our Saviour prayes for Colos. 2.9 In whom the Fulnesse of the God-head dwels Bodily The whole Man-hood of Christ Body as well as Soule was so farre enlarged so farre Spiritualized as to take in and hold forth the God-head Fully It was heightned to Both the Fulnesse and Forme of God But we must take heed that we doe not mis-understand this and while we strive to have a Distinct View of our Saviour in Glory confound Him and our Selves To this purpose we must use the help of a Two-fold Distinction The Person of our Saviour is exalted to this Glory not by the Annihilation or Swallowing up of the Humanity into the Divinity but by the Union and Communion of Both Natures in One Person Neither doth this Glory come upon our Head and Husband by a Confusion of God and Man the Creator and the Creature but by a Free Complyance of God with Man a Full Conformity of Man to God the Creature to the Creator The Glorification of the Humanity by the Divinity is no Confusion but a Communion no Annihilation but a Transfiguration Such was the Person of our Saviour at His Ascension Such is He when againe He Descends upon us at His Second Comming So Himselfe witnesseth Mark 8.38 When He Commeth in the Glory of His Father The Angel so fore-told the God-like manner of our Saviour Comming the Second Time Act. 1.11 This same Iesus which ye see taken up from you into Heaven shall so come as ye have seene Him goe into Heaven Behold how your Master ascends and as he ascends he puts off his Earthly Appearance growes Invisible and vanishes into the Glory of God So in the same Divine manner in the same Glory Invisible to Mortall Eyes He shall come againe to you Such as He is now at His Entrance into Heaven such shall He be at his Re-entrance into the World Christ at his First Comming was a God in the forme of an Earthly Man of a Worme the Lowest of Men at his Second Comming He is a Man a Worme the lowest of Men in the Forme of God And now the Last is First This is the Spirituality of our Saviour's Comming in the First Respect in His Person 2. Appearance Our Lord comes the Second Time into the World not so much by Change of Place as of Appearance Ephes. 1.10 Saint Paul speaks of he Father and of Christ That in the Dispensation of the Fulnesse of Time he might gather together in One All Things in Christ both which are in Heaven and which are on Earth even in Him The Dispensation of the Fulnesse of Time is the Discovery of Eternity which gathers up into One undivided State All Times Past Present To Come and is therefore called the Fulnesse of Time which is the Shadow to this Body This Dispensation began at Christ's Ascension and was then perfected in His Person Now was our Lord fully Glorified Now He saw All Things in the Beatificall Vision in the God-head after a manner as unchangeable as God Nothing passed away nothing was to Come From the Heighth of Heaven above to the Depth of the Earth and the Creature below He possesseth All Things in One Glory even in Himselfe To Him then there is now no more Roome for Ascent or Descent for Change of Time or Place What then is His Second Comming 'T is His Shining forth upon the rest of the Creatures that as He comprehends Himselfe and All Things in God So They may comprehend All Things and Themselves in Him Our Saviour speaks this plainly Mat. 24.27 For as the Lightning commeth out of the East and shineth unto the West even so shall also the Comming of the Son of Man be Saint Paul cals it an Appearance Colos. 3.4 Your Life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is our Life shall appeare then shall we appeare with Him in Glory The Person of Christ is taken into the Glory of God This is invisible not to it selfe nor any thing like it selfe but to Eyes of Flesh Thus Our Saviour is Hid as God is by the Greatnesse of the Glory In His Second Comming He is as the Brightnesse of the God-head breaking forth upon the World discovering it self as a New Root of Immortality below the Natural Root of each Creature and clothing upon each Appearance with a New Appearance of Glory Thus the Comming of Christ is an Enlargement of Himselfe from the same Center yet not to Himself but others So Saint Paul calls this Comming A Revelation from Heaven 2 Thes. 1.7 And to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven In this sense Saint Peter speakes Act. 3.20 21. And He shall send Iesus Christ c. whom the Heavens must receive till the restitution of All Things When our Lord Ascended He was raised above all Heavens into God from thence immediately He goes on shining forth and dispensing the Glory of God through the Heavens the Invisible part of this Creation Angells and Spirits of Men Within this Limit He containes his Beames till the Last Day Then He shall Enlarge His Circuite to take in the Visible and Bodily Part of Things when They also shall be Restored and Returne into that Glory and Divinity out of which They fell There is