THe title of this golden Text may be The embalming of the dead Saints; the force whereof is to free the Soules from de­reliction in the state of death, and to secure the bodies of Gods Saints from Corruption in the grave. It is the art which I desire to learne, and at this time, teach upon this sad occasion, even the preparing of this confection against our burialls, after I have toucht some generall things about the Psalme.

1. The Penman of it is undoubtedly David, his name owne's it in the front.

2. The excellency of it is set forth in a golden title, it is Michtam of David, or a Psalme worth Gold, even the pu­rest Gold of Ophir, yea better than Gold.

3. The parts of it generally are two, 1. Prayer with the arguments of it from the 18. to 5.2. Praise with the rea­sons thereof to the end, in which part the Text falls as a reason of his forenamed joy and exultation.

4. The subject of whom all this is spoken, which is the Master-vain running thorough the Psalme: whereabout may we put that question, of whom speakes the prophet, of himselfe or of some other man? and thereunto reply truly, both of himselfe and others also: for fuller satisfacti­on hereunto, know we, that a threefold subject is here spo­ken of in various respects, 1. Typically the Psalmist spea­keth here of himselfe, it is David here as the figure of Christ, who saith, I will blesse the Lord, and I have set the Lord alwayes before me, and therefore my heart was glad, &c. for thou wilt not leave my soule in hell; onely note here, Types as in their nature they are weaker, (as men in respect of Christ) so in the efficacy of events, and priviledges attri­buted to them, they fall fatre short of the verities and reall subjects which they Typifie unto us; Take that instance for proofe, Heb 9 13.14. in the Comparison which the Apostle makes betweene the blood of Bulls and Goates & the blood of Christ, so here the priviledge expressed must bee lesse and weaker in the Type than in the truth.

2. Antitypically, principally, and in primary intenti­on Christ the substance and truth of this figure speaketh of himselfe, in all the forenamed expressions, and throughout the Psalme; an infallible interpreter, by the mouthes of two Apostles, hath warranted this. The same spirit which indited this Psalme, Acts 2.25.30.31. hath spoken expresly by Saint Peter, that David being a Prophet, and knowing that God had sworne with an oath to him that of the fruit, &c. Hee seeing this before spake of Christ in this Scripture. Acts. 13.35. And no lesse by Saint Paul in his Sermon at Antioch, is this verified, that Christ speaketh in this Scripture: David then concerning Christ [Page 3]especially, and Christ in David, as the Truth gives this reason of his hope and his rejoycing.

3. Analogically and mystically every united member of Christ, even every Saint, 1 Cor. 12.12. whose head Christ is Ac si dicat, Ecclesia, quae est caro mea, modo requiescit in spe, id est, in spe re­surrectionis, ut ubi caput prae­cessit, membra sequantur. Hie­ron. in Ps. 16.9. his whole body the Church, which in the Mystery is called Christ, that is the subject also to whom these priviledges doe belong in their due measure and proportion, being partners of all the communicable excellencies of Christ both in life and death, living with him, crucified with him, dying with him, buried with him, incorrupted with him, untill they arise with him, never to dye againe, and be per­fected with him in his glory. The Type is now resolved in­to the truth, and perfected in it, This truth is Christ Neque sancti­ficatum corpus, per qued & alii sanctificandi sunt, corrumpi patieris. Aug. in text. who extendeth the sweet influence of all his priviledges to eve­ry holy member: This Text therefore as the reason of Christs hope and gladnesse as well as of his Saint-Church, I shall now labour to hold out, and so would blazon the glory in it, to winne your hearts to Christ, and to raise up prevailing resolutions in you to be Saints.

Now at the very entrance into the explication of this Scripture, concerning Christ, there is no little trouble mo­ved, to obscure the truth by the unhappy glosse of them, who maintaine the Locall descent of Christs soule into Hell, for the space of its separation from the body, and therefore force this text against its owne minde to speake it for them. I may not now fall upon the controversie, it will not sute with the season and present duties, yet this I will boldly say, that if the Abettors of this opinion have no better proofe of it, than this Text will give (as is more than suspected, they have not) it was not worth their La­bour so much to trouble the Church of God with it. And for the Negative, that this Text cannot favour any such o­pinion as this, I shall lay downe these three reasons, and afterward labour in the affirmative, to give the naturall meaning of the words: Salvo tamen fidei Articule, not de­nying, but earnestly affirming the Article of Christs dis­cent into Hell in a right and sound sence.

1 I argue from the end of Christs locall descent into hell, which by confession is two fold. 1 some say Bishop Bilson it was for triumph over the great enemy of mans salvation. 2 Christus sicut cum summo do­lore mortuus est, it a videtur & dolores post mor­tem in infer no sustimufle. Luth. in text. o­thers maintaine it was for a further suffering of his soule in that place: Now to the first, if it were for triumph, it is im­possible that this Text can favour it; for it speakes ex­pressely of a state of humiliation and suffering, and is there­fore the reason of the gladnesse of Christs heart: that hee should not be left in it, My heart is glad and my glory rejoy­ceth, for thou wilt not leave &c. And had it beene a State of triumph, honouring the Sonne of God in hell, there could be no feare of dereliction in it, nor joy for delive­rance from it; for it was a good condition.

To the second which seemes to have more favour from this Text, I answer, it cannot be the meaning of it consi­stent with the truth of other Scriptures; for as touching all the Torments that Christ indured himselfe telleth us, where they ended, Joh. 19.30. when he said it is finished, and that was before his soule could be in hell; he could not then goe to be tormented there. Act. 2.24. And whereas it is suggested that the paines of death which are said to be upon him, seeme to note his sufferings in hell; it is irrationall so to conceive, for they were paines of death, or as some read Cords of death, and not of hell; and these must bee those, which hee suf­fered while his life was in him tending to death, or deadly▪ or onely the evill of the state of death in the separation of soule and body; whereof I shall speake in another place, Neither of these ends then can sute truth or this Scripture.

2. This Scripture must bee so interpreted concerning Christ, that it must have its truth in David, and all the Saints; but Davids soule was never Locally in hell, the place of the damned, neither is it possible for the soules of the Saints to be there; Luk. 16.26. for then there could be no trans­plantation of them to heaven: if therefore this bee a state incompatible with the Saints, it cannot bee consistent with the glory of Christ, for to triumph, there is not one word of God that appoints him thither, but notes his triumph [Page 5]in another place; if therefore his soule went into that place it must be to suffer, than which to say, there can bee no greater blasphemy, for as much as the suffring soules can­not come thence into the place of the blessed.

3. The deepe silence which the best and most infallible interpreter, maketh concerning this glosse of Christs Lo­call descent into hell, in the true and full opening of this Scripture, in the new Testament; and the bearing of this Text another way, puts it out of doubt that this is but mans conceite, and not Gods meaning: for that spirit of truth by the hand of two Apostles evinceth nothing out of this Text, but the certaine prediction of Christs resurrecti­on from the grave, that God would not give over his soule to the state of death, & separation, nor his body to see Cor­ruption; surely had there beene such a remarkable thing, as a Locall being, and triumph of his soule in the place of the damned, it is incredible, that such an interpreter, Acts 2.31. that knew the mind of God, should omit such a notable mat­ter, and mention onely the resurrection of Christ from the grave, as the sole burden of this Text: if then the spirit of God who interprets this Scripture declareth nothing from hence of a Locall descent of Christs soule to hell, wee may well conclude, it is the vaine phancy of mans owne braine, and not Gods mind revealed to us.

Having thus laid sufficient ground for the Negative to turne off that forced sence from the text; it will be conve­nient to touch a little upon the letter, and consider now what it affirmes unto us, the words being the reason of the gladnesse of Christs heart, the rejoycing of his glory, and the hope of his flesh in this deepe abasement, thus must wee conceive the sonne speaking to his Father, Thou wilt not leave, that is, thou wilt not cease to be what thou hast been to mee, thou wilt not desert nor forsake me, My soule that is either properly my soule Gen. 37.35. Ezech. 32.21.27. my better part, in hell or Scheol that is in the state of death, and separation from my body; or Metonymically Gen. 1.20. my life in the depth and shadow of death, for the life of any thing is frequently set forth by [Page 6]that word: or Synecdochically my Soule that is, my Car­kasse, or body in the grave, as it also used undoubtedly one part for another, Psal. 1 18.18. neither wilt thou suffer, or more neerely to the word, thou wilt not give (for the Soveraignty of life and death is in Gods hand, the grave and corruption are at his command; and it must be an efficacious permission, if any in God, which is a giving leave to Corruption to domi­nere over his creatures) but thou wilt not so give thine holy one, Acts. 13.37. Psal. 49.9. Psal. 89.48. that is, as the Apostles punctually interpret Christs bo­dy, that holy thing, (the whole being put for part) to see Corruption, that is, Videtur mihi spiritus, in his verbis simplici­ter loqui, & ma­gis ad tempus respicere, quā ad locum vel aliam circumstantiam, ut sit sensus, Non derelinques me tanto tempore, quanto naturali­ter solent cor­rumpi cadavera, sed intra tempus, quo solent inci­pere corrumpi. me suscitabis. Luth. in text. Esay. 9.6. to bee so long in the grave, as to bee corrupted or lye under putrefaction, and rottennesse which eminently was true of the body of Christ, it saw not the least corruption in the grave. Or if you please, rather to un­erstand it of whole Christ, God will not give him his Holy one to see Corruption, to cease to be in the state of death, what he was before to God and to his Church. This is the genuine voyce of the letter warranted by abun­dance of other Scriptures; but for the other glosse rejected, it is not usuall to the letter, nor possible to stand with truth and right reason of interpretation. Num. 5.2.

To draw down all this good neerer towards our selves, and shew that these comforts are not shut up in Christ, but passeable from him to us, I will only lay downe this rule: Whatsoever good priviledge or communicable excellency is at­tributed to Christ in the flesh, it is with respect to his body, the Church (for unto it the son was given) and what is eminent­ly true of him in the letter, is really and in measure verified upon every one of his united members: So is this sweet dig­nation of God to him, Dub. and them in the state of death.

