Conqueff over Deaths enmity. t 65 the forefront of the batcel, out keep [hem in the Rear; he puts them oohing, that when all the rat have wearied and tired us, they Ihould feron us afre(i . He is fc cunning a Difputant, that he referveth the belt Arguments for the laft. A cunning Gameftcr , that plays his belt play at the lalt. A cunning Archer, that (boon his bell íhafe at the lath. So fince Death ú the left Enemy, it is like to be the fore(/. Now the Corer we are like to find him, the carefuller we fhould be to arm again! him; always to put our felvesinareadinefs, that whcnfoever he cornett] , he may find us weaponed; that if it were poffible , we might be always doing , as if we were dying , it being the heighthof the perfe&ion , that any foul can attain to (as the Heathens themselves well obfetved ) for a man re fpend every day as if it were his 10 day. That is one reafon why the Apofile here calleth Death the loft Enemy , Icecaufc the left islite to be the wort. Again, another reafon. As it is the /aft by which we are a(faulted , fo it is the a Becaufe it is left :bar (hall be deftroyed. That the Apofile principally meant here (as Interpre- shelat that tens commonly under(land it)when he faith, the /aft enemy thatfhall be deffrayed is death, he meant that death ú the Enemy that bedeftrayed ¿tif. And this leaded- me to the tall point I propounded to fpeak of; That Death ú an enemy, and thelaft enemy, andat laft(hall bedefirayed. Elio/ ed. de- It (hall be de(iroyed, chat is one thing. who undertakes the doing of it ? Ourfelvcs; In likelyhood Death is more likely Whole is that to ce(iroy us, then we it. But as it is faid of thefeven-foaled book in the Revelation, when there war none inheaven, or inearth, or under theearth, that was able to open it, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, prevailed to open thebook. So the Lion of the tribeofJudah prevaileth to deftroy this enemy, that none in heaven, or in earth, or under the earth , but only he, ú able to de/troy. He faith of him, as David of go:iah, when he defied the heft of/frail, and all men ran away, Let no mans heart fail him. So faith the fon of David The Lord of David, let no mans heart fail deftroyeth Ra,hf,s a Sam.iy.zI. him , I willgo to fight with yonder ?hilifiim. D "Death Iwill be thydeath. It is fpoken in the perfon of Chrift, whom Stint Peter calleth the Lordof life. He nib- duech all Enemies, and it is he that will deffray Death, hewill not leave him till he nave trod him underfoot. Hof.' 3.a;r Ads 3 rf But when will Chrift do this? We fee Death plays theTyrant (till, it killed-) and When Death (poìlech as fall as it did ; his Sickle is in every ones harvefi; asfall asthe corngrows mall be de- up, he cuts it down, he eaveth net an car ftanding. How long Lord, how long be- fore this (chat theApofile tells us of) will he ? ttoyed. At loft. Hs meaning is, at the general day of the Refurre&ion, when the end cf Atthe day of the World (hall come, Ellen Chili (hall de.ftroy him. And he bringeth it in the ra- theRefune- ther,toaffurethe Corinth, of that, that (owe of hem doubted of; namely, that there (houldbe a Refurrebiion. For unlefs the deadfhosld arije, how can Death be de. eh"' 'rayed? But Death (hall be deJroyed, therefore it is out of queftion that the dead 'hall rife agaiu. But what comfort have we in the mean time,if Death be not defiroyed till then? if till then it play the domineering Enemy ? No,not fo neither. We have comfort enough in that, that Chrift ha:h already Comfort in done. T hough it be not already deliroyed, yet it is already fubdued. It isnot only the mean time !subdued, but difarmed ; and not only fo, but captivated , and triumphed over. Hefubdued it when he died, in fufferingdeath he overcame Death, he beat him in htsown ground,at his own weapons, in his own hold he difarmed him. When he rofe again , then he fpoiled him of his power, and took his weapons away, and triumphed over him in the open field. When he afcended into Heaven, then he carried thofe (poils with him in token of conqueft, as sampfon took the Gates of Gaza on his fhoulders, and carried them to the top of the bill. Chrift bydeath took the fling of death away, by his Refurre&Rion he took theftrength of death away, byhisAfcenßon he cook away the hope of death, for ever conquering or prevailing more; finally, at the laft ]cdgment he will take away the name and Seeing ofdeath, . fo
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