in dying thou shalt die And so I pass to the second Reason to prove That Adams sin did not make him guilty of nor liable to the second Death which is Reas 2. Because Adam had no second life promised neither had he need of it while he stood in his Innocency and only a second life presupposeth a second death for a man cannot lose more than he hath to loose which was but only one life for the other came by Jesus Christ who did by death abolish death and brought life and immortality to light to which add this That if Christ had not died and also risen from the dead there had been no Resurrection and then having no second life there had been no second death for as by Man came Death so by Man came the Resurrection from the Dead So then it was Gods love to give man life and put him into that happy condition in Paradice but it was mans sin that brought death and a deprivation from that happy estate and condition it was Gods renewed love and unsearchable wisdom and mercy to bring man out of that Condition by a Resurrection from the Dead to a second life and happy estate but it is mans unsufferable perpetual wickedness which brings upon him the second death for this is THE condemnation that Light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light Joh. 3. And thus we see that there was no second life in Paradise to be lost and therefore that sin purchased not the second death And so I pass to the Third Reason to prove That Adams sin did not make him guilty of the second death which is Reas 3. Thirdly Because if Adam had been guilty of the second death and that was the death intended where it is said in dying thou shalt die then Gods Justice had not been satisfied unless Adam had died the second death and all that were made guilty by that sin but none did die the second death for that sin committed in Paradise although the first death or a change which is as death passeth upon the Righteous as well as the Wicked and that if they had been made guilty of the second death they should also have died the second death is because the Scripture saith That God will by no means clear the guilty Exod. 34.7 But if God did send Christ to take away the second death so that many taste it not and none taste it for that sin committed in Paradise Rom. 5.18 then God did use a means to clear the guilty and so his word is Yea and Nay and not Yea and Amen but it being the guilt of the first death God spares not his own pretious Ones but we must needs die and be as water spilt upon the ground which cannot be gathered neither doth God respect the Person of any man yet he hath used a means that his banished shall not be for ever expelled from him 2 Sam. 14.14 and in this sense man must die for that sin and so Justice satisfied and so gives way to Mercy And thus I pass to the Fourth Reason to prove That the sin committed in Paradise made not Adam guilty and liable to the second death which is Reas 4. Fourthly Because it argues a change in God in what he hath absolutely Decreed for God did absolutely decree That if Adam did eat that he should surely die and Adam did eat Therefore if that death that God threatned to inflict upon Adam were the second death as some say then God changeth in what he did absolutely Decree for Adam and his are not damned for that sin as is clear from many texts of Scripture as Rom. 5. c. Add this also It makes God to be a Liar and the Devil to speak the Truth which were blasphemy to assert for as God said That if Adam eat he should die so the Devil said They should not die now if this be the second Death there mentioned and Adam not die that death and yet did eat judge who it was that spoke the Truth but it being the first death that God intended in that place Gods Word was fulfilled Adam did so die and so Gods Word was true and the Devil was a liar from the beginning But saith my Antagonist God may alter in his threatnings as in Nineveh and Hezekiah and the like but my Antagonist knows well that I have given him such an Answer unto it that he is not able to Answer time will not suffer me hear to repeat it read my former Book only this in short Consider that before God sent Jonah to Nineveh to proclaim forty dayes and Nineveh shall be destroyed he did decree and declare it That in what instant he spake as touching the destroying of a People if they did repent then he also would repent of the evil that he said he would bring upon them Jer. 18. but Nineveh did repent and proclaim a Fast and therefore God was engaged according to his Word not to destroy them but the case was not so with Adam And also Hezekiah did repent and humbled himself with mourning and so God was constrained to hear and answer his desire according to his Word Hence he had Mercy on the House of Ahab when he humbled himself yet God changeth not in what he hath Decreed but doth Decree to alter the Dispensation of Mercy and Justice according to his Creatures actings And thus I leave the Objection having Answered it before and also the Reason and come now to the Fifth Reason to prove That Adams sin did not make him guilty of or liable to the second death which is Reas 5. Fifthly Because Adam was but a natural man and had but a natural life and yet should have lived for ever by eating of the Tree of Life had he not sinned but when he had sinned and thereby deprived himself of the Tree of Life then in respect of Mortality he had no prehemenence above the Beast of the field Eccles 3.18 19 20. And that he was but a natural man read 1 Cor. 15.44 45. Moreover know as aforesaid That there was no Promise of a second life till after the Fall and therefore God could not threaten man with the loss of that which he had not given or promised to give unto him and therefore that sin in Paradise could not make Adam guilty of the second death because he never had a second life or a promise of it in the state of Innocency neither sinned he against the new Covenant or God manifest in Christ which brought the second life and therefore not guilty of the second death And so I pass to the Sixth and last Reason to prove That Adams sin made him not guilty of the second death neither was that death intended by God either in the threatning or in the sentence Reas 6. Sixthly and Lastly Because that death which entered into the world by Adams sin passed and reigned over all men from Adam to Moses Rom.
