prepared of old and all the wicked and ungodly shall go down to Hell and Christ shall say Go you cursed into a place prepared That there is a condemnation doth appear for these Reasons 1. From the essence or being of God himself who is so pure and glorious in his nature that he abhorrs the very thoughts of sinne being as opposite as light and darknesse that as he loves nothing more then goodnesse so nothing is so odious in his sight as sinne and wickednesse So that being so opposite to the essence and being of God as not to enjoy his presence therefore there must be a deprivation or separation between God and sin and so there is a condemnation 2. Because God hath opposed sinne at all times as the greatest enemy to all goodnesse and hath been an enemy to sin ever since he was in being and hath proclam'd it to be his greatest enemy under all his Dominions and hath shewed his displeasure against it from the beginning in setting all his heavenly host against it and proclaiming open war against it for ever as never to enjoy his presence but to abide his displeasure for ever and therefore there is a condemnation 3. All that is opposite to God shall at last be condemned what is more opposite to God then sin and sinners in opposing his power and goodnesse rejecting and despising his holinesse and seeks to make God and his wayes contemptible and therefore God will condemne sin and the punishment of sinne shall extend as far as the wickednesse of it and that a condemnation for ever and ever 4. Sinne is an open enâ—â—â—â— against God in destroying his works and reviling and blaspheming his great name and seeks to rob him of his honour to over-throw his truth and people and doth abhorr all the wayes of God being a continuall enemy against him and his goodnesse teaching people to deny him to be God and to deny his name greatnesse and hath sought to destroy and rob God of his being and therefore God doth declare that he will punish sin for ever and condemn it from his presence for evermore 5. God hath declared that he will condemn sinners as well as sin and therefore there is a condemnation even the Angells that fell are reserved in chaines of darknesse till the great day and shall never be delivered from the wrath to come which makes them fear and tremble and how darest thou then proud man say there is no Hell doth not the Devil delude thee that thou mayest at last lye under the same condemnation 6. If there be no condemnation then the condition of the wicked is better then the condition of the people of God then in vaine do they serve God if the wicked who walke in all the wayes of wickednesse and commit sin with greedinesse and accomplish all their wicked desires if they shall not be condemned then all our holy walkings are in vaine but what can be more contrary to GOD then this Doth not GOD abhorre such thoughts as these and declared that he will put a difference betweene those that serve him and those that serve him not Malachi 3. 18. and therefore there is a condemnation 7. If there be no condemnation to what purpose are the Scriptures set forth if they shall be saved that disobey them as well as those that obey them then the Scripture is of little use but the Scripture will tell you at the last day that it is in force to condemn you 8. If there be no condemnation then the Devills shall be saved and then wickednesse shall be asmuch honoured as goodnesse and then it would be best to walke after our own wayes and take all the pleasure we could in this life if there be no condemnation but neither sinne nor sinners shall escape the judgement of GOD and therefore there is a condemnation 10. The Prophets do declare that there is a condemnation that all the wicked and all Nations that forget God shal go down to hell Psal 9. 17. and the wicked shall perish Psal 37. 20. and the hope of the wicked shall perish Prov. and Tophet is prepared of old for the King as for the begger Esay 30. 33. for there is no peace to the wicked saith our God Esay 48. 22. there is no peace saith my God to the wicked Esay 54. 21. and those that will not obey I will utterly destroy Jer. 12. 17. For I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings saith the Lord Jerem. 21. 14. and I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you and a perpetuall shame which shall never be forgotten Jerem. 23. 40. And behold the whirlewind of the Lord goeth forth with fury a continuing whirlewinde it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked the fierce anger of the Lord shall not return untill he have done it and untill he have performed the intents of his heart in the latter dayes ye shall consider it Jerem. 30. 23. 24. And the day cometh that shall burne as an oven and all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be burnt up saith the Lord of hosts Mal. 4. 4. And what need I bring more Scriptures seeing all the Prophets are full in this to shew that there is a condemnation 11. Christ and his Apostles will tell you that there is a condemnation doth not Christ say this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and they love darknesse rather then light John 3. 17 And he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed on the Son of God ver 18. And the word that I have spoken shall judge you at the last day John 12. And when he shall say to those on his left hand Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and his angels Mat. 25. 