God will enlighten it and the Lamb will be the light of it and Chap. 22. 5. There shall be no night there and they shall need no Candle nor the light of the Sun but the Lord God giveth them light and they shall raign for ever and ever In Hell it will be all night and no day there will be blackness of darkness for ever and not the least beam of light shall shine into that place and if the Sun and other Stars be given for the measure and distinction of times and seasons when the last day is come Time will be no longer and all must launch forth from the confines of Time into the vast Ocean of Eternity which cannot be bounded nor measured It is said Rev. 20. 11. When the great white Throne shall be set and Christ is placed thereon that the Heavens and the Earth shall flee away from before his face and no more place be found for them and 2 Pet. 3. 10. When the day of the Lord cometh that the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat and the Earth with all its works shall be burnt up Christ will come with a glorious light and with a roaring dreadful noise which will further set forth the glory of this appearance see this expressed 1 Thes. 4. 16. The Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-angel and the Trump of God and Matth. 24. 31. He shall send forth his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet who shall gather in his Elect from the four mindes Never was there such a noise heard in the World as then will be heard when Christ shall appear the heavens will roar the Earth will be in flames of Fire there will be a great shout and the sound of the last Trump in the Aire this shout will be given by Jesus Christ himself as is likely for it is said Iohn 5. 28 The hour is coming in which all that are in their Graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth we read Iohn 11. 43. When Christ came to raise Lazarus that he cried with a loud voice Lazarus come forth surely then when he comes to raise the World he will cry and shout with a much louder voice Such a voice likely will come down from him in a roaring shout Awake yee dead and come to Iudgement or arise yee Children of Men and come forth of your Graves Never was there such a shout given as then will be given which will be accompanied with the sound of the Trumpet the Angels shall sound the Trumpet we read Exod. 19. 16. When the Lord gave the Law from Mount Sinai that there were thunderings and lightnings and the voice of a Trumpet exceeding loud which made all the People which were in the Camp to tremble O what thunderings will there be in the aire at Christs second appearance and how exceeding loud will the sound of this last Trumpet be when Christ comes to judge them which have broken this Law That Trumpet was heard only by the Nation of the Jewes which were together about the Mount this Trumpet will be heard by all Nations throughout the World that Trumpet was heard only by those which were alive at that time this Trumpet will be heard not only by them that shall remain alive upon the Earth at the last day but also by all those which have dyed throughout all Generations from the beginning of the Creation such a noise there will be as will awaken all that shall be asleep in their graves Such a noise as will make all the corners of the earth to ring and the pillars of the world to tremble but O how will it startle the wicked when they hear it and fill them with terrour and amazement Thus you have something of the manner of Christ's second appearance set forth unto you he shall come with power and great glory CHAP. IV. 2. THe second thing is to speak of the end of Christs second appearance and the transactions of that day The end of Christs second appearance will be to judge the world the end of his first coming was not to judge but to redeem and save as he tells his disciples when they desired him to execute some judgment from Heaven upon those Samaritans which would not receive him Luke 9. 55 56. Ye know not what spirit ye are of for the Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them And Iohn 7. 47. If any man hear my words and believe not I judge him not for I came not to judge but to save but when Christ doth appear the second time he will come to judge the world Iude 14. 15. Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgment upon all c. Matth. 26. 31 32. When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he sit on the Throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all Nations and so he goeth on in description of the last judgment In speaking of Christs judging the world and the transactions at that day I shall show 1. That Christ will raise up all the dead one of their graves 2. That he will gather all Nations before his judgment Seat 3. That he will separate the righteous from the wicked 4. That he will open the Boâ—ks out of which all must be judged 5. I shall speak more particularly of the judgment of the Righteous and the Wicked 1. Christ at his second appearance will raise up all the dead out of their graves there shall be a general resurrection Iohn 5. 28 29. The hour cometh in which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice and come forth they that have done good to the resurrection of life they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation Something hath been spoken already concerning Christs victory over death and loosning all his prisoners but give me leave to illustrate the resurrection a little further and here I shall endeavour to set it forth by an allusion to that notable place Ezek. 37. and the ten first verses The hand of the Lord was upon me and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones And caused me to pass by them round about there were very many in the open valley and so they were very dry And he said unto me Son of man Can these bones live and I answered O Lord thou knowest Again he said unto me Prophesie upon these bones and say unto them O ye dry bones hear the Word of the Lord Thus saith the Lord unto these bones Behold I will cause breath to enter into you and ye shall live And I will lay sinews upon you and bring up flesh upon you and cover you with skin and put breath in you and you
mindes O how did they look one upon another when such a judgment as this was come upon them which they never looked for how did they speak how did they weep how did they cry and shreek what distress was there then upon all Nations and how did their hearts fail them and sink within them through fear when they looked upon the flood that was come upon the earth when they heard the winds blowing and waves roaring and saw no way of escaping Then they which had heard Noah foretell and threaten them with this judgment too late believed the truth of his words which before they did not regard then they which had seen Noah build the Ark and had accounted him no better than mad were convinced of their own folly and madness that they did not with him take some course for the defence of themselves at this time then they were perswaded of Noah's wisdome above all others on the earth and could have wished that they had imitated his wisdom in building for themselves such another Ark or that they were with him in his and possibly some when the waters were come and Noah was shut in by God in his Ark might run to the place and endeavour to clamber into it and be washed off with the stream Thus will it be at the second comming of the Lord Jesus Christ to judgement his coming will be sudden and unexpected the wicked of the earth will be eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage they will be as sensual and sinful and as secure withal as they are at this day they are told frequently by the preaching of the word that the day of judgment is appointed and that it hastneth greatly that the Lord Jesus Christ will come and that he will come quickly but they want faith to believe it and therefore they do not expect it nor fear it noâ— prepare for it It is said Luke 18. â—8 When the Son of man cometh shall he finde faith on the earth Some interpret this place as spoken not of Christs second personal coming to judgement but of his comming in a way of eminent deliverance of his people from the cruelty and oppression of their enemies which will be so strange and unexpected because they shall be brought so low insomuch that there will hardly be faith in any to believe a desiverance Others interpret this place as speaking of Christs last appearance to judgment that the earth will then be generally secure and that wicked men and unbelievers and oppressours of Gods people will abound and that true believers will be rare and very hardly to be found I shall not determine which is the true sense of the place but sure I am the wicked will be many and very secure at the day of Christ's appearance though the wicked be forewarned of this day yet they do not believe this thing than which nothing is more certain the wicked which are mingled amongst Gods people think strange that they do not run with them unto the same excess of riot they looke upon them as no better than fools and people besides themselves when they see them deny themselves sleight the pleasures and profits and vanities of the world and are so iollicitous above all other things to prepare an Ark for the saving of their souls to get an interest in Jesus Christ typified by the Ark that under his shelter they may be defended from the storm of Gods wrath which shall beat upon the head of the wicked at the last day The wicked do expect Christ's comming no more than the old world did the Flood in the daies of Noah But when the time which the Lord hath appointed the world to continue is expired and the Angel hath lifted up his hand to Heaven and sworn by him that liveth for ever and ever that time shall be no longer when the mystery of God is finished and all the things to be done in the world are accomplished and the day of judgment of old ordained is now come and Christ hath received his commission from his Father to summon all to his judgment seat O the dread that will on that day fall upon the wicked tribes of the earth when they shall see the heavens opened above and such a glorious Majesty with such a glorious Train appear in the air and when the earth and the graves shall be open beneath and all the dead bodies of all generations shall be raised and come forth and some of them shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the clouds and themselves with the most to be left behind and when they feel the wrath of God to begin to assaile them like a flood and to be poured into their souls like water when they see Christ coming in flaming fire to take vengeance upon them for their sins O this will be an unexpected and terrible appearance and so much the more retrible by how much the less expected Then they will not endeavour to climb up mountains but to creep under them to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb but all to no purpose no mountain will receive them for all the mountains and earth it self with the heavens will flee away from the face of the Lord Jesus Christ when his Throne is set for Judgment Rev. 20. 11. they will then looke about them and perceive all refuge to fail them and no way of escaping for them then they will with grief remember the warnings which they had of these things and be vexed at the very heart that they did not take warning then they will wish for an Ark and O that they had an interest in Jesus Christ and they will account believers whom once they esteemed as fools and mad men to have been the wisest people upon the earth and O that they were in their condition possibly some may endeavour to clamber up into the air with them when they are ascending to their Lord but they will have weights sufficient to keep them down The dread of sinners at the last day when Christ doth come so suddenly and unexpectedly will be far greater than the dread of the old world in the daies of the Flood 4. And lastly to name no more the suddenness and unexpectedness of Christs coming is set forth by the raining of Fire and Brimstone from Heaven upon Sodom and Lots going out of that wicked place Luke 17. 28 29 30. Likewise as it was in the daies of Loâ— they did eat they drank they bought they sold they planted they builded But the same day that Lot went out of Sodome it rained Fire and Brimstone from Heaven and destroyed them all Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man shall be revealed The Sodomites were notoriously wicked they were worse than beasts they would have offered violence and buggered the very Angels which were sent to Lot they were generally wicked there were not so many as ten righteous persons in the place though
in the flesh CHAP. III. 2. THe second appearance of Christ will be in Glory at the last day when the world shall come to an end this is the appearance we are treating of and therefore I shall speak of it more largely and show 1. The manner of this appearance 2. The end and transactions at this appearance 1. Concerning the manner of Christs second appearance what tongue of Men or Angels is able to set it forth what heart can conceive the splendour thereof Something the Scripture doth reveale and taking the Scripture for my guide I shall assay to speak something of it See Luke 21. 27. Then shall they see the Son of man coming in a Cloud with Power and great Glory 1. Christ at his second appearance will come with Power with great power he hath all power put into his hands in Heaven and in Earth now and doth exercise it more secretly then he will exercise it more visibly and apparently in the sight of the whole world To give instance 1. He will come with power over Death Death hath had great power since the Fall and is the greatest Conquerour in the world Death hath made an universal Conquest over all the sons and daughters of Adam Enoch and Elias only excepted which lived in former generations and hath led them captive binding their faces in secret chaining their hands and their feet and clapping them up close prisoners in the grave and none have been able to make resistance yea Death did assail the Lord of Life himself and got the victory for a while and shut him up in prison but he got loose before three daies were at an end broke open the doors and gave Death a deep wound as it were and an abolishing stroke in his Resurrection 2 Tim. 1. 10. presaging the compleat victory which afterward he would obtain over this enemy of man-kind Now when Christ makes his second appearance in the world at the last day he will exercise his power over death he will lead captivity captive he will lay his first Hands on Death and tread this Conquerour under his feet and strip him of all his force and spoils which he hath been treasuring up for so many years he will snatch the keys of the grave out of the hand of Death and open the prison doors and let forth all his captives he will loosen all the bonds of Death and knock off his chains and bring out all his prisoners into freedom and enlargment as it is said Hos. 13. 14. I will ransom them from the power of the grave I will redeem them from Death O Death I will be thy Plagues O Grave I will be thy destruction And it is said 1 Cor. 15. 25 26. that all enemies shall be put under the feet of Jesus Christ and the last enemy which he shall destray is Death And v. 54. When this mortall shall put on immortality then Death shall be swallowed up in victory And surely Christ must needs come with great power to get victory over such a potent enemy 2. He will come with power over Men and Devils he will have power over all his enemies which have rebelled against him over all the Principalities and Powers on the Earth that exercise Lordship and dominion in the World he will bring the Kings of the Earth down from their seats and pluck off the robes of Princes he will take the staff and the sword out of their hand and divest them of all their royalty and greatness and they who have employed their borrowed power against him how will they quake and tremble before him See Rev. 11. 15 16 17 18. When the seventh Angel sounded there were great voices in Heaven saying the Kingdomes of the World are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever And the four and twenty Angels fell on their faces saying we give thee thanks O Lord God all-mighty which art and wast and art to come because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned And the Nations were angry and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged and that thou shouldst give reward unto thy servants the Prophets and to thy Saints and them that fear thy name small and great and shouldst destroy them which destroy the Earth The Kings of the Earth and great Potentates will be angry when they are dis-throned and the wicked of the Earth will be troubled when the Lord Jesus shall come down from Heaven to call them to Judgment If all the Powers of wicked Men and Devils too who are greater in power than Men could they would make head and resist the Lord Jesus Christ and pull him from his Throne and put him to death as the Iewes did at his first appearance if they had but any hopes of making their party good against him how would they call their forces and gather their Armies and wage War with this great King especially when all the wicked shall be raised up and the ancient Rebels the Giants of the old World shall come forth of their dust and the Prison of Hell where some of them have been tormented by him many years O how would they combine their strength and so many millions of them together rush upon him with rage and violence and endeavour to avenge themselves upon him at least defend themselves against him when he comes to torment them but Christ will come with so great power that he will be able to deale with the whole wicked world of men together when they are raised and united in one body and have obtained more strength of body and are filled with more rage and spight of minde than here they had and are out of all hopes of making any peace with him and have the whole flock of all the Devils in Hell to joyn in to their company I say Christ will come with sufficiency of strength to binde them all in Chains and so to hold them all down that they shall not be able to make the least resistance he that hath power to raise the wicked from the dead will have power to keep all his Enemies from Rebellion he will come with Power 2. Christ will come at his second appearance with great glory At his first appearance he came like a Servant yea like a Servant of Servants at his second appearance he will come like a Lord yea like a Lord of Lords like the great Lord of glory at his first appearance he was â—loathed with dishonour and a chain of contempt was put about him but at his second appearance he will be cloathed with glory and honour and most excellent Majesty will be put upon him at his first appearance his Deity was vailed his beauty was masked with infirm flesh his brightness was under a Cloud though sometimes some beams did break forth with such a dazling lustre as made Peter fall at his feet saying Depart
