Remains, Class 1 · Part 4
IV. The Reſurrection of the Dead, and Eternal Judgement.
THis theſe Babes do believe with an operative Faith, which hath an influence upon their practice and Converſation, and ſo denotes a further attainment of theirs; they do not only ſubmit to Ordinances for a time, the time of their Life, but they believe another Life after this is over, and that time is but a forerunner of and Prophet for Eternity. Faith is for Eternity: The belief of a Reſurrection ſuppoſeth dying, and Eternal Judgement ſuppoſeth that man is to be accountable for his living here in time, and that as he Sowes he ſhall Reap: He believes and is Baptized to no purpoſe that doth not believe an after and Eternal ſtate, a… the Apoſt…e concludes, 1 Cor. 15. So then the Babes in Chriſt do not only repent from dead works, or only act Faith towards God, or ſubmit to Ordinances and do duties, but they alſo believe the Reſurrection of the Dead, and Eternal Judgement, and they that do no not believe this are not new-born… nor are or can be called Babes in Chriſt. The Faith of and in Jeſus is for E…ernity, and not only for this L…te, for then were true Chriſtians of all men moſt miſerable, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks.
I intend not any large or long Diſcourſe about the Reſurrection and Judgement to come, but only ſo much as ſerves to our preſent purpoſe, viz. to ſhew the attainment of Babes, in relation to which I ſhall briefly inquire, 1. What Reſurrection and Judgement is here meant. And 2. how the belief of this doth influence Babes, and what that attainment is which reſults from it.
1. What Reſurrection, &c. is here meant. We may in the firſt place here underſtand the Reſurrection of Chriſt from the Dead, by which we are begotten again to a lively hope, or hope o… life, 1 Pet. 1.3. And when the Apoſtle reckons up the grounds of our rejoycing in Chriſt Jeſus, as being by him freed from condemnation, he puts a rather upon his Reſurrection, Rom. 8.34. And when he writes to the Corinthian-Babes about the Reſurrection, he begin with this as the foundation of all, that Chriſt died and roſe again, 1 Cor. 15.3, 4. and thence proves the general Reſurrection, Verſ. 12, &c. Agreeably and in a correſpendent ſenſe to this, by the Eternal Judgement, we may underſtand that the Judgement concerning mens Eternal conditions is committed to Chriſt: that he (who is raiſed and is the Reſurrection) will raiſe the dead, and Judge the dead to their Eternal ſtates after he hath raiſed them; ſee Acts 10.41, 42. and 17.31 2 Tim. 4.1. But for fear (and indeed I do fear) that Babes may not have ſo diſtinct and exact a knowledge of this, as other Saints have, I ſhall pitch upon another ſenſe and fix in it. 'Tis this,
That Babes do in the general believe that there ſhall be a Reſurrection of all perſons unto Judgement, and a Judgement of all perſons to an Eternal (good or evil) ſtate, (and therefore 'tis called an Eternal Judgement) according to Joh. 5.28, 29. The time is coming in the which all that are in the Graves ſhall hear his (the Son of mans) voice and ſhall come forth, they that have done good to the Reſurrection of Life, and they that have done evil unto the Reſurrection of Damnation (ſee Matth. 25.31,—46. Rom. 2.6,—16. 2 Cor. 5,—10.) They ſhall come forth, there is the Reſurrection; to life or damnation, there is the Eternal Judgement. There are many ſpecial things about the Reſurrection, &c. which the Babes are not very capable of, and of which I ſhall ſay nothing now, but this, they do believe in the general that ſuch a thing there will infallibly be as a future Eternal ſtate of happineſs or miſery to men, according to what they have done in this life: and they that believe not this are but falſely called Chriſtians, or by the favour of a Synecdoche, which puts a part for the whole. A Saint not believing a life to come, is no leſs than a contradiction.
Object. But perhaps 'twill be objected that a man may be in Chriſt though but a Babe and as carnal, and yet not believe this doctrine of the Reſurrection, for among theſe Corinthian-Babes ſome it ſeems did not own it, 1 Cor. 15.12.
