to be punished 2 Pet. 2. 9. And Jude saith for them is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever Jude 13. The punishment of the ungodly it is reserved till the day of Judgement which will be the time of their Resurrection Observe first The wicked must be punished Secondly The time of their punishment is not now but at the day of Judgement Thirdly This day of Judgement must be the same with the Resurrection of the Dead at the end of this World As therefore the Tares are gathered and burned in the fire so shall it be in the end of this World The Son of Man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that do iniquity and shall cast them into a Furnace of fire there shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth Mat. 13. 40 41. There shall then be a Resurrection of the Dead both of the just and unjust Fourthly The Soveraignty of the Lord Jesus over all Creatures doth plainly foreshew a Resurrection of the bad as well as of the good Indeed the unjust shall not arise by vertue of any relation they stand in to the Lord Jesus as the Saints shall but yet because all are delivered into his hand and he made Soveraign Lord over them therefore by an Act of his Soveraign Power they that are ungodly shall arise this is Christs own Argument The Father judgeth no man saith he but hath committed all Judgment unto the Son that is Count him and fall before him as their Soveraign Lord even as they honour the Father and he hath given him authority to execute Judgement also because he is the Son of Man And then he adds Marvel not at this for the hower is coming that all that are in their graves shall hear his Voyce and shall come forth they that have done good to the Resurrection of life and they that have done evill to the Resurrection of damnation Joh. 5. 22 23 27 28 29. From hence also Paul argueth saying For this cause he both dyed rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living And then adds We must all stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ. Rom. 14. 9. 10. Pray mind these words Jesus Christ by his Death and Resurrection did not onely purchase Grace and Remission of sins for his Elect with their Eternal Glory but did thereby also obtain of the Father to be Lord and Head over all things whether they be things in Heaven or things on Earth or things under the Earth All Power saith he in Heaven and in Earth is given unto me and I have the Keys of Hell and of Death Mat. 28. 18. Rev 1. 18. So that all things I say whether they be visible or invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him Col. 1. 16. This being thus at the Name of Jesus every knee must bow and every Tongue confess that he is Soveraign Lord to the glory of God the Father Phil. 2. 9 10 11. Now that this may be done He hath his Resolutions upon a Judgement-day in which he to shew himself his People his Way and Word in their Glory will have all his Enemies raised out of their Graves and brought before him where he will sit upon them in the Throne of his Gloâ—y and will shew them then who is the onely Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Mat. 25. 31 32. 1 Tim. 6. 14 15. Beloved He comes with ten thousand of his Saints to execute Judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed and of all their wicked speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Jude 14 15. Fifthly The great preparation that God hath made for the Judgement of the wicked doth clearly demonstrate their rising forth out of their Graves First He hath appointed the day of their rising Secondly He hath appointed their Judge to judge them Thirdly He hath Recorded all their acts and doings against that day Fourthly He hath also already appointed the Witnesses to come in against them Fifthly The Instruments of death and misery are already prepared for them For the first he hath appointed the day of their rising which day John calleth the time of the dead that they should be judged Which time Paul saith is a time fixed he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the World c. This time and day Christ brings down to an houre saying The hour is coming when all that are in their Graves shall hear his Voyce and shall come forth c. Revel 11. 18. Acts 17. 30 31. Joh. 5. 28 29. Secondly As he hath appointed the day so he hath appointed the Judge He hath appointed a day in which he will judge the World in Righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained of which he hath given assurance to all men in that he hath raised him from the Dead This Man is Jesus Christ for it is He that is ordained of God to be the Judge of the Quick and the Dead Acts 17. 30 31. Acts 10. 40 41 42. Thirdly All their deeds and works to a word and thought and every one already Recorded and Inrolled in the Books of the Laws of Heaven against that day The sin of Judah is written with a pen of Iron and with the point of a Diamond upon the Tables of their heart And again saith God Write it in a Table and note it in a Book that it may be for the time to come even for ever and ever that this is a rebellious House c. Jer. 17. 1. Isa. 30. 8 9. Fourthly God hath prepared his Witnesses against this day James 5. 1. Job 20. 27. Mat. 24. 14. Rom. 2. 14 15. Malac. 3. 5. Fifthly The Instruments of Death and Eternal misery are all already prepared He hath prepared for them the Instruments of Death he hath ordained his Arrows against the face of persecutors Psal. 7. 11 12 13. Psal. 21. 12. Hell is of old prepared he hath made it deep and large the fire the everlasting fire is also now of a long time prepared the heavy weights of Gods Curse are also ready and their damnation now of a long time slumbereth not Isa. 30 33. Mat. 25. 41. Deut. 29. 19 30. 2 Pet. 2 3. But now I say how rediculous a business would all this be if these things should be all prepared of the onely wise God and there should be none to be judged or if he that is ordained Judge should not either through want of power or will Command these Rebels and force them before his Judgement-Seat Glad indeed would the sinners be if these things might be true Glad I say at very heart if they might be in their secret places of darkness and the Grave for ever but it must not be the day of their rising is set
