DISCOURSE IX.., I released from this body and it puts off body of, sin and the body of flesh together, for nothing that defileth must enter into paradise, or the heavenly state; Rev. xxi. 27. The word of God has appointed but two states, viz. heaven and hell, for the reception of all mankind when they depart from this world : and how vain a thing must it be for men to in- vent a third state, and make a purgatory of it ? This is a build- ing erected by the church of Rome between heaven and hell, and prepared by their wild imagination for souls of imperfect virtue, to be tormented there, with pains equal to those of hell, but of shorter duration. This state of fiery purgation, and ex- treme anguish, is devised by that mother of lies, partly under a pretence of completing the penances and satisfactions for the sins of men committed in this life, and partly also to purify and refine their souls from all the remaining dregs of sin, and to fill up their virtues to perfection, that they may be fit for the immediate presence of God. But does not the scripture sufficiently inform us, that the atonement or satisfaction of Christ for sin is full and complete in itself, and needs none of our additions in this world or another ? Does not the apostle John tell us ? 1 John i. 7. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin ? Nor shall the saints after this life sin any more to, require any new atonement ; nor do they carry the seeds of sin to heaven with them, but drop them together with the flesh, and all the sources of pain together : Now since neither Christ nor his apostles give us any intimation of such a place as purgatory for the refinement or purification of souls after this life, we have no ground to hearken to such a fable. II. `° God has not provided any medium to convey pain to holy souls after they have dropped this body of 'flesh." They are pardoned, they are sanctified, they are accepted of God for ever; and since they are in no danger of sinning afresh by the influences of corrupt flesh and blood, therefore they are in rr fear of suffering. any thing thereby, And if, as souse divine§ have supposed, there should be any pure asthereal bodies or vehicles'provided for holy separate spirits,' when departed from this grosser tabernacle of flesh and blood, yet it cannot be sup- posed that the God of all grace would mix up any seeds of pain with that rethereal matter, which is to be the occasional habitai- tion of sanctified spirits in that state, nor that he would make any avenues or doors of entrance for pain into these refined' vehicles; when the state of their sinning and their trial is for ever finished. Nor will the body at the final resurrection of the saints be made for a medium of any painful sensations. All the pains of nature are ended, when the first union between flesh and spirit is dissolved, When this body lies down to sleep in the dust,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=