There is yet one Rub in the way that must be removed, before we can carry this heavenly priviledge clearely for Christ and his members joyntly, and it is raised from a speech of the Apostles, which seemes to contradict this of David: here the Psalmist saith, thou wilt not give me, thy holy one to see corruption: then there must be a truth in this concerning himselfe, Acts. 13.36. but Saint Paul urging this text to [Page 7]prove Christs resurrection, saith expressely, Sol. David saw corruption, and therefore inferreth the truth of this text on­ly to concerne Christ.

To solve which doubt and to cleare obscurities, I shall premise some distinctions, first of David the Subject, he is to be considered two wayes, first, as a Type of Christ, Se­condly, as a member of Christ. Secondly, of Corruption the state that is affirmed and denied of him, which is two fold, first supernaturall and divine, such as respects mans being or relation to God, which is a ceasing to be to God­ward, what formerly and before death one was; Secondly naturall, which is onely in respect of mans being in nature, a cessation of that, or a change of it to no being, which in a graduall consideration may be also two fold, first, Tot all, secondly partiall: these premised I answer.

1. Consider David as the Type of Christ, and resolved into Christ, as is the true use of all figures, to turne them into the substance represented, so he may be said to see no Corruption at all, as the Type usually in Scripture beares the name of the best priviledges and greatest effects of the truth it selfe the Antitype; Exod.12.11, 1 Cor. 5.7. Hos. 3.5. Psal. 2.2. so the Lambe is called the passe-over as well as Christ himselfe: so Christ beares Davids name, and David Christs.

2. Consider David as a member of Christ, and Cor­ruption as a cessation of being Gods, so David and Christ and the Saints neither have seene nor shall see Corruption at all, for they are all Gods, Exod. 3.6. Matth. 22.32. Holy ones, in the state of death, as much as in the state of life; He is the God of Abra­ham, Isaac, and Iacob, though they be in their graves.

3. Consider David as Christs member, and Corruption for a cessation of naturall being, and rottennesse & Moul­dring of the flesh to dust in the grave, so David saw Cor­ruption, which is all the Apostle contends for: And this corruption Christ did not see in the lest degree of alterati­on upon his flesh; wherefore, great reason had the spirit of God, to shew that this Scripture was eminently fulfilled in Christ above any other creature: yet further in this the [Page 8]same spirit denyeth not, that the Saints in measure, and by participation, enjoy the same gracious priviledge, though not in that transcendent way made good unto them: Their flesh though crumbled into dust is Christs, which he will purifie and make up againe, to be conformed to his glori­ous body, so that it neither come simply not to be, nor to be miserable, which properly may be stiled Corruption:

These doubts cleared now I shall proceed to weigh this Scripture more exactly: The text by it selfe considered is a notable bold proposition of faith maintained against the sensible incroachments of the soules dereliction, and the bodies corruption in the grave, to keepe up hope in the darkest, saddest times, even under the shadow of death. It is the faith of Christ eminently, but of every Saint or Holy member really and truly; wherein are very observable,

1. The matter concluded and averred by faith in these two propositions.

1. Of the effect, which is expressed two wayes, first the holy soule shall not be left in Hell, Secondly nor the holy one, or the body given to see corruption.

2. Of the efficient or author, God will not leave the soule in hell, nor give his holy one to see corruption.

2. The manner of propounding these, not doubtfully, or fearefully, but peremptorily, certainely and confident­ly as becommeth faith, thou wilt not leave, &c.

Not to stand upon any further curious Mincing of the Scripture; there arise from all this, these three maine points of truth, which I shall desire further to prosecute, and jointly to apply.

1. Doct. 1. The proposition of the confection of Embalme it selfe together with its force or vertue, Holinesse keepes the soule from dereliction in the state of death, and the body from Cor­ruption in the grave.

2. Doct. 2. The proposition of the confectionary, the onely au­thor and efficient of this Embalme, and its prevalency: God will not leave his holy one in hell, nor give him to see Cor­ruption in the Grave.

3. Doct. 3. From the divine assurance, peremptorinesse, and con­fidence, wherewith faith speakes, this the last proposition of the security of both the former comes forth, Faith se­cures the holy one, from dereliction in the State of death, and from Corruption in the grave. Of these I shall desire to treat for your profit: 1. Holinesse the excellent preserving Embalme, 2. God the efficient of it. 3. Faith the securi­ty of all: and then bring home the fruit unto your hearts, if it may be, that by the influence of Gods spirit, I might fulfill the desire of my deceased Brother in this worke, even for his sake, to leave something with his flock, that may stand them in stead in the day of darkenesse.

1. I shall begin to hold out that Aphorisme or distinct position, which containes the confection of Embalme it selfe, and other appendent circumstances considerable with it, Doct. 1. Holinesse preserves the soule from dereliction, in the state of death, and the body of the Saint, from Corruption in the grave.

If it be desired by any that doubt of it, to see the cleare is­sue of this from the text, I shall guide them to read this text with a great accent upon that terme, Thy Holy one, that they may take speciall notice of it, even the quality of that man exempted from these evills: In this the spirit of God puts an emphasis upon Holinesse, as counter-working and prevailing over death, and the grave: it is this, and nothing but this, that thus keepes the man dead, and buried from desertion in death, and corruption in the grave. To looke a little more narrowly, into the worth of this little wedge cut out of Davids Michtam or his golden hymme, I shall propose and answer about it these three Queries, 1. Quid sit, what meaneth this golden truth? 2. Quomodo, how Holi­nesse doth effect all this? 3. Cur sit, why it is so effectuall?

To the first, the true value of this precious truth will ap­peare in the explication of these particulars, Quid sit? 1. The pre­servative Holinesse, 2. the vertue or force it keepeth from or it forbids or denyeth. 3. The evill over which it prevaileth, Dereliction and Corruption in state of death, 4. the subject on [Page 10]whom it worketh so powerfully, the Man, the Saint, My soule, thy Holy one, What Holinesse? 1. What is this Holinesse? all the helpe we have to find this out in the text, is only in that expres­sion thy holy one, which is diversely rendred; by some thy Mercifull one, by others thy gratious Saint; and by others, him whom thou favourest, or whom thou followest with mercy and goodnesse, [...] At. M [...]t. Ainsw. Ʋatabl. Iunius. Bez in Act. 2.27. or in short, Sanctus hoc loco, Hasid, est, qui gratiá spiritus sanctisi­catus est. Luth. in text. [...] Acts 2.27. Acts. 13.35. thy favourite. The word in­deed carrieth the voice of mercy and goodnesse, but then they have done best, that translate it passively, and note by it, the soule that hath received mercy and goodnesse from the Lord to be sanctified, and become a Saint. The sea­venty render it plainly thy holy one, which the spirit in the new Testament, twice warranteth to be a sound translati­on, and our translators doe well to keepe that expression: which notes a man, pure from iniquity, and a Divine wor­shipper, as Etymologists observe, but to leave bare words and to search for the thing intended, even Holinesse, I shall labour to open it, first, in its nature, secondly, In its Rise, thirdly, In its relation.

1. Touching the nature of this Holines, that we may reach it, Nature 1. need wil require that we should distinguish to select that, whose nature we would know. Now the Holinesse carried in the text is two fold, 1. primitive, wch is in the head, Christ the cheife Subject here intended, for above all eminently is he called the Holy one of God; and his holinesse againe, is two fold. 1. Essentiall to him, as God equall with the Fa­ther, so is he the subject of that the Seraphims proclama­tion, Esay 6.3. Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of Hosts; even the Holy God.

2. Additionall, such as by the Fathers pleasure was poured out fully on him in the flesh, and did concerne him as Mediator: for as he had the fulnesse of the Godhead, and that essentiall Holinesse, Col. 2.9. which is incommunicable be­ing one with the Father, so no lesse did hee thinke it meet being in the flesh to become one with his Church, to re­ceive such a fulnesse of the spirit, that might be communi­cable to his body, Col. 1.19. Joh. 3.34. and from whence every true member [Page 11]might have grace for grace; Joh. 1.16. which fulnesse, how ever it was created to be fit for us, yet in Christ it received such an in­fluence from that God-holinesse; by reason of the personall union, that it was most glorious, and not without this ad­vantage, doth he give it cut to beleevers: In this respect, he is called by way of eminency, the Christus proprie passim inscriptu­ris aspellatur Sanctus Dei, sicut Chris [...]us Domini Luth. in text. Mark. 1.14. Luk. 1.35: Acts. 3.14. Holy one of God.

2. Derivative, namely, that which by participation e­very true member receiveth from the Holy Head▪ or foun­taine, and this is also two fold, according to the various wayes of Communication.

• 1.
  1 Cor. 1.30.
  Holinesse imputed, which is Christs indeed in propriety and right, but the Saints onely by his deed of gift, and Gods gracious accompt.
• 2.
  1 Per. 2.9.
  Holinesse infused, which hath a proper being in the Saints, wrought by the spirit of Christ, and left effected in them, whence they are likewise cal­led by God an holy people: and that both these wayes they may be truly sanctified,
  Joh. 17.19.
  Christ is said to sanctifie himselfe.

Now then if wee restraine this priviledge to Christ, that Holinesse, which he received not abstracted from, but joy­ned with, and glorified by that God-Holinesse, did keepe him from dereliction, and Corruption in the state of death. But if we extend this benefit to every Member of his body Mysticall, as is intended by him, then the Holinesse created in them is their preservative also, being of the same nature, with that in their head, yet neither this separated, but ac­companied with Christs owne Holinesse imputed, & that not stript of the abundant glory cast upon it of God, so that though the [...], the matter whereof we desire know­ledge be creature-Holinesse, and that infused into every Saint, yet by reason of its connexion with, and dependance upon that in Christ and God-Holinesse it selfe, whereunto it must beare conformity, we cannot understand one with­out the other, let us touch therefore upon the discovery of both.

