446 , THE HAPPINESS OF SEPARATE SPIRITS. [DISC, II. Whether this be material fire, or merely a metaphor to express torment, is not necessary to enquire here : But surely we can never imagine that the justice of God has provided the prison, of hell and fiery torments for the souls of the wicked, separate from bodies, and yet that the mercy and goodness of God has provided no heaven of happiness for the spirits of those that have loved, ho- noured, and obeyed him all the days they dwelt in the flesh. There is then, there is certainly a state.of happi- ness prepared- for holy souls immediately after death. IVhen we think of our pious friends departed, our foolish imagination is too ready to indulge and improve our sorrow. We sit solitary in the parlour and the cham- ber, we miss them there, and we cry, " They are lost." We retire melancholy to the closet, and bewail a lost father or lost mother, or perhaps a nearer and dearer relative. We miss them in our daily conversation, we miss them in all their friendly offices, and their endearing sensible characters, and we are ready to say again, "Alas, they are lost." This is the language of flesh and blood, of sense and fancy. Corne let our faith teach us to think and speak of them under a more chearful and a juster representation : They are not utterly lost, for they are present with Christ and with God. They are de- parted our world, where all things are imperfect, to those upper regions where light and perfection dwell. They have left their offices and stations here among t, but they are employed in a far diviner manner, and have new stations and nobler offices on high. Their places on earth indeed know them no more, but their places in heaven knew them well, even those glorious mansions that were prepared for them from the foundation of the world. Their place is empty in the earthly sanctuary, and in the days of solemn assembly, but they appear above in the heavenly Jerusalem as fair pillars and orna- ments in the temple of God on high, and shall for ever dwell with him there. Is is a very natural enquiry now, but where are these places of blessed spirits ? What part of the creation is it, in which they have their residence ? is it above or below the sun ? Is their habitation in any of the planetary or starry worlds? Or are they fled beyond them all? _Where is the proper place of their presence ?
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