A PRAYER and MEDITATION for the believing Soul, who arms itself against the Fears of Death, by meditating upon the Refurrection of our Lord Jefus Christ.

1 Ord Fefus, who hast been fully declared to be the Son of God with Power, by the Refurrection from the Dead, and who liveft for ever and ever, ftrengthen me in my Weakness, comfort me in my Sorrows, and drive from my Soul all Fears and Apprehenfions of Death. O wonderful Saviour! I need no longer dread this cruel and proud Enemy; for thou haft broken all its Fetters and Chains, and haft overcome Death and the Grave. O glorious and triumphing Monarch! Shall I tremble before a difcomfited and difarmed Enemy, whom I fee lying under my Feet, and chained to thy triumphing Chariot? I need but follow the facred Footsteps of thy Victory, and gather its excellent Fruits. If thou hast been able to deal with Death, when thou waft shut up in a Dungeon; if thou didft then bring down its Pride, and carry away its Prifoners; what may not I expect from thy Victories and Almighty Arm, now that thou hast in thy Hand the Keys of Hell and Death? O most mighty and merciful Lord! Thou hast not only overcome Death for me, but thou wilt alfo overcome it by me, who am thy Child, and the Sheep of thy Pasture, whereof thou haft paid the Ransom. Thou art not only raised from the Dead, but thou art also the Refurrection and the Life. Thou art the Prince of Life, the Lord of Glory and Immortality; fo that he that lives and believeth in thee, fhall never die; and whosoever believeth in thee, tho' he were dead, yet shall be live. Sampfon's Alt was admirable, when he slept until Midnight, rofe up, and carried away the Gates of Gaza upon his Shoulders, up to an high Mountain; but who would not admire thee, O invincible Nazarite! who having slept until the third Day in the Bowels of the Earth, didst rife again by thy Divine Virtue, carry away the Gates of Hell, and made them to be

come

come the Gates of Heaven, and the Entrance into thy celestial Paradife. Let me die, fince my Redeemer liveth, and intends to introduce me into an happy Life, purchased for me with his most precious Blood, and fecured for me by his glorious Refur

rection. Amen.

CHAP. XVIII.

The Sixth Confolation against the Fears of Death, is the Afcenfion of Jefus Chrift into Heaven, and his fitting at the Right-Hand of God.

T

IS indeed a great Joy and Comfort to behold a cruel and proud Enemy overcome and difarmed, and ourselves freed, by that Means, from the heavy Yoke of his unfufferable Tyranny; but our Joy would be turned into Grief, and our Comfort into Sadnefs, if we did but perceive, at the fame Time, the Author of our Freedom, choaked with his own Blood, and breathing out the laft Gafp, at the Moment of his Victory. 'Tis requifite to render our Satisfaction compleat, and perfect, that his Triumphs might be everlafting, and that he might be advanced to the highest Glory, and fovereign Empire. Now, there is no Enemy more cruel and terrible than Death. We have beheld it difarmed upon the Crofs of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and perfectly vanquish'd and fubdu'd by his glorious Refurrection. But if with the Eye of our Faith, we look a little higher, to the glorious Afcenfion of our Divine Saviour, we shall fee the fame Death bound to his triumphing Chariot, and this conquering Redeemer exalted above the highest Heavens, and fitting gloriously at the RightHand of God. We fhall fee him invested in an Almighty Power, adored by all Creatures. We fhall fee him commanding not only the Angels of Light, and the Celestial

Spirits that are about his magnificent Throne, but exercifing Dominion alfo over this World, over Death, the Devils, and Hell. Because he hath been Obedient unto Death, yea, to the ignominious Death of the Cross, God hath highly exalted him, and given him a Name, which is above every Name, that at the Name of Jefus every Knee should bow, of Things in Heaven, in Earth, and under the Earth, Phil. 2. And that every Tongue should confefs, that Jefus Chrift is the Lord, to the Glory of God the Father.

Every Soldier shares not always in the Triumph of the General, and all the Subjects tafte not of their Prince's Happiness; but as we are the Brethren of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and the Members of his myftical Body, we have a Share in his Triumph, and in the Glory of his Empire. Therefore, the Apostle St. Paul informs us, That our Life, that is to fay, our Glory and eternal Felicity, is hid with Chrift in God. In another Place, he tells us, in exprefs Words, That God, who is rich in Mercy, hath made us fit in heavenly Places with Jefus Chrift.

This glorious Saviour is gone to take Poffeffion of the Kingdom of Heaven not only for himself, but alfo, in our Names, and for us. Therefore, he informs the Holy Apostles, and all true Believers, That in his Father's House there are many Manfions; I am going to prepare a Place there for you. In the fame Manner he speaks in that Admirable Prayer, in the which he confecrates himself to God, for the great Work of our Redemption, Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am,

that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me.

