not depart away from him c. A promise to Solomon I will be his father and he shall be my son but if he commit iniquity I will chasten him with rods And the Psalmist when he quotes this expression referres it to all the godly Psal 89. 31 32. If they break my Statutes and keep not my commandements then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes It was not onely true of Solomon but it is spoken of all the Church If they commit iniquity I will chastise them with rods See here a Solomon may be chastned with rods if he commits iniquity nay not only one man but all the Church 3. 2. You onely have I known of all the families of the earth therfore I will punish you for all your iniquities If God be severe it is with his own people to make them smart for sin he may spare wicked men and not punish them here because he hath his hell for them hereafter but this shall be all the hell of a godly man and all their punishment I but this is Old Testament and thus the Antinomians take off and evade this Scripture but doth God so in the New Testament Yes in the New Testament Rom. 8. 20 And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin He speaks of the beleeving Romans that death on their bodies was because of sin And then the Apostle speaks to the godly Corinthians 1 Cor. 11. 29 30. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation or judgement to himselfe not discerning the Lords body For this cause many are weak and sickly amongst you and many sleep Many godly men were sick and weak for their prophaning the Lords Supper and this is under the New Testament that the Apostle saith as approving the righteous judgement of God let not us commit fornication as some of them commited 1 Cor. 10. Let not us fall as they fell and many of them it is probable among the 23 thousand were good men The Apostle approves of Gods Judgement to bee righteous in that Act. Only one objection against this Doth not the Scripture say in Isa 53. That the chastisement of our peace was laid on Christ now if all those chastisments that were due to us for sin were laid on Christ doth not this derogate from Christs sufferings that hee must suffer too doth not this intimate that Christs sufferings were not satisfactory The Answer is easie That when we say we suffer for sin and are punished for sin understand it thus there is a great deal of difference between our suffering for sin and Christs suffering for sin we doe not suffer for sin as Christ did because our punishments for sin are not by way of satisfaction to Divine Justice but onely by way of castigation from Divine Justice when God doth punish a pardoned man with some outward Judgement for sin it is no satisfaction no compensation when the text saith that our chastisements are laid upon Christ the meaning is Christ suffers for sin by way of satisfaction he appealeth Gods wrath he satisfies Gods Justice for the sins that we have done should we lose our bloud for a sin should we give the fruit of our body for the sins of our soule yet this cannot make a compensation for sin therefore it may well consist that God punished Christ for our sins by way of satisfaction to his Justice and may punish us by way of castigation as a father his children Now to ratifie and satisfie your thoughts the more in this that though God doth pardon a sin yet hee will punish for a sin take some reasons for it First Because wicked men that are punished for sin would accuse God of partiality and injustice should he punish them and not his own people for the same sin wicked men would account God partiall but the wicked shall say I see Gods own people are punished in this life more severely then I am the Lord doth it to vindicate the impartiality of his Justice that he will not spare sin where ever finds it A second Reason is Because God doth command Magistrates to execute punishments in this life for sin even upon good men therefore if he commands a Magistrate to punish a good man for his sin surely he doth approve of their punishment Suppose a good man should commit adultery he was to dye for it suppose he should commit murder he was to dye for it if God did command that pâ—â—nall punishment should be inflicted on good men in this life then surely he might doe it much more himself Case 3 The third Case of Conscience is this Whether doth pardon of sin go before faith and repentance or else follow after I doe not speak now of the priority of nature but of the priority of time This is a usefull question There are many Books in Print made by severall Antinomians that plead for this and they say that repentance is not a condition to qualifie the subject to obtain forgivenesse but onely a signe to manifest that sin is forgiven and that a man is pardoned from all eternity that before a man beleeves and repents he is pardoned which is a falshood for to a beleever the Apostle doth confine pardon Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set forth to bee a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God For sins that are past those sins you have committed and have repented of he gives you pardon for all them He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall fiade mercy and he that doth not so shall not find mercy He that hideth his sin shall not prosper I answer to this query that God doth pardon sin after a man repents and beleeves not before and to give you a proofe for this First I shall give you the grounds from the Scripture then absurdities that would follow if this were not so First from the Scripture Observe that the Scripture doth limit and confine pardon to a repenting state Act. 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sin may be blotted out No blotting out of sin without repentance Repent that your sin may be blotted out Act. 26. 18. To open their eyes and to turn them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgivenesse of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in me So that till thou beest turned from darknesse to light untill thou beest turned from Satan to God thou hast not received forgivenesse of sins mark the antecedent word hee opens their eyes c. therefore God expresly doth tye forgivenesse of sin to repentance and so in Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse There is first a confession this is