Matthew at the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus gives us a notable fore-word of the Resurrection of the Just Saith the Text And the graves were opened and many BODIES of Saints which slept arose and came out of their graves after his Resurrection and went into the holy City and appeared unto many Matth. 27. 50 51 52 53. When the Authour to the Hebrews had given us a Catalogue of the Worthies of the Old Testament he saith at last These all died in Faith In the faith of what That they should lie and rot in their graves eternally No verily this is the Faith of Ranters not of Christians They all died in faith that they should rise again and therefore counted this World not worth the living in upon unworthy terms that after death they might obtain a better Resurrection Heb. 11. 13 35. 'T is also worth the Considering that of Paul to the Philippians where he saith That he was Confident that that God that had begun a good work in them would perform it untill the day of Christ Phil. 1. 6. Which day of Christ was not the day of their Conversion for that was past with them already they were now the Children of God but this Day of Christ it is the same which in other places is called the Day when he shall come with the sound of the last Trump to raise the Dead For you must know That the Work of Salvation is not at an end with them that are now in Heaven no nor ever will untill as I shewed you before their Bodies be raised again God as I have told you hath made our Bodies the Members of Christ and God doth not count us thoroughly saved untill our Bodies be as well redeemed and ransomed out of the grave and death as our Soul from the Curse of the Law and dominion of Sin Though Gods Saints have felt the power of much of his grace and have had many a sweet word fulfilled on them yet one word will be unfulfilled on their particular person so long as the grave can shut her mouth upon them But as I said before when the gates of death do open before them and the barrs of the grave do fall asunder then shall be brought to pass that saying that is written Death is swallowed up of Victory and then will they hear that most pleasant voyce Awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs and the Earth shall cast forth her dead Isa. 26. 19. Thus much touching the truth of the Resurrection of the Just with the manner of their rising Now you must know That the time of the rising of these Just will be at the Coming of the Lord For when they arise nay just before they are raised the Lord Jesus Christ will appear in the Clouds in flaming fire with all his mighty Angels the effect of which appearing will be the rising of the dead c. For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout saith Paul and with the voice of the Arch-Angell and with the Trump of God and the dead shall rise 1 Thess. 7 8. 2 Thess. 4. 16. 1 Cor. 15. 52. Now at the time of the Lords Coming there will be found in the World alive both Saints and Sinners As for the Saints that then shall be found alive they shall so soon as all the Saints are raised out of their graves not die but be changed and swallowed up of incorruption immortality and glory and have the Soul-spiritual Translation as the raised Saints shall have as he saith We shall not all die or sleep but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye For the Trump shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed And again For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-Angel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first and then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Ayr and so shall we ever be with the Lord. As he saith also in another place He shall judg the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdome 1 Cor. 15. 52. 1 Thess. 4. 15 16 17. and 2 Tim. 4. 1. Now when the Saints that sleep shall be raised thus incorruptible powerful glorious and spiritual and also those that then shall be found alive made like them Then forthwith before the unjust are raised the Saints shall appear before the Judgment Seat of the Lord Jesus Christ there to give an account to their Lord the Judge of all things they have done and to receive a reward for their good according to their labour They shall rise I say before the Wicked they being themselves the proper Children of the Resurrection that is Those that must have all the glory of it both as to preheminencie and sweetness and therefore they are said when they rise to rise from the dead that is in their rising they leave the reprobate World behind them Luke 20. 35 36. Acts 3. 15. Acts 4. 10. Acts 13. 30. Joh. 12. 1 9 17. And it must be so because also the Saints will have done their Account and be set upon the Throne with Christ as Kings and Princes with him to Judge the World when the wicked world are raised The Saints shall Judg the World they shall judge Angels yea they shall sit upon the Thrones of Judgment to do it But to pass that 1 Cor. 6. 2 3. Psal. 122. 