the blackest and most Trecherous Hearts A Sweetnesse that kindly Melts the hardest and most untam'd Hearts A Sweetnesse that gently Molds into a Spouse-like frame the roughest Hearts A Sweetnesse that ravisheth the most despairing Hearts into an Extasie of Supreame immortall joyes Vnhappy he that sees not the comming of Christ into the soules of men What is it which He sees not He sees not the Tabernacle of God among men the Distance lessening betweene Heaven and Earth the Glory of the Godhead growing to a Fuller Tide and winning upon the World as the Sea eating in upon the Land He cannot discerne the Times and their Changes How or Why they are the Fatality of Persons and Kingdomes their Periods For these Flourish and Fall as they Fall in with Fall off from or Fall foule upon the Comming of Christ He is the Corner-stone 1 Pet. 2.6 Mat. 21.24 Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken on whomsoever it shall fall it shall grind him to powder Is it Day-break yet in our soules Doe we see how it growes Lighter and Lighter in the Souls of Men If we doe not perceive those Streakes and Flakes of Light which multiply upon the spirits of men pointing out the neere Approach of our long-lookt-for Sunne Let us clothe our selves with shame and confesse We are Physitians of no value We have not seen that Beame which is in our owne Eye not suffering us to discerne Day-light But as we are Blind so let us be Beggers too And as that Blind Begger in the Gospel let us sit by the way in which Christ comes and as we heare the noyse of his passing by let us cry aloud Thou Son of David King of Spirits have mercy on us Lord Iesus that we also may receive our sight that our Fleece may not be dry while it raines on the rest of the earth that our Soules may not be in the Dark while Glory flowes in upon other Spirits Doe you see your Saviour as He comes in the Visible Part of Things Mat. 24.8 The Lord Jesus discoursing of His Comming having before spoken of Warres Famines Pestilences Earth-quakes tels us in this Verse All these are the Beginning of Sorrowes 'T is in Greek {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The Beginning of Pangs The Commotions and Strife in This visible Frame are the Pangs and Throes by which It labours to bring forth Christ in the Spirit Psal. 97.4 5. You may reade the Manner and Discovery of this Approaching Glory His Lightnings enlightned the World The Earth Saw and Trembled The Hils melted like Wax at the Presence of the Lord at the Presence of the Lord of the Whole Earth Nations Kingdomes Nature the Elements feele the Approach of Jesus Christ and receive the Impression of His Presence increasing upon them How unnaturall then are we if we be insensible of it how Worthy to be cast forth from the Nature of Things into the Outermost Darknesse Seas of Common-wealths and Counsailes rowle and roare Mountaines of Worldly Greatnesse melt away Rocks of Humane Strength after the firmest Combinations and Consolidations cleave asunder Doe we not yet perceive the Lord Jesus The Earth Hearts quake Pestilences are kindled A Smoke of Obscurity Vncertainty and Confusion flyes over the Face of Things A Fire Burnes Doe we not yet feele our Saviour His Enlightnings Enlighten the whole Earth Extraordinary Passages of Providence little lesse than Miracles to confirme the Presence of Christ in the midst of us High and Heavenly Truths publishing themselves even as the Brightnesse of His Comming These frequent Flashings forth of His Glory are the Enlightnings with which He Enlightens the Earth Doe we not yet See Jesus Christ Heb. 1.2 The Holy Ghost begins to speak of the 2d Comming of Christ v. 6. He goes on discoursing of the Same Thing to the 12. Verse There He saith to Him As a Vesture thou shalt folde them up meaning Heaven and Earth and They shall be Changed Suppose a Man by Miracle Borne and Grown up in One Midnight Day now begins to come on This Man to whom All Things were almost alike before now perceives Barren Shores Hanging Cliffes Devouring Seas on one Hand on another Pleasant Fields Faire Buildings a Peacefull Country As the Light increaseth the Face of these Things still Changeth Presenting Fresh Horrours and fuller Beauties Would not this Man Amazedly Wonder whence these Formes of Things should grow round about Him with such Sodainnesse and Change till He look't upward and Saw the Light of Heaven as It goes on in it's Course visiting the Earth and thus Changing it as a Garment Who is not Amazed to See the Changes that are made in the Garment of This Earth One Day we see it as a Field Flourishing with faire Hopes another Day that Field vanish't and in its Place as a City on Fire or a Sea of Blood He that now discerns not the Light of Heaven the Brightnesse of the Godhead which is Christ Comming upon us and thus Changing us what manner of Night is He in Sure a Night as Black as the Shadow of Death The Night is a Season for Heavinesse You that See not the Lord Jesus how He comes up upon the Earth and Invades it with His Troops as the Prophet speaks Habak. 3. Sit downe in Heavinesse Sensible of that Night which Surrounds You. But as you Sit Watch as the Watch-men for the Morning This second Comming of Christ is as the dayes of Noah The Lord Jesus in the Spirit shall be both Ark and Flood An Ark to those which are taken into Christ 〈◊〉 them high above all miseries towards Heaven 〈…〉 carrying away insensible Persons and Scorners 〈…〉 Woe This is the First Ground of Humiliation Insensiblenesse Unsuitablenesse in our Counsailes to the Course of Christ's Comming The Comming of Christ calls for Two Things 1st A Respect to Christ in all our Counsailes 2. A Resignation to Christ for the Conduct of Those Counsailes 1. A Respect to Christ in Counsaile Ezekiel saw The Glory of God Ezek. 1. This Glory was the Spirituall Frame of our Saviours Divine Comming upon His Chariot composed of Living Creatures and Wheels Angels Spiritualized Bodies Angelized In this vision He saw the State of Jerusalem and accordingly forewarn'd the Jewes As the shadow went back upon the Dyal of Ahaz so Hezekiah's life was set back from Death The Person of our Lord Jesus is the Diall of Time as the Godhead is in the Course of it's Glory advances or withdraws upon this Diall So it points out the Rise or Ruine of Persons and Things We read Revel. 