Anſw. To this I Anſwer, That by the ſame among you may not be meant the Corinthians themſelves (for 'tis not ſaid ſome of you) but falſe teachers that came among them; who were (it may be) worſe and more infidels than Hymeneus and Philetus, who ſaid the Reſurrection was paſt already, 2 Tim. 2.18. For theſe ſaid there was none at all; which indeed was to deny Chriſt to be riſen, and he that doth ſo, cannot be a Chriſtian, not a Babe in Chriſt; but in this Faith that Chriſt was riſen the Corinthians did ſtand, 1 Cor. 15.1, 4. therefore I conceive they were ſome among them, but not of them, as 1 Joh. 2.19 (however the foundation of God ſtandeth ſure, 2 Tim. 2.19. which is ſpoken upon a reſembling occaſion) and the Apoſtle doth not ſpeak this ſo much by way of charge as caution, of accuſation as warning, Verſ. 34. I ſpeak this foreign to your warning, that you may fear and beware of ſuch Sadducees who have not the knowledge of God nor Scripture, Matth. 22.29. and whoſe evil words and Epicurean language is apt to beget ill manners. So that notwithſtanding this Objection 'tis clear enough, that he cannot be a true Chriſtian, no, not of the loweſt Form, who believes not the Reſurrection of the Dead and Eternal Judgement. I ſhall therefore paſs on to ſhew how the belief of this doth influence Babes and what attainment reſults from it.
2. The Attainment of Babes from this beliet, is, that they tremble at this Word of God, which is a bleſſed frame, Iſa. 66.2. If the hearing of it make wicked men many times to tremble as it did Felix, Acts 24… 25. If the ſenſe of an after ſtate make men pray, as Ba…un did, Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my afterward (ſo the Hebrew) he … theirs, Numb. 13.10. How much better influence hath it on Babes in Chriſt? this trembling of theirs is of great uſe to the working out their Salvation, Phil. 2.12. it makes them wary and cautious not to run with others to the ſame exceſs of riot, &c. 1 Pet. 4.3.—5. it hath an influence as to diſſwade from ſin, ſo to perſwade to duty; Knowing the terrour of the Lord… (with reference to Judgement) we perſwade men, 2 Cor. 5.10, 11. The conſideration of a future Judgement awes the moſt eminent Saints, as it did Job. Chap. 1.14. and 23. and David, Pſal. 119.120. but it makes Babes eſpecially to tremble; becauſe they are yet without aſſurance of Eternal welfare: Perfect Love caſteth out fear and hath boidneſs in the day of Judgement, 1 Joh. 4.17, 18. but poor Babes are all their life long, ſubject to more or leſs bondage by the fear of death and Judgement, Heb. 2.14, 15. And this though Chriſt have died, for want of particular application of it to themſelves; which grown …aints have attained to and can therefore challenge and brave death it ſelf, as Paul did, Ram. 8.34,—39. 1 Cor. 15.55, 57. and can deſire rather than fear to die, Phil. 1.23. Heb. 11.35. 2 Cor. 4.16,—18. But,
Babes are fearful; yet God makes uſe of this fear and trembling to many and great uſes for their good and his glory: it lays a great reſtraint upon them as to ſin, and (as love doth others) it conſtrains them to obedience. Therefore our Saviour ſpeaks to their own Principle, Fear him that can deſtroy both Body …nd Soul in H…, Matth. 10.28. And ſaith Paul, 2 Cor. 5.10, 11. we perſwade men, even poor Babes, who walk as men, and are got but a little beyond natural men; terrour perſwades with natural men, put them in fear that they may know they are but men, Pſal. 9.20. and they ſcarce know God or acknowledge him but by the Judgements which he executes, Verſ. 16. Now that which is of moſt uſe to perſwade men, is of moſt uſe to perſwade Babes, who are as carnal, and walk as men, 1 Cor. 3.1, 3. 'Tis worth our while to take notice what and how many things are back't by this Argument of judgement to come and the terrour of the Lord. I will but touch them.
1. 'Tis an Argument to provoke to Repentance, Acts 17.30, 31. And this is Babes milk, which they are perſwaded to take by this Argument, that there will be a Judgement Day.
