have any evil motion or inclination of will in Heaven 5. Their hearts and affections shall be perfectly holy the inner room of their hearts shall then be swept clean of all cob-webs there shall not the â—east dust of sin-remain the roots of bitterness will be plucked up then and the stains which now are upon them shall be washed off all the disorders and distempers in their affections shall be removed yea some affections which now they have â—nd are suitable to this estate of sin and imperfection shall be removed in their state of glory â—uch as grief anger fear and the like they shall â—ave no bitterness upon their spirits no sorrow in â—heir hearts no sinking and fainting of spirit no discouragement and dispondency no terrour or â—erplexity no anguish or anxiety all these shall flee away like a Cloud yea they shall have no â—ope in Heaven nor desire as I conceive because â—hese affections suppose the chief good to be abâ—ent and imply imperfection but there they â—hall have a perfect enjoyment and rest of soul in â—he chief good which is the next thing to be spoâ—en of namely the object of the Saints happiness 〈◊〉 Heaven 2. Objectively The object of the happiness of â—e righteous in Heaven or the chief good which â—ill make them perfectly anâ— compleatly happy â—ill be God who is infinitely good in himself and infinitely blessed in the enjoyment of himself and in him will the happiness of the righteous consist that which fills an Ocean surely will fill a Bucket or nut-shell God will be the happiness of the righteous for ever it is but a thin and subordinate happiness which is to be found in the creature it is but an imperfect happiness which is here to be found in God because of our blindness and sin and incapacity but in Heaven God will be a perfect happiness unto the Saints It is said 1 Cor. 15. 28. That God shall be all in all God will be the whole happiness of the righteous Goâ— in himself God in his Son God in the Angelâ— God in other Saints God in themselves God will be all in all the only object of their happinesse 3. Formally the happiness of the righteous in Heaven will consist in the union of the subject and object together God will be united to their mindes by Vision and to their hearts by Love from whence will spring unspeakable joy 1. The mindes of the Saints will have a perfeâ— vision of God which will infinitely transcend aâ—â— the visions and sweetest discoveries of God which they have or ate capable of in this World hereafter their capacity will be enlarged their mindes will be elevated here they see God darkly there they shall see him clearly here they see him afâ—â— off there they shall see him neerly here they see him as he is represented there they shall see him as he is here they see him in a Glass there they shall see him immediatly here they see aliquid de Deo there they shall see Deum here they see his foot-steps some impresses of God upon the Creatures especially upon his Children chiefly they see his Image in Christ whom they view by faith in the Glass of the Gospel as was said yet the uttermost they can here attain unto is to see his back-parts but in Heaven they shall see his face they shall see him face to face they shall see him as he is This this will be the happiness of the righteous in Heaven to have the immediate sight the beatifical vision of God 2. The hearts of the righteous shall be joyned to God who is their chief good by love But who can utter the love which the Saints shall have unto God in Heaven it will exceed our now conceptions much more will it exceed the love which those of the most intimate acquaintance with God do here atâ—ain unto that it will be heightned beyond what now it is we may apprehend if we consider 1. That the righteous will have an immediate vision of God as hath been shown now they live in a dark World and have a Cloud upon their mindes and see but a little of God through the perspective Glass of his Ordinances a little in the works of his hands and in the works of his spirit upon the hearts of his Children and if when they see and know him so little they can love him so dearly above the whole World how will they love him when they behold his face when the Clouds shall be dispelled and the Sun break sorth when they behold his beauty and the transcendent excellencies which are in him beyond whatever they could here imagine how will their hearts be ravished with love to look God in the face when they see him in himself when they see him in his Son when the Divinity of Christ shall appear in him and shine so gloriously before them when they see the Angels so full of God and the Saints so full of God and every thing in Heaven represent the glorious Jehovah unto them 2. The love of God will heighten their love to him to be loved by such an excellent Person and with such a superlative love O how will this enflame their hearts with love unto him when they take a review of the past expressions of his love and finde the love of God in many things which they did not minde when they were in the World and when they see a thousand fold more love iâ— those things which they did take notice of but with low apprehensions and dull affections how will it raise their hearts when their apprehensions of his love shal be raised they wil admire electing love so free towards them without any prevision of merit in them they wil admire his love in sending his Son to redeem them and sending his spirit to convert them his love in pardoning their sins iâ— adopting them to be his Children now they admire his love sometimes Behold what manner 〈◊〉 love is this that we should â—e called the Children 〈◊〉 God! I Ioh. 3. 1. Then they will admire it teâ— thousand times more they wil see Gods love iâ— all his fatherly provisions protections yea in hiâ— chastisements and corrections and all his providences working for their good but O what lovâ— wil they see in his special distinguishing mercies beyond what now they apprehend and Gods paâ—â— love wil have a present and deep impression upoâ— their hearts further they wil see the treasures 〈◊〉 his love open the heart of God opened and thâ— glory which in Heaven he wil confer upon them 〈◊〉 which they shall never be deprived what a demonstration of Gods love will this be unto them Moreover then they shall have no doubtings of his love which here do damp affections they shall know assuredly that he hath loved them doth love them and will love them unchangeably and eternally and withal they shall have a full sense of his love upon their hearts which will
the design of them whence it is evident that they were not neither could be the Contrivers of what they revealed but that the Revelation was from the spirit of God which did inspire the Prophets and was the same in all the Pen-men of the holy Scriptures whom Men of insight in the Scriptures may plainly perceive to be guided and acted by the same spirit in their Revelation of the contrivement and way of Mans salvation by Jesus Christ. 4. A Fourth Character of Divinity in the Scriptures is the Purity and Holiness of them the Scriptures are like Silver or Gold purified and seven times tried in the Fire wherein no dross doth remain Psal. 12. 7. the Scriptures are pure and holy from the beginning of them to the end In no Histories shall we finde such examples of holiness as the Scriptures do record in no Writings of moral Philosophers shall we finde such precepts of holiness as in the Scriptures are enjoyned Indeed the light of nature hath been improved by some Heathens so far that they have given excellent rules for the restraining of vice and obtaining of moral vertues and the ordering their conversations in such a vertuous way that those persons who have observed these rules have been illustrious in their generations and have shined with some kinde of brightness in the dark places where they have lived but in no book that ever issued from the brain of man shall we finde such exact rules for holy living as in the Book of the Scriptures In this Book we finde the moral Law summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandements which was written by God himself on the Tables of Stone when Moses was with him in the Mount in which there are such holy precepts as no Heathen author can show the like the Heathens were blinde as to the duties of the first Table of the Law which have a reference unto God and in observance of which mans holiness doth chiefly consist in the second Table duties they had some understanding yet they were much mistaken in some things accounting some sins as ambition self-murder in some cases and the like to be vertues and they had not so deep an insight into sin they did not apprehend the inclination of the heart and the previous motions to the consent of the will to evil which the Scriptures do discover to be sinful and offensive in the eyes of a pure and holy God Moreover in the Scriptures we finde the holy precepts of the Gospel which the Heathens were strangers unto and a way discovered not only for the obtaining the pardon of sin but also for the subduing and mortifying of sin where means are made known not only for the restraining of a vicious nature but also for the changing of it for the regenerating of the soul of man and forming it after the Image of the holy God in knowledge righteousness and true holiness the making men partakers of the divine nature which Heathens never understood the meaning of the Scriptures show the way of obtaining the sanctifying graces of Gods Spirit which do further exceed the moâ—all vertues of the Heathen in lustre than the Sun doth exceed the lesser Stars in brightness and glory Marvellous is the purity and holiness of the word such as doth not savour of any thing terâ—ene and humane yea it is such as is directly opposite to the natural biass of the hearts of all men and women in the world whilst they are in a state of nature such as doth contradict carnal affections and against which the carnal mind hath a natural enmity and unto which all such and none but such have a liking and love as are â—egenerated by the Spirit of God whence it strongly follows that the Scriptures could not proceed from men but that this holy Book did proceed from the immediate inspiration of the holy Ghost in those holy men which were the Pen-men thereof 2. It will appear that the Scriptures are the word of God from the marvellous power and efficacy of them Such a power and spirit hath and doth accompany the preaching of the Gospel which in the Scriptures is contained as doth evidence them to be from God alone we read 1 Pet. 1. 12. of them which preached the Gospel with the holy Ghost sent down from Heaven This hath been this is unto this day 1. The wonderful power of the Gospel in the first preaching of it doth evince that it was from God when so great a part of the world was in so shoâ—â— a time subdued unto the obedience thereof wheâ— the Gospel prevailed not only amongst many 〈◊〉 the Jews after Christs ascension and the effusion of the holy Ghost more largely upon the Apostles so that three thousand people were converted to the faith by one Sermon of the Apostlâ— Peter Acts 2. 41. and five thousand moâ—e Act. 4 4. but especially in that it prevailed amongâ—â— the Gentiles and Heathens and so many Churches of Christ were planted and brought not bâ— carnal weapons but by Spiritual to the subjection and obedience of the Lord Jesus This power will appear to have been from God if we consider 1. How few men were employed in the firsâ— preaching thereof there were not many whicâ— we read of besides Paul and Sarâ—abas who preached unto the Gentiles at the first If there haâ— been multitudes of witnesses it might have given the more credit to the Doctrine when the testimony of a few is not easily believed and received 2. That these men were but of little esteem in the world that they were Jews whom the Gentiles had an antipathy against and so were not so ready to believe their report and entertain their message that their persons were contemptible in their eyes that they were like crucified persons to the world and therefore unlikely to finde acceptation 3. That whatever humane Learning and Wisdom any of them were endowed withall yet they did not make use of it in their preaching they did not come with excellency of speech and wisdom in declaring the testimony of God but used all plainness which was not likely in it self to produce such great effects 4. That the doctrine which they preached was 1. New to the world and tended directly to pull down the old religion and superstitious worship of the heathenish gods which they had been brought up in and wedded unto which could not be done by any humane power 2. Strange they preached such things as were above reason and therefore the world might have had much show and pretence of reason to have excused themselves from yielding obedience thereunto 3. Strict severe and contrary unto natural inclination and interest they taught the world to deny themselves to crucifie the flesh to mortifie the deeds of the body to take up the cross to mourn and weep for sin to endure hardship to forsake father and mother and wife and children and houses and lands if they stood in competition with Jesus Christ to venture imprisonments
them and we may â—ationally imagine that they will salute them at their rising and welcome them out of their graves we read of the Angel Gabriel's salutation of Mary Luke 1. 28. Hail thou that arâ— highly favoured the Lord is with thee blessed art thou amongst Women and the same Angels words to Daniel chap. 9. 23. Thou art greatly beloved Such salutations possibly the Angels may give to the Saints at their resurrection Arise you that are highly favoured of God come forth yee that are greatly beloved welcome welcome yee happy ones ye that are blessed amongst the children of men your Lord is come down and stayethâ— for you he hath sent us to call you and convey you into his presence bring you where he is that you may see and share in his glory O how will such words make their hearts to glow within them how joyfull will such a message be unto them O happy they that ever they were born or rather that ever they were new born O happy they that they should live that they should be raised to see such a day as this will be O what looks what speeches what joyes will they have when they are entertained by the Angels 3. The third Antecedent to the Righteous Iudgment will be their meeting one with another Matth. 24. 31. The Angels will be sent to gather the Elect together 2 Thes. 2. 1. I beseech you â—rethren by the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ and our gathering together unto him the Saints will be all gathered together and we shall be gathered with them if we be found in that number there we shall meet with Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and all the holy Kings and Prophets and Apostles and Martyrs and holy Men who have lived in all Generations and all these in another hue than when they lived upon the Earth they will arise like so many shining Suns ouâ— of the Earth O how shall we be delighted with the â—ight of such a glorious train and company when we see the Image and picture of the Lord upon them drawn so to the life what sweet greetings shall we have and mutual congratulations of our old acquaintance in the flesh who were with us acquainted with the Lord and is this the end of our hearing and fasting and praying and self-denial and mortification and the poor services we have done for the Lord Is this the issue of our pains and labour O happy we that ever we repented and believed and closed with Jesus Christ O happy we that laid up our Treasure and waited for our glory and happiness till this time 4. The fourth Antecedent is that the righteous shall be caught up together in the aire all the righteous shall be caught up they that are raised from the dead and they that remain alive upon the Earth on that day 1 Thess. 4. 16 17. The dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the aire we read of the two witnesses which were slain after three dayes and a half the spirit of life from God entered into them and they stood upon theâ—r feet and they heard a great voice from Heaven saying unto them come up hither and they ascended up to Heaven in a Cloud c. Rev. 11. 