One Thing more to be observed before we passe from this Head The Second Comming of Christ is Graduall As the Sun when it is gone from us to the utmost Point of Heaven South-ward immediately Returnes So our Saviour began His Comming again into the World at His Ascension so soone as He had reaeh't the furthest Point of Distance from the Creature in the Heigths of the Creatour We reade Heb. 1.6 And again when He bringeth His First-begotten Son into the World He saith Let all the Angells of God Worship Him Thus it is read in the English Translation But as a late Learned Critick hath observed it runs Thus in the Greek When He that is the Father bringeth His First-begotten Sonne againe into the World c. This place thus read manifestly joynes together the Ascention of our Lord and His Comming the Second time into the World For when was it that Proclamation was made among the Angels to Worship Jesus Christ Was it not then when He Ascended and sate downe at the Right Hand of God So it is cleerly seene Philip 2. 9t 10. Wherefore God also hath Highly exalted Him and given Him a Name above every Name That at the Name of Jesus every Knee should bow So soone as our King is entred into the Divine Glory and hath there received the Ointment of the God-head immediately He comes forth and begins to shew Himselfe in a Progresse of Glory thorow the Creatures to receive their Fealty and Homage Revel. 6.2 The Coronation of Christ and his Comming forth in a Spirituall Beauty are conjoyn'd by Saint Iohn who there begins his Prophetick Story and makes this the opening of the First Seale
of the whole World And so He answers their Question teaching them that as all Creatures are the Print of his Feet so their whole Conduct is the Motion of His Feet Their Commotions His Commings on upon them As the Whale moveth himselfe under the Waters the Billows rise and rowl the Deep boyles like a Pot. Before our Saviour's time Lucifer was the Leviathan that made the Sea to seeth about him like a Pot of Ointment Now our Lord Jesus sports Himselfe in these Waters He makes his way under them and as he moves The Deepes of Mens Spirits Counsailes Common-wealths boyle the whole Frame of Things reel and rowl themselves into violent Concussions like Waves of the Sea This is the third sort of Clouds Rowling Ones 4. Cloudes of Angels My Text saith Christ comes with Cloudes Saint Paul saith 2 Thes. 1.7 The Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his Mighty Angels Our Lord Jesus tels us Mat. 26.64 Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting at the Right Hand of Power and comming in the Clouds of Heaven He speakes of the same thing Mark 8.50 In this Phrase When He commeth in the Glory of his Father with the Holy Angels These Parallel places make those expressions seem Parallel Angels Cloudes The Prophet discourseth of all sorts of Meteors Psa. 104.3 4. The upper Waters Clouds Winds Spirits or Blasts Flames of Fire This is interpreted expresly of Angels Heb. 1.7 And of Angels He saith He hath made His Angels Spirits His Ministers a Flame of Fire These are the Waters in which the Chambers of God are the Clouds which are His Chariot the Winged Windes on which He rides the Flames in which He Comes Saint Paul joynes these Two Angels and Flames at the Comming of Christ 2 Thes. 1.7 8. The Lord shall be revealed from Heaven with His Mighty Angels And with Flaming Fire The Flame of Fire is Heat working it selfe into Light This is the Immediate Image and Instrument of Angels in this visible World thorow this they appeare and work All the Appearances of God under the Law were by Angels All the Appearances of Angels were by Flames or Light The Angel went up from Manoah in a Flame Iud. 30.20 He appeared to Moses in a Flame Exod. 3.2 The Angels came downe upon the sacrifices in a Flame The Lord Jesus shall come in a Flame of Angels The Glory of God in Christ as he comes the second time breaks forth upon the Angels In these He Flames out upon the Bodily Part of Things as Fire dissolving them in their own shapes and resolving and raising them into Angelicall Formes These are the Heavenly Flames of Glory in which Saints are Blessed the Fire of Hell in which Evill men are tormented Angelicall Forms In this sense Jesus Christ tels us Luke 17.22 that Lazarus being dead was carryed by Angels into Abraham's Bosome That Glory of God which is cal'd Abraham's Bosome a Type of the Fathers Bosome was revealed in the Angels in them it over-shadowed Lazarus withdrawing Him out of this Present State and gathering Him up unto these Spirits which are the Fathers of the Earthly Man Accordingly we read Mark 13.27 He shall send forth His Angels and gather His Elect from the Four Windes This shall be the Resurrectin of the Body when this visible Image and life which was as wind breath'd forth by God from the Bosome of those Angelicall Flames shall by their opening themselves upon it be again