be just to the eternal praise and glory of the soveraign justice and wrath of God against final unconverted sinners Rom. 3. 8. Revelat. 6. 17. It is the opinion of sundry of our English Divines that God intends the glorifying of the 2 great attributes of his mercy and justice most eminently at the day of judgement and in the world to come And surely the vessels of mercy and the vessels of wrath will find it so at the last day and from thenceforth to all eternity Job 21. 29 30 31. 1 Pet. 1. 4. 2 Pet. 2. 9. 17. Ah Christians Christians I who write and ye who read and hear these things must not onely be spectators of the praise of Gods mercy and justice but parties also upon whom either the infinite mercy or the infinite justice of God shall be everlastingly glorified but whether of these I cannot tell God knoweth In the name of Christ Let us work out our salvation with fear and trembling for our God is a consuming fire presumptuous sinners who go on impenitently in their sins shall at length find to their costs that they have treasured up wrath to themselves against the day of wrath and that the justice of God as well as his mercy endures for ever none more terrible then God provoked wo and again wo to them all against whom mercy it self shall rise up in judgement Now consider this ye that forget God lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Psal. 50. 22. CHAP. VI. Directs you how to apply the great doctrine of mans future eternity whereby you may escape everlasting punishment and obtain life eternal after this life is ended HAving done with the explication of the doctrine concerning the great state of mans future eternity I shall in this last Chapter apply it unto you and that by way of exhortation unto these two duties 1. Believe it in the generall That mans future condition shall be eternal either in happiness or misery 2. Provide in particular for your own future condition that it may not be miserable but happy to all eternity First believe it in the general that the condition of all mankind in the world to come shal be everlasting and endless either in felicity or misery Though you cannot see any thing beyond the Grave with the eyes of your body yet with the eyes of your understanding thorow the perspective glass of the Word by the grace of Faith you may see beyond this world the great prospect of Man's Eternity iâ— the world to come both that of glory and that other of torment and how blessed the one and how miserable the other Hence one faith that man is a future creature the eye of his soul looks beyond this life towards Eternity and hence it is that Faith is described to be the evidence of things not seen the nature and use of Faith is to be as it were in stead of sight or to make the unseen and eternal things of hell and heaven which God hath revealed to be in existence as if our bodily eyes beheld them therefore that you may believe this universal received Truth as verily as if you saw it fulfilled meditate pray and confer about it 1. Meditate of the certainty of this Doctrine That all mankind at the end of this world shall go in their bodies and souls into an everlasting condition either of happiness or misery and consider you have as plain places of Scripture and as strong Scripture Arguments to prove it as you have to prove any Doctrine contained in the Bible as appears by what hath been already said in our second Chapter Again consider how that this Doctrine hath been received for a Truth in all ages of the world not only by Jews Christians but also by Gentiles and Heathens and therefore if you do not believe it you are worse then Infidels and Pagans because they have onely the twilight of Nature and you have the clear light of the sacred Scriptures to convince you of the verity of it Mat 25. 46. Although none can have good hope to go to heaven to enjoy that happiness there which they would not believe here yet it is to be feared that many go to hell to feel that misery there which they would not believe here 2. Pray to God to give you grace to believe it and by faith to foresee what the Scripture hath so plainly foreshewnâ— who knows but that the Lord may perswade you of the truth of it whilest you are praying to him to incline your hearts to believe it Dan. 9. 