must not be meddled with The sum of all is this First That there is many things used amongst the Sons of Men pretending Worship to God which is abomination unto the Lord and yet no text of Scripture forbidding in so many words saying Thou shalt not do so And Secondly Whereas it hath been affirmed That there is no Example or Command for Women to Eat the Lords Supper It 's false for there is a plain Precept 1 Cor. 11.28 in these words Let a man examine himself and so let him eat which is Preceptory that is He must examine himself and so he must eat The word LET is preceptory Object But if it be Objected that the Text saith Let a Man Examine himself and let a Man eat Answ I Answer It is read in the Greek Let a Man or Woman examine themselves See 1 Cor. 11.28 the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a Woman as well as a Man and thus the Woman is to be understood implyed in many places although not mentioned in our Translation as well as the man And so it is said Gen. 5.2 That God made them Male and Female and blessed them and called THEIR name Adam And thus you may see that God hath not left us to be guided by blind Consequences but hath left us a plain Rule And as many as walk according to it Peace be unto them and Mercy upon all the Israel of God So then there being many things practised pretending Worshipping of God and are vain and yet not forbidden in so many words Thou shalt not do it So that these may see themselves Answered which hopes that Infants Baptism may be lawful because the Scripture no where saith Thou shalt not Baptize thy Children neither is it any where Thou shalt not Baptize thy Books and Bells and yet to do it is to practise a Tradition of Man in the Service of God and unlawful And thus I pass from this Objection and also from this Subject of Discourse and come to the next which is that of Original Sin Some Objections ANSWERED TOUCHING Original Sinne. AS touching Original Sin there hath been a great Controversie Whether it made Adam and his Posterity guilty and liable to the Second Death or to the First only or to both And it being the main Controversie between me and my Antagonist I thought good to give my Opinion further upon it and to Answer such Objections as are offered by my Adversary and possibly some others as time will admit of and my Way or Method to make the Matter plain shall be by laying down this Position which is Position 1. That the Sin which Adam committed in Paradice did not make him and his guilty of and liable to the Second Death Which I shall prove by several plain and evident Reasons drawn from the Scriptures but before I speak unto it be informed what I mean by the second Death and that is the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone which the Scripture calls the second Death Revel 20.14 for I do beleeve that the Wages of Sin is Death but as there is a twofold Covenant so there is a twofold death viz. a first and second Death And that sin in Paradice made Adam and his guilty of the first Death but sin against God manifest in Christ makes man guilty and liable to the second death And so I come to the Reasons to prove That Adams sin in Paradice did not make him and his guilty of and liable to the second Death And so to the First Reason which is Reas 1. Because God did neither threaten the second death neither did he pronounce a second death or any thing of that nature in the Sentence but the first death only with sorrow labor and such like things as the punishment due to that sin And first we may read the threatning Gen. 2.17 in these words But of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die or in dying thou shalt die Well for all this threatning Adam did eat and thereby did transgress Gods Law whereupon God goeth on to pass sentence upon Adam according to what he threatned to bring upon him if he did eat and transgress his Law and his sentence sheweth what death it was that he threatned which was the first death only and not so much as one tittle intimated of the second death in the sentence as you may read Chap. 3.17 18. in these words And unto Adam he said Because thou hast hearkned unto the voice of thy Wife and hast eat of the Tree whereof I commanded thee saying Thou shalt not eat of it Cursed is the ground for thy sake Thorns and Thistles shall it bring forth unto thee in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return to the ground for out of it was thou taken Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return From whence we may see that there is not so much as a tittle of a second death but only the first death Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return that was to be the end of all Object But it is Objected and said That the death mentioned in the threatning must be understood a death of the Soul for ever or a second death because Adam died not in his body or the bodily death that day which he sinned but lived many dayes afterwards Answ In Answer to this Objection Consider these two things The First is That one day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day 2 Pet. 3.8 And Adam lived not a thousand years nor no man ever did and therefore Adam upon Gods account died the same day which day in Gods account is a thousand years which no man as before said ever attained to and so died according to what God threatned within the compass or time of the Day In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die And Secondly God that seeth all things at once and calls things that shall be as if they were saw Adam dead the same hour that he sinned and he was as really dead in Gods account as Christ was a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world or as Abrabam Isaac and Jacob living in a state of Resurrection when God appeared to Moses in the bush Matth. 