in Hell for ever Rom. 2.5 6 7 8 9 10. Thou treasurest up to thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous Iudgement of God Who shall render to every man according to his deeds To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life but unto them that are contentious and obey not the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil c. So 2 Thes. 1.4 5 6 7. So that we our selves glory in you in the Churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure Which is a manifest token of the righteous Iudgement of God That ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God for which ye also suffer Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven in flaming fire c. To these plain testimonies multitudes more might be added if it were needful Heaven and Earth shall pass away but these words shall never pass away Arg. 3. Thirdly As the Scriptures reveal it so the Consciences of all men have some resentments of it Where is the man whose Conscience never felt any impressions of hope or fear from a future world If it be said these may be but the effects and force of discourse or education we have read such things in the Scriptures or have heard it by Preachers and so raise up to our selves hopes and fears about it I demand how the Consciences of the Heathens who have neither Scriptures nor Preachers came to be imprest with these things Doth not the Apostle tells us Rom. 2.15 That their Consciences in the mean while work upon these things Their thoughts with reference to a future state accuse or else excuse i. e. their hearts are cheared and encouraged by the good they do and terrified with fears about the evils they commit Whereas if there were no such things Conscience would neither accuse or excuse for good or evil done in this world Arg. 4. Fourthly The incarnation and death of Christ is but a vanity without it What did he propose to himself or what benefit have we by his coming if there be no such future state Did he take our nature and suffer such terrible things in it for nothing If you say Christians have much comfort from it in this Life I answer the comforts they have are raised by faith and expectation of the happiness to be enjoyed as the purchase of his blood in Heaven And if there be no such heaven to which they are appointed No Hell from which they are redeemed they do but comfort themselves with a Fable and bless themselves in a thing of nought Their comfort is no greater than the comfort of a Beggar that dreams he is a King and when he awakes finds himself a Beggar still Surely the ends of Christs death were to deliver us from the wrath to come 1 Thes. 1.10 Not from an imaginary but a real Hell to bring us to God 1 Pet. 3.18 To be the Author of eternal Salvation to them that obey him Heb. 5.9 Arg. 5. Fifthly and lastly The immortality of humane souls puts it beyond all doubt The soul of a man vastly differs from that of a Beast which is but a material form and so wholly depending on must needs perish with the matter But it is not so with us Ours are reasonable spirits that can live and act in a separated state from the body Eccles. 3.21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward and the spirit of a Beast that goeth downward to the earth So that look as if a man dispute whether man be rational that his very disputing it proves him to be so so our disputes hopes fears and apprehensions of eternity prove our souls immortal and capable of that state Inference 1. Is there an Eternal State into which souls pass after this Life How pretious then is present time upon the improvement whereof that State depends O what a huge weight hath God hanged upon a small wyer God hath set us here in a State of Tryal according as we improve these few hours so will it fare with us to all Eternity Every day every hour nay every moment of your present time hath an influence into your Eternity Do ye believe this What and yet squander away pretious time so carelesly so vainly How do these things consist When Seneca heard one promise to spend a week with a friend that invited him to recreate himself with him He told him he admired he should make such a rash promise what said he cast away so considerable a part of your Life How can you do it Surely our prodigallity in the expence of time argues we have but little sence of great Eternity Inference 2. How rational are all the difficulties and severities of Religion which serve to promote and secure a future Eternal Happiness So vast is the disproportion betwixt Time and Eternity things seen and not seen as yet the present vanishing and future permanent state that he can never be justly reputed a wise man that will not let go the best enjoyment he hath on earth if it stand in the way of his eternal happiness Nor can that man ever escape the just censure of notorious folly who for the gratifying of his appetite and present accommodation of his flesh le ts go an eternal glory in heaven Darius repented heartily that he lost a Kingdom for a draught of water O said he for how short a pleasure have I sold a Kingdom It was Moses choice and his choice argued his wisdom he chose rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin which are but for a season Heb. 11.25 Men do not account him a fool that will adventure a Penny upon a probability to gain ten thousand pounds But sure the disproportion betwixt Time and Eternity is much greater Inference 3. If there certainly be such an Eternal State into which souls pass immediately after Death How great a change then doth Death make upon every man and woman O what a serious thing is it to die It 's your passage out of the swift river of Time into the boundless and bottomless Ocean of Eternity You that now converse with sensible objects with men and women like your selves enter then into the world of Spirits You that now see the continual revolutions of daies and nights passing away one after another will then be fixed in a perpetual NOW O what a serious thing is Death You throw a cast for Eternity when you die If you were to cast a Dye for your natural life oh how would your hand shake with fear how it would fall but what is that to this The souls of
came Fourthly When did Christ ascend was it presently as soon as he rose from the dead No not so for after his Resurrection saith Luke he was seen of them forty daies speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God And truly the care and love of Christ to his people was very manifest in this his stay with them He had ineffable glory prepared for him in heaven and awaiting his coming but he will not go to possess it till he had settled all things for the good of his Church here For in this time he confirmed the truth of his Resurrection gave charge to the Apostles concerning the Discipline and order of his house or Kingdom which was but needful since he intended that their Acts should be rules to future Churches So long it was necessary he should stay And when he had set all things in order he would stay no longer lest he should seem to affect a terrene life And besides he had work of great concernment to do for us in the other world He desired to be no longer here than he had work to do for God and souls A good pattern for the Saints Fifthly How did Christ ascend into Heaven Here it 's worthy our Observation that Christ ascended as a publick person or fore-runner in our names and upon our accounts So it 's said expresly Heb. 6.20 Speaking of the most holy place within the vail whither saith he the fore-runner is for us entred His entring into heaven as our fore-runner implies both his publick capacity and precedency First His publick capacity as one that went upon our business to God So he himself speaks Ioh. 14.2 I go before to prepare a place for you To take possession of heaven in our names The fore-runner hath respect to others that were to come to heaven after him in their several generations for whom he hath taken up mansions which are kept for them against their coming Secondly It notes precedency He is our fore-runner but he himself had no fore-runner Never any entred into heaven before him but