DISCOURSE I. 361 of perfect innocency, in his original beauty, and honour, and immortal frame ; and therefore we cannot so well judge of the vastness of the lo3s which we sustain by sin: but we can see and feel the formidable attendants ofdeath, and learn and believe that it is a root of unknown poisoned bitterness, that has pro- duced such cursed fruit : Especially if we remember that all the sorrows before described, fall upon the saints themselves, eves} 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 causeappear ? The wise man has pronounced them fools, by inspiration, that make a mock at such mischief; Prov. xiv. 9. H. We mayhere learn the greatness of the love of Christ, that would venture into the land of death, and conflictwith this mighty enemy, and yield to the powerof it for a season, for our sakes. Greater love bath no man than this, that a man lay down his life fur his friends; John xv. 13. Hereby perceive we the love. of God, because he died for us ; 1 John W. 16. Rom. v. S. Many terrible attendants of death did our Lord meet and struggle with beyond what any of his saints can feel. Death, like a lion, ran furious upon him, as it does upon a sinner, its proper prey. Ile met death in its full strength and dominion, for hehad all our sins upon him.; and death had its own sharp sting when our Lord entered the combat. There was the wrath of God which was threatened in the broken law to mingle with his pangs and agonies of nature : This made his soul exceeding sorrowful; all his inwardpowers were amazed, and his heart op- pressed with heaviness ; Mark xiv. 33, 34. He was almost over- whelmed in the garden, before the thorns or the nails came near him ; and on the cross he complains of the foìsakings of God his almighty friend, when death his mighty enemy was just upon him ; and all this, saith he, to every believer, I bore for thy sake; My love was stronger than death. Sect. II. Death is the last enemy. I proceed now to the second general proposed, and that is to enquire, in what sense death is said to be the last enemy, or the last that shall be destroyed : For we may join this word last, either to death, or to destruction ; and in each sense it affords comfort to the saints. 1. It is the last enemy that the saints have to grapple with in this world. The threegreat adversaries of a christian are the flesh, the world, and the devil, and they assault him often in this life. Death comes behind, and brings up the rear ; the saint combats with this enemy, and finishes all the war. Every believer has listed himselfunder the banner of Christ, who is the
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