reigne on the Earth this you have in 2 Thess 2.9 Now wee beseech you Brethren by the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him So that the coming of our Lord and our gathering together to be judged by Christ they are both coupled together because when the Lords coming is then is our gathering time Mat. 25.31.32 When the Sonne of Man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall hee sit upon the Throne of his glory And before him shall be gathered all Nations and hee shall seperate them one from another as a Shepheard divideth his Sheepe from the Goats And in 2 Tim. 4.1 I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the Quick and the Dead at his appearing and his Kingdome The Scripture telleth you that when Christ appeares to judge the World hee shall have this Concomitant of his coming hee shall gather all together to judge both the Good and the Bad. Those that pretend that Christ shall come to reigne a thousand yeares upon the earth they cannot prove that then all shall bee gathered together they onely pleade for the Martyrs and none else therefore it cannot be referred to his coming to reigne a thousand years Thirdly when Christ comes then the end of the World is a period is put to this World 1 Cor. 15.24 Then cometh the end when hee shall have delivered up the Kingdome to God even the Father c. So when Christ comes then comes the end Now those who hold for Christs personall reigne they hold that the end of the World shall not be till a thousand yeares after because Christ must Reigne a thousand yeares Fourthly the Resurrection both of the just and unjust is a concomitant of Christs coming 1 Cor. 15.23 But every man in his owne Order Christ the first fruits afterwards they that are Christs at his coming So that at Christs coming the generall Resurrection of the just and unjust is to be Lastly there is to be the Salvation of the Soules of all the Elect that is a fifth concomitant of Christs coming Heb. 9.28 So Christ was once offered to beare the sinnes of many and unto them that looke for him shall hee appeare the second time without sinne unto Salvation This cannot bee referred to Christs Person coming upon the Earth because hee doth not come then to save the soules of all the Elect that is the first reason why Christ cannot come to Reigne upon the Earth that when the Scripture speakes of Christ coming out of Heaven the Scripture doth annex five Concomitants with it that it cannot be true of Christs coming upon the Earth but to come to judge the World A second reason is this that Christ cannot come to reigne upon the Earth because if it should be so it would be worse for Christ and it would be worse for us then now it is it would be worse for Christ for to leave Heaven and come to the Earth for Christ to leave Saints and Angells and Heaven for to live among the wicked and the good for they themselves confesse that wicked men shall live upon the Earth then Then besides they fancy Earthly delights that the fruit of the Vineyard shall not fade as now it doth why they would lessen Christs Glory because hee sits this day at his Fathers right Hand for to fancy this that Christ must come to reigne upon the earth it would be a great losse to all the Elect for wee have the benefit of Christs everlasting Intercession And were Christ upon the Earth wee should lose that benefit Heb. 8.4 For if hee were on the Earth hee should not be a Priest seeing that there are Priests that offer gifts according to the Law Therefore I doe wonder what they will doe that pretend great glory to Christ to reigne on the Earth so that if hee were upon the Earth wee should lose the benefit of his Priest-hood Therefore it would be a great wrong to us to have Christ here on the Earth because the benefit of his Priestly Office would not be so availeable to us as it is in Heaven Thus I have laid down Scripture and given you reasons why Christ cannot come before his last coming Now there are eight Incongruities and Absurdities that would follow in case you should grant that CHRIST should come to Reigne a thousand yeares upon the Earth First by those mens Principles this inconvenience will follow that people may exactly know the punctuall time of Christs last coming to judge the World for those who hold Christs personall Reigne they do as well hold the time as the thing they doe as well maintaine when this Reigne shall begin Therefore some have maintained that Christ should come to Reigne on the Earth in the yeare 1650. One saith if it shall not be in the yeare 1650 it shall be in the yeare 1694. They that goe furthest give at that time if so be they hold the thing and maintaine the time when it shall begin then of necessity wee must know exactly when the day shall be that Christ shall come to judge the World for they grant it shal be imediately after the thousand yeares Now Beloved that Opinion that carries this absurdity to know the day of Christs coming to judge the World which Christ saith none in the World can tell of that houre and day knoweth no man Mark 13.32 But of that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angells which are in Heaven neither the Sonne but the Father Therefore it cannot possibly be that Christ must come on the Earth therefore those that live at least to see Christ come from Heaven they cannot tell to a Day when CHRIST shall come to judge the World A second Incongruity which will follow is this if this should be granted that Christ shall Reigne on the Earth a thousand years before his great and last coming to judge the World then it will follow that Christ shall almost be as long a time on the Earth as in Heaven Christ dyed in the 33 yeare of his Age and hath beene 1619 yeares in Heaven and hee must be a thousand yeares upon the Earth that is very improbable This incongruity will follow that it will be a great disadvantage to Christ for Christ to come in person a thousand yeares on the Earth hee must leave his Father and leave his Heaven and come and onely possesse Earth Now Christ hath more happinesse in the imediate enjoyment of his Father in Heaven then hee can have here upon the Earth Then it will be a losse to us that wee should lose the benefit of his Priestly Office but Christ the Sonne of righteousnesse being in Heaven is more waileable to Believers then if he were upon the Earth Fourthly observe this that if Christ should come on the Earth for a thousand yeares then Christ would leave the Church after that thousand yeares for a while in
a worse condition then hee found it if Christ must come on the Earth hee must leave his Church in a worse condition then hee found it and I draw it from that Text which they pretend to be the strength of their Argument Revel 20.5.7.8 But the rest of the Dead lived not againe untill the thousand yeares were finished This is the first Resurrection And when the thousand yeares are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his Prison And shall goe out to deceive the Nations which are in the foure quarters of the Earth Gog and Magog to gather them together to Battell the number of whom is as the Sand of the Sea So that after the thousand yeares the Devill shall be let loose againe and there shall be an innumerable company of enemies and they shall destroy multitudes of the godly Therefore Christ would leave his Church in a worse condition then hee found them if this were true that Christ should reigne a thousand years upon the Earth Fifthly if Christ should come to reigne a thousand yeares upon the Earth then this incongruity will follow that there must be three personall comings of Jesus Christ for his first coming was in the Incarnation Second coming to these thousand yeares And his third coming must be to judge the World that is the last coming but the Scripture makes but two comings of Christ First his coming from Heaven when hee was borne his second coming when hee comes to judge the World againe Sixtly if Christ comes personally out of Heaven this incongruity will follow that either the Saints and Angells must come or not come with Christ if they must come with Christ then it is a losse to them for them to come to leave the imediate presence of God and come upon the Earth where wicked men shall be amongst them or if they must not come with Jesus Christ yet it is a lose to them to remaine there they shall lose for a thousand yeares the Body of Christ if Christ be on the Earth hee cannot be in Heaven the same time Therefore it would be a losse to the Saints and Angells for them to be a thousand yeares in Heaven without the company of Jesus Christ not to have the person of Jesus Christ with them A seventh Incongruity will follow that if Christ shall come to reigne upon the Earth then Christs Kingdom must be a worldly terrene Kingdome then it will be against the Word of God he must be a visible King to the Jewes and a visible King to all the World besides this would follow then that Christs Kingdome must not be a spirituall Kingdome but a Terrene a Worldly pompous Kingdome Iohn 18.36 Jesus answered My Kingdome is not of this World if my Kingdome were of this World then would my Servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jewes but now is my Kingdome not from hence Luke 17.20 And when hee was demanded of the Pharisees when the Kingdome of God should come hee answered them and said The Kingdome of God cometh not with Observation Would not all the World observe this for Christ to come bodily from Heaven and in the Majesty of a Monarch Now Christs Kingdome doth not come with Observation When the Disciples looked after an Earthly Kingdome No saith Christ my Kingdome is for to Rule and Reigne in your hearts you shall never see mee for to be an outward pompous King in the World for Christs Kingdome it is a spirituall Kingdome Eightly that if Jesus Christ shall come to take a Kingdome on the Earth for a thousand yeares then this Incongruity will follow As if Jesus Christ had not a Kingdome and were not a King all this while hee is in Heaven they apply that that place in Daniel and all those Phrases in the new Testament that the Kingdome of the World is become the Kingdome of the Lord they deny that Christ is a King in Heaven When hee was in the Cratch and borne in the Stable hee was a King at that very houre Psalme 2. The Apostle referres it to Christs Birth and Christs Resurrection Christ when hee arose from the Dead hee was a King then and the Gospell under Christs time is called a Kingdome It is remarkeable in John 18.37 Pilate therefore said unto him Art thou a King then Jesus answered Thou sayest that I am a King Christ was a King though hee would not be an Earthly King to destroy Earthly Governments Therefore when the people in a tumult would have made him a King yet hee would not Zech. 9.9 Rejoyce greatly O Daughter of Zion shout O Daughter of Jerusalem behold thy King cometh unto thee hee is just and having Salvation lowly and riding upon an Asse and upon a Colt the fole of an Asse Hee was a King when hee was on that slow contemptible creature so that now to say Christ shall come to reigne as King it is to intimate to the World as if Christ were not a King at this day and whereas hee is King of Kings and Lord of Lords in heaven therefore cannot come a thousand yeares to reigne on the Earth Now I will deale fairely to shew you what strength and give you the strongest Scriptures that have most shew of reason for the maintaining of this Opinion and shall labour to take them off and cleare it to you There are multitudes of quotations that varieties of mens thoughs fasten upon to prove this poynt yet those they most stand to I shall fasten upon their chiefe Pillar is in Revel 20.2 4 5 6. And hee laid hold on the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Divell and Satan and bound him a thousand yeares And I saw thrones and they sate upon them and judgement was given unto them and I saw the Soules of them that were beheaded for the witnesse of Jesus and for the Word of God and which had not worshipped the Beast neither his Image neither had received his marke upon their foreheads or in their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand yeares But the rest of the dead lived not againe untill the thousand yeares were finished This is the first Resurrection Blessed and holy is hee that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second death hath no power but they shall be Priests of God and of Christ and shall reigne with him a thousand yeares Now from this Text which is the chiefest in the Scripture they seeme to build these two things upon First That Jesus Christ shall live upon the Earth and the Saints reigne with him for a thousand yeares Secondly Those that were Martyrs by Antichrist shall rise from the dead and come upon the Earth these thousand yeares to continue with Iesus Christ This they build much upon That Christ shall come to reigne a thousand yeares upon the Earth But I shall shew you that this cannot be the sense of it and I shall give you Six Answers First that though the Scripture
bodies into Heaven with mee that as my body is in Heaven so your bodies shall be there also with me Obser The Observation is this That it is one great end of Christs coming againe for to receive the bodies of all the Elect unto himselfe into Heaven with him I come againe and receive you unto my selfe I shall not follow the common place in handling the Resurrection of the body I shall onely handle this poynt practically to you in shewing you what the happinesse of the Elect of God is in their bodies as well as their Soules Now because this Text is made use of to pervert many Scriptures I shall handle this practicall Question before I can come to handle the Doctrine Quest The Question is this that seeing Jesus Christ doth onely promise that hee will receive the Elect unto himselfe at his coming againe Then this Question will be started Then what becomes of all the godly imediately after death before Christs coming againe to judgement Therefore those that hold for the sleeping of the Soule they on this Text doe ground that there is no receiving neither one or other the one to Life the other to Death the wicked are not tormented then nor the godly glorified till then Therefore it is needfull that seeing Christ doth here speake of receiving them unto himselfe not till his coming then what becomes of the Soules of dead Men before the coming of Christ Ans Before I give you the Answer take this distinction There is a twofold receiving First there is a partiall and incompleat receiving and this is done imediatly after death that when the Soule doth depart from the body the Soule is received by Jesus Christ in Heaven and that is the reason of those Speeches in Acts 7. There is a receiving them before Christs coming and this is called a partiall and incompleat reception it is onely a receiving of the spirit and not of the body Secondly there is a totall and compleat reception both of the body and the soule into glory and it is this that the Text here speakes of though it is true there is not a totall reception of a Believer till Christs coming to judgement yet there is a partiall reception I do not speake to those that say the soule is mortall and that it shall never live but to those that say the soule shall sleepe and the soule doth perish with the body untill the Resurrection Now against these that pleade for the sleeping of the soule till Christs coming againe take these foure wayes how to strengthen you in this First there are pregnant instances in Scripture that after the godly die their Soules are received into Heaven before CHRIST comes Secondly there are generall expressions in the Scripture as well as particular instances to prove this Thirdly there are expresse passages in the Scripture to confirme this Fourthly there are absurd inconsequences that will arise in case it should be denyed First there are Pregnant Instances or examples in the Scripture to prove that after death the soul is received into heaven Take three instances First that knowne Text Luke 23.43 And Jesus said unto him verily I say unto thee To day thou shalt be with mee in Paradise That day Christ dyed that day Christ went to Heaven therefore that day the soule of that converted thiefe must go to Heaven Now beloved there are two Evasions that those who pleade for the soules cessation for the soules sleeping that they make to avoid this Text and take off this Instance First is by altering the comma or stop in the Text and reade it thus I say unto thee this day thou shalt be with mee in Paradise that to day they doe not referre it that the Thiefe should be in Paradise Peter Martyr doth give two Answers to this Evasion First saith hee it is not safe to alter a comma or stop in Scripture for so you may pervert the Scripture and make it speak what it never meant if men at their pleasure disagreeing from all Copies alter comma's in the translation Another Answer that it