SERMON XXI, DEATH A BLESSING TO THE SAINTS. 1 CORINTHIANS iii. 22. Whether life or death-all are yours. Wandre rich variety of blessings, derived from E have already seen many divine comforts, а the formidable name of death: one would scarce have thought that a word of so much terror should have ever been capable of yielding so much sweetness; but the gospel of Christ is a spring of wonders it has consecrated all the terrible things in nature, even death itself, and every thing beside sin, to the benefit of the saint. Death in all its appearances, may furnish the mind of a believer with some sacred lesson of truth or holiness. When it appears in the extent of its dominion, and bringing all mankind down to the dust; when it lays hold on an impenitent sinner; and fills his flesh and soul with agonies; when it assaults a sain and is conquered by faith; when it make a wide ravage among our acquaintance; when it enters into our families, and takes away our near and dear relatives from the midst of us, still the Christian may reap some divine advantage by it. But can our own death be ever turned into a blessing too? Nature thinks it hard to learn such a strange lesson as this, and has much ado to be persuaded to believe it. How dismal are its attendants to flesh and blood! What languishings of the body! What painful agonies! What tremblings and convulsions in nature frequently attend the dying hour even of the best of Christians! Can that be a blessing which turns this active and beautiful engine of the body into loathsome clay; which closes these eyes in long darkness, and deprives us of every sense? Can death become a blessing to us, which cuts us off from all converse with the sun and moon, and that rich variety of sensible objects which furnish out such delightful scenes all around us, and entertain the whole animal creation? Can that be a blessing which divides asunder those two intimate friends, the flesh and the Spirit, that sends one of them to the noisome prison of the grave, and hurries away the other into unknown regions? Yes: the gospel of Christ has power and grace enough in it to take off all these gloomy appearances from death, and to illuminate the darkest side of it with various lustre : so the sun paints the fairest colours upon the blackest cloud, and while the thick dark shower is descending, it entertains our eyes with all the beauties of the rainbow; a. most glorious type and seal of the covenant of grace, that can give a pleasing aspect to death itself, and spread light and pleasure over the darksome grave. If we are believers in Christ, death is ours as well as life. These two contrary states may each of them derive peculiar benefits from the new covenant. The Christian may be taught so to value and improve life, that he may not only be patient, but cheerful and thankful in the continuance of it. This has been made evident in a large discourse already and yet it must be confest, that the advantages which death brings to a believer are stil! greater and more glorious, and this will appear ia the following particulars. 1. Death finishes our state of labour and trial, and puts us in possession of the crown and the prize. St. Paul was appointed to die by the sword of Nero, and to end his labours and his race in blood; yet he rejoices to think that his race was just at an end, and triumphs in view of the glorious recompence: 2 Tim. iv. 8. I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, henceforth for me is laid up a crown of righteousness. There is a voice from heaven that proclaims the dead happy; upon this account, that their toil and fatigue is come to an end. Rev. xiv. 13. Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, for they rest from their labours, and their works follow them; that is, the prize of everlasting happiness which Christ has promised to his labouring saints. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life: so the weary traveller counts the last hour of the day the best; for it finishes the fatigue and toil of the day, and brings him to his resting-place: so the soldier rejoices in the last field of battle, he fights with the prize of glory in his eye, and ends the war with courage, pleasure, and victory. 2. Death frees us for ever from all our errors and mistakes, and brings us into a world of glorious knowledge and illumination. The vale of death is a dark passage indeed; but it leads into the regions of perfect light. Now we know but in part, says the apostle, 1 Cor. xiii. 12. Now we see but through a glass darkly, then we shall see God and our Saviour face to face, and know them even as we are known; not in the same degree of perfection indeed, but according to our measure and capacity, we shall know them in a way of vision, or immediate sight, as God knows his creatures, as one man knows his friend, whose face he beholds with his eyes; or as one spirit knows another by some unknown ways of perception which belong to spirits. O what a new and unspeakable pleasure will it be to the disciples of Christ, and the ministers of the gospel, that have been tired and worn out in tedious controversies in this world, and sorely perplext amongst the difficult passages of scripture, when they shall arrive at that region of light and glory, where the darknesses of the mind shall be all scattered, the veil shall be taken off from sacred things, and doubts and difficulties shall vanish for ever! Alas! What desolation and mischief has the noise and clamour of controversy brought on the church of Christ in all ages! What quarrels and sharp contests has it raised among fellow Christians, and especially where zeal and ignorance have joined together, and brought fire and darkness into the sa vctuary! This has banished charity and love out of the house of God, and, made the Spirit of God himself to depart grieved. Surely death carries a considerable blessing in it as it delivers us from these disorders, these bitter quarrels, and appoints us a place in the temple of God on high, where the axe and the hammer never sound, where the saw of contention is never drawn, where the noise of war is heard no more, but perfect light lays a foundation for perfect and everlasting love. 3. Death makes an utter end of sin, it delivers us from a state of temptation, and conveys us into a state of perfect holiness, safety, and peace. The spirits of the just are made perfect in holiness, when they leave this sinful and mortal flesh, they stand without spot or blemish, without fault or infirmity of greater or lesser size, and appear pure and undefiled before the throne of God, Rev. xiv. 5. Their robes are washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb, and they serve him without sin, day and night in his temple, Rev. vii. 14, 15. When death carries them away from this world, it carries them out of the territories of the devil; for he has no power in that land whither happy souls go and all the remaining lusts of the flesh that had their death's wound given them by renewing grace, are now destroyed for ever; for the death of the body is the final death of sin, and the grave is, as it were, the burying-place of many unruly iniquities that have too often defiled and disquieted the spirit. And as the corrupt affections which are mingled with our flesh and blood, and which are rooted deep in animal nature, are left behind us in the bed of death, so when we ascend to heaven we shall find no manner of temptation to revive them. There is no malice or angry resentment to be awakened there, no incitements to envy, intemperance, or the cursed sin of pride, that cleaves so close to our natures here on earth. When we are encompassed with those blessed creatures, angels and saints made perfect, we shall meet with no affront, no reproach, no injury, to provoke our anger or kindle an uneasy passion. Most perfect friendship is ever practised there; it is a region of peace, a world of immortal amity. Nor shall we find any temptation to envy in that happy state; for though there are different ranks of glorified creatures, yet each is filled with a holy satisfaction, and hath an inward relish of his own felicity suited to his own capacity and state, and |