remove in one day Never yet done and though much of it may be done before yet is it not likely to be so fully and throughly to be done till that day of the restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began Acts. 3. 21. and the time of the glorious manifestation of the sons of God which the creature grons for Rom. 8. 19. when the Lord Jehovah shall bring forth again his servant the branch this will then be fully performed and then according to his promise we shall have a new heaven and a new earth wherein shall dwell righteousness 2. Pet. 3. 13. In the which iniquity will not be found In 2. Cor. 5. The like we may finde not only something of the matter before treated of but of the manner we know saith the Apostle that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands c. If our mortal bodies dye and perish we have better provided we shall have such hereafter And therefore as in vers 2. we grone earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven with more pure incorruptible and immortal clothing with glory and honour and immortality and life eternal Rom. 2. 7. the condition then will not be righteousness imputed as now but righteousness in us perfect rectitude in our own persons we shall be like the Lord Christ The attainer then it will be sure beyond that of the attainer in the state of regeneration and that of imputation it is likely will cease The clothing with our house from heaven as it will be very pure so it will be lasting and durable and therefore we groan or desire to be clothed with it to be in that state that condition vers 3. if so be that being so clothed with it we shall not be found naked as Adam and Eve were when they had sinned eating the forbidden fruit they were stripped of that clothing of the Image of God righteousness and holyness in the which they were made Gen. 1. 27. it is said they were naked sin and shame entred together Adam made garments of figtree leaves because of shame and being naked as in like manner his posterity have done and yet do make garments upon that account In vers 4. the holy Apostle speaks further we groan being burdened with our heavy clothing of sin corruption and mortality not for that we would be unclothed namely dye and be dissolved that the Apostle denyeth to be the tendency of the creature or man such as have the first fruits of the spirit to groan for death or dying it being as an instinct in every creature as well as man to preserve life by all means whatever they can attain death is an enemy to life and is as an enemy shunned That 's a rare case and a kindly spirit indeed that is so disposed as to desire to be unclothed so which the Apostle denyes not that we would be unclothed but be clothed upon with a better clothing to be changed for a better and a more durable clothing incorruption immortality and life eternal when and where we shall not be found naked that is the tendency and earnest desire which the servants of God goes out after and the creatures also Vers. 54. of this 1. Cor. 15. the Apostle adds further when this corruptible hath put on incorruption and this mortal hath put on immortality as it will at the time of the raising and changing of the servants of God then will be brought to passe accomplished and done fully that which is written Isay 25. 8. death is swallowed up in victorie as mortalitie shall likewise be of life to wit life everlasting compared 2. Cor. 5. 4. then the conquest and victory over death will be brought to passe and the righteous freed from being under his dominion any more for ever for then they can dye no more but be immortal and live for evermore There are very many great things as well as this victory over death that do attend this time very many great and high prophecyes contained in the scriptures relating to that time will then be fulfilled and made good of which something shall be said hereafter yea many of the prophecyes of holy Isaiah little minded or understood in this day will then be brought to passe and made good seem they never so strange It was so at our Lord his first coming as the holy scriptures do hold out unto us as Math. 1. 22. Mat. 2. 17. Math. 4. 14. Luk. 24. 44. with very many the like which I shall forbear to set down That of Luke is the saying of our Lord Christ very full that all things that are written concerning me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled not one jot or tittle of the word of prophecy as to things relating to the Lord Christ and his kingdom but it must all be fulfilled As it was in relation to his first coming so it will be also as to his second coming when he shall come in power and great glory seem the things never so strange or unlikely the power and faithfulness of the Lord Jehovah whose word it is will make them good of which more hereafter But for a close take we knowledge of one place more in holy Isaiah because it is of like tone with what we have treated of concerning clothing and garments and putting on and off Isa 52. 1. Awake awake put on thy strength O Zion put on thy beautiful garments O Jerusalem c. It seems as to the last and full fulfilling of it to look at this blessed state and day we are treating of when the mariage of the lamb is come and the bride the lambs wife is made ready Rev. 19. 7. Likewise that of Isa 60. 1. Arise and shine for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee All of like tendency and import all prophetical and eyeing a time not yet come and though it may in a great measure have its fulfilling before and more especially when the Jewes are returned to their own land and converted yet no time so likely to have its full fulfilling as then when the Lord Christ shall come again and the dead in him raised and live again and the then living saints changed in a moment corruption and all defilement done away and glory and honour purity and holyness immortality and eternal life put on with beautiful and precious clothing For Zion sball then put on her beautiful garments and shall shine very gloriously indeed being so richly adorned as a bride prepared for the bridegroom the Lord Jesus rich and pure clothing then without spot or wrinckle and that will be found true eminently to the very life thou art all fair my love and there is no spot in thee cant 4. 7. And then also will it
