SECT. I.] ESSAY, &C. 27çt And Solomon teaches us the same truth, Eccles. viii. } 1, 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 sinful negligence, and yield to temptations too easily, when the terrors of an- other 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 na- tures, that we are too ready to take up with it, and to growmore 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 immedi- ately 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 precluded, which mankind would form to themselves; from the un- known distance of the day of recompense:. Virtue will have a nearer and stronger guard; placed about it, and pietywill be attendedwith 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 immediately consign them to astate of perpetual sorrows, and bitter anguish of conscience, without hope, and with a fearful expectation of yet greater sorrows and anguish. . I knowwhat the opposers of the separate state reply -here, viz, that the whole time from death, to the resur- rection, is but as the sleep of a night, and the dead shall awake out of their graves, utterly ignorant and insensi- -hie of the long distance of time that hath past since their death. One year; or one thousandyears, will be the satne thing to- them ; 'and therefore they should be as careful= to - prepare fur the day ofjudgmet t,- and the re- T4
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