1. That Holinesse which is God, [...] may well be conceived [Page 12]from the notation of his name: Now this the Prophet publisheth, Esay 57.15. his name is Holy, which ld proprié apud Hebraeos Kados dicitur, quod a vulgari usu & consuetudine, propter singula­rem aliquam vel virtutis, vel vitii notationem semotum & se­junctum est. Ar. Mon [...] in lib. Ios. c. 2. Levit. 10.3. word with the He­brewes sets forth that thing, which for some singular note of goodnesse or of evill, was set apart for common use: but in this place, it must be taken in the better part, having re­spect to God, so that when God is called Holy; it notes him to be a Being, wholy separate from all spots and im­perfections, most pure, perfect, good, great, and most in­comparably excelling all other Beings, in so much, that he will not bee touched, nor spoken of, nor served by any low or polluted creature, but will bee sanctified by all that draw nigh unto him, and for those that have dealt too com­monly with him, his Holinesse hath beene as fire to con­sume them. It is a Title therefore worthy of God, which Moses doth give him, Glorious in Holinesse, as noting that to be the Top of glory; Exod. 15.11. and if we would have a fuller de­scription of this Holinesse, it is the very excellency, redun­dant out of the confluence of all Gods Attributes; where­by he is set in the height of purity, above the reach either of the services, or words, or thoughts of the most excel­lent creatures to be admired, not comprehended:

2. The Creature Holinesse, which we are now to finde is called the Image of God; Col. 3.10. Eph. 4.24. 2 Cor. 3.18. by which expression wee are guided to thinke, that the nature of it should stand in the likenesse and conformity to the Holinesse of God; whence this discovery may be of it, Holinesse is the excellency of the new creature, framed by the spirit of Christ after God: where­by the soule, is set apart from Common men for speciall Ser­vice to, and communion with the Lord; where the same is cal­led a new man, Eph. 4.24. it is said to be created after God [...]; which phrase gives us to conceive God under a double No­tion 1. Of a Creator, for that can be none else but hee, 2. Of a patterne or Copy, after which the new Creature is drawne, for to that purpose in the text, it seemes espe­cially to be urged; so that the great Jehova in creating this new thing, whereof Holines is the glory, doth lay himselfe, and all his Attributes, as it were the originall patterne, con­forme [Page 13]to which he is resolved to make it; and as his Holi­nesse, is the summe of all his Attributes, that sets him to the highest; so the Holinesse of this creature the summe of all the graces that concurre to its perfection, and the glory re­sulting from them all.

To this state of Holinesse, foure things must concurre, 1. Reality, and truth of graces, 2. Integrity and fulnesse of them, 3. Adue and fit disposition of them, betweene themselves, as of members in a proportionable body. 4. A sweet and cleare perspicuity of them, in a sincere profession, which is like a fresh and amiable colour upon a well pro­portioned person: These so conspiring make up the beauties of Holinesse, wherein the people of Christ appeare, Ps. 110.3. suppose the glory of all the starres put into one, or the glistring sparkes of all the Diamonds in the world gathered in one, or seaven dayes sun-shine, joyned in one to make a surpas­sing glory, resolve these into the confluence of all graces to make one transcendent and glorious one, and this is Holi­nesse. This Holinesse as an ancient calleth it, [...] Chrys. in Eph. 4.24. is the pure, the full due, answering to the mind and will of God, in the Archetype; for that it seemes, was the use of the word rendred, Holy, to note a man not obnoxtious for defect, one that owed nothing; And not a whit improper is it here to set out true Holinesse, which answereth to God his due. In the Innovatus spiritu mentis, novum bominom dicitur indutus qui est Christus. Ambr. in Eph. 4.24. Eph. 6.24. 1 Pet. 1.23. In novissimo, no vis2ima. 2 Rise. new man Christ, as one stiles him, this Holinesse is exact and full, and in every beleeving member, that is a new creature, it is truly and indeed, though as yet but in measure, not so heightned, as in the head: from this disco­very made in the nature of Holinesse, thus much may wee gather, that it is in genere incorruptibilium of and incorrupti­ble being: grace therefore is not unusually paraphrased by incorruption; yea and such a new creature is it, that at the oldest it is newest; some advantage, then may we see in its nature against those evills, which are natures terrors.

2. The Rise of this Holinesse, that we may looke a little further into it, is from heaven; which specifieth, and sepa­rates it from equivocall, and false-named Holinesse; And if [Page 14]it be a sprout of Heaven, no Marvaile, that it keeps so sweet to God, and secures the Saint from putrefaction in the earth, Its descent is not darkly shewed unto us in these in­timations of it by the Holy spirit, A birth from above hea­venly things, a divine nature; Ioh. 3.3.12. 2 Pet. 1.4. which doe but paraphrase Holinesse in respect of its originall: I shall mainly touch but upon one testimony, which at once will give us both its rise and vertue, 1 Cor. 15.47.48.49. & be no slender proofe of the whole truth: The first man is of the earth earthy, the second man is the Lord from heaven; As is the earthy, such are they that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly; and as we have borne the Image of the earthy, we shall also beare the Image of the Heavenly. In which allegation I shal only note, first the scope, to be the proofe of the resurrection, 2. The burden of the Scripture, what it carrieth, to evince the for­mer truth intended. There is evident at first sight in the words, a parallell betweene the two Adams; their seed, and their events or last issue; upon the first part three propositi­ons are laid downe, 1. Of his originall, the first man for his substance, qualities, and perfections was of the earth; and therefore is it averred, that he with the Rectitude, and Image of God which he had, according to his principles, was earthy; all out of the dust, brickle enough in his owne nature, and likely to be broken, however by obedience hee might have beene preserved, Ez [...] Chrys. in text. Yet cleaving too much to the earth, he became sinfully earthy, sensuall, and so ob­noxious to death, as the event declared: 2. Of his seed; As he, so every living soule, that comes from him is earthy, corruptible and perishing. 3. Of their end, he is returned to dust, from whence he came, [...] Ibid. and his seed doe beare his I­mage, and must see corruption also; upon the second part, the same things are asserted. 1. The Rise of Christ, the second Adam, Hee is the Lord from Heaven (not man, or body from heaven, as if hee brought it from thence, to a­voide that Hereticall glosse) He was as it is said a quickning spirit, 1 Cor. 15.45. having power to give lise, and the Lord having So­veraignty to dispose it to his seed, and bee commeth him­selfe, [Page 15]and brings this from heaven; it is not a nature ari­sing from corruptible principles, but heavenly, and lasting, and communicable; of this he himselfe is full, and there­fore termed the quickning spirit, as being inriched with it, to give out Holinesse with its powerfull vertue over death, as he doth to his peculiar seed, in their regeneration. 2. The conformity of his seed; even as hee, such are they that are heavenly, that is, like in nature, spirituall, Holy, as he is said to be a spirit; like also in descent; he and his ex­cellencies from heaven, so they and theirs from heaven al­so. Heaven and Heavenly, beare a great Emphasis here, and adde much vertue to the spirit of Holinesse, which is emi­nently in Christ, as in the head, and answerably by mea­sure, derived to the Saints. This is Gods heavenly Image, & therefore incorruptible, as the first was earthy, and thence subject to corruption: like also in the soveraignty given to this nature; he came not only as the quickning spirit, but as the Lord from Heaven: Lordship is joyned with his spi­rit, which gives power and soveraignty to it, over the grave: and no lesse is the vertue of this addition annexed to his spirit of Holinesse in the Saints, which gives it command and Lordship over corruption, it is a Lordly Holinesse. 3. The issue of this Lord Adam with his seed, he came from Heaven, was manifested in the flesh, grapled with death, and for a moment yeelded, and tooke his lodging in the grave; but all this while, saw no corruption, for that sove­raigne-spirit preserved him in, and raised him out of the pit in his set time: so saith the Apostle, we shall beare the I­mage of the Heavenly: why did they not beare his Image in his spirit already? yea sure in the true spirituall nature of it, they were borne from above, as he was from above; they Holy, as he holy; and they heavenly minded, as he heaven­ly: but yet they had not the Image or likenesse, of the po­wer, and soveraignety of this spirit, in experience of its preserving vertue in the grave. Now this they make sure of, having the same heavenly and Lordly spirit from their head. This Soveraigne Holinesse [...] Chrys. in 1 Cor. 15.48. they received in the first, [Page 16]and for its prevailing vertue over death, and the grave, as it hath beene proved in their head, so no lesse doe they wai [...]e for it, 1 Cor. 15.48. and shall surely finde it in the second resurrection: To sum up all from the severall branches, It is certaine that Holinesse for its originall is from heaven, whence it must have connaturall to it incorruption and Dominion, and that not onely over death, and the grave, but over Hell also; precious and powerfull must such an heavenly Em­balme be to preserve its owner from Corrupting evills.

3. The Relation of this Holinesse is a consideration of that consequence, 3 Relation. and so expressely pointed at in the text, Thy holy one, that it may not be omitted, in the treaty of this Holy unction; the Saint seemeth to Eccho and sing out that with a loud note, Thy, Thy holy one, two shares in himselfe he conceives, flesh and spirit, nature and grace, Humanity and Holinesse, and as well two owners of these he confesseth, Himselfe and God; It is my soule, my flesh, in their weaknesse, such poore matters as they be; but thy Ho­linesse, thy grace, thy spirit. As I am weake, and perishing, I am my owne; but as I am holy & incorruptible, I am thine: weaknesse, death, corruption with the wormes, the atten­dants of my flesh are mine; but grace, and life, and incor­ruption are thine, however graciously cast upon me. Holi­nesse is the Lords, and that in these respects.

1. Of being; Eph. 2.10. it is immediately from God, the breath of his Mouth and the worke of his hands; even the holi­nesse, both of head and members. It is not in the world untill God create it, nor appeares it in any soule before God begets it; If the Prince of Holinesse would obtaine it for his subjects, he goeth to the father for it, Sanctifie them through thy truth, & however hee sanctifie himselfe & them, it is, Ioh. 17.17. Gal. 2.20. as God; heare the confession of another Saint, I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: He corrects himselfe, as if he had said amisse J live, and ascribes that to Christ, who did more properly owne that life than he: yet he did live as the subject of life; but Christ onely, as the author or Root of it; so may the Saint say in the present case, I am [Page 17]Holy made so by grace; Holinesse is my crowne and dig­nity, But thy creature, and the fruit of thine owne Bowels And I am thy Holy one of thy making if I be Holy. 2. O speciall interest in Gods affection, Thy Holy one, that is thy favorite, whom thou hast loved so as to sanctifie; 2. M [...]a [...]7. and in whom thou delightest, after thou hast made me holy. O how beloved was that Holy Child, Iohn 17.23. whom God sent into the flesh? and no lesse beloved those united members sanctified in him: strength of love makes neerest relations among creatures; how much more may the infinite love of God inclose his holy ones: and make them peculiar to himselfe? Heare the experience of a gracious Saint, The Lord hath set apart him that is Godly for himselfe. Psal. 4.3. It is Gods choyce-peece the holy man, that no lesse holds out grace in his life for God, than he receives it from him, And see how the same makes use of his interest in God; preserve my soule for I am holy; as if Gods heart and arme were bound to Holinesse, Ps. 86. [...] The same word in both forena­med places as in the text.and so it is. The head Saint, and member-Saints confesse, we are thy Holy ones, thine by Love as by creation.