appeares this cannot bee the sense of it to referre to day to the time that Christ spake and not to the time that the thiefe should be in heaven for saith Gerrard marke the thiefes prayer In ver 42. And be said unto Jesus Lord remember mee when thou comest into thy Kingdome Marke there is the thiefes when that when Christ should come to Heaven Christ should remember him Christs Hodie must answer to his Quando or else hee did not answer to his Prayer Christs to day must answer the thiefes when that when Christ came to Heaven there to remember the thiefe And Jesus said unto him verily I say unto thee To day shalt thou be with mee in Paradise Thirdly this day it was needlesse for Christ to say to day to tell him the time when hee spake hee knew Christ spake to him then but to speake of the time when the thiefe should be in Heaven I say to thee this day thou shalt be with Mee in Heaven The second Evasion is this It is true Christ promised thou shalt be with mee in Paradice but Christ doth not say thou shalt be with mee in Heaven but with mee in Paradice There are three answers to give you to this Evasion First that those that will not by Paradice understand Heaven by this Text they then fall in with the Papists either for Purgatory or a Limbus Patrum Secondly take this answer that in other Scriptures when Paradice is mentioned it is to be understood Heaven and so the Apostle doth expound it 2 Cor. 12.2.4 I knew a man in Christ above fourteene yeares agoe whether in the body I cannot tell or whether out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth such an one caught up to the third Heaven How that hee was caught up into Paradice and heard unspeakeable words which it is not lawfull for a man to utter So that the Apostle by Paradice doth expound it to be Heaven Revel 2.7 Hee that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith unto the Churches To him that overcometh will I give to eate of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradice of God That is hee shall enjoy Jesus Christ Christ in Heaven is the Tree of Life in the Paradice of God Thirdly it cannot be any Earthly Paradice the Paradice Adam was in before his fall for the Earthly Paradice was destroyed by the Flood therefore of necessity when Christ tells the thiefe To day shalt thou be with mee in Paradice it must referre to the thiefes going to Heaven at that day with Jesus Christ A second instance it is in Luke 16.22 And it came to passe that the Beggar dyed and was carried by the Angells into Abrahams bosom The rich man also dyed and was buried This is another instance that the soules of the Elect after death they go to Heaven There are two Evasions made upon
him will my Father honour That is where I shall bee in Heaven Beloved the time is now of giving honour to God and giving glory to God but thy being where Christ is God gives thee glory and gives thee Honours Fourthly thy happinesse in being present with Christ where hee is that thou shalt stand in no neede of Ordinances beloved here the highest growne Christian and the strongest Believer in the World doth stand in more neede of Ordinances then a lame man doth of Crutches to goe by I but when thou comest to have this accomplished that thou shalt bee where Christ is thou then standest in no neede of Ordinances then what needs the Candlestickes of Sermons what needs the Candlestick of Preaching and the Candlestick of Praying when thou art present with Christ there is no neede of conduit Pipes when thou art by the Fountaine-head thou needst no Ordinances the Conduit Pipes are the Ordinances there is no neede of Ordinances any longer then thou art absent from the Fountaine which is JESUS CHRIST the ceremoniall Law is all Gospell it is darke Gospell the Evangelists are explained Gospell the ceremoniall Law is darke Gospell Exodus 25. Meaning the Holy place There was to bee golden Candlesticks which Types out the Preaching of the Word In the holy place there was the Candlesticks and the Incense Dishes to wit Christs Intercession this was onely in the holy place but in the Holy of Holiest there was no Candlestick no Incense Dishes there to shew that whilst you are on this side Heaven in the Church of God you neede the Candlestick you neede Preaching and Praying I but in the holy of holiest there was none of this to shew that it was a type of Heaven and when Christ brings thee there then thou art above Ordinances and never till then this is a fourth particular A Fifth priviledge of thy being where Christ is is this that thou shalt have a full communion and fellowship with Jesus Christ in person Beloved here wee have a communion with Christ but it is a communion far different from that which we shall have in Heaven First it shall bee different in regard of the manner of its enjoyment in this World thou enjoyest Christ mediately by Ordinances thou dost but see him as in the Apostles phrase in a glasse darkely but in Heaven thou shalt enjoy Christ personally and have communion imediately with Christ in Heaven Secondly in regard of the measure of your enjoyment here you enjoy but a parcell of Christ you here enjoy Christs Spirit by drops you shall then enjoy the fulnesse of the Ocean Thirdly it differs in regard of its time and duration Here you doe injoy Christ it is true but it is by fits and starts you enjoy him now in an Ordinance but you have interrupted fellowship and communion with Christ but when thou art with him in Heaven there is no Interruption in thy communion with Christ Fourthly it is different in regard of its expectation I but now in Heaven thou enjoyest Christ by way of possession Fiftly in regard of place here there is a great distance of place betweene Christ and us here wee enjoy Christ hee in heaven and wee on Earth but then wee shall enjoy Christ in one place hee in Heaven and wee in Heaven here thou mayest thinke much of Christ I but if thou were nearer Christ thou shouldst see and know more of his glory Sixtly there shall bee a difference in regard of thy companions and those that are in fellowship with thee in Heaven they are Saints and Angells I but one Earth though thou dost enjoy Christ yet thou art inforst to discourse and commerce with wicked men A sixt particular is this thy being present with Jesus Christ there is this to attend thee there shall bee gladnesse and rejoycing among all the Angells in Heaven if the Angells in Heaven shall rejoyce at a sinners conversion they shall much rejoyce at a sinners inauguration and Inthronizing into Heaven they and wee shall make but one head but one fold to glorifie the great Shephard of our soules the Lord Jesus what great joy shall there be among Angells Archangells thrones c. Singing Hallelujah to God making you partners of their glory Seventhly our being with Christ shall put us into a state of exemption from sin from the causes of sin and from the punishments of sinne First from sinne here thy beautifull soule is bespotted with the spots of Leprosie I meane with foule and deformed lusts but when thou art with Jesus Christ thou art exempted from sin sin no more Secondly thou shalt be exempted from the causes of sinne the Divell shall deceive no more there but here thou liest exposed to all temptations Thirdly there shall be no more punishments for sinne why here thou art punished by thy body by Diseases and the like here punishments from trouble of soule but in Heaven freed from internall punishments and externall punishments this was prefigured under the Law 1 Kings 33. The Palme-tree is an Embleme of victory Therefore the victorious are said to weare Palme in their hands triumphing Revelations 7. to shew that you can never bee compleat Conquerours to weare signalls of triumph and signalls of conquest in your hands till you come to enter into the holy of holiest That you have conquered over sinne and over temptations to sinne and conquered over all punishments for sinne The Morall Philosophers say that Raine Haile Storme and Tempests are engendred in the midle Region but about the middle Region there is no Winde no Storme or Tempest but whilst thou art here below there are Stormes Winde and blustring Temptations but when God takes thee above this middle Region there is no storme nor tempest to disturbe thee but thou shalt be quiet there Eightly that being present with Jesus Christ that those who have suffered most and done most for Jesus Christ shall have most glory with Jesus Christ all shall have glory enough hee that hath least in Heaven shall have enough every vessell of glory shall bee full yet some shall containe more then others as thou hast had more grace in this World why thou shalt have more glory There are degrees of glory in Heaven and there are degrees of torments in Hell there are degrees and orders among the Angells in Heaven not onely Angells but Archangells not onely cherubins and ceraphins but distinct orders among Angells there surely is an order and degree among glorified Saints that those that have done most for Christ and suffered most for Christ they they shall have most glory from Jesus Christ I am loth for to runne out upon these Arguments I onely take it in as a comfortable head by the way you shall accordingly as you have done and suffered most you shall have most glory from him It is the saying of One that as God doth inequally communicate his Graces in an inequall manner in this Life so hee shall crowne them in an
sight and sense of sin as it is dishonourable to God rather then as it is a shame and a reproach unto themselves In Psal 51. saith David Against thee thee only have I sinned it was against Vriah that he had sinned but against thee thee only have I sinned for thou wast dishonoured by my sin When the Apostle speaks of repentance he cals it repentance towards God Act. 20.21 Testifying both to the Jewes and also to the Greeks repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ To note That where sorrow and confession of sin is true it is more out of a sense of sin as it is against God then as it is against self But wicked men never confesse sin as it is a dishonour to God but as it contracts a guilt and a shame on themselvea Lastly Holy confession of sin in godly men leaves a holy awe and a dread upon the heart making them afraid to commit the sinne after they have confest it making them afraid to come into the occasion of that sin which they have confest thus you read Act. 19.18 And many that beleeved came and confessed and shewed their deeds Vers 19. Many also of them which used curious arts brought their books together and burned them before all men c. He speaks of their sorcery and witchcraft they would burn their books that there should not be an occasion of committing again that sin which they confest unto God Beloved this is holy confession when thou shalt come to God on thy knees in secret and there bewayle a lust and thy confession leaves a holy awe and dread on thy soul to take heed on that sin thou hast confest A godly man may commit a sin which he hath confest but yet he retains a fear and awe upon his heart that it shall not prevail over him in his practise Wicked men confesse sin they have committed yet they are bold and adventurous to commit the same sin again which they have confest And thus the Harlot did Prov. 7.14 I have peace-offerings with me this day I have payed my vowes Paying the vow is a confession that I am in debt to God for my sin and I owe God homage and service yet she made the confession of sin to be a means to provoke her to be more bold and adventurous in her wickednesse To confesse drunkennesse and afterwards to be drunk to confesse profanenesse and afterwards to profane this is the bold adventurousnesse of wicked men thus Pharaoh in Exod. 9. confest his sin and afterwards when the plagues were over runs into the same sin he did confesse and this is the badge and portraiture of a wicked man And thus I have done with this fourth particular I now come to the use Vse First by way of reproof there are three sorts of persons in whose brests the arrow and dart of reproof must justly stick If so be justified persons are bound to make confession of sin unto God then it reproves Sort 1 First The Antinomists who account it a legall and a servile work for beleevers to be bemoaning themselves unto God and confessing sin unto God And therefore in their prayers when you may be cast to hear them in publique all their expressions in prayer are either extolling the majesty of God the excellency of Christ the glory of Heaven the riches of Grace but not a word of laying low the creature in prayer but raptures in prayer and the extolling of divine Majesty these are all the dialects of expressions which they use in prayer Now to overthrow this First Confession of sin to God hath been practised by all the godly under the Old Testament and therefore why should it not be used under the New Dan. 9. He made a prayer to God and it consisted of 16. verses and 14. of them verses were spent in confessing of sin And thus the godly in Nehemiah's dayes made a prayer to God and the whole prayer consisted of 32. verses and 31. of them verses were spent in confession of sin Nehem. 1.6 Let thine ear now be attentive and thine eyes open that thou mayst hear the prayer of thy servant which I pray before thee now day and night for the children of Israel thy servants and confesse the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against thee both I and my fathers house have sinned Thus David 2 Sam. 24.10 And Davids heart smote him after that he had numbred the people and David said unto the Lord I have sinned greatly in that I have done and now I beseech thee O Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done very foolishly That is one thing to confute this practise Secondly Not only Beleevers under the Old Testament but also Converts under the New Testament did make conscience of confessing of sin unto God Joh. 3.6 And were baptized of him in Jordan confessing their sins Act. 19.18 And many that beleeved came and confessed and shewed their deeds Luk. 15.17 And when he cameto himself he said How many hired servants of my father have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger Vers 18. I will arise and goe to my father and will say unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee It is an embleme of a Convert if so be it be a parable In the instance of the Publican that Christ declares was justified rather then the Pharisee Luk. 18.13 And the Publican standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven but smote upon his brest saying God be mercifull to me a sinner vers 14. I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather then the other c. Now beloved when you have instances in the Old Testament and many examples in the New why then should we blot out so usefull a part of Gods worship as this of confession to God in secret Thirdly God doth command confession of sin unto him Jer. 3.12 Goe and proclaime these words towards the North and say Return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am mereifull saith the Lord and I will not keep anger forever Onely acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God c. Fourthly God both in the Old Testament and in the New hath annexed many gracious promises to a sincere confession of sin unto him in the Old Testament Lev. 26.40 If they shall confesse their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers with their trespasse which they trespassed against me and that also they have walked contrary unto me Vers 41. And that I also have walked contrary unto them and have brought them into the land of their enemies if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled c they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity Then will I remember my Covenant with Jacob c. If they confesse their iniquity I will