22.30 31 32. And thus much briefly to the first Objection the second is Object 2. What is meant by the Hebrew word saith my Antagonist in dying thou shalt die Answ To which I Answer and say That so soon as Adam had sinned he was mortalized and in a dying condition never continuing in one stay but in the midst of life subject to drop into the dust and so in being in a dying condition till he did return to dust it was said in dying he should die that is he should be dying till he was dead and this is meant by the word
from him for Christ hath destroyed him that had power over death which is the Devil and hath delivered us by Resurrection who by the reason of the fear of death were kept in slavery all our life long For nothing would be so troublesome to the godly as the thought of death were it not for a Resurrection but saith the Lord I will ransome them from the power of the grave I will redeem them from death O Death I will be thy Plague O Grave I will be thy destruction He will swallow up death in victory and the Lord will wipe away tears from all faces Hosea 13.14 Isa 25.8 2 Sam. 14.14 Heb. 2.14 From these Reasons and Scriptures and many more which might be added we may clearly see That the dead namely such as do now and shall sleep in the dust shall arise both good and bad and come to Judgment And now courteous Reader seeing it is so that the dead as before said must arise and come to Judgment be exhorted to take up that good resolution with the holy man Job 14.14 which saith If a man die shall he live again then all the dayes of my appointed time will I wait till my change come giving thanks alwayes to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away Therefore gird up the lines of thy mind waiting for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ who will change our vile bodies and fashion them like unto his glorious body according to his promise and mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself who hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to light To whom be praise and glory for ever and ever Amen 1 Pet. 1.3 Phil. 3.20 21. 2 Tim. 1.10 Secondly take this word of advice by way of Caution which is take heed and beware of giving heed to such as do deny the Resurrection of whom there is two sorts now in our dayes as there was in the Apostles dayes the one sort is like unto the Saduces Mat. 22.23 which deny that there is any Resurrection Angels or Spirits viz. God or Devil Heaven or Hell of that sort is the Ranter and his adherents and such like Athiestical Spirits And the other are like unto HYMENEVS and PHILETVS 2 Tim. 2.17 18. who say that the Resurrection is already past whose words eat as doth a canker and of this sort is the Quakers who doth affirm that he is already risen from the dead and in the Resurrection and so the Resurrection is past to him who denyeth iniquity in words in the history and yet heaps up iniquity upon iniquity in the mystery And these are the two sorts which may fitly be compared unto the Sect of the Saduces and to Hymeneus and Phyletus and I do not report the things whereof I write by hear-say but from their own mouths the more is the pitty and to be lamented These two sorts differ in manners or conversation but very little in Judgment in point of doctrine unless it be in that of conversation as before said the which if they had the conversation of Angels and yet so corrupt in principle the Scripture declares them to be in a cursed and miserable condition Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. Col. 2.18 19. Acts. 3.23 24. And indeed the conversation of many of them is bad enough although they disfigure their faces and seem unto men to fast from sin and to be more righteous then others yet they have been seen to want that special duty of prayer in their families and giving thanks in the presence of their Families for their food which God hath bestowed on them although Christ and the Apostle did not neglect to do their duty in that case to lead us an example but no more as to this I shall leave it until the day in the which God will try the wayes of the sons of men and discover all deceit and falsehood of what nature soever it be But as touching the opinion about Gods holy Ordinances by which he hath appointed to be worshipped in is sleighted and rejected by them as water-Baptisme and eating of Bread and drinking of Wine solemnly celebrated to set forth Christs death and a participation of the benefit thereof with the slightings of forms as they call them although God delight in nothing which is out of form and order as the host of Heaven and earth doth declare who when God found them without form and void did by his word put them in form and order and gave decrees to the Sea and ordinances unto the Sun Moon and Stars and they keep them so that God delights in form and order and also is a God of order in all the Churches of the Saints hence Saint Paul commended form Rom. 6.17 18. in these words But ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered unto you being therefore made free from sin ye became the servants of Righteousness c. From whence you may see That those men which do slight and deny forms in our dayes have not received that Spirit which was in the Apostle but another Spirit even the Spirit of error although it strive to transform it self into an Angel of light that thereby it may deceive the hearts of the simple for men are got to this height of wickedness in the mystery as to