to give satisfactory reasons that our Lord Jesus will appear again and in so glorious a manner as hath been related It is in his former Epistle to this very Person his beloved Son Timothy Chap. vj. where he charges him v. 13 14. to keep the Commandment he had given him without the least violation of it until the APPEARING of our Lord Jesus Christ That is till his coming from Heaven with all the glorious train of Angels to recompense men according to their works Now that Timothy might be fully perswaded there would be such a blessed time and to be more ready and cheerful in his obedience to this exhortation the Apostle assures him that this is no such spectacle as is formed meerly in the imagination but which God the Possessor of Heaven and Earth will really exhibit in his time So the words are v. 15 16. Which Appearing in his times He shall shew who is the blessed and only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who only hath Immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen nor can see Where we are first to observe well those words which begin this description of Him who will shew our Lord Christ in such excellent Glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his times we render it or rather in the proper seasons for it That is in the time or season which God in his unsearchable Wisdom hath appointed From which phrase three things offer themselves to our consideration First That the time indeed of this APPEARING is not revealed and made known to us We must be content to be ignorant of it for it is kept as a secret in his own breast and it becomes not us to determine the season which he hath reserved to himself Some great men it is true have adventured upon it and Saint Hilary * Canon xvij in Matth. for instance hath delivered his opinion that the Transfiguration of our Lord Six days after he had spoken of his coming in his Kingdom xvij Mat. 1. prefigured the Honour of the Coelestial Kingdom as his words are after the World had continued six thousand years But this and the current fancy among many in ancient times that because the World was six days in making it should last just six thousand years had no better foundation than those misapplied words of St. Peter 2. iij. 8. That one day with the Lord is as a thousand years And therefore it is deservedly censured by St. Augustine upon xc Psal 4. as a presumption reprehended by our Lord himself when he told his Apostles i. Act. 7. It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power And yet there have been those who would needs be medling and conclude this from no better reason than the Translation of Enoch who was the seventh from Adam And there is one of great note in these later times to name no more who hath been so bold as from a slighter ground to conjecture the time of the Coming of our Lord. Who having said in iv Luk. 19. that according to Isaiah's Prophecy he was come to preach the acceptable year of the Lord or to proclaim a Jubilee to the World Cusanus thence concluded that for every year of our Saviours life the Church should continue a Jubilee that is fifty years And therefore he rising again in the 34th year of his Age the Church should have its blessed Resurrection when the 34th Jubilee was past That is after the year 1700. before the year 1734. which he endeavours to make more probable from the similitude of the flood which our Saviour he observes uses when he speaks of his coming Fancying that as from the first Adam to the destruction of the World by water there passed according to Philo just 34. Jubilees so there shall be the like number of years from the second Adam to the consumption of it by fire There are several other little fancies whereby he studies to strengthen this conceit But I shall not mention them because as St. Austin hath rightly pronounced again in another place Epist LXXVIII from that saying of our Saviour before mentioned it is better to confess our Ignorance than to profess a false knowledge And this we have reason to think is no better because such supputations of the times as he speaks that we may know when will be the end of the World and the coming of the Lord seem to be nothing else but a desire to know that which he himself hath said the Father hath reserved only to himself Which words our Saviour did not speak because he was ignorant of the time about which the Apostles enquired but as Oecumenius well notes because it would contribute nothing to their salvation to be acquainted with it And it is the office of an excellent Master to teach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. not what the Scholars desire but what it is profitable for them to learn This was the only reason he denied to satisfie them for he himself knew very well the times and seasons as the same Writer adds because All that the Father hath is the Sons also Now We are to consider in the second place that God the Father hath determined and set down a time for this appearing of his Son Jesus though he hath not thought fit to have us acquainted with it It is not the less certain because he hath not revealed when it will be since he hath fore-appointed in his own secret counsel a season proper for this business This ought to give no small strength to our Faith and Hope for we are wont always to make the surer account of a thing and look for it the more confidently when we know there is a time limited and prefixed for its performance The Apostle indeed supposes which is the third thing that many Ages might pass before this appointed time arrived but yet it will not fail to come at last The Phrase being in the Plural number * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 times seems naturally to denote a long time hence And if we observe the use of the very same phrase in another place of this Epistle Chap. ij v. 6. where he saith our Saviour gave himself a ransome for all a testimony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in due season as we there translate it we cannot well allow it any other meaning in this For there it signifies that our Lord at last did give a most memorable testimony of the exceeding great Grace of God though several Ages were passed by since the first promise made of his coming before he appeared in flesh to die for us And therefore here in all reason it must be conceived to denote the revolution of several Ages more from that first coming of his till the second Appearing in astonishing Glory as Oecumenius justly calls it How many Ages we cannot tell and some of those who thought
and they may find that convenience in breaking which they could not have done in keeping their word But He that wants nothing nor is lyable to any diminution of what he hath being in full perfect possession of all happiness pleasure and bliss can never be unwilling to impart good things to others nor desirous they should be less happy than their natures are capable to be nor tempted to go back with his word when he hath engaged himself to do them good No rather quite contrary He takes a pleasure in filling others out of his exuberant goodness and cannot be inclined to be more forward to make very gracious Promises than he is to make them good to those who patiently expect the performance Thus we cannot but believe when we reflect upon his Blessedness Especially when we consider withal that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the second thing II. The only POTENTATE This signifies His absolute Power as the other did his good-will to make such a publick show of Jesus Christ attended with the pomp of all the Heavenly Host to judg the World Which power of his is denoted by that word only to be independent originally inherent in himself and not derived from any other for which cause there can be no defect in it nor can it ever grow less than it is There are several other Potentates it 's true both in Heaven and in Earth but whatsoever power might or authority there is in them it is derived intirely from him as the source and fountain of it They have nothing but what springs out of him and holds of him who the Apostle therefore pronounces hath the Empire or supream Authority over the World alone to himself because whatsoever others have it is not natural but arbitrary and at pleasure his essential and of himself It hath no higher cause and therefore is inseparable from him and can never be either wholly destroyed or in the least impair'd and weakned No He continues always as He ever was the Rock of our strength and of our Salvation as the Psalmist speaks lxij Psal on whom our Souls may build a most sure hope which stands on such a bottom as no power whatsoever can shake For He being so very great so absolute a Potentate there wants nothing but his own will to the effecting any thing even so great a thing as this the appearing of Jesus Christ and of that we are secured by the foregoing consideration that He is the BLESSED III. To which the Apostle further adds that He is KING of KINGS and LORD of LORDS whereby we are to understand the Dominion which by His supream Power and Authority He exercises over the whole World over Angels of highest degree and Men of greatest rank as well as over other inferior Creatures They are all so much below him and so perfectly subject to his pleasure that the strongest and most mighty opposers that can be imagined have no power to do any thing to hinder this glorious appearance A force like that of the Persian Assyrian and Egyptian Kings who were all wont to speak in this lofty stile is not so considerable to him as so many flyes would be to them No nor if we should suppose a power that could claim a just title to the Government of the Universe would it be able to withstand the will of Him to whom alone this great Name of KING of KINGS doth properly appertain Nay more than this should all the Hosts of Heaven combine together in a confederacy to join with all the forces on Earth assembled in one body under their several Princes and Chieftains they could not by all their resistance defeat his Decree which he hath passed for the Coming of our Lord. And yet we are not to make any such supposal because they all obey his Commandment and are obedient to the voice of his Word And as for those Creatures be they never such Principalities and Powers in high places vi Ephes 12. which will not now obey Him they shall not be able at that time to gain-say his Soveraign will But they shall attend whether they will or no upon this Royal Person Christ Jesus The good Angels those Coelestial Lords whether Thrones or Dominions or whatever other name of authority there is above and all inferior Governours the Gods upon Earth Emperours Kings Princes and Judges of the World together with those evil Angels who are called the Rulers of the darkness of this World they shall all appear either with or before our Saviour according as the GREAT KING shall appoint who hath promised to show him for He is the supream Lord and Ruler of them all IV. And such a supereminent King as the Apostle goes on is He who ONLY HATH IMMORTALITY that is lives for ever to make good what he hath promised which cannot be said of any but of himself Earthly Kings are as weak and mortal as their subjects And so all their promises though they intend never so seriously to perform them and have power for the present to do it may fail and come to nought because they themselves may fail and return unto their dust And in that very day saith the Psal cxlvi 4. their thoughts perish that is all their designs counsels and purposes with all the promises and great hopes that depend upon them die together with those that made them But that Great King the Lord of Lords who hath immortality and who only hath it that is of Himself and not from any ones gift and favour being the Lord as I said of Angels as well as of our spirits which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. have not Immortality but partake of it by the grace of Him who alone by nature is immortal * Theophylact and Oecumenius He I say may be confided in and relyed upon Because He neither wanting power nor being subject to death or alteration none of his counsels and purposes can be defeated No promise of His can fall to the ground in process of time because He lives then in all succeeding Ages as much as He did at that moment when He passed it And besides this it is very considerable that having immortality of Himself which the Apostle means as I noted just now when he saith He only hath it He can grant this benefit to us even to our Bodies as he hath done to the Angels and to our blessed Lord and Saviour Who saith concerning himself i. Rev. 18. I am he that liveth and was dead i.e. am alive from the dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen i.e. there is nothing more certain and have the keys of hell and of death Power that is to open the graves of others and promote them to Immortality with my self And there is no reason to fear lest our Saviour should not come and appear to do this though it may be a great way off and many Centuries of years have passed since He gave us his
