The Whole Body of Religion, Chapter 29
CHAP. XXIX. Of the glorious coming of the Lord Jeſus to judge the living and the dead.
DOCTRINE. I. That the dead being raiſ'd and the living chang'd at the coming of the Lord Ieſus from Heaven, Chriſt will immediately ſhew himſelf in the Clouds to be ſeen by all, and all the faithfull ſhall goe meet him in the aire.
WE believe that at the coming of the Lord Jeſus, the reſurrection of the dead being performed by the miniſtry of Angels, they that are then alive ſhall not die, but ſhall be inſtantly changed into the ſame condition with them that are raiſed; and then Chriſt, being returned from heaven to the Clouds to judge and paſſe ſentence upon all, will exhibit himſelf to be ſeen by all men; and being attended with his Angels and appearing in his majeſtie and glory; all the godly ſhall be tranſlated from earth even to the heaven of the Clouds to meet him,Mat 24.3. & 25.31. 1 Theſ. 5.1. &c. according as Chriſt himſelf and the Apoſtles have taught and left a recorded.
DOCT. II. That Chriſt will viſibly move from place to place, and ſo with a viſible, locall and finite body.
THerefore we believe that Chriſt will ſo return viſibly, as before he aſcended from earth to heaven in the ſight of his Apoſtles, and that he will return from that heaven wherein he now is, and which is conſequently diſtant from the Clouds to which he ſhall deſcend, and from the earth: and ſo we believe he will deſcend with his natural body, that it is neceſſary the ſame ſhould be local and finite and therefore not ubiquitary; ſeeing ſuch a deſcending is by the holy Ghoſt deſcribed to the ſimple people, as is not poſſible to be made without mutation of place.
DOCT. III. That the reprobate unbelievers ſhall not go unto Chriſt ſitting in the clouds, but remaining upon the earth shall heare the ſentence of the Iudge.
BUt whereas the Scripture pronunces only of the godly, that they ſhall be ſnatched up into the Clouds and goe meet Chriſt in the aire, we believe that the wicked ſhall not go unto Chriſt but remaining under his feet, heare the ſentence of the Judge,1 Cor. 6.2, 3. Goe ye Curſed into eternall fire; all the Saints which ſhall be in the aire with Chriſt approving the ſentence according to the opinion of the Apoſtle a that the Saints ſhall judge the world & the Angels.
DOCT. IV. For what Cauſes that univerſall judgement is appointed.
WE believe that that judgement, wherein Chriſt ſhall judge all, being made viſible to all, is appointed chiefly, for two reaſons; firſt, to the end that thoſe things which are now hid unto men, aſwell innocence faith and good conſcience of the godly as the hypocriſie and crimes of the wicked may be layd open to the whole world, and thereby it may moſt evidently appeare at the laſt how juſt the judgements of God have alwaies been: whence that day is called by the ApoſtleaRom. 2.5. the day of revelation. Secondly, that the recompenſe of good works promiſed to the good, and of bad to the bad may be rendred fully to every one, according to that of the Apoſtle, We muſt all appeare before the judgement ſeat of Chriſt, 2 Cor. 5.10.that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad: whence it is called by the ſame Apoſtle cRom. 2.5.The day of the righteous judgement of God.
DOCT. V. That eternall life, which is given to the elect, is called, and is a reward, but al together fully beſtowed, & in no manner due to us, ſaving through Chriſt.
FOr although what the elect ſhall then receive is the meer gift of God obtained by the merits of Chriſt alone, yet we are not ignorant that it is, and is truly called a reward ſeeing; the Lord Ieſus hath daigned to give it that term, namely a free reward, & ſeeing even the good works of the godly, & all the cauſes from whence they proceed, are the free gifts of God, free election, free redemption, free calling, faith, juſtification, regeneration, forgivneſs of ſins, & laſtly the pardoning of the defects and weakneſſes wherewith our good works themſelves are attended, & on the other ſide the free imputation of the perfect obedience of Chriſt, by which our imperfect is cloathed and rendred moſt acceptable to God; ſo that it followes, that if we will ſpeak properly, the reward is not due to us, for our own works ſake conſider'd in themſelves, but only for the imputed merits of Chriſt.
DOCT. VI. That judgement being ended, the godly ſhall immediately be in heaven with Chriſt, and the wicked in hell with the Devil and his Angels.
MOreover, we believe that immediately after that judgement the godly ſhall follow Chriſt into heaven, and the wicked with the Devils ſhall be thruſt into hell: Chriſt ſaying unto thoſe, Come ye bleſſed of my Father; but to theſe, Goe ye curſed into fire everlaſting.
DOCT. VII. That that day ſhall be moſt joyfull to the godly, and therefore to be deſir'd; but to the wicked moſt ſad, and ſo intolerable to them even to hear of it.
SO we believe that laſt day will be to them who are grafted into Chriſt moſt happy and joyfull, and that therefore it is beloved & wiſhed for by them, and ſo ought to be deſired and loved by us, but the moſt unhappy and ſad of all to the wicked; whence it is no wonder that they hate that day,2 Tim. 4.8. and cannot endure the mention of it.
DOCT. VIII. Errours.
1. WE condemn thoſe who deny that Chriſt is truly and really in his humane body to deſcend from heaven to the clouds, and from thence to return into heaven with the elect, but maintain that all this ſhall be without any mutation of place, only by a ſort of appearance, as they call it, and diſappearance; who are contradicted by ſayings of Angels to the Apoſtles,aActs 1.11. As ye have ſeen him aſcending into heaven, ſo ſhall he come. 2. We diſſent from thoſe who teach that works of godlineſſe conſider'd in themſelves are the true cauſe for which eternall life is given, and are the true deſerts of the ſame; the Apoſtle being of the contrary opinion, and ſaying,bRom. 6, 2…. The gift of God is life eternall. Neither do we approve the opinion of the C…iliaſts concerning a thouſand years, wherein after judgement Chriſt ſhall converſe with his elect in this world, who ſhall live in the delights of the fleſh, but ſuch as are ſeemly, and ſhall beget iſſue, but holy, and at length be tranſlated into heaven. 4. We condemn and abominate their errour, who hold that the fire into which the wicked are ſent, ſhall be in time extinct; ſo that even all the devils that live happily in the kingdome of God, contrary to the expreſſe words of Chriſt,aMatt. 25.41. Go into eternall fire.