watch tower and thence always to expect it This we find oft inculcated by our Lord and his Apostles Thus Luke 12.35 Let your loins be girded about and your lights burning 36. And ye your selves like unto men that wait for their Lord when he wil returne from the wedding that when he cometh and knocketh they may open unto him immediately c. So Luke 21.28 having mentioned in the precedent verses the forerunners and signes of his coming he addes and when these things begin to come to passe then look and lift up your heads for your Redemtion draweth nigh Albeit this seems limited to some time immediately foregoing the coming of Christ yet it may by a paritie of reason be extended more generally to our waiting for Christs coming at al times So Rom. 8.23 Paul makes it a proprietie of Saints to wait for their Adoption namely at the coming of Christ Yea 1 Thes 1.10 Paul makes this one of the first frames they arrived unto after conversion To wait for his Son from Heaven Now this waiting for the coming of the day of God implies dayly to revive and refresh our thoughts and expectations of that day not to give way to any short slumbers much lesse to deep sleeps but to be always in exspectation of that great day This is the great faut of the wise Virgins as wel as the foolish they are surprised with fits of slumber which are opposite to waiting for the coming of our Lord. Mat. 25.5 O! what a world of such slumbering Virgins are there 5. Actually to look for the coming of the day of God imports farther to get a Prepossession of that day and those good things hoped for therein to be enjoyed The eye by looking on the Sun gets a possession of it yea there are certain Optic Glasses which give the eye the real Image and possession of Objects very remote So by looking on the second coming of Christ and those good things hoped â—or in that day by an eye of faith through â—he Optic glasse of the promisse we come â—o possesse the same So Mat. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shal see God â— e. possesse and enjoy God Thus by looking on the coming of Christ you possesse him This spiritual vision of faith gives possession and Fruition Yea in natural contemplation the mind by gazing on its object gets the possession of it and so the mind by understanding becomes althings This holds much more true in spirituals such as by faith gaze much on the second coming of the day of God thereby really possesse the same Look on Christ by faith and you possesse him 6. Actually to look for the second coming of our Lord implies thus much also to get the soul transformed into the image of Christ Al saving views of Christ whether as past or to come do transforme the heart into the image of Christ Whiles by the eye of faith we look on Christ in his second glorious coming a little image of Christ is stamped on faiths eye So 2 Cor. 3.18 As take a looking-glasse and expose it opposite to the Sun and it wil have an Image of the Sun stamped on it yea it wil shine in imitation of the Sun So such as contemplate the face of Christ in his glorious appearance wil have a little image of Christ stamped on the face of their souls This was typified by the transformation of Moses's face when he had seen God Look on Christ by faith and live in and to Christ look on Christ and love Christ look on Christ and be humble as Christ was look on Christ and be crucified to the World as Christ was Look on Christ and be patient as he was Look on Christ and thou wilt in thy mesure shine with Grace as Christ shined Such a miraculous influence has our looking on Christs second coming by faith to transforme the heart and life into the image of Christ So much for the first branch of the Question What it is to look for the coming of the day of God SECT 4. What it is to hasten to the coming of the day of God IN the next place we are to examine What it is to hasten to the coming of the day of God The Object here is the same as in the former Inquirie and therefore needs not any further consideration the only thing we are to consider here is the various Acts of the soul in hastening unto the coming of the day of God In the general there seems to be this difference between our Looking for and Hastening unto the coming of the day of God In the former the soul by apprehending or contemplating the coming of Christ receives in a lively Idea or Image thereof In this later the soul by Wil and Affections goes forth to meet its approching Lord. This ariseth from the natural difference between the souls seeing or knowing and willing things for in seeing or knowing the object is by its Idea or Image received into the soul but in willing and affecting things the souls goes forth to meet and adhere to its object So that this hastening to the coming of the day of God consists in the Egresse or going forth of the soul by Wil Affections and al spiritual exercices of Grace to meet our approaching Lord. 1. To hasten to the coming of the day of God implies a firme inviolable vehement Bent of Wil towards that Day So much as there is of a bended wil towards the coming of our Lord so much doth the soul hasten thereto O! how tenacious and invincible should the wil be in adhering to