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from the weft, fo far has the Lord removed our tranfgreffion from us: the Chriftian may now pafs the folitary way with holy triumph, and say, O death, where is thy fting! because CHRIST, by his death, hath made a full atonement for fin, and has eternally removed it from his people, it has now no fting, as Dr. Watts faith," If fin be pardoned I am fecure, death has no "sting befide." It is like a bee loft its fting, which may hum and Ay about us, but cannot hurt.

Thirdly, CHRIST has redeemed his people from death by conquering him that had the power of death, Heb. ii. 14. That through death, he might destroy him who had the power of death, which is the Devil. He hath triumphed over principalities, powers, and made an open show of them, fo that now the Prince of Death being swallowed up in victory, and the fting of death, which is fin, removed, what has the Chriftian to fear, in the dark valley? Sin; no, that is removed, Heb. ix. 26. Death; no, that is fwallowed up in victory, Ifa. xxv. 8. The Devil, no, he is deftroyed, Heb. ii. 14. Now having nothing to fear, he may put death in his bofom, as his father's harbinger of glory, the gate of Heaven, and paffage-way to life eternal; fo that dying to the believer is no more than drawing afide the vail of mortality, and fleeping in the arms of JESUS; death is only the ferryman to take us fafe over Jordan's freams to our heavenly Canaan.

Friendly. Wherein does it appear that CHRIST has obtained fuch a compleat conqueft over death and Hell?

Truth. From CHRIST's own lips, Rev. i. 18. I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. CHRIST having the keys of hell and death, denotes his compleat conqueft over both. It is an allufion to a warrior, who having befieged a town, and overcame it, the keys of the city are delivered up unto him, which is an indisputable proof of his conqueft; fo CHRIST, as Mediator, having the keys, the autho rity of hell and death, is a standing proof of the completeness of his triumphs over death and fin for them; and while CHRIST keeps the keys of hell and death, is it poffible for a believing foul to be loft, who cannot go to hell without CHRIST'S leave? And can CHRIST ever admit that foul to go to hell for whom he has died? No, no; his boundless love, and precious blood, will forbid the thought for ever.

Friendly. If the paffage way through death be so fafe to glory, how is it that Chriftians are so afraid of dying?

Truth. Because they are in this refpect fools, and fuch folly was never heard of in our fore-fathers, who had only pardon and peace difplayed to them by fhadows and types; they spake of death with the greatest pleasure, and looked upon it as the paffage-way to their fathers in glory, therefore frequently faid to be gathered home to their fathers; Jofeph faid to his brethren, behold I die, Aaron went to the top of mount Hor, Mofes to the top of mount Nebo, and they died there according to the word of the LORD. I remember hearing a good man in his fermon fay," Our forefathers were refigned to death, they "went half way to Heaven to meet it." But now the Saints are grown fo wife that they put death afar off, and look too much upon its approaches with diftrefs, when it is our laft ftep to glory and only croffing the valley to our father's house. Though it is true there are other reasons why the Saints are fo fearful of dying, their want of faith in the precious, blood and obedience of the dear LORD JESUS; they want not fo much the truth, as the strength of it, whereby they may difcern their intereft in his love, tafte of his grace, and feel his presence with them, that they may fear no evil in the dark valley of the Shadow of death: here they often deprefs their minds with needlefs fears, when they ought to trust the honour of divine faithfulness with their cafe, commit their fouls into the hands of their dear Redeemer, and calmly leave their safe arrival in glory to him, who hath faid, he will receive them to himself, that where he is they may be also.

The love of GoD appears not only in making death a safe and secure paffage to glory, but delivering his people from every evil they felt and feared in this life.

Friendly. But before you proceed any farther, I would beg your answer to the following query: Whether you think a real child of God may die, or depart out of this life in the dark, as to his interest in the favour of God, and yet arrive safe in glory?

Truth. Yes, for the fafety of his ftate does not depend upon the light of God's countenance, but the unchangeableness of his love; and whether he fhines a few moments before the foul departs, or a few moments after, it makes no alteration as to the Chriftian's ftate; for I believe, many who never enjoyed a sense of pardoning mercy in this life, have enjoyed it after death, and been received into glory. But here, my dear Friendly, do not mistake me, as though I meant an unconVOL. III. M

verted perfon, dying in a ftate of unregeneracy, would be pardoned after death; no, far be this from me; but I mean by many, weak and backfliding believers; the one, through weak and infantine faith, never received a fatisfaction of their intereft in the love of God, and may, as they lived, fo died, fearing, doubting, and defponding; no doubt, but God fhines upon fuch after their departure out of the body. and makes them compleatly happy in his favour; and there are others, who through their backfidings, have fo clouded their evidences for Heaven, that when they have come to die, have been in distress, and gone off, it may be, in the dark as to their intereft, yet, I believe, they met with the joys of God's falvation the moment their fouls left the body: how many real children of GoD have gone off in a moment, by fome awful providence, such as fudden ftrokes, or awful accidents, by fea and land, whereby they have been called out of time into eternity, in the twinkling of an eye? and fhall we doubt their ftate, because we never heard or their giving any proof of receiving a fa tisfaction of their intereft in the favour of the Moft High? So I believe there may be many Chriftians who find it all dark on this fide the vale of mortality, but as foon as they have paffed the dreary fcene, find it all light, life, love, peace, joy and confummate felicity.

Friendly. But is not fatisfaction of intereft in the favour of Gop an exceeding defirable bleffing at death?

