Obj. But in the mean time we die.
Ans. 'Tis so, but we are sure of victory. He will protect us in our com- bat, that hath conquered for us. We fight against death and the terror of it, in the strength and faith of his victory. Join these tkree together.
He that hath been our Saviour in life, will be so to death, and not exclu- sively, then to leave us, but to death, and in death^ for ever ; yea, most ready to help us in our last conflict. Indeed, to wicked men death is ter- rible, for he sendeth the devil to fetch them out of the world ; but for those that be his, he sendeth his angels to fetch them, and he helps them in their combat. We must not therefore fear over much. There is a natural fear of death. Death wrought upon Christ himself, God-man ; not only death, but such a death. He was to be left of his Father, and lie vmder the sense of the wrath of God ; the separation of that soul from the body he took upon him was ten-ible ; and therefore he saith, ' If it be possible, let this cup pass from me :' that was nature, and without it he had not been true man. But that I sa}' is, that grace may be above nature. Death is a time of darkness. It strips us of earthly comforts, friends, callings, employments ; but then comes the eye of faith to lay hold of the victory on Chi-ist in time
476 . THE MAKRIAGE FEAST [SeRMON IV.
to come, when death shall be only swallowed up in victory ; and then the glorious state to come, to which death bringeth us. So that here faith must be above sense, and grace above nature, and therefore I beseech you, let us labour for it.
There be two sorts of men to whom I would speak a little.
First. Those that in a kind of bravery seem to slight death; men of base spirits, as we call them ; fools, vain-glorious spirits, empty spirits. Is there any creature, unless in Christ, able groundedly* to slight so great an enemy as death, armed with a sting of sin, and attended with hell and damnation ? The Romish and devilish spirits are terrible ; but if thy sins be not par- doned, it is the most terrible thing in the world to die, for there is a gulf afterwards. What shall we say, then, of single combatants, that for vain- gloi-y are prodigal of their lives, that for a foul word, a little disgrace, will venture on this enemy, that is armed with sin, and if they die, they die in sin.f And which is the miserable condition of him that dies in sin : his death opens the gate to another death, which is eternal. They say they have repented, but there is no repentance of a sin to be committed. Canst thou repent of a sin before it be committed ? that is but a mockery of God. And what saith the Scripture ? Is it not the most terrible judgment under heaven to die in om* sins ? A man that dies in sin dies in hell : he goeth from death to hell, and that eternal.
I wonder, therefore, that the wisdom of flesh and blood should take away men's wit, and faith, and grace,- and all, so much as to slight death, and repentance, as if it were so easy. Now, beloved, death is a terrible thing. It hath a sting, and thou shalt know it. If thou hast not grace to feel the sting of it whilst thou livest, when thou diest the sting will revive ; then thy conscience shall awake in hell. Drunkenness and jollity take away sense of sin ; but sin will revive, and conscience will revive. God hath not put it mto us for nought. Death is terrible, if not disarmed beforehand. And if thou go about to die without disarming it before, it will not be out- faced. It is not an enemy to be scorned and slighted. And, therefore, be Christians in good earnest, else leave profession, and perish eternally. For we must all die ; and it is a greater matter than we take it. But if we be true Christians, it is the sweetest thing in the world, an end of all misery, a beginning of true happiness, an inlet to whatsoever is comfortable. Blessed are they that are in the Lord by faith, and them that die in the Lord. Their death is better than the day of life. Our birthday brings us into misery ; and therefore let me speak to true Christians, and bid them be ashamed of fearing death too much, which, of an enemy is become a recon- ciled friend.
Second. This may in the next place yield great consolation to those that are in Christ Jesus, that death by Christ is swallowed up in victory ; and the rather, because the Hoty Ghost meaneth more than a bare victory over death. Death is not only subdued, but is made a fi-iend to us, as Ps. ex. 1, it is said ' his enemies shall be his footstool.' Now a footstool is not only trampled upon, but an help to rise. And so death is not only subdued, but it advanceth God's children, and raiseth them higher. It is not only an enemy, but a reconciled friend ; for he doth that which no friend in the world can do. It ends all our misery, and is the inlet into all happiness for eternity. And whatsoever it strips us of here, it giveth us advantage of better in another world. It cuts off our pleasures, and profits, and com-