A Supplement to Knowledge and Practice, Part 1 · Chapter 4 · Section 6
SECT. VI. Of Life everlaſting.And the life everlaſting,
IN treating of this Article, (which the Nicene Creed calls the life of the World to come) I ſhall firſt ſhew, that both the old and new Teſtament bear witneſs to it, and give us ſufficient ground to believe it, Dan. 12.2. Many of them that ſleep in in the duſt of the earth ſhall awake, ſome to everlaſting life and ſome to ſhame and everlaſting contempt. God plainly ſhewed to thoſe who lived under the old Teſtament that there is an everlaſting life in the world to come, by the examples of ſome, whom he took and tranſlated out of this world into the other, without death intervening. Enoch, who lived before the giving of the Law, and Elijah who lived after, are both inſtances of this, Gen. 5.24. Enoch walked with God, and he was not: for God took him, Heb. 11.5. By Faith Enoch was tranſlated that he ſhould not ſee death, and was not found, becauſe God had tranſlated him, And ſo Elijah was carried up in a fiery Chariot, and by a whirlwind into Heaven, 2 Kings 2.11. After Abraham Iſaac and Jacob were dead, God ſtiled himſelf their God, Exod. 3.6. Moreover he ſaid I am the God of thy Father, the God of Abraham, the God of Iſaac and the God of Jacob. Now Chriſt told the Sadducees, that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, Matth. 22.32. God ſo ſtiling himſelf their God, ſheweth that their ſouls did ſtill live (though ſeparated from their bodies) and alſo that their bodies ſhould be raiſed again, and both ſouls and bodies being re-united ſhould live for ever.*Deus eſt Deus Abrahae ſ…il. totius. God is the God of the whole man and not a part only. And thus much for the proof of this Article out of the old Teſtament. But the new Teſtament doth more clearly aſſert this Doctrine, life and immortality being (in a more evident manner) brought to light by the Goſpel, as the Apoſtle tells us, 2 Tim. 1.10. To give ſome few places of many that might be brought for the proof hereof. Matth. 25.46. And theſe ſhall go away into everlaſting puniſhment, but the Righteous into life eternal, John 3.16, 36. God ſo loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoſoever believeth in him ſhould not periſh but have everlaſting life. Mark 10.30. But he ſhall receive an hundred fold now in this time, and in the world to come eternal life, John 12.25. He that loveth his life ſhall loſe it, and he that hateth his life in this world ſhall keep it unto life eternal, 1 Theſ. 4.17. Then we which are alive and remain, ſhall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air, and ſo ſhall we ever be with the Lord, 2 Cor. 5.1. For we know that if our earthly houſe of this Tabernacle were diſſolved we have a building of God, an houſe not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, John 17.27. Father, I will that they alſo whom thou haſt given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou haſt given me. Having thus ſhewed, that everlaſting life is plainly aſſerted both in the old and new Teſtament, I come now to ſhew, that there are three degrees of this everlaſting life held forth to us in the Scriptures.
1. There is a life eternal Initial, which is the life of grace, John 3.36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlaſting life, that is, hath it begun in him, hath the earneſt of it in his Soul.
2. There is a Partial life eternal, which is the life which belongeth to the Soul when it is ſeparated from the body; 'Tis the happineſs which the ſouls of the Righteous enjoy between the time of death and the day of Judgment. The Scripture is abundant in aſſerting this kind of life eternal, which the ſeparated ſoul injoys in the other world, Eccleſ. 12.7. Then ſhall the duſt return to the earth as it was, and the Spirit ſhall return unto God who gave it, Matth 10.28. Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the Soul, but rather fear him which is able to deſtroy both ſoul and body in Hell, Luke 12.4. Be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom you ſhall fear. Fear him who after he hath killed, hath power to caſt into Hell, yea I ſay fear him, Heb. 12.23. To the general aſſembly and Church of the firſt-born, which are written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the Spirits of juſt men, made perfect, Luke 23.43. Our Saviour ſaid to the penitent Thief, To day thou ſhalt be with me in Paradiſe, Luke 23.46. And when Jeſus had cried with a loud voice, he ſaid, Father into thy hands I commit my Spirit; and having ſaid thus, he gave up the Ghoſt. Acts 7.59. And they ſtoned Stephen, calling upon God, and ſaying, Lord Jeſus receive my Spirit, Phil. 1.23. For I am in a ſtrait betwixt two, having a deſire to depart, and to he with Chriſt, which is far better, 1 Pet. 3.19. By which alſo he went and preached to the Spirits (now) in Priſon, Rev. 6.9, 10. And when he had opened the fifth Seal, I ſaw under the Altar the Souls of them that were ſlain for the word of God, and for the Teſtimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice ſaying, How long O Lord holy and true doſt thou not judge and revenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth.