5. Now when the Saints are raised as ye have heard they must give an account of all things in general that they have done while they were in the World Of all things I say whether they be good or bad First of all their bad but mark not under the Consideration of Vagabonds Slaves and Sinners but as Sons Stewards and Servants of the Lord Jesus That this shall be it is evident from divers places of the Holy Scriptures First Paul saith We must all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ We Saints For it is written As I live saith the Lord every Knee shall bowe to me and every tongue shall confess to God So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God Again Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him for we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ that every one of us may receive the things done in his body according to what he hath done whether it be good or whether it be evil Rom. 14. 10 11 12. 2 Cor. 5. 10. 'T is true God loveth his People but yet he loveth not their sins nor any thing they do though with the greatest zeal for him if it be contrary to his Word Wherefore as truly as God will give a reward to his Saints and Children for all that they
loathsom condition The ungodly at their death are like the Thistle-seed but at their rising they will be like the Thistle grown more noysom offensive and provoking to rejection abundance Then such dishonour shame and contempt will appear in them that neither God nor Christ Saints nor Angels will so much as once regard them or vouchsafe one to come near them He beholdeth the wicked a far off because in the day of Grace they would not come to hand and be saved therefore now they shall all as thorns be thrust away as with fences of Iron 2. Sam. 23. 6 7. Their rising is called the Resurrection of the unjust and so they at that day will appear and will more stink in the nostrils of God and all the Heavenly Hosts then if they had the most irksome Plague-soars in the World running on them If a man at his Birth be counted as one cast forth to the loathing of his person how loathsom and irksom dishonourable and contemptible will those be that shall arise Godless Christless Spiritless and Graceless when the Trumpet sounds to their Judgement they coming out of their Graves far more loathsom and filthy then if they should ascend out of the most filthy hole on Earth Thirdly As the Just shall arise in power so the wicked and unjust in weakness and astonishment Sin and guilt bringeth weakness and faintness in this life how much more when both with all their power and force like a Gyant fasten on them as God saith Can thy hands be strong and can thy heart indure in the day that I shall deal with thee Eccless 22. 14. Now will the gastly Jaws of despair gape upon thee and now will condemnings of Conscience like Thunder-claps continually batter against thy weary Spirit It is the Godly that have boldness in the day of Judgement but the wicked will be like the Chaffe which the Wind driveth away 1 John 4. 17. Psal. 1. 4. O the fear and the heart-aking that will seiz them in their rising the frightful thoughts that then will fill their throbbing hearts Now must that Soul that hath been in Hell-fire among the Devils possess the body again Possess it I say with the hot scalding stink of Hell upon it They shall not be able to lift up the head for ever pangs shall take hold on them all their hands shall faint and every mans heart shall melt They shall be amazed one at another their faces shall be as flames Isa. 13. 6 7 8. Every thing they see hear or think of shall tend to their discomfort They must needs be weak whom God hath left whom guilt hath seized and whom death is swallowing up for ever Fourthly As the Just shall arise spiritual Bodies so the unjust shall arise onely as meer and naked lumps of sinful nature not having the least help from God to bear them up under this condition Wherefore so soon as ever they are risen out of their Graves they will feel a continual sinking under every remembrance of every sin and thoughts of Judgement in their rising they fall fall I say from thenceforth and for ever And for this Reason the Dungeon into which they fall is called bottomless Rev. 20. 1. Because as there will be no end of their misery so there will be no stay or prop to bare them up in it Onely as I said before they shall not now as afore be separate Body from Soul but both together be bound in the cords of sin and iniquity in which they shall now tremble as Theeves and Murderers c. as they go before the Judge to hear what he will say unto them Now when the wicked are thus raised out of their Graves they shall together with all the Angels of darkness their fellow Prisoners be brought up being shackled in their sins to the place of Judgement where there shall fit upon them Jesus Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the Lord chief Judge of things in Heaven and things in Earth and things under the Earth On whose right hand and left shall fit all the Princes and Heavenly Nobles the Saints and Prophets the Apostles and Witnesses of Jesus every one in his Kingly Attire upon the Throne of his Glory Joel 3. 11 12 13 14. Then shall be fulfilled that which is written As for these my enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring them before me to slay them Luk. 19. 27. When every one is thus set in his proper place the Judge on his Throne with his Attendants and the prisoners coming up to Judgement forthwith there shall issue forth a mighty fire and tempest from before the Throne which shall compass it round about Which fire shall be as Bars and bounds to the wicked to keep them at a certain distance from the Heavenly Majesty As David saith Psal. 50. 