SERMON I.

THE Apostle calleth it, the good fight of faith, 1 Tim. 6. 12. every way good, and best, because at last it al­wayes ends well, in victory, [...], 1 John 5. 4 it overcomes; nay, [...], proves more then conquerour as many other Rom. 8. 37. wayes, so this for one, that as this fight ends in victory, so this victory in triumph. For here (otherwise [Page 2] then with the Romans of old) the Conquerour alwayes triumpheth; and so we have this our Conquerour ever and anon brought in trium­phing, over sin and misery, and death it self.

Over sin; Miserable man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death? I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Rom. 7. 24, 25.

Over all accusers, and all outward evils▪ and enemies; Who shall im­peach? who shall condemn? who shall separate? Shall tribulation, or distresse, or persecution, &c? nay, I am perswa­ded, that none of all these, that no­thing at all shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, Rom. 8. 33, 34. &c.

And lastly, over the last enemy of all, which is death and the grave; as here in the Text, and following Verses: O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the Law; but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

In all, observe, that it is still through Jesus Christ our Lord, and [Page 3] through our Lord Jesus Christ: Happy man that could say it! and more blessed grace of faith that could prompt and enable him to it! but above all, most blessed be the Cap­tain of our Salvation, who gave that faith such strength, and thereby this man of God such a conquest, that when world and sin, death and hell had done their worst, they had done him none, but themselves all the mischief, by bruising his heel had broken their own head: so that now as vanquished, and lying prostrate at his feet; as Joshuab over the Ga­naanitish Josh. 10▪ 24. Kings, or as a little David over a great Goliath, he treads on 1 Sam. 17. 51. their necks, trampleth on the Lion and Dragon, without fear of hurt, their teeth being broken, and their sting taken out, and in this joyful [...], at once

Both insulteth over them; O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

And withal exulteth and trium­pheth in God through Christ. Now thanks be to God, who giveth us the vi­ctory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The enemies here triumphed over, [Page 4] are death and the grave, [...] and [...], the latter whereof answereth to the Hebrew [...]; which if Del-Rio will needs have to be alwayes in Adagial: Sacr: in 2 Sam. 22. Digress: 2. Scripture meant of Hell, I must needs say, that I think Job was not of his minde, for then he would not have so desired to be hid in it, as he doth, Job 14. 13. And therefore the Jesu­ite [...] when he undertakes to prove that it is so understood in all the places of Scripture where it is used, though he endevour to cleare no fewer then 87 places, did very wisely over­look and leave out this, which (it may be) he could not so well satis­fie: I grant that you may here finde Hell set down in the Margin of your Bibles, but its not to be found in the Text, for that Hell never loseth its victory, nor will the prayer, no not of a Gregory, though never so great, (whatever they fable) rescue any that is once become its prisoner. Ours oft translate it the grave, and so both here and in many other places it must be meant: Generally it signi­fieth the state of the dead after their dissolution: and so the latter word may onely hold out a continuation [Page 5] of what was in the former: both very near of kinne, and as such you Cant. 8. 6. Rev. 1. 18. Rev. 6. 8. Rev. 20. 13, 14. have them often in Scripture linked together. In effect, they are the same, and so the Vulgar Interpreter here in stead of these two words Death and Grave, hath the same word Death in both clauses of the Verse: and besides, transporteth the other words, as Beza, and others also do, Junius in Parallelis. who read them thus, O death, where is thy victory? O grave, where is thy sting? Contrary to the Greek, Syriack, and Arabick Copies, yet in Beza's judgement better suiting with the following Verse, in which I crave leave to dissent; for I finde the word sting joined to the word death there also: He might rather have said, that so it would be more agreeable to the Hebrew in Hos. 13. 14. from which place this Text is taken, with some variation of words, (which I now passe by) but fully agreeing in the same sense. Which is, to represent death and the grave to us in a double, but much different view and posture.

1. As an enemy in himself armed, and so formidable to all, and so death [Page 6] hath its sting, and the grave hath, or will have the victory.

2. As the same enemy by Christ the Captain of our Salvation disar­med, and so to the believer made contemptible, and so (as to such) by Jesus Christ, death hath lost his sting, and the grave shall at last be swallowed up in victory.

For that is the true meaning of this question, O death, where is thy sting? &c. In which the Apostle doth not ask, where that was, which they never had, but what they once were possessed, but now by Christ, as to his servants, are despoiled of. I begin with the first.

Death (in it self, and as to those Doct. 1 1 Sam. 26. 16. [...], those sons of death who are not rescued from the power of it) hath its sting, and the grave hath, or will have the victory: to which a­greeth that proverbial expression, Cant. 8. 6. Strong as death, which o­vercometh all, and cruel as the grave, which spareth none. But more par­ticularly,

1. Death hath its sting: A Me­taphor taken from some poisonous Serpent, or Scorpion, which with its [Page 7] sting poison's, wound's, kill's, and this sometimes suddenly, unavoida­bly, irrecoverably.

And this death doth

1. To the bodily life, as it is the destruction of it; and so life and death are opposed, Deut. 30. 15. and if Hezekiah must die, he cannot live, Isa. 38. 1.

And were this all; yet thus, as it is the dissolution and destruction of nature, and the violent parting of soul and body, those two long ac­quainted [...], Plat. Gor­gias. Ethic. l. 3. and near united friends,

Even pure nature (and that in our Saviour himself, Matth. 26. 36, 37, 38, 39.) innocently recoileth from it.

But to meer natural men, even in the Philosophers account, is [...], and although some of them, whilest death was at a di­stance in a Philosophick bravery, could call them fools that were a­fraid [...]. So­phocl. Aeschylus Epictetus. of it, and call it [...], Hermach: with their [...], as though not death it self, but only our opinion of it were terrible: yet usually (as divers of them confesse) when after all those vaunts and [Page 8] braves, death indeed came neer them, it had a more grim visage that af­frighted them: and although some of them even then either out of brutish senslesnesse, or some passion of pride, could in a desperate frolick rush upon it as the horse doth into the Jer. 8. 6. battle; yet in cooler blood, it was wont to put them into a shaking fit, with the great Emperors pallidula, rigida, nudula; and if Epictetus will except Socrates, yet the common rule which obtained with the most sober of them, was, [...]; Euripid: the Scri­pture of truth (I am sure) saith of all such, that through fear of death, they are all their life time subject to bondage, Heb. 2. 15. And if life (as you use to say) be sweet, it can be no lesse then the bitternesse of death, 1 Sam. 15. 32. How bitter is the bare Ecclus. 41. 1. remembrance of it to him that is at ease? but the approach of it was [...], bitter bitterness, (as the case was then with him) even to an He­zekiah, Isa. 38. 17. and if the mes­sage of it made him weep, v. 3. then 1 Sam. 28. 20. wonder not if Saul at it swooned quite away.

It is a bitter sting, that with the So Socrates [...]. Apud Ju­stin. Mart. ad Graeces adhortat. 1. prick of it letteth out the life-blood of the dying man, if when it taketh away from him this life, he hath no assurance of a better, but dieth with Aristotles word in his mouth, dubius morior, quo vadam nescio, be he ne­ver so wise a Philosopher, or Adri­ans, quos nunc abibis in locos? should he be (with him) never so great an Emperor.

It is not death, as death, that even the godly desire or rejoice in; for in that sense Paul would not be 2 Cor. 5. 4. Joh. 21. 18. unclothed; and Peter is said in that respect to be carried whither he would not. It is some greater good which God vouchsafeth to such at death, and after it, which whilest others then want, and have no assurance of, it must needs be a dolorous and deadly sting, that thus, first letteth out their dearest life.

2. And therewith, (which is a second stinging wound) all the com­forts of life.

Which should they abide, yet the man is gone, whose very soul was wrapt up in them, but now hath no benefit by them; and then the state­liest [Page 10] room, though never so richly hung and furnished, is but a sad sight, where's nothing else to be seen but the dead master in his coffin in the midst of it.

All dearest Relations are at once then snapt asunder.

The pleasantest childe (now half fatherlesse) turn's away his face, as not being able to endure to see a dear Father die.

The dearest wife, which was be­fore the desire of thine eyes, thou now Ezek. 24. 16. 21. Gen. 23. 4. desirest (with Abraham) to have buried out of thy sight.

Thy most loving friends may then stand by and weep over thee, but cannot help thee; and at last with a longum vale, bid thee good night, and so part: and doth not this [...]uth 1. 17 sting?

As for Honors and outward great­ness, 1 Sam. 4. 10. Phinehas his wife now dying, calleth them Ichabod: this sting prick's that swoln bladder, and so his breath goe's forth, and then [...], all his thoughts, all his goodly glistering thoughts, (as that Psal. 146. 4 word seemeth to signifie) perish. Which words hold not forth a [Page 11] [...], as Pope John the 22. would gather out of them, as though after death his soul should sleep, and think of nothing; but to expresse that all his former great high thoughts in his life time, then at death come to nothing.

For pleasures, and former facetious and jovial merriments; old Barzil­laies 2 Sam. 19. 35. eyes grow dim in that evening, when he was but now entred within the shadow of death, but are quite closed up in this midnight; in old Eccles. 12. 5. age desire faileth, but in death it is wholly extinct. Death (if nothing do it before) will break many a knot of good fellows: & then adieu sworn fellow-drunkard, & well if you and I can now come to a good reckoning; and adieu also you sweet Mistress, and all that dalliance you wot of, till you and I stand before our Judg, and all that be brought to light which was done by us in secret. And adieu to you too my more innocent merry companion, nec ut soles dabis jocos; the whole club of wits are now all amort, and not one Jest more; for now that God and Death are in good earnest, it is past Jesting, past [Page 12] Drinking, Whoring, yea, rejoicing in wife, or children, or friends:

Or Riches, which should they (as with some Nations they are) be bu­ried with thee, yet in that day of Prov. 11. 4 wrath they will not be able to profit thee; for if in thy life time they do not (as often they doe) make them­selves Prov. 23. 5 wings and flee away from thee, yet in death thou wilt be taken from them; thy close fist will be then o­pen, and all that dust which before thou gripedst in thy hand, will then See Shick­ard in his Jus Regiū cap. 6. Luke 12. 20. run through thy fingers; and then thou fool, whose shall all these things be? Blessed Hezekiah! who in this case could say of Gods Word and Promises, and Providences, In these things is the life of my spirit; but Isa. 38. 16. the very spirit of the worldlings life, is wrapt up in this bundle of out­ward contentments: so that if that threed be once cut, and so all these be scattered and lost, then as Micah said, What have I more? the man is Judg. 18. [...]4. utterly undone, and to whom in time of his life, it was death to part with a penny, it will be an hell at death to part with all; as it was once said by one to a great Lord, [Page 13] upon his shewing him his stately house and pleasant Gardens, Sir, You had need make sure of Heaven, or else when you die, you will be a very great loser.

Nor is this all; for were it onely the losse of life, and outward com­forts of it, that sting death fastneth even in the heirs of life.

3. Thirdly, therefore there is a deeper sting in it, which the godly are freed from: of which we read in the following Verse, in these words, The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law, ie. sin Rom. 5. 12. Puncturâ peccati mo­rimur. P. Martyr. armeth death with its sting, which otherwise could never have had power to hurt or touch us, whate­ver the Socinian saith to the contra­ry; and the law now broken doth ex accidente irritate, and per se de­clare, and manifest, and aggravate sin, and so giveth it its strength, and death its warrant thus to arrest and execute us: and hinc illae lachrymae, hence is the deepest sting of death, and deadliest groan of the dying sinner; for that with death, the weight both of sin and the law fall on him together, which presseth [Page 14] him yet lower, and woundeth him deeper even to the soul and consci­ence, whilest he is hereby made sen­sible, that his death is the wages of his sin, so that he dieth not as a Rom. 6. 23 Martyr, or barely as a Man, but as a Malefactor, under the guilt of sin, and sense of Gods wrath; and if there was a painful sting of death in the two former particulars, then in this third is the very poison of it. That, as the sting of a Bee may be very painful, but This is the Hornet and Scorpion: This Scorpions sting in the tail (as those Rev. 9. 10.) in the end of our life is most deadly; as they use to say, Maximè mortiferi morsus bestiarum morientium, the bi­ting of a dying beast is most deadly, the sting of death, if dipt in the ve­nome of Gods wrath, is both into­lerable and incurable. That facies Hypocratica, (which Physicians speak of) of a spent dying man looks very ghastly; but no sight in all the world more dreadful, than to see an awakened dying sinner (as a Saul, Judas, Francis Spira, &c.) conflicting with death, and sin, and the law, and Gods curse, and wrath [Page 15] altogether. If in a dying houre, in stead of Gods reviving smile, the sin­ner meeteth with his deadly frown, so that when death hath made his grave, his sin like a massie grave­stone Isa. 24. 20. lie heavy upon him, how mi­serably is that poor wretch pressed to death? and how deadly is that groan when you may hear him sighing out his soul with this saddest mone; Oh! I am so sick, that I cannot live, and yet (woful wretch that I am!) Dr. Harris. so sinful that I dare not die? Oh that I might live! Oh that I might die! O that I might doe neither! At non sic abibunt odia, Friend, you shall doe both: because you are a sinner, you must die; but because you die in your sin, you shall live in torment to eternity.

4. For that is the last and worst sting of death, which thrusts the sword in to the hilts; that it is such a sting, quo mortales ex hac vitâ Del-Rio Adag: pag. 250. expellens ad mortem secundam exsti­mulat, that this first death when come, (if better care be not before taken) will prick us on, and thrust us into a second; for so was the te­nor of the first sentence, In dying, [Page 16] thou shalt die. So that one death Gen. 2. 17. leadeth on to another; the first to the second, that whatever it be which the unpardoned sinner suffereth in the first death, it is but the begin­ning Matth. 24. 8. Deut. 32. 22. of sorrowes; the fire now kind­led will burn to the lowest hell: for so we read of death mounted on his pale horse, and hell following him, Rev. 6: 8. (and that was in the time of the See C. à Lapide in Hos. 13. 14 Gospel, and not onely of the Law) that after death cometh judgement, Heb. 7. 29. and that when the body returneth to the dust, the spirit shall return unto God who gave it, Eccles. 12. 7. if not to him as a Father, to be received into his bosome, then as to a Judge, to receive its everlasting doom: and if (as the Apostle saith) the Devil hath the power of death, Heb. 2. 14. [...] Targum, habet im­perium mortis. Grotius. you may easily gather that with some, death and hell are not farre a­sunder; and although he helped the Heathen, to put out of their mindes the dreadfulnesse of it, by the dream of their Elysian fields, as he doth the Turks now by that of their Paradise: yet to an awakened sinner, now at the point of death, to bee but in danger of it, as not [Page 17] knowing whither he shall go, leaveth him at a woful losse; but if (as they say of the Molle) he hath then first his eyes open, and so cometh to see himself now on the brow of the the hill, and from that precipice now certainly falling into the lake of fire and brimstone, he giveth him­self utterly lost for ever. And thus in all these four respects, we see that death hath his sting.

2. And Hades, or the grave, hath, 2. Prov. 30. 15. 16. [...] Gen. 5. 24. 2 Kings 2. 11. 1 Cor. 15. 51. Immutatio illa species mortis erit. Beza in Heb. 9. 27. or will have the victory; it being that open Sepulchre, which still crieth, Give, Give, till it have swallowed up all; for it is appointed ( [...]) for all men once to die, Heb. 9. 27. even Enochs and Elijahs assumption, and the change of those, who shall be found alive at the last day, being a kinde of death, and an analogicall dissolution: so that death having one age after another (as it were) mowed down the whole field of the world, and as a last enemy, having conquered all the great Conquerors of the earth, and with them vanqui­shed all else; and still keeping the field, will have thereby obtained a complete victorie.

1. In thus bringing down all.

2. So as never to have risen more, as some conceive, had it not been for Christ, who as he is the Resurrecti­on and the Life, John 11. 25. so by him onely (either as Head or Judge) is the resurrection from the dead, 1 Cor. 15. 21.

3. And yet further, so as that the most of them that rise again, shall presently sink down again into eter­nal death: and so this sting prove's that worm which never dieth, where the fire never goeth out, Mark 9. 48. Igne quasi salietur; vi­de Brugen­sem in lo­cum. Myrothec in John 3. 36. but where, the sacrifice is salted with fire, ver. 49. burn's but consume's not; fire being of a burning, but salt of a preserving nature. Perdit sed non disperdit, & cruciat ita ut nunquam perimat, as Camero some­where expresseth it: So that to them the Greek [...], will answer the Hebrew [...], it will be both in vi­ctoriam, and in perpetuum, and so a signal and a final victory.

