mouth of God in all their Doctrine speaking of the Resurrection and the day of judgement and preaching the judgements of God against wicked men which was a great part of their Doctrine in all their preaching and whether do not those that deny the Resurrection question all the rest of their Doctrine to be false by this their Tenet of denying the Resurrection for if their Doctrine of the Resurrection be false then why may not you also question all the rest of their Doctrine to be false for deny the Doctrine of the Resurrection and you may as well deny all the rest but how vile and wicked this Tenet is let all wise men try and judge 15. Whether is not this a most Atheisticall Tenet to deny the Resurrection and whether is not this the same that the Atheists hold in 2 Pet. 3. 4. saying Where is the promise of his comming for since the Fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation and being ignorantly willing of this their wicked Tenet not knowing that One day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day for the Lord is not slack of his comming as some count slacknesse but is long suffering to us ward not willing or consulting that any should perish but that all men should come to a change Ver. 8. 9. And thus you see there were such Atheists in the Apostles times who were wilfully ignorant of the Resurrection and the comming of Christ but this shal be the perdition of ungodly men to their utter destruction and now I shall further prove that there is a Resurrection 1. Christ will tell thee that there is a Resurrection when he saith I am the resurrection and the life Joh. 11. 25. that is he is an infallible testimony of the Resurrection in being risen from the dead and hath trampled death under his feet and hath shewed us that as he rose from the dead so also shal we be raised up by the same power and when he was asked a question concerning Marriage he told them they erred not knowing the Scripture and the power of God for in the Resurrection they neither married nor were given in marriage but were like unto the Angels of God in heaven Mat. 22. 29 30. And as touching the Resurrection have you not heard in the Prophets what God spake saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob now God is not the God of the dead but of the living and that the Saints shal be recompenced at the resurrection of the just Luke 14. 14. and that they that shall be accounted wâ—â—thy to obtaine that world and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage neither can they doe any more for they are equall with the Angels and are the children of God being the children of the Resurrection Luk. 20. 34 35 36. and Moses shewed you at the Bush of the Resurrection ver 37. And Christ saith further Marvell not at this for the houre is comming when all that are in the Graves shall heare 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 condemnation Joh. 5. 28 29. and thus you see the words of Christ which are sufficient to satisfie any reasonable man that there is a Resurrection 2. Christs Apostles will tell thee that there is a Resurrection of which they are witnesses Act. 1. 22. Preaching through Jesus the resurrection of the dead Acts 4. 2. and for which Doctrine Paul was called in question for preaching the resurrection Act. 24. 22. For since by man came death by man also came the resurrection of the dead 1 Cor. 15. 22. and therefore the Apostle pressed forward that he might be made partaker of the glory of this resurrection Phil. 3. 10. 11. and this was a principle of the Gospell that they taught as you may see Heb. 6. 2. And in the 11 Heb. the Apostle sheweth you an epitome of the glorious Acts of the Saints of former times what they under-went that they might obtaine the glory of a better Resurrection Heb. 11. 35. And so we are begoâ—ten to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 3. For God hath hath raised up the Lord Christ and will also raise up us by his owne power 1 Cor. 6. 14. And knowing that God the Father which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Iesus and shall present us with you 2 Cor. 4. 14. and thus the Apostles cleare the truth of this Doctrine that there is a resurrection 3. The day of Judgement will tell thee that there is a Resurrection and thus saith the wise Solomon For God shall bring every work into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or evill Eccles 12. 14. And therefore Christ saith It shall be more tolerable for Sodome and Gomorrah in the day of judgement then for those that reject the Gospel Mat. 10. 15. And I say unto you that for every idle word that men shal speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement for by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Mat. 12. 36 37. And saith Christ The words that I have spoken shall judge you at the last day Joh. 12. 48. And therefore Christ is ordained of God to be a judge of the quicke and the dead Act. 20. 42. For God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousnesse by the man Christ whom he hath appointed Act. 17. 31 And the disobedient or wicked treasure up wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God Rom. 2. 5. And when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel Rom. 2. 