1. That God gave to Christ the Revelation of Things by a Light of Glory in His own Person to this end that He might shew to His Servants what will quickly Be Our Lord Jesus is that Word of God which is to be the Man of our Counsailes On Him we are to look in Him to see what should be by seeing God in His
any Appearance the Appearance that is put forth by any Power thorow the whole extent of things from one end of them to the other for ever and ever Saint Iohn from these Praises passeth as by a divine Rapture of delight and wonder into the First Preface v. 7. Behold He comes c. Let All eyes here look up and gaze He comes He who is who was who is to come He the Living Creature and the Wheel of the whole Creation of God He comes with Clouds He comes cloth'd with so full appearance of Majesty and Sweetnesse as shall melt all hearts make all eyes weep teares of Griefe and Ioy Grief that they have seen Him no sooner Ioy that they see him now and seeing him see all their Griefs and Feares eternally vanish't all their desires and joyes accomplish't all their Sinnes against so much Sweetnesse perfectly forgiven Thus we are arrived at my Text TEXT THe Text is a Prophesie of that Divine Trinity Light Love and Ioy which shall Vnitedly Vniversally reign in all hearts and eyes at the Second Appearance of this Royall Spouse of Spirits You will see this Text though it speak of Wounds Mourning Teares to have a sweet not sad sence in all these if we compare it with that place of the Prophet from whence these words seem in great part to be borrowed Zach. 12.10 I will pour forth a Spirit of Grace and supplications c. The Text hath Four Parts 1. A Shout 2. A Show 3. Spectators 4. Their Passions 1. The Shout Behold This is as a Blast of a Trumpet giving a loud and chearfull warning of some Glorious Show already begun 't is an Excitation with a signification of some Eminent and Present thing 2. The Show He Comes with Clouds He comes This word in Greek signifies a Present and Continued act then begun from that time extending it selfe to our dayes to the end of Time He is Comming He comes with Clouds I shall leave these Clouds upon my Text untill I come to my Doctrine then I shall open them 3. The Spectators The whole world is the Theater or Stage on which this Show is presented All orders of Spirits are the Spectators Every eye shall see him They also that have Pierced him This clause hath a peculiar relation to the Jewes 'T is also a Hint of that Depth in which Divine Love hath laid it's Designe to spring the Highest Sweetnesse upon the most Horrid Sinners 'T is a melting Touch like that Go tell his Disciples and Peter that he is risen Mark 16.7 Or like that Hee appeared first to Mary Magdelen out of whom he had cast seven Devils Mark 16.9 4. Passion And they shall mourn over Him The Sight pierceth the Hearts of the Spectators As Two Principles Water and Blood ran mixt from the side of Christ so Three sorts of Teares flow mingled down the cheeks of the Beholders here Teares of Remorse Love and Ioy Teares of Remorse for having hated Love stain'd Glory murthered Life it selfe upon a Mistake And all this Their Own Love Glory Life Teares of Love towards Beauty and Sweetnesse an Universal Beauty an Vnlimited Sweetnesse united in one Iesus like Light and Heat in one Beame and breaking forth from His Face to make a True Day Teares of Ioy for that Blessednesse which appeares extending it selfe securely to Eternity in the Incomprehensible Majesty of our Saviour's Person which hath Immortality which comprehends Eternity in it selfe in which the Quickest Sight is lost in an Vnfathom'd Light Doctrine THe words of my Text being thus opened doe again wrap up their full sense in this Doctrine The Eminent Thing of the World is The Comming of our Lord Iesus into the world This Doctrine empties it Selfe by these Four Heades 1. The Comming of Christ 2. The Clouds in which He Comes 3. The Clearnesse of His Appearance when He is come 4. The Sweetnesse Flowing from His Presence 1. Head The Comming of Christ This is Two-fold The 1st The 2d Comming 1. The First Comming of our Lord Jesus is Carnall This was then when he took Flesh of the Virgin Mary Now He was made Inferiour to Angels Hebr. 2.9 Now he was made Flesh Iohn 1.14 Now he was laid so low as to be capable of all the Tempâ—â—tions the most bitter the most balefull that can come from Devils or fall on Man yet without sinne Hebr. 4.14 This First Comming was our Saviour's Humiliation to Frailty Guilt Shame Horrour Death The Mystery now was The Highest God making Himselfe the Lowest of Things Flesh Dust The Deepest Darknesse Thus the First was the Last 2. The Second Comming of our Saviour is Spirituall It is Spirituall in Two Respects 1. His Person 2. His Appearance 1. Person The Person of our Blessed Saviour in his Second Comming is altogether Spirituall and Divine Such as the Person of our Jesus was at His Ascension such is it in His Second Approach to Men What is that Person in which our Saviour sits at the Top of His Ascent You shall read Eph. 4.10 He that Descended is the same that Ascended farre above All Heavens This Ascent doth not so much import a Change of Place as of