Featly et. Al. - BV4275 T47 1672

96 The JYorldr of , and the 0ófervat. well-being after death. His Soul bath a real beeing with God inhappinefs, his body hath abeefing of hope,though is be in the grave; Nay, ic hatha real beeingof hap p i- nefs,as it is a Member of Chrii },in regard of themy (heal union. So in no fenfe he perghstb, he is but toot away, he is but removed, it isbut Exodus, but 7 radium : His death is not a going out of theCandle,it is but a tranflation,a removingof ic to a bet- ter frame, it is fer upon a more glorious table to Chine more bright. The word i; wt II expounded inHeb.rr. concerningEnoch : whereas in the fifth of Genefu,the Scrip- ture faith, Enoch walked with God, andGod tookbim; in the Hebrew, is is fail, he was tranffated. In the one,he was toots away; that is,in refpeál of the world ; In the other,be was tranflated ; that is,in relpe&of Heaven. They are took away ; chat is, from the place of milery, the Dungeon,theRifon,co a place of glory and h aopinefs. They are tookawayfrom the houfe ofclay,to thebap Eternal,not madewith hands, in the Heavens: they aretranßated upward, that is Meant in this. So that thereare two obfervations in this. Fiat, That Piety and (Mercy exeafeth not fromdeath. Godlinefs it felt freech not a manfrom death. Death it is that end that is pro- pounded to all men. The bodies of godly men are of the fame mould and temper, of the fame frame andconflitution as other men, their fifth isas frail, theirhumours as cholerick, their fpirit as fading, their breach as vanifhing, they owe thefame debt to nature, to fin , to God, co themtelves and their Own happinefs. They are bound under the weight of the fame Law,the fiutateLaw is; !t is appointed to all men todie once. It is well faid,ro die once,for the impenitent man diech twice,he dieth here by the feparacion of his foul from his body,that is thefirft death; and there is the fecond death that fuccecdech that ; the death of the Soul, bya reparation of it from God, which is far worfe. But righteous and merciful men die once; the firfi death feizech upon them: It is appointed to all:It isthe endof allJlefh ; inone place, It is theend of all the earth,in another place: It is the end of all living, the end of all men, even merciful andgodl men are brought within the compafs of this Law of Nature, to yefld up this debt and due. Righteoufnefs excufesnot, it frees not. It is a law that bindeth one as well as another. As Bafl of Seulencia obfervech, though Adamwas thefira that linned,yer Abel was the fiat that died :Adam committed the tranfgref- fion,the elder Son wasCain,rhe fecond Abel,in the courte ofnature the elder# Ihould have gone firfi,but Abd,righteous Abel, that was the moiety, the half ofhis confort, and the greater half,though the younger: Adam finneth firfl,and yet righteous Abel dieth fir(}. He gives the reafon tobe this,becaufeCod would let us fee in thePortal of death, the table ofthe Refurre&ion, he would Chew us the linnaments of the Refur_ reótion in the firft man that dieth,thaerighteous Abel is took away,thatwe,hould be iffured that he was but tranftared,there was hopeof the Refurreótion confirmed even in his death. But yet that is not all; the reafón (Iconceive) that is more proper to :his is :Righteous Abel dicth firft,to (hew that even righteous andmerciful men muff not expo& immunity from death, and from fuffering Tribulation in this world ; it is the condition that befallech Abel therighteous, as well as Cain the Pharifeet It belongeth to faithful eAbrabam, as well as to Apo.fIseizingGemas : to beloved Jacob, as well al to refilled Efav; to meek e.iilofe-, as well as to turfingShemti; to Deborah the Prophetefs,rs well as to theufurptng Athalìah ; to devout lo¡ab, as well as to impious Ahab : to tender- harted Davtd,aswellas tochurliJh Natal; to the humble Publican,as well as to the vaunting Pharifee. It is the Lawand Rule that is fet to all,there isno exemption ; Righteouinefs, Piety, and works of mercy, then do not exempt. For if they could exempt,how Ihouldpiety have the reward 2 When lhoùldgodli nefscome co the full recompence ? It is death that makes way to thehopeofreward. And if is be fo, that righteoufnefs excufech not, then neither honour,nor Brength, nor beauty,nor riches,canexcufe in the world : for chef-care offar letsprevalency with God than piety. So the argument Bandeth firongly, if ph died that was amereifwl man ; if Abel was taken awaythat wasa righteous áran,löoktoother eonditiohs: theta .... _.. __. __ Cafar,

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