hearts when we consider the abundant grace of our Lord Jesus Christ towards us and how excellent the Hope is which he hath given us For he hath not only assured us that He hath all power in heaven and in earth and that he will bestow the inestimable gift of immortality upon us But that he himself will once more come from heaven to crown us with it We know as I have shown in two former Treatises that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding to know him that is true and This is the true God and Eternal Life which he hath revealed to us But besides this first coming to teach us the will of God to dye for our sins and to open to us the Kingdom of Heaven after He had shown us the way to it He hath bid us believe there is a Second When He will come to judg us by those Laws which he hath left his Church and to put the observers of them into the possession of that Heavenly Kingdom which He hath promised And there are none of the Witnesses who testifie that He is the King of Glory but assure us of this also that He will appear in that glory to take us up unto Himself More especially the HOLY-GHOST who as Epiphanius * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Haeres LXXIV n. 10. admirably speaks is the only Guide of Truth the Expounder of holy Laws the Inspirer of the Spiritual or Christian Law the Leader of the Prophets the Teacher of the Apostles the Luminary of the Evangelical Doctrines He made his Apostles and Evangelists clearly understand this to be our Saviour's meaning and authorized them to proclaim this comfortable news to all Believers Insomuch that S. Paul triumphs in this when he was ready to be offered for the service of Christ and the time of his departure was at hand that there was laid up for him a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord saith he the righteous Judg shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing 2 Tim. iv 6 7 8. In the last part of which words there seems to me to be contained so much of the Christian Hope that they deserve to be explained with the same care and labour that I have bestowed upon the RECORD which the Father the Son the Holy-Ghost and all the other Witnesses have left us to testifie that Jesus is the Son of God and that in Him we have Eternal Life For as it transports all true Believers with joy to read of a Crown of Life a Crown of Glory a Crown of Righteousness which is laid up safe with our Lord in his Heavenly Sanctuary as He himself and his Apostles in this and other places confidently assure us So it very much raises and encreases that joyful Hope to know from their own mouths that He who hath receiv'd and keeps it safely will condescend so much as to appear again one day to confer the very same felicity upon us which He hath obtained himself who is crowned with glory and honour Next to the belief of the truth of this report there is nothing we are so much concerned to know as who the persons are that shall wear this Crown and have their heads eternally honoured with it Piety it self indeed is very apt to perswade those in whom it lives that the unfeigned practice of it shall meet at last with some considerable recompence But that it shall receive such a Royal such a magnificent Reward as deserves the name of a Crown of Eternal Glory is a thing which that great Modesty and Humility which is essential to true Piety and its highest Ornament and Crown forbids us to be too forward to conclude A Person perhaps of such eminence and lustre as S. Paul one of the Stars of the first Magnitude in our Saviour's right hand may be advanced hereafter to shine in such Majesty But that we dull heavy souls should be thought worthy of the like favour none but a man so divinely illuminated as He was by the power of the HOLY-GHOST is sufficient to secure us And blessed be God we do not want such a Divine Testimony For after this great Apostle had related what a course he had run what agonies he had sustained with what difficulties he had wrestled in the service of his blessed Master Jesus and that he nothing doubted but He would remember him at his coming again and confer the honour on him which was laid up in Heaven for such victorious souls He encourages all other Christians to comfort themselves with the same expectations and not imagine they should lose the Crown though they came far behind him in the holy race if they did but LOVE THE APPEARING * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiph Haeres LIV. n 5. of Christ Jesus That 's the particular Mark and Character which he gives of the persons to whom this honour shall be done For the understanding of which and that we may the better comprehend both the happiness it self and that pious affection we ought to have for it which is the principal drift of this Discourse we are to make an enquiry into these three things First What may be conceived to be the meaning of this APPEARING of our Lord. Secondly What certainty there is of it And Thirdly What the LOVE is which they should bear to it who hope to enjoy the blessings of it CHAP. II. Shewing what is meant by the APPEARING of our Lord Jesus Christ IT is not hard to give an account of the first of these if we carefully observe and examine the Words whereby the Holy Books express it And there are Three of them every one of which signify that our Blessed Lord who now reigns in unseen Glory will once more appear visibly to all Mankind 1. The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render only his Coming but it is a different word from that in our Creed and in its proper signification denotes his presenting himself to us after he hath been thus long absent from us In the Creed we profess to believe that He is ascended into Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence he shall come c. But that we may know what kind of Coming we are to expect and not imagine it is meerly by an invisible power as he came to destroy Jerusalem we are to mind how the Apostles speak of it as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and teach us to understand that word in the strictest sense concerning his personal appearance to us Thus St. Paul discourses to the Corinthians 1. xv 23. where we first meet with this word in the Apostolical Writings that every man shall arise from the dead but in due order Christ the first-fruits and then they that are Christs at his coming in person that is as the King and the Judg of the World For so he presently after directs us to expound the word
behind when we shall behold him personally present with us to bring us nearer into the very presence of God We have the same word passed for it which they had for the other he hath the same Will the same Power the same Empire and Soveraign Dominion And therefore why should we not have the same confidence and expect it with as much and full assurance as Holy men in old times waited for the first Consolation of Israel or pious Christians waited for deliverance from their Adversaries There is so little cause that our Faith should think it self less assured than theirs that we may rather look for this second appearing of our Lord and Saviour with much greater confidence than they could do for the first Because we have the advantage of seeing all those old Prophecies which foretold his Manifestation in our flesh actually fulfilled and the Lord hath shown since that how upright He is and that there is no unrighteousness in Him We may depend not only as the Apostle hath here told us upon His Goodness and perfect Happiness upon his Power upon his absolute Dominion over all Creatures whatsoever upon his Immortality upon his transcendent Glory and Majesty and upon his Faithfulness and Truth but I may add upon the evident Demonstrations he hath already given in the most remarkable instances that His Mercies are sure and that he keepeth Truth for ever xiii Acts 34. cxlvi Psal 6. For this Blessed and only Potentate this King of kings and Lord of lords who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen or can see hath done great things for us already whereof we are glad He hath sent his Son after good men had long expected Him He sent Him to do for them more than they expected 1 Cor. ij 9. He raised him up out of his Grave and made him Lord of all He hath given him power to raise up us to eternal life as appears by the gift of the Holy Ghost which wrought in his Apostles and enabled them to raise the dead and do many other wonders His Judgments also have already been made manifest Revel vi 10. xi 15. xv 4. He hath in part avenged the blood of his servants and the Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. And therefore we may with a stedfast Faith look for another appearing of our Saviour when he will come in person to exercise this power himself wherewith we see he is invested so far as to change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body which then he will show to the world according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself iii. Phil. 20 21. CHAP. V. Containing the Vse we should make of what hath been delivered in the foregoing Chapter I Cannot think fit to pass on to what I further intend without some short Reflexion upon so weighty a subject as this of which I have been treating And therefore let us here pause a while and consider how mightily All this should move us to worship and adore this Blessed Potentate God the Father Almighty to acknowledge with the humblest submission His Supreme Authority to reverence admire and praise His most glorious Perfections who hath given us such a sure ground of faith and hope in Him For so S. Paul here concludes this incomparable description of him to whom be honour and power everlasting Amen Which is not said to exclude the other two Persons in the holy and undivided Trinity from receiving our worship and service no more than the giving eternal glory to our Saviour in the next Epistle 2 Tim. iv 18. and in other places takes it away from the Father but only to remember us of a peculiar prerogative which the Holy Scripture alway ascribes to the Father Almighty of being the Fountain and Beginning of all * So Epiphanius observes that the Scripture shows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Haeres LXIX Num. 54. and Nazianz Orat xxix p. 489 c. to whom it properly and peculiarly belongs to show this appearing of Jesus Christ And therefore the Apostle invites us from the consideration of His most excellent Majesty and absolute Dominion to acknowledge and confess Him to acknowledge and praise Him First As worthy of all HONOUR worship veneration and service Because Secondly He hath all POWER and authority over us and over all Creatures an independent uncontroulable Power And that Thirdly EVERLASTINGLY to be celebrated not only by us but by all that shall come after us to the worlds end Nay to be praised and magnified by Saints and Angels in Heaven to Eternal Ages To this we should every one of us together with the Apostle most heartily say AMEN Let be so We give our consent unfeignedly to it and wish from the bottom of our souls that all men would honour and submit unto this blessed and only Potentate the King of kings and the Lord of lords What though No man ever saw him Nay what though No man can see Him Yet Glory Honour and Power is to be ascribed to Him because we see his works of Wonder every where The Heavens and the Earth declare the greatness of his glory and from all things that we behold we learn his rich Goodness his infinite Power his immortal Bliss and that He is such a Potentate as the greatest Kings and Princes upon earth nay the highest Thrones and Principalities in Heaven ought to worship and obey with the greatest reverence And much more is this due from us poor and inferior creatures especially since He hath shown Himself so gracious to us in our Saviour the most excellent demonstration of his blessed Nature and mighty Love and hath promised He shall appear once more in greater glory than ever and hath taught us to believe by all the Notions we have of Him that He will never fail to make that promise good And as we ought to Honour God the Father of all so this naturally moves us out of a particular obligation to honour and obey our Lord Jesus Christ as the Person whom this Great Majesty will show in wonderful honour and glory at the great day This is the very reason you must mark wherewith the Apostle backs his Charge to Timothy to keep the Commandment he gave him without spot unrebukable until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ v. 14. because the blessed and only Potentate will certainly in his own time shew the glory wherein He lives by his appearing again in Royal Majesty in the sight of all the World It concerns us therefore as well as it did Timothy to have an exceeding great regard to this most glorious Person whom God will so highly honour and to take care that we behave our selves so as to be unreprovable at that day We must observe His Commandments that is as exactly as we can and
