2. The Belief of a Refurrection may ferve to arm us against Sickness, and the Fear of Death; for what tho our Bodies are befet here with divers Difeafes, and fundry kinds of Death, it will not be long ere they fhall be plac'd out of the reach, and advanc'd above the affaults of both: We know (fays the Apostle) that when the Earthly House of this Tabernacle fhall be diffolv'd, we have a Building of God, a Houfe not made with bands, but eternal in the Heavens; 2 Cor. 5. 1, 2. This made that great Apoftle fo far from being afraid, that he defir'd to be diffolv'd; and even long'd to be uncloth'd of this mortal Body, that he might put on Glory and Incorruption: and if we weigh the Pains and Miseries of this Life, with the Joys and Glories of the next, we may eafily learn to do the fame.

3. The Belief of a Refurrection may comfort us upon the Death of Friends and Relations; for their Bodies do not perifh, but only fleep in the Duft, and fhall fhortly awake far more perfect and glorious than they were before. When I awake (fays the Pfalmift) I shall be fatisfy'd with thy Likeness: and 'twill be no fmall Pleafure and Satisfaction to find ourselves and Friends transform'd into it. And therefore the Apostle would not have us ignorant concerning them that are afleep, nor forrow for them as those that have no Hope; for if we believe that Fefus died and rofe again, even fo them alfo that fleep in Fefus will God bring with him: 1 Theff. 4. 13, 14. The Grave is only become the Repofitory of our Bodies, where we retire a-while to put off the Rags of finful Flefh, to be cloth'd upon with the Robes of Immortality: And fhall we mourn at our Friends withdrawing a-while to this noble purpofe? This is to repine at their Happiness, and to grieve they had not always continu'd miferable: Which being the murmuring Language of all immoderate Sorrow, let us, by a ftedfaft Belief of a Refurrection, learn to hufh and filence it.

樂

DISCOURSE XXVII.

MAT. XXV. 46.

And thefe fhall go away into everlasting Punishment; but the Righteous into Life Eternal.

F

ROM the Refurrection of the Body, I proceed to what will follow after it; and that is contain'd in the laft Article of our Creed, The Life Everlasting. In which we profefs to believe a future eternal State of Happinefs or Mifery, to which all Men will be fentenc'd at the laft Day. For as there will be a Refurrection both of the Fust and the Unjust; fo there will be an Everlasting Life affign'd to both and tho Life Everlasting be for the most part us'd in Scripture for the Reward and Portion of the Righteous, yet here it hath a larger fenfe, and fignifies a State of everlafting Continuance belonging to all Men, either in Woe or Weal: both which are plainly held forth to us in the words of the Text; These hall go into Everlasting Punishment, and the Righteous into Life Eternal. Where we have the two different States of good Men and bad in the World to come, the one of endless Woe and Mifery, the other of Eternal Blifs and Happiness; both which being fully reveal'd to us in the Holy Scripture, are firmly to be believ'd by all Chriftians. I begin then with the

First of them, viz. The endless and miferable Condition of the Wicked; These shall go into Everlasting Punishment, Where the Mifery of their Condition is exprefs'd by Punishment, and the height of it imply'd in its being Everlasting. Now Punishment (you know) imports fomething that is grievous, inflicted as the demerit of a Crime; and according to the degrees of Guilt, and heinoufnefs in the Offence, does the feverity and duration of the Punishment increase. Accordingly therefore impenitent Sinners having all their life-time affronted God by a wilful violation of his Laws, and leaving this World without a due fenfe and forrow for the Evil of their Ways, will be doom'd in the next to the foreft

333 forest and severest Punishment, imply'd in that doleful Sentence then to be pronounc'd against them; Depart from me, ye curfed, into Everlasting Fire, prepar'd for the Devil and his Angels. Their continuance in which State is feldom or never exprefs'd by Life Everlasting, which is generally taken in the beft fenfe; but very often by Everlasting Death, and here by Everlasting Punishment. Now the Punishment affign'd to the Wicked after the Refurrection, will be double, exprefs'd ufually by Pana Damni, and Pena Senfus, the Punishment of Lofs, and the Punishment of Sense.

The former confifts in what they will be depriv'd of; the latter of what they muft endure. For the

ift, Their Lofs will be unfpeakable, for they will be deprived of all that is good, or may any way conduce to their eafe and happiness: because all Bleffedness is contain'd in God, and communicated from him, they fhall be banish'd from his Sight and Presence, and bid for ever to depart from him. Since nothing more revives and ravishes our Spirits than good Company; and the Society of Saints and Angels, and the Spirits of juft Men made perfect, make up a great part of the Happiness of Heaven; they fhall be wholly depriv'd of it, and made to take up their abode only with the accurfed Fiends of Darkness. In a word, all things that are any way lovely or defireable, will be for ever remov'd and kept from them. But befide this Punishment of Lofs, which is unfpeakable, there is,

