* That is, ' on good grounds.' — G.
t In the margin, ' of [the] duellist.' — G.
ISA. XXV. 7, 8.] BETWEEN CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH. 477
pany, and callings here ; but what is that to our blessed change afterward, to our praying of God for ever, to the company of blessed souls, and the profits, and pleasures at the right hand of God for evermore ? And there- fore it is not only conquered, but to shew the excellency of his power, he hath made it a friend of an enemy, and the best friend in the world. It indeed separates soul from body, but it joineth the soul to Christ ; so that the conjunction we have by it is better than the separation, if the conjunc- tion makes us partake of our desire. ' I desire to be dissolved,' saith St Paul, Philip, i. 23, but that is not well translated. ' I desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is best of all.' So that it is not only not an enemy, but a friend. And therefore the apostle makes it our jointure, part of our portion, all things are yours. Why ? ' You are Christ's, and Christ is God's,' 1 Cor. iii. 22. "WTiat are ours ? * Things present, things to come, life, death,' 1 Cor. iii. 22, 23. And well may death be ours, be- cause sin is our enemy ; that remainder, that is kept in our nature to exer- cise us, and humble us, and fit us for grace. As Austin saith, I dare be bold to say, it is profitable for some to fall, to make them more careful and watchful, and to prize mercy more. So that not only death, but sin and the devil himself is ours; for his plots are for our good. God over-shooteth him in his own bow. ' He will give them over to Satan,' saith the apostle, ' that they may learn not to blaspheme,' 1 Tim. i. 20. Yet though they have a spirit of blasphemy by the humbling of their bodies, they be taught not to blaspheme ; so that not only death, but sin, and he that brought sin into the world, the devil, are become our friends.
This being so, it may be for special comfort that we fear not the king of fears. The de\al hath great advantage by this affection of fear, when it is set upon this object death. Overcome death, and all troubles are overcome. ^Vho will fear anything that hath given up himself to God ? ' Skin for skin, and all that a man hath, will he give for his life,' Job ii. 4. The devil knoweth that well enough. Therefore ' fear not,' saith Christ, ' them that can kill the body,' Mat. x. 28. Fear causeth snares, saith Solomon, Prov. xxix. 25, snares of conscience. But if a man hath overcome the fear of death once, what more is to be done ? What if they take away life, they cannot take away that that is better than life, the favour of God. If we die in the Lord, we die in the favour of God, which is better than life ; and we shall be found in the Lord at the day of judgment, and shall be for ever with the Lord in heaven ; and therefore this is a ground of resolution in good causes, notwithstanding all threats whatsoever, because death itself is swallowed up in victory.
The worst the world can do is to take away this nature of ours. "WTien they have done that, they have done all they can ; and when they have done that, they have done a pleasure. That is not to be feared, saith Tertul- lian, that frees us from all that is to be feared (d). What is to be feared in the world ? Every sickness, every disgrace ? Why, death frees us from all. We do see every day takes away a piece of one's life, and when death Cometh it overthroweth itself; for the soul goetli presently to the place of happiness. The body sleepeth a while, and death hath no more power.
' He that believeth in me,' saith Christ, * he shall not see death, but is passed from death to life,' John v. 24. He shall not see spiritual death ; but as he lives in Christ, shall die in Christ, and rise again in Christ. He that hath the life of grace begun, shall have it consummate without interruption. It is a point of wonderful comfort, that death is so overcome that we be in heaven already. And it is no hard speech, but stands with the truth of
478 THE BIABEIAGE FEAST [SeRMON IV.
other points ; for are not Christ and we all one ? His body is there, and is not he the head of his mystical body ? He that carried his natural body, will not he carry his mystical body thither too ? will he be in piecemeal in heaven ? Therefore we are in heaven already the best part of us. We are represented in heaven, for Christ represents us there as the husband doth the wife. He hath taken up heaven for us.
Christ cannot be divided, as Austin saith. ' We sit in heavenly places already with Christ,' Eph. i. 3. And what a comfort is this, that while we live we are in heaven, and that death cannot hinder us from our resurrec- tion, which is the restoring of all things. And therefore,- as the apostle saith, ' Comfort one another with these things,' 1 Thess. iv. 18. These things indeed have much comfort in them.