11 12. In the morning of the resurrection the spirit of life from God will enter into the bodies of all the Saints and they will stand up and possibly they may hear a voice from Christ in the aire Come up hither and then they will be caught up and ascend into the aire to meet with their Lord O what unexpressible pleasure and delight will they finde when they Feel themselves begin to move upwards when they are leaving the Earth and wicked men and so many glorious persons of them together ascending to meet their most glorious Lord 5. The fifth antecedent to the judgment is their meeting with the Lord in the aire 1 Thess. 4. 17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the aire We have spoken of the meeting of the soul and the body of the meeting of the Saints with the Angels of the meeting of the Saints with the Saints all which meetings will be very delightful but the meeting of the Saints with the Lord himself will be beyond all O how sweet will the sound of Christ's coming be unto them before they see him When they hear the long expected shouâ— and the sound of the last Trump This this will be musick indeed in their eares Then then they will lift up their heads with joy and do but think how transporting the first glance of their eye will be upon the Lord Jesus Christ when they see him yet afar off cloathed with such brightness and beauty never did their eye behold such an object before they admired to see the Saints and to see themselves so transformed but how will they admire to see the Lord in such glory if so be that some of his Disciples did gaze after him with wonder when he was taken from them and ascended into Heaven Acts 1. 11. With what wonder will all his Disciples most of which never saw him in the flesh none of which saw him in such glory then gaze upon him when he shall come down from Heaven Yee Men of Galilee why stand yee gazing up into Heaven Say the Angels this same Iesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as yee have seen him go into Heaven if you look and wonder now at his going how will you look and wonder at his coming which will be as surely but far more gloriously But when they are come neerer unto Christ and have a fuller view of him O vvhat thoughts What affections What joyes vvill there then fill their souls O what workings what beatings of heart what transports and ravishment of spirit will they have O how would they be overwhelmed with this sight and utterly unable to bear it if they were not strengthened beyond their present capacity And is this the Saviour and Redeemer of the world O glorious Son of righteousness Did this most excellent Person who thus appears in the brightness of his Fathers glory and is now come down from his glorious habitation with such a glorious train of Angels once vouchsafe to dwell with men and vaile his glory in the flesh Did this eternal Son of God stoop so low as to take upon him our nature yea to take upon him the forme of a Servant Did he live in such meanness and obscurity and indure such hardship contradiction reproach and injury when he was upon the earth O infinite condescention Did this Lord of life and glory in the dayes of his flesh so weep and pray and cry sweat and bleed and die though with such pain anguish and disgrace yet with such willingness and
patience in our steads that he might redeem us from sin and death and wrath to come that we might not perish but have overlasting life O wonderful unconâ—eivable love What so glorious a Person to be made man to be made sin to be made a curse to do such things to suffer such things for such mean vile cursed â—inners as we that we might be blessed and happy with him O surpassing superlative kindness Is this he who made choice of us when he chose so few that called us when the most were passed by that pitcht his love upon us when there was no attractive in us nothing to move him but his own bowels that revealed his secrets to us when he hid them from the wise and prudent that brought us nigh when we were afar off and made us fellow-Citizens and fellow-heirs with the Saints and of the houshold of God who were by nature children of wrath even as others O astonishing free grace Is this he who cloathed us when we were naked even with the robes of his own righteousness that washed us when we were defiled even in the fountain of his own blood that cheared us when we were troubled even with the comforts of his own Spirit that strengthned us when we were weak even with his might and glorious power in our inner man was it from this Person that we received our pardon our peace our supports our graces our encouragements and all the sweet refreshments we have found in Ordinances Is this the Advocate whom we made choice of relied and trusted upon fâ—r life and salvation Is this the Master whom we followed and whose work we were imployed about Is this the Captain whose colours we wore and under whose banner we fought Is this the Lord whom we obeyed the friend the husband whom we loved and is he so glorious O how will the Saints be wrapt up with admiration and joy how will they be all in a flame of burning love and affection when they come to behold the Lord Jesus Christ himself and view him in such glory as then he will be decked withall when they come to see him face to face who hath such loveliness in his face and such love in his heart unto them It is said 1 Pet. 1. 8. whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakabâ—e and full of glory If so be that the Saints do now love Christ whom they never saw only have heard of and belâ—eved the report of the word how will they love him when they have this sight of him and see a thousandfold more beauty in him than was reported or could be imagined if so be that now sometimes they rejoyce with glorious and unspeakable joy in believing what will they do when they come to see him in his glory If they can now rejoyce in tribulations and take pleasure in the cross and reproach of Christ what will they finde in their masters joy and the Crown which he now comes to put upon their heads O how glad will they be that they have been counted worthy to suffer any thing for such a Saviour It will be a joyful time indeed unto the Saints when they are caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air And the joy of Christ will be no less to meet with them O with what an eye will he view them when they are arising and ascending with so much of his beauty and lustre upon them none can conceive the love and delight which the Lord Jesus will take in them at that day he will look upon them as those who were beloved by the Father and himself from all eternity as those who fetcht him out of heaven before to redeem them and now to glorifie them he will look upon them as the travel of his soul as the price of his blood he will look upon them as his Jewels as spoils taken out of the hands of his enemies he will look upon them as plants grown up unto perfection as servants who have done their work as those who have kept up his honour in the world he will look upon them as members of his body he will look upon them as his dearest spouse and most beautiful bride who now cometh to be joyned to him more neerly and to live with him for ever O the love and joy of Christ at this meeting If so be that Christ so dearly loved his Spouse and could delight in her too when she was black and sooty when her clothes were spotted and stained when her affections were weak low and inconstant how will he love and rejoyce in her when she is made perfectly like to himself and so beautiful with his comeliness when her stains are all washed off and she is presented before him without spot wrinkle blemish or any such thing when she shall be arrayed in white and hath put on her shining garments and appear so lovely and her love shall be so high and full and strong and flaming Never did Lovers meet with such delight joy on their wedding-day as Christ and his Spouse will meet at the day of his second appearance O the sweet smiles the Saints will see in the face of Christ Smiles upon them such glances of love will sparkle forth from his eyes as will ravish their hearts O the sweet words they will hear the welcome he will give them when they first meet when they are come he will place them at his right hand So much concerning the more immediate Antecedents of the judgment of the righteous CHAP. VI. 2. THe second thing is to speak concerning the Judgment it self of the righteous Anâ— there are two things the Scripture speaks of which Christ will do at his second appearance in the judgment of the righteous 1. He will take an account of them 2. He will pronounce the sentence upon them 1. Christ will take an account of the righteous Rom. 4. 10 12. We shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ and every one of us shall give an account of himself unto God though the righteous shall not be brought to condemnation yet they shall be brought into judgment which will be for their masters honour and their own especially of those who can give a good account of the Talents their Lord hath intrusted them withall I know it is a question amongst Divines whether the sins of Gods people will be mentioned and made manifest at the last day of judgment I shall not determine the question since the Scripture is not so plain Possibly the Lord having pardoned them covered them blotted them out of the book of his remembrance he will not mention them on that day but sure I am if they should be mentioned it will not be to their disgrace and grief but to their more abundant joâ— in the Lord who hath forgiven them If they should read their sins in the book of Gods remembrance
the power of godliness others will remember what profession they made and that they went with some kinde of gladness in the company of Gods people unto his House and Ordinances and heard the Word and received some impressions thereof yea obtained some kinde of graces under its influence that they had a kinde of righteousness repentance faith desires love joy hope that they had some tastes of the heavenly gift and the powers of the World to come and thought themselves as fair for Heaven as the best and who ever missed that they should not miss of glory but O the confusion and vexation which will be upon the spirits of these Persons when the Lord Jesus shall disown them and shut them out of his Kingdomâ— O what tearings of heart will they have when they perceive that they were mistaken and finde themselves disappointed of the happiness which they had such hopes of and confident expectations to obtain when they finde that their silver was but dross and their graces were counterfeit and not of the right stamp that they had not the Image and superscription of Christ upon them when they remember that they had a righteousness but it was like the morning Cloud which the wind of affliction or temptation had driven away that they had some repentance but it was legâ—l not Evangelical that the teares they had sometimes shed for sin were like the early dew which the bright Sun of prosperity did quickly dry up that they had a faith but it was a temporary faith which wanted deep rooting in the heart and what ever flourishing fruit it quickly sent forth yet the hot Sun of persecution did wither it that iâ— came to nothing when they were put upon the Trial that they had desires after Christ and the favour of God and spiritual things but they weâ—â— but faint velleities they were like the untimely birth of a Woman which never came to any perfection that they had love to God in show or it may be at some time a passionate glow of heart under an Ordinance which was not enkindled by a spark falling down from Heaven upon them blown up by the spirit of God but a false or more inferiour Fire which arose from a sympathy with Ministers or other Christians in the more inferiour workings and expressions of their love which in the sincere arose from the right principle that they had some kinde of hope but it was like a spiders web broken quickly to pieces or swept down by the beesome of destruction with them into Hell that they had some joyes but they were flashy and ungrounded some tastes arising from misapprehensions of Gospel-priviledges and misapplication of Gospel-promises all which did quickly vanish and come to nothing They will finde if not before be sure at that day that they were mistaken and have lost all their pains and labour for want of a thorow work of grace for want of soundness at the root for want of hearty sorrow deep humiliation good-grounded and deepâ—rooted faith supream love well-bottom'd hope universall reformation and mortification of the deeds of the body that none of their actions were accepted by the heart-searching God for want of a right principle and end now when these Persons are sentenced to Hell and are going away from Christ and the glory which once they had hopes of and were so near unto and had they gone but a step or two further they might have attained O with what unconceivable grief and curtings of heart will it be they will remember then that they did seek to enter in at the strait Gate and they will wish with all their hearts that they had striven that they had taken more pains that they might not have missed and fallen short of salvation possibly then with unutterable anguish they may say There is a glorious Inheritance in Heaven which we are now departing from we often prayed for it when we were upon the Earth and if we had been sincere and fervent if we had resolved to take the place by storme and would not have been denyed we might have got it we have read of it in the Word and heard of it in Sermons and it hath been proffered to us freely and if we had renounced the World and forsaken sin and chosen it for our portion we might have had it we parted with some sins if we had left all it should have been ours once we had some hopes of it when we had some taste of it and had done some things to obtain it and if we had gone a little further we might have indeed obtained it if we had taken pains with our hearts before God to get them raised to things above if we had denyed our selves and mortified our members upon the Earth if we had cast away all our transgressions and câ—st away our own righteousness and rowled our selves wholly upon Iesus Christ and acted faith upon him and the promises of this Kingdome and walked in the narrow way which we seemed to walk in we might now have been made passessours hereof and shined amongst yonder glorious Saints some of whom were our companions and hoped for our company and wonder to see us separated from them But alas we were sloathfull and careless we were unwatchfull and idle our pains was more to appear religious than be religious we had some lusts which lay nearer our heart than Iesus Christ we did some things with seeming vigour but carnal motives were the chief incentives to our duties and how ever lifeless faithless and empty of true grace they were yet we trusted in them and made them our Saviour and never were brought clear off from our own bottome unto a closure with Iesus Christ and we have fool'd away our salvation and made our selves unworthy of eternal life Deservedly deservedly do we lose this crown for our folly O that we had been sincere and thorough Christians 6. In going away it will sting the wicked to think that now this happiness of Heaven is irrecoverable once they might have obtained it and that upon easie tearmes yea after some refusals of it they had fresh proffers and invitations the door of mercy and gate of salvation and glory stood open a long time but now the door is lookt upon them and will never be opened more they must go away without any hopes of ever entering into the new Ierusalem or obtaining the least degree of the happiness of the Saints they must bid adieu unto joy and comfort for ever These considerations will sting Gospel-sinners in their going away Thus concerning the first particular in the execution of the sentence on the wicked they shall go away 2. They shall go into punishment and here I shall speak 1. Of the punishment which they shall go into 2. Of their entring into this punishment 1. Concerning the punishment which the wicked shall go into Take two or three places of Scripture which set forth this punishment Matth. 25. 41.