taken in to God in these Spiritual Chambers In the same sence Angels are called the Chariots of God Psa. 68.17 The Chariots of the Lord are Twenty Thousand even Thousands of Angels The second Comming of Christ is not on Foot as a Servant The Image of the First Adam in a visible shape 'T is as of a Prince in his chariot The Image of God in the Angelical Being Cant. 3.8 Solomons Chariot had Pillars of silver Covering of Purple Bottome Gold in the mid'st Love for the Daughters of Hierusalem Divine Glory the Foundation Divine Love the Center in that Foundation Pillars of Silver Angelicall Beauties and strengths the Covering of Purple the Glorious Humanity of Christ in Royall State Comprehending all This is the Chariot which the Lord Jesus hath prepared for His Spouse This is the Forme in which He rides forth at his second Comming thorow the Whole Creation taking up to Him the Daughters of Hierusalem both in Soul and Body at their severall Seasons As Angels are the Chariots of Fire in which the Lord rides forth the second Time So are they the Horses of Fire on which He rides Revel. 6. As the Seales are opened A Man comes forth on Horse-back The Man is the Image of God the Lord Jesus who comes forth in every various forme as in a severall Dresse for several Designes The Horse is the Particular Forme of Invisible Glory the Angel on which He is Mounted I will make an end of this Discourse with that Place Mark 8.1 Where Christ speaking of his Comming joynes these Two the Glory of the Father and the Holy Angels As the Man on the Horse He shall come in the Glory of His Father and the Holy Angels In our Saviour's Person as He comes in the Spirit the Glory of the God-head shal be as a Sea the Angelicall Glories as Ships on this Sea All Formes of Things in this visible State shall be taken off the Earth of their own Grosse and Dul Principles into these Mysterious Ships in which they shall be carried on still further and further into the Ocean of the God-head I have now describ'd those Clouds in which Christ comes which was the second Head 3. Head The clearnesse of Christs Appearance Every Eye shall see Him There is a Two-fold Eyes 1st The Inward 2. The Outward Eye 1st The Inward Eye shall see Christ Saint Paul speaks of this Ephes. 1.18 The Eye of your understanding being Enlightened The Eye of the understanding is the Inward Eye This also is Two-fold 1st A Naturall 2. A Divine Eye The Naturall Eye is that of Reason which is alwayes open in all Men so farre as they are Men The Divine Eye is for many yeares many ages quite shut up in the Soul ever since the Creation untill the Regeneration This Eye is a Divine Principle or Faculty of seeing Things the Supreame Power of Knowing as God Knows and is Known Saint Iohn speaks of this Eye 1 Iohn 3.2 When He appeares we shall be like Him For we shall see Him as He is The Proper Light and Object of This Eye is Jesus Christ in the Spirit as He is the Brightnesse and Image of the God-head As a Sun-beame beating with a strong Light upon the Naturall Eye So shall the Lord Jesus awaken this Eye in Man by setting Himselfe in it And now how cleer how sweet how satisfactory must this sight be 'T is a Fit Union of an Object Suitable to a Proportion'd Power or Faculty that gives
any Appearance the Appearance that is put forth by any Power thorow the whole extent of things from one end of them to the other for ever and ever Saint Iohn from these Praises passeth as by a divine Rapture of delight and wonder into the First Preface v. 7. Behold He comes c. Let All eyes here look up and gaze He comes He who is who was who is to come He the Living Creature and the Wheel of the whole Creation of God He comes with Clouds He comes cloth'd with so full appearance of Majesty and Sweetnesse as shall melt all hearts make all eyes weep teares of Griefe and Ioy Grief that they have seen Him no sooner Ioy that they see him now and seeing him see all their Griefs and Feares eternally vanish't all their desires and joyes accomplish't all their Sinnes against so much Sweetnesse perfectly forgiven Thus we are arrived at my Text TEXT THe Text is a Prophesie of that Divine Trinity Light Love and Ioy which shall Vnitedly Vniversally reign in all hearts and eyes at the Second Appearance of this Royall Spouse of Spirits You will see this Text though it speak of Wounds Mourning Teares to have a sweet not sad sence in all these if we compare it with that place of the Prophet from whence these words seem in great part to be borrowed Zach. 12.10 I will pour forth a Spirit of Grace and supplications c. The Text hath Four Parts 1. A Shout 2. A Show 3. Spectators 4. Their Passions 1. The Shout Behold This is as a Blast of a Trumpet giving a loud and chearfull warning of some Glorious Show already begun 't is an Excitation with a signification of some Eminent and Present thing 2. The Show He Comes with Clouds He comes This word in Greek signifies