63% Meditations touchingVeath. M'AE221MYZEEMUMEigrigineMEE t*.; Chap. I I. Thequelling of by Ghrifi,anelhis obtaining anabflute vilToty ouer thegraue,is nopreiudicete theformer truth. The now- tr T isa true faying,andworthyour belt imbraäng, that Chrift Iefus by nighf that might ,r ; hisdeath, bath brought lifeandimmortality to light:yet therearefpe_ which ?1 ciallcaufes for whichit pleafethGod toleaue thebodiesofhis deareft doubt touch- children under the power ofdeath to bee turned into duff. As, firft, for the ìngthefor- manifeftationof hisTruth, inthat ancient threat, 7holdart dreg, and to do/" mrpoint, Shoo(haltretarnec. Secondly, for the declarationofhispower,thatbydeathhe f Gen,3,t9. may tranflate hischofenferuantsvntolife. Sinnebroughtdeath into the world, and God willThew his ftrength in this, that death (hall bethe vtter abolifh_ ment of that which firftcaufed it. Ifthere had not been finne, therehad not been death ; andnowby death, Godwill, that in His, thekingdome andbeing offinneflag vtterlybee deftroyrd. Thehead of Goal: hall bee cut off by his ownefword, and finne extinguilhed euen by that which it felfefirft procured: T hirdly,the Lord fubiefts his childrento thiscourfc, thatby it they-may learn the better to conceiue thegreatneffe of the benefit, whichby Chrift theyhall liCor.' 1.06 enioy. When theythinkevpondeathasit is an enemy', they cannot butfeare it : nature, affecting the continuanceandprcferuationofit felfe cannotbutab_ horre it. Nowthen, ifdeath beingchanged, be fofearefull,we'll may wee con_ elude, that it wouldhaue exceededin terror,ifithad continued as atfirftit was; viu.agateandpaflage into Hell. Ifthe very fight ofth sferpent doe affright vs nowthe flingis out, whatwould it haue done ifthathid fillremained? Here- bythen Godwouldhaue vs learntandgather,how deeplyweeare bound to his Mercy; whobathdeliuered vsby hisSonne from fo greatamifery. Laftly, the law ofdeath layeth hold vponGodsElea, tothe endthey maybee conforma_ ble totheir headChrift Iefus. He was as the Wheate-corne , whichexcept it o Ian . faginto the ground anddie,bideth alone°; death was his paffageintoglory,the fame muftoursbe alfo. The way otthe Treeof life, iskept with thebladeof x Gem;0i4 a fwordfhakenx, vndertheftrokewhereofweemullfirft come before weecan hope for anyentranceinto Paradife, Chap. IiI. The certeintyofDeath ought towean our of 'liensfrom the world,,anor mount to acarefullprovidingforour ofterJIite. Ithenceitisfo ,thatwehatehere nocontinuin Citiei,this is notthe Inferences F g dermrd from placeof our perpetual)abode : we muffremouehence other- where, the generall withoutall hope orpofsibilityofreturnehither,tohue here againe point. wt aswe now doe. What more effeftuallmotive can there be, to draw y Heb.t;,rq. out affectionsfrom thereearthly things? whatbetter inducementto that which r Coez;i. is termed anvfingofthe world,as ifonevfed it not o? For is-hat hould wee ftriue fomuchfor that which wecannothold ? Why doewe fafteisourdefirèsfhll clofervnto that to theloofingwhereof, doewe whatwecan, wee are hill nearer and neerer curry minute? There is no better cvidenceoftrueChriftianity, then amans euen careletia fafhionof Wing the world,outofa ferious thinkingupon hisdaily hafteningtohis end. Whena man checkshimfelfe fuddenly, in the micrit, of his hot parfnte of earthly
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