ever beheld thy face that was not impatient to be conformed to thee None have tasted thy sweetness who could be satisfied till they came to the fountain of it Therefore suffer us Good Lord to beg some more of thee since thou hast given us so much Yea suffer us to ask when thou wilt come and give us all that so we may ask no more of thee O how joyful will that time be which shall make us so complete that all our business will be to praise and thank thee How comfortable will thy appearing be which shall make us appear with thee O come Dear Saviour that we may come to thee Come that we may so come to thee as to be for ever with thee CHAP. VII Two further steps in this Love of Christs appearing III. NOW when we feel our souls thus touched with any thing that seems very good and convenient for us the first approaches of it beget a complacence in the heart and give it a sense of no small joy and pleasure For when the Image you may observe of any good that imprinted it self is on the mind or imagination it instantly endeavours to proceed further and creeps into the heart the will and affections which cannot but turn themselves towards it to feel what this is which shows so fairly and comes so kindly to salute them Now when the heart thus looks about to see what it is that courts it you shall find if you mark it that at the very first greeting it is entertained with a certain delight and pleasure which this new-come guest brings along with it to invite us to it For if you examine things strictly and with such a curious eye as some have done you will perceive that this Image which imprints it self upon us is of the same nature with light or any shining body It casts as I may say its bright rays round about the soul it disperses it self by a kind of illumination into the will and affections that they may be sensible how amiable it is Which when they are the Light is not more pleasant to the eyes than this is to the heart It rejoyces in this good which presents it self to its enjoyment as a man doth in the welcome approach of an ancient Friend whom he is glad to see but much more glad to feel in his arms And such is the contentment that the belief of Christs appearing gives to all those who fix their thoughts upon it It chears and refreshes their spirits It smooths their minds and makes them so calm and still that the Halcyon days are but fabulous shadows of that rest and peace which then they feel in themselves Their heart is intirely delighted and satisfied with this belief It is so transported beyond it self with this comfortable perswasion that it can easily overlook all other joys when it lifts up it self in the contemplation of this incomparable blessedness No musick can then be so sweet to the ear as the sound of the trump of God No beauty so fair to the eye as that glory which shall be reveal'd No company so inviting and welcome to the heart as that great Assembly of Christ with all his holy Angels And heark O my soul do they not call upon thee to cast a look that way that thou may'st behold them in their surpassing glory Listen a while and hear if they do not say We are preparing our selves and making ready to come for thee and for all those that love His appearing O hearken again my soul what is it they say to thee Turn thy self about and lift up thine eyes towards Heaven that thou may'st know what it is that 's promised to thee Will thy Lord indeed come again in power and great glory Will He once more leave his heavenly place and descend to call us up to himself Shall we see Him who loves us so much and be transformed at the sight of Him O welcome news When didst thou meet with any tidings like to this which sheds such a sudden and transcendent joy and gladness abroad in thy heart and prevents my forward thoughts which were going to exhort thee to rejoyce What hadst thou lost if thou hadst turned away thine eyes from this blissful sight How great an happiness hadst thou been deprived of if thine heart had not opened when the report of His coming knockt at its door But O my soul how sweet then will this appearing it self be the hope of which is so delicious How will that sight intrance us the news of which at this distance is so comfortable to us Into what raptures will it cast us which now inspires such joy into our hearts What a bright day will that be which through all the clouds wherein we are wrapt spreads round about us such a cheerful light If the representation of our Lord in the holy Sacrament of His body and blood and that but in His sufferings and low estate give such satisfaction to the heart What will the sight of Himself do to us and that when he appears in his glorious Majesty as the Lord of Heaven and Earth O sweet Jesus come and let us see what that Majesty and Glory is come and draw aside the veil do away the shadows and present thy self as the King of Glory before our eyes They have long looked for thee They would gladly know what it is to behold thee in thy glory O how gladly would they understand what the meaning is of thy coming in the Clouds of Heaven The brightness of them we believe is infinitely beyond all that eye ever saw The thoughts of it revive our hearts and make our faces shine Our souls are drawn out and run to meet thee by the joy we have conceived at the promise of thy coming Though we have not seen thee yet we love thee and though we now see thee not 1 Pet. i. 8. yet believing we rejoyce O that we could say with joy unspeakable and full of glory O blessed Lord do not deny to compleat our joys by hastning thy coming to let us see thee Come and fill our eyes which cannot here be satisfied with seeing Come and shew us thy glory that we may say it sufficeth And let our hearts in the mean time rejoyce in nothing so much as in the hope of thy glory Let them always prefer this above their chiefest joy and never wish for any thing with so much fervour as for thy coming IV. Now from this pleasant sense which is excited in us by the appearance of any Good to us there naturally follows not only a desire but a vehement motion and as it were an effusion of the heart towards that which is so agreeable and promises it so much satisfaction Complacence you must know is but the beginning of love For by that delicious pleasure which the heart feels when any good approaches it is invited further and even forced to pour forth it self upon that fair thing which presents it self
Scriptures THus have I put an end to the third enquiry about the nature of this Love which St. Paul supposes good Christians feel in their souls to the appearing of Christ In satisfying of which I have not followed mine own fancy but the common sentiments of all those hearts who have so much good nature as to know what this passion means And there hath been nothing said but what may be fully justified by the Holy Scriptures if we diligently observe in what terms they speak of the passion and fervent desire which all pious Believers have for the coming of our Lord. I. For which they are first said to LOOK or to expect it with such a greediness as men do that of which they are extreamly desirous So those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie which are used in the 1 Cor. 1.7 iij. Phil. 20. ij Tit. 13. ix Heb. 28. where they are said to look for the Revelation of Jesus Christ to have their conversation in Heaven from whence they look for the Saviour to be looking for that blessed Hope the coming of Christ who will appear the second time to them that look for him with that earnestness that is and concernment which one hath for the greatest good in the world Or with such a longing as I have explained it before as the children of Israel had to see their High-Priest return out of the most holy place into which he went on the day of expiation to make reconciliation for their sins For if he came out alive it was a token that God had accepted him and with the greatest joy they received the blessing which then he brought and pronounced to them in his name There is a manifest allusion to this in the last of those places now mentioned Heb. ix where the Apostle saith vers 26. that when Christ appeared in this world it was to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself Which bloody sacrifice as you read vers 24. He carried not into the holy places made with hands which were only figures of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us that is by vertue of this Sacrifice to perfect the expiation of our sins and obtain for us the Divine Blessing Now he being thus offered vers 28. to bear the sins of many as a publick Sacrifice that is for the whole body of mankind not a particular for one or a few persons unto them that look for him he shall appear visibly the second time without sin as having made a complete expiation to give salvation to his people who expect his coming out of Heaven to bless them II. Expect it did I say yea this Apostle calls it a most earnest expectation So the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the creature viij Rom. 19. is expounded by Oecumenius * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be its exceeding intense and vehement desire and expectance of the revelation of the Sons of God that is sayes he of the conclusion of all when it shall be clearly seen who are the sons of God and who the sons of the Devil Which is a Good to be wisht for so much above all other that the Heaven the Earth the Sea the Air the Sun the Moon all the visible Creation together with all that is invisible the Angels Archangels Powers Principalities Dominions all these expect our perfection They are the words of Theodoret who with other of the Ancients looks upon the whole Creation as brought in here expecting our future happiness by such a figure * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecum as the Prophets use when they introduce the Woods rejoycing the Mountains leaping the Floods clapping their hands to express the exceeding great joy that should be among mankind at the first coming of our Lord. But because it is controverted what the Apostle means by the Creature and this is not a fit place to discuss it I shall pass by this expression and not mention the sighs and the groans which there follow as the natural effect of an exceeding great desire to see the day of redemption come III. Let us rather consider that the glory which shall be revealed at the coming of Christ out of this holy place to give salvation to his faithful worshippers is the cause that as St. Paul speaks in this place which I have taken for the rise of this Discourse they look for it as a thing that hath very strongly engaged their hearts and is the object of their dearest affection They declare by the fixing of their eyes upon it how much they love it that is esteem it are inclined to it and think long till they enjoy it For whatsoever touches us so nearly we are wont to expect it with some impatience IV. But as the greatness of this Good is such as will make those that believe it earnestly long for it so it is able to quiet and still their souls by the mere hope of its enjoyment though it stay long before it come And therefore 4. they are said to WAIT for his Son from Heaven 1 Thess i. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to tarry to stay till he come Which implies both longing and patient abiding till he please to send so great a Blessing V. Nay fifthly St. James exhorts them to be PATIENT with long-suffering to the coming of the Lord V. 7. For so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there used imports a patient abiding though he stay long and we suffer much before he come We could not suffer and indure what we must on some occasions if we did not expect him as Oecumenius notes out of the ancient Greek Expositors * In 1 Th. i. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And our sufferings would not be very valuable if we were not content to expect him long as he likewise observes upon another place in that Epistle For if it were manifest saith he * In 1 Th. v. 1. that the day of the Lord or the consummation of all things would be within three years and it could not be otherwise all would despise dangers and make nothing of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and what great vertue would this be when they knew that within so short a space they should receive their full reward The vertue of a Christian is to suffer long as well as to suffer much waiting with long patience as the Husbandman doth for the precious fruit of the Earth VI. And yet it is not such a patience we are to exercise but St. Peter gives us leave to HASTEN it which is a sixth word whereby the holy writings express this pious affection unto and vehement desire of the appearing of Christ Jesus 2 Pet. iij. 12. Looking for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and HASTING unto the coming of the day of God In the Greek it is not hasting unto the coming but hasting the coming and so we render it in the margin that
