Abridgment of Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3 · Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV. Of the reſurrection.
1 ALTHOVGH Chriſt hauing ouercome death hath giuen vntounto vsus the light of life, beeing now not ſtrangers but of the houſhold of God,2 Tim. 1.10 that we may want nothing vntounto perfect felicitie: yet let it not be as yet troubleſome to vsus to be exerciſed in an harde warfare: becauſe wee hope for thoſe thinges which do not appeare*.Rom. 8 18 Hence we hauehave need of patience, leaſt being wearie we either turne our backs, or forſake our ſtanding. Wherefore he hath ſoundlie profited in the Goſpell,The patience of the faithfull. Meditation of the reſurrection. Criſtian felicitie. Phil. 3.20. who is acquainted with a continuall meditation of the bleſſed reſurrection.
2 For ſeeing that it is our onlie & perfect felicitie to be ioined with our God, we muſt lift vp our minds vntounto the reſurrection*. For our conuerſation is in heauen, from whence we alſo looke for a Sauiour*Heb. 10.12, to our redemption*.
3 The verie weight of the thing it ſelfe will ſharpen our deſire. Neither doth Paul without cauſe affirme,Cor. 15.14. that vnleſſe the dead riſe againe, all the whole Goſpell is vaine and deceitfull*: becauſe our eſtate ſhoulde be more miſerable, then the eſtate of other liuing creatures,Rom. 8, 39. ſeeing we are eueryevery houre as ſheep appointed to bee ſlaine*. And therefore all the authoritie of the Goſpell ſhoulde fall to grounde, which both our adoption, and the effect of our ſaluatiō doth cōprehend.Helpes Furthermore that our faith may ouercome all lets, the ſcripture miniſtreth vntounto vsus two helps:Phil. 3.21. 1 The likliehoode of chriſt 2 Cor. 4.10 the one is in the ſimilitude of Chriſt*: the other in the omnipotencie of God*. For Chriſt is the firſt fruites of the reſurrection:: then they that are Chriſts, euerie one in his owne order.*1 Cor. 15.22 2 The power of God.
4 Paul ſaith breiflie concerninge the power of God that he may make ſaith he, our vile bodies like to his glorious body accordinge to the working of his power, whereby he is able to ſubdue all things to his ſelf.
Ph. 3.20.Therfore let vsus with Paul triumph amidſt the fight, becauſe he is able who hath promiſed vsus the lyfe to come,Comfort. to keepe that which is committed to him: & ſo let vsus reioice that the crown of righteouſnes is laid vp for vsus,2 Cor. 4.8 which the iuſt iudge ſhall geue vsus*.
Beaſtlie blockiſhnes. Mat. 12.18. Luk. 20.27.5 But this brutiſh blockiſhnes hath reigned during all ages, which the Sadducees did openlie profeſſe, that there is no reſurrection: yea that the ſoules are mortall*. Wherof as of an opinion generallie receiued Salomon ſpeaketh when he ſaith that a liuing dog is better then a lion that is dead,Eccle. 9.4.* and in an other place, Who knoweth whether mans ſoule goeth vpward & the ſoule of a beaſt diſcend downeward.Eclec. 3.….21* But the whole Scripture doth crye that there ſhall be none ende neither of the bleſſednes of the elect, neither of the puniſhment of the reprobate.
Obiect. The kingdome of Chriſt endureth but a thouſand yeeres*.Chiliaſts. Apoc. 20.4
An. This is a childiſh ſurmize: for he ſpeaketh not in that place of the eternall bleſſedneſſe of the churche, but of diuers troubles which were prepared for the Church when ſhe was as yet vponupon the earth.
Obiect. It were too great crueltie in God, if the wicked ſhould be puniſhed eternallie.
An. God is not iniurious, if he depriue them of his kingdome, who made them ſelues vnworthie thereof through their vnthankfulneſſe.
Obiect. But their ſinnes laſt but for a time.Why the puniſhment of ſinne is eternal
An. But the maieſtie of God which they hauehave offended by ſinning is eternall. Therefore it is for iuſt cauſes that the remembrance of their iniquitie doth not periſh.
Obiect. Then their puniſhment ſhall bee greater then their offence.
An. It is vntollerable blaſphemie, when as the maieſtie of God is ſo lightlie eſteemed, when as there is no greater account made of the contempt thereof, then of the deſtruction of one ſoule.The ſoule doth not die
6 Obiect. The whole man ſhall die: therefore the ſoules ſhall riſe againe with the bodies.
An. This is a beaſtlie error to make a vaniſhing blaſt of the ſpirite created according to the image of God, and to bring to nothing the temple of the holie ghoſt: finallie to robbe that part of vsus wherein the Godhead ſhineth moſt, of this gift, ſo that the ſtate of the bodie ſhoulde bee better then the ſtate of the ſoule.
Queſt. What midle ſtate of the ſoules is there?
An. It is neither lawful nor expedient to enquire curiouſly.Luk. 23.43. Act. 7.59. Mat. 5 8. Ioh. 12.32 It was ſaid to the theef, this day thou ſhalt be with me in Paradiſe*. Let vsus cōmend our ſoules to Chriſt, as did Stephen*. The ſoules of the reprobate ſuffer ſuch torments as they hauehave deſerued*.
Queſt. Where ſhall they be?
