Churches and states oh how have we seen them disordered we have seen a first heaven and a first earth passe away though you may say it is come again yet there was a dissolution no man can deny but that is not all the dissolution continues and it works still the interest of the kingdom of God works in the bowels of all interests and of all affairs as it is manifest at this day why we see there is no glory is able to hold it long but it waxes dim it passeth away it is but like the mushrom that runs up in a night and but for a night or like Jonahs gourd as we are told it shall be before the day of the Lord. What dissolutions have there been in Churches how hath one glory of things risen up after another and passed away every one of them they have had their day in Churches in gifts in administrations in discoveries I tell you the heavens and the earth are visibly passing away If you should follow it to the affairs of men in the world why you will finde it there what breakings of trade what confusions are there I tell you the very joy of the earth is gone and except it be in a sew that are resembled by the gleaning after harvest as you have it in Esay 24.13 Except it be in a remnant that have hope in God there is no joy in the earth when thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people there shall be as the shaking of an Olive tree and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done they shall lift up their voice they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord c. and as it is Esay 30.29 They shall have a song as in the night I grant there is such a song as in the night in a dark season when all things are dark round about us there is a song as in the night which these gleanings have I mean this poor remnant which God says in Zephany 3 12. he will leave he will leave an afflicted and poor people they sing indeed in the spirit but alas as to all outward things they mourn as well as others they see all things to be sinking and dissolving so that all our rejoycing is in hope is in spirit I say moreover if you will consider as indeed we ought to do there is not any particular providence towards any of the saints but there may be an intimation in it of Gods visiting the rest of their brethren therefore I say study the times and study the dispensations of God to your own particulars and see what light you can finde for this is that which will be exceeding helpful to you in the work of patience Now having thus opened patience what it is I come now to the second particular And that is the requiring of it how it is required of us and with this quality Let patience have her perfect work what is this work of patience and the perfect work of patience why you know that patience is a work it self it is the work of faith the tryal of your faith worketh patience says the Apostle Jam. 13. and tribulation worketh patience Rom. 5.2 now patience hath a work too a work of its own and patience experience and so the one worketh or begetteth another all along and hope maketh not ashamed now mark you here all that follows from the first work that tribulation worketh patience all the rest is the work of patience the perfect work of patience it works experience patience is to make us experienced Christians this you know results naturally from patience from the long enduring of tryals going through many of them many for kinde and many for number we have great experience there by as a traveller that hath gone through many countryes he hath gotten great experience thereby having undergone many hardships and tryed several tempers of people he gets experience now this is a great accomplishment unto a man and we commonly mention it as a very great honour to a man for a man to be greatly experienced this is part of the riches of a Christian you will stand for a man of experience in point of Physick the practise is the thing that enables a man most to do good and to answer your end so it is with a Christian it is part of his riches and of his glory experience David was such an experienced Christian for they are all Christians that did believe in Christ to come but I say he was so experienced a Saint that you could not turn him to any thing but he was able to answer you saying God was with me in such and such circumstances I was able to encourage my self in the Lord my God So I say we have not only all the experience of the Saints that are gone before us but God will have us have a treasure of our own experiences this is a great matter But then secondly this perfect work of patience let patience have her perfect work indeed I had rather sum it up in the general and have you particularise at your leizure and as God shall bring them into your minds in your reading of the Scripture and in your spiritual race I say this same perfect work of patience is the perfecting of a Saint and making him an absolute piece in whom nothing can be desired more this is imported or implyed here in those worâ—s let patience have her perfect work nay further it 's exprest that ye way be perfect and entire wanting nothing So that it should seem that patience doth sustain or supply the place and do the part as I may say of all manner of tools to the polishing and perfecting of a faint there is the rough plain where with you plain at the first and after wards the smooth plain when the roughness is taken away all is in this work of patience I tell you there is a great deal to be done in a Christian to fit him for that glorious converse with Christ in the new Jerusalem and therefore you reade in Revel 19.7 the marriage of the lamb is come that is good news you will say bnt mark what is joyned with it the Bride hath made her self ready his wife hath made her self ready the Apostle tells us that flesh and blood cannot enter into the kingdom of God alas we have been looking for the kingdom of God but when it did draw a little near unto us we were as fit for it as a child is to mannage the affairs of men and therefore the kingdom of God withdrew from us alas we were not fit for it flesh and blood cannot enter into the kingdous of God What is the meaning of flesh and blood there It is not meant that men in the body shall not enter into the kingdom of God for they most certainly shall we shall not all sleep but be changed it is not a putting off the body but flesh and blood in
make these tidings these publishings what need of them if to tell no more then was obvious and what Sion knew before it must be some unexpected news that makes these messengers so welcome their feet so beautiful Babylon was taken at one end three days before Belshazar knew of it the Jews were as men that dreamed when God brought back their captivity thence having either forgot or not studyed the promise The times of the man of sin may expire and the days of the son of man may commence and yet both their partyes may be ignorant both of the one and of the other in which sence that kingdome of God is said to come not with observation 4ly It is the gloriousest Testimony in the world to publish the reign of God nothing makes the feet of any messenger so beautiful as the bringing of these tidings the making Evidence of the drawing near of this day The very eye of the prophets testimony in the Old testament was Christs first appearance the glory of the prophets testimony under the New Testament is Christs second appearance Lastly the first notice of these blessed and joyful tidings is given to those that are upon the Mountains and by thâ—m are divulged and published to their fellows that like and with themselves have left the City Babylon ye and earthly Jerusalem too Luk. 21. that have forsaken the multitude that are on the mountains as doves of the vallies Ezek. 7.16 lamenting after the Lord as in Samuels days looking for his appearance such whether in Churches or out of Churches as mourn for the absence of the Bridegroom embracing mountains and desarts in spirit rather then sitting down in any buildings of men waiting for that building of God that Heavenly Jerusalem that hath the glory of God that are uneasy and cannot take up in any state of things that can corrupt to the joy of these will the Lord appear by these are these tidings brought to such as these they are sent and to every one of these they will be highly wellcome Wherefore now with the noble Bereans search the Scriptures whether these things be so you have the scales here put into your hands the Epocha's pitcht the Calculation made ready to your perusal the signes of the times opened the dark Characters uncipherd the types and ancient paralels applyed the series of the Apocaliptick visions and many of the Sinchronisms set before you what of them is fulfil'd and what yet to be fulfilled In reflection upon all which I may say with soberness without vanity and arrogating any thing to my self who for the light here offered am the greatest debtor of all that many Prophets and righteous men have desired to see these things to see such evidence of our redemption drawing nigh but have not been favoured with it And if upon perusal of the evidence you find it so as is reported that we are come to the days of the son of man and are so far entred upon them then for a farwel be admonished of this one thing that as these days of the son of man are days of great expectation wherein all things that are to precede his glorious coming are to be fulfilled and that before this generation passe away so they are and will be found to be days of great temptation and tribulation to the last even till the Lord appears in person from heaven therefore as the expectation should make us lookup and lift up our heads and concern our selves about these things with a more then Ordinary concern for that as they are great so they draw nigh and according to our concern will our fruit be in this day so the temptation calls us to more then ordinary circumspection and watchfulness therefore our Saviour inculcates that warning so often in speaking of this day and that to his disciples laying before them the danger if they do not and the safety and advantages if they do Luk. 21.34 35 36. ch 12.35 36.37 38 Mark 13.33 to the end of the chapter And where the Lord shews such a concern as he doth about this watching there to think that watching and not watching will come to the same reckoning argues a great slieghtness if not a profaneness of spirit Though ye be believers as to the main and your part in heaven cannot be taken from you yet ye may lose your part in these days and may be removed in some displeasure and so lose the honour of serving in the works of these days the honour of being of the number of the watchers by whose decree in association with the Lord the great watcher of Israel that great tree is to be grub'd up whose body is hewn down before Never are men yea good men in more danger of sleeping then when sleeping is most dangerous as we may see by the disciples whose eyes were never so heavy as when their Lord was in that bitter agony Wherefore to conclude if these be the days of the son of man set these days always before your selves to comfort and support you in all shocks and dangers say as he said Caesarem vehis fortunas Caesaris they are Christs days and Christ will have the day of all his enemies And bring these days and hold them up before the son of man call him to his own days ye that are the Lords Remembrancers such should all believers be keep not silence give him no rest till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth it is his work but it is our interest say if these be the days of the son of man then let the son of man appear in his day The sword of the Lord and of Gideon the faithfulness of Christ and the faith of the saints must be in association and then the like wonders will be done as in the day of Midian when the host run and cryed and fled The First Sermon Luk. 12.35.40 Let your loins be girded about and your lights burning and ye your selves like unto men that look for their Lord when he shall return from the wedding that when he cometh and knocketh they may open unto him immediatly c. IN much of this Chapter our Saviour is discharging his disciples and followets of worldly cares which is a very merciful consideration of our Lord who as he knows that we have need of these things so he also knows how great a burden and hinderance the care of these things are unto us how they do let and hinder our speedy following after him Now in order to this he administers several considerations ot them to discharge their cares by the ordinary providence of God towards all his creatures even towards the very plant which he suffers not to want his moisture and the poor sparrows the providence of God watches over them but after all these considerations the Lord brings a powerful one in consideration for good and all and that you have in the 33. verse fear not little flock it is your fathers