Now confider this, ye that forget Ʋse. Psa. 50. 22. 1 King. 14. 6. God; for as the Prophet said to Je­roboams wife, I am sent to you with heavy tidings this day; if there be such a four-forked sting in death, as [Page 19] we have seen in the former particu­lars; then to you, who are not as yet made partakers of the grace of 1 Pet. 3. 7. life, here is matter of 1. Fear. 2 Care.

First, of Fear: and O that the Ʋse 1 consideration of this sting might now prick your hearts kindly, that the sting it self may not at last mor­tally wound them: Seneca accor­ding to his surly Stoical Principle, would perswade himself and others, that it is ill to desire death, but worse to fear it. But the Word of God teacheth us, that such as they, have no cause to desire it, but great cause heartily to fear it; and that by rea­son of their fear of it, they are all their life time subject to bondage. Heb. 1. 15. Whence it is, that

1. In their health and life they cannot endure (their thoughts be­ing fears) seriously to think of it. Like them, who put far away the evil Amos 6. 3, 4, 5. 6. day; and for that purpose, chaunted to the sound of the viol, and drunk wine in bowles, to sing and drink a­way such heart-qualms, as Lewis the 11. who charged all about him not to name the terrible name of [Page 20] death to him; and must not that then be a terrible sight, which a stout man dare not look on?

2. In their sicknesse, when death now approacheth; if their eyes be but open, they are horribly affright­ed at it. Pashur is then a Magor­missabib. Saul though a King, and Jer. 10. 3. valiant, at the news of it, falleth all along [...], quantus quantus erat, as P. Martyr rendreth 1 Sam. 28. 20. it; and the taller he was, the heavier was his fall. Belshazzar a mighty Dan. 5. 1, 2 3, 4, 5, 6. Emperour, and now in the height of his jollity, upon the like occasion is struck all amort, his countenance is changed, his thoughts trouble him, the joints of his loins are loosed, and his things smite one against the other: But what is the matter, that casts him in­to this shaking fit, and trembling a­stonishment? It was onely the fin­gers of a mans hand, writing some­thing ver. 5. on the wall; and that, some­thing which he could not read, and so understood not; and why then should he be so amazed at it? Alas! he feared that it was (as indeed it proved) a Letter written to him from him, whom Bildad calleth the King of Job 18. 14. [Page 21] terrors, & that was it w ^ch so terrified him: for so we read the in Scripture,

Of the shadow of death, as a very gloomy thing, Job 10. 21, 22. ca. 16. 16. and 24. 17.

Of the messengers of death, Prov. 16. 14.

Of the snares, sorrowes, and ter­rors of death, Psal. 18. 4, 5. Psal. 55. 4. as most terrible; and indeed ha­ving in them all that which Aristotle Rhet. l. 1. c. 6. mentioneth in the proper object of fear.

1. It is evil; and the evil of it in the former particulars, we have seen was very great.

2. And this near at hand; for al­though [...]. He instanceth in this very particular of Death, and saith, that because we think it farre off, there­fore we do not fear it: yet at all times (for any thing that we know) it may be near enough; and now to the dying man its very near, even at the doores.

3. And (which according to his rule, maketh all terrible things the [...]. more terrible) it is irrecoverable; if not then well done, can never be mended, and so the man is utterly [Page 22] undone for ever; and this can be no lesse, then of all terribles the most ter­rible. For with what a trembling hand, and aking heart, doth the sick man take that potion, which he cer­tainly knowe's will either mend him, or end him? but with how much greater horrour and amazement, must that sinner needs taste of death's cup, who knoweth that it will doe neither? Neither mend him, no, nor yet end him, onely end his former enjoyments, but begin his endlesse torments. Could then the most carelesse and obstinate sinner be per­swaded to sit down, and but for one hour, and in good earnest sadly be­think himself thus: This day and hour I may die, and then not onely all the delights of sin and the world, which I have hitherto taken up with, at one clap are gone for ever: but I have then an incensed Judge to appear be­fore, an irreversible sentence and doom to be then passed upon me, and extre­mest torments to be endured by me, and those never to end, when my life and all the comforts of it are ended, but after millions of millions of years, yet (as it were) to begin still, and all this (for [Page 23] any thing that I can be sure of to the contrary) may begin with me this day, this hour, this moment. Were this, in his more secret retirement (when the hot fit of a wantons lust is a little coo­led, and the drunkards wine evapo­rated, and the good fellows closet door shut, and he withdrawn from the noise of his ranting compani­ons, and conscience suffer'd in this self-parly to speak out freely:) were this, I say, but seriously thought on, and sadly laid to heart, were it pos­sible that he should desperately goe on in his sin, and thus madly kick Acts 9. 5. against these pricks, against this sting of death, so sharp, and so deadly? Thou, who (it may be) with Ha­gar, Gen. 21. 16. canst not endure to see another die, how wil thy heart die quite away within thee (as Nabals did) when 1 Sam. 25. 37. thou seest thine own death approa­ching? If the stingings of Bees and Wasps be so painful, how deadly will the sting of death be to thee? Miserable would that mans death be, who should bee buried alive in a Vault, full of Serpents and Scorpi­ons. Friend, thou art the man, and unlesse betimes thou look better to [Page 24] it, such will thine be, thou wilt be stung to death. And whatever they story of Exagon, who was cast into a Plin. lib. 28. c. 3. great vessel of Serpents, which ( they say) circummulcentibus linguis, did gently lick him, and not sting him: yet no Psylli, or Marsi, or Ophiogenes, are armour of proof against the sting of death, but it will sting deadly.

How vain therefore and desperate is the course of such, who in stead of fearing death,

1. Out of grief, fear, discontent, or despondency and despair, being Job 3. 1 Kings 19 4. Jer. 20. 14, 15, &c. Jonah 4. 8 1 Sam. 31. 4. 2 Sam. 17. 23. Matt. 27. 5 weary of life, either wish or procure their own death? We read of Job, Elijah, Jeremiah, Jonah, faulty in the former, and Saul, Ahitophel, Ju­das, and many in our times, have been sad instances of the latter. But O wofull delusion! as though death had not a more deadly sting then a­ny thing which in this life they can feel or fear. This is then but è fumo in flammam, as the mans flying from a Lion, and a more savage Bear meet's him, or going from it into the house, (that house, Job 30. 23.) and this more venemous Serpent there bites him, Amos 5. 19.

2. Or out of a brutish senselesse stupidity and blockishnesse, harden themselves against it. I say, brutish, Exercit. 307. dist. 33. because as Scaliger well observeth, Death being a privation, and so on­ly discernable by understanding. Brutes because they doe not under­stand it, do not therefore rationally fear it; and so proportionably the more brutish men are, the lesse thoughts and fears they have of death usually. But notwithstanding the Leviathans scales are otherwise im­penetrable, yet he that made him, can make his sword approach unto him. Job 40. 18, 19 Deaths sting can pierce such armour, even to the quick through such a cal­lous brawnynesse. The great block, though it do not so soon take fire, yet when throughly kindled, burn's more fiercely.

3. Or for some outward profit and advantage, or popular applause daringly adventure upon it;

As Theeves and Robbers doe, to Prov. 1. 13. 19. maintain a sharking life; yea, and those braver sparks in former and latter warres, if it be (not for God and their Countrey, in a good cause, way, intention, but) that [Page 26] they may goe out in the blaze of a proud affectation of bravery and renown. But Solomon though (it may be) not so stout and hardy a Souldier, yet a far wiser man, may See Mer­cer and Baynus in locum. Prov. 21. 6 assure them, and that from the Spi­rit of God, that such rufflings and bravery are but a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death. It is an undoing gain to break their arm by catching at a feather, to lose their precious lives and souls for such un­just spoils, a vanity tossed to and fro, like straws and feathers, which nei­ther in their bodies, soules, estate, name, posterity, they are the better for, but in all every way the worse, which will therefore appear to have been a very bad bargain at their last reckoning: as it will also be found by those other, who account it their gallantry readily and chearfully to breathe their last, if thereby they may gain the vain breath of popular applause: too great a price for so mean a purchase; and too daring a brave, if they would consider that deaths sting is sharper then their ene­mies sword point. Such should first Suetonius in Nero­ne. with Nero feel the point of the pon­yard, [Page 27] before they stab themselves with it, and get themselves more fit for death, and this sting of it taken out before they thus fool-hardily venture upon it, otherwise what was said then to Nero, usque adeone mori misorum est? was but cool comfort to his fainting heart in that agony. So Tacitus of Vitellius, praeterita, instantia, futura par [...] oblivione dimiserat, mirum apud ipsum de bello filentium & prohibit [...] per levita­tem sermo­nes. Psal. 90. 12

4. There is a fourth sort of men not so daring as the former, but eve­ry way as secure, who yet are most heartily afraid of it, but therefore labour to put away all thoughts of it, their habitually being afraid, puts them upon all means by which they may prevent and banish all actuall fears; and so they feast without fear, Jud. 12. Tell over their cash, that they may not be troubled with num­bring their dayes. Lye down and sleep on their heaps, and then dream of goods laid up for man [...] [...]ears, Lu. 12. 19. and of Lands and Houses to endure to all generations, Psal. 49. 11. But is it the way to overcome an ene­my, to get as farre as we can from him, or never to think of him? or by shutting my eyes, to keep the Bees from stinging me? Although these men sleep, yet their judgement [Page 28] slumbreth not. Death mean while 2 Pet. 2. 3. maketh his approaches, and so is upon them before they are aware, and then their covenant with death is dis­anull'd, Isa. 28. 18. and their agreement with hell will not stand; then thou fool, this night, is a dreadful sound in their eares, when in his prosperity, the de­stroyer Job 15. 21. cometh upon him; when it co­meth in the dead of the night, when they slept so securely, and never Exod. 12. 29, 30. dream't of it: as Egypts cry for their dead at midnight was very dreadful; and Laish is so much the Jude 18. more affrighted at such an enemies approach, by how much further off she was from thoughts of him; but how much more comfortable and happy would it be to prevent those after sinking terrors of death, by pre­sent more safe and saving feares of it?

An answerable care to prepare Ʋse 2 Heb. 11. 7. for it, as Noah moved with fear pre­pared an Ark; [...], saith the Philosopher, feare should stand Sentinel, is the consul­tive and watchful affection, as the fearful Hare sleepeth (they say) with her eyes open. O that ours could [Page 29] so look about us, that (seeing those of us that are young may die soon; and they that are old cannot live long; the ripe apple will drop down of it self, and the green may be soon pluckt or shaken down) that when (it may be) on the sudden we are gotten into the gloomy shadow of death, our feet may not stumble on Jer. 13. 16. those dark mountains; but that when our death cometh, we may be found in such an estate, frame of spirit, and way of life, that our hearts may not then die, when our bodies doe, but that upon better ground we may use Cheraeae's words. Nunc tempus prose­cto est, cum perpeti me possim interfici. I thank God I dare die; so that al­though I see I must now die either a natural or a violent death, yet (I blesse him) I can say with Steph: Mylii A­poph. pag. 61. Brunus the Martyr, Mors sanè mihi terribilis non est, death though it look grim on me, is not terrible to me, and with Ambrose; I have not so lived, as that either I am ashamed to live, or afraid to die.

It was a great word of Lucan's, which he said of the Gauls and Britans: animaeque capaces mortis, [Page 30] and this because they believed the immortality of the soul, happy should we be, if upon a better account, it might be said of us Britains, that because Christ hath brought life and 2 Tim. 1. 10. immortality to light by the Gospel, and hath by his death taken out the sting of ours, that therefore we are indeed capaces mortis, we dare die, and in Rom. 5. 7. [...] Psa. 22. 26. death it self, our hearts can live. Sweet bird that can sing so sweetly and pleasantly, and that in winter!

Quest. But how may this Nightingale thus sing; with this thorn (this sting of death) at her breast? what are we to do in the time of our life, that when death cometh, this sting of it may not hurt us?

Answ. Pliny in his Books up and down telleth us of many things, which either prevent or cure the stingings of Bees and Serpents, and you meet with them almost in every page of your ordinary Herbalists: but when you have read and known all them, you must seek and search for reme­dies against the sting of death in more sacred Volumes. The Hea­thens (I confess) in their writings, have in their kinde many excellent [Page 31] meditations of death, and consola­tions against it. Speak much and high of an [...], and an [...] too: but after all that, death is like that deaf adder, that hear's not Psal. 58. 4, 5. the voice of such charmers, though they charm (at least as they them­selves, and too many now amongst us think) very wisely: this lesson is learnt to purpose onely in the school of Christ; whose blood alone take's out this sting, and cure's the wounds made by it, whilest miserable Physi­cians and of no value are they all, sith Job 13. 4. all their [...], are but as so ma­ny [...], which help to stupifie the part affected, and to make it senslesse (which Mountebanks easily can doe) rather then to work any perfect cure: And therefore Ficin [...]s prescribes a better method of Physick, who after his Tracts, de Sanitate tu­enda, and then de Sanitate restitu­enda, and de vita producenda, because after all those courses gone through, death will not at last be put off, and if better course be not taken, when it cometh, will bring its sting with it; he wisely addeth another Tract de vita coelesti comparanda, to shew [Page 32] how when at death we can live no longer here, we may then live with God in Heaven for ever: which is only by Christ, who alone can then make us happy, and our deaths comfortable: what therefore the Poets fable of Persius his borrowing of armour from several of their Dei­ties, to harness him against his con­flict with Medusa: may direct and See Bacons Augm. lib. 2. cap. 13. p. 137. quicken our diligence and carefullest endevour to get that from the true God in Christ, which may compleat­ly arm and secure us against this our last enemies deadly sting.

Many are the precepts of the De Arte moriendi. Perkins, Bellarmin, I. Beust. M. Cyrus, Mi. Fran­ciscus. Art of dying well, as Mr. Perkins calls it, which he and other Christian wri­ters afford us, to whom I must for the present refer you, and all that I shall now say, is,

That in the general, something, nay, much, nay, all is to be done in this time of our life, that we may not meet with this sting in death: nor will it be done with a Baalams wish that he might die the death of the Numb. 23. 10. righteous: as Euchrites (who in this did not make good his name) would be Craesus vivens, and Socra­tes [Page 33] mortuus; but he who would die Rom. 14. 8. comfortably, must live holily: we must live to the Lord, if ever we would 2 Cor. 5. 15. die in him.

But in particular, would we not have our death too stingy, and its sting deadly: many are the directi­ons which are held forth to us by the Scriptures, and from them by seve­ral Christian writers, some of which I shall touch upon in the application of the second Doctrine, which is, that

The sting of death, and the victory Doct. 2 of the grave by Jesus Christ is taken away as to true believers, who may with Paul triumph over both, as the Apostle both in his own and their name doth here in the Text, O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? A most blessed and comfortable Gospel-Truth, mainly intended in the Text, and was by me to have been now treated upon in my first choice of it, as best suit­ing with the present occasion; but an ill-made pen makes double let­ters; mine was such, and so instead of one, wrote two Sermons: the latter though more comfortable, and [Page 34] better agreeing with our present bu­sinesse, yet may be now the better spared, because all that I should have said in the prosecution of it, is so fully exemplified in the life and death of our lately deceased reverend and dear brother Dr. Thomas Hill, late Master of Trinity Colledge, and a most useful and happy prime mem­ber of this our University, whose Mr. Wi­thrington the Uni­versity O­rator at St. Maries, & Mr. Tem­plar, one of the senior Fellows of Trinity Colledge in their Hall. Camero. Myrothre­iu Luk. 11. 47, 48. [...] Talm. Hierosol. sad Funerals we now celebrate.

Concerning whom, if any Pane­gyrick be expected of his deserved praises, that will by and by be better performed by them whose work it is. But as for him, I believe that he was not ambitious with Augustus, to go off the stage with a Plaudite; so for my part, I came not up hither to paint Sepulchers, when the buil­ding and adorning, even of those of the Prophets, with our Saviour had no favourable construction.

