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A76452 The saints inheritance after the day of ivdgement. Being also an answer to certaine scruples of late delivered, and others printed, expecially in that book intituled, The personall reigne of Christ upon earth. By T. B. T. B. 1643 (1643) Wing B203; Thomason E59_4; ESTC R3205 49,886 41

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see his children partake with him of that eternall happinesse in heaven saith John I have no greater joy Luke 15 20 3 John 4. then to heare that my children walke in truth yet I suppose the rich mans petition was not to the soule of Abraham but to the God of Abraham who is the chiefe and onely father of the faithfull who hath said he will gather his lambes in his armes and carry them in his bosome to him all the soules in heaven are subject then to me it seemes adsurd to thinke that the soule of Abraham should have power to send the soule of Lazarus out Isa 40. 11. 46. 3 4. Gen. 31. 55 Psa 24. 6. Hos 3. 5. of heaven and for the name we need not much to scruple at for the Lord is often times called by the name of Abraham Isaac Jacob David Joshua and the like and if they should say that the soule of Abraham and the rest of the Saints departed are in the airie heaven then they might know many things that are done on the earth for the soule is of a large capacity being disburdened Isa 13. 16. of a corrupted body But Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel knowes us not then surely their soules are gone above the two lower heavens which are stained with sin and must be purged with fire at the Judgement day If they say none but the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies so none but Christ to heaven in his body soul after his resurrection I answer Heb. 9. 24. the beast that was sacrificed signifyed the body of Christ and the Holyest of all was the figure of heaven but the High Priest went in and left the sacrifice behind and so did Christ goe into heaven it selfe while his body Luke 23. 43 46. was sacrificed and lay in the earth that day was he in Paradise if this be not sufficient to prove it then marke his last words Jesus cryed with a loud voyce and said Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and when he had said thus he gave up the Ghost Neither would he suffer his Joh. 20. 17 body to be touched til that had been with his Father although afterwards he bade them to handle him to strengthen their faith in him now shall we thinke that this going to his Father was not to goe into the glory of the third heaven themselves cannot deny it It may be they will say that heaven was not opened till Christ entred in with his body and soule I answer the way hath beene open from the beginning although not made so manifest for Christ was the Lambe slaine from the foundation of the world and their faith before his visible comming in the flesh gave substance Heb. 9. 8. Revel 13. 8. Heb. 11. 1. John 8. 56. to things hoped for Abraham saw his day and was glad but if they grant that heaven is open since his comming in the flesh I demand why the soules that now d●part must not enter into it this they dare not grant because there is a great gulfe fixed and no passage out till they come with Luke 16. 26 1 Thess 3. 13. Jude 14 15 Zach. 14. 5. 1 Pet. 3. 22. Acts 3. 21. Christ to Judgement at the last day so that then they cannot Reigne here a thousand yeares before the end of the world but suppose the soules departed be not in heaven yet they cannot deny but Christ is there he is gone into heaven and the Heaven shall receive him till the restitution of all things This gulph must keepe him in till the day of Judgement and that is called his second comming which is unto salvation therefore there can be none before that and as the High priest went in not for himselfe Heb. 9. 28. Exo. 28. 29 but bare the name of all Israel upon his brest no more did Christ but as soone as the body of any of the elect is sacrificed by death their soule he John 17. 24 receives to himselfe to be where he is to behold his glory else why did Steven when he was stoned and saw the Heavens open and Christ standing at Gods right hand say Lord Jesus receive my Spirit and to what purpose Acts 7. 56 59. 1 Pet 4. 19. doth Peter bid us when we suffer according to the will of God to commit our soules unto him did God the Father deceive the Sonne when he prayed thus doth he not say Thou hearest me alwaies or did the Sonne dissemble when he said I will that they be where I am and therefore he Joh. 11. 42 Heb. 5. 7. would not heare Steven a man full of Faith and of the Holy Ghost or doth Peter deceive us all in bidding us at our death to commit our soules to God when they shall not come neare him I meane to that happinesse prepared for them but what makes Paul desire to depart and to be with Christ Christ is not among the Starres nor is he yet come in the clouds that we Phil. 1. 23. 1 Thess 4. 16 17. 2 Cor. 5. 