Featly et. Al. - BV4275 T47 1672

506 Fato Fatum, or, Apoc. 14.0 3. z Coe. 5. 1,3. lobo ü. , S. Apoe. t; 29. be defer-yob tobe turnedout ofhis placefor it. So DeathGods Serjeant, feizingupon his Son (inwhom there was nofault) without warrant or commiffonwas juftly dif- charged of his office. Is Death thus difcharged,hathChrift changedthe nature of Deat h,and freed all his Members from the flingof the temporal, andfear ofeternal death ? hath he ofa po- fternmade it afreet-door, ofan out-lét of mortal life,an in-let of immortality ? why then arc we fomuch afraidofdeath,which can nomore hurt us then a hornet orwasp after herfling is plucked out?Chrift fought with a livingdeath,we with adeaddeath; which Both not fomuch fever our fouls from our bodies,as joyn thou to Chrift; not fo much end our life asour mortality ; not fomuch exclude us out ofthe Militagt,as render us to theTriumphant Chureh.Nothingis moredreadful I cónfefs to the natural man,thanDeath whichdiffolveth the foul and body, and the Grave which refolveth the body intoduff and afhes. To cure this maladyof the mind,there is no vertue in any Drug of nature ; the Philofophers in this cafe are Phyficiansofnovalue, they tell us, thatfknefianddeath are, tributavivendi, and,the Grave the common houfeof the dead. But what of this ? what comfort is here ? Both this fpeculation difcharge us from the tribute, or make the'pa,ment thereof the eater ? doth it inlighten the darknefs of thefe priions of nature ? or take away the ftench from their under- ground houfes?no whit. Yet (God be thanked) there is a magazine in Scripture to pay thefe tributes; there is light inGofhen to enlighten thçfe hóufes, there is Speck- nard to' perfume thefedankilh rooms there are Cordials in holy Scrpiture to flrength- en the heart,not only againft deadly maladies, but allo againft death it felf: for there we hear of a vopcefromheaven, not only affirming thehappinefs of the dead, but confirming it with a ftrongreafon, for they reft from their labours, and their works follow them : we hear of Tabernacles not made withhands, but eternalin the Hea- vens: we hear thanwhen we are abfent from the body, we areprefent with the Lord: we hear the Lord of life opening the ears and chearing the heart of the dead ; and Paying, Lam the refurreltion and the láfe,whofoever believeth in me thoughhe were dead, yet (hall he live: There we hear deathnot only difarmed ofhisfting, but alto flain down right ; O death I will be thy death, Ograve I willbe thydefirudlien. Secondly, bathChrill deftroyed Death, and hath he both the keys ofDeath andof Het!? thenbeloved,when we lie on our death-bed,let us not have recourfe after the Popi(h manner toany Saint or Angcl,nonot to the bleffedVirgin her felf,but to her Sonwho is the Lordofhfe ; whofatisfying for ouruns at his death, thereby plseç ed out thefling ofdeath ; and after hisrefurreftion quitedelroyedthisferpent. In which regardhe is Riled, ftella matutina, the Morningfiar, becaufe heufbereth in the day of eternity, and primitiadormientum,thefirftfruits ofthem that fiept,becaufe in him the whole lump isfan£táfied : w hen therefore the fiery Serpent hovereth over us to fling us to eternal death, let us look upon the Brazen Serpent, and the other thall not hurt us. Laflly,rhath Chrift conquered Death and Hell andthat forus? let us thengive him the honour of the greatefi Worthy and noblefi Conqueror that ever the World faw. Cyrus, andAlexander, and Cafter, werenóway to be compared to him; for they fubdtied but mortal enemies,he immortal; they bodily,heghoftly ; they withgreat Armiesand power ofinen,but he alone; they when theywerealive, andin theirfull ftrength and vigour,but heat the hour ofhis death,and afterwards.I conclude there- fore with Saint Jerome his infultation over Death, and thankfgiviug to theLord of life. O death thou dtdit bite and wert bitten, thoudidit devour, and art nowdevoured by himwhomfor a tome thou didlt devour; by his death thou artflain, by his death we live everlaflin4ly : thanks be rendredunto thee, OSaviour, who baitfubdued fo powerfulan adverfary, andput him to deathby thy deathand pagan. TheEthiopians asHerodotrssrelateth,madeSepulchresofglafs; forafter theyhave dried the corps,' they artificiallypaint it, andfet it in aglazedCoffin,thatalltbat pals by mayfee the lineaments ofthe dead body: but furely theydefervebetter of thedead and more benefit the living, who draw the lineamentoof theirmind, and reprefent their virtues and graces in aMirrourofArt ( for I am not oftheir jud ement among us, vihoproperly andde fervedly% are calledPreeifans, becaufe out of thepurity oftheir prif Apoc.aa. t6. Iohm 1.14. AaMofe, lifted upehe ferpent in the wilder - nefs, even to mutt the Son of man be lif- ted up. 0 more devota fli eft drvorata illial mute inmonna er ¡l- aus morte nos vivimos, grati- at tibi aginns lhrifie falva- sor quod 04Th pooentem ad- verfarian, duns octideri, ouidi_ taph. Nepoti. am. Herndoeos in?laird, .Æ-. thiopes pofY- quam mortnom arefecere gypi

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