curse the Lord Jesus Christ has dehvered us. " He has abolished death,"
1. From the soul —
[The soul, by reason of transgression, was despoiled of all spiritual life, and was doomed to everlasting death. But the Lord Jesus Christ, by " becoming a curse for usV' has so cancelled our guilt, that " there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus'^." His death has been a sufficient
''propitiation for the sins of the whole world '^" and
*' all who believe in him are justified from all things^"
By his Holy Spirit, too, the same Divine Saviour removes spiritual death from our souls. He infuses into us a principle of life, whereby we are enabled to live unto our God in right- eousness and true holiness. Previous to the implantation of this principle in our souls, we have no more activity in spiritual exercises than a dead body has of sense and motion. But, when raised by him, every sense receives a spiritual power and direction. We see, and hear, and taste, and feel, and savour
the things of the Spirit — and " walk from thenceforth
in newness of life " ]
2. From the body —
[True it is, that " the body is still subjected to death ^;" as it is said, " It is appointed unto men once to die'*." But to those who believe in Christ, the nature and character of death are changed. It is not so properly death as sleep: " Our friend Lazarus sleepeth'." " Stephen," in martyrdom, " fell asleep ''." And all the saints, instead of dying, merely fall " asleep in Jesus'." Hence we find the saints triumphing over it as a vanquished enemy *";" yea, and numbering it amongst their richest treasures: " All things are yours, whether life or death^."
But, allowing it a short and momentary triumph, it will at last be totally " abolished." For in the last day, all that are in the graves shall come forth, every one possessing his own proper body : for " what has been sown in corruption and weakness and dishonour, shall be raised in incorruption and power and glory;" and " this mortal shall put on immortality"." We see in our Lord Jesus Christ both a pattern and a pledge of our own resurrection : for " our vile bodies shall be fashioned like unto his glorious bodyP," and be partakers with the soul in all the glory and felicity of heaven ]
'= Gal. iii. 13. '' Rom. viii. 1. ^ \ John ii. 2.
f Acts xiii. 39. g Rom. viii. 10. »> Heb. ix. 27.
i John xi. 11 — 13. i^ Acts vii. GO. i 1 Thess. iv. 14. m 1 Cor. XV. 55 — 57. " 1 Cor. iii. 22.
o ] Cor. XV. 42, 43, 52, 53. v Phil. iii. 21.