The Amendment of Life, Book 4 · Chapter 8
The eight cauſe of Amendement, taken of the reaſon added by Ieſus Christ, where he ſaith, For the kingdome of heauen or of God is at hand. Chap. 8.
NOw let vsus eſpecially conſider the reaſon added by Ieſus Chriſt, For the kingdome of heauen, or of God, is at hand. And for the better vnderſtanding therof, let vsus note three ſignifications of the kingdome of heauen. Firſt, by this kingdome is ſignified the bleſſed eſtate and incomprehenſible felicitie that wee ſhall inioye after the reſurrection, is when Ieſus Chriſt ſayth,Math. 8.11 Many ſhall come from the Eaſt and from the Weſt, and ſhall ſit at the table in the kingdome of heauen, with Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob. Agayne;Math. 7.21 Not eueryevery one that ſayth Lord, Lord, ſhall enter into the kingdome of heauen, but hee that doth the will of my father ſhall enter into the kingdome of heauen. Againe, Suffer little children to come vntounto mee, Math. 19.14for vntounto ſuch belongeth the kingdome of heauen. And ſo in many other paſſages. Secondly, by the kingdom of heauen is ſignified the eſtate of the regenerate man, which conſiſteth in the true knowledge of God, in faith, in mortification of the olde man, and in newneſſe of lyfe. As when Ieſus Chriſt ſayth, The kingdome of God is in you. Luke. 17.21Alſo in this ſaying of Saint Paul, The kingdome of God is not meate or drinke, but righteouſnes, and peace, and ioy in the holy Ghoſt. Thirdly,Rom. 14.17. the kingdome of heauen many times ſignifieth the miniſterie and preaching of the Goſpell: As when Saint Paul ſpeaking of certaine faithfull ſeruants of Ieſus Chriſt, ſayd:Col. 4.11 Math. 11.11 Theſe onelyonly are my companions in the worke of the kingdom of God. Againe, as where Ieſus Chriſt ſaith, He that is beſt in the kingdome of heauen is greater than Iohn the Baptist. Whereto wee alſo refeere this ſaying of Ieſus Chriſt,Math. 13.3. & 13.44.45 The kingdome of heauen is like vntounto ſeede that fell in diuerſe groundes. Thereby ſignifying, that the holy miniſterie bringeth not fruit in all men. Likewiſe, where he compareth the kingdome of heauen to a treaſure hidden in the earth, and to a marchant that ſought for good pearles, thereby to ſhew how highly wee are to eſteeme of the holy miniſterie.
2 All theſe ſignifications of the kingdome of heauen, ought mightily to moue vsus to amendement. Firſt, when by the kingdome of heauen is ſignified the bleſſed eſtate and incomprehenſible felycitie that wee ſhall inioy in heauen: therein are wee taught that our eſtate is farre different from the eſtate of bruite beaſtes, who by their death are reduced to naught: For as for men, when they die, all is not death with them, but they that beleeuing in Ieſus Chriſt hauehave amended, their liues ſhal depart into a life repleniſhed with all glorie, ioy, and incomprehenſible & eternall felicity, heere ſignified by the kingdome of heauen: as contrariwiſe, they that remaine hardned in theyr euill doinges, ſhall for euer bee tormented with the fire of Gods wrath.Dan. 12. Many, ſaith Daniel, that ſleepe in the duſt, ſhall awake, ſome to life eternall, and others to eternall reproch and infamie. Iohn 5.28This ſentence doth Ieſus Chriſt confirme, ſaying. The houre ſhall come that all that are in the graues ſhal heare the voice of the ſonne of man, and ſhall come foorth, euen they that hauehave done good, to the reſurrection of life, & they that hauehave done euil, to the reſurrection of condemnation. And to this end ſhall Ieſus Chriſt come to iudge the world, that the childrē of God that hauehave amended their liues, may be exalted into the fruition of the kingdome of heauen, & contrariwiſe, the diſobedient ſwallowed vp with the deuill & his Angels in hell. That we may the better feel the efficacie of this reaſon, For the kingdom of heauen is at hand, we are vndoubtedly to beleeue, (& it is in deed an article of our faith) that Ieſus Chriſt ſhall come to iudge the quicke and the dead. And in this reſpect S. Paul writing to Timothie,1. Tim. 4.4 ſaith: I ſummon thee before God, & before the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, who in his appearance and kingdome ſhall iudge the quicke & the dead. Acts. 17.31As alſo the ſame Apoſtle in another place ſaith, God hath ordained a daie when he ſhall iudge all the world in righteouſnes. This was an old reſolute point of the Iews religion, as it appeareth by theſe ſentences of Ieſus Chriſt. The men of Niniue ſhall riſe in the day of iudgement to condemne this generation, Math. 12.41 Math. 10.15Againe, If it ſhall be more eaſie for Sodom in the daie of iudgement than for thoſe townes that woulde not receiue the Goſpel. Theſe threatnings wold hauehave bin of ſmal waight with the Iewes, had they not bin perſwaded that there was a daye of iudgement, wherein the children of God ſhould be receiued in to the kingdome of heauen, and the vnbeleeuers and obdurate in wickednes caſt into euerlaſting death.
