Bridegroom meets the Bride what joy is there when Brethren and Friends meet who have been long parted such such did I say and a thousand times more will thy joy be O believer thy joy O now sad weeping sighing groaning believer when thou shalt meet Christ at Iudgement Rom. 8.34 So I may say Who is he that shall condemn thee at this day it is Christ who is to be thy Iudge surely if the devil that accuser of the brethren or any other would speak against thee the sight of Christ upon the Tribunal-Seat will silence them all yea and thine own conscience too fully however now it may trouble thee and accuse thee then it will acquit and free thee Christ being to be thy Iudge thy Conscience will tell thee there 's he that died for thee and loves thee there 's thy life there 's thy hope thy righteousness sanctification and redemption thy Friend thy Brother thy Advocate thy Surety thy Saviour thy Iudge is all these to thee Was not the rising of the Sun welcom to the Egyptians after their long night So welcom will the rising of the Sun of Righteousness be to thee at this day Christ who accounts all that is done to thee as done to himself Saul Saul why persecutest thou me When I was hungry ye fed me c. Christ who will and at this day doth reward those who do thee any good and punish those who do thee any hurt he shall be thy Judge think then will he do thee any hurt at this day what good will he do thee What good will he not do thee Christ is the best friend thou hast in the world the best thou canst have He shall be thy Iudge Besides all this Consider in a word these two or three things 1. Christ Iesus is to be thy Iudge and he is appointed to be thy Iudge by God himself God shall judge the world by the Man whom he hath appointed so that what Christ shall do at this day God will own and stand to it s a consideration not without comfort that God himself hath appointed to Christ to be our Saviour that God sent Christ at first coming and â—ent him to do what he did and suffer what he did so also to me its a comfortable consideration that God hath appointed Christ to be my Iudge that he will send him at his second coming and send him to do what then he shall do and be what then he shall be God against whom thy sins have been committed will send Christ to be thy Iudge whom he hath sent to die for thy sins It thou hadst committed treason against some Prince and the Prince himself should appoint thy Brother or Friend to be thy Iudge what wouldst thou think of this if Christ of himself should come to be thy Iudge if that could be what were this thou mightst fear though he should judge well concerning thee his Judgement might not stand Secondly there will for certain be no change in Christ as to his heart and affection to his people at this day his love and affection will be the same to them that it was while here on earth when he suffered for them on the Cross Christ loves them now in Heaven as well as he did while here on earth and so he will at this day So often it is with men those to whom they were friends while in a low condition they slight and despise and are strange too when they are raised but it is not now and will not then be so with Christ Christ was exceeding loving to and tender over his people while he was here as he manifested many ways so loving so tender will he be to every one of them at this day yea surely he will then shew much more love to them then he did while here in respect of his carriage to them yea may I not say there will be as much familiarity between them But Thirdly consider when Christ shall be your Iudge beloved Christians it will be as the last Iudgement after which there shall be no Iudgement from which there shall be no Appeal to have the Iudge of an inferiour Court to be your friend were not so much but to have the Iudge of the Chief and Supream Court your intimate entire friend from which there is no Appeal this were something indeed The sentence that will pass from Christ at this day it will be a standing eternal sentence that shall never so much as be question'd Fourthly the sentence of life and happiness that Christ will pronounce to you he himself will see made good and make good Mat. 25. Christ will say to the wicked Go ye Cursed but to his people Come ye blessed what go to Heaven either before or after But come come with me Christ himself will accompany them to Heaven and therefore in that place before-mentioned I will come and receive you to my self See 1 Thes 4.17 When once Christ and believers meet at this day they will never part Christ will never leave them again no not for a moment to eternity Christ â—ill place every one in his Mansion about him Lastly Christ will be your only Iudge at this day sometimes amongst men there sits more Judges then one but Christ will be your only Judge Christ will be for you and there will be none against you and none that you can think or fear may be against you because there will be none but Christ Christ is our only Saviour and he will be our only Judge SERMON II. Vse 3. IS it so c. Then let all unbelievers all the enemies of Christ think of this this doctrine looks with a dismal face upon all such and speaks dreadful wo and misery to all such It s full of sweetness a breast full of consolation to all true believers as you have heard but there 's nothing but bitterness and terrour in it to all who shall live and die without Christ and enemies to him and indeed all those who do live without who will not believe on him they are enemies to him He that is not with us is against â—s saith Christ he that goes not to Christ by faith is against Christ an enemy to him Terrour terrour from this doctrine to all such And this is given by some as a farther reason why Christ shall be Iudge at this day that so this day might have the more terrour in it to all such If God himself were immediately to be the Judge it would not be so terrible to wicked men to have a man who was like themselves except sin come to judge them and such a one who was offered again and again to them to be their Saviour who shed his blood and bore the wrath of God to make way for the salvation of sinners and this was told them many times and they were intreated and invited to take Christ for their Saviour and were told from Christ his own mouth for certain he would not cast