in forgiving of sin I now come to the Use which is for triall to put you on a diligent enquiry how you may know whether God hath brought you into a pardoned estate and hath forgiven the iniquity of your sin how may 〈◊〉 known whether God hath forgiven you your iniquities There are ten wayes to discover this I shall divide them into this order there are six Concomitants that doe attend a person in a pardoned estate and four charactors laid downe in Scripture of a man whose sin is forgiven him First the Concomitants or those things in the Scripture which doe attend or accompany a person whose sin is forgiven First In Scripture wee find that remission of sin is accompanied with renovation of the heart if sin be remitted the heart is renewed they are both joined together Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it Interpreters doe give this sense of that promise you read of two things a white Stone and a new name written in that stone the white stone it is an expression borrowed from the practice of the Gentiles who in their Judicature did use a white stone If a malefactour was condemned and had the sentence of death past upon him there was given him a black stone in token of condemnation but if a man had a white stone given him it was a token of absolution or pardon Hence the Heathens named these stones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acquitting or condemning stones And so the Poet In antient times with stones they did In judgement seat proceed By black the guilty were condemn'd The just by white were freed In allusion to this Christ doth here promise pardon of sin which is meant by the stone but what must be written on this white stone there must be written on this white stone a new Name that is a renovation the renewing of the heart so that if so be the nature of a man be not renewed the sin of a man is not pardoned therefore â—oe not boast of having your white stone if there beâ— blanck on that stone if there be nothing written on that stone if holinesse be not written on that stone pardon of sin hath renewing of nature to attend it A second Concomitant is this Remission and forgivenesse of sin is accompanied with endearednesse of love to Jesus Christ this is laid down in Luk. 7. 47. Wherefore I say unto thee her sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much It is a Concomitant that did attend her pardon much was forgiven her therefore she loved much For not a cause but consequence of pardon Thirdly forgivenesse of sin is accompanied in Scripture with a cordiall confession of sin unto God I acknowledged my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin 1 Job 1. 9. If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and Just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse Fourthly forgivenesse of sin is accompanied in Scripture with a cordiall forgiving other men all the personall wrongs and injuries that they have done you Mat. 18. 35. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do unto you if ye from your heart forgive not every one his brother their trespasses It is in the Lords prayer annexed forgive us our trespasses Mat. 6. So that forgiving of other men is in Scripture as an Attendant or Concomitant of Gods forgiving us Put on as the Elect of God saith the Apostle bowels of mercy forbearing and forgiving one another A fifth Concomitant that attends forgivenesse of sin is repentance from dead works repentance for sin is a Concomitant that is ever joyned with the forgivenesse of sin Act 5. 31. Him hath God exalted with his Right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins There they are linckt together to give repentance remission of sin It is a Question among the Schoolemen Whether God by his absolute power can forgive a man his sin if a man doth not repent him of sin There are few of them that do incline to the affirmative because God hath expresly tied himself in the Word that pardon must have repentance for sin Wee are commanded to repent that wee may have pardon Sixtly Forgivenesse of sin is accompanied with holy endeavours for the mortification of sin he that hath the guilt of sin pardoned labours to have the power of sin destroyed therefore in Scripture pardoning mercy and subduing grace they are both joyned together Mic. 7. 