shall I give thee and she said thy Signet and thy Bracelets and thy Staffe that is in thine hand and he gave it her and came in unto her and she conceived by him Then you read of Rachab a common harlot in Heb. 11.31 By faith the Harlot Rachab perished not with them that beleeved not when she had received the spies with peace Matth. 1.5 And Salmon begat Boos of Rachab c. A third woman mentioned in the Genealogy is Ruth what was shee she was not so infamous as the rest were yet she ran into a grievous scandall Ruth came of Moab whom Lot begat of his own daughter you have the story in the Book of Genesis 19.36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father vers 37. And the first born bare a son and called his name Moab What was she for her person she was a good woman but as all Divines observe of her she did an action that had appearance of evill what did shee read the story in the 3 of Ruth beginning at the 5. verse c. the story saith that she came alone at midnight to Bouz there was an action full of infamy which was a shamefull thing that a woman should come to a man lying alone Secondly she came and lay by him in the night season but it is true the Scripture clears her for any thing following vers 14. And she lay at his feet untill morning and she rose up before one could know another there was no vanity no folly and no evill yet it was a grievous scandall for a woman to be with a man and Boaz did fear the scandall of it too yet such a woman as this is reckoned in the Genealogy of Christ The fourth woman is Bathsheba she was unclean with David What is the Mystery of this truely all Interpreters give this There are but four women named in the Genealogy all of them infamous and it is recorded that Christ came from these four to take off the ignominy and infamy of your sins that you have fallen into before Conversion Suppose God should suffer thee to fall into execrable villanies reall and sound conversion to God takes off the reproach and ignominy therefore Christ to take off the ignominy and reproach from these women would honour them so far as to reckon them in his own Genealogy The point was this That such are the riches of Gods pardoning grace that hee forgives his people the great sins that are cloathed with many hainous and aggravated circumstances Now lest any might abuse this Doctrine and suck poyson from these flowers that are most sweetly scattered up and down the Scripture I shall labour so to handle the matter as to keep off presumptuous men that they be not emboldned in a wicked course of sin Therefore my use shall be to two sorts of men Vse 1 First of all it shall be directed to morall and civill honest men if God doth forgive men great sins cloathed with many hainous and aggravated circumstances as Davids sin was as Peters sin was and Pauls sins were Five considerations concerning lesser sins then I have great hopes of pardon mine are but sins of an ordinary incursion therefore I have hopes my sins are pardoned because they have not been crying great sins First of all consider That God hath shewn as much displeasure against small and little sins as against greater and grosser enormities I will give you some instances First Of the neglect of Moses to circumcise his son one would think that for forbearing the circumcising of a childe when a man was in a journey and had urgent businesse lying upon him his businesse should have been a plea to excuse him yet for the bare omission of that on the eight day the Lord met him and would have killed him Exod. 4.24 And it came to passe by the way in the Inne that the Lord met him and sought to kill him Another time the Psalmist tels us of Moses sin in the wildernesse Moses spake unadvisedly with his lips only a rash word and what was the issue of that sin the Lord would never suffer Moses to enter into the land of Canaan Another instance of Vzzah one would think it but a small thing for Vzzah to put his hand to uphold the falling Arke it was out of a good intention that the Arke should not fall yet you know how the hand of God smote Vzzah for it So likewise of David you would think it but a small matter for a King to number his people yet you know how many thousands in Israel God did take away by the Plague for that very sin so that beloved suppose thou hast not fallen into hideous and hainous wickednesses yet thou seest little sins displease God as well as great because sin though little yet is against a great God and little sins displease as well as great Secondly That though grosse sins may carry a greater infamy yet little secret sins may carry a greater guilt in them to God Beloved the sin of Angels it was but a small sin a spirituall sin only one sin and a sin in thought too not of act yet you know that for that sin God did tumble the Angels out of heaven Indeed grosse sins carry a greater infamy but little small sins may carry as great a guilt Third Consideration is this That small and little sins may be aggravated and cloathed with such circumstances as may make them great Two instances in Adams sin and Davids sin First Adams sin you would account it a small matter to eat an apple or some other fruit but yet that small fact of eating the forbidden fruit was so cloathed with many circumstances which made it a great and grievous sin for First If you consider the state of Adam he was not as we are but Adam was a perfect and an innocent creature and it is a greater evill for a perfect creature to sin then for us that are imperfect Secondly Consider the place where Adam was it was in Paradise and yet there to sin Thirdly Consider the publicknesse of his person he did not sin for himself but in his sin we all sinned for a private man to sin is an evill but for a publique person representing other men his sin is other mens sin Fourthly How many aggravations were in the bowels of Adams sin there are six First There was unbeleif in his sin God did not tell them with an if or an and but told them peremptorily they should dye Secondly There was this aggravation that Adam did beleeve the Devill before God Thirdly There was pride in this sin for saith the Devill Ye shall be as gods and that pleased them it was not enough to be man and woman but they must be gods Fourthly There was curiosity in that sin You shall be as gods knowing good and evill now out of meer curiosity to know more then they did know though they knew enough to make them
single act but when continually throughout thy course thou hast a wilfull and a gainsaying heart against all the motions of Gods Spirit within thee Must not this be a great evill in thee when thou dost quench grieve resist and vex the Spirit all these circumstances must needes aggravate and greaten thy sin Eightly Sin is aggravated when thou dost frequently fall into the same sin Ninethly Sin is aggravated when it is done in a way of complacency that it is not onely acted by thee but loved by thee the acting of a sin is not so much as a loving of sin Tenthly sin is aggravated when it is done by eminent and publick persons whose example draw other men to sin and this did aggravate Jereboams sin 2 King 17.21 For he rent Israel from the house of David and they made Jeroboam the Son of Nebat King and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the Lord and made them sin a great sin Thou that hast sinned a sin and art a publike person thy sins are other mens sins thine is a greater sin then another mans sin is for every act that thou hast done will be an imboldning and encouragement of other to doe the like Eleventhly It aggravates sin when God doth punish other men for thy sin this makes the sins of Rulers to be great sins because for their sins God may punish the people as for Davids sin in numbring the people there did thousands of Israel dye of the plague when thou sinnest in thy family God may punish all the house for that sin this you shall find an aggravation of Abrahams sin Gen. 20.9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said unto him What hast thou done unto us and what have I offended thee that thou hast brought on mâ—e and on my Kingdome a great sin thou hast done deeds unto mee that ought not to be done Twelfthly Sin is an aggravated sin when it is done by a man that lives under much means of grace where the Gospel is preached where sin is reproved there to live in a way of wickednesse greatens thy sin that made a woe to be pronounced by Christ against Chorazin and against Bethsaida because they had the Gospell it should be worse with them then with Sodom and Gomorrah In the thirteenth place Sin is aggravated when they are against many vows purposes and prayers and many holy resolutions thou addest perjury to thine iniquity and that aggravates thy sin The Use Such are the riches of Gods pardoning grace that he forgives sinnes cloathed with many aggravated circumstances O then what remains there are two things to be done by you First if of any you find that you are under these thirteen aggravations that you can call your sins the iniquity of sin O then you should admire and magnifie the multitude of Gods mercy that great sins cannot out-vie Gods mercy but Gods mercy out-vie thy great sins Magnifie pardoning grace the more Paul saith 1 Tim. 1.13 Who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy c. O doe thou say so I have been thus vile and thus wicked I have thus cloathed my sin yet through the aboundance of grace and love I have obtained mercy O let this inhance the value of Christs bloud Secondly Labour to greaten thine own graces hast thou beene notorious in sin why shouldst not thou be great in humiliation great in repentance And thus I have by the good hand of God in these twelve Sermons handled two Doctrines to you the one touching Davids penitentiall act confessing sin and the other of Gods gracious act The Lord forgave him the iniquity of his sin So much for this Text. FINIS THE SAINTS Advantage BY CHRISTS Ascension JOHN 14 3. And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receive you unto my selfe that where I am there yee may be also THis Chapter out of which my Text is taken is counted famous by most Interpreters because in it begins the Legacy that Christ gives and the last Will and Testament that Christ made when he was to leave the World and this Will and Testament of Christs begins in the 14th Chap. and continues to the 18 Chapter of this Book The scope and drift of this Chapter it is to comfort his Disciples both against their feares of persecution in the World as also against their sorrowes upon this Consideration that Christ was shortly to leave this World and Christ doth here mention many comfortable considerations before them that they were to be left without a guide that Christ was shortly to leave this World and go to his Father â—t much troubled them It went ill with them when Christ was with them and they thought it would have been worse with them when hee was gone and he doth encourage them by these Arguments First hee saith I am but going to my Fathers House and the 28 vers of this Chapter he saith yee have heard how I said unto you I goe away and come againe unto you If yee loved mee yee would rejoyce because I said I goe unto the Father for my Father is greater then I. Againe secondly he would not have them troubled because of his departure because saith he I do not intend to go to my Fâ—â—her alone but intend for to have all you with me though you shall not go with me now Though you shall not die with mee now though you shall not go to Heaven with me now yet you shall be with mee mother day In my Fathers house are many Mansions I do not intend to go to heaven done for there is roome for you as well is for mee and roome for every Believer in the World Heaven first is a Mansion a place which notes a duration of Saints in Heaven Heaven is not a moveable place but a Mansion an abiding place Againe there are many Mansions in Heaven there is roome enough for Christ for his eleven Apostles and roome enough for all the Believers in the World it notes the lastingnesse of Heaven Hebrewes 11. and 12 vers Therefore sprang there even that one and him as good as dead so many as the Starres of the Skye in multitude and as the Sand which is by the Sea-shore innumerable And besides the innumerable company of Angells there is a great Multitude in Heaven which no man can number so that here Heaven is a Mansion and there are many Mansions Thirdly but they may say these may be Superbolicall expressions that there is more spoken then is but saith Christ in the second vers In my Fathers house are many Mansions If it were not so I would have told you To doubt that Jesus Christ doth speake more then there is if there had been no such thing as having a Mansion in Heaven with Christ saith Christ if there were not such I would have told you I do not love to tell you of a fooles Paradice as the Devill doth but I tell you in Heaven
my Brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and to your Father and to my God and your God Christ did promise that hee would ascend Iohn 16.5 7. But now I go my way to him that sent mee and none of you asked me whither goest thou Neverthelesse I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you Iohn 16.16 A little while and yee shall not see mee and againe a little while and yee shall see mee because I goe to the Father I could quote you many Scriptures that Christ promised hee would goe away Fourthly the Doctrine of Christs going up to Heaven is confirmed by the Testimony of the Apostles who were Eye-witnesses of Christs Ascension Gerrard notes saith he Jesus Christ did rise invisible none saw him Rise the Scripture telleth you that the Souldiers that watched were asleepe yet Christ gathereth all his eleven Apostles that they might be Eye witnesses of his Ascension that they saw him ascend to Heaven Acts 1.9 10. And when hee had spoken these things while they beheld hee was taken up and a Cloud received him out of their sight And while they looked stedfastly towards Heaven as hee went up behold two men stood by them in white apparell and so the Apostle Peter in the 1 Peter 3.22 Who is gone into Heaven and is on the right Hand of God Angells and Authority and Powers being subject unto him So Paul tells you in Ephesians 4.10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up farre above all Heavens that hee might fill all things So in Hebrewes 9. the Author of that Booke tells you that Jesus Christ is not gone into the holy place but is gone into the Heaven it selfe In vers 24. For Christ is not entred into the Holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into Heaven it selfe now to appeare in the presence of God for us 1 Tim. 3.16 And without controversy great is the mystery of Godlinesse God was manifest in the flesh justified in the spirit seene of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World received up into glory And in Mark 16.19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them hee was received up into Heaven and sate on the right hand of God I take the more paines to prove this because of what Ancient Heresies there have been to overthrow this great comfortable Doctrine of Christs going bodily into Heaven having our flâ—sh in Heaven this very day Fifthly it may be proved by the Concurrent Testimonies of the Angells who were witnesses of this truth Acts 1.10 ve And while they looked stedfastly toward Heaven as he went up behold two men stood by them in white apparell These two men were Angells the Angels did give in their concurrent Testimonies that Jesus Christ did goe into Heaven and the same Jesus Christ that did go shall come againe Beloved I know not any one poynt in all the Bible that is so proved and strengthned as Christs personall and Bodily going up to Heaven and thus much for the strengthning of you in the proofe of the poynt I lay that for the Foundation because if the proof of it be not well grounded then the fruit of it will not be well regarded Secondly what is the reason that Christ must have his Body goe up to Heaven and not his Soul as other mens First Christ in his bodily presence must go to Heaven lest his Disciples should be taken too much with his bodily presence and never looke after the Communication of his Spirit Therefore they aske Christ Lord when wilt thou restore the Kingdome to Israel they expected that Christ would take away the Roman Emperour which was a heathen and expected that hee would bee King himselfe Acts 1.6 When they therefore were come together they asked of him saying Lord wilt thou at this time restore againe the Kingdome to Israel It is for this reason say Interpreters because the Disciples should not dote on Jesus Christ as to looke on him as a temporall King and looke on him for a temporall Kingdome so that was one reason why hee would not leave his body with them but that they might looke after the Kingdom where he is therefore Paul hath a passage in 2 Cor. 5.16 Wherefore henceforth know wee no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more As if hee should say it may be those that lived in Christs time that knew him according to the flesh as a lovely person but saith Paul wee know him in a spirituall way to looke after Heaven by Christ to looke after Salvation by Christ Secondly Christ must be taken up into Heaven in his body to make a compensation and a recompence to himselfe for his sufferings in his Body to make a compensation to him for his bodily sufferings hee must go to Heaven Phil. 2.8.9 And being found in fashion as a Man hee humbled himselfe and because obedient unto Death even the Death of the Crosse Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a Name which is above every Name Therefore God did exalt Christ and raise him from the dead and bring him to Heaven because hee obeyed the death of the Crosse and took on him the forme of a servant Psal 110. last Vers He shall drinke of the brooke in thy way therefore shall hee lift up the Head Because thou dyedst and sufferedst therefore thou shalt lift up thy head therefore thou shalt ascend up to Heaven Heb. 2.9 But we see Jesus who was made a little lower then the Angells for the suffering of Death crowned with glory and honour that hee by the grace of God should taste death for every man For suffering of Death hee was crowned with Glory and Honour to translate him bodily into heaven that is a second Argument Thirdly Christ was taken up bodily to heaven it was to manifest to the World that Christ was God as well as man to manifest the God head of Jesus Christ therefore taken up bodily to heaven Eph. 4.9 10. Now that hee ascended what is it but that hee also descended first into the lower parts of the Earth Hee that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all Heavens that he might fill all things There the Apostle proves that Christs going up to heaven it was an argument that Christ came downe from heaven So in John 6.62 What and if yee shall see the Sonne of man ascend up where hee was before That shews that Christ was in heaven before therefore must bee God Coequall and Coeternall with God the Father and thus you have the second poynt dispatched to you shewing the reasons why Jesus Christ must go bodily into heaven The third point is I but what benefit and comfort
