Jacobs ladderIacobs ladder

and it is he alone that hath destroyed death, and became sin for us, that we in him might be made the righteousness of God. And surely such a one may in some good measure of comfort, joyfully say to the defiance even of death it self, and all other ghostly enemies whatsoever: O death where is thy sting! O grave where is they victory! The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law: but thanks be unto GOD which hath given us victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Yea he may say, as the Saints and Martyrs have said in the middest of fiery flames, I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Oh but death is terrible still! I answer: in such a cloud of witnesses, and evidence of truth, may I not in some sort and sense say, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long now shall I suffer you? Is it fearful to any, but to a natural man, and to him that hath his felicity here, and in the things of this life? Surely it is nothing terrible to him, that is made a comfortable partaker of the fruits of the death of Christ, who dyed and rose ⟨image 14⟩again, to the end he might destroy death, and him that had the power of death, even the devil himself. But hell is horrible. True: but yet to them, for whom it is prepared: but thou art in Christ exempted from it. For why did he himself suffer hellish torments both in body & soul? to leave the […] to make it terrible or horrible to thee? no, but to free thee and all his from the fear of hell, & the feeling of everlasting condemnation. Oh but what shall I say touching my sin that is great and grievous, & the peculiar wages of it, is death eternal. That is true in the nature of sin, & the justice of God: but with the Lord there is mercy, that he may be feared. Stand still a while, and you shall behold the great works of God: & be not faithless but faithful, and believe the truth of the word. What is more clear then this? where sin hath abounded, there grace hath abounded much more. And though it be in a Prophet, yet where have we a more plain, plentiful, or evangelical promise then this?

and it is hee alone that hath destroyed death, and became sinne for vs, that wee in him might bee made the righteousnes of God. And surely such a one may in some good measure of comfort, ioyfully say to the defiance euen of death it selfe, and all other ghostly enemies whatsoeuer: O death where is thy sting! O graue where is they victorie! The sting of death is sinne, and the strength of sinne is the lawe: but thankes bee vnto GOD which hath giuen vs victorie, through our Lord Iesus Christ. Yea hee may say, as the Saints and Martyrs haue sayd in the middest of fierie flames, I am perswaded that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall bee able to separate me from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Oh but death is terrible still! I answer: in such a cloud of witnesses, and euidence of truth, may I not in some sort and sense say, O faithlesse generation, how long shall I bee with you? how long now shall I suffer you? Is it fearefull to any, but to a naturall man, and to him that hath his felicitie here, and in the things of this life? Surely it is nothing terrible to him, that is made a comfortable partaker of the fruits of the death of Christ, who dyed and rose