To

nant God has promised to be with him, and to be his Saviour in death. God Jefus, almighty to keep his promife for ever, is his one hope, living and dying: And he is his gain both in life and death. If he has won Chrift, he has lived to a bleffed time, and whenever he dies, Chrift will make death his friend, and will reconcile him to his going to the Lord, which is beft of all. look upon death as an enemy, to fear it, as if it could take from us any thing worth keeping, or as if it did not put us into the eternal poffeffion of every thing worth enjoying, thefe are views of the refurrection of Jefus very dishonourable to his victories, and very injurious to our intereft in him. He undertook to conquer death for us, as our furety. He has done it.

He has fwallowed up death in victory. He has made it our friend and our benefactor: For he has engaged to support us in our laft moments. He never did, he never can fail any who put their truft in him. Experience has confirmed his faithfulness in all ages. His foldiers, whom he made valiant in fight, a goodly company whom no one can number, have triumphed gloriouflybefore death-in death-and after death.

Before death he prepared them to meet it in faith: For the great defign of his gospel is to arm them against the guilt of fin, and the terrors of death. And they are good foldiers of Chrift Jefus who put on this armour-who have learnt their exercife, and who by their daily battles keep their arms

fhining

fhining and bright. Looking to Jefus, the Captain of their falvation, for orders, for courage, for ftrength, for victory, all oppofition falls before them. He enables them to fight the good fight of faith, and the more they conquer fin, the less they have to fear from death: For Chrift is to them the whole armour of God, and the pieces of this armour are the graces of his Spirit. For with thefe the apostle fays, in Ephefians, chap. vi. that Chrift has perfectly equipped the armies of the Lord. They have the truth of Chrift, the righteoufnefs of Chrift, the peace of God in Chrift, faith in Chrift, the word of Chrift, hope in Chrift, and prayer to Chrift for fresh fupplies of his Spirit, that he would enable them to make fuch a ufe of their armour, I 2 that

that they might get the victory over fin and death, and he might get all the praife. In this holy war He is every thing to them, and they find in him, and receive out of his fulness, whatever they want for the peace of their confcience, and for the happiness of their hearts. Sin is pardoned. Death is conquered. They experience the power of his refurrection, and being paffed from death unto life, they have believing views of their own diffolution. We read of their deliverance from the fear of death, and we have examples, of those who were more afraid of fin than of death, yea, who chose to go into a burning fiery furnace, rather than offend their God: Hear how they triumphed-" Our God is able to deliver us, but if he does not, be

it

it known unto thee, O king, that we will not ferve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou haft fet up." Hear the witnefs of another Chriftian hero, how he was enabled to look upon death "The Holy Ghoft witneffeth in every city, faying, that bonds and afflictions abide me: But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear to myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the miniftry which I have received of the Lord Jefus, to teftify the gospel of the grace of God." This was a great victory, but the cafe is not fingular: In the fame faith died the noble army of martyrs, of whom we read "That they overcame the accufer of the brethren by the blood of the Lamb, and by the I 3 word