the coming of the day of God This seems included in that exhortation of Barnabas Act. 11.23 Act. 11.23 where he exhorts them with purpose of heart to cleave unto the Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a fixed determined resolute Bent of wil to adhere to the Lord both in his present dispensations and approching glorious apparence The force and efficace of this bended wil consists in the deliberate Intention or Inclination thereof towards that great day when the soul doth with a plenitude or fulnesse of Wil adhere to our approching Lord. Now this strong bent of wil procedes from the spirit of Sanctification and Adopption who inspires and infuseth into the wil a Divine Love which is as a pondus or weight to incline it towards the coming of the day of God Hence we find this hastening to the day of God expressed by Paul by love thereto 2 Tim. 4.8 where he saith 2 Tim. 4.8 There is laid uâ— a Crown of Righteousnesse for al them that love his appearing The soul lives where it Loves Love has a violent Impetus or sweet violence whereby it bindeth the wil to the object beloved Love the day of God and you hasten to it yea live in it So Can. 8.6 Set me as a seal on thine heart as a seal upon thine arme for love is strong as death it hath a most vehement
flame c. By love the heart ascends up as in a flame to meet our Lord. Love is a swift post that carries the heart to its beloved It is never satisfied ' til it arrives to union and fruition of what it loves Absence fires love and makes it burne with a vehement flame towards its approching Lord. Yea it gathers force from obstructions and difficulties Love burning in the Intention of the wil gives swift feet yea wings to the soul to flie towards the coming of the day of God A soul inspired with love to our approching Lord is not its own but loseth it self in the bosome of its Lord There it lives and breathes and moves day by day Love is most artificial and puissant to hasten the soul towards the day of God it commands al the Passions and Actions of the soul to tend and move this way Yea it makes the most difficult unpleasant way easy and pleasant Alas do but thinke what love wil do to meet and enjoy an absent friend and wil it not do much more to meet and enjoy its absent Lord Love grows not faint or weary in its motion towards our coming Lord. Yea it multiplies by acting and that from the similitude there is between the lover and beloved Hence there is no Grace that has such a strong inclination to its act and object as this Divine Love Indeed it s never wel pleased longer than it is hastening to its beloved It immediately delivers up the heart to its approching Lord and so adheres to him by an unioâ— of spirit It is impatient til it come to take hold of its Lord it melts and dissolves the heart into him Such is the force of Love in hastening to the coming of the day oâ— God 2. The soul hastens to the coming of the day of God by longing desires after it Desires are the firstborne of Love and the feet of the soul whereby it moves towards its beloved He that is possest with desires after the coming of Christ cannot but hasten towards that great day For desire is an hungry greedy Affection which thinkes it has never enough of what it desires In every lover there is a desire of union with its beloved and therefore the absence of Christ causeth the soul to breath forth love-sighs after his second coming Thus the Spouse Cant. 8.14 Cant. 8.14 Make haste or flee away my beloved and be thou like to a Roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of Spices Flie my beloved As the Spouse began with desires of Christs first coming Cant. 1.2 to kisse her by the Preaching of his Gospel so she ends this her Song with earnest desires of his second coming to put an end to al her miseries Thence it follows And be thou like to a Roe or liken thy self to a Roe i. e. be swift and make haste to flie away or to a young hart on the mountains of Spices Some conceive that the Harts which sed on those mountains of Spices had a very aromatic fragrant smel and thence the Spouse here ressembles her beloved to these thereby to shew how much her heart was ravished with the sweet odors of his Grace and how much she longed for his second coming Thus the same Spouse or Church Rev. 22.17 And the spirit and the bride say come and let him that heareth say come and v. 20. even so come Lord Jesus As if she had said O time post away and hasten the coming of my Lord come Lord come for Love is tormented with delays Thus ardent desires after the coming of our Lord do much hasten the soul towards that day A believers continual crie should be Lord come down to me or take me up to thee His desires after the coming of his Lord should never cease ' til he be master of what he desires This was the language of Pauls groans 2 Cor. 5.2 For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from Heaven Pauls groans after his dissolution were in order to the conjunction of his soul with Christ and hereby he hastened to the coming of his Lord. 3. The soul hastens to the coming of the day of God by lively Hopes of that day Hope is the neck stretched forth or head lifted up whereby the soul