to give me some tasts of their incomparable sweetness May I relish no joys so much as those May I always have the remembrance of them fresh upon my soul And may I be so happy as to be preserved by the savour of them from the sinful allurements of all other pleasures Hence hence all you beggerly delights which would have me forget my happiness Stand aside you Images of true joy and hinder not my prospect of that heavenly Paradise Lend me your help or else get you gone and trouble me no more Assist my benighted thoughts and represent that blissful place to them or else I desire not your company I have eaten of all your dainties but still am empty and void of satisfaction I know what you have to say the very utmost you can offer me therefore follow me with no further importunities For my heart is set on that fair that delicious place where the Great Lord keeps his Court and entertains his Friends with endless pleasures O holy City of God what glorious things are spoken of thee How free how sprightly and how full of joy are all thy happy Inhabitants What heart is there that is so dull as not to long to dwell in that blessed place where every head wears a Crown of Life and every hand carries a Palm of Victory Where every eye overflows with joy and every tongue with Psalms of praise Where light shines in every face and love smiles in every Countenance Where every heart is perfectly satisfied in the fulness of its own bliss and satisfied again with the pleasure it hath to see the felicity of others It is too much trouble to me that I am not there O let me not lose the thought of it too I sigh to think that I stand at such a distance from my Fathers House and shall I suffer a further remove by turning away my eyes from thence Go O my soul go thither in thy thoughts and daily meditations Send a thousand wishes before thee thither to tell thy Lord that thou art coming to him Say whom have I in Heaven but thee who wentest thither to open it to all thy faithful Followers What have I on Earth but my hope by following thee to arrive at last where thou art gone before me Whither should I look but unto Heaven now that thou my Dearest Lord art ascended thither to prepare a place for me A place of rest and secure peace a place of joy and constant enjoyment a place from whence I am loth my thoughts or my heart should descend to return to this poor earth again for there they grow so dull that it is hard to lift them up to look to thee O keep them with thee keep them with thee thou King of Heaven Settle and fix them there where I my self expect to be where thou also expectest me where they shall find ease for every grief and joy in the midst of the greatest tribulation O fix them unmoveably in this quiet place this eternal Rest And when they must attend the affairs of this lower life may they only look not come down to them and still remain and stay with thee IX And when these things shall be fulfilled the Apostle tells us in the place before named 1 Thess iv 17. that we shall be ALWAYS WITH THE LORD who passed his promise to his Disciples a little before he left the world that he would come again and receive them to himself that where he is there they may be also xiv John 3. Of which promise he was so mindful after he went to Heaven that he further informs St. Paul who spake this by the word of the Lord that he will not part with us when he hath conducted us to his Fathers house but keep us ever with him there in joys and pleasures that never fade away A condition which we cannot but love and passionately long for if we have any love for him or for our selves For there are none of our enjoyments here but must be frequently intermitted and are too often interrupted even the enjoyment of our blessed Lord himself and the sense he gives us of celestial things we find to our sorrow suffers this inconvenience Neither are we diverted from them only by the troubles of this life or the violence of other worldly temptations which press too boldly and rudely upon us but by the most necessary occasions and the most innocent fruitions to which nature not only inclines us but requires our frequent attendance Of how much of our time doth sleep possess it self though we desire never so earnestly to continue awake How little do we live in the account of reason if we do but remember this Image of Death which hath us so many hours every night in its arms And yet besides this eating and drinking journeys and visits the businesses and cares of this life which challenge some of our thoughts devour no body knows how great a portion of every day To say nothing of those hours when we are fit for little or nothing but are forced to find as we significantly speak some pastime for the entertainment of our wearied minds O blessed Jesus how few are the minutes that these souls inclosed in flesh can spend in thy company Into what a little room are the thoughts of thee and of thy unmeasurable love most wretchedly crowded How soon are we weary and how often are we forced away when we have the greatest mind to thy sweet Society O the cares that not only divert but sometimes oppress us O the multitude of troubles which are wont to disquiet us the sicknesses and infirmities of our bodies which indispose us besides the great weakness and feebleness of these spirits which are not able long to bear thee company It is but a wish I see that I may always stay with thee I feel my self pulled away and cannot keep my soul above even when thou hast lifted it up unto thee And therefore I cannot but renew my desires that thou wouldest be pleased to hasten thy coming That 's the time I long to see because I would be ever with thee and always behold thy face and perpetually speak of thee and declare thy love without ceasing in the height of love and devotion to thee O what a change will that day make in me when I shall be all Life and see not so much as the image or shadow of death any more When I shall neither slumber nor sleep much less be sick or grow old and dye but always wake and enjoy a perfect health a vigorous youth and immortal life O the blessedness of that change when I shall be hungry no more nor have my head disturbed with the fumes and clouds of food When all my journeys will be at an end and I shall never lose nor leave the company I love When I shall neither be crost by others nor vext with the violence of my own passions When I shall be no more perplext
so sweetly to it and this is properly Love As soon as ever we discover any thing that is suitable to us we feel our hearts instantly struck with a secret joy and are marvellously delighted in it And this delectable touch is no sooner perceived but it sweetly yet strongly draws us to go towards that thing which at first sight gave us such a pleasure and will yield we hope a far greater when we approach so near it as to get possession of it Complacence or delight then is but the first stirring or motion which a good thing causes in our heart This pleasing motion and agitation of the Spirits is attended presently with a melting and as it were effusion of the heart whereby we run out to meet that beloved object and entertain it into our souls and in this as I said properly consists the very being of Love Which is so manifest in an heart duly affected towards the appearing of our blessed Lord that there cannot be a greater proof of the truth of this description For it feels so great a pleasure in the lively belief of his coming that it is drawn thereby quite out of it self and cannot chuse but resign up it self intirely to that glorious Prince that He may make it appear together with Him It easily dissolves in that heavenly warmth and losing all its power to contain it self in its former bounds flows to Him the Lord of Life as to its proper place It is lifted up towards heaven and would fain be there where He is from whom this pleasure comes For with Him is the fountain of Life and therefore where should a devout soul set its affections but on those things which are above as S. Paul speaks 3 Col. i. 3 4. where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Which when they mightily affect the heart it feels as if it were dissolving into that life which is hid with Christ in God That future life or bliss is safe indeed because it is in the custody of Christ and in a glorious place where God dwells in light inaccessible But who can abstain from desiring it should be no longer hid and reserved but made manifest and shown as it will be at the appearing of Christ For so the Apostle adds immediately as if He would answer their Question who might ask when shall this Life be discovered When Christ who is our Life i.e. the cause of it who will give us this life shall appear then shall we also appear with Him in glory O what a joyful word is this what should hinder an heart that is possessed with a full belief of it from running thither with all speed whither it is called by so great a joy as sent from thence into it Into whose arms should it leap but only His the expectation of whose appearing creates that exultation There is none in heaven it can desire but Him with whom its life is hid and whom is there on earth that it can desire besides Him Come saith such a soul to it self and lift up thy head Thy Lord I hear is coming let us arise and go and meet Him Let us leave this earth and ascend up towards heaven where He is who is our Life Let us raise up our dull thoughts thitherward and fix our minds as oft as we can on the glory that shall be revealed Let us stir up our selves and with the most ardent desires and affections of our heart get as near Him as ever we are able let us go O my Soul and at least make a present of our very heart to Him beseeching Him most earnestly to possess Himself intirely of it Let us invite Him to prevent His appearing and to come a little beforehand to manifest Himself unto us and to take up His abode with us O blessed Jesus let us say who art our Life be intreated to come hither now that we cannot come up to thee and live in us Show thy self in this soul and let not me live any longer but do thou live in me let the life I live in the flesh be by thy faith O thou Son of God Thou hast loved me and given thy self for me O love me so much I again beseech thee as to live in me I would begin that life which is hid with thee in resigning my self to thee that thy will may be done in me Never did I feel such complacence in following mine own as I have since I was inclined to follow after thee who wilt lead me I see to immortal glory Blessed be that day which made me sensible of such happiness Blessed be the day which directed mine eyes to look for thy appearing What can I wish for more than to be blessed with the sight of it and till it come to have my heart always in love with it I am going towards it by these desires and I will excite my self to go the faster because that blissful sight is still making nearer approaches What do we mean my soul to hang thus towards this earth Why do we stay here when we see Jesus preparing Himself to make another journey to us Why do we not advance towards Him as if we were desirous to have Him come and to let us see Him Why do we not with all speed make our selves ready to receive Him What is it that makes us so slow in our motions towards Him who when He appears will come as swift as the lightning unto us Vp up O my soul let not thy Lord find thee when He comes posting after these worldly vanities pursuing of thy sinful pleasures but onward in thy way gone very far in devout affections ardent desires and holy hopes to meet His Glorious Majesty CHAP. VIII The Progress of this Love to Christs Appearing in three steps more V. AND yet this Love cannot content it self with inward motions and aspirations of the Soul towards the appearing of our Lord but constantly excites all such actions as are requisite for the attaining of so great a Good If we esteem any thing highly and feel it exceeding agreeable to our hearts desire we do not willingly rest in the pleasing passions it raises up in our hearts but they carry us out in earnest endeavours to be owners of it And the influence it hath upon us is so powerful and it doth so strongly draw us after it that it will not suffer any thing to put a stop to the current of our affections when they are issuing out unto it There are certain imperfect motions in our hearts which we are apt to call Love that by no means deserve that name being only a good liking of that which we do not yet truly love They are called in the Schools Velleities wishes and wouldings as we speak half a will which we feel for divers excellent things but never come to any effect The reason is because the appearance of some extream great difficulty or the force of some contrary desire either holds the soul
in her course as she is moving towards them and beats her affections back again or else turns the stream of them quite another way Love therefore is a generous vigour in the heart which incites and strengthens it to fair and noble actions for the effecting its desires though opposed by never so many enemies It is called by some the fire wherewith the soul is clothed which forces its way through all resistances A certain ardor in us which inspires us to worthy though difficult undertakings An Heroick passion which makes us think nothing impossible that is needful to be done for the compassing the end at which it aims Thus then must our souls be carried with such strong affections towards the appearing of Christ if we heartily love it We must omit nothing that we know is required of us for the obtaining the blessings which it will bring unto us We must bid all things stand aside that would impede us and tell them they must pretend to no interest at all in us when we are in pursuit of so great a good The love of which will soon reconcile us to the hardest duties and endear to us the most self-denying courses It will alter the countenance of sufferings and make all the troubles of this life cast a kinder aspect on us Nay it will enable us to look death in the face with a cheerful heart For it will present it to us in another shape and make the Grave that house of darkness seem like the beautiful gate of the Temple of God Whatsoever our Lord declares to be his pleasure this will bid us do it though we be undone by that means in all our temporal concerns And when they tempt us to murmur and repine to cry and lament at our parting with them Love will bid us be of good comfort because this is the way to have a fair reception by our Lord when He shall see we have quitted all for His sake We cannot indeed keep them always if we would yet such is his love our faith tells us that if we consent to forsake them beforehand upon his account He will not suffer us to be losers by it And therefore our love both to Him and to our selves prompts us not to stick at any thing which will be pleasing to Him though for the present it be harsh to us It teaches us to reason as St. Peter doth 2 Pet. iij. 11 12. Seeing all these things must be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of the Lord What manner of persons Truly such as are preparing a room in their hearts for their Lord. Such as hope then to compleat their Espousals to Christ And therefore must be holy and without blame before Him in love 1. Ephes 4. and study nothing so much as to be found acceptable in his sight who is the Lord of their hearts and their very life and to be nobly entertained by Him when He shall come again to receive His loving subjects up unto Himself We have our conversation in heaven saith