yea to lay down their life for Christ as many of necessity must and did do that would be Christians indeed in those daies and when the Doctrine of the Gospel was such surely it was not likely of it self to receive entertainment unless the power of God had accompanied it 5. The power of the Gospel in the first preaching appears in that it met with so much opposition the Devil stirred up instruments against it the powers of the Earth were against it as well as the powers of Hell great men did oppose it Philosophers were against it Learned men did oppose it the Iews were against it and raised up persecution against the Apostles and the hearts of all men naturally were against it and when there was such an opposition against it surely it was none but the power of God which could cause it to prevaile and conquer and cause so many Nations to bow and yield obedience hereunto 2. The wonderful power and efficacy of the word where it is preached unto this day is a strong argument that it is the Word of God 1. The power of the Word to search the heart and convince of sin Heb. 4. 12. The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart there is a light in the Word which discovereth the dark filthy corners of the heart and convinceth of secret sins and there is a sharp edge in the word to cut and wound no word in the world searcheth and pierceth like the word in the Scriptures 2. And especially the power of the Word doth appear in the work of conversion and regeneration which it effecteth it is called the incorruptible seed by which men are born again 1 Pet. 1. 23. Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth Iam. 1. 18. there is a great power goeth along with it â—o break rockie hearts to bow stubborn wils to spiritualize carnal affections to subdue strong lusts to work a gracious and thorow change in the heart of man which exceedeth the power of nature or moral suasion and in so much as all are not wrought upon by it which read or hear it yea sometimes the more disposed subject receiveth no impression thereby and the less disposed subject is effectually changed which shows that the â—ower doth proceed from God and that the work is effected by his Spirit and proves the diâ—ine Authority of this Word 3. The Word is powerful not only for the first working of grace but also for the encrease thereof for the building up believers Act. 20. 32. for the perfecting of the Saints and the edifying the body of Christ there is Milk in the Word for babes and strong meat for strong men wholsome words which have much spiritual nourishing vertue in them the Word is powerful for the â—uenching Sathans fiery darts for the repelling and driving back the tempter for the comforting and rejoycing of distressed and disconsolate souls â—hen they are brought even to the brink of deâ—air there are no such joyes in the world as â—â—ose joyes which Christians sometimes finde in â—eading and applying the Word when they mingâ—e it with faith and have the breathings of the Spirit therewith and there is no book in the world that can produce such powerful effects aâ— the Scriptures do wherefore it must needs follow that these Scriptures are indeed the Word oâ— God 3. The Scriptures appear to be the Word of God from the Historical relation in them of Prophecies fulâ—filled of miracles whereby they were confirmed aâ—â— the rationally unquestionable certainty of this History as it is handed down to pâ—sterity 1. In the Scriptures we have relation of Prâ—â—phecies and the fulfilling of them which doâ—â— prove these writings to be from God alone because he alone can certainly foretell futuâ—â— things indeed wise men may guess and througâ— prudence foresee the effects of some thingâ— in their causes and foretell some things thâ— are not very far off yet not certainly and wiâ—â— all their circumstances But it is Gods prerogâ—â—tive to foresee and foretell such things certainlâ— and with their circumstances and long before 〈◊〉 time for which no cause in nature can be aâ—signed sucâ— as many of the Prophesies of 〈◊〉 Scriptures were By this argument God doth 〈◊〉 the Prophet Isaiah prove the Heathenish gods 〈◊〉 be no gods because they could not foretell fuâ—ture events Isa. 41. 21 22 23. Produce your cauâ—â— saith the Lord bring forth your strong reasons 〈◊〉 them shew us what shall happen and declare to 〈◊〉 things to come shew the things which are to 〈◊〉 hereafter that we may know that ye are Gods 〈◊〉 v. 26. There is none that sheweth there is none thâ—â— declareth c. Therefore he concludeth v. 29 Behold they are all vanity their works are nothing their molten Images are winde and confusion 〈◊〉 The Prophesies of Scripture as they prove the Lord who spake them by the Prophets to be God so they prove the Scriptures in which they are spoken to be of Divine authority It would take up too much room in this small Treatise to enumerate all the Prophesies of Scripture take two or three instances See Gen. 15. 13 14. God foreâ—elling to Abraham that his seed should be strangers in a Land which was not theirs and serve them and be afflicted by them four hundred years and that afterward they should come forth with great substance This Prophesie is fulfilled Exod. 12. So also the return of the children of Israel â—rom the Babylonish captivity after seventy years was foretold Ier. 25. 12. and the name of Cyrus who should deliver them before he was born â—sa 45. 1 2. So also the name of Iosiah who â—hould destroy the Altar which Ieroboam had reaâ—ed and burn the bones of the Priests upon it was foretold three hundred thirty and three years before he was born the Prophesie is in 1 King â—3 2. the fulfilling of it 2 King 23. 17. But â—specially the Prophesies in the Scripture concerâ—ing the Messiah are remarkable of his birth lâ—fe death and the fulfilling of them in the History of the Evangelists the Prophesie of the destruction of the Temple and Ierusalem by Daâ—iel and especially by our Saviour and the â—ulfilling thereof before that generation wherein our Saviour lived were all in their graves 2. In the Scripture we have relation of Miâ—â—cles whereby they were confirmed such as the â—lague of Egypt the dividing of the Sea for the â—â—raelites to pass â—horow the raining of Manna from Heaven the standing still and going back of the Sun the preservation of the three Children in the fiery Furnace and the like in the old Testament especially the Miracles wrought by our Saviour and his Disciples which the new Testament do record such as healing the sick the lame blinde deaf leprous by a word the feedinâ— many
concernment to repent because God will judge the World by Jesus Christ for sin and condemn you if you be found impenitent Sinners you have tasted the sweetness of sin in the Commission of it O labour to taste the bitterness of sin in your repentance for it your sins have been displeasing to the holy and jealous Godâ—et them be displeasing to your souls your sins have wounded the Lord Jesus Christ let them pierce your hearts the spirit of God hath been grieved and quenched by them be you grieved and troubled for them grieve for sin not only because of its consequential evil but also because of its incrinsecal evil not only because it is like to damn you but also because it hath so much defiled you not only because it is likely to sink you into Hell amongst Devils but also because it hath debased you and made you more vile than the Beasts that perish Sinners mourn for sin Be afflicted mourn and weep Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into heavinesse Jam. 4. 9. Get your proud hearts humbled and your hard hearts broken for those sins whereby you have broken Gods Law get your hearts broken for sin and get your hearts broken from sin Break off your sins by Repentance Cast away all your transgressions like menstruâ—us cloathes saying get ye hence Isa. 30. 22. Let the wicked forsake his way the unrighteous man his thoughts turn to the Lord c. Isa. 55. 7. Thrust these Iuhabitants out of doors who have so long had possession suffer not to lodge any longer within you remember that they are Vipers which will poyson you that they are enemies which will wound and kill you Do not harbour sin any longer do not entertain it with smiles and a pleasing countenance but with teares and frownes Get your hearts set against sin labour for deep-rooted hatred of it and accordingly behave your selves towards it get the strong holds of sin demolished in your hearts get the rooms in which your lusts have scattered defilement washed with the teares of Repentance and the blood of Jesus Christ let Christ have his Throne where sin hath reigned let your thoughts and affections be brought into captivity and obedience unto Jesus Christ Keep the door of your hearts with all diligence least your old enemy enter again upon you Flee from sin as from a Cockatrice and if you be pursued manâ—ully resist resist even unto blood striving against sin never parley with sin hearken not to any tearms of composition Be not enticed unto sin by pleasing baits neither be affrighted to sin by frowns and threatnings Fight the good fight of Faith Turn by repentance from sin break off the course of sin and walk not in the way thereof and turn by repentance unto the Lord let the Biass of your hearts be turned unto him Deliver up your selves unto the obedience of his Law yield your selves unto God c. Rom. 6. This is Repentance And that you may repent of Sin 1. Examine your selves Christ will examine you at the last day and you must give an account unto him examine your selves and call your selves to an account that you may repent and prevent the future misery which will be the consequent of sin Finde out your sins that you may mourn and turn that which the eye seeth not the heart will not cannot be affected withal Consult the Register of your consciences turn over the leaves and read what is recorded in that Book open your hearts to the beams of the light of the Word and be ready to receive the convictions of the Spirit Find out your sins your original sin the defilement of your natures your actual sins your great Conscience-wounding sins find out your bosome-sins which your hearts are most nearly joined unto and are most loth to part withal finde out your Constitution-sins your Calling-sins the sins which bear the greatest sway and are most supported by the interest of the flesh and your hearts are ready to cloak and cover under the veil of excuses and plausible pleas Think how you will be able to answer for them at the great Day to the Heart-searching Judge Sinners finde out your sins otherwise your sins will finde you out and Christ will finde you out and Wrath will finde you out and then woe be unto you 2. Iudge and condemn your selves for your sins this is the way to escape the judgement of God 1 Cor. 11. 31. If you judge others you shall be judged Matth. 7. 1. but if you judge your selves you shall escape and therefore 3. Make confession of sin Spread the black Catalogue of your sins before the Lord come with ropes about your necks and tears in your eyes and sorrow in your hearts unto the Throne of Grace and fill your mouthes with humble acknowledgements of your sins rip up your hearts before the Lord open before him your soars stand noâ— in your own defence and justification but fall down prostrate at God's feet and confess what sinfull natures you have what vile hearts what wicked lives you have lead confesse how you have broken his Law and disobeyed his Gospel charge upon your selves the guilt of your particular and most heinous sins and do not extenuate but aggravate them with all the circumstances you can think of look upon your selves as cursed wretches whilest under the guilt of sin as miserable lost forlorne creatures whilest God is your enemy and his wrath abideth on you acknowledge your sins and the demerit of your sins that you have deserved not only temporal plagues but also eternal torments that you have forfeited all outward mercies and are unworthy of the least grace and favour much more unworthy of eternal life Lye very low before God â—ick the dust look upon your selves as Wormes as Toads yea as more vile and more full of poyson 4. If under the view of sin and confession thereof you finde your hearts hard and senslesse like rocks or Adamantine stones within your hearts yet be not discouraged the sense of hardnesse is some beginning of softnesse but do not rest in beginnings take pains with them to get them melted throughly to get them broken to pieces Read and consider and apply and urge at the Throne of Grace the gracious Promise Ezek. 36. 26. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh Be sensible of your own inability of your selves to repent of sin and perswaded thâ—â— it is Goâ—s grace remember it is free but withal that 〈◊〉 promised beg the influence of his Spirit upon your hearts to melâ— them beg the application of the blood of Christ to mollifie them the blood of the Goat only can break an Adamaâ—t stone and it is the blood of Christ the Scape-goat which alone can break the hard hearts of sinners If any be discouraged with the difficulty of Repentance that it is hard to obtain and a very grievous thing to