41. And that they shall go into everlasting punishment vers 46. And that many are called and few are chosen And the Apostle saith Tribulation and anguish upon every soul that doth wickedly Rom. 2. 3. And that God shall judge all men by the Gospel and that Christ shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance to all that obey not the Gospell who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord 2 Thes 1. 8. 9. And many places more might be brought to prove that there is a condemnation 12 Doth not your conscience tell you there is a Hell doth it not accuse you for all your actions will it not be as a thousand witnesses against you how will you satisfie conscience for if our conscience condemne us God is greater then our conscience Doth not conscience register up all your actions will it not tell you one day you must be brought to an account and judged according to your deeds for Solomon saith A wounded conscience who can bear When it comes to accuse you at your death and sets your sins in order before you it wil tel you there
is a condemnation and you shal then find there is a condemnation and I shall shew you the judgements of this condemnation First One judgement of this condemnation is hell which is a hidden place of Gods anger and wrath for as the joyes of heaven are hidden joyes so also the torments of hell are hid for no man is able to apprehend how terrible the torments of hell are which makes the divels to tremble for saith the Lord An anger is kindled in my wrath which shall burn to the lowest hell Deut. 32. 22. And all the wicked and all nations that forget God shall go own to bell Psal 9. 17. and Tophet is prepared of old for the King as well as the begger you may see Esay 30. 33. And when Christ shall say to the wicked Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and his angels Mat. 25. 41. And the wicked shall go into everlasting punishment ver 46. When Christ shall come in flaming fire with his migty Angels to render vengeance to those that know not God and obey not the Gospel of Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2 Thes 1. 7. 8. 9. and this is one judgement of this condemnation The second judgemeâ—◠〈◊〉 the fire of hell which is the fire of Gods 〈◊〉 and is the wrath and anger of God which shall burn and consume for ever for if our materiall fire which was made to warm to comfort and refresh the creature be so terrible what do you think the fire of hell is that is made for tormenâ— when God himselfe doth invent torment how terrible will it be for the wrath of the Lord like a river of brimstone doth kindle the fire of hell Esay 30. 33. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse of men that withhold the truth in unrighteousnesse Rom. 1. 18 And the fire of the wrath is everlasting and never goes out Mat. 25. 41. Thirdly The worme never dies and this worme I conceive to be an accusing conscience judging and accusing a sinfull and wicked creature for all his abominations that he hath committed in rejecting the love of God and the grace and mercy offered in Jesus Christ whereby he might have been freed from that wrath to come had he imbraced the grace and mercy offered but now he is lost for ever through his own default and hath lost the glory that he might have had and must abide the wrath of God for ever and thus the worme never dies Marke 9. 25. Fourthly There shall be weeping gnashing of teeth for now there will be a wonderfull change for those that formerly have lived in all pleasure and delight and have been haters of God and contemners of all good and rejoycing in their pleasures and delights and have glutted themselves with the pleasures of this world with their scorns and jears and rejoycings against the troubles of the people of God and mocking at their troubles and rejoycing at their calamity with their injoying all the pleasures of this life taking their fill in the eyes of this world but now comes their woe their rejoycing will be turned to mourning for woe be to you that laugh now in your wickedness for you shall weep Oh what a change will there be when all their joy will be turned into weeping for there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth they that have glutted themselves with their made joy shal now have enought of weeping they shall now weep houle bewaile their condition with weeping for ever and this is another judgement of this condemnation Mat. 13. 42. 50. chap. 24. 51. chap. 25. 30. 5. They shall be cast into utter darkness for they have done the works of darkness and their reward shall be that they shall be cast into utter darkness it would be a hell for a man to live all his lifetime in some dark place where he should never see the light all his life-time How terrible was the darkness in Egypt that might be felt Exod. 10. 23. that no man rose from his place for three dayes it was so dark and they were so amazed with darkness but what will the darkness of Hell be think you it is utter darkness where they shal be deprived of the light for ever from the light of God of Christ and from the light of grace and glory and never more to see the light Mat. 8. 12. chap. 12. 13. ch 25. 30. 