appointed for them of God, and shall there tarry till the re"furrection, waiting for that time: and then receiving their "bodies, and perfectly, (i. e.) corporeally, rifing again, as "Chrift did, they shall come to the fight of God."

All these mistakes will fall together by one ftroke; for if it evidently appear (as I hope it will) that the fpirits of the just are immediately taken to God, and do converfe with, and enjoy him in heaven; then all these fancies vanish, without any more labour about them particularly. Now there are four confiderations which to me put the immediate glorification of the departed fouls of believers beyond all rational doubt.

1. Heaven is as ready and fit to receive them as ever it shall be.

2. They are as ready and fit for heaven as ever they will be. 3. The fcripture is plainly for it. And,

4. There is nothing in reafon against it.

1. Heaven is as fit and ready to receive them, when they die, as ever it shall be. Heaven is prepared for believers, (1.) By the purpose and decree of God, and fo far it was prepared from the foundation of the world, Matth. xxv. 34. (2.) By the death of Chrift, whofe blood made the purchase of it for believers, and fo meritorioufly opened the gates thereof, which our fins had barred up against us, Heb. x. 10, 20. (3.) By the afcenfion of Chrift into that holy place, as our reprefentative and forerunner, John xiv. 2. This is all that is neceffary to be done for the preparation of heaven; and all this is done, as much as ever God defigned fhould be done to it, in order to its preparation for our fouls: fo that no delay can be upon that ac

count.

2. The departed fouls of believers are as ready for heaven as ever they will be: for there is no preparation-work to be done by them, or upon them after death, John ix. 3. Eccl. ix, 10. Their juftification was complete before death, and now their fanctification is fo too; fin, which came in by the union, going out at the feparation of their fouls and bodies. They are fpirits made perfect.

3. The fcripture is plain and full for their immediate glori fication; Luke xxiii. 43. "To day fhalt thou be with me in paradife." Luke xvi. 22. "The beggar died, and was car

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eis a Deo ; et ibi ufque ad refurrectionem commorabuntur, fuftinentes refurrectionem; poft, recipientes corpora, et perfecte refurgentes, i e. corporaliter, quemadmodum et Dominus refurrexit, fit venient ad confpectum Dei, Iren. lib. 5.

"ried by the angels into Abraham's bofom." Phil. i. 21. "I "defire to be diffolved, and to be with Chrift, which is far "better." The fcripture fpeaks but of two ways, by which fouls fee, and enjoy God, viz. Faith and fight; the one imperfect, fuited to this life; the other perfect, fitted for the life to come; and this immediately fucceeding that, for the imperfect is done away, by the coming of that which is perfect, as the twilight is done away, by the advancing of the perfect day.

4. To conclude; there is nothing in reafon lying in bar to it. It hath been proved before, that the foul in its unbodied ftate, is capable to enjoy bleffednefs, and can perform its acts of intellection, volition, &c. not only as well, but much better than it did, when embodied. I conclude therefore, that seeing heaven is already as much prepared for believers, as it need be, or can be; and they as much prepared from the time of their dissolution, as ever they fhall be; the fcriptures also being fo plain for it, and no bar in reafon against it; all the forementioned opinions are but the dreams and fancies of men, who have forfaken their fcripture-guide; and this remains an unfhaken truth, that the fpirits of the juft go immediately to glory, from the time of their feparation.

Propofition 8. At the time of a gracious foul's feparation from the body, it is inftantly and perfectly freed from fin, which, till that time, dwelt in it from its beginning; but thenceforth shall do fo no more.

Immediately upon their feparation from the body, they are fpirits made perfect, as my text ftiles them; and that epithet * perfect could never fuit them, if there were any remaining root or habit of corruption in them.

The time, yea, the fet time is now come, to put an end to all the dolorous groans of gracious fouls, upon the account of indwelling fin. What the angel faid to Joshua, Zech. iii. 3, 4. the fame doth God fay of every upright foul, at the time of its feparation, "Take away the filthy garments from him, and "cloath him with change of raiments, and fet a fair mitre upon "his head." Thus the garments fpotted with the flesh, are taken away with the body of flesh, and the pure unchangeable robes of perfect holinefs, cloathed upon the foul, in which it appears without fault before the throne of God, Rev. xiv.

5.

* Therefore he calls them confecrated or perfect, because they are no more fubject to the infirmities of the flesh, the flesh itself being laid afide. Marlorate on the place.

There is a threefold burdenfome evil in fin under which all regenerated fouls groan in this life; viz. (1.) The guilt; (2.) The filth; (3.) The inherence of it in their nature. And there is a threefold remedy or cure of these evils: the guilt of fin is remedied by juftification; the filth of fin is inchoatively healed by fanctification: the inherence of fin is totally eradicated by glorification; For as it entred into our perfons by the union of our fouls and bodies, so it is perfectly cast out by their difunion or feparation at death: the last stroke is then given to the work of fanctification, and the laft is evermore the perfecting stroke: fin languished under imperfect fanctification in the time of life, but it gives up the ghost under perfected fanctification, from and after death: fanctification gave it its deadly wound, but glorification its final abolition. For it is with our fins after regeneration, as it was with that beast mentioned, Dan. vii. 12. which, though it was "wounded with a deadly wound, yet its life was "prolonged for a feafon." And this is the appointed season for its expiration. For if at their diffolution they are immediately received into glory (as it hath been proved they are, in our seventh propofition) they muft neceffarily be freed from fin, immediately upon their diffolution; because, nothing that is unclean can enter into that pure and holy place; they must be, as the text truly represents them, "the fpirits of just men made perfect."

