natural abilities as appeares not only by the history but also by the stile of their writings which hath not that politeness as is to be found in many humane Authors which doth not run in such a golden stream of eloquence neither is dressed with such neatnesses of wit nor garnished with such flowers of Rhetorick which is not methodized by the rules of Logick nor enterlarded with any peepings of humane wisdome which doth not savour of high parts and great natural ingenuity or give the least suspicion of cunning and subtilty which these Men had above others But some of the highest mysteries of divinity are set forth by these Pen men in a passsing-mean and home-spun dress yea they are left even naked and bare of such apparel as the ingenuous Men of the World have cloathed their matter withall which hath given the light of the most glorious truths and mysteries more evident discovery not but that some parts of the Scriptures have such a strain of divine eloquence as doth exceed humane writings but the plainness of the stile especially of the Apostle Iohn in his Gospel and Matthew c. Doth evince that what they delivered was not their own invention but that they were acted by another spirit in the writing of them even by the spirit of God who did reveal all the mysteries which they speak of in whole unto them 3. A third Character of Divinity in the Scriptures is the wisdome which there doth appear especially the wonderful contrivement of God's wisdome in Mans redemption and salvation by Iesus Christ which is there made known No Book in the World doth shine with such beames of wisdome as the Word doth it doth teach Men wisdome spiritual and divine wisdome in comparison with which all the wisdome of the World is but foolishness It doth irradiate the minde with the most glorious light and proposeth to the understanding the most noble objects it discovers the greatest truths of the greatest concernment it sheweth the way to avoid the most dreadful effects which sin will produce and to obtain the highest happiness which humane nature is capable of which is one part of its divine stamp Moreover the Scriptures do set forth the infinite wisdome of God in the wonderful contrivement of the salvation of fallen Man by his only Son the Lord Jesus Christ the only Saviour of Man-kind which wisdome being so transcendent doth evidence both the Contrivement thereof in Mans salvation and the discovery thereof in the Scriptures to be from himself so that as by the light of the Word we may know what this wisdome was even so by this wisdome we may know the Word to be the Word of God To clear this Argument I shall show 1. That the way of Mans salvation by Iesus Christ which the Scriptures reveal must needs be the contrivement of Gods wisdome 2. That the revelation of this contrivement must needs be from God which I suppose will be an evident demonstration of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures 1. That the way of Mans Salvation by Iesus Christ was the contrivement of Gods wisdome will appear because it was impossible for any Man of the most searching brain and most notable invention to have imagined it Man being guilty of sin against the Law of God inscribed upon the hearts of all Men which natural Conscience will accuse of if sinners listen thereunto and Gods Justice being engaged to inflict a punishment proportionable unto the crime without a satisfaction which right reason will say is but reasonable and this justice of God being infinite must in reason require an infinite satisfaction Now what created understanding could of it self have contrived or conceived a way how this should be done Every thing that hath a being is either God or a Creature all the Creatures are finite in their Beeings and actions and therefore could not make an infinite satisfaction It is God only who is infinite and he being the party offended could not make satisfaction to his own justice especially since his justice requires punishment for satisfaction which God as God being impassible is uncapable of not to say any thing that the same nature which did commit sin should in justice suffer the punishment would not reason now conclude that it were impossible for this satisfaction to be made Surely it was none but the wisdome of God that could contrive the way of satisfaction to his justice by the incarnation of his Son by the union of the divine nature in the second Person of the Trinity unto the humane nature in the Person of Christ that so by vertue of the hypostatical union the humane nature might not only be strengthned to undergo the wrath of God which was due for the sins of Men in the sufferings which he endured before and upon the Cross but also that through the communication of attributes the sufferings of Christ might be of infinite value because the sufferings of such a Person as was God as well as Man that so they might be a full satisfaction unto Gods justice for sin and through Gods Covenant with him and gracious acceptation of this satisfaction from the surety instead of the offenders themselves the sins of Men might be pardoned and their souls saved O the depth of the Wisdome of God! here is the wisdome of God in a mystery surely they are blinded and hoodwinked by the Devil who do not acknowledge that this was the contrivement of Gods wisdome 2. That the Revelation of this contrivement of wisdome was from God will appear in that none could know the minde of the Lord herein unless he himselâ— had discovered it What Man saith the Apostle knâ—â—eth the things of Man but the spirit 〈…〉 which is in him even so the things of God â—noweth no Man but the spirit of God 1 Cor. 2. 