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
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 is come and who shall be able to stand Then profane and wicked Kings who would not submit unto the Government of Christ but brake his bands asunder and cast away his cords from them shall see this King of Kings and Lord of
pouring forth tears for him at the Throne of grace in my Closet when he hath been pouring in Wine and strong drink in Taverns and Aie-houses I have been troubled for him when he hath staied our so late and troubled more with him when he hath come in so full of drink and pâ—ssion and with much patience have endured his foul speeches and behaviour which he hath used I have watched the most fit opportunity I could take to put him in mind of his sin and danger and I have done it with the greatest humility and meeknes and tender affection as I could but either he hath not regarded my words or slew out into a rage against me O how fain would I have perswaded him to draw in the same yoke of Christ with me but he would draw another way do what I could none of my prayers nor tears nor arguments no not the lâ—ve of Christ nor the love of his own soul could prevaile with him to change his course he would 〈◊〉 leave his drunkenness and adultery his worldliness and iâ—justice his lying and over-reaching his swearing and bitterness against thy people by no means would he be perswaded 3. Believing Parents will then accuse and witness against their ungodly children and servants Lord we endeavoured to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of thee we laboured to put good principles betimes into them we drâ—pped many wholsome instructions upon them we prayed frequently for them and with them and spake plainly aâ—d earnestly to them about their soul-concernment we told them of the immnrâ—atity of their sâ—uls the preciousness of their time the evil of sin their need of thee the excellency of grace their danger of Hell the way to escape it the glory of Heaven the way to attain it but alas to the grief of our hearts they shut their ears against all our instructions and would take none of our reproofs or counsels they would go foolishly and stubbornly on in a course of sin and neither thy law nor our fear would restrain them Thus these and other godly relations will rise up in judgment and witness against the wicked 3. The ungodly friends and companions of the wicked will at that day be their accusers and witness against them especially those who have been drawn by them into sin however now they are very well pleased with them and delight in their company because sin pleaseth them and they do not feel nor believe the bitterness which will be consequent yet when they come to be judged and punished for those sins they will with rage and madness accuse curse those wicked persons which were their first tempters Drunkards will accuse those that drew them first into Taverns and Ale-houses and perswaded them by healths and other waies to drink beyond their measure Adulterers and Adulteresses will accuse those which first inticed them unto privy lewdness ungodly servants also will then accuse their wicked masters and ungodly children their wicked parents who have been drawn into sin by their example Thus men will be accusers and witnesses against the wicked 3. Devils will be the Accusers and Witnesses against the wicked they are now accusers of the brethren then they will be accusers of the wicked they accuse the brethren falsly they will accuse the wicked truly now they please and flatter the wicked and perswade them to sin then they will accuse them for those very sins which they have perswaded them unto they have done the devils drudgery all their daies and been his faithful slaves and this is his recompence he will be their accuser at the last day 4. The wicked will be accused by themselves their own thoughts shall accuse them in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ Rom. â— 15 16. their own consciences will accuse them and be as a thousand witnesses against them they will finde all their sins registred in that book and that book will then be opened and they will not be able to deny one word of what they shall finde there recorded Thus of the accusers and witnesses against the wicked 6. Concerning the Conviction And here I shall speak of the conviction of some particular sinners especially of such who have lived in the daies and places where the Gospel hath been preached whom the Lord Iesus Christ with upbraiding having of full evidence with convict of their sins To set this out the more lively Suppose that this very day were the day of Judgment and in this very Church were the Judgment-feat that here were a great white Throne and the Lord Jesus Christ himself sitting upon it in his glory with millions of holy Angels about him and all the Saints in white at his â—ight hand and on his left all the wicked gathered â—ogether into one body as it will be at the last â—ay And the Judge should cry with a loud voice â—ring the prisoners to the Bar Bring the sinners to judgment and so summon and convict particular sinners 1. Come forth all ye ignorant persons who have not known the father nor me nor the mysteries of salvation however clearly revealed in my Word who lived in darkness and loved darkness and bated the light least your deeds should thereby have been reproved What dark in a Goshen ignorant in London in a place of so much knowledge and instruction Did not Parents teach you when you were young how is it that you would not be taught If Parents neglected to instruct you had you not Ministers who were ready to do it How is it that you have not learnt If knowledge did not offer it self to you why did you not seek after it why did not you learn of your selves was there any thing in the world that did concern you more to know was not the knowledge of me and my waies worth the looking after had you a capacity for other knowledge and not for this have not others learnt who were naturally as dull and had as few helps 〈◊〉 you had you time to spend about other things iâ— sports and sins and not time to spend in getting knowledge had you an ear and yet not hear so as to learnâ— had you an eye and yet not see so as to understand And if you were naturally blind had not I eye-salve could not I have opened your eies was I not willing did I not stand in the gates to call upon you How long ye simple ones will you love simplicity and fools hate knowledge Turn unto me and I will pour out my Spirit upon you and make knowâ— my words unto you Prov. I. 22 23. Have 〈◊〉 neglected me through ignorance is not your fouâ— double because you have neglected knowledge too have you committed many sins through ignorance 〈◊〉 not this an aggravation of your sin did not you 〈◊〉 knowledge and therefore dis-regarded it did not yoâ— love sin and therefore shunned the light which would have discovered it and disturbed you in
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
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.
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
with me into Heaven and ye shall live and reign with me for ever and ever Come along and enter now into your Masters joy come and I will shew you the Father and bring you into his house and presence where there is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore And now Beloved think with your selves what joyes what exultations what clapping of hands what shouâ—ings what Hallelujahs what Hosannahs what triumphing acclamations the Saints will make upon the hearing of these words But here words fail conceptions fall short who can utter what the affections and behaviour of the righteous will be when they have their sentence and hear such sweet and gracious words from the mouth of their Judge and Redeemer Thus concerning the Judgment of the righteous CHAP. VII 2. COncerning the judgment of the wicked at the second appearance of Jesus Christ in treating hereon I shall as in the judgment of the righteous speak 1. Of the immediate antecedents 2. Of the Iudgment it self 1. The immediate Antecedents of the judgment of the wicked will be 1. The Resurrection of their Bodies from the grave all the wicked that are dead shall be raised though not so soon yet as certainly as the righteous Ioh. 5. 28 29. The hour cometh that all that are in their graves shall hear his voice not only they that have done good shall come forth to the Resurrection of life but also they that have done evil to the resurrection of demnation When the wicked die their bodies are clapt up in the Prison of the Grave where they rot and putrifie under the chains of death which are laid upon them and their souls are shut down into the Prison of Hell where they are bound up in chains of darkness and wo and reserved unto the judgment of the great day when the Lord Jesus shal appear to judge the World he will bring the keys of death and hell along with him and open both these Prison doors not to give liberty and releasâ— to the Prisoners but as Prisons are opened at Assizes to bring them forth unto Judgment he will open the Prison of Hell and all the souls of the wicked shall come forth like so many Locusts out of the bottomless Pit and he will open the Prison of the Grave and all their bodies shall creep like so many ugly â—oades out of the Earth and then soul and body shall be joyned together again and this meeting will be sad beyond expression the meeting of the souls and bodies of the righteouâ— will not be more joyful than the meeting of the souls and bodies of the wicked will be doleful possibly some of the wicked had no bands in their death and their souls went forth of their bodies without much pain or fear but their entrance into their bodies again will be with unexpressible horrâ—ur and if some of the wicked had their consciences awakened at death and they lay down with terrour when they awake and rise again from the dead it will be with far greater terrour The old World dyed in a fright with the deluge of Water which over-whelmed them Corah Dathan and Aliram with their Company died in a fright at the cleaving and opening of the Earths mouth which swallowed them up Iudas and other despairing souls died in a fright at the apprehensions of the open mouth of Hell ready to receive their guilty spirits but none of the wicked could go forth of their bodies in such a fright as they will enter into them again at the last day the damned souls have been lying in Hell many years full of anguish in their separation and they know that their anguish will be encreased by the torment of their bodies in their union and no wonder if they be exceedingly unwilling and fearful to enter into their old lodging their bodies have been sleeping all this while in the dust and have felt no pain at all and O how unwelcome a guest will their souls then be never was death so terrible unto them as life will be at that day they had rather sleep still in their grave and continue in their rottenness and corruption they had rather lie hid for ever in the dust of oblivion or be quite annihilated like beasts than to arise again unto such torments as now they must undergo but they must arise willing or unwilling It is said that the vile bodies of the righteous shall at the last day be fashioned like unto Christs most glorious body Phil. 3. 