Person and Proportion When the Lord Jesus was gone up above these Heavens which we see then He was above all Change of Place The Heavens which we do not see the Invisible Part of this Creation is fetter'd with the Chaine of Time but not imprison'd too by a Confinement or Circumscription of Place Our Lord ascended not so much by a Locall Motion as a Spirituall Mutation and Exaltation of His Person As Earth heightned unto a Flame changeth not its Place onely but Forme and Figure So the Person of our Saviour was raised to a Greatnesse a Glory vastly differing from and surmounting Any Image All Images of Things visible or invisible in this Creation So 't is fitly exprest Hebr. 7.29 He was made Higher than the Heavens He was Heigthned to a Splendour Enlarged to a Capacity and Compasse above the Brightest beyond the Widest Heavens Thus we see Negatively what the State of our Saviour's Person was when He was once Ascended It was no more Like to any thing in Earth below or Heaven above It was Remote from All Created Formes of Things Transcending All Farre above All Heavens Our Saviour Himself wil teach us what the Positive State of His Person now was by his Prayer for it Iohn 17.5 And now O Father glorifie me with Thy Selfe with that Glory which I had with Thee before the World was Our Lord prayes and His Prayer is both a Prophesie and the Performance begun that His Divine Nature may be both the Center and Circle to His Humanity inwardly enlivening outwardly clothing and fashioning it that his Man-hood may be after his Death at His Ascension in that same Image and Appearance in which the God-head was to it selfe before any thing else was Saint Paul points out to us that as Perfect which
on the Booke I saw and behold a White Horse and He that sate on Him had a Bow and a Crowne was given Him and He went forth Conquering and to Conquer The Booke is the Image of God the Seven Seales the Naturall Formes of Things The Opening of the Seales by the Lamb His Comming forth in the Spirit I will finish this Head with that place of Scripture 1 Cor. 15.45 The First Man Adam was made a Living Soule the Last Man was made a Quickning Spirit Our Blessed Lord in his Second Appearance comes into the World as a Soule comes downe into the Body The Soule comes downe upon the Body clothing it with a new Shape Life and Lustre So Jesus Christ descends upon the World to Comprehend to Act it to Appeare in it to Gather it up into One Spirit of Beauty and Immortality in Himselfe So shall the Heavenly Man sprout forth thorough the Earth as an Vniversall Paradise sending forth all Earthly Formes as Revived Plants by a New Growth out of Himselfe Then shall All Without the Circle of this Spirituall Person this Quickning Spirit be Death and Hell a Hell for Dogs and Devils each foule false and fiery Spirit I have now passed through the First Head The Comming of Christ 2. Head The Clouds in which Christ comes These Clouds are of Foure Sorts 1. Darknesse 2. Tempests 3. Worldly Changes 4. Angels 1. Clouds of Darknesse Clouds are used in This Sense as the Springs and Seats of Darknesse So they furnish out and set off the Comming of Christ as God into the World Psal. 97.2 Clouds and Darknesse are round about Him A Two-fold Darknesse surrounds our Saviours Person as He flides downe in a Glory upon the Earth 1. From His owne Will 2. From the World 1. Darknesse From His owne Will David in the 18. Psalme is confest by All to speak of His owne Deliverances Literally but of Christs Last Comming Mystically and Prophetically ver. 11. He made Darknesse His Secret Place His Pavilion round about Him were Dark Waters Thick Clouds of the Sky The Prince in the Poet wrapt about with a Thick and Darke Ayre entred into Carthage passed thorow the Court into the presence of the Queene there stood in the midst of them unperceived while they speak of Him as absent Lament him as lost till the Fire purified it selfe into a Clearnesse So the Great Prince of Peace and Spirits as He comes forth casts a Cloud about Him so He comes on upon us so He encompasseth us is still in Motion Yet still we speak of Him as far above and beyond the Starry Sky and of His Comming as at a Great Distance But Behold He is already in the midst of us He breaks forth on our Right hand and on our Left like a Flame round about us and we perceive Him not 2. Darknesse From the World 1 Thes. 5.2 The Day of the Lord commeth as a Thiefe in the Night 'T is the interposal of the Earth's shadow between the Sunne and our Eyes that makes Night The Devill benights Man-kind by interposing this shadowie world betweene their Saviour and their Soules In this Night he rocks them into a Sleep by a perpetuall Motion of vanities In this Sleep he deludes them with Dreames of Reason Counterfeit Images of Truth Now in this Night Sleep and Dreame the Day of Christ's appearance appeares not but as a Fancy or Dotage All things seem to continue as they were from the Beginning Where say they is the Promise of His Comming They discerne no Dawning of it All the Powers and Spirits of Darknesse hate the Light and Christ because He comes as the Light to increase and inflame their Darknesse They therefore Strive to raise Mists upon this Rising Glory that they may stain it if they cannot stop its Course So the Progresse of Christ is to the greatest part of Men like the Motion of the Sunne in a Winter day when 't is hard to perceive the Day-break or distinguish between Day and Night This is the First sort of Clouds Dark Ones 2. Clouds of Tempests Clouds are the Womb in which Tempests are bred and the Cradle in which they are rock't No Painter no Poet no Writer Holy or Profane hath any thing anywhere so Direfull so Tragicall as is the Description of our Saviours second Comming in the