such as entred in the name and through the vertue of his merits He was the first that ever entred heaven directly immediately in his own name and upon his own account But all the Fathers who died before him entred in his name To the holiest of them all God would have said as Elisha to Iehoram 2 King 3.14 Were it not that I had respect to the person of my Son in whose name and right you come I would not look upon you You must back again heaven were no place for you No not for you Aâ—raham nor for you Moses Secondly He ascended Triumphantly into heaven To this good Expositors refer that which in the Type is spoken of David when he lodged the Ark in its own place with musical instruments and shoutings but to Christ in the Antitype when he was received up Triumphantly into glory Psal. 47.5 God is gone up with a shout the Lord with the sound of a Trumpet sing praises to God sing praises sing praises unto our King sing praises A Cloud is prepared as a Royal Chariot to carry up this King of Glory to his Princely pavillion A Cloud received him out of their sight And then a Royal guard of mighty Angels surround the Chariot if not for support yet for greater state and solemnity of their Lords ascension And oh what Jubilations of the blessed Angels were heard in heaven How was the whole City of God moved at his coming For look as when he brought his first begotten into the world he said let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. 1.6 So at his return thither again when he had finished Redemption work there were no less demonstrations given by those blessed Creatures of their delight and joy in it The very heavens ecchoed and resounded on that account Yea the Triumph is not ended at this day nor ever shall It 's said Dan. 7.13.14 I saw saith the Prophet in the night visions and behold one like the Son of man came with the Clouds of Heaven and came to the ancient of daies and they brought him near before him And there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him This Vision of Daniels was accomplisht in Christs ascension when they i. e. the Angels brought him to the ancient of daies i. e. to God the Father who to express his welcome to Christ gave him glory and a Kingdom And so it is and ought to be expounded The Father received him with open arms rejoycing exceedingly to see him again in heaven therefore God is said to receive him up into glory 1 Tim. 3.16 For that which with respect to Christ is called ascension is with respect to the Father called assumption He went up and the Father received him Yea received him so as none ever was received before him or shall be received after him Thirdly Christ Ascended munificiently shedding forth abundantly inestimable gifts upon his Church at his ascension As in the Roman Triumphs they did Spargere missilia bestow their largesses upon the people so did our Lord when he ascended wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led Captivity Captive and gave gifts unto men The place to which the Apostle refers is Psal. 68.17.18 where you have both the triumph and munificence with which Christ went up excellently set forth together The Chariots of God saith the Psalmist are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels the Lord is among them as in Sinai in the holy place Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led Captivity Captive thou hast received gifts for men Yea for the rebellious also that God might dwell among them Which words in their literal sense are a Celebraâ—ion of that famous victory and triumph of David ever the enemies of God recorded 2 Sam. 8. These conquered enemies bring him several sorts of presents all which he dedicated to the Lord. The spiritual sense is that just so our Lord Jesus Christ when he had overcome by his death on the Crâ—ss and now triumphed in his ascension he takes the parts and gifts of his enemies and gives them by their conversion to the Church for its use and service Thus he received gifts even for the rebellious i. e. sanctâ—fies the natural gifts and â—aculties of such as hated his people before dedicating them to the Lord in his peoples service Thus as one observes Tertullian Origen Austin and Ierome came into Canaan laden with Aegyptian Gold Meaning they came into the Church richly furnished wiâ—h natural learning and abilities Austin was a Manichee Cyprian a Magician learned Bradwardine a scornful proud naâ—urallist who once said when he read Pauls Epistles dedignabar esse parvulus He scorned such childish things but afterwards became a very useful man in the Church of God And even Paul himself was as fierce an enemy to
consider the nature of his intercession which is Just and reasonable for the matter urgent and continual for the manner of it the matter of his request is most equal What he desires is not desired gratis or upon terms unbecoming the holiness and righteousness of God to grant He desires no more but what he hath deserved and given a valuable consideration to the Father for And so the Justice of God doth not only oppose but furthers and pleads for the granting and fulfilling his requests Here you must remember that the Father is under a covenant-tye and bond to do what he asks for Christ having fully performed the work on his part the mercies he intercedes for are as due as the hire of the labourer is when the work is faithfully done And as the matter is just so the manner of his intercession is urgent and continual How importunate a suiter he is may be easily gathered from that specimen or handsel given of it in Ioh. 17. and for the constancy of it my text tells us he ever lives to make Intercession 'T is his great business in Heaven and he follows it close And to close all Fourthly Consider who they are for whom he makes Intercession The friends of God The children of God Those that the Father himself loves and his heart is propense and ready enough to grant the best and greatest of mercies to which is the meaning of Ioh. 16.26 27. the Father himself loveth you And it must needs be so for the first corner stone of all these mercies was laid by the Father himself in his most free election He also delivered his Son for us and how shall he not with him freely give us all things Rom. 8.32 So then there can remain no doubt upon a considering heart but Christ is a prevalent and successful Intercessor in Heaven There only remains one thing more to be satisfied and that is Fourthly In what sense he is said to live for ever to make intercession Shall he then be always at his work Imployed in begging new favours for us to eternity How then shall the people of God be perfect in Heaven if there be need of Christs Intercession to eternity for them I answer by distinguishing the essence and substance of Christs offices from the way and manner of Administration In the first sense it is eternal for his mediatory Kingdom as to the essence of it is to abide for ever Christ shall never cease to be a Mediator The Church shall never want an Head For of his Kingdom there shall be no end Luk. 1.33 However Christ as Mediator being employed in a kind of subordinate way 1 Cor. 3.23 when he shall have accomplished that design for which he became a Mediator then shall he deliver up the Kingdom in the sence we spake before to the Father and so God shall be all in all 1 Cor. 15.24 Then shall the divinity of Christ which was so empty and obscured in his undertaking this temporary dispensatory Kingdom be more gloriously manifested by the full possession use and enjoyment of that natural divine eternal Kingdom which belongs to all three co-essential and co-equal persons reigning with the same Power Majesty and glory in the unity of the divine essence and common Acts in all and over all infinitely and immutably for ever And so Christ continues to be our Mediator and yet that affords no argument that our happiness shall be incompleat but rather argues the perfection of the Church which thenceforth shall be governed no more as now it is nor have any further use of Ordinances but shall be ruled more immediately gloriously triumphantly and ineffably in the world to come The