Heavens Treasury Opened, Principle 6
The ſixt Principle: All men ſhall riſe with their bodies to judgement, the godly ſhall inherit the kingdome of Heaven, but reprobates and unbeleevers ſhall bee caſt into hell fire with the Devill and his angels.
Qu WHat are we to obſerve out of this Principle?
A. Two things;
1. The judgement. 2. The reward of every man: In the judgement we muſt obſerve two things: Firſt, the preparation to this judgement, that is the reſurrection.
2. The judgement it ſelfe.
Q. What is reſurrection?
A. It is the re-uniting and knitting the ſoule and body together, that were ſeparated by death.
Q. Why is it neceſſary that there muſt be a reſurrection?
A. There are two grounds; one is taken from the juſtice, another from the mercy of God. Wicked men they have the happineſſe of this life, and therefore they muſt have miſery in the life to come, elſe God were not juſt.
Againe, the godly are here in miſery, and they that ſhould be moſt reſpected, have the worſt entertainment, therefore they muſt have a happineſſe in heaven. So the Author to the Heb. ſaith, God is juſt that he ſhould not forget their labour of love. And the Apoſtle to the Theſſal. It is a righteous thing to render peace to you: it were unjuſt if they did not ſee ſome good dayes. Abraham tels Dives, Son, remember thou in thy life time receivedſt thy pleaſure, and Lazarus paines; therefore now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. It was the ſpeech of Maſter Greenham, that wicked men have ſome good in them, therefore God gives them outward things, but they have an infinite evill, therefore they muſt periſh eternally.
Secondly, Gods mercy hath promiſed heaven to his ſervants, therefore there muſt be a Reſurrection; heaven is not here. There be two ſorts of men that ſhall be judged: Firſt, thoſe that dye; Secondly, thoſe that live when Chriſt ſhall come.
Q. How doe the godly riſe againe?
A. By Chriſts Reſurrection, becauſe Chriſt was dead, and they are his members; Chriſt being their Surety: and whatſoever he doth, he doth it not for himſelfe, but for them.
Q. How ſhall it be with the godly when Chriſt ſhall come?
A. They ſhall be freed from all ſinne and weakneſſe of body.
Q. Shall the ſame bodies ariſe?
A. Yea the ſame; God ſhall gather together all the elect: He that is able to make all things of nothing, is able to raiſe men, and gather them out of the duſt; for it is leſſer to repaire a thing of the matter that it is made of, then to make a thing of nothing.
Q. But is there no change in regard of ſubſtance?
A. OnelyOnly this: The qualities & conditions of the body ſhall be altered, the body ſhall be incorruptible, immortall, whereas here we are ſubject to death and diſeaſes.
Secondly, the body ſhall bee ſpirituall; that is, there ſhall be no dependance upon any outward comforts. Here we muſt uſe meat and drink for preſervation of our lives; but there ſhall be no need of them. The Sadduces told Chriſt, Such an one had ſeven brethren, and they all married one woman one after another; now ſay they, In the Reſurrection whoſe ſhall this wife be? and Chriſt ſaid to them, Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures; for in heaven they neither eate nor drinke, marrie, nor give in marriage, but are as the Angels; they need no meat nor apparel: So the godly ſhall be there.
3. All imperfections and weakneſſes ſhall then be taken away; If a man dyes ſick, he ſhall be whole when he riſes againe; If a man be lame, or if he were born blind, or if one dyed being a child, all theſe ſhall be taken away then.
Object. But it ſeemes it ſhall not be the ſame body; for if a man ſhall have every limbe, and be perfect in every part, how can theſe things ſtand together?
Anſ. There is nothing added to the ſubſtance of the body, but only changed and increaſed; it is in the nature of many things to increaſe, when as nothing is added unto them: As may be obſerved in an Onyon, take a great Onyon, and hang it up in the houſe, and it will grow bigger and bigger; what is the cauſe of it? not becauſe any thing is added, but becauſe it ſpeads it ſelfe further; ſo then there ſhall be no new body, but the ſame ſubſtance enlarged and increaſed.
Q. But how comes it to paſſe that there ſhall be a change?
A. By the immediate and immutuable aſſiſtance of Gods upholding and ſupporting the body.
Q. What change ſhall there be of the ſoule?
A. The wicked ſhall be changed frō evil to worſe, there is ſin in thē here, but there is ſome reſtraining grace, either feare or profit prevails with them now, and keeps them from ſin, but there ſhall be no reſtraining grace at all, but al ſin then. 2. There Gods wrath ſhall be powred in a fuller meaſure then now.
1. But the godly ſoules ſhall be freed from all ſinne and corruption that is now in them. 2. They ſhall have eternall life, and poſſeſſe God himſelfe as it were fully.
Vſe. How ſhould this ſtirre us up to thirſt after the day of our reſurrection! here we have ſin and cannot doe good, but there all ſinne ſhall be taken away.