on him should receive for the holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified The holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus Christ was not yet glorified but this Text is not to be taken simply then it will follow that Abraham Isaac and Jacob had not the spirit and they could not be in Heaven but the meaning is that the gifts of the Holy Ghost in that Aboundant measure was not given because Christ was yet ascended Christ did reserve the full giving of the Holy Ghost to the time of his Ascention and untill hee was glorified Therefore the Apostles soone after his Ascention they received the Holy Ghost in a greater measure then was given to the people of old and beloved not onely gifts by Christ to bring you to Heaven but also Ministeriall gifts to qualifie men fit for the Ministery you are to looke on this as the fruit of Christs Ascention Ephesians 4.10 11 12. vers Hee that descended is the same also that Ascended up farre above all heavens that hee might fill all things And hee gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ So that you are to looke upon not onely your own Christian gifts whereby God brings you to Heaven but all Ministeriall gifts are the fruits of Christs giving to Heaven Fifthly Christ is gone to Heaven It is to comfort us in this that Christ being bodily in Heaven it might make thee holdy bold and fiducially confident when ever thou comest to God in Prayer thou dost come to God in Prayer but thou may be comest to him as thou hast Jesus Christ at his Right hand in Heaven presenting thy Prayers to God for thee there is this very comfort given in by the Apostle Heb. 4.14 16. Seeing then that wee have a great high Priest that is passed into the Heavens Iesus the Sonne of God let us hold fast our profession Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtaine mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of need Jesus Christ being in Heaven it should worke a holy bodnesse in us to keepe out feare and distrust when thou prayest because we have an High Priest that is past into the highest Heavens Jesus the Sonne of God Who would not come boldly to the Court when hee knows that the Kings Eldest Sonne is his friend and is assured of his love that hee will intercede for him to his Father Jesus Christ is the King of Heaven the eldest Sonne and hee is bound by Office to represent all our supplications and make Intercessions for us Sixthly that Christ being gone bodily into Heaven it may bee of comfort that though Jesus Christ be gone bodily into Heaven yet hee hath the same relation towards a Believer which hee had to them whilst hee was upon the Earth When hee was on the Earth did Christ say go tell my Brethren that I am to ascend and after hee was taken up into Heaven yet hee calls them his Brethren Heb. 2.11 For both hee that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one for which cause hee is not ashamed to call them Brethren Though Christ was crowned with glory and gone up to Heaven yet hee was not ashamed to call Believers Brethren Now in Heaven Christ is thy God there and Christ is thy Father there Christ is thy Prince there and Christ is thy friend there and this may administer much comfort to thee that Jesus Christ retaines the same relation now he is in heaven that he had with thee in the world Therefore Iob could speak in a vision saith Job I know that my Redeemer liveth I know my Kinsman liveth for so theword signifieth I know my kinsman liveth Christ did only call his Disciples Brothers when hee was in the flesh and so hee calleth them Brothers now is in heaven Suppose thou art a poor woman that dost marry a man that is mean poor in the world why suppose this man should come to the dignity of a King it would be a great comfort to thee that thou that wast but a beggar art now become a Kings Wife so though thou art mean in the world yet Jesus Christ doth preferre thee to be his Brother Seventhly and lastly it may serve for comfort in this regard that Christ is gone to Heaven for this very purpose to prepare Heaven for thee I go to prepare a place for you Heb. 6 20. Whither the forerunner is for us entered even Jesus made an high Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec Christ is our forerunner gone to Heaven before us and gone to Heaven for us Christ did not onely dye for us but Christ did go to heaven for us all was for us Heb. 10.19.20 Having therefore Brethren boldnesse to enter into the holiest by the blood of Iesus By a new and living way which hee hath consecrated for us through the vaile that is to say his flesh That is having hopes to come to enter into Heaven by the blood of Christ through Christs flesh as dying on the Crosse And thus much be spoken for the Doctrinall part of this poynt the poynt was this That Christs Ascention or going up bodily to Heaven is a ground of great comfort to Gods people whilst they live here upon the Earth I shall now draw out some instructions from some circumstances in Christs going to Heaven There are five circumstances from which you may gather some instruction First from the time when Christ did leave this World and ascend up to goe to Heaven if you reade the Evangelists they will tell you it was about the 33 yeare of his Age hee left this World and goeth up to Heaven Learne thus much from thence that if Christ would leave the World in the flower of his Age a young man then this should be fastened on the Meditation of you young men that you should not have your hearts too much glued to the World to hancker after a long life Suppose God should take thee away now in the flower of thy age now God took Christ away so Secondly you may learne somewhat from the place whence Christ did ascend it is very observable It was Mount Olivet Acts 1.12 Then returned they unto Ierusalem from the Mount called Olivet which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath days Journey Luke saith it was from Bethany Luke 24.50.51 And hee led them out as farre as to Bethany and hee lifted up his hands and blessed them And it came to passe while hee blessed them hee was parted from them and carried up into heaven It was all one but there is much of Gods minde in this of all places in the World Christ did make choyce of Bethany by Mount Olivet to go up to Heaven Beloved the reason was because that was the place that Christ was taken in
that is a truth but Heaven is a distinct place from the Earth and Hell Christ had a mutation of place from the Earth to the third heaven therefore saith he the Earth shall hold me no more Fourthly hee did ascend into Heaven powerfully Indeed other men went to Heaven bodily not by their own strength but it was by a borrowed strength Elias had a fiery charriot to carry him to heaven but Christ had none for he went to heaven by his own strength Lastly Christ went to Heaven though not singly yet hee went to heaven bodily There are three bodies in Heaven there is the body of Enoch the body of Elias and the body of Christ all in heaven else are onely Spirits Saints and Angels Enoch went to heaven bodily as a Type of Christs Ascension before the Law and Elias under the Law Christ under the Gospel Divines say that this shewes there was Salvation by Christ before the Law and there was Salvation by Christ under the Law and Salvation by Christ in the time of the Gospell but there is a difference betweene their going to heaven First Enoch and Elias went to heaven but they did not die and rise from the dead and then ascend into heaven but first Christ dyed and then Christ was raised out of the Grave and then within forty dayes hee did ascend into heaven there was one difference Againe they did not ascend to heaven by their owne strength but by the power of God they did ascend into heaven but wee have got no good by their Ascension no benefit or merit accrues unto us by their being in heaven but there is great benefit redounding to us by Christs being in heaven for saith Christ I goe to Heaven to prepare a place for you Againe Enoch went to heaven but hee could not give the Spirit so Elias went to heaven but hee could not give the Spirit I but our Lord Jesus Christ he is gone bodily into heaven hee hath Ascended up on high and hath given gifts unto men Againe they went to heaven saith Polanus onely as Citizens of heaven but Christ went to heaven as the Lord of heaven who is there in his body and in his person and these are the short and transcient hints that I have given you on the first part of the Text. I now come to the second thing in the Text to the benefit that Believers have by Christs going bodily into heaven I go and prepare a place for you Doct. 1 The Observation is this That the fruit and benefit that all the Elect of God have by Christs going into Heaven is to prepare a place for them there I goe and prepare a place for you Now in the handling of this Doctrine there are three particulars First I shall shew you in what sense Christs going bodily into heaven prepares heaven for Believers Secondly I shall shew you how can this Scripture say that by Christs Ascension Heaven is prepared for us when other Scriptures say that Heaven was prepared for us from the beginning of the World Thirdly whither did the Patriarks and righteous holy men of God goe that lived before Christs Ascention into Heaven whither went they when they died therefore the Church of Rome gather from this Text that before Christ went to heaven there were none went into heaven but all went into a place called Limbus Patrum First in what sense may it be said that Christ by his going into heaven prepares a place for Believers there I answer in these three regards that Christ by going into heaven prepares a place there First by way of Representation Christ is not gone to heaven as every man as a single and private person but Christ is gone into heaven as a common and a publique person Christ is gone up to heaven with flesh and blood and with our natures hee is gone to heaven and hee is gone there as a Representer of all the Elect Jesus Christ is gone to heaven representing the persons of all the Elect of God upon the Earth Hence it is that you have a passage Eph. 2.6 And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus We are not in heavenly places wee are in earthly places but wee doe sit in heaven because Christ is now in heaven hee being gone to heaven as a common and a publique person a Representer of all the elect Heb. 6.20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered even Jesus made an high Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec Hee did not goe there for himselfe but for us Christ did dye as a publique person representing all the Elect of God and Christ did go to heaven as a publique person and hath taken possession of heaven in our stead Christ keepes our inheritance there saith Grossius Christ is said to prepare a place for us in heaven just as a company of Travellers when they are going a journey they send one man before to be their harbinger to take up lodging in the Inne and make provision for them against they come to the Inne our Lord Jesus Christ is gone to heaven before to prepare a place for the Elect there Secondly Christ prepares a place for the Elect by way of intercession Heb. 9.24 For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the Figures of the true but into Heaven it selfe now to appeare in the presence of God for us That as the Priest under the Law when hee went to the holy places hee had the Names of all the Tribes on his breast so the Lord Jesus Christ our great high Priest having the Names of all the Elect not only on his breast but in his heart praying to his Father that wee might come there and by vertue of his Intercession that in another way that heaven is prepared Thirdly Christ is said to prepare heaven for us by way of Operation in us hee prepares heaven for us by preparing us for heaven and this is the sence that Austin gives of these words Jesus Christ prepares a Mansion for us in heaven when hee prepares us the Inhabitants for Heaven here is the great evidence for Heaven are your hearts prepared then you may be assured that Heaven is prepared for you Col. 1.12 13 14 Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in Light Who hath delivered us from the power of darkenesse and hath translated us into the Kingdome of his deare Sonne In whom wee have Redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of sinnes An unconverted man is not a meet man for Heaven now when Christ makes you meete for Heaven hee then prepares a place for thee 1 Peter 1.3 4 5. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us againe unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Iesus from the Dead To an Inheritance
Incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you Who are kept by the power of God through Faith and Salvation ready to be revealed in the last time So that beloved if you be kept for Heaven and made meete for Heaven that is a demonstration that Heaven is prepared for you I now come to the second Quere which is this I but how can this Scripture say that by Christs Ascention Heaven is prepared for us when other Scriptures say that heaven was prepared for us from the beginning of the World Mat. 25.34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the World Now if a Kingdome was prepared for them from the beginning of the World how doth this Scripture appropriate a preparing of the Kingdome of Heaven but from the Ascension of Christ Divines doe answer That you must distinguish between the decrees of God and betweene the cleare manifestation and full execution of those decrees Now if you respect the decrees of God then the Scripture is true that the Kingdome of heaven is prepared from the beginning of the World for the decree and purpose of God was before the World was that the Elect should have Heaven as an Inheritance but if you expect the cleare manifestation of it then it was not till Jesus Christ Ascended and this distinction the Scripture allows of it especially of the poynt of Justification in this poynt the Scripture doth cleare this distinction Heb. 9.8 The Holy Ghost this signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing The meaning is this that the way to Heaven it was not manifest to the Jewes whilst their Tabernacle stood that is whilst their Leviticall Ceremonies were in use the way to Heaven was not manifest the godly went to Heaven before Christs time but it was not manifested for the common sort of the Jewes did not understand that by Jesus Christs Passion and Ascension they must come to Heaven therefore the Apostle saith the way to the holiest of all was not yet manifested whilst their first Tabernacle stood So my Text is true that Heaven was prepared for Believers by the Lord Jesus Christ by his Ascension The third Quere is this I but you will say if Christ by his Ascension into Heaven did prepare Heaven for Believers then what became of all the people of God and holy men of God under the old Testament Whither went they that if this bee true that Christ did prepare Heaven by his Ascension The Jesuites raise this difficulty from this Text. They say that before Christ Ascended none did goe to Heaven therefore they make Abraham Isaac and Jacob all the Patriarks and all the holy men of God they make them to be in the place called Limbus Patrum which was for the good men till Christs Ascension Then there is Limbus Infantum a place of receipt of Infants Then there is Purgatory for men guilty of grosse sins Heaven and Hell they concurre in to be a truth Limbus Patrum say they was the place to receive all the good men till Christs Ascension and then Christ tooke them all into Heaven Protestant Divines doe take a great deale of