11. And the spirit of God searcheth all things even the deep things of God and unless the spirit had revealed these things we must have remained in our ignorance of them since it could not have entered into our hearts to have conceived them seeing then none could have discovered the deep contrivements of Gods wisdome unless God by his spirit had revealed them and seeing these contrivements are revealed in no other Book but the Book of the Scriptures it is evident that the Scriptures must needs be the Word of God which also will further appear if we consider the manner of the Revelation of the mystery of Mans redemption and salvation by Jesus Christ that it was revealed by pieces and more obscurely at first and that divers Men were made use of in the discovery thereof in divers ages who spake hereof mostly in dark sayings and where they spake most clearly yet themselves had not a clear understanding of what they were moved to speak by the Holy Ghost but searched what and what manner of time the Holy Ghost which was in them did signify when it testified of the sufferings of Christ and the design of them whence it is evident that they were not neither could be the Contrivers of what they revealed but that the Revelation was from the spirit of
God which did inspire the Prophets and was the same in all the Pen-men of the holy Scriptures whom Men of insight in the Scriptures may plainly perceive to be guided and acted by the same spirit in their Revelation of the contrivement and way of Mans salvation by Jesus Christ. 4. A Fourth Character of Divinity in the Scriptures is the Purity and Holiness of them the Scriptures are like Silver or Gold purified and seven times tried in the Fire wherein no dross doth remain Psal. 12. 7. the Scriptures are pure and holy from the beginning of them to the end In no Histories shall we finde such examples of holiness as the Scriptures do record in no Writings of moral Philosophers shall we finde such precepts of holiness as in the Scriptures are enjoyned Indeed the light of nature hath been improved by some Heathens so far that they have given excellent rules for the restraining of vice and obtaining of moral vertues and the ordering their conversations in such a vertuous way that those persons who have observed these rules have been illustrious in their generations and have shined with some kinde of brightness in the dark places where they have lived but in no book that ever issued from the brain of man shall we finde such exact rules for holy living as in the Book of the Scriptures In this Book we finde the moral Law summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandements which was written by God himself on the Tables of Stone when Moses was with him in the Mount in which there are such holy precepts as no Heathen author can show the like the Heathens were blinde as to the duties of the first Table of the Law which have a reference unto God and in observance of which mans holiness doth chiefly consist in the second Table duties they had some understanding yet they were much mistaken in some things accounting some sins as ambition self-murder in some cases and the like to be vertues and they had not so deep an insight into sin they did not apprehend the inclination of the heart and the previous motions to the consent of the will to evil which the Scriptures do discover to be sinful and offensive in the eyes of a pure and holy God Moreover in the Scriptures we finde the holy precepts of the Gospel which the Heathens were strangers unto and a way discovered not only for the obtaining the pardon of sin but also for the subduing and mortifying of sin where means are made known not only for the restraining of a vicious nature but also for the changing of it for the regenerating of the soul of man and forming it after the Image of the holy God in knowledge righteousness and true holiness the making men partakers of the divine nature which Heathens never understood the meaning of the Scriptures show the way of obtaining the sanctifying graces of Gods Spirit which do further exceed the moâ—all vertues of the Heathen in lustre than the Sun doth exceed the lesser Stars in brightness and glory Marvellous is the purity and holiness of the word such as doth not savour of any thing terâ—ene and humane yea it is such as is directly opposite to the natural biass of the hearts of all men and women in the world whilst they are in a state of nature such as doth contradict carnal affections and against which the carnal mind hath a natural enmity and unto which all such and none but such have a liking and love as are â—egenerated by the Spirit of God whence it strongly follows that the Scriptures could not proceed from men but that this holy Book did proceed from the immediate inspiration of the holy Ghost in those holy men which were the Pen-men thereof 2. It will appear that the Scriptures are the word of God from the marvellous power and efficacy of them Such a power and spirit hath and doth accompany the preaching of the Gospel which in the Scriptures is contained as doth evidence them to be from God alone we read 1 Pet. 1. 