they did die the same day for men may lie a whole day nay they may lie dayes with their legs broken before they die and I do dare presume to say that they were both alive very neer the end of that day and had nothing inflicted upon them to shorten their lives but being nailed thorow their hands and feet and their legs broken and I dare presume that many lie longer then they had to lie of that day that have been far more desperately wounded Furthermore I dare presume to say that no man living can prove that the Malefactors were dead the same day and if it cannot be proved that they were dead that day it cannot be proved that the soul of the penitent Thief was that day in heaven moreover consider Christ did not tell the Thief that his SOVL should be with him in Paradise but saith thou shalt be with me not thy SOVL but thou viz. thou Thief or thou Man shalt be with me in Paradise which was not so then you see that Christ was not ascended himself but he poured out his soul to death and that lay in the grave although God left it not there Secondly it cannot be proved that the Thief was dead that day if there were such a thing as the soul ascending into Heaven at the time of death And thirdly the text doth not say the SOVL shall be with Christ but thou i. e. thou Man or Thief as before said shall be with me These things considered what may we understand of the text which saith verily I say unto thee to day thou shalt be with me in Paradise To which I answer and say as I before have said that whereas Christ saith to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise is but to give the Thief assurance of his salvation for his petition or request is that the Lord would remember him when he came into his Kingdome and Christ to put him out of doubt and to administer comfort and assurance unto him saith I say unto thee to day thou shalt be with me in Paradise as if he should have said to him thou desired me to remember thee when I come into my Kingdome but to put thee out of doubt I will tell thee at present or to day to thy comfort that thou shalt be with me in Paradise Doth it follow therefore because Christ giveth him a promise that day of heaven that therefore he must be in heaven the same day it was well for him that he had a promise of it that day that thereby he may enjoy it when David who is not ascended into heaven shall enjoy it with the rest of the godly at that day before spoken of so then that day was but the day of promise but the day of enjoyment is yet to come namely when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed and till that time we are to wait for it because all the Saints shall be made perfect and enjoy their inheritance together And thus I pass from this Obsection and hasten to the conclusion of this Subject of discourse Object 5. But if it be objected that the souls of them that are slain cry under rhe Alter Table Rev. 6.10 Answ If they cry then they are not in heaven as is plain because when they come there all crying and trouble shall vanish away Secondly by Alter Table we are to understand a place of Sacrifice and by Souls crying we are to understand the blood of the Saints crying for vengeance for it is blood that cries for vengeance and that the soul is in some places to be understood blood is clear because the life or blood is to be understood all one in many places and so it is said that Christ made his soul an offering for sin and that is to be understood his life or more properly his blood for without blood there is no remission of sins And also I have before shewed that the Greek word Soul bears such a signification as blood and if so it is very proper for the souls viz. blood to cry for vengeance for so did Abels blood cry for vengeance against Cain and also Christs blood doth cry for vengeance against such as are guilty of it by trampling it under foot although it doth speak for the penitent better things then the blood of Abel And thus we are to understand that sixt chapter of the Revelations that after the red Horse and he that sate upon him with the great Sword had took peace from the earth then John saw the blood of the just ones lying under the Alter Table that is the place where they were made a sacrifice or where they offered up their blood or lives a sacrifice for Christs sake and the testimony of a good conscience and that viz. blood cryed for vengeance and this is that which John saw and declared when he saith I saw the souls which were slain for the word of God and the Testimony which they held And so I pass to the next and last objection which is drawn from the 1 Pet. 3.18 19. in these words Object 6. By which he went and preached to the Spirits in Prison therefore there is an immortal soul Answ To which I answer and say that the meaning of this place is no other but that the spirit of Christ did preach to the old world in Noahs dayes or Christ by the same spirit wherewith he was quickned preached in the dayes of Noah to those that are now dead or in Prison for the word Prison is to be understood a place of security to secure persons for the day of Judgment to be either acquitted and justfied or condemned and executed and this agrees with Revel 20.13 where it is said as at a