Serra. CXXV III. at the Day of fudgment. > 6 3 Firfl, What Proportion the Rewards of the next World Ihall bear to the A&ions of Men in this Life. I mean, Whether the Rewards of the next Life (hall only be proportion'd to the Kind, and Quality of our A&ions confider'd in general, as good or evil, that is, that good Men 111a11 be rewarded with ever- failing Glory and Happinefs, and wicked Men with eternal Puni{hment and Tor- ment : Or whether the Degrees of thefeRewards (hall likewife bear a Proportion to the Degrees of the Goodor Evil of our A ions, fo,that a more eminent De- gree of Pietyand Holinefs {hall have a proportionable Share of Glory and Hap- pinefs; and greater and more heinous Sins, fhali be loaded with greater and heavier Punifhments. I. It is clear, and out of all Çontroverfy, that Men (hall be rewarded accord- ing to the Quality and Kind of their A&ions Good fhall,be rewarded to the Good, and Evil to the Evil. And this is the conftant Tenor of the Bible. Pfal. r. 6. The Lord knoweth he Way of the Righteous ; that is doth approve it and will reward it : but the Way of the Vngodly(hall peri¡h, which is of the fame Importance with theExpreffion in theVerfe before, The Wicked¡hall not fiand in the Judgment. Ifa. ^. ro, t t. Sayye to the Righteous, it (hallbe well with them, for they fall eat ofthe Fruit Of their Doings. Wo unto the Wicked, for it (hall be ill with her, for the Reward of his Hands ¡hall be given him g which if it be meant of the Re- wards and Puni(hments of this Life, is much more conftantly,end univerfally true of the other. Mattb. z 6. 27. The Son of Man(hall come in theGlory ofhis Fa- ther, with his Angels with him, and ¡hall reward every Man according to his Works. Rev. 22. 12. Behold I come quickly, and my Reward is with me, to render to everyMan according as his Work fhall be; that is, whether good orevil. Rom.6.23. The Wa- (ges.of Sin kDeath : Gut the Gift of God is eternal Life i that is, to thole who have their Fruit unto Holinefs, as he had faíd immediately before: Hither likewife belong thofe innumerable Texts, in which Glory and Happinefs; . and eternal Life, are promifed to thofe who live foberly, righteoufly and godly in this prefentWorld; and Wickednefs and Difobedience are threatned with dreadful and eternal Punifh- tuent. But I. (hall only take notice of two or three of . the aloft remarkable of then. Match. s.3 40, 45, 42. ;The Son ofMan fliall fend forth his Angels, and they ¡hall gather out ofhis Kingdom allThings that offend, and them which do Iniquity, and (hall call them into a Furnace of Fire, there fhall be wailing andgnafhing ofTeeth. Then ¡hall the Righteous. Thine forth as the Sun in theKingdom of their Father. But this is moft fullyreprefented in that particular.Defcriprion, which our Lord himfelf makes of the Procefs of that Day, Matth. 25. 34. where the Sentence that (hall be pafs'd on theRighteousis this, Come ye Bleyedof my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you before the Foundation of the World. And on the Wicked, ver. 41. Depart from »se, ye Curfed, into everlafiirg Fire, preparedfor the Devil andhis Angels. And ver. 46. And theft, fpeaking of the Wicked, (hall go aeoay: into everlafinQ Pu- nifhment: but the. Righteous into Lire eternal: John 5. 28,.29. The Hour is coming in whichall that are in their Graves ¡hall hear his Voice, and (hall come forth, they that have done Good unto the Refurre&liöñ of Life, and they that have done Evil ;into the Refur- reEfion ofDamnation. Rom. 2. 6, 7, 8, j: fpeakingof the Revelation ofthe righteous Judgment of God, who, Pays the Apoftle, (hall render to every Mari according to his Works g to thermwhobypatient Continuance in Well- doing,feekfor,Glory, andHonour, and Immortality g eternal Life : bat to them that are contentious, and obey not the Truth, but obey Vnrighteoufnefr g Indignation andWrath, Tribulation and Anguifh, upon every Soul of Man that doth Evil. Il. That the Rewards and Reconpences of the next World (hall likewife bear aProportion to the Degrees of Good or Evil which we have done in this Life, tho° it have been controverted, feems alto tobe fufficiently clear fröm Scripture, And to this Purpofe I (hall, r, Produce filch Texts as will fully prove it. And, 2. Anfwer the Grounds of the contrary Opinion. r. The Scripture doth plainly affert, that the Rewards of the next Life will bear a Proportion, not only to the Kind and Quality of our A&ions, but to the Degree of them,5 that good Men (hall receive a Reward proportionable to the Y a Degree
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