think that they comprehend all things and so consequently are Gods but they shall die like men for their breath is in their nostrils yet talk of what you will almost it is in them as they say as the first Adam and the second and God and also the Serpent slain within them the tree of life and the tree of knowledg the judgment seat Heaven and Hell Mount Zion and the new Jerusalem the two witnesses and what not they have comprehended all these things as they say but alass they die and in the very same time their thoughts perish and they are chased and gone like a vision of the night Mark one peece of horrible pride of Spirit which is in them they will not allow the holy Scriptures to be called the word of the Lord neither do they exhort and press men to be diligent to read and keep the things contained therein but their fraughty books must some of them bear the Title of the word of the Lord to the world and earthly men and the like so that he that seeth but very little may see them to be the men before spoken of which shall deny all that is worshipped as God shewing themselves that they are God O horrible pride and yet pretended humility this is ungodliness in a mystery I shall not enter upon the particulars of their bottomless opinion first because it is not my task at this time and
Quer. 10. Whether shall the desolation of the Heavens spoken by Peter be at the time of his coming to raign or at the time when the thousand years shall be expired at the bringing in of the general judgment Answ It appears clearly from the Scriptures that Jesus Christ at his first coming to receive the Kingdome and to raign upon earth that then he is to come in flaming fire so as fiery streams shall issue forth from before him and that many of the ungodly shall perish by the flame and some by the baile and the like and also that he is to abide in the Heavens until the times or years of the restoration of all things spoken by the mouth af all the holy Prophets since the World began and yet also we find that at the end of the thousand years that when the ungodly that shall spring up in the time of Christs raign shall come up against Jerusalem by the counsel of the Devil that then fire shall come down from God out of Heaven and devoure them so that in short I understand that the corruptions of the Heaven and earth shall be burnt up or destroyed or the Heavens and earth refined at Christs first coming and yet the work to be totally finished at the end because it is called TIMES in the plural number of restitution and TIMES of refreshing Dan. 7.10 2 Thes 1.7 8. Ezek. 38.22 Isa 66.15 16. Acts 3.19.20 21. 2 Pet. 3.10 11 12 13 14. Revel 20.9 Quer. 11. What is the new Heaven and new Earth and how shall they become new Answ The Heaven and the Earth is understood to be a new Heaven and a new Earth when the imperfection and corruption is taken away and so all things are to become new and that the corruption of both the Heavens and Earth shall be taken away so as that the Earth shall bring forth in abundance and the Heavens also far excel their brightness which they have now so that the light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the Sun shall be seven degrees better than what now she is read my Zions Redemption and you may see it proved to be glorious in the time of Christs raign in which time the Heavens and Earth shall be glorious Isa 30.24 25 26. cap. 65.17 18. cap 66.22 Quer. 12. Whether the new Heavens and new Earth and restoration shall be at Christs coming to raign upon Earth Answ The Heavens are to retain Christ until the times of restoration as I before have said so that the beginning of the work is immediately so soon as Christ comes and so to increase and grow more stronger and excellenter as now the Earth the things therein grow older and older and weaker and weaker Isa 9.7 chap. 29.19 Ezek. 36.27 28 29 30. Quer. 13. Whether or no shall Christ and the Saints raign for ever upon the Earth or not Answ It appears that Christ and the Saints shall not raign for ever because there is a time when the mediatour-ship shall be given up into the hands of the Father when the Son shall be in subjection unto him so as to lay down his government unto him and yet it shall be for ever in one sense that is for ever so long as there shall be a Nation upon earth to raign over but as for their scituation and abode I understand it shall be for ever in the new Jerusalem that cometh down from Heaven which is and for ever will be the Tabernacle of God which then shall remain in the Land of Canaan and so the Tabernacle of God to be with man and he for ever dwell with them for I do not find that the new Jerusalem shall be again removed 1 Cor. 15.24 25 26 27 28. Revel 21.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Chap. 3.12 Quer. 14. If Christ and the Saints shall remain for ever in the new Jerusalem upon the earth where shall the Devil and man of sin with the wicked of the World be punished Answ It appears from the Scripture as though that the Land of Canaan were to remain for ever as the new Heaven and new Earth Isa 65.17 18 19. and that the punishment of the wicked should be without the gates or diases of the Land even in Babylon Caldea and Idumea and the like read Isa 34.4 5 to the 10. Ezek. 35.14 15. Isa 47.14 chap. 51.19 Revel 18.2 Quer. 15. Whether will Christ render vengeance to all the ungodly besides the perpetual torments that he will cast them into at the end of the thousand years Answ It appears that there are some that shall have only their power taken from them and their lives to be prolonged for a season Dan. 7.12 and also although great judgments shall fall upon the wicked yet there will a seed remain of them which shall be reserved to be destroyed at the end of the thousand years Isa 14.29 30. Revel 20 9. Quer. 16. Whether the punishment of the wicked be everlasting after the sentence