Let us labour then to be comfortable : this use the apostle makes of it ; and fruitful in our places, upon consideration of the victory we have by Christ. 1 Cor. xv. It is an excellent chapter that largely proveth Christ's victory, as the cause of our victory, because he is the iirst fruit that sancti- fieth ail the rest. ' Finally, my brethren, be constant, immoveable, always aboimding in the woi'ks of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.' He raiseth that exhortation of fruitfulness and constancy from this very ground of the victory Christ hath gotten by death. ' 0 death, where is thy sting '? 0 grave, where is thy victory ? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ.' ' And therefore be constant, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord,' 1 Cor. xv. 58. Make that use the apostle doth of fruitfulness to God for Christ, that we can think of death, and sin, the devil, and all his malice, and not be afraid ; yea, think of them all with comfort, that we be not only freed from their tyranny, but they be our friends.
Christ hath the key of hell and death ; a saying taken from the custom of governors that carried the key. He hath the government and command of hell and death. Now if Christ hath command of death, he will not suffer death to hm-t his members, or triumph always over them. He will keep them in the grave. Our bodies are safe in the grave. The dust is fitted for a heavenly, for another manner of body than we have now ; and Christ that hath the key will let them out again. Therefore trust a while till times of restoring come, and then we shall have a glorious soul, and glorious body, as the apostle saith, 1 Cor. xv. 43. I beseech you, think of these things, and get comfort against the evil day. And to that end, be sure to get into Christ, that we may be in Christ, living, and djang, and be found in Christ. For what saith the Scripture ? ' Blessed are they that die in the Lord,' Rev. xiv. 13. It is an argument of blessedness to die for the Lord, but if it be not in the Lord, it is to no purpose. If there is granted this happi- ness of dying for the Lord, it is well ; 'but blessed are they that die in the Lord.' Why ? ' They rest from their labour.' Death takes them off from their labours. All their good works go to heaven with them. So saith the Spirit, whatsoever the flesh saith. And there is no resting till that time. Their life is full of troubles and combers,* and therefore labour to get assurance that we are in Christ, that we be in Christ, and die in Christ, and then ' there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ.'
How besotted are we to pi;t away preparation of death till it comes ! He that forgets Christ and getting into Christ, all his lifetime, it is God's just judgment that he should forget himself in death. We see how a villain that hath no care of his own life, may have power of another man's life. * That ia, ' cumbers,' cares. — G.
ISA. XXV. 8.] BETWEEN CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH. 479
And therefore labour to be engrafted into Christ by faith ; and that wo may know it by the Spu-it of Christ prevaiUng in us over our natural cor- ruptions more and more. As the apostle saith, ' There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ ; ' for the spirit of life, ' the law of the spirit of life which is in Christ, hath freed me from the law of sin and death,' Rom. vi. 7, seq., the condemning law of sin. If the law of the spirit of life which is in Christ the head, be in us in any measure, it frees us from the condemning law of sin, that it carrieth us not whither it would. Then we may say with comfort, ' There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ ; ' for the law of the spirit of life in Christ hath jfreed us from the condemning, tyran- nizing law of sin and death,
Sin hath no law. It is in us as a subdued rebel, but it sets not up a tlirone. Some hope to be saved by Chiist, and yet they set up sin a throne in the soul. Sin biddeth them defile themselves, and they must obey it. This is a woeful estate ! How can they expect to die in the Lord, but such as are freed by the law of the spirit of life ? New lords, new laws. When kings conquer, they brmg fundamental laws ; and when we are taken from Satan's kingdom into the kingdom of Christ, the fundamental laws are then altered. Christ by his Spirit sets up a law of believing, and praying, and doing good, and abstaining from evil. The law of the spirit of life frees us from the law of sin and death.