16. And we shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ Rom. 14. 10. For to this end Christ hath dyed and rose againe that he might be the Lord both of the dead and living vers 9. For we must all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ that every man may receive according to that he hath done in the body whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5. 10. And it is appointed for all men once to dye and after that commeth judgement Heb. 9. 27. And Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied of this saying Behold the Lord commeth with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all Jude 14 15. For the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust to the day of judgement to be punished 2 Pet. 29. And the Angels are reserved in chaines of darknesse untill the judgement of the great day Jude 6. And thus I have shewed that there is a Judgement For it is appointed for all men once to dye and after
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
gloriously the Lord wil come to prepare a place for Judgement and how mighty and spacious it wil be even a mighty Valley which is not able to be expressed so spacious and so large that it might be fit to entertaine such a number that no man knowes but himselfe and thither shal all Nations be gathered to be judged as the Scripture seemes to hold forth saying Proclaime ye among the Gentiles prepare watre wake up the mighty men and let all the men of war come neare let them come up and here the Prophet shewes you what the Lord Christ wil say at that day saying Beate your Flow-shares into Swords and your Pruning-bookes into Speares let the weake say I am strong wherein Christ shews all Nations their weaknesses when they shal come before him to Judgement assemble your selves and come all ye Heathen and gather your selves together round about thither wilt thou cause thy mighty ones to come downe O Lord and thus the Prophet in this Verse holds forth the glorious appearing of Christ with all his Host and then shal all the Heathen be wakened and come to the valley of Iehoshaphat or the valley of threshing for there wil the Lord sit to judge all the Heathen round about for all their wickednesse is at the full Ioel 3. 9 10 11 12 13. for there wil the Lord â—â—ster â—p hiâ— great Army for his campe is very great and multitudes multitudes shal be in the valley of threshing for then the day of the Lord is neare in the valley of division or threshing and then shall the Sun and the Moone be darkned and the Starres shall with-draw their shining for the glory of Christ and his Angels shall darken the Host of Heaven and then shall the Lord the great Judge of Heaven and Earth roare out of Zion and shall utter his voyce from Jerusalem and the Heavens and the Earth shall shake for the Lord will number all his forces and then there will be the noyse of a multitude in the Mountaines a tumultuous noyse of the Nations gathered together and the Lord of Hosts himselfe mustereth the Host to see if there be any wanting for he will not misse a man being able to call them all by their names and then shall the Lord at that day sit downe in Judgement and all the Prisoners be shut up together as in a Prison and a wall of fire being round about them with that mighty guard of Angels to attend the Prisoners and after many dayes they shall be visited or found wanting being judged in order after their Ages and Generations and then shall the Moone be confounded and the Sun ashamed at the glory of the Lord his glory darkning all the Host of Heaven when the Lord of Hosts shall reigne in mount Zion and before his ancients gloriously 12. And lastly the question wil be how long this Judgement shal last and how long this great Judge wil be in judging all the world Now some conceive that it shal be in the twinckling of an eye but that is very unlikely to be for then how can Christ be said to sit upon the Throne and to sit in Judgement there can be but a little sitting in the twinckling of an eye Secondly some thinke it to be a naturall day that Christ shal sit in Judgement but that is but a small sitting to sit a naturall day for such a great worke as to judge all the world wil his glory no longer appeare in Judgement then for a day Shall not the great Judge of heaven and earth surmount all the Judges in the world in the time of his Judgement who can counter-pane him in Judgement for the time of his sitting he is no hired Judge he sits at his owne cost and charges and all his mighty company he cannot want any thing in the time of his sitting for all is his and therefore I conceive hee wil sit a longer time for one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day and therefore I conceive the Judgement shal be longer then some suppose even for a thousand yeares and for the proofe of the same I shal give you my Reasons 1. Because one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day 2 Pet. 3. and therefore the Judgement may be for a thousand yeares 2 Because it is called a great and notable day more gloriously noted then other dayes as wel in respect of time as in the great works of it and therefore by this day must be meant a longer time then a naturall day being called the judgement of the great day and the great day of his wrath for if the day was lengthened in the time of Joshua much more shal it be lengthened in the day of Christ Act. 2. 