is past at the general judgment Answ It appears to be everlasting although I know there be some that suppose a redemption out of Hell from the words of Christ Mat. 5.26 which saith Thou shalt by no means come from thence till thou hast paid the utmost farthing This place intends no such thing but is rather literally to be understood but if by prison there spoken of we may understand Hell yet it will not follow there is to be a redemption out of Hell as some suppose for the word until sometimes is never to be as it is said that Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death 1 Sam. 15.35 And he cannot then but suppose the word until should prefix a set time yet the Text saith that thou shalt not come from thence until thou hast paid the utmost farthing and suppose a man were cast into prison for five hundred pounds and had not five hundred pence nor in a capacity to gain while he lay in prison if he should not come from thence till he had paid the utmost farthing he could never come out and such is the condition of the wicked that as their debt is very great even so they are in an incapacity to gain when they are in Hell whereby to pay their debt and none can pay it for them Psal 49.7 8. And so if they must pay the utmost farthing it will never be paid no the punishment of the wicked is everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord where the worm shall not die nor the fire be quenched 2 Thes 1.8 Isa 66 24. Quer 17. When can it be truly said according to 1 Cor. 15.22 That in Adam all dyed when it is plain that Enoch was translated so as not to taft of death with Elijah and Iohn chap. 21.23 Answ Whereas the Text 1 Cor. 15.22 saith that as in Adam all dyed even so in Christ shall all be made alive All in Scripture is often taken for the Major part and not every individual person for we know that many shall be changed at the coming of Christ and be caught up to meet him and so was Enoch changed or translated which is all one as death but that which is spoken by St. Paul 1 Cor. 15.22 saying As in Adam all dyed even so in Christ shall all be made alive It is to be thus understood that so many as did die by Adams sin was made alive by Christs obedience and raised from the dust finally every particular person must die or be changed for this corruptable body cannot enter into the Kingdome of God but must first put on incorruption and immortality and this change had Enoch and as for Elijah and Iohn I have before shewed what will befal them when they have accomplished their prophesie and thus leaving this Query I shall pass to the next and last which is Quer. 18. If Christ be the first fruits of them that sleep that is to say the first that is to arise from the dead how is it then that some Saints did arise at the time of Christs sufferings Answ Those Saints that were seen to come out of their graves and enter into the holy City was after the resurâ—ction of Christ and not at his sufferings Mat. 27 53. So then Christ was the first which was raised from the dead I could have spoken somewhat more to this and other things but time fails me and as for the other particulars mentioned in thy letter I have spoken unto them in my Book as Objections and such occasions have offered themselves and therefore have no more at present to say unto thee only exhorting thee to stand fast in the faith and profession of the Gospel for dear Brother as thou well knowest the portion of the godly is to suffer tribulation for Christ and the Gospel sake because thorow many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdome of God for they that are born after the flesh will persecute such as are born after the spirit for so it was and is and will be unto the end and it shall come to pass that those that kill the godly shall think that they do God service but however let us know that all things shall work together for good to those that love God and that the end is a crown of life to such as are faithful unto the death and then it will be the time that God will recompence tribulation to them that trouble his people that it had been good for them that they had never been born or that a milstone hanged about their neck and they cast into the depth of the Sea than to offend the friends of Iesus Christ finally he that soweth in tears shall reap in joy and he that goeth forth weeping bearing precious seed shall doubtless return rejoycing with everlasting joy upon his head and all sighing and sorrow shall flee away and for their shame they shall have double and for their confusion they shall rejoyce in their portion for in their land double everlasting joy shall be their portion FINIS
9.5 And if the faculties of man be understood to be the Soul then it is easie to prove them Temperatures and Mortal because they are subject to increase and diminish as the Creator is disposed and madness that may happen to man by some obstruction in the body quite mollifieth them so then these things considered we may see that the whole man is mortal time would fail me to write the particular things appertaining to this subject of Discourse and therefore I shall pass to the answer of some few Objections which may comprehend the whole but by the way give me leave to shew you a glimpse of what the Scripture calls the Soul in which you may see how many things bear the name of Soul in Scripture and first it is taken for God Heb. 10.28 it is taken for the heart 1 Sam. 18.1 for the eyes Jer. 13.17 for the head Psalm 16.10 for the stomack Prov. 27.7 for hunger Prov. 6.30 for the whole man Lev. 7.20 Acts 7.14 Rom. 13.1 These and many more in Scripture is called by the name of Soul but I come now to the Objections which is Object 1. Fear not him that can kill the body but cannot kill the Soul Mat. 10.28 implying that there is a soul which cannot be killed Answ This is the most material Text that I know of to