for fatisfaction of confcience, if they be thereunto required by the civil magiftrate f. CHAP. XXXII. Of the State of Men after Death, and of the Refurrection of the Dead. 1 TH HE bodies of men, after death return to duft, and fee corruption a; but their fouls (which neither die nor fleep) having an immortal fubfiftence, immediately return to God who gave them b. The fouls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holinefs, are received into the higheft heavens, where they behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies c: and the fouls of the wicked are caft into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, referved to the judgment of the great day d. Befides faith, but are helpers of your joy; for by faith ye ftand. ', V. f Luke xii. 13. And one of the company faid unto him, Mafter, fpeak to my brother, that he divide the inhe ritance with me. v. 14. And he faid unto him, Man, who made me a judge, or a divider over you? John xviii. 36. Jefus anfwered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my fervants fight, that I fhould not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. I. a Gen. iii. 19. In the fweat of thy face fhalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it waft thou taken for duft thou art, and unto duft thou shalt return. Acts xiii. 36. For David, after he had ferved his own generation by the will of God, fell on fleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and faw corruption. b Luke xxiii. 43. And Jefus faid unto him, Verily I fay unto thee, To day fhalt thou be with me in paradife. Eccl. xii. 7. Then fhall the duft return to the carth as it was and the spirit fhall turn unto God who gave it. re C Heb. xii. 23. To the general af thefe fembly, and church of the firft-born which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the fpirits of juft men made perfect. 2 Cor. v. 1. For we know, that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were diffolved, we have a building of God, an houfe not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. v. 6. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilft we are at home in the body, we are abfent from the Lord. v.8. We are confident, I fay, and willing rather to be abfent from the body, and to be prefent with the Lord. Phili. 23. For I am in a ftrait betwixt two, having a defire to depart, and to be with Chrift; which is far better. With Acts iii. 21. Whom the heaven must receive, until the times of reftitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his hqly prophets, fince the world began.. And Eph. iv. 1o. He that defcended, is the fame alfo that afcended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. d Luke xvi. 23. And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and feeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in thefe two places for fouls separated from their bodies, the fcrip- ture acknowledgeth none. II. At the last day, fuch as are found alive fhall not die, but be changed e: and all the dead fhall be raised up with the selffame bodies, and none other, altho' with different qualities, which fhall be united again to their fouls for ever f. III. The bodies of the unjuft fhall by the power of Chrift be raised to dishonour; the bodies of the juft by his Spirit unto honour, and be made conformable unto his own glorious body g. CHAP. in his bofom. v. 24. And he cried, and faid, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and fend Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. Acts i. 25. That he may take part of this miniftry and apoftlefhip, from which Judas by tranfgreffion fell, that he might go to his own place. Jude 6. And the angels who kept not their first eftate, but left their own habitation, he hath referved in everlasting chains under darknefs, unto the judgment of the great day. v. 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are fet forth for an example, fuffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 1 Pet. iii. 19. By which alfo he went and preached unto the fpirits in prifon. II. e 1 Theff. iv. 17. Then we who are alive and remain, fhall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and fo fhall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Cor. xv. 51. Behold, I fhew you a mystery; we shall not all fleep, but we shall all be changed, v. 52, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the laft trump, for the trumpet fhall found, and the dead fhall be raised incorruptible, and we fhall be changed, 1 fJob xix. 26. And though after my fkin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flefh fhall I fee God. v. 27. Whom I fhall fee for my felf, and mine eyes fhall behold, and not another; though my reins be confumed within me. I Cor. xv. 42. So alfo is the refurrection of the dead. It is fown in corruption, it is raifed in incorruption: v. 43. It is fown in difhonour, it is raifed in glory; it is fown in weaknefs, it is raifed in power: V. 44. It is fown a natural body, it is raifed a fpiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is fpiritual body. a III. g Acts xxiv. 15. And have hope towards God, which they themselves alfo allow, that there fhall be a refurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjuft. John v. 28. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves fhall hear his voice, v. 29. And shall come forth, they that have done good, unto the refurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the refurrection of damnation. I Cor. xv. 43. (See in letter f.) Phil. iii. 21. Who fhall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to fubdue all things unto himself. I. a A&ts CHAP. XXXIII. Of the last Judgment. OD hath appointed a day, wherein he will judge the world in righteoufnefs by Jefus Chrift a, to whom all power and judgment is given of the Father b. In which day, not only the #poftaté angels fhall be judged c; but likewife all perfons, that have lived upon earth, fhall appear before the tribunal of Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, words and deeds; and to receive according to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil d. II. The end of God's appointing this day is for the manifeftation of the glory of his mercy, in the eternal falvation of the elect; and of his juftice, in the damnation of the reprobate, who are wicked and difobedient. For then fhall the righteous go into everlasting life, and receive that fulness of joy and refreshing which fhall come from the prefence of the Lord: but the wicked, who know not God, and obey not the gospel of Jefus Chrift, fhall be caft into eternal torments, and be punished with everlasting deftruction from the prefence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power e. III. As I. a Acts xvii. 31. Becaufe he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteoufnefs, by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given affurance unto all men, in that he hath raifed him from the dead. b John v. 22. For the Father judgeth no man; but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: v. 27. And hath given him authority to execute judgment alfo, becaufe he is the Son of Man. c 1 Cor. vi. 3. Know ye not that we fhall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? Jude 6. (See letter d chapter foregoing.) 2 Pet. ii. 4. For if God fpared not the angels that finned, but caft them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darknefs, to be referved unto judgment. d2 Cor. v. 10. For we muft all appear before the judgment-feat of Chrift, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Eccl. xii. 14. For God fhall bring every work unto judgment, with every fecret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Rom. ii. 16. In the day when God fhall judge the fecrets of men by Jefus Chrift, according to my gofpel. Rom. xiv. 10. But why doft thou judge thy brother? or why doft thou fet at nought thy brother? we fhall all stand before the judgment-feat of Chrift. v. 12. So then every one of us fhall give account of himself to God. Mat. xii. 36. But I fay unto you, that every idle word that men fhall speak, they fhall give account thereof in the day of judgment. v. 37. For by thy words thou fhalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. II. e (Mat. xxv. 31. to the end.) Rom. ii. 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasureft up unto thyfelf wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; v. 6. Who will render to III. As Chrift would have us to be certainly perfwaded that there fhall be a day of judgment, both to deter all men from fin, and for the greater confolation of the godly in their adversity f. So will he have that day unknown to men, that they may fhake off all carnal fecurity, and be always watchful, because they know not at what hour the Lord will come; and may be ever prepared to fay, Come, Lord Jefus, come quickly. Amen g. to every man according to his deeds. Rom. ix, 22. What if God, willing to fhew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-fuffering the veffels of wrath fitted to deftruction: v. 23. And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the veffels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory? Mat. xxv. 21. His lord faid unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful fervant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord, Acts iii. 19. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your fins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the prefence of the Lord. 2 Theff. i. 7, 8, 9, 10. (See in the Bible.) III. f 2 Pet. iii. II. Seeing then that all these things fhall be diffolved, what manner of perfons ought ye to be in all holy converfation and godlinefs? v. 14. Wherefore, beloved, feeing that ye look for fuch things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, with out fpot and blemish, 2 Cor. v, 10. (See letter d.) v. II. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we perfwade men; but we are made manifeft unto God, and I truft alfo are made manifeft in your confciences. 2 Theff, i. 5. Which is a manifeft token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye alfo fuffer. v. 6. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompenfe tribulation to them that trouble'you ; v. 7. And to you who are troubled, reft with us, when the Lord Jefus fhall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels. Luke xxi. 27. And then fhall they fee the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. v. 28. And when thefe things begin to come to pafs, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Rom. viii. 23. And not only they, but our felves alfo, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within cur felves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. v. 24. For we are faved by hope: but hope that is feen, is not hope: for what a man feeth, why doth he yet hope for? v. 25. But if we hope for that we fee not, then do we with patience wait for it. g Mat. xxiv. 36, 42, 43, 44. (See in the Bible.) Mark xiii. 35. Watch ye therefore, (for ye know not when the mafter of the houfe cometh; at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning) v. 36. Left coming fuddenly, he find you fleeping, v. 37. And what I fay unto you, I fay unto all, Watch. Luke xii. 35. Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; v. 36. And ye your felves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Rev. xxii. 20. He who teftifieth these things, faith, furely I come quickly. Amen, Even fo, come, Lord Jefus. FINI S. 1 |