written there shall come out of or to Isaiah 59. 20. Sion the deliverer and shall turn away ungodlines from Iacob a great number of which we shall speak after Then in the world to come when the saints shall be so changed at the coming of our Lord Christ will those prophecyes be fully fulfilled Ier. 50. 20. In those dayes and in that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found c. and that also Zech. 3. 9. And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day sayth the Lord both in the one and the other which it is likely will not so fully be in this world but must be in the world to come CHAP. VI. Containing the proposing of some things to consideration touching the difference and distinctions that will be between the raised saints and the changed though in many things the same in a likely way at the coming of our Lord Christ in the world to come and that the resurrection and this changing are not the same but two distinct things THe mistery shewed by the Apostle touching the not dying of the living saints at the coming of our Lord Christ but then changed in a moment seemeth to be a very great thing and to differ much from that of the resurrection from the dead and likewise that there will be a difference betwixt the raised and the changed though in many things the raised and those so changed will be alike and the same which will the easier appear if we shall consider the state of man in paradise at his first creating which seemeth to be the very Image and figure of the state and condition the living saints shall then be changed into in a moment in the twinkling of an eye with some blessed additions of stabilitie immortality and everlasting life This mistery of not dying but being so changed seemeth very much vailed and little minded but as the same with the resurrection of the dead which the holy Apostle speaketh of as another distinct thing behold I shew you a mistery after he had spoken largely of the resurrection As there will be much of likeness and oneness between the raised and changed so there will be much of difference as may be gathered from what the Apostle hath declared and it is likely much of the mistery lyeth in that I shew you sayth the Apostle a mistery we shall not all dye but be changed in a moment of which we shall make inquirie And first of that wherein the raised and the changed will be the same in their joynt attainers and enjoyments and after we shall propose wherein they will disser 1. They will agree and be joyntly the same in the time of their rising and changing together at the appearing of the Lord at the sounding of the trumpet of God the dead will then be raised and the living changed in a moment 2. They shall be caught up together in the clouds and shall meet the Lord Christ together in the Air being capacitated so to do 3. They shall be with the Lord Christ together and never severed from him any more 4. They shall be both rid of corruption and mortalitie and shall be clothed with incorruption and immortality and life everlasting 5. They shall both enjoy the world to come and the happyness of it dwell in the new earth live and reign wirh the Lord Christ then and there for a thousand years and afterwards shall be with him the whole time whilest the second and last session of judgement is passing 6. They shall both enjoy the great blessedness of that happy day and the good things which God hath prepared for them that love him and wait for the Saviour Which good things the eye hath not seen nor the ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive 1. Cor. 2. 9. 7. They will both be without pain sorrow or miserie and tears will be wiped from their faces and death shall not meddle with them any more 8. And to add no more they shall both injoy the grace of the new covenant or testament God to be their God and they his people in an eminent manner then and the grace of the new covenant to keep them in that blessed condition for evermore These raised and changed so although in many things they agree and be the same in their attainers and enjoyments yet they differ in some things and that very considerable and are not one and the same in all things as the mistery which the Apostle shews which he declares with a behold after his treating of the resurrection and raising of them from death something plainly doth implie behold I shew you a mistery we shall not all dye but be changed and that alive or living which we may take notice of in the first place The different way of attaining that happy estate and great injoyments in the world to come it is by dying and lying in the grave and rising again and so that way freed from corruption and clothed with incorruption and with glory honor and immortalitie and eternal life rich clothing indeed then But now the changed in a moment alive without dying it is clearly another way living being alive without dying they shall be so changed as to put off or to be rid of corruption and to put on and be clothed with incorruption immortalitie and everlasting life This as a ground of the difference whence many things will follow Again the raised having once dyed will rise and live again but the changed will never dye nor live again but be changed in a moment into a state of incorruption and immortality as the Apostle tells us we shall not all dye but we shall all be changed The raised will not be the same yet the same not the same they were in body as they were when they dyed as the Apostle vers 37. 38. compared with vers 42. God giveth to every seed his own body though not the same as sown so he sayeth is the resurrection sown in weakness raised in power c. But the living then at Christs coming and the trumpets sounding will have the same bodyes without dying they will be changed being alive and living corruption will be put off and mortality and they restored to their first estate which they had and were created in Adam in paradise before his fall when he suffered and they suffer in him the change then being so much for the worse unto which these living then will be restored for the better with some great addition of blessedness into which perfect estate according to what they were created consisting in righteousnes and holynes will they be changed then at that great change and restoration of all things Act. 3. 21. wherein the sons of God that have the first fruits of the spirit as the earnest thereof will have the highest
