7
Ogil.— Well then, Cool, have you never yet appeared before God, nor received any sentence from him as a Judge.
Cool.— Never yet.
Ogil.— I know you was a scholar, Cool, and 'tis generally believed there is a private judgement, besides the general at the great day, the former immediately after death.--Upon this he interrupted me, arguing.
Cool.— No such thing, no such thing! No trial, no trial till the great day! The heaven which good men enjoy after death, consists only in the serenity of their minds, and the satisfaction of a good conscience; and the certain hopes they have of eternal joy, when that day shall come. The punishment or hell of the wicked, immediately after death, consists in the stings of an awakened conscience, and the terrors of facing the great Judge, and the sensible apprehensions of eternal torments ensuing. And this bears still a due proportion to the evils they did when living. So indeed the state of some good folks differ but little in happiness from what they enjoyed in the world, save only that they are free from the body, and the sins and sorrows that attend it. On the other hand, there are some who may be said rather not to have been good, than that they are wicked; while living, their state is not easily distinguished from that of the former; and under that class comes a great herd of souls; a vast number of ignorant people, who have not much minded the affairs of eternity, but at the same time have lived in much indolence, ignorance and innocence.
Ogil.— I thought that their rejecting the terms of salvation offered, was sufficient ground for God, to punish them with eternal displeasure; and as to their ignorance, that could never excuse them, since they