shall live and ye shall know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded and as I prophesied there was a noise and behold a shaking and the bones camè together bone to his bone And when I beheld â—o the sinews and flesh came upon them and the skin covered them above but there was no breath in them Then said he unto me Prophesie unto the Winds Prophesie Son of man and say to the Winds Thus saith the Lord God come from the four Winds O breath and breathe upon these slain that they may live So I prophesied as he commanded me and the breath came into them and they lived and stood upon their feet an exceeding great Army Something like this will the Resurrection be at the last day Now the bones and bodies of all former generations are scattered up and down in the valley of the shadow of death some are sunk into the deep others are buried in the earth the flesh is consumed and resolved into its first elements and the bones of some remain of other are mouldred into earth now when the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God shall come down from Mount Sion which is above into the valley of this inferiour World he will Prophesie over all the bodies and bones of all the children of men that are dead and speak unto them to live he will say unto them whilst they lie rotting in their graves Live he will say Awake ye that sleep in the dust and O what a noise and shaking will there be then in the ground what a clattering of bones together in the coming of bone to his bone If the body hath been quartered and buried part in one place and part in another as the Levites concubine who was divided into twelve parts and sent to the twelve Tribes of Israel and it is likely buried in twelve distinct places the bones will fly through the air out of all those places and meet together in one body O what a great part of the air water and earth will there run into conjunction by the command of Christ and be turned into those very bodies which were resolved into them by death and the corruption of the Pit but with the addition of such new qualities as shall sublimate spiritualize and refine them from all that dreggishness and ill humour that shall be the foundation of any sickness or death for ever then the bones will come together and be made like stones for strength then the sinews will be as it were Iron sinews and the flesh brasse such strength will be put into them as I conceive is not to be found in the strongest creatures which hitherto God hath made that they might be fitted the bodâ—es of the righteous for an eternal life of happiness and bearing the glory of Heaven the bodies of the wicked for an eternal life of misery and bearing the torments of Hell either of which the body now as it is would sink under Then the Sea will give up her dead and the Earth will give up her dead Rev. 20. 13. As the Whale cast Ionah upon the shore after he had lain three daies in his belly so the Sea will cast up all the dead that for so many years have been buried in its bowels but what a stâ—rring will there be in the earth those which are alive will wonder to see such a strange metamorphosis of the ground to feel men and women stirring and moving under their feet arising and crouding for room amongst them Then will the Lord bring down all the souls of the righteous which have been in Paradise with him many years and they shall finde out their own bodies and he will open the prison of Hell and let out the souls of the wicked for a while that they also may finde out their own bodies which shall be prepared for both that they might both be prepared for the last judgment of which more when I come to the particular judgment of the righteous and wicked Thus Christ will raise up all the dead out of their graves 2. Christ at his second appearance will gather all Nations before his Iudgment seat Rev. 20. 11 12. I saw a great white throne and him that sate on it And I saw the dead small and great stand before God 2 Cor. 5. 10. We must all appear before the Iudgment seat of Christ. And Matth. 25. 31 32. When the Son of man shall sit on his throne all Nations shall be gathered before him O what a vast number will there be when so many hundred generations of people shall be alive together and gathered together into one place if so be the multitude of the righteous will be so great when they are got together into one body that no man can number them Rev. 7. 9. After I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations and Kindreds and People and Tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lamb cloathed with white Robes and Palms in their hands What then will the multitude of the wicked be when they are gathered together in comparison with whom the righteous are but few All Nations shall be gathered before Christs Judgment seat 3. Christ at his second appearance will separate the righteous from the wicked the Chaff shall be purged from the Wheat Matth. 3. 12. the Tares shall be gathered from the good Corn. Matth. 13. 30. the bad Fish shall be divided from the good v. 48. The Goats shall be separated from the Sheep Matth. 25. 32. By the Chaff Tares bad Fish Goats we are to understand the wicked by the good Corn good Fish Sheep we are to understand the righteous who will be separated one from another however they are now in some places mingled and linked together the elect shall be gathered together into one company from the four winds Matth. 24. 31. and they shall stand on the right hand of Christ and the reprobate wicked shall stand on the left Mat. 25. 33. In which gathering and separation there shall be no mistake as there may be now Many close hypocrites may in this world pass for true children of God they may live together and hear together and pray together and receive the Sacrament together and make the same profession of Religion yea some hypocrites may as to ourward appearance seem to outgo some of Gods own children in zeal and forwardness the lamps of the foolish Virgins may seem to shine with a greater blaze than some of the lamps of the wise when they have not the least dram of the oyl of true grace in the vessel of their hearts Matth. 25. at the beginning yea some of Gods own children may here be mistaken for hypocrites their chiefest life being secret and out of view by them which are uncharitable and they may also mistake themselves through the temptations of the devil and the doubtings of their mis-giving unbelieving hearts but at the last day there will
been making provision for thine and mine everlasting happiness Awake and come forth of the dust thou bewitching dirty flesh who didst lull me asleep so long in thy pleasing chains until thou didst suddenly open thy doores and thrust me out where I was awakened in torments â—efore I was aware now I must come into thy doores again that thou maist share and taste the bitter issue of sinful pleasures and delights And O how will the body be affrighted so soon as the soul is entered never did the soul taste so much of the bodies delights as the body will then feel of the souls anguish The body to the soul And hast thou found me out O my enemy Couldst not thou have let me alone to lye still at rest in this sweet sleep hast thou used me as a slave and employed all my members as servants of iniquity and unrighteousness and art thou come now to torment me and is this the fruit of all the pleasures we have taken together shouldst not thou have been more wise and provided better for thy self and me O what cries and shreeks will the tongue give forth so soon as it hath recovered its use O what fearful amazing sights will there appear before the eyes so soon as they are opened when they first peep out of the Grave and sinners see Heaven and Earth on Fire about them and Christ coming in â—laming Fire to take vengeance upon them O how dreadful will the shout and the voice of the Arch-angel and the sound of the last Trumpet summoning them to judgment be unto the eares O how will every joynt and member of the bodies of the wicked tremble when they are raised again at the last day 2. The second Antecedent to the judgment of the wicked will be their meeting with Devils the righteous will meet with Angels to welcome them out of their Graves the wicked will meet with Devils to entertain them at their resurrection and then they will not appear unto them like Angels of light as sometimes here they have done but like foul Angels of darkness as they ever were since their first fall they will not then entertain the wicked with pleasing baits and sweet alluring temptations and pretend to be their friends who consult their good and satisfaction beyond God himself the chief good of mankind as they did when their abode was in the world before but they will spit forth their venome and malice then in their faces possibly they may buffet their bodies and lay painful strokes upon them surely they will terrify their soules for those sins which they have drawn them unto the commission of O hovv vvill they mock and deride their folly and madness for opening their eares to their vvhispers for opening their heart so readily vvhen they have knockt at the door and entised them unto sin then the damned will perceive that the Devils design vvas their ruine and misery vvhen the pretence and show was consultation for their good and happiness that he laboured to please and delight them not out of love but malice that he might undo them that he lull'd them asleep that they might not perceive their misery till it was too late that poison was in his sweetest baits and that their softest pleasures were Sathans silken cords by which he was dravving them unto endless wo and bitterness then they vvill perceive hovv the Prince of Darkness hath blinded their eyes and deluded them hovv the old Serpent hath beguiled them through his subtilty and deceived them how they have been gull'd of a Crown and Kingdome they had the proffers of and vvere in a capacity to obtain then they will perceive whose slaves they have been whilst they were serving divers lusts that the Devil was their Lord and Master and led them captive at his will and now they will meet with their Masters whom they have served unto their terrour and amazement how will they be affrighted at the apparition of so many Devils about them When they shall throw into their thoughts such hideous apprehensions and lash their spirits with horrible scourges when they shall seize upon their bodies and tear them and drag them to the Judgment-seat and there is none to rescue and deliver them 3. The third Antecedent to the judgment of the wicked will be their meeting one with another as the Elect so all the reprobates will be gathered together into one company O what an innumerable company of Rebels and Traytors and Villains will then be got together how fiercely and horribly will they look one upon another and if they speak what language of Hell will there issue forth of their lips they may meet with their old companions and fellow-sinners but it will not be like such as they now call meetings of good-fellowship when they get together in a Tavern and Ale-house or some house of wickedness to drink and sing and daunce and sin and make merry in the pleasing of their flesh they shall not then have Ale and Wine and Women and Musick or any incentives to mirth and sensual pleasures the last meeting will be no merry meeting but sad and dismal the pleasing affections which they formerly had to their friends will be changed their love will be turned into hatred and the joy they have found in them will be turned into grief and anger O the angry countenances the wicked will have on that day it is said the Nations shall be angry O the angry speeches how will they rage and storm at one another especially at those who have drawn them into sin how will they curse and ban one another O the horrible noise that will be amongst the damned crew when they are got together It may be from words they fall to blows and tear one anothers â—air and spurn at one anothers bellies and bite one anothers flesh and even claw out one anothers eyes we cannot conjecture so much of the miâ—ery of the wicked as will be on that day 4. The wicked that are alive on the earth at the â—econd appearance of Christ shall see the righteous â—hat are dead arise out of their graves with marâ—ellous beauty and joy and those which are alive wonderfully changed into the likeness and fashiâ—n of Christ and all of them suddenly caught â—p together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the â—ir which â—ight will be fearful and amazing to â—hem when they perceive themselves to be left â—ehind We read Rev. 11. 11 12. When the two witnesses after they had lain dead for some time â—ad the spirit of life put into them and they stood â—pon their feet and were called up and ascended â—p into Heaven it is said their enemies beheld â—hem and great fear fell upon them so when all â—he witnesses and servants of the Lord shall have 〈◊〉 spirit of life put into them and stand upon â—â—eir feet and be called up and caught up in the â—â—ouds to meet the Lord their enemies and the
