vices or virtues they had practised in this life; and they derived this doctrine from their reasonings upon the foot of the light of The writings of Plato, and his followers, and the sentiments of Socrates, conveyed to us in Plato's writings, are full of this opinion, viz. of the existence of the souls of good men in a happy state, when they depart from the body. Cicero sometimes speaks of it as his opinion, his desire and his hope, nor were other heathen writers ignorant of this doctrine; but the New Testament speaks less of this point, because it is the evident design of Christ and his apostles, to lead their disciples to the more peculiar doctrines of revelation, rather than to treat them with sentiments derived from the light of nature: And this doctrine of the resurrection from the dead, and the eternal rewards and eternal punishments that attend it, are more abundantly mentioned in the New Testament, because they stand so much more connected with the gospel of Christ, and with his own resurrection from the dead, which is the chief evidence of its divine authority. It is Christ, who rose from the dead, who is appointed to rise and to judge all mankind; and therefore, it is natural for the apostles, in their writings, who desire to keep the death and resurrection of Christ always in the view of their converts, to point to the awful events of that day, when their Saviour, risen from the dead, shall appear in the execution of his glorious commission, and judge the world. Thus St. Paul preaches to the Athenians; Acts xvii. 30, 81. God now commands all men every where to repent; because he hath appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man, whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance to all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. And, in many other places, he connects our resurrection, and future recompences, with the resurrection of Christ.

And, in this respect, as well as in some others, the doctrine of rewards and punishments after the resurrection, seems to carry such superior force in it, 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 recompencés 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 at 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; Mat. xxvi. 46. 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 effeetual 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?

Answer. 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 scripture does 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; that is, 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 judg

ment, and the resurrection 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, chapter 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, Mat. xxiv. 34. Verily I say to 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. 24. Exhorting one another-so much the more, as you see the day approaching. And that this is the day of the coming of Christ, verse 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. Verse 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. Verse 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; verse 20. Surely, I come quickly; and the echo, and expectation of the apostle, or the church, Amen, even so come Lord Jesus.

It is granted, that in prophetical expressions, such as 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 of death, or his appearance at the last judgment. It is granted also, it belongs to prophetical language so 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 propheti cal 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 apostles chiefly referred the disciples of that age, to the day of 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, or 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 Thess. 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 is not altogether silent of the separate state of souls, and their happiness or misery, commencing in some measure immediately after death, which has been before proved by many 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 resurrection? All that I propose to maintain here is, that that period or interval is not a state of sleep, that is, utter unconsciousness and inactivity: And whether they be united to a vehicle or no, 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.-More Objections answered.

Since this book was written, I have met with several other objections against the doctrine here maintained; and as I think, they may all have a sufficient auswer given to them, and the truth be defended against the force of them, I thought it very proper to lead the reader into a plain and easy solution of them.

Objection VII. Is not long life represented often in scripture, and especially in the Old Testament, as a blessing to man? And is not death set before us as a curse, or punishment? But can either of these representations, be just or true, if souls exist in a separate state? Are they not then brought into a state of liberty by death, and freed from all the inconveniences of this

flesh and blood? By this means death ceases to be a punishment, and long life to be a blessing.

Answer. It is according as the characters of men are either good or bad, and according as good men know more or less of a separate state of rewards or punishments, so a long life, or early death, are to be esteemed blessings or calamities in a greater or a less degree.

Long life was represented as a blessing to good men, in as much as it gave them an opportunity to enjoy more of the blessings of this life, and to do more service for God in the world : And, especially since in ancient times, there was much darkness upon this doctrine of the future state, and many good men had not so clear a knowledge of it. Long life was also a blessing to wicked men, because it kept them in a state, wherein there were some comforts, and withheld them, for a season from the punish ments of the separate state,

Death was doubtless a punishment and a curse, when it was first brought into human nature by the sin of Adam, as it cut off mankind from the blessings of this life, and plunged him into a dark and unknown state: And if he were a wicked man, it plunged him into certain misery. But since the blessings of a future state of happiness for good men are more clearly revealed, long life is not so very great a blessing, nor death so great a punishment to good men; for death is sanctified by the covenant of grace, to be an introduction of their souls into the separate state of happiness, and the curse is turned, in some respect, into a blessing.

Objection VIII. Was it not supposed to be a great privilege to Enoch and Elijah, when they were translated without dying? But what advantage could it be to either of them to carry a body with them to, heaven, if their souls could act without it?

I answer, when Enoch and Elijah carried their bodies to heaven with them, it was certainly a sublime honour, and a peculiar privilege, which they enjoyed, to have so early a happiness, both in flesh and spirit, conferred upon them, so many ages before the rest of mankind: For though the soul can act without the body, yet as a body is part of the compounded nature of man, our happiness is not designed to be complete, till the soul and body are united in a state of perfection and glory. And this happiness was conferred early on those two fayourites of heaven.

Objection IX. Was it not designed as a favour, when persons were raised from the dead, under the Old Testament or the New, by the prophets, by Christ, and by his apostles? But what benefit could this be to them, if they had consciousness and enjoyment in the other world? Was it not rather an injury, to