A funeral sermon on the death of that pious gentlewoman Mrs. Judith Hamond Late…

It should awaken us to consider, Have we made our Interest sure in our Lord Jesus Christ, that great Prince and Lord of Life. He that hath the Son hath life. 'Tis Eternal Life that is spoken of in that Context, 1 Joh. 5. 11, 12. This is the record that God hath given us, eternal life; and this life is in his Son; That is, this Eternal Life. He that hath the Son, hath [this] Life, he that hath not the Son, hath not [this] Life. Spiritual Life, and Eternal Life, are all one, all of a piece; the same in nature and kind. The One will grow up into the other.

That Life only is here meant, that will be Eternal Life. To the same sense is that, He that believeth ⟨p. 25⟩in me, shall never dye, Joh. 11. 26. These are plain words. He hath a life in him that is Immortal, Sacred, and not liable to be touched. It was before said, They that believe in him, if dead, shall live, ver. 25▪ But not only that, but 'tis further added, they that believe in him shall never dye; If dead, they shall live; If they ¹live, they shall never dye; What means this? that they have a life, besides this bodily one; which is continued thorough Death. Of this line or thread, Death makes no intercision. But we can never justify it to God, or our own understandings, to rest in a dubious uncertainty about a matter of so vast Consequence as this. Unconcernedness here, is the most unaccountable thing in the whole World; i e. whether we have only that life in us which will end in the darkness and rottenness of a Grave, and an horrid Hell; or that which runs into Eternal Life? Things will come to this issue very shortly with us, that either death must, as to us, be swallowed up in victory, or we be swallowed up of victorious death; Nor have we any ways to ascertain our own state, but (as was said) by uniting with the Prince of life; i. e. by receiving him in all the Capacities wherein we are to be concerned with him; and by resigning our selves entirely to him. For if we must have him, that we may have life: How can we, otherwise, have him but by receiving him. The Gospel, under which we live, can only be a savour of life to us, as it disposes us hereunto. Recollect your selves then; How do your Lords Days, and other Seasons, of attending this Gospel, pass over with you? Have you long expected Life, and (which is less likely) do you meet with continual and total disappointments?