are to be looked for the darkning of the Sun and the like the place where these do give forth their voices It must be in a place that is most noted most eminent that is the very eye of the world or light and purity and reformation there it is that these signes must give forth their voices It is not in any part of the world it is not in Egypt it is not in Babilon but in Iudea in Ierusalem I say it is it must be in those places it must be that eminent sun that must be darkned that is as I may say the sun of the world the sun of the age this is the sun that must be darkned Then 2ly it must be in such a time too in such a juncture when the sun hath as I may say recovered his light and is in the greatest freedom hath dispelled and scattered the clouds and mists and shins forth more clearly it must be at such a time that it must be darkned and I suppose I need not apply these two qualifications to shew you that they may be discerned upon the signes that we have had that there hath been such a place and at such a time too there hath been such a darkning of the sun Therefore now to proceed if these signes have given forth their voice among us why then these are the days of the son of man the days wherein he is preparing wherein he is making ready for his expedition he is bowing the heavens as I may say to come down amongst us And the Lord grant that we may have a sanctified use of these warnings of his I must profess to you that I bave believed and therefore have I spoken I cannot get over these things in my own spirit I see such Progidies such prodigious times and perils such prodigious wickednesses and violence I see such impieties of the whole world the filthyness of Sodom the daring wickednesses of this age even egging and provoking the Lord down from heaven to judgment as if he did not make hast enough I see I say me thinks the age putting forwards themselves as if the stage would not be cleared fast enough for the Lord to appear they are driven upon self-destroying wayes and courses by a judicial hand these things are very notorious and visible I suppose to your eyes and observations as well as mine Nay to express it a little further we see the powers of heaven shaken we see foundations pulled up we see the very earth and the inhabitants thereof dissolved Merchants and others breaking nay what do we speake of them kingdoms breaking Churches breaking and are you asleep are you not a ware that these are the days of the son of man and which is indeed no less a signe then all the rest we see such a sleep such a lethargie upon most even the wise as well as foolish virgins nay we see now that night is for a vision unto the prophets and the sun is gone down even at noonday so that men do ask Watchman what of the night what hour of the day is it or what of the night and few there are that do see or take notice that these are the days of the son of man and that the coming of our Lord is so near as indeed it is And this is as great a signe as any for so we are told it should be who is blind as my servant and who is deaf as the messenger I sent seeing many things but thou observest them not and hearing but thou understandest them not Incase 40 or 50. years ago a man should have laid forth that which we have seen with our eyes and heard with our ears if a man I say should have laid them forth in lively colours of their own acting you would not have stuck to have said and concluded immediatly that these led the way to Christs coming But I say that fate that is upon us of hesitancy and darkness and blindness that we do not understand the signes while we are under them is of it self one of the greatest signes For when he comes shall he finde faith on the earth And Daniel hath told us that the wise shall understand but the wicked shall not understand well let me come now to make some improâ—…ent of this If these be the days of the son of man we may look for the fulfilling of all that is promised and I tell you that if these be the days of the son of man limitted for the performance of all before his personal appearance there is but a little time yet to come and therefore I say we may look for these births to come very thick one upon another those great promises of the destruction of all Christs enemies and the gathering of all his elect bâ—…th Jews and Gentlles from one end of the heaven unto the other But that which I desire to speake to at this time is a word to our selves or the Lords people that we may be ready if these be the days of the son of man and that there is determined such a darkning of all glory all first-creation glory and that such a consumption is decreed upon all the earth then it concerns us to look to our standing Those that have the name of Christ the affaires and interest of Christ in their hands as the Churches inspecial pretend to have It 's said that the moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamtd when the Lord of hosts raigns in Mount Sion therefore I say it concerns us If I were now to speake to the Churches but it may be the Churches may hear what I say I desire to deliver my testimony without any just offence to the Churches But I must speake and I think the Lords interest doth require it it concernes the Churches to look to themselves and their work and to consider what it is they build whether it be that which will stand in the day of the Lord. It is true the Lord hath owned the Churches against darker forms and I have been of the number of them that have blest the Lord for his owning the Churches They have stood to their principles they have kept up their meetings and God hath been with them in this thing but let them take heed least their table become a snare and least this success and owning that they have had from God turn not to their hurt because they have born up against the day of man let them not think they can bear up against the day of God there is a day that will search them although they have stood the shock of their enemies and persecutors The Machabees were owned by the Lord in their days but the successors of those Machabees who were under the 2d temple fell before Christ though they were owned against the heathen These successors were the scribes and Pharisees men exceeding zealous of the law I say they were the successors of the Machabees That which I am jealous of is
although we do not hear of them every day I should now come to shew the nature of this coming of Christ which is here held forth to us in these words When he will return from the wedding but before I come to them I must make a little use of that word I have already hinted Use First if it be so that we are in the days of the son of man that is in that generation which Christs speaks of in Math. 24. and the other Evangelists when these signes of his coming are to have their course and in the rear of them all Christ is to appear I say if we be in that generation which probably is that 45 years spoken of by Daniel at the end of 1290. days and which 45 years I have told you by computation is one half of it run out or very near for there is but this difference between chronologers of a matter of 3 years from whence the 1290 commence either in 360 or 363. from Christ All agree it was in Julians time and some say in 360 others say in 363. there is but that difference and so accordingly they came out in 1650 or 53. so that I say there must be half or very neer of the 45 days following expyred Use Then in the first place this shews us that there hath been nothing in all that cry that hath been of the day of the Lord which hath been proclaimed by several voices and by several spirits and indeed the disreputation that hath been brought upon it by some mouths and spirits that have been the trumpeters of it hath made others I say it hath made many sober and cautious spirits decline it and to have no pleasure in it But if that would be a good argument against the truth because the devil himself doth acknowledg it surely then men should have disowned Christ in this day For you know that spirits of divination and unclean spirits did confess him and acknowledge him and such as were reputed devilish but the truth was nevertheless the truth for being taken up by unclean lips The intent of this Use is that we may gather up and not lose even that testimony which hath been given of the day of the Lord and that from good evidence from the sence of it the experience of it the feelings of the workings of it in the spirits and affairs of men Surely there can be no account given of these wonderful changes that we have seen not only in this outward world but in the inward world too unhinging and unhorsing and bringing down all the glory of man I say no other account of it can be given but that the days of the son of man are come in It 's true they are mixt days and so I told you all along Neither day nor night neither clear nor dark as Zachariah says in his 14. chap. They are days by themselves as I may say days full of trouble as Daniel says it shall be a time of trouble such as never was and yet days that have in the womb of them such a birth such a glorious birth and blessing for the world for the whole creation as well as the people of God as no former times have had They are days as I may say wherein Christ is in the mount with God ereating and taking instructions as I may speak with holy reverence for the administration of his kingly office in this world as Moses the typical mediator was in the mount 40. days and 40 nights receiving his instructions for the people let not the expression offend you it is said in the Psalms give thy jadgments O God to the king and thy righteousness to the kings son Which need be no more strange to us that Christ should receive his judgments from the father then that he should receive the revelations from the father which he owns the revelation that God gave to him to shew unto his servants things shortly to come to pass Now because I have mentioned that of Moses do but consider what fell out in the mean time Moses was in the mount with God and although the people had seen the Lord coming down upon the mount after such a terrible manner yet while Moses lingered and stayed in the mount they fell to Idolatry they made the calf is not this a wonderful thing that they should go turn aside I tell you there hath been as great an apostacy from these days of Christ from that hope and that witness that was given of the day of the Lord but it is no other then what our saviour himself had foretold us Math. 25. there you finde the virgins going forth to meet the Bridegroom it is said there was a cry at midnight saying behold the bridegroom cometh and yet after all this while the Bridegroom tarryed they all slumbered and slept and so it is at this day these days of the son of man are not exclusive of trouble and of strange spirits the devil when he sees that men are awakened and he cannot hinder it but they have an expectation of the Bridegrooms coming he will mingle heaven and earth together if it be possible He rushes in with all his delusions he seeks to blast this hope these expectations of the saints all manner of ways and if we had been well advised as I may say and had known the Scripture we might have expected a storm to be poured out upon us even a storm of inward exercises and tryals as well as outward troubles These days of the son of man are days which none of the wicked do understand as Daniel observes but the wise shall understand they are days wherein Christ comes privately as it is here intimated that when he cometh and knocketh you may open unto him immediatly it is that which is not unusual among men for Embassadors of Princes to come in privately at first and to be advised with about their publick reception before they make their publick entry Christ comes also privately to his own and his glorious appearance in his adequate person man as well as God comes in the rear of all So that I say let us not lose the things that God hath wrote It is true there is danger on the other hand that is of crying up the present day for the time of Christs appearance and if it were worth the while or that I were competent for such a business we might shew you that this notion of Christs being come and of the day of the Lords being come shutting up all the expectations of the saints within the present performances doth offend several ways it offends against the order of the works and appearances of God who hath set times and seasons for all his purposes If Christs day be as much as it ever shall be it doth mix and confound all things together it makes Antichrists day yea you may as well confound his first and his second appearance together it is said he hath appointed
