From this Parabolical Description of the different Condition of the Souls of Men after Death I would observe First That the state of Mankind after Death is a Condition of Real Positive Happiness or Misery of Comfort or Torment Secondly That both these States are fixed and unchangeable The Blessed shall never be Miserable and the Miserable shall never cease to be so First When the Union between the Soul and Body is dissolved by Death the Soul of every Man passeth into a state of Happiness or Misery This we may plainly learn from this Parable Ver. 22 23. When the Beggar died he was carry'd into Abraham's Bosom And the Rich Man also died and was buried it may be he had a pompous Funeral the only Advantage if it be one of the Rich above the Poor after they are dead and in Hell he lift up his Eyes being in torment The one had his good things here the other his evil things But now the one is comforted the other tormented Ver. 25. This is an account of departed Souls before the Resurrection for the Rich Man is said to be in Torment while his five Brethren were alive and he desired that One should be sent to admonish and warn them that they might not come to this place of Torment We read but of two sorts at the Day of Judgment The Sheep and the Goats the one pronounced Blessed the other Accursed The one to go away into everlasting Life and the other into everlasting Punishment God hath told us that he will render to every Man according to his Works And as Man is capable by his Reasonable Nature of giving an Account of his Actions and of being rewarded or punish'd in another World those very Faculties which give him this Capacity and distinguish him from the inferiour Creatures do suggest this and fill him with Hopes and Fears accordingly So that comparing the Righteousness and Justice and the other Infinite Perfections of God with the present Dispensations of Providence some such different state by the very Light of Nature as well as Scripture may be expected hereafter The assurance therefore of God's being infinitely Wise and Just gives us to expect that a Difference will be made between these in another World which we see is not done now And the rather because Civil Society can never be supported if there be no Restraint upon the Lusts and Passions of Men and these can never be sufficiently restrain'd without the Hopes and Fears of another World and as these therefore are natural we may conclude 'em true and that there is another World and a Future State of Happiness or Misery We read in this Parable of the different Character and Condition of the Rich Man and Lazarus in this World But we read also of the Happiness of the one and the Misery of the other as soon as they died The Comforts of the one and the Torments of the other were doubtless unexpressibly great tho we may allow an Addition to both upon the Re-union of Body and Soul at the Resurrection of the Dead But more particularly First The Souls of good Men at Death enter into a state of Rest Happiness and Bliss That of Lazarus being carried into Abraham's Bosom Mat. xviii 11. The meaning of that Expression our Saviour seems to interpret in another place when he says Many shall come from the East and from the West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven Alluding to a Feast where the Guests sat so as to be half kneeling and the most honourable place was to be next to that of the Master to lie as it were in his Bosom As is said of the Beloved Disciple concerning Christ If it denote an eminent degree of Blessedness in Heaven it infers a positive state of Happiness after Death called the Bosom of Abraham rather than of Adam Enoch or Noah because the Promises were especially made to him and to his Seed belong'd the Covenant and the Adoption And he is propounded as a Pattern of Faith and Obedience and called the Friend of God and the Father of the Faithful And they who imitate him shall be gathered into his Bosom and be made partakers of Blessedness and Glory with him This is called Paradise by our Saviour Luk. xxiii 43. And we learn from St. Paul where this Paradise is even in the third Heavens The Ancients call the Place and State before the Resurrection The Porch of the Sanctuary the Courts of the Lord the hidden Seats or Tabernacles of the Godly the Place of Refreshment the Rest of Security an Habitation with God c. From what our Saviour said to the Penitent Thief on the Cross and from what we may gather from this Parable concerning Lazarus the Immediate Happiness of the Souls of Good Men in another state is affirmed That they are not to tarry for their Felicity till the Resurrection Acts vii 59. So when the Body of Stephen falls asleep the Lord Jesus received his Spirit And the Apostle desires to be uncloath'd of this Earthly Tabernacle 2 Cor. v 8. 