The World to Come; Or, Discourses on the Joys Or Sorrows of Departed Souls at Death, and the Glory Or Terror of the Resurrection

especially upon those who believe the gospel, that it is no wonder the New Testament more frequently refers to this great day of resurrection; and the apostle derives the chief part of his consolations or terrors from it.

(2.) Then will be the public and universal retributions of vice and virtue in a more solemn manner exhibited before all the world, whereas the entrance of mankind into the recompences of the separate state is more private and personal.

(3.) Then will be the day of complete rewards and punishments of man in both parts of his nature, soul and body: all the separate state belongs only to the soul, and even those recompences are but imperfect before, in comparison of what they will be when body and soul are united.

(4.) Then will be the most glorious, visible, and sensible distinction made between the good and bad: and since this belongs to the body as well as the soul, it is very properly set before the eyes of men in the holy writings as done in the resurrection; because corporeal and sensible things work more powerfully on their imagination, and more sensibly and effectually strike the consciences of men, than the notion of mere spiritual rewards and punishments in the separate state.

(5.) The state of rewards and punishments after the resurrection, will be far the longest and most durable recompence of the good and the bad: and therefore it is called eternal so often in scripture; everlasting life, and everlasting fire, Matt. xxv. 41. Whereas the retributions of the separate state are comparatively but of short duration; and this is another thing that makes a sensible impression on the hearts of men, viz. the eternal continuance of the joys and sorrows that follow the last judgment.

Perhaps it will be replied here, that in the beginning of this essay I represented the separate state as a more effectual motive to the hopes and fears of

men, because the joys and sorrows of it were so much. nearer at hand than those of the resurrection. And why do I now represent the recompences of the resurrection under such characters as are fit to have the strongest influence, and become the most effectual motive!

Ans. It is granted, that the recompences after the resurrection have several circumstances that carry with them some peculiar and most powerful motives to religion and virtue; but that awful day may still seem to want this one motive, viz. the nearness of it, which belongs eminently to the recompences of the separate state. Now, if the scriptures do really reveal the doctrine of rewards and punishments of souls immediately after death, and of soul and body together at the resurrection; then all those circumstances of effectual motive to piety are collected in our doctrine, viz. the immediate nearness of them in the separate state, and the public appearance, the universality, the completeness, the sensibility, and the duration of them after the great rising day.

I might yet take occasion, from this objection, to give a further reason why the apostles more frequently draw their motives of hope and fear from the resurrection and the great judgment, i. e. that even that day of recompence was generally then supposed to be near at hand, and so there was less need to insist upon the joys and sorrows of the separate

state.

As the patriarchs and the Jews of old, after the Messiah was promised, were constantly expecting his first coming, almost in every generation, till he did appear, and many modes of prophetical expression in scripture (which speak of things long to come as though they were present or just at hand) gave them some occasion for this expectation, so the christians of the first age did generally expect the second coming of Christ to judgment, and the resurrection (XIII.)

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of the dead, in that very age wherein it was foretold. St. Paul gives us a hint of it in 2 Thess. ii. 1, 2.

They supposed the day of the Lord was just appearing." And many expressions of Christ concerning his return or coming again after his departure, seemed to represent his absence as a thing of no long continuance. It is true, these words of his may partly refer to his coming to destroy Jerusalem, and the coming in of his kingdom among the Gentiles, or his coming by his messenger of death; yet they generally, in their supreme and final sense, point to his coming to raise the dead and judge the world: and from the words of Christ also concerning John, chap. xxi. 22. " If I will that he tarry till I come," it is probable that the apostles themselves at first, as well as other christians, might derive this apprehension of his speedy coming.

It is certain, that when Christ speaks of his coming in general and promiscuous and parabolical terms, whether with regard to the destruction of Jerusalem or the judgment of the world, he saith, Matth. xxiv. 34. Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled." And the apostles frequently told the world the coming of the Lord was near, Phil. iv. 5. "The Lord is at hand." Heb. x. 23. "Exhorting one another, so much the more as ye see the day approaching." And that this is the day of the coming of Christ, ver. 37. assures us, "For yet a little while he that shall come will come, and will not tarry." Rom. xiii. 12. "Now it is high time to awake out of sleep. The night is far spent, the day is at hand." 1 Pet. iv. 5. "To him who is ready to judge the quick and the dead.” Ver. 7. The end of all things is at hand." James v. 8, 9. "The coming of the Lord draweth, nigh. Behold the Judge standeth at the door." Rev. xxii. 10. "Seal not up the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.” Ver. 12. "And

behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give to every man as his work shall be." And the sacred volume is closed with this assurance, ver. 20. Surely I come quickly, and the echo and the expectation of the apostle or the church, Amen. Even so come Lord Jesus."

It is granted, that in prophetical expressions, such Pas all these are, some obscurity is allowed: and it may be doubtful, perhaps, whether some of them may refer to Christ's coming by the destruction of Jerusalem, or his coming to call particular persons away by his messenger death, or his appearance to the last judgment. It is granted, also, it belongs to prophetical language to set things far distant, as it were, before our eyes, and make them seem present or very near at hand. But still these expressions had plainly such an influence on primitive christians, as that they imagined the day of resurrection and judgment was very near: and, since the prophetical words of Christ and his apostles seemed to carry this appearance in them, and to keep the church under some uncertainty, it is no wonder that the apostle's chiefly referred the disciples of that age to the day of the resurrection for comfort under their sufferings and sorrows. And though they never asserted that Christ would come to raise the dead and judge the world in that age, yet when they knew themselves that he would not come so soon, they might not think it necessary to give every christian, nor every church, an immediate account of the more distant time of this great event, that the uncertainty of it might keep them ever watchful. And even when St Paul informs the Thessalonians that the day of the Lord was not so very near as they imagined it, 2 Thes. ii. 2. yet he does not put it off beyond that century by any express language.

Thus we see there is very good reason why the New Testament should derive its motives of terror

and comfort chiefly from the resurrection and the day of judgment; though it be not altogether silent of the separate state of souls, and their happiness or misery, commencing, in some measure, immediate ly after death, which has been before proved by ma ny scriptures cited for that purpose.

Here let it be observed, that I am not concerned in that question, Whether human souls, separated from their bodies, have any other corporeal vehicle to which they are united, or by which they act during the intermediate state between death and the resur rection? All that I propose to maintain here, is, that that period or interval is not a state of sleep, i. e. utter unconsciousness and inactivity: and whether it be united to a vehicle or not, I call it still the separate state, because it is a state of the soul's separation from this body, which is united to it in the present life.

SECT, V.

Books

The World to Come; Or, Discourses on the Joys Or Sorrows of Departed Souls ...