3. Our God will come and not keep silence a fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about him And again Dan. 7. 9. His Throne was like the fiery flame and his Wheels like burning fire A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him c. This Preparation being made to wit the Judge with his Attendance on the Throne the Bar for the Prisoners and the Rebels all standing with gastly Jaws to look for what comes after Presently the Books are brought forth to wit the Books both of Death and Life And every one of them opened before the sinners now to be judged and condemned For after that he had said before Dan. 7. 10. A fiery stream issued and came â—orth from before him he adds thousands thousands ministred to him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him the Judgement was set and the Books was opened And again I saw a great white Throne and him that sate upon it from whose face the Earth and the Heaven fled away and there was found no more place for them and I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book were opened which is the Book of Life And the Dead were Judged out of the things that were written in the Books according to their works Rev. 20. 11 12. He doth not say the Book was opened as of one but the Books as of many And indeed they are more than one two or three out of which the Dead shall in the Judgement be proceeded against First then there is the Book of the Creatures to be opened Secondly The Book of Gods Remembrance Thirdly The Book of the Law And fourthly The Book of Life For by every one of these that is out of what is written in them shall the World of the ungodly be judged And the Books were opened First The Book of the Creatures shall be opened and that first it concerns mans nature and next as it relates to all other Creatures First he will shew in what the principles if nature were as they were Gods Creation
doth tell Sardis that those among them that stood it out to the last gasp in the Faith and Love of the Gospel should not be blotted out of the Book of Life but they with the work of God on their Soul and their labour for God in this World should be confessed before his Father and before his Angels Rev. 3. 5. This part of this Book is in another place called The Book of the Word of the Lord because in it I say is Recorded those famous acts of the Saints against the World flesh and the Devil Numb 21. 14. You find also how exact the Holy Ghost is in Recording the travels pains labour and goodness of any of the Children of Israel in their Journey from Egypt to Canaan which was a Representation of the Travels of the Saints from nature to Grace and from Grace to Glory King Ahasuerus kept in his Library a Book of Records wherein was wâ—it the good Service that his Subjects did for him at any time which was a Type also of the manner and order of Heaven And as sure as ever Mordecai when search was made in the Rolls was found there to have done such and such service for the King and his Kingdom Esth. 6. 1. 2. so surely will it be found what every Saint hath done for God at the day of inquiry You find in the Old Testament also still as any of the Kings of Judah dyed there was surely a Record in the Book of Chronicles of their memorable acts and doings for their God the Church and the Common-wealth of Israel which still doth further hold forth unto the Children of men this very thing That all the Kings of the New Testament which are the Saints of God have all their acts and what they have done for their God c. Recorded in the Book of Chronicles in the Heavenly Jerusalem Now I say when this part of the Book of Life shall be opened what can be found in it of the good deeds and Heaven-born actions of wicked men Just nothing for as it is not to be expected that Thorns should bring forth Grapes or that Thistles should bear as Figs so it cannot be imagined that ungodly men should have any thing to their Commendations Recorded in this part of the Book of Life What hast thou done man for God in this World Art thou one of them that hast set thy self against those strong struglings of pride lust covetousness and secret wickedness that remain in thy heart like Job and Paul Job 1. 8 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. 2. And do these struglings against these things arise from pure love to the Lord Jesus or from some legall terrours and conviction for sin Gal. 5 6. 3. Doest thou I say struggle against thy lusts because thou doest in truth love the sweet holy and blessed leadings of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus its leadings of thee I say into his blood and death for thy Justification and deliverance from wrath to comâ— Phil. 3. 6 7 8. 2 Cor. 5. 14. 4. What acts of self-denyal hast thou done for the name of the Lord Jesus among the Sons of men I say what house what friend what Wife what Children and the like hast thou lost or left for the Word of God and the Testimony of his truth in the World Matth. 19. 27 28. Revel 12. 10 11. 5. Wast thou one of them that didst sigh and afflict thy self for the abominations of the times and that Christ hath marked and Recorded for such a one Ezek. 9. 3 4. Zeph. 3. 18. 6. In a word Art thou one of them that wouldest not be won by neither fear frowns nor flatteries to forsake the wayes of God or wrong thy Conscience or art thou one of them that slightest those opportunities that Satan and this World did often give thee to return to sin in secret Heb. 11. 