A Compendium of the Chief Doctrines of the True Christian Religion/Chapter 39
XXXIX. State of Children after Death.
IT being the opinion of some, that no other children are saved, than such as are born in the christian church, and baptized, it is of importance that so cruel a doctrine, which consigns to eternal misery the most innocent part of the human race, be expunged from the creed of every community, and that the real truth respecting the state of children after death be made known. The Lord by his prophet saith, "What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? As I live, saith the Lord Jehovih, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. The soul that sinneth, it shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him," Ezek. xviii. 2, 3, 20. The Lord further declares concerning little children, and especially concerning those represented by them, viz. the innocent and the humble, that "of such is the kingdom of God," Mark x. 14.
All infants and children, dying before they come to the use of reason, and the exercise of judgment, whether born within the church or without it, whether baptized or unbaptized, and whether they be the offspring of godly or of ungodly parents, are accepted by the Lord, and received into heaven; where they are educated by angels according to divine order, and, after instruction and progressive advances in understanding and wisdom, at length become happy angels themselves. For as death is only a continuation of the life begun in the world, and man neither loses nor gains any thing by the change, (except that the gross material body is then laid aside, never to be re-assumed,) so in the case of infants, they are equally such in the other life, of like innocence, tenderness, and ignorance; and therefore, like young plants, they must be gradually introduced into the heavenly life. Yet this advantage attends them, above others who live to be adults, that, being in innocence, actual evil by consent of will and judgment has not taken root in them; in consequence of which they are more easily receptive of instruction and heavenly good.
Infants, as soon as raised from death, which is immediately after their decease, are taken up into a heaven appropriated to them, and delivered at first into the care of such female angels, as had been particularly fond of children while in the world, and who also loved God. These receive them as their own offspring, and the children in return love them as their own mothers; each of whom takes as many of them under her care, as her tenderness and inclination prompt her to take. Though the infants, previous to their death, might not have been able either to walk or to speak, yet, on their entrance into the spiritual world, they are immediately capable of doing both, but imperfectly. They soon, however, improve in these respects; and as their education proceeds, according to the disposition of each, which with some is of a spiritual, and with others of a celestial character, their intellectual attainments become conspicuous, and all the faculties of their minds are enlarged. When they have completed their first period under the care of their female tutors, they are then translated to another heaven, where they are instructed by angelical masters, and so pass on to further improvements.
Children do not continue children in heaven, but grow in stature as they grow in understanding and wisdom, until they appear as adults, and then they are ranked among the number of angels. But it is to be noted, that in heaven children do not advance in their external form and appearance beyond youth, or the flower of their age, but remain stationary in that spring-time of life for ever. Their progress, however, in love, wisdom, and intelligence, ceases not, but keeps pace with their interior state of innocence, which continually rises in degree, and crowns them with a blessed and happy immortality.
It may perhaps be supposed, that infants, dying such, and then growing up into the angelic state of perfection, are pure from all evil, seeing they had not committed actual sins in the world, like adults. But this is not the case: for they are tainted with hereditary corruptions and perverse inclinations, as well as others; and, if left to themselves, would rush into evils of every kind. It is by the divine mercy and power of the Lord alone, that they, in common with other angels, are kept from evil, and preserved in good. And should any of them for a moment lose sight of their dependence on him, and entertain a false conceit of their own righteousness and merit, as though they possessed any good of themselves, and not from the Lord, they would soon be convinced of their error, by being left for a while to their own hereditary evils. By this experience they would see and acknowledge themselves to be impure by nature, but delivered from hell solely by divine mercy; and being thus humbled in their own estimation, they would again be received into the society of angels, to which they belonged. That such change of state does really take place at times, there is good reason to believe; and there cannot be a doubt, but it is permitted for the sake of their further purification, and that they may be thereby qualified for the attainment of still higher degrees of angelic perfection.
It is highly probable, that such infants, as die in the early stages of their existence, have no recollection whatever of the world in which they were born; but that they consider themselves as natives of heaven, being ignorant of every other kind of birth than what is spiritual, and regarding the Lord alone as their Parent. In consequence of their heavenly education, and freedom from many gross affections and thoughts, which others have contracted in the natural world, they must be susceptible of more tender impressions of love and charity, than those who have lived to adult age. Yet, notwithstanding these advantages, peculiar to deceased infants, it is consoling to reflect, that a provision is made by infinite wisdom and goodness, that the future condition of those, who have had a longer time in this world, may be equally perfect and equally happy, if, putting away the corporeal and earthly affections belonging to self-love and the love of the world, they become receptive of such as are spiritual, derived from love to the Lord, and charity to all mankind.