6. The consideration of the losse of their time what they are and what they might have been had they improved that precious time that was afforded them whereby they might have been precious Saints in Heaven and to have enjoyed the presence of God and of Christ of Saints and Angels to have been in glory with Abraham Isaac and Jacob and with all the Saints in glory had they improved that pretious time which the Lord did afford them who was waiting upon them to do them good by tendering grace to them day by day and they rejecting all the motions of his spirit and despised his grace and mercy offered them and so may blame themselves not him O how wil this strike to their hearts think you when they consider their losse and themselves the cause there of and now are lost Creatures for ever how will this aggravate their woe O consider this all you that forget God before it is too late while you have time and while it is called to day harden not your hearts least you fall into the anger of God â—â—id so 〈◊〉 you up in his wrath into that terrible condemnation for our God is a consuming fire Seventhly They shall receive every one according to their deeds and their wickednes then those that have been most vile shall receive according to their vileness the proud shall receive according to their pride for terrible is that God that judgeth them so much covetousnesse so much wrath so much drunkennesse so much of the anger of God shall be powred upon them so much swearing so much payment for oaths so much whoring so much torment so much pleasure in the world so much displeasure and sorrow so much honour in the world so much dishonour with God and look how much they have been persecutors of the Saints and people of God so much they shall be persecuted for thus saith the Lord I will measure unto them according to their works Now will the Lord call all their wickednesse into remembrance which have been forgotten so many hundred of years but now are called to remembrance for though he suffered them long yet now he will pay them home at last and this will be an aggravation of their condemnation Eighthly Their worm â—hall neveâ— die nor the fire of Gods wrath shall never be put out for he suffered them for a moment to delight themselves in sinne but he will punish them for ever
and the heavens and the earth shall shake but the Lord will be the harbour of his people and there shall we know that he is the Lord dwelling in Zion his holy mountaine then shall Jerusalem be holy nor there shall no strangers passe through her any more and it shall come to passe at that day that the mountaines shall drop downs new wine and the bils shall flow with milke and all the Rivers of Judah shall flow with waters and a fountaine shall come forth from the house of the Lord and shall water the valley of Shittim Joel 3. 17 18. For in the middest of this City new Jerusalem shal proceed from the Throne of God and of the Lamb a 〈◊〉 River of water of life in the midst of the street of it and on the other side of the River there shal be a tree of life which shal have twelve manner of fruits and yeelding her fruit every month and the leaves of the tree shal be for healing the Nations of all their spiritual griefe for there shal be no more cryes amongst the Saints but the Throne of God and of the Lamb◠shall be in this glorious City and they shal serve him and there they shal see his face and presence and his name shal be in their foreheads the honour of their glorious profession and in that City there shal be no night and there the Saints shal reign in a glorious manner for it is the great day of the great Judge in which there shal be no darknesse And thus wil the Lord Christ prepare a glorious place for the Saints such a glorious City as cannot be expressed where they shal gloriously reigne in all spiritual pleasure and delight which is not able to be expressed for there wil the great Court of heaven be while the great Judge is upon the earth to shew forth his wonderful glory while he sits in judgement until the great Court shal be broken up for Jesus Christ shal sit upon his glorious Throne and al Nations shal be gathered together before him and he shal seperate the good from the bad and wil set the sheep on his right hand and goats on his left hand and when the great Trial and Judgement is passed upon all the wicked then shall he send them to their place saying Goe ye wicked and cursed ones depart from me into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels and then shall they goe into everlasting punishment for ever and ever where the worme never dyes nor the fire never goes out Mat. 25. 41 46. And when Christ hath done his work upon the earth then shall that glorious Court be broken up with glorious triumph and glory which is not able to be exprest and then shal they al return unto the place prepared for them far above all heavens for then shall the great Judge of heaven and earth returne from whence he came with all his glorious heavenly host far above all heavens into the heaven of heavens there to remaine for ever and ever and so the whole Creation shall injoy the footstool Rom. 8. 