reserved in heaven for you to wit such as are begotten again to a lively hope thereof by the resurrection of Jesus Christ but must be first sown in weakness before they come to be raised in glory or else changed in a moment without which there is no coming there to inherit earthy Adam cannot flesh and bloud so cannot attain to that happy estate though they should cry Lord Lord open to us it would be in vain This briefly premised concerning the resurrection the better to give light and make the ensuing matter more easily conceived of it being of neer affinity to it namely the mysterie of being changed in vers 51. CHAP. II. Containing a brief proposal of sundry things to consideration touching the mistery of the living then not dying but being changed in a moment at the coming of the Lord Jesus VErs 51. Behold I shew you a mystery we shall not all dye but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump c. the matter is high and considerable a mystery or great secret little known or understood He begins the declaring of it with a behold which sets a mark on it as some noteable great thing great secret little known which behold calls for the minding and consideration of I shew you I Paul the Apostle of the gentiles And he was a man of much knowledge and understanding in the great mysteries of the Gospel and also of an infallible spirit He hath declared and shewed it and none besides himself hath done it and he hath done it again and again and positively asserted it to us I shew you you gentiles to whom he wrote his epistle You the Church of Corinth and all other the servants of the Lord Jesus the thing shewed is a mistery that ye may know understand and believe it The Apostle proceeds to declare it first negatively we shall not all dye then positively he attests that we shall all be changed There is much considerable in both the persons in both in the which he includes himself We shall not and we shall enquirie may be made who he means by we it is very likely he means the servants of God believers in Jesus Christ then alive in the body at the coming of the Lord Christ those are the we that shall not dye those are the we that shall all be changed The prayer of the Lord Christ will be answered then and in them father I will that those which thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory c. Joh. 17. 24. Not one related so shall fail of that great blessednes Death will have a great check a great blow then and lose of his power over the righteous ones at that very time that moment as the Apostle after expresses Over the unrighteous and unsaved people and nations death may have power not only in respect of killing their bodyes which will be till a little before the final judicature or the second and last session of judgement begins Rev. 20. 9. but also in keeping under or in the grave the whole wicked all being then dead until the time that session is begun who are then raised to come thereunto to be judged as in Rev. 20. 11. 12. 13. and at the end and as the conclusion thereof death and hell or the grave shall be cast into the lake of fire never to have power or a being more as in vers 14. but as is said before death hath no power over the righteous after that Christ our Lord is come it being said in Rev. 21. 4. There shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things to wit The old heaven and earth with the dying and sorrow c. therein are passed away which I conceive is to be understood not only in respect of the saints that are raised at the coming of our Lord Christ that they shall not dye any more as also the saints who were then changed that they shall not dye at all But also in respect of the converted in that time who if any alteration afterward pass upon their bodyes it will in all likelyhood be a change and shall not dye it being said as before in respect of the righteous we shall not all dye but we shall all be changed the not dying but changing of the saints that remain alive to the coming of the Lord Christ being an eminent token and forerunner thereof Further we may take knowledg that in the holy scripture account that to sleep in the grave and to dye are one and the same and so to say we shall not all sleep and we shall not all dye are terms equivolent and do import one and the same thing see Act. 13. 36. David fell asleep and was layd to his fathers c. them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him 1 Thes. 4. 14. So Dan. 12. 2. Many that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake c. as to that of death or dying see the many expressions as here in Adam all dye death went over all it is appointed to men once to dye c. Heb. 9. 27. Jacob went down into Egypt and dyed he and our fathers Acts. 7. 15. so as his negation of the Apostle leadeth to take knowledge of a very high case wherein there is much of mistery we shall not all dye the restriction that is in this all is only to the righteous then living and remaining at the coming of the Lord Christ this all relateth only to them they are the all that shall not dye but be all changed then but none of the unrighteous shall be so At which time death that had reigned so long over Adam and all his posteritie his power over the just over the righteous shall then be superseded they shall be put into a condition out of his reach having put off mortalitie and put on immortality and life everlasting As every thing that hath a beginning will have and end so will death and in order to the ceasing of his power over the righteous and putting a stop to his universal reign it will begin then So as that appointment of death to all men Heb. 9. 22. is to be understood So to wit untill this time take place this Mystery be actually opened we shall not all dye as it is said when this corruptible hath put on incorruption and this mortal hath put on immortality and made this happy change then it shall be and also that Prophecy fulfilled death is swallowed up in victory vers 24. latter part By the way we may take notice who would have thought in a likely way that that Prophecy Esa 25. 8. should reach so far as to that time and to have its fulfilling then so long after who is there that would have understood it so had not the Apostle so declared it that then death