21 22 Mat. 7. 7. 3. Confer about it if need be with some able Minister of the Gospel to the end that you may be strengthened and confirmed in your belief of it Mal. 2. 7. Acts 10. 5. 6. One told Bishop Hooper after he was in Queen Mary's days condemned to be burned That life was sweet and that death was bitter thinking thereby to have disswaded him from suffering for righteousness sake But the good Bâ—shop replyed The life to come is more sweet and death to come is more bitter Surely such as mens belief is of heaven and life eternal to come and of hell and everlasting punishment to come such will be their desires and endeavours to escape the one and to obtain the other And this let al men know for certain That the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment and the righteous into life eternal at the last day whether the generality of the world do now believe it yea or no Mat. 25. 46. Secondly Provide in particular for your own condition in the world to come that it may not be miserable but happy to all eternity That you ought first and above all to provide for your own eternal salvation and that it is rare Christian Policy so to do these places of Scripture do fully prove it Seek yee first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you Mat. 6. 33. Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able Luke 13 24. Give diligence to make your calling and election sure for so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2 Pet. 1. 10 11. Daâ—nescene makes mention of a certain Countrey where they choose their King of the meanest of the people and such was their detestable disloyalty as that upon any dislike taken they would depose him and banish him into an Island where he should be starved to death one of their Kings more wise then the rest considering hereof sent money before hand into the Island into which he feared he should be banished which coming to pass the Islanders received him with joy and he lived in plenty amongst them till his dying day If men be so wise and careful
eternal God himselfe who is goodnesse and perfection wholly incomprehensible shall be with them and will be their God their exceeding great reward their portion their heaven their life eternall their happinesse and their all in all with whom they will be fully satisfied and in whom they will comfortably acquiesce and contentedly rest to all eternity yea the Lord their God will rejoyce over them with joy and will rest in his love unto them Zeph 3. 17. O Sirs if the blessedness of the life to come be but revealed in part and if we who know but part of that part of it which is revealed and that thorow a glasse darkly do conceive the glory and bliss of it to be unspeakably great How unconceivably glorious and blessed will the Saints in heaven find it to be when they shall fully know it by comfortable experience In summe the happiness of heaven and of the blessed life to come called by Divines the state of glorification is such as that it will please and satisfy all who shall have a part in it it is infinitely greater and better then can be uttered or conceived therefore let us humbly leave the rest of the felicity of it to the future experience of such as shall enjoy it as we may hope we shall within a short time if our hearts be right in the sight of God It is reported of the Duke of Bovillon and his army that when they went to Jerusalem as soon as they saw the high Turrers they shouted for joy â—rying out Jerusalem Jerusalem what cause have we poor pilgrims strangers on the earth who are travelling towards the â—elestial Jerusalem our heavenly country to rejoyce with joy unspeakable as soon as we see by faith any glimpse of the exceeding glory and happinesse of it saying with a joyful noyse to God Hallelujah Hallelujah blessed and for ever blessed be the Lord that we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens An house yea a pallace of heavenly state and magnificence neither is it lesse then a kingdome that abides there for us a kingdome so much above these worldly Monarchies as heaven is above this â—lod