paines to vindicate this Text. If you will aske mee what is become of the Patriarks and all the good men of old before Christs going into Heaven how can they come to Heaven if Heaven be prepared by Christs Ascension First I may say that of Christs Ascension as Gerrard doth of Christs Passion The Death of Christ it was availeable before it was in being so I may say of Christs Ascension that Christs Ascension was availeable before it was in being Gerrard hee hath another passage that the benefits wee have by Christ they are not onely to be restrained to ages that are to come after Christ but to looke backward to all ages before Christ Revel 5.9 And they sung a new Song saying Thou art worthy to take the Booke and to open the Seales thereof for thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us to God by thy Blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation Not only the Lambe slaine decretively in Gods Decree not onely the Lambe slaine Typically in the ceremoniall Sacrifices but virtually that there was vertue in Jesus Christ that all the godly Jewes had vertue by CHRISTS Death there is my first Answer Secondly observe this That the Scripture doth not say that Christ by going up to heaven did open heaven for us but onely to prepare heaven for us hee being our Mediator sitting at Gods right Hand in Heaven Heaven was open before but not so fully adorned as it was by Christs Ascension Heb. 9.8 The holy Ghost this signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing The Grecians doe observe that Christ doth not use a word that signifies to open a thing that is shut but to open cleare and manifest a thing that is obscure it was open before Thirdly there are against the Jesuits conceit of Limbus Patrum that there are cleare passages in the Scripture and undenyable reasons drawn from the Scripture that doth prove Believers under the old Testament went to Heaven before CHRISTS Ascension As in Luke 16.22 And it came to passe that the Beggar dyed and was carried by the Angells into Abrahams Bosome the Rich man also dyed and was buried Hee lived two thousand years and more before Christ was borne heaven is called Abrahams Bosome and the Elect that dyed are said to goe into Abrahams Bosome and Eliah and Enoch are in Heaven perfectly Heb. 11.5 By Faith Enoch was translated that hee should not see death and was not found because God had translated him And in Heb. 11. there the bodies of the Patriarks are reckoned up together in the 16 verse But now they desire a better Countrey that is Heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for hee hath prepared for them a City He is not ashamed to be their God therefore they have a City prepared for them by God that likewise if it be a History or a Parable Lazarus was said to be carried by Angels into Abrahams Bosome this was before Christ dyed then frequent Scriptures there are touching Christs transfiguration that when Christ was taken up that hee saw Moses and Elias from thence Divines gather that they must be in Heaven There are foure undeniable Reasons that will prove that the godly before Christs Ascension they went to Heaven First it appeares by this because it is said that those that were carried to heaven they were carried to heaven by the Angels the Angels carried Lazarus into Abrahams Bosome now certainly Angels are not in Limbus Patrum Luke 16.22 Againe if the Believers of old should not go into
rejoyce in promises being made to them though the accomplishment thereof was not fulfilled till many yeares after and why should not the Disciples be so then and why should not wee be so now I will give you two or three instances John 8.56 Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and hee saw it and was glad Abraham that had a promise of Christ the promise was made to Abraham above a thousand years before hee saw him and he was glad Heb. 11.13 These all dyed in Faith not having received the promises but having seene them afarre off and were perswaded of them and embraced them They did embrace the promise though they were farre off in their accomplishment An excellent Text you have in Isaiah 9.6 For unto us a Child is borne unto us a Sonne is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders c. Behold this is matter of joy for to us a Child is borne and unto us a Son is given why they might have said Lord what is that to us wee heare of garments rowled in blood and of the confused noyse of Warriers and dost thou tell us of that which shall not be till many yeares after and yet the Prophet doth thinke no fitter a promise to give them then the promise that a Virgin should conceive a Sonne I mention it for this that though promises were made long since yet beare up your hearts for that it will be sure and certaine though it be long and so much for the first particular The next particular is I but how doth it appeare that Christs coming to judge the World is a Doctrine so full of comfort to Believers First it appeares by the Believers longing and looking for Christs coming to judge the World it is the people of Gods property to long for the appearance of Christ when it makes the heart of a Felix to tremble but it is a Doctrine of great comfort to a Believer it is called the day of Redemption and called by Peter the day of Refreshing and this made the Church say Come Lord Iesus come quickly this shews that to the people of God there is no Doctrine so comfortable as the Doctrine of Christs coming to judge the World Titus 2.13 Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ 2 Peter 3.12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God wherein the Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the Elements shall melt with fervent heate That men should so long after Christs coming nay love Christs coming 2 Timothy 4.8 Henceforth there is laid up for mee a Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous judge shall give mee at that day and not to mee onely but unto them also that love his appearing A crowne is laid up for mee and not for mee onely but for all them that love his appearing This shewes that surely it must be a Doctrine of great comfort to the Elect of God because they so long looke for and love the coming of Iesus Christ Secondly it is a Doctrine of great comfort because Iesus Christ hath reserved the full glorification of the Elect for that time though Christ brings Soules to Heaven before his coming yet hee doth not compleatly glorifie any of his servants till his coming againe to judge the World 1 Iohn 3.2 Beloved now are wee the Sons of God and it doth not yet appeare what wee shall be but wee know not when hee shall appeare wee shall be like him for wee shall see him as hee is and in Colos 3.4 When Christ who is our Life shall appeare then shall yee also appeare with him in glory God hath reserved the full glorification of the Elect against the time of his coming 1 Peter 5.4 And when the chiefe Shephard shall appeare yee shall receive a Crown of glory that fadeth not away Frequent Texts of Scripture there are to prove that the reserve that Christ hath of the full glorifying of the Elect it is at the time of his coming to judge the World The third particular is but wherein is the Doctrine of Christs coming againe so comfortable to Believers there are these foure Particulars more especially wherein the Doctrine of Christs coming againe to judge the World is a Doctrine full of comfort to Believers First in case of any scandalous aspersions or any unjust imputation which is laid upon thee it may serve for great comfort to thee in this case The Apostle gives it you 1 Cor. 4.3 4. But with mee it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of mans judgement yea I judge not mine own selfe For I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not hereby justified but hee that judgeth mee is the Lord. Censure mee what you will and judge of mee what you please for hee that judgeth mee shall be the Lord therefore it is a small matter that I am judged of Why suppose thou art judged thou art scandalized and thou art aspersed in the World why appeale to Jesus Christ in Heaven for hee that judgeth thee is the Lord and this wee finde Christ did 1 Pet. 2.23 Who when hee was reviled reviled not againe when hee suffered hee threatned not but comitted himselfe to him that judgeth righteously When thou art reviled and aspersed and censured why do not revile againe do not censure againe but do as Christ did commit thy cause to Christ that judgeth all things righteously Christ will come to over-judge all things that have beene judged amisse Jude 1.5 To execute Indgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly amongst them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly commited and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Men have hard speeches against many who are upright in the Land why it is a comfort that Christs coming againe one end is to convince men of all their hard speeches and scandalous aspersions Secondly Christs coming againe it is a Doctrine of comfort in this cause in case of all Presecution thou undergoest from men for Christ for the Gospell 1 Thess 1.6.7 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you And to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels As if hee should have said you are troubled and persecuted about the Gospell for Christs sake why be not troubled for Christ is coming from Heaven 1 Peter 4.13 But rejoyce in asmuch as yee are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy When Christ comes to be revealed and judge the World why rejoyce in your sufferings you shall be glad also with exceeding joy that is a second case wherein this Doctrine may be of comfort Thirdly this Doctrine may serve for comfort in case of any inward accusation
a Resurrection of the Dead both of the just and unjust And herein doe I exercise my selfe to have alwayes a conscience void of offence towards God and towaeds men The thoughts of Christs coming to judge the Quick and the Dead should make you have thoughts of that to have a good conscience void of offence towards God and Man 2 Pet 3.11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought yee to be in all holy conversation and godlinesse And thus much for the first caution that you are to look on the coming of Christ as a Doctrine serviceable as well for duty as comfort The second caution is this take heed of peremptory conclusions about this darke and obscure thing touching the Doctrine of Christs coming to judge the World There are many loose and lavish frolick wits that have bold and adventurous attempts touching the corning of the Lord in determining that which the Scripture determineth not it is not my intent to trouble you with niceâ—ies but onely check the frollick and bold attempts who goe about to determine of that which the Scripture doth no way reveale to which take heede of these things First take heede of determining the place from whence Christ shall come The Papists they are bold this way they hold you in hand that Christ shall come from the East Therefore our Churches all of them were built East and West and upon that ground that Christ would come from the East the Scripture saith that Christ shall comes as lightning from the East but that doth not shew the place from whence hee comes but as Christ shall come as Lightning it notes the visibility of Christs coming and the celerity of Christs coming Lightning it is visible and so shall Christs coming be all shall see him as yee shall see Lightning Now bold attempts it hath beene the Foundation to many Superstitious Opinions and that is the reason of bowing and cringing towards the East All rose meerely from that ground of Christs coming from the East the Scripture onely saith that hee shall come down from Heaven and the Lord shall come from Heaven but from what part of the Heaven the Scripture speaketh not Againe passe not bold attempts in determining the place where Christ shall come to judge the World many men where the Scripture is silent doe run into many strong conceits to determine that which the Scripture doth not many Books doe determine the place where Christ shall come to judge the World and that is in the Valley of Jehoshaphat and there is one Tâ—xt which seemes to carry it that way which is in Joel 3.12 Let the Heathen be a wakened and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat for there will I sit to judge all the Heathen round about Here they do conjâ—cture that Christ shall come to the Valley of Jehoshaphat and there he shall judge all the World and I shall to shew the vanity and weaknesse of these take these five Demonstrations First hee that judgeth here it is not spoken of God the Sonne but of God the Father therefore cannot have a reference to the last Judgement for Christ judgeth them Secondly the judgement here onely referres to the judging of the Heathen round about Now the generall judgement is for the judging of the righteous and the unrighteous Thirdly that it is impossible that the Valley of Jehoshaphas should containe all the men that ever were that are and that shall be in the World to be judged therefore it is not probable that this hath refetence to the last judgement Fourthly the time that this judgement here is spoken of it is limited by the Prophet himselfe for compare this verse with the second verse I will also gather all Nations and will bring them downe into the Valley of Jehoshaphat and will pleade with them there for my People and for my heritage Israel whom they have scattered among the Nations and parted my Land The time is spoken of when God shall turne againe the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem then God should judge the Babylonians and those Heathen Nations that assisted them for to undoe the people of God therefore it refers to some time after the captivity and not to the generall and last coming of the Sonne of God and thus much for taking off that Text from being a patronage of that fond conceit of Christs coming to judge the World in the Valley of Jehoshaphat and the Scripture is farre from giving you the place where Christ shall come to judgement either in the Valley of Jehoshaphat or Mount Olivet but onely in the ayre 1 Thess 4.17 Then wee which are alive and remaine shall bee caught up together with them in the clouds to meete the Lord in the Aire and so shall wee ever be with the Lord. The Scripture doth make no mention of Christs coming upon the Earth at all So much for the second caution take heede of bold attempts and conjectures about the place of Christs judgement Thirdly take heed of bold attempts about the time of Christs judgement there have beene them which have shewne abundance of weakenesse in this Gerrard doth confute the folly of such men that doe guesse at the time when Christ shall come to judge the World Austin doth make mention of some in his time that held that Christ should come to judge the World a thousand years after his Death but wee have seene their folly and shame for there is more time expired then that Another saith that some held in his time that Christ should come to judge the World 365. yeares after his Death that is a folly likewise for there is more time past then that Luther saith that there were Anabaptists which held that in the yeare 1530 Christ should come to judge the World but wee have seene their folly likewise for there is more time past then that Naples though a learned Nobleman in Scotland hee was too frolick in this way for hee doth boldly say that Christ shall come to judge the World â—n the yeare 1683. but beloved Christs coming to judge the World cannot be determined for Christ would not gratifie his owne Apostles to tell them the time when his coming should be Mat. 24. Hee would not tell them when the end of the world should be it shewes then that it is great pride of heart to passe peremptory attempts upon the period of time Christ did not thinke it meete for to tell his Apostles of the time of his coming 1 Thess 5.1 But of the times and seasons Brethren yee have no neede that I write unto you nay Angells in Heaven And Christ himselfe as hee was meere Man could not tell the time Mark 13.32 But of that Day and that Houre knoweth no man no not the Angells which are in Heaven neither the Sonne but the Father Mat. 24.36 But of that Day and Houre knoweth no Man no not the Angells of Heaven but my Father onely I onely