12. of them which preached the Gospel with the holy Ghost sent down from Heaven This hath been this is unto this day 1. The wonderful power of the Gospel in the first preaching of it doth evince that it was from God when so great a part of the world was in so shoâ—â— a time subdued unto the obedience thereof wheâ— the Gospel prevailed not only amongst many 〈◊〉 the Jews after Christs ascension and the effusion of the holy Ghost more largely upon the Apostles so that three thousand people were converted to the faith by one Sermon of the Apostlâ— Peter Acts 2. 41. and five thousand moâ—e Act. 4 4. but especially in that it prevailed amongâ—â— the Gentiles and Heathens and so many Churches of Christ were planted and brought not bâ— carnal weapons but by Spiritual to the subjection and obedience of the Lord Jesus This power will appear to have been from God if we consider 1. How few men were employed in the firsâ— preaching thereof there were not many whicâ— we read of besides Paul and Sarâ—abas who preached unto the Gentiles at the first If there haâ— been multitudes of witnesses it might have given the more credit to the Doctrine when the testimony of a few is not easily believed and received 2. That these men were but of little esteem in the world that they were Jews whom the Gentiles had an antipathy against and so were not so ready to believe their report and entertain their message that their persons were contemptible in their eyes that they were like crucified persons to the world and therefore unlikely to finde acceptation 3. That whatever humane Learning and Wisdom any of them were endowed withall yet they did not make use of it in their preaching they did not come with excellency of speech and wisdom in declaring the testimony of God but used all plainness which was not likely in it self to produce such great effects 4. That the doctrine which they preached was 1. New to the world and tended directly to pull down the old religion and superstitious worship of the heathenish gods which they had been brought up in and wedded unto which could not be done by any humane power 2. Strange they preached such things as were above reason and therefore the world might have had much show and pretence of reason to have excused themselves from yielding obedience thereunto 3. Strict severe and contrary unto natural inclination and interest they taught the world to deny themselves to crucifie the flesh to mortifie the deeds of the body to take up the cross to mourn and weep for sin to endure hardship to forsake father and mother and wife and children and houses and lands if they stood in competition with Jesus Christ to venture imprisonments
Subjectively body 153 to 157 soul 158 to 160 2. Objectively 161 3. Formally 162 to 166 2. Of their entring into eternal life p. 167 chapter 11 2. Concerning the certainty of Christs appearance proved by 3. Arguments where concerning the Divine Authority of the Scriptures and the Resurrection c. from p. 168. to 206 chapter 12 3. Concerning the speediness and suddenness of Christs coming where is a Description of the Old Worlds drowning and Sodom's burning applied c. from p. 207. to 224 chapter 13 4. The Application 1. More generall from 225 to 229 2. More particularly 1. To sinners 1. To discover them from p. 230 to 234 2. To awaken them from p. 235 to 246 3. To exhort them from p. 247 to 263 chapter 14 2. To believers 1 For the trial of them from p. 264 to 269 2. For the comforting of them from p. 270 to 28◠chapter 15 3. To both sinners and believers to perswade them 1. To believe 2. To consider 3. To prepare where twelv◠Duties requisite in order 〈◊〉 preparation From 283. 〈◊〉 the end Christ's certain and sudden Appearance to Judgment Revel 22. 20. Surely I come quickly Amen Even so come Lord Iesus CHAP. I. THe last words of a Dear friend are usually most remarked and best remembred especially when they speak great affection these are the last words of Jesus Christ the best friend that the children of men ever had which he sends his Angel from Heaven after he had been some yeers in glory with the Father to speak in his Name unto his Churches upon the earth v. 16. I Iesus have sent mine Angel to testifie these things in the Churches and of all the things which he testifieth by his Angel this is the last and the sweetest in the Text Surely I come quickly Which words of Promise comming down from Heaven and expressing so much Love to the Church are followed with 〈◊〉 Eccho and resound of the Churches earnest desire Amen Even so come Lord Iesus c. Hence observe Doct. 1. That the Lord Iesus Christ will certainly and quickly appear Doct. 2. That there is an earnest desire and longing in the Church after Christs appearance D. 1. That the Lord Iesus Christ will certainly and quickly appear Here I shall speak 1. Concerning Christ's appearance 2. Show that he will certainly appear 3. Show that he will quickly appear 4. And lastly Apply 1. Concerning Christs appearance There is a twofold appearance of Christ which the Scripture makes mention of 1. In the Flesh. 