â—EWS of a NEW WOâ—… FROM The WORD and WORKS of God Compared together Evidencing that the Times of the Man of Sin are Legally determinâ—… and by the same Right the Days of the Sâ—N of MAN are already Commenced Being some Account of Eight Sermons Delivered at a Lecture in London Whereto for further Evidence are Added Two Small Tracts The One touching the Times of Gog Magog the other touching the 3 last Vials By J. S. Psal 102.13 Thau shalt rise and have mercy upon Sion for 〈…〉 to favour her yea the Set time is come LONDON Printed for Francis Smith at the Elephant and Caâ—… near the Royall Exchange in Cornhil 1676. If this be true as here our friend divines The promis'd morning-star appears and shines Which will us guide into the Land of peace Where errour sin and death shall wholly cease Added by his Friend Panagathophilus The PREFACE Candid Reader WAving all Apology for the neglected garb of the ensuing Discourses which being not pen'd before they were delivered owe their preservation from oblivion and their seeing the light in this way only to the value that some of the hearers put upon the subject and import of them which moved them out of their own notes to prepare this copy of them Waving also a particular account of the special arguments of the several sermons which by a continued series of evidence pursue that one scope of the nearnesse of the approach of the Bridegroom beginning first with the computation and calculation of the prophetical periods both in Daniel and the Revelation and thence discending to the signes given by our saviour Mat. 24. and thence proceeding to the days of the Son of man spoken of Luk. 17. shewing the complexion thereof and that probably these days are begun offering evidence thereof from the ancient Tipes and thence taking into consideration the Vyals and shewing contrary to the sense of many the probability that six of them are poured forth whereby a great stumbling block is removed out of the way of our faith and hope of the Lords coming being so near I say waving all these and referring the Reader for satisfaction to the discourses themselves I shall discharge the pâ—rt of this preface in 5 short notes on that text Is 52.7 how beautiful upon the Mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings of good that publisheth salvation that saith unto Sion thy God reigneth where we see 1. That the sum total of those good tidings or tidings of good things that the eares of the whole creation desire to be blest withall the substance the crown of that peace that salvation that every creature without stretched-neck waits and looks for is the reign of Syons God the reign of the Lord Jesus this man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land when he shall tread in our palaces Mich 5.5 The Assyrian by a metonymy is the head-enemy comprehending under him every subordinate enemy or evil that shall be found at last upon the place afflicting the Israel of God at Christs coming which must receive their Discharge by the exercise of his regal power the reign of Christ Syons God and king is that visible and glorious state of Christs kingdom in the earth with reference to a set appointed time for its commencement and continuance when he takes to himself his great power and reign Rev. 11.17 as the great and only potentate king of kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6.15 which time is immediatly without any Interregnum to take place from the expiration of Antichrists times measured in the Revelation by 1260 prophetical days which when they began and ended and so by consequence when the days of the son of man began is calculated in the ensuing discourses these days of the Son of man not beginning with Christs personal appearance but with Daniels 45 prophetical days at the end of his first number of 1290 days ch 12. which 45 days or years as I humbly conceive are that generation spoken of by our Saviour wherein all these signes that are immediatly to precede his personal appearance are to come up in view and receive their accomplishment and in the rear of them the Lord himself will as I humbly expect and believe appear in person By this stating and bounding of Christs reign those â—…es and acts of his mistical and spiritual reign all along 〈◊〉 great and glorious soever in the overthrow of Judaism and heathenism and wasting the man of sin are shut out 〈…〉 account as amounting to no more but the keeping up 〈…〉 in the world during the militant state of the 〈◊〉 called the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ Rev. 1. but not yet making these enemyes as the chaff of the summer threshing-floor to be carryed away with the winde and no place found for them as they must be Dan. 2.35 which is the work of these days of the son of man This is my sirst note upon these words upon which I have been something long I shall be briefer in the rest My 2d is this the peace the good things the salvation of Syon and the reign of Sions God commence together this arises also clearly from the text no other no earlyer messengers bring good tidings or publish peace to Sion then those that say unto her thy God reigneth there is a two-fold appearance of Christ testifyed of in the Scriptures the first as past the second to come each of them have their proper and distinct work and efficacy assigned to them we are said to be reconciled by his death saved by his life Ro 4.10 which life is his second appearance Heb. 9. last till his second appearance we are saved only in hope Ro. 8 24. Gal. 5.5 The second appearance it self is but in hope to this day then must all the fruits and advantages of it be so too how doth this endear Christs second appearance it self to us how should it make us watch to it long and cry for it come Lord Jesus come quickly our actual and compleat salvation depending in it which till then is a mystery then and not till then will be the glorious manifestation of the sons of God then will a full and glorious account be given of every letter and title of the glorious hopes and priviledges of the state of believers in Christ of those glorious things that are spoken of the city of God as their being not in the flesh but in the spirit their not sinning nor being able to sin their being the righteousnesse of God that those that live and believe in Christ shall never dy with many more which now are mysteries but then the vision shall be made so plain that he that runs may read it this is my 2d Observation 3ly The manifest glory of the Lord Iesus breaks forth out of the mystical state of it as out of a cloud silently secretly and unawars even to the surprize of Sion her self else what
acknowledge it those that are offended with their brethren because they cannot build them up nor say a confederacy with them if they were humble Christians they would consider and enquire and say is there not a cause Is there not a cause why some walk at a distance why they dare not touch with us Why truely if you ask what cause I will tell you what cause you say why will ye not come among into the Sion of God I tell you that is enough to turn ones stomack you make as if you were come to your rest you are haughty because of Gods holy mountain Zeph. 3.11 thou shalt no more be haughty this intimates they were haughty before and I tell you that is cause enough to set Christ and his spirit at a distance from men when they are haughty haughty because of the Lords holy mountain and alas what is the Lords mountain if the Lord be not in the holy mountain T is true Christ calls Jerusalem to the last the holy city when it was a most abominable place and the temple his house but Christ calls it in another place your house it was my house indeed but now it is your house you have made it your own you have fill'd it with your own spirit and therefore it is your own now I shall come off from this theam and I shall conclude with a little further evidence that this is an extraordinary day that we are in they are the days of the son of man wherein the son of man must have his time things must be managed to his interest and according to his will the man of sin hath had his day and his time Now because I would relish your mouth with this at the close I will give you my evidence to this that the man of sin hath had his time he hath had his day then what should hinder but that the son of man should have his day now that the man of sin hath had his day I tell you either he must have more time then God hath allotted him or else his time is out for the Lord hath allotted him but 42 months All the business is where to begin these months now I say either we must begin them at the going off of the old dragon which was the enemy that did infest the Church before the rising of the beast or else we must leave so much time from the expyring of th Dragon to the rising of the beast without any assignation of it whereby so much time must run out in waft and for nothing Now that were to reflect on Christ and upon the spirit either that the Lord should loose so much time and let it run out in waft or that he should not give us an account of that time when he undertook that work not to acquaint us with all the times of the Church and all the occurrences thereof it were to impute insincerity to Christ which were blasphemy to think Whereas he tells his people the man of sin hath but 42. months and then shall he down mean time I will come in with faith and patience to you that so you shall weather the point some would not begin the 42. months till Boniface the 8th when Phocus murdered his master and was set up in his room but by that account there should be 200. years that would have no name whereas it is clear that the beast was in being and in working 200. years before and did give manifest proofs of his being up that he might be known what creature he was And therefore I know not what authority any have to contradict when the spirit says it is but 42. months for them to say they are not to begin till the Beast was in his full height when the spirit hath not said so Therefore I say the time of the Beast is expired and all that we find of the beast now which is exceeding much of his rage they are but the effects of his wounds he is dying and would save himself but i say this day is Christs day Michaels day and the Lord is going on conquering and to conquer And therefore it concerns the Saints to reflect upon these things for the upholding of them that so they may not faint look for breakings and desolations more and more but let your eyes be upon the designe that the Lord hath in all these come and behold the desolations that he hath made in the earth it is all upon the account of his own interest and his dear spouse and therefore let us open our hearts to these days of the son of man And say to the Lord whatever t s not consistant with thy interest O take it from the midst of my bowels be can did be sincere have no interest in your eye but Christs he must have his will now oh comply with him and it will be your own case say as Mephibosheth said let him take all for as much as my Lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house Sam. 19.20 Oh that the Lord would bow the hearts of the Churches of officers and members that they might carry on no interest but Christs I would you were all in fellowship but I would have it in the spirit do not shut out the spirit nor draw a veil nor a curtain before the spiritual glory of Christ These days of the son of man as they import great things to the publike so they import spiritual advantage to every particular saint for in these days a fuller discovery of Christ is to be expected and some have experienced it Christ hath been manifested much in my time comparing the discoveries of Christ with former times with an age before what a difference you will find and yet they were holy persons and accepted then but what high discoveries are there now this place was attended with one that had not only the tongue of an Angel but his discoveries was as sublime as his language his spirit was in the carrying up of Christs interest that was the eye of his ministry I would not glory in men but it is meet to be acknowledged unto God that it hath been an age of light and reckon upon it that whatsoever stands in the way of the interest of the Lord Jesus of his spiritual and powerful discoveries and manifestations it will down let it be Church or ordinances or what it will down it must go therefore let us take heed of setting our shoulders to uphold the interest of any thing that is obnoxious to that of our Lord Jesus The Fourth Sermon Luke 17.26 And as it was in the days of Noah so shall it be also in the days of the son of man I Am very sensible that I have not finished my former text there is a great deal yet to be spoken to upon it and therefore I must make a little apology for changing my text at this time But though I change my text and remove a little
