Of the separate state of the soul
until the resurrection, and its employment IN that state
John Gill
That the soul exists in a
future state, after the death of the body, has been abundantly proved in the
preceding chapter; and the business of this is to show, that the
soul, immediately after death, enters into a state of happiness or woe; in
which it continues until the resurrection of the body: and that during that
interval, it is not in a state of insensibility and inactivity; but that it is
employed in various exercises; and what its employment is, will be pointed at.
1. First,
that as soon as the body is dead, the soul immediately enters into a separate
state of happiness or misery. The wise man, after a description of death, and
the symptoms of it, in a most beautiful and striking manner; adds, "Then
shall the dust return to the earth"; the body, composed of dust and earth,
at death, returns to its original dust and earth, and is interred in it, where
it sleeps until the resurrection; and "the
spirit", or soul, which is a spiritual, immaterial, and immortal
substance, "shall return", even immediately, as soon as the body is
become a lifeless lump of clay, "unto God that gave it"; the former
of the spirit of man within him, the giver of it to the sons of men, to whom it
returns as soon as it leaves the body, as to the original proprietor of it; and
to whom it is accountable for all actions done in the body;
being summoned and gathered by him, or carried by angels to him; when a
particular, personal judgment passes upon it; for "after this", that
is, death, comes "judgment"; that at once takes place; though the
general judgment will not be until the resurrection of the dead; and according
to the sentence passed on the soul, at its particular judgment, is it disposed
of. The souls of the wicked are sent down to hell, and cast
into it; to this prison they are committed, there to remain to the judgment of the
great day: this has been the case from the beginning of the world, witness the
spirits in prison, who were disobedient in the times of Noah; the wicked of all
nations in the world, in all ages, as asserted by David; and that without
respect to persons, rich or poor; the rich wicked man died, and in hell lift up
his eyes, according to the parable of our Lord, #1Pe 3:19 Ps
9:17 Lu 16:22. And the souls of good men return to God at death, are retained
by him, into whose hands, at death, they commit them; and are immediately
admitted into his presence, and fulness of joy there; and so remain until the
second coming of Christ, when he will bring them with him, raise their bodies,
and reunite souls and bodies; and when in both, they shall
be for ever with him: and whereas the immediate state of the wicked after
death, is but sparingly spoken of in scripture; but that of good men more
plentifully, the proof of the latter will be chiefly attended to, and which may
be taken,
1a. First, from #Ec 4:2 where
the saints dead are preferred to living ones.
1a1. By the
"dead" are meant the righteous dead; for though the
righteousness
of Christ, from which they are denominated
righteous,
delivers them from eternal death, yet not from a
corporal one;
"The righteous man perishes", or dies, as
others
do; though his death is different from the death of
others, and
is attended with happy circumstances; hence
Balaam
desired to die the death of "the righteous",
#Nu 23:10.
1a2.
By the living, are meant saints in the present state, who
are
distressed with a body of sin and death, and groan,
being
burdened with it; are harassed by the temptations of
Satan, with
which they are sorely grieved; are exercised
with a
variety of afflictions, from different quarters, and
on
different accounts; meet with various tribulations in the
world, and
are greatly oppressed with the persecutions of
men, as in
#Nu 23:1 which makes their present state
uncomfortable
at times. Now,
1a3.
The righteous dead are delivered from all these; they are
freed from
sin, and are out of the reach of Satan's
temptations,
and of the persecutions and oppressions of men.
And,
1a4.
Are in a state of fellowship with God, and Christ, and with
angels and
glorified saints, in heaven, and so happy, and in
a state
preferable to living saints. But,
1a5. If this
was not the case, if they were in a state of
insensibility,
and without the enjoyment of the divine
presence;
they would not be happier than, nor so happy, as
living
saints, with all their sorrows, arising from within
and from
without; for they have their intervals of joy,
peace, and
comfort; have the love of God shed abroad in
their
hearts, by the Spirit, at times; and are indulged with
fellowship
with the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ: and
besides, they
have comfortable fellowship with the saints,
in the word
and ordinances; with whom they go to the house
of God in
company, and are there greatly delighted and
refreshed:
the tabernacles of the Lord are amiable and
lovely; a day
in his courts is better than a thousand
elsewhere.
Wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness, and her
paths, paths
of peace; and therefore they are happier than
the righteous
dead, if they are not in the divine Presence,
and
sensibly enjoying that, until the resurrection.
1b. Secondly,
from #Isa 57:1,2. "The righteous perisheth", &c.
