2. Others think, when they are loosed from the body at death, they hover about the graves and solitary places where their bodies lie, as willing, seeing they can dwell no longer in them, to abide as near them as they can ; just as the surviving turtle keeps near the place Vrhere his mate died, and may be heard mourning for a long time about that part of the wood. This opinion seeks countenance and protection from that law, Deut. xviii. 10, 11. which prohibits men to consult with the dead ; of which restraint there had been no need or use, if it had not been practised ; and such practices had never been continued, if departed souls had not frequented those places, and given answers to theii' questions. But what I said before of Satan's impostures, is enough for the present to re- turn to this also.
3. The Papists send them immediately to purgatory, in order to their more thorough purification. This purgatory * Bellarmine
♦ Bellarmin. lib, 2. de Purg. cap. 6,
A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAX. 39
thus describes : " It is a certain place wherein, as in a prison, souls ** are purged after this life, that were not fully purged here, to the " intent they may enter pure into heaven; and though the church " (saith he) hath not defined the place, yet the schoolmen say, it '* is in the bowels of the earth, and upon the borders of hell." And, to countenance this profitable fable, divers scriptures are by them abused and misapplied, as 1 Cor. iii. 15. Matth. v. 25, 26. 1 Pet. iii. 19. AH which have been fully rescued out of their hands, and abundantly vindicated by our divines, who have proved, God never kindled that fire to purify souls ; but the Pope to warm his own kitchen.
4. Another sort there are, who affirm, they neither wander about this world, nor go into purgatory, but are cast by death into a swoon or sleep ; remaining in a kind of benumbed condition, till the resurrection of the body. This was the error of Beryllus ; and Irenseus seems to border too near upon it, when he saith, * " The *' souls of disciples shall go to an invisible place appointed for them " of God, and shall there tarry till the resurrection, waiting for " that time : and then receiving their bodies, and perfectly, i. e. " corporeally, rising again, as Christ did, they shall come to the " sight of God."
All these mistakes will fall together by one stroke ; for if it evi- dently appear (as I hope it will) that the spirits of the just are im- mediately taken to God, and do converse with, and enjoy him in heaven ; then all these fancies vanish, without any more labour about them particularly. Now there are four considerations which to me put the immediate glorification of the departed souls of be- lievers beyond all rational doubt.
1. Heaven is as ready and fit to receive them as ever it shall be.
2. They are as ready and fit for heaven as ever they will be.
3. The scripture is plainly for it. And,
4. There is nothing in reason against it.
1. Heaven is as fit and ready to receive them when they die, as ever it shall be. Heaven is prepared for believers, (1.) By the purpose and decree of God, and so far it was prepared from the foundation of the world, Matth. xxv. 34. (2.) By the death of Christ, whose blood made the purchase of it for believers, and so meritoriously opened the gates thereof, which our sins had barred up against us, Heb. x. 19, 20. (3.) By the ascension of Christ into that holy place, as our representative and fore-runner, John xiv.
* Discipulorum aninue abibunt in invisibilem locuvi, definituni eis a Deo ; et ibi usgjit ad resurrectionem commornbuntur, sustinentes resurrectionem ; postj recipientes corpora, et perf'ecte resurgentes, i. e. corpuraliitr, quemadmodum et Hominw resurrerit, sic vement ad conspecluvi Dd, Iren. lib. 5.
40 A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAX.
2. This is all that is necessary to be done for the preparation of heaven ; and all this is done, as much as ever God designed should be done to it, in order to its preparation for our souls ; so that no delay can be upon that account.
2. The departed souls of believers are as ready for heaven as ever they will be : for there is no preparation- work to be done by them, or upon them after death, John ix. 3. Eccl. ix. 10. Their justification was complete before death, and now their sanctification is so too ; sin which came in by the union, going out at the separa.- tion of their souls and bodies. They are spirits made perfect.
3. The scripture is plain and full for their immediate glorifica- tion ; Luke xxiii. 43. " To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise." Luke xvi. 22. " The beggar died, and was carried by the angels " into Abraham's bosom." Phil. i. 2L "I desire to be dissolved " and to be with Christ, which is far better." The scripture speaks but of two ways by which souls see and enjoy God, viz. faith and sight ; the one imperfect, suited to this life ; the other perfect, fitted for the life to come ; and this immediately succeed- ing that, for the imperfect is done away, by the coming of that which is perfect, as the twilight is done away, by the advancing of the perfect day.
4. To conclude ; there is nothing in reason lying in bar to it. It hath been proved before, that the soul in its unembodied state is ca- pable to enjoy blessedness, and can perform its acts of intellection, volition, &c. not only as well, but much better than it did, when embodied. I conclude therefore, that seeing heaven is already as much prepared for believers as it need be, or can be; and they as much prepared from the time of their dissolution, as ever they shall be ; the scriptures also being so plain for it, and no bar in reason against it ; all the forementioned opinions are but the dreams and fancies of men, who have forsaken their scripture-guide ; and this remains an unshaken truth, that the spirits of the just go immedi- ately to glory from the time of their separation.
Prop. 8. At the time of a gracious souTs separation from, the hody^ it is rnstantly and perfectly freed from sin, which, till that time, dwelt in it from its beginning ; hut thenceforth shall do so no more.
Immediately upon their separation from the body, they are spi- rits made perfect, as ray text stiles them ; and that epithet '^perfect could never suit them, if there were any rem^aining root or habit of corruption in them.
The time, yea, the set time is now come, to put an end to all the
* Therefore he calls them consecrated or perfect, because they are no more subject to the rafirmiiies of the fleih, the flesh itself being laid aside. Marlorate on the place.
A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MA^. 41