The Jewes have a saying, that non facienda sunt monumenta justis, whose words and works are their best monuments, and which praise the righteous man, as well as the vertu­ous woman in the Gates, Prov. 31. 31. And truly, if when wee have done [Page 35] well, to hear ill, be a royalty; then Be [...]è agere, & male audire re­gium est. much more after a life well led (whether we be rich or poor) to have no more said of us then was of Lazarus, that the poor man died, and was carried by the Angels into Abra­hams Lu. 16. 22. bosome. I shall ever judge to be a very large Funeral Encomium.

But yet when I read of all Judah and Hierusalem, doing Hez [...]kiah 2 Chron. 32, 33. Act. 9. 39. honour at his death, and of the wi­dows weeping, and shewing the coats which Dorcas made while she was with them, I am not so strait-laced or su­perstitious, as when any mans life hath been eminently remarkable and exemplary, lest I should be guilty of idolatry in adoring him, to commit sacriledge, in robbing both the dead of his just praise, and the living of an useful pattern for their imitation.

That this our Brother was such an one, is so generally known to you all, and more fully to my self by 34 years experience and acquaintance, that I am the more secure, that what I shall say of him, will be less suspected of flattery or falshood.

He was born at Knighton in Wor­cestershire, of godly Parents, (and [Page 36] David accounteth it his great honor Psal. 86. 16 and blessing to be the Son of Gods Hand-maid:) both yet alive, and they happy in so blessed a Son, and although justly sad that he died so soon, yet so as that they may chear­fully blesse God, that he lived so long, to do so much good in his ge­neration.

As they dedicated him to God, so in order thereto, they trained him up to School-learning in the Coun­trey, and when he was fit, they sent him for further ripening to Emanuel Colledge in this University: where the Rose was not cankered in the bud, his youth not corrupted and debauched, as with grief wee have seen many so tainted and poisoned, that they have been irrecoverably undone themselves, and have also infected others. But this morning (like that 2 Sam. 23. 4.) was with­out clouds, not sullied with any no­ted miscarriage, that I can remem­ber; but on the contrary, as it is said of Sampson, when young, that Judg. 13. [...]5. the Spirit of the Lord began then to move him: so in his then sober and studious behaviour, the Sun looked [Page 37] out betime in that Summer morn­ing, and through grace (otherwise then it oft falls out in nature) gave promising hopes of an after clearer day.

This was taken notice of by the Governours of the Colledge, who thereupon chose him Scholar of the House, hee (as his Saviour) still Luke 2. 52 [...] Plato in Theag. growing in wisdom and stature, and in favour both with God and man. O that young scholars in that vigorous, but yet dangerous age of theirs, would look on such patterns, and go, and do likewise.

Some good time for his further perfecting, and the more happy sea­soning of his spirit, hee spent with that man of God, now also with God, Mr. Cotton at Boston in Lincoln­shire; where, upon Gods rich bles­sing of his most godly directions and example, and the society he had with him, and other eminent Chri­stians there, he was much improved and furthered, as otherwise, so e­specially heaven-way, which most happily went along with him to his Journies end.

Upon his return from thence to [Page 38] the Colledge, it was not long before he was chosen Fellow, with general ap­probation, though upon a most strict & double examen, more (I think) then ever was in that Colledge before, or hath been since, though it still is, and ever hath been according to the Statutes very strict and serious, and which hath been blest to be a special means of holding up true worth and learning in that happy Society.

And now, through Gods good hand, leading and strengthening him, he proves a diligent and suc­cesseful Tutor of very many Pupils, and divers of them of quality, who have proved great blessings, both in Church and Commonwealth. And thus, as he was before a pattern for young Scholars: so in this, of Tu­tors, great is the trust, which Pa­rents, the Ʋniversity, the whole Na­tion, and God above all puts in them; and great may be the blessing, which upon their faithfulnesse, may come by them; whilest so many Townes, Congregations, Countreys, are blessed with so many good Magistrates, Mi­nisters, and School-masters, as they have had Pupils, whom they have [Page 39] been means of doing good to. No one part of their lives (I believe) is of more consequence, or may be of more service, or will come to a more strict account at their last great rec­koning. And therefore I both de­sire, and hope their care will be an­swerable, especially now, when, as they have more liberty to be, and to do as much good as they will; so there will not be wanting such as will be very ready to take the advan­tage from the miscarriage either of our selves, or of them that are under our charge, to ruine all.

But this our wise Master-Builder satisfied not himself, as a Tutor in polishing of Builders, but as a faith­full and painful Minister, he labori­ously endevoured to square other lively stones for Gods Temple; and 1 Pet. 2. 5. so as he read to Scholars in the Col­ledge, so he diligently and conscio­nably Preached to a neighbour- Con­gregation S. Andrews in the Town. Which, I believe, many poor souls doe to this day blesse God and him for.

Nor was he an hireling, to flie when the Wolf came; but when the John 10. 12. plague in this time of his Ministery [Page 40] raged in the Town, he then conti­nued with them in the work. The better Shepherd he, that not onely Ezek. 34. 4. 16. fed the sound, but also healed and bound up the torn and weak of the flock. This I am sure in all unkind­nesses afterward taken by some, should not have been forgotten.

But this Alabaster box of precious ointment thus poured out, filled the whole house with its odour, and the John 12. 3 sweet fragrancy of it spreadeth a­broad, so that now he come's to be more taken notice of by many both great and good men, and so by some of eminent worth and honour, hee was called to the Pastoral charge of Tichmersh in Northamptonshire, where he laboured faithfully in Gods Har­vest about eight or nine years, and partly by Preaching and conversing up and down with others; but espe­cially (otherwise then our Erratick Itineraries use is) with his own Pa­rochial charge, he proved a great blessing not onely to that Town, but also to the whole Countrey: like another Bernard Gilpin, in every See his life written by Bishop Carlton. place where he came, spreading a good savour, and leaving it behinde him.

Whilest he was thus at his work there, for more publick service hee was chosen by the Parliament for one of that County, to attend and assist in the Assembly of Divines, cal­led together by their Authority: where being of very good use, hee was often Ordered by the Parliament to Preach before them at their pub­lick Fasts, and upon other their more solemn occasions; was also chosen by them to be one of their morning week-dayes Preachers in the Abbey at Westminster. Besides, S. Martins in the fields. his constant Sabbath-dayes pains in another great Congregation, where he was a blessing to thousands.

Thence he was Ordered to be Ma­ster of Emanuel Colledge in this Uni­versity, which not being a sphere large enough for his activity, he was from thence removed to the Master­ship of Trinity Colledge. Where what great good he did, they there can best tell; and that happy change proclaime's, from that confusion (by reason of those distracted times) in which he found it, to that orderly composure and frame, in which, through Gods blessing, he left it. [Page 42] How solicitous he was for their best welfare, his very frequent Preaching in their Chappel to them all, and his writing to their Seniors, speak out fully. And we with them can truly bear witnesse, how humble and loving to them he was in his carri­age, how studious to keep up Colledg-Exercises, how zealous to advance Piety and Learning; and for that purpose to countenance and prefer such as he observed to be eminent in either. Long so may that famous Society flourish, and long may such be continued with them, who shall industriously endevour to carry on his happy beginnings to perfection.

As he was an Ʋniversity man, he was zealously careful of

It's honour, (which the Parlia­ment House can witnesse) in an un­kindely contest about it: and also his care in collecting the decayed Antiquities of it, whose pains in that Argument, I desire may not die with him.

Of its priviledges, as always, so especially the two years together, in which he was Vice-Chancellour, for which he suffered in some mens re­putes unjustly.

Of its profit and emolument, being By Arch-Bishop Bancrofts will. Sir John Wollaston Alderman of the City of London. a special means of procuring to it from the Parliament, the Lambeth Library, which of right fell to us: and from a noble Knight, both a yearly stipend for a Mathematick Lecturer, and also large summes of money for the fitting of the publick Library, that it might be of publick use, which others doe not more de­sire, then he endevoured; for the ac­complishment whereof the Univer­sity is more wayes then one his deb­tor.

Finally, of the general good, and well-ordering of it: surely it was his careful thought in private with himself; for I am sure it was the matter of his private discourse with others. Scarce was there a time that he met with us, but he was asking or proposing something or other that way. It seemeth his care was to keep up those Ʋniversities, which o­thers would ruine: which made Grotius pronounce many Christi­ans De jure belli ac pa­cis lib. 3. ca. 11. sect. 10. to be worse then the Philistines; for they 1 Sam. 10. 5. would let the company of Prophets alone, even where they kept Garrison: it hath [Page 44] been not from the good will of these men, but from the favour of God, and our Governours, that in the midst of warres wee have enjoyed the like safety and protection. How­ever, seeing as the Philosophers of old Hieronym. Mercurialis de arte gymnastica. Aristotles de anima lib. cap. Jer. 29. 7. were wont to dispute in the Temple of Peace, till it was demolished, and Intellectus being in quiete, such a Temple is a Students best sanctuary. Pray we for the Peace of the State, for in it we shall have peace, and not be given up to the fury of those whose little Learning serveth them onely to declame against what they want: near of kin to the Fox in the Fable, or to them whom the Pro­phet calleth [...], Ardaliones, Burning or bru­tish Ezek. 21. 31. men, and skilful onely to destroy. But to return to our Brother. This he was as an Ʋniversity man.

As a Divine, he was sound in the Tit. 1. 13. Faith, Orthodox in his Judgement, firmly adhering to the good old do­ctrine of the Church of England; that which in this our Ʋniversity our fa­mous Whitaker, Perkins, Davenant, Ward, and others maintained in their times: and in the other Uni­versity [Page 45] among other great Names there, hee was a very great Admirer of the right Reverend and Judicious Dr. Robert Abbot, Bishop of Salisbu­ry, and I wish hee had there many more such Admirers. The Doctrines of Gods Soveraignty in his decrees, of his inconditionate most free electing love, of his free grace against free will, and the power of nature in spiri­tuals; of justification by the imputed righteousnesse of Christ, against the perfection o [...] inherent righteousness now attainable by us in this life; of perse­verance in grace against the Apostacy of the Saints, and the like. Were not with this our Brother, (as they are now called by some) Sects and Notions, matters onely of Steven Gardners dialect, who calls justificati­on an Ar­ticle of Learning-Fox Acts and Mo­num. Tom. 2. pa. 726. Learn­ing, and curiosity, and of the Presbyte­rian faction. But of the life-blood of Faith, which at his death, (as he expressed to his friend) he had sin­gular comfort from; and in his life firmly believed, constantly Preach­ed, and by his Pen endevoured to maintain and defend, and that against the great daring Champion of the contrary errors, whom the abusive wits in this University with an im­pudent [Page 46] boldnesse could say, none here durst adventure upon, whose immodest scurrility his Learned an­swer to that daring adversary (which he had made so fair a progresse in) had shordy confuted, had not he by his more sudden death been therein prevented. This of him as a Di­vine.

As a Minister of the Gospel; In his Preaching he was plain, powerful, spiritual, frequent, and laborious; for besides, what in that kinde he did, as to the University in this place, and in the Colledge Chappel, which was very happy in his often pains there.

In the Town he set up one Lecture St. Micha­els. every Sabbath morning in one Church, performed only by him­self, and chearfully frequented by a great confluence of both Scholars and Townsmen. And another in a­nother All-Hal­lowes. Church every Lords day in the afternoon, in which he bare at least, the fourth part of the burden, and both gratis, as there are many more such Lectures here performed, much about the same rate, weekly by other pious learned men, and more [Page 47] (I believe) then are in any Town or City upon those terms in all Eng­land. In Cambridge now, more then any where I know, or in these latter times have heard of, you may have [...], the more to 1 Cor. 9. 18. the honour (I say not of such thrif­ty hearers, but) of God in the first place, and then of that Reformation which so many do so traduce and spit at: as also of those more noble spi­rited Preachers, who so freely offer to God that which costeth them so much, for which of men they receive nothing.

But this place did not bound the course of this our laborious Prea­chers Ministry; but as it is said of Matth. 9. 35. our Saviour [...], that he went about all Cities and Villages tea­ching and preaching, and of Paul, Rom. 15. 19. Vulg. that from Hierusalem, [...], per circuitum, round about, and that to Illyricum, which was in a right line 3 [...]0. German miles, (as Pareus upon the place computes it) he did fully preach the Gospel, imitating herein, (as Hierome observes,) his Lord and in Amos [...]. Master, that Sun of righteousnesse, [Page 48] whose going forth is from the ends of Psal. 19. 6. the Heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: ut ante eum terra defice­ret, quam praedicandi studium. In these their blessed steps, this our Brother trod and followed them in his painful Ministery, diligently Preaching (when he had occasion to be abroad) in remoter parts; but especially in many Towns and Villa­ges nearer hand, round about the Ʋ ­niversity, being a means to set up Le­ctures in many of them, and very of­ten assisting in them: and as our Sa­viour is observed, by some Divines to have Preached more frequently, the nearer he was to his departure: so this his faithful Servant, as it were presaging that his day would be but short, towards his evening made the more haste and speed in his journey, towards his end, yet more abounded 1 Cor. 15. 58. in this work of the Lord, and now findes that his labour is not in vain in the Lord. This of him as a Mini­ster.

And lastly, as he was a Christian-

He was active for God, as his Sa­viour, going up and down, and doing Act. 10. 38 good. And although otherwise mo­dest, [Page 49] yet when the case required it, bold in a good cause.

Spiritual in communion, so that now he is dead, I fear we shall want such a quickner.

Fruitful in discourse, by which we might discover the frame of his Loquere, ut te videam. spirit; frequent in asking questions, which was both his humility, and Christian good Hushandry, thereby to improve himself, and time, and company.

Affable to others, of much humi­lity in low thoughts of himself, and of great integrity and singleness of heart, towards God, his truth, ordi­nances, wayes, and servants.

Of a very publick spirit, and much affected with the various conditions of the State, especially of the Church and people of God.

A most loving Husband to his Wife, and dutiful Sonne to his Pa­rents.

And in his life time much helpful to his other relations, many poor, both of the Ʋniversity, and Town, will now feel the want of his bounty, which they tasted of in his life, and both they and others had done more [Page 50] at his death, (as appeareth by his in­tentions of it in the draught of his Will) had not the suddennesse of it prevented it.

In a long continued Quartan, God had knocked at his door, which in the interim of his recovery awakened him to get all within ready against his now coming in, which though to us unexpected, yet found not him unprepared.

In his short sicknesse, to one of his friends he expressed (as I before hin­ted) his great comfort and joy in Gods free discriminating electing love, which therefore I would have none among us dispute a way against the time that their turn cometh; to my self, about half an hower before his departure (which I hoped had been much farther off) when I en­quired of him about the setling of his outward estate, and inward peace, hee readily and without the least hesitancy answered me, through the mercy of God in Christ it was made, and that he quietly rested in it. It seemeth that (as it was said of one) he had his faith at his fingers ends, and having before gi­ven [Page 51] all diligence to make his calling and election sure, though somewhat sud­denly called out of this life, he had an abundant entrance now set open to him into the everlasting Kingdome 2 Pet. 1. 10, 11. of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

And thus from this University (as the Jewes use to say of a Learned man when he dieth) requisitus est in Academiam coelestem.

As to himself, having lived a fruitful and gracious life, as Clemens Epistol [...] prima ad Corinth. pag. 58. Romanus speaks of some of the first and best Bishops, [...], hee closed up all with an happy and blessed death.

