soul
is chained down in a state of insensibility! That the happiness of the
saints, during the intermediate term, is no other than a sleep without
dreams--a temporary nonexistence! Strange!

The thoughts of death would make the good man tremble, did he
conceive such to be its nature. Here he is compassed with infirmity,
and groans, being burdened. But such an existence, which capacitates
him to do somewhat to honor God, and benefit man, is preferable to a
suspension of existence.

Suspension of existence! What is a suspension of existence, but a
temporary annihilation!--A complete solecism! From such a state there
could be no resurrection. There could be only another creation, which
must constitute not the same, but another creature. The idea of a
suspension of existence, is scarcely supportable; and the reality of
it contradicted by every part of revelation.

Death is represented in the Scriptures, as a separation of soul and
body; not as their sleeping together. "Thou changest his countenance,
_sendeth him away_;" is a description of death drawn by Job--which
answers to that given of Rachel's--

"_As her soul was departing_, for she died." And a resurrection is
represented as a return of the soul to the body from which it had been
seperated: As of the widow's son whom Elijah raised from the dead
--"_And the soul of the child came into him again_, and he revived."
The language of the New Testament is the same. "This day thou shalt be
fellow sufferer on the cross, whose body was the same day committed to
the grave." St. Paul "had a desire _to depart_ and to be with Christ,"
which he opposed to _abiding in the flesh_. If soul and body sleep
together in the grave, he would have been no sooner with Christ. than
though he had lived here till the resurrection. When St. John was
indulged a sight of heaven, he saw the souls of the martyrs who had
been slain before that period, and heard them crying for vengeance on
the murderers who were yet living on earth. *

* Revelation vi. 9, 10.

The Scriptures are so explicit respecting the state of the dead, that
a suspicion that they remain senseless while their bodies moulder in
the dust, appears strange. The righteous dead certainly rejoice in
God's presence and are associated with fellow saints. The Lamb, which
is in the midst of the throne, feed them, and leads them "to
fountains of living waters; and God wipes away all tears from their
eyes."

Neither do they remain ina