It ſhould comfort Gods ſervants, though it fare ill with them in this life, yet they ſhall be freed from all afflictions and miſeries one day.
Paul ſaith, If a Chriſtians hope were in this life onelyonly, he were of all men moſt miſerable; for who are purſued, who are hated more then they?
Now come we to ſpeake of the laſt judgement, wherein obſerve;
1. There muſt be a day of judgment.
2. The perſons that muſt come to judgement.
3. The manner of judgement.
4. Who ſhall proceed therein.
1. It is called the day of judgement, as the time of the Goſpell is the day of ſalvation, and the time of affliction the day of viſitation: So here the particular time God hath appointed to judge all men, is called the day of judgement; It is called alſo the laſt day, becauſe it ſhall be the laſt, and all others prepare to this; It is alſo called the Generall judgement, then all ſhall be judge, even thoſe that judge others here.
Q. Why is it neceſſary there muſt be a judgement? it ſeems there need not be a judgement, for the godly are now acquitted, and wicked men are condemned already in their own conſciences, that flie in their faces; why therefore muſt there be a judgment?
A. God doth it for theſe two reaſons;
1. That his glory might he more manifeſt, even the glory of his juſtice; for what a great glory is it, which all ſhall confeſſe, even the devils and damned, that God is juſt in all his proceedings againſt them?
2. That Chriſts glory might be made manifeſt; here he was judged, but then hee ſhall be Judge.
Q. When ſhall the day of judgement come? what ſhall be the time of it?
A. For the particular time no man knowes; onelyonly we muſt conceive thus much,
1. That Antichriſt muſt bee deſtroyed before.
2. The Jewes muſt imbrace the truth, and both Iewes and Gentiles muſt profeſſe the truth;
after this there muſt be an univerſall declining; as Chriſt ſaith, As it was in the daies of Noah, ſo now at Chriſts comming there ſhall be a wonderfull and fearefull declining, then it will be time for God to come.
Q. What uſe may we make of this?
A. It is a ground of patience to the godly, let the wicked judge as they will, there will be another judgement, ſaith Paul, I paſſe not to be judged of you: So we when wee are wronged and trod upon ſhould lift up our eyes and call to mind the laſt judgement, then our cauſes ſhall be heard, and we ſhall be righted.
Q. Who muſt be judged?
A. Every man, high and low, rich or poore, all are lyable.
1. God that created every man, and hath given them ſeverall talents, may juſtly call them to an account for the ſame.
2. God is only wiſe, knowing how to do it, and able to bring all men to judgement; how ſhould this awe us from ſin, as God ſaith, Rejoice and take thy pleaſure, but remember for all theſe things thou ſhalt come to judgement.
Q. But for what ſhall we be called to an account?
A. The Apoſtle Paul ſaith, for what ever is done in the fleſh: Thoſe that diſhonour God, hee will puniſh; and thoſe which honor him, he will recompence.
Q. By what rule muſt every one be judged?
A. By the Law, not by the Goſpel, becauſe all men have the Law given them, Rom. 1.24. the Law is engraven in our hearts, that wee may be without excuſe; but every one hath not heard the Goſpel; many Nations and people have not heard of Chriſt, therefore they can make their plea, when God ſhal ſay, Why did you not beleeve in Chriſt and the Goſpel? Why Lord, ſay they, we never heard of Chriſt. 2. This judgement will be cleare and open. When as wicked men ſhall be condemned by their works, God can then ſay, Have you not done thus and thus, committed theſe and theſe ſinnes? Have I not ſeen you? As Eliſha ſaid to his ſervant Gehaſi, Hath not my heart gone with thee? S… God may ſay, Did not I ſee you do ſuch a thing? Then will hypocrites be made known; Gods juſtice will much appeare when the ungodly ſhall ſee their own wayes have ruined them.
Object. If this be ſo, then no man ſhall have a reward of glory.
A. There is a difference between juſtification and glorification, a man muſt be juſtified and ſanctified before hee can performe any thing which God accepts. Now juſtification is by Chriſt, but glorification by workes. There is a two fold obedience, Legall and Evangelicall, legally no man can obey God, (that is) in every point we cannot ſerve him ſo abſolutely and exactly as the Law requires.
Q. What is the difference between Legall and Evangelicall obedience?
Anſ.
1. The Law layeth hold on a man, and bindes him to perfect and perſonall obedience.
2. If a man can obey the Law, he may merit ſalvation; had Adam but obeyed the Lord in every point, as the Law required, hee might have challenged heaven, for that ſaith, Doe, and live.
