his incarnation. his appearing in our nature, whereby he became vifible to us. As he was God, he could not appear to us, dwelling in light and glory, not to be approached by us in this ftate of mortality, and therefore he cloathed himself in flesh, that he might appear and become manifeft to us.

I fay, by his appearing we are primarily to understand his incarnation: yet not only that, but likewife all that was confequent upon this, the actions of his life, and his death and refurrection: because all thefe concur to the producing of these happy effects mentioned in the text.

II. What is meant by the abolishing of death. By this we are not to understand, that Chrift, by his appearance, hath rooted death out of the world, fo that men are no longer fubject to it. For we fee that even good men, and those who are partakers of the benefits of Christ's death, are still fubject to the common law of mortality: but this expreffion of Chrift's having abolished death, fignifies the conqueft and victory which Chrift hath gained over death in his own perfon, in that after he was dead, and laid in his grave, he rofe again from the dead, he freed himself from the bands of death, and broke loofe from the fetters of it, they not being able to hold him, as the expreffion is, Acts ii. 24. and confequently hath, by this victory over it, given us affurance of a refurrection to a better life. For fince Chrift hath abolished death, and triumphed over it, and thereby over the powers of darkness; (for fo the Apoftle tells us, that by bis death, and that which followed it, his refurrection from the dead, he hath destroyed him that had the power of death, that is the devil. The devil, he contributed all he could to the death of Chrift, by tempting Judas to betray him, and engaging all his inftruments in the procuring of it; as he had before brought in death into the world, by tempting the firft man to fin, upon which death enfued; thus far he prevailed, and thought his kingdom was fafe, having procured the death of him who was fo great an enemy to it; but Christ, by rifing from the dead, defeats the devil of his defign, and plainly conquers him, who had arrogated to himself the power of death;) I fay, fince Chrift hath thus vanquished death, and triumph

ed

ed over it, and him that had the power of it, death hath loft its dominion, and Chrift hath taken the whole power and disposal of it; as you find, Rev. i. 18. I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore, and have the keys of hell and of death. Now, Chrift hath not only thus conquered death for himself, but likewise for all thofe who believe on him; fo that death fhall not be able to keep them for ever under its power: But Chrift, by the fame power whereby he raifed up himself from the dead, will alfo quicken our more tal bodies, and raise them up to a new life; for he keeps the keys of hell and death: and as a reward of his fufferings and fubmiffion to death, he hath power conferred upon him, to give eternal life to as many as he pleases. In this fenfe death, though it be not quite chafed out of the world, yet it is virtually and in effect abolished by the appearance of Jefus Chrift, having in a great meafure loft its power and dominion; and fince Chrift hath affured us of a final refcue from it, the power of it is rendered infignificant and inconfiderable, and the fting and terror of it is taken away. So the Apoftle tells us in the forementioned place, Heb. ii. 14, 15. that Chrift having by death, deftroyed him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, he hath delivered thofe who, throgh fear of death, were all their life-time fubject to bondage. And not only the power and terror of death is, for the prefent, in a great measure taken away; but it fhall at last be ut terly deftroyed. So the Apoftle tells us, 1 Cor. xv. 26. The last enemy that shall be deftroyed is death; which makes the Apoftle, in the latter end of this chapter, to break forth into that triumph, ver. 54, 55. So when this corruptible fhall have put on incorruption, and this mortal fhall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the faying that is written, Death is fwallowed up in victory. O death! where is thy fting?" grave? where is thy victory?

III. What is here meant by bringing life and immortality to light. Life and immortality is here by a frequent Hebraifm, put for immortal life; as alfo immediately before the text, you find purpofe and grace, pat for God's gracious purpose. The phrafe of bringing to Light

is fpoken of things which were before either wholly or in a great measure hid, either were not at all difcovered before, or not fo clearly. Now, because the Heathens, by the light of nature, had fome probable conjectures and hopes concerning another life after this, they were, in fome measure, perfuaded, that when men died, they were not wholly extinguished, but did pafs into another world, and did there receive rewards fuitable to their car. riage and demeanour in this life; and becaufe the Jews alfo before Chrift, had thefe natural fuggeftions and hopes ftrengthened and confirmed by revelations, which God made unto them under the Old Teftament, therefore we cannot understand this phrafe of Christ's bringing immortal life to light abfolutely, as if it were wholly a new difcovery, which the world had no apprehenfion of before; but only comparatively, as a thing which was now rendered, by the coming of Chrift into the world, incomparably more evident and manifeft. Quicquid enim Philefophi, quicquid Rabbini ea de re dicunt, tenebræ funt, fi ad evangelii lucem comparentur; "Whatever the Philofophers, whatever the Rabbins fay of this matter, is but darkness, compared to the clear light and revelation of the gofpel." I proceed to the

Second thing I propofed, viz. To fhew what Chrift's coming into the world hath done towards the abolishing of death, and the bringing of life and immortality to light. 1 fhall speak diftinctly to thefe two.