that subject he begins with that of the Lord Christ his being risen of the truth whereof were many witnesses as is mentioned by him he taking knowledge of some amongst themselves that said there was to be no resurrection from the dead 1. Cor. 15. 12. contrary to the faith that was preached and beleeved and being a thing that did render the assertors of that truth as false witnesses which he makes good from the tising from death the Lord Christ laying very great stresse on that as a foundation and bottom on which the whole building stands he mentions it again ver 15. and argues from thence to the 20th verse to make out and clear that truth and then in vers 20. he concludes saying but now is Christ risen and become the first fruits of them that sleep so he calleth death This doctrine of the resurrection looketh backward and forward as it looketh backward it eyeth death which came by man to wit Adam as it looketh forward it eyeth living again by man to wit the man Christ our Lord as in vers 21. He is the blessed redeemer from the grave and the restorer to life again after death vers 22. As in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive this It looketh backward and forward backward It eyeth Adam forward it relateth to the Lord Christ the new and second Adam as by the first Adam sin entred and death by sin as the effect following its cause Adam was forewarned and it was told him in the garden of Eden that in the day he did eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evel he should die he did notwithstanding take and eat he sinned and death seized on him by sin came death and it went over all Adam being the father of all the stock from whence man proceeded his sin or sin that entred by his disobedience was propagated and entailed to all his posteritie Rom. 5. 12. As by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin c. vers 17. By one mans offence death reigned by one In Adam all sin In Adam all die In the Lord Christ all shall be made alive the just and the unjust the righteous and the wicked all over whom death hath reigned all that dyed in Adam so is the paralel and proportion as and so all shall be made alive by the power of the Lord Christ the great conqueror of sin and death The matter is considerable as it relateth to the resurrection and rising again of the sons of Adam the argument or thing the Apostle was upon and it doth not meddle with that of election and faith or living by faith in a spiritual way neither may it be so understood or made use of without straining and forcing it to speak that the Apostle never intended In Christ shall all be made alive so as to rise and live again in the body There shall be a resurrection of the just and of the unjust some shall be made alive again to everlasting life Dan. 12. 2. And some to shame and everlasting contempt some shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. c. 2. Thess 1. 9. They shall be bid depart ye workers of iniquity shall be bid go ye cursed c. Math. 25. 41. Whereas the just and righteous shall be gathered to the Lord Christ and be for ever with him 1. Thes. 4. 10. The Apostle argueth from the resurrection of the Lord Christ his rising again after his being crucified dead and buried he rose again It was said to the women that came to the sepulchre by an Angel Math. 28. 6. Luk. 24. 6. He is not here he is risen He was buried in the grave or sepulchre but he arose from thence and was not there he was dead but he is alive and liveth for evermore and hath the keys of death and the grave Rev. 1. 18. to open when he pleaseth and as he pleaseth Christ our Lord is risen from the dead a great saying and blessed Christ our Lord is risen from the dead and become the first-fruits of them that slept so death and lying in the grave is termed 1. Cor. 15. 20. our Lord saith John 5. 28. 29. The hour cometh when all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good to the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation Christ the first fruits there is very much in that he as conqueror of death as the captain and leader the beginner and finisher one that hath and ought to have the preheminence he being the beginning and first fruits from the dead that in all things he might have the preheminence Col. 1. 18. the Lord Christ as man is first and chief to him the preheminence belongs in all things for God the father hath highly advanced him and made him mighty Phil. 2. 9. As by man to wit Adam came death so by man namely the Lord Jesus very man and the son of man so he stiles himself came also the resurrection from the dead By the first man Adam came death by the second man the Lord Jesus Christ came the resurrection from death Alas for those sadduces that say there is no resurrection It is good for all the servants of God and lovers of the Lord Christ to be of like confession and belief with the Apostle Paul Acts. 24. 15. And have hope towards God that there shall be a resurrection from the dead both of the just and the unjust The power and vertue of the resurrection of the Lord Christ produceth great effects as to the one so to the other The forementioned words in vers 22. As in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made a live are so full and plain as nothing can be said further there needs no dilating on them only keep to the thing in hand to wit death or dying and rising and living again after it As to that of all dying in Adam ask the many ages and generations that are past since Adam since God created man upon the earth ask what is become of the great potentates the mighty men the rich the wise the honorable yea the good and just men also and all free and bond and they will all beare witness in a real wise to this that in Adam all die they are all dead and gone they are all in their graves death hath gone over all as sin went before so death followed after all the sons of Adam as well as he himself have dyed only two or three excepted that dyed not but were translated In like manner and in way of parallel and proportion In Christ and by Christ shall all be made alive sooner or later not one of Adams sons excepted there is no reserve in the case all must arise all must appeare and give an account of the things they have done in the flesh whether good or
