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 XII.

LAstly, Let no Christian be affrighted at death, considering that the death of Christ, is the death of Death, and hath utterly disarmed it of all its destructive power.

If you tremble when you look upon death, yet you can∣not but triumph when you look believingly upon Christ.

For (1) Christ died (O believer) for thy sins, Rom. 4.25. his death was an expiatory Sacrifice for all thy guilt, Gal. 3.13. so that thou shalt not die in thy sins: the pangs of death may, and must be on thy outward man, but the guilt of sin, and the Condemnation of God shall not be upon thy in∣ner man.

(2) The death of Christ in thy room hath utterly destroy∣ed the power of death, which once was in the hand of Satan. Heb. 2.14. Col. 2.14, 15. his power was not authoritative, but executive: Not as the power of a King but of a Sheriff; which is none at all when a Pardon is produced.

(3) Christ hath assured us, that his Victory over death shall be compleat in our persons. It is already a compleat personal Victory, in respect of himself, Rom. 6.9. he dieth no more, death hath no more Dominion over him. It's an incompleat Victory already as to our persons. It can dis∣solve the Union of our Souls and Bodies, but the Union betwixt Christ and our Souls it can never dissolve, Rom. 8.38, 39. and as for the power it still retains over our dust, that also shall be destroyed at the Resurrection, 1 Cor 15.25, 26. comp. with verses 54, 55, 56, 57. so that there is no cause for any Soul in Christ to tremble at the thoughts of a separa∣tion from the body, but rather to embrace it as a priviledge, death is ours.

O that these arguments might prevail! O that they might at last win the consent of our hearts to go along with death, which is the Messenger sent by God to bring us home to our Fathers house.

But I doubt when all is said, we are where we were, all this suffices not to overcome the Regrets and Reluctancies of Nature; still the matter sticks in our minds, and we cannot conquer our disinclined Wills in this matter. What is the

matter? Where lie the Rubbs and Hinderances? O that God would remove them at last!

* 1.1This is a common Plea with many, I am not ready and fit to die; were I ready I should be willing to be gone.

* 1.2(1) How long soever you live in the Body, there will be somewhat still out of order, something still to do: for you must be in a state of imperfection whilst you remain here, and according to this Plea, you will never be willing to die. (2) Your willingness to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, is one special part of your fitness for death: and till you at∣tain it in some good measure, you are not so fit to die, as you should be. (3) If you be in Christ, you have a fundamental fitness for death, though you may want some circumstantial Preparatives. And as to all that is wanting in your sancti∣fication or obedience now, it will be compleated in a mo∣ment upon your dissolution.

* 1.3Others plead, the desire they have to live, is, in order to God's fur∣ther service by them in this World. O say they, it was David's happiness to die, when he had served his Generation according to the Will of God, Acts 13.36. If we had done so too, we should say with Simeon, `Now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace.

* 1.4(1) God needs not your hands to carry on his service in the World: he can do it by other hands when you are gone. Many of greater Gifts and Graces than you, are daily laid in the Grave to teach you, God needs no mans help to carry on his Work.

(2) If the service of God be so dear to you, there is higher and more excellent Service for you in Heaven, than any you ever were, or can be imployed in here on earth. O why don't you long to be amidst the thick of Angels and Spirits made perfect in the Temple-Service in Heaven?

* 1.5O but my Relations in the World lie near my heart, what will be∣come of them when I am gone?

* 1.6(1) 'Tis pity they should lie nearer your hearts than Jesus Christ: if they do, you have little reason to desire death indeed.

(2) Who took care of you when death snatcht your dear Relations from you, who possibly felt the same workings of heart that you now do? Did you not experience the truth of that word, Psal. 27.10. When Father and Mother forsaketh me, then the Lord taketh me up: and if you be in the Covenant,

God hath prevented this Plea, with his Promise, Ier. 49.11. Leave thy fatherless Children to me, I will keep them alive, and let their Widows trust in me.

But I desire to live to see the felicity of Zion before I go hence,* 1.7 and the answer of the many Prayers I have sowen for it; I am loth to leave the People of God in so sad a condition.

The publickness of thy Spirit and Love to Zion,* 1.8 is doubt∣less pleasing to God, but it is better for you to be in Heaven one day; than to live over again all the days you have lived in earth in the best times that ever the Church of God enjoy∣ed in this World: the Promises shall be accomplished, though you may not live to see their accomplishment, die you in the faith of it as Ioseph did, Gen. 50.24.

But alas! the matter doth not stick here: this is not the main hinderance; I will tell you where I think it lies. (1) In the hesitancy and staggering of our faith, about the certainty and reality of things invisible. (2) In some special guilt upon the Conscience which appals us. (3) In a negligent and careless course of life, which is not ordinarily blessed with much evi∣dence or comfort. (4) In the deep engagements of our hearts to earthly things: they could not be so cold to Christ, if they were not overheated with other things. Till these Distempers be cured, no Arguments can prosper that are spent to this end. The Lord dissolve all those ties betwixt us and this World, which hinder our consent, and willing∣ness to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, which is far better.

And now we have had a glance, a glimmering light, a faint umbrage of the state of separated Souls of the just in Heaven: It remains, that I shew you somewhat of the state and case of damned Souls in Hell. A dreadful Represen∣tation it is, but it is necessary we hear of Hell, that we may not feel it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Object. 1.
• * 1.2

  Sol.
• * 1.3

  Object 2.
• * 1.4

  Sol.
• * 1.5

  Object. 3.
• * 1.6

  Sol.
• * 1.7

  Object. 4.
• * 1.8

  Sol.