14 15. These be the men whose prayse is in the Gospel and whose commendable and worthy acts are Recorded before the Judge of all the World Alas alas these things are strange things to a carnal and wicked man Nothing of this hath bin done by him in this life and therefore how can any such be Recorded for him in the Book of Life wherefore he must needs be shut out of this part also As David saith Let them be blotted out of the Book of the living and not be written with the Righteous Psal. 69. 28. Thus I say the wicked will find nothing for their comfort either in the first part of this book where all the names of the Elect are neither will they find any thing in the second part thereof where is recorded the true nature and operation of effectual Conversion of Faith or Love or the like and I say neither can any thing be found in this third part wherein is recorded the worthy acts and memorable deeds of the Saints of the Lord Jesus Thus when Christ therefore hath opened before them this book of life and convinced the ungodly at this day out of it he will then shut it up again saying I find nothing herein that will do you good you are none of my Elect you are the sons of perdition For as these things will be found clear and full in the book of life so they will be found effectually wrought in the hearts of the Elect all whose conversion and perseverance shall now be opened before â—hy eyes as a witness I say of the truth of what thou here seest opened before thee and also of thy unregenerate estate Now thou wilt see what a turn what a change and what a clinging to God to Christ and his Word and wayes there was found in the Souls of the saved ones here shall be seen also how resolvedly unfeignedly and heartily the true child of God did oppose resist and war against his most dearest and darling lusts and corruptions now the Saints are hidden ones but then they shall be manifest this is the morrow in which the Lord will shew who are his and who they are that fear the Lord and who that fear him not Psal. 83. 3. Sam. 8. 19. Numb 16. 5. Mal. 3. 18. Now you shall see how Abraham left his Country how close good Lot did stick to God in prophane and wicked Sodom Heb. 11. 8. 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. Mat. 19. 29. how the Apostles left all to foâ—low Jesus Christ and how patiently they took all crosses afflictions persecutions and necessities for the Kingdome of Heavens sâ—ke how they indured burning starving stoning hanging and a thousand calamities how they manifested their love to their Lord his Cause and people in the worst of times and in the dayes when they were most rejected slighted abused and abased then shall the King say to them on his right hand and that when all the Devils and damned sinners stand by Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the World you are indeed the truly converted
for me this is the man that overcame the flatteries and threats allurements and inticings of a whole World for me behold â—iâ— he is an Israelite indeed the top man in his Generation none like him in all the Earth It is said that when King Ahasuerus had understanding of how good service Mordeeai the Jew had done to and for him he commanded that the royall Apparel and the Crown with the Horse that the King did ride on should be given to him and that he should with that Crown Apparel and Horse be had through the City in the presence of all his Nobles and that Proclamation should be made before him thus shall it be done to the man whom the King delighteth to honour Esth. 6. 9 10 11. Ahasuerus in this was a Type to hold forth to the Children of God how kindly he will take all their labour and service of love and how he will honour and dignifie the same as Christ saith Let your loins be girded about and your lights burning and you your selves like unto men that wait for their Lord when he will return from the Wedding that when he cometh and knocketh ye may open to him immediately blessed are those servants whom their Lord when he cometh shall find watching Verily I say unto you that he shall gird himself and shall make them sit down to meat and shall come forth and serve them Luke 12. 35 36 37. The meaning is that those souls that shall make it their business to honour the Lord Jesus Christ in the day of their temptation he will make it his business to honour and glotifie them in the day of his glorification Verily I say unto you that he will make them sit down to meat and shall come forth and serve them if any man will serve me saith he him will my Father honour Joh. 12. 26. Job 1. 8. Joh. 1. 47. Mark 14. 9. Rev. 3 4. Rev. 14. 12. 3 4 5. It hath bin Gods way in this World to proclaim the acts and doing of his Saints in his Word before all in this World and he will do it in that which is to come Thirdly Another thing that shall be yet added to the glory of the Saints in the Kingdom of their Saviour at his coming is they shall every one of them then have his Throne and place of degree on Christs right hand and on his left in his glorious Kingdom according to the relation they stand in to Christ as the members of his Body for as Christ will have a special eye on us and a tender and affectionate heart to recompence to the full every good thing that any man doth for his name in this World so also he will have as great regard that there be to every member of his body the place and state that is comely for every such member When the Mother of Zebedees Children petitioned our Saviour that he would grant to her that her two Sons might fit the one on his right hand and the other on his left in his Kingdom though he did not grant to her the request for her Children yet he affirmed that there would be places of degrees and honour in Heaven saying To sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father See Mat. 20. 