as white as wool and therefore I say this presenting the son of man to the ancient of days is but the bringing the right heir Christ the son of man to the head of Christ which is God In the next place there is not only the presenting of Solomon as a type unto David but David doth appoint Nathan to go and anoint Solomon and set the crown upon his head and sends Benajah and Zadock with him So this is in these days of the son of man there is an anointing of Christ and an instructing of him as I may say as David did instruct Solomon his son and as in the Psalmist it is said give the king thy judgments O God and thy righteousness to the kings son David gave unto Solomon the charge for the building of the temple and he gave him the pattern of it and he exhorted him and encouraged him to be strong and know the God of his fathers and serve him with a perfect heart and by computation it took up about six months before Davids death that he was introducing Solomon in his room so that I may say here is a great deal of Christs kingdom demonstrated For all this was before the old state was out Solomon was actually enthroned and stated in the kingdom in his fathers time and Solomon did exercise his kingly power as you know 1 Kings chap. 1. v. 50.53 chap. 2.4.10 Now I shall not apply these things yet because I am not come to my assumption I am but laying my ground-work but before I come to that I must shew you the complexion of these days and although these days are the days of the son of man yet they are not such days wherein the glory of Christ and his kingdom do shine forth without a cloud and therefore for that we must have recourse again unto our text And you shall finde there that these days of the son of man are days of an extraordinary nature they are days wherein the world shall be drowned in a floud of prophanes and sensuality and security and this is in order to a making them fit for a floud of judgment so it is said here As it was in the days of Noah so shall it be in the days of the son of man Likewise so also as it was in the days of Lot not only doth this scripture witness this thing that the days of the son of man will be of such a nature and complexion but likewise in Zach. 14. the Lord tells us there in several expressions that are very Emphatical as to what the nature of this day will be one day or a day by it self we may understand that by it an odd day such a day as hath not been or shall be known by the Lord as who should say none but the Lord shall know it Neither day nor night that is a strange day neither clear nor dark neither the one nor the other but mixt of hoth But at the evening tide it shall be light then it will clear up like it self briefly the days of the son of man will be a time of as prodigious wickednesses of as great tryal to the saints of as great calamity to the world as ever days were and beyond all president so Daniel says at that time shall Michael stand up and it shall be a time of trouble such as never was the like But what then makes the title of the son of man if there shall be such days of trouble is that title worth nothing in these days I answer there is a light side of these days and that is to be seen by those that have eyes by those that are spiritually enlightened to see there will be a dark hope in all the people of God and in all the whole creation in these days that surely there is something in the womb of these dispensations that will revive them at the last and this the blind world can see and say But the saints especially if they watch and if they obtain that favour from the Lord as Daniel did that was a man of desire they may see and will see whither all things will tend and where they will issue and so they will be comforted and they will sing for the majesty of the Lord they will rejoice in that which God will create They will be engaged actually with the Lord in creating a new heaven and a new earth this will be the mixt nature of these days they will be prodigiously wicked daringly wicked and yet they are the days of the son of man why so because it suits his designe upon all accounts that the Churches enemies might shew themselves like themselves that so his judgments might be the more conspicuous the more clear which he will bring upon them and also that his people might have the tryal of their faith and sense of their own weaknes and failings and so I say it doth suit Gods end who designes so to come as that his day should fall as a snare upon all that dwell on the earth that there shall be no more likelihood of the day before his coming then of many ages before that so the mockers might be confirmed saying where is the promise of his coming as who should say you talk of Christs approach being neer but there is no signe of it not considering that he comes as a thief you your selves know perfectly says the Apostle that the day of the Lord so cometh Christ comes before the 7th vyal that is preparation is making for his coming It it his legal time yea it is his actual time before the the 7th Phyal for sayes he behold I come as a thief should now shew you the Parallel having spoken of the complexion it is that which conforms this time to Gods former proceedings There were such days before God destroyed the old world 120 years Those were the days of Noah and the world was looked on as a drowned world from the beginning of those days and so the days of Lot from the time that Abraham had rescued the king of Sodom and the other four kings from their enemies which was a signe of the four Monarchies from whose hand Abraham the father of the faithful delivered Lot and for his sake the rest were delivered Now it is probable that from that time Lot used a greater freedom to admonish them to make a better use of their deliverance then they did those were the days of Lot there were days then there was a time for the judgments coming but it was not fully come so likewise doth Gods day prepare his enemies against such a time that they may be as fuel dryed for the fire that they may flame like a torch or a sheaf when fire is put to them So likewise he prepares the vessels of mercy I shall only tell you in our saviours time there was from the denunciation of the judgments against Jerusalem 40 years and so likewise from our Saviours rising till his
ascention there was 40. days wherein he was as I may say preparing himself for his ascention to heaven I might give you twenty Parallels of it but now I come to the application of these things to these days and as for the standing up of Michael that is the first thing I would assume that Michael is raised up Michael hath stood up for several years if others in other parts of the world do question this yet we in those parts have no reason to doubt of it it is much if we are not convinced of it of the Lord Jesus his standing up and addressing himself to promote and serve in his own and his Churches interest above all interest and all kingdoms of the world that interest of the kingdom of God that hath lain hid in the faith of the Saints and in the promises unto this time if you say what evidence can be made of this it is a question not becoming those that have seen the great works of God as we have done have we not seen Michael standing up have we not seen him rousing himself have we not seen three nations bowing in his name have we not seen an heaven and an earth passing away have we not seen a dissolution of the Church and state have we seen all this and do we question whether Christ hath set a foot his title or no you know that kings when they are proclaim'd in this land they begin in the Palace yard they are not all over proclaimed in one moment So I say the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ is to be a rising and a growing kingdom of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end and why may we not say that this Island or these three nations may resemble the palace yard where Christ is first proclaimed he hath been brought to the Ancient of days by clouds of witnesses who have pleaded his interest with God you know it hath been the subject of the saints prayers these 30. years yea nothing hath relished upon the spirits of the saints that hath not related this way if Christs kingdom hath not been at one end of it it hath been no prayer no sermon if it have not had that at one end of it yea hath not the Lord Jesus exercised his kingly power hath he not made many overturnings hath he not dealt with many Adonijahs how many would have set themselves up in his room This is the account of all these quick revolutions these overturnings this is exceeding declarative of his being near whose right it is I shall therefore conclude with a word of use or application and it is this Let us lift up our heads for the day of our redemption draws nigh I have already formerly once and again told you that these 45 days from the end of the 1290. days spoken of in Dan. 12. are that generation as I conceive in which our Saviour says all things shall be fulfilled for so were the generations from David to Christ those 14 generations 43 years one with another So in those 45. days in Daniel wherein Michael shall stand up Daniel is told that all should be fulfilled in that time and I say these times began in the year 1650. and we are now in the middle of them we are very forward and I do more suspect my self for the setting my post too far off from Christs appearing then of setting it too near I say I more suspect my self for that and the Lord knows i.e. if you subdivide this last watch or space of 45 years into lesser watches in which of the watches of this last watch he may come in the second or in the third watch but we are neer to it let us look up and lift up our heads You see what evidences have been given of these days Obj. But if Christs coming be so near would the times be so evil may some say I answer was not Sodom at the worst when Christ came with the other two Angels to destroy them and so the old world Yea but you will say the people of God would be better then they are if Christs coming were so near Answ They shall be made better by his coming the summer spoken of is the very appearing of Christ you know that when the trees puts forth summer is night but it is the appearing of Christ is the summer would you have fruit before summer your fruits are growing in the winter and in the spring they are coming forwards but you have not your fruit till the summer Christ is preparing his people by the present dispensations and they shall shine but all that Christ doth now is emptying work cleansing work as when a man pulls down his old house in order to building it anew Christ is removing house and he is taking away joy from the earth the old joy trade is going the joy of the earth and the very husbandman may loose the fruits of the earth this year And if you look within O what desolations are there alas though the Lord give us our wits and our sences yet we hear of one in one place under a spirit of dispondency Gods fire is in Sion in this day and his furnace in Jerusalem and there is none of us but have our back burdens if it be but being companions of suffering ones it cannot but go to our hearts this is the sowing time yea but you will say possibly Obj. There is a promise of the spirits pouring forth and therefore these cannot be the days of the son of man I answer the spirit is not the first grace the leading grace as in those promises made to Israel in the letter of bringing them back to their own land Ezek. 36.24.32 They must be in their own land and setled there before the spirit is poured forth lest they should reflect too much upon their own qualifications least thy may be ready to say it is for our reformation that God hath visited us Therefore will the Lord at he t last as at the first take his people in their blood and in their unworthiness Obj. But you may say we see nothing of the Jews being called and Antichrist destroyed Answ Antichrist hath but a mystical destruction till Christ comes and there will be a Pope for ought I know till Christ appears but his time is legally out and determined and when a time is out what is done afterwards is an usurpation and Antichrist shall pay dearly for all at the last But as for the Jews it is a material objection we cannot look for the appearance of Christ till they come in though on this occasion let us be aware that there is a mistical Jew that needs to be turned to the Lord as well as a litteral Jew but as to the litteral Jew though we see him not come in yet we know not how soon we may for it shall be very suddenly a nation shall be born at once mark the expression
