WNW SECT. 'IIL1 PROOF OF A SEPARATE STATE. 293 also died, and was buried, and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and said, father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to my father's house, that he may testify' to my brethren, lest they come also into this place of torment." I grant, that this account of the rich man and the beggar, is but a parable, and yet it may prove the existence of the rich.ánan's soul, in a place of torment, before the resurrection of the body. ]. Because the existence of souls, in. a separate state, whilst other men dwell here on earth, is the very founda- tion of the whole parable, and runs through the wholeof it. The poor man died, and his soul was in paradise. The rich man's dead body was buried, . and his soïl wag in hell, while his five brethren were here on earth, in a state of probation, andwould not hearken to Mosesand the prophets. Q. Because the very design of the parable is to shew, that a ghost sent from the other world, whether heaven or hell, to wicked men, who are here in a state of trial, will not be sufficient to convert them to holiness, if they reject the means of grace, and the ministers of theword,. The very design of our Saviour seems to be lost, if there be no souls existing in a separate state. A ghost, sent from the other world, could never be supposed to have any influence to convert sinners in this world, even ina parable, if there were no such things as ghosts there. The rich man's five brethren could have no motive to hearken to a ghost, pretending to come fromheaven or bell, if therewere nò such things as ghosts, or separate souls, either happy or miserable. Now, surely, if pares= ides can prove any thing at all, they must prove these propositions, which are both the foundation, and tilt de- sign of the whole parable. 3. I might add yet further, that it is very strange, that our Saviour should so particularly speak of angels carry- ing the soul of a man, whose body was just dead, into -heaven, or paradise, which he calls Abrahams bosom; if there were no such state, or place, as a heaven for separate souls; if Abraham's soul had no residence there, no existence in that state; if angels had never any thing todo in such an office. What would the Jews have said, or thought of a prophet come fromGod, who had taught
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