2. In Glory CHAP. II. 1. THe first appearance of Christ was in the flesh above sixteen hundred years ago in the Land of Iudea unto the people of the Jews the only-then-visible-Church upon the Earth There it was that the Word was made Flesh and amongst that people he dwelt for a while some of whom beheld his Glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth There it was that the eternal Son of God was made man being conceived miraculously by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary without the contamination of original sin which all ordinary conceptions do introduce His real Mother and supposed Father were both of the Tribe of Iudah and of the lineage of David and he was born in the Town of Bethlem according to the Scripture predictions who after he had lived thirty years in obscurity was baptized by Iohn Baptist his Fore-runner and Harbinger in whose Baptism when Iohn saw the Heavens opened and the Spirit of God descending like a Dove and lighting upon him and heard the voice from the excellent Glory saying This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased He gave his testimony concerning him that he was the Son of God and the Lamb of God who taketh way the sins of the world Who after his own baptism and temptation and Iohns imprisonment made his appearance more openly unto Israel shewing forth his glory not in outward pomp and splendour but in a more high eminent and wonderful manner altogether Divine exceeding the imitation of any Earthly Monarch in the World He shewed forth the glory of his power in the Miracles which he did work namely in opening the eyes of the blind and ears of the deaf in loosning the tongue of the dumb and the bonds of other infirmities in cleansing the Lepers and healing other diseases with a word in casting out Devils after long profession in calming the Sea and Winds when boisterous and stormy in raising up the dead before and after burial for some daies and the like He shewed forth the glory of his Knowledge in looking into the hearts of those which came unto him being able to perceive their most secret thoughts and imaginations and needed not that any should restifie of man for he knew what was in man He shewed forth the glory of his Wisdom in his most wise answer to the ensnaring questions of the Pharisees and others in the most excellent and heavenly doctrine which he preached wherein he did not teach his Disciples subtile and empty speculations which the greatest wits in the world have busied themselves about but great soul-saving truths indeed he revealed some great and deep mysteries above the reach of the highest wit of the greatest Schollar without the teachings of his Spirit which were momentous and needful in order unto practice but the greatest part of his doctrine was plain and easie He shewed forth the glory of his Holiness in his exact walking and perfect obedience unto the Law of God without the least deviation or sin He shewed forth the glory of his Goodness and tenderness towards the children of men in going about to do them good and give succour to them which were in misery casting out none which came unto him Especially he shewed forth the glory of his Mercy and infinite Love to his own people in submitting to so low a condition as he liv'd in for their sakes in humbling himself and becomming obedient unto death even the cursed disgraceful painful death of the Cross besides the soul miseries which he endured through sense of Gods wrath due for their sins that he might satisfie Gods justice and deliver them from eternal death and wrath to come and purchase Life and Glory for them Thus Christ lived and thus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and being dead the bonds of death could not hold him neither did the holy one see corruption but the third day rose again from the dead according to the Scriptures and after his resurrection was seen of Mary Magdalen of Peter Iames all the Apostles of five hundred brethren at once according to the Scriptures After forty daies was taken up into Heaven and is there in his humane nature at the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the heavens making intercession for his people where he will abide untill the second appearance Thus concerning Christs appearance
reign in them though sometime it did rage and domineer that they had chosen God for their chief good above the whole world and the byas of their wills was towards him and that they had a sincere love to him though they fell short in the fervency which they desired to have that they did walke and keep on in heavens way if sometimes they wandred that they found their way again if some times they stumbled that they got up again and this book of the Gospel will give all true believers such acquittances as that they shall not come into condemnation Iohn 3. 16. Whosoever believeth in the Son shall not perish but have everlâ—sting life And Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit And the like But the unbelievers will get no benefit by this book they may finde great and sweet promises but not one promise in the whole Book of the Gospel belonging to them because they do not belong to Christ they lived and died in impenitency and unbelief and neglect of Christ and salvation and now they cannot finde one favourable word for them and therefore they will be sent back to be tried by the Book of the Law only the Gospel will double the condemnation of such as have not yielded up themselves unto its obedience 5. A Fifth Book which will be opened will be the Book of Life Where all the names of the Elect are enrolled which when they read how will they adore the riches of the free grace of God in choosing them before the foundation of the world was laid and all those whose names are not enrolled in this Book shall be condemned and cast into the lake of Fire Rev. 20. 