them and we may â—ationally imagine that they will salute them at their rising and welcome them out of their graves we read of the Angel Gabriel's salutation of Mary Luke 1. 28. Hail thou that arâ— highly favoured the Lord is with thee blessed art thou amongst Women and the same Angels words to Daniel chap. 9. 23. Thou art greatly beloved Such salutations possibly the Angels may give to the Saints at their resurrection Arise you that are highly favoured of God come forth yee that are greatly beloved welcome welcome yee happy ones ye that are blessed amongst the children of men your Lord is come down and stayethâ— for you he hath sent us to call you and convey you into his presence bring you where he is that you may see and share in his glory O how will such words make their hearts to glow within them how joyfull will such a message be unto them O happy they that ever they were born or rather that ever they were new born O happy they that they should live that they should be raised to see such a day as this will be O what looks what speeches what joyes will they have when they are entertained by the Angels 3. The third Antecedent to the Righteous Iudgment will be their meeting one with another Matth. 24. 31. The Angels will be sent to gather the Elect together 2 Thes. 2. 1. I beseech you â—rethren by the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ and our gathering together unto him the Saints will be all gathered together and we shall be gathered with them if we be found in that number there we shall meet with Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and all the holy Kings and Prophets and Apostles and Martyrs and holy Men who have lived in all Generations and all these in another hue than when they lived upon the Earth they will arise like so many shining Suns ouâ— of the Earth O how shall we be delighted with the â—ight of such a glorious train and company when we see the Image and picture of the Lord upon them drawn so to the life what sweet greetings shall we have and mutual congratulations of our old acquaintance in the flesh who were with us acquainted with the Lord and is this the end of our hearing and fasting and praying and self-denial and mortification and the poor services we have done for the Lord Is this the issue of our pains and labour O happy we that ever we repented and believed and closed with Jesus Christ O happy we that laid up our Treasure and waited for our glory and happiness till this time 4. The fourth Antecedent is that the righteous shall be caught up together in the aire all the righteous shall be caught up they that are raised from the dead and they that remain alive upon the Earth on that day 1 Thess. 4. 16 17. The dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the aire we read of the two witnesses which were slain after three dayes and a half the spirit of life from God entered into them and they stood upon theâ—r feet and they heard a great voice from Heaven saying unto them come up hither and they ascended up to Heaven in a Cloud c. Rev. 11. 11 12. In the morning of the resurrection the spirit of life from God will enter into the bodies of all the Saints and they will stand up and possibly they may hear a voice from Christ in the aire Come up hither and then they will be caught up and ascend into the aire to meet with their Lord O what unexpressible pleasure and delight will they finde when they Feel themselves begin to move upwards when they are leaving the Earth and wicked men and so many glorious persons of them together ascending to meet their most glorious Lord 5. The fifth antecedent to the judgment is their meeting with the Lord in the aire 1 Thess. 4. 17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the aire We have spoken of the meeting of the soul and the body of the meeting of the Saints with the Angels of the meeting of the Saints with the Saints all which meetings will be very delightful but the meeting of the Saints with the Lord himself will be beyond all O how sweet will the sound of Christ's coming be unto them before they see him When they hear the long expected shouâ— and the sound of the last Trump This this will be musick indeed in their eares Then then they will lift up their heads with joy and do but think how transporting the first glance of their eye will be upon the Lord Jesus Christ when they see him yet afar off cloathed with such brightness and beauty never did their eye behold such an object before they admired to see the Saints and to see themselves so transformed but how will they admire to see the Lord in such glory if so be that some of his Disciples did gaze after him with wonder when he was taken from them and ascended into Heaven Acts 1. 11. With what wonder will all his Disciples most of which never saw him in the flesh none of which saw him in such glory then gaze upon him when he shall come down from Heaven Yee Men of Galilee why stand yee gazing up into Heaven Say the Angels this same Iesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as yee have seen him go into Heaven if you look and wonder now at his going how will you look and wonder at his coming which will be as surely but far more gloriously But when they are come neerer unto Christ and have a fuller view of him O vvhat thoughts What affections What joyes vvill there then fill their souls O what workings what beatings of heart what transports and ravishment of spirit will they have O how would they be overwhelmed with this sight and utterly unable to bear it if they were not strengthened beyond their present capacity And is this the Saviour and Redeemer of the world O glorious Son of righteousness Did this most excellent Person who thus appears in the brightness of his Fathers glory and is now come down from his glorious habitation with such a glorious train of Angels once vouchsafe to dwell with men and vaile his glory in the flesh Did this eternal Son of God stoop so low as to take upon him our nature yea to take upon him the forme of a Servant Did he live in such meanness and obscurity and indure such hardship contradiction reproach and injury when he was upon the earth O infinite condescention Did this Lord of life and glory in the dayes of his flesh so weep and pray and cry sweat and bleed and die though with such pain anguish and disgrace yet with such willingness and
you now should I stay and preach unto you again and call and invite you to Iesus Christ and open the treasures of the Gospel and now you will open your ears and hearts to receive Alas now the mysterie of God is finished the treasures of the Gospel are shut up and sealed and the day of grace is quite spend and gone and cannot be recalled could not you have opened before when you know I knocked often and hard in my Masters name for entertainment I called but ye refused I stretched out my hand and lifted up my voice like a Trumpt but you did not regard and follow the counsels which were given unto you and now my preaching work is done for ever Should I sty and pray with you and for you that God would pardon your sins or defer your judgment but a little while if it were but for a week or a day that you might prepare your accounts and O how presently would you make your peace with God how readily would you accept of Christ on any terms do any thing suffer any thing denie self take up crâ—sse O how diligent would you be in the service of God and resist Sathan and take heed of sin Alas poor souls all these desires are too late I have prayed with you and for you and you have had warning and time ro prepare your accounts and have been called to these duties before but now the Oath is sworn by him that liveth for ever and ever that time shall be no longer now the ear of God is shut and no prayer can enter Now Christ is come down from the mercy Seat from the right hand of the Father where he made intercession and the Throne of Grace is now turned into a Iudgment Seat now there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin nothing but a fearfull looking for oâ— judgment to devour the wicked Alas why do you hang about me with teares and weeping what can I do for you now can I carry you all up with me in my armes would not the load be too great for me and if all of us together could hand and help some of you up into the aire with us and bring you into the presence of our dear and glorious Redeemer With what confidence could you stand before him With what face could you look upon him when you are so black and â—ilthy and have such guilt upon your consciences Would not your looks betray you to be none of our number Would not your black and trembling joynts speak what you are and would not Christ then frown you away from our company and then we must of necessity let you fall from on high amongst your fellow hypocrites and unbelievers Could we carry you up with us if you should lay hold on us would not the Angels snatch us out of your armes or would not Devils tear you away from us And could I rescue any of you out of Sathans hands when he comes to seize upon his own Alas what can I do fâ—r you at this time I must away and be gone and bid you now adieu for ever The Saints are all risen and have put on their glorious attire and we are called for It is your own faults that you did not help to fill up this number and when such of us as belong to Christ should be caught up in the clouds O how dreadful would it be for you and all that should be found in the number of them that are left 5. The fifth and most dreadful Antecedent to the Iudgment of the wicked will be their sight of the Lord Iesus Christ himself who will be revealed from Heaven at that day in flaming Fire to take vengeance upon them 2 Thess. 1. 7 8. The sight of their judge will affright them Rev. 1. 7. Behold he cometh with Clouds and every eye shall see him and they also that pierced him and all kindreds of the Earth shall wail because of him even so Amen Every eye shall see him not only the righteous but also the wicked and they also that pierced him that is the Jewes which crucified him as he saith Matth. 26. 64. Hereafter shall yee see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the Clouds of Heaven O how fearfull will the sight of Jesus Christ be to Iudas that betrayed them unto the Officers that took him unto the base Servant that smoâ—e him with the palm of his hand unto the people that mocked and spit upon him unto the Pharisees that accused him unto Pilate that scourged and condemned him unto Herod that scorn'd him unto the Souldiers that mocked and crucified him unto the Priests that stirred up the People and Pilate against him and in the midst of his agony and anguish railed on him though they did not see him come down from the cross yet when they see him come down from heaven they will believe that he was the Messias and O how will this sight terrify them then they will smite their breasts indeed and be filled with horrour when they perceive that the same Jesus was the Son of God and is now the Judge of the World and is come to call them before his Bar who then did stand before theirs the High Priest that rent his cloathes when Christ call'd himself the Son of God will be ready to rend himself in pieces for not acknowledging it and with what face will Iudas look his Master in the face when he sees him come in such glory and if some Souldiers that kept Christs Sepulchre did so shake and become like dead men at Christs resurrection when they saw the Angel whose countenance was like lightning and raiment white as Snow come and roll away the Stone from before the door thereof Matth. 28. 2 3 4. O how will they all that had a hand in his death quake and tremble when they see the Lord Jesus Christ himself come with such Power and Glory and all the Holy Angels with him to call them to Judgment Further it is said that all the kindreds of the Earth shall wail because of him so Matth. 24. 30. All the Tribes of the Earth shall mourn when they see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven this we are to understand of the wicked kindreds and tribes of the Earth the sight of Christ will be matter of the greatest Joy unto his Disciples but of the greatest sorrow unto the wicked World the mourning of the wicked see how it is set forth Rev. 6. 15 16 17. And the Kings of the Earth and the great Men and the rich Men and the chief Captains and the mighty Men and every Bond-man and every free-man hid themselves in the Dens and in the Rocks and in the Mountains And said to the Rocks and to the Mountains fâ—ll on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the Throne and from the wrath of the Lawb for the great day of his wrath
make such an impression as to raise their hearts to an unconceivable heighth of love 3. The righteous will have a higher capacity for love in Heaven than here they have and they shall be filled with love unto the heighth of their capacity they will be able to love a thousand times more than now they can do and they shall love unto their utmost ability they will see perfection of loveliness in God and all that are about him and they shall have perfection of love here their love is sincere and growing but it is weak and imperfect hereafter it will be grown up to the full heighth of it and perfect love will cast out all tormenâ— here their love is mixed the stream is divided â—t runs and wasts it self in many small rivulets which empty themselves upon the creatures but then the whole stream will run forth unto God individedly not a drop of their love shall be â—pâ—lt on the ground God will be the sole object â—f their love here their love is uneven and incoâ—stant to God sometimes it ebbs and someâ—imes it slows sometimes they have a high and â—pring-tiâ—e of love to God but at other times it 〈◊〉 low water hereafter their love to God will be â—ven and constant and alwaies at the greatest â—eighth 3. And O what joy will there be in their hearts through the union which the righteous shall have unto God the chief good when their minds shall be joyned to him in immediate vision and their hearts in perfect love O how sweet a fruition of God will this be what delights will spring from hence if the Saints can now rejoyce exceedingly in God when they see him so little and their love is so imperfect what will they do when they see and love him perfectly and fully if they are now exceeding glad sometimes with the light of his countenance though they have but a glimpse thereof what will they be when they shall have a constant view thereof and live eternally under the beams of that light their love to God is sweet now though it be weak but what will it be in Heaven when the conjunction of their hearts to God by love shall be so neeâ— and close if the Saints can now rejoyce in hope of the glory of God what will they do in the possession thereof when faith shall be changed for vision and hope turned into fruition O how will the Saints rejoyce and triumph when they are sailed quite thorow the tempestuous Sea oâ— this world and are landed safely in Heaven where there is rest and peace without any windy stormâ— when they have got the victory over the devil and sin and are now placed out of the gun-shoâ— of temptation and have conquered througâ— Christ the grave and death and are out of feâ—â— of his arrows when they see that they have escaped the terrible wrath of God and finde them selves in the arms of his love when theâ— perceive that they are in Heaven now inâ—deed notwithstanding all their sins and doubts and fears and now they have that blessed vision of God which they so much desired and the full fruition of God in love which they hoped for when they shall look about them and see so much glory about them and shall look within them and see so much glory there revealed beyond whatever they could imagine O how will they be transported with joy then they will have fulness of joy in the presence of God and their pleasure and happiness wil be perfect without interruption or possibility of a conclusion And the eternity of their happiness will be the Heaven of Heaven as eternity of misery will be the Hell of Hell Thus concerning the happiness of the Saints or the eternal life of glory which they shall enter into 2. Concerning the righteous going or entring into eternal life The righteous after the pronouncing of their sentence and their seeing the execution of the sentence of the wicked shall pass away from them and go with Christ into eternal life they shall go with singing to the Zion which is above and everlasting joy on their heads they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Isa. 51. 11. It wil be a most glorious train such as eye never hath seen which will go together unto Heaven The Lord Jesus Christ will be in the head in shining glory all the holy Angels will be with him and the whole company of the righteous will be together that ever lived in all generations and O with what mirth and gladness will they move towards Heaven together with what shoutings and Hosannah's will they attend upon the glorious triumph of our Saviour unto the new Ierusalem but when they are come to the gates of Heaven and the everlasting doors shall be lifted up to them and they look into the place prepared for their eternal abode when the Lord Iesus shall bring them into the glorious presence of the Father and they shall have the beatifical vision of his face and see the smiles of his countenance and are received into the imbracements of his love Then Then they will finde themselves to be happy indeed then their heart will be filled with joy and their tongues with singing then they will sing the new Song the Song of the Lamb which now cannot be learned then they will sound forth the prayses of God and cry with a loud voice as Rev. 7. 10 11. Salvatiâ—n to our God 〈…〉 upâ—n the Throne and to the Lâ—mb And worshipping God they will say Amen Blessing and Glory and Wisdom and Thanâ—sgiving and Honour and Power and Might be untâ— our God for ever and ever Amen And there shall they live and reign for evermore Thus concerning the execution of the sentenceâ— on the righteous and concerning the second appearance of Christ and end thereof CHAP. XI 2. COneâ—rning the Certainty of Christs second appearance I'shall prove this by several Arguments 1. Aâ—g If the Scriptures have clearly revealed an◠〈◊〉 Christ's second appearance to judgment an◠〈◊〉 the Scriptures are certainly true then this second appearance of Christ is certain But the Scriptures have clearly revealed and foretold this second appearance of Christ to judgement and the Scriptures are certainly true Therefore the second appearance of Christ is certain 1. The Scriptures have clearly revealed and foretold Christ's second appearance to judgment It is not a truth written in the book of nature it is not to be found in the writings of the Philosophers and those who have had the highest speculations of natural causes and effects and products this is a mysterie which the world by wisdom could never finde out it is a secret which hath been hid in God and is revealed by his Spirit in his Word this coming of Christ was foretold by Enoch Iude 14. 15. And Enoch also the seventh from Adam prâ—phesied Behold the Lord â—â—meth with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all
c. So that it is of ancient revelation The first coming of Christ was foretold to Adam in the promise that the seed of the woman should break the Serpents head and the second coming of Christ was foretold to Enâ—ch It is foretold by the Angels Acts 1. 10 11. Whilst the Disciples looked stedfastly upon our Saviour in his Ascension two Angels say unto them Ye men of Gâ—lilee why stand ye gazing up into Heaven this same Iesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come down in like manner as â—e have seen him go into Heaven however Devils are Lyars and the Fathers of Lyes and Lyars yet the good Angels are true and Ministers of truth and this is a true restimony further this is foretold by the Apâ—stles who were employed to be the Pen-men of part of the holy Scripture and were guided by an infallible spirit the Apostle Paul speaks often of it especially see his testimony I Thes. 4. 15 16 17. For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-angel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord Thus he sets forth Christs coming in a comfortable manner unto his people therefore exhorteth Christians to comfort one another with those words and hopes of Christs glorious appearance when they should be caught up to meet with him and be with him for ever and he sets it forth in a dreadful manner in regard of the wicked 2 Thes. I 7 8 9. The Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his Mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them which know not God and obey not the Gospel who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Moreover this coming of Christ is spoken of by the Apostle in every Chapter of both of these Epistles I Epist Chap. 1. 10 And to wait for his Son from Heaven Chap. 2. 19. What is our hope or joy or crown of rejoycing are not ye in the presence of the Lord Iesus at his coming Chap. 3. 13. To the end he may establish you unblameable in holiness at the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Chap. 4. 16. The Lord himself will descend from Heaven with a shout Chap. 5. 23. I pray that your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ. 2. Epist. Chap. 1. 10. He shall come to â—e glorified in his Saints Chap. 2. 1 3. Now I beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him that ye be not soon shaken in minde c. Chap. 3. 5. And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and patient waiting for Christ. I might turn you to further testimonies of his Tit. 2 13. Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour Heb. 9. 28. Unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time unto salvation We have also the testimony of the Apostle Iames Chap. 5. 7. Be patient therefore brethren unto the coming of the Lord. Of the Apostle Peter 1 Epist Chap. 5. 4. When the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of glory which fadeth not away 2 Epist. Chap. 3. 10. The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night Of the Apostle Iohn 1 Epist. Chap. 3. 2. When he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is And in his Revelation frequently Rev. 1. 7. Behold he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him and they also that pierced him and all the kindreds of the earth shall waile because of him Even so Amen To conclude we have the testimony of our Saviour himself whilst on earth to his Disciples Mat. 16. 27. The Son of man shall come in the glory of the Father with his Angels and then he shall reward every man according to his works Matth. 24. 27. As lightning so shall the coming of the Son of Man be V. 30. They shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of Heaven V. 31. And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet to gather the Elect from the four Winds Mat. 25. especially from the 31. to the end where his judicial proceedings are set forth and our Saviour doth testifie to his enemies that he would come again Matth. 26. 64. Hereafter ye shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power coming in the clouds of Heaven And our Saviour testified by his Angel to Iohn his beloved Disciple after his ascension into Heaven that he would come again especially Rev. 22. where we have three promises of the same thing V. 7. Behold I come quickly Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of this Book V. 12. Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to every man according as his work shall be V. 20. Surely I come quickly Amen Even so Come Lord Iesus If any one word in the whole Book of God may be believed this concerning Christ's second coming and appearance may be believed of which we have such frequent and evident testimonies in the Word as surely as he came the first time in the flesh according to the predictions hereof in the Old Testament so surely will he come the second time in glory according to the predictions in the New Testament God can as soon cease to be God as this Word concerning Christs second coming fail when the Sun goes down in the evening we believe it will return and arise at such a time in the morning accordingly it comes to pass So now Christ the Sun of righteousness is gone into Heaven whilst the night of this world doth last though we cannot know the certain time yet we may believe that he will certainly return and come down from Heaven in the morning of the resurrection it is more possible that the Sun when it is set should abide for ever in the other parts of the world and never arise any more in our Horison than that Christ should abide for ever in Heaven and not return to judge the World when the thing is evidently revealed and frequently promised in the Scripture 2. That the Scriptures are true is evident because they are the Word of God who is a God of truth and cannot lie who can as soon cease to be God as cease to be true untruth in God would argue weakness and imperfection in God which cannot be since to be
