Pneumatologia, a treatise of the soul of man wherein the divine original, excellent and immortal nature of the soul are opened, its love and inclination to the body, with the necessity of its separation from it, considered and improved, the existence, operations, and states of separated souls, both in Heaven and Hell, immediately after death, asserted, discussed, and variously applyed, divers knotty and difficult questions about departed souls, both philosophical, and theological, stated and determined, the invaluable preciousness of humane souls, and the various artifices of Satan (their professed enemy) to destroy them, discovered, and the great duty and interest of all men, seasonable and heartily to comply with the most great and gracious design of the Father, Son, and Spirit, for the salvation of their souls, argued and pressed / by John Flavel ...

PROP. VII. The Souls of the just when separated from their Bodies, do not wander up and down this World, nor hover about the Sepulchres where their Bodies lie, nor are they detain'd in any Purgatory, in order to their more perfect Purification; nor do they fall asleep in a benummed, stupid State: But do forthwith pass into glory, and are immediately with the Lord.

WHen once the mind of man leaves the Scripture-guidance and direction, which is to it, what the Compass, or Pole-star is to a Ship in the wide Ocean; Whi∣ther will it not wander? In what uncertainties will it not fluctuate? And upon what Rocks and Quick-sands must it inevitably be cast? Many have been the foolish and ground∣less Conceits and Fancies of men, about the Receptacles of departed Souls.

1. Some have assigned them a restless wandering life, now here, now there; without any certain dwelling place any where. The only ground for this fancy, is the frequent Apparitions of the Ghosts or Spirits of the dead, whereof many instances are given; and who is there that is a stranger to such Stories? Now, if departed Souls were fixed any where, this World would be quiet and free from such di∣sturbances.

I make no doubt but very many of these Stories have been the industrious Fictions and Devices of wicked and superstitious Votaries to gain reputation to their way, speak∣ing lies in Hypocrisie to draw Disciples after them. And many others have been the Tricks and Impostures of Satan himself, to shake the credit of the Saints Rest in Heaven, and the imprisonment of ungodly Souls in Hell, as will

more fully appear, when I come to speak to that Question more particularly.

2. Others think when they are loosed from the Body at death, they hover about the Graves and solitary places where their Bodies lie, as willing, seeing they can dwell no longer in them, to abide as near them as they can; just as the surviving Turtle, keeps near the place where his Mate died, and may be heard mourning for a long time about that part of the Wood. This opinion seeks countenance and protection from that law, Deut. 18.10, 11. which prohibits men to consult with the dead; of which restraint there had been no need nor use, if it had not been practised; and such practices had never been continued, if departed Souls had not frequented those places, and given answers to their Questions. But what I said before of Satans Impostures, is enough for present, to return to this also.

* 1.13. The Papists send them immediately to Purgatory in or∣der to their more thorough Purification. This Purgatory, Bellarmin thus describes: It is a certain place wherein, as in a Prison, Souls are purged after this life, that were not fully purged here, to the intent they may enter pure into Heaven; and though the Church (saith he) hath not defined the place, yet the School-men say, it is in the Bowels of the Earth, and upon the borders of Hell. And to countenance this profi∣table Fable, divers Scriptures are by them abused and mis∣applied, as 1 Cor. 3.15. Matth. 5.25, 26. 1 Pet. 3.19. all which have been fully rescued out of their hands, and abun∣dantly vindicated by our Divines, who have proved, God never kindled that fire to purifie Souls, but the Pope to warm his own Kitchin.

4. Another sort there are, who affirm, they neither wander about this World, nor go into Purgatory, but are cast by death into a Swoon or sleep; remaining in a kind of benummed condition, till the Resurrection of the Body. This was the Errour of Beryllus; and Irenaeus seems to border too near upon it, when he saith:

The Souls of Disciples shall go to an invisible place appoint∣ed for them of God,* 1.2 and shall there tarry till the Resurrecti∣on, waiting for that time, and the receiving their Bodies, and perfectly (i.e. corporally) rising again, as Christ did, they shall come to the sight of God.

All these mistakes will fall together by one stroak; for if it evidently appear (as I hope it will) that the Spirits of the just are immediately taken to God, and do converse with and enjoy him in Heaven: Then all these Fancies vanish, without any more labour about them particularly. Now there are four Considerations which to me put the immedi∣ate glorification of the departed Souls of Believers, beyond all rational doubt.

• (1) Heaven is as ready and fit to receive them as ever it shall be.
• (2) They are as ready and fit for Heaven, as ever they shall be.
• (3) The Scripture is plainly for it. And
• (4) There is nothing in reason against it.

(1) Heaven is as ready and fit to receive them when they die, as ever it shall be. Heaven is prepared for Believers, (1) By the purpose and Decree of God, and so far it was prepar'd from the Foundation of the World, Matth. 25.34. (2) By the death of Christ, whose blood made the purchace of it for Believers, and so meritoriously opened the Gates thereof, which our sins had barred up against us, Heb. 10.19, 20. (3) By the Ascension of Christ into that holy place, as our Representative and Forerunner, Iohn 14.2. This is all that is necessary to be done for the preparation of Heaven; and all this is done, as much as ever God design'd should be done to it, in order to its preparation for our Souls. So that no delay can be upon that account.

(2) The departed Souls of Believers are as ready for Heaven as ever they shall be. For there is no preparation-work to be done by them, or upon them after death, Ioh. 9.3. Eccles. 9.10. Their justification was compleat before death, and now their sanctification is so too; Sin, which came in by the Union, going out at the separation of their Souls and Bodies. They are Spirits made perfect.

(3) The Scripture is plain and full for their immediate glorification, Luke 23.43 To day shalt thou be with me in Pa∣radise: Luke 16.22. The Beggar dyed, and was carried by the Angels into Abraham's bosome: Philip. 1.21. I desire to be dis∣solved, and to be with Christ, which is far better. The Scripture speaks but of two ways, by which Souls see and enjoy God, viz. Faith, and Sight; the one imperfect, suited to this life; the other perfect, fitted for the life to come; and this im∣mediately succeeding that, for the imperfect is done away by the coming of that which is perfect, as the Twilight is done away by the advancing of the perfect day.

(4) To conclude, There is nothing in reason lying in bar to it. It hath been proved before, the Soul in its unbodied State, is capable to enjoy blessedness, and can perform its acts of Intellection, Volition, &c. not only as well, but much better than it did when embodied. I conclude there∣fore, That seeing Heaven is already as much prepar'd for Believers, as it need be, or can be; and they as much pre∣par'd from the time of their Dissolution, as ever they shall be; The Scriptures also being so plain for it, and no bar in reason against it: All the forementioned Opinions are but the Dreams and Fancies of men, who have forsaken their Scripture-guide; and this remains an unshaken truth, That the Spirits of the just go immediately to glory, from the time of their Separation.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Bell. lib. 2. de Purg. cap. 6.
• * 1.2

  Discipulorum Animae abi∣bunt in invisi∣bilem locum, definitam ••is à Deo; & ibi usq••e ad Re∣surrectionem commorabuntar, sustinentes Resurrectionem: Post, recipientes corpora, & perfectè resurgentes, (i. e.) corporaliter, quemadmodum & dominus resurrexit, sic venlent ad conspectum Dei. Iren. lib. 5.