receiv'd and rest upon the Lord Iesus for their Saviour who truly love him and believe on him it must needs go well with all such at this day This Consideration takes away all cause of fear terrour and amazement in reference to the day of Judgement from all such and this may be one reason why Christ shall be the Judge at this day that hereby those who truly believe on him might have the greater comfort in thinking of this day now and in being at it when it comes The day of Judgment in it self affords matter of comfort to all such but much more upon this account If God himself were immediately to be the Judge at this day true believers would have no cause of fear yet they might be apt to fear But this consideration that Christ is to be Iudge at this day will keep all such from fearing if it be seriously thought of There are several Considerations that might be drawn from the Consideration of the day of Iudgement which afford matter of comfort to the people of God but this is even the chief and first It will be a great comfort to believers to fee Christ at this day but a greater comfort that they shall be judged by him and the comfort that is comprehended in this doctrine to all such will appear if you consider 1. The Relations between Christ and them they are the friends of Christ John 15.15 yea the brethren of Christ Christ is call'd Our elder Brother And Mark 3.2 last Christ calls believers his Brethren yea they are the Members of Christ the Church is the Body of Christ and every true believer a Member in particular as the Apostle yea they are the Spouse of Christ Eph. 5.30 where the Apostle alludes to the nearness of the Relation between Man and Wife Eve being taken out of Adam and so as he speaks concerning her she was flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone yea Christ not only stands thus nearly related to all believers but there is a love in him to them answerable to these relations and above them now what a comfort is this to have one so nearly related to you O believers to have one â—o full of love to be your Judge Surely it was the love of God to you that appointed Christ to be your Judge If you were to be judgâ—d by men here on earth and such a one were to be your Iudge who you knew lov'd you entirely even as his own self who was your friend your brother c. would not this be a comfort was not this a comfort think you to Joseph's Brethren that their brother Joseph was Lord of all Egypt would not this have been a comfort enough to David if Ionathan his friend had been his Judge would he have doubted to have found favour suppose it could have been and God should have consented to it that thou should'st have chose thy Judge surely thou couldst not have chose such another for thy own good and comfort if thou hadst chose the best friend thou hast in the world suppose it be thy husband father child or any other and such a one should have had power to determine how it should have gone with thee for ever surely it should not have gone better nor so well as now it will nor wouldst thou have had more comfort and boldness in appearing before him then now thou wilt Man may change Christ will not and cannot man may be deluded and corrupted Christ cannot yea let me adde this should God have told thee that at this day thou shouldst have been thine own Judge and it should go with thee to Eternity as thou thy self shouldst say it should here would not in this be so great a comfort for its impossible that thou shouldst love thy self more more truly more fully yea so much as Christ loves thee being a true believer were Christ to judge himself at this day if that might be he would not more certainly free himself and pronounce a sentence of eternal life then he will to thee even to thee whoever thou art poor weak foolish sinful if thou dost truly believe on him for thou art I may say himself being a Member of him and one with him Secondly consider its Jesus Christ who is to who hath laid down his life that you might live who hath bore the wrath of God to free you from it who hath purchased eternal life for you by his blood Therefore for certain he will when he shall sit upon his Throne to judge you look upon you with a loving smiling countenance speak nothing but words of love grace and kindness to you and concerning you therefore for certain he will not pronounce a sentence of eternal death but eternal life to you he should act against himself and frustrate the end of his coming and dying of all that he did and suffered if he should not give eternal life to you It s Iesus Christ who is to be your Iudge who hath promised eternal life to you He that believeth on me hath everlasting life Iohn 3. Therefore it s against his truth and faithfulness not to bestow it upon you at this day but he being to be the Iudge of the world it cannot be that he should be unfaithful and unrighteous