a day wherein he will judge the world it is not now but it is appointed so the Apostle directs the hope of believers to another day and you will not say but that Christ was come to them in the spirit yet they waited for a further day the Apostle himself says he had not yet attayned nor was as yet perfect so that I say this doth strike at the order of Gods working and appearances and as the Apostle says concerning the resurrection those that say the resurrection is past destroy the faith of some It is a destroying of our faith and of our comfort to hold forth this to be the day of Christ to be the time of Christs appearance the all that we were to expect I confess it is not to be wondered at in the Prelatical Church that they would have us to expect nothing but tribulation in this world and persecution the Church of Christ say they must travel under the cross nntil the last judgment until they come to heaven though they minde not to do so themselves nay this they preach to others that they themselves may ride upon the high places of the earth they would keep the people still in ignorance and blindness of that day of Christ which when it comes will abase all the pride and loftynes of man as you have it in Esay 2. It will abase things that are high and exalt things that are low the vallyes shall be exalted and the mountains and hills shall be brought low But that any that are spiritual should go to destroy the faith of themselves and their brethren by taking the present dispensation for the full performance of the promise is that which may be justly wondered at and it is not certainly without a great designe of Satan thus to beguil them and through them to endeavour to beguil others of the comfort and the hope of Christs appearance and of the redemption of the body It is true there may be a revelation of the day of Christ in the spirit and this may be given forth at any time Abraham saw Christs day though he lived many ages before Christs time and so John was in the spirit on the Lords day but yet notwithstanding John tells us that this day of Christ was to come on orderly there is such a series of times and providences so many scenes that are to be presented before that concluding scene before Christs sitting on the white throne There were so many seals to be opened so many trumpets to be sounded it is true there was a glorious day in the primitive times but that was but the first fruits And it is called I conceive the first fruits because it was answering to the first fruits under the law for there were three seasts three times in the year all the males in Israel were to appear before the Lord there was the feast of the passover and the feast of the first fruits which was at Pentecost the very time when the spirit came down upon the Apostles as fulfilling that feast and there was the feast of ingathering or the feast of tabernacles and it was in the feast that you finde written in Joh. 7.37 In the last day that great day of the feast Jesus cryed and said c. This feast of tabernacles held several days there were 7 days that it was kept and so this feast that in the Antitype answers to the feast of tabernacles may take in all this generation that I speak of the 45 years of this last generation the days of the son of man But mark ye in the close of this time that is the great day then will Christ appear in his glorious equipage with all his holy Angels then will he come both in his own glory and in the glory of his father and of all his holy Angels and till Christ hath his full glory we cannot expect the full effusion of his spirit The spirit will not be poured upon all flesh the earth will not be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea till that great day of the feast till that last and great day of the feast So that I say take heed of taking part of payment for the whole t is true these are the days of the son of man and I do believe that from this time you shall see the interest of the son of man riseing and growing more and more all things shall work unto that glorious issue those that are wise shall see it every day to them day unto day will utter knowledge I say the interest of Christ is on the rising hand still and all opposite interests are in the way of declyning and therefore let us prepare for him we have seen something already of the day of the Lord upon things that have been high and lifted up let us look to see it yet more the Lord will abuse the loftyness of man both of one sort and of another I tell you there is a great deal of haughtiness which the Lord will abuse even in his own people and in their spiritual affairs it is said in Zeph. 3.11 In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings whorein thou hast transgressed against me for then will I take out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain this Scripture doth hold forth unto you the process of the day of God or of these days of the son of man they are humbling days to all God by these dispensations which have passed over us hath been bringing his people to this passe he hath been working upon them that necessarie qualification of making them an afflicted and poor people I remember very well that the first time I spake here when your desires gave me a call to make a little supply of that place that was destitute by the removal of that eminent help that did appear usually in this place before I told you then that for my part I was one that was spoiled by this day of the Lord and I must own and confess unto you that there is nothing doth relish nor can relish with me of the old glory of the excellency of man though I know that all of us have a young tooth in our heads as the proverb is and we should willingly be something among men but the Lord hath mercifully shut the door against any such hope or expectation and therefore let it not enter into our hearts for God hath forbid the banes we must never touch with any such things more for God is stayning the pride of all glory though spiritual discoveries have all along unhorsed and I may say unmanned us I mean the Lords people yet 't is now the work of the day more eminentlie What was Paul in his time rude in speech I come not to you in excellency of speech or in mans wisdom he accounted all those things dung
which is 45 years which I have told you is much after the proportion of the generations from David to Christ and it is said those 45. years which follow the 1290 days shall bring us to that glorious state that top that pitch that perfection that he is blessed that waites and comes to the end of those days yea we find in the 17. of this Gospel the days of the son of man not a day but days and parelling them with the days of Noah and the days of Lot they must of necessity be understood of a tract of time preceeding his glorious visible appearance in which his appearance shall be drawing on so in these days of the son of man that great Catastrophy is drawing on upon the world and therefore by way of correspondence as answering those times it is suggested to us that there are such days of the son of man and I likewise gave you by calculation and computation that we are in the very midest of those days those 45. years I am very sensible that this computation to dwell much upon it may not be so acceptable to serveral hearers I shall only make this Apology for my self that it is an argument of great comfort and hope to my self and it is that which I have found a need of even to understand the times and for any that are it may be not so we pleased with such discourse yet if it could be let into them and that an evidence could be made to them that the coming of our Lord were so nigh I am perswaded they would have as much comfort in it as I have though I grant this that this is such a knowledg as is gained by the comparing Scripture with Scripture it is a light of prophecy which I will grant you is but an exterior means and he that hath the testimony of Jesus hath the spirit of prophecy And could you read the works of God and his goings in Christ and in your own souls in conformity unto Christ you might see the very original mould as I may say in which all times are cast you might see the pattern according to which God doth fashion and frame all his dispensations both to the Church and to the world But I shall no longer hold you on this the last time I began to enter upon the nature of Christs coming having spoken of the nearnesse we come now to the pâ—…ture of it which is held forth unto us under a several notion Christ comes as a Lord to take account of his servants and he comes as a Bridegroom to take them into the fellowship of his own glory he comes also as a Saviour to redeem Israel out of all his troubles and he comes as a Judge and a revenger to destroy his enemies but that which hath the precedency here in the text is his coming as a Bridegroom And I told you the last day that there are four weddings there is First the marriage of Christ in eternity to his head spoken of in Prov. 8. Secondly there is Christs coming down out of that glory to marry our infirmities the word was made flesh Thirdly there is Christs return with the spoils of this created image unto heaven and marrying that unto the glory of his heavenly man and then Fourthly there is the return of Christ again the Second time from heaven to fetch up the individual persons and members of his body mystical into a fellowship with himself in the same glory Now our business I told you that we are immediatly concern'd about is the third marriage when he shall return from the wedding you your selves like unto men that looks for their Lord when he comes from the wedding what wedding is this It is from the wedding which he hath solemnised in heaven of our natures unto the son of man in heaven this poor smitten nature Christ takes at the utmost disadvantages of it under all the sin and shame and meanness and poverty of it he hath marryed it to the son of man in heaven to the heavenly glory Marke ye not our persons but our nature this is the wedding from which he comes and he comes now to take our persons to marry them into the same glory Indeed these three latter weddings they are all in pursuance of the first and they are all to end and terminate there the first wedding which is the marriage of Christ unto his head which was in eternity this is the glorious exemplar and this is the rest of the people of God by him thus to be brought to God And all that was after wards it was but a glorious project for the enriching and embellishing of that marriage as I may say As if the Lord could not shew love enough in setting up such an object as man in the person of the Lord Jesus from all eternity in his heavenly man as if he could not shew love enough in espousing in him all his heavenly race that should be produced out of him suppose Christ as he is described in Prov. 8. where he is said to be by him and rejoycing alwaies before him suppose I say that Christ had a race of men and a seed that he had begotten and brought forth from that glory in which he was in eternity this had been a great deal of love in God thus to espouse man and to beautify and glorify man but I say for the glory of this love the Lord projects that this man who was the object of this love he shall come forth in a natural image as it is said in the 1 Cor. 15. First that which is natural and afterwards that that is spiritual and therefore he maketh first Adam an earthly man he makes him first a living soul but yet here was not ground rich enough that is it was not dark enough to set off the love and glory of God And therefore this man at his man at his best being then but an earthly peice though pure earth here is a project for this love to go out further to man in his fall and therefore the divine counsel permits all that suffers man to fall into the utmost extremities into the worst of circumstances that could possibly be and then from thence doth the Lord recover him and brings him up to the first image as a passage to the second and heavenly image he is restored in principle in Christ but not so restored as to rest there and yet I fear there are thousands of professors that rest there that are restored to no more then Christs active and legal obedience and they account this the new birth but it is not so for all that restoring even in Christ himself it is but to declare him to be a fitting sacrifice a Lamb without spot and to furnish the matter of that sacrifice and every saint hath something of this spotlesse lamb as I may say though not in perfection he is not without spot as Christ but he is without
