lxxxix. And to fpeak the Language of Solomon, Or ever the filver Cord be loofed, or the golden Bowl broken, or the Pitcher be broken at the Fountain,or the Wheel be broken at the Cistern: That is to fay, the Back-bone, where Marrow is as white as Silver, be loofed; when the Scull, which is like a precious Veffel of Gold, be broken; when the Vena Cava receives no more Blood from the Liver, the Fountain of Life; when the Lights which draw in and push forth the Breath, move no more; or when the Kidneys which extract the Humidity from the Veins, and cause it to drop down into the Bladder, as into a Cistern, begin to fail, then fhall the Body return to the Earth as it was, and the Spirit fhall return unto God that gave it..

To exprefs to us this inevitable Fate, Mofes reckons all the ancient Fathers who have lived longeft in the first World; he mentions one who lived 700, others 800, others 809 Years, and fome near 1000, Gen. v. But when he had well fpoken of their Deeds, and of their Children which they left behind, he adds, in the Conclufion of all, and then fuch an one died. Thus our Creator executes upon all Men, the Sentence once pronounced againft Adam, the Father of all Mankind,' Duft thou art, and to Duft thou shalt return.

By this Means. God declares his Juftice and Truth, and accomplished what was fignified by the ancient Types, Levit. 14. For according to the Laws which God gave to Ifrael by Mofes, the Houfe that was in-, fected with Leprofy, was to be demolished and caft into a noifome Place. There is a more urgent Caufe for a Man's Body to be destroyed, and laid in the Sepulchre, because he was created to be the Palace of the Living God, the Dwelling of his Glory; but Sin, a kind of infectious Leprosy, hath infinuated itself, and disfigured it, hath entered the Skin, corrupted the Blood, disordered the Spirits, crept into the Joynts and Marrow and hath fpread its Venom in fuch a Manner," that there is none of our Members but is an Inftrument of Iniquity and Unrighteoufnefs, Rom, vi,

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For the fame Reason, we cannot fufficiently admire the Difference which God hath put between the Veffels that were clean and fuch as were unclean. For he commanded that the earthen Veffels infected, fhould be broken in Pieces, Lev. xi. but that fuch as were of a more valuable Substance, should be only washed with Water, and purified with Fire, Numb. xi. The Commands and Laws of the Great God are excellent Com'mentaries upon his Actions. Our Soul is like a golden Veffel; because it is a fpiritual and heavenly Substance; therefore God doth not altogether destroy it, although it be infected with Sin; but caufeth it to be washed and cleanfed at the Fountain of his infinite Mercy. He purifies it with the Blood of his Son, and caufes it to pass thro' the Fire of his Holy Spirit. But for this miferable Body, an earthly Veffel and Tabernacle, he breaks it to Pieces, and reduces it to Duft and Afhes. It is my Judgment, that Death is an excellent Means to demonftrate the infinite Power of our Great God and Saviour: For the greater the Dif eafe is, the more admirable is the Cure. Without doubt the Finger of God and his infinite Power, is far more visible in raifing one Man from the Dead, than preferving many Thoufands alive.

As God is wont to lighten our Darkness, so he makes ufe of Death to caufe his infinite Wisdom to fhine and appear in all his Creatures. Sin hath brought forth Death, and Death on the contrary, as a most fortunate Parricide, kills and deftroys its Parent Sin: For it is Death that totally roots out of our Souls all corrupt Affections.

Moreover, God, who is the fame Yesterday, to Day and for ever, Heb. xiii. will have all his Children pass through the fame Path, to take Poffeffion of his eternal Inheritance, and enter by the fame Gate into his Royal Palace. All the Faithful of the Old Testament are gone already this Way, Through many Tribulations, Ats xxiv. They are arrived to the Kingdom of God, and through Death they are come to the Abode of

Life and Immortality. The holy Scriptures that are inspired of God, tell us, That the Reubenites, and half the Tribe of Manaffes, Numb. xxxii. Joh. i. left their Dwellings which they had beyond Jordan, to go over and fight in the Army of Ifrael, and did not offer to return until God had given Reft to their Brethren, and put them into a peaceable Poffeffion of their Inheritances. If I may make fome Stop at fuch an excellent Allegory, I may fay, that thefe Paffages reprefent to us a lively Figure of the Faithful who die before the End of the World: For they leave their Bodies, the Abode and Dwellings of their Souls, and pass through Death, as through another Jordan, into the celeftial Canaan, to encounter with God by their Prayers, in the Society of the First-born, whose Naines are registred in Heaven, and they will not return again to their Bodies, until the Number of the Saints be compleat, until the Building of the Church be finished, and until our great Joshua hath introduced us into his eternal Reft, and put us in Poffeffion of the incorruptible Inheritances referved for us in Heaven. Then we shall not need to fight, but to enjoy peaceably the Fruits of our Victories, and to reft for ever from our Labours. We fhall have no Cause to offer to God Prayers and Supplications; but our Business shall be to fing unto him Praises and eternal Thanksgivings.

