Chap. VI. . Of DEATH. CHAP. Vi. 011r dear Obligations to our ~deemer confidered, 'Riho freei tu fromtbe'ljling? and fear; and dominion of Veatb. His Lo'Ve was equal to the ht(gbt of /m Glory from whence be defcended, and tbe depth of /,is Sujfermgs for our fak.e. An excrtatton to make it the great defign of our Li'Ves to overcome tbe fear of Veat/1. !J{econciliation rMb God requijite to our being freed ji-om tbe powers of Veatb: ~pentance is nece f!ary to obtain tbe {a'Votlr of God. Tbe infinite danger of delaymg it, rm{olded. The prefumption of long Life is l>ain. The hope of a fmure (](epmtance is very deceitful. 'Iis 1Jery hazardous whether God will accept the IJ?.!pentarJce that flom merely from bitter conftraint at /aft. The continuance in Sit• 11pon the prefitmption of Pardon, renders Mm moft umvorthy of it: TO applythisPoint, let us, 1 • Confider our dear Obligations to our Bl~([ed S~viour, who to free us from the fiing and enflaving fear of Death, fubm•tted to 1t Wtth alltts Terrors from God and wicl<ed Men. He felt a fadnefs to an Agony in his Soul, and fuffered the equal extremities of Ignominy and Torment in his Body. The Favour of God was. mtcrcepted fi-om him, that it may ihine upon us in. that gloomy hour. An~ all Ius ~emble ~uffermgs, tho foreknown by hisenlightned Mmd, could not weaken hiS determmed Will to undergo them for us: But when Peter regarded with a more tender eye his Lif~ t~an our Salvation, he was t-epell'd with indignation. Unparallel'd Love ! no lefs than D1vme, tranfcending all the Inftances of humane Afl'e£tion. The higheft kind and excefs of Love among Men is to die for another, and the higheft degree in that kind is to die to fave an Enemy; and of this our Saviour is the lingular Example: Love incomprehenlible! tt p'.ffes knowledg, and all <mderjlanding but his who exprefs'd it. His Love was equal to the height of his Glory from whence he defcended, and the depth of his Sufferings that he fuftained in our fl:ead. By wajbing mfrom our Sins in his Blood, he make~ us Kjngs, Rev. 1. dignifies tis with fpiritual Sovera•gnty over, not only defihng, but ddturbmg Paflions. The freeft and moll: confident Sinner in the Wodd, that rebels againft the Divine Laws without reftraint, is a Slave, not only under the Chains of his imperious Lufts, but in that he is liable to the ~~~;IT~"ff~c~~e'2!~~~%1~~],;.';1~~~~:,r ~:J~:~~; P~~~o !h~l~ff~~ei~-~~~~i~~;t}~~~eJ:e~dr~ 435 men ring apprehenfions and fears of Death, that are the juft confequences ofGuilt. One of the Antient Romans highly celebrates the Aflronomers, who difcover'd the true M:18:i ingcnio Caufes of the Eclipfes of the Sun and Moon, and freed the World from the double dark- ,a, Cocli ;,. nefs of Ignorance and Fear ; for before that Difcovery, Men believed the obfcuring of rcrprcrcs, re~ th?fe great Ligh~s were the fainting_ Fits of Nature, _and mortal Sym~toms threatning an ~~~~d~~~~:-. umvcrfal Calamity. But what Pra1fe and Bleffing IS due to our Savmur, who bath gi- gumenu rcven us infallible affurance that the Death of the Righteous is not, as the Heathen World b=~~~i~~~ imagin'd, an irreparable lofs of Life, but a fhort eclipfing of this low and mean Light que ''!nxiflis. that is common to fenfitive Creatures, to be refiored more excellent and permanent in Hca- Ptm. hb. ~. ven, w~ere thofe Stars fhine in the Divine Prefence forever. TIJJmks be to God IVhich gives "'the Vtc1ory through our Lord 'Jefm Chrijl. This !hould render him i1pnitely preciom to tu, and inflame our Hearts with Defires equal to our Obligations to fcrve him. 2. Let us make it the great Delign and main Bulinefs of our Lives to remove from our Souls the juft Fears of Death. 'Tis one of the folemn Follies of the World to fear where there is no caufe: As if a Sentinel ihould miftake Glowworms in the Night for lighted Matches, and give a falfe Alarm: but 'tis a worfe folly, tho plealing, not to fear when there is the greateft Reafon to excite it. And 'tis fo in the prefent cafe; for the moft are WJthout the fear of Death, that fhould make them ferious in preparing for it : nay, to ~~~~i~~~~~:\~;~~~~(t•t~~~r~i~;:il~~~l~l':~~h~~~~~l~e~e~;.~:!/~, w;;::~~::J; J:r~~~}d eviltbmgstohim. 'Twas
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