because after the general Resurrection they shall both live for ever both in their Souls and bodies united and conjoyned and so shall both have everlasting life in a natural sence But here everlasting life is to be taken in a spiritual and mystical sence and so it shall be nothing else but an everlasting Conjunction with God and with Christ And so when I say That Gods Elect shall enjoy everlasting Life in the World to come my meaning is That they shall enjoy an everlasting Conjunction with God and with Christ or an everlasting Union and Communion with God and with Christ in the World to come By reason whereof it is said That they shall ever be with the Lord Christ 1 Thes 4. 17. They shall be with him Joh. 14. 13. They shall be with him where he is and shall see his glory Joh. 17. 24. and shall be perfect in one with the Father and the Son Joh. 17. 22. 23. And by vertue of this everlasting Conjunction with God and with Christ they shall still have experience of Gods goodness towards them in Christ and shall know that his goodness endureth for ever Psal 52. 1. By vertue of it they shall still have experience of Gods mercy towards them in Christ and shall know that his mercy endureth for ever Psal 136. and that his mercy is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him Psal 103. 17. By vertue of it they shall still have experience of Gods Love towards them in Christ shall perceive that neither things present nor things to come shall separate them from it Rom. 8. 38 39. And by vertue of it they shall still have experience of Gods favour and fellowship with them in Christ and shall know that Gods Tabernacle shall be with them and that he shall dwell with them and be their God for ever Rev. 21. 3. Which everlasting Conjunction of theirs with God and with Christ shall be unto them everlasting Life and that everlasting Life which is promised in the Scriptures And so we may understand the Nature of it Secondly Touching the Certainty of it I say That Gods Elect shall most certainly enjoy everlasting Life in the World to come As may be made good by these Arguments 1. They whose names are in the Book of Life shall have everlasting Life in the World to come But Gods Elect have and shall have all their names found in the Book of Life Phil. 4. 3. Revel 3. 5. Ergo. 2. They that are ordained unto eternal Life shall enjoy everlasting Life in the World to come But Gods Elect are all ordained unto eternal Life Act. 13. 48. Ergo. 3. They that shall have the gift of eternal Life shall enjoy everlasting Life in the World to come But Gods Elect shall have the gift of eternal Life as it is written The Father hath given Christ power over all flesh that he should give eternal Life to as many as the Father hath given him Joh. 17. 2. Ergo. 4. They that are Heirs of eternal Life shall enjoy everlasting Life in the World to come But Gods Elect are or shall be all Heirs of eternal Life Tit. 3. 7. Ergo. 5. They that are or shall be justified and accounted righteous before God through Christ shall enjoy everlasting Life in the World to come according to that of our Saviour The righteous shall go into everlasting Life Mat. 25. 46. But Gods Elect are or shall be all justified and accounted righteous before God through Christ Ergo. 6. They that are or shall be sanctified or made Partakers of renewed Holiness shall enjoy everlasting Life in the World to come as it is said Rom. 6. 22. But Gods Elect are or shall be all sanctified and made Partakers of renewed Holiness Ergo. 7. They that do or shall beleeve effectually in Gop and in Christ shall enjoy everlasting Life in the World to come as may appear John 3. 16. and 6. 40 47. 1 Tim. 1 16. But Gods Elect do or shall all beleeve effectually in God and in Christ Ergo. 8. They that do or shall repent unfeignedly shall enjoy everlasting Life in the World to come because unfeigned Repentance is called Repentance unto life Acts 11. 18. But Gods Elect do or shall all repent unfeignedly Ergo. 9. They that are or shall be constant in well-doing shall enjoy everlasting Life in the World to come as appears Rom. 2. 7. But Gods Elect are or shall be constant in well-doing Ergo. 10. They that are or shall be constant in graces received shall enjoy everlasting Life in the World to come as it is promised Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee the crown of Life Rev. 2. 10. But Gods Elect are or shall be thus constant or thus faithful Ergo. 11. They that do or shall in obedience to Gods Will suffer more or less for Christs sake or the Gospels sake shall enjoy everlasting Life in the World to come according to that of our Saviour There is no man that hath left house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or â—ands for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time and in the World to come eternal Life Mark 10. 