1b1. By the
righteous and merciful, are meant such as are truly
made
so by the righteousness of Christ, and live righteously
under a sense
of such grace, and who have obtained pardoning
mercy of God,
and show mercy to others; the same with the
good man, the
godly, and the faithful, elsewhere, #Mic 7:2
#Ps 12:1.
1b2. The
death of such is meant by their "perishing", and being
"taken
away"; for persons so described can never perish
eternally,
only as to the outward man, and the transitory
things of
this world; out of which they are taken by death,
1b3. As soon
as they are taken from hence, they are at once in a
state of
happiness; being not only taken from evil to come,
from public
judgments and calamities coming upon a nation; or
from
the evil of sin, and of error, by which they might have
been ensnared
and distressed; all which is a kind of
negative
happiness; but they have, besides this, at death, a
real and
positive happiness, which they are at once
possessed of;
signified by the following things,
1b3a. They
"enter into peace": are not only freed from sorrow,
disturbance, and
distress, on any account whatever; but they
are put into
the possession of a peace which passeth all
understanding,
and can never be interrupted; they enter into
it
as into an house, where they are to dwell; and upon a
land where
there is no pricking brier nor grieving thorn.
1b3b. They
"rest in their beds"; not only their bodies rest in
their graves,
where their rest together is in the dust; but
their
souls in the bosom of Abraham, in the arms of Jesus;
where they
rest from all their toil and labour; and have
continual and
never ceasing communion with all the heavenly
inhabitants.
1b3c.
They "walk" in their "uprightness"; they "walk",
and so are
not in a
state of insensibility and inactivity; they have
"places"
given them to "walk among those that stand by", to
take their
turns, and converse with angels and glorified
saints; and
with them they walk clothed in white, because
worthy,
through the worthiness of Christ; in the
righteousness
of Christ, the fine linen, clean and white;
and in
spotless purity and holiness; and in the shining
robes of
bliss and glory.
1c.
Thirdly, from #Lu 16:22,23. "And it came to pass that the beggar
died", &c. The scope of this parable, as observed in the preceding
chapter, is to be attended to; which is to set forth the immediate state of men
after death, whether good men or bad men; for though it may have a principal
respect to Christ, and to the Pharisees of his times, yet holds true of all
good men, the members of Christ; arid of all wicked men,
whether under a guise of religion, or openly profane.
1c1. The
beggar, the good man, upon his death, is represented as
under the
care and convoy of angels, and by them seated in
Abraham's
bosom, a phrase used by the Jews, expressive of
the
heavenly happiness; in allusion to a feast, at which,
according to
the custom of the Jews, the guests lay upon
beds, or
couches, about the table; so that he who lay below
another, and
next to him, leaned, as it were, on his breast,
and lay in
his bosom; and this denotes the intimate
communion
of the saints with each other, in the enjoyment of
God.
1c2. The rich
and wicked man, he is said, upon his death, to be
"in
hell", where he lift up his eyes, and saw the poor good
man
in great felicity and comfort, whom he had treated with
neglect and
contempt; which served to aggravate his misery;
and where he
found himself surrounded with the flames of
hell, and
filled with inward torments and horrors of mind.
1c3.
The state of both these is summed up in a few words,
#Lu 16:25.
"But now he is comforted, and thou art
tormented";
even "now", immediately after the death of both.
And,
1c4.
That this respects the intermediate state between the death
of the body,
and the resurrection of it, is clear, from what
the wicked
man petitioned, on the behalf of his brethren in
his father's
house, in the state of the living, and having
the means,
the law and the prophets; only he thought, if one
sent
from the dead to them, it would strike them with
greater conviction;
when he was told, they would not be
persuaded,
though one rose from the dead; which shows the
parable
respects the state of men before the resurrection,
and as taking
place immediately upon death.
1d. Fourthly, from #Lu 23:43.
"And Jesus said unto him", the repentant thief, then suffering death;
"verily I say unto thee", which being thus solemnly affirmed might be
depended on, "today thou shall be with me in paradise", in heaven!
for,
1d1.
By paradise is meant the third heaven, into which the
apostle Paul
was caught, #2Co 12:2,4 the seat of the divine
Majesty, and
the dwelling place of angels and glorified
saints; so
called in allusion to the garden of Eden, that
earthly
paradise, for the delight, pleasure, and happiness
1d2. Hither
Christ himself, as soon as he expired on the cross,
went; not
into "limbus patrum", to deliver the Old Testament
saints from
thence; nor into the prison of hell, to preach
to,
and convert the spirits there, as say the papists, upon
the mistaken
sense of #1Pe 3:19 but into heaven itself,
having
commended his spirit, or soul, into the hands of his
divine
Father, by whom it was received. And,
1d3.
