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However, we have the Word of the Holy Ghoft, who infpired St. Peter, that he is not in Heaven; confequently, he and the other Saints are in a Separate, or Middle State of Blifs, called Paradife, or Abraham's Bofom, where they patiently wait GOD's Time for their Happy and Glorious Refurrection, when the Number of the Elect fhall be completed. But though they are in a State of Enjoyment, far beyond any Thing in this World, yet it is a State of Expectance, a State in which their Joy is by no means completed; and therefore they pray for a yet greater Fulnefs of Joy, as * St. John teaches us, fay-* Rev. vi. ing, And when he had opened the Fifth 9, 10, 11. Seal, I faw under the Altar the Souls of them that were flain for the Word of GOD, and for the Teftimony which they held. And they cried with a loud Voice, faying, How long, O LORD, Holy and True, doft Thou not judge and avenge our Blood on them that dwell on the Earth? And white Robes were given unto every one of them; and it was Jaid to them, that they should rest yet for a little Seafon, until their Fellow-Servants also, and their Brethren, that should be killed, as they were, fhould be fulfilled. Here we fee, that the very Martyrs who laid down their Lives for Chrift's Sake, are not yet in Heaven, but in a State of Expectance, and fpend

fpend their Time in Prayer, that GOD's Promifes to them may be accomplished. And GOD having promifed to avenge their Blood, they, we fee, are allowed to pray for the fulfilling of it, which we are forbidden to do, whilft we are on this Side the Grave: Because fuch a Prayer from us, who are cloathed with Flesh and Blood, will proceed from Paffion and Refentment, which are finful Affections. But the Saints departed, who are freed from those Paffions, may use fuch a Prayer, because it is not made out of any Refentment for their ill Ufage, but only that GOD's Promise may be fulfilled, and their own Happiness completed, which cannot be till Chrift fhall judge the World. And as they pray for themfelves, fo may we alfo pray for them, that their Blifs may be confummated. * Sermon And indeed, this is no more, as the of the Mid-Learned Bishop Bull obferves, than we daily pray for in that Petition of the Lord's Prayer, (if we rightly understand it) Thy Kingdom come. Nay, we have St. Paul's Example, and confequently his Authority, to pray for a particular Perfon who died in the LORD, for fo he plainly prayed for +2 Tim. i.Onefiphorus a little after his Death, † faying, the LORD grant unto him, that be may find Mercy of the LORD in THAT DAY, or the Day of Judgment. It is

dle State, P. 116.

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plain, by comparing these Words with thofe that go before them, that Onefiphorus was dead when St. Paul made this Prayer for him, where he fays, the LORD give Mercy to the Houfe of Onefiphorus. Dr. Hammond (who yet will not allow Onefiphorus to have been then dead) allows, that he was plainly not with his Family at that Time, otherwife St. Paul would not have made a diftin& Prayer for his House separate from himself: But he fuppofes, that he either was with St. Paul, or on his Journey Home, or in fome other Place. Now, if he had been with St. Paul, the Apoftle would, according to his ufual Cuftom, have fent his Commendations to Timothy, and his Friends at Ephefus, particularly to his Family: Or had he been upon a Journey, or otherwise absent from Home, he who fhewed fuch Regard for that Family, would have prayed for his fafe Return to them. But here he prays for nothing else for him, but that he may find Mercy at the Day of Judgment; a fure Sign that he was now in fuch a State, as he had nothing more to expect than the Coming of that Day, fince the Apostle had nothing else to ask for him; a fure Sign that he was then dead. And yet this Learned Doctor, though (for what Reafon I know not) he takes fo much Pains,

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but in vain, to prove Onefiphorus not to have been dead, owns both the Lawfulness and Fitness of Praying for the Dead; faying, 'Tis certain, that fome Measure of Bliss, which shall at the Day of Judgment be vouchfafed the Saints, when their Bodies and Souls fhall be re-united, is not till then enjoyed by them, and therefore may SAFELY and FITLY be prayed for them. This is also plainly agreeable to the Doctrine and Practice of the Church of England, where, in the Prayer for the State of CHRIST'S Church, after we have bleffed GOD for the Saints departed, we pray THAT WITH THEM we may be Partakers of the Heavenly Kingdom: That is, that both they and we may be admitted into the highest Heavens. But this is more clearly expreffed in the Prayer in the Burial Office, where we beseech GOD that he will shortly accomplish the Number of His Elect, and haften His Kingdom; that we, WITH ALL THOSE THAT ARE DEPARTED IN THE TRUE FAITH OF HIS HOLY NAME, may have our perfect Confummation and Bliss both in Body and Soul, in His Eternal and Everlasting Glory. In which Words our Church not only plainly acknowledges, that the Saints departed have not yet received their perfect Confummation and Blifs, confequently that they are

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in a Middle State, expecting of it; but She alfo prays for them, as well as for us that are yet alive, that they may receive it. And in the firft Liturgy of King Edward VI. the Doctrine of which, as I have fhewed, is still approved by our Church as agreeable to the Holy Scriptures, both thefe Prayers were yet more exprefs to this Purpofe, where, in the Prayer for the State of the Church, after particular Mention made of the Virgin Mary, the Holy Patriarchs, Prophets, Apoftles, and Martyrs, it follows thus: We commend unto Thy Mercy, O LORD, all other Thy Servants, which are departed hence from us with the Sign of Faith, and now do reft in the Sleep of Peace: Grant unto them, we beseech Thee, Thy Mercy and Everlasting Peace, and that at the Day of the General Refurrection, we, and all they, which be of the Mystical Body of Thy Son, may altogether be fet on His Right Hand, and hear that His moft joyful Voice: Come unto me, O ye, that be Bleed of My Father, &c. And, in the Office for Burial of the Dead, when the Earth is throwing upon the Corpfe, the Priest is appointed to fay, I commend thy Soul to GOD the Father Almighty, and thy Body to the Ground, &c. The next Prayer be gins thus, We commend into Thy Hands of Mercy (most merciful Father) the Soul of H 2

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