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 ...

Argument X.

THe decree of death cannot be reversed, nor is there any other ordinary passage for the Soul into Glory, but through the gates of death. Heb. 9.27. It is appointed for all men once to die, but after that the Iudgment. There is but one way to pass out of the obscure suffocating life in the Womb, into the more free and nobler life in the World, viz. through the Throes and Agonies of Birth: And there is ordinarily but one way to pass from this sinning, groaning life we live in this World, to the enjoyment of God and the Glory above; but through the Agonies of death. You must cast as it were your Se∣cundine once again, I mean this vile body, before you can be happy. Heaven cannot come down to you, you cannot see God and live, Exod. 33.20. It would certainly confound and break you to pieces like an earthen Pitcher, should God but ray forth his Glory upon you in the state you now are: and it is sure you cannot expect the extraordinary savour of such a translation as Enoch had, Hebr. 11.5. Or as those Believers shall have, that shall be found alive at Christ's co∣ming, 1 Thes. 4.17. You must go the common road that all the Saints go: but though you cannot avoid, you may sweet∣en it. God will not reverse his Decree; but you may, and ought to arm your selves against the fears of it. Ahashuerus would not re-call the Proclamation he had emitted against the Iews, but he gave them full liberty to take up arms to defend themselves against their Enemies. 'Tis much so here, the Sentence cannot be revoked; but yet, he gives you leave, yea, he commands you to arm your selves against death, and defie it, and trample it under the feet of Faith.