Scriptures Can you cast your eye on the eighteenth Psalm and not tremble when you see there the Earth Shaking and Trembling v. 7. a Fire Devouring v. 8. The Heavens bowing Down-ward v. 9. Thick Clouds darkning the Sky Thunders Lightnings Hail-stones flying through the Ayre The Foundations of the world below discover'd v. 11 12 13 14 15. Thus the Mighry God our Jesus descends Again Psa 97. Hils Melting The Earth Trembling Lightnings flashing thorow the Ayre and being its onely Light Dark Clouds environing all This is the Scene of Things This the State in which Christ comes forth Behold Habakkuk with quivering Lips trembling joynts bones mouldring into dust when he had onely a Prophetick Representation of our Saviours second Appearance All the Dreadfull things that attended the Presence of God in Aegypt at the Red Sea on Mount Sinai thorow the wildernesse are made but Types but shadows of this Terrible March of the Capteine of the Lords Hosts Christ in the Spirit thorow all Flesh Habak. 3. A wise Jew was wont to say from a Deep fore-sight of the Blacknesse of this Day The Messias will come but Lord let not me live to see His Comming The Comming of our Saviour in the Spirit is for the Full Dissolution of all Flesh 'T is no wonder then if every step he takes as he comes along strike earthquakes pestilences warres desolations thorow the Earth This is the second sort of Cloudes Tempestuous Ones 3. Clouds of Worldly Changes The Finest Piece of this Creation Naturall Flesh of Christ Himself is cal'd A Vail Heb. 10.11 A Living way through the vail his Flesh Well may we then call all other Fleshly Things Vailes and Clouds Gen. 1.2 The Creation in its first Principles is Figured out to us as a Dark and Deep Sea Each particular Creature is as a Cloud raised out of this Sea of Darknesse over-cast with Light and Images When the Temple was finish't which was an Earthly Palace shadowing out Heaven fil'd with all Excellencyes as Pictures of Heavenly Glories then Solomon saith to God 1 Kin. 8.12 Thou dwellest in Thick Darknesse Signifying that the Brightest Beauties of Nature are True Clouds In the midst of this Darknesse our Saviour passeth on upon the backs of these Clouds he comes riding along Behind the visible Formes of things He hides Himselfe and steales in upon us ere we be aware All Their Motions are His Approaches Mat. 24. The Disciples ask their Master What should be the signes of His Comming He relates by way of Prophesie the whole story of the World Publike in Nations Particular in Families Private in single Persons From His death to that
own Formes what shall be by seeing God in All Formes of the Creature This is Reason say the Heathen A Connexion of Things Past with those which are Present a Derivation of Things to come out of Both for Discovery and Direction This is a Dark Shadow of Christ He is the Reason of a Christian who unites and represents by a Perfect Light all Three States of Things calling Himselfe by this Three-fold Name He that is He that was He that is to Come 2. A Resignation to Christ for Conduct This is the second Thing which Christ calls for in His second Comming I am Alpha and Omega saith the Lord He that is He that was He that is to Come the Almighty the All-comprehending Revel 1.8 The Spirituall Comming of Christ is the great Tide of Things this way the fulnesse of the God-head pours forth it selfe from Sea to Sea from the Beginning to the End of Things Both in Himselfe Happy is He who puts Himselfe into the Current of this stream swiftly smoothly safely shall He be carryed along upon it to His End There is Mention of a Wheel Prov. 20.26 The King shall bring the Wheel upon the Wicked Saint Iames speakes of the Wheel of the Creation Iames 3.6 For so 't is in Greek {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Our Lord Jesus comes on as the Great Wheel of Things reposing in it selfe and rowling on with it selfe those who are taken up unto it But bringing it selfe over those which fall out of it and breaking them in pieces There are two Things which expresse an unsuitablenesse in our Counsailes to the Comming of Christ 1st The Directing our Paths by a Humane Prudence 2. The Designing an Earthly Power for the Pursuit 1st Unsuitablenesse The Directing our Paths by a Humane Prudence The Israelites in the wildernesse made a Golden Calfe for their Guide after the Example of the Aegyptians who worship'd an Ox for their Chiefe God For this Moses say they we know not what is become of Him What was the successe They were forc'd to embitter their Drink with the Powder of this Calfe Have any of you been thus tempted to make the Calf of Humane-Policy your Counsellour because this is the God of Nations or to think We know not what This Iesus or His Comming in The Spirit meane Shall we trust our selves and the Kingdome to a name an ayrie Fancy If you have been thus tempted I hope your own Piety and Prudence will prompt you to grind this Calf to Powder by a Penitent Contrition and make it bitter to your Spirits by a Kindly Remorse I humbly commend to you one story at large recorded 1 Sam. 13. Samuel promised Saul to come at a Day He delay'd Saul feared the Philistines comming upon Him with a Mighty Body the Dividing of the People from Him He growes weary of Samuel's stay and forceth Himselfe to sacrifice If you have so fal'n so forc'd your selves for such reasons to sacrifice to establish a worship without the Divine Appearances because they have been delay'd O repent and feare lest Samuel's message to Saul be to you also Now is the Kingdome divided from you this way by which you thought to confirme it to you Let us at last be Converted and become as Little children learning what that Meanes To Obey is better than Sacrifice and to Hearken than