30 But Gods Elect do or shall in obedience to Gods Will suffâ—r more or less for Christs sake and the Gospels Eâ—go 12. They that shall rise again at the latter day to everlasting Life shall enjoy everlasting Life in the World to come But Gods Elect shall rise again at the latter day to everlasting Life Dan. 12. 2. Ergo. Thirdly Touching the Causes of this everlasting Life I say 1. That the Efficient Cause of it shall be the whole Trinity God Father Son and Holy Ghost And to assure us hereof eternal Life is called the gift of God Rom. 6. 23. And S. John saith That God hath given unto us eternal Life 1 Joh. 5. 11. where the Name of God devotes not any particular person in the Godhead but the whole Trinity and so the whole Trinity is the Efficient Cause of everlasting Life 2. That the Impulsive or Moving Cause of it shall be the grace of God or his gracious Will For as sin hath raigned unto death so shall grave raign through righteousness unto eternal Life Rom. 5. 21. 3. The Meritorious Cause of it is and shall be only Christ For in him was life Joh. 1. 4. He that hath the Son hath life he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 Ioh. 5. 12. They that shall raign in life shall raign by one Iesus Christ Rom. 5 17 21. And the Father hath given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as the Father hath given him Ioh. 17. 2. 4. The Final Cause of it shall be the glory of Gods mercy that he may glorifie his mercy upon his Elect He will give unto them eternal Life in the World to come Which Proposition thus cleared may be
know that whatsoever good thing any man doth the same shall he receive of God at the day of Judgment whether he be bond or free Ephes 6. 8. More particularly it should exhort us 1. To beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ effectually so as to rely upon him for Pardon Peace Sanctification and Salvation and not to content our selves as many do with a bare profession of faith or with an historical faith or with a temporary faith or with a false faith saying they beleeve that all shall be saved c. seeing we know that a dead faith cannot save any but it shall be well for such Beleevers as have a lively faith at the day of Judgment as it is written He that beleeveth shall be saved Mark 16. 16. Christ shall come to be admired of those that beleeve 2 Thes 1. 10. And whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. Joh. 11. 2. To repent of our sins dayly by way of confession contrition and prayer seeing we know it shall go well with such penitent sinners at the day of Judgment when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of God Acts 3. 19. 3. To be doers of Gods Word and not hearers only deceiving our own Souls seeing we know it shall be well with the doers of Gods Word at the day of Judgment as it is written Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of God which is in Heaven Mat. 7. And it shall be then said unto every doer of Gods Will Well done good and faithful Servant thou hast been faithful in little I will make thee Ruler over much enter into thy Masters Joy 4. To be merciful unto such as are in misery seeing we know that Mercy rejoyceth against Judgment yea against the last Judgment Jam. 2. 13. 5. To be circumspect in our ways according to that of Saint Iames So speak and so do as they that shall be judged by the Law of Liberty Jam. 2. 12. 6. To fear the last Judgment not with a distrustful fear but with an awful and reverential fear so as to be admonished thereby to eschew the evil forbidden and to do the good required as David feared the temporal Judgments of God Psalm 119. 120. 7. To make our Calling and Election sure seeing we know that it shall be well with Gods Chosen at the day of Judgment Rom. 8. 33. SECT VIII Touching the Personal-Humane Kingdom of Christ in the World to come THough the Kingdom of Christ be Monarchical and so but one Kingdom in a large sence there being no other Christ superior or equal to him in it yet there be different estates of his Kingdom and every estate of it is called a Kingdom in Scripture and so we have warrant from the Word of God to distinguish of the Kingdom of Christ and to say there is a three-fold Kingdom of his viz. 1. His Essential Kingdom 2. His Personal-Divine Kingdom 3. His Personal-Humane Kingdom 1. The Essential Kingdom of Christ is that Kingdom which belongs to him as he is God equal with the Father and the Holy Ghost for whatsoever is common to the three persons in the Trinity is essential to each of them as the Godhead is common to all and essential to each of them Omnisciency is common to all and essential to each of them Omnipotency is common to all and essential to each of them So there is a Kingdom common to all of them which therefore may be called the essential Kingdom of Christ as he is God equal with the Father and the Holy Ghost which Kingdom of his is called by some His Natural Kingdom by others His Native or Providential Kingdom by me His Essential Kingdom And this Kingdom of his hath for its Object both this world and the World to come It is every where in Heaven in Earth and under the â—â—â—th it extends to all creatures together with their actions and all accidents incidental unto them as it is said God hath established his Throne in Heaven and his Kingdom ruleth over all Psal 103. 