is come and who shall be able to stand Then profane and wicked Kings who would not submit unto the Government of Christ but brake his bands asunder and cast away his cords from them shall see this King of Kings and Lord of Lords come down from heaven to judge them and O with what fear would they then run and hide themselves in Dens or under some great Rocks and Mountains if they could from the face of him who will then sit upon the Throne of Judgment and with what trembling will they stand amongst the meanest of their subjects devested of all their power and dignity then the Nobles and great Men of the Earth who having been lifted up above the ordinary degree of men have lifted up their hearts also with pride and haughtiness beyond measure and let loose the reigns unto licentiousness and wallowed in filthy delights and pleasures shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds and O how will their proud hearts then be brought down and their haughtiness laid low and their sweet sinful delights be turned into bitter gall and wormwood then they will cry to the Rocks to cover them and the Mountains to hide them if they can finde any such place to receive them in this terrible day Then the chief Captains and mighty Men who employed their force and strength under the banner of the Devil and endeavoured to promote the interest of his Kingdome in the World and rebelled against the Lord of Hosts shall see the Heavens opened and this mighty Captain come down with the Armies of Heaven attending upon him in white to execute vengeance upon them and then their courage will fail them and the wrath of the Lamb will make them tremble and they would creep into a Rock or any hole to hide them then the rich men who have placed their hearts and confidence in their riches especially those who have heaped up riches by injustice and unrighteous practises shall see the Son of Man coming against them and weep and howl for the miseries which are coming upon them and their riches will be so far from profiting them in the day of wrath that they will be witnesses to accuse them aâ—d aggravate their condemnation Then every Bond-man and every Free-man that are slaves to the Devil and their own lusts shall see the Son of Man coming to judge them and be in the number of the mourners crying to the Mountains to fall on them Then there will be distress upon all Nations and great perplexity Sea waves roaring and Mens hearts failing them for fear when they are looking up into the Clouds and see the Son of Man is come down and his Throne is prepared for judgment The Heathen Nations will mourn to see him especially the wicked who have had the name of Christians upon them and have sat under the light of the Gospel O how will their faces be filled with shame and confusion and their hearts with terrour and astonishment when they behold the face of the Lord Jesus Christ shining with such beauty and glory but looking on them with anger and disdain And is this glorious King that Iesus Christ whom we heard so much spoken of when we lived upon the Earth Was he indeed so great whose commands we disobeyed whose threatnings we slighted whose grace we abused and whose wrath we dis-regarded Was it so excellent a person who was described and set forth to us by Ministers in such superlative expressions all which he exceeds and yet could we see no form nor comeliness in him nothing for which we should desire him Was this the Saviour that was preached to us and proffered to us This the Iesus Christ that we were pressed so frequently and so earnestly to get an interest in with so many powerfull arguments and yet could not be moved and perswaded Was it this Person that did call us and stretch forth his hand all the day long to us that did wooe us and intreat us by his messengers to accept of parden and grace and salvation and knock at the door of our hearts again and again by his Word and Spirit for entertainment and did we shut our ear and our heart against him and refuse all his gracious tenders which were made unto us What did we hearken to the Devil when he tempted us to sin that he might destroy us and not hearken to Christ who would have perswaded us to faith and obedience that he might save us Could we harbour base lusts which were like so many vipers in our bosoms and give no entertainment to Iesus Christ who would have brought riches and glory with him O what fools mad men and women have we been How have our cursed hearts deceived us and the devil deluded us How have we been bewitched to prefer the vâ—nities of the World and the satisfaction of the desires of our flesh before an interest in such a Saviour Wo wo wo be unto us for now the great day of the Lord is come and who is able to stand This is the fifth Antecedent to the judgment of the wicked they shall see the Lord Jesus coming in the clouds and be summoned to the bar and plaeed at his left hand of which before 6. The sixth Antecedent will be their seeing the Iudgment and hearing the Sentence of the righteous Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the World And oh how will they grind and gnash their teeth and their hearts be ready even to burst with envy and indignation to see those poor mean Christians whom some of them have separated from their company and accounted as the offâ—scouring of the earth and not worthy to set with the dogs of their flock exalted to such dignity shining in such glory and adjudged to such happiness when themselves are lookt upon with such contempt and stand waiting for their judgment and final Doom to Torments and eternal misery These are the Antecedents of the Judgment of the wicked CHAP. VIII 2. COncerning the Judgment of the wicked it self I shall here speak of 1. The Iudge 2. The Assessors 3. The Malefactors 4. The Crime 5. The Accusers and Winesses 6. The Conviction 7. The Sentence â— The Iudge of the wicked as of the righteous will be the Lord Iesus Christ. It is said Rom. 3. 6. God shall judge the World but it will be God in Christ and God by Christ Act. 17. 31. God was in Christ reconciling the world of the elect unto himself 2 Cor. 5. 19. and God in Christ will judge and condemn the world of the Reprobates The Father hath committed all judgment unto the Son Joh. 5. 22. and he hath given him authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of Man v. 27. The same Jesus whom the wicked would not submit unto and take for their King to rule over them they must submit unto and have for their Judge to examine and condemn them
corrupt communication for lying slanderous bitter reviling speeches 3. Christ will judge the wicked for their sins of deed Rom. 2. 6. He will render to every one according to their deeds And vers 8 9. To them that obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of Man that doth evil of the Iew first and also of the Gentile 2. The sins against the Gospel will be the chief condemning crimes of the wicked No sins against the Law will be found so heinous but if sinners be found after the commission of them to have obeyed the Gospel to have repented and believed and yielded the fruits of new obedience they will have a pardon and absolution on that day but final disobedience to the Gospel will be unpardonable final impenitency and unbelief in those which have been called to repent and to close with Jesus Christ will certainly bring men under the sentence of condemnation I might here give a more particular Catalogue of the sins which the wicked shall be judged for by Christ but something more of them under their conviction by Christ. 5. The accusers of and witnesses against the wicked being the same I shall joyn them together and they will be 1. God 2. Men. 3. Devils 4. Themselves 1. God will be an accuser of and witness against the wicked at the day of judgment 1. Gods justice to speak after the manner of men seeing this judgment is set forth in such a manner for our better apprehending of it because we are not able to conceive in this state the way exactly of Gods proceeding against sinners in Judgment on that day will arraign the wicked before the judgment seat of Christ and draw up as it were a Bill of Indictment against them Whereas these Men and Women who lived in such and such places and times though they were my Creatures and subjects were made by me and for me and I gave them my holy and righteous and good Law to be the guide and rule of their life and actions yet having no fear of me before their eyes they did shake off my yoke and break my Laws they did cast my Commandements behind their back and lived in a course of rebellion and disobedience against me committing such and such sins And when I sent my Son into the World to die for sinners who gave me sufficient satisfaction and I made him known and the way of salvation by him and prâ—ffered him unto them and entreated them by my Embassadors to be reconciled but they shut their ear and hardened their heart and refused my Son trampled upon his blood grieved my spirit and neglected the salvation of their own souls therefore I now require satisfaction from themselves and that a condigne punishment be inflicted upon them for their disobedience 2. Gods goodness and bounty and patience will accuse them when they are thus arraigned and indicted by his justice which will aggravate their sins I nourished and brought up these creatures like children and yet they rebelled against me I spared them as a Man spareth his Son which serveth him and yet they had no regard of me I delivered them in six troubles and in seven recovered them often from a sick Bed and brought them back from the Grave when they were ready to go down into the Pit and yet they knew not that I healed them and were so much the more disobedient unto me I loaded them with mercies and yet they loaded me with iniquities I would have led them to repentance by my patience and goodness but they were the more impenitent and hard-hearted and resolved to do evil I stretched forth my hand all the day long to these disobedient and gain-saying Creatures and would have received them had they returned into the armes of my mercy but nothing would win and perswade them to leave their sins and come unto me and now my patience is spent and long-suffering is at an end and bowels shut up against them for ever and let them now smart for all their abuses affronts and contempts which they have offered unto me 3. God's omniscience will be a witness against the wicked at the day of Judgment their sins have been all committed under the view of God's all-seeing eye and they have been noted down upon the Book of his Remembrance and God will witness against them I saw these wretched sinners when they were bâ—rn and traced all their steps I compassed their path and their lying down and was acquainted with all their waies I did beset them behinde and before and mine eye was continually upon them I perceived the first sproutings and buddings of sin in their tender years I took notice of their disobedience to their Parents when they were young of their lies and pride and vanity of their idleness and sloath and mis-spending their precious time I was an eye-witness to all their sins from their youth to their dying hour I beheld them when no eye besides was upon them I saw their privy lewdness and all their deeds of darkness which they committed in dark corners when I kept silence and did not speak I was not blinde so as not to see and although I did not smite I did note and what one of them all have the confidence to deny any one of their sins which I have been a witness unto The first accuser and witness against the wicked will be God himself 2. Men will accuse and witness against the wicked at the day of Judgment and that both the Godly and â—ngodly 1. The Godly and that both Godly Ministers and Godly Friends 1. Godly Ministers will be the accusers and witnesses against the wicked Ministers must give an account then to their Lord of the souls which he committed to their charge Heb. 13. 17. And in some of their Flock they will rejoyce because their testimony concerning Jesus Christ was believed because the Gospel which they preached amongst them was obeyed because the Word was received as the Word of God they will rejoyce in them which have been effectually wrought upon by their Ministry in those which they have been instrumental to regenerate and espouse unto Jesus Christ to perswade to leave their sins and submit themselves unto the yoke and Scepter of the Lord such will be the joy and crown of rejoycing to their Ministers on that day of whom with unspeakable comfort they will say to their Lord Behold the Children which thou hust given us Thine they were and are and thou didst give them unto us and they have believed and kept thy word and now as they have shared in thy Grace let them and us share in and participate of thy Glory But alas what a sad account will they have to give of others of their Flock who have not believed and yielded obedience to the Gospel which they have preached it will be sad for them when they must bring in heavy accusations against them Lord thou didst send us
fastned the guilt of all your other sins upon your selves which I was willing to take off from you would any sin against the Law have condemned you had you turned from it and yielded obedience to the Gospel were you not foretold of the wrath to come and yet would you not flie from it were you not prâ—ffered a Saviour and yet would you not accept of him had you not treasures opened before you end would you not look after them were you not shown the way to Heaven and would not you walk in it how can you escape that have been guilty of disobedience to the Gospel Take them Devils binde them hand and foot Christ at the day of Judgment will convict the whole ungodly World especially those who have lived under the sound of the Gospel their crimes will be made manifest and evident and every mouth will be stopped when they are found guilty before him and they cannot deny it then the wicked will be speechless and stand after their full conviction like so many Rogues in Chains before the Judge And think now with your selves what the behaviour of the wicked will be when they are thus convicted of their sins and are ready to receive their sentence I believe some of you have seen Malefactors at the Bar when the Jury hath found them guilty and the Judge hath been proceeding to give the sentence of Death how their countenances have changed and their joynts trembled and unexpressible horrour seized upon them but O the dread and terrour that will be upon the spirits of the wicked when they are convicted of sin by this Judge and with what trembling expectations will they wait for their sentence 7. And this is the seventh particular to speaâ— concerning the Sentence which the Lord Jesus Christ will pass upon the wicked in Judgment see Matth. 25. 41. Then shall he say unto them on his left hand Depart from me yee cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Deparâ— from me yee that have formerly said in your hearts unto me Depart we will not have thee 〈◊〉 reign over us that have said to my Ministerâ— Depart we wil not hearken to your words that have said to my Spirit depart we will not yield to thy motions Now depart depart from me yee that would not come unto me yee have often been called and invited to come but yee refused now depart yee shall not have one Call more you shall not have one proffer of grace more foâ— ever Depart never shall yee hear my voice any more never shall yee see my face any more Depart be gone out of my sight Depart from mâ— yee cursed as yee cared not for blessing so shaâ—â— it be far from you as ye loved cursing so shal it be unto you Depart with the curse of the Law with the curse of the great God upon you let the curse of God cloathe you like a garment and bind you like a chain let it enter into your flesh and bones like Oile to enrage so much the more the flames of Hell about you and let it pierce into your soul and fill you with horrible anguish Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire Ye shall not depart into your old habitation to spend an eternity in sinful sensual pleasures no Depart into torments Depart into Fire into the fire of Hell into the burning Lake into Tophet ordained of old for you into a stream of Fire and Brimstone enkindled by the breath of God Depart into everlasting Fire Go dwell with devouring Fire and inhabit everlasting burnings Depart into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his angels ye served the devil and divers lusts whilst you lived in the world now go and live with the Devil and his angels in Hell fire for ever partake of the torments primarily prepared for him and belonging also to you because ye belonged to his Kingdom And when the sentence is irreversibly pronounced by the Judge upon the wicked O what direful shreeks will they give forth With what horrour will they cry out How shall we be able to endure the devouring flames and everlasting burnings of Hell Thus have I done with the Judgment it self both of the righteous and the wicked at the appearance of Jesus Christ. CHAP. IX 2. THe second thing is to speak of the execution of the Sentence pronounced upon both in Judgment which you have spoken of together Matth. 25. 46. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternall 1. Concerning the execution of the Sentence on the wicked These shall go away into everlasting punishment Here I shall speak 1. Of the wickeds going away 2. Of their going into punishment The former doth imply the punishment of loss the latter their punishment of sense 1. The wicked when the Sentence is pronouned shall go away and here I shall show 1. From whom they shall go away 2. From what they shall go away 3. The aggravations or vexing considerations which Gospel-sinners will have in their going away 1. From whom the wicked shall go away 1. They shall go away from Iesus Christ the righteous are at his side and shall remain with him but the wicked shall go away from him the righteous shall go with him and abide with him where he is there they shall be also they shall be for ever with the Lord but the wicked must go away and be eternally separated from his presence The righteous shall behold his glory and share in it they shall see the smiles of his face and be entertained by him with unexpressible love but the wicked shall be thrust out of his presence with frowns and indignation it will be one great part of the misery of the wicked that they shall go away from so glorious a person as the Lord Jesus Christ. 2. They shall go away from the Saints now some of them are mingled with Gods people the Tares and the Wheat grow up together the sheep and the goats feed in the same pasture and though it was bitter to the wicked to dwell with the righteous because of the contradiction which was in their lives to their lusts yet then it will be more bitter to them to be excluded their society because then they will perceive their excellency with admiration when they see them shine with such beauty and rejoyce with Songs of triumph and they must be gone away from them this will fill their hearts with racking envy and torment them unspeakably 2. From what the wicked shall go away they shall go away from happiness from the happiness of heaven the doors of heaven shall be shut upon them they shall see Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and many come from the East and the West and the North and the South even an innumerable multitude of all kindreds and Nations and Tongues and enter in and sit down in the Kingdom of God and themselves thrust out and thrust down to