20. Iud. 6. Revel 6. 7. 3. Because the glorious comming of Christ shal darken the Sun and Moone and all the Host of Heaven for what is the light of the Sunne to the light of Christ from whence all light doth proceed and by this it doth appeare that Christ shal sit a longer time then some suppose and shal enlighten the earth with his glory and that all his enemies may see the glory and excellency of his person to the admiration of all the earth 4. Because he is said to sit in the Judgement and on the throne of his Majesty for the ancient of dayes shal sit and execute judgement as doth appeare for saith Daniel I beheld till the thrones were cast downe even all the glory of the wicked when the ancient of dayes did sit whose garment was white as snow and the baire of his head like pure wooll his throne was like the fiery flame and his wheels were like the burning flame a fiery streame issued and came forth before him thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him and the Bookes were opened and I saw in the night Visions and behold one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the ancient of dayes and they brought him neare before him and there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdom that all Nations and Languages should serve him an everlasting dominion which shall not passe away Dan. 7. 13 14. for thus saith the Lord Let the Heathen be awakened and come to the valley of Jehoshaphat for there wil I sit to judge all the heathen round about Joel 3. 12. and many Scriptures more I might bring to shew you that the great Judge must sit in Judgement to shew unto us that it is a larger time then some conceive by his sitting 5. The comming of Christ being so glorious that it shal darken all the Host of Heaven for the Sun and the Moone shal not give forth light being so glorious a light in place but shal be at a stand as amazed and confounded in themselves and all their light being but
as darknesse in respect of the great Judge for the Judge himselfe shall be their everlasting Light being indeed the great Court of Heaven more cleare then the Sunne for the light thereof doth darken the light of the Sunne and Moone which makes it appeare that this glorious Judge and this glorious Court of Heaven will not be so soone removed 6. The Bookes are to be opened and every man is to be judged according to those things that are written in those Bookes and there must be a time to open the Bookes and a time to judge and examine every matter and every person particularly according to his deeds whereby it doth appeare that the great Court of Heaven will not be so soone removed 7. The pleading of the Prisoners at the Bar doth make it appeare that the Court shall not be removed for the Prisoners at the Bar of Justice will plead and say Lord in thy name we have Prophesied and cast out Devills and done many wonderfull workes And when saw we thee in Prison or in sicknesse or hungry or naked or the like whereby it doth appeare that the pleading of Prisoners and the answerings of the Judge doth hold forth a longer time to us then we suppose to sit in judgement 8. If every Person should not be called to account in particular there might be some excuse in the Creature for then they might say I nor I was not judged but the Iudge will not passe over things so lightly for they are matters upon Life and Death 〈◊〉 upon eternall life and death and therefore â—â—oth appeare that the great Iudge will examine every man to the full with every particular thing and with so many Millions of thousands to be judged in particular doth make it appeare that the great Iudge cannot be so soon removed 9. Christ saith that the Apostles shall sit upon twelve Thrones and shall judge the twelve Tribes of Israel even such as are revolted from Iesus Christ and have rejected grace and mercy offered them in the Sonne and have shed the blood of the Prophets and Apostles through their wickednesse and therefore it doth appeare that Christ will make his twelve Apostles to sit downe upon twelve Thrones and they shall be the great Iury-men of Christ to give in their verdict for life or death and what they doe shall be approved of by Christ for the Iewes being a most wise and subtill people shall have the more able Iudges to deale with them and who are more fit for that worke then the Apostles who shall be the grand Iudges or the grand Iury to give in their evidences to the chiefe Judge against them and the Judge also consenting to their judgement For whose sinnes they remit they shall be remitted and whose sinnes they retaine they shall be retained And this being so it doth appear that the Court shal not be so soon removed Mat. 19. 28. Luk. 22. 30. 