that it can afford for my part I must needs say I do not admire it And now I shall take leave to declare my Sentiments herein with submission to better Judgments and a Willingness to be farther informed And 1. by way of Concession I grant that the perfection of happiness properly so called or in respect of the Compositum or whole Man is reserved to the day of Judgment Then the Lord will give his Righteous Servants the Crown of Righteousness and the eternal weight of Glory as St. Paul speaketh 2. I grant there is a state of Christians in this Life that may be called a Blessedness which yet is accompanied with no small imperfection because they daily lodge an Enemy of God and have sin dwelling in them If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves But 3. that a holy Soul after death has not the perfection of Happiness or less of Happiness than it needeth or desireth this I cannot comply with Here therefore I shall attempt to prove that the departed Souls of the Just are in a State of perfect Happiness and have all that spiritual comfort from the God of all comfort which on any account they have need of and such a Happiness I think we may justly call perfect and is all that I wish to my own Soul in its absence from the Body Now for this let us consider the state of Sanctified Souls after their removal from their Bodies They have certainly Life and Sense and Knowledge and all the essential perfections that belong to them as spiritual substances St. Stephen doubtless would not have said when his Enemies were killing him Lord Jesus Receive my Spirit if he had not believed that his Soul should continue in its spiritual Being after his Body was dead Now the Souls of such if they have not all the Happiness that they need then they must know so much or not if we say they do not know it we shall hardly prove that they know any thing else and so comply with the Socinian Dream of the Souls sleeping after death And in reason what are they more like to know than their own State But if then they know themselves destitute of any Happiness that they need that knowledge must be matter of trouble and dissatisfaction unto them and so at that rate the Souls of the Just shall be in part really unhappy which those that judge of them by the Scriptures will not believe 2. If in their separated State they have a perfect enjoyment of God they must be perfectly happy by the confession of all those that know wherein Happiness consisteth And that in that State they have a perfect enjoyment of God is one would think no hard matter to make evident For nothing but sin can hinder the Soul from a perfect Communion with God and comfort in Him. The Prophet tells the People of nothing but their Iniquities that could separate between them and their God he means apparently in point of comfort Esay 59.2 But their iniquities we have seen already do not follow them into the other World their Souls are not under the defilements of sin when they leave the Body and go into the glorious presence of the holy one The Apostle calls them the Spirits of Just Men made perfect Heb. 12. and the Psalmist tells us no evil shall dwell with him 3. To be ever with the Lord in his special glorious presence is spoken of as the very top of our Felicity and the principal matter of a Christian's Comfort 1 Thes 4.17 18. And this Happiness the departed Spirits of the Just do partake of To depart and be with Christ says St. Paul Phil. 1.23 and in 2 Cor. 5.8 Desiring rather to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord. If therefore the one proveth the complete Happiness of the whole Man as such the other as well proveth the perfect Happiness of the Soul as such Go on therefore O Faithfull Christian in thy Christian course with Faithfulness and Diligence with Christian courage and Resolution and let thy Soul magnifie the Lord for it shall shortly want for no Felicity SECT XII Treating of the Nature of this Happiness and the Joy that attends it BEing come unto these points I am in the depths indeed and may well say as St. Paul who is sufficient for these things But having engaged in this Service 't is fit I should go on with it and perform it as God shall enable me Here then I am to consider the happy privileges of a Sanctified Soul in its state of Separation And 1. its Sanctification I mean full and perfect by which it is freed from all the evil of sin for the present and all the danger of it for the future as the Apostle calls them the Spirits of Just Men made perfect Heb. 12.23 That this is meant of the Souls of the faithfull is generally granted and 't is common in Scripture for the Soul to be spoken of under the name of Spirit The dust the Body shall return to the Earth but the Spirit shall return to God that gave it Eccles 12.7 And St. Stephen in like sort commended his Soul to his Saviour Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Acts. 7.59 And in that Text to the Hebrews The Spirits of Just Men can signifie nothing but their Souls because mention is made of Angels in the verse before from whom therefore they are plainly distinguished And their being made perfect must needs be meant of perfection in Grace and Holiness for as to any perfection in a natural sense they had it as much before in this World yea the state of the Soul in its Separation without the perfection of Grace in it may be thought to be a state of greater imperfection than before