But now the Goſpel
1. takes away the rigour of the Law;
2. It doth not require exact obedience, but ſincerity; the will and endeavor, which is taken for the deed.
3. A Chriſtian obeyeth God in his Surety;
4. By way of thankfulneſſe, not to merit: he that merits muſt bring ſomething in himſelfe, but we have nothing.
1. This is a ground of exceeding comfort to Gods people; though their abilities be not great, yet if they are ſincere in heart, they may be comforted. It matters not how the world judgeth us, we ſtand not, nor fall to men, but to God: and therefore David being ſtandered by his malicious enemies, ſaith, Iudge we according to my righteouſneſſe; he was ſtandered as an Hypocrite, yet he deſireth God that he would look upon him according to the ſincerity of his heart. This comforted Hezekiah upon his death-bed, Remember, ſaith he, O Lord, how I have walked before thee with an upright heart.
2. It ſerves for terrour to all diſſemblers, ſeeing God will judge them according to their workes, there's no tricks to be uſed then: Here they labour to bleare the eyes of men, and to carry faire weather before them, that none can ſay black is their eye: But God ſhall unbowell all, and ſay, This is the man who had ſuch cunning deviſes that men might not take notice of him, that had ſecret corners to commit ſinne in, &c. 3. It ſhould teach us to abound in holy duties, becauſe we ſhall be judged by them; ſet ſomewhat every day upon the ſcore, not to labour for profit, but to abound in godlineſſe. It is better to abound in duty then commodity; for a man ſhall be rewarded, not for that a man ſaith, but for that which a man hath done in the fleſh; labour then to abound in piety, that ſo your reward may be great, only look you do it uprightly, conſidering God be thy Judge.
O. But it is ſaid, The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement to the Sonne.
A. God doth put it over to Chriſt and gives him power to judge the world: As the King is ſaid to judge when others receive Authority from him to doe it.
Q. Why ſhall Chriſt judge all men?
A. That Chriſts glory might be knowne; here he was judged, but then hee ſhall judge, which is a ground of much comfort to Gods ſervants, ſeeing Chriſt that is their Saviour ſhall be their Judge.
Q. How ſhall Gods proceedings be?
A. By Books, as Iohn ſaith, Rew. 20.12. I ſaw the Books opened: there are two books, the book of Conſcience, and the book of Gods Preſcience, the Conſcience it is a thouſand witneſſes, & God is ten thouſand; ſo then there are eleven thouſand witneſſes againſt a man: His conſcience will ſay, Are you a profeſſor, and will you do thus & thus? And if our conſcience accuſe us, God is greater then our conſcience; Hee will ſet our ſins in order before us, and ſay, Look here, doe you not ſee your pride and filthines? God will write our ſins in the palms of our hands, that we may take notice of them, he will diſcover all that ever we did, to us. Now come wee to the ſentence it ſelfe.
1. Upon the wicked, Depart from me yee curſed into everlaſting fire with the Devill and his angels: Herein we muſt conſider 2. things,
1. The puniſhment of loſſe.
2. The puniſhment of ſence; the puniſhment of loſſe, depart from me; wicked men muſt bee baniſhed from Gods preſence.
Ob. But David ſaith, Pſ. 139. If I go into heaven, thou art there; if I goe downe into the deep, thou art there; How then are the wicked ſeparated from God?
Anſ. They cannot depart from the preſence of his anger and power; but they neither find nor feele the work of any of Gods comfortable Attributes: God is mercifull, but this is nothing to them: Hee that hath not God, cannot have any reſt. Who is it that gives us reſt by our ſleep, but God in ſleep? ſo who is it that ſtrengthens us by meat, but God in meat? &c.
But now they wanting God, muſt needs be miſerable withall: They ſhall be utterly out of hope to attaine happineſſe and life; there ſhall bee ſalvation, but none for them, they have nothing to do with it, and this is the greateſt miſery of the damned in hell, that they are ſeparated from the preſence of God.
2. The puniſhment of ſoule, that is, they muſt be caſt into hell fire, which is ſet forth by two things:
1. The worm ſhall never dye.
2. The fire never goeth out.
1. The worme is the ſting of conſcience, that is compared to a worme, for as a worme gnaweth a man continually, ſo conſcience is continually gnawing a mans heart.
2. They ſhall be caſt into hell fire, that is, they ſhall bee filled with the vengeance of God, they have here but a drop of it, as it were; if we conſider all the puniſhments that all the men of the world have had and ſuffered, they are nothing to this, but as a flea-biting in compariſon of this: That which is the worſt, their wickedneſſe ſhall increaſe daily, though they be full of Gods vengeance, yet their ſin ſhall increaſe it ſtill.
Q. But if the wicked are full of Gods vengeance, how can their puniſhments be increaſed?
A. They ſhall every day be made more capable of bearing puniſhment: As a glaſſe, though it bee full, yet if it be made bigger, it will hold more: So, though a man bee full of miſery, yet by ſinne he ſhall be made capable to ſuffer more and more. It ſhall be eternall, there ſhall be no end of their miſery, for their puniſhment ſhall encreaaſe daily, ſo that a man ſhall be a Devill incarnate, as it were.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Hooker, Heavens Treasury Opened (1645)