Purgatory Needful for Christians
It was the Father's mind that Christ should come and
shew his disciples the proper and needful purgatory he designed to bring them
through; not the anti-christian purgatory, after this life; for there is no
word of this in the sacred oracles. Not a word!
This Christian purgatory is
three-fold;
the first is, the bloody purgatory of the blood of Christ, that
cleanseth from all sin.
The second is, the fiery purgatory of the Spirit of
Christ, and his operations, compared to fire.
The third is, the crying and
pruning purgatory of the cross.
All these, but especially the last, seem to
be spoke of by our Lord here, John 15:2, "Every branch in me that beareth not
fruit he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that
it may bring forth more fruit."
There are two things in this world that he
makes use of for trying, purging, and purifying his disciples; and it is part
of his Father's mind to tell them of this; there is,
1. The world's hatred,
John 15:18, 19, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it
hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because
ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the
world hateth you."
2. The world's rage, John 16:2, They shall put you out
of the synagogues; yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think
he doth God service, &c. It was his mind to tell them the worst as well as
the best.