the fat of Rams To Hearken for the Breathings and whispers of the Lord Jesus to Obey the Breakings in of the God-head upon us is more than All Burnt-offerings or our Best Performances 2. Unsuitablenesse The Designing an Earthly Power for Pursuite of our Counsailes When Israel look'd round about upon the Interests Inclinations Imployments Sufficiencies of Neighbour-nations When Israel reflected upon her own Constitution Strength Numbers Had Israel Peace When Iehoshaphat joyn'd his ships with those of the King of Israel were not His ships broken in pieces Thou shalt destroy all them that go a whoring from Thee 'T is good for me to draw neer to the Lord saith the Holy Man Psal. 73.50 The Earthly Image is the Strumpet Humane Prudence the Eyes of this Harlot which are as snares Humane Power the Hands which are Nets and Bands He that is allured and caught by these is upon the Brink of a Deep Pit if not already sinking in it Gen. 9.17 Mention is made of a Serpent that biteth the Heels of the Horse so that His Rider falls backward The Policy of Man is a Serpent Power is the Horse on which He rides Take heed of making these your Trust or Triumph If you do your own Policy will bite the Heels of your Power and disorder that Your owne Power disordered will cast you to the Ground and then oppresse you with its own weight I passe now from the second Ground of Enmity to the Third 3. Ground Enmity in our Affections to the Intents of our Saviour's Comming The Intents of our Saviour's Comming are Two 1st To Consume the Flesh 2. To Call us into the Spirit 1st Intent of Christs Comming To Consume the Flesh Revel. 6. When our Jesus rides foremost upon a White-Horse he is followed by a Red Black Pale Horse bringing on Warre Famine Death These are His Troops with which He comes up upon the Nations and invades the Earth In the Progresse of this Mighty King as He goes on Conquering An Earth-quake shakes All Things the Sun becomes Black the Moon as Blood Stars fall like untimely figs Heaven passeth away as a Scroll rolled together v. 12.13.14 Thus all Fleshly strengths faint Gloryes fade at the presence of the Lord The most Spirituall Appearances of God thorow Flesh are darkned and dis-appeare The brightest of Fleshly Formes The fairest letter of the Highest Mysteries become seeds of Warre and sink in blood Men like Stars most Eminent for Height Lustre Influence fall thick to the Ground like untimely figs preventing their Maturity by their Ruine The most Flourishing Common-wealths the Fairest Churches like Heavens roll themselves into Confusion Thus Christ comes in Flaming Fire to all Flesh 2. Intent of Christs Comming is to Call us into the Spirit 2 Thes. 2.1 Paul speakes of The Comming of Christ and our Gathering together unto Him As the Horses of Fire and Chariots of Fire came down from Heaven to take Elijah up into them So the Lord Jesus descends in the Glory of the Spirit that He may raise us above the world riding with Him on the Circuits of the same Glory If I go away saith Christ I will come againe and take you to be there where I am Every Fleshly thing is a vaile between us and Divinity All our Conversation in the Flesh is an Alienation from God a Descent towards the Depths of Darknesse below The Lord Jesus comes forth in the Spirit consuming the vaile of Flesh like Fire Then we enjoy the same Appearances performe the same actions in a Divine Life While the Spirit is our Element God comes forth in us in all our Acts
God comes forth before us in all our Objects There is a Two-fold Enmity in our affections towards this Two-fold Intent of Christ in His Comming 1. An Adhesion to the Flesh 2. An Aversenesse from the Spirit 1st The First Enmity is an Adhesion to the Life of Flesh Our soules cleave to the Flesh-pots Our Spirits are drawn down into a land of Bondage and detain'd there by the Rank scent of Garlike and Onions We are very unwilling to travell thorow a wildernesse though it be unto a Land flowing with Milk and Honey We are like Lot we know not how to leave this Sodome of the Flesh till we be drawn forth by the Hand of Angels Then we are still like Lot's wife when we are come forth from the City of this World casting a longing look back upon it in the midst of its Flames But if we be like her in her fault let us be so too in the Consequence of it She was chang'd into a Pillar of salt So may we as in answer to the Type if we bring forth a Spirit of Remorse and Fire like salt to consume the Fleshly Corrupting Part that the Divine Part may be preserv'd untainted to Eternity 2. The second Enmity is an Aversenesse from the Spirit Jesus Christ promised His Disciples the Effusion of the Spirit at the Disappearance of His Flesh He spake to them of Divine Powers Lights Gloryes Joyes of the Highest Company and Contents which should come when His Spirit came Yet the Disciples were sad and as dead men still when their Saviour spake of His Death The Spirit appear'd to them a Miserable Comforter and Comfort when they were no more to have a grosse sight of their Jesus in Flesh He was as None to them when He was to be Onely in the Spirit When Peter felt Himselfe born up alone by the working waves he feares faints and begins to sink though he have the Call of Christ to carry him on and Christ Himselfe in his Eye to infuse Spirits into him This is an Example for us When we cal'd by God begin to feel the Foundations of the Earth and the Seeming-firme Land of Sense withdrawing from us when we are now Lanching forth into the Sea of the God-head we no sooner feel our selves left upon the waters of the Spirit to be sustain'd by them but Immediately we sink our selves by our feares and unbeliefe Let us then now weep that we have refused the All-quickning Spirit which is our Jesus as if