tle's language, Oh wretched man that I am, who fall deliver me from the body of this death. But with him they can likewise say, I thank God through Jefus Christ our Lord. They know he is on their fide, and expect that he will at last make them more than conquerors; yet, while the conflict lasts, they have much to fuffer, and much to lament.

2. They are fubject, like other people, to the various calamities and diftreffes incident to this state of mortality; and they have, more or lefs, troubles peculiar to themselves, arifing from the nature of their profeffion and conduct (if they are faithful to their Lord) while they live in a world that lieth in wickedness. But the curfe and sting is taken out of their afflictions, and they are fo moderated and fanctified, by the wisdom and grace of him whom they ferve, that in the event, they work for their good. But though they yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness *, in themselves, and at the time, they are not joyous but grievous.

3. They are ftill fubject to the stroke of death; the feparation of foul and body. But this death has loft its fting, as to them.

* Heb. xii. II.

And

And therefore they are faid, not to die, but to fleep in Jefus. Death is not their enemy but their friend. To them, instead of being an evil, it proves a deliverance from all evil, and an entrance into everlasting life.

of

2. That new life to which they are raised, is furely connected with life eternal, the life grace, with the life of glory. For Christ liveth in them, and being united to him by faith, they fhall live while he liveth. They only fhut their eyes upon the pains and forrows of this world, to open them immediately in his presence, and so they shall be for ever with the Lord. How wonderful and happy is the tranfition! From disease and anguish, from weeping friends, and often from a state of indigence and obfcurity, in which they have no friends to compaffionate them, they remove to a state of glory, honour and immortality, to a mansion in the realms of light, to a feat near the throne of God. In the language of mortals, this ineffable honour and happiness is shadowed out to us, by the emblems of a white robe, a golden harp, a palm-branch, (the token of victory) and a crown, not of oak or laurel, of gold or diamonds, but a crown

of life. Such honour have all the faints. However afflicted or neglected, defpiled or oppreffed while upon earth, foon as their willing fpirits take their flight from hence, they fhine, like the fun, in the kingdom of their Father. Thus Lazarus, lay, for a time, difeafed, neceffitous and fighted at the rich man's gate. Yet he was not without attendants. A guard of angels waited around him, and when he died conveyed his spirit into Abraham's bofom *. The Jews thought very highly of Abraham, the father of their nation, the father of the faithful. Our Lord therefore teaches us by this reprefentation, that the beggar Lazarus, was not only happy after death, but highly exalted by him, who seeth not as man feeth, for he was placed in Abraham's bofom, a fituation, which, according to the custom of the Jews, was a mark of peculiar favour, intimacy and diftinction. Thus the beloved difciple, was feated in the bofom of our Lord, when he celebrated his laft paffover with his difciples +.

3. Their dead bodies fhall be raised, at the great day, not in their former state of

*Luke xvi. 22.

+ John xiii. 22-25.

weak

weakness and corruption, but that which was fown in weakness shall be raised in power, and the mortal shall put on immortality. He fhall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned according to the likeness of bis own glorious body. So that his own refurrection is both the pledge, and the pattern of their's. I have only farther to observe upon this fubject at prefent, that as Adam is the root and head of all mankind, from whence they all derive a finful and mortal nature; fo Jefus, the fecond Adam, is the root of a people who are united to him, planted and engrafted in him, by faith. To these the refurrection, confidered as a bleffing, is to be reftrained. There will be a refurrection of the wicked likewife *, but to condemnation, fhame and everlasting contempt. But the connection is close and indiffoluble, between Chrift the first-fruits, and them that are Chrift's, at his coming.

May we be happily prepared for this great event, that when he shall appear we may have confidence in him, and not be ashamed before him. Happy they who fhall then be able to welcome him in the language of the * John v. 29. + Dan. xii. 2.

pro

I John ii. 28.

phet, Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and be will fave us; this is the Lord, we have waited for him, we will be glad, and rejoice in his falvation. But how awful the contrast of thofe (many of them once the great, mighty and honourable of the earth) who shall behold him with horror, and in the anguish of their fouls, shall call (in vain) to the rocks and mountains, to fall on them and hide them from his presence, faying, The great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to ftand+?

* Ifa. xxv. 9.

+ Rev. vi. 16, 17.

SER