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

but the second Adam hath brought it again empty to his own people. I feel a sting, may the dying saint say; yet it is but a bee-sting, stinging only through the skin: but O death, where is thy sting, thine old sting, the serpent's sting, that stings to the heart and soul? The sting of death is Sin: but that is taken away. If death arrest the saint, and carry him before the Judge, to answer for the debt he contracted, the debt will be sound paid by the glorious Cautioner: and he has the discharge to show. The thorn of guilt is pulled out of the man's conscience; and his name is blotted out of the black roll, and written among the living in Jerusalem. It is true, it is a great journey to go through the valley of the shadow of death: but the saint's burden is taken away from off his back, his iniquity is pardoned, he may walk at case; no lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast: the redeemed may walk at leisure there, free from all apprehensions of danger.

Lastly, They shall have a joyful entrance into the other world. Their arrival in the regions of bliss, will be celebrated with rapturous hymns of praise to their glorious Redeemer. A dying day is a good day to a godly man. Yea, it is his best day; it is better to him than his birth-day, or than the most joyous day he ever had on earth. A good name, says the wise man, is better than precious ointment: and the day of death, than the day of one's birth, Eccl. vii. 1. The notion of the immortality of the soul, and of future happiness, which obtained among some Pagan nations, had wonderful effects on them. Some of them when they mourned for the dead, did it in women's apparel; that being moved with the indecency of the ⟨p. 239⟩garb, they might the sooner lay aside their mourning. Others buried them without any lamentation or mourning: but had a sacrifice, and a feast for friends upon that occasion. Some were wont to mourn at births, and rejoice at burials. But the practice of some Indian nations is yet more strange. of whom it is reported, that upon the husband's decease, his several wives were it use to contend, before the judges, which of them was the best beloved wife: and she, in whose favours it was determined, with a cheerful countenance, threw herself into the flames prepared for her husband's corpse, was burned with it, and reckoned happy, while the rest lived in grief, and were accounted miserable. But, howsoever lame notions of a future state, assisted by pride, affectation of applause, apprehensions of difficulties in this life, and such like principles, proper to depraved human nature, may influence rude, uncultivated minds, when strengthened by the arts of hell: O! what solid joy and consolation may they have who are true Christians, being in Christ, who hath brought life and immortality to light by the gospel!