19. He wiâ— turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea there is subduing grace as well as pardoning mercy Beloved if God pardon sin there are reall endeavours in a soul to have the power of sin taken away Indeed many men in the world do lay claim to pardon who never have endeavours and holy pursuits after mortification many have counterfeit mortification who playwith their sins like Fencers which it may be given them a touch a slight blow but do not fight like warriers either to kill or to be kill'd but godly men do not play with their sins but doe with their lusts as a warrier they doe conflict with lusts on these terms that either wee must kill them or they will kill us Many counterfeit Christians who do lay claim to reall pardon have but counterfeit mortifications I may fitly resemble such men as these to the Persians who had one Festival annually where in they used this custome that they laboured to finde out all their venomous creatures as Snakes Serpents and the like and one day in the year they would kill all which they found but afterwards they let them encrease Many men in some solemn performances to God will make great adoe of killing their lusts but afterwards they let them encrease and live again And thus much for the six-Concomitants that do attend a person in a pardoned state The next is the Characters to be given of a pardoned man of a man whose sin is forgiven I will name but four Characters of a pardoned sinner Char. 1 First this He who is brought into a pardoned estate doth greatly admire God and abase himself this is laid down in the 7. of Micah the Prophet brings in the Churches crying out in the extolling of God Who is a God like unto thee pardoning iniquity transgression sin a pardoned man admires God because his grace is free his bounty is great and a pardoned man abaseth himself because he seeth sin exceeding sinfull see Ezra 9. 6. Char. 2 Secondly A pardoned man doth maintain a holy dread in his heart from committing that sin that he knoweth to be pardoned a pardoned sinner knoweth this that
connexion with forgivenesse of sin I confest and thou forgavest For answer in the generall it is not every kind of confession that carries a connexion of pardon Saul confest his sin but God did not take away his sin but tooke away his Kingdom It is not every kind of confession that hath a connexion with forgivenesse of sin but that confession which hath connexion with pardon of sin it hath six concomitants joyned with it First it is a free and ingenuous confession not extorted by force not with sinfull reserves but a free a full and ingenuous confession that is the meaning of that Phrase Psal 32. 21. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose spirit is no guile Guile is not there taken largely in opposition to Hypocrisie but for a sinfull reserve of sin when a man will not be free and open in confessing his sin unto God David would freely and fully open himselfe and confesse his evils unto God that confession that is a free and ingenuous confession it hath pardon of sin annexed to it the confessions of them that rowle sin under the tongue as a sweet morsell that they would not part with have not justification entailed on them those confessions onely are connected with forgiveness that are ingenuous and free Secondly that confession which hath pardon annexed to it is a penitential confession a confession that hath sorrow of heart mixt with it Ps 38. 18. For I will declare mine iniquity I will be sorry for my sin True confession of sin is rather a voice of mourning then a voice of words it hath ever a sorrow and grief of heart joined with it That prescription that God gave to the Leper in the Law that he should be cleansed from his leprosiâ— and in Levit. 13. 45. And the Leper in whom the plague is his clothes shall be rent and his head bare and hee shall put a covering upon his upper lip and shall cry unclean unclean is worth your notice he was to cry twice I am unclean Lam unclean there was this confession but what was joined with his confession before hee could be cleansed Two things he must do First he must rent his clothes to note that there must be brokennesse of heart and sorrow of heart joyned with confession of sin Secondly he must cover his lip to note shame that must be mingled with his sorrow to shew that to us that have an unclean leprosie of sin in us the crying I am unclean unclean is not enough but there must be the renting of the heart and shame of face these must be mingled with those confessions that have a connexion with forgivenesse Third Concomitant of confession that hath pardon annexed to it is this That there must be a voluntary and a free leaving of those sins which we doe confesse To confess sin yet to have a lothnesse in the spirit to part with it is no reall confessing of sin Prov. 28. 13. He that covereth his sin shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy Confession is there joyned to be with a forsaking of sin in case mercy be to be obtained One â—cals confession a spirituall vomit you know a man that is burdened in the stomack would be willingly rid of that load on his stomach that doth oppresse nature a man that doth confess sin truly would as willing be rid of sin on his Conscience as a man that is sick at his Stomach would be rid of that burden which doth oppresse it such a confession hath pardon annexed with it Fourthly that confession that hath pardon annexed to it is joyned with a holy aw and fear of running into the commission of those sins that we do confesse to God Psal 38. 18. compared with Psal 39. 1. For I will declare mine iniquity I will be sorry for my sin I said I will take heed to my wayes that I sin not with my tongue Davids confessing sin did worke in him a holy awe and a holy care to take heed of those sins he had confest to confesse sin and to be bold and adventurous to run into sin hath not such a connexion with pardon Fifthly That confession that hath pardon annexed to it doth quicken the soul to strong earnest supplication to prayer David confest sin his confession quickened Prayer Daniel confest sin and confession quickened supplication Daniel 9. 