XVIII.

SERM. whole Armour of God, because we wrestle not against Flesh and Blood, but against Principalities, against Powers (which you know are the Names and Orders of Angels) against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World, and against fpiritual Wickedness in high Places, Chap. vi. 12. or (as it is better rendered in the Margin of our Bibles) against wicked Spirits in Heavenly Places.

From all which it appears that even the Devils themselves will not be thrown into the Fire prepared for them till the Day of Judgment: and confequently that wicked Men can't be supposed to be thrown there before. But to put the Matter beyond all Difpute, we have the express Testimony of St. Peter on our Side; who tells us that God, who thus Spared not the Angels that finned, but throwing them down into the Air, delivered them to be referved in Chains of Darkness unto Judgment; knoweth also how to referve unjuft Men unto the Day of Judgment to be punifhed, 2 Pet. ii. 9. And furely if now they are only reserved to be punished then, they will not have their full Punishment inflicted on them before.

And if the Wicked are not to be finally punished till, Sentence fhall be paffed on them;

by

XVIII.

by Parity of Reason neither fhall the Righte- SER M. ous be compleatly rewarded, before the Day of general Retribution. For the good Deeds of the one will no more be made manifest before that Day by any folemn Declaration, than the bad Deeds of the other. And it does not confift with the Justice of God to reward his Creatures, any more than to punish them, before it appear how they have deserved. Nor do we want as clear Teftimonies for this Part of our Affertion, as those we have already produced for the other. For St. Peter is here again full to our Purpose: To the faithful Shepherds of the Flock of God he promises that they shall receive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away, 1 Pet. v. 4. But when are they to have it? Why when the Chief Shepherd himself shall appear. And fo St. Paul (an Apoftle of equal Credit and Authority, as both speaking by Inspiration of the fame Holy Spirit) is as full to the Point as any Teftimony can be defired. Speaking to the Theffalonians, It is a righteous Thing (faith he) with God to recompence Tribulation to them that trouble you: And to you, who are troubled, Reft with us, when the Lord Jefus fhall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels, 2 Theff. i. 6. Mind the Words

.

Reft

XVIII.

SERM. Reft with us, when the Lord Jefus shall be re-
vealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels.
When is that? Why he tells us three or four
Verses afterwards-When he shall come to be
glorified in his Saints, and to be admired in
all them that believe, in that Day. Now
this is not a fuller Proof, that the Sufferers
for Christ are to be rewarded, and their Op-
preffors punished at the last Day, than it is
that they shall not be actually rewarded or
punished till then. For we have here St.
Paul, the great Apoftle of the Gentiles, who
was not only inspired by the Holy Ghost, but
was also honoured with Heavenly Visions,
who came behind none of the Apostles, in
the Manner of his Call, or in the Exercise of
his Ministry: We have this great Apostle,
I fay, affigning the fecond Coming of our
Lord for the Time of receiving his own Re-
ward; the fame Time which he also affigns
for the Theffalonians, to whom he was writ-
ing: To
you who are troubled, Reft with us,
when the Lord Jefus fhall be revealed from
Heaven: An Expreffion that undoubtedly in-
cludes all the Saints, all People whatsoever
that die in the Faith of Jefus Chrift, die when
they will: They are all to be rewarded toge-
ther and at once; all to have Reft with the

Holy

XVIII.

Holy Apostle, when the Lord Jefus fhall be SERM. revealed from Heaven.

Much the fame Thing is faid by the fame Apostle in the laft Chapter of his fecond Epiftle to Timothy. I have fought a good Fight (faith he) I have finished my Course, I have kept the Faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge shall give me at that Day; and not to me only, but to all them alfo that love his Appearing, ver. 8. St. 7, Paul, you fee, did not expect his Crown of Righteousness till that Day, when all that love the Appearing of Chrift shall also be crowned. In the mean while it is only laid for him, and therefore he is not in actual Poffeffion of it.

up

T

But, what is beyond all the Authorities I have yet produced, the Lord himself, the Righteous Judge, who prepares the Rewards, and has the Bestowing of them fully committed to him, tells us plainly that the State and Place to which he defigns to introduce us, is not, nor will be, ready for us till he comes again. For fo he exprefly declared to his Difciples-I go to prepare a Place for you: And if I go to prepare a Place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself,

こ

that

SER M. that where I am, there ye may be also, John
XVIII. xiv. 2, 3. which intimates as plainly as

Words can speak, that the Apostles, and con-
sequently all Chriftians whatsoever that should
afterwards live, muft wait for the fecond
Coming of our Lord, before they can be tak
en into the Place he is preparing for them.
It is then he shall give one general Summons
to all his Saints, and shall call them altoge
ther and at once to inherit the Kingdom which
has been preparing for them from the Founda-
tion of the World, Matt. xxv. 34. which has
been, I fay, in preparing for them,—not as
we read the Kingdom prepared-but the
Kingdom that has been preparing, i. e. to the
very
Time when Christ shall speak those aw-
ful Words: which intimates that the King-
dom to which the Saints fhall then be taken,
fhall not be ready, or fully and compleatly
prepared before. So exactly does our Savi-
our's Promise, and the Completion of his
Promife agree together: I go to prepare a
Place for you, and will come again and re-
ceive you unto myself-and-Come ye Blessed
of my Father, inherit the Kingdom that bas
been preparing for you from the Beginning of
the World.