Serm. CXXX. the Refurreflion of true Ghri/iians. 181 But this Opinion, or rather Dream, concerning the Sleep of the Soul from the Time of Death, that is, from the Timeof the Separationof the Soul from the Body till the general Refurre&ion, may be effe&tually confuted thefe twoWays : I. By taking away the Ground of it And, 2. By producing feveral Texts of Scripture, whichare utterly inconfiftent with it. And this I (hall the rather do, becaufe forte Men have taken a great deal of Pains to eftabli(h and prove this Opinion ; tho' I confess I do not well under- fund to what End, becaufe there is as little Comfort as Truth in it. I. By taking away theonly Ground that I know of, of this Opinion ; and that is from the frequent Metaphor andRefemblance in Scripture ofDeath to Sleep. And indeed thofe which are dead, are frequently in Scripture faid tosleep, or to be fallenasleep: But then. (which falls out very crofs to this Opinion) this Metaphor ofSleep is no where in Scripture applied to the Soul, but to the Body refting in the Grave, in order to its being awaken'd and raifed out of this Sleep at the Re- furre&ion. And thus it is frequently ufed, with exprefs Reference to the Body Dan. r 2. 2. Many of them that fleep in the Dull of the Earth, flaall awake ; and furely f eeping in the Duft of the Earth, can only be applied to the Body. And more ex- prefly yet, Matth. 27. 52. And the Graves were opened, and many Bodies of Saints whichfiept, arofe. A&s 13. 36. David after he hadserved his own Generation by the Will ofGod, fell asleep, and was laid to his Fathers, and law Corruption : but he whom God raifed again, faw no Corruption. Now that of David whichfell afleep, and was buried with his Fathers, and fan' Corruption, was certainly his Body ; and that ofour Saviour which was raifed again, andfaro no Corruption, was likewife his Body, ac- cording to that Predi&ion concerning him, Thou wiltnot leave my Soul in Hell, in Hades by which is plainly meant the State and Place of Souls feparated from the Body; nor fuller thy holy One to fee Corruption, that is, the Body of our Blef- fed Lord to rot in the Grave. r Cor. r 5.20. But now is Chris rifeir from the dead, andbecome the Firstfruits of them that fiept ; that is, theRefurre&ionof his Bodyout of the Grave, is an Earneft and Afliarance that our Bodies alto (hall be railed. And v. 51. We shall not allsleep, but we (hall all be changed; where the Apoftle un- doubtedly fpeaks both of the Death and Change of thefe corruptible Bodies. And fo likewife the Text is to be underftood of the Refurrettiou of the Bodies of the Saints, which (hall be raifed up by the Soundof the great Trumpet, and re- united to their Souls, that they may in Perlon accompanyChrift at his Coming. So that it is the Body, which is every where laid in Scriptureto sleep, and not the Soul; and if fo, then the only Foundationof this Opinion is taken away. 2. I (hall (hew, that this Opinion of the Sleep of the Soul is utterly incon- fìftent with several Paffages of Scripture, which plainly fuppofe the contrary.; as Luke r6. 22, 23. where in the Parable of the rich Man and Lazarus, the different States of good and bad Men, immediately after their Departure out of this Life, are defcribed ; but they are fo defcribed, that it is evident that the Souls of nei- ther of them are afleep. It is faid of Lazarus, that he was carried by the Angels into Abraham's Bofom, and that there he was comforted > andof the rich Man, that he was in Hell, and there tormented in Flames. This was not like to be a State of Sleep and Infenfibility, and the rich Man cries out of his Torment; and that we may be lure he was awake, he is Paid to lift up his Eyes. And there is all the Realon that can be to conclude, that Lazarus was every whit as fenlble of the Comfort and Happinefs that he was in, as the rich Man was of hisTorment. Luke23.4 where our Saviour Pays to the penitent Thief, This Day shalt thou be with me in Paradif : but not furely to fleep there till the Refurre&ion. Tho' some have endeavour'd to avoid the Force of this Text, by referring this Day to what goes before, and not to what follows after ; as if our Saviour had laid ; I fayunto thee this Day; and not, This Day thou(halt be with me in Paradife: which is a foolish Evalion, becaufe, fay unto thee, neceffàrily implies the present Time, and there is no need to add, this Day ; betides that there is no filch Phrafe any where used, as ¡fay unto thee this Day. Phil. t. 23. I am in asirait between two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Cbrifi which is far better. But if to be with aryl, be to be in a State of Sleep and Insensibility, bow is that fo much better than to be in
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