wicked leud practices which should they be found out in would fill their cheeks with shame blushing but Christ will call them at the last day to a strict account and bring to light the hidden things of darkness 1 Cor. 4. 5. And O the contempt confusion which they will be covered withall when all their shameful and abominable sins shall be made manifest 6. Christ will be a most righteous Judge he will judge the wicked in righteousness some of them will be found to have been unrighteous in their judgments and others righteous in their dealings and all of them unrighteous in their state but Christ will judge them all in righteousness he will judge them according to their works as he will be righteous in not inflicting upon them a greater punishment than their sins have deserved he will not punish lesser sinners with more stripes and greater sinners with fewer stripes so neither will he be unrighteous in inflicting upon them a lesser punishment than their sins have deserved but will proportion their punishment to their offence Rev. 18. 7. How much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her Christ will be exactly righteous in his judgment severely righteous without the least mixture of mercy the wicked shall have from him the summum jus and that sine ullà injuriâ they shall have the highest right and justice without the least injury Gods justice requires satisfaction for their sins and Christ will satisfie the demands of justice to the full upon the ungodly by distribution of such punishments as are the just desert of their sins Christ will even all scores at that day between God and sinners at least he will begin to take the payment of that debt from them which they owe for sin which they will be paying unto all eternity Christ will come with the Ballances and Sword of Justice in his hand he will come to take just vengeance upon disobedient sinners 7. Christ will be a most furious Judge he will be most gracious towards the righteous but most furious against the wicked He will come in flaming fire to take vengeance upon them 2 Thes. 1. 8. He will come in flames of love towards his people but in flames of anger against his enemies a Fire shall devour before him and it will be very â—empestuous round about him see Isa. 66. 15. Behold the Lord will come with Fire and with his Chariots as with a whirl-wind to render his anger with fury his rebukes with flames â—f Fire We read of such wrath on that day in the Lamb as maketh the Kings and great men of the earth to tremble and call to mountains and rocks to fall on them and hide them fâ—om it Rev. 6. 15 16 17. Never was there greater love and more tender bowels of compassion and pitty than is to be found now in the Lord Jesus Christ towards all them that apply themselves unto him under a sense of sin for salvation here in this world and never was there greater wrath and revengeful fury than will be found in the same Lord Jesus Christ when sinners shall come before him to be judged at the last day He will be very furious ten thousand times beyond a Beare when she is bereaved of her whelps or a Lion when he is hunger-starved How fiercely will Christ look upon the wicked What scorn and contempt of them will they see in his face What dreadful frowns in his brow What fiery anger will there sparkle from his eye in his looking upon them as if he would look them dead or look them into Hell before he hath pronounced the sentence How fiercely will he speak unto them There will be terrour in his looks and there will be terrour in his voice he will speak to them in his wrath and vex them in his hot displeasure His anger then will break forth into a flame he will appeare to be jealous and very furious when he cometh to execute vengeance on his adversaries and punish his enemies for their sins 8. Christ will be an inexorable Judge None is now more easie to be entreated as a Saviour whosoever comes unto him may be welcome to him he hath promised in no wise to cast out such Ioh. 6. 37. The most rebellious sinners may finde entertainment with Jesus Christ now and prevail with him to procure pardon and peace and salvation upon their repentance of their sins but when he is come down from Heaven to judge the world he will be inexorable No prayers or intreaties no tears or arguments will in the least move him to take any pitty on such as shall then be found in their sins When the wicked at the day of judgment shall have their eyes opened to behold the Lord Jesus Christ in his glory and Majesty in such excellency and shining beauty then one smile of his countenance will be really accounted of more worth than the whole world and to be made like to such a person and to dwell for ever in his love and joy they will then clearly see to be unconceiveably beyond all the enjoyment of the creatures in their fullest delights and to be thrust out of his presence they will account their chiefest misery then they will have other apprehensions of Hells torments when they are just ready to be cast into the burning lake when they are awakened in the morning of the resurrection and are brought to Christs bar and they perceive how neer they are to execution and great distress will be upon them when they look about them and all refuge fails and they see no way for them to escape If now with their cries and supplications they might prevail with the Judge for some commiseration if they had but the least hopes of moving his bowels and pacifying his anger and obtaining the favour of admission into the inheritance of the Saints O how would they all fall down upon their knees before him with the lowest submission and reverence how would they cry and weep intreat and beseech how would they kiss his feet wash them with their tears and wipe them with their hairs how earnest and importunate would they be with him for a pardon if importunity would prevaile If there were but one promise left in the whole Book of God for them which might possibly bring unto them some relief how greedily would they all catch at it and humbly wooe the Lord for mercy No no the Judge will then be inexorable they may cry but it will be to no purpose he will shut his eares against their prayers and hide his eyes from their misery they had promises enough whilst they lived but they did not regard them they did not believe and apply them and now nothing but threatnings belong to them and remain for them Christ often cryed to them by his Ministers and moved them by his spirit to open the Door of their hearts and give him room and entertainment
undergone could you eat and drink and sleep and not pray to God which was more necessary than any thing which is mâ—st necessary for your bodies and if there was no worship of God at home could not you have looked alroad were there none lived neer you who would have been glad of your company in the worship of God and way to Heaven could yâ—u finde out no religious young men or women suittble to your degree who would have quickned you and heartned you against discouragements Did not you devote your selves rather to the service of some lusts and were glad of any excuse when conscience would have minded you of your duty towards God Take them Devils binde them hand and foot 4. Come forth all ye Sabbath-breakers you that have spent the day in sleeping in eating and drinking to excess who instead of holy meditations have been thinking and contriving your worldly business instead of religious conferences have discoursed only of earthly matters instead of going to Church to worship God have walked into the Fields and spent the time in recreations or if you have seemed to give God a half-day service by your presence at Church one part of the day yet have worshipped him only with your bodies when your hearts were removed far from him had not you an express command for the Sabbaths observation and if the day of first institution were changed was the day and worship thereof laid aside and ceased to be a duty If the Iews were obliged to keep a day holy were not the Christians much more Was not the Sabbath made for man was it not his Priviledge to take that time for holy rest and worship and did the Gospel straiten mens Priviledges Did not the morral Law of which Sabbath observation was one precept bind throughout all generations could you call other daies holy which the Scripture gave no warrant for and not observe that holy day which you were enjoined Did not God allow you six daies for labour in your Callings and was it unequal for him to take one day for his own worship had he eased you of the burdensome Ceremonies under the Law and was the Sabbath so burdensome to you could you reasonably hope to enter into eternal rest and keep a Sabbath in Heaven if you would not celebrate the appointed Sabbaths on Earth Were not the works of the Creation and Redemption worthy your memorial was not communion with God in Ordinances desirable had you no need of those spiritual provisions which God did use to deal forth on the Sabbath daies to them that waited upon him for them What! not worship God either in your own houses nor in his house neither on the week-day nor Sabbath-day could your sometimes could and formal services be counted worship Did you think that lip-prayers would ever be heard by God that searcheth and requireth the heart Did you think that Sermons un-minded un-remembred which you did neither believe nor were affected with would be effectual to save you Take them Devils binde them hand and foot 5. Come forth all ye swearers and profaners of the Name of God Did you never read nor hear the third Commandement which forbad this sin Did you never hear of my strict Injunction that you should not swear at all in your discourses but that your communication should be yea and nay Were you never told that swearers would fall into condemnation Was the Great and dreadful Name of God of so little regard that you could not only use it irreverently so frequently but also even tear it in pieces by your oaths What profit did you get by your swearing and are you like to sustain no loss what pleasure did you find in your swearing and are you like to reap no litterness was it for your honour to swear by the Name of God or rather was it not for your dishonour but how did you dishonour God What an affront did you offer to him hereby you call'd upon him sometimes to damn and sinke you can you speake in that language now now damnation is so near you Worms could not God have trodden you under his feet or crusht you as easily as you could do a flie every time you profaned his Name and because he was patient would you presume because he did not presentlie punish did you dare him and flie in his face to provoke his fury You have sworn in your solly and have not repented and God hath sworn in his wrath and will not repent that you shall never enter into his rest Take them Devils binde them hand and foot 6. Come forth all yee scoffers at Religion and the zealous Professors thereof who thought and spake of Religion as if it had been a fancie and cunningly devised Fable and of the most holy humble and self-denying Christians as if they were the most mean-spirited foolish and contemptible People upon Earth and have used the name of a Saint in derision and Proverb of reproach Have you the same minde now that Religion was but a fancy Is your Resurrection and my appearance but a fancie Is your punishment eternallie in Hell like to be bus a fancie Had you not a sure ground and bottome for your faith in the Scriptures Could you have desired more reasonable evidence of things done before your age Could you laugh at Scripture-threatnings And can you laugh now you are come to Execution Could you contemn Gospel-promises And are they so contemptible now in your eies when now you see the accomplishment of them before you Against whom was it that you opened so wide a mouth Whom was it that you did flout and scorn What my Disciples because they were meek and humble and did not take the pleasures of sin with you and were strict in their profession and conversation What think you of them now Were they so mean-spirited and contemptible Were they so foolish which made so wise a choice Did they well or ill in staying till this time for their happiness Look upon the Persons now whom once you scorned and thought unworthie of your companie Was it so ridâ—culous a thing to be a Saint as you imagined Was not shining with them in glory at all desirable Would not you be glad to be numbred amongst them now Why do you not laugh and fleer at the Saints now Yee fooles and blinde sots do you know what you sâ—oft at Could you see no excellencie in Holiness and the Divine Nature in my Image which was engraven upon them Did ever any Man of understanding laugh at the light of the Sun They were lights in the dark World where they lived what mock at Holiness hereby you mocked at God himself who is so infinitelie glorious in this attribute and hereby distinguished from all his Creatures vile Wretches Take them Devils binde them hand and foot 7. Come forth all yee Persecutors of my Disciples Was it not enough for you to mock them but you must persecute them too Was it
hath raised him from the dead And Rom. 14. 10. We shall all stand before the Iudgment Seat of Christ. And 2 Cor. 5. 10. For we must all appear before the Iudgment Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad And Christs judicial proceedings is set forth at large Matth. 25. Hence then it follows that the Lord Jesus Christ shall certainly appear to Judgment I might add other Arguments drawn from the faith and hope and expectation of the righteous and Christs faithfulness love and the engagement of his honour to appear again but so much concerning the certainty of Christs second appearance CHAP. XII 3. THe third thing proved is to shew that the Lord Iesus Christ will quickly appear that is 1. He will come within a short time 2. He will come suddenly and unexpectedly when he doth appear 1. Christ will come quickly that is within a short time Heb. 10. 37. Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry He that shall come will come there is the certainty of his coming and yet a little while he will come and will not tarry there is the speediness of his coming The Lord is at hand Philip. 4. 5. The coming of the Lord draweth nigh Iames 5. 8. The Iudge standeth at the door vers 9. The end of all things is at hand 1 Pet. 4. 7. Therefore out dayes are called the last dayes 2 Tim. 3. 1. And upon us the ends of the world are come 1 Cor. 10. 11. We live in the end of the World in the last dayes in the old age thereof The World hath as it were three ages the youth the middle age and the old age the Youth of the World was from the creation to the Flood the middle age from the Flood to the first coming of Christ the old Age from the first coming of Christ to the second coming the old age and last dayes of the World began in the Apostles time now many of them are spent and we are come not only to the declining years but also to the decrepit age of the World and if the Lord Jesus Christ were to come shortly in the dayes of the Apostle much more shortly will he come now when so many years are past since the Scripture was writ and these things foretold If any should doubt of the certainty of Christs appearance because the Scripture speaks of the speediness thereof as if Christ had been in those dayes presently to come and yet above sixteen hundred yeares are past since the promise was made I answer that the Apostle Paul who in his first Epistle to the Thessalenians spake of Christs coming as if it might be in his time 1 Thess. 4. 16 17. The Lord himself will descend from Heaven with a shoâ—t c. And the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up in the Clouds c. The same Apostle tells the Thessalonians in his second Epistle Chap. 2. 3. Thaâ— the day of the Lord should not come till there was â— falling away and the Man of sin should be revealed c. And vers 7. That there was then a lett to the Revelation of the Man of sin which was thâ— Heathenish Romane Empire which lett was not likely in haste neither was removed till some hundred of years after and therefore it is evidenâ— from that place that the coming of the Lord was not to be until several ages after the writing of the Scriptures This may be sufficient to give satisfaction concerning the length of time since the Scripture tells us that the Lord Jesus would quickly appear If any profane Mockers shall scoff at this answer and say where is the Promise of his coming Do not all things remain as they were since the Creation Do not the Sun and Moon and Stars keep their constant course And what likelihood of the darkning of the Sun and falling of the Stars and the passing away of the Heavens with a great noise Is not the Earth established upon sure foundations and what likelihood of moving it and burning it with the works which are upon it and if Christ would have come so quickly would not he have been here before now I answer 1. That the Apostle Peter foretels that in the last days such scoffers should arise 2 Pet. 3. 3 4. 2. That all things are not as they were from the Creation for the World in the time of Noah was drowned with the Flood Noah only excepted and those which were with him in the Ark surely there was a great transformation of things in that age vers 5 6. 3. That by the same word of command whereby the old World was drowned with Water by the same Word the World that now is shall be burned with Fire at the day of Iudgment and perdition of the ungodly vers 7. 4. That though many hundred years be pâ—st since the promise that the Lord would come quickly yet there is not a failure in regard of God for though the time be long in regard of our account who are of so short continuance and time seems tedious to us because of the miseries of our short life yet in regard of the eternal God the time is but short for in his sight a thousand years is but as one day and by that account there are not yet two dayes past since the promise vers 8. 5. The reason of Gods protracting this appearance of Jesus Christ to Judgment is for our sakes it is from his long-suffering to us-ward that hereby he might lead us unto repentance vers 9. The Lord hath a number to be called some of which may be unborn others not yet new-born but scattered amongst the wicked but when the Elect are all called and perswaded to repent and believe and are gathered into Gods Family I doubt not but the Lord Jesus Christ will be here immediately The Lord Jesus surely now will come within a short time the certain time of his appearance is unknown Matth. 24. 36. But of that day and hour knoweth no Man no not the Angels but the Father only this is a secret which God hath locked up in his own breast it is written in the Book of this Decree and however other things are revealed and unfolded to Men yet the leaf where this is written is folded up and sealed so that none can read it yet surely it cannot be long before the mystery be finished and Christ be revealed from Heaven yet a little while and he will be here he stands at the Door and the Door will quickly be opened and then he will make his appearance 2. The Lord Jesus Christ will come quickly that is suddenly and unexpectedly especially in regard of the ungodly World The day of the Lord will come as a sâ—â—re upon all them that dwell on the face of the whole