21. They shall be made like unto Christs body in beauty and glory but the bodies of the wicked will have another hue and fashion if it were possible to fashion bodies like Devils those impure and foul spirits such spiritual bodies the wicked should have be sure their bodies shall have no glory put upon them but as they lay down vile bodies they shall rise up far more vile they lay down in dishonour and they shall be raised in far greater dishonour indeed they will be raised incorruptible and immortal but this will not be for their glory but that they may be capable of the greater and longer torment and misery their bodies will be so far from being made beautiful like unto Christ that I believe they will not regain that natural beauty which they had here upon the Earth now some of them ouâ—-shine Gods own Children whose chief beauty lies inward in external comeliness then none but the bodies of Gods children will shine the bodies of the wicked most probable will be swarthy black ugly monstrous bodies if there be a ghastliness upon the bodies of the most beautifull when they are dead what a ghastliness will there be upon the bodies of all the wicked when the second death shall seize upon them were their bodies never so beautiful in themselves yet their features would quickly be altered by the horrible passions of their minde the blackness and dread of the soul would quickly appear in their countenance besides the impressions which the Fire of Hell will have upon them The soul will finde nothing in the body which will give it any delight or ease or in the least contribute unto the asswagement of its anguish it will return into the body as into a Prison or Dungeon where there is no pleasure to be found and if the body be black how black will the soul be after so long abode with foul Devils in the lower Regions of darknesse And when such foul souls and such vile bodies meet what a meeting what a greeting will there be we may fancy a kinde of language to be between them at that day The soul to the body Come out of thy hole thou filthy dunghil flesh for the pampering and pleasing of whom I have lost my self for ever who hast stollen away my time and thoughts and heart from God and Christ and Heavenly things to feed and cloath and cherish thee and make provision to satisfy thy base deceitful lusts when I should have
Lords come down from heaven to judge them and O with what fear would they then run and hide themselves in Dens or under some great Rocks and Mountains if they could from the face of him who will then sit upon the Throne of Judgment and with what trembling will they stand amongst the meanest of their subjects devested of all their power and dignity then the Nobles and great Men of the Earth who having been lifted up above the ordinary degree of men have lifted up their hearts also with pride and haughtiness beyond measure and let loose the reigns unto licentiousness and wallowed in filthy delights and pleasures shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds and O how will their proud hearts then be brought down and their haughtiness laid low and their sweet sinful delights be turned into bitter gall and wormwood then they will cry to the Rocks to cover them and the Mountains to hide them if they can finde any such place to receive them in this terrible day Then the chief Captains and mighty Men who employed their force and strength under the banner of the Devil and endeavoured to promote the interest of his Kingdome in the World and rebelled against the Lord of Hosts shall see the Heavens opened and this mighty Captain come down with the Armies of Heaven attending upon him in white to execute vengeance upon them and then their courage will fail them and the wrath of the Lamb will make them tremble and they would creep into a Rock or any hole to hide them then the rich men who have placed their hearts and confidence in their riches especially those who have heaped up riches by injustice and unrighteous practises shall see the Son of Man coming against them and weep and howl for the miseries which are coming upon them and their riches will be so far from profiting them in the day of wrath that they will be witnesses to accuse them aâ—d aggravate their condemnation Then every Bond-man and every Free-man that are slaves to the Devil and their own lusts shall see the Son of Man coming to judge them and be in the number of the mourners crying to the Mountains to fall on them Then there will be distress upon all Nations and great perplexity Sea waves roaring and Mens hearts failing them for fear when they are looking up into the Clouds and see the Son of Man is come down and his Throne is prepared for judgment The Heathen Nations will mourn to see him especially the wicked who have had the name of Christians upon them and have sat under the light of the Gospel O how will their faces be filled with shame and confusion and their hearts with terrour and astonishment when they behold the face of the Lord Jesus Christ shining with such beauty and glory but looking on them with anger and disdain And is this glorious King that Iesus Christ whom we heard so much spoken of when we lived upon the Earth Was he indeed so great whose commands we disobeyed whose threatnings we slighted whose grace we abused and whose wrath we dis-regarded Was it so excellent a person who was described and set forth to us by Ministers in such superlative expressions all which he exceeds and yet could we see no form nor comeliness in him nothing for which we should desire him Was this the Saviour that was preached to us and proffered to us This the Iesus Christ that we were pressed so frequently and so earnestly to get an interest in with so many powerfull arguments and yet could not be moved and perswaded Was it this Person that did call us and stretch forth his hand all the day long to us that did wooe us and intreat us by his messengers to accept of parden and grace and salvation and knock at the door of our hearts again and again by his Word and Spirit for entertainment and did we shut our ear and our heart against him and refuse all his gracious tenders which were made unto us What did we hearken to the Devil when he tempted us to sin that he might destroy us and not hearken to Christ who would have perswaded us to faith and obedience that he might save us Could we harbour base lusts which were like so many vipers in our bosoms and give no entertainment to Iesus Christ who would have brought riches and glory with him O what fools mad men and women have we been How have our cursed hearts deceived us and the devil deluded us How have we been bewitched to prefer the vâ—nities of the World and the satisfaction of the desires of our flesh before an interest in such a Saviour Wo wo wo be unto us for now the great day of the Lord is come and who is able to stand This is the fifth Antecedent to the judgment of the wicked they shall see the Lord Jesus coming in the clouds and be summoned to the bar and plaeed at his left hand of which before 6. The sixth Antecedent will be their seeing the Iudgment and hearing the Sentence of the righteous Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the World And oh how will they grind and gnash their teeth and their hearts be ready even to burst with envy and indignation to see those poor mean Christians whom some of them have separated from their company and accounted as the offâ—scouring of the earth and not worthy to set with the dogs of their flock exalted to such dignity shining in such glory and adjudged to such happiness when themselves are lookt upon with such contempt and stand waiting for their judgment and final Doom to Torments and eternal misery These are the Antecedents of the Judgment of the wicked CHAP. VIII 2. COncerning the Judgment of the wicked it self I shall here speak of 1. The Iudge 2. The Assessors 3. The Malefactors 4. The Crime 5. The Accusers and Winesses 6. The Conviction 7. The Sentence â— The Iudge of the wicked as of the righteous will be the Lord Iesus Christ. It is said Rom. 3. 6. God shall judge the World but it will be God in Christ and God by Christ Act. 17. 31. God was in Christ reconciling the world of the elect unto himself 2 Cor. 5. 19. and God in Christ will judge and condemn the world of the Reprobates The Father hath committed all judgment unto the Son Joh. 5. 22. and he hath given him authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of Man v. 27. The same Jesus whom the wicked would not submit unto and take for their King to rule over them they must submit unto and have for their Judge to examine and condemn them
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
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
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
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
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
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