19. O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the Earth Psal 8. 1. God ruleth in the kingdoms of men Dan. 4. 17 25. And the Wisdom of God saith By me Kings raign and Princes decree Iustice By me Princes rule and Nobles even all the Iudges of the Earth Prov. 8. 15 16. 2. The Personal-Divine Kingdom of Christ is that Kingdom which belongs unto him as he is God and man in one Person and wherein he now raigns in his Divine Nature For it is commonly acknowledged by Divines That Christ now raigneth over his Militant Church in his Divine Nature and hath so raigned from the beginning hitherto and shall so raign unto the end of the world in a spiritual way and that both inwardly by his Word and Spirit and outwardly by the Discipline and Government which he hath appointed in his Church And they say The Person which thus raigns is God and man yet the Nature wherein he raigns is not the Humane but the Divine Nature and therefore I call it his Personal-Divine Kingdom Of this Kingdom of his it is said The Kingdom of God is at hand Mar. 1. 15. The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation The Kingdom of God is within you Luk. 17. 20 21. The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. And I acknowledg that this Kingdom of his may fitly be called his Spiritual Kingdom because his Government in it is altogether Spiritual It may fitly be called his Donative Kingdom because he received it by donation and gift from his Father Joh. 17. 2. It may fitly be called his Mediatory Kingdom because it belongs unto him as he is a Mediator between God and man And it may fitly be called his Oeconomical Kingdom because it extends properly to his Family the visible Church Neither do I think that think this Personal Kingdom of Christ considered as meerly Divine shall extend to the Church Triumphant 3. The Personal-Humane Kingdom of Christ is that Kingdom which belongs unto him as he is the Son of man and the Son of David and wherein he shall raign in his Humane Nature bodily and visibly And though I grant That this Kingdom of his shall be a second estate of his Personal Donative Mediatory Occonomical Kingdom yet for distinction sake I call it his Personal-Humane Kingdom because only in this estate of his Kingdom shall he raign after a bodily and humane manner Now this is the Kingdom of which I am here to speak and I shall speak of it partly by way of Doctrine and partly by way of Use and Application By way of Doctrine I shall lay down several principles or grounds needful to be known concerning this Kingdom of Christ As First I affirm That Christ shall one day have
Isai 45. 17. We may not imagine then that this Salvation of theirs shall ever have an end This Proposition thus cleared may be useful diâ—ers Vse ways First It makes for the confutation of such as â—hink though not all yet at least some of Gods Eâ—ect may and shall perish in the world to come Vorstius his c. Which impious conceit may in no wise be assented unto 1. Because it is most certain that all Gods Elect shall be saved in the world to come as hath been â—rove 2. Because God was of the minde to save them â—ll when he decreed their Salvation And it is blasphemy to think that he hath changed his mind since concerning them seeing he is still of one minde Job â—3 13. still the same Psal 102. 27. and changeth not Mal. 3. 6. 3. Because Christ hath promised That none of Gods Elect shall be lost Joh. 6. 37. And if none of â—hem shall be lost then none of them shall perish in the world to come 4. Because God in Christ is able to save them to the uttermost Heb. 5. 25. And they are kept by the â—ower of God unto Salvation 1 Pet. 1. 