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ESSAIi'

TOWARD THE

[SECT.

V.

been

before proved,

by

many

scriptures cited

for

that

purpose.

Here,

let

it

be observed,

that

I

am

not concerned

in

that

question, whether human

souls,

separated from.their

bodies, have

any,

other corporeal

vehicle to which they

are

united,

or

by

which

they act,

during

the

intermedi-

ate

state

between death

and the

resurrection?

All

thàt.

I

propose

to

maintain

here

is,

that that

period or

inter-

val

is

not

a

state of

sleep,

that

is,

utter

unconsciousness

and

inactivity

:

And whether they be united

to

a

vehicle,

or

no,

I

call

it

still

the separate state,

because it

is

a

state of

the

soul's

separation

from

this body, which

is

-united to

it

in

the

present

life.

SECTION

V.

More

Objections answered.

Since

this

boOk was

written,

I

have met with several

other

objections against the

doctrine

here maintained

;

and,

as

I

think, they may

all have

a

sufficient answer

given to them,

and the

truth

be

defended against

the

-force

of

them,

I

thought it

very

proper

to

lead the

reader

into

a plain and

easy

solution

of

them.

Objection

VII.

Is

not

long

life

represented

often in

"scripture,

and

especially

in

the Old

Testament,

as

a bless-

ing to man

?

And

is

not death

set before

us

as

a

curse,

or punishment? But

can

either

of

these

representations

be

just

or true,

if

souls

exist

in a

separate state

?

Are

they

not

then brought into a state

of

liberty

by

death,

-end

freed from

all

the inconveniences

of

this

flesh

and

-blood

?

By

this

means

death

ceases to be

a punishment,

and long

life

to

be

a

blessing.

Answer.

It

is

according

as

the

characters

of

men

are

either

good or bad, and,

according

as

good

men know

more or

less

of

a

separate state

of

rewards

or

punish-

ments,

so

along

life,

or

early

death,

are

to be

esteem-

ed

blessings

or calamities

in

a greater or a

less

degree.

Long

life was

represented

as a

blessing to good

men,

in

as much as

it

gave

them

opportunity

to enjoy more

of

the

blessings

of

this life,

and

to,

do

more

service

for

God