3 To the end the rather to confirme vsus in the expectation of this daie of iudgement ſo much to be deſired, and ſo bleſſed for thoſe that do amend their liues, but ſo terrible to the rebellious & obſtinate.Math. 25.31 S. Mathew repreſenteth vntounto vsus the form therof, ſaying: Whē the ſon of man ſhall come in his glorie, & all the angels with him, then ſhal he ſit vponupon the throne of his glorie, and he shal ſeparate the ſheep from the goats, and he ſhall ſet the ſheep on his right hand & the goats on his left, & to thē on his right hand he ſhal ſay, Come ye bleſsed of my father, inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world. And to them on the left hand hee ſhall ſaie, Depart from me ye curſed into euerlaſting fyre, which is prepared for the deuill and his Angels, and they ſhal go into euerlasting paines, and the righteous into euerlasting life. Let vsus therefore bee fully reſolued, that the daie will come that ſuch as hauehave amended theyr liues, increaſing in faith, working in louelove, and fructifying in good workes, ſhall bee gathered into the fruition of the kingdome of heauen, and the others into euerlaſting fyre. And in deede, ſith it is ſo, ſayth Saint Auguſtine, that all thinges before propheſied in the holy Scriptures,Auguſt. in his Epiſt. 42. to Mandarenſ. hauehave come to paſſe and beene fulfilled in theyr ſeaſon, as the floud, the bondage of the ſeede of Abraham in Egypt, and theyr deliuerie, the captiuitie of Babylon, and the returne from the ſame, the comming of Chriſt in the fleſh, and all that concerned his paſsion, his reſurrection, and aſcenſion into heauen, his promiſe to ſend the holy Ghoſt to the Apoſtles, the calling of the Gentiles, & other like matters: what reaſon hauehave we to doubt of this day of iudgement, which hath bin foreſhewed in ſo many paſſages of the holy Scripture?
