In Christian eschatology, the Four Last Things or four last things of man () are Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell, the four last stages of the soul in life and the afterlife. They are often commended as a collective topic for pious meditation; Saint Philip Neri wrote, "Beginners in religion ought to exercise themselves principally in meditation on the Four Last Things." Traditionally, the sermons preached on the four Sundays of Advent were on the Four Last Things. The 1909 Catholic Encyclopedia states "The eschatological summary which speaks of the 'four last things' (death, judgment, heaven, and hell) is popular rather than scientific. For systematic treatment it is best to distinguish between (A) individual and (B) universal and cosmic eschatology, including under (A): (1) death; (2) the particular judgment; (3) heaven, or eternal happiness; (4) purgatory, or the intermediate state; (5) hell, or eternal punishment; and under (B): (6) the approach of the end of the world; (7) the resurrection of the body; (8) the general judgment; and (9) the final consummation of all things.". Pope John Paul II wrote in 1984 that the "judgment" component encompasses both particular judgment and general judgment. Books Numerous theologians and Christian apologists have written on the Four Last Things; published accounts include: 16th century and earlier (15th century) attributed to and to Denis le Chartreux; translated into French by Jean Miélot and thence into English as by Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers in 1479 The Four Last Things (1522) by Thomas More; unfinished (published posthumously). 17th century The Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Hell, and Heaven (1631) by Robert Bolton; published posthumously in 1639 The four last things: death, judgment, hell, heaven by Martin of Cochem Four Last Things (1649) by William Sheppard, whose preface supported the Rump Parliament against the Presbyterians ("A Sensuous Representation of the Four Last Things") (1675) by Angelus Silesius Four Last Things–Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell (1691) by William Bates 18th century ("Devout musings on the four last things") (1714) by John Morgan Thoughts upon the Four Last Things (1734) by Joseph Trapp Four discourses on the four last things (1751) by Thomas Greene 20th century The Four Last Things (1960) by Harry Williams (1947) by Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange. Published in English as Life Everlasting: A Theological Treatise on the Four Last Things: Death, Judgement, Heaven, Hell The Last Things: Concerning Death, Purification After Death, Resurrection, Judgment, and Eternity