his right hand This is done by the Lord Christ he reigning on earth and being come the second time unto the earth and having taken to himself his great power and reign Rev. 11. 17. And he must reign till his enemies be made his footstool That 's but enemies in a general way of expression and may refer to and be meant only of some enemies but this here is of all enemies even the last even death it self That of the 110. Psalm seemeth to be an investing of the Lord Christ with power and a deligating to him soveraigntie or rule over all things in heaven and earth as it is said 1 Pet. 3. 22. Angels authorities and powers being made subject unto him But this of the Apostle here is of acting and exercising that power and putting it in execution putting down and under him all rule authoritie and power and his enemies under his feet actually Lastly That in the 110 Psalm so often mentioned in the holy scriptures is of a prophetical promisary nature and was made good unto our Lord Christ by God the father when he had performed his so low humiliation then and therefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name Phil. 2. 9 10 11. That at the name to wit the soveraigntie and power of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the father that so highly exalted Jesus our Lord. He is exalted far above all principallitie and power and might and dominion and every name that is named to wit of dignity honor and power he hath a name above all whether in this world or that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet c. Ephes. 1. 21. 22. God the father hath advanced our Lord Jesus above them all and put all things under his feet Our Lord Christ he is above above them all higher and greater and over them all And they all below and under his feet the Apostle Peter sayth he is gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God Angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him 1 Pet. 3. 22. So as upon the whole to say no more there is no need of our Lord his stay in heaven upon that account his enemies not being made his footstool and subjected under him that being done already he need not stay but to the appointed time As in the appointed time or the fullness of time Gal. 4. 4. he came before in the state of humiliation so he will in the appointed time come the second time in power and great glory then he will take unto him his great power and rule in the middest of his enemies when he taketh to him his great power and reign then all nations shall serve and obey him and all kings shall fall down before him Psalm 72. 11. And his kingdom and reign shall be outward and visible on earth as his converse and humiliation was in the days of his being here on earth when he shall come the second time in power and great glory The holy Apostle seemeth fully to speak unto that before declared Heb. 2. 8. Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet for in that he put all things under him he left nothing that is not put in subjection under him c. And this according to his soveraignty and greatness of power so he is highly advanced over all But according to his dominion kingdom and reign he hath not entred upon it yet he hath not yet taken unto him his great power he hath not yet subjected and put down all rule authority and power as the Apostle tells us and we may say as he said we see not yet all things put under him When he comes he must reign till he hath put them under his feet even death that great and last enemie to be destroyed as then when the Apostle did write he did not then see all things subdued under him so now we may say the great and opposite powers and rulers they remain in dignity and power The Ethnick and Infidell Monarchs and Potentates the Mahumetans the antichristians do yet keep up their authoritie with other enemies not a few And sin and the last enemy death all these remaining doth speak out this fully we see not yet all things put under him the Lord Christ Though we see the Lord Christ that was made low by the suffering of death highly advanced and crowned with honour and glory in which the promise Psalm 110. which is prophetical is fully made good by the father and as before was said is no lett of his coming the second time till his enemies be made his footstool first So as that untill Psalm 110. and the rest differ from this untill the one relating to the time of his taking upon him his great power and reign as a mighty monarch here on earth unto whom all shall stoop serve and obey and till then he must reign even till death it self the last enemy be conquered subdued and destroyed by him that mighty conquerer that shall cause death to be swallowed up in victory vers 54. that triumphing may be made O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory vers 55. and thanks given to God for the same vers 57. thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ that great and mighty conqueror Further there will be enemies in the time of Christ our Lord his reign on earth which he must subdue and put down all rule authority and power wherein there is enmity gog and magog with all their confederates and company whose numbers will be as the sand of the sea Rev. 20. 8. and these enemies must by him be all destroyed before the end of Christ our Lord his kingdom and reign for that death also that last enemy must likewise be destroyed as it is written Rev. 20. 14. and death and hell or the grave were cast into the lake of fire gog and magog and all other enemies must be first destroyed for that the last enemy that is to be destroyed is death Vers. 26. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death of death being the last enemy somthing hath by occasion been often said it shall therefore be waved here but death as an enemy we shall minde a little Death it is an old and common enemie an enemie to all the sons of Adam an enemy to the Lord Christ himself an enemy to those that are Christs to the promised seed few have escaped him death as an enemy it seized on the Lord Christ and had power over him but could not keep it for it was not possible that he should be holden of it Acts. 2. 24. He tryumphed over it on the Cross and by death overcame him that had the power of death
