communicated by the Spirit of God, exhibits, nothing but what

is true.

Eighthly; In conformity to this representation of St. John, St. Paul says, 1 Thess. iv. 14, For, if we believe that Jesus died, and rose again, even so them also, who sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him; that is, as the sixteenth verse informs us, when he comes to the final Judgment. Who are those, whom God will bring with Christ at this time? Certainly not the bodies of the Saints. They will be raised from the grave; and cannot be brought with Christ. The only answer, therefore, is, he will bring with him the spirits of just men made perfect

Ninthly; Christ informs us, that Lazarus died, and was carried by angels to Abraham's bosom; that the Rich man died, and in hell lift up his eyes, being in torments; and all this, while the five Brethren of the Rich man were still living in the present world. Now I ask, whether the body of the Rich man was at this time in hell; or the body of Lazarus carried by angels to Abraham's bosom? These questions can need no answer. The consequence is, therefore, unavoidable. Should an objector say, that this representation is parabolical; he will say it, only to escape from an argument, which he cannot face. That parables are a figurative representation is acknowledged. But he must be a hardy commentator, who will assert. that they exhibit any thing but truth.

I might multiply proofs of this doctrine to a very great extent: for the language of the Scriptures concerning this subject is entirely uniform. But I shall only add one more, of a nature somewhat different from those which have been already alleged. The body of Moses was buried by God in a valley, in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor. Yet Moses appeared on the Mount of transfiguration, and conversed with Christ.

With this scheme of interpreting the Scriptures, almost all who have professed to believe them, have coincided in every age of the Church. Probably no individual has ever thought of finding in them the opposite doctrine, taless when forced to it by a wish to support some other favourite tenet. Dr. Priestly has plainly adopted it, because he thought the Immateriality of the Soul inconsistent with his views concerning the nature of Christ.

There is no more difficulty in supposing the soul of man to be capable of existing in a state of separation from the body, than in supposing any other spirit to be capable of existing without a body. Angels we know are unembodied. In the same state, the spirits of deceased persons may exist with as little difficulty in the eye of sound philosophy, as Angels. Aware of this truth, Dr. Priestly has strenuously laboured to disprove the existence of Angels also; in my view, without the least aid of philosophy, and in direct defiance of Revelation. If the Scriptures do not assert the existence of Angels; they cannot be said to assert any thing; for they do not assert any thing with more clearness, or precision. If their

assertions concerning this subject can be subverted by criticism; there can be no assertions, which criticism may not subvert.

2. The Soul, afier Death, returns immediately to God, to give an account of its conduct in the present life.

This appears to be the plain language of the text, in which the return of the body to the dust, and of the soul to God, are exhibited as co-existing events. That the purpose of its return to God is, that it may give up its account, appears sufficiently plain from the parables of the talents and the pounds. In these, each of the servants is exhibited as summoned to give, and as actually giving his account to his lord concerning his use, or abuse, of the privileges, entrusted to him, immediately after the close of his stewardship. Nor is there, so far as I have observed, any thing in the Scriptures, which is at all inconsistent with this scheme of our future destination.

In this account will be unfolded, alike, the state of the thoughts, and that of the external conduct. Of course, the soul will be furnished with a power of recollection, sufficiently capacious to comprehend all that it has done, and will be compelled to declare it without disguise, enhancement, or evasion. Its secret chambers, and all which they contain, or have ever contained, will be laid open to its own eye, as well as to that of its Maker. In this manner, the motives by which it has been governed, and the moral character, which it has sustained during its probation, will be so entirely developed, as to satisfy even itself, that the investigation has been just, as well as complete.

The Sentence of God will be pronounced, in perfect righteousness, on all that it has done.

To those, who have done the will of God, loved his character, believed in his Son, and turned away from their iniquities, He will say, Well done, good and faithful servants, ye have been faithful over a few things; I will make you rulers over many things; enter ye into the joy of your Lord: Of those, who have refused, or neglected, to do these things, He will say, Take ye the unprofitable servants, and cast them into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and gnashing of teeth.

