A sermon, or, The survey of man taken by J.B. as it was delivered at his father's funeral, September 4th, 1638.

Ʋbi est? Where is he?

Although it hath been a custom, amongst some Heathenish people, to burn the bodies of their dead; and the more Barba∣rous for to eat them: yet still the most civil nations had the hu∣manity to bury the Corps of their deceased Friends; for keep them we cannot, because they corrupt, they putrifie. Their Bodies therefore are committed to the ground, dust to dust, and ashes to ashes, as in THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER. That the Bodies of the dead do return to the Earth from whence they were taken, no man can deny. But what is become of the soul? there is the question. Where is she? Doth she vanish into nothing, or wander in the Air? doth she enter into beasts, and so inform them? is she idle and falls asleep? or else doth she hasten into Purgatory, or fly to Heaven? There is the question; Where is she? Doth she vanish into nothing?

[ 1] No. The Sadduces dare not die, for fear of not being; and do merrily sing with the Hogs of the Epicures Stye, Ede, bibe, lude, post mortem nulla voluptas. But the Christian is assured that the soul is immortal (otherwise he denyeth the hope of his resurrection, and his faith is also vain) he doth well know that his soul survives his body; she cannot be annihilated, nor vanish like a vapour: why then, where is she? In the Air?

[ 2] No. The spirits of the dead do not wander in the Earth nor Aia; they frequent not Churchyards, Sepulchers, nor Tombs; and what after death is seen, is but the devil to deceive the peo∣ple in their likeness; she shall no more be beheld of men. Why [ 3] then, where is she? Doth she inform any other creature?

No. The transmigration of Souls was but a fable that the Egyptians had taught Pythagoras, and Pythagoras the Plato∣nists; who believed how that (that in tract of time) there

should come a certain year, wherein all causes and effects long past, should return again, and continue constant: as for exam∣ple, that at Athens, Plato himself, who once had many Pupils there, after a long appointed season (36000 thousand years) the same Plato, City, and School, should return again; in which space Ptolomy the great Astronomer did conceive that the course and motion of the Sphere would be finished from West to East. And in the mean time it is taught by these bru∣tish men, that when the soul doth depart the bodie, she doth inform some Beast answerable to her former life: that the soul of an hasty and an angry man should degenerate into a Serpent: Thieves into Wolves; and those that are delighted in swinish pleasure into Hogs: Homer into a Peacock, and Orpheus into a Swan. Yea, and Origen writeth, that this Heresie of the souls departed) hapned among some (in his dayes) that were seeming Christians, occasioned by that they did not rightly understand the Scriptures: as where it is said by Christ of John the Baptist, He is Elias, they refer that speech to the soul of John; which was only meant to be in the Spirit or power of Elias, to con∣vert their souls unto God: They did not know how a man doth become a Dog or an Asse; Herod is a Fox: it is by their resemblance in condition: not that the soul doth depart into a Beast. Why then, where is she? is she alwayes idle, or a∣sleep?

No. I (saith the Lord) am the God of Abraham, the God [ 4] of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, Matth. 22. And if the soul departed live, she cannot be asleep nor idle; for to live is to be in action: and what action doth better agree unto a departed Soul then the love and contemplation of her God? although Irenaeus, (and some others) will not grant thus much before the resurrection day. Whose opinion doth seem to be grounded on that in the sixth of the Apocalyps, and the ninth verse: where S. John saw lying under the Altar, the souls of them that were slain: but this is answered in the next verse, That they cryed unto God, and therefore were not asleep. But where then doth this Altar stand? when the soul is under it, where is she? In Pur∣gatory?

No. The Papists strangely talk of four infernal places in the bowels of the Earth: Hell, Purgatory, Limbus patrum, and Infantium. Perhaps Hell may be there, but the rest are fabu∣lous. Hell they account to be the lowest, and would have Pur∣gatory to be next: where the soul shall be sure to bear enough, not only poena damni, but sensus too. As for the antiquity of this Purgatory, even Plato is cited (by S. Augustine and Euse∣bius) to be the Patron of it. Yea, and may not Homer and Vir∣gil too be alleadged for't? for who doubts but that Poets are alwayes Orthodox? Yet (O the cold devotion of those times!) this fire never began to burn out, before Pope Gregories dayes, and since that, the Authority of the Turkish Alcoran hath much added to the flames thereof; where there is seven yeers punishment for every sin. But see now (I pray) the vanity of this new invention. Are not all the Articles of our Faith de∣clared in sacred Writ: yet there we hear nothing of this fain∣ed Purgatory. Solomon doth utterly quench this fire,: The souls of the righteous are in the hands of God (saith he) and no tor∣ment shall come nigh them. Wisd. 3. Behold then, either souls without a Purgatory, or a Purgatory without pain. Come unto me all you that labor, & are heavy laden (saith Christ) and I will ease you. Mat. 11. Lord, whither wilt thou send us? into Purgatory? Surely there is little ease, if the fire be so hot as the Papists tell us. Thy sins (saith God) I will no more remember. Esay 44. Call you that no remembrance of them to cast us into Purga∣tory? I desire (saith S. Paul) to be loosed, and to be with Christ. Phil. 1. Verily if he had thought to have gone through Purga∣tory he would not have been so hasty: for there he should be sure to have met with a hot Bath, to have cooled his courage. Doubtless his soul that is departed did escape this place of tor∣ment: And where then is she? Is she gone and ascended up the Heavens?

