1 I 2 Of the Immortality of the Soul, Vol. II. Chrift hath taken the whole power and difpofal of it; as you find, Rev. r.. 18. I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold Iam dive for evermore, andhave the keys of Hell and of Death. NowChrift bath not only thus conquer'd Death for him- felf, but likewife for all thofe who believe on him; fo that Death 1hall not be able to keep them for ever under its Power: but Chrift by the fame Power where- by he raifed up himfelf from the Dead, will alto quicken our mortal Bodies, and raife them up to a newLife; for be keeps the Keys of Hell and Death ; and as a Reward of his Sufferings andSubmiffion to Death, he bath Power conferred upon him, togive Eternal Life to as many as he pleats. In this Settle, Death, tho it be not quite chafedout ofthe World, yet it is virtually and in effe& abolifb'd by the appearanceof 7efrsChr:ft, having in a great meafure loft its Power and Dominion; and lince Chrift bathaired us of a final refcue from it, thePower of it is render'd infignificant and inconfiderable, and the Sting andTerror of it is taken away. So the Apoftle tells us in theforementioned place, Heb. 2. 14, 15. That Chrift ha- ving by Death defiroyed himwho had the power ofDeath, that is, the Devil, he hath delivered thofe who through fear ofDeath, were all their lifetime filbjea to Bondage. And not only the Power and Terror ofDeath is for the prefent in a great meafure taken away; but it flail at laft be utterly defroyed. So the Apoftle tells us, a Cor. 15. 26. The laft Enemy that (hall bedeflroyed is Death ; which makes the Apoftle, in the latter end of this Chapter, to break forth into that Triumph, ver. 54, 55: So when this corruptibleflailhave put on incorruption, and thi;,,.mortal /hall have put on immortality, then fhall bebrought to pafs the Saying that is written, Death isfwallowed up in vi5lory. O Death, where is thyfling ? 0 Grave where is thy viaory? III. What is here meant by bringing Lift and Immortality to light. Life and Immortality, is here by a frequent Hebraifm put for Immortal Life; as alto im- mediately before the Text, you find Purpofe and Grace, put for God's gracious Purpofe. The Phrafe of bringing to light is fpoken of things which were before either wholly or in a great meafure hid, either were not at all difcovered before, or not fo clearly. Now becaufe theHeathens by the light of Nature, had fome probableconjetures and hopes concerning another Life after this, they were in fome meafure perfwaded, that when Men died they were not wholly extinguifh- cd, butdid pafs into another World, and did there receive Rewards lofted to their carriage and demeanor in this Life; and becaufe theYews alto, before Chrift, had thefe natural fuggeftions and hopes ftrengthened and confirmed by Revelati- ons, which God made unto them under the Old Teftament, therefore we cannot underftand this Phrafe of Chrift's bringing Immortal Life to light abfolutely, as if it were wholly a new difcoveey, which the World had no apprehenfion of be- fore; but only comparatively, as a thing whichwas now render'd, by the coming of Chrift into the World, incomparably more evident and manifeft. .FZuiegnid enim Philofophi, quicquid Rabbini eá de re dicunt, tenebrefont, fi ad evangelii lucent camparentur : Whatever the Philofophers, whatever the Rabbins fay of this matter, is but darknefs, compared to the clear Light and Revelation of the Gofpel. I proceed to the Second thing I propofed, viz. To (hewwhat Chrift's coming into the World bathdone towards the abolifhing of Death, and the bringing ofLife and Immortality to light. I (Hall fpeak diftinfily to thefe two. I. What Chrift's appearanceand corning into the World bath done towards the aboliftingofDeath, or how Death is abolifh'd by the appearanceof Chrifi. I have al- readyfhewn in the explication, that this Phrafe, The abolifhing of Death, fgnifies the conque(t which he made over Death in his own Perlon for himfelf; the Fruit of which Vitory redounds to us. For in that Chrift by hisDivine Power did con- quer it, and let himfelf free from the bands of it, this thews that the Power of it is now brought into other Hands, thatChrifi bath the Keys ofHell and Death ; fo that tho the Devil, by. tempting toSin, brought Death into the World, yet it (hall not be in his Power tokeep Men always under the Power of it ; and hereby the Terror of this great Enemy is in a good meafure taken away, and he (ball at laft be totally deftroyed, by the fame Hand that bath already given him his mor- tal Wound. Now
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