A Light from Christ Leading Unto Christ, Classis 5
The fifth Claſsis, or Company of Queſtions.
1 Queſtion.
VVHat are the works of God revealed in the Scriptures? Or what ought a Chriſtian to know out of the holy Scriptures, concerning Gods works, that he may come with more comfort to the Lords Table?
Anſ. Chiefly four: 1. Gods Decree. 2. His work of Creation: And 3. His work of Providence here. And 4. His work of glory in the world to come, in the Kingdom of God in heaven.
Queſt. 2. What is the work of Gods Decree?
Anſ. It is Gods eternall counſell, and the unchangable act of his moſt holy will; by which as the only wiſe, juſt, holy, eternall, perfect, powerfull and great God, he hath ſet down with himſelf from all Eternity, to do or ſuffer to be done, whatſoever hath been, is or ſhall be, with the means and ends of all, namely, his own glory in the manifeſtation of his Iuſtice upon the wicked, and of his mercy and goodneſſe to his Church and Children, Job 38.33 Pſ. 33.10, 11. Prov. 19.24. Iſa. 43.13. and 46.10. and 44.24, 25. Eph. 1.11. Amos 3.6. Matth. 11.25.26, Prov. 16.4. Pſal. 37.9, 10, 11. and 119.71. Acts 2.23. and 2.27, 28.
Queſt. 3. Wherein doth God manifeſt this work of his Eternall Decree?Iſa. 46.9, 10. Acts 14.16, &c. Rom. 1.20. 1 Tim. 5.21. Eph. 1.3, 4, 5. Rom. 8.19, 30. Jude 4.
Anſ. By holding forth to us in Scripture, as his counſell of creating and ordering all things in generall, ſo his works or acts of his election and reprobation, both of Angels and Men in particular.
Queſt. 4. But if there be ſuch a Decree of Election and Reprobation; then what good is it for men to ſtrive or wait in uſe of means, after Faith, holineſſe, or good works; or to flye from ſin and wickedneſſe, ſince none but the Elect are ſaved, and the Reprobate damned?
Mat. 20.1, 2, &c. 2 Tim. 2.24, &c. 2 Theſ. 2, 10, &c. 2 Tim. 2.9, 10. Col. 1.16, &c. Luk.13.24, &c. Acts 24.14, &c. & 26.17, &c. Rom. 9.22, &c. & 11.28, &c. Iob 11.7, 8, &c. Rev. 15.3, 4, 5, 6.Anſ. Great reaſon that every one ſhould wait on Chriſt, in the way and means of Salvation; becauſe no one can know in this life that he is reprobate, though he be wicked, ſince God may give him Faith, and Repentance before he dye: And whom God hath Elected to the end life Eternall, he alſo hath Elected to the means, the way of life Eternall, namely, the true knowledge of Chriſt, true Faith, Repentance, and holineſſe, Gods Decrees and Acts being alwayes juſt, although his wayes be ſometimes like himſelf, unſearchable.
Queſt. 5. What is the work of Gods Creation?
Anſ. That glorious act in and by which God made the World and all things therein, Angels and Men, and other Creatures in ſix dayes very good, by his wiſdom, Almighty power and word for his own glory, Gen. 1. and 2. Exod. 20.11. and 31, 17. Heb. 11.23. 2 Pet. 3.3, 4, 5. Gen, 1.31. Eccleſ. 7.29. 1 Cor. 8.6. Jer. 10.12. Prov. 16.4.
Queſt. 6. By which Perſon of the Trinity was the World Created?
Anſ. By the whole Trinity,Gen. i. 12. Ioh. 1.12. 1 Cor. 1.4, 5. Col. 1.13, &c. Elohim thoſe three ſtrong ones, he created heaven and earth; God the Father in and by God the Son, and God the holy ghoſt.
Queſt. 7. What were the principall Creatures which God did make in thoſe ſix dayes?
Anſ. Firſt Angels: And ſecondly, Mankinde, then in the loins of our firſt Parents Adam and Eve.
Queſt. 8. What kinde of Creatures are the Angels?
Anſ. The Angels are Created very good, finite, inviſible, intellectuall,Col. i.i6. Pſa 104. Heb. 1.7. Pſa. 138.1.2, &c. Luk. 20.86. 2 Theſ. 1.7. Luk. 2.13, 24. immortall, Spirits, or Spirituall ſubſtances, without bodies, fleſh or bones, quick in motion, ready and able to do the will of God, ſpeedily and powerfully, to Gods glorie and the good of his Church.
Queſt. 9. What kinde of Creature did God make man?
Anſ. An admirable Creature, both in reſpect of his ſoul and body.
Queſt. 10. How was his body made?
