Death and the Intermediate State
The bodies of men after death return to dust and see corruption, but their souls, which neither die nor sleep, having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them. The souls of the righteous are received into the highest heavens; the souls of the wicked are cast into hell (WCF XXXII). This is the Standards' rejection of soul-sleep and purgatory.
Westminster Confession
3 sections
The bodies of men, after death, return to dust, and see corruption; but their souls (which neither die nor sleep), having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them. The souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies: and the souls of the wicked are cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day. Besides these two places for souls separated from their bodies, the Scripture acknowledgeth none.
At the last day, such as are found alive shall not die, but be changed; and all the dead shall be raised up with the self-same bodies, and none other, although with different qualities, which shall be united again to their souls forever.
The bodies of the unjust shall, by the power of Christ, be raised to dishonor; the bodies of the just, by his Spirit, unto honor, and be made conformable to his own glorious body.
Shorter Catechism
1 question
The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the resurrection.
Larger Catechism
5 questions
The communion in glory which the members of the invisible church have with Christ, is in this life, immediately after death, and at last perfected at the resurrection and day of judgment.
The members of the invisible church have communicated to them in this life the firstfruits of glory with Christ, as they are members of him their head, and so in him are interested in that glory which he is fully possessed of; and, as an earnest thereof, enjoy the sense of God's love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, and hope of glory; as, on the contrary, sense of God's revenging wrath, horror of conscience, and a fearful expectation of judgment, are to the wicked the beginning of their torments which they shall endure after death.
Death being threatened as the wages of sin, it is appointed unto all men once to die; for that all have sinned.
The righteous shall be delivered from death itself at the last day, and even in death are delivered from the sting and curse of it; so that, although they die, yet it is out of God's love, to free them perfectly from sin and misery, and to make them capable of further communion with Christ in glory, which they then enter upon.
The communion in glory with Christ, which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately after death, is, in that their souls are then made perfect in holiness, and received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies, which even in death continue united to Christ, and rest in their graves as in their beds, till at the last day they be again united to their souls. Whereas the souls of the wicked are at their death cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, and their bodies kept in their graves, as in their prisons, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.
Directory for Public Worship
2 sections
Concerning Visitation of the Sick §10 →
He is to admonish them, in time of health, to prepare for death; and for that purpose, they are often to confer with their minister about the state of their souls; and in times of sickness, they are to desire his advice and help, timely and seasonably, before their strength and understanding fail them.
Concerning Burial of the Dead §11 →
And because the custom of kneeling down, and praying by or towards the dead corpse, and other such usages, in the place where it lies, before it is carried to burial, are superstitious; and because praying, reading, and singing have been grossly abused both in going to and at the grave, and are in no way beneficial to the dead, and have in many ways proved hurtful to the living; therefore, let all such things be laid aside.
However, we judge it very convenient that the Christian friends which accompany the dead body to the place appointed for public burial, apply themselves to meditations and conferences suitable to the occasion; and that the minister, if he is present, may put them in remembrance of their duty.
Related Cruxes
1
Related Personas
3
Personas whose positions on Civil & Last Things differ from the Westminster baseline.