substance of his mediatorship is not changed but the manner of the administration only Vse 1. Doth Christ live for ever in Heaven to present his blood to God in the way of intercession for believers How sad then is their case that have no interest in Christs blood but instead of its pleading for them cries to God against them as the despisers and abusers of it Every unbeliever despises it The Apostate treads it underfoot He that is an intercessor for some will be an accuser of others To be guilty of a mans blood is sad but to have the blood of Jesus accusing and crying to God against a soul is unspeakably terrible Surely when he shall make inquisition for blood when the day of his vengeance is come he will make it appear by the Judgements he will execute that this is a sin never to be expiated but vengeance shall pursue the sinner to the bottom of Hell Ah what do men and women do in rejecting the gratious offers of Christ What tread upon a Saviour and cast contempt by unbelief and hardness of heart upon their only remedy I remember I have read of an harlot that kill'd her child and said that it smiled upon her when she went to stab it Sinner doth not Christ smile upon thee yearn upon thee in the Gospel and wilt thou as it were stab him to the heart by thine infideliâ—y Wo and alas for that man against whom this blood cries in Heaveâ— Vse 2. Doth Christ live for ever to make intercession Hence let believers fâ—tch relief and draw encouragement against all the causes and grounds of their fears and troubles For surely this answers them all First Hence let them be encouraged against all their sinful infirmities and lamented weaknesses 'T is confessed these are sad things they grieve the spirit of God sadden your own hearts cloud your evidences but having such an High-Priest in Heaven can never be your ruine 1 Joh. 2.1 2. My little children these things write I unto you that you sin not And if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous My little children children especially little children when first beginning to take the foot are apt to stumble at every straw So are raw young and unexperienced Christians but what if they do Why though it must be far from them to take incouragement so to do from Christ and his intercession yet if by surprizal they so sin let them not be utterly discouraged for we have an Advocate He stops whatever plea may be brought in against us by the Devil or the Law and answers all by his satisfaction He gets out fresh pardons for new sins And this Advocate is with the Father he doth not say with his Father though that had been a singular support in it self nor yet with our Father which is a sweet encouragement singly considered but with the Father which takes in both to make the encouragement full Remember ye that are cast down under the sense of sin that Jesus your friend in the Court above is able to save to the uttermost Which is as one calls it a reaching word and extends it self so far that thou canst not look beyond it Let thy soul be set on the highest mount
the world as if Heaven were in it What will ye do when at death you shall look back over your shoulder and see what you have spent your time and strength for shrinking and vanishing away from you When you shall look forward and see vast eternity opening its mouth to swallow you up O then what would you give for a well grounded assurance of an eternal inheritance O therefore if you have any concernment for your poor souls If it be not indifferent to you what becomes of them whether they be saved or whether they be damned give all diligence to make your calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his own good pleasure Phil. 2.12 Remember it is Salvation you work for and that 's no trifle Remember it 's your own Salvation and not anothers It is for thy own poor soul that thou art striving and what hast thou more Remember now God offers you his helping hand now the Spirit waits upon you in the means but of the continuance thereof you have no assurance for it is of his own good pleasure and not at yours To your work souls to your work Ah strive as men that know what an Inheritance in Heaven is worth And that as for you that have sollid evidence that it is yours Oh that with hands and eyes lifted up to Heaven you would adore that free grace that hath entitled a child of wrath to a heavenly inheritance Walk as becomes heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. Be often looking Heaven-ward when wants pinch here Oh look to that fair estate you have reserved in Heaven for you and say I am hastning home and when I come thither all my wants shall be supplied Consider what it cost Christ to purchase it for thee and with a deep sense of what he hath laid out for thee let thy soul say Blessed be God for Iesus Christ. The SIXTEENTH SERMON II COR. X.V. Casting down imaginations and every thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. WE now come to the Regal Office by which our glorious Mediator executes and dischargeth the undertaken design of our Redemption Had he not as our Prophet opened the way of Life and Salvation to the children of men they could never have known it and should they have clearly known it except as their Priest he had offered up himself to impetrate and obtain Redemption for them they could not have been Redeemed virtually by his blood and if they had been so Redeemed yet had he not lived in the capacity of a King to apply this purchase of his blood to them they could have had no actual personal benefit by his death For what he revealed as a Prophet he purchased as a Priest and what he so revealed and purchased as Prophet and Priest he applies as King First Subduing the souls of his elect to his spiritual government then ruling them as his subjects and ordering all things in the Kingdom of providence for their good So that Christ hath a twofold Kingdom the one spiritual and internal by which he subdues and rules the hearts of his people The other providential and external whereby he guides rules and orders all things in the world in a blessed subordination to their eternal Salvation I am to speak from this text of his Spiritual and internal Kingdom These words are considerable two ways either relatively or absolutely Considered relatively they are a vindication of the Apostle from the unjust censures of the Corinthians who very unworthily interpreted his gentleness condescention and winning affability to be no better than a fawning upon them for self ends and the authority he excercised no better than pride and imperiousness But hereby he lets them know that as Christ needs not so he never used such carnal Artifices The weapons of our warfare saith he are not carnal but mighty through God c. Absolutely considered they hold forth the efficacy of the Gospel in the plainness and simplicity of it for the subduing of rebellious sinners to Christ and in them we have these three things to consider First The oppositions made by sinners against the assaults of the Gospel viz. imaginations or reasonings as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be fitly rendred He means the subtilties slights excuses subterfuges and arguings of fleshly minded men in which they fortifie and entrench themselves against the convictions of the word Yea and there are not only such carnal reasonings but many proud high conceits with which poor creatures swel and scorn to submit to the abasing humble self-denying way of the Gospel These are the fortifications erected against Christ by the carnal mind Secondly We have here the conquest which the Gospel obtains over sinners thus fortified against it It casts down and overthrows and takes in those strong holds Thus Christ spoils Satan of his armour in which he trusted by shewing the sinner that all this can be no defence to his soul against the wrath of God But that 's not all in the next place Thirdly You have here the improvement of the victory Christ doth not only lead away these enemies spoiled but brings them into obedience to himself i. e. makes them after conversion Subjects of his own Kingdom obedient useful and