Earth Lâ—ke 21. 34 35. And sudden destruction will then come upon the wicked as pains on a Woman with Childe 1 Thess. 5. 3. The Lord will come in a moment in the twinkling of an eye 1 Cor. 15. 52. As lightning cometh out of the East and shineth unto the West so shall the coming of the Son of Man be Matth. 24. 27. Further this coming of the Lord Jesus is set forth in Scripture 1. By the coming of a Thief in the night Rev. 16. 15. Behold I come as a Thief 1 Thess. 5. 2. For your selves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a Thief in the night 2 Pet. 3. 10. The day of the Lord cometh as a Thief in the night in which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise c. The Lord will not come like a Thief in regard of any wicked purpose and design but he will come like a Thief in regard of the suddenness and unexpectedness of his coming Men do not think of they do not know of they are not aware of they do not desire the coming of Thieves so the Lord will come at a time which Men do not know of when they do not think of it wheâ— they are not aware of it and he will be more unwelcome at his second appearance to the greatest part of the World than a Thief who comes suddenly in the night and breaks in upon their Houses to steal their goods and take away their lives when the Lord Jesus shall suddenly unfold the Doors of Heaven and come down in his glory and summon the wicked to Judgment how will they start and be affrighted out of their deep sleep of security and be filled with horrour and amazement 2. Christs coming is set forth by the coming of a Bridegroom at midnight in the Parable of the ten Virgins Matth. 25. 6. At midnight there was a cry made Behold the Bridegroom cometh go yee forth to meet him The Virgins were all asleep the wise as well as the foolish they did not expect the Bridegroom at that time the coming of Christ will be sudden and unexpected as to the particular time unto his own Disciples yet they will quickly arise and trim their Lamps and receive him with joy when the Lamps of the foolish Virgins for want of Oile will go out and they shall be shut out of the Bride-chamber of Heaven for ever 3. Christs coming is set forth by the coming of the Flood upon the old World and Noah's entering into the Ark Luke 17. 26 27. And as it was in the dayes of Noah so shall it be in the dayes of the Son of Man They did eat they drank they married Wives they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the Ark and the Flood came and destroyed them all The old World was very licentious and secure in the dayes of Noah though universal ruines and destruction were so neer yet it being a thing which was unseen they did not expect it nor take any care to prevent it It is said of Noah Heb. 11. 7. That by faith being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear he prepared an Ark to the saving of his house By faith he knew that the Flood would come when there was no appearance of it nor possibility in regard of the ordinary way of the working of second causes he believed it because God who could effect it and who cannot lie had foretold it and therefore he prepared according to Gods direction this great Vessel to defend himself and Family and some living Creatures of every kinde against the Waters which he foresaw were coming upon the Earth but the ungodly World having no eye of faith could not discern this unseen thing it is most likely they heard often of it by Noah who was a Preacher of righteousness but they did not believe it therefore they did not expect it nor fear it nor prepare for it they are and drank and slept and sin'd as if no such thing had been coming upon them It is likely when they saw Noah build the Ark such a large and capacious Vessel on the dry Land that they scoffed at him and accounted him no better than a mad-man as we should do a Man that should build a Ship on the top of a Mountain and expect that Waters should come up thither and waft it away But when the dayes of a hundred and twenty years which the Lord had appointed the old World to continue after his threatning of their destruction were expired when the decree had brought forth and the year of Gods recompence was come and the day of his fierce anger wherein he sent the Flood upon the Earth O the terrour and amazement which did surprize the secure sinners of the World at that time when the Windows of Heaven were opened from above out of which God looked forth upon sinners with such a furious countenance and poured forth his anger in such streames of water and the Fountains of the great deep were opened from beneath and the Flood began to arise and lift up the head and swell about them when the Valleys were filled with running Waters and the Plains were covered as if they had been a Sea when this enemy did combine so many Forces together having a Commission from God to destroy and strengthned it self on every side and environed these rebellious sinners round about and assailed them in every quarter when not only smaller Cortages were overturned but also the streames brake in with irresiftible force upon the strongest and greatest edifices when great Doors were lifted off of their hinges or broken to pieces and the Water like a Thief climbed in at the Windows and roaring all about with a hideous noise pursued those which fled from it following them up stairs even to the highest room until it had overtaken them and devoured them without mercy think what a hurry and affright the World was in at that time how every one shifted for himself if possible to preserve himself from the fury of this Conqueror how they forsook the lower grounds and flocked together to the Hill-Countreys in great haste leaving their substance behinde them with a sad heart how they were drenched with the Rain from Heaven and wet to the skin as they went along and scarcely were able to take breath the stormes was so impetuous about them and when they perceived the Flood to beset the highest Mountains whither some of them were fled and upon the top of which some of them had climbed hoping it may be that they had got unto an inaccessible place that the billows were mounting towards them now the whole World seeth their death and ruine to be inevitable that there was no contending with no resisting or flying from these armed Waters which God had sent to execute his vengeance upon them for their sins we may imagine something of the horrible perplexitie of their
come little thinking that the World is not of a years nor two dayes standing longer but O what terrour will seize upon these Worldings the next morning when Christ doth appear to judge them and they finde that whilst they have gained something in the World which they cannot now keep and will yield no profit in this day of wrath that they have lost their souls and happiness for ever which they cannot regain that whilst they have been busie about trifles they have neglected the one thing necessary then they will wish that instead of planting Trees in their Ground they had spent their time in getting grace planted in their hearts that instead of building Houses for their bodies they had laid a good foundation for this time and got a title to the building of God the House not made with hands which is durable and eternal The day before Christs coming will be a sinning-day with all the wicked and a day of general security some will be swearing and cursing others will be oppressing and grinding the faces of the poor others will be reproaching and persecuting of Gods people and the very night before it may be many wicked Persons may be got together Carding and Dicing and Drinking all night unto Drunkenness and others may be got into the unclean Bed and there lie in their filthiness and all will be sleeping in sin and security but the sound of the last Trumpet will startle and awaken them all when sinners open their eyes on this morning and see the Heavens open before them and the Lord Jesus Christ descend in such glory as hath been described none can utter what their perplexity will be at that day and the suddenness of Christs coming will make their horrour the greater some of them were told of this day of Fire when the Heavens should pass away with a great noise and the Elements should melt with fervent heat and the Earth with the works therof should be burnt up and what course they should take to escape the vengeance of this day they were perswaded to leave their sins to flee from the wrath to come to hasten out of Sodom if they would not be consumed in its flames to get away and not look back to flee presently into Zoar where only they could be hid to get into the City of refuge if they would escape the vengeance which did pursue them which had them upon the chase they were invited into Gods Family and into the armes of his mercy they were invited unto Christ and to partake of his grace freely they were told again and again if they did go on in the way of sin that iniquity would be their ruine that so long as they did abide in a state of impenitency and unbelife that the wrath of God did abide on them they were told how sweet Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ was and how ready he would be to receive them if they applyed themselves by faith with repentance for sin unto him and they were told how furious and inexorable a Judge he would be and what vengeance he would take upon them at the last day if they did not take warning in the day of grace which they had allowed them they were told that Hell Fire was very hot and intollerable and that Heavens pleasures were very sweet and most desirable and they were earnestly entreated to fly from the former and accept of the latter upon the most reasonable termes on which they were proffered But they were like Lot's Sons in Law they did not believe Ministers which warned them seem'd in their eyes as if they had mocked them their words seemed like idle tales whatever haste the Lots made out of Sodom they would not stir they did not look after a Zoar to flie unto they hugged their sins and would not leave them they heard of Christ but they neglected slighted refused him they did not apprehend such need which they had of a Saviour they were fearless of future wrath and careless of the salvation and happiness of their souls But when Christ doth come down so suddenly and unexpectedly to judge and condemn them and shall cast them into the Lake which burns with Fire and Brimstone then they will remember these things with vexation far greater than that of Lot's Sons in Law when Fire and Brimstone was rained from Heaven upon them who would not hearken to the counsel of their Father to escape it CHAP. XIII The Application THe Lord Jesus Christ will certainly and quickly appear The day is appointed by the eternal and unalterable decree of God and he hath revealed the thing though not the time in his word of truth the day approacheth it cannot be far off time is flying away upon swift wings the day of the World is almost spent the shaddowes of its evening are stretched forth to a great length yet a little while and Christ will be here he will appear in his glory never did eye of Man behold such glory and majesty in the greatest earthly Potentate as will be seen in the Lord Jesus Christ on this day all the state and pomp and splendor and glittering glory which some Princes have been decked withall in their Triumphant showes is no more to be compared with the pomp and splendor of the Lord Jesus Christ in this appearance than the shining of a Candle or Glow-worm or rotten stick in the night is to be compared with the shining of the Sun in its noon-day glory Ere long the great Gates of Heaven will lift up their heads and those everlasting Doors within which Christ doth for the present remain will be opened and then this King of Glory will come forth and come down with marvellous splendour and brightness of Majesty It is said Psal. 47. 5. God is gone up with a shout the Lord with the sound of the Trumpet then God will come down with a shout the Lord with the sound of a Trumpet 1 Thess. 4. 16. The Chariots of the Lord are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels Psal. 68. 17. All the holy Angels shall attend upon him and blow the Trumpet before him at this last Assizes to awaken and summon on the World to judgment then the Sun in the Firmament will be darkned when this more glorious Sun doth appear then the whole frame of Heaven will shake and the foundations of the Earth will be moved the everlasting Mountains will bow and the perpetual Hills will shrink yea the Heavens will pass away with a great noise and like a skroll be rolled together and the Elements will melt with fervent heat and the Earth wâ—â—l be on Fire and every Mountain and Island will flee away from before his face then the Sea will roar and all living Creatures likely will be in a strange consternation then the wicked Tribes of the Earth will mourn and the Saints will rejoyce at this glorious appearance of the great God and their Saviour But who will be alive on
this glorious day who will be the Spectators of these great things whose eyes shall behold this blessed sight who shall see the Lord Jesus come in such glory many Kings and Prophets and righteous Men desired to-see Christ come in the flesh and did not see him and to hear the things which he taught but they did not obtain their desire many Generations were asleep in their Graves before Christs first appearance the righteous saw him afar off and darkly in types and figures few lived in the dayes when our Saviours abode was upon the Earth he had not many Disciples whom he made happy with his personal acquaintance and abode with them A great access there hath been since Christs departure unto the Church who though they have loved him and believed in him yet they never saw him with bodily eyes Three things one desired to see Christ in the flesh Paul in the Pulpit and Rome in its glory but past things are fled out of sight and the wishes of such things are â—o no purpose death hath closed the eyes of many millions of Christs Disciples who have heard the report of him but never saw him And is not their hopes of seeing Christ perished in the Graves with their bodies which are turned into rottenâ—ess and purrefaction and are not we all hastâ—ing towards those dark Chambers where no â—eam of light doth shine and nothing can be seen the righteous indeed which remain when Christ doth come down will be happy when they see their Lord in the aire but if we die before the time what shall we be the better Beloved let me tell you or rather believe the Word of God which doth tell you that all of you will be spectators of the great things which shall come to pass at the last day all Generations of Men and Women that ever lived upon the face of the Earth and are sleeping in the dust shall then be awakened and raised and be alive together and you shall be found alive amongst them that which our Saviour spake to the chief Priests and Elders of the Iewes before whom he was accused and stood as a Prisoner Hereafter yee shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming in the Clouds of Heaven Matth. 26. 64. The same may I say unto all you that hear me this day hereafter yee shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven Rev. 1. 