faints; There the wicked ceafe from troubling, there the weary are at reft; that is, from the troublings of the wicked, whether wicked men or devils, or a wicked heart: They hear no more the cry of violence, nor feel any more the hand of the oppreffor; wherefore Solomon says, I praised the dead, or, as the Chaldee paraphraft renders the phrafe, I praised thofe that lie down to fleep, which are already dead, more than the living which are yet alive'. Death cures them at once of all the diftempers and diseases of their bodies, and sets them free from all their pains and agonies: They that die in the Lord, or fleep in Jefus, rest from their labours and fatigues both of body and mind, and their works do follow them. Moreover, such as are asleep, they do not fleep always, they awake again out of fleep: So they that fleep in the duft of the earth shall awake; particularly, those that fleep in Jefus, when he fhall call unto them, they fhall hear his voice, saying, Awake and fing, ye that dwell in the duft; they fhall then rife immediately with the utmost pleasure, in perfect conformity to the image of Chrift; which will be their great fatisfaction; as the Pfalmift says, As for me I will behold thy face in righteoufnefs: I fhall be fatisfied when I awake with thy likeness. Again, as the fleep of a labouring man is fweet to him, it refreshes nature, revives his spirits, and reftores his ftrength; he lies down in the evening fatigued and weary, he rifes in the morning brisk and chearful, and fit for business: So the faints at the refurrection will awake out of their fleep to great advantage; the body, which is fown in corruption, will be raised in incorruption; which is fown in dishonour, will be raised in glory; which is fown in weakness, will be raised in power; and, which is fown a natural body, will be raised a fpiritual one, and fo fit for fpiritual employment and fervice. Add to all this, that both sleep and death are common to all men. Sleep is neceffary for man, what he cannot do without, and is a bleffing of nature that all more or less enjoy. Death is become neceffary for all; the grave is the boufe appointed for all living. It is the decree of heaven, that man. fhould once die, or pafs under a change that is equivalent to death; for though we shall not all fleep, that is, die, yet we shall all be changed: And though death is the wages of fin, and fo is a curse of the law entailed upon mankind, yet to them that die in the Lord it is a blessing; the curfe is removed from their death, the fting is taken out of it by Chrift; fo be gives his beloved fleep, in a different manner from the rest of men. For,

2. The pious dead are not only afleep, but afleep in Jafus. Some 'join the phrafe in or by Jefus with the word bring, and read the fentence thus, them that. Sleep, by Jefus will God bring with him; intimating, that God will raise up the dead bodies of the faints by Chrift, as God-Man and Mediator; for fince by man came death, by man came alfo the refurrection of the dead; and that through him

be will bring them to eternal glory, and fave them by him, the Lord their God, alone; by whom he refolved, determined, and appointed from all eternity, to fave them. Others read the words, them that fleep for or through JesusTM; m; that is, who die for the fake of Chrift, and fo reftrain them to the martyrs of Jefus ; who, they fuppofe, only will have part in the first refurrection, and are the dead in Chrift that shall rife first, and whom God will bring along with Jefus at his fecond coming: But it should be observed, that the apoftle in this epiftle speaks of the coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift with all his faints"; they fhall all come with him, not only the martyrs, but all the reft; wherefore I think the words are best rendered, as they are by our tranflators, them that sleep in Jesus; and it is the apostle's language elsewhere, then they alfo which are fallen afleep in Christ are perished, and to be understood of all that die in the Lord, that is, who are interested in him; for we are not to limit fuch expreffions to those who die in faith, in the lively exercise of faith on Chrift. Many indeed have died in this comfortable manner, which has made their death easy to themselves, and delightful to their friends. So David died, as his last words teftify; Although my house be not fo with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and fure. So good old Simeon died in the arms of Jesus; I was just ready to say, with Jefus in his arms, expreffing himself thus; Lord, now lettest thou thy fervant depart in peace, according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy falvation. Thus died the great apoftle of the Gentiles, who, as he could say in life, I know whom I have believed, and I am perfuaded, that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day'; fo when the time of his departure was at hand, with the greatest chearfulness, and with full afsurance of faith declared, saying, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; benceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day. But this is not always the cafe of God's people; fome of them are in the dark in their last moments, and go from hence under a cloud, and yet go safe, and may be faid to die or sleep in Jefus, interested in him, and in union with him, which this phrafe in Jefus is expreffive of.

