A Little Cabinet, Section 56 – Section 57
What uſe we may make of all theſe precious things.
1. EXcellent arguments may be drawn to preſ-Chriſtians to a holy life, 2 Pet. 3. 11. ſee ing then that all theſe things muſt be diſſolved, what manner of perſons ought we to be in all holy converſation and godlineſs, and ver. 14. Wherefore ſeeing ye look for ſuch things, give diligence that ye may be found in him in peace; It is our duty to live in a continual expectation of the coming of the Lord Jeſus, with our loins girt, and our lamps burning; for bleſſed is that ſervant, whom his maſter when he cometh ſhall find ſo doing.
2. Conſider that here is a fountain opened for Chriſtian comfort, and ground for patience in all troubles, that there ſhall be an end: a Chriſtians hope ſhall not be cut off: if in this life only we had hope, we were of all men moſt miſerable, 1 Cor. 15. 19. But here lyes the comfort and patience of true Chriſtians; theywait for another world, and they know it is a juſt thing with God to give them reſt after their labours, 2 Theſ. 1. 9. and a crown after their combate, 2 Tim. 4. 8. and after their long Pilgrimage, an everlaſting habitation, 2 Cor. 5. 1. Be patient, ſaith the Apoſtle, and ſettle your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh, James 5. 8. 2 Pet. 2. 9. When they that have ſown in tear ſhall reap in joy, Pſal 126. 5.
3. Conſider, that aſſurance of that bleſſed ſtate may be attained in this life: we know, faith Paul, 2 Cor. 5. 1. That if our earthly houſe of this tabernacle be deſtroyed, we have a building, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens: theſe things, ſaith John, I have written unto you, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, 1 John 5. 13. I am ſure, ſaith Job 19. 25, 26, 27. that my Redeemer liveth, and he ſhall ſtand at the latter day upon the earth, and though after my skin worms deſtroy this body, yet ſhall I ſee God in my fleſh, whom I my ſelf ſhall ſee, and mine eyes ſhall behold: when I awake, ſaith David, I ſhall be ſatisfied with thy Image, Pſal. 17. 15.
4. The conſideration of this ſhould provoke us to be ſuch as may be made meet for this inheritance of the Saints in light, and to endeavour to attain, and retain the earneſt of the Spirit, whence we may be alwaies able to ſay we are confident and willing, rather to be abſent from the body, and to be preſent with the Lord, 2 Cor. 5. 8. and to fill the ſoul with ſtrong conſolation againſt the ſufferings of life, and the fear of death, and to work an anſwerable converſation, that whether abſent or preſent, we may ſo walk, as we may be accepted of him.
5. The conſideration of this ſhould put us upon a patient waiting for, and a longing expectation of our change, which draweth on a pace, and not to put that off as moſt do to the laſt year, and when that is come, to the laſt monethmonth of that year, and then to the laſt week of that monethmonth, and then to the laſt day of that week, and then to the laſt hour of that day, and then to the laſt minute of that hour, and ſo time ſhall be no more, and we ſhall not find repentance, although we ſeek it with tears.
6. Conſider that the cauſe of our ſalvation, and ſo of our glorious condition, is Gods meer love and favour, without any merit of ours, Luke 12. 32. It is our Fathers good pleaſure to give us a Kingdom, Joh. 3. 16. God ſo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten ſon, Epheſ. 2. 8. By grace we are ſaved through faith, and not of our ſelves, it is the gift of God, Rom. 6. 23. everlaſting life is the gift of God; and though eternal life be called a reward, yet it is not of merit, but of mercy; let this be grounded in our hearts, that the Kingdom of heaven is not a ſtipend of ſervants, but an inheritance of Sons, which they only obtain, that lay hold on his mercy, Romans 5. 8. compared with 1 Tim. 6. 12. and 19.
2. Now as hath been ſaid, as the love of God is the cauſe of our ſalvation, fo Jeſus Chriſt is the way, Joh. 10. 9. Joh 14. 6.
3, The holy Spirit is the guide in that way, as in Joh. 16. 13.
4. The Scriptures of truth is the rule, Gal. 6. 16. Iſa. 8. 20.
5. The evidence of this ſalvation is faith, Heb. 11. 1.
It is true, the inſtrumental cauſe, offering and proclaiming ſalvation is the Goſpel; but the inſtrumental receiving and applying it is faith, and the cauſe ſealing it inwardly to our ſouls, is the Spirit of God; the external and inſtrumental ſeals thereof are the two confirming Ordinances, Baptiſm, and the Lords Supper.
6. The anchor of this ſalvation is hope, Heb. 6. 19.
7. The effects of this ſalvation is love to God, becauſe he loved us firſt; and a holy converſation; if ye love me ſaith Chriſt, keep my commandments; and they that have believed in Chriſt, muſt be careful to maintain good works, which are found and required in the way to the Kingdom, but they are not the cauſe of reigning.
Of the end of the world.
THE conſequents of the laſt judgement is life eternal in heaven or hell, and the end of the world: having finiſhed the former, let me point to the latter, and I have finiſhed what I intended: we read Mat. 24. 3. that Peter, James, John and Andrew, Mark. 13. 3. came to Chriſt and deſired him to ſatisfie them in theſe three queſtions.
1. Concerning the deſtruction of Jeruſalem and the Temple.
2. Concerning Chriſts ſecond coming, and the ſigns thereof.
3. Concerning the end of the world, &c.
The anſwer to the firſt queſtion is from ver. 4. to ver. 23.
The anſwer to the ſecond is from ver. 24. to ver. 36.
The anſwer to the third queſtion is from ver. 36. to the end of that Chapter.
In which Chriſt tels them that the very day and hour no man knoweth; that day is hidden from us, that we might not be ſecure, but alwayes prepared, expecting the day of his coming, and hope for it, and have a ſpecial care, that that certain uncertain hour come not upon us unawares, Luke 12. 40.
The end of the world is the deſtruction of this viſible univerſe: as the wicked are thruſt into hell, and the godly entred into heaven: this is called the conſummation of the world, it ſhall be deſtroyed by fire, 2 Pet. 3. 6, 7, 10, 12, &c. but what kind of fire this is, he only knows, who is himſelf a conſuming fire.
Some underſtand that this world ſhall be deſtroyed only in its quality, others in its ſubſtance; they who think it ſhall be deſtroyed only in qualities, mean a purging, and reſtauration of it to its primitive inſtitution.
But the reader may do well to take notice, that it is one thing to be reſtored and changed into a better ſtate, and another thing to wax old like a garment, and to vaniſh like ſmoak, to be diſſolved, to melt, to be burned, to paſs away, to be no more, as theſe Scriptures affirm, 1 Cor. 7. 31. Pſal. 102. 26, 27. and Heb. 1. 11. Iſa. 51. 6. Mat. 24. 35. 2 Pet. 3. 7, 10, 12. Rev. 21. 1.
FINIS.