spot in Christ not in himself for if you examine the actions of the best men and take a tryal of them and weigh them they cannot hold weight before the Lord though a saint in his minde hath a more noble principle being renewed after the image of him that created him But if it were so in Christ that he at the very heighth of his legal righteousnesse was only thereby qualifyed and furnished to be a sacrifice to his father it is that which instructs us that in all our attainments in that first image we should look upon it to be only given us for a sacrifice There was you know several offerings under the law some were but a pair of young pigeons yet it was accepted so that I say whether we have more or lesse of that active righteousnesse in the force of our first life and principle restored this is a great shortness in our knowledg not to know that there is in Christ himself a first covenant-life a first covenant-principle this must all be laid down and parted with Christ did so himself and so must all his And this is that that the Lord is carrying on through this life we are dying daily and offering up our bodies and I pray what is that body which is dead because of sin the Apostle speaks of men that were in the body of the flesh therefore this body is the body of the first creation light it is that image of God that was presented in it's perfection by Christ in as great and absolute a perfection as in the first Adam And it is restored in principle in all that believe in Christ there is somthing of that lise whereby they tend to a greater exactnesse and perfection then they can attain unto but this body is dead and all must be broken off from this husband as in Rom. 7. you have it there very plainly declared know ye not brethren for I speak to them that know the law says he how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth that is as long as the man lives his own life for a believer is crucified with Christ but Christ lives in him what is the husband here it is the law you will say the law is not capable to be a mans husband as it is only a doctrine or as it is a form of words what is that to be ones husband Therefore you must consider herein that it is Christ mark ye that is the husband even under the law for he hath a first covenant wise and first covenant children he is a husband under the law is it not said though I was a husband unto them Ier. 31.32 I beseech you accept of these hints and weigh them I desire not to speak my own words and if I did not think that there was that in these things which doth mainly import our souls I durst not speak them but if you consider you will find that there is a world of professors that have only relation to Christ as a first covenant Lord and husband for it is Christ that is the person in both in law and Gospel Moses was but a typical mediator it was Christ that was the true Mediator There is an appearance in which Christ comes forth which is not to abide but is to go away as he acquaints his disciples with the expedience of it then yet he was a Bridegroom then but he was a Bridegroom in the flesh and that covenant-relation was to be exchanged for a better covenant-relation Rom. 7.4 Do you not see here that Christ is the Bridegroom his flesh was shadowed out by the law what do we mean by his flesh my beloved brethren let us wait upon the Lord for light in these things there hath been a great deal of pudder about the flesh of Christ as if Christ had no body now because the Apostle to the Hebrews reflects on the days of his flesh as past Alas this is not the meaning of Christ flesh for the flesh properly and the law and sin and death all these are relative one to the other so that the flesh as it is considered in us is the free hold of sin now Christ he comes in the flesh and he therein fulfils all rightousnesse and so doth as I may say recover that ground which the first Adam had loâ—t sin was entred upon the flesh Christ he comes and plants righteousnesse in the flesh marke ye it is but in the flesh the flesh is that active sate of first-covenant life and righteousness in conformity to the law and letter which was the state which was restored in Christ though lost in Adam and this is that which believers themselves are brought forth into in order to a passage through it into the righteousness of God the first stone of which building is laid in the dissolution and passing away of this first strength this first activiry and power that the creature finds himself invested withall and in which he thinks himself a gallant peice I say the first stone of this new building is laid by the pulling down of all this ye are dead to the law that ye night be married to another even to him that is raised from the dead there is our new husband that is a believer hath now given up as Christ did when he gave up that first life and righteousnesse to his father When he had done all and the law could require no more from him he had another piece of obedience which was a note above all the law what was that why he must be obedient unto death as much as if God had said unto him canst thou now my son forgo all this glory canst thou strip thy self canst thou put it all off canst thou trust me to raise thee again and bring thee forth in another glory in a heavenly image I can says he there is none but Christ could do it were it not for our captaine we should never have gone through he was marryed as I told you unto the original glory of God he was marryed to his head and he having the presence of eternal life with him he is able to charge through these legions of devils this land of death and darknesse though it was that made him sweat drops of blood and cry out my soul is sorrowful unto death yet he was so enabled and supported that through he goes and had that glorious issue that the Gospel is the report of this is one husband now mark ye he being raised from the dead walked a while with his disciples upon the earth about 40. days then he ascended he was not in that glory where he expected to be while he was on the earth for he would not let Mary touch him saying touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my father as who should say I am not yet where I would be nor where I shall be I am not yet the object of that new converse which thou shalt have
with me or at least I am not yet manifest in it Therefore I say his ascending was that he might marry our natures in his own person unto his glorious head though he was marryed unto the father in eternity yet not as the son of man on earth but this was the marriage of the son of man on earth And so he carryed up our nature out of this state of poverty beggery in sin death yea out of legalor first covenant-righteousnesse into the glory of God that is the third marriage that I have been speaking of wherein you see how it differs from the first marriage The first was the marriage of the son of man in heaven unto the godhead but this is the marriage of the son of man on earth unto the son of man in heaven that is clear by our Saviour his own stating of it let us not slight that for he says before Abraham was I am this glory is to be the covering the clothing to the son of man on earth this is the wedding from which he comes You possibly will say why did not Christ come all this time hath this wedding lasted this 16. 1700. years my brethren our Lord Jesus Christ is presented as our head so that Christ was married as a publique person and we must all follow to this wedding this hath been the work ever since through all times and ages from Christs assention it hath been I say the preparation of the Bride the lambs wife for this fourth and last marriage Christs 3d marriage the heavens must receive until the restitution of all things till his Bride be ready And all the saints have been hastening out of themselves out of his fleshly fallible state and image into the resurrection life they have been hastning by a mistical death this is the work of all ages since Christ to prepare the Bride that is such a number of men and women as God hath fore known in his eternal counsel that are to come up successively upon the stage of this world in their generations and times to be the witnesses of our Lord and of his death his sufferings are to be fulfilled in them and so is his life to be manifested in them as the dyings of Jesus so his life this hath been his work since his a scention and when his number is eompleated then will the Lord reveal himself from heaven in our persons in that glory which our natures have been invested with from his ascention then will Christ and his bride the lamb and the lambs wise plant and model the world and they will have a new seed after that which shall be born in Christs own image as Adam is said to beget a son in his own image which will be the new race of men and women after this glorious marriage For Christ will have generations of saints that shall be brought forth unto him in his kingdom in another glory then we have known all this time Thus I have been carryed whether I would not for what I designed to speak I am not come to I should have shewed you by the example and pattern of his wedding on Christs part the glory of his marriage and I should have come to the application but I must take another time for this The Seventh Sermon 1. Ep. John 3.2 Beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be YOu see though I am off from my former text yet not from my subject this text benig of a kin to it and bordering upon it and having many things in my mind upon it though not digested into such a method as more leisure and time might have afforded I shall abruptly present to you the 2. heads upon which we shall spend this opportunity without more curious survey of the text or context and briefly they are 1. That blessed and glorious hope which is laid up for the Saints at Christs appearing and 2d the evidence of it These are the two things that I shall pick out of these words the hope is that we shall be like Christ when he appears the evidence of this hope is that we shall see him as he is for the hope it self you see it concerns us our persons and our spirits And that is the immediate and great concern and expectation of believers in Christs glorious kingdom and at his glorious appearing the change that shall be brought upon our selves the glorious change that shall be brought upon all things for he that sits upon the throne says behold I make all things new is to begin first upon us it is to begin upon the Saints and when they are changed not only will all things be changed to them but all things shall be changed with them though not presently yet in due course and order for the Apostle says that the whole creation grones and travels in pain expecting to be delivered into the glorious liberty of the sons of God they are to be delivered into our liberty and the Gospel throughout in all the priviledges both of grace and glory in both states of the kingdom both that of grace and of glory the militant and the triumphant state do hold forth first fruits that shall be first visited and first saved and then the Lump and body first the root and then the branches and I do the rather put a note upon this because we are apt to be carried forth into other contemplations and expectations of the change of times the change of kingdoms common-wealths Churches and overlook the fundamental change this head change this right change which begins in the persons of Saints of believers themselves which may be called the beginning of changes as we read of the beginning of revenges in Deuteronòmy or the head revenge of the enemy so this is the head of change and in vain do we look for a happinesse to come unto us by the change of our circumstances and of our conditions if there be not this Radical this fundamental change in our persons and spirits Now this change I shall first present it to you in the substance of it and then shall consider the arguments the illustrating arguments in the text and in the context First the substance of this change into a likenesse of Christ when he shall appear we shall be like him the likenesse unto Christ is that which cannot but speak for it self and commend it self sufficiently to our desires can there be any better thing then to be like Christ can there be a greater thing then to be like Christ Let us but consider who and what he is he is the likenesse of God the brightness of his glory the character of his person in whom god hath drawn forth himself to the life he is the image he is the glory of God there is not any excellency in God but it is displayed in our Lord Jesus most beautifully most divinely most advantagiously and therefore it may well be a hope