serviceable to himself and so is more than a Conqueror They do not only lay down their arms and fight no more against Christ with them but repair to his Camp and fight for Christ with those reasons of theirs that were before imployed against him as it 's said of Ierome Origen and Tertullian that they came into Canaan laden with Aegyptian gold That is they come into the Church full of excellent learning and abilities with which they eminently served Jesus Christ. O blessed victory where the Conqueror and conquered both Triumph together And thus enemies and rebels are subdued and made subjects of the spiritual Kingdom of Christ. Hence the Doctrinal note is DOCT. That Iesus Christ exercises a Kingly power over the souls of all whom the Gospel subdues to his obedience No sooner were the Collossians delivered out of the power of darkness but they were immediately translated into the Kingdom of Christ the dear Son 1 Col. 13. This Kingdom of Christ which is our present subject is the internal spiritual Kingdom which is said to be within the Saints Luk. 17.20 21. The Kingdom of God is within you Christ sits as an enthroned King in the Hearts Consciences and affections of his willing people Psal. 110.3 And his Kingdom consists in Rightâ—ousness Peace and Ioy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 And is properly Monarchical as appears in the Margent In the prosecution of this point I will speak Doctrinally to these three heads First How Christ obtains this throne
or Satan be in the Throne and sways the Scepter over our souls Reader the work I would now engage thy soul in is the same that Jesus Christ will throughly and effectually do in the great day Then will he gather out of his Kingdom every thing that offends separate the tares and wheat Divide the whole world into two ranks or grand divisions how many divisions and sub-divisions soever there be in it now it neerly concerns thee therefore to know who is Lord and King in thy soul. To help thee in this great work make use of the following hints for I cannot fully prosecute these things as I would First To whom do you yield your obedience His Subjects and servants ye are to whom ye obey Rom. 6.16 It 's but a mockery to give Christ the empty titles of Lord and King whilst ye give your real service to sin and Satan What is this but like the Jews to bow the knee to him and say hail Master and crucifie him Then are ye his disciples if ye do whatsoever he commands you Joh. 15.14 He that is Christs servant in jest shall be damned in earnest Christ doth not complement with you His Pardons Promises Salvations are real O let your obedience be so too Let it be sincere and universal obedience this will evidence your unfeigned subjection to Christ. Do not dare to enterprize any thing till you know Christs pleasure and Will Rom. 12.2 Enquire of Christ as David did of the Lord 1 Sam. 23.9 10 11. Lord may I do this or that or shall I forbear I beseech thee tell thy Servant Secondly Have you the power of godliness or a form of it only There be many that do but trifle in Religion and play about the skirts and borders of it spending their time about jejune and barren controversies but as to the power of Religion and life of Godliness which consists in communion with God in duties and ordinances which promotes holiness and mortifies their Lusts they concern not themselves about these things But surely the Kingdom of God is not in word but in power 1 Cor. 4.20 It is not meat and drink that is dry disputes about meats and drinks but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy-Ghost for he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men Rom. 14.17 18. O I am affraid when the great Host of Professors shall be tried by these rules thâ—y will shrink up into a little handful as Gideons Host did Thirdly Have ye the special saving knowledge of Christ All his Subjects are translated out of the Kingdom of darkness 1 Col. 13. The Devil that ruleth over you in the daies of your ignorance is called the Ruler of the darkness of this world His Subjects are all blind else he could never rule them Assoon as their eyes be opened they run out of his Kingdom And there is no retaining them in subjection to him any longer O enquire then whether you are brought out of darkness into his marvelous light Do ye see your condition how sad miserable wretched iâ— is by nature Do ye see your remedy as it lies only in Christ and his pretious blood Do ye see the true way of obtaining interest in that blood by faith Doth this knowledge run into practice and put you upon lamenting heartily your misery by sin Thirsting vehemently after Christ and his Righteousness Striving continually for an heart to believe and close with Chirst This will evidence you indeed to be translated out of the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Christ. Fourthly With whom do ye delightfully associate your selves who are your chosen Companions Ye may â—ee to whom ye belong by the Company you join your selves to What do the Subjects of Christ among the slaves of Satan If the Subjects of one Kingdom be in another Kings dominions they love to be together with their own Countrymen rather than the natives of the place so do the servants of Christ. They are a company of themselves as it is said Act. 4.23 They went to their own Company I know the Subjects of both Kingdoms are here mingled and we cannot avoid the company of sinners except we go out of the world 1 Cor. 5.10 But yet all your delights should be in the Saints and in the excellent of the earth Psal. 16.3 Fifthly Do ye live Holy and Righteous lives If not you may claim interest in Christ as your King but he will never allow your claim The Scepter of his Kingdom is a Scepter of Righteousness Psal. 45.6 If ye oppress go beyond and cheat your brethren and yet call your selves Christs Subjects what greater reproach can ye study to cast upon him What is Christ the King of Cheats Doth he patronize such things as these No no pull off your vizards and fall into your own places you belong to another Prince and not to Christ. Inference 3. Doth Christ exercise such a Kingly power over the souls of all them that are subdued by the Gospel to him O then let all that are under Christs government walk as the Subjects of such a King Imitate your King the examples of Kings are very influential upon their Subjects Your King hath commanded you not only to take his yoak upon you but also to learn of him Matth. 11.29 Yea and if any man say that he is Christs let him walk even as Christ walked 1 Joh. 2.6 Your King is meek and patient Isai. 53.7 As a Lamb for meekness shall his Subjects be Lyons for fierceness Your King was humble and lowly Matth. 21.5 Behold the King cometh meek and lowly Will ye be proud and lofty Doth this become the Kingdom of Christ Your King was a self-denying King He could deny his outward comforts ease honour life to serve his Fathers design and accomplish your Salvation 2 Cor. 8.9 2 Phil 1.2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Shall his servants be self-ended and self-seeking persons that will expose his honour and hazard their own souls for the trifles of time God forbid Your King was painful laborious and diligent in fulfilling his work Ioh. 9.3 Let not his servants be lasie and slothful O imitate your King follow the pattern of your King this will give you comfort now and boldness in the day of Judgement if as he was so ye are in this world 1 Ioh. 4.17 The SEVENTEENTH SERMON IEPH XXII And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church THE foregoing verses are spent in a thankful and humble adoration of the grace of God in bringing these Ephesians to believe in Christ. This effect of that power that raised their hearts to believe in Christ is here compared with that other glorious effect of it even the raising of Christ himself from the dead Both these owe themselves to the same efficient cause It raised Christ from a low estate even from the dead to
