which never was in that body before, nor ever did any thing in that body, how shall it be judged for that which it never did? All the texts that threaten hell, or future punishment, and promise heaven, prove it. "I was hungry and ye fed me, naked and ye clothed me," &c. (Matt. xxv.) Ye did it, or did it not to me, might they not say, 'We never did it, nor ever lived till now?'"The angels shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them that work iniquity, and cast them into the lake of fire." (Matt. xiii.) And all the Scripture which threateneth damnation to them that obey not the truth, and promiseth salvation to the faithful; which is never performed, if all be done on another soul. (2 Thes. i. 6-10, and ii. 12.)

26. And all the texts that speak of God's justice and mercy hereafter. Is it justice to damn a new-made soul that never sinned?

27. Paul knew not whether he were in or out of the body, when he was in Paradise. (2 Cor. xii. 2-4.) The separated soul then may be in Paradise.

28. How can the hope of unseen things make affliction and death easy to that soul that shall never be saved? And how can we be comforted or saved by such hope? (2 Cor. iv. 16-18.)

29. "We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God." (2 Cor. v. 1.) "For in this we groan earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven." (Ver. 2.) "He that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God, who also hath given us the earnest of the Spirit." (Ver. 5.) "Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord; we are confident and willing rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, whether it be good or bad.” (Ver. 6.) 30. "To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. What I shall choose I know not: for I am in a strait between two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better." (Phil. i. 21-23.)

31. "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord," &c. (Rev. xiv. 13.)

32. "We are come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, &c., the spirits of the just made perfect." (Heb. xii. 22, 23.)

Abundance more might be added. And I have been so large on this, because it is of most unspeakable importance, as that which all our comfort and our religion lieth on; and though the light of nature have taught it philosophers, and almost all the world in all ages, yet the devil is most busy to make men doubt of it, or deny it.

Religion lieth on three grand articles. 1. To believe in God; and this is so evident in the whole frame of nature, that there is a God, that he is worse than mad that will deny it. 2. To believe the immortality of the soul, and the life hereafter. And, 3. To believe in Christ. And though it be this third that is known only by supernatural Revelation, yet to him that believeth the immortality of the soul, and the life hereafter, Christianity will appear so exceeding congruous, that it will much the more easily be believed. And experience tells us, that the devil's main game, for the debauching and damning of fleshly, worldly, ungodly men, and for troubling and discomforting believers, lieth in raising doubts of the soul's immortality, and the future life of reward and punishment.

Q. 3. But what good will a resurrection of the body do us, if the soul be in happiness before?

man.

A. 1. It will be for God's glory to make and bless a perfect 2. It will be our perfection: a whole man is more perfect than a soul alone. 3. It will be the soul's delight." As God, that is perfectly blessed in himself, yet made and maintaineth a world, of which he is more than the soul, because he is a communicative good, and pregnant, and delighteth to do good; so the soul is made like God in his image, and is communicative, and would have a body to act on. As the sun, if there were nothing in the world but itself, would be the same that it now is; but nothing would receive its motion, light, or heat, or be the better for it. And if you did imagine it to have understanding, you must think that it would be much more pleased to enlighten and enliven so many millions of creatures, and cause the flourishing of all the earth, than to shine to nothing. So may you think of the soul of man; it is by God inclined to actuate a body.

Q. 4. If that be so, it is till then imperfect, and deprived of its desire, and so in pain and punishment,

A. It is not in its full perfection; and it is a degree of punishment to be in a state of separation. But you cannot call it a pain as to sense, because it hath an unspeakable glory, though not the most perfect. Nor hath the will of the blessed any trouble and striving against the will of God, but takes that for best which God willeth. And so the separated state is best, while God willeth it, though the united state will be best (as more perfect) in its time.

Q. 5. But the dust in a grave is so vile a thing, that one would think the raising it should not be very desirable to the soul.

A. It shall not be raised in the shape of ugly dust, or filth, nor of corruptible flesh and blood; but a glorious and spiritual body, and a meet companion for a glorified soul. And even now, as vile as the body is, you feel that the soul is loth to part with it."

Q. 6. But there are so many difficulties and improbabilities about the resurrection, as make the belief of it very hard.

A. What is hard to God, that made heaven and earth of nothing, and maintains all things in their state and course? What was that body a while ago? Was it not as unlikely as dust to be what it now is?

It is folly to object difficulties to omnipotency.

