A26782:194
Considerations of the existence of God and of the immortality of the soul, with…
Considerations of the existence of God and of the immortality of the soul, with the recompenses of the future state for the cure of infidelity, the hectic evil of the times / by William Bates ...Considerations of the existence of God and of the immortality of the soul, with the recompences of the future state for the cure of infidelity, the hectick evil of the times / by William Bates ...
London: printed by J.D. for Brabazon Aylmer, 1676
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. No temporal benefits are the proper and complete reward of obedience to God. Not the proper; for they are common to bad and good: but the reward of Holiness must be peculiar to it, that an eminent distinction be made between the obedient and rebellious to the Divine Laws, otherwise it will not answer the ends of Government. And they are not the complete rewards of obedience. For God rewards his Servants according to the infinite treasures of his Goodness. The sensible World, a Kingdom so vast, so rich, so delightful, is enjoyed by his enemies. We may therefore certainly infer he has reserved for his faithful Servants a more excellent felicity, as becomes his glorious goodness.
2. No temporal benefits are the proper and compleat reward of obedience to God. Not the proper; for they are common to bad and good: but the reward of Holiness must be peculiar to it, that an eminent distinction be made between the obedient and rebellious to the Divine Laws, otherwise it will not answer the ends of Government. And they are not the compleat rewards of obedience. For God rewards his Servants according to the infinite treasures of his Goodness. The sensible World, a Kingdom so vast, so rich, so delightful, is enjoyed by his enemies. We may therefore certainly infer he has reserved for his faithful Servants a more excellent felicity, as becomes his glorious goodness.
3. The extremest temporal ⟨p. 227⟩evils that can be inflicted here, are not correspondent to the guilt of Sin. Men can only torment and kill the Body, the instrument and less guilty part, but cannot immediately touch the Soul, the principal cause, by whose influence humane actions are vicious, and justly punishable. From hence it follows, that supposing the Wicked should feel the utmost severity of Civil Laws, yet there remains in another World a dreadful arrear of misery to be endured as their just and full recompense.
3. The extreamest temporal ⟨p. 227⟩