5. And if â—o then none of them shall perish in the world to come But whereas such Opinionists tell us of Solomon Object That though he wâ—re one of Gods Elect yet he shall perish in the world to come because as they say he never truly repented in this world I answer It is very uncharitable to think or say That Solomon Ans never truly repented because we have very probable evidences of his Repentance in the fifth sixth and seventh Chapters of the book of Proverbs even as touching that particular sin which they lie to his charge and throughout that book and the book of Ecclesiastes both written by him we have more general evidences of his Repentance And seeing all the evidence we can have of anothers Repentance can be but probable having the like concerning Solomons we should be satisfied therewith And whereas they tell us of the Apostacy of the Object Saints as if some of Gods Elect Saints might be guilty of total and final Apostacy and so â—â—â—ght perish in the world to come It is not onely against the duty â—â— Charity but Ans also against many plain places of Scripture to impute this sin of total and final Apostacy to any of Gods Elect Saints though some of Satans Saints may be guilty thereof as I have shewed often upon other occasions seeing God hath promised to preserve and keep them from this sin Psa 119. 165. Jerem. 32. 40. And our Saviour hath shewed That the Elect cannot possibly be seduced so far as to be guilty of it Mat. 24 24. Secondly It makes for the confutation of such as think That our good works in this life are meritorious and shall merit Salvation in the World to come Which Popish conceit is in no wise to be granted neither 1. Because Christ our Mediator is the onely meritorious cause of Salvation as was said before out of Act. 4. 12 2. Because our best works are very imperfect being mixt with much evil Rom. 7. 21. By reason whereof our best performances are but half good performances if they be so much How then can they merit at Gods hands Can a servant merit at our hands by half performances 3. Because our best works are but debts seeing we are debtors to the whole Moral Law to do the works therein prescribed How then can they merit Can we merit any thing by paying our debts or by half payment of them No we must pay our debts to avoyd the danger of imprisonment But we must do more then this if we will merit at the hands of God 4. Because our best works are but duty Luk. 17. 10. And can our servant merit any thing at our hands by doing his duty No neither can we at Gods hands but we must do more then our duty if we will merit from him whereas we cannot do half our duty 5. Because we are but meer men and never did any meer man merit at the hands of God The man Christ Jesus did because he was God and man in one person But we are not like unto him as touching his person therefore we cannot merit as he did Indeed God will reward the good actions of men performed in this life according to the measure and degrees of good that he finds in them But this reward shall be caused by Gods free grace not by our works it shall be occasioned by Gods bounty not by mans merit And though God may make himself a debtor to us by his promise yet we cannot make him a Debtor to us by our doings Thirdly It may inform us That Gods Elect should not despair of Salvation seeing it is most certain that they shall all be saved in the World to come Yea suppose some of them are not yet sure of their Election yet they should not despair of their Salvavation for these Reasons 1. Because that particular Assurance which is wanting for the present may be had hereafter and we know not what a day a week a moneth or a year may bring forth 2. Because this particular Assurance is not so essential to Salvation as other gifts of God are but a Christian may be saved without it as doubtless many have been 3. Because our Salvation doth not depend upon our Assurance but upon our Election If a man be Elected there is nothing that shall deprive him of Salvation Indeed I grant this Assurance to be a very comfortable blessing such as we should desire seek and pray for yea we should be diligent to make our Election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. Yet in case a Christian want this Assurance and after long seeking cannot obtain it he should not be so far discouraged as to despair of his Salvation but in this case he should still beleeve in the Lord Christ and depend upon him for Salvation which if he do he shall be saved though he want this Assurance What think you then of Reprobates may not such Obj. despair of Salvation I answer If a man in this life could certainly know himself Sol. to be a Reprobate and to be none of Gods Elect he might have some excuse for this sin But it is not possible for any in this life to know himself to be such an one for certain because our final and ultimate condition doth not yet appear unto us Therefore no man living in this world may despair of his future Salvation be he never so wicked and vile a sinner for the present but he should still think in charity towards himself that he may be one of Gods Elect though he be not certain of it and that he may possibly be saved by his future Faith and Repentance as well as others though it be ill with him for the present For we must know that God doth never by his Word or Spirit perswade any to despair of