Judgement First because it is said that the time here spoken of it is when the Jewes were to be refreshed from the Lords presence v. 19 20 21. Repent yee therefore and be converted that your sinnes may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And hee shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you Whom the Heaven must receive untill the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the World began And they cannot be refreshed by the Lords presence till Christs coming to judgement Secondly it was the time that God did solemnly declare pardon of sinne for all the Elect Repent yee therefore and bee converted that our Sinnes may hee blotted out Thirdly it is said of which all the Prophets do beare witnesse those that doe plead for Christs personall Reigne a thousand yeares upon the Earth they cannot say that all the Prophets did speake this for Moses Daniel and others nay none of the Prophets speake of Christs Reigne a thousand yeares upon the Earth therefore this cannot have a reference to Christs Reigne for a thousand yeares upon the Earth A Second Scripture is in Psal 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right Hand untill I make thine Enemies thy Foote-stoole That Scripture tells you that Jesus Christ who is ascended into heaven and sits at Gods right Hand there that Christ shall sit at Gods right Hand how long till hee hath made all his Enemies his Foote-stoole The Apostle tells you that all Enemies to be made Christs Foot-stoole cannot be till Christs coming at the last time Will you marke that Scripture that the Apostle telleth you directly 1 Cor. 15.23 24 25 26. But every man in his owne Order Christ the first Fruits afterwards they that are Christs at his coming Then cometh the end when hee shall have delivered up the Kingdome to God even the Father when hee shall have put down all rule and all authority and all power For hee must reigne till hee hath put all Enemies under his Feets The last Enemy that shall be destroyed is Death Here is the coming of Christ that hath reference to all the Just and Unjust Marke now Christ therefore must reigne in Heaven till all enemies be under his Feete now these thousand yeares all Enemies are not under his Feete why because death will be then death is not to be destroyed then for there will be thousands of Men upon the Earth but when the end comes hee must give up his Kingdome to his Father What is more cleare then this that the Heavens must keepe Christ till all things bee restored and that cannot be till the day of Judgement Againe Christ must reigne so long till the end of the World The third Scripture is in the 1 Cor. 15.23.24 But every Man in his owne Order Christ the first Fruits afterwards they that are Christs at his coming Then cometh the end when hee shall have delivered up the Kingdome to God even the Father when hee shall have put down all rule and all authority and all power This Scripture telleth you that when Christ cometh out of Heaven upon Christs coming three things must be done First every man must rise vers 23. Now that cannot be at a thousand years because they themselves hold this that there shall onely be a Resurrection of the Martyrs and here the Scripture saith that every man shall rise which cannot be till the day of Judgement Secondly when Christ comes then comes the end the Apostle tells us of his coming and the end of the World to note that Christs coming and the end of the World shall be together Thirdly hee delivers his Kingdome up to his Father whereas if Christ should reigne a thousand years here it could not be said to be the giving up of a Kingdome but to the taking of a Kingdome into possession hèe must resigne all to God the Father When the Scripture is so expresse it is a wonder that men can fancy such fantasticall thoughts that Christ must come as an Earthly Monarch to reigne here a thousand years A fourth Scripture is in Heb. 9.28 So Christ was once offered to beare the sinnes of many and unto them that looke for him shall hee appeare the second time without sinne unto Salvation From that Scripture I will argue against Christs coming to reigne upon the Earth for a thousand yeares First it is expresly in the Scripture that Christs coming there spoken of it referres to the day of judgement in vers 27. And as it is appointed unto men once to dy but after this the judgement There Christs second coming it doth referre to the day of Judgement Now if the Scripture doth call that his second coming which is his coming to judgement then Christ cannot come before that time as to reigne upon the Earth for if hee should come to reigne upon the Earth then the Apostle must call that his third coming there was but one coming which was from Heaven to the Wombe of the Virgin and there is no other coming but a second coming that is to judgement that is his second coming Secondly it is said Christ shall come the second time to our Salvation it cannot be said to our Salvation if his coming were to reigne a thousand yeares upon the earth it were onely a worldly way but Christs comming it must referre to the last and great coming wherein the World shall be judged and the Soules of the Elect shall be saved Beloved these Scriptures are very cleare unto mee The reasons are two that Christ shall not come personally out of Heaven to reigne upon the Earth for a thousand years First because the Scripture doth manifest that when Christ comes personally out of Heaven there are such Concomitants of his coming that can be refâ—rred to no other time then his last coming to judge the World First when Christ is said to come out of Heaven the Scripture telleth you this Concomitant that the Saints shall come along with him Jude 14. And Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesied of these saying Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints So that when Christ comes from Heaven hee must come with his Saints with him nay he must come with his Angels 2 Thess 1.7 And to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels These two Scriptures put together Christ must come with his Saints and Angells I but those that fancy Christs coming a thousand years they cannot prove that Christ shall come with his Saints and Angells for the Scripture that seemes to carry it that way doth not speak of Angells and Saints coming Secondly it is said when Christ comes from Heaven that good and bad shall be gathered together and all shall be judged by Jesus Christ now this cannot bee of Christs personall
dead should rise and Christ should come to judge both the quick and the dead Herein Gerrard reckons up abundance of Sects as the Floriani the Dociani and many others Indeed there is but one Scripture that carries a hesitancy in these Atheists to deny the coming of CHRIST to Judgement John 8.15 Yee judge after the flesh I judge no Man But Beloved to this Text that they make use of to shake this great Pillar of our hopes the coming of Christ againe take these two Answers when Christ saith I judge no man that is I judge no man with a rash and heady judgement as you judge men that are not of your Opinion you judge things rashly and inconsideratly but I judge no man as you doe so Austine in his 36 Tract on John gives it to be the sence of the place it doth not exclude Christ from judging the World at the last day but not judging of men as the Pharisees to wit rashly and inconsiderately Secondly Christ doth here speake what was not the end of his coming in the flesh but the end of his coming was to judge all men but I judge no man that is it was not the intent or the end of my first coming in the flesh to judge men but I referre it to the last coming to judge all men John 1. When God sent his Sonne to be borne of a Virgin hee did not send him then to judge the World hee reserved that till his last coming John 12.47 48. And if any man heare my words and believe not I judge him not for I come not to judge the World but to save the World Hee that rejecteth mee and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day The end of my first coming was not to judge it was to be judged and to be condemned by Pontius Pilate and â—o die the cursed death And that is the end of Christs first coming he shall come certainly Secondly Christ shall not onely come certainly but hee shall come personally It was the great mistake of Origen though hee holds for the coming of Christ againe but hee pleades chiefly for the coming of Christ in Spirit Therefore that Text that is said you shall see the Sonne of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven but Origen understands by the Clouds to be the Saints because it is mentioned in Scripture that the Believers are called a cloud of witnesses Now this is to pervert the whole letter of this Bible and turne all the Scripture into an Allegory and Metaphysicall sence Now to the opposition of that I lay down a second property that Christs coming shall be a personall coming out of Heaven but the Scripture doth not speake of Christs coming on the Earth but no further then the Aire Christ in his Body shall come personally out of Heaven Now to prove this second property or second manner or way of Christs coming there are two Texts of Scripture to confirme it 1 Thess 4.17 Then wee which are alive and remaine shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meete the Lord in the Aire and so shall we ever be with the Lord vers 16. For the Lord himselfe shall descend with a shout from Heaven c. If it had beene Christ in his Spirit then it would have beene said The Lord by his spirit shall descend But the Lord himselfe shall descend from Heaven with a shout it notes his personall coming out of Heaven that whereas as Jesus Christ had a personall translation and as Christ had a visible Elevation hee was in the eyes of his Disciples lifted up so Christ shall bodily descend and come out from heaven the Lord himselfe c. Therefore it cannot be the Lord by his Spirit Acts 1.11 Which also said yee men of Galilee why stand yee gazing up into Heaven This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as yee have seene him goe into Heaven The same Jesus that you saw Ascend shall descend so that it cannot be Christ in his Spirit but in his person I onely mention this to confute those that follow the conceit of Origen meerly to make Christs coming to be but a spirituall coming a coming in the hearts of Saints Thirdly his coming it shall be visibly Acts 1.11 This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as yee have seen him goe into heaven That as Christs going up to Heaven bodily it was visible so Christs coming out of Heaven it shall be visible Mat. 26 64. Hereafter shall yee see the Sonne of Man sitting on the right hand of Power and coming in the clouds Indeed Christ did rise invisibly for no man saw Christ rise from the dead but Christ shall descend visibly you shall see the Sonne of man c. Mat. 24.30 And then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man in Heaven and then shall all the Tribes of the Earth mourne and they shall see the Sonne of man coming in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory All men shall see the glory of Jesus Christ the wicked shall see him to their Amazement and consternation and the godly shall see him to their joy and Consolation Fourthly Christs coming shall be gloriously and there shall bee many things that shall make the coming of Christ to be a glorious coming he shall come in the clouds these glorious bodies shall be the triumphant and swift Chariots of the Sonne of God wherein he will come to judge the World And his Attendants shall make him glorious Daniel 7.10 A fiery streame issued and came forth from before him thousand thousands ministred unto him and â—â—n thousand times ten thousand stood before him the judgement was set and the bookes were opened Jude 14. And Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesied of those saying Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints And in 2 Thess 1.7 And to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels O then behold the clouds to be the Triumphant Chariots of Christ the Innumerable company of Saints and Angells to be attendants on the person of Christ to come to judge the world and that is the reason that he is called so glorious Mat. 24.30 And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory Mat. 16.27 For the Sonne of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angells Luk. 9.26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of mee and of my words of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed when hee shall come in his owne glory and in his Fathers and of the holy Angels And that is the reason of that Epither given to Christs coming Titus 2.13 Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the
great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Now beloved Christs coming to have this property or this manner in his coming the reason must be to distinguish his second coming from his first coming now to take off the contempt and reproach that was on JESUS CHRIST in his first coming therefore hee shall come in glory in the second coming First wee reade in Scripture that Christs first coming it was in the forme of a servant Phil. 2.7 But made himselfe of no reputation and tooke upon him the forme of a servant and was made in the likenesse of men Now in the second coming hee comes with that glory and Majesty of a King In the first coming hee had no reasonable creature to attend him at the second coming hee shall have all the Saints and Angels in Heaven to attend him At his first coming hee was swadled with swadling Bands but at this second coming hee shall be as it were cloathed with the Clouds of Heaven Againe his first coming it was in dishonour and contempt every Traveller had more honour then Jesus Christ for the Inne was for every Traveller but there was no roome for Christ there hee was borne in an outside house but his second coming shall be in great glory Againe in his first coming hee came representing all the iniquities of the Elect Christ was the greatest Beggar in the world as Luther saith because hee was poore and the greatest sinner in the World not by way of Inherence but by way of imputation Therefore Luther calleth him Peccator maximus the greatest sinner Christ in coming into the World had all the sinnes of the Elect of God that were imputed to him so hee came as a Sinner as an Evill person though hee was not so yet hee was looked upon as so But the second time hee shall come without sinne hee shall not have our sinnes by imputation cast on him because when hee comes againe hee shall make a totall Abolition of sinne Therefore there needs no imputation of our sinnes upon Jesus Christ Thus you have a fourth way of his coming hee shall come Gloriously A fifth way of Christs coming againe is this hee shall come terribly In Isaiah 13.9 Behold the day of the Lord cometh cruell both with wrath and fierce Anger to lay the Land desolate and hee shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it Revel 6.17 For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand The coming of Jesus Christ it is a terrible coming that is a fifth way of his coming Sixthly and lastly Christ shall come unexpectedly though it is true there shall be imediate warnings of his coming as the powers of Heaven shall be shakened the Sun Moone and Starrs shall be darkened but that shall be but a little before his coming but beloved the coming of Christ shall be when men are not aware of it as in the days of Noah men were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage when the flood came and destroyed them so shall the Sonne of man come Christs coming shall then be to burne all with fire when men shall bee eating and drinking possessing and adding muck to muck when men are secure and never thinke of Christs coming to burne all with fire then the powers of Heaven shall be shakened and the World be on fire Hence it is that you reade in Scripture in five or six places it is said that Christs coming it shall be as a Thiefe in the Night a Thiefe will come in the dead time of the Night the Lords coming it is often compared that it is said hee will come as a Thiefe in the Night as Christ said to his Disciples in Luke 21.34 The coming of Christ it is an unexpected coming thus you have six Particulars of Christs coming Vse Now a word of Application Having shewed you how this Doctrine of Christs coming it is a Doctrine of comfort I shall onely finish this Poynt to shew you how this Doctrine of Christs coming it is a Doctrine of terrour and of dread and to whom Now beloved as every Doctrine doth carry hony with it so saith a learned man it is observeable that the word is not compared to Milke and Honey but the word is compared to Salt to have an efficacy to make it smart Beloved you have heard the Hony of this Doctrine what great comfort it will afford to godly men but remember the word is Salt and it is of a smart efficacy to terrifie and fret the conscience Now the Doctrine of Christs coming it is a terrible Doctrine in these foure things To all wicked men Christs coming again it is a terrible Doctrine because first all the secrettest sinnes that ever a wicked man hath comitted in this World they shall be made manifest to all I confesse it is a contest among learned men whether the sinnes of good men as well as bad shall not be knowne and there are strong arguments that all shall be made knowne but the Scripture is full in this that at the day of Judgement that the sinnes that a wicked man hath done in this World they shall be published to all the Saints and Angells in Heaven and all the men that were on Earth It may be thou goest for an honest man amongst thy Neighbours yet thou lovest thy Neighbours Wife and goest in unto her it may be thou art a Monster among men if thou hast beene so and if thou hast deceived in thy Trade why for all thy secresie here yet then all the World shall know thy deceite it is built upon that Text Luke 8.17 For nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest neither any thing hid that shall not be knowne and come abroad Here a thousand things are hid that men do not know here thou carriest it fairely and squarely in the World that men cannot say black is thine Eye but then they may say shame to thy Face this is dread Secondly Christs coming it shall be dreadfull in regard of thy Separation from all the Elect of God In Mat. 32.33 And before him shall be gathered all Nations and hee shall seperate them one from another as a Shephard divideth his Sheepe from the Goats And hee shall set the Sheepe on his right Hand but the Goates on the left Here thou art mingled it may be thou livest in the same house with a godly man and liest in the same Bed with a godly man but remember a parting time is coming that as the Shepherd parteth the Sheepe from the Goates so doth Christ part the wicked from the godly Thirdly Christs coming againe it is dreadfull to wicked men in regard it shall be the time of the Promulgation of thy Sentence Why beloved a Thiefe in Newgate is a miserable creature a Thiefe at Bar is in a sad condition but a Thiefe when the Sentence of death is past upon him then hee is in a hopelesse condition O thou wicked man at thy