1 John iv 17. that his Soul might enter into the House not made with Hands That he might be present with the Lord. He desir'd to be dissolved that he might be with Christ as what was far better much more better And the same Phrase being with Christ or being present with him is us'd for the Happiness of the Saints after the Resurrection 1 Thess iv 14 17. intimating that it is the same sort of Happiness and is so much preferrable to any present Enjoyment of God in this World that this is call'd an Absence from him We likewise read of the Souls of the Martyrs who came out of great Tribulation and had washed their Robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb Rev. vii 14. That they are before the Throne of God serving him in his Temple And that is interpreted of his Immediate Presence in Another Place for the Lord God Almighty Chap. xxi 22. and the Lamb are said to be the Temple How excellent a Change will Death make upon the Soul 's leaving the Body If it pass into a Glorious Paradise and hear a Voice from him that sits upon the Throne Enter into thy Master's Joy Poor Lazarus was lately very miserable at the Rich Man's Door now very happy in Abraham's Bosom Lately cover'd with Sores and Ulcers now cloathed with Glory Lately pining with Hunger now all his Wants are supplied His extream Poverty made him the other day despised by the Rich Man he could find no Entrance at his Gates no Admission no Relief but now he is envy'd for his Happiness The difference which departed Souls will feel of their Happy State from what they lately were and the Sense they have of the Evils they are Deliver'd from will give an Accent to their Happiness The fresh Remembrance of what they were in this World will help
Heaven and Hell OR The Unchangeable State OF Happiness or Misery For all MANKIND In Another WORLD Occasion'd by the Repentance and Death of Mr. Shetterden Thomas who departed this Life April 7 1700. Aetat 26. Preach'd and Publish'd at the Desire and Direction of the Deceased With some Particulars he order'd should be mentioned in hope of doing Good to Others By John Shower With a further Account of some Passages of his last Sickness by a Pious Lady who often visited him LONDON Printed by J. Heptinstall for John Sprint at the Bell in Little-Britain 1700. THE Epistle Dedicatory TO Mr. DANIEL THOMAS OF HIGHGATE SIR I Should look on my self as justly expos'd to the Censure of the World if before a Treatise of so serious a Nature and such Important Consequence I should prefix any thing that looks like Flattery either of You or of the Honoured Lady the Relation of whose Discourse with Your Deceased Brother in his last Sickness is here annex'd How much You reckon'd Your self indebted to Her for that Instance of her Friendship I have heard You acknowledge with great Thankfulness You have reason to own the singular Goodness of God who gave him so Merciful a Season of Repentance and his Grace as we charitably hope to make use of it to better purpose than most late Penitents do I endeavour'd to be Faithful to him while he liv'd and to fulfil his Desire after his Decease in what was Preach'd and is now more largely Publish'd May neither You nor I lose the Impressions of this Instructive Providence or of that Awful Subject it led me to treat of If no Others should profit by either I wish with all my Heart and most earnestly beg it of God that You and Yours may Sir I shall only put You in mind with what Kindness and Affection he sent for Your Children a little before his Death and recommended to You and my Sister a particular Care of their Education in the Knowledge and Fear of God and mention'd it with Pleasure that they were like to have that Advantage May both of them live to have it and improve it to Honour God in the World and partake of the Blessings of the Everlasting Covenant And may All mine do so likewise Which is the Earnest Prayer of him who is with unfeigned Respect SIR Your Affectionate Brother and Faithful Servant J. Shower London May ult 1700. The CONTENTS INtroduction The Scope of the Parable The Different Conditions of Mankind after Death p. 4. The Souls of Good Men are in a State of Rest and Happiness before the Resurrection Why called Abraham's Bosom p. 7. A positive State of Misery and Torment for the Wicked in another World p. 13-28 Both States after Death Vnchangeable p. 29. The Blessedness of the Saints Everlasting p. 31. The Gulf fix'd as to the Misery of the Wicked without Release or End p. 36. The Socinian Doctrine concerning the Annihilation of the Wicked after the Day of Judgment disprov'd from Scripture The Objections against the Endless Misery of the Wicked answer'd p. 47. Application Inference 1. Now or Never is the Season to prepare for Eternity p. 55. 2. How valuable a Talent is the Time of our present Life p. 58. The Evil of Idleness 3. How Awful and of how great Consequence for any one to die and pass into the other World p. 63. What a Change will Death make to a Wicked Man 4. We may take our Measures of Men's Wisdom or Folly according to their Care or Negligence in preparing for the Eternal World p. 77. How Inconsiderable is the longest Life on Earth compar'd with an Endless Duration A thousand Years in God's Sight but as one Day p. 86. Lastly What a hazard to delay Repentance to the last Hour or to a Sick-Bed p. 86. The Example of the Thief on the Cross considered as Extraordinary and prov'd to give no Encouragement to such a Delay p. 88. The Excellency of his short Prayer Lord Remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom p. 95. Death-Bed Repentance deceitfull and uncomfortable p. 103. Exhortation 1. To be Establisht in the Belief of the Scripture Doctrine concerning the two Eternal States and labour to be suitably affected with the Consideration of Heaven and Hell p. 106. 