The properties of this Judge are worthy here of our observation 1. Christ will be a most glorious Judge Never was there such a Judge seen on the earth It will be the greatest Judgment there will be a general Assize of the whole world and Christ will be the greatest Judge the greatest for dignity and glory that ever eye did behold Christ will be most glorious in regard of his person he will appear to be the Prince and Lord of glory and be admired not only by the Saints but also by the wicked amongst whom before they saw him he was despised The despisers shall behold the lustre of their Judge and wonder and perish as it is said in another case Act. 13. 41. Christ will be most glorious in regard of his retinue all the holy Angels those glorious Spirits who are about the Throne of God shall attend upon him Matth. 25. 31. When the Son of Man cometh in his glory and all his holy Angels with him yea all the holy Saints also shall attend upon him in the judgment of the wicked Iude 14. 15. Behold the Lord will come with ten thousand of his Saints to execure judgment upon all the ungodly c. Yea he will come with all his Saints 1 Thes. 3. 13. The whole innumerable company of Saints shall attend upon Christ in white shining garments with bodies like unto Christ more beautiful and glorious than the most splendid attire can make them and Christ then will be admired in all the Saints and believers by the wicked which shall behold them And Christ will sit upon the Throne of his glory Matth. 25. 31. I saw a great white Throne and him that sate on it from whose face the Earth and the Heaven fled away Rev. 20. 11. We read of a glorious Throne which Solomon made 1 King 10. 18 19 20. But the Throne and Tribunal seat of Christ will be far more glorious than Solomons or any Monarchs that ever lived upon the face of the earth 2. Christ will be a most powerful Judge He will have power to raise all the wicked out of their graves unto life again which requires as much power to effect as the giving them their being and life at the first he will have power to bring all the wicked to his foot to keep them in awe that they shall not stir nor lift up the hand in the least in a way of rebellion which is more than the most potent Prince that ever lived could do He will have power to execute vengeance upon all the wicked together and inflict an infinite punishment upon them and he will put forth no less power in the destruction of the wicked at the last day than was put forth in the first creation of the world herein he will make his power known Rom. 9. 22. When the wicked shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2 Thes. 1. 9. 3. Christ will be a most knowing Judge He will know all the persons of the wicked not one shall scape his eye he will not know them in any way of nearness and familiar acquainting himself with them but he will know them in a way of perfect cognizance of their persons he knew them when they lived and rebelled against his Law and he will know them again when they are raised he will not only have a general knowledge of them but he will know them particularly none of the ancient rebels shall be able to hide themselves either under rocks and mountains or in the crowd and throng of the wicked which shall be gathered together before him on that day Christ will finde out all his enemies and he will know all their crimes he will read them all written in the book of Gods remembrance and the book of their own consciences being then opened will present all their sins to his view the eye of the Judge will be a piercing all-seeing eye which cannot be blinded and therefore there will be no mistake and errour in the judgment through ignorance or false information as there may be in the Courts of judicature upon the earth 4. Christ will be a most holy Judge He will be without any the least stain of sin he was so when he lived amongst sinners on earth and surely he will be so when he descendeth from the Holy of Holies in Heaven some earthly Judges are guilty in the same kind with the malefactors which are brought before them so that whilst they judge others they condemn themselves but there will not be the least more of sin in the eye of Christ nor any tincture of defilement and therefore as it will be impossible to blind him because of his knowledge so it will be impossible to bribe and corrupt him in judgment because of his holiness and by consequence 5 Christ will be a most impartial and strict Judge he will be most impartial in regard of the persons whom he will judge the high degree and quality of men upon the earth will be of no account with him the rich will be no more regarded than the poor nor the highest Princes more than the meanest of their subjects Death levels all men and puts a conclusion unto all earthly dignities and in the resurrection all will stand upon even ground now some Lords and great men may murder and oppress and break Laws and through favour escape punishment which crimes if meaner persons had been found guilty of would have cost them their lives but Christ will have no more favour for a Lord or a Knight or a Gentleman no nor for a King or a Queen or the greatest Lady than for the most contemptible beggar he will not accept of the persons of any and connive at the sins of some which those that should reprove them now can wink at as if they were no faults because the faults of such persons as are high whose favour they desire and from whom they might receive damage and dis-esteem should they be plain and faithful but Christ he will neither need the favour nor fear the anger of anyl he will not court and flatter any because of their Nobility and greatness but impartially judge the highest and greatest by the same rule as he will do the lowest and meanest and Christ will be a most strict Judge in regard of crimes he will bring forth all the sins of the wicked to light not one sin which they have committed from the day of their birth to the hour of their dissolution but shall be had in remembrance and be brought unto publick view when the Lord shall enter into judgement with the ungodly world some of the wicked do now sin more secretly they have sweet morsels rolling under their tongues which are not perceived they have their Dalilahs in corners who are not known they shroud themselves under the shadow of the wings of the night that they might conceal some of their
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
corrupt communication for lying slanderous bitter reviling speeches 3. Christ will judge the wicked for their sins of deed Rom. 2. 6. He will render to every one according to their deeds And vers 8 9. To them that obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of Man that doth evil of the Iew first and also of the Gentile 2. The sins against the Gospel will be the chief condemning crimes of the wicked No sins against the Law will be found so heinous but if sinners be found after the commission of them to have obeyed the Gospel to have repented and believed and yielded the fruits of new obedience they will have a pardon and absolution on that day but final disobedience to the Gospel will be unpardonable final impenitency and unbelief in those which have been called to repent and to close with Jesus Christ will certainly bring men under the sentence of condemnation I might here give a more particular Catalogue of the sins which the wicked shall be judged for by Christ but something more of them under their conviction by Christ. 5. The accusers of and witnesses against the wicked being the same I shall joyn them together and they will be 1. God 2. Men. 3. Devils 4. Themselves 1. God will be an accuser of and witness against the wicked at the day of judgment 1. Gods justice to speak after the manner of men seeing this judgment is set forth in such a manner for our better apprehending of it because we are not able to conceive in this state the way exactly of Gods proceeding against sinners in Judgment on that day will arraign the wicked before the judgment seat of Christ and draw up as it were a Bill of Indictment against them Whereas these Men and Women who lived in such and such places and times though they were my Creatures and subjects were made by me and for me and I gave them my holy and righteous and good Law to be the guide and rule of their life and actions yet having no fear of me before their eyes they did shake off my yoke and break my Laws they did cast my Commandements behind their back and lived in a course of rebellion and disobedience against me committing such and such sins And when I sent my Son into the World to die for sinners who gave me sufficient satisfaction and I made him known and the way of salvation by him and prâ—ffered him unto them and entreated them by my Embassadors to be reconciled but they shut their ear and hardened their heart and refused my Son trampled upon his blood grieved my spirit and neglected the salvation of their own souls therefore I now require satisfaction from themselves and that a condigne punishment be inflicted upon them for their disobedience 2. Gods goodness and bounty and patience will accuse them when they are thus arraigned and indicted by his justice which will aggravate their sins I nourished and brought up these creatures like children and yet they rebelled against me I spared them as a Man spareth his Son which serveth him and yet they had no regard of me I delivered them in six troubles and in seven recovered them often from a sick Bed and brought them back from the Grave when they were ready to go down into the Pit and yet they knew not that I healed them and were so much the more disobedient unto me I loaded them with mercies and yet they loaded me with iniquities I would have led them to repentance by my patience and goodness but they were the more impenitent and hard-hearted and resolved to do evil I stretched forth my hand all the day long to these disobedient and gain-saying Creatures and would have received them had they returned into the armes of my mercy but nothing would win and perswade them to leave their sins and come unto me and now my patience is spent and long-suffering is at an end and bowels shut up against them for ever and let them now smart for all their abuses affronts and contempts which they have offered unto me 3. God's omniscience will be a witness against the wicked at the day of Judgment their sins have been all committed under the view of God's all-seeing eye and they have been noted down upon the Book of his Remembrance and God will witness against them I saw these wretched sinners when they were bâ—rn and traced all their steps I compassed their path and their lying down and was acquainted with all their waies I did beset them behinde and before and mine eye was continually upon them I perceived the first sproutings and buddings of sin in their tender years I took notice of their disobedience to their Parents when they were young of their lies and pride and vanity of their idleness and sloath and mis-spending their precious time I was an eye-witness to all their sins from their youth to their dying hour I beheld them when no eye besides was upon them I saw their privy lewdness and all their deeds of darkness which they committed in dark corners when I kept silence and did not speak I was not blinde so as not to see and although I did not smite I did note and what one of them all have the confidence to deny any one of their sins which I have been a witness unto The first accuser and witness against the wicked will be God himself 2. Men will accuse and witness against the wicked at the day of Judgment and that both the Godly and â—ngodly 1. The Godly and that both Godly Ministers and Godly Friends 1. Godly Ministers will be the accusers and witnesses against the wicked Ministers must give an account then to their Lord of the souls which he committed to their charge Heb. 13. 17. And in some of their Flock they will rejoyce because their testimony concerning Jesus Christ was believed because the Gospel which they preached amongst them was obeyed because the Word was received as the Word of God they will rejoyce in them which have been effectually wrought upon by their Ministry in those which they have been instrumental to regenerate and espouse unto Jesus Christ to perswade to leave their sins and submit themselves unto the yoke and Scepter of the Lord such will be the joy and crown of rejoycing to their Ministers on that day of whom with unspeakable comfort they will say to their Lord Behold the Children which thou hust given us Thine they were and are and thou didst give them unto us and they have believed and kept thy word and now as they have shared in thy Grace let them and us share in and participate of thy Glory But alas what a sad account will they have to give of others of their Flock who have not believed and yielded obedience to the Gospel which they have preached it will be sad for them when they must bring in heavy accusations against them Lord thou didst send us
