priving him, before his natural time, of the enjoyments of the present state? Must it not be admitting him to those of a future one? When God called himself, in a distinguished sense, the God of Abraham, and the patriarchs, what had they enjoyed in this life, answerable to so extraordinary a manner of speaking? Many, in all likelihood, both equalled and exceeded them in worldly satisfactions: but therefore, as the Epistle to the Hebrews teaches, God was not ashamed to be called their God, because he had prepared for them a heavenly city. When Jacob confessed himself a pilgrim and stranger on earth, he plainly declared, as the same Epistle observes, that he desired a better country* for his home. Again, when mourning for the supposed death of his son Joseph, he saith, he will go down to him: we translate the next word wrongly, into the grave †, as if he meant to have his body laid by him: that could not be; for he thought him devoured by wild beasts: it means into the invisible state, the state of departed souls. And in this sense it is said of several of the patriarchs, that they were gathered unto their people; and of all that generation, which lived with Joshua, that they were gathered unto their fathers §. In the time of Moses we find, that even the heathens had a strong notion of another life. For they had built a superstitious practice upon it, of seeking to the dead, and enquiring of them concerning things to come. A foolish and wicked custom indeed: but however, it shews the belief was deeply rooted in them. And though future recompences were not, directly and expressly, either promised to good per+ Gen. xxxvii. 25. *Heb. xi. 13—16. Gen. xxv. 8. xxxv. 29. xlix. 29. | Deut. xviii. 9-12. sons, or threatened to bad, in the law of Moses: yet that might be, not because they were unknown, but because God thought them sufficiently known; and for reasons of unsearchable wisdom, did not think proper, that Moses should make any considerable addition to that knowledge: of which there was the less occasion, as temporal rewards and punishments were more equally administered by Providence amongst the Jews, than any other people. Besides, a life to come is not mentioned in the laws of our own nation neither though we know, they were made by such, as professed firmly to believe it. And the reason is, partly that national laws are more immediately designed to procure men peace and prosperity on earth, than happiness in heaven: and partly also, that they propose such encouragements, as they are able to bestow; and such penalties, as they are able to inflict: which are those of this world only. Moses indeed went beyond the sanctions, which are in man's power: and assured the Jews of God's blessing on their obedience, and curses on their disobedience. But as, in so doing, he spoke not so much to single persons considered singly, as to the whole people in a body; these blessings and curses could be only, what they were, those of the present life: because the division of mankind into nations will subsist no longer; and therefore national good or evil can be enjoyed or suffered only here. But still, since it is evident, through the whole of his law, that the Jews had the most serious belief of a just Providence; and also, from the above-mentioned proofs, that they believed a future state; surely they must believe in general, that this providence would be so exerted in that state, as to reward the good, and punish the wicked. More and stronger evidences of this will be given under the second particular, the resurrection of the body. At present I shall go on to observe further, that not only the Jews, but all the nations of the world, whether learned or unlearned, whether known in former times or discovered of later times, appear to have been persuaded, that the souls of men continue after death. Now this so universal agreement must surely have arisen from an inward principle of nature, dictating to all persons, that they are designed for a future existence; and that as they are plainly creatures accountable for their actions, yet often do not account here, they must expect to do it hereafter. Or should the notion be supposed to have its origin from tradition; that tradition must have been derived from what God himself had taught the first of men: else it had never reached to all men and it must have found some powerful confirmation in the minds and hearts of men: else in so great a length of time, amidst so many changes of human circumstances, it must have been universally worn out and forgotten. : Indeed, before our Saviour's days, length of time, and folly, and wickedness, had every where obscured and darkened this great truth, by fabulous additions and absurd alterations: which hindered the good influence of it, on some persons, and discredited the belief of it with others. And had there been none of these obstacles thrown in their way; though reason and conscience teach the doctrine of a future state; yet by the generality of men, reason is little exercised, and conscience little consulted, in relation to unwelcome truths. And though the Old Testament gave some further intimations of it; yet these were neither very clear and explicit, nor known by the greatest part of the world. No wonder then if their conclu sions, concerning a matter so intirely out of sig t were often doubtful, and often false: and thus the were misled in a subject of the greatest importanc to them of all others. It is therefore one inestimable benefit of the Christian revelation, that our blessed Lord hath thoroughly removed the preceding uncertainties and errors; and brought life and immortality to perfect light through the Gospel*: not only confirming by divine authority whatever hath been rationally taught before; but adding, by the same authority, several interesting particulars, which human faculties could not discover: and which partly have been mentioned to you, in discoursing on the general judgment; and partly will be, in what I shall further say under the heads now proposed. All that remains to be said under the first is, that neither the full reward of good persons deceased is as yet bestowed on them, nor the full punishment of the wicked as yet inflicted; these things being to follow the general resurrection; but that still, since our Saviour describes the soul of Lazarus, as carried by angels into Abraham's bosom, and there comforted since he promised the penitent thief, that he should be that day with him in paradise ; and St. Paul speaks of being present with Christ, as the immediate consequence of death, and far better § than this life: therefore the state of those, who die in the Lord, is now a state, not of insensibility, but happiness; wherein they are blessed, in resting from their labours; and doubtless rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory ¶, in the prospect of 2 Tim. i. 10. Luke xxiii. 43. Rev. xiv. 13. + Luke xvi. 22. 25. 1 Pet. i. 8. 0 it completer felicity, which the righteous Judge all will hereafter give them. For as to the pretence of a purgatory, where the greatest part of good persons are to suffer grievous temporal punishments, after death, for their sins, though the eternal punishment is remitted: it hath no ground in the least. Our Saviour's saying, that the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven in this world, nor that which is to come*, is merely saying, it shall not be forgiven at all, but punished both here and hereafter. The prison, out of which, he saith, the person, who agrees not with his brother, shall not come till he hath paid the last farthingt; is either a literal prison of this world, or the prison of hell, in the next, out of which the contentious and uncharitable shall never come, for they can never pay the last farthing. The spirits in prison, to whom St. Peter saith, Christ by his spirit preached, he saith also, were the disobedient in the days of Noah ‡, with whom his spirit strove §, whilst they were on this earth: and who for their disobedience were sent, not to purgatory, but to a worse confinement. When St. Paul bids men take heed, how they build on the foundation of Christianity; adding, that the fire shall try every man's work; and if any man's work shall be burnt, he shall suffer loss; but still shall be saved, yet so as by fire: he means, that persons must not mix doctrines of their own invention with the Gospel of Christ, which in this instance, amongst others, those of the church of Rome have done: for when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire ¶, to judge Matth. xii. 31, 32. 1 Pet. iii. 18, 19, 20. | 1 Cor. iii. 10—15. + Matth. v. 26. |