Death, and that all was peaceful and ferene within: Or if, which is fometimes the Cafe, good Men are full of Fears, in a dying Hour, from a natural Dread of Death, or from fome uneafy, though groundless, Doubts and Sufpicions concerning their own future State, yet, even in that Cafe, they die fafely: Though Death is fuffered to affright them, it is not able to do them any real or lafting Prejudice. Soon, very foon, there is a happy Change in their State and Circumstances: Ali their Fears are happily difpelled, their Sighs, and Tears, and Groans are changed into Hymns of Joy. Death, which, a little before, in approaching towards them, gave them Terror, no fooner hath given the Stroke, but it's Impotency appears; yea, they have Reafon to look upon it as their greatest Benefit. And now may it not be justly faid, that Chrift bath abolished Death, inafmuch as he hath difarmed it of it's

Sting, hath taken away that which rendered it most terrible, and hath abolished it's Power of making us finally miserable.

But, Thirdly, Chrift fhall abolish Death, in the fullest Sense, at the great Day of his final Appearing, when he shall raise the dead Bodies of the Saints, and shall put them in full Poffeffion of a glorious and immortal Life. As it is now disarmed of Cc 4

it's

it's Sting, through Jefus Chrift; fo it fhall then be abfolutely destroyed by him for ever. The Apostle, fpeaking of Chrift's Second Coming, and of the End of the World, faith that then all bis Enemies fhall be put under his Feet, and that the laft Enemy that shall be defroyed is Death. 1 Cor. xv. 25, 26. The Time is coming, when all that are in their Graves fhall bear the Voice of the Son of God, and fhall come forth. Then hall that Body, which was fown in Corruption, be raised in Incorruption; it was fown in Dishonour, it shall be raised in Glory; it was fown in Weakness, it shall be raifed in Power; it was fown a natural, or animal, Body, it shall be raised a fpiritual Body, as the Apostle expreffeth it, I Cor. xv. 42, 43, 44. And, as he obferves, Ver. 54, When this Corruptible shall have put on Incorruption, and this Mortal fhall have put on Immortality, then shall be brought to pass the Saying that is written, Death is fwallowed up in Victory. Thenceforth there fhall be no more Death, neither Sorrow, nor Crying, neither fhall there be any more Pain. Rev. xxi. 4. Body and Soul fhall then be made perfect, united in indiffolvible Embraces, never to be feparated any more, and fhall be inftated in eternal unchangable Bliss and Glory. And, in all this, the great Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, fhall, by

Divine Appointment, be the principal glorious Agent, He declares, concerning himfelf, I am the Refurrection and the Life: He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet fhall be live; and whofoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die, or, as the Words might properly be rendered, hall not die for ever. John xi. 25, 26. He repeats it three or four Times, in one Difcourfe, fpeaking of every one that believeth in him, He shall have eternal Life, and I will raise him up at the last Day. John vi. 39, 40, 44, 54. We are affured that it is he that shall change our vile Body, that it may be fashioned like unto his own glorious Body, according to the Working whereby he is able even to fubdue all Things unto himself. Phil. iii. 21. This is as certain as if actually accomplished: As furely as we now die, we fhall rise again. As fure as it is that Jefus died and rofe again, fo certain it is, that them alfo which fleep in Jefus will God bring with him. But each fhall rise in their proper Order, Chrift the First-Fruits, afterwards they that are Chrift's at his Coming. I Cor. xv. 23. What glorious Hopes and Profpects are thefe, which Christianity alone can furnish! And, when we confider and take all this together, how justly may it be faid, that our Lord Jefus Christ bath abolished Death! I would

I would conclude this Subject with a few brief Reflexions.

And, First, One Ufe we fhould make of this Confideration, that Chrift bath abolifhed Death, is to comfort us over the Death of pious Friends, or Relatives, that were justly dear to us. Of all the Afflictions of this prefent State, there is none that ftrikes deeper, or that more nearly affects the human Heart, than this. There are indeed feveral Confiderations that should, in fuch Cafes, allay and moderate our Complaints: Especially, when we confider that it is the Will of God, the fupreme Difpofer, in whofe Hand our Times are, whofe Providence governs all the Events that befall us, and who perfectly knoweth and will do what he, in his infinite Wisdom and Goodness, feeth to be really the fittest and best, this ought to keep us from Murmuring or Repining at the Stroke, and fhould help to compose our Spirits to a meek Submiffion and Acquiefcence. But there is nothing that tends fo much to quiet and even to comfort the Mind under the Lofs of dear and valuable Friends or Relatives, as when we can reflect, that that Death, which, in itself, feems fo dreadful to Nature, is become to them, through Jefus Chrift, the highest Advantage and Gain. If those

whofe

whofe Death we lament were Perfons who we have great Reason to think loved the Lord Jefus Chrift in Sincerity, and made it their Care, in their general Course, to approve themselves his faithful Difciples, by living foberly, righteously, and godly in this prefent World; if they were careful to fulfil the Duties of the Relations in which the Divine Providence hath placed them, and delighted in doing Good, and were ready to do all the Offices of Humanity and Chriftian Charity; and efpecially, if they were Perfons that feared the Lord from their Youth, who early entered on the Ways of Religion, and have continued in them to the End; if this was their prevailing Character, furviving Friends have folid Grounds of Comfort. I would not have you ignorant, Brethren, faith the Apostle, concerning them which are afleep, that ye forrow not, even as others which have no Hope, I Theff. iv. 13. The outward Appear ances of Death are the fame to fincere Chriftians as to the rest of Mankind; but, in Reality, it is quite different in it's Nature and Confequences. To others it may be the most dreadful of Evils, but to them it is a real Benefit: It is an End of their Sins and Sorrows, and an Introduction to immortal Joys. It has indeed separated them from their dearest earthly Friends

and