Confession of the Christian Religion, Confession · Chapter 30
CHAP. XXX. Of eternall life.
I. Eternall life ſhalbe giuen to all; which by their good workes hauehave witneſſed, that they were truely grafted into Chriſt, and hauehave beleeued in Chriſt.
WE beleeue that eternall life, that is, full and perfect poſſeſſion of eternall life, ſhalbee giuen in that laſt daye, vntounto all who by the apparent workes of true faith and godlineſſe ſhalbe declared before al Angells and men, manifeſtly ſhewed, and by ſentence of the iudge Chriſt pronounced, to hauehave beene truely ioyned to him, by the holie ſpirit, and ſo to hauehave beleeued in god the father, in his ſonne Ieſus Chriſt, and in the holie ghoſt, and to hauehave bin liuelie members of the holie church, and to hauehave had communion withal the Saints, and obtained forgiueneſſe of their ſinnes: which the Lord alſo teacheth, ſaying, He will ſay to them, which ſhalbe on his right hand, come yee bleſſed of my father, poſſeſſe the kingdome prepared for you before the foundation of the vvorld: for I vvas hungrie, and yee gaue me to eate &c.
II. A confirmation of the former opinion, and that eternall life is not giuen for our owne works, but for Chriſt in whom we are freely choſen, bleſſed, and made the children of god.
For by theſe wordes the Lord ſeemeth to hauehave declared vntounto vsus, that our good workes are teſtimonies of our election, bleſſing, and adoption in Chriſt, and ſo of our lawfull inheritance: and that the cauſe, whereby we ſhall obtaine eternall life and poſſeſſion of the heauenly kingdome, is, partly becauſe that ere the beginning of the world, that is, ere we had done any good thing, that kingdome was freely prepared for vsus in Chriſt: partly becauſe we were bleſſed of the father, namely, Eph. 1.3with all ſpirituall bleſſing in Chriſt, and therefore called by grace, iuſtified, forgiuen our offences, and ſanctified: laſtly, becauſe we were in the ſame Chriſt adopted the ſonnes of God, and …nued or borne againe by his ſpirit, & therefore made coheirs with him of the kingdom: which he plainly ment by the worde foreign, that is, by the right of inheritance, poſſeſſe as ſonnes. VVhereas, the Lord therefore ſhall recken vp the works of pietie, he ſhall do it (wee doubt not) to this purpoſe, that by them it may appeare to the whole world, that wee were the truely bleſſed, choſen, iuſt children of God, to whome the inheritance was due: Rom. 8.17the Apoſtle ſaying, If ſonnes, then heires alſo: but that wee are the ſonnes of God, is declared by our regeneration: and regeneration, by the effectes of regeneration, which are called works of faith and pietie.
III. As the godlie ſhall hauehave eternall life: ſo the paines and fire of the wicked ſhalbee eternall.
And as wee beleeue, that the children of God ſhal obtaine eternall life: ſo alſo we confeſſe, that the hypocrites and all the wicked ſhall bee caſt into the fire that neuer ſhalbee quenched and there bee tormented for euer: Chriſt ſaying plainely, Goe yee into euerlaſting fire.Mat. 25.42
IV. How happie that eternall life ſhalbe, it can neither be ſaid, nor thought.
But what, and what manner of life it is, and how great felicitie, which is ment by the name of the heauenly kingdome, wee doe with the Apoſtle freely confeſſe, 1. Cor. 2.9that neither eare hath heard, nor hath it come into mans heart to conceiue: for it is a matter, greater and more excellent, then can be comprehended in mans vnderſtanding: & of ſuch paſſing happines, that nothing cā be wiſhed more happie. We therfore ſimply beleeue, that we which are chriſts, which are guided by his ſpirite, which depend on his word, which laſtlie doe place but whole hope of ſaluation in him: ſhall all bee moſt bleſſed: Mat. 13.43ſhall all ſhine as the ſunne in the fight of god: we ſhall all ſee God, euen as he is: 1. Cor. 13.12we ſhall all liue a heauenlie and diuine life with Chriſt, & his Angells: and be deliuered from all ſinne, from all miſterie, from all ill: without any longer griefe, without feare, without lack or deſire of any thing: 1. Cor. 15.28 Apo. 22.3.4becauſe God ſhalbee all in all: and wee ſhall behold his face. And in that citie ſhalbe no more night, neither ſhall there neede any candell or ſunne-light, becauſe the Lord ſhall giuegive vsus light: and wee ſhall raigne for euer and euer with Chriſt Ieſus our head, ſpouſe, Sauiour and our Lord: to whome bee praiſe, honor, and glorie, worlde without ende. Amen.