it was in Now ponder with thy self Reader of this particular and think what a blessed condition this must be If he is stiled Blessed whose Iniquity is forgiven Psal 32.1 How Blessed then may they be accounted that have all their Iniquities pardoned and removed also What a Happiness is it to be freed from all possibility of sinning If St. Paul so much lamented the In-being of Sin complaining that when he would do good evil was present with him Rom. 7. and called himself Wretched Man for that very reason How glad may we think would he have been if at that very hour he could have assured himself that he should never be troubled with it any more a privilege which after death his Soul was perfectly instated in If the poor Man that I have read of was so much delighted to behold the Face of that Physician that had cured him of his fainting Sleeps and frightfull Dreams O then with what transcendent Joy and Gladness will a gracious Soul reflect upon the Love of its Redeemer when he hath freed it from all degrees of sinfulness and healed all its Infirmities for ever Oh what sacred and satisfying Irradiations will it receive from the Sun
I find not that the contrary minded have made any exceptions against this proof that are worthy any serious consideration And for that of the Apostle Heb. 12.23 I take it to be no less convincing For what but the Souls of good Men can be supposed to be called the Spirits of just Men made perfect For it cannot be said of the Angels they being distinguished from them in the same verse nor can it be meant of the Persons of Men Bodies and Souls united for these are called Men and not Spirits much less the Spirits of just Men. Obj. But we find in Scripture the Angels that have a charge over the faithfull are called their Angels and why may they not be called their Spirits being Spirits indeed Ans The question in this matter is not whether they may not be so called in some sense or respect but whether in that Text they are so called and I say they are not for two Reasons 1. Because the Angels are mentioned just before as was intimated and they are never called the Spirits of Men or the Spirits of the Just in Scripture 2. Because these are spoken of as made perfect as the things that are imperfect are brought to perfection by degrees for so the original signifieth now the Holy Angels never were destitute of any perfection that their nature needeth Since therefore it must be only the Souls of the Just that there are called the Spirits of the Just it will be easie to conclude the point from it For 't is evident it cannot be meant of their Spirits or Souls while in the Body here on Earth for in this state they are not made perfect but have a great deal of sinfull imperfection in them not as though I were already perfect said St. Paul of himself And 't is said they are made perfect that is already perfect and therefore is not spoken of that perfection which they shall have hereafter at the Resurrection of their Bodies nor can the scope of the place or context favour the interpreting of it concerning their state on Earth and since it cannot be understood of their Souls in their Bodies on Earth nor at the Resurrection then it must be meant of their Souls in their separated state And if in that state they are they are more perfect than before they were they must certainly be more happy also SECT V. The same Doctrine proved from Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the Dead that die in the Lord for they rest from their Labours c. HAving urged several Scriptures for my purpose I shall now only add this unto them And if any Person doubts whether this will prove the happy state of Just Mens Souls in separation from their Bodies he must be a Man of doubtfull Religion But for the business let us note in what manner the truth was manifested I heard said St. John a voice from Heaven saying to me write Blessed are the Dead which die in the Lord from henceforth Note also that it is not spoken of Men as living on Earth or in Heaven but of them as dying in the Lord in his Faith and Fear Blessed are those Dead It is added from henceforth from the time of their dying And how can we think it would be said Blessed are those Dead if they did not obtain some blessed privilege by dying if death did not bring more good to their Souls than hurt to their Bodies then we have the Spirit asserting it yea saith the Spirit Together with one part or property of their blessedness they rest from their Labours from all their troubles whatsoever And this Rest must include a positive happiness in the Love and Peace of their gracious God For a meer Negative or Privative Rest consisting in a bare Freedom from Pain and Trouble is no more than the Beasts partake of when the Horse is dead there 's an end of his weariness as well as his work And I hope we may safely believe that a dead Christian that shewed himself such in his life is in a better state presently after Death than a dead Beast can be and he whose Religion is any thing stronger than his Atheism will account this Text an evidence of it And this shall suffice for Confirmation of the point and I doubt not but it may be some satisfaction to those that seek the truth in Love and humbly implore the guidance of God's Holy Spirit In the next place I am to make good my method and so to vindicate this truth from exceptions and defend it from that violence which some have