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 VIII.

THE consideration of the evil days that are to come, should make the people of God willing to accept of an hiding place in the grave, as a special favour from God.

It is accounted an act of favour by God, Isa. 57.1, 2. to be taken away from the evil to come. ••••ere are two kinds of e∣vils to come, the evil of sin, and the evil of sufferings. Sins to come are terrible to gracious hearts, when temptations shall be at their height and strength. O what warping and shrinking, what dissembling, yea, downright denying the known truths and ways of God, may you see every where?

Many consciences will then be wounded and wasted. Many scandals and rocks of offence will be rolled into the way of godliness. Christ will be exposed and put to open shame. Should we only be spectators of such Tragedies as these, it were enough to overwhelm a gracious and tender heart: but what upright heart is there without fears, and jealousies of being brought under the guilt of these evils in it self, as well as the shame and grief for them in others? O it were a thou∣sand times better for you to die in the purity and integrity of your consciences; than to protract a miserable life without them. O think what a world it is that you are like to leave behind you in respect of sin to come.

And as there are many evils of sin to come; so there are many evils of sufferings coming on, The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come, and Israel shall know it. Hos. 9.7. All the sufferings you have yet met with, have been in Books and Histories; you never saw the Martyrdome of the Saints, but in the Pictures and Stories. But you will find it quite another thing to be the Subjects of these cruelties, than to be the meer Readers or Relators of them. 'Tis one thing to see the painted Lion on a sign Post, and another to meet the living Lion roaring upon you. Ah! little do we ima∣gine how the hearts of men are convulst, what fears, what faintings invade their Spirits when they are to meet the King of terrors, in the frightful formalities of a violent death.

The consideration of these things will discover to you the reason of that strange wish of Job, chap. 14. v. 13. Oh that thou wouldst hide me in the Grave, that thou wouldst keep me in secret until thy wrath be past. And it deserves a serious thought, that when the holy Ghost had in Rev. 14.9, 10, 11, 12. described the miserable plight of those poor Souls, who being overcome by their own fears, and the love of this this World, should plunge themselves first into a deep guilt, by compliance with Antichrist, and receiving his mark: then into an Hell upon Earth, the remorse and horrour of their own consciences, which gives them no rest day nor night; he immediately subjoyns, v. 13. Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord, yea from henceforth, saith the spirit, &c. Oh 'tis a special blessing and favour to be hid out of the way of those temptations and torments in a seasonable and quiet grave.