there were no Life in this Spirit or no Light in this Life as if God were a wildernesse and the Building of God had no Foundation or Fairenesse in it Let us now returne weeping and say We have feared to commit our loves hopes and joyes to Thee O meek O Mighty Iesus But all our Springs are in Thee those that feed our outward senses our inward Faculties with Streames of Life Truth Strength and Pleasures Thou art our onely Husband the Image of all Loves and Lovelinesse to us the Best Image of our selves Come thou downe upon us appeare in thine Invisible gloryes and make our soules ere they are aware like the Chariots of Aminadab Thus I have concluded the First Use for Humiliation For Caution Take heed of making any Opposition against the Comming of the Lord Iesus I shall begin this use with an humble profession that my desire is to have every thing which I speake understood as proceeding from him who would faine speak and live in a Continuall sense of the Doubtfull Dimnesse of that Light of Reason which twinkles in his breast as also of the want of oyl to feed the Flame of the Spirit to any Height or Constancy I do therefore onely present what passeth from me submitting all ever to any Brighter Light in whatsoever Candle-stick it shine My care shall be especially in the subject of this use while I am in this Twi-light to avoid Particular Conclusions and Peremptory Determinations I shall in these Termes set before you these Two Cautions 1. Take heed how you Iudge or Confine the Comming of Christ 2. Take heed how you furiously oppose any thing that pretends to the Advancement of Christ in His Comming 1. Caution Take heed how you Iudge or Confine the Comming of Christ and that for Two Reasons 1. He comes as a Spirit 2. He comes in the Darke 1. Reason Christ comes as a Spirit Who can foreknow or set the wayes of a Spirit who can comprehend a Spirit in any outward Forme Is it not free to All and from All When Christ was risen he sometimes put on those shapes in which he had formerly liv'd or died as to Thomas Sometimes he cloth'd Himselfe with strange shapes sometimes uncloth'd Himselfe of All For now He was raised into the Spirit in which as in a Divine Ward-robe he comprehended All shapes to put Himselfe forth in them or to put them under His Feet at pleasure Saint Paul thus reasons Colos. 2.20 If ye be dead in Christ why as living in the Flesh are ye subject to Ordinances which perish in the using But this Reasoning is much more strong If Christ be Risen from the dead why do we subject Him to Ordinances as if He were still living in the Flesh or rather as if He were not come in the Flesh who is the Lord of All Fleshly Rites Formes are sweet Helpes but too severe Lords over our Faith They may be Ornaments to our Face and Neck serving the Beauty of Christ's Appearances to us and His union with us But then they must be of Gold or Precious stone taken out of the Mine or Treasury of the Spirit So worne they may become the Heires at age the Spirit-born Princes But if they be of Iron or Brasse laid upon our Feet and Hands that is Grosse in Fleshly Darknesse binding up the Activity and Motion of our Spirits towards God then are they sad Marks of the Bond-womans Children The Body is esteem'd a Prison or Grave to the Soul because it tyes the Soul up into One Particular Appearance suffering it not to enlarge it selfe to any other but as they are reflected in This Glasse When the Eternall Spirit is fast'ned and proportion'd to any One Form of Things is it not now imprison'd or buried It was a seasonable and High Contemplation that of Solomon at the Consecration of the Temple The Heavens Heavens of Heavens cannot hold thee How much lesse this House which I have made When we Consecrate or converse with any Ordinance or Peculiar way of worship let us then remember that our Object is the Person of Jesus Christ that Wisdome of God whose way is more untrac'd than the Eagle whose extent is wider than the Earth The Heavens of Heavens cannot take in All of Him to Containe or Confine Him much lesse any One Ordinance in this world or Fleshly Fashion 'T is in vain to attempt to shut up Christ in any Thing Though you kill Him that you
our Saviour prayes for Colos. 2.9 In whom the Fulnesse of the God-head dwels Bodily The whole Man-hood of Christ Body as well as Soule was so farre enlarged so farre Spiritualized as to take in and hold forth the God-head Fully It was heightned to Both the Fulnesse and Forme of God But we must take heed that we doe not mis-understand this and while we strive to have a Distinct View of our Saviour in Glory confound Him and our Selves To this purpose we must use the help of a Two-fold Distinction The Person of our Saviour is exalted to this Glory not by the Annihilation or Swallowing up of the Humanity into the Divinity but by the Union and Communion of Both Natures in One Person Neither doth this Glory come upon our Head and Husband by a Confusion of God and Man the Creator and the Creature but by a Free Complyance of God with Man a Full Conformity of Man to God the Creature to the Creator The Glorification of the Humanity by the Divinity is no Confusion but a Communion no Annihilation but a Transfiguration Such was the Person of our Saviour at His Ascension Such is He when againe He Descends upon us at His Second Comming So Himselfe witnesseth Mark 8.38 When He Commeth in the Glory of His Father The Angel so fore-told the God-like manner of our Saviour Comming the Second Time Act. 1.11 This same Iesus which ye see taken up from you into Heaven shall so come as ye have seene Him goe into Heaven Behold how your Master ascends and as he ascends he puts off his Earthly Appearance growes Invisible and vanishes into the Glory of God So in the same Divine manner in the same Glory Invisible to Mortall Eyes He shall come againe to you Such as He is now at His Entrance into Heaven such shall He be at his Re-entrance into the World Christ at his First Comming was a God in the forme of an Earthly Man of a Worme the Lowest of Men at his Second Comming He is a Man a Worme the lowest of Men in the Forme of God And now the Last is First This is the Spirituality of our Saviour's Comming in the First Respect in His Person 2. Appearance Our Lord comes the Second Time into the World not so much by Change of Place as of Appearance Ephes. 