6 8. should goe there to meete him what makes him say while we are in the body wee are absent from the Lord and wee are willing rather to bee absent from the body that we may be present with the Lord but if their soules after they depart should be kept in a kind of purgatory or prison from the Lord Christ they had as good be in the body still and absent from the Lord here as there to be frustrate of our expectation but the wicked shall be turned into hell and the expectation of the poore Saints shall not perish their soule shall returne to God who gave it as there is but Psal 9. 17 18. two wayes so there is but two ends for all men good and bad which are Heaven or Hell saith Christ In my Fathers house are many Mansions if Eccle. 12. 7 it were not so I would have told you that I go to prepare a place for you But he will make knowne the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy John 14. 2. Rom 9 23. Mat 25. 34. Psal 3● 19. which hee had afore prepared unto glory The Kingdome of Heaven was prepared for them before the foundation of the world This is laid up for those that feare the Lord they will not say surely it is among the starres or in the clouds no let Edom make his nest there but when we depart we shall be with Christ which is farre better It may be Phil. 1 23. some will after all this rather then they will yeeld that the soule departed is gone into the heaven of the blessed they will say that it dies mortally with the body but if they will beleeve Christ that Abraham Isaac and Jacob are living they may be convinced of it for God is the God of the living and he is their God they need not to
it is not the world to come and as Adam was made Lord of all the creatures living under heaven and the Lord himselfe brought all the beasts and Gen. 1. 29. Gen. 2. 19. fowles unto him as to their Lord to see what he would call them but now since the fall neither beasts nor fowles will yeeld him any free subjection but by the halfes as hee doth to the Lord but at the restauration of all Job 39. 9. 27. things when all that offend are taken away and all that doe iniquity then shall the righteous shine as the Sunne in the kingdome of their Father Matth. 13. 41. 43. 1 Cor. 15 24. Heb. 2. 8. that is when Christ hath rendred up the kingdome to his Father then shall all these creatures yeeld their free obedience to man as at the first but saith the Apostle we see not yet all things put in subjection under him and as I said before the Angels have the charge of things here below because man by reason of his corruption and weakenesse that came by sinne is unable to governe the creatures but when man is restored to his first perfection and made able to doe it the Angels shall doe it no longer but this wee see is not yet therefore it is still the third part of the old world for unto the Angels he hath not put in subjection the world to come then the Angels shall abide in heaven their owne proper place and man being made equall to the Angels shall have the dominion over all things as at the first and Christ is at his Fathers right hand till all these things be done the heaven shall receive him untill the restitution of all things to their first perfection this is that refreshing that is for to come from the presence of the Acts 3. 19. 21. Lord he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you then you that are troubled shall rest with us when the Lord Jesus shal be revealed 2 Thes 1. 7. 10. from heaven with his mighty Angels when he shall come to bee glorified in his Saints and to bee admired in all them that beleeve then shall the creatures be delivered into the glorious libertie of the Sons of God that is Rom 8. 21. they shal have a most excellent estate when the children of God are glorified the Lord will doe them justice also in restoring them to their first perfection and they shall have againe all that they lost by the sinne and fall of Adam I doe not say that there shall bee any resurrection of the creatures that are dead but there shall be some of every kind that was given to Adam Gen. 6. 19. 20. Eccle. 3. 14 1 Cor. 3. 15 both of fowles and beasts whereof Noahs Arke was a figure for I know saith Solomon whatsoever God doth it shall be for ever the judgement day shall be as a purgation to purifie the creatures and they shall bee saved as through fire as death and the grave doe not destroy our bodies for ever and as the corne is cast into the earth it must die before it can be quickned but being dead God giveth it a body so shall the creatures be purified at the day of judgement then shall the light of the Moone be as the light of the 1 Cor. 15. 36 37 38. Esa 30. 26. Sunne and the light of the Sunne shall be sevenfold as the light of seven dayes but as the wages of sinne is death and it is gone over all except those that are found alive at the last day they shall not die but be changed at the twinkling of an eye and so made able to endure the fire that they may not bee 1 Cor. 15. 52 53. consumed but purged from their corruption But some because it is said that the Saints shall raigne with Christ a thousand yeares and they will needs have it in this world before the end Revel 2 5. and not knowing where to finde it they say the judgement day shall continue a 1000. yeares but this cannot bee except they deny the expresse Word of God because he hath appointed a day in which hee will judge the world The day of the Lord commeth as a thiefe in the night The great Acts 17. 