A Treatise of Christian Religion, Chapter 53
CHAP. 53.
Of the day of Iudgement in generall.
2. PET. chap. 3. verſ. 3. to the 12.
3. Knowing this firſt, that there ſhall come in the laſt daies, ſcoffers, walking after their owne luſts,
4. And ſaying, Where is the promiſe of his comming? For ſince the Fathers fell aſleepe, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
5. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heauens were of old, and the earth ſtanding out of the water, and in the water:
6. Whereby the world that then was, being ouerflowed with water, periſhed.
7. But the heauens and the earth which are now, by the ſame word are kept in ſtore, reſerued vntounto fire againſt the day of iudgment, and perdition of vngodly men.
8. But (beloued) be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thouſand yeeres, and a thouſand yeeres as one day.
9. The Lord is not ſlacke concerning his promiſe (as ſome men count ſlackneſſe) but is long-ſuffering to vsus-ward, not willing that any ſhould periſh, but that all ſhould come to repentance.
10. But the day of the Lord will come as a theefe in the night, in the which the heauens ſhall paſſe away with a great noyſe, and the elements ſhall melt with feruent heate, the earth alſo and the workes that are therein ſhall be burnt vp.
11. Seeing then that all theſe things ſhall be diſſolued, What manner of perſons ought yee to bee in all holy conuerſation and godlineſſe,
12. Looking for, and haſting vntounto the comming of the day of God, wherein the heauens being on fire ſhall bee diſſolued, and the elements ſhall melt with feruent heate?
Q. HAuing ſpoken at large of the gouernment of Chriſt in this world: what followeth?
A. His gouernment in the day of Iudgement.
Q. What is the day of Iudgement?
A. It is the day appointed of God for the generall Act. 17. 31.Iudgement of all men, concerning their euerlaſting eſtate.
Q. Is there not iuſt cauſe giuen to doubt thereof, ſeeing God hath delayed it ſo long?
A. No, for to take away all doubt thereof out of Reuel. 10. 6.our minds, our Sauiour Chriſt hath not onelyonly often told of it; but hath alſo ſworne it ſhall be.
Q. But if there bee an end of the world, then it and the Gen. 8. 21. 2. Pet. 3. 4.things therein ſhould by little and little weare away and conſume; but they doe not ſeeme ſo to decay, for that they remaine as they were from the beginning of the Creation; therefore (it may ſeeme) the world ſhall hauehave no end.
A. So indeed it ſeemed to ſome in the Apoſtles times, and ſeemeth ſtill to vaine and wicked men; but we ſhall bee free from any ſuch wicked and erroneous conceit, if we take heed to the words of the Prophets, and the commandement of the Apoſtles, of the Lord our Sauiour, as the Apoſtle Peter teacheth here.
Q. How doth he confute this godleſſe conceit out of the Scripture?
A. Firſt, by affirming that the heauens and earth being created by the word and will of God in a ſmall time, may alſo in a ſmall time be changed.
Secondly, by denying that the world hath continued alwaies the ſame it was at the beginning of the creatiō, in as much as the earth (by water in the flood) was couered in a ſhort time, and by the ſame reaſon, may in a ſhort time be conſumed by fire.
Q. But it ſeemeth that this promiſe of his comming faileth, for that he hath ſaid, he would come ſhortly, when notwithſtanding, more then 1600. yeeres are paſt, ſince that promiſe came out.
A. The ſhortneſſe of the time muſt not bee meaſured 2 Pet. 3. 8.by our eſtimation, becauſe wee are of ſmall endurance here in this world; but it muſt bee meaſured by the iudgement of God, with whom a thouſand yeers are but as one day.
Q. Howbeit, it ſeemeth that hee ſhould haſten that day more then hee doth, for the aduantage of thoſe that bee his, conſidering that they are euill handled here in the world.
A. There are two cauſes of this delay: one, that all that is prophecied, eſpecially in the booke of Reuelation may be fulfilled: the other, that none of the elect ſhould periſh: ſo that it is for the aduantage of thoſe who are his, that their Lord maketh no more haſt; which ought to make vsus patiently to wait for his comming.
Q. Is there yet any further reaſon for the confutation of that godleſſe opinion?
A. Yea, for in that our Sauiour Chriſt hath declared, that his comming ſhould bee ſudden, as the thiefe in Mat. 24. 42. 44.the night, that errour is confuted; for it would not bee ſo, if things ſhould decay by little and little.