is called Gods servant they fulfil his will whilst they are prosecuting their own lusts The earth shall help the woman Rev. 12.16 But good men delight to serve providence they and the Angels are fellow-servants in one house and to one master Rev. 19.10 Yea there is not a creature in Heaven or Earth or Hell but Jesus Christ can Providentially use it and serve his ends and promote his designs by it But whatever the Instrument be Christ uses of this we may be certain that his Providential working is Holy Judicious Soveraign Profound Irresistible Harmonious and to the Saints peculiar First It 's holy Though he permits limits orders and overrules many unholy persons and actions yet he still works like himself most holily and purely throughout The Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works Psal. 145.17 It 's easier to separate light from a Sun-beam than holiness from the works of God The best of men cannot escape sin in their most holy actions They cannot touch but are defiled But no sin cleaves to God whatever he hath to do about it Secondly Christs providential working is not only most pure and holy but also most wise and Judicious Ezek. 1.20 The wheels are full of eyes they are not moved by a blind impetus but in deep counsel and wisdom And indeed the wisdom of providence manifests it self principally in the choice of such states for the people of God as shall most effectually promote their eternal happiness And herein it goes quite beyond our understandings and comprehensions It makes that medicinal and salutiferous which we judge as destructive to our comfort and good as poyson I remember it is a note of Suarez speaking of the felicity of the other world then saith he the blessed shall see in God all things and circumstances pertaining to them excellently accommodated and attempered Then they shall see that the crossing of their desires was the saving of their souls And that they had if they had not perished The most wise Providence looks beyond us It eyes the end and suits all things thereto and not to our fond desires Thirdly The Providence of Christ is most supream and soveraign Whatsoever he pleaseth that he doth in Heaven and Earth and in all places Psal. 135.6 He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings Rev. 19.16 The greatest Monarchs on Earth are but as little bits of clay As the worms of the earth to him They all depend on him Prov. 8.15 16. By me Kings raign and Princes decree Iustice by me Princes rule Nobles even all the Iudges of the Earth Fourthly Providence is profound and inscrutable The Judgements of Christ are as the great deeps and his footsteps are not known Psal. 36 6. There are hard texts in the works as well as in the words of Christ The wisest heads have been at a loss in interpreting some providences Ier. 12.1 2. Iob. 21.7 The Angels had the hands of a man under their wings Ezek. 1.8 i. e. They wrought secretly and mysteriously Fifthly Providence is irresistible in its designs and motions for all providences are but the fulfillings and accomplishments of Gods immutable decrees Eph. 1.11 He works all things according to the counsel of his own will Hence Zech. 6.1 The Instruments by which God executed his wrath are called Chariots coming from betwixt two mountains of brass i. e. the firm and immutable decrees of God When the Iews put Christ to death they did but do that the hand and counsel of God had before determined to be done Acts 4.28 So that none can oppose or resist Providence I will work and who shall lett Isa. 43.13 Sixthly The Providences of Christ are Harmonious There are secret chains and invisible connexions betwixt the works of Christ. We know not how to reconcile promises and providences together nor yet providences one with another but certainly they all work together Rom. 8.28 as adjuvant causes or con-causes standing under and working by the influence of the first cause He doth not do and undo Destroy by one providence what he built by another But look as all seasons of the year the nipping frosts as well as halcion days of summer do all conspire and conduce to the harvest so it is in providence Seventhly Lastly The providences of Christ work in a special and peculiar way for the good of the Saints His providential is subordinated to his Spiritual Kingdom He is the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe 1 Tim. 4.10 These only have the blessing of providence Things are so laid and ordered as that their eternal good shall be promoted and secured by all that Christ doth Inference 1. If so See then in the first place to whom you are beholding for your lives liberties comforts and all that you enjoy in this world Is it not Christ that takes order for you He is indeed in Heaven out of your sight but though you see him not he sees you and takes care for all your concerns When one told Silentiarius of a plot laid to take away his life he answered Si Deus mei curam non habet quid vivo if God take not care of me how do I live how have I escaped hitherto In all thy waies acknowledge him Prov. 3.6 It 's he that hath espied out that state thou art in as most proper for thee It 's Christ that doth all for you that is done He looks down from Heaven upon all that fear him he sees when you are in danger by Temptation and casts in a providence you know not how to hinder it He sees when you are sad and orders reviving providences to refresh you He sees when corruptions prevail and orders humbling providences to purge them Whatever mercies you have received all along the way you have gone hitherto are the orderings of Christ for you And you shall carefully observe how the promises and providences have kept equal pace with one another and both gone step by step with you until now Inference 2. Hath God left the government of the whole world in the hands of Christ and trusted him over all then do ye also leave all your particular concerns in the hands of Christ too and know that the infinite wisdom and love which rules the world manages every thing that relates to you It is in a good hand and infinitely better than if it were in your own I remember when Melanchthon was under some despondencies of spirit about the estate of Gods people in Germany Luther chides him thus for it desinat Philippus esse rector mundi let Philip cease to rule the world It 's none of our work to steer the course of providence or direct its motions but to submit quietly to him that doth There is an Itch in men yea in the best of men to be disputing with God Let me talk with thee of thy Iudgements saith Jeremy Jer. 32.1 2. Yea
he goeth to another come and he cometh meaning that as his souldiers were at his beck and command so diseases were at Christs beck to come and go as he ordered them Secondly Study the wisdom of Christ in the contrivance of your troubles And his wisdom shines out many waies in them It 's evident in choosing such kinds of troubles for you This and not that because this is more apt to work upon and purge out the corruption that most predominates in you In the decrees of your troubles Suffering them to work to such an height else not reach their end but no higher least they overwhelm you Thirdly Study the tenderness and compassions of Christ over his afflicted O think if the Devil had but the mixing of my cup how much more bitter would he make it There would not be one drop of mercy no not of sparing mercy in it which is the lowest of all sorts of mercy But here is much mercy mixed with my troubles There is mercy in this that it is no worse Am I afflicted it 's the Lords mercy I am not consumed Lam. 3.22 it might have been Hell as well as this There is mercy in his supports under it Others have and I might have been left to sink and perish under my burdens Mercy in deliverance out of it This might have been everlasting darkness that should never have had a morning O the tenderness of Christ over his afflicted Fourthly Study the love of Christ to thy soul in affliction Did he not love thee he would not sanctifie a rod to humble or reduce thee but let thee alone to rot and perish in thy sin Rev. 3.19 whom I love I rebuke and chasten This is the device of love to recover thee to thy God and prevent thy ruine O what an advantage would it be thus to study