The moft confiderable Reafon in my Judgment, of this our Destiny, is, That God has predeftinated us to be conformable to the Image of his Son, that he might be the Firft-born among many Brethren; he will have us be baptized with his Baptifm, and drink in his Cup, and enter into Blifs by the fame Gate, through which he hath already paffed. Thro' Shame and Difgrace he is arrived to Glory; and thro' Death he is entered into Life. He hath drunk of the bitter Waters, before he tafted of the River of celestial Joys; and he went down into the Grave, before he would mount up to the Right Hand of God.

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Although 'tis appointed unto all Men once to die, Heb. ix. I dare affirm that Death hath no Cause to triumph, because the chief Advantage is not on that Side. We read in the Book of Esther, that King Abafuerus would not recall the Proclamation that he had fent forth against the Jews, but he gave them full Liberty to take up Arms to defend themselves, to attack their Enemies, and to make them fuffer all the Mischief they intended against them. I find something like unto this Proceeding; for God would not call back the Sentence of Death pronounced against Mankind. in the Garden of Eden; nevertheless he allows us, nay, he commands his true Ifrael to take up Arms against Death, to conquer and trample it under Feet.

In the first Place, Jefus Chrift, our Head, hath encountered with Death, and overcome it, he hath purfued it into its Trenches, and baffled it in its own Fortification; Death thought to have devoured him, but it hath been devoured itself. As the Fishes are taken by the Hook that they think to swallow; and as the Bees hurt those whom they fting, but do greater harm to themselves; for they caufe a prefent Pain in our Body, and a Heat that foon ceafeth; but they prejudice themselves more; for they break their Stings and lofe thereby their Lives: Thus Death, by fixing its Sting in the Humanity of Jefus Chrift, hath put him to a great deal of Pain for a Time, but it hath thereby loft all Strength and Vigour for ever.

The Men of Judah, to fatisfy the inraged Philistines, delivered into their Hands Sampfon bound with Ropes. When they faw him, they gave several joyful Shouts; but the Spirit of God came upon him in such a manner that he tore in Pieces the two Ropes wherewith he was bound, and overcame them by whom he was to be led away Prisoner, and killed a Thousand of them. Thus the miferable Jews, for fear of the Romans, delivered unto them our Lord Jefus Chrift, their Brother according to the Flesh, bound like a Malefactor. When Hell faw him nailed to the Cross, and afterwards laid

in a Grave, it did wonderfully rejoyce the Devil, and his Angels began to fing Songs of Triumph. But it was altogether impoffible that the Prince of Life fhould be detain'd in the Prifons of Death. He hath not only broken out of the Grave by his infinite Power, but hath alfo trampled under Feet all his most furious Enemies, and overcome Millions of infernal Fiends. And to declare how Life and Death were in his Power, he hath baffled Death, when he was, as it were, a Prisoner fhut up in its Dungeon. He hath broke open the Gates of this black Prison, and torn in pieces all itsFetters. For when he was yet in the Grave, he rais'd to Life many that were dead, who were seen in the holy City; and yet at present he holds in his Hand the Keys of Death and of Hell. Therefore, as Children rejoyce at their Father's Victory, and as the Subjects are concern'd at the profperous Proceedings of their King, and as the Members are the better for the Glory and Honour of their Head; thus may we juftly glory in the most notable Victories, and famous Triumphs of Jefus Chrift, who is our Father, King and Head. We may also juftly glory that we are Lords of Death, and that we have overcome it in the Person of our Great God and Saviour, I fay this after the Apostle St. Paul, That God hath quicken'd us together, and raifed us together, and made us fit together in beavenly Places with Jefus Christ, Eph. ii.

Moreover, as ourSaviour hath once overcomeDeath for us, he continues to subdue it in and by us. He fuffers us not to encounter with our Enemies alone, nor leaves us in our Agonies; but as in a Day of Battle, a wife and provident General hath an Eye to every Place, and encourages by his Action and Voice, his Soldiers, whom he perceives at handy-blows with the Enemy; fome he loads with Praifes, others with Promises; by that means he encourageth such as behave themselves bravely; refcues the weak and feeble, and to fuch as are over-born, he furnishes them with fresh Supplies: Thus deals with us our Lord and Saviour D 4

Jefus