For the fame Reason, St. Paul tells us, in his Epiftle to the Hebrews, for our Comfort, Heb. 6. that Chrift is gone into Heaven as our Fore-Runner.

The High-Prieft of the Jews entered into the earthly Sanctuary, to prefent himfelf before God for the People, Heb. 9. Thus our Lord Jefus Chrift is gone into the Heavenly Sanctuary, to appear for us in the Prefence of God. The High-Prieft of the Jews carried upon his Breaft and Shoulders, the Names of the Twelve Tribes of Ifrael, but Jefus Chrift hath engraven us upon

his Heart,

according

according to the Prayer of the Spouse in the Canticles, Cant. 8. Set me as a Seal upon thine Heart, as a Seal upon thine Arm, for Love is as strong as Death. The High-Prieft of the Jews did caft off the Names of the Twelve Tribes with the Robes; but neither Death nor Life, nor Things prefent, nor Things to come; fhall ever feparate us from the Love of God in Jefus Chrift, Rom. 8.

The Royal Diadem that was put upon Efther's Head, never caufed her to forget her People and Parentage. She was mightily grieved for Haman's Confpiracy, and the Decree which he had caufed King Abafuerus to sign and feal with a Signet. I may likewife fay, That the Glory to which our Lord Jefus Chrift is now raifed, can never make him forget the People that he hath redeemed with his Blood. He is not unmindful of Satan's Plots, nor of the Sentence and Doom pronounced against us by the great Monarch of the World, and confirmed by his great Seal. His glorious Head may be crown'd with the Rainbow, but his merciful Heart is inflamed with Love for us. He thinks it no Difgrace to acknowledge us for his Brethren, and to pray God for us, who fits upon his Throne, where Thoufand Millions wait upon him, and Ten Thousand Thoufands worship him. He is able to fave to the uttermoft all fuch as draw near to God thro', him, for he lives always to intercede for us. If the Father hath always granted him his Request, when he was in his greatest Abafement, can we we imagine that his Interceffion will be fruitless now, that he is afcended up to the highest Glory?

From his Exaltation to Heaven, he beholds all our Encounters and our Strugglings with Death. He fees all the Enemies that affault us, and the Dangers into which we are expofed. He is acquainted with the deep Malice and crafty Defigns of the Enemies of our Salva tion. He perceives all the Darts that they let fly against us. Therefore, he covers us with his Shield, and will not fuffer us to be overcome by Temptation. He fulfills his Virtue in our Infirmities, and makes us more than Conquerors. He hath an Eye always upon his Flock;

he

he holds his Sheep all in his Hand, and none is able to pluck them from thence.

upon

When he was upon Earth in his Agony, at this Word that dropt out of his Mouth, I am he, John 10. his Enemies fell backward; and when he was in Death's Prifon, he forced it to obey him. And shall not he, now that he is exalted up to the highest Heavens, in the Glory of his Triumph, have the fame Command and Power over Death, the World, and Hell? When he walked the Waters, he cried to his Apoftles, It is I, be not afraid, John 6. How much rather may he fpeak to us in this Manner, now that he fits upon the Throne, that can never be moved? Chriftian Souls, who tremble at the Approaches of Death, imagine that the Lord Jefus crown'd with Glory, calls to thee from Heaven; Fear not, for I call thee, and hold out unto thee my Arms, I that am thy Saviour and Redeemer, who have fatisfied for all thy Sins with my Blood, and who have redeemed thee from the Curfe of the Law, and eternal Damnation. I have difarm'd God's Juftice, vanquifh'd Hell, broken the Serpent's Head, and fwallow'd up Death in Victory. I have purchased for thee the Glories of Heaven, and the Delights of Paradise. I have trampled upon the World, and all its Powers. I am worshipped by all the Church triumphing in Heaven, and by Legions of Angels that fly about my Throne. I will, therefore, fend fome of them to guard thee, and when thou shalt leave the Body where thou livest as a Stranger, they shall bring up thy Soul into this magnificent Abode of Immortality, whi ther I am come to prepare a Place for thee.

Without doubt, if the Anchor of our Hope is fixed within the Veil, that is in Heaven, where Jefus Chrift is gone in as our Fore-runner, we shall not apprehend the moft contrary and boisterous Storms raised against us, by the Prince of the Powers of the Air, who works with Efficacy in the Children of Rebellion. We fhall tread under Foot all the Billows of this troublesome Sea, and thro' these fwelling Waves we shall march fafe to our Divine Jefus. If at any Time we begin to fink, and

that