Question 37

How manifold is the benefit of believers at their Death?

The benefit of believers at their death is two-fold. 1. In regard of their Souls. 2. In regard of their Bodies.

What is the benefit of believers at their death in regard of their Souls?

The Souls of Believers at their death, 1. Are made perfect in holiness, And to the spirits of just men made perfect.^a 2. They do immediately pass into glory, Having a desire to depart and to be with Christ.^b

Wherein doth consist that perfect Holiness which the souls of Believers shall have at their death?

The perfect holiness of Believers souls at their death, doth consist, 1. In their perfect freedom from the stain and pollution, from the being or any inclination unto Sin, There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth.^c 2. In their perfect rectitude of Soul, and full conformity unto the Image of Christ, Till we all come in the unity of Faith, and of the knowledg of the Son of God; unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.^d

What is that Glory which the Souls of Believers, at death, do immediatly pass into?

The Souls of Believers at death, do immediatly pass into, 1. A Glorious Place. 2. A Glorious Company. 3. A Glorious State.

What is that Glorious place which the souls of Believers at death do immedeatly pass into?

The Glorious Place which Believers souls do immediatly pass into, is, their Fathers House in Heaven, where there are Mansions prepared for them by Christ, In my Fathers House are many Mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you.^e

What is the Glorious Company which the souls of Believers do immediately pass into?

The Glorious Company which the souls of Believers do immediatly pass into, is the Company of God and Christ in his Glory, as also the company of Angels and souls of other Saints in their Glory, Therefore we are always confident, knowing, that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord (for we walk by Faith, not by sight;) we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.^f We are come to the Heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of Angels, to the general Assembly, and to God the Judge of all; and the Spirits of just men, made perfect; and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant.^g

What is that Glorious State which the souls of Believers at death do immediately pass into?

The Glorious State of the souls of Believers, immediately after their death, is a State of Blessed Rest, There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.^h And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their Labours, and their works follow them.ⁱ

What is the benefit of Believers at their death in regard of their bodies?

1. The bodies of Believers at their death, are still united unto Christ; for though death doth for a while separate their soul from their bodies, yet death cannot separate Christ from either; but as when Christ dyed, his hypostatical or personal Union still remained, his divine nature being united both to his soul in Heaven, and to his body in the Tomb on Earth: So when believers dye, their mystical Union unto Christ still remaineth, and Christ is united both unto their Souls with him in Glory, and to their bodies, which are his Members, even when they are rotting in the grave, Know ye not that your bodies are the Members of Christ?^j Them also which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him.^k 2. The bodies of Believers do rest in their graves as in beds until the Resurrection, He shall enter into peace; they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.^l

What is that Resurrection here spoken of?

The Resurrection here spoken of, is, the last and general Resurrection of all the dead that have lived in all ages, from the beginning of the Creation, which will be first of the Righteous, and then of the Wicked at the last day, The hour is coming, in the which, all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, they that have done good unto the Resurrection of Life, and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation.^m The dead in Christ shall rise first.ⁿ

How do you prove that there shall be such a general Resurrection?

It may be undenyably proved from the Power of God, and the Revelation of the Word: If God be of infinite power, and therefore can raise all the dead; and infinitely true, and in his word hath revealed that he will raise all the dead, then there shall be a general Resurrection; But God is infinitely powerful, and can raise all the dead; and infinitely true, and in his word hath revealed that he will raise all the dead, therefore there shall be a general Resurrection. The ground of the Saduces errour, who denyed the Resurrection, was their ignorance in these two great foundations of this Doctrine, namely, the Power of God and the Scripture, Do ye not therefore err because ye know not the Scripture, nor the Power of God.^o

Shall the dead be raised with the same body which they had when alive before?

The dead shall be raised with the same bodies, And though after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.^p

How do you prove that the dead shall be raised with the same body?

Because, if the dead were not raised with the same body, it could in no proper sense be called a Resurrection, but a new Creation. 2. Because the first body was an instrument of Righteousness, or Sin, and therefore shall share in the Reward or Punishment.

Will not the bodies, when they are raised, differ from what they are now?

The bodies which shall be raised, will not differ from what they are now, in regard of their substance and essence; but they will exceedingly differ in regard of their qualities.

Wherein do unbelievers differ from believers at their death?

The Bodies of unbelievers are at their death shut up in the Prison of the grave; and the souls of unbelievers are shut down in the Prison of Hell, where they are filled with horrour & anguish in the company of Devils and other damned Spirits, and there reserved in chains of darkness, until the judgment of the great day, By which also he went and Preached unto the Spirits in Prison, which sometimes were disobedient.^q God spared not the Angels that sinned, but cast them down to Hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.^r