7. Behold he cometh with Clouds and every eye shall see him These very eyes with which you look upon me or one upon another shall see the Lord Jesus Christ come in the aire these very cares with which you hear me preach this Doctrine unto you shall hear the sound of the last Trumpet and the great shout with which Christ will descend out of his Fathers Pallace into this inferiour World these very bodies which are standing or sitting in this place must stand before Christs Tribunal Seat at the last Day Death hath a Commission from God to pull you out of your habitations and drag your bodies into its Prison and this enemy is upon the way and hath you all in pursuit and how neer he is come to your Doors you do not know his arrows are flying about your eares and you will be smitten sooner or later either when you are younger or older none can escape his stroke your time is wasting your Glass is running and ere long you will be expiring your last breath and these bodies which you are cloathing and feeding and providing for every day will lie a dying and be carryed by your mourning friends to your Graves And as certain as Death so certain will your Resurrection be at Christs coming Christ hath received a Commission from God to judge the World and he will come down from Heaven with the Keyes of Death and Hell and open the Doores where you shall have your lodging and bring you forth to judgment I must awake on that day if I fall asleep into my Grave before and arise and give an account of my self and the souls committed to my charge unto my Lord and Master and you must awake also and give an account of your selves and actions unto the glorious Judge your lives then will be reviewed your actions will be examined and it will be known then what you have been doing ever since you came into the World how you have spent your time how you have improved the seasons and means of grace then it will appear who are Christs sheep and who the Goats however they now flock together sometimes in one company who are wise and who the foolish Virgins however now all have Lamps shining then it will be known who have been wise unto salvation who have made their peace with God in the way who have furnished their hearts with grace laid up their treasure in Heaven and improved their talents for their Masters use upon the Earth and who have foolishly slipt and sinned away the harvest and day of grace neglecting Christ and the things which belonged to their peace and happiness until they were hid from their eyes who have been hypocrites and unbelievers and served divers lusts instead of serving the Lord of life and glory and all ungodly sinners will be found out and punished then all of you yea the whole World will believe the doctrine which we now preach concerning the vanity of the Creatures the evil of sin the necessiry of Christ the excellency of grace the happiness of Gods Children and O what will the pardon of sin the favour of God the least measure of grace be worth then our Doctrine concerning these things is as true now and the worth to Christ and grace and salvation as great though then Mens valuation will be greater because the worth will be more apparent But give me leave to apply this Doctrine concerning the certainty and speediness of the coming of Christ to Judgment 1. To Sinners 2. To Believers 3. To both 1. I shall speak to sinners 1. To discover them 2. To awaken them 3. To exbort them 1. For the Discovery of Sinners Will the Lord Jesus Christ certainly and quickly appear to Judgment and must the whose World be summoned unto his Bar surely then it doth above all things concern all of you to sit down and consider how you are provided for this day all of you will be spectators of Christ and his glory on that day but you will not be idle spectators as sometimes you have been of great shows in the City whilst it was yet standing which have passed away and you have gone away without much regard of the things you have seen No you will all be most highly concerned in this appearance of Christ more then Persons who are to be tryed for their lives are concerned at the appearance of the Judge who comes to paâ—s sentence upon them you will all be tryed on that day and your everlasting weal or wo will depend
and secretly tell any of you that you are in the number of those persons whom the Lord will condemn at the last day and sentence unto Hell methinks it should make you startle and look about you methinks it should make your hair stand an end and every joynt to tremble methinks it should fill you with fear and imprint such trouble upon your spirits as would damp all your earthly comforts and delights to confider the danger which ye are in by reason of sinâ— the guilt of which doth still lie upon you Every word of this Doctrine is awakening 1 Awake sinners awake Christ will appear to judgment Christ will appear whom you have read of and heard of and have had frequent proffers of but could never be prevailed to accept of Christ will appear in his glory in whom you could see no beauty or desirableness Christ will appear as a Iudge whom you might have had for your Saviour Sinners the Judge of the whole world will appear and can you sleep under the guilt of sin He will be a most glorious powerful wise holy righteous strict furious inexorable Judge as hath been shown from p. 65. to p. 73. and yet are you secure and fearless you have heard God's terrible voice in the City and that hath not awakened you and will not Christ's appearance to Judgment awaken you neither You have been asleep under the sound of temporal judgments and can you sleep under the thoughts of the last judgment when the punishment which shall then be inflicted will be eternal 2. Awake sinners awake Christ will certainly appear to Judgment if there were only a peradventure of Christs coming to Judgment methinks it should awaken the guilty but when there is a certainty of it how should it awaken you as certainly as God is true as certainly as the Scriptures are his Word as certainly as you are creatures and sinners so certainly will the Lord Jesus Christ appear to judge the ungodly World for sin at the last day England hath of late been under the stroke of several temporal Judgments and England is in danger of further and greater calamities God may put a more bitter Cup into our hands to drink than yet we have tasted of the danger of which should awaken secure sinners because they cannot promise to themselves any shelter at such a time yet there is a possibility that the Lord may be entreated to spare and put up his Sword and prevent our ruine which we have deserved but the day of Judgment is most certain God who cannot change hath decreed it God who cannot lie hath revealed it the iniquities of the World which are great do call for it therefore it must be the day will certainly come and yet can you sleep in sin If a Thief knew after he had robbed his neighbour that he should certainly be taken and judged and condemned and punâ—shed it would affright him you may know that Christ will certainly come to judgment and that all guilty sinners shall be brought forth and condemned and should not this awaken you especially since if you sleep on your damnation and eternal punishment will be certain 3. Awake sinners awake Christ will quickly appear to Judgment The coming of the Lord draweth nigh the Judge standeth at the Door the Lord will suddenly come down when you least expect it the Lord may be here and can you sleep when the appearance of Christ is so sure and so neer too can you slumber when your judgment lingreth not and your damnation slumbreth not If the day of general Judgment should be protracted for some time longer until all the Elect be gathered and the things foretold in the â—ord be fulfilled yet your time for preparation may be almost spent you may suddenly go down into your Graves where there is no operation and can you sleep in sin when you are liable every day to the stroke of death which will cut you off from all opportunities of making your peace with God for ever and deliver you up at the last day into the hands of the Judge under the same guilt as it found you when it first laid its arrest upon you 4. Awake sinners awake when Christ doth appear yee also shall appear when Christ is descended from Heaven yee shall be raised from the Earth you shall be awakened out of the sleep of death and will not you be awakened out of the sleep of sin If there were any hopes that by getting into your Graves before this day you could hide your selves and lie buried there for ever you might be the more secure but when your death is not more certain than your resurrection will be when the appearing of Christ to judgment is not more certain than your appearance on that day to be judged you have reason to shake off sleep and bethink your selves how you are provided Death will be terrible to you if it come with the sting of sin in its mouth if it shoot its poisoned arrowes into you but your resurrection will be a thousand fold more dreadful if you awake at the last day with the guilt of sin in your consciences Sinners think what terrours will invade you when you are raised out of your Graves when you first lift up your heads and eyes to Heaven and see the Lord Jesus Christ the glorious Judge of the World come down with millions of mighty Angels cloathed with vengeance like flames of Fire and look down with a furious countenance upon you when in your rising you hear the sound of the Trumper and such a shout given in the aire as will make a louder noise than if twenty thousand great pieces of Ordnance were shot off together just before you when you have a summons given you and you are dragged with the rest of the damned crew which have lived in all ages of the World to the Tribunal Seat of Jesus Christ O how will you quiver and tremble and be filled with confusion then and yet can you sleep securely now as if you were not at all concerned 5. Awake sinners awake when Christ doth appear you shall be judged by him Then the Books will be opened where all your actions are recorded then your sins now it may be forgotten and slighted will be called to remembrance and your secret sins which now you are ashamed of will then be made manifest before the whole World your old sins will be reviewed your old uncleanness your old drunkenness your old unrighteousness and you will be made to hear of all your sins past and gone many years before in such a manner as shall make your eares to tingle your hearts to quake and tremble and when Gods justice shall arraign you and the Devil accuse you and your conscience shall bear witness against you and the Lord Jesus Christ shall pronounce the Sentence upon you Depart from me yee cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels and the Saints it may
emulations wraths strifes seditions envyings divisions clamours evil-speakings back-bitings whisperings swellings tumults and follow after those things which make for peace as love joy humbleness of minde meekness long-suffering patience and the like that you may be found of the Lord in peace 2. Give diligence that yee may be found of the Lord without spot and blameless as the Apostle doth advise in the same 14. vers And read ver 11 Seeing all these things shall be dissolved what manneâ— of Persons ought yee to be in all holy conversatioâ— and godliness Get the spots of sin washed ofâ— not only the guilt of sin removed but also the deâ—filement labour to be holy in all manner of conâ—versation to be blameless and harmless the Chilâ—dren of God without rebuke in the midst of crooked and perverse Generation Take heed 〈◊〉 the sins of the times and places wherein you live joyn not with them in their sins least you share 〈◊〉 their Plagues at the last day Let your conversaâ—tion be as becometh the Gospel let your action be â—quâ—â—ed by the Word as those which must givâ— an account and receive a reward according 〈◊〉 your works 3. Sit loose from the World let not your hearâ— be over-charged with the cares of this life nâ— filled with the love of the World and that daâ— overtake you at unawares Luke 21. 34. Rememâ—ber that riches will not profit you in the day 〈◊〉 wrath that the fashion of this World passeth â— way and you are passing away and therefoâ— live here as strangers and soâ—journers 4. Lay up your treasure in Heaven Matth. â— 20. And get your affections set upon things abovâ— Col. 3. 2. And then the appearance of Jesus Chrâ—â— will be joyful to you because he will give 〈◊〉 poffession of Heaven 5. Be ready to do and suffer whatever the Loâ— calls you unto patiently continue in well-doinâ— for in due time yee shall reap be stedfast and 〈◊〉 movable alwaies abounding in the work of 〈◊〉 Lord because your labour shall not be in vain 〈◊〉 the Lord Gal. 6 9. I Cor. 15. 58. And what ever afflictions yee suffer for Christ they are light and momentany but the glory which Christ will give is weighty and eternal 2 Cor. 4. 17. 6. Give Christ your hearts let him have the highest room give him your whole heart let him have the choicest and chiefest of your affections and then he will give you his Kingdome and such expressions of his love will he make unto you at his appearance as now you have not thoughts to conceive 7. Maintain communion with Christ in his Ordinances prize Ordinances upon this account because Christ doth walk there and improve Ordinances for this end that you may meet with Christ â—est not in the out-side and carnal part of Ordinances but seek after Christ in them until you finde â—im and labour to grow into acquaintance with Christ and to keep fellowship with him and â—hen when he doth appear he will know you again â—nd own you and receive you to live with him â—or ever 8. Stand up for the honour of Christ in the World â—onfess him before Men and he will confess you â—efore his Father in Heaven Matth. 10. 32. Be â—ot ashamed to profess your selves his Disciples â—nd to own his waies and truths when they are â—ost contemned and despised by the ungodly â—orld because if you be he will be ashamed of â—ou when he cometh in his Glory Mark 8. 38. 9. Improve your Talents for the use of the Lord â—ho hath entrusted you with them All of you have â—alents lay them not up in a Napkin but lay â—em out in the service of the Lord whatever â—ifts or graces you have put them forth to usury â—at you may give an account with joy to your Lord when he shall come to call you to an account 10. Stand upon your Watch when our Saviour had foretold his Disciples of his coming he exhorts them and all to watch Mark 13. 37. What I say unto you I say unto all watch Watch against sin watch your senses which are the inlets of sin watch your hearts from whence are the issues of sin watch take heed of sleeping in sin least you lose your Garmâ—nts and be found naked 11. Be frequent and fervent in Prayer our Saviour joyns these duties together in his exhoâ—tation of his Disciples Luke 21. 36. Watch yee therefore and pray alwayes that yee may be counted worthy to escape all these things which shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man Pray without ceasing pray without fainting be often upon your knees and be earnest with the Lord that he would prepare you for this day that he would deliver you from that dreadful wrath which shall be revealed when Christ doth appear and which you have deserved for your sins and pray that he would give you those qualifications as may embolden you at the last day to hold up your heads with confidence that he would keep you without spot and blameless until the coming of the Lord. 12. And lastly Look for the appearance of the Lord look with an eye of hope labour to abound in hope by the power of the Holy Ghost and let this hope be an Anchor fastned within the Vail to stay your sinking hearts in the midst of those fierce stormes which do or may beat upon you in the World and look with an eye of desire look and long for Christs appearance dart up your wishes often to Heaven O when shall we see the Heavens opened and behold our Lord in his Glory When shall we hear the Trumpet sound and be gathered by the Angels from all the quarters of the Earth When shall we put off this dust and corruption and be cloathed with robes of immortality When will the Lord Jesus come down and show us his glory and receive us to himself that where he is there we may be also Christ hath spoken from Heaven to Earth Surely I come quickly let there be an eccho back from Earth to Heaven in your desires to this voice Amen even so come Lord Iesus come quickly I shall conclude all with the words of the Apostâ—e Iude vers 24 25. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceedâ—ng joy To the only wise God our Saviour be glory and Majesty dominion and power now and ever Amen FINIS