of earth CHAP. V. Renders the principall Reasons why all mankinde after the day of judgement shall go in their bodies and soules into an everlasting condition either of felicity or misery THe great and important Truth of mans eternal state to come having been both proved and explained I shall now give you the Reasons of it which are principally these two First the Elect of God amongst all mankind who were interessed in Christ shall go in their bodies and soules after they have received their joyful sentence of absolution into an everlasting condition of happinesse for the everlasting glorifying of the mercy of God Rom. 9. 23. When Jesus Christ shall say to his Elect people in the sight and hearing of all the world Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world and when afterward he shall bring them triumphantly into the possession of the everlasting kingdome of glory Then and from thenceforth and for ever it will be fully knowne that God is essentially mercifull and that his mercy towards them whom he hath chosen in Christ to life eternal is infinite everlasting and immutable to the everlasting glory and honour of the mercy of the Lord and to the perpetuall praise of the glory of his grace Rom. 9. 23. Ephes. 1. 5 6. As now the best of Saints do but see the saving mercy of God towards them thorow a glasse darkly and do but weakly believe it so they do very imperfectly praise him for it but when they shall perfectly know at the day of 〈◊〉 compleat Redemption that it was the mercy of God and nothing but his â—ender mercy and free grace in Christ towards them that elected them that created them that redeemed them that called them that justified them that sanctified them and that hath compleatly saved them and all for this great end that they might for ever magnify him for it Then they will perfecty praise the Lord and give him the glory due to his name for this gracious and golden chain of mercy that reacheth from their everlasting predestination to their everlasting glorification Ephes. 1. 3 4 5 6. Rev. 4. 8 9 10 11 12. As the saved in heaven will know by joyful experience the â—â—â—at things the Lord hath done for them and that it is eternal love unto them in Christ that hath delivered them from the nether-most hell and that hath brought them to the highest heaven so they will affectionately praise him for it and will delight to give glory to the Lord their God who hath brought them unto his incomprehensible bliss and glory through the communication of his grace and glory unto them And as they will perfectly apprehend that the favour that God beareth unto them in Christ shall endure for ever and ever so they will glorify him for it for ever and ever and will sing without ceasing the high praises of God not as the Acaemets at Constantinople who sung day and night divine praises to God onely one company after another But all the Elect angels and Saints in heaven will unanimously and perpetually praise the everliving God Father Son and holy Ghost for the infinite felicity they shall enjoy together in his beatifical presence Psal. 84. 4. Rev. 7. 10 11 12. Secondly all the Reprobate of Mankinde who had no part in Christ shall go in their bodies and souls immediately after the dolefull sentence of condemnation hath been pronounced against them into an everlasting condition of misery for the everlasting glorifying of the justice of God Rom. 9. 22. When Jesus Christ shall say to the Reprobate in the presence of his elect Angels and Saints Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels and when he shall at that instant cast them into hell to be everlastingly punished then and ever after it will be absolutely known that God is essentially just and that his justice is infinite eternal and unchangeable to the everlasting glory and honour of the justice of God and to the eternal praise of his unalterable purpose to punish final impâ—nitent and unbelieving sinners according to the desert of their sins Rom. 9. 22. 2 Thes. 1. 7 8 The wicked in the world will not now believe the justice anger and displeasure of God against sin and impenitent sinners nor will they glorify it when it is executed upon secure sinners either in temporal or spiritual judgements But when the great day of the Lords wrath is come then they shall feel it by woful experience and shall be forced to know and acknowledge the Lord to be just and their damnation to
