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
yea to lay down their life for Christ as many of necessity must and did do that would be Christians indeed in those daies and when the Doctrine of the Gospel was such surely it was not likely of it self to receive entertainment unless the power of God had accompanied it 5. The power of the Gospel in the first preaching appears in that it met with so much opposition the Devil stirred up instruments against it the powers of the Earth were against it as well as the powers of Hell great men did oppose it Philosophers were against it Learned men did oppose it the Iews were against it and raised up persecution against the Apostles and the hearts of all men naturally were against it and when there was such an opposition against it surely it was none but the power of God which could cause it to prevaile and conquer and cause so many Nations to bow and yield obedience hereunto 2. The wonderful power and efficacy of the word where it is preached unto this day is a strong argument that it is the Word of God 1. The power of the Word to search the heart and convince of sin Heb. 4. 12. The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart there is a light in the Word which discovereth the dark filthy corners of the heart and convinceth of secret sins and there is a sharp edge in the word to cut and wound no word in the world searcheth and pierceth like the word in the Scriptures 2. And especially the power of the Word doth appear in the work of conversion and regeneration which it effecteth it is called the incorruptible seed by which men are born again 1 Pet. 1. 23. Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth Iam. 1. 18. there is a great power goeth along with it â—o break rockie hearts to bow stubborn wils to spiritualize carnal affections to subdue strong lusts to work a gracious and thorow change in the heart of man which exceedeth the power of nature or moral suasion and in so much as all are not wrought upon by it which read or hear it yea sometimes the more disposed subject receiveth no impression thereby and the less disposed subject is effectually changed which shows that the â—ower doth proceed from God and that the work is effected by his Spirit and proves the diâ—ine Authority of this Word 3. The Word is powerful not only for the first working of grace but also for the encrease thereof for the building up believers Act. 20. 32. for the perfecting of the Saints and the edifying the body of Christ there is Milk in the Word for babes and strong meat for strong men wholsome words which have much spiritual nourishing vertue in them the Word is powerful for the â—uenching Sathans fiery darts for the repelling and driving back the tempter for the comforting and rejoycing of distressed and disconsolate souls â—hen they are brought even to the brink of deâ—air there are no such joyes in the world as â—â—ose joyes which Christians sometimes finde in â—eading and applying the Word when they mingâ—e it with faith and have the breathings of the Spirit therewith and there is no book in the world that can produce such powerful effects aâ— the Scriptures do wherefore it must needs follow that these Scriptures are indeed the Word oâ— God 3. The Scriptures appear to be the Word of God from the Historical relation in them of Prophecies fulâ—filled of miracles whereby they were confirmed aâ—â— the rationally unquestionable certainty of this History as it is handed down to pâ—sterity 1. In the Scriptures we have relation of Prâ—â—phecies and the fulfilling of them which doâ—â— prove these writings to be from God alone because he alone can certainly foretell futuâ—â— things indeed wise men may guess and througâ— prudence foresee the effects of some thingâ— in their causes and foretell some things thâ— are not very far off yet not certainly and wiâ—â— all their circumstances But it is Gods prerogâ—â—tive to foresee and foretell such things certainlâ— and with their circumstances and long before 〈◊〉 time for which no cause in nature can be aâ—signed sucâ— as many of the Prophesies of 〈◊〉 Scriptures were By this argument God doth 〈◊〉 the Prophet Isaiah prove the Heathenish gods 〈◊〉 be no gods because they could not foretell fuâ—ture events Isa. 41. 21 22 23. Produce your cauâ—â— saith the Lord bring forth your strong reasons 〈◊〉 them shew us what shall happen and declare to 〈◊〉 things to come shew the things which are to 〈◊〉 hereafter that we may know that ye are Gods 〈◊〉 v. 26. There is none that sheweth there is none thâ—â— declareth c. Therefore he concludeth v. 29 Behold they are all vanity their works are nothing their molten Images are winde and confusion 〈◊〉 The Prophesies of Scripture as they prove the Lord who spake them by the Prophets to be God so they prove the Scriptures in which they are spoken to be of Divine authority It would take up too much room in this small Treatise to enumerate all the Prophesies of Scripture take two or three instances See Gen. 15. 