disobedient and untoward children slighted the commands of God and their Parents were idle and careless of instruction and would not open their eare to discipline such were old in sin when young in years were strong and skilful in wicked sinful practices when their bodies were but weak and minds sotishly ignorant in the things of God such had good examples before them but they would not follow them they saw dreadful judgments but were hardned under them they received many mercies but they abused them they had seasons of grace but they mis-spent them they had calls but they shut their eare against them they had convictions of conscience but they stifled them they had motions of the spirit but they quenched them they had proffers of Christ and pardon and salvation but they refused them and turned Gods glory into shame and his grace into wantonness Such and such were Sabbath breakers Such were Svvearers Such vvere Drunkards Such vvere unclean persons and Adulterers Such vvere Thieves Such vvere covetous persons and Idolaters Such vvere unjust and unrighteous in their dealings Such were bitter and reproachful in their speeches Such vvere injurious in their actions All the sins of Men and Women will be found in the Book of Gods remembrance Deut. 32. 34. Is not this laid up in store with me and sealed amongst my treasures God stores and treasures up the sins of the wicked and ungodly against the day of his vvrath and their perdition it is said Iob 14. 16 17. Thou numberest my steps dest not thou watch over my sin my transgressions are sealed up in a Bag and thou sowest up mine iniquities God numbereth the steps of sinners one by one sin by sin as a man vvould number every step and he vvatcheth that he may number aright he takes exact notice of the foot-steps of every sin vvhich leave an impression in the Book of his remembrance as the foot-steps of the body do vvhen a man walketh in soft Clay He putteth the transgressions in a bag and soweth the Bag and sealeth the bag all which expressions denote Gods exactness in recording and laying up the sins of men It is said Ier. 17. 1. That the sin of Iudah is written with a Pen of Iron and the point of a Diamond All secret sins will be found there recorded for nothing is secret to God whose eyes are like a flame of fire which gives light to every dark corner darkness hideth not from him but the night shineth as the day he looks into every corner of the Earth and into every corner of the heart and hath set our secret sins in the light of his countenance and all open sins will be found there recorded no man hath taken so much notice of others sins as God hath done he doth as it were book all down in his remembrance and when Christ comes at the last day the book of Gods remembrance will be opened 2. The second Book which will be opened at Christs coming will be the Book of Mens own Consciences and this will be the counter-part to every Mans particular of What is written in the book of Gods remembrance they will finde the same thing there registred indeed conscience now may seem to be asleep and say nothing whilst men are eating and drinking and â—inning yet conscience is secretly awake and busie in writing and taking notes of every Mans actions every day conscience hath its day-book which hath not an empty page the mouth of conscience may be shut and with much adoe for the present restrained from speaking and biting but the eye of conscience cannot be shut from seeing nor the hand of conscience restrained from registring what it takes notice of every one in the World hath as it were whole volumes of his own actions in his bosome written down by conscience and though the letters of some things done long agoe may seem to be rased and worn out so that a Man cannot read them now yet when this Book shall be opened at the last day they will appear in very legible characters like as when a Man writes with the juice of a Lemmon upon fair paper the juice is white and the paper is white and he cannot read a word when it is written nor while it is writing but let him keep the paper many years by him and after bring that paper close to the fire the white letters will turn black and become very legible so the conscience of wicked persons is writing whilst they are sinning and they do not perceive it after it is written they forget many of their old sins yea they do not take notice of them as sins whilst they are committing them but when the last day is come and Christ is come who will be reveased from heaven in flaming fire to take vengeance upon them and the Book of their Consciences shall be opened before the fire then all the notes of conscience will be plain and easie to be read and a ready confirmation conscience will give of all that is written in the Book of Gods remembrance and O how sweet will the testimony of conscience be of good actions how bitter will its records be of sins 3. The Third Book which will be opened will be the Book of the Law which requiring perfect and perpetual obedience will condemn all both righteous and wicked because all have sinned and by the Law are cursed Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them but then an appeal will be made 4. The fourth Book which will be opened is the book of the Gospel and there the righeous will finde the merits of Christ though they have had none of their own they will finde exceeding great and precious promises of pardon and salvation and eternal happiness which have been made to all them that did repent and believe in Christ and restifie the same by their sincere love to God making choice of him for their chief good and happiness and laying up their treasure in Heaven and by their sincere obedience to his commands and walking in heavens way and then conscience will give in evidence and Gods remembrance will confirm it and the Spirit will witness it and Christ himself will acknowledge it that all his true disciples have had the qualifications which have shown their interest in the promises yea the weakest of believers whatever doubts and fears they have now will then certainly know and confidently plead these qualifications which they have had they will be able to say that they had true faith though it were but weak that they did truly lay hold on Christ though it were with a trembling hand that they had the faith of reliance and recumbance though they had not the faith of assurance and strong confidence that they did heartily repent and grieve for sin though they had not that measure of godly sorrow which they desired that sin did not
them and we may â—ationally imagine that they will salute them at their rising and welcome them out of their graves we read of the Angel Gabriel's salutation of Mary Luke 1. 28. Hail thou that arâ— highly favoured the Lord is with thee blessed art thou amongst Women and the same Angels words to Daniel chap. 9. 23. Thou art greatly beloved Such salutations possibly the Angels may give to the Saints at their resurrection Arise you that are highly favoured of God come forth yee that are greatly beloved welcome welcome yee happy ones ye that are blessed amongst the children of men your Lord is come down and stayethâ— for you he hath sent us to call you and convey you into his presence bring you where he is that you may see and share in his glory O how will such words make their hearts to glow within them how joyfull will such a message be unto them O happy they that ever they were born or rather that ever they were new born O happy they that they should live that they should be raised to see such a day as this will be O what looks what speeches what joyes will they have when they are entertained by the Angels 3. The third Antecedent to the Righteous Iudgment will be their meeting one with another Matth. 24. 31. The Angels will be sent to gather the Elect together 2 Thes. 2. 1. I beseech you â—rethren by the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ and our gathering together unto him the Saints will be all gathered together and we shall be gathered with them if we be found in that number there we shall meet with Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and all the holy Kings and Prophets and Apostles and Martyrs and holy Men who have lived in all Generations and all these in another hue than when they lived upon the Earth they will arise like so many shining Suns ouâ— of the Earth O how shall we be delighted with the â—ight of such a glorious train and company when we see the Image and picture of the Lord upon them drawn so to the life what sweet greetings shall we have and mutual congratulations of our old acquaintance in the flesh who were with us acquainted with the Lord and is this the end of our hearing and fasting and praying and self-denial and mortification and the poor services we have done for the Lord Is this the issue of our pains and labour O happy we that ever we repented and believed and closed with Jesus Christ O happy we that laid up our Treasure and waited for our glory and happiness till this time 4. The fourth Antecedent is that the righteous shall be caught up together in the aire all the righteous shall be caught up they that are raised from the dead and they that remain alive upon the Earth on that day 1 Thess. 4. 16 17. The dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the aire we read of the two witnesses which were slain after three dayes and a half the spirit of life from God entered into them and they stood upon theâ—r feet and they heard a great voice from Heaven saying unto them come up hither and they ascended up to Heaven in a Cloud c. Rev. 11. 11 12. In the morning of the resurrection the spirit of life from God will enter into the bodies of all the Saints and they will stand up and possibly they may hear a voice from Christ in the aire Come up hither and then they will be caught up and ascend into the aire to meet with their Lord O what unexpressible pleasure and delight will they finde when they Feel themselves begin to move upwards when they are leaving the Earth and wicked men and so many glorious persons of them together ascending to meet their most glorious Lord 5. The fifth antecedent to the judgment is their meeting with the Lord in the aire 1 Thess. 4. 17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the aire We have spoken of the meeting of the soul and the body of the meeting of the Saints with the Angels of the meeting of the Saints with the Saints all which meetings will be very delightful but the meeting of the Saints with the Lord himself will be beyond all O how sweet will the sound of Christ's coming be unto them before they see him When they hear the long expected shouâ— and the sound of the last Trump This this will be musick indeed in their eares Then then they will lift up their heads with joy and do but think how transporting the first glance of their eye will be upon the Lord Jesus Christ when they see him yet afar off cloathed with such brightness and beauty never did their eye behold such an object before they admired to see the Saints and to see themselves so transformed but how will they admire to see the Lord in such glory if so be that some of his Disciples did gaze after him with wonder when he was taken from them and ascended into Heaven Acts 1. 11. With what wonder will all his Disciples most of which never saw him in the flesh none of which saw him in such glory then gaze upon him when he shall come down from Heaven Yee Men of Galilee why stand yee gazing up into Heaven Say the Angels this same Iesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as yee have seen him go into Heaven if you look and wonder now at his going how will you look and wonder at his coming which will be as surely but far more gloriously But when they are come neerer unto Christ and have a fuller view of him O vvhat thoughts What affections What joyes vvill there then fill their souls O what workings what beatings of heart what transports and ravishment of spirit will they have O how would they be overwhelmed with this sight and utterly unable to bear it if they were not strengthened beyond their present capacity And is this the Saviour and Redeemer of the world O glorious Son of righteousness Did this most excellent Person who thus appears in the brightness of his Fathers glory and is now come down from his glorious habitation with such a glorious train of Angels once vouchsafe to dwell with men and vaile his glory in the flesh Did this eternal Son of God stoop so low as to take upon him our nature yea to take upon him the forme of a Servant Did he live in such meanness and obscurity and indure such hardship contradiction reproach and injury when he was upon the earth O infinite condescention Did this Lord of life and glory in the dayes of his flesh so weep and pray and cry sweat and bleed and die though with such pain anguish and disgrace yet with such willingness and
â—icked on the earth will behold them and great â—â—ar will fall upon them But O the fear and â—â—ouble which will be upon the spirits of those â—nbelieving Christ-less grace-less sinners whose 〈◊〉 de shall at that day be amongst the believers â—nd some of them linked in the nearest relations 〈◊〉 them when their believing relations shall be â—aught away from them and carried up into the air with the rest of the glorious train of Saints when themselves shall remain below upon the earth It is said that at the time of Christ coming Luke 17. 34 35 36. Two men shall be in one bed the one shall be taken the other left two women shall be grinding together the one shall be taken and the other left two men shall be together in the field the one shall be taken the other left Friends will be together at that day as at other times not expecting Christs comming and it may be less expecting it than before they did some will be in fields together some in houses together some will be in beds together some will be in Churches together it may be Ministers preaching and people hearing as you are hearing me this day Suppose that the heavens should just now open and you should hear the sound of the last Trumpet and Jesus Christ should descend with a glorious train of Angels into the air then all yoâ— that are believers and have got an interest iâ— Christ would immediately be caught up in thâ— clouds to meet with the Lord but all you thaâ— are impenitent and unbelievers would be left behind and think what terrour would fall upon you to see us caught away from you it may be somâ— of you might come hanging about me and otherâ— when you see us arrayed in shining garments anâ— suddenly changed into the glorious likeness 〈◊〉 our Lord and called by the Angels to go up 〈◊〉 him O take us up along with you what wiâ—â— you leave us behind Alas what can I do for 〈◊〉 then I must say I told you of this time and this before but you did not seriously regard it so as to prâ—pare I called you often to repentance and preachâ—â— Iesus Christ to you and shewed you the way of saâ—â—vation but you would not accept of him ye refused him and lived in the neglect of your own salvation I told you if you did not forsake such and such sins they would be your ruine and yet you would not be perswaded to leave them I forewarned you of the miseries which would come upon you at Christs coming but you would not take warning Fain would I have had you all up along with me to meet my Lord and if I could have been instrumental to convert and turn you unto him my joy and crown would have been the greater O how glad should I have been of your companie in this Triâ—mph some did hearken and believe some did awaken when they were called and repent and reform their lives some were wise and did fore-think and make provision for this day and now see how they shine see the mirth and joy in their countenances see the issue and fruit of their tears and self-denial of their faith and love and holy walking Now now we are going together to our Lord whom we have sought and served and trusted for our happiness and O that you would have hearkned and been perswaded to have joined your selves to our number that we might have gone together O that you would have joined your selves to our Lord and have had fellowship with them who hed fellowship with the Father and his Son Iesus Christ and broken â—ff your fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness and workers of iniquity but you would go on in the broad way because it was more easie the way to heaven was too narrow and difficult for you if profession would have been enough and external joyning you selves to Gods people would have brought you to heaven this some of you could do with readiness sufficient but when you must have a power as well as a form and when you must mourn for sin crucifie the flesh mortifie the deeds of the body deny your selves take up the cross be so strict in your lives make conscience of thoughts words and all your actions this you could not away with you could brook to be religious sometimes by the by and when you had nothing else to do but to make it your business to be religious you could not endure you could put on a forme and outward vizard of godliness on the Sabbath daies but to be religious on the week daies and every day to be holy in all manner of conversation this was too much and a hard saying which you could not bear and if you did not like the terms of the Gospel and would be the servants of the Devil whilst you seemed to be the servants of Christ and go on covertly in the way to Hell whilst you seemed to be going in the way to Heaven what can I do for you now I thought you would have shined and gone with us when you shined so much in profession and is your Lamp now gone cut when the Bridegroom is come â—las who can supply you now with Oyle I have little enough for my self and none to spare for you and do you ask me for Oyle alas if I had enough I could not part with it and put any into your vessels â—t Now now it is too late I came with Oyle often to sell from my Lord and Master and you might have had it for nothing you might have bought it without money and without price but then you slighted and refused all prâ—ffers of grace which were made you valued your lusts which you must have parted withall 〈◊〉 it at a higher rate you refused the Oile altogether or at leâ—st took no more than would light your Lamps you would not receive any into the vessels of your hearts and do you think I can supply you with Oyle now Sâ—me of you had convictions once in the time of the Plague when death raged amongst you and â—â—me good worke was beginning then in you and is 〈…〉 off and come to nothing and dwindled into an empty profession Alas what shall I do for you now You know I ventured my life for you to preach to you when the arrows were flying so thick about you I ventured my liberty for you my health for you and was often spent for you and amongst you that I might be instrumentall to call and save you but when the thunder of Iudgments was a little over and out of hearing you quickly dropt asleep and the voice of preaching could not enter your ears and awaken you Alas why do you look upon me now with such rufull countenances and stand with such trembling joints and speak so earnestly unto me as if something might yet be done for you and are loath to let me go from your company Alas what can I do for