31. 1 Thes 5. 24 2 Pet. 3. 10. 12. Acts 2. 20. Rom. 2 16. Matth. 24. 36. Matke 13. 32. and notable day of the Lord In the day when God shall judge the secrets of all men That day and hower knoweth no man thus it appeares to me to be rather lesse then a day then more it may be the shortest day that ever came for any thing we know but more it cannot be when the Scripture is so full and cleare to every understanding that will be satisfied in it When the righteous and the wicked appeare before the Lord at the day of judgement Christ for the love he beareth to the righteous he will come leaping over the mountaines and skipping over the hills Can. 2. 8. he is not slacke concerning his promise 2 Pet. 3. 9. When the Son of man commeth I tell you that he will avenge them speedily Luk. 18. 8. and concerning the wicked saith he I will come nearre to you to judgement and I will bee a swift witnesse against them Mal. 3. 5. here Christ comes leaping and skipping speedily and swiftly that his elect may not be held too long in suspence from their happinesse as some would have it a 1000. yeares wayting at the barre before the Judge for absolution And there is good reason for it for God that is able and will bring to every mans remembrance at that day all their thoughts words and deeds that ever was in all their lives and the booke of their conscience and the booke of the Law of God shall be both open to them Revel 20. 12. then I suppose the sentence may soone bee passed upon them they need not have their sentence one after another as some that affirme this would have it but the righteous being all on the right hand and the wicked all on the left hand then shall the Judge say to them on the right hand Come ye blessed and to all on the left hand Goe ye cursed Matth. 25. 34. 41. And if they reply and say one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares I answer this was the judgement of those that hold because God was six dayes in creating the world therefore it should continue six thousand yeares which if it be so there being passed above five thousand and a halfe already where will you finde a thousand yeares more before the day of judgement so that this will not helpe them at all and to say the Saints doe raigne with Christ a 1000. yeares meaning while they stand at the barre of his judgement to mee it seemes very improper and though their cause be never so good neither can they be said to raigne here
feare them that kill the body but cannot Mar. 22. 32. Mat. 10. 28 Luke 2. 29. kill the soule the soule cannot dye with the body but it departs away from it Then I conclude that if the Soule assoone as it leaves the body goes immediately to Paradise the third heaven there is neither purgatory nor place of residence after death but as the tree falleth so it lies after death to Judgement a particular sentence is passed immediately upon them for heaven or hell and there is no place of abode for Abrahams children till they come into his bosome with him in Heaven for ever But thirdly which is the maine objection to all my former discourse if the soule of Abraham be in Heaven and when he was here he desired a better Country than this world which is a heavenly then they say after the day of Judgement the Saints shall not inherit all these things here below in this world because the Saints did alwayes set a low value of them To this I answer that the Soule is of a Heavenly substance and when it Rom. 6. 7. leaves the body then it hath ceased from sinne therefore no place between this and Paradise is fit to receive it Therefore saith the Prophet Arise ye and depart for this is not your rest because it is polluted and after the Heb. 12. 23. day of Judgement the Angels shall abide in Heaven being a place for such glorious Spirits and the soules of men made perfect being of the same nature with them shall abide in Heaven also till the body shall rise againe for as the soules of men are now confin'd in Heaven Luk. 16. 26. and the Angels have businesse both in the Heavens and in the Earth so after the day of Judgement when they have finished their worke in this world they shall rest and I suppose shall be confined in Heaven for ever and when our bodies Eccle 21. 7. are risen and united to our soules then shall we inherit all things here in their first perfection and also we shall have sweet communion with Angels in Heaven for as I said before man consists of two parts body and soule so he shall have two worlds answerable to his two natures to delight himselfe in that he may have fulnesse of joy for whom all things were made 1 Tim 4. 