A Prospect of Heaven, Treatise · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
I Have ſpoken ſomewhat largely of the ſubſtance of that happineſs which Chriſt hath purchaſed for the Saints, ſo far as concerneth the Body; in the next place I ſhall ſpeak ſomewhat of that unconceivable bleſſedneſs to which the Soul (the principal part of man) ſhall be advanced: and here is ſomething peculiar in that glory prepared for the Soul above that of the Body; not only that the Soul in its own nature is capable of a greater perfection and excellency then the Body, but alſo in reſpect of the time; for whereas the Body ſhall remain under the power of Death and corruption, until the general Reſurrection, the Soul in the mean time ſhall be triumphing in glory; ſo that the Souls of the Saints will come under a double conſideration.
1. Before the Reſurrection.
2. After the Reſurrection.
1. Before the Reſurrection, when the Soul ſhall remain ſeperated from the Body; of which I ſhall ſpeak ſomewhat briefly, becauſe among other wretched Doctrines hatched of old, and lately revived, this is found to be one, viz. that the Soul dieth or ſleepeth with the Body, and ſo abideth till the great day of the general Reſurrection, when it ſhall be raiſed again with the Body: But two clear Scriptures may be oppoſed againſt this Opinion; the firſt is in Heb. 12.23. where the Apoſtle ſpeaking of the priviledge which the Saints have while they are upon Earth, ſaid, they were come to the ſpirits of just men made perfect: not the Souls of any of the Saints living on the face of the Earth, for they are imperfect: for we know in part, and prophecy in part; but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part ſhall be done away. Hence then it remaineth, that the ſpirits of juſt men made perfect, muſt be no other then the Souls of the Saints ſeperated from the Body, and tranſlated unto glory: Now if the ſpirits of juſt men ſeperated from their Bodies are made perfect, they are not dead, for death is the deſtruction of perfection; the Body is never ſo imperfect as when it is dead; a diſeaſed Body is much more perfect then a dead Corpſe: ſo then if the Souls of the Saints were dead with their Bodies, they ſhould be ſo far from being made perfect, that they ſhould utterly loſe thoſe beginnings of perfection which they had while they were in the Body; their graces would be extinguiſhed, and there would be a loſs to them of that enjoyment of God, and communion with him, which they had here upon the Earth.
The ſecond place of Scripture I ſhall produce againſt this Opinion of the Mortaliſts, is in 2 Cor. 5.6, 7, 8. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are abſent from the Lord; (for we walk by faith, not by ſight) we are confident, I ſay, and willing rather to be abſent from the Body, and to be preſent with the Lord. Here you may ſee, that while the Souls of the Saints are preſent in the Body, (as they are during this life) they are abſent from the Lord; albeit Jeſus Chriſt dwelleth in them by his Spirit, and they are ſpiritually united to him; yet in regard of local diſtance, they are abſent from Chriſt in reſpect of his Humane nature, not ſeeing him face to face; they walk by faith, not by ſight. Moreover, when their Souls are abſent, and ſeperated from the Body by death, they ſhall be preſent with the Lord; not walking by faith at a diſtance from Chriſt, but reſting in his preſence, immediately beholding him. The Souls of the Saints then do not die with the Body, but live in the preſence of their Saviour at the very ſame time when they are abſent and ſeperated from the Body by death. This muſt needs be meant of the ſtate of the Soul, not after the reſurrection, but between death and the reſurrection, for that is the only time when the Soul is abſent from the Body; and during that time the Apoſtle ſaith, it ſhall be preſent with the Lord.
To theſe may be added that gracious anſwer of Chriſt to the penitent Malefactor; Verily I ſay unto thee, this day ſhalt thou be with me in Paradiſe, Luke 27.43. viz. the very ſame day wherein he died; Now the heavenly Paradiſe is no burying place for dead Souls, but a glorious habitation for the living ſpirits of juſt men made perfect. Obſerve likewiſe that argument of Chriſt, grounded upon the ſpeech of God to Moſes at the buſh, which ſtrongly proveth both the reſurrection of the Body, and the immortality of the Soul, as well before as after the reſurrection, Matth. 22.31, 32. Have you not read what is ſpoken to you by God, ſaying, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Iſaac, and the God of Jacob; God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. This was ſpoken long after the natural death of Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob; and ſo the Argument ſtandeth thus: Thoſe who have God for their God by Covenant, are not dead but living; but Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob, have God for their God by Covenant: Ergo they are not dead, but living.
So then they live in their principal parts, their Souls, while they are abſent from the Body, whereunto their Bodies are to be re-united at the great day, that their whole perſons may fully enjoy their God, and perfectly poſſeſs the fruit and benefit of God's covenant. verſe 34. this argument ſilenced the Sadduces. Finally, conſider what meant Stephen's prayer at his death, Lord Jeſus receive my Spirit, or Soul, Acts 7.59. If his Spirit, or Soul, had died with his Body, why ſhould he call upon Chriſt more for the receiving his Soul, but becauſe he knew his Spirit, or Soul, was immortal, and muſt live and ſubſiſt when it was ſeperated from the Body? he prayed Chriſt to give preſent entertainment to his Soul, that he might reſt in the boſome of his love, until his Body ſhould be raiſed and reunited to it. Now as this may ſtop the mouth of this lying Spirit, which of late is crept forth into the World again, ſo it may demonſtrate (according to the point in hand) that the Souls of the Faithful, after their ſeperation from the Body, are inſtated into bleſſedneſs. By which places fore-mentioned, and ſuch like, is refuted their Hereſie, who either directly deny the immortality of the Soul, or imply it as the Socinians, who ſay, that Mori est penitus extingui, V.d. Genſ. in Confeſ. remonſtrant. p. 254, 256.& reſurgere est ex non ente iterum exiſtere. And this Opinion ſome others have ſeemed to favour, in the Declaration of their Opinions about the Articles of Religion, in that they are altogether ſilent in the point that concerneth the bleſſed reſt of the Saints Souls after this life.