come little thinking that the World is not of a years nor two dayes standing longer but O what terrour will seize upon these Worldings the next morning when Christ doth appear to judge them and they finde that whilst they have gained something in the World which they cannot now keep and will yield no profit in this day of wrath that they have lost their souls and happiness for ever which they cannot regain that whilst they have been busie about trifles they have neglected the one thing necessary then they will wish that instead of planting Trees in their Ground they had spent their time in getting grace planted in their hearts that instead of building Houses for their bodies they had laid a good foundation for this time and got a title to the building of God the House not made with hands which is durable and eternal The day before Christs coming will be a sinning-day with all the wicked and a day of general security some will be swearing and cursing others will be oppressing and grinding the faces of the poor others will be reproaching and persecuting of Gods people and the very night before it may be many wicked Persons may be got together Carding and Dicing and Drinking all night unto Drunkenness and others may be got into the unclean Bed and there lie in their filthiness and all will be sleeping in sin and security but the sound of the last Trumpet will startle and awaken them all when sinners open their eyes on this morning and see the Heavens open before them and the Lord Jesus Christ descend in such glory as hath been described none can utter what their perplexity will be at that day and the suddenness of Christs coming will make their horrour the greater some of them were told of this day of Fire when the Heavens should pass away with a great noise and the Elements should melt with fervent heat and the Earth with the works therof should be burnt up and what course they should take to escape the vengeance of this day they were perswaded to leave their sins to flee from the wrath to come to hasten out of Sodom if they would not be consumed in its flames to get away and not look back to flee presently into Zoar where only they could be hid to get into the City of refuge if they would escape the vengeance which did pursue them which had them upon the chase they were invited into Gods Family and into the armes of his mercy they were invited unto Christ and to partake of his grace freely they were told again and again if they did go on in the way of sin that iniquity would be their ruine that so long as they did abide in a state of impenitency and unbelife that the wrath of God did abide on them they were told how sweet Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ was and how ready he would be to receive them if they applyed themselves by faith with repentance for sin unto him and they were told how furious and inexorable a Judge he would be and what vengeance he would take upon them at the last day if they did not take warning in the day of grace which they had allowed them they were told that Hell Fire was very hot and intollerable and that Heavens pleasures were very sweet and most desirable and they were earnestly entreated to fly from the former and accept of the latter upon the most reasonable termes on which they were proffered But they were like Lot's Sons in Law they did not believe Ministers which warned them seem'd in their eyes as if they had mocked them their words seemed like idle tales whatever haste the Lots made out of Sodom they would not stir they did not look after a Zoar to flie unto they hugged their sins and would not leave them they heard of Christ but they neglected slighted refused him they did not apprehend such need which they had of a Saviour they were fearless of future wrath and careless of the salvation and happiness of their souls But when Christ doth come down so suddenly and unexpectedly to judge and condemn them and shall cast them into the Lake which burns with Fire and Brimstone then they will remember these things with vexation far greater than that of Lot's Sons in Law when Fire and Brimstone was rained from Heaven upon them who would not hearken to the counsel of their Father to escape it CHAP. XIII The Application THe Lord Jesus Christ will certainly and quickly appear The day is appointed by the eternal and unalterable decree of God and he hath revealed the thing though not the time in his word of truth the day approacheth it cannot be far off time is flying away upon swift wings the day of the World is almost spent the shaddowes of its evening are stretched forth to a great length yet a little while and Christ will be here he will appear in his glory never did eye of Man behold such glory and majesty in the greatest earthly Potentate as will be seen in the Lord Jesus Christ on this day all the state and pomp and splendor and glittering glory which some Princes have been decked withall in their Triumphant showes is no more to be compared with the pomp and splendor of the Lord Jesus Christ in this appearance than the shining of a Candle or Glow-worm or rotten stick in the night is to be compared with the shining of the Sun in its noon-day glory Ere long the great Gates of Heaven will lift up their heads and those everlasting Doors within which Christ doth for the present remain will be opened and then this King of Glory will come forth and come down with marvellous splendour and brightness of Majesty It is said Psal. 47. 5. God is gone up with a shout the Lord with the sound of the Trumpet then God will come down with a shout the Lord with the sound of a Trumpet 1 Thess. 4. 16. The Chariots of the Lord are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels Psal. 68. 17. All the holy Angels shall attend upon him and blow the Trumpet before him at this last Assizes to awaken and summon on the World to judgment then the Sun in the Firmament will be darkned when this more glorious Sun doth appear then the whole frame of Heaven will shake and the foundations of the Earth will be moved the everlasting Mountains will bow and the perpetual Hills will shrink yea the Heavens will pass away with a great noise and like a skroll be rolled together and the Elements will melt with fervent heat and the Earth wâ—â—l be on Fire and every Mountain and Island will flee away from before his face then the Sea will roar and all living Creatures likely will be in a strange consternation then the wicked Tribes of the Earth will mourn and the Saints will rejoyce at this glorious appearance of the great God and their Saviour But who will be alive on
this glorious day who will be the Spectators of these great things whose eyes shall behold this blessed sight who shall see the Lord Jesus come in such glory many Kings and Prophets and righteous Men desired to-see Christ come in the flesh and did not see him and to hear the things which he taught but they did not obtain their desire many Generations were asleep in their Graves before Christs first appearance the righteous saw him afar off and darkly in types and figures few lived in the dayes when our Saviours abode was upon the Earth he had not many Disciples whom he made happy with his personal acquaintance and abode with them A great access there hath been since Christs departure unto the Church who though they have loved him and believed in him yet they never saw him with bodily eyes Three things one desired to see Christ in the flesh Paul in the Pulpit and Rome in its glory but past things are fled out of sight and the wishes of such things are â—o no purpose death hath closed the eyes of many millions of Christs Disciples who have heard the report of him but never saw him And is not their hopes of seeing Christ perished in the Graves with their bodies which are turned into rottenâ—ess and purrefaction and are not we all hastâ—ing towards those dark Chambers where no â—eam of light doth shine and nothing can be seen the righteous indeed which remain when Christ doth come down will be happy when they see their Lord in the aire but if we die before the time what shall we be the better Beloved let me tell you or rather believe the Word of God which doth tell you that all of you will be spectators of the great things which shall come to pass at the last day all Generations of Men and Women that ever lived upon the face of the Earth and are sleeping in the dust shall then be awakened and raised and be alive together and you shall be found alive amongst them that which our Saviour spake to the chief Priests and Elders of the Iewes before whom he was accused and stood as a Prisoner Hereafter yee shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming in the Clouds of Heaven Matth. 26. 64. The same may I say unto all you that hear me this day hereafter yee shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven Rev. 1. 7. Behold he cometh with Clouds and every eye shall see him These very eyes with which you look upon me or one upon another shall see the Lord Jesus Christ come in the aire these very cares with which you hear me preach this Doctrine unto you shall hear the sound of the last Trumpet and the great shout with which Christ will descend out of his Fathers Pallace into this inferiour World these very bodies which are standing or sitting in this place must stand before Christs Tribunal Seat at the last Day Death hath a Commission from God to pull you out of your habitations and drag your bodies into its Prison and this enemy is upon the way and hath you all in pursuit and how neer he is come to your Doors you do not know his arrows are flying about your eares and you will be smitten sooner or later either when you are younger or older none can escape his stroke your time is wasting your Glass is running and ere long you will be expiring your last breath and these bodies which you are cloathing and feeding and providing for every day will lie a dying and be carryed by your mourning friends to your Graves And as certain as Death so certain will your Resurrection be at Christs coming Christ hath received a Commission from God to judge the World and he will come down from Heaven with the Keyes of Death and Hell and open the Doores where you shall have your lodging and bring you forth to judgment I must awake on that day if I fall asleep into my Grave before and arise and give an account of my self and the souls committed to my charge unto my Lord and Master and you must awake also and give an account of your selves and actions unto the glorious Judge your lives then will be reviewed your actions will be examined and it will be known then what you have been doing ever since you came into the World how you have spent your time how you have improved the seasons and means of grace then it will appear who are Christs sheep and who the Goats however they now flock together sometimes in one company who are wise and who the foolish Virgins however now all have Lamps shining then it will be known who have been wise unto salvation who have made their peace with God in the way who have furnished their hearts with grace laid up their treasure in Heaven and improved their talents for their Masters use upon the Earth and who have foolishly slipt and sinned away the harvest and day of grace neglecting Christ and the things which belonged to their peace and happiness until they were hid from their eyes who have been hypocrites and unbelievers and served divers lusts instead of serving the Lord of life and glory and all ungodly sinners will be found out and punished then all of you yea the whole World will believe the doctrine which we now preach concerning the vanity of the Creatures the evil of sin the necessiry of Christ the excellency of grace the happiness of Gods Children and O what will the pardon of sin the favour of God the least measure of grace be worth then our Doctrine concerning these things is as true now and the worth to Christ and grace and salvation as great though then Mens valuation will be greater because the worth will be more apparent But give me leave to apply this Doctrine concerning the certainty and speediness of the coming of Christ to Judgment 1. To Sinners 2. To Believers 3. To both 1. I shall speak to sinners 1. To discover them 2. To awaken them 3. To exbort them 1. For the Discovery of Sinners Will the Lord Jesus Christ certainly and quickly appear to Judgment and must the whose World be summoned unto his Bar surely then it doth above all things concern all of you to sit down and consider how you are provided for this day all of you will be spectators of Christ and his glory on that day but you will not be idle spectators as sometimes you have been of great shows in the City whilst it was yet standing which have passed away and you have gone away without much regard of the things you have seen No you will all be most highly concerned in this appearance of Christ more then Persons who are to be tryed for their lives are concerned at the appearance of the Judge who comes to paâ—s sentence upon them you will all be tryed on that day and your everlasting weal or wo will depend
and secretly tell any of you that you are in the number of those persons whom the Lord will condemn at the last day and sentence unto Hell methinks it should make you startle and look about you methinks it should make your hair stand an end and every joynt to tremble methinks it should fill you with fear and imprint such trouble upon your spirits as would damp all your earthly comforts and delights to confider the danger which ye are in by reason of sinâ— the guilt of which doth still lie upon you Every word of this Doctrine is awakening 1 Awake sinners awake Christ will appear to judgment Christ will appear whom you have read of and heard of and have had frequent proffers of but could never be prevailed to accept of Christ will appear in his glory in whom you could see no beauty or desirableness Christ will appear as a Iudge whom you might have had for your Saviour Sinners the Judge of the whole world will appear and can you sleep under the guilt of sin He will be a most glorious powerful wise holy righteous strict furious inexorable Judge as hath been shown from p. 65. to p. 73. and yet are you secure and fearless you have heard God's terrible voice in the City and that hath not awakened you and will not Christ's appearance to Judgment awaken you neither You have been asleep under the sound of temporal judgments and can you sleep under the thoughts of the last judgment when the punishment which shall then be inflicted will be eternal 2. Awake sinners awake Christ will certainly appear to Judgment if there were only a peradventure of Christs coming to Judgment methinks it should awaken the guilty but when there is a certainty of it how should it awaken you as certainly as God is true as certainly as the Scriptures are his Word as certainly as you are creatures and sinners so certainly will the Lord Jesus Christ appear to judge the ungodly World for sin at the last day England hath of late been under the stroke of several temporal Judgments and England is in danger of further and greater calamities God may put a more bitter Cup into our hands to drink than yet we have tasted of the danger of which should awaken secure sinners because they cannot promise to themselves any shelter at such a time yet there is a possibility that the Lord may be entreated to spare and put up his Sword and prevent our ruine which we have deserved but the day of Judgment is most certain God who cannot change hath decreed it God who cannot lie hath revealed it the iniquities of the World which are great do call for it therefore it must be the day will certainly come and yet can you sleep in sin If a Thief knew after he had robbed his neighbour that he should certainly be taken and judged and condemned and punâ—shed it would affright him you may know that Christ will certainly come to judgment and that all guilty sinners shall be brought forth and condemned and should not this awaken you especially since if you sleep on your damnation and eternal punishment will be certain 3. Awake sinners awake Christ will quickly appear to Judgment The coming of the Lord draweth nigh the Judge standeth at the Door the Lord will suddenly come down when you least expect it the Lord may be here and can you sleep when the appearance of Christ is so sure and so neer too can you slumber when your judgment lingreth not and your damnation slumbreth not If the day of general Judgment should be protracted for some time longer until all the Elect be gathered and the things foretold in the â—ord be fulfilled yet your time for preparation may be almost spent you may suddenly go down into your Graves where there is no operation and can you sleep in sin when you are liable every day to the stroke of death which will cut you off from all opportunities of making your peace with God for ever and deliver you up at the last day into the hands of the Judge under the same guilt as it found you when it first laid its arrest upon you 4. Awake sinners awake when Christ doth appear yee also shall appear when Christ is descended from Heaven yee shall be raised from the Earth you shall be awakened out of the sleep of death and will not you be awakened out of the sleep of sin If there were any hopes that by getting into your Graves before this day you could hide your selves and lie buried there for ever you might be the more secure but when your death is not more certain than your resurrection will be when the appearing of Christ to judgment is not more certain than your appearance on that day to be judged you have reason to shake off sleep and bethink your selves how you are provided Death will be terrible to you if it come with the sting of sin in its mouth if it shoot its poisoned arrowes into you but your resurrection will be a thousand fold more dreadful if you awake at the last day with the guilt of sin in your consciences Sinners think what terrours will invade you when you are raised out of your Graves when you first lift up your heads and eyes to Heaven and see the Lord Jesus Christ the glorious Judge of the World come down with millions of mighty Angels cloathed with vengeance like flames of Fire and look down with a furious countenance upon you when in your rising you hear the sound of the Trumper and such a shout given in the aire as will make a louder noise than if twenty thousand great pieces of Ordnance were shot off together just before you when you have a summons given you and you are dragged with the rest of the damned crew which have lived in all ages of the World to the Tribunal Seat of Jesus Christ O how will you quiver and tremble and be filled with confusion then and yet can you sleep securely now as if you were not at all concerned 5. Awake sinners awake when Christ doth appear you shall be judged by him Then the Books will be opened where all your actions are recorded then your sins now it may be forgotten and slighted will be called to remembrance and your secret sins which now you are ashamed of will then be made manifest before the whole World your old sins will be reviewed your old uncleanness your old drunkenness your old unrighteousness and you will be made to hear of all your sins past and gone many years before in such a manner as shall make your eares to tingle your hearts to quake and tremble and when Gods justice shall arraign you and the Devil accuse you and your conscience shall bear witness against you and the Lord Jesus Christ shall pronounce the Sentence upon you Depart from me yee cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels and the Saints it may be accompany him with a loud shout Even so Amen or say with one voice Go yee cursed into everlâ—sting Fire and so pass from you into Heaven and leave the Devil and his Angels to drag you unto torments and when you see there