offered unto it SECT VI. The Happiness of Just Mens Souls in the state of separation vindicated AS to contend for the truth is no unlawfull strife by clearing and confirming it so to maintain it against objections is not unnecessary And I know not whether some may not expect it But before I answer Mens Cavils against this comfortable Doctrine it may not be amiss to say something to those that would dissuade us from medling with matters of this nature For to what purpose say they should we trouble our selves about it For if we believe the Servants of God shall have an Eternity of Happiness after the Resurrection is not that sufficient for us whether our Souls can be happy in their separation or not Whether it is kindness or crosness Religion or Sin that moves men to talk after this rate I shall not now enquire Sure I am It is our Duty to search the Scriptures and blessed be God for the liberty of doing so And certainly 't is not below us to search them for this purpose if perhaps we may find satisfaction about it which that we may I trust will be acknowledged by the unprejudiced Reader Things revealed do belong to us and that this is revealed may easily be perceived by what has been insisted on about it And he that grants it a truth will never deny it to be a comfortable one whatsoever also Christians may undervalue methinks they should not despise the Consolations of the Scripture which will hold when other comforts fail And though it be not very delightfull to deal with the confident cavils of deceived Sinners yet to prevent their mischief I am willing to bestow a few lines upon them As for Scripture that they use to oppose this truth by 't is especially that of the Psalmist Ps 6.5 In death there is no Remembrance of thee and in the Grave who shall give thee Thanks But must not they be very quick-sighted that can find in the place of Darkness an Argument against this encouraging Doctrine But how little this Text maketh against it a few words will shew For. 1. The Psalmist doth not say there is no Remembrance of God after Death but thus In Death there is no Remembrance of thee viz. In that which is in Death or under Death's power even the Body Or then there is no such Remembrance of God as in the time of Life for the
good its Title Page of the Joy of Just Mens Souls after Death if I should not treat of that Love of his which shall surely be their Glory and Joy And though it may be somewhat difficult to resolve in what method to discourse of his unmeasurable Love yet I think the main of what concerns me to say may be reduced to these two Heads 1. What Christ is in Himself 2. What he hath done and suffered for Sinners First let us consider for this purpose what Christ is in himself For as it was said of old as the Man is such is his Strength so we may say herein as the Person is such is his Love the more excellent any Person is the more excellent and valuable is his Kindness in what way soever it be expressed towards his Inferiours It were a greater matter for one that is a King to hazard his Health for the good of any People than for an ordinary Person to venture his Life for them Now on this account the Love of Christ towards Sinners must needs be worthy of everlasting Admiration because he was a Person of infinite excellency the Eternal Son of God of the same substance with his heavenly Father Reader I beseech thee Hold fast this Principle and part not with it as thou lovest the life of thy precious Soul. For the contrary opinion is not only an errour but such an errour as striketh at the very heart of Christianity and overthrows the very Foundation of our Faith. 'T is not my present Design to prove this at large yet something shall be said of it in due place And by the way we may perceive how necessary the Knowledge of it is by considering that of our Saviour Mat. 16.13 He asked his Disciples Whom do Men say that I the Son of Man am q. d. They are very well satisfied that I am indeed the Son of Man true and very Man as really as any of you is But what do they think of my Person Do they take me to be a Humane Person and so no more than a Man or the Son of Man To which the Disciples answered Some say Thou art John the Baptist some Elias c. Persons very eminent and as great in God's account as any of the Sons of Men. But yet they did not therein think highly enough of him and therefore vers 15. He asked his Disciciples Whom say ye that I am To which Peter in the name of the rest giveth answer saying Thou art Christ the Son of the living God vers 16. which Answer Christ so well approved of that he pronounced him blessed vers 17. and intimated this Truth to be the Rock on which the Church is built and assureth him that against it the Gates of Hell shall not prevail vers 18. And now that his being the Son of the living God which he took to himself so apparently is meant of being his Son properly by eternal and unspeakable Generation of the same substance with his Father This I say is now to be cleared and confirmed and it may be so from those Scriptures wherein he is called The Son of the Father 2 John 3. His own Son Rom. 8. His only begotten Son John 3. who had Glory with the Father before the World was Joh. 17.5 who thought it no Robbery to be or declare himself to be equal with God viz. God the Father Phil. 2. Titles certainly too high for any mere Creature whatever Satan and Socinians suggest to the contrary The Jews