regeneration is attended withall in the polluted world in this polluted state We shall in this change be quite rid of sin and defilement and of sinning any more then That which holy John sayth of those that are the sons of God in the blessed estate of regeneration such as are born of God that they cannot sin because they are born of God true only in a sense or consideration will then in the highest sense and degree be made good And it might be said they cannot sin because they are so changed and have put off corruption and put on incorruption holyness and purity the seed of sin and corruption being quite put away and they in their persons washed from it in the bloud of the lamb Rev. 1. 5. Rev. 7. 14. then with that change the mistery of God will be fully finished to wit that of full redemption of the body the whole man waited for by those that have the first fruits or earnest of the spirit Rom. 8. 23. it will then be enjoyed the bodyes of the just and saved people will be changed and made like the pure and spotless body of the Lord Christ Phil. 3. 21. what they lost in Adam this change will restore to the just with very many and great advantages for it will be a restoration as well as a change or a restoration in the change very much for the better And not like that which attended Adam in paradise which was so much for the worse This change will not only have rectitude and purity restored but also a state of stability therein together with immortality and that which is the effect following namely everlasting life Life for evermore This is one of the great things in this change from a state of sin defilement and corruption to a state of purity holyness and innocency so as being wholly pure to be capable to see God as is promised to the pure in heart Math. 5 8. and to see the Lord Christ as he is in his glory and also to be for ever with him 1. Joh. 3. 2. 1 Thes. 4. 17. The second thing in this change is immortalitie that put on and mortality that put off This dying body which is dying dayly as we are carrying it about with us shall then be put into a state and condition of immortality so as not to dye at all but to live for ever to have a life eternal a life everlasting instead of a life of seventy years or the like as the posteritie of Adam have had and hath been counted a blessing from God Psal 91. 16. But this change will put men into a state of freedom from sin the cause and death the effect as for sin and iniquity that prophecy Jer. 50. 20. will then be throughly fulfilled at that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve these changed ones in a moment which is something like that Zech. 3. 9. And I will remove the iniquity of that land on one day which things have never been made good these prophecyes were never fulfilled as yet and though they may in a great measure have their fulfilling before yet are they never likely to be so fully and throughly fulfilled till that day when sin and corruption shall be taken away put off and death swallowed up in victory and be no more and Mortality swallowed up of life to wit life everlasting 2. Cor. 5. 4. so as death and Mortality will then be no more among the righteous and saved ones who then will be changed and put into an estate as neither to sin nor to dye And if any should think they had attained to a state of freedom from sin here in this world before that day if they could assure themselves or others of a like freedom from death and the grave it were something otherwise that of holy John 1. Joh. 1. 8. If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us compared with Prov. 20. 9. will take place but then at that happy time they shall be freed by being changed and by putting off corruption and mortality and be put into that blessed estate of freedom and glorious liberty of the sons of God And the grace of the new testament or covenant confirmed by the bloud of the Lord Jesus the blessed mediator and advocate thereof shall in the highest degree be enjoyed by them then and there so as God being their God in a gracious wise and they his people he shall keep them in that blessed estate for ever and they shall not depart from him any more for ever Jer. 32. 40. but shall enjoy everlasting life in the enjoyment of happyness and felicity and freedom from all sorrow and misery whatever the blessed fruits of that happy change into immortality and everlasting life Now for the manner of this change it is held forth in a way of putting off and putting on a borrowed way of speaking this corruptible this mortal must put off and put on to wit they must be freed quite rid of sin corruption and mortalitie and made pure incorrupt and immortal and this by putting off and puting on as men put off and put on raiment change their clothing put off filthy and torn or old rayment they put it off put it away lay it by and put on clean sound and good clothing new and fresh so is this putting off and putting on here A plain and known thing alluded unto a usual and known thing for the manner so this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal put on immortality having put corruption and mortalitie away and laid them by Further take we notice of that of the prophet Zachary Zech. 3. It is spoken of Joshua haply as a Type of the thing in hand or it may be a prophecy eyeing of it to wit the change however the mauner is much the same Ioshua was cloathed with filthy garments and stood before the Angel the Angel bids those that stood by to take away his filthy garments from him as the garments of corruption shall be taken from the righteous and to him he said behold I have caused thine iniquitie to pass from thee as shall then the corruption and sin and also mortality passe away from the righteous and it is spoken with a behold In the one and in the other A thing rare and considerable behold I shew you a mystery behold I have caused thine iniquity to depart Joshua his filthy garments shall be taken away As the changed shall put off their garments of corruption and mortality and shall put on garments that are pure incorrupt or spotless and immortalitie also and eternal life There is something declared vers 2. very high and marvelous to wit I will cause the iniquitie of that land the land of Canaan Israels possession to