The happiness promised the thief, upon his request to him,
to remember
him in his kingdom, is, that he should be with
him in
paradise; should enjoy all the happiness of that
place, and
his presence in it, in which the happiness of it
lay. And,
1d4. He
assures him, that this happiness he should enjoy
immediately,
that very day; "This day thou shall be with
me",
&c. to put the stop after "today", and read it as
connected
with what goes before, "I say unto thee today", is
a
mere shift, and gives a most trifling and jejune sense of
the words.
1e. Fifthly, from #2Co 5:1-8.
"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved,
we have a building of God, an house not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens". In which may be observed,
1e1. That
death is signified by a dissolution of the earthly
body; that is
called a tabernacle, or tent, set up for a
while, and
then taken down; and an "earthly house", an house
of
clay, formed out of the earth, which has its foundation
in the dust;
and death is an analysis, or resolution of it,
into earth
and dust again.
1e2. Heaven
is represented as another house of a different
nature,
not made with the hands of men; but what God is the
maker and
builder of; and it is not on earth, but in heaven;
is eternal,
will continue for ever; it consists of many
mansions and
apartments, prepared by Christ for his people.
1e3.
Into which they are at once removed, when dislodged from
their earthly
house, the body; "We know, that if", or "when
our earthly
house", &c. when we are warned out of that, we
have another
house immediately to be admitted into; saints
are not, at
death, turned adrift, as Adam, when drove out of
Eden;
nor are they without any certain dwelling place, as
sometimes the
apostles were; they have an house ready for
them to go into;
as soon as they are ordered out of one,
there is
another prepared to receive them.
1e4.
This is no conjecture, but a certain thing; "We know", from
the provision
God has made of it, from the preparations of
Christ for
it, from the right and title Christ's righteousness
gives unto
it, from the security of it in him, and from the
testimony of
the Spirit.
1e5. After
which there are strong desires in the saints; they
groan in the
present tabernacle, being burdened, longing for
a deliverance
from it, and an admittance into their other
house in
heaven; being willing to quit the body, that they
might
enjoy the presence of God; which they would not be so
pressingly
desirous of, if they knew they should not be
introduced
into it immediately.
1e6. But of
this they have an earnest, even the Spirit of God;
and
therefore are quite confident, being wrought up by him
for this
self-same thing, by his power and grace, that when
they are
removed from hence they shall be with the Lord.
1e7. And this
will be as soon as they are absent from the body,
as
they are at death, they shall be present with the Lord,
and enjoy
communion with him.
1f. Sixthly, from #Php
1:21,23. "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain----for I am in a
strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better!" From whence it appears,
1f1. That the
apostle believed, that upon his departure out of
this world,
by death, he should be immediately with Christ,
and enjoy
communion with him; which would be a real gain
unto
him, and be preferable to his continuance in this life,
there being
nothing here that could be a counterbalance to
it. Or
otherwise,
1f2. If he
had not believed this, his immediate admission into
the
presence of Christ, and enjoyment of eternal happiness,
he could
never have considered death as gain unto him; for
he must have
been a loser by it; since in his present state,
notwithstanding
all his fatigue and labour, his sorrows and
his
sufferings, yet he had communion with God, the presence
of
Christ, the teachings and leadings of the divine Spirit,
much pleasure
and success in his work, being the happy
instrument of
converting sinners, and comforting saints; all
which he
would be deprived of, if at death he entered into a
state of
insensibility and inactivity. Nor,
1f3. Would he
have been at a loss what choice to have made, whether
to live or
die; whether to depart out of the world, or to
continue in
it; he could have easily discerned, that it was
his interest
to abide in the flesh, or in the present state,
in
which he received much good for himself, and did much for
others;
whereas, if he was not to enter upon a state of
happiness
until the resurrection, but remain inactive and
useless; it
certainly was much more eligible to continue as
he was. For,
1f4. Most
certain it is, that it would have been better for the
churches of
Christ, for the interest of religion, and for
the glory of
God, if he had remained on earth to this day,
and so on to
the second coming of Christ, than to be
sleeping
in his grave, receiving no benefit to himself, nor
being of any
use to others.
1g. Seventhly, from #Re 14:13.
"Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord", &c.
1g1.
By "the dead that die in the Lord", are not meant merely, or
only, the
martyrs of Jesus, who die for the sake of Christ,
and his
gospel; but all the saints who die in union with
Christ, in
faith in him, as the only Saviour and Redeemer;
in hope of
eternal life by him; and in expectation of being
for
ever with him; and whose faith, hope, and expectation,
will not
fail, nor be disappointed.