I. What Chrift's appearance and coming into the world hath done towards the abolishing of death, or how death is abolished by the appearance of Chrift. I have already fhewn in the explication, that this phrase, the abolishing of death, fignifies the conqueft which he made over death in his own perfon for himfelf; the fruit of which victory redounds to us. For in that Christ, by his divine power, did conquer it, and fet himself free from the bands of it; this fhews that the power of it is now brought into other hands, that Chrift bath the keys of hell and death; fo that though the devil, by tempting to fin, brought death into the world, yet it fhall not be in his power to keep men always under the power of it: and hereby the terror of this great enemy is in a good measure taken away, and he shall at laft be totally de

ftroyed

ftroyed by the fame hand that hath already given him his mortal wound.

Now this is faid to be done by the appearing of Jefus Chrift, for as much as by his coming into the world, and taking our nature upon him, he became capable of encountering this enemy and overcoming him, in fuch a manner, as might give us affurance of a final victory over it, and for the prefent comfort and encourage us against the fears of it. For,

1. By taking our nature upon him, he became fubject to the frailties and miseries of mortality, and liable to the fuffering of death, by which expiation of fin was made. Sin was the cause of death. So the Apostle tells us, By man fin entered into the world, and death by fin, fo that death came upon all. Now, the way to cure this malady, which was come upon our nature, and to remove this great mischief which was come into the world, is by taking away the meritorious cause of it, which is the guilt of fin. Now, this Chrift hath taken away by his death. Chrift, that he might abolish death, hath appeared for the abolition of fin. So the Apostle tells us, Heb. ix. 26, 27, 28. But now once in the end of the world bath he appeared, to pat away fin by the facrifice of himself, eis dénon dμaglia, for the abolishing of fin: And to fhew that this was intended as a remedy of the great mischief and inconvenience of mortality, which fin had brought upon mankind, the Apoftle immediately adds in the next verfe, that as it is appointed unto all men once to die, fo Chrift was once offered to bear the fins of many; and by this means the fting of death is taken away, and death in effect conquered; the confideration of which makes the Apostle break out into that thankful triumph, 1 Cor. xv. 55, 56, 57. O death! where is thy fling? O grave! where is thy victory? The fting of death is fin: But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jefus Chrift.

2. As Chrift, by taking our uature upon him, became capable of fuffering death, and thereby making expiation for fin; fo by dying he became capable of rifing again from the dead, whereby he hath gained a perfect victory and conqueft over death and the powers of

darkness.

darkness. And this account the Apoftle gives us of Chrift's taking our nature upon him, as being one of the principal ends and defigns of it, Heb. ii. 14, 15, 16. For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he alfo himself likewife took part of the fame, that through death he might destroy him that had the pow er of death, that is, the devil; that is, that by taking our nature upon him, he might be capable of encountering this enemy, that is, of encountering death in his own territories, and beating him in his own quarters; and by rifing out of his grave, he might give us full and comfortable affurance of the poffibility of being rescued from the power of the grave, and recovered out of the jaws of death. And therefore the wifdom of God pitched upon this way, as that which was moft fit and proper to encourage and bear us up against the terrors of this enemy; and by giving us a lively inftance and example of a victory over death, atchieved by one cloathed with mortality like ourfelves, we might have firong confolation and good hope through grace, and might be fully affured, that he who had conquered this enemy for himself, was able alfo to conquer him for us, and to deliver us, from the grave. Therefore the Apostle reafons from the fitness and fuitablenefs of this difpenfation, as if no other argument could have been fo proper to arm us against the fears of death, and to fatisfy us that we should not always be held under the power of it: For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewife took part of the fame, that through death he might deftroy him that had the power of death, and deliver them who through fear of death, &c. The force of which argument is this, that feeing men are of a mortal nature, (for that he means by being partakers of flesh and blood) nothing can be a greater comfort to us against the fears of death, than to fee death conquered by flesh and blood, by one of the fame nature with ourfelves. Therefore the Apostle adds, ver. 16. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but the feed of Abraham. If he had affumed the angelical nature, which is immortal, this would not have been fo fenfible a conviction to us of the pof

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