.-...-.-.-- 436 An Expofttion of the Epiftle ~~--~ ----~~~ ~---------~ So now the Third thing, (and that which remaineth) cometh to be openei SermotJ the Extent of his Domimon; !11 thiJ world, cmd the wortd to come. ' XXXIII, Upon the firll conl.ideration of thcfe words, [bz this world, and the worldto ~ come j I thought to have found no difficulty, but to have Dipped them over lightly and generally. . . . Concerning t~letr Coherence there.Is only this to be faid. Some refer it only to the words Immediately fore-gomg [Every Name that zs named i11 thu world, rmd the world to come.] But cert.ainly that is too narrow. I rather therefore with Beza and Others, refer It to the whole that he had faid of Chrill's exaltation; Hejitttth at God's right hand, over at! Pri1JCJj;alitres and Powers, mzdover every Name that intamed in this world, and the wortd to come. Now then, the great thing to be opened is this; What is meant by the World tc come; and the difference of thefc two , Thir wo1id, a11d the wortd to coin~. There are thefe Three Senfes and Interpretations of it; and I love to take ( efpecially where there is a comprehenfivenefs, as here there is of all) all in. This world, and the worldto come, may be taken firll for Heaven and Earth· this !late of the world on Earth, and that fiate of the world in Heaven, which are two worlds. So that as the Apoflle, in Coloff. I.I6. when he would divide all things that are created in Heaven and in Earth, vifible and invifiblo, men– tioneth Thro11es and 'Domi11ious, Pri11Cij;alities and Powers: fo anfwerably here, when he fpeaks of Chrill's exaltation, he faith, he is exalted far above all thefe in this world, a11d itt the world to come, that is, in Heaven and in Earth. And fo it cometh all to one with whal Chrill himfelf faith, Mat. 28. 18, Att power iJgivm meilt Heavm a11d i11 Earth, that is, in this world, and the world to come, in all God's Dominions, · Only then here is the ~eflion, Why Heaven fhould be called the world to come, whereas it is extant now as well as Earth is, which is called (in this Inter– pretation) the prefmt world? And Chrill bath now actual power in Heaven as well asin Eartfi. Why is it therefore called the world to come? To this the Anfwer is : Though it be a world now extant, yet to us poor Creatures h•re below it is a world to come. It was a world created at the fame time that this lower world was. Gen. 1. I. !11 the 6egirmi11g God created the Heavms mtd the Earth; by Heavem he meaneth the Angels and the higher world; as by Earth all that Chaos, out of which all this world was made that is under it, Stm, Moon, Stars, and the lower Elements. This is the comfort of the Saints (to fcatter fome Obfervations by the way,) that this great world is to come. The Pfalmijl, Pfal.l7.I4· calleth wicked men, Mm of thu world, whofe portio11 is ilz this life; this world is theirs, and let them take it; this is .J'Otlr hour, faith Chrifr, and the powtrof darkmjs. If we h11d hope only in this life, faith the Apollle, I Cor.I). I9· we were of allmen zhe mo~miferable; but we have a world to come. It is aworld to come in refpetl:ofus; As likewife you have it Luk.I 8.;o.fpeak– ing of him that fhall deny himfelf, faith he, He Jhalt receive ma11ijo/d more · iu thispre(mt time, mtd ill the worldto come ltfe everllljli1tg. And fo I Tim,4.8. He bath thePromifes of this life, alld that which is to come, that is, Heaven. Now this is one part of the meaning. . . Yet let me fay this of it. The Apollle's fcope bein~ to fpeak of Chrifi's actual Reign, and having mentioned that it is in Heaven, (for fo he faith verfe 20, He is (et at God's right htmd i11 heavm!y places,) as the lpecial place of it, and that at prefenr. To call Heaven the world to come, becaufe to us it is to come, Bezahimfelf faith, it is fomewhat too haril1, therefore he fee~s out another Interpretation. 'rl:cn
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