St. Paul from whence we expect the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body according to the working whereby He can subdue all things unto Himself For in all reason they that expect such a sight should fit themselves for it by a conversation suitable to the dignity to which they shall be then preferred So Oecumenius I remember expounds these words of St. Paul to Timothy when he answers the Question who is it that loves his appearing in this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that doth things worthy of excellent recompences Which if we love it will not fail to raise us unto a heavenly life If we wait for Him to come from Heaven it will lift up our hearts and carry them thither We shall disburden them of all carnal affections and throw off the load of the cares of this world that we may be light and airy ready to fly up above when He calls us to be with Him We shall labour to cleanse and purifie our souls as He is pure to adorn them with His Graces and in one word to put on the Lord Jesus that He may see Himself in us when He comes And wilt thou come then O blessed Saviour are such souls apt to say may we confidently look for thee from Heaven to be our Saviour Why do we question it sine we have thy faithful word for it who haste promised that we shall see thee as thou art and be for ever with thee O astonishing love what riches of grace is this Was it not enough that thou condescendedst once to come and save us but that thou determinest to come again Canst thou not satisfie thy love unless we be where thou art And wilt thou leave thy seat in heaven to come and fetch us rather than leave us here upon the earth O Love what is like unto thee Thou hast a mighty power who can understand the wonders that thou dost O make it great in us good Lord as well as in thy self Cause it to do marvels in our hearts as it hath done in thine Let our souls be unsatisfied till they come to thee Call forth all their powers as thou hast done their desires that they may restlesly move towards thee Make them unwearied in well-doing stedfast unmovable and abundant in thy work that they may not miss of thee O most gracious Lord suffer nothing in this world to discourage these hearts that have wholly given themselves to thee Cease not still to excite and quicken them since they have been already touched and awakned by thine Omnipotent love But preserve such a flame alive in them that they may ardently follow thee Inspire them with zealous resolution never to desist in their pursuit of that blessed Hope thou hast set before them Strengthen them against all the power of their enemies and let thy love burn with such fervour in them that none of the opposers of their holy desires may be able to stand before it Arm them good Lord with this invincible force of heavenly love which may make them noble conquerors and prepare them for thy glorious Triumph VI. But true love cannot stay here neither nor content it self with some endeavours to enjoy that Good which propounds it self to its affections for it ever tends to an Vnion with that lovely thing towards which it is moved When the Soul runs forth to see what it is that calls out its desires the intention of that motion is to possess it self of that amiable object if it answer its first pretences and prove such as it promised No sooner doth any thing appear beautiful and lovely to the mind or imagination but presently the heart sends messengers as I may call the spirits that issue out of it to bring it home and
praise him enough now the whole world may then be gathered together in one general assembly all Angels and all Men and with joynt consent bow themselves before him and humbly acknowledge him to be the LORD OF ALL. And here I shall take the liberty for the clearer understanding of this to give a distinct account in a few considerations of that which we may justly conceive will accrue to our blessed Saviour by his glorious Appearing I. And first of all there is no doubt but at his second appearing our Lord will be publickly honoured and thereby have an amends made him for the open shame and the publick disgrace to which he was here exposed No Varlet was ever used so basely as the world treated him when he first came to visit us in much humility No man was ever the subject of so much scorn of so many sorrows and of so great pains as he endured Would it not then be acceptable to you to see his honour every where vindicated his credit as I may say repaired and his glory made no less notorious than his reproaches were Who would not wish to see that sweet face which by rude hands was so contemptuously blinded and buffeted appear in an unveiled brightness looking with the fairest the most beautiful and gracious eyes upon us How is it possible to refrain from desiring to see that countenance which was spit upon and all bespawled by the filthy mouths of wicked men shining with rayes brighter than the Sun and glistring in the Glory and Majesty of God the Father Are you not impatient to behold that Head which was inviron'd with Thorns show it self with a royal Crown upon it Would you not fain see him as much admired as he was despised as highly praised and extolled as he was vilely mockt and flouted O that I might behold that time arrive is every devout lover of the Lord Jesus apt to say O that I might be blessed with a sight of that Glory and Honour wherewith we believe thou art already crowned Thou wast sorely wounded and grosly abused O dear Saviour by those whom thou camest to heal and to save They barbarously smote and besmeared thy holy face they nailed thee to a Cross they pierced thy hands and thy feet they thrust a spear into thy side and left thee all in gore they condemned thee as the foulest Malefactor and crucified thy Name and Reputation as well as thy self And which is worse how have thine own followers grieved thee and pricked thy very heart by their base ingratitude to thee who wast pleased to be thus vilely used for their sake And what reparation are the best among us able to make thee What does it amount unto that such poor wretches as we can do for thee How mean and inconsiderable is all the honour and all the praise that we little and worthless things can pretend to give thee O thou God of love thou Father of mercies we must address our desires to thee and beseech thee that thou wouldst be pleased to do it for us Thou who art the Blessed and only Potentate who hast already appointed him to be heir of all things who hast given him a more excellent inheritance than the Angels and when thou broughtest him into the world didst command them all to worship him finish I beseech thee according to the riches of thy glory the recompenses thou hast begun to make him Let me and all men else see how Thou lovest him and what honour thou hast conferred on him Behold how this soul sighs out its desires to thee that thou wouldst vouchsafe to hasten his Appearing and to show him to the world in the glory which thou hast given him Let us all behold him as highly exalted as he was lowly depressed and abased Let us SEE HIM AS HE IS the Prince of Life the King of Glory O perfect that which concerneth him Let him come and receive our universal acknowledgements Let all Kings fall down before him and all nations serve him Let them all call him blessed and Heaven and Earth be filled with his glory Amen and Amen II. They may well pray after this manner and speak of his perfecting that which is begun because secondly till the day of his glorious appearing it is most certain his conquests will not be compleated over all his enemies The very greatest of them will remain unsubdued till he come then to tread them under his feet Which cannot but dispose us to love that time above all other because it will make him perfectly victorious He is sat down saith the Apostle at Gods right hand x. Heb. 12 13. from thenceforth EXPECTING till his enemies be made his footstool Though he be highly advanced that is above all creatures yet all his enemies do not presently fall down before him but he must stay sometime before not only all the adverse Empires on earth submit themselves to him but the Principalities also in the Air and Death it self which is the last enemy saith St. Paul which shall be destroyed and put under his feet He rules and reigns indeed but still he hath many opposers of his Kingdom He waits likewise for their utter subversion and looks for their total ruine but still they spoil and commit many wastes within his territories The Devil tyrannizes and rages in a number of places and Death as I must show anon devours all How can we choose then but wait for that of which he himself is in expectation Where is our love to him if we can cease to wish that all those foes who despise or refuse his Government were perfectly brought in subjection to him Is there any thing more desireable to those who pray seriously his Kingdom may come than to see those put under his feet who now proudly trample upon his soveraign Authority What more joyful sight can there be to them than to behold the Devil who now insults so insolently in his Dominions despoiled of all his power and thrust down into the eternal Prisons and Chains of Darkness to which he is reserved To say nothing yet of the glory it will be to him to overcome Death it self to which even all his subjects are forced at present to submit O blessed Saviour should all Christian souls say with one consent it afflicts us to hear thine enemies roar in the midst of thy Congregation to see them thus triumph and set up their banners And far more grievous it is to think that we have ever been in the number of them and given the least countenance and support to this hellish Kingdom The remembrance of it is bitter to us that there was a time wretches that we were when we were drawn aside to joyn our selves to this wicked faction and abett the Apostate spirits in their rebellion against thee their soveraign Creator But blessed be thy Goodness thou hast overcome our disobedient hearts and restored us to an happy accord with thee We thank thee for it
great that no soul who is possessed with a lively sense of it can be tempted any longer to envy the greatness of the noblest Persons no not the high dignity of the blessed Angels The brightest of the Cherubins should not be so grievous to us as to hurt our eyes nor the flames of the Seraphims touch us with the least spark of indignation to see our selves so much excelled by them But we should rather wish they were more glorious and illustrious because the greater they are the greater will the advancement of our nature be which at the appearing of Christ will shine in a place so far above the highest of them Those heavenly Creatures indeed are so splendid that we poor mortals even the holiest of us were wont to be afraid at their appearance They are too glittering for our weak eyes to behold too full of lustre for us who dwell in these caves of darkness to converse withall Whence it was that some pious people in ancient times presently concluded they should dye if they saw an Angel imagining that his business when he appeared was to fetch their souls from their bodies in which while they lived they were not fit for such Society And other excellent persons were so amazed at the glory of these celestial Ministers that they thought of paying them no less than religious honour and prepared themselves to fall down before them and worship them as Gods O what an happiness then will it be to see our Natures so improved and exalted that we shall be able to entertain their company without any trembling at all and instead of those paralytick fears be only struck with a delightful sense of the most harmonious joyes What a glory will it be unto us what a joy to find our selves made equal to those whom we took for Gods To behold our selves as bright as those celestial fires which were wont to dazzle the eyes of the greatest souls and possess them with an apprehension that they were Divine Beings But especially we ought to consider what an honour what a satisfaction it will be to behold not so few as one or two or a thousand of those beautiful Creatures but the whole Heavenly Court whom we were ready to adore come all with bended knees and humbly prostrate themselves in the most profound adorations at the feet of our ever blessed Saviour Christ Jesus Into what a rapture will it cast us to behold our Nature so advanced that all the Gods shall approach and worship this same Jesus who was so debased and abused A most glorious and delightful sight it will be to behold him in the head of all those Heavenly Hosts to see all the air filled with the several Legions of Holy Angels to behold every Troop in that glorious Camp paying their respect to our far more glorious Lord and with their shouts and joyful acclamations following him as their General and chief Commander And all the Powers of Darkness likewise crouching at his feet quaking at his Majestick Presence disarmed of all their weapons and confessing themselves the Captives and Slaves of this victorious Prince Christ Jesus O my ambitious desires where are you What is become of you O my aspiring thoughts You that used to be ever climbing aloft and perpetually heaving up my heart whither are you gone or into what dulness are you now sunk down What is the matter that you lye asleep when so fair an object presents it self to awaken and rouze you up What ailes you that I do not feel you stir who were wont with less temptations to be all on fire Is there any thing we can reasonably thirst after with so much ardor as to have all the world behold us made the companions of Angelical Natures What is