that purpose but Luke which is the most exact Writer hath recorded it thus Luke 12.4 5. And I say unto you my friends be not afraid of them that can kill the body and afterwards have no more that they can do but fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell yea I say unto you fear him which sheweth to us man can only destroy the body which is mortal and must dye but God can destroy both the body which is mortal and also cast the whole man into hell when it is immortal after the Resurrection and so he above all is to be feared and that this in short is the meaning of the words is evident because the soul hath been killed by man Josh 10.35 but after the Resurrection none can destroy it but God and so I pass to the next Objection which is Object 2. In Phil. 1.23 24. For I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and be with Christ which is far better Answ To which I answer and say That this text doth not contradict the state of Mans Mortality because there is no time to the dead that is to say that the time between Adams death and his Resurrection will be to him but as the twinkling of an eye so that as there was no time to us from the creation to our birth so when we shall return to dust from whence we were taken and become like water spilt upon the ground there will be no time also to us till the time of the resurrection for there is no remembrance amongst the dead as saith the Scripture so then Paul might say that he did desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ for the next thing to Death is the Resurrection and glory for the godly which time to them is as before said but as the twinkling of an eye Add this that Paul tells us that from the time of Death till the time of the Resurrection the crown is laid up to be received at that day mark that read the text 2 Tim. 4.6 7 8. in these words For I am now ready to be offered up and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith hence-forth there is laid up for me a crown of Righteousness which God the righteous Judge will give unto Me at that day not to me only but unto them also that love his appearance From whence we may learn that the godly mans glory is to be conferred upon him at the time of Christs appearance and not at the time of death only at the time of death it is laid up sure for those that have dyed in the faith VNTIL THAT DAY namely Christs appearance which time to the dead will be no more then a moment and so being dissolved we shall be with Christ which is far better and so I shall pass to the next Objection which is Object 3. There is such a thing as a soul that goeth to heaven at death because the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 5. We know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle shall be dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens ver 6. Therefore we are alwayes confident knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. Answ To which I answer and say That the Apostle in this place doth not so much as hint at such a thing as the soul being immortal or distinct from the body but speaks of the happy estate and condition of the godly at that time when mortality shall be swallowed up of life as you may see verse the 4. in these words For we that are in this Tabernacle do groan being burdened not that we would be uncloathed but cloathed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life From whence we may see that the Apostle speaks in this place of mortality being swallowed up of life meaning by the state of a resurrection as appears from the 9 and 10 verses where he saith That it was their care to labour that whether absent from the Lord or present they might be accepted of him for saith he we must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ c. implying that our being present with the Lord is not to be till the day of Judgment which day of Judgment will not be until after the Resurrection so that Paul in this place Equivolent with David makes no distance of time between the putting off this body and the putting on immortality viz the Resurrection which sheweth that there is no time to the dead so that this text speaks not against man being wholly mortal And so I pass to the next Objection which is Object 4. In Luke 12.20 in these words Thou fool this night thy soul shall be required of thee And Luke 23.43 I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradice And Luke 16.22 23. And it came to pass that the beggar dyed and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome and the rich man dyed also and was buryed and in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments seeth Abraham a far off and Lazarus in his bosome c. Which sheweth there is an immortal soul Answ To which I answer and first to the first and so in order which is Luke 12.20 Thou fool this night shall thy soul be required of thee I answer to this take notice and remember that I have before shewed that the word Soul may be as well read life or breath from the word 〈◊〉