1g2. Truly
good men are blessed now; they are blessed who trust
in the Lord,
and make him their hope; they are happy who
dwell
in his house, enjoy his ordinances, and are employed
in his
service; who walk in his ways, and keep his
commandments:
but they are much more blessed at death; which
would not be
their case, if the did not immediately enter
into the
presence of and into the joy of the Lord. And,
1g3. This is
the blessedness intended here; for it commences
"from
henceforth", from the instant of their death; and
which is
confirmed by the testimony of the Spirit; "Yea,
saith the
Spirit"; he says, they are blessed from that time;
1g4. Lies in
a "rest from their labours"; not merely in a rest
from the
labours of their bodies, much less in a cessation
from the
spiritual exercises of their souls; but in inward
everlasting
peace, joy, and comfort; and in "their works
following
them", not only what they had done as witnesses of
the truth of
grace, but what they were to do, and be
employed in,
until the coming of Christ; which leads to
consider the
proof that may be given,
2. Secondly, that the souls of
men, when separated from their bodies by death, are not in a state of
insensibility and inactivity. There are some, who, though they do not deny the
immortality of the soul, yet think it sleeps with the body until the
resurrection; and this was the firm opinion of Socinus, as he himself says {1},
that the soul of man, after this life, does not so subsist
of itself, as to be sensible either of rewards or punishments; or, indeed, as
to be capable of perceiving those things; and the same is held by some Arminian
writers {2}. But in opposition to this notion, and some that Calvin calls
Catabaptists, and who go by the name of soul sleepers with us {3},
2a. First, I shall endeavour
to prove, that the soul is operative, and in a state of action, when separate
from the body; and that insensibility is not to be concluded from the absence
of the body. For,
2a1.
The soul can and does operate without the use of bodily
organs in its
present state, and in many things stands in no
need of them;
the rational soul thinks, discourses, and
reasons
without the use of them; its powers and faculties,
the
understanding and will, need them not; the will is
directed
and guided by the understanding; and the
understanding
has to do with objects in the consideration of
which bodily
organs are no ways assisting; as in the
consideration
of God, his nature and perfections; of angels
and spirits,
and their nature; and of a man's own spirit,
and
the things of it, which it penetrates into without the
help of any
of the instruments of the body: it can consider
of things
past long ago, and of things very remote and at a
great
distance; and such objects as are presented to it by
the senses,
it reasons about them without making use of any
of
the organs of the body; and if it can operate without the
body, it can
exist without it; for since it is independent
of it in its
operations, it is independent of it in its
being; and as
it can exist without it, it can act in that
separate
state of existence without it: wherefore since it
dies
not with the body, it is not affected as to its
operations by
the absence of it, nor at death becomes
insensible as
that is.
2a2. The case
of persons in raptures, ecstasies and trances, when
the
body is senseless and inactive, and as if it was dead,
and yet the
soul is active and attentive, and capable of
receiving
things communicated to it, shows most clearly the
soul can
operate without the body; and if in this state,
much more in
a more perfect one. The apostle John was in the
spirit,
in an ecstasy, when he saw and heard the various
things
recorded in the Book of the Revelation; the case of
the apostle
Paul is very remarkable, a particular account of
which he
gives, though not knowing whether in the body or
out of it,
#2Co 12:2-4 now though the apostle was not
certain
whether his soul was in his body or not, during his
rapture; yet
this appears most certain, that it was his
sentiment
that a soul out of the body is capable of seeing
such things as
he did; or otherwise it would have been no
difficulty
with him to have determined whether he was in or
out
of the body; for if he could not hear and see such
things as he
did out of the body, then he must without all
doubt be in the
body when he heard and saw them; but his way
of speaking
clearly shows that he thought his soul was
capable of
attending to these things, though it might be out
of
it; and if this is the same with the trance recorded in
#Ac 22:17-21
as some think, it appears that while he was in
it, and his
body lay senseless and inactive, his soul had a
sight of
Christ, and a conversation with him, and received a
mission from
him to the Gentiles. Now if the soul is not in
a
state of insensibility when the body sometimes now is,
there is no
reason to believe it is in such a state when the
body is dead
and separated from it; since the body in an
ecstasy is of
no more use to it, nor the organs of it, than
if it was
dead.