there that you can fancy a higher glory than to see this flesh of ours taking place of the Heavenly Spirits To behold all the Armies of Heaven and Earth waiting upon the supreme Judge of the World the Man Christ Jesus Get up then get up and pray perpetually that this most blessed time may come Rouze up your selves and in your most passionate wishes fly before-hand thitherward Let this be the But at which you shoot the mark at which you alwayes aim O my winged thoughts and hasty desires Let this be the end of all your labours O my busie and restless powers And content your selves in any conditino till this most happy state shall come Live upon this joyful hope Chear up your selves with these most comfortable expectations They cannot be utterly miserable no they must needs be very happy whatsoever their troubles be who look for such an incomparable glory Rejoyce therefore and more than that make your boast in this perpetually that one day Angels themselves who are out of the reach of our present calamities shall not excel you But if there be any difference it shall be only such as was between the men of Judah and the men of Israel at the bringing back of King David to his Throne that you shall be able to call this great Son of David BONF OF YOVR BONE AND FLESH OF YOVR FLESH when the highest Angels can challenge no such interest in him O most blessed Hope the staff of our Life the stay and the strength of our Hearts The security of the happy and the sanctuary of the afflicted that which preserves our joyes from becoming sowre and which sweetens the bitterness of all our miseries Our Rest our Peace our highest Satisfaction It is enough that I am owner of such a glorious Hope Be thou ever in mine eye be thou ever in my heart I will walk and labour all the dayes of my life in this holy Hope And I will lye down at last in hope that Thou who now sendest down thy Angels to minister unto us wilt call us up unto thy self and make us to sit with thee in those Heavenly Regions O come come Lord Jesus that we may be all so happy And till thou comest descend sometimes into this heart which loves thee and longs for thee and lift it up unto thee in more ardent desires earnest indeavours and holy hopes to see thy glory and to appear in glory together with thee II. It will be very strange if we believe in Christ and be not possessed with these desires when we attend to the secret inclinations there are in every one of our hearts to wish we might be blessed with the sight of him who is so lovely and who hath loved us so much whom hitherto our eyes have never seen For did any body ever hear of a most excellently accomplisht person full of the most obliging kindness to him and that had infinitely merited of him and designed all the honour in the world for him and not feel a most passionate longing desire burning in him to behold the face of this Great man who had an heart so tender so noble and so graciously affected towards him This is our case who
cannot be perfectly healed till it enjoys its desires and that you know is not without the company of anguish and pain 1. For we find that when men admit into their hearts the love of any mortal creature like themselves the soul which before was whole unbroken and intire is as it were separated and torn by this passion both from it self and all other objects save only that which hath engaged its affection Now all men know that no heart can be thus parted and divided without a sense of grief and smart attending on such a divulsion and rending of it from it self till it feel that soul which it loves as another self effectually joyned to it And then 2. we find that after it hath obtained well assured hopes of this yet those eager desires and longings that are in this passion still carry their sting in them and make the heart but ill at ease until they be accomplished Both which it were easie to apply to that devout affection wherewith pious souls are touched towards our blessed Saviour which is very unquiet and full of trouble till they know and feel that he loves them 3. But I shall rather observe which is peculiar to this holy love that the wounds as I may call them which are made in any heart by the wonderful kindness of our Saviour who loved us so much as to dye for us are wont very oft to be a torment to it because it can love him no more and doth not feel such vehement transports of affection to him as it desires and he hath merited And then 4. though we are fully perswaded that we do sincerely and heartily love him yet this proves a great trouble to us here in this present state that we fancy him sometimes to be a stranger to us and he seems to treat us as if he were suspicious of our Love And 5. when we have the greatest sense of his most tender mercies and he sheds abroad his love in our hearts This creates a new grief because he stays no longer with us and we cannot call him back as oft as we please to give us those delicious tastes of his infinite Love But 6. there is nothing so considerable in this matter as that we cannot enjoy those gracious visits from our Lord of which we are so desirous and which fill the heart with the greatest love to him and delight in him but they conclude in sighs and groans and leave us much unsatisfied while we are in this mortal body That very love which God himself excites those Heavenly impressions which his own hand makes upon our hearts the greatest ardors of divine affection wherewith we are inspired from above are not without their pangs of trouble in all those who with earnest intention of mind and most hearty desires give up themselves to follow them and seriously endeavour to comply with them For while a devout soul that is in a lively manner touched by him stretches its wings as I may say and spreads it self with great affection that it may mount up in vehement love unto him It presently feels how unable it is to answer those divine motions and sees to its sorrow that its wings are not grown large enough to bear it so high as it then aspires There is a powerful spirit indeed which stimulates it to fly aloft where he is but while it endeavours to obey its inspirations it is strongly dragged and pulled down by the earthly tabernacle to these inferiour enjoyments It is born away with violent and swift desires and at the same time sinks below and sadly flaggs for want of power Like the Bird that is not yet fully fledg'd which would fain fly when it hears the Mother call but finding its wings too weak is forced to fall into some hedge or tree and there is content to hop up and down and please it self in its little chirpings among the branches so doth the devout soul feel it self when it is very desirous to correspond with the heavenly motions that are stirring in it and when it thinks it hears the Father of Spirits saying Come up hither It fails in the attempt and can only make some small but feeble essays towards its celestial country It is soon tired and grows weary and while it pants and breaths after high and excellent things cannot reach them or come nigh them but faints away and spends it self in sighs which are so much the sadder because it sees the spatious Heavens before its eyes and yet must be content to drop down and sit still upon the Earth Yea the very stretching of her wings puts the soul to pain when she cannot fly The straining of her self is very uneasie when she can only groan but not raise up her self to the pitch that she desires She suffers a kind of torment between these two the strength of her affections and the weakness of her ability the sharpness of her sight and the dulness of her enjoyment O miserable Creature that I am what shall I do is the dejected soul in this case apt to say Pardon me Dear Lord if my great love to thee make me call my self miserable when I know that I am very happy It is my desire to be nearer to thee which makes me deplore not only my distance from thee but the feebleness of my soul in its endeavours to approach thee O what a change have a few moments made in me I thought just now I was going up to Heaven and alas here I lye at this present sighing upon the ground The Divine breath methought was carrying me above and I unable to accompany it am still here below I felt as if I was all life and spirit a little while ago and now I am almost dead I seemed as if I should have quite forgot this world and now I can scarce think of any thing else O how sweet would it be but to remember the tasts that I had of thy transcendent love whereas now alas I can scarce relish any thing that is good What shall I do with my self Or what shall I desire for this poor soul which is thus sadly burdened and pressed down by the corruptible body My heart is with Jesus but O how little do I enjoy of him I am not my self I am become another thing than I was before and yet how little is there of Jesus in me How wide is the distance still between me and my dearest Lord How do I long to be exactly like him but how short O how vastly short am I of him And how like a stranger doth he sometime seem How do I lose in this blind and dark estate the sight and sense of his most pretious love I know my heart loves him but what a grief is it that my love is so weak so dull so little worthy of him O blessed Jesus what a favour is it that thou wilt be pleased to cast at any time a gracious look upon such a cold
dead shall be CAUGHT UP TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR v. 17. There he will shew himself and not upon this earth Thither they shall be carried up unto him and not he come down hither unto them And if you well observe it the Apostle teaches you to believe that this ascent of the Saints unto him will bein a very glorious manner Just as he comes from Heaven shall they go up thither For St. Paul saith we shall be caught up IN THE CLOUDS as so many triumphal chariots sent to fetch us from this earth and transport us to himself Who when he stood before his Judges to receive his sentence from them thus describes his own coming to judge them xxvj Matth. 64. Hereafter ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the CLOVDS of Heaven Though now that is I am arraigned and condemned by you as if I were the vilest of men you shall one day see that I am the Son of God by whom you shall be judged for with amazement you shall behold me clothed with Divine Majesty and coming as the Vicegerent of the supreme Lord of all to call you to an account For every one knows that clouds are called the Chariot of God civ Psal 3. and therefore his coming in the CLOVDS of Heaven can signifie nothing else but his appearing in the glory and with the Authority of his Father as Lord of the world that hath conquered all his enemies and is come to pronounce the sentence of God upon them In such a splendid manner with the like pomp and state shall we be carried up to him as so many Princes going to wait upon him and to receive the honour he will delight to confer upon us in the sight of all the world Nay it will be part of our honour to be conveighed to him just as Elias yea he himself ascended into Heaven For a Chariot of Fire appeared for the transportation of the one 2 Kings ij 11. and a cloud which is the same received the other out of the Apostles sight i. Act. 9. O blessed Day O happy Appearing doth an heavenly minded Christian often think with himself when a sight of my Saviour will draw me up to him to be where he is O most glorious most beautiful Spectacle when his beams which fall upon me shall make me ascend from this earth as the Vapors do before the rayes of the Sun O the joy that will fill my heart when I shall see those gilded Chariots sent from my Saviour to fetch me unto himself How shall I sing when I am uncooped and let out of this Cage wherein I am now confined to accompany the free people of the air in their heavenly melodies What a pleasure will it be to look behind me as I fly up unto Jesus and see what a poor spot this Earth is of which I shall then have taken my leave for ever O how glad shall I be that I am to return no more to a place so dull so dark and so full of miseries How happy shall I think my self that I am gone quite away from this vile Orb which will not seem then to my exalted soul so big as a pins-head Nay how joyful will it make me to find that I am at last ascended up so high as to have lost the sight of this little Globe and of all the Kingdoms and Empires that it contains O my Gracious Lord pardon me if I be sometime apt to think that thou stayest too long before thou comest to call me up unto those heavenly places This flesh is too unweildly a load when I think of that aerial state It hath made me groan ever since thou madest me believe that thou wilt bestow a lighter garment upon my soul Heretofore indeed I fancied nothing more than a body fresh and plump a tall and proper stature a fair face and beautiful features and I was prone to envy those who dwelt in such fine and goodly Palaces But ever since the time that I heard of going into the air to meet with thee my Lord all the love they excite in my heart makes such habitations seem no better than stately Prisons I have lookt upon my self and sweetest Friends in our most healthy estate and sighed to think that we were in Chains and Fetters Nay the best of these houses I tell them at certain seasons are but painted Sepulchres wherein the mind lies dead and buried It is thou therefore O most blessed Lord who hast made me to wish so earnestly for thine appearing I owe these longings to the discovery which thou hast made to me of another and better world whither thou intendest to transport me And if I have a mind to begin my journey thither presently if I would fain feel my wings so grown that they might be able to bear me up above this earth if my soul sometimes would willingly be released from these chains and have the freedom to leave this flesh and if I wish withal that this flesh may be changed and turned into a kind of spiritual being I must ascribe it unto thee who hast begot these desires in me by telling me of a building of God eternal in the Heavens when this earthly tabernacle is dissolved Thou hast revealed these things to me that I might desire them and who can desire them and not wish withal that he might presently enjoy them Let it not displease thee therefore I beseech thee again O my Dearest Lord if I say sometimes I am weary of being here Do not esteem me impatient if in the agonies and pangs of Love I long to come up higher and get as near as may be to thy self Suffer me to pray thee that these walls of flesh may not long immure me and exclude me from thy face At least open a window for my gasping soul that I may look into the purer air and please my self in the thoughts of the flight which I shall one day take to see thee and enjoy thee in unclouded Bliss VII But there is something beyond all this to draw our affections from all things here and to make us love and long for the coming of our Lord And that is the CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS which the Apostle tells us in this very place shall then be given to all those who are thus piously disposed for it I cannot tell you how much is contained in these two words unless I should make another Treatise little less than this For a CROWN denotes the highest degree of honour and RIGHTEOUSNESS signifies in the holy language not only freedom from all pain and punishment but the enjoyment of the greatest felicity that the most bounteous goodness of God will bestow upon his faithful servants No less than such a glory and happiness as our Lord himself hath received for a reward of his labours For we see Jesus saith the Apostle ij Heb. 9. who was made a little lower than the Angels