expects with confidence its approching Lord. Hope as the good Spies Caleb and Joshua prophesieth good things in the greatest difficulties A fiducial hope stands on sure ground even the word and fidelitie of God and therefore it wil not be soon shaken though the pillars of Heaven and Earth are shaken Yea when the times are worst hope oft expects the best even the coming of our Lord. Luk. 21.28 Thus Luke 21.28 And when these things begin to come to passe then look up and lift up your heads for your Redemtion draweth nigh These things i. e. distresse of Nations and the powers of Heaven being shaken with other terrible forerunners of the Son of God v. 25 26 27. Then look up Ut solent qui de loco superiori libertatem expectant Grot. and lift up your heads These are expressions of hope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 look up as they who from some eminent place confidently expect libertie and deliverance The more we hope for Redemtion at the coming of our Lord the more our souls wil hasten towards that day If our hopes flagge our pace wil flagge The longer the thread of our hope is the swifter wil our motion be towards the coming of the day of God Yea strong and lively hopes make us partakers of Christ and al the good things that attend his second coming Heb. 3.14 So Heb. 3.14 For we are partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end Principium quo sâ—stentamur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The principle or foundation by which we are supported Wel-grounded hopes give a subsistence to the good things hoped for and thence we find the same word used to expresse faith by Heb. 11.1 as it is the subsistence of things hoped for Now the good things hoped for being made subsistent and present in and by hope no wonder if the soul hasten towards the coming of Christ hereby 4. The soul hastens to the coming of the day of God by an holy dread awe and fear of that day That great day although it be most joyous to Saints yet it wil be also most terrible to sinners And the terrors of this day apprehended by faith leave an holy awe and dread on believers themselves Oh! what holy Tremblements of heart have many awakened serious souls at the apprehension of that terrible day This seems to be the import of Pauls Exhortation 2 Cor. 5.10 2 Cor. 5.10 11. For we must al appear before the Jugement seat of Christ c. What follows 11. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men As if he had said Oh friends Wil not that
seem to forsake them A man that is once truely Godly is ever so God hath put this divine qualitie into the nature of Evangelic Grace beyond that of Adam that it keeps mans mutable wil in an immutable state of Grace In other states men come to securitie by degrees but in the state of Grace a Godly man hath it at first dash and that from the Spirits indwelling Now a main Instrument which the Spirit useth to keep the Saints in perseverance is daily expectation of our Lords returne O! what more effectual to keep the heart from secret as wel as open backslidings than fresh views of our Lords approche Thus Jud. 21. Keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercie of our Lord Jesus Christ unto Eternal life This also kept Paul tite and constant in his Christian race 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Alas what is it that makes many carnal professors turne their back on Christ and plunge their souls in al manner of sensualities but putting far off the coming of their Lord This seems to have given occasion unto Peter of this warme discourse touching the coming of our Lord his foreseeing there would arise many loose professors in these days who putting far from them the coming of the day of God would fal into al manner of sensualitie and profanesse as 2 Pet. 3.3 4. What thinke you Would Judas have been so base-minded as to sel his master for thirty pieces of Silver had he expected his second coming Can we imagine that Demas would have been so sordid as to leave the service of Christ and turne again to this present world had he kept the coming of his Lord in his eye No surely Ah! is not this the bitter root of al Apostasie in these last days secure professors dream not of their Lords approche SECT 3. What Influence the Expectation of Christs coming has on an holy Conversation HAving demonstrated what Influence the daily expectation of our Lords second coming has on Godlinesse we now procede to shew what an efficacious Influence it has on an holy conversation By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we understand as was intimated in the explication of the text al duties of the second table which have a more particular regard to men and our manner of Life or conversation among them I intend not to discourse on al those particular duties which necessarily conduce to constitute or make up an holy conversation towards men but to speak somewhat of the root of an holy conversation and then of such particular branches as in a more peculiar manner receive Influence from the serious expectation of our Lords approche As for the Root of al second-table duties or holy conversation towards men it is placed by our Lord in Love to our neighbor Mat. 22.39 And Paul tels us Rom. 13.10 that Love is the fulfilling of the Law i. e. so far as it prevails it fils up every dutie with its proper Forme Spirit or moral perfection O! what a seminal universal root of holy conversation is Love How much are al inferior duties influenced hereby and what more efficacious to breed love to men as men and to Saints as Saints than daily looking for and hastening to the coming of the day of God Thus 1 Thes 3.12 13. 