SECT. IT.1 PROOF OF A SEPARATE STATE. 285 Luke ix. 30, 31. " And behold there talked with him that is, with Jesus, two men, which"were Moses and Elias, who appeared in glory, and spade of his decease, which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." I grant it possible, that these might be but mere visions, which ap- peared to our blessed Saviour, and his apostles : But it is a much more natural and obvious interpretation, to suppose, that the spirits of these two great men, whereof one was the institutor, and the other the reformer of the Jewish church, did really appear to Christ, who was the reformer of the world, and the institutor of the christian church, and converse with him about the important event of his death, and his return to heaven. Perhaps, the spirit of Elijah had his heavenly , body with him there, since he never died, but was carried alive to heaven : but Moses gave up his soul, -at the call of God, when no man was near him, and his.body was buried by God him= self. See 2 Kings -ii. 11. and Deut. xxxiv. 4, 5, 6. and his spirit was probably made visible, Only, by "an as- sumed vehicle, for that purpose. John. v. 24. "Whoso heareth my word, and believ- eth on him that sent me, bath everlasting life. -is passed from death to life ;" Join vi. 47, 50, 51. " This is the bread, which cometh down from - heaven, that- a man may eat thereof, and not die. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever." John xi. 26. " Whoso liveth, and believeth in me, shall never die :" Towhich may be added the words of Christ to the woman of Samaria: John iv: 14. " The water, that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting lì-fe;" 1 John v. 12. " Ile that bath the Son, bath life, &c." The argument, I draw from these scriptures, is this. It is hardly to be supposed, that our Saviour, in this gospel, and.John, in his first epistle, imitating him, should speak such strong language concerning eternal life, actually given to, and possessed by the believers of that day, if there must be an interruption of it by total death, or sleep, both of soul and body, for almost two thousand years, that is, till the resurrection. Acts vii. 59. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." These who deny a separate state, seppese that Stephen, here, commitshis spirit, or principle of human life, into
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