20 21 22 23. In the Temple there were Chambers bigger and lesser higher and lower more inward and more outward which Chambers were types of the Mansions that our Lord when he went away told us he went to prepare for us In my Fathers House are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you c. Joh 14. 1 2 3. The foot here shall not have the place prepared for the eye nor yet the hand that which is prepared for the ear but every one shall have his own place in the Body of Christ and the glory also prepared for such a relation order as it is comely in Earth so much more in the Kingdom of the God of Order in Heaven where all things shall be done in their utmost perfections Here shall Euoch Noah Abraham Moses Joshuah David with the Prophets have every one his place according to the degree of old Testament Saints As God said to Daniel Go thy way till the end be for thou shalt rest and stand in the lot at the end of the days Dan. 12. 13. And here also shall Peter Paul Timothy and all other the Church-Officers have their place and Heavenly state according as God hath set them in the Church in the New Testament As Paul saith of the Deacons They that use the Office of a Deacon well they purchase to themselves a good degree and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ. 1 Tim. 3. 13. And so of all other Saints be they here of what Ranck Quality or place in the Church soever they shall have every one his state his Heavenly State according as he standeth in the Body As he saith seeing those members that are most feeble are necessary to them shall be given more abundant honour 1 Cor. 12. 22 23. Of this Heavenly Order in the Kingdom of Christ when his Saints are risen from the dead was Solomon a notable Type in his Family and among his Servants and Officers who kept such exactness in the famous order in which he had placed all about him that it did amaze and confound beholders For when the Queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon and the House which he built and the meat of his Table the sitting of his Servants and the attendance of his Ministers and their Apparel his Cup-bearers also and their Apparel and the ascent by which he went up into the House of the Lord there was no more spirit in her 2 Chron. 9. 3 4. Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God Having gone thus far I shall now come to the second part of the Text to wit that there shall be a Resurrection of the wicked There shall be a Resurrection of the dead both of the Just and unjust For as the Just go before the unjust in Name and Dignity and Honour so they shall in the last day go before them in the Resurrection Now then when the Saints have thus risen out of their Graves given up their accounts received their glory and are set upon the Thrones for there are set Thrones of Judgement the Thrones of the House of David Psal. 122. 5. When I say they are all of them in their royall Apparel with Crowns of glory every one presenting the Person of a King then come the unjust out of their Graves to receive their Judgment for what they have done in the body As Paul saith We must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ that every one both Saints and sinner may receive the things done in the body whether it be
the Judge is appointed their deeds are written the deep Dungeon is with open mouth ever waiting for them wherefore at the day appointed neither Earth nor Death nor Hell can hinder There shall be a Resurrection of the Dead both of the just and unjust Lastly Besides what hath been said I cannot but believe there shall be a Resurrection of the wicked at the last day because of the ungodly consequences and errours that do most naturally follow the denyal thereof For first He that taketh away the Doctrine of the Resurrection of the wicked he taketh away one of the main Arguments that God hath provided for to convince a sinner of the evill of his wâ—yes for how shall a sinner be convinced of the evill of sin if he be not convinced of the certainty of eternall Judgement and how shall be he be convinced of eternall Judgement if you perswade him that when he is dead he shall not at all arise especially seeing the Resurrection of the Dead and eternall Judgement must unavoidably be one the forerunner of the other Heb. 6. 2. It was Pauls reasoning of Righteousness Temperance and Judgement to come that made Felix tremble 'T is this also he calleth the Argument of terrour wherewith he perswaded men This was Solomons Argument and Christs also where he saith That every idle word that man shall speak he shall give an account thereof in the day of Judgement Acts 24 25. 2 Cor. 5. 10 11. Eccles. 11. 9. Mat. 12. 36. Secondly They that deny the Resurrection of the wicked they do both allow and maintain the chief Doctrine of the Ranters with most of the debauched persons in the World For the Ranters deny it both in principle and practice and the other in practice at least Now to me it is very strange that these men above all other should both know and live in the Doctrines of the Kingdom of God especially seeing the denyal hereof is an evident token of one appointed to wrath and destruction 2 Tim. 2. 18. But to be plain There shall be a Resurrection of the Dead both of the just and unjust Wherefore whatever others may say or profess being beguiled by Satan and their own hearts yet do thou fear him that can destroy both Body and Soul in Hell Matth. 10. 28. There shall be a Resurrection of the Dead both of the just and unjust Rev. 20. 