20. And while I was speaking and praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel c. Beloved when confessions of sin are to prayer as the whet-stone to the knife when you sharpen your affections and put a keen edge on your hearts in prayer this is an evident token that such confession hath a connexion with forgivenesse of sin So much for the second particular Part. 3 The third particular is to shew you how doth this connexion between confession of sin and forgivenesse of sin consist with the feernesse of Gods grace in pardoning of sin in placing a connexion between pardon and confession How doth this consist with the freenesse of of Gods grace in pardoning of sin For answer Ans 1 First if we should place a causality or a merit in confession of sin to procure pardon as the Papists doe this would overthrow the free Grace of God in forgiving sin though wee do place a connexion between confessing sin and pardon of sin yet wee do not place any merit in those confessions we do not place any worth any causality in those confessions that is my first answer Ans 2 Secondly The Scripture makes a fair consistency between mans confessing sin and Gods free Grace in forgiving sin the Scripture makes a double consistency First in regard of the Precept that doth enjoyn and command confession 2. In regard of the means that this is a way to procure pardon First In regard of the command God doth command us to confesse sin Now no command of God that he would have us doe can derogate from his free grace therefore surely this command can no way eclipse the freenesse of grace in what he will doe Secondly In regard of means as a way to get pardon God is the efficient cause and Christ is the meritorious cause of pardon but yet confession of sin is that cause which Logicians call causa sine quâ non without which pardon of sin shall never be obtained I confest and thou forgavest Answ 3 A third answer Though no man can be pardoned for his confession yet no man shall have pardon without confession Repent that your sins may be blotted out Act. 3. 19. No blotting out of sin without repentance there must be a sorrow bewailing of sin before it can be pardoned and that Christ was broken for sin it will no ways exempt you from being broken for sin though Christ was a man of sorrow all in a way of satisfaction yet you must shed teares for sin in a way of
coming to judge the world Titus 1. 13. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Peter 3. 12. Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall bee dissolved and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat 2 Tim 4. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for mee a Crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to mee onely but unto them all that love his appearing A crowne is laid up for mee and not for mee onely but for all them that love his appearing This shews that surely it must bee a Doctrine of great comfort to the elect of God because they so long and look for and love the coming of Jesus Christ Secondly it is a Doctrine of great comfort because Jesus Christ hath reserved the full glorification of the Elect for that time though Christ brings soules to heaven before his coming yet hee doth not compleatly glorifie any of his servants till his coming againe to Judge the world 1 Iohn 3. 2. Beloved now are wee the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what wee shall bee but Wee know that when hee shall appeare wee shall bee like him for we shall see him as hee is and in Colos 3. 4. When Christ who is our Life shall appeare then shall yee also appeare with him in glory God hath reserved the full glorification of the Elect against the time of his coming 1 Peter 5. 4. And when the chiefe Shepherd shall appear yee shall receive a Crown of Glory that fades not away Frequent Texts of Scripture there are to prove that the reserve that Christ hath of the full glorifying of the Elect it is at the time of his coming to judge the world The third particular is but wherein is the Doctrine of Christs coming again so comfortable to Beleevers there are these foure particulars more especially wherein the Doctrine of Christs coming againe to judge the world is a Doctrine full of comfort to Beleevers First in case of any scandalous aspersion or any unjust imputation which is laid upon them it may serve for great comfort to thee in this case The Apostle gives it you 1 Cor. 4. 3 4 But with with mee it is a very small thing that I should bee judged of you or of mans judgements yea I judge not my owne selfe For I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not hereby justified but hee that judgeth mee is the Lord. Censure me what you will and judge of mee what you please for hee that judgeth mee shall be the Lord therefore it is a small matter that I am judged of you Suppose thou art judged thou art scandalized and thou art aspersed in the world appeale to Jesus Christ in Heaven for hee that judgeth thee is the Lord and this wee finde Christ did 1 Peter 2. 23. who when hee was reviled reviled not againe when hee suffered he threatned not but committed himselfe to him that judgeth righteously When thou art reviled and aspersed and censured doe not revile again doe not censure again but doe as Christ did commit thy cause to Christ that judgeth all things righteously Christ will come to over-judge all things that have been judged amisse Jude 5. To execute Judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly amongst them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Men have hard speeches against many who are upright in the Land it is a comfort then that of Christs coming again one end is to convince men of all their hard speeches and scandalous aspersions Secondly Christs coming again is a Doctrine of comfort in case of all persecution thou undergoest from men for Christ for the Gospell 1 Thess 1. 