and whereby we may be brought at last to the infinite felicity of heaven 〈◊〉 the glory and honour of his infinite mercy world without end Amen and Amen Eternity is like a Circle or Ring that hath no end Six Principles premised 1. Principle * Hebr. 12. 9. * Psal. 132. 11. See Bishop Reynolds of the Passions c. 32. 2. Principle * Job 14. 2. Gen 5. 5 20. 27. Psal. 89. 48 * Mr. Sâ—yode his Anat. of Mortallity 3. Principle †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 9. 27. comp Jo. 5. 4. c. 19. v. 28. * Bishop usher his Body of Divinity p. 446. * Rev. 14. 13. Hebr. 12. 23. Luke 16. 22 25. ch 23. 43. Acts 7. 59. Phil. 1. 23. * Eccles. 12. 7. Luk. 12. 20. ch 16. 23 24. Acts 1. 25. 1 Pet 3. 19 Judev. 6 7 * P. Mor. de ver cb Rel. c. 15. * Luke 16 23 24. 4. Principle * Iohn 5. 28 29. * Math. 19 26. * Ier. 32. 17. 5. Principle * Iâ—de v. 14 15. Math. 11. 22. 24. * 2 Cor. 5. 10 Rom. 14. 12. Eccles 12. 14 1 Cor. 4 5 * Ioh. 5. 22. Acts 10. 4â— 6. Principle Confirmation by Divine testimony * Iohn 8. 24. Luke 8. 13. Heb. 10. 39. Mat. 25. 42 43. * Metonynâ— adjuncti Piseator ad locum * Rev. 5. 9 1 Cor. 1. 30. 1 Cor. 6. 11. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Joh. 8. 44. Titus 1. 16 Further proof by two Arguments 1. Argument †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 5 10. * Ioh. 17. 3. Ioh. 6. 40. 2 Argument * Mat. 25. 46. * Mat. 7. 1â— 14. Luke 16. Mat. 25 46. The antiquity of this poinâ— * Gen. 2. 17. ch 3. v 15. 24. Hebr. 11. v. 4 5 7 8 9 10 1â— 16. Iude v. 14 15. Dan. 12. 2. Mat. 25 46 2 Thes. â— 8 9 10 * Daille of the use of the Fathers his Preface and p. 184 Corpus Conses Confirmation by humane testimony * See P. Mornay of the truenes of the Chr. Religion ch 15 19. V. Grot. l. x c. 21 22 â—3 l. q. c. 12 * Munster Ortcliâ—s Heylâ—n See P. Mornay c 1. p. 9. Alcoran Moham c. 14. p. 160. c. 20. p. 198 * 1 Pet. 5. 8. 1 Their punishment of loss * Psal. 113. 68. Math. 19. 17. Psal. 36. 9. Psal. 63. 3. * Luke 13. 25 27 28. Ioh. 8. 24. * This is related by M. Calamy in his Sermon on Heb. 11. 13. 2. Their pain of sense * Mat. 23 33. * Psal. 9. 17. Luke 22 44. * Rev. 20. â— 3. Mark 9. 43. * Dr. Arrowsmith Aâ—milla Chaâ—â—châ—t * Dcodat Annot. * Psal. 49. 7 8. Luke 16. 24 25 26. * Rev. 21 8. 3. The Eternity of their misery †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 25. 46 refereth Origâ—n * Eccles. 12. 7. Dan. 12. 2. Heb. 6. 2. 2 Pet. 2. 17. Maâ—k 9 46. Joh. 3. 35 * The Persians Prison called â—â—the Dâ—exâ—l The Eternity of the damned a posteriori described Obvious application * Mat. 10 28. Luke 12. 5 * M Dents Plain-Man's path way to heaven * Isa. 30 33 Matth. 5 22 ch 25 41 46 Maik â— 42 44 46 4â— Objections and Queries prevented * Aquinas primae 2dae Q 87. Art 5. Suppl Par. 3. q. 99 art 1. * V. Gerrard de inserno * Aug. de civ Dâ—i L. 21 c 9 10. Lombard L. 4 Dist. 44 â—q Suppl â— par qu 97 art 5 * Calviâ— in Isa. c. 30 vâ—ulâ— Tilenâ—s Syntag p. 2 D. 47. Gerrard de insernâ— * Bellarm. in Concione de crucia tibus Gehennae * 1 Thes. 1. 1â— 1 Cor. 15. 57. 1. Their conformity unto Christ in holiness and glory * Similes non pares Beza Ep. 1 John 3. 2 * Hebr. 12 23. * 1 Cor. 15. 49. * 1 Cor. 15. 42 43 44 53. * Psal. 36 9. 1 Cor. 13. 12. Mat. 6. 10. Rev. 19. 1. * Col. â— 4 Râ— 19 8. 9. Ephes. 5. 〈◊〉 Isai 60. 21 Ephes. 5. 27. Col. 1. 22. * Mat. 17. 2. 2 Their enjoyment of God in Christ in the highest heaven Isa. 57. 15. * Jâ— 14. 5. * â— Thes. 4. 1â— * 2. Cor. 5. 2. 8. Phil. 1. 23. fâ—cisti nos c. inquicâ—um est Cor c. Aug. Conf. lib 1. c. 1. Sicut Angâ—livident ita nos visuri sumus Aug. de Civ dei lib. 22. c. 29. * Iob 19. 25 26. Io. 17. 24. * Isa. 60. 19 20 Matt. 5. 8. Rev. 22. 4 5. * Melch. Ad. in vit Gâ—rm Mâ—d. p 416. * Ioh. 17 21 22 23. * Eph. 1. 2 22. ch 5. 30 32. * Isa 60 19. Rev. 2â— 23. * â—â— 17. 21 22. Heb. 18. 22 23. Rev. 7. 9. 10 11 12. * Manchester contempl mort immort * Exod. 3. 14. Psal. 90 2. Rom. 1. 