An Expofttion of the Epifile r--...A./\ Why is it called the World to come, and yet we fpeak of it, faith he, and the Sermoll Golpel beginneth it? XXXlll. Becaufe as the other World was fix days amaking, there was a' Chaos firft, and ~ [o it went on by degrees, fo it will be in this world Jikewife ; we are cow but in the firft days work as it were, the perfection of it is to come; The Ki11gdom of Hmvm iJ !de 1111to a grai1l of Mu{lt~rd-fad, whirh is the leaft of all Jerds and ;•et tbe greatefl i11 the md. The Apoftle fpeaking of Converfion, Gal. 4: ca\leth it .a delivering us from this prefent evil world; Old tbings are paj/ awa;·, (faith he) .a11d a/J th>11gs are become new. Here is a Creation, a beginaing, here 1s the firft days work, and God Will never leave nil he hath perfected this world; and becaufe the perfection of it is not yet, therefore it is faid to be a world to come. · And becaufe it is a gew World begun thus, and thus begun when Chri!l: began to preach, which firft began (faith the ApoO:Ie to the Hebrews ) to be preached by the Lord him(elj here upon Earth ; therefore it is, that as the tirO: world had a Seventh day for rhe celebrating of the Creation of it, fo harh this New world now a Lord's day; and of that Lord's day doth the !lpoO:le fpeak, Heb.4, as here he cloth of this New world, in Heb. 2. And the Holy Glwfi, when Chrifi was fet in Heaven, fell down then upon the Feafi of Pentrcojl, which was upon the Firfl d,IJ of the Week, our Lord's day, as Levi,. 23. 1),!6• . Now, my Brethren, this World, when it is finifhed, fhall not be fubject to the Angels; but to Chrifi and his Babes and Sucklings, t:> that Man Chrilt Jefus, Lord Paramount of it, for whom it was made; and thofe Citizms of tbi! World, as Parezu exprelfeth it. Therefore Chrifi is called .,o, £p;(»vv, the Captai11 of our Salvatiou , for he in this is a Common Perfon ; and as he by Suffering was made a little while tower than tbe .Ailgels, fo are we to fuffer with him, and having fuffered with him, to reign with him. My Brethren, You do not read of the Atzgt!s judging the world, and fitting upon the Throne; do but take that part of this :'·orld, however we are fure of t hat, that the Saints then ihall reign, and re1gn on Earth. They arc faid to fit, and to (it 011 Twelve Tbroues, Matt. I g. And in Revel. 20. it is faid, Tbe Thro11es weo·e Jet, mzd tbofe that wtre behtaded for tbe Tej/imo11y of .1eftu [<zte ttpot~ them; therefore Chrift promifeth to g•ve the Government of Ten Cities to him that had made his five Talents ten. The 'Devils will be frmt out; he bath taken and locked out that great Devil, thofe Principalities are gone during that time; and being they are gone there needeth no Principalities of good Angels to oppofe them. Will ·you have me fpeak what I think? I think this, that that Office which the Angels do in this world here below, Men rifen from the dead fhall do to men that arc Saints. For the firft part of this reign , of this Kingdom of Chrifi, of tllis World to come; that world Jhall be fubject nor to Angels, but to men, after that fir}/ Refurre{fioll, which the zoth Chapter of the Revtlations fpeaks of. · And it is no abfurdity at all ; for if the Angels, that behold God's face, are bufied about things here below, I fee not but that the Saints may be fo too,it is an honour rather than otherwife. · The Angels beg in it indeed, they gather the Elect from all the four Corners of the Earth , and they end it, they are the Executioners to Oing Wicked men and Devils into Hell. But they to whom this World is fubjeCl:, that are the Judges, that are the Principalities and Powers in this World to come., they are Mm, Tbry fba/J judge the .Angrls, fo faith the Apoftlc. And, my Brethren, in this World will be the height of the Kingdom ofJefus ·chrif\ , and when that is ended, he delivereth up the Kingdom \m to Go the Father. 1 Now
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