3. 3. Of covenant, Thy holinesse, or thy holy one, by na­ture thine, by affection thine, and by covenant thine; such a three fold cord of interest, which keepes God to the Saint and the Saint to God, is not easily broken. God hath given himselfe by Covenant to his Saints, he delivered it to A­braham their father his saint-friend, I will be a God to thee and to thy seed after thee. Gen. 17.7. And no lesse have his Saints by Covenant given themselves to God; Ps. 5.5. The Lord ownes them for his thereupon, gather my Saints to me, those that have made a Covenant with me by sacrifice, Head and Branch-Saints are firmely thus the Lords: Now then returne and looke back upon this Holinesse, such an heavenly confecti­on, that hath such a Father, such a favourer, such a confe­derate; God wholy for it, as it for God; death startles at it, the grave becomes weake, corruption cannot approach to oppresse that soule, where holinesse dwells. This, this, deare Christians, is that Soveraigne Embalme, which I would have you prepare against your burialls.

2 2 What the vertue of it? What then is the vertue of this holy ointment? In this place I shall touch of it, no more than it concernes the present case: The expression of it in the text is meerely ne­gative, and that infolded in the main Acts concerning God: His Arme is cheife in the worke, Thou wilt not leave, thou wilt not give, the preeminence whereof I will not conceale in its place; yet under God, Holinesse forbids dereliction and corruption to its Tabernacle; no desertion in the state of death, no corruption to the holy one in the grave, yet though here bee none but Negatives expressed, a double force of this holinesse is intimated. 1. Negative, which is an absolute deniall of Gods desertion, and of corruption to befall the Saint in the state of death: holinesse prevents all this evill; 2. Positive, and that evident in three effects. 1. It Honos is (sc. unguentorum) ad defunctos perti­nere capit. Plin. Nat. hist. l. 13. cap. 1. Honours the Saints with God, as Odours, and oynt­ments, and precious Embalmes did kings in the fight of people at their burnings, or funeralls. It is a standing rule, precious in the sight of the Lord, is the death of his Saints. 2. It drawes and invites God to them, no lesse than the Name of Christ, 2 Chron. 16 14 Ps. 116.15. Cant. 1.2. that fragrant sweet smelling oyntment, provokes the hearts of Virgin Saints to come out to him, and love him: He abhors not therefore to be in the Sepulchers of the great Saint and of all his fellowes. Commendatio unguentorum &c est ut invi­tet aliud agentes Plin. nat. hist. l. 13. c. 3. It is the praise of vaine oyntments, that they draw them that doe neglect them, how much more must this holy odour invite God to it, that doth respect it. 3. It pleaseth and delights the Lord, to be alwayes smelling on the Saints Carkases; so sweet is the savour of holinesse unto him: Alive or dead, they are his holy ones, therefore in either condition, sweet in his Nostrills. Gen. 27.27. As Isaac expresseth his delight in Iacobs savour, The smell of my sonne, is as of a field which the Lord hath blessed, More sweet with God, must be the smell of his Holy ones, even the savour of Holinesse his owne blessing, and if Gods hand be on it to make it, 3 What the e­vill? [...] and to blesse it, his delight can never depart from it: This is the vertue of the Holy Embalme.

3. The evill over which the Soveraignty of this Holi­nesse [Page 19]prevaileth is discovered in the text, by a double ex­pression, desertion & Corruption in the state of death; which two may have a double consideration.

1. As they concerne the subject intirely, even the whole man, and so they set forth one and the same thing; the latter being the fuller interpretation of the former, Thou wilt not leave me in the state of death that is to be Corrupted; that death should feed on me, prey upon me, or vanquish and domineere over me, as it doth upon the wicked; death is Lord over them: Secondly, as they doe each of them severally respect the two parts of man; Psa. 49.14. so dereliction may bee stiled the soules evill, and corruption the bodies misery in the state of death; either way is safe enough to take them: if joyntly, as they respect the whole, wee must divide them for a due prosecution; if distinctly, as apper­taining to severall parts, we shall joyne them againe as con­cerning the whole man. I choose rather the latter way.

1. Desertion then as the soules evill in the state of death is rightly to be weighed, whereabout two termes would be a little opened, 1. Scheol rendred hell, or the state of death; 2. The leaving or dereliction in this condition.

1. As for this Scheol, if it be more narrowly inquired what it is; It hath beene clearely shewed, that hell the place of the damned cannot bee here meant by it, the soules that goe thither, are alwayes left there, no returne thence is granted to any; It must then note the state of the first death, and the evill of it, with speciall respect unto the soule of man. A full paraphrase of this the spirit giveth us, calling it the paines of death, from which Christ was loosed in his resurrection; an expression importing a great deale of bit­ternesse in the state of death, as paines in a womans travell, Acts. 2.24: [...] from which it seemeth Christ was not free, therefore nei­ther can the Saints be exempted: Now these paines are not of sense, but some kind of losse for present, which this deadly hed brings upon the soule such as these:

1. Separation from the body, for which it was first made, in which it hath lived and exercised its faculties, and unto [Page 20]which it must be reunited. This is no small paine of death; whence it is called the King of terrors. Iob 18.14.

2. 2. Imperfection in respect of the glory to bee cast upon the reuinted parts; for howsoever the soule hath fulnesse of joy, being in the bosome of him that made it; yet there is a want of that glory, which shall be revealed, when the flesh shall be raised up, and both together be honoured: This is a paine also, symbolized, if not proved, by the cry of those separate soules under that Christ-Altar. How long How-longs? Revel. 6.10. [...] Acts 2.24.

3. Retention for a time under the power of death: for a moment this tyranny fastened upon the head Saint: but it was not possible that he should be held by it, longer than himselfe pleased, and that was accompted to him a paine: much more then to the member Saints, over whom death's violence doth more prevaile, and keepes them longer in the house of darknesse: And this is an evill not to be indured. All this the Scheol or state of death doth not only bring, but would keepe upon the Saints.

2. 2. The other member must come in to make it a full evill; and that is the leaving or desertion of the soule in this state of deadly-head: which dereliction is considered, ei­ther as an act of Judgment from God, whereby he resolveth to leave soules to scheol, or that state death to rule over them (whereof I shall speake hereafter;) or as an effect of Judge­ment upon men, when such a sentence shall bee executed and soules actually left to endure for ever the paines, and be held under the bands of death; these make it perfect misery, and desperate evill: Against this first part of deathes Malignity will Holinesse secure.

2. 2 [...] Corruption the bodies plague feared in the grave must have a little light to reveale it. It may be two fold, as it respects a double object, expressed in the text: 1. As it concernes the man, so it is naturall or bodily, a change of the body to putrefaction and Rottennesse, and this may al­so be, either partiall, and joyned with mercy, or totall and with a curse not to bee repaired, but for a worse cor­ruption [Page 21]in hell: 2. As it concernes the holy man so it is divine and spirituall & that is a ceasing to be in the state of death Gods gracious and accepted Saint; from all the Prince Saint was eminently exempted not the least change was upon his body in the grave: and from this last with that totall cursed corruption is every subject Saint privi­ledged by Holinesse: only in mercy doe they for a time lye under the naturall change of their flesh, while they are sowne in the earth, that they may spring out againe to a glorious incorruption: It is a remarkable discovery of the Saints condition in the grave, This corruptible must put on Incorruption: wherein doe but view. 1. The subject, 1 Cor. 15.53. [...] the body of the Saint in nature as perishing as any other, a corruptible, or a corrupted thing: 2. The end whereunto this is intended and carryed, not of corruption but perfecti­on: Incorruption is the worst, [...] that this corruptible of the Saints puts on, and resteth in.

3. The necessity of this, it must be so, [...] and there is no contingency in the event: and one necessitating cause though not the highest, is the Holinesse stampt upon that corruptible thing: Infidelity may quarrell at the Saints, that they doe see corruption, as the Jewes did at Christ, denying this Scripture to be meant of him, because the word rendred corruption, signifies the Pit or grave, into which say they, he was given, therefore hee did see the pit; But know they to be given to the pit, is to bee under the power of it, that is to be corrupted, as Christ in the least degree was not: so to be given to see corruption, is to be subdued and overcome by it, and thus the Saints are not but after all their changes put on Incorruption.

4. The Subject both of the evill and remedy is man the Holy Man, in the text expressed My soule thy holy one; The Subject. 4. [...] whi­ther we take these two expressions, as noting the two essen­tiall parts of man, the soule and body, or else if we take the former figuratively for the whole man, or for the body, as by foregoing instances appeares it may be taken; and the later as noting the condition or quality of the whole [Page 22]man. These things are considerable about it:

1. The aptitude of this subject in it selfe, to be forsaken of God and corrupted; the principles of it at the best, are but corruptible, and the man himselfe mortall.

2. The necessity by reason of sin, which is spread over all men, Gen. 2.17. Gen. 3.19. that this subject should be left to death and cor­rupted: when God himselfe had given sentence, Thou shalt dye the death, and, As dust thou art, so to dust shalt thou returne againe; otherwise it were no wonder to be preser­ved from these evills; But now when man may and must perish in himselfe, that Holinesse should step in and save, that he shall not be left to death, nor bee corrupted in the grave: This still exalts the excellency of this Embalme. Such is the subject, and such it's danger; such is Holinesse and such it's vertue. In all the weight of this peece of gol­den truth may be guessed.