will be durable and unsearchable Rejoice then believers rejoice what though you are poor in the world you are rich in saith and hope what though you have no inheritance on earth yet you are heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven you shall have an inheritance which is incorruptible and undefiled what though you indure some hardship in your journey through the world when you come home to your Fathers house you shall be freed from all want and have such treasures to spend upon which can never be exhausted 6. Think what Honours you shall have the meanest of you will be exalted unto higher dignity than the greatest Monarch that ever lived you will be crowned with immortal glory you will be honoured by God and the Angels and you will not only have honour but you will be made most honourable Rejoice then believers and take comfort though you are scorned by some and accounted as the off-scouring of the earth you are reproached and vilified by men here but all your reproaches especially those which you have born for the sake of Jesus Christ shall be wreathed into a Crown and make you the more glorious in Heaven there you shall not have the least disgrace cast upon you any more and you shall be kept from doing any unbecoming action to blot and sullie you in the least but you shall shine like so many Stars or glorious Suns in the Kingdom of your Father 7. Think what Peace and Rest you shall have you shall have a most sweet peace and tranquilitie of mind no enemie without to disturb and molest you no devil to tempt and assault you no lusts within or distempered passion to disquiet you then you shall have perfect peace and then you shall rest from all wearisome imploiments and take up your repose in God for ever Rejoice then believers and set this chear your hearts in your passage through the tempestuous sea of this world ere long you will come to the haven where there will be no waves nor winds sometimes now you are troubled on every side and have no rest in your spirits without are fightings within are fears but in Heaven you shall be freed perfectlie from all disturbance and molestation 8. Think what Ioyes and Pleasures you shall have you shall have fulness of Joy Psal. 16. 11. you shall drink of the rivers of pleasures Psal. 36. 8. O the delights which you shall have in the immediate views of Gods face in the sense of Gods love in the high actings of your love in the fruition of the chiefest good and the high emploiment which you shall have in Heaven Rejoice then believers rejoice in hope of these joyes now you mourn and weep for your sin and because of the eclipses of the light of Gods countenance it troubles your hearts that you can see and enjoy so little of God that your love is so low and inconstant that your highest services are but mean and diverted many times by little trifling businesses in the world from converse with God in heaven all tears will be wiped away from your eyes and all sorrow with all the grounds thereof will be removed you will come with singing into the new Ierusalem you will enter and live in the vision and fruition in the love and joy and spend an eternity in the praise of the Lord. 2. Believers consider the sureness of the happiness of Heaven as surely as you are believers so surely shall you obtain this happiness you cannot be sure of any thing in the world but you may be sure of the glory of heaven and though there be not the certitudo subjecti and many of you be not assured of it but are full of doubts and fears that you shall fall short yet there is certitudo objecti the thing is sure to you Rejoice then believers rejoice your names are written in the book of life our of which they shall never be blotted labour to answer your doubts and to get your hearts wrought up to a full assurance of this happiness by such arguments as these which will evidently prove that if you be true believers you shall not you cannot miss of Heaven I. God hath chosen you to glory he hath elected you to salvation before the world was Act. 13. 48. As many as were ordained to eternal life believed Hence it follows that all believers were ordained to eternal life and I Thes. 2. 13. God hath chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and beliefe of the truth All true believers are elected persons and Gods decree of election cannot be frustrated because God is unchangeable because God changeth not therefore you are not consumed because God changeth not therefore you shall be saved 2. God hath promised this happiness to you I Iohn 2. 24. This is the promise which he hath promised even eternal life And Tit. 1. 2. In hope of eternal life which God who cannot lie hath promised If God hath promised this happiness and your faith doth give you interest in the promises and God be faithful to fulfil to them it being impossible for God to lie then as certainly as God is true you that are believers shall obtain 3. The Lord Jesus Christ hath purchased this happiness for you it is called the purchased posfession Eph. 1. 14. as certain as the purchase so certain will be the possession 4. The Lord Jesus hath taken possession of Heaven for you The fore-runner is for us entred Heb. 6. 20. He is preparing these mansions in the fathers house for you Ioh. 14. 2. and as certain as Christ is in Heaven so certainly shall those that are believers be received thither in time 5. Christ praied that you might have this happiness whilst he was on the earth Iah 17. 24. Father I will that those which thou host given me be with me where I am that they may behold the glory which thou host given me Which prayer was made for you if believers as well as for his present Disciples v. 20. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word And for this thing Chirst intercedes above and whatever he praies and intercedes for he will prevail for you and therefore you will obtain 6. Ye are Christs as ye are believers and therefore all things are yours saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. amongst which things to come are enumerated ye are Christs servants and do his work and he will give you your wages You honour him in the world and therefore you shall be honoured by him You follow your Master in a way of self-denial and suffering and if you suffer with him you shall reign with him 2 Tim. 2. 12. and be glorified together Rom. 8. 17. and where Christ is there shall his servants be Ioh. 12. 26. Ye are Christs members and where the head is there shall the members be Ye are Christs Sponse you are joined married to him and therefore shall
live with him all the powers of earth and hell cannot separate you from his love and therefore cannot keep you out of heaven Rom. 8. 35 36 37 38 39. 7. Ye are justified by faith Rom. 5. 1. and therefore absolved from the guilt of sin therefore freed from the condemnation of hell Rom. 8. 1. therefore shall not perish seeing the cause thereof is removed therfore you shall have eternal life Ioh. 3. 16. whom God justifieth them he also glorifieth Rom. 8. 30. 8. Yee are the adopted children of God Gal. 3. 26. For ye are all the Children of God by faith in Iesus Christ. And if children then heirs Rom. 8. 17. and if heirs you shall be sure to have the inheritance 9. Ye are called with a Holy calling and sanctified with the holy Spirit and thereby in some measure fitted and qualified for this happiness by the work of grace consormity to the Lord in holiness grace is glory begun and is called eternal life and God hath promised to perfect it Philip. 1. 6. grace hath relation to Heaven as sin hath relation to hell and as sin will certainly bring men to hell if it be not pardoned and subdued so grace will certainly bring men to heaven because it cannot be wholly eradicated 10. You have made choice of Heaven for your portion you have laid up there your treasure and God hath set your souls a longing after it and given you hopes of it and therefore you shall not miss it your desires shall be satisfied and your hopes shall not make you ashamed Rom. 5. 5. 11. And if besides all this you have the witness and seal and earnest of the spirit giving you some first fruits and foretastes of this happiness though all believers do not obtain it then you may know without question that this is a sure happiness both in its self and unto you Therefore believers exercise your faith that you may be filled with all joy and peace in believing 3. Believers consider the neerness of the happiness of Heaven Christs appearance is not far off but your happiness may be neerer I mean the happiness of your souls in Heaven which will begin so soon as your lives come to an end the wicked walk upon the brink of Hell every day when they die thither they are carried you walk upon the borders of the Heavenly Canaan the Paradise which is above when you die thither you shall be conveyed and you may die suddenlie and as sâ—ddenlie you will be in glory Rejoice then believers rejoice you may be in Heaven before you are aware it may be to morrow God will send for you within a few daies you may be out of the body and present with â—he Lord Jesus and amongst the spirits of just Men made perfect when you break Prison from the body you will be delivered into the marvelous light of Gods glory rejoice to think how neer your happiness is 4. Believers consider the everlastingness of the happiness of Heaven there is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore Psal. 18. 11. When you are come to Heaven there you shall abide your happiness will be constant and eternal without diminution intermixture of sin or sorrow without interruption or possibility that ever it should be brought to an end It would alleviate the torments of the damned if they had any hopes of ever being let out of Hell and it would weaken the joyes of the Saints yea fill them with unspeakable grief if there were any danger and fear of being ever thrust out of Heaven Rejoice then yee believers yee shall rejoice for evermore in the eternal vision and fruition of God labour to begin your Heavens joyes now let faith so realize and bring neer the things which you hope for and make evident the things which as yet you do not see but shall possess that you may have a sweet foretaste of this happiness and begin your Heavens work to praise the Lord for his great and undeserved love wherewith he hath loved you and for those things beyond conception which out of love he hath prepared for you CHAP. XV. LAstly to conclude I shall speak a word both to Sinners and Believers Will the Lord Jesus Christ certainly and quickly appear to judgment let me then in his name perswade you to three things 1. Believe that Christ will appear mingle the Doctrine you have heard or read with faith you have had evident proofs of it believe the thing Sinners believe that Christ will come to judge and condemn you if you be found in your sins did you believe it effectually you would quickly become Saints Believers labour for more faith in this truth did you believe it more strongly you would live at a higher rate 2. Consider that Christ will appear meditate on this thing let it dwell in your thoughts let it lie down with you at night and arise with you in the morning let it sit down with you at Table and walk with you abroad think often of the antecedents of Christs coming the judgment it self and the consequents thereof and get a deep impression of the last Judgment upon your spirits Sinners consider how the wicked will be judged think how they will be accused and condemned think of the dreadful sentence and the execution thereof in Hell and then think that you are in the number of those that are in such danger unless you speedily secure your selves by making your peace Believers consider how the Saints will be judged think how Christ will acquit them and invite them to take possession and then will give them possession of Heaven and then think that you are in the number of these blessed ones which shall be made thus happy 3. Prepare for the appearance of Christ to judgment and that you may be prepared as a conclusion to this Doctrine take these directions 1. Be diligent that yee may be found of him in peace it is the advice of the Apostle after his discourse of the coming of the Lord and the glorious things of that day Wherefore beloved seeing that yee look for such things be diligent that yee may be found of him in peace 2 Pet. 3. 14. 1. Make your peace with God sinners God is your enemy make your peace with him you have offended him by your sins and his justice must be satisfied O labour to geâ— an interest in the satisfaction of Christ that your sins may be pardoned and God may be reconciled lay hold on Christ by faith as yet you may be welcome to him hereafter it will be too late Believers make sure of a pardon you cannot be too sure in a thing of such concernment 2. Diligently endeavourâ—after peace in your consciences sinners get the wounds which fin hath made there healed with the blood of Christ Believers take heed of making any breaches there maintain peace within when you have obtained it 3. Diligently follow after peace one with another take heed of hatred variance
emulations wraths strifes seditions envyings divisions clamours evil-speakings back-bitings whisperings swellings tumults and follow after those things which make for peace as love joy humbleness of minde meekness long-suffering patience and the like that you may be found of the Lord in peace 2. Give diligence that yee may be found of the Lord without spot and blameless as the Apostle doth advise in the same 14. vers And read ver 11 Seeing all these things shall be dissolved what manneâ— of Persons ought yee to be in all holy conversatioâ— and godliness Get the spots of sin washed ofâ— not only the guilt of sin removed but also the deâ—filement labour to be holy in all manner of conâ—versation to be blameless and harmless the Chilâ—dren of God without rebuke in the midst of crooked and perverse Generation Take heed 〈◊〉 the sins of the times and places wherein you live joyn not with them in their sins least you share 〈◊〉 their Plagues at the last day Let your conversaâ—tion be as becometh the Gospel let your action be â—quâ—â—ed by the Word as those which must givâ— an account and receive a reward according 〈◊〉 your works 3. Sit loose from the World let not your hearâ— be over-charged with the cares of this life nâ— filled with the love of the World and that daâ— overtake you at unawares Luke 21. 34. Rememâ—ber that riches will not profit you in the day 〈◊〉 wrath that the fashion of this World passeth â— way and you are passing away and therefoâ— live here as strangers and soâ—journers 4. Lay up your treasure in Heaven Matth. â— 20. And get your affections set upon things abovâ— Col. 3. 2. And then the appearance of Jesus Chrâ—â— will be joyful to you because he will give 〈◊〉 poffession of Heaven 5. Be ready to do and suffer whatever the Loâ— calls you unto patiently continue in well-doinâ— for in due time yee shall reap be stedfast and 〈◊〉 movable alwaies abounding in the work of 〈◊〉 Lord because your labour shall not be in vain 〈◊〉 the Lord Gal. 6 9. I Cor. 15. 58. And what ever afflictions yee suffer for Christ they are light and momentany but the glory which Christ will give is weighty and eternal 2 Cor. 4. 17. 6. Give Christ your hearts let him have the highest room give him your whole heart let him have the choicest and chiefest of your affections and then he will give you his Kingdome and such expressions of his love will he make unto you at his appearance as now you have not thoughts to conceive 7. Maintain communion with Christ in his Ordinances prize Ordinances upon this account because Christ doth walk there and improve Ordinances for this end that you may meet with Christ â—est not in the out-side and carnal part of Ordinances but seek after Christ in them until you finde â—im and labour to grow into acquaintance with Christ and to keep fellowship with him and â—hen when he doth appear he will know you again â—nd own you and receive you to live with him â—or ever 8. Stand up for the honour of Christ in the World â—onfess him before Men and he will confess you â—efore his Father in Heaven Matth. 10. 32. Be â—ot ashamed to profess your selves his Disciples â—nd to own his waies and truths when they are â—ost contemned and despised by the ungodly â—orld because if you be he will be ashamed of â—ou when he cometh in his Glory Mark 8. 38. 9. Improve your Talents for the use of the Lord â—ho hath entrusted you with them All of you have â—alents lay them not up in a Napkin but lay â—em out in the service of the Lord whatever â—ifts or graces you have put them forth to usury â—at you may give an account with joy to your Lord when he shall come to call you to an account 10. Stand upon your Watch when our Saviour had foretold his Disciples of his coming he exhorts them and all to watch Mark 13. 37. What I say unto you I say unto all watch Watch against sin watch your senses which are the inlets of sin watch your hearts from whence are the issues of sin watch take heed of sleeping in sin least you lose your Garmâ—nts and be found naked 11. Be frequent and fervent in Prayer our Saviour joyns these duties together in his exhoâ—tation of his Disciples Luke 21. 36. Watch yee therefore and pray alwayes that yee may be counted worthy to escape all these things which shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man Pray without ceasing pray without fainting be often upon your knees and be earnest with the Lord that he would prepare you for this day that he would deliver you from that dreadful wrath which shall be revealed when Christ doth appear and which you have deserved for your sins and pray that he would give you those qualifications as may embolden you at the last day to hold up your heads with confidence that he would keep you without spot and blameless until the coming of the Lord. 12. And lastly Look for the appearance of the Lord look with an eye of hope labour to abound in hope by the power of the Holy Ghost and let this hope be an Anchor fastned within the Vail to stay your sinking hearts in the midst of those fierce stormes which do or may beat upon you in the World and look with an eye of desire look and long for Christs appearance dart up your wishes often to Heaven O when shall we see the Heavens opened and behold our Lord in his Glory When shall we hear the Trumpet sound and be gathered by the Angels from all the quarters of the Earth When shall we put off this dust and corruption and be cloathed with robes of immortality When will the Lord Jesus come down and show us his glory and receive us to himself that where he is there we may be also Christ hath spoken from Heaven to Earth Surely I come quickly let there be an eccho back from Earth to Heaven in your desires to this voice Amen even so come Lord Iesus come quickly I shall conclude all with the words of the Apostâ—e Iude vers 24 25. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceedâ—ng joy To the only wise God our Saviour be glory and Majesty dominion and power now and ever Amen FINIS
CHRIST'S Certain and sudden Appearance TO JUDGMENT By Thomas Vincent sometime Minister of Maudlins Milstreet London Heb. 10. 37. For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry LONDON Printed for George Calvert and are to be sold at the Bible in Iewen-street 1667. TO THE Citizens of London YOu have heard God's Terrible Voice in the City expressing it self in the late dreadful desolating Judgments of Plague and Fire the sound of which hath gone forth not only into every corner of the Land but I believe also by this time unto the farthest end of the World Give me leave to sound another Trumpet in your ears and to forewarn you of a ten thousand times more dreadful Judgment I mean the last and general Judgment of the whole World at the second appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ who will most certainly and very quickly be revealed from Heaven in flaming Fire to take vengeance upon all them which shall be found ungodly on that Day Could I have certainly foretold the many thousands that sell by the Plague in the year 1665 of their so neer approaching death surely they would have endeavoured to prepare that the sting and fear of death might have been removed could I have foretold the Citizens of London of the many thousand Houses which should fall by the Fire in the year 1666 surely they would have endeavoured to prevent the Fire or at least have removed all their goods before-hand but these things could not be foreseen and therefore as the Judgments were unexpected so they took the most unprovided But I can certainly foretell you from God who cannot lie of the future 〈◊〉 Judgment by the Lord Jesus Christ at the last day which is the subject of this ensuing Treatise And when you have warnings hereof out of the Word of Truth and awakening motives to prepare by dreadful temporal Judgments you should neglect to do it and after all be found unprovided at the appearance of Christ as your sin will be the greater and more inexcusable so your dread will be the greater at the sight of your Judge whom those very eyes which read these lines will behold ere long coming in the Clouds and your punishment will be the more intollerable But if the Lord encline your hearts to follow the directions and counsels of his Word to prepare for this great and notable day you shall lift up your heads with joy when the greatest part of the World shall be filled with terrour and confusion and when the Lord Jesus doth appear you also shall appear with him in glory The design of these sheets is to set forth the glorious appearance of Christ with the certainty and suddenness thereof that sinners might be awakened to repent and believers might be comforted with the hopes of it and all might be in a readiness for the day which is so sure and near which that you may be and that my endeavours may be blessed for your help herein is the prayer of an earnest well-wisher to your souls Thomas Vincent The Contents chapter 1 Introduction 2. Doctrines Doct. 1. That the Lord Iesus Christ will certainly and quickly appear Doct. 2. That there is an earnest desire and longing in the Church after Christs appearance pag. 1 2. 1. Concerning Christs appearance 1. In the Flesh. p. 2 3 4. chapter 2 2. In glory where concerning 1. The manner of his appearance p. 5. 1. With great Power 1. Over Death p. 6. 2. Over Men and Devils p. 7 8. 2. With great glory p. 8 9. 1. He will be attended with a glorious retinue of Angels p. 10. 11. chapter 3 2. He will come with a glorious brightness and great noise 9. 12 13 14. 2. The end of Christs appearance and transactions of that day p. 15. 1 He will raise the dead p 16 to 19 2 He will gather all Nations before his judgment Seat p 19 3 He will separate the righteous from the wicked p 20 21 4. He will open the Books 1. Of Gods remembrance p. 22. to 27. 2. Of Mens consciences p 27 3 Of the Law p 28 4 Of the Gospel p 28 29 5 Of life p 30 5. He will judge both the righteous and wicked p. 30 Where 1. Concerning their particular Iudgment 2. Concerning the execution of their sentence pronounced p. 30. chapter 5 1 Concerning the Iudgment of the righteous 1 The immediate Antecedents are 1 Their Resurrection p 31 32 2 Their meeting with the Angels p 33 3 Their meeting one with another p 34 4 Their being caught up together into the air p 35 5 Their meeting with the Lord p 36 to 40 chapter 6 2 The Iudgment it self p 40 1 He wil take an account of them p 41 1 Of their graces p 42 2 Of the improvement of their talents ibid. 3 Of their works of mercy p 43 4 Of their afflictions p 44 2 He will pronounce the Sentence upon them p 44 45 chapter 7 2 Concerning the Iudgment of the wicked 1 The immediate antecedents are 1 Their resurrection and meeting of body and soul p 46 to 50 2 Their meeting with Devils p 50 51 3 Their meeting one with another p 52 4 Their seeing the righteous caught up to meet the Lord p 53 to 61 5 Their seeing the Lord Iesus Christ coming to judge them p 59 to 64 6 Their seeing the Iudgment of the righteous p 64 chapter 8 2 The Iudgment it self here concerning 1 The Iudge in 8 properties p 64 to 72 2 The Assessors p 73 3 The Malefactors p 74 75 4 The crimes p 76 77 5 The accusers 1 God p 78 79 2 Men good Minist p 80 to 83 godly friends p 83 to 87 bad 3 Devils ibid. 4 Their own consciences p 87 6 The conviction where twenty sorts of sinners are called forth and convicted by the Iudge from p. 87 to 115 7 The sentence p 116 117 chapter 9 2 Concerning the execution of the sentence pronounced upon both righteous and wicked in judgment 118 1. The execution of the sentence on the wicked 1. Of the wicked going away 1. From whom viz. 1. Christ ibid. 2. Saints 119 2. From what ibid. 3. Six vexing considerations in their going away from p. 120 to p. 130 2. Of the wickeds going into punishment 1. Of the punishment they shall go into p 131 1. The Inflicter p. 132 133 2. The Subject Soul p 134 Body p. 135 3. The properties 1. Universal 2. Extream 3. Continual 4. Remediless 5. Eternal p. 136. to 142 chapter 10 2. Of their entrance into this punishment p. 143 144 2. The execution of the sentence on the righteous p. 145 1. Of the righteous going away 1. From whom viz. Devils p. 146 Wicked p. 147 2. From what ibid. 3. Three sweet considerations in their going away from p. 147. to 152 2. Of the righteous going into eternal life 1. Of the eternal life they shall go into or their happiness 1.