but they shut their eares and hearts against him and now Christ will shut his eares and the door of mercy and Heaven against them He will be inexorable Thus concerning the Judge of the wicked 2. The Assessors or those which shall sit with Christ in the judgment of the wicked will be the righteous This promise the Lord makes particularly and especially to the twelve Apostles Matth. 19. 28. Verily I say unto you that yee which have followed me that have denied your selves and parted with all and taken up your Cross and followed me in the Regeneration or restitution of all things when the Day of Resurrection doth come and the Son of Man shall sit on the Throne of his Glory when I shall sit upon my judgment Seat and gather all Nations before my Bar to receive their doom Yee shall sit on twelve Thrones Iudging the twelve Tribes of Israel and though the Apostles of Christ will be especially honoured and exalted in the day of Judgment and have seates or degrees of dignity above others yet this honour also shall all the Saints have to sit with Christ in Judgment 1 Cor. 6. 2. Do yee not know that the Saints shall judge the World They judge and condemn the sins of the wicked World now by their holy conversation and they will judge and condemn the persons of the wicked at the last day by their approbation of Christs Judgment The crimes of the wicked will be scan'd before the righteous their secret sins will be ript up and made manifest unto them they will not only be brought in as accusers and witnesses against some of the wicked of which I shall speak by and by but also they will joyn with Christ in the examination of all the wicked and they will also approve of Christs justice and righteousness in the condemning of sinners for their sins and when Christ doth pronounce the sentence of condemnation upon them Depart from me yee cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels they will joyn with him and approve of this sentence it may be they will with one voice say even so Amen or with a loud shout accompany Christs words saying Depart yee cursed into everlasting Fire A strange turn and change of things will there be at that day Felix who sate on the Judgment Seat when Paul was at the Bar will stand at the Bar when Paul shall sit amongst the Judges The Lord will bring down the mighty from their seats and all wicked Princes and Judges of the Earth shall be dis-throned when the righteous though of a low degree shall be exalted to sit as Judges upon them 3. The Malefactors which shall be judged will be 1. Devils 2 Pet. 2. 4. The Angels which fell are said to be delivered into Chains of darkness and to be reserved unto Iudgment they are punished in part now but their punishment is not yet compleat when Christ came the first time in the flesh and began to dis-lodge the Devils from their habitation in those Persons whom they had got the possession of they were afraid that he would have compleated their torment presently and therefore they cry out Art thou come hither to torment us before the time Matth. 8. 29. And let us alone art thou come to destroy us Mark 1. 24. But when Christ comes the second time in his glory then he will judge and condemn the wicked Angels and the Saints shall joyn with him herein I Cor. 6. 3. Know yee not that we shall judge Angels Then the measure of their sin will be compleated and the time of their torment will be come and their punishment shall be compleated too the way and manner of their Judgment is not spoken of in Scripture and therefore I shall not speak of it but that they shall be judged to everlasting Fire is evident from the sentence pronounced on wicked men in which it is said that everlasting Fire is prepared for the Devil and his Angels 2. All wicked Men and Women that ever lived or shall live on the Earth from the beginning of the Creation unto the dissolution of the World that have no Interest in Jesus Christ will be the malefactors which shall be judged by Christ at the last day this day is called the day of Iudgment and perdition of the ungodly 2 Pet. 3. 7. And the unjust are said to be reserved unto the day of judgment to be punished Chap. 2. Vers. 9. And the Apostle Paul tells us that the Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven in flaming Fire taking vengeance on them which know not God and obey not the Gâ—spel 2 Thess. 1. 7 8. 1. By them which know not God we may understand the Heathen and Gentile Nations this being the Character given of them 1 Thess. 4. 5. Not in lusts of concupiscence as the Gentiles which know not God And the Ephesians whilst Heathens before the Gospel came amongst them were strangers to the Covenant of Promise having no hope and without God in the World Eph. 2. 12. All the Heathen Nations shall be judged by Christ but I shall not speak of their judgment in which we are not so much concerned 2. By them which obey not the Gospel we are to understand all those Nations upon whom the light of the Gospel hath shin'd and unto whom the sound of the Gospel hath come but yet have not yielded obedience therunto so as heertily to accept of Christ for their Saviour upon his own tearmes all Christless graceless Persons who have heard of Christ and enjoyed the means of grace will be the chief Malefactors in the day of Judgment I might here give a Catalogue of the sinners which shall be judged take one in 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. The unrighteous fornicators Idolaters Adulterers effeminate abusers of themselves with Mankind Thieves Covetous Drunkards Revilers Extortioners and all other unjustified unsanctified sinners But more of this when I come to speak of the conviction of the wicked 4. The Crime for which the wicked shall be judged and condemned by Christ will be sin 1. Sin against the Law and that 1. for sins of omission Matth. 25. 42. I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink c. 2. for sins of commission and that 1. for sins of thought and heart 1 Cor. 4. 5. When the Lord comes he will make manifest the counsels of the heart he will condemn men for their wicked thoughts and contrivements for their sinful lusts and desires and delights 2. For sins of word Matth. 12. 36 37. But I say unto you that every idle word that Men shall speak they shall give an account thereof in the day of Iudgment For by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned If for idle words men shall be judged much more for taking Gods name in vain for hideous Oaths and Blasphemies if for unprofitable speeches much more for
awaking again and arising from our beds is an Emblem of our resurrection at the last day It is certain that the dead shall be raised which hath been proved 2. And secondly it is as certain that Christ shall raise them I will raise them at the last day Ioh. 6. 40. this is spoken of believers but it is spoken also of all Ioh. 5. 28 29. The hour is coming in which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice and come forth they that have done good to the resurrection of life and they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation Hence it strongly follows If the dead shall certainly be raised the Lord Jesus shall raise them that the appearance of Christ to do it is certain 3. Arg. The third Argument to prove the certainty of Christ's second appearance may be drawn from the certainty of the last general Judgment If there will certainly be a day of general Iudgment and the Lord Iesus Christ will be the Iudge then the second appearance of Christ is certain But there will be certainly a day of general judgment and the Lord Iesus Christ will be the Iudge therefore Christs appearance is certain 1. The certainty of the last judgment is evident from Scripture Heb. 6. 2. 2 Pet. 3. 9. Rom. 2. 5 6 7. and elsewhere frequently and I shall further prove it by Scripture arguments It doth appear there will be a day of Judgment 1. From Gods appâ—intment Act. 17. 31. He hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness God appointed the creation of the world which accordingly he effected he appointed the reconciliation of the world to himself which he brought to pass and having arpointed the judgment of the world it shall as certainly be brought to pass in its day Nothing can frustrate God's appointments God being so infinite in wisdom doth not appoint any thing about which there shall be any reason to after his determination and God being so infinite in power nothing can hinder the effecting of what he hath determined shall be done 2. From Gods Supreme and universal Soveraignty he is the blessed and the great Potentate which rules over all the Kingdoms of the earth He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Timâ— 6. 15. All the children of men are not only his creatures but also his subjects As it is the work of earthly Kings to judge their subjects and to dispense rewards and punishments so God being the supreme Soveraign will judge all his subjects Kings are but Gods Vicegerents they rule under him and they must give an account unto him God wil judge the Judges of the Earth men do often judge unrighteously sometimes through their own wickedness and partiality sometimes through ignorance and false information the righteous are condemned by some and notorious offenders are acquitted and those which judge most righteously cannot finde out all that should fall under the lash of the Law and the strictest laws of men do not reach all offences against God therefore there is need that the Soveraign Lord and King should call the whole world to another judgement which will be at the last day 3. From Gods most excellent Wisdom in the mannagement of his government over the children of men the wisdom of God now is much out of sight and is little taken notice of in the world there seems now to be a great disorder and confusion in the government of men the most faithful subjects of the King of Heaven in most places are trodden under foot and have many bitter cups put into their hands and the most vile Traitors and Rebels against the highest Majesty are lifted up into the seat of honour and spend much of their daies in mirth and jollity we read in Scripture of the various and great afflictions of Gods People Heb. 11. 36 37. Some there were mocked and sâ—ourged and tortured they were sawen asunder they were slain with the Sword they wandered about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destitute afflicted and tormented and yet such as the World was not worthy of whereas it is said of the wicked Psal. 73. 5 7 10. Their eyes stand out with fatness they have more than heart could wish and Waters of a full Cup are wrung out unto them and they are not in trouble like other Men neither are they plagued like other Men. See also Psal. 17. 14. Iob 31. from the 7. vers to the 14th So that if there were not another Judgment God would seem to have been an ill-contriver of Government for the welfare of his people and to have ill-consulted his own glory in the World yea his enemies would seem to have out-wiâ—ted him therefore it is needful there should be a day of Judgment when all things shall be set at rights and put in order when Gods wisdome all along shall plainly appear in the view of all and his glory be made manifest when his people shall be exalted and his enemies debased 4. From the infinite holiness of God now the holiness of God is trampled under foot by ungodly sinners they scorn and deride it whereever they see any Image or apearance thereof they scoff at the name of a Saint they hate holiness and many do their uttermost to banish it the World which is a high affront which such Persons offer to the highest Majesty in this high attribute it is therefore necessary that there should be a day of Judgment that God may redeem the honour of his holiness which now lies under such contempt then he will make his holiness to shine with an amazing excellency in the eyes of all those that did despise it 5. From Gods justice and righteousness God hath given unto Man a most just and righteous Law and annexed threatnings of everlasting punishment which he will inflict upon the breakers thereof Gods justice cannot be satisfied without execution of his vengeance in the punishment of all transgressors except it be of such who have an interest in the satisfaction which was made by the Lord Jesus Christ and all the Children of Adam being transgressours and very few of them having an interest in Christ and his merits and none receiving condigne punishment for their sins in this life therefore there will be a day for the revelation of the just and righteous judgment of God Rom. 2. 5. This righteousness of God doth engage him not only to punish the wicked for their sins but also to give his people that reward which the Lord Jesus Christ hath purchased and prepared for them therefore there must be a day for him to do it in Thus it doth appear that there will be a day of general Judgment 2. That Christ will be the Judge is also evident from Scripture Acts 17. 31. He hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the World in righteousness by the Man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all Men in that he
you into Hell into the Ocean of Gods wrath and can you secure your selves a moment from the stroke of death when you are most secure may not death be most neer when you think you shall live many years to eat and drink and take your pleasure like the rich fool in the Gospel may not deatâ— knock at your door that night and break in upon you and fetch away your bodies to the grave and Devils drag your souls to Hell Awake then before you sleep the sleep of death awake out of the sleep of sin think with yoâ— selves this night we may be in Hell and free â— rather bound in Chains of Darkness and horroâ— amongst the damned or to morrow we may bâ— in torments with Cain and Iudas with the Devâ—â— and his Angels and therefore give not sleep 〈◊〉 your eyes nor slumber to your eye-lids until yoâ— have redeemed your selves out of the snare of thâ— Devil and sin as a Bird out of the snare of thâ— Fowler or a Roe out of the hand of the hunter 4. Sinners consider the everlastingness of yoâ— punishment in Hell when your Souls are onâ— in they shall never come forth until they 〈◊〉 brought forth unto the last Judgment at Christs aâ—pearance and when soul and body are joyneâ— and sentenced to this place of torment and thruâ— into it the Door will be shut upon you and yoâ— will be locked in so that it will be impossible sâ— you to get forth for ever your bodies as well 〈◊〉 souls will be immortal and the Fire of Hell wiâ— be everlasting those flames will never be quencâ—ed and your torments will never be ended whâ—â— you have been ten thousand times ten thousaâ—â— millions of years in Hell it will not bear the pâ—â—â—portion of a moment of time to the unmeasuâ—rable space of Eternity in which you must be tormented for sin your punishment will alwayes be in the beginning of it never never never will it come to a conclusion nor your to any hopes of it as long as God lives and Heaven continues which will be for evermore so long will Hell continue and you abide in extremity of torments without any possibility of release and deliverance Awake sinners awake think how horrible the thoughts of Eternity in Hell will be Extremity and Eternity will be the great aggravation of your misery methinks the danger of such torment should fill you with such fear and terrour that nothing should be able to remove until you had secured your selves by an interest in him who alone can deliver from the wrath to come and yet can you be secure when you are in the greatest danger Awake think whether the pleasures of sin for a season are to be compared with the eternal torâ—ments of Hell or the uncertain treasures of Earth with the eternal store of Gods wrath or the empty vanishing wordly honour with the exceeding and everlasting weight of misery which the damned shall sink under in Hell If any sleepy sinners begin to startle with such thunder-claps of Judgment and being unwilling to part with their sins feel their hearts to rise within them against the message and Messengers for thrusting such harsh things into their eares for molesting their spirits and disturbing the peace which they have hitherto had in their sinful way cannot Ministers let us alone will they be called to an account for us will they suffer for us and why do they thus affright us with Peales of Judgment Beloved we Ministers are set as Watchmen to sound the Trumpet and warn you of Judgment which if we should neglect to do your blood would be required at our hands Ezek. 33. from the 1. vers to theâ—â— 1. And we shall be called to an account for the Souls committed to our charge Heb. 13. 