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
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
doctrine of the resurrection whereby he stopped the mouths of the Sadduces his answer made the people astonished and the Sadduces confounded they came with their mouths open but they went away with their mouths shut they came with full cry but they went away in silence he put the Sadduces to silence 2. The second Scripture to prove the Resurrection is in 1 Cor. chap. 15. thorowout It seemeth that some amongst the Corinthians who called themselves Christians did deny the Resurrection now the scope of the chapter is to refuâ—e this dangerous errour and to prove the truth which the Apostle doth by several arguments 1. The first argument is drawn from the Resurrection of Christ If Christ be risen from the dead then believers which are his members shall be raised also he will not suffer his members to lie for ever rotting in the grave because his mystical body then would never be grown up â—nto perfection Christ is the first fruits of them that sleep v. 10. As certainly as he was awakened out of his sleep in the grave on the third day to certainly shall all those that do or shall sleep in Jesus be awakened out of their grave at the last day But Christ is certainly risen from the dead which the Apostle proves 1. From the Prediction thereof in the Scriptures as his death was foretold so also his resurrection was foretold in the type of Ionah's being â—ast out of the belly of the whale on the third day 2. From the testimony of those persons to whom the Lord Jesus Christ did appear after his resurrection namely of Cephas all the Apostles above five hundred brethren at once who saw him before his ascension and last of all in that he was seen by himself upon the way to Damascus after his ascension all which witnesses did with one mouth confirm the truth of Christs Resurrection 3. From the absurdities which would follow if Christ were not risen 1. The Apostles would then be found false witnesses and the Spirit of God which spake in them would be a false spirit which is impossible 2. Then their preaching would be in vain and the whole doctrine of Christianity which was built partly upon this foundation would fall to the ground 3. Then their faith would be in vain because if Christ were still dead he would not be a meet object for their faith for then he could not be the Son of God nor a Mediatour between God and man 4. Then Believers would be yet in their sins their sins would remain unpardoned because satisfaction to Gods justice would not have been compleated had the bonds of death still held ouâ— Saviour 5. Then they which were fallen asleep in Christ would be perished in regard of their bodies liâ—â— the beasts when they die because if Christ were not risen it would be impossible that they should ever rise any more 6. Then believers should have hope only iâ— this life because if Christ were not risen anâ— ascended into Heaven to prepare room for theâ— there they could not have any good-grounde 〈◊〉 hope of ever being received into that place anâ— by consequence it would follow that believeâ— the best of men upon the earth would be the mâ—â— miserable men of all others because they aâ— exposed to so many sufferings for the sake of Jesus Christ If they had hope only in this life theâ— would be most miserable in regard of sorrow though not in regard of sin for their hopes 〈◊〉 future glory do support and comfort them undâ—â— all their afflictions if they should loose their hopeâ— they would loose their comforts and be of all â—thers the most forlorn and sorrowful it would break their hearts and bring them to despaâ—â— Certainly then Christ is reisen and as certainly shâ—â— the dead be raised 2. The second argument whereby the Apostlâ— proves the resurrection is drawn from the Paâ—â—lel between the first Adam and Christ the seconâ— Adam v. 21 c. Since by man came death 〈◊〉 man also shall come the resurrection for as in Adâ—â— all die so in Christ shall all be made alive 〈◊〉 Adam sin came into the world and death by sin and death passed upon all his posterity because all have sinned at least in him By Christ came righteousness into the world and by righteousness life and all his posterity shall be raised by him unto eternal life at the last day because all are partakers of his righteousness 3. The third Argument is drawn from the reign of Christ at the right hand of the Father until all his enemies be put under his feet and the last enemy which shall be destroyed is death and death is no waies perfectly destroyed but by the resurrection of the dead out of their graves and the putting immortality upon the body then when this corruptible shal put on incorruption and this mortal shall put on immortality death shall be swallowed up in victory therefore since death with other enemies shall be put under Christ's feet it is necessity that there should be a resurrection 4. The fourth Argument is in v. 29. Else what shall they do that are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not why are they baptized for the dead The words are difficult various are the interpretations which are given I like Calvins best if it will hold with the words Why are they baptized for the dead or for dead that is why are they that are dying and given over for dead baptized if the dead rise not why will any when they are going out of the world be baptized in the name of Chriâ—t if they did not hope for a resurrection at the last that as they are buried with him by baptism unto death so they should rise with him not only unto newness of life here but also unto everlasting life and glory hereafter 5. The fifth argument is drawn from the jeopardie and sufferings of Christians which they would not undergoe unless they had hopes of the resurrection 6. The denial of this Doctrine opens a door to licenciousness People would eat and drink and let lâ—oâ—e the reigns to sensual delights and commit sin with greediness if they must die and there were no hopes of a resurrection to glory and happiness and no fears of a resurrection to torment and misery Besides Scripture testimony and argument which is the only firm proof of the resurrection I might add for illustration some Emblems of the resurrection in nature Naturalists tell us of a Phaenix which riseth out of the ashes into which she had burned her self before but it is more certain that some birds lie in holes dead all the winter and get life again in the Summer we see Plants Herbs Flowers and the like wither in the Winter and spring forth again when the cold weather is gone we see the Sun sets at night and arise again in the morning and we our selves as we have an Emblem of death upon us when we are asleep so our
awaking again and arising from our beds is an Emblem of our resurrection at the last day It is certain that the dead shall be raised which hath been proved 2. And secondly it is as certain that Christ shall raise them I will raise them at the last day Ioh. 6. 40. this is spoken of believers but it is spoken also of all Ioh. 5. 28 29. The hour is coming 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 and they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation Hence it strongly follows If the dead shall certainly be raised the Lord Jesus shall raise them that the appearance of Christ to do it is certain 3. Arg. The third Argument to prove the certainty of Christ's second appearance may be drawn from the certainty of the last general Judgment If there will certainly be a day of general Iudgment and the Lord Iesus Christ will be the Iudge then the second appearance of Christ is certain But there will be certainly a day of general judgment and the Lord Iesus Christ will be the Iudge therefore Christs appearance is certain 1. The certainty of the last judgment is evident from Scripture Heb. 6. 2. 2 Pet. 3. 9. Rom. 2. 5 6 7. and elsewhere frequently and I shall further prove it by Scripture arguments It doth appear there will be a day of Judgment 1. From Gods appâ—intment Act. 17. 31. He hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness God appointed the creation of the world which accordingly he effected he appointed the reconciliation of the world to himself which he brought to pass and having arpointed the judgment of the world it shall as certainly be brought to pass in its day Nothing can frustrate God's appointments God being so infinite in wisdom doth not appoint any thing about which there shall be any reason to after his determination and God being so infinite in power nothing can hinder the effecting of what he hath determined shall be done 2. From Gods Supreme and universal Soveraignty he is the blessed and the great Potentate which rules over all the Kingdoms of the earth He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Timâ— 6. 15. All the children of men are not only his creatures but also his subjects As it is the work of earthly Kings to judge their subjects and to dispense rewards and punishments so God being the supreme Soveraign will judge all his subjects Kings are but Gods Vicegerents they rule under him and they must give an account unto him God wil judge the Judges of the Earth men do often judge unrighteously sometimes through their own wickedness and partiality sometimes through ignorance and false information the righteous are condemned by some and notorious offenders are acquitted and those which judge most righteously cannot finde out all that should fall under the lash of the Law and the strictest laws of men do not reach all offences against God therefore there is need that the Soveraign Lord and King should call the whole world to another judgement which will be at the last day 3. From Gods most excellent Wisdom in the mannagement of his government over the children of men the wisdom of God now is much out of sight and is little taken notice of in the world there seems now to be a great disorder and confusion in the government of men the most faithful subjects of the King of Heaven in most places are trodden under foot and have many bitter cups put into their hands and the most vile Traitors and Rebels against the highest Majesty are lifted up into the seat of honour and spend much of their daies in mirth and jollity we read in Scripture of the various and great afflictions of Gods People Heb. 11. 