DISCOURSE II. 423 III. By the death of the body, and their release from it, these spirits ofthejust are free from all the temptingpowers and the sinful influences of earth andhell. This world of sensible allurements, and this worldof sinful men, hath a mighty influence on the spirits of the saints while they dwell in flesh and blood. How often are we deceived' into practices of iniquity by the enticing vanities of this life ? How often tempted by evil companions, by flattering mischiefs and en- snaring circumstances ? And many times too the fear of men, and the terror of their threatenings, fright us to neglect duty, or hurry us into the commissionof some active iniquity. Sometimes the pleasing enjoyments of life tie our hearts to the creatureby the bands of excessive love; and sometimes the injuries and re- proaches we receive from them, kindle our fiery passions, and rouse up our sinful wrath and revenge. This world also is much under the evil influences of the prince of darkness; he is called the God of this world: It is greatly given up to the ravagesOf the roaring lion, and he wor- ries the spirits of the saints while they dwell within his territories, though he is not suffered to destroy and devour them. But at the moment of death the happy spirit is released from the senses, and thereby from the impressions of all sensible things. All the flattering vanities of this lower world have no more power to en- tice the soul, than the grossest sensualities could entice a pure angel. Sinful companions can no more invite, and threatening tyrants have no more power to terrify. The spirit is then gotout of the territories of Satan ; he is prince of thepower ofthe air, but his dominion reaches no far- ther. The heaven where Christ is, never admits him. Michael with his angels bath cast out the old dragon and his angels, and there is no moreplacefoundfor them there. Happy spirits, deli- vered and secured from the devil and the world at once, and from all their tempting and destructive influences ! Now when a sanctified soul is thus released both from its union to sinful flesh and blood, and from all possible assaults of the powers of earth and hell, it may beworth our enquiry, whe- ther this release be not sufficient of itself to render the work of sanctification complete, and bring it to a state of perfection, sup- posing still the ordinary concurrence or influenceof the sanctify- ingspirit ? Or whether there must be any immediate, almighty and present change wrought in the soul by a new and extraor- dinary influence of the blessed Spirit at the very moment of death, by which sanctification is at once completed. Which of these is true I know not. I confess this last has generally been the opinion of our protestant writers; and perhaps it may be the truth : But the scripture is silent. Who can tell therefore whether a holy soul, that hath re-- ceiyo -d the divine seed of grace, which is called thedivine natir.
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