The happiness of those who sleep in Jesus, or, The benefit that comes to…The happinesse of those who sleep in Jesus, or, The benefit that comes to…

3. From Divine desertions. In this life God many times withdraweth the light of his countenance from his sinning Children, which is more terrible to them than death it self: For if his loving kindness is better than life, ¹then his frowns are worse than death. But after death the light of Gods countenance shall shine perpetually upon them, and never admit either of a cloud, or Eclipse.

1. 1Psal 63.3

4. From the very being and existence of sin. The death of the body frees them perfectly from the body of death. Death drieth up the bloody issue of sin, ¹root and branch. As sin at first begat and brought forth death, so death at last destroys sin, as the worm kills the tree that bred it. Therefore St. Austin saith, Plus restituitur quam amittitur. More is restored to a Child of God than he lost in Adam: For Adam had only a power not to sin, but he by death hath an impossibility of sinning. Sin was Obstetrix mortis, a Midwife to bring death into the World, ²and death is Sepulchrum peccati, a Sepulchre to bury sin in. Insomuch as death is now become not so much the death of the man, as of his sin and misery.

4. From the very being and existence of sin. The death of the body frees them perfectly from the body of death. Death drieth up the bloudy issue of sin, ¹root and branch. As sin at first begat and brought forth death, so death at last destroyes sin, as the worm kills the tree that bred it. Therefore St. Austin saith, Plus restituitur quam amittitur. More is restored to a Child of God than he lost in Adam: For Adam had only a power not to sin, but he by death hath an impossibility of sinning. Sin was Obstetrix mortis, a Midwife to bring death into the World,