that may bow the vastest desires and fill and satisfy the most enlarged hearts and expectations surely if there be so much beauty in this first creation in this natural image which is but the first draught but the rude lineaments as I may say of that glorious image of God then what must there be in the very life-image it self if the shadow be so beautiful on what is the person As it is said he that made the eye shall be not see so I may say in this case he that hath by a shadowy relation that he hath given the creature put so much beauty upon it as in the first creation before it was marred by sin which had a great deal of beauty in it hath he not a choicer beauty hath he parted with any thing from himself and hath he not retayned better things with himself But I shall not go on to expatiate upon this for it would quickly engulph us and take up all our time but that which I would further say is this and it will arise out of the arguments of the text which will shew us the greatnesse of this glory we wait for the glory of this image which we shall be conformed unto there are several arguments in the text and in the context v. 1. Behold what manner of love c. And it doth not yet appear c. The first argument is the present non-appearance of this-life of this glory some philosophy makes privation a principle and so here in the text This non-appearance which is in a sort a privation is a principle or a demonstration of the glory of our future hope and expectation It doth not yet appear now when the Apostle says it doth not et appear you must not take him as speaking of a saint when he is at the worst only when he is at and under in his spirit but you must take him as speaking to or taking in within the extent or compasse of his affirmation the best state that ever any saint did appear in that it was rather a non appearance then a proper appearance of this glory it doth not yet appear take it from Adam and all the first creation-glory take it from Abraham and all the new creation-glory that ever yet appeared it is a non-appearance it is a hyding rather then a displaying of this glory it doth not yet appear None of the saints in their attainments in their most lively and raised apprehentions or actings ever did or could give any tollerable account of this glory I shall make forth to you my meaning by a Scripture resemblance the present state of the saints is but as the state of most rich and beautiful flowers in the seed or of a most flourishing and fruitful tree in the kernel you know what the Apostle says in the 1 Cor. 15.36 and so on As much as this that the natural body take it in a saint himself that hath the highest communications of God it is but the seed of the spiritual body and of the true appearance into which he shall break forth and so our Saviour calls himself in that present state of his in the flesh in Job 12.24 a single seed In all his ministries and miracles he calls himself but a single seed now what may we learn from this why that the present state of a Christian bears no greater proportion to the future it bears no greater similitude and resemblance of the future then a seed or a single grain or kernel doth of the flower the plant the tree the fruit There are three things in a seed which do forbid it to glory first it is a narrow contracted thing it is a dark thing and confused it is also a dead thing except it fall into the earth it abides alone I shall speak of these three a little that so we may from the disadvantages of the present state be a little enlightned into the glory of our future and enlarged hope 1. A seed is a contracted thing what is a kernel to a tree a poor little narrow thing you know what our Saviour says of the mustard seed that it is the least of all seeds but the true body of that seed when it is grown up the birds may rest in the branches of it so are we in the present state narrow and contracted Oh! we have neither room for God nor room for one another in our hearts we are such pittiful poor narrow contracted things as single seeds abiding alone I have lately been thinking touching the resurrection how we in the present state do espouse mark ye but a few dusts of the earth as our peculiar bodies and we are seperated and divided from all others as well as from the globe the Masse and body of the earth and this body we not only live in but live to it all our care and concerns is for it and let all the earth be miserable if we can be happy This is the pittiful narrownesse and contractednesse of man in the present state and although the seed of God which is cast into us is as the Lord says of his people a noble vine a noble seed and is witnessing and testifying in us of a greater largeness and breathing after it yet we cannot break from our prison but here we are confyned and shut up in the narrow bounds of self yea shut up against God and we would be content to be a vail upon God though he did loose his glory thereby Oh! there is this pitiful narrowness in this present state but when the body is sown in the earth then it mingles and incorporates with it's mother earth into the dust of the whole creation then it marries them all so will it be in our risen state oh then there will no more be a particular concern a particular life a particular glory but we shall have the body in communion be in fellowship with all our fellow-members we shall stand in one body in one joy with our head and all our fellow members as you see in a seed of corn when it hath dyed in the earth it comes up in an ear of corn wherein there are many seeds 20.30 a hundred fold living in fellowship together Secondly a seed is a dark thing dark and confused there is in a seed radically vertually the tree the plant the flower in that poor little seed but if you will go to finde out the arms of this tree it is not the most skilful Anatomist that can finde them out but there they lye wrapt up together in a dark state not explicate not brought forth so is it in the present state of the saints There is heaven yea what do we say heaven there is God and Christ and the spirit yea there are all the Angels of God there is all the train all the Retinue all the gory of heaven in every saint so as that they do dwell mutually in one another and every spirit is a house and habitation for all
on the enemy by driving him by a judicial hand upon acting violence towards his people which was the violence of the enemy his own heart only God makes way for it takes off the bridle and gives them full scope that he may take advantage against them for it and so he doth 2 works at once he purifies his people by these scullions and for their filthy doing of it takes occasion to destroy them when they have done now therefore the allusion being taken from this place it is an argument that the work in both places is the same and that from the issuing froth of these Locusts here under the 5th trumpet the first two trumpets that hour of Gods judgment is to be reckoned to begin whereof he speaks Revel 14.7 which hour takes in these 3 last trumpets and they take in all the times from the begining of the beasts declyning which was from the begining of the reformation or the preaching of the everlasting Gospel at the entring of the 13th century to the white throne this is my third ground My 4th ground is from a knot of Arguments taken from this vision of the 5th trumpet Rev. 9. The 1st whereof is from the accommodation which arises from thus stating this vision to that schem of the 1000 years mystical raign from the downfal of heathenism 2 Hereby the Locusts under the 5th trumpet and the army of horsemen under the 4 Angels in the next trumpet are the same enemy split into 2 times and actions as by their characters in the prophecy they seem to be and not 2 several enemies as former interpretations have made them for they agree in their numerousnesse Locusts are innnmerable as the army of horsemen are in the vision 2. They are both like unto horses prepared unto battel 3. They agree in their breastplates 4. They agree in their Lion-like teeth and heads 5. They agree in their serpentine tails and stings so that whether you understand these locusts and these horsmen of the Turks or whether you understand them more largely of all the power of the Antichistian enemy and all his instruments to execute his wrath they are the same enemy acting a 1st and a 2d part the first only preparatory to the 2d tormenting but not killing so it is said under the 5th trumpet they were like horses prepared to battle v. 7. but v. 15 there they are loofed for execution that were prepared before and we have seen how appositely this may be applyed to the Turk who is the glasse or mirror of all Christs enemies under these 3 last trumpets as the beast is the image and representation of all the Babilonish enemies under that first 1000 years of the four former trumpets For these reasons I cannot consent that this 5th trumpet or first two trumpets should belong to so ancient times as above a thousand years ago but that it belongs to the times of Satan loosed from the year 1300 and that both these locusts and Euphratian army and Gog and Magog at last are no other then the whole power of the Dragon beast and false prophet combined that stand up for that cause which Satan hath all along managed by different parties and methods whether warrs of persecutions or inquisitions and so takes in both civil Ecclesiastical and military forces of Turk or Pope rising up against Christ and his interest or beloved city wheresoever and the designe of God herein is first to purge-and chasten his Church and so withall to spend and dry up these waters according to the import of the 6th Vyal and in the end to devour them with his fire from heaven which whatever it import more and more litterally according to the judgment that befell Sodom we have reason from what is said of the 7th Vyal and many places in the old Testament to include and take in the fire of their own divisions to which God will give them up to break and destroy one another as the Midianites did and Moab Ammon and Mount Seir to which way of working out the Churches quiet the prophets do frequently allude and we may see in part already this way on foot in the divisions between France and Spain and in other parts between men of the same profession who one would think should count it as they have done formerly their common interest to agree and joyne together against the beloved citty and would certainly continue so to do but that by a judiciall stroke from God they are blinded and so fall foul upon one another therefore let the people of God look up and lift up their heads for the day of their redemption draweth nigh and those that understand the Lords designe in these things will do so whence it is that in the prophets when they speak of this terrible day and these dismal dispensations they by the spirit of prophecy see come as the shaking of an olive tree and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done that lift up their voice and sing for the Majesty of the Lord glorifying the Lord in the fires they hear some that have a song in this night as when an holy solemnity is kept and gladness of heart as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord this to be when the earth is made empty waste is strange but who are those but such as Daniel calls the wise that shall understand that know the design of God in these things and where they shall end that have the mountain of the Lord in their eye and see these things working that way that know the thoughts of the Lord understand his counsel which the blind enemy doth not Mich. 4. These sit with the Lord in heaven and laugh for they see him about to fulfil that word that he hath spoken Joel 2.18 The Lord will be jealous for his land and pitty his people and remove far from them the Northern army as it follows there in confidence whereof they even dare their enemies as it is in the 3 chap. v. 11. Assemble your selves and come all ye heathen and gather your selves together round about for thither will God cause his mighty ones to come down and so v. 12. with a thousand more places to this purpose which the occasions of Gods people have called them to minde and acquaint themselves with of late times for which cause I need not quote them A Sober Enquiry into the Nature and Times of God and Magog and whether that Scene be not now on the Stage GOg and Magog is that last dark black cloud which God in his wisdom sees good to bring over his Churches affairs and hopes when after a troublesom and dangerous sea they are ready to enter the port or haven of their long wish'd expectations and is that in the body natural the last enemy after which follows an uninterrupted sevenity never to end but in the joy of eternity The false images that men have formed to