36 37. Some there were mocked and sâ—ourged and tortured they were sawen asunder they were slain with the Sword they wandered about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destitute afflicted and tormented and yet such as the World was not worthy of whereas it is said of the wicked Psal. 73. 5 7 10. Their eyes stand out with fatness they have more than heart could wish and Waters of a full Cup are wrung out unto them and they are not in trouble like other Men neither are they plagued like other Men. See also Psal. 17. 14. Iob 31. from the 7. vers to the 14th So that if there were not another Judgment God would seem to have been an ill-contriver of Government for the welfare of his people and to have ill-consulted his own glory in the World yea his enemies would seem to have out-wiâ—ted him therefore it is needful there should be a day of Judgment when all things shall be set at rights and put in order when Gods wisdome all along shall plainly appear in the view of all and his glory be made manifest when his people shall be exalted and his enemies debased 4. From the infinite holiness of God now the holiness of God is trampled under foot by ungodly sinners they scorn and deride it whereever they see any Image or apearance thereof they scoff at the name of a Saint they hate holiness and many do their uttermost to banish it the World which is a high affront which such Persons offer to the highest Majesty in this high attribute it is therefore necessary that there should be a day of Judgment that God may redeem the honour of his holiness which now lies under such contempt then he will make his holiness to shine with an amazing excellency in the eyes of all those that did despise it 5. From Gods justice and righteousness God hath given unto Man a most just and righteous Law and annexed threatnings of everlasting punishment which he will inflict upon the breakers thereof Gods justice cannot be satisfied without execution of his vengeance in the punishment of all transgressors except it be of such who have an interest in the satisfaction which was made by the Lord Jesus Christ and all the Children of Adam being transgressours and very few of them having an interest in Christ and his merits and none receiving condigne punishment for their sins in this life therefore there will be a day for the revelation of the just and righteous judgment of God Rom. 2. 5. This righteousness of God doth engage him not only to punish the wicked for their sins but also to give his people that reward which the Lord Jesus Christ hath purchased and prepared for them therefore there must be a day for him to do it in Thus it doth appear that there will be a day of general Judgment 2. That Christ will be the Judge is also evident from Scripture Acts 17. 31. He hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the World in righteousness by the Man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all Men in that he
hath raised him from the dead And Rom. 14. 10. We shall all stand before the Iudgment Seat of Christ. And 2 Cor. 5. 10. For we must all appear before the Iudgment Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad And Christs judicial proceedings is set forth at large Matth. 25. Hence then it follows that the Lord Jesus Christ shall certainly appear to Judgment I might add other Arguments drawn from the faith and hope and expectation of the righteous and Christs faithfulness love and the engagement of his honour to appear again but so much concerning the certainty of Christs second appearance CHAP. XII 3. THe third thing proved is to shew that the Lord Iesus Christ will quickly appear that is 1. He will come within a short time 2. He will come suddenly and unexpectedly when he doth appear 1. Christ will come quickly that is within a short time Heb. 10. 37. Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry He that shall come will come there is the certainty of his coming and yet a little while he will come and will not tarry there is the speediness of his coming The Lord is at hand Philip. 4. 5. The coming of the Lord draweth nigh Iames 5. 8. The Iudge standeth at the door vers 9. The end of all things is at hand 1 Pet. 4. 7. Therefore out dayes are called the last dayes 2 Tim. 3. 1. And upon us the ends of the world are come 1 Cor. 10. 11. We live in the end of the World in the last dayes in the old age thereof The World hath as it were three ages the youth the middle age and the old age the Youth of the World was from the creation to the Flood the middle age from the Flood to the first coming of Christ the old Age from the first coming of Christ to the second coming the old age and last dayes of the World began in the Apostles time now many of them are spent and we are come not only to the declining years but also to the decrepit age of the World and if the Lord Jesus Christ were to come shortly in the dayes of the Apostle much more shortly will he come now when so many years are past since the Scripture was writ and these things foretold If any should doubt of the certainty of Christs appearance because the Scripture speaks of the speediness thereof as if Christ had been in those dayes presently to come and yet above sixteen hundred yeares are past since the promise was made I answer that the Apostle Paul who in his first Epistle to the Thessalenians spake of Christs coming as if it might be in his time 1 Thess. 4. 16 17. The Lord himself will descend from Heaven with a shoâ—t c. And the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up in the Clouds c. The same Apostle tells the Thessalonians in his second Epistle Chap. 2. 3. Thaâ— the day of the Lord should not come till there was â— falling away and the Man of sin should be revealed c. And vers 7. That there was then a lett to the Revelation of the Man of sin which was thâ— Heathenish Romane Empire which lett was not likely in haste neither was removed till some hundred of years after and therefore it is evidenâ— from that place that the coming of the Lord was not to be until several ages after the writing of the Scriptures This may be sufficient to give satisfaction concerning the length of time since the Scripture tells us that the Lord Jesus would quickly appear If any profane Mockers shall scoff at this answer and say where is the Promise of his coming Do not all things remain as they were since the Creation Do not the Sun and Moon and Stars keep their constant course And what likelihood of the darkning of the Sun and falling of the Stars and the passing away of the Heavens with a great noise Is not the Earth established upon sure foundations and what likelihood of moving it and burning it with the works which are upon it and if Christ would have come so quickly would not he have been here before now I answer 1. That the Apostle Peter foretels that in the last days such scoffers should arise 2 Pet. 3. 3 4. 2. That all things are not as they were from the Creation for the World in the time of Noah was drowned with the Flood Noah only excepted and those which were with him in the Ark surely there was a great transformation of things in that age vers 5 6. 3. That by the same word of command whereby the old World was drowned with Water by the same Word the World that now is shall be burned with Fire at the day of Iudgment and perdition of the ungodly vers 7. 4. That though many hundred years be pâ—st since the promise that the Lord would come quickly yet there is not a failure in regard of God for though the time be long in regard of our account who are of so short continuance and time seems tedious to us because of the miseries of our short life yet in regard of the eternal God the time is but short for in his sight a thousand years is but as one day and by that account there are not yet two dayes past since the promise vers 8. 5. The reason of Gods protracting this appearance of Jesus Christ to Judgment is for our sakes it is from his long-suffering to us-ward that hereby he might lead us unto repentance vers 9. The Lord hath a number to be called some of which may be unborn others not yet new-born but scattered amongst the wicked but when the Elect are all called and perswaded to repent and believe and are gathered into Gods Family I doubt not but the Lord Jesus Christ will be here immediately The Lord Jesus surely now will come within a short time the certain time of his appearance is unknown Matth. 24. 36. But of that day and hour knoweth no Man no not the Angels but the Father only this is a secret which God hath locked up in his own breast it is written in the Book of this Decree and however other things are revealed and unfolded to Men yet the leaf where this is written is folded up and sealed so that none can read it yet surely it cannot be long before the mystery be finished and Christ be revealed from Heaven yet a little while and he will be here he stands at the Door and the Door will quickly be opened and then he will make his appearance 2. The Lord Jesus Christ will come quickly that is suddenly and unexpectedly especially in regard of the ungodly World The day of the Lord will come as a sâ—â—re upon all them that dwell on the face of the whole
