A Treatise of Christian Religion, Chapter 57
CHAP. 57.
Of the execution of Gods Iudgement.
Herein note the
Eternall death and miſerie of the wicked.
Perfect bleſſednes of the godly,
Common to all
Freedome from all euill.
Fruition of all good.
Speciall.
MATTH. chap. 25. verſ. 46.
And theſe ſhall goe away into euerlaſting puniſhment: but the righteous into life eternall.
DAN. chap. 12. verſ. 2. 3.
2. And many of them that ſleepe in the duſt of the earth ſhal awake, ſome to euerlaſting life, and ſome to ſhame and euerlaſting contempt.
3. And they that be wiſe ſhall ſhine as the brightneſſe of the firmament, and they that turne many to righteouſneſſe, as the ſtarres for euer and euer.
Q. HItherto of the ſentence of the Iudge; the execution of it followeth: what is the order thereof?
A. Contrary to the order of the ſentences, for it ſhall begin at the wicked. And this is agreeable to the Deut. 25.order of iuſtice, which the Lord appointeth in the Law, that the malefactors ſhould bee executed in the eye of the Iudge.
Q. What then are the parts of this execution?
A. The eternall death and miſerie of the wicked, and the eternall life and perfect bleſſedneſſe of the godly.
Q. How ſhall the eternall death of the wicked be effected?
A. The Angell of God ſhall preſently take and Mat. 13. 49. 50. & 22. 13.binde them and caſt them to hell.
Q. What ſhall their eſtate be in hell?
A. They ſhal for euer be ſeparated from the bleſſed preſence of God, they ſhal bee ſhut vp into vtter darknes, where ſhal be nothing but horror and confuſion, Eſay 66. 44. Apoc. 22. 8. Mat. 9. 22.weeping, and wailing, & gnaſhing of teeth, and hauehave their portion with the diuell and his angels, in a lake (burning vnquenchably) of fire and brimſtone.
Q. What is the bleſſedneſſe of the godly?
A. That is ſet forth by the Prophet, Dan. 12. 2. 3. where is alſo touched the ſhame and confuſion that ſhall befall the wicked.
Q. VVhat is the ſcope of this place?
A. The ſcope of the Prophet is, to hold the faithful afflicted in a conſtant courſe of duty and obedience to the Lord, by conſideration of the rich reward of the godly, and fearfull puniſhment of the wicked, at the ſecond and glorious comming of Chriſt.
Q. It ſeemeth by the word many, that all ſhall not riſe?
A. There ſeemeth indeed to bee ſome aduantage giuen to the Iewes, who imagine that there is no reſurrection of the wicked; which notwithſtanding is manifeſtly confuted, euen by this place it ſelfe, where it is ſaid, that many ſhall awake to ſhame euerlaſting.
Q. How then is this to be taken?
A. It is taken ſeuerally by it ſelfe, as one whole which is diuided into his parts: As if hee ſhould ſay, an infinite number ſhall awake; an infinite or a great number of iuſt; and an infinite or great number of the wicked. And the like forme of ſpeech to this is vſed of the Apoſtle, Rom. 5. verſ. 15. 19. he ſaith, that many are dead by the ſinne of Adam; and yet in the eighteenth verſe he ſheweth, that by thoſe many, hee meaneth all; and ſo ſpeaketh that all were condemned in Adam: likewiſe in the eighteenth verſe it is ſaid, that the benefit of Chriſts death commeth to all; meaning the faithfull, that by faith are one with Chriſt, as wee were all naturally with Adam; yet in the 15. and 19. verſes, thoſe that he called all, he tearmeth many. Although if he ſpeake of the wicked by themſelues, and of the godly by themſelues, it may bee truly ſaid, that neither all the wicked, nor all the godly ſhall awake out of the duſt: becauſe ſome of both ſorts ſhall not die, but be changed onelyonly.1. Cor. 15. 51.
Q. VVhat doe you conſider in this text?
A. The perfect happineſſe of the good.
Q. VVhat doth this text teach concerning the ſame?
A. Two things: the firſt, of the happineſſe which is common to all the good, in the ſecond verſe; and the other of the ſpeciall happineſſe that ſome ſhall hauehave aboue their fellowes, in the third.
Q. From whence commeth this happineſſe, both common and ſpeciall?
A. From our communication and participation Reu. 21. 3.with God in Chriſt, which is ſet forth by this, that God will dwell with vsus, & we with him: & by a ſimilitude of eating and drinking with him; and eating of Reu. 3. 20. Mat. 26. 29. Reuel. 2. 7. 17. Reuel. 3. 5. & 2. 26. 27.the tree of life, and of the hidden Manna; glorious clothes of rule and dominion.
Q. VVherein ſtandeth the happineſſe common to all?
A. Partly in freedome from all euill; and partly in the enioying of the fulneſſe of that which is good.
Q. How is the firſt ſet forth?
A. He ſhall wipe away all teares, there ſhall bee no Reuel. 21. 4. & 22. 3. 5.more death; no ſickneſſe, no ſorrow, no crying, no labour, no darkneſſe; no not ſo much as the danger or Reuel. 21. 25.perill, or feare of any euill: the gates ſhall not be ſhut; and therefore in their minds and ſoules, they ſhall bee free from all thoſe affections that hauehave any paine ioyned with them; as wrath, mercy, pitie, compaſſion, feare, care, repentance, and ſuch like.
