THE WORLD TO COME; OR Discourses on the Joys or Sorrows of departed Souls at Death, AND TH6 GLORY OR TERROR OF THE RESURRECTION. AN ESSAY Toward a Proof of a Separate State of Souls between Death and the Resurrection, AND T COMMENCEMENT OF THE REWARDS OF VIRTUE AND VIÇE IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEATH. SECTION I. The Introduction, or Proposal of the Question, with a Distinction of the Persons who oppose it. IT is confessed, that the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, at the last day, and the everlasting joys, and the eternal sorrows, that shall succeed it, as they are described in the New Testament, are a very awful sanction to the gospel of Christ, and carry in them such principles of hope and terror, as should effectually discourage vice and irreligion, and become a powerful attractive to the practice of faith, andlove, and universal holiness. But so corrupt and perverse are the inclinations of men, in this fallen and degenerate world, and their passions are so much impressed and moved, by things that are present, or just at hand, that the joys of heaven, and the sorrows of hell, when set far beyond death and the grave, at some vast and unknown distance of time, would have but too little influence on their hearts and lives. And though these solemn and important events are never so certain in themselves, yet being looked upon as things a great way off make too feeble an impression on the conscience, and their distance is much abused to give an indulgence to present sensualities. For this we have the testimony of our blessed Sa- viour himself ; Mat. xxiv. 4B. The evil servant says, my Lord delays his coming ; then he begins to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken: And Solomon teaches us the same truth ; Eccles. viii. 11. £ecause sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily ; therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in then to dó evil. And even the good ser- vants, in this imperfect state, the sons of virtue and piety, may A 3
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