2a3. The
soul, freed from the body, must be more capable of
exercising
its powers and faculties, and be more active than
when in it;
especially as it is corrupted with sin, and
incumbered
with it, which is a clog and hinderance in the
performance
of spiritual duties; it cannot attend to it as
it would;
"the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak"; but
when it is
separated from the body, and is joined to the
spirits of
just men made perfect, it must be much more
capable of
serving God with greater activity, spirituality,
2a4. The soul
separate from the body is most like unto the
angels, and
its state, condition, and employment, greatly
resemble
theirs. Now nothing is more foreign to angels than
insensibility
and inactivity, who always behold the face of
God, stand
ready to do his commandments, hearkening to the
voice of his
word; and no sooner do they receive orders from
him, but they
do his pleasure; they are continually before
the throne of
God, praising his name, and celebrating his
2a5. If the
souls of believers after death are in a state of
insensibility
and inactivity, their case would be much worse
than that of
the living, as has been observed; since in the
present
state, amidst all their evil things, they enjoy much
good, receive
much from God, and have much spiritual peace
and joy in
the exercise of grace; whereas there is a stop
put to all
this, and an entire cessation from it, if upon
death they
enter into a state of insensibility and
inactivity;
particularly it would have been much more happy
for the
apostle Paul to have stayed on earth, and continued
here till
Christ came again; and more to the advantage of
the churches
of Christ, than to be where he is, if insensible
and inactive;
here he might have made use of his great
talents,
exercised his graces, had much communion with God,
and been of
great service in the interest of Christ, in which
he would have
found a real pleasure, but now deprived of all,
if the above
is his case.
2a6.
If the souls of truly gracious persons are, upon their
departure
from hence, insensible and inactive, what is become
of the work
of grace upon their souls? in what condition is
it, and must
that be? there must be a full stop to it, and to
the exercise of
it, and that for a long season; where is
growth
in grace, where no grace is to be seen? and when it
might have
been expected it would be in its full perfection,
does not
appear at all {4}? How does this "well of water
spring up
into everlasting life", when it does not spring at
all, but the
streams of it cease to flow? what a chasm must
there
be between grace and glory, when the scriptures
represent
them as closely and inseparably connected together?
grace is the
beginning of glory, and glory is the finishing
and
perfection of grace, and in which there is no
interruption.
2a7. The
proof that has been given of souls separate from the
body entering
immediately into a state of happiness or
misery, is
also an abundant proof of their sensibility; when
either they
enter into the presence of God, are with Christ,
and
feel unutterable pleasure and delight; or are in
inexpressible
torments under the lighting down of the arm of
God's wrath
and indignation upon them. I proceed,
2b. Secondly,
to take notice of what is urged in favour of the insensibility of souls upon their departure.
2b1. All such
passages of scripture are urged which speak of
persons
"sleeping" when they die; as of sleeping with their
fathers, and of
sleeping in the dust of the earth, phrases
frequently
to be met with in the Old Testament; and of
Christ being
the firstfruits of those that slept, and of
sleeping in
Jesus; and of some not sleeping, which are used
in the New
Testament, #2Sa 7:12 1Ki 1:21 Job 7:21 Da 12:2
#1Co 15:18,51
1Th 4:14. But,
2b1a. By
sleep in all these passages death itself is meant. It
was a way of
speaking much used in the eastern countries,
and is
expressive of the death of the body, and of that
only; so to
"sleep with the fathers", is to die as they did,
and
to be buried with them; and to "sleep in the dust", is,
being dead,
to be laid in the grave, to be interred in the
dust of the
earth; and to "sleep in Jesus", is to die in the
Lord. When
Christ said, "our friend Lazarus sleepeth", he
meant that he
was dead; and when the apostle Paul says, "we
shall
not all sleep", he designs nothing else but that we
shall not all
die; for those who are alive at Christ's
coming will
be changed; the reason why death is expressed by
sleep is,
because sleep is the image of death, it locks up
the senses,
gives rest to the weary body, is but for a time,
2b1b. Death
being designed by those expressions, if they prove
anything in
this controversy they prove too much; for if
they prove
that the soul sleeps with the body, they would
prove
that the soul dies with it, since by sleep is meant no
other than
death.
2b1c. No
mention is made of the soul in any of these passages; it
is not said of
that neither that it sleeps nor dies; the
passages
only respect the body; it is that only which at
death is
gathered to the fathers, and buried in the graves
of ancestors;
and which sleeps in the dust, or is buried in
the dust of
the earth; the sleep of which stands opposed to
the change
that will pass on the bodies of living saints at
2b1d. Sleep
is only of the body {5}, and, according to the
philosopher
is a passion that belongs to the sensitive part,
a kind of a
band and immoveableness of it, so that it cannot
operate;
and says it only belongs to animals that have a
brain, or
something analogous to it {6}; it is defined
"a
cessation of the external senses from operation, the
vapours
filling the nerves and the sensory passages, and
so
hinder the influx of the animal spirits" {7}.
