He

BOTH thefe Difcourfes of St. Paul to the Corinthians and Theffalonians, concerning the Hope and State of the Dead, are certainly worthy to be well confidered. exhorts the Theffalonians not to grieve immoderately, like Men that are without Hope, for thofe that are Dead, or that fleep in Jefus. But what Argument does he make ufe of to comfort them, and to repel their immoderate Grief? Is it from this, that the Souls of the Righteous, as foon as ever they are freed from their Bodies, enter into Heaven, and partake of celeftial Glory? This, indeed, had been the greatest Confolation imaginable, and a most present and effectual Remedy. But 'tis not from this Confideration, nor from the Dead's immediate Poffeffion of Happiness, that he derives the Comfort which he gives to the Living, and the Fomentation that he uses to affwage their Grief; but from the certain Hope of a blissful Refurrection, and of a future Return with Chrift in the glorious Day of Theff.iv. his Coming. I would not have you to be ig13, 14, 18. norant, Brethren, concerning them which are afleep, that you forrow not even as others that have no Hope: For, if we believe that Jefus died and rofe again, even fo them which fleep in fefus, will God bring with him. Wherefore comfort one another with these

I Theff.iv.

Words.

MOREOVER St. Paul, in another Difcourfe 30,31,32 to the Corinthians, Chap. xv, seems to

argue

. argue in fuch a Manner, as if our whole Hope depended on the Resurrection, as if the Life to come would not be worth looking after, unworthy the Labours that we undergo, and the Dangers that we pafs through in expecting it, unless we were one Time to rife from the Grave. But now, if at the End of this prefent Life we are immediately transported to that beatifick Glory, we fhall then be happy, nay, unspeakably happy, though no Refurrection should follow. The divine Condition of the Soul would be the ampleft Reward for the most heroick Virtue, fince to dwell for ever in that celeftial Light would be fupream Felicity.

AND yet the fame Apoftle, after the fame Manner, in the eighth Chapter to the Romans, comparing the Sufferings of this V. 18, 23. prefent Life, with the Glory that we shall enjoy hereafter, takes no Notice of this immediate beatifick Vision, but regards the Time of the Refurrection only, as if before the Arrival of that Day, the Saints would have no Reward; for I reckon that the Sufferings of this prefent Time are not worthy to be compar'd with the Glory which shall be reveal'd in us. But when is this Glory to be reveal'd in us? Is it to be immediately after Death? No, but when we wait for the Adoption, to wit, the Redemption of the Body, that is, at the Resurrection. And in the fecond Epiftle to the Corinthians, he iv. 17, fays

E 4

I.

says after the fame Manner; That our light Affliction, which is but for a Moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory. For we know, that this 1 Theff.v. Tabernacle being diffolv'd: Well, what follows? That we fhall ftrait afcend up to Heaven to the Enjoyment of the beatifick Vifion: No, I find nothing like it. Well then, what follows? We have a Building of God, a Houfe not made with Hands eternal in the Heavens, to wit, the celeftial Body, with which we shall then be cloathed. You fee, therefore, that in the Christian Doctrine all Things are referr'd to this: Nor will it be easy to find that there is any Retribution befides Peace and Reft, and Comfort of Mind, promis'd in the Gospel, before either the firft or the feApoc. xx. cond Refurrection.

Mat. xix.

28, 29. Act. iii. 19, 20.

2 Theff. i.

7.

6.

Tit. ii.

12, 13.

I PASS over, for the fake of Brevity, other Paffages which relate to the Point in Coloff. iii. Question, which yet I earnestly advise you to weigh diligently. Let us now only 1 John iii. hearken to the Voice from Heaven, Bleed Apoc. xiv. are the Dead who die in the Lord.

3, 4.

2., 3.

13.

But

why bleffed? Is it because they are immediately to enjoy the beatifick Vifion? I find nothing at all like this in the Prophet: What then do we find in him? For 2Cor.v. 5. they reft from their Labours, and their Works 23, 28. follow them, which at length will have their 1 Cor. i. 7. Reward. This is the establish'd Order of Things; this, and no other, is the Beatitude

Heb. ix.

that

that we are to expect. We affert then, according to the Decrees of the Chriftin Religion, that the Felicity of departed Saints will arife, either from the Hope of future Glory, or from Reft and internal Joy, till that happy Day shall shine forth, in which Chrift will raise them from the Dead, make them like to the Angels in Glory, and conformable to himself.

WHAT we read further in the facred Story of the Dead recall'd to Life, and of the Seats and Receptacles of departed Souls, anfwers to this Explication. For can any one believe that Chrift tore Lazarus from the beatifick Vifion, and forc'd him to come back into this miferable Life; or that Abraham's Bofom, into which we read that the other Lazarus was tranflated, was the fame Place with the Kingdom of Heaven, and the beatifick Vifion of God; or that the Souls that cry from under the Altar, or that the Faithful, in their imperfect State, Apoc. vi. can bear the Splendor of celestial Light, Heb. xi. and dwell in eternal Glory? If upon these 39, 40. Paffages we confult the Fathers, they will make quite other Anfwers. Laftly, when Chrift carried with him the Soul of the Thief into Paradife, he carried him not up to the Heaven of Heavens, the Seat of beatifick Vifion; for he afcended not thither himself, during the three Days of his Death; nor do ancient Authors, either Jews or Chrif

Phil. i. 23.

tians, * give that Interpretation to the Word Paradife. If we weigh all this with impartial Minds, and readily follow where the Light of the facred Writings leads us; if we turn not afide from this Path for any Cause whatever, nor take one Step beyond it, why then must we fay, or rather repeat, Bleffed are the Dead who die in the Lord, even at prefent bleffed, because they enjoy Peace, and Reft, and Comfort; and will be hereafter transcendantly bleft, when, upon the second Coming of Chrift having put on their glorify'd Bodies, they fhall enjoy the ravishing Sight of God in an inexpreffible Man

ner.

NOR is it any folid Objection to this 2 Cor.v.8. our Opinion, that St. Paul fays, That if he dy'd, he should be prefent with Christ, and, as it were, at home with the Lord: For whatever Presence you can fuppofe that the Apoftle means here, whether the vifible and corporeal one, or the fpiritual and internal one, neither of them will at all weaken our Cause. If the Apostle means the corporeal Prefence, he means it from the Time of the Refurrection, the Interval of Reft between Death and that being accounted as nothing: For Souls being separated from their Bodies, and from

*The Jews fuppofe the Happiness of the Dead to be imperfect till the Day of Judgment. Vid. Pocock. Notmife. c. vi. p. 176.