Moab. Daniel was secured from being devoured by those hungry Lions, yet his body became a prey to Death, as well as the bodies of other Prophets. Elisha was spared from being torn in peeces by the Shee-bears out of the Wood, yet Death took him away in the end.
2 This Decree hath made seisure in all Ages, even where faith hath been in an eminent way, as in Moses, witness his undertaking that difficult Embassage to Pharaoh, to de∣liver Israel out of Aegypt, Faith in the end did eat up all his fears, and engaged him in that difficult work, yet Death at last did arrest him, as was hinted before; so in Job, a great Practitioner in the life of faith; that made him draw up this Resolution, Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.
David, a Beleever, a man after Gods own heart, and yet Death overtook him; and Paul, who professed, I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life that I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God, &c. yet, did not death surprise him?
I might be endless here, to shew you how Death at∣tached Beleevers, both before, as well as under the Law, yea even in the time of the Gospel; had the debt of Sin been taken off, and the Decree rescinded, that Purse∣vant of Death would not go on daily to Arrest Beleevrrs at Gods Sute.
Thirdly, The holiest Beleever hath in his body the Prin∣ciple of death, viz. sin, and that entwisted even with his very Nature; As by one man sin entered into the World, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all, &c. The holiest may cry out, as those Sons of the Prophets, O thou man of God, death is in the pot, death is in the body.
Bodies of Sin will become bodies of Death, because sin is in the Soul as a Canker at the root, that will kill the Tree, as the Worm that smote Jonahs Gourd, that made it wither away; this drew out that Empha∣tical Quere, What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? Shall he deliver his soul (himself) from the hand of the grave? A question that carries a Negative an∣swer