4. In consequence of this sentence, the soul will immediately enter upon a state of reward.

When Lazarus died, he was carried by angels to Abraham's bosom. His evil things, or sufferings, were all terminated; and he was henceforth comforted, or made happy, for ever. When the rich man died, he lifted up his eyes in 'adns, being in torments; and is declared, to have received all his good things in the present life.

There has been no small debate among Divines; and those, of great reputation; concerning the places, where the dead will reside, between their departure from this world, and the final judgment. This subject demands too extensive a consideration to be attempted at the present time. It must be acknowledged, that the lan

guage of the Scriptures furnishes a foundation for some difference of opinion concerning it. Several expressions, found in both Testaments, seem to indicate an intermediate place, as well as an intermediate state of existence, between this world, and the final scenes of retribution. After a considerable examination of this subject, and an examination of several able commentators, who have handled it to some extent, I am obliged to confess myself not altogether satisfied; and to say, that, hitherto, I have found difficulties on both sides. I know of no method, in which they can be removed, except a direct recurrence to every scriptural passage which relates to the subject, a thorough consideration of cach, and an attentive comparison of them all. It is undoubtedly true, that the Hebrew Shcol, and the Greek Ads, commonly rendered Hell, or the Grave, in our Translation, do not properly signify either; but always the world of departed spirits. As these words have so extensive a signification, and must be interpreted by every passage of Scripture referring to that world; there must be room for considerable difference of opinion. But, whatever may be true concerning an intermediate place of existence, there can, I apprehend, be no reasonable doubt concerning an intermediate state. St. Peter says of the angels that sinned, that God cast them down to Hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto Judgment. St. Jude, also, declares them to be reserved, in like manner, unto the Judgment of the great day. From these declarations it is manifest, that falle angels have not yet received their final judgment, nor, of course, their final reward. This, indeed, seems evident from the phraseology, used by St. Peter, as well as by the declarations of both him and St. Jude. The word, which is rendered from St. Peter, cast them down to hell, is in the Greek, ragragwas; literally rendered cat them down to Tartarus. While this phraseology plainly declares a state punishment; it indicates directly a different state from that, which is taught by the word yeswa; the appropriate a ae of hell in the Scriptures. After the rich man died, and was ried, it is said by our Saviour, he lift up his eyes in hell, being in torments: in the Greek, v s adn, in Hades, he lift up his eyes, being in torments. This word also denotes, with sufficient clearness, a different state of suffering from that which is intended by the word yeva. In the same parable, Lazarus is declared to be carried by Angels to Abraham's bosom. The state, in which Lazarus was placed, is denoted elsewhere by the word Paradise. To-day, said our Saviour to the thief on the cross, thou shalt be with me in Paradise. But we know from our Saviour's own declaration, that, when he gave up the ghost on the cross, his spirit went, not to hell, but to Hades, or Sheol. For in the sixteenth Psalm He himself says, "Thou wilt not leave.

γεέννα

* See particularly on this subject Dr. Campbell's Sixth Preliminary Dissertation. Part 2 and Peters on Jub.

my soul in Sheol;" rendered, both by the Septuagint and by St. Peter, (quoting this passage, Acts ii. 27, and referring to it in verse 31) by Hades, the Greek word, by which Sheel is always translated both in the Old and New Testament. Thus it is, Thou wilt not leave my soul in Hades, and in verse 31, his soul was not left in Hades. The thief, therefore, went to the state, which is denoted by this word; and not to that, which is denoted by Heaven, unless this word is supposed to include heaven.

In Heb. xi. 39, 40, St. Paul says, of the Ancient saints, And these all, having obtained a good report through Faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. The promise here denotes, I apprehend, the good, or reward, promised to Faith and obedience, in its full extent. This good, the ancient saints are here declared not to have received, in this extensive manner: something better being reserved for Christians under the Gospel, in which they are to share, together with those, who have gone before them, when they shall be all gathered into the Divine Kingdom, and the state of perfection shall finally arrive.