supposed him guilty of Blasphemy because he being a Man made himself God that is declared himself so to be which they did not charge him with on any other ground than his owning himself to be the Son of God John 5.18.10.33 compared with Mark 14 61 64. And if our Saviour had not been the Son of God in such a sense as imported him to be true and very God as the Jews conceived him to mean there is no doubt but he would have shewed them their mistake yea quickly too and have disowned that Title in the sense that they took it being Lowly in Heart and filled with the highest Zeal for his Father's Glory And that he was not called the Son of God upon the account of his miraculous conception or any privileges that a meer Creature may partake of as too many would perswade us may be easily manifested on these two grounds 1 Because he was the Son of God before these things could be said of him As in the fullness of time he came of the Lineage of David according to the Flesh and was called the Son of David So before his Incarnation he was David's Lord. David in Spirit called him Lord Mat. 22.43 compared with Psal 110.1 Surely therefore he was a Person in David's time And what Person was he then Surely the same that now he is even the Son of God The same in all times past present and to come Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and forever H. 13. Nor do I yet find that the Socinians themselves ever were so senseless as to say that Christ was the Son of Man or one of the Angels in David's time And if then he were not a Humane Person nor an Angelical Person what remains but that he was a Divine Person at that time therefore at all times In a word he was then such a Son as the same Kingly Prophet calls upon Men to trust in and calls them blessed that do so Psal 2.12 and therefore God the Son of the same substance with his Father and so above the rank of meer creatures for to trust in a meer creature is so far from blessedness that it is in it self an accursed thing Jer. 17.5 2. Such things are said of Christ the Son of God as no temporal excellencies privileges or qualifications can possibly entitle him to as To have his outgoings from everlasting Micha 5.2 compared with Mat. 2.6 To be the First and the Last Rev. 1. To have all things consist in him or by him Col. 1. To have all things created by him and for him Col. 1.16 Not to insist on those places where he is called God absolutely and solemnly see John 20.28 and Heb. 1.8 Unto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever If any can convince me that all this will not prove Christ to be the Son of God in a higher sense and manner than any temporal privileges or created excellencies can make him to be they then may have hope enough to make me believe that my Right Hand is my Left or any other piece of the profoundest Non-sense that their pretended Right Reason can impose upon me Yet it being a matter above the reach of natural Reason I must say with him in the Gospel Lord I believe Help thou my unbelief They that would see more on this great subject may consult Stegman-photin Refut Disp 5. quaest 7. Jacobi ad part Def. Fidei and especially the
Happiness at Hand OR A Plain and Practical DISCOURSE OF THE Joy of Just Mens Souls in the State of Separation from the Body For the Instruction of Weak Christians and for the Comfort of the Afflicted By J. B. Rector of Finchamsted in the County of Berks. Psal 63.3 Thy Loving Kindness is better than Life Qui cupit dissolvi esse cum Christo haud patienter moritur sed patienter vivit delectabiliter moritur Aug. LICENSED July 2. 1686. LONDON Printed by J. H. for L. Meredith at the King's Head at the West End of St. Paul's Church-Yard 1687. THE Epistle Dedicatory To the Worshipfull and my most worthily honoured Friend Dr. Robert Woodward Chancellour of my Lord Bishop's Court at Sarum Worthy Sir AS I have adventured to make use of your Name in this way so I am perswaded 't is scarce more easie for uncharitable Minds to Blame me for it than for your Kindness and Courtesie to excuse it in some Measure And if Any should account me presumptuous in so doing I can truly tell them That I had a very great and almost Irresistible Temptation to it For Gentlemen of good Repute and Judgment do not seem to doubt but I might bear the Reflections of Ingratitude as well as Imprudence if having an opportunity I should not make some publick Acknowledgment of my Obligations to your Worship for those great Instances of your undeserved Friendship which Blessed be God I so happily received in those publick Circumstances that made me stand in need of so Good a Friend Accept therefore I beseech you Sir this plain Piece as a Pledge of the unfeigned Thanks that I must ever owe you And Sir I do the rather beg your Acceptance of it because the Doctrine defended is apparently owned by the Church of England and partly Because if it find in the Main that Honour and Favour I shall think my self sufficiently Armed against the Censures of the Profane Malignant World. The Father of Mercies follow you still with His Goodness Granting you many Happy Days here on Earth and when your Time is ended the Joys of Eternity and the Blessedness of Them that Dye in the Lord. So praying refteth Good Sir Your Worship 's most humble Servant and most effectually obliged John Brandon A Word to the READER CHristian Reader If thou askest why I publish this Discourse I can