2. Quomodo 2. But how doth Holinesse effect and secure all this un­to the man? I shall answer shortly, by these two wayes sweetly and comfortably. 1. By way of evidence signifying and testifying this gracious priviledge in the state of death to a poore soule, as a pledge or token, which God hath gi­ven for securing the same: The Bow of God in the cloud is not a surer signe to men; Gen. 9.13. that the world shall not bee drowned againe, than Holinesse is to the Saint, that his soule shall not be left in the state of death, nor his body see corruption in the grave: The Lord himselfe, when hee had made the covenant of everlasting union and Communion in life and death, Esay. 54.9.11. with his accepted and sanctified ones, Lookes upon it as the waters of Noah, that is, as unaltera­ble, for as much as hee may not drowne all flesh any more. But how shall the Saints be secured in themselves? God will deck them with all precious stones, Saphirs, Agats, and Carbuncles, which spirituallized are his glorious graces, and by these shall they be secured of Gods never departing goodnesse; This is Holinesse:

2. By way of influence, though not meritorious from man, yet efficacious against these evills by grace from [Page 23]God: This as it is carryed in those usuall titles of Holi­nesse, life and Incorruption, which have in them vertue op­posite to corruption and death, and are invincible by them, so its it most sweetly paraphrased, when it is stiled an uncti­on from the holy one: for as the Legall and inferiour anointing of men to be Kings, Priests, or Prophets, 1. Joh. 2.20. put a sacred stamp upon them, and a securing law, Psa. 106.15. touch not mine Annointed; so that none durst lay hand on them to hurt them, without incurring Gods deepest displeasure; And therefore David upon the Amalikites false-selfe-accusati­on, about Saules death, startles him with this question, 2 Sam. 1.14. How wast thou not affraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the Lords annointed? So much more, Psal. 45.7. that Supreme and Evan­gelicall unction powred out upon Christ, with and above his fellowes, must set him and them above all the injuries that death or the grave can doe unto them. God speakes to them, as David to the Amalekite, how are yee not af­fraid to lay hand upon the Lords annointed? Nay, death and the pit, shall bee more affraid to corrupt the holy an­nointed dust, and more faithfull to Gods law, not to touch the Saints bodies to Corruption.

The last thing required to finis the doctrinall part of this truth; is the [...] or demonstration of it, 3 Cur. sit Why Holi­nesse should be so powerfull against deaths malignity, and the graves corruption; whereunto may be full satisfaction, from the due consideration of these three grounds,

1 The Saints union with Christ their head, Reas. 1. which is fully according to our Lords Dominus pa­trem or at, ut qui in se credituri sunt, unum sint, sicut ipse in patre est, & pater in eo est, it a omnes in his unum sint. Quid hic aequanimitatem, quid pervoluntatis assensum animae & cordiis unit atemiioducis? Locutus plane ille est vera & sin­cera fidei Evangelicae Sacramenta; neque sohim locutus est ad significationem, sed ctiam ad fidem docuit, ita dicens, ut omnes unum sint. Hilar. l. 8, de Trin. p. 100. Edit. Basil. supplication to his father; the Saints are one with him and the father, as they are one. It is not the same union as betwixt the father and the son, essentiall, for this is impossible, but as like it as may bee, mysticall, the holy Ghost himselfe being the spirit of uni­on, [Page 24]the very Ligament and bond that coupleth them: so that it is a reall union, as that of the father and the Sonne, and eternall as theirs is also; whence I thus demonstrate, that if the union essentiall betweene the father and the son, and the union personall of the sonne with our flesh were never dissolved in the state of death, but gave him a pre­serving power in the time of deadlyhead, and raising po­wer in his appointed season; then in likenesse and propor­tion, the mysticall union between Christ & his Saints can­not be broken in the grave, and if not, the divine power of the head must needs preserve against the prevailing of deathes Tyranny his holy members, and raise them from the belly of the grave in his owne time: See God in Christ acknowledging, Esay 26.19. and accounting the carkasses or dead bodyes of the Saints his owne: Thy dead men shall live (and as we read it) together with my dead body shall they arise. but more neere the letter and emphatically thus, They my dead body shall arise, so that they are Christs united when they are dead, Christs flesh, Christs bones, Christs dust, and if he be with them, no feare can there be of the soules dere­liction in the state of death, or of the bodyes Corruption in the house of darknesse.

2. Reas. 2. The necessary and inseparable connexion, betweene Imputed and infused grace; I meane, the undivided fellow­ship of Christs Holinesse, which is his properly, and by in­habitation, yet the Saints also by gracious imputation, and the Holinesse created and abiding in the soule: This alwayes carryeth that with it, as its glory and perfection; where this is, that is, where this workes, that workes also to carry out to victory; if this be upon the dust of Gods gracious one's in the grave, there will that be also to perfume it and preserve it, and at last make it victorious over death and the pit: there can be no feare of the deadly enemies prevailing over the Saints; for as much as this Head-holi­nesse is a knowne conquerror, and hath already made the grave to tremble, and vanquisht the power of it. This is the ground of that victorious song, which the Saints take [Page 25]up from Christ: Death is swallowed up in victory; O death where is thy Sting, O grave where is thy victory? 1 Cor. 15.54.55.57. what is the matter I pray, that poore buried men should so insult over their oppressors? It followeth this victory is through our Lord Iesus Christ, He had said before, Hos. 13.14. O death I will be thy plagues, O grave I will be thy destruction: And now what he by his excellent holinesse hath done, redounds upon his beleeving members, that though in themselves, they bee weakly holy, & therefore may be assaulted by these proud enemies, yet in him having perfect holinesse, they must bee victorious; and set up above the graves Corruption.

3 The undoubted relation of the Saint to God and true interest in him: how God and all his Attributes stand in­gaged to Holinesse, is already in some measure discovered. Reas. 3. What hee will certainely doe for his holy ones, will bee more fully declared in the next point: for present know we, The Lord is the God and King of Saints: The Lord doth go before them, & the God of Israel is their rereward, Revel. 15.3. therefore cannot death look them in the face to hurt them, Esay 52.12. nor the grave pursue after to make a prey of them, their owne God stands before them, and behind he gathers them up: blessed is the holy one, for in his God he shall never see corruption.

But why then doth the head saint cry out as a man for­saken, Dub. before he fell into the pit, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Matth. 27.46. if the chiefe of Saints find a dereliction before death, the inferiour may feare to be left and corrup­ted when they are dead.

The answer in short may be, Sol. this desertion may be con­sidered,

1. In the truth of the thing, 2. In the sence of the pa­tient, Now it is certaine, that in deed and truth God had not left him, for the union was then continued, and by his inabling and assisting presence was with him, kept him in the grave, and raised him to glory; but in the feeling of this holy one God seemed to be with-drawne, and that on­ly in respect of his comforting presence, that the redeemer [Page 26]might feele the burden of his peoples sins upon him, while he suffered an Ecclyse of the light of his fathers counte­nance; and that having felt he might pitty and helpe such as at any time might fall under that temptation, otherwise Christ was not left, for thus he saith, thou wilt not leave &c.

2. Having thus farre stated the vertue of this Holy Em­balm it is in order requisit next to consider it's Author and maker God, upon whose Arme only depends the being and force of it, Doct. 2: The second proposition sets him out and his work: God will not leave his Holy one in Hell, nor give him to see corruption in the grave. In this point God beares the Emphasis and his efficiency in the Saints priviledge. Thou, thou Jehovah wilt not leave &c.

In the consideration of which truth, I shall onely in­quire, 1. Quid sit, The meaning of some termes, 2. Cur sit? the grounds necessitating this truth.

1. The termes I shall touch in explication are only two. 1. The efficient, 2. His work: As touching the first, 1 Efficient. that we may see the saint trusteth not to the vanities of the Gentiles, but layeth the worke upon good strong hands indeed, even his, who is the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ; of him I shall shortly note these proper Characters.

1. He is God life; hee that saith I live, that is, truly emi­nently and of himselfe, and so can none else say besides him; Deut. 32.40. Esay 40.17. As the creature is not in comparison of his being, so it lives not in comparison of his life; nothing is, or lives, or can be, but by dignation from him, and participation of him; O how is he like to match death and the grave?

2. He is God love; The great Saint and his companions, scarcely remember him by any other name; neither hee stiles them any thing, 1 Ioh. 4.8. Matth. 17.5. but his beloved. What will hee not then doe for them?

3. Hee is God power; so he speakes of himselfe, I am God Almighty, Gen. 17.5. & by reason of this power he hath soveraignty over all creatures, actions & events in the world; Alas poore [Page 27]Gods that can doe no good neither can they doe evill. Esay 41.23.24. Esay 45.7. Deut. 32.39. I form light and create darknesse. I make peace & create evill, I the Lord doe all these things: This is God indeed: He kills and he makes alive, death and the grave are his slaves: and should he let them domineere over his holy ones?

4. He is God eternall, the first and the last: none was before him, to prevent his purpose, Deut. 33.27. Esay 44.6. and good will towards his chosen Saints; neither can any come after him to sup­plant them: death was not before he commanded, neither shall it be after he gives forth the word, 1 Cor. 15.26.54. Let it be swallowed up and destroyed: If this God will then preserve his holy ones, in spight of death and the grave, who are they, that they should resist him? And thus God will doe as his worke will testifie:

2. The worke of this God is set downe in two Nega­tives, concerning his holy one in the stated of death. 2 The worke 1. Thou wilt not leave, 2. Thou wilt not give. They are both referred to the same object, the Saint in the state of death, and so must be considered, with this rule, that wee apply to each part the privilege herein peculiar to it, to the soule her property, and to the body its peculiar, free­dome from desertion may concerne both, but from cor­ruption as here intended, seemes only to respect the Holy flesh, sowne in the dust. Now to weigh these Acts of God.

1. Thou wilt not leave &c. His meaning plainly is, God will not forsake him in the house of darknesse, nor cease to be to him either in body or soule, [...] what formerly he had beene in the state of life: The affirmative then is this, that God will be to Christ and his holy members in the state of death, to their soules, to their bodyes, what e­ver he had been; more punctually God will not faile them in these 4. respects:

1. Of union; God was one essentially with his son before death, and God the son one personally with our flesh in life, Ioh. 10.30.and in neither doth God faile him now under the bonds of death: He and the Father are one now as much as ever; [Page 28]So God and man as much one Christ now, as ever. Though soule and body be for a while parted, yet God is not gone from either.