1 Thes 3.12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one towards another and towards al men even as we do towards you Here is required in Saints a twofold love 1. One towards another and 2. Towards al men We have a relation to and therefore ought to have a love for men as men but much more for Saints as Saints Our relations by nature ought to be near and dear to us but our relations by Grace much more dear and near Saints must communicate in commun love and benefits with al but in peculiar love and benefits with Saints Rectè in malu odimus malitiam diligimus creaturam ut nec propter vitium natura damnetur nec proptâ—r naturam viâ—ium diligatur Arg. We ought to hate the evil in evil men but to love the nature that so the Nature may not be condemned for the evil nor the Evil loved for the Nature Ay but what argument doth Paul here urge to induce these Thessalonians thus to abound in love one towards another and towards al men Surely no other than the expectation of our Lords approche as v. 13. To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holinesse before God even our father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with al his Saints The coming of our Lord is here brought in by Paul as a motive and means of their abounding in Love one towards another and towards al men O! how wil their hearts flame with love each towards other whose eyes are intent in looking for the coming of our Lord And there is good reason for it because then their hearts wil be perfectly knit together in love Alas were it possible that Saints who lie under so many essential and deep obligations to love each other could keep at such a distance as they do had they the coming of their Lord much in their eye It was the saying of a great Divine now with God That the Divisions in the Church are a greater plague than the raging sword And whence spring al these divisions but from our division from God And how comes it to passe that we are so divided from God but because we wait not for the coming of our Lord How soon would a deep expectation of our Lords approche dash out of countenance al our dividing principles and practices That should never be got by strife which may be had by love and peace Yea such thoughts would make us not only Patients but Agents in seeking after peace The more spiritual we are the more uniting and healing wil our spirits be and what makes us more spiritual than lively expectations of our Lords second coming In a circle the nearer the lines come to the centre the nearer they come each to other so here the more we look for and the nearer we approche to the coming of the day of God the nearer we shal approche each to other by brotherly love union and communion There is no such way to keep up an holy conversation as union and communion of Saints and what more efficacious to preserve union communion of Saints than union and communion with our approching Lord Neither doth this expectation of our Lords approche worke in the Saints love to each other only but also love to al mankind Oh! what a diffusive and generous love to the worst of men have such as lie under distinct and spiritual views of our approching Lord So much for the principe and root of al holy conversation namely Christian love which is the bond of perfection I now procede to some particular branches or parts of this holy conversation with endeavors to demonstrate what Influence they receive from
which shal be reveled at his second coming is most efficacious to keep the soul in love to God What is al our love to God but the Reflection of his love to us And hence the more the love of God to us is apprehended is not our Love to God the more increased And whâ—n do we apprehend more of the love of God than when we most intently look on the mercie of our Lord at his second coming What more naturally breeds love than the contemplation of the thing beloved And do not al our beloved objects lie wrapt up in the mercie of our Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Platonic at his second coming what better preservative can there be of our first love the love of our espousals than to have the second coming of Christ always in our eye Did not our wanton hearts forget Christ our absent husband and his returne were it possible that they could gad abroad so much after other lovers as now they do No No Expectation of Christs second coming would dash out of countenance al adulterous thoughts and wanton dalliances with the Idols of time It would maintain in us pure virgin chast love towards Christ and that upon this ground because it knows that al those that love not our Lord Jesus lie under the most dreadful curse that ever was Thus 1 Cor. 16.22 