Subjectively body 153 to 157 soul 158 to 160 2. Objectively 161 3. Formally 162 to 166 2. Of their entring into eternal life p. 167 chapter 11 2. Concerning the certainty of Christs appearance proved by 3. Arguments where concerning the Divine Authority of the Scriptures and the Resurrection c. from p. 168. to 206 chapter 12 3. Concerning the speediness and suddenness of Christs coming where is a Description of the Old Worlds drowning and Sodom's burning applied c. from p. 207. to 224 chapter 13 4. The Application 1. More generall from 225 to 229 2. More particularly 1. To sinners 1. To discover them from p. 230 to 234 2. To awaken them from p. 235 to 246 3. To exhort them from p. 247 to 263 chapter 14 2. To believers 1 For the trial of them from p. 264 to 269 2. For the comforting of them from p. 270 to 28◠chapter 15 3. To both sinners and believers to perswade them 1. To believe 2. To consider 3. To prepare where twelv◠Duties requisite in order 〈◊〉 preparation From 283. 〈◊〉 the end Christ's certain and sudden Appearance to Judgment Revel 22. 20. Surely I come quickly Amen Even so come Lord Iesus CHAP. I. THe last words of a Dear friend are usually most remarked and best remembred especially when they speak great affection these are the last words of Jesus Christ the best friend that the children of men ever had which he sends his Angel from Heaven after he had been some yeers in glory with the Father to speak in his Name unto his Churches upon the earth v. 16. I Iesus have sent mine Angel to testifie these things in the Churches and of all the things which he testifieth by his Angel this is the last and the sweetest in the Text Surely I come quickly Which words of Promise comming down from Heaven and expressing so much Love to the Church are followed with 〈◊〉 Eccho and resound of the Churches earnest desire Amen Even so come Lord Iesus c. Hence observe Doct. 1. That the Lord Iesus Christ will certainly and quickly appear Doct. 2. That there is an earnest desire and longing in the Church after Christs appearance D. 1. That the Lord Iesus Christ will certainly and quickly appear Here I shall speak 1. Concerning Christ's appearance 2. Show that he will certainly appear 3. Show that he will quickly appear 4. And lastly Apply 1. Concerning Christs appearance There is a twofold appearance of Christ which the Scripture makes mention of 1. In the Flesh. 2. In Glory CHAP. II. 1. THe first appearance of Christ was in the flesh above sixteen hundred years ago in the Land of Iudea unto the people of the Jews the only-then-visible-Church upon the Earth There it was that the Word was made Flesh and amongst that people he dwelt for a while some of whom beheld his Glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth There it was that the eternal Son of God was made man being conceived miraculously by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary without the contamination of original sin which all ordinary conceptions do introduce His real Mother and supposed Father were both of the Tribe of Iudah and of the lineage of David and he was born in the Town of Bethlem according to the Scripture predictions who after he had lived thirty years in obscurity was baptized by Iohn Baptist his Fore-runner and Harbinger in whose Baptism when Iohn saw the Heavens opened and the Spirit of God descending like a Dove and lighting upon him and heard the voice from the excellent Glory saying This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased He gave his testimony concerning him that he was the Son of God and the Lamb of God who taketh way the sins of the world Who after his own baptism and temptation and Iohns imprisonment made his appearance more openly unto Israel shewing forth his glory not in outward pomp and splendour but in a more high eminent and wonderful manner altogether Divine exceeding the imitation of any Earthly Monarch in the World He shewed forth the glory of his power in the Miracles which he did work namely in opening the eyes of the blind and ears of the deaf in loosning the tongue of the dumb and the bonds of other infirmities in cleansing the Lepers and healing other diseases with a word in casting out Devils after long profession in calming the Sea and Winds when boisterous and stormy in raising up the dead before and after burial for some daies and the like He shewed forth the glory of his Knowledge in looking into the hearts of those which came unto him being able to perceive their most secret thoughts and imaginations and needed not that any should restifie of man for he knew what was in man He shewed forth the glory of his Wisdom in his most wise answer to the ensnaring questions of the Pharisees and others in the most excellent and heavenly doctrine which he preached wherein he did not teach his Disciples subtile and empty speculations which the greatest wits in the world have busied themselves about but great soul-saving truths indeed he revealed some great and deep mysteries above the reach of the highest wit of the greatest Schollar without the teachings of his Spirit which were momentous and needful in order unto practice but the greatest part of his doctrine was plain and easie He shewed forth the glory of his Holiness in his exact walking and perfect obedience unto the Law of God without the least deviation or sin He shewed forth the glory of his Goodness and tenderness towards the children of men in going about to do them good and give succour to them which were in misery casting out none which came unto him Especially he shewed forth the glory of his Mercy and infinite Love to his own people in submitting to so low a condition as he liv'd in for their sakes in humbling himself and becomming obedient unto death even the cursed disgraceful painful death of the Cross besides the soul miseries which he endured through sense of Gods wrath due for their sins that he might satisfie Gods justice and deliver them from eternal death and wrath to come and purchase Life and Glory for them Thus Christ lived and thus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and being dead the bonds of death could not hold him neither did the holy one see corruption but the third day rose again from the dead according to the Scriptures and after his resurrection was seen of Mary Magdalen of Peter Iames all the Apostles of five hundred brethren at once according to the Scriptures After forty daies was taken up into Heaven and is there in his humane nature at the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the heavens making intercession for his people where he will abide untill the second appearance Thus concerning Christs appearance
in the flesh CHAP. III. 2. THe second appearance of Christ will be in Glory at the last day when the world shall come to an end this is the appearance we are treating of and therefore I shall speak of it more largely and show 1. The manner of this appearance 2. The end and transactions at this appearance 1. Concerning the manner of Christs second appearance what tongue of Men or Angels is able to set it forth what heart can conceive the splendour thereof Something the Scripture doth reveale and taking the Scripture for my guide I shall assay to speak something of it See Luke 21. 27. Then shall they see the Son of man coming in a Cloud with Power and great Glory 1. Christ at his second appearance will come with Power with great power he hath all power put into his hands in Heaven and in Earth now and doth exercise it more secretly then he will exercise it more visibly and apparently in the sight of the whole world To give instance 1. He will come with power over Death Death hath had great power since the Fall and is the greatest Conquerour in the world Death hath made an universal Conquest over all the sons and daughters of Adam Enoch and Elias only excepted which lived in former generations and hath led them captive binding their faces in secret chaining their hands and their feet and clapping them up close prisoners in the grave and none have been able to make resistance yea Death did assail the Lord of Life himself and got the victory for a while and shut him up in prison but he got loose before three daies were at an end broke open the doors and gave Death a deep wound as it were and an abolishing stroke in his Resurrection 2 Tim. 1. 10. presaging the compleat victory which afterward he would obtain over this enemy of man-kind Now when Christ makes his second appearance in the world at the last day he will exercise his power over death he will lead captivity captive he will lay his first Hands on Death and tread this Conquerour under his feet and strip him of all his force and spoils which he hath been treasuring up for so many years he will snatch the keys of the grave out of the hand of Death and open the prison doors and let forth all his captives he will loosen all the bonds of Death and knock off his chains and bring out all his prisoners into freedom and enlargment as it is said Hos. 13. 14. I will ransom them from the power of the grave I will redeem them from Death O Death I will be thy Plagues O Grave I will be thy destruction And it is said 1 Cor. 15. 25 26. that all enemies shall be put under the feet of Jesus Christ and the last enemy which he shall destray is Death And v. 54. When this mortall shall put on immortality then Death shall be swallowed up in victory And surely Christ must needs come with great power to get victory over such a potent enemy 2. He will come with power over Men and Devils he will have power over all his enemies which have rebelled against him over all the Principalities and Powers on the Earth that exercise Lordship and dominion in the World he will bring the Kings of the Earth down from their seats and pluck off the robes of Princes he will take the staff and the sword out of their hand and divest them of all their royalty and greatness and they who have employed their borrowed power against him how will they quake and tremble before him See Rev. 11. 15 16 17 18. When the seventh Angel sounded there were great voices in Heaven saying the Kingdomes of the World are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever And the four and twenty Angels fell on their faces saying we give thee thanks O Lord God all-mighty which art and wast and art to come because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned And the Nations were angry and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged and that thou shouldst give reward unto thy servants the Prophets and to thy Saints and them that fear thy name small and great and shouldst destroy them which destroy the Earth The Kings of the Earth and great Potentates will be angry when they are dis-throned and the wicked of the Earth will be troubled when the Lord Jesus shall come down from Heaven to call them to Judgment If all the Powers of wicked Men and Devils too who are greater in power than Men could they would make head and resist the Lord Jesus Christ and pull him from his Throne and put him to death as the Iewes did at his first appearance if they had but any hopes of making their party good against him how would they call their forces and gather their Armies and wage War with this great King especially when all the wicked shall be raised up and the ancient Rebels the Giants of the old World shall come forth of their dust and the Prison of Hell where some of them have been tormented by him many years O how would they combine their strength and so many millions of them together rush upon him with rage and violence and endeavour to avenge themselves upon him at least defend themselves against him when he comes to torment them but Christ will come with so great power that he will be able to deale with the whole wicked world of men together when they are raised and united in one body and have obtained more strength of body and are filled with more rage and spight of minde than here they had and are out of all hopes of making any peace with him and have the whole flock of all the Devils in Hell to joyn in to their company I say Christ will come with sufficiency of strength to binde them all in Chains and so to hold them all down that they shall not be able to make the least resistance he that hath power to raise the wicked from the dead will have power to keep all his Enemies from Rebellion he will come with Power 2. Christ will come at his second appearance with great glory At his first appearance he came like a Servant yea like a Servant of Servants at his second appearance he will come like a Lord yea like a Lord of Lords like the great Lord of glory at his first appearance he was â—loathed with dishonour and a chain of contempt was put about him but at his second appearance he will be cloathed with glory and honour and most excellent Majesty will be put upon him at his first appearance his Deity was vailed his beauty was masked with infirm flesh his brightness was under a Cloud though sometimes some beams did break forth with such a dazling lustre as made Peter fall at his feet saying Depart
from me for I am a sinful Man O Lord Luke 5. 8. And others in the Ship to worship him acknowledging of a truth thou art the Son of God Mat. 14. 33. And often filled his Disciples with fear and astonishment but he was so disguised in flesh that few knew him at all none knew much of him when he was so disrobed and so meanly attired and attended It is said the Princes of this World knew him not else surely they would have laid down their Scepters at his feet had they known him they would not have dared so disgracefully to have crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 8. But at his second appearance the Vail will be so drawn aside that the Deity of Christ will shine forth with amazing splendour to the view of the whole World his humane nature will be glorious beyond any other Creature but oh how glorious will his Divine nature be when the eyes of the whole World shall be opened to see God in such a way as now we are not able to conceive He will appear in the brightness of his Fathers glory so that they which see him will see the Father the Mâ—jesty Authority Dominion Power Holiness Justice and love of the Father will be like so many sparkling gems to deck the Crown of Christ at his appearance but who can conceive the royalty and surpassing excellency of Jesus Christ when he comes down out of his Fathers Pallace into the World He will come in great glory God will come down in him and with him the Throne of God will be removed the Pallace will be below Heaven will be upon the Earth where Christ is there is Heaven there is God in his greatest glory to be seen he will come in great glory never was there such glory seen upon the face of the Earth never did the eye of man behold such a sight as then it will behold we read of great and pompous showes which some Princes have made in their triumphs but never was there such pomp in the World as there will be at this appearance of Jesus Christ when he cometh triumphing over all his enemies when he cometh with the spoiles of principalities and powers making a show of them openly and decked with such excellent glory A little further to set this forth 1 He will come attended with a glorious retinue of Angels we read Mâ—tth 26. 53. Of more than twelve legions of Angels And Dan. 7. 10. Of thousand thousands yea ten thousand times ten thousands which Minister about the throne of God yea further Rev. 5. 11. Of a number of ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of Angels and Heb. 12. 22. Of an innumerable company of Angels All these Angels will attend upon Jesus Christ at his second appearance It is said Mâ—tth 25. 31. That all the holy Angels shall come with him Now the Angels are dispersed in several places some of them are upon the Earth ministring unto the saints which shall be heires of salvation Heb. 1. 14. Others are in heaven beholding the face of the Father ready to execute his will some are ascending some descending but then they will all be gathered together into one company and like so many Courtiers attend upon this great King in this his glorious appearance in the World all will descend with Christ Heaven will be emptied of Angels they will all come forth and come down from their old habitation and oh how glorious will this train be he will come with all the holy Angels Angels that are holy and glorious not like those rotten Courtiers which attend upon some Earthly Kings who have no other glory upon them but what lies in their rich and splendid apparel the bodies of some of which if they were uncas'd would appear to be full of loathsome diseases but whose souls are monstrously ugly and deformed full of loathsome and noisome lusts besmeared with dung and filthiness who could their inside be turned outward and the deformity of sin be seen with bodily eyes would appear too hideously black and swarthy and more mis-shapen than those which are born with the greatest blemishes of nature who carry Hell in their bosomes and like so many bears and ugly hounds are led about by the Devil in chains such such follow many Kings on earth when they appear abroad with hearts full of lust vvith eyes full of adultery vvith mouths full of oaths and filthy ribauldry vvho are like so many spots in the faces of their Princes or like a Cloud about their brow vvhich darkneth their glory in the eyes of the serious and sober minded but Christ vvill come attended vvith millions of holy Angels arrayed in such pure and vvhite garments as shall not have the least spot or tincture of sin upon them he vvill come vvith holy Angels who vvill be like so many flames of Fire full of holy svveet burning Love and covered vvith such Light and glorious excellency as will not darken but illustrate the glory of their Lord and Prince they attend upon 2 Christ will come with a glorious Brightness and great noise such a light will shine in him and about him as will a thousand fold surpass the light of the Sun when it shineth in its full strength we read Matth. 13. 43. That the righteous shall shine like the Sun in the Kingdome of their Father how then will the Sun of righteousness shine from whom they wil receive all their brightness by reflection as the Moon and some other Stars do from the Sun in the firmament It is said Mat. 24. 29 30. That at the coming of Christ the Sun shall be darkned and the Moon shall not give her light and the Stars of the Heaven shall fall and Rev. 6. 12 13 14. That the Sun shall be black as Sackcloath of hair and the Moon shall be like blood and the Stars of the heaven shall fall to the earth even as a Fig-tree casteth her untimely Figges when she is shaken of a mighty winde and the Heavens shall depart as a scroll when it is rolled together and every Island and Mountain shall be moved out of their places At the coming of Christ there will be such a brightness as will darken the Sun and other Luminaries in the Heavens even as the Sun doth darken the lesser Stars who though shining all night with a twinkling light and like so many Candles in the Firmament yet upon the Suns first lifting up his head in a morning and casting about its beames they presently sink in their sockets and disappear so the Sun it self and other Luminaries of Heaven will disappear when this more glorious Sun doth arise in the morning of the last day they will then lose their light and what further need of them in Heaven it will be all day Rev. 2. 22. In the City of the new Ierusalem there will be no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of
patience in our steads that he might redeem us from sin and death and wrath to come that we might not perish but have overlasting life O wonderful unconâ—eivable love What so glorious a Person to be made man to be made sin to be made a curse to do such things to suffer such things for such mean vile cursed â—inners as we that we might be blessed and happy with him O surpassing superlative kindness Is this he who made choice of us when he chose so few that called us when the most were passed by that pitcht his love upon us when there was no attractive in us nothing to move him but his own bowels that revealed his secrets to us when he hid them from the wise and prudent that brought us nigh when we were afar off and made us fellow-Citizens and fellow-heirs with the Saints and of the houshold of God who were by nature children of wrath even as others O astonishing free grace Is this he who cloathed us when we were naked even with the robes of his own righteousness that washed us when we were defiled even in the fountain of his own blood that cheared us when we were troubled even with the comforts of his own Spirit that strengthned us when we were weak even with his might and glorious power in our inner man was it from this Person that we received our pardon our peace our supports our graces our encouragements and all the sweet refreshments we have found in Ordinances Is this the Advocate whom we made choice of relied and trusted upon fâ—r life and salvation Is this the Master whom we followed and whose work we were imployed about Is this the Captain whose colours we wore and under whose banner we fought Is this the Lord whom we obeyed the friend the husband whom we loved and is he so glorious O how will the Saints be wrapt up with admiration and joy how will they be all in a flame of burning love and affection when they come to behold the Lord Jesus Christ himself and view him in such glory as then he will be decked withall when they come to see him face to face who hath such loveliness in his face and such love in his heart unto them It is said 1 Pet. 1. 8. whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakabâ—e and full of glory If so be that the Saints do now love Christ whom they never saw only have heard of and belâ—eved the report of the word how will they love him when they have this sight of him and see a thousandfold more beauty in him than was reported or could be imagined if so be that now sometimes they rejoyce with glorious and unspeakable joy in believing what will they do when they come to see him in his glory If they can now rejoyce in tribulations and take pleasure in the cross and reproach of Christ what will they finde in their masters joy and the Crown which he now comes to put upon their heads O how glad will they be that they have been counted worthy to suffer any thing for such a Saviour It will be a joyful time indeed unto the Saints when they are caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air And the joy of Christ will be no less to meet with them O with what an eye will he view them when they are arising and ascending with so much of his beauty and lustre upon them none can conceive the love and delight which the Lord Jesus will take in them at that day he will look upon them as those who were beloved by the Father and himself from all eternity as those who fetcht him out of heaven before to redeem them and now to glorifie them he will look upon them as the travel of his soul as the price of his blood he will look upon them as his Jewels as spoils taken out of the hands of his enemies he will look upon them as plants grown up unto perfection as servants who have done their work as those who have kept up his honour in the world he will look upon them as members of his body he will look upon them as his dearest spouse and most beautiful bride who now cometh to be joyned to him more neerly and to live with him for ever O the love and joy of Christ at this meeting If so be that Christ so dearly loved his Spouse and could delight in her too when she was black and sooty when her clothes were spotted and stained when her affections were weak low and inconstant how will he love and rejoyce in her when she is made perfectly like to himself and so beautiful with his comeliness when her stains are all washed off and she is presented before him without spot wrinkle blemish or any such thing when she shall be arrayed in white and hath put on her shining garments and appear so lovely and her love shall be so high and full and strong and flaming Never did Lovers meet with such delight joy on their wedding-day as Christ and his Spouse will meet at the day of his second appearance O the sweet smiles the Saints will see in the face of Christ Smiles upon them such glances of love will sparkle forth from his eyes as will ravish their hearts O the sweet words they will hear the welcome he will give them when they first meet when they are come he will place them at his right hand So much concerning the more immediate Antecedents of the judgment of the righteous CHAP. VI. 2. THe second thing is to speak concerning the Judgment it self of the righteous Anâ— there are two things the Scripture speaks of which Christ will do at his second appearance in the judgment of the righteous 1. He will take an account of them 2. He will pronounce the sentence upon them 1. Christ will take an account of the righteous Rom. 4. 10 12. We shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ and every one of us shall give an account of himself unto God though the righteous shall not be brought to condemnation yet they shall be brought into judgment which will be for their masters honour and their own especially of those who can give a good account of the Talents their Lord hath intrusted them withall I know it is a question amongst Divines whether the sins of Gods people will be mentioned and made manifest at the last day of judgment I shall not determine the question since the Scripture is not so plain Possibly the Lord having pardoned them covered them blotted them out of the book of his remembrance he will not mention them on that day but sure I am if they should be mentioned it will not be to their disgrace and grief but to their more abundant joâ— in the Lord who hath forgiven them If they should read their sins in the book of Gods remembrance
