A27048:82
A treatise of death, the last enemy to be destroyed showing wherein its enmity…A treatise of death, the last enemy to be destroyed shewing wherein its enmity…
A treatise of death, the last enemy to be destroyed showing wherein its enmity consisteth and how it is destroyed : part of it was preached at the funerals [sic] of Elizabeth, the late wife of Mr. Joseph Baker ... / by Rich. Baxter ; with some few passages of the life of the said Mrs. Baker observed.A treatise of death, the last enemy to be destroyed shewing wherein its enmity consisteth and how it is destroyed : part of it was preached at the funerals [sic] of Elizabeth, the late wife of Mr. Joseph Baker ... / by Rich. Baxter ; with some few passages of the life of the said Mrs. Baker observed.
London: printed by R.W. for Nev. Simmons, 1660
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
4. The fourth degree of this Enemies destruction is, by it self, or rather by Christ at the time, and by the means of death, which contrary to its nature, shall advantage our felicity. When Death hath done its worst, it hath half killed it self in killing us: It hath then dismissed our imprisoned souls, and ended even our fears of death, and our fears of all the evils of this life. It hath ended our cares, and griefs, and groans. It hath finished our work, and ended all our weariness and trouble. And more then this, it ends our ⟨p. 57⟩sinning, and so destroyeth that which caused it, and that which the inordinate fears of it self, had caused in us. It is the time when sin shall gasp its last, and so far our Physician will perfect the cure; and our greatest enemy shall follow us no further. It is the door by which the soul must pass to Christ in Paradise.
4. The fourth degree of this Enemies destruction is, by it self, or rather by Christ at the time, and by the means of death, which contrary to its nature, shall advantage our felicity. When Death hath done its worst, it hath half killed it self in killing us: It hath then dismissed our imprisoned souls, and ended even our fears of death, and our fears of all the evils of this life. It hath ended our cares, and griefs, and groans. It hath finished our work, and ended all our weariness and trouble. And more then this, it ends our ⟨p. 57⟩sinning, and so destroyeth that which caused it, and that which the inordinate fears of it self, had caused in us. It is the time when sin shall gasp its last, and so far our Physitian will perfect the cure; and our greatest enemy shall follow us no further. It is the door by which the soul must pass to Christ in Paradise.
If any Papist shall hence plead that therefore all men must be perfect without sin before death, or else go to Purgatory to be cleansed, because as we die, so Christ will find us: or if they ask, How death can perfect us? I answer them: It is Christ our Physician that finisheth the cure, and Death is the time in which he doth it. And if he undertake then to do it, it concerns not us to be too inquisitive, how he doth it. What if the patient understand not how blood letting cureth the infected