19 20 21 22 and the Saints shall injoy the Throne for ever and ever And thus I have spoken a word or two as my time would permit me of the Resurrection CHAP. X. Of Visible Worship THe wise Solomon saith That the full stomach loatheth the hony comb his saying is made good in this Age for never was the word of God more plentifull nor never more contemptible then it is in these dayes but what brings a loathing but a fulnesse and what brings contempt but plenty are not many fatted up in these dayes to the day of slaughter they are full but not of goodnesse for that would make them see their wants who is more proud of grace then he that hath least and who is more humble then he that hath most how many in these dayes are rapt up in spirituall pride and boast of more then they have and yet improve not that they have many say they are full that are empty and yet they boast as if they were full who is worse then he that thinkes he is best he saith he knoweth when he is ignorant he saith he seeth when he is blinde he saith he is full when he is an hungry and he saith he wanteth nothing when he wanteth all things he saith he is rich when he is poore And this is the condition of a spirituall proud man It was spirituall pride that brought the Devills from heaven to hell and there is many in these dayes that are sicke of this disease when all the Devills snares faile yet here he takes the Bird the Devill is more subtill then man and yet he makes man more wicked then himselfe for the Devils durst not deny the Scripture but he begets a worse childe then himselfe and when he hath done so he laughs at his folly he talkes of high attainments if they breake the Command they shall be as Gods but he knows when they doe transgresse they shall be as Devils he tells men when they disobey they shall be highest but he knoweth when they disobey they shall be lowest he tells them if they will obey him they shall see but he knows if they doe obey him they shall be blinde he tells them that obedience is nothing but he knows disobedience is something he saith obedience will not save thee but he knows that disobedience will damne thee he saith the Scripture is not true but he knows he is a liar he saies thou needest not serve God but he knows thou shalt be damned if thou dost not he saith thou needest not shew any visible obedience but he knows if thou dost not thou wilt shew a visible disobedience he tells thee that Christ hath done all for thee thou needest not doe any thing but he knows thou shalt not be saved except thou doe something he tells thee thou needs not keep al the Commands but he knows if thou break one thou art guilty of all he tels thee that some Ordinances are carnall but he knows that thou art carnall he tells thee it is nothing to breake some Commands but he knows it is something to breake any Command he tells thee thou art higher then obedience but he knows thou art in the highest disobedience he tels thee that all shall be saved but he knows that the greatest part shall be damned he tels thee there is no glory but in this life but he knows thou shalt finde punishment in another he tels thee there is no heaven but he knows thou shalt find a hell he tels thee there is no Resurrection but he knows thou shalt finde a Judgement he tels thee there is no Judgement but he knows thou shalt finde a punishment he tels thee that God acts all thy actions but he knows thou art a liar he tels thee that God acts all thy good acts and yet he knows thou shalt be condemned for not
Crowning him with Thornes and doing him all the disgrace that they could who was led as a sheep to the slaughter and did stand up to maintain the Doctrine that he delivered 〈◊〉 the mouth of the Father to his death that it might appear to all the word that that he had delivered was truth and for to indicate his doctrine he was ready to lay down his life and was ready to seale the truth with his bloud and as the first Covenant was sealed and confirmed with the bloud 〈◊〉 â—uls and of goats even so he 〈◊〉 willing â—â—d ready to seal and confirme the Covenant of grace and glory with his own bloud and so the bloud of Christ is called the bloud of the Testament Covenant or Will of God â—â—d thus to know the Lord Jesus Christ iâ—â—â—â—rnall life Seventhly it is life eternall to know Christ in his resurrection from death to life so he became the more glorious in that he conqueâ—â—d all his enemies and destroyed those that thought to have destroyed him for he said unto death I will be thy death and he conquered the grave and he said unto the grave give up he overcame sin the world and the devill for he loosed the powers of darknesse and he conquered principalities powers and made a shew of it openly Colos 2. Yea he conquered proud flesh to the terrour of all â—is enemies and thus Jesus Christ rose from death to life and was more famous in his suffering then before in loosing the pains of death Acts 2. 24. for it was impossible that it should be holden of it the Father having before promised That he would not leave his soule in grave nor suffer his holy one to see curruption Psal 16. 10. being the first fruits of them that sleep and a sure evidence of the resurrection of the dead being raised up by the mighty power of God that as Christ was raised up so also shall we by the same spirit who raised up Jesus who is gloriously ascended up into heaven as a fore-runner for us for he that was made a â—little lower then the Angels is crowned with glory and honour so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confesse him yea those that pierced him being made the Judge both of the quick and the dead to the joy and salvation of his friends and to the destruction of his enemies and thus to know him is eternall life Eightly To know him as he is God is eternall life for when he had done the will of the Father had so gloriously confirmed the Gospell by his suffering and confirmed the truth with his bloud when that heavenly naâ—ure was made subject to anger when 〈◊〉 sweat water and bloud making strong cries and supplications with tears unto him that was able to deliver him and was heard in the thing that he desired and when he said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and when he said Father into thy hands I commit my spirit and so he suffered as a lamb without spot and blemish in fulfilling all the prophesies that the Prophets prophesied of him to fulfill the Scriptures and the mind of the Father when he said O Father not my will but thine be done that he might accomplish all that was written of him to do that thereby he might finish the glorious work of the Gospell and establish an everlasting Covenant sealing and confirming it with his own bloud being the bloud of the everlasting Covenant Heb. 10. 