As to others, he lived approved, and died desired; and by my self (I am sure) and by very many, by most that ever rightly knew him (I believe) very much lamented. So that although wee leave Ennius to his Nemo me Lachrymis, &c. yet this our Brother with Solon (if his hu­mility would have suffered him) might have said, [...]. I have heard, that at Dr. Whitakers Funerals, in this place there were very many wet eyes, and I believe now at Dr. Hills are very [Page 52] many sad hearts; but why should we grudge him his happinesse? who may say to us, as our Saviour did to the Jewes, Weep not for me, but weep Luk. 23. 28 for your selves, and for the many sad evils, which hee is taken from, you may be left to see and feel, Isa. 57. 1. answerable to which the Jewes have [...] a saying of such good mens deaths, Quando luminaria patiuntur Eclypsin signum malum est mundo, It is an ill sign to the world, when the Lumi­naries of Heaven are Eclypsed. Deus avertat omen: But certain it is, that wee have lost in him a great good help to keep off such judgements, and that at such a time, in which he could bee ill spared. But wee most humbly submit to the Soveraign will of that Supreme All-sufficient God, who can of stones raise up children Matt. 3. 9. unto Abraham, and who, (whatever we doe) standeth not in need of his best fitted servants for the accom­plishment of his work. Onely the fewer and weaker our hands are which are left, the more wee have need to bestirre them for his truth, and in his service: or rather, the more earnestly spread and lift them [Page 53] up to him, that he would carry on his own work by his own strength; and if it be his will, (as the Jewes from that in Eccles. 1. 5. of the Suns Antequam occidere si­nat Deus solem justi alicujus, oriri facit solem justi alterius. 2 Kings 2. 13. Serm. 87. rising, and the Suns going down, are wont to say, that the same day where­in one great man dieth, another is raised up, a Joshua to succeed Moses, and Samuel Eli) that the mantle of this our Elijah may fall upon some Elisha, that some may arise in his spirit and power, and that doubled, as Ambrose saith of Elijah, plus gra­tiae dimisit in terris quam secum porta­vit in coelos; so that the place of this our David may not bee left empty, 1 Sam. 20. 25. In Dr. Ar­row smiths succeeding him in Tri­nity Col­ledge. but what is already happily supplied to the Colledge, may also be made up to the whole Ʋniversity, and the Church of God.

Mean while, let not us or his some­times nearest Relations sorrow as men without hope:

Either of our selves, as though be­cause he hath left us, God should have left us also; but by his death let us take occasion to love the world Robinsons. Essaies, cap. 62. lesse, out of which he is taken, and heaven more, whither he is gone before us, and where once wee shall [Page 54] for ever enjoy him, and bee there Phil. 1. 23. with Christ, which is best of all.

Especially, because there is no cause at all to weep as without hope of him, who undoubtedly resteth in Christ; and though dead, liveth and triumpheth in Heaven, where in that blessed Consort hee now sing's this joyful [...] in the Text, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Now thanks be to God, who hath given us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

SERMON II.

THE Text presented death and the grave to us as an e­nemy, in a double, but ve­ry different posture.

1. As armed, and so formidable: Death with its sting, and the Grave with the victory.

2. But secondly, (and which is principally intended) disarmed, and so made contemptible: and here Death hath lost its sting, and the grave the victory.

The former we have lately consi­dered upon a more sad occasion, when we took view of the dark side of the cloudy pillar, and whiles the Exod. 14. 30. Luke 9. 14. true Israelite looketh on it onely, he may, with the Disciples begin to fear, as he entreth into that cloud. But [Page 56] now the bright side is turned to us, and the true Disciple of Christ may hear out of this cloud that sweet voice, This is my beloved Son. After Luk. 9. 35. a dark night, the day now breake's, and the shadowes, (even the shadow Cant. 2. 17. of death) fly away. The last ene­my is destroyed, and the true Belie­ver who had fought under Christs banner, after the conflict ended, and the victory obtained, is now gotten into the valley of Berachah, there in 2 Chron. 20. 26. God, to triumph over these his ene­mies. With this [...], O death, where is thy sting! O grave, where is thy victory? And so the point which remaineth to be treated on is, That

Doct. 2 As to a true Believer, in and by Je­sus Christ, death hath lost its sting, and the grave which swalloweth up all, shall at last it self be swallowed up in vi­ctorie: For so our Apostle here [...], as Chrysostome and Theo­phylact In locum. flourish the words; as a vi­ctorious triumphant Conquerour treading on the necks of these van­quished enemies, cries victoria, and shout's out with triumphant song, O [Page 57] death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

In which words, as to the strength and elegancy of the expression, take notice of

1. His Rhetorical Prosopopaeia and Apostrophe, in this Catacleuasticall compellation, O death—O grave. It seem's this man of God durst look these [...], bugbears in the face, and speak out to their heads without fear and astonishment.

2. His as elegant, but stinging Interrogation. Where is thy sting? Where is thy victory? Which addeth weight to the expression, but yet more elevateth and sleighteth the adversa­ry, as wholly vanquished, and his power and terrour quite vanished, [...], when Chrysost. in [...] locum. sought for it cannot be found. This question of the Apostle, being like that of Zebul to Gaal, Jndg. 9. 38. Where is now thy mouth? when hee stood before him speechlesse. Or rather like that chap. 1. of this Epi­stle, Where is the wise man? where is the Scribe? &c. v. 20. which he had answered before, ver. 19. in his [...], they were destroyed and [Page 58] brought to nought. And so here, when he asketh the question, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? he also had before answered it, in his [...], ver. 26. and [...], ver. 54. both words be­ing strongly significant to our pre­sent purpose.

[...], it is destroyed, abo­lished, made idle and vain, that it can do nothing, at least to our hurt, whilest its sting is broken, and quite taken out, the Bee is become a Drone. It is as a vipera medicata, that what­ever good it may doe, to be sure it can doe us no harm, but rather as Moses his Serpent, becometh a staff in his hand to support him; which before he was afraid of, and ran a­way from, and might he not then well ask the question, O death, where is thy sting?

And then adde, O grave, where is thy victory? when he had immediat­ly before in the fore-going verse said, [...], it self was swallow­ed up in victory.

Thus the strong man is overcome by Luke 11. 21, 22. the stronger, who by taking out this sting, hath taken from him his armor: [Page 59] and so even the lawful captive of the Isa. 49. 24. 25. mighty is taken away, and the prey of the terrible delivered, whilest this terrible enemy is thus despoiled, and this painted Lion is not armed, w ^ch is now a foul fault in Deaths Heraldry: Now as an Ex-Consul, a quondam Tyrant, like the beast that was, and is Rev. 17. [...]. not, and miserum est fuisse, our ene­mies misery, but our happinesse; when, being once landed on the shore of Eternity, we shall with everlasting joy, look on death, and the grave, with all their power and terrour, as at waters that are past; and amongst Job. 11. 16. the many other dead corpses of our Egyptian enemies, see Death it self Exod. 14. 30. with 15. 1. Revel. 15. 2, 3. also dead on the sea-shore; and then having the harps of God, sing the song of Moses and the Lamb: Or if you will this of the Apostle in the Text, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? In which Myrothec. pag. 37, 31. words Came [...]o think's the Apostle hath special respect to that great promise of our Saviour, Matth. 16. 18. that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against his Church; which gates of Hell, he expound's of the power of death and the grave, which [Page 60] being weakned and annull'd by the death of Christ, he saith, [...] they shall not be able altogether to prevail, as that compound Verb sig­nifieth. Something indeed death and the grave are able to doe, and that to the elect of God; those [...], those cords and chains of Psal. 18. 4. death, will be able to draw them to the grave, and there for a time keep them bound under their dominion, [...], valebit, sed non praevalebit, as he speaketh of death; but at worst this will not be alwaies, time will be when this [...] in the Text, which have so long kept us prisoners in the grave, shall at last themselves, as condemned prisoners, be cast into the lake of fire, Rev. 20. 14. when the the Elect, after all their fore-tastes of this mercy here, as it were by faith, antedating this Tri­umph, and before-hand tuning the Instrument against that blessed Con­sort, being then fully and for ever freed from this last enemy, as well as all others, shall sing out aloud this blessed triumphant song, which shall then fill Heaven and Earth with the sound of it; O death, where is [Page 61] thy sting? O grave, where is thy vi­ctory?

But more particularly, That death even in this life, hath lost its sting to such, appeareth from this, that 1. for any hurt it can doe them, they have been enabled to sleight and de­spise it. 2. In regard of that great good it bring's with it, they have earnestly desired that it would come, and as chearfully welcomed it, when it did.

1. For any hurt it can doe them, they have been able to sleight and de­spise it, and (as it is here in the Text) to triumph over it, O death, where is your sting? As though he had said to this Serpent, you make an his­sing, but you hurt not. Your Ca­non makes a roaring, but its no bul­let that you shoot but powder, which cannot blow me from Christ, and my stedfastnesse, such Shaw-fowls doe not scare me, which instead of being affrighted, I can smile at. Mors Christianis ludus est. So Vincentius, nay, (as Chrysostome expresseth it) In 1 Cor. 10. [...], it is such as tenderest Virgins, and weakest children could laugh at; and [Page 62] although they were more serious then with Sir Thomas More, to die Bacon Aug. ment. l. 4. ca. 1. p. 205 So also Ve­spatian di­ed with a jest, and Augustus in a com­plement. Ecce miser tuam par­tem assasti, verte al­teram. with a light jest in their mouths, yet they could with an holy derision of their cruellest Tormentors, as Lau­rentius, when now broiling on the grid-iron to Decius, in that facetious Sarcasme. Behold, wretched Tyrant, thou hast roasted thine own part, turn the other. It would be too long to relate in particular how ambitious, and sometimes too forward Primi­tive Christians have been by crowds to presse to death and martyrdome, blunting the edge of the keenest per­secutors swords, and choaking those ravenous beasts of prey, whose throats were as open sepulchres; or, Rom. 3. 13. like the Behemoth, Job 40. 23. think­ing to swallow down all, the tender­est age being enabled chearfully to endure the greatest hardship, and the weakest sex to over-master strongest pains and torments, as so many flea­bites, or medicinable blood-lettings. So Anne Ayscough in that case could subscribe her self, Such an one as Acts and Monum. Tom. 2. pa. 776. neither wished death, nor feared his might, and as merry as one that was bound for Heaven. [...], [Page 63] as Chrysostome upon these words said of Paul in the Text, and the same may we of Hers and many others. Noble souls! that could despise that, which others trembled at, like Christ himself, and by his mighty conduct, leading captivity captive, triumphing Ephes. 4. 8 over death, the fear whereof keep's others in bondage. Such a miracle Heb. 2. 15. Serm. 26. in Cantic. Bernard saith, he saw in dying Ge­rardus, hominem in morte exultantem, & insultantem morti, exulting in death, and insulting over it; a miracle in­deed in regard of the greatnesse of the thing, but none in respect of the ordinarinesse of it, in many new, in more in former times of persecution; but eminently in our Apostle, who might well ask death, where its sting was? when in the first place for a­ny hurt it could do him, could thus despise it, and triumph over it.

2. But secondly, in regard of the [...]. Phil. 1. 21. great gain he should have by it, could earnestly desire that it would hasten to come, and as chearfully and joy­fully welcome it, when it did. Mors omni­bus est fi­nis, multis remedium, probis etiā votum.

1. A believer can heartily and earnestly desire it, cui vita in taedio, or rather in patientia, mors in deside­rio, [Page 64] is weary of life, or patiently content to live, but willing and de­sirous to die.

And this not out of extremity of present anguish and pain, or heat of passion, as Elijah, Job, Jonah, and 1 Kin. 19. 4 Job 7. 15, 16. Jonah 4. 3 others, who upon that account long for death, and dig for it more then for hid treasures, Job 3. 21.

But in cool blood, upon most se­rious debate, Paul is in a strait be­tween two, and when he hath disputed the case Pro and Con, he concludeth for a conclusion of this life, [...], Phil. 1. 23. desi­ring to be dissolved or to be loosed, as some read that word, or rather re­verti, Genev. as Ruffinus, or, as our last Translators render it to depart, as a travellour to return home, and there to be loosed from this worlds intan­glements, as Charet or Coach-hor­ses use to be from their harness, when they come to the end of their jour­ney; for so the words both [...] Beza. [...] dimissio mors. Shindler [...] and [...] signifie; and so old Si­meon in the same case maketh use of a like word, Luke 2. 29. [...] praying for a dismission, as a priso­ner from his chains, and a stranger to [Page 65] his home, where as a weary travellor, he may lie down and take his rest: for so death, to such, is frequently in Scripture, and other Authors expres­sed by sleep, and the burying place is called [...] a sleeping place, and both the grave is [...] and the Bi­ere Isa. 57. 2. 2 Sam. 3. 31. that carrieth to it [...] both words signifying a bed to rest and sleep on; which they could not well have done, if death had retained its sting, and so their graves had been as so many Vaults full of Scorpions, and themselves like the Leviathan that hath sharp-pointed stones spread under him, Job 41. 30. If so, it had been no molliter ossa cubant, would have proved but a very uneasie bed, not so to be desired quietly to take our rest in; this sting therefore must of necessity be gone, seeing so many in their right wits have so heartily and earnestly desired that it might come.

And what then? when it did [...]. Eurip. Al­cest. come, were they then as much trou­bled and affrighted at it, as the old man in the Fable, who weary of his burden, wished for death; but when it came at his call, all in a fright, got [Page 66] up with his load, and trudge away as fast as his feet, or rather his fear could carry him? No, but

2. Did not more earnestly before defire it, then at its approach most gladly welcome it.

Nor this neither with them, Job 3. 22. and some others, who by reason of extremity of outward or inward anguish, and wearinesse of life, (as Saul said, anguish is come upon me, 2 Sam. 1. 9. because my life is yet whole in me: doe therefore exceedingly rejoyce, when they can finde the grave; which ma­ny of them then too late finde they have little cause for, when, to their smart they will meet with infinite more misery after death, then they did before. But they that have a lively faith in Christ, and in a dying hour can then act it, even when in a manner they lie speechlesse, (from consideration of that greater good they then partly meet with, and are more fully then entring upon) can say, that the day of their death, is Eccles. 7. 1. better then the day of their birth; so that whereas they cryed in that, they rejoice in this. And (as the Mar­tyrs did the day of their Martyrdom) [Page 67] account it their Natalitia, and ac­cordingly Mar. 6. 21. Gen. 40. 20. (as the manner was) most joyfully welcome and celebrate it. If it came in a natural course peace­ably, nay, were it never so violent, yet receive the cruellest sentence of it, as Cyprian did, with a Deo gratias. So they story of S. Andrew, saluting the Crosse on which he was to bee crucified, and saying, Take me from Accipe me ab homini­bus, & red­de me ma­gistro meo. men, and restore me to my Master; as of Laurence Saunders, who when come to the stake at which he was to be burnt, kissed it, saying, Welcome the Crosse of Christ, welcome everlast­ing life: That whereas the messen­ger Prov. 16. 14. of death, to most men, is in it self, and is so describ'd in Scripture, very terrible, yet to a dying Belie­ver, then acting a lively faith, is nothing so, but is entertained by him as a welcome messenger sent from the Father, as to a childe at nurse, to Robinson. bring it home, where it shall be bet­ter provided for, whilest it trans­mitteth him from all his sins and sorrowes into that place and estate of Browns in­quiry into vulgar er­rours, li. 3. cap. blisse, where he shall never sinne nor grieve more. Solinus his relation of the Swan's singing a little before her [Page 68] death, is now accounted but a Fable; yet Aristotle in one De histor. Animal. li. 9. cap. 12. place confirm­eth it, and in another rendereth this reason of it, that then generous blood goeth to the heart, making it chear­full, and that thence commeth the melody. I shall not undertake to assert either the relation, or the rea­son of it; but thus far may apply it, and say, that God promiseth to his meek servants, that their hearts shall Psa. 22. 26. live for ever; and if for ever, then in death it self; and thence it is that such generous blood indeed com­meth then to such hearts, which en­ableth many to end their lives, not in mournfull Elegies, but in most joyfull songs of praise and thanks­giving, or without any dolorous sense, or mournful complaint of the sting of death: and where is it then, when it is thus earnestly desired, and so welcomly entertained?

I grant that this is not so with all believers; Hezekiah in this case, did not sing like the Swan but chatter­ed Isa. 38. 14. as the Crane, and mourned as the Dove. And many may bee the rea­sons, why God in wisdome and faithfulnesse may let some Believers [Page 69] setting Sun, (at least for a time) be muffled up in a cloud; & the fault is in themselves, that wheras Satan useth then most fiercely to cast his fiery darts, they then are not carefull Ephes. 6. 10. to hold up the shield of faith, which might quench them; but by their wil­ling or wilfull unbelief, take a course to thrust them in deeper. The Bee Animasque in Vulnere ponunt. Virg. Geor. 4. dieth when she hath left her sting in the wound; but if the man who is stung, carelesly let it alone, he may come to more smart by it, which, by his care timely to get it out, might be prevented; like carelesnesse of a worse sting, breedeth greater smart in the case wee now speak of. What therefore hath bin said of a Believers security and comfort in this kinde, is to be understood of him as such, viz. as he approveth himself to be a true believer, stirring up, and acting his faith in Christ. Otherwise al­though the second death shal have no power over him, yet as he may be found carelesse and negligent, the first death, if it surprize him in that po­sture, may very sorely sting and wound him: for as it is said of mans laws, so it is as true of Gods promi­ses [Page 70] they favour not them that are asleep, but such as are awake and watchfull; and so to such a wakefull Christian, death is but a sleep, indeed not it self, not death but an enterance Miseri in­fideles mortem ap­pellant, Fi­deles vero quid nisi pascham? Bernard. de natura & dignit. divini a­moris. into life; as Bernard saith, miserable unbelievers call it death, but to faith­ful believers, what is it but a passeover, but a Jubile? Though in it self it be an enemy, yet by the death and life Christ, it is so disarmed, that his ser­vants can earnestly desire it, and gladly welcome it, by reason of the great good it bringeth with it; and as for all the evil it may seem to threaten or inflict, can securely de­spise it, and victoriously triumph over it, and with Paul here, say, O death, where is thy sting? &c.