2â— Eph. 1 3. * Dr Arrowsmith Armilla Câ—atechâ—t * Dr Annesley his Sermon upon Psal. 73 25. * Cant. 5. 8 2 Cor. 5. 14 * 1 Cor. 13 8 13. Psal. 16. 11 Rev. 5. 11 12. Psal. 84. 20 3. The Eternity of their happiness * Matth. 25. 45. Io. 3. 16. ch 6. 51. ch 11. 26. 1 Thes. 4. 17. Rev. 22. 5 1 Cor. 9. 25 James 1. 12 1 Pet. 5. 4 Hebr. 5. 15 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Psal. 90. 4 * John 14 19. Rev 1 18. * Matth. 10. 28. 1 Cor. 15. 53. 2 Cor. 5. 1. Gen. 21. 33. Heb. 7. 25 * 2 Cor. 4. 18. Pro. 23. 5. Luk. 12. 20. The Saints Eternity a parte post described General application * Rom. 5. 3. 1 Thes. 4. 18. Obvious Questions prevented * Aug. de Civ lib. 22 c. 30. Aq. Suppl 3 Par. qu. 96. Art 11 Calv. Inst. lib. 3. c. 25. S. 10. Bucan Inst. loc 39. p. 4 6. Matth. 22. 30. * 1 Cor. 13. 8. Heb. 4. 9. * 1 Cor 15. 28. Rev. 21. 3. * 1 Cor. 2. 9. 2 Cor. 12. 4. * 2 Cor. 5. 1. * Bishop Mall paâ—het Medit p. 165 1. Reason * Exod 34. 6 7. Psal. 103. 17. * Ephes. 1. 4. Rom. 8. 29. * Finis vitae eternae principalis est Dei glorificatio Gerrard de vita aeterna 2 Reason * Isai 26. 10 11. * Ira Dei est inâ—ernus diaboli omnium damnatorum Luther * Bishop Reynolds of the passions Doctor Pearson on the Creed Master Baxters Saints Rest. 3. Part. * Phil. 2. 12. Hebr. 1â— 28. * Rom 2. 5 Jam. 5. 3. 1. Exhortation * Manchester Contempl * Hebr 11. 1. * M. Clark on the life of B. Hooper 2 Exhortation * This story is thus cited by M. Strode in his Anatomy of Mortality p. 118. * Mark 10 17. Three generall directions The first generall direction Foure principles necessary to be known * 1 Tim. 2. 5. 1 Cor. 8 4. 6. Jo. 4. 24. Matth. 28 19. Gen. 1. 1. Psal. 103. 190 1. Princidle * Gen. 3. 6 7. Gen. 2. 17. Tit. 1. 15. Rom. 3. 10 to 19. Act. 17. 26 Psal. 51. 5. Rom. 5. 12 18. Eph. 2. 1 2 2. Principle 3. Principle * Rom. 5. 6 10. 3. 16. Matth. â— 18 20 21 25. Gal 4. 4. Hebr 4. 15. Jo. 1. 14. Luke 1. 31. Rom. 9. 5. Gal. 4. 4. Phil. 2 8. 1 Cor. 15. 3 4. Acts 1. 9 10. Col. 3. 1. 4. Principle * Matth. 4. 17. 1 10 3. 23 Titus 2. 11 12. * Prov. 8 32 33 34 Mat. 7. 7. ch 28. 13 20. The second generall direction Four duties necessary to be practised 1 Repentance towards God * Lam. 3. 4. Hâ—ggai 1. 5. 7. Psal. â—8 3 4 5. Rom. 5. 23. Gal. 3. 10. * Psal. 95. 6. Luke 15. 18. 1 lo. 1. 9. Ezek. 36. 31. 2 Cor. 7. 10 11. 1. Cor. 11. 31. * M. Cal. in his Sermon upon Hebr. 11. 13. 2 Faith towards Jesus Christ. Iohn 3. 16. * 1 Cor. 1. 30. Colos. 3. 11. * 1 Tim. 1. 15. Heb. 7. 25. * Acts 16. 30. 31. Psal. 103. 10. Isa. 64 7. 2 Cor. 8. 5. Iohn 6. 37 38 39. Hebr. 5. â— 3 Newness or holiness of life Matth. 19. 17. Hebr. 1â— 14. 1 Pet. 10. 1â— * Rom. 6. 4 5 6 8. Ezek. 36. 27. Mich. 7. 19 2 Cor. 7. 1. Ephes. 4. 23 2â— * Math. 22 37 38 39 40. Rom. 13. 9 10. * Deut. 11. 18. Ier. 31. 33 * Ezek. 36. 2â— Iohn 1â— 15 23. * Mark 13 35 37. 1 Pet. 1. 17 Caution * Gal. 6. 16 Phil. 4. 13. Rom. 8. 13 1 Cor. 10. 13. Titus 2. 10. 2 Pet. 1. 5 to 11. 1 Iohn 2. 3 Math. 5. 16 * Hic jacet Similâ—s cujus aetas multoâ—um quidem annorum suit vixit anâ—os duntaxat Septem 4 Renewed repentance and faith * Rev. 2. 5. Iob 42. 6. Luke 11. 4 * Mr. Clark on the life of Iust. Mrt. The third generall direction Foure sorts of meanes necessary to be used 1. Hearing of the word of God preached * Luke â—â— 40. Rom. 10. 14. Jo. 20. 31. 2. Daily prayer to God * 1 Som. 1. 13. Mat. 6. 6. Acts 10. 2. 1 Cor. 14. 15 16. 3. Frequent use of the Sacraments * 1 Cor. 11. 26. 4. Submission to the Ministers of Gods word 10. 13. 17. 1. Motive * 10. 17. 3. Mat. 4. 17. 10. 3. 16. Rom. 8. 13 â— 10. 2. 3. 17. * â— 10. 3. 2. 10. 14. 3. 1 Cor. 13. 12. * 1 Thes. 4. 17. Psal. 16. 11. 2. Motive Dan. 5. 27. * Matth. 25 41. Mark 9. 43 44. Rev. 21. 8. * Jo. Pâ—t camois B. of Betty in France in his â—lraught of â—terniâ—y Num. 75. 3. Motive * Eccles. 1. 2. * Plutarchâ— Apoth Matth. 16. 26. 4. Motive * M. Clark on the life of Aquin. * Gal. 6. 7 8. * 2 Coâ— 6. 2 Heb. 3. 7 8 * Filius P. Alexander 6. 1490. Wolfius * Deâ—â— 32. 29. * Ernestus Dux Lunebergensis ex Philippi locis Manlionis The conclusion of all * Gio Torriano p. 51. * Memento te esse mortalem Annos aeternos in menâ—e habe Luke 19. 42. * Deut. 30. 19. * Acts 5. 2â— 41. 2 Tim. 3. 3. 1â—