29. chap. 13. 20. and for all those heavenly acts of the Son the Father raises him from the dead For he was raised up by the mighty power of God as the God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom ye slew and hanged on a tree Acts 2. 24. 32. chap. 3 13. 15. chap. 5. 33. 31. And thus you see the Father raises him from the dead in a glorious manner and makes him a God and gives all power into his hands as you may see Mat. 28. 18. and so the Son is God by office being the great and chiefe officer of God in being made heir of all things Heb. 1. 1. 2. and this was prophesied as in the Psal 110. 1. where the Prophet saith The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstool Now Davids Lord was Christ and Christs Lord was God as doth appear in Heb. 1. where the Father saith Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee and again I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Son and again When he bringeth his first begotten into the world he saith and let all the Angels worship him And of the Angels he saith who maketh his Angels spirits and his Ministers a flame of fire but of the Son he saith Thy-throne O God is for ever and ever a Scepter of righteousnesse is the Scepter of thy Kingdom for thou hast loved righteousnes and hated iniquity therefore God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oile of gladnesse above thy fellowes and thus the Father hath exalted him above the Gods saying Sit thou on my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstool Psal 110. 1. For God the Father hath made him the God of all things and so the Father calls him the everlasting Father the Prince of peace and hath put the Government upon him and of his Government there shall be no end for God the Father will perform this Esay 9. 6. 7. The Spirit of God the Father being upon him that he might judge the righteous in mercy and the wicked in judgement Esay 11. 4. And thus the Father hath crowned him with glory and honour for it hath pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell for he is the fulnesse of the Godhead the Father having made him God of all things both in heaven and earth and now the Son is to rule till he have put all things under his feet Now the last enemy is death for he hath put all things under his feet but the Son shall subdue and conquer death and shall reign till he hath put down all rule and all authority and power and then cometh the end when he shall deliver up the Kingdome to God even the Father and be subject to him that so God the Father may be all in all things 1 Cor. 15. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. And thus you see that God the Father hath given all things to the Son and hath made him a God till the end of all things till all enemies are conquered by the Son and then shall he give up the Kingdome to the Father again and be subject to him that God the Father may be all in all and thus to know Christ is eternall life Now the use that I make of all this is this It sheweth the great exceeding love of the Father to us in revealing his mind and will to a
and this is the aggravation of all that there will be no end of their sorrow no time of releasment no more hope of mercy no more offers of grace never to look for any releasment no ease of their punishment no comfort in their sorrow no hope of ever having liberty or to come out of those torments but shall abide the wrath of God for ever so long as God is God so long shall his wrath be out against sin and sinners even for ever and ever Then will the Lord show how great an enemy he is to sin and all those that joyn with sin when he shall set the decree for ever against sin and sinners to be tormented in the flames of his wrath and in the fire of his anger from everlasting to everlasting and thus you see that there is a condemnation and those that will not believe the truth of this I shall leave them to their owne conscience and the great Judge CHAP. VII Of Glory THere is some conceive there is fulnesse of glory in this life but to such I shall say with Paul That if we had our portion onely in this life we were of all men most miserable And therefore I shall endeavour to speake a word or two of glory and shew you some reason wherefore we are not in fulnesse of glory and shew you what it is to be in fulnesse of glory To be in the fulnesse of glory is to injoy the fore-parts or face and presence of God and Christ with all the Saints and those glorious Angels to be in their presence and to reigne with them for ever in glory and so saith the Apostle When Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall we appeare with him in glory Col. 3. 