70

In accordance with these observations, Christ informs us, that the Righteous will possess the Kingdom, prepared for them from the foundation of the world; and the wicked depart into the everlasting fire (as to aug to alwviov) prepared for the devil and his angels, not before, but after, the general judgment. St. John also, in the 20th and 21st Chapters of the Apocalypse, teaches us, that the wicked will be cast into a lake of fire; and that the state of glory destined for the enjoyment of the Righteous, and denoted by his vision of the New Jerusalem, will commence; after the Judgment is finished. These in both instances are the states of existence, denoted in Scriptural language by the words Heaven and Hell.

Sull, virtuous men, when they leave this world, go to a state of enjoyment only; and impenitent men, to a state of mere suffering. Lazarus was only comforted, after he left this world; and the rich man was only tormented. St. Paul informs us, that, when good men are absent from the body, they are present with the Lord. The favourable presence of Christ will, therefore, be afforded to all his followers; and he will begin to exhibit to them, in a glorious manner, the everlasting kindness, with which he has had mercy on them. When the bodies of mankind are reunited to their spirits; there can be no doubt, that the happiness of the Righteous, and the misery of the wicked, will be rendered more complete. But, antecedently to that event, both the happiness and the misery wil be entire, and unmingled. The happiness will in no degree be alloyed by suffering; the misery will in no degree be lessened by enjoyment.

REMARKS.

1. From these considerations, appears with strong evidence, the folly of that excessive allention, so commonly rendered to our bodies.

Not a small proportion of the care, anxiety, and labour, of man, is employed upon the body. So far as necessity, decency, and comfort, demand these exertions, the demand is certainly reasonable; and will be complied with, when it is in his power, by every wise man. But there are, certainly, limits to this employment, fixed by Revelation, and seen, and acknowledged, by reason. To take, even in this way, the real good of all our labour under the sun, is plainly included in that portion which God hath given us of this labour. The allowance is certainly liberal, and sufficient. But there are anxieties experienced; there are efforts made; which are productive of no such good. Common sense continually discerns, and declares, this truth. These anxieties, and efforts, are also immensely numerous, eager, and painful. It is necessary to have food: it is desirable, that that food should be wholesome and pleasant. It is necessary to have clothes; it is desirable that our clothes should be convenient and becoming. But there may be excessive care to gratify the palate, and to adorn the person. I know of no rational objection to that mode of life, regularly demanded by common sense, which, according with the character and circumstances of an individual, is pronounced by the general sense of propriety to be suited to his station. Yet the whole of life is certainly not to be consumed either in pampering, or adorn ing, the person. Our life is the only period of our probation; and, during that probation, eternal life is to be gained or lost. With such an employment on our hands, it is madness to waste this little period in providing the means of luxury, to pamper our palates and our pride. Would the epicure, while feasting his sight, and smell, and taste, on viands, to collect which, he has, perhaps, ransacked both the Indies, remember, that he is pampering his body, merely to make it a more dainty meal to the worms of the dust; it is questionable whether the keenness of his relish would not be blunted, and his solicitude concerning what he should eat, and what he should drink, exchanged for a more becoming anxiety concerning the means, by which he might live for ever. Were the Monarch on his throne, to adorn whom the South has yielded up its gold, and the East lavished its gems, to recollect that within a few days he would be wrapped in a shroud,. and lodged in the grave; would not all these splendours fade upon his eye, and pall upon his heart? Were the beauty, who swims through the dance, or sparkles in the drawing-room, with the conscious superiority of her charms, and amid the homage of surrounding admirers, to call to mind, that the form which, Narcissus-like, she surveyed in the glass with rapture, must within a few days be chilled by the icy

VOL. IV.

54