useful Vse sundrâ— ways As First By what hath been said we may discern some difference betwixt eternal Salvation and eternal Life because eternal Salvation in a proper sence shall be an eternal Preservation from the evils of the World to come but eternal Life in a proper sence shall be an eternal Conjunction Union or Communion with God and with Christ Indeed this difference hath not been observed by all Writers but many have spoken confusedly of the World to come and of the things which shall be contained in it And though the same men when they speak of temporal salvation temporal life glory liberty peace c. can distinguish them yet when they speak of eternal Salvation eternal Life Glory Liberty Peace c. they will not distinguish as if eternal things needed not to be distinguished as well as temporal Secondly It may inform us That Gods Elect shall be no losers in the World to come by any thing they shall do or suffer in obedience to Gods Will in this world For suppose they shall do much here in obedience to his Will as pray much hear much read much meditate much beleeve much repent much love much c. and suppose they shall suffer much here in obedience to Gods Will as the hatred and contempt of the world the reproaches lyes and slanders of wicked men the spoyling of their goods imprisonment banâ—shment c. indeed they may seem to be losers by it in this world but they can be no losers by these things in the World to come because in that World they shall enjoy everlasting Life and this everlasting Life will be a sufficâ—ent recompence for all that they shall thus do and suffer in this world Wherefore we shâ—uld be rich in the work of the Lord forasmuch as we know that our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. Thirdly It may inform us That Gods Elect can lose nothing by a temporal death in respect of the consequent thereof Because the day of death shall be better unto them then the day of their birth Eccles 7. 1. And this temporal death shall be seconded with everlasting Life in the World to come Wherefore when God calls us to suffer a temporal death whether natural or violent especially for Christs sake and the Gospels we should even hate our own lives seeing our Saviour hath said He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal Joh. 12. 25. And whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it Mat. 16. 25. Fourthly It may inform us That Gods Elect should not doubt of everlasting Life in the World to come because the Word makes it sure unto them by many promises And yet if any of them are not satisfied in their consciences concerning this matter they must be diligent to make their Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. and to be sure of a lively faith And being assured of these things must know that they shall have life eternal 1 Joh. 5. 13. Fifthly It may inform us That Gods Elect should constantly hope for eternal life and live in expectation thereof because this hope is commended Tit. 3. 7. and it is that whereby we may lay hold of eternal life 1 Tim. 6. 12. and that without which the best Christians are in this life of all men most miserable 1 Cor. 15. 19. being most of all exposed to the hatred and contempt and violence of this world Sixthly It may inform us That such as desire to enjoy everlasting life with Gods Elect must chuse the way that leadeth thereunto and walk in it For there is but one way that leadeth unto eternal life and unless we find it chuse it and walk in it we shall never obtain our desire in this respect Now the way that leadeth unto eternal life is so described in the Scriptures that we may know it from other ways for it is called the strait way the narrow way the old way and the good way It is called the strait way Mat. 7. 14. because it is the way of Gods Commandments which way allows of no turning to the right hand or to the left but leads straight on and as long as we are in it we go straight on but if we deviate or swerve from it we turn either to the right hand or to the left It is called the narrow way Mat. 7. 14. because it is frequented but by few passangers and travellers and a way may be said to be broad or narrow according to the number of travellers in it a multitude of travellers make a broad way a paucity of travellers makes a narrow way It is called the old way because the faithful of old time walked in it as Abraham Isaac Jacob Joseph Moses Joshua Samuel David c. And it is called a good way because such good things as are evidences and pledges of eternal life may be found in it As in it we may find 1. The effectual knowledg of God one Evidence of eternal life Joh. 17. 3. 2. A competent knowledg of the Scriptures which is another Evidence of eternal life John 5. 39. 3. An endeavor to eschew evil and do good another Evidence of eternal life Psal 34. 14. 