8. for godlinesse is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come and the meane time that the body lies in the grave the soule is gone to take possession of the kingdome of heaven and when the body riseth againe it shall then have this world bestowed upon it and as the soule brought nothing with it so it shall take nothing out with it no not his owne body but leaves it here in the earth till it comes againe and so the body goes to the grave and takes nothing with it but weeping and mourning yet when it comes againe having had the pretious seeds of grace in it shall doubtlesse come againe with rejoycing and Psal 126. 6. bring his sheaves with him so then after the day of judgement when all things are purified by fire and restored to their first perfection then I say man shall inherit all things both in this world and in the world to come then shall the meeke inherit the earth and delight themselves in the abundance Psal 37. 11. Joh. 16. 20. 33. Esay 49. 8. Matth. 10. 16. of peace but this cannot be before the day of judgment for saith Christ In this world you shall have tribulation Christ was given for a covenant of the people to establish the earth to cause to inherite the desolate heritages but for the present the Saints are as sheep among wolves so that these things shall not be restored to the Saints till themselves are in their first perfection then they shall be given us againe perfect as they were to Adam at the first And although mans body shall put on immortalitie and shall be made so firme and permanent as to endure for ever eternally yet his body shall not be turned into a spirit it shall be a body still with flesh and bones as Luke 24. 39 49. the body of Christ was after his resurrection saith he Handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee see me have And he did eate and drinke with his disciples after his resurrection they gave him a peece of a Luke 24. 42 43 30. Joh. 21. 9. 12. 13. Acts 10. 41 Matth. 26. 29. Rom. 14. 17 Joh. 18. 36. broyled fish and of an hony combe and he tooke it and did eate before them so it is likely man may after his resurrection for saith Christ I will henceforth drinke no more of the fruit of the vine till I drinke it new in my Fathers Kingdome this cannot bee meant presently after his ascension for wee never read that hee dranke wine in all that fortie dayes and his kingdome doth not consist in drinking wine but in righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost My kingdome is not of this world saith hee then I conclude that Christ will not drinke of the fruit of the vine till he hath rendered up the kingdome to 1 Cor. 15. 24. his Father then will Christ amongst the Saints drinke it new not as though he desired to drinke new wine rather then old for he himself saith that no man having old wine desireth new for hee saith the old is better Luke 5. 39. then the meaning is when the vine is made now and all the trees and creatures restored to their first perfection then will he drinke with them in his Psal 96. 11 12 13. Fathers kingdome then shall the heavens rejoyce and the earth be glad the fields shall be joyfull and all the trees of the wood shall rejoyce before the Lord when hee commeth to judge the earth Hee shall judge the world with righteousnesse and his people with his truth then here you see the world every creature the very trees shall have righteousnesse as they have suffered by the sinne of man so shall they have benefit in mans deliverance from his sinne this is that which the whole creation groaneth and traveleth in paine together untill now but the creature it selfe shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children Rom. 8. 21. 22. of God but it is observable when all the creatures in heaven and earth rejoyce at the comming of Christ to judgement at the same time the Sea Psa 96. 11. roares and the fulnesse thereof because it is said there shall be no more Sea Revel 21. 1. then shall man enjoy all the creatures that were given him at the first as he did in his innocency so that he may eate of all the trees for his pleasure and yet not feele the perill of hunger and although our bodies shall
the heavens rejoyce and the earth is glad the field is joyfull and all that is therein and all the trees of the wood will rejoyce before the Lord when he commeth to judge the earth Then shall they see the Sonne of man comming in a cloud with power and great glory when these things begin to come to passe then looke Luke 21. 27 28. Revel 19. 7 Luke 2. 25. 26. up and lift up your heads for your redemption draneth nigh Let us rejoyce and be glad and give honour to him for the marriage of the Lambe is come and his bride hath made herselfe ready because it was revealed to old Simeon that hee should not see death till he had seene the Lords Christ therefore he waited for the consolation of Israel be patient therefore brethren unto the comming of our Lord behold the husbandman waiteth for the fruite of the earth be yee also patient establish your heart for the comming of the Lord draweth nigh saith Micah James 5. 7 8. Micah 7. 7. I will waite for the God of my salvation and Paul commends the Corinthians for this thing for saith he yee come behind in no gift wayting for the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall confirme you unto the end that ye may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord for saith he our conversation 1 Cor. 1. 