Ch.20). The Day of Revelation: judgment. Ch. zi 14, IS. And Death and Hades, that is, Mor- tality, Shall to his Saints be byOre for ever aboliflt'd ; or, as fome take it, chore wicked men that Death and Hell !hall deliver up to Judgment, }hall be call into Hell-fire. This utter. abolition (or this damnation) is call'd the Second Death. And whofoever hath not right to Salvation by the Gofpel Covenant or Law ofGrace, and is not by God enroll'd among the Heirs of Life, was call into the Lake of Fire. Mr. Patter, and many others, expound all this confidently (and the two following Cha- pters) ofChrift's judging, and rewarding, and punishing Men in this Life : butothers as con- fidentlyofthe Life to come. Tho' this make the Text difficult, it maketh nogreat Doctrinal Controyerfie, both beingcommonlybeliev'd. into torment, as the Pagan Powers and Deed vers were. r r. And I fawa great white throne, and him that fate on it, from whofe face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. n: Some think that this fpeaketh not ofthe day of Judgment, but of the callingof the yews: AndTome think the meaning is, that when Chrifb lets up theTeoufand Years refined " Chards, (by a Refurre5tion, and his visible pre- tence, fay Tome ; or by a holy Government andPeople, andDeliverance fromEnemies, fay others) both the power of Infidels, (Turks and Heathens) whichare meant by the Earth ; and the corrupted Church, (both Papal and Greek, &c. meant by Heaven) Shall all vanish, that the holy City may take place. But molt fay, it de- fcribeth the dayof judgment. 12. And I faw the dead, fmall and great, (land beforeGod : and the books were opened : and another bookwas opened, which is the book of life : and the dead were judged out of thofe things which werewritten in thebooks, according to their works. In. When aril/ hath overcome his Chur- ches Enemies, he will judge the World, and theBook oftheir own Doings and Confciences fhall be open'd, and alto God's Book of Life, (the Scripture or Gofpel-Law) fay lome,which is theRule ofJudgment; or the BookofGod's Decree, fay others, in whiçh all are enroll'd that (ball be fwd. And they Shall be judgcl according to their works, the matter of Fa& being recorded in their Book, and the matter of Right in God's Law, and the conclulon in his Decree. To be jndg'd according to their Works, is to be then 'unified or condemn'd, as they have Sincerelykept Chriß's LawofGrace, by which they (hall be try'd ; or have not kept it, by Faith,Repentance, and Sincere Obedience, the condition of Salvation. lg. And the fea gave up her dead which were in it : and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them : and they were judged every man according to their works. 13. All that were any way dead, were judg'd according to their works, by the Law that they were under. 14. And death and hell were cart into the lake of fire: this is the fecond death. r 5. And whofoever was not found written in the bookoflife, was Taft into the lakeof fire C H A I'. XXI. 1. N D I faw a new heaven, and A, a newearth : for the firfi hea- ven, and the firft earth, were pajfed away, and there was no more fea. I. Note, That the corrupt (late ofthe World, and the degenerate Church, may be call'd the old.Heaven and Earth, is granted: And that the Church, before the End, may be fo reformd and bid?, as that Heaven and Earth may be fold to benew : And alto that Fire at fall Shall diffolve the Earth, and that Heaven, that fell under the Cuele for man's Sin, and there fhall be (tao annihilation, but) a new Heaven and Earth, is plain in Peter, &c: but which ofthere is the fenfe of this Text is doubtful. I incline molt to the later, that it is the new World that fhall follow the Conflagration and Judgment. If any ask what theNew Earth flail befor, he mull take up with what God hat" told us, Therein fhall dwell Righteoufnefi, and the Crea- ture be deliver'd fromtheBondage ofCorrupti- on, into . the glorious liberty of the Sons of God, and all things Shall be re(lord. Whether we (hall then dwell on Earth, or only a new- made Generation, is not fo clear. But the Ye- rufalem, now in Heaven, confißeth of Spirits; And this molt come down from Heaven, and there Spirits null beagain, at the Refurreâion, embodied ; And doMt new Bodies luit with a new Earth, as Spirits with Heaven? Ob).714 will be to oar iofs : .Ant. No, God will dwell withMan, and be no Stranger to us then In Heaven : Heaven and Earth will notbe fepara- ted as now. As our Bodies will be (no Clog to the Souls, but) Spiritual incorruptible Bodies, fo Earth will be made fuitable to them. It's nodiminution to the Gloryof the Sun, to thine on Bodies ; no, nor ofGod, to youchfafe then{ his Influence. And
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=