4 Neither can we anie way doubt thereof, if we hauehave anie reaſon or vnderſtanding. For if we beleeue that there is a God (which all nations in the world doo confeſſe) we muſt alſo beleeue that hee is righteous: if he be righteous, hee will reward the righteous that amend their liues, & puniſh the diſobedient that are giuen to wickednes. But this reward or puniſhment is not performed in this life but in part, and that verie ſeldome, as both the Prophet manifeſtly declareth in the 71. pſalme, and experience doth dayly teach. It followeth therefore that after this life there is another, wherin the righteous hauehave their reward, euen the fruition of the kingdome of heauen, and the diſobedient ſhalbe puniſhed with euerlaſting torments. This diſcourſe doth S. Paul confirme in expreſſe words: for he ſeeing the perſecutions of the faithful,2. Theſ. 1.5 and their grieuous afflictions, leaſt they ſhould be ſhaken with ſome opinion that there were no prouidence or iuſtice in God, he vpholdeth, & to the contrarie doth ſhew, that the perſecutions & afflictions that they ſuffered, were a manifeſt demonſtration of the iuſt iudgment of God, To the end, ſaith he, that ye may be accounted worthie the kingdome of God, for the which ye do alſo ſuffer. For it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you, and to you that are troubled, rest with vsus. But when ſhal that be? Euen when the Lord Ieſus ſhal ſhew himſelfe from heauen with his mightie Angels, In flaming fire, rendering vengeance to thē that do not know God, & which obey not the Goſpell of our Lord Ieſus Christ, which ſhall be puniſhed with euerlasting perdition, from the preſence of the Lord, and from the glorie of his power, when he ſhall come to be glorified in his Saincts, & to be made maruellous in all them that beleeue. If then it bee a righteous thing with him to recōpence tribulation, as is aforeſayd, to thoſe that trouble vsus, euen vsus I ſay, that are pore vponupon earth, how much more righteous will it be with him, moſt horribly & eternally to puniſh thoſe that hauehave perſecuted euen the perſon of Ieſus Chriſt, the welbeloued ſonne of God? In this ſenſe is this daie called the daie of the reſtoration of al thinges, becauſe the diſorder and confuſion that ſeemeth now to be in the gouernment of the world,Act. 3 21. ſhall bee then reformed, and the goodneſſe, wiſedome, and wonderfull iuſtice of God be reuealed.
5 True it is, as Saint Peter ſaith, that in the later times there ſhall come ſcorners, that ſhall walke after their owne luſts, & ſay, Where is the promiſe of his comming? 2. Pet 3.3For ſince the fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation. And in deed, we now ſee but too many that are not touched with the apprehenſion either of the kingdome of heauen, or of the torments of hell, but are poſſeſſed with prophane and deuiliſh ſpirits, that take al to be but fables that is ſpoken as well of the kingdome of heauen, promiſed to the faithfull, as of the tormentes of hell prepared for the wicked. And this is a pernitious pollicie of Sathan, wherewith he diſcourageth the faithfull from walking in the feare of God, from amending their liues,Pſal, 73, 13. from cleanſing their harts, and as the Prophet ſaith, from waſhing their hands in innocencie. But to the contrary hereof, let vsus ſtand ſtedfaſt, and be wel aſſured, that there is a kingdom of heauen prepared for the children of God, and a hell for the diſobedient, and therfore let vsus labour to grow in faith, to fructiſie in good workes,2. Cor. 15, 58 and ſo to amend our liues, as knowing that as S. Paul ſaith, our labour ſhall not be in vaine in the ſight of the Lord.
6 This is the foundation whereupon the Apoſtle laieth holde to perſwade men to repentance and amendement of lyfe. God, ſayth hee,Act. 17.30. nothing regarding this time of ignorance, now admoniſheth all men euerie where to repent, becauſe hee hath appoynted a daie in the which hee will iudge the worlde in righteouſneſse. But how in righteouſneſſe? Euerie man ſhall, as elſe where it is ſayde, receiue the thinges that are done in his bodie, 2 Cor. 5 10according as hee hath done, whether it bee good or euill, and God will render to euerie man according to his workes. That is, to them which by continuance in well dooing ſeeke glorie, honour, and immortalitie, Rom. 2.6eternall life: but vntounto them that are contentious, and diſobey the truth, and obey vnrighteouſnes, ſhall be indignation and wrath.