â—icked on the earth will behold them and great â—â—ar will fall upon them But O the fear and â—â—ouble which will be upon the spirits of those â—nbelieving Christ-less grace-less sinners whose 〈◊〉 de shall at that day be amongst the believers â—nd some of them linked in the nearest relations 〈◊〉 them when their believing relations shall be â—aught away from them and carried up into the air with the rest of the glorious train of Saints when themselves shall remain below upon the earth It is said that at the time of Christ coming Luke 17. 34 35 36. Two men shall be in one bed the one shall be taken the other left two women shall be grinding together the one shall be taken and the other left two men shall be together in the field the one shall be taken the other left Friends will be together at that day as at other times not expecting Christs comming and it may be less expecting it than before they did some will be in fields together some in houses together some will be in beds together some will be in Churches together it may be Ministers preaching and people hearing as you are hearing me this day Suppose that the heavens should just now open and you should hear the sound of the last Trumpet and Jesus Christ should descend with a glorious train of Angels into the air then all yoâ— that are believers and have got an interest iâ— Christ would immediately be caught up in thâ— clouds to meet with the Lord but all you thaâ— are impenitent and unbelievers would be left behind and think what terrour would fall upon you to see us caught away from you it may be somâ— of you might come hanging about me and otherâ— when you see us arrayed in shining garments anâ— suddenly changed into the glorious likeness 〈◊〉 our Lord and called by the Angels to go up 〈◊〉 him O take us up along with you what wiâ—â— you leave us behind Alas what can I do for 〈◊〉 then I must say I told you of this time and this before but you did not seriously regard it so as to prâ—pare I called you often to repentance and preachâ—â— Iesus Christ to you and shewed you the way of saâ—â—vation but you would not accept of him ye refused him and lived in the neglect of your own salvation I told you if you did not forsake such and such sins they would be your ruine and yet you would not be perswaded to leave them I forewarned you of the miseries which would come upon you at Christs coming but you would not take warning Fain would I have had you all up along with me to meet my Lord and if I could have been instrumental to convert and turn you unto him my joy and crown would have been the greater O how glad should I have been of your companie in this Triâ—mph some did hearken and believe some did awaken when they were called and repent and reform their lives some were wise and did fore-think and make provision for this day and now see how they shine see the mirth and joy in their countenances see the issue and fruit of their tears and self-denial of their faith and love and holy walking Now now we are going together to our Lord whom we have sought and served and trusted for our happiness and O that you would have hearkned and been perswaded to have joined your selves to our number that we might have gone together O that you would have joined your selves to our Lord and have had fellowship with them who hed fellowship with the Father and his Son Iesus Christ and broken â—ff your fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness and workers of iniquity but you would go on in the broad way because it was more easie the way to heaven was too narrow and difficult for you if profession would have been enough and external joyning you selves to Gods people would have brought you to heaven this some of you could do with readiness sufficient but when you must have a power as well as a form and when you must mourn for sin crucifie the flesh mortifie the deeds of the body deny your selves take up the cross be so strict in your lives make conscience of thoughts words and all your actions this you could not away with you could brook to be religious sometimes by the by and when you had nothing else to do but to make it your business to be religious you could not endure you could put on a forme and outward vizard of godliness on the Sabbath daies but to be religious on the week daies and every day to be holy in all manner of conversation this was too much and a hard saying which you could not bear and if you did not like the terms of the Gospel and would be the servants of the Devil whilst you seemed to be the servants of Christ and go on covertly in the way to Hell whilst you seemed to be going in the way to Heaven what can I do for you now I thought you would have shined and gone with us when you shined so much in profession and is your Lamp now gone cut when the Bridegroom is come â—las who can supply you now with Oyle I have little enough for my self and none to spare for you and do you ask me for Oyle alas if I had enough I could not part with it and put any into your vessels â—t Now now it is too late I came with Oyle often to sell from my Lord and Master and you might have had it for nothing you might have bought it without money and without price but then you slighted and refused all prâ—ffers of grace which were made you valued your lusts which you must have parted withall 〈◊〉 it at a higher rate you refused the Oile altogether or at leâ—st took no more than would light your Lamps you would not receive any into the vessels of your hearts and do you think I can supply you with Oyle now Sâ—me of you had convictions once in the time of the Plague when death raged amongst you and â—â—me good worke was beginning then in you and is 〈…〉 off and come to nothing and dwindled into an empty profession Alas what shall I do for you now You know I ventured my life for you to preach to you when the arrows were flying so thick about you I ventured my liberty for you my health for you and was often spent for you and amongst you that I might be instrumentall to call and save you but when the thunder of Iudgments was a little over and out of hearing you quickly dropt asleep and the voice of preaching could not enter your ears and awaken you Alas why do you look upon me now with such rufull countenances and stand with such trembling joints and speak so earnestly unto me as if something might yet be done for you and are loath to let me go from your company Alas what can I do for
but they shut their eares and hearts against him and now Christ will shut his eares and the door of mercy and Heaven against them He will be inexorable Thus concerning the Judge of the wicked 2. The Assessors or those which shall sit with Christ in the judgment of the wicked will be the righteous This promise the Lord makes particularly and especially to the twelve Apostles Matth. 19. 28. Verily I say unto you that yee which have followed me that have denied your selves and parted with all and taken up your Cross and followed me in the Regeneration or restitution of all things when the Day of Resurrection doth come and the Son of Man shall sit on the Throne of his Glory when I shall sit upon my judgment Seat and gather all Nations before my Bar to receive their doom Yee shall sit on twelve Thrones Iudging the twelve Tribes of Israel and though the Apostles of Christ will be especially honoured and exalted in the day of Judgment and have seates or degrees of dignity above others yet this honour also shall all the Saints have to sit with Christ in Judgment 1 Cor. 6. 2. Do yee not know that the Saints shall judge the World They judge and condemn the sins of the wicked World now by their holy conversation and they will judge and condemn the persons of the wicked at the last day by their approbation of Christs Judgment The crimes of the wicked will be scan'd before the righteous their secret sins will be ript up and made manifest unto them they will not only be brought in as accusers and witnesses against some of the wicked of which I shall speak by and by but also they will joyn with Christ in the examination of all the wicked and they will also approve of Christs justice and righteousness in the condemning of sinners for their sins and when Christ doth pronounce the sentence of condemnation upon them Depart from me yee cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels they will joyn with him and approve of this sentence it may be they will with one voice say even so Amen or with a loud shout accompany Christs words saying Depart yee cursed into everlasting Fire A strange turn and change of things will there be at that day Felix who sate on the Judgment Seat when Paul was at the Bar will stand at the Bar when Paul shall sit amongst the Judges The Lord will bring down the mighty from their seats and all wicked Princes and Judges of the Earth shall be dis-throned when the righteous though of a low degree shall be exalted to sit as Judges upon them 3. The Malefactors which shall be judged will be 1. Devils 2 Pet. 2. 4. The Angels which fell are said to be delivered into Chains of darkness and to be reserved unto Iudgment they are punished in part now but their punishment is not yet compleat when Christ came the first time in the flesh and began to dis-lodge the Devils from their habitation in those Persons whom they had got the possession of they were afraid that he would have compleated their torment presently and therefore they cry out Art thou come hither to torment us before the time Matth. 8. 29. And let us alone art thou come to destroy us Mark 1. 24. But when Christ comes the second time in his glory then he will judge and condemn the wicked Angels and the Saints shall joyn with him herein I Cor. 6. 3. Know yee not that we shall judge Angels Then the measure of their sin will be compleated and the time of their torment will be come and their punishment shall be compleated too the way and manner of their Judgment is not spoken of in Scripture and therefore I shall not speak of it but that they shall be judged to everlasting Fire is evident from the sentence pronounced on wicked men in which it is said that everlasting Fire is prepared for the Devil and his Angels 2. All wicked Men and Women that ever lived or shall live on the Earth from the beginning of the Creation unto the dissolution of the World that have no Interest in Jesus Christ will be the malefactors which shall be judged by Christ at the last day this day is called the day of Iudgment and perdition of the ungodly 2 Pet. 3. 7. And the unjust are said to be reserved unto the day of judgment to be punished Chap. 2. Vers. 9. And the Apostle Paul tells us that the Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven in flaming Fire taking vengeance on them which know not God and obey not the Gâ—spel 2 Thess. 1. 7 8. 1. By them which know not God we may understand the Heathen and Gentile Nations this being the Character given of them 1 Thess. 4. 5. Not in lusts of concupiscence as the Gentiles which know not God And the Ephesians whilst Heathens before the Gospel came amongst them were strangers to the Covenant of Promise having no hope and without God in the World Eph. 2. 12. All the Heathen Nations shall be judged by Christ but I shall not speak of their judgment in which we are not so much concerned 2. By them which obey not the Gospel we are to understand all those Nations upon whom the light of the Gospel hath shin'd and unto whom the sound of the Gospel hath come but yet have not yielded obedience therunto so as heertily to accept of Christ for their Saviour upon his own tearmes all Christless graceless Persons who have heard of Christ and enjoyed the means of grace will be the chief Malefactors in the day of Judgment I might here give a Catalogue of the sinners which shall be judged take one in 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. The unrighteous fornicators Idolaters Adulterers effeminate abusers of themselves with Mankind Thieves Covetous Drunkards Revilers Extortioners and all other unjustified unsanctified sinners But more of this when I come to speak of the conviction of the wicked 4. The Crime for which the wicked shall be judged and condemned by Christ will be sin 1. Sin against the Law and that 1. for sins of omission Matth. 25. 42. I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink c. 2. for sins of commission and that 1. for sins of thought and heart 1 Cor. 4. 5. When the Lord comes he will make manifest the counsels of the heart he will condemn men for their wicked thoughts and contrivements for their sinful lusts and desires and delights 2. For sins of word Matth. 12. 36 37. But I say unto you that every idle word that Men shall speak they shall give an account thereof in the day of Iudgment For by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned If for idle words men shall be judged much more for taking Gods name in vain for hideous Oaths and Blasphemies if for unprofitable speeches much more for
Earth Lâ—ke 21. 34 35. And sudden destruction will then come upon the wicked as pains on a Woman with Childe 1 Thess. 5. 3. The Lord will come in a moment in the twinkling of an eye 1 Cor. 15. 52. As lightning cometh out of the East and shineth unto the West so shall the coming of the Son of Man be Matth. 24. 27. Further this coming of the Lord Jesus is set forth in Scripture 1. By the coming of a Thief in the night Rev. 16. 15. Behold I come as a Thief 1 Thess. 5. 2. For your selves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a Thief in the night 2 Pet. 3. 10. The day of the Lord cometh as a Thief in the night in which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise c. The Lord will not come like a Thief in regard of any wicked purpose and design but he will come like a Thief in regard of the suddenness and unexpectedness of his coming Men do not think of they do not know of they are not aware of they do not desire the coming of Thieves so the Lord will come at a time which Men do not know of when they do not think of it wheâ— they are not aware of it and he will be more unwelcome at his second appearance to the greatest part of the World than a Thief who comes suddenly in the night and breaks in upon their Houses to steal their goods and take away their lives when the Lord Jesus shall suddenly unfold the Doors of Heaven and come down in his glory and summon the wicked to Judgment how will they start and be affrighted out of their deep sleep of security and be filled with horrour and amazement 2. Christs coming is set forth by the coming of a Bridegroom at midnight in the Parable of the ten Virgins Matth. 25. 6. At midnight there was a cry made Behold the Bridegroom cometh go yee forth to meet him The Virgins were all asleep the wise as well as the foolish they did not expect the Bridegroom at that time the coming of Christ will be sudden and unexpected as to the particular time unto his own Disciples yet they will quickly arise and trim their Lamps and receive him with joy when the Lamps of the foolish Virgins for want of Oile will go out and they shall be shut out of the Bride-chamber of Heaven for ever 3. Christs coming is set forth by the coming of the Flood upon the old World and Noah's entering into the Ark Luke 17. 26 27. And as it was in the dayes of Noah so shall it be in the dayes of the Son of Man They did eat they drank they married Wives they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the Ark and the Flood came and destroyed them all The old World was very licentious and secure in the dayes of Noah though universal ruines and destruction were so neer yet it being a thing which was unseen they did not expect it nor take any care to prevent it It is said of Noah Heb. 11. 7. That by faith being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear he prepared an Ark to the saving of his house By faith he knew that the Flood would come when there was no appearance of it nor possibility in regard of the ordinary way of the working of second causes he believed it because God who could effect it and who cannot lie had foretold it and therefore he prepared according to Gods direction this great Vessel to defend himself and Family and some living Creatures of every kinde against the Waters which he foresaw were coming upon the Earth but the ungodly World having no eye of faith could not discern this unseen thing it is most likely they heard often of it by Noah who was a Preacher of righteousness but they did not believe it therefore they did not expect it nor fear it nor prepare for it they are and drank and slept and sin'd as if no such thing had been coming upon them It is likely when they saw Noah build the Ark such a large and capacious Vessel on the dry Land that they scoffed at him and accounted him no better than a mad-man as we should do a Man that should build a Ship on the top of a Mountain and expect that Waters should come up thither and waft it away But when the dayes of a hundred and twenty years which the Lord had appointed the old World to continue after his threatning of their destruction were expired when the decree had brought forth and the year of Gods recompence was come and the day of his fierce anger wherein he sent the Flood upon the Earth O the terrour and amazement which did surprize the secure sinners of the World at that time when the Windows of Heaven were opened from above out of which God looked forth upon sinners with such a furious countenance and poured forth his anger in such streames of water and the Fountains of the great deep were opened from beneath and the Flood began to arise and lift up the head and swell about them when the Valleys were filled with running Waters and the Plains were covered as if they had been a Sea when this enemy did combine so many Forces together having a Commission from God to destroy and strengthned it self on every side and environed these rebellious sinners round about and assailed them in every quarter when not only smaller Cortages were overturned but also the streames brake in with irresiftible force upon the strongest and greatest edifices when great Doors were lifted off of their hinges or broken to pieces and the Water like a Thief climbed in at the Windows and roaring all about with a hideous noise pursued those which fled from it following them up stairs even to the highest room until it had overtaken them and devoured them without mercy think what a hurry and affright the World was in at that time how every one shifted for himself if possible to preserve himself from the fury of this Conqueror how they forsook the lower grounds and flocked together to the Hill-Countreys in great haste leaving their substance behinde them with a sad heart how they were drenched with the Rain from Heaven and wet to the skin as they went along and scarcely were able to take breath the stormes was so impetuous about them and when they perceived the Flood to beset the highest Mountains whither some of them were fled and upon the top of which some of them had climbed hoping it may be that they had got unto an inaccessible place that the billows were mounting towards them now the whole World seeth their death and ruine to be inevitable that there was no contending with no resisting or flying from these armed Waters which God had sent to execute his vengeance upon them for their sins we may imagine something of the horrible perplexitie of their
upon the account you shall give and the sentence which shall be pronounced upon you by the great Judge therefore let me beseech you all to examine your selves whither you are prepared for this day of Judgment it will be a woful day to such sinners whom the Lord Jesus will condemn unto everlasting torments and are there no such Persons amongst you are there no ungodly ones gathered together into this place are all of you Saints and Children of God if you are not such you will wish you had been such at that time but are you all such now the worst of you may be such if you seriously diligently and timely seek such a priviledge but are you such yet are there not many here whom the Lord Jesus Christ will come in flaming Fire to take vengeance upon It would take up too much room to speak of all those sinners whom Christ will condemn especially having already spoken particularly of them under the conviction from pag. 87. to 115. But briefly and more summarily for the discovery of such Persons that you may examine your selves whether you are in their number The sinners which Christ will condemn at his appearance may be known by these Characters They are 1. Carnal 2. Sensual 3. Earthly 4. Devilish 1. Christ will condemn such as are carnal I mean such as are in the flesh such as are in the state of nature such as never were regenerated or born again by the Word and Spirit as never have had experience of a work of grace upon their hearts such as are blind and never had their eyes opened to see their sin and their Saviour who are muffled up in the darkness and hoodwinked with the vail of ignorance and unbelief and upon whose eyes there are such thick scales that the glorious light of the Gospel hath never been discerned by them in a spiritual and saving way such who are asleep and never had their consciences awakened out of their carnal security whose consciences are seared as with a hoâ— Iron and permit them to sin with little check or controll such who are dead in sin and never were quickned by the Spirit of life such as are slaves to their lusts and under the reigning power of sin and never were delivered from this worse than Turkish bondage that never were converted and savingly changed never were humbled and emptied of themselves never truly repented and mourned for sin never were powerfully drawn unto and savingly closed with Jesus Christ that never were renewed in their minds and hearts transformed after the Image of God transplanted into the garden of the Lord and engrafted into the new stock such in whom all old things remain and are wholly carnal in the same state in which they were first born their persons will all be condemned by the Judge Iohn 3. 3. Matth. 13. 3. Rom. 8. 13. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Eph. 4. 22 23 24. 1 Cor. 15. 50. Matth. 5. 8. Heb. 12. 14. Luke 13. 3. Revel 21. 27. 2. Christ will condemn the sensual I mean such who are so far from denying themselves crucifying the flesh mortifying the deeds of the body taking up the cross walking in the narrow way of â—trict obedience striving to enter in at the strait gate which alone can bring unto eternal life and happiness and subjugating their thoughts wil affections unto the government of Christ and so living as if they were his servants indeed whose name they bear that they labour either to imprison or banish or hide themselves from the light of those truths which would reach them these things to bribe or muzzle conscience which would urge them yea to shake off the government of reason it self which would put a curb upon them and so give up themselves to licentiousness making provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof with all greediness such who are so far degenerated and fallen from that primitive holiness which nature was endued with at the first creation that they have lost the relicts of Gods Image and blotted out the characters of his law engraven upon the hearts of all men and have made themselves like beasts yea more vile than the beasts that perish such are they that are sensual and luxurious and seek for their chiefest happiness in pleasing their sensual appetites such are drunkards and gluttons and adulterers who wallow in the mire of such sins who spend their daies in such pleasures and gather as much of them as they can finde without any regard to Gods Law which doth forbid them or to those higher sweeter pleasures which they are capable of and might obtain if they did seek after them in the way which God hath appointed All these which fulfil the desires of the flesh are children of wrath Ephes. 3. 3. and they which please themselves and live deliciously here will have torment and sorrow given them by Christ at his appearance Rev. 18. 7. Luke 6. 25. 3. Christ will condemn the earthly such who lay up for themselves treasures on earth and neglect the heavenly treasure Matth. 6. 19 20. who love the world and things in the world and have no true love to the Father who is the God of love and the chief good of mankind 1 Ioh. 2. 15. All covetous worldlings will be condemned by Jesus Christ for their heart Idolatry Eph. 5. 5 6. especially unjust and unrighteous persons oppressors and extortioners earth will be all the portion of such who make choice of it no room will be found for them in the Kingdom of heaven 1 Cor. 6. 10. 4. Christ will condemn the Devilish all such as are children of the devil as bear his Image and do his work that yield themselves to be his slaves and servants and endeavour the promotion of the interest of his Kingdom all such as are under the power of Devilish pride and Devilish envy and Devilish malice all Devilish lyars and Devilish slanderers and Devilish persecutors of Gods people In a word all such persons as live in a course of sin and never brake off the trade thereof by repentance and obtained a pardon of sin through faith and yielded up themselves unto the obedience of the Gospel will be condemned by Christ at his appearance Beloved examine your selves seriously hereby and what hath been before said whether you are not in the number of these persons whether none of you are carnal in a state of nature whether none of you are sensual or earthly whether none of you are children of the Devil whether none of you are Drunkards Adulterers Liars slanderers unjust unrighteous and withall impenient persons unbelievers and children of disobedience against whom the wrath of God will be revealed when the Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed from Heaven to Judgment 2. For the awakening of sinners Will the Lord Jesus Christ certainly and quickly appear to judgment methinks this doctrine should awaken sleepy sinners and arouze them out of their carnal â—ecurity Doth conscience accuse you
God will enlighten it and the Lamb will be the light of it and Chap. 22. 5. There shall be no night there and they shall need no Candle nor the light of the Sun but the Lord God giveth them light and they shall raign for ever and ever In Hell it will be all night and no day there will be blackness of darkness for ever and not the least beam of light shall shine into that place and if the Sun and other Stars be given for the measure and distinction of times and seasons when the last day is come Time will be no longer and all must launch forth from the confines of Time into the vast Ocean of Eternity which cannot be bounded nor measured It is said Rev. 20. 11. When the great white Throne shall be set and Christ is placed thereon that the Heavens and the Earth shall flee away from before his face and no more place be found for them and 2 Pet. 3. 10. When the day of the Lord cometh that the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat and the Earth with all its works shall be burnt up Christ will come with a glorious light and with a roaring dreadful noise which will further set forth the glory of this appearance see this expressed 1 Thes. 4. 16. The Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-angel and the Trump of God and Matth. 24. 31. He shall send forth his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet who shall gather in his Elect from the four mindes Never was there such a noise heard in the World as then will be heard when Christ shall appear the heavens will roar the Earth will be in flames of Fire there will be a great shout and the sound of the last Trump in the Aire this shout will be given by Jesus Christ himself as is likely for it is said Iohn 5. 28 The hour is coming in which all that are in their Graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth we read Iohn 11. 43. When Christ came to raise Lazarus that he cried with a loud voice Lazarus come forth surely then when he comes to raise the World he will cry and shout with a much louder voice Such a voice likely will come down from him in a roaring shout Awake yee dead and come to Iudgement or arise yee Children of Men and come forth of your Graves Never was there such a shout given as then will be given which will be accompanied with the sound of the Trumpet the Angels shall sound the Trumpet we read Exod. 19. 16. When the Lord gave the Law from Mount Sinai that there were thunderings and lightnings and the voice of a Trumpet exceeding loud which made all the People which were in the Camp to tremble O what thunderings will there be in the aire at Christs second appearance and how exceeding loud will the sound of this last Trumpet be when Christ comes to judge them which have broken this Law That Trumpet was heard only by the Nation of the Jewes which were together about the Mount this Trumpet will be heard by all Nations throughout the World that Trumpet was heard only by those which were alive at that time this Trumpet will be heard not only by them that shall remain alive upon the Earth at the last day but also by all those which have dyed throughout all Generations from the beginning of the Creation such a noise there will be as will awaken all that shall be asleep in their graves Such a noise as will make all the corners of the earth to ring and the pillars of the world to tremble but O how will it startle the wicked when they hear it and fill them with terrour and amazement Thus you have something of the manner of Christ's second appearance set forth unto you he shall come with power and great glory CHAP. IV. 2. THe second thing is to speak of the end of Christs second appearance and the transactions of that day The end of Christs second appearance will be to judge the world the end of his first coming was not to judge but to redeem and save as he tells his disciples when they desired him to execute some judgment from Heaven upon those Samaritans which would not receive him Luke 9. 55 56. Ye know not what spirit ye are of for the Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them And Iohn 7. 47. If any man hear my words and believe not I judge him not for I came not to judge but to save but when Christ doth appear the second time he will come to judge the world Iude 14. 15. Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgment upon all c. Matth. 26. 31 32. When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he sit on the Throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all Nations and so he goeth on in description of the last judgment In speaking of Christs judging the world and the transactions at that day I shall show 1. That Christ will raise up all the dead one of their graves 2. That he will gather all Nations before his judgment Seat 3. That he will separate the righteous from the wicked 4. That he will open the Boâ—ks out of which all must be judged 5. I shall speak more particularly of the judgment of the Righteous and the Wicked 1. Christ at his second appearance will raise up all the dead out of their graves there shall be a general resurrection Iohn 5. 28 29. The hour cometh in which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice and come forth they that have done good to the resurrection of life they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation Something hath been spoken already concerning Christs victory over death and loosning all his prisoners but give me leave to illustrate the resurrection a little further and here I shall endeavour to set it forth by an allusion to that notable place Ezek. 37. and the ten first verses The hand of the Lord was upon me and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones And caused me to pass by them round about there were very many in the open valley and so they were very dry And he said unto me Son of man Can these bones live and I answered O Lord thou knowest Again he said unto me Prophesie upon these bones and say unto them O ye dry bones hear the Word of the Lord Thus saith the Lord unto these bones Behold I will cause breath to enter into you and ye shall live And I will lay sinews upon you and bring up flesh upon you and cover you with skin and put breath in you and you