Q. 7. But the body is in continual flux, or change; we have not the same flesh this year that we had the last; and a man in a consumption loseth before death the mass of flesh in which he did good or evil; shall all that rise again, which every day vanisheth? And shall the new flesh be punished for that which it never did?

A. It is a foolish thing, from our ignorance and uncertainties, to dispute against God,and certain truth: will you know nothing, unless you know all things? Will you doubt of the plain matter, because, in your darkness, you understand not the manner or circumstances of it? The soul hath a body consisting of various parts; the fiery part in the spirits is its most immediate vehicle or body; the seminal, tenacious humour, and air, is the immediate vehicle of the fiery part; whether the spirits do any of them depart, as its vehicle or body, with the soul; or, if not, whether they be the identifying part, that the soul shall be re-united to first; or what, or how much, of the rest, even the aqueous and earthy matter, which we had from our birth, shall be re-assumed, are things past our understanding. You know not how you

• 1 Cor. xv.

were generated in the womb, and yet you know that you were there made; and must God teach you how you shall be raised before you will believe it? Must he answer all your doubts of the flesh that is vanished, or the bodies eaten by other bodies, and teach you all his unsearchable skill, before you will take his word for true?

He that maketh the rising sun to end the darkness of the night, and the flourishing spring to renew the face of millions of plants, which seemed in the winter to be dead, and the buried little seed to spring up to a beautiful plant and flower, or a strong and goodly tree, hath power and skill enough to raise our bodies, by ways unknown to foolish man.

Q. S. What should a man do that he may live in a comfortable hope of the resurrection, and the soul's immortality, and the life to come?

A. We have three great things to do for this end. 1. To get as full a certainty as is possible, that there is such a life to come. And this is done by strengthening a sound belief. 2. To get a suitableness of soul to that blessed life; and this is by the increase of love and holiness, and by a spiritual, heavenly conversation. And, 3. To get and exercise a joyful hope and assurance that it shall be ours; and this is done by a life of careful obedience to God, and the conscious notice of our sincerity and title, and by the increase and exercise of the foresaid faith and love; daily dwelling on the thoughts of God's infinite goodness, and fatherly love; of Christ's office and grace, and the seals of the Spirit, and the blessed state of triumphant souls, in the heavenly Jerusalem, and living as in familiarity with them.

Q. 9. But when doubting thoughts return, would it not be a great help to faith if you could prove the soul's immortality by

reason?

A. I have done that largely in other books; I will now say but this if there be no life of retribution after this, it would follow that not only Scripture, but religion, piety, and conscience, were all the most odious abuses of mankind; to set man's heart and care upon seeking, all his days, a life which he can never obtain, and to live honestly, and avoid sin, for fear of an impossible punishment, and to deny freshly pleasure and lust, upon mere deceit, what an injury would religion, conscience, and honesty be? Men that are not restrained by any fear or hopes of another life, from tyranny, treason, murder, perjury, lying, deceit, or any wickedness, but only by present interest, would

be the wisest men. When yet God hath taught nature to abhor these evils, and bound man to be religious and conscionable by common reason, were it but for the probability of another life. And can you believe that wickedness is wisdom, and all conscionable goodness is folly and deceit ?

CHAP. XXII.

Of the "Life Everlasting."

Q. 1. WHERE is it that we shall live when we go hence? A. With Christ in heaven, called Paradise, and the Jerusalem above.

Q. 2. How is it, then, that the souls of men are said sometimes to appear on earth? Is it such souls, or is it devils?

A. Either is possible for souls are in no other hell than devils are, who are said to be in the air, and to go to and fro, and tempt men, and afflict them here on earth: but when it is a soul that appeareth, and when a devil, we have not acquaintance enough to know. But though God can for just causes let a blessed soul appear, as Moses and Elias did on the Mount, and perhaps Samuel to Saul, yet we have reason to suspect, that it is the miserable souls of the wicked that oftenest appear.

Q. 3. But how come devils or souls to be visible, being spirits? A. Spirits are powerful, and dwell in airy and other elementary matter, in which they can appear to us as easily as we can put on our clothes. Fire is invisible in its simple unclothed substance, and yet when it hath kindled the air, it is visible light.

Q. 4. Why then do they appear so seldom ?

A. God restraineth evil spirits, and keepeth them within their bounds, that they may not either deceive or trouble mankind and the spirits of the just are more inclined to their higher, nobler region and work and God will have us here live by faith, and not by seeing either the heavenly glory, or its inhabitants.

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Q. 5. But it seems that we shall live again on earth; for it is said that the new Jerusalem cometh down from above, and we look for a new heaven, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness?