The Holy Arbor, Chapter 4 · Section 7
§. 7. From thence he ſhall come to judge both the Quick and the Dead.
THe laſt Judgement ſhall be a manifeſtation, or declaration, and ſeperation of the juſt and unjuſt, who ever have lived, or ſhall live from the beginning of the world unto the end, proceeding from God by Chriſt, and a pronouncing of Sentence on theſe men, and an execution thereof, according to the Doctrine of the Law and the Goſpel; which Execution is not an annihilation, or final deſtruction of the Body and Soul, or a perpetual ſenſleſneſs, but an infinite and endleſs continuance of thoſe Torments, which the Wicked in this life deſpairing, do begin to feel, forſaken and abjected of God, ſubject to all torments both of Body and Soul. And in this laſt Judgement, Abſolution to the godly ſhall be principally according to the Goſpel, but ſhall be confirmed by the Law; Condemnation to the wicked ſhall be principally by the Law, but ſhall be confirmed of the Goſpel: Sentence ſhall be given on the wicked according to their own Merit, but on the godly according to Chriſts Merit, applyed unto them by faith; a Teſtimony and Witneſs of which Faith, ſhall be their Works. Now the Judge ſhall be Chriſt, John 5.22. neither yet are the Father and the Holy Ghoſt removed from this Judgement; but Chriſt immediately ſhall ſpeak, and give Sentence, and that in his Humane Nature; and when he ſpeaketh, the Father ſhall ſpeak by him: ſo that the Judgement ſhall belong to all the three perſons of the Godhead, as concerning their Conſent and Authority; but unto Chriſt, as touching the publiſhing and executing of the Judgement: yea, and the Church alſo ſhall judge, as touching the Allowance and Approbation of this Judgement, whereunto they ſhall then ſubſcribe, Luke 22.30.
What Chriſts coming to Judge both the Quick and the Dead ſignifies:
1. That at the ſecond coming of Chriſt, ſhall follow the renewing of Heaven and Earth.
2. That the ſelf ſame Chriſt ſhall come, who for us was born, ſuffered, and roſe again.
3. That he ſhall come gloriouſly to deliver his Church, whereof I am a Member.
4. That he ſhall come to abject and caſt away the wicked.
The Reaſons why, or cauſes for which Chriſt-Man ſhall be Judge, are theſe:
1. Becauſe the Church is to be glorified by the ſame Mediator, by whom and for whom it was juſtified, Acts 17.31.
2. That we may have comfort and conſolation, knowing him to be our Judge, who hath purchaſed us with his blood.
3. To deliver his Church, and caſt away the wicked.
4. The Juſtice of God, becauſe they have dealt contumeliouſly with the Son of Man, Zech. 12.10.
5. Chriſt-Man muſt be Judge, becauſe he muſt judge men; therefore he muſt be beheld of all: But God is inviſible.
6. That he may the more confound the wicked, his Enemies, who ſhall be forced to behold him their Judge, whom they have ſo much withſtood, ſo wickedly diſhonored.
The Day of the Lord, or the time of Judgement is twofold:
1. General, when Chriſt ſhall come to judge the Quick and the Dead in the end of the world.
2. Particular, at the day of our death, when every particular ſoul muſt appear before the bar of Gods Tribunal, and give an account of what it hath done.
How Chriſt ſhall come to Judgement:
1. Truly, viſibly and locally, not imaginarily, Mat. 24.30.
2. He ſhall come furniſhed and prepared with glory and divine Majeſty, with all the Angels, with the voyce and trump of the Archangel, and with divine Power.
3. The dead ſhall be raiſed, and the living changed.
4. The world ſhall be diſſolved with fire, not annihilated, but purified.
5. He ſhall come ſuddenly, to the great joy and comfort of all his.
How the Devil is ſaid to be already judged, yea and the wicked alſo:
1. By the Decree of God.
2. In the Word of God.
3. In his own Conſcience.
4. As touching the beginning of his Condemnation.
For what cauſes the laſt Judgement ſhall be:
1. The chief and principal cauſe, is the Decree of God.
2. A leſs principal and ſubordinate cauſe, is, both the Salvation of the Elect, who are here vexed, and the Damnation of the wicked, who here do flouriſh.