7 Albet we ſee not this kingdome of heauen,Rom. 8. Heb. 11. yet let vsus remember that the goods & ſaluation of Gods children conſiſteth in faith and hope, and that as well the one as the other doth appertaine to things to come, which we ſee not, ſo that not to beleeue or hope for more than we ſee, is to be ſhort, the aboliſhment of faith and hope, and ſo conſequently, the ſubuerting of the aſſured foundation of our ſaluation. Let therfore this faith the mother of hope, and hope her mothers nurſe, cauſe vsus patiently to attend the fruition of this kingdom of heauen, and our aſſured attendance for the ſame make vsus to amend our liues,Apoc 19.9. Tit 2.11. that we may cloath our ſelues in garmentes beſeeming thoſe that purpoſe to come vntounto the marriage, and to hauehave a ſeat at the banquet of the lambe Ieſus Chriſt. The grace of God, ſaith S. Paul, that bringeth ſaluation to al men, hath appeared, & teacheth vsus that we should denie vngodlynes and worldly luſts, and that we should liue righteouſly, ſoberly, and godly in this preſent world, looking for the bleſsed hope and appearing of the glorie of God, which is our ſauiour Ieſus Chriſt. The ſame Apoſtle gaue thanks to God for the Coloſsians, when he heard of their faith and louelove, for the hopes ſake which was laid vp for them in heauen.Col. 1.4 1. Iohn. 3 And in this ſenſe ſaith Saint Iohn. Welbeloued, we are now the children of God, but yet it doth not appeare what we shal be, and we know that when Ieſus Chriſt shal appear, we shall be like him for we shall ſee him as he is. And eueryevery man that hath this hope in him, purgeth himſelfe euen as he is pure.
8 But to the end the more earneſtly to incourage vsus to amend our liues, in hope of the kingdome of heauen, wee are moreouer to apprehend the incomprehenſible excellencie of the glorie and ioye that we ſhall inioy in this kingdome, when our bodies being riſen againe vncorruptible and immortall, like vntounto the image of the glorious bodie of Chriſt, reunited to their ſanctified ſouls, ſhall be lifted vp into the houſe of God our father aboue all heauens, wher we ſhall ſee the face of God, as the Sun in his brightnes. & ſhall inioy the fruit of the praiers of Ieſus Chriſt, when he ſaid,Iohn 17.24 Father I wil that they which thou hast giuen mee, bee with me where I am, 1 Cor 15.28that they may ſee my glorie which thou haſt giuen me. When Ieſus Chriſt hath rendered the kingdome to God his father, then ſhall God the father, the ſon & the holy Ghoſt, be vntounto vsus all in all: yea, euen ſuch a fulnes of good and felicitie, that as ſundrie veſſels caſt into the ſea are ſo filled with water that they can deſire or hold no more, ſo this ſea of diuinity being in vsus all in all, we ſhall be repleniſhed and ſatisfied with life, glorie, and ioy, ſo as we ſhall not bee able to deſire or hauehave anie more.Apoc. 21.18 Euen when wee ſhall bee truely burgeſes of the heauenly and holy Citie that ſhall be of fine golde, like vntounto pure Chriſtall, the foundations of the walls ſet with precious ſtones, the twelue gates made of twelue pearles, which ſhal need neither Sun nor Moone to ſhine therein, for the light of God ſhall illuminate it, and the lambe himſelfe ſhall be the candle. To be ſhort, when we ſhall be in the fellowſhip of the Angels, ſhining as the Sunne in his pride, and rauiſhed with ioy that ſhall neuer be taken from vsus. A ioy, I ſaie, not onelyonly for our owne felicitie, but alſo for the felicitie of all the elect, for wee ſhall louelove them all as our ſelues, and ſo ſhall reioyce as much for their felicitie as for our owne. And this ioy ſhal be infinitly corroborated by the contemplation as well of the glorie of Ieſus Chriſt, whom iuſtly we ſhal louelove better than our ſelues, as alſo of the glorious maieſtie of God, whom we ſhall louelove with our hearts, our ſtrength, and our mindes.
9 If the repreſentation & remembrance of this kingdom of heauen, doth not kindle our heartes with a feruent deſire to attaine thereto, and by deſiring the ſame, to amend our liues, that we may take the path that leadeth to ſuch felicitie, the ſame is an aſſured teſtimonie that wee account of our ſelues as of beaſtes, that looke for no goodneſſe after death. And on the other ſide, if the apprehenſion of the fire that neuer ſhall be quenched, of the wormes that ſhall be alwayes gnawing, of the terrible darknes, of the weeping and gnaſhing of teeth through the feeling of the heauy wrath of the liuing God, doth not moue our harts to feare to offend him, and in offending him, to caſt our ſelues into the gulfe and bottomleſſe pit of this eternall wo: The ſame is an euident token that wee are either Atheiſts or Saduces, that beleeue neither the reſurrection of the bodie, nor the immortality of the ſoul. To be ſhort; neither heauen nor hell.