Christ in all your evils that befal you Secondly Eye and study Christ in all the good you receive from the hand of providence Turn both sides of your mercies and view them in all their lovely circumstances First Eye them in their suitableness How conveniently Providence hath ordered all things for thee Thou hast a narrow heart and a small estate suitable to it Hadst thou more of the world it would be like a large sail to a little boat which would quickly pull thee under water Thou hast that which is most suitable to thee of all conditions Secondly Eye the seasonableness of thy mercies how they are timed to an hour Providence brings forth all its fruits in due season Thirdly Eye the peculiar nature of thy mercies Others have common thou special ones Others have but a single thou a double sweetness in thy enjoyments one natural from the matter of it another spiritual from the way in which and end for which it comes Fourthly Observe the order in which providence sends you your mercies See how one is linked strangely to another and is a door to let in many Sometimes one mercy is introductive to a thousand Fifthly and Laslty Observe the constancy of them they are new every morning Lam. 3.23 How assiduously doth God visit thy soul and body Think with thy self if there were but a suspension of the care of Christ for one hour that hour would be thy ruine Thousands of evils stand round about thee watching when Christ will but remove his eye from thee that they may rush in and devour thee Could we thus study the providence of Christ in all the good and evil that befalls us in the world then in every state we should be content Phil. 4.11 Then we should never be stopt but furthered in our way by all that falls out Then would our experiences swell to great volumes which we might carry to Heaven with us And then should we answer all Christs ends in every state he brings us into Do this and say Thanks be to God for Iesus Christ. The EIGHTEENTH SERMON PHIL. II. VIII And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient to death even the death of the Cross. YOU have heard how Christ was invested with the Offices of Prophet Priest and King for the carrying on the blessed design of our Redemption the excution of these Offices necessarily required that he should be both deeply abased and highly exalted He cannot as our Priest offer up himself a Sacrifice to God for us except he be humbled and humbled to death He cannot as a King powerfully apply the vertue of that his Sacrifice except he be exalted yea highly exalted Had he not stooped to the low estate of a man he had not as a Priest had a Sacrifice of his own to offer as a Prophet he had not been fit to teach us the will of God so as that we should be able to bear it as a King he had not been a suitable head to the Church And had he not been highly exalted that Sacrifice had not been carried within the vail before the Lord. Those discoveries of God could not have been universal effectual and abiding The Government of Christ could not have secured protected and defended the Subjects of his Kingdom The infinite wisdom prospecting all this ordered that Christ should first be deeply humbled then highly exalted both which states of Christ are presented to us by the Apostle in this context He that intends to build high lays the foundation deep and low Christ must have a distinct glory in Heaven transcending that of Angels and men For the Saints will know him from all others by his glory as the Sun is known from the lesser Stars And as he must be exalted infinitely above them so he must first in order thereunto be humbled and abased as much below them His form was mar'd more than any mans and his visage more than the Sons of men The ground colours are a deep sable which afterward are laid on with all the splendor and glory of Heaven Method requires that we first speak to this state of Humiliation And to that purpose I have read this Scripture to you which pesents you the Sun under an almost total eclipse He that was beautiful and glorious Isai. 4.2 Yea glorious as the only begotten of the Father Ioh. 1.14 yea the glory Iames 2.1 Yea the splendor and brightness of the Fathers glory Heb. 1.3 was so vail'd clouded and debased that he looked not like himself a God no nor scarce as a man for with reference to this humbled state it 's said Psal. 22.6 I am a worm and no man q. d. rather write me worm than man I am become an abject among men as that word Isai. 53.3 signifies This humiliation of Christ we have here expressed in the nature degrees and duration or continuance of it First The nature of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he humbled himself The word imports both are all and voluntary abasement Real he did not personate a humbled man nor act the part of one in
Fourthly It imports the soveraignty and supremacy of Christ over all The investiture of Christ with authority over the Empire of both worlds For this belongs to him that sits down upon this throne When the Father said to him sit at my right hand he did therein deliver to him the dispensation and oeconomy of the Kingdom Put the awful scepter of government into his hand and so the Apostle interprets and understands it 1 Cor. 15.25 He must raign till he have put all his enemies under his feet And to thâ—s purpose the same Apostle accommodates if not expounds the words of the Psalmist thou madest him a little lower than the Angels i. e. in respect of his humbled state on earth thou Crownnedst him with glory and honour and didst set him over the work of thy hands thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet Heb. 2.7 8. He is over the spiritual Kingdom the Church absolute Lord there Matth. 28.18 19 20. He also is Lord over the providential Kingdom the whole world Psal. 110.2 and this providential Kingdom being subordinate to his spiritual Kingdom he orders and rules this for the advantage and benefit of that Ephes. 1.22 Fifthly To sit at Gods right hand with his enemies for a footstool implies Christ to be a Conqueror over all his enemies To have ones enemies under his feet notes perfect conquest and compleat victory As when Iosuah set his foot upon the necks of the Kings So Tamberline made proud Bajazet his footstool They trampled his name and his Saints under their feet and Christ will tread them under his feet 'T is true indeed this victory is yet incompleat and inconsummate for now we see not yet all things put under him saith the Apostle but we see Iesus Crowned with glory and honour and that 's enough Enough to shew the power of his enemies is now broken and though they make some opposition still yet it is to no purpose at all for he is so infinitely above them that they must fall before him It is not with Christ as it was with Abiâ—ah against whom Ieroboam prevailed because he was young and tenderhearted and could not withstand them His incapacity and weakness gave the watchful enemy an advantage over him I say 't is not so with Christ he is at Gods right hand And all the power of God stands ready bent to strike through his enemies as it is Psal. 110.5 Sixthly Christs sitting in Heaven notes to us the great and wonderful change that is made upon the state and condition of Christ since his ascention into Heaven Ah 't is far otherwise with him now than it was in the days of his humiliation here on earth quantum mutatus ab illo Oh what a wonderful change hath Heaven made upon him It were good as a Worthy of ours speaks to compare in our thoughts the Abasement of Christ and his Exaltation together as it were in Columes one over against the other he was born in a Stable but now he raigns in his Royal Palace Then he had a Manger for his Cradle but now he sits on a Chair of State Then Oxen and Asses were his companions now thousands of Saints and ten thousand of Angels minister round about his throne Then in contempt they called him the Carpenters Son now he obtains by inheritance a more excellent name than Angels Then he was led away into the Wilderness to be tempted of the Devil now it is proclaimed before him let all the Angels of God worship him Then he had not