3. Becauſe of Gods Juſtice, whereof in this life is not a full and perfect execution.
The threefold effect of Chriſts coming to Judgement:
1. A gathering together at the ſound of the Trumpet both of the dead and the living, Dan. 12.2.
2. A ſeperation; the Elect ſhall be ſet at his right hand, the Reprobate at his left, Mat. 25.33.
3. The Judgement it ſelf, the Elect ſhall be with him, the Reprobate ſhall be caſt into Hell, Mat. 25.46.
The execution of the laſt Judgement ſhall be thus:
1. By the force and vertue of the Divine Power of Chriſt.
2. By the Miniſtery of the Angels.
3. The World, Heaven and Earth ſhall be diſſolved by fire at the execution of this Judgement; there ſhall be a change of this preſent ſtate, and a purifying of the creatures, but not a conſuming of them.
4. This change ſhall come ſuddenly.
5. There ſhall be a caſting of the wicked into everlaſting pains, and an advancing of the godly into everlaſting happineſs and glory.
Why God would have us certain of the laſt judgment, viz.
1. In reſpect of his glory, that we may be able to refute Epicures, who account this heavenly doctrine of the divine Judgment to come for a fable.
2. For our comfort, that amidſt our evils and miſeries we may know there ſhall come a time when we ſhall be delivered from this corruption and rottenneſs.
3. That we may retain and keep our ſelves in the fear of God, and our duty, and that others alſo may be reclaimed from evil.
4. That the wicked may be left excuſeleſs, for they are warned ſufficiently that they ſhould be ready at every ſeaſon.
For what Reaſons God would not have us certain of the time of the laſt Judgement:
1. That he might exerciſe our faith and patience.
2. That he might bridle our curioſity.
3. That he might keep us in his fear, in godlineſs, and in exerciſing of our duty.
Why God deferreth the laſt Judgment:
1. To exerciſe Faith, Patience, Hope and Prayer in the godly.
2. That all the Elect may be gathered unto the Church.
3. That he might grant unto all a time and ſpace of Repentance, as at this time, and that he might leave the wicked without excuſe, Rom. 2.4.
There are a certain ſort of people that ſuperſtitiouſly ſit up all night at certain times of the year, fondly, conceiting that Chriſt will come to Judgement on one of theſe nights; but ſuch moſt groſly erre, and that theſe four ways eſpecially:
1. In that they preſcribe certain ſet times for Chriſts coming, whereas no man knoweth it, Mat. 24.36, 42.
2. In that they conceit he ſhall come in the night, from that Text, Luke 17.34. which is uncertain, the night being there taken as a part for the whole, by the figure Synecdoche, and he calleth it the Day, Luke 17.30.
3. In that they imagine, That they which are aſleep when Chriſt cometh, cannot be well prepared to meet him; whereas Repentance maketh the ſoul prepared at all times.
4. In that they interpret the Precept of Watching, to bodily watching of the Eye; whereas it is not meant of that onelyonly, but of the heart alſo.
This Judgement ſhall be in the end of the world, whereof there are three parts, The one before the Law, another under the Law, the third under the Goſpel, or under Chriſt, which is called The end of the world, The end of days, The laſt time, becauſe there ſhall not be ſo long ſpace between Chriſts firſt coming and his ſecond, as was from the beginning of the world unto his firſt coming: But of that day Chriſt himſelf, as Man, knoweth not, Mark 13.32.
Tremble, O Earth; Tremble, and be afraid!
Behold the Son of God, he that was laid
At firſt in Swathing-bands, then in a ſhrowd,
Comes with Thouſands of Angels in a Cloud
To judge both Quick and Dead. Silence! Who may
Language the Joy or Horror of that Day,
When all from Adam ſhall be chang'd, or riſe
To meet their Judge or Savior in the Skies,
To hear the Sentence of Eternal Reſt,
Or that which is too ſad to be expreſs'd.