O. I know you was a Scholar, Coul; and 'tis generally believed there is a private Judgment, besides the general at the great Day. The former is immediately after Death. Upon this he interrupted me, crying, No such Thing, no such Thing, no Tryal till the last Day: The Heaven which good Men enjoy immediately after Death, consists only in the Serenity of their Thoughts, the Satisfaction of a good Conscience, and the certain Hope they have of an Eternity of Joy when that Day shall come. The Punishment or Hell of the wicked immediately after Death, consists in the dreadful Things of their awakened Conscience, and the Terror of facing the great Judge, and the sensible Apprehensions of eternal Torments ensuing; and this bears still a due Proportion to the Evils they have done, when they were living. So indeed the State of some good Folks differs but little in Happiness from what they enjoyed upon Earth, save only they are freed from the Body and the Sins and Sorrows that attend it. And, on the other Hand, there are some, who may be said rather not to have been _good_ than that they have been _wicked_ while living: their Condition is not easily distinguished from that of the _former_, and under that Class comes a great Herd of Souls, a vast Number of your ignorant People, who have not much minded the Concerns of Eternity, but, at the same Time, have lived in much Indolence, Ignorance, and Innocence. O. I always thought that their rejecting the Terms of Salvation offered, was sufficient Ground for God to punish them with his eternal Displeasure. And as to their Ignorance, that could never excuse them, since they lived in a Place of the World, where the Knowledge of these Things might easily have been attained. C. They never properly rejected the Terms of Salvation, they never, strictly speaking, rejected Christ, poor Souls! they had as great Liking both to Him, and to Heaven, as their gross understandings were capable of; and as to their Ignorance, impartial Reason must make many allowances, such as, the Stupidity of their Parents, their want of Education, their Distance from People of good Sense and Knowledge, the uninterrupted Application they were obliged to give to their secular affairs, for their daily Bread, the impious Treachery of their Pastor, whom they heard perhaps but once a month, or so, and thro' his unfaithfulness are perswaded, that if they be of such or such a Party all is well; and many other Considerations of the like Nature, which God who is pure and perfect Reason itself will not overlook. These are not so much under the Load of the Divine Displeasure, as they are _out of His Graces and Favours_, for you know it is one Thing to be discourted, and quite anoyr Thing to be persecuted with all the Power and Rage of an incensed earthly King. So I assure you, men's Faces in this World are not more various and different, than their Conditions are after Death.