4. And therefore we hope for the glory of God Rom. 5. 2. that we may be glorified together with him Rom. 8. 17. For when the chiefe Shepheard shall appeare then shall we receive a Crowne of glory that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 5. 4. And now I shall come to Reasons 1 We are not in the fulnesse of glory in this life because we injoy but his back-parts not his fore-parts we doe not injoy his presence where he is in glory with his Angels for we are not able to apprehend his glory here much lesse to be in it or injoy it in this life for wee are not in the presence of God and those glorious Angels in heaven we injoy but his back-parts here in his footstoole his fore-parts and glory is in the Throne and cannot be seen with mortall eyes Secondly there is a vaile over our eies we see but darkly as through a glasse we are not able to behold his face and presence nor to behold his glory we see him yet but through the promises we doe not injoy him as he his his glory would rather affright then comfort us in this mortall estate should these mortall eies of ours behold the glory of the Angels much lesse the God of glory for now we see but darkly as through a glasse but then shall we see him face to face 1 Cor. 13. Thirdly Wee knew but in part and understand his glory but in part but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall bee done away and we shall know him as he is and know all men as we are knowne of God which cannot be in this life to know God and his Saints in glory and therefore there is not fulnesse of glory in this life knowing so little of God and so few of his Saints Fourthly we seek for glory by patient continuance in well-doing that we might inherit the promises now if we were in fulnesse of glory we need not seek for it if wee had it But we are seeking for glory and honour and immortality with eternall life and therefore it doth appear we have it not Rom. 2. 3. Fifthly we hope for this fulnesse of glory and therefore we do not injoy it for if we did what need we hope for it Rom. 5. 2. And Christ in us the hope of glory now if we had it what need we hope our hope were at an end if we had the thing we hope for to wit fulnesse of glory but you see we have it not and therefore we hope for it as not having yet received it 6 The eie hath not seen nor the ear hath not heard nor since the beginning of the world hath it not been heard nor none besides God doth know what he hath prepared for them that wait for him Esa 644. And if wee have not yet seen nor heard it how then doe we â—njoy it and if we are not able to conceive of the glory how then can we bee in it and if none but God know it then how can we know it Seventhly The Apostle Paul had as much of the Spirit of God as any man except the Son himselfe and as glorious injoyments of God being taken up into the third heavens and saw glory unspeakable which he was not able to utter nor expresse and yet hee saith If we had our glory only in this life we were of all men most miserable for he looked for a more glorious injoyment then hee could injoy in this life as you may see 1 Cor. 15. 19. Eightly The Apostle saith he was ready to be offered up and the time of his departure was at hand he had fought a good fight and had finished his course had kept the faith and henceforth was laid up for him a Crowne of righteousnesse or glory and for all them that love his appearing 2 Tim. 4. 6 7 8. And the Prophet David saith Oh how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee Ps 31. 19. whereby you may see it is not in this life it is laid up for a better life in a better Kingdome where we shall be capable to receive it Ninthly The good Apostle tells you hee did so run that he might obtaine for he tell you that hee had not yet attained neitheâ— was he perfect but this he did hee forgâ—â— those things that were past for he did not dote upon his former goodnesse but was pressing forward towards the marke or prize of glory that was set before him 2 Cor. 9. Phil. 3. for he that is constant to death shall receive a Crowne of life or glory Rev 2. 10. And thus you see the Apostle was so farre from being puffed up with fulnesse of glory in this life that he tells us he is not the man that doth injoy fulnesse of glory for he was striving for it to make it sure to him in this life and so to wait for it in a better life and in a better Kingdome that he was in hope to injoy Tenthly The Apostle saith I desire to depart hence and to go to Christ which is best of all Phil. 1. 23. whereby it doth appeare that there is not fulnesse of glory in this life