10 When therefore we heare that Chriſt, to the end to induce vsus to amendement, alleadgeth this reaſon, For the kingdome of heauen is at hand. Let vsus ſtedfaſtly beleeue that there is a kingdom of heauen repleniſhed with glorie & immortall ioy, & let the apprehenſion of ſuch a felicitie inflame our harts with a feruent & reſolute deſire to denie our ſelues, the world, and the fleſh, & ſo to amend our liues, that louing God and our neighbors, and endeuouring to yeld vntounto him all obedience, we may conforme our actions to his holy and good will, as in hart to ſeeke nothing ſo much as to pleaſe him, and to abhorre nothing more than the offending of him. Let vsus alwayes thinke with our ſelues that wee are no beaſts, who after death hauehave no feeling of good or euill: but contrariwiſe, let vsus conſider that at the ſeperation, either of the body or of the ſoule, the ſoule muſt goe either to heauen or to hell, alſo that the bodye muſt followe after: yea night and day let vsus thinke and meditate vponupon the difference that ſhalbe betweene thoſe that ſhall goe into the kingdome of heauen, and the others that ſhall departe into hell.
11 Let vsus remember that not for a thouſand yeares, but euen for euer and infinitely we ſhalbe either in ſoueraigne bliſſe, or in extream miſery. Can we then poſsibly apprehend the glory and felicity of this kingdome of heauen,Mat. 7.13.21. Luke. 13.2…. without vnſpeakable ioye and feruent deſire to attaine thereto: either conſider of the curſed eſtate of the reprobate, without trembling and feare? let vsus therfore think vponupon the ſaying of Chriſt, Labour to enter in at the narow gate, least when you ſhall ſay Lord open vntounto vsus the gate of the kingdome of heauen, that we may come in, he anſwereth: I know ye not: depart from me ye workers of iniquitie. There ſhalbe weeping and gnaſhing of teeth, when he ſhall ſee Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob, and all the prophets in the kingdome of God, and your ſelues ſhut out at dores. Let vsus beholde the difference betweene the two theeues that were hanged on either ſide of Ieſus Chriſt, of whom the one departed into hell,Luke. 23.39. and the other aſcended into the kingdome of heauen, as Ieſus Chriſt ſayde vntounto him: This day thou ſhalt be with me in Paradiſe. Let vsus looke vponupon the ſoule of Lazarus, by the Angels caryed into Abrahams boſome, where it reſted in ioy, as hee teſtified,Luke. 16.19. and the ſoule of the curſed rich man caſt into torments, as S. Luke witneſſeth, and himſelfe confeſſeth, ſaying: I am tormeneted in this flame. When he praieth to be refreſhed with a little water, but was denyed: To be ſhort, let vsus beholde the great multitude of the bleſſed that ſtood before the throne and in the preſence of the Lambe, clothed in long white garments, with branches of palmes of victorye in their handes, ſeruing God day and night, gouerned by the Lambe, and by him leadde to the liuely ſpringes of water:Apoc. 7.9. and withall let vsus looke vponupon the others ſpeaking to the rockes and mountains, ſaying: Fall vponupon vsus and hyde vsus from before the face of him that ſitteth vponupon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lambe: Let vsus I ſay beholde them caſt into the lake of fyre and brimſtone to be tormented day and night for euer.Apoc. 6.16 Apoc. 19.20. and 20.15. For who is it that will not be earneſtly touched in hart, haſtely to departe and retyre out of the way into hell, and diligently and conſtantly to walke by amendement of life into the kingdome of heauen? Can it be poſsible, if we ſhould not think vponupon them? or can God think vponupon them and not amend? either can we amend and not feel our ſelues bleſſed by being gotten into the way of ſuch a felicitie,Apoc. 6.16. that wee may conſtantly perſeuere, vntill that God fulfilling his worke in vsus, doe receiue vsus into the fruition of this kingdome of heauen, to enioy the ſame for euer and euer.