cede the Judgment. To reward and punish Men firft, and to bring them upon their Tryal afterwards, feems not to be fo regular a Method of Proceeding. I do allow nevertheless that the Wicked as foon as ever they depart out of this Life are in a very uneafy and unhappy State; which is occafioned partly by the want of thofe Pleafures and Enjoyments in which they plac'd their chief Happinefs here, partly by thofe diforderly Paffions and Affections which they carry along with them out of this World, and partly, and I fuppofe principally, by the Apprehenfion of God's Wrath which is incens'd against them, and of those terrible Pains which they know will be inflicted on them after the Judgment of the great Day. But that thofe Pains are inflicted on them before the Day of Judg. ment does not appear from Scripture. It is (too) far from being certain, that the Place in which the Souls of the Wicked are lodged till the Day of Judgment is the fame with that in which they fhall endure Punishment afterward. For they are SERM. V. SERM. V. are at prefent in Hades; and St. John, in the xxth Chapter of the Revelation at the 14th Verse, seems plainly enough to diftinguifh Hades from Hell-Fire; when he fays, that Death and Hell, or Hades, were cast into the Lake of Fire. From Hades the Wicked fhall be brought at the last Day to the Judgment Seat of Chrift, and then, and not before, fhall Chrift fay to them, Depart from me ye Curfed into everlafting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels. Which Angels do not as yet feel the Fire that is prepared for them, but, as both St. Peter and St. Jude expreffly declare, they are referv'd in Chains of Darkness unto the Judgment of the great Day. And therefore the Devils at the approach of our Bleffed Saviour cried out, faying, What · have we to do with thee, Jefus thou Son of God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the Time? How unreasonable is it then to imagine, that the Souls of wicked Men are immediately after Death plung'd into everlafting Fire, when the fallen Angels, for whom that Fire was originally prepar'd, fhall not be configned to it till after the laft Judgment?!: It is confefs'd too, that the Saints, as foon as they depart this Life, are in a very comfortable and happy State. They reft from the Labours and Troubles and Sorrows of this mortal Life; They carry with them fuch Difpofitions and Habits of Mind as tend to fecure its Peace and Tranquility; They have a firm Truft in Almighty God, that he will protect them from the Infults of the Devil, who, tho' he be faid in Scripture to be the Ruler of the Darkness of this World, and the Prince of the Air, and to have the Power of Death, is yet fo reftrain'd, as that he cannot hurt or moleft any Perfon without the Divine Permiffion. They have a lively Senfe of God's Favour and Love to them, and are. fully affur'd that they fhall not always continue in that State of Seperation, but fhall in due Time be made Partakers of a bleffed Refurrection, when they fhall be removed to Heaven, there to reign with Chrift, and enjoy confummate Happinefs, SERM.. V. SERM. V A pinefs, which fhall never have an End. But that they do already enjoy this perfect Happiness cannot be admitted; fince then Scripture declares that good Men shall be recompenfed at the Refurrection of the Juft, and that the Lord the righteous Judge fhall give a Crown of Glory to all them that love his Appear-ing; and many other Texts there are to the fame Purpofe. The Difciple is not greater than his Mafter, nor the Servant than his Lord. Now Jefus Christ himfelf, our Lord and Mafter, did not af cend into Heaven till after his Refurrec-. tion. During the Time that his Body was in the Grave, his Soul was in Paradife, a Part of Hades. Wherefore he himself foon after his Refurrection faith to Mary Magdalen, Touch me not, for I am not yet afcended, rw avaßißnna, I have not yet afcended unto my Father. And that the Condition of our Lord in Hades was fuch, as I have already defcribed the State of departed Saints to be, is evident from that Paffage of Scripture, of which my Text is a part. For there : Our our Lord is represented as in a State of Reft and Comfort, as having a firm Confidence in the Protection and Favour of the Almighty, as rejoycing in the Hope that he should not long continue in that State, but that he fhould be foon rais'd from the Dead, and admitted to the immediate Prefence of his Heavenly Father, where he should for ever enjoy the moft confummate Bliss and Happiness. For the Pfalmift introduces our Saviour speaking thus; I have fet the Lord always before me: because he is at my right Hand, I fhall not be moved. Therefore my Heart is glad, and my Glory rejoyceth; my Flesh alfo fhall reft in Hope. For thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hades, neither wilt thou fuffer thine Holy One to fee Corrups tion. Thou wilt hew me the Path of Life: in thy Prefence is Fulness of Joy, at thy right Hand there are Pleasures for evermore. THUS much may fuffice for the Explication of the Text, and of the Context immediately preceding and following it, which was the firft Thing I propos'd SERM. ·V. to: |