Goal delivery That the Sea and death and the grave delivered up the dead which were in them and they were all judged according to their works And whereas it is read Hell in our Translations it is meant the grave for so it should be read the which if you question it you may read the margent note and see it so read there The like expression there is in John 31.8 speaking of death saith There the prisoners rest together the smal and great are there and the servant is free from his Master verse 19. So then it was the same spirit that which raised Christ from the dead that preached in the dayes of Noah observe this and I pass to the conclusion That it was not the quickned that preached to the Spirits who were disobedient in the dayes of Noah and now in prison but it was the quickner there is the mystery of the text mark well I have a few words more and so I shall leave this Subject of Discourse which is First a few words in particular to my Antagonist who saith That the soul is immortal because it was created after Gods Image Although he hath contradicted himself sadly in what he holds if he own what he hath written in the 13
his flesh with his eyes and not others should he see Christ his Redeemer in the latter day stand upon the earth whom he should behold for himself and not another So then the very same Job that then was in misery the very same Job was afterwards to see the Lord to which add that the very same body that suffereth with Christ the very same body shall raign with Christ for it is against pure justice that one body should suffer with Christ or for Christs sake and then another body glorified and that body which suffered to perish for ever this cannot be in justice which also proves that the same body shall arise out of the dust And so I pass to the sixth Reason further to prove that the dead bodies of men which now are asleep in the dust of the earth shall awake live and be raised again from the dead which is Reas 6. Sixtly Because Daniel further confirms the truth of this saying Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt Dan. 12.2 In this text there is these two things considerable the first is that such as sleep shall awake and Secondly the place where that they sleep and that is in the dust and Thirdly that it is not meant spiritually that is to say to awake out of a state of a sleep of sin to Righteousness because some of those that awake do awake to everlasting shame and contempt which cannot be taken in a spiritual fence for I hope no man is so void of understanding as to think that such as awake out of sin and stand up from a spiritual death that they awake to everlasting shame and contempt but some of those that do awake Daniel saith do awake to everlasting shame and contempt which sheweth that those that die and sleep in the dust that the very same shall arise again even that which sleeps both of good and bad some to everlasting Joy and some to shame and everlasting contempt which clearly proveth that the dead bodies of such as sleep in the earth shall even they themselves and not another arise And thus I pass to the seventh reason to prove the Resurrection which is Reas 7. Seventhly Because Saint Paul saith That the dead in Christ shall rise first Now this cannot be meant spiritually first because those that be in Christ cannot be spiritually dead that is to say dead in trespasses and sins and secondly if it should be Objected that there may be dead branches in the Vine John 15. then I answer that such shall forthwith be cut out and have no priviledge by Christ but the dead in Christ spoken of both by Saint Paul and Saint John have priviledge by being dead in Christ which means the death of the body and the Resurrection of the body from the dead that is to say the godly even such as live and die in Christ shall arise a thousand years before the wicked as you may see 1 Thes 4.14 15 16. compared with Revel 20.5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. And that this is no spiritual Resurrection but a Resurrection of the body is plain because it is that which the Apostle is a speaking of in that place as you may read 1 Thes 4.13 14 15 16. In these words I would not have you ignorant brethren concerning them that are a sleep that ye sorrow not even at others that have no hope For if we believe that Jesus dyed and rose again EVEN SO mark that them also that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we that are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voyce of the Archangel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so shall be ever with the Lord. From whence we may see clearly that the Apostle is speaking of the Resurrection of the body for saith he If we beleeve that Jesus dyed and rose again EVEN SO them ALSO that sleep the even so implyeth that as Jesus slept and rose again even so shall we sleep and rise again and we may know that the same body that was crucified unto death and was buryed even the same body rose again for so saith Christ to Thomas after his Resurrection Come feel the Print of the nails in my hands and reach hither thy hand and feel my side that is piersed so that we may see it was the same body which was crucified dead and buryed which also