13 14. God foreâ—elling to Abraham that his seed should be strangers in a Land which was not theirs and serve them and be afflicted by them four hundred years and that afterward they should come forth with great substance This Prophesie is fulfilled Exod. 12. So also the return of the children of Israel â—rom the Babylonish captivity after seventy years was foretold Ier. 25. 12. and the name of Cyrus who should deliver them before he was born â—sa 45. 1 2. So also the name of Iosiah who â—hould destroy the Altar which Ieroboam had reaâ—ed and burn the bones of the Priests upon it was foretold three hundred thirty and three years before he was born the Prophesie is in 1 King â—3 2. the fulfilling of it 2 King 23. 17. But â—specially the Prophesies in the Scripture concerâ—ing the Messiah are remarkable of his birth lâ—fe death and the fulfilling of them in the History of the Evangelists the Prophesie of the destruction of the Temple and Ierusalem by Daâ—iel and especially by our Saviour and the â—ulfilling thereof before that generation wherein our Saviour lived were all in their graves 2. In the Scripture we have relation of Miâ—â—cles whereby they were confirmed such as the â—lague of Egypt the dividing of the Sea for the â—â—raelites to pass â—horow the raining of Manna from Heaven the standing still and going back of the Sun the preservation of the three Children in the fiery Furnace and the like in the old Testament especially the Miracles wrought by our Saviour and his Disciples which the new Testament do record such as healing the sick the lame blinde deaf leprous by a word the feedinâ— many
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
the eternity of Hel wil be the Hel of Hel. When our Saviour endured equivalent punishment to this of Hel for his people it had not this circumstance of eternity in it there not being that need because of the excellency of his person so that though the pains of Hel gat hold on him yet they could not keep him in hold but he brake thorow them and triumphed over them and could say in the conclusion It is finished but the damned wil not be able to break thorow their punishment they wil be compassed about with them and hedged in and shut down and never be able to lift up the head never shall they say of this punishment It is finished for their pains wil alwaies be as it were beginning when they have spent the time of as many years in Hel as there are Stars in the Firmament Sands on the Sea shore and Moats in the Sun their torment wil be as it were beginning and no nearer a conclusion than the first day they were cast into that place Who can express this eternity when we lanch forth our thoughts in the consideration thereof we lose them quickly it being such a deep which cannot be fathomed such a vast Ocean which cannot be measured yet a little to extend your thoughts in the consideration of the Eternity of the wickeds punishment I shall by one or two suppositions illustrate something of the vastness hereof Suppose that this globe of Earth on which we tread were hollow and that it were filled with great folio Books as full as it could hold and moreover there were Books heaped up upon it to fill the whole circumference of the aire round about it yea that the whole space of place to the uttermost verge of the Empyrean Heavens were filled with Books and all this vast number of Books were filled with figures in the highest degree of multiplication O what a number of Books would there be in the whole space of place what a number of figures in these Books and what a vast number would there be deciphered by these figures A bit of paper half as broad as an half penny will hold the figure of the number of as many years as have been since the creation of the World what then would a whole leaf of a great folio hold what would a whole folio hold what then would a room full of folios hold but what would the whole World full of folios hold now if at the end of time when the wicked go to Hell God should fill the whole space of the World with folios full of figures of numbers and tell the wicked that every thousand year one of these numbers should be substracted and promise them when all the numbers were substracted our of all these Books they should have a release out of their torments they would have a small spark of hope that after the substraction of so many millions millions millions of innumerable numbers in the revolution of so many millions millions millions of innumerable years yet at last there would be an end there would be time then set and a wearing towards an end yet if we could cast our thoughts so far in a supposition that all this number of years wherein all this number of figures were substracted by one in a thousand years were past and gone yea wherin they were all substracted as many thousand times as the number of the figures in all those Books would amount unto yet even then the punishment of the damned would be as far from ending as at the very first beginning of them Yea suppose further that there were as many Worlds as the number