For the further clearing whereof, that we more distinctly see in what sense the sting of death is taken out, and the power of the grave abolished, as to believers, we are to take notice.

1. Negatively, that is not so to be understood, as though they should never either die, or meet with any anguish in death.

1. That death should not so far sting them, as not to take away their [Page 71] bodily life from them, that was once given out of John should be true of them, that they should never die; for John 21. 23. so the longest lived of them have done, Gen. 5. and the wisest shall, Psal. [...]. 49. 10. and the best oftentimes soonest, as sadly appeared in the untimely deaths of Judah's, and our English Josiah: for as for this death, Gods sentence, in dying, thou shalt die, or Gen. 2. 17. thou shalt surely die, upon Adams sin both to himself, and his whole po­sterity in ordinary course was, and continueth irreversible; so that it is appointed for men (that is, generally Heb. 9. 27. for all men) once to die, and because the best are sinfull whilest they live, therefore they must die once, that once at last they may sin no more.

Obj. And if it be replyed, that that sen­tence upon the first Adam is taken off from the faithful, by Christ the second Adam;

Answ. I answere, true; but yet in Gods most wise order and method, and that appeareth in two particulars.

1. That although as to all curse and wrath, and vindicative Justice, that was at first in it, all that is taken away by the imputation of Christs [Page 72] satisfaction in our justification, yet the full freedom from it, yea, and from worse evils then death is, (that we might be kept more humble, and dependant on God, and Heaven at last more welcome) is carried on and perfected by degrees. As on the one side, when the sentence of death was passed upon Adam, and so he was a dead man, yet he did not at that in­stant presently die; as deadly poison taken doth not alwaies kill presently, but some after a shorter, and some after a longer time; so here on the other side, the most Soveraign medi­cine may not perfectly cure at the first, but when it hath had its perfect work; and although our Redem­ption by Christ be full, and our reco­very by him will be made compleate, before he have done with us, yea e­ven at the first we are (as I said) in our justification, freed from the state of death, yet the guilty malefactor is not alwaies presently taken out of prison upon his first receiving of his pardon, nor we at the first wholly quit from the miseries of this life, nor from bodily death, no, nor from sin, which to a godly heart is more [Page 73] bitter then death. Did not our Hea­venly Father know, how both for the present and the future to improve them all to his own glory and our good, he could & would cut short his work in righteousnesse, and at the first, Rom. 9. 28▪ at once pardon guilt, extinguish sin, remove sorrow, and abolish death, simul & semel omnia; but a man, (and so sin and death in the godly) may have his deaths wound before he be quite dead, and a conquered captived enemy may for some time be kept alive, and have much good use made of him before he be finally executed; and so it is in this divine Oeconomy of Gods grace to his ser­vants, and in his processe against these our enemies: he rescueth us orderly, and by degrees, from one enemy after another, from one in­sult of the same enemy after ano­ther.

2. And (which is the second par­ticular in this divine method of God observable) he doth deliver us from the worst first: first, from that which is wholly inconsistent with his fa­vour to us, and our interest in him: as,

First, from his revenging wrath, [Page 74] and the condemning guilt of sinne, and so from the state of death, in our justification, Rom. 5. 1, 2. and 8. 1, 2, &c.

And therewith from the dominion of sin, in our sanctification, Rom. 6. 14.

From the beeing and inexistence of sin, at death, Heb. 12. 23.

And from death it self, (which is left last, as least hurtful) at the resurrection, 1 Cor. 15. 26. 54. and it is abundantly enough for our com­fort, that if not in this life, yet at death; or to be sure at that last day, we shall have the full [...], and perfect accomplishment of this great work, when Christs rescue of us shall be compleat, and death our last ene­my shall be wholly and for ever swal­lowed up in victory. And this is the first Negative, Death hath not lost its sting, so as that believers should ne­ver die.

2. Nor so neither, that at their death they should never feel any kind of smart and pain by the sting of it. Isa. 38. 3. You heard that Hezekiah then wept sore, and you read partly how poor, and partly what desperate shifts, even [Page 75] Abraham, Gen. 12. 12, 13. & 20. 2. 11. and David, 1 Sam. 21. 12, 13. and Peter, Matth. 26. 70. 72. 74. (three of the Scriptures greatest worthies; the first famous for faith, the second for valour, the third for boldnesse in the cause of Christ) were driven to through fear of it; and sad instan­ces of latter times have shown that when many: secure obdurate sinners have died (as you use to say) like lambs, some of the true sheep of Christs pasture have been then half worried by this evening wolf; in such even­ings these frogs of the insernal pit oft croak aloud, and Belzebubs flies then swarm apace. Satan when now to be cast out teareth most; in Isra­els Mar. 2. 26. Exod. 14. 5, 6, 7, &c. Exodus, or out-gate from Egypt, Pharaoh pursueth with all his Cha­rets, because if then once gone, they will be out of his reach for ever; the Devil cometh down with greatest wrath, Rev. 12. 12. Deut. 25. 17. 18. because then he hath least time; and when Israel is weak, Amalek must fall on the Rear, and do something now or never. And hence it hath been, that possibly you may have over­heard some dying Saints groans to have been very deep, and seen their [Page 76] death-beds, (as Davids Couch) wa­tred and swimming with tears. Especi­ally Psal. 6. 6. if

Either guilt of sin be then charged on the conscience, as not pardoned.

Or some defilement of sinne then discovered and aggravated; if our faith then stumble, our hearts will sink and fall, and be much bruised against the gates of death: a body of Rom. 7. 24 death will then lie very heavy on the weak sick man, now hasting to his bodily death; and that sin which so defile's him, that he cannot with freedome and serenity of spirit at other times appear before God in duty, will more abash him, when now he is to appear before him in death to receive his doom.

And thus far (for the Negative) death hath not lost its sting, but partly doth, and partly may retain it, as to true believers.

2. But (for the Affirmative) so, as that in this life, at death, and at the resurrection, they may with Paul in the Text, ask where is it? For

In the General, it is but this out­ward life that death can seise on; as our Saviour said of other enemies, so [Page 77] may we of this our last enemy, it can kill onely the body, and after that hath Lu. 12. 4. nothing more that it can doe.

Obj. Or, if you say, that it was before granted, that it can, and sometimes doth sting their souls also.

Answ. All I answer is, that thanks be to God, yet it is not mortally, for on such the second death hath no power: Rev. 20. 6. and then, if they escape that second death, this first to them is but Larva mortis, (as he calls it) but a grim vi­zard of death, in the Scripture ac­count is reckoned for no death in­deed, for whosoever believeth in me (saith our Saviour, Iohn 11. 26.) [...], shall not die for ever: so in the Original which our last Translators, not unfitly (but as the Greek phrase will bear) read it, shall never die, if not for ever, faith construeth it never; though I die temporally, yet Scripture calleth it a sleep, rather then death, if I doe not die eternally. This in the general.

But more particularly this sting of death is taken away from belie­vers

1. In this life, partly, in justifica­tion, and partly in sanctification; for [Page 78] the Apostle in the words following the Text, telleth us, that the sting of death is sin; and sin sting's us, both in its terrifying condemning guilt, binding over to punishment, and in its enslaving power and pollution.

1. Now the first wee are freed from in our justification, there is then peace, Rom. 5. 1. and no con­demnation, Rom. 8. 1. we are passed from death unto life, 1 Iohn 3. 14. the destroying Angel passeth over and strike's not, when the door-posts and lintel are first struck with the blood Exod. 12. 12, 13. Luk. 2, 29, 30. of the Paschal Lamb. And how chearfully then doth old Simeon sing his Nunc dimittis, when he hath got his Saviour in his arms, and his eyes have seen Gods salvation? There is no sting of death that he complain­eth of, the kisses of Christs mouth have sucked that out from a justified Believer; and then although the shadow of death should sit on my eye-lids, as they did on Iobs, yet if Job 16. 16. I can but then discover the eye-lids of the morning, but the first and least Job 41. 18. out-lookings of Heaven upon my soul, in pardon and peace, espe­cially if broad day light, and the [Page 79] more glorious shine of the Sunne Mal. 4. 2. of righteousnesse; how painful so­ever deaths sting might otherwise have been, my Phoebus is my Physiti­an, so that there will be full healing under his wings; and O death, where is then thy sting?

2. And as for the defiling pol­lution, and enthralling power of sinne, though it bee as painfull as the very guilt of it, is as a prick in the flesh, sting's deep, and prick's [...]. 2 Cor. 12. 7. the very heart, Acts 2. 37. yet a Believer in this life hath an heal­ing plaister for this wound also, from the spirit of grace in his san­ctification: and how quickly doth a clean wound heal? with how little pain doth a formerly well-or­dered body die? and with how much lesse, doth a soul, not Philoso­phically purged, but spiritually san­ctified, depart from this earthly ta­bernacle, which is so subject to be foul, and the very sweeping raiseth a dust, our repentings not being without new defilings? Death is not dolorous when my death and my sin do not meet, but so part, that when the one cometh, the other is [Page 80] gone for ever; and how doth the undefiled Dove (which had before lien among the pots) then shine and glister, when now in her flight to Heaven, the Sunne of righteousnesse shines on her wings, which are covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold? That I may allude to that of the Psalmist, Psal. 68. 13, 14. with what joy and delight doth the now chaste soul, when it hath given a bill of divorce to all her former Paramours, ruere in amplexus, now cast her self into the bosome and embraces of her best beloved? Tru­ly it is no terrible sight to see death, when the pure in heart (though now Matth. 5. 1. closing their eyes in the gloomy shadow of death) can even then see God, in the cleare glasse of a pure conscience: there is no such sting in it to such, to disquiet them, but that without the help of other friends, they may close their own eyes, and take their rest in their Sa­viours arms, and their Heavenly Fa­thers bosome.

Which leadeth me from the first part of the Believers freedome from the sting of death, In this life, to the

2. Second and greater, and that even in death it self. So that when it [...], Justin Martyr A­pol. 1. kills, it hurts, it stings not; but when they lose their lives, death then lo­seth its sting, and this many wayes: for whereas in the former poi [...] we shewed that to a worldly carnall man, one sore prick of this sting of death was, that it let out all that comfort which the life of his soul was wrapt up in. On the contrary here it will appear, that a Believer in the out-let of his life, hath his [...], (as it is called, Luke 9. 31.) his out-gate from all that which in this life most troubled and wounded him, when the world shall never trou­ble, or the Devil tempt, nor God frown, nor we sin any more for ever, then (I say) we are freed▪

1. From all the troubles of this world, which, as to others, so es­pecially to the godly useth to be ve­ry vexatious and troublesome.

A tempestuous sea; and am I hurt if a tempest drive me out of it into harbor?

[...], Psal. 84. 6. a valley of tears (so some read it) or of Mul­berry trees (so others) the one are [Page 82] moist, and others use to grow in more dry places, between them they may serve to make up a more complete Embleme of this misera­ble world, made up of woes and wants; and how often may you o­ver-hear the sad mourner complain­ing, Now wo is me that I sojourn in Psa. 120. 5. [...] lxx. Meshech? and that word signifieth how long he thinke's the time is pro­tracted; and may you not see those mourning Doves of the valleys mant­ling the wing, and saying, O that I indeed had wings like a Dove, that I Psal. 55. 6. might flee away, & be at rest. And that rest death and the grave bring's us, for there the wicked cease from trou­bling, and there the weary be at rest, Iob 3. 17. at rest, from all sicknesses, pains, sorrows, persecutions, &c. which here they either feel or fear, the one death end's and cure's, the other it prevent's.

It put's an end to them, so that either they are not, their malice then ceaseth, post fata quiescit, or in case it prove immortal, so that their cru­elty rageth against the dead bodies, estates, good name, and posterity of Saints departed; yet the best is, they [Page 83] then feel it not. Bucer and Fagius did not cry out from Heaven as hurt, when their bones (suppose the wise Inquisitors mistook not some others for theirs) were ridiculously burnt here in Cambridge divers years after their deaths, the dead man neither pine's nor starve's, and though you stab him, he neither sighe's nor groanes: the weary before, (how­ever others trouble themselves with them then) are at rest, and although men will not let them live in peace, yet in spite of their malice, with old Simeon, they depart in peace, what evil they before felt, is then en­ded.

And what they feared, is then prevented, they being taken away from the evil to come, Isa. 57. 1. as usually evil is then coming, when good men are going; and if so, it is then the Fathers love and care even hastily to snatch away the child, when the wilde bull is broken loose from the stake, and is now running upon him; as also the wise Hus­bandman hasteneth to get in his Corn, before the swine be put out into the field to root up all: the [Page 84] ordinary instances in this kinde, are, Josiah, suddenly taken away, that his eyes might not see the evil that was to be brought upon his people, and so, though he died in war, yet he is said to bee gathered to his grave in 2 Chron. 34. 28. peace; and so Daniel is bid to go a­way and rest, chap. 12. 13. before those great clashings and confusions should come, which had been fore­shewn to him in the fore-going visi­ons of that Book. Saint Augustine dieth a little before Gensericus took Hippo, and Paraeus before. Heidel­berg was lost, to whom (if you please) Wilson of the life of [...]. James. you may adde Mr. Brightman, for whom the Pursivant was sent a day or two after he was buried. And is then the man hurt, who by this means is set out of harms way? Or, is our traveller to Heaven the worse traveller, or in a worse case, for ta­king up his Inne betimes, before the storm come, or he be benighted in a wildernesse? At death the world will never fight or fright us more, and where then is its sting?

2. Nor will then the Devil bee ever able to tempt us any more; his Ephes. 6. [...]6. are fiery darts, but then (thanks be to [Page 85] God) we are [...], out of gun­shot; 2 Cor. 12. 7. his temptations are pricks in the flesh, and there let them stick; but the happinesse is, that in death wee have left our flesh behinde us. This Pharaoh may then (as was before shewed) pursue us most fiercely with all his forces; but then it may confi­dently be spoken to the Israel of God, Fear not, stand still, and see the Exod. 14. 13. salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you this day, for these Egypti­ans whom you have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

The Devil who had the power of Diabolus per quod potestatem habuit, vi­ctus est. Ambros. death, Heb. 2. 14. hath by death his commission and power abrogated and abolished. For,

The souls of departed Saints, are then out of his reach.

And as for their dead bodies, al­though they may be, and have been abused by wicked men, the Devils instruments, yet it hath been justly questioned, whether the Devil him­self immediately have any such pow­er over them. We read once of his Jude v. 9▪ contending with Michael the Arch­angel, about the body of Moses, and if the thing he contended for, were [Page 86] (as it is usually conceived) to have the place where it was buried discovered. It is plain from Deut. 34. 6. that in that conflict he was wor­sted, and is there then any sting in death, when after it the world shall never any more trouble, nor the De­vil tempt?

3. Nor (which is a far greater word) God frown, which yet in the time of our life he seeth just cause sometimes to doe, and to vail his face from us; but then we come to live, not by faith, which admits of doubting, but by 1 Cor. 13. 12. Rev. 22. 4. vision, and that face to face: that mor­ning will be (as 2 Sam. 23. 4.) without clouds, because we shall be above them, and in nearest conjunction with the Jam. 1. 17. Father of Lights, with whom there is no over shadowing; whatever the loansom estrangments be that we meet with here, yet when Lazarus is once dead, he who was kept out of the rich mans Luke 16. 32. gates, is then found in Abrahams bo­some, the place of warmest love.