wicked leud practices which should they be found out in would fill their cheeks with shame blushing but Christ will call them at the last day to a strict account and bring to light the hidden things of darkness 1 Cor. 4. 5. And O the contempt confusion which they will be covered withall when all their shameful and abominable sins shall be made manifest 6. Christ will be a most righteous Judge he will judge the wicked in righteousness some of them will be found to have been unrighteous in their judgments and others righteous in their dealings and all of them unrighteous in their state but Christ will judge them all in righteousness he will judge them according to their works as he will be righteous in not inflicting upon them a greater punishment than their sins have deserved he will not punish lesser sinners with more stripes and greater sinners with fewer stripes so neither will he be unrighteous in inflicting upon them a lesser punishment than their sins have deserved but will proportion their punishment to their offence Rev. 18. 7. How much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her Christ will be exactly righteous in his judgment severely righteous without the least mixture of mercy the wicked shall have from him the summum jus and that sine ullà injuriâ they shall have the highest right and justice without the least injury Gods justice requires satisfaction for their sins and Christ will satisfie the demands of justice to the full upon the ungodly by distribution of such punishments as are the just desert of their sins Christ will even all scores at that day between God and sinners at least he will begin to take the payment of that debt from them which they owe for sin which they will be paying unto all eternity Christ will come with the Ballances and Sword of Justice in his hand he will come to take just vengeance upon disobedient sinners 7. Christ will be a most furious Judge he will be most gracious towards the righteous but most furious against the wicked He will come in flaming fire to take vengeance upon them 2 Thes. 1. 8. He will come in flames of love towards his people but in flames of anger against his enemies a Fire shall devour before him and it will be very â—empestuous round about him see Isa. 66. 15. Behold the Lord will come with Fire and with his Chariots as with a whirl-wind to render his anger with fury his rebukes with flames â—f Fire We read of such wrath on that day in the Lamb as maketh the Kings and great men of the earth to tremble and call to mountains and rocks to fall on them and hide them fâ—om it Rev. 6. 15 16 17. Never was there greater love and more tender bowels of compassion and pitty than is to be found now in the Lord Jesus Christ towards all them that apply themselves unto him under a sense of sin for salvation here in this world and never was there greater wrath and revengeful fury than will be found in the same Lord Jesus Christ when sinners shall come before him to be judged at the last day He will be very furious ten thousand times beyond a Beare when she is bereaved of her whelps or a Lion when he is hunger-starved How fiercely will Christ look upon the wicked What scorn and contempt of them will they see in his face What dreadful frowns in his brow What fiery anger will there sparkle from his eye in his looking upon them as if he would look them dead or look them into Hell before he hath pronounced the sentence How fiercely will he speak unto them There will be terrour in his looks and there will be terrour in his voice he will speak to them in his wrath and vex them in his hot displeasure His anger then will break forth into a flame he will appeare to be jealous and very furious when he cometh to execute vengeance on his adversaries and punish his enemies for their sins 8. Christ will be an inexorable Judge None is now more easie to be entreated as a Saviour whosoever comes unto him may be welcome to him he hath promised in no wise to cast out such Ioh. 6. 37. The most rebellious sinners may finde entertainment with Jesus Christ now and prevail with him to procure pardon and peace and salvation upon their repentance of their sins but when he is come down from Heaven to judge the world he will be inexorable No prayers or intreaties no tears or arguments will in the least move him to take any pitty on such as shall then be found in their sins When the wicked at the day of judgment shall have their eyes opened to behold the Lord Jesus Christ in his glory and Majesty in such excellency and shining beauty then one smile of his countenance will be really accounted of more worth than the whole world and to be made like to such a person and to dwell for ever in his love and joy they will then clearly see to be unconceiveably beyond all the enjoyment of the creatures in their fullest delights and to be thrust out of his presence they will account their chiefest misery then they will have other apprehensions of Hells torments when they are just ready to be cast into the burning lake when they are awakened in the morning of the resurrection and are brought to Christs bar and they perceive how neer they are to execution and great distress will be upon them when they look about them and all refuge fails and they see no way for them to escape If now with their cries and supplications they might prevail with the Judge for some commiseration if they had but the least hopes of moving his bowels and pacifying his anger and obtaining the favour of admission into the inheritance of the Saints O how would they all fall down upon their knees before him with the lowest submission and reverence how would they cry and weep intreat and beseech how would they kiss his feet wash them with their tears and wipe them with their hairs how earnest and importunate would they be with him for a pardon if importunity would prevaile If there were but one promise left in the whole Book of God for them which might possibly bring unto them some relief how greedily would they all catch at it and humbly wooe the Lord for mercy No no the Judge will then be inexorable they may cry but it will be to no purpose he will shut his eares against their prayers and hide his eyes from their misery they had promises enough whilst they lived but they did not regard them they did not believe and apply them and now nothing but threatnings belong to them and remain for them Christ often cryed to them by his Ministers and moved them by his spirit to open the Door of their hearts and give him room and entertainment
fastned the guilt of all your other sins upon your selves which I was willing to take off from you would any sin against the Law have condemned you had you turned from it and yielded obedience to the Gospel were you not foretold of the wrath to come and yet would you not flie from it were you not prâ—ffered a Saviour and yet would you not accept of him had you not treasures opened before you end would you not look after them were you not shown the way to Heaven and would not you walk in it how can you escape that have been guilty of disobedience to the Gospel Take them Devils binde them hand and foot Christ at the day of Judgment will convict the whole ungodly World especially those who have lived under the sound of the Gospel their crimes will be made manifest and evident and every mouth will be stopped when they are found guilty before him and they cannot deny it then the wicked will be speechless and stand after their full conviction like so many Rogues in Chains before the Judge And think now with your selves what the behaviour of the wicked will be when they are thus convicted of their sins and are ready to receive their sentence I believe some of you have seen Malefactors at the Bar when the Jury hath found them guilty and the Judge hath been proceeding to give the sentence of Death how their countenances have changed and their joynts trembled and unexpressible horrour seized upon them but O the dread and terrour that will be upon the spirits of the wicked when they are convicted of sin by this Judge and with what trembling expectations will they wait for their sentence 7. And this is the seventh particular to speaâ— concerning the Sentence which the Lord Jesus Christ will pass upon the wicked in Judgment see Matth. 25. 41. Then shall he say unto them on his left hand Depart from me yee cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Deparâ— from me yee that have formerly said in your hearts unto me Depart we will not have thee 〈◊〉 reign over us that have said to my Ministerâ— Depart we wil not hearken to your words that have said to my Spirit depart we will not yield to thy motions Now depart depart from me yee that would not come unto me yee have often been called and invited to come but yee refused now depart yee shall not have one Call more you shall not have one proffer of grace more foâ— ever Depart never shall yee hear my voice any more never shall yee see my face any more Depart be gone out of my sight Depart from mâ— yee cursed as yee cared not for blessing so shaâ—â— it be far from you as ye loved cursing so shal it be unto you Depart with the curse of the Law with the curse of the great God upon you let the curse of God cloathe you like a garment and bind you like a chain let it enter into your flesh and bones like Oile to enrage so much the more the flames of Hell about you and let it pierce into your soul and fill you with horrible anguish Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire Ye shall not depart into your old habitation to spend an eternity in sinful sensual pleasures no Depart into torments Depart into Fire into the fire of Hell into the burning Lake into Tophet ordained of old for you into a stream of Fire and Brimstone enkindled by the breath of God Depart into everlasting Fire Go dwell with devouring Fire and inhabit everlasting burnings Depart into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his angels ye served the devil and divers lusts whilst you lived in the world now go and live with the Devil and his angels in Hell fire for ever partake of the torments primarily prepared for him and belonging also to you because ye belonged to his Kingdom And when the sentence is irreversibly pronounced by the Judge upon the wicked O what direful shreeks will they give forth With what horrour will they cry out How shall we be able to endure the devouring flames and everlasting burnings of Hell Thus have I done with the Judgment it self both of the righteous and the wicked at the appearance of Jesus Christ. CHAP. IX 2. THe second thing is to speak of the execution of the Sentence pronounced upon both in Judgment which you have spoken of together Matth. 25. 46. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternall 1. Concerning the execution of the Sentence on the wicked These shall go away into everlasting punishment Here I shall speak 1. Of the wickeds going away 2. Of their going into punishment The former doth imply the punishment of loss the latter their punishment of sense 1. The wicked when the Sentence is pronouned shall go away and here I shall show 1. From whom they shall go away 2. From what they shall go away 3. The aggravations or vexing considerations which Gospel-sinners will have in their going away 1. From whom the wicked shall go away 1. They shall go away from Iesus Christ the righteous are at his side and shall remain with him but the wicked shall go away from him the righteous shall go with him and abide with him where he is there they shall be also they shall be for ever with the Lord but the wicked must go away and be eternally separated from his presence The righteous shall behold his glory and share in it they shall see the smiles of his face and be entertained by him with unexpressible love but the wicked shall be thrust out of his presence with frowns and indignation it will be one great part of the misery of the wicked that they shall go away from so glorious a person as the Lord Jesus Christ. 2. They shall go away from the Saints now some of them are mingled with Gods people the Tares and the Wheat grow up together the sheep and the goats feed in the same pasture and though it was bitter to the wicked to dwell with the righteous because of the contradiction which was in their lives to their lusts yet then it will be more bitter to them to be excluded their society because then they will perceive their excellency with admiration when they see them shine with such beauty and rejoyce with Songs of triumph and they must be gone away from them this will fill their hearts with racking envy and torment them unspeakably 2. From what the wicked shall go away they shall go away from happiness from the happiness of heaven the doors of heaven shall be shut upon them they shall see Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and many come from the East and the West and the North and the South even an innumerable multitude of all kindreds and Nations and Tongues and enter in and sit down in the Kingdom of God and themselves thrust out and thrust down to
Hell 3. Concerning the aggravations or vexing considerations which Gospel sinners will have in their going away as the sin of those is more hainous who sin against the light of the Gospel than of those who sin only against the light of nature so their punishment will be more severe all shall be beaten but these persons with many stripes as there will be degrees in glory though all will be filled with glory yet some will have a larger capacity so there will be degrees of torment and misery all shall be filled with torment but some will have a larger capacity especially Gospel sinners will have stings beyond what heathens will be capable of in their punishment of loss when 1. They shall have a clear discovery of the glory and happiness which they have missed now they hear of heaven and the happiness which the Saintâ— shall have in the vision and fruition of God but there is a vail of unbelief upon their minds that they do not apprehend such a happiness as is spoken of they have mean thoughts of God and of Heaven they think there is no heaven like the earth and no happiness like the fruition of the creatures no glory like the glory of the world no treasures like earthly treasures and no delights like those which they finde in the objects of their sense but when their portioâ— in this life shall be spent and the good things which they enjoyed shall be taken away from them when their honours shall vanish like smoke or a thin vapour their riches shall flie away like an Eagle or sail like a ship out of their â—ight when their sensual delights and pleasures shall fail them and die like sweet flowers in their hands when the bright cloud of earthly things which shadowed the glory of heavenly things from their view shall be blown away and the vail shall be torn in pieces which was before them and hindred them from looking into the Holy of Holies and the scales shall fall off from their eyes In a word when the heavens shalâ— pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat and the earth with the works thereof shall be burnt up and they shall be awakened out of their long sleep in their graves and shall be summoned before the tribunal seat of Christ and stand there stripped and quite naked of all their enjoyments in the world which they had set their hearts upon and they shall be examined and condemned for their sins then then their eyes will be opened and they will clearly see their mistake of happiness then they will perceive and be fully perswaded of the fulness of joy and unspeakable pleasures at the right hand of God the least taste of which would ravish their hearts ten thousand times more than all the full draughts which they have taken in the sweetest of all their sinful delights I say they shall see this happiness and that which will vex them to the heart will be that they shall only see it not injoy the least share in it O what high apprehensions will they then have of the glory of Heaven they will see the Crown which will be put upon the head of the righteous which will have more worth then in their esteem than all the Crowns and Scepters of the greatest Kings upon the earth then they will be clearly convinced that the choicest treasures were in Heaven and the sweetest delights were to come and the thoughts of missing this Crown and glory such treasures and sweetness will tear their very hearts they must go away from heaven and happiness 2. In going away they shall remember the capacity which they had once of obtaining this happiness if they had been bruits indeed and had capacity for a sensitive life only and grace and glory had been removed so far beyond their reach that it had been impossible for them to attain it it would not much trouble them to lose it whatever other miseries they should endure but they were capable of the beginnings of Heaven in the life of grace and the compleating of their happiness in glory they will remember that they had souls endued with reason and hereby advanced to a higher capacity than beasts that they had minds capable of divine contemplation and hearts capable of divine affection that they had wils which might have chosen God for their portion and Heaven for their heritance that they had desires and loves and hopes and joyes which if they had wrought-god-ward and Christ-ward as they did toward the creature if they had wrought upward and heaven-ward as they did downward and towards the earth and earthly things they might have been happy for ever they will see that others who had the same natures as they had and were guilty at first of as great sins as they had committed yet repented and turned believed and reformed were changed and saved and with unexpressible vexation they will think that thus it might have been with them if they had not been fools if they had seriously endevoured to fill up the capacity which God hath given them 3. In gâ—ing away they will remember the proffers which they had of this happiness that they lived in places where the light did shine and the Gospel did sound and Christ was preached and tendered with all the benefits of his purchase they will remember how often they were called to repent how earnestly they were entreated to be reconciled they will remember the discoveries which were made to them of future glory and the invitations which they had to come unto Christ that they might have pardon and life and partake of the inheritance of the Saints in light all which was little regarded by them they will remember how long and how loud Christ knocked at the door of their hearts for entertainment that he knocked by such a Sermon such a motion of the Spirit by such a judgment such an affliction such a deliverance and yet that they barred the door deafned the ear and if they did not fully resolve to keep him out yet they put him off with such redious delayes untill on a sudden death knocked at their door and broke it open and drag'd them away to Hell before they had given entertainment unto Jesus Christ and had provided an eternal habitation for their souls they will then remember the opportunities and seasons of grace which once they enjoyed that once they had a Day a Day of grace and that with some of them it was a long Summers day and that they had calls at the first hour and the third hour and the ninth hour and at the eleventh hour and that all the day long God stretched forth his hand unto them but they did not know the day of their visitation they were more foolish than the Crane and the Stork and the Swallow they did not understand their appointed time they did not mind the things which belonged to their peace untill
the power of godliness others will remember what profession they made and that they went with some kinde of gladness in the company of Gods people unto his House and Ordinances and heard the Word and received some impressions thereof yea obtained some kinde of graces under its influence that they had a kinde of righteousness repentance faith desires love joy hope that they had some tastes of the heavenly gift and the powers of the World to come and thought themselves as fair for Heaven as the best and who ever missed that they should not miss of glory but O the confusion and vexation which will be upon the spirits of these Persons when the Lord Jesus shall disown them and shut them out of his Kingdomâ— O what tearings of heart will they have when they perceive that they were mistaken and finde themselves disappointed of the happiness which they had such hopes of and confident expectations to obtain when they finde that their silver was but dross and their graces were counterfeit and not of the right stamp that they had not the Image and superscription of Christ upon them when they remember that they had a righteousness but it was like the morning Cloud which the wind of affliction or temptation had driven away that they had some repentance but it was legâ—l not Evangelical that the teares they had sometimes shed for sin were like the early dew which the bright Sun of prosperity did quickly dry up that they had a faith but it was a temporary faith which wanted deep rooting in the heart and what ever flourishing fruit it quickly sent forth yet the hot Sun of persecution did wither it that iâ— came to nothing when they were put upon the Trial that they had desires after Christ and the favour of God and spiritual things but they weâ—â— but faint velleities they were like the untimely birth of a Woman which never came to any perfection that they had love to God in show or it may be at some time a passionate glow of heart under an Ordinance which was not enkindled by a spark falling down from Heaven upon them blown up by the spirit of God but a false or more inferiour Fire which arose from a sympathy with Ministers or other Christians in the more inferiour workings and expressions of their love which in the sincere arose from the right principle that they had some kinde of hope but it was like a spiders web broken quickly to pieces or swept down by the beesome of destruction with them into Hell that they had some joyes but they were flashy and ungrounded some tastes arising from misapprehensions of Gospel-priviledges and misapplication of Gospel-promises all which did quickly vanish and come to nothing They will finde if not before be sure at that day that they were mistaken and have lost all their pains and labour for want of a thorow work of grace for want of soundness at the root for want of hearty sorrow deep humiliation good-grounded and deepâ—rooted faith supream love well-bottom'd hope universall reformation and mortification of the deeds of the body that none of their actions were accepted by the heart-searching God for want of a right principle and end now when these Persons are sentenced to Hell and are going away from Christ and the glory which once they had hopes of and were so near unto and had they gone but a step or two further they might have attained O with what unconceivable grief and curtings of heart will it be they will remember then that they did seek to enter in at the strait Gate and they will wish with all their hearts that they had striven that they had taken more pains that they might not have missed and fallen short of salvation possibly then with unutterable anguish they may say There is a glorious Inheritance in Heaven which we are now departing from we often prayed for it when we were upon the Earth and if we had been sincere and fervent if we had resolved to take the place by storme and would not have been denyed we might have got it we have read of it in the Word and heard of it in Sermons and it hath been proffered to us freely and if we had renounced the World and forsaken sin and chosen it for our portion we might have had it we parted with some sins if we had left all it should have been ours once we had some hopes of it when we had some taste of it and had done some things to obtain it and if we had gone a little further we might have indeed obtained it if we had taken pains with our hearts before God to get them raised to things above if we had denyed our selves and mortified our members upon the Earth if we had cast away all our transgressions and câ—st away our own righteousness and rowled our selves wholly upon Iesus Christ and acted faith upon him and the promises of this Kingdome and walked in the narrow way which we seemed to walk in we might now have been made passessours hereof and shined amongst yonder glorious Saints some of whom were our companions and hoped for our company and wonder to see us separated from them But alas we were sloathfull and careless we were unwatchfull and idle our pains was more to appear religious than be religious we had some lusts which lay nearer our heart than Iesus Christ we did some things with seeming vigour but carnal motives were the chief incentives to our duties and how ever lifeless faithless and empty of true grace they were yet we trusted in them and made them our Saviour and never were brought clear off from our own bottome unto a closure with Iesus Christ and we have fool'd away our salvation and made our selves unworthy of eternal life Deservedly deservedly do we lose this crown for our folly O that we had been sincere and thorough Christians 6. In going away it will sting the wicked to think that now this happiness of Heaven is irrecoverable once they might have obtained it and that upon easie tearmes yea after some refusals of it they had fresh proffers and invitations the door of mercy and gate of salvation and glory stood open a long time but now the door is lookt upon them and will never be opened more they must go away without any hopes of ever entering into the new Ierusalem or obtaining the least degree of the happiness of the Saints they must bid adieu unto joy and comfort for ever These considerations will sting Gospel-sinners in their going away Thus concerning the first particular in the execution of the sentence on the wicked they shall go away 2. They shall go into punishment and here I shall speak 1. Of the punishment which they shall go into 2. Of their entring into this punishment 1. Concerning the punishment which the wicked shall go into Take two or three places of Scripture which set forth this punishment Matth. 25. 41.