13. And the Sea gave up the Dead that were in it and Death and Hell delivered up the Dead that were in them Having in the first place shewed you that the wicked must arise I shall in the next place shew you the manner of their rising And observe it as the very Title of the just and unjust are opposites so they are in all other matters and in their Resurrections First then as the just in their Resurrection do come forth in incorruption the unjust in their Resurrection shall come forth in their corruptions for though the ungodly at their Resurrection shall for ever after be incapable of having Body and Soul separate or of their being annihilated into nothing yet it shall be far from them to rise in incorruption for if they arise in incorruption they must arise to life and also must have the Conquest over sin and death 1 Cor. 15. 54. But that they shall not for it is the Righteous onely that put on incorruption that are swallowed up of life The wickeds Resurrection it is called the Resurrection of damnation Joh. 5. 28. These in their very Resurrection shall be hurt of the second Death They shall arise in death and shall be under it under the gnawings and terrours of it all the time of their Arraignment As it were a living death shall feed upon them they shall never be spiritually alive nor yet absolutely dead but much after that manner that natural death and Hell by reason of guilt doth feed on him that is going before the Judge to receive his Condemnation to the Gallows You know though a Felon go forth of the Goal when he is going to the Bar for his Arraignment yet he is not out of prison or out of his Irons for that his Fetters are still making a noise on his heels and the thoughts of what he is to hear by and by from the Judge is still frighting and afflicting his heart Death like some evil Spirit of Ghost doth continually haunt him and playeth the Butcher continually in his Soul and Conscience with frights and fears about the thoughts of the sudden and unsupportable after-clap by and by he is to meet withall Thus I say will the wicked come out of their Graves having yet the Chains of eternal death hanging on them and the talons of that dreadful Ghost fastned in their Souls So that life will be far from them even as far as Heaven is from Hell This morning to them is even as the shadow of death They will then be in the very terrours of the shadow of Death Job 24. 17. As Christ saith Their Worm never dies and their fire is never quenched Mark 8. 43 44. From Death to Eternity it never shall be quenched their bed is now among the flames and when they rise they will rise in flames while they stand before the Judge it will be in flames even in the flames of a guilty Conscience they will in their coming before the Judge be within the very Jaws of death and destruction Thus I say the ungodly shall be far off from rising as the Saints for they will be even in the Region and shadow of Death The first moment of their rising Death will be ever over them ever feeding on their Souls and ever presenting to their hearts the heights and depths of the misery that now must seize them and like a bottomless Gulf must swallow them up They shall come out of their holes like worms of the Earth and be afraid of the Lord our God Micah 7. 17. Secondly As the Resurrection of the godly shall be a Resurrection in Glory So the Resurrection of the wicked it will be a Resurrection in dishonour Yea as the glory of Saints at the day of their rising will be glory unspeakable so the dishonour of the ungodly at that day it will be dishonour beyond expression As Daniel saith The good shall arise to everlasting life but the wicked to shame and everlasting contempt Dan. 12. 2. And again When thou O God awakest that is to judge them Thou shalt despise their Image Psal. 73. 20. Never was Toad or Serpent more loathsome to any then these will be in the eyes of God in their rising forth of their Graves When they go to their Graves saith Job their bones are full of the sin of their youth which lyeth down in the dust with them Job 20. 11. And a rise they shall in the same noisom and stinking condition foras Death leaves so Judgment finds them At the Resurrection then of these ungodly they will be in a very
the like and cut off all opportunity of good leaving no place for mercy or amendment these shall go away into everlasting punishment c. Mat. 25. 40. This word depart c. is the last word the damned for ever are like to hear I say it is the last voice and therefore will stick longest and with most power on their slaughtered souls there is no calling of it back again it is the very wind-up of Eternall Judgement Thus then the judgement being over the Kingdom ceaseth to be any longer in the hand of the Man Christ Jesus for as the Judges here among men when they have gone their Circuit do deliver up their Commission to the King so Christ the Judge doth now deliver up his Kingdom to his Father And now all is swallowed up of Eternity Mat. 21. 8. The damned are swallowed up of eternal justice and wrath the saved of eternal life and felicity and the Son also delivereth up I say the Kingdom to the Father and subjects himself under him that did put all things under him that God may be all in all 1 Cor. 15. 24 25 26 27 28. For now is the end come and not before even the end of the reign of death it self for Death and Hell and sinners and Devils must now together into the Lake that burns with fire and Brimstone Rev. 20. 