2. Let us hearken to Moses and the Prophets to Christ and his Apostles if we would ever have a Place in Abraham's Bosom and escape the Torments of Hell p. 121. They who will not believe Scripture Revelation 't is probable would not be perswaded though one came from the Dead p. 123. An Account of the last Sickness and Repentance of Mr. Sh. T. p. 132. Some Particulars warn'd against by his Desire A further Account of some Passages of his last Sickness by a Pious Lady who often visited him p. 156. HEAVEN and HELL OR The Unchangeable State of Happiness or Misery after Death S. LUKE XVI 26. And besides all this between us and you there is a great Gulf fixed WE are told by the Wise Man what becomes of the Body and the Soul when they part at Death how the Body that was fram'd out of the Dust of the Ground returns thither and the Soul which is of Divine Original returns to GOD the Father of Spirits to Elohim which signifies a Judge as well as a Creator to be dispos'd of by him in another World Eccl. xii 3 Then shall the Dust return to its Earth and the Spirit to God that gave it It is not to be annihilated extinguished or destroy'd but returns to GOD as the final Arbiter of its Eternal State That there is such a State of Happiness or Misery of Rest or Torment for departed Souls and that both states are unchangable is what this Parable may instruct us in There is a Gulf fix'd between the Blessed and Miserable after Death either sort unalterably Happy or unchangeably Miserable There is an irreversible Decree of Heaven to determine the Felicity of the Saints to be everlasting and to conclude the Wicked in a state of Misery without Relief or End As there is no fear of Change for the Happy Souls in Abraham's Bosom so is there no hope of Alleviation or Period of the wretched condition of Sinners in Hell This is the Important Subject I would now Explain Evidence and Apply And can there be any that more deserves and calls for your most serious Attention It is one part of the Design and Scope of this Parable of our Saviour concerning the Rich-man and Lazarus to affirm this A Parable it must be granted tho' mixt with somewhat Historical as the mention of a Poor-man by name who may be suppos'd to have been notorious and known among the Jews for his extream Poverty and Distress The different State and Condition of Men departed this Life is express'd by our Saviour in a Parabolical way the more effectually to insinuate the Truths he would teach us with the greater Advantage to move the Affections of his Hearers
able to stifle the Convictions or cure the Fears or silence the Reflections of an accusing Conscience Which can make a Man so very miserable as to wish he had never been or that he might cease to be or that he might be any other Creature Nay some have wish'd that they were rather in Hell than in their present Horror And if it may be thus for * Mr. Bolton one Sin Oh! what restless Anguish what intolerable Wrath what gnashing of Teeth what gnawing of Conscience what despairing Roarings what horrible Torments may every Impenitent Sinner expect when the whole black and bloody Catalogue of all his Sins shall be marshal'd together at once against him and every one keen'd with as much torturing Fury as the infinite Anger of Almighty God can put into it after that he hath with incorrigible Stubbornness outstood the Day of his gracious Visitation If a little Sense of God's Wrath hath such direful Effects in this World what will it be when all his Waves shall go over them Now they may sip a little drop of the bitter Cup they may taste a little of the uppermost part of it and they can't live under this what will it be in Hell to drink the Dregs of that Cup of Trembling You may guess somewhat by what Francis Spira said in his despairing Anguish under the Guilt of his Apostasie Oh! that I were gone from hence Oh! that some body would let out this weary Soul Never was Man alive a Spectacle of such Misery I feel God's heavy Anger it burns like the Torments of Hell within me and afflicts my Soul with Pains unutterable Verily Desperation is Hell it self The Damned in Hell I think endure not the like Misery He being sound in his Mind and Memory he yet wished to be in the case of Cain or Judas Oh saith he if I could but conceive the least spark of Hope in my Breast of a better state hereafter I would not refuse to bear the most heavy wrath of the great God for two thousand Years so that at length I might get out of misery Oh! that God would let loose his hand upon me I would scorn the threats of the most cruel Tyrant and bear Torments with the most invincible Resolution and glory in the outward Profession of Christ till I were choakt with the Flame and my Body burnt to ashes You may have now a wounded Spirit and an uneasie Conscience but a plentifull Estate and company of Friends and many other things to lessen your burden The Arrows of the Almighty strike now but one part and not all But when all thy Sins shall be set in order before thee and God shall stir up all his wrath thy Terrour Distress and Anguish without any