the same opinion. But materialists, such as Dr. Priestly, maintain only a temporary annihilation of the soul, from death to the general resurrection of the body. As they suppose the soul is material as well as the body, so they suppose the soul dies with the body and becomes extinct, and will not exist again until the body is raised and re-organized, and then it will become a living man and moral agent. But if what has been said be true, then all these different notions of the eternal, and even temporary annihilation of the soul at death, are entirely unscriptural and absurd. We know, if the Bible be true, that many souls of both good and bad men have survived their bodies, and gone into a future state of happiness, or misery. Judas, the son of perdition, has gone to his own place; and the men of Sodom and Gomorrah are now suffering the vengeance of eternal fire, where Dives lifted up his eyes in torment. The souls of the wicked are not, therefore, eternally annihilated at death. And it is equally certain, that neither the souls of good nor bad men suffer a temporary annihilation, from the time of their leaving the body to the time of the resurrection at the last day. For it is plainly asserted in the word of God, who knows the truth of fact in this case, that the souls of both departed saints and sinners are now alive, and in a state of endless happiness or misery.

2. This subject teaches the error of those who maintain that the souls of men sleep, during the intermediate state between death and the resurrection. This was the opinion of Mr. Locke, of Bishop Law, and of other great and learned divines. These divines suppose the soul may exist after death, without having any perception, sensibility, reason, or activity; and lie in a dormant state, from the time it leaves the body until the general resurrection and day of judgment. But this opinion is contrary to what has been said of the nature of the soul, which is all perception, sensibility and activity, and incapable of sleeping. It is indeed strange that Mr. Locke should suppose the soul sometimes sleeps in the body; but stranger still, that he should suppose that it continues sleeping from death till the resurrection. This, however, was his opinion, and is still the opinion of many others, but without any foundation in scripture or reason. It is true, death appears like sleep; and inspired writers often speak of death under the metaphor of sleep. It is said of David, of Stephen, and of others, when they died, that they fell asleep; and Solomon says, "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave whither thou goest." These and all other passages of scripture, which speak of death as throwing the soul into a state of sleep, in

sensibility and inactivity, are to be understood figuratively, as describing only the visible appearances and effects of death, in respect to the body, in this world. It is absurd, therefore, to interpret them literally, as contradicting the plainest declarations of scripture, respecting the happy and miserable state of saints and sinners, as soon as they leave the world. But those who hold that the soul sleeps after death, do press all such metaphorical expressions into their service, contrary to the fairest rules of interpreting scripture and the plainest facts. But supposing the souls of saints were naturally capable of sleeping, yet we cannot reasonably think that God would suffer them to sleep six or seven thousand years, and deprive them of all the happiness they could enjoy, and himself of all the service they could do, in promoting his glory and the good of the universe, for so long a period. The opinion that the souls of men are thrown into profound sleep and insensibility, through the whole intermediate state from death to the resurrection, is a most absurd, irrational, unscriptural and delusive error. It takes away the dread of death from the wicked, and the hope of death from the righteous. It is a sleepy, benumbing doctrine. The wicked would be willing to go to sleep at death, and sleep for ever. And though Paul was not willing to go to sleep at death, and remain absent from the Lord till the resurrection, yet other christians, less pious and more sleepy, are in danger of embracing the delusive opinion, for the sake of present ease and worldly happiness.

3. This subject teaches the enormous error of those, who maintain that many of the souls of saints are at their death sent immediately to purgatory, and there confined for a longer or shorter time, before they are allowed to go to heaven. This is the most universal error that has ever prevailed, and does still prevail, in the Christian world. It is an error universally embraced by the Roman Catholic church, who claim to be the oldest, purest, and most infallibly orthodox church now on earth. It has been, and perhaps is now, the largest church in the world. It has great and numerous branches in Europe, Asia, Africa, South and North America. All these branches acknowledge the Pope of Rome to be their spiritual and infallible head, and submit to his sovereign, arbitrary power in all things of an ecclesiastical nature. This church, which calls itself Christian, and professes to embrace the gospel, maintains as a principal article of faith, that many of the souls of good men are at their death sent immediately to purgatory, to purify and prepare them for final admission to heaven. They suppose that some saints, when their souls leave the body, go directly to heaven, without suffering the pains of purgatory.