6 7. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you And to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Iesus shall bee revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels As if hee should have said you are troubled and persecuted about the Gospel for Christs sake why bee not troubled for Christ is coming from Heaven 1 Peter 4. 13. But rejoyce in asmuch as yee are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his Glory shall bee revealed yee may bee glad also with exceeding joy when Christ comes to be revealed and to judge the world you shall be glad also with exceeding joy that is a second case wherein this Doctrine may bee of comfort Thirdly this Doctrine may serve for comfort in case of any inward accusation of conscience from the apprehension of thine own guiltinesse it may bee thou judgest thy self that thou art a damned undone Creature remember that there is a Judgement to passe on thee besides thy own mistake and misapprehension Christs coming to Judgement should bee a comfort to thee against thine own inward accusation because hee that is thy Jesus is thy Judge hee is thy Advocate to plead thy cause and thy Judge to judge thy cause Suppose thy conscience doth accuse thee and thou judgest thy selfe to Hell yet comfort thy self with this that thy Jesus will afterwards come to judge thee Fourthly Christs coming againe to judge the would it is a Doctrine of comfort in case of oppression in Courts of Judicature What though Might overcometh Right and the usurping hand useth waies of oppression and violence towards you it matters not For Christs coming to judgement shall bee of great comfort to you Ierome saith that Christ shall come to judge things that are not judged in the world and Christ shall come to judge things that are judged amisse in the world Christ shall judge all oppressions and violence which is done by an usurping hand here is matter of comfort that Christ cometh to judge them all over againe an excellent passage which Solomon hath Eccle. 3. 16 17. And moreover I saw under the Sun the place of judgement that wickednesse was there and the place of righteousnesse that iniquity was there I said in my heart God shall judge the righteous and the wicked for there is a time there for every purpose for every work That is I saw into Courts of Judicature and I saw wickednesse was there and I looked into the place of righteousnesse and behold iniquity was there then I said in my heart surely God shall judge both the righteous and the wicked if there were no argument in all the Scripture to prove Christs coming again this argument it will evince that Christ shall come to judge the world there must bee a judging over againe there shal bee a generall Judgement because there is so much perverting of judgement here below and thus you have wherein or in what cases the Doctrine of Christs coming may serve for comfort Fourthly To whom will Christs coming bee a comfort
your determinations about the time of Christs coming nor about the place where for neither is revealed in Scripture Christ did deny his Disciples when they asked him where hee should come Luk. 17. 37. And they answered and said where Lord And hee said unto them where the body is thither will the Eagles bee gathered together Christ told them of the destruction of Jerusalem and of the end of the Woâ—ld then said the Disciples but where Lord wilt thou come Christ onely gives them this answer that where the carcasse is thither will the Eagles flee that is where Christ is all the Elect shall bee gathered as Birds of prey flock together after a carcasset o feed upon so that Christ would neither tell the place where nor the time when and this should bee a check and a controle to mens curious pryings about that which the Scripture is silent in Lastly take heed of bold and adventurous conjectures about the manner of Christs coming to judge the World by vaine and carnall corruptions of a temporall Kingdome of Christ Many are very peremptory about it and there bee strange Books at least in their own expressions that they can descry the very maner of his coming that Christ shall come from heaven and dwell a thousand yeares upon the Earth and the Dead shall rise and live in the World but these are such things which the Scripture doth never take notice of I am to handle on this promise of Christ but I will come again A perplexed Quere which is this whether Christ Jesus in promising to his Disciples to come again did meane to come to Reigne upon the Earth here a thousand years or whether it bee to bee meant of Christs last coming to judge the world this Scripture and others are made use of and brought to prove that Christ shall come from heaven in person and live upon the Earth for a whole thousand years they fancy that Jesus Christ when hee shall come to this personall Reigne then hee shall raise all the Martyrs that have lost their Lives in his cause and the Divell shall bee bound up that hee shall tempt Men to sinne no more and wicked Men shall be ty'd up that they shall not persecute the Church of God this is an Antient Opinion and almost since the Apostles dayes Before I shall come to give you my thoughts from the words touching Christs coming as they pretend to Reigne a thousand years upon the Earth I shall shew you the rise of this Opinion First from Eusebius and others they give us the rise of this Opinion from Cerinthus which had it who lived in the time of John This Cerinthus who was a pestiâ—ent Heretick in those times who held that Christ was borne by the conjunction of a man and a woman Christum