rose again even so shall our bodies even the self-same body arise out of the dust of the earth and come to Judgment And so I pass to the eight Reason to prove that those that are now asleep in the dust of the earth shall arise from the dead which is Reas 8. Eightly Because Christ hath proved it from the Scripture and the Spirit of God in his People have caused them earnestly to hope and wait for it and first that Christ hath proved it read Mat. 22.31 32. in these words As touching the Resurrection saith Christ of the dead have you not read that which was spoken unto you by God saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the dead but of the living In these words Christ is proving the Resurrection in opposition to the opinion of the Saduces which held that there was no Resurrection but Christ tels them that they did err no knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God as much as if he should have said if you had known the Scriptures you would have believed and acknowledged the Resurrection for they bare their Testimony to the truth thereof or if you had been well instructed about the power and omnipotency of God it would not have seemed to be a thing so incredilous unto you that God should raise the dead for saith he God did tell Moses that he was the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob and God is not the God of the dead but of the living but now Abraham Isaac and Jacob is dead as if Christ should say therefore God is not their God upon your account O ye Saduces but God is the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob for they live to him that is in his account for God seeth all things past present and to come and calls things that shall be as if they were Rom. 4. And so he seeth all men risen from the dead and stand before him alive in a Resurrection and thus all live to him viz. in his account and this is to be understood in this text as I before have
said so then there was a sort of men then even as there is now which did deny the Resurrection of the bodies of the dead which are in the dust but Christ opposeth them and proveth That there is to be a Resurrection And Secondly the Spirit of God in his people have caused them earnestly to hope and wait for it as you may read Heb. 11.35 36. in these words Others had tryals of cruel mocking and scourgings yea moreover of bands and imprisonments and others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection From these things which have been written you may see that both Christ have proved and the Saints earnestly hoped and waited for the Resurrection and indeed and in truth it was never questioned by the godly for when Christ tels Martha that her brother Lazarus should rise again I know saith she that my brother shall arise again in the Resurrection at the last day she never once questioned but that her brother even the same man Lazarus should arise again at the last day which sheweth that both Christ and the Saints doth prove and acknowledg that those that sleep in the dust of the earth shall arise even the same bodies only incorruptible and come to Judgment And so I pass to the ninth Reason to prove that those which are asleep in the dust of the earth shall arise which is Reas 9. Ninthly Because otherwise were the Saints in a worse condition then the wicked for they bear about in their bodies the dying of the Lord Jesus and suffer deeply and are accounted as sheep for the slaughter and the wicked they eat and drink and take their pleasure now if there be no Resurrection then the wicked were in the best condition for if there were no Resurrection then there would be no judgment and then the word remember for all this God will bring thee to judgment were of no force and I never yet read of a day of judgment since Adams being cast out of Paradise to be till after the Resurrection and then no Resurrection no Judgment then I may say with Saint Paul Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die but that there is to be a Resurrection and that it will go ill with the wicked read John 5.28 Dan. 12.2 and the like But if there were no Resurrection then the righteous were in the worst condition as you may read 1 Cor. 15.16 17 18 19. in these words For if the dead rise not then is not Christ raised and if Christ be not raised your faith is vain and ye are yet in your sins Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished if in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable From whence we see were it not for a Resurrection the wicked were in the best condition and the Saints of all men the most miserable because of their sufferings but it is not so for they are in the most happiest condition And thus I pass to the tenth Reason to prove that the dead as before said shall arise which is Reas 10. Because the Scripture saith that our vile bodies shall be fashioned and made like unto Christs glorious body as saith the Apostle Phil. 3.20 21. in these words For our conversation is in heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who will change our vile bodies OR RENEW OR REFORM OR PVT IT INTO A BETTER ESTATE AS THE WORD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Qui reformabit corpus WILL BEAR