4. The practise of Righteousness another Evidence of life Prov. 12. 28. 5. The practise of godly fear another Evidence of this life Prov. 14. 7. 6. The exercise of Mercy another Evidence of this life Prov. 21. 21. 7. The exercise of Humility another Evidence of it Prov. 22. 4. 8. The exercise of godliness another Evidence of it 1 Tim. 4. 8. 9. Sincere obedience to Gods Commandments which is another Evidence of life eternal Matth. 19. 17. And as many as shall chuse this way this strait narrow old and good way and shall walk in it shall be sure at the last to arrive at the Land of Everlasting Life with the rest of Gods Elect. The next Proposition is That Reprobates shall 2 Proposit suffer everlasting Death in the World to come And touching this Death of theirs we are to consider The Nature of it The Certainty of it The Causes of it First Touching the Nature of it I do not conceive that Reprobates shall suffer everlasting Death in a natural sence for then their souls should be everlastingly separated from their bodies in the World to come which may not be granted But they shall suffer everlasting Death in a spiritual or mystical sence that is to say they shall suffer an everlasting separation of their whole man from God from Christ and the Saints from all Union and Communion with them Which separation of theirs from God and from Christ may be gathered from that one saying which Christ shall pronounce against them at the Day of Judgment Depart from me ye workers of iniquity Luk. 13. 27. And their separation from the Saints is
from the Father to the Son of man and from the Son of man to the Father or from the personal Kingdom of the Father to the personal Kingdom of the Son and from the personal humane Kingdom of the Son unto the personal Kingdom of the Father And so much I learn from those words of our Saviour himself Hereafter ye shall see Heaven open and the Angels of God viz. his good Angels ascending and descending upon the Son of man John 1. vers 51. 4. That as they are now blessed so shall they be for ever blessed in the World to come And by so much the more shall they be blessed in the World to come by how much their Ministry and Service shall be more visible to the Saints and better understood of them in the World to come then now it is Which condition of the good Angels may inform Vse us First That the Humane Nature in Christ shall in dignity far excel the good Angels in the World to come For we are sure that these Angels shall serve Christ and administer unto him but we are not sure that Christ shall serve them in the World to come And we know that Christ is now for the present above these Angels in his Humane Nature at his Fathers right hand and that he took not upon him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham and the nature of Mankinde and therefore he shall still be above the Angels in his Humane Nature And albeit during the time of his Humiliation he was made a little lower then the Angels that he might suffer in the flesh Yet now he is exalted above them and shall be crowned with glory and dignity above them in the World to come for ever Again This condition of the good Angels in the World to come may inform us That the adopted Children of God have great cause to be thankful for the perseverance of these Angels in the state of grace for that God hath kept them hitherto in their holy station that so they might be helpful to us by their Ministry both in this world and in the World to come And though our fleshly nature be not sensible of the Ministry of these Angels yet we should beleeve according to the Scriptures That God doth make their Ministry beneficial to his adopted ones in this life divers ways Sometimes for Instruction as he sent a good Angel to instruct the Shepherds concerning the birth of Christ Luk. 2. Another to instruct the women concerning his Resurrection Another to instruct his Disciples touching his Ascension Act. 1. 11. Sometimes for Direction as he sent a good Angel to direct Lot what course to take for his own and his families safety Sometimes for Protection as it is written The Angel of the Lord encampeth about them that fear him Sometimes for Deliverance as he sent a good Angel to deliver Peter out of prison Act. 12. Sometimes for Consolation as when the Devil had ended his temptation against Christ he sent good Angels to administer comfort unto him Mat. 4. Now if we consider what excellent Creatures these good Angels are and how glorious they shall be in the World to come we shall finde it a great mercy of God that he hath made them ministring spirits and hath sent them to minister for the good of those who are heirs of Salvation Hebr. 1. 