this Text. First they say that this Text it is a parable and not an Historicall Narration To this I answer though some men doe say it is a Parable yet many say it is a History Jerome and many following him doth give many Arguments to prove that it was a History and not a Parable And Tertullian is confident that this is an exact History of what was really done And Peter Martyr doth quote Tertullian saith hee that Tertullian is so confident that this is a History that hee undertakes for to tell this to tell you whom were the men saith hee the Rich man was Herod and the Beggar was Iohn the Baptist But suppose it be a Parable and not a History yet Parables doe carry the resemblance of truth Parables take their Foundations from truth that there are some men in Hell and some men in Heaven that in Hell there is torment and in Heaven there is joy that as the beggar went to Heaven after death so shall all the godly and as the rich man went to Hell so shall all the wicked The other Evasion is this it is said that this Beggar is said to be carried into Abrahams bosome I answer First it is more then probable that Abrahams bosome is Heaven Now Abraham being in Heaven why all his children are in Heaven as children in a Fathers bosome he being the Father of the faithfull that is the answer that Gerrard gives Againe it is said that they are carried by Angells into Abrahams bosome Therefore Abrahams bosome must be in Heaven now certainly the good Angells carry a good soule into Heaven and the wicked Angels carry a damned soule into hell and thus you have two Instances that imediatly after death the soules of the Elect goe to Heaven A third Instance is in Mat. 22.31 32. But as touching the Resurrection of the dead have you not read that which was spoken unto you by God saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the dead but of the living Argue from that Instance that therefore Abraham Isaac and Jacob were living at that time though not in their bodies but they were at that time living if you marke the reason the reason of that Text was not to prove a Resurrection of the body onely which the Saduces deny but also to prove the imortality of the Soule The Saduces deny Spirits and Angells too Acts 23.8 For the Saduces say that there is no Resurrection neither Angell nor Spirit but the Pharisees confesse both Christ doth prove that there shall be a Resurrection of the body and hee likewise proves that the soule doth not die when the body dyeth Indeed there is a quotation that I have read of a learned man that doth make use of this Instance Gen. 25.8 Then Abraham gave up the Ghost and died in a good old age an old man and full of yeares and was gathered to his people Abraham was not gathered to his Fathers nor to be gathered in the grave where his fore-fathers were how can this be true that the Scripture saith Abraham was gathered unto his Fathers yet hee was not gathered to his Fathers in God therefore say Divines it must be in his Soule that Abraham went to Heaven as his godly fore-fathers went that is the meaning of that phrase to be bound up in the bundle of Life to goe to Heaven as their fore-fathers did And thus much for particular Instances The second way to prove that the soules of the Elect men goe to Heaven imediately after death It is by generall Expressions in Scripture Two generall passages one is In Heb. 12.23 To the generall Assembly and Church of the first borne which are written in Heaven and to God the judge of all and to the Spirits of just men made perfect thence I argue that the Apostle makes mention and proves that there were the Spirits of just men made perfect Now if their soules did perish with their bodies then the Apostle should say that their spirits are annihilated with the body but it is the spirits of just men made perfect the Scripture takes notice in generall expressions that just men have their soules made perfect And then in Eccle. 12.7 Then shall the dust returne to the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall returne to God who gave it Marke here are two things spoken of First here is the end of godly men the body shall goe to the dust and the soule to God the time when it shall be is when that man goeth to his long home when the keepers of the House shall tremble that is the Hands and Armes and the strong men shall bow themselves that is the Feete and Thighs and the Grinders shall cease that is the Teeth and they that looke out at the windowes shall be darkened that is the Eyes when nature decayes and the body perisheth by Diseases and dyes then shall the body goe to the dust and the spirit to God that gave it Thirdly I shall prove it to you from expresse passages in the Scripture that doe confirme this that the soules of the Elect after death before Christs coming are received into heaven for this I shall give foure or five expresse Scriptures The first is in Iohn 6.40 And this is the will of him that sent mee that every one which seeth the Sonne and believeth on him may have Everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Here are two distinct promises premised First a promise of everlasting Life Secondly a promise of raising up at the last day First a promise of everlasting Life is made distinct from the other Divines say that before the raising up at the last day there is an everlasting Life that his soule shall live before the last day and his body shall be raised up at the last day Another Text is in Luke 16.9 And I say unto you make to your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousnesse that when yee faile they may receive you into everlasting habitations Kemnitius makes great use of this Text to prove what I am now arguing to you that imediately after death the soule of an Elect man is received into Heaven Marke make you friends of the Mammon of unrighteousnesse that is your wealth called so either because it is unrighteously gotten or unrighteously kept use your wealth well that when you die you may be received into everlasting habitations It is questionable whether it be referred to Angells or to the poore which shall pray for us that wee may be received into Heaven but saith Kemnitius use your wealth well that you may be received into everlasting habitations upon your failing upon your dying the Lord receives the Elect into everlasting habitations This Kemnitius doth build on that the soule doth goe to Heaven imediately after Death A third Scripture is in Phil. 3.23 For I am in a straite betwixt two having a desire to
depart and to be with Christ which is far better So that the Apostle doth only make these two conclusions a departing out of the World out of this Life and a desire to be with Jesus Christ hee mentions no place for a good soule to goe to hee mentions no Purgatory nor Limbus Patrum And so likewise a fourth Text you have in 2 Cor. 6.8.9 Therefore wee are alwayes confident knowing that whilst we are at home in the body wee are absent from the Lord. Wee are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent wee may be accepted of him Marke That the Apostle doth onely make these two conclusions to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord so that the soule is present with the Lord whilst absent from the body Then againe that Prayer of Stephen proves it likewise in Acts 7.59 And they stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit It had beene uncomfortable for him to have thought that hee should have beene stoned for Jesus Christ and it must have beene above 1600 yeares before Christ should have received his soule but hee prayed Lord Iesus Christ receive my Soule which hee would not have done if hee had not believed that his soule would have beene received by Jesus Christ imediately after death And thus I leave those Scriptures to confirme you in this that the soule doth not sleepe in the body but at the parture from the body it doth imediately goe to Heaven Fourthly I prove it to you by shewing those grosse absurdities and inconveniencies that will arise in case it should be denyed that God doth not receive the soule of any Elect man till hee doth come to judge the World First it will follow that the godly will be in a worse condition after they are dead then they were in when they were alive for when they were alive to live is Christ Christ dwelt in their hearts by Faith Now if the soule doth sleepe with the body and perish with the body then Christ doth not live in them Christ doth not dwell there by Faith so that this would be uncomfortable that a believer after death should be in a worse condition then during this Life for here he lives in Christ by Faith Secondly then it will follow that God the Father would be more cruell to his people then hee would have other men be to their servants which have done their worke Marke that Text Levit. 19.13 Thou shalt not defraud thy Neighbour neither rob him the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night untill the morning That the Master was not to keepe the hire of the Labourer long from him that the Master should not keep the servants wages long from him Now will the great God keepe you who are his servants that have served him here in this World and have done him faithfull service and will hee keepe any reward from you till his last coming No but when you have ended your Life and done your worke you receive your wages when your work is done you have your reward Thirdly observe this if this should be true that the Soules of the Elect men doe not goe to Heaven after death then it will follow that the soules of wicked men doe not goe to Hell after death and how repugnant this is to the Scripture you well know when the Scripture saith in the Epistle of Jude That the men of Sodome and Gomorrha suffered the vengeance of eternall fire And of Judas Acts 25. That hee may take part of this Ministery and Apostle-ship from which Judas by transgression fell that hee might goe to his owne place I could give you multitude of Instances where the wicked are in Hell 1 Pet. 3.19 20. By which also hee went and preached unto the Spirits in prison Which sometimes were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah while the Arke was a preparing wherein few that is eight soules were saved by water That is Jesus Christ by his Spirit in the Ministery of Noah did preach to the old World who were disobedient to that Preacher of righteousnesse who is now in Heaven To say that a godly man doth not goe to Heaven imediately after death it will follow that a wicked man doth not go to Hell imediately after death Fourthly it would follow that there should be onely Angels in Heaven and no Saints whereas the Scripture saith expresly that Christ shall come from Heaven with his Saints And wee reade in Scripture that there are the Spirits of just men made perfect as well as the innumerable company of Angells Fifthly this would follow that it would be a great discomfort to a godly man on his death-bed if hee should be so many hundred yeares before Christ would bring him to Heaven what comfort shall a godly man have to die when hee shall say it shall be so many hundred yeares before my body and my soule shall be thought of by Jesus Christ it would be a very uncomfortable Doctrine for a man to thinke that I shall die like a beast that my soule after death shall not be taken up into Heaven And thus I have proved that imediatly after the godly die their Soules are received into Heaven I have proved it by pregnant Instances in the Scripture by generall expressions in the Scripture and by those expresse passages in Scripture and have given you those absurdities that will arise in case it should be denyed A word now from what hath beene spoken If it be so that Christ doth receive thee O thou Believer receive thee to himselfe before his totall and compleate reception I would then give you this use for to comfort you Vse First O feare not a dying time let not death be dreadfull and terrible to thee Beloved were this true indeed that when thou diest thy soule should perish with thy body then a Life is not worth the having but when thou shalt thinke on thy death-bed here now is a Disease a consuming of thy nature and sending of thee to thy grave and now there is but a little time betweene thee and Heaven that when I am a dying I am in the very Suburbs of Heaven a little breath betweene mee and Heaven O how should this comfort a dying man when that hee hath good evidences for Heaven O this should greatly comfort thee against thou comest to die to thinke that thy death-bed is the very Suburbs of Heaven I have read what John said that wrote the Revelations when hee was ready to die I do believe saith hee that in this very day my soule shall be represented before the Lord Jesus Christ. O think now thou art leaving thy friends but it will not be a day before Christ and I shall meete in Heaven As in the Booke of Martyrs wee reade
