SECT. Iv.) PROOF CF A SEPARATE STATE. 319 writings, as done at the resurrection, because corporeal and sensible things work more powerfully on their ima- gination, and more sensibly and effectually strike the consciences of men, than the notion of mere spiritual rewards and punishments in the separate state. 5. The state of rewards and punishments, after the resurrection, will be far the longest and most durable recompence of the good and the bad ; and, therefore, it is called eternal so often in scripture: everlasting life, and everlasting fire ; Mat. xxv. 46. Whereas the re- tributions of the separate state, are, comparatively, but of short duration ; and this is another thing, that makes a sensible impression on thehearts of men, viz. the eter- nal continuance of the joys and sorrows that follow the last judgment. Perhaps it will be replied here, that, in the beginning of this essay, I represented the separate state, as a more effectual motive to the hopes and fears of men, because the joys and sorrows of it were so much nearer at hand, than those of the resurrection : And why do I now re- present the recompences of the resurrection under such characters as are fit to have the strongest influence, 'and become the most effectual motive ? Answer. It is granted, that the recompences, after the resurrection, have several circumstances that carry with them some peculiar and most powerful motives to religion and virtue : but that awful day may still seem to want this one motive, viz. the nearness of it, which be- longs, eminently, to the recompences of the separate state. Now, if the scripture does really reveal the doc- trine of rewards and punishments of souls immediately after death, and of soul and body together at the resur- rection, then all those circumstances, of effectual motive to piety, are collected in our doctrine, viz. the imme- diate nearness of them in the separate state,' and the public appearance, the universality, the completeness, the sensibility, and the duration of them after the great rising-day. I might yet take occasion from this objection togive a further reason, why the .apostles more frequently draw their motives of hope and fear from the resurrection, and the greatjudgment; that is, that even that dayof recom- pence was generally then supposed to be near at hand;
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