Anſ. His body was made of the duſt of the earth, as a little world,Gen. 2.2.7. & 3.10. Eccleſ. 12.7. with wonderfull workmanſhip in the curious frame thereof in all his inward parts,Iob 4.19. Pſal. 139. Iob 10.9, 10, 11. Pſal. 8.4, 5, &c. with veins, arteries, ſinews, ligaments and bones, all admirable for number, nature and frame, with glorious outward beauty, comlineſſe, and Majeſty, as Lord over all inferior Creatures, and all as by the finger and power of God himſelf.
Queſt. 11. How was the ſoul of man Created?
Anſ. A living immortall ſoul or breath of life,Gen. 2.7. 1 Cor. 15.45. Iob 27.3 & 33.4. I…. 139.13, &c. Heb. 12.9 Zach. 12.1 was breathed into the created bodies of Adam and Eve, by God the Father of Spirits, and ſo man became a reaſonable living ſubſtance at firſt by Creation, and Mankinde hath ſince been continued by generation, wonderfully and fearfully made, God forming the never dying Spirit of man within him.
Queſt. 12. But what evidence is there that the ſoul of man is immortall and dyeth not with the body, as the ſpirits or breath of Bruit Beaſts? Have not ſome men been of this opinion?
Anſ. It is true, that prophane Atheiſticall men, and wanderers from the truth, have been of that minde, as thoſe fools of whom we read in the Book of Wiſdom, who thought the breath in their noſtrills was a ſmoke,Wiſd. 2.1, 2, 3. and a little ſpark in the moving of their hearts, which being extinguiſhed, the body ſhould turn into aſhes, and the Spirit vaniſh into ſoft or moiſt Air.Wiſd. 5.1, 2, &c. But one day they ſhall confeſſe their folly, and that they have erred from the way of truth. But whatſoever the Atheiſts or prophane or blinde men of the world think, both Saints and wicked ſhall one day finde, that the ſoul dieth not with the body, but liveth for ever in endleſſe joy or woe. And there are many Arguments to prove the immortality of our ſouls.
Queſt. 13. What is a firſt Reaſon or ground to prove the ſouls immortality.
Anſ. Truly, firſt if we conſider even the naturall Reaſons, found out by naturall men, and their opinions who knew not the Scriptures, (or the Goſpel of Chriſt at leaſt) yet they evidence the immortality of the ſoul; the judgement of Tully and others, in every thing, ſaith Cicero, Lex naturae putanda eſtthe conſent of all Nations is to be accounted the Law of nature; and a conſent amongſt all good men, ought to be valued as much as a thouſand demonſtrations;Vox Dei in natura. for it is the very voyce of God in Nature, (as Learned Zanchius ſpeaks:) Now no Nation that have had any learning or knowledge, worth the name of knowledge,Cicero, Tuſculan, Queſt. Quis ſapiens ſinc ſpe immortali talis ſe offeret ad mortem, & quid enim imprudentius quam ſine ullo …remto ſe & vita & virtute proprie privare. but witneſſe the ſouls immortality: Thus Plato, Cicero, Cato, Ʋticenſis, Caeſar, and many Philoſophers in their works, and men dying for their Countreys good; yea, amongſt the heathen Infidels, I have read of thoſe coſtly Funeralls amongſt the Idolatrous Pagans in Meaco a chief City of Japon, in which, amongſt other ceremonies, they brandiſh a flaming Torch over their heads, intimating the ſouls immortality, as a flaming ſpark living for ever. And certainly, even theſe ſhall riſe up in Iudgement at the laſt day againſt thoſe who deny the immortality of the ſoul.
Queſt. 14. Thus I conceive a good Argument naturall or prophane men, but what is a ſecond?
Anſ. Even the very nature of the ſoul it ſelf may witneſſe the ſouls immortality, in that the nature of the ſoul is to aſpire after, and to deſire immortality, to uſe all means to preſerve a name to live for ever after them,Gen. 41.4. 2 Sam. 18.18. Solinus de mira…ulis …i. as the builders of Babell; and Abſolon by his Pillar: and when Xerxes had fired the Aſian Temple, all but Diana's Eroſtratus, ſet that on fire, and being asked wherefore he did ſo: he Anſwered, that he might be remembred, and his name be immortall, or to that effect: This may Argue an immortality in the ſoul, that deſireth and ſo longeth after immortality.
Queſt. 15. What is a third Reaſon to evidence this truth.
Anſ. Truly the very Acts of the ſoul themſelves and operations of it, not waxing old, as the body doth, which appears in men, (eſpecially of temperate life:) Though the body be blinde, the eye of the ſoul can ſee wonderfully;Hiſtoria, T…ipartita. we read of blinde men admirable in learning. A youth not twenty years old learned the liberall Arts, well skilled in the Scriptures, Dictated ſeverall Books to be written. And if an old man had a yong mans eye, he would ſee as perfectly as the beſt; we ſee men in years who cannot ſee a letter in the Book, yet with Spectacles can read plainly.