with cares nor dampt with fears but dwell secure in assured joys for evermore Joys in the perfection of a glorified body and of an exalted inlarged spirit Joys to find my self in the company of thy Saints and welcomed into the noble society of Angels Joy at the sight of my dearest Friends the greatest joys in thy presence and in the light of thy countenance from whom I hope for all this joy O come most blessed Saviour that we may all be nothing but joy and love and peace without any end Come and bring us to our beloved Rest and where can our souls find any rest but in thy bosom Come that we may rest from our labours and where can we lay down our selves in perfect repose but only in thy love O come and fill our hearts therewith that we may hunger and thirst no more Come that we may perfectly know what the new Wine of thy Kingdom is Come that we may desire to feed on nothing else but the sweetest comforts of seeing thy blessed face smileing on us And that we may have no other business nothing else to do but to enjoy thee in all that we see not so much imployment besides as to spend any time as now we are forced to do in wishing to enjoy thee X. And yet there is still a greater reason remaining why we should love our Lords appearing because we shall be brought by that to the very top and highest pitch of bliss which is to SEE GOD Matth. v. 8. and to SEE HIM AS HE IS 1 John iij. 2. Not as the old Prophets saw him in visions and dreams nor as others saw him in the Angels of his presence But alas who can tell what this sight is What tongue unless touched as the Apostles were by the Holy-Ghost can declare any thing of such a bliss The day of Pentecost must return again if we expect to have any language to express or thoughts to conceive the meaning of these words We must intreat some Angel to come and tell us if he can what it is to see God Or rather we must confess that if he should we cannot understand such celestial language It is above our reach and we do but babble we do not speak when we adventure to discourse of it Nay when we depart this world and shall be admitted into the blessed company above we may not be able to comprehend much of it if the opinion of many of the Ancient Fathers be true that the Saints shall not enjoy that which is properly meant by the Vision of God till after the great day of our Lord. And therefore it will be our best way now to do as the Painter did who being to make a picture of Love drew nothing on his Table but a Veil which covered no body knew what under the shadow of it Not so much to show as some have poorly conceived that Love is blind as to declare that it is an ineffable thing a mysterious passion not to be described by humane art Such I am sure is this Vision of God and such is the love that it will beget It is a secret never to be known but by the enjoyment of it A mysterie reserved in the holy Place to be beheld only by entring into it We have all a natural desire indeed to pry into this as well as all other secrets A strong appetite we find within us to be admitted into an intimate acquaintance with those things which are closely lockt up from us We cannot chuse but long to go within the Veil and would fain have the curtain drawn aside that the glorious face of the Divine Majesty may appear But after all our search and busie enquiry we are able to say no more at present but this O happy Darkness O blessed O most glorious obscurity For I do not know what else to call thee How joyful is it to think that thou art more than we can ask or think What a pleasure is it to know that thou surpassest all that can now be known How comfortable is it to believe that thou art hid from our eyes only because we are not capable to behold thy brightness Thou shamest indeed hereby our small understanding but publishest thine own most excellent Greatness We are laid very low when we hear thee speaking thus at present but it lifts us up and highly exalts us in our future hopes We have no means to comprehend this gracious promise nor know we what to think when we read these words you shall SEE GOD. We must confess our weakness which is absolutely puzled with so few and so plain words If we have any thing to boast of it is only this advantageous ignorance All that we have to glory in is that such our hopes we know not what to conceive of this dark so we must now speak this unseen and hidden brightness But this we know because thou O God hast told us that when this present darkness is done away and we shall see thee as thou art WE SHALL BE LIKE THEE O most desireable sight which will so happily transform us O much wisht for day which will set us in such a light as will make us all bright and shining too Shining in the light of the wisdom of God in the light of his Purity and of his Bliss and Immortality In the light which makes the eyes of Angels shine so brightly and which preserves the youth of Saints The light which no man can approach unto till thou O God who art that Light shalt finish our hope and bring us to see thee face to face And may we not be confident of this also though we know so little that when thou O blessed God shalt cause thy Son to appear and shalt show thy self unto us the very first glimpse of thy glory at the greatest distance from thee will mightily attract our hearts unto thee No arrow sure flies more swiftly from the strongest bow no bullet can be sent with greater violence from the bended force of steel than our souls shall then move or rather shoot themselves towards thee that they may know what it is to see thee and that they may be like thee And till that joyful day shall come shine thou O blessed Light perpetually in these eyes Strike through all the clouds that incompass me round about and by the bright hopes of thee chase away all my gloomy thoughts and put out the false lustre of this deceitful world Shed O thou blessed light thy glorious beams into this heart and kindle there such holy flames as may consume all sinful desires and purifie my soul as thou art pure Let me burn continually with an ardent love of thee till thy bright day appear Till not only these walls of flesh be pulled down which intercept thee from me but my spirit fly up in a lightsome body that I may see thee That I may see thee by whose power the Heavens and the Earth were made
a great while for certain reasons which he best knows before he come as he stayed two days after he heard of Lazarus his sickness notwithstanding the love he had for him and his intentions to rescue him from death yet we ought not to be discouraged if we be sure he loves us but believe that he will appear at last and that he will raise us up though we lye dead in our graves and have lain so perhaps many years and that he will bid us come forth and go along with him whither his endless love will lead us CHAP. XVIII A continuation of the former Argument concerning the mighty power of the Divine Love and the Benefit we have by loving our Lords Appearing HAve we not great reason then to love him and to love his appearing since that will be the best argument of his love to us and his love you see will prove such an assurance of all his blessings What will move us if this cannot do it Need there any thing more be said to draw our affections towards him If there do then let me assure you that love will even transform us into him There is nothing more discernible in this passion than that it assimilates us unto the Thing or Person which we love Which should teach us indeed to have a great care what and whom we love but should excite us to love him our Dearest Lord without any measure Because nothing is so desireable as to be like to him and nothing can prepare us so surely for his glorious appearing In that which every man loves in that he lives saith St. Austin upon those words of the great Apostle St. Paul not I live but Christ liveth in me So great so mighty a thing is true love that it carries the heart from the place where it is and translates it thither where it loves If thou lovest thy self merely then thou livest altogether in thy self But if thy heart be set on any other person or thing then thou livest in that which hath ingaged thy affection And if it be Jesus whom thou lovest in sincerity it is certain that in him also thou livest Of so great importance it is that we love aright For he that loves ill lives ill and he that loves well cannot but live well too But there is no danger at all in loving our Lord and his appearing and therefore we need not stand to ask our selves whether we should love him or no or how much we shall love him or with what passion and concernment we should set our hearts upon his coming again to take us into his glory There is nothing to hinder us from loving here as much as ever we are able no fear our affections should be too far ingaged as they may be in other cases all that caution is useless here which when we are in pursuit of lesser injoyments is but necessary to put a check upon our hearts and cool a little our love towards them The more we love him the more we shall be like him the more we love him the more we shall live in him This love makes us divine and heavenly it purifies us and makes us fit to live with him I must add also that according to this rule by loving his appearing we shall be formed to some likeness of it as much as we are capable here to be wrought and fashioned to an imitation of a thing so bright and full of glory It will raise our minds that is to a noble pitch and highly improve our degenerate nature It will invite him to manifest himself to us and graciously to shine upon us It will possess us with a lively sense of him and of the glory wherein he lives The light of his countenance will be lifted up on our souls and he will fill us with a stronger sense of life and immortality It will chase away the base fear of death and kill all vitious affections in us We shall be purified and refined from all our dross by these holy fires There is no sin will be able to live in the same place with this heavenly love but will continually languish and decay as this increases and grows stronger in our souls Our spirits thereby will become more cheerful light and aerial They will ascend more easily towards those celestial places and be less inclined though they feel its attractions toward this lower world O what a Coronet of Glory will this love place before-hand on our head It is it self a royal ornament and a diadem of glory It 's a participation of a Divine Nature an entrance upon the life of God an Heaven upon earth a pleasure whereby we anticipate the joys of the other world for if all love have a sweetness in it this Divine love sure cannot but entertain us with a transcendent satisfaction By this we have our conversation in Heaven and it is there only to be ever with the Lord as much as our condition here will give us leave for nothing but love will make him familiar to our thoughts and present him frequently to the eye of our minds Yea this is the best glass we have while we are here below wherein to see God If there be any way to know the meaning of those words we must learn it of this Teacher which alone can discover to us so great a mysterie Nothing else can lead us into that secrecy and reveal to us what lies hid in that retirement the Vision of God Never hope for any key to open a door into the Holy of Holies unless it be this of heavenly love If it be possible to peep a little behind the veil it is love only that enjoys so singular a priviledge For God you see is love and the Apostle tells us that when Faith and Hope shall be done away it is charity alone that still remains as a thing of longer duration than this world and whose proper place is Heaven This is one of the Cherubims of Glory that inhabits the most holy place and attends upon the Majesty on high This is of an Angelical Nature and is always there where God is It waits upon him it ministers to him it knows his mind it is privy to his thoughts and designs and makes us understand more of him than all the wit in the world can do beside There is nothing can lend wings to the soul but only love which raises us above this world and sets us in the presence of him that made it And what a sight doth it give us there of his boundless bottomless Goodness If it can show us nothing else it will not fail to let us see how gracious how wonderfully gracious the Lord is With what kindness doth love behold almighty Providence spreading it self in tender mercy over all its works It is this alone can make us feel how inclinable the Divine Nature is to pour out its Benefits Nothing but love can make us know what an everlasting spring