2. 'Tis an Argument for Faith and Baptiſm too, as they are conjoyned here, and Mark 16.16. He that believeth and is Baptized ſhall be ſaved, but he that believeth not ſhall be damned: the fear of this dreadful after-clap of damnation drives many in to Faith and Baptiſm. It perſwades men to fear God and keep his commands, Eccl 12.13. this perſwades men to be moderate in the uſe of worldly injoyments, which belong to the ſenſual and animal life, Eccl. 11.9, 10. Luke 21.34,—36. It perſwades men to embrace and improve Goſpel opportunities and the means of grace, as our Savour hints, Matth. 11.20,—24. It perſwades men not to cenſure, judge, deſpiſe and revile one another (which Babes are apt to do, 1 Cor. 3.3. 1 Pet. 2.1, 2.) I ſay it perſwades them not to do ſuch things, Jam. 4.11, 12. Rom. 14.10. 1 Cor. 4.3,—5. 1 Pet. 4.4, 5. with Jude 15. It perſwades to patience, Jam. 5.8. It perſwades to abide in Chriſt Jeſus, and not to Apoſtatize, 1 Joh. 2.28. It perſwades men to watch and be ready, Mat. 24. and 1 Theſ. 5.1,—7. In a word 'tis a very powerful Argument to engage to every duty and to ſerve God acceptably, 2 Cor. 5 9, 10. 2 Tim. 4.1, 2. Heb. 12.28, 29.
Thus we ſee of what huge uſe it is to believe the doctrine of the Reſurrection and Eternal Judgement, as Babes do; and do it with fear and trembling. 'Tis true indeed that love (which acts the more grown Saints) is the more generous and noble principle, yet fear is of great uſe too, for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wiſdom, as love is the fulfilling of the Law; and under the Old Teſtament (when men were generally Babes) Religion is as much expreſt by and called fear, as under the New Teſtament 'tis by Faith and Love: which two Babes are not wholly deſtitute of, though they be acted moſt by fear. The Babes Faith is a fearful Faith, which argues its imperfection; but the grown Saints fear is full of Faith which is an Argument of its perfection: for it loves to pleaſe the God it fears, and fears to offend the God it loves. Self preſervation is natural to men, and fear hath is great influence on men to avoid what will hurt them, as love hath to do what will preſerve them. 'Tis true, fear hath torment (which perfect love caſts out) but yet it tends to the eſcaping of a greater torment, and is therefore not a little uſeful to the ſtate of Babes. This then is that which Babes attain to by believing the Reſurrection and Eternal Judgement, that they tremble at Gods Word of threatning, and work out their Salvation with fear and trembling. But leſt they ſhould fear and tremble more than need, I ſhall ſpeak to them a little by way of
Application.
COme poor Babes, you that tremble at the Word of God, and ſerve him though it be with fear, hear this for your Conſolation, that the high and lofty one who dwelleth in the high and holy place, doth not deſpiſe ſuch a trembling ſoul but will dwell with it, Iſa. 66.2. Jer. 3.13.Be not afraid of the Reſurrection nor of Judgement, 'twill be an happy day for thee, read it they ſelf what is ſaid 1 Theſ. 4.13,—18. and 5.1,—11. thou haſt a friend in the Court of Heaven, Jeſus Chriſt thine Advocate, and he 'tis that ſhall be thy Jodge, who to be ſure will not condemn any that are in him, although they be but Babes. He will remem… thy… b…ur of little love, Heb. 6.9, 10. as thou ma…ſ… him telling the… af…rehand, Matth. 25.34,—37. where thou haſt that he remember what thou haſt for …, and placeth tha… account, which it may be thou … worth nothing. He is ſo … he will remember no more, but he is ſo righteous that he will not forget thy labour of love, no nor thy fear; for he hath a Book of remembrance written for them that feared the Lord and thought (mark that) that did think (and it may be could do little more than) think upon his name, Mal. 3.16.
Well then as the wicked ſhould rejoyce with trembling, Pſal. 2. do thou tremble with rejoycing. Abide in him, keep cloſe to him whom thou haſt choſen for thy Saviour, and thou ſhalt not be aſhamed before him at his coming, 1 Joh. 2.28. Be ſtedfaſt and immoveable, yea abound alwaies in the work of the Lord, for thy labour ſhall not be in vain (at the Reſurrection) 1 Cor. 15.58. In the mean time live as one that looks for and haſtens to the coming of the Lord, 2 Pet. 3.11, 12. and ſeeing he will come (without ſin) a Saviour, and change thy vile body, and make it like to his moſt glorious Body, let not only thine affections, but converſation be in Heaven, Col. 3.1,—4. Phil. 3.20, 21. which no man is or can be that doth not believe the Reſurrection and Eternal Judgement. Be glad therefore and bleſs God who hath given thee this Milk, and taught thee to take it in, for elſe thou hadſt been ſtill without God (foreign) in the world: yea, and in the world to come; which will be a world of happineſs to thee and all Saints, who have not their portion of good in this life (as the wicked have) but 'tis reſerved for them to be theirs, at the Reſurrection and Eternal Judgement. So much for the attainments of Babes from this Text.