ex congressu maritali genitum esse and not born by a Virgin and was borne as others are and so must be a sinner Hee was the Man that was the first author from whom this Opinion had any life or being Eusebius saith Papias Bishop of Hieropolis did also hold this Opinion but not in so grosse a way as Cerinthus did but rather spiritually and there was some spice of this in the Apostles for they did dream of a temporal Kingdome therfore they askt Christ when hee was going to Heaven Lord when wilt thou restore the Kingdome unto Israel there was in the time of the Apostle a fancy that Christ must bee an Earthly Monarch and destroy all the Kings of the Earth and all the Enemies of the world and must come here to Rule and Reigne a thousand yeares upon the Earth it was brought over into Germany and there was taken hold on by John of Leydon in westphalia and handed over to us in England by men of late Now for the confutation First I shall quote expresse Scriptures that Christ shall not come in person out of heaven till his last coming to judge the world Secondly I shall give you some reasons from the Scripture why Christ cannot come out of Heaven Bodily and in person to Reigne a thousand yeares upon the Earth Thirdly I shall shew you some absurdities and incongruities that would follow if Christ should come to Reign a thousand yeares upon the Earth First for expresse Scriptures which are four the first scripture Act. 3. 21. Whom the Heavens must receive untill the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began There the Apostle telleth you directly that the Heaven must receive and keep Jesus Christ how long till the restitution of all things The Millenaries hold that the restitution of all things may be at the time of Christ Personall Reigne but I shall shew you that this restitution of all things cannot be til Christs judging the world First there cannot be a totall abolition of sin in the world at the thousand yeares end there shall bee a number of men and wicked during the thousand yeares all things cannot bee restored for sinne bringeth the creature under a curse it is apparent that it cannot bee till Christs last coming to judge the world because other Scriptures tell you that the time of restitution cannot bee till our bodies bee raised from the Dead Rom. 8. 23. And not onely they but our selves also which have the fruits of the spirit even wee our selves groane within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the redemption of our body That is the creatures doe as it were groane being used by man as an instrument to Gods dishonour so that till the bodies of all the Elect bee redeemed and glorified till that time the creature lies under a curse by reason of mans sinnes and mans abuse And they themselves that plead fâ—r Christs personal reigne a thousand yeares upon the Earth though they doe hold that the martyrs shall bee raised at at that time yet doe not hold that all the Elect shall bee raised at that time therefore the Apostle saith expresly that the Heavens must keepe the person of Christ till the restitution of all things 〈◊〉 the bodies of the Elect come to bee raised from the Dead Again it is apparant from the context in Acts 3. That the restitution of all things can intend no other time then the time of Christs coming to judgement First because it is said that the time here spoken of is when the Jewes were to bee refreshed from the Lords presence vers 19 20 21. Repent yee therefore and bee converted that your sinnes may bee bloted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And hee shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you Whom the Heaven must receive untill the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began And they cannot bee refreshed by the Lords presence till Christs coming to Judgement and their
when men shall bee eating and drinking possessing and adding muck to muck when men are secure and never thinke of Christs coming to burn all with fire then the powers of Heaven shall be shaken and the world be set on fire Hence it is that you read in Scripture in five or six places Christs coming it shall be as a Thiefe in the night a Thiefe will come in the dead time of the Night as Christ said to his Disciples in Luke 21. 34. The coming of Christ it is an unexpected coming thus you have six Particulars of Christs coming Use Now a word of Application Having shewed you how this Doctrine of Christs coming it is a Doctrine of comfort I shall finish this point in shewing you how this Doctrine of Christs coming is a Doctrine of terrour and of dread and to whom It is observeable that the word is not compared onely to Milke and Honey but the word is compared also to Salt which also hath an efficacy to make smart Beloved you have heard the Hony of this Doctrine what great comfort it will afford to Godly men but remember the word is Salt also and it is of a smart efficacy to terrifie and fret the conscience Now the Doctrine of Christs coming it is a terrible Doctrine in these four things To all wicked men Christs coming again it is a terrible Doctrine because first al the secretst sins that ever a wicked man hath committed in this world they shal be made manifest to all I confesse it is a contest among learned men whether the sinnes of good men as well as bad shall not be known and there are strong arguments that all shall be made known but the Scripture is full in this that at the day of Judgement the sinnes that a wicked man hath done in this world shall bee published to all the Saints and Angels in Heaven and all the men that were on Earth It may bee thou goest for an honest man amongst thy Neighbours yet thou lovest thy Neighbours wife and goest in unto her if thou hast been so or thou hast deceived in thy Trade why for all thy secresie here yet then all the world shall know thy deceit and uncleannes it is built upon that Text Luk. 8. 