mindes O how did they look one upon another when such a judgment as this was come upon them which they never looked for how did they speak how did they weep how did they cry and shreek what distress was there then upon all Nations and how did their hearts fail them and sink within them through fear when they looked upon the flood that was come upon the earth when they heard the winds blowing and waves roaring and saw no way of escaping Then they which had heard Noah foretell and threaten them with this judgment too late believed the truth of his words which before they did not regard then they which had seen Noah build the Ark and had accounted him no better than mad were convinced of their own folly and madness that they did not with him take some course for the defence of themselves at this time then they were perswaded of Noah's wisdome above all others on the earth and could have wished that they had imitated his wisdom in building for themselves such another Ark or that they were with him in his and possibly some when the waters were come and Noah was shut in by God in his Ark might run to the place and endeavour to clamber into it and be washed off with the stream Thus will it be at the second comming of the Lord Jesus Christ to judgement his coming will be sudden and unexpected the wicked of the earth will be eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage they will be as sensual and sinful and as secure withal as they are at this day they are told frequently by the preaching of the word that the day of judgment is appointed and that it hastneth greatly that the Lord Jesus Christ will come and that he will come quickly but they want faith to believe it and therefore they do not expect it nor fear it noâ— prepare for it It is said Luke 18. â—8 When the Son of man cometh shall he finde faith on the earth Some interpret this place as spoken not of Christs second personal coming to judgement but of his comming in a way of eminent deliverance of his people from the cruelty and oppression of their enemies which will be so strange and unexpected because they shall be brought so low insomuch that there will hardly be faith in any to believe a desiverance Others interpret this place as speaking of Christs last appearance to judgment that the earth will then be generally secure and that wicked men and unbelievers and oppressours of Gods people will abound and that true believers will be rare and very hardly to be found I shall not determine which is the true sense of the place but sure I am the wicked will be many and very secure at the day of Christ's appearance though the wicked be forewarned of this day yet they do not believe this thing than which nothing is more certain the wicked which are mingled amongst Gods people think strange that they do not run with them unto the same excess of riot they looke upon them as no better than fools and people besides themselves when they see them deny themselves sleight the pleasures and profits and vanities of the world and are so iollicitous above all other things to prepare an Ark for the saving of their souls to get an interest in Jesus Christ typified by the Ark that under his shelter they may be defended from the storm of Gods wrath which shall beat upon the head of the wicked at the last day The wicked do expect Christ's comming no more than the old world did the Flood in the daies of Noah But when the time which the Lord hath appointed the world to continue is expired and the Angel hath lifted up his hand to Heaven and sworn by him that liveth for ever and ever that time shall be no longer when the mystery of God is finished and all the things to be done in the world are accomplished and the day of judgment of old ordained is now come and Christ hath received his commission from his Father to summon all to his judgment seat O the dread that will on that day fall upon the wicked tribes of the earth when they shall see the heavens opened above and such a glorious Majesty with such a glorious Train appear in the air and when the earth and the graves shall be open beneath and all the dead bodies of all generations shall be raised and come forth and some of them shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the clouds and themselves with the most to be left behind and when they feel the wrath of God to begin to assaile them like a flood and to be poured into their souls like water when they see Christ coming in flaming fire to take vengeance upon them for their sins O this will be an unexpected and terrible appearance and so much the more retrible by how much the less expected Then they will not endeavour to climb up mountains but to creep under them to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb but all to no purpose no mountain will receive them for all the mountains and earth it self with the heavens will flee away from the face of the Lord Jesus Christ when his Throne is set for Judgment Rev. 20. 11. they will then looke about them and perceive all refuge to fail them and no way of escaping for them then they will with grief remember the warnings which they had of these things and be vexed at the very heart that they did not take warning then they will wish for an Ark and O that they had an interest in Jesus Christ and they will account believers whom once they esteemed as fools and mad men to have been the wisest people upon the earth and O that they were in their condition possibly some may endeavour to clamber up into the air with them when they are ascending to their Lord but they will have weights sufficient to keep them down The dread of sinners at the last day when Christ doth come so suddenly and unexpectedly will be far greater than the dread of the old world in the daies of the Flood 4. And lastly to name no more the suddenness and unexpectedness of Christs coming is set forth by the raining of Fire and Brimstone from Heaven upon Sodom and Lots going out of that wicked place Luke 17. 28 29 30. Likewise as it was in the daies of Loâ— they did eat they drank they bought they sold they planted they builded But the same day that Lot went out of Sodome it rained Fire and Brimstone from Heaven and destroyed them all Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man shall be revealed The Sodomites were notoriously wicked they were worse than beasts they would have offered violence and buggered the very Angels which were sent to Lot they were generally wicked there were not so many as ten righteous persons in the place though
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
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
you into Hell into the Ocean of Gods wrath and can you secure your selves a moment from the stroke of death when you are most secure may not death be most neer when you think you shall live many years to eat and drink and take your pleasure like the rich fool in the Gospel may not deatâ— knock at your door that night and break in upon you and fetch away your bodies to the grave and Devils drag your souls to Hell Awake then before you sleep the sleep of death awake out of the sleep of sin think with yoâ— selves this night we may be in Hell and free â— rather bound in Chains of Darkness and horroâ— amongst the damned or to morrow we may bâ— in torments with Cain and Iudas with the Devâ—â— and his Angels and therefore give not sleep 〈◊〉 your eyes nor slumber to your eye-lids until yoâ— have redeemed your selves out of the snare of thâ— Devil and sin as a Bird out of the snare of thâ— Fowler or a Roe out of the hand of the hunter 4. Sinners consider the everlastingness of yoâ— punishment in Hell when your Souls are onâ— in they shall never come forth until they 〈◊〉 brought forth unto the last Judgment at Christs aâ—pearance and when soul and body are joyneâ— and sentenced to this place of torment and thruâ— into it the Door will be shut upon you and yoâ— will be locked in so that it will be impossible sâ— you to get forth for ever your bodies as well 〈◊〉 souls will be immortal and the Fire of Hell wiâ— be everlasting those flames will never be quencâ—ed and your torments will never be ended whâ—â— you have been ten thousand times ten thousaâ—â— millions of years in Hell it will not bear the pâ—â—â—portion of a moment of time to the unmeasuâ—rable space of Eternity in which you must be tormented for sin your punishment will alwayes be in the beginning of it never never never will it come to a conclusion nor your to any hopes of it as long as God lives and Heaven continues which will be for evermore so long will Hell continue and you abide in extremity of torments without any possibility of release and deliverance Awake sinners awake think how horrible the thoughts of Eternity in Hell will be Extremity and Eternity will be the great aggravation of your misery methinks the danger of such torment should fill you with such fear and terrour that nothing should be able to remove until you had secured your selves by an interest in him who alone can deliver from the wrath to come and yet can you be secure when you are in the greatest danger Awake think whether the pleasures of sin for a season are to be compared with the eternal torâ—ments of Hell or the uncertain treasures of Earth with the eternal store of Gods wrath or the empty vanishing wordly honour with the exceeding and everlasting weight of misery which the damned shall sink under in Hell If any sleepy sinners begin to startle with such thunder-claps of Judgment and being unwilling to part with their sins feel their hearts to rise within them against the message and Messengers for thrusting such harsh things into their eares for molesting their spirits and disturbing the peace which they have hitherto had in their sinful way cannot Ministers let us alone will they be called to an account for us will they suffer for us and why do they thus affright us with Peales of Judgment Beloved we Ministers are set as Watchmen to sound the Trumpet and warn you of Judgment which if we should neglect to do your blood would be required at our hands Ezek. 33. from the 1. vers to theâ—â— 1. And we shall be called to an account for the Souls committed to our charge Heb. 13. 17. And therefore having notice given us by God in his Word of the coming of Christ to judge and punish the ungodly World at the last day and knowing the terrour of the Lord how terrible the day of Judgment will be unto you if you be found amongst the ungodly and how terrible the day will be unto us if we be sound unfaithful to your souls we warn you and perswade you to flee from the wrath to come and can you blame us then for using harsh language when we cannot omit it without danger to our selves and your souls when otherwise we cannot be faithful to you nor to our Master who hath sent us to declare these things we might indeed like some slaâ—ter you and sooth you up in a way of sin we might speak smooth things unto you and prophesie deceits but what advantage would it be unto you to be deceived if you were pleased with us and did commend us here I am sure you would curse us for our unfaithfulness hereafter Sinners it is not cruelty but pitty and mercy to shoot the sharp arrows of Gods threatnings into your consciences it is not out of hatred but tender love to your souls that we endeavour to thrust the sword of the spirit into your bosomes that if possible we might wound sin to the heart and fetch forth the blood thereof as it were which if it still live in you will be your ruine Christ will certainly and quickly be here and when he doth appear we shall appear to be judged and is it not good you should know it before hand that you might be prepared If any be so awakened by this Doctrine concerning Christs coming to Judgment that they begin to feel a sting and wound in their spirits and are so perplexed with fear of being condemned for their sins which their consciences do accuse them of that they know not what to do yet are willing to take any course to prevent their ruine and those dreadful miserics which they are in danger of at that day I shall speak unto such by way of Counsel and Exhortation 3. For the Exhortation of Sinners Will the Lord Jesus Christ certainly and quickly appear to Judgment there are two things I would exhort sinners unto that they may escape the wrath of God which on that day will be revealed and inflicted upon all the wicked of the Earth 1. Flee from Sin 2. Flee unto Christ If you would flee from wrath and Hell Or 1. Repent of Sin 2. Get an interest in Christ. And then you may be able to stand with confidence before the Son of Man at his appearance yea whatever your sins be now do these two things effectually and when Christ doth appear you also shall appear with him in glory 1. Sinners repent of sin Acts 17. 30 31. God commandeth all Men every where to repent this is a duty which God requires of all Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the World in righteousness c. This is the Argument to enforce the duty It is your duty to repent because you have sinned and God commandeth you to do it and it is your interest and