And that most lively warmth, most lively felt, in this chill and dark eve­ning of death, in it there is light, Zech. 14. 7. in grace as well as in nature, the afternoon Sun is oftentimes very warm, [Page 87] and the setting Sun shines out some­times most gloriously. So Oecolampa­dius making good the splendor of his own name) now dying, and that of an uncomfortable death, viz. the plague, could lay his hand upon his breast, & say, hic abundè lucis est: here, here in this dark evening is abundant light, then then in that gloomy sha­dow of death have humble Beleevers (and oftentimes none more then they who before had been most sad and broken-hearted) met with divinest raptures & ravishments of Gods love, with gloriousest shines, and most plea­sing smiles of his countenance, and sweetest kisses of his mouth, as the lo­ving mother kisseth the sweet babe, and so layeth it down to sleep. So the Maimonid. More. Ne­voch. parte tertia cap. 51. ad fi­nem. Buxtorf. Lexic. R [...] ­bin. ad vo­cem [...] Idem in Florileg. Hebr. pag. 205. Jewish Masters expound that Deut. 34. 5. of Moses his dying [...] ad [...]s Jehovae, as though God did take away his soul with a kisse; and so of their 903 kindes of death which they use to reckon up, this their [...], the death which commeth by such a kisse, they say is omnium placi­dissima, of all most pleasant and com­fortable: which, they say also, Moses and Aaron, and Miriam only dyed of; [Page 88] but many besides them, through Gods mercy have at that time known what the kisses of Christs mouth mean. And yet this both in Moses and Aarons deaths is to this purpose singularly remarkable, that whereas you read of Gods bidding Moses to goe up to Deut. 32. 49. 50. Numb. 20. 25, 26. Heinsii ex­ercit. sacrae in Matth. cap. 16. mount Nebo, and there die, and of A­aron, to go up to mount Hor, and strip him of his garments & die there, you shall not finde in either places, that ut capistrati ad mortem mali trahebantur; that as Malefactours they were drag­ged to it as to an execution; but on the contrary, without the least relu­ctance, they did as they were bid, like (me thinks) well natured children, although others of the Family sit up latter, and it may be have greater pro­visions preparing for them, yet with­out crying, or the least whimpering, make themselves ready, and go up to bed when their Father bids them, and well they might, although others staid behinde, and were to be enter­tained with Canaans milk and hony, which they were cut short of, seeing they were thus sent to bed with a kisse, never to have the least appearance of a frown more.

4. But might we here adde and ne­ver Ezek. 28. 12. sin more, you may say, this would seal up the summe, complete all, and leave of this sting neither mark nor remembrance. Nor will this be want­ing, and therefore in the last place I shall be bold to add this too. For as sin in this life, had (as to the Beleever) lost its condemning guilt, and domi­nion, so in death, it will be deprived of its beeing, or inexistence; indeed as long we shal here continue to dwell in these houses of clay, it will be [...], that which will keep po­ssession, and have its dwelling in us, Rom. 7. 17. but when our souls shall then be dislodged of our bodies, this incroaching and troublesome Inmate shall once for ever be thrust out of doors from both bodies and souls together; the death of our body deli­vering us perfectly from this body of death, by which [...], its con­troverted whether be meant this our mortal body, or the body of sin, which Rom. 7. 24. Docet non finiri hos conflictus quandiu mortale corpus circumgestamus, quando corpus peccati ali­quando exuemus, Paraeus in locum. is more deadly. I grant the latter, but would not exclude the former, because both of them are put toge­ther, [Page 90] as when Samson died, the Philistines died also together with Judg. 16. 30. Vide Anno­tat. in V. T. incerti Au­toris. Canta brig. 1653. In Lev. 11. 25. See Mr. Cotton on Eccles. 7. 1. him. This (some think) was typed out by that in the Law, where it is so often spoken of mens being un­clean until the evening; but more fully and plainly asserted in the New Testament, where the souls of just men once got to Heaven, are said to be made perfect, Heb. 12. 23. Other places are brought by some to the same purpose, as that Rom. 6. 7. He he that is dead is freed from sin, which though meant of a death to sin in mortification, yet alludes to what is in natural death, as Interpreters agree upon the place, and those expressions of Christs presenting us to himselfe, [...], faultlesse, Jude 24. not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, Eph. 5. 27. which to our particular persons is done in death, Ecles. 12. 7. and that also, 1 Cor. 15. 26. where death is said to be the last enemy which is to be destroyed, which they conceive it could not be, if sin should remain in us undestroyed after death: but be­cause these places may seem to be ca­pable of a satisfying answer, I wave them, and content my self with that [Page 91] one before mentioned. I Confesse some See Mr. B. his vindi­ciae legis pag. 118. Divines of very great worth, conceive it is not death, but Cinere­faction that wholy rids us of sin, i. e. that we are not wholy freed from it, as soon as the soul is departed, and the body is now dead, but when it is turned into dust and ashes: and this they would inferre from the instance of Lazarus, who after he had been John 11. dead four dayes, was raised up to life, yet so as he died again, which yet he should not have done, if the Image of God had in his first death been per­fected in him, and so he wholly freed from sin. To which I briefly answer

1. That it is no good way to prove that to be the ordinary and general course which God takes with all o­thers, because possibly it might be so in Lazarus his particular and extra­ordinary instance, concerning whom busily to enquire what kind of death his was, or in what state his soul was, in that quatridium mortis, I thinke would be too presumptuous curi­osity.

2. Although the Image of God in him might not be made perfect upon his first dying, and therefore hee [Page 92] might die again the second time, whilest some consequents of sin, (as mortality) yet clave to him, yet it will not thence follow, that sin abode in him, no more then that a Saint de­parted lieth under the power of sin, though he doe continue under the power of death, which is a consequent of sin, till the resurrection. Not that I determine that Lazarus, after his first dying and rising again, lived all his time after without sin, in which to de­fine any thing either way, were rash­nesse; but onely to deny the inference, that because the Image of God was not every way completed upon his first death, so that he died again, therefore it was not restored in this, as to his being freed from sin, which I conceived saints departed are, though till the last day they lie under the power of death, which yet was brought into the world by sinne, Rom. 5. 12.

3. For the ordinary course, as I beleeve the dead body is no proper subject for sin, so I conceive all Pro­testants, who deny a Popish Purgatory, Rev. 14. 13. Rev. 21. 27. or middle state after death, must needs confesse, that the soul before the [Page 93] body be turned to dust and ashes, is Sicque ma­lorum om­nium tela abrumpitur Paraeus. got to Heaven, into which no unclean thing entreth; and therefore as soon as it is loosed from the body, it is so loosed from sin, that it may have a ready flight, and free entrance unto that undefiled Mansion.

And therefore I cannot but sub­scribe to him who calls Death [...], and say with Ambrose, quid est mors nisi peccatorum sepultura? that however it be the curse of the wick­ed, to die in their sins, John 8. 21. 4. yet for the godly, death in them kills sin, and is buried in their grave, and so sin and death, which were before friends, in our death prove deadly enemies; peccatum peperit mortem & filia devoravit matrem, sin at first be­got and brought forth death, and death Jam. 5. 17. at last destroyed sin as the worm kills the tree that bred it. Death came by sin, Rom. 5. 12. Mr. Bright­man in his Sermon on Luk. 4. 18. pag. 66. and sin goeth out by death, and so sin dis-armeth it self, taketh out its own sting; and may we not then well say, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? viz. when death it self, is thus killed, as you use to say, quick-silver is killed, when so quali­fied, as it is made medicinable.

And the grave, which swallow­ed up all, is it self swallowed up in victory, Captivity led captive and this our enemy not only subdued that it cannot hurt us, but also made to serve under our victorious Conquerer, so as to destroy our worst enemy, sin I mean, which we had most cause to be afraid of, and which above all made death terrible.

And thus we have seen how the sting of death is taken out both in life and death from a Believer; but for all this all is not yet done, for all the time that we continue dead, death in some respect continueth his domini­on, and whilest the grave keepes our bodies prisoners, how hath it lost the victory? There is therefore something yet behind, and will that good God who hath thus far led us, here leave us? that as Rachel died, when now it Gen. 35. 16. was but a little way to come to Ephrath, so when one stroak more would bring us to shore, we should sink in the harbour? O no.

As on the one side David from good experience could style God [...] Psal. 57. 2. a God, who performeth, or finisheth, or perfecteth all for me, and whom he loveth, [Page 95] he loveth to the end, John 13. 1.

So on the other side, as for his and their enemies, when he beginneth, he will make an end, 1 Sam. 3. 12. nor will he with Joash, when he hath 2 Kings 13 18, 19. smitten twice or thrice, for want of giving the last stroak fall short of compleating the victory.

3. And that will be at the last day of the generall Resurrection, till which time, death as it were lived, Rom. 5. 14 reigned, and kept the field, and the grave continued his victory; but as in death (we heard) sin lost its being, so at the resurrection death and the grave shall forever lose theirs, [...], it shall be destroyed, ver. 26. and [...] shall be swallowed up, In the 54. ver. immediately preceding the Text, to which the Apostle relates in these words, O death where is thy sting? &c. which he speaks by way of anti­cipation of faith, and (according as before I expressed it) as it were before hand tuning his voice, that he might sing them out aloud in that last great Jubile, and then death and the grave Rev. 20. 13 shall give up their dead, and disgorge themselves of all that they had before swallowed, and then not onely the [Page 96] sting of death, but also death it selfe shall die and cease for ever, for there shall then be no more death, then our Rev. 21. 4. dead bodies shall again live, Isa. 26. 19. so as thenceforth they can die no more, Luke 20. 36. but what is said of our Saviour, shall then be made good of his servants, they shall then live who were dead, and shall live for ever, Rev. 1. 18. and then Death and Hell as van­quished enemies shall bee dragged after our glorious Conquerurs Charet, whilest his Redeemed ones shall fol­low him with their joyful and thank­ful acclamations, and make Heaven and Earth eccho this triumphant song O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Nor will they forget to adde that which the Apostle doeth, v. 57. Now thanks be to God, who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Which fitly leads me to the Application.

ANd let the first be everlasting SERM. III Ʋse. 1 Praise and thanksgiving to the Prince of our peace, and captain of our salvation. Now and ever blessed be our God, who hath given us the vi­ctory Ver. 57. through our Lord Jesus Christ: [Page 97] and truly it must be [...], if [...], a most free gift if we have it, for did we fight and win it, that we should wear it? No, he tred the wine-presse Isa. 63. 1, 2▪ 3. alone, and of the people there was none with him when he came from Edom with his garments died in the blood of these our enemies, travelling in the greatnesse of his strength, mighty to save, [...], as Theophylact upon the Text. He endured the conflict, and in and by him gained the victory; or as Chrysostome expresseth it, [...], Ille pugna [...] sustinuit, nos coronis & trium­phis suis ornavit. P. Martyr. Rev. 4. 10, 11. Ezek. 21. 26, 27. He got the victory, and let us wear the Crown. But shall not then humble and thankful in­genuity cast down our Crowns at his feet, or rather set them on his head, whose right it is? and say, thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created; all is by him, and from him, and therefore let the praise of all be to him for ever. It was,

1. His death, which gave death its deadly wound, and by death be de­stroyed him who had the power of death Heb. [...]. 14. [Page 98] which is the Devil. And this

As most gloriously, whilest thus in his greatest weaknesse, he foileth Satan in his greatest strength, vincit dum 2 Cor. 13. 4 vincitur, when as a weak man he is o­vercome of death, as the mighty, Almighty God hee overcometh both death, and him that had the power of it, and on the very Crosse made a shew Coloss. 2. 15. Musculus. Rom. 6. 23. of him openly, when he himself was there made a spectacle.

So most justly; for seeing death is the wages onely of sinne, he most righteous­ly forfeited that his power and au­thority, by inflicting death on him who 2 Cor, 5. 21 knew no sin; and thus Jeroboams arm 1 Kin. 13. 4 In Epitaph: Nepot. Ʋt Hydrus Crocodilum interficit. P. Dammian: li. 2. ep. 18. Dentes in­fringes in nimis solido: concoquere non poteris, sed sicut Danielis bolo Baby­lonius dra­co, eruciabe­ris & crepa­bis. Del Rio Adagial. pag. 250. drieth up, when stretched out to lay hold on Gods Prophet; and the was­pish angry Bee fastening her sting where shee should not, hath lost both it and her life together. This made Hierom insult over death, illius morte tu mortua es, devorasti & de [...]orata es; but withall he blesseth Christ for it, Gratias tibi Christe Salvator, quod tam potentem adversarium nostrum, dum occideris, occidisti, its most just that death should die, for seising on the Lord of Life, who never deserved it; and although we did, yet just too, [Page 99] that we should be delivered, seeing our Surety hath satisfied. And thus our blessed Redeemer, by being lifted up on the Crosse, fought with these our enemies from the higher ground, and so mortally wounded their head; and that spear which pierced his heart brake this string, which else would have wounded ours; in hoc sign [...] vinces; so that however other Souldi­ers are wont to be dismaied at the death of their Captains, yet we are delivered, and so animated by the death of ours; his death is our life, & therefore let him have that praise, which he purchased at so dear a price.

2. His Resurrection is both the cause and pledge of ours, 1 Cor. 15. 20, 21. hath a speciall influence into our justification, Rom. 4. 25. & 8. 34. affording faith (by which we are ju­stified) Rom. 5. 1. a sure handhold; in that it clearly manifesteth, that he had paid the debt, when the prisoner was set free, satisfied Gods Justice, when the arrest of death was taken off, and then, O death where i [...] thy sting? and by opening his own grave, had done as much for ours, and then, O grave, Ezek. 37. 12. where is thy victory?

3. The imputation of his suffer­ings, death, and unrighteousnesse, is that which in our justification takes off Gods revenging wrath, and the con­demning guilt of sin, w ^ch our Apostle saith, is the sting of death, and so he sa­veth us from going down into the pit, or at least bringeth us up out of it, because he hath found a ransome, Job. 33. 24.

4. It is the grace of his Spirit, by which we are enabled to mortifie the the deeds and lusts of the flesh, Rom. 8. 13. which was another sting of sin, and so of death, which the finger of the Spirit of Christ only take's out.

It is not our strongest purposes or resolutions that will be able to over­master these enemies; a foul sore, til it be indeed healed, will run, though we say it shall not.

Nor will the Heathens, and Philo­sophers Purgative virtues, cleanse this sink, in which the best of them so foully wallowed.

Nor the Papists Purgatories, pe­nances, watchings, whippings, lousie shirts, or S. Francis his kissing Bonavent. in ejus vita cap. 2. or licking of Lepers sores, which will cleanse this fretting leprosie. The poor woman in the gospel after [Page 101] she had spent all she had on other mi­serable Physicians, could not get her Mark 5. 25. 26, 27. issue of blood stopped, till she got a touch of Christs garment. Porphyric himself confesseth that nothing else can effect this cleansing, sola principia Morn: de veritat. Rel. cap. 27 hanc purgation [...] perficere possūt. By w ^ch Principia some conceive, were meant the 3 Persons in the blessed Trinity; but whatsoever he meant by them, I am sure it was the blood of the sacrifice, Lev. 14. 14. 15, 16. and the oil that cleanseth the Leper in the Law, and that by them was meant the blood of Christ, and the grace of his Spirit which alone hath power to cleanse and heal both them then, and us now under the Gospel.

5. They are also the consolations and comforts of the same Spirit of Christ, which are the [...], and Lenitives, which actually & formally take away all that pain and anguish, which the sting of sin and death make Gal. 5. 22. Rom. 14. 17. in our consciences, such joy and peace are fruits of this spirit, and spring from no other root. It is the Lord Joh. 10. 11. See Ains­worth on Gen. 25. 2. Jesus who is our good Shepherd, and as it is the good Shepherds work and office, first to feed his sheep, and then secondly, to make them lie down and [Page 102] rest, so he onely doeth both these to our souls, feedeth us in green pastures, Psal. 23. 2. and makes us lie down at noon, yea, and at night too, Cant. 1. 7. the first in our life time, and the other event in death, and thence no sting in death to a good Christian.

6. Finally, it will be his last glo­rious appearing, at the bright lustre whereof the shadow of death will then quite vanish, and death it self (which till then had continued and prevailed, and just then having cut down all before it, had (as it were) completed its conquest) shall then for ever be swallowed up in victory.

