and upon his also fubmitting, for us Men and for our Salvation, to the deepest Humiliations and the most bitter Sufferings, and even to a cruel and ignominious Death, that he might make Atonement for our Sins ; the Merit of this his Obedience and Sufferings fhould be applied to all those that should return to God, through him, by a lively Faith, a fincere Repentance, and new Obedience; fo far that they should, through him, be abfolved from the Guilt of all their Sins, and brought in to a State of Peace and Reconciliation with God; their fincere, though imperfect, Obedience should be accepted, and they should have a Right given them to a glorious Refurrection, and immortal Life, to be accomplished in the fittest Season. Accordingly our Lord Jefus Christ, the only begotten of the Father, at the appointed Time, actually became Flefh and dwelt among us: Forafmuch as the Children, thofe whom he came to fave, were Partakers of Flesh and Blood, be himfelf alfo took Part of the fame, that through Death he might destroy him that had the Power of Death, that is, the Devil; and might deliver thofe, who, through Fear of Death, were, all their Life-time, fubject to Bondage. Heb. ii. 14, 15. He hath perfectly finished the Work which was given him to do, both of Obedience and Sufferings;

and

and hath thereby highly pleafed and honoured his heavenly Father, and hath fully fatisfied his fuftice, and made Reparation for the Dishonour caft by Man's Difobedience upon the Divine Government and Laws. And now there is a Way opened, by his Obedience and Sacrifice, and through his Mediation and Interceffion, for our being reftored to the Favour of God, upon the gracious Terms of the New Covenant, fo that all those that fincerely believe and obey him are, through him, freed from Condemnation, and fhall, according to God's gra cious Ordination and Appointment, be raifed by him from the Dead, and shall obtain that eternal Life which is the Gift of God, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Hence the Apostle obferves, that, if through the Offence of one many be dead, much more the Grace of God, and the Gift by Grace, which is by one Man, Jefus Chrift, bath abounded unto many. Rom. v. 15. And, Ver. 17, that, if by one Man's Offence Death reigned by one, much more they which receive Abundance of Grace, and of the Gift of Righteoufness, fall reign in Life by one, Jefus Chrift. And, Ver. 18, That, as by the Offence of one Judgment came upon all Men to Condemnation, even fo by the Righteoufnefs of one the free Gift came upon all Men, 7. e. upon all penitent Sinners, unto Juti

fication

fication of Life. And, Ver. 21, that, as Sin bath reigned unto Death, even fo fhall Grace reign through Righteoufnefs unto eternal Life, by Jefus Christ our Lord. To the fame Purpose he faith, 1 Cor. xv. 21, 22, that, fince by Man came Death, by Man came alfo the Refurrection of the Dead. For, as in Adam all die, even fo in Chrift Shall all be made alive.

But, that we may have a distinct Notion in what Sense it is to be understood, that our Lord Jefus Chrift hath abolished Death, I would offer the following Things to be confidered.

First, It is appointed, for wife Ends,' that, notwithstanding what Chrift hath done and fuffered for us, all Men fhould ftill be fubject to the outward Stroke of temporal Death. When therefore it is here faid, that Chrift bath abolished Death, the Meaning is not, that he hath abfolutely and immediately freed us from a Neceffity of dying at all. God might, indeed, if he had pleased, have fo ordered it, that all those that fincerely comply with the gracious Terms of the New Covenant fhould, after having finished their appointed Time of Trial here on Earth, be taken out of this World, and tranflated to a better, by a fudden Change, like that which fhall pafs upon the Saints that shall be found alive

upon

upon the Earth, at the Day of Christ's fecond Coming, without undergoing the dividing Stroke of Death, or having their Bodies fubject to Corruption in the Grave: And thus no Doubt he would have appointed it, if this had appeared to his infinite Wisdom to be the fittest Method, and best to answer the Ends of his moral Government here below. But many Reasons may be affigned, why this would not be now proper, or fuited to the present State of Things. It would make a too open and visible Distinction between the Righteous and the Wicked; the State of every Man would be plainly decided, even here on Earth, and the Proceedings of the great Day anticipated. Such a Way of proceeding would have been no Way fuitable to that promifcuous Diftribution of Things that is proper to a State of Trial. The Evidence of a future State would have been too strong and irresistible; and there would not have been that Exercise of our Faith, our Patience, and Refignation, that there now is. There would have been no Room for that Dying in Faith which is one of the nobleft Attainments of a Chriftian; or for that glorious Trial of our Fortitude and Conftancy, the Submitting to the most painful Sufferings and to Death itself, for the Sake of God and Religion. When it

is

is confidered, that Death, with it's dreadful Harbingers, Difeafes, and Pains of various Kinds, is common to all, even the beft of Men as well as others; it makes the Argument much stronger to fhew the Neceffity that all Men are under to be careful and diligent in their Preparations for it. The Shortnefs and Uncertainty of Life, and the Unavoidablenefs of Death, answer many valuable Ends, and have a good Effect even upon fincere Chriftians themfelves, in rendering them more humble, watchful, and circumfpect, and infpiring them with a Hatred and Abhorrence of Sin, and a holy Awe of the Divine Majefty: It furnisheth a useful Document, a ftanding Proof of the Evil of Sin, and God's righteous Difpleasure against it; that, fince even his own Children, the Objects of his fpecial Love and Favour, are not abfolutely freed from Sin here on Earth, but ftill carry about with them the unhappy Remains of Corruption, whilst they are in this Body, he hath appointed that they fhall not be abfolutely exempted from bodily Difeafes and Death. This clayie Tabernacle, the Walls of which are fo deeply infected with this odious Leprofy, must be taken down and diffolved.

Secondly, Though all are liable, good Men as well as others, to the outward Stroke

VOL. IV.

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