Use 3. It serveth to press God's children to improve the comfort? of Christ's victory ; do not let it go out of your hands. (1.) Improve it for your friends that are departed in the Lord. Our weeping puts
452 THE saint's triumph over death. [1 Cor. XV. 57.
some disparagement upon Christ's conquest. Why should we weep in the day of their preferment, in the day of their solemn espousals to Jesus Christ ? In the primitive times, i at funerals, they were wont to sing psalms of thanksgiving. We should bring them as champions to the grave^ as those that have passed the pikes, and finished their course, and kept the faith, and have conquered the world, and sin, and death, and danger. Chrysostom, in one of his homilies on the Hebrews, speaketh of the ancient rites at funerals, of their hymns, and psalms, and praises: Hccc omnia sunt Iccianiium, saith he — all these signify joy ; and wilt tliou weep and sing a psalm of praise and triumph at the same time? I confess it is said, Acts viii. 2, that ' devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.' It is our loss when the church is bereaved of such excellent persons ; there is cause of sorrow, but there should be a mixture ; we should not mourn as those without hope, 1 Thes. iv. 13. As Christians must not rejoice without sorrow, so they must not be sorry without some mixture of joy. Let us declare that we hope for a resurrection, that we expect to meet our friends again in heaven ; and when we weep, let it be like rain when the sun shineth. There should be somewhat of joy in our countenances, as well as tears in our eyes. (2.) Improve it for yourselves, and that — (1st.) In lifetime, that in your resolutions you may be willing to die. Many times we are like Lot in Sodom, or like the Israelites in Egypt, we could wish for Canaan, but are loth to go out of Egypt. This argueth little faith. Can we believe there is a heaven so excellent and glorious, and yet shun it ? Can we hope for such an ' incorruptible inheritance,' 1 Peter i. 4, and yet be afraid of it ? that we shall enter upon it too soon ? What prince would live uncrowned ? What heir would whine when he is called to come and take the inheritance ? What thoughts have we of eternal life ? Do we count it a privilege, or a misery and a burden ? And again, it argueth little love. Can we pretend to love Christ, and be shy of his company ? He should be unwilling to die that is unwilling to go to Christ.^ And again, it argueth little judgment and consideration. Wherein is this life valuable ? The world is nothing else but a place of banishment. Here is nothing but groaning ; all the creatures join in comfort with the heirs of promise, Rom. viii. 23. What do you see in the world, or in the present life, to make you in love with it ? Are you not weary of misery and sin ? The longer thou livest thou siiinest the more. Certainly thou hast provoked God long enough already ; it is high time to breathe after a better estate ; and tliou hast had taste enough of the world's misery and deceit, and of the frailties and weaknesses of the body. A longer life would be but a longer sickness. What is the matter that we are so loth to let go our hold of present things ? If it be not want of faith or want of love to Christ, or too much love of the world, certainly it must be fear of death. And what a baseness and lowness of spirit is this, to fear an enemy so often van- quished by Christ and his saints? If you be at this pass, I have preached all this while in vain ; and the victory of Christ, which I have discoursed of, is to little purpose. Oh 1 consider, generous heathens
Kinet Cathol. Orthod. Ques. 40, prima; part. qs. i. * Illiua est uoUe mori, qui nolitire ad Cbristum. — AOQ.
1 Cor. XV. 57.J the saint's triumph over death. 453
may shame you. You make all the provision of Christ in the gospel to be of less efiect than mere moral principles, (2dly.) Especially improve this in the very season and hour of death. The great Goliath is now fallen, and you may come forth and look upon the carcase, Isa. Ixvi. 4. Death itself, that startleth the creature, and seemeth to be the great check and prejudice of Christian hopes, is vanquished by Christ; therefore, in the very season wlien it seemeth to prevail over you, apply the victory, and say, ' Thanks be to God,' &c. When the pangs come upon you, remember this is death's last pull and assault ; you may bear with it, it shall molest you no more ; as Moses said, Exod, xiv, 13, ' The Egyptians which ye have seen to-day, ye shall see them no more again for ever.' So )'ou shall feel these things no more. In heaven there are no groans, nor tears, nor sorrows ; have but a little patience, and as soon as the last gasp is over, the soul shall be carried by angels to Christ, and by Christ to God. Believers have the same entertainment that Christ had ; he was carried into heaven by angels : Dan. vii. 13, ' They brought him to the Ancient of days.' And so we are carried by angels into Abraham's bosom, Luke xvi. 22, They have a train to accompany them into heaven, as their friends accom- pany their bodies to the grave. And as Christ was welcomed into heaven with acclamations, and God saith, ' Sit down at my right hand,' Ps, ex. 1, and 'Ask of me, and I will give thee,' &c., Ps. ii. 8, so are believers welcomed : ' Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into thy master's joy.'