7. 8. is in heaven from whence also we looke for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile bodies and make them like unto his Phil 3 20 21. glorious body according to the working whereby hee is able to subdue all things unto himselfe Blessed is hee that waiteth and commeth to the 1335. dayes saith the Angel to Daniel but go thou thy way thou shalt rest till the end Dan. 12. 12 13. be and then stand in thy lot in the end of the dayes when all things are restored to their first perfection then Daniel shall have his lot among other Saints therefore waite I say on the Lord I will waite for the Lord my soule doth waite in his word doe I waite My soule doth waite for the Lord more then they that watch for the morning I say more then they that watch for Psal 130. the morning let Israel hope in the Lord watch therefore for ye know not at what houre your Lord doth come therefore be yee ready for in such an Matth. 24. 42. 44. 46. 47. houre as yee thinke not of the Sonne of man commeth blessed is that servant whom his Lord when hee commeth shall finde so doing verily I say unto you hee will make him ruler over all his goods now what are those goods that the Saints shall bee made Rulers over at the day of judgement but those creatures that were given to the first Adam and hee by his sinne lost this Lordship over them and the second Adam hath restored to him all againe in their first perfection and saith Luke hee will make him ruler over his Luke 12. 42. 44. household and over all that he hath now saith Paul I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole family in heaven and Ephe. 3 14. 15. earth is named what other meaning can this have but this after the day of judgement to be made Lords and Rulers over all the creatures here below and as I take it in some degree also above the Angels in heaven howsoever here is sufficient to answer a question sometimes moved which is this whether Quest shall the Saints or Angels have the highest degree of glory after the day of judgment I answer the Saints for as the beasts shall be confined to the earth so Answ the Angels shall be confined in heaven but man shall inherit all things all things I say both in earth and heaven and as man shall have more glory on earth then any beast or fowle can have so I suppose he shall have more glory in heaven then any Angel there because that he is the master piece of all and as it were a modell of all the creation being the last that was made all the rest being but made for him the Elders were with Christ on the throne and the Angels standing round about it read Revel 7. 11. therefore in more glory Revel 5. 11 7. 11. then the Angels Secondly Vse may teach us admiration with David and say O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that feare thee which thou Psal 31. 19. hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sonnes of men First Looke backe upon sinne and see the cursed nature of it and admire at the filthy contagion of it that hath defiled the lower heavens and the earth Iob 15. 15. Gen 6. 12. and all creatures in them and spoyled the glory and beauty of them all Secondly This may teach us to admire at the great mercy and goodnesse Psal 136. 23. 72. 12. Psal 63. 5. of our God who remembred us in our low estate how he delivered us when we had no helper he looked and there was none to helpe then his owne Arme brought salvation Thirdly Here we may admire at the folly of Adam that would hazzard such a glorious world of creatures and lose them all for a bit of an Apple Fourthly we may admire at their happy and permanent condition under the second Adam when as they shall bee established for ever and see how fickle and mutable they were under the first Adam O then happy is he that is not under the first but under the second Adam who hath restored againe what the first lost Fiftly here we may admire at the great price of our redemption the worth and value of the blood of Christ when we had spoyled and ruined the whole 1 Pet. 1. 19 creation all the glorious workes of God by our sinnes that the blood of Christ should purchase redemption for mankind and establishment to the Angels that had not sinned and purification to the creatures here below and establishment to all Sixtly here we may see and admire at the justice of God to all that creatures that have suffered punishment not for their owne sins but for ours now they shall not onely be delivered after so long a time but established in an unchangable condition for ever which will make amends for their great losse they had by the sinne of man Seventhly admire at the wisedome of God that could finde out such a way to satisfie his owne justice and yet to save his creatures Eighthly this may teach us to admire at the power of God that is able to doe all these things which in all mens judgement was a greater worke to renew the ruins of the old world then it was at the first to make it of nothing he travelled in the greatnesse of his strength and is mighty to save he layd Isay 63. 1. Psal 89.