to the lively hope of he tells us in the words following it is to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away it is safe and in sure hands it is reserved in heaven for believers they are kept by the power of God through faith for that great salvation ready to be revealed and it is kept for them and shall be brought unto them they shall not need to go to fetch it but when will it be at the revelation of Jesus Christ 1. Pet. 1. 3. 4. 5. He wills the servants of God to hope on for that great grace that shall be brought unto them at the revelation of Iesus Christ vers 13. Then will Abraham and Isaack and Iacob be chief among the holy ones as it is said many shall come from the east and from the west and shall sit down with Abraham Isaack and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven Math. 8. 11. This seemeth to eye that in Isa 25. 6. The feast the Lord will make unto all people in his holy mountain a feast of fat things and wine well refined full of marrow and fat things see the place it eyeth in a likely way as to its full fulfilling such a time when Abraham and Isaack and Iacob and the holy prophets and Apostles c. shall feast together in the kingdom of Christ It looketh beyond the spiritual feast of the gospel to a time as vers 8. When death shall be swallowed up in victory Which the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 15. 54. Relateth to a very far time for the making of it good and fulfilling of it even the time of the kingdom of the Lord Christ in the world to come When corruption shall have put on incorruption and mortality immortalitie And as it followeth agreeing with and speaking out that to be the time all tears will the Lord wipe away from the faces of his people and the rebuke of his people shall be taken away from off all the earth This world will not as to the full fulfilling of it afford such a happy day the waited for salvation of the people of God shall then be fully enjoyed and great shall be their joy and rejoycing Redemption from the captivity of sin and satan from death and the grave sore enemies and cruel tyrants believers have redemption from them all in the bloud of Christ and may reckon and account themselves virtually ransomed and delivered by their redeemer the Lord Jesus Christ and that they are redemed ones by the price of his most precious bloud but this is only virtually and in the first fruits in the sure promise in the earnest to wit the spirit the redeemer shall fully come to Sion then shall the great redemption and deliverance take place Rom. 11. 26. the deliverer shall come to Sion and shall turn away ungodlynesse from Iacob or as holy Isaiah expresseth it the redeemer shall come to Sion and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob. It is good and true in both readings those believers that have turned to God by faith and repentance he shall come to them and coming he shall take their iniquities quite away I conceive by chainging them in a moment in the twinkling of an eye putting off their corruption and putting on incorruption so he shall come to the turned and likewise turn away their iniquitie The redemption of the body shall be then from the prison and power of the grave Rom. 8. 23. A great thing which believers have in the promise and in the earnest to wit the spirit they shall have then in the enjoyment of it the whole man Body and spirit with all the parts and faculties of both united in one full and perfect and it will be eternal redemption which the redeemer the Lord Christ hath obtained for his Heb. 9. 12. No more slavery then to sin or death or the grave Christ our blessed redeemer hath fully subdued it then and will set us fully free so as instead of saying as sometime holy Paul did who shall deliver us from this sinful body of death to wit subject to sin death and the grave those great tyrants we by faith may say according to our present interest and hope what shall then be sayd and sung aloud in the full posession and enjoyment of it by way of praise to their redeemer Rev. 5. 9. Thou art worthy c. For thou wast slain and hast redeemeed us by thy bloud out of every kinred and tongue and people and nation and hast made us unto our God kings and Priests and we shall reign on the earth then followeth that great thanksgiving of that great number in the three following verses in praise of the redeemer The time this relateth unto when it will be made good and fulfilled it is very likely it will be then when our Lord cometh the second time when the raised from the dead and the then living changed shall take place when they shall meet the Lord Christ and come with him to the new earth where he will fully set up his kingdom and throne then will that be fully made good Isa 35. 10. Isa 51. 11. The ransomed of the Lord or the redeemed shall come to Sion with joy and songs and everlasting joy shall be on their heads they shall obtain gladness and joy and sorrow and mourning shall flee away Their rejoycing and felicitie then shall not be of the length of a kings reign as to instance in Solomon in whose dayes there was great felicity but it lasted not beyond his dayes but this shall be everlasting as long as the sun and moon endureth Psal 72. 7. This world affords it not nor never will it is likely as to the fulness of it Trouble and sorrow and disquiet hath been and is at the present the portion and lot of the righteous here in this world our Lord hath told us so Ioh. 16. 20. Ye to wit the righteous shall weep and lament that is their condition here for a season what shall the men of the world do but the world shall rejoyce it is their day ye namely the righteous shall be sorrowful oh but when that time comes they shall then rejoyce your sorrow shall be turned into joy and their joy shall none take from them As to the fulnes of it it 's the time when sorrow and tears and pain and death shall be no more we know what time that is it is Jerusalems happy day in the new earth in the world to come then it will be so and all made good and fulfilled in the fulness and length of time Of neere affinity with redemption is salvation or being saved which we shall dilate on a little Not after the way of a theam or common place but only as salvation by Jesus Christ the blessed saviour of such as believe in him The beginning of it and first fruits here in regeneration in this world and the full harvest and perfection in the world to come at that
