A discourse concerning the Redeemer's dominion over the invisible world, and the entrance thereinto

8. That the Affairs and Concernments of the other World, whither they go, are incomparably greater every way, and much more considerable. And to this most unquestionable maxim must be our last and final resort, in the present Case. All the perturbation, and discomposure of mind, which we suffer upon any such occasion, arises chiefly, from our having too high and great ⟨p. 132⟩thoughts of this World, and too low, and diminishing thoughts of the other; and the evil must be remedied by rectifying our apprehensions in this matter. Because that other World is Hades, unseen, and not within the verge of our sense, our sensual minds are prone to make of it a very little thing; and even next to nothing, as too many, will have it to be quite nothing at all. We are concerned, in duty to our blessed Redeemer and Lord, and for his just honour, to magnify this his Prefecture, and render it as great to our selves as the matter requires, and as our very narrow minds can admit. And should labour to correct it as a great and too common fault, a very gross vulgar Error, to conceive of persons leaving this world of ours, as if they hereby ⟨p. 133⟩became useless; and, upon the matter, lost out of the Creation of God. So is our fancy prepossessed, and filled with delusive Images, that throng in upon it thorough our unwary senses, that we imagine this little spot of our Earth to be the only place of business, and all the rest of the Creation, to be mere vacuity, vast, empty space, where there is nothing to do, and nothing to be enjoyed. Not that these are formed, positive thoughts, or a settled judgment, with good Men, but they are floating imaginations, so continually obtruded upon them, from (what lies next) the objects of sense, that they have more influence to affect the Heart, and infer suitable, sudden, and indeliberate, emotions of Spirit than the most formed judgment, grounded on things that ⟨p. 134⟩lie without the sphere of sense can outweigh.

8. That the Affairs and Concernments of the other World, whither they go, are incomparably greater every way, and much more considerable. And to this most unquestionable maxim must be our last and final resort, in the present Case. All the perturbation, and discomposure of mind, which we suffer upon any such accasion, arises chiefly, from our having too high and great