Rom. 3.4 5. Is God unrighteous God forbid for how then should God judge the world Ics a necessary requisite in all Iudges that they should be righteous much more in the Iudge of the whole world It s Iesus Christ who is to be your Iudge who is your Advocate and Intercessor with God whoever lives to make Intercession for you and plead for you that you might obtain mercy notwithstanding your sins 1 John 2.1 And therefore when he shall come to sit in Iudgement he will not doubtless he cannot go against his own pleading notwithstanding your sins he will give eternal life to you Iesus Christ who hath been judg'd for you is to be your Iudge you need not fear to be judg'd by him It s that Iesus Christ who is to be your Iudge to whom your sins are imputed who is your Surety with whose righteousness you are cloathed who hath procured the Pardon of all your sins and therefore let not this trouble you to think that your sins may be spoken of and made known as this day If it be so it will be by Christ who is your righteousness himself who hath been made sin for you therefore doubt not notwithstanding your sins he will acquit you and free you from the desert of them You will not need any to plead for you or speak a word for you nor will you need to speak a word for your self seeing Christ himself your Advocate is to be your Iudge O blessed believers you shall be judg'd by Christ it is your happinesse You are exceedingly in debt to God by your sins but Christ is to be your Iudge who is your Surety who hath paid your debts for you therefore
dreadful as to have that Lamb Iesus Christ thy Iudge O unbelievers the Lord Iesus shall be your Iudge who knows what is in you who knows your hearts and very thoughts Iohn 2.3 last Christ did while here on earth and therefore be sure he will at this day there will be no deluding and deceiving Christ my friends who is to be your Iudge Iesus Christ shall be your Iudge who is and ever was perfectly holy yea as God infinitely holy more holy then the Angels it cannot therefore go well with sinners that love sin and live in sin That little holiness that is in Gods people here makes them even to hate wicked men as such and that with a perfect hatred and doth and will Christ love them Christ is to be your Judge who is an entire Lover of his Father and his Fathers glory now the sins of wicked men they are committed against God and he is greatly dishonoured and so injured by them therefore he will undoubtedly be furious against wicked men at this day How angry was Moses from that love to God which he had with those who caus'd Aaron to make the golden Calf though he were the meâ—kest man that ever was yet they bad dishonoured God and Moses he is greatly wrath He breaks the Tables e. Exod. 30. If Moses that meek man were so angry with the people for that one sin how angry will Christ be notwithstanding his meekness when he shall come to punish wicked men for all their sins Christ shall be your Iudge O wicked men who then shall be your Advocate who shall stand up to plead for you O that I could but fully make known to you what will be your misery at this day and that upon this Account because Christ shall be your Iudge but truly I perceive it more then I can express it to you Sure I am the sight of Christ upon the Throne will be the dreadfullest sight to them that ever they saw It will be dreadful to them to see all the world on fire about them but more dreadful will the sight of Christ be to them It must needs be that Christ should look upon and speak in a terrible manner to all such when he shall be their Iudge O wicked men sin caused me to sweat drops of Hood it pierc'd me crucified me and put me into inconceivable torment in bearing the wrath of God and yet though you heard of this you loved sin and took delight in it it was your meat and drink a pleasure to you All that ever you had you had for my sake you had never liv'd so long never been out of hell so long never had had one houre of comfort ease rest and peace never the least good but for me and yet I could have no love from you and yet you regarded me not at all I required of you but to receive me but to believe on me that you might be sav'd by me and yet that you would not yea and did not so much as in truch seek desire and endeavour it Of all things you thought least of me cared least for me yea even nothing for me you carried it to me as if I had been worth nothing you did even what lay in you to frustrate the end of my coming into the world and dying had all carried it to me as you did I had been no Saviour O unbelieving sinners you have been desperate enemies to me think not now that you shall have the least friendship from me speak not a word to me I will not hear you I 'le now make you to know what it was to despise such a loving suffering crucified Saviour I your Iudge am your enemy I will now send you to a place where you shall never see never hear of me and mercy any more to a place where you shall be ever learning by your sufferings how great my sufferings was which you despised and what your sin was to make light of such a Saviour I can't now save you I will not now save you yea I Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world condemn you to the bottomless Pit I who have the Keys of Hell and of Death Rev. 1.17 open Hell to you and inflict eternal Death upon you had you clos'd with me and own'd me none should have hurt you but now there 's none that can that will that shall help you lean still upon your works duties and good meanings and whatever else you lean'd upon and made a Saviour of before