possible that any can reach glory but through the intervention of death? We will consider the matter, and first considering man before the fall, and for a moment supposing he was never to fall, then I argue he could not see death, seeing death was the wages of sin. But still even then, man was in a state of unglorified perfection; first because he was in a state of probation, and next because he was not a perfect spirit, being compounded of pure spirit, and a heterogenous earthly body. I say unglorified perfection; because I conceive it impossible that Adam could have gone to the world of spirits whilst surrounded with a natural body, and though I conceive that he could not taste death for the reason just mentioned, viz. that death is the wages of sin, yet I conceive he must have passed through a change, something similar to that of Elijah's, who ascended up to Heaven in chariots of fire and who whilst he was exempted from the pains of death, and descended not to the tomb in his natural body, yet suffered his mantle to divide the waters of Jordan, thus acknowledging death his rightful Lord, froni whose power he triumphed, he 、was set free only by the extreme and abundant grace

:

of the Lord his God towards him; but these are some of the secret things that belong to the Lord. 2d. Considering man since the fall. If we read the extent of the curse, as commented upon by Paul, we have these words; " and so death passed upon all "men, for that all have sinned," Rom. v. 12. Hence

all men must taste death. But I just mentioned that Elijah was taken up to Heaven without passing the chambers of death: how can this be accounted for, seeing all were to suffer death, and Elijah lived after the fall of Adam and consequently under the curse of the fall? I answer as I have already accounted for it, viz. on the sovereign grace of God put forth in an extraordinary way, to shew that sinners may be saved under every dispensation of his church, consistently with free grace and his sovereign pleasure. But further to illustrate and strengthen this, I take pleasure in quoting from the pious writings of a late celebrated author and minister of the gospel, who thus adds ; "Such an one 64 was Enoch: : thus he lived and walked with God; "and thus escaped death that end of all men: He was not, for God took him. This is the last "memorable particular of his history. About the "import of the words, we can be at no loss, after "the apostle has explained them; by his being "translated that he should not see death. And "what is the instruction which it administers to the "world? Simply this, that a life of faith and ho"liness is but one remove from glory: that Hea"ven descended to earth, will quickly raise men "from earth to Heaven: that death either averted,

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or overcome and destroyed, will at length open a

passage to perfect union with God and enjoy"ment of him. We acknowledge no other para"dise or habitation of the blessed, but that repre

"sented in scripture, as the place where God gives "the brightest evidences of his gracious presence, "and communicates his glory in full splendor. "That to which Jesus on the cross promised to "conduct the penitent thief. That which Paul "calls the third Heaven; and which in other

places of the Bible is denominated HEAVEN, "simply, and by way of excellency. Thither was "Enoch taken; thither also did Elijah 212 years "afterwards mount on a chariot of fire, and the "wings of a whirlwind: and finally thither at length "in placid majesty, ascended the captain of salva"tion, leading captivity captive.'

"Thus in each of the great periods of the church, "was exhibited an instance of a man taken up into "Heaven, body and spirit, as a support and encou66 ragement to the hope of believers, of attaining "the same felicity. Enoch before the law was "given; Elijah under the legal economy; and Je66 sus Christ the Saviour of men under the evange"lical dispensation.

Enoch, Elijah and Christ, in certain views, can "be compared, only with each other; but in all "things HE must have the pre-eminence. By "the power and mercy of God, they were taken 66 up into Heaven; by his own power, he ascended "on high; they as servants, he as the eternal Son "of God. In them we have a repeated instance of "bodies glorified without suffering death: he was "dead and is alive again, and carried to Heaven,

a body which had been laid in the tomb. In “them we have an object of admiration and asto“nishment; in him a pattern for imitation, a Sa"viour in whom to trust, a ground of hope where

on to rest. Faith exempted them from death: " and faith shall at length redeem all the followers "of the Lamb from the power of the grave. "Enoch and Elijah ascended as solitary indivi"duals, Christ as the first fruits of them that sleep; "and lifted up, is drawing an elect world unto "him. They were admitted to regions unknown, "and among society untried: he only returned to "the place from whence he came." Hunter's

Sacred Biography, 5th edit. Vol I. Lect. 6. p. 89. And is it not a comforting thing to think that under the three dispensations of the christian church, God hath furnished a miraculous instance of grace, saving beyond death his chosen servants, in a way typical of the great salvation from the second death, of all who believe upon him.

3d. Christ's death is fruitful in happiness and glory to his people. "Except a corn of wheat 'fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: "but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit." The necessity of Christ's death might here be touched upon as the only way in which man can be saved consistently with the divine justice and ho-, nor. But happily those who are driven to selfdespair of justification by the deeds of the law; are led by the Spirit of God to lay hold on Christ that

they may be justified by faith in his name: I pass it by though not without the firmest faith thereon: and consider the fruits of his death as being the meritorious cause of bringing forth much fruit. A corn of wheat is the figure here made use of, nor is it without a most suitable reference to the Lord Jesus; seeing he is elsewhere spoken of as the bread of life. Now we know that wheat of all other grain is the most in request to make bread, seeing it is of the most nutritious and wholesoine quality of any. And this nature Christ took upon himself for the support and comfort of his people. Now herein do the type and the thing typified coincide, except it die it abideth alone. The grain of wheat is one, and produceth no ears; Christ also is one and hath no members, but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. A grain of wheat, fermenting, dying, springeth úp, and many grains spring from it, Christ dying in the appointed time saveth many members. Yea he saveth a complete "body, the church, which "is the fulness of him who filleth all in all." Ephes. i. 25. But to observe more fully the fruits of his death, they are first primary and then secondary. Under the primary may be observed

1st. Of the eternal election of all his seed. The infinite wisdom of God when in his eternal mind, he planned the making of the world, foresaw its fall: to have prevented which altogether would have destroyed that line of distinction he intended to make between himself and his creatures, by giving them