the tryal of Believers the Doctrine of Christs certain and sudden appearance to Judgement is a most dreadful Doctrine to sinners which are in sin and it is a most comfortable Doctrine to believers which are in Christ but because many sinners which are stil held fast in the bond of iniquity and are under the reigning power of some sins are apt to mistake and without good ground do perswade themselves that they are believers who at the last day will be found to be hypocrites and through their mistake of their state do ward off those strokes of Gods threatnings which are made at them and save themselves hereby from those terrible apprehensions of Christs appearance to Judge and condemn them which did they entertain might be a meanes to startle them and awaken them to take an effectual and speedy course for the salvation of themselves from future vengeance and because many true believers who are really united unto Christ by faith are apt also through the temptation of Sathan and their own ignorance and doubting misgiving-heart to mistake themselves and look upon themselves to be hypocrites and therefore fear that when Christ doth appear that they shall be condemned by him being so ready to condemn themselves and therefore gather matter for trouble from this Doctrine which indeed is matter of the greatest comfort therefore it will be needful for the undeceiving of the former that they may not falfly apply comfort and the rectifying the mistakes of the latter that they may not put off comfort to make some tryal of true believers It would be too large to present to you all the character which we may finde in the Word of God of true believers therefore I shall make mention but of one which the Text holds forth and is the second Doctrine observed from the Words in the begining of our Discourse Doct. 2. That there is an earnest desire in the Church or true Believers after the second appearance of the Lord Iesus Christ. You may try your selves whether you are true believers by your desires after Christs appearance this is the Character which the Apostle Paul giveth of Believers that they are such as love and by consequence desire the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 4. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of rightâ—â—sness which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall give me at that day and not to me only but also to all them that love his appearance All such and none but such shall have a Crown of righteousness who love Christs appearing believers are said to look for Christs coming Heb. 9. 28. Vnto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation He will appear unto all but only to them that look for him will he appear unto salvation Believers look for Christs appearance with an eye of faith of hope and of desire 1. Believers look for Christs appearance with an eye of faith they expect it as sure as death yea as more sure because the death of some will be prevented by it it is not impossible that the Lord Jesus should come in our days they surely believe that the Lord will come 2. Believers look for the appearance of Christ with an eye of hope Tit. 2. 13. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour As they have hopes of the glory of Heaven so they have hopes of the coming of Christ who will receive them into glory who will put the Crown upon their Heads and bring them with Triumph unto the new Ierusalem 3. Believers look for the appearance of Christ with an eye of love and desire they love and long for his appearance they look with many a glance of love towards the Pallace above where their Lord is and they have many a longing wish that he would come forth and come down and receive them unto himself that where he is there they might be also The Bride saith come and the desire of the Spouse is Make haste my belived and be as Roe upon the Mountains of Spices Cant. 8. 14. Believers pray Thy Kingdome come in the Lord's Prayer which he taught his Disciples they desire the coming not only of the Kingdome of grace but also of the Kingdome of glory and in the Text the Church breathes forth this desire after Christs appearance Amen even so come Lord Iesus Now examine your selves whether you are true believers by this Character Do you love and desire Christs appearance Obj. If any object against themselves and say alas we fear then we are no true believers because we cannot say that we love and desire Christs appearance we are so far from desiring it that we are afraid of it and it is matter of the greatest trouble unto us to think of it Ans. 1. See you to that many go under the name of believers which have only the name take heed that none of you be found in the number of such at the last day 2. Possibly some of you may condemn your selves without reason as Gods Children are more forward to do than hypocrites who have the most reason It may be you do not desire that Christ should come immediatly but do not you desire that Christ should come at all a Wife may sincerely and greatly desire the coming home of her Husband when he is gone a long journey and yet if her House be out of order and not fitted to her minde for the receiving of him if she be not dressed and got into such a garb as she knows would be pleasing to him she may be content that he would stay a little longer until she be better prepared yea she may be afraid of his coming whilst she is unprepared the Harlot or Adulteress could be content that her Husband should never return but the true wife doth desire the coming of her husband though sometimes not the present coming so true believers they do desire Christs coming who is gone a long journey to Heaven though they may not desire his present coming because they are not so fitted as they desire to befor the receiving of him they desire his coming they would not for all the World that he should stay away for ever in Heaven unbelievers could be content Christ should stay away for ever and that they might live for ever upon Earth but believers could not be so content they may fer Christs immediate coming because of their unpreparation but they desire his coming Quest. How should we know whether our desires after Christs coming be sincere Answ. 1. If you love Christs person it is â— sign your desires after his coming are sincere 〈◊〉 desire the coming of friends to us whom we love Do you love Christ in sincerity Do you love him for himself for his own excellencies his loveâ—liness his love and spiritual love-tokens do you love him upon a spiritual account 2. If you do sincerely desire the comming 〈◊〉
Christ into your hearts in regard of his Spirit and grace it is a sign you have sincere desires after his coming in glorie when grace will arrive to itâ— perfection Can you understandingly and heartily pray Thy Kingdome come I mean that Christ's Kingdome of grace should be erected in your hearts and are sincerely desirous to have all things within you brought into subjection and obedience thereunto Do you sincerely and earnestly desire the presence of Christ and the breathings of his Spirit upon your hearts in his Ordinances it is a sign that there are at least true radical desires in you after his second appearance though by reason of doubts and feares they may not be so expresse 3. If you have laid up your treasure in Heaven and placed your happinesse in things above if you have cast the Anchor of your hope upward into that which is within the Vail it is a sign you have true desires after Christ's appearance that he might give you possession of the happinesse which you have made choice of 4. If you are careful to please the Lord and whether present or absent to be accepted of him and are affraid of sin because it is grievous to him and are diligent in the use of means to fit and prepare your selves and make all things readie for the receiving of him it is a sign you do both look for his coming and do desire it 5. And lastly if you have lively hopes of his coming and can rejoice in those hopes if you can with earnestness pray Come Lord Iesus come quickly this is a sign indeed of your desires though all true Believer have not attained to so great a heighth Unbelievers they do not desire Christ's appearance because they do not believe in him because they do not love him because their hearts are set upon the world because they are under the guilt and power of sin and because when Christ doth appear he will judge them condemn them and punish them But though they do not desire Christ's coming nor think of it nor prepare for it yet Christ will come and his coming will be dreadful unto them Believers they desire Christ's coming they 〈◊〉 looking for it and waiting for it they are â—â—ping for it and preparing for it and he will certainly he will quickly appear and they shall appear with him in glorie and this appearance 〈◊〉 be a most comfortable and joyful appearance uâ—â— them which leads unto the second Word whiâ—â— I am to speak 2. For the comforting of Believer Will the Lord Jesus Christ certainly and quicâ—ly appear to Judgment here then is a full breaâ— of the sweetest consolation at which you may suâ— and be satisfied and exceedingly refreshed As 〈◊〉 very word in