lean still upon it and see if it can keep you from that place whither I shall send you O unbelieving sinner I could and would have sav'd thee once to the utmost but now I will destroy thee to the utmost I had a Commission and full power to make thee happy if thou wouldst I have now Commission and Power to make thee miserable for ever I told thee I would certainly save thee notwithstanding thy sins if thou wouldst come to me I was very real and hearty in it I would now have been as good as my word thou shouldst now have found the truth of it but thou didst question it and wouldst not believe me but thoughtst thy self too great a sinner for me to save as it is with some I now tell thee thou shalt into everlasting fire and I am as real in this as I was in that and in that as I am in this question the truth of this if thou wilt thy sense shall tell thee presently that I really mean as I say Yea I told thee this before in my Word and by my Ministers that I would at this day send thee into everlasting fire if thou wouldst not believe on me but thou wert not affected or moved by this word and didst not believe it the day I told thee of thou seest is come the sentence I told thee I would pronounce thy ears shall now hear I now pronounce it against thee such as ye will or may be the words of Christ to thee even to thee to thee I say if thou dost not come in leave thy sin and close with him yea more terrible believe it will his words be to thee for the matter then I can speak and tell thee and for the measure of them what shall be wanting in the words of Christ to thee thy conscience will make up and be making up in thee to Eternity VVill it not be dreadful think you at this day for Judas who betrayed Christ for those who came to take him of whom we reade some went backward and fell on the ground how fraid and amazed will all those be at this day when they shall stand before Christ his Tribunal all those who had any hand in putting him to death to whom God gave not repentance all those who spet upon him and mocked him and smote him and cried out Crucisie him will it not be dreadful to them think you when they shall see that same Iesus whom they so
thee are thy affections new affections thy desires new desires thy love a new love thy fear a new fear thy delights new delights dost thou desire grace in stead of the world love God in stead of self the world fear sin in stead of outward evils and God in stead of men dost thou delight in duty holiness and God in stead of sin vanity and the world is thy company also new are thy thoughts thy words and discourse new â—is it not thus with thee Then if the VVord of God be true and deny it if thou durst thou art not in Christ that is thou dost not â—elieve on him please thy self if thou thinkest good with thy false hope that thou dost believe but know that Christ will try thee by this Scripture with such like and judge of thy faith according to it and of thee according to thy faith and then thou wilt see thy folly and for certain be turn'd into the place of unbelievers which place if thou wouldst know See Rev. 21.8 Secondly is it so that Christ is to be your Judge then he exhorted to yield obedience to the Commands of Christ when you hear or reade any of the Commands of Christ remember this they are the Commands of him who is to be thy Judge would you know what the Commands of Christ are I answer all the Commands of God are the Commands of Christ the ten Commands are the Commands of Christ but more particularly and especially you may reade what the Commands of Christ are in the fifth sixth and seventh chapters of Matthew besidâ—s other places Christ commands you to love your enemies to pray to 〈◊〉 up for 〈◊〉 selves treasure in Heaven to seck first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness to do as you would be done by c. these with the rest of the Commands of Christ ye should obey yea must obey if ever it go well with you when Christ shall come to judge you if you shall refuse to obey them you may reade what will be your doom at this day Luke 19.27 Those mine enemies that would not that I should reign ever them bring them â—ither and slay them before me Thirdly beware how you make use of his Ordinances Preaching the Gospel the Lords Supper c. Take heed how you hear saith Christ the same I may say concerning every Ordinance of Christ take heed how you receive the Lords Supper take heed how you pray how you make use of Baptisin c. Look to it that it be according to his institution and as he requires if you use the Ordinances that he hath appointed in any way and manner but what he hath appointed most certainly to your cost you will hear of it at this day however you may now make light of it and plead for that which is either directly contrary to his institution or no way at least according to it People should take heâ—d how they make use of the Ordinances of Christ and Ministers also how they administer them because they are the Ordinances and Institutions of Christ who is to be the Judge of us all Fourthly hence be exhorted to beware how you carry to the friends of Christ and Ministers of Christ as you love your selves and desire Christ his good will at this day carry it well to them for as you carry to them so Christ accounts you carry it to himself Mat. 25. lat In as much as you did it not to one of these you did it not to me and for the Ministers of Christ Mat 10.40 He that receiveth you receineth me c. VVo be to those which despise and injure the friends and servants of Christ seeing Christ is to be their Judge VVhich consideration also may