SERM. Kingdom of Chrift or of God, the Kingdom XX. of Heaven, or some such Name.

But con

trary to this, we fee Abraham's Bofom is the Name here given it: And it is worth while to observe that the original Word, Kóλños, which we render Bofom, fignifies also a Harbour or Bay, i. e. a fafe Port for Ships to ride in, fecure as well from Enemies as Storms. So that this Phrase being made use of by Chrift before the Time that he died to ranfom the Souls of his faithful Servants, it is not impoffible, but that he might mean by it the State of feparate Souls under the Law, where the Spirits of those that died in Faith, and in Expectation of a Meffiah to come, rested as in a Place of Shelter and Protection till he should obtain a further Enlargement for them by means of his Death. For the State of feparate Souls was believed by the ancient Fathers to be much improved upon the Death of Chrift from what it had ever been before. From Abraham's Bofom they were removed and advanced to the Regions of Paradise : From their City of Refuge (whither they had fled for Security against the common Enemy and Destroyer of Mankind) they were called and admitted upon the Death of Jesus our great High-prieft, to return to their ori

ginal Inheritance and abode, which till then SER M. they had forfeited and loft. But at present

neither the Time admits, nor the Occafion calls, to fay, what was the Condition of departed Souls under the Law: It is my Bufiness now to speak of their present Condition and State; of the State they were admitted to upon the Coming of Chrift, and of the State in which they shall abide and continue till his coming again. And this Christ himfelf declares to the Thief, is Paradife. Thither he went the Day he died, and thither he brought Abraham and all the Faithful with him. So that though Paradise, properly speaking, be a different Place from Abraham's Bofom under the Law; yet it may not improperly be called Abraham's Bosom still. For here Abraham, as the Father of the Faithful, is now introduced; and here all his Children enter and fit down with him: They partake of the very fame Happiness. and Felicity which he does himself: And the more they have deserved to taste of this Happinefs, the nearer they are admitted to his Bofom.

And this is the Place which we are affured the Souls of departed Saints at present are in: A Place of Reft and Hope and Joy, though

XX.

SER M. though not that Place of perfect Happiness XX. which Chrift is ftill preparing for them.

However it is probable they may have the Pleasure of seeing even that at fome Distance from them: They are got within view, though not in actual Poffeffion of it. Even the highest Heavens we may behold from hence, and hence have frequent happy Vifions of him that fills them. And though we be not yet allowed to go into them ourfelves; we may yet fee and behold HIM, who is entered thither in our Behalf: We may behold our Forerunner in Poffeffion of them himself, and preparing them for us ; and as he makes them ready for us, preparing and making us ready for them: Gradually improving our Condition and State, as he gradually brings us nearer to himself, till finding us perfect and entirely fit to be united with him, he comes again to cloth our Souls with glorified Bodies, in order to introduce us Body and Soul into the Glory of his Father.

But we must now leave this happy Scene to enquire a little into the Place where the Souls of the Wicked are, during the famé Interval of Time, detained. And here we must turn to our Text again, which tells us that whilst Lazarus is in Abraham's Bofom, the Rich Man

XX.

Man is in Hades, or Hell. I have already SER M. told that the Word in the Greek figniyou fies no more than an invisible Place, and is used to express the Place of separate Souls at large, I mean, as well of the Good as the Bad: And that even our English, (when the Scriptures were tranflated) fignified the fame: And in this Senfe is Hades in the Greek, and Hell in the English, to be taken here; i. e. for the Place of Souls in general, where they wait for their laft and final State at the Refurrection hereafter. It is true indeed, the Parable fhews that the Rich Man was placed amongst the unhappy Souls: But this appears not from his being in Hades or Hell, but from his being in Torments: For even Lazarus in Abraham's Bofom was alfo in Hades, only in a different State or Region of it. Lazarus in a State of Reft and Repofe, the Rich Man in a State of Anguish and Despair: Lazarus in the Bosom of the Father of the Faithful, the Rich Man with the Father of Lies: Lazarus converfing with Angels and the Spirits of just Men made perfect; the Rich Man with rebellious Devils, and apoftate Souls: Lazarus within View of Chrift in his Glory, preparing alfo Glories for him; the Rich Man within Sight

of

SER M. of the Prince of Devils himself, fhewing him XX. the Hell that is hereafter to receive him,

even at present gaping before him: Lazarus laftly, even in immediate and present Bliss ; and laftly the Rich Man even in present and immediate Torments. What Blifs and what Torments I shall fhew in the Sequel, but first I must proceed to the

III. THIRD Head of my Difcourse, under which I am to fhew how departed Souls are conveyed to thefe Places to which they are configned. And as to the Souls of the Righteous, we learn from the Text, that they are conducted to their happy Seats by the Help and Affiftance of the Holy Angels. For it came to pass that when the Beggar died, be was carried by the Angels into Abraham's Bofom, ver. 22.

This as we learn from the Chaldee Paraphrase upon Solomon's Song, Chap. iv. 12. was a very ancient Opinion of the Jews; for that Paraphrase speaking there of the Garden of Eden (which is the fame as Paradife) fays that no Man has Power of entering into it, but the Fuft and Righteous, whofe Souls are carried thither by the Ministry of Angels. And if this had been an erroneous Opinion,

we