this Doctrine speaks terror to Siâ—ners so every word doth breathe forth comfort true Believers and therefore I shall endeavoâ—â— hence to help work up your hearts unto spâ—ritual Joy 1. Rejoice Believers rejoice Christ will appâ—â— to Iudgment Christ will appear in his Glorie tâ—â— great God and your Saviour will appear He thâ— is your Saviour and Advocate will then be thâ— Judge of the World your Lord and King wiâ—â— appear attended with a glorious Train of heâ—â— venlie Courtiers decked with glorious beaâ—â— of most excellent Majestie Your Captain 〈◊〉 appear the Captain of your Salvation with 〈◊〉 spoils of his and your enemies and he will riâ—â— triumphantly in the Clouds your dearly beloveâ— Friend and Husband will appear with such beautâ— and lovelinesse in his face and with such deâ—â— love towards you in his heart as hath not entreâ— into your hearts to conceive the Lord Jesus Chriâ—â— will be glorious in the eyes of the whole world on that day and should not this rejoice your heart to think of the glorie of your Lord which will be then so conspicuous and of your interest in such a Person 2. Rejoice Believers rejoice Christ will certainly appear if there were any grounds to doubt the truth of this thing you would have reason to grieve but when the thing is so certain when God hath revealed it in his Word so clearlie when the Lord hath promised it to his people so faithfully and given his People hopes and expectations of it he will not disappoint them You have reason to rejoice there is nothing more certain as hath been proved than the second appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ at the last day 3. Rejoice Believerâ—s rejoice Christ will quickly appear the coming of the Lord draweth nigh there is a time set though you cannot know it because God hath locked up this secret in his own bosome yet you may know that it cannot now be far off the Lord will not tarrie much longer in Heaven before he come down to Judgment Look up then and lift up your heads with joy for the day of your Redemption draweth nigh Luke 21. 28. You will not long groan under the bondage and burden of corruption You will not long mourn and complain under the persecutions of cruel Enemies You will not long be assaulted and bufferred with the temptations of Sathan You will not long live in the dark Prison of the world Christ will quickly be here and open the Prison-doors and deliver you into the glorious libertie of the Children of God 4. Rejoice Believers rejoice When Christ doth appear yee also shall appear Possibly some of you may remain alive until his appearance be sure all of you shall be made alive if you go down into your dust before you shall not be hid there for ever you shall not be buried there in eternal oblivion but the Lord Jesus will awaken you out of your long sleep of Death and raise you out of your beds of darkness He will send his Angels to gather you from the four Winds Think O think how joyful a day this day will be unto you when the Voice is proclaimed the Bridegroom is come Go yee forth to meet him when the Trumpet doth sound in the Air and you are called out of your graves by the Angels and gathered into the companie of all the Saints of God which lived in all generations from the beginning of the Creation and in a moment in the twinkle of an eye such of you as are alive shall finde your bodieâ— strangelie transformed and all that come forth of the ground made incorruptible and immortal and when you shall see the Lord Jesus Christ come down with such brightnesse and beautie and glorie and such royal Attendants and you are all caught up to meet with him in the Air when you shall finde your selves in the number of those blessed happy ones whom the Lord will send for and receive to himself when the greatest part of the World will be left behind crying to the Rock to cover them and the Mountains to fall upoâ— them to hide them from the wrath of this furioâ—â— Judge that is come to condemn them O how will your hearts then be filled and even
ravished with transporting joy which no heart now can conceive 5. Rejoyce believers rejoyce when Christ dâ—â— appear yee shall be judged by him yee shall not be condemned by him but yee shall be judged by him your advocate will be your judge Who shall then lay any thing to your charge God will then justify you who then shall condemn you Christ will acquit and absolve you You will openly be declared righteous on that day through the righteousness of Jesus Christ which here hath been imputed to you Christ will own you then for his redeemed people whom he hath purchased with his own blood then all your works of mercy will be made mention of all your services of Christ in the World will be had in remembrance all your graces will be taken notice of and the Lord will kindly accept of the improvement of the smallest talents which he hath intrusted you withall Well done good and faithfull Servants yee have been faithful in a few things enter into the joy of your Lord Matth. 25. 21. And if you have been persecuted for righteousness sake if you have been imprisoned banished reproached and greatly afflicted for Christs sake if you have left Father Mother Wife Children Houses Lands yea and have laid down your lives for the testimony of Jesus and that you might keep a good conscience think what entertainment the Lord Jesus will give to you at that time and O how will you rejoyce that the Lord should confer so great honour and dignity upon you as to call you forth and enable you to suffer for his name and think how sweetly the sentence which Christ shall pronounce upon you will sound in your eares Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the World 6. Rejoyce Believers rejoyce when Christ doth appear he will reward you he will give you a crown of glory which fadeth not away he will not only judge and sentence you to inherit the Kingdome of Heaven but he will receive you into the Kingdome he will give you possession thereof he will carry you along with him unto glory he will lead you and bring you into the new Ierusalem he will show you the Father unto your full satisfaction and you shall behold his glory and share in it he will put you into those mansions which he hath prepared for you Then and never till then shall you be perfectly happy and the fore-thoughts of this is matter of exceeding great comfort especially if you consider these four properties of Heavens happiness 1. Believers consider the greatness of the happiness of Heaven it will be full and you will be filled therewith unto your utmost capacity yea beyond what here you are capable of consider these particulars in your happiness of Heaven 1. Think what bodies you will have they will be most beautiful and glorious bodies they will be most healthful strong and immortal bodies you will then bear the image of the Heavenly Adam in regard of your bodies as well as in regard of your souls Rejoyce then believers rejoyce what though some of you have crooked and deformed bodies now what though some of you are blinde or lame or maimed or have your bodies filled with irksome pains and weakned with long sickness what though you live in expectation of death and these bodies whatever their mold and shape be must ere long be carried to the cold stinking grave and be turned into putrefaction yet rejoice you that are believers because your bodies will be made so glorious in the resurrection when all blemishes of nature will be healed and all sickness and pain will be removed because they will be raised in incorruption and freed from any more dominion of death for ever 2. Think what Souls you shall have you will be glorious without your bodies will shine but you will be far more glorious within your souls will shine much more then your souls shall be washed clean from all remainders of sin so that they shall not have the least spot or stain then you shall be cleansed from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and arrive unto perfection of holiness then the feeds of grace will be grown up into the flowers of glory and O what a fragrant garden will your souls be when the rude draught as it were of Christ here in your hearts shall be finished and perfected by Gods Pensil and your spirits shall be made perfectly like unto your glorious Lord O how beautiful will they be in the eyes of God! Rejoice then believers rejoice it grieveth you when you look within you and perceive so much remaining defilement when you feel such strong opposition of the flesh against the spirit and you finde your selves sometimes foiled thereby your weaknesses and infirmities trouble you but rejoyce believers because in Heaven you will be perfectly freed from sin you will never be foiled nor defiled with it any more but you will be made perfectly holy and perfectly happy 3. Think what habitations ye shall have you shall have Mansions in the Fathers house Joh. 14. 2. A building of God a house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5. 1. your persons will be glorious and your habitations will be glorious Rejoyce then believers rejoyce what though some of you live in poor and mean cottages then you shall live in the glorious Pallace of the King of Kings what though your houses have been burned with fire and some of you have not where to lay your head and none of you have a certain dwelling place which you can secure to your selves yet rejoyce because there are Mansions provided for you out of which it will be impossible for you to be burned or turned out for ever The City which is above hath foundations which cannot be over turned and the building of God which is not made with hands cannot be destroyed by hands neither is exposed to flames of fire which may demolish the fairest City in the world 4. Think what Company you shall have you shall have the presence of the Father you shall dwell with the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God will dwell in you for ever you shall have the company of holy Angels and all the glorified Saints all your companions will be most lovely and glorious Rejoyce then believers rejoyce what though wicked men separate you from their company and think you unworthy of their fellowship God will not think you unworthy of his fellowship nor separate you from his presence what though some of you are forced to dwell in Meseck and are linked in neer relations to some ungodly persons and are every day vexed with their ungodly conversation Rejoyce for in Heaven you will be freed from such company no wicked person will be permitted to come into that place 5. Think what Treasures you shall have you shall have Treasures which cannot be corrupted by moth nor stoln by thief your riches
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