1.10 Saint Paul speaks of he Father and of Christ That in the Dispensation of the Fulnesse of Time he might gather together in One All Things in Christ both which are in Heaven and which are on Earth even in Him The Dispensation of the Fulnesse of Time is the Discovery of Eternity which gathers up into One undivided State All Times Past Present To Come and is therefore called the Fulnesse of Time which is the Shadow to this Body This Dispensation began at Christ's Ascension and was then perfected in His Person Now was our Lord fully Glorified Now He saw All Things in the Beatificall Vision in the God-head after a manner as unchangeable as God Nothing passed away nothing was to Come From the Heighth of Heaven above to the Depth of the Earth and the Creature below He possesseth All Things in One Glory even in Himselfe To Him then there is now no more Roome for Ascent or Descent for Change of Time or Place What then is His Second Comming 'T is His Shining forth upon the rest of the Creatures that as He comprehends Himselfe and All Things in God So They may comprehend All Things and Themselves in Him Our Saviour speaks this plainly Mat. 24.27 For as the Lightning commeth out of the East and shineth unto the West even so shall also the Comming of the Son of Man be Saint Paul cals it an Appearance Colos. 3.4 Your Life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is our Life shall appeare then shall we appeare with Him in Glory The Person of Christ is taken into the Glory of God This is invisible not to it selfe nor any thing like it selfe but to Eyes of Flesh Thus Our Saviour is Hid as God is by the Greatnesse of the Glory In His Second Comming He is as the Brightnesse of the God-head breaking forth upon the World discovering it self as a New Root of Immortality below the Natural Root of each Creature and clothing upon each Appearance with a New Appearance of Glory Thus the Comming of Christ is an Enlargement of Himselfe from the same Center yet not to Himself but others So Saint Paul calls this Comming A Revelation from Heaven 2 Thes. 1.7 And to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven In this sense Saint Peter speakes Act. 3.20 21. And He shall send Iesus Christ c. whom the Heavens must receive till the restitution of All Things When our Lord Ascended He was raised above all Heavens into God from thence immediately He goes on shining forth and dispensing the Glory of God through the Heavens the Invisible part of this Creation Angells and Spirits of Men Within this Limit He containes his Beames till the Last Day Then He shall Enlarge His Circuite to take in the Visible and Bodily Part of Things when They also shall be Restored and Returne into that Glory and Divinity out of which They fell There is One Thing more to be observed before we passe from this Head The Second Comming of Christ is Graduall As the Sun when it is gone from us to the utmost Point of Heaven South-ward immediately Returnes So our Saviour began His Comming again into the World at His Ascension so soone as He had reaeh't the furthest Point of Distance from the Creature in the Heigths of the Creatour We reade Heb. 1.6 And again when He bringeth His First-begotten Son into the World He saith Let all the Angells of God Worship Him Thus it is read in the English Translation But as a late Learned Critick hath observed it runs Thus in the Greek When He that is the Father bringeth His First-begotten Sonne againe into the World c. This place thus read manifestly joynes together the Ascention of our Lord and His Comming the Second time into the World For when was it that Proclamation was made among the Angels to Worship Jesus Christ Was it not then when He Ascended and sate downe at the Right Hand of God So it is cleerly seene Philip 2. 9t 10. Wherefore God also hath Highly exalted Him and given Him a Name above every Name That at the Name of Jesus every Knee should bow So soone as our King is entred into the Divine Glory and hath there received the Ointment of the God-head immediately He comes forth and begins to shew Himselfe in a Progresse of Glory thorow the Creatures to receive their Fealty and Homage Revel. 6.2 The Coronation of Christ and his Comming forth in a Spirituall Beauty are conjoyn'd by Saint Iohn who there begins his Prophetick Story and makes this the opening of the First Seale
