The Whole Body of Religion, Chapter 30
CHAP XXX. Of life Eternall.
DOCTRINE I. That all shall receive eternall life who by their good works shall have teſtified that they were truly ingrafted into Chriſt, and believed in Chriſt.
THerefore we believe that at laſt, eternall life, that is, a full and perfect poſſeſſion of life eternall, ſhall be given in that laſt day to all who by the evident works of true faith and piety ſhall be openly declared before all Angels and men, moſt clearly demonſtrated and by the ſentence of Chriſt the Iudge, be pronounced to have been truly ingrafted into Chriſt by the holy ſpirit, and ſo to have believed in God the Father, in his Son Ieſus Chriſt and in the holy Ghoſt, to have been living members of the holy Church, and to have had communion with all the Saints, and to have obained remiſſion of their ſins; the Lord himſelf teaching this, who ſaith,aMat. 25, 34, &c. that he will ſay unto thoſe that are on his right hand, Come ye bleſſed of my Father enter into the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred and; ye gave me to eat. &c.
DOCT. II. The foregoing doctrine confirmed, and that life eternall is given not in conſideration of our works, but through Christ, in whom we are freely elected, bleſſed, and made the ſons of God.
FOr in theſe words the Lord ſeemeth to have declared unto us that our good works are the evidences of our election, bleſſing, adoption, and ſo of right an inheritance; but that the cauſe for which we ſhall obtain life eternall and the poſſeſſion of the kingdome of heaven, is, partly for that even before the foundation of the world, that is, before we had done any good, that kingdome was freely prepared for us through Chriſt,Eph. 1.3. partly for that we a have been bleſſed by the Father, with all ſpirituall bleſsing in Christ, and ſo called by grace, juſtified, obtained forgiveneſſe of our ſins, ſanctified, and adopted to be the ſons of God through the ſame Chriſt, and regenerated by his ſpirit, whereby we are made coheirs of that kingdome.
Therefore foraſmuch as the Lord will remember works of piety, we do not queſtion but he doth the ſame that it may be manifeſt to the whole world, that we have truly been bleſſed, elected, juſt children of God, to whom the inheritance was due, according to that of the Apoſtle, If children, then heirs: but that we are the children of God is declared by regeneration, and regeneration by the effects of regeneration, which are the works of faith and piety.
DOCT. III. That as the life of the godly ſhall be eternall, ſo alſo the pains and fire of the wicked ſhall be eternall.
BUt as we believe that the children of God ſhall obtain life eternall, ſo alſo we confeſſe that hypocrites and all the wicked ſhall goe into eternall fire, never to be extinguiſh'd,Mat. 25.48. and there be tormented for ever, when Chriſt ſhall openly ſay, Go ye into eternall fire.
DOCT. IV. That it can neither be expreſs'd nor conceiv'd how happy that eternall life ſhall be.
BUt what that life is, and after what manner and how great the felicity which is ſignify'd by the name of the kingdome of heaven, we confeſſe ingenuouſly with the Apoſtle, that neither eye hath ſeen it, 1 Co…. 2.9.nor ear heard it, nor hath it entred into the heart of man, being a thing greater and of more excellency then that it can be comprehended by human underſtanding, and of ſuch happineſſe that greater cannot fall within our deſires. Therefore we ſimply believe, we who are of Chriſt, we are ruled by his Spirit, who depend on his word, and who place all our confidence of ſalvation in him, that all ſhall be moſt happy, and all ſhine like the Sun in the ſight of God,Mat. 13.43. 1 Cor 11 12. Phil. 1.23. that we ſhall ſee God as he is, and all live a heavenly and divine life with Chriſt and his Angels, freed from all ſin, all miſery, all evil, without any more ſorrow, without fear, with out want or deſire of any thing, becauſe God will be all in all, 1 Cor. 15.28. Apoc. 22.3, 4, &c.and we ſhall ſee his face, and in that city there ſhall be no night, nor shall there be need of any candle or light of the Sun, becauſe the Lord God ſhall give us light, and we ſhall reign for ever and ever with Chriſt Ieſus our head Spouſe, Saviour. Lord, to whom praiſe, honour and glory for evermore. Amen.
FINIS