Hell 3. Concerning the aggravations or vexing considerations which Gospel sinners will have in their going away as the sin of those is more hainous who sin against the light of the Gospel than of those who sin only against the light of nature so their punishment will be more severe all shall be beaten but these persons with many stripes as there will be degrees in glory though all will be filled with glory yet some will have a larger capacity so there will be degrees of torment and misery all shall be filled with torment but some will have a larger capacity especially Gospel sinners will have stings beyond what heathens will be capable of in their punishment of loss when 1. They shall have a clear discovery of the glory and happiness which they have missed now they hear of heaven and the happiness which the Saintâ— shall have in the vision and fruition of God but there is a vail of unbelief upon their minds that they do not apprehend such a happiness as is spoken of they have mean thoughts of God and of Heaven they think there is no heaven like the earth and no happiness like the fruition of the creatures no glory like the glory of the world no treasures like earthly treasures and no delights like those which they finde in the objects of their sense but when their portioâ— in this life shall be spent and the good things which they enjoyed shall be taken away from them when their honours shall vanish like smoke or a thin vapour their riches shall flie away like an Eagle or sail like a ship out of their â—ight when their sensual delights and pleasures shall fail them and die like sweet flowers in their hands when the bright cloud of earthly things which shadowed the glory of heavenly things from their view shall be blown away and the vail shall be torn in pieces which was before them and hindred them from looking into the Holy of Holies and the scales shall fall off from their eyes In a word when the heavens shalâ— pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat and the earth with the works thereof shall be burnt up and they shall be awakened out of their long sleep in their graves and shall be summoned before the tribunal seat of Christ and stand there stripped and quite naked of all their enjoyments in the world which they had set their hearts upon and they shall be examined and condemned for their sins then then their eyes will be opened and they will clearly see their mistake of happiness then they will perceive and be fully perswaded of the fulness of joy and unspeakable pleasures at the right hand of God the least taste of which would ravish their hearts ten thousand times more than all the full draughts which they have taken in the sweetest of all their sinful delights I say they shall see this happiness and that which will vex them to the heart will be that they shall only see it not injoy the least share in it O what high apprehensions will they then have of the glory of Heaven they will see the Crown which will be put upon the head of the righteous which will have more worth then in their esteem than all the Crowns and Scepters of the greatest Kings upon the earth then they will be clearly convinced that the choicest treasures were in Heaven and the sweetest delights were to come and the thoughts of missing this Crown and glory such treasures and sweetness will tear their very hearts they must go away from heaven and happiness 2. In going away they shall remember the capacity which they had once of obtaining this happiness if they had been bruits indeed and had capacity for a sensitive life only and grace and glory had been removed so far beyond their reach that it had been impossible for them to attain it it would not much trouble them to lose it whatever other miseries they should endure but they were capable of the beginnings of Heaven in the life of grace and the compleating of their happiness in glory they will remember that they had souls endued with reason and hereby advanced to a higher capacity than beasts that they had minds capable of divine contemplation and hearts capable of divine affection that they had wils which might have chosen God for their portion and Heaven for their heritance that they had desires and loves and hopes and joyes which if they had wrought-god-ward and Christ-ward as they did toward the creature if they had wrought upward and heaven-ward as they did downward and towards the earth and earthly things they might have been happy for ever they will see that others who had the same natures as they had and were guilty at first of as great sins as they had committed yet repented and turned believed and reformed were changed and saved and with unexpressible vexation they will think that thus it might have been with them if they had not been fools if they had seriously endevoured to fill up the capacity which God hath given them 3. In gâ—ing away they will remember the proffers which they had of this happiness that they lived in places where the light did shine and the Gospel did sound and Christ was preached and tendered with all the benefits of his purchase they will remember how often they were called to repent how earnestly they were entreated to be reconciled they will remember the discoveries which were made to them of future glory and the invitations which they had to come unto Christ that they might have pardon and life and partake of the inheritance of the Saints in light all which was little regarded by them they will remember how long and how loud Christ knocked at the door of their hearts for entertainment that he knocked by such a Sermon such a motion of the Spirit by such a judgment such an affliction such a deliverance and yet that they barred the door deafned the ear and if they did not fully resolve to keep him out yet they put him off with such redious delayes untill on a sudden death knocked at their door and broke it open and drag'd them away to Hell before they had given entertainment unto Jesus Christ and had provided an eternal habitation for their souls they will then remember the opportunities and seasons of grace which once they enjoyed that once they had a Day a Day of grace and that with some of them it was a long Summers day and that they had calls at the first hour and the third hour and the ninth hour and at the eleventh hour and that all the day long God stretched forth his hand unto them but they did not know the day of their visitation they were more foolish than the Crane and the Stork and the Swallow they did not understand their appointed time they did not mind the things which belonged to their peace untill
make such an impression as to raise their hearts to an unconceivable heighth of love 3. The righteous will have a higher capacity for love in Heaven than here they have and they shall be filled with love unto the heighth of their capacity they will be able to love a thousand times more than now they can do and they shall love unto their utmost ability they will see perfection of loveliness in God and all that are about him and they shall have perfection of love here their love is sincere and growing but it is weak and imperfect hereafter it will be grown up to the full heighth of it and perfect love will cast out all tormenâ— here their love is mixed the stream is divided â—t runs and wasts it self in many small rivulets which empty themselves upon the creatures but then the whole stream will run forth unto God individedly not a drop of their love shall be â—pâ—lt on the ground God will be the sole object â—f their love here their love is uneven and incoâ—stant to God sometimes it ebbs and someâ—imes it slows sometimes they have a high and â—pring-tiâ—e of love to God but at other times it 〈◊〉 low water hereafter their love to God will be â—ven and constant and alwaies at the greatest â—eighth 3. And O what joy will there be in their hearts through the union which the righteous shall have unto God the chief good when their minds shall be joyned to him in immediate vision and their hearts in perfect love O how sweet a fruition of God will this be what delights will spring from hence if the Saints can now rejoyce exceedingly in God when they see him so little and their love is so imperfect what will they do when they see and love him perfectly and fully if they are now exceeding glad sometimes with the light of his countenance though they have but a glimpse thereof what will they be when they shall have a constant view thereof and live eternally under the beams of that light their love to God is sweet now though it be weak but what will it be in Heaven when the conjunction of their hearts to God by love shall be so neeâ— and close if the Saints can now rejoyce in hope of the glory of God what will they do in the possession thereof when faith shall be changed for vision and hope turned into fruition O how will the Saints rejoyce and triumph when they are sailed quite thorow the tempestuous Sea oâ— this world and are landed safely in Heaven where there is rest and peace without any windy stormâ— when they have got the victory over the devil and sin and are now placed out of the gun-shoâ— of temptation and have conquered througâ— Christ the grave and death and are out of feâ—â— of his arrows when they see that they have escaped the terrible wrath of God and finde them selves in the arms of his love when theâ— perceive that they are in Heaven now inâ—deed notwithstanding all their sins and doubts and fears and now they have that blessed vision of God which they so much desired and the full fruition of God in love which they hoped for when they shall look about them and see so much glory about them and shall look within them and see so much glory there revealed beyond whatever they could imagine O how will they be transported with joy then they will have fulness of joy in the presence of God and their pleasure and happiness wil be perfect without interruption or possibility of a conclusion And the eternity of their happiness will be the Heaven of Heaven as eternity of misery will be the Hell of Hell Thus concerning the happiness of the Saints or the eternal life of glory which they shall enter into 2. Concerning the righteous going or entring into eternal life The righteous after the pronouncing of their sentence and their seeing the execution of the sentence of the wicked shall pass away from them and go with Christ into eternal life they shall go with singing to the Zion which is above and everlasting joy on their heads they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Isa. 51. 11. It wil be a most glorious train such as eye never hath seen which will go together unto Heaven The Lord Jesus Christ will be in the head in shining glory all the holy Angels will be with him and the whole company of the righteous will be together that ever lived in all generations and O with what mirth and gladness will they move towards Heaven together with what shoutings and Hosannah's will they attend upon the glorious triumph of our Saviour unto the new Ierusalem but when they are come to the gates of Heaven and the everlasting doors shall be lifted up to them and they look into the place prepared for their eternal abode when the Lord Iesus shall bring them into the glorious presence of the Father and they shall have the beatifical vision of his face and see the smiles of his countenance and are received into the imbracements of his love Then Then they will finde themselves to be happy indeed then their heart will be filled with joy and their tongues with singing then they will sing the new Song the Song of the Lamb which now cannot be learned then they will sound forth the prayses of God and cry with a loud voice as Rev. 7. 10 11. Salvatiâ—n to our God 〈…〉 upâ—n the Throne and to the Lâ—mb And worshipping God they will say Amen Blessing and Glory and Wisdom and Thanâ—sgiving and Honour and Power and Might be untâ— our God for ever and ever Amen And there shall they live and reign for evermore Thus concerning the execution of the sentenceâ— on the righteous and concerning the second appearance of Christ and end thereof CHAP. XI 2. COneâ—rning the Certainty of Christs second appearance I'shall prove this by several Arguments 1. Aâ—g If the Scriptures have clearly revealed an◠〈◊〉 Christ's second appearance to judgment an◠〈◊〉 the Scriptures are certainly true then this second appearance of Christ is certain But the Scriptures have clearly revealed and foretold this second appearance of Christ to judgement and the Scriptures are certainly true Therefore the second appearance of Christ is certain 1. The Scriptures have clearly revealed and foretold Christ's second appearance to judgment It is not a truth written in the book of nature it is not to be found in the writings of the Philosophers and those who have had the highest speculations of natural causes and effects and products this is a mysterie which the world by wisdom could never finde out it is a secret which hath been hid in God and is revealed by his Spirit in his Word this coming of Christ was foretold by Enoch Iude 14. 15. And Enoch also the seventh from Adam prâ—phesied Behold the Lord â—â—meth with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all