people the voyce of weeping shall be no more heard in her violence shall be no more heard in thy land wasting nor destruction within thy borders but thou shalt call thy walls salvation and thy gates Reve. 21. 22. 22. 9. prayer the Sunne shall be thy light no more by day neither for brightnesse shall the Moone give light unto thee but the Lord shall be to thee an everlasting light and thy God thy glory thy Sunne shall no more go down Esay 60. 18 19 20 21. neither shall the moone withdraw it selfe for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light and the dayes of thy mourning shall be ended thy people shall be all righteous they shall inherit the land for ever the branch of my planting the worke of my hands that I may be glorified and not onely Esay 86. 24. so that they shall enjoy all things here but they shall goe forth and looke upon the carcasses of them that have transgressed against the Lord for their worme shall nor die not the fire be quenched but they shall bee an abhorring to all flesh the miseries of the damned that they shall see shall much increase their joy when they shall see what judgements the Lord hath saved them from and what a joy will it be when the creatures shall yeeld us true subjection as they did to Adam in Paradise and how will the Angels rejoyce to see all the Saints not onely converted but glorified Luke 15. 7. and how shall we rejoyce to see the will of God done on the earth as it is in heavens and when we shall have that Petition granted which we have so long prayed and waited for which is Thy kingdome come Matth 6. If any shall yet object and say the Saints shall not enjoy all things because we brought nothing into the world and it is certaine we shall carry nothing out naked we came and naked we shall returne Arise and depart 1 Tim. 6. 7. Job 1. 21. Micah 2. 10 Heb. 11. 16 Matth. 8. 11 Luk. 23. 43 Eccle. 12. 7 for this is not your rest because it is polluted therefore they desire a better country that is a heavenly and they shall come from the East and West and shall sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdome of heaven and this shall be as soone as they depart this life This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise then shall dust returne to the earth as it was and the spirit to God who gave it The answering of this may satisfie three sorts of opinions first that the soule is begotten as well as the body secondly that there is a place of abode for the soule when it is departed from the body besides heaven or hell thirdly it may answer those that thinke the soule and body both shall not after the day of judgement enjoy all things but shall bee confined in heaven for ever First if the spirit returne to God that gave it then the Father did not beget it but the Lord breathed into Adam the breath of life and he became a living soule and the Lord formeth the spirit of man within him and Gen 2. 7. Zach. 12. 1. some untimely birthes never had any spirit in them Man is the father of the flesh because he begot it but it is Gods owne peculiar title to be the Father of Spirits Numb 16. 22. 27. 16. See Heb. 12. 9. because he formed it Zach. 12. 1. and gave it Eccles 12. 7. If man should beget the soule of his childe then he that hath a righteous soule would beget a soule in his own likenesse but we see the contrary Againe if a man should beget the soule of his childe he must either infuse his owne soule into it or else he must infuse a peece of it but which of the two is it If he infuse a peece of his owne soule into the childe then he hath but a piece left himselfe and his childe another piece but if he hath parted with all his soule then he hath none himselfe but so much for this ridiculous question For the second that there is a place for the soules abode when it is departed from the body besides heaven or hell this I deny for I suppose the testimony of Christ is sufficient to prove that the Soules of Abraham Isaac and Jacob are in Heaven for we doe not conceive that their bodies are there but that they are turned to dust and are in that burying place which Abraham bought of Ephron the Hittite then their soules are in heaven else Gen. 23. 15 how shall they come from the East and from the West and sit downe with them in Heaven If they were not there before the day of Judgement we should be there as soone as they But where is that great assembly of the first borne I meane of all those that are borne anew of the water and the Spirit if they be not entred into the Kingdome of God Where those first borne such as Andronicus and Junia who were in Christ before me Joh. 3. 3. 5. Rom. 16 7. Heb. 12. 22 23 24. are not they in the heavenly Jerusalem the City of the living God is it not there where the spirits or soules of Just men are made perfect they are with Jesus the mediatour of the new Covenant and where is he but in heaven till the restitution of all things and this as soone as their soules depart Acts 3. 21. Heb. 9. 24. from the body saith Christ to him upon the Crosse this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise but will you know where this Paradise is if you will take Pauls word for it he will tell you that it is the third heaven 2 Cor. 12. 3 4. for saith he such a one was taken up into the third heaven he was caught up into Paradise now if from this place you be not satisfied that Paradise and the third heaven is to be understood the same thing you must be forced to grant that Paradise is above it for he was first taken up into the third heaven and then he was caught up into Paradise he doth not say that he was cast downe againe into Paradise so then if the soule of the thiefe was that day with Christ in Paradise then it was in the third heaven where the soules of all just men are made perfect that are departed for they are not so while they are here and in the Parable the rich man died and in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments here it is plaine that his Soule went immediately to hell but the begger went to Abrahams bosome But Luke 66. 22 23. say they where is Abraham I say that Christ hath told you already in heaven but why in Abrahams bosome because he is said to be the father of the faithfull as the father of the Prodigall rejoyced to see the returne of his Sonne so will Abraham rejoyce to