Union to Chrift may be confidered either as fecret or open. God's elect had a fecret union to Chrift from all eternity, for they were chofen in him before the foundation of the world, and were as early blessed in him with all spiritual blessings; grace was given to them in him before the world began; and on account of this union were preferved in him in time, notwithstanding the fall of Adam; were represented in him, and by him, when he was crucified and flain, when

he was buried in the grave and rofe again; hence they are faid to be raised up together, and made to fit together in heavenly places in Chrift Jefus. Now this fecret union to Chrift becomes open and manifeft in converfion; I knew a man in Chrift, fays the apostle, above fourteen years ago ", meaning himself, who was converted fo many years before the time of his then writing. In this fense are we to understand thofe words of the fame apoftle, where he fays, that Andronicus and Junia were in Chrift before him"; which cannot be faid of their election in Chrift, and federal relation to him, which commenced together. With respect to these things, one perfon cannot be faid to be in Chrift before another; but one man may be converted before another, and fo appear to be in Chrift before the other does, which is what the apoftle means. Now this union is not diffolved by death; fuch as are once in Chrift, are always fo; they that are in him while living, are in him when they die; and will be found in him in the refurrection-morn, and day of judgment. Thofe whom Chrift betroths to himself, takes into a near conjugal union and relation to himself, he betroths for ever. Love is the bond of this union, and there is nothing either in life or death that can unloose it. Who shall feparate us from the love of Chrift? Shall tribulation or diftrefs, or perfecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or fword? nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that has loved us; for, adds the apostle, I am perfuaded, that neither death nor life-fhall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jefus our Lord. The bodies as well as the fouls of the faints are united to Chrift, and remain in union to him, even when they are afleep or dead; for though death diffolves the union between foul and body, it does not diffolve the union between the body and Chrift; our bodies are the members of Christ, and continue to be fo in the grave, as elfe where; hence whilst there, they are at reft, and in the greatest fafety, being under the inspection, care, and guardianship of Chrift; to whom Jehovah, the Father, has declared it as his will, that of all which he hath given him he should lofe nothing, no not any of their duft, but should raise it up again at the last day; and by virtue of this union will the pious dead be raised. Chrift is the first-fruits of them, which reprefents, fanctifies, and enfures the whole lump: Becaufe be lives, who was dead, they who are dead and fleep in him fhall live alfo. This is what the apoftle Itrongly argues in the words of our text, If we believe that Jefus died, and rofe again, then we should believe alfo, that them that fleep in Jefus, God will bring with him; for if the head is rifen, the members fhall be raised alfo. But let us proceed,

II. To confider the knowledge that living faints may have, and the notice that they fhould take, of the state and condition of them that are asleep in Jesus: I would not have you to be ignorant concerning them that are afleep. And,

1. We

• Ephes. ii. 6.

" 2 Cor. xii. 2.