natural abilities as appeares not only by the history but also by the stile of their writings which hath not that politeness as is to be found in many humane Authors which doth not run in such a golden stream of eloquence neither is dressed with such neatnesses of wit nor garnished with such flowers of Rhetorick which is not methodized by the rules of Logick nor enterlarded with any peepings of humane wisdome which doth not savour of high parts and great natural ingenuity or give the least suspicion of cunning and subtilty which these Men had above others But some of the highest mysteries of divinity are set forth by these Pen men in a passsing-mean and home-spun dress yea they are left even naked and bare of such apparel as the ingenuous Men of the World have cloathed their matter withall which hath given the light of the most glorious truths and mysteries more evident discovery not but that some parts of the Scriptures have such a strain of divine eloquence as doth exceed humane writings but the plainness of the stile especially of the Apostle Iohn in his Gospel and Matthew c. Doth evince that what they delivered was not their own invention but that they were acted by another spirit in the writing of them even by the spirit of God who did reveal all the mysteries which they speak of in whole unto them 3. A third Character of Divinity in the Scriptures is the wisdome which there doth appear especially the wonderful contrivement of God's wisdome in Mans redemption and salvation by Iesus Christ which is there made known No Book in the World doth shine with such beames of wisdome as the Word doth it doth teach Men wisdome spiritual and divine wisdome in comparison with which all the wisdome of the World is but foolishness It doth irradiate the minde with the most glorious light and proposeth to the understanding the most noble objects it discovers the greatest truths of the greatest concernment it sheweth the way to avoid the most dreadful effects which sin will produce and to obtain the highest happiness which humane nature is capable of which is one part of its divine stamp Moreover the Scriptures do set forth the infinite wisdome of God in the wonderful contrivement of the salvation of fallen Man by his only Son the Lord Jesus Christ the only Saviour of Man-kind which wisdome being so transcendent doth evidence both the Contrivement thereof in Mans salvation and the discovery thereof in the Scriptures to be from himself so that as by the light of the Word we may know what this wisdome was even so by this wisdome we may know the Word to be the Word of God To clear this Argument I shall show 1. That the way of Mans salvation by Iesus Christ which the Scriptures reveal must needs be the contrivement of Gods wisdome 2. That the revelation of this contrivement must needs be from God which I suppose will be an evident demonstration of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures 1. That the way of Mans Salvation by Iesus Christ was the contrivement of Gods wisdome will appear because it was impossible for any Man of the most searching brain and most notable invention to have imagined it Man being guilty of sin against the Law of God inscribed upon the hearts of all Men which natural Conscience will accuse of if sinners listen thereunto and Gods Justice being engaged to inflict a punishment proportionable unto the crime without a satisfaction which right reason will say is but reasonable and this justice of God being infinite must in reason require an infinite satisfaction Now what created understanding could of it self have contrived or conceived a way how this should be done Every thing that hath a being is either God or a Creature all the Creatures are finite in their Beeings and actions and therefore could not make an infinite satisfaction It is God only who is infinite and he being the party offended could not make satisfaction to his own justice especially since his justice requires punishment for satisfaction which God as God being impassible is uncapable of not to say any thing that the same nature which did commit sin should in justice suffer the punishment would not reason now conclude that it were impossible for this satisfaction to be made Surely it was none but the wisdome of God that could contrive the way of satisfaction to his justice by the incarnation of his Son by the union of the divine nature in the second Person of the Trinity unto the humane nature in the Person of Christ that so by vertue of the hypostatical union the humane nature might not only be strengthned to undergo the wrath of God which was due for the sins of Men in the sufferings which he endured before and upon the Cross but also that through the communication of attributes the sufferings of Christ might be of infinite value because the sufferings of such a Person as was God as well as Man that so they might be a full satisfaction unto Gods justice for sin and through Gods Covenant with him and gracious acceptation of this satisfaction from the surety instead of the offenders themselves the sins of Men might be pardoned and their souls saved O the depth of the Wisdome of God! here is the wisdome of God in a mystery surely they are blinded and hoodwinked by the Devil who do not acknowledge that this was the contrivement of Gods wisdome 2. That the Revelation of this contrivement of wisdome was from God will appear in that none could know the minde of the Lord herein unless he himselâ— had discovered it What Man saith the Apostle knâ—â—eth the things of Man but the spirit 〈…〉 which is in him even so the things of God â—noweth no Man but the spirit of God 1 Cor. 2. 11. And the spirit of God searcheth all things even the deep things of God and unless the spirit had revealed these things we must have remained in our ignorance of them since it could not have entered into our hearts to have conceived them seeing then none could have discovered the deep contrivements of Gods wisdome unless God by his spirit had revealed them and seeing these contrivements are revealed in no other Book but the Book of the Scriptures it is evident that the Scriptures must needs be the Word of God which also will further appear if we consider the manner of the Revelation of the mystery of Mans redemption and salvation by Jesus Christ that it was revealed by pieces and more obscurely at first and that divers Men were made use of in the discovery thereof in divers ages who spake hereof mostly in dark sayings and where they spake most clearly yet themselves had not a clear understanding of what they were moved to speak by the Holy Ghost but searched what and what manner of time the Holy Ghost which was in them did signify when it testified of the sufferings of Christ and
be accompany him with a loud shout Even so Amen or say with one voice Go yee cursed into everlâ—sting Fire and so pass from you into Heaven and leave the Devil and his Angels to drag you unto torments and when you see there is no remedy no reversing of your condemnation and the Devils seize upon you and tear you and hale you away O how terrible will this Judgment be unto you O how will the terrours of the All-mighty flow in upon you how will your consciences gnaw and sting and torment you how will your spirits fail and sink within you and hearts melt like drops of water How will you weep and wail and gnash your teeth and cry out in the fearfulness and horrour of your spirits Woe woe woe be unto us that ever we were born Woe woe woe be unto us that ever we have sinned 6. Awake sinners awake The execution of the Sentence which Christ will pronounce upon you for your sins at the last day will be in Hell and do you know what Hell is what tongue can express the future torments which the damned shall endure what heart can conceive the miseries which God hath prepared for sinners in Hell yet look into the Perspective-Glass of the Word and you may perceive something of the dreadfulness of the punishment which will be inflicted upon you if you be found in your sins at Christs second appearance 1. Sinners consider the greatness of the punishment you must dwell with devouring Fire and inhabit most horrible burnings and think with your selves how you will be able to endure to have those bodies unto whom the prick of a Pin is so irksome and a little scorch of a culinary Fire is so painful cast into the great Furnace of Fire which God will kindle with his breath which will turn them it may be into a burning Coal that shall not waste neither ever be coâ—sumed be sure will torment them with a thousand-fold more accute sense of pain than the body is capable now of feeling under the most exquisite torments think what the overwhelming grief what the horrible anxiety what the despairful agonies what the hideous terrour and unexpressible anguish of your souls will be under the immediate sense of Gods wrath and indignation and the thoughts of that glory and happiness of Heaven once proffered unto you but refused by you which you will then perceive your selves shut out from for ever Awake sinners awake will you sleep in sin until you are awakened in the midst of flames will you not leave off sinning until you have sinned your selves into Hell will you needs run into these burnings Awake open your eyes a little and look down and see how deep the Pit is into which you are leaping it is a bottomless Pit from whence there will be no returning consider how hot the Fire of Hell will be unto which you are hastning it will be an inconceivable hot Fire of which there will be no avoiding if you go on in that broad way of sin which is leading you thereunto Awake and look up sinners there is a Door open the Door of mercy is open and the Door of Heaven is open and will you shut your eyes and turn your backs upon God and refuse the proffers of grace which are made to you will you trample Crowns under your feet and slight future glory and happiness which now is possible for you to obtain will not this tear your hearts in Hell to remember that you have been the cause of your own ruine and brought misery upon your selves that you suffered your selves to be cheated by the Devil and your own deceitful lusts of the unspeakable joyes and glory of Heaven which God did once make tenders of unto you 2. Sinners consider the sureness of the punishment of Hell it is most certain that God hath prepared such a punishment and it is certain that you shall endure this punishment if you abide under the guilt and persevere in the way of sin which you now are walking in God hath threatned this punishment and his justice doth require it and his truth doth engage him to execute his threatned wrath and inflict this deserved punishment upon you and can you then have the least hopes to escape it will God can God prove a lyar to save you from the torments of Hell Iâ— it not equal that you should reap that which you have sown that you should gather and taste the bitter fruits of your own evil wayes if you sowe to the flesh will not torment be the fruit hereofâ— if you sowe sin will not you reap Hell Awake sinners awake are not all your hopes of happiness in the uncertain and empty Cisterns of the Creatures meet dreams when such dreadfull miseries are so surely prepared for you and what senseless dreames then are your hopes of Heaven and Salvation whilst you are going on in the way of sin to Hell and destruction Is there any mercy for impenitents Is there any pardon for unbelievers Doth God love those which are haters of him shall those live with him who have no likeness unto him to joyn these things together which God hath never joyned is like the senseless fancies in the sleep of strange Chimaeraes and Monsters which nature never produced Awake sinners it is but an idle fancy to joyn Heaven to the end of a sinful course no! the footsteps of sin will certainly take hold of Hell and without holiness none shall see God and as one saith Sooner may Angels turn Devils Men beasts and Beasts stones and all the World just nothing than that an unholy Person should have an entrance into Heaven yea and that it is as possible that God should cease to be God as that any Man not made after the Image of God should be received into the blessed Vision Possession and fruition of him in Glory Sinners if there be no room for you in Heaven and your entrance there is impossible whilst you are in a state of nature then your punishment in Hell is sure which methinks should awaken you 3. Sinners consider the neerness of the punishment of Hell I mean the soul-punishment which will be the greatest part of the punishment the perfect and full punishment of body and soul cannot be far off because the time of Christs comâ—ng is not far off but the punishment of your souls will begin so soon as your lives come to an end no sooner will your souls be separated from your bodies but they will appear before God to â—eceive their particular judgment and they will â—e banished his glorious and comfortable presence and filled with horrour through the impressions of Gods wrath Awake sinners awake you lie upon the brink of â—he Pit you are sleeping over the burning Lake you are like Saylors which drop asleep on the top of a Mast whom a great wind would blow into â—he Sea so the wind of death which may sudâ—enly beat upon you will blow