12 15. 5. The fifth thing proposed and the chiefest is to speak more particularly of Christs judging both the righteous and the wicked at his second appearance And here I shall speak 1. of their particular judgment 2. Of the execution of their sentence pronounced in judgement 1. Concerning the judgment of the righteous and the wicked CHAP. V. THe judgment of the righteous will be first and therefore I shall first treat of it and here speak 1. Of the immediate antecedents to their judgment 2. Of the judgement it self 1. Concerning the immediate Antecedents to the judgment of the righteous 1. The first Antecedent to the righteous judgment will be their resurrection from the dead 1 Thes. 4. 16. The dead in Christ shall rise first when Christ descends from heaven the souls of the righteous shall descend with him 1 Thes. 4. 14. Them that sleep in Iesus will God bring with him The spirits of all the just men and women made perfect shall then come down and finde out their own bodies which have been sleeping in the bed of their graves and they shall enter again into their old habitations they went out of them it may be with fear and trembling with grief and sorrow being unwilling to leave them behind though they were so rotten and ruinous but O with what joy will they return and enter again when the building shall be repaired when their bodies shall be raised by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ and healed of all infirmities when they shall be made incorruptible and immortal see 1 Cor. 15. 52. In a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last Trump for the Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed And vers 54. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written Death is swallowed up in Victory then shall they triumph over death and the grave saying vers 55. O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy Victory The Lord Jesus will then make them victorious over this conquerour vers 57. Thanks be to God who hath given us the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. The parting of soul and body was never so sad unto any of the Saints at their death as the meeting will be sweet at their resurrection O how will the soul wonder at the sudden and strange metamorphosis of the body when the soul left the body vile to putrify and corrupt in the grave and shall finde it come forth more bright and glorious than gold after it hath been refined in a Furnace when the vile body shall be fashioned like unto Christs most glorious body Phil. 3. 21. O how will the soul delight in the beauty strength and immortality which then shal be put upon the body whereby it will be more suited to its nature and fitted for its operations and participation in its glory and how will the body delight in the wonderful glories and shining excellencies which the soul hath attained since its separation If the love between the soul and the body were so great when the body was so vile and the soul so sinful what will it be when both are glorified If the conjunction between the soul and body were so sweet vvhen the body vvas so frail and subject to death and the soul a spiritual and never-dying substance vvhat vvill it be vvhen the body shall be made immortal and in some sort spiritual O with what pleasure will the body awake out of its long sleep and arise and shake off its dust and put on its beautiful garments of immortality and glory with what delight and joy will it first open its eyes upon those beautiful and glorious objects which vvill quickly present themselves to its vievv Thus concerning the resurrection of the righteous bodies 2. The second Antecedent to the Iudgment of the righâ—eous will be their meeting with the Angels at their Graves mouth Matth. 24. 31. He shall send his Angels with the great sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather the Elect from the four winds from one end of Heaven to the other no sooner are they awakened and risen out of their Graves but they are entertained by Angels those holy and excellent creatures who have such a dear love to them and before have done many good offices for them though when before in the body they did not perceive it and were too low and unfit for their acquaintance but they will then know them and be able to discern the beauty of those lovely spirits who for so many years have been beholding the face of their Father in heaven which will have cast such a lustre upon them that will be matter of their admiration and these shall be part of their acquaintance and companions in glory instead of Devils those Angels of darkness which used to assault buffet and molest them when in the body before they shall now have Angels of light with them and about them to joyn together in the Love and praise of the great Jehovah The Angels will be sent to call them and gather