Q. How is the enioying of good things laid forth?
A. Wee may conſider it, either by that which is without, or elſe that within vsus.
Q. How conſider you that which is without?
A. The place which they ſhall bee in, for the pleaſant Pſal. 15. 1. Reuel. 21. 10.ſituation, likened to a high hill, as that which is aboue the ſtarres; for the delicacie of it compared to Paradiſe; called for the certainty and worth therof an inheritance and crowne immortall, incorruptible, vndefiled, 1. Pet. 1. 4. Reuel. 22.and that which withereth not, and the glory of it is deſcribed at large.
Q. How elſe?
A. By the companie we ſhall hauehave, and fellowſhip Heb. 12. 22. 23 24. 2. Theſſ. 2. 1. Mark 9. 5. 6.with the Saints and Angels; in which reſpect eternall life is ſet forth; partly by being with Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob: and the Apoſtle adiureth vsus by the great aſſemblie. And we ſee what delight the Apoſtles took to ſee Moſes and Elias, ſo as they would faine hauehave had them tarried with them, although through their infirmitie, they were afraid of the ſight of them: how much more then ſhall the ioy bee, when wee ſhall behold their glory, without all feare and aſtoniſhment!
And ſpecially, in beholding, euen with their bodily eyes, the glory of our Sauiour Chriſt, from whom alſo commeth all the good of the Saints and Angels Iohn 17. 24. 1. John 3. 2. Reuel. 22. 4.we ſhall delight in, as alſo the Father, and holy Ghoſt, with the eyes of their ſoules.
Q. Hitherto of the happineſſe and good without them. What is that which is in themſelues?
A. In their bodies; and then in their ſoules.
Q. How ſhall they be in their bodies?
A. They ſhall be made conformable vntounto the glorious body of our Sauiour Chriſt, whoſe glory hath Philip. 3. 21.been told before. And therfore they are ſaid that they ſhall ſhine as the Sunne. So that Abſaloms beautifull Mat. 13. 43. 2. Sam. 14. 25.bodie, which had neuer ſpot or wenne in it, from the top of the head, to the ſole of the foot, is but a ſhadow of that beautie and comelineſſe that ſhall be in the bodies of the Saints.
Q. How in their ſoules?
A. Their knowledge ſhall be perfect; for wee ſhall 1. Cor. 13. 10.—12.know, as we are knowne. Which is ſet out by compariſon of the leſſe: that our knowledge then ſhall differ from that now, as the knowledge of a child, differeth from the knowledge of a perfect man; & as the knowledge by a glaſſe, differeth from the knowledge by ſeeing the thing it ſelfe: and as knowledge of a plaine ſpeech, from that which is a riddle. And as the knowledge is perfect; ſo the vnderſtanding and memorie.
Q. How further?
A. Their holineſſe ſhall be perfect, and alſo their louelove.1. Cor. 13. 12.
Q. What is the meaſure and quantity of this good which all the elect ſhall enioy?
A. It is vnſpeakably great; ſuch as neither eye hath ſeene, eare hath heard, not hath entred into the minde Eſay 64. 4. 1. Cor. 2. 9. Reuel. 2. 17.of any, and which none but God knoweth, and hee which doth enioy them.
Q. Hitherto of the felicity common to all. VVhat is that which is ſpeciall?
A. It is deſcribed in the third verſe, where hee ſaith, Dan. 12. 3.that thoſe that hauehave taught many, and iuſtified many; or (as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh) ſaued many; that is, hauehave 1. Tim. 4. 16.been the Lords good inſtruments to ſaue many, ſhall ſhine as the firmament, and as the principall ſtarres, & be preferred before thoſe whom they hauehave taught: for if the skill of interpreting a matter, do lighten and Eccleſ. 8. 1.cauſe the face to ſhine in this life; it will much more cauſe it to ſhine in the life to come.
Q. Shall all teachers hauehave one glory?
A. No: for as here it is ſaid that the Miniſters ſhall 1. Cor. 3. 8.excell others: ſo it is elſewhere declared that one Teacher ſhall hauehave greater glory then another: as hee that planteth and layeth the ground-worke, more then hee that watereth and buildeth vponupon it.
Q. But amongst thoſe that are no Miniſters, ſhall not there be difference of glory?
A. Yes: as the Martyrs ſhall bee preferred before the reſt; for eueryevery one ſhall not bee a pillar in the Reuel. 3. 12.Church: and as eueryevery one hath gone beyond others in right vſe of the gifts beſtowed vponupon him; ſo he ſhall Luk. 19. 17. 18.receiue his reward, more or leſſe.
Q. But it ſeemeth this doctrine ſhould argue ſome want in thoſe that hauehave leſſe.
A. None at all: for all ſhall bee full of glory, although one hauehave more then another: as a veſſell containing a gallon, is as full for the bigneſſe, as that which containeth ten; and the foot may (for the proportion of a foot) bee as beautifull as the hand, although it hauehave not ſo much beauty in it as the hand, which would be no grace in the body.
Q. But this doctrine ſeemeth neceſſarily to draw merit with it?
A. Net ſo: for albeit they receiue according to their workes, yet they receiue it not for their workes. And as God beſtowing greater graces vponupon one heere in this life, more then vponupon another, is not therefore eſteemed to hauehave beſtowed them in regard of merit: ſo in beſtowing greater glory in the life to come, vponupon one more then another, is not to be eſteemed to doe it for merit; but that which hee doth, is onelyonly of meere and free grace in Ieſus Chriſt, in and through whoſe merits hee beſtoweth vponupon his elect the degrees of bleſſedneſſe aforeſaid, as it hath been formerly taught vntounto vsus: Wherefore to him alone, and to his meere mercy bee giuen all the praiſe and glory for euer. Amen.
FINIS.