a place to lay his head on now he is exalted to be heir of all things In his state of Humiliation he endured the contradiction of sinners in his state of Exaltation he is adored and admired of Saints and Angels Then he had no form nor comliness and when we saw him there was no beauty why we should desire him now the beauty of his countenance shall send forth such glorious beams that shall dazel the eyes of all the Coelestial inhabitants round about him c. O what a change is here Here he sweat but there he sits Here he groaned but there he triumphs Here he lay upon the ground there he sits in the throne of glory When he came to Heaven his Father did as it were thus bespeak him My dear Son what an hard travail hast thou had of it What a world of wo hast thou past through in the strength of thy love to me and mine Elect Thou hasâ— been hungry thirsty and weary scourged crucified and reproached ah what bad usage has thou had in the ungrateful world Not a days rest and comfort since thou wentest out from me but now thy suffering days are accomplisht now thy rest is come rest for evermore Henceforth sit at my right hand Henceforth thou shalt groan weep or bleed no more Sit thou at my right hand Seventhly Christs sitting at Gods right hand implies the advancement of believers to the highest honour For this session of Christs respects them and there he sits as our representative in which regard we are made to sit with him in heavenly places as the Apostle speaks Ephes. 2.6 How secure may we be saith Tertullian who do now already possess the Kingdom meaning in our head Christ. This saith another is all my hope and all my confidence namely that we have a portion in that flesh and blood of Christ which is so exalted and therefore where he reigns we shall reign where our flesh is glorified we shall be glorified Surely it 's matter of exceeding joy to believe that Christ our head our flesh and blood is in all this glory at his Fathers right hand Thus we have opened the sence and importance of Christs siâ—ting at his Fathers right hand Hence we Infer Inference 1. Is this so great an honour to Christ to sit enthroned at Gods right hand What honour then is reserved in Heaven for those that are faithful to Christ now on the earth Christ prayed and his prayer was heard Joh. 17.24 That we may be with him to behold the glory that God hath given him and what heart can conceive the felicity of such a sight it made Stephens face shine as the face of an Angel when he had but a glimpse of Christ at his Fathers right hand Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty Isai. 33.17 which respected Hezekiah in the Type Christ in the truth But this is not all though this be much to be spectators of Christ in his Throne of glory we shall not only see him in his Throne but also sit with him inthroned in glory To behold him is much but to sit with him is more I remember it was the saying of a heavenly Christian now with Christ I would far rather look but through the hole of Christs door to see but the one half of his fairest and most comly face for he looks like Heaven suppose I should never win in to
discry Land crying with loud and united voices A shore A shore As the Poet describes the Italians when they saw their native Country lifted up their voices and making the Heavens ring again with Italy Italy or as Armies shout when the signal of Battle is given Above all which as some expound it shall the voice of the Archangel be distinctly heard And after this shout the trump of God shall sound By this Tremendous blast sinners will be affrighted out of their Graves but to the Saints it will carry no more terrour than the roaring of Cannons when Armies of friends approach a besieged City for the relief of them that be within The dead being raised they shall be gathered before the great Throne on which Christ shall sit in his glory and there divided exactly to the right and left hand of Christ by the Angels Here will be the greatest Assembly that ever met Where Adam may see his numerous off-spring even as the sand upon the Sea-shore which no man can number And never was there such a perfect division made how many divisions soever have been in the world none was ever like it The Saints in this great Oecumenical assize as the same Author stiles it shall meet the Lord in the air and there the Judge shall sit upon the Throne and all the Saints shall be placed upon bright clouds as on Seats or Scaffolds round about him the wicked remaining below upon the earth there to receive their final doom and sentence These preparatives will make it awful And much more will the work it self that Christ comes about make it so For it is to Iudge the secrets of men Rom. 2.16 To sever the Tares from the Wheat To make every mans whites and blacks appear And according as they are found in that Tryal to be sentenced to their everlasting and immutable state O what a solemn thing is this And no less will the execution of the Sentence on both parts make it a great and solemn day The heart of man cannot conceive what impressions the voice of Christ from the Throne will make both upon believers and unbelievers Imagine Christ upon his glorious Throne surrounded with Myriads and Legions of Angels his Royal guard a poor unbeliever trembling at the Bar. An exact scrutiny made into his heart and life The dreadful Sentence given And then a cry And then his delivering them over to the Executioners of Eternal vengeance never never to see a glimpse of hope or mercy any more Imagine Christ like the General of an Army mentioning with honour in the head of all the hosts of Heaven and Earth all the services that the Saints have done for him in this world Then sententially justifying them by open proclamation Then mounting with him to the third Heavens and entring the gates of that City of God in that noble train of Saints and Angels intermixed And so for ever to be with the Lord. O what a great day must this be Secondly As it will be an awful and solemn Judgement so it will be a Critical and Exact Judgement Every man will be weighed to his ounces and drams The name of the Judge is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searcher of hearts The Judge hath eyes as flames of fire which pierce to the dividing of the heart and reins It 's said Matth. 12.36 That men shall then give an account of every idle word that they shall speak It is a day that will perfectly fan the world No Hypocrite can escape Justice holds the ballances in an even hand Christ will go to work so exactly that some Divines of good note think the day of Judgement will last as long as this day of the Gospels administration hath or shall last Thirdly It will be a Vniversal Iudgement 2 Cor. 5.10 We must all appear before the Iudgement Seat of Christ. And Rom. 14.12 Every one of us shall give an account of himself to God Those that were under the Law and those that having no Law were a Law to themselves Rom. 2.12 Those that had many Talents and he that had but one Talent must appear at this Bar those that were carried from the Cradle to the Grave with him that stooped for Age. The rich and poor the Father and the Child the Master and the Servant the believer and unbeliever must stand forth in that day I saw the Dead both small and great stand before God and the Books were opened Rev. 20.12 Fourthly It will be a Judgement full of convictive clearness All things will be so sifted to the bran as we say that the Sentence of Christ both on Saints and sinners shall be applauded Righteous art thou O Lord because thou hast Iudged thus His Judgements will be as the light that goeth forth So that those poor sinners whom he will condemn shall be first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self condemned Their own consciences shall be forced to confess that there is not one drop of injustice in all that Sea of wrath into which they are to be cast Fifthly And lastly It will be a supream and final Iudgement from which lies no Appeal For it is the Sentence of the Highest and only Lord. For as the ultimate resolution of Faith is into the Word and truth of God so the ultimate resolution of Iustice is into the Judgement of God This Judgement is supream and imperial For Christ is the only potentate 1 Tim. 6.5 And therefore the Sentence once past its execution is infallible And so you find it in that judicial process Matth. 