"When thy days be fulfilled, thou shalt sleep with thy "fathers," 2 Sam. vii. And when the prophet Daniel speaks of such as were deceased since the creation of the world, he saith, "They sleep in the dust of the earth," Dan. xii.

Particularly take notice, Christian souls, that when God spoke to Moses from the midst of the burning bush, he told him, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of "Isaac, and the God of Jacob,” Exod. iv. they had been dead many ages before; nevertheless, God names himself their God. "Now God is not the God of the dead, but "of the living," Matt. xxii. These holy men were not dead in regard of their souls; for they are immortal, and God hath admitted them into eternal bliss. Their bodies, also, to speak properly, were not dead, but slept in their graves, as our Saviour said of Jairus's daughter, "The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth," Matt. ix. And of Lazarus, “Lazarus our friend sleepeth," John xi. Moreover, we may justly say, that the condition of our bodies in the grave is better, and more pleasant, than our daily sleep; for when we rest in our beds, we are often disturbed in our fancy; we labour and sweat, and the richest and most magnificent couches are not free from this evil; whereas in the grave our bodies are at rest, and secure from all sense of pain, and enjoy a perfect sleep, and a rest without disturbance.

The greatest princes, and the proudest monarchs, are constrained to take up their lodging, one after another, here, in this house which God hath prepared for all living, and to repose themselves on that couch which is to receive all the sons of Adam. When the sacred history gives an account of the kings of Judah, and of Israel; it adds, at the end of their life," he slept with

his fathers." Let us be ever so wretched, poor, and miserable, we shall be entertained in this dwelling of

kings, and lay ourselves down upon their beds; therefore, when Job, through the grievousness of his pain, complained, because he had not died immediately after his birth, he saith, "For now should I have lain still and "been quiet, I should have slept, then had I been at rest, "with kings and counsellors of the earth, which built desolate places for themselves, or with princes that had "gold, who filled their houses with silver."

It is in this house, and upon this couch, that the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, evangelists, martyrs, and generally all the faithful, rest, who have lived in all the ages of the world; as it is recorded of St. Stephen, when he commended his soul into the hands of the Lord Jesus, that "he fell asleep," Acts vii. Therefore, when St. Paul reproves the Corinthians, and acquaints them, that God had punished them with divers diseases and death, because they had profaned the Lord's supper; he tells them, "For this cause many are feeble and sick amongst you, "and many sleep." And when he speaks of all those that were dead in the profession of Christ's religion, he saith, "They sleep in Jesus;" and he names them, "they "that sleep." Now, we are not nobler and better than the saints of paradise, to expect that our bodies should receive a better and more favourable entertainment than they. In short, there is nothing more able to remove from our fancy that horror of our graves, than the consideration of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who did enter into the earth, like other men, and laid himself down there. He hath sanctified and perfumed that place with his divine presence, and hath made it the object of our desires, and the cause of our glory. For there is no subject but thinks it an honour to lodge in his prince'; chamber, and to lie down and sleep upon the bed where he hath taken his rest, though he hath remained there but a moment or an hour. O blessed tomb! where death

and life, disgrace and glory, are lodged together, and where the Prince of life, the author of all honour and happiness, rested himself!

it,

Christians, who desire to banish from your souls all fears of death, and apprehensions of your graves, look upon your sepulchres in the same manner as if you should see there Jesus Christ, the King of glory, the Prince of your salvation, yet remaining asleep. When old Jacob heard the mistaken news of the death of his son Joseph, he was overcome with a violent grief, so that he cried out, "I shall go down with sorrow to my son into the grave." But the certain news of the death and burial of the true Joseph will fill us full of unspeakable comforts, and will cause us to speak in another manner, I shall go down to my Father into the sepulchre with joy.' The prophet Elisha raised to life a child which was laid in his chamber upon his bed; when he stretched himself upon the soul that was departed came again. And Elisha raised another in the same manner, by applying his mouth to the child's, his hands and eyes to his. But, believing soul, God works for thee, on this occasion, a far more wonderful miracle: for our resurrection and life proceed from the death and burial of our great Prophet. If we go into his holy tomb, if we lay ourselves down upon his precious body, if we embrace it with a true and lively faith, and a serious repentance, he will quicken us again, and cause us to become immortal: for he hath been pleased to enter into the state of the dead, with an intent to procure us a blessing, and a glorious immortality.

A Prayer and Meditation for a Christian, who strengthens himself against the frightful aspect of the Grave, by looking upon our Lord JESUS CHRIST laid in his Tomb.

O WONDERFUL Mediator between God and man! thou art God immortal, and yet hast vouchsafed to take upon thee our mortal nature, and to die for me a miserable sinner, and to remain for a time in the state of the dead, that thou mightest procure to me a blessed immortality. Give me grace to meditate, as I ought, upon thy sacred body, wrapped up in a winding-sheet, and laid in the earth. For by this means, sweet Jesus, I shall be reconciled to the sight of the grave; I shall look with a stedfast and settled countenance on the pit into which I must enter, when thou shalt appoint it. For the servant is not greater than his master. It belongs not to the creature to prefer itself above the Creator. Since I expect to share in thy glory and exaltation, it is but just and reasonable that I take some part in thy disgraces and abasement. My reason, assisted by thine Holy Spirit, teaches me, that I must be content to be wrapped up in thy darkness, and remain with thee in the valley of the shadow of death, since I hope to be clothed one day with light, and crowned with an eternal life. I must not only look upon the grave without fear, but I shall consider it with joy, in regard thou hast honoured it with thy holy presence, and perfumed it with thy divine and celestial odour. I shall look upon it, as if thou didst yet lie down in it, as if I were to keep thee company there, my Lord, and my God. A dead man returned to life again, when he did but touch the bones of thy prophets; but I do not only touch the Prince of prophets, but embrace thee by faith, as thou art, for my sins, and as resting in thy grave for my salvation. Thou shalt therefore make

me sensible of thy divine virtue, put in me the seeds of immortality, and raise my hopes up to heaven. My soul hath already a share in the first resurrection, and one day this infirm body shall return to newness of life. If my resurrection be not so quick and speedy as that of the dead raised to life by the prophet, it shall be far more glorious and lasting, that I may bless thee with all thy saints, and praise thee for ever, with thine inheritance in heaven.

CHAP. XVII.

The Fifth Consolation against the Fears of Death is, to meditate upon the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As there is nothing more grievous and unsufferable, than to behold a proud and insulting enemy, who is always victorious, and whom none can overcome in his insolent and braving humour; likewise there is nothing more pleasant and comfortable than to see such a pride cast down, and to triumph over such an enemy. Therefore the children of Israel, who had long groaned under the cruel tyranny of Pharaoh, sang with joy a song of thanksgiving, when God destroyed that wretched tyrant, and buried him and his army in the waves of the Red Sea. For this cause, when the red dragon, the ancient serpent, called the devil and Satan, Rev. xxii, who seduceth whole nations, was overcome, and cast down from heaven to the earth, there were songs of joy and gladness heard in heaven, Rev. xii. "Now is come sal❝vation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and "the power of his Christ; for the accuser of our bre "thren is cast down, which accused them before our "God day and night; therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them."

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