when it is a spirituall body it stands in no more neede of meate no more neede of drinke and of sleepe and other naturall refreshments it shall be raised a spirituall body Mat. 22.30 For in the Resurrection they neither Marry nor are given in Marriage but are as the Angells of â—od in Heaven The Angels have no need of relations and stand in no need of helps when they shall be as the Angels of God Rev. 7.15 16. Therefore are they before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more nither shall the Sunne light on them nor any heate Therefore O believing soul behold thy happines of soule and body in glory they shall be no more standing in neede of naturall refreshments then spirits doe when the Scripture saith that your bodies should be received by Christ The Platonick Philosophers understand because the body shall be turned into a Spirit into a Ghost or into winde or aire but that is not the reason of it it shall be of the same substance as it is upon the Earth but it shall be refined Secondly the bodies of the Elect when Christ receiveth them to himselfe when being vile bodies they shall be made formed and beautifull it may be thou hast some deformity but Christ shall refine that body and new varnish and make it beautifull Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like his glorious body according to the working whereby hee is able even to subdue all things unto himselfe The Body of Christ is a beautifull body neither spot nor wrinckle nor any such thing in it why thy body shall be like Christs glorious Body 1 Cor. 15.43 It is sowne in dishonour it is raised in glory it is sowne in weakenesse it is raised in power Here thy body it is a vile body Eliphaz calls the body a house of clay and Job calls it a house of Earth It is the Opinion of Gerrard and hee gives strong reasons for it that if there be any defects upon the body in this World that if any of the members of the Body be wanting it shall be restored to thee at the Resurrection and there are these reasons to be given for it First because our bodies are promised to be like Christs Body why now Christs Body hath no redundant and defective member defect it is but the product of sinne and the result of sinne therefore our bodies beeing said to be like Christs Body there shall be no defect in it Secondly some members are necessarily required to make up the Elect in Heaven suppose an Elect man should be borne blind or lose his Eyes by casualty now if this man should not have his Eyes hee could never see Christ in Heaven wee shall see with these very Eyes the Body of Christ though thy body be a monstrous Body yet Christ shall receive thy body to make it better The third reason is this because the bodies of the Elect shall be as Adams body was in innocency Adams body was created perfect by God when Christ raiseth thy body it shall neither want a member nor abound in a member thy vile body shall be beautifull what though others be fairer then thee and clearer skin'd then thee what though other mens earth be painted better then thine yet when Christ receives thy body it shall be a beautifull a glorious body therefore you have the phrase Mat. 13.43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdome of their Father Thirdly from being a mortall body it shall be by him an immortall body the body as it is here it is a mortall body dying and rotting in the Grave but it shall be made by Christ immortall 1 Cor. 15.52 53. In a Moment in the Twinkling of an Eye at the last trump for the Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and wee shall be changed For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortality Those mortall bodies that must die must be made immortall and those incorruptible bodies made incorruptible and never die this is the great happinesse of the Elect that their Bodies shall be made immortall Bodies Fourthly the bodies of the Elect they shall be from being lyable to sorrowes and sufferings in this World they shall be impassive bodies the body here is exposed to Diseases Aches Consumptions and what not the body it is an Hospitall of Diseases a Magazine of all Infirmities but the Lord shall make this body impassive liable to no sufferings God shall then wipe away all teares from our Eyes no sorrowes no crying nor no paine there is the great happinesse of the body it shall be made impassive not liable to hunger thirst paines diseases and the like Fifthly thy Body from being a heavy and lumpish body as now it is it shall be made an agile and swift Body the Eagle shall not flee so strongly as the bodies of the Elect shall flee from place to place and it is grounded from that Scripture 1 Thess 4.14 For if wee believe that Jesus Christ dyed and rose againe even so them also which sleepe in Jesus will God bring with him Which the body could not doe if the body did not lose its lumpishnesse and heavinesse which it hath here Zanchy doth illustrate it by this comparison saith hee the body is like the Chick in the Egge the Bird in the Egge strives not but when it is flusht then it can flie so when thou art raised thou canst goe from one part of the World to another in a moment so was Christs Body when it was glorified Christ was taken imediately up into Heaven which is as Astrologers say if wee may believe their guesses it is above 40 Millions of Miles Now the soule hath a lumpish Body that it cannot follow the soule therefore the Body shall be made conformable to the Soule the Body is now a tyred Jade to the Soule but then it shall not be so Sixtly from being a weake body it shall be made a strong Body 1 Cor. 15.44 It is sowne in dishonour it is raised in glory it is sowne in weakenesse it is raised in power The body of man it is a weake fleshly thing Luther is of this Opinion on this Text 1 Cor. 15. saith hee mans Body shall be so strong that hee shall be able to tosse a mountaine as a Child would tosse a tennis ball this is the great glory that God puts on the body that being a naturall Body it shall be made by Christ a spirituall Body of being vile Bodies they shall be made by Christ beautifull Bodies from being a mortall body it shall be made an immortall body from being lyable to sorrowes and sufferings in this world they shall be made impassive bodyes from being a heavy lumpish body it shall be made an
inequall manner in the Life to come as thou hast gone beyond some Men in graces so thou shalt bee beyond some Men in glory in being present in enjoying the bodily presence of Jesus Christ thou shalt know all the bodies of all thy well-beloved friends that thou knowest here in the World this most Divines doe concurre in Bolton is very strong for it all our Moderne Authors are for it and some of the Antients too I onely give it as a probable advantage and eomfort when a Man shall say Here is the Child that I sought God for and may the Minister say Here is the People that I have Preached to and the people say here is the Minister now in Heaven that I have heard take these probable grounds for it First that the wicked knew the godly in Heaven Dives in Hell knew Lazarus in Heaven Then wee reade likewise in Luke 13.28 There shall bee Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth when yee shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdome of God and you your selves thrust out Now the damned in Hell shall see Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of God and why shall not the Godly know one another there Then againe Peter James and John knew Moses in the transfiguration Mat. 13. Then againe the godly they knew the damned in Hell Therefore certainly they may know one another in Heaven It is said in Mat. 8.11 And I say unto you that many shall come from the East and West and shall sit downe with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven I doe not give you this for certaine I am loth in things controversall tossed to and fro by learned Men but there are strong Hints and Foundations at best to build hopes on that in thy knowing of Christ in Person that when the bodies of the Elect shall bee raised thou shalt know the bodies of thy elected Friends Boulton here thinkes it should detract much from the happinesse of every Saint in Heaven if every Saint should not know one another which knew one another here upon the Earth this addes much to this happinesse in that they shall have a sociable Communion in being with Christ in Person where hee is And thus much for the Adjuncts of this Condition that where Christ is there yee may bee also Vse The use then If it be so that where Jesus Christ is that place where hee is gone to Heaven there you shall bee also then I Inferre O take it well at Christs Hand suppose thou livest here in a smoaky Cottage Suppose thou hast not a place to put thy Head in O thinke what a place Christ is gone to prepare for thee why hee is gone to prepare no worse a place for thee then Heaven Nay bee content with a Prison be content with a Dungeon O the place in Heaven shall make a recompence for all the obscure places in the World Suppose thou beest as Christ was in the World that the Foxes have holes and the Birds of the Ayre have nests but the Sonne of Man hath not whereon for to lay his Head but hee hath a House in Heaven a House not made with hands a building of GOD hee hath his Fathers House in Heaven there you may goe you must bee patient though the places you dwell in are not so comfortable as you may desire but you shall be where Jesus Christ is Secondly if it be so that it is the great benefit of Christs coming againe to take us to himselfe to be in the same place where hee is O then take heede that thou beest not foolish to lose a place in Heaven for worldly profits and preferments for Earth to lose Heaven it is the great Bayte and Engine of these times to have places and Preferments and Advantages take heede they doe not make you to lose the place in Heaven where Christ is Historians that write of Tiberius they stigmatize him for a very foole that would for a drop of drinke sell his Kingdome and so was called of Tiberius Biberius O there are many such Biberius's in the world that for a draft of Drinke will venture the danger of Drinking downe shovells full of Fire to their owne damnation many in the World that will rather then lose their Places and Possessions here upon Earth they will venture the losing of that place to bee even where Jesus Christ is Thus I have in ten Sermons finished Five maine Poynts of Religion And if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receive you unto my selfe that where I am there yee may bee also FINIS An Alphabeticall TABLE to the first Part of the Saints advantage by Christs Ascension c. A. THe Ascension of Christ an advantage to the Saints the whole scope of the Booke Ascension of Christ the manner how page 33 Antichrist troubled the Church when the Roman Emperour did not p. 98 The Athenians question the Doctrin of Christs coming to Judgement 113 Anathema the meaning of the word p. 126 Abrahams bosome what p. 139 Adam in innocency how instated p. 170 B. The bodily presence of Christ in Heaven a singular benefit to Saints on Earth p. 6.21 Bodies three only in Heaven p. 34 The benefit of Christs Ascension p. 35 Bernards and Brightmans Opinion with the Authors of the phrase of living and reigning with Christ p. 100 The bodies as well as the Soules of the godly shall be received into Heaven p. 131 Christ taken bodily up into Heaven p. 13 The bodies endowments when Christ comes to receive them p. 153 C. Christs Arguments to his Disciples when he was toleave the World Christ gone bodily up to Heaven p. 2 Proved and Confirmed By Scripture p. 6 Proved and Confirmed By Tipes Ibidem Proved and Confirmed By Prophesies p. 7 Proved and Confirmed By The Apostles p. 9 Proved and Confirmed By The Angells p. 10 Proved and Confirmed By Severall reasons p. 11 Christ gone to Heaven to prepare a place for the Elect in what sense p. 36 Christs coming againe what understood thereof p. 51 Christ's personall reigne upon earth the rise of that opinion p. 71 72 73 Christ's sitting at the right hand of God how long p. 75 Christ must reigne how long p. 76. 77 Christ at his coming to Judgement gives his Kingdome to the Father p. 77 Christ shall not become an earthly Monar p. 27 Christ's second coming not to reigne upon Earth p. 77 Christ shall not reigne personally reas why 78 Christ's comming the concomitants thereof 79 Christ's personall reigne contrary to the Tenor of the Scripture p. 79 Christ's personall reigne a disadvantage to the Saints and Angells p. 86. 88 Christ at his Birth and Resurre a King p. 89 Christians 5000 a day put to death when p. 98 Christians 1700 in one month in whose reigne Ibid. Christ shall come like a thiefe p. 103 Christs coming againe the manner how Christ shall come Certainly p. 113
heaven then the Death and Merits of Christ would be much extenuated Heb. 13.8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever He was the same yesterday that is before he was borne hee was of use then as well as after time Againe if the Soules of wicked men be in Hell before Christs time then the Soules of godly men must bee in heaven before Christs time that must clearly follow by the Rules of contrary now that wicked men went to Hell is cleare Jude 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to Fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternall Fire They went to hell before Christs time therefore cleare it must follow that the Elect must goe to Heaven before Christs time Fourthly there is the very same reason why Believers should goe to heaven before Christs Ascension as there is why they should go to heaven after Christs Ascension because Believers under the old Testament they had the same Gospell preached to them as now wee have and they had the same Spirit the same Faith the same Christ and under the same Covenant and therefore why must they not goe to the same place I shall clearly prove this unto you First they had the same Spirit and the same Faith that wee had and this is laid downe by the Apostle in 2 Cor. 4.13 Wee having the same Spirit of Faith according as it is written I believed and therefore have I spoken wee also believe and therefore speak and they with us had the same justifying Faith Then for circumcision it was a signe of righteousnesse by Faith And then againe they had the same Gospell that wee have Heb. 4.2 For unto us was the same Gospell Preached as well as unto them but the word Preached did not profit them not being mixt with Faith in them that heard it The same Gospell onely theirs was darke for the ceremoniall Law was Gospell meerely Types and Shadowes to come Shadowes of Salvation by Christs Bloud to them was the Gospell Preached as well as unto us Nay they had the same Christ as wee have 1 Cor. 10.4 And did all drinke the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of that Sipirituall Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ And in the Wildernesse it is said Let us not tempt Christ as they also tempted him they sinned against Christ in the Wildernesse and they enjoyed Christ in the Wildernesse so that they had the same Christ as wee have Againe they are under the same Covenant that wee are Jeremiah 31. It is the same Covenant with ours in Hebrewes 8. So that is there not the same reason why Believers under the old Testament should goe to the same place as Believers under the new for they had the same spirit the same Faith the same Gospell the same Christ and under the same Covenant therefore they must needs go to the same place though heaven be prepared by Christs Ascension yet heaven was opened before yet not so manifested before as since Christ Dyed Rose and went up to Heaven Vse I now come to the Application the use is to draw out a few practicall inferences from this Doctrine which are foure If it be so that Jesus Christ by his going into heaven hath prepared a place for the Elect there then learne by way of recompense by way of compensation and gratification to Jesus Christ O prepare thou a heart for Christ who hath prepared a heaven for thee Shall Christ go to heaven to prepare a place for thee yet thou afford Christ no corner in thy heart thou lettest thy lust sit on the Throne of thy heart yet not give Christ any roome there We reade in Revel 19.7 Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the Marriage of the Lamb is come and his Wife hath made her selfe ready O be thou as the Bride make thy selfe ready for the Marriage day the betrothing day was when Christ went up to heaven thy Marriage day is thy dying day O against the Marriage day of the Lambe doe thou who art his Bride make thy selfe ready doe thou prepare a heart for Christ who hath prepared heaven for thee Origen hath a good passage on Luke 22.12 And hee shall shew you a large upper roome furnished there make ready though hee doth much abuse the scope of the Scripture There were three properties of the Roome wherein Christ are the Passover a large upper and a furnished Roome hee makes this Allegory of it I doe not give it to you as the sence of it but take his glosse that if thou wilt come to sup with Christ thou must make thy heart as the upper Roome a heart raised in Divine contemplation and not onely an upper Rome but a large Roome a large Heart a furnished Roome a Heart adorned with grace O doe thou prepare a large Roome an upper Roome and a furnished Roome for Christ Secondly if Christ be gone into heaven to prepare a place for the Elect then wee are rather gayners then losers by the want of Christs bodily presence wee should be lesse happy to have Christ upon the Earth then now Christ is in heaven for wee are greater gayners by Christ now being in Heaven then if hee were in person with us upon the Earth Divines illustrate this say they the body of the Sun it is fixt in the Firmament and giveth light over all the World now should the body of the Sun be taken from the Firmament and be upon the Earth amongst us it would not be of that availe to us as now it is the Sun of Righteousnesse now hee is in the heavens hee is of greater availe to us then if hee were upon the Earth for if hee were on the Earth all the World could not see him at once so that wee are greater gayners by Christs bodily absence and by Christs going up to Heaven then if hee were in person here amongst us truly as Christ saith in John 14.28 Yee have heard how I said unto you I goe away and come againe unto you If yee loved me yee youl l rejoyce because I said I goe unto the Father for my Father is greater then I. Truly it was matter of joy and not of griefe that Christ left this World and went to Heaven because hee went there to prepare a place for us I would faine know whether Jacob would have beene troubled for his Son Joseph if Jacob had known this that his Sonne was gone into Aegypt to prepare a place for him and all his Brethren against the Famine surely it would never have troubled him Truly your Joseph your Jesus hee is gone to Heaven to prepare a place for you there therefore let it not trouble you seeing you are more happy by Christs presence in Heaven then if you had his Bodily presence upon the Earth Thirdly if Christ be gone Bodily into