17. For nothing is secret that shall not bee made manifest neither any thing hid that shall not be knowne and come abroad Here a thousand things are hid that men do not know here thou carriest it fairly and squarely in the world that men cannot say black is thine Eye but then they may say shame to thy Face this is dreadfull Secondly Christs coming it shall bee dreadfull in regard of thy Separation from all the Elect of God In Mat. 25. 32. 33. And before him shal be gathered all Nations and hee shall separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth his sheepe from the Goates And hee shall set the sheep on his right hand but the Goates on the left Here thou art mingled it may bee thou livest in the same house with a godly man and lyest in the same bed with a godly man but remember a parting time is coming that as the Shepherd parteth the Sheepe from the Goats so doth Christ part the wicked from the godly Thirdly Christs coming againe it is dreadfull to wicked men in regard it shall be the time of the promulgation of thy Sentence A Thiefe in Newgate is a miserable creature a Thiefe at Bar is in a sad condition but a Thiefe when the Sentence of death is past upon him then hee is in a hopelesse condition O thou wicked man at thy dying day thou art a Malefactor but at thy Sentence giving thou art an undone man thou art in a hopelesse condition Fourthly Christs coming it is the time of the reuniting of thy body and soule together and of thy taking possession of Hell when thy body and soule that have been so many hundred yeares parted shall come to meet together and your meeting to bee but a going into Infernall torments this makes the coming of Christ to be a dreadfull coming I but you will say it is true indeed A Felix may tremble when Paul shall Preach to him of Judgement to come but have wee Christians cause of feare Yes you that are Christians in case you bee found under these particulars that I am now naming to you the day of Judgement will be dreadfull to you Christs coming againe to judge the world is not onely a dreadfull Doctrine to a Felix but may make thee a Christian to tremble in these cases First The Doctrine of Christs coming may make men tremble who are guilty of Acts of Oppression and Violence in Courts of Judicature Eccle. 3. 16 17. And moreover I saw under the Sun the place of Judgement that wickednesse was there and the place of righteousness that iniquity was there I said in my heart God shall judge the righteous and the wicked for there is a time for every purpose and every worke That is to judge every purpose and every worke When God shall come to places of Judgement and places of Judicature and shall say wickednesse is there and shall say bribery is there and the deferring of the cause of the poor is there woe bee to all Oppressions of the poore and grinding their Faces in Courts of Judicature many whereof are Seats of violence and not Courts of Judicature Christ shall come to judge things that men will not judge men will not judge Adulterers but whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Men will not judge men for Heresie but God will judge them Christs coming is dreadfull to all men that live by Oppression and Violence in Courts of judicature Secondly Christs coming to judgement is dreadfull to all them who to save their worldly advantage are ashamed to professe the Gospell of Christ O! Christs coming is a dreadfull time to these In Mark 8. 38. Whosoever therefore shall bee ashamed of mee and of my words in this Adulterous and sinfull Generation of him also shall the Son of man bee ashamed when hee cometh in the glory of his Father with the Holy Angels I pray you marke here are two answers to an Objection in these words First men might say why blessed Jesus who would bee ashamed of thee if Christ were on the Earth wee would never bee ashamed of Christ Therefore Christ addes whosoever is ashamed of mee and of my words though you might not bee ashamed of Christs person yet you might bee ashamed of his words Then men may Object and say why truly if it were a peaceable time a safe time to professe Christ but what when wee live in a wicked place and among a wicked people will not Christ bear with us to hold down our heads a little and to sleep in a whole Skin no saith Christ whosoever shall be ashamed of mee and of my words in this Adulterous and sinfull Generation of him also shall the Sonne of man c.
things and then if he might die he did not care I wish saith hee First that I might see Rome in its beauty and to see Paul in the Pulpit and to see Christ in the flesh every Beleever shall see the Lord Jesus in the flesh Iob tells you of his confidence long before Christ was borne I know my Redeemer liveth and with these eyes I shall see my Redeemer here is thy happinesse that being where Jesus Christ is thou hast a society with Christ in his humane Nature 1 John 3. 2. Beloved now wee are the Sonnes of God and it doth not yet appeare what wee shall bee but wee know that when hee shall appeare wee shall bee like him for wee shall see him as hee is Wee do not know what Christ is wee shall know him then we shall see him as he is glorified in Heaven A third thing that makes much for the blessednesse of the Elect that in thy being present with Jesus Christ God gives thee more honour then ever thou couldest bee capable of in former time God gives thee Glory by vertue of thy being with Jesus Christ a notable Text Joh. 1. 