it is of grace and bounty and with what unwearied kindness it delights to communicate its blessings to us And what is there that we would see which is comparable to this What can we desire to see but more of this even when we are made perfect in love And what thanks do we owe to God that we see so much It ought to stir up all that is within us to bless his holy name We ought to say every day will I bless thee and praise thy name for ever and ever But for this also we must be beholden to love For it is that which indites all our Hymns and meditates the Divine Praises It puts the songs of joy into our mouth and fills our hearts with thanksgiving Our tongues are tyed without this or we do but babble not speak our Saviours praises It is love that bursts out into such effusions as these O praise the Lord of love who humbled himself do dwell among us Praise him in the beauties of his holiness praise him in his super-excellent wisdom Let all his works praise him who came to us with his hands full of Miracles and every miracle full of mercy O praise him in his almighty and most merciful kindness which made the lame to leap like a Kid and the tongue of the dumb to sing for joy which opened the eyes of the blind to see his wonders and the ears of the deaf to hear the wisdom where by he spake which restored the sick to health and the dead to life which published the Gospel to the poor and instructed the ignorant in the mysteries of the Kingdom of God O praise him before whom the Devils fled and confessed him to be the Lord. Praise him in his incomparable love which thought it not enough to do all this but also gave himself to dye for us Let all Nations praise him who are the purchase of his blood Let them mark every step of his dying love from the time he was betrayed and sold like a slave till he finished his sufferings on the Cross O the greatness of that love which endured such scorn such reproach such a bitter agony and shameful death even for all those who have little sense of this wondrous love But let no Christian soul be insensible how the hands which wrought so many Miracles and the feet which travelled up and down to do men good were cruelly nailed by them to an ignominious Gibbet Let them remember how his head was crowned with thorns and his body cloathed in a fools coat How they spit in his face blinded his eyes and then rudely buffeted him to make them sport O what love was that which made him submit to be mocked and reviled to be accounted worse than a seditious murderer and numbred among the greatest transgressors And above all let it never be forgotten how he sweat in our service as it had been drops of blood and at last bled to death after three hours shame and anguish on the Cross Praised be that incomparable Charity Praised be his inimitable meekness and humilitie Let all the world extol and praise his Lamb-like patience and innocence Let them celebrate his admirable kindness in forgiving such implacable enemies and his intire confidence and faith in God whereby he offered up himself to him and obtained an eternal redemption for us O the wonderful vertue of that sacrifice which hath taken away the sins of the world Praised be the tender mercies of our God which have forgiven us so many trespasses Praised be his mercies which have not only forgiven us but restored us to life and glory again by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead Let us rejoyce and be glad in that great salvation Let us bless the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by that resurrection of his from the dead Let us lift up our heads and look to Heaven our ancient Country for there he is exalted And let us thank our God who hath set him at his own right hand and made him most glorious for ever See how all the Angels welcomed him thither and falling at his feet most humbly worshipped his Majesty See how they all now wait upon him and constantly attend his pleasure And let us worship him too with the devoutest and most lowly reverence Let us praise him in his Sanctuary where he appears before God for us from whence he sends down the gracious influences of his spirit on us and commands his Angels to minister unto us Let us praise him the glorious King of Angels and men Who hath conquered death and triumphed over all the powers of darkness and opening the Kingdom of Heaven to all the faithful hath promised that they shall reign in glory together with him Let all the Angelical Ministers praise him Let the Apostles Prophets and Martyrs praise him Let all those who are departed in the true faith and fear of him praise him And let all the living who partake of the daily fruit of his bounteous love continually praise him Let them praise the name of the Lord for his name alone is excellent his glory is above the Earth and Heaven Let them praise him in the greatness of his Power in the Wisdom of his Counsels in the carefulness of his Providence in the riches the exceeding riches of his Grace in the stedfastness of his word and the faithfulness of all his promises And let them all joyn together and beseech him to come again that he may both accomplish our hopes and perfect his own praises O let him come that we may give him better praises in one body for ever CHAP. XIX More expressions of this devout affection towards our Lords Appearing and the way whereby we may excite them THis is some of the language of Love which wishes every knee would bow to Jesus and every tongue confess that he is the Lord to the glory of God the Father who hath thus highly exalted him For its desires are unlimited and its kindness like the fountain of it is inexhaustible and infinite It is the brightest image of Jesus There is nothing represents him so lively to the world He now appears most in those who love most and who long and wait with pure and ardent desires to see him come in all his glory For they will keep his commandment without spot unrebukeable until his appearing which in his times he will shew who is the blessed and only Potentate the King of kings and Lord of lords who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen nor can see to whom be honour and power everlasting Amen Why then O my soul do we not let this blessed guest be lodged in our heart Or why do we not entertain it so that it may stay with us and we may feel it stirring there in restless motions towards Jesus What
is the cause that we who are made to love should not let our love turn divine and address it most devoutly to him who best deserves the Love of all the world Or what may it be that keeps us from running with the whole current of our affections towards that heavenly Lover who sues so earnestly to us for our hearty love Hath he not loved us enough to make us love him Was he a cold and indifferent Lover that could not touch the heart with a sense of his kindness Was he perfectly frozen and careless in our concerns when the urgent wants of our souls called for his kind and compassionate relief Or did he pretend a great deal of kindness and made long protestations of his love but did just nothing to merit our affection There need no answer to such questions which serve only to reproach and confound our insensibleness and negligence who have nothing to say why we do not love him For so apparent is his love so confessedly great so costly and expensive so tender and obliging that as it had no example nor can be ever exactly imitated so it must needs attract all those and fill them with the greatest love who do not turn away their eyes and their ears and their hearts from this Lord of love Let us but listen a while to him and we shall hear him say was there any love like unto my love What is it that you would have had me done for you more than I have done without your desire to win your love Hath any man greater love than this that he lay down his life for his Friends But what were you for whom I died Herein God commended his love towards you in that while you were yet sinners I dyed for you And what was the purchase I made by that price which I laid down for you Who is it that hath the keys of Hell and death To whom is all power given in Heaven and in Earth Can any but I forgive your sins and open to you the Kingdom of Heaven and restore you to the joys of Paradise nay make you eat of the tree of life in the midst of the Paradise of God Where do you read of any King who at his Coronation gave such royal gifts to men From whom do you expect the Crown of righteousness and an eternal inheritance of which I gave the earnest so long ago Can you think of any thing comparable to the glory of my appearing Or is there any doubt whether I will come or no or whether you shall appear with me in that celestial glory What would you have me do to satisfie and assure you more than I have already done by my Word and by my Blood and by my Angels and by my Holy Spirit which I have sent down from Heaven to bear witness to me and to tell you that I will certainly come again and give you the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Believe it I will as surely come again as I died and rose from the dead and visibly ascended into Heaven and according to my promise poured out the Holy-Ghost upon my Apostles and inspired them to proclaim this in all tongues and languages that I still live and that because I live you shall live also And is it possible for us to think we hear him speaking to us in this manner as he doth in his blessed Gospel and not be provoked to summon all the powers of our soul to offer up themselves in devout and hearty love to him What hath the dearest friend whom we love with so much passion nay even our tenderest Parents done for us in comparison with this love Or what can the favour of all the Princes on earth should they unite all their powers to love and honour us bestow and heap upon us worthy to be named together with this miraculous love It ought to call us from all vain delights Our minds should continually study to comprehend the breadth and length the depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Our wills ought to be more passionately bent towards him and grow every day stronger in his love Our memories should be a most faithful Treasury of the manifold tokens of his Love Our tongues and our hearts should never cease to meditate and sing the praises of his wondrous love For if we could speak to him as we may conceive him speaking to us and ask him what he did before the world he would tell us that He loved If we could ask him what moved his Almighty Wisdom to make the world he would tell you that he loved If we could further ask what he hath done ever since he would still say he loved And what brought him down from Heaven if we could ask again to be partaker of our miseries he would tell you again that he loved And could we ask again why he would humble himself so low as to take the form a servant and dye a base servile and ignominious death the death of the Cross he would again tell you that he loved And if you could still go on to ask what moved him to send the Holy Ghost and give such gifts to men you would still receive the same answer because he loved And could you beseech him not to be angry and you would inquire again what he hath been doing since those days and what he now does he would give you no new answer but that he loves And if you should pray him once more to tell you what he loves he would let you know it is nothing but love abundance of love This is the thing he would win by his love This is all that he asks and desires at our hands though he hath obliged us so much For this he solicites and beseeches having set his heart upon it as the fruit of his incomparable love He intreats for this as if it were for his life that we would be at last so sensible of all his kindness as to let him have our unfeigned love For he being Love himself loves nothing else but sincere and hearty love O blessed Jesus should all our hearts then say how much doth thy love differ from ours Love brought thee down from Heaven to us but how few of us and how slowly doth it carry up thither unto thee Love made thee dye the most shameful death but it doth not make us live the most glorious life It made thee endure the sorest pains but alas it doth not make mankind take the pleasure of following thy steps to the greatest happiness It made thee think perpetually on such poor wretches as we are but how seldom are our minds fixed or how small is the number whom love inclines to think upon so glorious a person as thy self It perswaded thee to come to us when there was nothing to call thee but only our great miseries but it doth not bring us all to thee when we are