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THE
CONQUEST
OVER.
DEATH.
[DTSc.
t.
inhabitant
is
an inward friend, and
peace, and
joy, and
love
smile
in
every
countenance.
Will
an
old
saint complain
that
he finds'many infirmi-
ties
attend
his
age,
that
his
senses
are
feeble,
that
his
eyes
are
dim,
that Satan
now
and then
arises from
hell,
ánd
casts a gloom
and darkness
around
his
soul,
and
buffets
him
sorely
in
that
darkness
?
Will
he
complain
that
his
natural
spirits are
heavy,
that
the
world
is
trou-
blesome to
him,
and
every
thing
in
life
painful
?
Me-
thinks it
is
a consolation equal
"to
all
these sorrows,
that
he
is
just
entering into
the
last
field
of
battle
;
the
last
hour of
controversy
is
begun;
a few
strokes more will de-
cide
the strife,
and make
him
an
eternal
conqueror.
Behold
I
come
quickly,
saith
our Lord,
hold
fast
that
which
thou
hast
gained,
that
no
man
take thy
crown;
Rev.
iii.
11.
SECTION
III.
The
destruction
of
death.
The
third thing
we
are
to
enquire,
is,
how
death
is
destroyed,
and
what are
the steps,
or gradual
efforts
to-
wards
its
destruction.
The
person
that
has this
honour
put
upon
him to
sub-
due
this
universal
tyrant
is
our
Lord
Jesus Christ;
so
the
words inform
us
all
round
my
text.
Though
his
media-
tion for sinners
was sufficient to
have
prevailed
with
God
to destroy death
at
once,
yet
it
was
agreed upon
in
the
eternal
counsels,
that
for
wise
ends and purposes it should
be done
by degrees.
His
blood
was
of
sufficient
value
to
have
procured
for
his
elect a deliverance
from every
enemy
at
once,
and
a
translation
to heaven as soon
as
they were born
;
hut
it
was wisely
concerted betwixt
the
Father
and the
Son,
that
we
should
pass
through
temp-
tations,
difficulties,
and
death
itself; that
by feeling
the
sharp
assaults
of
our
enemies,
we
might
be
better
ac-
quainted
with
the greatness
of
our
salvation,
and
pay
a
larger tribute
of
thanks and honours
to
oúr
deliverer.
The
steps
whereby death
is
destroyed, are these
:
1.
It
is
subdued
by
the
death
of
Christ
;
its sting
was
then
taken
away,
that
is,
the guilt
.
of
sin
;
1
Cor.
xv.
56, 57. The
sting
of
death
is sin,
and
the
strength
of_sin is
the
law;
but thanks
be
to
God
who
giveth
us
the