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SECT.
1.1
'THE CONQUEST OVER
DEATH.
257
Reflection
I.
If
.death
be
an enemy to the best
of
men in
so
many respects,
then
we
may infer
the great
evil
of
sin
for it
was sin
that brought death
into this
our
world
;
Rom.
v. 12.
By
one
man sin
entered
into
the
world,
and
death
by
sin;
and
so
death
passed
upon
all
men,;
for
that
all
have sinned.
We are
too
ready
to
conceive
a
slight
opinion
of
the
evil
of
sin,
because
it
is
so
common to the best
of
men,
and
so
constant
an
attendant
on
human
nature
daily
and
hourly
;
we
entertain
too gentle and harmless
thoughts
of
it,
because
its
biggest
evil
is
of
a
spiritual
kind,
and
invisible
;
we see
not
that
infinite majesty which
it dis-
honours,
that
spotless holiness
of
God
which
it
offends,
the
glory
and perfection
of that
,law
which
is
broken
by
it:
We can
take
but short and
scanty notices
of
the
in-
jury
that
it
does to
God
the supreme Spirit,
while
we
are
shut
up
in
tabernacles
of
flesh.
But here
in
these scenes
of
death,
we
may
survey
the
sensible
and
mighty
injury
that
sin has
doné
to
the
nature of
man,
and thence infer
how
offensive
it
is
to
God.
By
our
eyes
and
our
ears,
we may be
terribly
convinced,
that it
is
no
little
evil
that
could occasion
such
spreading and
durable
mischief.
We cannot
frame
a
just
'notion
of
what man
was in his
state
of
perfect innocency,
in his
original beauty,
and
honour,
and
immortal frame
;
and
therefore
we
cannot
so
well
judge
of
the
vastness
of
the
loss
which
we
sustain
by sin
:
but
we
can see
and
feel
the formidable
attendants
of
death, and
learn
and
believe
that
it
is
a
root of
un-
known
poisoned bitterness,
that
has
produced
such
cursed
fruit
:
Especially if
we
remember
that
all the sorrows be-
fore described, fall upon the saints themselves, even
where
sin
is
pardoned,
and
death
has
lost
its sting.
But
if
we
descend
in
contemplation
to
the endless and unknown
misery
that
waits
upon the death
of
a
sinner, and
say,
all
these are the
effects
of sin;
how
inexpressibly
dreadful
will
the cause
appear?
The
wise
man
has
pronounced
them
fools,
by
inspiration, that
make
a-
mock
at
such
mischief;
Prov.
xiv. 9.
Reflection
II.
We
may
here learn the greatness
of
the
love
of
Christ,
that
would
venture into
the land
of death,
and
conflict
with
this mighty enemy,
and
yield to
the
power of
it
for
a
season, for
our
sakes.
Greater
love
fiath
no
man
than
this,
that
a
man lay
down
his
life
for
2A
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