2dly, A Punishment of Senfe, which will be intolerable: and this will confift in the fenfible enduring of the most racking and tormenting Pains both in Body and Soul. As for their Bodies they will be ftill frying in the Flames, and feel all thofe Torments that can be endur'd from the hottest Fire; for we read, They shall be cast into a Furnace of Fire; Mat. 13. 42. and have their part in the Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone, Rev. 21. 8. in which they will not find fo much as the cold comfort of a drop of Water to cool their Tongue when 'tis tormented in the Flame nor the poor relief of fhifting fides, or changing posture, being bound band and foot, and unable to move in this Lake of Brimstone, Mat. 22. 13. Thefe and far more exquifite Tortures than can be exprefs'd, will betide the Bodies of the Damned: but their Souls will feel more acute and tormenting Pains than thefe, for they fhall be fill'd with inconceivable Horror and Defpair; the vexatious Paffions of Envy, Hatred and Malice, like fo many Furies, will

continually rack their guilty Breafts; a Worm will be ftill gnawing upon their Confciences, and fting them with the moft bitter Anguish and Remorfe: The Wrath of God will abide upon them, and his Fury be ftill flaming out upon their Soul, which will be infinitely more fenfible and tender than the Apple of an Eye. Such a wounded Spirit (fays Solomon) who can bear? "Tis the Spirit of a Man that can alone fuftain his Infirmities, and if that be wounded, the main Prop fails, and then nothing can keep it from finking into the Gulf of Horror and Despair. In fhort, the Punishment here allotted and confign'd to the Wicked, will confist in the unexpreffible and infufferable Torments both of Body and Mind.

But that which gives the greatest Sting and Bitterness to them, is the eternal and never-ceafing Duration of them; the Fire that flames about, and fcorches their Bodies, is everlasting; 'twill be ever burning, and yet never consume them: the Worm that afflicts their Confcience is Immortal, 'twill be ever gnawing, and yet never lofe its Sting; for fo we read, The Worm dies not, and the Fire is not quench'd; Mark 9. 44. The Sentence is, Depart, ye curfed, into everlafting Fire; and because vile and wretched Company, inftead of eafing, do but encrease the Torment, 'tis added, Prepar'd for the Devil and his Angels: because Darkness makes any Place or Condition the more doleful and difconfolate, by fuggefting nothing but Fears and Terrors to the Mind, therefore their Doom will be, to be caft into outer Darkness; and left they fhould find any Relief from the Hopes of a Deliverance, they are referv'd unto Blackness of Darkness for ever; 2 Pet. 2. 1. This is the everlafting Punishment that the Wicked fhall go into, which will be endless, easeless, and remediless.

Secondly, We are to confider the happy and bleft Estate of the Righteous, they fhall go into Life Eternal: where their Happiness is exprefs'd by Life, and the Greatnefs of it, by its being Eternal. For the

Ift, As the Condition of the Wicked is defcrib'd by Death, the greatest of all Punishment; fo the State of the Righteous is reprefented by Life, the greatest of all Bleffings. And this is a fit Emblem to reprefent that bleffed State, in which they fhall live with God in all the Happiness that their Hearts can wish, or their Natures be capable of; for they fhall always fee and enjoy God, the Fountain of all Good,

in whose Presence is Fulness of Foy, and at whofe Right Hand are Pleasures for evermore. Again,

They fhall live, as in the Prefence of God, fo in the bleffed Society of Saints, and Angels, and glorify'd Spirits, with whom they fhall converfe for ever, with the most intire Intercourfe and Affection. Morever,

The Righteous in this future State fhall be completely happy both in Body and Soul. As for their Bodies, they fhall be totally free from all those Pains, Aches, and Infirmities, that fo much annoy and afflict them here: They shall hunger and thirst no more; God shall wipe away all Tears from their Eyes; there shall be no more Death, nor Sorrow, nor Crying, nor Pain; for all these former things are pass'à away: Rev. 7. 16. and 21. 4.

And not only fo, but they fhall be rais'd perfect, found, and glorious Bodies, intire in all their Parts, and confummate in all Perfections: Their Senfes fhall be gratify'd with the most delightful and agreeable Objects, exprefs'd in Scripture by Feasts, Banquets, and Marriage-Entertainments the moft joyful Hallelujahs, and Songs of Triumph, shall be ftill founding in their Ears; their Eyes fhall behold nothing but the most beautiful and tranfporting Objects, viz. the Glory and Magnificence of the Heavenly Throne, together with the Splendor of all the Heavenly Hoft that furround it. But the Happiness that will betide their Souls, will far tranfcend all this; for this noble Part will be exalted to the utmoft Perfection and Capacity of all its Faculties.

The Understanding will be not only fecur'd from all Error, Ignorance and Doubtfulness, but fill'd brim-full of Knowledge, and the cleareft Light will be ftill fhining out upon the Mind. Now we fee as in a Glafs darkly, but then face to face; now we know in part, but then shall we know even as we are known: 1 Cor. 13. 12.

The Will fhall be rectify'd to an exact Conformity to the Will of God; fo that its Choice and Inclination will be wholly turn'd from Evil, and its Freedom determin'd only to the chiefeft Good; 'twill love and delight only in God, and be wholly taken up with the Joy and Satisfaction that arifes from Divine and Heavenly Objects. By this the Spirits of juft Men will be made perfect, being advanc'd in Holinefs, and excelling in all the Virtues and Graces of God's Holy Spirit: in this blissful State, all Defects, Weakneffes and Imperfections vanifh; for when that which is

perfect