For, if fo great holiness and purity be required in all that draw nigh to God upon earth, as you read, Pfal. xciii. 5. certainly, thofe who are admitted immediately to his throne, must be without fault, according to Rev. vii. 14, 15, 16, 17.

When a compounded being comes to be diffolved, each part returns to its own principle; fo it is here: the spirit of man, and all the grace that is in it, came from God; and to him they return at death, and are perfected in him and by him: the flesh returns to earth, whence it came, and all that body of fin is destroyed with it; neither the one or other shall be a fnare or clog to the foul any more. A Christian in this world, is but gold in the ore; at death, the pure gold is melted out and feparated, and the drofs caft away and confumed.

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Hence three confectaries offer themselves to us.

Confectary 1. That a believer's life and warfare end together. We lay not down our weapons of war, till we lie down in the duft, 2 Tim. iv. 7. "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course." The courfe and conflict you fee are finished together: though they commence from different terms, yet they always terminate together. Grace and fin have each acted its part upon the ftage of time, and the victory hovered doubtfully, fome

times over fin, and fometimes over grace; but now the war is ended, and the quarrel decided, grace keeps its ground, and fin is finally vanquished. Now, and never before, the gracious foul ftands triumphing like that noble Argive,

In vacuo folus feffor plauforque theatro. not an enemy left to renew the combat; the war is ended, and with it all the fears and forrows of the faints.

Confectary 2. Separated fouls become impeccable, or free from all the hazard of fin, from the time of their feparation : for, there being no root of fin now inherent in them, confequently no temptation to fin can faften upon them; all temptations have their handles in the corruptions of our natures: did not Satan find matter prepared within us, dry tinder fitted to his hand, he might ftrike in temptations long enough, before one of his hellifh fparks could catch or faften upon us. Temptations are grievous exercises to believers; they are darts, Eph. vi. 16. they are thorns, 2 Cor. xii. 7. But the separate foul is out of gunshot: it were as good discharge an arrow at the body of the fun, as a temptation at a tranflated foul.

Confectary 3. Separated fouls are more lovely companions, and their converfes more fweet and delightful than ever they were in this world. It was their corruption which fpoiled their communion on earth; and it is their fpotlefs holiness which makes it incomparably pleasant in heaven. The best and lovelieft faints have fomething in them which is diftafteful; even fweet briars and holy thistles have their offenfive prickles: but when that which was fo lovely on earth is made perfect in heaven, and nothing of that remains in heaven, which was fo offenfive in them on earth; O what bleffed, delightful companions will they be! O bleffed fociety! O moft defirable companions! let my foul for ever be united to their affembly. I love them under their corruptions; but how fhall my foul be knit to them, when it feeth them fhining in their perfections?

Propofition 9. The pleasure and delights of the feparate fpirits of the juft, are incomparably greater and fweeter than thofe they did, or at any time could experience in their bodily ftate.

With what a pleafant face would death fmile upon believers! what roles would it raife in its pale cheeks, if this propofition were but well fettled in our hearts by faith! And if we will not be wanting to ourselves, it may be firmly fettled there, by thefe four confiderations, which demonftrate it.

Confideration 1. Whatfoever pleasure any man receives in this world, he receives it by means of his foul. Even all corporeal and fenfitive delights have no other relifh and fweetness, but what

:

the foul gives them which is demonftrable by this; that if a man be placed amidst all the pleafing objects and circumftances in the world, if he were in that centre, where he might have the confluence of all the delights of this world: yet if the fpirit be wounded, there is no more rélith or favour in them, than in the white of an egg. What pleasure had Spira in his liberty, eftate, wife and children; these things were indeed propofed and urged, again and again, to relieve him; but inftead of pleasure they became his horror: let but the mind be wounded, and all the mirth is marred; one touch from God upon the spirit, destroys all the joy of this world. Nay,

Let but the intention of the mind be ftrongly carried another way, and for that time, (though there be no guilt or wound upon the foul) the most pleasant enjoyments lofe their pleasure. What delight, think you, would bags of gold, fumptuous feaits, or exquifité melody have afforded to Archimedes, when he was wholly intent upon his mathematical lines? By this then it is evident, that the rife of all pleasure is in the mind, and the most agreeable and pleasing objects and enjoyments fignify nothing without it: the mind must be found in itself, and at leisure to attend them, or we can have no pleasure from them,

Confideration 2. Of all natural pleafures in the world, intellectual pleafures are found to be moft agreeable, and connatural to the foul of man.

The more refined and remote from fenfe any pleasure is, the more grateful is it to the foul; thofe are certainly the sweetest delights that spring out of the mind. A drop of intellectual pleafure is valued by a generous and well-tempered foul, above the whole ocean of impure joys, which come to it fophifticated, and tanged through the muddy channels of fenfe.

No fenfualifts in the world can extract fuch pleasure out of gold, filver, meat and drink; as a fearching and contemplating mind finds in the discovery of truth. *Heinfius that learned library-keeper of Leyden, professed, "That when he had shut up himfelf among fo many illuftrious fouls, he feemed to fit "down there, as in the very lap of eternity, and heartily pitied "the rich and covetous worldlings, that were ftrangers to his delights."

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*In qua fimulac pedem pofui, foribus peffulum obdo, et in ipfe æternitas gremio, inter tot illuftres animas fedem mihi fumo, cum ingenti quidem animo: ut fubinde magnatum mifereat, qui banc falicitatem ignorant. Epift. Prin.

VOL. III.