suppose that it is more for the honor of God, and for the glory of our blessed Saviour; for ministers to dwell always upon the promises of the new covenant, and the riches of the grace of Christ, and the overflowing measures of the love of God, in order to save sinful men. 66 Surely," say they, "preachers have tried long enough what the words of terror will do; let us now allure sinful men to be reconciled to God by a ministry of universal love and grace; and let us see whether the boundless compassions of a God, in putting a final period to the miseries of his guilty creatures after a certain number of years, will not draw sinners with a sweeter violence to the love and obedience of their Maker, than all this doctrine of severity and terror."

In the first place, I answer, that surely Jesus himself, who is the prime minister of his Father's kingdom, and the divinest messenger of his love, knew . better than we do how to pay the highest honor to his heavenly Father, and to display his own grace, Surely he was well acquainted with the best way to begin with sinners, in order to their reconciliation to God, and knew also the most effectual avenue to the consciences of sinful creatures, incomparably beyond what any of us can pretend to. Had he not as tender a sense of the honor of his Father's mercy, as warm a zeal for the glory of his own grace and gospel, and as wise and melting a compassion for the souls of men, as the best of us can boast of ? And yet he thought it proper to lay the foundation of his own, and his apostles' ministrations of grace, in this language of terror, in these threatenings of eternal punishment. And in the course of his providence, throughout all ages, he has, in some measure, made this doctrine successful to recover souls from the snares of the devil, and to enlarge his own heavenly kingdom.

But I answer further, it must be granted, that the

tempers of men are various, and it is possible that soine may be of so ingenious and refined a disposition, that the words of love and grace, without any terror, might reach their hearts, and through the influences of heaven, touch them effectually: but as for the bulk of mankind, while they continue in *their sins, daily experience convinceth us, that they are best awakened by the terrors of the Lord, by a representation of the gnawing worm which never dies, and the "fire which shall not be quenched." I never knew but one person, in the whole course of my ministry, who acknowledged that the first motions of religion in their own heart arose from a sense of the goodness of God, and that they were gently and sweetly led at first to this iniquiry, What shall I render to the Lord, who hath dealt so bountifully with me? But I think all besides, who have come within my notice, have rather been first awakened by the passion of fear, to fly from the wrath to come.

If, therefore, we will practise according to the example of Jesus, the greatest and the wisest Prophet of his church, and his holy apostles, and the best of preachers in all ages who have followed him, if we would obey the dictates of long experience, and our best observations on the methods of converting grace, I think we must proceed to denounce these eternal terrors of the Lord against the transgressors of his law, and the despisers of his gospel. This seems to be the appointed and most effectual way to rouze their consciences to seek a deliverance from the curses of the law, which carry in them Beverlasting punishment. This appears to be the first spring of religion in sinful men, and the first motive to receive the glad tidings of salvation which are displayed in the New Testament. This spurs on their passions to escape the vengeance of God, by flying to his gospel, where there is rich and abundant grace to encourage the hope of rebellious

creatures in` their returns to God by Jesus Christ the Saviour. To Jesus, who is the awful messenger of his Father's terrors, and the prime minister of his love, be glory and honor to everlasting ages. Amen.

AN ESSAY

TOWARDS

THE PROOF OF A SEPARATE STATE OF SOULS BETWEEN DEATH AND THE RESURRECTION.

SECT. I.

The Introduction or Proposal of the Question, with a Distinction of the Persons who oppose it.

IT is confessed that the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead at the last day, and the everlasting joys, and the eternal sorrows that shall succeed it, as they are described in the New Testament, are a very awful sanction to the gospel of Christ, and carry in them such principles of hope and terror, as should effectually discourage vice and irreligion, and become a powerful attractive to the practice of faith and love, and universal happiness.

But so corrupt and perverse are the inclinations of men in this fallen and degenerate world, and their passions are so much impressed and moved by things that are present or just at hand, that the joys of heaven, and the sorrows of hell, when set far beyond death and the grave at some vast and unknown distance of time, would have but too little influence on their hearts and lives. And though these solemn and imDortant events are never so certain in themselves, yet being looked upon as things a great way off, nake too feeble an impression on the conscience, and their distance is much abused to give an indulgence o present sensualities. For this we give the testimony of our blessed Saviour himself, Matth. xxiv. 48. The evil servant says, "My Lord delays his coming; (XII.)

3 c

then he begins to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken." And Solomon teaches us the same truth, Eccles. viii. 11. "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." And even the good servants, in this imperfect state, the sons of virtue and piety, may be too much allured to indulge sinful negligence, and yield to temptations too easily, when the terrors of another world are set so far off, and their hope of happiness is delayed so long. It is granted, indeed, that this sort of reasoning is very unjust; but so foolish are our natures, that we are too ready to take up with it, and to grow more remiss in the cause of religion.

Whereas, if it can be made to appear from the word of God, that, at the moment of death, the soul enters into an unchangeable state, according to its character and conduct here on earth, and that the recompences of vice and virtue are, in some measure, to begin immediately upon the end of our state of trial; and if, besides all this, there be a glorious and a dreadful resurrection to be expected, with eternal pain or eternal pleasure both for soul and body, and that in a more intense degree, when the theatre of this world is shut up, and Christ Jesus appears to pronounce his public judgment on the world, then all those little subterfuges are precluded, which mankind would form to themselves from the unknown distance of the day of recompence: virtue will have a nearer and stronger guard placed about it, and piety will be attended with superior motives, if its initial rewards are near at hand, and shall commence as soon as this life expires; and the vicious and profane will be more effectually affrighted, if the hour of death must immediately consign them to a state of perpetual sorrows and bitter anguish of conscience, without hope, and with a fearful expectation of yet greater sorrows and anguish.

I know what the opposers of the separate state