having an immortal fubfiftence, immediately return to God who gave them b. The fouls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are received into the higheft heavens, where they behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies c: and the fouls of the wicked are caft into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, referved to the judgment of the great day d. Befides. thefe two places for fouls feparated from their bodies, the fcripture acknowledgeth none. face fhalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it waft thou taken: for duft thou art, and unto dust thou fhalt return. Acts xiii. 36, For David, after he had ferved his own generation by the will of God, fell on fleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and faw corruption, b Luke xxiii. 43. And Jefus faid unto him, Verily I fay unto thee, To day fhalt thou be with me in paradife. Eccl. xii. 7. Then fhall the duft return to the earth as it was: and the fpirit fhall return unto God whe gave it. c Heb, xii, 23. To the general af fembly, and church of the first-born which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the fpirits of juft men made perfect. 2 Cor. v. 1. For we know, that if our earthly houfe of this tabernacle were diffolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, v. 6. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilft we are at home in the body, we are abfent from the Lord. v. 8. We are confident, I fay, and willing rather to be abfent from the body, and to be prefent with the Lord. Phil. i. 23. For I am in a ftrait betwixt two, having a defire to depart, and to be with Chrift; which is far better. With Acts iii, 21. II. At Whom the heavens must receive, until the times of reftitution of all things, which God hath fpoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets, fince the world began. And Eph. iv. 10. He that defcended, is the fame alfo that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. d Luke xvi. 23. And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and feeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bofom. v, 24. And he cried, and faid, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and fend Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. Acts i. 25. That he may take part of this miniftry and apoflefhip, from which Judas by tranfgreffion fell, that he might go to his own place. Jude 6. And the angels who kept not their firft eftate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlast. ing chains under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day. v. 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to fornication, and going after ftrange flesh, are fet forth for an example, fuffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 1 Pet. iii, 19. By which alfo he went and preached unto the fpirits in prifon. Chap. XXXIII. II. At the last day, fuch as are found alive fhall not die, but be changed e, and all the dead fhall be raifed up with the self fame bodies, and none other, altho' with different qualities, which fhall be united again to their fouls for ever f. III. The bodies of the unjuft fhall by the power of Christ be raised to dishonour; the bodies of the juft by his Spirit unto honour, and be made conformable unto his own glorious body g. GOD CHAP. XXXIII. Of the last Judgment. OD hath appointed a day, wherein he will judge the world in righteoufnefs by Jefus Chrift a, to whom all power and judgment is given of the Father b. In which day, not only the 11.1 Theff. iv. 17. Then we who are alive and remain, fhall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air and fo fhall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Cor. xv. 51. Behold, I fhew you a mystery; we shall not all fleep, but we fhall all be changed, v. 52. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet fhould found, and the dead fhall be raised incorruptible, and we fhall be changed. fJob xix. 26. And though after my fkin, worms deftroy this body, yet in my fiefh fhall I fee God. v. 27. Whom I shall fee for myfelf, and mine eyes fhall behold, and not another; though my reins be confumed within me. Cor. xv. 42. So alfo is the refurrection of the dead. It is fown in corruption, it is raifed in incorruption: v. 43. It is fown in difhonour, it is raised in glory; it is fown in weakness, it is raifed in power: v. 44. It is fown a natural body, it is raised a fpiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. apo III. g Acts xxiv. 15. And have hope towards cod, which they themselves alfo allow, that there fhall be a refurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. John v. 28. Marvel not at this for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in their graves fhall hear his voice, v. 29. And hall come forth, they that have done good, unto the refurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the refurrection of damnation. 1 Cor. xv. 43. (See in letter f.) Phil. iii. 21. Who fhall charge our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to fubdue all things unto himself. 1. a Acts xvii. 31. Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteoufaefs, by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given affurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. b John v, 22. For the Father judg eth no man; but hath committed alt judgment unto the Son : v. 27. And hath given him authority to execute judg apoftate angels fhall be judged c; but likewife all persons, that have lived upon earth, fhall appear before the tribunal of Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, words and deeds; and to receive according to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil d. II. The end of God's appointing this day is for the manifeftation of the glory of his mercy, in the eternal falvation of the elect; and of his juftice, in the damnation of the reprobate, who are wicked and difobedient. For then fhall the righteous go into everlasting life, and receive that fulness of j and refreshing which fhall come from the presence of the Lord; but the wicked, who know not God, and obey not the gospel of Jefus Chrift, fhall be caft into eternal torments, and be punished with everlasting deftruction from the prefence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power e. II. As Chrift would have us to be certainly perfuaded that there shall be a day of judgment, both to deter all men from fin, judgment alfo, because he is the Son of man. I Cor. vi. 3. Know ye not that we fhall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? Jude 6. (See letter d chapter foregoing.) 2 Pet. u. 4. For if Gad fpared not the angels that finned, but caft them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be referved unto judgment. d 2 Cor. v. 10. For we must all appear before the judgment feat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, accord. ing to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Eccl. xii. 14. For God thail bring every work unto judgment, with every fecret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Rom. ii, 16. In the day when God fhall judge the fecrets of men by Jefus Chrift, according to my gofpel. Rom. xiv. 10. But why doft thou judge thy brother? or why d. theu fet at nought thy brother ? and we fhall all ftand before the judgment-feat of Chrift. v. 12. So then every one of us fhall give account of himself to God, Mat. xi. 36. But I fay unto you, that every idle word that men fhall fpeak, they fhall give account thereof in the day of judgment. v. 37. For by thy words thou fhalt be juftified, and by thy words thou fhalt be condemned. II. é (Mat, xxv. 31. to the end.). Rom. ii. 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treafureft up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righ teous judgment of God; v. 6. Who will render to every man according to his deeds. Rom. ix. 22. What if God, willing to fhew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long fuffering the veffels of wrath fitted to deftruction : ▼. 23. And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the veffels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory? Mat. xxv. 21. His lord Chap. XXXIII. and for the greater confolation of the godly in their adverfity f So will he have that day unknown to men, that they may fhake off all carnal fecurity, and be always watchful, because they know not at what hour the Lord will come; and may be ever prepared to fay, Come Lord Jefus, come quickly. Amen g. faid unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful fervant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Acts iii. 19. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your fins may be blotted out, when the times of efreshing fhall come from the prefence of the Lord. 2 Theff. i. 7, 8, 9, 10. (See in the Bible.) III. 2 Pet. iii. 11. Seeing then that all these things fhall be diflolv ed, what manner of perfons ought ye to be in all holy converfation and godlinefs? v. 14. Wherefore, be loved, feeing that ye look for fuch things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without fpot and blemish. 2 Cor v. 10. (See let ter d:) v. 11. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we perfuade men; but we are made manifeft unto God, and I truft alfo are made manifelt in your confciences. 2 Theff. i.5. Which is a manifeft token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye alfo fuffer. v. 9. Seeing it is a righteous thing with cod to recompenfe tribulation to them that trouble you; v. 7. And to you who are troubled, reft with us, when the Lord Jefus fhall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels. Luke xxi. 27. And then fell they fee the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. v. 28. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh Rom. viii. 23. And not only they, but ourselves alfo, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within our!elves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. v. 24. For we are faved by hope: but hope that is feen, is not hope: for what a man feeth, why doth he yet hope for? v. 25. But if we hope for that we fee not, then do we with patience wait for it. g Mat. xxiv. 36, 42, 43, 44. (See in the Bible.) Mark xiii. 35. Watch ye therefore, (for ye know not when. the master of the house cometh; at even, or at midnight, or at the cockerowing, or in the morning.) v. 36. Left coming fuddenly, he find you fleeping. v. 27. And what I fay unto you, I fay unto you all, Watch. Luke xii. 35. Let your loins be girded a bout, and your lights burning: v. 36. And ye your felves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Rev. xxii, 23. He who tellifieth thefe things, faith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Jesus. FINI S. Even fo, come, Lord A Part of the Covenanted Uniformity in Religion betwixt the Churches of CHRIST in the Kingdoms of Scotland, England, and Ireland. AND Approved Anno 1648, by the General Affembly of the CHURCH of SCOTLAND, to be a Directory for Catechifing fuch as have made fome Proficiency in the Knowledge of the Grounds of Religion. With the Proofs from the Scripture. Printed in the Year, MDCCLXVIII. |