But what is
all this to the soul, an immaterial and
incorporeal
substance, which has no brain, nor nerves, nor
sensory
passages, nor animal spirits? and therefore sleep has
no
place in it, and cannot be predicated of it.
2b1e. When
the body is asleep the soul is awake and active, as
appears in
abundance of instances, in dreams and visions of
the night,
when deep sleep falls upon men, and is capable of
attending
to what is suggested to it, and of receiving
instruction;
see #Job 4:12-17 33:15,16 it understands and
perceives,
devises and contrives, reasons and discourses,
chooses and
refuses, grieves and rejoices, hopes and fears,
loves and
hates, and the like; it can take in hints,
admonitions,
advice, and directions from God, or angels sent
by him; as in
some not good men, as Abimelech, Laban, Balaam,
&c. and
others truly good men, as Jacob, Daniel, Joseph, &c.
whose souls,
when their bodies were asleep, were capable of
attending to
them, and receiving them, and acted according to
2b2. The
advocates for the insensibility and inactivity of the
soul after
death, urge such scriptures which represent the
happiness of
the saints, and the misery of the wicked, as
not
taking place until the last day, the end of the world,
the
resurrection of the dead, and the day of judgment, when
the wicked
shall go into everlasting punishment, and the
righteous
into life eternal, #Lu 14:14 1Th 4:16,18 2Ti 4:8
#Col 3:3,4 Mt
11:22,24 13:40,41,47,50 25:46 Re 20:12,15
to
which may be replied, that though they are represented as
then happy or
miserable, it is no where said that they are
not happy nor
miserable before that time; nor that they are
insensible of
any happiness or misery, but the contrary.
Besides there
is a twofold state of the righteous and the
wicked
after death, respecting their happiness and their
misery; the
one is just begun at death; the other is full,
consummate,
and perfect, at the resurrection and judgment;
now it is of
the latter these scriptures speak, and not of
the former;
and it is allowed, the righteous will not be in
the
full possession of happiness until the last day, when
their bodies will
be raised and united to their souls, and
both together
enter into the full joy of their Lord; nor will
the wicked
receive the full measure of their punishment until
the
resurrection and the judgment are over, when both soul
and
body shall be cast into hell; just as it is with the
devils, they
are not yet in full torment, though cast down to
hell, and are
reserved to the judgment of the great day; but
then they are
not in a state of insensibility, they feel
distress and
anguish now, and tremble at their future doom;
so
the wicked, they are not insensible of their misery now,
and of what
they are to endure: and both righteous and wicked
upon death
enter immediately into a state of happiness or
misery; the
righteous are happy from the time of their death,
and as soon
as absent from the body are present with the
Lord;
and the wicked are no sooner dead, but in hell they
lift up their
eyes; though neither the one is in complete
happiness,
nor the other in full misery, yet both sensible of
their present
case, and what they shall be in hereafter.
2b3.
They improve all such places to their advantage, which speak
of those in
the grave, and in the state of the dead, as
incapable of
praising God, #Ps 30:9 88:10,11 115:17,18
#Isa 38:18 to
which it may be answered,
2b3a.
Not to observe that Calvin {8} interprets the passages of
the damned in
hell under the wrath of God, and a sense of
it. These
scriptures speak only of the body, which is dust
originally, and
returns to the dust at death, and is buried
in the dust,
and while in such a state cannot praise God;
"Shall
the dust praise thee?" it is the body which only
dies, and
goes down to the pit, and is laid in the grave,
and which,
while there, cannot be employed in praising God,
"Shall
the dead arise and praise thee?" &c. but then this
hinders not
but that their souls may and do praise God, in
the
manner as angels do, with whom they are sometimes joined
in the Book
of the Revelation; and are represented as with
them,
glorifying God, praising his name, singing
hallelujahs,
ascribing "salvation to him that sits upon the
throne, and
to the Lamb for ever and ever", #Re 7:9-12.
2b3b. These
passages only respect praising God before men, and in
the church
militant, as is done by saints now in the land of
the living;
but then notwithstanding, the souls of departed
saints may
and do praise the Lord in the church triumphant,
and
with the hundred and forty four thousand in mount Zion,
and before an
innumerable company of angels and spirits of
just men made
perfect, to whom they are come; and therefore
such passages
are no proof of the insensibility and
inactivity of
separate souls.
2b4. They
argue from souls being deprived of thought and memory
at death,
that therefore they must be in a state of
insensibility.
As for thought, that passage is urged in
#Ps 146:4.