in the Books before supposed would arise unto and these Worlds should continue as many years as by this account there would be Worlds and all these Worlds were filled with Angels and Men and all these Angels and Men should be employed in nothing else from the beginning of these Worlds unto the end of them but in conceiving numbers of years unto the uttermost conception which they could have of numbers what a-to-us-inconceivable number of years would there be conceived by so many Angels and Men in so many years in so many Worlds yet if all that vast number of years were joyned to the end of the time wherein all the numbers in the figures of so many before-mentioned Books were substracted by one in a thousand years and these multiplied as many thousand times as numbers were conceived such a vast number of years would reach a great way but they would not be so much as a haires breadth in the measure of eternity and if we should suppose the space of all these years too to be spent by the damned in torments even then their torments would be as far from a conclusion as they were upon their first entrance into Hell O Eternity Eternity Eternity how vast is Eternity how infinite and immeasurable how horrible will the thoughts of Eternity be unto the damned to be punished so extreamly and that without any intermission or hopes of a conclusion to fall into such a horrible Pit and fiery Lake and there burn for ever without any possibility of ever getting forth O dreadful O blinde World O sottish sinners that take no more care now to avoid and get deliverance from such a punishment as this which they are exposed unto and will be the certain consequent of sin without repentance Thus concerning the punishment which the wicked shall go into 2. Concerning their entrance into this punishment when the whole crew of wicked and ungodly persons together with the whole Flock of Devils are departed from the presence of Christ and the glorious Saints and Heaven is now upon their backs and Hell before their face and they are now come to the very mouth of the bottomless Pit unto the Doors and great Gates of Hell and now they are opened before them and unto them and for them and they see the black smoke ascending up from thence and smell a horrible stink from the sulphurions Fire which they must be thrown into and when they behold the horrible slakes of Fire flashing forth from the Furnace of Hell ten thousand times more dreadfully than those which were seen to arise from London on the Munday night and now begin to feel the heat and see others tumbling in before them and they following of them and when they begin first to put their hands and their feet into the Fire and now they are in and covered with flames and begin to boile and fry and when they perceive the Gates of Hell to be shut upon them and great Stones rowled before them which can never be removed and great Bars put upon them which can never be broken and they are out of all hopes of ever breaking Prison and getting forth O how will they shreek and roar and cry out in the anguish of their souls and torture of their bodies Woe woe le unto its miserable sinners and
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
infinitely perfect is his essential property That God doth know whether Christ shall appear to Judgment I suppose none will deny who acknowledge the Deity and by consequence his omniscience and prescience especially when the futurity of things doth depend upon his predetermination and that his revelations of future things are true I suppose none wil deny who acknowledge his beeing and perfection whence follows an impossibility of Gods speaking untruths and falshood besides that he need not do it But then the question wil be concerning the Divine Authority of the Scriptures whether they are indeed the Word of God which if proved wil evidence the certainty of Christ's coming to Judgment which is there revealed and foretold That the Scriptures are the Word of God will appear 1. From the Superscription and Image of God upon them 2. From the marvellous power and efficacy of them 3. From the Historical Relation in them of Prophesies fulfilled and Miracles whereby they were confirmed and the rationally unquestionable certainty of this History as it is handed down to pâ—sterity 1. From the superscription and Image of God upon them I mean in that 1 They bear the name of the Word of God 2 In that they bear such evident marks and characters of Divinity 1. The Scriptures bear the name of the Word of God 2 Tim. 3. 