you into Hell into the Ocean of Gods wrath and can you secure your selves a moment from the stroke of death when you are most secure may not death be most neer when you think you shall live many years to eat and drink and take your pleasure like the rich fool in the Gospel may not deatâ— knock at your door that night and break in upon you and fetch away your bodies to the grave and Devils drag your souls to Hell Awake then before you sleep the sleep of death awake out of the sleep of sin think with yoâ— selves this night we may be in Hell and free â— rather bound in Chains of Darkness and horroâ— amongst the damned or to morrow we may bâ— in torments with Cain and Iudas with the Devâ—â— and his Angels and therefore give not sleep 〈◊〉 your eyes nor slumber to your eye-lids until yoâ— have redeemed your selves out of the snare of thâ— Devil and sin as a Bird out of the snare of thâ— Fowler or a Roe out of the hand of the hunter 4. Sinners consider the everlastingness of yoâ— punishment in Hell when your Souls are onâ— in they shall never come forth until they 〈◊〉 brought forth unto the last Judgment at Christs aâ—pearance and when soul and body are joyneâ— and sentenced to this place of torment and thruâ— into it the Door will be shut upon you and yoâ— will be locked in so that it will be impossible sâ— you to get forth for ever your bodies as well 〈◊〉 souls will be immortal and the Fire of Hell wiâ— be everlasting those flames will never be quencâ—ed and your torments will never be ended whâ—â— you have been ten thousand times ten thousaâ—â— millions of years in Hell it will not bear the pâ—â—â—portion of a moment of time to the unmeasuâ—rable space of Eternity in which you must be tormented for sin your punishment will alwayes be in the beginning of it never never never will it come to a conclusion nor your to any hopes of it as long as God lives and Heaven continues which will be for evermore so long will Hell continue and you abide in extremity of torments without any possibility of release and deliverance Awake sinners awake think how horrible the thoughts of Eternity in Hell will be Extremity and Eternity will be the great aggravation of your misery methinks the danger of such torment should fill you with such fear and terrour that nothing should be able to remove until you had secured your selves by an interest in him who alone can deliver from the wrath to come and yet can you be secure when you are in the greatest danger Awake think whether the pleasures of sin for a season are to be compared with the eternal torâ—ments of Hell or the uncertain treasures of Earth with the eternal store of Gods wrath or the empty vanishing wordly honour with the exceeding and everlasting weight of misery which the damned shall sink under in Hell If any sleepy sinners begin to startle with such thunder-claps of Judgment and being unwilling to part with their sins feel their hearts to rise within them against the message and Messengers for thrusting such harsh things into their eares for molesting their spirits and disturbing the peace which they have hitherto had in their sinful way cannot Ministers let us alone will they be called to an account for us will they suffer for us and why do they thus affright us with Peales of Judgment Beloved we Ministers are set as Watchmen to sound the Trumpet and warn you of Judgment which if we should neglect to do your blood would be required at our hands Ezek. 33. from the 1. vers to theâ—â— 1. And we shall be called to an account for the Souls committed to our charge Heb. 13. 17. And therefore having notice given us by God in his Word of the coming of Christ to judge and punish the ungodly World at the last day and knowing the terrour of the Lord how terrible the day of Judgment will be unto you if you be found amongst the ungodly and how terrible the day will be unto us if we be sound unfaithful to your souls we warn you and perswade you to flee from the wrath to come and can you blame us then for using harsh language when we cannot omit it without danger to our selves and your souls when otherwise we cannot be faithful to you nor to our Master who hath sent us to declare these things we might indeed like some slaâ—ter you and sooth you up in a way of sin we might speak smooth things unto you and prophesie deceits but what advantage would it be unto you to be deceived if you were pleased with us and did commend us here I am sure you would curse us for our unfaithfulness hereafter Sinners it is not cruelty but pitty and mercy to shoot the sharp arrows of Gods threatnings into your consciences it is not out of hatred but tender love to your souls that we endeavour to thrust the sword of the spirit into your bosomes that if possible we might wound sin to the heart and fetch forth the blood thereof as it were which if it still live in you will be your ruine Christ will certainly and quickly be here and when he doth appear we shall appear to be judged and is it not good you should know it before hand that you might be prepared If any be so awakened by this Doctrine concerning Christs coming to Judgment that they begin to feel a sting and wound in their spirits and are so perplexed with fear of being condemned for their sins which their consciences do accuse them of that they know not what to do yet are willing to take any course to prevent their ruine and those dreadful miserics which they are in danger of at that day I shall speak unto such by way of Counsel and Exhortation 3. For the Exhortation of Sinners Will the Lord Jesus Christ certainly and quickly appear to Judgment there are two things I would exhort sinners unto that they may escape the wrath of God which on that day will be revealed and inflicted upon all the wicked of the Earth 1. Flee from Sin 2. Flee unto Christ If you would flee from wrath and Hell Or 1. Repent of Sin 2. Get an interest in Christ. And then you may be able to stand with confidence before the Son of Man at his appearance yea whatever your sins be now do these two things effectually and when Christ doth appear you also shall appear with him in glory 1. Sinners repent of sin Acts 17. 30 31. God commandeth all Men every where to repent this is a duty which God requires of all Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the World in righteousness c. This is the Argument to enforce the duty It is your duty to repent because you have sinned and God commandeth you to do it and it is your interest and
endure Let them 1. Consider That Repentance is necessary it is necessary Virtue praecepti by vertue of Gods Precept it is a necessary Duty Acts. 17. 30. God commandeth not only some men but all men not only in some place but every where to repent and it is necessary virtute medij as it is a means to avoid misery and obtain happinesse you must sow in tears if you would reap in joy and you must go forth weeping bearing precious seed if you would return again rejoycing bringing your sheavs with you Psalm 126. 5. 6. The showers of tears make way for the Sun-shine of comfort here and the wet seed-time of Repentance is necessary to the harvest of everlasting glory and joy and if Repentance be difficult yet since it is absolutely necessarie this should be so far from discouraging you that it should quicken you unto more diligent endeavours after it 2. Consider that Repentance is attainable the vilest sinners may be enabled through Gods Grace to repent as well as the most holie Saints at their first turning unto God It is difficult unto you yea impossible for you to repent of your selves because there are no seeds of this Grace in Nature but it is easie with God to work you to it and he can carrie you thorow the difficultie pray to God for this grace endeavour to repent and in your endeavours God may assist God is easie to be entreated and is readie to give this Grace unto them that desire it But some are discouraged from Heb. 12. 17. where it is said that Esau was rejected and found no place for repentance though he sought it carefully with tears hence concluding that though they seek repentance carefully with tears they may be rejected and finde no place for repentance I answer 1. That this place which speaks of Esau's rejection hath not a reference to his rejection by God though that may be included in it but his rejection by his Father Isaac in reference to the Blessing which his younger brother Iacob had by a wile got before him 2. That Esau there did not seek to God for repentance but he sought to his Father for his blessing 3. That he did not seek repentance for himself but he sought with tears to his Father that he would repent his giving the blessing to Iacob and give it unto him Such as with tears seek repentance of God it is a signe they have some measure of this Grace 3. Consider the worth and excellency of this Grace though it be difficult yet it is excellent Pulchra sunt difficilia the best things are not obtained without difficultie had you this grace you would not be without it for a world you would not change your tears and sorrow for sin for all the sweetnesse and pleasure that others finde in the commission of it if you did but truly repent you would not think it so grievous a thing to be bourn but the more you had of it the more you would desire and be best pleased when you could act this grace most stronglie 4. Consider that the greatest dissiculty is at first Flesh may contradict and violently oppose the beginnings of Repentance which doth so manifestly seek its ruine and destruction but after you are accustomed to the yoke you will finde it more easie after you have got mastery over your flesh and have attained some degrees of mortification you will finde it suitable to the new man to live in the exercise of Repentance and reap much sweetnesse from it 5. Consider That you must repent and mourn for sin here or you will be damned and burn for sin for ever You cannot avoid grief for sin if you have it not in this world you will be sure to have it in the other world And is it not a thousand-fold more eligible to grieve for sin here especially considering 1. If you repent of sin now your grief will not be in extremity it will have some allay some alleviation some mixture of secret comfort at least something will be given in to support when you are even ready to be overwhelmed when the heart is most broken and contrite under the sense of sin and apprehensions of Gods wrath yet God will not suffer the Spirit to fail before him Isa. 57. 15 16. the Lord will keep up the soul from quite sinking and I am confident that such persons as are most heavie laden with grief for sin would not change their condition when at the lowest ebb with the most prosperous worldling But if you repent not till hereafter your grief will be extream without the least mixture of comfort or support In hell you will have nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth you will be there utterly consumed with terrours quite overwhelmed with sorrows be alwaies sinking in the bottomlesse-pit under the weight of grief which will be un-supportable 2. Your repentance of sin now will be pleasing unto God We read Luke 15. how well pleased the Father was when his Prodigal son returned home and with grief did acknowledge that he had sinned against Heaven and against him and was not worthy to be called his Son the Father meets him in the way and kisseth him and cloatheth him with the best Robe and kills the fatted Calf for him and maketh merry with him so though you have been prodigals hitherto have gone astray from God and wasted your time and talents in the service of the Devil and your own lusts yet if at length you come to your selves with repentance and humble confession of your sins you return unto the Lord he will pitty you his bowels will yern towards you whilst you are yet upon the way and he will meet you and embrace you and cloath you with the Robes of his sons righteousnesse and be pleased with you and rejoyce over you yea and the Angels also will rejoice in your conversion there will be joy in Heaven at your repentance amongst the Angels and joy on earth amongst the Saints Ministers will be pleased and rejoice they will pittie you and pray for you and Saints will be pleased and be ready to help and advise you but Gods pittie is beyond all See how God is taken with repenting Ephraim Ier. 31. 18 19 20. I have surely heard Ephraim â—emoaning himself c. Surely after I was turned I â—epented and after I was instructed I smote upon my â—high I was ashamed yea even confounded because I â—id bear the reproach of my youth there you have the description of Ephraim ' â— repentance and O the sweet words of most tender Love which the Lord doth express himself in towards Ephraim under his repentings Is Ephraim my dear son is he my pleasant childe for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him saith the Lord. But if you repent not till hereafter your grief will not only be
Christ into your hearts in regard of his Spirit and grace it is a sign you have sincere desires after his coming in glorie when grace will arrive to itâ— perfection Can you understandingly and heartily pray Thy Kingdome come I mean that Christ's Kingdome of grace should be erected in your hearts and are sincerely desirous to have all things within you brought into subjection and obedience thereunto Do you sincerely and earnestly desire the presence of Christ and the breathings of his Spirit upon your hearts in his Ordinances it is a sign that there are at least true radical desires in you after his second appearance though by reason of doubts and feares they may not be so expresse 3. If you have laid up your treasure in Heaven and placed your happinesse in things above if you have cast the Anchor of your hope upward into that which is within the Vail it is a sign you have true desires after Christ's appearance that he might give you possession of the happinesse which you have made choice of 4. If you are careful to please the Lord and whether present or absent to be accepted of him and are affraid of sin because it is grievous to him and are diligent in the use of means to fit and prepare your selves and make all things readie for the receiving of him it is a sign you do both look for his coming and do desire it 5. And lastly if you have lively hopes of his coming and can rejoice in those hopes if you can with earnestness pray Come Lord Iesus come quickly this is a sign indeed of your desires though all true Believer have not attained to so great a heighth Unbelievers they do not desire Christ's appearance because they do not believe in him because they do not love him because their hearts are set upon the world because they are under the guilt and power of sin and because when Christ doth appear he will judge them condemn them and punish them But though they do not desire Christ's coming nor think of it nor prepare for it yet Christ will come and his coming will be dreadful unto them Believers they desire Christ's coming they 〈◊〉 looking for it and waiting for it they are â—â—ping for it and preparing for it and he will certainly he will quickly appear and they shall appear with him in glorie and this appearance 〈◊〉 be a most comfortable and joyful appearance uâ—â— them which leads unto the second Word whiâ—â— I am to speak 2. For the comforting of Believer Will the Lord Jesus Christ certainly and quicâ—ly appear to Judgment here then is a full breaâ— of the sweetest consolation at which you may suâ— and be satisfied and exceedingly refreshed As 〈◊〉 very word in this Doctrine speaks terror to Siâ—ners so every word doth breathe forth comfort true Believers and therefore I shall endeavoâ—â— hence to help work up your hearts unto spâ—ritual Joy 1. Rejoice Believers rejoice Christ will appâ—â— to Iudgment Christ will appear in his Glorie tâ—â— great God and your Saviour will appear He thâ— is your Saviour and Advocate will then be thâ— Judge of the World your Lord and King wiâ—â— appear attended with a glorious Train of heâ—â— venlie Courtiers decked with glorious beaâ—â— of most excellent Majestie Your Captain 〈◊〉 appear the Captain of your Salvation with 〈◊〉 spoils of his and your enemies and he will riâ—â— triumphantly in the Clouds your dearly beloveâ— Friend and Husband will appear with such beautâ— and lovelinesse in his face and with such deâ—â— love towards you in his heart as hath not entreâ— into your hearts to conceive the Lord Jesus Chriâ—â— will be glorious in the eyes of the whole world on that day and should not this rejoice your heart to think of the glorie of your Lord which will be then so conspicuous and of your interest in such a Person 2. Rejoice Believers rejoice Christ will certainly appear if there were any grounds to doubt the truth of this thing you would have reason to grieve but when the thing is so certain when God hath revealed it in his Word so clearlie when the Lord hath promised it to his people so faithfully and given his People hopes and expectations of it he will not disappoint them You have reason to rejoice there is nothing more certain as hath been proved than the second appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ at the last day 3. Rejoice Believerâ—s rejoice Christ will quickly appear the coming of the Lord draweth nigh there is a time set though you cannot know it because God hath locked up this secret in his own bosome yet you may know that it cannot now be far off the Lord will not tarrie much longer in Heaven before he come down to Judgment Look up then and lift up your heads with joy for the day of your Redemption draweth nigh Luke 21. 28. You will not long groan under the bondage and burden of corruption You will not long mourn and complain under the persecutions of cruel Enemies You will not long be assaulted and bufferred with the temptations of Sathan You will not long live in the dark Prison of the world Christ will quickly be here and open the Prison-doors and deliver you into the glorious libertie of the Children of God 4. Rejoice Believers rejoice When Christ doth appear yee also shall appear Possibly some of you may remain alive until his appearance be sure all of you shall be made alive if you go down into your dust before you shall not be hid there for ever you shall not be buried there in eternal oblivion but the Lord Jesus will awaken you out of your long sleep of Death and raise you out of your beds of darkness He will send his Angels to gather you from the four Winds Think O think how joyful a day this day will be unto you when the Voice is proclaimed the Bridegroom is come Go yee forth to meet him when the Trumpet doth sound in the Air and you are called out of your graves by the Angels and gathered into the companie of all the Saints of God which lived in all generations from the beginning of the Creation and in a moment in the twinkle of an eye such of you as are alive shall finde your bodieâ— strangelie transformed and all that come forth of the ground made incorruptible and immortal and when you shall see the Lord Jesus Christ come down with such brightnesse and beautie and glorie and such royal Attendants and you are all caught up to meet with him in the Air when you shall finde your selves in the number of those blessed happy ones whom the Lord will send for and receive to himself when the greatest part of the World will be left behind crying to the Rock to cover them and the Mountains to fall upoâ— them to hide them from the wrath of this furioâ—â— Judge that is come to condemn them O how will your hearts then be filled and even