10. The Apostles shall judge the Angels and give judgement against them and when will that be but at the great day for they are reserved in chaines of darknesse untill the great day and then shall they appear before the Grand Jury who shall give their Judgement against them and deliver them to the chiefe Judge who shall passe sentence upon them for ever to be cast into the anger and wrath of the Almighty for this is the great day of judgement which hath been spoken of so long before which will not be ended in a small time 11. It is said that the Saints shall judge the world and that cannot be in a small time seeing there is so many millions of thousands to be judged with the examination of every particular action and yet they will not be idle all the time nor rejourne the Court like idle Judges for it shall be no night all the time of the judgement neither will they stir untill they have accomplished that great workâ— for I conceive there will be as much hastening of the worke as may be even round about the Throne and the twelve Patriarchs judging those before the Flood with the twelve Apostles judging those under the Law and the Ministers of the Gospel judging those under the Gospel for it is said The Saints shal judge the world 1 Cor. 6. 2. And al these great things cannot be done in a small time for all the Prisoners pleading at the Bar on the one side the Judges giving sentence on the other side with their examining of all causes doth make it appear that this great Court will not be so soon removed as some think 12. The Scripture doth declare that after the new heavens and earth are made that the Saints shall reign with Christ in abundance of glory which I conceive must be all the time of the judgement for it will not be before the new heavens and earth as the Scripture seems to hold forth but after the new heavens and earth and then will the Lord Jesus come and all the Saints with him and then shall the Saints reigne in glory even all the time of the sitting of the great Judge which I beleeve will be the account of a thousand yeares and about Jerusalem shall be the Throne of their glory and they shall be filled with the fulnesse of delight in all that time and then will the dwelling of God be with men and they shall be the new Jerusalem being cloathed with their house from heaven and God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes For there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying nor any paine for all their former troubles being passed away for Jerusalem will be more glorious then ever it was in the world before with her gates and wals most glorious and such a glorious City it will be as never yet was seen the glory of which place will enlighten both heaven and earth and shall darken all the host of heaven being a place for the Saints of the most High where they shall rest all the time of the sitting of the great Judge for this will be a new Jerusalem indeed a place of glory untill the great Judge hath finished his worke upon the earth and in this new Jerusalem of the Saints there shall be no Temple nor any worship injoyned for this will be all their work to offer up praises unto him that shall sit upon the Throne for the Father and the Son are the Temple of this glorious City and this City wil have no need of Sun or Moon for the Father and the Son will be the light thereof and all the Nations which shall be saved shall walk in the light of this City and there shal their glory be for the Gates of this City shal not be shut at all by day for there shal be no night and this wil be a glorious rest for the Saints all the fitting of the great Judge Re. 22. And then shall the Lord roar out of Zion and utter his voyce from Jerusalem
man as we are and that this man Christ should be so gloriously exalted by God the Father to be the chiefe in his Councell to declare his mind to the world and that thereby the world might be reconciled to God by the man Christ in preaching mercy to us by a man as we are and in making a man to be a Mediatour between him and us to raise him gloriously from the dead and to give all power into his hands and to make him Lord of heaven and earth to set him at his right hand in glory and to center all mercy and judgement in the Son what greater favour could the Father of mercies shew us which is a sure testimony of our rising from the dead and of our glorification with him at the last day And in the next place I shall endeavour to reconcile some Scriptures that seem to contradict the truth of this Doctrine and the first is in Ge◠1. 26. Let us make man to the which I reply That there the Father speaks of his Word or Spirit by which he made all things For the Spirit of God moved upon the waters the witnesse of two is true as Deut. 17. 6. John 8. 17. And so the Spirit of God in the Scripture is distinct from God as in many places he might speak of the Angels as being familiar with him whereby they might shew their acceptance of that work being the great Counsell of heaven for he could not speak of the Son as in being at that time neither could he really be before he had a being or else the Father might speak in a two-fold relation when he spake of man to wit of the work of creation and redemption and so he might speak of the Son but any otherwise he could not Another Scripture is in John 1. 1. 2. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and God was that word To the which I reply That in the beginning implies a tearm of time but God was before all time and that word was with God and so it was before it came from him for the word is the mind of God and came from the heart of God and was the power of God for by his word he made all things 〈◊〉 that sense it might be called God for 〈◊〉 a common name in Scripture as Idols are called Gods and men are called Gods as being of note and fame and the word being of that power might be called God though it come from the Father who is the God of all Gods And another Scripture is before Abraham was I am And to that I reply that Christ was before Abraham First he was before him in the promise And secondly he was before him in Gods account for God did account of his Son before Abraham and therefore Christ might well say before Abraham was I am being the Son of God himself And another Scripture is I and my Father are one which is true indeed that the Father and the Son are one both in mind and Doctrine the Son delivering the mind of the Father as I have shewed before but else the Son saith the Father is greater then I and I came to do the work of him that sent me Now another Scripture is this that he being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equall with God and the express Image of the Fathers person and this is true indeed that the Son is said to be the form or likeness Picture or Image of the Fathers Person but you will not say that the Image or Picture of a man is the man for the express Image or Picture of a man is but his form and so Christ is the Image of his Fathers Person that is God by Office but not the Father himself and so the Son is the Image and the Father is the substance from whom all things do proceed being the essence of all things and the originall of all being And thus in a word as time would permit me I have endeavoured to give unto the Father that which is his and also to the Son that which is his the Son being the chief in the Court of the Fathers Majesty I shal desire to honour the Son who is so highly honoured of the Father for it became the Father of whom are all things by whom are al things to make the Captain of our salvation perfect through sufferings Heb. 2. 8. 10. Thou hast put all things under his feete in subjection for in that he put all things under him he hath left nothing that is not put under him but now we see not as yet all things put under him Heb. 2. 8. 10. CHAP. V. Of Heaven NOw I shall endeavour to speak of Heaven for that will be the glorious Heaven to arive at at the last day Now the Kingdom of Heaven is called another world when Christ saith neither in this World nor in the World to come and so it is another World for that is a heavenly World and this a earthly that World injoyes the presence of God and this the back parts that World injoyes the substance and this injoyes the shadow that is a World of spirit and this a World of flesh that a World of goodness this a World of wickedness that is a continuing World and this a fading World that is a World and Kingdom not made with hands but eternall in the Heavens And now I shall speak as plainly as I can a word or two of Heaven and first what Heaven is 1. Heaven is a place of glory where the face and presence of God is and where those glorious Angels are and all the heavenly Host above all created Heavens where God the Father was from all eternity and for the probation of this you shal have Dan. 7. 9. 10. Where the Father is called the ancient of dayes being indeed before all time and his Throne prescribed with that glorious heavenly Host that doth attend him for he is the high and lofty one that Inhabits eternity and dwelleth in the highest Heavens for thus saith the wise Solomon If Israel pray heare thou in Heaven thy dwelling-place 1 Kings 8. 39. 43. and Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my Foot-stooll and Christ saith that in Heaven the Angells do alwayes behold the face and presence of his Father which is in Heaven Mat. 18. 10. and also the Sonne is entred into the very Heaven of glory it self Heb. 9. 24. there to remain till he come at the last day And now I shall shew you reasons that there is a Heaven 1. Reason Is from Gods eternal Being before all time he must be somewhere and his glory must be somewhere even in Heaven a place not made with hands 2 Cor. 5 2. a place of glory before all time and before these visible Heavens and Earth were created he was in glory whereby it doth appear there is a Heaven 2. Reason When he came to create the visible
of the Majesty in the heavens Heb. 8. 1. and is entred into the very heaven Heb. 9. 24. And thus you see it is very clear that there is a Heaven 12. Reason The coming of Christ at the day of judgement doth make it appear there is a Heaven for where is he but in Heaven and from whence comes he with that glorious Company of Angels but from Heaven Mat. 25. 31. when the Trump shall sound and the dead shall rise the heavens shall melt and the Earth shall tremble and the Mountains shall flâ—e from his presence when he shall come terribly to shake the Earth so glorious will his coming be from heaven Lastly Doth not the day of Judgement declare there is a Heaven when Christ shall come to separate the sheep from the Goaâ—es and shall say unto those on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father receive a Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Mat. 25. 