SERMONS upon Serran. 2. are moil excellent; A living Dog is better than a dead Lion. All Creatures defire to preferve Life. All the Travail of Men under the Sun is for Life, to prop up a Taber- nacle that is always falling : Job 2. J. Skin for Skin, and all that a Man hath, will he give for his Life. All ot* labour and care is for it ; and when we have made provi- lion for it, it is taken from us. . It is called the Life of our Hands, Ifa. 57.1o. We make hard Ihift to-maintain it. This Life is a poor thing, it is no great matter -to be Heir to it. James 4. 14. What is year Life ? it is even a Vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanifheth away. 2. It is Life Eternal ; not like the Earthly Life, which is but as a Vapor, a little warm Breath, or warm Smoak, tunn'd in and out by the Nofkrils. Our prefent Life is a Lamp that may be foon quenched; it is in the Power of every Ruffian and Affaffi- nate. But this is Life Eternal. In Heaven there is a fair Efkate ; the Tenure is for Life : but we need not take thought for Heirs ; We and our Happinefs (hall always live together. The Bloffoms of Paradife are for ever frefh and green : therefore if we love Life, why fhould we not love Heaven ? This is, a Life that is never fpenr, and we are never weary of living. This Life is fhort, yet we loon grow weary of it. The Iliortefk Life is long enough to be encumbred with a thoufand Miferies. If you live till old Age, Age is a burden to it felf: The Days fhall came, in which they (hall fay, we have no pleafure, Ecclef 12. I. Life it felf may become a bur- den, but you will never with for an end of Eternal Life, that is a long date of days without mifery, and without wearinefs. Eternity is every day more lovely. Well might David fay, The loving Kindnefs of .God is better than Life. Men have curled the Day of their Birth, but never the Day of their New Birth. Thofe that have once talked the fweet and benefit of God's Life, never grow weary of ir. 3. This Life is begun, and carried on by degrees. (I.) Tli@ Foundation of it is laid in Regeneration : Then do we begin to live, when Chrift beginneth to live in os 5 and wemay reckon from that day, when in the Power of his Life, we began to advance towards Heaven ; for then there was a Seed laid of a Life, which cannot be deftroyed. The Life of Nature may be extinguifhed, but not of Grace. Rom. 8. 1 I. If the Spirit of him that railed up Jefus from the Dead, dwell in you; he that railed sep Chrift from the Dead, fhall alto quicken your mortal Bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you : The Spirit cannot leave his dwelling- place. It is faid, _ yohn 5. 24. He that heareth my Word, and believeth on Him that fent me, bath everlaffing Life, and 'ball not come into Condemnation ; but is pad from Death unto Life. The change is wrought as loon as we begin to be acquainted withGod in Chrift. (2) Prefently after Death, there is a further progrefs made. As loon as the Sónl is feparated from the Body, it begins to live glorioully. It is with Chrifi ; Phil. a. 23. I defire to depart and to be with Chrifl ; it is in Chrift here, but not fo properly with him : And it is in Paradife, Luke 23.A3. This day flralt thou be with me in Paradife. In Abra- ham'sBafom, Luke 16.25. He feeth Abraham a far off, and Lazarus in his Bofom. And enjoyeth the Fruit of good Works, Rev. 14. 13. Bled are the Dead which die in the Lord ; From henceforth, yea, faith the Spirit, that they may reff from their Labours, and their Works do follow them: There is not only a ceffation from Sin and Mifery, but an enjoyment of Glory ; and the Body refteth without pain and labour till the R.e- furreftion, as in a Bed Ira. 57. a. He fliall enter into Peace : they 'Gall refi in their Beds, each one walking in his uprightnef. (3.) After, at the Refurre&ion of the Body, there is a confummation of all Joy. That is called the Day of Regeneration, Mat. 19. 28. Body and Soul (hall be renewed perfellly, for Immortality and Glory. Then we live indeed : therefore Chrift faith, John 11. 25. 1 am the Re furreflion, and the Life. All is confummate and full then ; Death bath tome Power till that day. Vfe a. To prefs us to labour after this Holy Life. John 6. 27. Labour not for the Meat that perifheth, but for that Meat that endureth unto everlaffing Life, which the Son of Man 'Ball give you. Grace is the Beginning and Pledg of it. It is the Beginning and Seed of Life; this is an immortal Spark, that fhall never be quenched : It is the Pledg, I Tim.6. 19. you may feize Life es your Right and Inheritance. Oh, labour for it; This Life is made bitter, that thou mayeft desire the other. Confider, all dependeth on thy State in this World : Either thou art a Child of Wrath,or an Heir of Life. Wicked Men do die, rather than live, in the other World. It is better not to be, than to be for ever miferable ; to lie under the Wrath of God ; to be Ihut out of the Pretence of God for evermore. V f 2.
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