And thus we see our Christ, who is our all, from first to last in this Col. 3. 11. great atchievement of our victory o­ver death, put down all, and therefore to him most deservedly let be all the praise; and if the Philistims when Judg. 16. 23, 24. they had gotten Samson into their power, praised their Gods, and offered a great sacrifice to Dagon, and rejoy­ced that he had delivered their enemy into their hands, who had destroyed their Country, and slain many of them; then what Lebanon is sufficient to burn, Isa. 40. 16. Psa. 50. 10. or what cattell on a thousand kills suffi­cient [Page 103] for a burnt sacrifice? what He­catombs of praise and service, of what­ever we are, have, can doe or suffer, are due to our great God and Savi­our? who hath delivered the destroy­er of our both bodies and souls into our hands, and us out of his; who hath slaine not onely many of us, but either hath or will make havock of us all, heaps upon heaps, farre more and greater then ever Samson did of Judg. 15. 16. Asa. 115. 1. them. Now not unto us, not unto us, O Lord, but to our most mighty and most mercifull God and Saviour, be all the praise, who hath thus delivered us from the power of darknesse, and hath Colos. 1. 13 Davenant in locum. translated ( [...]) i. e. hath as a Co­lony, transplanted us into a new and better Country) from under the po­wer of sin and death into the kingdome of his dear Son; the Lord of life and glory, hath opened for us that iron Jude 6. Heb. 7. 16. gate, and broken those everlasting chaines of darknesse asunder and, having perfectly vanquished hell and death, hath instated us in that power of an endlesse life. Now glory to God on high, and on earth peace.

Ʋse 2 For as this matter of his end­lesse praise, so of strong and ever­lasting [Page 104] consolation and good hope to 2 Thess. 2. 16. Heb. 6. 18. all those that are made partakers of the grace of life. For so Calvin right­ly observeth, that the Apostle here in the Text, tam animos â exclama­tione erigere voluit Corinthiorum ani­mos; by such an hearty and trium­phant exclamation as this, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? He intended to rouze and raise up the drooping, trem­bling, sinking hearts of Believers, and by this Prosopopoeia, (as P. Mar­tyr Proponit ob oculos mor­tem prostra­tam & con­fossam. adde's) he presenteth death as having got a deadly wound, and now lying prostrate at their feet, for them securely to trample upon, and to triumph over, the sting being gone, and the honey onely remain­ing, whilest it hath delivered them from their worst enemy, sin; and more nearly united them to their best friend Jesus Christ their Lord and Head. It doth indeed part them from the bodily presence of other dearest relations here on earth, and from their bodies too, which they must leave also for a time, till they at last come to a more joyful meet­ing. But not from God, who [Page 105] as Saul and Jonathan, in death are 2 Sam. 1. 23. Bernard in Cant. Serm 26. not parted. So that what was be­fore porta inferni, is now introitus regni, the gate of Hell is now be­come the entrance into Heaven; or as Mr. Brightman expresseth it, what was before the Devils Serjeant to drag us to Hell, is now the Lords Gentle­man-Ʋsher to conduct us to Heaven.

Prov. 31. 8. dying men are called [...], a phrase which hath trou­bled Vide Mer­cer. in lo­cum. Interpreters, to give the true sense of it; the word usually signi­fieth a change of raiment, and so in­deed death strip's us all, but happy they whom Christ hath spread his skirt over, they then will not bee found naked, but clothed upon with their 2 Cor. 5. 2 [...] 3, 4, house from Heaven. This a Believer hath in death, yea by death, and what conclusion then should he in­ferre from it, but the Psalmists Er­go? Psal. 16. 8, 10, 11. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth, my flesh also shall rest in hope, because thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell, but wilt shew me the path of life, &c. and therefore I will not onely rest in peace, but leap for joy, whilest I can thus insult over so deadly an enemy; the righteous may [Page 106] well have hope in their death, when Prov. 14. 32. from this Text, they may be sure of the victory.

Ʋse 3 Which therefore should arm the heirs of life against the fear of death; we read, Cant. 3. 7, 8. that the vali­ant of Israel have their swords on their thighs, because of fear in the night; which implieth, that as So the Greeks, a­mongst their many words for a night have [...] for one which im­ports fear. other nights usually strike men (at least children) into fears, so this long and more darksome night of death, is subject to raise fears even in those that are men of God. Especially whilest they are weak children, they are oft weary of life, and yet afraid of death, that God (in a manner) knoweth not what to do with them; as the Angel ( in Cyprian) chideth such, pati timetis, exire non vultis, quid faciam vobis? and truly such children should be chid out of such childish fears, but from the valiant of Israel God expecteth more spirit, if not wholly to prevent such insults, yet with courages to repel them; for else to what purpose serve their swords on their thighs? and a lively faith in their hearts, if the fears of death can dead it? It is a sad word [Page 107] of Calvin upon Heb. 2. 14, 15. He Si quis ani­ma [...] pacare non potest mo [...]tis con­temptu, is sciat p [...]um se adhuc profecisse in Christi fi­de; [...]a [...] ut nimia tre­pidatio ex ignorantia Christi gra­tiae nascitur, ita certum est infideli­tatis sig­nam. that cannot quiet his heart in all holy contempt of death, let him know that he hath as yet profited but a very little in the faith of Christ, because this trembling ariseth from too much igno­rance of his grace, and is a certain sign of too much infidelity: For so Paul, Rom. 10. 7. affirmeth, that doubtingly to ask, who shall descend into the deep? is to bring Christ again from the dead, as though he had not died, and by his death overcome death and Hell: but on the con­trary,

1. The example of Christ our Saviour dying, should animate eve­ry Christian Souldier against fears of death; his tasting of it for us, Heb. 2. 9. should keep it from being to us a c [...]p of trembling: for if the weak silly sheep freely followeth, where the dux gregis, before hath led the way, why should the sheep of Christs Pasture be at a stand, though it be in the valley of the shadow of death, from following the Lamb whither soever Rev. 14. 4. he goeth?

2. But the merit and efficacy of the death of Christ should in this [Page 108] kinde be most operative; as it paci­fieth the wrath, satisfieth the justice of God, removeth guilt, and pur­chaseth Maledictio­nem sube­ [...]ndo sustu­lit quod in morte for­midabile erat. Cypr. life; had we the skill of faith to apply it aright to our wounded souls, it would be able so perfectly to take out the sting of death, that we should have no cause to be trou­bled with the fear of it; for so it is signanter dictum, by death he hath Heb. 2. 14, 15. destroyed him who had the power of death, so as to deliver them that were all their life time in bondage, by reason of their fear of it: so that if we shall fear, it is some bodies fault, it is none of his; for on his part activè, quoad causam & funda­mentum, (and in the sense that fear is sometimes taken for the thing fea­red) we are delivered from the fear of death.

Though on our part, through weaknesse of faith, or want of due exercise of it, passivè, quoad effectum vel eventum, we may be too much disturbed with this passion, and ac­cordingly fear it; as a man before in danger, if now by his friend in­deed set in safety, we may truly say he is put out of fear, though for his [Page 109] part (as not sensible of it) you may possibly see him yet stand quaking and trembling, like him who after a storm which he hath been in, is now safe on the shore, and yet his head is so dizzy and turns round, that he think's he is still rowling and tos­sing in the tempest.

But shall we be so silly, that when Christ hath knockt off our chains, the Devil through these fears should tie and keep us bound with straws?

Nay, shall we be so unkind (I had almost said, so prophane) as with Ahaz, Isa. 7. in such a trembling fit as you read of v. 2. not only to weary men, but God also, v. 13▪ not only be injurious to our own peace and life, but also to the worth and efficacy of Christs death, as though it were not able to fetch out the sting, and all the poison of ours.

Especially seeing that after his death followed his Resurrection, those Act. 2. 24. chains of death being too weak to hold him, but that [...], that [...], that exceeding greatnesse of his mighty Ephes. 1. 19. Judg. 16. 9 12. power Samson-like easily snapt them, as so many burnt threeds asunder, [Page 110] and so disruptis mortis, sepulchri in­ferni repagulis, he riseth in the glory of that his might as a Conquerour over death, and so dieth no more, Rom. 6. 9. that we might fear no more. Death hath no more dominion over him, that the terrour of it may have none over us. Thus our Elisha hath cast that 2 King. 2. 21. salt into these bitter waters, and so healed them, that from thenceforth there might be no death in them; and although there were sometimes death in the pot, and a deadly poisonous sting in that death, yet by casting in of this meale, there is now no harm, 2 Kings 4. 40, 41. but meat and medicine, life and strength in it; and how long then shall we be so weak as like children to be afraid of our Physician and Phy­sick? Or like such timorous men, who, when in the dark, are afraid of any thing they see, thinking it to be a Devil, or an enemy, which when it come's near, proves their very friend? But when shall we once at­tain to that boldnesse of faith as not to 1 Tim. 3. 13. fear death, which by the death and resurrection of Christ is become a Serpent without a sting, and al­though an enemy, yet such an one as [Page 111] hath lost the victorie?

The way to our help herein, will Helps a­gainst fear of death. be

1. To enquire into the occasions and causes of this our malady; and then

2. To apply to each their several proper remedies, that so although we must all die, yet we may die in peace; and whereas some say, that all die of a Feaver, yet we may not in a cold shaking fit, but with such peace, comfort, joy, and triumph, that we may then say Pauls words, with Pauls spirit and faith, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

1. Now amongst those causes of Causes of this fear. our fear of death, some may be more blamelesse and excusable, if not justi­fiable, for a true believer (and that as acting faith) may lawfully in some cases desire the continuance of life, and so far in a regular way and mea­sure fear death.

1. From a natural aversation from death, if not as a fruit of sin, yet as an enemy and destroyer of nature, which before I hinted was in Peter and Paul, yea, in Christ himself; as [Page 112] appeared in his agony and bloody Lu. 22. 44. sweat, in that [...], being amazed, and very heavy, and his soul being exceeding sorrowful unto death, Mark 14. 33, 34. so that again and again he prayeth the same words, v. 39. that if it were possible that Cup might passe from him, Matth. 26. 39. I confesse there was more bitternesse in that Cup, then of a bare natural, or a more ordina­ry violent death, but yet death as it is in it self a privation of life, and so a natural evil; so it was no sin in our Saviour in way of natural affe­ction to turn from it, but the per­fection of his obedience to subject himself, and his natural desires and Matth. 26. 42. Mark 14. 36. fears to his Fathers will in it.

2. From some more speciall grounds of desire of continuance of life:

As, till he attain some mercy de­sired: so Moses desireth to live to go over Iordan, and see that goodly Mountain and Lebanon, Deut. 3. 25. and Hezekiah weeps When he heareth he must die before he had an heir. Isa. 28. 3..

Or some mercy promised, as no doubt Simeon could not have been willing to see death, till (as was re­vealed [Page 113] to him) he had seen the Lords Christ, though then he desired to de­part, Luke 2. 26, 28, 29, 30.

Or till he effect and accomplish some work and service which God hath called and fitted him unto; so the Psalmist desireth to live to pro­pagate Gods praise, Psalm 119. 17. 5. Psalm 71. 18. as a true la­bourer will desire his day may last, till his work be done; but in these and the like particulars, there is ra­ther a desire of life then fear of death, though where there is a true desire of any thing, the fear of the contrary to it must needs bee proportiona­ble.

3. In some other respects there may be more formal fears of death, and yet lesse sinful, and more excu­sable.

As in general, by reason of the greatnesse of that change and task, which in death every man, the best Saint, is brought to and put upon.

For so, All changes usually affect us; let it be but the turning of the blood, (as they use to call it) after the opening of a vein, the man is oft at a swooning fit.

But as all Greatnesse is awful, so Ezek. 1. 18. great tasks are wont to make us very thoughtful and sollicitous; and great changes use greatly to affect us, and therefore the great change at the last day will make even the powers of Heaven to shake, Matth. 24. 29. by which some understand the Angels of Heaven, though they be safe enough: so proportionably the day of our death being the day of our particular doom, in which we have one of our last and greatest changes to be undergone, and one of our most important tasks to be set upon and gone through with. Wonder not if you should then see the wary, busie, thoughtful, carefull soul trembling: as for instance,

The parting of the soul and body, so nearly united, and so long ac­quainted, and never yet severed, is a very hard twitch.

The leaving of this world of men, to goe now into the world of souls, into that farre strange Country, is a great change.

The pains and pangs of death with some are very strong, so that possi­bly you have sometimes seen some [Page 115] of strong bodies, yea, and faith too, though they had nothing else then to doe, yet then finding it a work great enough to be able to die.

Our last accounts are, then to be given up, Eccles. 12. 7. Luke 16. 2. and that is a very awfull businesse.

And this to a most glorious Lord and Judge, whom we are then to appear before, and if here we find a dread Majesty in his very smiles, when he is on a mercy-seat, now that he is on the Judgment seat, his pre­sence cannot but be very dreadful.

Remembrance of former sins, though pardoned, may make the dying mans pale cheeks blush.

And sense of present defilement and weaknesse, though now dying with him, may make the pure in heart shrink back from appearing be­fore so pure an eye.

And those last conflicts with the world, sin, and Satan, are oft then most fierce and violent, and unlesse the Sun of righteousnesse do then more gloriously shine out upon us with his more enlightening and en­livening beams in this chill and gloo­my shadow of death, even the man of [Page 116] God may tremble, and yet all this, in these and the like cases, but as an Isaacs trembling, Gen. 27. 33. or a Moses his quaking, Heb. 12. 21. Reve­rential, holy, comfortable, and more awfull then fearfull.

2. But farther then God helpeth and strengtheneth, the best of us may then be subject to worse and more sinfull fears; some of the causes wherof may be these, to w ^ch I shall particu­larly subjoin their cures & remedies.

1. First, a more generall cause of this fear of death, is a secure carelesse neglect seriously beforehand to me­ditate of it, and accordingly to prepare for it in time of life, for so by comming suddenly and unex­pectedly, it puts all on heaps and confusion. So suddennesse and fear for 5. ult. in other cases are joined together, Prov. 3. 25. and suddennesse of destructi­on coming upon any, is a description of a most carefull and dolefull con­dition, 1 Thess. 5. 3. it is so here, when in our life time we have not taken a due and timely estimate of the ante­cedents, concomitants, and conse­quents of death, of all the evil that is in it, and so have laid in no provi­sions [Page 117] of those cordialls and comforts that should antidote and sweeten it, before we are aware of it, or prepared for it, to tast of it, rendreth it that [...] a cup of trembling, the Heb. 2. 9. Zech. 12. 2 man unawares hath set his feet on a Bog, and he and it tremble, and quake, and sink together, like Nabal, whose heart died before he did, 1 Sam. 25. 37.

And therefore the Prophylactick here is a frequent and thoughtful me­ditation of it, and a dayly answer­able preparation for it, and so, when it commeth, it prove's lesse terrible. Whatever the Philosophers meant by defining their Philosophy to be a me­ditation of their Metaphorical death, I am sure that in plain terms the fre­quent and serious meditating of this death, we now speak of, is a great part of true saving Christian Divinity; and if with Joseph of Arimathea, we John 19. 41. would have our Sepulchres, in our Gardens, if thoughts of death did oft recurr in our best life, especially if in every sicknesse, disease, and danger, in which God knock's at our door, Luke 12. 36. and tell's us that he is coming, wee could more livelily see deaths face, and [Page 118] so grow more acquainted with it, (as Souldiers are wont) we should at last be lesse afraid of it. I protest by your rejoycing in Christ Jesus, I die daily, saith our apostle, v. 31. of this Chap­ter; a daily dying, is joyned with a last days rejoycing, and our conti­nual putting our lives into our hands, as Judg. 12. 3. Psal. 119. 109. ready to offer them up to God, will be a means willingly to part with them, when God shall please to call for them; a dying before hand in thought will make dying indeed lesse troublesom: for how forcible and ef­fectual would forethoughts of death be to make us to fear to sin, and there­by not to fear to die? whilest the eye of Faith hath before taken view of death, in all the evil that any way is in it, and of all that good which to a believer cometh by it.

But so, as this meditation be ac­companyed with an answerable pre­paration, for otherwise as Solomon in another case saith, he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow, Ecles. 1. 18. so here the more I know, the more I fear, and grieve, whilest I know so much evil in it, which then abides me, and withal that all that good which [Page 119] may be in it, I, for my part, shall fall short of. With how much shaking doth the unripe apple fall off, when a ripe one drops down without that trouble? the Vine weepeth, when the branch is cut off before the harvest, and Isa. 18. 5. the sowre grape is but yet ripening in the flowre; but with what harvest joy shall we come to the grave, when we shall be like a shock of ripe corn, which commeth in in his season? Job 5. 26. to which for a close of this, let me adde what there followeth, Lo this, we have Ver. 27. searched it, so it is, and therefore hear and know it for your good.