26 verse If any man serve mee let him follow mee and where I am there shall also my servant bee If any man serve mee him will my Father honour That is where I shall bee in Heaven Beloved the time is now of giving honour to God and giving Glory to God but thy being where Christ is God then gives thee Glory and gives thee Honour Fourthly thy happinesse in being present with Christ where hee is is that thou shalt stand in no need of Ordinances beloved here the highest growne Christian and the strongest Beleever in the World doth stand in more need of Ordinances then a lame man doth of Crutches to goe by but when thou comest to have this accomplishment that thou shalt bee where Christ is thou then standest in no need of Ordinances then what needs the Candlestick of Sermons what needs the Candlestick of Preaching and the Candlestick of Praying when thou art present with Christ the Sun of righteousnesse there is no need of conduit pipes when thou art by the Fountain head thou needst no Ordinances the conduit pipes are the Ordinances there is no need of Ordinances any longer then thou art absent from the Fountaine which is Jesus Christ the ceremoniall Law is all Gospell it is a darke Gospell the Evangelists are the explained Gospel the ceremoniall Law is a darke Gospell Exodus 25. Meaning the holy place There was to be golden Candlesticks which Typified the Preaching of the Word In the Holy place there was the Incense Dishes to wit Christs Intercession this was only in the holy place but in the holy of holiest there was no Candlestick no Incense Dishes there to shew that whilest you are on this side Heaven in the Church of God you need the Candlestick you need Preaching and praying but in the holy of holiest there was none of this to shew that it was a Type of Heaven and when Christ beings thee there then thou art above Ordinances and never till then this is a Fourth particular A Fifth Priviledg of thy being where Christ is is this that thou shalt have a full communion and fellowship with Jesus Christ in Person Beloved here wee have our communion with Christ but it is a communion far different from that which we shall have in Heaven First it shall bee different in regard of the manner of its enjoyment in this world thou enjoyest Christ mediately by Ordinances thou doest but see him as in the Apostles phrase in a glasse darkely but in Heaven thou shalt enjoy Christ personally and have communion immediately with Christ in Heaven Secondly in regard of the measure of your enjoyment here you enjoy but a parcell of Christ you here enjoy Christs spirit by drops you shall then enjoy the fullness of the Ocean Thirdly it differs in regard of its time and duration Here you doe enjoy Christ it is true but it is by fits and starts you injoy him now in an Ordinance but you have interrupted fellowship and communion with Christ but when thou art with him in Heaven there is no interruption in thy communion with Christ Fourthly it is different in regard of its expectation herein Heaven thou enjoyest Christ by way of of possession Fifthly in regard of place here there is a great distance of place betweene Christ and us here wee enjoy Christ hee in Heaven and wee on Earth but then we shall enjoy Christ in one place hee in Heaven and wee in Heaven here thou mayest thinke much of Christ but if thou wert nearer Christ thou shouldest see and know more of his glory Sixtly there shall bee a difference in regard of thy companions and those that are in fellowship with thee in Heaven they are saints and Angels but on Earth though thou doest enjoy Christ yet thou art inforc'd to discourse and commerce with wicked men A sixth particular is this thy being present with Jesus Christ there is this to attend thee there shall bee gladnesse and rejoycing among all the Angels in Heaven If the Angels in Heaven shall rejoyce at a sinners conversion they shall much rejoyce at a sinners inauguration in Heaven they and we shall make but one fold to glorifie the great Shepherd of our soules the Lord Jesus what great joy shall there bee among Angels Archangels Thrones c. Singing Hallelujah to God making you partners of their glory Seventhly our being with Christ shall put us into a state of exemption from sin from the causes of sin and from the punishments of sin First from sinne here thy beautifull soule is bespoted with the spots of Leprosie I mean with foule and deformed lusts but when thou art with Jesus Christ thou art exempted from sin no more sin Secondly thou shalt be exempted from the causes of sin the Divel shall deceive no more there but here thou lyest exposed to all temptations Thirdly there shall bee no more punishments for sin here thou art punished in thy body by Diseases and the like here punishments by trouble of Soul but in Heaven thou art freed from internal punishments and externall punishments this was prefigured under the Law 1 Kings 33. The Palme-tree is an Embleme of victory Therfore the victorious are said to wear Palmes in their hands triumphing Revelation 7. to shew that you can never bee compleat Conquerours to wear signals of triumph and signals of conquest in your hands till you come to enter into the holy of holiest Then you have conquered over sin and over Temptation to sinne and conquered over all punishments for sinne The Morall Philosophers say that Raine Haile Storme and Tempests are engendred in the middle Region but above the middle Region there is no Winde no storme or Tempest whilest thou art here below there are stormes Winde and blustring Temptations but when God takes thee above this middle Region there is