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha i. e. let him be accursed til the Lord come to pronounce his last doom This curse as we before hinted alludes to the great and terrible excommunication of the Jewish Church which began with the first words of Enochs prophesic so famous among them and mentioned Jude 14 15. The Lord cometh And the Apostles sense seems this That whosoever loves not our Lord Jesus Christ shal be obnoxious to al the Plagues and Miserie denounced by Enoch against ungodly sinners The very apprehensions of this dreadful curse has kept many a poor believer in the Love of Christ What! saith the believing soul are al that love not our Lord under a Maranatha must they indeed remain accursed til our Lord come and thence for ever O! then farewel al other lovers what doest thou mean O my soul by entertaining beloved Idols is not the judge at the dore Must I not give an account for al adulterous glances on this alluring world The soul that always eyes the coming of his Lord carries his picture in its bosome thence is dayly inflamed with love to him as lovers are wont 3. Believing views of Christs second coming worke in the soul an holy fear of God which is another main branch of Godlinesse So in the old Testament the whole of Godlinesse and divine worship is oft exprest by fear And its certain nothing breeds a more reverential fear and awe of God than deep lively expectations of the second coming of our Lord. This seems contained in our Lords exhortation Mat. 10.28 And fear not them which kil the bodie but are not able to kil the soul but rather fear him who is able to destroy both bodie and soul in hel As if he had said Alas what mean you by being so solicitous and fearful about your present life ought you not rather to fear your Lord who at his second coming wil destroy both bodie and soul of wicked men This also seems to be the import of Pauls Admonition 2 Cor. 5.11 2 Cor. 5.11 knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men The terror of the Lord i. e. when we must appear before his jugement fear We persuade men To what why to an holy fear and awe of God The proper affection suited to things terrible is fear and oh what an holy fear of God doth the expectation of that terrible day worke in Believers Were it possible that men could be so regardlesse and fearlesse of God as they are had they but the coming of the day of God more frequent and lively in their eye 4. Spiritual sights of the coming of our Lord have a Soverain influence for the calling off our hearts from al inordinate regard to and love of this present world And oh how much of the power of Godlinesse consists herein Doth not a principal part of the divine life consist in our spiritual death unto and alienation from this dirty world may we count him a Godly man who is drowned head and ears in the cares and concerns of this life Surely true pietie brings a man to a general privation of the goods he doth possesse that so Christ may be al in al. He is the true Godly man who amidst al the comforts of this life admires loves and enjoys nothing greatly but God And oh how much doth a real sight of the coming of our Lord in al his glorie darken the glorie of this fading world and deaden the heart unto it What more effectual to draw off the heart from this lower world than our dayly drawing nigh in thoughts and affections to the coming of the day of God He that looks for a crown at the coming of our Lord wil contemne al the shadows of this lower world Such as are much taken up in the contemplation of that coming world wil not think themselves obliged to give this present temting world one good look or act of love hope and friendship Thus 2 Pet. 3.11 2 Pet. 3.11 Seing then that al these things shal be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be c. As if he had said wil our Lord indeed ere long come to judge the world and shal al the beautie Glorie and excellence of this sensible world be involved in that universal conflagration ought we not then to have our hearts crucified to al these inferior goods suppose a Citizen of London should be assured that within a few days his house should be involved in flames would he thinke ye be at any great charge to adorne or beautifie his house or lay up his choisest treasures and goods therein Would he not rather entertain himself dayly with thoughts of removing elsewhere Just such is our case are we not assured that ere long this visible world wil be in flames about our ears ought we not then to cal off our Affections from it and look out for a Citie which hath foundations Surely this was Abraham's practice Heb. 11.9 10. as we are told Heb. 11.9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promisse as in a strange Countrey dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob the heirs with him of the same promisse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut illi quorun vitè vagas plaustra trabuat donos Grot. In tabernacles or moveable houses such as had no firme foundation but were drawen on wheeles here or there as the owners pleased But why did Abraham Isaac and Jacob dwel in tabernacles had they not a promisse of and thence a right unto Canaan where they dwelt