the eternity of Hel wil be the Hel of Hel. When our Saviour endured equivalent punishment to this of Hel for his people it had not this circumstance of eternity in it there not being that need because of the excellency of his person so that though the pains of Hel gat hold on him yet they could not keep him in hold but he brake thorow them and triumphed over them and could say in the conclusion It is finished but the damned wil not be able to break thorow their punishment they wil be compassed about with them and hedged in and shut down and never be able to lift up the head never shall they say of this punishment It is finished for their pains wil alwaies be as it were beginning when they have spent the time of as many years in Hel as there are Stars in the Firmament Sands on the Sea shore and Moats in the Sun their torment wil be as it were beginning and no nearer a conclusion than the first day they were cast into that place Who can express this eternity when we lanch forth our thoughts in the consideration thereof we lose them quickly it being such a deep which cannot be fathomed such a vast Ocean which cannot be measured yet a little to extend your thoughts in the consideration of the Eternity of the wickeds punishment I shall by one or two suppositions illustrate something of the vastness hereof Suppose that this globe of Earth on which we tread were hollow and that it were filled with great folio Books as full as it could hold and moreover there were Books heaped up upon it to fill the whole circumference of the aire round about it yea that the whole space of place to the uttermost verge of the Empyrean Heavens were filled with Books and all this vast number of Books were filled with figures in the highest degree of multiplication O what a number of Books would there be in the whole space of place what a number of figures in these Books and what a vast number would there be deciphered by these figures A bit of paper half as broad as an half penny will hold the figure of the number of as many years as have been since the creation of the World what then would a whole leaf of a great folio hold what would a whole folio hold what then would a room full of folios hold but what would the whole World full of folios hold now if at the end of time when the wicked go to Hell God should fill the whole space of the World with folios full of figures of numbers and tell the wicked that every thousand year one of these numbers should be substracted and promise them when all the numbers were substracted our of all these Books they should have a release out of their torments they would have a small spark of hope that after the substraction of so many millions millions millions of innumerable numbers in the revolution of so many millions millions millions of innumerable years yet at last there would be an end there would be time then set and a wearing towards an end yet if we could cast our thoughts so far in a supposition that all this number of years wherein all this number of figures were substracted by one in a thousand years were past and gone yea wherin they were all substracted as many thousand times as the number of the figures in all those Books would amount unto yet even then the punishment of the damned would be as far from ending as at the very first beginning of them Yea suppose further that there were as many Worlds as the number in the Books before supposed would arise unto and these Worlds should continue as many years as by this account there would be Worlds and all these Worlds were filled with Angels and Men and all these Angels and Men should be employed in nothing else from the beginning of these Worlds unto the end of them but in conceiving numbers of years unto the uttermost conception which they could have of numbers what a-to-us-inconceivable number of years would there be conceived by so many Angels and Men in so many years in so many Worlds yet if all that vast number of years were joyned to the end of the time wherein all the numbers in the figures of so many before-mentioned Books were substracted by one in a thousand years and these multiplied as many thousand times as numbers were conceived such a vast number of years would reach a great way but they would not be so much as a haires breadth in the measure of eternity and if we should suppose the space of all these years too to be spent by the damned in torments even then their torments would be as far from a conclusion as they were upon their first entrance into Hell O Eternity Eternity Eternity how vast is Eternity how infinite and immeasurable how horrible will the thoughts of Eternity be unto the damned to be punished so extreamly and that without any intermission or hopes of a conclusion to fall into such a horrible Pit and fiery Lake and there burn for ever without any possibility of ever getting forth O dreadful O blinde World O sottish sinners that take no more care now to avoid and get deliverance from such a punishment as this which they are exposed unto and will be the certain consequent of sin without repentance Thus concerning the punishment which the wicked shall go into 2. Concerning their entrance into this punishment when the whole crew of wicked and ungodly persons together with the whole Flock of Devils are departed from the presence of Christ and the glorious Saints and Heaven is now upon their backs and Hell before their face and they are now come to the very mouth of the bottomless Pit unto the Doors and great Gates of Hell and now they are opened before them and unto them and for them and they see the black smoke ascending up from thence and smell a horrible stink from the sulphurions Fire which they must be thrown into and when they behold the horrible slakes of Fire flashing forth from the Furnace of Hell ten thousand times more dreadfully than those which were seen to arise from London on the Munday night and now begin to feel the heat and see others tumbling in before them and they following of them and when they begin first to put their hands and their feet into the Fire and now they are in and covered with flames and begin to boile and fry and when they perceive the Gates of Hell to be shut upon them and great Stones rowled before them which can never be removed and great Bars put upon them which can never be broken and they are out of all hopes of ever breaking Prison and getting forth O how will they shreek and roar and cry out in the anguish of their souls and torture of their bodies Woe woe le unto its miserable sinners and
That they had as soul natures as the vilest that they had as leprous poisonous odious hearts until they were renewed and sanctified as those which they shall see condemned and tormented that they were sometimes foolish and disobedient serving divers lusts and pleasures hateful and hating one another until the kindness and free love of God was manifested in the regeneration and renovation of them by the holy Ghost Tit. 3. 3 4 5. That they were dead in sin with others and walked according to the course of the World according to the Prince of the power of the Aire who wrought in them as in other Children of disobedience so that they were as forward as others to fulfill the desires of the flesh and of the minde and ran with others to the same excess of riot until God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved them had quickned them and saved them by his grace and hereby put a difference between them and the wicked who went on to the end of the sinful course in which sometimes they were running with them in company Eph. 2. 1 2 3 4 c. yea some of them will remember how they out-stripped others in sin and were guilty of more gross breaches of the Law than many millions of the wicked whom they will see condemned and that they should escape and be awakened to repent and enabled to believe and reform and that they should obtain pardon and salvation thorow Christ when others were passed by and let alone to perish under smaller sins this will fill them with astonishing admiration and wondering joy when they see some of their neer Relations going to Hel their Fathers their Mothers their Children their Husbands their Wives their Brethren their Sisters their intimate Friends and Companions however they are grieved now to see them take such courses and walk in the way to Hell and they labour to pull them out of that way and would fain perswade them to walk with them in Heavens way and are troubled to forethink of the torment which they must endure if they go on yet hereafter relative tyes and those affections which now they have to relations out of Christ wil cease and they wil not have the least trouble to see them sentenced to hel and thrust into the fiery furnace but rejoyce in the glory of God which wil be manifested upon them in their destruction and O the joy that they wil be filled withal to think that they were not passed by with the rest of their relations that they are not under the same deserved-condemnation with them that God should chuse but one or two in many families and they should be in the number of the chosen ones that when his chosen were comparatively so few and the reprobates so many that they should be elected when there was no motive in them to encline God to the choice of them that he should chuse them freely if he had not chosen them if they were now to change places with some of their wicked relations going to Hel this would be dreadful but that they are going from Hel when their relations are going into it this wil fil them with joy unspeakable Especially 3. When they consider in their going away that they were sometime so neer to Hell that whilst they were in a state of nature and under the guilt of sin that some of them were neer to death that they were brought to the sides of the pit to the doors of the grave to the very brink of Hell before they had repented and accepted of Jesus Christ some of them will remember how neer they were to death when they were young how neer they were to death by some casualties how neer by some diseases some of them will remember the great Plague in London which swept away so many thousands how ill they were provided for death at the beginning thereof how neerly they escaped the disease and some which had the disease how neerly they escaped death by it and if they had died then that they should certainly have gone to Hell O how will they admire the Providence of God in keeping them alive notwithstanding the many dangers they were in of death all the daies of their unregeneracy and when they moreover consider how they tried Gods patience and trampled upon it by their hainous provocations how they abused his goodness and turned his grace into wantonness how they did hasten in the waies of sin towards hell and were come even to the end of the line that some of them were Drunkards and Sabbath-breakers and profane persons and swearers and unclean persons and persecutors of the people of God and were arrived even to the heighth of wickedness and wanâ—ed but a step or two of falling into Hell and yet that the Lord should meet with them with a flaming sword in the way of sin they were driving on so fast and furiously in and stop them and turn them and change them and bring them home to himself yea when they had deafned their ears against many calls and stifled many convictions and often quenched the motions of his spirit and were so unwilling to leave their sins and to come out of the way of destruction were so desperately bent upon their ruine that yet he should knock and call again and again and follow them still by his Spirit that he should lay hold on them as the Angels did on Lot and bring them out of Sodom even by force and over-power the contranitency of their stubborn wills and break open the door of their hearts and overturn the strong holds of sin and sathan and set up the throne of his Son within them that he should snatch them like fire-brands out of the fire and pluck them out of the snare of the devil that had almost drag'd them into Hell O how will they be astonished to remember Gods infinite pitty and love and the power of his rich grace that did work salvation for them especially when they perceive how dreadful the misery is which they were hastning unto I have heard of a man who in the night galloped over a high bridge which was broken down all but a narrow plank which Gods providence directed his horses feet upon which if they had slipt never so little on the one side or the other horse and man had fallen into the deep stream and been drowned which the man did not know till the next morning but then viewing the place and considering the danger he had so narrowly escaped was struck with such astonishment at it that he fell down dead in the place When some of Gods people shall go away from Hell at the last day and look behind them into the bottomless-pit and take a view of the streams of fire and brimstone which are running in the burning lake and remember how they have galloped over those streams when they were in the carreer of their sins and by how narroâ—
have any evil motion or inclination of will in Heaven 5. Their hearts and affections shall be perfectly holy the inner room of their hearts shall then be swept clean of all cob-webs there shall not the â—east dust of sin-remain the roots of bitterness will be plucked up then and the stains which now are upon them shall be washed off all the disorders and distempers in their affections shall be removed yea some affections which now they have â—nd are suitable to this estate of sin and imperfection shall be removed in their state of glory â—uch as grief anger fear and the like they shall â—ave no bitterness upon their spirits no sorrow in â—heir hearts no sinking and fainting of spirit no discouragement and dispondency no terrour or â—erplexity no anguish or anxiety all these shall flee away like a Cloud yea they shall have no â—ope in Heaven nor desire as I conceive because â—hese affections suppose the chief good to be abâ—ent and imply imperfection but there they â—hall have a perfect enjoyment and rest of soul in â—he chief good which is the next thing to be spoâ—en of namely the object of the Saints happiness 〈◊〉 Heaven 2. Objectively The object of the happiness of â—e righteous in Heaven or the chief good which â—ill make them perfectly anâ— compleatly happy â—ill be God who is infinitely good in himself and infinitely blessed in the enjoyment of himself and in him will the happiness of the righteous consist that which fills an Ocean surely will fill a Bucket or nut-shell God will be the happiness of the righteous for ever it is but a thin and subordinate happiness which is to be found in the creature it is but an imperfect happiness which is here to be found in God because of our blindness and sin and incapacity but in Heaven God will be a perfect happiness unto the Saints It is said 1 Cor. 15. 28. That God shall be all in all God will be the whole happiness of the righteous Goâ— in himself God in his Son God in the Angelâ— God in other Saints God in themselves God will be all in all the only object of their happinesse 3. Formally the happiness of the righteous in Heaven will consist in the union of the subject and object together God will be united to their mindes by Vision and to their hearts by Love from whence will spring unspeakable joy 1. The mindes of the Saints will have a perfeâ— vision of God which will infinitely transcend aâ—â— the visions and sweetest discoveries of God which they have or ate capable of in this World hereafter their capacity will be enlarged their mindes will be elevated here they see God darkly there they shall see him clearly here they see him afâ—â— off there they shall see him neerly here they see him as he is represented there they shall see him as he is here they see him in a Glass there they shall see him immediatly here they see aliquid de Deo there they shall see Deum here they see his foot-steps some impresses of God upon the Creatures especially upon his Children chiefly they see his Image in Christ whom they view by faith in the Glass of the Gospel as was said yet the uttermost they can here attain unto is to see his back-parts but in Heaven they shall see his face they shall see him face to face they shall see him as he is This this will be the happiness of the righteous in Heaven to have the immediate sight the beatifical vision of God 2. The hearts of the righteous shall be joyned to God who is their chief good by love But who can utter the love which the Saints shall have unto God in Heaven it will exceed our now conceptions much more will it exceed the love which those of the most intimate acquaintance with God do here atâ—ain unto that it will be heightned beyond what now it is we may apprehend if we consider 1. That the righteous will have an immediate vision of God as hath been shown now they live in a dark World and have a Cloud upon their mindes and see but a little of God through the perspective Glass of his Ordinances a little in the works of his hands and in the works of his spirit upon the hearts of his Children and if when they see and know him so little they can love him so dearly above the whole World how will they love him when they behold his face when the Clouds shall be dispelled and the Sun break sorth when they behold his beauty and the transcendent excellencies which are in him beyond whatever they could here imagine how will their hearts be ravished with love to look God in the face when they see him in himself when they see him in his Son when the Divinity of Christ shall appear in him and shine so gloriously before them when they see the Angels so full of God and the Saints so full of God and every thing in Heaven represent the glorious Jehovah unto them 2. The love of God will heighten their love to him to be loved by such an excellent Person and with such a superlative love O how will this enflame their hearts with love unto him when they take a review of the past expressions of his love and finde the love of God in many things which they did not minde when they were in the World and when they see a thousand fold more love iâ— those things which they did take notice of but with low apprehensions and dull affections how will it raise their hearts when their apprehensions of his love shal be raised they wil admire electing love so free towards them without any prevision of merit in them they wil admire his love in sending his Son to redeem them and sending his spirit to convert them his love in pardoning their sins iâ— adopting them to be his Children now they admire his love sometimes Behold what manner 〈◊〉 love is this that we should â—e called the Children 〈◊〉 God! I Ioh. 3. 1. Then they will admire it teâ— thousand times more they wil see Gods love iâ— all his fatherly provisions protections yea in hiâ— chastisements and corrections and all his providences working for their good but O what lovâ— wil they see in his special distinguishing mercies beyond what now they apprehend and Gods paâ—â— love wil have a present and deep impression upoâ— their hearts further they wil see the treasures 〈◊〉 his love open the heart of God opened and thâ— glory which in Heaven he wil confer upon them 〈◊〉 which they shall never be deprived what a demonstration of Gods love will this be unto them Moreover then they shall have no doubtings of his love which here do damp affections they shall know assuredly that he hath loved them doth love them and will love them unchangeably and eternally and withal they shall have a full sense of his love upon their hearts which will