of the whole World And so He answers their Question teaching them that as all Creatures are the Print of his Feet so their whole Conduct is the Motion of His Feet Their Commotions His Commings on upon them As the Whale moveth himselfe under the Waters the Billows rise and rowl the Deep boyles like a Pot. Before our Saviour's time Lucifer was the Leviathan that made the Sea to seeth about him like a Pot of Ointment Now our Lord Jesus sports Himselfe in these Waters He makes his way under them and as he moves The Deepes of Mens Spirits Counsailes Common-wealths boyle the whole Frame of Things reel and rowl themselves into violent Concussions like Waves of the Sea This is the third sort of Clouds Rowling Ones 4. Cloudes of Angels My Text saith Christ comes with Cloudes Saint Paul saith 2 Thes. 1.7 The Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his Mighty Angels Our Lord Jesus tels us Mat. 26.64 Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting at the Right Hand of Power and comming in the Clouds of Heaven He speakes of the same thing Mark 8.50 In this Phrase When He commeth in the Glory of his Father with the Holy Angels These Parallel places make those expressions seem Parallel Angels Cloudes The Prophet discourseth of all sorts of Meteors Psa. 104.3 4. The upper Waters Clouds Winds Spirits or Blasts Flames of Fire This is interpreted expresly of Angels Heb. 1.7 And of Angels He saith He hath made His Angels Spirits His Ministers a Flame of Fire These are the Waters in which the Chambers of God are the Clouds which are His Chariot the Winged Windes on which He rides the Flames in which He Comes Saint Paul joynes these Two Angels and Flames at the Comming of Christ 2 Thes. 1.7 8. The Lord shall be revealed from Heaven with His Mighty Angels And with Flaming Fire The Flame of Fire is Heat working it selfe into Light This is the Immediate Image and Instrument of Angels in this visible World thorow this they appeare and work All the Appearances of God under the Law were by Angels All the Appearances of Angels were by Flames or Light The Angel went up from Manoah in a Flame Iud. 30.20 He appeared to Moses in a Flame Exod. 3.2 The Angels came downe upon the sacrifices in a Flame The Lord Jesus shall come in a Flame of Angels The Glory of God in Christ as he comes the second time breaks forth upon the Angels In these He Flames out upon the Bodily Part of Things as Fire dissolving them in their own shapes and resolving and raising them into Angelicall Formes These are the Heavenly Flames of Glory in which Saints are Blessed the Fire of Hell in which Evill men are tormented Angelicall Forms In this sense Jesus Christ tels us Luke 17.22 that Lazarus being dead was carryed by Angels into Abraham's Bosome That Glory of God which is cal'd Abraham's Bosome a Type of the Fathers Bosome was revealed in the Angels in them it over-shadowed Lazarus withdrawing Him out of this Present State and gathering Him up unto these Spirits which are the Fathers of the Earthly Man Accordingly we read Mark 13.27 He shall send forth His Angels and gather His Elect from the Four Windes This shall be the Resurrectin of the Body when this visible Image and life which was as wind breath'd forth by God from the Bosome of those Angelicall Flames shall by their opening themselves upon it be again taken in to God in these Spiritual Chambers In the same sence Angels are called the Chariots of God Psa. 68.17 The Chariots of the Lord are Twenty Thousand even Thousands of Angels The second Comming of Christ is not on Foot as a Servant The Image of the First Adam in a visible shape 'T is as of a Prince in his chariot The Image of God in the Angelical Being Cant. 3.8 Solomons Chariot had Pillars of silver Covering of Purple Bottome Gold in the mid'st Love for the Daughters of Hierusalem Divine Glory the Foundation Divine Love the Center in that Foundation Pillars of Silver Angelicall Beauties and strengths the Covering of Purple the Glorious Humanity of Christ in Royall State Comprehending all This is the Chariot which the Lord Jesus hath prepared for His Spouse This is the Forme in which He rides forth at his second Comming thorow the Whole Creation taking up to Him the Daughters of Hierusalem both in Soul and Body at their severall Seasons As Angels are the Chariots of Fire in which the Lord rides forth the second Time So are they the Horses of Fire on which He rides Revel. 6. As the Seales are opened A Man comes forth on Horse-back The Man is the Image of God the Lord Jesus who comes forth in every various forme as in a severall Dresse for several Designes The Horse is the Particular Forme of Invisible Glory the Angel on which He is Mounted I will make an end of this Discourse with that Place Mark 8.1 Where Christ speaking of his Comming joynes these Two the Glory of the Father and the Holy Angels As the Man on the Horse He shall come in the Glory of His Father and the Holy Angels In our Saviour's Person as He comes in the Spirit the Glory of the God-head shal be as a Sea the Angelicall Glories as Ships on this Sea All Formes of Things in this visible State shall be taken off the Earth of their own Grosse and Dul Principles into these Mysterious Ships in which they shall be carried on still further and further into the Ocean of the God-head I have now describ'd those Clouds in which Christ comes which was the second Head 3. Head The clearnesse of Christs Appearance Every Eye shall see Him There is a Two-fold Eyes 1st The Inward 2. The Outward Eye 1st The Inward Eye shall see Christ Saint Paul speaks of this Ephes. 1.18 The Eye of your understanding being Enlightened The Eye of the understanding is the Inward Eye This also is Two-fold 1st A Naturall 2. A Divine Eye The Naturall Eye is that of Reason which is alwayes open in all Men so farre as they are Men The Divine Eye is for many yeares many ages quite shut up in the Soul ever since the Creation untill the Regeneration This Eye is a Divine Principle or Faculty of seeing Things the Supreame Power of Knowing as God Knows and is Known Saint Iohn speaks of this Eye 1 Iohn 3.2 When He appeares we shall be like Him For we shall see Him as He is The Proper Light and Object of This Eye is Jesus Christ in the Spirit as He is the Brightnesse and Image of the God-head As a Sun-beame beating with a strong Light upon the Naturall Eye So shall the Lord Jesus awaken this Eye in Man by setting Himselfe in it And now how cleer how sweet how satisfactory must this sight be 'T is a Fit Union of an Object Suitable to a Proportion'd Power or Faculty that gives