Two treatises the first of death, on I Cor. 15:26, the second of judgment…

IT will much help us against the enmity of Death, to be duly conformed to the Image of God, in the hatred of sin, and love of holiness; and in special in the point of Justice. When we hate sin throughly, and find it so incorporated into our flesh, that they must live and dye together, it will make Death the more easy to us, because it will be the death of sin; even of that sin which we most hate, and that God hateth, and that hath cost us so dear as it hath done. When we are in love with holiness, and know that we shall never be perfect in it, till after Death; it will make Death the more welcome, as the passage to our desired life. When the Justice, even the castigatory and vindictive Justice of God, is more amiable in our eyes, and we are not blinded by self-love, to judge of God and of his ways, according to the interest of our flesh; we shall then consent to his dissolving stroke, and that see the bitterness of Death proceedeth from that which is good in God, though from that which is evil in our selves. Doubtless, as Justice ⟨p. 88⟩is one of the blessed Attributes of God, so should it be amiable to man, there being nothing in God but what is lovely. It is the prevalency of self-love, that makes men so insensible of the excellency of Divine Justice, while they speak so respectfully of his mercy. So far as men are carnal and selfish they cannot love that by which they smart, or of which they are in danger. But the soul that is got above it self, and is united unto God in Christ, and hath that Image of God, which containeth the impress and effect of all his Attributes, hath such an habit of impartial justice in himself, and such a hatred of sin, and such a desire that the honour of God should be vindicated and maintained, and such an approbation of the Justice of God, that he can the more easily consent or submit to the dissolving stroke of Death: He hateth his own sin, and loatheth himself for all his abominations, and is possessed with that Justice that provoketh him to self revenge in an ordinate sort, and therefore doth love and honour that Justice that inflicteth on him the penalty of Death; (Especially since Mercy hath made it a useful Castigation.)