14. And consequently that the adopted ones have great cause to be thankful for their Perseverance Concerning evil Angels I beleeve 1. That they shall be subject not onely unto Christ himself but also unto the Saints in the World to come And to assure us hereof it is said That the Saints shall judg the Angels that is the evil Angels 1 Cor. 6. 3. And that the God of peace shall bruise Satan under their feet shortly Rom. 16. 20. And so much God said unto Satan in the beginning shortly after his Fall I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel Gen. 3. 15. 2. That they shall be everlastingly punished in the World to come and to assure us hereof it is said That everlasting fire is prepared for the Devil and his Angels Mat. 25. 41. 3. That this everlasting punishment of theirs shall be full of torment as they themselves well know and therefore they cryed unto Christ saying What have we to do with thee Jesus thou Son of God Art thou come hither to torment us before the time Mat. 8. 29. And again I beseech thee torment me not Luk. 8. 28. 4. That this everlasting punishment of theirs shall be full of darkness For if now they be punished with everlasting chains under Darkness Jude 6. much more shall this punishment be upon them in the World to come And if Reprobate men shall be cast into outer darkness for their sins Mat. 22. 13. how shall Reprobate Angels escape this punishment Which condition of evil Angels in the World to Vse come may inform us That the Kingdom of Satan shall one day have an end and then all his opposition against God Christ and the Saints shall cease and determine SECT X. Touching the blessed condition of Gods Elect and the cursed condition of Reprobates in the World to come more generally considered HAving spoken of the different condition of good and evil Angels in the World to come I am in the next place to speak of the different condition of mankinde viz. of the godly and the wicked of the Elect and Reprobates in the world to come And this different condition of theirs may be considered more generally and more specially The general difference that shall be betwixt them may be expressed in these two Propositions Gods Elect shall be blessed in the World to come Reprobates shall be cursed in the World to come Gods Elect shall all be blessed in the World to 1 Proposit come As we may well conceive for these Reasons 1. Because Gods Elect are all known of God with the knowledg of approbation as it is written The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth them that are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. And the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous Psal 1. 6. Now all that are thus known of God shall be blessed in the World to come But Gods Elect are all thus known of him therefore they shall all be blessed in the World to come 2. Because Gods Elect have their names all written in Heaven Luk. 10. 20. And they that have their names there written shall be blessed in the World to come why else should they be bid to rejoyce in this But this is true of all Gods Elect therefore they shall be blessed in the World to come 3. Because Gods Elect shall all be pronounced blessed at the general Judgment and our Saviour shall then say unto them Come ye blessed Children of my Father c. Matth. 25. 34. Now they that shall
saved in the world to come 2. Because they are or shall be all regenerated And they that are or shall be regenerated shall be saved in the world to come Mat. 19. 28. 3. Because they are or shall be all justified by the blood of Christ And they that are or shall be justified by his blood shall be saved from wrath by him Rom. 5. 9. 4. Because they are or shall be all reconciled to God by the death of his Son And they that shall be reconciled to God by the death of his Son shall be saved by his life Rom. 5. 10. 5. Because they are or shall be all the adopted children of God by grace And all that are or shall be the adopted children of God by grace shall be saved in the world to come because they are heirs of Salvation Hebr. 1. 14. 6. Because they do or shall beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ effectually And they that do or shall beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ effectually shall be saved in the world to come according to the Promise Act. 16. 31. Mark 16. 16. 7. Because they do or shall repent unfainedly And they that do or shall repent unfainedly shall be saved in the world to come seeing this is called Repentance unto Salvation 2 Cor. 7. 10. 8. Because they do or shall all hope in God with a lively hope And they that do or shall hope in God with a lively hope shall be saved in the world to come Rom. 8. 24. 9. Because they do or shall all fear the Lord with a godly fear And they that do or shall fear the Lord with a godly fear shall be saved not onely in this world but also in the world to come Psal 85. 9. 