Contentment Leading a Christian, Treatise 1 · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. Of Grave and Iudg…ment, and Contentment therein.
THe last personall evill, which Ground… of Contentmēt about the Grave and last Iudgement 1is horrible to nature, is the grave and last judgement. But godlinesse quieteth the heart against all such terrors, thus.
First, that by these two wee are raised, as by two stayres, to the fruition of full happinesse. For whereas there be three degrees of life eternall;
The first; when wee begin to repent and beleeve, which is the beginning of it;
The second at the day of death, which entreth the soule into eternall happinesse, and prepareth the body to be partaker also of it:
The third is at the day of judgement, when soule and body re-united enjoy God as he is, in eternall glory.
Secondly, because the union between 2Christ and the Christian lasteth, and cannot be dissolved when death dissolveth all naturall bonds: for the bond is mysticall and spirituall, neither knitteth the soule onelyonly to Christ the Head, but the body also even the whole person: so as the bodies of the faithfull, being dead and turned into dust many thousand yeres agoe remaine the members of Christ; still cared for by the Head, and preserved to be made like to his glorious body, by that mighty power whereby hee is able to subdue all things to him selfe, Phil. 3. 21. In the winter, all the sap being in the root, there appeares no difference betweene a living tree and a dead: but in the spring there is a sap which will ascend, and revive the decayed branches. So our bodies turned not to nothing, but to dust, and devoured, by beasts, fishes, or the elements, seeme to bee perished, but by reason of the former union must bee raised, and partake of the glorious life of Christ.
Thirdly, as the death of the god ly is a quiet sleep, so the grave is a resting chamber, yea a sweet bed perfumed by Christs buriall for the bodies of all the Elect; out of which they must awake (for the earth and sea must give up their dead) and bee admitted into the presence of God, and of Christ. Neither can the grave ever hold under the members of Christ, no more then it could their Head: but as he gloriously rose againe from the dead, so shall they in glory and immortality. Much lesse can the grave destroy the body, of which Christ hath said, O grave, I will bee thy Hos. 13. 14.destruction: nor so disguise it, but that with these eyes wee shall see the Lord, and in that glorious vision shall become glorious, Iob 19. 25. The darknesse of the grave makes it the fitter for sleep.
Fourthly, the Beleever need not 4 Confidēce in the last judgement, whence. 1feate the last judgement.
1 Seeing Christ is the Iudge. If the kinde husuand may bee the Wives Iudge, sheee need not feare.
2 The Iudge of all the world 2cannot but do righteously. He cannot condemne those whom himselfe hath by his bloud redeemed and justified, Rom. 8. 1. there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ.
3 It is the wicked man that cannot 3stand in judgement: his wicked conscience covers him with confusion. But the godly on that day attaine their full redemption, Luke 21. 28. When yee see these …ings, Psal. 1. 5.then lift up your heads; for the day of your redemption draweth neere. The day of Pharaohs drowning was Israels deliverance. The day of hanging Pharaohs Baker, was the lifting up of the Butlers head.
4 Christ did not therefore carry our sinnes, to lay them againe upon 4us. He was not made a curse for us, to returne the curse upon us. Hee was not condemned to death, to condemne us: nor made himselfe a sacrifice for sinne, that we should remaine guilty; but that we might receive the sentence of absolution and blessednesse, Mat. 25. 34. Come yee blessed of my Father, possesse the Kingdome prepared for you from the begin…ing of the world. Where is to be observed, that Christ makes mention Note.of many good workes performed by the Saints, Yee gave mee to eat and to drinke, yee clothed mee, and visited mee; but never reckons up any of their sinnes, for that they are washed away in his bloud, and covered with the robe of his mercy.