This is transcendent for the Prince Saint; yet every meaner saint may claime his priviledge in measure: God in Christ is mystically one with these, Joh. 17.23. having by his spirit knit them to Christ their head, and thorough him to him­selfe: once one, and ever one is God, when hee doth reunite to man in Christ: though spirit and flesh part and faile them, yet God failes them in soule and body never; rot­tennesse and stench in the grave cannot drive him away, nor separate him from his dust: Bodies and soules are parts united to Christ, so that they are of his flesh and of his bone, therefore never by death to be divided from him: They are Gods owne, what ever they be.

2. Of Relation: The Lord was Christs, God and Father, while he was alive, his voyce from heaven proclaimes it, This is my beloved son; Luke 9.35. and as tender hearted a Father was he to him, Ioh. 20.17. when he was dead, he did not cease to bee what he was: neither doth he to the Holy seed arising from him, He is Christs Father, and their Father, Christs God, and their God, while they are in the Land of the living; and though man dye, God dyeth not, nor his relation, wherein he hath beene knowne to his, he his the father of the Saints dust in the pit, and of their soules in his hand, as well as he was of both united: Hee gloryeth to be knowne at this day, Matth. 22.32. The God of Abraham, The God of Isaac, and the God of Iacob, God of their soules, God of their dust; yet not the God of the dead, but of the living, as our Lord teacheth, for as much as they are rela­ted to the fountaine of life, and shall by him bee revived and raised; They and the Saints are his, therefore not tru­ly dead; if so then were they left.

3. Of affection: what love the Father bare to the Son in his life time, Iohn 1.18. is fully expressed in that one passage, he was in the bosome of the Father, and no whit was it abated, when he dyes, nay for that cause rather more love is now [Page 29]discovered; it is his own word, Iohn 10.17. therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay downe my life; and when it was gone, he could not be loved lesse, God could not leave now to affect him: It is no otherwise with his brethren-saints, John 17.23. if God love them even as he hath loved him, yeelding to Christs own request; whom he loves he loveth to the end; and death is no end of being unto them; conforme there­fore herein are they to their head also; God cannot leave to love them in the grave, Rom. 8.38. nor can death separate from Gods love in Christ.

4. Of Operation: God wrought in Christ and for Christ admirably in his life; Isay 55.5. God glorified him in his combate with Satan, in his conflicts with the world, John 11.41.43. in healing sick, and raising dead, in curing bodies, and saving soules, John 5.17. he confesseth the Father workes and he workes in all. And will he now leave working with him and for him in the grave? Nay his glory is there also, to keep him, to command & drive away corruption from him to make him laugh at death, and scorne the frownes and terrors of the grave, yea to raise him againe out of the pit, and exalt him up to his victorious throne: But was this for him only? Is it not for his confederates also? Yea the poo­rest Saint hath a portion here, God will not leave to work for them in death: Hath he rescued them from the power of Satan and from the hand of hell by his quickning and converting grace? and shall he now leave them to be a prey to death? Nay sure, he that hath begun is faithfull, and will not leave working, untill he carry them through the shadow of death, and house of darknesse, and perfect salvation for them in the heavens: you see the first work.

2. Thou wilt not give, &c. or thou wilt not suffer, &c. Yet the former is more neer the letter, [...] and a word of acti­on more consoant in reason for the present purpose then of pernaission; for an efficacious permission seemeth too little for God about this matter, for as much as God doth not only permit these evils to be done upon his enemies, but his owne hand doth them, as a Judge dividing right: [Page 30]So that in this confidence of Gods gracious will to him, the Saint acknowledgeth these things concerning the Lord.

1. His soveraignty over the graves malignity, as if hee had said, thou mightest give me into the power of the grave, but thou wilt not, thou art the Lord of it and me, and it cannot budge one jot beyond thy leave.

2. His sentence, so that to give to see corruption is to give sentence upon a soule, and to adjudge it to the cruel­ty of the grave, thus God doth to some.

3. His execution also of this, it is the Lord not only that hath power over these evils and giveth sentence, but whose arme doth execute, even corrupt and destroy the condemned, and this makes it intollerable evill, when the hand of God inflicts it upon sinners: Now from all these the Saint confides to be exempted (and he is not deceived) God will be faithfull. He therefore speaks very boldly, Thou wilt not give thine holy one to see corruption. That is, thou wilt not use thy soveraignty over death to the disad­vantage of thy Saint, thou art Lord of all, not against, but for me, not to destroy, but save me in my bed. Nor wilt thou command death to feed upon me, nor th [...] grave to rot me away from thee, but rather wilt thou give sentence for me to preserve thy darling in the house of death, and require it back safely and with advantage from the place of my Hinc & Apo­stolus concepit, seminari eam di­cere, cum redhi­betur in terram, quia & semini­bus sequest [...]ato­rium terra est, illic deponendis, & inde repeten­dis. Tertul. lib. de car. resur. c. 25. sequestration: neither wilt thou stretch out thine hand thy selfe to corrupt thine holy one, (which none can doe without thee) but rather spread it over thy favourite and carry me in the hollow of thy hand, that a perpetuall desolation may not come neere me. This is the work of God for his Saints in the state of death, a sure de­fence is against desertion and corruption.

2. 2. Cur sit. But why will God do this for his holy ones? I shall in short reply. 1 The eternall purpose of God. 2 His pro­mise and covenant with the Redeemer. And to saith in him are the causes of it, I will but touch these.

1 God will thus stand by his Saints in the state of death, Reason. 1. [Page 31]because from eternity, he hath purposed and decreed, to make them, to call them, and through tribulations, Ephes. 1.4.11. [...] Ephes. 1.11. suffe­rings, death and the pit to bring them to glory. Concer­ning which purpose I shall but note. 1 The freenesse or in­dependency of it on any thing in the creature; it is of himselfe, and for himselfe only, that thus he purposeth, therefore he must be most willing to his own work. Rom. 11.29. A [...] 2 The stedfastnesse and immutability of it, he wavers not in his counsels, nor repents of what he hath resolved or done, therefore the least no willingnesse cannot come in to de­cline him from his purposed grace to his chosen ones.

2 God will not leave them, nor give them to corrupti­on, because his covenant with the Redeemer and his seed is to set them above all and this God gives to Faith to keepe as a sure evidence against the day of darknesse, and thereby to secure the soule of its welfare. Psal. 110.1. It is Gods word to Christ, Sit thou at my right-hand, until I make thine ene­mies thy foot-stook, and among them death is not the least. John 11.26. And it is Christ word to us, whosoever believeth in me shall never die, not dye indeed and throughly, that death should rule over him or plague him: And againe yet further, Matth. 16.18. The Portae inferi peccatum est, & peccati regnum, ex quo aditus est ad inferos. Ar. Mont. lib. Ios. p. 108. gates of hell shall not prevaile against his holy body: And if not all the power of Hell the terriblest enemy, then not the gates of sin, nor of death, nor of the grave, can corrupt the Saints, for these are strong confederates, and either pre­vaile or are vanquisht together; these words are faithfull and true, and are given to Faith to lay up and keepe safely for the Saints-advantage; if ye desire to know what use faith makes of them, the last point will declare it where­unto I now proceed.

3. Faith secures the Saint of Gods gracious presence and of his immunities from the evils of death and the grave. Doct. 3. It is the voice of faith every word of it. Thou wilt not leave, &c. see how boldly and peremptorily it speaks, My flesh shall rest in hope though it now be laid in the dust, [...] or more neerely to the letter, My flesh shall dwell confidently, or in confidence and security; Not once fearing deaths terrors, or the graves [Page 32]spight. And why so daring thou holy one? Faith brings in evidences, and secures the soule of life, in the midst of death, and of salvation in the very pit of corruption; so that not only the holy child Jesus, but all Gods holy children are thus bold with God as to say, Thou wilt not leave our soules in hell, &c.

But how comes faith to give this security to the Saints?

I shall answer this, Q. A. and it shall suffice at this time, for the doctrinall part of this truth. There are two notable acts or effects of faith, that must needs work invincible con­fidence against the mighty powers of darknesse, where ever they appeare, and by them the Saints are so well esta­blished.

1. 1. A realizing and evidencing effect of faith there is, which gives subsistence to things which we yet but hope for, [...] Heb. 11.1. and evidence to that glory which flesh and blood can­not see: thus the Apostle commends faith, It is the sub­stance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seene. Now to consider duly this work of faith, two things must be noted.

1. The object expressed in two termes. First, things hoped for, such as are not actually subsisting, nor present to sens. Secondly, things not seene, which though they have an actuall present being, yet are not open to sight.

2. The worke of faith about these, which is double. First, those things which yet have no actuall subsistence, it makes really to subsist unto the soule, therefore is it called the subsistence of them, because it gives them being to the heart, when yet they are not in themselves. Secondly, those things which actually are, but are not seene by men, faith makes them so evident and apparent unto the Saint, as if he looked on them with his eyes. I will give instance of somethings touching the present case, and apply the work of faith to them, and then let any judge whether the Saint have not cause enough to be confident against deaths gastly terrors.

1. Things hoped for, and not actually subsisting are [Page 33]such as these. First, Incorruption to be put upon our cor­ruptible. Secondly, resurrection from the grave. Thirdly, vision of God in his heavenly glory. Now the excellent worke of faith is to make these really to be to the soule in present, that how ever to sight they are not, yet to faith they are: and what coward would not be confident against death, if he had the resurrection really present with him before hand? Indeed without this death may swallow up a man: It is Davids word, Except I had believed to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the Living, Psal. 27.13. alas what would have become of me? I might have fainted and peri­shed for ever.

2. Things not seene, yet actually being, are such as these. 1. Gods being the cause of all. 2. Gods union with, relation to, and love of his Son the head-saint and all his beleeving members. 3. Gods absolute dominion over death and hell, &c. All which though they be in present, yet are not seene with men, and therefore are neg­lected, but faith gives as cleere a convincing demonstrati­on of them to the saint as if he did look upon them; that however before with Elishas servant he tremble, as a man, 2 King. 6.15.17.yet when faith hath opened his eyes and made him see God, and Christ inseparably united to him, he is then se­cure and bold as a beleever. He now perceives there are more with him, than are against him, and therefore foolish were it, to feare death or the grave.