to give some account why things go as they do in the world if the devil be let loose is it any wonder if Gog and Magog be upon the stage may we not wonder rather if we scape thus confider the evidence that hath been offered and what more follows at the end of these papers from the calculation of the time from the description of the enemy from the likeness of the action from the opening of the design both of God and Satan and the parallel between the dispensation of God to particular believers and the whole collective body of the Church which you have in the foregoing discourse to gird which a little closer to you take these two notes 1. That as it is but a mistical reign that the Church hath till Christs glorious appearing so it is but a mistical judgment that is executed upon Babilon or any of the Churches enemies till then else how should the day of the Lord come as a thief and fall as a snare on all that dwell on the earth as it is said it shall The not considering this makes us overlook the Vyals when they are before us it is true it is said at the pouring out of the Vyals his judgments are made manifest but to whom are they made manifest will not the wicked do wickedly still to the last must not the Lord even Christ at his appearing fetch the last blow himself at the wicked one therefore let us not think because a Pope lives still at Rome and a grand Signieur at Adrianople that therefore we are not near the finishing of the mistery of God By a mistical judgment I mean close and dark judgments such as take them not off their violence but heighten and harden them the more such the judgment executed by the Vyals seems to be and therefore by the 5th Vyal on the throne of the beast his kingdom is observed to be full of darkness and so little did the Antichristian party profit by that or any of the precedent Vyals that we fiud them under the next Vyal uniting and making head more strenously and universally then ever before like Pharoah that by every judgment was more and more hardened not but that God hath all along given many evident testimonies of his displeasure against them which those that have eyes see but they see it not or at least lay it not to heart to repent but are unjust and filthy still or as that word still may import are more and more filthy and unjust there in discovering the judgment to be upon their heart and thus it appears to me it will be till Christ fetcheth his last and dispatching blow at them and then they will see and be confounded My second note is this that there may be a great mistake in expecting those eminent scenes in the last times of the beast viz. the slaughter and rising of the witnesses the battel against him that sate on the white horse or the gathering to Armageddon and the visible effects of the Vyals especially the six first Vyals and so this attempt of Gog and Magog should equally shew themselves in all the parts and places of the beasts dominion it is sufficient for this mistical way of judging if the Lord single out some head-place some eminent part of his juridiction that is or hath been so and there present them at least more eminently thus Ezek. 5.5.8 God did set Jerusalem in the midst of the nations and did execute judgment in her in the sight of the nations and for their instructions this suits the way and manner of God who is one to judge and save in one as he did in Christ Therefore though the witnesses have been spread all over the juridiction of Babilon and have prophecyed and have been slayn by coast as I may say in all her streets yet the last and eminent settling of the cloud seems to be in one particular street or province and there their visible resurrection also to be which is called the tenth part of the citty and so the battel of Armageddon for the substance thereof without that specialty hath been fought by parties throughout the whole jurisdiction but the last and great dash of that shour may be found to have lighted on some particular place more eminently and that is like to be or to have been on the head kingdom or kingdoms of the Reformation and where that hath been there in probability it is that the Dragon will second the worsted beast his party with his succors of Gog and Magog These are my 2 notes which being premised I conclude that it is profitable that this is the time of Gog and Magog my reason in brief is for that there seems to me so little time yet to run out before the white throne be erected so little time that this old world hath to continue my confidence arises from those numhers pitch't by the Lord himself Dan. 12.11.12 the one of 1290 days the other of 1335 days the 45 years in the last number exceeding the former I look upon to be the time allotted for this expedition of Gog and Magog the one half of which 45 years is expired now let us but consider how much work is left for the other half that is to come the Jews are to be called and brought to their own land they are there to be settled and to get goods and cattel yea gold and silver in abundance and to live in great security before the Eastern Gog is let loose upon them which for a people so spoiled and that are to begin the world again as the greatest part of the twelve tribes are presumed to be may well require half of the time that is behind and then after the destruction of Gog and Magog they are to be seven years burning the weapons of warr all this probably before the coming down of the new Jerusalem therefore by this judge whereabouts we are Daniel is promised to rise and stand up in the latter end of those days those days come up 22 years hence there is not much difference among Chronologers all interpreters agree in the Epocha and fix it in Julians time all this work is to be done among the Jews ere that time is it not time therefore for us to expect their call and return Our western Gog and Magog probably may not stay for them but may lead the way and be a means of their awakning for the Aposile intimates that through our mercy they shall obtain mercy which probably must be understood of some eminent signal mercy farther then hath yet been seen upon us by the reviving the work and cause of God among the Gentiles and the deciding the controversy that hath been so long depending between Christ and Antichrist wherein this Gog and Magog is Antichrists last reserve Now there being so little sand in the glass it is very pardonable to expect these actions and issues which must shew themselves before that little sand
heaven though to them a tryal but with all a service fetching them off more fully and more home to God their true rest And for the outward part of this wo if this be the same time spoken of Rev. 12.15.16 as I have formerly hinted in this discourse it is the earth shall help the woman and open her mouth to swallow up the flood as we may observe it hath done thus farr hitherto But yet there is more comfort behinde for as in this tryal the devil comes forth in person I may say and it is the Dragons second appearance so will Michael standup yea he doth stand up and Christ will appear in person the second time to rescue his beloved city from this violence So that here is all the comfort can be desired the very action is a service to us to bring us to God and the issue will crown our joy in bringing down Christ unto us look on the deliverance of Let and Sodom the very type of this where you may finde all the parts and the whole contexture of this scene even to the fire that came down from heaven and the lake into which those filthy citties were cast but just Lot is delivered and the Lord appears in person to his deliverance look on the old world another figure of this all drowned but upright Noah saved in the Ark so shall it be with the Lords Noahs and Lots in this day when the enemy shall come in like a flood and when the Lord shall send his flood of his wrath upon them nay when he shall rain down fire from heaven upon them therefore his is the Lords call this day to his Lots to his Noahs to abandon Sodom to flee out of Babylon and to deliver every man his own sou let the Churches hear this and all that walk with them to arise and depart out of every form and appearance of things of holy things Church or ordinancé that is polluted that is destitute of the spirit where Christ and his spirit is not in rule in power is not predominant striks not the great stroke bears not the great sway that state of things is a Sodom and Egypt a Babilon it is not something of God or something of the spirit being there makes it otherwise if the spirit be not there in rule and dominion God knows how to save that something and will do it as he did Lot out of Sodom but that shall not save Sodom It is true the last Vyal is poured out upon the air the prince of the power of the air and his whole party not Ecclesiastical only but corrupt civil formes and constitutions also but with ths civil or rather uncivil rule of corrupt men the Lord will put down also very specious and glorious religious forms that are not in the spirit for the shall put down saith the Apostle all rule and all authority and power 1 Cor. 15.24 yea the same Apostle tells us in the third chap. of the Epistle v. 11. and 16. that though the foundations be right yet they that build bay and stubble upon it shall suffer losse in their work and though themselves shall be saved yet so as by fire therefore we see we had need to take heed not to our foundation only but also to our building The Apostle Peter tells us that all these things must be dissolved he saith not simply all things but all these things not the works of God for whatsoever God doth is for ever for as all Christs words so all Gods works are spirit and life therefore we reade in Revelation of the ark and the tabernacle taken into the temple in heaven as typically they were into Solomons temple and that at the founding of the 7th trumpet they were seen there the true spiritual substratum of every ordinance creation and institution of God when a higher glory is revealed is carryed up and taken into that glory but the earthly part of it falls to the earth how much more all the works and buildings of man and all his pleasant pictures Esa 2.16 and as all civil foundations pollicies constitutions built with blood and unrighteousnesse shall dash and break one another in peices so will these spiritual buildings that are so in name only be dasht in peices like potters vessels and that in great part by their own divisions Gog and Magog also are used in this work who as the Assirian of old are sent against an hipocritical nation Esa 10.6 to take the spoil to take the prey and to tread them down as the mire in the streets this is one way that the earth shall help the woman and drink up the flood the dragon designes the holy the beloved city but that shall not be given into his hand but there is an hipocritical nation which yet all themselves of the holy city and are so esteemed by one another being called by the name of Israel and come forth of the waters of Judah these shall be given into his hand and when these things are judged and dissolved the Churches enemyes destroyed and her self purifyed then shall appear the new heavens and the new earth wherein dwels righteousnesse Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly Errata PAge 6. line 7. for charge reade change p. 12. l. 23. for the large r. a large p. 14. r. acknowledging p. 15. l. 21 for about r. above p. 18. l. 1. for him r. them p. 27. l. 13. for tax r. taxt p. 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