321 / 674
SECT.
tIi.
PROOF
OP .A
SEPARATE STATE.
z
teen
here
produced, I am persuaded
it
belongs to all
true
christians,
unless the
apostle,
in
some
plainer
mauuer,
bad
limited
it
to himself,
and
his
twelve brethren;.
and
secluded or forbid
our hopes of it.
After
all,
if it
be
allowed,
that the apostles
may
enjoy
the
blessedness.
of a separate
state
before
the resurrec-
lion, then
there
is
such
a
thing
as
a separate
state
of
happiness
for souls
:
this precludes,
at
once,
all
the
ar-
guments
against
it,
that
arise from
the nature of
things,
and
from any
supposed
impropriety in
such
a divine
can
-
stitu.tion.:
And
since
it
is
granted,
that
there
are
millions
of
angels,
and several
human
spirits,
in
this unbodied
state,
enjoying happiness,
I
see
no
reason
why the
rest
of
the
unbodied spirits
of
saints
departed,. should not be
received-
to
their
society
after
death,.
unless
there
were
some
particular scriptures
that
excluded
them
from
it.
VI.
Phil:
i.
23.,
24.
" For
I
am
in
a
strait
betwixt
twos.
having
a
desire
to
depart,
and
to
be
with
Christ,
which
is
far
better
:
Nevertheless, to abide
in
the
flesh;
is
more
needful
for
you."
When
the
apostle
speaks,
here
of
his
abiding in the
flesh,
and
his
departing
from.
the
flesh,
he
declares the first
was
more needful
for the
Philippians,
to
promote religion in
their hearts
and
lives.;
but
the second would be
better
for
himself,
for
he should be with Christ, when he
was
departed
from
the
flesh.
I
,would
only
ask
any
reasonable
man to
determine;
whether,
when
St.
Paul
speaks
of
his
being with
Christ
after his
departure
from
the
flesh,
he
can.
suppose,
that
the apostle
did
not
expect
to
see
Christ
till the
resurrec-
tion,
which
heknew
would
be
a.
considerable distance
of
time,
though
perhaps
it
has
proved
many
hundred
years
longer than
-the
apostle himself expected
it? No;
it
is
evident, he
hoped
to
be
present
with the
Lord immedi-
ately,
as
soon
as
he
was
absent
from
the
body
:
other
-
wise,
as
I
have hinted before,
death
to
liitn
would have
been
but
of little
gain,
if
he
must have
lain sleeping till
the
dead
shall rise,
and have been cut:
off
from his
delightful service for
Christ
in
the
gospel, and. all
the
blessed communications
of
his
grace.
The
objection,
which may
arise
here,
also,
from
supposing this
to
b.e.
a
peculiar favour
granted. to
the apostles;
is
answered
just
before.,