16. All Scripture is given by divine inspiration We cannot rationally imagine that the all-seeing and jealous God should permit such an impious forgery and deceit to receive credit for so many generations amongst the most zealous worshipers of him in the World and by such wonderful providences preserve and maintain the Scriptures against the rage and fury of an ungodly World who have opposed the truths therein contained and endeavoured the suppressing of the Light which therein hath shined if so be that they had been a forgery and deceit indeed and the fancies and inventions of Men fathered upon him as his Word and will and proceeding from the inspirations of his spirit but that he would have made known their falshood unto some at least who had the greatest love and respect to his name and honour and have been the most diligent enquirers after truth and unwilling to be imposed upon with deceits especially in such things as are of the highest concernment which the Lord having given no testimony against but all along owned and when none in the World either worshippers of him or others of highest pretensions to reason have any evident and swaying reason to believe that the Scriptures are a deceit whatever some black mouths mutter in corners it is not irrational for us to believe that the Scriptures are indeed the Word of God which they bear the Title of 2. Moreover and especially the Scriptures appear to be from divine inspiration insomuch as they bear such evident marks and characters of divinity beyond all other Books 1. The first character of Divinity in the Scriptures is the clear discoveries and high praises which they give of God and the chief design of the whole Book which is Gods glory No Heathen Philosopher or Writer could think or speak so highly of God as the Scriptures do speak However God hath put characters of himself in the Book of the Creatures to be read of all making known by his Works his eternal Beeing his infinite Power Wisdome and Goodness yet most of the wisest Men who have lived in the Heathen World and have been the greatest Students of the Book of the Creatures and have had no view of the Book of the Scriptures have been so gross in their conceptions of God that as the Apostle saith Rom. 1. 22 23. When they professed themselves to be wise they became fools and changed the Glory of the incorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible Man and to Birds and four-footed Beasts and creeping things They have figured to themselves and worshipped many Gods unto the dishonour of the true God And if some of them have arrived by the light of nature unto the notion of one God yet their conceptions of him have been low mean and unworthy of him and in no Book in the World is God set forth so fully and highly in his glorious attributes and superlative excellencies as he hath set forth himself in the Book of the Scriptures We may finde in heathen Writers high Elogium's and Panegyricks of some men and Women famous in their time for their valour and some moral vertues whom they have deified in after ages and given room amongst their feigned Gods and Goddesses dedicating Temples and giving worship unto them but in no Heathen writings shall we finde the praises of the true God and rules given for the service and worship of him alone as we shall finde in the Scriptures Large Volumes some Heathens have left behinde them the design of which hath been their own glory and as much as in them lay the eternizing their Fame which is an evidence that themselves were Authors of them because we cannot rationally think that any motive should induce others to make and put forth Books in their names that they might obtain glory for them unto whom it did not belong so this little volume of the Scriptures designing the glory of God and the promoting of his Interest in the hearts of Men and the Pen-men employed in the writing thereof not in the least pretending that what they wrote was the invention of their own brain doth evidence God himself to be the Author of this Book Wherefore the Scriptures being so clear in their discoveries of the one true God and setting him forth more gloriously than any other Book and ascribing all praise and honour to him and appointing all religious worship to be given to him only and designing his glory throughout the whole doth evince that the Scriptures are indeed the Word of God 2. The second Character of Divinity in the Scripture is the sublime mysteries therein revealed namely concerning the Trinity of Persons in one nature and essence of God the hypostatical union of the two natures of God and Man in one person of Christ the mystical union of Christ and his members and the like which mysteries are so sublime so high that no mortal Man of the highest reason and most elevated understanding could possibly invent in as much as noâ— they are revealed they exceed the capacity of the most enlightned to understand especially if we further consider by whom these mysteries were revealed not by the great Schollars and subtle Philosophers of the World not by them who were brought up in Schools and had conversed with Books and learned Men not by Men of high parts who had polished their reason and heightned their understandings by all possible humane helps but the most of the Pen-men of the Scripture especially those by whom the greatest mysteries are revealed were Fisher-men Publicans and the like Men of mean education illiterate Men Men of no reading and of but mean
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