Rom. xvi. 7. × Rom. viii. 35, 37-39

1. We may be affured that they are, that they are in being, that they do exist; for, though they are gone from us, they are fomewhere else. We are not to confider them as non-entities, as annihilated, as reduced to nothing, because they are departed from us. It is faid indeed of Rachel, that she was weeping for her children, and refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not; that is, they were not with her, they were not on earth, in the land of the living; but then it follows not, that they were not any where elfe. It is obferved of Enoch, that he was not; that is, he was not on earth, converfing among men as before; he was in heaven with God, for God took him. Thus, though the places of our dear friends and relations, who die in the Lord, know them no more; though their families and acquaintance know them no more after the flesh, yet they are ftill in being; their fouls are immortal and never die; and as foon as their bodies die, their fouls return to God that gave them: as foon as thefe are separated from their bodies, as fwift as angels can bear them away, they are carried by them into Abraham's bofom; they are lodged in the embraces of Chrift, and continue with him in the heavenly paradife, till the laft trumpet founds, and the dead arife. Nor are their bodies, which are laid in grave, crumbled into nothing; they return indeed to the duft, but there is a wide difference between returning to the duft, and being reduced to nothing. Thefe earthly tabernacles indeed are unpinned and taken down, and their feveral parts feparated from each other; but then they are not utterly destroyed; and they will be put together again in a better frame and order than ever they were before; and fo become fit and everlasting habitations for their fouls to dwell in. The bodies of the faints are the purchase of Chrift's blood, are members of his body, and the temples of the holy Ghoft, and therefore can never be brought to nothing. Christ will not lofe his purchase, nor any part of his fulnefs; nor will the Spirit of God lofe his dwelling-place.

2. We should confider, and bear in mind, not only that they are, but that they are asleep, yea, afleep in Jefus, and fo at reft and in fafety. Such a view of the ftate of the dead ferves to render death very eafy and familiar to us; and to take off the horror, and thofe frightful apprehenfions which are often entertained concerning it; for the death of a believer is but like a man's lying down on his bed at evening, where he takes a comfortable nap till the morning light, when he rifes refreshed and fatisfied. In this light Job reprefents it to himself and others, Man, fays he, lieth down, and rifeth not till the heavens be no more; which general cafe of man he particularly applies to himfelf, and explains what he means by fuch expreflions, faying, If a man die, fhall be live again? Yes, he fhall live again; wherefore, fays he, all the days of my appointed time, that is, in the grave, will I wait, with patience, until my change comes, at the time

time of the glorious resurrection; when thou shalt call, as one man may call up another in the morning to rife out of his bed, and attend his bufinefs, and I will answer thee; I shall awake at thy call; I fhall rife at thy word of command, when I fhall hear thee say, "Arife, ye dead, and come to judgment;" for thou wilt bave a defire to the work of thine hands, to see it raised and restored to a more glorious form than it now exists in: Hence he could say to corruption, Thou art my father; to the worm, Thou art my mother and my fifter: And where is now my bope? As for my bope, who shall fee it? They shall go down to the bars of the pit. when our reft together is in the duft. This confideration of the state of the dead, as of persons asleep, and at rest, serves alfo to moderate our grief and forrow for the lofs of any of our friends. Very pertinently may those words be applied to our present cafe, which our Lord spoke to the parents of the maid he raised from the dead, and others with them; why make ye this ado and weep? THE DAMSEL IS NOT DEAD, BUT SLEEPETH. What master of a family can be uneasy at finding his family, his wife, his children, his fervants, in a found fast sleep at midnight? May he not expect they will rife in the morning well and healthful, and ready to go about any service that may be proper for them. Sound fleep fupposes healthfulness; and in case of illness and indisposition it promises a deliverance from it; as the disciples observed concerning Lazarus, when Chrift faid, Our friend Lazarus fleepeth; Lord, fay they, if he fleep be fhall do well. The faints who are fallen asleep must needs do well; they cannot do otherwise than well, who not only fleep, but fleep in Jesus. Should it be asked, How shall we know that our friends died in Chrift, or sleep in Jesus ? may be replied, Did they live in Chrift? Did they live to him? If fo, they died in him, and died to him; for none of us, that is, of the faints, liveth to bimfelf; and no man, of that fort, dieth to himself; for whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord. So that from hence it may be strongly concluded, that, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. Since therefore our life, and that of our friends, is bid with Chrift in God; though we shall die, and they are fallen afleep in Jefus, yet, when Chrift who is our and their life, fhall appear, we and they shall appear with him in glory.

It

3. It may be known, and should be confidered, that the pious dead, though they are at present asleep, they will not fleep always, they will awake again, they will rife from the dead. Nothing is more certain, than that there will be a refurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust; and as for the dead in Chrift, they will rife firft; they will have the start of the wicked dead by the space of a thousand years. The refurrection-day is the day of the Lord; and one day with