Abrahames boſome.An. There is not that demenſion of the ſoule which is of the body. The gathering together of the holy ſpirits is called Abrahams boſome: it is enough. Iude aſſigneth the ſame lot and portion to the reprobate which he allotteth to the diuels*.Iud. 6
Manicheus.7 Obiect. The immortall ſoules ſhall be cloathed with new bodies. For it is not likely, that fleſh which is vncleane ſhall riſe againe.
An. As if there were none vncleanneſſe of the ſoules: neither could that be purged by God, which is infected & defiled with the blot of ſin. EueryEvery one ſaith Paul,2 Cor. 6.10. Death accidentall. ſhal receiue by his body, whether good or euil. And this doth plaine reaſon tel vsus. For if death which hath his beginning frō the fal of man, be accidentall the reſtoring which Chriſt brought appertaineth to the ſame body, which began to bee mortall. Moreouer if we muſt hauehave new bodies giuen vsus where is the likelihood of the head and members?
8 Therfore the ſpirit of God doth euerie where in the ſcripture exhort vsus to hope for the reſurrection of our fleſh*.Gen. 13.4. Baptiſme. Coll. 2.12. And baptiſme is vntounto vsus a ſeale of the reſurrection to come*. To the ſame end tendeth the word Sleeping, which gaue alſo the name to church yards. Therfore we ſhall riſe againe in the ſame fleſh which we beare, as touching the ſubſtāce but the qualitie ſhalbe changed, and the eſtate ſhall be farre more excellent: for the corruptible bodie ſhall put on incorruption*. Alſo we muſt note a difference betweene thoſe which died long agoe, and thoſe whom that day ſhal finde liuing & remaining. For, as Paul witneſſeth*, we ſhall not all ſleepe,1 Cor. 15.29. but we ſhall be all changed. Neither ſhall thoſe which then are aliue preuent the dead,1 Cor. 15.51. but rather they ſhall riſe againe firſt, which hauehave ſlept in Chriſt*.
Obiect. It is appointed for all mortall men once to die*.Theſ. 4.15. Heb. 9.27,
An. Where the ſtate of nature is changed it is a kinde of death.
9 Queſt. By what right is the reſurrection common to the wicked and to thoſe which are accurſed of God, which is a ſingular benefice of Chriſt?The reſurrection of the wicked.
An. Thoſe thinges which are proper to Chriſt & his members flowe ouer vntounto the wicked alſo, not that they may lawfullie poſſeſſe them, but that they may be made more inexcuſeable:Mat. 5.48: A ſimilitude So the Sun riſeth vponupon the good and the bad*.
Obiect. The reſurrection is not fitly compared to fraile benefites.
An. So ſoone as the Diuels were eſtranged from God the fountaine of life, they deſerued deſtruction, whereby they ſhoulde be vtterlie aboliſhed: yet through the wonderfull counſell of God there was found a midle eſtate, that with out life they ſhoulde liue in death. It ought to ſeeme more abſurd,To liue in death. if the reſurrection be accidental to the wicked, which draweth them before the iudgement ſeate of Chriſt againſt their will, whom now they refuſe to heare as their teacher.
10 And becauſe the propheſie of death ſwallowed vp in victorie*, ſhall then bee fulfilled,The reſurrectiō is accidentall to the wicked Oſe. 13.14 Eternall felicity 1. Ioh. 3.2. let vsus alwaies remember eternall felicitie the end of the reſurrection. We know that we are the children of God*, but it hath not yet appeared: but when wee ſhall be like to him, wee ſhall ſee him euen as he is. Furthermore as God diſtributing his giftes to his Saints in this world,The glorie of the Saintes vnequall. Theſa. 2.19 doth vnequallie caſt his beams vponupon them, ſo the maner of their glorie ſhall be vnequall in the heauens, where God ſhall crowne his gifts*.
11 Queſt. What diſtance ſhall there be between the Prophets and Apoſtles, betweene the married and virgins, &c.
A Curious queſtion.An. This is a curious queſtion, and without the bounds of ſcripture,
Queſt. To what end ſerueth the repairing of the world, ſeeing the children of God ſhal want nothing but ſhall be as angels*?Mat. 22.30.
An. In the verie beholding and ſight of God there ſhall be ſo great pleaſantneſſe, that this felicitie ſhall farre exceede all helps wherewith wee now are helped*.1 Cor. 13.12.
12 Furthermore, becauſe no diſcription can match the greatneſſe of Gods vengeance againſt the reprobate,The torments of the wicked. Mat. 8.12 &. 22 13. &. 3.1.12 Mar. 9.43. Ieſ. 66.24. &. 30.33. their torments and vexations are figured to vsus by bodilie thinges, namely by darkneſſe, weeping, gnaſhing of teeth, vnquenchable fire, the worme gnawing the heart without end. Wherby as we ought to be holpen to conceiue after a ſort the ſtate of the wretched, ſo we ought principally to faſten our cogitatiō in that what a miſerable thing it is to be eſtraunged frō all fellowſhip with God, and not ſo onlie, but to feele the maieſtie of God ſo ſet againſt thee, that thou canſt no way eſcape but thou ſhalt be vrged and preſſed by it.
THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF CHRISTIAN INSTITVTION.
Of the outward meanes or helpes whereby God allureth vsus to the fellowſhip of Chriſt, and retaineth vsus in it.