host of heaven shall be dissolved and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scrole and all their host shall fall downe as a leafe falleth off from the Vine and as a falling Fig from the Fig. tree Esa 34. 4. Lift up your eyes to the heavens and look upon the earth beneath for the heavens shall vanish away like smoake and the earth shall wax old like a garment and they that dwell therein shall dye in like manner Esa 51. 6. For behold I create new heavens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come in minde Esa 65. 17. And by all this it doth appeare that there shall be new heavens and a new earth for this Prophesie must be fulfilled before the comming of Christ whom the heavens must contain untill the restoring of all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets Act. 3. which the words of Christ seem to clear in Mat. 24. where he saith The Sunne shall be darkned and the Moone shall not give her light and the Stars shal fal from heaven and the powers of heaven shall be shaken And all this before the comming of Christ whereby it doth appeare that the Resurrection will not be untill there is a new heaven and a new earth For the Apostle saith The heavens and the earth which now are by the word of the Lord are kept in store and are reserved unto fire against the day of judgement in which the heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat and the earth also and the works thereof shall be burnt up And seeing all these things must be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be looking for and hasting unto the comming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat as you may see 2 Pet. 3. 7. 10. 12. And by all this it doth appear that there shall be a wonderfull change before the comming of Christ an alteration in the heaven and in the earth and a purging of all things by fire and the old heaven and earth dissolved as not being fit to entertaine such a glorious judge and such a heavenly host because the heaven and earth are both polluted with sinne and therefore they must be burnt up and all the noysome scents and stinkes and evill vapours of corruption and all noysome scents and all things that are corrupted with sinne shall be dissolved and burnt up as not fit to entertaine such a glorious Judge and therefore there must be a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwels righteousnesse the first heaven and earth being not able to stand before his presence and therefore there will be a new heaven and a new earth as you may see Revel 21. 1. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more Sea And all this is a preparation for the great Judge 4. When all these things are come to passe then this shall be the signe of the comming of the Sonne of man which will be apparent to all the world for then will the Lord Jesus Christ appeare from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire 2 Thess 1. 7 8. For as the lightning commeth out of the East and shineth even to the West even so shall the comming of the Son of man be Mat. 24. 27. And all the wicked families that are upon the earth at that time shall mourne when they shall see the Son of man comming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory and then shall the Lord Christ send his Angels with the sound of a great Trumpet to awaken all the Saints who shall be raised from their sleep by the sound of the great Trumpet and the Angels shall gather together all the Saints from the foure winds from one end of the earth to the other Mat. 24. 31. For those that have dyed in the faith of Christ shall rise first being awakened out of sleep with the voice of the Archangell and with the Trump of God and shall all be gathered together in a moment to meet the great Judge and to rejoyce in his glory and in their glorious deliverance being now to injoy his presence forever with all his glorious Angels and shall now come to be Judges of their enemies and sit down with the great Judge to judge all their enemies and therefore it is that the Saints shall rise first that they may lay open their grievances before the great Judge of all their great wrongs and bring in their evidences against the wicked for all their hard usage and cruel persecution of their enemies and the Saints shall be gloriously honoured at that day having the Judge on their side to their great joy and comfort and to the terror of their enemies 5. The Resurrection of the Saints shall be glorious in being raised out of the new earth and all the corruption burnt up and so are raised out of pure matter For it was sowne a corruptible body but it shall be raised an incorruptible body for as we have borne the image of the earthly so we shall also beare the image of the heavenly for it is sowne a naturall body and it is raised a spirituall body and this in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last Trump for the Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed 1 Cor. 15. 44. 48. 52. For this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortall shall put on immortality and when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortall shall put on immortality then shall be brought to passe that saying that is written Death is swallowed up in victory and thanks be to God that giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord as you may see 1 Cor. 15. 53 54. And then shall we be cloathed with our house which is from heaven 2 Cor. 5. 1. And then shall our vile bodies be changed and fashioned like unto his glorious body and we shall be like him as be is And thus we shall be raised in a glorious estate whereby we may be fitted for so glorious a Kingdom and such a glorious company as we shall injoy 6. We shall be raised in our likenesse for though our nature shall be more pure and glorious yet the purenesse of our nature will not take away the being of it as the purenesse of the Man Christ doth not take away his being to be a man nor the glory of his substance make his substance cease to be for the glory of the substance doth not take from but adds to the substance and so the glory of the man adds to the man but doth not take away his being to be a man And so though we shall be raised more glorious men yet we shall be