Declaration of the Chief Points of Christian Religion, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Of the laſt and full execution and accompliſhment of Gods eternall counſell, aſwel towards the elect as the reprobate.
FOraſmuch as God is iuſtice it ſelfe, it is neceſſary that he ſhould ſaue the iuſt, The full execution of Gods counſell.and condemne the vniuſt. Now they amongſt men are onelyonly iuſt, who beeing by faith ioyned to Chriſt 1, grafted 2. rooted in him 3, & made one body with him 4, are iuſtified and ſanctified in him, and by him: whereof it followeth, that the glorie to the which they are deſtinate 5, to the glory of God 6. appertaineth to them as by a certaine right or title. On the other part, they vvhichwhich remaine in Adams pollution, and death, are iuſtly hated of GOD: and ſo condemned by him, not excepting ſo much as them vvhichwhich die before they ſinne, as Adam did 7. But both theſe maners of executing Gods iudgements, aſwel in theſe, as in the other which are elected, are in three ſorts: In the elect.whereof we hauehave already declared the firſt. For the elect in that ſame moment that they hauehave receiued the gift of faith hauehave after a certain ſort paſſed frō death to life 8, whereof they hauehave a ſure pledge 9. But this their life is hid in Chriſt, till this corporall death make them to ſtep a degree further, and that the ſoule being looſed out of the bands of the bodie, enter into the ioy of the Lord. Finally, in the day appointed to iudge the quicke and the dead 11, when that which is corruptible and mortall, ſhal be clad with incorruptibleneſſe and immortalitie and GOD ſhall bee all, in all things, then they ſhall ſee his maieſtie face to face, and ſhall ſurely enioy that vnſpeakeable comfort and ioy, which before all beginning was prepared for thē; which is alſo the reward that is due to the righteouſneſſe and holineſſe of Chriſt: who was giuen for their ſinnes, & rayſed againe from death for their iuſtification: by whoſe vertue and ſpirit, they hauehave proceeded and gone forward from faith to faith, as ſhall manifeſtly appeare by the whole courſe of their life, & good works 12. Whereas altogether contrary, the reprobate, conceiued, borne, In the reprobate.and brought vp in ſin, death, and wrath of God 13, when they depart out of this world they fall into another gulfe of deſtruction, & their ſoules are plūged in that endleſs pa…tie 14, vntill the day come that their bodies and ſoules being ioyned againe, they ſhall enter into euerlaſting fire, which is prepared for the diuel & his Angels 15.
Then by theſe two wayes (which are cleane contrarie one to another) the laſt iſſue and end of Gods iudgements ſhall ſet forth manifeſtlie his glory to all men, foraſmuch The glory of God.as in his elect he ſhall declare him ſelfe moſt iuſt, and moſt mercifull. Moſt iuſt I ſay, for Perfectly iuſt, & perfectly mercifull.that he hath puniſhed vvith extreame rigor and ſeueritie the ſinnes of his elect in the perſon of his Sonne, neither did receiue them into the felowſhip of his glory, before he had fully & perfectly iuſtified and ſanctified them in his ſonne: And moſt mercifull, foraſmuch as hee freely appointed with himſelfe to elect them, and according as he had purpoſed, choſe them freely in his Son, by calling, iuſtifying, and glorifying them, by meanes of that ſame faith, which he had giuen them through the ſame grace and merciemercy.
On the other ſide, touching God is perfectly iuſt.the reprobate, their corruption and infidelitie, with ſuch fruites as come thereof, and teſtimony of their owne conſcience, ſhall ſo reproue and accuſe thē, that although they reſiſt & kick againſt the prick: yet the moſt perfit iuſtice of God ſhal be manifeſt and ſhine by all mens confeſſion, in their iuſt condemnation.