"In that very day", that is, in which man returns
to
his earth, or dies, his thoughts perish; but these, as has
been observed,
do not design thoughts in general, but
purposes,
schemes, and plans, the effect of thought, which
come to
nothing at death, and are never carried into
execution;
and though the thoughts, particularly of good
men,
are not employed about the same things as when on
earth, about
worldly things, yet they are employed about
spiritual and
heavenly ones; and can, with pleasure and
gratitude,
remember the great and good things God did for
them in life;
yea, even the memories of wicked men are
pointed
to after death; "Son, remember that thou in thy
lifetime
receivedst thy good things", &c. #Lu 16:25. And
that worm
that dies not, is no other than consciousness of
guilt
contracted, and the memory of past sins committed in
life, which
torture the separate soul after death, #Mr 9:44.
Should
it be urged, that a person, when asleep, is destitute
of thought,
especially when in a deep sleep; who, upon
awaking,
cannot remember anything he has thought of: this
doth not
carry in it sufficient conviction, that the mind is
then
destitute of thought; for how often is it that a man,
when
awake, cannot remember what he thought of the last
minute? it is
owned, that in dreams the soul thinks, but
then the man
is asleep, and shows that sleep and thought are
not
incompatible: besides, when deep sleep falls upon man,
the soul is
capable of attending to what is suggested to it,
and
receiving instruction thereby; as some passages in Job,
before
mentioned, show. And after all, it should be proved,
that the soul
is asleep when the body is; and particularly,
when separate
from it, ere any argument from hence can be
brought to
prove the soul is deprived of thought by it; and
is
in a state of insensibility.
2b5. It is
observed, that it is said of the "dead", that they
"know
not anything", #Ec 9:5. But this is to be understood
of the things
of this world; they do not know the affairs of
it,
what is done or doing in it, no, not the condition and
circumstances
of their own families they have left behind;
they do not
know whether their sons come to honour or to
disgrace;
whether they are in prosperous or in adverse
circumstances,
#Job 14:21. But then they know the things of
the
other world, in which they are; they know God, and
Christ, and
the holy angels, and the spirits of just men
made perfect,
and the happiness of these and of themselves;
they know
even as they are known: yea, wicked men know and
feel the
lashes of an accusing, torturing conscience, the
pains
of hell, and the wrath of God, the fire that is not
quenched; and
so are not in a state of insensibility. I go
on,
3. Thirdly, to point out the
work and employment of separate souls, especially of good
men, after the death of the body, until the resurrection of it: and here I shall
not give a scope to fancy and conjecture, which may lead persons to say many
things doubtful and uncertain; and since the scriptures are sparing in the
account they give of this matter, I shall content myself with just observing
some few things which may be gathered from thence; and which may suggest unto
us the work they are employed in; for it cannot be thought
that they are idle and unemployed in the happy state in which they are. And
3a. First, it need not be
doubted, but that they are employed in celebrating and adoring the perfections
of God; since this is the work of their kindred spirits, the angels,
with whom they are now associated; they are constantly employed, in ascribing
glory to God, #Re 7:11,12 5:11,12 so holy souls adore the perfections of God's
holiness, to which they bear some resemblance, and are thankful at the
remembrance of it; and the almighty power of God, of which they have had
experience in this life, and in bringing them to the happy state they are now
in; and the wisdom of God, displayed in the works of
nature, providence, and grace, of which they have now a clearer understanding;
and the grace, mercy, and love of God, which appear in every branch of their
salvation; and the faithfulness of God to his counsels, covenant, and promises;
to dwell on these subjects will be no inconsiderable part of their employment.
3b. Secondly, they are also
employed in beholding God in Christ, and the glory of Christ; being pure in
heart, and perfect in holiness, they see God with the eyes of their
understanding; behold him for themselves, and not another, as their covenant
God and Father in Christ; and his glory as displayed in the Person of Christ;
and have as much knowledge of him as creatures are capable
of; and solace and delight themselves in the views of him, and in communion
with him: and though they see not Christ with the eyes of their bodies, as they
will after the resurrection; yet with the eyes of their minds they gaze upon
and wonder at those glories and excellencies they see in him; and this is the
end of Christ's intercession for them, that they be with
him where he is, and behold his glory, #Joh 17:24.
