The Balance of the Sanctuary, Treatise · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. That without contradiction it appeareth by the aforeſaia order of the workes of God, done among the children of men, that there ſhall bee an after reckoning made, with all the children of men in the world to come.
SEEING, that it is euidently knowne, that God the Lord is a righteous Iudge; For the workes of man ſhall bee rendred vntounto him, and he will cauſe eueryevery man to finde according to his wayes, Iob 34. 11. and that it is alwayes found, that the Lord in this world maketh no euen reckoning with the children of men, when hee ſuffereth a godly man all his life time to liue in great trouble and aduerſitie, and to dye therein; and ſendeth great riches and ioy to an vngodly man all his life long; and they hauehave no croſſes, but their ſtrength is firme, Pſal. 17. 14. and Pſal▪ 73. 4. And alſo by experience in the common courſe of the world, it is found that many of the deare children of God, are perſecuted and euilly dealt withall, onelyonly becauſe they take Gods cauſe in hand, are iealous of God honour, ſeeke the ſpreading abroad of the Goſpel, and the proſperitie of his people, and that it oftentimes fareth ſo with them, that they are oppreſſed and loſe their liues: therefore, as it happeneth alſo to many other Martyrs of God, and faithfull witneſſes of his truth, Apoc. 2. 13. wee muſt of neceſſitie therefore hence conclude, That God for certaine will make an after reckoning in the world to come, for it can by no meanes ſtand with the righteouſneſſe and goodneſſe of our God, that hee ſhould indure or ſuffer his owne children, and his faithfull ſeruants, who for the fulfilling of his will, did not refuſe to yeeld their liues into the enemies handes and to dye, and that for his cauſe were ſhamefully handled, curſed, abaſed, and ſlaine, ſhould not be reuenged, Luke 18. 7. 8. Apocal. 6. 9. 10. 11. Could a iuſt and an vpright Prince endure that his truſtie ſeruants and officers, ſhould be aſſayled, perſecuted, and ſlaine by his ſubiects, becauſe they ſeeke to mainetaine and vphold his lawfull commandements, and to ſee them executed, without taking their cauſes in hand, reuenging their blood, and puniſhing the offendours as they had deſerued? Much leſſe, will the Lord ſuffer the hard dealing with, and handling of his children that are ſlaine and murthered in this world, to goe vnreuenged.
Therefore, if there were no other reaſons then that onelyonly, for which God ſhould make a common reckoning with the children of men at the latter day, yet were this cauſe enough for it. So the Apoſtle ſetteth downe the neceſſitie of the laſt day of iudgement, to conſiſt vponupon this; That the godly are here oftentimes ſo cruelly oppreſſed by the vngodly, and ſaith to the Theſſalonians, that it is a manifeſt token of the righteous Iudgement of God, that yee may be counted worthie of the kingdome of God, for which yee alſo ſuffer, ſeeing it is a righteous thing with God, to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you, and to you who are troubled, reſt with vsus, when the Lord Ieſus ſhall bee reuealed from heauen with his mightie Angells, 2 Theſſ. 1. 5. 6. 7. Then alſo it ſhall be made manifeſt, though it bee neuer ſo much forgotten here in the world, and how little regard or knowledg ſoeuer ſeemes to be taken of the godly, and thoſe that are righteous, That God harkened, and heard it, and a booke of remembrance was layd before him, for them that feared the Lord, and thought vponupon his name, and accordingly it ſhall then alſo be knowne, what difference there is betweene the righteous and the wicked, betweene him that ſerueth the Lord, and him that ſerueth him not, Mala. 3. 16. 17. 18. Herewith the godly alſo muſt comfort themſelues, as the Prophet alſo witneſſeth; and take heede, that they partake not with the vngodly, of whom Salomon ſayth, Becauſe ſentence againſt an euill worke is not executed ſpeedily, therefore the heart of the ſonnes of men is fully ſet in them to doe euill, Eccl: 8. 11. But they muſt rather, ſeeing God here in this world permitteth things to paſſe in ſuch manner, bee thereby more certainely aſſured, that hereafter there ſhall come a great day of judgement, wherein all things ſhall be made right, and ſet ſtraight, and eueryevery one ſhall be rewarded according as hee hath done, whether it be good or euill, Act. 3. 21. and 2 Cor. 5. 10. And accordingly the more croſſely and confuſedly we ſee things done and executed here in this world, the more muſt wee learne to make reckoning of the great day of Iudgement, make full account thereof, and prepare our ſelues for it, holding for certaine, as Salomon alſo in the aforeſaid place witneſſeth, That though a ſinner doe euill an hundred tymes, and his dayes be prolonged, yet ſurely I know, it ſhall be well (not with the vngodly, but) with them that feare God, which feare before him, Eccl. 8. 12.
This therefore ſhould moue all the godly to long for the laſt day, & the comming of the Lord, when we ſhall not onelyonly be reuenged for all their hard ſpeeches which vngodly ſinners hauehave ſpoken againſt him, Iude 15: And all inſtruments that are formed againſt vsus ſhall not proſper, Eſa. 54. 17. But beſides that all the partes and pieces of that great worke of the prouidence of God ouer the things of this world, that here are ſo confuſedly caſt together vponupon a heape, ſhall be ſeene to be laid very orderly, by the wiſe and powerfull hand of our God, and from them wee ſhall ſee a moſt notable peece of worke to bee framed and brought forth, wherein the vngodly with their wicked workes, ſhall ſerue as ſhadowes, Eccl: 8. 13. to ſet more beautie and luſter vponupon the great glory of the Children of God, who ſhall then gliſter like the Sunne. Mat. 13. 34.
As alſo the godly are to expect the ſame for this cauſe, that howſoeuer they cannot here conceiue why this or that thing comes ſo to paſſe, yet they may aſſure themſelues, when the Lord ſhall come to Iudgement, to make all ſtraight, and to bee glorified in his Saints, 2 Theſſ. 1. 10. Hee will then bring forth ſo glorious a peice of worke, and ſhew it vntounto vsus, that wee ſhall alwayes reioyce therein, and prayſe and glorifie our God for the ſame world without end.