last day Hence Christ is said to be our life Col. 3. 4. and we are said to be quickened with Christ Col. 2. 13. and risen with Christ Eph. 2. 6. It is from the vertue of Christs Resurrection that Job argueth to his own Job 19. 25 26. I know that my Redeemer liveth c. And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God And this is the argument which the Apostles so industriously improves throughout this Chapter assuring the Resurrection of believers by the Resurrection of Christ Christ rose as the first-fruits of them that sleep which sanctifieth and assureth the whole harvest ver 20. If the first Adam dying derived Death to all his natural seed much more shall the second Adam rising communicate life to all his Spiritual seed ver 22. yea such intimate and necessary connexion is there between the Resurrection of Christ and the Resurrection of believers that the Apostle argueth both forward and backward from the one to the other ver 12 13 16. The Saints then shall one day feel the quickening influences of their vital head upon their dead bodies and experimentally know the power of his Resurrection Recovering them from the power of the grave to rise and live with him for ever Which is so certain that the Apostle speakes of it as already done Eph. 2 6. He hath raised us up Applicat 1. How sad and woful is the Case of unbelievers who have no share in this Glorious and Blessed Victory no interest in the satisfaction and Resurrection of this Prince of life but are left to shift for themselves alone all forlornly exposed to the invincible Assaults of the King of Terrors Do they not tremble at a distance at the fore-thoughts of that dark and dismal hour when this spoiling destroying abhorred and dreadful Enemy shall surprize them and peremptorily require their precious life beyond all denial
fire This Victory was won by Christ t is worn by us It was dear to Christ t is cheap to us It cost him labour and pain and sorrow and sweat and blood but it is given to us we overcome not by expence of our own blood but by the blood of the Lamb. What then shall we render to the Lord Shall we give him less than a Song a Song of thanksgiving especially when we can give no more O ye that are the redeemed of the Lord whom he hath ransomed from the power of the grave send out your thoughts a while into the Land of Darkness and take a more exact view of the triumphs and trophies of Death which it hath erected over the Vanquished Sons and Daughters of men that have fallen under its power Look into the prison of the Grave where the bodies of the slain are holden under Chains of Darkness reserved to the execution of the Great day Consider the poyson venom sharpness and power of the deadly sting that is entred into their Souls strengthened with all the plagues and Curses that are writtten in the book of the Law of a righteous avenging and Almighty Judge the worm of Conscience gnawing the Soul as well as the worm of Corruption feeding on the body Hark what are the hideous Cryes and woes and wailings the roarings and yellings the gnashing of teeth and bitter lamentations of the wretched prisoners captivated under the insulting Enemy and then recall your thoughts to the solemn meditation of this happy word the glad tidings of the Glorious conquest and Resurrection of Jesus Christ in fellowship with whom you are rescued from the cursed power of this Death and Hell and made heirs of the grace of life of life eternal And if you have any sense of the Infinite love of God and his compassions towards you of the incomparable labours and sufferings of Jesus Christ for you of the unspeakable misery from whence you are redeemed and the glorious Immortality to which you are intituled and whereof you shall be possessed Your meditations methinks cannot but issue with the Apostle's in this greatful pathetick and triumphant doxologie Thanks be to God who giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesu Christ FINIS ERRATA Pref. read Curriculum vitae page 7. l. 9. r. affect and. l. 19. r. shining p. 18. l. 28. r. Dr. Tuckney p. 27. l. 18. r. may p. 28. l. 18. r. means and l. 2. r. on the week day p. 32. l. 3. r. Jesus Christ p. 34. l. 9. r. the strongest p. 44. l. 21. r. worthy of p. 45. l. 4. r. being p. 57. l. 19. r. visit p. 59. l. 1. r. look to Christ p. 61. l. 5. r. moderation p. 69. l. 27. r. send p. 73. l. 24. r. hear p. 75. l. 15. r. separated p. 63. l. 20. r. hides p. 99. l. 2. r. if A Catalogue of Books Printed for and Sold by Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside 1. A Word to Sinners and A word to Saints the former to awaken the latter to direct and perswade 2. Christian directions to walk with God all the day long 3. Principles of Christian Religion Explained to the Capacity of the meanest with Practical Applications to each Head whereby family Catechising may be with much ease performed 4. The young mans Guide through the Wilderness of this World to the Heavenly Canaan 5. The surest and safest way of Thriving which is in being Charitable to the Poor all five Written by Tho. Gouge Minister of the Gospel Ars Sciendi sive Logica nova methodo disposita novis preceptis aucta Self Employment in secret containing Evidences upon self examination Thoughts upon painful afflictions Memorials for practice Parents Groans for their wicked Children by Edward Lawrence M. A. Troughtons apology for the Nonconformists preaching Of thoughtfulness for the future by J. Howe M. A. Barretts reply to the Dean St. Pauls late Book No Evidence for Diocesan Bishops by Mr. Clarkson The Life of that reverend Divine Mr. Owen Stockton late of Colchester There is now a Printing an Exposition on the Prophecy of Isaia by that reverend divine Mr. Arthur-Jackson The Little Book for little Children is lately Reprinted Corbetts self Imployment in secret