safely answer 'T is not to offend thee But possibly Thou mayst expect some further Account which take as followeth 1. The Subject here treated of is not so commonly handled as many other Points of Religion Among the Multitudes of Books abroad in the World which I have made some Enquiry about there is not so much as one Pocket-Volume that I can find written upon it purposely plainly and practically And Those that have spoken occasionally of it in larger Pieces containing various Subjects have said a great deal more than they have proved about it I could shew a prety many pages relating to it that afford not so much as one good Substantial Argument for the truth of it and yet it deserveth to be as well proved as most Doctrines that I know of and much better than some that have been sufficiently contended for 2. 'T is a Subject that seems to afford an Eminent Degree of Support and satisfaction to a Pious Soul. For though the Being for ever with the Lord be the Top of our Felicity whether we enjoy it sooner or later yet me thinks the Hope of being with Him in a little Time may be agreat Addition to a Christian's Joy. May it not be a Matter of Special yea strong Consolation to think and Believe on Scripture grounds that he shall be a Gainer by his Dissolution have his Soul with Christ and his Angels before his Body is with Worms and Dust and see the Eternal Light and Love as soon as Death has drawn the Vail of Flesh And that it may Assist thee Christian Reader in the chearfull Service of thy God which is the truest Heaven that Thou canst hope for here on Earth is so evident that it need not be proved Well may he serve his God with Gladness that hopeth so shortly to see his Salvation And I was the more encouraged to go on herein because I feared no Opposers For the Church of England teacheth its Friends to say in the Burial Service O God with whom the Souls of the Faithfull after they are delivered from the Flesh are in Joy and Felicity And if I am opposed by its Enemies it will be matter of small Regard with me yet if any man of what perswasion soever shall employ his Pen to Disprove the Main of what I have said on this Point He may be attended to if God grant Life and Leisure I can easily judge that a Work of this Nature were fitter to be managed by others than by Me yet that must not hinder me from doing it as I can And if my Imperfect Doing of it may Anger any man so far as to move him to do it Better I shall think I have written to very good purpose And now I have onely to Request of thee these few things 1. That thou wouldst reade over this Discourse when thou hast not a better at hand for which I need urge no other Motives than the Smallness of it and the Greatness of it's Subject 2. That thou reade it with a Charitable Eye and a Christian Aim receiving the Truth with all Readiness of mind not Rejecting any thing thou findest to be Sound for the Sake of any thing that thou thinkest to be weak 3. That thou wouldst beseech God of all Grace to give us such Grace as may be sufficient for us such as may fit us both in his due time for the Participation of that Felicity which this small Book is designed to Discover I add no more but to Subscribe my Self Thy Servant for the Sake of Jesus John Brandon Finchamsted Berks May 10th 1686. A Table of the Contents of this Discourse THE Introduction with some Presuppositions relating to the Point Viz. The Soul's Immortality and it's Capableness of being Happy out of the Body Page 1 SECTION I. The Happiness of good Mens Souls in their Separation from the Body asserted and the Probability of it discovered pag. 12 SECT II. The happy State of good Mens Souls after Death proved from Phil. 1.23 having a Desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better together with an Answer to a Socinian Exception pag. 17 SECT III. The Point proved from Luke 23.43 This day Thou shalt be with me in Paradise and Colos 1.20 To reconcile all things to himself whether Things on Earth or Things in Heaven with an Answer to some Exceptions pag. 26 SECT IV. The same proved from 2 Cor. 5.8 We are willing rather to be absent from the Body and present with the Lord and Heb. 12.23 The Spirits of Just Men made perfect pag. 31 SECT V. The same Doctrine proved
from Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the Dead that dye in the Lord for they rest from their Labours c. pag. 36 SECT VI. The happiness of Just Mens Souls in the State of Separation vindicated pag. 39 SECT VII The Point improved for Confutation of Errors pag. 45 SECT VIII For trial of our selves whether we are of the number of those Just ones that may justly expect this approaching Felicity pag. 48 An Appendix to the Eighth Section being a Character of that Just person whose Soul shall shortly be so happy pag. 71 SECT IX Shewing the Usefulness of the Point in two other Particulars pag. 83. SECT X. Being a Perswasive to several great Duties pag. 88 SECT XI Containing the Resolution of two great Questions pag. 95 SECT XII Treating of the Nature of this Happiness and the Joy that attends it pag. 113 SECT XIII Shewing the Greatness of the Love of Christ which the Souls of his People all enjoy after Death pag. 132 SECT XIV Discovering the Greatness of Christ's Love in what he did or suffered for Sinners pag. 142 SECT XV. Being other brief Improvements of the Point page 150. SECT XVI Being a farther Improvement of the Doctrine aforesaid