they did die the same day for men may lie a whole day nay they may lie dayes with their legs broken before they die and I do dare presume to say that they were both alive very neer the end of that day and had nothing inflicted upon them to shorten their lives but being nailed thorow their hands and feet and their legs broken and I dare presume that many lie longer then they had to lie of that day that have been far more desperately wounded Furthermore I dare presume to say that no man living can prove that the Malefactors were dead the same day and if it cannot be proved that they were dead that day it cannot be proved that the soul of the penitent Thief was that day in heaven moreover consider Christ did not tell the Thief that his SOVL should be with him in Paradise but saith thou shalt be with me not thy SOVL but thou viz. thou Thief or thou Man shalt be with me in Paradise which was not so then you see that Christ was not ascended himself but he poured out his soul to death and that lay in the grave although God left it not there Secondly it cannot be proved that the Thief was dead that day if there were such a thing as the soul ascending into Heaven at the time of death And thirdly the text doth not say the SOVL shall be with Christ but thou i. e. thou Man or Thief as before said shall be with me These things considered what may we understand of the text which saith verily I say unto thee to day thou shalt be with me in Paradise To which I answer and say as I before have said that whereas Christ saith to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise is but to give the Thief assurance of his salvation for his petition or request is that the Lord would remember him when he came into his Kingdome and Christ to put him out of doubt and to administer comfort and assurance unto him saith I say unto thee to day thou shalt be with me in Paradise as if he should have said to him thou desired me to remember thee when I come into my Kingdome but to put thee out of doubt I will tell thee at present or to day to thy comfort that thou shalt be with me in Paradise Doth it follow therefore because Christ giveth him a promise that day of heaven that therefore he must be in heaven the same day it was well for him that he had a promise of it that day that thereby he may enjoy it when David who is not ascended into heaven shall enjoy it with the rest of the godly at that day before spoken of so then that day was but the day of promise but the day of enjoyment is yet to come namely when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed and till that time we are to wait for it because all the Saints shall be made perfect and enjoy their inheritance together And thus I pass from this Obsection and hasten to the conclusion of this Subject of discourse Object 5. But if it be objected that the souls of them that are slain cry under rhe Alter Table Rev. 6.10 Answ If they cry then they are not in heaven as is plain because when they come there all crying and trouble shall vanish away Secondly by Alter Table we are to understand a place of Sacrifice and by Souls crying we are to understand the blood of the Saints crying for vengeance for it is blood that cries for vengeance and that the soul is in some places to be understood blood is clear because the life or blood is to be understood all one in many places and so it is said that Christ made his soul an offering for sin and that is to be understood his life or more properly his blood for without blood there is no remission of sins And also I have before shewed that the Greek word Soul bears such a signification as blood and if so it is very proper for the souls viz. blood to cry for vengeance for so did Abels blood cry for vengeance against Cain and also Christs blood doth cry for vengeance against such as are guilty of it by trampling it under foot although it doth speak for the penitent better things then the blood of Abel And thus we are to understand that sixt chapter of the Revelations that after the red Horse and he that sate upon him with the great Sword had took peace from the earth then John saw the blood of the just ones lying under the Alter Table that is the place where they were made a sacrifice or where they offered up their blood or lives a sacrifice for Christs sake and the testimony of a good conscience and that viz. blood cryed for vengeance and this is that which John saw and declared when he saith I saw the souls which were slain for the word of God and the Testimony which they held And so I pass to the next and last objection which is drawn from the 1 Pet. 3.18 19. in these words Object 6. By which he went and preached to the Spirits in Prison therefore there is an immortal soul Answ To which I answer and say that the meaning of this place is no other but that the spirit of Christ did preach to the old world in Noahs dayes or Christ by the same spirit wherewith he was quickned preached in the dayes of Noah to those that are now dead or in Prison for the word Prison is to be understood a place of security to secure persons for the day of Judgment to be either acquitted and justfied or condemned and executed and this agrees with Revel 20.13 where it is said as at a Goal delivery That the Sea and death and the grave delivered up the dead which were in them and they were all judged according to their works And whereas it is read Hell in our Translations it is meant the grave for so it should be read the which if you question it you may read the margent note and see it so read there The like expression there is in John 31.8 speaking of death saith There the prisoners rest together the smal and great are there and the servant is free from his Master verse 19. So then it was the same spirit that which raised Christ from the dead that preached in the dayes of Noah observe this and I pass to the conclusion That it was not the quickned that preached to the Spirits who were disobedient in the dayes of Noah and now in prison but it was the quickner there is the mystery of the text mark well I have a few words more and so I shall leave this Subject of Discourse which is First a few words in particular to my Antagonist who saith That the soul is immortal because it was created after Gods Image Although he hath contradicted himself sadly in what he holds if he own what he hath written in the 13