2. And because in this preparation for death, praier is one special part of it; therefore the neglect of prayer is one great cause of the anguish and and fear of it; and so we finde that want of prayer is joyned with want of hope at such a time in the hypo­crit, Job 27. 8. with 9. 10. they that use not to look up to God to seek him before, will then hardly finde him; and then for the child in that dark entry, not to have the Father by the hand wil be very terrible: the true children of God may possibly be more to seek for their comfort at their deaths, by [Page 120] reason of their lesse seeking it in their lives, in that it oft falleth out, that a­mongst their many and earn [...] [...]uits for grace to carry them on in [...]eir way, they have not been so mindful as they should to beg for a smile in their Journeies end, which God make's account, is a mercy worth asking, and therefore we receive not because we ask not Jam. 4. 2.

For remedy therefore, ask that you may have, now seek, that you may then finde, and all your life time be knocking Matth. 7. 7 hard at the gate of mercy, that at your out-gate of this life an abundant en­trance 2 Pet. 1. 11. may be administred unto you; into the everlasting kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Have you ordinarily known the man, who was much in prayer while he lived, to be full of fears and anguish when he came die? No, those sweet and strong breathings blow away such darksome clouds, and therby the set­ting Sunne shineth out brightly. For prayer,

1. Through mercy procure's it, it can get any good thing, at a good Gods hand, and why not comfort in death? nay, then especially, for then [Page 125] begin's a believers harvest, when he re [...]'s the fruit of hi [...] for [...] la­ [...] Job 5. 26. Revel. 14. 15. and hath oftentimes a [...]ost [...]ensibl [...] return of all hi [...] [...]er pray­ers, which before (i [...] [...]y be) he thought God, as well as himself, had forgotten.

2. As prayer thus impetrate's it, so it naturally (as it were) trains us up to it; for by constant acquaintance with prayer, we come to more fami­liar acquaintance with Christ, and so come to see and feel how happy it is to be near him, which cannot but make us the more ready and desirous of getting out of the body, Phil. 1. 23. 2 Cor. 5. 6. that we may be no longer absent from him; and besides, the happy soul, which, with the sweet bird is continually soaring upward, and keepeth much aloft, is so well ac­quainted with those approaches to Heaven, that now when it fitteth on the dying mans lips, it is ready on the wing to take its last flight, as in that dark night very well knowing its ac­customed way thither, and having so often sent its prayers, those winged messengers, thither before-hand, now with joy and singing mounteth up it [Page 122] self thither, and therefore be much in prayer now, if in death you would have an answer of peace.

3. False heartednesse is another cause of faint-heartednesse, in these animae deliquia, the rotten quagmire quakes and sinks when trod on; and so fear­fulness (we read) surprizeth hypocrites, Isa. 33. 14. when death and danger layeth hold on them, God then takes away their souls and their hopes together, Job 27. 8. as else where their hope is said to be as the giving up of the ghost. Miserable cap. 11. 20. [...] man! if thy soul and thy hope goe out with the breath of the same dying groan.

But on the contrary, (by way of remedy) Hezekiahs walking before God perfectly, and with an upright heart, Isa. 38. 3. was the best stake in his hedge, when the newes of death made all crack; and so much truth & sincerity as we have, just so much peace & comfort shall we have in dangers & death, and no more. The Heathens under their Fables of Minos, Aeacus, & Rhadamanthus, hin­ted See Plato in Gorgia. Hora mor­tis, hora ve­ [...]itatis. to us, that at death there will be a strict Scrutiny, and however in our life time we have been judged by our selves and others with our cloths on, [Page 123] yet then we shall all be judged naked, then all vizards will be laid aside, all black patches and beauty spots that covered foul sores will be pluckt, off & the pure heart only will be able to lift up their face without spot, and be sted­fast Job 11. 15 and not fear.

4. Too much love of the world is ano­ther great cause of our as much fear of death, when we are to leave it, for fear ever presupposeth love, and so much as I love any thing, so much I am ag­grieved & afraid to part w ^th it; with what crying is the child pluckt from the breast, when it hath tasted of the sweetnesse of it, and as yet skill's of no other nourishment? things fast glued together, are torn & broken when vi­olently pluckt asunder, & if thy cloth cleave to thy skin, as it is a signe that there is some sore under it, so it will make all smart when pluckt off, and answerably if thy portion (with them Psal. 17. 14.) be in this life, thou art utterly undone, when it is ended: Job Cap. 29. 13 some-where speaks of dying in his nest, but as Chrysostome observeth, Nest­lins are wont to be but weaklins, and they that have feathered their nests in the world, have minde to be on the [Page 128] wing to flie out of it, O death, how bitter is thy remembrance to him that Ecclus. 41. 1. liveth at ease in his possessions? how sad a sight is the hand-writing on the wall to a Belshazzar in his cups? and when Dan. 5. the rich man is dreaming of goods laid up for many years, how dreadfull a sound in his ears was that, Thou fool, Luke 12. 12, 20. this night, &c? when in prosperity the destroyer cometh upon him, Job 15. 21. It was a wise and Christian speech of Charles the 5t. to the Duke of Venice, who when he had shewn him the glory of his Princely Palace and Earthly Paradise, instead of ad­mitting it, or him for it, onely return­ed him this grave and serious memen­to. Haec sunt quae faciunt invitos mori: these are the things which make us unwilling to die, and so sharpen deaths sting, and make it more pain­ful; it is a double death to him who is alive to the world, to part with it.

Whereas on the contrary (again for the remedy) if with Paul we were before hand crucified to the world, Gal. 6. 14. and had it crucified to us, and (as Chry­sostom descan'ts upon the place) lay like two dead bodies one by another, as there was no mutual desire, or de­light [Page 129] in each other, when they lay to­gether, so there would be as little grief when they are parted asunder, the world not caring for us, and we as little for it, and so by our parting no hurt done; were we indeed strangers and pilgrims here, we would not go home weeping; were we and the world two, at our parting there would not be a painful dissolutio continui, sit­ting loose now, would prevent such convulsion fits, and rentings then.

5. On the contrary, too much care­lesnesse of the things of this world, makes some mens deaths more careful, and themselves more fearful.

In particular, (I mean) our neglect of a provident and timely setting our house in order when we are now lea­ving the world, is apt to leave us in heaps and confusion. It is expressed in Scripture, as the dying mans task, but Isa. 38. 1. 2 Sam. 17. 17. 23. it would be much better if it were the living mans care, that when we have made up our Accounts with men, we might be more ready for Gods Audit, and when we have dispo­sed of our goods to others, we might be at more leisure and vacant, the more safely to bequeath our souls to God, & so [Page 126] enter upon our heavenly inheritance; but it is but our sin and misery, that we lay this double burden on the tired horse-back, that the ending of our reckonings with the world, and the beginning of our accounts with God, are both put off to be made on a death-bed; and hence commeth ma­ny mens fear of death, the man would not die till his Will be made, and so he then setteth about it, but it usually beginning with his bequeathing of his soul to God, and then this sad thought commeth in; but upon what acquain­tance or grounded assurance? which puts the poor man to a stop; & the wil is for the present laid aside, and the sealing of his pardon he then thinks needeth first to be looked after, and so (it may be) at the last, neither of them is effected with comfort; such men being like those who have neg­lected to do their work on the weel­day, and so cannot rest when the Sabbath com's. but Heaven sets us a better copy to write after; God ha­ving finished his works in six dayes, Gen. 2. 2. Exod. 31. 17. [...] rested and was refreshed on the se­venth; and our Saviour when he had said, it is finished then he quietly gave [Page 127] up the ghost, and so rested in the grave, John 17. 4. 19, 20. which was typified by the Jewish Sabbath. Happy we, if in this work­ing day of our life, we could dis­patch our greatest businesse first, but yet all our other worldly occasions also in time, that the day of our death may be our Sabbath, in which we may rest from our labours, and feriari Rev. 14. 13 Deo, even keep a true holy day indeed to God, that then with our Saviour we may say, it is finished and with Paul, we have finished our course, and in running our race, have outgone all 2 Tim. 4. 7. 8. our griefs and fears, and then may have nothing else to do, but onely quietly to take our rest, and receive the Crown.

6. But because our apostle telleth V. 56. us, that the sting of death is sin, and this (as was before expressed) both in the guilt and defilement of it; they both make death terrible, and us then fearful.

1. The guilt of sin, if then unpardo­ned, or but so apprehended, much terrifieth the conscience, and so ren­dreth death very formidable, whilest it is looked at as the wages of sin, or Rom. 6. 13 Gods arrest, and so the fore-runner or [Page 132] beginning of a more terrible executi­on; and as its death to a malefactor to go even out of prison, if to be brought So [...] is rendred, let him be condem­ned. before his Judge, so to such a [...], i. e. a guilty condemned sinner, his death is phrased to be a bringing him to the King of terrors, Job 18. 5. with 14. and well it may, when even a beloved child is afraid to come into his lo­ving Fathers presence, when he is an­gry; some such trouble of spirit some Isa. 38. 3. Divines conceive Hezekiah lay under, when he wept so sore at the message of death, and David also when he de­sired that respite, Psal. 39. 13.

And therefore our cure here is faith's timely and effectual applica­tion of the blood and death of Je­sus Christ, the only tried cure of this tremor cordis, for so its expresly said, that he by death hath delivered us Heb. 2. 14, 15. from the bondage of the fear of it. So that the more or lesse that we are able to apply Christ and his death, the more or lesse we are afraid of our own; and hence it is, that

1. Believers by the clearer discove­ries of Christ and his death, under the brighter light of the Gospel, are lesse in the dark, in the gloomy shadow of [Page 133] death, then the faithful under the See Calvin in John 19. 40. Rom. 8. 15▪ Law. Their darker vails and shadows had lesse of the spirit of Adoption and confidence, and more of the spirit of bondage and fear; as the Apostle hin­teth in the fore-mentioned place to the Hebrewes, where he sheweth, that Christ by taking part with the children of flesh and blood in his Incarnation, did free us from that bondage, and so, whereas Moses the giver of the law desired to live, Deu. 3. 24, 25. Paul a Preacher of the Gospel, desireth to be dissolved, Phil. 1. 23. when once the Sun of righteousnesse was now more up, yea, Simeon crave's leave to depart, Luke 2. 29. as its first rising.

2. Hence also it is that among se­verall Believers now under the Gos­pel, such use to be more joyful, and lesse fearful of death, who by faith have more fully applyed Christ, and to whom he hath been most manifest­ed; and of all such, none more then they that have been most humbled, & their hearts most broken with sense of sin, and afterwards have had them more soundly healed, and more fee­lingly comforted and enlarged with the assurance of Gods favour in Christ; [Page 130] the bone broken, and well set again, proves stronger; and the Lute broken if well put together, makes not the worse but rather the better musick. Of all the Apostles, Paul at his conver­sion, and in after-sufferings was most humbled, and none of them expresse more (none so much) cheerful readi­nesse and desire to die in Christ, yea, to die for him.

And therefore as our Saviour said, Mar. 11. 22 have we faith in God, oh that we had more, and then could act more faith in God! Could the sting of a fiery ser­pent make us daily look more up to the brazen Serpent, sense of sin drive us more to Christ, to get more assu­rance▪ of part in his death, wee should thereby (even when we receive the sentence of death) be more able to trust in him who quickeneth the dead; 2 Cor. 1. 9. then should we not be pinioned, as condemned Malefactors are wont to be, but have an hand of Faith free and at liberty to lay hold on Christ, the Lord of Life, yea, and gladly reach it it out to receive death it self, as that which will more fully unite us to him: when the babe is in its mothers arms, or laid down with a kisse, it then sleep's quietly.

2. But Secondly, the defilement of sin, although faith can see it pardon­ed, will make a child-like shame­facednesse blush and fear so to come into a Fathers presence. My little 1 John 2. 28. children, (saith the Apostle) abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed be­fore him at his comming; and although the most loving wife heartily desireth her husbands coming home, yet she could be content that he would stay out so long, til he have righted things in the house, if for the present they lie unhandsomely and out of order. With Ʋzziah to be lepers to the day of 2 Chron. 26. 21. our death, will make a very foul corpse, and a body fouly distemper­ed in life, (especially if the soul be found so in death) will make death­bed-groanes more deadly; strong bo­dies use to have strong pains in death, John 8. 5. Numb. 25. 8. 2 Sam. 17. 23. & 18. 14. 15. 1 Sam. 28. 7, 8, 9. &c. with 19. Matth 27. 5. and so have strong lusts; especially if we be taken [...], as Zimri and Cozbi in the very act of uncleannesse, Absalom and Ahitophel of rebellion; if Saul consult the Divel this day, and go to him the next, and Judas by an untimely and woful death, be sud­denly brought before his Judge, [Page 136] whilest he is yet reeking with the blood of his betrayed Lord and Savi­our; with what horrour and amaze­ment must such needs appeare before the Judgement seat? Joseph, though Gen. 41. 14 under no such guilt, yet being in the squalid condition of a prisoner sha­veth himself and changeth his raiment, when hastily brought out of the dungeon before Pharaoh, an infinitely inferiour presence to that which we at death are to appear before.

And therefore here again, the death of Christ applyed by faith, proveth a Soveraign remedy; for it is then safe drawing near to God, when our hearts are sprinkled from an evil consci­ence, Heb. 10. 22. and that is by the blood of Christ, Heb. 9. 14. labour therefore in the way of mortification to be implanted into Christs death, and Rom. 6. 5. this sweet fruit amongst others, will spring out of his grave, that what mortifieth sin, will kill the fear of death, which is caused by it.

1. Partly as this daily practising of dying to sin, will inure us with more ease to die to the world, not onely whilest we live to be weaned from it, but when God shal call, in death wil­lingly [Page 137] to leave it. Lusts are members Col. 3. 5. and the content which a sin­ner taketh in them, in his very life Isa. 57. 10. dearer then his natural life, and therefore it is that he is so often ready rather desperately to hazard it, then not to gratifie and satisfie them, he therefore who in a course of mor­tification hath done the greater, will not stick at the lesse; will not stick to part with his dear life, who by the grace of Christ hath already parted with his dearer lust, and so by con­tinual loosing the tie of his soul and sin, he may expect the last loose of his body and soul with more comfort.

2. But mortification effecteth this more directly, in that it properly and formally taketh away sin which is fomes morbi, the very matter of the disease, and of all these shaking fits in death, and then as a sound and well ordered body, dieth with little pain, so a sanctified purged soul departeth with lesse anguish; a great deal of grace in our life, brings a great deal of comfort in death; and why should I fear that which at once freeth me from sin, which in this course of mor­tification, is the cause of my greatest [Page 134] grief, and perfect's grace, which is the object of my chiefest desire? what therefore now remaineth, but that we labour to live holily, that we may at last die comfortably; and as they were Acts 9. 37. Luke 23.. 56. Matth. 26. 12. wont to wash dead bodies, and to a­noint them for their burial, so that we would do as much for our souls, get them washed in the blood of Christ, and daily more and more a­nointed and embalmed, and perfumed with the graces of his Spirit; So our deaths would not be more precious to Psal. 116. 15. God, then comfortable to our selves: So with Asa we should be laid in our graves as in a bed filled with sweet o­dours 2 Chron. 16. 14. & spices; and what the Romans were wont to do in their Pageants, at Herodian: l. 4. the consecration of their dead Empe­rours, would have more realty at our death and Funerals: no Eagle (as with them) to carry the soul up to Heaven, but our souls as the renewed Eagle would mount up out of such a bed of spices, to those mountains of spices, where Cant. 8. 14. Brightman Psal. 16. 11 Matth. 25. 4, 6, 7. are pleasures for evermore. O that we were once so wise, as with those wise Virgins to get oil enough into our Vessels, and then our Lamps will burn bright at midnight, in this mid­night [Page 135] of death and judgement; when, with them, we shall either go to Christ, or Christ will come to be married to us, and then this shall be one strain of our marriage, of our Triumphant Song, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Tibi Domini Jesu, qui spes es viventi­um & resurrectio mortuorum.