2. 2. An appropriating and a closing worke of faith there is, whereby what ever a man seeth, it is given to him and made his own: Faith doth but touch and take with God. To believe Christ and to have him is all one in the language of Gods Spirit: so to believe God, his power, 1 John 5: 12. wisdome, and goodnesse, is but to have them, to believe his union with us, love to us, zeale for us, protection over us, even in death, against death, is but to enjoy all this, and possesse the sweetnsse of it. It is registred of those holy worthies among many other great exploits, Hebr. 11.33. that by Faith they obtained promises; whether they were promises pecu­liar [Page 34]to themselves, or in common with other Saints, it matters not here; this is certaine, faith only gives possessi­on of them. And is not this a notable ground of confidence and insultation over the grave, to have God and to have his Attributes, and to have his Son all ours, prest to do us good? To see Mines of gold, and no more but to see them, may maze the eye, but leave the man poore; to see and have all is that which maketh rich, and sets above con­tempt: for a close to this, were it only to see God, and to lose him, a man might be notwithstanding a scorne to death: But where reall subsistence, evidence, and propriety of an Almighty gracious arme concurres, that soule may laugh at the frownes of death, and terrors of the pit: All this doth faith secure to the Saint, well then may he be bold and say, in the grave shall my flesh dwell confidently, for thou wilt not leave my soule in hell, nor suffer thine holy one to see corruption: we have seene the weight of these golden truths, The use of them is next considerable, I shall adde from all but three words in generall for use, to convince, to counsell, and to comfort, and these as the for­mer rules direct me.

1. Use 1. Grant holinesse in the nature of it a conformity to the holy God, and in the vertue of it, the only preserving embalme from dereliction in death, and corruption in the grave; who and in what case art thou, unholy soule? look on, and be convinced of thy sinne, and of thy misery.

1. Of thy sin and be ashamed: Is holinesse the image of the glorious God, are the beauties of it the splendor arising from the confluence of all graces? It is sin then to want it, uglinesse and basenesse to be a gracelesse man; the Black­more is not more unlike to, nor more despised of the fairest creature, Amos 9.7. than thou art of God; Are ye not as the children of the Ethiopians unto me, said the Lord to an ungodly seed. O that I could let thee see thy selfe in Gods glasse, how wouldest thou hide thy face? Whose image and super­scription bearest thou, ungodly sinner? No other reply can be made but the Devils, nothing appeares upon thee [Page 35]but sin, and sin is nothing else but the Devill in perspective, or in his naturall image; children of the devill is the pro­per name that our Lord stamps upon ungodly men; and rightly his seed are they termed both for their birth, and likenesse, if the confluence of sinne make up the Devils image, vile wretch beat this upon thy heart, if it be Gods command to be holy, it is thy cursed sin to be unholy, and if holinesse arise from the concurrence of all grace, hellish sinner, thou whose nature is inconsistent with any one grace, or the rellish of it, see thy sin, thy selfe.

2. Of thy misery be convinced, and be confounded; if holinesse only be the preservative against dolefull deserti­ons in deadlihead, and corruption in the pit, what will be­come of thee, unholy wretch? Hast thou other enbalmes prepared against that day? take what thou canst: fill thy soule with vaine hopes, and whorish perfumes of mercy, get for thy carkase the Regale un­guentum appel­latum, quoniam Parthorum Re­gibus tempera­tur. Plin. Not. Hist. l. 13. c. 2. royall oyntment, that beseemes Kings, after that wrap thy selfe in Sear-clothes, and then be wound up in a sheet of Lead, and hew a Sepulchre out of the rock to lye safely in: And shall these commend thy soule to God? or preserve thy body from putresaction? Sinne will spoile these ointments and eat thorow all these fences; The soule, the body, Prov. 10.7. Jer. 22.15. yea the name of the wicked shall rot. Shalt thou raigne, saith God to Coniah, because thou closest thy selfe in Cedar? Alas sin will spoile Cedar pales, one simple pale of holinesse were better then all, but that thou hatest; thou shalt therefore stinke alive, and stink dead: Thy soule is a forsaken thing, left of God to the spoile of Devils, and thy body shall rot in the prison whither thou goest, untill both be clapt together into hel, A [...]curse shalt thou be and an abomination for ever, for thou art unholy.

2. As thou art an enemy to holinesse, so no lesse art thou to God himselfe: say then that the holy one is Gods fa­vourite, that God will never leave him to be a prey to death, nor give him up a spoile unto corruption; what is this to an unholy soule, hating God, and hated of him? [Page 36]It is sin more grievous to neglect and slight the Lord that is so gracious and faithfull to his people, as not to give them to the least disadvantage under death; And judge­ment shall be aggravated to the weight of sinne, God will certainly relinquish the ungodly wretch in all those dead­ly evils whereinto his sin hath led him; he shall not have a smile of his countenance, nor the least work of grace from his hand, nor hope of recovering out of the dungeon, but he that is soveraigue of death and hell shall give him up to the tormentors, Mat. 25.41. he shall passe the deadly sentence, depart thou cursed, the tempest of his wrath shall drive him, he shall smite him, not only into the place of Dragons and of death, but into the place of Devils, where the everlasting arme of vengeance doth for ever torment the unholy crew that are descended thither.

3 Unholy sinner, know this, thou art as contrary to faith, as to God and holinesse, and thy unbeliefe makes thee a perfect sinner and perfectly miserable: thou canst want no sin that wantest faith, unbeliefe is the root of all, and binds on all in guilt, in power, and defilement, nei­ther can faith more secure the gracious presence of God, and sweet priviledges in death unto the Saint, then unbelief doth make sure the wrath and curse of God, the plagues of death and hell to the ungodly man: They are deadly words, John 3.18.36. He that beleeveth not is condemned already, He that beleeveth not shall never see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him, Rev. 21.8. The unbelieving shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone: These dreadfull things thy unbeliefe secures to thine unholy soule. What in­scription leavest thou upon thy Tombe-stone when thou goest downe into the pit? Vnholinesse, ungodlinesse, unbe­liefe, there must be also death, rottennesse, and everlasting perdition. What is thy Epitaph, Here lyeth an unholy and unbelieving man? There also will God write, A Childe of death, of corruption, and of hell. I speak not these things as a Judge unto you, O ye unholy soules, (The Lord awaken you and keepe you from this bitter portion) but as a mes­senger [Page 37]from God to warne you, that ye may yet consider the things that concerne your peace: but if not, as a friend to monrne over oou, because you are going into everlasting captivity, and to destruction never to be repaired: but I would rather counsell than reprove or terrisie. And there­unto I now descend.

Saving counsell will not hurt but helpe, given rightly, Use 2. and well taken from the truths precedent: Brethren I ex­hort you in the name of the Lord, O that ye would obey, be wise for your selves, and provide for soules and bodies against the day of parting, that in the day of darknesse ye may have light, and neither sting of death, nor stench or Rottennesse of the grave may fester your soules, or make your bodies an abomination unto God: Earthy pro­visions of Embalme, winding sheet, and Coffin will not profit, Q. but heavenly will fence against all corruption: what then in to be done?

The advise which the text directs to give Soveraigne a­gainst the Malignity of death I shall dispatch in three words: obey them, and ye are above the grave. A.

1. Make sure of being in Christ, the Head-Saint, Rom. 13.14. or in another phrase, put ye on the Lord Jesus, clad your selves with him before ye lye downe in the dust, he is ornament, and Muniment, for comlinesse that ye be not naked, and for desence that nothing can hurt you, the grave cannot corrupt the body, that he clothes: Beleeve in him truly and ye have him for life, and food, and rayment, & wealth, and strong [...]ity against the attempts of your most dreadfull enemies: see a little more narrowly, what a fence hee hath about him that abides in Christ: The Fa­ther, and the comforter, are alwayes with the Son, so that have him, and have all: The spirit the Comforter close at the heart, the son thy Head, and God the Father thy Rock; thy strength, thy glory round about thee. [...] Joh. 14.26. Eph. 1.22. Psal. 18.1. Can death terrifie, or the grave Rot these, and drive them away? then Maiest thou feare too; but hell and death tremble be­fore the Lord: It is enough, Christian, it is enough to see thy selfe in Christ, he hath tryed the arme of death, and [Page 38]power of the grave, & hath subdued them to himselfe, and laid them under the feet of his beleeving members. If thou be yet without him, poore soule, thou art naked, and ex­posed to the fury of death and the pit, be advised therefore, and give no sleepe to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eye­lids untill thou canst say, Christ is mine, and I am his: An humbled, selfe-judging, selfe-abasing, and selfe-deny­ing soule cannot come to him and be cast out; and if re­ceived secured for ever; Ioh. 6.37. As soone may that holy sonne be deserted of God, and made a prey to the powers of dark­nesse, as thy soule left in hell, or thy body given to see corruption in the pit: Onely be sure to immure thy selfe in Christ, and thou art set about with walls of Salvation.

2. Next to this state of incorruption in the head pro­vided, care must be taken to bee incorruptible in thy selfe, then art thou safe against deathes destructions: As in the last resurrection, 1 Cor. 15.53. our corruptible must put on incorruption eminently, that there shall not be a possibility of dying a­gaine, so to make a way to that, in our first resurrection to the life of God, there is an Incorruption by way of incho­ation that must bee attained unto, which makes us safe a­gainst the destructive power of the grave, though wee doe now dye: This is that holinesse so much commended, concerning which, This is my counsell, take care mighti­ly, for the Being, and perfection of Holinesse in thee.

1. That it be in thee indeed: not forme or shew of Holi­nesse will doe good in this matter; Holinesse in truth is the onely sacred preserving thing, the reallity where of must appeare in the rice, nature, and fruits of it. 1. For its Rice, 1 Ioh. 2.20. see it be truly from the Holy one, from that Holy-son the head of the Church, from the holy Father the head of Christ, and from the holy spirit the [...]me of both, all is but the thrice holy God, no Holinesse reall but from him.

