That death makes all men equal, or That all are equal in death. As death equally takes hold of all men, so death makes all men equal; not only are the small and the great there, but there the small and the great are the same: Death takes away all distinctions, and the grave knows no difference among the sons of men. While men live, they are at a great distance one from another. There is and there ought to be distinctions among men, and men ought to know their terms of distance, and to acknowledge men in their greatness, power and places. As there is one glory of the Sun, and another glory of the Moon, and another glory of the Stars, for one Star differeth from another Star in glory, 1 Cor. 15.41. So there is one terrestrial glory of Kings, and another glory of Nobles, and another glory of the Common-people, and these have not the same glory in common, even among them, one man differs from another man in this worldly glory; but when death comes, there is an end of all degrees, of all distinctions, ⟨p. 437⟩There the small and the great are the same. As the Apostle speaks of our being in Christ, in regard of the privileges of the Gospel, Col. 3.11. In Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile, there is neither male nor female, there is neither bond nor free, that is, all have a like and an equal share in Christ, and in the privileges of the Gospel: the Gospel makes no distinction between poor and rich, in regard of spiritual privileges and benefits; so death takes away all distinctions in regard of civill privileges, In death there is neither small nor great, neither male nor female, neither bond nor free; the greatest shall lie, as low as the smallest, and the highest as low, as the meanest, every one there shall be but as his neighbour, and as his brother in the flesh. There is but one distinction that will out-live death, and death cannot take it away; the distinction of holy and unholy, clean and unclean, believer and an infidel, these distinctions remain after death, and shall remain for ever; but rich and poor, honourable and base, high and low, King and subject, these distinctions shall be done away, and forgotten as if they had never been: no difference, no distinction (but that which God makes, and that which grace makes) can stand out against the power and stroke of death, There, the small and great are the same.
That death makes all men equall, or That all are equall in death. As death equally takes hold of all men, so death makes all men equall; not only are the small and the great there, but there the small and the great are the same: Death takes away all distinctions, and the grave knowes no difference among the sons of men. While men live, they are at a great distance one from another. There is and there ought to be distinctions among men, and men ought to know their termes of distance, and to acknowledge men in their greatnesse, power and places. As there is one glory of the Sunne, and another glory of the Moone, and another glory of the Starres, for one Starre differeth from another Starre in glory, 1 Cor. 15.41. So there is one terrestriall glory of Kings, and another glory of Nobles, and another glory of the Common-people, and these have not the same glory in common, even among them, one man differs from another man in this worldly glory; but when death comes, there is an end of all degrees, of all distinctions, ⟨p. 437⟩There the small and the great are the same. As the Apostle speakes of our being in Christ, in regard of the priviledges of the Gospell, Col. 3.11. In Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile, there is neither male nor female, there is neither bond nor free, that is, all have a like and an equall share in Christ, and in the priviledges of the Gospell: the Gospell makes no distinction between poore and rich, in regard of spirituall priviledges and benefits; so death takes away all distinctions in regard of civill priviledges, In death there is neither small nor great, neither male nor female, neither bond nor free; the greatest shall lie, as low as the smallest, and the highest as low, as the meanest, every one there shall be but as his neighbour, and as his brother in the flesh. There is but one distinction that will out-live death, and death cannot take it away; the distinction of holy and unholy, cleane and uncleane, beleever and an infidell, these distinctions remaine after death, and shall remaine for ever; but rich and poore, honourable and base, high and low, King and subject, these distinctions shall be done away, and forgotten as if they had never been: no difference, no distinction (but that which God makes, and that which grace makes) can stand out against the power and stroake of death, There, the small and great are the same.