encourage the Ministers of the Gospel and all true believers to undergo with patience all the hard usage and speeches of wicked men against them for their faithfulness to Christ his ways and truth certainly in that Christ is to be their Judge they shall not lose their reward as those neither shall not who shew them kindnessâ— s He that receives a Prophet saith Christ the Judge of the world who is to reward every man according to their works in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward and he that receives a righâ—eous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous mans reward Lastly hence be exhorted to beware how you take upon you the Name of Christ and how you make use of his Name 1 Beware how you take upon you the Name of Christ that is that you do not account and call your selves Christians and yet live in sin as it is with many what will Christ say to such when he shall come to judge them O thou wicked person thou drunkard was I ever such a one did I ever so thou vain prophane covetous idle railing person c Did I ever live after that manner was not I holy did I not in all things constantly obey the Commands of God how then durst thou to bear my Name upon thee and call thy self a Christian as if I had liv'd as thou didst for truly that 's â—ven imply'd when a wicked man calls himself a Christian a disciple of Christ what doth he but even say that Christ was such a one as he is 2 Tim. 2.19 Let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity let very one who calls himself a Christian and wouldst be called and accounted so by others endeavour to live as Christ did or wo be to him also seeing Christ is to be his Iudge it s even as great a dishonour and disgrace as you can cast upon Christ to call your selves by his Name and yet live in the devils ways Secondly beware how you make use of the Name of Christ and that either in speaking to God or to men when you speak of him one to another speak not of him as of other men peak awfully and reverentially of him and that in a proper discourse not upon every vain and trifling occasion there is a taking the Name of Christ in vain as well as the taking of the Name of God in vain and as God saith God will not hold him guiltless who taketh his Name in vain so when you use the Name of Christ to God in Prayer look to it that it be with faith on his Name and that it be from a true love and respect to him use not his Name as a meer customary thing as it s to be feared iâ—s with the most It s the custom to say for Christ his sake in and through Christ c. and therefore they say as when they ask any mercy of God and when they bless him for any mercy Remember this no unbeliever can use the Name of Christ aright as he ought to do Christ is to be your Iudge certainly it will not go well on thy side at that great day if this shall stand upon Record and be brought forth against you Thou didst often use the Name of Christ but thou hadst no love to him no faith on him but after a vain and loose manner as if he had bin a meer fancie or but a mean person or one of whom thou stoodst in no great need and hadst no cause to fear and honour To the right making use of the Name of Christ in Prayer to God it is required as that you should have love to him and faith on him so that you should be deeply sensible of your own vileness and total absolute unworthiness to receive any thing from God immediately that you should indeed desire expect and hope for all that you aâ—k of God in his Name for his sake and not in the least for your own sake or the sake of what you have or have done or for the sake of your Prayers yea or for Gods sake that is for his mercy sake and his faithful sake in the Promise without respect to Christ every time you ask any thing in Christ and do not so ask it you take the Name of Christ in vain it s highly displeasing both to God and Christ And besidâ—s here 's also this in it That you will for certain go without whatsoever you so ask though you ask never so often and never so long so without repentance and pardon you are like to suffer for it when Christ shall come to judge There 's many a man who prays much but receives nothing because he asks not in the Name of Christ and there is many a one who doth ask in the Name of Christ verbally in words yet not asking in his Name cordially from his heart and in a right manner with faith on his Name and love to him and a deep sease of his unworthiness to receive any thing but through him so as to desire hope and expect it only for his sake he goes without what he asks and not only so but pulls down judgments from God in stead of mercies and makes his condition far worse and himself a subject fitter for wrath when Christ shall come to judge him the same may be said of praising for any mercy that we receive VVe ought not only to praise God for mercy but to praise for it in Christ and that so as really to account the mercy received to have come from God only for Christ his sake that is from grace in Christ c. FINIS Bridge's Remains being Eight Sermons viz. 1 Of Mans Blessedness 2. Affections rightly Placed 3. How to walk with God in our Calling 4 Of good and bad Company 5. The Carnality of Professors 6. What our Work is and how to be done 7. Soul-Resignation into the Hands of God 8. The Dignity and Duty of Gods called ones A Discourse of Christs coming By Theoph. Gale The Nature and Principles of Love as the End of the Commandment declared in some of the last Sermons of Mr. Joseph Caryl with an Epistle of John Owen D.D. All sold by John Hancock Sen. Jun. at the three Bibles in Cornhill