2. For its nature that it beare conformity with his Ho­linesse, that God may appeare to bee in thee of a truth in his Image and peculiar worke: bee as like as may be to the Holy one, Eph. 4.24. heart to his heart, pure and heavenly:

3. For its fruits, that in thoughts, word, and wayes the power of holinesse may give out it selfe, to bias, and turne them all to the holy one; This destroyes finne, and brings forth fruits to none but to God: O that this golden oyle might runne in all thy veines, and seake thy bones, and fill thy bowells, and clad thy flesh about, death durst not hurt thee, nor Rottennesse spoyle thee:

2. Let it not content onely to be holy, but perfect holi­nes in the feare of God, to the most excellent beauties of it: see to the reall concurrence of all graces in thy soule, 2 Cor. 7.1. as to the sweet order and disposition of them; Harmony is a­mong graces, let not sinne put them out of Ranke: Bee it thy dayly study and excercise to hold out the splendor of all, Shine in Imitation of thy God, strive to reach his glo­ry in thy wayes, Be holy as he is holy, even to sinnes utter destruction, corruptibility dyeth with that: Aime at this marke and follow after it, let ambition runne to the highest to bee like to God; the more holy the more in­corruptible by fin, and the more secure from the Maligni­ty of death: when the Apostle would demonstrate firmely the incorruptibility of Christ in the grave, hee urgeth this authority, God said on this wise, I will give you the sure Mereies of David. In the prophet it is the Amen mercies, Esay. 55.3. [...] Act. 13.34. [...]in the rendring of the Apostle the sacred or holy things of David: nothing is mistaken in the matter; The holy fa­vours, which God by Covenant gave to David the Type, to Christ the true head of his confederates, were a sure guard to him against corruption, the same are the Saints indowments carried all in holinesse, and will be their fence impenitrable by the curse of the grave. O then bee Holy, be holy, brethren, bee glorious in holinesse, let it bee your garment now, your winding sheet when you lye downe, it will be glory in your life and victory in death it salse:

3. Let saith also have its perfect worke; if you provide well for your selves against the evills of the dark habitati­on, and shadow of death. Ca [...]e in this matter I would commend mainely about two things: 1. To pitch upon [Page 40]the true object, the proper remedies and preservatives a­gainst these deadlyevills: 2. That the Act of faith upon these be genuine and naturally to it, such as may shew it to be Gods noble plant in the soule; these are the realizing, evidencing, and appropriating these saving receits unto the soule. 1. There be great and precious promises for salvation, in the midst of the furious assaults of death and the pit, which have admirable vertue, if well applied, such are these, Esay 26.19. Hos. 13 14. Ioh. 11.26. Dead men shall live, death shall be plagued for kil­ling, and the grave destroyed for devouring, and whosoever liveth and beleeveth in me shall neverdye: These perhaps confidered in the letter may seeme either not to be, or not to be evident, or not to be a mans owne, but thing remote or farre of. Now let savign faith come and worke upon these, it will make all the sweethesse of these to bee in pre­sent, which seemeth either not to be, or to be long hereaf­ter, to come, it will make them evident which otherwise cannot be seene, and it will give possession to a soule of all the goodnesse of them, unto which otherwise it is but a stranger: what a sweet security is this to a poore soule, to live in death, to vex and were out the grave, and never truly dye or be corrupted? this safe-guard will faith give out of Gods promises, neither can law or curse prejudice or dis­annuall it: beleeve, O then beleeve the promises.

2. God infinite, invisible, immortall, all-powerfull and only wise, Pro. 18.10. is the Rock, the fortresse, the Sanctuary of his Saints; Esay 8.14. all his attributes shelter them in every storme fence them against fiery darts, and hide them from the bloody pursuit of that mercilesse one that hath the power of death: let faith worke mightily on him also, to compasse the Al­mighty, Heb. 11.27. to make him seene that is invisible, to give pro­priety and interest in him that is immortall, wrap thy selfe by faith in God, put on his attributes, as garments of sal­vation while thou livest, and keepe them about thee for grave-clothes when thou dyest; God will not disdaine to by they safety in the pit: and then death must destroy his glory and corruption eat thorough it, before they can [Page 41]come to de mischiefe unto thee: Stagger not then; but be strong in faith giving glory unto God.

3. The son of God manifest in the flesh the Prince-Saint, given to bee the head of his Church, is deathes king and the Graves commander, they are his conquered captive slaves, he keepes them shut up under lock and key; Revel. 1.18. he hath they keyes of hell & of death, were wethen but his confederats and member-Saints, how might we laugh at the from nes and spite of death, and slight the venome of the grave? Ioh 14.1.Faith will accomplish this for you, unite you to him, cause you to see him, make you his, and him yours: ye therefore that beleeve in God, beleeve also in him; Hee carrieth God with him, where he is, God is: He makes good all promi­ses, in him they are yea and Amen, granted and performed. Make sure of him and have all: Faith hath, by gracious dignation, as it were a command over him, hee will no where faile it: Faith called him to his three companions in the fiery furnace, and he brought them out in safety, Dan. 3.25. not so much as the smell of fire was upon them; and no lesse will it draw him to accompany his saints in the deadly ha­bitations, where he will keepe them, and whence, he will never leave untill hee raise them out and no smell of the grave shall be upon them. obey these counsells, exerise faith in these, and live above death, yee shall never see cor­ruption: but overcome death when yee dye, and triumph over the grave, while ye live in it, and sing that triumphant son when ye awake, O death, where is thy Sting, O grave where is thy victory? &c.

Lastly, the sweet comfort of these golden truthes may not be concealed from the Saints; Use 3. the Lord hath given speciall charge, O comfort, comfort them, especially his afflicted ones, that are oppressed either with the sad thoughts of his absence, or feares of the fury of these last enemies: I dare not with-hold the Cordialls provided for these sick soules; 1. To you is comfort sent that are sick of Love, that lye commplaining of Gods absence from you, or desertion of you, that long for, Cry for, waite for his [Page 42]returne, and presence, saving, O when will hee come and appeare to us? why doth hee leave and forsake our soules? Refraine from these complaints yee holy ones, God hath not left you, Then is a soule left indeed when it hath no desires after God; but here is no feare of Gods forsaking you, while your soules are restlesse in longing after him; wipe away your teares and looke up, God is it neerer to you, than ye thinke: It was M [...]es ca [...]e once, shee weepes for Christ, and all the while, he stands by her, and so is not un­usuall with the Saints, Joh. 20.15.16. that are selfe-susoicious, to thinke upon every uneven step of theirs, God to be gon; It may be sometimes his comforting presence may bee hid, and yet his sanctifiing presence continueth to inlarge your soules in desires after him, this is then better for you than that; Grace more needrull for you than Comfort: know this, deare soules, God cannot, God will not leave you, when you are dead, Heb. 13.5. and will hee forsake you while you are alive? He desires to have more trust from you upon his promise, I will never leave you nor forsake you; and you shall certainly receive more manifestations of love from him; quicken faith, wher sence faileth, and be assured as soone may hee forsake Christ the Head-Saint (which is impossible) as you the member-Saints, whose soules delight in him: These good and comfortable words God speakes to your hearts, O receive them and be cheared, for they are true and faith­full.

2. For you that are sick with feare, is fom fort here pre­pared; ye that are of a trembling heart, God faith unto you, be strong; ye that are fearefull andshake at the terrors of the enemies of your salvation, be ye comforted; ye that often expresse your feares, one time or other we shall perish by the hand of sin, and bee given up to death and hell: O how terrible are the thoughts of death? how gastly the vi­sage of the grave? woe unto us when wee must descend into the pit: And why so fearefull poore Saints? O that yee would make use of faith now, and take in the consolations of God. Can promises chear the heart more then wine? [Page 43]can they secure invincibly against the power of sin, of death of hel? All these are yours. Hath Christ vanquisht death and the grave? hath he made the gates of hell to breake asun­der, and conquer'd all the power of darknesse? Doth he now laugh at death, and shake terribly the grave? He is yours, his holinesse yours, his conquest yours, his triumph yours, and his dominion yours: Death and hell lye at his feet, and at your feet also: O lift up your heads, and re­joyce ye holy ones in this lot and behold yet more: Can the Almighty forgive sin? can hee blot out transgression? can he undee the paines and chaines of death? can he stop the grave from devouring? and bring the prey out of its Mouth out of its Bowells? can he chaine the devill, and make hell not to be his? This God is yours, yee that have obtained that holy and precious faith, ye are his holy ones, and can he leave your soules in hell, or sufler his holy ones to see corruption? ye will take up better thoughts of God, and be comforted against your feares, if yelet faith worke thoroughly on him: Bee hold and speake confidently, Esay 50.7.8.9.challeng the King of terrors as the Saints have done their terrible enemies before you. The Lord God will helpe mee, therefore I shall not bee confounded, I have see my face like a flint, I know I shall not be ashamed, He is neere that justifieth me, who will cont end with me? will sin, will death will the grave? let us stand together. Behold the Lord God shall helpe me, who will condemne me? shall these adversaries lead mee in triumph? Loe they all shall wax old as a garment, the moth shall eat them up: poore death, poore grave, the moth shall fight with you and consume you: should the saints then feare to encounter with you? God will deliver you into their hands, and like old moth-eaten garments shall they teare you and come out. Live then above feares yee Saints, in the shadow of death, feare no evill, for God is with you, Leape for joy, and be glad at the remembrance of his Ho­linesse.

3. To close all, but a word to the congregation of saints both sick and well, consider your calling and be comforted [Page 44]over all the crosse blasts that may meet you in the world, ye are Gods annoynted, his holy ones, holinesse is your Cognizance, which as it hath the neerest likenesse and is the Image of God, so it hath the highest place of dignity next to God. Holinesse sets up Iehova above all, that is his glory wherein he is exalted above all creatures. None can abase the holy one of Israell, next to him is his holy child, Iesus, Holinsse advanceth him unto his Fathers throane; and in this head are all the Saints, Holinesse makes them fit upon his throane. Be glad then and re­joyce in what God hath done for you He hath created you Holinesse to the Lord; Mighty Princes hath God made you, over sin, death, the grave and hell; The powers of dark­nesse may puff at you, but ye shall trample them under foot. Sit downe then every of you, glory in your portion; and in the thoughts of insuing graplings with death and the grave, sing with David with Christ, My heart is glad, my glory rejoyceth, my slesh also shall dwell confidently: For thou wilt not leave my soule in hell, neither wilt thou give thy Holy one to see corruption: This joy, This Honour have all his Saints. Praise we the Lord: Amen.