8q. The IDefirrsdion ofthe Deproyér, or, But the Scripturemakes reporc of death, noc only tollerable and eafie, but com- fortableand gladfon:e to a Chriftian heart : For is fheweth by whom, and by what means we may infallibly, and certainly, efcape all the hurt that Death can do Nay, bywhat means we may order our felves fo,thac Death may be beneficial to us. What is that ? In one fhort word ; it is Chrift : i am the Refssrreëlion, and the Life, he that believeth in me,fhall never feedeath. He meaneth to hurt himfelf. Again, This is the mefage,tbat godbathgiven us life, and this life is ih his Son. And, He that bath the Son bath life. Our Saviour Jefus Chrift came into the wort ( as theA- poftle telleth us ) that be might defrayhim that had the power of death, and /o fet them at Liberty, that all their Life time were in Bondage under the fear of death. And Saint Jobe faith ; He came into the world to defßroy the works ofthe Devil ; whichare fin and death. So that nowDeath bath loft his fling, becault Chrift o- vercame it :,In dyinghe flue Death,- andwas the death of Death: This manChrift, God and Manihe offered himfelf to hisFatheras a Sacrifice for the fens ofthe world, and dyinga curfed death upon the Crofs, fo fatisfied the juftice of God eswthe behalf ofall thofethat are in him,thac Deathcan do them no harm : It is nothing elfe but a paffage to Eternal bleffednefs. Oh ble('fed be the Name of God, that bath been pleated to provide fo perfe&a remedy igainft fo mortal an Enemy `: And to lay it open fo clearly and plainly in the Gofpel. '4e have heard of thofe'things that I thought to put you in mind of concerning, Death, and fo I have done with the firfl point. a: Death is an The fecond is,that Death is anEnemy. ;Therefore the Apoflle Paultelleth us ofa enemy. certain/nog it hash, Ob Death where is thy fling ? lc is an armedenemy, ircometh' as a Serpent with aflingthat entereth intoa mans Soul,putteth it toextream perplexi- ty, if hetakes not order to difarm this Enemy. Anenemy ye know is a perfon that fetteth himfelf willfullyto hurt, á man may hurt his.Neighbour, either through indifcretion,or unadvifedncfs againft hiswill,or he may lay wait todó him hart, intending rnifchief,and feekirrg to perform fomewhat hat (hall be injurious to him. 'We call not him anenemy that we receive a little hurtfrom againft his will,contrary to his purpofeand intention: Bache that ftudieth, and before hand defireth to be an enemy. Now Death (as we may fay ) fludieth our hurt in all extremity beforehand. I. Depriving a There is but two forts of hurt that cancomeco man. One is, to deprivehim of. man of all that that which is beneficial and tom fortable,to rob him of all that iscontentfultohim in is beneficial or this life. As when a companyof Foes break into a Nation., they burn their goods, comfortable. and fpoyl their houles, and rob and takeaway all that is comfortable to them, fo much asthey can,- Death is fuchan enemy: It defireth to bereave a man of thatne ceffary Contentment he bath. When it meeteth with a-learned man, it takesaway all his learning at one blow, affoon as he is dead, he ceafeth to be agreat Schollar,' It coineth to a rich man, and robs himof all his goods at one blow too : though he have millions, Death caufeth all to be another mans. When it cometh to a King, it pulleth him betide his Throne, takes his Crown of his head, and calteth both 'rim and it into the drift, he is King no longer when he is dead. AndTo in all the benefits of this life, it takes away the pleafureand contentments of a man ; it takes away the Husband from the Wife,and the Wifefrom the Husband ; is dividech Chil- dren from Parents,and Parents from Children : All the benefits that this life afford, Death ltrippecha man of them all, and turns him naked out ofthe world, ju(l as he came he mullgo, and carry nothing in bis hand: Deathwill not admithim to take one Farthing, or any thing elle withhim. So he isan enemy, for he fpoileth us of whatfoever is deferable in this life. , . Infliiiag But he is an enemy alto in inflirling a great deal of ill upon men. So death bring; ,niferyupon a eth torment for the prefenc: I: is a terrible thing towrefile with ; it makes a man; Man bleed, and fweac as it were: No, man can incounter with D'eat'k, but he feeleth' anxiety and vexation of body and mind, (unlefs he have comfort from above to enable him to wreftle with it,but) in his own proper nature it is fo furious an enemy, .that
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