The churches triumph over death opened in a sermon preached Septemb. 11, 1660, at…The churches triumph over death opend in a sermon preached Septemb. 11, 1660, at…

1 Then my dead body being members of an Head that lives for ever, and hath the Keys of Hell and the Grave, shall certainly rise: His life is the Foundation of ours, Because I live, ye shall live also John 14. 19. If death had held him, it would much more have held us: But because in him the Mercies of David are sure, therefore his Resurrection is an assurance of ours, Act. 13. 34. Christ will not be incomplete, and the Church is his fullness, Eph. 1. 23. The feet under water are safe, when the Head is above it: Christ is said to be the first that rose from the dead, Act. 26. 23. the first begotten, the first born from the dead, Rev. 1. 5. Col. 1. 18. For though some were raised before him, yet not without him, but by the Fellowship of his Resurrection: As though light rise before the Sun, ⟨p. 27⟩yet it doth not rise but from the Sun. The Mace goes before the Magistrate, but it doth so only in attendance upon him: He the only Conqueror of Death; and as the first fruits did sanctify the whole Mass, Rom. 11. 16. so Christ by his Resurrection did consecrate all such as dye in the Lord, to be a kind of first fruits, and first born, Jam. 1. 18. Heb. 12. 23. and therefore it is said, that they shall rise first, 1 Thes. 4. 16. His Resurrection is unto all his members

1 Then my dead body being members of an Head that lives for ever, and hath the Keys of Hell and the Grave, shall certainly rise: His life is the Foundation of ours, Because I live, ye shall live also