Vasanos alåethinåe, the true touchstone which shews both grace and nature, or, A discourse concerning self examination, by which both saints and sinners may come to know themselves whereunto are added sundry meditations relating to the Lords Supper / by Nathanael Vincent ...

MEDITATION. XLVII.

If Christ be mine Death is also mine as well as Life. Death is terrible indeed to Nature, and causes the frame thereof to be dissolved; but my Lord has reconciled this last Enemy. 'Tis really mine to serve me, too much mine to do me any real harm. Christ by dying has taken out the sting of Death, so that I need not any longer be un∣der bondage through the Fear of Death. O Death! Thou hast left thy sting in the side of Christ, and there hast lost it. O Grave! My Lord has broke thy gates o∣pen, and because he is risen, I may joyful∣ly conclude my own Resurrection. My bo∣dy must lye in darkness for a while, but it shall not always be Death's Prisoner. This corruptible shall put on incorruption, this mor∣tal shall put on immortality, and as the Corn cast into the ground does rise with advan∣tage,

every single grain yeilding sometimes an hundred fold, so my flesh shall come up out of the Earth with an hundred fold bet∣ter qualities then now it has. 'Tis sown in weakness, 'tis raised in power, 'tis sown in dishonour 'tis raised in glory. But O my Soul! Death will not be able at all to seize on thee. Thou wilt be delivered out of a dun∣geon when thou leavest thine Earthly Ta∣bernacle, and go unto a glorious Palace, assoon as ever thou art absent from the Body thou wilt be present with the Lord, assoon as thou art departed, thou will be with Christ, and how much better that is thou wilt find to thy full and Everlasting joy.