Yes. If Abrahams bosom be in Heaven: a Heaven it may be, though not the Heaven of Heavens: In Coelo beatorum, though not In sancto sanctorum: the highest and most glori∣ous Heaven. There are but two wayes for Souls depart∣ed (saith Chrysostome) some are hurried to the place of punish∣ment;

and others are conveyed by Angels into Heaven: not in an instant (for that were an act of the Deity it self) but they pass by a Physical, by a local motion, though it be no longer then the twinkling of an Eye. This Abrahams Bosom is a place of bliss, and receptacle of souls departed, wherein there is peace and tranquillity of minde, being in the sight of God; yet that sight of God is as through a veil, not cleer: for how (saith Origen) can they have the full vision, and perfect happi∣ness, as long as they grieve at our errours, lament our sins, and have a longing desire to be united to their bodies? Bellarmin indeed taketh great pains, to prove (in six long Chapters) that the Saints departed do presently enjoy the full sight of God, and enter into perfect bliss; and reproveth M. Calvin, because he saith, that the Saints are yet in hope of the full fruition. But the Fathers generally deny, that the souls of the Saints are yet in the very same place where the glorified Bodie of Christ re∣mains. S. Chrysostom, S. Hillary, and S. Augustine: Justine the Martyr, S. Ambrose, and Tertullian, I could here alledge, who do all agree that the souls of the righteous are carried into Paradise or Abrahams Bosom, there to remain in hope and joy, but yet uncrowned, until the end of things bring the fulnesse of reward by the resurrection of all men. But what this Abrahams bosom is, whether Lazarus soul was conveyed by the Angels, or where it is, the most learned hitherto could not know; and therefore I dare not, I cannot determine it: Only by the words of S. Bernard in his third sermon on All-Saints day, I conceit it to be next unto the highest Heavens, immediatly without the glorious presence of Almighty God. There are three estates of the soul (saith he) in the corruptible body, without the body, & in perfect blessednesse. The first is in the Tabernacles the second in the Courts; and the third in the house of God: But into this most happy house, the souls of the Saints shall not enter before us, without us, or without their bodies.

Art thou grieved, O departing soul, because at (an instant) thou shalt not receive thy full reward? Why what then should Abel do, who overcame so long since, and not yet glorified? what Noah, the Patriarchs, the Prophets, and the rest of those

times? for behold (they expected thee, and expect others after thee) they prevented us in their conflicts, but they shall not in their crowns. What though this Carkass be left to rottenness for a time, when my soul at the very instant of separation, knows her self to be happie? What although my friends mourn about my Bed and Coffin, when my soul is gone to enjoy the the loving embracements of my Lord and Saviour? And what matter is it though my name be forgotten amongst men, when I live above, so neer unto the God of spirits? that part which is corrupted feels it not: but my soul findeth an abundant re∣compence, and foreseeth a joyful reparation, in the resurrection of the just. When this mortality shall be clothed with immor∣tality; then all tears shall be wiped from our eyes, both bodie and soul shall be made partakers of eternal happiness. When the veil shall be taken away, then we shall all enter into that Sanctum Sanctorum, Gods chamber of presence, where we shall have a full, even a cleer sight of the beatifical vision. When the day shall no more give place to night, and time shall cease to be, by the consummation of all things, then we shall live, and raign with God the Father, with God the Son, and with God the holy Ghost, in perfect joy, in perfect bliss, and in perfect Glory; for ever everlastingly, even world without end.

Notes

• Fourth part.
• Where the Body is.
• Where the Soul.
• Chrys. hom. 2. of Lazarus.
• Herodian. Lib. 2. Aug. Lib. 12. de civit. Dei.
• Origen. lib. de proverb. Solom.
• Matth. 22.32.
• Apoc. 6.9.10.
• Aug. lib 21. cap. 13. de ci∣vit. Dei. Euseb. de prae∣fat. Evang. lib. 1. cap. ult.
• Sap. 3.1.
• Matth. 11.18.
• Esay 44.
• Philip. 1.23.
• Chrys. 2. hom. de Lazaro.
• Origen. hom. 7. in Levit.
• Bellar. lib de Sanctis.
• Chrys. i. Epist. ad Corinth. hom. 39. Hillar. in psal. 36. Just. q 1. 75. Ambr. tract. de bono mortis cap. 10. Tert. advers. Marcionem l. 4.
• Bern. in Fe∣stum omnium sanctorum. serm. 3.