LETTER VII.

On the Predictions relative to fincere Chriftians, from the Time of their Death. Particularly: 1. It is predicted that at Death, their Souls fhall be made perfect in Holiness. What is communion with God, explained.

2. That their Bodies fhall remain under the Care of Chrift after Death.

3. That their Bodies will be raised to life again; and alfo the Bodies of the Wicked.

4. That the Soul of every Believer at Death, will be put into another Building for its Habitation.

5.

That the Souls of Believers immediately after Death, will be with Chrift.

6. That the Time of the general Refurrection will be very folemn, magnificent, and awful. Of the CHANGE, that will be made in the Bodies of those, who fall be living at the Time of the general Refurrection. And that it will make their Bodies incorruptible and immortal.

Laftly. It is predicted that the Saints fhall have an Inheritance, but not be put into the Poffeffion of it, till the Day of Judgment.--A Kingdom feems to be the Inheritance promifed to them; and as fuitable to fuch an Inheritance, it is foretold, that they fhall have a Crown of Righteousness, and a

Crown

Crown of Life; and it is predicted, that they Thall reign, reign Life by Jefus Christ.

PROCEED now to confider the facred Predictions, relative to fincere Chriftians from the Time of their Death: And the wonderful Love of God towards them, appears gloriously in those which fhall be mentioned, as well as in thofe which have been confidered.

Great are the Felicities purchased by the bleffed Jefus, and intended for his Difciples: We can have no adequate Notions of them, while we remain in this Vale of Tears, in a State mixed with Sin and Sorrow.

As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor Ear beard, neither have entered into the Heart of Man, the Things which God hath prepared for them that love him. I Cor. ii. 9. They are fo many, fo great, fo glorious that we cannot comprehend

them.

The Apostle adds, But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit. ver, 10, God, has though not fully, yet in a comfortable Measure made them known in his Word, by his Spirit.

And what he has revealed, we fhould endeavour to understand, efpecially as to the following Particulars.

I. That at Death, the Souls of Believers are made perfect in Holiness.

The Apoftle calls the Souls of true Believers after Death, The Spirits of just Men made perfect. Heb. xii. 23.

We

We may from thefe Words obferve, that although in this World, there is fome Remainder of finful Corruptions in the beft of Chriftians, fome Imperfection or other, yet at Death every Imperfection is done away, and the Souls of the Righteous are then made perfectly Holy.

How the Holy Spirit compleats the Sanctification of true Believers, we know not, and it is not needful for us to know the Manner of his Operation But it is fufficient for us to know that at Death, the glorious Work will be perfected; and the Revelation of this Truth, hath the Signification of Prediction, that it fhall be fo with the Souls of all fincere Chriftians at Death in every Age: And the Thoughts of it, may well rejoice our Hearts. Here our Minds are frequently dif turbed by finful Thoughts and Inclinations rifing in us, and when we would do good, evil is often prefent with us; and the Good, that we would do, we do not, and the Evil that we would not do, we do. It is Matter of Grief that our Obedience is mixed with Multitudes of Sins, both of Omiffion and Commiffion; and that our best Services, even our Performances of religious Worfhip, are polluted with a Mixture of Sin: It is Matter of Grief that we meet with many Temptations from the Perfons we converfe with, and from the alluring Things of the World, and from the Suggeftions of the Devil; and therefore it is a ground of Comfort, that we fhall Sin no more after Death, nor meet with Temptations of any kind : Then there will be no Hindrance to our Commu-. nion with our God and Saviour, and no Interruption in it.

Serious Chriftians daily have Communion with God here: But what is Communion with God? And when may I think that I enjoy it?

These are weighty Queftions, and it helps me to form right Answers to them, when I confider that I may be faid to have Communion with, and the Enjoyment of a beloved Friend, when we are prefent together, and I am speaking to him, and he to me alternately; when there is a mutual Converse between my Friend and me:

And thus it is in the Time of religious Worship in Publick, in the Family and in fecret: In the publick Worship, when the Word of God is read, or any Part of it is difcourfed on by a Minifter of Chrift, then God is fpeaking to us: And when the Minifter as the Mouth of the christian Affembly prefent, offers up Prayers, and Supplications, and Praifes to God, with Confeffion of Sin, and thankful Acknowledgment of divine Mercies, then we are speaking to God, and thus there is a mutual Converse, or Communion between God and his People.

Not that every Perfon prefent in the Affembly has the bleffed Enjoyment of God: No; they whofe Thoughts are wandring after a thousand Vanities in the Time of divine Service, who neither regard what the Lord fpeaketh by the Word read, or preached, nor what is spoken to the Lord, in the folemn Addreffes at the Throne of Grace: Thefe have no Communion with God.

But thofe ferious Chriftians, who are very attentive to the Word of God which they hear, and whofe Souls fay Amen to the feveral Things fpoken to God in the Name of Chrift, may be faid to have Communion with God, in the Ordinances of his publick Worship.

And this may help us to understand, when a Chriftian has Communion with God, in the Seafons of Family, and of fecret Worship.

I may add that a ferious Chriftian has Communion with God, and Fellowship with Chrift, not

only in the stated Times of religious Worship, but occasionally, and often between thofe happy Seasons.

When we are abroad, or at home, when we are alone, or in company, if God by his Holy Spirit brings fome good Word of his to our Remembrance, for our Guidance, Edification and Comfort; or speaks to us by his Providence, producing merciful Events for our Advantage, thereby calling us to immediate thankful Acknowledgments and Praife; or fpeaks to us by afflictive Events, which fill us with Grief, and bring us fometimes into great Perplexity, which excite us to cry to the Lord in Diftrefs, that he would fupport and deliver us: If at fuch Time, our Souls are attentive to the Voice of God fpeaking to us, and fuitable Ejaculations of Thanks and Praise, or of humble Supplications afcend from us to our Father which is in Heaven, fuitably to what the Lord fpeaketh by his Word, or by his Providence, there is then a Communion between God and us.

And fuch Communion fhall Chriftians frequently have, who walk closely with God. They are fhort indeed, but very comfortable, and conduce much to preserve us in a holy Frame,

II. It is revealed in the holy Scriptures, that the Bodies of true Believers, are under the Care of Christ after Death, to the Refurrection of the Dead.

In John vi. 39: Chrift fays, This is the Father's Will, which bath fent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lofe nothing, but should raise it up again at the laft Day. That is, raise up the Body. These Words plainly fhew, that the Father hath committed the Bodies of those that are given to Chrift, to the Care of Chrift, and by him to be raised up from the Dead at the laft Day. M 2

And