25. ult Just after the Sentence is pronounced by Christ it is immediatly added those shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into Life Eternal This is the Judgement of the great day Thirdly In the last place I must inform you that God in ordaining Christ to be the Judge hath very highly exalted him This will be very much for his honour For in this Christs Royal dignity will be illustrated beyond what ever it was since he took our nature till that day Now he will appear in his glory For First This act of Judging pertaining properly to the Kingly Office Christ will be glorified as much in his Kingly Office as he hath been in either of the other We find but some few glimpses of his Kingly Office breaking forth in this world as his riding with Hosannahs into Ierusalem His whipping the buyers and sellers out of the Temple His Title upon the Cross c. But these were but faint beams now that Office will shine in its glory as the Sun in the midst of the Heavens For what were the Hosannahs of little Children in the streets of Ierusalem to the shouts and acclamations of thousands of Angels and ten thousands of Saints What was his whipping the prophane out of the Temple to his turning the wicked into Hell and sending his Angels to gather out of his Kingdom every thing that offendeth What was a Title
written by his Judge and fixed on the ignominous Tree to the name that shall be now seen on his Vesture and on his Thigh Lord of Lords and King of Kings Secondly This will be a display of his glory in the highest before the whole world For there will be present at once and together all the Inhabitants of Heaven and Earth and Hell Angels must be there to attend and minister those glistering Courtiers of Heaven must attend his person So that Heaven will for a time be left empty of all its Inhabitants Men and Devils must be there to be judged And before this great Assembly will Christ appear in Royal Majesty that day He will to allude to that Text Isa. 24.23 raign before his Ancients gloriously For he will come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe 2 Thes. 1.10 The inhabitants of the three Regions Heaven Earth and Hell shall rejoyce or tremble before him that day And acknowledge him to be supream Lord and King Thirdly This will roll away for ever the reproach of his death For Pilate and the High Priest that Judged him at their bars shall now stand quivering at his bar with Herod that set him at nought the Souldiers and Officers that traduced and abused him There they that reviled him on the Cross wagging their heads will stand with trembling knees before his Throne For every eye shall see him and they also that pierced him Rev. 1.7 O what a contemptible person was Christ in their eyes once As a worm and no man Every vile wretch could freely tread and trample on him but now such will be the brightness of his glory such the awful beams of Majesty that the wicked shall not stand in his presence or be able to rise up as that word imports Psal. 1.5 before him So that this will be a full and Universal vindication of the death of Christ from all that contempt and ignominy that attended it We next improve it Inference 1. Is Jesus Christ ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead great then is the security believers have that they shall not be condemned in that day Who shall condemn when Christ is Judge If believers be condemned in Judgement Christ must give Sentence against them Yea and they must condemn themselves too I say Christ must give Sentence for that is the proper and peculiar Office of Christ. And to be sure no Sentence of condemnation shall in that day be given by Christ against them For First He died to save them and he will never cross and overthrow the designs and ends of his own death That cannot be imagined nay Secondly They have been cleared and absolved already And being once absolved by divine Sentence they can never be condemned afterward For one divine Sentence cannot cross and rescind another He justified them here in this world by Faith Declared in his Word which shall then be the rule of Judgement Rom. 2.16 That there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 8.1 And surely he will not retract his own Word and give a Sentence quite cross to his own Statute-book out of which he hath told us they shall be Judged Moreover Thirdly The far greatest part of them will have past their particular Judgement long before that day and being therein acquitted by God the Judge of all and admitted into Heaven upon the score and account of their Justification it cannot be imagined that Christ should now condemn them with the World Nay Fourthly He that Judgeth them is their head husband friend and brother who loved them and gave himself for them Oh then with what confidence may they go even unto his Throne And say with Iob though he try us as fire we know we shall come forth as Gold We know that we shall be justified Especially if we add that they themselves shall be assessors with Christ in that day And as a Judicious Author pertinently observes not a Sentence shall pass without their Votes So as that they may by Faith not only look upon themselves as already in Heaven sitting with Christ as a common person in their right but they may look upon themselves as Judges already So that if any sin should arise to accuse or condemn yet it must be with their Votes And what greater security can they have than this that they must condemn themselves if they be condemned No no it is not the business of that day to condemn but to absolve and pronounce them pardoned and justified according to the sence of Act. 3.19 and Matth. 12.32 So that it must needs be a time of refreshing as the Scriptures call it to the people of God You that now believe shall not come into condemnation Ioh. 5.24 You that now Judge your selves shall not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11.31 32. Inference 2. If Christ be ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead how miserable a case will Christless Souls be in at that day They that are Christless now will be speechless helpless and hopeless then How will their hands hang down and their knees knock together O what pale faces quivering lips fainting hearts and roaring consciences will be among them in that day O dreadful day O astonishing sight To see the World in a dreadful conflagration the Elements melting the Stars falling the Earth trembling the Judgement set the Prisoners brought forth O who shall endure in this day but those that by union with Christ are secured against the danger and dread of it Let me demand of poor Christless Souls whom this day is like to overtake unawares First Do ye think it possible to avoid appearing after that terrible citation is given to the World by the Trump of God Alas how can you imagine it Is not the same power that revived your dust able to bring you before the bar There is a necessity that you must come forth 2 Cor. 5.10 We Must all appear It is not at the sinners choice to obey the Summons or not Secondly If you must appear are there no Accusers nor Witnesses that will appear against you and confront you in the Court What think you was Satan so often a Tempter to you here and will he not be an Accuser there Yes nothing surer for that was the main design of all his Temptations What think you of your own Consciences Are they not privy to your secret wickedness Don't they now whisper sometimes in your ears what you care not to hear of If they whisper now they will thunder then Rom. 2.15 16. Will not the Spirit accuse you for resisting his motions and stifling thousands of his convictions Will not your Companions in sin accuse you who drew or were drawn by you to sin Will not your Teachers be your accusers How many times have you made them complain Lord they are Iron and Brass they have made their faces harder than a