Human nature in its fourfold state ... In several practical discourses

Death can do them no harm. It cannot even hurt their bodies: for tho' it separate the soul from the body, it cannot separate the body from the Lord Christ. Even death is to them but sleep in Jesus, 1 Thess. iv. 14. They continue members of Christ, though in a grave. Their dust is precious dust, laid up in a grave, as in their Lord's cabinet. They lie in a grave •ellowing; as precious fruit laid up to be brought forth to him at the resurrection. The husbandman has corn in his barn, and corn lying in the ground: the latter is more precious to him than the former; because he looks to get it returned with increase. Even so the dead bodies of the saints are valued by their Saviour: they are sown in corruption, to he raised in incorruption; sown in dishonour, raised in glory, 1 Cor. xv. ••, 43. It cannot hurt their souls. It is with the souls of the saints as death as with Paul and his company in their voyage, whereof ⟨p. 238⟩we have the history, Acts xxvii. the ship was broke in pieces, but the passengers got all safe to land. When the dying saint's speech is laid, his eyes set, and his last breath drawn, the soul gets safe away into the heavenly paradise, leaving the body to return to its earth, but in the joyful hope of a re-union at its glorious resurrection. How can death hurt the godly? It is a foiled enemy: if it cast them down, it is only that they may rise up more glorious. Our Saviour Jesus Christ hath abolished DEATH, 2 Tim. i. 10. The soul and life of it is gone: it is but a walking shade that may fright, but cannot hurt saints; it is only the shadow of death to them; it is not the thing itself: their dying is but as dying, or somewhat like dying. The Apostle tells us, It is Christ that died, Rom. viii. 34. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, though stoned to death, yet but fell asleep, Acts viii. 34. Certainly the nature of death is quite changed with respect to the saints. It is not to them, what it was to Jesus Christ their head: It is not the envenomed ruinating thing, wrapped up in the sanction of the first covenant, Gen ii. 19. In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. It comes to the godly without its sting: they may meet it with that salutation, O death, where is thy sting? is this Mara? Is this bitter death? It went out full into the world, when the first Adam opened the door to it: