The blessedness of the death of these that die in the Lord and more…The blessednesse of the death of these that die in the Lord and more…

But 2ly, There are two uses we would speak a little more particularly to, the first whereof, is to exhort you to that which is the sum of all we have spoken to you from these words, even to study to live so as ye may die in Christ, which death, hath so many and so strong grounds of consolation waiting it, that all the world cannot possibly parallel or equal them; If here were not another motive to press you to faith in Christ, and to mortification, and to the making of your calling and election sure, this is sufficient, that these things have such comforts at death and against it, which are the most uncontravertibly sure, stable, and lasting grounds of comfort; other grounds of comfort that go quite dry and evanish at death, are but miserable comforters, and like Job's winter-brooks of water, that in summer disappoint the weary traveller, and send him away ashamed; but these comforts can guard the heart against the law, against challenges for sin, and against the Devil; nay let us suppose, that there were millions of Devils, and of challenges for sin, and of laws transgressed thereby, to speak and pass sentence against the believer in Christ, there is mighty and marvellous ground of comfort for him against them all here, he may appear and appeal and confidently say, there are moe with me ⟨p. 122⟩then against me; death to him wants its sting, and •in its strength, and he may stop over the bound-rode (to say so) and border of time into eternity, with a song of praise and triumph in his mouth, and die as quietly and confidently as if he were to lye down in his bed, as it is Isa. 57. v. 1, 2. yea, with a great deal more quietness, confidence, and cheerfulness: Therefore were ye to choice a way of living, let it be this, even to live so as ye may die in Christ; This is, as I said, the great scope of all that we have spoken from these words, even to stir you up to live so as ye may be happy at your death, and that is to die in him: I shall propose but one consideration to enforce this upon you, and its this, that way of living and dying hath with it an alteration of the nature of all things; when a man is an enemy to God, all things are accursed to him, but when he is befriended to God and in good terms with him, all things are blessed to him, and work together for his good, Rom. 8. v. 28 and death comes in amongst these all things;