Arg. 1. First, Why should the happiness of believers be defer- red, since they are immediately capable of enjoying it, as soon as separated from the body ? Alas, the soul is so far from being assist- ed by the body (as it is now) for the enjoyment of God ; that it is either clogged or hindered by it : So speaks the apostle, 2 Cor. v. 6, 8. " Whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from " the Lord; " i. e. our bodies prejudice our souls, obstruct and hinder the fulness and freedom of their communion: When we part from the body, we go home to the Lord ! then the soul is es- caped as a bird out of a cage or snare. Here I am prevented by an excellent pen, * which hath judiciously opened this point : To whose excellent observations I only add this ; That if the entangle- ments, snares, and prejudices of the soul are so great and many in its embodied estate, that it cannot so freely dilate itself and take in the comforts of God by communion with him, then surely the laying aside of that clog, or the freeing of the soul from that bur- den, can be no bar to its greater happiness, which it enjoys in its separated state.
Arg. 2. Secondly, Why should the happiness and glory of the soul be deferred, unless God had some farther preparative work to do upon it, before it be fit to be admitted into glory ? But surely, there is no such work wrought upon it after its separation by
Mr. Shaw in his Farewell to Life.
400 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SEEM. XXXII.
death: all that is done of that kind, is done here. When the compositum is dissolved, all means, duties, and ordinances are ceased. The working day is then ended, and night comes, when no man can work, John ix. 3. To that purpose are those words of Solo- mon, Eccles. ix. 10. " Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it " with all thy might ; for there is no wisdom, nor knowledge, nor " device in the grave whither thou goest." So that our glorifi- cation is not deferred, in order to our fuller preparation for glory. If we are not fit when we die, we can never be fit : all is done upon us that ever was intended to be done ; for they are called, Heb. xii. 23* the spirits of the just made perfect.
Arg. 3. Thirdly, Again, Why should our salvation slumber, when the damnation of the wicked doth not slumber ? God defers not their misery ; and surely he will not defer our glory. If he be quick with his enemies, he will not be slow and dilatory with his friends. It cannot be imagined, but he is as much inclined to acts of favour to his children, as to acts of justice to his enemies ; these are presently damned, Jude, ver. 7. Acts i. 25. 1 Pet. hi. 19, 20. And what reason why believers, yea, every believer, as well as this in the text, should not be, that very day in which they die, with Christ in glory ?
Arg. 4. Fourthly, and lastly, How do such delays consist with Christ's ardent desires to have his people with him where lie is, and with the vehement longings of their souls to be with Christ ? You may see those reflected flames of love and desire of mutual enjoy- ment betwixt the bridegroom and his spouse in Rev. xxii. 17, 20. Delays make their hearts sick : the expectation and faith in which the saints die, is to be satisfied then ; and surely God will not de- ceive them. I deny not but their glory will be more complete when the body, their absent friend, is re-united, and made to share with them in their happiness ; yet that hinders not, but meanwhile the soul may enjoy its glory, whilst the body takes its rest, and sleeps in the dust.
Inference L Are believers immediately with God after their dis- solution ? Then how surprisingly glorious ivill heaven be to believ- ers I Not that they are in it before they think of it, or are fitted for it ; no, they have spent many thoughts upon it before, and been long preparing for it ; but the suddenness and greatness of the change is amazing to our thoughts. For a soul to be now here in the body, conversing with men, living among sensible objects, and within a few moments to be with the Lord ; this hour on earth, the next in the third heaven ; now viewing tins world, and anon standing among an innumerable company of angels, and the spirits of the just made perfect: O what a change is this! What! but wink, and see God ! Commend thy soul to Christ, and be transferred in
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the arms of angels into the invisible world, the world of spirits ! To live as angels of God? To live without eating, drinking; sleeping I To be lifted up from a bed of sickness to a throne of glory ! To leave a sinful, troublesome world, a sick and pained body, and be in a moment perfectly cured, and feel thyself per- fectly well, and free from all troubles and distempers ! You can- not think what this will be ! Who can tell what sights, what ap- prehensions, what thoughts, what frames believing souls have, before the bodies they left are removed from the eyes of their dear surviving friends !
Inf. 2. Are believers immediately with God after their dissolu- tion ? Where then .shall the unbelievers be, and in what state will they find themselves immediately after death hath closed their eyes ? Ah ! what will the case of them be that go the other way ?
To be plucked out of house and body, from among friends and comforts, and thrust into endless miseries, into the dark vault of hell ; never to see the light of this world any more ; never to see a comfortable sight ; never to hear a joyful sound ; never to know the meaning of rest, peace, or delight any more. O what a change is here ! To exchange the smiles and honours of men, for the frowns and fury of God ; to be clothed with flames, and drink the pure unmixed wrath of God, who were but a few days since clothed in silks, and filled with the sweet of the creature ! How is the state of things altered with them ! It was the lamentable cry of poor Adrian, when lie felt death approaching : " O my poor " wandering soul ! alas ! whither art thou* going ! Where must " thou lodge this night ! Thou shalt never jest more, never be " merry more P
Your term in your houses and bodies is out, and there is ano- ther habitation provided for you ; but it is a dismal one ! When a saint dies, heaven above is as it were moved to receive and enter- tain him ; at his coming, he is received into everlasting habitations, into the inheritance of the saints in light. When an unbeliever dies, we may say of him, alluding to Isa. xiv. 9. " Hell from be- " neath is moved for him, to meet him at his coming ; it stirreth " up the dead for him." No more sports, nor plays, nor cups of wine, nor beds of pleasure : the more of these you enjoyed here, the more intolerable will this change be to you. If saints are im- mediately with God, others must be immediately with Satan.