They make a great distinction between some saints and others. They suppose some saints become perfectly, and more than perfectly good in this life; that they do works of supererogation; that they merit the mercy of God for themselves and for others; and that they are completely prepared to go directly to heaven; while those who are less perfect, must go directly to purgatory, and continue there until they are perfectly purified, and prepared for admission among the blessed. This is an error of the first magnitude, and totally absurd and unscriptural. If it were true that some saints are so much more imperfect than others, as they suppose; if it were true, as it undoubtedly is, that all saints are imperfect, and need to be made perfectly holy before they enter into heaven; if it were true that there is such a place of temporary punishment as purgatory; yet it is absurd to suppose that God would send imperfect saints thither, to purge and purify them from their sinful imperfections; because mere punishments or sufferings have no tendency to purify the heart from sin; and because, as we have shown, there is another way of purifying all saints before they enter heaven, by God's producing holy, and only holy affections in their hearts. And the doctrine of purgatory is no less unscriptural than absurd. For the Bible, as has been said, gives no account of any such place as purgatory in a future state, which is different from heaven or hell. But papists suppose that purgatory is a place different from these two places; for they hold that some good men go directly to heaven, where they shall enjoy uninterrupted and eternal felicity; and that all totally wicked men go directly to hell, where they shall suffer uninterrupted and endless misery. It is, therefore, entirely unscriptural to suppose that there is any such place in a future state as the papists mean by purgatory, though what they mean by purgatory seems to be the same as what some universalists mean by hell. They suppose hell is a place of only temporary punishment, which is designed to purify the wicked, and fit them for heaven. They ought, therefore, to call their hell purgatory, because, according to their account of hell, it is just such a place as the papists call purgatory, and designed to answer precisely the same purpose. We must, however, understand papists to mean what they say they mean by purgatory, that is, a place of temporary punishment; and in that respect different from what they call, and the Bible calls hell, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. So that the scripture gives them no right to believe or teach that there is any such place in the universe as they call purgatory. Besides, their notion of purgatory is altogether unscriptural on another account. According to their notion of it,

it is properly a place of probation, and so long as the souls of men continue there, they are proper subjects of prayer, and all good men ought to pray for their deliverance, and admission into heaven. The pope, the bishops and priests in the Catholic communion, inculcate this great duty on those whom they view as pious people. Bishop Carroll, when he was in Boston some years ago, publicly prayed for the dead in purgatory. And the Catholics in Boston, in the United States, and in every other quarter of the world, go into the same practice, without any authority from reason or scripture; yea, contrary to scripture; which plainly teaches us that this life is the only state of probation. Dr. Johnson, of England, who was no Roman Catholic, prayed for his wife after she was dead. I have read his prayers for her. And there may be some in New England who believe it is right, and a duty, to pray for the dead. You may think there is no occasion for saying so much on the enormous error of purgatory. But is there not some danger of this and other popish errors spreading in this country, when we know that the late Catholic bishop in Boston was so much caressed by Protestants; and when we know that there are a great many Roman Catholics in New York, Philadelphia, Virginia, and especially in Maryland? They have much more countenance, approbation and indulgence in America, than they have in England, where their abominable principles and practices have produced their dire effects.

4. This subject teaches us the immense value of the human soul. It is distinct from, and superior to, the body, in all its rational powers and faculties, and can exist in its full vigor and activity in a state of separation from the body. It is in its nature immortal, and no other power than that which gave it existence, can destroy it. It can live, and grow, and expand, under all circumstances in which it is placed, and by all objects with which it is surrounded, in any part of the universe. It is capable of making constant and perpetual progress in knowledge and holiness, or in sin and misery. It is capable of going to heaven, as soon as it leaves the body at death, and there enjoying perfect and increasing holiness and happiness for ever; or of going directly to the regions of darkness, and there enduring perfect and increasing misery without end. And God has told us in his word, that he intends that every human soul shall survive the body, and exist for ever in a holy and happy state, or in a sinful and miserable state. How precious is the soul, which Christ came to seek and to save! How precious was the soul of the poor, penitent malefactor, which Christ carried with him to heaven! How precious are the souls of all just men, whom God has made perfect in heaven!

How valuable was the soul of Judas which he lost! How valuable were the souls of those who are set up as examples, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire! And every person carries about with him a soul, which is more valuable to him than the whole world, and which he will certainly either save, or lose. Let men only realize the nature, the capacity, and the immortality of the soul, and they will be amazed at the existence which God has given them, and commanded them to devote to his service upon pain of his everlasting displeasure.

5. If the soul survives the body, and as soon as it leaves it, goes into a state of everlasting happiness, or misery, then this life is the most important period in human existence. The reason is, men have more to gain, or to lose, in this short and uncertain period, than in any other period of duration. They have all that is desirable in eternity to gain, and all that is dreadful in eternity to lose. Here they may gain the future and eternal happiness of their own souls; or here they may lose future and eternal happiness, and subject themselves to the insupportable weight of divine wrath. Here the terms of life and of death are set before them in the gospel. Here they may seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near. Here the kingdom of heaven is brought near to them, and they are graciously invited to enter in, and enjoy all the blessings contained in it. Here they are tenderly and solemnly warned against delaying and refusing to accept the offers of mercy, and destroying their own souls for ever. is the only day of grace and space of repentance they shall ever enjoy. Here in a few years, or in a few months, or in a few weeks, or even in a few hours, they may fix their eternal destiny, and rise to heaven or sink to hell. In the short space of three hours, two immortal souls determined their future and eternal doom. The one loved and adored, the other hated and rejected, the dying Redeemer; the one was conducted to the abodes of the blessed, the other driven to the abodes of the damned. How infinitely precious is the time of life! It is the only accepted time, and day of salvation. Death closes the probationary state, and either opens the gate of heaven, or shuts the door of mercy for ever.

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6. If the souls of men survive their bodies, then the office of the ministry is a very serious and responsible office. It is the peculiar and appropriate business of ministers to watch for souls. They are called pastors, to denote their duty of feeding their people with knowledge and understanding. They are called shepherds, to denote their duty of guiding and directing their people in the strait and narrow path to eternal life. And they are called watchmen, to denote their duty of guarding