said so then there was a sort of men then even as there is now which did deny the Resurrection of the bodies of the dead which are in the dust but Christ opposeth them and proveth That there is to be a Resurrection And Secondly the Spirit of God in his people have caused them earnestly to hope and wait for it as you may read Heb. 11.35 36. in these words Others had tryals of cruel mocking and scourgings yea moreover of bands and imprisonments and others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection From these things which have been written you may see that both Christ have proved and the Saints earnestly hoped and waited for the Resurrection and indeed and in truth it was never questioned by the godly for when Christ tels Martha that her brother Lazarus should rise again I know saith she that my brother shall arise again in the Resurrection at the last day she never once questioned but that her brother even the same man Lazarus should arise again at the last day which sheweth that both Christ and the Saints doth prove and acknowledg that those that sleep in the dust of the earth shall arise even the same bodies only incorruptible and come to Judgment And so I pass to the ninth Reason to prove that those which are asleep in the dust of the earth shall arise which is Reas 9. Ninthly Because otherwise were the Saints in a worse condition then the wicked for they bear about in their bodies the dying of the Lord Jesus and suffer deeply and are accounted as sheep for the slaughter and the wicked they eat and drink and take their pleasure now if there be no Resurrection then the wicked were in the best condition for if there were no Resurrection then there would be no judgment and then the word remember for all this God will bring thee to judgment were of no force and I never yet read of a day of judgment since Adams being cast out of Paradise to be till after the Resurrection and then no Resurrection no Judgment then I may say with Saint Paul Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die but that there is to be a Resurrection and that it will go ill with the wicked read John 5.28 Dan. 12.2 and the like But if there were no Resurrection then the righteous were in the worst condition as you may read 1 Cor. 15.16 17 18 19. in these words For if the dead rise not then is not Christ raised and if Christ be not raised your faith is vain and ye are yet in your sins Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished if in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable From whence we see were it not for a Resurrection the wicked were in the best condition and the Saints of all men the most miserable because of their sufferings but it is not so for they are in the most happiest condition And thus I pass to the tenth Reason to prove that the dead as before said shall arise which is Reas 10. Because the Scripture saith that our vile bodies shall be fashioned and made like unto Christs glorious body as saith the Apostle Phil. 3.20 21. in these words For our conversation is in heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who will change our vile bodies OR RENEW OR REFORM OR PVT IT INTO A BETTER ESTATE AS THE WORD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Qui reformabit corpus WILL BEAR IT that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body From whence we may see that the dead shall arise and have their vile bodies renewed or reformed even changed into another estate and condition yet the same body and made in fashion like to Christs glorious body so then it is not another body but these our vile bodies fashioned and made like to Christs glorious body which proveth that the same body which dyeth the same body shall rise again only corruption and imperfection taken away and this agreeth with the whole current of Scripture And thus I pass to the Eleventh Reason to prove that such as are returned to dust shall again awake and come forth out of their graves unto judgment which is Reas 11. Eleventhly Because the Scriptures saith That all things even the whole Creation shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption and restored into its primitive estate only those excepted who have voluntarily made themselves miserable for ever yet even they shall arise with such a body as shall not die any more the greater will be their misery And that there is to be such a Resurrection read these Scriptures Acts. 3.19 20.21 Rem 8.20 21. in these wordes Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord And he will send Jesus which before was preached unto you whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began for the creature was made subject to vanity not willingly but by reason of him viz. Adam who hath subjected the same in hope for we know that the whole creation groaneth and travelleth in pain together until now because the creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God for even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the Redemption of our bodies From these Scriptures and more that might be added of this nature it doth appear that the bodies of the sons of men shall be raised again from the dead and he restored into that estate wherein they were created and also into the glorious estate that the body of Jesus Christ himself is in for when he shall appear we shall be made like him and he hath a body of flesh and bones which proves the Resurrection for if it be not the same body that goeth to the dust which is raised again but another body then it is a new Creation and not a Redemption by a Resurrection and then is not the Scriptures true which saith O Death I will be thy Death and Death shall deliver up her dead but God and the Scriptures is true and all them that do deny that the dead bodies shall again live and arise out of the dust of the earth are lyers And so I pass to the Twelfth and last reason although I might add many more if time would permit to prove That the dead which sleep in the dust both good and bad shall arise and come to Judgment which is Reas 12. Because the Scripture saith that although we must needs die and be as water spilt upon the ground yet God hath used a means that those that are thus banished should not be for ever expelled