so they in their day hereafter will have a kinde of immortalitie and eternity in the world to come The holy scriptures imply of the everlasting life of the wicked Math. 25. 41. Then shall the king say Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire c. vers 46. And these shall go into everlasting punishment 2 Thes 1. 9. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and glory of his power their worm never dyeth and their fire it never goeth out implying their continual being and existence in order to wo and a sad condition then it may be said of them as sometime our Lord said of Judas good had it been for that man if he had never been born so good were it for the wicked if there were no resurrection nor life after this but that they remained for ever in the grave in oblivion and were anihilated and extinct for ever But alass it is otherwise they must live again and that in woe and torment for ever But the eternal life of the just their life everlasting will be a blessed and a happy life accompanied with all the blessed attendants and enjoyments of happyness and blessedness and freedom from all woe and misery for ever this happy enjoyment of life eternal or everlasting often spoken of by our Lord and the Apostles recorded in the new testament it is only enjoyable here in the first fruits and in the way of the beginning of it believers have those blessed fruits of the spirit faith and hope faith assures them and helps them to reckon those things that are not as if they were Rom. 4. 17. And hope it fixeth a soul in the full expectation there of it for that hope is of things not seen or enjoyed for sayth the Apostle how can a man hope for that he seeth Rom. 8. 24. written to Titus chap. 1. 2. chap. 3. 7. he speaks of the hope of eternal life and he sayth also it is the hope of eternal life which God hath promised before the world began Holy Iohn also 1 Ioh. 2. 25. saith This is the promise that he hath promised us even eternal life We have it in the beginning we have it in the earnest the spirit We have it in faith and hope those blessed fruits of the spirit of God We have it in the sure word and promise which is yea and Amen we have it as the servants of God have redemption and salvation so we have immortalitie and eternal life and it shall be brought and given unto us at the revelation of Jesus Christ then they shall be endowed with it they shall then put on immortalitie and inherit everlasting life Hope as an anchor of the soul sure and stable hath pitched within the vail Hob. 6. 19. 20. Whither the forerunner to wit the Lord Jesus is for us entred and gone before in order to our enjoying of all those great good things before mentioned together with everlasting life One of those great things that shall take place and be made good at the coming of the Lord Christ is that mistery shewed by holy Paul 1. Cor. 15. 53. That the believers that shall be found alive at the coming of the Lord Christ shall not die but be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye of the which we have treated before a very great thing concurring in time with those other great things before held forth I shall therefore forbear to treat of it here I shall only offer this as very likely that the holy Apostle had it by revelation or otherwise he learned it of our Lord Christ who in communication with Martha at Lazarus his death held forth the very same thing Ioh. 11. 20. Our Lord cometh where Lazarus was then dead she to wit Martha goeth to meet him vers 21. she sayth Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not dyed Vers. 22. her faith being strong she sayth to our Lord I know that whatever thou wilt ask of God he will give it thee Vers. 23. Our Lord sayth to her thy brother shall rise again vers 24. She well informed in the doctrine of the resurrection she sayth I know that he sball rise again at the resurrection at the last day Jesus saith to her vers 25. I am the resurrection and the life to wit he is the author in whose power and ordering both are at his dispose he is the raiser of the dead the giver of eternal life And our Lord tells her further that he that believeth in him though he were dead as Lazarus then was yet he sbould live As Lazarus presently after did then vers 26. He tells her that whosoever liveth and believeth in him shall never dye he asked her whether she believed that alass she its likely was at a losse in the understanding of it as are many of the servants of God now and therefore she answereth not our Lord Christ intended not believers of that time such as Martha and the Apostles that were there present nor any others believing in him of that time but only such as believing should be alive at his appearing as holy Paul hath fully informed us as for Martha and all the Apostles and believers in Jesus in that age and in the ages since they have all dyed and so they will die till that day take place and then shall that be fulfilled and made good sayd then by our Lord Christ that he that liveth and believeth in him shall never dye for such shall only be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye as Adam was changed for the worse and lived so shall they be changed for the better and continue living still putting on immortalitie and eternal life Minde we one place more Rev. 21. 1. 2. The new heaven and the new earth that Iohn saw in a visional way and the new Ierusalem coming down from heaven which he saw also very rich and glorious Vers. 3. He hath declared that which he heard also as well as saw a great voice from heaven what doth it declare behold the tabernacle of God is with men It is uttered with a behold a great thing a great blessing but greater followeth and he to wit the Lord God will dwell with them in the new earth holy Iohn saw where men to wit the servants of God will dwell then God will then and there dwell with them a very great and wonderfull thing which Solomon admired as well he might 1. Kings 8. 27. will God indeed dwell with men on the earth behold the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee c. And yet further grace and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God happy souls indeed for happy are the people whose God is the Lord who have him with them in whose presence and favour is life Psal 144. 15. Psal 30. 5. this enjoying of God and Christ is the great adjunct of