14 15. And now is the end of Christs Reign as the Son of Man and the end of the Reign of the Saints with him in this his Kingdom which he hath received of his Father for his work sake which he did for him and for his Elect. Then cometh the end faith Paul when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God the Father But when shall that be why he answers saying When he shall have put down all Rule and all Authority and Power for he must reign saith he untill he hath put all his enemies under his feet which will not be untill the finall Sentence and Judgment be over for the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death For God hath put all things under his feet but when he saith all things are put under him it is manifested he is accepted that did put all things under him And when all things shall be subdued unto him then shall the Son also himself be subject to him that did put all things under him that God may be all in all All things being now at this pass to wit every one being in its proper place God in his Christ in his the Saint in his and the Sinner in his I shall conclude with this brief touch upon both the state of the Good and Bad after this Eternal Judgment 1. The Righteous now shall never fear Death the Devill and Hell more And the Wicked shall never hope of life 2. The Just shall ever have the Victory over these things But the Wicked shall everlastingly be swallowed up of them 3. The Holy shall be in everlasting Light But the Sinner in everlasting Darkness Without light I say yet in Fire ever burning yet not consumed always afraid of death and hell vehemently desiring to be annihiâ—â—ted to nothing Continually fearing to stay long in Hell and yet certainly sure they shall never come out of it Ever desiring the Saints happiness and yet alwayes envying their felicity They would have it because it is easie and Comfortable yet cannot abide to think of it because they have lost it for ever Ever loaden with the delight of sin and yet that is the greatest torture alwayes desiring to put it out of their Mind and yet assuredly know they must for ever abide the guilt and torment thereof 4. The Saints are always inflamed with the Consideration of the Grace that once they imbraced but the Wicked most flamingly tormented with the thoughts of rejecting and refusing it 5. The Just when they think of their sins they are comforted with the thoughts of their being delivered from them but the Ungodly when they think of their righteousness will gnaw themselves to think that this would not deliver them from Hell 6. When the Godly think of Hell it will increase their Comfort but when the Wicked think of Heaven it will twinge them like a Serpent Oh this Eternal Judgment What would a damned Soul give that there might be though after Thousands and Hundreds of Thousands of Millions of Years an end put to this Eternal Judgment But their misery is they have sinned against a God that is Eternal they have offended that Justice that will never be satisfied and therefore they must abide the Fire that never shall be quenched Here is Judgment Just and Sad. Again As it will be thus with Good and Bad in general so again more particularly when the Wicked are thus adjudged and Condemned and also received of the Fiery Gulph then they shall find That as he that busieth himself to do good shall have more glory than others So they that have been more busie and active in sin than others they shall have more Wrath and Torment than others For as doing good abundantly doth inlarge the Heart to receive and hold more Glory So doing evil abundantly doth inlarge the Heart and Soul to receive Punishment so much the more And hence it is that you have such Sayings as these It shall be more tolerable in the Judgment for Sodome than for others that is then for those that had sinned against much greater Light and Mercy For these as he saith in another place shall receive greater Damnation Yea it standeth to reason that he who had most Light most Conviction most means of Conversion and that was highest towards Heaven he must needs have the greatest Fall and so sink deepest into the Jaws of Eternal Misery Luke 10. 12. Luke 20. 47. As one Star that is as one Saint differeth from another in Heaven so one damned Soul shall differ from another in Hell It is so among the Devils themselves they are some worse than others Matth. 9. 34. Mar. 3. 22. Belzebub is the Prince or the Chief of the Devils That is One that was most glorious in Heaven Chief among the reprobate Angels before his Fall Isa. 14. 2. and therefore sinned against the greater Light Mercy and Goodness and so became the Chief for wickedness and will also have as the wages thereof the Chief of Torments For that will be true of the damned in Hell which is prayed for against Babylon Revel 18. 7. How much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her Can it be imagined that Judas should have no more torment who betrayed the Prince of Life and Saviour of the World than others who never came near his Wickedness by ten thousand degrees He that know his Masters Will and prepared not himself neither did according to his Will shall be beaten with many stripes With many moâ—e stripes than others that through ignorance did commit sin worthy of many stripes But what should I thus discourse of the degrees of the Torments of the damned Souls in Hell For he that suffers least will the waters of a full Cup be wrung out to him The least measure of wrath it will be the Wrath of God eternal and fiery Wrath insupportable wrath it will lay the Soul in the Gulph of that Second Death which will for ever have the Mastery over the poor damned perishing Sinner And Death and Hell were cast into the Lake of Fire which is the Second Death And whosoever was not found in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of fire Rev. 20. 14 15. FINIS See more of this in their Judgement The first Book opened in its first part Mans nature is a Book or law to it self The Book of Gods Remembrance opened The Witnesses give in their Evidence The sinners plea for himself at the Judgment-Seat The Book of Life opened