3. Whence it is that they who die in the Lord are sure to be thus blessed,
[1.] From their union with Christ.
[2.] From the covenant of God with them.
[l.] From their union with Christ, which can never be dissolved. Death severeth body and soul, but not Christ and the soul. From this union there result two things — conformity with Christ in every estate, and the communion of the Spirit ; both which do imply the blessed- ness of the saints even after death. They that are united with Christ do share with him in every estate, in grace here and in gloiy hereafter. As to both, they are predestinated to be conformed to the image of Christ, Rom. viii. 29. And where the Spirit once dwelleth, there he dwelleth for ever ; and therefore, from the indwelling of the Spirit of holiness doth the apostle infer our resurrection to a glorious estate, Kom. viii. 11. And that losing nothing which Christ speaketh of, John vi. 39, I would interpret of his not losing one member or joint of his mystical body.
[2.] From the covenant of God with them. Christ proves the resurrection from God's being the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Mat. xxii. 32. The argument stands upon three feet : — (1.) To be a God to any is to be a benefactor ; for the tenor of the covenant on God's part is, I will be thy God, as on our part, you shall be my people ; (2.) That God would be an everlasting benefactor ; it implies an external i communication of grace and glory, as Christ proves from Exod. iii. 6, that God assumed this title after their death ; (3.) This covenant was made with the whole man, not only with the soul but the body, and therefore they bore the mark and the sign of it, which \yas circumcision, in their bodies. And in Heb. xi. 16, the apostle saith that because God had a heavenly inheritance to bestow upon the patriarchs, therefore he was not ashamed to be called their God, im- plying that if they had no other reward than what they enjoyed in the present life, God could not with honour (such was the slenderness and contemptibleness of their present condition) have owned such a glori- ous title and appellation as to be called the God of Abraham. What needs further arguing ? the plirase itself imports what we assert. When God promiseth to be a God to any, he maketh over his whole self, his eternity and infiniteness, for their comfort and use ; and so in
^ Qu. ' eterual ' '! — Ed.
470 THE BLESSED ESTATE OF THEM [ReV. XIV. 13.
effect saith that he will he an everlasting benefactor to their whole per- sons in the way of an intinite power. Let us now apply all.
1. Because this privilege is expressed with a limitation, it inform- eth us that the wicked are excluded ; they must expect a quite contrary estate ; as they that die in the Lord are in a blessed, so ail others in a cursed condition. It is a sweet close when the body and soul part, but God and the soul meet ; when conscience shall become our com- purgator, and bear us witness that we iiave spent our time well, in fear- ing God and obeying God ; then may the body and soul take leave of one anotlier with an expectation to meet again in glory. But it is a sad parting when conscience falls a-raving, and the body and the soul accuse one another. The body accuseth the soul as an ill guide, and the soul the body as an unready instrument. And at the day of their death, which is the time of separation, they curse the day of their birth, which was the time of the first union between them both, when they shall wish that they had been stifled in the womb, and had never seen the light, rather than to have lived together in such a fashion, and to part in such manner. Now, this many times is the case of wicked men at their death ; death cometh to them as a double evil ; as a natural evil, striking the body and dissolving the confederacy and union between it and the soul ; and as a penal evil, or the curse of the first covenant, wounding the conscience, and reviving their bondage and fears of a worse judgment to ensue. And then, though physicians and ministers be sent for, they may both prove of no value, either to prevent the dissolution or to give ease to the conscience.
2. It presseth us to provide for this hour, that when we come to die we may die in the Lord. Get an interest in Christ, that you may die in the Lord as to your estate. Security will not hold out when you launch into the other world ; a wicked man comes to himself when he comes to die ; at his latter end he shall be a fool, Jer, xvii. IL He was ever a fool, but then he shall be one in the conviction and acknow- ledgment of his own conscience, his own heart will make him cry out, O fool, madman that I was, to be contented with such slight evi- dences for eternity ! You see, then, it is good to be upon sure terms, and to get our union with Christ so clear and sensible, that when we walk in the valley of the shadow of death we may not be afraid, Ps. x.xiii. As to the frame of your hearts, it is a harder matter to die well than you are aware of. If you would die well, live well, otherwise you do but provide matter of despair and sorrow for your latter end. It is every one's wish, Oh, that 1 might die the death of the righteous 1 Num. xxiii.; but it is not every one's happiness.