thousands with a few Loaves of bread the calming of the Sea the raising of the dead afteâ— burial and the like all which did exceed the power of nature and however wonderful things might be wrought by Men in a praestigiatory way which God may permit some to be deluded withâ—all yet all true Miracles as these were could bâ— wrought by none without his immediate power which he would never put forth for the confirmâ—â—tion of lies and deceits therefore we may strongâ—ly argue from hence that the Scriptures whicâ— have been confirmed by these Miracles are indeeâ— the Word of God I know the great questioâ— then will be whether there were ever such Miraâ—cles wrought which the Scriptures makes mentioâ— of whether the historical relation both of Propheâ—sies and Miracles be not a forgery for the introdâ—â—ction of the worship which the Scriptures cals foâ— therefore 3. I might show at large the rationally unquestiâ—â—nable certainty of Scripture-History as handâ— to posterity But in brief when these things weâ— so notable and remarked in their times when theâ— were not done in corners when they were the oâ—â—ject of sense when they were so many wheâ— they had so many spectators and witnesses whâ—â— there are divers records of the same things anâ— all in the main agreeing when the way they 〈◊〉 declared in speaketh so much simplicity in the relators when there were so many Copies of the Records dispersed into so many divers places when Enemies could not deny the truth of things recorded only imputed them to other causes when mention is made of these things in profane Histories when we have the Writings of the ancient Fathers by us who lived in all the Centuries between us and the time of Christ and with one consent acknowledge these things who might easily have found out the deceit had there been any when they lived some of them so neer to the days wherein the chief of these things were done when we cannot rationally assign an end which should move Christians to deceive themselves and posterity since they exposed themselves to such losses persecutions reproaches and afflictions by their profession of Christianity neither can we rationally imagine how all the Christians in the World could meet together from so many Counâ—ries for the forging of things which were never done much less how they should agree together â—bout it and least of all how they should keep his secret but their adversaries would have found â—t out and made it known some hint of it would â—ave been given in History all these things being â—aid together we may rationally conclude that â—he History of the Scripture is as certain yea more â—ertain than any profane History which we â—ave the least doubt of and if the Histories of â—rophesies fulfilled and Miracles wrought be â—â—ue it is a strong Argument that the Scriptures which hereby are confirmed are indeed the word â—f God These Arguments for the Divine Authoâ—â—ty of the Scriptures may be sufficient to stop the mouths of gain-sayers but without the testimony of the spirit in and by them none will be sufficient to effect a saving faith Thus it is evident from the truth and divine Authority of the Scriptures which do so clearly reveal and foretel it that the Lord Jesus Christ will certainly appear to Judgment The second Argument to prove the certainty of Christs appearance may be drawn from the certainty of the Resurrection 2. Arg. If all the dead shall certainly le raised at the last day and the Lord Iesus Christ shall raise them then the appearance of the Lord Iesus Christ to do it is certain but all the dead shall certainly be raised at the last day and the Lord Iesus Christ shall raise them therefore the appearance of the Lord Iesus Christ is certain 1. That all the dead which are or shall be brought into that state shall be raised at the last day is a truth so clear in the Scripture that nothing is more clear The general Resurrection of the dead is one great Article of our Christian Faith one Principle of the Doctrine of Christ made mention of by the Apostle Heb. 6. 1 2. The dead smâ—â—l and great shall be raised and stand before God Rev. 20. 12. We read of the Resurrection of the Iâ—st Luke 14. 14. Of the Resurrection of the Iust and Vnjust Acts 24. 15. I might multiply many Scriptures to prove this Doctrine of the Resurrection but I shall further speak but of two places which purposely treat thereof and being so full of Arguments I shall make use of no other than there I finde for the evidencing of this truth 1. The former Scripture is in Matth. 22. from vers 23. to the 34. The same day came the Sadduces to him which say there is no Resurrection and asked him saying Master Moses said If a Man die having no Children his Brother shall marry his Wife and raise up Seed to his Brother Now there were with us seven brethren and the first when he had married a Wife deceased and having no issue left his Wife unto his Brother Likewise the second also and the third unto the seventh And last of all the Woman died also Therefore in the Resurrection whose Wife shall she be of the seven for they all had her Iesus answered and said unto them Yee do erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God For in the Resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the Angels of God in Heaven But as touching the Resurrection of the dead have yee 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 Iacob God is not the God of the dead but of the living And when the multitude heard this they were astonished at his Doctrine And vers 34. it is said He put the Sadduces to silence Here we have a Disputation concerning the Doctrine of the Resurrection wherein we may take notice of 1. The opponents and they were the Sadduces who denied the Resurrection they denyed the immortality of the Soul for they said there was no Angel nor Spirit Acts 23. 8. And they denyed the Resurrection of the body 2. The Respondent and that was the Lord Iesus Christ the wisdome of the Father he that when he was but twelve years old did dispute with the Doctors in the Temple and filled all that heard him with astonishment at his understanding and answers Luke 2. 46 47. And much more now when he was so much encreased in wisdome was he able to deal with the Sadduces and answer them about this truth of which he coming out of the bosome of the Father and being acquainted with his secrets he had so perfect knowledge he had answered the Herodians before most wisely to their ensnaring question whether it were lawful to pay tribute to Caesar and he was able to give answer to the Sadduces about the Resurrection 3. The Objection
righteous Lot dwelt amongst them it is likely â—here was not one righteous person besides what was in Lots family and though they were so wicked and the cry of their sins was gone up â—o Heaven and the Lord was provoked unto so great displeasure by them yet they are jovial and secure they did not think in the midst of â—heir peace that sudden destruction was so near Abraham with his servants had not long before delivered them out of the hand of Chedorlaomer against whom they had rebelled and Amraphel and the other Kings which had conquered them and sackt the place they did not think of a more â—urious enemy who was arming himself against them even the King of Heaven against whom they had worse rebelled and out of whose hands none could deliver them They ate and they â—rank they did not think that their flesh and all â—he provisions thereof should so soon be devoured by flames they bought and they sold they did little expect that both money and merchandize should be consumed so suddenly they planted and they builded they did not in the least imagine that instead of showers of Rain from Heaven to water their Plants to make them grow they should have showers of Fire and Brimstone to burn up their plants and burn down their houses to the ground The Sodomites did not in the least look for such a Judgment as this it is said Gen. 19. 14. That Lot went out and spake to his sons in law which had married his daughters and said Up get you out â—f this place for the Lord will destroy this City but â—e seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law His words were unto them like idle tales which they did not believe otherwaies they would not have remained in the place until they had been consumed and if Lot's sons in Law who in likelihood were some of the best of the place did not believe nor expect the judgment though they were forewarned by their Father much less did the rest of the Sodomites expect it that had not before heard of it This Fire from Heaven was altogether unexpected in Sodom But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained Fire and Brimstone upon them and destroyed them all The morning was clear when Lot went forth and the Sun did shine with a glorious brightness when he got into Zoar but then we may imagine that a strange darkness did quickly fill the Heavens when the Lord came down clothed with vengeance as with a garment and wrapped in thick clouds of the sky when the Lord thundered in the Heavens and the highest gave hiâ— voice Hail-stones and coals of fire when the Lord rained Fire and Brimstone upon the place Whâ— can utter the horrible perpexity of the Sodomiteâ— on that day under this unthought of unexpected sudden and so dreadful un-heard-of Judgment when they opened their windows and doors of their houses in the morning and perceived the fashion of the heavens to be altered and the tempest of Fire and Brimstone to beat 〈◊〉 upon them so sorely and suddenly when the 〈◊〉 was strangely converted into fire and such scalding sulphurious matter enkindled by the breaâ—â— of God did fall upon them when the wholâ— place was put into flames together and ever house was set on Fire by this Fire from Heaven when they saw if theâ— went forth of doors they should be burnt by the fire of Heaven if they stayed within they should be burnt by the fire of their houses when there was such a dreadful burning heat by the Fire accompanied with such a stinking noisome suffocating smoke by the brimstone when there was a little kinde of Hell in that place both for torment and sin O the Dread of the Sodomites at that time then those beasts which would have forced themselves into Lots doors to commit leudness and were strucken by the Angels with blindness when they began to feel the violence of this Fire and their pampered flesh began to be rosted by these flames how did they howle like Dogs how did they roar and yell with anguish and horrour Then all the sinners of the place whose sins before went up with such a loud cry into the ears of God what a loud cry did they send forth out of every house under the sense of their torments then the sons in law of Lot who were forewarned I believe were above others perplexed and filled with unspeakable vexation that they did not hearken to the voice of their Father and remove with him from that place before the Fire came then they knew he did not mock them but was in good earnest and that his words were not idle tales but the truth of Gods intention which he was sent to give them notice of Sodom is now made a fiery Furnace and all the wicked of the place are consumed together suddenly and unexpectedly Even thus will it be in the day when the Son of Man shall be revealed when the Lord Jesus Christ shall come to Judgment The world is very wicked and the longer it doth continue the worse it grows the sins of the wicked world like the sins of Sodom have gone up with a loud Cry to God and the Lord hath exercised his patience a long time to lead them unto repentance and if there had not been some righteous persons on the Earth the day of Judgment would have been long ago if there had not been some Lots in Sodom I mean some Elect Persons in their sins that are yet to be called and some as yet un-born that must be gathered the World would ere this have been consumed for the wickedness thereof there is a measure appointed for the Worlds sins which will be filled up and there is a number appointed of chosen Persons who ere long will be brought in and so soon as Lot is got into Zoar God rains Fire and Brimstone on Sodom and I conceive that so soon as all the Elect Persons are got into Christ that then Christ will appear to Judgment and as it was in the dayes of Lot so will it be on the day of Christs appearance the wicked of the World will be secure eating and drinking buying and selling planting and building The day before Christ cometh will be a merry day with some ungodly sinners they will be eating and drinking feasting and carouzing singing and rejoycing and putting the evil day far from them even when it is so very neer but how will their chear be changed the next morning how will their singing be turned into howling and their joy into heaviness and dreadful terrour The day before will be a gainfull day it may be with many in their buying and selling possibly they may have got a good bargain in their buying and got good profit in their selling and it may be a busie day with others in their planting and building which may fill their time and thoughts with Worldly care and contrivements for many years to
is no remedy no reversing of your condemnation and the Devils seize upon you and tear you and hale you away O how terrible will this Judgment be unto you O how will the terrours of the All-mighty flow in upon you how will your consciences gnaw and sting and torment you how will your spirits fail and sink within you and hearts melt like drops of water How will you weep and wail and gnash your teeth and cry out in the fearfulness and horrour of your spirits Woe woe woe be unto us that ever we were born Woe woe woe be unto us that ever we have sinned 6. Awake sinners awake The execution of the Sentence which Christ will pronounce upon you for your sins at the last day will be in Hell and do you know what Hell is what tongue can express the future torments which the damned shall endure what heart can conceive the miseries which God hath prepared for sinners in Hell yet look into the Perspective-Glass of the Word and you may perceive something of the dreadfulness of the punishment which will be inflicted upon you if you be found in your sins at Christs second appearance 1. Sinners consider the greatness of the punishment you must dwell with devouring Fire and inhabit most horrible burnings and think with your selves how you will be able to endure to have those bodies unto whom the prick of a Pin is so irksome and a little scorch of a culinary Fire is so painful cast into the great Furnace of Fire which God will kindle with his breath which will turn them it may be into a burning Coal that shall not waste neither ever be coâ—sumed be sure will torment them with a thousand-fold more accute sense of pain than the body is capable now of feeling under the most exquisite torments think what the overwhelming grief what the horrible anxiety what the despairful agonies what the hideous terrour and unexpressible anguish of your souls will be under the immediate sense of Gods wrath and indignation and the thoughts of that glory and happiness of Heaven once proffered unto you but refused by you which you will then perceive your selves shut out from for ever Awake sinners awake will you sleep in sin until you are awakened in the midst of flames will you not leave off sinning until you have sinned your selves into Hell will you needs run into these burnings Awake open your eyes a little and look down and see how deep the Pit is into which you are leaping it is a bottomless Pit from whence there will be no returning consider how hot the Fire of Hell will be unto which you are hastning it will be an inconceivable hot Fire of which there will be no avoiding if you go on in that broad way of sin which is leading you thereunto Awake and look up sinners there is a Door open the Door of mercy is open and the Door of Heaven is open and will you shut your eyes and turn your backs upon God and refuse the proffers of grace which are made to you will you trample Crowns under your feet and slight future glory and happiness which now is possible for you to obtain will not this tear your hearts in Hell to remember that you have been the cause of your own ruine and brought misery upon your selves that you suffered your selves to be cheated by the Devil and your own deceitful lusts of the unspeakable joyes and glory of Heaven which God did once make tenders of unto you 2. Sinners consider the sureness of the punishment of Hell it is most certain that God hath prepared such a punishment and it is certain that you shall endure this punishment if you abide under the guilt and persevere in the way of sin which you now are walking in God hath threatned this punishment and his justice doth require it and his truth doth engage him to execute his threatned wrath and inflict this deserved punishment upon you and can you then have the least hopes to escape it will God can God prove a lyar to save you from the torments of Hell Iâ— it not equal that you should reap that which you have sown that you should gather and taste the bitter fruits of your own evil wayes if you sowe to the flesh will not torment be the fruit hereofâ— if you sowe sin will not you reap Hell Awake sinners awake are not all your hopes of happiness in the uncertain and empty Cisterns of the Creatures meet dreams when such dreadfull miseries are so surely prepared for you and what senseless dreames then are your hopes of Heaven and Salvation whilst you are going on in the way of sin to Hell and destruction Is there any mercy for impenitents Is there any pardon for unbelievers Doth God love those which are haters of him shall those live with him who have no likeness unto him to joyn these things together which God hath never joyned is like the senseless fancies in the sleep of strange Chimaeraes and Monsters which nature never produced Awake sinners it is but an idle fancy to joyn Heaven to the end of a sinful course no! the footsteps of sin will certainly take hold of Hell and without holiness none shall see God and as one saith Sooner may Angels turn Devils Men beasts and Beasts stones and all the World just nothing than that an unholy Person should have an entrance into Heaven yea and that it is as possible that God should cease to be God as that any Man not made after the Image of God should be received into the blessed Vision Possession and fruition of him in Glory Sinners if there be no room for you in Heaven and your entrance there is impossible whilst you are in a state of nature then your punishment in Hell is sure which methinks should awaken you 3. Sinners consider the neerness of the punishment of Hell I mean the soul-punishment which will be the greatest part of the punishment the perfect and full punishment of body and soul cannot be far off because the time of Christs comâ—ng is not far off but the punishment of your souls will begin so soon as your lives come to an end no sooner will your souls be separated from your bodies but they will appear before God to â—eceive their particular judgment and they will â—e banished his glorious and comfortable presence and filled with horrour through the impressions of Gods wrath Awake sinners awake you lie upon the brink of â—he Pit you are sleeping over the burning Lake you are like Saylors which drop asleep on the top of a Mast whom a great wind would blow into â—he Sea so the wind of death which may sudâ—enly beat upon you will blow
endure Let them 1. Consider That Repentance is necessary it is necessary Virtue praecepti by vertue of Gods Precept it is a necessary Duty Acts. 17. 30. God commandeth not only some men but all men not only in some place but every where to repent and it is necessary virtute medij as it is a means to avoid misery and obtain happinesse you must sow in tears if you would reap in joy and you must go forth weeping bearing precious seed if you would return again rejoycing bringing your sheavs with you Psalm 126. 5. 6. The showers of tears make way for the Sun-shine of comfort here and the wet seed-time of Repentance is necessary to the harvest of everlasting glory and joy and if Repentance be difficult yet since it is absolutely necessarie this should be so far from discouraging you that it should quicken you unto more diligent endeavours after it 2. Consider that Repentance is attainable the vilest sinners may be enabled through Gods Grace to repent as well as the most holie Saints at their first turning unto God It is difficult unto you yea impossible for you to repent of your selves because there are no seeds of this Grace in Nature but it is easie with God to work you to it and he can carrie you thorow the difficultie pray to God for this grace endeavour to repent and in your endeavours God may assist God is easie to be entreated and is readie to give this Grace unto them that desire it But some are discouraged from Heb. 12. 17. where it is said that Esau was rejected and found no place for repentance though he sought it carefully with tears hence concluding that though they seek repentance carefully with tears they may be rejected and finde no place for repentance I answer 1. That this place which speaks of Esau's rejection hath not a reference to his rejection by God though that may be included in it but his rejection by his Father Isaac in reference to the Blessing which his younger brother Iacob had by a wile got before him 2. That Esau there did not seek to God for repentance but he sought to his Father for his blessing 3. That he did not seek repentance for himself but he sought with tears to his Father that he would repent his giving the blessing to Iacob and give it unto him Such as with tears seek repentance of God it is a signe they have some measure of this Grace 3. Consider the worth and excellency of this Grace though it be difficult yet it is excellent Pulchra sunt difficilia the best things are not obtained without difficultie had you this grace you would not be without it for a world you would not change your tears and sorrow for sin for all the sweetnesse and pleasure that others finde in the commission of it if you did but truly repent you would not think it so grievous a thing to be bourn but the more you had of it the more you would desire and be best pleased when you could act this grace most stronglie 4. Consider that the greatest dissiculty is at first Flesh may contradict and violently oppose the beginnings of Repentance which doth so manifestly seek its ruine and destruction but after you are accustomed to the yoke you will finde it more easie after you have got mastery over your flesh and have attained some degrees of mortification you will finde it suitable to the new man to live in the exercise of Repentance and reap much sweetnesse from it 5. Consider That you must repent and mourn for sin here or you will be damned and burn for sin for ever You cannot avoid grief for sin if you have it not in this world you will be sure to have it in the other world And is it not a thousand-fold more eligible to grieve for sin here especially considering 1. If you repent of sin now your grief will not be in extremity it will have some allay some alleviation some mixture of secret comfort at least something will be given in to support when you are even ready to be overwhelmed when the heart is most broken and contrite under the sense of sin and apprehensions of Gods wrath yet God will not suffer the Spirit to fail before him Isa. 57. 15 16. the Lord will keep up the soul from quite sinking and I am confident that such persons as are most heavie laden with grief for sin would not change their condition when at the lowest ebb with the most prosperous worldling But if you repent not till hereafter your grief will be extream without the least mixture of comfort or support In hell you will have nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth you will be there utterly consumed with terrours quite overwhelmed with sorrows be alwaies sinking in the bottomlesse-pit under the weight of grief which will be un-supportable 2. Your repentance of sin now will be pleasing unto God We read Luke 15. how well pleased the Father was when his Prodigal son returned home and with grief did acknowledge that he had sinned against Heaven and against him and was not worthy to be called his Son the Father meets him in the way and kisseth him and cloatheth him with the best Robe and kills the fatted Calf for him and maketh merry with him so though you have been prodigals hitherto have gone astray from God and wasted your time and talents in the service of the Devil and your own lusts yet if at length you come to your selves with repentance and humble confession of your sins you return unto the Lord he will pitty you his bowels will yern towards you whilst you are yet upon the way and he will meet you and embrace you and cloath you with the Robes of his sons righteousnesse and be pleased with you and rejoyce over you yea and the Angels also will rejoice in your conversion there will be joy in Heaven at your repentance amongst the Angels and joy on earth amongst the Saints Ministers will be pleased and rejoice they will pittie you and pray for you and Saints will be pleased and be ready to help and advise you but Gods pittie is beyond all See how God is taken with repenting Ephraim Ier. 31. 18 19 20. I have surely heard Ephraim â—emoaning himself c. Surely after I was turned I â—epented and after I was instructed I smote upon my â—high I was ashamed yea even confounded because I â—id bear the reproach of my youth there you have the description of Ephraim ' â— repentance and O the sweet words of most tender Love which the Lord doth express himself in towards Ephraim under his repentings Is Ephraim my dear son is he my pleasant childe for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him saith the Lord. But if you repent not till hereafter your grief will not only be