10. Because they do or shall all walk sincerely and uprightly before the Lord And they that do or shall walk sincerely and uprightly before the Lord shall be saved in the world to come Prov. 28. 18. 11. Because they do or shall all call upon the name of the Lord in sincerity And they that so do or shall do shall be saved in the world to come Rom. 10. 13. 12. Because they have endured or shall endure constantly in the state of grace to the end And they that shall so endure to the end shall be saved in the world to come Mat. 10. 22. 13. Because they have an inward right to all the Promises of Salvation as to these amongst the rest Salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks Isai 26. 1. But Israel shall be saved Isai 45. 17. In mount Sion shall be Deliverance Joel 2. 32. Obadi 17. Israel shall be saved as it is written There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer and shal turn away ungodliness from Jacob Rom. 11. 26. In which promises I understand by mount Sion the triumphant Church of Gods Elect in the World to come not excluding the Militant And by Israel and Jacob the whole body of Gods Elect who are fully to enjoy these Promises in the world to come and not before And thus may we understand the certainty of their Salvation Thirdly As concerning the causes of their Salvation I affirm 1. That the efficient cause of their Salvation in the world to come shall be the Lord Jehovah Father Son and Holy Ghost For Salvation belongeth to the Lord Psal 3. 8. And the Salvation of the righteous is of him Psal 37. 39. And the full Salvation of Israel shall come from him out of the heavenly Sion Psal 14. 6. And Israel shall be saved in the Lord Isai 45. 17. that is by the Lord Jehovah Father Son and Holy Ghost 2. That the principal moving cause of their Salvation in the world to come is and shall be the Grace of God I mean the gracious good will and pleasure of God from everlasting And for this cause it is said We are saved by Grace Ephes 2. 8. And it is the grace of God that bringeth Salvation Tit. 2. 11. 3. That the principal final cause of this their Salvation shall be the glory of Gods mercy He shall save them that he may glorifie his mercy upon them which the Prophet knew well and therefore prayed That God would save him for his mercies sake Psal 6. 4. and according to his mercy Psal 109. vers 26. 4. The meritorious cause of this their Salvation is and shall be onely Christ And there is no Salvation in any other Act. 4. 12. as in the meritorious cause But he is the Author of eternal Salvation as God equal with the Father in an efficient way as Mediator and as God and man in one person in a meritorious way Hebr. 5. 9. And he it is by whom this Salvation is to be obtained 1 Thess 5. vers 9. 5. The instrumental cause of this their Salvation is and shall be the Word of God read and preached For this Word hath an instrumental power to save Souls Jam. 1. 21. The Gospel is the power of God to Salvation Rom. 1. 16. By it a man may be made wise unto Salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. And it pleaseth God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that beleeve 1 Cor. 1. 21. 6. The dispositive or helping causes of this their Salvation are and shall be all spiritual blessings or saving graces in this life as Justification Sanctification Faith Hope Love c. For these are the things that accompany Salvation Hebr. 6. 9. And these are the things that do fit and prepare men for Salvation in the world to come Fourthly As concerning the extent of this their Salvation I affirm 1. That it shall extend to all the particular persons of Gods Elect whether Jews or Gentiles by nature for it is said plainly All Israel shall be saved Rom. 11. 26. that is all the Elect God will have all men to be saved that is all his Elect 1 Tim. 2. 4. The promise shall be sure to all the seed that is to all the Elect Rom. 4. 16. God preserveth all them that love him Psa 145. 20. He preserveth them not onely from temporal dangers but he will also preserve them unto Salvation in the world to come Yea we find That the whole house of Israel that is the whole Family of Gods Elect shall be saved Ezek. 37. 11. 39. 25. And 2. as this Salvation shall extend to all their persons so it shall extend to them in all respects both in respect of their Souls and bodies for their Souls shall be saved in the Day of the Lord and they shall receive the end of their Faith the Salvation of their Souls 1 Pet. 1. 9. And if their Souls after they are united to glorified bodies shall be saved doubtless their glorified bodies shall be saved too Fifthly As concerning the continuance of this â—heir Salvation I affirm That it shall continue â—or ever For which cause it is called Eternal Salâ—ation Heb. 5. 9. And it is said That Israel shall â—e saved in the Lord with an everlasting Salvatiâ—n