17. And therefore having notice given us by God in his Word of the coming of Christ to judge and punish the ungodly World at the last day and knowing the terrour of the Lord how terrible the day of Judgment will be unto you if you be found amongst the ungodly and how terrible the day will be unto us if we be sound unfaithful to your souls we warn you and perswade you to flee from the wrath to come and can you blame us then for using harsh language when we cannot omit it without danger to our selves and your souls when otherwise we cannot be faithful to you nor to our Master who hath sent us to declare these things we might indeed like some slaâ—ter you and sooth you up in a way of sin we might speak smooth things unto you and prophesie deceits but what advantage would it be unto you to be deceived if you were pleased with us and did commend us here I am sure you would curse us for our unfaithfulness hereafter Sinners it is not cruelty but pitty and mercy to shoot the sharp arrows of Gods threatnings into your consciences it is not out of hatred but tender love to your souls that we endeavour to thrust the sword of the spirit into your bosomes that if possible we might wound sin to the heart and fetch forth the blood thereof as it were which if it still live in you will be your ruine Christ will certainly and quickly be here and when he doth appear we shall appear to be judged and is it not good you should know it before hand that you might be prepared If any be so awakened by this Doctrine concerning Christs coming to Judgment that they begin to feel a sting and wound in their spirits and are so perplexed with fear of being condemned for their sins which their consciences do accuse them of that they know not what to do yet are willing to take any course to prevent their ruine and those dreadful miserics which they are in danger of at that day I shall speak unto such by way of Counsel and Exhortation 3. For the Exhortation of Sinners Will the Lord Jesus Christ certainly and quickly appear to Judgment there are two things I would exhort sinners unto that they may escape the wrath of God which on that day will be revealed and inflicted upon all the wicked of the Earth 1. Flee from Sin 2. Flee unto Christ If you would flee from wrath and Hell Or 1. Repent of Sin 2. Get an interest in Christ. And then you may be able to stand with confidence before the Son of Man at his appearance yea whatever your sins be now do these two things effectually and when Christ doth appear you also shall appear with him in glory 1. Sinners repent of sin Acts 17. 30 31. God commandeth all Men every where to repent this is a duty which God requires of all Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the World in righteousness c. This is the Argument to enforce the duty It is your duty to repent because you have sinned and God commandeth you to do it and it is your interest and
ravished with transporting joy which no heart now can conceive 5. Rejoyce believers rejoyce when Christ dâ—â— appear yee shall be judged by him yee shall not be condemned by him but yee shall be judged by him your advocate will be your judge Who shall then lay any thing to your charge God will then justify you who then shall condemn you Christ will acquit and absolve you You will openly be declared righteous on that day through the righteousness of Jesus Christ which here hath been imputed to you Christ will own you then for his redeemed people whom he hath purchased with his own blood then all your works of mercy will be made mention of all your services of Christ in the World will be had in remembrance all your graces will be taken notice of and the Lord will kindly accept of the improvement of the smallest talents which he hath intrusted you withall Well done good and faithfull Servants yee have been faithful in a few things enter into the joy of your Lord Matth. 25. 21. And if you have been persecuted for righteousness sake if you have been imprisoned banished reproached and greatly afflicted for Christs sake if you have left Father Mother Wife Children Houses Lands yea and have laid down your lives for the testimony of Jesus and that you might keep a good conscience think what entertainment the Lord Jesus will give to you at that time and O how will you rejoyce that the Lord should confer so great honour and dignity upon you as to call you forth and enable you to suffer for his name and think how sweetly the sentence which Christ shall pronounce upon you will sound in your eares Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the World 6. Rejoyce Believers rejoyce when Christ doth appear he will reward you he will give you a crown of glory which fadeth not away he will not only judge and sentence you to inherit the Kingdome of Heaven but he will receive you into the Kingdome he will give you possession thereof he will carry you along with him unto glory he will lead you and bring you into the new Ierusalem he will show you the Father unto your full satisfaction and you shall behold his glory and share in it he will put you into those mansions which he hath prepared for you Then and never till then shall you be perfectly happy and the fore-thoughts of this is matter of exceeding great comfort especially if you consider these four properties of Heavens happiness 1. Believers consider the greatness of the happiness of Heaven it will be full and you will be filled therewith unto your utmost capacity yea beyond what here you are capable of consider these particulars in your happiness of Heaven 1. Think what bodies you will have they will be most beautiful and glorious bodies they will be most healthful strong and immortal bodies you will then bear the image of the Heavenly Adam in regard of your bodies as well as in regard of your souls Rejoyce then believers rejoyce what though some of you have crooked and deformed bodies now what though some of you are blinde or lame or maimed or have your bodies filled with irksome pains and weakned with long sickness what though you live in expectation of death and these bodies whatever their mold and shape be must ere long be carried to the cold stinking grave and be turned into putrefaction yet rejoice you that are believers because your bodies will be made so glorious in the resurrection when all blemishes of nature will be healed and all sickness and pain will be removed because they will be raised in incorruption and freed from any more dominion of death for ever 2. Think what Souls you shall have you will be glorious without your bodies will shine but you will be far more glorious within your souls will shine much more then your souls shall be washed clean from all remainders of sin so that they shall not have the least spot or stain then you shall be cleansed from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and arrive unto perfection of holiness then the feeds of grace will be grown up into the flowers of glory and O what a fragrant garden will your souls be when the rude draught as it were of Christ here in your hearts shall be finished and perfected by Gods Pensil and your spirits shall be made perfectly like unto your glorious Lord O how beautiful will they be in the eyes of God! Rejoice then believers rejoice it grieveth you when you look within you and perceive so much remaining defilement when you feel such strong opposition of the flesh against the spirit and you finde your selves sometimes foiled thereby your weaknesses and infirmities trouble you but rejoyce believers because in Heaven you will be perfectly freed from sin you will never be foiled nor defiled with it any more but you will be made perfectly holy and perfectly happy 3. Think what habitations ye shall have you shall have Mansions in the Fathers house Joh. 14. 2. A building of God a house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5. 1. your persons will be glorious and your habitations will be glorious Rejoyce then believers rejoyce what though some of you live in poor and mean cottages then you shall live in the glorious Pallace of the King of Kings what though your houses have been burned with fire and some of you have not where to lay your head and none of you have a certain dwelling place which you can secure to your selves yet rejoyce because there are Mansions provided for you out of which it will be impossible for you to be burned or turned out for ever The City which is above hath foundations which cannot be over turned and the building of God which is not made with hands cannot be destroyed by hands neither is exposed to flames of fire which may demolish the fairest City in the world 4. Think what Company you shall have you shall have the presence of the Father you shall dwell with the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God will dwell in you for ever you shall have the company of holy Angels and all the glorified Saints all your companions will be most lovely and glorious Rejoyce then believers rejoyce what though wicked men separate you from their company and think you unworthy of their fellowship God will not think you unworthy of his fellowship nor separate you from his presence what though some of you are forced to dwell in Meseck and are linked in neer relations to some ungodly persons and are every day vexed with their ungodly conversation Rejoyce for in Heaven you will be freed from such company no wicked person will be permitted to come into that place 5. Think what Treasures you shall have you shall have Treasures which cannot be corrupted by moth nor stoln by thief your riches
will be durable and unsearchable Rejoice then believers rejoice what though you are poor in the world you are rich in saith and hope what though you have no inheritance on earth yet you are heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven you shall have an inheritance which is incorruptible and undefiled what though you indure some hardship in your journey through the world when you come home to your Fathers house you shall be freed from all want and have such treasures to spend upon which can never be exhausted 6. Think what Honours you shall have the meanest of you will be exalted unto higher dignity than the greatest Monarch that ever lived you will be crowned with immortal glory you will be honoured by God and the Angels and you will not only have honour but you will be made most honourable Rejoice then believers and take comfort though you are scorned by some and accounted as the off-scouring of the earth you are reproached and vilified by men here but all your reproaches especially those which you have born for the sake of Jesus Christ shall be wreathed into a Crown and make you the more glorious in Heaven there you shall not have the least disgrace cast upon you any more and you shall be kept from doing any unbecoming action to blot and sullie you in the least but you shall shine like so many Stars or glorious Suns in the Kingdom of your Father 7. Think what Peace and Rest you shall have you shall have a most sweet peace and tranquilitie of mind no enemie without to disturb and molest you no devil to tempt and assault you no lusts within or distempered passion to disquiet you then you shall have perfect peace and then you shall rest from all wearisome imploiments and take up your repose in God for ever Rejoice then believers and set this chear your hearts in your passage through the tempestuous sea of this world ere long you will come to the haven where there will be no waves nor winds sometimes now you are troubled on every side and have no rest in your spirits without are fightings within are fears but in Heaven you shall be freed perfectlie from all disturbance and molestation 8. Think what Ioyes and Pleasures you shall have you shall have fulness of Joy Psal. 16. 11. you shall drink of the rivers of pleasures Psal. 36. 8. O the delights which you shall have in the immediate views of Gods face in the sense of Gods love in the high actings of your love in the fruition of the chiefest good and the high emploiment which you shall have in Heaven Rejoice then believers rejoice in hope of these joyes now you mourn and weep for your sin and because of the eclipses of the light of Gods countenance it troubles your hearts that you can see and enjoy so little of God that your love is so low and inconstant that your highest services are but mean and diverted many times by little trifling businesses in the world from converse with God in heaven all tears will be wiped away from your eyes and all sorrow with all the grounds thereof will be removed you will come with singing into the new Ierusalem you will enter and live in the vision and fruition in the love and joy and spend an eternity in the praise of the Lord. 2. Believers consider the sureness of the happiness of Heaven as surely as you are believers so surely shall you obtain this happiness you cannot be sure of any thing in the world but you may be sure of the glory of heaven and though there be not the certitudo subjecti and many of you be not assured of it but are full of doubts and fears that you shall fall short yet there is certitudo objecti the thing is sure to you Rejoice then believers rejoice your names are written in the book of life our of which they shall never be blotted labour to answer your doubts and to get your hearts wrought up to a full assurance of this happiness by such arguments as these which will evidently prove that if you be true believers you shall not you cannot miss of Heaven I. God hath chosen you to glory he hath elected you to salvation before the world was Act. 13. 48. As many as were ordained to eternal life believed Hence it follows that all believers were ordained to eternal life and I Thes. 2. 13. God hath chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and beliefe of the truth All true believers are elected persons and Gods decree of election cannot be frustrated because God is unchangeable because God changeth not therefore you are not consumed because God changeth not therefore you shall be saved 2. God hath promised this happiness to you I Iohn 2. 24. This is the promise which he hath promised even eternal life And Tit. 1. 2. In hope of eternal life which God who cannot lie hath promised If God hath promised this happiness and your faith doth give you interest in the promises and God be faithful to fulfil to them it being impossible for God to lie then as certainly as God is true you that are believers shall obtain 3. The Lord Jesus Christ hath purchased this happiness for you it is called the purchased posfession Eph. 1. 14. as certain as the purchase so certain will be the possession 4. The Lord Jesus hath taken possession of Heaven for you The fore-runner is for us entred Heb. 6. 20. He is preparing these mansions in the fathers house for you Ioh. 14. 2. and as certain as Christ is in Heaven so certainly shall those that are believers be received thither in time 5. Christ praied that you might have this happiness whilst he was on the earth Iah 17. 24. Father I will that those which thou host given me be with me where I am that they may behold the glory which thou host given me Which prayer was made for you if believers as well as for his present Disciples v. 20. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word And for this thing Chirst intercedes above and whatever he praies and intercedes for he will prevail for you and therefore you will obtain 6. Ye are Christs as ye are believers and therefore all things are yours saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. amongst which things to come are enumerated ye are Christs servants and do his work and he will give you your wages You honour him in the world and therefore you shall be honoured by him You follow your Master in a way of self-denial and suffering and if you suffer with him you shall reign with him 2 Tim. 2. 12. and be glorified together Rom. 8. 17. and where Christ is there shall his servants be Ioh. 12. 26. Ye are Christs members and where the head is there shall the members be Ye are Christs Sponse you are joined married to him and therefore shall