Truth. Yes, exceedingly fo, as it difpels every fear from the mind, gives the foul full fatisfaction of the perfectly happy ftate where it is going; nay, it is an earnest and fore-talte of Heaven, poffeffed by the foul, before it goes to the full erjoyment. It likewife gives contentment and joy to furviving friends and relations of their state and happiness. This blefsing is fo exceedingly defirable, that moft Chriftians I believe, pray all the days of their lives for the enjoyment of it, that they may be delivered from the fears of death, and not only have a fure but joyful paffage to glory, an abundant entrance minifered unto them, into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Sa viour Jefus Chrift. And with this happy bleffing fome Chrif tians have been eminently favoured, not only for fome hours, but days before their departure they have been in such raptures, as though they had been in Heaven; their joy has been fo full, rejoicing fo glorious, they have been overcome with tranf ports of joy, that it is impoffible to express their languag unless we felt what they did.

trouble, and distress, that it was to bring him by a right way, wherein his love fhould fhine moft glorious, his power appear moft precious, his faithfulness moft permanent, his love most wonderful, and the joy of the Chriftian most great and triumphant. Then he will have an extenfive knowledge of the perfection of CHRIST's righteo to this, in giving him a fure right to eternal life, in prefervir, an peace with Goo, in prefenting him fpotlefs, all fair, an that tlefs before the throne, with exceeding joy. He fhall glory, thine in the King's me. diatorial robes, as his weddinfulnefsent, bridal dress and attire, to meet the King of glor his proich he will appear more glorious than the Angels in fs of his as his righteousness will have sparkling gems of the ofity, being wrought out by the King of glory, therefore called (Luke xv. 22.) the best robe, in which he shall fhine like the fun in the kingdom of his father, for ever and ever. Likewife the Chriftian shall then enjoy a perfection of holiness, purity, brightness, end unclouded glory, which will poffefs all the powers of his foul, he will then be all glorious within, not only enjoying a created purity, fuch as Angels enjoy, but an uncreated perfection of diving grace in his mind, as the workmanship of heaven, the em bellishments of the HOLY GHOST, in which holiness shall hine as an object of divine complacency all the days of eter nity.

Thus the love of GoD fhines glorioufly to the Chriftian at death, not only in delivering him from every evil, but tranf lating him to a full perfection of all that is good and happy, Rev. vii. 15, 16, 17. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and ferve him day and night in his temple: and he that fitteih on the throne fhall dwell among them. They fhall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the fun light on them, nor any beat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and fall lead them unto living fountains of waters i and God fall wipe away all tears from their eyes,

Friendly. Wherein does it appear folid and fatisfactory from the word of God, that the Chriftian fhall enjoy fuch untpeak able happiness when he dies?

Truth. Firft, divine love has prepared it for him, John xiv, 2. In my Father's houfe are many manfions; if it were not fo would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. Heaven and happiness are what God always defigned for his people; are a lot or portion which he hath laid up for them that fear. him; fo that when the mother of Zebedee's children defired of CHRIST, that her two fons might fit one on his right and the ather

on his left hand in his kingdom, his anfwer was, It shall be given to them for whom it was prepared of my Father. Therefore when the Elect are brought home, it will be to receive the confummate enjoyment of what grace has prepared for them, Matt. xxv. 34. Then fhall the King fay to them on bis right-hand, Comme

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ye bleffed of my Father, in the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world ere the wildom and kindness of our heavenly Father are red plentifully; he hath not only provided, with fuch amp die, for our prefent enjoyment of pardon, peace and confork as to ut hath spoken in his word of inconceivable enjoyment of Gor ome, as already prepared for I ? us. 1 Cor. ii. 9. As it man), eye hath not feen, nor ear beard, neither hath it entered the heart of man, the things which God hath laid up for them that love him. Now as GOD, from his own good pleasure, prepared, or laid up, grace for us before the foundation of the world, 2 Tim. i. 9. and in the appointed time brought us to the poffeffion thereof, how much then may it be depended upon, he will bring us unto the glory he has prepared, for which grace is a preparation? Eph. ii. 7. That in ages to come he might fhew the exceeding riches of his grace, and kindness through Christ Jesus.

Secondly, This glory, CHRIST prayed for, John xvii. 24. Father, I will, that they alfo whom thou haft given me, be with me where I am, to behold my glory. If then it be CHRIST's defire, and will, that his faints fhould be with him, what can fruftrate his designs? nothing can difappoint him, for he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his foul defireth, even that be daeth, Job xxiii. 13. So then, if it be his will, it ftands for ever; if he once fay, I will, it ftands in the covenant as an eternal monument, undecaying, and unfrustrated. If it be his will, it is all the fecurity my foul defires; nay, it is as firm and unquestionable as heaven can make it. Has the LORD faid it, and will he not do it? has he spoken, and shall it not come to pass? For either he is able to accomplish his will, or he is To fay that he is not, is blafphemy: To fay that he is, and yet does not do it, then where is his love? So then it remains, that if it be his will, that we should behold him in his glory, then we fhail as certainly, as that he enjoys this glory. Moreover, death, as the Chriftian's Peniel, the place where he meets his SAVIOUR face to face, the happy ground where the King attends with his ftate chariot of falvation, the midft thereof being proved with love, John xiv. 3. I will come again, and receive you to myself; that where I am ye may be also. Now then, if the King of Glory comes, will he lofe his errand?

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