ravished with transporting joy which no heart now can conceive 5. Rejoyce believers rejoyce when Christ dâ—â— appear yee shall be judged by him yee shall not be condemned by him but yee shall be judged by him your advocate will be your judge Who shall then lay any thing to your charge God will then justify you who then shall condemn you Christ will acquit and absolve you You will openly be declared righteous on that day through the righteousness of Jesus Christ which here hath been imputed to you Christ will own you then for his redeemed people whom he hath purchased with his own blood then all your works of mercy will be made mention of all your services of Christ in the World will be had in remembrance all your graces will be taken notice of and the Lord will kindly accept of the improvement of the smallest talents which he hath intrusted you withall Well done good and faithfull Servants yee have been faithful in a few things enter into the joy of your Lord Matth. 25. 21. And if you have been persecuted for righteousness sake if you have been imprisoned banished reproached and greatly afflicted for Christs sake if you have left Father Mother Wife Children Houses Lands yea and have laid down your lives for the testimony of Jesus and that you might keep a good conscience think what entertainment the Lord Jesus will give to you at that time and O how will you rejoyce that the Lord should confer so great honour and dignity upon you as to call you forth and enable you to suffer for his name and think how sweetly the sentence which Christ shall pronounce upon you will sound in your eares Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the World 6. Rejoyce Believers rejoyce when Christ doth appear he will reward you he will give you a crown of glory which fadeth not away he will not only judge and sentence you to inherit the Kingdome of Heaven but he will receive you into the Kingdome he will give you possession thereof he will carry you along with him unto glory he will lead you and bring you into the new Ierusalem he will show you the Father unto your full satisfaction and you shall behold his glory and share in it he will put you into those mansions which he hath prepared for you Then and never till then shall you be perfectly happy and the fore-thoughts of this is matter of exceeding great comfort especially if you consider these four properties of Heavens happiness 1. Believers consider the greatness of the happiness of Heaven it will be full and you will be filled therewith unto your utmost capacity yea beyond what here you are capable of consider these particulars in your happiness of Heaven 1. Think what bodies you will have they will be most beautiful and glorious bodies they will be most healthful strong and immortal bodies you will then bear the image of the Heavenly Adam in regard of your bodies as well as in regard of your souls Rejoyce then believers rejoyce what though some of you have crooked and deformed bodies now what though some of you are blinde or lame or maimed or have your bodies filled with irksome pains and weakned with long sickness what though you live in expectation of death and these bodies whatever their mold and shape be must ere long be carried to the cold stinking grave and be turned into putrefaction yet rejoice you that are believers because your bodies will be made so glorious in the resurrection when all blemishes of nature will be healed and all sickness and pain will be removed because they will be raised in incorruption and freed from any more dominion of death for ever 2. Think what Souls you shall have you will be glorious without your bodies will shine but you will be far more glorious within your souls will shine much more then your souls shall be washed clean from all remainders of sin so that they shall not have the least spot or stain then you shall be cleansed from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and arrive unto perfection of holiness then the feeds of grace will be grown up into the flowers of glory and O what a fragrant garden will your souls be when the rude draught as it were of Christ here in your hearts shall be finished and perfected by Gods Pensil and your spirits shall be made perfectly like unto your glorious Lord O how beautiful will they be in the eyes of God! Rejoice then believers rejoice it grieveth you when you look within you and perceive so much remaining defilement when you feel such strong opposition of the flesh against the spirit and you finde your selves sometimes foiled thereby your weaknesses and infirmities trouble you but rejoyce believers because in Heaven you will be perfectly freed from sin you will never be foiled nor defiled with it any more but you will be made perfectly holy and perfectly happy 3. Think what habitations ye shall have you shall have Mansions in the Fathers house Joh. 14. 2. A building of God a house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5. 1. your persons will be glorious and your habitations will be glorious Rejoyce then believers rejoyce what though some of you live in poor and mean cottages then you shall live in the glorious Pallace of the King of Kings what though your houses have been burned with fire and some of you have not where to lay your head and none of you have a certain dwelling place which you can secure to your selves yet rejoyce because there are Mansions provided for you out of which it will be impossible for you to be burned or turned out for ever The City which is above hath foundations which cannot be over turned and the building of God which is not made with hands cannot be destroyed by hands neither is exposed to flames of fire which may demolish the fairest City in the world 4. Think what Company you shall have you shall have the presence of the Father you shall dwell with the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God will dwell in you for ever you shall have the company of holy Angels and all the glorified Saints all your companions will be most lovely and glorious Rejoyce then believers rejoyce what though wicked men separate you from their company and think you unworthy of their fellowship God will not think you unworthy of his fellowship nor separate you from his presence what though some of you are forced to dwell in Meseck and are linked in neer relations to some ungodly persons and are every day vexed with their ungodly conversation Rejoyce for in Heaven you will be freed from such company no wicked person will be permitted to come into that place 5. Think what Treasures you shall have you shall have Treasures which cannot be corrupted by moth nor stoln by thief your riches
will be durable and unsearchable Rejoice then believers rejoice what though you are poor in the world you are rich in saith and hope what though you have no inheritance on earth yet you are heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven you shall have an inheritance which is incorruptible and undefiled what though you indure some hardship in your journey through the world when you come home to your Fathers house you shall be freed from all want and have such treasures to spend upon which can never be exhausted 6. Think what Honours you shall have the meanest of you will be exalted unto higher dignity than the greatest Monarch that ever lived you will be crowned with immortal glory you will be honoured by God and the Angels and you will not only have honour but you will be made most honourable Rejoice then believers and take comfort though you are scorned by some and accounted as the off-scouring of the earth you are reproached and vilified by men here but all your reproaches especially those which you have born for the sake of Jesus Christ shall be wreathed into a Crown and make you the more glorious in Heaven there you shall not have the least disgrace cast upon you any more and you shall be kept from doing any unbecoming action to blot and sullie you in the least but you shall shine like so many Stars or glorious Suns in the Kingdom of your Father 7. Think what Peace and Rest you shall have you shall have a most sweet peace and tranquilitie of mind no enemie without to disturb and molest you no devil to tempt and assault you no lusts within or distempered passion to disquiet you then you shall have perfect peace and then you shall rest from all wearisome imploiments and take up your repose in God for ever Rejoice then believers and set this chear your hearts in your passage through the tempestuous sea of this world ere long you will come to the haven where there will be no waves nor winds sometimes now you are troubled on every side and have no rest in your spirits without are fightings within are fears but in Heaven you shall be freed perfectlie from all disturbance and molestation 8. Think what Ioyes and Pleasures you shall have you shall have fulness of Joy Psal. 16. 11. you shall drink of the rivers of pleasures Psal. 36. 8. O the delights which you shall have in the immediate views of Gods face in the sense of Gods love in the high actings of your love in the fruition of the chiefest good and the high emploiment which you shall have in Heaven Rejoice then believers rejoice in hope of these joyes now you mourn and weep for your sin and because of the eclipses of the light of Gods countenance it troubles your hearts that you can see and enjoy so little of God that your love is so low and inconstant that your highest services are but mean and diverted many times by little trifling businesses in the world from converse with God in heaven all tears will be wiped away from your eyes and all sorrow with all the grounds thereof will be removed you will come with singing into the new Ierusalem you will enter and live in the vision and fruition in the love and joy and spend an eternity in the praise of the Lord. 2. Believers consider the sureness of the happiness of Heaven as surely as you are believers so surely shall you obtain this happiness you cannot be sure of any thing in the world but you may be sure of the glory of heaven and though there be not the certitudo subjecti and many of you be not assured of it but are full of doubts and fears that you shall fall short yet there is certitudo objecti the thing is sure to you Rejoice then believers rejoice your names are written in the book of life our of which they shall never be blotted labour to answer your doubts and to get your hearts wrought up to a full assurance of this happiness by such arguments as these which will evidently prove that if you be true believers you shall not you cannot miss of Heaven I. God hath chosen you to glory he hath elected you to salvation before the world was Act. 13. 48. As many as were ordained to eternal life believed Hence it follows that all believers were ordained to eternal life and I Thes. 2. 13. God hath chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and beliefe of the truth All true believers are elected persons and Gods decree of election cannot be frustrated because God is unchangeable because God changeth not therefore you are not consumed because God changeth not therefore you shall be saved 2. God hath promised this happiness to you I Iohn 2. 24. This is the promise which he hath promised even eternal life And Tit. 1. 2. In hope of eternal life which God who cannot lie hath promised If God hath promised this happiness and your faith doth give you interest in the promises and God be faithful to fulfil to them it being impossible for God to lie then as certainly as God is true you that are believers shall obtain 3. The Lord Jesus Christ hath purchased this happiness for you it is called the purchased posfession Eph. 1. 14. as certain as the purchase so certain will be the possession 4. The Lord Jesus hath taken possession of Heaven for you The fore-runner is for us entred Heb. 6. 20. He is preparing these mansions in the fathers house for you Ioh. 14. 2. and as certain as Christ is in Heaven so certainly shall those that are believers be received thither in time 5. Christ praied that you might have this happiness whilst he was on the earth Iah 17. 24. Father I will that those which thou host given me be with me where I am that they may behold the glory which thou host given me Which prayer was made for you if believers as well as for his present Disciples v. 20. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word And for this thing Chirst intercedes above and whatever he praies and intercedes for he will prevail for you and therefore you will obtain 6. Ye are Christs as ye are believers and therefore all things are yours saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. amongst which things to come are enumerated ye are Christs servants and do his work and he will give you your wages You honour him in the world and therefore you shall be honoured by him You follow your Master in a way of self-denial and suffering and if you suffer with him you shall reign with him 2 Tim. 2. 12. and be glorified together Rom. 8. 17. and where Christ is there shall his servants be Ioh. 12. 26. Ye are Christs members and where the head is there shall the members be Ye are Christs Sponse you are joined married to him and therefore shall