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SERM.
RLir'S.
DEAT73
A
ELESSING
TO
TEE
SAINTS.
X27
shall
be
released from
your present bondage
and impri-
sonment
by the
messenger
of
death
:
Fear it
not,
for
it
is
your
Lord, and
my
Lord, your Saviour and mine,
who
sends
it
to
release
you
from all the
evils
which you
have
long
groaned under,
and
to
bring
you
to
our
Father's
house,
where the
businesses,
the pleasures, and
the
company are infinitely
agreeable and
entertaini:ng."
Thus have I
shew
how
in
various instances,
the
,death
of
a believer
in
general
is
appointed to
work for
.his
good,
and
becomes
an advantapc
to
him through the
grace
of
Christ.
I
proceed
to spew how
the death
of
a
Christian in
all
the
particular
circumstances
that attend
it, has something
in
it
that
may
be
turned
to
his benefit.
"
,Christ
has the keys
of
death
and
the grave;
he was
dead, and
is
alive,
and
behold he
lives
for
evermore,"
Rev.
i.
18.
And
he knows how to
manage
all
the cir-
cumstances
of
the
death
of
his
saints for
their profit
:
He
appoints
the time
when,
the manner
how,
and the
place
where they shall die,
and determines
all these
things by
rules
of
unsearchable
wisdom,
under
the
influence of his
faithfulness and
his love.
1.
The
time
when
we
shall die
is
appointed
by
Christ:
If
he
calls us away in
the days
of
our
youth,
he
secures
us thereby
from many a
temptation,
and many
-a
sin;
for
our
life
on
earth
is
subject to daily defilements.
He
prevents
also many
a
sorrow and distress
of
mind, many
an
agony
and sharp
pain
to
which
our
flesh
is
subject,
and
saves us
-from all
the languishing weaknesses
of
old
age,
and from tasting the
dregs
of
mortality.
When our
blessed
Lord
foresees some huge
and heavy
sorrows ready to fall
upon
us,
or
some mighty
tempta-
tions approaching towards
us, he lays
his
hand upon
us
in the midst
of
life,
and
hides us in the
grave.
This
has been the sweet hiding
-place
of
many
a saint
of God,
from
a
day
of
public
temptation and overspreading
misery.
If
he
lengthens
out our
life
to
many
years,
we
have
a,
fair opportunity
of
doing much more
service for
our God,
and our Redeemer; and
we also
enjoy the
longer expe-
rience of
his
power,
his wisdom,
and
his
faithful mercy,
in
guiding
us
through
many
a dark
difficulty,
in
support-
ing
us
under
many
a heavy
burden, and delivering
our
souls
from many
a threatening temptation. Oftentimes
Q;