Iſaac was dimme ſighted,Gen. 27.1.27, 28 & 48.14, 15. and Jacob was blinde before their deaths; but the bleſſing they gave to their Children, did witneſſe their ſouls waxed not blinde with old age. And even this may witneſſe the immortality of the ſoul.
Queſt. 16. Here are ſufficient Arguments of this nature: Now what Evidence of the ſouls immortality may be drawn from the holy Scriptures?
Anſ. The Scriptures are full of Evidence to manifeſt this truth: And firſt Divine teſtimonies; the Preacher tells us, That when the Body dieth and returneth to the duſt; the ſoul vaniſheth not, but returneth to God that gave it.Eccleſ. 12.7.
And Chriſt himſelf witneſſeth that the ſoul cannot be killed by all the Tyrants in the world,Mat. 10.28. Mark. 8.44. though they kill the body: But God can caſt both body and ſoul into Hell fire, where the worm never dieth, and the fire never goeth out, & ſo the ſoul tormented in Hell fire for evermore, muſt needs be immortall and never dye.
Queſt. 17. Is there no other Argument in Scripture but bare teſtimonies?
Anſ. If there were no other, the witneſſe of the holy Spirit of truth is ſufficient to witneſſe this truth of the ſouls immortality; but it is evident by other Arguments alſo: for the Lord is ſaid to be the God of Abraham, Mat. 22.31, 32, 33.and the God of Iſaac, and the God of Jacob, not the God of the dead, but of the living: Now their bodies were dead many hundred years before Chriſt ſpake this; therefore it muſt needs follow, that the ſouls were alive, and ſo they had not mortall, but never dying and immortall ſouls.
Queſt. 18. This I conceive is a good Argument; What is a ſecond that you find in the holy Scriptures?
Anſ. The witneſſe of Chriſt concerning the penitent Thief upon the Croſſe,Luk. 23.43. that he ſhould be with him that day in Paradiſe: Now this could not be in reſpect of his body, for neither the body of the penitent, nor the body of Chriſt, were that day in Paradiſe; for Chriſts body was taken down from the Croſſe,Mat. 27.60. and laid in a new Sepulchre, and no doubt the body of the penitent alſo was buried; And therefore it muſt needs be, that Chriſt and the penitent ſhould be and were in Paradiſe in their ſouls, after the death of their bodies. And hence it is evident, that the ſoul is immortall and dieth not with the body, as ſome wicked men dream.
Queſt. 19. Have you any more Arguments in Scripture to prove this?
Anſ. Yes, there might be many more; but I will note but a few, and this you may take for another; Even the practice of Chriſt at the time of death, to commend in ſouls into the hands of God his heavenly Father:Luk. 23.46. Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit. And that of bleſſed Stephen the holy Martyr of Chriſt, commending his ſoul into the hands of Chriſt;Acts 7.59. Lord Ieſus receive my Spirit. Theſe confirm this truth of the immortality of the ſoul.
Queſt. 20. What is the next Argument which you obſerve in Scriptures?
Anſ. That fear, and trembling, and terror of conſcience which falleth, and hath fallen upon men for their ſins againſt God or men; and eſpecially the fear of Iudgement to come, as that of Belſhazzer, Dan. 5.1.5.when he ſaw the Hand writing upon the wall, which made his knee… to ſmite one againſt another, and the thoughts of his heart to trouble him.
Acts 24.25.And that fear and trembling of Feſtus, when he heard Paul to reaſon of Righteouſneſſe, Temperance, and Iudgement to come.
Theſe evidence plainly an immortality of the ſoul, whatſoever fooliſh vain man can think or imagine to the contrary.
Queſt. 21. What is a laſt Reaſon you pleaſe to produce from Scripture, to prove the ſouls immortality?
Anſ. The longings of the Saints to be diſſolved and to be with Chriſt, as bleſſed Paul did:Phil. 1.23. I deſire to be diſſolved and to be with Chriſt, which is far better: This certainly the Apoſtle did intend of this being with Chriſt in his ſoul, when his body was dead, and therefore did verily believe, the immortality of the ſoul, and a hope of happineſſe when this life is ended;Rev. 14.13. 1 Cor. 15.19. otherwiſe Gods people were of all men moſt miſerable, when as the holy Ghoſt pronounceth them bleſſed that die in the Lord; Therefore without doubt our ſouls are immortall.
Queſt. 22. What uſe is to be made of all this?
Anſ. To teach all men to prize their immortall ſouls above all the world,Mat. 16.26. For what is a man profited if he ſhall win the whole world, and loſe his own ſoul? Or what ſhall a man give in exchange for his ſoul? And who will not moſt willingly wait upon Chriſt in the Goſpel, that he may be drawn in to receive Chriſt for the Eternall ſalvation of his ſoul.