Thirdly, they
are likewise employed in the exercise of various
graces: if is
commonly said of faith, hope, and love, that
they are
travelling graces, which accompany saints in this
life;
but cease, as to their exercise, at death, especially
the two
former; the latter is indeed allowed to continue
after death:
but faith is usually said to be changed for
sight, and
hope for fruition; which, in some respects, and
in part, is
true; yet I see not why faith and hope may not
be
thought to have their use, and to be in exercise after
death, and
especially in the separate state, until the
resurrection:
it can scarcely be doubted, that separate
souls firmly
"believe" the resurrection of their bodies,
that they
will be raised again, and reunited to their
souls;
and as that will add to their happiness, it cannot
but be
desired by them; and as it is what is at present
unseen, unenjoyed,
and is future, it must be the object of
hope, about
which that grace must be conversant, until it is
brought to
pass; and thus as Christ "rested in hope of the
resurrection
of his body", #Ps 16:9 so the souls of saints
in heaven
rest in hope of the resurrection of theirs; and
may be truly
said to "wait for the redemption of the body".
Some think
Job has respect to this, when he says, "All the
days of my
appointed time will I wait till my change come";
meaning,
not his change by death, though that is a truth,
but his
change at the resurrection, when Christ will change
the vile
bodies of his people, and fashion them like to his
glorious one.
Yea, "patience", rest, and quietness, are to
be, and are
exercised by souls in their separate state: to
the
souls under the altar it is said, "that they should rest
yet for a
little season, until their fellow servants also,
and their
brethren that should be killed, as they were,
should be
fulfilled"; that is, be easy, quiet, and patient,
till that time,
comes, and this is done, #Re 6:11. And as
for
love, there is no doubt but it will be in its highest
act and
exercise.
3d. Fourthly, they are also
employed in serving God; so those come out of great tribulation are said to be
"before the throne of God, and to serve him day and night in
his temple", #Re 7:14,15 not by preaching, and hearing, and attending on
the word and ordinances; yet there are duties which are performed in this
state; if not prayer, yet most certainly praise, in the highest perfection: I
see not why prayer may not be allowed to the church triumphant and its members,
though not for themselves, yet for the church militant and its members, that
they may be delivered from their present evils; and that
the justice of God might be glorified in taking vengeance on their enemies; and
that they may shortly join their general assembly; something like this is
ascribed to the souls under the altar, who are represented as expostulating
with God after this manner, "And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How
long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" #Re 6:10 and, indeed, what is
the earnest wish and desire of separate souls, after the resurrection of their
bodies and their reunion to them, but prayer, that so it might be? however,
praise is their grand employment, their principal business, in which they are
continually engaged; these ransomed ones come to Zion with songs, and there
they sing them; the songs of electing, redeeming, calling,
and persevering grace, ascribing glory to the Father, that has chose them in
Christ; and to the Son, who has redeemed them to God by his blood; and to the
Spirit, who has regenerated, sanctified, and called them; and to all Three, for
the preservation of them to the kingdom and glory of God.
3e.
Fifthly, much of the employment of souls in this separate state lies in
converse with angels and the spirits of just men made perfect. Angels have some
way or other of conversing with each other; we read of the "tongue of
angels"; not that they speak any particular language, and with an
articulate voice; but they have speech among themselves, which they understand;
they can communicate their thoughts to one another, and be
happy in their mutual converse; see #Da 8:13 12:5-7 and angels can convey their
sense to the spirits of men; and the spirits of men can communicate theirs to
them; such an intercourse between angels and the souls of men has been carried
on in dreams and visions, even in this imperfect state; and much more are they
capable of conversing together in a more perfect one. The souls of men in the separate state are distinguishable from one another; and there
are ways and means, no doubt, of knowing one from another; thus the soul of
Abraham may be known from the soul of Isaac; and the soul of Isaac from the
soul of Abraham; and the soul of Jacob from both: and as the saints will know
one another in heaven {9}, one part of their happiness will lie in conversing
together about divine and heavenly things; and, indeed,
about what they have had experience of, both in providence and grace, while
they dwelt in their bodies on earth.
{1} Socin. Epist. 5. ad
Volkelium inter opera ejus, tom. 1. p. 454.
{2} Vid. Peltii. Harmon.
Remonstrant. & Socin. art. 22. paragraph. 2. p. 258.
{3}
Calvin, "Assertio non dormire sed vivere", &c. fol. 51.
{4} "Isti non solum opus
Dei ad tempus intermittunt, sed etiam extinguunt", Calvin. "Assertio
non dormire sed vivere", &c. fol. 18. 2.
{5} Anaxagoras & Leucippus
apud Plutarch. de Placitis Philosoph. 1. 5. c. 25.
{6} Aristot. de Somno, c. 1.
et c. 7. et de part. animal. 1. 2. c. 7.
{7}
Conimbricenses apud Burgersdicii Philosoph. Natural. disp. 22. s. 13. vide
Suidam in voce upgov
{8} Assertio, &c. ut
supra, fol. 44, &c.
{9} See a sermon of mine,
called, "The glorious State of the Saints in Heaven", p. 34, 35.