3. There is a life eternal Perfectional, which ſhall be conferred on the Saints after the re-union of their Souls and Bodies, Matth. 25.34, 46. Then ſhall the King ſay unto them on his right hand, come ye bleſſed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World. Then ſhall the Righteous go into life eternal. Now this perfectional life everlaſting (which will be the portion of the Saints at the laſt day) is ſuch a life as ſhall be free from all evil, and full of all good.
1. Free from the evil of ſin. The Souls of the Juſt ſhall then be made perfect.
2. The evil of temptation. There was a Tempter in Paradiſe, there will be none in Heaven.
3. The evil of affliction. All tears ſhall be wiped from your eyes. Rev. 7.17.
2. This life ſhall be full of all good.
1. Their Ʋnderſtandings ſhall have a clear knowledge, ſight and viſion of God.
2. Their Wills ſhall be perfected and adorned with an abſolute and indefective holineſs.
3. Their Affections ſhall be ſet right with an unalterable regularity.
4. They ſhall injoy an uninterrupted communion with God.
5. They ſhall be bleſſed in their company.
6. And laſtly, They ſhall have this bleſſedneſs ſecured to them without fear of ever loſing it or being deprived of it; But though the Saints ſhall enjoy ſuch an eternal life in bliſs, as we have before deſcribed, yet it ſhall not be ſo with the wicked. Eternal life in miſery will be their portion. They ſhall be tormented, 1. With the pain of loſs, 2. With the pain of ſenſe, 3. With the worm of Conſcience, a tormenting reflection on their former folly. 4. With deſpair of ever coming out of that woful miſery which is the very Hell of Hell. But of theſe things I have ſpoken more largely in the former Treatiſe pag. 130.
It remaines therefore now that I ſhew what improvement we are to make of this Article, and then I ſhall ſhut up this diſcourſe.
1. We may from hence learn, how inexcuſable they are who hazard and expoſe their ſouls and bodies to eternal torments for a ſhort ſatisfaction of their bruitiſh luſts.
2. We ſhould conſider that there is no concern we have in the World, that ſhould lie ſo near our hearts as the making our peace with God upon ſure and ſafe grounds.
3. From hence we may learn how highly we ought to prize the blood of Chriſt and his undertaking, by which alone we can eſcape the wrath that is to come.
4. It may ſhew us how we ought to pity thoſe who are running on in a full carreer to Hell. How ſhould we endeavour by our earneſt intreaties to keep them from falling into that diſmal place of torment?
5. We ſhould conſider with what extreme folly they are poſſeſſed, who mind only this preſent life; that live as if there were no other life beſides this, or none elſe worth looking after.
6. We ſhould above all things endeavour to ſecure to our ſelves eternal life in Bliſs and Happineſs. Every man and womans portion muſt be one of theſe two, either everlaſting life in Bliſs, or everlaſting damnation. And if we muſt be either eternally happy or eternally miſerable, methinks it ſhould make us paſs the time of our ſojourning here in fear, 1 Pet. 1.17. and to give diligence to make our calling and election ſure, 2 Pet. 1.10. And to quicken our diligence hereunto, leet us conſider theſe things.
1. By nature we have no title to everlaſting Bliſs. By nature we are children of Wrath, Eph. 2.3.
2. We muſt be united to Chriſt, if ever we intend to obtain it. God hath given eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life, he that hath not the Son hath not life, 1 Joh. 5.11, 12.
3. Holineſs of heart and life here is neceſſary for the obtaining of eternal life in bliſs and happineſs hereafter.
4. As Parents have been inſtrumental (under God) of conveying a temporal life to their Children. So they ſhould labour (as much as poſſibly they can) that they may be ſo religiouſly inſtructed and educated, that they may at laſt obtain an eternal life in bliſs and happineſs.