Christ the righteous ;' and therefore they need not fear their being put back, and falling into condemnation. What can be more favourable? Can they think that he who pleads their cause, will himself pass sentence against them? Yet, further, their Advocate is their Redeemer; they are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ,' 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. So when he pleads for them, he is pleading his own cause. Though an advocate may be careless of the interests of one who employs him, surely he will do his utmost to defend his own right, which he hath purchased with his money: And shall not their Advocate defend the purchase of his own blood? But more than all that, their Redeemer is their head, and they are his members, Eph. v. 23. 30. Though one were so silly as to let his own purchase go, without standing up to defend his right, yet surely he will not quit a limb of his own body. Is not their case then hopeful in death, who are so closely linked and allied to the Lord of the other world, who hath the keys of hell and death?

Secondly, They shall have a safe passage to another world. They must indeed go through the valley of the shadow of death; but, though it be in itself a dark and shady vale, it shall be a valley of hope to them: they shall not be driven through it, but walk through it; as men in perfect safety, who fear no evil, Psal. xxiii. 4. Why should they fear? They have the Lord of the land's safe conduct: his pass sealed with his own blood, namely the blessed covenant, which is the saint's death-bed comfort, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5, "Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting COVENANT, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow." Who then can harm them? It is safe riding in Christ's chariot, (Cant. iii. 9,) both through life and death. They have good and honourable attendants, a guard, even a guard of angels. These encamp about them in the time of their life; and surely they will not leave them in the day of their death. These happy ministering spirits are attendants on their Lord's bride, and will doubtless convey her safe home to his house. When friends, in mournful mood, stand by the saint's bed side, waiting to see him draw his last breath, his soul is waited for by holy angels, to be carried by them into Abraham's bosom, Luke xvi. 22. The Captain of the saint's salvation is the Captain of this holy guard; he was their guide even unto death and he will be their guide through it too. Psal. xxiii. 4, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with

me." They may without fear pass that river, being confident it shall not overflow them; and may walk through that fire, being sure they shall not be burnt by it.

Death can do them no harm. It cannot even hurt their bodies: for though it separate the soul from the body, it cannot separate the body from the Lord Christ. Even death is to them but "Sleep in Jesus," 1 Thess. iv. 14. They continue members of Christ, though in a grave. Their dust is precious dust, laid up in a grave, as in their Lord's cabinet. They lie in a grave mellowing, as precious fruit laid up, to to be brought forth to him at the resurrection. The husbandman has corn in his barn, and corn lying in the ground; the latter is more precious to him than the former; because he looks to get it returned with increase. Even so the dead bodies of the saints are valued by their Saviour: "they are sown in corruption," to be "raised in incorruption: sown in dishonour, raised in glory," 1 Cor. xv. 42, 43. It cannot hurt their souls. It is with the souls of the saints at death, as with Paul and his company, in their voyage, whereof we have the history, Acts xxvii. The ship was broken in pieces, but the passengers got all safe to land. When the dying saint's speech is laid, his eyes set, and his last breath drawn, the soul gets safe away into the heavenly paradise, leaving the body to return to its earth, but in the joyful hope of a reunion at its glorious resurrection. How can death hurt the godly? it is a foiled enemy: if it cast them down, it is only that they may rise up more glorious. Our Saviour Jesus Christ "hath abolished DEATH," 2 Tim. i. 10. The soul and life of it is gone: it is but a walking shade that may fright, but cannot hurt saints: it is only the shadow of death to them; it is not the thing itself: their dying is but as dying, or somewhat like dying. The Apostle tells us, "It is Christ that died," Rom. viii. 34. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, though stoned to death, yet but fell asleep, Acts viii. 54. Certainly the nature of death is quite changed with respect to the saints. It is not to them, what it was to Jesus Christ their head: It is not the envenomed ruinating thing, wrapped up in the sanction of the first covenant, Gen. ii. 17, "In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." It comes to the godly without its sting: they may meet it with that salutation, "O death where is thy sting ?" Is this Mara? Is this bitter death? It went out full into the world, when the first Adam opened the door to it: but the second Adam hath brought it again empty to his own people. I feel a sting, may the dying saint say; yet it is but a bee sting, stinging only through the skin: but "O death! where is thy sting?" thine

old sting, the serpent's sting, that stings to the heart and soul? The sting of death is Sin:" but that is taken away. If death arrest the saint, and carry him before the Judge, to answer for the debt he contracted, the debt will be found paid by the glorious Cautioner: and he has the discharge to show. The thorn of guilt is pulled out of the man's conscience, and his name is blotted out of the black roll, and "written among the living in Jerusalem." It is true, it is a great journey to go through the valley of the shadow of death; but the saint's burden is taken away from off his back, his iniquity is pardoned, he may walk at ease; "no lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast:" the redeemed may walk at leisure there, free from all apprehensions of danger.