34. And what Kingdom is this think you but Heaven and what place is this but a place of glory and Christ saith I go to prepare a place for you that where I am there may you be also Iohn 14. 3. And when Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall we appeare with him in glory and when this house shall be dissolved we shall have a Kingdom eternall in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5. 1. and our treasure is laid up in Heaven Col. 1. 5. when wâ— shall receive that incorruptible inheritance which is undefiled and that fadeth not away which is reserved in heaven for us 1 Pet. 1. 4. And thus you see it plain that there is a Heaven And now I shall shew you further in a word or two what Heaven is and first it is a place as I shall prove by scripture it is the Throne of God 1 Kings 8. 27. 2 Chro. 6. 18. Isa 66. 1. And therefore he reigns and sits upon the Throne of his holinesse Psa 147. 8. And Behold the Lord cometh forth of his place and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth Mic. 1. 3. And Christ saith it is a place prepared Go receive the Kingdome prepared for in my Fathers house are many Mansions John 14. 1. and the Apostle saith it cannot be moved or shaken Heb. 12. 27 28. And thus you see that Heaven is a place Secondly It is a place of glory where we shall enjoy the fore-parts of God that is we shall see him as he is and shall enjoy his face and presence as he is in his glory unspeakable which cannot be exprest with the tongue of men and Angells to shew you that glorious Majesty with the glorious presence of the Sonne being ascended with that heavenly host in glory unexpressable Thirdly It is a place of honour where we shall be Crowned and made Kings to reigne with him for ever and be Crowned with everlasting Crowns upon our heads and enjoy the glory of the highest Majesty being honoured of Angells and all that Heavenly guard and shall be Priests of the most high God to offer up praises to him that sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever for all the honour in the foot-stoole is but a type of the hnour that we shall injoy in the Throne Fourthly It is a place of heavenly riches For eye hath not seene nor the eare heard neither can the heart of man conceive the glory of that place all the riches upon the earth being but a Type and shadow of the heavenly riches where the creature shall injoy all the fullnesse of God and shall have more then heart can wish or desire for if God be so rich in his foot-stool what is he in the Throne Fifthly It is a place of joy where is fullnesse of joy for where should we rejoyce but in the presence of God where we shall come to enjoy all the fullnesse of God with joy unspeakable and full of glory to joy in the Father and in the Sonne in Saints and Angells who can expresse that joy but those that enjoy it to enjoy such a company to be in such a glorious condition all the joy in the world being but a Type thereof Sixthly It is a place of peace for there will be no opposition in the Throne What enemy dare appear there Do not all his enemies tremble before him and are afraid to approach into his presence and shall not all his enemies be destroyed before that time when the Saints shall enjoy their rest What glorious peace shall be their peace with God and Christ with Saints and Angells even the peace of God that passeth all understanding Seventhly It is a place of pleasure and delight the desired Haven of the Saints which they have so much longed and sought after to be in the substance of pleasure and delight where is fullnesse of pleasure and joy for evermore being a place of all heavenly glory enjoyment beyond the apprehension of a weak creature to conceive or apprehend Eighthly In respect of that glorious comâ—â—â—y to enjoy the presence of God the Father and of Christ the Sonne with that glorious traine of Angels with Abraham Isaac and Jacob with Moses David and Salomon and in a word with all the glorious Prophets and Apostles and with all the people of God that ever have been or shall be in all ages What a glorious Communion will there be at that time to have fellowship with so glorious a company with sweet knowledge and acquaintance with them and enjoying their company for ever in all spiritual pleasures and delight Ninthly It is a Heaven of glory for ever and ever for the glory shall never end nor their joy shall never be diminished but they shal reign with God for ever ever in the fulness of his glory there to behold his presence to joy and to rejoyce in his greatnesse and in the glory of his Majesty for ever and ever CHAP. VI. Of Hell THere is some that say there is no Hell but they might as well say there is no God nor no resurrection nor Judgement but how will such persons answer this one day before the Judgement-seat of this great God and I may say of such except they trun from this their wicked tenent as Christ said Oh ye Serpents and generation of Vipers how can ye escape the condemnation of Hell for if there be no Hell then we may live as we list but such do in their hearts believe there is no God or else they must acknowledge a Hell and therefore I shall endeavour by the assistance of my God to prove that there is a Hell and I shall use this method first shew what I meane by Hell and then I shall prove that there is a Hell Now Hell is a place of condemnation or a deprivation from the presence of God of Christ and of grace and glory for Christ saith He that believeth not is condemned already and Tophet is