a Present and Continued act then begun from that time extending it selfe to our dayes to the end of Time He is Comming He comes with Clouds I shall leave these Clouds upon my Text untill I come to my Doctrine then I shall open them 3. The Spectators The whole world is the Theater or Stage on which this Show is presented All orders of Spirits are the Spectators Every eye shall see him They also that have Pierced him This clause hath a peculiar relation to the Jewes 'T is also a Hint of that Depth in which Divine Love hath laid it's Designe to spring the Highest Sweetnesse upon the most Horrid Sinners 'T is a melting Touch like that Go tell his Disciples and Peter that he is risen Mark 16.7 Or like that Hee appeared first to Mary Magdelen out of whom he had cast seven Devils Mark 16.9 4. Passion And they shall mourn over Him The Sight pierceth the Hearts of the Spectators As Two Principles Water and Blood ran mixt from the side of Christ so Three sorts of Teares flow mingled down the cheeks of the Beholders here Teares of Remorse Love and Ioy Teares of Remorse for having hated Love stain'd Glory murthered Life it selfe upon a Mistake And all this Their Own Love Glory Life Teares of Love towards Beauty and Sweetnesse an Universal Beauty an Vnlimited Sweetnesse united in one Iesus like Light and Heat in one Beame and breaking forth from His Face to make a True Day Teares of Ioy for that Blessednesse which appeares extending it selfe securely to Eternity in the Incomprehensible Majesty of our Saviour's Person which hath Immortality which comprehends Eternity in it selfe in which the Quickest Sight is lost in an Vnfathom'd Light Doctrine THe words of my Text being thus opened doe again wrap up their full sense in this Doctrine The Eminent Thing of the World is The Comming of our Lord Iesus into the world This Doctrine empties it Selfe by these Four Heades 1. The Comming of Christ 2. The Clouds in which He Comes 3. The Clearnesse of His Appearance when He is come 4. The Sweetnesse Flowing from His Presence 1. Head The Comming of Christ This is Two-fold The 1st The 2d Comming 1. The First Comming of our Lord Jesus is Carnall This was then when he took Flesh of the Virgin Mary Now He was made Inferiour to Angels Hebr. 2.9 Now he was made Flesh Iohn 1.14 Now he was laid so low as to be capable of all the Tempâ—â—tions the most bitter the most balefull that can come from Devils or fall on Man yet without sinne Hebr. 4.14 This First Comming was our Saviour's Humiliation to Frailty Guilt Shame Horrour Death The Mystery now was The Highest God making Himselfe the Lowest of Things Flesh Dust The Deepest Darknesse Thus the First was the Last 2. The Second Comming of our Saviour is Spirituall It is Spirituall in Two Respects 1. His Person 2. His Appearance 1. Person The Person of our Blessed Saviour in his Second Comming is altogether Spirituall and Divine Such as the Person of our Jesus was at His Ascension such is it in His Second Approach to Men What is that Person in which our Saviour sits at the Top of His Ascent You shall read Eph. 4.10 He that Descended is the same that Ascended farre above All Heavens This Ascent doth not so much import a Change of Place as of Person and Proportion When the Lord Jesus was gone up above these Heavens which we see then He was above all Change of Place The Heavens which we do not see the Invisible Part of this Creation is fetter'd with the Chaine of Time but not imprison'd too by a Confinement or Circumscription of Place Our Lord ascended not so much by a Locall Motion as a Spirituall Mutation and Exaltation of His Person As Earth heightned unto a Flame changeth not its Place onely but Forme and Figure So the Person of our Saviour was raised to a Greatnesse a Glory vastly differing from and surmounting Any Image All Images of Things visible or invisible in this Creation So 't is fitly exprest Hebr. 7.29 He was made Higher than the Heavens He was Heigthned to a Splendour Enlarged to a Capacity and Compasse above the Brightest beyond the Widest Heavens Thus we see Negatively what the State of our Saviour's Person was when He was once Ascended It was no more Like to any thing in Earth below or Heaven above It was Remote from All Created Formes of Things Transcending All Farre above All Heavens Our Saviour Himself wil teach us what the Positive State of His Person now was by his Prayer for it Iohn 17.5 And now O Father glorifie me with Thy Selfe with that Glory which I had with Thee before the World was Our Lord prayes and His Prayer is both a Prophesie and the Performance begun that His Divine Nature may be both the Center and Circle to His Humanity inwardly enlivening outwardly clothing and fashioning it that his Man-hood may be after his Death at His Ascension in that same Image and Appearance in which the God-head was to it selfe before any thing else was Saint Paul points out to us that as Perfect which