184 `The I3le ednefr of Good Men after Death. Iv"ot. 1. walking in his uprightnefs; that is, enjoying the Comfortof his Integrity and Sin- cerity towardsGod. And now the main Difficulty being over, we (hall need to trouble our felves the lefs about the other Expre(lions in theText : Yet there are Twowhich I (hall a lit- tle explain to you. I. What is here meant by dying in the Lord. And this fort of Phrafe, in the Lord, in Chrilt, and in the Name of Chr, is ufed in Scripturevery varioufly. In general it fignifies, the doing or fuffering any thin;, with relation to Chrz, and upon his account ; and fo to die in the Lord, doth moll frequently lignifie, to die in the Faith of Chri/I, and she Profè/)ion of the Chrfian Religion. Sometimes it fignifies to die for his Caufe, and to bear Teffimony. to bis Truth, which is there- fore called Martyrdom, as St. Pat:lis faid to be ó/o .43t. dv nue,iqe, Eph. 4. r. APri- foner in the Lord ; that is, for his Caufe. So likewife, St. Peter ; Ifye be re- poached cv 6641i XOÇ-á, in the name of Chr ; happy are ye : And 'tis proba- ble, that the Expreffion, a Cor. 15. 18. Then they elfo which are fallen afleep in Chrífi; is to be underftood, of thofe that died for his Caufe ; becaufe it follows immediately, if in this Life only we have hope in Chr, we are ofall Men moll miferable ; that is, confidering how much Chriftians Suffered for him in this Life, they were in a molt miferable Condition, if there were nothing to be expe&ed beyond it ; but ofpecially, if we confider the parallel Phrafe, s Theft. 4. 14. So them alfo thatBleep in 7efus, 3Yà Td'Ino °s, for 7efr4s fake; that is, them that have fuffered Martyrdomfor him, will God bring with him. And in this Senfe, many underhand the Phrafe in the Text, as fpoken of Martyrs; Bleffed are the dead, which die in the Lord ; that is, for his Caufe. And tho' I think . the Phrafe may well enough be underftood more generally, yet I fhall not rejea this Senfe : Be- caufe it is not unfuitable to the Scope and Occafion of the words. For confider- ing that ta/I and extreme Perfecution which he had defcrihed ; it was not altoge- ther improper to pronounce thofe happy, that had fuffered Martyrdom already, and were taken away from thofe dreadful Calamities, which in thefe laft days of Antichrifl wereto fall upon the faithful Servants of Chrift. The other Expreffion is the laft in the Text,And theirWorks do follow them. So we render the word áscoho%, which yet does molt properly fignifie to accompany, or go along with one; and fo indeed theExpreffion will rather bemore Emphatical, they raftfrom their Labours, and their Works accompany them. But whether the word be rendred, to follow, or to accompany, the difference is not verymaterial. Thus you fee what the particular fenfe and meaning of the Words probably is, to declare the happyEfate of thofe Saints or Martyrs, who were already dead; in and for the Faith of Chr f, andfbould not live to fee chofe cruel and fearful Suf ferings; which fhouldafterwards' come upon theChri/Iians. But then this is groun- ded upon that general Truth, that they are happy that die in the Lord. , And this is that which I intend now to profecute, abftra&mg from the Particular Occafion, upon which thefe words were fpoken ; which brings me to the Second thing I propounded, and chiefly defigned to handle upon the occa- fron of this Day; namely, the happy Elate of Good Men after they 'are departed out of this Life. And in fpeaking to this, I fhall confine my felf to Two Parti- culars, which the Text mentions, as the Reafons and Grounds, why they that die in the Lord, are declared to be in fo Bleffed a Condition ; yea, faith the Spirit, that theymay refit from their Labours, and their Works dogfollow them. I. Good Men, when they are departed. this Life, are freed from all their La- bours and Pains they were exercifed with in this World : That they may refit from their Labours. 2. They reap the Comfort and Reward of all the Good which they have done in this World : And their Works do follow them, or rather, go along with them, to receive the Reward which God hath promifed to them, who by patient continu- ance in well doing, feek for Glory, and Honour, and Immortality. e. Thofe, who die in the Lord, are freed from the Evils and Miferies of- this Life. And this is fo great a Felicity that force, (and thofe who think themfelves no fmall Philofophers) haveplaced the chief Happinefs of Man in freedom from Pain
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