thing to alleviate or abate it will be unexpressible and unsupportable Secondly Let us now consider that both these States of Happiness and Misery are Vnchangeable and Everlasting The state of Lazarus in Blessedness and of the Rich Man in Torment were neither of them to be alter'd There is an unpassable Gulf fixt by the Eternal Counsel and irrevocable Decree of God That the Damned shall never ascend to Heaven nor the Blessed ever sink into Hell The Calamities of the one and the Felicity of the other shall never cease 'T is Everlasting Life 't is Everlasting Destruction The whole Frame of the Christian Religion is built upon this Truth That Life and Immortality are brought to light by the Gospel as to the Blessedness or Misery after Death We must renounce our Christianity and throw up our Bibles condemn the Son of God for an Impostor and the Holy Scriptures for a Fable and all the wisest men that have ever been in the World as Fools for believing the Gospel of Christ if there be not two Eternal States of Blessedness or Misery after Death Our Lord's account of the proceedings of the Last Day Matt. xxv and the Issue of the Final Judgment is express in this matter And it is called Eternal Judgment Heb. vi 2. Not for the continuance of its Administration but in regard of the Effects and Consequences of it For tho' we know not how long the Day of Judgment will last yet the Execution is to follow of Eternal Rewards and Punishments First As to the Blessedness of the Saints They that would pass from us to you cannot saith Abraham Not that any would chuse for one hour to be absent from God in Heaven if they might but upon supposition they would they cannot If Abraham had desired Lazarus and Lazarus had been willing yet the Gulf was fixt Accordingly we read of Everlasting Life Joh. vi 27.40.47 51 54 58. Ch. viii 51 Ch. xi 26. Heb. xiii 14. 2 Cor v. 1. Heb ix 5. 1 Pet. i. 4. 2 Pet i 11. Rev xxi 4. 1 Cor. xv 57. Eternal Glory Eternal Salvation an Eternal Inheritance that fadeth not away the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Everlasting Habitations a Continuing City a House Eternal in the Heavens Pleasures at God's Right Hand for ever And that they that believe on Christ shall never taste Death That they cannot dye for they are equal to the Angels who always behold the Face of their Heavenly Father and abide in the Light of his Countenance That they shall bear the Image of the Heavenly Adam who should never dye and by whom at last Death shall be swallowed up in victory After millions of Years and Ages the Felicity of the Saints shall be as far from ending as when their Souls were first received into Paradise The Infinite Love of God the Everlasting Merit of Christ and the Unchangeableness of the Covenant of Grace assures us they shall be Happy for ever They shall eat of the Tree of Life in the midst of the Paradise of God Ro iii. 12. and be Pillars in the Divine Temple and go out no more To live for ever in the Light and Love and Joy of Heaven Oh! what a Thought is that How may it swallow up all our other Thoughts If one day's Communion with God on Earth be better than a thousand elsewhere what shall we think of immediate Everlasting Communion with God in Heaven When we shall see him as he is and love him more than we can now think and that not for a Day or a Week but for thousands and millions of Years yea for a long and blessed Eternity that will never be over For it is an Immortal Inheritance 't is an Everlasting Kingdom We shall reign with God and with the Lamb for ever We shall see him love him praise him and enjoy him for evermore What we shall see and know will never lessen in our Eye and Esteem What we shall love will never cease to be lovely What we shall praise will always deserve our praise And what we shall enjoy we shall never be weary of enjoying God shall be All in All to fill every power and capacity of the
if you believe another an Everlasting World and that this is all the Time you have to prepare for it and that you have lost a great deal and that One Day in Seven is but a small Proportion of Time Employ that Day as taking more Pleasure in the Service of God than in Earthly Business accounting it the most honourable and delightful Work to be so employ'd and that accordingly you may expect the Divine Blessing all the Week after and you will surely find it And here I cannot but take Occasion to justify and praise the Attempts of the Worthy Societies for Reformation of Manners in and about this City one part of whose Business is to suppress and punish such a Liberty in Publick Houses upon the Lord's Day as is contrary to the Commandment of God and the Law of the Land and tends to ruin the Souls of Men. I can easily believe what I am told That they find more Difficulty and Opposition in this part of their Work than in any other especially in the Out-parts of the City But the Word of God and the Testimony of Men's Consciences when awaken'd to a Sence of Sin is on their side and should encourage them to proceed I am far from reflecting upon All his Acquaintance as if none of those who were frequently in his Company but were notorious Drunkards and Prophaners of the Sabbath I know divers of them of a very different Character