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the Roman, every man of sense will presently discern. Afterwards, about the end of the fourth, or the beginning of the fifth century, St. Austin began to doubt, whether this imagined purgation were not to be made in the interval between death and the resurrection, at least as to the souls of the more imperfect Christians. And it is strange to observe, how he is off and on in this question. And yet it is not strange neither, considering how easily he may, nay how necessarily he must be at a loss, that leaves the plain and beaten path of the holy Scriptures and primitive tradition, to hunt after his own conceits and imaginations. Towards the end of the fifth century, pope Gregory, a man known to be superstitious enough, undertook dogmatically to assert the problem, and with might and main set himself to prove it, chiefly from the idle stories of apparitions of souls coming out of purgatory. Four hundred years after, pope John the Eighteenth, or, as some say, the Nineteenth, instituted a holyday, wherein he severely required all men to pray for the souls in purgatory as if the catholic church before him had been deficient in their charity, and forgotten the miserable souls in that place of torment. At length the cabal at Florence, in the year 1439, turned the dream into an article of faith, so that now they are damned to hell, that will not believe a purgatory: and the pope's vassals still tenaciously hold and fiercely maintain the doctrine, not so much for the godliness as for the gain of it.

I have now said all that I can think necessary concerning the state of separate souls, good and bad, keeping myself from all needless curiosities, within

the bounds of the holy Scriptures, and the received doctrine of the primitive catholic church.

The sum of all is this. All good men without exception are in the whole interval between their death and resurrection, as to their souls, in a very happy condition; but after the resurrection they shall be yet more happy, receiving then their full reward, their perfect consummation of bliss, both in soul and body, the most perfect bliss they are capable of, according to the divers degrees of virtue through the grace of God on their endeavours attained by them in this life. On the other side, all the wicked as soon as they die are very miserable as to their souls; and shall be yet far more miserable, both in soul and body, after the day of judgment, proportionably to the measure of sins committed by them here on earth. This is the plain doctrine of the holy Scriptures, and of the church of Christ in its first and best ages, and this we may trust to. Other inquiries there are of more uncertainty than use, and we ought not to trouble or perplex ourselves about them.

But least of all are we fiercely to dispute about the places of separate souls where determinately they are stated. We should rather imitate here the modesty of the apostolic doctors, who (as you have heard) were content to say of the souls of men, both good and bad, after death, that they are gone to their own proper places, to their due places, to their meet places, to places appointed by God for them.

I shall now conclude with a brief and serious application.

First, This discourse is matter of abundant consolation to all good men, when death approacheth them.

They are sure, not only of a blessed resurrection at the last day, but of a reception into a very happy place and state in the mean time. They shall be immediately after death put in the possession of paradise, and there rejoice in the certain expectation of a crown of glory, to be bestowed on them at the day of recompense. Fear not, good man, when death comes; for the good angels are ready to receive thy soul, and convey it into Abraham's bosom. A place, wherever it is, of rest, and that not a stupid insensible rest, but a rest attended with a lively perception of a far greater joy and delight, than this whole world can afford. A place of the best society and company, where thou shalt be gathered to the spirits of just men, to the holy patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, and confessors, and familiarly converse with those saints and excellent persons, whom thou hast heard of and admired, and whose examples thou hast endeavoured to imitate. A place that is the rendezvous of the holy angels of God, and which the Son of God himself visits and illustrates with the rays of his glory. A place where there shall be no wicked man to corrupt or offend thee, no devil to tempt thee, no sinful flesh to betray thee. A place of full security, where thou shalt be out of all possible danger of being undone and miserable for ever. A place from whence all sorrow (because all sin) is banished; where there is nothing but joy, and yet more joy still expected. This is the place that death calls thee to. Why therefore shouldest thou be afraid of dying? yea rather, why shouldest thou not, when God calls thee to it, willingly and cheerfully die, desiring to depart, and to be with Jesus Christ, which is far

better? If thou wert to fall into a lethargic state when thou diest, and have no perception of comfort till the last day; if darkness were then to overshadow thee till the light of Christ's glorious appearance at the resurrection came upon thee; this might reasonably make thee unwilling to die, and desirous to continue longer here, where there is some comfort, some enjoyment of Christ, though imperfect. If such a purgatory, as the supposition of the Roman church hath painted out to the vulgar, were to receive thee, well mightest thou be not only unwilling, but also horribly afraid to die. But God be thanked, Christ and his apostles, and the disciples of the apostles, have taught us much better things. Wherefore let us comfort one another with these words, 1 Thess. iv. 18.

Secondly, This discourse deserves seriously to be considered by all wicked men. If they die such, and who knows how soon he may die? they are immediately consigned to a place and state of irreversible misery. They have trod in the steps of Judas in this life, and shall presently after death march to the same dismal place where Judas is. A place where there is no company but the Devil and his angels, and those lost souls that have been seduced by them. A place of horrid darkness, where there shines not the least glimmering of light or comfort. A place of wretched spirits, that are continually vexed at the sad remembrance of their former sins and follies, and feel the wrath of God for them, and tremble at the apprehension of a greater wrath yet to come; who presently taste the cup of divine vengeance, and are heart-sick to think of the time when they must drink up the

full dregs of it. This, O sinner, is the miserable place and state whereinto thou shalt immediately enter when thou diest, if thou diest as now thou art.

But thou wilt say, I am not such a wretch as Judas, who betrayed our Saviour Christ to death, and sold his Lord and Master for money. I answer, But flatter not thyself; it is true, thou hast not sinned in the same instance, nor perhaps to the same degree; but sure I am thou hast sinned in the same kind. For how often (if thou beest a voluptuous man) hast thou bartered and parted with thy interest in thy Saviour Jesus, for the satisfaction of a vile lust, and the enjoyment of a transient sinful pleasure! How often, if thou beest a covetous man, hast thou wilfully transgressed the laws of the holy Jesus, by lying, cheating, and unjust actions, to gain a few pieces of glittering earth, perhaps of lesser value than Judas was bribed with! How often, if thou beest a vainglorious ambitious man, hast thou made thy conscience give way to thy vainly conceited honours! How often hast thou sold thy Redeemer for the mere breath of the people! Thou hast therefore played the Judas, and if thou diest without repentance, to Judas's place thou must go.

Do not deceive thyself with the thoughts of a reprieve till the day of judgment, or think thou shalt be in an insensible state till then, and not tormented before that time; for immediately after death, thy state of misery shall commence. Do not entertain thyself with the desperate hopes of a purgatory, or the advantage of a broken plank to save thee after the shipwreck of death. In the same miserable state thou diest, thou shalt continue in to the day of judgment, and then thy misery shall be consummated.

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