PillfJry over Death. · 19t , e'arnefily, defiring to be clothed upon with the houfe which is from heaven,' that is, the heavenly glory , 2. Cor. v. 2 . Indeed the curfe of the fir fi covenatlt did, upon the breaking ofthat covenant, fall to their lot, as well as to the refi of mankind~ and that curfe ' would natively have ilfued, in cut~ing them afunder, as covenant-breakers, and appoin.ting them ·their·por– tion with the hypocrites ; but that, being executed to the full on Ch,rifi their Head, to the parting afunder ofhis holy foul an.d body, it can operate' no more on them. Wherefore, howbeit .others die in . virtue of the curfe, feparating their fouls and bodies, the one to the place of torment, the other to the grave, till the lafi day; yet they do not fo die. · Being redeemed from the curft, Gal. ,iii. 13~ they fhall ne7Jer fte fuch death,' Joh!-1 viii. 5r. But they. die, in conformity to Chrii1 their Head, being predrflinate to be conform to his' i– mage, (Rom. viii. 29.) who is the Firfl-b()rn from the t!ead, Col. i. 18.. and the firfl ..fruits Gfthem thatJleep, which every ma11 is to follow in his own order, 1 Cor. x•.:. 20, 23. That, as in ·the cafe of the Head, fo in the cafe of the members, as death came on by fin, fi11 may go off by death. In virtue of their communion· with Chrifi in his death, the union 'twixt their fouls and mortal bodies is diffolved; their fouls difmifs'd in peace into the heavenly glory ; there to remain, till fuch time as their bodies, laid down in the grave, come· in virtue of their communion with Chrifi in his refur– red:ion, to put on i~corruption a.nd immortality. · · This promife is grafted upon the promife of accep-· tance made to Chrifi, when he fhould make his foul an offering for fin : in confidence ofwhich acceptance, dying 9n the crofs, he commended his Spirit, or Soul, into the hands of his Father, Luke xxiii.. 46. and told the penitent thief, he was to be that very day in para.. di(e, tho' then it \~as toward the evening of it, Ver . 43.Thy words in which he commended his foul to his Father; were Dilvid's, Pfalm xxxi. 5• ' Into thin e N hands
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=