None but the Guilty can apprehend themselves concern'd in any thing he said or I say of him I shall be heartily glad if there be very Few who have reason to accuse Themselves and that they may All profit by his Example and Counsel It would not be difficult to enlarge on the many Evils that attend Drunkenness and the many Sins it leads to as disposing to the violation of almost all the Commandments of God I beg you would consider the sad Effects of that Vice even in this World How it makes Men despis'd by their Inferiours How it impoverisheth Families How it occasions Quarrels How it weakens and destroys the best Constitution of Health and is often followed with manifold Diseases How it debases the Humane Nature overturns our Reason and so far destroys the Natural Image of God upon the Soul which is a greater Affront to the Majesty of Heaven as one well says than if a Subject should deface the King's Arms or Image and set up the Image of a Swine or Dog in its room How it runs Men into Extravagancies for which they beg Pardon the next Day and are forgiven with the like Shame and Contempt as we pardon Fools and Madmen How it betrays the Secrets of our Heart which Duty and Interest obliges to conceal and those of our dearest Friends which it may be we have vow'd never to discover I beg you to consider how it unfits for all holy Thoughts Words and Actions and is directly contrary to the being filled with the Holy Spirit How it besots the Mind and hardens the Heart so as to render a Man weak and unable to make good his Resolutions for though after a Debauch he resolves the next Morning never more to commit the like Folly 't is ten to one but he yields at the Summons of the next Temptation And further let it be considered that by a Man's opposing his Light and breaking his Vows and Resolutions by repeated Instances of Guilt in this sort his Conscience must needs be uneasie and clamorous And hereupon he is easily perswaded to stupify himself with Wine that he may be armed against the Apprehensions of his own Mind and returns to hard Drinking as needful for his Cure and Relief to defend himself against his own Accusing Thoughts and try to forget his ill Condition 'Till at last an Habitual Sottishness saves him the Labour of a daily Conflict and Skirmish with his Conscience Which is the deplorable Case of many who have harden'd themselves by Custom and Continuance in Sin so as to be past Feeling and unlikely ever to be brought to Repentance And yet the Scripture is most express as to the other World that Men of this Character without Repentance shall never inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. vi 9 10. Gal. v. 21. Matt. xxiv 49 51. I am charg'd by the Deceased to speak at this Rate in hope of calling Some to Repentance for their past Sins and of warning Others against Temptation I hope it will be consider'd as the Faithfull Admonition of a Dying Penitent But I have promis'd you a further Account of his Last Sickness from Another Hand which is as follows An Account of some Passages of the last Sickness of Mr. S. T. by another Hand WHEN I told him his Doctors despaired of his Recovery and press'd him to consider how awfull a thing it was to appear before the Bar of a Holy God He said he was sensible it was so and that it was not his leaving this World that was his Concern or that he fear'd the pain of Death But what would become of his poor Soul He that had been such a vile Wretch and despis'd all the Methods that a Gracious God had us'd to make him Happy He had broke through all the Restraints of Grace the Advantages of a good Education the Calls Offers and Warnings of God by which he had quench'd and griev'd the Holy Spirit These things lay as a heavy Load upon his Soul and broke his Rest and wasted his Spirits for some time before He wept very much I asked whether Sin did not now appear an Abominable thing And Holiness in the most Difficult parts of it appear very Amiable And They the only wise Persons that shun and mortify Sin and endeavour to attain and promote Holiness He answer'd with great Seriousness and Earnestness that his Apprehensions and Opinion of those different courses of Life was so alterd that he now saw Sin to be the only Evil worse than any Affliction and that if he knew his own Heart which he found Deceitful he would chuse rather to dye although his Case was so hazardous than to live such an odious Life and dishonour so Good a God as he had done And he further said that he was now convinc'd that a Holy Temper of Soul in Conformity to God could only make him Happy Oh saith he my Sentiments and Notions of God and Jesus Christ of Sin and Holiness are quite otherwise than when in Health What the Word of God reveals of these things I feel to be Real and Momentous indeed Here he proceeded to charge himself with Excess in Drinking with Disregard to the Sabbath Day and a constant allowed Neglect of almost all the Positive Duties of Religion especially Closet-Retirements And then added Do you think there is Hope for such a vile Wretch I told him Yes doubtless there was Forgiveness with God for the Chiefest of Sinners which I endeavour'd to demonstrate from the Infiniteness of God's Mercies the Valuableness of the