men and to this I shall adde Scripture Job saith I know that my â—edeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though the wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh I shall see God whom I shall behold for my selfe and mine eyes shall â—ebol 〈…〉 and not â—â—ther eyes though my reines be cons 〈…〉 in me Job 19. 25 26 27. And David doth declare That his flesh did rest in hope for that great and glorious day to wit the redemption of his body Psal 16. And the Apostle saith We shall be judged according to those things that we have done in this body whether good or bad For another body shall not be judged but the same body nor another body shall not be punished but the same body for the same body shall be punished that hath acted wickednesse and this the Apostle doth cleare in the 1 Cor. 15. shewing us that there is divers kindes of flesh but he will give to every body his owne flesh and to every seed his own body to shew us that the same flesh shall be raised up again and not another and so I shall conclude with the words of the Prophet saying Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise Awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead Esa 26. 19. 7. They shall appear in the same form and likenesse and fashion as they were in upon earth and shall have the same body and the same stature and proportion with the same likenesse and complexion for their rising shall not change their proportion no way but rather adde to it to make them more like themselves then ever they were before and every man shal be knowne in the same body and proportion as he was upon the earth Adam in his owne likenesse and Abraham Moses Solomon and David in their owne likenesse and every man and woman in their owne likenesse as they were upon earth and so they shal be known every man and woman as they were upon the earth only they shal appeare more glorious but their glorious appearance wil not take away the being of their likenesse and proportion but rather adde to it as the glory and excellency of a man doth not take away his leaving to be a man but rather adds to it and even so the glory of our appearing doth not take away the likenesse of our being but rather adds to it and so makes our likenesse the more glorious 8 The wicked shal also be raised up for Christ shal judge both the quicke and the dead and we shal all appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ to give an account for those things that we have done in the flesh whether good or evil for Christ shal sit upon the throne of his glory and all Nations shal be gathered together before him Mat. 25. 31 32. For the time is comming that all that are in the graves shall heare the voyce of the Son of Man and shall comâ—forth they that have done good to the resurrection of life and they that have done evill to the resurrection of condemnation Joh. 5. 28 29. For it is appointed for all men once to dye and after that commeth judgement Now the wicked I conceive shal not rise like the Saints but every one according to his nature for the Saints shal rise with the nature of Christ upon them for their vile bodies shal be fashioned like unto his glorious body and be cloathed with their house which is from heaven but the wicked shal rise in their corrupt nature and shal be cloathed with their sinne and as the Saints shal be cloathed with their obedience even so shal the wicked be cloathed with their disobedience and this I conceive shal be the distinguishing badge whereby the righteous shal be knowne from the wicked for the Saints shal rise with the cloathing or livery of Christ upon them and the other shal rise with the cloathing or livery of the Devil upon them whereby they shal be known whose servants they are and yet I conceive the Lord wil doe his part for he wil raise them up a pure nature for they shal be most pure and glorious in their nature until they shal be cloathed with their sinne which shal darken their nature for they wil come forth of the new earth and so their natures shal â—e Spirituall incorruptible and immortall whereby they wil be more capable of Sin and Judgement and the more capable of all their sorrow and misery and now I shal speake a word or two where this Judgement shal be 9. Where this Judgement shal be is a great question for some thinke it shal be in the Aire but me thinkes that is but an airie argument for there is no good reason can be given wherefore it should be in the Aire and others thinke it shal be in heaven but that is not likely wherefore it should be in heaven because Christ comes downe to judge and therefore it doth appeare it shal be on the earth for what should the wicked doe in heaven and therefore Christ comes downe upon earth to Judge them for it is most fit that where they have done their wickednesse that there they should be judged and that is upon the earth now the place of Judgement I conceive wil be at Jerusalem about the valley of Iehoshaphat which is the middle part of the earth for there Christ was put to death and had all the dishonour and there he wil vindicate himselfe in that place and have all the honour for in the place where he ascended up into heaven it is likely in the same place he wil discend with his mighty Angels and that is upon the Mount Oliveâ— or the Mount of Olives for thus it is Prophesied of him when the Lord shal come forth of his holy place for behold the Lord commeth forth out of his place and will come downe and will tread upon the high places of the earth and the Mountains shal be molten under him and the Vallies shal be cleft as Wax before the fire and as the waters that are poured down a steep place Mich. 1. 3 4. and at that day his feete shall stand upon the Mount of Olives that is before Jerusalem on the East and the Mount of Olives shal cleave in the midst towards the East and towards the West and there shal be a very great Valley and half of the Mountaine shal remove towards the North and halfe of it towards the South and yee shall fly to the Valley of my Mountaines for the Valley of the Mountaines shal reach unto Azal and those that are there at that day fhal fly as they fled before the Earth-quake in the dayes of Vzzah King of Judah and the Lord my God shal come and all the Saints with him Zach. 14. 3 4 5. and thus you may see how
the Bible is true 7 It cannot appeare that the Bible should be corrupted since for besides the Apostles there were many thousand of learned Jewes and the Churches of the Jewes that came to professe the Gospel Act. 21. 20. Iames 1. 1. and the truth being so gloriously planted that it doth appeare that the word could not be corrupted since 8 It doth appeare that the Bible is the word of God because it holds out holinesse more then any Booke in the world for there is no Booke in the world parallel with it in respect of holinesse whereby it doth appeare that it is the word of God 9 It doth appeare that the Scriptures in the Originall Text are the word of God because they hold forth a self-denying creature more then any Book besides in the world and therefore it doth appeare that it is the word of God 10 There is nothing in the world that doth discover the wicked wayes of men more then the Scripture doth and therefore it doth appeare that it is the Word of God because there is no Booke more excellent to discover the wickednesse of the Creature 11 In respect of the matter of the Scripture whereby it doth appeare to be the Word of God for there cannot be more glorious matter for the Creature to be centered upon whereby it doth appeare to be the Word of God 12 The right justice and judgement in the Word doth make it appeare to be the Word of God in holding forth such pure justice and judgement as all the Bookes in the world cannot nor doe not hold forth the same whereby it doth appeare to be the Word of God 13 Gods preservation of the Scriptures in all Ages doth make it appeare that it is the Word of God so as all the enemies thereof were not able to destroy it nor yet are although the Scriptures have had many thousands of enemies and being so wonderfully preserved in all Ages against all opposers doth make it appeare that it is the Word of God 14 The Scriptures or Bible doth appeare to be the Word of God because those things that have been prophesied of therein have come to passe in all Ages and things have fallen out in every Age according to their severall Prophesies and all this being so doth make it plainly appeare that the Scriptures are the Word of God 15 By the powerfull effects that the Word hath wrought and doth yet worke upon the hearts and Consciences of men as to avoyd the evill and to chuse the good doth make it appeare to be the Scripture of God in respect of the wonderfull effects that have been wrought thereby in all ages 16 It doth appeare it is not the word of the Devill because it doth discover his wicked names and titles as also his wicked nature with the terrible Judgements that are prescribed against him all which doth make it appeare that it is the Word of God for most certaine it is that the Devill would never speake against himselfe to judge himselfe were there not a greater to discover and to judge him which is the Word of God 17 It doth appeare that it is not the Word of man because it holds forth the wickednesse of the Creature as also his eternall Judgement and most apparent it is that the Creature would never condemne himselfe eternally were there not a greater to condemne him which is the Word of God And now because those that deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God are grounded upon nothing but their owne Dictates which is the ground of their principles whereby they say they know all things because they say God is in them and that they know that which God knowes therefore to the chiefest of these I shall prescribe some worke because they say they know all things to answer to these questions or quaeries And 1 Whether is that precept injoyned by Christ to goe preach and baptise and if you say it is then where and when ceased 2 Whether doth not the visible Creation hold forth a visible Worship and whether shall a visible Worship cease untill the visible Creation cease c. Richard Stookes FINIS
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