LASTLY, They shall have a joyful entrance into the other world. Their arrival in the regions of bliss, will be celebrated with rapturous hymns of praise to their glorious Redeemer. A dying day is a good day to a godly man. Yea, it is his best day; it is better to him than his birth day, or than the most joyous day he ever had on earth. "A good name, says the wise man, "is better than precious ointment: and the day of death, than the day of one's birth," Eccl. vii. 1. The notion of the immortality of the soul, and of future happiness which obtained among some Pagan nations, had wonderful effects on them. Some of them when they mourned for the dead, did it in women's apparel; that being moved with the indecency of the garb, they might the sooner lay aside their mourning. Others buried them without any lamentation or mourning; but had a sacrifice, and a feast for friends upon that occasion. Some were wont to mourn at births, and rejoice at burials. But the practice of some Indian nations is yet more strange, of whom it is reported, that upon the husband's decease, his several wives were in use to contend before the Judges, which of them was the best beloved wife: and she in whose favour it was determined, with a cheerful countenance, threw herself into the flames, prepared for the husband's corpse, was burned with it, and reckoned happy; while the rest lived in grief, and were accounted miserable. But howsoever lame notions of a future state, assisted by pride, affectation of applause, apprehensions of difficulties in this life, and such like principles, proper to depraved human nature, may influence rude, uncultivated minds, when strengthened by the arts of hell; O! what solid joy and consolation may they have, who are true Christians, being in Christ, who hath "brought life and immortality to light by the gospel!" 2 Tim. i. 10. Death is one of these ALL THINGS, that work together for good, to them that love God, Rom. viii.

20. When the body dies, the soul is perfected: the body of death goes off at the death of the body. What harm did the gaoler to Pharaoh's butler, when he opened the prison-door to him and let him out? Is the bird in worse case, when at liberty, than when confined in a cage? Thus, and no worse, are the souls of the saints treated by death. It comes to the godly man, as Haman came to Mordecai with the royal apparel and the horse, Esther iv. 11, with commission to do them honour, howsoever awkwardly it be performed. I question not but Haman performed the ceremony with a very ill mein, a pale face, a down-look, and a cloudy countenance, and like one who came to hang him, rather than to honour him. But he whom the king delighted to honour, behooved to be honoured; and Haman, Mordecai's grand enemy, must be the man employed to put this honour upon him. Glory, glory, glory, blessing and praise to our Redeemer, our Saviour, our Mediator, by whose death, grim devouring death is made to do such a good office to those, whom it might otherwise have hurried away in their wickedness, to utter and eternal destruction! A dying day is, in itself, a joyful day to the godly; it is their redemption-day, when the captives are delivered, when the prisoners are set free. It is the day of the pilgrims coming home from their pilgrimage; the day in which the heirs of glory return from their travels, to their own country, and their Father's house; and enter into actual possession of the glorious inheritance. It is their marriage-day; now is the time of espousals: but then the marriage is consummate, and a marriage-feast begun, which has no period. If so, is not the state of the godly in death a hopeful state?

OBJECT. "But if the state of the godly in their death, be so hopeful, how comes it to pass that many of them, when dying, are full of fears, and have little hope? Ans. It must be owned, that saints do not all die in one and the same manner: there is a diversity among them, as well as among the wicked: yet the worst case of a dying saint is indeed a hopeful one. Some die triumphantly, in a full assurance of faith, 2 Tim. iv. 6, "The time of my departure is at hand. Ver. 7, I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course: I have kept the faith. Ver. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness." They get a taste of the joys of heaven, while here on earth, and begin the songs of Zion while yet in a strange land. Others die in a solid fiducial dependance on their Lord and Saviour; tho' they cannot sing triumphantly, yet they can and will say confidently, the Lord is their God." Though they cannot triumph over death, with old Simeon hav

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ing Christ in his arms, and saying, 'Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,' Luke ii. 29, 30, yet they can say, with dying Jacob, I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord,' Gen. xlix. 18. His left hand is under their head to support them, though his right hand doth not embrace them; they firmly believe, though they are not filled with joy in believing. They can plead the covenant, and hang by the promise," although their house be not so with God," as they could wish. But the dying day of some saints may be like that day mentioned, Zech. xiv. 7, Not day nor night.' They may die under great doubts and fears; setting, as it were, in a cloud, and going to heaven in a mist. They may go mourning without the sun, and never put off their spirit of heaviness, till death strip them of it. They may be carried to heaven through the confines of hell; and may be pursued by the devouring lion, even to the very gates of the new Jerusalem; and may be compared to a ship almost wrecked in sight of the barbour, which yet gets safe into her port, 1 Cor. iii. 15, 'If any man's works shall be burnt, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.' There is safety amidst their fears, but danger in the wicked's strongest confidence; and there is a blessed seed of gladness in their greatest sorrows; 'Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart,' Psal. xcvii. 11.

Now, saints are liable to such perplexity in their death, because, though they be Christians indeed, yet they are men of like passions with others; and death is a frightful object in itself, whatever dress it appear in; the stern countenance with which it looks at mortals, can hardly miss of causing them to shrink. Moreover, the saints are of all men the most jealous of themselves. They think of eternity, and of a tribunal, more deeply than others do: with them, it is a more serious thing to die than the rest of mankind are aware of. They know the deceits of the heart, the subtilties of depraved human nature, better than others do. And therefore they may have much ado to keep up hope on a death-bed; while others pass off quietly, like sheep to the slaughter; the rather that Satan, who useth all his art to support the hopes of the hypocrite, will do his utmost to mar the peace, and increase the fears of the saint. Finally, the bad frame of spirit, and ill condition in which death sometimes seizeth a true Christian, may cause this perplexity. By his being in the state of grace, he is indeed always habitually prepared for death, and his dying safely is insured; but there is more requisite to his actual