IT that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body From whence we may see that the dead shall arise and have their vile bodies renewed or reformed even changed into another estate and condition yet the same body and made in fashion like to Christs glorious body so then it is not another body but these our vile bodies fashioned and made like to Christs glorious body which proveth that the same body which dyeth the same body shall rise again only corruption and imperfection taken away and this agreeth with the whole current of Scripture And thus I pass to the Eleventh Reason to prove that such as are returned to dust shall again awake and come forth out of their graves unto judgment which is Reas 11. Eleventhly Because the Scriptures saith That all things even the whole Creation shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption and restored into its primitive estate only those excepted who have voluntarily made themselves miserable for ever yet even they shall arise with such a body as shall not die any more the greater will be their misery And that there is to be such a Resurrection read these Scriptures Acts. 3.19 20.21 Rem 8.20 21. in these wordes Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord And he will send Jesus which before was preached unto you whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began for the creature was made subject to vanity not willingly but by reason of him viz. Adam who hath subjected the same in hope for we know that the whole creation groaneth and travelleth in pain together until now because the creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God for even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the Redemption of our bodies From these Scriptures and more that might be added of this nature it doth appear that the bodies of the sons of men shall be raised again from the dead and he restored into that estate wherein they were created and also into the glorious estate that the body of Jesus Christ himself is in for when he shall appear we shall be made like him and he hath a body of flesh and bones which proves the Resurrection for if it be not the same body that goeth to the dust which is raised again but another body then it is a new Creation and not a Redemption by a Resurrection and then is not the Scriptures true which saith O Death I will be thy Death and Death shall deliver up her dead but God and the Scriptures is true and all them that do deny that the dead bodies shall again live and arise out of the dust of the earth are lyers And so I pass to the Twelfth and last reason although I might add many more if time would permit to prove That the dead which sleep in the dust both good and bad shall arise and come to Judgment which is Reas 12. Because the Scripture saith that although we must needs die and be as water spilt upon the ground yet God hath used a means that those that are thus banished should not be for ever expelled
namely Mans Mortality A DISCOURSE Touching the Mortality of the Soul IN order to the clearing up of this Subject of Dicourse I shall lay down this Position which is That man by sin made himself wholly mortal So that when God shall take away his breath which is from the time of death till the time of Resurrection he is no more then what he was before God breathed into him the breath of life which was but dust and also to dust he doth return and the word Soul is used for illustration sake and very large in its acceptation in Scripture sometimes to be understood one thing sometimes another that no man living can say of any one thing this is the soul and this is not but the whole individual man is taken for the soul and where there is spoken of soul and body there is no more difference than there is between Spirit and breath only it is spoken by way of illustration and the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie several things as the Mind Will Soul Delight Pleasure Affection Disposition Phantasie Life Breath Wind Blast Wrath Anger Memory Thought Stomack Courage Advice Opinion Heart Witt Stoutness Willingness Promptness or Readiness of Mind also Sleep and also Man these many significations and more is derived from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we read in our Translation Soul But leaving these things I shall come suddenly to the Reasons and then answer some Objections but first see some Scriptures which proveth that Man is wholly mortal and first see the words of the Wise man Eccles 3.19 20. in these words For what befalleth the sons of men befalleth Beasts even one thing befalleth them as the one dyeth so dyeth the other yea they have all one breath so that man hath no preheminence above a beast for all is vanity all go to one place all are of the dust and return to dust again Agreeable to the Word of the Lord Gen. 3. Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return and this is also further amplified by John 4.7 8 9 10 11 12. in these words For there is hope of a tree if he be cut down that it will sprout again and the tender branches thereof will not cease though the root thereof wax old in the ground and the stock thereof die in the earth yet thorow the descent of water it will bud and bring forth branches like a plant but man dyeth and wasteth away ye man giveth up the Ghost and where is he as the waters fall from the Sea and the floods decay and dry up so man lyeth down for we must needs die and be as water spilt upon the ground that cannot be gathered neither doth God respect the person of any man yet he hath used a means that his banished shall not be for ever expelled from him From whence we may see that the estate of man is compared to the floods that are dryed up that is become as it were nothing and is so to remain until the resurrection for by sin and death we are banished from the Lord yet he hath used a means namely to bring us forth again at the Resurrection that his banished should not be for ever kept from him but if the righteous go to heaven so soon as they die how are they banished from him and become as water spilt upon the ground For what man is he that liveth and shall not see death Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave Selah Psal 89.48 2 Sam. 14.14 No he cannot deliver his soul from the hand of the grave when God sets his heart to look upon man as you may see Job 34.14 15. in these words If he set his heart upon man if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath all flesh shall perish together and man shall again return unto dust From these words we see all flesh is to perish and man is flesh yea the whole man for that which is born of flesh is flesh now the soul of man is born of flesh and if it be not spirit it must die and the Apostle saith that the first man meaning the whole man was earth earthy and as is the earthy so are they that are earthy howbeit it was not first that which was spiritual but that which was natural and then that which was spiritual speaking there of the man Adam and the man Christ affirming that the first Adam was an earthly natural man and the second Adam viz. Christ was a heavenly spiritual man so then the first man thorow his sin made himself mortal even the whole man there is a multitude of Scriptures that proveth this thing but time being very pretious with me I cannot at this time set them in order before thee but shall pass to some few Reasons to prove man wholly mortal and the first is Reas 1. First because Christ dyed soul and body to purchase our souls and bodies from the grave and if Christs soul dyed it was really to that end that our souls might not lie in the grave and if we had dyed only in body then Christ had dyed only in body but the whole man being mortal and returned to dust Christ also poured out his soul to death and made his soul an offering for sin as saith the Prophet Isa 53.10 When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed mark that he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand 12. Because he hath poured out his soul to death and he was numbred with the strangers and he bore the sins of many c. From hence we see that Christs SOVL dyed that ours might live again and not be left in the grave which proveth that our souls are mortal and die and so I pass to the second reason to prove That the whole man is mortal which is Reas 2. Secondly because if mans body be mortal and that die and his soul immortal that live then man hath two lives two distinct Beings which is not for if there be two distinct lives and two distinct Beings then Adam was two distinct Creatures and then it cannot be said that as by the offence of ONE Judgment came upon all men to condemnation for Adam upon that account was TWO distinct beings having two distinct lives but man having but one life the whole man must be mortal or the whole man immortal and that the whole man is mortal the Scriptures and our experience doth witness Reas 3. Again Thirdly Because otherwise Christ had done Lazarus wrong by raising him from the dead for if his Soul had been in Heaven four dayes and then Christ fetched it from thence it was so far from an act of love to him whom Christ so well loved that it was great prejudice and also I strange that Lazarus did not mention one tittle of the glory of Heaven if he had been
and 14 and 15 pages of his former Book intituled The condition of Adam in Paradise where he saith that the whole man begets the whole man and also else where saith that if Adam did not beget the whole man viz. the soul then did he not beget a perfect and compleat creature as the beasts do in their kind Page 12. To which I answer and say and first how my Antagonist will be able to prove the soul as he calls it to be that which was created after Gods Image I know not for the Scripture saith Gen. 1.26 that God said let us make Man after our Image not let us make a soul after our Image and when God had made man out of the dust of the earth after his own Image then he breathed into him the breath of life and then that which was made after Gods Image e. i. the Man became a living soul so that it was not a living soul that was put into man but the man that was made of the dust of the earth became a living soul by Gods breathing into him mark that But no more of this because I have spoken of it already in this Subject of Discourse But secondly cannot the soul be mortal because it is after Gods Image how then came Christ to die if not mortal and yet he was after Gods Image for he was the express Image of his Fathers Person Heb. 1.3 and yet notwithstanding was so mortal as to die body and soul Isa 53.12 And also the Apostle saith that the Man not soul is the Image and glory of God 1 Cor. 11.7 and yet man dyeth from whence you may see your self answered and your reason or argument nothing worth And as to the other matter viz. the souls Parentage I have received much light in it although not by my Antagonist for I do suppose that he wrote things from others for arguments sake which was not his own judgment and therefore he spake so cloudily but that which caused me to examine the matter more nisely was the words of a beloved brother in a private conference between him and my self about the business in the which amongst the rest of his discourse he offered this thing as an obsurdity which would follow if the souls parentage was not on earth for saith he it hath been known that sometimes there hath been such acts of uncleannesses in propagation as the Parent with the child and the child with the Parent and severall acts of uncleanness hath been committed now me thinks saith he it is obsurd to think that the pure God which hates uncleanness in the least to seem to own such a thing as to create or give a soul or to put his hand to the work as we may say in such an unclean action but every creature having seed in it self doth bring forth of it self according to its kind and the man which doth abuse Gods ordinance and way in propagation must at last suffer for it c. This and such like Discourse did put me upon the search and tryal of things since my last book was written whereby if time would give me admition at this time I could give you an account of it more at large but time fails me and calls for brevity and therefore shall say no more to this Subject of discourse but this that is The Souls Immortality hath been the conceit of the Heathen Philosophers which did suppose that mortal vertue should be rewarded hereafter for that all men injoyed blessing alike here in this life and not knowing that there was to be a Resurrection of the body whereby persons might receive the reward of what they have done in the body they have Imagined such a thing as the soul to live and receive a reward hereafter and indeed the Church of Rome have readily received such an Opinion also from whence the Church of England have received it by tradition and I am ready to believe that the Church of Rome have also abused our Greek Copies in many particulars to bear a face toward their opinion as that text in Mat. 10.28 and the stop Luke 23.43 and many such places as in reference to this Subject and others also but however the wisdome of God is such as that they cannot bury the truth because he hath given to his people that spirit that gave forth the Scriptures to reconcile and keep the whole body of the Scriptures in a sweet harmony but as for us that believe that there is to be a Resurrection both of the just and unjust let us not imagine any such thing as a Souls Immortality till the Resurrection but know that our reward shall be given to us at that day Me-thinks the Church of England seem to deny such a place as Purgatory and yet hold an Oppinion that is the rise of it and maintains it for say the Papists when persons die they do not go to Hell or Heaven but the soul goeth to a place between both viz. Purgatory and not to the full joy or punishment and so say the Church of England in effect that the soul is not in the full joy or torments till after the day of Judgment as though they could go to Heaven into Gods presence and yet not have there full joy as though in his presence there were not fulness of joy and at his right hand pleasures for evermore and also as though when souls have been cast into Hell and have been punished there they shall be brought from thence again to the Judgment seat of Christ to be tryed whether they have deserved Hell ye or nay O strange conceit of the pure Justice and righteous dealing of God in his punishing sinners what shall souls when they have been long in Hell come out again and enter into a body it 's some comfort to them that they shall be a little while out of torments but if they come from Hell they have paid the utmost farthing for when they are once there they shall in no wise come forth untill they have paid the utmost farthing These and many such things I might spend time about but this I shall leave with thee courteous reader know that when God takes away mans breath he dyeth and so dust returns to dust and the Spirit viz. breath to him that gave it and that breath that returns to God as it made the man that was made of earth to become a living soul capable to enjoy what God gave him even so in the Resurrection when that dust is raised by God and every bone and member in its proper place then shall God give forth the same breath of life again into every man and so they shall be thereby capable to receive according to what they have done in the body whether it be good or whether it be evil and to this the Spirit of God bears witness in the holy Scriptures And so I leave this Subject and come to the next which is Gods love to the whole