swer, 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 be 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 be 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. often, if thou be a vain-glorious 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.

How

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 to the day of

judgment, and then thy misery shall be consummated. "Consider this, ye that forget God, lest he tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver *." To shut up all, let us pray and labour that we may never, never be gathered, or come into "the place of Judas," the place and state of reprobate and for ever lost spirits; "from this, good Lord deliver us," that when we die we may go to the region of the godly, to Paradise, to Abraham's bosom, and at the resurrection may sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. And in order hereunto, let us here thoroughly purge "ourselves from all filthiness, both of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God +," for there is no purgation to be expected in the other life. Yea, let us endeavour to excel in virtue here, that so we may have a more abundant entrance both into the joys of Paradise, and also into the fuller glories of the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

* Psa. 1. 22.

† 2 Cor. vii. 1.

CHAPTER XIV.

WATTS.

THE following essay, towards the proof of a separate state of souls between death and the resurrection, was written by Dr. Isaac Watts, who, as is well known, was an eminent dissenting minister, a man of extensive learning, and fervent and sincere piety. His first section begins thus:

SECTION I.

The Introduction or Proposal of the Question, with a distinction of the Persons who oppose it.

It is confessed that the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead at the last day, and the everlasting joys and the eternal sorrows that shall succeed it, as they are described in the New Testament, are a very awful sanction to the Gospel of Christ, and carry in them such principles of hope and terror

as should effectually discourage vice and irreligion, and become a powerful attractive to the practice of faith and love and universal holiness.

But so corrupt and perverse are the inclinations of men in this fallen and degenerate world, and their passions are so much impressed and moved by things that are present or just at hand, that the joys of heaven and the sorrows of hell, when set far beyond death and the grave, at some vast and unknown distance of time, would have but too little influence on their hearts and lives. And though these solemn and important events are never so certain in themselves, yet being looked upon as things a great way off, make too feeble an impression on the conscience, and their distance is much abused to give an indulgence to present sensualities. For this we have the testimony of our blessed Saviour himself. "The evil servant says, my Lord delays his coming; then he begins to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken *:" and Solomon teaches us the same truth. 66 "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil †." And even the good servants in this imperfect state, the sons of virtue and piety, may be too much allured to indulge sin

* Matt. xxiv. 48.

Eccles. viii. 11.

ful negligence, and yield to temptations too easily when the terrors of another world are set so far off, and their hope of happiness is delayed so long. It is granted, indeed, that this sort of reasoning is very unjust; but so foolish are our natures that we are too ready to take up with it, and to grow more remiss in the cause of religion.

Whereas if it can be made to appear from the Word of God, that at the moment of death the soul enters into an unchangeable state, according to its character and conduct here on earth, and that the recompences of vice and virtue are in some measure to begin immediately upon the end of our state of trial; and if besides all this there be a glorious and a dreadful resurrection to be expected with eternal pain or eternal pleasure both for soul and body, and that in a more intense degree, when the theatre of this world is shut up, and Christ Jesus appears to pronounce his public judgment on the world, then all those little subterfuges are preIcluded which mankind would form to themselves from the unknown distance of the day of recompence: virtue will have a nearer and stronger guard placed about it, and piety will be attended with superior motives, if its initial rewards are near at hand, and shall commence as soon as this life expires; and the vicious and profane will be more effectually affrighted if the hour of death must im