as an Antidote against the Fear of Death pag. 157 A POSTSCRIPT Attempting the Resolution of a Weighty Question with an Appendix to the 13th Section concerning Christ's Filiation in a Letter to a learned Authour pag. 185 Happiness at Hand The Introduction with some presuppositions relating to the Point THAT Godliness is great gain and the ways thereof peace and pleasantness is assured to us by the Authour of that blessed Book which may save our Souls but cannot deceive them And though Religion be so good in this Life that every good action may afford some degree of comfort as Dr. Sibbs was wont to say when the Soul is not under temptations and mistakes yet the best of Religion is reserved for another World and its strongest Consolations kept in store to be enjoyed in that high and holy place where there is joy without sorrow peace without trouble Sanctification without Sin and all without end And that thy Joy may be full consider Christian Reader what grounds thou hast to believe that this Happiness is at Hand also and shall be possessed in good part by thy Soul in its separated State most certainly the love of thy Lord is better than Life and will be better to thy Spirit than the life of thy Flesh and all the comforts of this lower World the discovery of which I am not presently to attempt but rather to premise a few particulars in order to it The first thing to be supposed as the Foundation of what follows is The immortality of Mens Souls which some have been so brutish as to call in question imagining that Men die in all respects as the Beasts that perish and therefore live as if Body and Soul should rot together Whose folly therein I need on this occasion no farther to shew than by considering the words of him who is the faithfull and true Witness and knows us better than we do our selves viz. Mat. 10.28 Fear not them that can kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul. In which words our Saviour spake plain enough nor can any subtilty in the earth evade the force of them or obscure to any purpose the clearness of that Testimony which they give to the Souls Immortality For they are brought in as an incouragement to his Apostles to preach the Gospel an incouragement I say against the fury of Persecutours of whom he spake in the foregoing verses He would not have this dishearten them Fear not says he them that can kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul. q. d. As they can do nothing more against you than they are permitted to doe so the worst they can possibly do to you can kill no more than your Bodies your nobler parts your Souls are above the reach of all their violence therefore fear them not in any discouraging way Will not any one that readeth that Text with heedfulness and without prejudice be satisfied that this is the meaning of it And if it were designed by our Saviour to express the Souls immortality how could it be done more effectually and more plainly in a few words But nothing is plain enough to them that will not see the truth The strength of which as to this particular may appear by the weakness of those Interpretations which the contrary minded have put upon this Text. 1. Say some the killing of the Soul may be meant of Damning it They cannot kill it with Eternal Death or Damnation Ans That none of the greatest Persecutours could kill the Soul in that manner is very true but 't is not the meaning of that Text Mat. 10.28 For the Damning of the Soul is not spoken of in the word kill but in the word Destroying but fear him who is able to Destroy Body and Soul in Hell in the same verse now to kill and to Destroy are different words and as different things the disobedient are threatned with an everlasting Destruction 2 Thes 1.9 but no where with an everlasting killing 2. The killing of the Soul which is there denied to be in the power of Men is not to be understood of Damnation because that is never expressed by that word in Scripture Let any Man shew so much as one Text therein where the Damnation either of the Soul or of the Person is called a killing of the one or the other 3. The same word in the Original is used of both which shews it meant in the same sense of both So that as the word everlasting Mat. 25.46 spoken of the punishment of the wicked is the same that is spoken of the Life or Glory of the Righteous and therefore proves the perpetuity of the former as well as of the latter as is shewed elsewhere So the Original word for killing * Everlasting Fire no Fancy Cap. 1. Sect. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being the same for substance that is used in the said Text concerning the killing of the Soul and of the Body it must needs be understood accordingly So that they can kill the Body but cannot kill the Soul must needs signifie to us that the Soul continues to live the life of a Soul when the Body ceaseth to live the life of a Body And I know not how any can deny it unless he be resolved upon perverseness and will offer violence to the plainest speeches imaginable 4. At that rate of Interpretation which these Objectors use our Saviour should therein have spoken no more of the Soul than may be said of the Body For Men we know cannot Damn the Body no more than the Soul. But there we see the killing which is denied as to the Soul is granted of the Body that can says our Lord kill the Body but cannot kill the Soul. And if any yet think the meaning